olla

BIRDS

KO THE
pj, ILLUSTRATED

NATURAL HISTORY.

BY THE REV.

J. G. woop, M.A. F.LS.

AUTHOR OF “ ANECDOTES OF ANIMAL ae ” “ COMMON OBJECTS OF THE SEA-SHORE AND COUNTRY,”

‘‘ MY FEATHERED FRIENDS,” ETC, ETC.

WITH NEW DESIGNS BY
WOLF, ZWECKER, WEIR, COLEMAN, WOOD, NEALE, HARVEY, ETC.

ENGRAVED BY THE BROTHERS DALZIEL.

JUL 20 1987
LISRARIES

LONDON :
ROUTLEDGE, WARNE, AND ROUTLEDGE, FARRINGDON STREET.
NEW YORK: 56, WALKER STREET.
1862.

LONDON :
PRINTED BY R. CLAY, SON, AND TAYLOR,
BREAD STREET HILL.

8 1 / ras

PREFACE.

In this Work I have continued to carry out the same plan which has been employed
in the previous volume descriptive of the Mammalia, giving to the body of the work
a popular and anecdotal character, and reserving the more scientific portions for the
Compendium of Generic Distinctions at the end of the volume. Much pains has
been taken with that part of the work, for which I am in a great degree indebted
to the invaluable “Genera of Birds” by Dr. Gray, a work which has long established
itself as the standard of systematic Ornithology as at present accepted by the
learned world.

The system employed, and the names that are given in this work, are those which
have been sanctioned by the usage of the national collection in the British Museum ;
and any one who wishes to study the Birds in a systematic manner can accomplish
his object by taking this volume to the Museum, and comparing the specimens with
the history of the species in the body of the work, and the characteristic distinctions
of the genera at its end. By means of this Table, also, any one can ascertain the
approximate position which any bird holds in the system of the present day.

I must here take the opportunity of returning my best thanks to the numerous
individuals who have most kindly given their aid to this work, many of whom are

even now personally unknown to me,

ERRATA.

10 lines from top, for “ largest” read “longest.”

8 lines from bottom, for “largest” read “longest.” 10 lines from bottom, for
“Flesh-bearded” read “ Flesh-beaked.”

For “ Macrodiptex” read “ Macrodipteryx.”

After “ Barsets” add “ or Purr-Brrps.”

6 lines from top, read “The eggs are four in number, and the young birds
resemble,” &c,

16 lines from bottom, for “ looped” read “lodged.” 15 lines from bottom, for
“ eonical” read “ suitable.”

26 lines from top, /ox “ three branches” vead “ thorn branches.”

Transfer title “Scansorzs,” &c. together with first paragraph, to page 507,
line 23 from top.

25 lines from bottom, for “obtained” read “attained.” 14 lines from bottom,
for “ covering” read “ wing.”

Transpose titles of birds ¢hus, “ Brrrern, Eerer, Heron.”

'Transpose titles of Sandpipers ‘hus, “ ComMON SANDPIPER, GREEN SANDPIPER.”

Transpose titles of Snipes ¢hus, “ Jack-Snrpr, COMMON SNIPE.”

11 lines from bottom, for “ entire” read “ cubic.”

GROUP OF VULTURES.

BIRDS.

THE most conspicuous external characteristic by which the Brrps are distinguished
from all other inhabitants of earth, is the feathery robe which invests their bodies, and
which serves the double purpose of clothing and progression. For the first of these two
objects it is admirably adapted, as the long, slender filaments of the feathers are not only in

2. B

2 STRUCTURE OF THE EGG.

themselves indifferent conductors of heat, but entangle among their multitudinous fibres
a considerable amount of air, which resists the ingress or the egress of external or
internal heat, and thus preserves the bird in a moderate temperature through the icy
blasts of winter or the burning rays of the summer sun. A similar function is discharged by
the furry coats of many mammalia; but the feathers serve another office, which is not
possessed by hair or fur. They aid the creature in progression, and enable it to raise
and to sustain itself in the atmosphere. Towards the promotion of this latter function
the entire structure of the body and limbs is obviously subservient, and even in the
comparatively rare instances where the bird—such as the penguin, ostrich, or the
kiwi-kiwi—is destitute of flying powers, the general idea of a flying creature is still
preserved.

The fuller and more technical description of the Birds runs as follows. They are
vertebrate animals, but do not suckle their young, nourishing them in most instances
with food which has been partially macerated in their own digestive organs, and which
they are able to disgorge at will, after a manner somewhat similar to that of the
ruminating quadrupeds. The young are not produced in an actively animated state, but
inclosed in the egg, from which they do not emerge until they have been warmed into
independent life by the effects of constant warmth. Generally, the eggs are hatched by
means of the natural warmth which proceeds from the mother bird ; but in some instances,
such as that of the tallegalla of Australia, the eggs are placed in a vast heap of dead leaves
and grass, and developed by means of the heat which is exhaled from decaying vegetable
substances, and which is generated to such an extent that in some cases, such as a wet
haystack, it actually sets the seething mass on fire. Urged by alike instinct, our common
English snake deposits its eggs in secret spots, such as dunghills and hotbeds, and
there leaves them to be hatched by the constantly generated warmth. An analogous
process has long been in vogue among the Egyptians for the hatching of young
poultry by artificial heat, and has been, in comparatively recent years, introduced into
this country.

When the egg is first produced, the future chicken is merely indicated by a little
germ-spot, barely the size of a single oat-grain, and does not attain the power of breathing
atmospheric air, and receiving nourishment into its mouth, until a period of many days
has elapsed. To watch the gradual development of the young chick is a most
interesting experiment, and one which is full of suggestive instruction. There is bnt
little difficulty in the matter, even in the very earliest stages of incubation, for t)
structure of the egg is so wonderfully balanced, that in order to view the little germ-s) i
it is only necessary to lay the egg on its side and remove a portion of the shell, ‘when «he
germ will be seen lying immediately under the aperture. In whatever vay an egg may
be turned, the germ-spot invariably presents itself at the highest point, provided only that
the ege be laid on its side, and that the living principle has not been extinguished, for life,
however undeveloped, seems always to aspire. As the chick increases in size the
manipulation becomes easier, but it is always better to immerse the ege in water or
other transparent liquid before removing the shell, and to keep it submerge’ dizring
examination.

There are few objects which will better: repay investigation than the young bird 1 its
various stages of development. It is so wonderful to see the manner in which a living
creature is gradually evolved from the apparently lifeless substances that are contained
within an ege. The being seems to grow under our very gaze, and we arise from the
wondrous spectacle with an involuntary feeling that we have been present at a veritable
act of creation. To describe fully the beautiful process in which a chick is elaborated out
of the germ-spot would occupy very many pages, and cannot be attempted within the
compass of the present work. Briefly, however, the order of events is as follows.

When a newly laid ege is opened, it is found to contain a mass of substance which is
popularly divided simply into “white” and “yolk,” but when examined more closely, by
placing it under water and carefully removing the shell, its contents are found to be
very elaborately disposed, so as to meet the object for which it was formed. Immediately
within the shell lies a semi-transparent and tolerably strong membrane, composed of two

DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHICK. 3

distinct layers, pressed closely to each other for the greater portion of its extent, but
separated at the widest end of the egg, and containing between the layers a supply of
atmospheric air to satisfy the requirements of the young chick. This space gradually
increases as the young bird becomes more developed. Within this membrane lies the
“white,” a liquid, albuminous substance, which is also disposed in two distinct layers,
that which is nearest to the shell being rather thin and fluid, while the inner layer is
comparatively thick, tenacious, and very transparent. Within the white lies the yolk,
surrounded by a slight membrane, which serves to guard it from mixing with the white.
In order to prevent the yolk from shifting its place at every change of position in the egg,
it is anchored, so to speak, in its proper place by two curious ligaments fastened to the
yolk membrane. Upon the yolk, and immediately under the membrane, lies the little
germ which in the space of three weeks will be developed into a bird.

After a few hours of warmth, the first idea of the chick is seen in a little whitish
streak, barely one-tenth of an inch long, rather wider at one end, and always lying across
the egg. By degrees, this streak enlarges, and forms a groove between two little ridges,
and in a few hours later, a delicate thread is seen lying in the groove, being the first
indication of the spinal cord. Presently a number of the tiniest imaginable square white
plates make their appearance on each side of the thread, and are the commencement of
the vertebrae. It is most curious to see these gradual changes, for the different parts come
into view as though they were crystallized from the substance of the egg. By the end of
the first day the germ takes a curve, and looks something like a little maggot as it lies in
the yolk. The little heart is just perceptible on the second day, and on the third a series
of blood-vessels have been formed, and are supplied with blood by a very curious system
of arteries and veins. By similar processes the various organs of the body are built up,
the feathers beginning to make their appearance about the twelfth day, and on the
nineteenth or twentieth day the chick pierces with its beak the air-sac which lies at the
blunt end of the egg, and by means of the air which it thus obtains is often able to chirp
before it chips the shell.

During this period of its existence the young bird is nourished by the yolk, which is
connected with its abdomen, and which is not separated from the body until the chick
has broken the shell, and is able to respire freely. When leaving the egg-shell, the
chicken pecks in a circle, which nearly corresponds with the shape of the air vesicle, so
that when it emerges it walks out of a circular trap-door which it has cut for itself, and
which often remains suspended by a hinge formed from an uncut portion of the lining
membrane. It is possible that the shell may be softened in this spot by the presence of
internal air, and may therefore afford an easier passage to the inclosed chick. In order
to enable the tender-billed little creature to penetrate so hard a substance as the egg-shell,
the tip of its beak is furnished with a strong horny excrescence, which falls off shortly
after the chicken has emerged from the egg, thus carrying out the principle that nature
abhors a superfluity.

Having watched the little bird through its life-development, we will now proceed to
a short examination of the bird-skeleton, and will take for an example that of the eagle.
Even in the mammalia the skeleton presents an appearance very different from that of the
living creature, and in many instances the external structure and its bony framework are
so unlike each other that an inexperienced observer would probably refer them to different
animals. But in the birds the contrast is still more strongly marked, for the skeleton is
not only deprived of its fleshy covering, but also of the feathery coat which surrounds the
bird so thickly, and which in many cases, such as the owl, entirely masks the general
outline of the bird. Taking the skeleton of the eagle as a good example of the bony
scaffolding which supports the vital and locomotive organs of birds, we will begin with
the head and proceed gradually to the tail.

The chief and most obvious distinctive feature in the skull of a bird and of a mammal
lies in the jaw-bones, which in the bird are entirely toothless, and are covered at their
extremities with a peculiar horny incrustment, termed the beak or bill. This bill is of
very different shape in the various tribes of birds; being in some cases strong, sharp, and
curved, as in the birds of prey ; in others long, slender, and delicate, as in the creepers

B2

4 SKELETON OF THE BIRD.

and humming-birds ; and in others flat, spoon-like, soft, and sensitive, as in the ducks.
The movement of a bird’s jaw is not precisely similar to that of a mammal, owing to the
manner in which a certain little bone, termed from its squared shape the quadrate bone,
is articulated to the bones of the skull. On reference to the accompanying illustration,
this bone will be seen just at the junction of the lower jaw with the skull.

Passing from the head to the neck, we find a marked distinction from the mammals.
In them, the vertebrae of the neck are never more than seven in number; the long neck
of the giraffe and the short one of the elephant being obtained by the prolongation | of the
seven Ene ORe in the former and their compression in the latter. In the birds, however,
there are never less than nine vertebree in the neck, and in some cases the number is
considerably greater ; the swan, for example, possessing no less than twenty-three of these
bones. The neck is also much longer in the birds, being in many instances longer than
the remainder of the body. The vertebrze of the neck are extremely flexible, as is needful
for the peculiar habits of birds; but those of the
back are immovably connected with each other,
and in many cases are even fused together. The
seven or eight short vertebrae which form the tail
are movable, and are generally terminated by a
single bone of greater length than any of the
others.

We now proceed to the breast and body. The
ribs are chiefly remarkable for a flat appendage,
which starts from the lower portion of the bone,
and is directed backwards, so that it overlaps each
succeeding rib. The breast bone is placed lower
than might be supposed from the external aspect
of a bird, and is of very great size. Its substance
is much flattened, and it possesses a strong ridge
or keel of bone, which varies in its depth according
to the powers of flight possessed by the particular
species to which it belongs. As the eagle is a
strong-winged bird, the keel is very prominent,
but in such non-flying birds as the ostrich and

SKELETON OF EAGLE. the apteryx, there is no keel at all. Between the
breast bone and the neck lie four clavicles, ‘or
collar bones, differing much in size and shape in

the various species of birds. One set of them, technically called the os furculare, from its
forked shape, is sometimes absent, its place being supplied by a ligament; but the others,
termed the clavicule coracoide, are invariably present. These two sets of bones are
familiar to all who have carved a fowl, under the terms of “merry-thought” and
“neck bones.”

The limbs now come before our notice, and we cannot but be struck with the curious
fact, that in the birds the bipedal mode of walking again makes its appearance, having
disappeared through all the mammalia, with the exception of man. There is, however,
this analogy between the lower mammals and the birds, namely, that in both instances the
anterior limbs are intended for progression, although in the one case these formations belong
to earth, and in the other to the air. The bones of the wing present a considerable
resemblance to those of a man’s arm, as may be seen by comparing the skeleton of the
eagle with that of the man in Volume I. The upper arm bone is of various lengths in the
different birds, being of wonderful proportions in such long-winged birds as the albatross,
but very short in the penguins, the cassowary, and many other birds. The two bones of
the fore-arm, technically called the u/na and radius, are also long in the long-winged
birds, and serve to carry a large expanse of feathers. Of these two, the ulna is the larger
and more cylindrical. To the end of the ulna and radius are jointed the two little bones
of the wrist, which bear a quasi hand, composed of a thumb and two fingers. The thumb
is very small, consisting of either one or two bones; and the fingers, which are only

FEATHERS AND THEIR ARRANGEMENT. 5

needed for the purpose of bearing feathers, are also small. One of them is composed
of either two or three joints, but the other is a very little one, being but one single
pointed bone.

The bones of the legs are very similar in their arrangement to those of the mammalian
quadrupeds, although “they are subject to certain modifications, especially at their
extremities. The thigh-bone is tolerably strong and cylindrical, but of no very great
length, in proportion ‘to the size of the bird or the length of its limbs. Even in the
curious stilt-plover, where the legs are of such extraordinary length, the thigh bone
is comparatively short, and not visible outside the feathers. The leg” bone, or “tibia,” is
always the largest bone of the limb, and is accompanied by a very small and undeveloped
“fibula,” which is only attached to its upper extremity, and tapers gradually to a point.
The “instep,” as we should term it in a human foot, is merely a single bone, jointed at its
upper extremity to the tibia, and its lower to the bones of the toes. In general, birds are
furnished with four toes on each foot, but there are several exceptions to this rule, among
which the ostrich is the most conspicuous.

Not only do the bones of a bird differ in external form from those of a mammal, but
they are also considerably modified in their structure. In the mammals the bones are
heavy, solid, and their centre is filled with marrow; but in the birds the bones are of a
much lighter make, and many, such as the upper wing bone, the breast bone, and part of
the skull, are, moreover, hollow throughout their centres, so as to combine great strength
with the least possible weight. These hollow bones communicate with the legs through
certain curious appendages called air-sacs, which open into the lungs, and apparently serve
as reservoirs of respirable atmosphere, so that the bird is able to force the hot and
rarefied air from its lungs into its bones. In some very rare instances even the bones of
the feet and toes are hollow, and penetrable with air as far as the insertion of the claws.
Some birds, however, especially those of small dimensions, do not possess these hollow
bones, and in all cases the cavity is not developed until the creature has attained to
maturity. In the apteryx, a non-flying bird, the only hollow bone is that of the lower
jaw. So complete is the communication with the lungs through the bones of some birds,
that if the bone should be broken they are enabled to breathe through the open extremity,
even though the throat be compressed, or the head plunged under water.

Tals slight sketch of the skeleton is necessary as a prelude to the description of the
FEATHERS, because several of the most important of these appendages derive their names
from the portion of the structure on which they are set.

On a general view of a bird it will be seen that the feathers fall naturally into two
orders, namely, those of progression and those of covering. But as in the description of a
bird, especially of one that is unknown to science, and of which no figure is extant, it is
needful to describe the form and colour of the different portions of the creature with great
accuracy, this sweeping division of the feathers into two sets will be quite insufficient for
the purpose. On a closer examination, however, it will be seen that the feathers possess
a kind of natural arrangement, which, with a few unimportant and obvious additions, is
amply sufficient for actual scientific purposes. The best mode of learning the name of
the different parts of the plumage is to procure any bird, say a sparrow or pigeon, which
may easily be obtained, and to investigate the formation and arrangement of the feathers
from actual inspection. It is an interesting little study, and w ill save much time, as a
lesson once so learned will never again be forgotten. We will suppose a dead sparrow to
be laid on the table.

Let one of its wings be spread upon the table, and its plumage will be seen to consist of
a row of long, flat, and stiff quill feathers, whose insertion is covered by a great number
of smaller and softer feathers. The quill feathers are technically termed “principals,”
and the others are called from their office, “coverts.” Before examining the principals, it
needs that the coverts be first attacked, because they must be removed before the quill
feathers can be properly traced to their sources. Along the upper surface of the wing
run two or three rows of these short feathers, which are termed the “greater coverts,”
and below these a single row of “lesser coverts,” the latter of which may be distinguished

6 NAMES OF THE FEATHERS. r

by their slightly different shape and manner of lying. The under surface of the wing is
clothed with a dense layer of small feathers termed the “under coverts.”

Now let all the upper coverts be removed, and the quill feathers will be visible from
their insertion to their extremity. On spreading out the wing it will be seen that ten of
these feathers spring from that portion of the wing bone which corresponds to the hand
and fingers of man. As these feathers come first in point of order, beginning at the
extremity of the wing, they are termed the “primaries,” and indicate, by their shape and
development, the mode of flight followed by the bird. If, for instance, they are
comparatively short, rounded, and concave, as is the case with our example, the sparrow,
the flight is slow and laborious, accompanied with much beating of the wing and dipping
in the air between each stroke. If they are long, firm, and flat, as seen in the eagles,
vultures, and other similar birds, the flight is easy and graceful, though capable of exceeding
swiftness when needful. If they are large, concave, and edged with soft fringes, the flight
is quiet and noiseless, as is seen in the owls. Some birds, such as the ostrich, the
cassowary, and other running birds, possess short and pointed primaries, which can hardly
be recognised as belonging to so large a bird, and the flight is in consequence reduced
to zero.

Next to the primaries come a second set of quills, called for that reason “ secondaries.”
They are often undistinguishable externally from the primaries, into which they imper-
ceptibly merge, but may be at once detected by following them to their roots, which are
inserted upon that part of the wing which corresponds to the wrist and elbow of man.
They are very variable in number, shape, and size; and although they are in some birds
hardly distinguishable from the primaries, are in others very prominent and conspicuous.

Next to the secondaries come the “ tertiaries,” which take their root in that part of the
wing which corresponds to the elbow and shoulder. In some birds, such as the plovers,
the tertiaries are extremely long, giving a very peculiar character to the wing. In the
crane they are developed into long, drooping plumes; but in most birds they are very
much shorter than the primaries, and are merged into the little feathers that cover the
upper surface of the wing. Upon the thumb is a little fan-like wing, quite distinct from
the remainder of the feathers, and distinguished by the name of “ winglet.”

A second set of quill feathers is to be found upon the tail, where they assume different
shapes and dimensions according to the species of bird, its sex, age, and the nature of its
flight. As these feathers perform the office of a rudder in directing the flight of the bird
as it passes through the atmosphere, they are technically termed “rectrices,” or directors.
The insertion of these quill feathers is concealed above and below by certain little feathers,
named from their position the upper and under tail coverts. Generally, these feathers are
of very small dimensions, but in some examples they attain to considerable length, and
are very imposing in their appearance. The magnificent “train” of the peacock is
composed, not. of the tail quill feathers, which are short, stiff, and used chiefly for the
proper displayal of the train, but of the greatly developed upper tail coverts; and from
the under tail coverts of the marabout stork are taken those beautiful plumy ornaments
that are so well known as articles of feminine decoration.

Lastly, there are some feathers on either side of the head, which shield the orifice of
the ear from injury, and are therefore named the ear coverts; and the patch of feathers
upon the shoulders is appropriately known by the name of “scapularies.” In the
accompanying sketch of the swallow-tailed falcon, the position of the principal groups of
feathers is indicated. A denotes the primaries, or first quill-feathers of the wing; B, the
tertiaries ; C, D, E, the lesser and greater coverts; F, the scapularies ; G, the rectaries ;
H, the upper tail coverts ; I, the ear coverts.

This array of plumage is not obtained until the bird has attained to some amount of
development, and the shape and colour of the feathers are so distinct from each other at
the different epochs of a bird’s life, that in many instances an adult, a half-grown, and a
juvenile specimen have been taken for individuals of different species, and noted as such
in systematic catalogues.

When the young bird is first hatched its feathers are hardly worthy of the name, being
mostly restricted to akind of soft down. In the course of a week or two the quill feathers

REPRODUCTION AND PLUMAGE. "i

begin to make their appearance, like little yellow or black spikes projecting from the
wings, but it is not until after the lapse of some time that they attain sufficient strength
to sustain the bird in the air. In afew months after the young bird has gained its first
plumage, it loses the feathers with which it has only just been clothed, and by going
through the process technically termed “moulting,” indues an entirely new plumage,
which is often very different from the former in its traits and general aspect. In many
cases the bird spends three years of life before it is clothed with the full glory of its adult
garments, and during the first and second years the two sexes are so similar as hardly to
be distinguished from each other without dissection. The moult takes place annually
even in adult birds, and is highly needful as a means of giving them a new set of plumes
to replace those which have been worn out by the service of a whole year’s wear.

A similar phenomenon is observable in the fur-clad mammalia, who shed the worn
and ragged hairs in the autumn, and obtain a new and warm coat in readiness for the
colder months. Even in the human race the same principle is observed ; but the change

a £ o

SWALLOW-TAILED FALCON.—(Showing the Feathers.)

of hair is in them so gradual that it is scarcely perceptible, except to those who watch its
progress. Indeed, a partial moult can be induced at any time upon a bird, and employed
to restore a broken or damaged feather, irrespective of the time of year. If the injured
feather be drawn from its socket—an operation which is always attended with some pain
and loss of blood—it will soon be replaced by another and a perfect feather, springing
from the same socket.

The rapidity of the process is really astonishing, and presents a curious analogy with
the phenomenon of the rapid formation of the stag’s horns. A remarkable instance
occurred lately within my own observation, in the person of a long-tailed Australian
parrakeet. The bird contrived to get out of its cage, and in flying along a large
room was chased by a man, who made a successful grasp at its tail, but failed in
securing the bird, which flew screaming away, leaving its beautiful long tail in the hands
of its would-be captor. At last the bird was replaced safely in its cage, but presented a
very forlorn aspect in consequence of the loss of its tail, A very few days, however,
showed the tips of some new feathers, that had already grown long enough to pass beyond
the tail coverts, and in a month or so the long tail was even more beautiful than ever.

8 STRUCTURE OF THE WING.

There seems, indeed, to be a very marked analogy between the feathers of birds and the
tusks or horns of many mammals. Both depend greatly on the sex and age of the
animal to which they belong, and their shape and dimensions are unfailing indications of
the vigour or feebleness of their owners.

The expanse of the outstretched wings of every flying bird is so very great in compar ison
with the size of the body, that there is need of very | ereat muscular development in order
to give the powerful strokes by which the body of a bird is ur ged through the atmosphere.
It is for this purpose that the breast bone is furnished with the deep keel which has
already been mentioned, for its projecting edge and sides afford attachment to muscles of
enormous size, which are devoted to the purpose of drawing the wing forcibly downwards.
Although in the gallinaceous birds, of which the common barn-door fowl is a familiar
example, the pectoral muscle, as it 1s called, is not so largely developed as in many of the
swift-winged birds, it attains to considerable dimensions, as may be seen by every one in
carving a common fowl, whether it be boiled or roasted. This muscle forms the solid
and delicately flavoured meat which is attached to the wing when removed, and also
constitutes the greater part of the “ breast.”

Strength, however, is not the only requisite in a bird’s wing. It is evident that if the
stroke were only made upwards and downwards, the bird would never rise in the air,
much less make any progress forwards. On gently moying the wing of a dead bird, we
shall see how beautifully its opening and closing is managed, so that on the stroke the
feathers beat the air with their flat sides, but present their sharp edges as they return for
another stroke. This movement is copied by the oarsman as he throws back the blade of
his oar for another stroke, and is called “feathering” on account of the source from which
it is derived. The means by which this object is attaimed is through a most perfect
and beautiful arrangement of the wing muscles, which are so fashioned as to give
the wing a slight and involuntary turn just as it is thrown backwards after making
its stroke.

The reader who desires to understand this curious structure, cannot do better than to
denude the wing of some bird of its feathers, to remove the skin, and lay bare the muscles.
If he then moves the wing as if in flight, he will see, by the play of the different
muscles, the part which they take in the general movement, and the wonderful
harmony in which every individual muscle works with its fellows. Next let him
pass a smooth but blunt edge, such as a small paper-knife, or the flat handle of a scalpel,
between the different muscles and separate them throughout their entire length. By
pulling each muscle in turn with a pair of forceps, he will see its object, and will be
able to form a very good idea of the manner in which all the muscles act while working
simultaneously in moving the wing.

In the generality of birds, the senses of touch and taste seem to be but little developed,
while those of sight, hearing, and smell are decidedly acute.

The sense of touch can be but very slight in a creature that is covered with feathers
over the whole of its body ; whose limbs are either plume-clad or tipped with horn, and.
whose mouth is defended by a hard, horny beak. There are exceptions in the case of the
ducks, and many similar birds, whose beaks are soft and evidently possessed of delicate
tactile powers, but in the generality of birds this sense is decidedly dull. Taste, again, can
have but little development, as the tongues of most birds are devoid of the soft and
sensitive surface which is found in the tongue of man and the mammals in general. At
the base of the tongue the nerve-bearing papillze are found in some genera of birds, but
even in them these organs of taste occupy but a small portion of the tongue, and can give
but little indication of savour. In many birds, indeed, such as the woodpecker and the
humming-bird, the tongue is employed in a manner analogous to the same organ in the
ant- eaters, being used to procure food and to draw it into the mouth, This structure
will be described more at length when we come to treat of the birds where it is especially
developed.

The sight of birds is almost invariably remarkable for its development and its adaptation
for near or distant objects. The swallow, for example, when darting through the air with
that swiftness which has become proverbial, is capable of accommodating ‘its sight to the

EYE OF BIRDS. 9

insect which it pursues even in the short space of time which is occupied by its swoop
at its victim. The same phenomenon may be noticed in the falcon, which is able to
perceive a little bird or animal on the ground, and though sweeping downwards with
such wonderful rapidity that it looks merely like a dark streak in the air, is able to
calculate its distance so exactly, that it just avoids dashing itself to pieces on the
ground, and snatches up its prey with the same lightning speed which characterises its
descent.

It is very probable that a curious structure, named from its shape the “pecten,” or
comb, which is found in the interior of the bird’s eye, may contribute to this peculiarity
of vision. This comb is of a fan-like shape, and is situate upon the spot where the
optic nerve enters the eye, projecting obliquely upwards, and evidently playing some
very conspicuous part in the economy of the eye. The teeth, or folds of which this fan
or comb is composed, are black in colour and very variable in number, being only six or
seven in the owls, and twenty or thirty in the sparrow. There is a plentiful supply of
blood-vessels in the comb, but no muscular tissues, and it is supposed by several anato-
mists that its expansion or contraction, caused by the greater or less amount of blood
which fills the vessels, may have some effect in the peculiarly delicate adjustment of
the eye which has already been mentioned.

From the contact of external substances, as well as for the purpose of excluding
unnecessary light, the eye of the bird is furnished with two ordinary eyelids, and a third,
or supplementary eyelid, which plays within the others, and is technically called the
nictitating membrane. This membrane is elastic, and by its own contractility is kept
within the angle of the eye as long as its services are not needed. When, however, the
bird wishes to cleanse its eyes from dust or other annoyances, it draws the membrane
rapidly over the eye, letting it return to its place by its own powers of contraction. The
eye of the bird is further remarkable for a series of bony plates which surround the eye,
and are supposed to have a great influence in increasing or lessening the convexity of
the eyeball. The number of these plates is nearly as various as the teeth of the comb,
but upon an average their number is thirteen or fourteen. There are many other curious
and interesting details in the anatomy and general structure of the birds, but as this
publication is not intended as a work on comparative anatomy, we must proceed to the
histories of the birds themselves,

LAMMERGEY ER.—Gypdétos barbatus.

BIRDS OF PREY. VULTURES.

In the arrangement of the various species of living creatures which possess a visible
organization, the greater or less perfection of the structure has formed the basis of
systematic classification. In a certain sense, however, the development of all animals is
equally perfect, inasmuch as it is most perfectly adapted to the necessities of the parti-
cular species or individual ; so that the term perfection is necessarily rather a conventional
one, and the systems of zoological arrangement are as various as their authors. By
common consent, however, the VuLtTurRES take the first rank among birds, and in the
catalogue of the British Museum, the LAMMERGEYER, or BEARDED VULTURE, stands first
upon the list.

This magnificent bird is a native of Southern Europe and Western Asia, and often
attains a very great size, the expanse of its wings being sometimes as much as ten feet,
and its length nearly four feet.

Before describing this species it may be as well to give a few of the distinguishing
points by which the Vultures may be separated from the eagles, hawks, and other

HABITS OF THE LAMMERGEYER. 11

diurnal birds of prey. All the birds of prey, called scientifically Raptatores, or Accipitres,
are readily known by their compressed and hooked beaks, the powerful talons which
arm their toes, and the twelve or fourteen quill feathers of the tail. The Vultures are
distinguished by the shape of the beak, which is of moderate size, nearly straight above,
curved suddenly and rounded at the tip, and without any “teeth” in the upper mandible.
The middle toe of the foot is larger than the others, and the outer toes are connected with
them at their base by a small membrane. In the greater number of species the head
and upper part of the neck are nearly naked, and the eyes are unshaded by the feathery
ridge which overhangs these organs in the eagles. As a general rule, the Vultures feed
on dead carrion, and are therefore most beneficial to the countries which they inhabit.
When pressed by hunger, however, they will make inroads upon the flocks and herds, and
will not disdain to satisfy their wants with rats, mice, small birds, or insects.

The name of Bearded Vulture has been given to the Lammergeyer on account of the
tufts of long and stiff bristle-like hairs which take their rise at the nostrils and beneath
the bill, and form a very prominent characteristic of the species. The “cere,” a soft
naked skin which is placed on the base of the beak, is not very large, and the upper
mandible is rather higher in front of the cere. The feet are not so large as in many of
the birds of prey, and are not very well adapted for seizing or retaining prey. As,
however, the Lammergeyer is not a bird of chase, like the eagle and falcon, but obtains
its food by striking chamois, goats, and other animals over the precipices near which they
are standing, the powerful claws of the eagle would be of little service to it. The
claws are therefore comparatively feeble, short, and are covered with feathers down to
the toes.

The colour of the Lammergeyer is a grey-brown, curiously dashed with white upon the
upper surface, in consequence of a white streak which runs along the centre of each
feather. The under surtace of the body, together with the neck, are nearly white, tinged
with a wash of reddish-brown, which is variable in depth in different individuals. In the
earlier stages of its existence, the Lammergeyer is of a much darker hue, and the white
dashes upon the back are not so purely white nor so clearly defined. The head and
neck are dark brown, and the brown hue of the back is of so deep a tint that the young
bird has been classed as a separate species, under the title of Vultwr niger, or Black
Vulture.

Like the true Vultures, the Lammergeyer is invaluable as a scavenger, and if an animal
be killed and left exposed to view, the bird is sure to find out the spot in a very short time,
and to make its appearance as if called by some magic spell from the empty air. But as
there is not a sufficiency of dead animals for the food of this hungry and powerful bird,
it makes prey of lambs, kids, hares, and such like animals, nor disdains to feed even on
rats, mice, and other small quadrupeds. With the larger animals, such as the chamois,
the Lammergeyer cannot successfully cope on level ground, but taking advantage of its
wings, it hurls itself suddenly against some devoted animal which is standing heedlessly
near a precipice, and by the force of its blow strikes the poor creature into the
depths below, whither it is immediately followed by its destroyer. Even mankind is said
to be endangered by these sudden attacks of a hungry Lammergeyer, and more than one
chamois-hunter is reported as having been killed by an assault from one of these birds.

The Lamb-vulture, as is the import of its name, does not restrict itself solely to the
snowy mountains on which it takes up its chief residence, but often makes considerable
journeys into the cultivated portion of the country, for the sake of picking up the lambs
and other valley-inhabiting animals.

The general aspect of the Lammergeyer is more like that of an eagle than a Vulture,
but its carriage and demeanour are devoid of that fearless, regal grandeur which is: so
characteristic of the eagles of all lands. When flying, however, its appearance is truly
magnificent, and on account of its great sweep of wing and powerful flight, the size
of the Lammergeyer has been greatly exaggerated. Indeed, it is probable that the
celebrated roc which plays so important a part in the adventures of Sinbad the Sailor,
and in other portions of the Arabian Nights, is merely the Lammergeyer viewed through
the magnifying medium of Oriental exaggeration.

12 AUDACITY OF THE LAMMERGEYER.

A variety of this bird is found in many parts of Africa, where it is appropriately
named Abou-Duch’n, or Daddy-long-heard. Tt seems to be as audacious as its European
and Asiatic relation, and is possessed of even greater boldness. Bruce gives a graphic
and amusing narrative of the cool audacity that was displayed by one of these birds.
The author, “with a number of his attendants, were seated on the summit of a moun-
tain, engaged in cooking their dinner, when a Lammergeyer came slowly sailing over
the ground, and boldly “alighted close to the dish of boiled meat around which the
men were sitting. Undismayed by their shouts of distress, he quietly proceeded to
reconnoitre the spot, while the men were running for their spears and shields, and
going up to the pot in which some goat’s flesh was boiling, he inserted his foot for the
purpose of abstracting the meat. Not being prepared for the sudden scalding which
ensued, he hastily withdrew his foot, and fastened on a leg and shoulder of goat's
flesh which were lying on the dish, carrying them away before he could be intercepted,

The attendants were quite afraid of the bird, and assured Mr. Bruce that it would
return in a short time for more meat. Accordingly, in a very few minutes, back
came the Lammergeyer, but was evidently rather suspicious at the look of Mr. Bruce,
who had taken up his rifle, and was sitting close to the pan of meat. In spite of the
shouts of the attendants, the bird, which evidently held in the greatest contempt the
warlike capabilities of the natives, and was not prepared for European weapons and hands,
settled on the ground about ten yards from the meat, and the next instant was lying dead
on the earth, with a rifle-ball through its body. When brought to the scales, the
dead bird was found to weigh twenty-two pounds, and the expanse of its wings was eight
feet four inches, although it was undergoing its moult at the time.

When the bird was handled, a large amount of yellow dust was shaken from the feathers,
and upon the breast was so plentiful that it “flew im full greater quantity than from
a hairdresser’s powder puff.” Mr. Bruce at the time thought that this yellow dust was some
extraordinary provision of nature for the purpose of defending the bird agaist the pecu-
liarly wet climate of the country in which it was found. It is, however, merely a natural
deposit of feathery substance, and in many birds, such as the common cockatoo, the heron,
and birds of prey, is permanently formed. As this curious powder is produced from
the feathers, and is a result of their reproduction, a few lines on the subject can well be
spared in the present place.

Each feather is rooted in a socket, which is formed by a fold of the skin, and at
the bottom of this tube or socket a peculiar formative fluid is secreted on the com-
mencement of the new feather. By degrees this fluid is inclosed in a little conical
vesicle, its closed point being directed outwards, and its open base being held within the
cavity of the socket. As it increases in size, the conical point is pushed through the skin,
and serves as a wedge by which the feather, which is gradually being developed in its
interior, is thrust through the integuments. As the feather gains strength, this conical
vesicle is of no service, dries up, and falls off in little plates or scales. In many feathers,
however, the development proceeds no farther than the formation of a hollow shaft, the
formative fluid drying into powder, and plentifully scattered on the surrounding plumage ;
this is the yellow dust or powder noticed by Mr. Bruce. The object of its formation is
not yet known, but it clearly must serve some important purpose, or it would not
be produced in such abundance, as is found in many of the birds where it permanently
exists. In the Lammergeyer, for example, it flew from the feathers in clouds, and in
the cockatoo is so plentiful, that any one who handles a tame cockatoo for a few minutes
will be covered with the particles of this curious production. On examining the feathers
of a cockatoo’s head and neck, the imperfect and open quills from which the secretion is
shaken are many in number, and conspicuous to the sight as the bird bends down its head
to receive the caresses of which it is so fond.

The Lammergeyer, like other birds of prey, loves to build upon some elevated spot,
and generally places its nest upon the summit of a lofty cliff. The nest is a very rude
affair, being chiefly composed of sticks laid inartistically together, and serving merely
as a platform, on which the eges and young may be lifted from actual contact with
the rock. Gesner relates an account of a Lammergeyer’s nest which was built upon

CONDOR.—Sarcorhamphus Gryphus.

three oaks, and was of such dimensions that a wagon might have taken refuge under its
shelter. The egos of this bird are two in number, “and their ground ‘colour is a
dirty white, washed with irregular brown patches.

ON account of a curious fleshy appendage which decorates the base of the bill and the
neighbouring portions of the head, a small group of Vultures has been separated from the
remaining species, and gathered into a family under the appropriate title of Sarcorhamphide,
or Flesh-bearded Vulture. This family is but a small one, comprising the Connor, the
King Vulture, and the well-known American Vultures, or Zopilotes.

Although not exceeding the lammergeyer in dimensions, the Condor has been long
celebrated as a Goliath among birds, the expanse of its wings being set down at eighteen
or twenty feet, and its strength exaggerated in the same proportion. In reality, the
expanse of a large Condor’s wing will very seldom reach eleven feet, and the average
extent is from eight to nine feet. In one specimen, where the measurement of the extended
wings was only eight feet one inch, the largest quill feather of the wings was two feet
two inches in length ; the diameter of the body was nine inches, and the total length from
the point of the beak to the extremity of the tail, was three feet two inches.

14 STRENGTH OF THE CONDOR.

The general colour of the Condor is a greyish-black, variable in depth and glossiness
in different individuals. The upper wing coverts are marked with white, which take a
greyer tint in the female, and the exterior edges of the secondaries are also white. The
adult male bird may easily be distinguished by the amount of white upon the feathers,
so that the wings are marked with a large white patch. Around the neck is set a
beautifully white downy collar of soft feathers, which does not entirely inclose the
neck, but leaves asmall naked band in front. This featherless band is, however, so small,
that it is not perceptible except by a close examination.

The crest of the male Condor is of considerable size, occupying the top of the head and
extending over a fourth of the basal portion of the beak. The nostrils are intersected at the
base of the beak, in a space which is created for them by means of the sudden sloping of the
crest. Although the crest of the Condor presents an apparent analogy with the wattles
of a turkey, it cannot be inflated at pleasure, as is the case with that bird, but is hard of
substance and ccntains but few blood-vessels. As the Condor, when at rest, is in the habit
of sinking its head upon its shoulders, and concealing the neck within the collar of white
down by which it is surrounded, the aspect of the bird is very curious, as it sits with its
large hooked beak and projecting crest lying on the shoulders as if it possessed no neck
at all.

There are several curious details in the internal structure of the Condor, among which
may be mentioned the remarkable fact that its “gizzard” is furnished with longitudinal
rows of horny spikes, which are probably intended to aid the creature in the more rapid
comminution and digestion of its food.

The Condor is an inhabitant of the mountain chain of the Andes, and is celebrated
not only for its strength and dimensions, but for its love of elevated localities. When
enjoying the unrestricted advantages of its native home, it is seldom found lower than
the line of perpetual snow, and only seems to seek lower and more temperate regions
when driven by hunger to make a raid on the flocks or the wild quadrupeds of its native
country. Although preferring carrion to the flesh of recently killed animals, the Condor is
a terrible pest to the cattle keeper, for it will frequently make a united attack upon a cow
ora bull, and by dint of constant worrying, force the poor beast to suecumb to its winged
pursuers. Two of these birds will attack a vicugna, a deer, or even the formidable
puma, and as they direct their assaults chiefly upon the eyes, they soon succeed in
blinding their prey, who rapidly falls under the terrible blows which are delivered by
the beaks of its assailants.

The strength of the Condor is really prodigious, a powerful man being no mawh even
for a wounded and tethered bird; and its tenacity of life is such, that a combat of endurance
is nearly certain to end in favour of the Condor. Humboldt relates a curious anecdote
of a Condor that resisted a series of efforts that were made in order to deprive it of life. In
vain was it strangled for many minutes, for as soon as the noose was removed from its neck
the bird walked about as composedly as if nothing had happened to it. At last a pistol
was brought to bear upon it, and three bullets were fired from a distance of four paces,
all fairly entering the body. A fourth ball struck against the leg bone and rebounded
without doing much apparent harm. In spite of all the wounds which it had received,
this poor bird survived for nearly half an hour.

The Indians are possessed with a strange prejudice against the Condor, and whenever
they catch one of these birds alive, they put it to death through the medium of the most
cruel tortures. Their mode of capturing so powerful a bird is worthy of notice, as it is
based upon the habits of the Condor. A cow ora horse is killed, and the body thrown
negligently on one side, so as to be exposed to the open air. In a very short time the
Condors begin to assemble, and soon are engaged in feeding voraciously upon the
unexpected and welcome banquet. As soon, however, as they have gorged themselves to
the full, the Indians dash in among them, armed with their lassos, and make easy captives
of the finest birds. When they feel the noose around their necks, the Condors
endeavour to eject the huge meal which they have swallowed, but are made hopeless
prisoners before they can rid themselves of the enormous mass of food which they have
contrived to pack into their interiors.

4 THE KING VULTURE. 15

On account of the exquisitely delicate scent of this bird, the native Mexicans have
distinguished it by a name which bears allusion to its keen sense of smell, and has been
modified into the more euphonious word Condor.

Although the Condor is not a very social bird, it is generally found in little assemblages
of five or six in number, which are seen either seated motionless upon the summits of the
rocks, their outlines cutting sharply against the sky, or sailing slowly in circles at an
enormous elevation above the ground. The flight of these birds is peculiarly grand and
beautiful, and seems to be achieved by the movement of the head and neck rather than
by that of the wings. Mr. Darwin gives the following animated description of the flight
of the Condor.

« Except when rising from the ground, I do not recollect ever having seen one of these
birds flap its wings. Near Lima I watched several for nearly half an hour without once
taking off my eyes. They moved in large curves, sweeping in circles, descending and
ascending without once flapping. As they glided close over my head I intently watched
from an oblique position the outlines of the separate and terminal feathers of the wing :
if there had been the least vibratory movement these would have blended together ; but
they were seen distinct against the blue sky. The head and neck were moved frequently,
and apparently with force, and it appeared as if the extended wings formed the fulcrum
on which the movements of the neck, body, and tail acted. If the bird wished to descend,
the wings were for a moment collapsed, and then when again expanded with an altered
inclination, the momentum gained by the rapid descent seemed to urge the bird upwards
with the even and steady movements of a paper kite.

In case of any bird soaring, its motion must be sufficiently rapid, so that the action of
the inclined surface of its body on the atmosphere may counterbalance its gravity. The
force to keep up the momentum of a body moving in a horizontal plane in that fluid (in
which there is so little friction) cannot be great, and this force is all that is wanted. The
movement of the neck and body of the Condor we must suppose sufficient for this.
However this may be, it is truly wonderful and beautiful to see so great a bird, hour
after hour, without any apparent exertion, wheeling and gliding over mountain and
river.”

The Condor deposits its eggs, for it makes no nest whatever, upon a bare shelf of some
lofty rock. The eggs are two in number, greyish-white in colour, and are laid about
November or December. When the young Condor is hatched it is nearly naked, but is
furnished with a scanty covering of down, which in a short time becomes very plentiful,
envelo,.ng the body in a complete vestment of soft black plumage. The deep black grey
of the adult bird is not attained until a lapse of three years, the colour of the plumage
being a yellowish-brown.

The Kine Vuuture has gained its regal title from a supposition which is prevalent
among the natives of the country which it inhabits, that it wields royal sway over the
aura, or zopilote Vultures, and that the latter birds will not venture to touch a dead
carcass until the King Vulture has taken his share. There is some truth for this
supposition, for the King Vulture will not permit any other bird to begin its meal until
his own hunger is satisfied. The same habit may be seen in many other creatures, the
more powerful lording it over the weaker, and leaving them only the remains of the feast
instead of permitting them to partake of it on equal terms. But if the King Vulture
should not happen to be present when the dead animal has reached a state of decomposition
which renders it palatable to vulturine tastes, the subject Vultures would pay but little
regard to the privileges of their absent monarch, and would leave him but a slight prospect
of getting a meal on the remains of the feast.

Waterton, who often mentions this species in his interesting works, gives several
curious instances of the sway which the King Vulture exercises over the inferior birds.
“When I had done with the carcass of the large snake, it was conveyed into the forest, as
I expected that it would attract the king of the Vultures, as soon as time should have
rendered it sufficiently savoury. In a few days it sent forth the odour which a carcass
should send forth, and about twenty of the common Vultures came and perched on the

KING VULTURE,.—Sarcorhamphus Papa.

neighbouring trees. The king of the Vultures came too, and I observed that none of the
common ones seemed inclined to begin breakfast until his majesty had finished. When
he had consumed as much snake as nature informed him would do him good, he retired
to the top of a high mora-tree, and then all the common Vultures fell to and made a
hearty meal.”

The King Vulture is a native of tropical America, and is most common near the
equator, though it is found as far as the thirtieth degree of south latitude, and the thirty-
second of north latitude. Peru, Brazil, Guiana, Paraguay, and Mexico are the chosen
residences of this fine species. It is a forest-loving bird, caring nothing for the lofty home of
the condor, but taking up its residence upon the low and heavily-wooded regions, in close
proximity to swampy and marshy places, where it is most likely to find abundance of
dead and putrefying animal substances. Its nest, or rather the spot on which it
deposits its eges, is within the hollow of some decaying tree. The eggs are two in
nunber.,

In its adult state the King Vulture is a most gorgeously decorated bird, though
its general aspect and the whole expression of its demeanour are rather repulsive

THE BLACK VULTURE. 17

than otherwise. The greater part of the feathers upon the back are of a beautiful
satiny white, tinged more or less deeply with fawn, and the abdomen is of a pure white.
On account of its colour, the bird is termed the White Crow by the Spaniards of
Paraguay. The long pinions of the wing and tail are deep black, and the base of
the neck is surrounded with a thick ruff or collar of downy grey feathers.

The most brilliant tints are, however, those of the naked skin of the head and neck.
“The throat and back of the neck,” says Waterton, “are of a fine lemon colour; both
sides of the neck, from the ears downwards, of a rich scarlet; behind the corrugated part
there is a white spot. The crown of the head is scarlet, betwixt the lower mandible and
the eye, and close by the ear, there is a part which has a fine silvery-blue appearance.
Just above the white spot a portion of the skin is blue, and the rest scarlet ; the skin
which juts out behind the neck, and appears like an oblong caruncle, is blue in part, and
part orange. The bill is orange and black, the caruncles on the forehead orange, and the
cere orange, the orbits scarlet, and the irides white.”

These gorgeous tints belong only to the adult bird of four years old, and in the
previous years of its life the colours are very obsenre. In the first year, for example,
the general colour is deep blue-grey, the abdomen white, and the crest hardly distinguish-
able either for its colour or its size. In the second year of its age the plumage of the bird
is nearly black, diversified with white spots, and the naked portions of the head and neck
are violet-black, interspersed with a few dashes of yellow. The third year gives the
bird a very near approach to the beautiful satin fawn of the adult plumage, the back
being nearly of the same hue as that of the four-year-old bird, but marked with many of
the blue-black feathers of the second year. When full grown, the King Vulture is about
the size of an ordinary goose.

Aut the Sarcorhamphide are natives of America, some of them, such as the condor and
the king vulture, being comparatively scarce, while others are so common that they swarm
like sparrows in our streets. One of the commonest of these useful but repulsive birds is
the BLAcK VULTURE, ZOPILOTE, or URUBU, which together with the turkey buzzard and
the Californian Vulture are placed in one genus, termed, characteristically of their habits,
Catharista, or Cleanser.

The Black Vulture bears so close a resemblance to the turkey buzzard that it has
often been confounded with that bird by superficial observers. It may, however, be
readily distinguished by the shape of the feathers round its neck, which in the turkey
buzzard form a circular ring completely round the throat, while in the Black Vulture they
descend from the back of the head towards the throat in a sloping direction. The shape
of the bill is more slender, and the nostrils not so rounded as in the turkey buzzard.
The general colour of the Black Vulture is a dull black; the primaries are, however,
rather white on the inside, and their shafts are also white. The head and part of the
neck are devoid of feathers, and covered with a black wrinkled skin sparely furnished
with short scattered black hairs in front, and down behind. The throat has awash of
ochreous yellow. The length of the bird is rather more than two feet, and the expanse of
its wings is about four feet four inches.

It is a high-flying bird, sweeping through the air with a beautifully easy flight, and
often accompanied by the Mississippi kite, which seems to be drawn towards the Zopilote
by some common feeling. After the bird has been gorging itself with the putrid meat
which it so loves, it gives forth a most horrible stench. But after it has fasted for some
time, the unpleasant odour nearly vanishes ; and even when the body of the bird is laid
open, the only scent which it exhales is a rather strong musky perfume.

The predaceous birds are, like the predaceous beasts, possessed of most powerful
appetites, bemg capable of eating and digesting an amount of food which is perfectly
astonishing. As, however, they cannot hope for a constant supply of nourishment,
they are gifted with the capability of enduring hunger for a very long time without
appearing to suffer very severely from their protracted fast. When in search of food, the
Zopilote ascends to a vast height in the air, rising indeed to so great an elevation, that
it can hardly be distinguished as a black speck, even when, the attention of a spectator

2. c

BLACK VULTURE.—Catharista Iota.

is drawn towards the bird, and is entirely invisible to those who are not intent upon
distinguishing the enat-like object as it floats about in the upper air.

Every one of these birds is, notwithstanding the enormous height at which it is poised,
intently watching the ground in hopes of marking out some dying animal on which it may
swoop, and hasten its death by the injuries which it inflicts upon the unresisting creature.
The movements of the hunters are carefully watched by the Black Vulture, which follows
their course with eagerness, knowing how often they may wound an animal which may be
able to escape them for a time, but is sure at last to fall a prey to its relentless winged
pursuer. Oftentimes the hunters will kill a bison or a deer merely for the sake of the
skin, the marrow-bones, or the hump, leaving the remainder on the ground for the benefit
of the Zopilotes and the wolves, who soon strip the bones of every particle of the flesh.

According to Don Ulloa, the Zopilotes deserve the gratitude of mankind for the part
which they play in destroying the eggs of the alligator, and assisting in keeping down the
number of this prolific and dangerous reptile. During the summer, the Zopilote watches
the female alligator as she comes to the sandy river-shore for the purpose of depositing
her eggs, and permits the reptile to complete her task without any interruption.
Scarcely, however, is the alligator fairly out of the way, than the Zopilote issues from its
place of concealment, and throwing the sand aside with its bill, feet, and wings, disinters
the eggs, breaks the shells, and swallows their contents.

Of the voracity of these birds, Wilson gives the following graphic account :—

« A horse had dropped down in the street in convulsions :

and dying, it was dragged
out to Hampstead and skinned.

The ground for a hundred yards around it was

THE TURKEY BUZZARD. 19

black with carrion crows; many sat on the tops of sheds, fences, and houses within
sight ; sixty or eighty on the opposite side of a small river. I counted at one time
two hundred and thirty-seven, and I believe there were more, besides several in the air,
over my head and at a distance. I ventured cautiously within thirty yards of the carcass,
where three or four dogs and twenty or thirty Vultures were busy tearing and devouring.

Seeing them take no notice, I ventured nearer, till I was within ten yards, and
sat down on the bank. Still they paid little attention to me. The dogs, being sometimes
accidentally flapped by the wings of the Vultures, would growl and snap at them, which
would occasion them to spring up for a moment, but they immediately gathered in
again. I remarked the Vultures frequently attack each other, fighting with their
claws or heels, striking, like a cock, with open wings, and fixing their claws into each
other's heads. The females, and I believe the males hkewise, made a hissing sound
with open mouth, exactly resembling that produced by thrusting a red-hot poker into
water ; and frequently a snuffling, like a dog clearing his nostrils, as I suppose they were
theirs. On observing that they did not heed me, I stole so close that my feet were within
one yard of the horse’s legs, and again sat down, They all slid aloof a few feet;
but seeing me quiet, they soon returned as before. As they were often disturbed by the
dogs, I ordered the latter home ; my voice gave no alarm to the Vultures.

As soon as the dogs departed, the Vultures crowded in such numbers that I counted
at one time thirty-seven on and around the carcass, with several within ; so that scarcely
an inch of it was visible. Sometimes one would come out with a large piece of the
intestines, which in a moment was surrounded by several others, who tore it to fragments,
and it soon disappeared. They kept up the hissing occasionally, Some of them,
having their legs and heads covered with blood, presented a most savage aspect. Still as
the dogs advanced, I would order them away, which seemed to gratify the Vultures ;
and one would pursue another to within a foot or two of the spot where I was
sitting. Sometimes I observed them stretching their necks along the ground, as if
to press the food downwards.”

The Zopilote is rather a familiar bird, and may often be seen marching about
the streets in the towns and villages of the Southern States, where it might be easily
mistaken for a domestic turkey by a new arriver in the country. By the inhabitants it
is popularly called the carrion crow, a confusion of nomenclature which has sometimes
led to strange misapprehensions of corvine habits. As the birds, although personally
disliked, are so useful to the community, they are protected by common consent, and
permitted to roam the streets or prowl among the houses at will.

ANOTHER species of the genus Catharista is the TurKrEy Buzzarp, more rightly
termed the CARRION VULTURE. Its name of Turkey Buzzard is earned from the strange
resemblance which a Carrion Vulture bears to a turkey, as it walks slowly and with
a dignified air, stretching its long bare neck, and exhibiting the fleshy appendages which
bear some likeness to the wattles of the turkey. Indeed, instances are not wanting,
where recent visitors to the country have actually shot these birds, thinking that they had
succeeded in killing a veritable edible turkey. This bird is chiefly found in North America,
but is also an inhabitant of Jamaica, where it is popularly known as the John crow.

According to Waterton and Darwin, the Turkey Buzzard is not so sociable a bird as
the zopilote ; for although a little flock of twenty or thirty may be seen together in a
corn-field where the refuse stubble has been burned, engaged in feeding on the dead
mice, lizards, moles, and other creatures which have perished in the conflagration, each
bird comes separately and departs separately, no two individuals having any connexion
with each other.

When gorged with food, an event which always takes place whenever there is the
least opportunity, the Turkey Buzzard leaves reluctantly the scene of the banquet,
and gaining with some difficulty a branch of a neighbouring tree, sits heavy and listless,
its head sunk upon its breast, and its wings hanging half open, as if the bird were
too lazy even to keep those members closed. The object of this curious attitude seems to be,
that the bird may gain as much air as possible, for these feathered creatures are singularly

Cr

“a

STSIDAV IS

TURKEY BUZZARD.—Catharista Aura.

susceptible to atmospheric influence. It is not improbable that this air-bath may aid
the bird in digesting the food which it has so ravenously consumed, as well as to cleanse
its feathers from the fetid animal substance which cannot but cling to them after their
strong-scented repasts. While engaged in eating they are not at all particular about
soiling their feathers, for they will often tear a hole in the skin of a dead animal,
and deliber ately walk into its interior, for the purpose of getting at some favourite morsel,
By this mode of proceeding they soon clear away the softer substance, leaving only the
bare ribs standing out, in the midst of which the Vulture continues to move about like
a bird in a cage.

Between the Turkey Buzzard and the zopilote there is a certain external resemblance ;
but these two birds are quite distinct in their movements as well as in their habits. The
Turkey Buzzard does not even walk or fly in the same manner as the zopilote.
The latter bird, when walking, is very awkward, and hops along in an awkward and
lazy manner, while the former moves smoothly forward, even when oppressed with a surfeit
of food. In the flight the difference is even more conspicuous: the Turkey Buzzard
very seldom flaps its. wings, but sails smoothly through the air, its wings being extended

ARABIAN VULTURE.—Vultur Ménachus.

almost horizontally ; the zopilote, on the contrary, flaps its wings six or seven times
in succession, and then sails on for a few hundred yards with its wings raised at
a decided angle with the body. The two species never company with each other, nor
is the Turkey Buzzard found so familiarly associated with man and his habitation as its
darker relation.

The nest of the Turkey Buzzard is a very inartistical affair, consisting merely of some
suitable hollow tree or decayed log, in which there may be a depression of sufficient
depth to contain the eggs. In this simple cradle the female deposits from two to four eggs,
which are of a dull cream-white, blotched with irregular chocolate splashes, which seem
to congregate towards the largest end. The young birds are covered with a plentiful
supply of white down, and look clean and inviting to the touch. Their motto may,
however, be similar to that of the Scotch thistle, “Nemo me impune lacesserit,” for
at the slightest aggressive touch they will disgorge over the offender the putrid
animal substances with which they have been fed, and work sad woe to his hands
and garments. May is usually the month in which the young Turkey Buzzards are
hatched.

SOCIABLE VULTURE. — O'togyps auriculdris,

The adult Turkey Buzzard is rather a large bird, measuring two feet six inches
in length, and six feet ten inches across the expanded wings. The weight is about five
pounds. The general colour of the plumage is black, mingled with brown, the secondaries
being slightly tipped with white, and a few of the coverts edged with the same tint. On
the neck, the back, the shoulders, and the scapularies, the black hue is shot with bronze,
ereen, and purple. Beneath the thick plumage is a light coating of soft white down,
which apparently serves to preserve the creature at a proper temperature. The bare
skin of the neck is not as wrinkled as in the zopilote, and the feathers make a complete
ring round the neck. There is but little difference in the plumage of the two sexes, but
the bill of the male is pure white.

WE now arrive at the true Vultures, the first of which is the common ARABIAN
VuLTuRE, a bird which is spread over a very large portion of the globe, being found in
various parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa.

It is a large bird, measuring nearly four feet in length, and the expansion of its
wings being proportionately wide. The general colour of this species is a chocolate

PONDICHERRY YULTURE.—O’togyps calvus.

brown, the naked portions of the neck and head are of a bluish hue, and it is specially
notable for a tuft of long soft feathers which spring from the insertion of the wings. In
spite of its large size and great muscular powers, the Arabian Vulture is not a dangerous
neighbour even to the farmer, for unless it is pressed by severe hunger, it seems rather to
have a dread of living animals, and contents itself with feeding on any carrion which may
come in its way. Sometimes, however, after a protracted fast, its fears are overruled by its
hunger, and the bird makes a raid upon the sheepfolds or the goat-flocks, in the hope of
carrying off a tender lamb or kid. In these illegal excursions the bird often pays the
penalty of its transgression with its life, being too hungry to be watchful, and easily shot.
Hares and other small animals also fall victims to the starving Vulture, and it is
said that even deer are slain by the united efforts of a pair of these birds.

The usual haunts of this species are situated on the mountain tops, and the
bird does not descend into the valleys except when pressed by hunger. ‘The specific
title of Monachus or Monk has been given to this species on account of the hood-
like ruff around its neck, which is thought to bear a fanciful resemblance to the
hood of a monk.

24 FULVOUS, OR GRIFFIN VULTURE.

THE name of SoctABLE VULTURE, which has been bestowed upon the bird which is
represented in the illustration, is supposed to be founded upon an error of observation.

Le Vaillant, who has given a somewhat detailed description of this species, found
several of the nests in close proximity, and supposed from that circumstance that
this Vulture was a gregarious bird. It seems, however, from more recent observation,
that the proximity of these nests was merely accidental, and that although several nests
may have been found near each other, they were not all inhabited simultaneously.
It is the habit of many birds to build a new nest close to a deserted one, and such seems
to have been the case with the Sociable Vulture. In their character they are anything
but social, for it is but seldom that more than three or four of these birds can be
seen together, and even in that case, they are drawn together not by any feeling of
community, but by the attraction of a dead animal on which they are glad to feed,
whether in company or alone.

The Sociable Vulture is a handsome and a large bird. Its length is about four feet,
and the measurement of its expanded wings is rather more than ten feet. The general
colour of its feathers is black-brown, from which circumstance it is called by the colonists
the Black Carrion Bird. The ruff is nearly black, and the feathers of the chest and
abdomen are remarkable for their length and narrowness. The naked parts of the head
and neck are red, and the skin of the sides of the face droops in folds down the neck.
This bird is a native of Southern Africa, and by the Hottentots is called T’Ghaip, the “T”
representing one of those strange clicking sounds which play so important a part in the
Hottentot language.

A FINE example of the genus Otogyps is also found in the PONDICHERRY VULTURE, a
bird which, as its name imports, is an inhabitant of India.

This is not quite so large a bird as the preceding, its length scarcely exceeding three
feet. The generic term, Otogyps, which is given to this species and to the sociable Vultures,
is of Greek origin, denoting Eared Vulture, and alludes to the folds of skin which arise
below the ears and fall for some inches along the sides of the neck. The word “calvus” is
Latin, and signifies bald, in allusion to the featherless condition of the flat and broad
head of the Pondicherry Vulture. It is a tolerably common bird, but is never seen
in great numbers together, as it is not at all sociable in its habits, and associates only
in pairs.

The general colour of the plumage is a blackish-brown, the naked portions of the head
and neck are flesh-coloured, and the chest is remarkable for a bunch or tuft of white downy
feathers, which marks the position of the crop.

The FuLvous, or GRIFFIN VULTURE, is one of the most familiar of these useful birds,
being spread widely over nearly the whole of the Old World, and found in very many
portions of Europe, Asia, and Africa.

It is one of the large Vultures, measuring four feet in length, and its expanse of wing
being exceedingly wide. Like many of its relations, it is a high-roving bird, loving to
rise out of the ken of ordinary eyes, and from that vast elevation to view the panorama
which lies beneath its gaze ; not, however, for the purpose of admiring the beauty of the
prospect, but for the more sensual object of seeking for food. Whenever it has discovered
a dead or dying animal, the Vulture takes its stand on some adjoining tree or rock, and
there patiently awaits the time when decomposition shall render the skin sufficiently soft
to permit the entrance of the eager beak. As soon as its olfactory organs tell of that
desired change, the Vulture descends upon its prey, and will not retire until it is so gorged
with food that it can hardly stir. If it be suddenly attacked while in this condition, it
can easily be overtaken and killed; but if a pause of a few minutes only be allowed, the
bird ejects by a spasmodic effort the load of food which it has taken into its interior, and
is then ready for flight.

A controversy has long raged concerning the manner in which the Vulture obtains
knowledge of the presence of food. Some naturalists assert that the wonderful powers of
food-finding which are possessed by the Vulture are owing wholly to the eyes, while others
as warmly attribute to the nose this curious capability. Others again, desirous of steering a

FULVOUS, OR GRIFFIN VULTURE.—Gyps fulvus.

“

middle course, believe that the eyes and the nostrils give equal aid in this never-ending
duty of finding food, and many experiments have been made with a view to extracting
the real truth of the matter. The following account has been kindly transmitted to me
by Captain Drayson, R.A., who has already contributed much original information to the
present work.

“ Having shot an ourebi early in the morning, and when about three miles from home,
T was not desirous of carrying the animal behind my saddle during the day’s shooting, and
I therefore sought for some method of concealment by which to preserve the dead quarry
from jackals and Vultures. An ant-bear’s hole offered a very convenient hiding-place,
into which the buck was pushed, and the carcass was covered over with some grass cut
for the purpose. As usual in South Africa, there were some Vultures wheeling round
at an enormous height above the horizon; these I believed would soon come down
and push aside the grass and tear off the most assailable parts of the buck. There was,
however, no better means of protection, so I left the animal and rode away. When at
about a quarter of a mile from the ant-bear’s hole, I thought that it might be interesting

to watch how the Vultures would approach and commence operations, so I ‘ off-saddled,’
and kept watch.

26 THE ALPINE, OR EGYPTIAN VULTURE.

After about half an hour, I saw a Vulture coming down from the sky, followed by two
or three others. They came down to the spot where the buck had been killed, and flew
past this. They then returned, and again overshot the mark. After circling several
times within a radius of four hundred yards, they flew away. Other Vultures
then came and performed similar manceuvres, but not one appeared to know where
the buck was concealed. I then rode off to a greater distance, but the same results
occurred.

In the evening I returned for my buck, which, however, was totally useless in
consequence of the intense heat of the sun, but which had not been touched by the
Vultures.”

Whatever may be the general opinion of the scientific world upon this subject, I
cannot but think that we shall not discern the true cause of this food-discovering power
in the optic or nasal nerve, or indeed in any material structure whatever. It appears to
be simply due to that wonderful intuitive teaching which we popularly call instinct, and
which, if rightly examined, will most surely prove a key to many mysteries at present
unsolved.

The colour of the Fulvous Vulture is a yellowish-brown over the greater part of the
body. The quill feathers of the tail and wings are nearly black, the ruff surrounding the
base of the neck is composed of long and delicately white slender feathers, and the head
and neck are sparingly clothed with short white down.

In its native state the Fulvous Vulture assumes some very curious attitudes, and has the
power of altering the contour of its body so completely that it would hardly be recognised
as the same bird. At one time it sits upon the branch of a tree in a heavy, indolent
manner, its neck hidden in the ruff, and the head just projecting from the feathers. At
another time it will be full of life and animation, pacing round the carcass of some animal,
tugging furiously at the skin, and snapping fiercely at its companions if they should approach
too closely. One remarkable attitude which it is fond of assuming is rather difficult to
describe, but has so strange and weird-like an aspect, that it is deserving of mention.
While sitting on the ground the Vulture thrusts its legs well to the front, and instead of
resting upon the feet, holds them up in the air and sustains the weight of its body upon
the tail and ankle-bones. Thus supported, it seems quite at its ease, and reclines with
half-spread wings, as if thoroughly enjoying its repose.

Like others of its tribe, the Fulvous Vulture, when satiated with food, will retire to a
neighbouring tree-branch, and sit listlessly with hanging wings, asif to rid its feathers of the
putrid animal substance on which it has been feeding. It is very probable that the bird
may receive great aid from the yellow feather-dust which is so copiously poured from
the short and open quills that are found so abundantly upon this and other similar birds,
and that by means of quiet repose, aided by the fresh air and a few hearty shakes, the bird
may be able to throw off the powder and the putrefaction together.

The ALPINE, or EGyptrAN VULTURE, is, as its name imports, an inhabitant of Egypt
and Southern Europe. It is also found in many parts of Asia, and as it has once been
captured on our shores, has been placed among the list of British birds.

The general colour of the adult bird is nearly white, with the exception of the quill
feathers of the wing, which are dark brown. The face, bill, and legs are bright yellow, so
that the aspect of the bird is sufficiently curious. The sexes are clothed alike when
adult. On account of the colour of its plumage, the Egyptian Vulture is popularly
termed the Waite Crow by the Dutch colonists, and AKBoBAS, or White Father, by the
Turks. It is also familiarly known by the name of PHARAOH'S CHICKEN, because it is so
frequently represented in the hieroglyphical inscriptions of Egypt. When young, the
colour of its plumage is a chocolate brown, the neck and shoulders are covered with
erey-tipped feathers, and the beak and feet are a very dull ochry yellow. The white
plumage of the adult state is not attained until the bird has completed its third year.

As is the case with the Vultures in general, the Egyptian Vulture is protected from
injury by the strictest laws, a heavy penalty being laid upon any one who should wilfully
destroy one of these useful birds. Secure under its human protection, the bird walks

ALPINE, OR EGYPTIAN VULTURE.—WNeéeophron percndpterus.

fearlessly about the streets of its native land, perches upon the houses, and, in common
with the pariah dogs, soon clears away any refuse substances that are thrown into the
open streets in those evil-smelling and undrained localities. This bird will eat almost
anything which is not too hard for its beak, and renders great service to the husbandman
by devouring myriads of lizards, rats, and mice, which would render all cultivation useless
were not their numbers kept within limits by the exertion of this useful Vulture. It has
been also seen to feed on the nara, a rough, water-bearing melon, in common with
cats, leopards, mice, ostriches, and many other creatures. The eggs of the ostrich are said
to be a favourite food with the Egyptian Vulture, who is unable to break their strong
shells with his beak, but attains his object by carrying a great pebble into the air, and
letting it drop upon the eggs.

The wings of this species are extremely long in proportion to the size of the bird, and
the lofty soaring flight is peculiarly graceful. It is but a small bird in comparison with
many of those which have already been mentioned, being not much larger than the
common rook of Europe. The nest of the Egyptian Vulture is made upon the shelf or in
the cleft of a lofty rock, and the grey-white eggs are three or four in number. It is a

28 EAGLES.

curious fact, that during the season of reproduction the male bird slightly changes his
aspect, the yellow bill becoming orange, and retaining that tint until the breeding season
is over. Like many rapacious animals and birds, the Egyptian Vulture does not disdain
to feed on insects, and has been observed in the act of followig a ploughman along his
furrows, picking up the worms and grubs after the fashion of the common rook.

EAGLES.

Next in order to the vultures, are placed the splendid birds which are so familiar to
us under the general title of EAGuims, and which form the first group of the great family
Falconide, which includes-the Eagles, falcons, and hawks. In common with the Vulturide,
the whole of the Falconide are diurnal birds, and are therefore classed into one large
order, termed Accipitres Diurni. All the Falconide possess powerful hooked beaks,
not running straight for some distance, and then suddenly curved, as in the vultures,
but nearly alw ays ‘bent in a curve from the very base. The head and neck are covered
with plumage, and above the eyes the feathers are so thick and projecting, that
they form a kind of roof or shade, under which the eye is situated and effectually
sheltered from the bright rays of the noontide sun. There is often a tooth-like projection
in the upper mandible, and the nostrils are placed within the cere. The females are
always larger and more powerful than their mates, and the colour of both sexes
is very variable, according to the age of the individual.

The preceding characteristics are common to the entire family of Falconide, and the
true Eagles may be distinguished by the following additional particulars. The beak
is remarkably powerful, and for a short distance from the base is nearly straight ; when
the mouth is open, the edges of the upper mandible are seen to be slightly. wavy,
something like the cut edges of an indenture. The tail is of no very great length, but
strong and rigid, and the legs are feathered down to the toes. Upwards of forty species
have been placed in this genus; but as many of them present characteristics which
admit of a further subdivision, they have been grouped together in certain sub-genera,
for the purpose of attaining greater perspicuity.

The whole of the Falconide are eminently destructive birds, gaining their subsistence
chiefly by the chase, seldom feeding on carrion except when pressed by hunger, or when
the dead animal has only recently been killed. Herein they form a complete contrast
to the vultures, whose usual food is putrefying carrion, and fresh meat the exception.
Destructive though they may be, they are by no means cruel, neither do they inflict
needless pain on the object of their pursuit. Like the lion and other carnivorous animals,
they certainly carry out the great principle for which they were made, and which
has already been mentioned in Volume I. They are not cruel birds, for although they
deprive many birds and beasts of life, they effect their purpose with a single blow,
sweeping down upon the doomed creature with such lightning velocity, and striking
it so fiercely with the death-dealing talons, that in the generality of instances the victim
must be absolutely unconscious even of danger, and be suddenly killed while busily
engaged in its ordinary pursuits, without suffering the terrors of anticipation, or even
a single pang of bodily pain. ‘There certainly are some instances where an animal, such
as a lamb, has been carried while still living to the Eagle’s nest, and there slaughtered.
But we must not judge the feelings of such a victim by our own, for the lamb can form
no conception of the purpose for which it is conveyed through the air, and doubtlessly
feels nothing but astonishment at the strange journey which it is making.

When the Eagle perceives a bird on the wing, the mere shock caused by the stroke of
the Eagle’s body is almost invariably sufficient to cause death, and the bird, should
it be a large one, such as a swan, for example, falls dead upon the earth without
even a wound, Smaller birds are carried off in the talons of their pursuers, and

EAGLES AND NEST.

are killed by the grip of their tremendous claws, the Eagle in no case making use of its
beak for the purpose of killing its prey. If the bird carries off a lamb or a hare,
it grasps the body firmly with its claws, and then by a sudden exertion of its wonderful
strength, drives the sharp talons deep into the vitals of its prey, and does not loosen its
grasp until the breath of life has fled and all movement has ceased.

30 THE GOLDEN EAGLE.

The structure by means of which the Eagle is enabled to use its talons with such
terrible effect is equally beautiful and simple, and as it is closely connected with many
of the habits of birds, deserves separate mention.

Many observant persons have been struck with the curious fact, that a bird
can hold its position upon a branch or perch even whilst sleeping, and that in many
instances the slumbering bird retains its hold of the perch by a single foot, the
other limb being drawn up and buried in the feathers. As this grasp of the perch is
clearly an involuntary one, it is evidently independent of the mere will of the bird,
and due to some peculiar formation. On removing the skin from the leg of any
bird, and separating the muscles from each other, the structure in question is easily
seen. The muscles which move the leg and foot, and the tendons which form the
attachment of the muscles to the bones, are so arranged, that whenever the bird bends
its leg the foot is forcibly closed, and is relaxed as soon as the leg is straightened. A
bird is totally unable to keep its foot open when its leg is bent, as may be seen by
watching a common fowl as it walks along, closing its toes as it lifts the foot from
the ground, and spreading them as they come to the ground again. It will be seen,
therefore, that when a bird falls asleep upon a branch, the legs are not only bent
but pressed downwards by the weight of the body, so that the claws hold the perch
with an involuntary grasp, which is necessarily tightened according to the depth of the
bird’s slumbers. When, therefore, an Eagle desires to drive his talons into the body of his
prey, he needs only to sink downwards with his whole weight, and the forcible bending of
the legs will effect his purpose without the necessity for any muscular exertion. . Exertion,
indeed, is never needlessly used by the Eagle, for it is very chary of exercising its great
muscular powers, and unless roused by the sight of prey, or pressed to fly abroad in search
of food, will sit upon a tree or a point of rock for hours together, as motionless as a
stutfed figure.

Voracious though it be, and capable of gorging itself to the full lke any vulture,
the Eagle can sustain a prolonged fast from meat or drink; and on one occasion, when
wounded, made voluntary abstinence for a fortnight before it would touch the food with
which it was liberally provided.

THE first, and one of the finest, of these grand birds is the well-known GOLDEN EAGLE.
This magnificent bird is spread over a large portion of the world, being found in the
British Islands, and in various parts of Europe, Asia, Africa, and America. The colour
of this bird is a rich blackish-brown on the greater part of the body, the head and neck
being covered with feathers of a rich golden red, which have earned for the bird its
popular name. ‘The legs and sides of the thighs are grey-brown, and the tail is a deep
grey, diversified with several regular, dark- brown bars. The cere and the feet are yellow.
In its immature state the plumage of the Golden Eagle is differently tinged, the whole of
the feathers being reddish-brown, the legs and sides “of the thighs nearly white, and the
tail white for the first three quarters of its length. So different an aspect does the
immature bird present, that it has been often reckoned as a separate species, and named
accordingly. It is a truly magnificent bird in point of size, for an adult female measures
about three feet six inches in length, and the expanse of her wings is nine feet. The
male is less by nearly six inches.

In England the Golden Eagle has long been extinct; but it is still found in some
plenty in the highlands of Scotland and Ireland, where it is observed to frequent certain
favourite haunts, and to breed regularly in the same spot for a long series of years. Their
nest is always made upon some elevated spot, generally upon a ledge of rock, and is
most inartistically constructed of sticks, which are thrown apparently at random, and
rudely arranged for the purpose of containing the eggs and young. A neighbouring ledge
of rock is generally reserved for a larder, where the parent Eagles store up the food which
they bring from the plains below. The contents of this larder are generally of a most
miscellaneous description, consisting of hares, partridges, and game of all kinds, lambs,
rabbits, young pigs, fish, and other similar articles of food. An Eagle’s nest might there-
fore be supposed to be an unpleasant neighbour to the farmers, but it is said that the birds

GOLDEN EAGLE.—A’quila chrysdetos.

respect the laws of hospitality, and, provided that they are left unmolested, will spare the
flocks of their immediate neighbours, and forage for food at a considerable distance.

In hunting for their prey, the Eagle and his mate mutually assist each other. It may
here be mentioned, that the Eagles are all monogamous, keeping themselves to a single
mate, and living together in perfect harmony through their lives. Should, however, one
of them die or be killed, the survivor is not long left in a state of widowhood, but
vanishes from the spot for a few days, and then returns with a new mate. As the rabbits
and hares are generally under cover during the day, the Eagle is forced to drive them
from their place of concealment, and manages the matter in a very clever and sportsman-
like manner, One of the Eagles conceals itself near the cover which is to be beaten, and
its companion then dashes among the bushes, screaming and making such a disturbance,
that the terrified inmates rush out in hopes of escape, and are immediately pounced upon
by the watchful confederate.

The prey is immediately taken to the nest, and distributed to the young, if there
should be any eaglets in the lofty cradle. It is a rather remarkable fact, that whereas the
vultures feed their young by disgorging the food which they have taken into their crops,

32 CLEMENCY OF THE GOLDEN EAGLE.

the Eagles carry the prey to their nests, and there tear it to pieces, and feed the eaglets with
the morsels.

When in pursuit of its prey it is a most audacious bird, having been seen to carry off
a hare from before the noses of the hounds. It is a keen fisherman, catching and securing
salmon and various sea-fish with singular skill. Sometimes it has met with more than
its match, and has seized upon a “fish that was too heavy for its powers, thus falling
a victim to its sporting propensities. Mr. Lloyd mentions several instances where
Eagles have been drowned by pouncing upon large pike, which carried their assailants
under water, and fairly drowned them. In more than one instance the feet of an Eagle
have been seen firmly clenched in the pike’s back, the body of the bird having decayed
and fallen away.

It is a terrible fighter when wounded or attacked, as may be seen by the following
anecdote, which is related by Mr. Watters in his “ Natural History of the Birds of
Treland.”

“An Eagle was at one time captured in the county Meath, by a gamekeeper, who,
surprising the bird sleeping, after a surfeit on a dead sheep in the neighbourhood, conceived
the idea of taking him alive, and for that purpose approached noiselessly, and clasped the
bird in his arms. The Eagle recovering, and unable to use his wings, clutched with his
talons, one of which entered the man’s chest, the hind claw meeting the others underneath
the flesh. The man, unable to disengage the claw, strangled the bird, but the talons were
yet too firmly clutched to open. Taking out his knife, he severed the leg from the body,
and walked with the penetrating member to the village dispensary to have it removed.”

The same writer was acquainted with a tame Eagle which displayed a great fondness
for the flesh of cats, a taste which seems inherent in the Eagle nature, and to have been
noticed in every specimen of tame Eagles. In every case, as soon as an irritated cat came
within reach, the Eagle would pounce upon it, seize it in his talons, and with one gripe
destroy its life so effectually that the poor animal never had time even to cry out. The
bird indulged this cat-eating taste to such an extent that he caused sad havoc among the
feline tribe, and was forced at last to go into exile.

Many anecdotes of tame Golden Eagles are on record, but as they are already familiar
to the public, I shall make no mention of them. The following account, however, has
never before been written, and as it displays a curious trait of character in the Eagle, is
worthy of insertion.

A Golden Eagle had been captured in Scotland, and being very tame, always
accompanied the family to which it belonged in all their journeys. For some time it
lived near Clifton, where it passed its existence fastened to a post by a tolerably long
chain, that allowed it a reasonable freedom of motion. Like other tame Eagles, she—for
it was of the feminine sex—would persist in killing cats if they came within reach,
although her ordinary food was fowls, rabbits, and similar articles of diet. On one
occasion, a sickly, pining chicken, which seemed in avery bad state of health, was given to
the Eagle. The royal bird, however, refused to eat it, but seemed to be struck with pity
at its miserable state, and took it under her protection. She even made it sit under her
wing, which she extended as a shield, and once when a man unkindly endeavoured to take
her protégée away, she attacked him fiercely, injuring his leg severely, and drove him
fairly off her premises. She several times built a rude nest, but never laid an ege.

There is no doubt but that this beautiful bird might be tamed as readily as the falcon,
and trained in a similar manner to fly at game. Indeed, such instances are not wanting,
both im ancient and modern times. The old hawking authorities did not place much
value on the services of the Eagle, for its weight is so great that it could not be conveyed
to and from the field of action without considerable inconvenience. In more modern
times the Golden Eagle has been successfully trained to catch game. A gentleman in
Huntingdonshire succeeded in taming a Golden Eagle, which he taught to chase hares
and rabbits ; and several other examples are on record.

Owing to the expanse of the wings and the great power of the muscles, the flight of
this bird is peculiarly bold, striking, and eraceful, It sweeps through the air in a
succession of spiral curves, rising with every spire, and making no perceptible motion

THE BOLD EAGLE. 33

with its wings, until it has attained an altitude at which it is hardly visible. From that
post of vantage the Eagle marks the ground below, and sweeps down with lightning
rapidity upon bird or beast that may happen to take its fancy. It is not, however, so
- active at rising from the ground as might be imagined, and can be disabled by a
comparatively shght injury on the wing. One of these birds, that was detected by a
young shepherd boy in the act of devouring some dead sheep, was disabled by a pebble
hurled at it from a sling, and was at last iznominiously stoned to death.

When gorged with food the Eagle dislikes the exertion of flying, and generally runs
forward a feav | paces before taking to flight. The Scotch shepherds ‘have discovered this
propensity, and have imvented a very ingenious trap, which is made so as to take
advantage of this habit.

A circular inclosure is built of stone, about four feet in height, without any roof, and
with a small door on one of its sides. A dead sheep is then thrown into the centre of the
inclosure, and a noose adjusted round the door. The Eagle soon discerns the sheep, and
after making a few circles in the air, alights upon the dead animal, and feeds to his heart’s
content, After eating until he can eat no more, he thinks of moving, but as he does not
choose to take the trouble of flying perpendicularly in so narrow a space, he prefers to
walk out through the door, and is straightway strangled by the ready noose.

The Eagle is supposed to be a very long-lived bird, and is thought to compass a
century of existence when it is living wild and unrestrained in its native land. Even in
captivity it has been known to attain a good old age, one of these birds which lived
at Vienna being rather more than a hundred years old “when it died.

So splendid and suggestive a bird as the Eagle could not escape the notice of any
human inhabitant of the same land, and we accordingly find that in all nations, even the
most civilized of the present day, an almost superstitious regard has attached itself to this
bird. The Eagles of ancient Rome and of modern monarchies and empires are familiar to
all, and it is hardly possible to pay a higher compliment to a poet or a warrior than to
liken him to the royal Eagle.

The ImpprRIAL EAGLE is an inhabitant of Asia and Southern Europe, and bears a
rather close resemblance to the golden Eagle, from which bird, however, it may be readily
distinguished by several notable peculiarities.

The head and neck of this species are covered with lancet-shaped feathers of a
deep fawn colour, each feather being edged with brown. The back and the whole of the
upper parts are black-brown, deeper on the back, and warming towards a chestnut tint on
the shoulders. Several of the scapularies are pure white, and the tail is ash-coloured,
bordered and tipped with black. The cere and legs are yellow. The surest mark
by which the Imperial may be distinguished from the golden Eagle, is the white
patch on the scapularies. This is most distinct in the adult bird; for in the plumage
of the young, the scapulary feathers are only tipped with white, instead of being wholly
of that hue.

The Imperial Eagle is seldom seen sweeping over the plains, as it is a forest-loving
bird, preferring the densest woods to the open country. As far as is known, it never
builds its nest on the rocks, but always chooses a spreading and lofty tree for that purpose.
In habits it resembles the preceding species, and in disposition is fierce and destructive.
No specimen of this bird has yet been taken in England, although it is not at all
uncommon in the warmer parts of Europe.

AUSTRALIA possesses a fine example of the aquiline birds in the Botp EAGLE,
so called from the extreme audacity which it displayed on first coming in contact
with mankind.

This handsome bird is found in the whole of Southern Australia and Van Diemen’s
Land, but Mr. Gould believes that it does not inhabit the intertropical regions. The
colour of the Bold Eagle is a blackish-brown, becoming paler on the edges of the wings.
The back of the neck takes a decided reddish hue, which forms a very conspicuous
characteristic in the colouring of the plumage. When young, the edge of each feather is

2. D

IMPERIAL EAGLE,—A4‘quila Mogilnik.

tinged with red, and the tail is slightly barred. The eyes of this bird are hazel, and
the beak is yellowish except at the tip, which is black.

The food of this bird consists naturally of kangaroos, bustards, and other beasts and
birds of its own country. Since sheep have been so plentifully bred in Australia, the
Bold Eagle has derived considerable advantage from the enterprise of the agriculturists,
and has become a perfect pest to the shepherds, from its fondness for mutton. In
consequence of its marauding propensities, it is hunted and persecuted in every way
by the colonists, but without much apparent result, as the bird is only driven farther
inland, and seems in a fair way to hold its own for many years to come. The young
cannot be taken, nor the eggs destroyed, as the bird always builds its nest on the
summit of some lofty tree, which is inaccessible to any human being except the native
Australian. These trees often rise for a hundred feet without a branch, thus presenting
an insurmountable obstacle to the efforts of any white man.

It will not disdain to feed upon carrion, a flock of thirty or forty having been
observed by Mr, Gould seated round the carcass of an ox, and gorged with food like so
many vultures. Like the vultures, it will follow the white kangaroo hunters day

BOLD BAGLE.—A'quila audax,

after day, in order to avail itself of the offal which they throw aside. Of the
black hunters it takes no heed, knowing well that the black man has no idea of leaving
any portion whatever of his prey for any creature except himself, and that if any
part of the slain animal should be distasteful to his palate it is handed over to his wives,
who wait round him at a respectful distance, receiving humbly any morsels that he may
be pleased to throw to them.

A rather amusing account of the discomfiture of a pair of these Eagles is given
by Captain Flinders in his “ Voyage to Terra Australis.” In company with a friend, he
had landed on an uninhabited island, and had captured a snake, which he was taking to
the ship for the benefit of the naturalist. While so engaged, an Eagle “with fierce aspect
and outspread wing came bounding towards us, but stopping short at twenty yards
off, he flew up into a tree. Another bird of the same kind discovered himself by making
a motion to pounce down upon us as we passed underneath ; and it seemed evident they
took us for kangaroos, having probably never before seen an upright animal of any other
species in the island. These birds sit watching in the trees, and should a kangaroo come
out to feed in the daytime, it is seized and torn to pieces by these voracious creatures.”

D2

at ff
hi
wn i

‘ MARTIAL EAGLE.—Spizdétus bellicosus.

THERE: are many other examples of the genus Aquila, the smallest of which is
the Boorep EaGLe (Aquila penndta).

This little bird is not larger than an ordinary falcon, for which, indeed, it might
be mistaken but for the lancet-shaped feathers in the head and neck, which plainly speak
of the Eagle. The general colour of this bird is dark brown; a light yellowish-brown
stripe runs across the wings; the abdomen is white, and the chest is also white, each
feather having a brown dash down its centre. The legs are thickly clothed or “ booted ”
with white feathers. The Booted Eagle is spread over aconsiderable portion of the world,
being found in many parts of Europe, as well as in Agia, which seems to be its natural
residence. It has, however, been known to build in Hungary, near the Carpathian moun-
tains, and makes annual migrations. It is not a very destructive bird, its food consisting
generally of small birds, rats and mice, bats, insects, and similar articles of diet.

OF the genus Spizaetus, the MArtiAL EAGLE forms an excellent example. This
handsome bird is a native of Southern Africa, where it was discovered by Le Vaillant.
The colour of this bird is dark brown, the feathers being paler at their edges ; the

LAUGHING FALCON.—Herpetotheres cachinnans.

under surface is whitish, the quills being black ; the legs are paler and feathered to the
toes. The name Spizaetus signifies “piping Eagle,” and has been given to this and several
other species on account of their very peculiar cry. Mixed with the rough, barking
seream of the ordinary Eagles, there is a piercingly shrill ery which can be “heard at a
very great distance, even though the bird be out of sight. The nest of the Martial Eagle,
or GrIFFARD, as it is sometimes called, is rather peculiar i in its structure. being composed
of three distinct layers of building materials. The first layer is made with sticks, as is
usual among Eagles, and is of considerable dimensions. U pon this foundation is placed
a second lay er of wood, moss, and roots, to the depth of twenty inches or two feet, and
upon this again is laid a quantity of little dry sticks, on which the eggs are laid. The
egos are two in number, white, and very g lobular.

The Martial Eagle is a bold, powerful, and rapacious bird, feeding mostly upon gazelles
and smaller African animals. In the particular locality which ‘it frequents it, relens
supreme, and will not permit any other bird of prey to come within a consider able distance
.of the tree or rock whereon its nest is built. Whilst flying, it permits its legs to hang

downward.

38 JEAN LE BLANC EAGLE.

THE curious bird which is called from its strange cry the LAUGHING FALCON, is a
native of Southern America, where it is found inhabiting the vicinity of marshes and
swamps, in which localities it finds the reptile food on which it chiefly subsists. It is also
a keen fisher, and haunts rivers and lakes for the sake of the finny prey which they
contain. The colour of this bird is nearly white, diversified with a broad band of brown
that passes over the back, wings, and the space round the eyes, and is prolonged into a belt
that surrounds the neck, so that the bird looks as if it had been wrapped in a brown
mantle fastened under the throat. The tail is banded alternately with brown and white.
The wings of this species are not very long, and the beak is short. The tarsus is also
short, and is covered in part with net-like markings. The head is surmounted with
a crest, composed of long, narrow feathers, which pass over the head and droop

gracefully until they reach the
back of the neck.

A SMALL number of the
Falconide are remarkable for their
long tarsi, feathered below the
heel, their long, even tail, and the
union of the outer claws by a
membranous skin, The JEAN
LE BuaAnc EaGuLs, so called on
account of the generally white
colour of its plumage, is a good
example of this genus, which in-
cludes the bacha, the cheela, and
other so-called Eagles.

The colour of the Jean le
Blane Eagle is white, speckled
with brown spots, and diversified
on the back with brown. The
white, however, predominates
largely, and even in the back and
wings, the bases of the feathers
are white. The tail is darker
than the rest of the plumage,
being of a lght grey-brown,
barred with dark brown. The
long tarsi and toes are blue, and
the claws are black. The length
of the bird is about thirty inches,
but the expanse of its wings is
not so proportionally great as in
the osprey. As the birds of this
genus possess several characteris-
tics of the Eagles, and others of the
ospreys, they are supposed with
justice to form a connecting lnk
between the genera Aquila and
Pandion. The Jean le Blane is

JEAN LE BLANC EAGLE.—Circattus Gillicus. spread over considerable portions
of Asia and Europe, but has never
yet been discovered in England.

The food of this bird consists chiefly of snakes, frogs, rats, mice, and insects, and it is
generally found haunting the low forest lands where such creatures most abound. Its nest
is of considerable dimensions, and is generally built on the summit of some lofty tree.
The eggs are either two or three in number, and are of a pure, spotless grey.

CRESTED, OR HARPY EAGLE.—Threasdétus Harpyia.

AFTER many attempts to associate the CRESTED, or Harpy EAGLE, with any other bird
in some acknowledged genus, systematic zoologists have at last been obliged to consider it
a family or single genus in itself, under the appropriate title of Thrasaetus, or Courageous |
Eagle.

The most obvious external characteristic which serves to distinguish this species is the
manner in which the feathers of the head and neck are arranged, so as to form a bold ruff
or fan-like crest when erect. As long as this crest lies flatly on the head and neck, the
bird might be taken for a common Eagle ; but as soon as the fierce temper is roused, the
crest is raised, and the bird assumes an indescribably bold and courageous aspect. The
colour of this noble bird is very variable, differing greatly in the several epochs of an
Eagle’s life. When adult, the general colour is blackish-slate, the head is grey, and the
chest and abdomen white, with a band of a darker hue across the chest. The tops of the
feathers which compose the crest are black, and the tail is barred alternately with black
and grey. The beak and claws are black.

This bird is a native of various parts of Southern America, and prefers the deepest
forests to the plains or the rocks as its place of residence.

40 THE BRAZILIAN EAGLE, OR URUBITINGA.

The Harpy Eagle is a most powerful bird, exceeding even the golden Eagle in the
extent of its muscular development. The bones of the Harpy are enormously thick in
proportion to the size of the bird, and the claws are nearly twice the size of those which
belong to the golden Eagle. The wings, however, are not largely developed, being rather
short and rounded, so that the bird is not fitted so much for a swift and active flight as
for the power of grasping with considerable force, and using its talons with the greatest
effect. This formation is easily accounted for by the fact that the Harpy Eagle is not
intended as an aerial hunter, chasing its prey through the air and overcoming it “by means
of superior activity and strength, but feeds mostly on various mammaltia, and is a
sad enemy to the sloth. Young deer fall victims to this voracious bird, which also
destroys vast quantities of cavies,
opossums, and other animals.
Even the large parrots and aras
are slain and eaten by the Crested
Eagle. As soon as the Harpy Eagle
pounces upon a sloth, a fawn, or
an opossum, the fate of its victim
is sealed, for the long curved claws
are driven so foreibly into its vitals,
that it speedily sinks dead beneath
the fatal grasp.

From the thickly wooded nature
of the localities in which this
Eagle dwells, a lengthened chase
would be impossible, as the dense
foliage and tangled boughs would
enable the intended victim to place
itself in security if it were only
able to receive intimation of its
pursuer’s presence. The great
object of the Harpy Eagle is,
therefore, to steal quietly upon its
prey, by gliding on noiseless wing
over the tops of the trees, and to
swoop suddenly and unexpectedly
on the unfortunate sloth or fawn
that it may chance to discover.
When successful in its chase, and
standing exultingly on the body of
its quarry, its talons firmly holding
the prey which it has gained by
its own quickness and strength,
and its fierce eyes looking jealously
around lest any intruder should
endeavour to despoil it of the
fruits of its victory, the Harpy
Eagle presents a truly magnificent
sight. Its crest is raised and con-
BRAZILIAN EAGLE, OR URUBITINGA.—Morphnus Urubitinga. tinually in motion, and its eyes

seem to flame with mingled fury
and triumph.

THERE is rather a curious bird found in Brazil, Cayenne, and various parts of the West
Indies, named the BRAZILIAN EAGLE, or URUBITINGA.

This bird is a great contrast in dimensions to that which has just been mentioned, being
only about the size of an ordinary raven, whereas the harpy Eagle is among the largest of

OSPREY.—Pandion halidétus.

the diurnal birds of prey. The colour of the Urubitinga is nearly black, diversified with
some greyish marks upon the wings, and the white tail-coverts and base of the tail. The
beak is powerfully made, and very convex above, and the claws are very sharply pointed.
The colour of the legs and cere is yellow, and the tarsus is marked in front with a series
of shield-like scales. When young, the plumage of the Urubitinga is very different from
that of the adult bird, being largely mixed with yellow and dark brown. It is always to
be found near rivers, lakes, and swamps, as it feeds upon the aquatic reptiles which are
found so plentifully in such localities, and also upon the smaller mammalia which also
inhabit wet and marshy situations.

One of the most interesting of the predaceous birds which belong to Great Britain is
the celebrated Osprey, or FisHinc Hawk. This fine bird was formerly very common in
England, but is now but rarely seen within the confines of the British Isles, although
isolated species are now and then seen.

As the bird is a fish-eater, it is generally observed on the sea-coast or on the banks of
some large river, but has occasionally been observed in some comparatively waterless situa-
tion, where it has probably been driven by stress of weather. In some parts of Scotland

42 HABITS OF THE OSPREY.

the Osprey still holds its own, and breeds year after year on the same spot, generally
choosing the summit of an old ruined building or the top of a large tree for that purpose.
The nest is a very large one, composed almost wholly of sticks, and contains two or three
whitish eggs, largely blotched with reddish brown, the dark patches being collected towards
the large end of the ege. As is the case with the Eagles, the Osprey is monogamous; but
on the death of either of the pair, the survivor soon finds another mate, and is straightway
consoled by a new alliance. From all accounts it is an affectionate and domestic bird,
paying the greatest attention to its mate and home, and displaying a constancy which is
not to be surpassed by that of the turtle-dove, so celebrated for matrimonial felicity.

Wilson, in his well-known work on the birds of America, gives a very interesting
account of the proceedings of a pair of Ospreys. The female had unfortunately lost one
of her legs, and was in consequence disabled from catching fish. Her mate, however,
redoubled his efforts on her behalf, and, leaving her in the nest, used to set himself to
work with such perseverance that he kept the nest well supplied with food by his sole
endeavours, so that his mate never was obliged to leave her charge in search of sustenance.
Even after the young had been fledged, this model husband continued his efforts, and
relieved his wife of the necessity for hunting.

The flight of the Osprey is peculiarly easy and elegant, as might be expected from a
bird the length of whose body is only twenty-two inches, and the expanse of wing nearly
five feet and a half. Living almost wholly on fish, the Osprey sails in wide undulating
circles, hovering over the water and intently watching for its prey. No sooner does a
fish come into view than the Osprey shoots through the air like a meteor, descends upon
the luckless fish with such force that it drives a shower of spray in every direction, and
soon emerging, flies away to its nest, bearing its prey in its grasp. In order to enable it to
seize and retain so slippery a creature as a fish, the claws of the Osprey are long, curved,
and very sharp, the soles of the feet are rough, and the outer toe is capable of great
versatility. When the bird has settled upon its nest, or upon any spot where it intends to
eat its prey, it does not relinquish its hold, but, as if fearful that the fish should escape,
continues its grasp, and daintily picks away the flesh from between its toes.

Sometimes in making its swoop it arrests itself for a second or two, as if to watch some
change of position on the part of its intended prey.

The singular beauty of the Osprey’s flight attracted the attention of M. de Quatrefages,
who remarked, that the bird was able with outstretched and immovable wings, not only to
withstand the power of a “squall” that would have flung a man to the ground, but even
to work its way against the wind. How this feat was performed he confesses to be a
mystery to him, and that the so-called scientific theories of “ acquired velocity” or “tremu-
lous movement” of the wings could not at all account for the phenomenon which he
observed.

When unmolested by human foes, the Osprey is a bold bird, as may be seen from the
following little anecdote, related by Mr. D’Ewes in his “Sporting in both Hemispheres.” “I
observed an Osprey, or fishing Eagle, hovering about the river some distance down stream,
as if he were regarding my movements with much curiosity. Having caught a small
barbel, perhaps a little less than a pound in weight, and extricated the hook with some
difficulty, something induced me to throw him back again, as not worth taking, which I
did with a sharp jerk, sending him some distance into the middle of the stream. In the
space of a few moments, and a hundred yards downwards, I saw the Osprey make a sudden
swoop, a dive, and soar aloft with the fish in his mouth—no doubt my identical barbel,
which, puzzled with his sudden change of circumstances, and not having regained vigour
and instinct sufficient to seek his usual haunts, had floated down stream, and became an
easy victim to his destroyer.”

In Southern America it is very common, and has been well described by Wilson,
Audubon, and other well-known writers, to whom we can but refer for the present. The
bird is held in great favour, and protected by common consent, so that any one who shot
a fish-hawk would draw down upon himself the anger of the person who constituted him-
self its protector. The bird is in the habit of building its nest upon the roofs of houses,
and is thought to bring good luck to the household which it selects as its protectors.

THE OSPREY. 43

There is a good reason for the love which the fishermen bear towards the Osprey, as it is
the harbinger of their best seasons, and by its headlong sweeps after the basse and other
fish intimates that their nets may be successfully employed.

Harmless though the Osprey be—except to the fish—it is a most persecuted bird,
being not only annoyed by rooks and crows, but robbed by the more powerful white-
headed Eagle. Mr. Thompson records an instance where an Osprey, which had been fishing
in Loch Ruthven, was greatly harassed by an impertinent Royston crow, which attacked
the nobler bird as soon as it had caught a fish, and, as if knowing that it was incapable
of retaliation, actually struck it while on the wing. The Osprey kept quietly on its
way, but was so wearied by the repeated attacks of the crow, that when pursued and
pursuer had vanished out of sight, the poor Osprey had not been able to commence his
repast.

; How this species is robbed by the white-headed Eagle, who strikes the Osprey on the
wing, and snatches from the poor bird the results of its morning’s labours, is well known
through the graphic descriptions of Wilson and Audubon. The passages in which this
thievish habit is recounted are so familiarly known, and have been so frequently quoted,
that I prefer merely to mention them, and to insert in the present pages another
account of the same proceedings, written also by an eye-witness. The author is Mr.
Webber, well known for his “Wild Scenes and Wild Hunters,” and other works of a similar
character.

“The bald Eagle, who is a sort of omnipresent predator wherever the primeval nature
holds her own upon the continent, makes his appearance sometimes suddenly on his wide-
visiting wings amidst these solitudes, that seem rightly to belong to the fish-hawk alone.
His hoarse bark startles the deep silence from afar, and every natural sound is mute.
Wheeling grandly amidst the dim blue cliffs, he subsides on slow and royal spread upon
some blasted pine beside the lake-river, and with quick short screaming—while he
smooths his ruffled plumes—announces to awed nature that its winged monarch has come
down to rest. The friendly fish-hawks, in silent consternation, dart hither and yon in
vexed uncertain flight, the tiny songsters dive into deep thickets, and the very cricket,
underneath dead leaves, pauses for a moment in its cheerful trill, while the shadow of that
drear sound passes over all. But now the kinely bird grows quiet, and with many a shift
of feet and restless lift of wing—while fierce, far-darting eyes are taking in all the
capabilities of his new perch—he sinks into an attitude of deep repose, one yellow-heated
eye upturned, watching the evolutions of the startled fish-hawks, whose movement,
becoming less and less irregular as they wheel to and fro, gradually subsides into the
measured windings of their habitual flight in seeking prey, while the buzz, the hum, the
chirp, the chatter, and the carol creep up once again, and nature becomes voiceful in her
happy silence.

Now, to witness, as I have done, from the mountain tops, the Osprey sweep down from
the dizzy height, almost level with my feet, and hear the faint whirr of arrowy-falling
plumes, and see the cloud-spray dimly flash through the blue steep of distance—ah, that
was a sight! And then the strong bird’s scream of exultation faintly heard, and the far
flash of scales glittering as he drags his spoil to sunlight from its dark slumberous home, and
on strong vans goes beating up towards the clouds; ah, that too was a sight! But then
to see deep down, that couchant tyrant deep down below, ‘levelling his neck for 4
the ‘glorious weaver’ has it), his war crest raised, his wings halt S]

moment on his stoop, and then one clamorous shriek of © ides. lim
vault away, up, up, with a swift cleave, conquering ort ul . ou the spell
of wings! Wonderful sight—that upwer) treo” Phe 4ian-t uas taken warning
from the exulting ery of his old « if mer cues, as if for help, goes up
and upward, swifter still, wil ain tings th atter the fleece-forms of cloud above
me, and stir them i ingegyratic haf uo; the conqueror with overcoming wings
is upon hina with fierce tutte he stirfed chaos cannot hide from me, and the fisher
drops its py) wil 4 Josps ame shriek, while it goes gleaming headlong towards its

ravished ho \ ‘an instant’s poise while the sunlight can flash off a ray from

44 THE CINEREOUS, WHITE-TAILED, OR SEA EAGLE,

steadied plumes, and the Eagle goes, dimmed with swiftness, roaring down to catch the
falling prey before it reach the wave.

But the fish-hawk, although the mildest, the mostgenerous and social of all the Falconidee,
still recognises that point beyond which forbearance is no virtue. When the plundering
outrages ‘of the bald Eagle have been at length carried to an intolerable extreme in any
particular locality, the “fish-hawks in the neighbourhood combine in a common assault
upon the tyrannical robber. I have frequently witnessed such scenes along the coast of the
Gulf of Mexico. They abound in great numbers along the estuaries of its great rivers.
J remember particularly to have noted the greatest collection of them at the mouth of the
Brazos River, at Texas. Twenty or thirty of them are constantly congregated at this place
during the spring months, to feed upon the great shoals of the luscious red fish which then
make their appearance here ; though otherwise a barren and uncouth spot, it is constantly
enlivened by the aerial gambols of these powerful and graceful flighted birds, and many’s
the battle between them and the bald Eagle that I have witnessed among the clouds at
this place. They seemed to have formed a sort of colony for mutual protection, and the
moment their foe, the Eagle, made his appearance among them, the ery of alarm was raised,
and the vigilant colonists, hurrying from all quarters, attacked the robber without
hesitation, and always succeeded in driving him away.

There was always a desperate battle first before the savage monarch could be routed,
and I have seen them gathered about him in such numbers, whirling and tumbling amidst
a chaos of floating feathers through the air, that it was impossible for a time to distinguish
which was the Eagle, until, having got enough of it amidst such fearful odds, he would
fain turn tail, and with most undignified acceleration of flight would dart toward the
covert of the heavy forest to hide his baffled royalty and shake off his pertinacious foes
amidst the boughs, as do the smaller hawks when teased by the little king-birds. I was
told by the residents of Valasco, at the mouth, who from sympathy with the fish-hawks
seemed to greatly relish the scenes, that year after year the Eagles made persevering
attempts to attain a lodgment in the neighbourhood of this colony, but were always
promptly repulsed and finally driven off.”

There is but one species of Osprey, although it has been thought that the American
bird ought to be reckoned as a different species. The general colour of the Osprey is
dark brown, but it is pleasingly variegated with various shades of black, grey, and
white. The crown of the head and the nape of the neck are covered with long, grey-white
feathers, streaked with dark brown. The under surface of the body is white, with the
exception of a light brown band which extends across the chest. The primaries are brown
tipped with black, and the tail is barred above with a light and a deep brown, and below
with brown and white. The legs, toes, and cere are blue, the eyes golden yellow, and the
beak and claws black.

The Crnerrous, or SEA EAGLE, is by far the most common of the larger British
Falconidee, being much more frequently seen than the golden Eagle. On account of the
peculiar white rounded tail the bird is sometimes called the WHITE-TAILED EAGLE.

This species is found in all parts, of Europe, but is not known to visit America. As
it is a fish-loving bird, and is nearly as great an adept at angling as the osprey, it is

ty found on the sea-coast. It possesses, however, a very accommodating appetite,
eonsiderable inland journeys im search of food. Young fawns, lambs,
then fall victims to its hunger, and it is said to wateli for

disabied y hasten their end by the injuries which it inflicts upon
them. - On the’ Shieres, > have regular hunting-grounds, and to make
its rounds with perc. ‘ain spot at the same hour daily,
keeping an anxious eye on Uy) Voitu \ ver about the rock ledges
in attendance upon their mates ana ian ji

One of these birds that was domestientel at O {i rs, and was very
generally known throughout the neighbourhood, contrive. 9) os vecasion, to eat

hedgehog that had stray ed too near his quarters. It might natura, ave been supposed

CINEREOUS, WHITE-TAILED, OR SEA EAGLE.—Halidztus albicilla.

that the prickly skin of the animal would have caused some discomfort in the Eag!e’s
interior. Nothing of the kind, however, happened; for the Eagle, as is universal among
rapacious birds, ejected the skin and indigestible portions of the hedgehog, and seemed to
have felt no inconvenience whatever from the array of prickly spies. The same bird
used to spend much of its time in trying to eat a tortoise, a proceeding which the tortoise
treated with perfect equanimity. The whole story of this bird is rather a curious one,
but would occupy too much space in a work of this character.

It is a fierce and determined bird, having a strange look oflowering self-will in its
eyes. When wounded, it fights most fiercely; and even when disabled by a broken wing,
it has been known to strike so sharply with the sound wing, that the utmost exertions of
two men were required before it could be subdued and bound.

As it is rather an unpleasant neighbour to the farmer, the poultry-keeper, or the
sheep-owner, it is much persecuted, and many ingenious traps are constructed for its
destruction. In Norway a small conical hut is built, having the roof open, and a piece of
stick, to which is attached a bait, laid across the aperture. Inside the little hut sits a man,
looking out for the Kagle. As soon as the bird sees the bait, which is generally a rabbit,

46 THE BALD, OR WHITE-HEADED EAGLE.

or some such dead animal, it sweeps down and alights upon the stick. The moment that
it settles, it is grasped by the concealed inhabitant of the hut, who jerks it through the
opening into the little edifice. Owing to the conical shape of the hut, the bird is unable to
use its wings, which are its best weapons, and is, therefore, soon mastered and destroyed.

The nest of this species is constructed after the fashion of the Eagle tribe, and is
made of a large mass of sticks, put together in a very inartificial manner. Unlike the
generality of the Eagles, it does not return year after year to the same spot, but is of
a more roving nature, leaving its young in possession of the dwelling-places, and going
farther afield in search of some new hunting-ground. The golden Eagle acts in a pre-
cisely opposite manner; for as soon as the young Eagles are able to shift for themselves,
their parents drive them from the locality, and will not permit them to come within a
considerable distance of the spot where they were hatched.

Although it is not as common in the British Islands as was formerly the case, it still
breeds regularly in some parts of Scotland, in Shetland, the Hebrides, and many other
localities where it is permitted to spend its life in peace. Even now, it is sometimes
observed inland; it is quite recently that a notice appeared in the Feld newspaper
of a Sea Eagle that was shot at Livermere Park, near Bury St. Edmunds. The bird
measured three feet in leneth, and seven feet one inch across the wings. It had been
observed for some days hovering about, and apparently taking fish from the water in
the park.

The head of the Sea Eagle is covered with long drooping feathers, each feather being
ashy brown, and darker at its centre than at the edges. The rest of the body is dark
brown, with here and there a lighter spot or streak, the primaries being nearly black. The
tail is rounded, and of a pure white colour in the adult Eagle, and brown in the immature
bird. The legs, toes, beak, and cere are yellow, and the claws black. The generic name,
Haliattus, is of Greek origin, and signifies Sea Eagles.

TuE noble bird which is represented in the accompanying illustration is celebrated as
being the type which has been chosen by the Americans as the emblem of their nation.

The name of BALD, or WHITE-HEADED EAGLE, has been applied to this bird on account
of the snowy white colour of the head and neck, a peculiarity which renders it a most
conspicuous bird when at large in its native land. The remainder of the body is a deep
chocolate brown, inclining to black along the back. The tail and upper tail coverts are of
the same white hue as the head and neck. In its earlier stages of existence the creature
is of more sombre tints, not obtaining the beautifully white head and tail until it is four
full years of age.

The nest of the Bald Eagle is generally made upon some lofty tree, and in the
course of years becomes of very great size, as the bird is in the habit of laying her eggs
year after year in the same nest, and making additions of fresh building materials at every
fresh breeding season. She commences this task at a very early period of the year,
depositing her eggs in January, and hatching her young by the middle of February.
This statement is made by Wilson, and is corroborated by the following incident, which is
narrated in a note to Thompson’s Birds of Ireland :—* During a tour made by Richard
Langtrey, Esq., of Fort William, near Belfast, through the United States, in 1836, he, in
the middle of January, observed a pair of these birds flying about a nest in the top of
a gigantic pitch pine, which stood a little remote from other trees, on the bank of the Fish
River, Mobile Bay. On the 6th of February he returned to the place, in the hope of
procuring a young bird alive. The nest being inaccessible, the tree was cut down,
and with it one young bird (unfortunately killed by the fall) came to the ground. The
eaglet was covered with down, interspersed with a few feathers. The nest was rather
flat, and composed of sticks; it contained the heads and bones of mullet, and two
heads of the grey pelican. The parent birds were in great consternation during the
felling of the pine, and to the last moment continued flying clamorously about the nest.
Mr. Langtrey was told that two or three pair of Bald Eagles build annually about
Mobile Bay, and had their nests pointed out to him.”

It is always a very affectionate bird, tends its young as long as they are helpless and

BALD, OR WHITE-HEADED_EAGLE.—Aalidétus Leucocéphalus.

unfledged, and will not forsake them, even if the tree on which they rest be enveloped
in flames.

How the Bald Eagle takes advantage of the fishing talents of the osprey has already
been duly related. The Eagle is, in truth, no very great fisher, but is very fond of fish, and
finds that the easiest mode of obtaining the desired dainty is to rob them who are better
qualified than himself for the sport. He is capable of catching fish, it is true, but he does
it ina very awkward manner, wading into the shallows like a heron, and snatching suddenly
at any of the finny tribe that may be passing in his direction. This predatory propensity
aroused the wrath of Benjamin Franklin, who objected strongly to the employment of
the Bald Eagle as the type of the American nation, urging, as his grounds for opposition,
that it is “a bird of bad moral character, and does not get his living honestly.”

The Bald Eagle is very accommodating in his appetite, and will eat almost anything that
has ever possessed animal life. He is by no means averse to carrion, and has been seen
seated regally upon a dead horse, keeping at a distance a horde of vultures which were
collected round the carcass, and not permitting them to approach until he had gorged
himself to the full, Another individual was seen by Wilson in a similar state of things.

48 HABITS OF THE WHITE-HEADED EAGLE.

He had taken possession of a heap of dead squirrels that had been accidentally drowned,
and prevented any other bird, or beast of prey, from approaching his treasure. He is
especially fond of lambs, and is more than suspected of aiding the death of many a sickly
sheep by the dexterous use of his beak and claws. Sometimes he pays the penalty of
his voracity, as was very recently the case. A Bald Eagle had caught a wild duck, and
carrying it to a large piece of ice, tore his prey in pieces, and began to eat it. When he
had finished his repast, he spread his wings for flight, but found himself unable to stir,
his feet having been firmly frozen to the ice. Several persons who witnessed the scene
endeavoured to reach the bird, but were unable, owing to the masses of loose ice that
intervened between the Eagle and the land. At last the poor bird perished, as was
supposed, having been seen to flap his useless wings in vain endeavours to escape until
night drew on and darkness hid him from view.

The manner in which the Bald Eagle hunts for, procures, and kills his prey, is so
admirably told by Mr. Audubon, that it would be impossible to do justice to the subject
without quoting his own words :—

“The Eagle is seen perched, in an erect attitude, on the summit of the tallest tree
by the margin of the broad stream. His glistening, but stern eye, looks over the vast
expanse. He listens attentively to every sound that comes to his quick ear from afar,
glancing every now and then on the earth beneath, lest even the light tread of the fawn
may pass unheard. His mate is perched on the opposite side, and should all be tranquil
and quiet, warns him, by a ery, to continue patient. At this well-known call he partly
opens his broad wings, inclines his body a little downwards, and answers to her voice in
tones not unlike the laugh of a maniac. The next moment he resumes his erect attitude,
and again all around is silent: Ducks of many species—the teal, the widgeon, the mallard,
and others—are seen passing with great rapidity, and following the course of the current,
but the Eagle heeds them not ; they are at that’ time beneath his attention.

The next moment, however, the wild, trumpet-like sound of a yet distant, but
approaching swan is heard, A shriek from the female Eagle comes across the stream, for
she is fully as alert as her mate. The latter suddenly shakes the whole of his body, and,
with a few touches of his bill, aided by the action of his cuticular muscles, arranges his
plumes in an instant. The snow-white bird is now in sight; her long neck is stretched
forward ; her eye is on the watch, vigilant as that of her enemy ; » her large wings seem
with difficulty to support the weight of her body, although they flap incessantly ; so
irksome do her exertions seem, that “her very legs are spread beneath her tail to aid her
in her flight. She approaches, however. The Eagle has marked her for his prey.

As the swan is passing the dreaded pair, starts from his perch the male bird, in
preparation for the chase, with an awful scream, that to the swan’s ear brmgs more terror
than the report of the large duck-gun. Now is the moment to witness the display of the
Eagle’s powers. He glides through the air like a falling star, and, like a flash of lightning,
comes upon the timorous quarry, which now, in agony and despair, seeks by various
manceuvres to elude the grasp of his cruel talons. Jt mounts, doubles, and willingly
would plunge into the stream, were it not prevented by the Eagle, which, possessed of the
knowledge that by such a stratagem the swan might escape “him, forces it to remain in
the air, by attempting to strike it with his talons from beneath.

The hope of escape is soon given up by the swan. It has already become much
weakened, and its strength fails at the sight of the courage and swiftness of its antagonist.
Tts last gasp is about to escape, when the ferocious Eagle strikes with its talons the under-
side of its wing, and, with unresisted power, forces the bird to fall im a slanting direction
upon the nearest shore.

It is then that you may see the cruel spirit of this dreaded enemy of the feathered
race, whilst exulting over his prey, he for the first time breathes at his ease. He presses
down his powerful feet, and drives his sharp claws deep into the heart of the dying swan ;
he shrieks with delight as he feels the last convulsions of his prey, which has now sunk
under his efforts to render death as painful as it possibly can be. The female has watched
every movement of her mate, and, if she did not assist him in capturing the swan, it was

THE BLACK CARACARA. 49

not from want of will, but merely that she felt full assurance that the power and courage
of her lord were quite sufficient for the deed. She now sails to the spot where he eagerly
awaits her, and when she has arrived, they together turn the breast of the luckless swan
upwards, and gorge themselves with gore.”

The Bald Eagle is found throughout the whole of North America, and may be seen
haunting the greater part of the sea-coasts, as well as the mouths of the large rivers.

The RED-THROATED Fatcon, which affords a good example of the genus Ibycter, is a
native of South America.

The birds comprising this genus are remarkable for the convexity of the upper
mandible, and the semi-blunt, notched lower mandible. The claws are sharp, and the
cheeks, the throat, and part of
the crop are naked. This species
is a very handsome one, the gene-
ral tint of the plumage being a
very deep blue on the back and
the upper surface, and reddish-
white below. The neck has a pur-
plish-red hue, from which the bird
derives its popular name, the claws
are black, the feet and cere yellow,
and the beak a deep blue. This
bird has been known under a
variety of names, such as the Little
American Eagle, the Bare-necked
Falcon, the White-billed Ibycter,
the Bare-necked Polyborus, to-
gether with many similar appel-
lations. The habits of the bird
are not known.

CLOSELY related to the preced-
ing Bird is the Black CARACARA,
also a native of South America.
This is a much darker bird than
the Red-throated Falcon, the back
and upper parts being blue-black,
and the rounded tail white only at
its base. The feet are yellow, the
beak and claws black, the cere a
grey-brown, and the space round
the eyes devoid of feathers, and
flesh-coloured. On account of the
short and stout beak, and the large
tarsus, this species was formerly
placed in a separate genus, with
the title of Daptrius.

The Carrion Hawks, as the
CARACARAS are popularly termed,
are natives of Southern America,
and from their great numbers,
their boldness, and their unpleasant habits, are sufficiently familiar to any one who has
had occasion to travel in the country where they teem. There are several species of
Caracaras, which are placed in one genus, and are very similar in their habits to the
vultures, but on a smaller scale.

2. E

RED-THROATED FALCON,—:bycter Americénus

SOUTHERN CARACARA.—Milvigo Australis.

The SOUTHERN CARACARA is not quite so large as some of its brethren, but is quite as
useful and as repulsive a bird. Its length is about eighteen inches, and its colour a grey-
brown upon the back and upper surface, and paler beneath, diversified with reddish
bands. The thighs are of a banded rusty-red, and the tail is yellowish-grey. The cere
and feet are yellow, and the bill blue-grey. It is an omnivorous bird, eating vegetable or
aninal substances with equal willingness, and is said to do damage to the potato crop by
digging into the cuttings before they have time to sprout. It may be that the bird is
urged by the desire of eating, not the potatoes, but the grubs which have taken up their
residence therein, and so confers a favour on the planter instead of doing him an injury.
This opinion is strengthened by an observation of Mr. Darwin, who says that he has seen
them by scores following the plough, like English rooks, and picking the worms and grubs
out of the furrows.

The ordinary food of the Southern Caracara is vermin and putrid meat, and it is
believed never to kill either birds or quadrupeds. The flight is very different from that
of the vulture, being slow, heavy, and laborious, and the bird is never known to soar in
the vulturine fashion, neither does it generally perch on trees, but prefers to seat itself
upon stones, walls, and similar resting-places.

The Southern Caracara is a most impudent and mischievous bird, as may be seen from
Mr. Darwin's admirable account :—“ They actually made an attack on a dog that was lying
asleep close to one of the party, and the sportsmen had difficulty in preventing the
wounded deer from being seized before their eyes. It is said that several together wait
at the mouth of a rabbit-hole, and seize on the animal as it comes out. They were con-
stantly flying on board the vessel when in the harbour, and it was necessary to keep a
good look-out to prevent the leather from being torn from the 1 rigging, and the meat and
game from the stern. These birds are very mischievous, and most acquisitive ; they will
pick up almost anything from the ground ; a large-sized glazed hat was carried nearly a
mile, as was a pair of heavy balls (bolas) 1 eed in catching cattle. Mr. Wilson experienced
during the summer a more severe loss in their stealing a small Kater’s compass in a
red morocco case, which was never recovered. These birds are, moreover, quarrelsome, and
very passionate, tearing up the grass with their bills in rage. They build on the rocky
cliffs of the sea-coast, but only in ‘the small islets, and not in the two main lands. Thisis'a

THE BRAZILIAN KITE. 51

singular precaution in so tame and familiar a bird. The dealers say that the flesh of these
birds, when cooked, is quite white and very good eating.”

The BRAZILIAN KITE, CARRANCHA, or BRAZILIAN CARACARA, is also a native of the
southern portions of America, and is found inhabiting the same localities as the Southern
Caracara, to which bird it bears
a considerable resemblance in
general appearance and in its
general colour.

The Brazilian Kite is blackish-
brown, deepening to dull black
from the top of the head, and
varied across the neck and shoul-
ders with wavy bands of dark
brown on a greyish ground. The
tip of the tail is black, and the re-
mainderis greyish-white, traversed
by many narrow wavy bands of
dusky brown. The bill is tinged
with blue at the base, the claws
are black, and the legs yellow.
This bird is essentially a carrion
eater, following the line of road
in order to feed on the poor worn-
out animals that sik exhausted
on the journey, and are left to
perish by their hard-hearted
drivers. It will watch the course
pursued by hunters, and in hopes
of obtaining the rejected portions
of the slain animals, will follow
them in their expeditions with
as much perseverance and con-
fidence as is exhibited by the
American wolf under the same
circumstances. It also frequents
the slaughter-houses, and is of
great service in devouring the
offal, which would otherwise be
left to sink into putrefaction, and
to taint the air with its deadly
odour. Fortunately forthe country,
there is but little chance of any
such catastrophe, as long as there
is a Carrancha within a radius of
many miles, for the keen sense of
the bird will enable it to distinguish a feeble animal, or a dead carcass, ata wonderful
distance, and its insatiable appetite is never appeased as long as there is a particle of
flesh remaining on the bones.

The Carrancha is often seen feeding in company with several closely-allied birds, such
as the Chimango Caracara, but is not on friendly terms with them, although the two birds
may be seated in close proximity, engaged in their common banquet, and being employed
in picking the same bone. Sometimes the Carrancha is subject to a kind of small
persecution on the part of its temporary companion, but seems to heed its proceedings with
great stolidity. “When the Carrancha,” says Mr. Darwin, “is quietly seated on the
branch of a tree, or on the ground, the Chimango often continues for a long time flying

E2

BRAZILIAN KITE.—Polyborus Braziliensis.

52 THE BUZZARD.

backwards and forwards, up and down, in a semicircle, trying each time at the bottorn
of the curve to strike its large relative. The Carrancha takes little notice, except
by bobbing its head” The cry of the Carrancha is very peculiar, and is thought
to resemble the popular name which has consequently been given to the bird. While
uttering the strange, rough sounds, the Carrancha gradually raises its head, bending it
farther and farther backwards, until at last the top of its head almost touches the
back of its neck. This habit is observed in other Caracaras. By sailors, and other
imaginative persons, the cry of the Carrancha is thought to resemble that of the
English rook, and the bird is in consequence denominated by them the Mexican
Crow. The similitude is increased by the dark colour of the plumage and the
character of the flight, which bears a considerable resemblance to that of the crows and
rooks.

The Carrancha, although persecuted by the Chimango, is in its turn a persecutor,
chasing the Zopilote for the same reason that the Bald Eagle chases the Osprey, and
forcing it to disgorge the food which it had swallowed. Besides carrion, the Carrancha
eats young lambs, many of the smaller mammalia, reptiles, and various insects, and
is indeed a very general feeder. Sometimes it will pursue and devour the smaller birds,
and has been observed to secure a partridge on the wing, after urging a rather lengthened
chase on the ground. It is also in the habit of frequenting the sea-shore, and feeding on
the fish, crabs, molluscs, and other edible substances that are found between high and low
water, or are flung upon the beach by the waves. Besides all these articles of diet, it
feeds much on eggs during the breeding season, taking them from the nests with great
audacity and cunning.

Although seen in considerable numbers when attracted by a dead animal, or other
prey, the Carrancha is not a gregarious bird, being seen solitary or in pairs in desert
places. Under the name of the Mexican Eagle, this bird is embroidered on the banners
of the Mexican Government.

THE common BuzzZARD is one of our handsomest Falconide, and is one which,
although banished from the greater part of England, is still found plentifully in many
parts of Scotland and Ireland.

The plumage of this bird is looser and more downy than is seen in the generality of
the hawk-tribe, and bears a certain resemblance to that of the owl. This peculiarity
is explained by the habits of the bird, which will presently be narrated. The average
length of a Buzzard is from twenty to twenty-two inches, and the tinting of its plumage
is extremely variable, even in adult birds. The usual colouring is as follows. The back
and whole of the upper surface is a rich brown, becoming lighter on the head and
neck, and diversified with longitudinal streaks of the darker hue. The tail is also
dark-brown, but is varied with stripes of a lighter colour, and the primary feathers
of the wings are nearly black. The under portions of the body are grey-white, marked
on the neck, and chest, and abdomen, with spots and streaks of brown. The claws
are black, the bill is a deep blue-black, and the legs, toes, and ears are yellow.

In its habits the Buzzard is a very sluggish bird, never engaging in open chase
like the true falcons, but pouncing suddenly and unexpectedly on its prey. The use
of the soft downy plumage is now apparent. The Buzzard, in seeking its food, sails
slowly over the ground at no great elevation, surveying every spot in search of some
living object. At the sight of any eatable being, whether it be rat, mouse, bird, or
reptile, down comes the Buzzard, and bears off the doomed creature in its claws, before
its victim has taken the least alarm at the presence of its destroyer. The noiseless
passage through the air is caused by the down-edged feathers, by which the Buzzard is
clothed. Sometimes it sits upon a branch, keeping a vigilant watch, and keenly
eyeing every passing creature. Whenever a desirable bird or animal passes within
easy reach, the Buzzard darts from its post, and after seizing its prey, returns to the
same spot, and recommences its watch. This custom is singularly like the well-known
habits of the common fly-catcher.

As, from its comparatively short wings and inactive temperament, the Buzzard is

HABITS OF THE BUZZARD. 53

incapable of chasing the swift-winged game birds, it is never trained for the sport of
falconry, and among the ancient sportsmen was reviled as a useless and cowardly bird.
Like many large birds of prey, it is exceedingly liable to persecution from the vulture, hawks,
the rook and crow; and the grey or Royston crow is a notable and constant antagonist.
When wounded or disabled from flying, the Buzzard can still maintain a stout fight,
and by laying itself on its back, and striking fiercely with its sharp and crooked talons,
ean drive off an apparently superior foe.

It is easily tamed, and is rather an amusing bird in its new state of domestic life.

One of these birds, that was captured in Ireland, and whose history is related
by Mr. Thompson, displayed some very curious peculiarities, and afforded some insight
into the Buzzard nature. It was
fond of catching mice in a barn,
darting at them as they traversed
the floor, and striking at them
through the straw. In many in-
stances, the bird missed its stroke,
but was never discomfited, and
was always ready to make a
fresh attack. It would also catch
and kill rats, but preferred mice,
probably because they gave it less
trouble. It detested strangers,
and used to fly fiercely at them
and knock their hats over their
ears, or fairly off their heads. A
rather remarkable amusement in
which this bird indulged, was to
jump on its master’s feet and
untie his shoestrings. It would
eat magpies and jackdaws, but
did not seem to care very much
for such diet, magpies being even
more distasteful than jackdaws.
On one occasion a jackdaw had
been shot, and fell into a mill
dam. The Buzzard pounced on
the dying bird, and grasping it
in his talons, held it beneath the
water until it was dead. Whether
the act was intentional or not is
not certain, but as the bird re-
mained in so awkward a position
with its legs wholly immersed in
the water until the jackdaw was
quite dead, the act does not seem
to have been without some de-
finite motive. The same bird was
very fond of worms and grubs, and BUZZARD.—Biileo vulgaris.
used to attend upon the potato-
diggers, for the purpose of eating
the subterranean insects and other creatures which are thrown up in the operation.

The nest of the Buzzard is made either in some suitable tree, or upon the rocks,
according to the locality, and is generally composed of grass and heather stems, inter-
mingled with long soft roots, and lined with wool, heather leaves, and other substances.
One curious instance is known, where the Buzzards took a liking to a nest which had
been tenanted by a pair of crows for a series of years, and, after a severe contest,

54 THE ROUGH-LEGGED FALCON.

sueceeded in ejecting the original inhabitants, and establishing themselves in the ill-
gotten premises. The intruders seemed to have been dissatisfied with the internal
arrangements of the nest, and relined it with the fur of hares and rabbits. The eggs are
from two to five in number, and their colour is greyish-white diversified with a few
spots of pale brown. In the stolen crows’ nest, four young were hatched, and were taken
from their parents just before they were fairly fledged.

The flight of the Buzzard is rather variable. At times the bird seems inspired with
the very soul of laziness, and contents itself with pouncing leisurely upon its prey,
and returning to the branch on which it has been perched. Sometimes, however,
and especially in the breeding season, it rises high in the air, and displays a power
of wing and an easy grace of flight which would hardly be anticipated from its formerly
sluggish movements.

The Buzzard seems to be a most affectionate mate and parent, attending closely upon
its home duties, and watching the safety of its young with anxious care. When this
natural living instinct can find no vent in its proper direction, it sometimes exhibits
itself in a very curious manner, as was the case with a captive Buzzard whose conduct
has been rightly immortalized by Mr. Yarrell, in his history of the British Birds, by the
aid of pen and pencil.

“A few years back a female Buzzard, kept in the garden of the Chequers Inn, at
Uxbridge, showed an inclination to sit, by collecting and bending all the loose sticks
she could obtain possession of. Her owners, noticing these actions, supplied her with
materials ; she completed her nest and sat on two hen’s eggs, which she hatched, and
afterwards reared the young. Since then she has hatched and brought up a brood of
chicken every year. She intimates her desire to sit, by scratching holes in the ground,
and breaking and tearing everything within her reach. One summer, in order to save
her the fatigue of sitting, some young chickens, just hatched, were put down to her,
but she destroyed the whole. Her family in June, 1831, consisted of nine ; the original
number was ten, but one had been lost. When flesh was given to her, she was very
assiduous in tearing and offering it as food to her nurslings, and appeared uneasy if, after
taking small portions from her, they turned away to pick up grain.”

This curious anecdote is suggestive of the many instances recorded where a predaceous
animal has taken to the young of some creature, which would, under other circumstances,
have been killed and eaten as soon as it was seen, but which, under the influence of
the loving instinct which warms alike the heart of the tiger and the ewe, the hawk
and the dove, has been cherished and protected. The interesting anecdote of the protectrix
Eagle, which has been already recorded, is another example of the instinctive exhibition
of kindly feelings, and finds a parallel in the well-known case of the lion, which, instead
of eating a little dog that had been placed in his cage, took it under his care, and would
suffer no one to approach his new friend,

The British Islands possess another species of Buzzard, closely allied to the bird
which has just been described. This is the RouGH-LeGcepD Fatcon, so called from
the manner in which its legs are covered with feathers as far as the margin of the toes.

It is rather a larger Bird than the common Buzzard, and the colouring of the feathers
is rather different. The beak and upper surface is like that of the Buzzard, but the head
and upper part of the neck are of a pale yellow hue, each feather having a streak of the
darker colour down its centre. The chin, throat, and breast are of a rusty fawn, and the
abdomen nearly of the same tint as the back. The whole of the plumy legs are light
fawn, spotted with brown, and the pinions of the wing are brownish-black. The
beak and claws are black, and the cere yellow. The habits of this bird are very like those
of the common Buzzard, excepting that it is even more sluggish and lazy in its move-
ments. Like the preceding bird, it feeds on various birds and animals, which it seizes as
they pass near the spot on which it is standing, or pounces upon them as they sit on the
ground. Its flight is very owl-like, and the more so as this species is in the habit
of searching for its food by night as well as by day, and especially favours the hours
of dusk for its peregrinations. Sometimes it sits upon a tree-branch, after the fashion of

ROUGH-LEGGED FALCON.—<Archibileo Lagopus.

the common Buzzard, watching for its prey, seizing it, and retiring to the same spot; but
it also makes circling flights at a low elevation from the ground, and darts suddenly
upon any bird, animal, or reptile that may take its fancy. All these movements are per-
formed with great deliberation, and the bird is so slow in all its proceedings that Audubon,
who had enjoyed many opportunities of watching its habits, says that “the greatest
feat he had seen them performing was scrambling at the edge of the water to secure a
lethargic frog.” He also frequently shot them long after sunset, as they sat patiently
waiting for their prey at the edge of a ditch.

Despite of its laziness, the Rough-Legged Falcon is a powerful bird, and is in no wise
deficient in strength whenever it chooses to exert itself. When roused by hunger it
will not be content merely with frogs and mice, but addresses itself to the capture of
larger game, such as wild-ducks and rabbits, the latter of which creatures seem to be
a favourite article of diet for this bird, and are almost unfailing in their operation when
used to bait a trap.

Although scarcer than the common Buzzard, the Rough-Legged Falcon still holds
its place as an inhabitant of the British Isles, and is occasionally taken throughout Great
Britain. Several specimens have been killed in Iveland, one of which, recorded by
Mr. Thompson, was knocked on the head with a stick, as it sat gorged and sleepy after its
meal. In its stomach were found the remains of several birds and of a full-grown rat
which had been torn into four pieces. This bird was killed near Dundonald, in the
county of Down. ‘Two other specimens were seen in Killinchy, in the same neighbour-
hood, and one of them was shot. It is also seen near Scarborough, and used to build
annually in a rocky dell near Hackness.

The localities in which the Rough-Legged Falcon are most commonly found, are
Northern Europe and North America, where it is quite a common bird. Specimens have
been seen on the shores of the Mediterranean, and it is also noted as inhabiting many
portions of Africa. The nest of the Rough-Legged Falcon is built on lofty trees, and
contains from two to four eggs of a brownish-white, covered towards the large end
with brown blotches,

In the Honty Buzzarp we find a singular instance of a predaceous bird, endowed with
many capabilities of catching and destroying the ordinary kinds of game, yet preferring
to feast upon insect food in preference to the flesh of quadrupeds or birds.

56 FOOD AND HABITS OF THE HONEY BUZZARD.

Whenever a Honey Buzzard has been killed, and the stomach opened, it has always
been found to contain insects of some kind. In one case, when a Honey Buzzard was
shot in Ireland, and examined by Mr. Thompson, the stomach contained some larvee of
small beetles, as well as the perfect insects, which it had evidently obtained by grubbing
in cow-dung, as its bill and forehead were covered with that substance in a perfectly fresh
state. Some white hairy caterpillars, the pupe of a butterfly, and three of the common
six-spot Burnet moth (Zygena filipendula), were also discovered in the stomach, together
with some short lengths of grass stems, which had probably been swallowed together with
the pupa-case of the Burnet moth, as that insect always suspends itself upon a stalk of
erass when it is about to change into the perfect state.

Another specimen, which was captured in Northumberland, was observed by Mr. Selby,
who makes the following remarks.

“The district around Twizel appears to have something attractive to this species, for
within these few years several specimens have been procured both in the adult and
immature plumage. The bird in question was observed to rise from the situation of a
wasp’s nest, which it had been attempting to excavate, as, in fact, to a certain extent, it had
accomplished ; and the large hole which had been scooped showed that a much greater
power could be employed, and the bird possessed organs much better fitted to remove the
obstacles which generally concealed its prey than a superficial examination of the feet and
legs would warrant us in ascribing to it. A few hours afterwards, the task was found
to be entirely completed, the comb torn out and cleaned from the immature young; and
after dissection proved that at this season (autumn), at least, birds or mammalia
formed one part of the food. A steel trap, baited with the comb, secured the aggressor
in the course of the next day, when he had returned to view the scene of his previous
havoc.”

This bird seems to be specially defended by nature against the attacks of the
irritated wasps, who would constantly use their stings very freely against the invader of
their premises. The only vulnerable parts which they could find in a well-feathered bird,
would be the naked skin round the eyes and at the base of the beak. In the genus
Pernis, however, this skin is thickly covered with feathers, so that the bird can bid defiance
to the poisoned lances of its irritated foes.

The Honey Buzzard does not, however, restrict itself solely to insect food, for it has
often been observed to catch and devour birds and various quadrupeds. An instance of
its predatorial propensities is given by Mr. Watters, in his “Birds of Ireland.” The
Honey Buzzard had been seen for several successive summers haunting the same locality,
and killing the coots that frequented a piece of water. A coot was therefore shot,
poisoned with strychnine, and laid out as a bait for the Honey Buzzard, and on the next
day the bird was found dead at some distance from the spot. When in confinement this
bird will eat mice, rats, birds, meat, and similar articles of diet.

The nest of the Honey Buzzard is made in some lofty tree, and is generally composed
of little twigs as a foundation upon which are laid leaves, wool, and other soft materials.
The eges are generally two in number, and are very variable in colouring, some having a
dark red band round the middle, and others being covered with dark red blotches. A curious
description of a Honey Buzzard’s nest is given by Willoughby. “ We saw one that had
made use of an old kite’s nest to breed in, and that fed its young with nymphee of wasps,
for in the nests were found the combs of wasp’s nests, and in the stomachs of the young
the limbs and fragments of wasp maggots. There were in the nest but two young ones,
covered with a white down, spotted with black. Their feet were of a pale yellow ; their
bills, between the nostrils and head, white ; their craws large, in which were lizards, frogs,
&e. In the crop of one of them we found two lizards entire, with their heads lying
towards the bird’s mouth, as if they sought to creep out.”

The colouring of the Honey Buzzard is very variable, but is generally as follows. The
back and upper portions are brownish-black, the primaries being chiefly black. The top of
the head and back of the neck are yellowish-white marked with brown dashes and streaks;
the under portions are yellowish-brown, each feather being marked with a stripe of brown
down its middle, and a number of narrow bands run irregularly across the abdomen.

HONEY BUZZARD.—Pernis Apivorus.

The whole of the legs are mottled with white and yellowish-brown, and the tail is barred
with light and deep brown alternately. The claws and beak are black, and the space
between the beak and the eyes is thickly covered with little round feathers. The
length of the Bird is twenty-two or twenty-four inches, the female being always the
larger.

The Kire may be known, even on the wing, from all other British birds of prey, by its
beautifully easy flight, and the long forked tail. Indeed, while flying, the Kite bears no
small resemblance to a very large swallow, excepting that the flight is more gliding, and
the wings are seldom flapped.

Despite the ill savour into which the name of the Kite has fallen, it is really a
magnificent specimen of the falconidee, and deserves its specific title of “regalis,” or regal,
ae as much for its own merits as from the fact that it had once the very great honour

to be chased by royalty. It seems that the later kings of France were in the habit of
marking the Kite as the quarry which was specially suitable to their regal state, and
were accustomed to fly their hawks at Kites, instead of herons, as was usually the mode
of procedure in the noble sport of falconry. The Kite is therefore termed regal, not on
account of any innate royalty in the bird, but simply because royal personages chose to
pursue it.

The Kite was in former days one of the commonest of the British birds, swarming in
every forest, building its nest near every village, and being the greatest pest of the farmer
and poultry-keeper, on account of its voracity, craft, and swiftness, Even the metropolis
was filled with these birds, who acted the same part that is played by vultures in more
eastern lands, and were accustomed to haunt the streets for the purpose of eating the offal
which was so liberally flung out of doors in the good old times, and which, but for the
providential instincts of the Kites, would have been permitted to decompose in the open
streets of our obtusely-scented ancestors. In consequence of the services which they
rendered, the Kites were protected by common consent, and were therefore extremely
familiar, not to say importunate, in their habits, settling on the butcher's blocks, and

58 FOOD AND HABITS OF THE KITE.

bearing off pieces of meat almost within reach of his hand. In the northern parts of
Africa, where they absolutely swarm, the Kite bears the same character for cool audacity,
having been often known to sweep suddenly down, snatch a piece of meat from a man’s
hand, and disappear with its booty before he could recover from his surprise.

In the present day, however, the Kite is comparatively seldom seen in England, and
when observed, is of sufticient rarity to be mentioned in the floating records of natural
history. A correspondent of the “ Zoologist” states that one of these birds was seen flying
over London on June 24th, 1859. The bird passed over Piccadilly at a supposed elevation
of a hundred yards, and flew with perfect steadiness over the vast expanse of smoke and
chimney-pots, which must have presented a strange contrast with the green fields and
leafy forests of its country home.

Advancing civilization has done its work with the Kite, as with all other destructive
animals, and driven it far away from human habitations. Man chooses to be the only
destructive animal within his own domains, and, eagle-like, permits no inferior to poach
on his territory. The trap of the farmer, and the ready gun of the gamekeeper, have
gradually expelled the Kite from farm and preserve, and it is now to be found only in the
wide wooded district where it can remain comparatively free from persecution.

The flight of this bird is peculiarly easy and graceful, as the wings are seldom flapped,
and the Kite sails through the air as by the mere power of volition. From the gliding
movements of the Kite when on the wing, it has derived the name of Gled, from the old
Saxon word glida. When in pursuit of prey, the Kite sails in circles at a considerable
height from the ground, watching with its penetrating gaze the ground beneath, and

‘sweeping with unerring aim upon any bird, quadruped, or reptile that may take its
fancy.

Should it pass over a farm-yard, the whole establishment is in an uproar, quite
inexplicable to any one who did not observe a certain little black speck sailing about in
the heights of air. As soon as one of the smaller birds sees a Kite, it crouches to the
ground and lies there motionless, as if transformed into a stone or a clod of earth. This
instinctive movement is of great service, as it affords the only means of escaping the keen
eye of the rapacious foe, who hovers above the spot, and is sure to notice any object that
gives the least sign of life. Taking advantage of this habit, the fowlers make use of
trained Kites or falcons to aid them in securing their prey. When they have marked
down a covey of birds, they loose one of their trained hawks, who flies over the spot
where the birds are lying, and causes them to crouch to the earth, heedless of anything
but the foe above. While their attention is thus occupied, the fowlers come up with their
nets, and easily secure the whole covey. Even in ordinary sporting, where the birds are
very wild, a common paper kite is employed with great success, and in a very simple
manner. The kite is raised in the air, and allowed to take out one or two hundred yards
of string; a boy then takes charge of the kite, and walks over the land where the
partridges are known to be. The birds mistake the paper kite for some soaring bird
of prey, and permit the sportsmen to come within gun-shot before they rise.

Sometimes in making its stoop upon the poultry, it avoids their gaze by making
a detour close to the ground, gliding suddenly over the wall or hedge, pouncing upon a
chicken, and disappearing almost before its presence has been discovered. These raids,
however, are not invariably successful, for the Kite has been often foiled in his stoop by
the watchful care of the mother bird, who has seen the enemy coming, and valiantly
waged successful battle in defence of her young family.

The food of the Kite is rather general in its nature, consisting of various quadrupeds,
young rabbits, hares, rats, mice, and moles, of which latter animals no less than twenty-
two were discovered in the nest of a single Kite, showing how rapid and noiseless must be
its movements when it can secure so wary and keen-eared an animal as a mole. It does
not chase the swift-winged birds through the air, but pounces on many a partridge as it
sits on the ground, and is remarkably fond of taking young and unfledged binds from their
nests ; reptiles of different kinds, such as snakes, frogs, lizards, and newts also form part
of its food, and it will not disdain to pick up a bee or a grasshopper when it can find no
larger prey. The Kite is also a good fisher, waging nearly as successful war against the

NEST OF THE KITE. 59

finny inhabitants of the rivers or ponds as the osprey itself; sweeping suddenly down
upon the fish as they rise to the surface in search of food, or in their accustomed
gambollings, and bearing them away to the shore, where it settles down and eats
them in peace.

The nest of the Kite is chiefly built with sticks as a foundation, upon which is placed
a layer of moss, wool, hair, and other soft and warm articles. The locality which is
chosen for the nest is generally in some thick wood, and the bird prefers a strong, forked
branch for the resting-place. The
eggs are generally two in number,
and sometimes three, of a greyish
or light brownish-white colour,
speckled with reddish chestnut
blotches, which, as is the case
with so many hawk’s eggs, are
gathered towards the larger end.

The Kite still breeds in several
parts of Great Britain, a recent
instance being mentioned by the
Hon. G. Berkeley in a commu-
nication to the Held newspaper,
which, as it illustrates something
of the disposition of the bird,
shall be given in his own words.
“ T discovered the fact of a Kite’s
nest in one of the woods in my
possession, while at Harrold Hall
in Bedfordshire, near which I
could not secrete myself suffi-
ciently to witness the return to it
of the old bird, because she soared
above the wood, and did not con-
sider the cover safe until I had
taken my departure. One day I
took my keeper with me to the
nest, when the Kite, as usual, took
to the skies. I then concealed
myself, and sent my keeper away.
The Kite soared over him, or
‘watched’ him safe away, and
being unable to count even two,
she boldly, and without further
precaution, came back to her eggs,
and I killed her.”

A curious incident connected
with the Kite is mentioned in
the “Journal of a Naturalist.” KITE.—Milvus regdlis.

On a winter’s evening a heavy fog

came on, succeeded by a severe

frost, and actually froze the feet of a number of birds to the boughs on which they were
roosting. Among them were several Kites, which were thus fastened into the icy stocks,
and no less than fifteen of these birds were captured by certain adventurous youths, who
climbed the trees in spite of the frosty coating, and made easy prey of the poor prisoners.
It is a strange circumstance that so many Kites should have been found together, as the
Kite is not a gregarious bird, and associates only in pairs. The same author draws avery
neat distinction between the flight of the buzzard and that of the Kite. “Though we see
it sometimes in company with the buzzard, it is never to be mistaken for that clumsy

60 THE ARABIAN KITE.

bird, which will escape from the limb of some tree, with a confused and hurried flight
indicative of fear, while the Kite moves steadily from the summit of the loftiest oak, the
scattered crest of the highest poplar, or the most elevated ash—circles round and round,
sedate and calm, and then leaves us.”

The Kite is possessed of a very docile and agreeable temper, and is easily tamed.
Mr. Thompson records an instance, where a pair of these birds were taken from a nest
near Loch Awe, in Argyleshire, and were so thoroughly domesticated that they were
permitted to fly at liberty every morning. When thrown into the air, they always soared
aloft in their graceful circling flights, displayi ing their wonderful command of wing, and
exulting in its exercise, but still so affectionate in their nature that they always returned
to the hand of their owner when called. They were generally fed on rats and mice, and
were very fond of catching the former animals as they were let loose from a cage. The
bird has even been trained for the purpose of falconry, and has been found to perform its

task to the satisfaction of its owner. A rather curious “lure” was employed in order to

induce the Kite to return to its master after its flight, consisting of a living owl with a
fox’s brush tied to one of its legs, partly in order to impede its flight, and partly to make
it more attractive to the gaze of the wanderer. The extraordinary dislike which is
felt for the owl by most of the day-flying birds is well known, and it was probably
on account of that aversion that the owl was used as a decoy.

The ordinary length of the common Kite is about twenty inches, but the sexes are
rather variable in that respect, the females being always larger than the males. The
colouring of the bird is very elegant, although composed of few tints, and is remarkable
more on account of the delicate gradations and contrasts of hue than for any peculiar
brilliance of the feathers. The general aspect of the Kite is reddish-brown, which on
a close inspection is resolved into the following tints. The back and upper portions are
dark brown, relieved by a reddish tinge upon the edges of the feathers ; the primaries are
black, and the upper tail coverts chestnut, There is a little white upon the edges of the
tertiaries, and the head and back of the neck are covered with greyish-white feathers, the
centre of each feather being streaked with brown. The forked tail is reddish-brown, barred
on the under surface with dark brown stripes, the centre feathers being the darkest. The
chin and throat are coloured like the head, and the abdomen and under portions are
reddish-brown. The under tail coverts are white, with a slight reddish tinge, and the
under surface of the rectrices are also white, but washed with grey.

The ARABIAN KrrE still plays the same part in Africa as was formerly takea in
England by its European relative.

It is a bold and familiar bird, haunting the habitations of man, and audaciously
carrying off its prey, undeterred by human presence. As it will eat garbage of almost
any nature, it is a valuable ally to the unclean villagers ; carrying away the offal which is
liberally flung out of the houses, and scarcely permitting it to rest on the ground before it
is seen and devoured. The bird is strictly protected on account of the services which it
continually renders; and so utterly fearless does it become through long experience of the
ways of man, that it pays visits to every house in the village, in hopes of finding food of
some kind. When Le Vaillant was employed in preparing his dinner at his wagons, the
Kites came and boldly carried off the meat, heedless of the shots that were fired and the
cries that were raised, and even returned for a second supply as soon as they had disposed
of their former r booty,

Sometimes the Arabian Kite becomes rather troublesome than useful, for in a dearth
of its usual food it will attack the poultry yards, and coolly fly off with the young chickens
before the eyes of their owner. On account of this propensity it is popularly termed
“ Kuyken-dief,” chicken-thief, by the Dutch colonists.

This Arabian Kite is also a good fisher, and will dash into a river and carry off its
finny prey with a success almost as invariable as that of the osprey. It is also some-
thing of a tyrant, and if it sees a smaller and weaker bird, such as a crow, carrying a
piece of meat in its mouth, it immediately assaults the unfortunate creature, and, by dint
of pecking and buffeting, forces it to relinquish its prize. Whenever it forages the country

THE SWALLOW-TAILED FALCON. 61

for food, it follows the habit of many similar birds, and continually haunts the marshy
lands, where it is likely to find a plentiful supply of sustenance. The nest of this bird is
not unfrequently found in such localities, built in a thick bush well shaded with reeds.
Generally, however, it is placed upon a tree or a rock, after the fashion of the common
Kite. The eggs are greyish-white, covered irregularly with reddish spots.

The colouring of the Arabian Kite is rather pleasing. The back and upper portions
are greyish-brown, the head and throat being marked longitudinally with stripes of
black and white. The under parts
are reddish-brown, each feather
being streaked down its centre
with the deeper hue, and the
feathers of the thigh are dusky
red. The tail is marked with
nine or ten transverse bands, and
is slightly forked. The length of
this species is not quite two feet.
As its plumage is so dark, it has
been termed the Black Kite by
many authors, and its house-
haunting propensities have earned
for it the specific title of “para-
siticus.”

THE beautiful bird which is so
well known under the appropriate
title of the SWALLOW-TAILED KITE,
is an inhabitant of various parts
of America, though it has oceasion-
ally been noticed on the British
shores, and in virtue of such casual
visits has taken its place as one
of the British birds. This species
seems to be distributed over a
considerable tract of country, ac-
cording to the observations of
many practical ornithologists. Mr.
Nuttal has the following remarks
on the habitat of the Swallow- \
tailed Falcon. !\\ a AN Pi 2) 1

“This beautiful bird breeds WANT Gi , hi
and passes the summer in the ANNI IH/ Nias

: IN

warmer parts of the United States,
and is also probably resident in all
tropical and temperate America ;
emigrating into the southern as
well as the northern hemisphere. ARABIAN KITE. —Milius: atgyptius.

In the former, according to Vieillat,

it is found in Peru, and as far as

Buenos Ayres; and though it is extremely rare to meet with this species as far as the
latitude of forty degrees, in the Atlantic States, yet, tempted by the abundance of the
fruitful valley of the Mississippi, individuals have been seen along that river as far as the
falls of St. Anthony, in the forty-fourth degree of north latitude. They appear in the
United States about the close of April or the beginning of May, and are very numerous
in the Mississippi territory, twenty or thirty being sometimes visible at the same time.
In the month of October they begin to return to the south, at which season Mr. Bateman
observed them in great numbers assembled in Florida, soaring steadily at great elevations

62 FOOD OF THE SWALLOW-TAILED FALCON.

for several days in succession, and slowly passing to their winter quarters along the
Gulf of Mexico.”

Audubon remarks that it has never been seen farther eastward than Pennsylvania, and
that only a few solitary individuals have been discovered in that locality. Towards the
south it becomes more numerous, and in Louisiana and Mississippi it is extremely abun-
dant, arriving in considerable numbers at the beginning of April, as many as a hundred
having been counted in the space of a single hour, all passing directly from east to west.
On their first arrival they are so
fatigued with their journey that
they are easily approached ; but
owing to their habit of soaring
at an immense height, they are
tolerably safe even from man at
all other seasons.

This falcon bears so strong an
external resemblance to the swal-
low, that it might easily be taken
for a common swallow or swift, as
it flies circling in the air in
search of the insect prey on which
it usually feeds. Even the flight
is very much of the same charac-
ter in both birds, and the mode
of feeding very similar. The usual
food of the Swallow-tailed Kite
consists of the larger insects, which
it either catches on the wing, or
snatches from the leaves as it
shoots past the bushes. Various
locusts, cicadee, and other insects,
are captured in this manner. It
also follows the honey buzzard in
its fondness for wasps and their
larvee, and has been noticed to
excavate a wasp’s nest, and to tear
away the comb precisely like that
bird. Reptiles, such as small
snakes, lizards, and frogs, also
form part of the food of this
elegant bird. While it is engaged
in the pursuit of such prey, or in
iy catching the large insects upon
WL) Brann the branches, it may be approached
and shot without much difficulty,
as it is so intent upon its prey
that it fails to notice its human foe.

Audubon found that when he
had sueceeded in killing one of these birds, he could shoot as many more as he chose,
because they have a habit of circling round the body of their slaughtered comrade, and
sweep round it as if they were endeavouring to carry it away. Taking advantage of
this peculiarity, he was enabled to procure as many specimens as he desired, shooting
them as fast as he could reload his eun.

The nest of the Swallow-tailed Hawk is generally found on the very summit of some
lofty rock or pine, and is almost invariably in the near vicinity of water. It is composed
of small sticks externally, and is lined with grasses, moss, and feathers. The eggs are
rather more numerous than is generally the case with the Hawks, being from four to six

SWALLOW-TAILED FALCON —Hlanoides furcitus.

THE BLACK-WINGED FALCON. 63

in number. Their colour is white with a greenish tinge, and they are marked with some
dark-brown blotches which are gathered towards the larger end, There is only one brood
in the year, and when the young birds are first hatched, they are covered with a uniformly
buff-coloured downy coat. The colour of the adult bird is variable, consisting mostly of
white and black, but on account of the bold manner in which their hues are contrasted,
is remarkably pleasing in its effect. The back, the upper part of the wings, with the
exception of the inner webs of the
tertiaries, upper tail coverts and
rectices, are a deep purple-black,
the head, neck, and all other
parts of the plumage being pure
white. The legs and toes are blue
with a green tinge, the cere is
blue, and the beak blue-black.
The claws are orange-brown. The
length of this bird averages twenty
inches.

The young of this species
very rapidly acquire the tints of
the adult bird. When they put
off the buff downy mantle of their
childhood, they are provided with
black and white plumage which
bears a close resemblance to the
hues of the adult bird, but is
devoid of the glossy purple sheen
which is so beautiful a charac-
teristic in the colouring. At this
period of their existence, the tail
is hardly so deeply cleft as that
of the common kite of Europe.
By the end of the autumn, how-
ever, the tail assumes its pecu-
liarly beautiful forked form, and
the plumage attains its perfect
colouring, so that the bird of a
year old can hardly be distin-
euished from one of six or seven
years of age.

Tue small but brilliant BLacK-
WINGED FALcon is a native of
Africa, but is found im nearly all
the temperate portions of the Old
World. It has also been seen in BLACK-WINGED FALCON.—Elanus melandpterus
New Zealand and Java.

It is a fierce and daring little
bird, striking so sharply with beak and claws, that even when wounded it cannot be
approached without considerable precaution. The food of the Black-winged Falcon con-
sists chiefly of grasshoppers and various insects, from which it is thought to derive the
powerful musky odour which is exhaled from its body, and marks every spot on which
it has recently sat. It is generally to be seen perched on the extreme top of some lofty
tree, and while looking out for prey or engaged in active pursuit, pours forth a succession
of ear-piercing cries, earning thereby from several ornithologists, the specific title of
“voefferus.” Besides insects, it also feeds upon snakes and various small reptiles, and will
sometimes, though but rarely, kill small birds or mice.

C4 THE CAYENNE FALCON.

The wings are remarkably long in this species, and the legs short and feathered, a
structure which gives clear indication that the bird is strong on the wing, and excels
more in swiftness and activity of flight than in strength of beak or clutch of talons. In
many of its habits, this species closely resembles the swallow-tailed falcon, and, like that
bird, is capable of chasing and capturing insects on the wing. The nest of the Black-
winged Falcon is rather large, and is generally built on a convenient forked branch. It
is usually lined with moss and feathers, and contains four or five whitish eggs. Although
the bird may often be seen darting at the crows, shrikes, and other predaceous birds that
may pass near its residence, it.has no intention of killing or eating them, but only wishes
to drive them away from the vicinity of its home.

The head and neck of the Black-winged Falcon are silver-grey, the centres of its wings
are black, and the primaries and secondaries are greyish-brown, with grey edges. The
shoulder and the wings, breast, abdomen, and tail are pure white ; the cere and toes are
yellow, and the bill and claws black. When young, the back is brown, each feather being
tipped with white, and the breast is brown spotted with white.

The CROOK-BILLED FALCON
derives its name from the shape
of the beak, which is rather lone
and narrow, and is curved over at
the point so as to form a rather
large and sharp hook.

The distinctive characteristics
in this bird, which was placed in
the genus Cymindis, are the short
tarsus armed with net-like mark-
ings, and half-clothed with feathers
down their front, the wings shorter
than the tail, and small narrow
nostrils, which are so closely con-
tracted as to resemble a mere cleft
in the beak. The word Cymindis
is Greek, and ought rather to have
been used to designate the night-
jar than this Falcon. This species
possesses scales as well as reticu-
lation upon the front of the tarsus.
Tts colour when adult is a leaden-
blue, or grey on the upper portions
of the body, and paler beneath.
The tail is white at the base, and
deepens into an orange-grey at the
extremity. Its quill feathers are
edged with a brownish ash, and

CROOK-BILLED FALCON.—Cymindis wneindtus. the feet and cere are yellow. In
its earlier stages of existence, the
bird is of an almost uniform

brown, relieved by reddish hues on the cap of each feather, a yellow stripe runs beneath
the eyes, and little patches of the same colour appear on the cheeks, and the front of the
neck is greyish-white. All the species that belong to this family come from America.

There is another allied species called the CAyYENNE FALcon (Cymindis Cayanensis),
whose specific name announces its habitation. This species is notable for a small tooth or
notch at the bend of the beak. The colouring of this species is rather different from that
of the former, The general colour of the adult bird is white, with a blue-black mantle,
an ashy-white head, and pure white bands on the tail. When young, the mantle is
variegated with brown and red, and marked here and there with reddish spots.

MISSISSIPPI KITE.—Ictinia Mississippensis.

AMERICA also furnishes us with the genus Ictinia, a member of which is very familiar
to ornithologists under the name of Mississippr Kirn.

This fine bird is a native of various parts of America, where it may be seen at a vast
elevation in the air, sailing about in strange companionship with the turkey buzzard, and
equalling those birds in the power, grace, and readiness of its flight. Why two such
dissimilar birds should thus inhabit the same region of air, and delight in each other's
society, is a very perplexing question, and requires a much clearer knowledge of the species
and its habits before it can be satisfactorily settled. The Mississippi Kite cares not for
carrion, and is not absolutely known to make prey of anything bigger than a locust. Yet,
as Wilson well observes, the powerful hooked beak and sharp claws seem as if they were
intended by nature for the capture of prey much more formidable than grasshoppers,
locusts, and butterflies. In its flight, the Mississippi Kite needs not to flap its wings, but
sails on its airy course with the same easy grace and apparent absence of exertion that
is so characteristic of the flight of the vultures.

The very great proportionate length of its wings may account for this habit ; the entire
length of the body and tail being only fourteen inches, while the expanse of wing equals
three feet. Being possessed of such power of flight, it emulates the swallow-tailed Falcon
in many of its evolutions, and in a similar manner is fond of sweeping rapidly past a branch,
and snatching from the leaves a choice locust or beetle without checking its progress. Like
that bird it also feeds while on the wing, holding its prey in its claws and transferring it
to its mouth without needing to settle. In character it seems to be a most fierce and
courageous bird, as may be gathered from a short narrative given by Wilson of one of
these birds which he had shot.

“This Hawk, though wounded and precipitated from a vast height, exhibited in his
distress symptoms of great strength, and an almost unconquerable spirit. I no sooner
approached to pick him up, than he instantly gave battle, striking with his claws, wheeling
round and round as he lay partly on his rump, and defending himself with great vigilance
and dexterity, while his dark-red eye sparkled with rage. Notwithstanding all my caution
in seizing him to carry him home, he stuck his hind claw into my hand with such force
as to penetrate into the bone. Anxious to preserve his life, I endeavoured gently to dis-
engage it; but this made him only contract it the more powerfully, causing such pain
that I had no alternative but that of cutting the sinew of his heel with my penknife.

2. F

66 THE FALCONS.

«The whole time he lived with me, he seemed to watch every movement I made,
erecting the feathers of his broad head, and eyeing me with savage fierceness ; considering
me no doubt as the greater savage of the two. What effect education might have had on
this species under the tutorship of some of the old European professors of falconry, I
know not ; but if extent of wing and energy of character, and ease and rapidity of flight,

could have been any recommendation to royal patronage, this species possesses all these
in a very eminent degree.”

The attention of Mr. Wilson was greatly taken with these birds, and he on several
occasions opened the stomachs of those which he had shot, in order to discover the food
on which they had been sustained. On every occasion he found nothing but the legs,
wings, and other indigestible portions of beetles, grasshoppers, and other large insects.
He suggests that its lofty flight is for the purpose of preying upon those insects which
choose the highest region of air for their pleasure trips, and not merely for the better
convenience of seizing prey on the ground, as is the case with so many of the more
carnivorous hawks.

The colours with which this bird is decorated are, though simple in themselves,
exceedingly pleasing in their general effect. The head, neck, and part of the secondaries
are a greyish-white, and the whole of the lower parts are whitish-ash. The back and
upper portions of the body are ashy-black, and the pinions are deep black, as is its deeply
forked tail. The legs are scarlet, and the claws, bill, and cere black.

CLOSELY allied to the Mississippi Kite is the SporrED-TamLED Hoppy, or LEADEN
Icrtnta, both names being derived from the colouring of the plumage. It is, im common
with the preceding bird, a native of America, and resembles it closely in many of its
habits and manner of feeding. It is fond of soaring at a very great elevation, and will
often remain stationary in a single spot, hanging as it were self-poised in air, much after
the manner of the common kestrel, or windhover of England. The back and wings of
this species are a slate or leaden blue, and the head and remainder of the plumage of
whitish-grey, spotted rather singularly with brown. The eye is bright red. Specimens of
this bird have been found both in North and South America.

The true Fancons are known by their strong, thick, and curved beak, the upper
mandible having a projecting tooth near the curve, which fits into a corresponding socket
in the under mandible. The talons are strongly curved, sharp pointed, and are either flat
or grooved in their under sides. These birds were formerly divided, by authorities in the
art of falconry, into noble and ignoble hawks, the former being known by the forma-
tion of the wings, in which the second primary feather is the longest, and is supported
nearly to its tip by the first primary. In consequence of this structure the flight is
extremely quick and powerful, so as to adapt the bird to the peculiar purposes which it
was desired to serve. The Falcons all obtain their prey by striking it while on the wing ;
and with such terrible force is the attack made, that a Peregrine Falcon has been known
to strike the head completely from the shoulders of its quarry, while the mere force of its
stroke, without the use of its claws, is sufficient to kill a pigeon or a partridge, and send it
dead to the ground. : :

In striking their prey the Falcons make no use of the beak, reserving that weapon for
the purpose of completing the slaughter when they and the wounded quarry are
struggling on the ground. Should a small bird be the object of pursuit, and the country
be open, a Falcon will sometimes drive full against the object of his pursuit and kall it
immediately by the blow from its keeled breast. Generally, however, the bird strikes
with its talons, employing chiefly the claw of the hinder foot, on which, from its forma-
tion, is concentrated the whole force of the assailant. Sometimes when flying at quails,
pigeons, or partridges, birds which generally associate together, a Falcon will flash among
them with its lightning swoop, and dash one after another to the ground before he
descends to feed upon the product of the chase. Mr. Thompson saw a Peregrine Falcon
strike no less than five partridges out of a single covey. The mode of attack differs con-
siderably in each species, and will be described in connexion with the habits of the birds
themselves.

GROUP OF FALCONS,

Among the true Falcons the JERFALCON is the most conspicuous on account of the
superior dimensions of its body and the striking power of its wing.

This splendid bird is a native of Northern Europe, being mostly found in Iceland and
Norway, and it also inhabits parts of bcth Americas. Some naturalists believe that
the Norwegian and Icelandic birds ought to be reckoned as different species, but others
think that any differences between them are occasioned by age andsex. It is said that of
the two birds the Iceland varicty is the more powerful, of bolder flight, and greater age,

F2

68 HABITS OF THE JERFALCON.

and therefore better adapted for the purpose of falconry. Sometimes it is seen in the
northern parts of the British Islands, having evidently flown over the five hundred
miles or so of sea that divides Scotland from Iceland; this journey, however, is no difficult
task for the Jerfalcon, who is quite capable of paying a morning visit to these islands and
returning to its home on the same day. In 1859 one of these birds was shot in
Northumberland, and others have been observed in the more southern counties. Towards
the south, however, it has seldom if ever been observed.

The power of flight possessed by this bird is wonderfully great, and has been well
described by Mr. Mudie in his history of the British Birds. “It pays occasional visits to
the northern and western isles, more especially to those places of them that abound with
rock doves; and few sights can be finer than that of the Jerfalcon driving through a flock
of them. When the Jerfaleon comes within sight of her prey she bounds upwards, every
stroke of the wings producing a perpendicular leap, as if she were climbing those giant
stairs with which nature moulds the basaltic rocks ; and when she has “got the sky” of
her prey to a sufficient height for gaining the necessary impetus, her wings shiver for a
moment—she works herself into proper command and poise, and to the full extent of her
wings. Then, prone she dashes, with so much velocity that the impression of her path
remains in the eye in the same manner as that of the shooting meteor or the flashing
lightning, and you fancy that there is a torrent of Falcon rushing for fathoms through
the air. The stroke is as unerring as the motion is fleet. If it takes effect on the body,
the bird is trussed and the hunt is over; but if a wing only is broken, the maimed
bird is allowed to flutter to the earth, and another is marked out for the collision of death.

It sometimes happens that the mountain crow comes in for the wounded game, but
in order to do so it must proceed stealthily along the ground, for woe betide it if it
rises on the wing and meets the glance of the Falcon, The raven himself never scoops out
another eye if he rises to attempt that one; and it is by no means improbable: that in the
early season in those cold northern countries, when the lambs are young and the flock
weak, and the crows and ravens prowl about blinding and torturing, the Jerfalcon may be
of considerable service to the shepherd.”

When at liberty in its native land, it seems to prefer birds to any other kind of prey,
and will resolutely attack birds of considerable size, such as the heron or stork. It
will also chase hares and rabbits, and in the pursuit of this swift game is so eager,
that after knocking over one hare it will leave the maimed animal struggling on the
ground while it goes off in chase of another. Although its home is im the chilly wastes
of those northern regions, the bird is in no want of food, finding ample supply in
the sea birds which swarm around the tall cliffs that jut mto the waves, and being
able from its great powers of flight to range over a vast extent of country in search
of its daily food.

On account of the singular power, swiftness, and courage of this bird, it was in former
days held in the highest estimation, and could only be purchased at a most extravagant
price. Not only must it be taken at the imminent risk of life, from the almost in-
accessible cliffs on which it builds its nest, but it must also be specially brought from
Iceland or Norway, and trained after its arrival at its new residence. As the bird is a
most unruly and self-willed creature, its instruction was a matter of very great difficulty,
and could only be achieved by the most patient of skilful teachers. So highly indeed
was this bird valued, that after the hawking season was over, and the ordinary hawks
permitted to fly at liberty according to custom, the Jerfaleon was retained by its owner,
and kept for the next year. The training of this bird is a long and tedious process, and
is managed after the following manner.

It is allowed that all hawks are fierce and untameable in proportion to the latitude
in which they reside, those which inhabit the northern and colder parts of the earth
being much fiercer and less tameable than those of more southern regions ; so that the
course of training through which a Jerfalcon is forced to pass, is much more severe than
that which suffices to render a Peregrine Falcon subservient to its teacher.

The first object which the trainer bears in mind is, to reduce the strength of the bird
by slow degrees, so as to prevent it from injuring itself by the fierce and protracted

Wes
EK. |

hes

a

JERFALCON.—Falco Gyrfalco.

struggles with which it would endeavour to resist any advance on the part of the
teacher. This object is obtaimed by giving the bird only half the usual allowance of food,
and by steeping the meat in water before the Falcon is pernutted to touch it. A leathern
hood, which answers the double purpose of blinding the eyes and keeping the beak closed,
is placed on the head, and never removed except at night, so that the bird remains in
perpetual darkness for ten days or a fortnight. If the bird attempts to bite when the
hood is removed, cold water is splashed in its face, and if it is very savage, it is plunged
entirely under water. By the end of fifteen or sixteen days, the Falcon becomes used to
the handling to which it is subjected, and will permit the hood to be removed and
replaced, without offering any resistance.

The next part of the instruction is to teach the bird to pounce upon any object that
may be pointed out by the instructor, whether it be a heron moving in the air, or a hare
running on the ground,

The skin of the intended prey is employed for this purpose, and the bird is invariably
fed while standing on this skin. When it is accustomed to associate the idea of the hare
or heron skin with the pleasure of satisfying its hunger, the skin, if it be that of a hare,
is drawn along the ground, and the falcon encouraged to pursue it. As soon as the bird
pounces, the teacher looses his hold of the skin, and permits his pupil to feast on the meat
which has been previously attached to it. Next day the skin is placed at a distance of
several yards before it is started, and the distance is gradually increased, so that the
bird learns to search in every direction for its expected prey, as soon as the hood is
removed from its eyes. Lastly, the teacher mounts on horseback, and holding in his
hand a long string, the other end of which is attached to the skin, he darts off at full
gallop, so that the Falcon is forced to put out its best speed before it can overtake the

70 THE PEREGRINE FALCON.

horse or pounce on the skin as it flies leaping and striking along the eround. On the
first two or three days, the Falcon is almost quite breathless when it has overtaken the
horse, and sits panting, with open beak, upon the skin ; but in a week or so, it becomes
much stronger, and is not in the least distressed by its severe chase.

To teach the bird to pounce upon herons, buzzards, kites, or other winged prey, a
stuffed skin is employed after much the same fashion that is followed with the hare skin.
Instead, however, of being dragged along the ground, the skin is flung into the air, and
the bird encouraged to pounce upon it before it reaches the ground. In all cases the
attendants keep up a great noise and shouting as soon as the Falcon begins to feed, in
order to accustom tho bird to the uproar which is the inevitable concomitant of the chase.
Horses and dogs are then brought close to the feeding bird, and the dogs are encouraged
to break out in full ery.

When the bird has become sufficiently docile to recognise its keeper and to know his
voice, it is then instructed to come to his hand when called. This accomplishment is taught
by means of a “lure” and a whistle. The lure is a gaudy apparatus of feathers and leather,
on which is placed a small piece of some special dainty. The Falcon is encouraged to jump
on the lure and devour the food, the whistle being blown continually while the bird is
eating. Next day the teacher stands at a few yards’ distance from his pupil, blows the
whistle, exhibits the lure, and permits the bird to make its little feast. In a very short
time the sound of the whistle attracts the attention of the Falcon, which immediately
looks around for the lure and sets upon it at once. When the huntsman takes the
field, the lure is attached to a leathern strap, and slung to the side of the horse, so that
whenever a flying Falcon is to be recalled, the huntsman whistles sharply in order to
attract the bird’s attention, and at the same time swings the lure round his head, so as to
render it more visible to the bird.

This process of training, of which a very slight and rapid sketch has been given,
occupies from six weeks to two months, whereas that of the peregrine, goshawk, or merlin
only requires some fifteen or twenty days. Even when the whole series of instructions
has been completed, its ultimate success is very dubious, for it sometimes happens that
when the bird finds itself wholly at liberty for the first time, it forgets all its teaching,
and, heedless of lure or whistle, flies exultingly to its rocky home.

The colour of the adult Jerfaleon is nearly white, being purely white on the under
surface and flecked with narrow transverse bars of greyish-brown upon the upper parts.
The sharp claws are black, the beak of a bluish tint, and the cere, tarsus, and toes yellow.
When young, however, the bird presents a very different aspect, and would hardly be
recognised as belonging to the same species. In its earlier stages of life it is almost
wholly of a greyish-brown tint, the feathers being slightly marked with a little white upon
their edges. As the bird increases in age the white edges become wider, and by degrees
the entire feather is of a snowy whiteness. The name Jerfalcon is supposed to be
a corruption of “Geyer-falcon,” or Vulture Falcon.

Less powerful, but more graceful than the Jerfalcon, the PEREGRINE FALcon has ever
held the first place among the hawks that are trained for the chase.

The temper of the latter bird is incomparably more docile than that of the former, the
lessons of the instructor are received with more readiness, occupy far less time, and seem
to be more powerfully impressed upon the memory. For training this bird the process is
very similar to that which is employed in the instruction of the Jerfalcon, but the system
is not nearly so severe, and occupies scarcely one fourth of the time that is needful to
render the fierce and fearless Jerfalcon subservient to the dominion of man. The whole
process is very simple in its theory, being based on the principle of placing the bird in
such situations that it is absolutely unable to disobey the orders which are given by its
trainer, and consequently imagines that it is equally bound to obey every order which he
may afterwards give. In order to obtain this result two qualities are needful in the
instructor, namely, patience and gentleness, for without these traits of character no man
can hope to be a successful teacher of hawks, or, indeed, of any other being whatever.

When thoroughly tamed, the Peregrine Falcon displays a very considerable amount of

STRENGTH OF THE PEREGRINE FALCON. 71

attachment to its owner, and even while flying at perfect liberty will single him out from
a large company, fly voluntarily towards him, and perch lovingly on his hand or shoulder.
Several of these beautiful birds that had been tamed by Mr. Sinclair were so tho-
roughly domesticated that they were permitted to range at liberty, and were generally
accustomed to perch on a tree near the house. One of these Falcons was permitted to
seek her own food whenever she could not find any meat upon the accustomed spot, and
would take flights of several miles in extent. Yet she would immediately recognise her
master if he were out shooting, and would aid him by striking down the grouse as they
rose before his dogs. On one occasion the fearless bird met with an accident which might
have proved fatal, but was ulti-
mately found to be of little con-
sequence. Unaware of the pre-
sence of his Falcon, her master
fired at a grouse, and as the bird
was at the same moment making
a “stoop” upon the bird, one of
the leaden pellets struck the Fal-
con, and inflicted a slight wound.

The dash and fury with which
this hawk makes its stoop 1s almost
incredible. In a little coast town
in Yorkshire, a part of a green-
house had been divided off by
wire so as to form an aviary, the
roof of the aviary being the glass
tiling of the greenhouse. In this
edifice were placed a number of
small birds, which attracted the
attention of a Peregrine Falcon
that was passing overhead. Totally
unmindful of all obstacles, he shot
crashing through the glass without
injuring himself in the least, seized
one of the terrified birds, and
carried it off in safety. Several
other birds were found dead, ap-
parently from fright, or perhaps
by the shock of the hawk and
glass which came flying among
their number.

It is said that when the Pere-
grine Falcon takes up its residence
near the moors it is a very mis-
chievous neighbour, slaughtering
annually great numbers of grouse.
Although very fond of pigeons
and similar game, the Peregrine
Faleon seems to have sufficient PEREGRINE FALCON.—Falco peregrinus.
sporting spirit to prefer the grouse
to the pigeon, and never to trouble
itself about the former bird as long as it has a chance of obtaining one of the latter.
A correspondent of the Feld newspaper speaks very strongly on this subject, in
answer to those who wished that so noble a bird as the Peregrine Falcon should be
spared by the proprietors of moors and other preserves. From observations which have
extended over a long series of years, he has come to the conclusion that a single nest of
Peregrine Falcons will destroy in a single season nearly three hundred brace of grouse

72 THE PEREGRINE FALCON AND WOODCOCK.

alone. Mr. Thompson relates several anecdotes which bear strongly upon the game-
destroying propensities of the Peregrine Falcon.

“Mr. Sinclaire, many years ago, while exercising his dogs on the Belfast mountains,
towards the end of July, preparatory to grouse- shooting, saw them point, and coming up,
startled a male Peregrine Falcon off a grouse (TZetrao Scoticus) just killed by him, and very
near the same place came upon the female bird, also upon a grouse. Although my friend
lifted both the dead birds, the hawks continued flying about, and on the remainder of the
pack which lay near being sprung, either three or four more grouse were struck down by
them. Thus, two and a half or three brace were obtained by means of these wild birds,
being more than had ever been procured out of a pack of grouse by my friend’s trained
falcons. The same gentleman has frequently, when out shooting, obtained a single grouse
which has been killed by wild Peregrine Falcons, but, except in the above instance, never
more than one.

Another friend, walking in Devis mountain, near Belfast, on the first of September,
1832, saw one of these birds pursue a couple of grouse for some distance without success,
and subsequently kill a snipe high in the air, after a good chase. A sportsman states
that woodcocks shot by him in the south of Ireland have more than once been pounced
upon and carried off by wild Peregrine Falcons before they reach the ground.” The same
writer mentions that the Peregrine Falcons would often follow the sportsmen in spite of
the flash and report of their guns, and would boldly carry off the birds that were struck
by the shot. The eagles which inhabited the same locality were much less courageous,
and used to fly away at the first discharge.

The Peregrine Falcon appears to be very discriminating in its tastes, preferring birds
to all other prey, and generally choosing those very species which mankind has
acknowledged to be delicacies for the table. Grouse, as has already been seen, are a
favourite quarry of the Peregrine, and the bird is also very fond of partridges, snipes, and
woodcocks. In the chase of the last-mentioned bird, the Peregrine displays the greatest
imaginable command of wing, for it will follow the “ cock” into its place of refuge among
the branches, and in many eases will carry it off without even touching one of the boughs
among which the woodcock shoots and twists with such singular celerity.

Sometimes, however, both the pursuer and the pursued have suffered severe injuries
from their too heedless flight, a misfortune of which Mr. Thompson mentions several
instances. In one case the woodcock and Faleon shot through the drooping branches of
a weeping-ash tree, and, striking against the stem, both fell stunned to the ground. The
woodcock was the first to show signs of life, and after waiting for a short time, scrambled
to the bank of a neighbouring glen, and was permitted to escape. The Falcon was longer
in reviving, and when picked up was bleeding at the mouth; she, however, shortly
recovered. On another occasion the hawk and woodcock came against a large stone, the
latter being disabled, but the former suffering but little injury. The force with which
the terrified bird flies from its pursuer may be imagined from the fact that one of these
birds, when endeavouring to escape from a Falcon, struck against the top of a wall with
such violence as to split its breast completely open.

The same author relates some curious incidents relative to the comparative powers of
flight of the Falcon and woodcock. “The finest flights are those in which the bird ‘climbs
the air. Once, when from fifty to sixty persons were present, a woodeock sprung near
Andersson’s town in the Falls, climbed the air, and the hawk swept after him until both
got out of sight of all persons present except one, who insisted that the quarry was
captured: it soon proved so, by the hawk’s coming down with its victim. The trial
between the birds, which should be highest, was so well contested from the moment the
woodcock sprung and went right up, that the issue was most eagerly looked to ; numerous
even bets depended on it. Again, at the head of Colin Glen, in the same district, a wood-
cock, pursued by one of the hawks, climbed until both were lost to view. The death of the
woodcock was, however, soon announced by its rapidly falling through the air, until soused
in the deep pool of the rocky river, called, from the peculiar sound its waters make, the
Rumbling Burn. It was observed on laying hold of the victim, that it had been struck in
the back by the hawk, but not laid hold of, which accounted for its coming down singly.”

THE PEREGRINE FALCON AND CURLEW. 73

The Peregrine will chase and kill many of the coast birds, such as the dunlin, the gull,
and the plover. The curlew is a very favourite prey, and being a strong-winged bird,
affords great sport. It is rather remarkable, that the dunlin, together with birds of similar
habits, fly instinctively to the sea, lake, or river when attacked by the Peregrine Falcon,
as if knowing that the winged hunter is very unwilling to swoop upon any object that is
flying upon the surface of the water. The Falcon has been seen to drive a dunlin
repeatedly into the sea before it could intercept the poor bird between the dry land and its
watery refuge. It will also strike at the grey crows, or at herons, but unless especially
trained to the pursuit, will not trouble itself further about them.

Mr. Thompson gives us the following spirited description of a curlew chase, which is
valuable as exhibiting the capacities of both curlew and Falcon.

“ My friend and his companions were fishing in Loch Ruthven, when a flock of these
birds (curlews) appeared. Immediately afterwards a tercel (or male Peregrine) came in sight,
bearing down upon them so suddenly as to be hardly seen until he had singled out and
swept one of them from a height of about fifty yards into the lake. Here he pounced at it,
but without striking, although it did not go below the surface of the water. On the tercel’s
flying a little way off to take one of his bold circles when the quarry is put down, or at
bay, the curlew rose to follow the flock, and had got away about a hundred yards when
the tercel again bore down upon it. Refuge was a second time taken upon the lake. This
was repeated not less than ten times. The speed of the tercel’s flight was considered to
be twice that of the curlew’s, as when circling about two hundred yards off, he never gave
his desired victim leave to get more than about half that distance ahead, until he had it
down again,

The curlew, although apparently more fatigued and worn out every time it was put
down, was the last time hardly able to rise from the lake, and escaped in consequence of
the flock from which it came, or a similar number of birds, appearing in sight, when its
persecutor betook himself after them. He very soon had one of this flock also in the
water, and enacted just the same part towards it as he had done towards the other.
It was put down to the lake at least a dozen times, and along a great extent of its surface,
once between the boats of the fishing party, not more than about fifty yards distant from
each other. The hawk and the curlew were both several times within about twenty yards
of the boats, and once indeed the latter, closely pursued, took the water just before the
bow of one of them. Eventually the tercel left. off the chase, though, as in the former
instance, the curlew was nearly worn out. The poor bird, now seeing two of his species
come in sight, joined them, and they all went off swiftly in company.” An experienced
faleoner who witnessed the scene, remarked that the swoops made by the wild Falcon
were bolder, and its flight stronger than he had seen in any trained bird.

The full speed of the Peregrine Falcon has been computed at a hundred and fifty
miles per hour, and a single chase will often occupy a space of eight or ten miles. Its
power of wing is not only “useful in enabling it to wage successful pursuit of swift-winged
birds, but in giving it sufficient buoyancy to carry off the prey which it has secured. "So
strong is the Peregrine’s wing that it has often been observed to bear in its talons a bird
larger than itself, and to carry it to the nest without difficulty. Even a guillemot has
been struck and carried off by the Peregrine.

To give a full account of the sport of falconry would demand a separate work, for
even the technical terms of that art would require a glossary of many pages. It must
suftice to say that the hawks were especially trained to fly at herons, and their mode of
taking their prey was by mounting perpendicularly in hopes of gaining a vantage point
above the game, from which they might swoop down with lightning-like force, and strike
the quarry to the eround. For this sport the female birds were alway s prefe srred, as they
are not only larger and more powerful than their mates, but are also possessed of more
perseverance and daring courage. Technically, the adult males are termed tercels,
tiercels, or tarsels, the females “only being distinguished by the title of Falcon. The
difference between the dimensions of the two sexes is very strongly marked, the male
being about fifteen inches in length, while the female measures eighteen inches.

There are various methods of taking these birds for the purpose of the chase, some

74 NEST OF THE PEREGRINE FALCON.

falconers preferring to remove them from the nest before they are fully fledged, and others
caring little for their Falcons unless they are caught while in the vigour of full age. The
training which is bestowed on the latter birds is necessarily much longer than that which
is needful for treating the young, but as the birds are stronger and fiercer in character,
they are well suited for taking the larger game, such as herons and hares. To take the
young Peregrine from the nest is a difficult business, and one which needs the possession
of a strong arm and a cool head, for the nests are always built on a shelf of some
precipitous rock, and the person who desires to take the young has the choice of
climbing from below or of being lowered from above by means of ropes. On account
of these rock-loving propensities, the bird is known in some parts of England as the Cliff
Hawk.

When captured at adult age, it is generally enticed into the toils by means either of
a decoy of its own species, or by the aid of a great brown owl, which is trained to flutter
in such a manner as to draw the attention of the Faleon. All the hawk tribe seem to
be animated with a deadly hate of the night-flying rapacious birds, and never can see an
unfortunate owl without longing to attack it. No sooner, therefore, does the Falcon see
the owl, than it darts fiercely at its intended victim, and is captured between the meshes
of the net which is cunningly set for the purpose. There is another most ingenious mode
of taking this Falcon by the aid of the great grey shrike; but as an account of that mode
of Falcon- catching will be given in the history of the 'shrike, it will only be casually
mentioned in the present page. One of these birds was caught in a very curious manner.
A gentleman heard a number of jays making a very great chattering, as if wrought up to
the highest pitch of excitement, and on going to the spot, he found that a Peregrine Falcon
had pounced upon a crow, and had contrived to entangle itself in such a manner, that it
could neither loosen its grasp of its victim nor carry it: away.

The eggs of this bird are generally two or three in number, although a fourth is some-
times known to be laid in the same nest. The fourth ege is, however, generally addled,
but the mother Falcon does not fling it out of her cradle, as is the case with many
birds. The colour of the egg is a very pale reddish brown, usually mottled with a darker
tint. The young are most voracious creatures, and are kept very constantly supplied with
food by the exertions of their parents. A very curious instance of sagacity in this bird
was observed by Mr. Sinclair, When a farmer was being lowered by a rope towards the
nest, both parents flew from the spot, the female hovering close to her young, and the
male circling high in the air with the prey in his mouth. Not desiring to come down to
the nest, the male bird dropped from his beak the morsel of food, which was then caught
by the female as it fell through the air, and conveyed to her young.

Even in captivity, the createst regularity of feeding is needful, for if the supply of
food be not given with the utmost punctuality, the bird never attains its proper
development of colour or size, the primaries of the wing and the quill feathers of the
tail being marked with light bands, and the wings being at least an inch shorter than
their proper length. Such birds are termed “ tainted,” and are comparatively useless in

falconry, because their wings are too short to permit the full power of flight, and their
quills are apt to be soft and weak in the shaft.

The term Peregrine is of Latin origin, and signifies a pilgrim. This title has heen
given to it because it is in the habit of making very long journeys, and is consequently
found spread over a very large extent of country. In its adult state, the Peregrine Falcon
is very elegantly coloured. The top of the head, the back of the neck, the primaries
and a stripe beneath the eye, are of a deep black-brown ; the upper parts of the body are
ashy brown, the latter tint becoming fainter in each successive moult, and being always
marked with a series of dark bars” upon its back, tail, and wing coverts: the ‘breast j is
white, deepening into a chestnut hue, and being barred transversely with reddish-brown
upon the breast, and marked on the front of the throat with longitudinal dashes of
very dark brown. The remainder of the under plumage is greyish-white, profusely
barred with dark-brown, When young the plumage is altogether of a more ruddy hue,
and the birds are termed, in the language of falconry, Red tercels, or Red Falcons,
according to their sex,

THE HOBBY. 75

The true LANNER (Falco Lanarius) is a native of Northern Europe, and is not known
as a visitor of the British shores. It is a rather large bird, considerably exceeding the
Peregrine Falcon in its dimensions, and being little inferior in size to the Jerfalcon itself.
This bird was formerly much esteemed for the purpose of falconry, and was specially
trained to fly at the kite, a bird which is too strong to afford the ordinary Peregrine
Faleon any possible hope of success. The male of this species is considerably smaller
than his mate, and is therefore called a Lanneret. The English bird, to which the title
of Lanner has often been wrongly applied, is nothing more than the young female
Peregrine Falcon.

THE small but exquisitely
shaped Hopsy is found spread
over the greater part of the old
world, specimens having been
taken in Northern Africa, and in
many portions of Asia, as well as
in Europe, which seems to be its
chief residence. It was formerly
very common in England, but is
year by year less seldom seen in
our island, as is the case with all
its predaceous relations. From all
accounts, it seems to be rather a
local bird, being partially influ-
enced by the nature of the ground
and the quantity of food which
it is able to procure.

This bird appears to favour
inland and well-wooded lands
rather than the sea-shore or the
barren rocks; thus presenting a
strong contrast to the Peregrine
Faleon. We may find an obvious
reason for this preference in the
fact that a considerable proportion
of its food is composed of the
larger insects, especially of the
fat-bodied beetles, which it seizes
on the wing. Chaffers of various
kinds are a favourite prey with
the Hobby, and in several cases
the stomachs of Hobbies that had
been shot were found to contain
nothing but the shelly portions of
the larger dung-chaffer (geotrupes
stercorartus). As therefore the
common cock-chaffer is a leaf- HOBBY.—Hypotriorehis subbuteo
eating insect and frequents forest
lands for the purpose of attaining
its food, the Hobby will constantly be found in the same locality for the object of
feeding on the cock-chaffer. And as the dung-chaffer swarms wherever cattle are most
abundantly nourished, the Hobby is attracted to the same spot for the sake of the
plentiful supply of food which it can obtain.

Larks, finches, and various small birds, fall victims to the swift wings and sharp claws
of the Hobby; but its predilections for insect-hunting are so great, that even when trained
for the purpose of falconry and flown at small birds, it is too apt to neglect the quarry to

76 THE MERLIN.

which its attention was directed, and to turn aside after a passing beetle er grasshopper.
Although it is by no means a powerful bird, and seldom of its own free will attacks any
prey larger than a lark, it has been successfully trained to fly at pigeons, and has even been
known to strike down so comparatively large a quarry as the partridge. When in a state
of domestication, its food should consist chiefly of the smaller birds, and it may also be fed
upon beef cut into small pieces and very fresh. Its temper is so gentle, and its disposition
so mild and docile, that it is easily tamed and taught to obey the instructions of its
owner. It is also very hardy in constitution, so that it is well adapted to the purpose of
those who wish to possess a trained hawk, but do not care for flying it at the larger game.

The nest of the Hobby is almost invariably built among the branches of a lofty tree,
and is never placed upon a rocky ledge except under very peculiar circumstances. The
eggs are from two to five in number, these being the usual orange, and some of a greyish-
white tint, irregularly speckled over their whole surface with spots of reddish-brown.

The colour of the adult Hobby is of a greyish-black upon the back and upper
portions, the tint softening into a blue-grey as the bird increases in years. Each feather
is slightly edged with yellowish white, and the primaries and secondaries are black-
brown, edged with greyish-white. The tail is grey-black, barred on its upper surface
with the lighter hue in all the feathers except the two central rectrices. The lower
surface of the tail is barred with black and greyish-white. The chin of the male is pure
white, that of the female being of a duller tint, and the breast and abdomen are yellowish-
white marked with longitudinal splashes of dark brown. The cere is greenish-yellow, the
claws black, and the beak a slaty-brown colour, deepening into black at the tip. In the
young bird the upper surface is much darker than in the adult, or the feathers are nearly
black in the centre, and are edged with reddish-brown. The general form of the body is
elegant and slender, and the tips of the wings project beyond the tail, so that when the
bird is hovering in the air, it bears some resemblance to a common swallow or swift.

AutHoucH of the smallest of the British Falconidee, being only from ten to thirteen
inches in length, according to the sex of the individual, the MERLIN is one of the most
dashing and brilliant of all the hawks which frequent our island.

This beautiful little bird is almost invaluable to the young falconer, as it is so docile
in disposition, and so remarkably intelligent in character, that it repays his instructions
much sooner than any of the more showy, but less teachable Falcons. Every movement
of this admirable little hawk is full of hfe and vivacity ; its head turns sharply from side
to side as it sits on its master’s hand, its eyes almost flame with fiery eagerness, and it ever
and anon gives vent to its impatience by a volley of ear-piercing shrieks. There is,
however, a singular capriciousness in the character of the Merlin, for it seems to be so
sensitiye to certain influences which are quite imperceptible to human organization, that
the same individual which on one day or at one hour is full of fierce energy, chasing
large and powerful birds of its own accord, following the erratic course of the snipe with
a wing as agile and far more enduring than its own, or shooting suddenly through the
tangled branches of the underwood in pursuit of some prey that is fleeing to the leafy
abode for refuge, will at another time become listless and inanimate, and even if it be
induced to fly at its quarry, will turn suddenly away as if alarmed, and return languidly
to its perch.

With all these drawbacks, however, the Merlin is one of the very best little hawks
that ever was put into training, for it can be taught to fly at anything that is indicated,
and seems to care nothing for disparity of size. As a general rule, the smaller hawks are
unable to fly systematically at any prey larger than a lark or a thrush, but the Merlin has
no scruples on the point of size, and will freely dash at a snipe, a partridge, or a grouse, at
the desire of its owner. One of these birds has been known to make voluntary chase of
a magpie, and to follow it up with the greatest perseverance. The great point in the
instruction of this bird seems to be that the teacher must never permit his charge to
feed upon any bird smaller than a snipe or partridge, nor, if possible, must he allow
it to see a sparrow, or even a thrush.

Before the young bird is able to tear to pieces its winged prey, it should always

HABITS OF THE MERLIN. 77

be accustomed to have its food placed upon the stuffed skin of a partridge, and when
it has attained sufficient strength, the breast of a real partridge should be cut open, and a
small portion of its ordinary food placed within the aperture, so as to encourage the bird
to tear away the flesh in order to satiate its hunger. The next step is to substitute
an entire partridge for the ordinary diet, and by degrees to teach it to pounce upon
the dead bird as it is flung to a daily increasing distance. It is a good pigeon-hunter,
and if the owner choose to train it for the smaller game, it is unrivalled as a chaser of
thrushes, larks, and similar birds,
owing to the pertinacity with
which it carries on the pursuit, and
the resolutely agile manner with
which it will thread the mazes of
branch and leaf in chase of a bird
which seeks for refuge in the
covert.

Even on the wing, the Merlin
may be known by its peculiar
flight. Sometimes it may be seen
skimming over the ground at a
swift pace, but at no great eleva-
tion, at another it will urge its
spiral course upwards in pursuit
of some prey which has taken
to “climbing the air,” while at
another time it may be observed
following the course of some prey
with such singular exactness that
the two birds seem to be ani-
mated by the same spirit ; and the
turn is hardly commenced by the
fugitive before it is taken up by
the pursuer. In striking its prey
the Merlin is possessed of a
wonderful skill, the quarry falling
down almost as soon as it is
touched. It seems that the bird
is able to strike a vital part with
an almost imperceptible touch of
its claw or beak.

The Merlin frequently breeds
in England, and makes its nest
on the ground, generally choosing
for that purpose some spot where
large stones are tolerably plenti-
ful, and may serve as a protection MERLIN.—Hypotriorchis désalon.
to the nest, as well as for a perch
on which the Merlin, like the

“harrier, loves to sit and survey the prospect. From this habit of perching on pieces
of stone it has derived the name of STONE FAwcon, a title which has been applied to this
bird in Germany and France as well as in England. Sometimes, but not often, the nest
is made on some rocky shelf on a precipice. The egés are four or five in number, of a
light reddish-brown hue, covered with mottlings and splashes of a deeper tint.

The colour of the Merlin is very pleasing, but not very easy to describe, as it is not
so conspicuous as in many of the hawks, and moreover is rather different in the two sexes.

The top of the head is a slaty grey, marked with dark streaks running along the line

of the head; the beak and upper portions of the body are of a similar slaty grey, but

78 THE CREAM-BELLIED FALCON.

without the dark lines. The shafts of each feather are, however, of a dark brown, and
give a very rich and peculiar colouring to those portions of the plumage. The pinions are
black, the upper surface of the tail is nearly grey, with the exception of three faint dark
bands, the last being the broadest, and the tip white. The chin and throat are white, and
the under parts of the body are reddish fawn, thickly marked with patches of a darker
colour, and streaks of deep brown. The cere, legs, and toes are yellow, the claws black,
and the beak a slaty grey, deepening towards the point, and slightly marked with
longitudinal dark lines. Round the neck runs a band of pale reddish-brown, which also
extends to the cheeks, and there forms a patch on each side.

This description belongs to the male bird, the colouring of the female being of a rather
different nature. The beautiful blue-grey which tints the upper parts of the male bird
is in the female of a dark reddish-brown, marked with slender longitudinal streaks covered
by the black-brown shafts of each feather. The secondaries and the wing-coverts are of the
same hue as the back. The tail is brown, varied with five narrow streaks of dark brown,
and the under surface of the body is a very pale brown, marked with longitudinal dashes of
adarker hue. The young of both sexes are nearly alike for the first year, after which time
the males assume their peculiar colouring, and the females retain the same tints.

Tue genus Hypotriorchis is rather rich in interesting birds, among which may be
noticed the Prgron HAwk of America and the Chicquera Falcon of India.

The former of these birds is found not only in America, but also in parts of the West
Indies, a specimen from Jamaica being in the collection of the British Museum. Generally,
however, it is found in Southern America, where it is rather plentiful, and may be seen
hunting for its prey in the proper localities. It is a spirited and swift-winged bird,
although not a very large one, measuring barely eleven inches in length, and not quite
two feet in the expanse of wing. A rather remarkable peculiarity in its plumage is
found in the feathery covering of the legs, which is singularly long, the tips of the
feathers reaching nearly to the feet.

The usual prey of the Pigeon Hawk consists of mice, small birds, reptiles, and various
insects, and it has a remarkably sharp eye for any unfortunate half-fledged bird that may
have strayed from its nest, or crippled itself in its first endeavours to fly. It is a terrible
foe to the reed birds, grackles, and other similar members of the winged race; hovering
continually about the crowded flocks, and picking off the stragglers or the weakly at
leisure. Sometimes, however, the Hawk seems to lose patience, and dashing suddenly
into the flock, will bear away an unfortunate bird from the midst of its companions. It
has derived the name of Pigeon Hawk, because it 1s well known as one of the numerous
birds of prey that hover around the myriad armies of the Passenger Pigeon, as they make
their wonderful migrations which have rendered them so famous.

Further information concerning this bird may be obtained from the pages of Wilson
and Audubon.

Tue last member of this genus which can be separately noticed in the present work is
the CHicQuERA Fatcon of India. This bird is often trained by the native sportsmen, and
employed for the purpose of chasing the bustard and similar game. It is not good at an
aerial flight, and therefore is not used against soarmg game; but when employed in the
pursuit of the running birds, its peculiar low, skimming flight is admirably adapted to
the purpose. In order to keep the bustard from taking to wing, a Hawk of another species
is trained to fly above the quarry and beat it down whenever it endeavours to raise itself
into the air and escape by flight.

Tus fine bird, which is called the Brown Hawk, or CREAM-BELLIED FALCON, by
civilized men, and the BEerrcora by the natives, is an inhabitant of Van Diemen’s Land
and New South Wales.

It is a rather sluggish and slow-moving bird, easily obtaining a sufficiency of food, and
then settling down upon some neighbouring tree until the calls of hunger urge it to fresh
exertions. The principal food of the Brown Hawk consists of insects, although it will

HABITS AND NEST OF THE CREAM-BELLIED FALCON. 79

also eat carrion, and kills mice, small birds, lizards, and other creatures. The land-
holding colonists think it to be a great pest, because it sometimes picks up a young
chicken or two; but in the opinion of Mr. Gould it is in reality one of the farmer's
best friends, on account of its services in destroying the insect hosts with which Australia
is overrun. Although it is not a gregarious bird, living only in pairs, it may be seen
assembled in flocks of a hundred or more, congregated over the localities where the
destructive caterpillars most abound. So plentiful is this bird, and so sluggish is its
character, that they may be seen
seated in the tall eucalypti, thirty
or forty occupying a single tree,
and all so ill-disposed to move
that any number of them may
be killed without difficulty.

The structure of this bird ap-
proaches in many respects to that
of the kestrel, and its character
is not at all dissimilar. It does
not seem to be a bold or dashing
bird, and in pursuing its prey
either sweeps suddenly upon it
from the lofty regions where it
is soaring, or snaps up a bird,
reptile, or an insect, as 1t courses
over the ground after the manner
of the harrier.

The nest of the Cream-bellied
Falcon is placed upon the loftiest
branches of the eucalypti, or gum-
trees as they are popularly called,
and to a spectator on the ground
bears a strong resemblance to that
of the common crow, being built
in a similar manner with sticks
and twigs. The lining of the nest
is made of leaves, stringy bark and
similar substances, and the egos
are from two to three in number.
Their colour is a yellowish-white,
covered irregularly over their
whole surface with reddish-brown
spots and blotches, very nregularly
sown, and very variable in their
depth, number, and arrangement.
The breeding season is from the
end of September to the beginning
of December.

In its colour the bird varies
greatly, according to its age, the
creamy white of the under por-
tions being of a deeper yellow, and the brown portions of the plumage more inclining
to black in the young than in the adult bird. The general colour of the adult
bird is rusty-brown above and creamy-white below, the darker feathers being marked
with a fine black line down their centre. The tail is barred with reddish-chesnut, and
there is a very conspicuous black stripe on the sides of the throat, which commences at
the corner of the mouth and passes down each cheek. The feet and bill are lead colour,
the tip of the beak passing into black. The eyes are very dark brown.

CREAM-BELLIED FALCON.—leracidea Bervigora.

80 THE KESTREL.

The common KEstTREL is one of the most familiar of the British Hawks, being seen
in almost every part of the country where a mouse, a lizard, or a beetle may be found.

It may be easily distinguished while on the wing from any other hawk, by the peculiar
manner in which it remains poised in air in a single spot, its head invariably pointing
towards the wind, its tail spread, and its wings widely extended, almost as if it were a toy
kite raised in the air by artificial means, and preserved in the same spot by the trammels
of a string. While hanging thus strangely suspended in the air, its head is bent down-
wards, and its keen eyes glance restlessly in every direction, watching every blade of grass
beneath its ken, and shooting down with unerring certainty of aim upon any unhappy
field-mouse that may be foolish enough to poke his red face out of his hole while the
Kestrel is on the watch. The marvellous powers of the Kestrel’s eye may be easily
i agined by any one who has any experience of the field-mouse and the extreme difficulty
of seeing the little creature while it is creeping among the grass straws. Its ruddy
coat blends so well with the mould, and the grass blades bend so slightly under the
pressure of its soft fur, that an unpractised eye would fail to detect the mouse even if its
precise locality were pointed out.

The number of field-mice consumed by this hawk is very great, for it is hardly
possible to open the stomach of a Kestrel without finding the remains of one or more of
these destructive little animals. On account of its mouse-eating propensities, the Kestrel
is a most useful bird to the farmer, who in his ignorance confounds all hawks together, and
shoots the Kestrel because the kite steals his chickens.

Not that the Kestrel is wholly guiltless of chicken-stealing, or even of the greater crime
of poaching on the preserves. Like all animals, it occasionally changes its diet, and
pounces upon a chicken, a young pheasant, or a partridge. One of these birds has actually
been shot with a young pheasant hanging in its claws, and the legs of young game have
been found strewed beneath a nest where a Kestrel had reared her young. Young rabbits
and hares have sometimes fallen victims to the hunger of the Kestrel, which is, however,
unable to carry them away except during their earliest stages of independent existence.
Reptiles of different kinds, such as frogs, small moles, and newts, are also a favourite prey
of this bird, which has often been known to snatch fish out of the water by a dexterous
sweep of its ready claw. When the Kestrel lives among the rocks upon the sea-coast, it
haunts the shore at low water in search of food, and makes many a meal on little crabs,
shrimps, small fish that have been left in the rock-pools of the receding tide, and many
other marine creatures. ,

In the use of its claws the Kestrel is remarkably quick and ready, and being also a
swift-winged bird, it is in the habit of chasing cock-chaffers and other large beetles on the
wing, and catching them neatly with its claws as it shoots past their course. Without
pausing in its flight, the bird transfers the insect from the foot to the mouth, and eats it
without taking the trouble to alight. With such eagerness does it pursue this kind of
prey, which we may suppose to be taken as a dessert after a more substantial meal upon
mouse-flesh, that it continues its chase far-into the evening, and may be seen in hot pursuit
of the high-flying beetles long after dusk. Caterpillars and other larvee are also eaten by
the Kestrel, which does not disdain to alight on the ground, and draw the earthworms out
of their holes.

Sometimes, but rarely, it attacks the smaller birds, choosing especially to pounce upon
them as they are gathered together in little flocks, and are so confounded at the sudden
appearance of their enemy, that they fall easy victims to the destroyer. On this account,
the Kestrel is often seen in the winter months hovering near the farmyards, in hopes of
making a successful dash among a plump of sparrows as they congregate over some fresh
straw, or settle among the fowls for the purpose of picking up the grain which was
intended for the poultry. Mice, however, are always its favourite diet, and as the
multiplication of these little quadrupedal pests is much increased by the abundant food
which they find in cultivated grounds, and stacks and barns, the Kestrel has learnt to
attach himself to human residences, instead of becoming self-banished, as is the case with
almost every other hawk. There is hardly a village where the Kestrel may not be seen
hovering with outspread wings, and surveying the fields below.

THE KESTREL. 81

In general, however, it troubles itself little about feathered prey, unless it can
pick up a very young pheasant or partridge, as is indeed seen by the conduct of the
sparrows and other small birds. If a sparrow-hawk, merlin, or hobby should appear in
sight, the little birds are at once in an uproar, shrieking, chattering, darting from place
to place, and expressing their alarm in a thousand ways. But when a Kestrel comes into
view, they display hardly any uneasiness, and do not suffer themselves to be disturbed by
its presence. Swallows, however, trusting to their speed of wing, are very fond of mobbing
the Kestrel, and are so impertinent
that evena single swallow has been
seen suddenly to turn the tables
on a Kestrel which was pursuing
it, and to attack its astonished
opponent with equal skill and
audacity. On one occasion when
a Kestrel had caught a sparrow,
its cries took the attention of a
number of swallows, which made
a united attack, and forced the
hawk to release its frightened but
unhurt victim.

With the aid of a good tele-
scope, every movement of the bird
may be discovered as it hangs in
the air, and the sight is a very
interesting one. Its wings keep
up a continual shivering, its
widely spread tail is occasionally
moved so as to suit the slight
changes of the breeze, the spirited
little head is in perpetual motion,
and the dark-brown eyes gleam
with animation as they keep their
restless watch. It seems from
various observations that each
Kestrel has its regular beat or
hunting-grounds, and may be
observed punctually repairing to
the same spot at the same hour,
much after the manner of the
golden eagle.

The Kestrel is known by
various names in different parts
of the country. Its most common
name is Windhover, in allusion
to its peculiar mode of flight.
For the same reason it is termed
Stannel, Stand-gall, or Stand-gale,
and has also obtained the title of
Vanner-hawk.

The nest of the Kestrel is generally placed upon the topmost bough of some lofty tree,
although it is sometimes found upon a ledge of some precipitous cliff, should the bird have
taken up its residence in a mountainous country. Many of these birds have built their
nests upon the rocky heights of Dovedale in Derbyshire, and may be seen hovering in
mid-air near the spot where their young are nourished. The nest itself is a very simple
construction of sticks and moss; and the bird is so averse to trouble thet it often takes
possession of the deserted nest of the carrion crow. I have several times been greatly

2. G

KESTREL.—Tinninculus Alaudarius.

82 THE LITTLE FALCON.

surprised in my nest-hunting expeditions, by finding the ruddy eggs of the Kestrel lying
in the nest which I thought only to be that of the crow. This bird also deposits its eggs
in the crannies of old ruined buildings and lofty towers, but I have never as yet been
fortunate enough to find them in such a situation.

A few years ago a pair of Kestrels built for several successive seasons on the top of
a tall elm-tree in a field near Oxford, and whether from the altitude of the nest terrifymg
the bird-nesting boys, or whether its real position was never discovered by them, the birds
seemed to enjoy perfect security, and brought up their young without molestation. It was
really a pretty sight to see the young essaying their wings round the tree, sometimes
attempting longer flights, but always encouraged by the presence and instructions of their
parents. The number of eggs is generally three or four, although a fifth has sometimes
been detected. The colour is rather variable, but is in all eases sufficiently characteristic
to point out the species to an accustomed eye. The ground tint is either pale reddish-
brown, or even a ruddy-white, and the entire surface of the egg is blotched and spotted
with dark red-brown. The young birds make their appearance at the end of spring or in
the first weeks of summer.

The colour of the male Kestrel is very pleasing, and is briefly as follows. The head,
cheeks, and back of the neck are ashen grey, marked with narrow longitudinal streaks of
deeper grey. The back and upper portions of the body, together with the tertiaries and
wing-coverts, are bright ruddy fawn, dotted with little triangular black spots, caused by
the extreme tips of the feathers being black. The larger quill feathers of the wing are
black-grey, marked with a paler hue; the under portions of the body are pale reddish-
fawn, marked with dark streaks on the chest and spotted on the abdomen ; the thighs and
under tail-coverts are of the same hue as the abdomen, but without the spots. The upper
surface of the tail is of the same hue as the head, marked with a single broad band of
black near its extremity and tipped with white, while its under surface is grey-white,
marked with a number of narrow irregular bars of a darker hue, in addition to the black
band and white tip, which are the same as on the upper surface. The legs, toes, cere,
and orbits of the eyes are yellow, the claws are black, and the beak is slaty-blue, deepening
towards the point,

The females and young males are differently marked, and are altogether of a darker
and more ruddy hue. The head and neck are ruddy-fawn, marked with many transverse
darker stripes, and the back, upper portions, and tail are red-brown, covered with
numerous irregular blue-black bars. The males do not assume their appropriate plumage
until they have completed their first year. The length of the male bird is about thirteen
inches, and that of the female fifteen inches.

ANOTHER British species, which belongs to the same genus as the kestrel, is the Rmp-
FOOTED FALCON or INGRIAN Facon (Tinninculus vespertinus). It is but a rare bird in
Mngland, being only a straggler to our coasts, and having its usual residence in Austria,
Russia, and Poland. Specimens have also been taken in Athens, Nepal, and Tunis, so
that the species seem to have a very extensive range of country. It goes through
considerable changes of tinting before its plumage attains the adult colours, but the full-
erown bird may readily be distinguished from the common kestrel by the legs and toes,
which are of a reddish flesh tint instead of the yellow hue which is found in the former
bird. The elaws, too, instead of being black, are yellowish-white, deepening into a
ereyish-brown on the tips.

Among other members of the same genus, we may notice the LitrLe FaLcon
(Tinninculus sparvérius) of America, an interesting account of which bird may be found in
the pages of “ Wilson’s American Ornithology.” Its habits are very similar to those of the
common kestrel, and like that bird it preys chiefly on mice, lizards, grasshoppers, and the
larger insects. It will, however, attack and carry off chickens and the young of other birds
during the breeding season. Its nest is always made on some elevated situation, and is
generally found on the top of a lofty tree, although the bird sometimes builds upon rocks,
in the crevices of towers, or even in the hollows of trees.

THE NOTCHED FALCON. 83

THE NorcHED FALcon is remarkable for the peculiar form of the beak, which exhibits
a double notch or tooth on each side, and has therefore been distinguished by the
specific title of bidentatus, or “two-toothed.”

This species is a native of Southern America, being found most commonly in Brazil
and Guinea. In size it is about equal to the common kestrel, its length being thirteen or
fourteen inches. The general colour of the Notched Falcon is a slaty-blue or blue-grey
upon the upper surface of the body, and the tail is dusky-brown, marked with several
transverse bars of greyish-white.
The throat and under tail-coverts
are white, and the breast and
abdomen are rusty-red, marked
with undulating streaks of yel-
lowish-white. Very little is known
of the habits of this species, but
on account of the peculiar form
of its beak, it cannot be passed
over without notice.

THE members of an allied
genus, termed Ierax, also possess
a sunilarly formed beak, but the
structure of the wings and arrange-
ment of the feathers are so dif-
ferent as to give reason for placing
the bird in a separate genus. One
of the most beautiful examples of
this genus is the little BENGAL FAL-
CON (lerax cerulescens), a native
of Java, Borneo, and many parts
of India. This tiny Falcon is barely
six inches in length, and is popu-
larly known in India by the name
of “ Mooty,” a word which signifies
a handful, and is given to the bird
because when it is flown at game,
it is taken in the hand and flung
at the quarry as if it were a stone
rather than a living missile. It
is a most daring little bird, and
has been known to strike in suc-
cession ten or twelve quails before
alighting. The general colour of
this species is bluish-black above,
and rusty-white below. The plu-
mage of the thighs is long and
silken, and the wings are com-
paratively short.

Xx p
JN) TASS

Ze LSS \s) y
a — INS

=I) WHE

NOTCHED FALCON.—Hdrpagus bidentatus.

We now come to a large and important genus of hawks, which is represented in
England by the GosHawkK.

This handsome bird is even larger than the jerfalcon, the length of an adult male
being eighteen inches, and that of his mate rather more than two feet. It is not, however,
so powerful or so swift-winged a bird as the jerfalcon, and its mode of taking prey is
entirely different. The jerfaleon dashes at every flying creature that may take its fancy,
and attacks successfully the largest winged game. But the Goshawk, although possessed
of the most undaunted courage and of great muscular power, is unable to cope with such

G2

84 THE GOSHAWK.

opponents, and prefers terrestrial to aerial quarry. Owing to the shape of the wing, and
comparative shortness of the feathers, the Goshawk is unable to take long flights, or to
urge a lengthened and persevering chase. Moreover, although its courage is of the most
determined character, it soon loses heart if often baffled by the same quarry, and in such
cases will turn sulky and yield the chase.

When trained, the Goshawk is best employed at hares, rabbits, and other furred game,
and in this particular sport is unrivalled. Its mode of hunting is singularly like that of
the chetah, which has already been
mentioned in the volume on the
Mammalia. Like that animal, it
is not nearly so swift as its prey,
and therefore is obliged to steal
upon them, and seize its victim by
a sudden and unexpected pounce.
When it has once grasped its prey
it is rarely found to loose its hold,
even by the most violent struggles
or the most furious attack. The
eripe is so enormously powerful,
that a Goshawk has often been
observed to pounce upon a large
hare, and to maintain its hold even
though the animal sprang high
into the air, and then rolled upon
the ground in the vain hope of
shaking off his feathered anta-
gonist. Only the female bird is
able to cope with so powerful a
creature as a full-grown hare or
rabbit, for the male, although more
swift of wing, and therefore better
adapted for chasing birds than
the female, is comparatively feeble.

It never attempts to follow its
quarry into cover, as is done by
the Peregrine and Merlin, but if
its intended prey should seek
safety in some place of refuge, the
Goshawk perches upon a con-
venient bough and waits patiently.
As the hawk is very endurant of
hunger, although sufficiently ra-
venous when it meets with a
supply of food, it “ wins, lke
Fabius, by delay,” and pounces
upon the unlucky quarry, as it
steals out in search of food or
water. When it has once seized
its prey, it is full of exultation, and being generally rather of a ferocious disposition,
is apt to turn savagely upon the hand that attempts to remove it from its victim.
Its temper, indeed, is so bad, that if it should happen to escape from its jesses and
get among other Falcons, it will almost certainly attack and kill as many of them
as it can reach, For the same reason it needs to be kept constantly hooded, and
is less to be trusted at liberty than any other Falcon. Its short flights, however,
render its recapture a comparatively easy matter, so that there is but little danger of
losing it.

GOSHAWK.—Astur palwmbarius.

THE SPARROW HAWK. 85

Its constitution is very hardy, and as it will feed on almost any animal nourishment,
it gives very little trouble to its owner.

This species is found spread over nearly the whole of Europe and Asia, and has also
been seen in Northern Africa. The nest of this bird is generally placed on the topmost
boughs of some lofty tree, and the eggs are of a uniform spotless blue-white. Their
number is from three to four, and the ‘young are hatched about May or the beginning
of June.

In colour, the adult birds of both sexes are very similar to each other, the ‘Ease of
the plumage being briefly as follows. The top of the head and the entire upper portions
of the body and wings are grey-brown, and the under portions of the body, together with
a band over the cheeks and the back of the neck, are nearly white, diversified with
numerous irregular spots, splashes, and partial bars of black. The cheeks and ear-coverts
are dark areyish-brown, the upper surface of the tail is the same hue as the back, and
barred with dark brown; the under tail-coverts are white. The cere, legs, and toes are
yellow, the claws black, and the beak blue-black. In the female the grey-brown of the
back is a more ruddy hue, and in the young the plumage is curiously diversified with
reddish-white, buff, and grey.

A very beautiful species of this genus, the NEw Hotuanp Waite EAGLE (Astur
Nove Hollandie) is found in Australia, and is remarkable for the frequency with which
its plumage assumes a snowy-white hue, the ordimary colouring being grey above and
white below. The eyes of this bird are very curious, for in some specimens they are of
a rich brown, in others of a topaz-yellow, while in others they are ruby-red. The cere,
legs, and claws are yellow, and the bill black. The disproportion between the comparative
dimensions of the sexes is remarkably great in this species, the male being barely half the
size of his mate.

The well-known Sparrow HAWK is almost as familiar to us as the kestrel, the two
birds being, indeed, often confounded with each other by those who ought to know better.
This fine and active little bird is an inhabitant of many portions of the world, being very
common in nearly all parts of Europe, equally so in Egypt and Northern Africa, and
being very frequently found in India and other Asiatic countries. The genus Accipiter
finds representatives in every quarter of the globe, species being found in North and South
America, in Madagascar, in Western and Southern Africa, in Java, and Australia.

Although the Sparrow Hawk inhabits England in great numbers, it is not so often
seen as might be imagined, for it is a most wild, shy, and wary bird, and never ventures
near human dwellings, or within a considerable distance of human beings, unless urged
by hunger or carried away by the ardour of pursuit. As a general rule, to get within
ordinary gunshot of a Sparrow Hawk is no easy matter; but if the Hawk be watched as
he is hovering about a flock of sparrows or other small birds, he may be approached
without much difficulty, his entire attention being engaged on his expected prey. Indeed,
while engaged in the chase, the ardour of this bird is so great, that all its faculties seem
to be absorbed in the gratification of the ruling passion, and it is evidently unmindful of
anything but its flying prey. A Sparrow Hawk has even been known to dash furiously
at a man who endeavoured to rescue a small bird which it had attacked.

The courage of the Sparrow Hawk is of the most reckless character, for the bird
will fly unhesitatingly at almost any other inhabitant of air, no matter what its size
may be. Mr. Thompson relates the following curious instance of the exceeding audacity
of this bird.

“Once, at the end of July, when walking along the sides of the river Lagan, near
Belfast, I was attracted by the loud screams of. herons, which appeared above the
trees at the north-west extremity of Belvoir Park. A couple of these giants of the
air kept flying above the tops of the trees with tremendous uproar, in. consequence
of the presence of a single Sparrow Hawk. This bird was circling about, and the herons
awkwardly and quite unavailingly endeavouring to strike him. Flying quite at ease, his
turns were so short, and at the same time so full of grace, that he seemed to laugh
to scorn their heavy, lumbering movements,

86 AUDACITY OF THE SPARROW HAWK.

The herons’ savage cries were apparently (evidently might almost be said) caused
by the Hawk’s make-believe attempts to carry off their young, as they were particularly
violent and vociferous whenever he made a swoop—as I remarked him to do thrice—
at the top of a particular tree. It seemed a mere play or bravado on the part of the
Hawk, as he could easily, in spite of the herons, have borne off the contents of the nest
any time, were the prey not too bulky for his purpose. Mr. R. Langton has not only
observed a wild Sparrow Hawk strike his sea-eagles when perching on their sheds, but
when his golden eagle was on the wing, has seen one of these birds strike it in passing, and
once even witnessed the Hawk’s turning back and repeating the impertinence.”

The same author also mentions several instances of the extreme audacity of the
Sparrow Hawk when urged by hunger. One of these birds actually snatched up a little
white pea-chick, selecting it from the rest of the brood, while a lady was engaged
in feeding it. A similar circumstance occurred to a gamekeeper who was feeding young
pheasants, a Sparrow Hawk suddenly sweeping down upon them and carrying off one of
their number. Next day it repeated the attempt, but as the keeper had taken the
precaution to bring his gun, the Hawk fell a victim to his own temerity. Again, as some
persons were shooting dunlins from a boat, in Belfast Bay, a Sparrow Hawk suddenly shot
through the smoke of the discharged gun, and poising itself for an instant, swept a wounded
dunlin from the surface of the water with such marvellous dexterity, that it did not wet a
feather of its wings.

In consequence of the headlong courage possessed by this handsome little Hawk, it is
very valuable to the falconer if properly trained, for it will dash at any quarry which
may be pointed out to it. Unfortunately, however, the Sparrow Hawk is one of the most
difficult and refractory of pupils, being shy to a singular degree, slow at receiving a lesson
and quick at forgetting it. Besides, its temper is of a very crabbed and uncertain nature,
and it is so quarrelsome, that if several of these birds should be fastened to the same
perch, or placed in the same cage, they will certainly fight each other, and, in all
probability, the conqueror will eat his vanquished foe. Such an event has actually
occurred, the victrix—for it was a female—killing and devouring her intended spouse.

Few birds are so easily startled as the Sparrow Hawk, for even when it is comparatively
tame, the presence of a stranger, or even the shadow of a passing bird in the air, will throw
it into a paroxysm of excitement, during which it seems to lose all consciousness of
external objects. This curious trait of character a practical falconer, in a communication
addressed to the Fve/d newspaper, describes most graphically in the following terms.
“The young falconer will naturally be disappointed to find the bird which came so well
to hand yesterday, now on the first day of its being carried, stare wildly with its mad
eyes, and bate violently. It will probably hang down at the end of the jesses and swivel,
and dart off again the moment it is quietly replaced. More than this, the very power of
standing will appear to have left it; the claws will be clenched and distorted; the whole
creature will be changed; instead of a tolerably bold and very handsome bird, the
transition of a few minutes will present you with a terrified, crouching, vicious, abject
wretch ; a horrible mixture of fright and feathers.

Some people think that the helpless look of the feet and legs arises only from
temper, and that it is a sham. It may arise from temper, but it is not a sham. It appears
to me that this bird’s brain is overcharged with electricity or something fearfully subtle ;
and that on the smallest provocation, these fluids shoot through the whole frame, over-
turning and decaying everything that is healthy and regular. The Sparrow Hawk's legs
are, during these fits of fright and passion, in a temporary paralysis. Still, they are
of short duration, and when the bird is trained, they pass away altogether.” The same
writer sums up the character of the Sparrow Hawk as a pupil in the following energetic
language: “The Sparrow Hawk is, in my opinion, the wildest, in some sense the most
intractable, the most ungrateful, the most provoking and temper-trying of all birds
or beasts that ever were taken under the care of man from the beginning of the world.”

With this writer's opinion my own experience to a very great measure coincides,
though as I never attempted to train a Sparrow Hawk to falconry, I cannot answer
for some of its deficiencies.

ANECDOTES OF THE SPARROW HAWK. 87

One of these birds afforded an excellent example of the shyness and timidity
above mentioned. Although he was most kindly treated and liberally fed, he used to
scream in the most ear-piercing manner when approached, even by the person who
generally carried his food. The only companion whose presence he would tolerate, was a
little Skye terrier, named Rosy, and the two strangely matched comrades used to execute
the most singular gambols together, the dog generally taking the initiative, and persecuting
the Hawk until she forced him to fly. The great object of the dog was to catch the Hawk
by the wing, while the bird gave
his attention to flying at the dog’s
throat, hanging on by his claws
and boxing her ears with his wings
until she was fain to shake him
off. Once, Rosy caught the Hawk
by his tail, and having the game all
her own way, careered round the
yard in great exultation, dragging
after her the unfortunate Hawk,
who could not possibly resist or
retaliate, and wasreduced to scream
abjectly for succour.

Another Sparrow Hawk which
I procured for some time was,
curiously enough, a most arrant
coward, and so far from chasing
the little birds, as was his duty,
and keeping them from eating the
pease and fruit, he allowed them
to bully him shamefully, and
would run away from a wagtail.
The little birds soon learned his
incapacity, and the blue titmice
used to watch the time when he
was fed, and run off with the
meat before his eyes. The bird
was not a young one when it
came into my possession, and had
probably been broken in spirit by
cruel treatment.

The credit of the race was,
however, better kept up by a
Sparrow Hawk that belonged to
a lady friend, but it was not
taught any artificial accomplish-
ments. The bird took a great
fancy to its mistress, and would
perch on her shoulder or eat from
her hand. But it would permit
no other person to touch it, neither
would it allow any one to approach its mistress while it was at hand. In such cases it
would fly savagely at the fancied foe, and was so determined in its attack upon the ankles,
that any one who attempted to cross its path was obliged to fend it off with an umbrella,
which it would fight and scold as it was being pushed away.

It was a terrible thief, and crafty to a degree. Once, having made itself acquainted
with the fact that a partridge was hanging in the larder, it hung about the spot until
it saw a servant approaching the spot. As soon as she opened the door, the Hawk
shot noiselessly over her head, and sat quietly until she had retired, It then proceeded to

SPARROW HAWK.—Accipiter Nisus

88 THE CHANTING FALCON.

demolish the partridge. Between this servant and the Hawk there was a deadly feud,
owing to a depredation committed by the bird and resented by the servant. A chicken
had just been plucked and was lying on the kitchen table, when the Hawk glided softly
through the door, and perching on the chicken, had devoured its breast before the theft was
discovered. The servant struck it with a broom, when the bird flew at her head, and
pushing its claws into her hair, it buffeted her’face with its wings, and could not be
removed until it had torn out no small quantity of hair. After a while the bird dis-
appeared, perhaps stolen, but very probably killed by its foe.

The propensity of the Sparrow Hawk to attack larger birds of prey has already been
mentioned, and the creature only suffers poetical justice in being made the subject
of similar attacks. The swaflows and other swift-winged birds are wonderfully fond
of mobbing the Sparrow Hawk, although in many instances they pay dearly for their
audacity. I once saw a Sparrow Hawk that was being mobbed by a number of sand
martins, and was flying about im a seemingly purposeless and bewildered manner,
suddenly turn on its pursuers, seize one of them in its terrible grasp, and instantly sail
away bearing its screaming victim in its talons. The Hawk was almost within reach
when this circumstance occurred.

The general colour of the adult male is dark brown upon the upper surface of the head,
body, and wings, softening into grey as the bird increases in years. The entire under
surface is rusty brown, marked with narrow bands of a darker hue ; the long and slender
legs and toes are yellow, as is the cere, but with a tinge of green; the long, sharp, armed
claws are black, and the beak is a slate-hlue, darkening towards the point. The length of
the male bird is about one foot. The female, which is about fifteen inches in length,
is coloured differently from her mate, the upper parts of the body and wings being hardly
so rich a tint as in the male bird, and covered with numerous little white spots, caused by
the white hue which is found on the base of each feather. The primaries and rectrices
are of a lighter brown, and coloured with transverse dark bars, and the under surface of the
body is grey-white, also barred transversely. These hues are also found in the young male,
who has in addition a reddish edging to the feathers of the back.

The nest of the Sparrow Hawk is placed in some elevated spot, and contains three or
four eggs, rather variable in their marking, but always possessing a certain unmistakeable
character. The ground tint of the egg is a greyish white, slightly tinged with blue,
and a number of bold blotches of a very dark brown are placed upon the surface,
sometimes scattered rather irregularly, but generally forming a broad ring round the larger
end. The bird seldom troubles itself to build a new nest, but takes possession of the
deserted tenement of a crow or rook.

As a general rule, the voices of all the rapacious birds are notable for the rough,
strident dissonance of the larger species, or for the piercing shrieks of the smaller birds,
There is, however, an exception to this rule, which is supposed at present to be quite
unique, in the person of the CHANTING FALcon of Africa.

In a certain sense, even the scream of the eagle and the shriek of the Falcon possess
a sort of wild music, which is sufticiently appropriate to the localities in which they
dwell, but is singularly out of place when the bird is seated on a perch or immured
within the confines of wiry walls. The Chanting Falcon, however, possesses a really
musical voice, its very peculiar notes having been compared to the thrilling sounds of
musical glasses. Le Vaillant tells us that it sings in the morning and evening, ‘and that its
song lasts for about one minute, being very frequently repeated in the course of an how,
and with very short intervals. It is at all other times of the day a very shy and suspicious
bird, but while singing is so occupied with its task, that it can be approached, and,
if desired, shot without much difficulty.

It is rather a large and powerful bird, being nearly two feet in length, and somewhat
resembling the jerfaleon in proportion. Its prey consists of hares, rabbits, and similar
quadrupeds, and it also wages successful war against the larger birds, such as the bustard
or “pauw.” The general colour of this curious bird is oreyish on the upper parts of the
body, and white on the lower parts, barred with brown streaks.

: THE SECRETARY BIRD. 89

Tuer very remarkable SECRETARY Birp derives its naine from the curious feathery plumes
which project from each side of its head, and bear a fanciful resemblance to pens carried
behind the ear by human secretaries. In allusion to the same peculiarity, the Arabs
term the bird Selazza Izn, or Thirty-ears.

The Secretary Bird has long been a standing perplexity to systematic zoologists,
having been placed by some writers among the wading birds on account of its long legs,
while others consider its proper place to be among the hawks and other birds of prey. It is
an inhabitant of Southern Africa,
and is most invaluable in destroy-
ing the serpent race, on which
creatures it almost exclusively
feeds. Undaunted by the deadly
teeth of the cobra, the Secretary
Bird comes boldly to the attack,
and in spite of all the efforts of
the infuriated and desperate rep-
tile, is sure to come off victorious.
Many other creatures fall victims
to the ravenous appetite of the
Secretary, and in the stomach of
one of these birds which was found
by Le Vaillant, were discovered
eleven rather large lizards, eleven
small tortoises, a great number
of insects nearly entire, and three
snakes as thick as a man’s arm.
The following description of the
habits and mode of hunting which
is employed by this bird has been
kindly forwarded to me by Captain
Drayson, to whom I have already
been indebted for much curious
information respecting the quad-
rupeds of Southern Africa.

“The Secretary Bird is not very
common in any part of South
Africa, still one or two are fre-
quently seen during a day’s ride
on the plains. Sometimes two or
three of these birds may be seen
stalking over the ground, with a
bold, military, and jaunty stride,
which is quite in character with
the nature of the reptile-eating
bird, but more frequently a soli-
tary individual pursues his inves-
tigations of newly-burnt grass, or
likely and deserted ant-heaps.
Frogs and toads appear the more favoured repast of the Secretary Bird, but a snake of
even three or four feet in length is easily disposed of.

On one or two occasions I have seen a Secretary Bird busily engaged with a snake,
and it appeared that the bird by means of activity escaped from the deadly fangs of its
prey. A Secretary Bird might be seen sailing slowly along at about a hundred yards
from the ground; suddenly he would stop and descend, attracted evidently by some prey,
towards which he would stalk. The bird would then appear very busy, now striking with
his wings and pecking, as though engaged in thrust and parry ; then, when his adversary

CHANTING FALCON.—Meliérax muisicus.

90 HABITS OF THE SECRETARY BIRD.

made a fierce attack, the
bird would rise with a
spring in the air, and
descend some twenty feet
from his foe. Advancing
again to the attack, he
seldom failed to dispose
of his enemy by eating
him at once, or he would
carry him off wriggling
vainly in attempts to es-
cape,

The Secretary has a
curious habit of ocea-
sionally breaking from his
staid military step, and
running in a fussy excited
way for about ten or
twelve paces, with appa-
rently no object, and
again resuming his march,
This bird is very wary,
and rarely allows of a
nearer approach than one
hundred yards. He is
rarely if ever shot, for a
sportsman values the bird
for its deeds, and there is
a fine in the Cape Colony
imposed upon those who
are known to have shot
one.”

In these combats the
wing of the bird is its
most important weapon,
andanswers equally all the
purposes of a shield and
a club. As the serpent
rises to strike, the Secre-
tary presents the front
of its wing as a buckler,
and almost immediately
dashes the snake to the
ground by a blow from
the same member. It
also kicks with consider-
able force, and almost in-
variably concludes the
combat by a violent blow
on the head from its beak,
which lays the skull of the enemy completely open. Sometimes, when the serpent is
very full of vitality, the Secretary makes a sudden snatch at its neck, soars to a great
height in the air, carrying the struggling foe with it, and then drops it upon the hard
ground, a process which effectually expels the last remnant of life. When demesticated
it has been known to go through a similar series of manceuvres, by way of game-
someness ; the snake being represented for the nonce by a straw or a twig.

SECRETARY BIRD.—Serpentérius Secretérius

THE HEN HARRIER. $1

One of the most notable peculiarities of this strange bird, is the manner in which it
runs and walks. While young its mode of walking is ungraceful in the extreme, and
can but be characterised as a hobble. When it has attained adult age, however, its gait,
although rather odd, and like a person walking on stilts, is yet easy and unconstrained, but
when the bird puts forth its speed, it runs with a swiftness so remarkable that the Arab
has given it the name of Ferras Seytan, or devil’s horse. This astonishing speed is
probably useful in carrying out the great business of its life, and in attacking or avoiding
the onset of its poison-bearing
enemies. The nest of the Secre-
tary is built on the summit of a
lofty tree, and contains two or
three large white eggs.

The ordinary length of the
adult Secretary bird is about three
feet,and its colour is almost wholly
a slaty-grey. The peculiar feathers
which form the crest are black, as
are the primaries and the feathers
of the thigh. There is a lighter
patch towards the abdomen. The
tail is black with the exception
of the two central rectrices, which
are grey with a white tip and a
broad black bar towards their ex-
tremities.

WE now arrive at the Harriers,
probably so called because they
“harry” and persecute the game.
Several species of this genus are
found in England, the most com-
mon of which is the Hen HaAr-
RIER.

The Harrier may be readily
distinguished from the other
hawks by the manner in which
the feathers radiate around the
eyes, forming a kind of funnel-
shaped depression, somewhat simi-
lar to but not so perfect as that
of the owl. This structure is
thought to be serviceable to the
bird in giving it- a wide range of
vision in its hunting excursions.
The flight of the Harrier is very
low, seldom being more than a
few yards above the ground, and
as the bird flies along it beats
every bush, and pries into every little covert in search of prey. There are few of the
smaller animals that do not fall victims to the Hen Harrier, which is always ready to
pick up a field-mouse, a lizard, a small snake, a newt, or a bird, and will even pounce
upon so large a bird as a partridge or pheasant. Sometimes it sits on a stone or small
hillock, and from that post keeps up a vigilant watch on the surrounding country, sweeping
off as soon as it observes indications of any creature on which it may feed.

The flight of the Hen Harrier, although it is not remarkable for its power, is yet very
swift, easy, and gliding, and as the bird quarters the ground after its prey, is remarkably

HEN HARRIER.—Cireus cydneus.

92 THE MOOR BUZZARD.

graceful. The Harriers prefer to live on moors and similar localities, where they can
pursue their rather peculiar mode of hunting, and where they may find a secluded spot
for a secure home. Like the Kestrel, the Hen Harrier appears to have regular hunting-
grounds, and is very punctual in its visits. The nest of this bird is generally placed
under the shadow of some convenient furze-bush, and is composed of a few sticks thrown
loosely together, in which are deposited four or five very pale blue eggs. The young are
hatched about the middle of June.

The two sexes differ very
greatly in colour, and until com-
paratively recent times were re-
corded as distinct species. The
general colour of the adult male
is ashen grey from the beak and
upper parts, the only exception
being the primaries, which are
black. The throat and chin are
nearly of the same hue as the beak,
but the chest and abdomen are
white, with a slight blue tinge,
which is lost upon the plumage
of the thigh. On the under sur-
face of the tail are several indis-
tinct dark bars, and the hair-like
feathers between the eye and the
base of the beak are black. The
legs, toes, and cere are yellow,
the claws black, and the beak
nearly black, with a bluish tinge.
The length of the male bird is
about eighteen inches.

The female is a much darker
bird,the head being mottled brown,
and the back and upper portions
of a deep dusky brown, the pri-
maries being but a little darker
than the plumage of the back.
The feathers of the under parts
are lighter brown, with pale mar-
gins, so as to present a kind of
mottled buff and chestnut aspect ;
the upper surface of the tail is
marked with partial dark bands,
and its under surface is very dis-
tinctly bound with broad bands
of black and greyish-white. The

MOOR BUZZARD.—Circus ceruginosus. funnel-shaped depression round
the eyes, technically called the
concha, or shell, is brown towards

the base of the feathers, but merges into a white eyebrow above, reaching to the cere,
and in a white streak below, edged with brown. The length of the female is about two
inches more than that of the male, and her spread of wing is about three feet six inches.

AnoTHer British example of this genus is to be found in the Moor Buzzarp as the
bird has very wrongly been termed, or the Mars HARRIER, as it ought more properly to
be named. The bird is also known as the Duck Hawk and Harpy.

This handsome bird is considerably larger than the preceding species, the female being

THE ASH-COLOURED FALCON. 93

about two feet in length, and the male about three inches shorter. It is not a very
uncommon bird, being found most extensively upon marshy ground, where it can obtain
abundance of food. It generally preys on water birds, mice, water rats, various reptiles,
frogs, rats, and fish. It is rather partial to young game, and is apt to be a dangerous
neighbour to a preserve, snatching the young partridges and pheasants from their parents.
Sometimes it is sufficiently bold to enter the precincts of the farm, and to carry away a young
chicken or a duckling. Rabbits also, both young and old, fall victims to this rapacious
bird, which sweeps on noiseless
wing over the common, carefully
choosing the morning and evening,
when the rabbits are almost sure
to be out of their burrows.

The Marsh Harrier appears
never to take up its residence in
dry localities, but always to prefer
the fenny district, whether of the
coast orinland. The bird may be
found plentifully in Cambridge-
shire, as well as in Scotland, Ive-
land, and parts of Wales. The
nest of this species is placed on
the ground, and is composed of
twigs or stems of coarse grass,
and is sheltered from observation
by an overhanging bush, or by
a tuft of rushes, fern, or long
grass. The eggs are white, and
about three or four in number.

Like the hen harrier, the male
Marsh Harrier is of a much greyer
tint than his mate, the grey hues
being not fully assumed until the
bird has completed his third year,
and spreading more widely on
each successive year.

wr"!
Ny

=

2,

THE ASH-COLOURED FALcon,
sometimes called MOoNTAGUE’S
HARRIER, is also a British resi-
dent, although it is frequently
found in Nepal and other parts
of Asia.

This species is more slender
in its form than either of the two
preceding birds, being hardly more
than two-thirds of the weight of
the hen harrier, although its length
is nearly the same. In its habits
it is very like the hen harrier, skimming over the ground in much the same manner,
but with a more rapid flight. Its food consists chiefly of small birds and reptiles, to
the latter of which creatures the Ash-coloured Falcon appears to he especially partial, no
less than five lizards having been found in the stomach of one of these birds. It is not
very uncommon in England, being found most plentifully in Cambridge, Lincoln, and
other fenny districts, and being also met with in Devonshire and Cornwall. Specimens
of this bird have also been obtained in Nepal and other parts of India, and it is also
said to be an inhabitant of Southern Africa,”

ve

JARDINES HARRIER.—Cireus Jardinti.—See p. 94.)

o4 THE JARDINES HARRIER.

The colour of the adult male is bluish-grey on the upper parts of the body, the
secondaries being marked with three bars of dark-grey brown, and the primaries black.
The upper surface of the tail is bluish-grey upon the central feathers, and white upon
those at the side, marked with several bars of orange-red ; their under surface is greyish-
white, with several transverse bars of greyish-brown. The under parts of the body are
nearly white, barred with numerous transverse streaks of orange-red, like those on the tail.
The legs and toes are yellow, the cere is yellowish-green, and the beak is almost black.
The length of the bird is about seventeen inches.

The very remarkable bird which is now known as the JARDINES HARRIER is one ot
the myriad strange creatures which are produced by Australia, that land of wonders.

According to Gould, it is generally found in plains, and specially frequents the wide
and luxuriant grass flats that intervene between the mountain ranges. Like all the birds
of the same genus, it is never seen to soar, but sweeps over the surface of the ground at a
low elevation, seeking after the mice, reptiles, small birds, and other creatures on which
it feeds. It is very fond of small snakes and frogs, and in order to obtain them may be
seen hovering over the marshes, or beating the wet ground after the fashion of the hen
harrier. It is seldom known to perch on trees, preferring to take its stand on some large
stone or elevated hillock from which it may survey the surrounding land. The nest of
this bird is supposed to be built on the ground, overshadowed by some bush or tuft of
grass, like that of other harriers, and placed upon the top of one of the numerous “serub”
hills.

The colouring of this bird is quite unique, and would attract attention even if it were
not an anomaly among birds of this genus. The head, cheeks, and ear-coverts are dark
streaked chestnut, the streaky appearance being given by a deep black line down the centre
of each feather. A grey collar or band passes round the neck and the back of the head,
the primaries are buff towards their base, and black for the latter two-thirds of their
length. The tail is barred alternately with dark brown and grey, the extremity being
brown. The back and seapularies are dark-erey sprinkled with a number of little white
dots, and the entire under surface is a bright ruddy chestnut, covered profusely with
nearly circular white spots of considerable size. «The legs are yellow, and the bill dark
slaty-blue, becoming black at the extremity.

OWLS.

THERE are few groups of birds which are so decidedly marked as the OWLS, and so
easy of recognition. The round, puffy head, the little hooked beak just appearing from
the downy plumage with which it is surrounded, the large, soft, bimking eyes, and the
curious disk of feathers which radiate from the eye and form a funnel-shaped depression,
are such characteristic distinctions, that an Owl, even of the least Owllike aspect, can at
once be detected and referred to its proper place in the animal kingdom. There is «
singular resemblance between the face of an Owl and that of a cat, which is the more
notable as both these creatures have much the same kind of habits, live on the same prey,
and are evidently representatives of the same idea in their different classes. The Owl, in
fact, is a winged eat, just as the cat is a furred Owl.

These birds are, almost without an exception, nocturnal in their habits, and are fitted
for their peculiar life by a most wonderfully adapted form and structure. The eyes are
made so as to take in every ray of light, and are so sensitive to its influence, that they
ave unable to endure the glare of daylight, being formed expressly for the dim light of
evening or earliest dawn. An ordinary Owl 6f almost any species, when brought into the

THE CANADA OWL. 95

full light of day, becomes quite bewildered with the unwonted glare, and sits blinking
uncomfortably, in a pitiable manner, seemingly as distressed as a human being on whose
undefended eyes the meridian sun is shining. The nictitating membrane, or inner
eyelid, with which the Owl, in common with many other birds and animals, is furnished,
stands it in good stead under such circumstances, and by repeatedly drawing its thin
membranous substance over the aching eyeball, the Owl obtains some relief from the
pain which it is suffering.

The eyes of Owls are very curiously formed, as are their ears and plumage, and their
structure will be briefly described in the course of the next few pages.

Tu transition from the falcons to the Owls is evidently through the harriers, as may
be seen by comparing the engraving of any
harrier with that of the CANADA OWL, or Hawk
OWL, as it is often termed. In the harriers we
find the commencement of the peculiar facial =
disk, and in the Hawk Ow] this disk, or “concha,” Z
is not nearly so large or so well defined as
in the other members of the same group.
The eyes, too, are rather differently formed,
as the bird is able to follow its prey by day as
well as in the dark, and therefore requires a
character of eye which will not'be injured or
half blinded by ordinary daylight. The plumage
is closer than that of the generality of owls,
whose feathers are fringed with delicate downy
filaments, for the purpose of enabling them to
float noiselessly through the air, for the Hawk
Owl is a swift-winged bird, and obtains its prey
by fair chase.

The food of the Canada Owl consists chiefly
of rats, mice, and insects, during the summer
months ; but in the winter, while rats and mice
keep within their homes, and the insects are as
yet in their pupa state, the Canada Owl turns its
attention to birds, and will even chase and kill
so powerful a prey as the ptarmigan. It is a
very bold bird, and has been known to pounce
upon and carry away wounded game that has
fallen before the spo1tsman’s gun. While chasing
the ptarmigan it follows the course of their
migration, hanging about the flocks and making
sad havoe in their numbers.

The Hawk Owl is an inhabitant of the more
polar regions, being most commonly seen in the
extreme north of Asia and America, though it CANADA OWL.—Séirnia tilula.
sometimes pays a visit to Northern Europe.

Richardson tells us that it seldom travels farther
north than Pennsylvania, but very few specimens having been noticed in that Idcality, and
those only when the winter has been more than usually severe. :

Although so bold and so successful a hunter, the Hawk Owl is by no means a large
bird, being only from fifteen to seventeen inches in length, and therefore not equalling the
common hen harrier in dimensions. Its nest is generally made on the summit of a tree,
contrary to the usual habit of Owls, which usually take possession of a hollow in some
dead branch and lay their eggs on the soft decaying wood, or make their home in a
convenient crevice of some old building. The male Hawk Owl is rather less than the
female, as is the case with most predaceous birds.

SNOWY OWL.—Nyctea nivea.

The general colour of this bird is dark spotted brown above and striped white below,
arranged briefly as follows. The top of the head and back is brown, covered with white
spots, the spots disappearing at the insertion of the wings, where a large patch of very
dark brown is placed. The outer edge of the concha is jetty black, and ‘its inner surface
is greyish-white. The throat is also white, and the chest and abdomen are of the same
tint, marked with a number of irregular stripes of ashen-brown. The tail is brown
covered with a few narrow intercepted black bands. The legs are feathered as far as the
claws, and the bill is yellow with a few spots of black. These colours are slightly
variable in individuals, owing most probably to the difference of age, and in the female
they are not so bright as in her mate.

THE Snowy Owl is one of the handsomest of this group, not so much on account of
its dimensions, which are not very considerable, but by reason of the beautiful white
mantle with which it is clothed, and the large orange eyeballs that shine with a lustre

s of a living topaz set among the snowy plumage.

This bird is properly a native of the north of Europe and America, but has also a
few domains in the more northern parts of England, being constantly seen, though rather
a scarce bird, in the Shetland and Orkney Islands, Ww here it builds and rears its young.
Like the Haw k Owl, it is a day-flying bird, and is a terrible foe to the smaller mammalia,
and to various birds. Mr. Yarrell, in his well-known History of the British Birds, remarks
that “one wounded on the Isle of Balta disgorged a young rabbit whole ; and that one
in my possession had in its stomach a young sandpiper with its plumage entire.” It is
rather remarkable that the bird should have thus been swallowed whole, as I have always
remarked that when an Owl devours a little bird, he tears it to pieces before eating it,
though he always swallows a mouse entire.

In proportion to its size the Snowy Owl is a mighty hunter, having been detected
in chasing the American hare, and carrying off wounded grouse before the sportsman
can secure his prey. According to Yarrell, the Swedish name of Harfang, which has
been given to this bird, is derived from its habit of feeding on hares. It is also a good

COQUIMBO, OR BURROWING OWL.—Athéne cunicularia.

fisherman, posting itself on some convenient spot overhanging the water, and securing
its finny prey with a lightning-like grasp of the claw as it passes beneath the white-clad
fisher. Sometimes it will sail over the surface of the stream, and snatch the fish as they
rise for food, but its general mode of angling is that which has just been mentioned. It
is also a great eater of lemmings; and in the destruction of these quadrupedal pests, does
infinite service to the agriculturist and the population in general.

The large round eyes of this bird are very beautiful, and even by daylight are
remarkable for their gem-like sheen, but in the evening they are still more attractive, and
glow like two balls of living fire. There is an amusing anecdote respecting one of these
Owls, which settled on the rigging of a ship by night to rest itself after a long journey,
The bird was quietly seated on one of the yards, when it was suddenly roused by a sailor
who was sent aloft upon some nautical duty. The man, terrified at the two glowing eyes
that suddenly opened upon him, descended precipitately from the rigging, declaring that
“Davy Jones” was sitting on the main yard. Several instances are known where Snowy
Owls have made use of a ship as a temporary resting-place. On one such occasion, the
ship was visited by no less than sixty of these birds, which were so fatigued that they
permitted themselves to be captured by the crew.

The colour of an old Snowy Owl is pure white without any markings whatever ; but
in the earlier years of its life, its plumage is covered with numerous dark-brown spots and
bars, caused-by a dark tip to each feather. Upon the breast and abdomen, these markings
form short abrupt curves, but on the back and upper surface they are nearly straight.
The beak and claws are black. The length of the male Snowy Owl is about twenty-two
inches, and that of the female twenty-six or twenty-seven.

THE quaint, long-legged little Owl which is represented in the accompanying
illustration is a native of many parts of America, where it inhabits the same locality with
the prairie dog. The description of that curious marmot and its peculiar burrow may be
found in Volume I.

The prairie dogs and Burrowing Owls live together very harmoniously ; and this strange
society is said also to be augmented by a third member, namely, the rattlesnake. It is
now, however, ascertained with tolerable-accuracy that the rattlesnake is nothing but a

2. H

98 THE BOOBOOK OWL.

very unwelcome intruder upon the marmot, and, as has been shown by the Hon. G, F.
Berkeley’s experiments, is hable to be attacked and destroyed by the legal owner of the
burrow. If all had their rights, it would seem that the Owl is nearly as much an intruder
as the snake, and that it only takes possession of the burrow excavated by the prairie dog
in order to save itself the trouble of making a subterranean abode for itself. Indeed, there
are some parts of the country where the Owl is perforce obliged to be its own workman,
and in default of convenient “dog” burrows, is fain to employ its claws and bill in
excavating a home for itself.

The tunnel which is made by the Owl is not nearly so deep or so neatly constructed
as that which is dug by the marmot, being only eighteen inches or two feet in depth, and
very rough in the interior. At the bottom of this burrow is placed a tolerably-sized heap
of dried grass, moss, leaves, and other soft substances, upon which are deposited its white-
shelled eggs.

Some persons have supposed that the Coquimbo Owl is attracted to the habitation of
the prairie dog by the charms of the young and tender marmots, which would furnish a
delicate and easily obtained meal whenever the bird might happen to be hungry. As,
however, the stomach of the Burrowing Owl has only been found to contain the wing-cases
and other indigestible parts of beetles and various large insects, the bird may be pronounced
euiltless on this charge. Those specimens, however, that inhabit the plains of Buenos Ayres
are proved, on the authority of Mr. Darwin, to feed on mice, small reptiles, and even on
the little crabs of the sea-shore.

The Coquimbo Owl is by no means a nocturnal bird, facing the glare of the midday
sun without inconvenience, and standing at all times in the day or evening on the httle
heaps of earth which are thrown up at the entrance of the burrows. It is a lively little
bird, moving about among the burrows with considerable vivacity, rising on the wing if
suddenly disturbed, and making a short undulating aerial journey before it again settles
upon the ground. When it has alighted from one of these little flights, it turns round and
earnestly regards the pursuer. Sometimes it will dive into one of the burrows, heedless of
prior occupants, and thus it is that marmot, owl, and snake come to be found in the same
burrow.

Lizards and other reptiles have also been found in the burrows of the prairie dog.
While sitting on the little earth mounds, or moving among the burrows, the Coquimbo
Owl presents avery curious likeness to the prairie dog itself, and at a little distance might
easily be taken for the little marmot as it sits erect at the mouth of its domicile.

The colour of the Burrowing Owl is a rather rich brown upon the upper parts of the
body, diversified with a number of small grey-white spots, and altogether darker upon the
upper surface of the wings. The under parts are greyish-white. The length of the bird
is not quite eleven inches. The ery of this curious bird is unlike that of any other Owl,
and bears a very great resemblance to the short, sharp bark of the prainie dog.

THE genus ATHENE is a very large one, and contains many curious and interesting
birds which cannot be describell at length except in a monograph of the Owl tribe. Among
these may be mentioned two remarkable birds, the Boonook Own (Athéne Boo-book) and
the WINKING OwL (Athéne conntvens), both natives of Australia,

The former of these birds is popularly called the Australian Cuckoo by the colonists on
account of its cry, which bears no small resemblance to the well-known song of “Spring's
harbinger.” As the bird, after the manner of Owls, utters its ery by night, it is often
noted as an instance of the perversity of the Australian climate, which reverses the
usual operations of nature, and forces the cuckoo to take the place of the nightingale, and
pour forth its song at night. This species is diumal in its ®eabits, and remarkably swift
and agile on the wing, being able to chase successfully the quick-winged insects that are
so numerous in Australia. When roused, it is said by Mr. Gould to resemble the wood-
cock in the manner of its flight, and to further carry out the likeness in its habit of rising
out of gun-shot, and diving rapidly into the nearest covert, where it lies safely housed
until its enemies have withdrawn from the neighbourhood, The quaint title of Boobook
is the name by which it is known among the natives,

THE TENGMALM’S OWL. 99

THE WINKING OWL is also a day flier, strong and powerful on the wing, though with
flight nearly as noiseless as that of the common “barn Owl of England. It isa large and
powerful bird, delighting to capture the young koala, or native bear, together with other
prey of equal strength and magnitude. Berries have been found in the stomach of one of
these Owls; but Mr. Gould thinks that they have probably come from the crop of some
unfortunate bird which had fallen a prey to the Winking Owl. The ery of this species is
remarkably resonant, and is said to resemble the lowing of an ox. If wounded it becomes
a very dangerous opponent, flinging itself on its bac i, striking fierce and rapid blows
with its well-armed feet, and seeking to seize its foe in the terrible clutch of its curved
talons.

The general colour of this species is a dark clove-brown, diversified by many bars and
stripes.

THIs genus also finds a British representative, in the person of the LirtLE Ow1L
(Athéne passerina), many specimens of which bird have been captured in England, and
even the nest and yoting occasionally discovered.

The name of Little Owl is very appropriate, for it is only eight inches in leneth
including the plumage, and when stripped of its feathers appears hardly so large as a
common “starling. It is properly a native of Germany, Holland, France, and Austria, and
has sometimes been called the Austrian Rufous Owlet, or the Sparrow Owl. Although so
small a creature, its food is the same as that of any of its larger relatives, consisting of
small birds, bats, mice, and various insects. The general colour of this curious little Owl
is clove-brown, banded and marked with yellowish-brown, grey, and white. It may easily
be distinguished from the British Owls by the legs, which ave very long in proportion to
the dimensions of the bird, and instead
of being feathered down to the toes, are
covered with very short hair-like plumage,
becoming very scanty over the toes. It
is easily domesticated, and in a tamed
state is so voracious that, according to
Bechstein, it can swallow five mice at a
single meal.

ANOTHER curious little Owl is some-
times found in England, and has therefore
gained a place among the British birds.
This is the TENGMALM’s Owl or DEATH
Birp, the latter name having been given
to it on account of a common superstition
that reigns among several of the North-
American Indian tribes. When an Indian
hears one of these birds uttering its melan-
choly ery, he whistles towards the spot
from whence the sound proceeded, and if
the bird does not answer him, he looks
for a speedy death.

This species is at first sight not unlike
the Little Owl, but may be at once dis-
tinguished from that bird by the structure TENGMALM’S OWL.—Njetalé funcrea.
of its legs and toes, and the thick feathery
coating with which they are clad. It is a
very common bird over the whole of the
inhabited portions of North America, but is frequently found in Norway, Sweden, Russia,
and even in Northern France and Italy. It is a nocturnal bird, seldom wandering from
its home during the hours of daylight, as it is almost blinded by the unaccustomed glare,
and may be easily captured by hand while thus bewildered, The nest of the Tengmalm’s

H 2

100 SCOPS EARED OWL.

Owl is generally made of grass, and is placed about half-way up some convenient pine-
tree. The eggs are seldom more than two in number, are pure white in colour, and not
quite so globular as is the case with the generality of Owls’ eggs.

The colour of this bird is more rich and better defined than that of the Little Owl.
The whole of the upper parts of the body are a rich chocolate-brown, dotted and splashed
with many white markings, which are very minute upon the top of the head, and larger
upon the back and wings, some indeed being arranged on the lower portions of the wings
so as to form irregular stripes. Similar white spots are placed on the tail, which is usually
of a dark brown. The eye disk is greyish-white, excepting a bold black-brown ring just
round the eye. The under portions of the body are greyish-white, covered with numerous
brown bars and spots, and the plumage of the legs and toes is also grey-white sprinkled
with brown spots. The size of the Tengmalm’s Owl is nearly the same as that of the
Little Owl.

WE now arrive at a large group of
Owls which are remarkable for two tufts
of feathers which rise from the head, and
occupy nearly the same relative position
as the ears of quadrupeds. These “ears,”
as they are called, have, however, nothing
to do with the organs of hearing, but are
simply tufts of feathers, which can be
raised or depressed at the will of the bird,
and give a most singular expression to the
countenance.

The first of these birds is the Scoprs
EARED OWL, a most singular little creature,
which is sometimes, though rarely, taken
in England, and has therefore been placed
in the catalogue of British Birds.

The geographical range of this species
is very great, specimens now in the
British Museum having been taken in
Germany and several parts of Europe,
India, Malacea, China, Gambia, and the
Cape of Good Hope. It is by no means
an uncommon bird in Southern Europe,
and is said even to have bred several
times in England. A very good deserip-
tion is given of the habits.of the Scops
Kared Owl by Mr. Spence.

“This Owl, which in summer is very
common in Italy, is remarkable for the constancy and regularity with which it utters its
peculiar note or cry. It does not merely ‘to the moon complain, but keeps repeating
its plaintive and monotonous cry of Kew! kew/ (whence its Florentme name of Chiv,
pronounced almost exactly like the English letter Q) in the regular intervals of about
two seconds the livelong night, and until one is used to it, nothing can well be more
wearisome. Towards the end of April, last year, 1830, one of these Owls established
itself in the large Jardin Anglais, behind the house where we resided at Florence, and
until our departure for Switzerland in the beginning of June, I recollect but one or two
instances in which it was not constantly to be heard, as if im spite to the nightingales,
who abounded there from nightfall to midnight (and probably much later), whenever |
chanced to be in the back part of the house, or took a friend to listen to it, and always
with precisely the same unwearied cry, and the intervals between each as regular as
the tickings of a pendulum.

This species of Owl, according to Professor Savis excellent Ornitologia Toscana,
Vol. I. p. 74, is the only Italian species which migrates ; passing the winter in Africa and

SCOPS EARED OWL.—£phialtes Scops.

THE GREAT OWL. 101

Southern Asia, and the summer in the south of France. It feeds wholly upon beetles,
grasshoppers, and other insects.” ;

The length of this tiny Owl is only seven inches and a half, the female being a little
longer than her mate. The nest is generally placed in a hollow tree or the cleft of a rock,
and contains from two to four white eggs. It is a pretty little bird, the general colouring
being much as follows. The head is light brown, marked with several narrow dark-brown
streaks ; the back is variegated brown and chestnut, marked with dark bands and grey
mottlings. The wing is brown, speckled largely with white and grey, and the tail is
similarly barred and dashed with black and pale brown. The facial disk is greyish-white,
thickly covered with small brown spots, and the two feather-tufts of the head are similarly
tinted. The under portions of the body are greyish-white, with several streaks and dashes
of dark brown, and the legs are covered as
far as the toes with short speckled feathers.
The claws are nearly white at their base,
declining to blackish-brown at the tip; the
toes are brown and the beak black.

ALTHOUGH seemingly exceeding the golden
eagle in dimensions, the GREAT OWL is in
reality a very much smaller bird, owing its
apparent magnitude to its feathers and not to
its body. In weight it hardly exceeds one
quarter of that of the eagle, but in power of
muscle it is little inferior even to that royal
bird itself.

The Great Owl, or EAGLE OwL as it is
often called, inhabits the northern parts of
Europe, being especially common in Sweden,
Norway, Switzerland, and Russia, and being
found even in some parts of Italy and Turkey.
It is a very rare bird in our country, and
is only an occasional visitant to our shores.
When captured, however, the Eagle Owl is
easily reconciled to its habitation, and has
frequently been known to hatch and bring
up its young while in captivity. In its wild
state it makes a very rude nest upon some
convenient ledge of rock or other similar
locality, and lays two or three pure white,
rather globular eggs. The young, when in
their first few days of independent life, would
hardly be recognised as Owls at all, being
mere shapeless lumps of grey woolly down.
The parent birds take great care of their
young, and are so fond of their offspring,
that when an Eagle Owl’s nest has been
harried, and the young birds removed, the
parents have been known to supply them
with food for a period of fourteen days,
laying dead partridges and other prey before the bars of the cage in which the young
birds were confined. :

The food of this Owl consists generally of grouse, partridges, hares, and other similar
game, and the bird is so powerful that it will successfully chase even larger prey.
Mr. Lloyd, in his well-known “ Field Sports,” gives the following description of the Eagle
Owl as it appears in the Scandinavian forests.

“These Owls, Dr. Mellerborg assured me, will sometimes destroy dogs. Indeed, he

GREAT OWL.—Bubo mdximus.

102 THE VIRGINIAN EARED OWL.

himself once knew an instance of the kind. He states another circumstance, showing
the ferocity of these birds, which came under his notice. Two men were in the forest
for the purpose of getting berries, when one of them happening to approach near to
the nest of the Owl, she pounced on him while he was in the act of stooping, and
fixing her talons in his back, wounded him very severely. His companion, however,
was fortunately near at hand, who, catching up a stick, lost no time in destroying the
furious bird.

Mr. Nilsson states that these Owls not unfrequently engage in combat with the eagle
himself, and that they often come off victorious. These powerful and voracious birds,
that gentleman remarks, occasionally kill the fawns of the stag, roebuck, and reindeer.
The largest of the birds common to the Scandinavian forests, such as the capercali, often
become their prey. The hooting of these Owls may often be heard during the night-time
in the northern forests; the sound, which is a most melancholy one, and which has
given rise to many superstitions, is audible at a long distance.” This bird is also most
invaluable in destroying the lemmings.

The cry of the Eagle Owl is a very deep and doleful note, sounding most lugubriously
in the depth of the lonely forests during the hours of night. When angry, the bird utters
a sharp hiss, not unlike the sound which is produced by the common brown Owl of
England when irritated. It is generally seen during the twilight hours, although it some-
times continues to search after prey during the entire night. While engaged in hunting,
it flies low over the ground, and displays great quickness of eye and wing in discerning
and pouncing upon everything that has life and can be eaten. This bird has been
employed for the purpose of decoying falcons towards the snare, by being fastened
in a convenient spot where it can be seen by any passing bird. The falcon cannot
possibly resist the pleasure of dashing at the great, solemn, winking bird, and is
accordinely captured in the fowler’s ready net as he swoops after the Owl, which
runs for refuge precisely in the direction of the toils.

The leneth of this fine bird is rather more than two feet, and the aspect of its
outstretched wings is wonderfully magnificent. The general colour of the Eagle Owl is
brown, mingled with a yellow tinge, and covered on the upper surface with bars, dashes,
and streaks of blackish-brown. The facial dise is pale brown, decorated with many small
spots of black, and the under surface of the body is nearly yellow, traversed by
longitudinal stripes of black upon the chest, and barred transversely with many bars of
dark brown on the abdomen. The legs and thighs are pale brown, with many narrow
bars of a darker hue. The long armed claws are black, and the beak is also nearly black.
The eyes are of a bright radiant orange, and have a very fierce appearance when the bird
looks the spectator in the face. The female is rather larger than the male, the difference
in length being about four inches.

The VircintrAN Earep Own holds the same place in America as the eagle Owl
in Europe, and is even now a familiar bird, though it has been extirpated from many
localities where it once reigned supreme.

It is a very large bird, nearly equalling the great Owl in magnitude, and being im no
way its inferior in strength or courage. This species is found spread over the greatest
portion of North America, and in former days did great damage among the poultry of the
agriculturists, beg a bold as well as a voracious bird. Now, however, the ever-ready
rifle of the farmer has thinned its numbers greatly, and has inspired the survivors with
such awe, that they mostly keep clear of cultivated lands, and confine themselves to
seeking after their legitimate prey.

The Virginian Eared or Horned Owl is a terrible destroyer of game, snatching
up grouse, partridges, hares, ducks, sparrows, squirrels, and many other furred and
feathered creatures, and not unfrequently striving after larger quarry. The wild turkey
is a favourite article of diet with this Owl; but on account of the extreme wariness of the
turkey nature, the depredator finds an unseen approach to be no easy matter. The usual
mode in which the Owl catches the turkey is, to find out aspot where its intended prey
is quietly sleeping at night, and then to swoop down suddenly upon the slumbering bird

HABITS OF THE VIRGINIAN EARED OWL. 103

before it awakes. Sometimes, however, the Owl is baffled in a very curious manner
When the turkey happens to be roused by the rush of the winged foe, it instinctively ducks
its head and spreads its tail flatly over its back. The Owl, impinging upon the slippery
plane of stiff tail feathers, finds no hold for its claws, and glides off the back of its
intended victim, which immediately dives into the brushwood before the Owl can recover
from the surprise of its unexpected failure.

The following admirable description of the Virginian Eared Owl, as it used to be
in the earlier days of cultivation, is given by Audubon in his well-known History of the
Birds of America.

“Tt is during the placid serenity of a =
beautiful night, when the current of the
waters moves silently along, reflecting from
its smooth surface the silver radiance of the
moon, and when all else of animated nature
seems sunk in repose, that the great Horned
Owl, one of the Nimrods of the feathered tribes
of our forests, may be seen sailing silently
and yet rapidly on, intent on the destruction
of the object destined to form its food.

The lone steersman of the descending boat
observes the nocturnal hunter eliding on ex-
tended pinions across the river, sailing over
one hill and then another, or suddenly sweep-
ing downwards and again rising in the air,
like a moving shadow, now distinctly seen, and
again, mingling with the sombre shades of the
surrounding woods, fading into obscurity.

The bird has now floated to some distance,
and is opposite the newly-cleared patch of
ground, the result of a squatter’s first attempt
at cultivation in a place lately shaded by the
trees of the forest.~ The moon shines brightly
on his hut, his light fence, the newly planted
orchard, and a tree which, spared by the axe,
serves as a roosting-place for the scanty stock
of poultry which the new-comer has procured
from some liberal neighbour. Amongst them
rests a turkey-hen, covering her offspring with
extended wings.

The great Owl, with eyes keen as those of
any falcon, is now seen hovering above the
place. He has already espied the quarry, VIRGINIAN EARED OWL.—Bulo Virginidnus.
and is sailing in wide circles, meditating his
plan of attack. The turkey-hen, which at
another time might be sound asleep, is now,
however, so intent upon the care of her young brood, that she rises on her legs, and pwi7s
so loudly as she opens her wings and spreads her tail, that she rouses her neighbours, the
hens, together with their protector. The cacklings which they at first emit soon become
a general clamour.

The squatter hears the uproar, and is on his feet in an instant, rifle in hand; the
priming examined, he gently pushes open the half-closed door and peeps out cautiously,
to ascertain the cause by which his repose has been disturbed. He observes the murderous
Owl just alighting on the dead branch of a tall tree, when, raising his never-failine rifle,
he takes aim, touches the trigger, and the next instant sees the foe falling dead to the
ground. The bird is unworthy of his further attention, and is left a prey to some prowling

104 THE BROWN OWL.

opossum or other carnivorous quadruped. In this manner falls many a Horned Owl on
our frontier, where the species abounds.”

The flight of this bird is remarkably powerful, easy, and graceful, as may be gathered
from the enormous expanse of wing, in comparison with the weight and dimensions of the
body. Its voice is of a hollow and weird-like character, and when heard by might from
some spot on which the Owl has silently settled, is apt to cause many a manly but
superstitious cheek to pale. As Wilson well observes, the loud and sudden ery of
Waugh O! Waugh O! is sufficient to alarm a whole garrison of soldiers. Probably on
account of the peculiar sounds which are uttered by this bird, the Cree Indians know it
by the name of Otowuck-oho !

The Virginian Horned Owl takes up its residence in the deep swampy forests, where
it remains hidden during the day, and comes out at night and morning, heralding its
approach with its loud, unearthly cries, as of an unquiet, wandering spirit. Sometimes,
according to Wilson, “he has other nocturnal solos, one of which very strikingly resembles
the half-suppressed screams of a person suffocating or throttled.”

Sir W. Jardine, in his notes to his well-known edition of Wilson’s American
Ornithology, gives the following account of a captive Owl, which affords an excellent
idea of the peculiar sounds that can proceed from an Owl's throat.

« An Eagle Owl in my possession remains quiet during the day, unless he is shown
some prey, when he becomes eager to possess it, and when it is put within his reach, at
once clutches it, and retires to a corner to devour it at leisure. During night he is extremely
active, and sometimes keeps up an incessant bark. It is so similar to that of a cur or
terrier, as to annoy a large Labrador house-dog, who expresses his dissatisfaction by
replying to him, and disturbing the inmates nightly. I at first mistook the ery also for
that of a dog, and, without any recollection of the Owl, sallied forth to destroy the
disturber of our repose; and it was not until tracing the sound to the cage, that I
became satisfied of the author of the annoyance. I have remarked that he barks more
incessantly during a clear winter night than at any other time, and the thin air at
that season makes the cry very distinctly heard to a considerable distance. This bird
also shows a great antipathy to dogs, and will perceive one at a considerable distance, nor
is it possible to distract his attention so long as the animal remains in sight. When first
perceived, the feathers are raised, and the wings lowered as when feeding, and the head

on}

moved round, following the object while in sight. If food is thrown, it will be struck
with the foot and held, but no further attention paid to it.”

The nest of this bird is extremely large, and consists of a large bundle of sticks,
grass, leaves, and feathers, placed in the fork of some large bough, and containing three
or four white eggs. The colour of the Virginian Eared Owl is reddish brown upon the
upper surface, mottled with various splashes of black, and covered with regular bands of
the same hue. The facial disc is brown, edged with black. The under surface is of a
light reddish-brown colour, covered with numerous transverse bars of dusky brown,
with a few white lines and dashes among them. The throat is pure white, the beak
and claws are black, and the eyes are of a bright orange, gleaming out strangely even by
day and burning with double radiance in the twilight.

The common Brown Ow1, or TAWNY OWL as it is often named, is, with the exception
of the Barn Owl, one of the best known of the British Owls.

Although rather a small bird, being only about fifteen inches in total length, it is
possessed of a powerful pounce and audacious spirit, and when roused to anger or urged
by despair, is a remarkably unchancy antagonist.

In the Field newspaper there is a curious account of the conduct of a pair of
Brown Owls, who built a nest in the attic of an untenanted house. The writer proceeds
to say, “I should have been a little afraid of molesting them, so ferocious did the old
centleman look when his wife and children were approached. One morning the cat was
missing, and I found, on inquiry, that some strange sounds had been heard the evening
before in the room where the Owls were. On going up that evening I found poor puss
quite dead, one of her eyes actually picked out, and her antagonist, also killed, lying on

HABITS OF THE BROWN OWL. 105

the side of the nest. The mamma Owl was absent, probably in search of food, but she
may have been present and have assisted at the death. I have seen a cat on another
occasion cowed by an old Owl that came down the chimney into the dining-room.”

In the same paper is recorded an anecdote of a pair of Brown Owls that were kept in
confinement, and which, when approached by any stranger, would fly at him and fasten
their talons into his head with such angry violence that they could but be removed by
direct force.

The food of this Owl is of a very varied nature, consisting of all the smaller
mammalia, many reptiles, some birds, fishes when it can get them, and insects. It seems
to be a good fisherman, and catches its finny prey by waiting on the stones that project
a little above the water, and adroitly snatching the fish from the stream by a rapid
movement of the foot. Sometimes it flies at much higher game, especially when it has a
young family to maintain, and will then attack birds and quadrupeds of very great size
when compared with its own dimensions. In a single nest of this bird have been found,
according to a writer in the Feld, three young Owls, five leverets, four young rabbits,
three thrushes, and one trout weighing
nearly half a pound. All these achieve-
ments, however, sink into insignificance
in comparison with a feat which is de-
scribed by Mr. Carr.

“Tn 1844 a pair of Tawny Owls reared
and ushered into the world their hopeful
young, after having fed them assiduously
upon the trees for many weeks after they
had left the nest. The food must often
have consisted in great part of worms,
snails, and slugs, for the old birds brought
it every minute from the ground in the
immediate vicinity of the trees where the
young were perched. This, however, might
only be considered as a whet to their
appetites before dinner, for the parents
made repeated and persevering attacks
upon three or four magpies’ nests, some-
times during half an hour at a time. As
the defence was gallant and spirited, they
were often repulsed, but finally I found
the remains of young magpies under the
favourite perch of the Owls, and one
morning the bloody head and feathers of
an old magpie, conspicuous for its size
and the want of any cerous skin about the
beak. This, then, I thought, must have
been taken while roosting.

In 1845 the Owls alone were seen, and they passed the summer in sedate retirement,
and seemed to rest from the labours of propagation, neither did they molest the magpies.
But in 1846 they began to be very active early in the spring, and by the beginning of May
again had their young Owlets out upon the branches. Walking about nine o'clock one
evening, I heard a pertinacious attack going on against a pair of magpies that had had
their nest in the top of a very tall sycamore. At last, instead of the frantic chattering
of the poor magpies, one of them began to shriek in agony like a hare when caught in a
noose, and it was evident that the Owl was trying to drag it—the mother bird—by the
head from the entrance of the nest.

I ran down in time to separate the combatants by striking against the stem of the
tree with a stick. Before the next morning, the young of an only pair of rooks had
disappeared from the nest in a retreat in which none but the Owls could have imagined

BROWN OWL.—Surnium Alico.

106 THE LONG-EARED OWL.

them. This was too bad; a decree went forth against their young Owls, and they paid
the penalty of their voracious appetites.”

The voice of the Brown Owl is a loud monotonous hoot, that may be often heard in the
evening in localities where the bird has made its home. The nest is usually placed in the
hollow of a tree, and contains several white eggs. The colour of the Brown or Tawny Owl
is an ashen-grey upon the upper parts of the body, variegated with chocolate and wood-
brown. Several whitish-grey bars are seen upon the primaries, and there are several rows
of whitish spots upon the wings and scapularies. The facial disc is nearly white, edged
with brown, and the under surface of the body is of the same hue, covered with longitudinal
mottlings of variously tinted brown. The claws are nearly white at their base, darkening
towards their extremities, and the beak is nearly of the same colour. The eyes are of a
very dark black-blue.

This species is found in many parts of Europe, and is said to be one of the indigenous
birds of Japan.

LONG-EARED OWL.—Otus vulgaris.

THE fine bird which is known by the name of the URAL Own (Syrniwm Uralense)
belongs to the same genus with the barn Owl. This bird is nearly two feet m length, and
preys on hares, rabbits, grouse, and other large quarry, after the manner of the eagle Owl.
It is a native of the colder regions of Europe and Asia, being found in Lapland, Norway,
Northern Russia, and in similar localities,

WE now come to a familiar example of the British Owls, a bird that has attracted
great notice on account of its singular aspect. This is the LoNG-EARED OWL, its popular
name being derived from the great leneth of the “ears,” or feather-tufts which are placed
upon the head, and erect themselves whenever the bird is excited.

The Long-eared Owl is found in almost all parts of England, and also inhabits portions
of Asia, Africa, and America, so that it possesses a very large geographical range. It is
not a very large bird, being only fourteen or fifteen inches in length, but is a most
rapacious being, preying upon all the smaller mammalia, and capturing the finches and
other small birds with as much success as if it were a hawk rather than an Owl. Even
moles fall victims to the Long-eared Owl, and in the “castings” of this species have been
found the remains of mice, rats, and various birds.

While the young are still in the nest, the parent birds display a singular assiduity in
collecting food for their infant charge, and make sad havoe among the half-fledged nestlings
of the neighbourhood. The nest of this species seems seldom to be built by the bird itself,

ANECDOTE OF THE LONG-EARED OWL. 107

as the Owl prefers to take to the deserted nest of some other bird, and to fit up the premises
for its own use. According to Mr. Yarrell, this Owl has been known to take possession
of the nest of a squirrel, and therein to rear its young. The eggs of the Long-eared Owl
are generally four or five in number, and white, as is the case with nearly all Owls’ eggs.

It is a decidedly nocturnal bird, seldom being seen in the light of day, and being
always greatly disturbed if it should chance to issue from its concealment while the sun
is above the horizon. When it can take its choice of locality, it seems always to prefer
some spot where the foliage is thick, dark, and heavy, and if possible will build its nest
in the shade of some large evergreen.

The colour of this bird is very handsome, but so complicated that it is not easy to
describe. The colour of the back and upper feathers of the body is pale brown, diversified
on the neck and shoulders by sundry longitudinal streaks of black-brown. The upper
surface of the wings is variously splashed with black, fawn, and brown, and the primaries
are light chestnut barred and spotted with dark brown. The facial disc is curiously

marked with several shades of brown and white, and the “ears” are composed each of
seven or eight blackish-brown feathers. ‘The under surface of the body is greyish-white
intermixed with fawn and various longitudinal brown streaks, and the legs are covered up
to the claws with pale-brown plumage. The sharp curved claws are black, as is the bill,
and the eyes are of a light orange.

As the facial dise is very conspicuous in this species, I shall take the opportunity of
inserting a few remarks upon that portion of the Owl’s structure which have already
appeared in “ My Feathered Friends.”

“Tt issaid that the use of this circle is to collect the rays of light and throw them upon
the eye, a provision necessary in dark nights. This principle is apparently carried out in
the case of the Barn Owl, where the feathery circle, bemg of a whitish hue, may be
supposed to act as a reflector of the light. But it must be remembered that in the
Brown Owls this circle is also brown, and therefore would rather absorb than reflect
the light. Besides, objects are seen by the light reflected from them to the eyes, while
light reflected upon the eyes from the sky would rather distract than aid the vision.
When, on a bright day, we put our hands to our eyes in order to view a distant object, we
do so not to collect scattered rays and to force them to converge upon the pupil, but
rather to keep these scattered rays from interfering with those that proceed directly from
the object of vision. The same thing may be observed when people look at a picture
through a tube.

In my own opinion the radiating feathery circle is very simple in its operation, being
‘only a kind of circular splay window cut through the thick mass of plumage in which the
head of the bird is enveloped, in order to give it a wider sphere of vision, just as architects
cut a splay window in the thick wall of a fort so as to permit a musket-barrel to be
pointed in any direction. And the radiating formation of the feathers is preserved
because the natural elasticity of their stems presses aside the softer downy plumage of the
head, and preserves the circular form complete. If examined, they will be found to be
formed in a very peculiar manner, and quite distinct from those on which their extremities
press.”

For the following interesting account of the habits of a tame Long-eared Owl, I
am indebted to the kindness of a correspondent.

“The Horned Owlet has a peculiarly cat-like expression of face, and this I think was
the chief attraction possessed by a downy greyish-white ball, that was thrust into my lap
by one of my boy friends, who at the same time announced its name and nature.

With great delight I proceeded to introduce him to my other bird pets, but the
intense excitement caused by his appearance compelled me to remove him with all speed.
The small birds were all afraid of him, but the jackdaw and magpie both charged poor
‘Blinker’ at once. It then struck me that the cat-like face and nocturnal mousing habits
of the creature indicated the deep secret of its nature, and if so, that it would have more
sympathy with the feline establishment than with that of the birds.

Acting upon this impression, I at once conveyed him to pussy’s closet, and introduced

108 THE SHORT-EARED OWL.

him to its occupants, namely, Mrs. Fanny and her blind kitten. Pussy regarded him at
first with very suspicious looks ; but the poor bird, feeling pleased with the dim light and
pussy’s soft warm coat, soon nestled up to her. This act of confidence on Blinker’s part
appeared to affect Fanny favourably, and she at once purred him a welcome. From this
time they were fast friends, and many mice did she good-naturedly provide Blinker with
in common with her own kitten. When he grew large enough, he used to sit on the
side of her basket, and would never settle quietly for the night until the two cats were
asleep in their bed.

It was quite beautiful to observe the warm affection which grew up between the
Owlet and the kitten. The only cause of discord that we ever noticed between the two,
was when the kitten would play with a living mouse. This evidently hurt Blinker’s
feelings, for he would always pounce down and seize the mouse by the back of its neck,
and kill it ina moment. Still, he had a sense of justice in his nature ; for when the mouse
was dead, he would drop it down to its rightful owner.

I had him for a year, and was much attached to him ; but he fell ill, and went the
way of all pets.”

SHORT-EARED OWL.—Otus brachyétus

ANOTHER species of Eared OWL is also found in England, and is nearly as common as
the preceding bird. This is the SHoRT-EARED OWL, or SHoRT-HORNED Owl as it is
sometimes called.

This species is remarkable for the very small size of the head, which is even smaller
than the neck, and gives a very un-OwlLlike look to its aspect. In its habits the Short-
eared Owl is very unlike its British relations, as it flies much by day, and haunts the
heaths and open lands in preference to the woods. The eges of this bird are laid upon the
bare earth, which is scraped away by the parent bird until a small hollow is made, and is
undefended by the slightest ling. Richardson, however, says that in North America its
nest is formed of dried grasses and moss laid on the ground. Sometimes the eggs are laid
on a depression among sedges or heather, and there are instances where Owls’ eggs,
supposed to be of this species, have been found in rabbit burrows. The eggs are seldom
more than three in number. On account of its small head and day-hunting propensities,
it is sometimes known by the local name of Hawk Owl.

It does not seem to be very powerful on the wing, seldom flying for more than a
hundred yards, and at a very low elevation. If observed, it seeks the nearest covert, and
dives so deeply among the brushwood that it is not easily seen, and cannot be driven out

THE WHITE OR BARN OWL. 109

if the covert should be of any great extent. Its food consists chiefly of mice and birds ;
und Mr. Yarrell mentions that he has discovered in the stomach of a Short-eared Owl, the
remains of a bat and a half-grown rat.

This bird has a very large geographical range, being found spread over the whole
of Europe and in many parts of Asia and Africa. In North America it is a very common
bird, and is thought to be also an inhabitant of Chili. Specimens have been brought from
the Sandwich Isles, Brazil, and the Straits of Magellan.

In colour it is a pretty bird; the upper surface of the body, together with the head and
neck, are fawn, covered with dark-brown patches, the darker tint being placed on the
centre of each feather, and the same round the edges. A few spots of yellow are seen on
the wing-coverts, and the ruddy-brown primaries are bound with dark brown and tipped
with ashen-grey. Several very decided bars of dark brown cross the tail, and the facial disc
is dark towards the eye, becoming lighter towards the circumference and edged with
a white line. The feathers of the disc are long, and almost conceal the basal portions of
the beak. With the exception of the white skin, the whole of the under surface of the
body is light buff, thickly crossed with longitudinal dashes of dark brown upon the breast,
and with a few long streaks of the same colour upon the abdomen. The legs and thighs
are pale buf, the claws and beak are black, and the eyes golden yellow. The length of the
bird is about fifteen inches, the female being longer than the male.

“In the hollow tree, in the old grey tower
The spectral Owl doth dwell;
Dull, hated, despised in the sunshine hour,
But at dusk he’s abroad and well!
Not a bird of the forest e’er mates with him,
All mock him outright by day ;
But at night, when the woods grow still and dim,
» The boldest will shrink away.
O! when the night falls, and roosts the fowl,
Then, then is the reign of the Horned Owl. ;

And the Owl hath a bride who is fond and bold,
And loveth the woods’ deep gloom ;
And with eyes like the shine of the moon-stone cold,
She awaiteth her ghastly groom :
Not a feather she moves, not a carol she sings,
As she waits in her tree so still,
But when her heart heareth his flapping wings,
She hoots out her welcome shrill !
Oh! when the moon shines and dogs do howl,
Then, then is the reign of the Horned Owl.

Mourn not for the Owl, nor his gloomy plight !
The Owl hath his share of good.
If a prisoner he be in the broad daylight,
He is lord in the dark greenwood !
Nor lonely the bird nor his ghastly mate ;
They are each unto each a pride;
Thrice fonder, perhaps, since a strange dark fate
Hath rent them from all beside!
So when the night falls and dogs do howl,
Sing Ho! for the reign of the Horned Owl !
We know not alway
Who are kings of day,
But the king of the night is the bold brown Owl!”

Barry Cornwatt.

Tue best known of the British Owls is the WarTE, BARN, on SCREECH OwL, by either
_ of which appellations the bird is familiarly known over the whole of England.

This delicately coloured and soft-plumed bird is always found near human habitations,
and is generally in the vicinity of farmyards, where it loves to dwell, not for the sake of
devouring the young poultry, but of eating the various mice which make such havoc in the
ricks, fields, and barns. The “feathered cat,” as this bird has happily been termed, is

110 FOOD OF THE WHITE OR BARN OWL.

a terrible foe to mice, especially to the common field-mouse, great numbers of which are
killed daily by a single pair of Owls when they are bringing up their young family. In
the evening dusk, when the mice begin to stir abroad in search of a mole, the Owl starts
in search of the mice, and with noiseless flight quarters the ground in a sportsmanlike and
systematic manner, watching with its great round eyes every movement of a grass-blade,
and catching with its sensitive ears every sound that issues from behind. Never a field-
mouse can come within ken of the bird’s eye, or make the least rustling among the leaves
within hearing of the Owl’s ear, that is not detected and captured. The claws are the
instruments by which the Owl seizes its victim, and it does not employ the beak until it
desires to devour the prey.

It is curious that the Owl should have two modes of eating, which, as far as my own
experience goes, are invariably followed. If the bird has caught a mouse and is going to
eat it, the mouse is first bitten smartly across the back so as to destroy all life, and when
it hangs motionless from the bird’s beak, it is thrown up into the air in a most adroit
manner, so as to fall with its head downwards. The Owl then catches the little quadruped
in such a manner that its head falls into the bird’s mouth, where it hangs for a few
seconds, A sharp toss of the head then sends the whole of the mouse down the Owl’s
throat with the exception of the tail, which hangs out of one side of the beak, generally
the left side, and is then rolled about just as a boy rolls a stick of sweetmeats between his
lips. After carrying on this process for two or three minutes, the Owl again jerks its
head, and the mouse vanishes wholly from sight. But when the Owl has to deal with a
bird, it eats it after the manner of the hawks, partially plucking it, and tearing it to pieces
with its beak before swallowing it.

A cat with which I am well acquainted always follows the example of the Owl in its
method of eating prey. If it catches a mouse, she disposes of it without ceremony,
beginning at the head and gradually eating towards the tail; but if she has captured a
bird, she places her feet upon its body, and with her teeth séizes the feathers and
deliberately pulls them out before she will attempt to eat the carcase. It may be that
while the Owl is twisting and turning the mouse in its mouth, it may be lubricating its
skin in order to adimit of its easier passage down the throat. The feathers of birds are too
stiff and absorbent to admit of this process, and are therefore removed by the Owl before
it swallows its prey.

Some doubts have been raised respecting the bird-killing propensities of the Barn Owl,
many writers having asserted that it never kills adult birds, and that at the worst it only
takes a young finch or so out of the nest. Now, as my own Owl was always delighted
with a full-grown bird, and proceeded to eat it in a very business-like manner, it seemed
to me as if the process were by no means a new one, and these suspicions were confirmed
by some “castings” of a Barn Owl which were sent to me, and which contained, among
other matters, the bones of birds and an entire skull of a full-grown sparrow. Since that
time, I have seen several accounts of similar objects being discovered in the “castings,”
and it is rather a curious fact that the skull is always unbroken. Generally, the “ castings”
are composed of the bones and skins of mice, together with the hard portions of various
beetles, mostly in the specimens which I have examined belonging to the genera Carabus,
Abax, Agonum, and Steropus.

Sometimes the Owl has been detected in robbing the pigeons’ nests of their young; but
such conduct seems to be very exceptional, as there are many instances on record where
the Owl has actually inhabited the same cote with the pigeons without touching their
young or disturbing the peace of the parents. This Owl is also an experienced fisher, and
has been seen to drop quietly upon the water, and return to its nest bearing in its claws a
perch which it had captured.

This bird is easily tamed when taken young, and is a very amusing pet. If properly
treated, and fed with appropriate dict, it will live for a considerable time without
requiring very close attendance. Even if it be set at liberty, and its wings permitted to
reach their full growth, it will voluntarily remain with its owner, whom it recognises with

evident pleasure, evincing its dislike of strangers by a sharp hiss and an impatient snap
of the bill. One of these Owls, belonging to a ‘friend, was, although a sufficiently amusing

ANECDOTE OF A TAME BARN OWL 111

bird to its owner, so incorrigibly mischievous and spiteful, that it was at last doomed to
death. . . . . .

It seemed to fear nothing, and to care for nothing with one curious exception, in the
person of a free but tame skylark, which was accustomed to sleep in a cage with the door
open, and to forage for food on its own account when it was not satisfied with the quantity
or quality of the diet that was daily furnished. With this lark the Owl contracted a
firm alliance, permitting its little friend to sit upon its back and bury itself among the
mass of soft plumage with which it was clad. ‘This Owl always welcomed the approach
of its friend, and when it perched upon its back, seemed as pleased as a horse when his
favourite cat comes to bear him company. No other bird was so honoured, and a pair
of goldfinches that were kept in a cage were constantly persecuted by the Owl, which
could never understand that they were not to be killed, and was in the habit of pushing
his feet through the bars, in vain attempts to secure the inmates.

It was a confirmed murderer of bats, and small birds as well as mice, and was
accustomed to push its prey into a hole in an old wall that had been occasioned by the
fall of a brick. In this odd larder were constantly found a strange variety of slaughtered

WHITE, OR BARN OWL.—Strix Aammea.

game. Six to eight small birds were often counted when the hole was explored in the
early morning, and once the Owl had poked fourteen bats into the aperture. On several
occasions, the bird had contrived to pack a moderately sized eel into its storehouse, having
always killed the eel by a bite across the back of the neck. The Owl was always attracted
by bright and glittering objects, and once was seen to pounce upon a knitting-needle that
lay glistening in the moonshine, and to carry it away to its usual receptacle.

This bird was remarkably fond of half-cooked chicken, and was wonderfully delighted
if its meal were seasoned with a very slight sprinkling of sugar and salt, a fact which is
rather remarkable, because, as a general rule, the predaceous birds do not care for sugar.

The hunting hour of this Owl varied much according to the time of year, and was about
six P.M. in April and May, and eight in June and July, It was a spiteful bird, and very
much given to attacking strange men and beasts. His last escapade was of such a serious
nature, that he was summarily handed over to the executioner. He dashed at a pony
which was coming towards the house, and fastening on its nose with its claws, battered the
poor beast with his wings to such an extent that it became quite frantic, and by a powerful
toss of the head flung its assailant violently on the ground and broke one of his legs.

112 NEST OF THE WHITE OR BARN OWL.

Nothing daunted by this mishap, the Owl returned to the attack, and, grasping the pony’s
nose with the sound foot, struck his curved beak into its face and recommenced his
buffeting. He was at last torn away by main force, and paid the penalty of his mischief
with his life.

This species is generally considered to be the typical example of the Owl tribe, as it
exhibits in great perfection the different characteristics of the Owls, namely, the thick coat
of downy plumage, the peculiar dise round the eye, the large eye-balls, and the heavily
feathered legs and toes. The feathers are so thickly set upon this bird, that it appears
to be of much greater dimensions than is really the case. When standing on its feet, or
while flying over the fields like a huge bunch of thistle-down blown violently by the night
breeze, the Barn Owl appears to be rather a large bird; but when the creature is lying
on the bird-stuffer’s table, after its skin and feathers have been removed, the transformation
is really astonishing. The great round head shrinks into the shape and size of that of a
small hawk, the body is hardly larger than that of a pigeon, and but for the evident
power of the firm muscles and their glistening tendinous sheaths, the bird would appear
absolutely insignificant.

Although so small, it is a terrible bird to fight, and when it flings itself defiantly on
its back, ire glancing from its eyes, and its sharp claws drawn up to its breast ready to
strike as soon as its antagonist shall come within their range, it is really a formidable
foe, and will test the nerves of a man to some extent before he can secure the fierce little
bird, as I can assert from experience, having had my hands somewhat torn in such an
encounter. So fiercely does this bird strike, that I knew an instance where a dog was
blinded by the stroke of a Barn Owl’s claws. The Owl was a tame one, and the dog—a
stranger—went up to inspect the bird. As the dog approached the Owl, the bird rolled
quietly over on its back, and when the dog put his head to the prostrate bird, it struck so
sharply with its claws that it destroyed both the eyes of the poor animal, which had to be
killed on account of the injury. While its young are helpless, the White Owl watches
over their safety with great vigilance, and if any living thing, such as a man or a dog,
should approach too closely to the domicile, the Owl will dash fiercely at them, regardless
of the consequence to itself.

The nest of this species is placed either in a hollow tree, or in a crevice of some old
building, where it deposits its white, rough-surfaced eggs upon a soft layer of dried
“castings.” These nests have a most ill-conditioned and penetrating odour, which taints
the hand which is introduced, and cannot be removed without considerable care and
several lavations. The young are curious little puffs of white down, and the Barn Owl is
so prolific that it has been known to be sitting on one brood of eggs while it is feeding the
young of a previous hatching.

As may be supposed from its popular title of White Owl, this species is very light in
its colouring. The general colour of this bird is buff of different tints, with grey, white,
and black variegations. The head and neck are light buff, speckled slightly with black
and white spots, and the back and wings are of a deeper buff spotted with grey, black,
and white. The tail is also buff, with several broad bars of grey. The facial disc is nearly
white, becoming rusty-brown towards the eye, and a deeper brown round the edge. The
under surface of the male bird is beautifully white, the claws are brown, the beak nearly
white, and the eyes blue-black. The sexes are very similar in their colouring, but the
females and young males may be distinguished by the under surface of the body, which is
fawn instead of white.

TRINIDAD GOAT-SUCKER.—Steatornis Caripensis.

GOAT-SUCKERS.

Wits the owls closes the history of those birds which are called predaceous, although to
a considerable extent nearly all birds are somewhat predaceous, even if they prey upon
smaller victims than do the vultures, eagles, falcons, or owls. Next to the Accipitres come
the Passeres, distinguished by their cere-less and pointed beak, their legs feathered as far
the heel, their tarsus covered in front with shield-like scales, and their shehtly curved and
sharply pointed claws. This order is a very large one, and embraces a vast variety of
birds. ,

First among the Passerine birds are placed the Fissirostres or cleft-beaked birds, so
called from the enormous gape of the mouth, a structure which is intended to aid them in
the capture of the agile prey on which they feed. Some of the birds, such as the Goat-
suckers, swallows, bee-eaters, and others, prey upon insects, which they take upon the
wing; while some, such as the kinefishers, feed upon fish, which they snatch from the
water and bear to their homes in spite of their hard, slippery, scale-covered armour, or
the watery element in which they dwell.

The GOAT-SUCKERS, as they are familiarly termed, from a stupid notion that was
formerly in great vogue among farmers, and is not even yet quite extinct, that these birds
were in the habit of sucking the wild goats, cows, and sheep, are placed first among the
Fissirostres on account of the wonderfully perfect manner in which their structure is
adapted to the chasing and securing of the swift-winged insects on which they feed. The
colour of all these birds is sombre; black, brown, and grey being the prevailing tints. The
gape of the mouth is so large that when the bird opens its beak to its fullest extent, it
seems to have been severely wounded across the mouth, and the plumage is lax and soft

like that of the owl.
2 I

114 THE TRINIDAD GOAT-SUCKER.

THE singular bird which is known by the name of the TRINIDAD GOAT-SUCKER or
GuacHaro is remarkable for the peculiarity from which it derives its name of Steatornis
or Fat-Bird.

The Guacharos congregate in vast multitudes within the shelter of certain dark caverns,
the greater portions of which remain unexplored owing to the superstitious fear of the
natives, who fancy that the spirits of their ancestors hold their gloomy state in the Imnermost
recesses of the caverns where the Guacharos reside, So strongly is this idea imprinted in
their minds, that to “join the Guacharos” is, in the native language, an expression which
signifies the death of the person of whom it is said. In these caverns the Guacharos
build their nests, choosing for that purpose certain holes which exist in the roof, some
forty or fifty feet in height.

During the breeding season, the Indians arm themselves with long bamboo poles, and
entering the caves as far as they dare to penetrate, strike the young birds from their nests
in spite of the outcries of the afilicted parents, which dash to and fro over their heads,
emitting their strange hoarse cries. When a sufficient number of young birds has been
felled, they are collected and taken to little temporary huts near the entrance of the cave.
The young birds are then stripped of their fat, which lies in extraordinary volume on the
abdominal regions, and the fat is melted down in clay pots, whence a peculiarly soft and
limpid oil is produced. This oil has the useful property of remaining pure for a very long
time, and even after the lapse of a year is found to be inodorous and free from rancidity.
These birds are killed annually in such vast numbers that they would have long since been
extirpated but for the religious scruples of the Indians, who are afraid to venture for any
ereat distance into the caves, and can therefore only injure those unfortunate novices
which have made their nests near the entrance.

The Guacharos remain in the caverns during the entire day, and issue forth at night
in search of food. Contrary to the general habit of the Goat-suckers, the Guacharo feeds
largely on fruits of various kinds, especially those of a hard and dry nature. Some persons
suppose that the bird is strictly frugivorous in its habits, but this opinion has not been
sutticiently strengthened to bear much value. It is certainly true that in the crop of the
young birds which are annually slain, nothing is found except hard and dry fruits, which are
carefully preserved by the natives and employed medicinally as a remedy against fever.
The noise which these birds make in the recesses of their caverns, however, is quite
deafening, and from the strange unearthly character of the cries uttered by the Guacharo,
there is good reason for the superstitious terror of the Indians, who, like all heathens, have
a very doleful idea of the spiritual condition, and when they hear by night a loud wailing
cry, set it down at once as proceeding from some wretched wraith longing to resume the
body in which it had been clothed, and piteously lamenting its sad doom.

Among other peculiarities of this bird may be reckoned the structure of the vocal
organs, by means of which it is enabled to utter the unearthly sounds which have given
to its residence so evil a reputation. It must first be mentioned that whereas in the
mammals the chief part which the trachea or windpipe plays in the production of sound,
is that it conveys the air towards the larynx where the voice is produced; in birds,
however, the voice is produced at some distance down the trachea; in our vocal organ it
is situated just at the spot where the trachea divides into the two bronchi which supply
the lungs of each side with air. On dissecting the throat of the Guacharo, it is found
that the “inferior larynx,” as this curious organ is rather wrongly termed, is double, each
of the bronchi being furnished with one of these structures at some distance below the
division.

These birds have a very unpleasant smell, of a powerful and fish-like nature, compared
by some persons to the odour of the cockroach. This smell, however, disappears when the
bird is cooked, and seems to aid in conveying to the palate a peculiarly agreeable flavour.
They are very awkward subjects for the taxidermist, as the fat is so plentiful and so
adherent to the skin, that it liquifies under the touch and runs over the feathers, ruining
their beautiful colours, and can hardly be separated from the skin without causing some
damage to its delicate texture.

The colour of this curious bird is a ruddy fawn, mottled with dark brown, and

TAWNY-SHOULDERED PODARGUS.—Podargus humerdlis.

spotted here and there with square white marks, the squares being mostly set with one of
the angles upwards, in lozenge fashion. The head is very hawk-like, owing to the large
hooked beak and the manner in which the feathers are set on the top of the head. The
Guacharo was discovered by Humboldt.

THE members of the genus Podargus are chiefly remarkable for the great width of
their beaks, which at their base are broder than the forehead of the bird. The tip of the
beak is hooked, and the upper mandible overlaps the lower at its edges. They are all
handsome birds, and many of them are of considerable dimensions.

The TAWNY-SHOULDERED PopARGUS is a native of Australia, and an admirable
account of the bird, as well as good figures, may be found in Gould’s magnificent work
on the Birds of Australia.

This bird is one of the drowsiest of creatures, being less easily roused by day than any
other slumberer of night. All the day long it sits sleeping upon a branch, its body
crouched closely to the bough, its head buried amid the masses of soft feathers upon the
neck and shoulders, and its whole form as motionless as if it were carved out of the
branch on which it reposes. It is worthy of notice that the Podargi always sit across the
branch on which they rest, whereas the generality of Goat-suckers recline longitudinally
upon the bough. This bird, however, is so quiet, and its sombre colour harmonizes so
well with the bark of the branch to which it clings, that even by day it needs a quick
and practised eye to discern its form.

These birds almost invariably sit close together in pairs, and they are so incorrigibly
drowsy, that if one of the pair be shot, its mate will not be disturbed even by the report

12

116 THE MOTH-PLUMED PODARGUS.

of the gun or the fall of its companion, but sit quietly in its place, and may either be
knocked down with a stick, shot with a second charge, or taken by hand as is most
convenient. If pushed off the branch by a long rod, the Podargus can barely summon
sufficient energy to save itself from falling to the ground, and flapping its wings languidly
to the nearest bough, settles, and is almost immediately wrapped in sleep, thus practically
carrying out the complaint of Dr. Watts’ sluggard, “ You have waked me too soon, I must
slumber again.” Sometimes, however, it is known to fly by day without being thus
violently disturbed, but such instances of diurnal liveliness are extremely rare, and may
be considered exceptional.

As soon, however, as the daylight fades out of the sky, the Podargus awakes from its
stupor, and after a few shakings and plumings of feathers, becomes a most lively and
animated bird, quick, light, and active in all its movements, and scarcely to be recognised
as the same being which but a few hours ago seemed hardly able to move a head or limb
without difficulty. At the earliest approach of nightfall the Tawny-Shouldered Podargus
sets off on its travels in search of food, and chases the insects on which it feeds with
great agility and perseverance. Sometimes it runs stealthily along a bough, and picks off
the locusts and cicadee, as they cling sleeping to the bark, or traces them into the hollow
eucalyptus branches, where they pass the night, and pecks them out with such haste, that
it swallows no small quantity of the decayed wood together with the insects.

It is not particularly good on the wing, its flights being but short and abrupt, owing to
the comparative small size and concave form of the wings. This structure is found in all
the birds belonging to this genus, and causes them to trust for their food rather to their
power of detecting and capturing sleeping insects, than to their capabilities of pursuing
their flying prey through the air. In this particular they differ greatly from the Goat-
sucker of England, which is remarkable for its ereat powers and agility of wing, and
taking almost the whole of its prey while flying. The stomach of this bird is found, when
dissected, to be lined with hair, in a manner very similar to that of the English cuckoo.
The voice is loud, hoarse, and rather startling when heard for the first time, although not
so stridulous as that of the Guacharo.

The nest of the Tawny-Shouldered Podareus is of very slight construction, being
made of little sticks laid upon the horizontal part of some convenient tree, usually the
eucalyptus, or gum-tree as it is more commonly termed, and is nearly flat in shape. The
eges are white, and generally two in number; their length is nearly two inches. It is
proved that the male takes his turn in sitting upon the eggs, and that while one bird
is engaged in incubation, its mate always seats itself on a neighbouring bough and bears
it company.

In its tinting this bird is extremely variable, some species being much gayer than
others. A rich tawny hue is dashed liberally over the sombre brown which forms the
ground tint of its body and wings, and is especially conspicuous on the shoulders, where
it warms into a ruddy chesnut. The species may be easily distinguished from its relatives
by the white spots which are scattered upon the top of its head.

ANOTHER very curious species of Podargus is that bird which is popularly known to
the settlers under the title of “ More Pork!” because its curious cry forms a very excellent
imitation of those words. Its more scientific name is CUVIER’s PoDARGUS, or Podargus
Cuviert.

This is a smaller bird than the preceding, but resembles it in many of its habits,
sleepiness among the rest. While slumbering, the Cuvier’s Podargus throws its head back-
ward, so that the top of the beak points wpwards, and it sleeps so soundly that even the
report of a gun will not disturb it from its repose. It is a very familiar bird, and is fond
of approaching human habitations and feeding in the verandahs. As it is also in the
habit of frequenting burial grounds and sitting « on the tomb-stones, it is reckoned a bird of
ill omen, and its visits are not at all encouraged. Like the preceding bird, it is extremely
variable in the colours of its plumage.

A MUCH smaller but very beautiful example of the Podargi is the Mora PLUMED
Popareus, (Podargus phalcenoides,) so called on account of the exquisitely soft tinting of

THE WHITE-BELLIED NIGHTJAR. 117

its feathers, which bear a very close resemblance to the velvet plumage of the large
moths. The moth-like hues are most perceptible upon the wing-coverts, which are thickly
sown with markings that closely resemble the “eyes” found upon the wings of so many
large moths, and that add so much to their beauty. These “eyes” are very like those
which decorate the wings of the well-known Emperor moth of England, but are devoid
of the brilliant colours of that insect, and are composed of different shades of grey and
brown.

Lastly, the PLUMED PopARGUS deserves notice on account of the singular development

_of the feathers of the nostrils, which rise to a considerable height, and are richly spotted

with black, brown, and white, forming a kind of plume over the forehead. It is a large

and handsome bird, and is generally found in the deepest bushes upon the banks of rivers
of New South Wales. Its scientific title is Podargus plumtferus.

The New HonLanpd Goart-
SUCKER is a very fine and beauti-
fully marked bird, its plumage
being richly mottled with black
and brown upon its upper surface,
while the under surface is rusty
grey, curiously variegated with
buff. The tail is barred with
darker bands.

This bird is very owl-like in
its appearance and many of its
habits, and has therefrom received
the popular title of OwLET Nicut-
JAR. In the shape of its head,
and the steady upright carriage, it
bears a great resemblance to the
Coquimbo Owl, a likeness which
is further carried out by the sharp,
angry hiss which it emits when
uritated. Like the owls, it also
possesses the habit of twisting its
head so that the beak is brought
on a level with the spine.

The New Holland Goat-sucker resides in the hollow branches of the eucalypti,
technically called “spouts” by the colonists. When the sportsman wishes to know
whether a “spout” is occupied by one of these birds, he has nothing more to do than to
administer a sharp tap to the branch with a stick or axe. Should the bird be at home, it
runs quickly to the entrance, pops out its head, and, after surveying the intruder for
a moment, retires into the seclusion of its domicile. It will repeat this process several
times, but at last loses patience at the frequent interruptions, and fairly takes to flight.
In these “spouts” the eggs are laid, being placed simply upon the soft decaying wood.
The eggs are white in colour, and from three to five in number. There are generally two
broods of young in the year. The bird is nocturnal, and its principal food consists
of insects, mostly of the coleopterous order.

NEW HOLLAND GOAT-SUCKER.—A/gothéles Nove Hollandic.

A CLOSELY allied species is worthy of notice on account of the very sineular arrangement
of colour upon its head.

This is the White-bellied Nightjar (Zgothéles leucogaster), which may be distinguished
from all its relatives by the white hue of the under surface of its body, and the three
broad dark bands which surround its head and the upper part of its neck. One of these
bands is short, and is placed just above the beak, while the other two sweep in bold curves,
being very wide upon the top of the head, and narrowing rapidly to the corner of the eye,

GREAT-EARED GOAT-SUCKER.—Buatrachdéstomus awritus.

where they cease. It is extremely shy, but withal a dull bird, and when alarmed flies
leisurely to the nearest tree, and, perching upon a branch, turns round to reconnoitre the
cause of its alarm. When it sits in this manner it has very much the aspect of a common
hawk.

ON account of a difference in the arrangement of the quill feathers of the wing, the
birds which form the genus Batrachdstomus have been separated from the Podargi. The
generic name is of Greek origin, and is very appropriate, as it signifies “frog-mouthed,”
and is analogous to the French name of Crapaud-volant, or Flying Toad, which is given
to all the Goat-suckers. The birds of this genus are not equal in dimensions to the
Podargi, and they are all inhabitants of the Indian Archipelago, instead of being found in
Australasia,

The GREAT-EARED GOAT-SUCKER is chiefly remarkable for the extreme leneth of certain
feathers which start horizontally from the upper part of the head, and are evidently
analogous to similar structures in the eared or horned owls. The gape of the bill is
wonderfully wide in this bird, and with its soft plumage, great round eyes, and large head,
with its tufts of feathers at each side, it has a peculiarly owl-like aspect. The colour of
its plumage is black, grey, buff, and brown, all curiously mottled and intermixed with each
other in a manner almost similar to the Goat-sucker, and which cannot be described with-
out a needless expenditure of time and space. It is a nocturnal bird, and seems to be
very shy in disposition,

_ One of the largest examples of the Goat-suckers is the GRAND GOAT-SUCKER (Nyctibius
Grandis), sometimes called the GREAT IBrcav,

THE EUROPEAN GOAT-SUCKER. 119

This fine bird is nearly thirteen inches in length, and in its habits resembles closely
the common Goat-sucker of Europe. It is a nocturnal bird, as may be gathered from its
generic title of Nyctibius, a word derived from the Greek, and signifying Night-liver. It
is stronger on the wing than the preceding birds, and is capable of chasing its insect prey
as they fly through the air in the dusk of evening, or just before the dawn of morning.
In its outward form there is little to attract notice, and its colouring is the same as that
of its allies, excepting that some dark bars extend across the head, neck, and lower parts.
It is a native of South America, and has been taken in Cayenne.

THERE are many well-known proverbs relating to the power of calumny, and the
readiness with which an evil report is received and retained, notwithstanding that it has
been repeatedly proved to be false and libellous. The common GoAtT-SUCKER is a good
instance of the truth of this remark, for it was called Aigothéles or Goat-sucker by
Aristotle in the days of old, and has been religiously supposed to have sucked goats ever
afterwards. The Latin word caprimulgus bears the same signification. It was even
supposed that after the bird had succeeded in sucking some unfortunate goat, the fount of
nature was immediately dried up, and the poor beast also lost its sight. Starting from

EUROPEAN GOAT-SUCKER.—Caprimulgus Europeus.

this report, all kinds of strange rumours flew about the world, and the poor Goat-sucker,
or NIGHTJAR, as it ought more rightly to be called, has been invariably hated as a bird of
ill omen to man and beast.

As usual, mankind reviles its best benefactors, for there are very few creatures which
do such service to mankind as the Nightjar. Arriving in this country in the month of
May or June, it reaches our shores just in time to catch the cockchaffers, as they fly about
during the night in search of their food, and does not leave us until it has done its best
to eat every chaffer that comes across its path.

The damage which is done by these brown-backed, white-ribbed, hook-tailed beetles is
almost incredible, for they are not only extremely destructive in their larval states, but are
scarcely less voracious when they have assumed their perfect form. Passing a life of
three years or so below the level of the ground, the larve of the cockchaffer shear away
the grass-roots and other subterranean vegetation with their scissor-like jaws, and are
constantly busy in satiating the hunger of their huge stomachs, which occupy nearly the
whole of the body of the grub, When they have passed through them earlier changes cf

120 THE LYRE-TAILED GOAT-SUCKER.

form, the cockchaffers vise from the ground, and, taking to flight, settle upon the trees and
devour the foliage just as they had previously fed upon the roots. Sometimes a whole
series of trees may be seen, which have been entirely stripped of their leaves by the
chaffers. I well remember seeing a row of trees that extended along a country road near
Dieppe, that had been totally despoiled of their foliage, and which stretched their naked
branches abroad as if they had been blasted by the destroying breath of the Simoom.

The Nightjar also feeds on moths of various kinds, and catches them by sweeping
quickly and silently among the branches of the trees near which the moth tribes most
love to congregate. While engaged in their sport, they will occasionally settle on a bank,
a wall, a post, or other convenient perch, crouch downward until they bring their head
almost on a level with their feet, and utter the peculiar churning note which has earned
for them the name of Churm-Owls, Jar-Owls, and Spinners. Their ery has been rather
well compared to that sound which is produced by the larger beetles of the night, but of
course much louder, and with the addition of the characteristic “chur-r-r !—chur-r-r !”
Sometimes, although but seldom, the Nightjar utters its ery while on the wing. When it
settles, it always seats itself along a branch, and almost invariably with its head pointing
towards the trunk of the tree.

There is also a strange squeaking sound which is emitted by the Nightjar while
playing round the trees at night, and which is supposed to be a cry of playfulness, or a
sall to its mate.

Although rather a shy bird, and avoiding the presence of mankind, it is bold enough
on occasion, and when it finds an abundance of food, or when it desires to defend its
young, it cares little for any strange form, whether of man or beast. On one occasion,
while I was travelling to Paris by railway, a Nightjar accompanied us for a considerable
distance, hunting after the thes that are so plentifully attracted by a moving train of
railway carriages. Should an intruder come too near its nest, the Nightjar will sweep
repeatedly over his head, producing a sharp ruftling sound, intended to terrify him, and
formed, as some supposed, by striking the wings smartly together over the back.

Unlike the Falconidie, the Goat-sucker catches its prey, not with its claws, but with its
mouth, and is aided in retaining them in that very wide receptacle, by the glutinous
secretion with which it is lined, and the “vibrissee” or hair-like feathers which surround
its margin, On an examination of the foot of this bird, the claw of the middle toe is
seen to be serrated hke the teeth of a comb, a structure which has never yet been
satisfactorily explained, notwithstanding the various theories which have been put
forward concerning its use. The hind toe of each foot is very mobile, and can be
brought round to the remaining toes, so that all the claws take their hold in the same
direction, Apparently, this strueture is intended to enable them to run along the
branches of trees, in their nocturnal chase after beetles and other insects.

This bird is spread over Europe, and has been captured in Africa, whither it retires in
order to pass the winter, Specimens have been taken in Ireland, and I once saw one of
these birds which had been shot close to Oxford.

The Nightjar makes no nest, but choosing some sheltered hollow under the shade of a
grass tuft, a bunch of fern, bramble, or other defence, there lays two eggs on the bare
ground. The colour of the ege is greyish-white, plentifully mottled with pale buff and
grey. The young are very similar to those of the cuckoo, The plumage of the Nightjar
is very rich in its colouring, the tints of buff, grey, black, white, brown, and chestnut,
being arranged in pleasing but most intricate patterns, and easier to be understood from a
pencil illustration than a description of the pen. The sexes are very similar in their
plumage, but the male may be distinguished from his mate by a number of oval white
spots which are found on the inner side of the first three quill feathers of the wings, and
upon the outside quill feathers of the tail. The length of the adult bird is about ten
inches.

A very remarkable form of plumage is seen in the LYRE-TATLED GOAT-SUCKER.
This beautiful bird is a native of Columbia, and is#notable for the extraordinary
development of the outer tail feathers. Although the bird itself is by no means large, very

THE CAROLINA GOAT-SUCKER. 121

little exceeding the common English
Nightjar in dimensions, the total length
of an adult male Lyre-tailed Goat-
sucker is nearly three feet. Indeed, the
general contour of the body and plum-
age remind the observer strongly of
the resplendent Trogon, a bird which
will very shortly be described and
ficured. The general colour of this
species is the mottled dark and lght
brown which is universal among the
Goat-suckers, but is diversified by a
band round the neck of rich chestnut.
The primaries are nearly black, with
the exception of a few chestnut spots
scattered irregularly upon their necks.
The extremely elongated tail-feathers
are deep brown-black, edged with a
warm band of pale brown upon the
inner web. The outer web is hardly
a quarter of an inch wide, while the
inner is almost an inch and a half in
width. Several feathers of the tail
project for some distance, and he upon
the base of the elongated feathers.

The CAROLINA GOAT-SUCKER is more
popularly known under the title of
CuHucK-WILL’s-Wipow, a name which
it has earned in consequence of its
repeated utterance of a ery that exactly
resembles those words.

This pretty and interesting bird
resides in the deepest ravines, swamps,
and pine ridges, where it can not only
obtain shelter and a convenient nesting-
place, but is also sure of finding a
plentiful supply of insect prey. It
prefers to roost in the hollows of de-
cayed trees, or other retired spots, and
is not unfrequently found tenanting
the same habitation together with a
large company of bats.

The nest is as open and undefended
as is the case with most of the Goat-
suckers, and the eggs and young would
probably be exposed to considerable
danger, were it not for the wonderful
care and ingenuity displayed by the
parents when their offspring are in
danger. The following account of the
behaviour of the bird when it fears
that its nesting-place has been dis-
covered, is given by Audubon.

“When the Chuck-Will’s-Widow,
either male or female, for each sits
alternately, has discovered that its eggs

Uji
Yy
YY”

LYRE-TAILED GOAT-SUCKER.—Caprimulgus Lyra.

122 _ THE LONG-TAILED GOAT-SUCKER.

have been touched, it ruffles its feathers and appears extremely dejected for a minute or
two, after which it emits a low murmuring ery, scarcely audible to me as I have lain
concealed at a distance of eighteen or twenty yards. At this time I have seen the other
parent reach the spot, flying so low over the ground that I thought its little feet must
have touched it as it skimmed along. After a few low notes and some gesticulations, I
have witnessed each take an egg into its large mouth, and both fly off together, skim-
ming closely over the ground, until they disappeared among the branches and trees.
But to what distance they remove their eggs I have never been able to ascertain, nor
have I ever had an opportunity of witnessing the removal of the young.”

M. Audubon proceeds to say that the birds do not carry away the eggs unless they
have been touched, and that if the parent bird be merely frightened from her nest by the
sudden shout of a stranger, she will return to her eggs as soon as the intruder has left the
spot.

It is a nocturnal bird, seeming to lose all its energies during the hours of daylight, and
to recover its alertness at the first coming of dusk. The full light of day appears to be
exceedingly painful to its eyes, and when suddenly taken from the dark resting-places in

CAROLINA GOAT-SUCKER.—Caprimulgus Carolinensis.

which it loves to dwell, into the glare of daylight, it seems to be quite confused, and is
unable to escape by flight, contenting itself with snapping its bill, hissing and puffing out
its feathers after the manner of the owls. It is a migratory bird, arriving in the United
States in March or April, according to the state of the weather and the latitude of the
locality, and remaining in these parts until the end of August, when it takes flight for
Mexico and other warm regions, and there passes the winter.

The plumage of this pretty bird is like that of the ordinary Goat-suckers, both in
colour and texture, but is notable for the bright motley yellowish-red with which the
dark-brown feathers of its head and back are plentifully but minutely sprinkled, as well
as for the bars of deep sooty-brown and yellowish-red which extend across the wings and
tail. The three outer quill feathers of the tail are white upon their inner webs, a band of
greyish-white extends across the front of the neck, and the whole of the under parts are
sooty-black profusely covered with little yellowish-red markings.

THE ScissoR-TAILED NIGHTJAR is also worthy of a short notice, on account of the
peculiar structure of the rectrices, from which it derives its name. In the male bird, the

LONG-TAILED GOAT-SUCKER.—Scotornis Climactirus.

two central quill feathers of the tail are greatly elongated, so as to give the tail a deeply
forked appearance. As the bird flies it has a curious habit of closing and opening these
feathers alternately, an action which bears a potent resemblance to the shutting and
opening of a pair of scissors, and has given rise to the name by which it is popularly
known. The plumage of this species is in colour like that of other Goat-suckers, with the
exception of a rather wide band of sooty-red which extends partly round the neck. The
tail of the female is comparatively small, and hardly exceeds the ordinary length. It is a
native of tropical America.

The LONG-TAILED GOAT-SUCKER is one of the most conspicuous of this group of birds ;
the long and slightly curved feathers of its tail giving it some resemblance in outline to
the European Cuckoo, The body of this species is by no means large, but the bird
appears to be considerably above its real dimensions on account of the great length of its

tail.

In the colour of its plumage it is rather a handsomer bird than the generality of
Goat-suckers, owing to the quantity of white which is laid in bold markings on several
parts of its feathers. The chin is white, as is also a streak that passes from the corner of
the mouth. A broad band of white passes across the extremities of the lesser wing
coverts, and there is a smaller band of cream colour upon the tips of the greater coverts.
Another beautifully white band is drawn across the middle of the first six primary
feathers, and the remaining primaries have a spot of white on their tips. The rest of the
plumage is variegated with black and brow n, warmed here and there with a more ruddy
hue. ‘The tail is also white in several parts, and has a number of ve ry narrow dark bars
across the middle pair of feathers. The Long-tailed Goat-sucker is an inhabitant of
Western Africa,

THe LoNG-WINGED GOAT-SUCKER is a scarcely less wonderful bird than the Lyre
Goat-sucker which has already been mentioned, the extraordinary development of feather
being in the present case transferred from the tail to the wing.

The colour of the Lone~winged Goat-sucker is generally of the usual tints of chestnut
and brown, but is diversified by a broad greyish-white irregular band, which passes across

LONG-WINGED GOAT-SUCKER,.—Caprimulgus vevillarius.

the centre of the secondaries, and part of the base of the primaries. From the white
band, a dark-brown stripe runs towards the back, the feathers composing it being tipped
with white. The elongated feathers of the wing increase the length of the bird to two
feet or even more, and their colour is very dark brown on the outer web, and greyish-white
on the inner. The Long-winged Goat-sucker is an inhabitant of Western Africa.

The Leona NicutyAr affords another example of the singular form which plumage
so often takes without any apparent object.

In the male bird, a pair of very long and very elastic feather shafts rise from the middle
of the wing-coverts, and extend to a length of eight-and-twenty inches, according to
the individual. These shafts are totally destitute of barbs, except at the extremity, where
they suddenly give out a broad web of four or five inches in length. The transition from
the bare shaft to the broad web is so abrupt that the bird looks as if it had originally
possessed a pair of very long perfect feathers, which had been stripped with the exception
of a few inches at their extremities. The shafts are very slight indeed, and as the webbed
ends are easily acted upon by the wind, they are continually moving, and float about in the
breeze in a most graceful manner. The inner web of these curious feathers is nearly two
inches in width at its broadest part, while the outer web is barely one fourth of that
measurement.

The object of these curious appendages is not known. They are only found in the
male bird, and evidently bear an analogy to the train of the peacock and the long tail-
feathers of the pheasant among the birds, as well as to the beards, horns, tusks, manes, and

LEONA GOAT-SUCKER.—Macrodiptexr longipennis.

similar masculine appendages of male quadrupeds. The plumage of the Leona Nightjar
is very prettily marked with spots and bars of rusty-red and black upon the usual brown
ground. Every primary feather possesses nine rusty-red spots, and as many of a black
hue, and there are many other spots and bars scattered over the body and wings. There
is a considerable amount of creamy white upon the scapularies, a few white mottlings upon
the throat of the male, and a reddish-white stripe down the outer web of the two exterior
tail-feathers.

The beak of this species is not so powerful as in many of its relatives, but the vibrissz
are long and well developed. The wings are long, overpassing the tip of the tail while the
bird is at rest, and showing that the powers of flight are considerable. The bird is not a

large one, measuring only eight or ten inches in total length. It is a native of Western
Africa.

The VIRGINIAN GOAT-SUCKER, Mosquito HAwK, or Nigut-Hawk, inhabits the northern
parts of the American continent, and in the summer months is seen even in the Arctic
regions.

It is not so exclusively nocturnal a bird as most of the Goat-suckers, but will
voluntarily leave its home on a cloudy day, and commence its task of hunting after flies,
moths, beetles, and other insects on which it feeds. It is a bird of vigorous and active
wing, and follows its insect prey even into the loftier regions of air, where it seems as
much at its ease as the swift or swallow. While chasing the insects, the Night-hawk
constantly utters a shrill squeaking kind of cry, reminding the spectator of the screaming

126 THE VIRGINIAN GOAT-SUCKER.

cries of the common swift. It also has a curious habit of hovering over its mate as she
sits on her eggs, darting down upon her from a considerable elevation, and then suddenly
sweeping up again with a loud booming sound, occasioned either by the wings or by the
vocal organs. This strange manceuvre is constantly repeated, and appears to be performed
for the purpose of showing a delicate attention to the sitting bird, and amusing her
during her Jong and tedious task,

The eggs of this bird are placed on the bare ground, and when a stranger happens to
approach the spot where they are lying, the parent bird immediately flings herself in the
way of the intruder, and by tumbling about in front of him, as if she had broken a wing
or otherwise disabled herself, endeavours to induce him to leave the sacred spot and give
chase. If she succeeds in decoying him from the locality, she darts into cover, and takes
the earliest opportunity of returning quietly to her nest. Many birds pursue this curious
contrivance, the common peewit or lapwing being a very familiar instance among
ourselves.

The eggs of this species are generally two in number, greyish-white in colour, covered
with a number of streaks and dashes of brown. The young are odd little creatures,

VIRGINIAN GOAT-SUCKER.—Chordeiles Virginianus,

clothed with a quantity of fine brownish-grey down, and of a very indeterminate shape.
The tail of this bird is forked, and the long wings overpass the tail when they are
closed. The bill is rather small. The colour of the Night-hawk is rather different from
that of the ordinary caprimulgidee, being notable for a greenish gloss upon the dark red-
brown of the general plumage. A number of yellowish spots occur upon the head, neck,
and wing-coverts, there is a well-defined white band across the middle primaries, together
with a white patch on the throat, and an irregular stripe above the eyes. The total length
of this bird is between nine and ten inches.

The Wutp-Poor-WILL also belongs to this group of birds, and is familiarly known by
the peculiar melancholy cry, which very much resembles the other odd names by which
it is called.

Tue birds which belong to the genus Podareus have less of the peculiar Goat-sucker
aspect than any of their relatives, owing to the comparative paucity and scantiness of the
vibrissee, the naked legs, the shortness of the tail, and the comparatively small gape of the
mouth. The wings of these birds are extremely long, and the powers of flight are very
considerable.

SWALLOWS. 127

The NacunDA GOAT-SUCKER, one of the best examples of this genus, is a diurnal bird,
like the Virginian Goat-sucker, and excepting on very bright days, may be seen abroad even
at noon, chasing the insects at a great elevation, and wheeling and diving after them with
the activity of the swallow. It also descends close to the ground, and pursues the gnats
and other aquatic flies as they rise from the surface of the water, or attempt to settle for
the purpose of depositing their eggs. It is a handsome bird, possessing a brilliantly
variegated plumage. On the upper parts of the body, the feathers are generally of a

NACUNDA GOAT-SUCKER.—Podager nacunia.

greyish-brown variegated with large spots of black-brown, edged with rusty-red, and
mottled here and there with the same tint. The under parts of the body are nearly white,
the chin being tinted with cream-yellow, and covered with a few greyish bars, and the
breast white, striped with grey-brown horizontal lines. The tail is beautifully mottled
with yellow and brownish-black, and crossed by a number of black bars, sprinkled with
dots of brown, The Nacunda Goat-sucker is a native of Brazil and Paraguay.

SWALLOWS.

THE close-set plumage of the SwaLLow Trieg, their long sickle-like wings, their stiff,
firm tail, forked in most of the species, and their slight legs and toes, are characteristics
which mark them out as birds which spend the greater part of their existence in the air,
and exercise their wings far more than their feet.

They all feed upon insects, and capture their prey in the air, ascending at one time to
such a height that they are hardly perceptible to the naked eye, and look merely like tiny
dots moving upon the sky, while at other seasons they skim the earth and play for hours
together over the surface of the water, in chase of the gnats that emerge in myriads from
the streams, during the time and season when they assume the perfect form. The gape of
the mouth is therefore exceedingly great in these birds, reaching as far as a point below
the eyes. The bill itself is very short, flattened, pointed, slightly curved downwards, and
broad at the base.

GROUP OF SWALLOWS.

The group, which is scientifically termed the Hirundinide, is a very large one, and is
divided into two lesser groups, the members of one being classed together under the title
of Swifts, while the others are known by the name of Swallows. With the former birds
we have first to deal.

THE AUSTRALIAN NEEDLE-TAILED SWALLOW. 129

THE Swifts, technically called the “Cypseline,” or Cypseline birds, are readily
distinguished from the Swallows by the very great comparative length of the two first
primary feathers of the wing, which are either equal to each other, or have the second
feather longer than the first. The secondaries are remarkably small, being nearly concealed
under the coverts. There are ten primaries in the wing, and the same number of quill
feathers in the tail.

The AUSTRALIAN SPINE-TAILED, NEEDLE-TAILED SWALLOW, or SWIFT, as it ought rather
to be called, is the largest of all the Swallow tribe, measuring no less than twenty-eight
inches in total length when the
wings are closed, and twenty inches
to the extremity of the tail.

The title of NEEDLE-TAIL has
been given to this bird on ac-
count of the curious formation of
the tail-feathers, which are short
and even, and have their ex-
tremities devoid of web, so as to
form a row of sharp, short points,
as if a number of needles had
been thrust through the shaft of
each feather. This species is a
native of Australia, and as may
be seen from the following extract
from Mr. Gould’s work on the
Birds of Australia, is very inte-
resting and curious in its habits,
and worthy of especial attention
from any naturalist who may
chance to have an opportunity of
watching it.

“The keel or breast-bone of
this species is more than ordinarily
deep, and the pectoral muscles
more developed than in any other
bird of its weight with which I
am acquainted. Its whole form is
especially and beautifully adapted
for aérial progression, and, as its
lengthened wings would lead us
to imagine, its power of flight,
both for rapidity and extension, is
truly amazing. Hence it readily
passes from one part of the country
to another, and if so disposed may
be engaged in hunting for flies
on the continent of Australia at AUSTRALIAN NEEDLE-TAILED SWALLOW.—Acédnthylis caudactta,
one minute, and in half-an-hour
be similarly employed in Van
Diemen’s Land.

So exclusively is this bird a tenant of the air, that I never in any instance saw it perch,
and but rarely sufficiently near the earth to admit of a successful shot ; it is only late in
the evening and during lowery weather that such an object can be accomplished. With
the exception of the crane, it is certainly the most lofty as well as the most vigorous flier
of the Australian birds. I have frequently observed in the middle of the hottest days,
while lying prostrate on the ground with my eyes directed upwards, the cloudless blue sky
peopled at an immense elevation by hundreds of these birds, performing extensive curves

2. K

130 KLECHO SWALLOW.

and sweeping flights, doubtless attracted thither by the insects that soar aloft during
serene weather, Hence, as I have before stated, few birds are more difficult to obtain,
particularly on the continent of Australia, where long droughts are so prevalent; on the
contrary, the flocks that visit the more humid climate of Van Diemen’s Land, where they
necessarily seek their food nearer the earth, are often greatly diminished by the gun
during their stay.

I regret that I could ascertain no particulars whatever respecting the nidification of
this fine bird, but we may naturally conclude that both rocks and holes in the larger trees
are selected as sites for this purpose, as well as for a roosting-place during the night.
Before retiring to roost, which it does immediately after the sun has gone down, the
Spine-tailed Swallows may frequently be seen either singly or in pairs, sweepimg up the
gullies or flying with immense rapidity just above the top of the trees, their never-tiring
wings enabling them to perform their evolutions in the capture of insects, and of sustaining
themselves in the air during the entire day without cessation.”

The Australian Needle-tailed Swallow is a most beautiful bird in its colouring, as well
as handsome in size and elegance of shape. The general colour of this bird is olive-
brown, exceedingly dark in the chest and abdomen, and washed with a dark green tinge
upon the back of the head, the wings, and the tail. Before the eyes there is a velvet-
black patch, and a large portion of the under parts of the bedy is white, including the
chin, throat, under tail-coverts, and the inner web of the secondaries. There is also a
white band extending across the forehead.

A CLOSELY allied species is the Aculeated Swallow (Acanthylis Pelasgia).

This bird is a native of many parts of America, being found in Louisiana, Carolina,
and even in Pennsylvania. It is chiefly remarkable for the ingenuity which it exhibits in
the construction of its singular nest. Choosing some convenient locality, such as a rocky
crevice, or the unused chimney of a house, the bird commences its labours by putting
together a slight platform of dry twigs, which it cements together with certain vegetable
gums. So large is this platform, that it sometimes causes considerable inconvenience to
the inhabitants of the house where the Swallow has taken up its residence, as it completely
stops up the orifice of the chimney. Upon this platform is formed a kind of cradle nest,
also composed of small twigs, which are woven into a kind of rude basket, and also
cemented together.

The eggs of this species are very large in proportion to the dimensions of the parent
bird; their colour is greyish-white, streaked and spotted with black and brown towards
the large end. The general colour of the plumage is brown, and the throat is whitish-
grey.

THE birds which belong to the genus Macropteryx, or Long-winged Swifts, possess
wings of very great comparative length, owing to the development of the two first primary
feathers of the wings, which are nearly equal to each other in length, the second being
slightly the longer of the two. They may, however, be easily distinguished from the
members of the genus Acanthylis, by the formation of the tail, which, instead of being
composed of feathers of nearly equal length, and tipped with sharp points, is forked after
the manner usually observed in the smaller tribes. The feet are furnished with four toes,
the hinder toe being directed backward.

The KiLEcHo SwALLow, or LARGE-WINGED SWIFT, as it is more rightly termed, as it
belongs to the ranks of the Cypseline birds, is considered of great value by ornithologists
as supplying a link in the chain that connects the Swifts with the Swallows. Like the
Swifts in general, its feet are well adapted for climbing, and supplied with firm curved
claws; and like the Swallows, its hinder toe is directed backwards, and cannot be brought
round in a line with the remaining toes. It is a very handsome bird, in its colouring
nearly equalling the Needle-tailed Swift which has just been described. The colour of the
upper parts of the body is deep brown, through which runs a strong tinge of green that
gives a beautiful glossy aspect to that part of the plumage. The throat and breast,
together with the under tail-coverts, are very light grey, and the abdomen, part of the
scapularies, and a well-defined streak over the eye, are white.

THE WHITE-BELLIED SWIFT. 131

The bird is a native of many parts of India, and has been taken in Java and
Malacca.

The true Swirts, of which England affords two examples, one very familiarly known,
and the other a very rare and almost unnoticed species, are remarkable for the feathered
tarsus, the long wings, and the peculiar form of the feet. In this member, all the toes are
directed forward, a structure which is admirably adapted to the purpose which it fulfils.
The Swifts build their nests, or rather lay their eggs, for the nest is hardly worthy of
the name, in holes under the eaves
of houses, or in similar localities,
and would find themselves greatly
inconvenienced when seeking ad-
mission into their domiciles, but
for the shape of the feet, which
enables them to cling to the
slightest projection, and to clam-
ber up a perpendicular surface
with perfect ease and safety. In
one species, the White Collared
Swift (Cypselus Cayanensis), the
feet are clothed with feathers to
the base of the claws.

The WHITE-BELLIED, or ALPINE
Swirt is the largest of our British
Hirundinide, being rather more
than eight inches in total length.
It is but rarely found in the British
Isles, but is common enough on
the continent of Europe, and in
many parts of Africa and Asia.

Several specimens have been
taken in England, and in Mr.
Thompson’s work on the Natural
History of Ireland, three examples
are noticed that had been shot in
that country, one near Dublin,
another in the county Cork, and
the third a few miles from land
off Cape Clear. Unlike the com-
mon Swift of England, which is
possessed of a loud and stridulous
note, the Alpine Swift is sweet of
voice; its cry, although loud, being
musical in its intonation. The
popular name of this bird is given
to it on account of the white hue
of the under portions of its body,
the only exception being a broad
dusky bar across the breast. The toes are brown with an orange tint, and the black
beak is longer than that of the common Swift. The general colour of its plumage is
brown. The nest of this bird is made in crevices of lofty cliffs or buildings, and is
composed of straw, hay, moss, and other substances, connected firmly together with a
glutinous secretion furnished by certain glands, and rendered very hard and firm when
the cement is dry. The eggs are four or five in number, white, and very long in pro-
portion to the breadth.

KLECHO SWALLOW.—Maerépteryx Klecho.

kK 2

132 THE WHITE-BELLIED SWIFT.

The following interesting account of the habits of this bird is given by Mr.
Thompson :—

“The first place I met with the Alpine Swift was almost ten miles to the north of
Naples, on the 12th of August, 1826, when a great number were observed associated together
in flight, at a high elevation, Their evolutions in the air were similar to those of a
common Swift. Independently of their superior size, which at once distinguishes them
from that bird, the white colour of a portion of the under plumage, from which they have
received the name of White-bellied Swift, is conspicuous, even when the bird is at a
considerable altitude.

When on the continent in 1841 with my friend Professor E. Forbes, this species was
first seen by us on the 9th of April, as we descended the Rhone, from Lyons to Avignon.
About half way between these cities, several appeared flying over the river, and a few
at all suitable places thence to Avignon. On the morning of the 28th of April, as
we entered the splendid bay of Navarino, great numbers appeared careering high over-
head. When walking through the pretty town of the same name, later in the day, Alpine

WHITE-BELLIED SWIFT.—Cypselus Melba.

Swifts were observed flying very low over the streets and houses, though the weather was
delightfully warm and fine. On my visiting the island of Sphacteria, the western
boundary of the bay, on the 29th, these birds were very abundant. The attraction here
was a range of noble precipitous cliffs rising directly above the sea, at the western side of
the island. These Swifts inhabited the cliffs, which are similar to those tenanted by the
common species in the north of Scotland.

Although the day was as fine and as warm as our northern summers ever are, these
birds, as I walked along the top of the cliffs, swept about low and in numbers, occasionally
within a few yards of my head. This remark is made from the circumstance of the
common Swift being generally high in the air in fine weather ; we do, however, occasionally
observe it sweeping near the earth at such times. Though larger, they in general appearance
and flight strongly resemble the common Swift: they are very noisy, almost constantly
uttering a loud twitter, beside which, they occasionally give a brief scream, nowise
resembling the long drawn and shrill cry of the common species. Towards the end of
May, I saw a few Alpine Swifts at Constantinople, wheeling about the heights of Pera,
and near the high tower of Galata, in which they probably build. In the month of June,
I met with this species at the island of Paros, and about the Acropolis of Athens.

THE SWIFT. 133

Throughout this town, the common Swift was more frequently seen than the Cypselus
Alpinus, and at one locality only did they both appear—this was at Constantinople,
where the former species was abundant, and a few of the latter were observed. This
seemed rather remarkable, as in no scene did I meet with the one species, in which the
other would not have appeared equally at home. The only difference in their habits
which struck me, was, that the Alpine Swift is apparently more partial to cliffs than
buildings, the common Swift more partial to artificial structures than to rocks.”

THE WHITE-COLLARED SWIFT (Cypselus Cayanensis), to which bird a passing reference
has already been made, is a native of the Brazils, and is easily to be distinguished by the
peculiarity of colouring from which it derives its name. The general tint of the plumage
is the deepest violet-blue, so deep, indeed, that except in certain lights it appears to be
velvet-black. Round the neck runs a band or collar of the purest white, the two
contrasting tints having a remarkably fine effect.

The nest of this species is very singular in its form, being a short truncated cone, the
bottom being about five inches in diameter, and the middle about three inches, The
material of which it is built is dogs-bane, and the young are defended from the air by a
quantity of the soft woolly down that grows on that plant, and it is pressed into the cavity
so as to forma sort of plug. The nest is usually made within houses, after the common
fashion of many swallows.

Deyorp of all pretensions to the brilliantly-tinted plumage which decorates so many
of its relations, and clad only in sober black and grey, the SwiFT is, nevertheless, one of
the most pleasing and interesting of the British birds; resting its claims to favourable
notice upon its graceful form, and its unrivalled powers of wing.

There are very few birds which are so essentially inhabitants of air as our common
Swift, which cuts the atmosphere with its sabre-like wings with such marvellous ease and
rapidity, that at times its form is hardly discernible as it shoots along, and it leaves the
impression of a dark black streak upon the eyes of the observer. The plumage of this
bird is constructed especially with a view to securing great speed, as may be seen by an
inspection of the closely set and firmly webbed feathers with which the entire body and
limbs are clad. The muscles which move the wings are enormously developed, and
in consequence the breast-bone is furnished with a remarkably strong and deep “ keel.”

The flight of the Swift is quite peculiar to the bird, and cannot be mistaken even for
that of the swallow by any one who has a practical acquaintance with the habits of the
two species. The Swift does not flap its wings so often as the swallow, and has a curious
mode of shooting through the air as if hurled from some invisible bow, and guiding
itself in its headlong course by means of its wings and tail. While flying, the Swift
makes very great use of its tail, a habit which has been admirably described by
Mr. Thompson : :

“Tt was highly interesting to watch their motions as they flew noiselessly a few yards
above my head. The tail would at one moment be drawn to a point, the root appear
square at the end; would then present a ‘tender fork,’ and the root its full formation ;
again, it would be expanded to the uttermost, with the feathers simply touching at their
margins, and the whole tail appearing so membraneous, that the light shone through it ;
lastly, it would be thrown into the form of an arch, which had a singular effect, and
generally when thus exhibited, the whole body was like a well-strung bow, an appearance
which was several times observed with very high interest. Within a few seconds of time
all these appearances were assumed by the same bird.”

After making some further remarks on the subject, the same writer proceeds to observe
that a similar habit is also found in the common swallow, as seen by himself when looking
down upon the birds from the summit of Mount Pagus. “The swallows, as they gently
floated on the bosom of the air a few yards beneath, exhibited the tail expanded to such a
degree, that the beautiful white portion towards its base was quite conspicuous ; presenting
in this respect so great a difference from its ordinary appearance, that I did not feel certain
at the moment of their being our own common bird.”

There are few hours of the day when this ever active bird may not be seen on the

134 HABITS OF THE SWIFT.

wing, employed either in sport with its companions, or in pursuit of the insects on which
it feeds, and of which it carries such numbers to its young. Several authors have said
that the Swift prefers the morning and evening for its aerial evolutions, remaining quietly
in the dusky recesses where it has built its nest during the fierce heat of the summer's
noon. The bird is also reported to retire to the same retreat while rain falls and
wind blows, and to rest at home until the weather changes for the better. As far as my
own personal observations go, both these assertions are too sweeping, if not entirely
erroneous. The Swift has a special love for the bright heat of a July noon, but it must
be sought, not near its usual haunts, but far up in the sky, where it may be seen like
a little black mote against the blue heavens, and hardly visible except to experienced
observers.

As to the alleged habit of keeping under cover during a storm, it has been decidedly
contradicted by Mr. Thompson, who has observed the Swifts engaged in the pursuit
of their prey during stormy as well as in fine weather. I am able to contradict this
assertion from the events of the day on which I write—July 23d, 1860. The whole of
the day has been most stormy, the rain falling heavily and without cessation, and the
wind howling furiously in intermittent gusts. While standing at the window at Margate,
and watching the black clouds come sweeping over the sky, I saw numbers of Swifts
dashing through the air at a very low elevation, seldom rising above the roofs of the
adjoining houses, and especially affecting some small gardens and the fruit trees therein
planted. The same fact was observable on the two preceding days, but as an occasional
respite from the rain was enjoyed on those days, the presence of Swifts was not so
remarkable.

This indefatigable bird is an early riser, and very late in returning to rest, later indeed
than any of the diurnal birds. Though engaged in flight during the live-long day, the
Swift appears to be proof against fatigue, and will, during the long summer days, remain
upon the wing until after nine in the evening. As the days become shorter, the Swift is
found to retire earlier, but during its stay in this country, it is almost invariably later than
other birds, sometimes being on the wing together with the owl. Indeed, the air seems
to the Swift even a more familiar element than the earth, and the bird is able to pass the
whole of its life, and to perform all the bodily functions except those of sleep and repose,
while upborne on the untiring pinions with which it is furnished. The Swift that has a
nest to take care of is forced to descend at intervals for the purpose of supplying its
family with food, but except when urged by such considerations, it is able to remain in
the air for many successive hours without needing to rest.

The Swifts may generally be found near buildings, rocks, and cliffs, for in such
localities they build their nests, and from their homes they seldom wander to any
ereat distance, as long as they remain in the country. These birds appear to be singularly
susceptible to home influence, and will return year after year to the same nest, attracted
by some subtle but most powerful influence, which guides them across sea and land to the
spot in which they had first settled themselves, and cherished their young families. One
of these birds was marked in order to ascertain its powers of returning to the same spot,
and was observed to make its appearance regularly for seven successive years.

In general, the Swift loves to build its nest in a hole under a roof, whether slated,
tiled or thatched, preferring, however, the warm, thick straw-thatch to the tile or slate.
Sometimes it makes a hole in the thatch, through which it gains access to the nest, but in
most instances it makes use of some already existing crevice for that purpose. In all cases,
the nest is placed above the entrance, and generally may be found about eighteen inches or
two feet from the orifice. Even by the touch, the eggs of the Swift may be discerned
from those of any other bird, as their length is singularly disproportionate to their width.

The activity with which the Swifts enter their holes is really remarkable, and is well
worthy of observation. The bird stoops suddenly from its aerial flight, and with a loud
scream shoots under the eaves of the house in which it has fixed its residence. Turning
quickly aside, it glides towards the orifice of the tunnel, and settling for a moment with
closed wings, runs nimbly into the hole, like a rat or mouse.

When the Swifts have become accustomed to human beings, they become wonderfully

NEST AND EGGS OF THE SWIFT. 135

indifferent to their presence, and will permit their movements to be watched without
displaying any signs of fear. I well remember a certain street which was copiously
favoured by the Swifts, who congregated in such great numbers, that they became a
positive nuisance on account of the continual screaming which they kept up. The houses
were mostly of a very ancient fashion, and their eaves were so low, that a man could
introduce his hand into the Swifts’ tunnels merely by standing on a chair. Yet the birds
cared nothing for their apparent danger, even though their nests were several times robbed
of their contents, At one time, the small boys, who abounded in the neighbourhood, took
a fancy to manufacture bows and arrows, with which they kept up a persevering fire upon
the Swifts, as they went to and fro upon their avocations, or visited and returned from
their nests. The birds, however, looked upon these weapons with supreme contempt, and
never troubled themselves in the least about them.

The sound which these birds utter is of the most piercing description, and can be
heard at a very great distance, thus betraying them when they are hawking after the
high-flying insects at such an altitude that their forms are hardly perceptible to the
unassisted eye. Whether the Swift uttered this cry as a call or serenade to its mate, was

SWIFT.—Cyjpselus apus.

once a mooted point, but is now clearly settled. The bird certainly uses its ery when it
is far away from its mate, but it also employs its voice in giving encouragement to its
mate as she sits upon her eggs in the dark recesses of her home. Darting closely by the
orifice of the hole, the Swift gives forth a loud and piercing scream, as a signal of his
presence, and is answered by a ‘soft chattering twitter from the female bird, in acknowledg-
ment of his courtesy. While thus employed, the agility with which it sw eeps along
by the loved spot is truly marvellous, and the manner in which it shoots round any
projecting angle is almost incredible to one who has not observed this bird while
performing this feat.

The nest is a very firmly made but yet rude and inartificial structure. The materials
of which it is made are generally straw, hay, and feathers, pieces of rag, or any soft
and warm substance which the bird may find in its rambles, and when woven into a
kind of nest, are firmly cemented together with a kind of glutinous substance secreted
by certain glands. In Norway and Sweden the Swift builds in hollow trees. The eggs
are from two to five in number, not often, however, exceeding three, and in colour they

136 ° MIGRATION OF THE SWIFT.

are pure white. The shell is very fragile, and the inexperienced collector will often
break the shell in attempting to remove the contents.

The young of the Swift are rather later in appearing than most young birds, seldom
being hatched until the end of June, and often delaying their advent until the beginning
of July. While in their juvenile plumage, they may be distinguished from the older birds
by their white chins and the yellowish white spots which appear on various parts of the
body. Owing in all probability to the lateness of the hatching time, there is only one
brood in the year.

In this country the Swift pays but a very short visit, as the bird evidently requires a
very high temperature, and is forced to depart as soon as the weather becomes chilly.
Africa seems to be the true home of this species, and in various parts of that continent
the Swifts may be found throughout three-fourths of the year, forming a curious link
between countries so far removed from each other. Generally the Swifts leave England
by the end of August, but there are often instances where a solitary bird has delayed its
voyage for some good reason. A pair of Swifts have been known to remain in England
until the beginning of October, having overstayed their associates by a period of seven
weeks, for the purpose of remaining with a late brood of young, and acting as guides in
their long journey to Africa. Sometimes, however, the migrating instinct has conquered
the parental feelings, and the old birds have taken flight in company with their neighbours,
leaving their unfortunate young to perish miserably in their nests.

It appears that the cause of a brood being delayed until so late in season, may be
found in the fact, that an accident had occurred to the former brood, and that the
reproductive instinct of the birds forced them to fulfil their destiny, and to rear a pair of
living young, in spite of the bitterness of the season. Such, at all events, was the case
with the birds, whose strange behaviour was so well recorded by Gilbert White. Even
in this instance the male bird yielded to the migrating impulse, and flew away with or
after his companions, leaving his mate to the hard task of bringing up her young without
his aid:

“Our Swifts in general withdrew this year about the first day of August, all save
one pair, which in two or three days was reduced to a single bird. The perseverance of
this individual made me suspect that the strongest of motives, that of an attachment to
her young, could alone occasion so late a stay. I watched, therefore, until the twenty-
fourth of August, and then discovered that under the eaves of the church, she attended
upon two young, which were fledged, and now put out their white chins from a crevice.
These remained till the twenty-seventh, looking more alert every day, and seeming to long
to be on the wing.

After this day they were missing at once, nor could I ever observe them with their
dam, coursing round the church in the act of learning to fly, as the first broods generally
do. On the thirty-first I caused the eaves to be searched, but we found only two callow
dead Swifts, on which a second nest had been formed.”

As a general fact, Swifts and Swallows hold little communion with each other, though
they inhabit the same localities, and pursue the same description of prey. When, as is
often the case, they make their residence in the same street, it has been observed that the
two species occupied different sides of the street, the Swifts taking the north, and the
Swallows preferring the south. Even when upon the wing, the Swallows and Swifts seem
to have nothing in common with each other, but hold aloof in little parties of the same
species.

The colour of the Swift is remarkably sombre, more so, indeed, than that of almost
any British bird. The whole of the plumage is dark sooty-black, devoid of the rich
green and purple gloss which is seen upon the rook and other dark-feathered birds, and
only relieved from its dull monotony by a grey patch below the chin. The beak is black
in colour, and very small, but the gape of the mouth is remarkably wide. The legs, toes,
and claws, are of the same dull black as the beak, and the eyes are brown. The entire
length of a full-grown Swift is about seven inches, the end of the wing reaching more
than an inch beyond the tip of the tail. The second primary is the longest feather in
the wing. °

THE ESCULENT SWALLOW. 137

AmonG the many “ travellers’ tales” which called forth such repudiation and ridicule
from the sceptical readers of the earlier voyagers, the accounts of the Chinese cuisine were
held to be amongst the most extravagant.

_ That civilized beings should condescend to eat dogs and rats specially fattened for the
table, was an idea from which their own better sense revolted; that the same nation
should reckon sharks’ fins and sea-slugs among their delicacies, was clearly an invention
of the writer ; but that the Chinese should make soup out of birds’ nests, was an absurdity
so self-evident, that it destroyed all possibility of faith in the writers’ previous assertions.
Very witty remarks were made on the subject, and many jokes made on the manner of
cooking a birds’ nest, so as to convert it into soup, the humourist having no conception of
the possibility that a birds’ nest could be made of anything but sticks, moss, feathers, and
mud. Yet it is now a well-known fact, that certain birds have the faculty of producing
or discovering a curious substance with which they make these very singular nests, and
which is perfectly capable of being cooked and eaten.

The birds that make these remarkable nests belong to several species, four of which
have been acknowledged. There
are the ESCULENT SWALLOW, the
Linchi, (Collocalia fuciphaga), the
White-backed Swallow, (Collocalia
troglodytes), and the Grey-backed
Swallow, (Collocalia Francica).

These nests could hardly be
recognised as specimens of bird
architecture by any one who had
not previously seen them, as they
look much more like a set of
sponges, corals, or fungi, than
nests of birds. They are most
irregular in shape, are adherent
to each other, and are so rudely
made, that the hollow in which
the eggs and young are intended
to live, is barely perceptible. They
are always placed against the face
of a perpendicular rock, generally
upon the side of one of the tre-
mendous caverns in Java and other ESCULENT SWALLOW.—Collocdlia nidijica.
places where these strange birds
love to dwell. The men who
procure the nests are lowered by
ropes from above, and their occupation is always considered as perilous in the extreme.

While adherent to the rocks, or when gathered into baskets, the nests are not at all
attractive in their aspect, and it is not until they have been carefully washed and cleansed,
that they begin to show their semi-fibrous structure, shining through its partially
transparent substance. The nests are of very different value, those which have been used
in rearing a brood of young being comparatively low in price, while those which are quite
new and nearly white, are held in such esteem, that they are worth their weight in silver.
When placed in water and allowed to remain in soak, the nests, being made of a partially
gelatinous substance, begin to soften and swell, and when thoroughly dressed, are said to
bear some resemblance to rather stiff turtle fat. To European palates, however, they
appear very insipid, and not worthy of the great value which is set upon them by the
Chinese.

In the British Museum may be seen a very fine specimen of the nest of the Esculent
Swallow, comprehending a mass of the nests still adhering to the rock. It is rather
remarkable that the birds have a habit of building these curious nests in horizontal layers.

The substance of which these nests are composed is evidently of an animal nature to

138 THE WHITE-BREASTED SWALLOW.

some extent, although certain vegetable matters, such as the gelatinous fuci or sea-weeds,
may be admixed with it. Whatever may be the basis of the nutriment that forms these
nests, it is clear that a very large portion of it is furnished by certain glands, which pour
out a viscid secretion.

The trade in these strange articles of diet is a very large one, and still holds its ground,
the annual weight of nests that is obtained from the various caves in which the Esculent
Swallows take up their residence being upwards of fifty thousand pounds, and the value
of the goods more than two hundred thousand pounds. In the Philippine Islands, the
bird is called the Salangana. The tribe of
the genus Collocalia approach very nearly
to the true Swallows in their structures,
but have many points which are identical
with the Swifts. The second primary
feather is the largest, the first three toes
point forward, and the fourth toe back-
ward, and the tail is moderate in length.

The nests are harried about three times
in every year, and it is said that the na-
tives who are employed in procuring them
are careful to destroy the old and deep-
coloured nests, in order to force the birds
to build new habitations, which command
a high price in the market. The construc-
tion of a single nest is a work of consider-
able time, occupying nearly two months,
and the structure of these wonderful
habitations seems to show that the bird
forms them by procuring out of its mouth
a viscid secretion, and which hardens into
adhesive threads as it comes in contact
with the air, A close examination of the
nest shows that it is composed of a great
many layers of irregular network, the

WHITE-BREASTED SWALLOW.—4Atticora leucosternon, meshes of which connect them in every
direction. Whatever it may be, it cer-
tainly possesses great strengthening and
restorative powers when cooked, and is

said to be an excellent specific in cases of indigestion.

The Esculent Swallow is a small bird, and its colour is brown on the upper parts of
the body, and white beneath. The extremity of the tail is greyish-white. The British
Museum possesses specimens of all the Swallows which are known to make these
curious edible nests, and have for that reason been somewhat wrongly termed edible
Swallows. In point of fact, a Swallow is not at all an edible bird, possessing a most
nauseatingly sweet flavour, as I can testify from personal experience.

THE elegant little WHITE-BREASTED SWALLOW is the Australian representative of the
genus Atticora. :

It is a very small bird, the total length being only about three inches and a half.
The colour is chiefly of two sorts, white and black-brown of different depths, according
to the individual, and the position of the feathers. The crown of the head is light
brown, dotted with darker spots, and succeeded by a white ring. A black band passes
from the corner of the mouth round the back of the head, embracing the eyes in its
course. The chin, throat, and chest are pure white, and the remainder of the plumage is
deep black-brown, the line of demarcation between the two tints being very strongly drawn.

All that is known of the habits of this pretty little bird is contained in the notes of
Mr. Gilbert, quoted in Gould’s “ Birds of Australia :”

THE SWALLOW. 139

“T only observed this bird in the interior, and as far as I can learn, it has not been
seen to the westward of York: I am told it is merely a summer visitor. It is a very
wandering species, never very numerous, and is generally seen in small flocks of from ten
to twenty in number, flying about, sometimes in company with the other Swallows for
about ten minutes, and then flying right away. I noticed this singular habit every time
I had an opportunity of observing the species. It usually flies high, a circumstance
which renders it difficult to procure specimens. Its flight more nearly resembles that of
the Swift than the Swallow; its cry also at times very much resembles that of the former.
Its food principally consists of minute black flies.

This bird chooses for its nest the deserted hole of either the Dalgyte (Perameles
lagotis), or the Boodee (a species of Bettongia), in the sides of which it burrows for about
seven or nine inches in an horizontal direction, making no nest, but merely laying its eggs
on the bare sand.

The White-breasted Swallow is termed by the colonists the Black-and-white Swallow,
in allusion to the bold contrasts of the colours with which its plumage is decorated, and
the natives know it under the title of Boo-de-boo-de.”

SWALLOW. —Tirundo Rustica.

THE elegantly shaped and beautifully coloured SwaLLow may be readily distinguished
from any of its British relations by the very great elongation of the feathers which edge
its tail, and which form nearly two-thirds of the bird’s entire length.

It is the most familiar of all the Hirundinide of England, and from its great
familiarity with man, and the trustfulness with which it fixes its domicile under the
shelter of human habitations, is generally held as an almost sacred bird, in common with
the robin and the wren. In eastern countries, the protection of man is extended towards
this beautiful little bird even more extensively than in England, where too often it is
killed or wounded by the unfeeling possessor or hirer of a gun merely by way of practice
in “shooting flying.”

Independently of any question of humanity or the barbarity of a disposition which
can find amusement in the death and cruel maiming of beings full of life and enjoyment,
it is a matter of very bad policy to shoot a swallow. There are some birds which afford
some excuse to their destroyers by reason of their fondness for grain and fruit, but the
Swallow is exclusively an insect-eating bird, and plays a most important part in preserving
the balance between the various departments of the animal kingdom. There are many
noxious insects which are most valuable in themselves, and which, until the conditions

140 HABITS OF THE SWALLOW.

which cause their existence be removed or altered, are actual visible providences towards
mankind. But these very creatures are necessarily so extremely prolific, that their
increase outgrows their task, and they would themselves become nuisances, did not the
Swallow and other similar birds keep down their numbers by day, and the goat-suckers
and bats by night.

To ascertain the truth of this observation, nothing more is necessary than to open the
mouth of a Swallow that has been shot while flying, and to turn out the mass of small
flies which will be found collected there, and which the bird was intending to take home
to its hungry little family. The extraordinary amount of flies and other insects which
a Swallow can thus pack into its mouth is almost incredible, for when relieved by the
constant pressure to which it is subjected, the black heap begins to swell and enlarge,
until it attains nearly double its former size.

The Swallow wages a never-ceasing war against many species of insects, and seems to
be as capricious in its feeding as are the roach and other river fish. At one time it will
feed almost exclusively upon gnats and other small flies, and will destroy many thousands
of these obnoxious flies in a single day. At another time it will prefer beetles, chasing
the Geotrupide rather than those of any other order. On another occasion it will confine
itself to May-flies, catching them as they emerge from their pupal envelopes and flutter
soft, fat, and languid on the river bank. Sometimes the Swallow flies at larger prey, and
frequenting the neighbourhood of bee-hives, swoops with unerring aim upon their inmates
as they enter or leave their straw-built houses. It is a very remarkable fact that the
working bee is generally unharmed by the Swallow, which directs its attack chiefly upon
the comparatively useless drone. Perhaps the bird may possess an instinctive knowledge
of the poisoned weapon with which the worker is armed, and may therefore prefer to
attack the large but stingless drone.

Owing, in all probability, to this insect diet, the flesh of the Swallow is quite unfit for
the table, and possesses a very disagreeable flavour, Out of curiosity I once cooked and
tried to eat some Swallows that had been shot, and was effectually deterred from the
attempt by the peculiar and nauseous character of the flesh, which has some resemblance
to a sweet potato in its flavour. Like the generality of predaceous birds, the Swallow
ejects the legs, wings, and other indigestible portions of its insect prey in little pellets,
or “ castings.”

The flight of this bird is very rapid and graceful, and is readily distinguished from
that of the Swift by certain peculiarities which are not easy to be described, but can be
recognised without difficulty. Unlike the Swift, which never settles except on some
elevated spot, the Swallow is fond of resting a while on the ground, and may often be
seen dusting itself after the fashion of the common sparrow. I have often seen it settle
on the patches of sand that are left among the rocks at low water, and from the busy
activity which it displayed on such occasions, imagine it to have been engaged in chasing
the sand-flies, or perhaps even the sand-hoppers that swarm so abundantly in such
localities.

When taken young, the Swallow is easily tamed, and after having passed the season of
emigration, becomes reconciled to its enforced home and is a very docile and loveable little
pet. The poor bird must suffer greatly during this period when its brothers are voyaging
to warmer climates, for the organization of all birds is sensitive to a high degree, and
especially so in the case of birds of passage. The extreme delicacy of the bird's nature
was well shown in the time of cholera. In the town of Verviers, while that fell disease
was carrying away twenty inhabitants per diem out of a population of two thousand, the
Swallows and all the singing birds left the spot, and did not return until the cholera had
passed away.

The voice of the Swallow is vastly more agreeable than the shrill scream of the
Swift, and is, although weak and twittering, very musical in its tone and pleasing to
the ear.

The nest of the Swallow is always placed in some locality where it is effectually
sheltered from wind and rain. Generally it is constructed under the eaves of houses, but
as it is frequently built within disused chimneys, it has given to the species the popular

MIGRATION OF THE SWALLOW. 141

title of Chimney Swallow. The bird is probably attracted to the chimney by the warmth
of some neighbour fire.

The nest is composed externally of mud or clay, which is brought by the bird in small
lumps, and stuck in irregular rows so as to build up the sides of its little edifice. There
is an attempt at smoothing the surface of the nest, but each lump of clay is easily
distinguishable upon the spot where, it has been stuck. While engaged at the com-
mencement of its labours, the Swallow clings perpendicularly to the wall of the house or
chimney, clinging with its sharp little claws to any small projection, and sticking itself by
the pressure of its tail against the wall. The interior of the nest is lined with grasses
and other soft substances, and after it has been inhabited by a young brood, becomes
very offensive to the nostrils and unpleasant to the touch, in consequence of the large
parasitic ticks which are peculiar to the birds of this tribe, and which swarm in the nest.

Persons who value the cleanly exterior of their houses more than the pleasure of
affording shelter to these beautiful and graceful little birds, and of watching them through
the interesting period of building, hatching, and rearing, have tried many methods of
preventing the birds from building, and have found none so effectual as soap or oil laid
on the wall with a brush, a substance which will not suffer the clay to hold to the wall’s
perpendicular surface.

Sometimes the Swallow is seized with a fit of eccentricity, and builds its nest in very
odd localities. One of these birds actually made its home in the outspread wings of an
owl which had been nailed against a barn door, and it is not at all unusual to see the nests
of the Swallow built in the shaft of an old mine or wall. Various other localities are
recorded by zoological observers, such as a half-open drawer, an old cap hung upon a peg,
and in one curious instance, which is mentioned and figured by Mr. Yarrell, upon the forked
branch of a sycamore tree which hung overa pond. A brood of young was hatched in this
nest, and a second batch of eggs was laid, but came to nothing.

There are sometimes two broods in the year, and when the second brood has been
hatched at a very late period of the year, the young are frequently deserted and left to
starve by their parents, who are unable to resist the innate impulse that urges them to
seek a warmer climate. It has occasionally, but very rarely, happened that the parents
have remained for some time in order to bring up their young brood. When fully fledged,
and before they are forced to migrate, the young birds generally roost for the night in
osiers and other water-loving trees.

Except in confinement, the Swallow knows not the existence of frost, nor the extreme
of heat, passing from Europe to Africa as soon as the cold weather begins to draw in, and
migrating again to the cooler climes as soon as the temperature of its second home becomes
inconvenient to its sensitive existence. The time of its arrival in England is various, and
depends almost entirely on the state of the weather. Solitary individuals are now and
then seen in very early months, but as a general fact, the Swallow does not arrive until
the second week in April; the time of its departure is generally about the middle of
September, although some few lingerers remain in the country for more than a month
after the departure of their fellows.

Before the time of migration they may be seen assembled in great numbers, chattering
away eagerly, and appearing to be holding a great parliament for the settlement of affairs
before starting on their long journey. The dome of the Radcliffe Library at Oxford is a
favourite assembling place of these birds, all the lines of its architecture being studded
with Swallows, whose white bellies look like pearl beads strung upon the dark surface of
the leaden dome. They do not, however, migrate in flocks, but pass in little families of
two or three in number across the vast space that separates them from the end of their
journey. Although such powerful and swift fliers, they become fatigued in passing the
sea, and will flock in great numbers to rest upon the rigging of some ship that may happen
to pass their course. It is rather curious that the birds almost invariably fly in a line
directly north and south, influenced doubtlessly by the magnetic current that flows
everlastingly in that direction.

Sometimes the poor birds are so utterly worn out with fatigue, that when they have
perched upon the side of a boat, they are unable to take again to the wing, and if disturbed,

142 THE RUFOUS-BELLIED SWALLOW.

can hardly fly from one end of the boat to the other. They have been even seen to settle
upon the surface of the waves, and to lie with outspread wings until they were able to
resume their journey.

Guided by some wondrous instinct, the Swallow always finds its way back to the nest
which it had made, or in which it had been reared, as has frequently been proved by
affixing certain marks to individual birds, and watching for their return. Sometimes it
happens that the house on which they had built has been taken down during their absence,
and in that case the distress of. the poor birds is quite pitiable. They fly to and fro over
the spot in vain search after their lost homes, and fill the air with the mournful cries that
tell of their sorrows.

The Swallow is widely spread over various parts of the world, being familiarly known
throughout the whole of Europe, not excepting Norway, Sweden, and the northern portions
of the continent. It is also seen in Western Africa, and Mr. Yarrell mentions an instance
where it was observed in the island of St. Thomas, which is situated upon the equator.
The martin and the swift were seen at the same place.

The colour of the Swallow is very beautiful. Upon the forehead the feathers are of a
light chesnut, which gives place to deep glossy steel-blue upon the upper portions of the
body and wings. The primaries and secondaries are black, as are the tail feathers, with
the exception of a few white patches. The throat is chesnut, and a very dark-blue band
crosses the upper part of the chest. The under parts are white, and the beak, legs, and
toes black. The female is distinguished by the smaller chesnut patch on the forehead, the
smaller tint of the feathers, and the narrowness of the dark band across the chest.

Many examples of white Swallows are on record, and specimens may be seen in almost
every collection of British birds. °

The two Swallows which next
come before our notice, are natives
of America, and are high in favour
among the lower inhabitants of
the land, one species taking up
its abode with civilized men, and
the other preferring, at all events
at present, the habitations of the
indigenous savage tribes.

The Rurous-BELLIED SwAL-
Low is plentifully found in the
United States, and is fond of
building its nest in outhouses and
barns, and is frequently furnished
by the kindness of the proprietor
with convenient boxes fastened
to poles or nailed on trees. It is
never known to build in chimneys,
like our own Chimney Swallow.

The nest of this bird is rather
peculiar in form, being according

RUFOUS-BELLIED SWALLOW.—Hirundo erythrogaster. to Wilson, “in the form of an in-
verted cone, with a perpendicular
section cut off on that side by
which it adheres to the rafters.

At the top it has an extension of the nest, or an off-set, for the male or female to sit on
occasionally ; the upper direction is about six inches by five, the height externally seven
inches. This shell is formed with mud mixed with fine hay, as plasterers do mortar
with hair to make it adhere the better; the mud seems to be placed in regular layers
from side to side: the shell is about an inch in thickness, and the hollow of the cone is
filled in with fine hay well stuffed in, and above that is laid a handful of downy
feathers.” The nest of the Pinc-pine (Cisticola tectriz) is also remarkable for possessing

THE FAIRY MARTIN. 143

a supplementary erection on which one of the birds sits while the other is engaged
in hatching the eggs.

‘As the nest is rather complicated in its structure, it occupies some time in preparation,

-a week generally passing before it is fit to receive the eggs. When the Rufous-hellied
Swallow builds in barns or out-houses, it is very gregarious in its habits, twenty or thirty
nests being often placed in close proximity to each other, and generally within an inch or
two; yet ‘there is no quarrelling among the birds, and the whole society is remarkably
harmonious. While the female is sitting on the eggs, the male often places himself
on the mud perch, and pours forth his complacent little twitter of a song for her consola-
tion. There are generally two broods in each season.

Tn size the Rufous-bellied Swallow is not quite equal to the common Swallow of
England, being only about seven inches in length. Its colour is not unlike that of the
Swallow, excepting that the under portions of the body are of a ruddy chestnut in the
male, and of a rusty white in the female.

The Rurous-NECKED SWALLow is easily to be distinguished from the preceding
bird by its comparatively small dimensions, its entire length being hardly six inches, and
by the form of its tail, which is without the usual fork.

It is also known by the name of the Republican Swallow, on account of its habit of
building its nests in close proximity to each other, and in very great numbers. The nest
is of a singular shape, being formed something like a Florence flask with its neck
shortened and widened. Mud is the chief substance with which it is built, and the
lining is composed of dried grasses and other soft substances. These birds are rapidly
beginning to attach themselves to civilized habitations, and may be often found building
their nests upon walls of barns and out-houses. When they prefer to live in the open
country, they choose a convenient wall of rock for the purpose, and place their nests
in some spot where they are sheltered by overhanging heaps of stone. The nest is very
rapidly built, being ready for occupation within five or six days from the time when
it was begun. The eggs are generally four in number, and their colour is white, covered
with many brown spots.

The plumage of this pretty little bird is a deep glossy violet, almost black upon
the back, head, and wings ; the under portions of the body are oreyish-white excepting the
breast, which is a ruddy-ashen tint. A band of pale rusty-red passes over the forehead,
and the upper tail coverts are of the same hue. Above the bill a narrow black band is
drawn as far as the eye.

Amonc the most ingenious of bird architects, the Farry Marrin holds a very high
place in virtue of the singular nest which it constructs.

The nest of the Fairy Martin has a very close resemblance to a common oil flask, and
reminds the observer of the flask-shaped nests which are constructed by the Pensile
Oriole and similar birds, although made of harder material. The Fairy Martin builds its
curious house of mud and clay, which it kneads thoroughly in its beak before bringing it
to the spot where it will be required. Six or seven birds work amicably at each nest, one
remaining in the interior enacting the part of chief architect, while others act as hodsmen,
and bring material as fast as it is required. Except upon wet days, this bird only works
in the evening and early morning, as the heat of mid-day seems to dry the mud so rapidly
that it cannot be rightly kneaded together. The mouths, or “spouts” of these nests vary
from eight to ten inches in length, and point indifferently in all directions. The diameter
of the widest portion of the nest is very variable, and ranges between four and seven
inches.

The exterior of the nest is as rough as that of the common swallow of England, but
’ the interior is comparatively smooth, and is lined with feathers and fine grass. The eggs
are generally four or five in number, _and the bird rears two broods in the course of
the year.

The Fairy Martin is very capricious in its choice of locality. Sometimes it will take
a fancy to a house, and will build its nests in regular rows under the shelter of the eaves.
Sometimes it prefers the perpendicular. face of a rock, and in that case will build several

VAIRY MARTIN.—Hirundo. Ariel,

hundreds of nests in close proximity to each other, but without the slightest attempt at
regularity or order, and with the parts sticking out in all directions. Now and then, the
nest of this bird is found within the hollow of some decayed tree. In every case, the nest
is built in some place where water is in the near vicinity, but it is a very remarkable fact
that it has never been seen within twenty miles of the sea. The Fairy Martin is spread
over the whole of Southern Australia, arriving in Aucust, and departing in September.

THE WIRE-TAILED SWALLOW is chiefly remarkable on account of the peculiarity from
which it derives its name.

The external feathers of the tail are singularly elongated, and for the greater part of
their length are devoid of web, resembling in some degree the filamentary “appendages of
the Bird of Paradise. The general colour of this bird is a rich steel- blue, the head being
chesnut, and the under portions of the body white, with the exception of a large black
patch upon the back of the thigh. The wiry portion of the tail feathers is black, and the
same tint runs across the edge of the webbed portions, which in the centre are white like
the abdomen. Specimens of this bird in the British Museum have been brought from
Madras and Abyssinia.

THE handsome PURPLE SWALLOw is a native of the United States of America, where
it is one of the most familiar, and at the same time one of the most generally beloved
of the indigenous birds.

It instinctively resorts to human habitations, and even finds favour in the eyes of the
American Indian, a being who is little given to mercy, and who makes the possession of
a head but a theme for self laudation. Yet even the copper-skinned native respects the
Purple Martin, and takes care to prepare a convenient resting place for the little bird, by
hanging on a neighbouring tree an empty gourd in which a hole has been roughly cut.
In this receptacle the Martin makes its inartificial nest, and cheers the heart of its host
by its monotonous though sweet-toned song. The more civilized inhabitants of farms
provide for the roosting of this bird by fastening nest-boxes against the wall, and some
persons even build regular cotes, of which the sociable birds soon take possession.

THE WIRE-TAILED SWALLOW. 145
Sometimes the Purple Martins become rather presuming in their familiarity, and actually
turn the pigeons out of their own nest-boxes when they do not find sufficient accommodation
for themselves. The negro, too, takes pleasure in domesticating this most trustful of birds,
and provides for its accommodation by fastening hollow calabashes to the tops of long
bamboo canes, which are stuck in the ground for the purpose.

Like the swallow of England, the Purple Martin exhibits a great predilection for the
spot where it has once built its nest, and will return year after year to the beloved
locality.

ne the case with many familiar birds, such as the robin, the sparrow, and the
swallow, the Purple Martin is a most fearless and withal quarrelsome bird, greatly
delighting in annoying any other bird that may
happen to be larger than itself, and trusting
to its great command of wing for impunity.
Hawks of all kinds, crows, jays, and similar
birds live in constant terror of the Purple
Martin, which no sooner sees the hateful form
of a hawk or crow in the distance than it flies
at him savagely, and makes such rapid and
vicious pounces, that the wretched victim is
fain to escape as he best can from the attacks
of his small but determined foe. Even the
eagle enjoys no immunity from the persecution
of the Purple Martin, which dashes at the
regal bird with as much assurance as if it were
only chasing a pigeon. It is rather remarkable
that although the Purple Martin will generally
fly at the king-bird, it will make common
cause with that bird against the eagle, and
unite in a temporary alliance until the com-
mon enemy is driven off.

The Purple Martin feeds mostly upon the
larger insects, such as wasps, bees, and beetles,
caring little for the gnats, flies, and other small

insects which form the food of the generality
of swallows. The flight of this species is
wonderfully rapid and active, the httle bird

dashing to and fro with lightning speed, and
wheeling with such remarkable suddenness
that it really has nothing to fear from the
‘arger but less active claws of the eagle or
falcon.

When this bird builds in a crevice or other
spot which has not been prepared by the hand
of man, the nest is found to consist of a rather
jorge mass of dried grass, leaves, moss, feathers,
and other similar substances, and contains AIPCHE BLT GID) 131 EO i CARN ID Xe
from four te six white eggs. When several
irds are building in proximity to each other,
hey make an extraordinary noise at the break

' day, which, although very useful in awaking the farmers and their men in time for
‘heir daily work, is by no means agreeable to those whose tastes do not incline them to
erly rising. There are generally two broods in each year, and both parents take their
* ir turn in sitting upon the eggs.

As might be gathered from the popular name of this bird, the colour of this species is

ich, deep purple, of a very glossy kind. 'This purple hue is peculiar to the male, and
tends over the greater part of the body, with the exception of the wings and tail, which
2, L

PURPLE SWALLOW.—Progne purpurea.

are of a deep blackish-brown. The female and young male birds ave brown, with a stre:
blue tinge upon the upper parts of the body, and only a greyish-white below.

Several examples of the Purple Martin have been taken in Great Britain, and Mr.
Yarrell has therefore admitted it into his list of British birds. He is of opinion that
as two specimens were shot within a single week in the same locality, the brood might
have been reared in this country. Another specimen was killed near Kingston.

Tue pretty little SAND MARTIN is, in spite of its sober plumage and diminutive form,
a very interesting bird, and one which adds much to the liveliness of any spot where it
may take up its abode.

In size it is less than any of the other British Hirundinidee, being less than five inches
in total length. The eolour of this bird is very simple, the general tint of the entire
upper surface of the head and body being a soft brown, relieved from too great uniformity
by the sooty-black- quill feathers of the wings and tail. The under surface is pure white,
with the exception of a band of brown across the upper part of the chest. The young
bird possesses a lighter plumage than the adult, owing to the yellowish-white tips of the
back, tertiaries, and upper coverts. The beak is dark brown, and the eyes hazel.

Although its little beak and slender claws would seem at first sight to be utterly
inadequate for the performance of miner’s work, the Sand Martin is as good a tunnel-
driver as the mole or the rat, and can manage to dig a burrow of considerable depth in
soil that would severely try the more powerful limbs of the quadrupedal excavators. The
soil which it most loves is light sandstone, because the labour which is expended in the
tunnelling is very little more than that which would be required for softer soils, and the
sides of its burrow are sufficiently firm to escape the likelihood of breaking down. In
default of sandstone, this bird will drive its burrow through the bank of a railway-cutting
or of a river, even though the soil should be of softer and less-enduring material. It has
even been known to make its nest in a belt of soft clay above the basaltic cliffs of the
Giant's Causeway.

The depth of the burrow is extremely variable, some tunnels being only eighteen
inches or two feet deep, while others run to a leneth of nearly five feet. During some
five years’ experience and constant watching of these birds in Derbyshire, I generally
found that the hand could reach to the end of the burrows, and remove the eggs, providec
that the birds had not been forced to change the direction of the tunnel by the interventior
of a stone or a piece of rock too hard for their bills to penetrate. The approach to th:

THE SAND MARTIN. 147

nests and the mode of taking them was hazardous in the extreme, as it was necessary to
clamber along the perpendicular f face of a loose, crumbling sandstone rock, and to cling
by the feet and one hand, after the fashion of the Sand Martin itself, while the other hand
was groping for the eggs at the extremity of the burrow.

In excavating its domicile the Sand Martin displays wonderful activity and ingenuity,
and abandons itself to its work with a thorough recklessness of enjoyment.

Clinging to the face of the rock, it delivers thereon a firm sharp blow with its closed
beak, as if to test the quality of the material, and then nimbly runs or flutters to another
spot, where it repeats the same process, until it has fixed upon a suitable locality. It
then sets fairly to work, and by dint of repeated blows im the same spot, loosens a
considerable piece of soil, which comes tumbling to the ground. The bird then cuts a
circular funnel-shaped depression, by running nimbly round the circumference, and
working from the centre outwards, and in wonderfully short time succeeds in forming a
well-defined circular hole. Havi ing made so much progress, it rests for a short space, and
then redoubles its ardour, chipping
away the sandstone at a great rate
with repeated blows of its sharp,
conical little bill, and clearing the
fallen material with its claws.
While it works, it clings to the
sides or the roof of its burrow with
equal facility, and traverses the
tunnel with singular ease and
rapidity.

This bird is not very readily sa-
tisfied with a locality, and being in
no wise sparing of its labour, will
often dig three or four holes before
it will make a final settlement.
As has been already mentioned,
the burrows are generally straight
unless turned out of their course
by some impediment, but in all
cases they are slightly globular at
the extremity where the nest is
deposited, and slope gently up-
wards, so that the eggs and young
cannot be inundated by rain. The
Sand Martin is very gregarious in
its habits, and crowds its burrows
closely together, so that a cliff is often absolutely honey-combed by these persevering
little diggers. Perhaps the quality of the soil may have some influence on this associa-
tion, as “it. is quite common to see one part of a bank crowded with nests, while the
remainder is. left deserted.

As is generally the case with burrowing birds, the Sand Martin takes very little trouble
about the construction of its nest, but contents itself with laymeg down a small handful of
various soft substances, such as moss, hay, and feathers. The eggs are very small and
fragile, and are not easily removed from the burrow without being fractured. Their colour
is, when freshly laid, a delicate semi-transparent pink, which darkens to a dull opaque
grey when incubation has proceeded to some extent, and changes to a beautiful white
when the contents are removed from the shell. Their number is from four to six.

The voice of the Sand Martin is a weak twitter, soft and musical, and when the birds
congregate in numbers, can be heard at a considerable distance. At times, however, when
irritated by the presence of a bird of prey, or when engaged in quarrelling with one of its
own species, a weakness to which this bird is especially prone, it pours out from its little
throat a succession of harsh screaming cries that may express either rage or fear according

L2

SAND MARTIN.—Cotile riparia.

148 THE HOUSE MARTIN.

to circumstances. I have often seen the Sand Martins “mob” larger birds; and on one
occasion, while they were engaged in pursuing a hawk that was passing near their habita-
tion, they suffered for their temerity by the loss of one of their companions, who was
carried off screaming in the hawk’s talons, and whose sad fate at once dispersed the noisy
assembly. I fancy that in this instance the hawk intentionally provoked the attack, as his
flight was very unhawklike, and he seemed to stagger, so to speak, while fluttering amid
the crowd of Sand Martins.

The food of this bird is composed of insects, and, in spite of the small dimensions of
the little creature, it will pursue, capture, and eat insects of considerable dimensions and
strength of wing, such as wasps and dragon-flies. Gnats and similar insects, however,
form the staple of its diet.

The Sand Martin is not much of a wanderer, always hanging about the vicinity of its
abode, and satiating itself with the insects of the locality. Generally the nest is placed
near water, such as a stream or a lake, so that the bird is sure to find plenty of food
among the innumerable insect tribes that frequent such localities. These birds have been
noticed to perch by hundreds on reeds and patches of sand, where they are able to rest
their wings, and to pursue a terrestrial chase after their insect food.

This bird generally makes its appearance in England about the beginning of April,
and has even been noticed before the end of March, so that its arrival is earlier than that
of the swallow or Martin. It departs about the beginning of September, and like other
British Hirundinidee, makes its way to Africa, where it remains until the succeeding year.

RESEMBLING the common swallow in habits and general appearance, the Housp
MakrrTIN may easily be distinguished from that bird by the large white patch upon the
upper tail-coverts, a peculiarity which is even more notable when the bird is engaged in
flight than when it is seated on the ground or clinging to its nest. In the dusk of evening
the Martins may often be seen flying about at so late an hour, that their bodies are
almost invisible in the dim and fading twilight, and their presence is only indicated by
the white patches upon their backs, which reflect every fading ray, and bear a singular
resemblance to white moths or butterflies darting through the air.

This beautiful little bird is found in all parts. of England, and is equally familiar with
the swallow and sand Martin. It places its clay-built nest principally under the shelter
afforded by human habitations, and becomes so trustful and fearless that it will often fix
its nest close to a window, and will rear its young without beimg dismayed at the near
presence of human beings.

It is rather a curious fact that the Martin should be so apparently capricious in its
architectural taste, as has frequently been observed. The birds will often take a great
fancy to one side of a house, and will place whole rows of their nests under the eaves,
totally neglecting the remaining sides of the house, even though they offer equal or
superior ac :commodation. Generally the Martins avoid the south ‘side, apparently from a
well-crounded fear that the heat of the midday sun might crack and loosen the mud
walls of their domiciles. A north-eastern aspect is in ereat favour with the Martins, and
I lately observed a very great number of their nests affixed to the eastern walls of a row
of houses, together with several isolated cottages, and, on a careful examination, could not
see a single nest upon any other part of the buildings.

The nest of this species is extremely variable in shape and size, no two being precisely
similar in both respects. Generally the edifice is cup-shaped, with the rim closely pressed
against the eaves of some friendly house, and having a small semicircular aperture cut
out of the edge, in order to permit the ingress and egress of the birds. Sometimes,
however, the nest is supported on a kind of solid pedestal, composed also of mud, and
often containing nearly as much material as would have made an ordinary nest. These
pedestals are generally constructed in spots where the Martin finds that her nest does not
find adequate support from the wall.

The material of which the nests are built is said to consist principally of the finely
pulverized mould which is swallowed by earthworms as they feed, and is ejected at the
surface of the ground in the well-known “casts” that often disfigure our lawns, and excite

NESTING OF THE HOUSE MARTIN. 149

the wrath of the gardener. This substance is evidently well moistened and kneaded
before it is applied, and it is very probable that the bird may supply some viscid secretion
which renders it more tenacious. The exterior of the nest is very rough, but has a
picturesque appearance by reason of that very roughness.

When once they have attached themselves to any locality, the Martins are thorough
conservatives in their feelings, and set their faces against any alteration or improvement.
One of my friends, on finding that these little birds were beginning to build their nests
under the eaves of his house, was desirous of attracting them to his residence and
affording them the best hospitality in his power. He therefore ordered a kind of verandah
to be erected along the side of the house, so that the Martins might find a better shelter
than was afforded by the shallow eaves. The birds, however, took a different view of
the matter; deserted the nests which had already been built, and never came back
again.

In all cases the Martins exhibit a strong dislike to smooth walls. Stucco they detest,
and only tolerate new brick when they can find no other resting-place. But their chief
delight is in walls that are covered with rough cast, or that are built of roughened stone.
They also take advantage of any
projection, such as a spout or a
piece of sculpture, and employ it
as a foundation on which they
may rest their domiciles.

Not only is the Martin capri-
cious in choosing certain points
of the compass, but also in fixing
upon a locality wherein to build
its habitation, it exhibits no small
fancifulness. Generally it affects
human dwellings, and rests safely
under the protection of their in-
mates; but it will often fly far
from the presence of man, and
build its nest in uninhabited
spots. Precipitous rocks of various
kinds, whether limestone, sand-
stone, or chalk, are frequently
studded with the nests of the
Martin. The basaltic rocks of
the Giant’s Causeway are in great
favour with this bird, which has
even been known to plant its
nests thickly in the arches of a
bridge.

In Northern Europe the Martin is held in very high estimation, as it seems to keep
down the numbers of the mosquito and those winged pests which swarm in those cold
regions as profusely as under a tropical sky, and use their poisoned weapons with quite as
much severity. Its presence is therefore courted, and the inhabitants strive to attract
the Martins to themselves by preparing certain attractive boxes, in which they are able to
build their nests without expending a tithe of the labour that is required for fixing a nest
upon a perpendicular wall.

In this place it may be as well to mention the well-known assertion that a sparrow
which had usurped the nest of a Martin, and refused to relinquish his ill-gotten home,
was summarily punished by the entire efforts of the society, who gathered a large supply
of clay, and fairly immured him in a prison anda tomb. This story appears to be very
improbable, because it would seem that a very few blows of a sparrow’s beak would break
through the frail walls of a Martin’s nest, and release the prisoner. But in Mr, Thompson's
work on the Birds of Ireland, the strange tale is confirmed in the following passage :—

HOUSE MARTIN.—Chelidon wrbica.

150 HABITS OF THE HOUSE MARTIN.

“When the House Martins returned in that year to a thatched cottage, belonging to
Mr. John Clements, where they had annually built for a long period—and which then
displayed fourteen of their nests—a pair found that sparrows had taken possession of
their domicile. On perceiving this, they kept up ‘such a chattermg about the nest’ as to
attract the attention of the owner of the house. After its continuance for some time,
apparently until they were convinced that the sparrow was determined to retain possession,
they flew away, and did not return for a considerable time, when they reappeared with
about twenty of their kindred. They now immediately commenced ‘claying up the
entrance to the nest, which was done in the course of the day; next morning, the
construction of a new nest was commenced against the side of the old one, and in it they
reared their brood undisturbed. After some time, the proprietor of the cottage, who had
never heard of any similar case, pulled down both nests, and in that oceupied by the
sparrow found its ‘rotten corpse, together with several eggs. A particular note of the
entire proceeding, as related by Mr. Clements, was made by my brother soon after the
occurrence ; but to make ‘assurance doubly sure, before publishing the account in 1842, I
inquired of Mr. Clements whether he remembered such a circumstance, and he repeated
it just as narrated nine years before. Some other persons, too, of our mutual acquaintance
were witness to the chief part of the proceeding, and saw the sparrow, together with the
eggs, in the sealed-up nest.

What appears to me the most singular feature in this case is, that the sparrow should
remain in the nest, and allow itself to be entombed alive. But this bird was sitting on
the full complement of eggs, probably in the last stage of incubation, at which period we
know that some birds leave the nest only to procure such a scanty morsel as will barely
support life. Occasionally, at such times they allow themselves to be lifted off their eggs,
and when placed on again, continue to sit as intently as if they had not been disturbed.
The filling up of the aperture is not in itself a singular proceeding on the part of the
Martins, but on this occasion, when the assistance of their neighbours was called in, would
almost seem to be intended as an act of retributive justice on the sparrow. Their building
against the side of the old nest is quite a common occurrence.”

There are generally several broods in the course of the year, two being the usual
number, and three or even four being sometimes noticed. In such cases, however, the
young birds seldom reach maturity, for they are hatched at such a late period of the year
that the parents are unable to withstand ie instinct that leads them to migrate, and in
obeying the promptings of this principle, leave their unfortunate family to perish miserably
of hunger. The parents do not seem to grieve over their dead children, and when they -
return to the nest in the succeeding season, they unconcernedly pull the dried and
shrivelled bodies out of the nest, and rearrange it in readiness for the next brood. It
has been well suggested that a change in the nature of the bird takes place at every
season of migration, and that the “storgé,” or love of offspring, is suddenly quenched
when the creature is called upon to undergo its long journey.

Although they are by no means brave birds, excepting in familiarity with man, they
display great courage in defending their homes from the attacks of foes, and will oppose,
to the best of their power, any adversary, whether man, beast, or bird. If their nests are
broken down, they hover round the destroyer, and dash at him with all their might,
uttering hoarse screams of rage and sorrow.

The habits of the Martin are very like those of the swallow, and in the first year of
their existence the two species are frequently companions. Their friendship is, however,
but of brief duration, for as soon as the birds have obtained their full development of
form, the stronger wings and more enduring powers of the swallow deter the Martin from
Cc ontinuine the comp: anionship.

In their migration, the Martin differs slightly from the other Hirundinids, being rather
later than the swallow and sand Martin. It is seldom seen in England before the middle
of April, whereas the swallow is often noticed by the beginning of that month, although
a solitary specimen may occasionally be noticed, which has acted as pioneer to its
companions, and arrived simultaneously with the swallow. It leaves this country about
the middle of October, seldom staying beyond the thirteenth or fourteenth of that month.

THE ORIENTAL ROLLER. 151

It migrates in considerable bodies, collecting for several days before starting, and seeming
to arrange the order in which the migration shall be accomplished.

The general colouring of this bird is composed of rich blue-black and white, arranged
in bold masses, so as to present a fine contrast of two very opposite tints. The head and
upper portions of the body are of a very deep glossy blue, with the exception of the quill
feathers of the wings and tail, which are sooty black, and the upper tail-coverts, which are
snowy white. The chin, breast, and abdomen are of the same pure white as the upper
tail-coverts, except in the young birds, which are greyish-white beneath. The female bird
is rather grey on the under portions of the body. A number of tiny white feathers are
spread over the legs and toes, and the beak is black and the eyes brown. The total length
of the Martin is rather more than five inches.

ROLLERS.

Tue ROLuERS evidently form one of the connecting links between the swallows and
the bee-eaters, as may be seen by the shape of their feet, which have the two hinder
toes partially joined together, while those of the bee-eaters are wholly connected, or, as it
were, soldered together. The Rol-
lers, as is evident from their long
pointed wings, stiff tail, and com-
paratively feeble legs and feet, are
to a great extent feeders on the
wing, although they do not depend
wholly on their powers of flight
for subsistence, but take many
insects, worms, and grubs from
the ground.

The birds of the genus Eury-
stomus, or wide-mouthed birds, may
be known by the peculiarity from
which they derive their generic
name. The beak is remarkably
wide at its base, and the gape of
the mouth is very large. The
point of the beak is flattened, and
rather abruptly curved. There
are some bristle-like feathers at
the angle of the mouth, and the
wings are extremely long, the
second primary feather being the
longest. The tail is moderate in
extent and not forked.

The ORTENTAL ROLLER is found spread over a large expanse of country, being a native
of many parts of India, Java, and the Polynesian Islands. It is a very handsome bird,
the greater part of its plumage gleaming with the most brilliant green, which has been
compared, though not very happily, to the peculiar sea-green of the aquamarine. A
brilliant azure colours the throat and the points of the wings, and the primary feathers of
the wing are black, diversified with a white bar. The tail is deep black. In its habits it
is quick, active, and vigorous, chasing its insect prey through the air, and displaying great
command of wing and powers of endurance,

ORIENTAL ROLLER.—L£uwrjstomus Oriéntalis.

152 THE GARRULOUS ROLLER.

ANOTHER closely allied species is the AUSTRALIAN ROLLER (Lurgstomus Pactficus).

This bird is popularly known to the Australian colonists by the title of DoLLaR Birp,
on account of a circular white spot upon the inside of each wing, which is very conspicuous
when the bird is flying overhead. The flight of the Australian Roller is heavy and
laboured, and the bird does not appear to chase insects with the activity and perseverance
of the preceding species. Generally it is fond of sitting on some convenient bank
overhanging the water, and from that post of vantage pouncing upon a passing insect,
much after the fashion of the harriers. While thus engaged, it frequently utters a peculiar
chattering cry. Its most active seasons are sunrise and sunset ; at other parts of the day
it is but sluggish in its movements.

It is, however, a very bold and fearless bird, and will attack man, beast, or bird that
approaches within a certain distance of the spot where its cradle lies. True nest there is
none, as the bird contents itself with a hole ina decaying tree-trunk, and depositing its
egos upon the soft wood, The eggs are from three to four in number.

ALTHOUGH tolerably common
on several parts of the Continent,
the GARRULOUS ROLLER is at the
present time a very rare visitant
to this country. There seems,
however, to be reason to believe
that in former days, when England
was less cultivated and more
covered with pathless woods, the
Roller was frequently seen in the
ancient forests, and that it pro-
bably built its nest in the hollows
of trees, as it does in the German
forests at the present day.

Africa is the legitimate home
of the Roller, which passes from
that land in the early spring, and
makes its way to Europe, vid
Malta and the Mediterranean
Islands, which afford it resting-
places during its long journey.
Accordingly, in those islands the
Rollers are found in great plenty,
and as they are considered a great
delicacy when fat and in good
condition, they are killed in considerable numbers, and exposed for sale like !pigeons,
whose ‘flesh they are said greatly to resemble. Even in its flight it possesses something
of the pigeon character, having often been observed while flying at a considerable
elevation to “tumble” after the manner of the well-known tumbler pigeons. It is rather
curious that throughout Asia Minor the Rollers and magpies were always found in close
proximity to each other.

Mr. Thompson records a very curious anecdote of this bird, a specimen of which was
seen flying across the grounds of the Duke of Leinster, in September, 1831, and was
pursued by a large number of rooks, who were mobbing it after their usual custom
whenever they meet with a strange bird. The Roller did not seem to be in the least
disconcerted ; but, instead of endeavouring to escape, darted repeatedly among its foes, as
if for the purpose of increasing their irritation. The bird was not killed for the sake of
ascertaining its species ; but its peculiar mode of flight, its size, and its gorgeous plumage
were so characteristic, that the observer, Mr. Bell, was quite satisfied of its identity.

The food of the Roller is almost wholly of an insect nature, but is diversified with a
few berries and other vegetable productions. It has even been known to become

GARRULOUS ROLLER.—Corécias Garrula.

THE MADAGASCAR BRACHYPTERACIAS. 153

carnivorous in its habits, for, according to Temminck, it sometimes feeds on the smaller
mammalia. Worms, slugs, millipedes, and similar creatures also fall victims to its
voracity.

The position and structure of the nest is remarkably variable. Generally it is placed
in the hollows of decaying trees, but it is often found deposited in the extremity of a hole
which has been burrowed in a river-bank, like that of the common kinefisher of England.
The eges are of a beautiful shining white in colour, and from five to seven in number.
Nests of the Roller have been found in many portions of Europe and Africa, as well as
in Malta and Japan, so that the species possesses a very extensive range of country.

In the colouring of its plumage it is truly a gorgeous bird. In its size and general
shape, the Roller bears a considerable semblance to the rooks and crows, and like these
noisy birds it is gifted with a harsh and loud voice, which it is very fond of raising, and
which often leads to its detection as it sits hidden among the deep foliage of the oak and
birch forests, which it best loves to inhabit. In allusion to its fondness for the birch-tree,
it is known in Germany by the
title of Birkhater, or Birch-jay.
Tn its habits it is fond of seclusion,
shy, wary, and restless, so that it
is not easily approached by the
sportsman.

One of myfriends, while residing
in Worcestershire, saw frequently
some “tumbling” birds, which,
from the description, I cannot but
think to have been Rollers. They
alwaystumbled when ontheascent,
and never while descending. The
colours described were precisely
those of the Roller—and the size
and general mode of flight ac-
corded with that bird—almost
equalling the kingfisher in the
briliancy of its hues, The
general tint of the head, neck,
breast, and abdomen is that pe-
culiar green-blue termed “verdi- MADAGASCAR BRACHYPTERACIAS.—Brachypterdcius leptosémus.
ter” by artists, changing into
pale green in certain lights, and
deepening into deep rich azure
upon the shoulders. The back is
a warm chestnut-brown, changing to purple upon the upper tail-coverts. The tail is of
the same verditer hue as the head and neck, with the exception of the exterior feathers,
which are furnished with black tips. The quill feathers of the wings are of a dark
blue-black, becoming lighter at their edges, and the legs are covered with chestnut-brown
feathers like those of the back, These gorgeous hues are not attained until the bird
has passed through the moult of its second year. Both male and female are nearly
equally decorated, the latter being slightly less brilliant than her mate. It is not a very
large bird, scarcely exceeding a foot in total length.

THERE are many examples of the group which is gathered together under the general
title of Rollers, the last of which is the BRACHYPTERACIAS, a bird which is remarkable, as
its name imports, for the shortness of its wings.

In colour it is rather a handsome bird, although it suffers somewhat from the proximity
of its more brilliant relatives. The upper parts are a warm chestnut-brown, with a green
gloss upon the shoulder. The wings are brown also, glossed with sheeny green, and
marked with a number of black spots edged with white. The under parts are greyish

154 THE JAVAN TODY.

white, splashed on the throat with chestnut, and transversely barred upon the abdomen
with the same tint, leaving a white band across the chest. As its name implies, it is a
native of Madagascar.

THE curious little birds which are termed ToprEs bear a considerable resemblance to
the kingfisher, from which they may be easily distinguished by the flattened bill. The gape
of the mouth is very wide, and a number of vibrisse are set around its margin. The
wings and tail are short and rounded, and the outer toes are connected as far as the last
joint. The Todies are natives of tropical America, and are very conspicuous among the
brilliant plumaged and strangely shaped birds of that part of the world.

The Green Topy is a very small bird, being hardly larger than the common wren of
England, but yet very conspicuous on account of the brilliant hues with which its plumage
is decorated. The whole of the upper surface is a light green, the flanks are rose coloured,
deepening into scarlet upon the throat
and fading into a pale yellow upon the
abdomen and under tail-coverts. The
under surface of the wings is bare. These
tints may be easily examined, even during
the lite of the bird, for the Green Tody is
a slugeish creature, aud so disinclined to
move, that it may be approached quite
closely, and watched as it sits with its
head sunk beneath its shoulders, and its
bill projecting, as if without life or sensa-
tion.

It has but little power of wing, flying
always near the ground, and never ven-
turing on a long aérial journey. From
this habit of remaining near the earth,
it is popularly known by the name of
Ground Parrot. The food of the Green
Tody is chiefly of an insect nature, and
the bird is able to secure its prey as
they crawl about in the muddy banks
of ponds or rivers. It also searches the
erass and herbage for insects, and catches
them with much adroitness. The nest
of this bird is placed on the ground,
generally in some hole in a river's bank,
but often in a depression made for the
purpose, and is built of dried grasses, moss,
cotton, feathers, and similar substances.
The eggs are four or five in number, of a bluish grey, diversified with bright yellow spots.
The length of this bird is barely four inches. There is another species of Tody (Todus
Mexicanus), inhabiting the same country.

GREEN TODY.—Todus viridis.

The JAVAN Topy is a truly remarkable bird, and is so curiously formed that its
proper position in the kingdom of birds has long been uncertain. *

The extraordinary beak of this bird is shorter than the head, and at its base is wider than
the portion of the head to which it is attached. The centre toes are connected together as
far as the second joint. This bird is a native of Java and Sumatra, and in many of its
habits resembles the green Tody. It feeds mostly on aquatic insects, worms, and larvee,
which it obtains from the banks of the rivers near which it loves to dwell. It does not
keep so closely to the earth as the green Tody, but builds a pendent nest, hanging to the
slender bough of some tree that grows near the water. Although not a very rare bird, it
is but seldom seen, owing to its habit of withdrawing itself to the most inaccessible

THE GREAT-BILLED TODY. 155

wooded lands of its native country, and there taking up its residence near the swampy
grounds that are often found within the precincts of vast forests.

It is rather variable in its plumage ;
some specimens having a black bar across
the chest. In all cases it is a striking
bird, owing to the forcible contrast between
the deep velvet purple of the back and
the bright golden yellow with which it is
relieved. Another species, belonging to
the same genus, the Hooded Eurylaimus
(EHurylaimus ochromalus), is still more
beautiful, on account of the delicate rose
hue with which its throat is tinted, and
the bold black, white, and yellow marking
of the remainder of the plumage.

Although a very handsome bird,
does not equal the preceding species in the
briliancy of its plumage. The general
colour is a deep rich purple, diversified by
yellow, black, and brown. The yellow is

chiefly seen in the coverts and edges of

the wing, and the tips of the tail-coverts.
The forehead, tail-coverts, and tail feathers
are black, with the exception of a white
mark upon the quill feathers of the tail.

The GREAT-BILLED Toby has been
placed by some authors in the genus Eury-
laimus, together with the Javan Tody, but
in the catalogue of the British Museum it is
separated into a new genus under the title
of Cymbirhynchus, or Boat-billed, in allu-
sion to the singular form and shape of its
beak. The specific title of Macrorhynchus
is also given in allusion to the same pecu-
larity, and signifies Long-billed.

It is rather a thickly made bird, pos-
sessing a stout, heavy-looking body, which
harmonises well with the great boat-shaped
beak. The curiously- shaped bill is very
large, thick, and strong, very wide at its
base, well arched above, and hooked at
the point. Both mandibles are about the
same length, and the colour is blue. The
bird is an inhabitant of the Indian Archi-
pelago, and is most numerously found in
the interior of Sumatra, where it may be
seen haunting the banks of rivers and
searching for its food, which consists
chiefly of insects, worms, and various
aquatic creatures. Its nest is inge-
niously constructed of slender twigs
woven into a nearly globular form, and

JAVAN TODY.—Fwyldimus Javdnicus

GREAT-BILLED TODY.—Cymbirhynchus macrorhynchus.

is fastened to the extremity of some convenient branch which overhangs the water, so that
the young and eggs are safe from the attacks of the many enemies which assail them in
these regions. The eggs are from two to four in number, and of a pale blue tint.

156 THE BRAZILIAN MOTMOT.

The colouring of its plumage is rather handsome, although quaint and peculiar. The
general tint of the upper parts of the body is dead black, and that of the abdomen and
lower parts a dark red. Around the throat runs a broad belt of stiff, wiry feathers of a
red hue, which point upward on each side, and are probably intended for the purpose of
defending the eyes. At each side of the bill there are several similar stiff bristly hairs,
which also point upward. The scapularies are long and sharp in form, and their colour is
a beautifully pure white, contrasting strongly with the deep black of the upper part of the
body. At the upper angle of
each wing there is a well-defined
orange line and a white spot on
the inside, The wedge-shaped tail
is black, the thigh is blackish-
brown, and the legs are brown.
The colour of the eyes is blue,
which changes to green soon after
death and then fades wholly into
dulness.

By the natives the bird is
called Burong-palano, or ‘Tam-
palano. Several other species
of Eurylaimus are known to
science, all of them being hand-
some and remarkable birds.
The Great Eurylaimus (Hury-
laimus Cédrydon), for example,
is notable for the great width of
the beak, its bright rosy hue, its
hooked form, and the very wide
gape of the mouth. The plumage
too is coloured in a very bold and
striking manner. The general
hue is jet black, relieved by a
large white mark on the middle
of the wing, another at the
extremity of the tail, and a
small scarlet patch of elon-
gated feathers in the centre of
the back. As a general rule,
the birds of this group adhere
to the above-mentioned colours,
but there is a curious and no-
table exception in the person
of the Dalhousie’s Eurylaimus
(Psarisomus Dalhousie), whose
plumage is tinted with blue,
green, and yellow, after the man-
BRAZILIAN MOTMOT.—Mémotus Braziliensts. ner of many paroquets. Indeed,

the general aspect of the bird
irresistibly reminds the observer
of a paroquet, and the semblance

is farther increased by its long azure tail feathers.

The Mormots, so called from their monotonous ery, which is thought to resemble the
syllables mot-mot, continually repeated, are inhabitants of tropical America and the adjacent
parts of the world. There are several species of these curious and beautiful birds ; but as
their habits and form are very similar, they can be sufficiently represented by a single

TROGONS. 157

example. The Motmots are among the number of those creatures which have perplexed
the systematic naturalist, and their position in the kingdom of birds is even yet subject to
doubt. On account of their large and deeply serrated mandibles, their long bearded
tongue, and the similarity of some of their habits, they have been placed close to the
toucans, to which birds they bear no small resemblance. Their feet, however, are of
entirely different construction ; and instead of congregating in flocks like the toucans, they
lead solitary lives in the forest depths. In these birds the tail is wedge-shaped, and in
several of the species the two central feathers are remarkable for a naked space before
their termination.

The BraziILiAN Mormor is, like the other species of the same genus, a very solitary
bird, being seldom seen except by those who care to penetrate into the deepest recesses of
the tropical forests. In its habits, it is not at all unlike the common fly-catcher of
England, delighting to sit motionless upon a branch that overlooks one of the open spaces
that are found in all forests, or that commands a view of a path made by man or beast.
On its perch it remains as still as if carved in wood, and sits apparently without thought
or sensation until a tempting insect flies within easy reach. It then launches itself upon
its prey, catches the insect in its bill, and returning to its perch, settles down again into
its former state of languid tranquillity. The Motmot is not formed for long or active
flight, as its wings are short and rounded, and the plumage, especially about the head,
very loosely set.

Some writers say that the Motmots do not confine themselves to such small prey as
insects, but that they steal young birds out of their nests, and are also in the habit of
eating eggs.

All the Motmots are about the size of the common magpie, and are remarkably
handsome birds, their plumage being tinted with green, blue, scarlet, and other brilliant
hues. The Brazilian Motmot is bright green on the upper parts of the body, excepting a
spot of velvety-black upon the head, edged with green behind. The primary feathers
are blue, and the under portions are green, “shot” with crimson, and a black spot is found
on the breast.

TROGONS.

For our systematic knowledge of the magnificent tribe of the TRoGoNs we are almost
wholly indebted to Mr. Gould, who by the most persevering labour and the most careful
investigations has reduced to order this most perplexing group of birds, and brought
into one volume a mass of information that is rarely found in similar compass. There are
few groups of birds which are more attractive to the eye than the Trogons, with all their
glowing hues of carmine, orange, green, and gold; and few there are which presented
greater difficulties to the ornithologist until their various characteristics were thoroughly
sifted and compared together. The two sexes are so different from each other, both in the
colour and shape of the feathers, that they would hardly be recognisable as belonging to
a single species, and even the young bird is very differently coloured from his older
relatives.

These beautiful birds are found in the Old and the New Worlds, those which inhabit
the latter locality being easily distinguishable by their deeply barred tails. Those of the
Old World are generally found in Ceylon, Sumatra, Java, and Borneo, while only a single
species, the Narina Trogon, is as yet known to inhabit Africa. The Trogons are mostly
insect-eaters, taking their prey easily by means of their widely-opening mouths, and
making no use of their slender feet and claws in the capture of their active enemy.
Although gifted with such brilliant colouring, they are but seldom seen, for they prefer
the deep forest to the more open grounds, and remain seated among the dense foliage of
some chosen tree as long as the sun remains above the horizon.

MASSENA’S TROGON.—Tregon Massénce. MEXICAN TROGON.—Trogon Mewxicinus.

The Trogons are mostly silent birds, the only cry used being that of the male during
the season of pairmg. It is not a very agreeable sound, being of a sombre and
melancholy cast, and thoueht to resemble the word “couroucourou,” a continuation of
syllables which has therefore been appled to the entire tribe. The Trogons have been
separated into five genera, each of which will find an example in the followmeg pages.

THE splendid bird which has been called MAssena’s TrOGON, in complimentary
allusion to the celebrated prince of that name, is an inhabitant of Central America,
specimens from Honduras and Mexico being in the collection of the British Museum.
In size it is rather large, measuring fourteen inches in total length.

In the tinting of the plumage the two sexes are very different from each other, and are
coloured briefly as follows. In the male, the crown of the head, the back and chest are a deep
rich green, contrasting well with the jetty, glossy black of the ear-coverts and throat; the
breast and abdomen are of a rich searlet. The ground tint of the centre of the wings is
a soft grey, pencilled with exquisitely delicate lines of jetty black. The quill feathers of
the wing are jetty black, each feather being edged with pure white ; and the quill feathers
of the tail are also black, with the exception of the two central feathers, which are imbued
with changeable hues of dark green and purple throughout the greater part of their
length, and are tipped with a black patch at the extremity. The bill is light yellow.

The female bird possesses a more sober plumage than her mate. The upper parts of the
body, instead of being richly coloured with deep green, are of a dark blwish-grey ; and the
wings, instead of being finely pencilled with black upon erey, are powdered with the
same tints. The abdomen and breast are scarlet, and the bill is rather curiously coloured,
the upper mandible being black and the lower yellow.

THE NARINA TROGON, 159

This diversity of colouring in the sexes, which holds throughout the entire group, is
productive of very great trouble to the systematic naturalist, as the two sexes are in many
cases so very unlike each other that there is hardly any criterion for settling the species
to which they belong, except by patient and careful observation of their habits when at
liberty in their native haunts. When, moreover, the birds are shy and retiring in their
habits, as is the case with many of the Trogons, the amount of labour which is entailed
upon the observer is more than doubled, and the value of such a work as Mr. Gould's
monograph is proportionately inereased.

The Mexican Trocon is, as its name implies, an inhabitant of that country whose
name it bears, being generally found in the northern districts of Mexico. It is worthy of
remark that the Trogons of America are all similar in their colouring, the upper parts of
the adult males being green, and the under portions either scarlet or yellow. The young
male and the female birds are not so brilliant in hue. In most instances the outer quill
feathers of the tail are barred with black and white. The beak of these species is marked
with notches along the tip of the mandibles and pointed with bristly hairs at the base.

In the Mexican Trogon, the females and young males are so different from the adult
bird in their plumage, that each must be described separately. The adult male, when he
has obtained the full glory of his feathery adornment, is coloured as follows. The entire
upper surface of the body, together with the chest, are of a beautifully rich glossy green,
and the whole of the under surface, with the exception of the chest, is bright scarlet.
The throat and ear-coverts are black, and a crescent-shaped band of white surrounds the
throat. The wings are black, finely dotted with grey, except the primaries, which are
wholly black. The tail is curiously diversified with black, white, and green. The two
central feathers are green, tipped with black, the two next are black, and the remainder
black tipped with white. The head is bright yellow.

The female is not coloured so gorgeously as the male, but is sufficiently brilliant in
hue to be considered a very handsome bird were not her colours overpowered by the
superior beauty of her mate. The rich green feathers of the male are in her of dark
olive-brown, taking a slight green hue on the back, and chestnut on the upper part of the
breast. The under parts are scarlet, as in the male, and there is a grey streak across the
chest. The wings are black, splashed with brown and white, the latter hue being found
mostly on the edges of the primaries. The tail is scarlet, similar to that of the male,
except that the green feathers of the centre are replaced with brown, tipped with black,
the two next entirely black, and the other feathers are barred with black and white
throughout. The bill is yellow, tinged with brown.

The young male possesses the black and white barred tail, and white fringed primary
feathers of the female bird, but may be distinguished from her by the green hue of its
upper surface and chest. The wings are not so black as in the adult bird, but take a
decided tinge of brown on the secondaries, and are spotted rather profusely with grey.
The total length of the Mexican Trogon is about one foot, of which the tail occupies very
nearly eight inches.

The Nartna TroGON is an inhabitant of Africa, and is generally found in the densest
forests of the southern portions of that continent. Its rather graceful name was given to
it by Le Vaillant, in remembrance of Narina, a young Gonaqua Hottentot girl, whose
dusky charms and savage graces made an instantaneous and most powerful impression on
the heart of the susceptible Frenchman.

This species has many of the habits of the flycatcher, with the exception of its
partially nocturnal mode of life. During the daytime it seeks the darkest recesses of its
native forests, and selecting a dead branch as its perch, sits dull and motionless until the
evening. It then sallies from its place of refuge, and settling upon a convenient bough,
Sweeps upon every insect that may pass within a convenient distance, and carrying its
prey back to the perch, devours it at leisure. It also is fond of chasing various beetles
as they run upon the ground or along the branches of trees, and feeds largely upon the
caterpillars and other larvee which abound in such localities. The early morning is also

NARINA TROGON.—Apaloderma Narina.

chosen by the Narina Trogon for a feeding season ; but when the sun has risen high above
the horizon, the bird ceases its labours, and bet akes itself to its resting-place.

The general colour of this beautiful bird is emerald green, shining with an almost
metallic lustre. This hue is spread over the whole of the upper surface, except the wings
and tail, and also tinges the throat and chest. The abdomen and remainder of the under
surface are bright red. The wings are brown covered with minute dots of grey upon the
secondaries and ereater coverts, and the tail is coloured with several shades of green above,
diversified by the pure white of the three outer feathers on each side. The beak is
yellowish blue. The female bird is differently coloured, her plumage being of the following
hues :—The green of the upper surface and throat is not quite so resplendent as in her
mate, and a rusty brown tint is spread over the throat and round the eyes, warming into
a delicate rose upon the chest. The total length of the bird is nearly one foot.

As a general rule it is a very silent bird, but during the pairing season the male
constantly. utters a loud and rather doleful cry, so that on the whole it is thought to be
rather a sad and melancholy bird. The nest is made in the hole of a tree, and the eggs
are four in number, rather globular, of a rosy-white hue, caused most probably by the
semi-transparency of the shell. The young are said to be able to follow their mother as
soon as hatched. ;

In describing these birds, it is not easy to avoid a considerable sameness in the
language, on account of the frequent recurrence of the same gorgeous tinting. The words
green, scarlet, black, and white necessarily occur so frequently, that the aid of colour is
almost needed to enable the reader to realize the full vividness of the plumage which
decorates these wonderful birds, which receives but scant justice from the plain black and
white of a wood engraving. From the feathers of the Trogons, the ancient Mexicans
were accustomed to make their justly famed feather pictures and mantles. For this
purpose thousands of these and similar birds were kept in confinement, a whole army of
attendants bemg maintained for the purpose of attending to them and securing their
valuable plumage.

CUBA TROGON.—Priételus temnirus, MALABAR TROGON.—Harpacles Malabaricus.

THE very rare and curiously formed CuBA TROGON is a native of the country from
which it derives its name.

According to Gould, it bears a singular resemblance to the woodpeckers, both in its
habits and in the general formation of its plumage. Like those birds, it runs about the
trunks and branches of trees, peers into the hollows, and dislodges from under the bark
the insects on which it feeds. The most striking peculiarity in its form is the shape of
the tail feathers, which have the web extending beyond the shaft in such a manner that
they seem to have been trimmed with scissors. The specific name “temnurus” signifies
“clipped wing,” and is given to the bird on account of this remarkable formation.

The back and upper tail-coverts of the Cuba Trogon are bright grassy green, and the
head and ear-coverts are steel-blue. The wings are beautifully barred with white, green,
and black ; and the tail is blue-green in the centre, the feathers being green with blue
edges, those of the exterior are white, and the rest barred with white and green. The
total length of this bird is about eleven inches. In the illustration the left-hand figure
represents the Cuba Trogon.

The MALABAR TROGON is a very local bird, and is thought never to be seen in any
locality except that from which it derives its name.

It is a somewhat nocturnal bird, and is so totally different in its habits according to
the time of day, that it would hardly be recognised for the same creature. During the
day the Malabar Trogons sit in pairs on the topmost branch of some tree, and seldom stir
from their post until evening. Sometimes they rouse themselves sufficiently to pounce
upon a passing insect, but immediately return to the perch, and resume their position.

2, M

BEAUTIFUL TROGON.—Calirus antisianuse *

But when the dusk approaches, the Malabar Trogon shakes off its drowsiness, and becomes
one of the most spirited and active of birds, flitting from branch to branch, and tree to
tree, or traversing the boughs in search of its prey, with wonderful adroitness, and almost
meteoric rapidity,

The head and neck of the adult male bird are deep sooty black, and the back and
upper surface are brownish yellow. A white creseent-shaped stripe runs round the chest,
and separates the black hue of the throat from the brilliant scarlet of the breast and
remainder of the under surface. The primary quill feathers of the wings are black
edged with white, and the centre of the wings is pencilled with very delicate white lines
on a blacker ground. The tail is boldly marked with chestnut and black, and is decorated
with white tips at the extremity of the feathers. The bill and the space round the eyes
are light blue. The female is easily distinguished from her mate by the duller hue of
her plumage, and the absence of the beautiful scarlet which decorates the abdomen of the
male bird.

SEVERAL of the Trogons are distinguished from their relatives by the length and
downy looseness of many of the feathers, more especially the lance-shaped feathers of
the shoulders, and the elongated upper tail-coverts. On account of this structure of the
plumage, they are gathered into a separate genus under the appropriate title of Calurus,
or Beautiful-tailed Trogons.

The first of these birds, the BEautiruL TroGoN, is a native of South America, and
well deserves its name, as it is not only richly gorgeous in the colours of its plumage, but
is also elegant in form. On account of the looseness of its feathers it is not able to chase

THE RESPLENDENT TROGON.

insects in the air with as much adroit-
ness as is exhibited by the firmer feathered
Trogons, and is found to make its diet
chiefly upon berries, fruits, and the insects
which it can pick off the branches with-
out being forced to pursue them on the
wing. While engaged in the search after
food, it is a sufficiently active bird, run-
ning about the boughs with great agility,
and clinging with its powerful feet in
every attitude, seeming to care little
whether it be sitting on a branch, after
the custom of most birds, or hanging
with its head downward, like the
parrots.

Although so brilliant in colouring, it
is not so easily seen as might be sup-
posed, for its colour harmonizes well
with the foliage and bark of the trees
among which it dwells, and even the
rich carmine of its under surface is
not very conspicuous in that land of
flowers.

As may be seen from the engraving,
the head is decorated with a curiously-
shaped tuft of slight and elastic feathers,
which spring from the forehead, and by
their peculiar curve overshadow the nos-
trils and a considerable portion of the
beak. This crest, together with the
head, the throat, the back, wing-coverts,
and upper tail-coverts, are of the richest
imaginable green glazed with gold, glowing
with a changeable sheen as the breeze
plays with the delicate fibres of the plu-
mage. The quill feathers of the wing
are black, as are the six central feathers
of the tail. The upper tail-coverts are
very long, exceeding the tail by two
inches, flowing gracefully over the stiffer
feathers by which they are supported,
and contrasting beautifully with their
glossy black. The abdomen and re-
mainder of the under surface is rich
carmine. The total length of an adult
bird is about fourteen inches,

BEFORE entering into any detailed
description of the RESPLENDENT TROGON,
we must explain that in order to bring it
within the limits of our pages, it has
been drawn in smaller proportions than
any of the other Trogons. In size the
Resplendent Trogon is larger than the
species which has just been described, so
that if it had been drawn to the same
scale of proportion, the engraving would

M 2

RESPLENDENT TROGON.—Coliirus resplendens.

163

164 THE RESPLENDENT TROGON.

have been rather more than sixteen inches in length, being precisely double the length of
the present pages.

Of all the birds of the air there is hardly any which excites so much admiration as
the Resplendent Trogon. Many, such as the humming-bird, are gifted with greater
brillianey of colour ; ‘put for gorgeousness of hue, exquisite blending of tints, elegance of
contour, and flowing grace of “plumage, there is no worthy rival in all the feathered tribe.
This magnificent bird is a native of Central America, and was in former days one of the
most honoured by the ancient Mexican monarchs, who assumed the sole right of wearing
the long plumes, and permitted none but the members of the royal family to decorate
themselves with the flowing feathers of this beautiful bird.

In all the Trogons the skin is very delicate, and the feathers are so loosely attached
that they are always lable to be lost when the bird is handled; but in the Resplendent
Trogon the skin is so singularly thin that it has been not inaptly compared to wet blotting-
paper, and the plumage has so slight a hold upon the skin, that when the bird is shot,
the feathers are plentifully struck from their sockets by its fall and the blows which it
receives from the branches as it comes to the ground. These peculiarities render the
preservation of the skin no easy task; and the difficulty of removing the skin without
injury is so well known to the natives, that they almost invariably dry the body without
attempting any further preservation.

This species is fond of inhabiting the densest forests of Southern Mexico, and generally
haunts the topmost branches of the loftiest trees, where it clings to the boughs like a
parrot, and traverses their ramifications with much address. It does not seem to expend
much time on the wing, and to all appearance feeds more on vegetable diet than is the
case with its relatives.

The colour of the adult male bird is generally of a rich golden green on the upper
parts of the body, including the graceful rounded crest, the head, neck, throat, chest, and
long lancet-shaped plumes of the shoulders. The breast and under parts are brilliant
scarlet, the central feathers of the tail are black, and the exterior white with black bars.
The wonderful plumes which hang over the tail are generally about three feet in length,
and in particularly fine specimens have been known to exceed that measurement by four
inches, so that the entire length of the bird may be reckoned at four feet. The bill is
light yellow.

As is often the case with birds, where the male is remarkable for the beauty of his
plumage, the female is altogether an ordinary and comparatively insignificant bird, at
least to human eyes, although beautiful enough in those of her mate. She possesses only
the rudiments of a crest or elongated plumes, as may be seen by reference to the engraving,
where both sexes are represented. The colour of the upper surface is nearly the same as
that of the male, although hardly so vivid, and the head, throat, and chest are of a
decidedly dull green. The breast and abdomen are greyish brown, and the under tail-coverts
are scarlet. The elongated feathers of the shoulders are not so long as in the male, nor
so sharply pointed, nor so vividly coloured. The central feathers of the tail are black, and
the exterior are white marked with black bars; the bill is black. The young of the
first year, whether male or female, assume this dress, and do not put on their full glory of
apparel until they have passed through the moult of the second year.

Ty reviewing this group of birds, the thoughtful observer cannot fail to be struck with
wonder and admiration at the extreme beauty of their forms, and the indescribably
gorgeous hues with which their plumage is interpenetrated. The mode in which these
marvellous colours are produced, and the reason for which their existence is necessary,
are two of the many mysteries which abound in all nature, and which excite to the
highest degree the minds of those who care to look below the surface, and who take more
interest in causes than in effects.

What strange vital chemistry is that, which, in addition to supplying the ordinary
substances of the body, extracts from dead insects and gathered fruits the glowing hues
which bedeck the plumage of these resplendent birds, and lays every tint in a true and
just gradation which sets at defiance the brush and pencil of the most accomplished
artist? What is the reason—for we may be assured that the Creator does nothing without

BARBETS. 165

some very deep purpose—that necessitates each colour; its depth, brilliancy, and tone,
and regulates the position of every hue ?

There is, doubtlessly, some grand and simple law that governs all these apparently
capricious variations of colour, tint, and intensity; and which, if it should ever be
discovered, will be found to rule with the most rigid and undeviating precision every
shade of colour and depth of tone throughout the three kingdoms of material nature,
painting the plumage of the bird, the leaves and corolla of the Howers, and the translucent
glories of the gem, in obedience to one and the same universal principle. Even in the
human race the rule of the colour-producing principle is most powerful, and exercises a
potent influence upon the individual being and those with whom it comes in contact.

The various shades of black that tinge the skins of many African and even more
northern tribes, the coppery hue of the North American savage, the yellow tint of the
Mongol, and the pure white and red of the Caucasian, are not to be considered as mere
casual differences, or as the results of food, climate, and habit only, but as the external
indications of some vast but hidden principle that can only exhibit itself by its effects,
Eyen in a single race, such as that of our own island, the effect of this chromic law as
manifested in the colour of the eyes and hair is strongly marked, and to a certain degree
tells its own story. By a kind of natural instinct, teaching us to read intuitively the
hieroglyphs of nature, we deduce the character of an individual as much from the tone
and clearness of the colour of his eyes, as from the shape of the features, or that subtle
and almost spell-like power which is known by the term “expression.”

There are some eyes dull and emotionless, behind which a curtain seems to be drawn,
leaving them as devoid of meaning as the glass optics of a waxen image; while others
gleam with gem-like translucency, beaming from the spirit-light of the ingenuous human
soul. Other eyes there are which resemble in their profound mystery the unfathomable
depths of ocean, rich with pearls and hidden treasures, and ever disclosing greater and
still ereater stores of intellectual wealth. We are quite wrong whenever we undervalue
the importance of any variety of external form or colour, for we may rest assured that
whatever God found reason to make, we may find reason to observe with reverence and
read with awe. It is only when we remain satisfied with a mere knowledge of external
form, without inquiring into its cause or its influence, that our efforts are wasted, or our
time expended in vain.

These questions are not insignificant, for even our modern discoveries have shown that
the apparently merest trifle may be the key to hidden treasures of knowledge ; neither
ought they to be heedlessly disregarded so long as we are told that we may learn deep
lessons from the lilies of the field and the birds of the air.

BARBETS.

THE Barpets evidently form a connecting link between the trogons and the kinefishers,
possessing several of the peculiarities of the former birds, together with some characteristics
of the latter.

In shape they bear a close resemblance to the kingfishers, and none of them are of any
great size. Their food consists chiefly of insects, which they chase much after the manner
of the woodpeckers, prying into the hollows of trees, and striking away the bark in their
endeavours to secure the concealed prey. They can cling to the perpendicular trunk of a
tree, and support themselves by the pressure of their short stiff tails against the bark.
They also possess some of the habits which belong to the flycatchers, and taking their
perch upon a twig, will wait patiently until an unfortunate insect passes within a short
distance, when they will launch themselves on the devoted creature, and return to the
identical twig from which they started.

166 THE WHITE-FACED BARBET.

COLLARED BARBET,.—Bucco collaris.

clothing than the collared Barbet.

To all appearance the Barbets are dull
and heavy birds, seeming to pass a very
unenyiable kind of existence; chained as it
were to a single spot, and apparently feeling
every movement a source of trouble. But to
the Barbet itself, this kind of inactive life con-
stitutes its best happiness ; and we should be
as wrong to attribute sadness and melancholy
to it, as was Buffon when he spoke in such
forcible and eloquent terms of the miserable
existence passed by the woodpeckers. While
sitting upon the twig which it has chosen
for its perch, the Barbet has a curious habit
of puffing out its plumage, so as to transform
itself into an almost cylindrical ball of
feathers, and has, on account of this odd
custom, been termed the Puff Bird,

There are many species of Barbet, one of
which, the CoLLARED BARBET, a native of
South America, is an example of the typical
genus Bucco. It is rather a pretty little bird,
the head and neck being of a chestnut fawn,
the chest white, and the under parts of the
body the same hue as the head, but of a
lighter tint. A well-defined black collar or
band runs across the chest, and extends
over the shoulders, where it merges into the
chestnut brown of the back. The wings and
back are darker than the head, and covered
with a number of small black bars. The tail
is chestnut and barred with black.

The WHITE-FACED BARBET is not so hand-
some a bird, being more sombre in its

The general colour of this bird is black, and the

forehead and face are white, together with the chin. In size it is about equal to our

WHITE-BACKED BARBET.—Chelidéptera tenebrésa.

WHITE-FACED BARBET.—Moénasa leucaps.

common starling. It is also a native of Southern America. This bird has been chosen
as a representative of the genus Monasa, a small group of birds which has been separated
from the other Barbets on account of the form of the beak and the structure of the wing.

The last example of these curious birds is the WHITE-BACKED BARBET, which serves
to represent the genus Chelidoptera. This is a much smaller bird than either of the
preceding examples, but is notable on account of the curious manner in which its plumage
is diversified with black and white. The general tint of the body is sooty black, but
upon the back there is a conspicuous patch of white, and a considerable amount of white
is scattered over the middle of the wings, and upon the under tail-coverts. It is also a
native of Southern America,

So highly gifted are these birds with that quality which is called “ adhesiveness ” by
phrenologists, that when they have once selected a twig as a resting-place, they will
remain faithful to their choice, and for month after month may be seen sitting on the
identical perch, lethargic and happy. They are solitary birds,’ never being seen in
flocks, and very seldom in pairs, residing always in the murkiest recesses of the deep
forests, in preference to the open country, and sitting on their low perch in spots which
the foot of man seldom penetrates.

KINGFISHERS.

THE KincrisHers form a tolerably well marked group of birds, all of which are
remarkable for the length of the bills and the comparative shortness of their bodies,
which gives them a peculiar bearing that is not to be mistaken.

The bills of these birds are all long and sharp, and in most cases are straight. Their
front toes are always joined together more or less, and the number of the toes is very

GROUP OF KINGFISHERS.

variable in form and arrangement ; some species possessing them in pairs, like those of
the parrots, others having them arranged three in front and one behind, as is usually the
case with birds, while a few species have only three toes altogether, two in front and one
behind. The wings are rounded, As may be gathered from their popular name, they
mostly feed upon fish, which they capture by pouncing upon the finny prey ; although in

LAUGHING JACKASS.—Dacélo gigas.

some instances, such as that with which we shall commence our history, they make the
greatest part of their dict of insects and crustaceans. In colour they are very variable,
some being comparatively dull in tint, possessing no colours but black, brown, and white,
while others are decorated with the most brilliant plumage, which nearly equals that of
the trogons in gorgeousness of hue, although the colours are not distributed in such large
masses, nor are the feathers so exquisitely soft and downy. ‘They are to be found in
nearly all parts of the world, and our own island boasts of one of the handsomest,
although one of the smallest, species.

Our first example of the Kingfishers is the LavGHING JAcKass, or GIANT KINGFISHER,
its former title being derived from the strange character of its cry.

This bird is an inhabitant of Australia, being found chiefly in the south-eastern district
of that country, and in New South Wales. In Van Diemen’s Land Mr. Gould believes
that it does not exist. In no place is it found in any great numbers; for although it is
sufficiently common, it is but thinly dispersed over the country. It is rather a large bird,
being eighteen inches in total length, and is powerful in proportion, being able to wage
successful war against creatures of considerable size.

170 THE LAUGHING JACKASS.

Although one of the true Kingfishers, it so far departs from the habits of the family
as to be comparatively careless about catching fish, and, indeed, often resides in the vast
arid plains where it can find no streams sufficiently large to harbour fish in their waters.
Crabs of various kinds are a favourite food with this bird, which also eats insects, small
mammalia, and reptiles. Mr. Gould mentions an instance where he shot one of these
birds for the sake of possessing a raré and valuable species of rat which it was carrying
off in its bill. It is also known to eat snakes, catching them with great dexterity
by the tail, and crushing their heads with its powerful beak. Sometimes it is known to
pounce upon fish, but it usually adheres to the above-mentioned diet.

The ery of this bird is a singular, dissonant, abrupt laugh, even more startling than
that of the hyena, and raising strange panics in the heart of the novice, who first hears
it while bivouacking in the “bush.” Being of a mightily inquisitive nature, the Laughing
Jackass seems to find great attraction in the glare of a fire, and in the evening is apt to
glide silently through the branches towards the blaze, and, perching upon a neighbouring
bough, to pour forth its loud yelling ery. The “old hands” are in nowise disconcerted at
the sudden disturbance, but shoot the intruder on the spot, and im a very few minutes
convert him into a savoury broil over the fire which he had come to inspect.

At the rising and the setting of the sun the Laughing Jackass becomes*very lively,
and is the first to welcome the approach of dawn, and to chant its strange exulting pseans
at the return of darkness. From this peculiarity, it has been called the Settler’s Clock.
In allusion to the cry of this bird, which has been compared by Sturt to the yelling
chorus of unquiet demons, the natives call it by the name of Gogobera.

We evidently have in this bird another example of the frequency with which one idea -
runs through and intersects the various divisions of the animal kingdom, mystically uniting
by undefinable bonds the various departments and innumerable groups of living beings.
Several of these remarkable facts have already been mentioned, where the question was
of form; and we have in the Laughing Jackass, and its resemblance in that respect to the
laughing hyena, a similarity of voice in two very opposite beings. In the same manner,
the voice of the harmless ostrich is a roar so precisely resembling that of the fierce and
carnivorous lion, that even the Hottentots have been unable to discriminate between
the bird and the quadruped. As a general rule, colour is but little developed in the
mammalian forms, and very greatly so among the birds. Yet we have several instances
among the mammals—such as the mandril and several other quadrumana—where the
vivid colouring of the skin is but little inferior to that which paints the plumage of the
tropical birds.

There is, again, one characteristic which is even more universal in its occurrence than
either of the preceding, namely, the development of odour. Probably on account of the
forcible manner in which it strikes the senses, those creatures which exhale an unpleasant
scent are more readily known than those which emit a pleasant, or at all events a non-
offensive emanation. As the most prominent types of this principle, we have among the
quadrupeds the skunk, among the birds the vulture, and among the reptiles the crocodile
with its intolerable musky scent. Among insects the skunk principle is very prominent,
and is found in many of the most lovely and exquisite forms of insect life as well as in
those creatures which are repulsive to the eye as well as to the nostrils.

The Laughing Jackass is in no way fastidious in choosing a locality, as it may be
found im equal plenty i in the bush, the forest, or the open plain, While at rest upon a
branch, it sits in a rather dull and “ lumpy” attitude, its chin resting upon its breast, and
arousing itself at intervals to utter its discordant laugh. It is readily tamed, and bears
the climate of England with tolerable hardihood.

The home of “the Laughing Jackass is usually made in the hole of a gum-tree
(eucalyptus), where it makes no sort of nest, but simply lays its egos upon “the soft
decaying wood. The eggs are pearly white, and the bird keeps a vigilant watch over the
burrow which holds its tr easures, fiercely combating any creature that may approach the
entrance, and aiming the most desperate blows with its long pointed and powerful beak.

It is a really handsome bird, and although not possessing such an array of brilliant
plumage as falls to the lot of many Kingfishers, is yet very richly coloured. The bird is

BUFF DACELO.—Dacélo cervina.

decorated with a dark brown crest, and the general tint of the back and upper surface is
olive brown, The wings are brown black, a few of the feathers being slightly tipped
with verditer, and the breast and under portions are white, washed with pale brown,
which forms a series of faint bars across the breast. The tail is rather long, and rounded
at the extremity, and is of a rich chestnut colour, banded with deep black and tipped

with white.

SEVERAL species belonging to the same genus are worthy of a passing notice, among
which we may mention Luacu’s Daceto (Dacelo Leachii), and the Burr Daceio (Dacelo
cervina). The former of these birds is a remarkably handsome creature, and inhabits the
north-eastern parts of Australia, where, according to Mr. Gould, it takes the place of the
laughing jackass. It is a little smaller than that bird, and resembles it greatly in its
form and general habits. Its head and crest are dark brown, and the abdomen is covered
with numerous narrow wavy brown bars. In the male bird the wings and tail are
richly coloured with deep orange; but in the female the tail is chestnut, barred with a
bluish black,

172 THE AUSTRALIAN KINGFISHER.

The Buff Dacelo inhabits the thickly wooded portions of the northern and north-
western districts of Australia, where it may be seen and heard sitting on the topmost
branches of the loftiest trees, taking observations of the surrounding country, and yelling
in a most unmusical manner, W hen three or four pairs of these birds get together upon
a single tree, they become quite excited by mutual noise, and make such a horrid uproar
that nothing can be heard except their deafening outeries. It is a very shy bird, and not
easily approached within range of shot.

The general colour of this bird is a pale fawn marked with brown, and with a
considerable amount of rich blue in the wings and tail of the male, the tail feathers being
largely tipped with white. The tail of the female is chestnut, boldly barred transversely
with deep black, and tipped with buff.

Or the genus Halcyon, the AUSTRALIAN
JKONGFISEER affords a good example.

This bird is a resident in New South
Wales from August to December or January,
and then passes to a warmer climate. Like
the preceding birds, it cares little for the
presence of water, making its subsistence
chietly on large insects, such as locusts, cater-
pillars, grasshoppers, and cicadie, which it
seizes in its bill, and beats violently against
the ground before eating them. It is also
very fond of small crabs and other crustaceans.
Mr. Gould mentions that the stomachs of
Australian Kingfishers that had been shot
were found crammed with these creatures.
To obtain them, it is in the habit of frequenting
the sea-shore, and pouncing upon the crabs,
shrimps, prawns, and various other creatures
as they are thrown on the strand by the re-
tiring tide, or forced to take refuge in shallow
rock-pools, whence they can easily be extracted
by the long bill of this voracious bird.

On the banks of the Hunter River this
Kingfisher resorts to a very curious method of
obtaiming food. There is a kind of ant which
builds a mud nest upon the dead branches and
stems of the gum-trees, and by the unpractised
eye would be taken for fungi or natural ex-
erescences. The Kinefisher, however, knows
better, and speedily demolishes the walls with
his powerful beak, for the purpose of feeding
upon the ants and their larvee.

Like the preceding bird, the Australian
Kingfisher is a most noisy creature, and re-
markably fond of exercising its loud startling

AUSTRALIAN KINGFISHER.—Haéleyon Sancta ery, which is said to resemble the shriek-of a
human being in distress, sharp, short, urgent,
and frequently repeated. There is hardly any
real nest of this species, which chooses a con-

venient hollow branch or “spout” as its domicile, and there lays its eggs. They are
generally from three to five in Pee .r, and are of a pure white.

It is rather a fine bird, being nearly the same size as the laughing jackass. The top of
its head and the back of the scapularies are tinged with a dull green, , and the throat, neck,
and abdomen are buff, abundantly flecked with brown spots. The wings and the tail are
of a rather peculiar greenish blue, in which the latter hue prevails, and the ear-coverts

THE TERNATE KINGFISHER.

and a line round the back of the head
are blackish green.

THE genus Tanysiptera is well illus-
trated by the well-known though some-
what scarce TERNATE KINGFISHER, a
bird which may be easily recognised by
the peculiar form of the tail. The generic
name is of Greek origin, and signifies
Long-winged, and is rather longer than
needful, the simpler form of the word
being Tanyptera, or more properly Tany-
pteryx. But when once a systematic
naturalist begins to indulge in so-called
classical nomenclature, he seems to be
irresistibly attracted by the words in
proportion to their length and abstruse-
ness.

Thus it happens that the pages of
our scientific works are disfigured by
vast quantities of cacophonic combina-
tions of syllables, many of them entirely
needless, and the greater number of such
barbarous construction, that neither
Roman nor Greek would acknowledge
them as belonging to his own language.
The general common sense of those
who love Nature for her own sake, and
not for the sake of the harsh vocabulary
which has been appended to science, has
now begun to revolt against the cumber-
some phraseology which has been so
needlessly employed, and which serves in
many cases to deter real lovers and ob-
servers of Nature from entering into the
details of science at the cost of so great
a task to the memory as is now needed
to gain the character of a scientific man.

“The unnecessary multiplication of
genera has now come to such a pitch,
that, according to a well-known writer on
this subject, “the study of ornithology
(we may say zoology) is merging into a
study of barbarous nomenclature; we
shall soon have a genus for every species ;
and this is called science !”

The Ternate Kingfisher is one of
those species which are decorated with
richly coloured plumage, and is a truly
handsome and striking bird. The head
is of a bright ultramarine blue, and the
upper parts of the body are of a deeper
tint of the same colour, being of a
“Prussian” blue, that is almost black
in its intensity. The wing-coverts are
of the same ultramarine as the head, as
ave also the edges of the quill feathers

TERNATE KINGFISHER

Tanysiplera Dee

174 THE TRIDACTYLOUS KINGFISHER. ~

of the tail. The two central tail feathers are much prolonged, considerably exceeding
the others in leneth, and are very curiously shaped, being webbed at their bases, bare for
nearly the whole of their length, and again webbed at the extremities. Their colour
throughout is blue, the tips being white, as are the remaining feathers of the tail with the
exception of their blue edges. The whole of the under parts are white.

The Ternate Kingfisher is a native of New Guinea, and from thence its skin has often
been sent to Europe, but in a mutilated state, the natives being in the habit of depriving
it of its legs and wings before parting with the skin, The Paradise birds were long treated
in the same manner, until the sportsmen learned that they could sell the entire bird at a
better price than when it had been mutilated.

In the birds which form the genus Cex there are only three toes, and one of them
very strong, the tail is very short, and the bill straight, ike that of the common King-
fisher of Europe, The reader must note that the word Ce¥x is dissyllabic.

The TRIDACTYLOUS KINGFISHER
is a native of Java, Borneo, and
the whole of the Indian Archi-
pelago, and is said to have been
discovered even upon the con-
tinent itself. Although a very
little bird, it is one of the most
brilliantly coloured of the entire
group, and hardly yields even to
the gem-lke humming-bird in the
metallic and glittering colour of
its plumage. Even the united aid
of pencil and brush can give but
little idea of the extreme beauty
of the colouring of this bird, for
the glowing richness of the tints
as they flash and glitter with every
movement of the bird and vary
momentarily in hue and tone, is
far beyond the power of art, and

“TRIDACTYLOUS KINGFISHER.—Cejjx Triddctylu. sets at nought the colours of the
most skilful painter.

The head of the Tridactylous
Kingfisher, as well as the whole
upper surface of the body, is a deep rich lilac, and the wings are stained with a most
beautiful and singular mixture of deep blue and ultramarine, the centre of each feather
being of the former tint, and the edges of the latter hue. The whole of the under surface
is pure white, the feet are red, and the bill is a pale carmine. In its dimensions it is

exceedingly small, being one-third less than the common Kingfisher of Europe.

THE interesting birds which are gathered into the genus Ceryle may be known by
the thick, compressed, and sharply pointed beak, the comparatively long and rounded tail,
and the length of the front inner toe. To this genus may be referred all the American
species of this group, one of which, the Benrep KINGFISHER, forms the subject of the
illustration. "

The Belted Kingfisher is an inhabitant of many parts of America, and as it is in the
habit of migrating northward or southward according to the season of year and the state
of the temperature, it is a very familiar bird throughout the greater part of America, from
Mexico to Hudson’s Bay. So common is it in these regions that, according to Wilson,
“mill-dams are periodically visited by this feathered fisher, and the sound of his pipe is
as well known to the miller as the sound of his own hopper.”

The sight of the Belted Kingfisher is singularly keen, and even when passing with its

BELTED KINGFISHER.—Céryle A’leyon.

meteor-like flight over the country, it will suddenly check itself in mid career, hovering
over the spot for a short time, watching the finny inhabitants of the brook as they swim to
and fro, and then with a curious spiral kind of plunge will dart into the water, driving up
the spray in every direction, and after a brief struggle will emerge with a small fish in its
mouth, which it bears to some convenient resting-place, and after battering its prey with
a few hearty thumps against a stump or a stone, swallows it, and returns for another
victim. Waterfalls, rapids, or “lashers” are the favoured haunts of the Belted Kingfisher,
whose piercing eye is able to discern the prey even through the turmoil of dirty water,
and whose unerring aim fails not to seize and secure the unsuspecting victims, in spite of
their active fins and slippery scale-covered bodies.

“ Rapid streams,” says Wilson, “with high perpendicular banks, particularly if they
be of a hard, clayey, or sandy mixture, are also the favourite places of resort for this bird,
not only because in such places the small fish are more exposed to view, but because those
steep and dry banks are the chosen situation of his nest.”

In these banks the Belted Kingfisher digs a tunnel, which often extends to the length

SPOTTED KINGFISHER.—Céryle quttata.

of four or five feet, employing both beak and claws in the work. The nest is of a very
simple nature, being composed of a few small twigs and feathers, on which are laid
the four or five pure white eggs. The birds seem to be much attached to their homes, and
the same pair will frequent the same hole for many successive years, and rear many broods
within the same habitation. The extremity of the burrow where the eggs are placed is
always rather larger than the tunnel itself, and is expanded into a globular chamber for the
purpose of affording a sufficiency of space for the parents and their young. It is said
that when a supposed enemy approaches the nest, the parent birds employ various artifices
to draw his attention away from the sacred spot, and by fluttering about as if wounded or
disabled, will often succeed in their endeavours. When the young are hatched, the
parents are remarkably attentive to them, as might be supposed from the reckless manner
in which they expose themselves to danger for the sake of their offspring.

The colouring of this spirited little bird is rather complicated and not very easy of
description. The head is furnished with a crest of long pointed feathers, which can be
raised or depressed at will, and the whole upper surface of the body is light blue, marked
with a great number of narrow dark streaks caused by the black-blue shaft of each
feather. The wings are blackish-brown, bound with white upon the primaries, and
diversified with blue upon the exterior web of the secondaries. The sides are covered
with blue mottlings, a belt of the same bright hue crosses the chest, and a broad white
band encircles the neck, throat, and chin. The tail is black-brown barred with white,
with the exception of the two central feathers, which are blue. The length of this bird is
about one foot.

GREAT AFRICAN KINGFISHER.—Céryle maxima.

The voice of the Belted Kingfisher is loud, dissonant, and startling, and has been
compared by Wilson to the sound produced by twirling a watchman’s rattle.

Mr. Thompson records two instances where the Belted Kingfisher has been seen and
shot in Ireland. One specimen was placed in the Museum of Trinity College, Dublin.

ASIA presents us with a remarkably fine representative of the same genus in the
handsome SPOTTED KINGFISHER, several specimens of which bird are to be found in the
British Museum. This magnificent bird, which is appropriately called by the natives
Muchee-bag, #e. Fish-Tiger, is an inhabitant of India, where it seems to be confined to
the Himalayan district.

In size it is but little inferior to the Great African Kingfisher, being one foot three
inches in length, and bearing a bill three inches long. The chest and sides of the neck of
the Fish- Tiger are of a beautiful greyish-white, which slightly deepens into a very pale
fawn on the abdomen and the under tail-coverts. The remainder of the body is covered
with jetty-black plumage, relieved by numerous spots of pure white, and the head is
decorated with a large and noble-looking crest, composed of elongated feathers of the
same boldly contrasting hues. A few black spots form a curved line between the bill

2. N

178 THE KINGFISHER.

and the shoulder, and also are scattered in an uninterrupted band across the chest. The

food of this bird consists mostly of fish, although it feeds also on aquatic insects. Its

nest is made among large stones, and is not composed only of fish-bones, as is the case _
with the common European Kingfisher, but is rather elaborately constructed of mud lined

with grasses, and adheres to the stones after the fashion of the well-known swallows’ nest.

The eggs are four in number, and resemble the parent bird in their markings.

Arrica affords an instance of another species belonging to the same genus, Ceryle.
This is the GREAT AFRICAN KINGFISHER, an inhabitant of Senegal, Congo, and many parts
of Western Africa; a bird which well deserves its specific title of “maxima,” or greatest,
as it is the largest species of the genus to which it belongs, measuring nearly fifteen inches
from the point of the very long beak to the extremity of the rather short tail.

It is by no means a gaudy bird, possessing none of the metallic green and blue
plumage which is so conspicuous in many species belonging to the same group, but is
nevertheless adorned with bold and striking marks of black, white, and deep ashen-grey.
The top of the head is black, with the exception of a white streak that runs from the eye
towards the nostrils, and is furnished with a feathery tuft. The whole of the upper
surface is of a dark ashen-grey, approaching to brown. The same hue extends over the
wings, but is diversified with a great number of short white bars and dashes, which are
also found, but very small in size and very thinly scattered, upon the back. The tail is
also ashen-grey, and marked with seven distinct white bars on each feather, and on a close
examination, the middle of the feathers will be found to be black. Across the whole of
the chest runs a very broad reddish-brown band, obscurely spotted with a darker hue.
The chin is grey, and the cheeks are pure white marked with a number of black “tears,”
which arrange themselves in several lines. The abdomen and under surface are greyish-
white, marked on the sides with dark-brown spots, and towards the tail with short
irregular bands of the same hue.

ANOTHER species of Ceryle, the BLAcK AND WattEe KincrisHEer (Oéryle rudis), is
remarkable for the peculiarity of tinting from which it derives its name, which affords a
rather remarkable contrast to the brilliant hues of blue and green which decorate the
majority of these birds. It is a native of many parts of the Old World, being spread over
various portions of Asia and Africa.

THE common KINGFISHER is by far the most gorgeously decorated of all our indigenous
birds, and can bear comparison with many of the gaily decorated inhabitants of tropical
climates.

It is a sufficiently common bird, although distributed very thinly over the whole
country, and considering the great number of eggs which it lays, and the large proportion
of young which it rears, is probably more plentiful than is generally supposed to be the
ease. The straight, glancing flight of the Kingfisher, as it shoots along the river-bank, its
azure back gleaming in the sunlight with meteoric splendour, is a sight familiar to all
those who have been accustomed to wander by the sides of rivers, whether for the
purpose of angling, or merely to study the beauties of nature. So swift is the flight of
this bird, and with such wonderful rapidity does it move its short wings, that its shape
is hardly perceptible as it passes through the air, and it leaves upon the eye of the
observer the impression of a blue streak of light. This straight, arrow-like course is that
which is generally adopted by the bird, but on some occasions the Kingfishers will become
very playful, and sport with each other in the air, turning and wheeling with much
adroitness as they mutually chase or avoid each other in their game.

The food of this bird consists chiefly, though not exclusively, of fish, which it takes,
kills, and eats in the following manner :—

Seated upon a convenient bough or rail that overhangs a stream where the smaller
fish love to pass, the Kingfisher waits very patiently until he sees an unsuspecting minnow
or stickleback pass below his perch, and then, with a rapid movement, drops into the
water like a stone and secures his prey. Should it be a small fish, he swallows it at
once; but if it should be of rather large dimensions, he carries it to a stone or stump,

KINGFISHER. —Aleédo I'spida.

beats it two or three times against the hard substance, and then swallows it without any
trouble.

The Kingfisher is sometimes given to hoarding, and having caught more fish than he
can eat, will take them to his secret storehouse, and there hide them until he is able to eat
them. In one such ease, of which an account has been forwarded to me, the bird seemed
to employ its storehouse for the reception of fish which it had caught, and which were too
large for it to swallow. The treasury chosen by this individual was a crevice formed by
the roots of a willow-tree that grew close to the water’s edge, and it usually contained
one or two fish. Sometimes there would be five or six fishes lying in the hole, and some
of them so large that they have been removed and cooked. The bird must sometimes
have found a great difficulty in getting its prey fairly ashore, as the tracks were evident
on the soft mud of the bank where the fish had been dragged, and the bird’s feet had
trodden. Young trout were the general occupants of the storehouse, and in every case the
fish had been killed by a bite across the back of the head or neck.

Sometimes the bird has been known to meet with a deadly retribution on the part of
his prey, and to fall a victim to his voracity. One such example I have seen. A King-
fisher had caught a common bull-head, or miller’s thumb, a well-known large-headed fish,
and on attempting to swallow it had been baffled by the large head, which refused to pass
through the gullet, and accordingly choked the bird. The Kingfisher must have been
extremely hungry when it attempted to eat so large a morsel, as the fish was evidently of
a size that could not possibly have been accommodated in the bird’s interior. Several
similar examples are known; but one, which is recorded by Mr. Quekett, is of so
remarkable a kind, that it is worthy of notice. The bird had caught and actually
attempted to swallow a young dabchick, and, as might be supposed, had miserably failed
in the attempt.

The most complete instance of poetical justice befalling a Kingfisher, is one which
occurred in Gloucestershire, and was related to me by an eye-witness. The narrator was
sitting on the bank of a favourite river and watching the birds, fish, and insects that
disport themselves upon and in its waters, when some strange blue object was seen
floating down the stream, and splashing the water with great vehemence. On a
nearer approach it was seen to be a Kingfisher, from whose mouth protruded the tail and

N2

180 HABITS OF THE KINGFISHER.

part of the body of a fish. The struggles of the choking bird became more and more
faint, and had well-nigh ceased, when a pike protruded his broad nose from the water,
seized both Kingfisher and fish, and disappeared with them into the regions below.

The same person who related this tragical story, and who has always felt an ardent
love for birds, beasts, and things that enjoy the blessings of life, and to whom I have
been indebted for much curious information and many valuable specimens of natural
history, also tells me that Kingfishers are greatly susceptible of music, provided that it
be played in a slow and solemn strain like the old ecclesiastic chants. There was an
organ in the house placed in a room that looked toward the stream which the Kingfishers
frequented, and it was observed by the household that whenever music of such a character
was played upon the organ, the Kingfishers would soon make their appearance at the
bottom of the garden, and sit as if enchanted with the strains. Quick and lively airs
seemed rather to disconcert the birds, a fact which was not discovered until after many
experiments and the consumption of much time.

With the fish it generally feeds its young, being able to disgorge at will the semi-
digested food which it has swallowed, after the manner of most birds of prey. Fish,
however, do not constitute its sole nourishment, as it is known to eat various insects, such
as dragon-flies and water-beetles, and will often in cold weather pay a visit to the sea-
shore for the purpose of feeding upon the little crabs, shrimps, and sandhoppers that are

found upon the edge of the tide. Still, by far the greatest portion of its diet is composed -

of fish; and I have never yet found any fragments of insect anatomy among the débris
which forms the nest.

The nest of the Kinefisher is always made in some convenient bank, at the extremity
of a hole which has previously been occupied and deserted by the water-rat or other
mining quadrupeds, and been enlarged and adapted for use by the Kingfisher. Now and
then the nest of this bird has been found built in the deserted hole of a rabbit-warren.
It is always found that the tunnel slopes gently upward, and that the bird has shaped
the extremity into a globular form in order to contain the parent bird, the nest, and eggs.
Sometimes the nest is placed in the natural crevices formed by the roots of trees growing
on the water’s edge. In many cases it is easily detected, for the birds are very careless
about the concealment of their nest even before the eggs are hatched, and after the young
have made their appearance in the world, they are so clamorous for food and so insatiable
in their appetite that their noisy voices can be heard for some distance, and indicate with
great precision the direction of their home.

Some writers say that the interior of the burrow is kept so scrupulously clean that it is
free from all evil scents. My own experience, however, contradicts this assertion, for
after introducing the hand into a Kinefisher’s nest, I have always found it imbued with
so offensive an odour that I was fain to wash it repeatedly in the nearest stream. As the
Kingfisher is so piscatorial in its habits, it would naturally be imagined that the nest
would be placed in close connexion with the stream from which the parent birds obtained
their daily food. I have, however, several times seen a Kingfisher’s nest, and obtained
the eggs, in spots that were not within half a mile of a fish-inhabited stream. The bird is
greatly attached to the burrow in which it has once made its nest, and will make use of
the same spot year after year, even though the nest be plundered and the eggs stolen.

The eges are from six to eight in number, rather globular in form, and of an exquisitely
delicate pink in colour while fresh, changing to a pearly white when the contents are
removed, As soon as the young are able to exert themselves, they perch on a neigh-
bouring twig or other convenient resting-place, and squall incessantly for food. In a
very short time they assume their yearling plumage, which is very nearly the same as
that of the adult bird, and soon learn to fish on their own account.

The nest of the Kingfisher has long been known to consist of the bones, scales, and
other indigestible portions of the food, which are ejected from the mouth im “ castings,”
like those of the hawk or owl; but until My. Gould recently procured a perfect Kingfisher's
nest, its shape and the manner of construction was entirely unknown, His account of its
discovery, and the ingenious manner in which it was procured, is so interesting that it
must be given in his own words.

NEST OF THE KINGFISHER. 181]

“ Ornithologists are divided in opinion as to whether the fish-bones found in the
cavity in which the Kingfisher deposits its eggs are to be considered in the light of
a nest, or as merely the castings from the bird during the period of incubation. Some
are disposed to consider these bones as entirely the castings and feeces of the young
brood of the year before they quit the nest, and that the same hole being frequented for
a succession of years, a great mass is at length formed; while others believe that they
are deposited by the parents as a platform for the eggs, constituting, in fact, a nest ;
in which latter view I fully concur, and the following are my reasons for so doing :—

On the 18th of the past month of April, during one of my fishing excursions on the
Thames, I saw a hole in a precipitous bank, which I felt assured was a nesting-place of
the Kingfisher, and on passing a spare top of my fly-rod to the extremity of the hole, a
distance of nearly three feet, I brought out some freshly-cast bones of fish, convincing me
that I was right in my surmise. On a subsequent day, the 9th of May, I again visited
the spot with a spade, and after removing nearly two feet square of the turf, dug down to
the nest without disturbing the entrance-hole or the passage which led to it. Here I
found four eggs placed on the usual layer of fish-bones ; all of these I removed with care,
and then filled up the hole, beating the earth down as hard as the bank itself, and
replacing the sod on the top in order that barge-horses passing to and fro might not put a
foot in the hole. A fortnight afterwards the bird was seen to leave the hole again,
and my suspicion was awakened that she had taken to her old breeding-quarters a second
time.

The first opportunity I had of again visiting this place, which was exactly twenty-one
days from the date of my former exploration and taking the eggs, I again passed the top
of my fly-rod up the hole, and found not only that the hole was of the former length, but
that the female was within. I then took a large mass of cotton wool from my collecting-
box, and stuffed it to the extremity of the hole, in order to preserve the eggs and nest
from damage during my again laying it open from above. On removing the sod and
digging down as before, | came upon the cotton wool, and beneath it a well-formed nest
of fish-bones, the size of a small saucer, the walls of which were fully half an inch thick,
together with eight beautiful eggs and the old female herself. This nest and eggs I
removed with the greatest care, and I now have the pleasure of exhibiting it to the
Society, before its transmission to the British Museum; the proper resting-place of
so interesting a bird’s nest. This mass of bones then, weighing 700 grains, had been cast
up and deposited by the bird, or the bird and its mate, besides the unusual number of
eight eggs, in the short space of twenty-one days.

To gain anything like an approximate idea of the number of fish that had been
taken to form this mass, the skeleton of a minnow, their usual food, must be carefully
made and weighed, and this I may probably do upon some future occasion. I think we
may now conclude, from what I have adduced, that the bird purposely deposits these
bones as a nest ; and nothing can be better adapted, as a platform, to defend the eggs
from the damp earth.”

The Kingfisher, if unmolested, soon learns to be familiar with man, and has no
hesitation in carrying on the daily affairs of its life without heeding the near presence of
a human observer. I have known a Kinefisher to sit upon a projecting stone that over-
hung a stream running at the foot of a garden, and to permit the owners of the garden to
watch its proceedings without exhibiting any alarm. If managed properly, this interesting
bird will so far extend its confidence to man as to become partially domesticated, speedily
rivalling the robin or the sparrow in the bold familiarity of its manners. One such bird,
that was tamed by a friend, owed its domestication to the loss of its parents.

Three young Kingfishers were seen sitting in a row upon a branch of a tree close to a
stream, and drew the attention of their future guardian by their constant wailing after
food. Various kinds of food were accordingly procured for the poor desolate birds ; but as
the right sort of diet was not obtained for some days, two of the young birds died. The
third, however, survived, and lived for a considerable time, coming regularly for his food,
and receiving it at the hands of his protector, but never venturing into the house. In

182 FAMILIARITY OF THE KINGFISHER.

process of time he met with a mate and founded a family after the usual Kingfisher
fashion. But he soon discovered that it was easier to supply his family with food by
resorting to his kind friends and asking them for fish, than by spending time and trouble
in capturing fish for himself.

One of these birds became self-tamed, if such an expression may be used, and was
remarkably familiar with the person to whom it owed its self-acknowledged allegiance.
The association began as follows :—

A young man was fishing in a preserved stream, and had caught, as is sometimes the
case, a very little fish instead of the trout which he was endeavouring to capture. He
took the insignificant prey off the hook and flung it towards the river, intending to return
it to the water. His aim, however, was not a good one, and the fish fell upon the bank
instead of reaching the stream, and was immediately pounced upon by a Kinefisher that
shot unexpectedly through the air. Being rather amused at so bold a proceeding, the
angler threw the next little fish on the erass, and had the pleasure of seeing the bird
come and seize it as before. By degrees the bird became more and more familiar, until,
encouraged by impunity, it would snatch up a fish within a yard of the angler, and after
swallowing it or carrying it home, would perch on a neighbourmg bough and wait for
more.

After a while the angler bethought himself of accompanying each fish with a peculiar
ery, and in a very short time the bird understood the call, and would come whenever it
was uttered. This strange friendship endured for upwards of three years, but the ultimate
fate of the bird I have not been able to discover. It never would take the fish out of the
hand, but was in every other way so exceedingly tame that the keepers were utterly
astounded, the possibility of taming a wild bird never having entered their dull heads.

Many young Kinetishers have been successfully reared from the nest, and seem to be
hardy little birds, provided that they are furnished with a very large supply of minnows
and other small fish, The number of fish which a single bird will consume is almost
incredible, for its voracity is so great and its digestion so rapid that it causes no small
trouble to the owner in insuring a proper supply of food.

The Kingfisher is a very solitary bird, never assembling in flocks, and seldom being
seen except when single. Sometimes it has been observed to engage in aérial sports with
a companion, and it frequently happens that the two parent birds are seen in company, or
that the whole family sits amicably upon the same branch. With these exceptions,
however, the Kingfisher is remarkably eremitical in its habits, and appears to suffer
no rival establishment near the spot where it has fixed its home. It is, however, a very
affectionate bird to its family, and a very remarkable instance of its loving nature has
been recorded by a correspondent of the /%e/d newspaper, who saw a female Kinefisher
fly to the aid of her mate when shot, and picking him up by his bill, endeavour to carry
him to a place of safety. The poor bird was unable to carry her wounded mate more
than a few yards, but the affectionate unselfishness of the act is as praiseworthy as if she
had succeeded in her attempt.

The voice of the Kingfisher is a pecuharly shrill and piping ery, that can be heard at
some distance, and is not easily mistaken for any other sound.

The colour of this bird is very gorgeous, and rather complicated in its arrangement.
The top of the head and back of ‘the neck are dark green, flecked with many spots
of verditer blue upon the tips of the feathers. The upper part of the back is also dark
green, and the lower part is light ‘violet or blue, gleaming vividly under a strong light,
and being very conspicuous as ‘the bird is on the wing. The tail is deep indigo, and the
quill feathers of the w ing are dark blackish-green, lightened by a brighter hue of green
on the outer webs, and set off by the v erditer-blue spots of the tertiaries. A white pateh
or streak passes from the eye to the back of the neck, and a dark green streak is drawn
immediately under the white patch. The throat and chin are yellowish-white, and the
whole of the under surface is chestnut. The eyes are crimson, and the bill is black, with
the exception of the orange-tinted base of the lower mandible. The total length of the
bird is about seven inches.

Brilliant as is the plumage of this bird, and unmistakable as the varied colouring

THE TINY KINGFISHER. 183

seems to be, it loses all its gorgeousness when viewed against freshly fallen snow, and is
not a whit less dull than that of the dipper. This curious fact is noticed by Mr. Thompson,
whose acute and practised eye was unable to recognise the species of a small brown bird
that continually flitted across his path as he was engaged in shooting woodcocks, and who
was so perplexed by its curious style of flight, that he at last shot it, and to his regret
found that he had killed a Kingfisher.

So conspicuous a bird as the Kingfisher takes, as may be imagined, a conspicuous
part in legends of antiquity, and the traditions of the present day.

The classical scholar is familiar with the expression “ Halcyon days,” which is so
frequently employed to denote a season of special security and joyousness, and is derived
from an old fable, that the Halcyon or Kingfisher made its nest on the surface of the seas
and possessed some innate power of charming the waves and winds to rest during the time
of its incubation. Fourteen days of calm weather were in the power of the Kingfisher,
or Aleyoné, who was fabled to be the daughter of AXolus, wearing a feathered form in token.
of grief for the loss of Ce¥x, her husband, and to have derived her authority from her
father, the lord of winds.

In many parts of England at the present day there is a singular idea concerning the
Kinefisher, which seems to have its origin in the same mythical history. Those who are
familiar with cottage life in the rural districts will often have noticed a Kingfisher
suspended by the point of the beak from the beams of the ceiling, and if they have asked
the object of the custom, will
learn that the bird always turns
its breast towards the quarter
from which the wind is blowing.
Some writers in mentioning this
custom have said that the bird is
so suspended as to point with its
beak towards the wind; but in
every case where I have seen this
curious wind-vane, it has been
hung by the very extremity of
the beak, so as to rotate freely
in every direction. The bird is
not stuffed, but various spices are
placed in its interior after the
viscera have been removed, and
the body is then dried by exposure
to the sun,

The Tiny KINGFISHER is S
found, according to Gould, in TINY KINGFISHER.—Alejone pusilla.
Northern Australia and New
Guinea, and is a remarkably
beautiful little creature.

In its habits it is very shy, and seems to prefer the deepest thicket as its place of resi-
dence, so that it cannot easily be approached without taking the alarm, and, indeed, is
but seldom seen at all, even by those who give their attention wholly to the search after
objects of natural history. Its voice, however, will often betray its presence, as itis fond of
hearing itself talk, and frequently utters a shrill piping note, which can be heard at a con-
siderable distance, and cannot be mistaken for the voice of any other bird. Although it
is able to fly with considerable swiftness, it is not very powerful on the wing, its flight
being strangely unsteady.

In its habits it resembles the European Kingfisher, catching and feeding on fish in much
the same manner,

The general colour of the Tiny Kingfisher is a most intense blue, which, with few
exceptions, is spread over the whole of the upper surface. Upon the eyes and below the

184 THE PARADISE JACAMAR.

ear-coverts there is a rather large white patch, the primary feathers of the wings are
blackish brown, and the secondaries blue, edged with shining green. The throat, chest,
and abdomen are of a beautifully pure white, contrasting boldly with the deep blue of
the upper parts of the body.

Another species, the Azure Kingfisher (Aleyone azurea), is closely allied to the tiny
Kingfisher, and is also a native of Australia, but inhabits a different locality, being found
in New South Wales and Southern Australia.

The nest of this bird is made in holes in the banks, and is simply composed of the
disgorged bones, scales, and other indigestible portions of the fishes which have been
rejected after the manner of most carnivorous birds. The number of eggs is rather large,
being from five to seven. The young are remarkably noisy, and whenever the parent
birds pass the entrance of the hole the young Kingfishers immediately think themselves
hungry, and set up a clamorous appeal for food. It is a very remarkable fact that the
young birds assume the plumage of the adult at their first moult, and being always rather
precocious, soon manage to get their own living.

The food of this bird consists chiefly of fish and aquatic insects. It is solitary in its
habits, being never seen assembled in numbers, and appearing to exercise a watchful juris-
diction over a certain amount of land which it chooses to consider as its own property.
The intrusion of a stranger is instantly resented, and as the temper of the bird is
naturally quarrelsome, it is no uncommon event to see a pair of them engaged in conflict,
dashing to and fro like angry meteors, and whirling through the air in transports of
rage. The general colour of the Azure Kingfisher is bright ultramarine blue above, buff
upon the neck, chest and abdomen, and pure white upon the chin.

JACAMARS.

THE curious birds which are popularly known by the name of JACAMARS are all
natives of the New World, and, as might be imagined from the metallic brilliancy of
their plumage, are denizens of the tropical regions of their native land.

Tn all these birds the bill is straight, long, rather compressed, pointed, with a decided
keel on the upper mandible, and with the corners of the mouth defended by some bristle-
like hairs. As will be seen, the toes are varied in number, some species possessing only
three toes, while the remainder are furnished with four toes as usual. The two front toes
are united only as far as the claws, and the thumb or “hallux” is either very short or
altogether absent. They are insect-eaters, and greatly resemble the trogons in many of
their habits.

The PARADISE JACAMAR is a striking little bird, on account of the beautiful colours
with which its plumage is decorated, its graceful form, and the long forked tail. It is but
a small bird, being not as large as an ordinary thrush, but its plumage is so beautiful in
its colouring and so graceful in the arrangement of its feathers that the spectator entirely
forgets its size in admiration of its beauty. The neck of this species is rather long and
mobile, enabling the bird to dart its long straight bill in every direction with great
rapidity. The tail is rather curiously formed, the feathers being so graduated that the
central pair extend far beyond the others, and form a kind of fork, alterable at the will of
the bird. As the Jacamars bear a very close resemblance to the kingfishers, they were
formerly supposed to belong to that group of birds, and the Paradise Jacamar was termed
the Fork-tailed Kingfisher.

The head of the Paradise Jacamar is brown tinged strongly with violet, and the throat,
the neck, and some of the wing-coverts are pure white. The back, wines, and remainder

PARADISE JACAMAR.—Galbula Paradisea. GREEN JACAMAR.—Gdalbula viridis.

of the body is a rich golden green, and the bill and feet are black. The feet are feathered
nearly as far as the toes.

In its habits the Paradise Jacamar is not unlike the trogons and flycatchers, seldom
troubling itself to chase its prey through the air, but preferring to sit upon a bough and
catch the butterflies as they pass unconsciously near the feet of their destroyer, and then
pounce suddenly upon them and secure them in its long bill. So persevering are they
in their watchfulness, and so strong is their attachment to the spot where they have taken
up their residence, that the locality where they feed can readily be discovered on account
of the wings, legs, and other uneatable portions of their prey, which they twist off and
throw away before endeavouring to swallow their victim. The Paradise Jacamar is a
native of Surinam.

The GREEN JACAMAR, receives its popular name from the slight preponderance
which green holds above the other hues in the colouring of its plumage.

Nearly all the Jacamars present a very similar arrangement of colours, which is by no
means easy to describe, as the feathers are tinted with glowing hues of green, azure,
gold, and metallic red, all of which seem to have been “scattered at worden over the
plumage, and to have become so intermixed that the eye fails to separate them, or to
assign any particular locality to any particular colour. Indeed, the plumage ‘of the
Jacamars is a very Turkey-earpet of tints, all the colours being very bright but without
any definite arrangement; so that, although clad in gorgeous raiment which nearly equals
the plumage of the humming-birds in its bright effulgence when examined feather by
feather, the Jacamars are by no means conspicuous birds, and at a little distance do not
appear nearly so handsome as our English starling.

186 THE GREAT JACAMAR,.

The colour which is most conspicuous in this and among other Jacamars is a bright
metallic coppery-red, which continually changes to a purplish hue, and irresistibly reminds
the observer of a copper tea-kettle that has been subjected to the action of fire. The top
of the head is green, and the breast is marked with the same hue plentifully mixed with
the peculiar coppery tint which has just been mentioned. The chin is greyish white
marked with a few brown spots, the chest is dark green and copper, and the wings are
also coppery-green, but possess a large admixture of blue. The breast is green with a
little copper, and the abdomen chocolate, marked with a few dark longitudinal dashes.
The upper surface of the tail is dark shining green, and its under surface is nearly of the
cous cole as the abdomen. The bird is quite a little one, not so large as our English
cinefisher.

THREE-TOED JACAMAR.—Jacamardleyon triddctyla.

Or the genus Jacamaralcyon we have a good example in the THREE-TOED JACAMAR.

This little bird, which is even smaller than the preceding species, possesses none of
the brilliant hues which decorate the majority of the group, but is clad in colours even
more sombre than those of the sparrow. The whole of the plumage, with very few
exceptions, is of a dark, dull, lustreless, sooty-black, beside which the blackbird of
England would look quite brilliant. On a closer inspection a dark olive-green reflection
is visible on the upper surface of the body and tail. The top of the head is marked with
two or three chocolate streaks, and there is another stripe of the same colour drawn from
the corner of the mouth towards the back of the neck. The flanks are of the same sooty
black as the back, but without the green reflection, and the white with a slight rusty-red
tinge. The under surface of the tail is a grey brown.

The GREAT JACAMAR, or BROAD-BILLED LAMPROTILA as it 1s sometimes called, is
so like the kingfishers in form and general outline of contour, that it might easily be
mistaken for one of those birds by one who had not studied the characteristics of the
group with some attention.

In this bird, which evidently forms a link of transition between the Jacamars and the
Bee-eaters, and whose generic name of Jacamarops has been given to it in allusion to that
fact, the beak is extremely broad when compared with the compressed bills of the other
Jacamars, and the dilated ridge on the upper mandible is distinctly curved. The tail is
broad and moderately long, and the feathers of the head form a partial crest. The short
neck, rounded wings, and long bill of this bird give it a great resemblance to the king-

THE COMMON BEE-EATER. 187

fishers, and in its attitudes it has
a great air of those birds. Like
them, it poises itself upon a branch
and darts down to secure its active
prey in its bill, but differs from
them in the fact that it feeds
almost exclusively upon insects,
and knows not how to snatch
from the stream the scaly inha-
bitants of the waters.

In its colouring this bird very
closely resembles the green Jaca-
mar, which has already been de-
scribed, but does not possess quite
so much of the green hue.

BEE-EATERS.

THE BEE-EATERS may at once
be distinguished from the Jaca-
mars by the shape of the bill,
which, although somewhat similar
in general shape to the beak of
those birds, is curved instead of
straight, and by the formation of
the wings, which, instead of being
short and rounded, are long and
pointed, and give to their owners
a wonderful command of the air,
while engaged in chasing their
winged prey. Some short bristles
overhang the nostrils, and the
long and broad tail has generally
the two outer feathers longer GREAT JACAMAR.—Jacamerops grandis,
than the others. Their plumage
is remarkably handsome; bemg
painted with rich and at the
same time with extremely delicate hues of many colours. Green predominates throughout
the group, a verditer-blue seeming to be generally mixed with the green. Some species,
such as the Nubian Bee-eater (Mer ops Nubius), are clothed in bright red ; while others,
such as the Rose-breasted Night-feeder (Nyctiornis Amicta), are decorated with a rich rose
tint upon the face and breast.

THE common Brz-EATER of Europe is very frequently found in 1) tl
Continent, and has been several times taken in England. It is, howeve:,

Great Britain, and is of sufficient rarity to excite some curiosity whenever it 1s iouud
within the confines of our shores.

In Mr. Yarrell’s well-known work on the British birds, there is a most elaborate
enumeration of the specimens which had been shot in various parts of England ; getting
shot being a fate that inevitably befalls any rare or strange bird that may happen to visit
this country. Even a stray parrot runs a ereat risk if it should escape into the rural
districts, as can be unwillingly testified by many a sorrowing and bereaved parrot-owner.
So far does this cruel and abominable custom go, that I have known a paroquet to be

BEE-EATER.—Merops apiaster.

shot by a farmer, although it had escaped from a house in the same little village. The
destructive propensity is truly developed to a wonderful extent in some persons, who quite
justify the sarcastic foreigner in his remark, that a heavenly day always inspires an
Englishman with a desire to go out and kill something.

“The food of the Bee- eater consists wholly of insects, the bees and others of the

hymenopterous order being the favourite article of diet. In chasing these insects, which are

for the most part very active of flight, the Bee-eater displays very great command of
wing, and while urging its pursuit, can twist and turn in the air with as much ease and
skill as is exhibited by the swallow or the roller.

Undaunted by the poisoned weapons of the wasp, hornet, or bee, the bird makes
many a meal upon these insects, contriving to swallow them without suffering any
inconvenience from their stings. It is probable that there may be some peculiarity m the
structure of this and several other birds, that renders them indifferent to the poisonous
influence of the sting, for it is difficult to account for their immunity on any other theory.
Mr. Yarrell imagines that the Bee-eater renders its prey harmless by much pinching and
biting, and that by “repeated compression, particularly in the abdomen, the sting is either
squeezed out, or its muscular attachments so deranged, that the sting itself is harmless.”

I cannot coincide in this opinion, for the sting cannot be entirely squeezed out of the
abdomen by any -mount of pressure, and its poisonous properties are quite as rife after it

sheen from the muscular attachments as during its connexion with them. I

ace, having suffered rather severely from the effect of a sting which I

fh tcommon honey-bee, and which was carelessly suffered to pierce the

In the case of a wasp, too, we may also have noticed that after the

apcomen has been completely crushed, the sting appears to possess a separate vitality of
its own, and moves about as if still guided by the will of its dead owner.

To the apiarian, who resides in the same country with the Bee-eater, the bird is a
terrible foe, as it has an insatiable appetite for the honey-making insects, and haunts
every spot where it is likely to meet them. The hives are constantly visited by the
Bee-eaters, who are ingenious enough to resort to the turpentine pines for the sake of
catching the bees that come to carry away the exudations for the purpose of converting

HABITS OF THE BEE-EATER. 189

them into “propolis,” or that substance with which they harden the edges of their cells,
caulk the crevices of the hives, and perform many other useful tasks. It does not,
however, confine itself to the hymenopterous insects, but is fond of beetles, cicadee, grass-
hoppers, and similar creatures. These it eats entire, ejecting the wing-cases or “ elytra,”
the wings, legs, and other indigestible portions, after the manner of the hawk and owl.

Taking advantage of its insect-eating propensities, the boys of the Greek Archipelago,
where the Bee-eater is very common, are in the habit of capturing it by means of a hook
and line, in a kind of aérial angling, in which the atmosphere takes the place of water, and
the victim is hauled struggling downwards, instead of being drawn struggling upwards.
A hook is attached to the end of a strong but slender line, and fastened to a cicada or
other insect, in such a manner as to cause no impediment to its flight, and the cicada is
then allowed to fly about at will. The Bee-eater soon perceives its fluttering prey, and
darting upon it with open beak, is caught by the hook and made prisoner. Swallows are
often captured in a somewhat similar manner; and many a fisherman has been
disappointed of his cast by finding that a swallow had taken his fly while it was passing
through the air, in the backward sweep preparatory to its fall upon the water.

While engaged in the pursuit of its prey, the Bee-eater flies at various heights, according
to the weather and the species of insect which it is engaged in eating. Sometimes it may
be seen careering high in air at so great an elevation that its beautiful colours cannot be
distinguished, but attracting great admiration on account of its great command of wing
and easy gliding movements. At another time it sweeps over the very surface of the
ground, snapping up the bees, wasps, and other insects that are not in the habit of
ascending to any great height.

In allusion to its insect-eating propensities, the colonists of the Cape of Good Hope,
where the Bee-eater is found in plenty, call it by the name of “gnat-snapper,”’ and the
Hottentots find it a very useful bird, as it often directs them to the spot where the wild
bees have made their nests. In Egypt it is called by a name which signifies “ bees’
enemy.”

The Bee-eater is a gregarious bird, being generally seen in flocks that vary from ten
to forty or even fifty in number, and presenting a very handsome appearance as they wheel
round in the air, displaying the metallic effulgence of their beautiful plumage, and
occasionally perching upon the branches of a tree and resting awhile from their toil.
While flying after insects the Bee-eater continually utters its curious ery, which is a rich-
toned warbling chirrup. In many places where the Bee-eater is common, it is killed and
eaten by the natives, who are not deterred by any zsthetical prejudices from destroying
so lovely a bird for the sake of roasting, but estimate the creature in proportion to its
gastronomical value. It will be remembered that the equally beautiful roller meets with
a similar fate in the lands where it is most frequently found.

The nest of the Bee-eater is not unlike that of the kingfisher, being placed at the
extremity of a burrow made in some convenient bank. The burrow is excavated by the
bird itself, and it often happens that the Bee-eaters are as gregarious in their nesting as in
their flight, honeycombing the clay banks in a manner very similar to that of the sand-
martin. The burrows do not run to any great depth, seldom exceeding six or eight inches
in length. The nest is composed of moss, and contains about five or six beautifully
white and pearly eggs.

Of the habits of this bird, Mr. Thompson has given so graphic and e!
description in his work on the birds of Ireland, that his account must be s
in his own words.

“ T have had the gratification of seeing the Bee-eater in scenes with which its prituant
plumage was more in harmony than with any in the British Isles. It first excited my
admiration in August, 1826, when visiting the celebrated grotto of Egeria, near Rome.
On approaching the classic spot, several of these birds, in rapid swift-like flight, swept
closely past and around us, uttering their peculiar call, and with their graceful form and
brilliant colours proved irresistibly attractive. My companion, who, as well as myself,
beheld them for the first time, was so greatly struck with the beauty of their plumage

190 THE CHESTNUT BEE-EATER,

and their bold sweeping flight, as to term them the presiding deities over Egeria’s
otto.

e Rich as was the spot in historical and poetical associations, it was not less so in
pictorial charms. All was in admirable keeping ;—the picturesque grotto with its ivy-
mantled entrance and gushing spring; the eracefully reclining though headless white
marble statue of the nymph ; the sides of the grotto covered with the exquisitely beautiful
maiden-hair fern in the richest luxuriance ; the wilderness of wild flowers around the
exterior attracting the bees, on which the Merops was feeding; and over all the deep blue
sky of Rome, completing the picture.

On the 26th of April, 1841, three Bee-eaters, coming from the south, flew close past
H.M.S. Beacon, sailing from Malta to the Morea, but did not alight. We were then about
ninety miles from Zante (the nearest land), and a hundred and thirty from Navarino. On
the morning of the next day, when forty-five miles from Zante, and sixty west of the
Morea, a Bee-eater, coming from the south-west, alighted for a moment on the vessel, and
then flew towards Zante in a south-eastern direction. Soon afterwards, a flock consisting
of fifteen came from the same quarter, lurked about the lee side of the vessel for a short
time, and then proceeded north-east. One hour after their departure (ten o’elock) a fiock
of eight appeared, and alighting on a rope astern the ship, remained there for nearly an
hour. They were perched so: closely together and so low down on the rope, that by its
motion the lowest one was more than once ducked in the water, but nevertheless did not
let go its hold or change its position for a drier one.

These birds were but a few yards from the cabin windows, and looked so extremely
beautiful, that they were compared by some of the spectators to paroquets, and not very
inaptly, on account of their gaudy plumage. After these left us, others were seen through-
out the day, but generally singly: they rarely alighted: all flew in the same course.

When not very far to the westward of Cape Matafan, on the first of May, a flock of
twenty-nine of the Merops apiaster flew close past the ship towards the Morea.”

The Bee-eater is very common in Southern.Russia, about the Don and the Volga, and
is a familiar inhabitant of Turkey, Greece, Egypt, and Asia Minor. Africa seems to be
its ordinary residence, from which country it migrates over the Mediterranean and pours
into the various districts of Europe. In Spain, France, Germany, and Switzerland the
Bee-eater is often observed, and is very common in Malta, Sardinia, and Sicily.

The colours of the adult male bird are extremely varied and very beautiful. The top
of the head is rich chestnut brown, extending to the neck, back, and wing-coverts. Over
the rump the chestnut changes to light reddish yellow. The primaries and secondaries of
the wing are bright blue-green tipped with black, and their shafts painted with the same
colour, and the tertiaries are green throughout their entire length. The upper tail-coverts
are of the same hue as the wings, and the tail is likewise green, tinted with a darker hue,
graphically called by Mr. Yarrell “ duck-green.” The chin and throat are reddish yellow,
and around the throat runs a band of deep blue-black. The under part of the body is
green with a blue tinge, and the under surface of the wings and tail is greyish brown.
The ear-coverts are black, and the eye is light scarlet, which contrast beautifully with the
chestnut, black, and yellow of the head and neck.

In the young birds the tints are not nearly so brilliant, and they are different in hue
and arrangement ; the rich safiron-yellow of the whole having a greenish tinge in the
sSeond vi ear’s s bird, and the chestnut hue of the head extending only” to the neck. A first

a d, described by Mr. Yarrell, had the top of its head ¢ green, no red colour on the
ed no black collar round the neck. The tail feathers were all of the same length,
u the adult bird the narrow ends of the central pair of feathers extend beyond

The female may be distinguished from the male by the paler hue of the reddish
yellow on the throat, and the reddish tinge that runs throughout the green of the body
and wings. In size the Bee-eater is nearly equal to the English starling.

The CHESTNUT BEE-EATER is most commonly found in the different islands of the
Indian Archipelago, but has also been taken in Malacca and the South of France.

THE AZURE-THROATED BEE-EATER. 191

‘Tt is not a very large bird, but is remark-
ably slim and elegant in its form, appearing
as if if were possessed of very great activity.
The colours of its plumage, although not so
brilliant as those of other Bee- eaters, are yet
soft and fine, and very pleasing in their
general effect, The general colour of this
bird is a very dark green upon the upper
surface, so deep as to approach nearly to
black in a dim light, and the upper surface
of the tail is a deep blue-green. Under each
eye is a small black patch. The chin is
white, and the under surface of the tail and
the tail-coverts are greyish brown.

THE truly magnificent AZURE-THROATED
BEE-EATER is an inhabitant of India, and is
found, although very rarely, in the interior
of that country.

It is a very rare bird, perhaps not so
much on account of the actual paucity of its
numbers, as from its extreme shyness, and
the nature of the localities where it makes
its residence. The home of this bird is
always in the deepest recesses of the vast
Indian forests, and in spite of its glowing
colours and noisy tongue, it is so wary a and
fearful of man that it is seldom seen. When
fairly discovered, however, it often falls an
easy prey to the native hunter on account of
the extreme nervousness of its nature. The
report of a gun in close proximity will have
such an effect upon its nervous system as to
afflict it with a momentary paralysis, and it
sometimes happens that in the great hunting
expeditions of the native chiefs, this Bee-
eater is so stupified by the unwonted turmoil, and repeated explosion of fire-arms, that
it lies helplessly on the branch, and permits itself to be taken by hand.

The manners of the Azure-throated Bee-eater are particularly quiet, and during the
daytime it is seldom to be seen in motion. At the approach of night, however, it
becomes very active, and utters its peculiar short grating cry in rapid succession. The
generic name, Nyctiornis, or Night-bird, has been given to this Bee-eater because it is

CHESTNUT BEE-EATER.—Merops bddius.

supposed to feed mos | ~ Mr. Gould, however, doubts the accuracy of this
theory, and the appro} 5 ©) he title. The food of this species consists of various
nsects, such as bees 1| other similar creatures. It seems, Bomeycr to feed
nostly unon heetlos ; fi Cloug to the G ‘ (
shaffers ai wheeiine wick lers
the ’ 7
V1 ee oe
, : a ey : li Gpiipai PITS mat
ass i10 ike the Be if Huvoy
jumage the Azure-throated Bee-eater is .a really splendid bird. chiefly
ic for the long soft azure feathers which hang from the throat an ke the
ne of many “ antelopes. The top of its head is bright scarlet and blue, and
uf the upper surface a brilliant green. The pendent feathers c vat are

‘ver-blue, and those of the neck are bluish- -green, edged with the sai ier-blue

AZURE-THROATED BEE-EATER.—Nyctiornis Atherténi.

as the plumes of the throat. The general hue of the under surface is buff dashed with
green, and the under side of the wings and tail is dark buff without the green tinge.
The eyes are reddish-brown, and the beak is blue-grey.

The sexes are very similar in colour, but the female is to be distinguished from her
mate by her inferior dimensions. The young birds are not so brilliant in their colours,
and they are devoid of the beautiful pendent plumage of the neck and throat.

THERE is a very beautiful and closely-allied species to the above bird, namely, the
RosE-BREASTED NyYCTIORNIS, or RED-FACED NIGHT-FEEDER (Nyctiornis amicta), of which a
passing mention has already been ae This beautiful bird is a native of India, and is

snmnosed to feud ight, although the fact is not very clearly ascertained. In
i omperison
' Like J d) the ‘face,
ee d the: upper eas right rose-carmime: The
®
THE very handsome bird which is indifferently known oy | K's
BEE-EATER, and the BLUE-BELLIED BEE-EATER, is an inhabitant of Western forién, and
has been taken in Senegal. It is a truly beautiful creature, elegant 1 form altt vi
brilliant in colour, It is not a very large bird, being considerably smallersthan tl

1
common Bee-eater of Europe, and measuring only seven inches in total length, o)
the bill occupies one inch,

TIE

BULLOCK’S BEE-EATER.—Melittéphagus Bullockii.

The upper portions of this species are ight green with the exception of the upper
parts of the neck, which is coloured by a reddish crimson hue, the two tints merging
gradually into each other without any definite lme of demarcation. From the gape of
the mouth a black stripe runs towards the back of the neck, enveloping the eye in its
progress, and a small spot of the same jetty hue is seen upon the tip of the chin. The
throat is of the most brilliant scarlet, and the breast and upper parts-of the abdomen are
crimson like the neck. The lower part of the abdomen is clear ultramarine blue, a
peculiarity from which the bird derives its popular name. The wings are green like the
back, but the secondaries and tertiaries are tipped with velvety black, about half an inch
in depth. The feathers of the tail are of equal length, and the bill and legs are black.

THE last example of the Bee-eaters which can be mentioned in these pages is the
Rep-THROATED BEE-EATER (Melittéphagus guldris), This bird is remarkable for the
singular colouring of its plumage, and the vivid contrasts presented by a few spots of
bright colour upon a dark ground.

The general colour of this species is a deep velvety black, through which a green hue
shines in certain lights. Upon the forehead and over the eyes are scattered a few tiny
but most brilliant verditer-green feathers gleaming with a metallic lustre, and a patch of
long plumy feathers of the same brilliant hue occurs on the end of the back. The throat
is decorated with a patch of light chestnut-red, and the remainder of the breast and
abdomen are of the same deep velvety-black, over which a number of isolated verditer
feathers are very thinly scattered.

SLENDER-BILLED BIRDS.

UPUPIDE, OR HOOPOES.

Tue large group of birds which are termed TENUIROSTRAL, or Slender-billed, always
possess a long and slender beak, sometimes curved, as in the creepers, hoopoes, and many
humming birds, and sometimes straight, as in the nuthatch and other humming birds.
The feet are furnished with lengthened toes, and the outer toe is generally connected at
the base with the middle toe.

The first family of the Tenuirostres is called after the hoopoe, and termed Upupide.
In all these birds the bill is curved throughout its entire length, long, slender, and
sharply pointed. The wings are rounded, showing that the birds are not intended for
aérial feats, and the tail is rather long. The legs are short, and the claws strong and
decidedly curved. As several of the families embrace a great number of species, it has
been thought advisable to separate them into sub-families, for greater convenience oi
reference and more precision of arrangement.

The first sub-family is that of the Plume Birds, or Epimachinz, containing some very
beautiful species, all of exotic birth, and inhabiting Australia, New Holland, New Guinea,
and the neighbouring islands. In these birds the long and slender bill is cloven as far as
the eyes, the nostrils are placed at its base, and covered with soft silken plumes, and the
thumb-toe or “hallux” is of considerable length and very strong, evidently for the
purpose of aiding the birds in the pursuit of their prey. The fourth quill-feather of the
wing is generally the longest.

The Primoris, or RIFLE-BirD, is, according to Gould, the most gorgeous of all the
Australian birds, although the full beauty of the creature is not at first sight so striking
as that of the parrots or other gaudy-plumaged birds, and needs to be seen by a favourable
light before the full glory of the colouring can be made out.

In size the Rifle-Bird is equal to a large pigeon, and in spite of its beauty it is not
very often seen, as it is retiring in its habits, and seems to be confined to a very limited
range of country. As far as is at present known, it is found only in the thick “bush” of
the south-eastern portions of Australia, and even there appears to be a very local bird. It
is no wanderer, never flying to any great distance from its home, and procuring its food in
the near vicinity of its nest. For lengthened flight, indeed, it is singularly incapacitated
by the shortness and rounded form of the wings, which is a never-failing characteristic of
weakness in the flight and want of sustaining power. While in its native woods it seems
never to make more use of its wings than is needful for the purpose of conveying it from
one tree to another.

The habits of this bird are very like those of the common creeper of England, for 11
is generally seen upon the trunks and large branches of trees, ramming nimbly round ther
in a spiral course, and extracting the insects on which it feeds from the crevices and
recesses of the bark.

Although in many instances, some of which have already been mentioned, the two
sexes are clothed in very different plumage, there are few species where the distinction
is so great as is the case with the Rifle-Bird. In the male bird, the upper part of the
body is deep velvet-black, with a tinge of purple in a cross light, and the breast, abdomen,
and under parts are of the same velvety hue, but diversified with a fine olive-green, which
stains the edges of each feather. The crown of the head and the throat are covered with
a multitude of remarkably little patches of the most brilliant emerald-green, glancing
with a lustrous metallic sheen that equals the well-known emerald feathers of the
humming-bird, and is in vivid contrast with the velvet-black of the body. ‘The tail is
black, with the exception of the two central feathers, which are of a rich metallic green,
nearly as gorgeous as those of the head and neck. The bill is black.

RIFLE-BIRD.—Ptiléris Paradiseus.

The plumage of the female and young male bird is stronely contrasted with these
vivid colours, being as brown and homely as that of the English thrush, and giving no
indication of the gorgeous hues that dye the feathers of the adult male. The upper parts
of the female and undeveloped male are an obscure rusty brown, the wings and tail being
edged with a reddish hue. A whitish-buff streak runs through the eye, and the under
surface is half covered with many spear-headed black marks, something like the arrow-
headed characters of Nineveh, caused by the black hue which tips each feather, and very
partially stains their edges.

Van der Hoeven, in his “Handbook of Zoology,” places this bird in the genus
Epimachus, together with the two beautiful species which will be next described. It is
separated from them by other systematic zoologists, on account of the formation of the
tail, which is comparatively short, and the feathers of nearly equal length.

THE very remarkable bird which is depicted in the accompanying illustration has
been very appropriately named Neomorpha, or New-form, as it exhibits a peculiarity of
formation which, so far as is at present known, is wholly unique.

When this bird was first discovered, Mr. Gould very naturally considered the specimen
with the straight beak to be of a different species from that which has the curved bill, and
accordingly set them down in his list under different titles. In process of time, however,
he discovered the real state of the matter, as will shortly be seen by his own account.
This very curious anomaly in form is of considerable value to systematic zoologists,
against over-estimating the importance of form in a single limb or organ. Any one would
be justified in considering so decided a difference of beak as a mark of distinction between
two separate species ; but it must not be forgotten that there are many genera, not only of
birds, but of every class of living beings, which have been established upon a far slighter
foundation than is afforded by the straight and curved beak of these birds, which have
been found to be nothing more than mere sexual distinctions of the same species.

The locality and habits of the Neomorpha are briefly but graphically described by
Mr. Gould, in the following passage, which is taken from his “ Birds of Australia”:—
“ These birds, which the natives call E. Elia, are confined to the hills in the neighbourhood

02

\\
YS WON
LS

GOULD'S NEOMORPHA.-—Neomorpha Gouldit.

of Port Nicholson, whence the feathers of the tail, which are in great request among the
natives, are sent as presents to all parts of the island. The natives regard the bird with
the straight and stout beak as the male, and the other as the female. In three specimens
which I shot this was the case, and both birds are always together.

These fine birds can only be obtained with the help of a native, who calls them with
a shrill and lone-continued whistle, resembling the sound of the native name of the
species. After an extensive journey in the hilly forest in search of them, I had at last
the pleasure of seeing four alight on the lower branches of the tree near which the
native accompanying me stood. They came quick as lightning, descending from branch to
branch, spreading out the tail and throwing up the wings. Anxious to obtain them, I
fired; but they generally come so near, that the natives kill them with sticks. Their
food consists of seeds and insects; of their mode of nidification, the natives could
give no information, The species are apparently becoming scarce, and will probably be
soon exterminated,”

In the colouring of its plumage, it is, although rather dark, a really handsome bird
when closely inspected in a good light. The general hue of the feathers is a very dark
green, appearing to be black in some lights, and having a bright glossy surface. Upon
each side of the neck is a fleshy protuberance, or “wattle,” analagous to the wattle of
the common turkey, and of a rich orange colour during the life of the bird. After death,
however, the bright colour rapidly fades, and the full, round, fleshy form quickly contracts,
so that after a while the only remnants of the wattle are to be found in two flat, shrivelled,
dusky projections, which give no idea of their former shape and beauty, and look as if
they had been cut out of old parchment.

THE SUPERB EPIMACHUS. 197

The same unfortunate result is to be found in every stuffed or dried skin, whenever
the skin itself is not concealed by fur, scales, or feathers. It is very much to be regretted
that some plan cannot be discovered for preserving such portions of the creatures in their
original form and colour, as in many cases they are extremely important in affording
distinctive marks of species, and in all are so characteristic in their appearance, that their
total absence, or any change in their shape and hue, entirely alters the whole aspect of
the creature. At present, the only mode of getting over the difficulty is to model the
organ in wax, but this is at best but a kind of charlatanry ; and as it depends entirely on
the skill of hand and faculty of observation possessed by the individual taxidermist, is
not sufficiently reliable to be of much value in a museum.

Moreover, the greater number of rare and new species are obtained when there are no
means of obtaining the wax and other applances which are needful for this mode of
proceeding, and even if it were otherwise, the skins are seldom set up before they reach
their final destination, on account of the space which they would occupy, and the great
risk of injury they would run.

Until some method has been discovered by which these naked parts can be restored
to their original shape and brilliancy, they will always present that repulsive shrivelled
appearance which is too familiar to all who have compared a stuffed skin with the living,
or even with the dead creature before decay has fairly set in. Mr. Waterton’s method is
the best that has as yet been put forward, but it is too tedious to be of much service even
in the closet, and in the field or forest would occupy so much time that the collector
would find his days taken up with the never-ending labour of preserving the skin, and
could give no time to the observation of habits, or the procuring of specimens. Perhaps
some mode of injection might be discovered which would answer the purpose of preserving
the form and colour of these appendages, as well as it serves the purpose of the anatomist
in preserving the form and colour of the veins and arteries, and which would not require
any cumbrous apparatus beyond the usual outfit of a hunter-maturalist.

To proceed with the description of the Neomorpha. The tail is of the same deep
black-green as the rest of the body, but the uniform monotony of the tint is pleasingly
interrupted by a broad band of pure white which is-drawn round its edges. The bill is
of a rather dark-brown colour, and is rather lighter towards the extremity than at the
base. This bird is a native of New Zealand.

WE now come to the true Plume Birds, which have been placed in various positions
by the different zoologists who have written upon this subject ; some classing them with |
the bird of paradise, to which they certainly bear a great external resemblance, both on
account of the luxurianey and the peculiar brilliant hues of the plumage, while others
have considered them as nearer allied to the honey-suckers, and have, in consequence,
placed them in close proximity to those beautiful birds.

The SUPERB EPIMACHUS is a native of New Guinea, and is one of the most lovely
creatures that inhabit the face of the earth. Although in the size of the body it is by no
means large, its plumage is so wonderfully developed, that the bird measures nearly four
feet from the point of the bill to the extremity of the tail.

“To add to the singularity of this bird,” says Lesson, whose description is too vivid
and life-like to be neglected, “nature has placed above and below its wings feathers
of an extraordinary form, and such as one does not see in other birds; she seems,
moreover, to have pleased herself in painting this being, already so singular, with her
most brilliant colours. The head, the neck, and the belly are glittering green; the
feathers which cover these parts possess the lustre and softness of velvet to the
eye and touch; the back is changeable violet; the wings are of the same colour, and
appear, according to the lights in which they are held, blue, violet, or deep black ;
always, however, imitating velvet. The tail is composed of twelve feathers; the two
middle feathers are the longest, and the lateral feathers gradually diminish; it is violet
or changeable blue above, and black beneath. The feathers which compose it are as
wide in proportion as they are long, and shine both above and below with the brilliancy
of polished metal.

Above the wings the scapularies are very long and singularly formed ; their points

198

THE TWELVE-THREAD EPIMACHUS.

SUPERB PLUME BIRD.—£pimachus magnus.

being very short on one side, and very
long on the other. These feathers are of
the colour of polished steel, changing
into- blue, terminated by a large spot of
brilliant green, and forming a species of tuft
or appendage at the margin of the wings.
Below the wings spring long curved fea-
thers, directed upwards ; these are black
on the inside, and brilliant green on the
outside. The bill and feet are black.”

The same author, in referring to the
brilliant metallic hues of this and other
birds, takes occasion to notice the iri-
descent effect which is produced by the
different angle at which light falls on the
feathers. The emerald green, for instance,
will often fling out rays of its two consti-
tuent primary colours, at one time being
blue-green, at another gold-green, while
in certain lights all colour vanishes, and
a velvet-black is presented to the eye.
The ruby feathers of several birds be-
come orange under certain lights, and
darken to a crimson-black at other times.
This change of hue is analogous to the
well-known iridescent changeableness of
the nacre which lines various shells, and
is owing to the structure of its surface
refracting the hght in different rays ac-
cording to the angle at which it falls
upon the feathers.

THE adult male TWELVE-THREAD
PLuME Birp presents so strong a resem-
blance to the birds of paradise that it
might easily be mistaken for one of those
gorgeous creatures, than which, indeed, it
is scarcely less splendid. Not only does
its plumage glow with all the resplen-
dency of brilliant emerald-green and
velvety violet-black, but the bird is also
provided with a number of long thread-
like plumes, which are very similar to
those of the paradise birds. Like the
preceding species, it is a native of New
Guinea, and is, if possible, even a more
beautiful creature; the white floating
plumes compensating for the absence of
the extremely lengthened tail.

The general colour of the Twelve-
thread Plume Bird is rich violet, so in-
tense as to become black in some lights,
and having always a velvet-like depth of
tone. Around the neck is placed a collar
of glowing emerald-green feathers, which
stand boldly from the neck, and present
a most brilliant contrast with the deep

TWELVE-THREAD EPIMACHUS.—Zpimachus albus,

violet of the back and wings. The tail is short in comparison with the dimensions of the
bird. From the back and the rump spring a number of long silken plumes of a snowy
white colour, and a loose downy structure that causes them to wave gracefully in the air
at the slightest breeze. Six of these lower plumes at each side are furnished with long,
black, thread-like prolongations of the shaft, a peculiarity which has earned for the
bird its title of Twelve-thread.

Albino specimens of this bird have been found, in which the entire plumage was of
the same snowy white as the downy plumes.

In attempting to describe these gorgeously-decorated creatures, it is impossible to
avoid a feeling of dissatisfaction when mentally comparing the wondrous beauty of the
beings under consideration and the i imperfect words in which the writer has endeavoured
to portray their beauties. Even with the assistance of colour, any idea that can be given
of these birds would necessarily be very imperfect, and the most admirable illustrations
that ever were drawn, rich in ultramarine, carmine, and gold, would “pale their ineffectual
fires” even before the stiff and distorted form of the stuffed bird. Yet that very stuffed
semblance of the living creature fails egregiously in reproducing the bird as it was
during life, as every one must have observed who has visited a museum,

Putting aside the inevitable shrinking and darkening of the soft parts about the head,
legs, and claws, which change from their natural forms into dry and shrivelled pieces of
dull, black parchment, the feathers always present an unsightly staring appearance; and
there is no taxidermist whose hand, be it ever so skilful, can give to the stuffed creature
the exquisite swell and rounding of the various parts, and that air and carriage of the
body which is so indicative of the character, Not only is this the case with the stuffed

200 THE HOOPOE.

bird, but immediately after death the plumage loses half its beauty, for during its
lifetime the bird is able, by smoothing or ruffling its plumage, to give to its form a vast
variety of expressions, which sink in ‘death to one listless aspect, which tells that life has
fled. The very respiration of the bird keeps the feathers in continual motion, causing
them to change their tints with every breath. Such being the case, even with the
recently slain bird or the preserved skin, it may well be ‘imagined that no artist is
sufficiently skilful to delineate, no artificial colour sufficiently brilliant to reproduce, and
no pen sufficiently accomplished to describe, the gtowing tints with any degree of success,
when the drawings and the descriptions are compared with the living originals.

In the Plume Birds the nostrils are partly covered with a number of velvet-like
plumes, but in the Hoopoes they are protected by a membranous scale. The bill is long,
curved, pointed at the tip, and keeled at the base. The crown of the head is surmounted
by a tuft of feathers which can be raised or depressed at will. The wings are rather long,
the first quill being short, and the fourth the longest, and the tail is composed of ten
feathers of nearly equal length.

The common Hoopor enjoys a very wide range of country, being found in Northern
Africa, where its principal home is generally stationed, in several parts of Asia, and nearly
the whole of Europe. On account of its very striking and remarkable form, it has attracted
much notice, and has been the subject of innumerable legends and strange tales, nearly
all of which relate to its feathery crest. One of the Oriental legends is worthy of notice
inasmuch as it contains a moral exclusive of the interest of the story.

It is related that Solomon was once journeying across the desert and was fainting
with heat, when a large flock of Hoopoes came to his assistance, and by flying between
the sun and the monarch, formed an impenetrable cloud with their wings and bodies.
Grateful for their ready help, Solomon asked the birds what reward they would choose in
return for their services. After some consultation among themselves, the Hoopoes
answered that they would like each bird to be decorated with a golden crown; and in
spite of Solomon’s advice, they persisted in their request, and received their crowns
accordingly. For a few days they were justly proud of their golden decoration, and
strutted among the less favoured birds with great exultation, and repaired to every stream
or puddle in order to admire the reflection of their crowns in the water.

But before very long, a fowler happened to see one of the promoted birds, and on
taking it in his net, discovered the value of its crown. Immediately the whole country
was in an uproar, and from that moment the Hoopoes had no rest. Every fowler spread
his nets for them, every archer lay in wait for them, and every little boy set his
springle or laid his rude trap in hope of catching one of these valuable birds. At last
they were so wearied with persecution, that they sent one or two of the survivors to
Solomon, full of repentance at their rejection of his advice, and begging him to rescind
the gift which they had so unwisely demanded. Solomon granted their request, and
removed the golden crown from their heads; but being unwilling that the birds should
be left without a mark by which they might be distinguished from their fellows, he
substituted a crown of feathers for that of gold, and dismissed them rejoicing.

The Turks call the Hoopoe Tir-Chaous, or Courier-Bird, because its feathery crown bears
some resemblance to the plume of feathers which the chaous or courier wears as a token
of his office. The Swedes are rather fearful of the Hoopoe, and dread its presence,
which is rare in their country, as a presage of war, considering the plume as analogous to
a helmet. Even in our own country the uneducated rustics think it an unlucky bird,
most probably on account of some old legend which, although forgotten, has not entirely
lost its powers of exciting prejudice.

The food of the Hoopoe is almost entirely of an insect nature, although the bird will
frequently vary its diet with tadpoles and other small creatures. Beetles and their larvee,

caterpillars and grubs of all kinds, are a favourite food with the Hoopoe, which displays
much ingenuity in digging them out of the decayed wood in which they are often found.
The jet-ant (Mormtca fuligindsa), which greatly haunts the centre of decaying trees, is also
eaten by this bird.

HOOPOK.—Upipa Epops.

The nest is made in hollow trees, and consists of dried grass stems, feathers, and other
soft substances. The eggs are of a light grey colour, and in number vary from four to
seven. They are laid in May, and the young make their appearance in June. It is worthy
of notice that the beak of the young Hoopoe is short and quite straight, not attaining its
long curved form until the bird has attained its full growth. The nest of the Hoopoe has
a very pungent and disgusting odour, which was long thought to be caused by putrid food
brought by the parent birds to their young, and the Hoopoe was therefore supposed to
enact a part analogous to that of the vulture, and to perform the office of a scavenger.
But, as the reader will doubtlessly have observed, the food of the Hoopoe consists chiefly
of living insects, and could have no such ill effects. The real reason of the evil odour
is that the tail-glands of these birds secrete a substance that is extremely offensive to
human nostrils, although it is unheeded by the birds themselves.

The name Hoopoe is doubly appropriate to this bird, as it may be either derived
from the crest (huppe), or from the peculiar sound which the bird is fond of uttering, and
which resembles the syllable hoop! hoop! which, as Mr. Yarrell observes, “ is breathed
out so softly, yet rapidly, as to remind the hearer of the note of the dove.” The pace of
the Hoopoe is a tripping kind of walk, which is at times very quick and vivacious, and
sometimes is slow and stately as if the bird were mightily proud of its crested head.
When at liberty it is generally found in sequestered spots, preferring low, marshy grounds,
and the vicinity of woods, because in these places it is certain to find plenty of food.

The Hoopoe is a hardy bird in captivity, and from all accounts seems to be very
interesting in its habits. From the many histories of caged or domesticated Hoopoes, I
select the following, as they give a very good idea of the bird and its peculiarities. The
first account is written by Mr. Blyth, in a contribution to the Magazine of Natural
History.

“On beholding six of these birds confined in a very roomy cage, I was particularly
struck with their vivacity and quick and expressive physiognomy ; and a scene nota
- little amusing was exhibited on holding to them a morsel of meat. In a moment they all
crowded eagerly to seize it, uttering a wheezing cry, and following my hand with rapidity
about the cage, one or two of them sometimes clinging to the wires; and when at length

202 HABITS OF THE HOOPOF.

two or three pieces were given to them, the scramble, though they could not have been
very hungry, and the subsequent struggle for possession, was maintained with a pertinacity
that was truly surprising. Two might be seen tugging with might and main at the same
morsel, till wearied with repeated efforts they would give over for a while, still retaining,
however, their hold, to resume the contest after an interval of rest; and it was not
unusual on such oceasions for a third individual, generally a smaller and weaker bird,
to quietly watch the issue of the contest, when it would endeavour to deprive the victor
of its prize. Certainly, I never saw birds struggle so vigorously before, nor pull with
such determined force and energy, tumbling over not unfrequently from the violence of
their efforts.”

This pugnacious disposition appears to be universal among the Hoopoes, for M. Necker
remarks that in his own country they fight in the most desperate manner and leave the
scene of their combat covered with feathers that had been torn off in the struggle.
Another history of tame Hoopoes was communicated to Bechstein, the well-known
author of “Cage Birds,” by the owner of the Hoopoes. Of little birds, which he had
taken from nests on the top of an oak-tree, he says, “They followed me everywhere,
and when they heard me at a distance, showed their joy by a peculiar chirping, jumped
into the air, or, as soon as I was seated, climbed upon my clothes, particularly when
giving them their food from a pan of milk, the cream of which they swallowed greedily.
They climbed higher and higher, till at last they perched on my shoulders, and sometimes
on my head, caressing me very affectionately ; notwithstanding this, I had only to speak a
word to rid myself of their company; they would then immediately retire to the stove.
Generally they would observe my eyes to discover what my temper might be, that they
might act accordingly.

I fed them like the nightingales, with the universal paste, to which I sometimes added
insects ; they would never touch earthworms, but were very fond of beetles and May-bugs
(cockchaffers) ; these they first killed, and then beat them with their beak into a kind
of oblong ball. When this was done they threw it into the air, that they might catch
it and swallow it lengthwise; if it fell across the throat, they were obliged to begin
again.

I took them one day into a neighbouring field, that they might catch insects for them-
selves, and had then an opportunity of remarking their innate fear of birds of prey, and
their instinct under it. As soon as they perceived a raven, or even a pigeon, they were
on their bellies in the twinkling of an eye, their wings stretched out by the side of their
head so that the large quill-feathers touched; they were thus surrounded by a coat of
armour formed by the feathers of the tail and wings, the head leaning on the back with
the bill pointed upwards ; in this curious position they might be taken for old rags. As
soon as the bird which frightened them was gone, they jumped up immediately, uttering
eries of joy. They were very fond of lying in the sun; they showed their content by
repeating in a quivering tone, vec / vec / vec! When angry, their notes are harsh ; and the
male, which is known by its colour being redder, cries hoop / hoop /

The female had the trick of dragging its food about the room; by this means it was
covered with small feathers and other rubbish, which by degrees formed into an
indigestible ball in its stomach about the size of a nut, of which it died. The male lived
through the winter; but not quitting the heated stove, its beak became so dry that the
two parts separated and remained more than an inch apart ; thus it died miserably.”

One of these birds which was seen in captivity by Mr. Yarrell was in the habit of
concealing any superabundant food, and resorting to his hidden stores whenever he felt
hungry. It was mostly fed upon meal worms, which it always killed before eating, by
repeated bites from the end of the bill, and by a succession of pecks as they lay on the
ground after being disabled by the bites. On account of this habit, and from the fact
that the horny portions of the bill are very much longer than the bony structures, some
zoologists have considered the Hoopoe to be related to the Hornbills, and have accordingly
placed them next to those remarkable birds.

The general colours of the Hoopoe are white, buff, and black, distributed in the
following manner. The plumes of the crest, which is composed of a double row of

THE FIERY-TAILED SUN-BIRD. 203

feathers, are of a reddish-buff, each feather being tipped with black. The remainder
of the head, neck, and breast is purplish buff, and the upper part of the beak purple-grey.
Three semicircular black bands are drawn across the back, and the quill-feathers of the
wings are marked with broad bands of black and white. The tail is also black, with the
exception of a sharply defined white semicircular band that runs across its centre. The
under portions of the body are pale yellowish buff, and the under tail-coverts are white.
In their colours the two sexes are rather different from each other, the male being of a
more ruddy hue than his mate, and having a larger crest. The total length of the adult
Hoopoe is not quite thirteen inches.

As a general fact the Hoopoe is but a rare visitant to England, and has little induce-
ment to fix its habitation in so inhospitable a country ; for the persecution to which the
poor bird is subjected is nearly as severe at the present day as that which was suffered
by the Hoopoes in the old times when they wore their golden crowns. It seldom is found
in the northern parts of England, but in the southern and eastern counties is not
unfrequently seen. Many notices of these birds have been sent to the Field newspaper
and other periodicals which treat of natural history ; and it seldom happens that a year
passes by without several such notices. In Cornwall it seems to be more plentiful than
in any other part of England, and to be quite a familiar bird.

FIERY-TAILED SUN-BIRD.—Nectarinia ignicauda.

SUN-BIRDS.

THE beautiful and glittering SuN-Birps evidently represent in the Old World the
humming-birds of the New. In their dimensions, colour, general form, and habits, they
are very similar to their brilliant representatives in the western hemisphere, although not
quite so gorgeous in plumage, nor so powerful and enduring of wing. They are termed
Sun-birds, because the hues with which their feathers are so lavishly embellished gleam
out with peculiar brilliancy in the sunlight. Our common sun-beetles of England, that
are so familiar to us as they run about “the ground in the hot weather, their. glittering
surface flashing rainbow-tinted light in every direction, have earned their popular and
expressive name in a similar manner.

204 THE FIERY-TAILED SUN-BIRD.

These exquisite little birds feed on the juice of flowers and the minute insects that are
found in their interior, but are not in the habit of feeding while on the wing, hovering
over a flower and sweeping up its nectar with the tongue, as is the case among the
humming-birds. The Sun-Birds generally, if not always, perch before they attempt to
feed, and flit restlessly from flower to flower, picking the blossoms in rapid succession, and
uttering continually a sharp, eager cry, that indicates the earnestness of their occupation.
Tn accordance with their peculiar habits, the feet and legs are very much stronger than
those of the humming-birds ; their wings are shorter, rounder, and less powerful, and
their plumage is not so closely set. Moreover, the feathers, although bedecked with the
most brilliant of hues, lack, except in certain spots, such as the crown of the head and
the throat, the scintillating radiance of the humming-bird, and do not possess in an equal
degree the property of changing their hues with every movement.

The brilliant colours of the Sun-birds belong, as a general rule, only to the male sex,
the female being comparatively sober in her plumage, possessing neither the beauty of
form nor colour which is so conspicuous in the other sex. Even in the male bird, the
gorgeous plumage has but a temporary existence, becoming developed at the commence-
ment of the breeding season, and being lost at the moult which always follows the rearing
of the young. At all other seasons of the year, the male birds are nearly as simply
clothed as their mates, and even the glittering, scaly feathers of the head and throat are
replaced by a dull brown plumage, hardly distinguishable, except by difference of structure,
from the surrounding feathers of the neck. The change of colour and form is so great in
these birds, that many zoologists have described the immature male, the adult male, and
the female as three distinct species, and have consequently wrought great confusion among
their ranks.

The young male birds are not unlike the female, but may be known by one or
two feather structures, which will be presently mentioned ; and it is a rather curious fact
that the adult male always returns after the breeding season to the plumage of immaturity.
Some writers have questioned the truth of this statement, but without sufficient reason.
As soon as the time arrives when the birds begin to choose their mates, and the brilliant
feathers have fully developed themselves, the male Sun-bird becomes very animated, and
makes the most of his gorgeous plumage, puffing up the feathers of the neck and head,
so as to make them flash in the sun’s rays, as if conscious of the fascination which his
brilliant costume must exert upon the susceptible hearts of the gentler sex.

The Sun-birds usually make their nests in the hollows of decaying trees, or within the
centre of thick brushwood. In many cases the nest is concealed with great care; and in
some instances is constructed with consummate art. The material of the nest is generally
composed of very fine fibres, interwoven and lined with the soft cottonmy down that is
found in the seed-vessels of many plants, and ingeniously set round with various lichens,
so as to give it a close resemblance to the tree in which it is placed. One species has
even been known to make a thick spider’s web the foundation of its nest, and to cover it
so completely with little bits of moss, lichens, paper, cloth, and all kinds of miscellaneous
substances, as to destroy its nest-like appearance, and make it look like a chance bundle
of scraps entangled in the branches.

When taken young, the Sun-birds are very susceptible to human influence, rapidly
becoming tame, and learning to fly about the room and take their food from the hand of
their owners with charming familiarity. It has already been mentioned that the Sun-bird
utters a shrill, sharp whistle, while engaged in seeking food. This, however, is not their
only ery, as many of them possess considerable musical powers, their ery, although feeble,
being sweet and agreeably undulated. It is thought by many observers that the Sun-
birds, while flitting from flower to flower, aid in the work which is so efficiently carried
out by bees and similar insects, and help to carry the fructifying pollen from one blossom
to another,

Amon these birds the Frrry-TAILED Sun-BIRD, although not the largest, is yet one of
the most striking and beautiful in form and colour.
This most lovely little creature is an inhabitant of India, being found near the foot of

THE JAVANESE SUN-BIRD. 205

the Himalaya mountains, and most plentifully near Nepal. In dimensions it is extremely
small, owing to the great difference which exists, even in adult males, in the length of
the central feathers of the tail, the disparity often amounting to two inches, so that the
length of the bird may be from three to five and a half inches. The forehead and the
top of the head are brilliant steel-blue, and the neck, the back, and the upper tail-coverts
are the most beautiful scarlet vermilion, diversified by a broad patch of bright yellow
upon the bend of the back. The two long central feathers of the tail are also bright
vermilion, and the side feathers are brown edged with the same brilliant hue. The
pene: surface of the wings is olive-brown, each feather being brown and edged with
olive ; the under surface of the wing is ereyish- white, worked “here and there with very
pale brown, The breast is beautiful gold yellow, with a wash of crimson in the centre ;
and the abdomen, and remainder of the under parts, are rather pale olive-green. The
bill is blackish-brown.

Before and after the breeding season the Fiery-tailed Sun-bird assumes a more sober
plumage, the general colour being olive, with a slight mark of pale scarlet upon the back.
The erimson patch on the breast vanishes, and the tail-feathers are all of equal length.
The female is olive-green above and greenish yellow below, and there is a slight mark of
red upon the base of the tail.

i

The COLLARED SUN-BIRD is an inhabitant of many parts of Africa, stretching from the
northern portions of that continent as far as the western coasts. It is extremely pleutiful
in the larger forests of the Cape and the interior, but there is very little information
concerning its habits, saving that they resemble those of its relations. The nidification of
this species differs according to the locality, for it places its nest in the interior of hollow
trees wherein it resides in the forests, and is content with the shelter of a thick bough when
there are no decaying trees within reach.

The male Collared Sun-bird is a most beautiful little creature, bedecked with glowing
tints of wonderful intensity. The general colour of the upper parts of the body and
breast is a rich golden green, the upper surface of the wings and tail being blackish brown
with green reflections. Across the breast are drawn several coloured bands, which have
earned for the bird its popular and expressive name, as all names should be. A narrow
band of bright steel-blue runs across the upper part of the breast, being rather wide in the
centre and narrowing rapidly towards the sides of the neck. Below this blue band runs
a broad belt of rich carmine, and immediately below the carmine is a third narrow band
of bright golden yellow. From the sides of the breast proceed several small feathery
plumes of the same golden hue. The remainder of the abdomen is greyish brown, and the
upper tail-coverts are violet-purple.

The female is rather less in dimensions than her mate, and is very sober in her attire,
wearing a suit of uniform olive-brown, darker upon the wings and tail, and very pale
behind. The total length of this species is rather more than four and a half inches.

THERE is another species of Sun-bird which closely resembles the last-mentioned bird
in its colouring, and is often mistaken for it. This is the GREATER COLLARED SUN-BIRD
(Nectarinia Afra), a rather larger bird, measuring at least one inch more in total length
than the preceding species. It is also an inhabitant of Africa, but is seldom seen in the
extreme south of that country, preferring the deep forests of the interior, and rarely
descending to the plains. Its nest is made in some hollow tree, and the eggs are four or
five in number and white in colour, plentifully variegated with tawny markings. It may
be distinguished from the common Collared Sun-bird by the greater amount of “the bronze-
green hue, and by the shortness of the blue collar.

The JAVANESE SUN-BIRD is a native of the country from which it derives its name.
It is a very pretty little creature, although its colours are not so resplendent as in several
of the species. The upper parts of the body are shining steely-purple, and the under
surface is olive-yellow. The throat is chestnut, and a bright violet streak runs from the
angle of the mouth to the breast.

206 THE GOALPORAH SUN-BIRD.

The GoALporAH SuN-BIRD (Nectarinia Goalpariensis) is also worthy of a passing
notice.

This beautiful species is an inhabitant of several parts of Asia, and is rather plentiful
in and about Nepal. In dimensions it is equal to the preceding species, the adult male
measuring about five and a half inches in length. The nest is beautifully constructed,
and is of the pendulous order. The food of this bird consists chiefly of minute insects,
spiders, and various larvee, chiefly those of flies. It lives mostly in the depths of the
densest forests, where it may be
found in tolerable numbers by
those who choose to take the
trouble to search after it.

In the plumage of this pretty
bird, red is the prevailing colour.
The crown of the head is rich
golden green, and the nape of the
neck, the breast, and scapule are
of a dazzlingly brilliant scarlet.
The long central tail-feathers are
of a rich green, and when closed,
as is the case while the bird is at
rest, completely conceal the bright
yellow tint of the feathers below.
The remainder of the tail is
brownish black, and all the plu-
mage of the lower part of the
back is loose and downy in its
structure.

Some of the tribes of the Sun-
birds, and their behaviour when
in captivity, are well recorded in
the following description of some
tame Sun-birds, by Captain Boys,
quoted in Gould’s “ Birds of Asia.”
The species which is described is
another Indian species, the Asiatic
Sun-bird (Nectarinia Asidtica),
called by the natives “Shukur-
khor,” or sugar-eater :—

“In 1829 I slightly wounded a
male in the bastard wing, secured
and brought it home. By some
neglect it was unthought of for
four days, when, on looking into
the bag in which it had been
placed, I found that it was not
only alive, but that the wing had

COLLARED SUN-BIRD.—Neciarinia, chajybeta. completely cicatrised: I should

JAVANESE SUN-BIRD.—Nectarinia Javanica. observe, however, that the broken

part of the wing had been taken off

with a pair of scissors immediately

after the bird was brought home.

I placed it in a cage, and succeeded in keeping it alive for several weeks by feeding it on

sugar and water, of which it took great quantities, but, owing perhaps to a want of variety

in its food, it became thinner and thinner until it died. During its captivity it was very

sprightly, and from the first day readily fed itself by dipping its tongue into the dish of
syrup with which it was supplied.”

BLUE-HEADED HONEYSUCKER.—Neeturinia cyanocéphala.

It is probable that the poor little bird died, as was supposed, from the effects of its diet.
A similar story is told of some of the humming-birds, by Webber, where the little creatures
pined after long feeding upon syrup alone, but, on being permitted to fly at liberty,
immediately set to work upon the little garden spiders, and soon recovered their health
and brilliancy. This need of animal food seemed to be periodical and irresistible.

In the same account, a portion of which has just been extracted, Captain Boys asserts
that the nest of the Asiatic Sun-bird is very rudely made, whereas Mr. Layard tells us
that it is constructed in a remarkably neat manner, and that it is often suspended from a
twig in such a manner that the spiders cover it with their webs, and make it almost
invisible,

Tuts beautiful bird, which is represented in the accompanying illustration, is a good
specimen of the genus Nectarinia.

The BLUE-HEADED HonrysucKer is an inhabitant of Brazil, where it is extremely
common, and by the bright gorgeousness of its plumage, and the restless activity of its
movements, adds much to the beauty of the wondrous scenery among which it dwells.
It is found spread over the whole of Brazil, and may always be found haunting the
blossoming trees and plants, dashing to and fro with its glancing flight, hovering with
tremulous wing over the flowers while indetermined in its choice, and plunging its long
beak eagerly into their newly-opened blossoms, where it finds its food. It is not known
to feed while on the wing, as is the case with the humming-birds, but perches near or
upon the flower, and clings with its strong little feet while taking its meal.

The Blue-headed Honeysucker derives its name from the azure-blue which decorates
its head, and which is very changeable in different lights. The throat, the back, the tail,
and the wings are black, except that the quill-feathers are edged with blue. The female
bird does not possess the beautiful tints of her mate, the greater part of her plumage
being green, tinged with blue upon the head and the scapularies ; the throat is grey. This
bird is known by several other titles, such as the Cayenne Warbler, the Blue-headed
Warbler, and the Blue-headed Creener.

208 THE AUSTRALIAN DICAUM.

Larcest of all the group, the MALACHITE SuN-BIRD has long attracted the attention
of ornithologists, on account of its great comparative size and its beautiful plumage.

It is one of the African species, being an inhabitant of the Cape of Good Hope, where
it remains throughout the entire year, and is in the habit of frequenting the gardens, and
soon becomes familiar with the proprietors, provided that it be not disturbed. Sometimes
the Malachite Sun-birds take a violent fancy to some particular shrub or tree, and may
be seen in flocks of forty or fifty in number
congregating upon its branches and amusing
themselves among its blossoms. Day after
day these birds may be seen in the same spot,
attracted by some irresistible though obscure
charm resident in the tree which they favour.
The nest of this species is composed of very
tiny twigs covered with moss, and contains
four or five green eggs.

The title of Malachite Sun-bird has been
given to this creature on account of the
brilhant malachite-green of its plumage.

The male bird when dressed in full nuptial
costume is a remarkably handsome bird, and
is nearly double the length of any other species,
often exceeding nine inches in total length.
The whole of the upper surface is rich golden-
ereen marked with a reddish bronze. The
feathers of the throat and forehead are of the
same hue, but of so deep a tone that they
appear to be velvety-black at first sight, and
are so constructed that they have a velvet-
like feel to the touch as well as to the sight.
Whenever the bird moves, even by the act of
respiration, waves of bright hues seem to
ripple upon its surface, caused by the peculiar
colouring of the feathers, which are black at
their bases and coloured at their extremities.
The wings and tail are black, and the secon-
daries and wing-coverts are edged with green
and violet. There is a tuft of bright yellow
feathers under each shoulder.

The female is much smaller than her

yy } mate, and is of a dull olive-brown, except
Mptizes iN the exterior feathers of the tail, which are
edged with white.

Among other long-tailed Sun-birds may
be mentioned Nectarinia pulchella, which
may be known by its green-edged black tail-
feathers and the bright double collar of
carmine and golden-yellow that runs across the chest. Another species, also long-tailed,
Nectarinia platira, is remarkable for the brilliant golden-yellow of the breast and
abdomen, and the rich violet-purple of the upper tail-coverts.

j

MALACHITE SUN BIRD.—Nectarinia famésa.

THE beautiful little Dicaum, although very common throughout the whole of
Australia, and a remarkably interesting little bird, was, when Mr. Gould wrote his
animated description, so little known among the colonists that there was no popular
name for the bright little creature.

This tiny bird is fond of inhabiting the extreme summits of the tallest trees, and
habitually dwells at so great an elevation that its minute form is hardly perceptible, and

THE RED-BACKED DICAUM. 209

not even the bright scarlet hue of the throat and breast can betray its position to the
unaccustomed eye of a passenger below. The song of the Diczum, although very sweet
and flowing, is very soft and faint, and seems to be an inward warbling rather than the
brilliant melody which is flung so energetically from the vocal organs of many singing-
birds. The little bird, however, is possessed of considerable endurance, for its strain,
although weak, is long continued. The Diczeum is mostly found among the thick foliage
of the Casuarine, and Mr. Gould relates .
that he frequently saw it flitting about the
branches of a remarkably beautiful parasitic
plant termed scientifically the Loranthus,
which it seems to visit either to eat the
soft viscid berries, or for the purpose of
preying upon the little insects that come to
feed on the flowers. Mr. Gould prefers the
latter supposition.

The flight of the Diczeum is very quick
and darting, and it makes more use of its
wings and less of its feet than any of the
insect-hunting birds. The nest is remarkably
pretty, being woven as it were out of white
cotton cloth, and suspended from a branch as
if the twigs had been pushed through its
substance. The peculiar purse-like shape of
the nest is shown in the illustration. The
material of which it is woven is the soft
cottony down which is found in the seed-
vessels of many plants. The eggs are four
or five in number, and their colour is a dull
ereyish-white profusely covered with minute
speckles of brown.

The two sexes differ considerably in the
colouring of their plumage, the male bird
being much more brilliant than his mate.

The head, back, and upper parts of the
adult male are deep black with a beautiful
steely-blue gloss, the sides are brownish-
erey, and the throat, breast, and under tail-
coverts are a bright glaring scarlet. The
abdomen is snowy-white, with the exception
of a tolerably large black patch on its centre. 7 LE
The female is more sombre in her apparel, Oliman ZIMULIED SAS
the head and back being of a dull sooty- ;
black, and the steel-blue reflection only
appearing on the upper surface of the wings
and tail. The throat and centre of the ab-
domen are buff, the sides are pale greyish
brown, and the under tail-coverts scarlet, of a less brilliant hue than in the male. In
its dimensions the Diceeum is hardly so large as our common wren.

AUSTRALIAN DICEUM.—Dicewm hirundindceum.

ANOTHER species belonging to the same genus, but an inhabitant of a different part of
the world, is equally remarkable for its minute form and the bold richness of its colours.
This is the Rep-BackED Dicaum (Dicceum cruentdtum) of Asia.

This beautiful wee bird is plentiful in India, extending over a wide range of country,
and being found in the vast tracts which reach from Calcutta to Assam on the east, and
as far as Malacca on the north. Like the Australian Dicaeum, it resides on the summits
of the loftiest trees, and on account of its very small size is not very often seen, and even

2 P

“.

210 THE AZURE CZiREBA.

if seen is so hard to shoot that it is but seldom killed except by those who make it their
business to collect specimens. The male bird is remarkable for a broad line of the brightest
scarlet which extends from the top of the head along the back, and reaches nearly to the
extremity of the tail. The remainder of the upper surface is black, marked with green
upon the wing-coverts, and the lower parts are of a light buff.

Nearly allied to the preceding species is the FIRE-BREASTED MyZzANtTHE (Myzanthe
agnipectus), a bird which is remarkable as being the smallest bird of India. So very
small is this beautiful little bird, that an adult specimen is hardly two and a half inches in
total length, and weighs only three and a half drachms. In its habits it is very like the
Diczeum, frequenting the tops of trees, and keeping itself well out of sight. The general
colour of this bird is a dark glossy green above and buff below. Upon the chest there is
a bold patch of bright crimson, and immediately below is a curious little black mark
something like a frond of seaweed in shape. It is an inhabitant of Nepal.

THE two following species of birds are
of small size, but are remarkable for the
extreme beauty of the plumage, which
glows with the most brilliant hues, but
is not endowed with the peculiar changing
tint of the Epimachi and humming-birds.

The first of these creatures, the AZURE
C@REBA, is a most glowing little bird, its
feathers being deeply and gorgeously dyed
with azure, verditer, and velvet-black,
arranged in the following bold and striking
manner. The crest is of a brilliant verditer-
blue, possessing a metallic splendour, and
almost flashing with emerald rays when
placed in a strong light. A black velvet-
like patch of feathers is placed on the back
of the head and neck, affording the most
decided contrast with the light plumage
of the crest. Another but larger patch
of the same deep hue occurs upon the
shoulder, the wings are also black, and a
black streak is drawn from the angle of
the mouth towards the back of the neck.
With these exceptions, the whole of the
body is a bright azure.

This species is an inhabitant of Cayenne,
Guiana, and the neighbouring localities.
It is a little bird, hardly larger than a
common sparrow.

The Azure Czereba may generally be
found upon the various flowering trees and shrubs of its native land, where it occupies
its time in a perpetual search after the tiny insects that conceal themselves within the
newly-opened blossoms.

In its nesting and in other parts of its economy it is a most singular bird. The nest
is of the pensile order, being neatly woven upon the extremity of some slender twig,
which sways to and fro even with the trifling weight of the mother and her tiny brood,
and will in nowise bear the heavy bodies of the various snakes and lizards that abound
among the branches of the trees, and keep up a relentless persecution of young nestlings and
egos. The shape of the nest is not unlike that of a large “jargonelle” pear, the lower
extremity being produced into a long tube with the mouth below, and the eggs placed in
the large rounded portion of the nest. No predaceous reptile could venture itself into so

AZURE CHREBA.—Cereba cyanea.

THE SCARLET DREPANIS. 211

formidable a stronghold, and any noxious insect that might make its way through the
tunnel would soon be snapped up by the watchful parent. The substance of the nest is
composed of very slender grasses and fibres, and the entire structure is put together
with a delicate firmness that human fingers would strive in vain to imitate,

It is said, upon very good authority, that the young of the Azure Ceereba are blind
when they emerge from the eggshell, and that they do not attain the full power of vision
until they are able to fly and to get their own living.

SCARLET DREPANIS.—Drépanis coccinea.

The SCARLET DREPANIS is well worthy of notice, not only on account of the position
which it holds in the present system of ornithology, but by reason of the extreme value
which is set upon it, and upon other species of the same genus, by the natives of the
country where it dwells.

The colour of this bird is, as its name implies, scarlet upon the greater part of its
plumage, the wings and tail being black, so that the two contrasting tints have a
remarkably good effect. It is an inhabitant of the Sandwich Islands, and is in very great
favour with the natives, who employ its plumage in the manufacture of those wonderful
feather mantles and helmets which cannot but excite the wonder of all who ponder upon
the singular amount of mechanical skill, dogged perseverance, and true artistic taste that
has been employed in their manufacture.

The mantles, some fine specimens of which are in the British Museum, are made with
the greatest care, the precious feathers being so judiciously disposed that none are
wasted, while, at the same time, they cannot be discomposed by any movement of the
wearer so as to betray the groundwork on which they are woven. Their colours, too, are
arranged with great artistic feeling, and produce a very brilliant effect without offending
the eye, or appearing to be needlessly gaudy. The helmets, which are in hke manner
decorated with the glowing feathers of these beautiful birds, are even more wonderful than
the mantles, as they are not only skilfully constructed, but their form is absolutely classic
in its graceful simplicity, and recalls to the spectator the best efforts of Greek art.

These mantles are so extremely beautiful in the soft flowing grace of their folds, are
so light to the wearer, and so exquisitely brilliant in colour, that they would soon be in
great request in the world of fashion, were they once introduced by one of the leading
votaiies of that capricious deity. The feather head-dress, too, would be so soft, light
and brilliant, that it would soon vanquish all other costumes, and reign supreme.

PY

212 THE NEW HOLLAND HONEY-EATER.

The birds of this genus are very gregarious, delighting to associate in large flocks, and
haunting the flower-bearing plants for the purpose of feeding upon the sweet juices and
tiny insects which are found within the blossoms. In feeding they thrust their long bill
and tongue to the very bottom of the flowers, and greatly resemble the bees in that
respect. The natives take advantage of their flower-loving and gregarious habits, and by
setting snares in the spot which they love best to haunt, contrive to immolate them in
considerable numbers. As the Scarlet Drepanis is but a small bird, being hardly larger
than the Cereba, and as neither the tail nor wing appear to be employed in the structure
of the mantles and helmets, it is evident that a vast number of these beautiful little
creatures must perish before one chief can be gratified with the completion of a single
mantle or the adorning of a single helmet.

HONEY-EATERS.

THE true Honny-EATErRs form a very numerous group of birds, all of which are graceful
in their forms and pleasing in the colour of their plumage, while in some instances the
hues with which they are decorated are so bright as to afford ground for classing them
among the really beautiful birds. They all feed on similar substances, which, as indicated
by their name, consist chiefly of honey and the sweet juices of flowers, although they
also vary their diet by insects and other small living beings.

The New Hottanp Honey-£ATER is a remarkably pretty bird, the whole of its body
being covered with black, white, and yellow markings, which stand out in bold contrast
to each other. The top of the head is black, and a number of little white feathers are
gathered on the forehead. The sides of the head and neck are marked very conspicuously
with three streaks of pure white, one of which is drawn over each eye, as if it were
intended to stand in the place of an eyebrow, another passes from the nostrils towards
the back of the neck, like a moustache, and the third is seen on the side of the neck, so
that its whole aspect presents a sufficiently curious appearance. The body and upper
part of the wings are deep brown-black, diversified with a narrow line of pale yellow upon
the outer edge of each quill-feather, and a slight edging of white around their extremities.
The tail is of the same brown-black as the body, edged with yellow, and tipped with
white on the under surface. The lower parts and abdomen are greyish white, profusely
covered with dashes of black.

This bird is admirably described and figured in Gould’s “Birds of Australia,” from
which the following account of its habits is taken. This bird, according to Gould, is
“one of the most abundant and familiar birds inhabiting the colonies of New South
Wales, Van Diemen’s Land, and South Australia; all the gardens of the settlers are
visited by it, and among their shrubs and flowering plants it annually breeds. It is not
a migratory species, but occasionally deserts some district for others whose flowering
plants offer it a more tempting locale, and furnish it with a more abundant supply of
food. The belts of Banksias, growing on sterile, sandy soil, afford it so congenial an
asylum, that I am certainly not wrong in stating that they are never deserted by it, or
that the one is a certain accompaniment of the other.

The range enjoyed by this species appears to be confined to the south-eastern portions
of Australia; it is abundant on the sandy districts of South Australia, wherever the
Banksias abound ; but to the westward of this part of the country I have not traced it.
At the Swan, and the other parts of the western coast, it certainly is never found. In
Van Diemen’s Land it is much more numerous on the northern than the southern portions
of the island; it is also most abundantly dispersed over all the islands in Bass’s Straits,
whose sterile, sandy soil favours the growth of the Banksias. It is equally common over
many parts of the colony of New South Wales ; which may, in fact, be regarded as the

NEW HOLLAND HONEY-EATER.—Meliphiga Nova Hollandia.

great stronghold of the species. At the same time, I must not fail to observe that the
districts bordering the sea-coast are most favourable to the growth of their favourite tree
hence, while it is there most numerous, in the interior of the country it is seldom to be
seen.

It evinces a more decided preference for shrubs and low trees than for those of a larger
erowth ; consequently it is a species particularly subject to the notice of man, while it
flits from bush to bush. Nor is it the least attractive of the Australian fauna; the
strikingly contrasted markings of its plumage, and the beautiful appearance of its golden-
edged wings, when passing with its quick, devious, and jumping flight from shrub to
shrub, rendering it a conspicuous and pleasing object.

It has a loud, shrill, liquid, though monotonous, note. Its food, which consists of the
pollen and juices of flowers, is procured while clinging and creeping among them in
every variety of position ; it also feeds on fruit and insects.

It usually rears two or three broods during the course of the season, which lasts from
August to January : the nest is very easily found, being placed, in the forest, in any low
open bush ; and, in the gardens, among the shrubs and flowers. One of the nests in my
collection was taken from a row of peas in the kitchen-garden of the Government House
at Sydney. It is usually placed at about eighteen inches or two feet from the ground, and is
a somewhat compact structure, composed of small wiry sticks, coarse grasses, and broad
and narrow strips of bark; the inside is lmed with the soft woolly portions of the
blossoms of small ground plants.

It usually lays two, but occasionally three, eggs, which are of a pale buff, thinly
spotted and freckled with deep chestnut- brow. n, particularly at the larger end, where they
not unfrequently assume the form of a zone.”

The WHITE-PINIONED HONEY-EATER is found, according to Mr. Gould, upon the north
coast of Australia, and is very plentiful, especially near the settlement at Port Essington,

In its habits it is partly gregarious, being seen in little flocks, perhaps families, of
six or seven in number, flitting about the tops of lofty trees and ever in active motion.
Partly on account of the great “elevation at which it loves to dwell, and partly because of

WHITE-PINIONED HONEY-EATER.—Entomyza albipennis.

the extreme shyness and wariness of its disposition, the gunner finds considerable difficulty
in approaching within gunshot, so that although the bird is so common, it is not very
often shot. In its flight it is strong and steady, not contenting itself with mere flittings
from tree to tree, but on occasion launching boldly into the air, and shaping its course for
some distant point. In taking these aerial journeys it always commences by rising
perpendicularly to a very great height, and then, after having settled the direction in
which it intends to go, it shoots off with a swift and steady flight.

This bird may lay claim to the title of Australian clock, which has been given to the
laughing jackass, for no clock can be more invariable than the White-pinioned Honey-
eater in giving its warning note of the approach of day. Precisely one half-hour before
the sun rises, this bird, urged by some strange instinct, awakes from its sleep and pours
forth a succession of long-drawn plaintive notes that have been compared to the word
Peet! peet / uttered in a wailing kind of tone. But as soon as the sun has fairly risen,
the melancholy cry changes into a quick, harsh, squeaking sort of cry, entirely unlike the
previous note, and remarkably unpleasant and grating to the ear. The bird is very fond
of exercising its voice, and continually utters its rough ery while it is on the wing.

The White-pinioned Honey-eater is boldly coloured, and both sexes, when adult,
possess much the same kind of plumage.

The crown of the head and nape of the neck are jetty black, and the skin around the
eye is of a lovely azure. In the young bird, this skin is rich orange, and forms a conspi-
cuous mark whereby the young and old birds may be distinguished from each other, On
each side of the nape is a crescent-shaped mark of snowy white, contrasting finely with
the black and azure of the surrounding parts. The under parts are most curiously
coloured. The abdomen is beautifully white, and the same tint runs towards the base of
the bill, but is interrupted by a black patch which commences under the chin as a narrow
line, and rapidly widening embraces nearly the whole of the chest, leaving a white stripe at
either side. The primary quill-feathers of the wing are black, with the exception of the
half nearest their bases, which are pure white in the inner webs, the outer web being black
like the remainder of the feather. The upper surface and the wings are olive-green,
changing in certain lights to ochreous yellow. In size it equals a large starling. The
native name for it is Wur-ra-luh,

THE GARRULOUS HONEY-EATER. 215

Another species belonging to the same genus, the BLUE-FACED HoNEY-EATER (Hnto-
mijza cyanotis), is worthy of a passing notice. This bird, although so lke the white-
pinioned Honey-eater as to be easily mistaken for it by a hasty observer, is readily to be
distinguished from that bird by its greater size and the absence of the white patches upon
the pinions.

This species is a native of New South Wales, and is one of the most familiar birds of
that country, remaining in the same locality throughout the entire year, and caring not to
emigrate according to the change of season. It is usually found upon the eucalypti when
the flowers are in blossom, and feeds upon nectar and insects, after the fashion of all the
Honey-eaters. It has also been observed to employ its hard-tipped tongue in licking
something from the clefts in the bark, whence had issued some of the gummy secretion
from which the tree derives its familiar name of gum-tree. Whether it was eating the
gum itself, or whether it was merely engaged in capturing the little insect that had rashly
ventured upon the adhesive surface and become affixed thereto, is a question which is
not satisfactorily settled. The latter supposition, however, appears to be the correct one.

Perhaps the bird may have resorted to the gum as a medicine, for I knew of a jackdaw
that often used to eat the gum that exuded from plum-trees, and always did so when it
was unwell. In connexion with this subject, it may as well be mentioned that a careful
observer would find himself repaid by watching the modes of cure employed by sick or
wounded creatures. We all know that the dog and cat resort to grass when they feel out
of health, and hares to a species of moss. I was also told, on the authority of the eye-
witness, that a goldfinch, which had been struck by a hawk and wounded, made its way
to a dry puff-ball, tore it open with its beak, and dusted the wounded shoulder with the
spores, thereby stopping the effusion of blood. The spectator was greatly surprised by
this incident, and being induced to try the effect of the same remedy upon a wounded
finger, found that the experiment was perfectly successful.

It is a most vivacious and active bird, ever on the move, and running about the boughs
with the most surprising activity ; caring nothing for the attitude which it may assume,
and even hanging quietly by the grasp of a single claw while it employs itself in securing
its insect prey with its long tongue. It is mightily pugnacious in its disposition, quarrel-
ling incessantly even with its own species in default of better amusement, and waging
ceaseless combat with any other kind of bird that may choose to come to the same tree.
While employed in its search after food it frequently utters its cry, which is not very
pleasing to human ears, being loud and monotonous in its character.

One of the most singular circumstances connected with this bird, is the manner in
which it makes its nest.

There is a certain bird called the Pomatorhinus, not very unlike a rather dull-feathered
bee-eater, which builds a very large, dome-shaped nest, similar in shape and size to the
well-known edifice of our common magpie. The Blue-faced Honey-eater is in the habit
of taking possession of the deserted nests of the pomatorhinus, and of saving itself the
trouble of building by making a small depression in the domed roof of the deserted
domicile, and therein laying its eggs. It might be expected that the bird would prefer to
avail itself of the protection offered by the peculiar form of the usurped nest, and would

take possession of its interior. Such, however, is not the case; and Mr. Gould states that

he has seen many of the females in the nest and always found that the eggs were placed
upon the roof. Whether the bird is forced to depend upon the pomatorhinus for a locality
wherein to build, or whether it is capable of constructing a nest on its own account, is
not at present satisfactorily ascertained. Mr. Gould thinks that the bird must be often
forced to build her own nest, although he never found any such edifice.

The native term for this species is Batikin.

ANOTHER of these birds, the GARRULOUS HONEY-EATER, so named on account of its
singularly talkative propensities, is a native of Van Diemen’s Land and New South
Wales, in both of which localities it is very common.

It enjoys, however, but a very limited range, being contained within certain boundaries
with such remarkable strictness, that in some cases it is found in great numbers on one

GARRULOUS HONEY-EATER.—Myzantha garrula.

side of a river, while on the other side not a single bird can be seen. Those which inhabit
Van Diemen’s Land are rather larger than those of New South Wales, the greater size
being probably caused by a greater profusion and more nourishing properties of the food.
The Garrulous Honey-eater generally takes up its habitation among the thick forests of
eucalypti that are found upon the plains and the hills of low elevation, and there passes a
very lively existence. Its food consists of the sweet nectar of flowers, which it procures
after the manner of Honey-eaters in general, by plunging its long tongue into the depths
of the flowers, and licking up their luscious store. It also feeds upon various insects,
being always ready to eat those minute creatures which inhabit the flowers, and delighting
also in chasing the beetles and larger insects as they run upon the eround at the foot of
the eucalypti.-

In its habits the Garrulous Honey-eater is very amusing, although it often is the cause
of no small annoyance to the traveller or the sportsman, as will be seen by the following
remarks made by Gould in his “Birds of Australia.” The Garrulous Honey-eater, he
says, “is not gregarious, but moves about in small flocks of from five to ten in number.
In disposition it is unlike any other bird I ever met with, for if its haunts be in the least
intruded upon, it becomes the most restless and inquisitive creature possible, and withal
so bold and noisy that it is regarded as a nuisance rather than an object of interest.

No sooner does the hunter come within the precincts of its abode, than the whole
troop assemble round him, and perform the most grotesque actions, spreading out their
wings and tails, hanging from the branches in every possible variety of position, and
sometimes suspended by one leg ; keeping up all the time one incessant babbling note.
Were this only momentary, or for a short time, their droll attitudes and singular notes
would be rather amusing than otherwise ; but when they follow you through the entire
forest, leaping and flying from branch to branch, and almost buffeting the dogs, they
become very troublesome and annoying, awakening, as they do, the suspicions of the other
animals of which you are in pursuit.”

The nest of the Garrulous Honey-eater is a rather large edifice when the dimensions
of the bird are taken into consideration, but is very neatly put together. The materials
of which it is composed are very slender twigs and grass as a framework, and the lining

THE POE BIRD. 217

is made of wool, hair, and any other soft and warm substance that the bird may be able
to obtain. It is generally placed among the upright branches of some small tree, so that
in spite of its size it is not so easily detected as might be imagined. The eggs are a
bluish-white, covered uniformly with small spots of reddish-brown.

The colouring of this bird is sober, but pleasing in its general effect. The top of the
head is black, and the face and remainder of the head grey, with the exception of a broad
dash of black which reaches from the ear to the angle of the mouth, and looks exactly as
if it had been laid on with a single sweep of a brush dipped in ivory black. The whole
of the upper surface is a light greyish4brown, each feather on the neck being tipped with
a beautiful silver grey. The wings are dark brown, diversified with longitudinal streaks
of yellow, produced by the bright yellow colour which stains the outer web of each quill-
feather. The tail is greyish-brown, streaked with narrow dark-brown lines in consequence
of the shafts of the feathers being coloured by that hue. The under surface is grey, with
the exception of a dark-brown patch which is found upon the chin. The eyes are
hazel.

The size of the Garrulous Honey-eater equals that of a large thrush.

ANOTHER very curious species of Honey-eater is placed in the same genus, and
attracts admiration, not so much on account of its plumage or its interesting habits, as on
account of its voice, which is so bell-like in its tone that the colonists know it by the
Eons name of Bett Birp. This species must not, however, be confounded with the

Bell Bird, or Arapunga, of tropical America, which ‘belongs to a totally different tribe.
Moreover, the voice of the two birds is very different ; that of the Arapunga resembling
the slow solemn tolling of a church-bell, while that of the Australian Bell Bird is
wonderfully similar to the sharp merry tinkle of the sheep-bell. The scientific name for
the Australian Bell Bird is Myzantha melanophrys.

In his “Gleanings of a Naturalist,’ Dr. Bennett speaks as follows of this curious
little bird :—

“ Among the dense forest trees skirting the margins of the rivers, the note of the Bell
3ird is almost incessantly heard; it is sometimes uttered by a solitary bird, and at others
by many congregated together: this I observed on the banks of the Nepean river, in
October, when I saw them in greater numbers than usual. The Bell Bird is named
Gilbulla by the blacks of the Murrumbidgee district. The peculiar tinkling sound made
by this little bird is heard with delight by the wearied and thirsty traveller, as an
indication of water near at hand. I have also heard these birds utter loud garrulous
notes. At the Nepean they sported among the branches of the trees in search of insects,
and I remember that the tinkling note was uttered while they were quietly perched
upon a branch, but the garrulous notes were used only when they were seen flitting in
sportive gaiety amid the branches of the trees.”

AMONG this group of birds the Poii Brrp, or TuE, or PARSON BrrD, is one of the most
conspicuous, being nearly as remarkable for its peculiar colouring as the rifle bird itself,
although the hues of its feathers are not quite so resplendently brilliant as in that
creature,

The Poé Bird is a native of New Zealind, where it is far from uncommon, and is
captured by the natives for the purposes of sale. Many individuals are brought over to
Sydney, where, according to Dr. Bennett, they are kept in cages, and are very amusing in
their habits, being easily domesticated and becoming very familiar with those who belong
to the household. Independently of its handsome and rather peculiar colour, which
make it very effective in a room, it possesses several other qualifications which render it
a very desirable inhabitant of an aviary. Its native notes are very fine, the bird being
considered a remarkably fine songster, and it also possesses the power of mimicking in a
degree surpassing that of the common magpie or raven, and hardly yielding even to the
famous mocking-bird himself. It learns to speak with great accuracy and fluency, and
readily imitates any sound that may reach its ear, being especially successful in its
reproduction of the song of other birds,

218 THE POE BIRD.

While at liberty in its native land it is remarkable for its quick, restless activity, as
it flits rapidly about the branches, pecking here and there at a stray insect, diving into
the recesses of a newly opened flower, and continually uttering its shrill sharp whistle.
Although one of the large group of Meliphagidee or Honey-eaters, the Poé Bird feeds less
upon honey than upon insects, which it discovers with great sharpness of vision and
catches in a particularly adroit
manner, It will also feed upon
worms, and sometimes varies its
diet by fruits.

In New Zealand it is often
killed for the sake of its flesh,
which is said to be very delicate
and well flavoured, its beautiful
feathers and interesting character
affording no safeguard against
the voracity of hungry New
Zealanders ; although, to borrow
the expression of Dr, Bennett
when speaking of the nautilus,
such delinquency is enough to
put any scientific naturalist into
a fever.

The general colour of the Poé
Bird is a very deep metallic green,
becoming black im certain lights,
and having a decided bronze re-
flection in others. The back is
deep brown, also with a bronze
reflection, and upon the shoulders
there is a patch of pure white.
On the back of the neck the
feathers are long and_lancet-
shaped, each feather having a
very narrow white streak along its
centre. From each side of the neck
depends a tuft of snowy curling
downy feathers, spreading in fan-
like fashion from their bases.
This creature is called the Parson
Bird because these white tufts
are thought to bear some resem-
blance to the absurd parallelo-
grams of white lawn that are
“ denominated “ bands,” and which

POE BIRD.—Prosthemadéra Nove Zeelandic, > flutter beneath the chins of eccle-

siastics in their official costume.

The brown tint of the lower-part

of the back changes to steely-

blue, and the tail is brown “shot” with the same beautiful tint. The quill-feathers

of the wings are brown edged with blue, and the whole under surface is reddish-
brown.

In size the Poé Bird equals a large blackbird or a small pigeon, being about
twelve inches in total length. The long generic title of Prosthemadéra is formed
from two Greek words—the former signifying an appendage, and the latter the neck—
and is given to the bird in allusion to the white tufts of feathers which depend from
the neck.

THE FRIAR BIRD. 219

THE very quaint, and rather grotesque bird which is represented in the accompanying
illustration is an inhabitant of Australia, and is very common in the southern parts of
that continent, although at present it has not been seen in Van Diemen’s Land.

By the colonists it is known by a variety of names, some relating to its aspect and
others to its voice. Thus, it is named the Friar Birp because the bare, oddly shaped
head, with its projecting knob
upon the forehead, is considered
as resembling the bare shaven
poll of the ancient friar. Another
analogous name is the Monk Brrp.
Another name is LEATHER-HEAD,
a title which refers to the dark
leathery aspect of the whole head,
which is as rigid in outline and
as dark in colour during life as
after death. On account of its
peculiar voice, it is also known by
the names of “ PIMLico,” “ PooR-
SOLDIER,” or “ FOUR-O’CLOCK,” as
its ery is said to resemble these
words. The resemblance, how-
ever, cannot be very close, as
neither of the words which it is
supposed to utter could be mis-
taken for the other, so that the
Friar Bird cannot be very re-
markable for the distinctness of
its articulation. By the natives
it is called Coldong.

The Friar Bird is possessed
of unextinguishable loquacity,
delighting to get upon the top-
most branch of some lofty tree,
and there chatter by the hour
together at the top of its loud
and peculiar voice, as if it were
desirous of attracting attention to
its powers of elocution. Among
the branches it is extremely
active, traversing them in all
directions with great ease, and
clinging to their rough bark by
the grasp of its powerful toes and
curved claws. So strong is the
grip of the foot, that the bird
may often be seen hanging from
a branch suspended only by a
single foot, while it is engaged
in peering into the recesses of the bark in search of the little insects that may be
concealed under its rough surface.

Like all the honey-birds, it is fond of feeding upon the nectar and pollen of flowers,
generally preferring those of the eucalyptus, or gum-tree as it is popularly termed, and
also delightsein fishing out the little insects that are to be found in the depths of all
honey-bearing flowers. It does not, however, disdain to feed upon the larger beetles and
other insects that take up their residence under the flakes of bark, and is also known to
eat various kinds of berries.

FRIAR BIRD.—Tropidorhynchus corniculdtus.

220 THE BRUSH WATTLE BIRD.

The wings of the Friar Bird are rather short in proportion to its size, so that its flight
is undulating in its character, the body rising and dropping alternately as the bird flies
from one tree to another. It is, however, a strong-winged bird, and can maintain a flight
of considerable length. Although apparently unprovided with weapons of offence, this
bird is a most courageous and determined fighter, and when wounded and unable to escape
from its captor, can strike so fiercely with the feet, that the sharp curved claws will
make very painful wounds in the hands of any one who attempts to seize it without
proper precaution.

Indeed, the disposition of this bird is decidedly of the pugnacious order, and when it
becomes a parent it is the terror of all large birds that may happen to pass near the spot
where it has made its nest. Every hawk, no matter how powerful it may be, and every
crow, no matter how long and strong of bill, is immediately attacked by this valiant bird,
who launches itself at the marauder with such reckless courage, that it always forces the
enemy to take to flight, and drives it far from the sacred spot over which it exercises such
watchful vigilance.

The nest certainly stands in need of a protector, for it 1s very large and clumsy in
appearance, and is placed on the low branch of a tree, with such little care for concealment
that it is visible from afar, and if left unprotected would soon be pillaged of eggs or
young by the crows, and other predaceous birds, who are always on the watch for eggs
or unfledged birds, and make desolate many a happy nesthold. The nest is composed
externally of fine twigs and strips of “stringy bark,” and is lined with various grasses,
fine roots, and wool. The eggs are generally two or three in number, and their colour
is pale salmon, variegated with small spots of dark red. The breeding season is in the
month of November. In Gould’s “Birds of Australia” may be seen some admirable
figures of this bird, together with a full description of its habits and plumage.

_ In its colouring the Friar Bird is rather sombre, although the uniform dulness of its
hue is relieved by a sparing admixture of white. The entire head is devoid of feathers,
being covered with a dull black, leather-lke skin, sufficiently singular in itself, but
deriving an additional shade of grotesqueness from the large round black knob upon the
base of the bill. The whole of the upper surface is a greyish-brown, and the tail is of
the same hue with the exception of the extremity, which is tipped with pure white.
A number of long lancet-shaped feathers of the same beautiful white hang from the
breast, each feather being marked with a line of rather dark brown down its centre. With
the exception of these pendent breast-feathers, the whole of the under surface is light —
brown marked with a rusty red. The colour of the eye is red.

This is not the only species of Friar Birds, several other examples of this curious
genus being known. There is, for example, the SILVERY-CROWNED Friar Bren (T’ropido-
rhynchus argénticeps), an inhabitant of the north-western coast of Australia, and the
YELLOW-THROATED FRIAR BirD (T’ropidorhynchus citreogularis), which takes its place in the
interior of Southern Australia. The generic name Tropidorhynchus is of Greek origin,
and signifies keel-beaked.

ANOTHER common and rather striking example of the Honey-eaters is the WATTLED
HOoNeEY-EATER, or BrusSH WATTLE Birp of Australia.

This pretty bird is spread over the whole of Southern Australia, and is one of the best
known of the birds belonging to that country. It may generally be found upon lofty
trees, and, like others of. the same vroup, especially haunts the eucalypti for the purpose
of feeding upon the juices of the flowers. It always chooses the most recently opened
blossoms, as they are not so likely to be rifled of their sweet stores as those which have
been exposed to the attacks of the honey-eating insects and birds. The method of feeding
is the same as that which is pursued by the other Honey-eaters, viz. by plunging the
long bill and slender tongue into the very depths of the blossoms, and brushing out their
contents. It also has a great affection for the flowers of the Banksia, and is sure to be
found wherever these plants are in blossom, thereby doing good service to the intending
purchaser of land; for the Banksia always grows upon poor soil, so that, according to

THE BRUSH WATTLE BIRD. 221

Mr. Gould, the harsh cry of the Wattle Bird is a trusty indication to the wary settler that
the land on which it is heard is not worth purchasing. , ; hil

The Banksia especially loves scrubby and sandy soils, and in such localities may be
found in the greatest profusion. A celebrated example of this peculiarity may be found
in the immense belts of Banksias which border the coast of the delta formed by the
embouchure of the Great Murray
River, and called in consequence
the “Great Murray Serub.”

It is extremely active and
quick of foot among the branches,
running about the boughs in any
position, and seeming to care
nothing whether its back or head
be downwards or upwards. It
is a lively, restless creature, ever
on the move, tripping over the
branches with a quick, easy step,
examining every flower, and diving
its long tongue into its recesses and
flying quickly from tree to tree as
fancy may dictate, or whenever
it sees a flower which it thinks
likely to contain its liquid treasure.
The wings being short and the
tail rather long, the flight is of
an undulating character, and is
said to resemble that of the
European magpie.

The Wattled Honey-eater can
hardly be termed gregarious,
although many specimens may
be seen on a single tree, as it
lives in pairs, and the two may
be generally seen together. The
males are very combative in their
nature, and being very liable to
take offence, are often engaged in
single conflict without any appa-
rent reason. It seems to be rather
a shy bird, withdrawing itself
from human presence. The voice
is harsh, loud, rough, and scream-
ing, and of a nature that is not
easy to describe, but is said to BRUSH WATTLE BIRD.—Anthochera carunculita
resemble the peculiar sounds pro-
duced by a person who is suf-
fering from the effects of an emetic.

The native name Goo-gwar-ruck is tolerably descriptive of its character.

The nest of this species is rather large and rude of construction, and is simply laid
upon the fork of some horizontal branch. The materials of which it is composed are
mostly slender twigs and soft dried grasses. The eggs are two or three in number, and
their colour is a reddish yellow with a slight brown tinge, thickly covered with deep
chestnut and brown spots, impinged with others of a dark grey. The breeding season is in
the months of September and October.

Although not decorated with very brilliant plumage, the Wattled Honey-eater is a very
pretty bird, deriving great character from the curious appendages from which it has

222 HUMMING-BIRDS.

received its popular name. These wattles are of moderate length, and of a blood-red
colour, producing a most singular effect as they hang down the sides of the neck. The
general colour of the upper surface is light brown, relieved by a white streak along the
centre of each feather; the wings are also brown, excepting that the primary quill-feathers
are white at their extremities, and the secondaries are tipped with grey. Under each eye
there is a patch of white. The throat and breast are of a light greyish brown, covered
with multitudinous little longitudinal white streaks, and the centre of the abdomen is
yellow. The tail feathers are tipped with white on the under surface, and the tail is
black.

ANOTHER species belonging to the same genus is worthy of a passing notice, although
it possesses some of the habits of the brush wattle bird. This is the YELLOw WATTLE
HONEY-EATER (Anthochera ‘nauris), a bird which may readily be distinguished from the
preceding species by the golden yellow colour of its wattles, and the greater length and
more handsome appearance of the tail, which is covered on its under surface with bold
bands of black and white.

Instead of the semi-solitary life led by the brush wattle bird, this species is
partially gregarious in its character, assembling in large flocks of thirty or forty in
number upon one tree, and traversing its branches with amazing celerity. The voice of
this bird is loud, harsh, and screaming, and it is very fond of exercising its vocal powers,
so that the proximity of a flock of the noisy creatures is not very agreeable to a person
endowed with sensitive ears. In the winter months it thrives wonderfully, and becomes a
perfect ball of fat, the accumulation of this substance being so great that half a tea-cup
full of pure oil is often extracted from a single bird. This oil is peculiarly soft and limpid,
and is very useful for lamps, as it gives a better light than can be obtained from candles.
This state of obesity does not, however, last for any long continuance, and after the
breeding season it gradually disappears until the bird becomes as remarkable for its
emaciated condition as it was formerly for its extreme corpulence.

There are many other species of Honey-eaters; but the habits of all are so similar, that
the examples already given must suffice in a work of such dimensions.

HUMMING-BIRDS OR TROCHILID A.

« Bright Humming-bird of gem-like plumeletage,
By western Indians ‘ Living-Sunbeam’ named.’—Bartry, Mystic.

THE wonderful little HumMinc-prrps are only found in America and the adjacent
islands, where they take the place of the sun-birds of the Old World. It is rather
remarkable that, as yet, no Humming-birds have been discovered in Australia.

These little winged gems are most capricious in their choice of locality, some being
spread over a vast range of country, while others are confined within the limit of a narrow
belt of earth hardly more than a few hundred yards in width, and some refuse to
roam beyond the narrow precincts of a single mountain. Some of these birds are furnished
with comparatively short and feeble wings, and, in consequence, are obliged to remain in
the same land throughout the year, while others are strong of flight, and migrate over
numerous tracts of country. They gather most thickly in Mexico and about the equator,
the number of species diminishing rapidly as they recede from the equatorial line.

The name of Humming-birds is given to them on account of the humming or buzzing
sound which they produce with their wings, especially while they are hovering in their
curious fashion oyer a tempting blossom, and feeding on its contents while suspended in
air. This name is so appropriate that it holds good in other languages, and expressive

Orthorhynchus exilis. GROUP OF HUMMING-BIRDS. Lophornis Hélence,

Cynanthus cyanwrus. Florisuga mellivora.
Selasphorus scintilla. Trochilus Polytmus. Heliothrix auritus.
Lophornis Gouldii. Gouldia Popelairii.

titles have been given to these birds which are either descriptive of the sound or endeavour
to imitate it. So characteristic is this hamming sound, that it is not precisely the same in
any two species, and in many instances is,so very decided in its tone, that a practised
and observant ear can often detect the species of a Humming-bird by the sound which it
produces in flight. For example, Mr. Gosse records that the Black-capped Humming-

224 HUMMING-BIRDS.

bird produces a noise exactly like the whizzing of a wheel driven by machinery, while
that of another species is very like the droning hum of a large bee.

The number of species of these birds is truly wonderful, as more than three hundred
are known and have been described, while new species are being continually discovered.
It is evident to any one who has examined these exquisite little birds, and studied the
inexhaustible variety of form and colour which they exhibit, that many forms are yet
wanting as links needed to complete the chain of species, and that in all probability there
are in existence Humming-birds which possess forms quite as strange and colours quite
as glowing as any of those which have found a place in our collections.

The legs of these birds are remarkably weak and delicate, and the wings are propor-
tionately strong, a combination which shows that the creatures are intended to pass more
of their time in the air than on foot. Even when feeding they very seldom trouble
themselves to perch, but suspend themselves in the air before the flower on which they
desire to operate, and with their long slender tongues are able to feed at ease without
alighting. In the skeleton, especially in the shape of the breast-bone and wings, as well
as in the comparative small size of the feet, the Humming-birds bear some analogy to
the swifts, and, like those birds, never lay more than two eggs.

The flight of these birds is inconceivably rapid, so rapid indeed that the eye cannot
follow it when the bird puts forth its full speed ; and with such wonderful rapidity do the
little sharp-cut wings beat the air, that their form is quite lost, and while the bird is
hovering near a single spot, the wings look like two filmy grey fans attached to the sides.
While darting from one flower to another the bird can hardly be seen at all, and it seems
to come suddenly into existence at some spot, and as suddenly to vanish from sight.
Some Humming-birds are fond of towering to a great height in the air, and descending
from thence to their nests or to feed, while others keep near the ground, and are seldom
seen at an elevation of many yards.

The food of the Humming-birds is much the same as that of the honeysuckers,
except, perhaps, that they consume more honey and fewer flies. Still, they are extremely
fond of small insects, and if kept away from this kind of diet soon pine away, in spite
of unlimited supplies of syrup and other sweet food.

In Webber's “Wild Scenes and Song Birds,” there is an interesting description of
some ruby-throated Humming-birds, in which their necessity for insect food is well
shown. He had several times succeeded in capturing and taming specimens of these
lovely little birds, but always found that they began to pine away and look doleful until
they were set at liberty. As soon as they were free, they darted away into the air, but
soon returned to their old quarters, attracted by the sweet repast which was plentifully
prepared for them. They had evidently been greatly benefited by their short absence, for
they resumed their accustomed vivacity, and continued in good health for a fortnight, at
the expiration of which time they again drooped, and again needed a short period of
freedom. Anxious to discover their proceedings during their absence, Mr. Webber and
his sister watched them carefully when they were next set at liberty, and at last were
fortunate enough to succeed in their endeavours.

“When we opened the cage this time, it was a bright summer's morning, just after
sunrise. What was our surprise to see the ruby-throat, instead of darting away as usual,
remain with the young ones, which had immediately sought sprays, as if feeling a little
uncertain what to do with themselves. Scarlet flew round and round them; then he
would dart off to a little distance in the garden, and suspend himself on the wing for an
instant, before what I at first could not perceive to be anything more than two bare
twigs; then he would return and fly around them again, as if to show them how easy
it was.

The little bold fellows did not require long persuasion, but were soon launched in the
air again. They too commenced the same manceuvres among the shrubbery, and as there
were no flowers there, we were sadly puzzled to think what it was they were dipping at
so eagerly, to the utter neglect of any of the many flowers, not one of which they
appeared to notice, We moved closer to watch them to better advantage, and in doing
so, changed our relative position to the sun,

HMUMMING-BIRDS. 225

At once the thing was revealed to me. I caught friend Ruby in the very act of
abstracting a small spider, with the point of his long beak, from the centre of one of
those beautiful circular webs of the garden spider, that so abound throughout the South.
The thing was done so daintily, that he did not stir the dew drops, which, now glittering
in the golden sun, crowded the gossamer tracery all diamond strung.

‘Hah ! we've got your scent, my friends! Hah! ha! hah!’ And we clapped and
danced in triumph.

Our presence did not disturb them in the least, and we watched them catching spiders
for half an hour, They frequently came within ten feet of our faces, and we could
distinctly see them pluck the little spider from the centre of the wheel where it lies, and
swallow it entire. After this, we let them out daily, and although we watched them
closely, and with the most patient care, we never could see them touch the spiders again
until the usual interval of about a fortnight had elapsed, when they attacked them again
as vigorously as ever ; but the foray of one morning seemed to suffice. We observed
them carefully, to ascertain whether they ate any other insect than these spiders ; but,
although we brought them every variety of the smallest and most tender insects that we
could find, they did not entice them at all. But if we could shut them up past the time,
until they began to look drooping, and then bring one of those little spiders along with
other small insects, they would snap up the spider soon enough, but pay no attention to
the others.”

The writer then proceeds to remark, as the result of his experiments, that the chief
part of their diet consists of nectar, but that they require a feed of insects at certain
intervals in order to preserve them in health. He furthermore observes that the birds
could not live upon an exclusive diet of insects or of honey, and thinks that they do not
eat any creatures except small spiders. Here, however, he seems to be too hasty in his
conclusions, as Mr, Davison has discovered the wings of small flies in the stomach of
King’s Humming-bird, floating in a yellow fluid. In many of the birds which he shot
and opened, the stomach was nearly filled with a black mass of insects.

There are some Humming-birds which are very open in their manner of capturing
insects, and are fond of perching upon a twig, darting at a passing insect and returning to
the same perch, as has been related of some of the trogons, and various other birds.
They seem to inherit a singular affection for the twig which they have chosen, and may
be found day after day in precisely the same spot.

In order to enable the Humming-bird to extract the various substances on which it
feeds from the interior of the flowers, the beak is always long and delicate, and in shape
is extremely variable, probably on account of the particular flower on which the bird feeds.
In some instances the bill is nearly straight, in others it takes a sharp sickle-like
downward curve, while in some it possesses a double curve. The general form of the
beak is, however, a very gentle downward curve, and in all instances it is pointed at its
extremity. At the base the upper mandible is wider than the lower, which is received
into its hollow. Their nostrils are placed at the base of the beak, and defended by a little
scale-like shield.

The plumage is very closely set on the body, and is possessed of a metallic brilliancy
in every species, the males being always more gorgeously decorated than their mates.
The tail is composed of ten feathers, although in several species some of the feathers are
so slightly developed that they can hardly be seen under the larger rectrices, and, in
consequence, their owner has been set down as possessing only six feathers in its tail.

The tongue is a very curious structure, being extremely long, filamentous, and double
nearly to its base. At the throat it is taken up by that curious forked bony structure,
called the hyoid bone, the forks of which are enormously elongated, and passing under
the throat and round the head, are terminated upon the forehead. By means of this
structure, the Humming-bird is enabled to project the tongue to a great distance from
the bill, and to probe the inmost recesses of the largest flowers. If cut transversely, the
filaments of the tongue look as if they had been made of flat, horny parchment, and
partially rolled up. The sense of taste or touch, or both, must be extremely delicate in
the Humming-birds, for when they are feeding they cannot by any possibility see into

2: Q

226 THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD.

the flowers which they are ransacking, and are perforce obliged to trust implicitly to
the tongue. The common woodpecker has a very similar description of tongue, and
employs it in a similar manner.

In their habits the Humming-birds are mostly diurnal, although many species are
only seen at dawn and just after sunset. Many, indeed, live in such dense recesses of
their tropical woods, that the beams of the sun never fairly penetrate into their gloomy
depths, and the Humming-bird dwells in a permanent twilight beneath the foliage. It is
worthy of notice that the name Trochilide is not a very apt one, as the Trochilus was
evidently a bird which had nothing in common with the Humming-bird, and was most
probably the zic-zac of Egypt.

There are many other peculharities of habit, structure, and form in these interesting
birds, which will be mentioned at length when we come to treat of individual species.

Before commencing the history of these birds, I must acknowledge with pleasure the
great assistance which has been derived from Mr. Gould’s magnificent monograph of the
Trochilidee.

OnE of the most peculiar forms among these exquisite little creatures is the Rusy-
THROATED HUMMING-BIRD, so called on account of the glowing metallic feathers that blaze
with ruby lustre upon its throat, and gleam in the sunshine like plumes of living fire.
This beautiful species is found in Northern America, and is one of the migrating kind.
Passing over a large range of country, it arrives in Pennsylvania about the end of
April, and is found during the summer months of the year in different parts of North
America, even venturing into the lands owned by the Hudson’s Bay Company.

It is a most lovely little creature ; the general colour of its upper surface and the two
central tail-feathers is light shining green glazed with gold. The under parts of the body
are greyish white intermingled with green, and the throat is of the most gorgeous ruby-
carmine. When placed under a moderate magnifier, the feathers of the throat are seen to
be constituted in a different manner from those of the other parts of the body, the
wonderful refulgent property being due to certain minute furrows which are traced upon
the surface, and are analogous in their mode of action to the delicate lines which give
to nacre its peculiar iridescent splendour. As is generally the case with Humming-birds,
the wings, as well as many of the tail-feathers, are of a purplish-brown hue.

In consequence of the peculiar structure of the throat-feathers, they change their tints
with every variation of light, or even with the quick respiration of the little fiery
creatures, and fling out at one moment the most dazzling rays of ruby and carmine, and
on the instant change to the deepest velvety-black.

Of the Ruby-throat, Audubon speaks in the following terms :—

“T have seen these birds in Louisiana as early as the 10th of March. Their
appearance in that State varies, however, as much as in any other, it being sometimes a
fortnight later, or, although rarely, a few days earlier. In the middle district they seldom
arrive before the 15th of April, more usually the beginning of May. I have not been
able to assure myself whether they migrate during the day or by night, but am inclined
to think the latter the case, as they seem to be leisurely feeding at all times of the day,
which would not be the case had they long flights to perform at that period.

They pass through the air in long undulations, raising themselves for some distance at
an angle of about forty degrees, then falling in a curve ; but the smallness of their size
precludes the possibility of following them with the eye farther than fifty or sixty yards
without great difficulty, even with a good glass. A person standing in a garden by the
side of a common Althzea in bloom, will be as surprised to hear the humming of their
wings, and then see the birds themselves within a few feet of him, as he will be astonished
at the rapidity with which the little creatures rise into the air, and are out of sight and
hearing the next moment.”

Trusting in its matchless power of wing, the Ruby-throated Humming-bird cares
nothing for eagle, hawk, or owl; and though only three inches or so in length, thinks
nothing of assaulting any bird of prey that may happen to come within too close a
proximity of its home. The tiny creature is in fact a shocking tyrant, jealous to an

THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD. 227

extreme of its own territories, launching itself furiously at any bird that may seem to be
an intruder. It has even been seen to attack the royal eagle itself, and to perch itself upon
the head of its gigantic enemy, pecking away with hearty good will, and scattering the
eagle’s feathers in a stream as the affrighted bird dashed screaming through the air, vainly
attempting to rid itself of its puny foe. : ‘

The Ruby-throat is very easily tamed, and is a most loving and trustful little creature.
Mr. Webber, in the work to which I have already made allusion, has given a most
interesting account of a number of
Ruby-throats which he succeeded
in taming. On several occasions
he had enticed the living meteors
into his room by placing vases of
tempting flowers on the table, and
adroitly closing the sash as soon
as they were engaged with the
flowers, but he had always lost
them through their dashing at the
window and striking themselves
against the glass. At last, how-
ever, his attempts were crowned
with success, and “this time I
succeeded in securing an un-
injured captive, which, to my
inexpressible delight, proved to
be one of the Ruby-throated
species, the most splendid and
diminutive that comes north of
Florida. It immediately suggested
itself to me that a mixture of two
parts refined loaf-sugar, with one
of fine honey, in ten of water,
would make about the nearest
approach to the nectar of flowers.

While my sister ran to prepare
it, I gradually opened my hand to
look at my prisoner, and saw, to
my no little amusement as well
as suspicion, that it was actually
‘playing *possum’—feigning to be
dead most skilfully. It lay on
my open palm motionless for some
minutes, during which I watched
it in breathless curiosity. I saw
it gradually open its bright little
eyes to peep whether the way was
clear, and then close them slowly RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD.—Trichilus clubris.
as it caught my eye upon it. But AVOCET HUMMING-BIRD.—Avocetta Recwrvirostris.
when the manufactured nectar
came, and a drop was touched
upon the point of its bill, it came . }
to life very suddenly ; and in a moment was on its legs, drinking with eager gusto of the
refreshing draught from a silver tea-spoon. When sated, it refused to take any more, and
sat perched with the coolest self-composure on my finger, and plumed itself quite as
artistically as if on its favourite spray. I was enchanted with the bold innocent
confidence with which it turned up its keen black eyes to survey us, as much as to say,
‘Well, good folks ! who are you?’

Qe

228 THE RUBY-THROATED HUMMING-BIRD.

Thus in less than an hour this apparently tameless rider of the winds was perched
pleasantly clinging to my finger, and received its food with edifying eagerness from my
sister’s hand. It seemed completely domesticated from the moment that a taste of its
natural food reassured it, and left no room to doubt our being friends. By the next day
it would come from any part of either room, alight upon the side of a white china cup
containing the mixture, and drink eagerly, with its long bill thrust into the very base,
after the manner of pigeons. It would alight on our fingers, and seem to tall with us
endearingly in its soft chirps. Indeed, I never saw any creature so thoroughly tamed in
so short a while.”

The writer then proceeds to remark, that after he had kept the bright little thing for
three weeks, it began to droop daily, so that he was obliged to let it fly at liberty. As
soon as the window was opened, the bird darted out like a ruby meteor, and vanished
immediately from sight. In hopes of attracting him back again, the two enthusiasts
prepared a fresh cup of nectar, hung the cage with flowers, and placing the cage and cup
invitingly in the window, retired to a distance and waited patiently. After watching in
vain for a whole hour, they were just about to give up the poit in despair, when they saw
their pet Ruby-throat hovering before the window.

«The little fellow was darting to and fro in front of his cage, as if confused for a
moment by the flower dressing; but the white cup seemed to overcome his doubts very
quickly, and with fluttering hearts we saw him settle upon the cup as of old, and while he
drank we rushed lightly forward on tiptoe to secure him. We were quite rebuked for our
want of faith, threw open the door again; and let him have the rest of the day to himself.”

One of the most curious circumstances connected with a family of Ruby-throated
Humming-birds which Mr. Webber succeeded in domesticating was, that after they had
left the country at the ordinary migrating season, they retained the memory of their kind
entertainers, and, on the return of spring, flew straight to the well-known window. As
soon as the white cup was placed in the room, the birds, as if they had been only waiting
for its appearance, dashed through the casement, and plunging their beaks into the syrup,
drank long draughts of its welcome nectar. By degrees they found mates, and brought
their companions to partake of the same hospitality, until at last there was quite a
company of these exquisite little creatures, who brought their friends and families to the
familiar feast.

Mr. Webber also discovered a curious habit connected with their nesting. He had
frequently observed, while watching for their nest, that the Ruby-throats, after leaving his
station, shot suddenly and perpendicularly in the air, until they became invisible. At last
he had the great satisfaction of seeing the female bird fall, like a fiery aerolite from the
sky, upon the spot where she had built her nest ; so that this curious habit of ascending
and descending must have been instinctively taught to the birds for the purpose of
concealing the precise position of the nest.

As to the nest itself, an admirable description is given by Audubon. Here I must
pause for a moment, to explain the reason why there will be so many quotations in the
history of the Humming-birds. These little creatures exist only in exotic lands, and on
that account are not very accessible to the English naturalist, who is debarred from a
personal acquaintance with these most exquisite of birds. He must, therefore, rely entirely
on the accounts of those who have seen them and studied their habits, and whose personal
narratives are so far superior to any abstract or paraphrase, that, in justice to the author,
they ought to be given in his own words.

“The nest of this Humming-bird,” says Audubon, “is of the most delicate nature, the
external parts being formed of a light grey lichen found on the branches of trees or on
decayed fence-rails, and so neatly arranged round the whole nest, as well as to some
distance from the spot where it is attached, as to seem part of the branch or stem itself.
These little pieces of lichen are glued together by the saliva of the bird.

The nest-coating consists of cottony substances, and the innermost of silky fibres
obtained from various plants, all extremely delicate and soft. On this comfortable bed, as
if in contradiction to the axiom that the smaller the species the greater the number of
egos, the female lays only two, which are purely white and nearly oval. Ten days are

THE LONG-TAILED HUMMING-BIRD. 229

required for their hatching, and the birds raise two broods in a season. In one week the
young are ready to fly, but are fed by the parents for nearly another week. They receive
their food directly from the bill of their parents, who disgorge it in the manner of canaries
and pigeons. It is my belief that no sooner are the young able to provide for themselves,
than they associate with other broods and perform their migrations apart from the old
birds, as I have observed twenty or thirty young Humming-birds resort to a group of
trumpet flowers, when not a single old male was to be seen.

They do not receive the full brilliancy of their colours until the succeeding spring,
although the throat of the male bird is strongly imbued with the ruby tints before they
leave us in autumn.”

The reader will doubtless remember that Mr. Webber mentions the fact that one of his
captured Ruby-throats “played ‘possum” when taken, simulating death in a very perfect
manner. In Wilson’s well-known work on the birds of America, there is an account of a
somewhat similar performance on the part of a captive Ruby-throat, which seemed to
simulate death, or, at all events, to fall into a state of semi-torpidity from the effects
of cold.

“This little bird is extremely susceptible of cold, and if long deprived of the animating
influence of the sunbeam, soon droops and dies. A very beautiful male was brought to
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 cold, it
clung to the wires and hung in a seemingly torpid state for a whole forenoon. The motion
of the lungs could not be perceived 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, where it sat for some time dressing its
disordered plumage, and then shot off like a meteor.”

It has also been related that Humming-birds are so delicate of constitution, that when
caught in a gauze net they die at once from fear. I have no doubt but that in fact they
often simulate death, and do it so well as to make their escape when their captor’s atten-
tion is withdrawn from them.

ANOTHER species belonging to this genus is well worthy of notice, on account of its
beauty and interesting habits. This is the long-tailed Humming-bird of Jamaica (Tréchilus
Polytmus), one of the species which do not migrate, but remain in one locality throughout
the year. A very good figure of it may be seen in the engraving on page 223. It is the
perched figure at the upper part of the group of Humming-birds, and may be easily noted
by means of the two long tail-feathers that hang nearly to the bottom of the engraving.

The upper parts of this beautiful bird are green, glossed with gold, the wings are
purple-brown, and the tail black, with a steel-blue reflection. The long streaming feathers
of the tail are the pair next to the exterior feathers, and when the bird is in a state of
repose they cross each other as is represented in the engraving. The throat, breast, and
whole of the lower parts are glowing emerald green, except the under tail-coverts, which
are purple-black. The top of the head and nape of the neck are velvet black, and the
feathers of the head are rather long, and form a kind of loose plume. The whole length
of a male bird is rather more than ten inches, the long tail-feathers being between seven
and eight inches in length.

The female is not possessed of the beautiful tail which distinguishes her mate; the
under parts are white, covered with green spots caused by the green tips of the feathers,
the top of the head is dirty brown, and her entire length is little more than four inches.
Mr. Gosse, in his well-known “ Birds of Jamaica,” has given some admirable descriptions
of this pretty bird and its habits.

“Tt loves to frequent the margins of woods and roadsides, where it sucks the blossoms
of the trees, occasionally descending to the low shrubs. There is one locality where it is
abundant,—the summit of that range of mountains just below Bluefields, and which is

230 THE LONG-TAILED HUMMING-BIRD.

known as the Bluefields ridge. ... Not a tree, from the thickness of one’s wrist up to the
giant magnitudes of the hoary figs and cotton trees, but is clothed with fantastic parasites ;
begonias with waxen flowers, and ferns with hirsute stems, climb up the trunks; enor-
mous bromelias spring from the greater forks and fringe the horizontal limbs; curious
orchidex, with matted roots and grotesque blossoms, droop from every bough, and long
lianes, like the cordage of a ship, depend from the loftiest branches or stretch from tree to
tree. Elegant tree-ferns and towering palms are numerous ; here and there the wild
plantain, or heliconia, waves its long ivy-like leaves from amidst the humbler bushes,
and in the most obscure corners, over some decaying body, rises the nobler spike of a
magnificent limodarum. The smaller wood consists largely of the plant called glass-eye
berry, the blossoms of which, though presenting little beauty in form or hue, are pre-
eminently attractive to the Long-tailed Humming-bird.

And here at any time we may, with tolerable certainty, calculate on finding these
yery lovely birds. But it is in March, April, and May that they abound. I suppose I have
sometimes seen not fewer than a hundred come successively to rifle the blossoms within
the space of half as many yards, in the course of a forenoon. They are, however, in no
respect gregarious; though three or four may at one moment be hovering round the
blossoms of the same bed, there is no association; each is governed by his individual
preference, and each attends to his own affairs.

It is worthy of remark, that males uniformly form the greater portion of the indivi-
duals observed at this elevation. I do not know why it should be so, but we see very few
females there, whereas, in the lowlands, this sex outnumbers the other. In March, a large
number are found to be clad in the livery of the adult male, but without long tail-feathers ;
others have the characteristic feathers lengthened, but in various degrees. These are,
T have no doubt, males of the preceding season.

It is also quite common to find one of the long tail-feathers much shorter than the
other, which I account for by concluding that the shorter is replacing one that had been
accidentally lost. In their aerial encounters with each other a tail-feather is sometimes
displaced. One day, several of these ‘young bloods’ being together, a regular tumult
ensued, somewhat similar to a sparrow-fight ; such twittering, and fluttering, and dartings
hither and thither. I could not exactly make out the matter, but suspected that it was
mainly an attack—surely an ungallant one—made by them upon two females of the same
species that were sucking at the same bud. These were certainly in the skirmish, but the
evolutions were too rapid to be certain how the battle went.

The whirring made by the vibrating wings of the male Polytmus is a shriller sound
than that produced by the female, and indicates its proximity before the eye has detected
it. The male almost constantly utters a monotonous quiet chirp, both while resting on
a twig or while circling from flower to flower. They do nat invariably probe flowers on
the wing ; one very frequently observes them thus engaged when alighted and sitting with
closed wings ; and often they partially sustain themselves by clinging by the feet to a leaf
while sucking, the wings beg expanded and vibrating.”

Several of these beautiful birds were captured and tamed by Mr. Gosse, who, however,
found the task to be one of no ordinary difficulty. It was easy enough to catch them in a
gauze net, for they were so inquisitive that they would hover over the net and peep into
its recesses; but when they were caught they would generally die within a few hours.
Several of the Long-tailed Humming-birds were at last taken from the nest, and were soon
tamed. They were fed chiefly upon syrup, but were also supplied with little insects, in
imitation of their ordinary diet in a wild state. They were especially pleased with a very
small species of ant, which used to get into the vessel of syrup and fairly cover its surface
with their bodies.

There is a long and very interesting description of these birds, which resembles, in
many respects, the amusing account given by Mr. Webber of his own winged pets. One
peculiarity deserves notice. Each bird, as soon as it was introduced into the room in
which it lived, made choice of separate perches for roosting, alighting after flight, and for
resting-places, and, when it had once settled itself, it would not permit any of its compa-
nions to usurp its dominions. Even if their owner endeavoured to make them change

THE SWORD-BILL HUMMING-BIRD. 231

their perches, they were quite uneasy, hovered about the spot, and did all in their power
to reassume their positions.

The nesting of this beautiful species is very remarkable, as the nests are wonderfully
constructed, and are placed in very curious localities. One of these nests was found upon
the sea-shore, fastened to a slender twig of wild vine, and actually overhanging the waves.
It seems that the bird is in the habit of removing its eggs or young when it has been
disturbed, although the mode by which this feat is accomplished has not yet been disco-
vered. The nest is beautifully made of silky cotton threads, intermixed with the web of
certain spiders, and is often studded profusely with lichens. Mr. Gosse was fortunate
enough to see the bird in the act of making her nest, and describes her movements in the
following words :—

“Suddenly I heard the whirr of a Humming-bird, and, looking up, saw a female
Polytmus hovering opposite the nest with a mass of silk-cotton in her beak. Deterred by
the sight of me, she presently retired to a twig a few paces distant, on which she sat.
T immediately sank down among the rocks as gently as possible, and remained perfectly
still. In a few seconds she came again, and, after hovering a moment, disappeared behind
one of the projections, whence in a few seconds she emerged again and flew off. I then
examined the place, and found, to my delight, a new nest... .

I again sat down on the stones in front, where I could see the nest, not concealing
myself, but remaining motionless, waiting for the bird’s re-appearance. I had not to wait
long: a loud whirr, and there she was, suspended in the air before her nest. She soon
espied me, and came within a foot of my eyes, hovering just in front of my face. I remained
still, however, when I heard the whirring of another just above me, perhaps the mate, but
T durst not look towards him, lest the turning of my head should frighten the female. In
a minute or two the other was gone, and she alighted again on the twig, where she sat
some little time preening her feathers, and apparently clearing her mouth from the cotton
fibres, for she now and then swiftly projected the tongue an inch and a half from the beak,
continuing the same curve as that of the beak. When she arose, it was to perform a very
interesting action, for she flew to the face of the rock, which was thickly clothed with soft
dry moss, and, hovering on the wing as if before a flower, began to pluck the moss until
she had a large bunch of it in her beak. Then I saw her fly to the nest, and having seated
herself in it, proceed to place the new materials, pressing and arranging and interweaving
the whole with her beak, while she fashioned the cup-like form of the interior by the
pressure of her white breast, moving round and round as she sat. My presence appeared
to be no hindrance to her proceedings, although only a few feet distant ; at length she left
the place, and I left also. On the 8th of April I visited the cave again, and found the
nest perfected and containing two eggs, which were not hatched on the Ist of May.”

In the same work are contained many interesting descriptions of this exquisite bird
and its habits, and to its pages the reader is referred for further information.

The Sworp-Bitt HuMMING-BIRD derives its name from the singular shape and size
of its beak, which is very nearly as long as the rest of the body.

This curious species is rather large, as it measures about eight inches in length. It
inhabits Santa Fé de Bogdta, the Carracas and Quito, and is generally found at considerable
elevations, having been often seen at a height of twelve thousand feet above the level of
the sea. The inordinately long bill is given to this bird in order to enable it to obtain its
food from the very long pendent corollas of the Brugmansiz, and, while probing the
flowers with its beak, it suspends itself in the air with a tremulous movement of the wings.
Its movements are singularly elegant, and while engaged in feeding it performs the most
graceful manceuvres as it probes the pendent blossoms, searching to their inmost depths.
The nest of this species is hung to the end of a twig, to which it is woven with marvellous
skill, and its whole construction is very beautiful.

The adult male bird is coloured as follows. The head and the upper part of the
body are green, glossed with gold in some parts and with bronze in others, the tints
changing according to the light. The wings are dark black-brown with a purple gloss,
and the tail is dark black, bronzed on the upper surface. Behind each eye is a small but

232 THE SLENDER SHEAR-TAIL.

a KY—

SLENDER SHEAR-TAIL HUMMING-BIRD.
Thaumastira enicira.

SWORD-BILL HUMMING-BIRD.—Docimaster ensiferus.

conspicuous white spot slightly elongated,
and there is a broad crescent-shaped
mark of light green on each side of the
neck. The under parts are of a bronze-
green, and the under tail-coverts are
flecked with a little white. The female
is of much the same colour as the male
upon the upper parts of the body, except
that there is a little white upon the lower
part of the back and a narrow white line
behind the eye. The throat is brown,
each feather being slightly edged with
grey, and there is a very faint indication
of emerald-green on part of the throat.
The young male is much like the female,
but is more coppery in his hues. The
throat is white speckled with brown,
because each feather is white with a
brown tip. At each side of the throat
there is a large patch of green inter-
mingled with white.

The SLENDER SHEAR-TAIL is an in-
habitant of Central America, and appears
to be rather a local bird. It is supposed
not to be found south of the Isthmus of
Panama, nor to extend more than eighteen
degrees northwards. As its wings are
rather short, and not remarkable for
strength, it is conjectured to be a non-
migratory bird. The country where it is
seen in the greatest plenty is Guatemala.

The sexes of this creature are very
different in their form and colour of their
plumage, and could hardly be recognised
as belonging to the same species. In the
adult male bird, the upper parts of the
body are a deep shining green, becoming
brown on the head, and changing into
bronze on the back and wing-coverts.
The wings are purple-brown. The long
and deeply-forked tail is black, with the
exception of a little brown upon the
inner web of the two outermost feathers.
The chin is black glossed with green, the
throat is deep metallic purple, and upon
the upper part of the chest is placed a
large crescent-shaped mark of buff. The
abdomen is bronze, with a grey spot in
its centre; and there is a buff spot on
each flank. The under tail-coverts are
of a greenish hue.

The female does not possess the long
tail, and her colours are golden-green
above and reddish-buff below. The tail
is very curiously marked. The central
feathers are entirely gold-green; the

COPPER-BELLIED PUFF-LEG HUMMING-BIRD. 233

exterior feathers are rusty red at their base, black for a considerable portion of their
length, and tipped with white.

Another example of this genus is the well-known Cora’s SHEAR-TAIL, a remarkably
pretty bird, and specially notable for the peculiarity from which it derives its popular
name. It inhabits Peru, and is found very plentifully between Callao and Lima. The
valley of the Andes is also a
favourite residence of this bird.

In the male, the head and
upper parts of the body are
golden-green, with the exception
of the wings, which are purple-
brown. The throat is violet,
changing into metallic crimson,
and the under parts are greyish-
white. The tail is rather curi-
ously shaped. The two central
feathers are double the length of
the next pair, and the remaining
feathers are regularly gradated,
the exterior being the shortest.
This long tail is only found in the
male bird, the tail of the female
being of the ordinary length.

SEVERAL of the Humming-
birds are remarkable for a tuft of
pure white downy feathers which
envelop each: leg, and which has
obtained for them the popular title
of Puff-legs, because the white
tufts bear some resemblance to a
powder-puff. The generic name
Eriocnemis is given to the bird in
allusion to this peculiarity, and is
formed of two Greek words, the
former signifying wool or cotton,
and the other the thigh. Owing
to the very curious effect of these
tufts, the Pufflegs are in great
demand among the dealers, as
they look remarkably well in a
case of stuffed birds.

The COPPER-BELLIED PuFF-
LEG is an inhabitant of Santa Fé
de Bogéta, and is a very common
bird in that locality. It may
easily be found, as it is a re-
markably local bird, being con-
fined to a narrow strip or belt
of land, which possesses the requisite characteristics of temperature and vegetation.

It must there be remarked that in the mountainous districts where this and many
other species of Humming-birds are found, every degree of temperature may be obtained
within the compass of a few miles by merely ascending or descending the lofty mountains
which form the greater part of the country. A few hours’ journey will bring the
traveller through every shade of climate, from the perpetual snow and ice at the summit,

SUN-GEM.—Heliactin cornita.
CORA’S SHEAR-TAIL.—Thaumastira Core.

234 FIERY TOPAZ HUMMING-BIRD.

to the moderate temperatures of the middle regions, and the tropical heat of the moun-
tain’s foot. This circumstance must be borne in mind, as we shall find, on examining the
habits of many of these birds, that the conditions requisite for their maintenance are
very capricious, and that a belt of land a few yards in width will often suffice to separate
the habitation of one local species from that of another, neither venturing to trespass into
the dominions of its neighbour.

The Copper-bellied Puff-leg is always found in a narrow belt of land varying from six
thousand to nine thousand feet above the level of the sea, being, therefore, practically
confined to a strip of land barely a
thousand yards in width. In all pro-
bability the reason of this restricted range
may be found in the vegetation of the
locality, which supplies the food on which
this species lives.

It is a very beautiful little bird, and
both the sexes are very similar in their
colour and general appearance, except
that in the female the puffs of white down
are not so large nor so conspicuous as in
her mate. In the adult male, the top of
the head, the sides of the neck, and the
back are green, washed with a decided
tint of bronze, except upon the upper
tail-coverts, where the green is very pure
and of a metallic brilliancy. As is
generally the case with Humming-birds,
the fine and sharply-cut wings are brown
washed with purple. The tail is black,
with a purple gloss in a side light. The
throat is of a beautiful shining metallic
green, and the general colour of the breast
and under portions of the body is green
glossed with gold, with the exception of

COPPER-BELLIED PUFF-LEG HUMMING-BIRD. the abdomen, where the green takes a

Erioonémis cupreiventris, coppery hue, from which the bird has
received its popular name. The “ puffs”
are of a snowy whiteness, and look like
refined swans’-down.

The female is very similar in colour, except that the hues of the throat are not
possessed of so metallic a brilliancy, and, as has already been stated, the leg-tufts are
comparatively small.

In the opinion of many observers, the Topaz Humming-birds are the most resplendent
and beautiful of all their tribe, the palm of beauty being almost equally divided between
the two birds which will be described in the following lines.

The Fiery Topaz inhabits the country through which passes the Rio Negro, a tributary
of the Upper Amazon. It is a most gorgeous creature, and attracts peculiar attention on
account of the very considerable dimensions to which it reaches. Its nest is a very
remarkable structure, looking much as if it were made from leather, and woven so
adroitly to the bough upon which it is placed that it can hardly be distinguished from
the natural bark or from some of the numerous fungi that grow upon trees. Its surface
is quite smooth, and the colour is a reddish-dun. The substance of which it is composed
is a kind of fungus, of the same order as the well-known Boletus of which German
tinder is made. The eggs are two in number, and beautifully white.

The colour of this splendid bird is mostly a blazing scarlet, contrasting boldly with
the deep velvet-black of the head and part of the neck. The throat is emerald-green,

THE RACKET-TAIL HUMMING-BIRD. 235

with a patch of delicate crimson in the centre. The lower part of the back and the upper
tail-coverts are beautiful green with orange gloss; and the wings and tail are purple-
black, with the exception of the two elongated feathers of the tail, which are purplish-
green, and cross each other near the base. The under tail-coverts are green. So vivid
are the tints, and so beautiful the
form of this bird, that it well
deserves the honourable title ac-
corded to it by Prince Lucien
Bonaparte of being “inter Trochi-
lides pulcherrimus.” The female
is without the elongated tail-
feathers, and she is of a green-
gold colour on the upper parts of
the body. This species is very
like the following bird, but may
be distinguished from it by the
purple of its tail-feathers and the
fiery effulgence of its body. The
entire length of this bird is about
eight inches.

The Crimson Topaz, or ARA
HumMinc-Bird (Zopaza Pella),
closely resembles the fiery topaz,
except that the hues of its body
are more of a deep crimson than
of the flaming scarlet which de-
notes the preceding species. The
tail is reddish-buff, with the ex-
ception of the two central feathers
which have the same purple-green
as in T. Pyra. It inhabits Cay-
enne, Trinidad, and Surinam, and
among the natives is known by
the name of Karabamiti. It is a
shy and retiring bird, living near
rivers, and shrouding its beauties
in the deepest forests. It is a
semi-nocturnal bird, resembling
the nightjars in many of its habits,
and being most active in the early
dawn and the beginning of the
evening. Only at those hours
does it venture from the deep
recesses of its home, and display
its flashing colours as it darts
along the gladesor over the streams
in search of its insect prey.

FIERY TOPAZ HUMMING-BIRD.—Topdza Pyra.

WE have in the Racket-tailed Humming-birds one of those singular forms which are
so often found among these strange little birds.

The RAcKET-TAIL HUMMING-BIRD (Disctira longicauda) is a native of Cayenne,
Surinam, and Demerara, and is also found in several portions of Northern Brazil. It is
chiefly remarkable for the curious formation from which it derives its popular and
appropriate name.

In the male bird, the face, throat, and part of the neck are light verditer-green,

236 THE WHITE-BOOTED RACKET-TAIL.

becoming more luminous towards the chest. Under the chin there is a little velvet-black
spot, which is very conspicuous against the light green of the surrounding feathers. The
upper parts are bronze-green, and a buff-white band crosses the lower end of the back.
The very curious tail is deeply forked, the two exterior feathers being twice the length of
the second pair, and the others
decreasing in length in rapid pro-
eression. The general colour of
the tail is purple-black, the purple
being especially visible on the
“rackets.” The female possesses
no rackets on the tail, nor green
on her head or throat. The velvet-
black spot on the chin, however,
retains its place.

The WHITE-BOOTED RACKET-
TAIL inhabits the Columbian
Andes, and is very common near
Santa Fé de Bogota. It is a hill-
loving bird, being generally found
at an elevation of five or ten
thousand feet above the level of
the sea. It is thought to be con-
fined within the third and tenth
degrees of north latitude. This
bird is remarkably swift of wing,
its darting flight reminding the
spectator of the passage of an
arrow through the air. At one
time it will hover close to the
eround, hanging over some fayour-
ite flower and extracting the sweet
contents of the blossoms; and at
the next moment it will shoot to
the very summit of some lofty
tree, as if impelled from a bow,
and leave but the impression of
an emerald-green line of lght
upon, the observer's eye. While
hovering over the flowers, the
long racket-shaped feathers of the
tail are in constant motion, waving
gently in the air, crossing each
other, opening and closing in the
most graceful manner. But when
the bird darts off with its peculiar
arrowy flight, the tail-feathers he
straight behind it.

The male of this species is bronze-green upon the greater part of the body, the green
taking a richer and redder hue upon the upper tail-coverts. The throat and breast are
brilliant emerald-green. The wings are purple-brown, and the tail is brown, with the
exception of the rackets, which are black “shot” with green. The feet are yellow, and
upon the legs are placed two beautiful white puffs. The whole length of the bird is
rather more than three inches. The female bird does not possess the racket-shaped tail-
feathers, and is of a bronze-green upon the upper surface. The tail is brown, with the
exception of the two middle feathers, which are bronze-green like the body. The two

WHITE-BOOTED RACKET-TAIL.—Spathira Underwoodit.
Male and Female.

POPELAIRE'S THORNTAIL. 237

exterior feathers are tipped with white, and the others with bronze-green. The under
surface is white, diversified with bronze-green spots on the breast and flanks. The puffs
are smaller than in the male.

There are several species belonging to this genus, among which may be mentioned the
PERUVIAN RACKET-TAIL, a bird which may be distinguished by the rusty-red colour of
the leg-muffs.

The CoLUMBIAN THORNBILL
is an inhabitant of Santa Fé de
Bogéta, and is remarkable for its
adherence to the more temperate
regions of that locality. It never
seems to ascend to the hills, but
prefers remaining in the plains or LESS
in some of the valleys where it te
can find the greatest abundance
of food. It appears not to fre-
quent the tops of trees, as is often
the case with Humming-birds,
but contents itself with the low
flowering shrubs of the plains and
valleys. The colour of this bird
is golden-green on the upper
parts, changing into a warmer
hue on the upper tail-coverts.
Below, it is dull green, with the
exception of a remarkable tuft or
beard which hangs from the chin,
and which is light green towards
its base and purple- red towards
its extremity. The wings are
purple-brown, the tail brown with
a bronze aloss, a and the under tail-
coverts brown- yellow. The female
resembles the male, but has not
the flame-like mark on the throat.
The total leneth of this species is
between five and six inches.

4i\\)

There are several species of
Thornbills, among which may be
noticed HERRANS THORNBILL
(Rhamphomicron Herrdni), a bird
which is remarkable for its broad
purpletail and the snowy whitetips COLUMBIAN THORNBILL.—Rhamphomteron heteropégon.
of the three exterior feathers. All
the Thornbills possess the curious
beard-like appendage to the chin.

At the right-hand lower corner of the engraving on page 223, will be seen a curiously
formed bird, remarkable for its long slender crest and the elongated feathers of its tail.
This is the PopELatRE’s THORNTATL (Gouldia Popelairit). This “beautiful little creature
inhabits Peru and Columbia, and is found in the most elevated regions of that locality. It
is a very quick flier, but there is little known of its habits. :

In the adult male, the crown of the head, the shorter feathers of the crest, together
with the face and throat, are light golden green, and the long slender feathers are black.

238 THE LITTLE FLAME-BEARER.

The wings are purple brown. The back is gold-green, with the exception of a bold bar
of pure white, which crosses the back and forms a patch on each flank. The middle of the
abdomen is black, the flanks are brown, and the under tail-coverts are greyish white. The
upper surface of the tail is blue, the shafts of the middle feathers are white, and the remain-
ing feathers are white at their bases and brown for the rest of their length. The under
surface of the tail is a bright steel-blue, and the shafts are white throughout their length.

The female possesses no crest
and no elongated tail-feathers, and
bears a very curious resemblance
to the well-known insect termed
the Humming-bird Moth.

ANOTHER curious example of
the same genus may be found in
CONVERS’ THORNTAIL, a native of
Santa Fé de Bogdta.

This species is very beautiful
both in shape and colouring, and,
as in the case of the preceding
bird, the two sexes differ greatly
in appearance. In the male of
this bird the general colour is
green, a white bar running across
the lower end of the back, and
the tail-feathers being very long,
narrow and pointed. Their colour
is shining black, the shafts being
white. In the female the general
colour of the plumage resembles
that of the male, except that the
colours are not so brilliant, and the
throat is greyish white, covered
with brown-green spots. The tail
is very short, and is composed of
a series of rounded feathers of a
dusky hue, and white at the tip.
Both the species are swift fliers,
and are said to resemble the
swallow when on the wing.

On the extreme left of the
engraving on page 223, and about
half-way from the top, the reader

CONVERS’ THORNTAIL.—Goiildia Conversi. may observe a very small Hum-

Male and Female. ming-bird, remarkable for its

curious spiky tail and rich feathery

gorget. This is the LirrLe FLAME-

BEARER (Seldsphorus scintilla),

one of several species which possess the fiery tuft of feathers from which they derive their
name of Flame-bearers.

This species inhabits the inner side of the extinct voleano Chiriqui, in Veragua, at an
elevation of nine thousand feet above the level of the sea. It is a tiny bird, measuring
only two and a half inches in length, and as it darts about the singular habitation in
which it lives, its fiery gorget gleams with such a flaming crimson, that, as Mr. Gould
happily remarks, it seems to have caught the last spark from the volcano before it was
extinguished.

SALLE'S HERMIT HUMMING-BIRD. 239

In the male, the upper surface is of a bronze green. The gorget is of a fiery red, and
as the feathers on each side are longer than those in the centre, it necessarily projects
from the neck. Below the gorget is a band of white marked with buff, and the wings are
purple brown. The central feathers of the tail are brownish black edged with red, and
the remaining feathers are brownish black on their outer webs, and reddish rust on the
inner webs. The under surface of the tail is a rusty red. The female is duller in her
colouring, and the gorget is shorter and of a whitish grey spotted with brown. The flanks
are buff, and the tail-feathers are not so pointed as in the male.

There are several species of Flame-bearers, among which may be mentioned the Rurus
FLAME-BEARER (Seldsphorus rufus), a bird which was originally discovered by Captain
Cook. It is an inhabitant of Mexico, and is also found on the Pacific side of Northern
America in the summer time, returning to Mexico in the winter. This species is well
described by Mr. Nuttal, whose account is quoted by Audubon.

“We began to meet with this species near the Blue Mountains of the Columbia River in
the autumn, as we proceeded to the coast. These were all young birds, and were not very
easily distinguished from those of the common species of the same age.

We now for the first time (April 16) saw the males in numbers, darting, buzzing, and
squeaking in the usual manner of their tribe: but when engaged in collecting its accus-
_ tomed sweets in all the energy of life, it seemed like a breathing gem, a magic carbuncle
of glowing fire, stretching out its glorious ruff as if to emulate the sun itself im splendour.
Towards the close of May the females were sitting, at which time the males were uncom-
monly quarrelsome and vigilant, darting out at once as I approached the tree, probably
near the nest, looking like an angry coal of brilliant fire, passing within very little of my
face, returning several times to the attack, sailing and darting with the utmost velocity, at
the same time uttering a curious reverberating sharp bleat, somewhat similar to the
quivering twang of a dead twig, yet also so much like the real bleat of some small quad-
ruped, that for some time I searched the ground instead of the air for the actor in the
scene. .

At other times the males were seen darting high up in the air, and whirling about each
other in great anger and with much velocity. After these manceuvres, the aggressor
returned to the same dead twig, where for days he resolutely took his station, displaying
the utmost courage and angry vigilance. The angry hissing or bleating note seems some-
thing like wht ¢ ¢ ¢ f sh vee, tremulously uttered as it whirls and sweeps through the air,
accompanied also by something like the whirr of the night hawk. On the 29th of May
I found a nest in a forked branch of the Nootka bramble (Rubus Nutkanus). The female
was sitting upon two eggs of the same shape and colour as those of the common species,
Trochilus colubris. The nest also was similar, but somewhat deeper. As I approached,
the female came hovering round the nest, and soon after, when all was still, she resumed
her place contentedly.”

The nest of this bird measures, according to Audubon’s description, two inches and a
quarter in height and an inch and three-quarters in breadth at the upper part, and is
composed of mosses, lichens, and feathers, woven together with delicate vegetable fibres.
The lining is very soft cotton. Another observer, Dr. Townsend, compares the curious
note of this bird to the sound which is produced by the rubbing together of two branches
during a high wind.

THE birds which compose the genus Phaéthornis are remarkable for the very long and
beautifully graduated tail, all the feathers being long and pointed, and the two central far
exceeding the rest. The two sexes are mostly alike, both in the colour and shape of their
plumage and in size. These birds inhabit Venezuela and the Carracas, being generally
found in the richest district of those localities, where the flowers blossom most abundantly.
All the Hermits build a very curious and beautiful nest, of a long funnel-like form
tapering to a slender point, and woven with the greatest neatness to some delicate twig or
pendent leaf by means of certain spiders’ webs. The material of which it is made is
silky cotton fibre, intermixed with a woolly kind of furze, and bound together with
spider-web. Our present example is SALLE’S HERMIT.

240 SALLE'S HERMIT HUMMING-BIRD.

Very little is known of its habits, but, like the generality of Humming-birds, it does
not possess any great power of voice. Indeed, even in the few instances where one of
these birds is gifted with vocal powers, its song is of a feeble and uncertain character, and
in England would attract little attention. The best songster of all the Humming-birds
appears to be the Vervain Humming-bird (MJellisuga minima), which, according to
Mr. Bullock, can sing, although not very perfectly.

“He had taken his station on the twig of a tamarind-tree which was close to the barn
and overspread part of the yard: there, perfectly indifferent to the number of persons
constantly passing within a few yards, he spent most of the day. There were few blos-
soms on the tree, and it was not the breeding season, yet he most pertinaciously kept
absolute possession of his domain; for the moment any other bird, though ten times as.
large as himself, approached near his tree, he attacked it most furiously and drove it off,

SALLE’'S HERMIT HUMMING-BIRD.—Phaéthornis Augusti.

always returning to the same twig he had before occupied, and which he had worn quite
bare for three or four inches by constantly feeding on it. I often approached within a few
feet with pleasure, observing his tiny operations of cleaning and pluming, and listening to
his weak, simple, and oft-repeated note. I could easily have caught him, but was unwil-
ling to destroy so interesting a little visitant, who had afforded me so much pleasure.

In my excursions round Kingston I procured many of the same species, as well as
the long-tailed black and a few others, as well as the one I have mentioned as the smallest
yet described, but which has the finest voice of any. I spent some agreeable hours in the
place that had been the Botanical Garden of Jamaica; and on the various trees, now
growing to a luxuriant size, met with many curious birds, among which this specimen was
perched upon the bread-fruit or cabbage tree. He poured forth his slight querulous note
among a most numerous assemblage of the indigenous and exotic plants and trees of the
island, on a spot once the pride of Jamaica, but now a desolate wilderness.” This beau-
tiful Humming-bird will be described at length in a future page.

To return to SALLE’s Hermit. The upper parts of its body are green-bronze, excepting
the upper tail-coverts, which are rusty red. The wings are purple-brown. The central tail-
feathers are bronze, largely tipped with white, and the remaining feathers are white, with
the exception of a broad black band, drawn obliquely across them near the base. Above
and below the eye there is a white streak, and the colour of the under parts of the body is
sober grey.

LINDEN’S HELMET-CREST, OR BLACK WARRIOR. 24]

Ir the reader will again turn to the engraving on page 228, and refer to the bird
immediately below Princess Helena’s Coquette, he will see a rather large species of
Humming-bird, which is remarkable for the manner in which the rounded tail-feathers
are arranged, and the very long upper tail-coverts. This bird is the Jacopry HumMING-
BIRD (Florésuga mellivora), a beautifully coloured species, glowing with boldly contrasted
hues of white, blue, green and black.

It inhabits Cayenne, Guiana,
Trinidad, and seems to have
rather an extensive range, being
found from Cayenne to Peru. It
is a very curious species, inhabit-
ing broad and fluviatile districts
notmore than two or three hundred
feet from the level of the sea. The
‘colour is very variable, but is
generally a light blue upon the
head and throat, with a large
white crescentic patch passing
over the back of the neck. The
back, the very long upper tail-
coverts, and a line extending to
each side of the neck, are golden
green, and the wings are purple-
black, edged on the shoulders with
golden green. The tail is tipped
with a narrow band of black.
Some individuals have a green
mark upon the blue of the head,
and others are curiously mottled
with white and brown.

There are several species of
this genus, among which may be
mentioned the GREAT JACOBIN
(Florisuga flabellifera), a truly
beautiful bird, and much larger
than the preceding species. It is
found in Tobago, in the Orinocos,
and other neighbouring localities.
It lives mostly in low marshy
situations, chiefly upon planta-
tions abroad, and generally feeds
while on the wing. Another
curious species is the PIED J ACOBIN LINDEN’S HELMET-CREST, OR BLACK WARRIOR,
(Mellisuga Atra), a bird which is Cayo ie
much blacker than either of the
preceding. It inhabits the ex-
treme -parts of Brazil, from Per- SLs
nambuco on the north to Rio Janeiro on the south, Like the preceding species, it is
very variable in colouring.

The Helmet-crests are very curious birds, and are at once known by the singular
pointed plume which crowns the top of the head, and the long beard-like appendage to the
chin. They all live at a very considerable elevation, inhabiting localities of such extreme
inclemency that few persons would think of looking for a Humming-bird in such frozen
regions. There are several species of Helmet-crest, and their habits are well described

2. R

242 GUERIN’S HELMET-CREST.

by Mr. Linden, the discoverer of LiypEn’s HELMET-cREsT, in a letter written to Mr. Gould,
and published in his monograph of the Humming-birds.

“JT met with this species for the first time in ‘August, 1842, while ascending the Sierra
Nevada de Merida, the crests of which are the most elevated of the eastern part of the
Cordilleras of Columbia. It inhabits the regions immediately beneath the line of perpetual
congelation, at an elevation of from 12,000 to 13,000 feet above the level of the sea.
Messrs. Funck and Schlim found it equally abundant in the Paramos, near the Sierra
Nevada, at the comparatively low elevation of 9,000 feet. It appears to be confined to the
regions between the eighth and ninth degrees
of north latitude.

It occasionally feeds upon the thinly-
scattered shrubs of this icy region, such as
the hypericum, myrtus, daphne, arborescent
espeletias, and towards the lower limit on
bejarias, but most frequently upon the pro-—
jecting ledges of rocks near to the snow.
Its flight is swift, but very short; when it
leaves the spot upon which it has been
perched, it launches itself obliquely down-
wards, uttering at the same time a plaintive
whistling sound, which is also occasionally
uttered while perched; as well as I can
recollect. I have never heard it produce
the humming sound made by several other
members of the same group, nor does it
partake of their joyous spirit or perpetual
activity. Neither myself nor Messrs. Funck
and Schlim were able to discover its nest,
although we all made a most diligent search.

Its food appears principally to consist
of minute insects, all the specimens we pro-
cured having their stomachs filled with small
flies.”

The head and neck of the adult male are
black, a line of white running along the
centre. The lone plumes of the throat are
white. Round the neck and the back of the
head runs a broad white band. The upper
surface of the body and the two central
tail-feathers are bronze-green, and the other
feathers are a warm reddish bronze, having
the basal half of their shafts white. The
under surface is a dim brownish bronze.

ANG HLA, STAR-THE OAT Heltomasten A mgelce, The leneth of the male bird is about five

and a quarter inches. The female is coppery

brown upon the head and upper surface of

the body, and there is no helmet-like plume
on the head nor beard-like tuft on the chin. The throat is coppery brown covered with
white mottlings, and the flanks are coppery brown washed with green. The length of the
female is about one inch less than that of her mate.

Another species, the Warrior of dealers, and the GuERIN’s HELMET-CREST of natu-
ralists (Oxypégon G'uereniz), is an inhabitant of the higher parts of the Columbian Andes,

here it is tolerably common. It is easily to be distinguished from the preceding species
by a bright green line which passes down the centre of the beard, and of which only a very
faint indication is perceptible in the Black Warrior. There is also much more white upon
the tail.

SICKLE-BILL HUMMING-BIRD.—Zutézeres Aquila.

THERE are several species of the STAR-THROATED HuMMING-BIRDs, all of which are
known by the bright metallic gleam of the feathers on the throat.

The ANGELA STAR-THROAT inhabits Buenos Ayres and many parts of Brazil. It
seems not to be a very common bird, or at all events it is rarely found in collections. It
is chiefly remarkable for the singular shape of its bill, which is evidently formed for the
purpose of enabling the creature to penetrate to the bottom of the curiously-shaped blos-
soms on which it finds its sustenance. It feeds, apparently, upon the long-blossomed
flowers of the llianas, which are very plentiful in the regions inhabited by the Star-throat,
and whose cups are always filled with minute insects. The generic name, Heliomaster, is
very appropriate, signifying Sun-star.

In the male, the crown of the head is metallic green, “shot” with ultramarine blue
and gold, and the upper surface of the body is golden green, with more gold upon the
lower part of the back. The wings are purple-brown, and the tail purple-black with dark
green gloss. Behind each eye there is a white spot, and a grey streak is drawn through
the cheeks. The centre of the throat is a brilliant crimson, shining effulgently as if made of
living fire, and edged with long feathers of a deep blue. The under surface is dark green,
changing to rich blue in the centre, and on each side of the flanks there is a tuft of white
feathers. The under tail-coverts are green, fringed with white.

The female is gold bronze on the upper part of the body, and the crown of her head is
greyish. There is no crimson or blue on the throat; it is simply grey, covered with pale
brown spots.

THE very remarkable bird whose portrait is seen in the accompanying illustration affords
another example of the wonderful adaptation of means to ends which is often found among
these birds. In the Sword-bill Humming-bird, sketched on page 232, the beak is enormously
lengthened, in order to enable it to feed on the long bell-like flowers wherein it finds its
sustenance, and a similar modification of structure may be seen in the Star-throats. In the
SICKLE-BILLS, however, which feed on the short curved flowers of those regions, the bill is
also short and very sharply curved, in order to suit the peculiar shape of the flowers. This

R2

244 MARS SUN-ANGEL.

SICKLE-BILL is a very rare bird, and is found sparingly in Bogota and Veragua. The
plumage is not very brilliant in its hues, but the various tints with which it is coloured
are pleasing in their arrangement, and give to the bird a very pretty aspect.

The crown of its head and the little crest are blackish brown, and each feather has
one small spot of buff on its tip. The upper parts of the body are of a dark shining green,
with a slight buffy wash, and on the tips of several of the secondaries there is a little white
spot. The two central feathers of
the tail are a dark glossy green
with small white tips, and the
others are of the same hue in
their outer webs, greenish brown
on the inner, and largely tipped
with white. The under surface is
brownish black, diversified with
some dark buff streaks upon the
throat and breast, and with white
streaks upon the abdomen and
flanks; the under tail-coverts are
brown fringed with buff. The total
length of the bird is about four
and a half inches,

Another species belonging to
the same genus, CONDAMINE’S
SICKLE-BILL (Hutoxeres Conda-
mint), is remarkable for its pro-
pensity to inhabit high ground.
It is a very rare bird, and when-
ever it is discovered, it is seen
feeding among the orchidaceous
plants, at an elevation of ten
thousand feet above the level of
the sea.

THE little eroup of Hummineg-
birds called the Sun-angels are
all remarkable for the exceeding
lustre of the feathers which de-
corate their throats, and the
general beauty of their plumage,
In nearly every species there is
a white or buff crescentic mark
immediately below the gorget, and
they are all inhabitants of the

MARS SUN-ANGEL.—Helidngelus Mavors. Andes. Concerning the Mars
SUN-ANGEL and its habits Mr.
Gould speaks in the following
words :—

“ Of all the species of the Andean Humming-birds belonging to the genus Heliangelos,
T regard this as the most beautiful and interesting; it has all the charms of novelty to
recommend it, and it stands alone, too, among its congeners, no other member of the genus
similarly coloured having been discovered up to the present time. The throat vies with
the radiant topaz, while the band on the forehead rivals in brilliancy the frontlet of every
other species.... The country in which this rare bird flies is the elevated region of
Northern Columbia, particularly the flat Paramos of Portachuela and Zambador, where
Messrs. Funck and Schlim found it, at an elevation of from seven thousand to nine

SNOW-CAP HUMMING-BIRD AND SPANGLED COQUETTE. 245

thousand feet ; they also met with it in the Paramos of Los Conejos at a similar elevation.
In those districts there doubtless exist other fine species at present unknown to us, for we
can scarcely imagine that these travellers procured examples of all the species of the
genera which dwell therein, and which we may reasonably expect to be as rich in the
feathered tribes as it is in another department of Nature’s wonderful works, Botany.”

In the male bird there is a narrow mark upon the forehead of a deep fiery red, and the
crown of the head and the upper surface of the body are bronze-green. Behind each eye
there is a very small white spot, and a jetty black cross-streak is drawn from the angle of
the mouth towards the neck. The throat is decorated with a gorget of deep fiery red,
below which is a crescent-shaped band of whitish buff, and the abdomen is deeper buff,
changing to green upon the flanks. The two central feathers of the tail are bronze-green,
and the remainder bronze-brown. The female has no red upon the throat or forehead.
There are several species of Sun-angel, among which may be mentioned CLARIssa’s SUN-
ANGEL (Heliangelus Clarisse), a bird which is remarkable for the deep ruby-crimson with
which its gorget is dyed. Thousands of these birds are killed annually by means of the
deadly blowpipe, and their skins forwarded to Europe, where they are largely employed for
various decorative purposes, such as being mounted in ornamental cases of stuffed birds for
drawing-rooms, feather fans and fire-screens, or for head-dresses of more than ordinary
brillianey. Two thousand of these birds have been sold at Paris at a single time, merely
for the manufacture of head-dresses. |

SNOW-CAP HUMMING-BIRD.—Microcheera albocorondta. SPANGLED COQUETTE.—Lophornis Regine.

THE two little birds which are represented in the accompanying illustration are
remarkable for the manner in which their heads are decorated. One of them is seen to be
a dark little creature, with the exception of a snowy white crown to its head, and a bold
streak of white upon its tail. This is the SNow-cAP HuMMING-BIRD, one of the most curious
and the most rare of all the Trochilide. Its habits and the localities in which it lives
are well described in the words of its discoverer, as quoted by Gould :—

“Tt was in the autumn of 1852, while stationed in the district of Belen, Veraquas,
New Granada, that I obtained several specimens of this diminutive variety of the
Humming-bird family.

The first one I saw was perched on a twig, pluming its feathers. I was doubtful for a
few moments whether so small an object could be a bird, but on close examination I con-
vinced myself of the fact and secured it. Another I encountered while bathing, and for a

246 THE TUFTED COQUETTE.

time I watched its movements before shooting it. The little creature would poise itself
about three feet or so above the surface of the water, and then as quick as thought dart
downwards, so as to dip its miniature head in the placid pool ; then up again to its original
position, quite as quickly as it had descended. These movements of darting up and down
it would repeat in rapid succession, which produced not a moderate disturbance of the
surface of the water for such a diminutive creature. After a considerable number of
dippings, it alighted on a twig near at hand, and commenced pluming its feathers.”

The colours of this little bird are so dark, that it appears to be uniformly brown, until
it is examined more closely, when it is seen to be of a coppery hue, on which a purple
reflection is visible in extreme lights, the copper hue taking a warmer tint towards the tail.
The crown of the head is dazzlingly white, and the tips of all the tail-feathers, and the
bases of all except the two central, are also white.

ON the same drawing may be seen another remarkable little bird, possessed of a most
beautiful and graceful crest. This is the SPANGLED CoQUuETTE, an excellent example of the
very remarkable genus to which it belongs. All the Coquettes possess a well-defined crest
upon the head, and a series of projecting feathers from the neck, some being especially
notable for the one ornament, and others for the other.

The Spangled Coquette is a
native of several parts of Co-
lumbia, and was first brought to
England in 1847, The singular
crest is capable of being raised or
depressed at the will of the bird,
and produces a great effect in
changing the whole expression of
the creature. When raised to its
fullest extent it spreads itself like
the tail of the peacock, and much
resembles the crest of the king
tody, a bird which will be de-
scribed in a future page. When
depressed, it lies flat upon the
bird, and is so large that it pro-
jects on either side, barely allowing
the little black eyes to gleam from
under its shade.

The crown of the head and
the crest are light ruddy chest-

TUFTED COQUETTE.—Lophornis orndtus. nut, each feather having a ball-
like spot of dark bronze-green at
the tip. The throat and face
are shining metallic green, below

which is a small tuft of pointed white feathers that have a very curious effect as they
protrude from beneath the gorget. The upper parts are bronze-green as far as the lower
part of the back, where a band crosses from side to side, and the rest of the plumage
is dark ruddy chestnut as far as the tail. The tail is also chestnut-brown, with a slight
wash of metallic green. The female has no crest nor green gorget.

THE TUFTED COoQUETTE is one of the rare species of this beautiful genus.

It seems to be entirely a Continental bird, not being found in any of the West Indian
Islands, and its principal residence seems to be in Northern Brazil and along the course
of the Amazon as far as Peru. It may be readily known from the other species of
Coquettes by the colours of its head, crest, and neck-plumes. The crest and top of the
head are a rich ruddy chestnut, and the upper surface of the body is bronze-green,
excepting the wings, which are purple-black, and a broad band of white which crosses the

THE SPARKLING-TAIL HUMMING-BIRD 247

lower part of the back. From the white band to the insertion of the tail is bright
chestnut. The tail is also chestnut, except the two central feathers, which are green at
the latter half of their length. The forehead and throat are emerald green, and the
neck-plumes are snowy white tipped with resplendent metallic green.

The female has no crest nor neck-plumes, and the band of white across the back is
very narrow. The total length of the bird is about two inches and a half.

ANOTHER species of this remarkable genus is depicted upon the engraving on page 228,
where it occupies the bottom left-hand corner. This is GOULD’s CoQquEttE (Lophornis
Gouldir), a species which is remarkable for the beautiful pure white of the neck-tufts, and
their green tips. When the crest and tufts of this bird are depressed they le closely upon
the other feathers, the crest coming to a sharp point upon the back of the neck, and the
neck-tufts also coming to a point upon the shoulders. This species seems to be exclusively
continental, and not to be found on any of the West Indian islands. At present it is
supposed to inhabit the country from the embouchure of the Amazon to its sources in Peru,
It is a very rare bird.

The crest of the male is rich chestnut-red, the upper surface is bronze-green, and a band
of white crosses the lower part of the back. The forehead and throat are emerald-green.
The female is comparatively a dull bird, having no crest nor neck-plumes. The length of
this species is about two and a half inches,

Bur the most singular of all the genus, if not the most unique and remarkable of all
the Humming-birds, is the Princess HELENA’s Coquette (Lophornis Hélene), which is
figured on the top right-hand corner of the engraving on page 223. This wonderful bird is
a native of Vera Paz in Guatemala,

The curious forked crest and face are green, and the throat is of a metallic effulgent
emerald in the centre, and surrounded with a series of long narrow white feathers, those
which start from the neck being longest and generally edged with blue-black, while the
others are much shorter and of a jetty black. From the back of the head start six long
hair-like feathers, three on each side. The upper surface of the body is coppery-bronze,
and a buff band crosses the lower end of the back. The female is quite an ordinary little
bird, without crest, neck-plumes, or long hair-feathers, and is generally of a dull bronze-
green colour, and greyish-white below, sprinkled with green.

THERE are many species of VIOLET-EARED Humming-birds, all of which are easily
recognised by means of the patch of violet feathers which is placed on each side of the
face. :

The Bonry1A VIOLET-EAR inhabits the country from which it derives its popular title,
and is one of the migratory birds, passing over a considerable tract of territory in the
course of its travels. The localities which it most prefers are the valleys and low grounds
where maize is cultivated, and in such situations it is very plentiful. The character of the
species is eminently pugnacious, and it will not permit any other bird to approach its
dominions. It is a very pretty bird: the general colour of the upper parts of the body is
golden green, a tint which extends to the two central feathers of the tail; the remainder of
the tail is deep blue-green. The throat and breast are shining green, and the chin,
abdomen, and a patch above the eye, are deep blue. The length of the bird is rather more
than three inches.

THE lovely little SPARKLING-TAIL is an inhabitant of Mexico, and is found very plenti-
fully in Guatemala, where it is remarkably familiar and visits the habitations of mankind
without any reluctance, haunting every garden wherein are blooming flowers, and altogether
displaying a wonderful amount of confidence. The nest of this species is very tiny, rounded
and beautifully woven from various delicate fibres, cottony down, and spiders’ webs, and
is covered externally with lichens applied in a very artistic manner. In this nest are laid
two eggs, hardly bigger than peas, of a delicate semi-transparent pearly white, and
reminding the observer of the eggs of the common snail. The nest is always stuck upon

BOLIVIA VIOLET-EAR.—Petasdphora ioldta. SPARKLING-TAIL HUMMING-BIRD.—Tryphena Dupontii.

a leaf or some slight twig by means of spiders’ webs, so that instead of the great spider
catching and eating the Humming-bird, as Madame Merian supposed, the Humming-bird
is the real depredator, and robs the spider.

In colouring and form the two sexes are quite dissimilar.

The male is bronze-green above, with the exception of the bold crescent-shaped white
feathers on the lower part of the back. The throat is rich metallic blue, becoming velvety
black in certain lights, because each feather is black at the base and blue at the tip. The
wings are of a rich dark purple-brown. Round the neck runs a broad snowy-white crescentic
band, and the whole under surface is bronze-green, except the under tail-coverts, across
which runs a band of white. The tail is very curious, exhibiting very many tints, and not
very easy to describe. The two central feathers are rich shining green; the next green
marked with bronze; the next dark brown, with two triangular white spots on the inner
web, one near the middle and the other at the tip; the two central feathers are dark brown
for the first half .of their length, then comes a broad band of deep rusty red, then a broad
white band, then a brown band, and the tip is white. The whole length is about four
inches.

The female is of a rich bronze-green on the upper surface of the body, and the two
crescentic marks on the lower part of the back are buff instead of white, as in her mate.
Her tail is short, and of a purple-black bronzed at the base; all the feathers except the
two central ones are tipped with white and ringed with buff. The under surface is rusty
red, becoming darker on the under tail-coverts. The length is not quite three inches,

WE now come to one of the most imposing of all the Humming-birds, namely the
SaprHo Comet, or the BAR-TAILED HUMMING-BIRD as it is often called. It is a native of
Bolivia, and is a migratory species, generally going to Eastern Peru in the winter. It is
a remarkably familiar bird, haunting the gardens and orchards while the trees are blos-
soming, especially while the apple-trees are in flower. The males are extremely fierce and
pugnacious, chasing each other through the air with surprising perseverance and acrimony.
Of these birds Mr. Bonelli gives a very spirited description :—

SAPPHO COMET.—Cométes sparganiirus. YARRELL'S WOODSTAR.—Calothorax Yarréllii.

“Tt arrives in the environs of Chuquesaqua in the months of September and October,
and takes up its residence in the shrubberies of the city and the gardens of the Indian
cottages; the hill-side of the neighbouring country, clothed with indigenous trees and
shrubs, also affords it a fit place of abode, whence it descends several times a day to the
cultivated plains below, particularly to the fields of maize, pulse, and other leguminous
plants; the rich flowers of the large cacti are also frequently visited, as they afford it a
constant and abundant supply of insect food.

Soon after their arrival the task of incubation is commenced ; and when the summer is
over, both the old and the young, actuated as it were by the same impulse, wend their way
southward, to return again when the spring has once more gladdened the earth.

The nest is a somewhat loose structure, outwardly composed of interlaced vegetable fibres,
slight twigs, moss, &c., and frequently lined with soft hairs like those of the viscacha, with
the lower portion prolonged considerably below the bottom of the cup-shaped interior,
which is about an inch and a half in diameter and an inch in depth; the total length of
the nest averaging from two and a half to three inches. The nest is placed in situations
similar to those selected for the like purpose by the spotted flycatcher, namely, against the
sides of the walls, supported or entirely sustained by any hanging root or twig that may be

250 THE RUBY AND TOPAZ HUMMING-BIRD.

best adapted to afford it security ; the part of the nest next the wall is much thicker, but of
a looser texture, than the similar portion of the true structure. The eges are two in number,
oblong in form, of a pure white, and about half an imch in length by about five-sixteenths
of an inch in breadth.

The difficulty of shooting these birds is inconceivably great, from the extraordinary
turns and evolutions they make when on the wing; at one instant darting headlong into a
flower, at the next describing a circle in the air with such rapidity, that the eye, unable to
follow the movement, loses sight of it until it again returns to the flower which at first
attracted its attention.”

Magnificent as are these gorgeous birds when mounted as specimens, they lose much of
their beauty in the needful handling, and give but a faint image of their real effulgent
beauty. Many specimens are injured by being left too long before the skins are removed
from the bodies, and in the lands where the Sappho lives, putrefaction takes place with
such rapidity, that a delay of a few hours is fatal to the perfection of the skin. It has been
found that these delicate creatures were much injured by the shot or other missiles
employed in their capture, so a very ingenious trap was made for their especial benefit.
It was noticed that the birds were accustomed to dash into the long pendent blossoms of
certain flowers, so the ingenious collector put a little birdlime into the bottom of every
blossom, and thus secured many an unwary Humming-bird as it came to feed.

In the male bird the head, neck, the upper part of the back, the face, the sides of the
neck, and great part of the under surface, are light green, bronzed on the sides of the neck
and face. The lower part of the back is a deep crimson red. The wings are purple-brown,
and the throat metallic green. The tail is ruddy brown at its base, and the remainder of
its length is a fiery red, tipped with a velvety black band. The female is smaller than the
male, but is not possessed of his length of tail nor brilliancy of hue, her throat being white
spotted with green, and the only piece of crimson being a patch on her back.

THERE is another species belonging to the same genus, which has been called the
PHAON Comet (Cométes Phaon) in allusion to the classical name of the preceding species.
This is equally magnificent with the former, and is altogether a larger bird. It may be
known from the Sappho by the colour of the tail, which is wholly of a crimson red. It
inhabits Peru and Bolivia.

On the same engraving will be seen a much smaller bird, the YARRELL’S WOoDSTAR.

This pretty creature is very rare, and inhabits the eastern parts of Peru and Bolivia.
My. Gould thinks it is limited to the localities between the mountainous ranges and the
sea. In the male, the crown of the head, the whole upper surface of the body, and the
four central tail-feathers, are of a light yellow-green, and the chest, the middle of the
abdomen, and the under tail-coverts are greyish white. Upon the throat there is a
gorget of purple-blue, “shot” with lilac in some lights, and of a brighter blue in the
centre. The wings are greyish-brown, and the lateral feathers of the tail are dark
brown. The total length of the bird is about two and a half inches.

Among other species belonging to the same genus may be mentioned the SHort-
TAILED WoopstaRk (Calothorax micrirus). This odd little bird is remarkable for the
extreme shortness of its tail-feathers, which when closed are, with the exception of the
two central feathers, hidden under the upper tail-coverts. It is generally seen in the
mimosas, and hums very loudly when flying.

THE Rupy AND Topaz HUMMING-BIRD derives its name from the colouring of its
head and throat, the former being of a deep ruby tint, and the latter of a resplendent
topaz. Sometimes it is called the Ruby-headed Humming-bird, and it is also known
under the name of the Aurora. It is very common in Bahia, the Guianas, Trinidad and
the Caraccas, and as it is in great request for the dealers, is killed by thousands annually.
There is no species so common in ornamental cases of Humming-birds as the Ruby and
Topaz. It makes a very beautiful nest, round, cup-like, and delicately woven of
cotton and various fibres, and covered externally with little leaves and bits of lichen.

THE BLUE-TAILED SYLPH. 251

The plumage of this species is extremely variable, but may be described briefly as
follows. The forehead, the crown, and the nape of the neck are metallic ruby red, and
the chin, throat, and chest are effulgent topaz. The upper parts of the body are
velvety bronze-brown, and the wings are purple-brown. The tail is rich chestnut red,
tipped with black, and the abdomen is a dark olive-brown. The female has none of the
ruby patches on the head, but retains a little of the topaz on the throat.

OccupyinG the centre of the illustration
on page 223, may be seen a very striking and
remarkable bird, whose long forked tail ex-
tends completely across the engraving. This
is the BLUE-TAILED SYLPH (Cynanthus cy-
anurus), one of the most beautiful of the
birds which are called by the name of Sylphs,
in allusion to their beautiful form and grace-
ful movements.

This beautiful bird is found in the tem-
perate regions of the Andes, its range ex-
tending as far as Panama. It also inhabits
the sides of the Cordilleras, at an elevation
of five or ten thousand feet above the level
of the sea, as the vegetation of those regions
is most luxuriant in spite of the coldness of
the climate, and affords plentiful nourish-
ment for the Humming-birds. The flower
on which it usually feeds is the Sedum
Quitense, and its flight is extremely rapid as
it darts from one flower to another.

In the male bird the crown of the head is
of a metallic golden green, and the general
colour of the body is a bronze-green, becoming
browner on the under parts. Upon the
throat is a gorget of the most intense purple-
blue, and the wings are purple-brown. The
two central feathers of the magnificent tail
are shining metallic green, the two next are
black at their base and rich blue towards
their extremities, and tipped and edged with
bright metallic green, “shot” with blue. The
outer feathers are black for the first half of
their length, and the remaining portion is
metallic steely blue. Some white feathers RUBY AND TOPAZ HUMMING-BIRD.
are scattered across the end of the abdomen, ee ee
the under tail-coverts are green, and there is
a little white dab above the eye and another

behind it. :
The female is something like the male, but not so bright in colouring. The throat

is ereyish-white covered with green spots, and the abdomen is rusty red, changing into
bronze-green upon the flanks. The young male is duller in colour than the adult, the
tail is shorter, and there is no blue part upon the throat. Like many other of the Hum-
ming-birds, this species is extremely variable in its colouring, especially among the young
males. The length of this species is about seven inches. It is not, however, so remarkable
for the length of its tail as the TRAINBEARER (Lesbia Amaryllis), a native of Quito.
This bird, although a small creature, possesses a long and very straight tail, something
like that of the Polytmus or the Sappho, but much larger in proportion, the length of the
elongated feathers being nearly six inches.

252 THE SUN-GEM.

OnE of the most striking forms among the Humming-birds is that which is exhibited
by Dr LALANDE’S PLOVER-CRES?.

This singular bird is remarkable from the fact that the elevated plume which is placed
upon the head is terminated by a single feather, instead of being double, as is usually the
case with crested birds. This species inhabits the southern parts of Brazil. The nest
which it builds is very pretty, and is ingeniously woven into a tuft of leaves or twigs at
the extremity of some very slender branch, so that the whole structure droops downwards,
end may be reckoned among the pensile
nests. Its form is much elongated, and the
materials of which it is composed are delicate
pieces of roots, mosses and lichens, and
spiders’ webs.

The male bird is the sole possessor of the
beautiful crest, the female being without that
decoration. The crest and the top of the
head are bright green, with the exception of
the long single feather, which is jetty black.
The upper surface is green washed with
bronze, and the breast and abdomen are of
an intense shining violet. Behind the eye
there is a small white streak.

Ir the reader will again refer to the
engraving on page 223, he will see that im-
mediately under the crossed tail-feathers of
the Polytmus and the Cynanthus, a Hum-
ming-bird is represented with outspread
wings and a rather curiously formed tail.
This is the CAYENNE Fatry (LHeliothrix
auritus), an inhabitant of Guiana, Cayenne,
and the forests near the mouth of the
Amazon.

In the male, the general hue of the upper
surface is glossy golden green, very light on
the forehead. The four middle feathers of
the tail are blue-black, and the three exterior
feathers are white. A jetty black line is
drawn across each side of the face, including
the eye in its breadth, and terminated with a
small tuft of violet blue; below the black
runs a luminous green line. The under parts
of the body are snowy white.

DE LALANDE'S PLOVER-CREST. 5 E £
Cephalepis Delalandii. THE very beautiful bird which has been

appropriately named the SuN-GEM inhabits

the mountain ranges of Brazil, especially

those of Minas Geraes, where it seems, as
Mr. Gould poetically remarks, to be a veritable gem sprung out of the mountain and
suddenly gifted with life. It may generally be found in the open country in nursery
grounds, where it finds abundance of the small flowers on which it feeds. During
the rainy season it resorts to the forest, and finds its nourishment in the orchidaceous
plants which flourish there in such rich profusion.

The male bird is remarkable for a very conspicuous crest, which starts from either
side of the head, and has gained for the bird the title of Double-crested Humming-bird.
The name “cornuta,” or horned, refers to this peculiarity. The forehead and crown of
the head are azure blue, and the neck fiery crimson at its base, changing to green near

THE CHIMBORAZIAN HILL-STAR, 253

the centre, and taking a rich golden radiance at the extremity. The throat, the sides
of the face, and the pendent tuft of feathers from the chin are velvety-black. The back
is bronze-green, and the wings purple-brown. The two central feathers of the tail are
olive-brown and the rest white, edged with the same tint. The breast, sides of the neck,
and the upper part of the abdomen are greyish-white, and the remainder of the under
surface is bronze-green. The female has nearly as long a tail as the male, but her throat
is buffy white, and she has no erest on the head nor beard hanging from the chin.

A drawing of this species may be seen on page 233, where it occupies the space
immediately above the Cora’s Shear-tail.

On reference to the engraving on page 227, the reader will see a figure of the AVOcET
HuMMING-BIRD, placed immediately below the drawing of the Ruby-throated Humming-
bird.

This singular species is remarkable for the curious manner in which the bill is eurved
upwards at the extremity, after running nearly straight for the greater part of its length.
As this formation of beak bears some resemblance to that which is found in the well-
known Avocet, the present species has been named the Avocet Humming-bird. When the
first specimen of this bird was brought to Europe, the peculiar shape of the beak was
thought to be accidental, and owing to pressure against the side of the box in which the
bird had been packed ; but it is now clear that the structure is intentional, and that, im all
probability, it subserves some very important purpose. Some persons have suggested,
with some show of reason, that the beak is recurved in order to enable the bird to feed
upon the nectar and insects which reside in the deepest recesses of certain tubular
flowers.

It is a pretty bird, but is not gifted with the gorgeous and dazzling hues which are
so lavishly shed upon the plumage of many Humming-birds. The head and the whole
of the upper parts of the body are shining golden-green, and the throat is bright emerald.
The under parts are also gold-green, with the exception of a black streak that runs from
the breast through the centre of the abdomen, ‘The wings are purple-brown, and the
lateral feathers of the tail are topaz.

Our ideas of Humming-birds are naturally associated with the tropical climate and
burning sun of the regions which they inhabit, and few persons would think of looking
for any species of Humming-bird in a locality where the temperature seldom rises above
that of an ordinary English winter. Yet the CammBoraziIAN HILiL-STaR is never found
except upon the elevated portions of the lofty mountains from which it derives its
name, and inhabits exclusively the very edges of the line of perpetual snow.

This bird is never seen on any spot that is less than twelve thousand feet above the
level of the sea, and is most commonly seen at a much greater elevation, specimens
having been obtained on spots that are at least sixteen thousand feet above the ocean.
Beyond this height the creature cannot live, as the line of perpetual snow commences at
that point, and places an effectual barrier against the growth of the plants on which the bird
finds its subsistence. The two sexes are seldom seen near each other, the males preferring
to haunt the extremities of the loftiest branches, while the females hover near the ground.
Partly owing to this peculiarity, and partly on account of her sober tinting, the female
generally escapes observation. The plant on which the Chimborazian Hill-star is usually
found is the Chuquiraqua insignis, a flowering alpine shrub, with large pale yellow
blossoms, and the bird is so closely attached to this shrub, that it is never found at any
great distance from its golden flowers.

The nest of this species is made of lichens, and is fastened to the side of a rock in some
situation where it is protected by an overhanging ledge of rock.

Except upon the head and throat, the Chimborazian Hill-star is not so brilliantly
clothed as many of its compeers, but upon those parts the creature shines with rainbow
lightness. The general colour of the upper parts of the body is pale dusky olive-green,
with the exception of the wings, which have the purple-brown tint usual among Humming-
birds. The under parts are white, deepening into dusky black upon the under tail-coverts,

254 THE GILT-CRESTED HUMMING-BIRD,

and there is a line of black down the centre of the abdomen. The head and throat are of
the brightest and most resplendent blue, with the exception of an emerald-green patch in
the centre of the throat. This patch is triangular in shape, and has one of the angles
pointing upwards. Round the neck runs a broad collar of deep velvety black, abruptly
dividing the brilliant hue of the head and throat from the plain black and white of the
chest and abdomen, and giving the bird an appearance as if the head and throat of some
brightly coloured bird had been
joined to the neck and body of a
plainly clad individual of another
species. The two central feathers
of the tail are nearly of the same
hue as that of the back, the two
exterior feathers are white for the
first third of their length, and
ereenish-black for the remaining
two-thirds, while the other feathers
are white, edged with greenish-
black.

The female is a very soberly
clad bird, being olive-green upon
the head, white spotted with green
upon the throat, and the remainder
of the body olive-green, white, and
brownish black.

THERE are several species of
Hill-stars, among which the Pr
CHINCHIAN HILL-STAR is the most
remarkable.

This bird is very local, in-
habiting the volcanic mountain
of Pichinca, in the republic of
Ecuador, and being only found in
a zone of five or six hundred
feet in width, at an elevation of
about eleven hundred feet above
the level of the sea. It is a very
remarkable fact, that although
both these species mhabit vol-
canie mountains within thirty
miles of each other, and are found
at nearly the same elevation, the
Pichinchian Hill-star is never seen
upon Chimborazo, nor the Chim-
borazian Hill-star upon Pichinea.
This species is very like the pre-
CHIMBORAZIAN HILL-STAR.—Oreotréchilus Chimborézo. ceding, but may be easily dis-
tinguished by the absence of the
trianeular green spot upon the
throat.

Upon the engraving on page 223, and in the upper left-hand corner, the reader will
observe a very elegantly shaped little bird, sitting close to its nest. This is the GiLT-
CRESTED HUMMING-BIRD (Orthorhynchus extlis), an inhabitant of Martinique and other
West Indian islands, where it is always found upon the low-lying grounds.

In colour it is very pretty, the general hue of its body being green with bronze reflec-
tions, and its crest glowing with golden-green and emerald; the emerald hue being most

VERVAIN HUMMING-BIRD.—Mellisuga minima.

conspicuous towards its point, and the gold towards the base. ‘The nest is a very pretty
compact little structure, beautifully rounded, and composed chiefly of cotton fibres, inter-
mixed with the dried involucres of certain composite plants, and bound together with
spiders’ web.

THE beautiful little VervAIN HUMMING-BIRD is one of the minutest examples of
feathered life that are at present known to zoologists. In total length this bird does not
measure three inches ; while, as the tail occupies nearly an inch and the head half an inch,
the actual length of the body will be seen to be not quite an inch anda half. It is a
native of Jamaica, and has been admirably described by Mr. Gosse, while treating of the
birds which inhabit that island.

The name of Vervain Humming-bird has been given to this tiny creature, because it is
in the habit of feeding on the blossoms of the West Indian Vervain, but it is also known
under a variety of other titles, and has been described by many scientific writers under
different names. Speaking of this bird, Mr. Gosse says :—

“The West Indian Vervain (Stachytarpheta) is one of the most common weeds in
neglected pastures, shooting up everywhere its slender columns set around with blue
flowers to the height of a foot. About these our little Humming-bird is abundant during
the summer months, pecking the azure blossoms a few inches from the ground. It visits
the spikes in succession, flitting from one to another exactly in the manner of the honey-
bee, and with the same business-like application and industry. In the winter, the abun-
dance of other flowers, and the paucity of vervain blossoms, induce its attentions to the
hedge-rows and woods.

I have sometimes watched with much delight the evolutions of this little species at the
moringa tree. When only one is present, he pursues the round of the blossoms soberly
enough. But if two are at the tree, one will fly off and suspend himself in the air a few
yards distant, the other presently starts off to him, and then, without touching each other,
they mount upward with strong rushing wings, perhaps for five hundred feet. They then
separate, and each starts diagonally towards the ground like a ball from a rifle, and
wheeling round comes up to the blossoms again, and sucks as if it had not moved away
at all.

Frequently one alone will mount in this manner, or dart on invisible wing diagonally
upwards, looking exactly ike a humble-bee. Indeed, the figure of the smaller Hummine-
birds on the wing, their rapidity, their wavering course, and their whole manner of flight,

256 NESTS OF HUMMING-BIRDS.

are entirely those of an insect, and any one who has watched the flight of a large beetle or
bee will have a very good idea of these tropic gems painted against the sky.”

The Vervain Humming-bird appears to be less susceptible of human influence than
the Ruby-throated and the Long-tailed Humming-birds, for although Mr. Gosse succeeded
in capturing several specimens of these beautiful little creatures, and confined them in a
room, they were so hopelessly timid that nothing could be done with them. More than
once he secured the female as she was sitting upon her eggs, and removed her, together
with her nest, into a gauze-covered cage, hoping that she would continue her labours while
in captivity, and produce a brood of young that would be familiar with mankind from
their earliest birth. Maternal love, however, was not proof against the power of fear, and
in every case the poor little bird forsook her eggs, fluttered about the cage aimlessly, and
died within twenty-four hours.

The general colour of this beautiful little bird is a brilliant metallic green, the wings
being, as usual, purple-brown, and the tail deep black. The throat and chin are white,
sprinkled profusely with little black spots, and the breast is pure white. The abdomen is
also white, but diversified with a slight green tip to each feather, and the flanks are bright
metallic green nearly as resplendent as upon the back. The under tail-coverts are white,
with a few very pale green spots. The colours of the female are rather more dull than
those of her mate, the green being tinged with yellow, and the under parts without the
green spots. The first half of the tail is yellowish-green, and all the feathers of the tail,
with the exception of the two central feathers, are furnished with white tips.

The nest of the Vervain Humming-bird is very small, in accordance with the dimen-
sions of the architect, is round and cup-like in shape, and beautifully constructed of cotton
fibres and other soft and warm substances. As is the case with the nests of almost all
the species of Trochilide, the rim is so made as to curve slightly inwards, and is, in all
probability, constructed for the purpose of preventing the eggs from rolling out of the
nest when the “procreant cradle” is rocked by the tempestuous winds of the tropics. A
somewhat similar structure may be seen in the nests of many of our British birds,
and I well remember seeing the nest of a goldfinch which had been built at the extremity
of a long and slender horizontal spray of oak, and which was completely turned inwards
at the rim. No ordinary wind could have shaken the eggs out of the nest, as even
when the branch was seized and drawn towards the ground, the eggs still remained in
their places.

In one species, which was watched by Captain Lyon, R.N., the nest was not completed
until the young birds were nearly fledged.

The mother bird built a small and rather shallow nest, in which she laid two eggs, and
began to sit as usual. As soon, however, as the young were hatched, she set to work again
at her nest, and added fresh material round the edges, so as to raise the sides and prevent
her offspring from tumbling out of their house upon the ground. In proportion to the
growth of the young, the mother increased the height of her walls, so that by the time the
young were ready to fly, the nest had been transformed from a shallow, saucer-like struc-
ture, into a round and deeply-hollowed cup. It has been suggested in explanation of this
curious behaviour on the part of the mother bird, that her completed nest had been
destroyed, and that she was forced to run up a hasty kind of hut for the reception of her
young, and could only finish it when she was relieved from the constant duty of sitting on
her eggs.

In the nesting of the Humming-birds, there is one peculiarity that is worthy of a
passing notice. In almost every case where a nest has hitherto been discovered, the
materials of which it is composed are thick, soft and woollen, and in all instances are
arranged in such a manner as to shield the eggs even from the effects of rain or
atmospheric influences, as long as the mother bird is seated upon them. Mr. R. Hill,
who has paid close attention to the nests of the Humming-birds, has ingeniously hit
upon a connexion between their structure and the electrical conditions of the atmosphere.

The injurious effect of a sudden increase of electricity is very strongly marked upon
the young of all animals, the hurtful influence being in proportion to the crowth of the

VOICE AND PLUMAGE. 257

victim. Eggs are peculiarly susceptible to the influence of electricity, and even when the
chick is partially matured, are often killed by a passing thunderstorm. In climates where
thunderstorms are so frequent and violent as in the lands which are inhabited by these
birds, it is needful that the eggs should be protected from the deadly influence, and we
accordingly find that the nests are oval or rounded in shape, and are made of substances
which are bad conductors of electricity. In accordance with this principle, Mr. Hill
proceeds to remark that “in tropical climates, there are a greater number of birds that
build close nests than in the temperate climates of Europe. In the West Indian Islands,
with the exception of the pigeon tribes and the Humming-birds (which latter build deep,
thick, cottony nests), the nests are almost uniformly circular coverings of dried grass,
varied by intermingled cotton, moss and feathers, with an opening from below, or an
entrance at the side.

The Banana bird weaves a hammock of fibres, sometimes of horse-hair, deep and
purse-like, and loosely netted ; the Muscicapa olivacea (a fly-catcher), a hanging cot of
withered leaves, straw, moss, fibrous thread, and spiders’ webs fitted together ; and the
mocking-bird builds in the midst of ~ mass of wicker-work a neat nest of straw lined
with hair. The woodpecker and the parrots take to hollow trees, but I hardly know any
arboreal beside which constructs any nest that is not wholly covered or domed over.

Very many insects that are exposed to the air during their metamorphoses weave
coverings of silk and cotton, in which they lie shrouded, at once impenetrable to moisture,
and uninfluenced by the disturbances of the atmosphere. It would seem that the object,
whatever it be, is the same in both. It is not for warmth that the insects spin these webs,
for they form their coverings of silk and cotton in the hottest period of the year; and I
find that whilst all our birds that build open nests (the Humming-Birds build in May,
June, and later) breed early, those that construct the domed and spherical ones nestle in the
season between the spring and autumnal rains, when the air is saturated with electricity,
and is in a state of constant change.”

THE semi-musical voice of the Vervain Humming-bird has already been mentioned.
With this exception, the Humming-birds seem to be without any melodious song, and
even in this case the song appears to be little more than a pleasing twitter, without
much melody, combination of notes, or musical force. Indeed, as a general rule, it is
found that the most brilliant songsters among the birds are attired in the plainest garb ;
and it may safely be predicted of any peculiarly gorgeous bird, that power, quality, and
sweetness of voice, are in inverse ratio to its beauty of plumage.

To this rule there are some exceptions, but these are more in appearance than in
reality. For example, the well-known blue-bird of America is very beautiful in plumage,
and yet possesses a song whose “low xolian twitterings greet the morn.” The canary-
bird again possesses, together with its brilliant voice, some degree of beauty in the
colouring of its plumage. But it must be remembered that the song of the Blue-bird
is, although sweet and pleasing, by no means remarkable for brilliancy of power, and that
the canary has little right to be ranked among the bright-plumaged birds, as a very great
proportion of the best songsters are of a dull olive green, hardly more showy than the
common linnet, and less so than the goldfinch or yellow-hammer. The goldfinch again
possesses a low sweet song, but has very little vocal force, requiring to be crossed with the
canary before it attains any strength of voice.

Reference is, however, especially made to those birds whose plumage is of a peculiarly
resplendent character, absorbing, transmuting, and reproducing all the colours of which
we are cognizant, and almost dazzling the eyes of the spectator with their exceeding
splendour. Such plumage is to be found among the Humming-birds more than among
any other feathered creatures ; although there are examples of redundant brilliancy of
attire in many other birds, such as the poe bird, the promerops, some of the sun-birds, and
our own common kinefisher. In all these creatures, the male possesses no real song, the
glorious beauty of the feathers compensating him and his mate for the absence of poetic
utterance. Why this should be the case is a problem which has long attracted the
attention of observant men, and it seems to me that a key may be found to its solution

2. S

258 SONG, FORM, SCENT AND COLOUR.

in the now acknowledged fact that sound and colour run in parallel lines through creation,
and closely correspond with each other in their several relations. Some of my readers
may be aware that a chromatic piano has been made by some ingenious inventor, although
at present the popular mind has not been sufficiently interested in this abstruse subject,
to have bestowed upon so admirable an invention the notice which it deserves.

It is also well known that certain sounds are suggestive of certain colours, and vice
versd, as has been forcibly exemplified in the well-known experiment upon a congenitally
blind person, whose power of vision was developed by means of a surgical operation, and
who said that the colour scarlet reminded him of a trumpet blast. It may be, therefore,
that on the one side the bird which is possessed of a good voice and a plain dress, pours
forth his love and manifests his sympathetic emotions in gushing strains, which are
addressed to the ears of his mate; again, the bright-plumaged bird utters his voiceless
song by the vivid hues that flash from his glittering attire, the eye being the only medium
through which his partner, whose ears are not attuned to melody, could realize the fulness
of his emotional utterance. The one showers his musical notes ike vocal rainbows, and
the other scatters his scintillating coruscations of many-coloured light in fiercely flashing
or softly blending tints of most living hues, and whether through sweet song or glittering
vesture, the creature utters the love and sympathy of its nature.

At regularly recurrent intervals, an effluence of Divine Love is poured out upon all
organic nature, and finds its level and outburst in graceful form, in sweet sound, in
brilliant colouring or in odorous scent, and beyond and above all in these acts of maternal
and self-sacrificing love which permeate the entire universe, and are more tinged with
divinity than any of the preceding forms because more noiseless and less obtrusive.

Eyen in flowers the same principle is manifested, for they only put forward their
fragrant perfume and gleaming corollas while their offspring is being developed, and
as soon as the seed is perfected they lose both scent and petals until the next season
of love.

The female needs no song or glittering plumage for the expression of her love, for she
performs in loving acts the sympathies which her mate expresses in colour, form, or sound,
and while imparting the divine element of love to her callow young, she utters and
incarnates her song of praise through the coming generations. These elements of the
being, which in the male bird are modified into glorious plumage or vocal melody,
are from her transmitted to her descendants, and pass away from her individual self,
to be universally and eternally reproduced and multiplied in the persons of the future
offspring. He sings the song, but she performs it, and manifests her love in a melody
more fruitful than that of her mate, because so many beings are evolved from it. She
cherishes and nourishes, he protects and provides.

The mother freely gives her whole being for the welfare of her young, and finds the
most exquisite delight in utter abnegation of self. She often robs herself of her own
covering, tearing away her warmest feathers to make a soft nest for her young, taming the
ever restless bird-nature to absolute quietness, and chaining herself for successive weeks
to the one single spot on which all her hopes are concentrated. Her very life itself is
valueless in her eyes as long as she holds in her charge the lives of her young; and she
who would but a few weeks before have fled in terror from the meanest foe, now with her
feeble powers of offence boldly faces the hawk, the stoat, the snake, and even man
himself, and her fear being conquered by her love, boldly attacks with dauntless heart
the would-be destroyer of her domestic peace.

When by age or injury the reproductive element cannot be carried out in the usual
manner, it manifests itself in outward form, and thus we often see the aged hen assume
the warrior armature and plumage of Chanticleer himself. And when the season of love
is over, and the young are launched upon the world, the female is released from her home
cares, shakes off the chains which have trammelled her so long, and exultingly disports
herself once more in the open fields and forests; the male lays aside his splendid raiment
and ceases his melodious song, needing no longer to cheer the spirit of his mate and
nestlings by his exertions, and even the very flowers doff their raiment and quench
their fragrance until a fresh infusion of the love element shall so intensify and vivity

THE OVEN-BIRD. 259

their being that they burst forth with a renewed and redundant beauty, and repeat the
same great lesson to those who have eyes to see and ears to hear.

It is evident that song, form, colour and odour are conductors of some subtle and most
powerful influence, which is inhaled into the inmost nature of the young and tender
beings now being moulded into their matured development, and imbues and inter-
penetrates their dual nature with the same element of love. For although there may be
many modes of affecting our senses, through touch, or taste, or scent, or sight, or hearing,
all these senses must be reduced to one principal faculty of perception, which in human
beings is reached through various channels of communication with the outer world. It
is not the eye that sees nor the ear that hears, for they exist as perfectly in the lifeless
corpse as in the animated and active human form; but the eye and the ear are only the
window and the door, through which the inmost sensual faculty inherent in the soul is
enabled to communicate with things that are of a grosser and less ethereal nature than itself.

At times we are all so exalted that we become dimly conscious that there are other
ways of affecting our perceptive nature than through those means which we commonly
call the five senses. Who has not conversed without a word spoken on either side ?
Who, by the mystical workings of their inmost nature, has not perceived the presence of a
loving and sympathising friend, or a deadly and vengeful foe, before sight or hearing has
given any premonition of his approach? Sometimes the senses perform each other's duty,
and we are hardly conscious to which of them we owe the impression that is being made
upon our mind. If for example we read a book, we hear the words as if uttered in
sound ; while, if we listen to conversation, the articulate sounds arrange themselves in
alphabetical form before our mental eye, ready to be placed on paper if needed.

WE now arrive at the large family of the CeRTHIDs, or Creepers; a family which
includes many birds of very different forms, and which can only be known to belong to
it by their anatomical structure. In fact, the Creepers may be considered as analogous
among birds to the antelopes among mammalia, and be considered as a “refuge for the
destitute,” formed for the purpose of receiving all the slender-billed birds which cannot
find accommodation in any other more definite family.

The Certhidze are mostly small birds, but there is one notable exception in the person
of the celebrated lyre-bird of Australia. Many of them are good songsters, and they all
feed chiefly upon insects, which they pick out of the bark of trees or unearth from the
soil, The beak is rather long and slender, except perhaps in the nuthatch, which, although
comparatively long, is possessed of great strength; and there is always a curve more or
less marked. The beak is always sharp at its extremity, and the nostrils are placed in a
little groove at the base of the bill, and defended by a membranous scale. The feet are,
although slender in several species, possessed of remarkable strength, and furnished with
sharp round claws, in order to enable the birds to cling to the tree-trunks in which they
find their food.

The OvEN-BIRDS derive their name from the peculiar form of their nests.

The edifice, for it fully deserves that name, is of considerable dimensions when
compared with the small size of its architect, and is built in the shape of a dome, the
entrance being on one side, so as to present a decided resemblance to an ordinary oven.
The walls of the nest are fully an inch in thickness, and the materials of which the
structure is composed are clay, grass, and various kinds of vegetable substances, which
are woven and plastered together in so workmanlike a manner, that the nest is quite
hard and firm when the clay has been dried in the sun. The bird seems to be conscious
of the security of its nest, for it takes no pains to conceal its habitation, but builds
openly upon some exposed spot, such as the large leafless branch of a tree, the top of
palings, or even the interior of houses or barns.

The Oven-bird is not content with barely building this curious domed structure, but
adds to its security by separating it into two parts, by means of a partition reaching
nearly to the roof, the eggs being placed in the inner chamber. The bed on which the
eggs are placed consists mostly of feathers and soft grasses. The number of the eggs is

generally about four.
82

260 THE SYNALLAXINE BIRDS.

The Oven-bird is a bold little creature, caring nothing, as has already been implied,
for the close proximity of man, and attacking fiercely any other bird that might happen
to approach too closely to its residence, screeching detiantly the while. It is a quick,
active bird, tripping over the ground with great rapidity while searching after its prey,
and is almost invariably found in company with its mate. The flight of the Oven-bird is
not at all strong, and it seldom indulges in any aerial excursions beyond a short flight
from one bush to another. Both sexes take part in the construction of the nest, each
going alternately for supplhes of clay, straw, and grass-stems, working them well together,
and then flying for a fresh load as soon as its mate has arrived. It feeds principally on
insects, having a special liking for those of the beetle kind.

OVEN-BIRD.—Purndrius fuliginosus.

There is an allied genus of Oven-birds, termed CINCLODES, the members of which are
found upon the western coasts of South America, and generally frequent the sea-shore,
where they feed upon the smaller crustaceans and molluses. They are rather daring little
birds, and will seek their prey at some distance from shore, perching upon the fronds of
floating sea-weed, and pecking out the various marine creatures that are always to be
found in such localities. Like the true Oven-birds, they are careless of the presence of
man, and are so fearless that they can almost be taken by hand. Indeed, one voyager
relates that he killed ten of these little birds with a stick without any difficulty, and
hardly having to change his position.

ANOTHER small group of the Certhide is known to zoologists by the title of SyNAL-
LAXINE Brrbs, and distinguished by the greater length of the outer toe, and its juncture
to the middle toe nearly as far as the first joimt. The hinder toe is long and rather
powerful, and all the claws are sharply curved, pointed, and strong. The tail is rather
long, and is almost always pointed, like that of the common creeper of England.

The Synallaxine birds are inhabitants of tropical America, and, like the oven-birds,
are notable for the very curious nest which they construct. Although these birds are of
small dimensions, they all build nests which might easily be attributed to the labours of
some hawk or crow. The nest of one species is often from three to four feet in length,
and is placed very openly in some low bush, where it escapes notice on account of its resem-
blance to a bunch of loose sticks thrown carelessly together by the wind. In its interior,
however, the edifice is very carefully made, and, like the nest of the oven-birds, is divided
into two recesses, the eggs being laid in the inner apartment, upon a bed of soft feathers.

The Synallaxine birds are generally found upon the trees, which they traverse with
great rapidity in search of the various insects on which they feed, and may often be seen

THE COMMON TREE CREEPER. 261

running about upon the ground, peering anxiously into every little hole and cranny, and
dragging slugs, snails, worms, and beetles from the recesses in which they are accustomed
to conceal themselves during the hours of daylight.

ANOTHER very small group of the Creepers is represented by the CURVED-BILLED

CREEPER, a bird about the size of an English blackbird, which is found in the forests of
Brazil.
» It is chiefly remarkable from the curiously-formed bill, which is very long in proportion
to the size of the bird, and is
curved in a manner that can best
be understood by reference to the
engraving. The bill, although so
much elongated, is possessed of
considerable streneth, and is evi-
dently employed for the purpose
of drawing the insects on which
the creature feeds from the crevices
of the bark in which they dwell.
As is indicated by the stiff and
sharply-pointed feathers of the
tail, the Curved-billed Creeper is
in the habit of traversing the
trunks of trees, and is able to
support itself in a perpendicular
position by hooking its long curved
claws into the inequalities of the
bark, and resting the weight of its
body upon the stiff tail-feathers.
The general colour of this bird is
brown, with a wash of cinnamon
upon the greater part of the sur-
face. The head and neck are of
a greyer.brown, and spotted with
white.

WE now arrive at the true
Creepers, of which birds our well-
known ENGLISH CREEPER is an
excellent example.

This little bird is one of the
prettiest and most interesting of
the feathered tribes that are found
in this country. Ht is a very small
bird, hardly so large as a sparrow,
and beautifully slender im shape.
The bill is rather long, pointed,
and curved, and the tail-feathers CURVED-BILLED CREEPER.—Dendrocolaptes procurvus.
are stiff and pointed at their
extremities. The food of the
Creeper consists chiefly of insects,
although the bird will sometimes vary its diet by seeds and other vegetable substances.
The insects on which it feeds live principally under the bark of various rough-skinned
trees, and when it is engaged in running after its food, it runs spirally up the trunk
with wonderful ease and celerity, probing every crevice with ready adroitness, its .whole
frame instinct with sparkling eagerness, and its little black eyes glancing with the
exuberance of its delight. While running on the side of the tree which is nearest
to the spectator, it presents a very curious appearance, as its dark-brown back and

262 HABITS OF THE TREE CREEPER.

quick tripping movements give it a great resemblance to a mouse, and ever and anon,
as it comes again into sight from the opposite side of the trunk, its beautifully white
breast gleams suddenly in contrast with the sombre-coloured bark. Its eyes are wonder-
fully keen, as it will discern insects of so minute a form that the human eye can hardly
perceive them, and it seems to possess some instinctive mode of detecting the presence of
its insect prey beneath moss or lichens, and will perseveringly bore through the substance
in which they are hidden, never failing to secure them at last.

The Creeper is a very timid bird, and if it is alarmed at the sight of a human being,
it will either fly off to a distant tree, or will quietly slip round the trunk of the tree on
which it is running, and keep itself carefully out of sight. It soon, however, gains
confidence, and, provided that the spectator remains perfectly quiet, the little head and
white breast may soon be seen peering anxiously round the trunk, and in a few minutes the
bird will resume its progress upon the tree, and run cheerily up the bark, accompanying
itself with its faint trilling song. It seldom attempts a long flight, seeming to content
itself with flitting from tree to tree.

Although so timid a _ bird, the
Creeper soon becomes familiarized with
those whom it is accustomed to see,
provided that they treat it kindly, and
will even come to receive food from
their hands. In one instance that has
come to my knowledge, the little birds
were seen to frequent the patches of
gum that exude from the bark of
several trees, and in one spot where a
number of small branches united, so
as to form a kind of cup or hollow, a
little heap of gum was found, which
seemed to have been placed there by the
Creepers, as they were constantly seen
haunting the spot. Feeling sure that
the birds fed upon the gum, the spec-
tators used to supply their larder not
only with gum, but with crumbs of
bread, different seeds, and little morsels
of raw meat, which disappeared as
regularly as they were provided.

Some persons have supposed that
in climbing the trees it uses its beak,
after the manner of the parrots and
other climbing birds. This, however,
is not the case, as the beak is only
employed for the purpose of probing
the bark, and the whole progression is achieved by means of the long, curved, and
sharply-pointed claws, which retain their hold so firmly, that I have seen a Creeper
hang by its claws after it had been shot, and remain firmly fixed to the bark long
after life had fled.

The Creeper is a very nervous bird, and may be temporarily paralysed by a smart blow
given to the tree or branch on which it is running. Expert bird-catching boys will often
secure this bird by flinging a stone or heavy stick at the tree, and then pouncing on the
bird before it has recovered from its alarm. It can even be struck from its hold by
suddenly running round the tree, and delivering a sharp blow upon the part of the trunk
on which it is clinging. It also takes advantage of the uniform brown tint of its back
to conceal itself from a real or fancied foe, by clinging closely to the tree, and pressing
itself so flatly into some crevice, that a human eye can scarcely distinguish it from the
bark. The Creeper does not confine itself exclusively to trees, but has often been seen

COMMON TREE CREEPER.—Cérthia familiaris.

THE NUTHATCH. 263

running up old walls, and seeking for the insects that are always to be found in such
localities.

The nest of the Creeper is usually made in the hollow of some decaying tree, and is
made of grasses, leaves, and vegetable fibres, and lined with feathers. The eggs are very
small, about seven or eight in number, and of an ashen-grey colour, sprinkled with little
grey-brown spots. Sometimes it builds in the hole of an old wall, and has been known
to make its nest in a disused spout.

The WALL CREEPER is a native of central
and southern Europe, and is found plentifully
in all suitable localities. It is called the
Wall Creeper because it frequents walls and
perpendicular rocks in preference to tree
trunks.

In its movements it does not resemble
the common Creeper; for, instead of running
over the walls with a quick and even step, it
flies from point to point with little jerking
movements of the wing, and when it has ex-
plored the spot on which it has alighted,
takes flight for another. The food of this
bird is similar to that of the common
Creeper, but it is especially fond of spiders
and their eggs, finding them plentifully in
the localities which it frequents. Old ruined
castles are favourite places of resort for this
bird, as are also the precipitous faces of
rugged rocks.

The nest of the Wall Creeper is made
in the cleft of some lofty rock, or in one
of the many holes which are so plentifully
found in the old ruined edifices which it
so loves.

In colour the Wall Creeper is a very
pretty bird, the general colour of the plu-
mage being light grey, relieved by a patch of
bright crimson upon the shoulders, the larger
wing-coverts, and the inner webs of the
secondaries, The remainder of the quill-
feathers of the wing are black, and the tail
is black tipped with white. It is a much
larger bird than the Creeper of England,
measuring about six inches in total length.

WALL CREEPER,—Tichédroma murdrius.

THERE is a curious genus of the Creeping-bird, known by the name of CLIMACTERIS.
All the members of this genus are inhabitants of Australia, and notices of the individual
species may be seen in Mr. Gould’s well-known work on the birds of that country. They
are generally found upon the tall gum-trees, traversing their rugged bark with great
rapidity, and probing the crevices in search of insects, after the manner of the common
English Creeper. They do not confine themselves to the bark, but may often be seen
running into the “spouts,” or hollow branches, which are so often found in the gum-trees,
and hunting out the various nocturnal insects which take refuge in these dark recesses
during the hours of daylight.

The Nuthatches form another group of the Certhide, and are represented in England
by the common Nurwarcr of our woods. They are all remarkable for their peculiarly
stout and sturdy build, their strong, pointed, cylindrical beaks, and their very short tails.

264 HABITS OF THE NUTHATCH.

The Nuthatch, although by no means a rare bird, is seldom seen except by those who
are acquainted with its haunts, on account of its shy and retiring habits. As it feeds
mostly on nuts, it is seldom seen except in woods or their immediate vicinity, although it
will sometimes become rather bold, and frequent gardens and orchards where nuts are grown.
The bird also feeds upon insects, which it procures from under the bark after the manner
of the creepers, and it is not unlikely that many of the nuts which are eaten by the Nut-
hatch have been inhabited by the grub of the nut weevil. It will also feed upon the seeds
of different plants, especially preferring those which it pecks out of the fir-cones. Beech
mast also seems grateful to its palate, and it will occasionally take to eating fruit.

In order to extract the kernel of the nut, the bird fixes the fruit securely in some con-
venient crevice, and, by dint of repeated hammerings with its beak, breaks a large ragged
hole in the shell, through which the kernel is readily extracted. The blows are not merely
given by the stroke of the beak, but the bird grasps firmly with its strong claws, and
swinging its whole body upon its feet, delivers its stroke with the full weight and sway of
the body.

NUTHATCH.—Sitta Europea.

The beak, by means of which this feat is accomplished, is remarkably strong and
powerful, and can be used with a vigour and endurance that is quite astonishing. Many
instances of its powers have been narrated, among which we may mention that one of
these birds which had been captured in a common brick trap, and had remained in its
dark cell for some hours, was found when released to have been deprived of one-third of
its beak, which had evidently been ground away by the continual pecking which had
been kept up at the bricks. The person who caught the bird and who narrated the tale is
the Reverend Mr. Bree. Another of these birds that had been put into a cage, immediately
began to hammer at the wooden supports of its prison, and although severely wounded in
the wing, refused to cease from its exertions except to eat and drink, both of which opera-
tions it performed with the greatest coolness. For two days the poor bird continued to
peck unceasingly at his cage, and at the close of the second day, sank under its extra-
ordinary exertions.

The Nuthatch is a capital climber of tree-trunks, even surpassing the creeper in the
agility with which it ascends and descends the perpendicular surface, clinging firmly with
its strong claws, and running equally well whether its head be upwards or downwards.

THE LYRE-BIRD. 265

Even the creeper does not attempt to run down a tree with its head towards the ground.
Tt is a very hardy bird, continuing to pick up an abundant supply of food even in the
depths of winter, always appearing plump and lively.

The nest of the Nuthatch is placed in the hollow of a decaying tree, and the bird
always chooses some hole to which there is but a small entrance. Should the orifice be
too large to please its taste, it ingeniously builds up the orifice with clay and mud, pro-
bably to prevent the intrusion of any other bird. If any foe should venture too near the
nest, the mother bird becomes exceeding valiant, and dashing boldly at her enemy, bites
and pecks so vigorously with her powerful beak, hissing and scolding the while, that she
mostly succeeds in driving away the assailant. The nest is a very inartificial structure,
made chiefly of dried leaves laid loosely upon the decaying wood, and rudely scraped into
the form of a nest.

In its colour the Nuthatch is rather a pretty bird, of pleasing though not of brilliantly
tinted plumage. The general colour of the upper parts is a delicate bluish-grey, the throat
is white, and the abdomen and under parts are reddish-brown, warming into rich chestnut
on the flanks. From the angle of the mouth a narrow black band passes towards the
back of the neck, enveloping the eye in its course and terminating suddenly before it
reaches the shoulders. The tail is black on the base and grey towards the tip, except the
two outer tail-feathers, which have each a black spot near the extremity. The shafts are
also black.

We now arrive at the family of the Wrens, in which group we find two birds so dissi-
milar in outward appearance as apparently to belong to different orders, the one being the
common Wren of England, and the other the celebrated LyrE-Brrp of Australia.

This bird, which also goes under the name of NATIVE PHEASANT among the colonists,
and is generally called BULLEN-BULLEN by the natives, on account of its peculiar cry,
would, if it had been known to the ancients, have been consecrated to Apollo, its
lyre-shaped tail and flexible voice giving it a double claim to such honours. The extra-
ordinary tail of this bird is often upwards of ten feet in length, and consists of sixteen
feathers, formed and arranged in a very curious and graceful manner. The two outer
feathers are broadly webbed, and, as may be seen in the illustration, are curved in a manner
that gives to the widely-spread tail the appearance of an ancient lyre. When the tail is
merely held erect and not spread, the two lyre-shaped feathers cross each other, and
produce an entirely different outline. The two central tail-feathers are narrowly webbed,
and all the others are modified with long slender shafts, bearded by alternate feathery
filaments, and well representing the strings of the lyre.

The tail is seen in its greatest beauty between the months of June and September,
after which time it is shed, to make its first reappearance in the ensuing February or
March. The habits of this bird are very curious, and are so well and graphically related
by Mr. Gould, that they must be given in his own words :—

The great stronghold of the Lyre-bird is the colony of New South Wales, and from
what I could learn, its range does not extend so far to the eastward as Moreton Bay,
neither have I been able to trace it to the westward of Port Phillip on the southern coast ;
but further research can only determine these points. It inhabits equally the bushes on
the coast and those that clothe the sides of the mountains in the interior. On the coast it
is especially abundant at the Western Port and Illawarra; in the interior, the cedar
brushes of the Liverpool range, and according to Mr. G. Bennett, the mountains of the
Tumat country, are among the places of which it is the denizen.

Of all the birds I have ever met with, the Menura is far the most shy and difficult to
procure. While among the mountains I have been surrounded by these birds, pouring
forth their loud and liquid calls for days together, without being able to get a sight of
them, and it was only by the most determined perseverance and extreme caution that
I was enabled to effect this desirable object, which was rendered more difficult by their
often frequenting the almost inaccessible and precipitous sides of gullies and ravines,
covered with tangled masses of creepers and umbrageous trees: the cracking of a stick,
the rolling down of a small stone, or any other noise, however slight, is sufficient to alarm

LYRE BIRD.—Menira superba.

it; and none but those who have traversed these rugged, hot, and suffocating bushes, can
fully understand the anxious labour attendant on the pursuit of the Menura.

Independently of climbing over rocks and fallen trunks of trees, the sportsman has to.
creep and crawl beneath and among the branches with the utmost caution, taking care
only to advance while the bird’s attention is occupied in singing, or in scratching up the
leaves in search of food: to watch its action it is necessary to remain perfectly motionless,
not venturing to move even in the slightest degree, or it vanishes from sight as if by
magic. Although I have said so much on the cautiousness of the Menura, it is not always
so alert; in some of the more accessible bushes through which roads have been cut, it
may frequently be seen, and on horseback even closely approached, the bird evincing less
fear of those animals than of man.

At Illawarra it is sometimes successfully pursued by dogs trained to rush suddenly
upon it, when it immediately leaps upon the branch of a tree, and its attention being
attracted by the dog below barking, it is easily approached and shot. Another successful
mode of procuring specimens is by wearing the tail of a full-plumaged male in the hat,
keeping it constantly in motion, and concealing the person among the bushes, when, the
attention of the bird being arrested by the apparent intrusion of another of its own sex, it

HABITS OF THE LYRE-BIRD. 267

will be attracted within the range of the gun. If the bird be hidden from view by
surrounding objects, any unusual sound, such as a shrill whistle, will generally induce
him to show himself for an instant, by causing him to leap with a gay and sprightly air
upon some neighbouring branch to ascertain the cause of the disturbance ; advantage must
be taken of this circumstance immediately, or the next moment it may be half-way down
the gully.

The Menura seldom, if ever, attempts to escape by flight, but easily eludes pursuit by
its extraordinary powers of running. None are so efficient in obtaining specimens as the
naked black, whose noiseless and aliding steps enable him to steal upon it unheard or
unperceived, and with a gun in his hand he rarely allows it to escape, and in many
instances he will even kill it with his own weapons.

The Lyre-bird is of a wandering disposition, and although it probably keeps to the
same bush, it is constantly engaged im traversing it from one end to the other, from the
mountain base to the top of the gullies, whose steep and rugged sides present no obstacle
to its long legs and powerful muscular thighs. It is also capable of performing extra-
ordinary leaps, and I have heard it stated that it will spring ten feet perpendicularly from
the ground. Among its many curious habits, the only one at all approaching to those of
the Gallinacez is that of forming small round hillocks, which are constantly visited during
the day, and upon which the male is continually tramping, at the same time erecting and
spreading out its tail in the most graceful manner, and uttering its various cries, some-
times pouring forth its natural notes , at others imitating those of other birds, and even the
howling of the native dog (Dingo). The early morning and the evening are the periods
when it is most animated and active.

Although upon one occasion I forced this bird to take wing, it was merely for the
purpose of descending a gulf, and I am led to believe that it seldom exerts this power
unless under similar circumstances. It is peculiarly partial to traversing the trunks of
fallen trees, and frequently attaims a considerable altitude by leaping from branch to
branch. Independently of a loud full note, which may be heard reverberating over the
gullies for at least a quarter of a mile, it has also an inward warbling song, the lower notes
of which can only be heard within about fifteen yards. It remains stationary while
singing, fully occupied in pouring forth its animated strain. This it frequently discontinues
abruptly, and again commences with a low inward, snapping noise, ending with an imita-
tion of the loud and full note of the satin-bird, and always accompanied by a tremulous
motion of the tail.

The food of the Menura appears to consist principally of insects, particularly of centi-
pedes and coleoptera. I also found the remains of shelled snails in the gizzard, which is
very strong and muscular.”

The same writer, in a recent communication to the Zoological Society, mentions the
discovery of a nest of the Lyre-bird, containing a nearly adult young bird of sixteen inches
in height. In spite of its large size, it was a most helpless creature, and seemed to be
quite incapable of escape, even with the assistance of its mother, who with devoted
courage tried to withdraw it from its enemies, and laid down her life in the attempt.

The young Lyre-bird displayed no fear of its captors, but was easily induced to follow
any one when allured by the imitation of the mother’s cry. It fed well, its chief articles
of diet being worms, ants, and their larvae. For water it seemed to care but little, and
seldom, if ever, was seen engaged in drinking. Although tended with great care, and its
wants well supplied, this interesting captive died within eight days after it was taken.
Dr, Bennett remarks of the young Lyre-bird, that when it is able to leave the nest it is
very swift of foot, and as it instinctively conceals itself under rocks and among the densest
thickets, its capture is a difficult task even for a native.

Of the adult bird, the same writer speaks as follows :—

“T first saw these birds in the mountain range of the Tumat country ; lately they have
been very abundant among the Blue Mountain ranges bordering on the Nepean River,
above Emeu Plains (about thirty-five miles from Sydney). They are remarkably shy, very
difficult of approach, frequenting the most inaccessible rocks and gullies, and on the

268 THE WREN.

slightest disturbance they dart off with surprising swiftness through the brakes, carrying
their tail horizontally ; but this appears to be for facilitating their passage through the
bushes, for when they leap or spring from branch to branch as they ascend or descend
a tree, the tail approaches to the perpendicular. On watching them from an elevated
position, playing in a gully below, they are seen to form little hillocks or mounds, by
seratching up the ground around them, trampling and running flightily about, uttering
their loud shrill calls, and imitating the notes of various birds.”

The nest of the Lyre-bird is a large, loosely-built, domed structure, composed of small
sticks, roots and leaves, and of an oven-like shape, the entrance being in front. The lining
is warm and soft, being composed of downy feathers.

The egg of this singular bird is quite as curious as its general form, and presents the
curious anomaly of an egg as large as that of a common fowl, possessing all the charac-
teristics of the insessorial egg. The general colour of the egg is a deep chocolate tint,
marked with purple more or less deep in different specimens, and its surface is covered
with a number of stains and blotches of a darker hue, which are gathered towards the
larger end, as is usual in spotted eggs.

ANOTHER species of Lyre-bird has been discovered, which is called ALBERT’s LYRE-
BIRD (Menura Alberti), in compliment to the Prince Consort. This species may be known
by the comparative shortness of the lyre-shaped tail-feathers, and the absence of dark bars
upon the web.

Dr. Stephenson, in speaking of this bird, says: “The locality it frequents consists of
mountain ridges, not very densely covered with brush; it passes most of its time on the
ground, feeding and strutting about with the tail reflected over the back to within an inch
or two of the head, and with the wings drooping on the ground. Each bird forms for itself
three or four ‘eorroboring places,’ as the sawyers call them ; they consist of holes scratched
in the sandy ground, about two and a half feet in diameter, by sixteen, eighteen, or twenty
inches in depth, and about three or four hundred yards apart, or even more.

Whenever you get sight of the bird, which can only be done with the greatest caution
and by taking advantage. of intervening objects to shelter yourself from its observation,
you will find it in one or other of these ‘holes, into which it frequently jumps and seems to
be feeding ; then ascends again and struts round and round the place, imitating with its
powerful musical voice any “bird that it may chance to hear around it. The notes of the
Dacelo gigantea, or laughing jackass, it imitates to perfection ; its own whistle is exceed-
ingly beautiful and varied. No sooner does it perceive an intruder, than it flies up into
the nearest tree, first alighting on the basement branches, and then ascending by a succes-
sion of jumps until it reaches the top, when it instantly darts off to another of its
playgrounds.

The stomachs of those I dissected invariably contained insects, with scarcely a trace of
any other material. Now, collectors of insects know that gravel-pits and sandy holes
afford them great treats, and it appears to me that one, if not the principal use of the
excavations made by this bird, is to act as a trap for unwary coleopteras and other insects,
which falling in, cannot be again rescued, and are therefore easily secured.”

The nest of Albert's Lyre-bird i is like that of the preceding species in general shape,
but is almost wholly composed of long and slender twigs, and presents a most curious
appearance. Specimens of this structure may be seen in “the British Museum. The nest
resembles nothing so much as a large round mass of loose sticks, into which some giant
had thrust his foot and left the impression of his shoe. The hollow of the nest is, in fact,
a kind of cave on a small scale, domed oyer by the sticks as they le crossing each cther in
all directions.

WE are all familiar with the Wren, “the king of all birds,” as he is termed in ancient
rhyme, his title to royalty resting on his defeat of the eagle in upward flight. The story
runs that the birds assembled to choose a king, and that the election should fall on the
bird who soared the highest. Up sprang all the birds into the sky, but highest of all
towered the eagle, who, after mounting until his wearied wings could beat no more,

NEST OF THE WREN. 269

proclaimed himself the sovereign of the birds. But all unperceived, the little Wren had
been quietly perching between his shoulders, and as soon as the eagle ceased to mount,
the Wren sprang into the air, and, rising on tiny pinion far above the wearied eagle, twit-
tered forth the victory of wit and intellect over bulk and physical strength.

The long and harsh name of Troglodytes, which has been given to this bird, signifies a
diver into caves, and has been attributed to the Wren on account of its shy and retiring
habits, and its custom of hiding its nest in some hollow or crevice where it may escape
observation. The Wren is seldom to be seen in the open country, and does not venture
upon any lengthened flight, but confines itself to the hedge-rows and brushwood, where it
may often be observed hopping and skipping like a tiny feathered mouse among the
branches. It especially haunts the hedges which are flanked by ditches, as it can easily
hide itself in such localities, and can also obtain a plentiful supply of food. By remaining
perfectly quiet, the observer can readily watch its movements, and it is really an inte-
resting sight to see the little creature flitting about the brushwood, flirting its saucily
expressive tail, and uttering its quick and cheering note.

The voice of the Wren is very sweet
and melodious, and of a more powerful
character than would be imagined from
the dimensions of the bird. The Wren is
a merry little creature, and chants its gay
song on the slightest encouragement of
weather. Even in winter there needs but
the gleam of a few stray sunbeams to set
the Wren a-singing, and the cold Christ-
mas season is often cheered with its happy
notes. While skipping among the branches,
the Wren utters a continuous little twit-
ter, which, although not worthy of being
reckoned as a song, is yet very soft and
pleasing.

The nest of the Wren is rather an
ambitious structure, being a completely
domed edifice, and built in a singularly
ingenious manner. If, however, the bird
can find a suitable spot, such as the hole
of a decaying tree, the gnarled and knotted
branches of old ivy, or the overhanging
eaves of a deserted building, where a
natural dome is formed, it is sure to seize
upon the opportunity and to make a dome WREN. —Troglodytes vulgiiris.
of very slight workmanship. The dome,
however, always exists, and is composed
of non-conducting materials, so that the
bird always contrives to insulate itself and its young from electrical influences. It is a very
singularfact, that a Wren will often commence and partly build three or four nests in
different localities before it settles finally upon one spot. Some persons have supposed that
these supplementary nests are built by the parent bird as houses for its young after they
have grown too large to be contained within the house where they were born, while others
have suggested that they are experimental nests made by the inexperienced young while
trying their ’prentice beak in the art of bird architecture.

For my own part, I believe that these partial nests have been made by Wrens when
building for the first time, and consequently inexperienced in the world and its difficulties.
They seem to fix too hastily upon a locality, and then to find, after they have made some
progress with their house, that danger lurks near, perhaps in the form of a weasel, a shrike,
orasnake. In one such instance of desertion the cause was sufticiently evident, for the
head of a snake was seen protruding from the opening of the nest.

270 HABITS OF THE WREN.

The materials of which the nest is composed are always leaves, moss, grass and lichens,
and it is almost always so neatly built that it can hardly be seen by one who was
not previously aware of its position. The opening of the nest is always at the side, so
that the eggs are securely shielded from the effects of weather.

As to the locality and position in which the nest is placed, no definite rule is observed,
for the Wren is more capricious than the generality of birds in fixing upon a house for her
young. Wrens’ nests have been found in branches, hedges, hayricks, waterspouts, hollow
trees, barns and outhouses. Sometimes the Wren becomes absolutely eccentric in its
choice, and builds its nest in spots which no one would conjecture that a bird would select.
A Wren has been known to make its nest in the body of a dead hawk, which had been
killed and nailed to the side of a barn. Another Wren chose to make her house in the
throat of a dead calf, which had been hung upon a tree, and another of these curious little
birds was seen to build in the interior of a pump, gaining access to her eggs and young
through the spout.

The eggs of the Wren are very small, and are generally from six to eight in number.

During the winter, the Wren generally shelters itself from the weather in the same
nest which it had inhabited during the breeding season, and in very cold seasons it is not
an uncommon event to find six or seven Wrens all huddled into a heap for the sake of
warmth, and presenting to the eye or hand of the spectator nothing but a shapeless mass
of soft brown feathers. It is probable that these little gathermgs may be composed of
members of the same family, an opinion which is strengthened by the following account
which was sent by Mr. Ogilby to Mr. Thompson, and quoted in his work on the natural
history of Ireland :—

“These little birds associate in small families of from four or five to a dozen or more,
and take refuge in holes, or under the eaves of thatched houses, during the severity of
winter nights. I have often, when a boy, watched the little party thus taking up their
lodgings for the night, and have on more than one occasion captured and driven them
from their retreat. They make a prodigious chattermg and bustle upon finally settling
for the night, as if conteuding which shall get into the warmest and most comfortable
place, and frequently come to the mouth of the hole to see that they are unobserved. I
presume that these little parties are composed of the nestlings of the previous year, with,
perhaps, the parent birds, but I have no proof beyond its probability. If such be the case,
however, it would show that the bond of social union between the parent birds and their
young continues unbroken during the year, and is severed only when the new season
prompts the young brood to become parents in their turn.”

Sometimes the Wrens have rather odd modes of bivouacking. A lady who was accustomed
to attract great numbers of the feathered tribes to her garden by supplying them abun-
dantly with crumbs, seeds, and other dainties, told me that when the weather became
cold, the Wrens used to gather themselves upon a moderately large branch of a tree, about
four inches above which grew another branch. In the evening the Wrens assembled upon
their resting-place, and packed themselves very comfortably for the night, piled three or
four deep, apparently for the sake of warmth, the topmost bird always having his back
pressed against the upper branch, as if to keep all steady. Pitying their forlorn condition,
their benefactress provided a bedroom for them, being a square box lined with flannel, and
with a very small round hole by way of door. This was fixed on the branch, and the
birds soon took advantage of it, their numbers seeming to increase nightly, until at last
upwards of forty Wrens would crowd into a box which did not seem capable of containing
half that number. When asleep, they were so drowsy that they would permit the lid of
the box to be lifted, and themselves to be handled, without attempting to move. All these
Wrens were supposed to come from a number of nests which had been made in the gnarled
roots of old hawthorn bushes which grew at the side of a narrow but deep brook running
at the end of the garden.

The same lady noticed that Wrens were much attracted by colour, especially by scarlet.
At the beginning of her acquaintance she had laid some food for them, but they were so
shy that they dared not approach, and the saucy sparrows invariably ate all the egg and
crumbs that were intended for the Wrens. One morning, a flower of a scarlet geranium

THE TAILOR-BIRD. 271

fell upon the saucer of food, and immediately seemed to influence the Wrens, who came

~ hopping and flying nearer and nearer, until they were bold enough to taste the food. For
several days the geranium blossoms were used as a decoy, but the little birds soon became
so familiar that they needed no such allurement, and would crowd round the saucer as
soon as it was placed on the ground.

In the pages of the above-mentioned writer a curious anecdote is related, where a pair
of flycatchers who had made a nest and laid three eggs were ousted by a party of young
Wrens just able to fly. The little
birds had probably been ejected
from home for the first time, and
seeing so comfortable a nest, had

_taken possession of it. I have
often observed the same conduct
in many young canaries, for when-
ever a family of the newly-fledged
birds is turned out of the nest, they
generally wend their way to the
home of some other female, and
instal themselves in possession of
her nest and eggs before she is
aware of their intentions.

The title of “Kitty Wren,”
which is often given to this bird,
is owing to the peculiar little twit-
tering sound of Chit! chit / which
it utters while engaged in the pur-
suit of food.

The colour of the Wren is a
rich reddish-brown, paling con-
siderably on the under surface of
the body, and darkening into dusky
brown upon the quill-feathers of
the wings and tail. The outer webs
of the former are sprinkled with
reddish-brown spots, and the short
tail-feathers are barred with the
same hue. The bill is slender,
and rather long in proportion to
the general dimensions of the bird.
The total length of the Wren is
rather more than four inches.
White and pied varieties are not
uncommon.

WE now arrive at the very
large family of the WARBLERS, a TAILOR-BIRD.—Orthotomus longicaudus.
group in which the genera, when
taken together, number more mem-
bers than those of any other
family. The first sub-family is that which is known by the name of the Malurtne, or
soft-tailed Warblers.

THE first example of the soft-tailed Warblers is the celebrated TarLor-BrrD of India
and the Indian Archipelago. There are many species belonging to the genus Orthotomus,
and as they all possess similar habits, there is no need of describing more than the
example which has been shown. They are peculiar birds, haunting cultivated grounds,

PINC-PINC.—Drymoica textrix.

and being generally seen in pairs on fields and in gardens. They dislike lofty elevations,
and may generally be seen near the ground, hopping about the lower branches of trees
and shrubs in their search after insects, and oce: asionally seeking their prey on the ground.
Their flight is rapid but undulating, after the manner of many short-winged and long-
tailed birds.

The Tailor-bird is a sober little creature, not more conspicuous than a common sparrow,
and is chiefly remarkable for its curious nest, which is made in a singular and most
ingenious manner. Taking two leaves at the extremity of a slender twig, the bird
literally sews them together at their edges, its bill taking the place of the needle and

vegetable fibres constituting the thread. A quantity of soft cottony down is then pushed
between: the leaves, and a convenient hollow scraped out in which the egos may lie and
the young birds may rest at their ease. Sometimes, if the leaf be large enough, its two
edges are drawn together, but in general a pair of leayes are needed. A few feathers are
sometimes mixed with the down.

This curious nest is evidently hung at the very extremity of the twigs, in order to keep
it out of the way of the monkeys, snakes, and other enemies which might otherwise
attack and devour mother and young together.

Ay’ sh

“aud ay vt
ue oe

CAPOCIER.—Dryméica maculdsa.

THE large genus Drymoica, which numbers nearly seventy species, is quite as remark-
able as the preceding genus. Some species inhabit Africa, others Southern Europe, some
are found in India, and many in Australia. They are always found in open plains where
the grass is long and thick, or among the rich rank herbage that grows in marshy
localities. They mostly feed on the ground insects, and are well fitted by their very
great speed of foot for the chase and capture of their swift insect prey. Being but
indifferent in flight, they seldom take to wing, and always try to escape from their foes
by means of running among the thick herbage in which they live. While running, they
generally lift their tails and hold them over the back. Their song is loud, but by no
means agreeable.

The nest of the Prnc-P1nc is of considerable dimensions, being often more than a foot
in circumference and of a most singular shape and structure. The materials of which it
is composed are vegetable fibres, beaten, twisted, and woven into a fine felt-like substance,
and strongly fastened to the branches among which it is situated. It is of a rough,
gourd-like shape, and is always entered by means of a neck, or spout, so that the bird is
able from the interior to present its sharply pointed bill to any assailant, and to prevent
its entrance. Near the mouth of the nest there are generally one or two_ projections,

2. r

274 THE EMEU WREN,

which serve as perches for the bird to rest upon before it enters the nest, and may
probably be used by the male as a seat whereon to recline while his mate is sitting upon
the eggs within. The colour of the nest varies according to the substance of which it is
composed, sometimes being of a snowy whiteness, and at other times of a dingy brown.

The peculiar form of this and other similar nests is evidently for the purpose of
enabling the parent bird to defend its home against the intrusions of the many foes to
bird life with which these regions swarm. The eggs are generally from six to eight in
number.

ANOTHER species of the same genus, the CapoctEr, builds a nest which, although of
coarser texture, is quite as beautiful as that of the pinc-pince.

The materials are much the same as those employed by the pinc-pine, but they are
only closely felted together in the interior of the nest, and are left to flow loosely on its
exterior. It is a very large edifice in proportion to the dimensions of the architect, and
the cottony down, the flaxen fibres, and fine moss are woven together in so skilful a
manner as to excite our highest admiration. Le Vaillant, who watched a pair of Capociers
hard at work upon their nest, says that they were occupied for a whole week in their task.
The interior of the nest is of an oval shape, rather roughly corresponding with the external
outline, and it is entered through an opening in the side. One of these nests will some-
times reach nine inches in height. The Capocier is a native of Africa.

THE genus which has been chosen as a type of this family is Manurus, the members of
which are only found on the continent of Australia. They possess the habits of Drymoica,
and even resemble those birds in the peculiar fashion of tilting up their tails as they run
over the ground,

EMEU WREN.—Stipitirus malachirus,

OvR last, and perhaps the most curious example of the Malurine birds is the beautiful
little Emzu Wren of Australia.

This pretty bird is remarkable for the development of the tail-feathers, which are
extremely lengthened, and are nothing more than bare shafts slightly fringed on each side.
The bird never perches on high trees, and very seldom takes to wing, but runs over the
grass with very great rapidity, holding its tail erect over its back in a singularly pert
manner. It is generally found among long grass, and according to Dr. Bennett it
congregated some years since in the Sydney Domain, near the Botanic Gardens, but

THE GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN. 275

has not since appeared in that locality. The colour of this little bird is mottled brown
above, and very light fawn below, deepening into chestnut on the flanks. The throat of
the male is tinged with blue, and his tail-feathers are larger than those of his mate.

The nest of the Emeu Wren is very large in comparison with the size of its inhabitant,
and is placed on the ground, where it looks like a large ball of grass with a hole in the
side. The interior is snugly lined with soft feathers, and there are generally three eggs.

GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN.—Regulus cristatus. FIRE-CRESTED WREN.—Régulus ignicapillus,

THE tiny GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN, as it is popularly called, is very common throughout
England, and may be seen hopping and flitting merrily among the branches in copses,
orchards, and plantations. Although from its diminutive size it has gained the title of
Wren, it has no claim to that designation, and is more rightly termed the Kinglet or
Regulus.

This “ shadow of a bird,” as it is happily called by White, in his “Natural History of
Selborne,” is a remarkably hardy little creature, braving the severest frosts of winter, and
mostly disdaining to avail itself of the shelter of human habitations. On account of its
minute proportions and its retiring habits, it is a very unobtrusive bird, and is often
thought to be extremely rare in localities where it may be found plentifully by those who
know where to look for it. In Derbyshire, for instance, it was held to be extremely scarce,
but I could always procure specimens at will by a judicious disposition of a little birdlime,
and I have frequently discovered the admirably hidden and beautifully constructed nests
of these interesting birds.

The Golden-crested Wren is notable for the crest of golden-coloured feathers which
is placed upon the crown of its head, which it can raise or depress at pleasure, and which
gives so pert and changeful an expression to the little creature. But for this golden crest,
which is not at all conspicuous when the feathers are lowered, the bird might easily be
mistaken for a tree-creeper as it runs up and down the branches, searching into the
crevices of the bark for the little insects on which it feeds. The first specimen that I ever
saw was traversing the branches of a fine “ Blenheim Orange” apple-tree in an adjoining
garden, and by my inexperienced eyes was at first taken for a very young creeper. Like
the creeper it can even run up a perpendicular wall, peering into every little crevice, and
stocking up the moss and lichens for the purpose of obtaining the insects and their eggs
that are lying concealed. It will also eat the chrysalides that are found so abundantly
upon the walls.

T 2

276 THE GOLDEN-CRESTED WREN.

All the movements of the Golden-crested Wren are full of spring and fiery activity,
and the manner in which it will launch itself from one tree to another, and then, without
a pause, commence traversing the branches, is a sight well worth seeing. Perhaps it is
seen to best advantage among the fir-trees, where it finds great scope for its active habits.
Up one branch it scuds, down another, then whisks itself through the air to a fresh tree,
and then flings itself back again to its former perch. Along the twigs it runs with asto-
nishing rapidity, sometimes clinging with its head downward, sometimes running round
and round them spirally, always twisting its pert little head in every direction, and
probing each hole and crevice with its sharp slender little bill. The roughest-barked trees
are its favourite resort, because in such localities it finds its best supply of insect food.

Mr. Thompson, in the History of the Birds of Ireland, rather controverts the hardy
nature of the Gold Crest. “The Gold-crested Regulus seems not to be the hardy bird that
authors generally imagine. In the north of Iveland it has frequently been found dead
about the hedges, not only in severe winters, but after slight frosts. In the greenhouses and
hothouses in the garden of a relative near Belfast, these birds resorted so regularly in the mild
winter of 1831—1832, that some were captured weekly throughout the season, and taken
to one of our bird-preservers : on the rear wall of the house is a range of sheds accessible
to birds, and dense plantations of trees and evergreen shrubs are quite contiguous. They were
occasionally caught at all seasons, as were common wrens and titmice—many of both—
together with robins, sparrows and chaftinches. ... Early in the winter of 1835, three of
these birds, which had been captured by a cat in a small garden in a very populous part
of Belfast, were brought to me, and on the preceding day four or five had, in the same
place, shared a similar fate. In the middle of December, 1846, after a few days of frost
and snow, I observed a Regulus fly from a plantation at the roadside several times, and
alight at the base of the demesne wall bounding the footway on which I walked.”

Although these remarks would tend to contradict the statement that the Kinglet is a
hardy bird, it must be remembered that the climates of England and of Northern Ireland are
very different, and that in the latter locality the constant damp, frequent rain, and bleak
winds are sufficiently trying to drive any creature under shelter.

The nest of this beautiful little bird is exquisitely woven of various soft substances,
and is generally suspended to a trunk where it is well sheltered from the weather. I have
often found their nests, and in every instance have noticed that they are shaded by leaves,
the projecting portion of a branch, or some such protection. In one case the nest that was
suspended to a fir-branch was almost invisible beneath a heavy bunch of large cones that
drooped over it, and forced the bird to gain admission by creeping along the branch

‘to which the nest was suspended. The edifice is usually supported by three branches, one
above and one at either side. The nest is usually lined with feathers, and contains a
considerable number of eggs, generally from six to ten. These eggs are hardly bigger than
peas, and, as may be supposed, their shells are so delicately thin, that to extract the
interior without damaging them is a very difficult matter. It may here be noticed that the
surest mode of emptying such delicate eggs is to cover them with silver paper saturated
with thick gum, and waiting till it is dry before attempting to bore a hole through the
shell. After the ege has been cleaned, it should be placed in warm water, when the
gum is dissolved and the paper can be washed away.

The following interesting account of some Golden-crested Wrens and their habits was
kindly forwarded to me by a lady :—

“JT had often questioned and wondered why some birds possess crests and crowns,
while the majority are destitute of these feathery ornaments. But in the winter of 1853
I became personally acquainted with some Golden-crested Wrens, who revealed the
mystery tome. I now feel sure that crowns and crests typify and are a sort of natural
safety-valve to a nature which is imbued with a spirit of empire. At all events it is so in
the case of the Golden-crested Wren, for he is running over with the governing spirit, and
his cool audacity, fiery courage, and fierce domination beggar description.

That winter we had a family of six tame, but uncaged birds; they were a strange-
looking group, but, nevertheless, a very happy one. There was a jackdaw, a magpie, two

THE FIRE-CRESTED WREN. 277

skylarks, a goldfinch and a robin, and they lived when at home in a large and well-
thatched aviary, which was placed in a very sheltered position. In this abode they kept
open house, for there was always a good supply of food kept therein, and the door was
never shut save at night, when we closed it to keep out stray cats, rats, and other enemies
of the feathered race. After partaking of a good breakfast, they would daily leave their
comfortable home on expeditions of pleasure or business, and return regularly to their
supper and perch.

During the very cold weather of 1853, they brought home nightly a party of hungry
wild birds to share with themselves the hospitality of the aviary ; sometimes their guests
would number nearly two hundred, and it was really quite astonishing to see the quantity
of bread, barley, and fat meat, that these little beings would dispose of. In this assembly
most of our small native birds had representatives, and amongst them were the two before-
mentioned Golden-crested Wrens, who were the first to reach and the last to quit their
good quarters.

Whilst they honoured us with their company, they ruled the whole bird community,
and what they could not achieve by force they would accomplish by stratagem. For
instance, if one of these tiny creatures took a fancy to a piece of meat to which Mr. Jack-
daw had helped himself, and which he was holding firmly down with one foot whilst le
pecked away at it after the dawish fashion, this mite of a bird would jump upon the jack-
daw’s head, and attack the eye that was situated on the side of the occupied foot. The
poor jackdaw, not quite understanding what had gone wrong with him, would lift his foot
to scratch his tiny tormentor off his head, when in an instant the coveted morsel was seized
by the daring thief. If the daw were unwise enough to follow, vainly hoping to recover
his property, the wicked wee thing would get upon his back, where he knew himself to be
safe, and the poor jackdaw was forced to content himself with other fare.

If, after selecting a piece of meat, the Wrens were left to themselves, they would leave
the larger birds and retire to a quiet corner, where they would both peck amicably at the
same piece, and if the meat happened to be tough, one of the wise little things would hold
it fast in its bill, while the other would pull a morsel off; and then the one that had eaten
would perform the same kind office for his friend. Before the winter was over, there was
not a bird in the aviary that did not give way to the two little Kinglets, and they always
went to roost upon the backs of some other birds ; I thought that they did this to warm
their feet.

They remained with us until May, and then, when all nature appeared to be bursting
with life and beauty, and the huge forest trees and even the old earth herself had donned
their glorious resurrection robes, the Golden-crests forsook us. I suppose they found the
aviary dull, and we ourselves soon sought another home; hence we never renewed our
friendly intercourse with these interesting little birds.”

The entire length of this bird is about three inches and a half, and its general colouris
brownish above marked with olive-green, and flanked with white on the wing-coverts.
The under surface is yellowish-grey, the beak is black, and the eye hazel-brown. The
forehead is marked with greyish-white; the crest is brilliant yellow tipped with orange,
and on each side of the crest runs a black line. The female is not so brilliant in her
colouring, and the crest is wholly of a pale yellow.

The FrRE-CRESTED WREN is very similar to the preceding species, but may be distin-
guished from it by the ruddy hue of the forehead, the fiery orange of the crest, and the
decidedly yellow hue of the sides of the neck, It is an inhabitant of England, but is a
much rarer bird than the Golden-crest. Owing to the great resemblance between the two
species, they have often been mistaken for each other, and it is only within a comparatively
recent period that their diversity was established. Another species of the same genus, the
DALMATIAN RecuLus (Regulus modestus) has, although very rarely indeed, been found in
England. The general colour of the plumage is ereenish- -yellow, and the crown of the
head is marked by a narrow streak of paler yellow.

GROUP OF BRITISH WARBLERS

The Luscinine, or SONG-WARBLERS, are, as their name denotes, remarkable for their
sweet song, to which accomplishment may be added the beauties of elegant shape and
graceful movement. In their colour they are very inconspicuous, brown, grey, and olive-
green being the hues with which they are generally tinted, in accordance with the principle
which has been lately laid down while treating of the Humming-birds. In all these birds

THE WHITETHROAT. 279

the beak is strong, straight, sharply-pointed, and with a notch upon the upper mandible
near its extremity. The feet have three toes in front and one behind, and the claw of the
hinder toe is the largest and most sharply curved. The nostrils are placed at the base of
the beak, are pierced through a rather large membrane, and are unprotected by feathers.

THE common WHITETHROAT
is abundant in various parts of
England, and is, perhaps, the best
known of all its tribe.

It is a lively, brilliant little
bird, and is remarkable for the
curious movement which it makes
when singing, and which seldom
fails to attract the attention of the
observer. Generally starting from
some low bush, the Whitethroat
begins its sweet quiet song, and
then, springing suddenly into the
air, wings its way perpendicularly
upwards, as if it were about to
rival the lark in its lofty flight.
But after attaining a height of
four or five feet, it slowly sinks
upon the spot from which it had
started, and again rises into the
air with a fresh burst of music.
While singing, it seems full of
life and eagerness, and the white
feathers of its throat, together with
those of the crest, vibrate power-
fully as the sweet notes are poured
forth. The song is not a lengthened
one, but is frequently repeated
within a short space of time.

The Whitethroat possesses a
strong spirit of rivalry, and will
match itself against almost any
songster that begins to utter his
strain, having even been known
to challenge the nightingale to
a friendly trial of vocal powers.
Sometimes it becomes a mimic,
and imitates the songs of the other
birds by which it we surrounded. GARDEN WHITETHROAT, OR GREATER PETTICHAPS,

In captivity it sings readily, and Sylvia hértensis,
has been known to start into

song only three days after its

capture.

The haunts of this bird are generally among low bushes, brambles, underwood and
copses, among which it flits with restless activity. Owing to its habit of traversing the
low and nettle-overgrown underwood, it has received the popular name of Nettle-creeper
in many parts of England. The food of the Whitethroat consists chiefly of insects, and it
is indefatigable in its attacks upon various caterpillars and flies, thereby doing great service
to the gardener, who, however, generally aims at its destruction, because in the autumn it
repays itself by a few of the fruits which it has saved from the caterpillar and the grub.
The caterpillar of the cabbage buttertly is a favourite article of diet with this bird.

WHITETHROAT.—Syjlvia undata.

280 THE CHIFF-CHAFF, OR LESSER PETTICHAPS,

The Whitethroat arrives in England towards the end of April, the male always making
his appearance before his mate, and immediately upon their arrival they set to work in
searching after a fit spot on which to build their nest. For this purpose they generally
choose some thick bush, and are often very indifferent about concealing it, placing it openly on
the top of a stunted thorn bush, within reach of every boy’s hand. It is seldom placed at
any great height from the ground, and I have generally found them situated at an eleva-
tion of two feet. The nest is not very elaborate in its structure, and is chiefly formed of
various grasses twisted into shape, and slightly woven into the branches. The entire nest
can, however, be easily removed, without the necessity of cutting the twigs to which it is
fastened. The complete number of eggs is five, but their number is usually four. Their
colour is ashen-grey with a green wash, and they are boldly covered with ashen-brown and
ashen-green spots and blotches. .

The general colour of the Whitethroat is reddish-brown on the upper parts of the body
and brownish-white below, with the exception of the throat, which is of a beautifully pure
white. Its total length is about five inches and a half.

THERE is another species of Whitethroat which is not so often seen as the last-named
species. This is the GARDEN WHITETHROAT, sometimes called by the name of GREATER
PerricHars. It is also known by the name of GARDEN WARBLER.

This is an active and lively bird, restless to a degree, and constantly flitting from place
to place and from branch to branch on unwearied wing, and seldom coming out into view.
The song of this bird is much finer than that of the common Whitethroat, being more
lengthened, fuller, and more melodious. Some persons have compared the rich mellow
notes which it occasionally utters, to those of the blackbird. Although it chiefly frequents
shrubberies, copses, and plantations, it will often take a predilection to some garden, and if
left undisturbed, soon learns confidence and becomes quite a familiar bird, permitting those
with whose persons it is acquainted to approach within very close proximity before it takes
alarm. But for its very retire habits it would be a well-known bird, and many persons
have been charmed by its melody who have no idea of the bird from whose small throat it
proceeds.

The food of the Garden Whitethroat is mostly of an insect nature, but the bird is not
averse to various fruits, and in the autumn often becomes rather obnoxious to the
gardener.

The nest is not unlike that of the common Whitethroat, and is placed in similar locali-
ties ; a low thick bush being the favourite spot, although on occasions the bird will build
its house among thick herbage, or even among heavy ivy leaves. The nest is made quite
as loosely as that of the preceding species, and is composed of grasses, fine fibrous roots,
moss, hair, and lichens, and the interior is softly lined with hair and other similar
substances. The eggs are greenish-white, covered with many spots and blotches of light
brown and ashen-green.

By its colour the Garden Whitethroat can be distinguished from its relative, as the
upper surface is of a more delicate brown, and the abdomen of a purer white than the
throat, which is tinged with a pale brown. The under wing-coverts are pale buff, the beak
is dark brown, and the eyes are beautiful hazel. The total length of this species nearly
reaches six inches.

THE tiny Cuirr-CHAFF, one of the smallest of the British birds, is the first Warbler
that makes its appearance in these islands, and that cheers us with its pretty little song
and its light, lively actions.

The curious name of this bird has been derived from its ery, which bears some
resemblance to the words “ Chiff-chaff! Chery-churry !” often repeated. This little song
is sometimes uttered while the bird is on the wing, but generally when it is perched
on some convenient bough of a lofty tree. The localities which it most frequents are
woods and hedgerows, and so lively is it in temper, that its pleasant little voice is often
heard before the trees have put forth their verdure. It is a very useful bird, as it feeds
almost wholly on insects, and on its first arrival saves many a grand oak-tree from

THE WILLOW WARBLER. 281

destruction by devouring the caterpillars of the well-known green oak moth, which roll
up the leaves in so curious a manner, and come tumbling out of their green houses at
the slightest alarm. Gnats and other small flies are a diet much in favour with the Chiff-
chaff; and one of these birds that had been captured and tamed was accustomed to dash
to the ceiling of the room in which it was kept, and to snatch from thence the flies as
they settled after their fashion on the white surface.

This little bird has been seen in England as early as the twelfth of March, and it
remains in this country as late as the middle of October, so that it is the first to arrive
and the last to depart of all the British Warblers.

The nest of the Chiff-chaff is something like that of the common wren, being a
rounded structure with a hole in the side, through which the bird obtains admission into
the interior. It is seldom placed at any great elevation from the ground, and is often
built upon the soil itself at the foot of some overshadowing bush. The materials of which
it is composed are generally leaves, grasses, and moss, and the interior is lined with a
warmer bed of soft feathers. The eggs are five or six in number, and their colour is
whitish grey, speckled with a few spots of dark red.

The general colour of this bird is ashen brown upon the upper parts of the body, the
quill-feathers being, as is usual, of a darker hue. The whole under surface is white,
washed with yellowish-brown, and the under wing-coverts are of a fine soft yellow hue.
The beak and eyes are brown. The entire length of this pretty little bird is rather less
than five inches.

CHIFF-CHAFF, OR LESSHR PETTICHAPS.—Sijlvia rufa. WILLOW WARBLER.—Syivia tréchilus,

ANOTHER interesting member of this large genus is the WiLLOW WARBLER, WILLOW
WREN, or YELLOW WRN, its various names being derived from the localities which it
frequents and the colour of its feathers. é

The habits of this bird are very like those of the Whitethroat, and it feeds on much
the same kind of food, preferring insects to any other diet, and seldom if ever invading
the fruit trees. It generally arrives in England about the middle of April, when its
cheery song may be heard enlivening the hedgerows and copses, sometimes being poured
forth while the bird is on the wing, but generally from some elevated branch. The nest
of the Willow Wren is like that of the chiff-chaff, and is generally placed upon the
ground. The eggs ave from five to seven in number, and their colour is white-grey, dotted
with numerous spots of pinky-red. The young birds are hatched in May or June. In
Mr. Yarrell’s work on the British birds, there is a very interesting account of the attach-

282 THE WOOD WARBLER.

ment displayed by the Willow Wren to its nest. The narrator is a lady, and the anecdote
appeared originally in the “ Field Naturalist.”

“In the spring of 1832, walking through an orchard, I was attracted by something on
the ground in the form of a large ball, and composed of dried grass. I took it up in my
hands, and upon examination found that it was a domed nest of the Willow Wren.
Concerned at my precipitation, I put it down again as near the same place as I could
suppose, but with very little hope that the architect would ever claim it again after such
an attack. I was, however, agreeably surprised to find next day that the little occupier
was proceeding with its work. The feathers inside were increased, as I could perceive by
the alteration in colour.

In a few days two eggs were laid, and I thought my little protégée safe from harm,
when a flock of ducks, that had strayed from the poultry-yard, with their usual curiosity
went straight to the nest, which was very conspicuous as the grass was not high enough
to conceal it, and with their bills spread it quite open, displaced the eggs and made the
nest a complete ruin. I now despaired, but immediately on driving the authors of the
mischief away, I tried to restore the nest to something like its proper form, and placed
the eggs inside. That same day I was astonished to find an addition of another egg,
and in about a week four more. The bird sat, and ultimately brought out seven young
ones, but I cannot help supposing it a singular instance of attachment and confidence
after being twice so rudely disturbed.”

The general colour of this bird is dull olive green on the upper parts of the body, the
quill-feathers of the wing being brown roped with green, and those of the tail dark brown.
The chin, throat, and breast are yellowish-white, and the abdomen is nearly pure white.
The total length of the bird is about five inches.

The LESSER WHITETHROAT or BRAKE WARBLER is another of our British Warblers,
arriving in this country towards the end of April.

It is not nearly so pleasing or so brilliant a songster as the species which have already
been mentioned, but it is nevertheless very liberal in the exercise of its vocal powers, and
chatters merrily as it flutters about the hedgerows, dives into the branches and reappears
on the branch of some convenient tree or bush. It is not so often seen as the common
Whitethroat, being more shy, and venturing less frequently from its hiding-place. On
account of this habit of chattering, it has been termed the Chatterer by several writers.
The nest is something like that of the common Whitethroat, being an open, saucer-like
structure, placed among brushwood, and generally found upon some thick bramble or
stunted bush. The materials of which it is composed are grasses, roots, and fibres, and it
is generally lined with hair.

The colour of this species is dark grey upon the upper surface, and the quill-feathers
are dark brown except the two exterior feathers of the tail, which are greyish-white. The
under surface is beautifully white, with a shght but perceptible tinge of pale carmine on
the abdomen. The total length of the bird rather exceeds five inches.

From the willow Warbler, the Woop WARBLER is distinguished by the green hue of
the upper part of the body, the pure white of the under surface, and the light yellow
streak over the eye. There are also other distinctions which are of no very great
importance, as the difference between the two species, which are in other respects very
similar, is readily decided by the above-mentioned characteristics.

This bird is rather late in arriving in our country, seldom making its appearance before
.the end of April, and towards the northern parts of England being a week or ten days
later. It remains with us until September, when it takes its departure for a warmer
chime. Immediately on its arrival it commences its lively, though not much varied song,
and perching upon a branch pours forth the trillmg notes in rapid succession and with
the greatest earnestness. Three or four of these birds will often sing against each other,
theix throats vibrating, their wings shivering, and their whole bodies panting with eager
rivalry. The song of the Wood Warbler resembles the word “twee-ee” very much
lengthened, and as it closes its song, it changes the last note into a peculiar hissing or

THE BLACKCAP WARBLER. 283

whistling sound, drooping its wings at the same time and agitating them in accordance
with its notes. Sometimes the bird utters its trilling notes while flyimg from one
tree to another.

The Wood Warbler is elegant in shape, being light and active and possessed of much
command of wing, a qualification which is necessary for the procuring of its food.
This bird does not feed on fruits or berries, but restricts itself to insects, especially
when they are in the caterpillar
state. The leaf-rolling caterpil-
lars are its principal food, and of
these insatiable devourers it de-
stroys vast quantities before they
can do much harm. In obtaining
them it flits round the trees, and
is able to snap up the caterpillars
as they hang by the slender
thread to which they always
attach themselves when alarmed.
Sometimes the Wood Warbler
chases the insects on the wing,
and in this manner destroys great
numbers of the green oak moth
that have escaped from its beak
while they were in the caterpillar
condition.

The nest of this species is
placed on the ground under the
shelter of thick herbage or an
overhanging bush, and a domed
structure composed principally of
long dried grass, leaves, fibres,
and moss. The entrance is by a
hole at the side, and the interior
is lined with hair and fine fibres,
feathers not appearing to be em-
ployed for this purpose. The
number of eggs is from four to
six, and their colour is greyish-
white, profusely sprinkled with
dark red and ash-coloured spots,
gathered most thickly into a belt
round the larger end. The general
colour of this species is soft green-
grey on the upper parts of the
body, and pure white below, the
latter characteristic having earned LESSER WHITETHROAT.—Sjlvia currica.
for the bird the local name of WOOD WARBLER.—Sylvia sibildtric.
“Jinty-white.” A streak of bright
yellow passes over the eyes, and
reaches as far as the chin and
the sides of the neck. In total length the Wood Warbler rather exceeds five inches.

Wits the exception of the nightingale, the BLAckcAP WARBLER is the sweetest and
richest of all the British song-birds, and in many points the voice of the Blackcap is even
superior to that of the far-famed Philomel.

The Blackeap derives its name from the tuft of dark feathers which crown the head,
and which in the males are coal black, but in the females are deep reddish-brown. It is

28 4 SONG OF THE BLACKCAP WARBLER.

rather late in arriving, seldom being seen or heard until the end of April, and it remains
with us until the middle of September. As several specimens of this pretty bird have
been noticed in England in the months of December and January, it is probable that
some individuals may not migrate at all, but remain in this country throughout the entire
winter. Should it do so, it might easily escape notice, as it would not be likely to sing
much during the cold months, and owing to its retiring habits it is at all times more likely
to be heard than seen.

While singing, the Blackeap chooses some spot where it can conceal itself if alarmed,
and there pours forth his melodious notes in security. Sometimes he will sing while
perched upon an open branch, but he is very jealous of spectators, and if he fancies
himself visible, immediately drops among the foliage and is lost to sight. The song of
this bird is well described by Mr. Mudie in the following words :—-

“Tts song is generally given from a high perch or an elevated branch, on the top twig
if the tree be not very lofty. While it sings, the axis of the body is very oblique by the
elevation of the head, and the throat is much inflated. While the bird is trilling, in

BLACKCAP WARBLER,—Sylvia atricapilla.

which it excels every songster of the grove in rapidity and clearness, and in the swells
and cadences which it gives to the same trill, the throat has a very convulsive motion,
and the whole bird appears to be worked into a high state of excitement. It has indeed
the mildest and most witching notes of all our warblers ; it has not certainly, the volume
and variety of the nightingale, neither has it the ineffably sweet chant of the garden
warbler; but its notes take one by surprise, and the changes and especially the trills are
finer than those of any other bird.

The song, when the bird is at rest, appears to be by turns like those of several birds ;
but it transposes them into a lower, or rather a minor key, and finishes off with variations
of its own; and, as is the case with the works of some of the more impassioned musical
composers, the very genius (so to speak) of the bird interferes with the melody, and a sort
of indescribable wildness is the character of the whole.”

The Blackcap has often been known to become a mimic of other birds, and will
frequently spoil its own exquisite notes by introducing imitations of the surrounding
songsters,

The food of the Blackeap consists chiefly of insects, but it also pays attention to the ripe

THE NIGHTINGALE. 285

fruit in the autumn, being especially fond of raspberries. Perhaps it may choose this fruit
on account of the little white maggots that are so often found in the centre of the over-ripe
raspberry. When in captivity it can be easily tamed, and sings well; but the capture and
domestication of a free singing bird always appears to me to be so heartless a business, that
I can never recommend any one to act in such a manner.

As to the canary and birds of that class, which have never known liberty, and would
be quite bewildered if they were to escape into the open fields, not knowing where to
obtain food or where to roost, it would be a cruelty not to give them the welcome shelter of
their accustomed home, provided that the cage be roomy enough for them to exercise their
wings, and they be well supplied with food and water. But to imprison the restless nature
of the free wild bird in the midst of its happiness, to take away the power of flight,. to
remove it from its well-loved woods and fields, to take it away from its expectant mate, and
to imprison it within the narrow precincts of a wire cage merely for the purpose of grati-
fying our ears with its song, is really so refined a piece of selfish barbarity, that I can but
enter my strongest protest against it.

The nest of the Blackcap is generally placed only a foot or so above the ground, within
the shelter of a dense bush or tuft of rank herbage, and is composed of vegetable fibres and
hairs rather loosely put together. The eges are four or five in number, and are of a pale
reddish-brown dappled with a deeper hue of brown. The general colour of the Blackeap
is grey, with a wash of dark green upon the upper surface and ashen grey upon the lower
surface. The total length of the bird is not quite six inches, its extent of wings nearly
nine inches, and its weight not quite half an ounce.

THe well-known and far-famed NIGHTINGALE is, happily for us, an inhabitant of
England, visiting us about the middle of April and remaining until the breeding season
is over.

It seems to be rather a local bird, some parts of England appearing to be quite unsuited
‘to its habits. The northern counties are seldom visited by this bird,-and in Ireland and
Scotland it is almost unknown. Attempts have been made to introduce the Nightingale
into different parts of England by substituting its eggs for those of robins and other small
birds, but although the young were regularly hatched and fledged, they all retired at the
"usual season and never came back again. Perhaps, however, it really inhabits localities in
which it has been said not to exist, and is not discovered simply because no one has taken
the trouble to observe it. For example: Devonshire and certain parts of Wales are said to
be among the localities which are unvisited by the Nightingale, but several letters have
appeared in the /%eld newspaper, wherein the constant presence of the bird in both these
places is distinctly proved. It is at all times a hazardous matter to make an unconditional
assertion in the negative.

It is very probable that the quality and drainage of the soil and the character of the
cultivation may have some influence upon the Nightingale, for it is well known that
certain singing birds which had previously been excluded from the northern parts of
England have advanced northward together with cultivation, and the Nightingale may
probably follow their example.

The food of the Nightingale consists principally of various insects, and it is so power-
fully attracted by the common mealworm, that one of these creatures employed as a bait
is sure to attract the bird to its destruction. It appears to make great havoc among the
caterpillars, which come out to feed at night, and are to be seen so abundantly on damp
warm evenings. In the autumn it is somewhat of a fruit-eater, and has been seen in the
act of eating “black-heart” cherries, plucking them from the tree and carrying them to its
young. In captivity it is best fed upon mealworms, raw beef scraped with a knife and
given very fresh, hard-boiled egg and water, all mixed into a kind of paste. The idea,
however, of caging a Nightingale, seems so barbarous, that I shall say nothing more on
that subject.

As is well known, the song of the Nightingale is almost wholly uttered in the evening,
but the bird may sometimes be heard in full song throughout the day. Towards the end
of June, when the young birds are hatched, the song changes into a kind of rough croaking

NIGHTINGALE.—Luscinia Philoméla,

sound, which is uttered by way of warning, and accompanied with a sharp snapping sound
of the beak. The time when the Nightingales sing loudest and most constantly is during
the week or two after their arrival, for they are then engaged in attracting their mates,
and sing in fierce rivalry of each other, hoping to fascinate their brides by the splendour
of their voices. When once the bird has procured a partner, he becomes deeply attached
to her, and if he should be captured, soon pines away and dies, full of sorrowful remem-
brances. The bird dealers are therefore anxious to catch the Nightingale before the first
week has elapsed, as they can then, by dint of care and attention, preserve the bird in full
song to a very late period. Mr. Yarrell mentions an instance where a caged Nightingale
sang upon an hundred and fourteen successive days.

The nest of the Nightingale is always placed upon or very near the ground, and is
generally carefully hidden beneath heavy foliage. One such nest that I discovered in
Wiltshire was placed among the knotted and gnarled roots of an old ivy-covered thorn
stump that still maintained its place within a yard of a footpath. The nest is made of
grass and leaves, and is of exceedingly slight construction, so slight, indeed, that to remove
it without damage is a very difficult process, and requires the careful use of the hands.
The eggs are generally four and sometimes five in number, and are of a peculiar smooth
olive-brown, that distinguishes them at once from the egg of any other British bird of the
same size.

The colour of the Nightingale is a rich hair-brown upon the upper parts of the body,
and egreyish-white below, the throat being of a lighter hue than the breast and abdomen.
The entire length of the bird rather exceeds six inches.

THE little GRASSHOPPER WARBLER has earned its name by its very peculiar song,
which bears a singular resemblance to the ery of the grasshopper or the field cricket. It
arrives in England some time in April, aceording to the weather, and leaves us in
September.

Speaking of this bird, Mr. White, the naturalist of Selborne, says: “Nothing can be
more amusing than the whisper of this little bird, which seems to be close by, though at a
hundred yards’ distance ; and when close at your ear is scarce louder than when a great

THE SEDGE WARBLER. 287

‘way off. Had I not been a little acquainted with insects, and known that the grasshopper
kind is not yet hatched, I should have hardly believed but that it had been a Jocusta,
whispering in the bushes. The country people laugh when you tell them that it is the
note of a bird. It is a most artful creature, skulking in the thickest part of a bush, and
will sing at a yard’s distance, provided it be concealed. I was obliged to get a person to
go on the other side of the hedge where it haunted ; and then it would run, creeping like
a mouse before us for a hundred yards together, through the bottom of the thorns ; yet it
would not come into fair sight ; but in a morning early, and when undisturbed, it sings on
the top of a twig, gaping and shivering with its wings.”

I can corroborate this account by personal experience of the bird, and generally found
that the country people entirely denied that the strange hissing whistle was that of a bird,
and attributed it to the field mouse. The ventriloquial power (if it may so be termed) is
as remarkable as in the case of the.common grasshopper, for it is almost impossible to
ascertain from the sound the distance or even the direction of the creature which
utters it.

GRASSHOPPER WARBLER.—Calamodyta locustella.

The nest of the Grasshopper Warbler is cup-shaped, and made of various kinds of
grasses, the coarser being woven round the circumference, and the finer placed in the
centre. It is so admirably hidden that it is discovered less frequently than that of any
other warbler. In all my bird-hunting days, I was never fortunate enough to secure an
egg of the Grasshopper Warbler, although the bird was far from uncommon. A large
patch of furze is a favourite locality for the nest, and the bird hides it so ingeniously
among the thick roots of the prickly shelter, that even when the bird is watched to its
home, its discovery is a matter of very great difficulty. The eggs are from five to seven
in number, and their colour is reddish-white, speckled with dark red spots.

The general colour of the Grasshopper Warbler is greenish-brown, each feather being
brown in the centre and green at the edges, so that its whole aspect presents rather a
spotty or mottled appearance. The under surface is pale brown, diversified with some
dark spots on the neck and breast. The total length of the bird is about five inches and
a half.

THE generic title of Calamodyta, which has been given to the grasshopper Warbler
and the SEDGE WARBLER, signifies a diver into reeds, and has been attributed to these
birds in consequence of their habit of diving abruptly among the herbage whenever they
are alarmed.

288 THE FAN-TATIL WARBLER.

The Sedge Warbler arrives in this country about the same time as the last-mentioned
species, and immediately repairs to the low-lying spots where it can find that peculiar
herbage that grows near water. Sedges, reeds, rushes and willows are its favourite resorts,
and upon the branches of the last-mentioned tree this Warbler may be observed, on the
rare occasions when it deigns to present itself in full view. In such localities it conceals
itself most effectually, and although it pours forth its pleasant song with great fluency,
prefers to remain secluded in the thick folage of its home. On one or two occasions,
while sitting in a boat drawn among the thick reeds that are found in rivers, I have both
seen and heard this interesting little creature, and noticed that it seldom shows itself
within six or seven inches of the reed tops. By remaining perfectly quiet, a careful
observer may note the peculiar fitful movements of the Sedge Warbler, as it dives
among the reeds, and ever and anon shows itself in some small open space, only to
disappear the next moment. :

The song of the Sedge Warbler is not powerful, but is very constantly uttered. It
may be heard to the best advantage in the early morning and the dusk of the evening,

SEDGE WARBLER.—Calamodyta phragmitis.

and, like that of the nightingale, is often prolonged far into the hours of darkness. The
strain is quick, and has a peculiar guttural sound that is quite indescribable in words.

The structure of the nest and its position are extremely variable, according to the
locality in which the bird dwells. Generally the nest is composed of moss and various
fibres, the finest being always worked into the centre so as to form a warm bed for the
nest and young. It is always placed under cover, sometimes being protected by a bunch
of reeds drawn together, sometimes built in the midst of some thick bush, and sometimes
overshadowed by a tuft of rank aquatic herbage. The eggs are from four to six in number,
and their colour is a very light yellow-brown, dappled with a darker hue.

The general colour of this bird is brown of various shades above, pure white on the
chin and throat, and buff upon the breast and abdomen. Its total length is rather under
five inches.

THE FAN-TAIL WARBLER, which has been referred by Mr. Gould to the genus Salicaria,
is a most interesting little bird, and deserving of our best admiration, not only for the
elegance of its form and delicate beauty of its colouring, but for the wonderful skill which
it displays in the formation of its nest.

THE FAN-TAIL WARBLER.

The cradle in which is laid the nest of the Fan-tail Warbler is most ingeniously
constructed from the living reeds among which the bird loves to make its residence. As
it is so minute a creature, it is unable to make use of the thick and sturdy stems, but
employs the flat leaf-blades and the smaller grasses in its architectural desions. Each leaf
is pierced by the bill, drawn closely to another blade, and secured to it by means of a
cottony thread which is passed through the perforation, and secured at each stitch by a knot
so elaborately tied, that, in the words of Mr. Gould, “it appears the work of reason.” The
nest itself is composed of various
soft and downy fibres, which are
collected from different plants. In
this wonderfully constructed nest
the Fan-tail Warbler lays four
or five eggs of a “bluish-flesh”
colour,

The popular name of Fan-tail
has been given to this bird on
account of the peculiar shape of
the expanded tail, which is ex-
hibited by the bird whenever it
sets itself in motion. It is a lively
little bird, popping in and out of
the foliage in a very wren-like
manner, spreading and flirting its
beautifully loquacious little tail
while it darts from spot to spot, as
_ the Spanish ladies flirt their love-
speaking fans. When observed, it
takes to its wings, and will fly
to a considerable distance before
alighting. It is a native of the
Mediterranean shores, and is found
along the northern and eastern
parts of Europe, and the adjoining
portions of Africa and Asia. At
Gibraltar it is found in plenty,
enlivening the bushes with its
quick and active movements, and
its shrill merry notes.

The colour of this pretty little
bird is a warm chestnut-brown,
each feather being marked with
a dark strip running down its
centre. The under surface is
white with a brown wash, and
the tail is brownish-black, each
feather being graduated so as to
give it the appearance which is
presented in the engraving. Each
tail-feather is tipped with white,
presenting an agreeable contrast
to the darker hues of the basal portions. The total length of this bird is about
five inches.

FAN-TAIL WARBLER.—Salicaria Cisticola,

A SMALL but very interesting group of birds now claims our attention, These are the
Erythacine, or Redbreast kind, including the Redbreast, the Wheatear, the Chats, the
Redstart, and other similar birds.

Py U

THE WHEATEAR.

ine WHEATEAR, or FALLOW CHAT, is a well-known visitant of the British Isles, and
on account of the delicate flavour of its flesh when fat, is sadly persecuted throughout the
whole time of its sojourn. ;

Being in great favour for the table, where it is popularly known as the English
ortolan, and consequently fetching a good price in the market, it is caught in great
numbers, and sold to the game-dealers of London. The trap by which it is captured is a
remarkably simple affair, consisting merely of an oblong piece of turf cut from the soil,
and arranged crosswise over the cavity from which it was taken. A horsehair noose is
supported under the turf by means of a stick, and the trap is complete, needing no bait
or supervision. It is the nature of the Wheatear to run under shelter at the least alarm ;
a passing cloud sufficing to drive it under a stone or into a hole in a bank. Seeing,
therefore, the sheltering turf, the Wheatear runs beneath it, and is caught in the noose.
These simple traps are much used by the shepherds, who can make and attend to four or
five hundred in a day, and have been known to catch upwards of a thousand Wheatears
within twenty-four hours.

In the northern parts of England, the Wheatear is equally persecuted, but from super-
stitious motives; the ignorant
countrymen imagining that its
presence foretells the death of jthe
spectator. In order, therefore, to
avert so sad an omen, they kill
the bird and destroy its eggs on
every opportunity.

The chief reason for this ab-
surd practice is, that the Wheatear
is in the habit of frequenting any
locality where it can find shelter
for its eggs and young, and, there-
fore, may often be found amid old
ruins, in burial-grounds, or cairns.
“Though it is a very handsome
bird,” says Mudie, “and in the
early season sings sweetly, its
haunts have gotten it a bad name.
Its common clear note is not unlike
the sound made in breaking stones
with a hammer; and as it utters
that note from the top of the heap
which haply covers the bones of
one who perished by the storms
or by his own hand; or from the
mound, beneath which there lie
the slain of a battle-field, magnified through the mist of years ; or from the rude wall
that fences in many generations, it is no very unnatural stretch to the pondering fancy,
which dwells in these parts, to associate the Wheatear with all the superstitions that
unphilosophically, but not irreverently, belong to the place of graves.

It comes around, too, to meet the traveller, and now running, now flying, seems to
pilot him to a place beside the cairn, as if his own bones were soon to be gathered there ;
and in that, its note of solemn warning, it is more than usually energetic ; it is seen in
the fog too, and, from the contrast of its colours, it is particularly conspicuous even in
that. In a highland glen, during a highland mist (which wets but warms you), you hear
the Clacheran before you see it; you meet the Clacheran before you see the cairn; so
you are at perfect liberty to believe that it is busy breaking the stones that are to cover
you—if you choose.

.... Beneath that heap of stones there is a little nest, formed of moss and grass, and
completely lined with hair, feathers, or wool, with five or six eggs of a delicate bluish-

WHEATEAR,.—Saaicola wnanthé.

THE STONECHAT. 291

white ; and there is a mate, of whom and her promised brood the bird is as fond, and for
them he has as much forsaken the society of other birds, as the most exemplary of the
human race could possibly do. He watches early and late, and endeavours to divert any
one that passes from the retreat of his charge. He renders it unnecessary for the dam to
leave the eggs when they might be injured by the cold and damp, for he fears her moving
and roving while the air is cold; but in order that she may not suffer by the experiment,
he takes her place a short while during the warmth of the day, while she exercises her
feet and wings a little, and finds a snail, perhaps, from the all-supplying earth.

Yet, for these assiduities to his brood, the Wheatear has been made in the northern
parts of Britain, and in places still farther to the north, the victim of superstition. Old
and young continue to kill and persecute these birds, and to destroy their eggs, considering
the service as one of more than ordinary merit.”

As a general rule, the nest of the Wheatear is hidden in the most perfect manner, the
bird ordinarily choosing to place its domicile within the recesses of large stone heaps, in
deep rocky crannies, and in similar localities ; so that, even if it should be discovered, the
work of obtaiming it is very severe. In some parts of the cliff-bound sea-coast, the
Wheatear’s nest is so deeply buried in the rocky crevices, that the only mode of obtaining
the eggs is to hook out the nest by means of a bent wire at the end of a long stick. In
my early nest-hunting expeditions I used to obtain such deeply hidden eggs by putting a
little bird-lime on the end of a fishing-rod, twisting it carefully upon each egg severally,
and drawing it owt of the hole before it could be disengaged from the tenacious substance
by which it was held.

Mr. Yarrell mentions that the Wheatear is not always so cautious, but that it will
often make its nest in the interior of rabbit burrows, at no great distance from the opening.
Tt is a curious circumstance that the Wheatear has a habit of collecting little stalks of
the common brake, and permitting them to project from the hole in which the nest is
built, so that it leaves a sign by which the presence of the nest may be discovered. The
eges of the Wheatear are rather rounded in form, and their colour is of the palest and
most delicate blue, in which a few dark spots may be discovered by a close investigation.
Their number is from four to six.

The colouring of the Wheatear is bold and pleasing. The upper part of the body is
light silver-grey, “and the quill-feathers of the wings, together with their coverts, are deep
black. The middle tail-feathers and the tips of the various rectrices are of the same hue,
and a black streak passes from the edge of the beak to the ear, enveloping the eye, and
spreading widely upon the ear-coverts. The breast is buff, with a decided orange tinge,
and the abdomen is beautifully white. The female is not quite so handsome ; the wings,
tail, and ear-coyerts being dark brown, and the lighter portions of the body tinged with
brown. ‘The total length of the bird is about six inches and a half.

The STONECHAT is one of the birds that remain in England throughout the year, being
seen during the winter months among the furze-covered commons which are now rapidly
becoming extinct.

The name of Chat is earned by the bird in consequence of its extreme volubility, for it
is one of the noisiest birds in existence. Its song is low and sweet, and may be heard to
great advantage, as the bird is not at all shy, and, trusting to its powers of concealment,
sings merrily until the spectator has approached within a short distance, and then, dropping
among the furze, glides quickly through the prickly maze, and rises at some distance,
ready to renew its little song. Itisa lively bird, ever on the move, flitting from place to
place with restless activity, and ever and anon uttering its sweet strains. Even in the
winter months the Stonechat will make itself audible as it flutters about the furze-grown
spots in which it loves to live. It is in these localities that it finds its supply of winter
food, for the thick furze-bushes afford shelter to various worms and insects, and the little
Chat is able to procure a plentiful meal by digging in the damp ground.

It is rather difficult to force a Stonechat to leave its shelter, and a shower of missiles
generally has the effect of making it keep closer within its concealment. This little bird
has the faculty of making a patch of furze very lively, for it pops in and out in a quick

uv 2

yy

Z|

WHINCHAT.—Pratincola rubétra. STONECHAT.—Pratincola rubicola.

cheerful fashion, twitters its pretty song, dives among the rich golden-crowned bushes, and
reappears with a toss of the head, and a flirt of the wing, as if exulting in the exuberance
of its happiness. In the winter, the same bushes afford it concealment and shelter, for
the heavy masses of snow only rest upon the furze, and leave abundant open space
beneath, in which the little bird has perfect freedom of movement, and under which it is
sure to find worms and insects buried in the soil. Snails, slugs, and other similar creatures
always retire for the winter into sheltered spots, and they form many a meal for the Stone-
chat. Plantations, especially those that are made of young pines or firs, are favourite
haunts of the Stonechat; but as the branches are all at some distance from the ground,
the bird seldom, if ever, attempts to build its nest under their shade.

The Stonechat resembles the flycatcher in some of its habits, especially in its custom
of feeding on an elevated twig, the top of a post, or the highest pebble of a stone-heap,
and catching the flies as they pass by its perch. Unlike the flycatcher, however, it does
not make choice of one perch, and return to it day after day; but after catching six or
seven flies upon one spot, flutters to another, and from that to a third, ever changing its
position from time to time.

The nest of the Stonechat is made of mosses, grass of different kinds, and is lined with
fine fibres, hairs, and feathers. The number of the eggs is from four to six, and their
colour is very pale blue, diversified with numerous minute spots of reddish-brown upon
the large end of the shell. The colours of the Stonechat are rather pretty. The head,
the neck, the chin, throat, back, and tail, are deep sooty-black, contrasting boldly with the
pure white of the tertial wing-coverts, the upper tail-coverts, and the sides of the neck.
The remaining wing-coverts are deep brown, and the quill-feathers of the wings are also
brown. The breast is chestnut, and the abdomen yellowish-white. The total length of the
bird is rather more than five inches.

Tue bird which occupies the left-hand of the illustration is called the WHINCHAT, on
account of its fondness for the furze or whin. The stonechat has, however, quite as much
right to the title, as it frequents the furze as constantly as the Whinchat.

This species may be easily distinguished from the preceding, by the long and bold
white streak which passes across the sides of the head, and the absence of white upon the

THE REDSTART. 293

wing-coverts. It is a migratory bird, although it has on one or two occasions been seen in
England during the winter. In many of its habits it resembles the stonechat, and might
readily be mistaken for that bird by any one who was not well acquainted with the two
species. It sings rather constantly, uttering its sweet strains while on the wing, or while
perched on some elevated bough. Mr. Yarrell mentions that it is fond of imitating the
notes of other birds, and that a caged Whinchat has been heard to mimic the whitethroat,
the redstart, willow warbler, missel thrush, and nightingale. The same bird would
frequently sing at night.

Like the wheatear, the Whinchat becomes extremely fat in the autumn, and as it is
prized as a delicacy for the table, is rather persecuted by the game-dealers and their
emissaries. The food of this bird is the same as that of the stonechat. The Whinchat
arrives in this country about the middle or towards the end of April, according to the
locality and the weather. It builds its nest soon after its arrival, and hatches its young
about the end of May or the beginning of June. The nest is placed on the ground, is
made after the fashion of the stonechat’s habitation, and contains from four to six bluish-
green eggs, slightly speckled with reddish-brown. Two broods are hatched in the course
of the year.

The colouring of the Whinchat is as follows: The top of the head, the neck, and the
back are mottled brown, each feather being lighter at the circumference than in the
centre. An irregular broad brown streak extends from the angle of the mouth to the
back of the neck, and above the eye is a long and rather wide streak of white. Another
white stripe passes immediately below the dark-brown streak, and extends from the chin
almost to the shoulder. The tail is white upon the base, and brown at the tip, each
feather being edged with a lighter shade of the same hue. ‘The chin is white, the throat
and chest are pale fawn, and the abdomen is buff. The length of the bird is not quite
five inches.

THE specific title of phcenicura, which is given to the REDSTART, signifies ruddy-tail,
and is attributed to the bird in consequence of the light ruddy-chestnut feathers of the
tail and upper tail-coverts.

It is a handsomely coloured and elegantly shaped bird, and is a great ornament to
our fields and hedgerows. The name of Redstart is a very appropriate one, and has been
given to the bird in allusion to the peculiar character of its flight. While walking quietly
along the hedgerows, the observer may often see a bird Hash ‘suddenly out of the leafage,
flirt its tail in the air, displaying strongly a bright gleam of ruddy hue, and after a sharp
dash of a few yards, turn into the hedge again with as much suddenness as it had dis-
played in its exit. These manceuvres it will repeat frequently, always keeping well in
front, and at last it will quietly slip through the hedge, double back on the opposite side,
and return to the spot from whence it had started.

No one need fancy, from seeing the bird in the hedge, that its nest is in close proximity,
for the Redstart seldom builds in such localities, only haunting them for the sake of
obtaining food for its young. ‘The nest is almost invariably built in the hole of an old wall,
in a crevice of rock, a heap of large stones, in a hollow tree, or in very thick ivy. I have
known this bird to make its nest in quite a small hole in a wall of Merton College,
Oxford ; the nest looking out upon a passage, and being within five feet of the ground.
The eggs are generally five in number, although they vary from four to seven, and are of
a beautiful blue, with a slight tinge of green. They are not unlike those of the common
hedge sparrow, but are shorter and of a different contour.

The Redstart has a very sweet song, which, although not very powerful, is soft and
melodious, bearing some resemblance to that of the nightingale. The bird has a habit of
sitting on the top of a wall or some elevated spot, and there pouring forth his song, look-
ing about in every direction, as if inviting a challenge, and spreading and closing his tail
at intervals. Presently, without ceasing the song, he will dart off to another spot, im one
of the short uncertain flights which characterise the species, and settling upon some fresh
perch, sing with new vigour. It often happens that in the breeding season the Redstart
continues to sing far into the night, and recommences at the earliest approach of dawn.

REDSTART.—2Luticilla phenicira.

The food of the Redstart is mostly of an insect nature, and is obtained in various
ways. Sometimes the bird dashes from its perch upon a passing insect, after the manner
of the flycatcher; sometimes it chases beetles, and other creeping insects upon the
leaves and branches of the hedges; sometimes it hunts for worms, grubs, and snails
from the ground; and it often picks maggots out of fungi, decaying wood, mosses, and
lichens. Soft ripe fruit is also eaten by the Redstart, which, however, ought to be allowed its
free range of the garden in recompense for the great service which it has performed in the
earlier portion of the year, by devouring the myriad insects that feed upon the blossoms
of fruit-trees. The softer berries form part of the Redstart’s diet, but the bird does not
seem to care about the hard seeds.

The colouring of the Redstart is as follows: The top of the head, the neck, and the
back are bluish grey, contrasting finely with the jetty black of the chin, the throat, the
face, and the sides of the neck. The wings are rich brown, slightly streaked with a
lighter shade of the same hue, and the upper tail-coverts and all the tail-feathers are
bright ruddy chestnut, with the exception of the two central tail-feathers, which are striped
with the same hue as the wing-feathers. The breast and all the lower surface is very pale
chestnut, and the forehead is white. The length of the bird is more than five inches.

ANOTHER species of the same genus is occasionally, though very rarely, seen in England.
This is the Black Redstart (Ruticilla Tithys), and is readily distinguished from the
common species by the sooty black hue of its breast and abdomen. ‘This bird resembles
the common Redstart in many of its habits, but is seldom seen on open ground. Ata
meeting of the British Association a curious anecdote was related of this bird, which well
exemplified the force of parental affection,

A railway carriage had been left for some weeks out of use in the station at Giessen,
Hesse Darmstadt, in the month of May, 1852, and when the superintendent came to
examine the carriage, he found that a Black Redstart had built her nest upon the collision
spring ; he very humanely retained the carriage in its shed until its use was imperatively
demanded, and at last attached it to the train, which ran to Frankfort-on-the-Maine, a

eee

THE REDBREAST. 295

distance of nearly forty miles. It remained at Frankfort for thirty-six hours, and was
then brought back to Giessen, and after one or two short journeys, came back again to
rest at Giessen, after a period of four days. The young birds were by this time partly
fledged, and finding that the parent bird had not deserted her offspring, the superintendent
carefully removed the nest to a place of safety, whither the parent soon followed. The
young were, in process of time, full fledged, and left the nest to shift for themselves. It
is evident that one at least of the parent birds must have accompanied the nest in all its
journeys, for, putting aside the difficulty which must have been experienced by the parents
in watching for every carriage that arrived at Giessen, the nestlings would have perished
from hunger during their stay at Frankfort, for every one who has reared young birds is
perfectly aware that they need food every two hours. Moreover, the guard of the train
repeatedly saw a red-tailed bird flying about that part of the carriage on which the nest
was placed.

THERE are few birds which are more familiar to us than the REDBREAST or ROBIN, a
bird which is interwoven among our earliest recollections, through the medium of the
Children in the Wood, and the
mournful ballad of the Death and
Burial of Cock Robin.

Although the Redbreast re-
mains in England throughout the
winter, it is very susceptible to
cold, and one.of the first birds to
seek for shelter, its appearance
among the outhouses being always
anindication of coming inclemency.
In cold weather, the Redbreast
seldom perches upon twigs and
branches, but crouches in holes,
or sits upon the ground. The
bird seems strongly attached to
man and his home, and will fol-
low the ploughman over the fields,
picking up the worms which he
turns up with the ploughshare, or
enter his house and partake of
his evening meal. Both bold and
shy, the Redbreast is a most en-
gaging bird, and seldom fails of
receiving the affection of those to
whom he attaches himself. One
of these birds was exceedingly familiar with all our family, his acquaintance having
commenced through the medium of some crumbs from our hands, and would always
come to us whenever we called his name, “ Bobby.” Sometimes he would accompany us
on our way to church through the lanes, and I have even seen him keeping pace with us
along the one-sided street of Oxford, that is appropriately named Long Wall.

Bread and butter is a very favourite dainty with the Robin, who has often been known
to come uninvited, and to peck from the table. “Butter,” according to Mr. Thompson,
“is so great a dainty to these birds, that in a friend’s house, frequented during the winter
by one or two of them, the servant was obliged to be very careful in keeping what was in
her charge covered, to save it from destruction ; if unprotected, it was certain to be eaten.
I have known them to visit labourers at breakfast-time to eat butter from their hands, and
enter a lantern to feast on the candle. One, as I have been assured, is in the constant
habit of entering a house in a tanyard in Belfast, by the window, that it might feed upon
tallow, when the men were using this substance in the preparation of hides. But even
further than this, I have seen the Redbreast exhibit its partiality for scraps of fat, &c.

REDBREAST.—Erythacus rubécula.

296 CHARACTER OF THE REDBREAST.

Being present one day in December, 1837, when a golden eagle was fed, a Robin, to my
surprise, took the eagle’s place on the perch the moment that he descended to the ground
to eat some food given him, and when there, picked off some little fragments of fat or
scraps of flesh; this done, it quite unconcernedly alighted on the chain by which the
‘rapacious’ bird was fastened.

I at the same time learned that this Robin regularly visited the eagle’s abode at
feeding-time, though as yet there was no severity of weather. Although the Robin escaped
the golden eagle unscathed, as much cannot be said for one which occasionally entered the
kitchen at the Falls, and sang there ; having one day alighted on a cage in which a toucan
was kept, this bird with it huge bill seized and devoured it.’ Another Robin, mentioned
by the same author, was in the habit of attending on a carpenter, stealing the shavings as
materials for his nest, and making very free with his grease-pot, pecking from it while in
his hand.

The Robin is also remarkably fond of bread and butter on which honey or sugar has -
been spread, and will eat of this dainty until it is hardly able to fly. One of these birds
who had been treated to such a repast, was so pleased with it that he returned, bringing
with hin three companions, who gorged themselves to such a degree, that they were taken
up by hand, and put away for the night into a comfortable recess. After a while, between
twenty and thirty Robins came to the house in hopes of obtaining the sweet food.
Perhaps they may be instinctively led to sugar and fatty substances, as a means of
preserving themselves against the effects of cold. Cream is in great favour with the birds
during the winter months, and they have been seen to enter an outhouse which was
employed for washing purposes, and to eat the soap.

The Redbreast is a most combative bird, fighting its own species with singular energy,
and often killing its opponent. One of these birds killed upwards of twenty of its own
kind, merely because they came into a greenhouse which he chose to arrogate to himself.
It is very jealous, too, of its human friends, and not only prohibits other individuals from
sharing in the friendship, but will often drive away its own young if they approach too
closely.

The nest of this bird is generally placed near the ground in a thick leafy bush, or in a
bank, and is composed of dry leaves, moss, grass, hair, and feathers. I have seen the nest
very well concealed among the thick ivy that had wreathed round a tree-trunk, and placed
about eight feet from the ground. The bird seldom flies directly to its nest, or leaves it
directly, but alights at a little distance, and creeps through the leaves or branches until
it enters its home. When, however, the Redbreast chooses to become familiar with man,
it takes advantage of his friendship, and deposits its nest and eggs under his care. The
localities which have been chosen for the Robin’s home are diverse beyond description,
one of the most curious being the centre of a large cabbage growing in a garden.

The bird has been known to make its nest in a workman’s tool-basket hanging against
the wall, in a fold of a window-curtain, upon a shelf in a greenhouse, in the side of a
saw-pit, in a knot-hole of timber used in a ship which was being built, the birds being not
in the least discomposed by the constant hammering of the trenails. Mr. Thompson gives
the following quaint account of a Redbreast and its nest.

“ At Fort William, the seat of a relation, the following circumstance occurred. Ina
pantry, the window of which was left open during the day, one of these birds constructed
its nest early in the summer. The place selected was the corner of a moderately high
shelf, among pickle-bottles, which, being four-sided, gave the nest the singular appearance
of a perfect square. It was made of green moss, and lined with a little black hair; on
the one side which was exposed to view, and that only, were dead beech-leaves. When
any article near the nest was sought for by the housekeeper, the bird, instead of flying
out of the window, as might have been expected, alighted on the floor, and waited there
patiently until the cause of disturbance was over, when it immediately returned to its
nest. Five eggs were laid, which, after having been incubated without success for the
long period of about five weeks, were forsaken.

The room above this pantry was occupied as a bird-stutfing apartment; after the

THE BLUE-THROATED WARBLER. 297

Redbreast had deserted the lower story, a bird of this species—doubtless the same
individual—visited it daily, and was as often expelled. My friend, finding its expulsion
of no avail, for it continued to return, had recourse to a novel and rather comical
expedient. Having a short time before received a collection of stuffed Asiatic quadrupeds,
he selected the most fierce-looking carnivora, and placed them at the open window, which
they nearly filled up, hoping that their formidable aspect might deter the bird from future
ingress. It was not, however, to be so frightened ‘from its propriety,’ but made its entrée
as usual, The walls of the room, the tables in it, and nearly the entire floor, were
occupied by these stuffed quadrupeds.

The .perseverance of the Robin was at length rewarded by a free permission to have
its own way, when, as if in defiance of the ruse that was practised against it, the place
chosen for the nest was the head of a shark which hung on the wall (the mouth being
gagged may have prevented it being the site); while the tail, &c. of an alligator stuffed,
served to screen it from observation. During the operation of forming this nest, the
Redbreast did not in the least regard the presence of my friend; but both man and bird
worked away within a few feet of each other. On the Ist of June I saw it seated on the
eggs, which were five in number; they were all productive, and the whole brood in due
time escaped in safety.”

The eges of the Redbreast are generally five in number, as is the case with most of
the song birds, and their colour is greyish white, covered with variously sized spots of pale
rusty red. The song of this bird is very sweet and pleasing; and it is a pretty sight to
observe two or more Redbreasts perched on different trees, and answering each other with
their musical cries. Whenever the Redbreast perches on the top of a tree or other
elevated spot, and begins to sing merrily, it is an unfailing indication that the weather of
the coming day promises to be fair. The bird sings throughout the greater part of the
year, beginning early in spring, and continuing it very late into the autumn. Even
in the winter months, a bright sunny day is apt to excite the Robin to perch upon a twig,
and pour forth a sweet though broken melody.

While hopping and feeding about the ground, it is wonderful to see what large worms
and insects the little bird will devour. Should the worm be too large for him to swallow
entire, as indeed is mostly the case, he tosses it about with his beak, bangs it against the
ground, flings it over his head, jumps on it, and when he has thus mashed it into a pulp,
pulls it to bits, and devours it piecemeal.

The colour of the male Robin is bright olive-brown on the back, orange-red on the
throat, chin, breast, forehead, and round the eye. A stripe of blue-grey runs round the
red, and the abdomen and lower part of the breast are white. The bill and eyes are
black. The female is coloured after the same manner, but the tints are not so vivid as in
her mate. The total length of the bird is nearly six inches, and its weight about half
an ounce,

The BLUE-THROATED WARBLER is very common in the southern parts of Europe, but is
extremely rare in the British Isles, only two or three specimens having been obtained in
England.

It is a sweet songster, the notes having some resemblance to those of the whinchat,
but being more powerful. It prefers to haunt low-lying, marshy grounds, and places its
nest among tufts of the rank herbage that generally grows in such localities. The nest is
most carefully hidden, and cannot readily be discovered. The materials of which it is
composed are dried grass and mosses, and it is ined with grass of a finer character. The
eges are greenish-blue, something like those of the redstart. The bird has a curious habit
of rising into the air while singing, spreading its tail widely, and sailing with quivering
wings and spread tail to a spot at some distance from that at which it rose. It begins its
song early in the morning, and does not cease until late in the evening, being in this
respect similar to the redbreast.

The colour of this bird is rather varied, and is briefly as follows: The upper part of
the body is rich brown, a colour which extends to the two central tail-feathers, all the
other rectrices being bright chestnut at the basal half, and black at the extremity. The

BLUE-THROATED WARBLER.—Cyanécula Suécica,

chin, throat, and upper part of the breast are brilliant blue, excepting a spot in the centre,
which is white in young birds, but warms into red as they increase in age. <A well-
marked black bar runs below the blue, followed by a narrow streak of white, and a rather
broad band of the same ruddy chestnut as that of the tail. The abdomen is greyish-white.
The total length of the bird is about six inches.

THE birds that belong to the genus Copsychus are spread over several portions of
India and Africa, where they are rather plentiful in certain favoured localities.

The DAYAL is an inhabitant of India and Ceylon, and in its wild state is a solitary
bird, haunting the lower trees and jungle, and often paying visits to gardens and cultivated
grounds. It is rather shy, and prefers the thickest foliage for its perch, never caring to
rise to any great elevation if observed, but merely flying from tree to tree at a short
distance from the ground. Its food consists of insects, which it generally takes upon
the ground, jerking its tail upwards in a satisfied kind of manner, and then returning to
its post among the bushes. As it regains its perch, it has a curious habit of depressing its
tail, as if to counteract the effect of its former elevation. The song of the Dayal is
remarkably good, and it possesses the power of mimicking other birds.

As it is readily tamed, it is often caught and caged, and when domesticated is employed
in various réles, the most common being that of a combatant. It is a most brave and
combative little bird, and will fight to the death with as much courage as any gamecock.
Even in its wild state it is constantly engaged in fighting, the male birds challenging each
other just as is the case with the domestic fowl, and joining in combat as soon as they
can come to close quarters. The native bird-catchers take advantage of this propensity,
and employ a tame male for the purpose of decoying the wild birds into captivity ; the
whole process being singularly like that which is adopted for the capture of elephants in
the same country.

The tame bird, on hearing the accustomed signal from his master, pours forth a defiant
challenge, which is immediately answered by the nearest male. The decoy bird is then
let loose, and the two immediately engage in fight, so fierce that both the combatants are

——w~

DAYAL.—Copsjchus sauldris.

seized by the bird-catcher. It is a very remarkable fact that the tame bird seems to take
a pride in aiding its master, and will hold its struggling antagonist by beak and claws in
order to prevent it from making its escape. In Ceylon ‘this bird goes by the name of the
Magpie Robin.

THE pretty little BLUE-BIRD of America is deservedly a great favourite in the country
which it inhabits, not only for its delicate blue back, red bosom, and sweet song, but from
the engaging familiarity of its character.

In many respects the Blue-bird takes the place of the redbreast in the affections of
bird-loving persons, and fearlessly associates with mankind, even though it be not driven
to such companionship by cold or hunger. It is the harbinger of spring, and makes its
appearance as soon as the snow begins » to melt away from the surface of the earth, and
the soil to loose itself from the icy bonds in which it had been held. Sometimes a few
days of sharp frost or heavy snow will drive the Blue-bird to its hiding-place, but it soon
emerges when the inclemency of the weather is past, and cheers the face of nature with its
light-coloured feathers and sweet rich song. Many persons are in the habit of arranging
a box with a hole in the side as a nest-box for the Blue-bird, and the grateful little creature
never fails to take advantage of the domicile thus offered to it, and to pour forth its
thanks in frequent music.

Although, as a rule, the Blue-bird is not seen except in the spring and summer months,
it is evident that some specimens must remain throughout the winter, as even in the
depth of the cold season, a few days of sunshine and warmth are sure to witness the
presence of two or three Blue-birds that have been tempted by the genial warmth to leave
for a while the snowy home in which they have been resting. The habits of this pretty
bird are very interesting, and not the least so is the extreme care which it takes of its
nest and young, sitting | near them and singing its best, and occasionally flying off and
returning with a caterpillar or other insect for their benefit.

The Blue-bird builds its nest in the hollows of decaying trees and other similar
situations, where the eggs and nest are well sheltered from the rain and cold. The eggs
are generally from four to six in number, and their colour is a pale blue. Two broods are
generally produced in a single season, and it is not uncommon for the bird to rear a third
brood later in the year, should the weather be propitious. The food of this bird consists
of various insects, chiefly those of the coleopterous order, spiders, small worms, and in the

BLUE-BIRD.—Sidlia sialis.

autumn of soft fruits and seeds. The bright, cheerful song of the Blue-bird is heard
throughout the greater part of the year, commencing at the end of February or the
beginning of March, and not ceasing until the end of ‘October, The spring, however, is
the season which is most enlivened by the song.

This species is widely and plentifully spread throughout the greater part of North
America, and during the cold weather moves southward towards Brazil, Mexico, Guinea,
and the neighbouring parts, beginning its migration about November. The total length
of the Blue-bird is rather more than seven inches, and its colouring is as follows: The
head, back of the neck, and the whole upper surface is of a rich azure with purple reflections,
excepting the shafts of the quill-feathers of the wing and tail, which are jetty black, and
produce a very pleasing effect when contrasted with the blue. The quill-feathers of the
wing are also black at their extremities. The throat, breast, and sides are rich ruddy
chestnut, and the abdomen is white. The female is similar to her mate in colouring, but
the tints are not so bright.

OF the pretty though sober-plumaged Accentors, we have one or two British examples,
that which is best known being the HepGr AccEeNnTOR, or HEDGE SPARROW, as it is often,
though wrongly, called, as it by no means belongs to the same group of birds.

The Hedge Accentor is very common through the whole of England, and may. be
heard in the gardens, copses, and hedge-rows, chanting its pleasing and plaintive melody
without displaying much fear of its auditors. It seems, indeed, to be actually attracted
to man, and, in spite of the terrible havoc which is made year after year by young bird-
nesters among its homes, it always draws near to human habitations as soon as the cold
days of autumn commence, and may be seen flitting about the barns and outhouses in a
perfectly unconcerned manner.

It is especially adapted for living among the hedges, as it possesses a singular facility
in threading its way through the twigs, stems, and branches. It seems equally at home in
dried br ushwood, and may often be seen traversing the interior of a woodpile with perfect
ease. The nest is one of the earliest to be built, and as it is frequently completed and the

w<se

HEDGE SPARROW, OR ACCENTOR.—Accentor moduldrius.

egos laid before the genial warmth or spring has induced the green leaves to burst their
inclosures, it is easily seen, and is the first victim of the neophyte bird-nester, who pounces
upon its soft mossy walls and delicate blue eggs with exulting eagerness. The more
experienced nester, however, will never touch so easy a prey, caring nothing for eggs which
the veriest novice can discover.

The nest is generally placed at a very low elevation, seldom more than two or three
feet from the ground, and it is rather large in proportion to the size of the bird. The
materials of which the structure is made are various mosses, wool, and hair, and the eggs
are usually five in number, of a bright bluish green colour, Sometimes, but very rarely, six
egos are found in a single nest. Bird-nesting boys are not the only foes with whom the
hedge sparrow has to contend, for the cuckoo profits by the exposed position of the nest,
and lays her eggs in the home of the hedge sparrow more often than in that of any other
bird. There are generally two broods of young in the year, and when the nest is robbed,
the mother bird often lays three sets of five eggs in the course of the season, of which she
may think herself fortunate if she succeeds in rearing one.

The song of the Hedge Accentor is sweet, but not varied nor powerful, and has a
peculiar plaintive air about it. The bird is a persevering songster, continuing to sing
throughout a large portion of the year, and only ceasing during the time of the ordinary
moult. Like many other warbling birds, it possesses considerable powers of imitation, and
ean mock with some success the oreater number of British song-birds.

This bird is nearly as bold as the sparrow, and will sometimes take up its residence in
cities, Where it soon gains the. precociously impertinent airs that characterise all town
birds, speedily loses the bright rich brown and grey of its plumage, and assumes as
dingy a garb as that of the regular city sparrow.

The colour of the Hedge Accentor i is bluish grey, covered with small brown streaks upon
the head, and the back and sides of the neck. The back and wings are brown streaked
with a deeper tint of the same hue, and the quill-feathers of the wings and tail are of a

rather darker brown, and not quite so glossy. The chin, the throat, and upper part of the
breast are grey, and Ale lower part of the breast and the abdomen are white with a wash

302 THE GREAT TITMOUSE.

of pale buff. The legs and toes are brown with a decided orange tinge, and the beak is
dark brown. The total length of the bird is nearly six inches.

The ALPINE AccENTOR (Accentor Alpinus) is another British representative of this
group.

Soveral specimens of this bird have been killed in England, but it is an extremely rare
visitant to this country, and is hardly entitled to take rank as a true British bird. The
countries where it is usually found are Italy, France, Germany, and several other parts
of Europe. It is a mountain-loving bird, seldom descending to the level of the plains
except during the stormy months of winter. It can readily be distinguished from the
ordinary Accentor by the throat, which is white spotted with black, and by the chestnut-
black and white streaks upon the wing-coverts. The Alpine Accentor is larger than its
British relative, being six inches and a half in total length, and its blue-green eggs are
larger than those of that bird.

THE group of birds which are distinguished by the name of Parine, or TrTMIcE, are
easily recognisable, having all a kind of - family resemblance which guards the observer
from mistaking them for any other bird. They are all remarkable for their strong, stout
little beaks, the boldly defined colour of the plumage, and the quick irregularity of their
movements. They are all insect-eaters, and are remarkably fond of the fat of meat, by
means of which, used as a bait, they can often be caught. Their feet and claws, though
shght and apparently weak, are really extremely strong, enabling the bird to traverse the
boughs with great rapidity, and to cling suspended from the branches.

THE first example of these birds is the GREAT TITMoUSE, an inhabitant of England and
many parts of Europe.

It does not migrate, finding a sufficiency of winter food in its native land. During
the summer it generally haunts the forests, gardens, or shrubberies, and may be seen
hopping and running about the branches of the trees in a most adroit manner, searching for
insects, and occasionally stocking them out of their hiding-places by sharp blows of the
bill. The beak of the Great Titmouse is, although so small, a very formidable one, for the
creature has often been known to set upon the smaller birds, and to kill them by repeated
blows on the head, afterwards pulling the skull to pieces, and picking out the brains.

During the winter the Great Titmouse draws near to human habitations, and by
foraging among the barns and outhouses, seldom fails in discovering an ample supply
of food. Mr. White has recorded a curious instance of the ingenuity displayed by this
species while searching for food. “In deep snows I have seen this bird, while it hung
with its back downwards (to my no small delight and admiration), draw straws lengthwise
from out the eaves of thatched houses, in order to pull out the flies that were concealed
between them ; and that in such numbers that they quite defaced the thatch, and gave it
a ragged appearance.” In very severe winters, the birds will even carry away the barley
and oat straws from the ricks.

Mudie, in his “British Birds,” writes as follows on the same subject : “ When the
house flies become languid in the autumn, the Tits capture them in vast numbers, and
when insects fail, they make prizes of the autumnal spiders. In the dead season, when
pee life is chiefly in the egg, though they hunt for the eggs with great diligence, yet

they do not find in them a sufficient supply of food. At that time they pick up nuts,
acorns, and the capsular fruit of other trees, hold them in their claws, and hammer away
with their bill till the hardest shell or toughest capsule is opened. They also eat the
seeds of grasses, especially those that are of an oily nature, and of such size that they can
hold them with their foot and pick them open, for they do not grind or bruise with the
edge of the bill. They feed greedily upon carrion, and when they come upon other birds in
a benumbed and exhausted state, they despatch and eat them, first breaking and emptying
the skull.

When the snow lies heavy on the ground, they approach houses, and hunt about for
any offal that may come in their way. They sometimes draw straws from cornstacks,
but they do that much more rarely than some of the birds which feed more exclusively
upon vegetable matters. While engaged in these labours, they continue repeating their

é

THE BLUE TITMOUSE. 303

erating ery ; but as soon as the weather begins to relent, they resort to the trees, prepara-
tory to the labours of the summer, which, in their case, is no idle time.”

The voice of the Great Titmouse is exceedingly variable, at one time softening into a
kind of song, and at another becoming harsh and grating, resembling, according to some
persons, the sound which is given forth by a saw when being sharpened. It is rather
a flexible voice, and there is always a chattering element in it.

The nest of the Great Titmouse is always made in some convenient hollow, generally
that of a tree, but often in the holes of old walls, and in the cavities that are formed by thick
gnarled roots in the sides of a bank. Hollow trees, however, are the favourite nesting-
places of this bird, which is able to shape the hollow to its liking, by chiselling away the
decaying wood with its sharp, strong beak. The materials of which the nest is made vary
according to the locality. Should the hollow be a deep and warm one, the bird takes very
little trouble about the nest, merely bringing a few feathers and mosses as a soft bed on
which to place the eggs. If, however, the locality be more exposed, the Titmouse builds a
regular nest of moss, hair, and feathers, in which to lay its eggs. There are generally from
eight to twelve eggs in each nest,
and their colour is whitish grey,
covered with mottlings of a rusty
red, which are thickly gathered
towards the larger end.

The colouring of this species
is very bold, and is briefly as fol-
lows: The top of the head and
throat, as far as the middle of the
neck, together with a rather broad
streak down the centre of the
chest and abdomen, are rich pur-
ple black, relieved by a spot of
pure white on the nape of the
neck, and a large flask-shaped
patch under each eye. The back
and shoulders are ashy-green, the
greater wing-coverts are blue-
black, each feather being tipped
with white, so as to form a bar
across the wings. The quill-fea-
thers are dark green-grey, the pri-
maries being edged with greyish-
white. The tail-feathers are the
same green-grey, except that the
extreme feathers are white on their outer ends. The under parts are light sulphurous
yellow, and the under tail-coverts are white. The total length of the bird is not quite
six inches.

GREAT TITMOUSE.—Parus major,

THE little Buus TrrmouseE is one of the most familiar birds of England, as it is
widely spread throughout the land, and is of so bold a nature that it exhibits itself fear-
lessly to any observer.

In many of its habits it resembles the last-mentioned species, but it nevertheless
possesses a very marked character, and has peculiarities which are all its own. As it
trips glancingly over the branches, it hardly looks like a bird, for its quick limbs, and
strong claws carry it over the twigs with such rapidity that it resembles a blue mouse
rather than one of the feathered tribe. Being almost exclusively an insect-eating bird, and
a most voracious little creature, it renders invaluable service to the agriculturist and the
gardener by discovering and destroying the insects which crowd upon the trees and plants
in the early days of spring, and which, if not removed, would effectually injure a very
large proportion of the fruit and produce. In the course of a single day a pair of blue Titmice

304 HABITS OF THE BLUE TITMOUSE.

were seen to visit their nest four hundred and seventy-five times, never bringing less
than one large caterpillar, and generally two or three small ones. _ These birds, therefore,
destroyed, on the average, upwards of five hundred caterpillars daily, being a minimum of
fifteen thousand during the few weeks employed in rearing their young.

While searching for insects, the Blue Titmouse often bites away the buds of fruit-
trees, together with pears and apples, but in almost every case it seeks to devour, not the
fruit, but a maggot which lies concealed within it, and which, if not destroyed, would not
only injure the particular fruit, but would also destroy many others by means of its future
progeny. The food of this bird is of a most multifarious character, for the Blue Titmouse has
been known to eat eggs, other birds which it kills when young or disabled, meat of various
kinds, for which it always haunts the knackers’ yards and country slaughter-houses, peas,
oats, and the various kinds of food which are to be found in farmyards. So fond is it of fat
meat, that a piece of beef suet is an unfailing bait which always succeeds in attracting the Tit-
mouse into the jaws of the trap. It has even been known to peck holes in hens’ eggs, for
the purpose of eating the contents;
but on account of the large size
of the eggs, it was not able to attain
its purpose. I have even seen the
Titmice unite against a tame hawk
which I kept, assault him simul-
taneously, and carry off the piece
of meat which had just been given
to him.

It is a very pugnacious little
bird, and is always ready for a com-
bat with any one of its own kind.
But in the breeding season its com-
bative character is developed to
the fullest extent, and the tiny blue
creature will boldly attack a man
if he should happen to approach
too near the nest. Should the
position of the nest be discovered,
and the hand inserted in order to
feel for the eggs, the mother-bird

BLUE TITMOUSE.—Parus cerileus. utters a sharp, angry hiss, and
bites so sharply at the intruding
fingers that they are generally
hastily withdrawn, under the im-
pression that a viper has been the

hidden aggressor, Small as is the bird, her beak is so sharp and strong that it can cause
considerable pain, and has earned for the bird the provincial name of Billy Biter. I once
got the tips of my fingers sadly maltreated by a female Titmouse, while I was trying to
feel the position of the eggs,

The nest of this species may be found in the most extraordinary localities, such as
hollow trees, holes in old walls, the interior of disused spouts, sides of eravel-pits, the hat
of a scarecrow, the inside of a porcelain jar, or the cylinder of a pump. One bird
had actually chosen a bee-hive as its residence, and had succeeded in building its nest and
rearing its young while surrounded by the bees going to and returning from their work.
Another Titmouse contrived to get into a weathercock on the summit of a spire, and there
made its nest in security. The eggs are small and rather numerous, being generally about
eight or ten, but sometimes exceeding the latter number.

The bird is readily tamed, as may be seen by the following anecdote related by Mr.
Thompson.

“One of the ‘ Falls” when let out of the cage in summer, roosted upon the top ; but in
winter, although in a warm room, selected the hottest place in which it could remain

THE RUFOUS-BELLIED TITMOUSE. 305
safely for the night, namely, under the fender, a locality which afforded it at the same
time sufficient space and shelter. This bird, from its familiarity and vivacity, was most
amusing. The cage was covered with close netting, which it several times cut through,
thereby effecting its escape into the room. It then flew to the children, and having taken
hold of a piece of bread or cake in the hand of the youngest, would not forego the object
of its attack, although shaken with the greatest force the child could exert ; indeed, the
latter was so persecuted on one occasion for a piece of apple, that she ran crying out of the
apartment. It was particularly fond of sugar.

Confined in the same cage with this bird
were some other species, and among them a
redbreast, which it sometimes annoyed so
much as to bring upon its head severe chas-
tisement. A favourite trick was to pull the
feathers out of its fellow-prisoners. A young.
willow wren was sadly tormented in this
way. A similar attempt was made on a
song-thrush introduced into its domicile,
but it was successfully repelled. This mis-
chievous Tit escaped out of doors several
times, but returned without being sought
for.”

The two little birds which are represented
in the accompanying illustration are among
the most striking examples of this pretty
group, the one for its bold and conspicuous
erest, and the other for the curious colouring
of the head and neck.

The YELLOW-CHEEKED TITMOUSE inhabits
several parts of Asia, and is mostly found
among the north-western Himalayas, where
it is rather abundant. In its habits it re-
sembles the ordinary Titmouse of Europe.
The nest of this species is constructed of
moss, hair, and fibres, and is lined softly
with feathers. The position in which it is
placed is usually a cavity at the bottom of
some hollow stump, generally a decaying
oak, and it contains four or five eggs of a
delicate white blotched with brownish spots.
The colouring of this bird is rather peculiar =
and decidedly bold. The top of the head, A, best
the crest, a streak below the eye, and a broad
band reaching from the chin to the extremity
of the abdomen, are deep jetty black. The
cheeks are light yellow, as is the whole of
the under surface of the body, with the ex-
ception of the flanks, which take a greener
hue. The wings are grey, mottled with black and white, and the tail is black with a
slight edging of olive-green.

RUFOUS-BELLIED TITMOUSE.—Parus rubidiventris.
YELLOW-CHEEKED TITMOUSE.—Parus xanthdgenys.

The RUFOUS-BELLIED TITMOUSE inhabits Southern India and Nepal, and cannot be con-
sidered as a rare bird. In this pretty creature the head, the crest, and the throat are jet
black, contrasting boldly with the pure white of the ear-coverts and the back of the neck.
The back, wings, and tail are ashen grey, washed with a perceptible tinge of blue, and
the abdomen is reddish grey, as are the edges of the primary and secondary quill-feathers
of the wing.

2. x

306 THE LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE.

The LonG-TAILED TiTMoUSE is familiarly known throughout England, and is desig-
nated under different titles, according to the locality in which it resides, some of its
popular names being derived from its shape, and others from its crest. In some parts of
the country it is called “Long Tom,” while in others it goes by the name of “ Bottle-
crested Tit,” or “ Poke-Pudding,” the latter word being a provincial rendering of the useful
culinary apparatus termed a pudding-bag.

This pretty little bird is a notable frequenter of trees, hedge-rows, and orchards, and is
remarkable for its sociable habits, beimg generally seen in little troops of six or eight in
number. It appears that the young birds always remain with their parents throughout the
whole of the first year, so that when the brood happens to be a large one, as many as six-
teen Long-tailed Titmice may be seen hopping and skipping about together. The troop is
always under the command of one bird, probably one of the parents, who takes the lead,
and is copied by the others, so that they seem to be playing at a constant game of “ Follow
my leader.” ‘The leader has a peculiar chirruping ery, which is easily recognisable, and
which is always uttered as it flits from one branch to another. I have often seen these
birds threading their way among the pea-sticks at the earliest hour of daylight, flirting
and coquetting with their long tails, hopping and chirping away most merrily, until the
world had fairly begun its morning labours, when they left the gardens and betook them-
selves to the more retired localities of the fields and lofty hedgerow trees.

During the day the Long-tailed Titmice are always on the move, flitting restlessly from
spot to spot, and bidding total defiance to fatigue. At night the whole troop perches on
the same spot, and the birds gather themselves into a compact mass, like that which
is formed by the wrens under similar circumstances. They seem to be careful of their
comfort, for each bird strives to get nearest to the middle, and on a cold evening they fight
vigorously until their positions are settled. When sleeping, they form a shapeless mass of
soft puffy feathers, in which hardly a tail or a wing can be distinguished.

The wings of this species are rather short, but are more powerful than might be
imagined, and the flight of the bird exactly resembles that of a boy’s paper-headed dart
when thrown into the air.

As far as is known, the Long-tailed Titmouse feeds exclusively on insects, and on
account of its microscopical eyes is able to see and to catch the very minutest. The
service which is rendered to agriculture by even a single nest of these birds is almost
invaluable, for at all seasons of the year they continue to obtain their food, catching the
perfect insect in the summer months, and feeding on the eggs, the hidden larve, and
chrysalides in the winter. They especially are useful in clearing off the larvee or “ grubs”
of the various saw-flies, especially that black lanky species which infests the gooseberry
bushes, and destroys so many of the blossoms and young berries. Sometimes it has been
observed to open the green pods of the broom, and to eat the seeds, carrying away some of
the younger and more tender seeds to its nest. Perhaps it may eat these substances
medicinally, as its ordinary food is of an animal character. The bird generally prefers the
seed of the white flowering broom as an article of diet, but has been noticed in the act of
eating those of the yellow variety in default of the more approved white broom.

The voice of this species is a kind of soft and lively twittering chirp, varied accord-
ing to circumstances. Sometimes it will either pick up from some other bird, or invent a
new note, and will be so pleased with its new acquisition that it skips about the
branches for an hour or two exulting in its own cleverness, and continually uttering
the cry of which it is so proud. But after a while its attent‘on is taken by a peculiarly
fat insect, or by one of the little quarrels which, on account of their excitable nature,
are so frequent among these birds, and it straightway forgets its lately acquired
accomplishment.

The nest of this species is undoubtedly the most wonderful example of bird architec-
ture that is to be found in the British Islands, and is not exceeded in beauty by the home
of any bird whatever. In form it somewhat resembles an egg, and it is built of moss, hair,
a very little wool, the cocoon webs of spiders, and the silken hammocks of certain cater-
pillars, all woven into each other in the most admirable manner. The exterior of the nest
is spangled with silvery lichens, which generally correspond in colour with the bark of the

LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE.—Parus caudatus

tree on which it is placed, and serve to render it as little conspicuous as possible.
The interior of the nest is wonderfully soft and warm, being literally crammed with
downy feathers to such an extent that the eggs are deeply buried in the feathery bed,
and cannot be counted until the whole lining of the nest is removed. The nest is generally
placed rather near the ground, and is so well concealed that it is not easily seen except
by experienced eyes.

Its proximity to the ground, together with the great number and minute dimensions
of its inmates, may probably be some of the causes which necessitate the thick walls of
non-conducting substances of which the nest is made; thus carrying out the principle
laid down on page 256.

The Long-tailed Titmouse is by no means constant in its love for any particular species
of tree on which to make its nest, for it builds with equal readiness upon the apple, the
blackthorn, the pollard elm, and the sloe, always, however, choosing some thickly branched
and heavy foliaged tree for the purpose. The handsomest nest that I ever saw, and one
which was for a long time in my possession, was built upon the sprays of a thick furze-
bush, and another that I removed from the tree was placed upon a spreading broom-tree
in a garden.

The entrance to the nest is usually by a single hole, situated near the roof, but in some
instances a second hole has been made near the bottom of the nest on the opposite side.
This singular variation has been the subject of much comment, but I believe that it may
be caused by the particular locality in which the bird happens to build. Should the nest
be in a bleak, exposed situation, there is only the single inlet; but if it should be placed
in a sheltered spot, a second entrance is employed. Moreover, in many instances where
notice has been taken of the subject, the aperture has been made towards the south.

Ventilation seems to be one object of this double entrance, as it is never, so far as my
own personal experience goes, made when the nest is exposed to the north or east wind.
It must be remembered that the exhalations of birds are peculiarly plentiful and
unpleasant, and that a closed nest, when made of such warm and thick substances, would
be extremely unhealthy without some such precaution.

x2

308 THE CRESTED TITMOUSE.

The number of eggs which this little bird lays is really surprising. Very seldom does it
content itself with eight, and double that number has been frequently counted in a
single nest. In consequence, the young birds are packed like so many herrings in a
barrel, and the ingenuity which must be exerted by the parent birds in giving each little
one its food in proper rotation must be very great indeed. When they have attained to
nearly their full growth, and before they venture out of their home, the nest presents a very
curious aspect externally, as its sides heave with the movements of the young birds, and
it seems as if it were actually breathing. More especially is this the case when the young
require fresh air, for they instinctively stretch their legs and necks as far as they can, and
by so doing cause the whole nest to expand, and thus to take in a fresh supply of air.
When they have produced the desired effect, they subside to their former position, and the
nest contracts by the elasticity of its walls ; this curious movement will often take place
eight or ten times in an hour.

The colouring of this species is as follows: The upper part of the head, the cheeks,
the throat, and the whole of the under surface are greyish white, warming into a rosy hue
upon the sides, flanks, and under
tail-coverts. A “broad stripe of
deep black passes over the eye
and ear-coyerts, and joins a large
triangular patch of the same jetty
hue, which extends from the
shoulders as far as the upper tail-
coverts. The shoulders, the scapu-
laries, and the lower part of the
back are washed with a decided
tinge of a ruddy hue. The wings
are mostly black, with the ex-
ception of the tertiary quill-
feathers, which are edged with
white. The long central feathers
of the tail are black, and the re-
mainder are black on the inner
webs and white on the outer.
They are regularly graduated in
length, each pair being about
half an inch shorter than the
preceding pair. Both sexes are
similar in their colouring. The
total length of the bird is about
five inches and a half.

CRESTED TITMOUSE.—Parus cristatus.

In personal appearance the CRESTED TITMOUSE is the most conspicuous of the British
species, on account of the peculiarity from which it derives its name.

It is a very rare bird in England, but when it does happen to make its appearance, is
generally seen in little troops. On several parts of the Continent it is plentifully found,
especially frequenting Denmark, Sweden, Russia, Switzerland, and Germany. When it
comes over to the British shores, it seems to prefer the pine forests of Scotland to any other
locality. It generally builds its nest in the hole of some decaying tree, the oak appearing
to be the most favoured. In one singular instance noticed by Sir W. Jardine, the
nest was almost wholly lined with the cast exuvie of snakes. The eggs are about
eight or ten in number, and their colour is generally white, spotted with a few light
red specks.

The colouring of this bird is mostly black and white, disposed in a manner which
can readily be comprehended by examining the accompanying illustration. The feathers of
the crest are black at the base and edged with a rather broad band of white ; the back and
wings are soft brown, the under surface of the chest and abdomen is very pale fawn,

THE BEARDED TITMOUSE. 309

and the under surface of the wings and tail is a delicate pearly grey. It is a small bird,
the total length being only four inches and a half.

ANOTHER British Titmouse is the Cote Tirmouse (Parus ater), so called on account
of the dark colouring of its plumage.

It is a tolerably common bird throughout England as well as in Ireland and Scotland.
In its habits it is not unlike the Long-tailed Titmouse, being ever restlessly in motion, and
constantly running up and down the branches of trees and bushes in search of its insect
prey. It is not quite so fearless of man as
some of the allied species, and is found in
small woods, hedgerows, and copses, rather
than in gardens and orchards, so that it
frequently escapes the notice of a casual
observer. The nest of this species is usually
placed above the ground, and is built in some
sequestered and sheltered situation, such as
the hole of a tree or a wall, the hollow of
gnarled or projecting roots, or in the midst
of some very thick and shrubby bush. It
is composed of moss and wool, and lined
with hair. The eggs are generally about
seven or eight in number, and are of a pure
white, mottled with pale reddish spots.

The voice of the Cole Titmouse is rather
peculiar, and is well described by Mudie in
his “British Birds :’—“The song of the
Cole Tit is not indeed one of many notes, or
of mellifluous inflexions ; it is little else than
the same note repeated four or five times,
but with so much variety of pitch and tune
as to form a sort of cadence which would
make a good variety anywhere, as it is shrill
and clear, and one which is particularly
welcome and cheering in those mountain
woods which the summer warblers but rarely
visit. The bird sings in the noontide heat,
when most birds, and especially those on the
open wastes, with which the haunts of this
species are usually interspersed, are silent.”

The Cole Titmouse is coloured as follows :
The head, chin, throat, ear-coverts, and parts
of the sides of the neck are deep black, and gi;
the cheeks, sides of the neck, and a patch cae
upon the nape are white. The back is bluish- BEARDED TITMOUSE.—Paroides bidrmicus.
grey, and the wings are brownish-grey with
a little green on some of the feathers, and
two narrow bars of white across the tips of
the coverts. The breast is greyish white, and the abdomen is pale fawn washed with
a slight tinge of green. The total length of the Cole Titmouse measures about four
inches and a half.

The Marsh TITMovuse is another British species, and may be distinguished from the
preceding species, to which it bears a considerable resemblance, by the absence of the
black patch upon the throat and the white spot on the nape of the neck. It derives its
popular name from its marsh-loving habits, as it is generally to be found near the water
meadows and the low-lying banks, hopping about the osiers and willows, or seeking its
food in the swampy grounds.

310 THE COMMON BUSH-CREEPER.

The BEARDED TiTMOUSE is nearly as conspicuous a bird as the crested species, and is
readily distinguished from any other of its kind by the tuft of soft black feathers which
depends from the side of the face.

It is a rare bird in England, and has only lately been admitted into the list of
indigenous British birds. It is found in various parts of the Continent, and is extremely
plentiful in Holland, where it is captured in great numbers and sent to England as a cage
bird. As it always inhabits the marshy spots, and chooses the thickest reed-beds for its
home, it is but seldom seen even in places where it has taken up its residence. Moreover,
it seldom shows itself at any distance from its reedy home, and does not care even to rise
to any great elevation above its covert, preferring just to flit above the waving reed-tops,
as it passes from one spot to another in search of the various insects that frequent the
blossoms and leaves of aquatic plants. While engaged in this search the birds are very
nimble, and frequently hang with their heads downwards, clinging firmly with their
claws, and caring nothing for the waving of the slender perch on which they have placed
themselves.

The voice of this species is very remarkable, being low, melodious, clear, and metallic,
resembling in its sound the distant clang of fairy cymbals. While undisturbed, the bird
constantly utters its pretty note, and occasionally shows itself above the reed-tops ; but if
alarmed, it instantly drops to the ground, and by threading its way through the stalks,
soon places itself out of danger. Even a human foot would have but little chance of
following a Bearded Titmouse through the recesses of its favoured home, for the ground
is always so wet and soft that it will not support the weight of any but the lightest of
creatures,

The food of this species differs much according to the season of year. In the summer
months the bird feeds mostly upon insects, spiders, and similar creatures. It also eats
small kinds of molluses, and, according to Mr. Dykes, is very fond of the delicate Succinea
amphibia, which it swallows entire, trusting to the action of the gizzard to break up the
shells and triturate the food. As many as twenty of these shells were found packed
closely together in the crop of a single bird. During winter, when the insects have
either died or taken to their winter quarters, the land molluscs retired to their caves, and
the aquatic shells sunk deeply below the water, the Bearded Titmouse is thrown upon
vegetable substances for its livelihood, and feeds chiefly upon the seeds of the reed.

The nest is a tolerably well-made edifice, cup-shaped, soft and warm in the interior,
and covered externally with dried sedge-leaves and grasses. It is always placed near the
ground in the midst of a thick tuft of rank grass or dead reeds. The eggs are generally
five in number, and are of a pinky-white, covered with specks and streaks of brown
irregularly dispersed over the surface. The nest is generally begun in the month of April.
It is probable that the young birds remain with their parents for a considerable period of
time, as the Bearded Titmice are always to be seen in little troops as they flit over the
tops of the reeds.

The plumage of this species is pretty and peculiar. The head, the neck, and the
ear-coverts are a delicate grey, contrasting beautifully with the “beard,” or pointed tuft
of elongated soft feathers of a jetty black, that starts from the space between the opening
of the beak and the corners of the eye, and hangs below the neck. The general ;colour
of the upper surface is pale fawn, variegated with a little black upon the wing-coverts.
In the young bird there is also a large patch of black upon the back. The tail is
prettily marked with black, white, grey, and fawn, and the under surface is whitish-
grey on the throat and breast, and yellowish-white on the abdomen, deepening into a
more ruddy hue on the flanks. The under tail-coverts are jetty black. The total length
of this species is about six inches.

THE Mniotiltine, or Bush-Creepers, are well represented by the common BuSH-CREEPER
of India,
It is a sociable little bird, being generally seen in small troops, and often associating
with birds of different species. Although not very shy, it yet loves retired localities, such as
woods and thickets, and may there be seen flitting merrily among the foliage and underwood,

COMMON BUSH-CREEPER.—Zésterops palpebrésus.

and perpetually engaged in a search after insects. In some of its movements it resembles
the honey-eaters, for it often pushes its head completely into the corollas of flowers while
endeavouring to capture the minute insects that lurk at the bottom of the cup, and
emerges with its forehead covered with yellow pollen. The voice is a low twittering
note, constantly uttered while the bird is in motion, but there is no real song.

The nest of the Bush-Creeper is rather variable in its position and structure,

sometimes being suspended from the branches, and at others placed in the centre of some
thick bush. Generally it is suspended between two twigs, to which it is woven by means
of various animal and vegetable fibres, mostly obtained from the cocoon of caterpillars
and the fibrous bark of trees. The shape of the nest is cup-like, but the whole structure
is so delicately balanced that even in a fierce storm the eggs are not flung out of their
places.
_ There are many species of British Creepers, some of which inhabit Asia, others are
found in Africa, and some in Australia. The word Mniotiltine is of Greek origin, and
signifies “moss-pluckers,” while the term Zésterops signifies “ girdle-faced,” and has been
given to this bird in consequence of a well-defined circlet of light coloured feathers which
surrounds the eye.

WAGTAILS.

WE now arrive at a small group of birds, which is sufficiently familiar to every
observer of nature through the different representatives which inhabit this country. The
WacrTAILs, so called from their well-known habit of jerking their tails while running on
the ground or on settling immediately after a flight, are found in both hemispheres, and
are all well known by the habit from which they derive their popular title. No less
than nine species of this group occur in Britain, some of which are nearly as well known
as the common sparrow, while others are less familiar to the casual observer.

The Prep WaAGrTaIL is the most common of all the British examples of this genus, and
may be seen at the proper season of the year near almost every pond or brook, or even in
the open road, tripping daintily over the ground, pecking away at the insects, and wagging
its tail with hearty good will.

GROUP OF BRITISH WAGTAILS.

Mr. Yarrell mentions that this bird is an accomplished fisher, and excels in snapping
up the smaller minnows and fry as they come to the surface of the water. It also haunts
the fields where sheep, horses, or horned cattle are kept, and hovers confidingly close to
their hoofs, pecking away briskly at the little insects which are disturbed by their tread.
It also delights in newly mown lawns, and runs over the smooth surface with great agility,

PIED WAGTAIL.—Motacilla Yarrellii.

peering between every grass-blade in search of the insects which may be lying concealed
in their green shelter. The flight of the Pied Wagtail is short and jerking, the bird rising
and falling in a very peculiar manner with every shake of the wings.

Several Wagtails which used to frequent our garden were fond of meat, and, together
with the blue titmice, would often assault, or rather pretend to assault the tame sparrow-
hawk, and cruelly steal his dinner before his eyes. Indeed, the Wagtails seemed to be
quite the rulers over that unfortunate hawk, and led him a sad life.

The Pied Wagtail remains in England throughout the year, but generally retires to the
southern counties during the winter, as it would otherwise be unable to obtain its food.
Sometimes, however, where the springs are so copious that the water never entirely freezes,
the Wagtail may be seen haunting its accustomed spot, and drawing a subsistence from
the unfrozen waters. The more northern coasts are a favourite resort of the Wagtails,
which run briskly along the edge of the advancing or receding tide, picking up any stray
provender that may come within their reach.

The song of the Pied Wagtail is soft, low, and sweet, and is generally uttered in the
early morning from the elevation of some lofty spot, such as the summit of a pointed
rock, the roof of an outhouse, or the top of a paling. The bird is bold and familiar,
coming quite close to human beings without displaying any fear, and even following the
ploughman for the purpose of picking up the grubs and insects that are turned out of the
soil by the share.

The nest of the Wagtail is generally placed at no great distance from water, and
is always built in some retired situation. Holes in walls, the hollows of aged trees, or
niches in old gravel-pits are favourite localities with this bird. Heaps of large stones are
also in great favour with the Wagtail, and I have generally found that wherever a pile of
rough stones has remained for some time in the vicinity of water, a Wagtail’s nest is
almost invariably somewhere within it. I have also found the nest in heaps of dry
brushwood piled up for the purpose of being cut into faggots. In every case the nest is
placed at a considerable depth, and no small amount of care and ingenuity is needed
to extract the eggs without damaging them. The eggs are generally four or five in
number, and their colour is grey-white speckled with a great number of very small
brown spots.

The colouring of the Pied Wagtail is almost entirely black and white, very boldly
disposed and distributed as follows: The top of the head, the nape of the neck, part of
the shoulders, the chin, neck, and throat, are jetty black, contrasting boldly with the pure

WHITE WAGTAIL.—Motacilla alba.

snowy white of the sides of the face and the white patch on the sides of the neck. The
upper tail-coverts, and the coverts of the wings are also black. The quill-feathers of the
wings are black, edged on the outer web with a lighter hue. The two exterior feathers
of the tail are pure white, edged on the inner web with white, and the remainder jetty
black. The under parts of the body are greyish white, taking a blue tint upon the flanks.
The entire length of the bird is between seven and eight inches.

This is the summer plumage of the male bird. In the winter the chin and throat
exchange their jetty hue for a pure white, leaving only a collar of black round the throat.
The female much resembles her mate in the general colouring of her plumage, but is
about half an inch shorter.

As the Waite Wactatt has often been confounded with the preceding species, I have
thought that a figure of each species would be advisable in the present work. According
to Mr. Gould, who first determined the characteristics between the two species, they may
be distinguished from each other by the following marks of difference.

“ The pied Wagtail of England, Motacilla Yarrellii, is somewhat more robust in form,
and in its full summer dress has the whole of the head, chest, and neck of a full deep jet
black ; while in the White Wagtail, Motacilla alba, at the same period, the throat and
head alone are of this colour; the back and the rest of the upper surface being of a light
ash grey. In winter the two species more nearly assimilate in their colouring, and this
circumstance has doubtless been the cause of their being hitherto considered as identical;
the black back of JZ Yarrellii being grey at this season, although never so light as
M. alba. An additional evidence of their being distinct (and which has doubtless
contributed to the confusion) is, that the female of our pied Wagtail never has the beak
black as in the male; this part, even in summer, being dark grey, in which respect
it closely resembles the other species.” Another distinction may be found in the shape of
the beak, which is broader in the White than in the pied species.

The White Wagtail is very common in France, and the southern parts of Europe; but
althongh it may be found plentifully on the shores of Calais, the narrow arm of sea
appears to be a boundary which it seldom passes.

The Grey WAGTAIL is a remarkably pretty and elegant example of this group of
birds ; its plumage being delicately marked with various soft colouring, its shape slender
and graceful, and its movements light and airy.

YELLOW WAGTAIL.—Motacilla sulphirea. GREY WAGTAIL.—Motacilla campestris.

This species is not quite so common as the Pied Wagtail, and seems to migrate back-
wards and forwards in England according to the temperature. In the northern counties it
is a summer visitant, but is more permanently stationed in the southern parts of the
island, and mostly breeds in warm, well-watered localities. About Oxford it is far from
uncommon; but although the bird itself might often be seen haunting the river-banks and
brooklets which abound in that neighbourhood, I never remember finding its nest. It is
a special lover of water, and seldom seems to fly to any great distance from the brook or
river in which it finds its food.

Like the Pied Wagtail, it feeds largely on aquatic insects and larvee, and is also known
to eat small water molluscs, not troubling itself to separate the soft body from the hard
and sharp-edged shell.

Of the nesting of this species Mr. Thompson speaks as follows: “The situations
generally selected for the nest are holes in walls, the preference being given to those of
bridges, about mill-wheels, or otherwise contiguous to water. In the romantic glens of
the Belfast mountains they also build, and for this purpose a pair generally resort to a
fissure in the rock, beside a picturesque cascade of ‘the Falls,’ just such a place as would
be chosen by the water-ousel. On the 18th of March, a pair of Grey Wagtails, ‘with
black patch on throat, have been noted, apparently contemplating nidification, at Wolf
Hill, by minutely examining their former breeding haunts ; and on the 12th of May the
young of the first brood were seen on wing, though ‘still requiring their parents’ aid to feed
them. Occasionally there is a second brood. The nest is generally formed of grasses or
other delicate plants, and lined with horsehair. It is singular that they generally manage

316 THE WHITE-FACED EPHTHIANURA.

to pick up enough of this last material for lining. Four nests at Wolf Hill in one season
were all lined with it: the eggs were usually four in number, and during incubation, the
beautiful and minute bird would admit of a close approach. Throughout the winter
the Grey Wagtails generally keep in pairs ; in autumn only have I seen a whole family,
and never more together. They may then be seen roosting in company at the base of
trees or underwood overhanging the water.”

The general colour of this species is grey, a tint which extends over the crown of the
head, ear-coverts, neck, and back. Upon the sides of the head are two buff-coloured
stripes, one above and the other below the ear-coverts. The quill-feathers of the wings,
together with their coverts, are black, sprinkled with white and very pale buff. The six
central feathers of the tail are black, and the two utmost black, and the others white with
a black line running down the centre web. The throat and chin are black, and the whole
of the under surface, together with the upper tail-coverts, are bright yellow. The total
length of this species is very nearly eight inches. In the winter months the black of the
chin changes to white washed with buff, and the yellow feathers fade into a yellowish-

grey.

The YELLOW WacrTalL, or Ray’s WAGTAIL, as it is sometimes termed, is very common
in this country, and is very partial to pasture land, where it revels among the insects that
are roused by the tread of cattle.

It is not so partial to water as the pied species, and may often be met with upon the
driest lands, far from any stream, busily employed in catching the beetles, flies, and other
sun-loving insects. Even upon roads it may frequently be observed, tripping about with
great celerity, and ever and anon picking up an insect, and celebrating its success by a
triumphant wag of the tail. The name of Yellow Wagtail has been given to it on account
of the light yellow hue which tinges the head and the entire under surface of the body.
As, however, the preceding species also possesses a considerable amount of yellow in its
colouring, the name of Ray’s Waetail has been given to this bird in honour of the
illustrious naturalist. It is a gregarious bird, being generally seen in little flocks
or troops.

The colouring is as follows: The top of the head, back of the neck, and the whole of
the back are olive, brighter upon the head and darker upon the back. The quill-feathers of
the wings are dark brown, tipped with yellowish-white, with the exception of the two
exterior feathers of the tail, which are white, with a line of black running down the inner
web; all the tail is brownish-black, like the wings. The chin, throat, the whole of
the under surface of the body, together with a well-defined stripe over the eye and ear, are
bright yellow. In length the bird does not quite reach seven inches.

AUSTRALIA is the habitat of the prettily-marked bird which is known to zoologists by
the very long name of WHITE-FACED EPHTHIANURA.

It is tolerably common in several parts of that strange country, and is found in little
flocks, as is the case with the Wagtails of England. Of this bird and its habits Mr.
Gould speaks as follows. “As the structure of its toes and lengthened tertiaries would
lead us to expect, its natural province is the ground, to which it habitually resorts,
and decidedly evinces a preference to spots of a sterile and barren character. The male,
like many of the saxicoline birds, frequently perches either on the summit of a stone, or
on the extremity of a dead and leafless branch. It is rather shy in disposition, and when
disturbed flies off with considerable rapidity to the distance of two or three hundred yards
before it alights again. I observed it in small companies on the plains near Adelaide,
over the hard clayey surface of which it tripped with amazing quickness, with a motion
that can neither be described as a hop or a run, but something between the two, with a
bobbing action of the tail.”

Only the male bird is gifted with the bright contrast of the white throat and banded
chest, the female being quite a sombre-plumaged bird. It is always a sprightly and active
bird, and is quick of wing as well as of foot.

THE MEADOW PIPIT. 317

The Prprrs, or TrTLARKS as they are sometimes called, form a well-marked group,
which possesses the long hind toe of the hawk, together with very similar plumage, and
also bears the long tail which is found in the Wagtails. Several species of Pipit inhabit
England, two examples of which will be figured.

The first is the common
Meapow Preit, or Meadow Tit-
LING, a bird which may be seen
throughout the year upon moors,
waste lands, and marshy ground,
changing its locality according to
the season of year. It is a pretty
though rather sombre little bird,
and is quick and active in its
movements, often jerking its long
tail in a fashion that reminds the
observer of the Wagtail’s habits.
It moves with considerable celerity,
tripping over the rough and rocky
ground which it frequents, and

_ picking up insects with the stroke
of its unerring beak. Its food,
however, is of a mixed descrip-
tion, as in the crops of several
individuals were found seeds, in-
sect and water-shells, some of the
latter being entire.

The song of this bird is hardly
deserving of the name, being rather
afeeble and plaintive “cheeping ”
than a true song. While uttering
its notes, the Meadow Pipit is
generally on the wing, but does
not begin to sing until it has
attained its full elevation, re-
serving its voice for the gradual
descent. The song is begun quite
early in the season, but as the
bird is so partial to waste lands,
it is not heard so commonly as
that of rarer birds. It is grega-
rious in its habits, assembling
in little flocks, which generally
come to the cultivated grounds
about September or October, and
roost amicably together on the a Ss
ground at night. “isiog GS Teo

The nest of this species is
placed on the ground, and gene-
rally hidden in a large grass-tuft.
It appears, from some observations
made by Mr. Thompson, that the
bird is in the habit of carrying dead grasses and laying them over her nest whenever
she leaves her eggs or young. The object of this precaution is not, however, very
evident, as the grass is usually of a different hue from the surrounding foliage, and
apparently serves rather as a guide to the nest than a concealment. The eggs are from,
four to six in number, of a dark brown colour, speckled freely with reddish brown. The

WHITH-FACED EPHTHIANURA.—E£phthianwra dlbifrons.

MEADOW PIPIT.—Anthus pratensis.

318 THE TREE PIPIT.

cuckoo is said to favour the Meadow Pipit with her society rather more frequently
than is agreeable to the bird, and to give it the labour of rearing her voracious young.

The general colour of this Pipit is dark olive-brown, with a wash of green upon the
upper parts ; the wings are very dark brown, sprinkled with white, and the tail is also
brown, with the exception of a white streak on each exterior feather, and a few white
spots towards the extremity. The under surface is brownish-white, and upon the breast
of the male there is a pale rosy tinge. Upon the breast there are a number of dark brown
spots. The colours of the plumage undergo a decided change in the autumn, and are more
showy than those of the summer ; the olive-green on the back becoming more conspicuous
and the under surface tinged with yellow.

This bird goes by different names in different parts of England. In many places it is
termed the Moss-cheeper, in allusion to its peculiar plaintive note. In other parts it
is known by the title of Ling-bird, on account of its habit of haunting the waste moor-
lands. In Ireland the bird is called the Wekeen, a name which evidently alludes to
its note. It has been found in all the British Islands, and in many parts of Europe,
extending as far northward as
Sweden and Norway in the sum-
mer months, and having even
been seen in Iceland. Speci-
mens have been taken in Egypt
and several parts of Africa, and
also in the west of India. It has
also been included in the list of
Japanese birds, so that it pos-
sesses a range of locality which
is seldom enjoyed by any single
species. Although the bird is so
small and delicate, being only six
inches in length, it is a strong
and daring flyer, a specimen
having been taken on board a
ship ata distance of nine hundred
miles from the nearest shore.

The TREE Prprr derives its
name from its habit of perching
TREE PIPIT.—Anthus arbéreus. upon trees, wherein it presents a
decided contrast to the meadow
Pipit, which chiefly frequents waste

lands and marshes.

Tt is only a summer visitant of this country, arriving towards the end of April and
leaving our shores in September, after rearing its brood. Although it can perch on
branches, and does so very frequently, it has not a very strong hold of the bough, and is
not nearly so agile in hopping or tripping about the branches as is the case with the
generality of perching birds. While on the tree it generally settles on the end of some
bough, and is not seen to traverse the branches after the fashion of the tree-frequenting
birds. Although it is called the Tree Pipit, it seems more at its ease onthe ground than
among the branches, and runs and trips over the roughest soils with an easy grace that
contrasts strongly with its evident insecurity upon the boughs.

The song of this bird is sweeter and more powerful than that of the preceding species,
and is generally given in a very curious manner. Taking advantage of some convenient
tree, it hops from branch to branch, chirping merrily with each hop, and after reaching
the summit of the tree, perches for a few moments and then launches itself into the air, for
the purpose of continuing its ascent. Having accomplished this feat, the bird bursts into
a triumphant strain of music, and, flutterimg downwards as it sings, alights upon the same
tree from which it had started, and by successive leaps again reaches the ground,

GIANT BREVE.—Pitta gigas.

The nest of the Tree Pipit is almost invariably placed on the ground under the shelter
of a tuft of grass, although there are instances where the bird has been known to build in
a very low bush. The materials of which the nest is made are moss, roots, and fine
grasses, and the lining is mostly of hair. The eggs are five in number, and their colour is
a whitish ground covered with reddish-brown spots. There is considerable variation in
the colour of the eggs, the spots being larger and more numerous in some examples, and
their colour generally possessing different shades of purple intermixed with the brown.

The Tree Pipit may be known from the meadow Pipit by its greater size, its flatter
head, larger bill, and shorter hind claws, the last being a very notable distinction. In its
general colouring it resembles the meadow Pipit. Besides these two species, others are
known to be among the British birds, as the Rock Pipit (Anthus aquaticus), and
the Richard’s Pipit (Anthus Ricard1).

THE very large family of the Thrushes now engages our attention. Many of these
birds are renowned for their song, and some of them are remarkable for their imitative
powers. In general shape there is some resemblance to the crows and the starlings and
blackbirds of England, bearing a very great external resemblance to the common starling.
This family is divided into five sub-families, all of which will be mentioned in the follow-
ing pages, and many examples figured. Our own country possesses many representatives
of this group of birds.

The ANT-THRUSHES, so called from their ant-eating propensities, form a small but
remarkable group of birds, differmg greatly in colour and dimensions, but bearing
considerable resemblance to each other in their general form. Some species are almost as
sombrely clad in black, brown, and white, as the common thrush of England, while
the plumage of others glows with a crystalline lustre of animated prismatic hues, as in
the black-headed Pitta (P. melanocephala), or is gorgeous with the brightest scarlet, blue,
and purple, as in the crimson-headed Brachyure (P. granatica). All the species, however,
bear, in external form, a considerable resemblance to each other, being thick-set, big-
bodied, large-headed, long-legged, short-tailed, and strong-billed.

SHORT-TAILED ANT THRUSH.—Pitta Bengalensis.

These birds may be separated into two divisions, the Breves and the Ant-thrushes ; the
former being found in India, the Indian Islands, and Australia, while the latter inhabit
America as well as the Old World.

In whatever part of the world they may be situated, they are most useful birds,
as without their assistance the ants which swarm in those lands would increase to a most
baneful extent. In allusion to this subject Mr. Swainson makes the following pertinent
remarks: “Of all the tribes of insects which swarm in the tropics, the ants are the most
numerous ; they are the universal desolators, and in the dry and overgrown parts of the
interior, the traveller can scarcely proceed five paces without treading upon their nests.
To keep these myriads within due limits, a wise Providence has ordered into existence
the Ant-thrushes, and given to them this particular food. Both are proportionate in their
geographical range, as far beyond the tropical latitudes the ants suddenly decrease, and
their enemies, the Myiotheriz (¢. e. the ant-eating creatures) totally disappear.”

It must, however, be remembered, that the ants themselves are of the very greatest
service in removing and devouring all dead animal substances, and that the great object
of the Ant-Thrush is not to extirpate, but to keep within due bounds the insects which
might otherwise become absolutely harmful to the bird which is so greatly benefited by
their presence in moderate numbers.

The great ANT-THRUSH, which is also called the Grant Prrra, or the GIANT BREVE, in
allusion to its large dimensions, is a native of Surinam, and on account of its bright
plumage, its quaint and peculiar shape, its very large head, very long legs, and peculiarly
short wren-like tail, which looks exactly as if it had been neatly cropped, is one of the
most singular birds of that prolific locality. In size it equals an English rook, but hardly
looks so “large as that well-known bird, on account of the short tail, which is entirely
covered by the wings when they are closed. The general colour of this brilliant bird is a
light cobalt blue, which extends over the whole of the back and tail, but is not quite so
lustrous upon the wings. The quill-feathers of the wings are black, tipped with sky-blue,
and the head, the surface of the neck, together with a “stripe that runs partly round the

DIPPER.—Hydrobates cinclus,

neck, are also black, a darkish line is drawn through the eyes, the throat is greyish white,
and the abdomen and lower surface of the body are brownish grey. In total length the
bird measures about nine inches.

The SHORT-TAILED Pirra, so called from the extreme shortness of that member, is a
native of India, being most plentifully found in Bengal.

It is a quick, lively bird upon the ground, rarely taking to flight except when
absolutely forced so to do, but moving with incredible rapidity over the earth. In its
general habits it differs nothing from the remainder of its kind. The plumage of this
bird is remarkably pretty, and notable on account of the curious markings of the head
and neck, and the beautifully vivid colouring of the wings.

The ground colour of the bird is a soft mouse-brown, which is boldly marked with
three jet-black bands, one passing from the forehead over the top of the head to the nape
of the neck, and the other two passing from the gape through the eye, and joining the
first band in a kind of half-collar between the neck and shoulders. The central stripe
suddenly widens upon the crown of the head. Upon each shoulder and upon the basal
portion of the tail are a number of glittering verditer-creen feathers, that gleam out in
the light, and render it a most conspicuous bird. The quill-feathers of the wings are
dead black, except a white spot or bar upon their coverts, forming an irregular band when
the wing is spread. The throat is a light brown, and the abdomen a pale mouse-colour.

THE Ant Thrushes find an English representative in the well-known DipprEr, or
WATER-OUSEL, of our river-banks.

Devoid of brilliant plumage or graceful shape, it is yet one of the most interesting of
British birds when watched in its favourite haunts. It always frequents rapid streams
and channels, and being a very shy and retiring bird, invariably prefers those spots where
the banks overhang the water, and are clothed with thick brushwood. Should the bed of
the stream be broken up with rocks or large stones, and the fall be sufficiently sharp to
wear away an ogcasional pool, the Dipper is all the better pleased with its home, and in
such a locality may generally be found by a patient observer.

NG

322 HABITS OF THE DIPPER.

All the movements of this little bird are quick, jerking, and wren-like, a similitude
which is enhanced by its habit of continually flirting its apology for a tail. Caring
nothing for the frost of winter, so long as the water remains free from ice, the Dipper may
be seen throughout the winter months, flitting from stone to stone with the most animated
gestures, occasionally stopping to pick up some morsel of food, and ever and anon taking
to the water, where it sometimes dives entirely out of sight, and at others merely walks
into the shallows, and there flaps about with great rapidity. An interesting account of
the proceedings of some Dippers appeared in the formerly celebrated “Annals of
Sporting :”—“ About four years ago, when on a shooting excursion to the Highlands, I
embraced the opportunity (as everybody else who has it ought to do) of visiting the
deservedly celebrated falls of the Clyde, and here it was, while viewing the fall of
Bonnington, that, happening to cast my eye down below, a little beyond the foot of the
cascade where the bed of the river is broken with stones and fragments of rocks, I espied,
standing near each other on a large stone, no less than five water-ousels. Thus favourably
stationed as I was for a view, myself unseen, I had a fair opportunity for overlooking
their manceuvres. I observed, accordingly, that they flirted up their tails, and flew from
one stone to another, till at length they mustered again upon the identical one on which
IT had first espied them. They next entered into the water and disappeared, but they did
not all do this at the same time, neither did they do it in the same manner. Three of
them plunged over head instantaneously, but the remaining two walked gradually into
the water, and, having displayed their wings, spread them upon the surface, and by this
means appeared entirely to support themselves. In this position they continued for some
time, at one moment quickly spinning themselves, as it were, two or three times round, at
another desisting and remaining perfectly motionless on the surface ; at length they almost
insensibly sank.

What became of them then it is not in my power to state, the water not being
sufficiently transparent to enable me to discover the bottom of the river, particularly as I
was elevated so much above it. Neither can I say that I perceived any one of them
emerge again, although I kept glancing my eye in every direction, in order, if possible, to
catch them in the act of re-appearing ; the plumage of the bird, indeed, being so much in
harmony with the surrounding masses of stone, rendered it not very easily distinguishable.
I did, however, afterwards observe two of these birds upon a stone on the opposite side of
the stream, and possibly the other three might also have emerged and have escaped my
notice.”

While employed at the bottom of the stream, the bird keeps itself below the surface
by beating rapidly upwards with its wings, just as a human diver beats the water with his
hands and feet, while seeking for some object under the water. To an observer at the
surface, the bird appears to tumble and scramble about at random in a very comical
manner, but in truth the little creature is perfectly capable of directing its course, and of
picking up any article of food that may meet its eye. Mr. St. John says of the Dipper,
that it walks and runs about on the ground at the bottom of the water, scratching with
its feet among the small stones, and pecking at all the insects and animaleule which it
can dislodge. Sometimes the bird has been observed moving about in the water with its
head only above the surface.

The food of the Dipper seems to be exclusively of an animal character, and, in the
various specimens which have been examined, consists of insects in their different stages,
small crustaces, and the spawn and fry of various fishes. Its fish-eating propensities have
been questioned by some writers, but the matter has been entirely set at rest by the
discovery of fish-bones and half-digested fish in the stomachs of Dippers that had been
shot. Generally, however, the food consists of water-beetles, particularly of the genus
known by the name of Hydrophilus, a flat, oval-shaped insect, with hard wing-cases and
oar-like hind-legs. The bird has also been known to pick up the caddis worms, taking
them on shore, pulling and knocking to pieces the tough case in which the fat white grub
is enveloped, and swallowing the contents with great satisfaction. It does not always dive
for the purpose of obtaining its food, but frequently perches upon the water's edge, and
pecks its prey out of the muddy soil.

Fhe a

THE MOCKING-BIRD, 3238

Its flight is remarkably rapid, though generally low, and when the bird is disturbed it
flies quickly along the course of the stream, always keeping itself below the shelter of the
banks. The general character of the flight is not unlike that of the kingfisher, and in
some parts of England the country people firmly believe that the Dipper is the female
kinefisher, the blue and red bird being the male. From the drift of a letter addressed to
the Held newspaper, the Dipper seems to be rather a quarrelsome bird. A gentleman
was walking along the bank of a little stream in Pembrokeshire, when he saw a Dipper,
shooting along in its usual arrowy flight, divert itself from its course, and dashing itself
against a redbreast that was sitting quietly upon a twig overhanging the stream, knock it
fairly into the water. The savage little bird was not content with this assault, but
continued to attack the poor redbreast as it lay fluttering on the waves, endeavouring to
force it below the surface. It twice drove its victim under water, and would have killed
it had it not been scared away by the shouts and gestures of the witness. The robin at
length succeeded in scrambling to the bank, and got away in safety.

The song of the Dipper is a lively and cheerful performance, and is uttered most
frequently in the bright frosty mornings. Sometimes it will stand upon a stone when
singing, and accompany its song with the oddest imaginable gestures, hopping and
skipping about, twisting its head in all directions, and acting as if it were performing
for the amusement of the spectator.

The nest of the Dipper is not unlike that of the wren, being chiefly composed of
mosses built into a dome-like shape with a single aperture in the side. The nest is
generally placed near the water, and always under some sort of cover, usually a hole in
the bank. Sometimes it has been situated in such a position that the water of a little
rivulet actually overshot the entrance, and the bird was forced to pass under the falling
water in order to enter its nest. Another nest, mentioned by Mr. Thompson, was built in
a dark shed erected over a large mill-wheel, nearly forty feet in diameter, and the parent
birds were accustomed to shoot through the wheel in passing to and from their nest.
They would even perch on the arms of the mill-wheel itself.

The nest is not, however, always so close to the water, for I found one near Swindon,
in the side of an old disused pit, at some little distance from the great Swindon reservoir.
It was discovered more by accident than by intention, the touch having given the first
intimation of its presence. The moss always remains in a green state, as it is placed in a
damp locality, so that it can with great difficulty be distinguished from the vegetation of
the spot whereon it is situated. The size of the nest varies extremely ; sometimes being
enormously large and thick-walled, its whole bulk equalling a man’s head, while, on the
other hand, it is sometimes small, and scarcely domed at all; this latter formation being
always due to the good shelter afforded by the spot in which it is placed.

The eges are pure white, and rather long in proportion to their breadth. Their full
number is five, and the young remain with their parents for a considerable period, forming
little companies of five or six of these curious birds.

The general colour of this bird is brown on the upper surface of the body, the throat
and upper parts of the chest are white, and the abdomen is rusty red. The young birds
possess a rather variegated plumage of black, brown, ash colour, and white. The total
length of the adult bird is about seven inches.

The Mockr1nc-BIrD of America is universally allowed to be the most wonderful of all
songsters, as it not only possesses a very fine and melodious voice, but is also endowed
with the capacity for imitating the notes of any other bird, and, indeed, of immediately
reproducing with the most astonishing exactness any sound which it may hear.

It is a native of America, and, according to Mr. Webber, there are two varieties, if not
two species ; the one an inhabitant of Kentucky, and the other being found in the more
southern districts. All persons who come within the sound of a Mocking-bird’s voice
are fascinated with the thrilling strains that are poured without effort from the melodious
throat, and every professed ornithologist who has heard this wonderful bird has exhausted
the powers of his language in endeavouring to describe the varied and entrancing melody
of the Mocking-bird. Within the compass of one single throat the whole feathered race

vez

324 VOCAL POWERS OF THE MOCKING-BIRD.

seems to be comprised, for the Mocking-bird can with equal ease imitate, or rather repro-
duce, the sweet and gentle twittering of the blue-bird, the rich full song of the thrush, or
the harsh ear-piercing scream of the eagle. At night especially, when labour has ceased,
“silence has attuned her ear,” says Webber, “and earth hears her merry voices singing in
her sleep.

mee they are all here! Hear then each warble, chirp, and thrill! How they crowd
upon each other! You can hear the flutter of soft wings as they come hurrying forth !
Hark, that rich clear whistle! ‘Bob White, is it you?’ Then the sudden scream! is it a
hawk? Hey! what a gush, what a rolling impid gush! Ah, my dainty redbreast, at thy
matins early! Mew! what, Pussy! No, the cat-bird; hear its low liquid love-notes
linger round the roses by the garden-walk! Hillo! listen to the little wren! he must
nearly explode in the climax of that little agony of trills which it is rising on its very
tip-toes to reach! What now? Quack, quack! Phut, phut, phut! cock-doodle-doo !
What, all the barn-yard! Squeak, squeak, squeak! pigs and all. Hark, that melancholy
plaint, Whip-poor-Will, how sadly it comes from out the shadowy distance! What a
contrast! the red-bird’s lively whistle, shrilly mounting high, higher, highest! Hark, the
orchard oriole’s gay, delicious, roaring, run-mad, ranting-riot of sweet sounds! Hear that!
it is the rain-crow, croaking for a storm! Hey day! Jay, jay, jay! it is the imperial
dandy blue-jay. Hear, he has a strange, round, mellow whistle too! There goes the little
yellow-throated warbler, the woodpecker’s sudden call, the king-bird’s woeful clatter, the
dove’s low plaintive coo, the owl’s screeching ery and snapping beak, the tomtit’s tiny
note, the kinefisher’s rattle, the crow, the scream, the cry of love, or hate, or joy, all come
rapidly, and in unexpected contrasts, yet with such clear precision, that each bird is fully
expressed to my mind in its own individuality.”

Yet all these varied notes are uttered by the one single Mocking-bird, as it sits on a
lofty spray or flings itself into the air, rising and falling with the cadence of its song,
and acting as if absolutely intoxicated with sweet sounds.

Let it but approach the habitation of man, and it straightway adds a new series of
sounds to its already vast store, laying up in its most retentive memory the various noises
that are produced by man and his surroundings, and introducing among its other imitations
the barking of dogs, the harsh “setting” of saws, the whirring buzz of the millstone, the
everlasting clack of the hoppers, the dull heavy blow of the mallet, and the cracking of
splitting timbers, the fragments of songs whistled by the labourers, the creaking of
ungreased wheels, the neighing of horses, the plaintive baa of the sheep, and the deep
lowing of the oxen, together with all the innumerable and accidental sounds which are
necessarily produced through human means. Unfortunately, the bird is rather apt to spoil
his own wonderful song by a sudden introduction of one of these inharmonious sounds,
so that the listener, whose ear is being delighted with a succession of the softest and
richest-toned vocalists, will suddenly be electrified with the loud shriek of the angry
hawk or the grating whirr of the grindstone.

It is impossible to do justice to this most wonderful bird without quoting largely from
those writers who speak from personal experience, and I therefore take the following
passage from Wilson.

“Tn measure and accent he faithfully follows his origimals ; 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
other competitor the ear can listen to his music alone, to which that of all birds seems a
mnere accompaniment.

Neither is this strain altogether imitative. His own native notes, which are easily
distinguishable by such as are well acquainted with those of our various song-birds, are
full and bold, and varied seemingly beyond all limit. They consist of short expressions of
two, or three, or at the most four or six syllables, generally interspersed with intonations,
and all of them uttered with great emphasis and rapidity, and continued with unlimited
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 ery most

MOCKING-BIRD.—Mimus polyglottus,

irresistibly does the ear, he sweeps round with enthusiastic ecstasy, as he mounts or
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 tribe 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 are perhaps not within miles of him, but whose
notes he exactly imitates. Even birds themselves are imposed upon by this admirable
mimic, and are decoyed by the fancied calls of their mates, or dive with precipitation into
the depths of thickets at the scream of what they suppose to be the sparrow hawk.”

It is a very remarkable circumstance that one single bird always assumes the mastery
in each district, and that whenever he begins to sing, the others cease from their perform-
ances, and retire to a distance from the spot where the master bird has taken his stand,
so that their voices are only heard as if in distant echoes to his nobler strains. The bird
can easily be tamed, and when it turns out to be a good songster, is a most valuable bird,
twenty-five pounds having been offered and refused for a good specimen. I knew of one
case where a young Mocking-bird was brought over to England, and lived in the family
for nearly two years, displaying its imitative talents in a very wonderful manner. It
thrived well, and died from the effect of an accident, its legs having been crushed in a
doorway.

The male bird can be distinguished from the female by the breadth and pure tint of
the white band on the wings. In the adult bird, the white colour ought to spread over
all the primary feathers, extending away below the white coverts ; the dark colour of the
back is also of a more blackish hue.

The nest of this bird is usually placed in some thick bush, and is in general very
carefully concealed. Sometimes, however, when the bird builds in localities where it knows
that it will be protected from human interference, it is quite indifferent about the conceal-
ment of its home, and trusts to its own prowess for the defence of its mate and young.
When engaged in the business of incubation, the Mocking-bird suffers no foe to approach

326 NEST OF THE MOCKING-BIRD.

within the charmed circle of its home duties, and jealously attacks hawk, cat, or snake,
in defence of its family. The fiercest war is, however, waged against the black snake, a
reptile which makes many a meal on the eggs and young of various birds, and is in no
wise disposed to spare those of the Mocking-bird. Against this terrible foe both parents
aim their fiercest blows, and it often happens that the snake which has writhed its way
to the Mocking-bird’s nest in hope of devouring the callow young, pays with its life for its
temerity, and falls dead to the ground, while the victor bird pours forth a song of
triumphant congratulation. The nest is always placed at a short distance from the ground,
being seldom seen at an elevation of more than eight feet.

The materials of which the nest is composed are generally dried weeds and very slender
twigs as a foundation; straw, hay, wool, dried leaves, and moss, as the main wall ; and fine
vegetable fibres as the lining. The eggs are four or five in number, and there are often
two broods in the course ofthe year. The colour of the eggs is greenish-blue, spotted with
amber-brown.

To bring up a young Mocking-bird is rather a difficult task, as it must be taken from
the nest at a very early period of its life, and therefore requires the most unremitting
attention. In the work of Mr. Webber, so often mentioned, is a very interesting account
of the successful rearing of four very young Mocking-birds. They had been cruelly taken
out of their nest by some mischievous and hard-hearted person before they had opened
their eyes on life, and left to die on a small piece of carpeting. Mr. Webber and his
sister happening to look at the nest, which they had long watched, discovered the poor
little things lying cold and apparently lifeless on the carpet. He, however, found that the
tiny hearts were still beating, and after inducing his sister to place them in her bosom,
rode homewards at full speed. The rest of the story shall be told in his own words.

“We were at home, and we passed hurriedly into the garden. I called a little brother
to join us; in a moment we were all three standing beneath the eaves of the summer-
house. There was a small hole in the cornice of the eaves, and I knew that in this
a pair of blue birds had nested, and supposed that they must be just about hatched now.
My sister stood watching my proceedings with great anxiety, for they were entirely
mysterious to her. She saw me take my little brother aside and whisper my directions to
him ; then the little fellow prepared to climb up the columns of the summer-house, and
with my assistance reached the cornice. His little hand was inserted into the hole, and
with the greatest care not to touch either the sides of the hole or the nest within, he
daintily plucks out the young ones, one by one, and hands them down to me. They are
the same age with the Mocking-birds, but smaller.

‘Now, Sis, give me those little ones ; and hurry, dear, for I am afraid the old ones, who
have gone out for food, will come back.’

She is so flurried she does not realize what I am about to do, but hastily places the
young birds, now warm and fully alive, in my hand. They are reached to my brother.
‘Drop them in quick, quick! and come down. Jump! [ll catch you.’

Down he comes, and then after my whispering something more to him, he snatched the
young blue-birds from my hand, and ran off among the shrubbery. At this moment we
heard the sweet, clear warble of the blue-birds, and I drew my sister a short distance
away, where, from behind a tall rose-bush, we could watch the proceedings of the old birds.

‘What does all this mean, brother? what do you expect?’ she asked, im a low, puzzled
voice, for she did not know that the young blue-birds had been taken out—so dexterously
had we managed, and only understood that her charge had been transferred to the nest.

‘Brother, you surely can’t expect that little blue-bird to take care of eight young ones
—your fairy will have to help, sure enough !”

‘Hush! hush!’ said I, all eagerness, for, with an insect in its mouth, one of the old
birds, twitting merrily, had alighted near the hole, and without hesitation glided in, and
in a moment or two came forth again, without seeming to have observed that there was
anything wrong. My heart beat more freely, for I saw that the insect had been left
behind, clearly, in the throat of one of the intruders—for the bird plumed himself gaily
outside, as if happy in having performed a pleasant duty. But this was the male bird,

AE

STORY OF SOME MOCKING-BIRDS. 327

and it was the arriving of the female that I knew was most to be dreaded—for if the
sharp instinct of the mother did not detect the fraud, I felt that it would succeed.

In my elation at my success so far, I had explained my object to my sister, who, as
she did not understand about the making away with the young blue-birds, was now
infinitely delighted at the probable success of the scheme, and I could scarcely keep
within bounds her dancing impatience to see what the mother would do, hear what the
mother would say! Here she comes! and in a business-like and straightforward way
glided directly into the hole. We held our breaths, and stood on tiptoe. Out she darts
with a low cry—still holding the insect in her mouth. Our hearts sunk—she has
discovered all, and refuses to adopt the strangers! She flew to her mate, and seemed to
communicate some sad intelligence to him, He was busily engaged in trimming his
feathers, and merely straightened himself up for a moment, and then, with an air of the
coolest indifference, proceeded with his occupation. The poor female seemed to be sadly
distressed and puzzled; she flew around the nest, uttering a low, mournful cry—then
returned to her philosophical mate for sympathy, which he seemed to be too busy with
his feathers to spare just now. Then she would dart into the hole, stay a moment, and out
again with the insect still in her mouth. Then she would circle round and round on the wing,
as if searching for the cause of the disturbance, the nature of which she evidently did not
clearly understand. So she continued to act, until the male, having arranged his feathers
to his liking, flew off, with a pleasant call to her, in search of more food. This seemed to
decide her uncertainty, for darting now into the nest, she immediately fed the worm to
one of those lusty young fellows that had grown so wonderfully since she last went out,
and then came forth chirping, and apparently reconciled, and followed her mate.

‘There! it succeeds! it succeeds! They are safe now; these birds are more industrious
than the Mocking-birds, and will feed them better! good! good!’

‘Your fairy spell has succeeded, brother, sure enough!’ and she clapped her hands and
danced for joy ; and I am not sure that I did not joi her most obstreperously, for I never
was more delighted in my life at the success of any little scheme.

I knew the birds were safe if the female ever fed them once. So it proved; for never
did I see little fellows grow with greater lustihood than they. Daily we watched them ;
and in ten days or two weeks were greatly amused to see the industrious old birds
perseveringly labouring to fill gaping throats that were nearly large enough to swallow
them bodily whole. I now narrowed the hole with wire, so that the blue-birds could get
in and the Mocking-birds could not get out, for they were quite double the size of their
foster-parents.

When they were full fledged we took them to the house, and placed them in an aviary
I had prepared for them, in a recess which contained a large window and looked out upon
the gardens. In two days I found, to my great astonishment, the old blue-birds
endeavouring to feed them through the wires. They had found them out, the faithful
creatures, and not content with having already spent double the amount of labour upon
them that they would have bestowed upon their own offspring, they followed them up
with their unwearying solicitude.

I was greatly shocked at first to observe the cool indifference with which the young
aristocrats of song surveyed their humble foster-parents. After a while it came—in spite
of the shameful ingratitude it exhibited—to be a constant source of merriment with us to
watch the lordly and impudent nonchalance with which they would turn their heads to
one side, and look down at the poor blue-birds, fluttermg against the bars with tender
eries to attract their notice with an expression which seemed as plainly as could be to
say, ‘ Who are you, pray? get away, you common fellows!’

A fine pair of old Mocking-birds found them, too; but when they came, our gentry
behaved very differently, and seemed crazy to get out. They became very tame, and
I finally fulfilled my vow of turning them loose, and for a long time they were so tame
that they would take food from our hands anywhere. They lived on the place, and we
felt ourselves for years afterwards plentifully, aye, bounteously rewarded for our anxiety
on account of the little outcasts, by the glorious songs they sang for us the summer
nights to dream by. Thus it was my fair sister helped me out of the scrape with
my young Mocking-birds !”

328 THE MISSEL THRUSH.

The colour of the Mocking-bird is a dull brown, with a decided ashen tinge. The
quill-feathers of the wings are white towards their base, and brown-black towards their
extremities, the two central feathers of the tail are dark brownish-black, the two externals
are white, and the remainder are white on their inner webs. The chin, throat, and
whole of the under part of the body are very pale brown, inclining to grey. As has
already been mentioned, the pure white of the wings and the blacker hue of the body
afford sufficient indications of the male bird, while the tail is nearly equally white in
both sexes. The length of the adult Mocking-bird is about nine inches.

THE genus in which the true THRUSHES are placed is one of the largest yet established,
containing nearly one hundred and twenty accredited species, which are found in
almost all quarters of the globe. In England they are well represented by several
familiar birds, together with one or two which, although they are not unfrequently found
within our shores, are but little known to the general public.

THE first example of this group is the MisseL Taurus, one of the largest and
handsomest of the species.

It is one of our resident birds, and on account of its great size, its combative nature,
its brightly feathered breast ,its rich voice, and gregarious habits, is one of the best known
of the British birds. About the beginning of April the Missel Thrush sets about its
nest, and in general builds a large, weighty edifice, that can be seen through the leafless
bushes from a great distance. Sometimes, however, the nest is concealed with the greatest
care, and I cannot but think that in the latter case it is the work of some old bird, who
has learnt caution through bitter experience.

The materials of which the nest is composed are the most heterogeneous that can be
imagined. Every substance that can be woven into a nest is pressed into the service.
Moss, hay, straw, dead leaves, and grasses, are among the ruling substances that are
employed for the purpose, and the bird often adds manufactured products, such as scraps
of rag, paper or shavings. I once found one of these nests that was ingeniously placed
in the crown of an old hat that had evidently been flung into the tree by some traveller.
At first, it hardly looked like a nest, but there were a few bits of grass lying over the
brim that had a very suspicious aspect, and on climbing the tree, the old hat was proved
to have been made the basis of a warm nest, with the proper complement of eggs. As the
nest is so conspicuous, and built so early in the season, the eggs of the Missel Thrush
generally form, together with those of the hedge accentor, the first-fruits of a nesting
expedition.

The nest, although so roughly made on the exterior, is the result of very careful work-
manship. The outside walls are made of moss and hay, but there is a fine lining of mud,
which, when dry, affords a very perfect resting-place for the eggs. The mud wall
is again lined with soft grasses, so that the eggs and young have a warm bed whereon
to repose.

At all times a tolerably quarrelsome bird, the Missel Thrush becomes doubly combative
at the breeding season, boldly attacking and driving away birds of greater size and
strength by the mere force of indomitable courage. Mr. Thompson has given so excellent
an account of several of such combats, that I can but quote his words.

“May it not be in some degree to counterbalance the danger to which its nest’ is
subjected from the exposed site (selected according to the dictates of nature) that this
bird is endued with the extraordinary courage and perseverance manifested in its defence ?
Often have I seen a pair of these birds driving off magpies and occasionally fighting
against four of them. The pair to which the first-mentioned nest belonged, attacked a
kestrel which appeared in their neighbourhood when the young birds were out, although
probably without any felonious intent upon them. One of these thrushes struck the hawk
several times and made as many more attempts to do so, but in vain, as the latter, by
suddenly rising in the air, escaped the coming blow. This pair of birds followed the
kestrel for a great way, until they were lost to our sight in the distance.

MISSEL THRUSH.—Turdus viscivorus.

In the wood at Cultra I was once, at the end of April, witness to a single Missel
Thrush boldly attacking a kestrel, which fled before it. The courage of the thrush was
further evinced by its flying to the summit of the highest pine in the plantation, from
which commanding site it for a long time proudly looked defiance against allcomers. But
by superior numbers Missel Thrushes are, like their betters, sometimes overpowered. This
happened at the Falls on one occasion, when a pair of grey crows (corvus cornix) joined, or
it may be followed in the wake of a pair of magpies, in their assault on a nest, and the
thrushes were completely routed.

A pair of these birds, which bred at the residence of a gentleman of my acquaintance
near Belfast in the summer of 1837, flew angrily towards himself whenever he walked in
the direction of their nest. But the Missel Thrush can exhibit boldness without its nest
being attacked. At the end of June, 1848, a friend brought from Scotland to his residence
near Belfast, four young peregrine falcons. The first day that these birds, then full grown,
were placed out of doors upon their blocks, contiguously, four in a row, they were assailed
by a Missel Thrush, which, for several hours, continued dashing down at them, and all but,
if not actually, striking them occasionally. No reason, such as having a nest in the
vicinity, &c., could be assigned for the thrush’s inhospitable welcome to the Scotch
falcons.”

Towards the end of the summer the Missel Thrushes assemble in flocks of consider-
able size, and in the autumn often do great harm to gardens and plantations, by devouring
the fruit. They are particularly fond of raspberries and cherries, and have been known
entirely to ruin the crop of these fruits. They are also fond of the berries of the
mountain ash and the arbutus, and are so partial to the viscid berries of the mistletoe

350 THE FIELDFARE.

plant that they have been called by its name. Insects of various kinds, caterpillars, and
spiders also, form part of the Missel Thrush’s diet, and a partly digested lizard has been
found in the interior of one of these birds.

The song of the Missel Thrush is rich, loud, clear, and ringing, and is often uttered
during the stormiest period of the year, the bird seeming to prefer the roughest and most
inclement weather for the exercise of its voice.

Few birds have been known under such a variety of names as this species, its title
seeming to vary in different parts of Britain according to the locality. For example, in
allusion to its habit of singing during stormy weather, it is known in many places by the
name of Storm-cock; in some counties it goes under the name of Holm Thrush, in
others it is confounded with the shrikes and called the Butcher-bird, while in others
it is actually termed the Jay. This curious misnomer holds good in several parts of
Treland as well as in England, and I was once rather victimized by its adoption. In the
year 1849-50 I was engaged in collecting the eggs of the Wiltshire birds, and hearing
from a rustic that the “Jay-pie” built in the neighbourhood, I offered him a small sum
for every Jay-pie’s ege brought to me unbroken. In a few days the lad came with two
hats filled with the eggs of the Missel Thrush, expecting—and receiving—the stipulated
sum for each egg. After that experience, I always made the narrator describe the bird
before I commissioned him to procure its eggs.

The colouring of this bird is briefly as follows: The upper parts of the body are a
warm reddish brown, excepting the wings, where the brown is of a more sober hue. The
upper surface of the tail is also brown, excepting a patch or two of greyish white upon
the outer webs of several of the tail-feathers. The under surface of the body is yellowish
white, covered thickly with jetty black spots, triangular on the neck and throat, and round
on the chest and abdomen. In total length the bird measures very nearly a foot.

ANOTHER large example of the British Thrushes is found in the FIELDFARE.

This bird is one of the migratory species, making only a winter visit to this country,
and often meeting a very inhospitable reception from the gun of the winter sportsboy.
Very seldom is it seen in this country till November, and is often absent until the cold
month of December, when it makes its appearance in great flocks, searching eagerly for
food over the fields. At this period of the year they are very wild, and can with difficulty
be approached within gunshot, as I have often experienced in my younger days. I well
remember “ stalking” a little troop of these birds for several hours, being induced to do
so by their extreme shyness, and at last securing one of them by pushing the gun through
a drain-hole in an old stone wall, getting rather an uncertain aim through the dried grass
stems, and sending the shot within an inch or two of the ground. When the snow les
heavily upon the fields, this bird betakes itself to the hedgerows and outskirts of woods
and copses, and there feeds on the various berries that have survived the autumn. During
this inclement season, the Fieldfare may be approached and shot without much difficulty.
Their shyness, however, depends greatly on the amount of persecution which they have
sustained.

Although they collect in large flocks, the different individuals always keep themselves
rather aloof from their fellows, but as night approaches they close together, and
nestle in companies among the hedges or brushwood. They generally remain in this
country until May or June, seldom, however, prolonging their stay to the latter period.
In this land they have not been observed to build, but in the northern parts of Europe,
such as Norway and Sweden, their nesting is really extraordinary. A very excellent
account of the nidification of these birds is given by Mr. Hewitson. His attention was
aroused by the loud shrieking cries of several birds, “which we at first supposed must be
shrikes, but which afterwards proved to be Fieldfares, anxiously watching over their newly-
established dwellings.

We were soon delighted by the discovery of several of their nests, and were surprised
to find them (so contrary to the habits of other species of Turdus with which we are
acquainted) herding in society. Their nests were at various heights from the ground,
from four feet to thirty or forty feet or upwards, mixed with old ones of the preceding

FIELDFARE —Turdus pilaris.

year. They were, for the most part, placed against the trunk of the spruce fir ; some were,
however, at a considerable distance from it, upon the upper surface, and towards the
smaller end of the thicker branches. They resembled most nearly those of the ring
ouzel. The outside is composed of sticks and coarse grasses, and weeds gathered wet, matted
together with a small quantity of clay, and lined with a thick bed of fine long grass.
None of them yet contained more than three eges, although we afterwards found that five
was more commonly the number than four, and even six was very frequent. They are very
similar to those of the blackbird, and even more so to the ring ouzel.

The Fieldfare is the most abundant bird in Norway, and is generally diffused over that
part which we visited ; building, as already noticed, in societies ; two hundred nests or
more being frequently seen within a very small space.”

In their general aspect, the nests are not unlike those of the blackbird, and the eggs
are of a light blue ground colour, covered with dark reddish-brown mottlings. Although
the bird is essentially a winter visitant to this country, there are seasons which are too
cold and stormy. even for this hardy bird. In the year 1798, there was a terrible
and lengthened storm of sleet, wind, and snow, which killed thousands of the Fieldfares,

RING OUZEL.—Turdus torquatus.

and even dashed them into the sea, where they were drowned, and their bodies thrown
upon the Devonshire coast for many days afterwards.

In its colour the Fieldfare bears a decided resemblance to the generality of the Thrushes.
The upper parts of the body as far as the shoulders are ashen grey, dotted with dark
brown spots upon the head ; the back and wings are rich brown, and the tail is dark
blackish-brown. The chin and throat are a peculiar golden hue, not unlike amber, and
eovered with numerous black streaks; the breast is reddish brown, also spotted with
black, and the abdomen and under parts white, spotted on the flanks and under tail-
coverts with brown of various shades. The Fieldfare is not quite so large a bird as the
Missel Thrush, being about ten inches in total length.

The Rive Ovzet is also only a visitant of England, but its times of arrival and
departure are precisely contrary to those of the bird just. described.

This species seldom arrives in England until the month of April, and as it generally
confines itself to certain districts, is not very common. It is, however, sparingly found in
most parts of England, Ireland, and Scotland, though it seems to prefer the more western
and southern districts. The name of Ring Ouzel has been universally given to this bird
on account of the broad white band that partially surrounds the lower portions of the
throat, and is very conspicuous in its contrast with the deep black brown of the rest of
the plumage. With the exception of this white band, the general plumage of the Ring
Ouzel is very like that of the male blackbird, which it also resembles in size and general
form.

THE REDWING. 333

It is a shy and wary bird, shunning cultivated grounds and the vicinity of human
habitations, and withdrawing itself into the wildest and most hilly districts. It is a quick-
flying, lively and active bird, and is said to afford fine sport to the falconer, owing to its
singular adroitness and ingenuity in escaping the stroke of the hawk. It will quietly
suffer the bird of prey to approach quite closely, screaming a defiance to the enemy, and
flitting quietly along a stone wall or rocky ground. Suddenly the hawk makes its swoop,
and the Ring Ouzel disappears, having whisked into some hole in the stone, squeezed
itself into a convenient crevice, or slipped over the other side of the wall just as the
hawk shot past the spot on which it had been sitting.

The song of this bird is loud, clear, and sonorous, but contains a very few notes. The
Ring Ouzel can also, when alarmed, utter a loud and hoarse screech, which seems to give
warning of danger to every bird within hearing.

The nest of this species is large, and is composed of coarse grasses externally, lined
with a thin shell of clay, which is again lined with soft and warm grass. The eggs are of
a brightish blue covered with many spots and little dashes of dark reddish brown; their
full complement is five. The nest is always placed near the ground in some sheltered
situation, a tuft of rank grass, a thick bunch of heather, or the base of a luxuriant bush,
being among the most common localities. After the breeding season, the Ring Ouzels
assemble towards the southern parts of England, collecting together in flocks preparatory
to their departure. During this intermediate period they visit the gardens and orchards,
and often commit sad havoc among the fruit.

The general colour of the adult male bird is very dark blackish-brown, slightly varied
by the blackish-grey edges of the feathers, and the broad grey outer webs of the wing-
feathers. Across the upper part of the chest runs a broad, crescent-shaped mark of the
purest white, the points being directed upwards. In the young male this collar is not so
broad, and of a decidedly reddish hue, and the whole of the plumage is of a lighter brown.
Sometimes the white collar is entirely absent, and in some cases white and pied varieties
have been known. The total length of the adult bird is about eleven inches.

ANOTHER well-known example of the British Thrushes is found in the common
REDWING, a bird which is plentiful throughout the greater portion of the British Isles.

It is one of the finest songsters even among its own melodious group, rivalling
the nightingale in the full sweet tones of its flexible voice. Sometimes the bird sings
alone, seated on a favourite perch, but it oftener prefers lifting up its voice in concert with
its companions, and fills the air with its harmonious sounds. It has, however, several
kinds of voice, sometimes pouring forth its full rich strains, and at other times singing
quietly to itself in an under tone that can only be heard at a very short distance. This,
however, is only the peculiar sound which is termed “recording” by bird-fanciers, and
must not be mistaken for the real song, which, according to Mr. Hewitson, who had every
opportunity of hearing this bird, is a loud, wild, and delicious melody. The Redwing
partakes so far of the character of the nightingale as to sing after sunset.

The Redwing is less of a fruit-eater than the generality of its kind, feeding principally
upon worms, slugs, and insects. In a protracted and severe winter, therefore, when the
ground is frozen so hard that the bird’s beak cannot penetrate its stony surface, the
Redwing is forced to rely for its subsistence on the hibernating molluscs, and the larve
and pupze of different insects which may be found in sheltered spots. But when these
resources have been exhausted, the poor bird is in a sad plight, and has been known to
die of sheer starvation.

During the summer months, the Redwing goes northward, visiting Norway, Sweden;
and even Iceland. In these countries it generally builds its nest, which is similar to that
of the common blackbird, and is placed in the centre of some thick bush. Occasionally,
but very rarely, the Redwing has been known to build in this country, and Mr. Yarrell
records two such instances in England, and another in Scotland. The eggs are from four
to six in number, and of a blue colour, spotted with black.

The Redwing is, like many of its kind, a sociable bird, gathering together in large
flocks, and roosting sociably in company on the thickly matted branches and twigs of

REDWING.—Twrdus ilidcus.

hedgerows and well-wooded plantations. During the winter the birds scatter themselves
rather widely ; but immediately after their arrival, and before their departure, they gather
themselves into societies, and are then sadly persecuted by the fowler.

The general colour of the Redwing is a warm, rich cinnamon-brown upon the upper parts
of the body, the wings are rather darker, except the external webs of the quill-feathers, which
have a greyish tinge, and over the eye runs a well-defined streak of very pale ashen-brown.
The chin, throat, and whole under surface of the body are greyish-white, deepening into a
brownish tinge on the sides of the neck, the breast, and the flanks, and profusely studded
with longitudinal dashes of the same brown as that of the back. When the wings are
closed, the bird very much resembles the common Thrush, but when it spreads its wings
for flight, it discloses a large patch of orange-red feathers upon the sides of the body, from
which it has derived its name of Redwing. In total length the Redwing nearly reaches
nine inches.

The Cat-Birp, so called from the resemblance which some of its notes bear to the
mew and purr of a cat, is a native of America, and one of the most familiar of the birds
of that country. As may be seen by the generic title which it bears, it is one of the true
Thrushes.

In its character it is one of the most affectionate of birds, as is shown by Wilson in
the following passage.

“Tn passing through the woods in summer, I have sometimes amused myself with
imitating the violent chirping or squeaking of young birds, in order to observe what
different species were around me; for such sounds at such a season in the woods are
no less alarming to the feathered tenants of the bushes, than the cry of fire or murder in
the streets is to the inhabitants of a large city.

On such oceasions of alarm and consternation, the Cat-Bird is the first to make his
appearance, not singly, but sometimes half a dozen at a time, flying from different quarters
to the spot. At this time those who are disposed to play with his feelings may almost
throw him into fits, his emotion and agitation are so ereat at the distressful cries of what
he supposes to be his suffering young.

CAT-BIRD.—Turdus félivor.

Other birds are variously affected, but none show symptoms of such extreme suffering.
He hurries backwards and forwards, with hanging wings and open mouth, calling out
louder and faster, and actually screaming w ith “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 neighbour within hearing hastens to the spot to learn
the cause 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 whatever on him.

It is a most courageous little creature, and in defence of its young is as bold as
the mocking-bird. Snakes especially are the aversion of the Cat-bird, which will generally
contrive to drive away any snake that may approach the beloved spot. The voice of this
bird is mellow and rich, and according to Audubon is “a compound of many of the
gentle trills and sweet undulations of our various woodland choristers, delivered with
apparent caution and with all the attention and softness necessary to enable the performer
to please the ear of its mate. Each cadence passes on without faltering, and if you are
acquainted with the songs of the birds he so sweetly imitates, you are sure to recognise
the manner of the different species.”

It is a most lively and withal petulant bird in a wild state, performing the most
grotesque mancevres, and being so filled with curiosity that it follows any strange being
through the woods as if irresistibly attracted by some magnetic charm. In its disposition
the Cat-bird appears to be one of the most sensitively affectionate birds on the face of the

earth, as will appear from the following interesting account of a pet Cat-bird, called
General Bem. The narrator is Mrs. Webber.

“Well, General Bem went home with us at once, and was immediately given his
liberty, which he made use of by peering into every closet, examining and dragging every
thing from its proper place, which he could manage, pecking and squalling, dashing hither
and “thither, until at night he quietly went into his cage as if he was nearly or quite
positive that he must commence a new career on the morrow ; It was evident that he had

336 “GENERAL BEM,” THE CAT-BIRD.

to begin the world over again, yet, as he was not superannuated, and was, withal, ambitious,
his case was still not a desperate one, although we had assured him most positively that
we would not fall in love with him—we had only invited him there to help us pass the
time.

Bem looked wise at the assertion, but said nothing. The next morning we gave him
water for a bath, which he immediately used, and then sprang upon my head, very much
to my surprise ; then he darted to the window, then back to my head, screaming all the
time most vociferously, until finally I went to the window, for peace’ sake, and stood in
the sunshine, while Bem composedly dressed his feathers, standing on my head first on one
foot, then on the other, evidently using my scalp as a sort of foot-stone, and my head as a
movable pedestal for his impudent generalship to perch on when he felt disposed to he
comfortably elevated; and had clearly come to the conclusion—as I was so fond of
transporting him from his native land, that I should serve as a convenient craft to bear
him where his moods commanded.

In a word, he had determined to turn tyrant; if I had had the deliberate purpose of
using him as a mere toy, he had at least the coolness to make me available, and from that
time I became the victim of the most unequalled tyranny. Did I neglect his morning
bath beyond the instant, my ears were assailed with screams and cries, till I was forced to
my duty ; I must bear him into the sunshine, or my hair was pulled; I must bring him
his breakfast, or he pecked my cheek and lips ; in fine, I was compelled to become his
constant attendant, while in the meantime he most diligently assailed my heart by
endearing confidences. He would sit upon my arm and sleep, he would get into my
workbox, and while I watched that he did not pilfer a little, he would quietly seat
himself upon its edge, and in alow sweet voice lull my suspicions by such tender melodies,
that finally I could no longer say, ‘I will not love you, Bem!’ but gave him the
satisfactory assurance that he was not quite so much of a tease as I had tried to think
him ; and he now received my daily offering of small spiders and worms with gestures
of evident pleasure.

These were always presented to him enveloped in white paper, which he carefully
opened and secured his prey, before it could escape, even though it was sometimes a
difficult task to keep his vigilant eye upon so many—apparently escapading—when I was:
called to the field, and appointing me a station, I was expected to give the alarm when
one attempted to get away on my side, which he immediately iilled and dropped,
and then darted after those on the outskirts of the field of action.

At last, one day, Mr. Webber brought for my sister a Wood-thrush, which was very
wild and savage, and was, besides, extremely ugly, but had the reputation of being a good
singer, which made us forgive his sullen temper, and hope to win him back to more
gentle ways, when he should see that we would be his friends, and that he should
be almost free; besides, General Bem was much inclined to make his acquaintance, and
took the first occasion to pay him a visit in his cage-house. This the stranger did not
fancy, and drove him out. Bem resented this, by turning on the threshold and pouring
forth a torrent of screams and mewings, which came near distracting the poor Thrush,
who darted at him and chased him to the bed, under which Bem darted, and was secure
for the present.

But from that time there were no more overtures of friendship, they were sworn
enemies; the Thrush from detestation of the impudent fellow who invaded his residence,
and finally appropriated it, to the entire desertion of his own, which, by-the-bye, was
much larger, and with which the Thrush eventually consoled himself, and Bem continued
to occupy, because it amused him to pester the ill-natured fellow, which he had set down
the Thrush to be. Many were the quaint scenes which now daily occurred.

Tf Bem desired to take a bathe, the Thrush would endeavour to push him out; but Bem
was not to be ousted, in that style if he could prevent it, and commonly sent the poor
Thrush away in consternation, his musical ear stunned by such direful din as threatened
to rend his delicate heart as well as tympanum. Never shall I forget one droll scene.
One day Bem found on the floor a white grape, which he seemed to be disposed comfortably
to discuss, after having rolled it out into the broad sunshine. Just at this moment the

A CLEVER STRATAGEM. 337

Thrush stepped up in a cool and dignified manner, and carried the grape off; dropped it
in the shade, and deliberately drawing up one foot among his feathers, seemed to say,
‘I claim the grape as my own ; I stand on the defensive ; come and get it if you dare!’
so closed the ‘ off’ eye and looked as if the matter was settled to his entire satisfaction.

Bem had been in the very act of pecking the grape when it was so unceremoniously
withdrawn ; he drew himself up on tiptoe fairly with astonishment, his eye seemed to
grow larger and rounder, the feathers on his head stood alternately erect and clung close
to the scalp ; he stood a moment or two, and then with a loud ‘mew’ darted forward to
recapture the stolen fruit, but the Thrush coolly and silently met him with open mouth
and body thrown forward, yet still covering the grape. Bem’s wit returned to him—he
quietly turned off, as if it was a small matter anyhow.

We were astonished. Was Bem a coward after all? would he permit this bird, even if he
was larger, to impose upon him in this fashion, and he able to whip mocking-birds at that?
We shook our heads; if Bem does that, we shall withdraw his laurels. But see! he
comes cautiously about the Thrush—what does he mean? ah, we perceive; Bem has
sagaciously only changed his tactics, we will watch him ; he thinks the Thrush will want
some dinner pretty soon, and then, as Bem disdains to be called quarrelsome, he will
quietly appropriate his treasure.

Four hours things retained this position, the Thrush never moving more than six
inches from his post, though evidently becoming hungry and weary, while Bem silently
wandered about the room, feasting in the most provokingly cool way in both cages, and
continually making inadvertent incursions in the neighbourhood of his enemy, as if for
the purpose of throwing him off his guard. At last, Bem was on the other side of the
room. The Thrush had been eyeing a dainty morsel which Bem had dropped about two
feet from him. He looked, Bem was too much engaged to notice him, he could easily
venture—he would—he did. Bem, whose keen eye had seen all, darted like lightning,
and before the Thrush could turn about and seize again the contested treasure, Bem had
alighted on the centre of the bed—the only place in the room where the Thrush would
not follow him—and there quietly tore the grape to pieces and left it.

But, alas! we had to send our brave sagacious Bem home again. We were to make a
long journey to the South, and he must stay behind. Ah, the poor fellow knew as well as
we, “that we were bidding him adieu. He pecked our fingers in great distress, and bit our
lips till the blood came, in the energy of his farewell—while he uttered such sad low
cries as made us mourn for many a day in the remembrance.

During our absence we wrote frequently inquiring of Bem, and many an injunction
to hin, to live and die, if need be, the same brave general we had known him. We never
expected to see him again ; but, after a year of wandering, we did return to our old home.
At once we went to see the general, little dreaming that we should be remembered. What
was our surprise then, when we called ‘Bem! Bem! General Bem!’ to see our dear
friend and pet dart down to us from his hiding-place, and most evidently recognise us—
his eye sparkling, his scalp-feathers raised, his wings drooping, and that same low ery
which had haunted us so long, greeting us again. Our happiness was real; and when we
offered him the white paper, he instantly darted upon it, and tore it asunder to get the
well-remembered treasure he had always found within.

Again Bem went home with us—this time to fill our hearts with affection by his
quaint impish ways and gentle waywardness. Now, he became a privileged character ;
my paint box was his especial admiration—he treated it with great veneration, having
discovered that birds grew out of the little square pebbles, as he doubtless considered
them, until one day he perceived I objected to his lifting from its case a black-looking,
ill-shaped piece of paint, that I was even decidedly opposed to his meddling with it ;
from that moment that particular piece became a treasure—its value so great to him, that,
hide where I might, it had ever an invisible glitter, which to his eyes was brighter than
any gem; he would find and hide it from me, and thus I had at least once every day to
search the room over for this indispensable colour.

No matter that I threatened him, he coolly dressed his feathers and commenced so
dreamy a song as to soothe my rage at once. He became my constant companion ; he

Z

338 THE HERMIT THRUSH.

bathed with me in the morning, he took his dinner with me from my plate, and perched
at night close to my head. He sat on my shoulder or head when I worked, and seemed
to express his opinion in regard to my progress in bird-making with quite a connoisseuring
air. He grew to be profoundly jealous of all other birds; and if I talked to a fine
mocking-bird, whose cage hung in my room, he would become so enraged, and finally
depressed, that I became alarmed—I feared he would die.

One day I had given this bird some water; my hand was in the cage, the mocking-
bird was pecking at my fingers, when with a loud and vicious scream General Bem
dashed from the floor up into the cage, and commenced a violent assault on the inmate.
The struggle was but for a moment; he dashed out and I shut the cage-door, while Bem,
mounted on the bed-post, sent forth such yells of fury as I never heard from bird’s lungs
before. I could not pacify him for a long time—several hours ; he hid in the shade of
the furniture, and would not be induced to come out. The next day the mocker was
flying about the room, Bem assailed him, and the fight became so desperate that I was
obliged to send the mockiny-bird away, while my poor Bem was seized with convulsions,
and I thought him dead after a few moments. But his time had not yet come; he lived
to pass through many such scenes of painful suffering.”

HERMIT THRUSH.—Turdus solitarius.

The Hermit THRUSH is also a native of America, and is generally found in the
countries adjoining to the Mississippi during the winter, making a partial migration to
Kentucky, Indiana, and Tennessee during the summer.

The name of Hermit is given to this bird on account of its eremitical and retiring
habits, for this Thrush withdraws itself from the open country and systematically hides
itself in the darkest and most secluded cane-brakes. Even when it ventures into the
more open lands in search of food, it does not make itself conspicuous, but keeps ever
near the ground, flitting with swift and steady wing to and from the lonely brake where
its nest is placed. This species is not known to possess any true song, merely uttering a
very low and plaintive ery.

The nest of the Hermit Thrush is always placed in the thickest shelter, and is com-
posed of dried leaves and grasses without any mud wall, and lined with grasses of a fine
character. The eggs are about five in number, and their colour a light blue, variegated
with black-brown spots on the larger end. There are usually two broods in the year.
The food of this species is almost wholly of a vegetable character. The general colour is
buffy-brown on the upper parts, warming into a decided ruddy tinge upon the tail and

BLACKBIRD.—Turdus méru'a.

upper tail-coverts. The under parts are greyish-brown covered on the neck and chest
with spots of a darker hue. The total length of the adult bird is about seven inches.

AmonG the best known and best loved of our British songsters, the BLACKBIRD is one
of the most conspicuous.

This well-known bird derives its popular name from the uniformly black hue of its
plumage, which is only relieved by the bright orange-coloured bill of the male bird.
The song of this creature is remarkable for its full mellowness of note, and is ever a
welcome sound to the lover of nature, and her vocal and visual harmonies. Often the
poor bird suffers for its voice ; and being kept within the bars of a cage, is forced to sing
its wild native notes “in a strange land.” In captivity it is sometimes subjected to
training, and has been taught to w vhistle tunes with great spirit and precision. Generally
the bird sings in the day time, but there are times when it encroaches upon the acknow-
Jedged province of the nightingale, and makes the night echoes ring with its rich ringing
tones.

It is rather curious that even in its native state the Blackbird is something of a mimic,
and will imitate the voices of other birds with remarkable skill, even teaching itself to
crow like a cock and to cackle like a hen.

The Blackbird feeds usually on insects, but it also possesses a great love of fruit, and
in the autumn ravages the gardens and orchards in a most destructive manner, picking
out all the best and ripest fruit, and wisely leaving the still immatured produce to ripen
on the branches. Perhaps it may be partly carnivorous, as one of these birds was seen to
attack and kill a shrew mouse.

As it is so common a bird, and constantly haunts the hedgerows, it is greatly
persecuted by juvenile gunners, whom it contrives to draw away from its nest by flitting
in and out of the hedge, alw ays taking care to keep out of shot range, and having a
curious habit of slipping through the hedge, and flying quietly back to its nest, almost
touching the surface of the ground in its rapid progress. It is not a sociable bird, being
seldom seen in company with others of its own species, and not often even together with
its mate.

Z2

340 THE SONG-THRUSH.

The nest of this bird is made very early in the spring, and is always carefully placed
in the centre of some thick bush, a spreading holly-tree being a very favourite locality.
Tt is a large, rough, but carefully constructed habitation, being made externally of grass,
stems, and roots, plastered on the interior with a rather thick lining of coarse mud, which
when thoroughly dried forms a kind of rude earthenware cup. A lining of fine grass is
placed within the earthen cup, and upon this lining the five eggs are laid. These eggs
are of a light greyish-blue ground colour, splashed, spotted, and freckled over their entire
surface with brown of various shades and intensity. The colouring of these egys is
extremely variable, even those of a single nest being very different in their appearance;
and I once took a Blackbird’s nest in which the eggs were so curiously marked that no one
could have decided whether they belonged to a blackbird or a thrush. Sometimes the
spots are almost wholly absent, and at other times the eggs are so covered with reddish-
brown markings that the ground colour is hardly discernible.

The Blackbird is very courageous in defence of its nest, and will attack almost any
animal that threatens the security of its home. On one occasion a prowling cat was
forced to retreat ignominiously from the united assaults of two Blackbirds near whose
domicile she had ventured.

The colour of the adult male bird is a uniform deep brown-black over the whole of
the plumage, with the exception of the under surface of the wings, which have a decided
wash of shining grey. The female is darkish brown upon the upper surface, mouse-brown
upon the abdomen and sides, and yellowish brown upon the throat. In total length the
bird measures about ten inches.

TaE well-known Sonc-TarusH, or THROSTLE, as it is sometimes called, bears a
deservedly high rank among our British birds of song.

It is plentifully found in most parts of England, and favours us with its vocal efforts
throughout a considerable portion of the year. The song of the Thrush is peculiarly rich,
mellow, and sustained, and is remarkable for the full purity of its intonation and the
variety of its notes. The Thrush begins to sing as soon as incubation commences, and
continues its song from the beginning of the spring until the middle of autumn. In
many cases the bird sings to a very late period of the year, and has been heard in the
months of November and December. On account of its beautiful voice, it is m great
request among bird-fanciers, and is sold in large numbers as a cage songster.

The Thrush is tolerably familiar with mankind, and haunts the neighbourhood of
human habitations for the sake of the food which it finds in such localities. It is, never-
theless, rather shy towards human beings, and does not willingly permit itself to be
approached. There are, however, exceptions to this general rule, and on occasions an
individual bird will overcome its instinctive dread of the human race, and attach itself to
some favoured person. In one such instance with which I am acquainted, the bird took
a fancy to a man, persisted in following him about, and used to sit on his shoulder
and sing with the greatest enthusiasm. By degrees, the bird became accustomed to other
human beings, and would accompany its protector into the outhouses. It had a strange
predilection for steam, and was fond of perching on the edge of washing-tubs, and would
there sit and sing, though so enveloped in the thick vapour as to be hardly visible.

The food of the Thrush is mostly of an animal character, and consists largely of
worms, snails, slugs, and similar creatures. In eating snails it is very dexterous, taking
them in its bill, battering them against a stone until the shells are entirely crushed, and
then swallowing the inclosed mollusc. When a Thrush has found a stone that suits his
purpose peculiarly well, he brings all his snails to the spot, and leaves quite a large heap
of empty snail-shells under the stone. One of the best examples that I have ever seen,
was a large squared boulder-stone, forming part of a rustic stile in Wiltshire. There was
a large pile of shells immediately under the stone, and the ground was strewed for some
distance with the crushed fragments that had evidently been trodden upon and earried
away by the feet of passengers.

The Thrush does not, however, confine itself wholly to this kind of diet, but in the
autumn months feeds largely on berries and different fruits, being very fond of cherries,

A Se

SONG-THRUSH.—Turdus misicus.

and often working great havoc in an orchard or fruit-garden. But in spite of its occasional
inroads upon the gardens, it deserves the gratitude of the agriculturist on account of its
services in destroying the snails and other garden pests, and may well be allowed to take
its autumnal toll of a few of the fruits of which it has been such an efficient preserver.
In no case, indeed, does it become us to be over chary of admitting our fellow-creatures
to a share of the good things, which are in reality no more the property of the man than
of the bird; remembering that although to man has been given the dominion over eyery
inhabitant of earth, yet the beasts, the birds, and the creeping things have also received
their gift of every green herb from the same Divine hand which entrusted man with an
authority higher in degree, but not more authentic in origin.

The nest of the Thrush is rather large, and shaped like a basin. The shell of the nest
is composed of roots and mosses, inside which is worked a rather thin but wonderfully
compact layer of cow-dung and decayed wood, so strongly kneaded that when dry it wiil
hold water almost as well as an earthenware vessel. Sometimes the bird employs rather
strange materials for its nest, and I know of an instance where a Thrush carried off a lace
cap that was hanging on a clothes-line, and worked it into the sides of its nest. There
are usually five eggs, of a beautiful blue spotted with black. The spots are small, round,

fololees
and well marked, and are extremely variable in size and number ; they are always gathered

towards the larger end of the ege.

The fecundity of the Thrush is very great, a single pair having been seen to make five
nests in the course of a single season (one of which was destroyed), and to rear seventeen
The female bird was so tame, that she would permit herself to be fed while
sitting on her eggs. I have seen a similar example of confidence in this bird, and have
stroked the head of a female Thrush while engaged in the duty of incubation. The birds
are very quick about their domestic affairs, as may be seen from the fact that a nest was
begun on April 26th, the young hatched on May 19th, and all flown on May 28th. This
nest, however, was placed in a very warm situation, which may have had some effect on
the rapidity of the process.

Like many other good songsters, the Thrush possesses the power of imitating the
notes and even the gestures of other birds, as may be seen by the following letter from

young.

342 THE CHESTNUT-CAPPED TIMALIA.

a correspondent of the Meld newspaper: “ Some twelve years ago, our gardener caught a
young Thrush well able to fly, and caged it. Happening to be in his cottage one day, I
heard what I thought was a robin singing, and on looking in the direction of the sound,
found that it proceeded from the Thrush. Not only had the bird caught the robin’s song,
but also its attitudes, the head and tail drooping. On inquiring, I was told that he had
other accomplishments, and mocked the sounds of the poultry. These, however, I did
not hear, but the robin’s song was perfect.”

The Thrush can even imitate with great accuracy the mellow sounds of the flute, and
has been taught to whistle tunes played on that instrument by its instructor. I have been
told of one of these birds by a lady who had it in her possession. The Thrush had been
captured when very young, and before it had attained its ordinary juvenile plumage. The
person who caught it, placed it in a cage for safety, and the bird soon became tame and
loving. Finding that as it approached maturity, it attempted to imitate the notes of a
flute which he was in the habit of playing, he determined to teach his bird some melody,
and succeeded in making it whistle the “ Blue Bells of Scotland” with perfect accuracy.

The colouring of the Thrush, though simple, is very pleasing to the eye. The back
and upper surface is brown of slightly different shades, the chin is quite white, and the
abdomen and under tail-coverts are greyish-white. The throat, the breast, and flanks,
together with the sides of the neck, are yellow, thickly spotted with dark brown. The
total length of the bird is about nine inches.

e

CHESTNUT-CAPPED TIMALIA.—Timilia pilecta.

ANOTHER sub-family of the Thrushes is named after the genus which is accepted as its
type, and is called by the title of Timaline. On account of their chattering propensities
they are more popularly termed Babblers. Several examples of this group will be given
in the following pages, the first of which is the CHESTNUT-CAPPED TIMALIA, a bird which
derives its name from the peculiar colouring of the head.

This species is an inhabitant of Java, and is rather common in that country. It is a
sufficiently familiar bird, approaching human habitations without much diffidence, and
building in close proximity to the barn or the plantation. It is a pleasing songster,
possessing a sweet and musical voice, though its song has but little variety, consisting of
only five notes. A sixth note is sometimes added, but evidently forms no part of the real

song. This melody is repeated at very short intervals, with a peculiarly slow and well-
modulated intonation.

SPOTTED GROUND THRUSH, OR GROUND DOVE.—Cinclosoma punctatun.

In its habits this bird reminds the observer of the common English Thrush, and in its
mode of feeding it also bears a great resemblance to that sweet songster. Its food consists
chiefly of insects, which it captures principally on the ground, but it will vary its diet
with snails, slugs, and other similar creatures, and will also feed upon berries and fruits.
The bill is strong and thick, in order to enable the bird to capture and crush its food, and
to disinter it from beneath the surface of the earth. Its feet are employed for the same
purpose, and are consequently better developed than in the trne Thrushes. The general
form of the bird is rather thick and short in proportion to its size.

The colour of the Chestnut-capped Timalia is olive-brown on the upper portions of
the body, with the exception of the head, which is coloured on the crown with deep
chestnut. The under parts are of a lighter hue than the back. A white band passes
over the eye. The throat and cheeks are pure white, and the breast is also white, but is
marked by a series of jetty black stripes.

AUSTRALIA possesses a curious and valued specimen of this group, which is popularly
called the SpoTtrED GrounD THRUSH, or GROUND Dove.

This bird is found throughout the greater part of Australia and Van Diemen’s Land,
and on account of the delicacy of its flesh is greatly prized by both natives and colonists.
Being always attracted by certain localities, it may be easily found by every one who is
acquainted with its habits. Unlike the generality of birds, it cares little for trees
or bushes, and seldom is known to perch upon the branches, preferring the tops of low
stone-covered hills, or rude and rocky gullies, having a decided predilection for those which
are clothed with grass and scrubby brushwood. The spaces between fallen trees are also
a favourite haunt of this bird.

The Spotted Ground Thrush is no great flyer, taking to wing with much reluctance,
and seldom voluntarily raising itself in the air except to fly from one side of a gully to
another. When it does take to flight, especially if alarmed, it rises with a loud fluttering
noise, and proceeds through the air in an irregular and dipping manner. To compensate,
however, for its imperfect power of wing, its legs are well developed, and render it an

344 THE BLACK-FACED THRUSH.

exceedingly fast runner, so that it is able to conceal itself with great rapidity as soon as it
finds cause of alarm.

The nest of this species is a very loose and negligent kind of structure, made of
leaves, the inner bark of trees, and various vegetable substances, laid carelessly together in
some casual depression in the ground. ‘The eggs are rather large in proportion to the size
of the bird, and their colour is greyish white, covered with large olive-brown mottlings.
According to Gould, their number is two, but the author of “ Bush Wanderings in Australia”

states that this bird lays three

eggs. The young are able to run

almost as soon as they leave the
sr egg, and in two days their bodies
are covered with a soft black down
like that of the young water-hen.
The flesh of the Ground Dove is
remarkably good, and when the
bird is fat it meets with a ready
sale, and is generally disposed of
to the game-dealers together with
the painted quail, as it arrives and
leaves at the same time with that
bird.

The voice of the Ground Dove
is not very sweet, its cry or song
consisting of a low piping whistle.

The colour of this bird is some-
what similar to that of the Thrush
or fieldfare, and is briefly as fol-
lows. The back and upper por-
tions are brown, covered with
black dashes. Over each eye is
a white streak, and there is a
white patch on the cheeks. The
chest is grey, and the abdomen
white, warming into reddish buff
upon the flanks, and each feather
being marked with a black centre
Between the abdomen and the
chest is a black band. The total
leneth of this bird is about ten
inches, and its general proportions
resemble those of the common
fieldfare of England.

SEVERAL species of Babblers
possess a sweet song, others are
admirable mimics, while others
are remarkable for the strange
oddity of their ery.

One of the best songsters in this group is the BLACK-racep THRUSH, a native of
the mountainous regions of India and China. This bird is very gregarious in its habits,
assembling in large flocks and preferring the thickest jungles and deepest ravines to the
open country. These flocks, although they are so deeply hidden, are easily discoverable
by means of the extraordinary sounds which they emit, and w hich are said to resemble
a chorus of wild laughter. The food of this bird, when at liberty, consists chietly of fruit
and insects ; but when tamed, the Black-faced Thrush is rather carnivorous in its character,
as will presently be seen. The nest of this bird is rather rudely constructed of little sticks

BLACK-FACED THRUSH.—Garrulax Chinensis.

THE GOLDEN ORIOLE. 345

and grasses, worked into some convenient hole in the side of a gully, and generally
contains four eggs.

This species is easily tamed, and, as will be seen from the following notes made by Mr.
Frith of a Black-faced Thrush that had been for some time in his possession, is a very
eccentric and amusing creature.

“ The bird was exceedingly tame and familiar, and delighted, like a cockatoo, in being
caressed and tickled by the hand, when it would spread out its wings and assume very
singular attitudes. It was naturally a fine songster, and a most universal imitator.
Whenever chopped meat or other food was put into its cage, it always evinced a propensity
to deposit the bits one by one between the wires ; and when a bee or wasp was offered, this
bird would seize it instantly, and inyariably turn its tail round and make the insect sting
this several times successively before eating it. A large beetle it would place before it on
the ground, and pierce it with a violent downward stroke of the bill: a small snake, about
a foot long, it treated in like manner, transfixing the centre of the head ; it afterwards
devoured about half the snake, holding it by one foot while it picked it with the bill, as
was its common mode of feeding.”

The Laueuine Crow of India (Garruldx leucélophus) is another species of the same
genus, and is remarkable for the singular resemblance which its ery bears to the laughter
of human beings. Its name of “leucolophus,” or white-crested, has been given to it on
account of the white feathers which are found on the crown of the head.

The GoLDEN ORIOLE is an extremely rare visitant of this country, having been but
seldom observed within our coasts, but is far from uncommon in many parts of the
Continent, especially the more southern portions of Europe, such as the shores of the
Mediterranean and Southern Italy.

The Golden Oriole derives it name from the bright golden yellow with which the
feathers of the adult male bird are largely tinged; but as the full glory of its plumage is
not displayed until the bird has entered its third year, it is possible that many specimens
may have visited this country and again departed without having attracted particular
attention. Mr. Yarrell, in his well-known History of the British Birds, mentions several
instances where the Golden Oriole has been seen and even bred within the British Isles ;
and there is a note from a correspondent of the Meld newspaper, which records the
capture of a pair of Golden Orioles, four young ones, and their nest near Ipswich.
Whenever this bird does make its appearance in this country it always comes in the
summer months, generally between April and September.

In Italy, this bird is quite common, and by the peasantry is supposed to announce
the ripening of the fig, its peculiar cry being translated into a choice Italian sentence,
signifying that the fruits have attaimed maturity. It is rather gregarious in its habits,
generally associating in little flocks, and frequenting lofty trees and orchards, where it can
obtain abundance of food.

It is an exceedingly shy and timorous bird, keeping carefully from man and his home,
and only venturing into cultivated grounds for the sake of obtaining food. Even in such
cases it is extremely cautious in its behaviour, and as it always takes the trouble to set
sentries on guard, it cannot be approached without the greatest patience and wariness on
the part of the sportsman or observer. Being generally found in the loneliest spots, and
especially preferring the outskirts of forests, whence it can at once dive into the thick
foliage and escape from danger, it often baftles the skill even of the practised fowler, who
is forced to trust to the careful imitation of its note for his hope of getting within shot of
this cunning bird. Moreover, the imitation must be exceedingly exact, for the ear of the
Golden Oriole is wonderfully true and delicate, and if the bird detects the least error in
the intonation, it takes instant alarm, and seeks for refuge in the deepest recesses of the
forest. According to M. Bechstein, the Golden Oriole is so fearful of exposing itself, that
it never perches upon a naked branch, always preferring those boughs which are most
thickly covered with foliage, and which will consequently afford it the best shelter.

The food of the Golden Oriole consists chiefly of insects ; and as the bird is rather a
voracious one, it is very serviceable in clearing away the caterpillars and other fruit-

GOLDEN ORIOLE.—Oridlus gdlbula.

devouring creatures which are specially rife in the spring, and destroy so much fruit in
its earliest stages. As is often the case with the insect-eating birds, the Golden Oriole has
a great taste for fruit when it is quite ripe, and in the autumn is very fond of the best and
mellowest fruits, having an especial predilection for cherries, figs, and grapes. Perhaps it
may be able to detect the larva of some insect within the fruit, and to do good service by
destroying it before it has come to maturity.

The nest of this bird is a very elegantly formed and well-constructed edifice, of a
shallow cup-like shape, and usually placed in a horizontal fork of a convenient branch.
The materials of which it is made are mostly delicate grass-stems interwoven with wool
so firmly that the whole structure is strong and warm. The eggs are generally four or five
in number, and their colour is purplish white, sparely marked with blotches of a deep red
and ashen grey. It is believed that there is but one brood in the year, so that the species
does not multiply very rapidly. Sometimes the bird is said to build a deep and purse-
like nest, which is suspended from the forked branch instead of being placed upon it.

This species has a very peculiar note, loud, flute-like, and of a singularly articulate
character, as may be supposed from the fact already mentioned, that the Italian peasantry
believe it to speak their language. Bechstein considers the note to resemble the word
“puhlo,” and many writers think that the different names of Oriole, Turiole, Loriot, Pirol,
and Biilow are given to the creature in imitation of its ery.

The colour of the adult male is bright yellow over the whole of the head, neck, and
body, with the exception of the wings, the two central tail-feathers, and the basal portions
of the remaining feathers, which are jetty black, the two colours contrasting finely with
each other. Across the eye runs a dark stripe, and the eyes themselves are bright
pinky red. In the young bird the yellow is of a dusky greenish hue, and the black feathers
are of a dingy brown, and according to Mr, Yarrell the young males after their first moult
resemble the old females. In the second year the yellow of the back is more decided, and
the wings and tail are of a deeper black, and in many of the remaining feathers the
colours are less brilliant than in the bird of full plumage. It is rather curious that as the
bird breeds in its second year, it is hardly possible to distinguish the sexes, both wearing

YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT.—Jctéria viridis.

the same greenish-yellow and brownish-black apparel. The total length of the Golden
Oriole is not quite ten inches.

There are many other Orioles known to ornithologists which cannot be described in
these pages for lack of space, and it must be sufficient to record the Mango Bird of
India (Oriolus Kundoo), remarkable for its peculiarly melancholy cry, and the Black-
Headed Oriole of Bengal (Oriolus melanocéphalus), notable for its lengthened monotonic
flute-like note. None of the true Orioles are found in America; and the reader must be
careful not to confound those birds, which are nearly allied to the starlings, with the
Orioles of the eastern hemisphere, the only resemblance between them being a similarity
of colouring.

BEFORE quitting this interesting family of birds, we must give a passing notice to the
BULBULS, so well known by the repeated references to them in Oriental writings. Some
of the species are possessed of remarkably sweet voices, and are popularly called night-
ingales. They are easily tamed, becoming very fond of a kind owner, and can be
taught to perform many interesting tricks. One species is kept for the purpose of fighting,
and is trained for this object as carefully as gamecocks were formerly trained for the cruel
amusement of their owners. Ina wild state they are generally found in the woods and
jungles, and are in the habit of visiting gardens for the sake of preying upon the ripened
fruits and insects. They are all exotic birds, and are only found in the eastern hemi-
sphere.

THE interesting family of the FLYCATCHERS is composed of a large number of species,
extremely variable in size, form, and colour. The average dimensions of these birds are
about equal to those of a large sparrow, and many are smaller than that bird, although
two or three species nearly equal the thrush in size. Their shape is always neat and
elegant, and their plumage sits closely on the body in order to permit the short but rapid
evolutions which they make in pursuit of their active prey. One or two, such as the
Paradise and Fork-tailed Flycatchers, are remarkable for the mode in which the tail is

B48 THE YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT.

elongated into a graceful and elegant train, and in other species the tail is broad and fan-
like. In colour the Flycatchers are mostly of sober but pleasing tints, but there are
several notable exceptions to the rule, such as the Crested Flycatcher (Pyrocéphalus coro-
ndtus), remarkable for the crown of fiery scarlet feathers which decorates the top of the
head, the Blue Niltava (Nilidva sundara), which has its broad back and tail of a brilliant
azure, and the Seléphagus picta, whose abdomen is of a bright scarlet.

The bill of the Flycatcher is of various lengths, but is almost invariably rather hard
and flattened at the base, shghtly curved at the point, and compressed towards the tip.
At the corners of the mouth are generally several long bristles like those of the nightjar,
and probably placed there for the same purpose, @e. to aid the bird in the capture of its
insect prey. The wings are long and firmly made, and the feet are slender and feeble in
comparison with the dimensions of the body.

OnE of the sub-families into which the Flycatchers are divided is known by the name
of Vireonine, or GREENLETS, on account of the constant presence of green in some part
of their plumage. They are all little birds, and are confined to the New World, inhabiting
America, Brazil, Guiana, and the West Indian Islands. ‘They are mostly insect-feeders,
though they will vary their diet with fruits, berries, and other vegetable food. Many
species of Greenlets are known to ornithologists, and some of them are remarkable for
their eccentric habits and their curious mode of nesting.

The YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT of America is well worthy of notice, as it possesses a
very prettily coloured plumage and elegant form, and at the same time is one of the most
eccentrically behaved of the feathered creation, even surpassing in the whimsical oddity of
its manners the mirth-provoking evolutions of the Demoiselle crane.

It is a partially migratory bird, having rather an extensive range in its native country,
and passing from north to south according to the season of the year, and the warmth or
inclemency of the weather. According to Wilson, it arrives in Pennsylvania about the first
week in May, and departs for the south in the month of August. As is usually if not
invariably the case with birds, its migrations are restricted to a narrow line, which runs
almost due north and south, and the male birds always make their appearance before their
mates. Of the habits of this bird, Wilson gives the following interesting description.

“ 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 difficult to describe, but which may be readily imitated so as to
deceive the bird 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 a teal, beginning loud and rapid, and falling lower and slower, till they end in
detached notes ; then a succession of others, something like the barking of young puppies,
is followed by a variety of hollow, guttural sounds, each eight or ten times repeated, more
like those proceeding 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 these are uttered with great vehemence, in such different keys and with such
peculiar modulations of voice as sometimes to seem at a considerable distance, and
instantly as if just beside you; now on this hand, now on that; so that from these
manceuvres of ventriloquism you are utterly at a loss to ascertain from what particular
spot or quarter they proceed. If the weather be mild and serene, with clear moonlight,
he continues gabbling in the same strange dialect, with very little intermission, during the
whole night, as if disputing with his own echoes, but probably with a desire of inviting
the passing females to his retreat ; for when the season is further advanced, they are seldom
heard during the night.”

i
Ae

1
(t

CUNNINGHAM’S BUSH SHRIKE.—Gubernétes Yetape.

It is a very retiring bird, keeping itself completely out of view, but if once detected,
flinging itself into a state of nadieraus alarm at the sight of a nanan being. It generally
restricts itself to the brushwood, and flits quietly among the densest shade; but if it should
be discovered, it immediately dashes upwards to a height of some forty or fifty feet, drops
as suddenly as it had mounted, then rises again, letting its legs dangle at full length, and
uttering a succession of terrified squeaks and y ells. So quick are its movements, and so
wary are its habits, that a single gunner can seldom succeed in shooting one of these little
birds, and the aid of a second sportsman is required before the eratty and active little
creature falls to the shot.

The food of the Yellow-breasted Chat consists principally of inseets, and it has
a special predilection for the larger beetles, which it eats of such great dimensions, that
the spectator instinctively wonders how so small a bird can eat so large an insect. It will
also feed upon berries and many kinds of fruit. The colour of this bird is dark olive-
green upon the upper portions of the body ; the breast and the under surface of the w ings
are light yellow, and the abdomen is nearly white.

350 THE KING BIRD. ‘

ANOTHER group of the Flycatchers is denominated the Alectrurine or Cock-tailed
birds, a name which has been given to them on account of their habit of raising their long
and curiously formed tails in a manner similar to that of the domestic fowl. These birds
are only found in South America, and are all of small dimensions, the average length
being about six inches. There are many species of this group, and they differ considerably
in their habits and in the localities which they frequent. ‘Some are fond of forest lands,
perching upon lofty branches, and fluttering from their post in chase of passing insects,
while others shun the wooded districts and are only found upon the low-lying lands where
water is plentiful, and where they find their insect food upon the leaves and stems of
aquatic plants. In all the species the bill is flattened towards the base and rather convex
at the point.

One of the most interesting of the Alectrurine birds is the CunNINGHAM’s Bush
SHRIKE, which from the strong and slightly hooked beak was formerly supposed to
belong to the Shrike family. It is a native of South America, and haunts the thickly
wooded districts, foraging in many directions in search of its prey, which generally
consists of the larger insects. It is possessed of strong and firmly vaned wings, and is able
to fly with remarkable rapidity. The tail of this species is extremely elongated and deeply
forked, the two exterior feathers being the longest, and the others decreasing rapidly in
length. Even when the bird is stationary, this long tail renders it very conspicuous, but
when it is living and in motion, it renders the tail a very ornamental appendage, by
raising it so as to droop like the feathers of a cock’s tail, and permitting the long plumes
to wave gracefully in the breeze.

The general colour of this bird is a uniform ashen grey over the upper surface,
covered with numerous longitudinal streaks of brown. The throat is white, with the
exception of a rather broad semilunar band of deep purple-brown, which marks the
division between the chest and the throat. The wings and tail are blackish-brown, and
the quill-feathers of the wing are marked with a series of longitudinal ruddy bands.

A sECOND group of the. Flycatchers is distinguished by the name of Tyrannine,
a title that has been applied to them on account of their exceedingly combative habits
during the season of incubation, and the tyrannous sway which they exercise over birds
of far greater size, powers, and armature. They are all inhabitants of America, and for
the greater part are found in the more tropical regions of that land. They have a very
shrike-like bill, and many of the shrike habits, preying not only upon insects, but
pouncing upon young birds, animals, and reptiles, and even adding fish to their scale of
diet. The beak of these birds is very large, wide at the base, and narrowing gradually to
the tip, where it is boldly compressed and rather strongly hooked. The angle of the
mouth is furnished abundantly with long bristles, and the small nostrils are almost
entirely hidden by the feathers of the forehead.

Several species are included in this group, among which the two birds which will be
described in the following pages are the most remarkable.

The first of the Tyrannine is the well-known Kine Brrp, or TYRANT FLYCATCHER,
celebrated by Audubon, Wilson, and many other writers on the ornithology of America.

This very interesting bird is one of the migratory species, arriving in the United States
about the month of April, and remaining until the end of the autumn, when its young
are fully fledged, and able to shift for themselves. The name of King Bird has been given
to this species not only on account of the regal sway which it wields over most of the
feathered race, but also on account of the flame-coloured crest which appears whenever
the bird raises the feathers of the head.

The habits of this Flycatcher are very remarkable, and have been so ably narrated by
Wilson, that they must be given in his own graphic language.

“The trivial name King, 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 that season, his extreme affection for his mate, and for his nest and young,
makes him suspicious of any bird that happens to pass near his residence, so that he
attacks, without discrimination, any intruder. In the months of May and June, and part

HABITS OF THE KING BIRD. 351

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 rencontre 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 upon 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 incessantly, sweeps
upon him from right and 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 combat.

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 precipitous retreat

KING BIRD.—Tyrannus intrépidus.

before this active antagonist. This is the purple martin, one whose food and disposition
is pretty similar to his own, but who has greatly the advantage of him on the wing, in
eluding all his attacks, and teasing him as he pleases. I have also seen the red-hooded
woodpecker, while clinging on a rail of the fence, amuse himself with the violence of the
King Bird, and play bo-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.”

Audubon relates an account of a battle between a martin and King Bird, wherein the
former proved victorious. The martin had long held sole possession of a farmyard, and
when a King Bird came to build its nest within the same locality, it assaulted the intruder
with the utmost fury. The act of building on the forbidden ground aroused the anger of
the martin to such an extent, that whenever the male King Bird passed with materials,
the martin attacked, and by forve of superior agility dashed its foe to the ground. At
last the poor King Bird died, being worn out with continual struggles, and its mate was
forced to leave that spot.

The flesh of the King Bird is held in some estimation in one or two of the States, and
the bird is shot in order to supply the table.

352 THE FORK-TAILED FLYCATCHER.

The narrator further proceeds to observe, that the King Bird is in great disfavour with
the farmers, who are in the habit of shooting it whenever they can find an opportunity,
on account of its fondness for bees. It cannot be denied that the suspicions of the bee-
owner are not without foundation, for the King Bird will perch upon a rail or fence near
the hives, and from that elevated post pounce upon the bees as they leave or return to
their homes. Many persons, however, think that it does not devour the working bees,
but merely singles out the drones, thus sparing the workers the trouble of killing those idle
members of the community at the end of the season. This supposition derives some force
from the well-known fact, that the King Bird is very fastidious in its taste, and that it
will watch the flight of many insects in succession before it can select one to its taste,
Even if it should destroy a few hundred bees annually, it repays the loss a thousand-fold
by the enormous destruction which it works among the caterpillars and other noxious
insects during the earlier parts of the year; and, according to Wilson, every King Bird
shot is a clear loss to the farmer.

The food of the King Bird, although mostly of an insect character, and perhaps wholly
so in the spring and summer, is sometimes mixed with vegetable substances, and in the
autumn -the bird delights in berries and ripe fruits, the blackberry being one especial
favourite. It often hovers over streams and rivers, chasing insects like the swallow, and
occasionally dashing into the water for a bath, and then sitting to plume its feathers on
some convenient branch overhanging the water.

The flight of the King Bird varies according to circumstances. When it is migrating
it flaps its wings rapidly six or seven times in succession, and then sails onwards for a
considerable distance, repeating this process continually as it proceeds on its long voyage.
During the flight it is perfectly silent, and associates in bands of twenty or thirty in
number. But in the season of love the bird dashes some thirty yards aloft, and there
hangs with quivering wings and ruffled plumes, uttering the while a continual low shriek.

The nest of the bird, which is so valiantly defended by the parent, is generally begun
in the beginning of May, and is placed among the branches of a tree. The substances of
which it is composed are slender twigs, wood, vegetable fibres, fine grasses, and horsehair.
There is another species of tyrant, the Crestep Tyrant (Tyrannus cristdtus), which
employs many similar materials for its nest, hay, feathers, hogs’ bristles, dogs’ hair, and
the cast exuvie of snakes. This last substance seems to be absolutely essential to the
birds’ comfort, for Wilson says that of all the numerous nests which he discovered, he
never found one without some of this curious material. The eggs of the King Bird are
generally five in number, and there are mostly two broods in the year.

With the exception of the few bright feathers of the crest, the plumage of the King
Bird is of a rather sombre character. The head is black, but when the bird raises the crest
feathers, their bases are seen to be of a bright orange or flame colour. This appearance is
never seen unless the bird is excited. The tail is also black, but is tipped with white.
The general colour of the upper parts of the body is ashen grey, and the quill-feathers and
coverts of the wing are marked with dull white. The under parts of the body are white
with the exception of a large grey patch on the breast. The total length of the bird is
about eight inches. In the southern States of America the King Bird is called the Field
Martin.

Our second example of the Tyrant Birds is the curious FORK-TAILED FLYCATCHER.

This remarkable species is an inhabitant of tropical America, and is rather frequently
found in Guiana, where it is popularly, but erroneously, called the Widow Bird, that
appellation belonging by right to one of the finches. Sometimes the bird is quite solitary,
but at other times it assembles in little flocks on the branches, and from thence darts on
the passing insects. It is also fond of frequenting the low flooded lands, and of perching
upon the tufts of rank herbage that appear above the water, opening and shutting its long
tail like a pair of shears. Its food is mostly of an insect character, but it will feed upon
various fruits and berries.

It is quick and agile of wing, and by means of its long and firmly set tail is enabled to
make many sharp turns in the air, an accomplishment which is needful for the purpose of

THE WHITE-SHAFTED FAN-TAII. 353

overtaking the large winged insects on
which it loves to feed; and while engaged
in these aerial manceuvres it constantly
spreads or closes its tail. Except im-
mediately after moulting, the long scissor-
like feathers of the tail are seldom in a
perfect state, as the bird is very vivacious
in its movements, and in its quick glancing
flight among the branches is apt to fray
the beautiful plumes against the boughs,
and often rubs the webs entirely away,
leaving the long shafts protruding, clothed
only with little ragged fragments of web.
The Fork-tailed Flycatcher is quite as
brave a bird as the preceding species, and
is frequently seen to attack and defeat birds
that are far superior in size and bodily
strength, but inferior in dashing courage.

The colouring of this bird is briefly as
follows: The top of the head is velvety
black when the bird is at rest; but when
it becomes excited, it raises the feathers of
its head into a kind of crest, and displays
a bright orange spot, caused by the orange
hue which tinges the basal parts of each
feather. The neck, back, and upper parts
of the body are dark grey, deepening
gradually towards the tail, which is jetty
black with the exception of the white
outer web of the exterior quill-feathers.
The under portions of the bird are white.
The total length of this bird is about
fourteen inches, of which the tail occupies
ten, so that the dimensions of the bird
itself are really small.

WE now arrive at the typical Fly-
catchers, named, in allusion to their insect-
eating habits, the Muscicapine birds.

This group includes many curious and
interesting species, one of the most re-
markable being the WHITE-SHAFTED FAN-
Tait of Australia. Beyond elegance of
form and pleasing arrangement of rather
sombre colouring, this bird possesses no
great external attractions ; but for the sin-
gular form of its nest, and the eccentricity
of some of its habits, it is well worthy
a short memoir. It is a native of the
southern and western portions of Australia
as well as of Van Diemen’s Land, and seems
to be a permanent resident, merely shifting
its quarters to different portions of the
same country according to the season of
year. It is by no means a gregarious
bird, being seldom seen associated with
any other companions except its mate. FORK TAILED FLYCATCHER.—Méloudus tyranms.-

354 "NEST OF THE WHITE-SHAFTED FAN-TAIL.

In its habits it is brisk, cheerful, and lively, mounting high into the air with a few
rapid strokes of the wings, and then descending upon some convenient bank in a headlong,
reckless style, after turning completely over in the air after the fashion of the tumbler
pigeons. While descending it spreads its wings and tail widely, the latter organ being so
broad as to resemble a feather fan. It is daring and confiding in its nature, permitting the
close approach of human beings, haunting the neighbourhood of human habitations, and
even boldly entering houses in chase of flies and other insects. Its song is not powerful
or varied, but is full and pleasing,
consisting of a soft and sweet
twittering sound.

During the breeding season it
becomes suddenly shy, wary, and
restless, and should it perceive an
enemy in too close proximity to
its nest, puts in practice a series
of rather transparent wiles in
order to induce the intruder on its
domestic joys to leave the vicinity.
For this purpose it feigns lame-
ness, and flutters before the sup-
posed foe in a manner that is
intended to induce a belief in
its easy capture, and to lure him
from the cherished spot where
all its loves and hopes are con-
centrated.

The nest is of a most remark-
able shape, as may be seen in the
illustration, being notable for a
long and apparently useless tail
that hangs far below the branch
to which it is attached, and which,
owing to its narrow dimensions
and slight weight, can be of no
service in preserving the balance
of the structure. I would offer a
suggestion that this singular form
may have reference to the electri-
cal conditions of the atmosphere,
and serve as a conductor whereby
the superabundant electricity is
carried off from the eggs or young
birds, which are placed in an open
and undefended nest, and con-
veyed harmlessly to the ground.
The materials of which the nest
is made are the inner bark of
the gum-tree, mixed with moss
and the down of the tree fern, and
woven together with spiders’ webs.

The position of the nest is invariably at a low elevation, and it is found either hanging
from a branch near the water at no great height from its surface, or suspended from some
low branch in a forest. The eggs are two in number, and their colour is greyish-white,
covered with olive-brown blotches. There are generally two broods in the year, and a
third brood is sometimes known to be successfully reared.

In its colouring the White-shafted Fantail is a dusky olive-black above, and there is
a white dash above the eye, and another curved white streak below the eye. The throat,

WHITE-SHAFTED FAN-TAIL.—Rhipidira albiscapa.

THE PARADISE

the ends of the wing-coverts, the edges of
the secondaries, together with the outer
webs, the tips and the shafts of the tail-
feathers, are pure white, with the excep-
tion of the two central quill-feathers of
the tail, which retain their dusky hue.
The total length of this bird is five or six
inches. The name Rhipidura is of Greek
origin, signifying “ fan-tail,” and is there-
fore applied to this and other species of
the same genus, whose tails are capable
of being spread in a fan-like fashion ; the
name albiscapa refers to the white shafts
of the tail-feathers, and is therefore only
applied to this particular species.

THE most elegant and striking of all
the Flycatchers is undoubtedly the bird
which is figured in the accompanying
illustration.

The PARADISE FLYCATCHER is an
Asiatic bird, being found spread over the
greater portion of India, where it is far
from uncommon. It is generally found
in thick clusters of tall bamboos, and is
in the habit of frequenting gardens, shrub-
beries, and plantations in search of its
prey. Its mode of feeding is rather vari-
able. Generally it perches upon some
lofty branch, and when it sees an insect
passing within easy reach, makes a sudden
swoop upon it, catches its prey with a
hard snap of the beak, which can be heard
at some distance, and returns to its post
in readiness for another swoop. Some-
times, however, it searches upon the
branches for the various insects that are
found crawling ou the bark or hidden
beneath its irregularities, and picks them
off with great certainty of aim. According
to Colonel Sykes, it has even been known
to alight on the ground and to seek its
food upon the soil.

It is a most restless bird, ever on the
move, flitting from branch to branch, or
darting after its winged prey with ceaseless
activity. Like many predaceous creatures,
it is rather solitary in its habits, being
generally seen singly or in pairs, or at all
events in no greater numbers than may
be accounted for by the presence of the
two parents and their young.

There are several species closely allied
to each other, which are found both in
India and Africa; and even the present
species was once supposed to be separated
into three, the adult male, the female, and

FLYCATCHER,

Tae | Ph
: on 1, ‘

PARADISE FLYCATCHER, —Tchitrea Paradisi

AVA 2,

356 THE SPOTTED FLYCATCHER,

the young being so different in form and colour, that each was set down as a distinct
species. It is now known that the long-tailed birds, of whatever colour they may be,
are the adults of either sex, while the comparatively short-tailed bird is the young male
or female. When these distinctions are once known, it is very easy to discriminate
between the birds, the white long-tailed bird being always the adult male, the reddish buff
long-tailed bird the adult female, and the short-tailed bird the young male or female, as
the case may be.

The colouring of this species is remarkably bold and pleasing, and may be briefly
described as follows.

The head and crest of the male are bright steely green, and the whole of the upper
surface is pure white, curiously streaked with a narrow black line down the centre of each
feather. The primary quillteathers of the wings are jetty black with a narrow edge
of white, and the secondaries are also black, edged with white on both webs, The
beautiful tail is more than double the length of the body, as it measures thirteen or
fourteen inches in length, while the bird itself is only some six inches long. The colour
of the tail-feathers is pure white, with black shafts, except the two central feathers, where
the black colour of the shaft only extends half their length. The whole of the under
surface is white. The adult female has the head and neck feathers steely green as in the
male, but not of quite so brilliant a hue. The back and tail are ruddy chestnut, the throat,
breast, and nape of the neck are dark grey, and the abdomen and remainder of the under
parts are white. The young bird is coloured like the female, but the white of the abdomen
is tinged with buff.

On account of the peculiar shape of this species, it is sometimes called the
Rocket Bird.

ENGLAND possesses some examples of the Flycatchers, the two birds represented in
the illustration being familiar to every one who has noticed the manners and customs
of native birds.

The SporreD FLYCATCHER is by far the more common of the two species, and has
received several local names in allusion to its habits, the titles WALL Brrp and BEAM
Brrp being those by which it is most frequently designated. It is one of the migrating
birds, arriving in this country at a rather late season, being seldom seen before the middle
or even towards the end of May, The reason for this late arrival is probably that, if the
bird were to make an earlier appearance, the flying insects on which it feeds would not
be hatched in sufficient numbers to insure a proper supply of food for itself and young.
It is a common bird throughout the whole of England and Ireland, and is also seen, but
not so frequently, in Scotland. It has a rather wide range of locality, having been
observed in different parts of Europe, and extending its flight even to Southern Africa.

This bird is fond of haunting parks, gardens, meadows, and shrubberies, always
choosing those spots where flies are most common, and attaching itself to the same
perch for many days in succession. When the Flycatcher inhabits any place where it
has been accustomed to live undisturbed, it is a remarkably trustful bird, and permits the
near approach of man, even availing itself of his assistance.

I well remember a curious instance of this exceeding tameness on the part of one of
these birds. In the grounds of a large estate in Oxfordshire, I was sitting in a gig,
waiting for a friend, and as the sun was shining very powerfully, I moved the vehicle
under the shade of a tree. On one of the lower branches a Flycatcher was sitting,
watching the flies, and occasionally fluttering in chase of an insect, and then returning to
its post in true Flycatcher fashion, After watching the bird for some little time, I struck
with the whip at a clover blossom, thereby starting a number of flies, which rose into the
air. To my surprise, the bird instantly left the branch, darted among the flies, captured
one of them, and returned to its perch. JI again drove some flies into the air with the
whip, and again the bird came and snapped them up within stroke of the lash. This
proceeding was continued until my friend rejoined me and we drove away, leaving the bird
in sole possession.

The Spotted Flycatcher builds a very neatly made nest, and is in the habit of fixing its
home in the most curious and unsuspected localities. The hinge of a door has on more

NEST OF THE SPOTTED FLYCATCHER. 357

than one occasion been selected for the purpose, aud in one instance the nest retained its
position although the door was repeatedly opened and closed, until a more severe shock
than ordinary shook the eggs out of the nest and broke them. It is fond of selecting
some human habitation for the locality in which it builds its nest, and its titles of Beam
Bird and Wall Bird have been given to it because it is in the habit of making its home on
beams or the holes of walls. The branches of a pear, apricot, vine, or honeysuckle are
favourite resorts of the Spotted
Flycatcher, when the tree has been
trained against a wall. The bird
seems to be in the habit of re-
turning to the same spot year
after year ; and as in one case the
same locality was occupied for a
series of twenty consecutive years,
it is most probable that the young
may have succeeded to the domains
of their parents.

The nest is generally round
and cup-shaped, and is made of
fine grasses, moss, roots, hair,
and feathers, the harder materials
forming the walls of the nest,
and the softer being employed as
lining.

I once watched one of these
birdsin the act of building her nest,
and was greatly interested by the
manner in which the business was
conducted. First she arranged a
rather large bundle of fine dry
grass in the thick fork of some
branches, and having pecked it
about for some little time as if to
shake it up regularly, she sat in
the middle of it, and by a rapid
movementof her wings spun round
and round like a top, so as to
produce a shallow, cup-like hol-
low. She then fetched some more
grasses, and after arranging them
partly around the edge and partly
on the bottom, repeated the spin-
ning process. A few hairs and
some moss were then stuck about
the nest, and woven in very neatly, PIED FLYCATCHER.—Muscicapa atricapilia.
the hairs and some slender vege- SPOTTED FLYCATCHER.—Muscicapa grisola.
table fibres being the threads, so
to speak, with which the moss was
fastened to the nest.

In working out the long hairs and grasses, she generally moved backwards, laying
them with her bill, and continually walking round the nest, a circumstance which has
also been noted by Mr. Yarrell. I cannot say, however, whether, as is related by that
writer, the male brings all the materials, nor can I give any further personal description
of the architectural powers of the bird, as when the nest had reached the stage which has
been described, I was forced to return home, and on my next visit the nest was finished
and the mother bird sitting in it. Iwas close to the bird during her labours, being

358 THE PIED FLYCATCHER.

sheltered from observation by a thick bush and the trunk of an ivy-covered tree, and
could even see the colour of the bright glancing eyes, and note the self-satisfied ruffle of
her feathers whenever she had made a stroke to her satisfaction.

The eggs of the Spotted Flycatcher are four or five in number, and their colour is a
very pale bluish white, spotted with ruddy speckles. As the nest is made at so late
a period of the year, being but just begun when some birds have hatched their first brood,
there is not often more than a single family in the course of the season., Sometimes, how-
ever, it has been known to hatch and rear a second brood in safety. The young are
seldom hatched until the tenth or twelfth of June, and they seem to follow their parents
longer than is the case with most birds.

The food of the Spotted Flycatcher is almost, if not exclusively, composed of insects,
mostly flies and other winged members of the insect world. It seldom descends to the
ground for the purpose of procuring its prey, nor does it seem to pick caterpillars off the
leaves and branches, but, standing on some chosen perch, it darts at the passing insects,
and returns to the same spot. Fruit seems to form no part of the Flycatcher’s food,
although it has often been observed on the fruit-trees, having in all probability been
attracted to the tree by the many winged insects which feed on fruit.

The general colour of the Spotted Flycatcher is a delicate brown on the upper parts of
the body, the quill-feathers of the wings and tail being, as is usually the case, of a blacker
hue than the feathers of the back. There are a few dark spots on the top of the head,
and the tertial feathers of the wings are edged with light brown. The breast is white,
with a patch of very light dull brown across its upper portion, and both the chin and
breast are marked with dark brown longitudinal streaks. Upon the sides and flanks, the
dull white deepens into a yellowish brown. The total length of this bird is about five
inches and a half. When young, the plumage is largely spotted with buff and brown of
different tints. This species has no song, but only a few low twittering notes,

THE other species of British Flycatchers is much more rare than the bird just
described, and may easily be distinguished from it by the peculiarity of plumage, from
which it derives its popular title. The Prep FLYCATCHER has been observed in most parts
of England, but seems to be of very rare occurrence, except in the counties of Cumber-
land and Westmoreland, where it is found in the vicinity of the lakes. There are many
other localities where it has also been seen, but to enumerate them would be a needless task.
It is known to be a frequenter of many parts of Europe, even visiting Norway and
Sweden in the summer months, while on the coasts of the Mediterranean it is very
plentiful. It is a migratory bird, generally arriving in England about the middle of April,
and leaving us for a warmer climate in September.

The habits of this bird, its mode of flight, and fly-devouring propensities, closely
resemble those of the preceding species, from which, however, it differs greatly in the
locality of its nest, and the number of the eggs. Instead of placing a simply constructed
nest upon a branch or other convenient spot, the Pied Flycatcher always chooses a hollow
in some decaying tree for its home, and there deposits no less than seven or eight eggs.

In one instance, noticed by Mr. Yarrell, the eggs were disposed in a very curious
manner. “In the season of 1830, a pair had a nest in the identical hole where this
species had bred for four successive years. On the 16th of May, this nest contained eight
egos, arranged in the followimg manner: one lay at the bottom, and the remainder were
all severally placed perpendicularly round the sides of the nest with the smaller end
resting upon it, the effect of which was exceedingly beautiful.” The author of this well-
observed note further remarks that the eggs from different nests are found to vary greatly
in size. The nest itself is made of dried leaves, moss, and hair, and is rather loosely built,
and the young make their appearance about the middle of June.

The colouring of this bird is as follows: In the adult male, the top of the head, back
of the neck, back and wings are dark blackish brown, with the exception of a white
patch upon the forehead, and a broad stripe of white on the tertiary and greater wing-
coverts. The tail is black except some bold white marks on some of the outer feathers,
and the whole of the under surface is pure white. ‘The female is of a delicate brown on

THE DIAMOND BIRD. 359

the upper parts of the body, and those portions which in the male are pure white, are in
the female of a dull whitish grey. In dimensions the bird is not equal to the spotted Fly-
catcher, barely exceeding five inches in total length.

THE singular and beautiful bird which is known by the name of Kine Topy, or Royan
GREAT CREST, is a native of Brazil, and may challente competition with many of the
flyeatchers for elegance of form and beauty of colouring.

It is a very rare bird, being seldom brought to England, and to all appearance but little
known in its native land. This species is chiefly remarkable for its splendid crest, which
is capable of being lowered upon the neck, or raised almost perpendicularly, in which
latter position it assumes a spreading and rounded form, like an open fan. The feathers
of the crest are long and slender, and spoon-shaped at their extremities. Each feather is
bright chestnut-red for the greater part of its length, a narrow stripe of rich orange

KING TODY. Muscivora régia.

succeeds, and the tip is velvet black, encircled by a band of steel-blue. As may be
supposed, the effect of its spread crest is remarkably fine and striking. The upper parts
of the body are dark chestnut-brown, rather deeper on the quill-feathers of the wings.
The throat, chest, and abdomen are pale fawn, warming towards chestnut on the central
line. The total length of this bird is six inches and a half.

THE family of the AMPELIDA, or Chatterers, is one of considerable size, and includes
some very beautiful and interesting birds. In all these species the beak is rather broad and
short, curved on the upper mandible, and well notched at the tip. The claws are sharp
and hooked, and are grooved underneath. The Chatterers are found in all the warm
portions of the world, and even our own country is sometimes favoured by a visit from the
typical species, the Waxen Chatterer. They are divided into several groups or sub-
families, the first of which is the Pachycephaline or Thick-heads, so called from the
heavy make and great comparative size of their heads.

Of this group we find an excellent example in the well-known D1amonp Brrp of
Australia.

This pretty little creature inhabits Van Diemen’s Land and the whole of the southern
portions of Australia, and is generally found upon trees and bushes, skipping about the
branches with the greatest velocity, and peering into every crevice after the insects on
which it feeds. It possesses great activity of limb and strength of claw, and is able to

360 THE GOLDEN-WINGED MANAKIN.

traverse the boughs while hanging suspended beneath them by its feet. It is not restricted
to any particular tree, but may be seen on the hard serubby bushes as often as upon the
lofty trees. The voice of the Diamond Bird is rather harsh and piping, and consists
of two notes constantly repeated, from which circumstance the natives call it by the name
of “ We-deep, we-deep.”

The most remarkable peculiarity in this bird is its nest and the position which it
chooses for its home. Instead of placing its nest among the branches, or even in the
hollow of one of the innumerable decaying trees that abound in its native country, the
Diamond Bird makes a deep burrow in the face of some bank, usually on the margin of a
stream, and builds its nest at the extremity of the hole. The tunnel slopes slightly upwards,
and is about two or three feet in length, the nest being placed in a chamber at its extremity.
Contrary to the usual custom of burrowing birds, the Diamond Bird builds a most neat and
elaborately constructed nest in its burrow, the marvel being increased by the evident
difficulty of working in the dark.
The structure is almost globular
in form, and is entered by means
of a hole left in the side. The
materials of which it is composed
are principally strips of the inner
gum-tree bark, and it is lined
with finer portions of the same
substance,

The Diamond Bird is a pretty
little creature, and decorated with
most vivacious colouring. The
crown of the head, the wings and
the tail are black, speckled with
pure white, each feather having
a snowy white spot at its extre-
mity. A white streak begins at the
nostrils, crosses the tace, and
passes over each eye. The back is
curiously diversified with several
harmonising tints, each feather

DIAMOND BIRD.—Pardulétus punetitus. being grey at its base, and having
at its extremity a triangular
spot of fawn edged with black.
The upper tail-coverts are ruddy

brown, becoming redder towards the tail; the chin, throat, and chest are bright golden
orange, and the abdomen is tawny. The female has a browner head, and no golden orange
streak on the breast. The bird is about as large as a wren.

The Manakins, or Piprinee, form a moderately large group of birds, many of which
are of very beautiful and curious plumage. With very few exceptions they are inhabitants
of America, and are found only in the hottest portions of the tropical regions of that vast
country. They feed indiscriminately on animal and vegetable substances, are very active
in their movements, and frequent the hottest and moistest forests, where vegetation grows
most luxuriantly, as in such situations they find the greatest abundance of food.

One very beautiful species is the GOLDEN-WINGED MANAKIN of America. This bird is
always to be found on the skirts of forests, where it chooses the hot and marshy grounds
that are often formed in such localities, and there plies its busy search for food, unharmed
by the noxious and miasmatic exhalations of the decaying vegetation that are continually
steaming upwards, whilst the burning rays of the tropical sun convert the moisture into
vapour, and cover the earth with a heavy, warm, and poisonous mist. The bird is remark-
ably vivacious in its movements, and may often be seen on the ground, peering and feeding
in every direction, or perched in large flocks on the top of some lofty tree.

THE COCK OF THE ROCK. 361

The Golden-winged Manakin is a very pretty bird, its plumage being brightly mottled
with black, yellow, and orange, which tints are arranged in a manner both bold and soft.
The wings are remarkable for the bright yellow feathers from which the bird derives its
popular name, and the crown of the head is decorated with a beautiful series of gradually
deepening plumes, of a golden yellow at the base of the bill and on the forehead, and
warming into a rich ruddy orange towards the back of the neck, something like the crown
of the fire-crested Regulus.

GOLDEN-WINGED MANAKIN.—Pipra chrysopterv.

THE largest and the most showy of all the Manakins is the Cock oF THE ROCK, so
termed on account of a slight external resemblance which it bears to the gallinaceous
form.

It is a native of Southern America and Guinea, and, as it is a solitary and extremely
retiring bird, is but seldom seen except by those who go in special search of it. This bird
is remarkable, not only for the bright orange-coloured plumage with which its whole body
is covered, but for its beautiful crest, which extends over the head like the plume of an
ancient helmet. It generally frequents the banks of rocky streams and deep sombre
ravines, where it traverses the ground with much rapidity, by means of its powerful and
well-developed legs. As it is a solitary and very wary bird, it is seldom shot by white
men, the greater number of existing specimens having been procured by means of the
poisoned arrow thrown through the deadly sumpitan, or blow-pipe, of the Macoushi Indians.
As the skin commands a high price in the market, the Indians kill great numbers of the
birds, and are gradually thinning their ranks.

During the daytime the Cock of the Rock retires into its dark hiding-place among the
rocks, and only comes out to feed before sunrise and just after sunset. Not only is it
never found in company with other birds, but it does not even seem to associate with
those of its own kind. The nest of this species is of a very slight description, and is
composed of little sticks, splinters of wood, and dry grasses, laid loosely in a hole of some
rock, and containing two white eggs.

The colour of the Cock of the Rock is remarkably beautiful, and consists of a rich
orange tint, which dyes the whole of the plumage with the exception of the quill-feathers
of the wings, which are of a sooty-black hue, and those of the tail, which are brown, tipped
with yellow. The feathers of the head stand erect in a double row, with their extremities
uniting in a line corresponding with the central line of the head, and consequently form
a peculiar fan-like crest, which overhangs the forehead and extends quite to the back of

COCK OF THE ROCK.—Rupicola aurantia.

the head. The tips of the crest-feathers are tinged with brown and yellow. Upon the
wing-coverts and the upper tail-coverts, the feathers are modified into flowing plumes,
which droop in a very graceful manner over the firmer feathers of the tail and sides. In
size the Cock of the Rock about equals a common pigeon.

The female bird is not nearly so beautiful as her mate, being of a yellowish-brown
colour, and haying only a small and inconspicuous crest.

ANOTHER species of Manakin which belongs to the same genus is the PERUVIAN Cock
OF THE Rock (Lupicola Peruvidna), a bird which is possessed of considerable beauty,
though it is not quite so splendid as the previous species. Like that bird, its plumage is
of a bright orange colour, but its crest wants the curious fan-like form which is so
conspicuous in the Cock of the Rock, and the quill and tail-feathers are jetty black, and
the wing-coverts are ashen grey. Moreover, the feathers of the wing-coverts and upper
tail-coverts are not so loose and flowing, and its tail is longer in proportion.

THERE is one species of Manakin which does not, so far as is known, inhabit America,
but is found in Singapore and the interior of Sumatra. This is the GREEN CALYPTOMENA
(Calyptémena viridis), a very beautiful, though not very large bird. Like the Cock of the
Rock, it is extremely shy and solitary in its habits, but instead of retirmg into the deep
recesses of rocky ground, it shrouds itself among the heavy verdure of the forest trees,
where its bright green feathers harmonize so well with the foliage, that it is hardly percep-
tible even to a practised eye. The food of this bird seems to be entirely of a vegetable
character.

THE BOHEMIAN WAXWING, OR WAXEN CHATTERER 363

This bird possesses a fine and well-marked crest, which curves so boldly that it nearly
hides the short, wide, and hooked beak under its feathers. According to Sir §. Raffles,
the colouring of this species is as follows: “The general colour of this bird is a brilliant
emerald-green. ... A little above and before the eyes, the feathers are of a deep velvet-
black at their base, and only tipped with green, but crossed in the coverts by three velvet-
black bands. The primary feathers, as well as the whole under side of the wings, are
dusky, approaching to black, with the exception of the outer margins of some, which are
edged with green. The tail is short, rounded, and composed of ten feathers, which are
green above and bluish-black below. The whole of the under parts are green ; this colour
is brightest on the sides of the neck and round the eyes.”

The total length of this species is about six inches, and the bird resembles a thrush in
the general contour of its body.

BOHEMIAN WAXWING, OR WAXEN CHATTERER.—'Ampelis gdérrula.

A SMALL but interesting group of birds has been designated by the name of Ampeline,
or Chatterers, in allusion to the loquacity for which some of the species are remarkable.
They all have a wide mouth, opening nearly as far as the eyes, but without the bristly
appendages which so often accompany a large extent of gape. Several of the species are
celebrated for the singular hairy appendage to the secondary and tertiary quill-feathers of
the wings, which closely resemble spots of red sealing-wax, and have given rise to the
title of Waxen, which has been almost invariably applied to these birds.

OnE well-known species, the WAXEN CHATTERER, is a tolerably frequent visitor of
England, though it cannot be reckoned among the common British birds. It is also
known by the name of the BoHem1an Cuarrerer, the latter name being singularly
inappropriate, as the bird is quite as rare in Bohemia as in England.

It is a very gregarious bird, assembling in very large flocks, and congregating so closely
together, that great numbers have been killed at a single discharge of a gun. A corre-
spondent of the Field newspaper, dating from Christiana, in Norway, gives the following
interesting particulars of this curious bird: “For the last month there have been, and

364 THE BOHEMIAN WAXWING, OR WAXEN CHATTERER.

indeed still are, immense flocks of Waxwing Chatterers quite close to the house. They are
not at all shy, allowing a person to approach easily within shot. They come into all the
gardens round by thousands, in quest of the berries of a tree, which I believe is the
mountain ash, having been driven south, as I suppose, either on account of the cold or in
search of food. Some of the flocks contained several thousands, but are now much
diminished in numbers, on account of some having gone southwards, and others been
killed. They make a great noise when sitting together, which they do in great numbers,
making a tree look quite black with them. On one occasion I killed twenty at one shot,
at another eighteen, and at another seventeen. One of these birds I shot had the wax at
the tip of the tail, as well as on the wings.” ‘This curious divergence from the usual
formation has been noticed in the cedar bird (an American species of the same genus), by
Wilson, as will be mentioned in the account of that bird. Perhaps the waxen appendage
of the tail may rather be termed a full development of the original idea, than a divergence
from the usual form.

The long, flat, scarlet appendages to the wings, and, as we have seen, to the tail also,
are usually confined to the secondaries and tertiaries, at whose extremities they dangle as
if they had been formed separately, and fastened to the feathers as an afterthought.
Indeed, they so precisely resemble red sealing-wax, that any one on seeing the bird for the
tirst time would probably suppose that a trick had been played upon him by some one
who desired to tax his credulity to a very great extent. The full number of these
appendages is eight, four on the secondaries and the same number on the tertiaries, but
they vary according to the age of the bird, the secondaries keeping their full complement,
and the tertiaries having from one to four, according to age and development. None of
the wax-like appendages are developed until the second year.

Although the migratory habits of this bird are well known, and many of the localities
which it frequents have been recorded by various writers, no one seems to have any certain
information as to its true home, or the country wherein it breeds, although it is so numerous
a species in its own locality that its hiding-places could hardly have escaped notice had
they occurred within the ordinary limits of scientific observation.

Some authors place its residence in Central Asia, upon the elevated table-land of that
region, others think that it builds in Tartary, others place its home in the eastern parts of
Northern Europe, others in the Arctic regions, while Dr. Richardson believes that it may
be traced to America: “The mountainous nature of the country skirting the Northern
Pacific Ocean being congenial to the habits of this species, it is probably more generally
diffused in New Caledonia and the Russian-American territories, than to the westward of
the Rocky Mountain chain. It appears in flocks at Great Bear Lake about the twenty-fifth
of May, when the spring thaw has exposed the berries of the alpine arbutus, marsh
vaccinium, &c. that have been frozen and covered during winter. It stays only for a few
days, and none of the Indians of that quarter, with whom I conversed, had seen its nest ;
but I have reason to believe that it retires in the breeding season to the rugged and
secluded mountain-limestone district in the sixty-seventh and sixty-eighth parallels, where
it feeds on the fruit of the common juniper which abounds in those places.”

To this country it only comes in the winter months, although there has been an
example of its appearance as early as August.

In its plumage the Bohemian Waxwing is a very pretty and striking bird, being as
notable for the silken softness of its feathers, as for its pleasingly blended colours and the
remarkable appendage from which it derives its popular name. The colouring of the
bird is very varied, but may briefly be described as follows: The top of the head and
crest are a light soft brown, warming into ruddy chestnut on the forehead. A well-defined
band of black passes over the upper base of the beak, and runs round the back of the
head, enveloping the eyes on each side, and there is a patch of the same jetty hue on the
chin. The general colour of the bird is grey-brown, the primary and secondary feathers
of the wings and tail are black, tipped with yellow, the primary wing-coverts are tipped
with white, and the tertiaries are purplish brown, also tipped with white. The under
surface of the bird is sober grey, and the under tail-coverts are rich ruddy brown. The
length of the Waxen Chatterer is about eight inches,

THE CEDAR BIRD. 365

The flesh of this bird is held in great estimation in the countries where it appears in
greatest numbers, and in Norway it is regularly killed and exposed for sale at the average
price of one penny.

A CLOSELY allied species is found in America, where it has been taken for a variety
of the preceding species, but is clearly distinct from that bird. On account of its fondness
for cedar berries, it goes by the popular name of the CepAR Brirp, or CHATTERER, the
latter name being not at all appropriate to this species, as it is one of the most silent of birds,
not even raising its voice in the season of love.

This bird is found in different parts of America, migrating to and fro according to the
season of year. Wilson tells us that in the months of July and August it associates

together in great flocks, and retires to the hilly parts of the Blue Mountains for the purpose

CEDAR BIRD,—"mpelis cedrorum.

of feeding on the whortleberries which grow in those localities so plentifully that the
mountains are covered with them for miles. In October they descend to the lower parts
of the country, and there feed on various berries, especially those of the red cedar, which
they devour so greedily that no less than fifteen cedar berries have been found in the throat
of a single bird. They also eat the fruit of the persimmon, cherries, and many other
fruits, and aid greatly in the vegetation of the country by transporting to different
localities the seeds of the plants on which they subsist.

Unlike the Waxen Chatterer, the Cedar Bird carries with it no mystery respecting its
dwelling-place, but openly builds in the month of June upon various trees, sometimes
choosing the cedar, and at other times fixing on different orchard trees.

Wilson makes the following remarks upon the nest and general habits of the bird
during the breeding season. “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 sh ades, and
the great end is of a pale dull purple tinge, marked likewise with 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 larve, but as they advance in growth, on berries of various kinds. These
facts I have myself been an eye-witness to.

366 THE BELL BIRD.

The female, if disturbed, darts from the nest in alarm to a considerable distance ; no
notes of wailing or lamentation are heard from either parent, nor are they ever seen, not-
withstanding 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 bird, but to the remarkable 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.”

Like the waxen Chatterer, the Cedar Bird is held in great estimation as an article of
food; and as in the autumn and end of summer it becomes very fat in consequence of the
enormous amount of berries and other food which it consumes, it is in great requisition in the
markets, being sold in large numbers and for a very small price. Even as early as May
the Cedar Bird begins its depredations on the cherries, always choosing the best and ripest
fruit, and continues its robberies, undisturbed by scarecrows or any ‘other means except
the loaded gun. The Cedar Bird does not limit itself to fruits and berries, but also feeds
largely on insects, chasing and devouring flies and other winged insects in a manner very
similar to that of the flycatchers, but not exhibiting the airy liveliness and quick vivacity
of those birds.

The general colour of the Cedar Bird is yellowish brown, the upper parts of the body
being fawn-coloured, rather darker on the head, which is surmounted with a long and
pointed crest, which can be raised almost perpendicularly from the head. The chin
is black, the breast and abdomen yellow, and the under tail-coverts white. The wings
are deep slaty blue, and the upper tail-coverts are slate-blue, deepening into black, which
also extends over the greater part of the tail, The extremities of the tail-feathers are rich
yellow. A rather broad line of black crosses the forehead, and passes round the head,
enveloping the eyes in its course. The secondary feathers of the wings are adorned with
wax-like appendages resembling those of the Bohemian chatterer, and their number
is variable, sometimes being only four or five, and sometimes as many as nine. Wilson
supposes that their object is to euard the tips of the feathers from beimg worn away, but
this conjecture does not seem to carry much weight with it. The appendages are nothing
more than horny expansions of the shafts. As some female birds are without these wax-
like ornaments, it was once supposed that they only belonged to the male bird ; but it is
now ascertained that they are found in both sexes alike. On several occasions Wilson
found one of the tail-feathers decorated with a waxen tip similar to those of the wing.
The colour of the female is similar to that of the male, but the tints are not so brilliant.
This bird is much smaller than the European species, being only six inches and a half in
length, and very slenderly built. :

As the numbers of acknowledged species among birds amount to several thousands, it
is evident that in a comprehensive work of this character it will be impossible to mention
the whole of the feathered tribe, and that only those birds can be described which act as
representatives of the several groups into which the division has been separated. Passing
over, therefore, many remarkable species, we arrive at one which is perhaps as extra-
ordinary a bird as any that has hitherto been figured. This is the celebrated BELL Birp,
or CAMPANERO of America, so called on account of the singular resemblance which its
note bears to the slow, solemn tolling of a church bell.

The Bell Bird is about the size of an ordinary pigeon, and its plumage is quite white.
From a pigeon it can, however, be readily distinguished, even at some distance, by the
curious horn-like structure which grows from its forehead, and rises to a height of some three
inches when disturbed. This “horn” is jetty black in colour, sprinkled very sparingly
with little tufts of snowy-white down, and as it has a communication with the palate, has
probably something to do with the bell-like sound of the voice. The song or cry of the
Campanero has been admirably described by Waterton, in his well-known “ Wanderings
in South America.

“ His note is loud and clear, like the sound of a bell, and may be heard at the distance
of three miles. In the midst of these extensive wilds, generally on the dried top of an
aged mora, almost out of your reach, you see the Campanero, No sound or song from

BELL BIRD.—dArapunga alba.

any of the winged inhabitants of the forest, not even the clearly pronounced ‘ Whip-poor-
Will!’ from the goatsucker, causes such astonishment as the toll of the Campanero.

With many of the feathered race, he pays the common tribute of a morning and
evening song; and even when the meridian sun has shut in silence the mouths of almost
the whole of animated nature, the Campanero still cheers the forest. You hear his toll,
and then a pause for a minute, then another toll, and then a pause again, and then a toll,
and again a pause. Then he is silent for six or eight minutes, and then another toll, and
so on. Acton would stop in mid chase, Maria would defer her evening song, and
Orpheus himself would drop his lute to listen to him, so sweet, so novel and romantic, is
the toll of the pretty snow-white Campanero.”

The “horn” of the Bell Bird is only erect while the creature is excited and during
the resonant cry, and when the bird is at rest it hangs loosely on the side of the face. It
is supposed that the Bell Bird builds in Guiana, but its nest and locality of breeding are
at present unknown.

To the Chatterers succeed the Campephagine, or Caterpillar-eaters, which are nearly
all found in the various countries of the Old World. As their name imports, they live
chiefly upon caterpillars and other insects, preferring those that are still in the larval state,

368 THE GREAT PERICROCOTUS.

and assiduously examining each leaf and branch in search of their prey. They also eat
ants, beetles, and other ground-living insects, and are quite as active in chasing them upon
the earth as in their haunts among the branches. They also eat fruit and berries in the
autumn.

One of the most remarkable birds of this group is the GREAT Prricrocotus, the
largest of its genus.

This bird is a native of India, where it is found spread over the greater portion of
that country, and on account of its splendid plumage it attracts great notice even from
unscientific and casual observers. It seems to be solitary in its habits, being generally
found alone or in very small societies, in all probability consisting merely of the parents
and their young. It is almost exclusively an insect-feeder, eating caterpillars, flies, ants,
and various kinds of the insect tribe, preferring, however, the beetles, of which it devours
very great numbers. It is a suspicious and timorous bird, carefully avoiding the presence
of human beings, and thus ranking as a very scarce bird, although it probably exists in
considerable numbers, in its own peculiar localities.

GREAT PERICROCOTUS.—Pericrocétus specidsus.

As it is so beautiful a species, it has several times been captured and caged, but it
seems to defy the powers of the tamer, pines away under confinement, and soon dies.

The sexes of the Great Pericrocotus are so different in their external appearance, that
they might easily be mistaken for two distinct species. The adult male is a truly beautiful
bird, and is thus coloured. The ground colour of the bird is the deepest imaginable steely
blue, so deep, indeed, as to appear black except in certain lights. The head, neck, back,
wings, the two central tail-feathers, and the base of the remaining tail-feathers, are rich
glowing scarlet. The bill and legs are black, and the eyes dark brown. The female,
although a very pretty bird, cannot lay claim to the gorgeous colouring which decorates
her mate. In her, the parts which in the male are scarlet, are bright golden yellow, and
the back of the head and the scapularies are grey. The greater coverts are olive-brown.

THIs genus contains many species, several of which are remarkable for the rich beauty
of their plumage. They are gregarious, assembling in little flocks, and as they are
extremely loquacious, they make a considerable noise as they sit chattering and whistling
in groups upon the topmost branch of some lofty tree. In their habits they are similar
to the last-mentioned bird, being insect-feeders, and preferring the beetles, or more rigidly

THE WOOD SWALLOW. 369

speaking, the coleopterous insects, to any other food. Their nest is generally placed
in the branches of some tall tree, at a considerable elevation from the ground, is
small in size, is composed of grasses and lichens, and generally contains about two small
streaked eggs.

NEXT in order comes a group of birds, called, from the peculiar form of their tails, the
Dicrurine, or Double-tailed Birds, and also known by the title of Dronco SHRIKEs,
These birds are so very like the shrikes, or butcher birds, that they have often been
confounded with them; and, as may be seen from the popular title of the group, have been
ranked with these birds in some systems. They are not, as a rule, of large dimensions,
their average size being that of a common blackbird, and many of them are remarkable
for beauty of plumage and grace of form.

WOOD SWALLOW.—“4riamus sdrdid.ss.

The Woop SwALLows are spread over a large portion of the globe; some species
being found in India and the islands of the Indian seas, and others being inhabitants of
Australia. Owing to their shrike-like form, and their swift flight, they have been termed
Swift Shrikes by some naturalists. Several species of this genus are found in Australia,
and that which is most frequently noticed is the common Woop SWALLOW, or SORDID
THrusH. This species is common in many parts of Australia, and is migratory in its
habits, arriving in and leaving Van Diemen’s Land at regular intervals, and making a
partial migration on the Australian continent. Some individuals, however, remain in the
same country throughout the year, as they find abundance of food without the absolute
need of repairing to another climate. The habits of the Wood Swallow are very curious
and interesting, and are well described by Mz. Gould, in his well-known work on the
Birds of Australia :—

“This Wood Swallow, besides being the commonest species of the genus, must, I think,
be considered a general favourite with the Australians, not only from its singular and
pleasing actions, but by its often taking up its abode and incubating near the houses,

2. BB

370 THE CINEREOUS WOOD SWALLOW.

particularly such as are surrounded by paddocks and open pasture-lands skirted by large
trees. It was in such situations as these, in Van Diemen’s Land, at the commencement of
spring, that I first had the opportunity of observing this species; it is there very numerous
on all the cleared estates on the south side of the Derwent, about eight or ten being seen
on a single tree, and half as many crowding one against another on the same dead branch,
but never in such numbers as to deserve the appellation of flocks. Each bird appeared to
act independently of the other; each, as the desire for food prompted it, sallying forth
from the branch to capture a passing insect, or to soar around the tree, and return again
to the same spot. On alighting, it repeatedly throws up and closes one wing at a time,
and spreads its tail obliquely prior to settling.

At other times a few were seen perched on the fence surrounding the paddock, on
which they frequently descended, like starlings, in search of coleoptera and other
insects.

It is not, however, in this state of comparative quiescence that this graceful bird is seen
to the best advantage ; neither is it that kind of existence for which its form is especially
adapted ; for, although its structure is more equally suited for terrestrial, arboreal, and
aérial habits than of any other species I have examined, the form of the wing at once
points out the air as its peculiar province. Here it is that, when engaged in pursuit of
the insects which the serene and warm weather has enticed from their lurking-places
among the foliage to sport in higher regions, this beautiful species in its aérial flights
displays its greatest beauty, while soaring above in a variety of easy positions, with its
white-tipped tail widely spread.

It was very numerous in the town of Perth until about the middle of April, when I
missed it suddenly, nor did I observe it again until near the end of May, when I saw it in
countless numbers flying, in company with the common swallows and martins, over a lake
about ten miles north of the town; so numerous, in fact, were they, that they darkened
the water as they flew over it. Its voice greatly resembles that of the common swallow
in character, but is much louder.”

This Wood Swallow is remarkable for a habit which is perhaps unique among birds,
and hitherto has only been observed in certain insects. A large flock of these birds will
settle upon the branches of a tree, and gather together in a large cluster, precisely like
bees when they swarm. Four or five birds suspend themselves to the under side of the
bough, others come and cling to them, and in a short time the whole flock is hanging to
the bough like a large swarm of bees. Mr. Gilbert, who first noticed this curious habit,
states that he has seen the swarms as large as an ordinary bushel measure.

The nest of the Wood Swallow is cup-shaped and rather shallow, and is made of very
slender twigs bound and lined with delicate fibrous roots. The locality in which the nest
is placed is extremely variable, the bird seeming to be wonderfully capricious in its choice
of a fit spot whereon to fix its residence. Sometimes it is placed in a low forked branch,
at another time it will be buried in thick massy foliage, while it is sometimes found fixed
against the trunk of a tree, resting on some protuberance of the bark, or looped within
some conical cavity. The eggs are about four in number, and are greyish white, speckled
and mottled very variably with grey and white.

The colour of this species is very simple, the general tint being black, the abdomen
white, and the tail-feathers, excepting the two central, which retain their jetty hue
throughout, tipped with the same colour.

THE largest of the Australian species, the CrINEREOUS Woop SwaLLow (Artamus
cinéreus), is found both at Timor and the eastern and western coasts of Australia, thus
having a very large range. This bird, although not at all uncommon, seems to be rather
local, preferring certain spots for its residence, and keeping itself within some peculiar
boundary of its own choosing.

It inhabits the banks of the Swan River and parts of the interior, and varies in
its habits with the locality in which it happens to reside. Wherever the grass-tree
(Xanthorhea) grows, there may be found the Cinereous Wood Swallow, feeding with
the greatest avidity upon the seeds, and absolutely crowding each other upon the upright

GRUAT DICRURUS.—Dicrirus grandis.

seed-stalks while engaged in digging out their food. It does not, however, depend upon
the grass-tree for its subsistence, as it feeds largely upon insects, chasing them in the air
with nearly as much activity as the ordinary swallow, or pursuing the quick-limbed
beetles on the ground, digging out the hidden larvze from heneath bark, or under the soil,
and picking them from the Jeaves on which they feed. The nest of this species is deeper
than that of the common wood swallow, and the mottlings of the eggs have more of a
ruddy hue. The position of the nest is generally in a thick low bush, or among the
foliage of the grass-tree.

Tue beautiful bird which is represented in the illustration is the GREAT DicruRus of
the East Indies.

In its general outline this beautiful bird bears some analogy to the Leona nightjar
which has been figured on page 126 of the present work, having two long feathery
appendages, naked throughout the greater portion of their length and webbed only
at their extremity. There is, however, this great difference, that in the Leona nightjar
they proceed from the wings, whereas in the Great Dicrurus they are merely prolongations
of the external tail-feathers. The colour of this bird is deep blue-black, like that of the
raven, and its weird-like aspect is further strengthened by a large and well-developed crest
that starts from the top of the head and bends backward over the neck. <A few of its
feathers project slightly forwards so as to come beyond the base of the beak.

ANOTHER species of Dicrurus is well known in India by the name of Kine Crow
(Diertirus macrocercus), a title which it has earned by its boldness in attacking the crows,
BB2

372 THE GREAT GREY SHRIKE.

and maintaining royal dominion over them. In their habits the birds of this genus differ
but very slightly from each other, and in all essentials they agree. They are insect-feeders,
preferring grasshoppers to any other prey, and often pouncing upon the backs of cattle for
the sake of capturing the flies that are so fond of attacking the poor beasts in the warm
weather. They will even take their posts with perfect composure on the back of a cow or
goat, and consider the animal as their especial property for the time being. As they are
swift of flight, they constantly dart from their perches and capture insects on the wing.

The nest of the King Crow is placed in the trees which grow in the thickest jungle,
and is made of slender twigs interwoven with grasses, moss, and lichens. Some of the
Dicrurine birds build a very beautiful and elaborately constructed nest, while others are
content with a negligent and slovenly residence. The eggs are generally three or four in
number.

WE now arrive at the family of LANID#® or SHRIKES, or BuTCHER Brrps, whose
character is given in the names by which they are distinguished. The scientific term
Lanidee is of Latin origin, and is derived from a word which signifies lacerating or tearing,
in allusion to the habits of the bird. These birds are found in all parts of the globe, and
in all countries are celebrated for their sanguinary and savage character. They are quite
as rapacious as any of the hawk tribe, and in proportion to their size are much more
destructive and bloodthirsty. ‘They feed upon small and disabled mammalia, and birds
of various kinds, especially preferrimg them while young and still unfledged, and upon
several kinds of reptiles, and also find great part of their subsistence among the members
of the insect world.

In order to fit them for these rapacious pursuits, the bill is strong, rather elongated,
sharp-edged, curved at the tip, and armed on each side with a well-marked tooth.
The wings are powerful, the plumage closely set, and the claws strong, curved and sharp.
The Shrikes are separated for convenience of reference into two groups or sub-families,
namely the true Shrikes, or LAan{N#&, and the Bush Shrikes, or THAMNOPHILINA.

Or the true Shrikes we find an excellent example in the well-known GREAT GREY
SHRIKE, a bird which is very common in many parts of Europe, especially in the more
southern and warmer regions, but is generally scarce in England, visiting us, whenever it
does make its appearance, in the winter season.

This bird eats mice, shrews, small or young birds, frogs, lizards, beetles, grasshoppers,
and many other creatures. It generally, if not always, destroys its prey by a severe bite
across the head, crushing in the skull, and usually commences its meal with the head.
This, together with the other Shrikes, has a curious habit of hanging its food upon some
convenient spot, such as a forked branch, a thorn or sharp broken end of a bough, and
will frequently leave its prey thus suspended for a considerable period. Even insects are
served in this manner, being impaled upon thorns and left hanging in the branches. The
object of this curious custom is extremely dubious. It cannot be merely for the purpose
of holding the prey securely while it feeds, for the Shrike will frequently commence
eating a bird immediately after its capture, holding the prey tightly with its claws after
the manner of the hawks, and tearing it to pieces with its powerfully hooked bill. Nor
can it be with the object of making it tender by hanging in the air, as the bird often
devours the prey at once. Moreover, insects would not become more tender by exposure,
but would rapidly dry up in the sunshine and become hard and useless for food.

Even when tame it continues this habit, and has been known to make constant use of
a spike driven into a wall for that purpose by its owner, always carrying its food, whether
it consisted of meat or small birds, and impaling it upon the accustomed spike. A caged
bird, mentioned in Mr. Yarrell’s work, was in the habit of employing the spaces between
the wires for the same purpose, always hanging the remnants of its meal hetween the
wires, and pushing the prey through the bars while eating.

Its name of Exeubitor, or Watchman, has been given to it from the services which it
renders to the fowler.

Fierce and powerful as it is, it holds the falcon in the greatest terror, and is gifted

GROUP OF SHRIKES

with so true an eye for its enemy that it can perceive a falcon when at an immense
distance. Taking advantage of this peculiarity, the fowlers who set their nests for falcons
always take with them a Grey Shrike, and after setting their nets, fasten the string to
which the bird is tied to a peg near the nets. A little turf hut is built as a place of
refuge for the Shrike, and a small mound or hillock raised, on which it perches. The

GREAT GREY SHRIKE.—Lédnius excibitor.

fowler then retires to his own little hut, places the strings which draw the net within
reach of his bird, and watches the Shrike out of a small window which commands the
mound where it is perched. Feeling secure that the Shrike will not suffer a hawk to
come within sight without giving notice, the fowler takes out his netting or other
sedentary work, ‘and continues his labour.

Hundreds of birds may pass over the net without the Shrike giving the least alarm,
but as soon as it can see a falcon, it flutters about, gets uneasy, and at last begins to kick
and squall with terror. Roused by the sounds, “the fowler jerks some strings com-
municating with perches on which living pigeons are perched, and the flutter thus
occasioned attract the falcon’s attention and induces him to stoop for a prey that appears
so easy. As the foe approaches nearer, the Shrike’s terror increases, and as the falcon
swoops at the pigeons, the Shrike screams with fear and runs for shelter under the tiny
hut. This movement is a signal for the fowler, who draws the strings of his net and
incloses the falcon as he makes his dart on the pigeons.

The voice of the Shrike, although sufliciently harsh on occasions, is capable of great
modulation, so that the creature can imitate the cries of many birds, and even copy with
some success the sweet notes of the songsters.

The nest of the Grey Shrike is situated in forests, and is placed in the lofty branches
of some tall tree. The substances of which it is made are fine grass, roots, mosses, down
and wool. The eggs are from four to six in number, and are bluish-grey, spotted at the
large end with deep grey and brown. The colour of this species is pearl-grey on the
upper part of the body; the chin, breast, and abdomen are white ; the quill-feathers of
the tail black variegated and tipped with white ; and a black band crosses the forehead,

RED-BACKED SHRIKE.—£Z

runs under the eyes and then expands into a black patch on the ear-coyerts. The total
length of the bird is about ten inches.

The Rep-BACKED SHRIKE is a summer visitant to this country, and is very much
more common than the last-mentioned species. Its winter quarters seem to be situated
in Africa, and it reaches us at the end of April or the begining of May, passing through
Italy on its passage.

During the time of its residence it may often be seen flitting about the tops of
hedges and small tre ees, evidently in search of its prey, and even at a considerable distance
may be recognised by its habit of wagging its tail up and down whenever it settles, in a
manner very similar to that of the wagtails. Usually it is seen in pairs; but when the
eggs are laid, the male bird is generally engaged in procuring food while the mother bird

stay s at home and attends to her domestic affairs.

“The food of the Red-backed Shrike chiefly consists of the larger insects, such as
grasshoppers, beetles, and chaffers, and it is in the habit of impaling them on the thorns
near its nest, probably to save the mother bird the trouble of going to look for her own
meals. JI have elsewhere mentioned that a not very common species of cocktail beetle,
the Staphylinus erythropterus is a very favourite prey of this bird; and when I was
making up my collection of Wiltshire insects, I used to derive considerable assistance
from the labours of the Red-backed Shrike. These impaled insects are stuck about the
bush in such numbers, and in so very open a fashion, that they form a ready guide to the
position of the Shrike’s nest. Moreover, the parent birds are so solicitous about their
home, that as soon as they see a human being approaching their nest, they set up such a

376 THE WOODCHAT SHRIKE.

shrieking and fluttering that they intimate the position of their nest to the least
experienced observer.

Although the chief food of this bird consists of insects, it occasionally takes to larger
game, and has been known to destroy other birds, generally while in their nestling state.
It has sometimes been caught in fowlers’ nets while striking at their decoy birds, and has
been detected in dragging young and weakly pheasants through the bars of the cage in
which they had been confined.

IT can also add the testimony of personal observation to the bird-destroying capabilities
of this Shrike. A few months ago a lady kindly presented to me a box containing
several nestling birds, each pierced by a thorn, which she said had been killed and stuek
there by the Red-backed Shrike. Thinking that there might possibly have been some
mistake about the slayer, I asked if it could be procured, and in a few more days another
box was sent, containing a fine Red-backed Shrike and another impaled victim. Most of
the dead birds were headless, and in every case the thorn, instead of transfixing the body,
had been thrust between the skin and the muscles, but in so firm a manner that to draw
it out again required considerable force. The victims were very small, and too much
dilapidated for me to ascertain their species.

In many parts of England, and indeed in most countries where it dwells, the Shrike
is termed “ Nine-killer,” from a notion that it always kills and impales nine creatures
before it begins its meal. The generic name ennedctonus bears the same signification, and
has been applied to the bird in allusion to this idea. Mr. Blyth says that wherever food
is very abundant, the Red-backed Shrike only eats the soft abdomen of the impaled
insect, leaving the wings, limbs, and hard parts on the thorns. I have never observed
this practice, although I have seen very many Shrikes, their nests, eggs, and young. Still,
however, it may be the case with individual birds.

The nest of this Shrike is situated in hedges or bushes, generally from five to ten feet
from the ground, the average elevation being about seven feet. It is large, rather clumsy,
and very easily seen through the foliage, being made of thick grass-stems, moss, and roots
on the exterior, and lined with very fine grasses and hair. In some places the nests are
quite common, and I have found three in a hedge surrounding a single field of no very
great extent. The eggs are generally five in number, and are rather variable in colouring,
their ground colour being always white, tinged in some cases with blue, in others
with green, and in a few specimens with rusty red. The spots with which they are
marked are quite as variable, sometimes being numerous, dark, and gathered into a ring
at the large end of the egg, aid sometimes being only grey and light brown scattered
irregularly. In all cases, however, they are gathered upon the large end of the egg.

In the adult male, the head, neck, and upper parts of the shoulders are pearly-grey,
with a black stripe across the base of the beak and running through the eye. The back
and wing-coverts are ruddy chestnut, fading into reddish-grey upon the upper tail-coverts.
The quill-feathers of the wings are black, edged with red upon their outer webs, and the
quill-feathers of the tail are white at the basal half, and the remainder of each feather is
black tipped with a very narrow line of white. The chin and under tail-coverts are
white, and the rest of the under surface is pale rusty red. The strongly notched and
hooked beak is deep shining black. The female bird may at once be known by the
absence of the black streak across the eye, which in her case is replaced by a light
coloured stripe over the eye. The head and all the upper parts of the body are reddish-
brown, and the red edges of the wing-feathers are narrower than in the male. The under
side of the body is wholly greyish white, covered with very numerous transverse lines of
a darker hue. The young male is similarly coloured, but is distinguished by the back
being also covered with transverse bars of dark grey. The length of the adult bird is
between seven and eight inches.

ANOTHER species of the same genus, the WoopcHAT SHRIKE, has occasionally but
very rarely been found in England. It is about the same size as the red-backed Shrike,
and possesses many of the same habits, but may readily be distinguished from that bird
by the difference of colouring.

WOODCHAT SHRIKE.—Ennedctonus rufus

In many districts of the Continent the Woodchat Shrike is a common bird, especially
preferring the warmer and more southern districts. In many parts of Africa it is
extremely plentiful, being particularly abundant in Northern Africa. It is also séen at
the Cape of Good Hope. On account of their habit of hanging and impaling, the
Shrikes are known at the Cape by the popular name of Magistrate Birds. The nest
of the Woodchat Shrike is made rather more neatly than that of the red-backed species,
and is always placed on the branch of a tree, the oak being preferred for this purpose.
The materials of which it is made are pine-twigs, moss, and wool, and it is lined with
wool and slender grasses. The eggs are smaller than those of the last-mentioned bird
and are quite as variable in their ‘markings, the general colour being very pale bluish
white speckled with rusty brown.

The colouring of the Woodchat Shrike is as follows: The top of the head and back
of the neck are rich chestnut-red, a white streak runs across the base of the upper
mandible, and a broad black band crosses the forehead and reaches as far as the ear-
coverts, enveloping the eye in its progress. The back-wings and wing-coverts are black,
relieved by the white feathers of the scapularies and upper tail- coverts. The primary
feathers of the wings are also white at their base, and the secondaries are tipped with
white. The two central tail-feathers are black, the two exterior feathers white, and the
remainder are partly of one colour and partly of the other. The whole of the under
surface is white. In the female, the head and neck are dusky red, the back is brown-
black, the wing-coverts are marked with rusty red, and the breast is greyish white.

VIGORS' BUSH SHRIKE.—Thamndphilus Vigorsii

The second sub-family of the Butcher Birds, namely the THAMNOPHILINA, or Bush
Shrikes, are well represented by the beautiful Vicors’ BusH SHRIKE

This bird is a native of Southern America, and is generally found in forests and thick
brushwood, where it passes its time in a constant search after the small mammalia, birds,
reptiles, and insects, on which it feeds. It is a large and rather powerful bird, and as it
possesses a strong and sharply hooked beak, is a very formidable foe to any creature
which it may attack. Its claws are also powerful, curved and very sharp, so that the
bird is aided by its feet as well as by its beak in the demolition of its prey. In order to
enable the bird to prey among the rank herbage and thick massy foliage of the localities
in which it dwells, its legs are long in proportion to the size of its body, and the grasp of
its feet very strong, so that it is able to perch upon a bough or on the ground, and raise
its head to some height while surveying the locality with its piercing ¢ elance. The wings
are rather short and rounded, as long and sharply-pointed wings would be of little
use in threading the network of leaves and branches among which it takes up its
residence.

The tail of the Vigors’ Bush Shrike is long in proportion to the size of the body, and
extends far beyond the closed wings. The general colour of the male bird is sooty black
upon the head and the whole of the upper surface, diversified with numerous transverse
bars of rich red chestnut. The under parts of the body are pale greyish brown. The
head is decorated with a crest of erectile feathers, ruddy throughout the ereater part of
their length, and marked with black at their tips. The female is distinguished from the

THE PIPING CROW SHRIKE. 379

male by the blacker crest, the paler tint of the transverse bars, and the uniform ashen-
grey of the under parts. The total length of this species is about thirteen inches.

There are many species of Bush Shrikes, the greater number being inhabitants of the
eastern hemisphere. As their name imports, they all live among the “thickest brushwood
and in forests, and their food consists chiefly of insects. They are rather silent birds,
their note being merely a single syllable constantly repeated, and only uttered during the
breeding season.

WE now arrive at a very large and important group, called from the shape of their
beaks the CONTROSTRES, or CONE-BILLED Birps. In these birds the bill varies in length
and development, in some being exceedingly short, while in others it is much elongated ;
in some being straight and simple, while in others it is curiously curved and furnished
with singular appendages ; in some being toothless, while in others there is a small but
perceptible tooth near the tip. In all, however, the bill is more or less conical in form,
being very thick and rounded at the base, and diminishing to a point at the extremity.
There are no less than eight recognised families of this large group, containing some of
the most important and most remarkable members of the feathered race.

THE first family is that which is well known under the title of Corvin or Crows,
containing the crows, rooks, magpies, starlings, and other familiar birds, together with the
equally celebrated but less known paradise birds, bower birds, troopials, and orioles.
Tke beak of all these birds is long, powerful, and somewhat compressed,—7.e, flattened at
the sides,—curved more or less on the ridge of the upper mandible, and with a notch at the
extremity. This family is divided into several smaller groups or sub-families, the first of
which is the PHONYGAMIN®, or PIPING Crows. These birds are inhabitants of Australia,
New Holland, New Guinea, and several adjacent islands, and may. be distinguished by
the long, narrow, and naked nostrils.

The Piprinc Crow SHRIKE, sometimes called the Magpie by the colonists, on account
of its magpie-like white and black plumage, is a native of New South Wales, and towards
the interior is very plentiful.

This bird is found in almost every part of the country, preferring, however, the open
localities to the wooded districts, especially if they are cleared by artificial means. For
the Piping Crow Shrike is a wonderfully trustful bird, attaching itself instinctively to
mankind, and haunting the vicinity of barns and farmyards. On the very slightest
encouragement the bird will take possession of a barn, garden, or plantation, and with the
exception of a favoured few, will not suffer any of his friends to intrude upon his property.
The owner of the garden is well repaid for his hospitality by the rich and varied song
which the bird pours forth in the early morning and towards evening, as if in eratitude
for the protection which has been afforded it.

The notes of this bird are peculiarly rich and mellow, and in speaking of them the
author of “ Bush Wanderings in Australia” remarks, “ No bush-bird, to my fancy, had a
clearer or richer note than the Magpie: one of the earliest birds of morning, it was also
one of the latest at night, and the deep flute-like evening song of the Magpie was heard
in the forest long after all the other birds of day had retired to roost. The Magpie is a
very common bird throughout the land during the whole year, often in small companies,
and in the autumn the old and young birds congregate in flocks. The young Magpies are
excellent eating.” The name “tibicen” signifies a flute player.

As it is a very hardy bird and bears captivity well, Mr. Gould thinks that it would be
easily adapted to the English climate, and in that case would be a very valuable addition
to our list of cage-birds. In its native country it has little of the migrating spirit,
generally remaining stationary throughout the year in the spot which it has adopted
for its home. The food of the Piping Crow consists mostly of insects, the large grass-
hoppers being especial dainties. The bird is an excellent hunter, pursuing its active
prey over the ground with considerable agility, and pouncing upon it at last with
remarkable accuracy of aim. In captivity it will eat almost any description of animal
food, and also feeds upon different fruits and berries.

PIPING CROW.—Gymnorhina tii icen.

The nest of the Piping Crow 1s a large and not very neatly constructed edifice, made
principally of sticks, ied es, and small grasses. It is loose ly placed among the branches
of a lofty tree at a considerable elevation above the ground, ‘and contains from two to four
egos. T ‘here are generally two broods in the year.

The colouring of this bird is remarkable for its boldness and simplicity, consisting
only of two opposite tints, disposed in large and contrasting masses. The greater part of
the body and wings is rich jetty black, as deep as that of the raven, and the whole back
of the neck, the wing-coverts, the upper and under tail-coverts, and the basal portions of
the tail-feathers, are pure snowy white, so that the colonists are quite justified in the
use of their popular title. In dimensions it about equals our common magpie, but does
not appear to be so large a bird on account of its comparatively short tail. The bill is
blue-black, and the eyes are deep ruddy hazel.

The Prep Crow Surike is an inhabitant of New South Wales, and is very widely
spread throughout that country.

It is by no means a local bird, finding subsistence in almost every district, and being
equally found in the bushes of the coast, the mountains, and the forests. Its food
is chiefly of a vegetable character, consisting of berries, fruits, and seeds, and the bird is
in consequence of a more arboreal character than the preceding species, which finds the
ereater part of its nourishment on the ground. It is a stationary bird, only moying from
one distriot to another according to the season of the year, and is cenerally seen in little
parties of five or six in number, which are supposed to be the parents and their young
family.

THE JAY. 381

The flight of this bird is neither strong nor sustained, and it seldom takes to wing
without being forced to do so. Even when it has been obliged to entrust itself to
the air, it rarely flies farther than from one clump of trees to another, or across one
of the deep gullies that are so common in its native land. As a general rule, it contents
itself with merely flitting from one tree to another, and avoids any open space with
great solicitude. While flying, the beautiful black and white markings of its plumage
are very conspicuous. It is a :
most noisy and. loquacious bird,
possessing a loud and curiously
ringing voice, and being so fond
of exercising its vocal powers
that it is generally heard long
before it is seen. Like the piping
crow, it is killed for the purposes
of the table, and is held in some
estimation as an article of food.

The nest of the Pied Crow
Shrike is very large in proportion
to the size of the bird, round in
form, and cup-shaped in the in-
terior. It is almost wholly con-
structed of very little sticks, and
is lined with dried grasses. Un-
like the nest of the preceding
species, it is placed in some low
branch of a tree. The number of
eggs is three or four. The colour
of this species is a rich deep
blue-black, with the exception of
the basal halves of the primary
quill-feathers of the wings and
tail, and the tips of the tail-
feathers, which are snowy white.
The bill is black, and the eye
bright topaz yellow.

INTERMEDIATE between the
piping crow shrikes and the true
crows, comes a group of birds
well known by the popular title
of JAyYs, or the scientific name of
Garruline or talkative birds, so
called from their exceeding lo-
quacity. The birds of this group
have bills with a little notch near
the extremity, but they may be
distinguished from their relatives
by the fact that the nostrils are
covered by the feathers of the
forehead, Their tails are generally rather long in proportion to the size of the bird,
and the wings are short and rounded. In some instances tlie colouring of these
birds is very fine, and it is curious that blue seems to hold predominance throughout
the group.

PIED CROW SHRIKE.—Strépera graculina.

THE best known of this group is our common English Jay, one of the handsomest of
our resident birds.

382 HABITS OF THE JAY.

Although distributed with tolerable regularity over the greater part of England, it is
nowhere plentiful, seeming instinctively to seek some home far removed from those of its
own species. The localities which it best loves are thick woods and plantations,
particularly those where heavily foliaged trees are found. Sometimes, however, it is not
so careful, and TI have seen it near Oxford, flitting about the topmost branches of the trees
in the early morning, and pecking at the beech mast with perfect unconcern, even
though within a few hundred
yards of houses. In general,
however, the Jay is seldom seen,
as it is much afraid of human
beings, and conceals itself in the
thickest covert on the slightest
alarm.

The ordinary note of the Jay
is a rather soft cry, but the bird is
a most adroit imitator of various
sounds, particularly those of a
harsh character. It has one espe-
cial harsh scream, which ‘is its
note of alarm, and serves to set
on the alert not only its own
kind, but every other bird that
happens to be within hearing.
The sportsman is often baffled in
his endeavours to get a shot at
his game by the mingled curiosity
and timidity of the Jay, which
cannot hear a strange rustling or
see an unaccustomed object with-
out sneaking silently up to inspect
it, and is so terribly frightened at
the sight of a man, a dog, and a
gun, that it dashes off in alarm,
uttering its loud “squawk,” which
indicates to every bird and beast
that danger is abroad. In cap-
tivity the Jay soon learns to talk,
and even when caged displays
its imitative powers with con-
siderable success, mocking the
bleating of sheep, the cackling of
poultry, the grunting of pigs, and
even the neighing of horses with
wonderful truth.

The Jay, like all the. crow
JAY.—Garrulus glundérius. tribe, will eat animal or vegetable

substances with equal zest, and

will plunder the hoards of small

quadrupeds or swallow the owner
with perfect impartiality. Young birds are a favourite food of the Jay, which is wonder-
fully clever at discovering nests and devouring the fledglings. Occasionally it even feeds
upon birds, and has been seen to catch a full-grown thrush. Eggs also are great dainties
with this bird, particularly those of pheasants and partridges, so that it is ranked among
the “vermin” by all gamekeepers or owners of preserves. So fond is it of eggs, that it
ean almost invariably be enticed into a trap by means of an egg or two placed as bait,
and it is a curious fact that the Jay does not seem to be aware of the right season

THE AMERICAN BLUE JAY. 383

for eggs, and suspects no guile even when it finds a nest full of fine eggs in the depth
of winter,

Tt also eats caterpillars, moths, beetles, and various similar insects, preferring the soft,
fat, and full-bodied species to those of a more slender shape. Fruits and berries form a
considerable portion of the autumnal food of this bird, and it occasionally makes great
havoc in the cherry orchards, slipping in quietly at the early dawn, accompanied by its
mate and young family, and stripping the branches of the bark and finest fruit. The
kitchen garden also suffers severely from the attacks of the Jay, which has a great liking
for young peas and beans. It also eats chestnuts, nuts, and acorns, being so fond of the
last-mentioned fruit as to have received the title of “glandarius,” meaning a lover
of acorns. Sometimes it becomes more refined in its taste, and eats the flowers of
several cruciferous plants, which, according to Mudie, it plucks slowly and carefully,
petal by petal.

The nest of the Jay is a flattish kind of edifice, constructed of sticks, grass, and roots,
the sticks acting as the foundations, and a rude superstructure of the softer substances
being placed upon them. It is always situated at a considerable elevation from the
eround. There are generally four or five eggs, and the bird mostly brings up two broods
in the year. During the earlier portion of their existence the young birds accompany
their parents, and as they wander in concert, often do great damage among the gardens
and orchards which they visit.

One mode of taking the Jay has already been mentioned. Fowlers, however, employ
several methods for the capture of this pretty bird, and find that they can catch Jays
better by working on their curiosity than on their appetite. None of the crow tribe seem
to be able to pass an owl without dashing at it; and the birdcatchers take advantage of
this propensity by laying their snares in the branches of a thick bush, and fastening a
common barn owl in such a manner, that when the Jay makes its attack, it is arrested and
secured by the snare. Should an owl not be attainable, a white ferret will answer the
purpose equally well, the Jay having a great objection to all the weasel tribe, and
invariably attacking ferret, polecat, stoat, or weasel with the greatest virulence and
perseverance.

In size, the Jay equals a rather large pigeon ; and the colouring of its plumage is very
attractive. The general tint of the upper part of the body is light reddish brown, with a
perceptible purple tinge, varying in intensity in different specimens. The primary
wing-coverts are bright azure, banded with jetty black, and form a most conspicuous
ornament on the sides, as the bird sits with closed wings. The head is decorated with a
crest, which can be raised or lowered at pleasure, and the feathers of which it is composed
are whitish grey, spotted with black. There is a black streak on each side of the chin,
and the quill-feathers of the wings and tail are also black. The eye is a bright blue-erey,
which, when the bird is excited, can gleam with fiery rage, and together with the rapidly
moved crest and harsh screams gives an angry Jay a very savage ‘aspect.

In many points, the BLuE Jay of America closely resembles its English relative, but
as it possesses a decided individuality of its own, it is well worthy of a short memoir.

The Blue Jay seems to be peculiar to Northern America, and may be found among
the woods, where it is very plentiful, but never seems to associate in great numbers, the
largest flocks amounting merely to some thirty or forty members, and these only being seen
during a small portion of the year. Like the European Jay, it is both inquisitive and
suspicious, and never fails to give the alarm as soon as it sees a sportsman among the
trees. Many a deer has been lost to the anxious hunter through the warning ery of the
Jay, for the deer understand bird language quite well enough to know what is meant
when a Jay sets up its loud dissonant scream, and many a Jay falls a victim to the bullet
that had been intended for the heart of the escaped deer. Indeed, some hunters have
taken so rooted a dislike to this bird, that they always shoot it whenever they see it.

The voice of the Blue Jay is remarkably flexible, being attuned either to soft and
musical notes, to the harshest screamings of the hawk tribe, or the most ear-rending shrieks,
resembling nothing so much as the piercing creaks of an ungreased wheel. Tt is well

3st HABITS OF THE AMERICAN BLUE JAY.

adapted for imitation, and there is hardly a bird of the forest whose voice is not mocked
by the Jay with a fidelity that even deceives the species whose notes are thus wonderfully
reproduced. Being a bird of some humour, it is greatly delighted by mimicking the
scream of a hawk, and the terrified cry of a little bird in distress, thereby setting all the
small birds in a turmoil, under the impression that one of their number has just been
carried off by a hawk.

The Blue Jay attacks owls whenever he meets with them, and never can see a hawk
without giving the alarm, and rushing to the attack, backed up by other Jays, who never
fail to offer their assistance to their comrade. Often they will assemble in some numbers,
and buffet the unfortunate hawk with such relentless perseverance that they fairly drive
him out of the neighbourhood ; but sometimes the tables are reversed, and the hawk,
turning suddenly on his persecutors, snaps up the foremost and boldest, and silently sails
away into the thickest covert, bearing his screaming prey in his talons.

As the Blue Jay is very fond of fruit and seeds, it often does great harm to the
agriculturist, robbing his fruit-trees in a very complete and systematic manner, and doing
no small amount of harm to the crops. Yet the bird is not without its use, for in
replenishing its winter stores, which consist of nuts, mast, chestnuts, and similar
provisions, the Jay drops many of them in its passage, and thus unconsciously succeeds
in planting many a useful tree. One careful observer of this bird and its habits says
that in a few years’ time the Jays alone would replant all the cleared lands.

The diet of the Jay is, however, by no means restricted to vegetable substances, as the
bird lives more upon animal than on vegetable food. In the spring and early summer,
young birds form a large portion of its sustenance, and it robs many a nest of its eggs, or
even when pressed by hunger makes an attack on the parent bird.

In captivity, the Blue Jay is equally mischievous with its European relative, being
attracted by anything that glitters or that he thinks is valued by its owner, and hiding it
in some of his especial treasure-houses. He will also learn to talk, and becomes very
proud of his accomplishment, displaying his newly-acquired talents to every one who will
listen, and being extremely loquacious when excited by the presence of several persons at
the same time. If kindly treated, the Blue Jay becomes very affectionate to its owner,
and can even be taught to live in loving communion with creatures whom it would in
a wild state immediately devour. One of these birds, kept for some time by Wilson, was
on terms of intimate friendship with one of the Baltimore orioles, and would permit her to
take all kinds of liberties, such as pulling its whiskers, jumping into the water and
splashing it whenever it desired to drink.

The nest of the Blue Jay is large, and rather clumsily made, and is placed in a lofty
branch of some tall tree, the cedar being in principal request for this office. It is lined
with fine fibrous roots, and contains four or five eggs of a dull olive, spotted with brown.
The male bird is very cautious in his approaches to the nest, always gliding secretly and
silently to the spot where his mate and young -have made their home, carrying with him
the results of his foraging expedition.

Much more might be said of this bird, but its character has been so well described by
Webber in a few graphic passages, that I should do it injustice, were not his account to be
presented in his own words.

“See him of a fine spring morning in love-making time! See him rise up and down
upon the mossy limb, his gay crest bent in quick and frequent salutation, while a rich,
round, thrilling love-note rolls liquidly from off his honeyed tongue. Then see him spring
in air with his wide wings, azure and white, and dark-barred, graceful tail, spread to the
admiring gaze of her he woos, float round and round her fairer form, then to return again
in rapturous fervour to her side, to overwhelm his glowing charms with yet more
subduing graces.

But the fun of it all is, to see our euphuist practising these seductive arts by himself.
You will often catch him alone, thus making love to his own beauty with an ardour fully
equal to that of the scene we have just described ; indeed, I am not sure that it does not
surpass it; for, like other dandies, he is most in love with his own beauty. It is the

AMERICAN BLUE JAY.—Cyandcorax cristatus.

richest and most fantastic scene I know of among the comicalities of the natural world,
to catch him in one of these practising humours; he does court to his own charms with
such a gay and earnest enthusiasm; he apes all the gestures and lovelorn notes of his
seemingly volcanic amours, and turning his head back, gazes on his own fine coat with
such fantastic earnest, that one can hardly resist roaring with laughter.

So jealous is he of his sole prerogative of supervision over the interest and welfare of
his neighbours, that he is for ever on the look-out for all interloping stragglers. Every
racoon that shows his inquisitive nose is assailed with vehement clamours and angry
snappings of beaks, which compel him, in terror for his eyes, to return to his home. Our
friend Jay is said to attribute the nocturnal habits of racoons, wild cats, opossums, owls,
&e., to their apprehension of his valorous vigilance by daylight. Be the facts of the case
what they may, no one of these gentry, nor mole, nor mink, nor weasel, can make its
appearance without being beset by the obstreperous screams of this audacious knave.
Nor does he confine his operations to the defence of his foraging-ground from these
depredators, from whom he has little to fear of personal danger, on account of his superior
activity. But he even sometimes does assail the lightning-winged and lordly hawk ;

2, cc

386 THE HUNTING CISSA.

these scenes are very characteristic and very amusing, and I have frequently witnessed
them.

The pine-log cutters of the north know him well, and bestow on him many a blessing
from the wrong side of the mouth. The deep snow is raked away, and the camp is
pitched beneath the gloomy shelter of the heaving pines. Scarcely has the odour of the
first roast streamed through the air and freighted every biting wind, when, with hungry
cries from every side, the Jays come gathering in. They swarm about the camp in
hundreds, and such is their audacity when hard pinched with hunger, that they are
frequently seen to dash at the meat roasting before the fire, and, hot as it is, bear pieces
off till they can cool it in the snow. They are regarded with singular aversion by these
lonely men ; for, take what precaution they may, they are often robbed to such serious
extent by their persevering depredators as to be reduced to suffering. They dare not
leave any article that can be carried off within their reach; when they kill game, and
leave it hung up until the hunt is over, the Jays assemble in thousands, and frequently
tear it in pieces before their return.

The Blue Jay has many of the traits of the magpie, and like him possesses an
inveterate propensity for hiding everything he can lay hold of in the shape of food. The
magpie hides things that are of no value, but a Jay is in every respect a utilitarian, and
when, after feeding to repletion, he is seen to busy himself for hours in sticking an acorn
here, or a beech-nut there, in a dust-hole, or wedging snails between the splinters of some
lightning-shivered trunk, or making deposits beneath the sides of decaying logs, naturalists
wonder what he is doing it for. But our Euphuist knows well enough, and you may rest
assured, if you see him along that way next winter, as you will be apt to do if you watch,
you will find that he has not forgotten the place of one single deposit, and that with a
shrewder economy than the ant or the squirrel, instead of heaping up his winter corn in
one granary, where a single accident may deprive him of it all, he has scattered them
here and there in a thousand different spots, the record of which is kept in his own
memory. So it cannot be denied, whatever may be said of his thieving and other dubious
propensities, that the Blue Jay is a decidedly sagacious personage.

So universal is the Blue Jay’s reputation for mischievous and impish tricks of any
kind, that the negroes of the South regard them with a strange mixture of superstition
and deadly hate. The belief among them is, that it is the special agent of the devil here
on earth—carries tales to him of all kinds of slanderous gossip, particularly about negroes
—and more especially, that they supply him with fuel to burn them with. Their animosity
is entirely genuine and implacable.

When a boy, I caught many of them in traps during the snows, and the negro boys,
who generally accompanied me on my rounds to the traps, always begged eagerly for the
Jay birds we captured to be surrendered to them, and the next instant their necks were
wrung, amid shouts of laughter.

Alas for the fate of our feathered Euphuist—yet he was a ‘fellow of infinite wit.”

The colouring of the Blue Jay is as follows: The upper portions of the body are a
light bluish purple, and the head is adorned with a moveable crest of bright blue or
purplish feathers. On each side of the head runs a narrow black line, rising higher than
the eye, but not passing it, and a collar of the same jetty hue is drawn from the back of
the head down each side of the neck to the upper part of the breast. The chin, cheeks,
and throat are bluish white, and the abdomen is pure white. The greater wing-coverts
are rich azure, the secondary coverts are purple-blue, and nearly all are richly barred with
semilunar black streaks and tipped with white. The two middle feathers of the tail are
light blue, deepening into purple at the tip, and the remaining feathers are also light blue,
barred with black and tipped with white. The eye is hazel. The length of this species
is about eleven inches.

ASIA presents a most beautiful and interesting example of this group of birds in the
Hontine Cissa, or Hunting Crow of India.

This lovely bird is a native of Nepal, and is spread throughout the south-eastern part
of the Himalayas, and in its own favoured locality is far from scarce. Owing, however,

HUNTING CISSA.—Cissa Sinensis.

to certain peculiarities in the colouring, hereafter to be described, a specimen is very
seldom obtained in first-rate condition, and never takes its place in our museums glowing
in all the resplendent tints with which it is so liberally gifted. It is a very brisk and
lively bird, and, like many others of the same group, is much given to imitating other
birds, performing its mimicry with wonderful truth, and copying not only their voices, but
even their peculiar gestures.

It is much more carnivorous in its tastes than would be imagined from an inspection
of its form and plumage, and it possesses many of the habits of the shrikes, not only
killing and eating the smaller birds, but hanging its food upon branches in true shrike
fashion. It is an excellent hunter, and as it can be easily tamed and taught to hunt after
small birds for the amusement of its owner, it has earned the name of Hunting Crow. In
its native country it is very commonly kept in captivity, and even in England has lived
for a considerable time in a cage in the gardens of the Zoological Society. The voice of
the Hunting Cissa is loud and screeching, but possesses withal a certain joviality of utter-
ance that renders it far from unpleasing.

The colour of this bird is singularly beautiful, and may challenge comparison with that

_ of any other bird of either hemisphere. The general hue is a pale but bright grassy green,
very vivid upon the upper parts, and taking a yellowish tint below; there is also a dash
of yellow across the forehead and the sides of the crest. A broad black band crosses the
forehead, and, enveloping the eye in its progress, passes round the back of the neck. The
quill-feathers of the wing are mostly bright chestnut-red, and the tips of the inner quill-
feathers are grey, diversified with a bold semilunar black band near their extremities. The
central feathers of the tail are green, taking a greyer tinge at their extremities, and all the
other tail-feathers are bright green for the first two-thirds of their length, are then crossed
with a bold broad black band, and the tips are greyish white. The legs, bill, and feet
are bright scarlet. The size of the Hunting Cissa is about equal to that of a common
magpie.

Bricks beautiful colours are unfortunately never seen except for a very short time after
moulting, as they rapidly fade by exposure to light, even during the life of the bird, and

cc2

388 THE BENTEOT.

after its death become comparatively dingy. The delicate and brilliant grass-green of the
upper surface soon takes a more sober hue, and before many days have elapsed, the general
colour of the bird is simply grey with a greenish wash, in place of the rich resplendent
tints which it had so lately boasted.

BETWEEN the true Crows and
the Jays, another small sub-family
has been placed by the authors
whose arrangement we follow, and
is known by the title of Calleatine,
or Tree Crows. In these birds
there is no tooth in the upper
mandible, and the bill is com-
paratively short, curved and rather
rounded above. They are only
to be found in the warmer parts
of the eastern hemisphere, and
many of them are quite as
carnivorous as any of the pre-
ceding Corvide, some feeding
chiefly upon insects of various
kinds, and others varying their
diet with small birds and quad-
rupeds.

The BENTEOT, one of these
birds, is a native of Java, where
it is not very scarce, but is seldom
seen except by those who go to
search for it, as it is extremely
timid, and is never known to
approach within a considerable
distance of human _ habitations,
as is the case with the generality
of the Crow tribe. Sometimes it
may be seen cautiously making
its way towards some newly
cleared ground, in the hope of
making a meal on the worms,
grubs, and other earth-living crea-
tures that are generally to be
found in freshly-turned soil, and
also for the sake of feeding upon
mee pee the fruits of the trees that skirt

Seite paamciCa RT ee htt the field. Should, however, the
land be near a house, the Benteot
holds aloof, and declines to put
itself into danger.

Part of this excessive timidity may, perhaps, be owing to the fact that it is no
means a strong or rapid flyer, its wings being short and rounded, and its flight in conse-
quence weak and not cap able of long “duration. It usually flies by day, and, according to
Mr. Horsfield, “may be seen about noon, sailing heavily through the air in a right Tine
towards the trees surrounding the openings in the forest” The ‘strong bill and powerful
claws show that the bird is well adapted for the capture of insects and disinterring them
from their subterranean hiding-places, as well as for eating the various hard- shelled fruits
on which it partly subsists. In colour the Benteot appears at a little distance to be nearly
black, but on a close approach its plumage is seen to be a very dark and rather dull green,
“shot” plentifully with a deeper hue of bronze.

THE WANDERING PIE.

ANOTHER and more beautiful member
of this group is an Asiatie bird, very com-
mon in the naturalist’s shop and in glass
cases, and known by the popular and very
appropriate name of the “ WANDERING
PIE.”

This bird is a native of the Himalayas,
and is found in some numbers spread
over a large part of India. It is called
the Wandering Pie on account of its habit
of wandering over a very large extent of
country, travelling from place to place
and finding its food as it best may, after
the fashion of a mendicant friar, This
custom is quite opposed to the general
habits of the Pies, who are remarkable for
their attachment to definite localities, and
can generally be found wherever the ob-
server has discovered the particular spot
which they have selected for their home.
Mr. Gould suggests that its wandering
habit may be occasioned by the necessity
for obtaining subsistence, the Wandering
Pie feeding more exclusively on fruits and
other vegetable nutriment than is generally
the case with the Crow tribe, and being
therefore forced to range over a large ex-
tent of land in search of its food. Indeed,
the short legs and very long tail of this
species would quite unfit it for seeking its
living on the ground, and clearly point
out its arboreal habits.

The shape of this species is very re-
markable, on account of the greatly elon-
gated and elegantly shaped tail, which is
coloured in a manner equally bold with
its form. The general colour of this bird
is blackish grey upon the upper parts,
warming into cinnamon upon the back.
The quill-feathers of the wings are jetty
black, the wings themselves grey, and the
tail-feathers grey, with a large bold bar
of black at their extremities. The under
surface of the bird is light greyish fawn.
The two central feathers of the tail are
extremely long, and the others are gradu-
ated in a manner which is well exem-
plified in the accompanying illustration.
Although it appears to be a ratherlarge bird,
the aspect is a deceptive one, on account
of the long tail, which is ten inches in
length, the remainder of the head and
body being only six inches long.

WE now arrive at the true Crows,
which, like the preceding group, have

389

WANDERING PIE.—Temnwrus vagabundus.

590 THE RAVEN.

no tooth in the upper mandible, but may be distinguished from them by the greater
comparative length of the wings.

THE first of these birds on our list is the celebrated RAVEN, our finest representative of
the family.

This truly handsome bird is spread over almost all portions of the habitable globe,
finding a livelihood wherever there are wide expanses of uncultivated ground, and only
being driven from its home by the advance of cultivation and the consequent inhabitance
of the soil by human beings. It is a solitary bird, living in the wildest district that it can
find, and especially preferring those that are intersected with hills. In such localities the
Raven reigns supreme, hardly the eagle himself daring to contest the supremacy with so
powerful, crafty, and strong-beaked a bird.

The food of the Raven is almost entirely of an animal nature, and there are few living
things which the Raven will not eat whenever it finds an opportunity of so doing. Worms,
grubs, caterpillars, and insects of all kinds are swallowed by hundreds, but the diet in
which the Raven most delights is dead carrion. In consequence of this taste, the Raven
may be found rather plentifully on the Scottish sheep-feeding grounds, where the flocks
are of such immense size that the bird is sure to find a sufficiency of food among the daily
dead ; for its wings are large and powerful, and its daily range of flight is so great, that
many thousands of sheep pass daily under its ken, and it is tolerably sure in the course of
the day to find at least one dead sheep or lamb. Sometimes the Raven accelerates
matters, for if.it should find an unfortunate sheep lying in a ditch, a misfortune to which
these animals are especially prone, it is sure to cause the speedy death of the poor creature
by repeated attacks upon its eyes. Weakly or ailing sheep are also favourite subjects with
the Raven, who soon puts an end to their suffermgs by the strokes of his long and
powerful beak. Even the larger cattle are not free from the assaults of this voracious bird,
which performs in every case the office of a vulture.

So strongly is the desire for attacking wounded or dying animals implanted in the
breast of the Raven, that, according to Mudie, the best method of attracting one of these
birds within gunshot is to lie on the back on some exposed part of a hill, with the gun
concealed and close at hand. It is needful to remain perfectly quiet, because if there is
the slightest sign of life the Raven will not approach, for, as Mudie rather quaintly
observes, “he is shy of man and of all large animals in nature; because, though glad to
find others carrion, or to make carrion of them if he can do it with impunity, he takes
good care that none shall make carrion of him.” It is equally needful to watch care-
fully and not to be overcome by sleep, as the first indication of the Raven’s approach
would to a certainty be the loss of an eye.

“But if you lie on your back,” says Mudie, “he will come you know not whence, and
hovering round you on slow wing, examine you from all points. If you do not stir, he
will drop down at a little distance, and begin to hop in an échellon fashion, bringing his
shoulders forward alternately, after a few hops on each line of the zigzag. Sometimes he
will utter his ‘ cruck-cruck, and pause to see if that makes you stir, and if it does not, he
will accelerate his advance.”

Sheep and cattle do not, however, form the whole of a Raven's diet, for besides the
insects which have already been mentioned, this bird eats mice, rabbits, birds of various
kinds, including young partridges and pheasants, and will invade the farmyard when
pressed by hunger, and carry off the young poultry. Even the hedgehog falls a victim
to the Raven, who cares nothing for his spiked armour, but drives his sharp bill through
the poor beast, tears away the prickly skin, and devours the carcase at his leisure. In
Northern America, and indeed in many other countries, the Raven is a recular attendant
on the hunters, and follows them for the purpose of feeding upon the offal of the
creatures which they kill.

The tongue of the Raven is rather curiously formed, being broad, flat, covered with
a horny kind of shield, and deeply cleft at the extremity. At the root are four rather
large projections or spines, the points being directed backwards. The use of these
Spines is not known, though Mr, Buckland suggests that they may be for the purpose of

RAVEN.—Corvus Coraz.

preventing the food from being thrown back into the mouth. I do not, however, think
that this suggestion is sufficient, as there is no reason why the Raven should regurgitate
its food more than other birds which feed on similar substances. If the bird were in the
habit of eating living prey, such as lizards and other reptiles which retain life for a
considerable period and after considerable injuries, this idea might be a good one, but as
the Raven always kills its prey before eating it, the theory will not hold its ground.

The cunning of the Raven is proverbial, and anecdotes of its extraordinary intellectual
powers abound in various works. From the great mass of these stories I can only select
one or two which are not generally known.

One of these birds struck up.a great friendship for a terrier dog belonging to the
landlord of an inn, and carried his friendship so far as to accompany his ally in little
hunting expeditions. In these affairs the two comrades used to kill an astonishing
number of hares, rabbits, and other game, each taking his own share of the work. As
soon as they came to a covert, the Raven would station himself outside, while the dog
would enter the covert and drive out the hares from their concealment, taking care to
send them in the direction of the watchful bird. On his part the Raven always posted
himself close to one of the outlets, and as soon as any living creature passed within
reach, he would pounce upon it, and either destroy it at once or wait until the dog came
to his assistance, when by their united efforts the prey was soon killed. Rat-hunting was
a favourite sport of these strange allies, and it was said by those who witnessed their
proceedings, that the Raven was even more useful than a ferret would have been.

Another and a very amusing anecdote of the Raven and its cunning is related by
Captain McClure, the well-known Arctic voyager. Speaking of the behaviour of various
birds and beasts during the winter, he remarks that the Raven is the hardiest of the
feathered tribe, and even in the depths of winter, when wine freezes within a yard of the
fire, the Raven may be seen winging his way through the icy atmosphere and uttering
his strange rough, croaking cry, as unconcernedly as if the weather were soft and warm
as an English spring. “Two Ravens,” he observes, “once established themselves as
friends of the family in Mercer Bay, living mainly by what little scraps the men might
have thrown away after meal times.

a»

392 HABITS OF THE RAVEN.

The ship’s dog, however, looked upon them as his especial perquisites, and exhibited
considerable energy in maintaining his rights against the Ravens, who nevertheless out-
witted him in a way which amused every one. Observing that he appeared quite
willing to make a mouthful of their own sable persons, they used to throw themselves
intentionally in his way just as the mess-tins were being cleared out on the dust heap
outside the ship. The dog would immediately run at them, and they would just fly a few

yards ; the dog then made another run, and again they would appear to escape him but
by an inch, and so on, wntil they had tempted and provoked him to the shore a con-
siderable distance off. Then the Ravens would make a direct flight for the ship, and had
generally done good execution before the mortified-looking dog “detected the imposition
that had been practised wpon him, and rushed back again.”

Not long ago, I saw a Raven in one of the great London breweries, holding a large
sausage in his beak, and flapping about the yard just in front of one of the draymen, to
whom the stolen dainty had evidently belonged. The bird would not trouble itself to
make its escape, but in the most provoking manner hopped along just a yard or so before
its pursuer, and from all appearance as likely to carry on the same game for an hour or
two; for while I was sitting, the relative positions of the parties did not alter in the
least. If the man stopped, the bird stopped too, and began to make such evident
preparations for swallowing the sausage that the drayman rushed at it again, and again
the bird would just flap a yard or two in advance.

In captivity the Raven is a most amusing, although a terribly mischievous creature,
and displays a talent for the invention of mischief which can only be equalled by its
rapidity of execution and audacity of demeanour. Except when placed in an inclosed
yard where there is nothing that is capable of damage, a single Raven will get through
more mischief in one hour than a posse of boys in twelve, and as he always seems to
imagine himself engaged in the performance of some extremely exemplary duty, and
works his wicked will as methodically as if he had been regularly trained to the task and
very well paid for it, he excites no small amount of rage on the part of the aggrieved
person. I have personally known several tame Ravens, but as I have already recorded
their performances elsewhere, I shall not here repeat the story of their ill deeds.

The Raven is an excellent linguist, acquiring the art of conversation with wonderful
rapidity, and retaining with a singularly powerful memory many sounds which it has once
learned. Whole sentences are acquired by this strange bird, and repeated with great
accuracy of intonation, the voice being a good imitation of human speech, but always
sounding as if spoken from behind a thick woollen wrapper. So remarkable is the cunning
of this bird, and so weird-like its aspect, that the ancient Scandinavians had good cause
for the trembling respect which they paid to the sullen “ Bird of Odin.” Their idea of the
Raven was, that it was accustomed to watch for Odin’s return every evening, and, perched
upon his shoulder, to relate all the incidents that had taken place on earth within
its ken.

As the bird is so crafty, its capture would seem to be a very difficult business, and the
number of tame Ravens now existing in England seems to be almost remarkable. The fact
is, that while still unfledged the young Ravens have a strange habit of falling out of their
nests, and flapping their wings heavily to the ground. Next morning they are found by the
shepherds, sitting croaking on the ground beneath their former homes, and are then captured
and taken away with comparative ease. Even in this case, however, to secure one of the
young Ravens is no slight task, for, on seeing that escape is impossible, it turns boldly to
bay, and makes such fierce attacks with its powerful beak that it must be enveloped in a
cloth or a plaid before it can safely be held. It is remarkable that when a Raven makes
its assault it does not merely peck with its beak, but flings its whole weight upon the blow.

The Raven is also celebrated for its longevity, many instances being known where it
has attained the age of seventy or eighty years, without losing one jot of its activity, or
the fading of one spark from its eyes. What may be the duration of a Raven’s life in its
wild state is quite unknown.

The colour of the Raven is a uniform blue-black, with green reflections in certain lights.
The female is always larger than her mate.

bd

THE common Carrion Crow, so plentiful in this country, much resembles in habits
and appearance the bird which has just been described, and may almost be reckoned as a
miniature raven.

Tn many of its customs the Crow is very raven-like, especially in its love for carrion, and
its propensity for attacking the eyes of any dead or dying animal. Like the raven, it has
been known to attack game of various kinds, although its inferior size forces it to call to
its assistance the aid of one or more of its fellows before it can successfully cope with the
larger creatures. Rabbits and hares are frequently the prey of this bird, which pounces
on them as they steal abroad to feed, and while they are young is able to kill and carry them
off without difficulty. The Crow also eats reptiles of various sorts, frogs and lizards being
common dainties, and is a confirmed plunderer of other birds’ nests, even carrying away
the eggs of game and poultry by the simple device of driving the beak through them and
flying away “with them thus impaled. Even the large egg of the duck has thus been
stolen by the Crow. Sometimes it goes to feed on the seashore, and there finds plenty of
food among the crabs, shrimps, and shells that are found near low-water mark, and
ingeniously cracks the harder shelled creatures by flying with them to a great height
and letting them fall upon a convenient rock.

The Crow, unlike the rook, is not a gregarious bird, being generally seen either single
or in pairs, or at the most only i in little bands of four or five, consisting of the parents
and their children. In the autumn evenings, however, they assemble in bands of ten or
twelve before going to roost, and make a wonderful chatte ering, as if comparing notes of
the events which have occurred during the day, and communicating to each other their
latest experiences, for the benefit of the rising generation.

The nest of the Crow is invariably placed in some tree remote from the habitations of
other birds, and is a structure of considerable dimensions, and very conspicuous at a
distance. It is always fixed upon one of the topmost branches, so that to obtain the
eggs safely requires a steady head, a practised foot, and a ready hand, the uncultivated
germs of the professional acrobat.

Generally the nest is rather loosely constructed, and more saucer than cup shaped; but
I remember an instance where it was very firmly made and quite deep. Ina little copse in

3

394 THE ROOK.

Derbyshire, that was planted along one side of a valley, an oak-tree had sprung up about
half-way down the declivity, and, as is the custom with trees in such situations, had grown
inclining towards the somewhat abrupt angle formed by the shape of the ground on which
it stood. As there had been formerly many other trees around it, it had been drawn up
like a maypole, being long, slender, and swinging about with every breeze. The tree was
not more than forty feet high; but as it was bent in the middle and bowed over the valley,
its summit was nearly a hundred feet from the ground below.

It was with the greatest difficulty that I reached the nest, for the tree yielded like a
earter’s whip with my weight, although I could not approach nearer than arm’s length
to the nest, and after three attempts I was finally bafiled in my endeavour to obtain the eggs.
Although the top of the tree was then nearly level with the horizon, and swinging
about most alarmingly in the wind that rushed through the valley, not one egg was
thrown out of its place, and the nest was so much deeper than ordinary, that I could not
succeed in withdrawing the eggs from their cradle. It seems an easy matter to take eggs
out of a nest; but if the reader will bear in mind that when the slender tree stem to
which one is clinging bends nearly double with one’s weight, that the elasticity of
the wood dances one up and down through an arc of four or five feet, and that a strong
wind is at the same time acting on the foliage of the tree and swaying it from side to side,
and that there is a clear fall of some hundred feet below, he will comprehend that it
is not so simple a matter to spare a hand long enough to take an egg from a rather distant
spot, and to do so in so delicate a manner that the egg remains unbroken.

The materials of which the Crow’s nest is made are very various, but always consist
of a foundation of sticks, upon which the softer substances are laid. The interior of the
nest is made of grasses, fibrous roots, the hair of cows and horses, which the Crow mostly
obtains from trees and posts where the cattle are in the habit of rubbing themselves,
mosses, and wool. The eggs are extremely variable, or rather individual, in their markings
and even in their size, those in my own collection being so different from each other that
an inexperienced person would set them down as belonging to different species. The Crow
very seldom uses the same nest for a second breeding season, although it often repairs to
the same locality year after year. Once or twice it has been known to lay its eggs on the
same foundation as it had employed during the previous season, but in general it pulls the
former nest to pieces, and constructs a fresh one on its site.

This bird is remarkable for its attachment to its mate and young, far surpassing the
fawn and turtle dove in matrimonial courtesy.

The Somali Arabs bear a deadly hatred towards the Crow, and kill it whenever
they meet with it. The origin of their detestation is as follows: During the flight of
Mohammed from his enemies, he hid himself in a cave, where he was perceived by the Crow,
at that time a light-plumaged bird, who, when it saw the pursuers approach the spot, sat
over Mohammed’s hiding-place, and screamed, “Ghar! ghar!” ¢ e, “Cave! cave!” so as
to indicate the place of concealment. His enemies, however, did not understand the
bird, and passed on, and Mohammed, when he came out of the cave, clothed the Crow in
perpetual black, and ordered it to ery “ ghar” as long as Crows should live. When they
have killed a Crow, the Arabs remove the gall, employing it for the manufacture of colly-
rium, or dye for the eyelids.

The colour of the Crow is a uniform blue-black, like that of the raven, but varieties
are known in which the feathers have been pied or even cream-white.

THE most familiar of all the British Corvide is the common Rook, a bird which has
attached itself to the habitations of mankind, and in course of time has partially
domesticated itself in his dominions.

The Rook may claim the doubtful honour of having originated two of the most
pertinacious and persistent ornithological controversies on record, The subject of the
first is its conduct towards man—whether itis to be looked upon as a feathered benefactor
or must be ranked among the “vermin.” This dispute has now been carried on for
many years, and finds as many and as eager advocates on both sides of the question
as on the day on which it was started. The second controversy is quite as fierce as the

»

ROOK.—Corvus frugilegus.

former, and has lately revived with tenfold vigour, the subject being the cause and effect
of the naked white skin which is found at the base of the Rook’s beak. Before proceed-
ing further, we will just say a word or two on these interesting discussion.

Firstly, as to the relation in which the Rook stands to mankind with regard to its
conduct. It is thought by many persons of practical experience that the Rook is
one of the greatest enemies to the farmer, eating up his grain as soon as planted,
pecking up his potatoes and devouring all the “ sets,” boring holes in his turnips, and
altogether doing exceeding mischief in the fields. The farmer, therefore, detests the
“blackening train” of Rooks with a very heartfelt hatred, and endeavours by all kinds of
contrivances, such as scarecrows, boys with noisy clappers, and loud voices, or even
the gibbeted dead bodies of slaughtered Rooks, to keep them off his grounds. Whenever
he can find a chance he shoots them, but the bird is so cautious that very few Rooks fall
victims to the agricultural gun. The gamekeepers also hate the Rook as a persecutor of
their charge, and in truth the Rooks have been actually seen engaged in the destruction
of young partridges, and one of them was shot with the prey still in its beak.

Moreover, the Rook has been seen to attack a hen pheasant while sitting on her eggs,
to pull the feathers out of the mother bird, and to destroy the eggs, having evidently
been attracted to the spot by the large bunch of hay-grass amid which the nest had been
placed, and which had been left standing by the mowers in order to afford a shelter to the
poor bird.

So much for the one side of the question ; we will now proceed to view the Rook
from a more favourable point of view.

The advocates of this bird (of whom I confess myself to be one) do not deny that
the Rook is on occasions somewhat of a brigand, and that it has small scruples when
pressed by hunger in eating eggs or the young of other birds. Also they fully admit that
it pulls up a great number of green corn blades almost as soon as they show their emerald
tops above the dark soil, that it digs up the potatoes, and throws the fragments about the
ground, eating no small number of them, and that it often bores a turnip so full of holes
that it pines away and dies. But although g granting thus much, they yet think the Rook a
most beneficial bird to the agriculturist.

396 USE OF THE ROOK.

For its depredations on game they attempt no excuse, but only offer an apology on the
ground that the affair is very rare, and that condonation may be granted ‘to the bird
in consideration of the great services rendered in other parts of the year. They aver that
its object in pulling up the young corn sprouts is not so much to eat the corn as
to devour that pest of the farmer, the terrible wireworm, which lurks at the root of the
corn, and infallibly destroys every plant which it has once attacked. That such has
been the case may often be seen by the yellow and unhealthy aspect of the destroyed
blades which are left scattered on the ground after the extraction of the wireworm.
Potatoes again are attacked by numerous insect foes, and it is to eat these that the Rook
unearths the “sets.” It is true that bits of potato have been found in the Rook’s crop,
but in all probability they have been casually eaten together with the imsects that are
lurking within. The same remark may be made of the turnips.

desides performing these services, the Rook saves acres of grass annually from being
destroyed by the grub of the common cockchaffer beetle. The grub or larva of this
insect is one of the most destructive foes to grass lands, feeding upon the roots and
shearing them very nearly level with the surface of the ground by means of its scissor-
like jaws. So destructive are these insects, and so complete are their ravages, that a
person has been able to take in his hands the turf under which they had been living and
to roll it up as if it had been cut with a spade. In one place, the grubs were so numerous
that they were counted by the bushel. When it is remembered that this creature lives
for three years underground, is furnished with a huge stomach, a wonderful capability of
digestion, and a formidable cutting apparatus for obtaining its food, the services of the
took in destroying it may be better imagined. Moreover, the beetle is just as destructive
as the grub, settling upon trees and fairly stripping them of their leaves. I have
dissected many of these grubs, and always found their stomachs distended to the utmost
with a mixture of black earth and vegetable matter.

Again, when the ploughman is turning up the soil, how common, or rather how
invariable, a sight it is to see the Rooks settling around him, alighting in the furrow
which he makes, and seizing the grubs and worms as they are turned up by the share.
Not a single worm, grub, or other insect escapes the keen eye and ready bill of this
useful bird. Some idea of the extensive character of its operations may be formed from
the following remarks by Mr. Simeon, in his interesting work entitled “Stray Notes on
Fishing and Natural History.”

«Twas w alking one day with a gentleman on his home farm, when we observed the
grass on about an acre of meadow land to be so completely rooted up and scarified that
he took it for granted it had been done under the bailiff’s direction to clear it from moss,
and on arriving at the farm, inquired whether such was not the case. The answer was,
however, ‘Oh no, sir, we have not been at work there at all; it’s the Rooks done all that.’
The mistake was a very natural one, for though I have often seen places where grass has
been pulled up by Rooks, yet I never saw such clean and wholesale work done by
them as on this occasion. It could not apparently have been executed more syste-
matically or perfectly by the most elaborate ‘scarifier’ that Croskill or Ransome could
turn out.

On examining the spot afterwards, I found that the object of the Rooks’ researches
had doubtless been a small white grub, numbers of which still remained in the ground
a short distance below the surface. In the following spring I noticed that the part
of the field where this had taken place was densely covered with cowslips, much
more so than the rest of it. Possibly the roots of these plants may have been the
proper food for the erubs, and therefore selected by the parent insect as receptacles
for her eggs.”

The Rook also feeds upon berries and various fruits, being especially fond of oak-nuts,
and having a curious habit of burying them in the earth before eating them, by which
means, no doubt, many a noble oak-tree is planted. It also eats w alnuts, and is fond of
driving its bill through them and so taking them from the tree. The cones of the Scotch
fir are also favourite food with the Rook, which seizes them in its beak, and tries to pull
them from the bough by main force; but if it should fail in this attempt, it drags the

WHITE FOREHEAD OF THE ROOK. 397

branch forcibly upwards, and then suddenly releases it, so as to jerk the cones from their
stems by the recoil.

The practice of terrifying Rooks by means of scarecrows has already been mentioned,
together with its usual failure. Even the bodies of slaughtered Rooks suspended from
sticks have but little effect on these audacious birds, who may be seen very unconcernedly
searching below the carcases for the beetles and other carrion-eating insects that are
always found in such localities. The surest way to frighten the Rooks by means of dead
comrades is not to hang them up in a position which every Rook knows is not likely to be
assumed by any of its friends, and therefore conveys no intimation of alarm to its logical
mind, but to lay them flat upon the earth with outstretched neck and spread wings as if
they had fallen dead from something evil in the locality. Another useful method is to
post a number of sticks in double rows and connect them with each other by strings tied
in zigzag fashion, when it will be found that the Rooks are so suspicious of a trap, that
they will not venture to enter any of the angles so formed.

The second subject of controversy is the presence of a bare white skin upon the
forehead of the adult Rook and the base of its neck, those portions being clothed with
feathers during the bird’s youth.

The general opinion was, that the bird, by constantly delving in the soil, wore off all
the feathers, only leaving the white skin behind. This solution of the problem was
current for a long time, until some observer remarked that the base of the bill showed no
particular marks of hard wear; that the bald space extended behind the line of the eyes,
so that the bird could not possibly plunge its beak to so great a depth ; that the white
skin was evidently an intentional arrangement, and was too well defined at the edges to
have been produced by the operation of digging, and must in that case always vary with
the soil and the kind of food; moreover, there are many other birds which have bald
spaces on their persons, such as the vultures and the turkey, and that in their case no
theory of friction is required by which the phenomenon can be accounted for.

Matters having proceeded thus far, dissection was next employed, and it was observed
that although feather bulbs could be found within the white skin, they were shrivelled and
useless for the production of feathers. Experiments were then tried, wherein sundry young
Rooks were kept caged, and denied access to any earth or mouldy substances ; and in
every case except one (and probably in that case also when the bird had attained maturity)
the feathers with which the base of the back were covered fell off in the course of
moulting, and were never replaced by fresh plumage. Every ornithologist knows well
that many birds when young are distinguished by feathery or hairy tufts, as in the
case of the Leatherhead, figured in page 219 of this work, which, when young, is
decorated with a tuft of plumy hair upon its head ; but after the moult, loses its cranial
ornament. Mr. Simeon pertinently remarks, in allusion to this controversy, that a similar
phenomenon may be seen in the human race, the forehead of a baby being often covered
with fine downy hairs, which fall off as the child grows ; and that in the elephants of
Ceylon, the young is often clothed with a thick woolly fur over its head and fore-parts
when born, but loses its covering as it approaches maturity. Altogether it seems that
those who advocate the naturally bare forehead and beak have the best of the
argument.

The habits of the Rook are very interesting, and easily watched. Its extreme caution
is very remarkable, when combined with its attachment to human homes. A colony of
a thousand birds may form a rookery in a park, placing themselves under the protection
of its owner; and yet, if they see a man with a gun, or even with a suspicious-looking
stick, they fly off their nests with astounding clamour, and will not return until the cause
of their alarm is dissipated. During the “ Rook-shooting” time, all the strong-winged
birds leave their nests at the first report of the gun, and, rising to an enormous elevation,
sail about like so many black midges over their deserted homes, and pour out their
complaints in loud and doleful cries, which are plainly audible even from the great height
at which they are soaring. The voice of the Rook is too well known to need description,
and the bird is rather capricious in the utterance of its hoarse cry, sometimes keeping
a prolonged silence, and at other times cawing about incessantly.

398 THE JACKDAW.

In captivity the Rook retains many of its wild customs, and in one instance was in
the habit of going round the hens’ nests and eating the eggs as soon as they were laid.
The Rook is not often kept as a domestic pet, as it is with difficulty reared when young.
Before rain, the Rook has a curious custom of ascending to a considerable height, and
then shooting obliquely through the air, in a manner somewhat similar to a hawk making
its stoop. During the daytime, the Rooks are widely dispersed throughout the fields,
occasionally visiting their homes and then returning to their feeding-places ; but, as the
evening approaches, they cease feeding with one accord, and seek their nests, flying in
long trains to the spot where they have made their residence.

The nest of the Rook is large, and rather clumsily built ; consisting chiefly of sticks,
upon which are laid sundry softer materials as a resting-place for the eggs. The Rook is
a very gregarious bird, building in numbers on the boughs of contiguous trees, and having
a kind of social compact that often arises into the dignity of law. For example, the elder
Rooks will not permit the younger members of the community to build their nests upon
an isolated tree at a distance from the general assemblage ; and if they attempt to infringe
this regulation, always attack the offending nest in a body, and tear it to pieces. They
are even clever enough to notice the marks that are made on the trunks of trees that are
to be felled, and will neither build on those doomed branches nor permit their young
friends to do so. They also have a kind of criminal code, for they have been seen to hold
a sort of trial, ending in the condemnation and execution of the culprit; and they
unanimously punish those lazy Rooks which, instead of going out to fetch sticks for their
nests, stay quietly at home and rob those of other Rooks.

The number of birds that are to be found in such rookeries is enormously great,
several thousands having been counted in a single assemblage. In such cases they do
great damage to the upper branches of the trees, and in some instances have been known
to kill the tree, by the continual destruction of the growing boughs.

The colour of the Rook is a glossy, deep blue-black ; the blue being more conspicuous
on the wing-coverts and the sides of the head and neck. The bird may be easily
recognised, even at a distance, by the conspicuous greyish-white skin, which serves to
distinguish it from the crow. The length of an adult Rook is about eighteen or
nineteen inches.

THE smallest of the British Corvide is the well-known JACKDAW, a bird of infinite
wit and humour, and one that has an extraordinary attachment for man and his
habitations.

Although of similar form, and black of plumage, the Jackdaw may easily be distin-
guished from either the rook or the crow by the grey patch upon the crown of the head
and back of the neck, which is very conspicuous, and can be seen at a considerable
distance. The voice, too, is entirely different from the caw of the rook or the hoarse ery
of the crow, and as the bird is very loquacious, it soon announces itself by the tone of its
voice. It generally takes up its home near houses, and is fond of nesting in old buildings,
especially preferring the steeples and towers of churches and similar edifices, where its
nest and young are safe from the depredations of stoats, weasels, and other destroyers.
Indeed, there are few places where Jackdaws will not build, provided that they are
tolerably steep and high; and there are many curious circumstances in connexion with its
nesting, which will presently be mentioned.

In its wild state the Jackdaw has many of the rook habits, and therefore needs no
particular description. Mudie, however, mentions a curious circumstance, which seems to
point out a closer relationship between rooks and Jackdaws than could be supposed. “In
the latter part of the season, when the rooks from one of the most extensive rookeries in

Britain (in the woods of Panmure) made daily excursions of about six miles to the warm
grounds by the seaside, and in their flight passed over a deep ravine in the rocky sides—
or rather side, for they only inhabited the sunny one—on which there were many Jack-
daws, I have observed that when the cawing of the rooks in their morning flight was heard
at the ravine, the Jackdaws, who had previously been still and quiet, instantly raised their
shriller notes and flew up to join the rooks, both parties clamouring loudly as if welcoming

JACKDAW.—Corvus monédula.

each other, and that on the return, the time of which was no bad augury of the weather of
the succeeding day, the Daws accompanied the rooks a little past the ravine ; then both
cawed their farewell and departed.

What is more singular, I have seen, too frequently for its being merely accidental, a
Daw return for a short time to the rooks, a rook to the Daws, or one from each race meet
between and be noisy together for a space after the bands had separated. With the
reason I do not interfere, not being in the secrets of either party, but the fact is as certain
as it is curious.”

Tn captivity, to which it accommodates itself with most philosophical composure, the
Jackdaw is a very amusing bird, and soon learns many curious tricks. I have already
recorded many anecdotes of some tame Jackdaws in “ My Feathered Friends,” published
by Messrs. Routledge, to which the reader is referred, as well as for a more detailed
history of the rook, magpie, and many others of the same tribe. I will therefore refrain
from repeating them, and only give one or two anecdotes of a Jackdaw that belonged to
one of my friends, and which was to the full as remarkable a bird as any that I have
met with,

He was imitative in the extreme, and more than once had put the house in danger by
his passion for lighting lucifer matches, of which amusement he was as fond as any child.
On one occasion he lighted the kitchen fire in the course of the night. The cook had laid
the fire over-night, intending to apply the match early in the morning. The Jackdaw
contrived to get hold of the lucifer box, and had evidently rubbed the match upon the
bars and so set fire to the combustibles, as the cook found the fire nearly burnt out, the
Jackdaw in the kitchen, and some eighteen or nineteen exploded matches lying in the
fender.

The first time that this Jackdaw lighted a match he was so frightened at the sharp
crackling report that he ran away as fast as he could go, coughing and sneezing after his
fashion from the fumes of the sulphur, he having held the match close to the phosphoric
end. He never seemed to distinguish the ignitible end of the match, and would rub away
with great perseverance on the blank end, without discovering the cause of his failure. By

400 ANECDOTES OF THE JACKDAW.

degrees he contrived to singe all the feathers from his forehead and nostrils, and once
burned his foot rather severely.

He was greatly afraid of thunder, and had a singular power of predicting a coming
storm. In such a case he would retire to some favourite hiding-place, generally a dark
hole in a wall, or a cavity in an old yew which exactly contained him, and would there
tuck himself into a very compact form so as to suit the dimensions of his hiding-place, his
body being tightly squeezed into the cavity and his tail projecting along the side. In
this odd position he would remain until the storm had passed over, but if he were called
by any one whom he knew, his confidence would return, and he would come out of his
hole very joyously in spite of the thunder, crying out, “Jack’s a brave bird!” as if he
entirely understood the meaning of the sentence. He may possibly have had some idea
of the sense of words, for he hated being called a coward, and would resent the term with
all the indignation at his command.

There are, however, few birds which are possessed of the ingenuity which characterised
this Jackdaw, for it may be noticed that every bird has its own individuality strongly
marked, even though the same type of intellectual power may characterise it in common
with all others of the same tribe.

Another Jackdaw, belonging to one of my friends, was a most inveterate poacher,
having taken to himself an associate or accomplice in the person of the cat belonging to
the house. This oddly matched couple used to make their egress and ingress through
a hole in the bottom of a very thick quickset hedge, and as soon as they emerged into the
open fields, would immediately hunt for game. Their mode of catching and killing game
was not clearly ascertained, but its successful results were evident from the frequency with
which they used to bring home dead hares, often as large as the cat, but generally small.
On one occasion a singular fluttering of wings and scratching of claws was heard in the
hedge, and when the owner of the two animals went to ascertain its cause, he found that
they had brought home a hare so large that they could not drag it through the hole in the
hedge, and were quite frantic in their eagerness to attain their object, the cat pulling from
within, and the Jackdaw pushing from without.

In the “ Annals of Sporting” is recorded a curious anecdote of the attachment displayed
by the Jackdaw to its owner. The relator of the anecdote, after making a few casual
remarks, proceeds as follows: “I pulled up for the first time to bait at the King’s Head,
Egham, and soon after my arrival a young man rode into the inn-yard from the opposite
direction, and dismounted at the door of the taproom belonging to the hotel. Almost
immediately following this common event, a Jackdaw alighted on a shed adjoining, which,
however, as those birds are frequently kept at such places, did not attract any particular
attention, till the ostler called out, ‘Ah! here you are then again, true to the old house
and young master.’ I immediately asked whom he meant. ‘Why Jack, Sir, yonder!’
pointing to the Daw. ‘And what of him?’ I went on to inquire. ‘Oh! Sir, he is a most
’eute and cunning fellow, and follows his master wherever he goes, either on horseback or
on foot. This awakened my interest, and I received these further particulars of this
extraordinary bird.

He belonged to the son of the ostler of the ‘Bush’ at Staines, and was constantly fed
and taken care of by him, until he became quite his familiar friend ; so much so, indeed;
that the circumstance created wonder in the vicinity of its home. So convinced was the
ostler of the faith and devotion of his feathered acquaintance, that on one particular
occasion, as he was setting off from Staines to Hounslow on horseback, he made a wager
—a large one for him—of two bowls of punch with a person who doubted that the bird
would obey the call of his master and follow his route. He then mounted, and exclaiming,
‘Come, Jack, I'm going!’ put his horse in motion. In a very short time the bird's wings
were extended, and he attended the progress and return of his feeder, leaving not the
shadow of a plea for the non-payment of the bet which the sceptic had so unwittingly
ventured.

This, and some other circumstances which my informant mentioned, induced me to
watch more narrowly the motions of the bird, and I observed him constantly hopping from
place to place, and every now and then pitching upon the sill of the window that lighted

,GREAT-BILLED, CROW.—Corvus crassirostris

the taproom, in order to ascertain if his travelling companion was still within. On one
occasion, indeed, he pressed quite anxiously into ‘the room, and obse srving him he sought
not inclined immediately to move, he took a flight in a circular direction for nearly half
a mile, returning again to his former station. Soon after this the man prepared his horse,
Jack mounted upon the sign-post, and as soon as the former had ridden about a hundred
yards on his road to Staines, he fluttered his dark pinions and followed the well-remem-
bered track of the ostler-boy of Staines.”

The grey patch on the head and neck is not seen until the bird attains maturity, the
feathers being of the same black hue as on the remainder of the body until the first moult,
when the juvenile plumage is shed and the adult garments assumed.

The nest of the Jackdaw is a very rude structure of sticks, lined, or rather covered,
with hay, wool, feathers, and all kinds of miscellaneous substances of a warm kind for the
eges and young. It is placed in various localities, generally in buildings or rocks, but has
often been found in hollow trees and even in the holes of rabbit-warrens, the last-mentioned
locality being a very remarkable one, as the young birds must be in constant danger of
marauding stoats and weasels. In one instance a quantity of broken glass was employed

9 Dp

“~.

402 THE ROYSTON OR HOODED CROW.

in the foundation of the nest. The Jackdaw is not choice in the selection of feathered
neighbours, for I have found in the same tower the nests of pigeons, Jackdaws, and star-
lings, in amicable proximity to each other. The eggs are smaller and much paler than
those of the rook or crow, but have a similar general aspect. Their number is about five.

The general colour of the Jackdaw is black, with the exception of the back of the
head and the nape of the neck, which are grey. "A decided tinge of glossy blue is percep-
tible on the wings. The total length of the adult Jackdaw is about fourteen inches. The
female is distinguishable from her mate by the darker colour of the grey hood. In both
sexes the wings are short, and when closed do not reach within an inch of the tip of the
tail. As is the case with many others of the same tribe, there are instances of pale and
pied Jackdaws, the wings and tail being generally darker than the remainder of the body.
In the British Museum there is a good specimen of an albino jay, the body being creamy
white, while the wings retain the barred blue and black so characteristic of the species,
but extremely pale.

Sometimes the Jackdaw will take possession of the deserted nest of a rook or crow,
and laying a substratum of hay and wool upon the original fabric, deposit its eggs and
rear its young upon this easily gotten property. Occasionally, but very rarely, the Jack-
daw has been seen to build a regular nest in the branches of trees, rocks, or wR
—ruins and church-towers being wanting.

THE remarkable bird which has very appropriately been called the GREAT-BILLED
Crow is, undoubtedly, the most singular example of the whole tribe.

In its dimensions it is much larger than an ordinary crow, and rather smaller than a
raven, for which bird it might be taken but for the extraordinary beak. The bili of this
species is so large as to remind the observer of a toucan or a puflin, and the bite of such
a powerful weapon must be most formidable. It is very deep, thick and rounded, becoming
wider at the top and deeply ridged, curving suddenly to a point, and very sharp at its
extremity. In colour it is jetty black, except the extreme tip, which is white.

The colour of this bird is deep shining black on the upper parts, like that of the raven,
having a slight purplish gloss upon the sides. Upon the back of the neck there is a pure
white oval mark, and upon the shoulders there is another white patch of a crescentic
shape ; the two being connected with a narrow line of white down the back of the neck,
so that the whole shape of the mark resembles an orange in a wineglass. The Great-
billed Crow is a native of Abyssinia.

The Royston Crow, or HoopEp Crow, or GREY Crow, is a very conspicuous bird,
on account of the curiously pied plumage with which it is invested.

This bird is not very common in England, but is plentifully found both in Ireland,
Scotland, and the Scottish isles, having been seen in large flocks of several hundred in
number on the east coast of Jura. Generally it is not very gregarious, the male and
female only being found in company ; but it sometimes chooses to associate in little
flocks of fifteen or sixteen in number. It seems to prefer the sea-coast to any inland
locality, as it there finds a great variety of food, and is not much exposed to danger.
I have often seen these birds in the Bay of Dublin, perching upon the rocks at low water,
and searching for food among the dank seaweed, and in the rock-puddles that are left by
the retreating tide. They seemed always extremely bold, and would permit a very close
approach without exhibiting any alarm.

The food of the Hooded Crow is almost wholly of an animal nature, and consists
of small quadrupeds, carrion of every kind, worms, insects, marine animals, and the
miscellaneous mass of animal substances which are cast up by the tide and left upon
shore. Limpets form a considerable portion of its food, and are detached from the rock,
to which they cling so tightly, by an adroit peck and wrench of the bill. Sometimes it
is said that the poor Crow is not quick enough in its movements, and is held so firmly
to the rock by the alarmed limpet, that it is retained in that unpleasant position until
the returning tide overwhelms both molluse and bird.

Mussels and cockles are also favourite dainties with the Hooded Crow, which,
howeyer, is unable to open their tightly closed shells with its beak, and has recourse

ROYSTON OR HOODED CROW.—Corvus corniz.

to the expedient of carrying its prey to a great height in the air, and smashing the shell
by letting it fall upon a rock. Sometimes its ingenuity has been very ill rewarded by
the loss of its dinner, for no sooner has the shell struck upon the rock than it is seized
and carried off by another Hooded Crow which has concealed itself near the spot. As the
mussels are often very firmly bound to the rock, this ingenious bird employs another
mode of breaking their shells. He takes a tolerably large stone in his beak, rises
perpendicularly above the mussel bed, drops the stone at random upon the black mass
of molluscs below, and descends to feed on the bodies of those which have been crushed
by the missile.

Not only does the Hooded Crow feed upon such harmless diet as has already been
mentioned, but it makes great havoc among small and young birds, and has often been
known to hover about the shore sportsman, and carry off the dead and wounded birds
as they fall to the gun. It also haunts the farmyard when it finds a deficiency of food
in the open country, and darting among the poultry, kills and carries off young chickens,
or breaks and drains the eggs on which the hens are sitting. Sickly and very young
lambs are also persecuted by this voracious bird, who goes its rounds among the flocks as
regularly as a sentinel, and if its watchful eye should discover a lamb or sheep lying
on its back in a ditch, is sure to hasten its death by punching out its eyes with its long
and powerful bill. For these reasons, the Hooded Crow is entirely detested by the country
people, many of whom are imbued with sundry superstitions concerning its origin and
object.

Like many of the same tribe, it is a most annoying neighbour to the larger birds,
especially those of a rapacious nature, and never can allow a hawk, heron, or owl to pass
within ken without mobbing it in a very persevering manner.

The Hooded Crow never breeds i in society, but always builds its nest at some distance
from the homes of any other of the same species, so that, although a forest or a range of
cliffs may be inhabited by these birds, the nests are scattered very sparingly over the whole
extent. The structure of the nest is somewhat similar to that of the crows and rooks,
being a mass of sticks and heather stalks as a foundation, upon which is placed a
layer of wool, hair, and other soft substances. Sometimes the bird builds a better and

DD2

404 NESTING OF THE HOODED CROW.

more compact nest with the bark of trees; and in all cases this species breeds very early
in the season.

It is said that the Hooded Crow will sometimes breed with the common species, and
the following curious observations are recorded in the “Field Naturalist,” and quoted by
Mr. Yarrell in his history of the bird.

“For four successive years I have had opportunities of witnessing the pairing of the
carrion Crow and the Hooded Crow upon some large beech-trees which surrounded my
house in Forfarshire. They never
re-occupied the old nest, nor did
they always build their nest on
the same tree; nor was I posi-
tively certain that they were the
same individuals who returned
every year to these trees, though
it is probable that they were,
for they were never molested.
Knowing the predatory propen-
sities of the carrion Crow on
hens’ eggs, young chickens, and
even turkey poults, I would have
shot them had they been a pair
of carrion Crows; but I. was
anxious to watch the result of
what appeared to me at the time
a remarkable union.

Judging from the manners of
the two birds, the almost evident
incubations and carefulness exhi-
bited, I should say that the Hooded
Crow is the female, though the
carrion Crow did frequently sit
upon the eges, After the young
of the first year took wing, I per-
ceived that the one was a carrion
and the other a Hooded Crow,
and this distinctive character was
maintained in the young which
were hatched every year, so long
as I remained in that part of the
country. I shot the first young
pair, and ascertained that the
hooded one was the female, and
the carrion was the male, which
confirmed me in my conjecture of
the sexes of the parents. Ever
after, old and young were unmo-

SEITE IN GROW a ee lested by me ; but notwithstanding
the increase of number every
year after the first one, only one
pair came annually to build in
these beech-trees.”

This species has often been tamed, and displays much affection for its owner. One of
these birds, which had been wounded and captured, was placed in a walled garden
together with the poultry, with whom it soon made friends. In process of time it
recovered from its wound, took flight and disappeared. But after an absence of some
months it returned to its old quarters, and voluntarily took its place again with the poultry

FISH CROW.—Corvus ossifragus.

in the well-remembered spot, and was quite as familiar with the owner of the house as
any of the hens.

The Hooded Crow is boldly and conspicuously pied with grey and black, distributed as
follows: The head, back of the neck, and throat, together with the wings and tail, are
glossy bluish black, while the remainder of the body is a very peculiar grey with a slight
blackish wash. The length of the bird is about nineteen or twenty inches. It goes by
many names in different parts of the country, among which Dun Crow, Hoody, and
Hoddy are the most common.

The PHILIPPINE Crow derives its name from the locality in which it is found, its
place of residence being the Philippine Islands.

It is a striking and handsome bird on account of the elegant crest which decorates
its head and the general hue of its plumage. It is not a large bird, measuring only
eleven inches in total length. The colour of the upper parts of the body is pale green
dashed with yellow here and there, according to the direction of the light, and a similar
tint, but with more yellow, under the throat. A black band runs round the head
enveloping the eye in its progress, and is partially covered by the loose flowing feathers
of the crest. The dense wing-coverts are brown, the quill-feathers are deep olive-green
on their exterior sides, and the secondaries are tipped with white with a slight dash of
green. The bill and legs are of a reddish hue.

The Fish Crow of America is about the size of a common jackdaw, its length being
generally about sixteen inches. Our chief information of this bird and its habits is
derived from Wilson; and as his account cannot be condensed without great loss of its
original vigour and freshness, it is here given at length.

“T first met with this species on the sea-coast of Georgia, and observed that they
recularly retired to the interior as evening approached, and came down to the shores of
the river Savannah by the first appearance of day. Their voice first attracted my notice,
being very different from that of the common Crow, more hoarse and guttural, uttered as

406 THE BALD CROW.

if something stuck in their throat, and varied into several undulations as they flew along.
Their manner of flying was also unlike the others, as they frequently sailed about without
flapping their wings, something in the manner of the raven; and I soon perceived that
their food and their mode of procuring it were also different, their favourite haunts
being about the banks of the river, along which they usually sailed, dexterously snatching
up with their claws dead fish or other garbage that floated on the surface. At the
country seat of Stephen Elliot, Esq. near the Ogechee river, I took notice of these Crows
frequently perching on the backs of the cattle, ike the magpie and jackdaw of Britain,
but never mingling with the common Crows, and differing from them in this particular,
that the latter generally retire to the shore, the reeds, and marshes, to roost, while
the Fish Crow always a little before sunset seeks the interior high woods to
repose in.

On my journey through the Mississippi territory last year, I resided for some time at
the seat of my hospitable friend Dr. Samuel Brown, a few miles from Fort Adams on the
Mississippi. In my various excursions there, among the lofty fragrance-breathing magnolia
woods and magnificent scenery that adorn the luxuriant face of nature in these southern
regions, this species of Crow frequently make its appearance, distinguished by the same
voice and habits it had in Georgia.

There is in many of the ponds there, a singular kind of lizard, that swims about with
its head above the surface, making a loud sound not unlike the harsh jarring of a door.
These, the Crow now before us would frequently seize with his claws as he flew along the
surface, and retire to the summit of a dead tree to enjoy his repast. Here I also observed
him a pretty constant attendant at the pens where the cows were usually milked, and
much less shy, less suspicious, and more solitary than the common Crow. In the county
of Cape May, New Jersey, I again met with these Crows, particularly along Ege-
Harbour river, and latterly on the Schuylkill and Delaware near Philadelphia, during
the season of shad and herring fishing, viz. from the middle of March until the beginning
of June. A small party of these Crows during this period regularly passed Mr. Bertram’s
gardens to the high woods to roost every evening a little before sunset, and as regularly
returned at a little before sunrise every morning, directing their course towards the river.
The fishermen along these rivers also inform me that they have particularly remarked
this Crow by his croaking voice and his fondness for fish ; almost always hovering about
their fishing-places to glean up the refuse.

Of their manner of breeding I can only say that they separate into pairs and build
in tall trees near the sea or river shore ; one of their nests having been built this season
in a piece of tall woods near Mr. Beasley’s, at Great Egg Harbour. From the circum-
stance of six or seven being usually seen here together, in the month of July, it is
probable that they have at least four or five young at a time.”

The colour of the Fish Crow is deep steel-blue, appearing black in certain lights,
and glazed in many places with rich purple. When closed, the tips of the wings do
not reach within two inches of the end of the tail.

THE very curious bird which is known by the appropriate name of the BALD Crow is
so different in aspect from the remainder of the genus, that it has been separated from
them by common consent.

It hardly looks like a Crow, but reminds the observer of a cross between the hooded
Crow, the darter, and the leather-head. Although small and slender in make, it is longer
than many birds of much greater proportions, on account of the extremely long neck.
The legs, too, are much more elongated than in any of the true Crows. The head is
entirely denuded of feathers, or even hairs, and is covered with a blackish brown skin,
drawn closely over the skull and bones of the head. On the back of the neck and head,
the place of feathers is supplied by a scanty covering of white down. The back is black-
brown, as is also the tail, and the wings are of a remarkably pure and beautiful
mouse-brown. The neck, throat, and under surface are yellowish white. The total
length of this bird is about fifteen inches.

THE NUTCRACKER. 407

THE small but handsome and striking bird which is popularly called the NurcRACKER
Crow is extremely scarce in England, having but seldom been discovered upon the
British Islands.

As it is so conspicuous a bird, it would not escape the notice of even the most careless
observer, and we may be sure that it has very seldom, if ever, visited England without its
arrival being duly noted. It is tolerably common in several parts of Europe, and has
been seen in Switzerland in large
flocks, feeding upon the seeds of
the pine-trees after the fashion
that has gained for the bird its
name of Nutcracker. This species
feeds mostly upon seeds, especially
those of the pine, the beech, and
various nuts, and it breaks the
hard shells by fixing the nut or
pine-cone in a convenient crevice,
and hammering with its beak
until it has exposed the kernel.
Indeed, while engaged in this
pursuit, its movements are almost
precisely those of the common
nuthatch. It is a rather shy and
suspicious bird, keeping closely to
the tops of trees, and mostly being
beyond the range of an ordinary
shot-gun.

It does not, however, feed
wholly on seeds, but varies its
diet with insect food, in pursuit
of which it ranges for a consider-
able distance over the country,
seeking the insects either on the
ground or on the trees—generally
the latter.

By means of the powerful bill
and neck muscles, the Nutcracker
is able to dig out the large-bodied
grubs which are found deeply
buried in the wood of various
trees, and which it discovers
through its quick sense of sight
and hearing.

The Nutcracker is common

in Southern Europe, and is also
a visitant of the more northern
regions of that continent, being BALD CROW. — Picathartes gymnocéphalus.
frequently seen in Norway, and
even migrating so far north as
the great pine-forests of Russia,
Siberia, and Kamtschatka. Sometimes the Nutcracker becomes carnivorous in its taste,
after the manner of the corvid in general, and robs sitting birds of their eggs, or even
seizes and eats their callow young. It is a very active bird, traversing the branches
with great rapidity, and being able to climb the perpendicular trunk of a tree almost as
well as the creepers. That it frequently puts this accomplishment in practice is evident
from the fact that the tips of the tail-feathers are often found to be worn away, evidently
by the pressure which they have exerted against the rough bark of the trees,

NUTCRACKER.—Nucifraga curyocutactes,

The nest of this species is made at the extremity of a long tunnel cut in the
wood of some decaying tree, and either originally dug by the bird, with the express
object of making a resting-place for its eggs, or altered and adapted from an already
existing hole. In this respect, as well as in other habits, the Nutcracker bears some
resemblance to the woodpeckers. The eggs are said to be from five to six in number, and
greyish yellow in colour, spotted with a darker hue. The bird seems to require a large
supply of nourishment; and although it cannot be ranked among the true migrators,
it can range over a large extent of country in search of food, being instinctively able
to discover the localities where its wants can be best supplied.

The colouring of this bird is peculiar, and rather complicated. The crown of the head
is deep brown, and the space between the beak and the eye is greyish white. The back,
the sides of the head, the scapularies, the wing-coverts, and the whole of the under surface
of the body are of a warm brown, covered thickly with elongated white spots, caused by
the white tips with which each feather is furnished. The throat and chin take a darker
hue, but are still marked with the conspicuous white spots. The wings and upper tail-
coverts are dark black-brown, the black being less marked at the extremities of the feathers.
The tail is mostly blackish brown, diversified with white, the two central feathers being
totally dark, and the remainder taking more white as they approach the two external
feathers. The under surface of the tail is light grey-brown. The total length of the
Nutcracker is about thirteen or fourteen inches.

AMERICA possesses a very pretty example of this genus in the CLARK’s NUTCRACKER.

This bird is notable for the diversified beauty of its plumage, and for the extremely
formidable claws with which it is armed; the latter peculiarity leading to the idea that
the bird preys on various living animals, after the manner of the fish crow. It frequents
the rivers and sea-shore in considerable numbers, assembling in flocks, like the rook of
Europe, and pouncing continually upon various substances which it immediately swallows.
It is a very noisy as well as gregarious bird, chattering continually while feeding.

The wings, the two central tail-feathers, and several of the remaining feathers of the
tail are deep glossy blue-black, and the secondaries are also black, but are marked with

a large patch of white. The head, neck, and greater part of the body i is light fawn,
changing to a pearly grey upon the breast and abdomen. The total length of this bird is
about thirteen inches.

Wo does not know the Magpie, the pert, the gay, the mischievous? What denizen
of the country is not familiar with his many exploits in the way of barefaced and
audacious theft, his dipping flight, and his ingenuity im bafiling the devic the @ fowler
and the gunner? What inhabitant of the town has not seen him co oped i in his wicker
dwelling, dull and begrimed with the daily smoke, but yet pert as ever; talkative e, and a
wonderful admirer of his dingy plumage and ragged tail ?

The Magpie is found in very many parts of the world, and is plentiful throu:
England, always keeping to well-wooded districts, as if distrusting its power of flight in
the open country ; for the larger hawks are prone to fly at the Magpie, which has but
little chance of escape upon the plain, but can always evade his foe among hedgerows and
plantations, by slipping among the branches and dodging through the foliage. Even a
trained falcon fails to catch a Magpie when it has once reached such an asylum, and the
falconer is forced to drive it from its refuge before the hawk can secure its prey y- Insome
parts of England, Magpie hawking is a favourite amusement, for the Magpie is to the full
as cunning as a fox, and in spite of all the array of beaters, hounds, and horsemen, not
unfrequently baffles its pursuers, and makes its escape in safety.

The food of the Magpie is as multifarious as that of the crow or raven, and consists
of various animal and vegetable substances. It is a determined robber of other birds’
nests, dragging the unfiedged young out of their homes, or driving its bill through their
eggs and thus carrying them away. Even hens’ nests are not spared by this bold and
voracious bird, who, however, sometimes falls a victim io its ee: propensities.
The aggrieved poultry-owner, after removing the eggs from all the hens’ nests, empties
one of the eggs, and fills it again with bird-lime. This prepared egg is then placed
in the nest as a bait for the Magpie, who soon returns to the scene of its former n )bberies,
drives its beak into the egg, and makes off with its booty. Its triumph is, however, very
short-lived, fer the bird soon finds itself unable to get rid of the stolen egg in the usual

410 THE MAGPIE.

manner, and at last batters it against a stone or branch for the purpose of breaking the
shell. The natural consequence is, that the birdlime immediately clings to the beak, and
the broken fragments of shell, which fly in every direction, cover the wings and plumage
as the bird tries to shake itself loose from its impediments, and the Magpie falls to
the ground in a hopelessly crippled state, and becomes an easy victim to the author
of the snare.

The Magpie also attacks full-grown birds, mice, reptiles of various kinds, and has been
observed in the act of killing a common grass snake. Beetles it eats in very large
quantities, and also feeds upon worms, snails, and various similar creatures, so that the
harm which it does to the game and poultry is probably more than compensated by its
good offices in ridding the gardens and cultivated grounds of their varied foes. It also
eats fruits, and has been seen to feast eagerly on the light succulent berries of the
mountain ash.

Like the crow, the Magpie is a determined persecutor of various birds and beasts of
prey, scarcely allowing a hawk to pass within ken, or a weasel or stoat to glide along the
bottom of a hedge without screeching forth an alarm and a summons to its allies, and
dashing at once to the attack. Mr. Metcalf relates, that while in Norway, he saw
his dog pursued and mobbed by at least forty of these birds. The same writer also
remarks, that he captured a Magpie by means of a piece of meat on a hook. The bird
took the bait as eagerly as any perch would have done, and, to its profound astonishment,
was immediately hooked. Mr. Metcalf amused himself for a little while in “playing”
the bird as if it had been a fish, with this difference, that the Magpie was trying to escape
by flight, and poured forth a succession of most dismal yells, which sent off all its
formerly valiant companions screaming with terror at the unexpected sight.

The nest of the Magpie is a rather complicated edifice, domed, with an entrance at the
side, and mostly formed on the exterior of three branches, so as to afford an effectual
protection against any foe who endeavours to force admittance into so strong a fortress.
Generally the nest is placed at the very summit of some lofty tree, the bird usually
preferring those trees which run for many feet without a branch. The tops of tall pines
are favourite localities for the Magpie’s nest, as the trunk of these trees is bare of branches
except at the summit, and the dark green foliage of the spreading branches is so thick
that it affords an effectual shelter to the large and conspicuous edifice which rests upon
the boughs. Sometimes, however, when the Magpie has been protected, and accustomed
itself to the vicinity of human habitations, it has fixed its nest in a low bush near the
ground, as if trusting to the kindly feelings of its human neighbours.

Although displaying great attachment to its mate, and the most dauntless courage in
defending its nest and young, its affections seems to be rather transient in their character,
and quite unable to withstand the test of absence. For example, if one Magpie of a
pair be shot, the survivor never fails to find another mate within the space of two or three
days. Sometimes the period of widowhood exists only for some twenty-four hours, and
there have been instances where a Magpie has found another mate within a few hours
after the decease of its former spouse.

When tame, it is a most amusing bird, teaching itself all kinds of odd tricks, and
learning to talk with an accuracy and volubility little inferior to that of the parrot. It is,
however, a most incorrigibly mischievous bird, and unless subjected to the most careful
supervision is capable of doing a very great amount of damage in a wonderfully short
space of time. I have witnessed a multitude of these exploits, but as I have already
related many of them in my “Feathered Friends,” the reader is referred to the pages
of that little work for a tolerably long series of new and original Magpie anecdotes.

Mr. Thompson tells an amusing story of a tame Magpie which struck up a friend-
ship with a peculiarly long-wooled sheep. The bird was accustomed to sit on the
back of its friend, couching luxuriantly upon the long thick fleece, and making short
excursions among the sheep for the purpose of pecking their legs, and making them run
about. Healso employed the fleece of his friend as a treasury of stolen goods, being accus-
tomed to hide his pilferings among the thick wool and mount guard over them. The same
writer has published the following interesting account of a tame Magpie belonging to

MAGPIE.—Pica caudéta

Dr. Stevelly, of Belfast, who communicated to him the story, from which the following is
an extract.

“He was particularly fond of any shining article, such as spoons and trinkets ; these
he frequently stole, and we came upon his treasure-house in a remarkable way. There
was an old gentleman, a great friend of my father’s, who resided with us almost con-
tinually. He was of a peculiarly studious disposition, but from a deformity in his person
used generally to read standing, with his arms and breast resting on the back of a chair, and
the book placed on a table before him. After having read for a while, it was his habit to
take off his spectacles, lay them beside him, blow his nose, take a pinch of snuff, and after
a few moments pondering what he had been reading, resume the spectacles and proceed.

One very warm day I lay reading at the end of a room in which there was an open
glass door leading to the greenhouse ; in this room the old gentleman was most intently
pursuing his studies at a little distance from me. My attention was soon arrested by
seeing the Magpie perched upon the chair near him, eyeing him most intently, and with a
very arch expression, and at length, in an instant, he had with a most active hop reached

412 THE MAGPIE.

the table, secured the red leathern spectacle-case, and was out of the glass door with the
most noiseless wing, and witha very graceful motion.

I remained quiet, resolved to see the end of the joke. After a few seconds’ absence.
‘Jack’ was again at his post, eyeing the old gentleman with a most inquisitive and yet
business-like glance ; it was nearly impossible to resist the ludicrous impression produced
by the entire scene. At length off came the spectacles, and out came the pocket-handker-
chief and snuff-box ; quick as thought Jack had visited the table and was out of the open
door with the prize, which I have no doubt had from the beginning been the object of
his covetous admiration while they were on the nose of the old gentleman. This time
the Magpie did not return, either because he found it more difficult to reach his store-
house with the spectacles than with the case, or because, having gained the object of his
ambition, he conceived his presence no longer necessary.

At length, the period of rumination having elapsed, the old gentleman was about
replacing the spectacles. As soon as his surprise had abated at not finding them with his
hand beside him on the table, he removed the chair and groped about on the carpet, then
raised the book and examined every part of the table. Not being able to restrain
myself any longer, I exploded in laughter, and of course I was instantly suspected of
playing off a practical joke, and charged with taking the spectacles, but at length
succeeded in convincing him that I had never risen from the sofa on which I reclined.
After a good deal of laughing, and two or three other members of the family having
been attracted to the room by the hubbub, I was compelled under cross-examination to
own that I had witnessed Jack’s abstractions.

The question then became serious how the articles were to be recovered, and some
person suggested to leave a teaspoon near him and watch him. This was accordingly
done, but his motions were so rapid that he eluded us all, seeming at first to pass completely
over the house. At length, by placing two or three persons in favourable positions, he
was ‘marked’ in a leaden valley between a double part of the roof, and this having been
closely searched, a deposit was discovered, not only of the things which Jack had that day
carried off, but also of some articles which had been for some time supposed to be lost,
but respecting which a breath of suspicion as to him had never been entertained. This
day’s successful foray led to his losing his entire store, no doubt in the midst of his
triumphant rejoicing.”

Although imported into Treland at a comparatively late period, the Magpie has taken
complete possession of that island, and is found in very great numbers, four or five being
often seen within a few hundred yards of each other. The beautiful wings of this bird are
much sought after for the purpose of being dried, flattened, and mounted on hand-sereens ;
the two wings being mounted with their external quills together, so as to form a screen
of a heart-like shape.

Many superstitious ideas have always been current respecting the Magpie, its appear-
ance singly, doubly, or trebly being held as an omen of bad or good luck, and various pre-
dictions being made from the direction in which it appeared to the observer. Excepting
the illiterate, however, there are few in our land who now give any credence to such
tales; but in many other countries these doctrines are held by high and low alike. In
the latter part of 1860, an official despatch was presented to the Chamber of Deputies at
Dresden, requesting a supply of Magpies for the purpose of manufacturing a powder all-
potent against epilepsy. Great stress was laid upon the two points, that the birds must
be neither deficient in claws nor feathers, and that they must be shot between the 24th
of December and the 18th of January. This extraordinary document was not only
presented and read in good faith, but was backed by many noble names.

The plumage of this bird is remarkably handsome both in colour and form. The
head, neck, back, and upper tail-coverts are deep black, with a slight green gloss in
certain lights ; and the same colour is found on the chin, the throat, the upper part of the
breast, and the base, tips, and outer edges of the primary quill-feathers. The secondaries
are also black, but with a blue gloss, which becomes peculiarly rich on the tertials and
wing-coverts, ‘The inner web of the primaries is white for a considerable portion of its

THE BALD FRUIT CROW. ~ 413

length, presenting a bold and conspicuous appearance when the bird spreads its wings.
The central feathers of the tail are nearly eleven inches in length, and they decrease
gradually in size; those on the exterior being hardly five inches long. Their colour is a
wonderfully rich mixture of the deepest blue, purple, and green, the green heing towards
the base, and the blue and purple towards the extremity. The under surface of the tail-
feathers is dull black. The lower parts of the breast, abdomen, and flanks are snowy
white. The total length of the
adult male bird is about eighteen
inches, the female being rather
smaller and with a shorter tail.

Tue Fruit Crows are placed by
some systematic authors among
the chatterers, while others, as in
the catalocue which we follow,
have considered them to be nearly
related to the true Crows. They
are all natives of Southern Ame-
rica, and are distinguished by their
straight flattened beak, with its
upper mandible round, and a notch
at its extremity. The nostrils are
placed in two membranous groves
at each side of the bill. Most of
the Fruit Crows are of considerable
dimensions, some species equalling
the Crows of Europe, while others
are a little less.

The BARE-NECKED FRuIT Crow
inhabits Brazil and Guiana, and
is far from uncommon in those
countries. It is not a very large
bird, hardly equalling the com-
mon jackdaw in size, but is
worthy of notice on account of the
peculiarity from which it derives
its popularname. Instead of being
covered with the usual plumage,
the upper part of the head, the
back of the neck, and the throat
are clothed with very minute and
closely-set feathers of a very deep
black, so that the bird looks as
if the neck had been denuded
of feathers, and covered with a
piece of neatly sewn black velvet.
On the sides of the neck even
this slight clothing is absent, the
plumage being represented merely by a few scanty feathers of down. The general colour
of the feathers is black in the male, and brownish grey in the female, excepting the
wing-coverts and the edges of the central quill-feathers, which are slaty grey. The
Bare-necked Fruit Crow is not at all an elegant bird in its form, being heavily made
and thick-set.

BARE-NECKED FRUIT CROW.—Gymnoderus fatidus.

THERE are several other members of this curious group, such as the BALD Frurr
Crow, called also the Capucnin BALD HEAD, on account of the peculiarity which has

BALD FRUIT CROW.—Gymnocéphalus calvus.

earned for it the popular titles by which it is known. In allusion to the monk-like
aspect of the head, the Creoles of Cayenne call it “ Oiseau mon Pere.”

This species is larger than the preceding, being quite equal to the English Crow in
size, and being altogether of a thicker and larger make. It is very common in Guinea.
The head of the Bald Fruit Crow is very large and heavily made, and the whole front of
the bird is totally bare, like that of the leatherhead, already described and figured. Many
naturalists think that while the Bald Fruit Crow is still young, its head is clothed with
feathers, together with the remainder of the body, and that, like the rook of Europe, it
loses the feathers when it attains maturity. There has been considerable argument on
the subject, but it seems to have been tolerably well settled that the young bird is
feathered and the old bird bare.

This bird, together with the other Fruit Crows, makes the greater part of its meal
on berries, fruits, and other vegetable substances ; but will often vary its diet by an
admixture of insects, snails, and many similar creatures. It is seldom seen upon the
ground, finding its food among the branches, and confining itself almost exclusively to
their shelter. The generic names Gymnoderus and Gymnocephalus, which have been
appropriately given to these birds, are of Greek origin, and signify, the former, “naked-
necked,” and the latter “naked-headed.” The general colour of the Bald-headed Fruit
Crow is dark brown, something like the dingy brown of a capuchin’s cloak, thus giving
to the bird the popular title of Capuchin. This colour is, however, relieved by the darker
hue of the quill-feathers of the wings and tail, which are deep black.

UMBRELLA BIRD.—Cephaldpterus ornétus.

THE group of the Fruit Crows may lay claim to the credit of reckoning among
their number one of the most singular of the feathered tribe. The UMBRELLA Brrp,
so well depicted in the accompanying illustration, is a truly remarkable creature, and
from the extraordinary mode in which its plumage is arranged, never fails of attracting
the attention of the most casual spectator.

The bird is a native of the islands of the South American rivers—being seldom if ever
seen on the main land—from whence it is not unfrequently brought by collectors, as there is
always a ready sale for its skin, either to serve as an ornament in glass cases, or a specimen
for a museum. In dimensions the Umbrella Bird equals the common crow of England,
and but for the curious plume which adorns its head, and the tuft which hangs from its
breast, might be mistaken at a distance for that bird. The general colour of this species
is rich shining black, glazed with varying tints of blue and purple like the feathers of the
magpie’s tail.

Very little is known of the habits of the bird; but a very good description of its
appearance when living has been given by Mr, W allace in the followi ing words: “Its
crest is, perhaps, the “most fully ‘developed and beautiful of any bird known. It is
composed of long slender feathers, rising from a contractile skin on the top of the head.
The shafts are white, and the plume glossy blue, hair-hke, and curved outward at the tip,
When the crest is laid back, the shafts form a compact white mass, sloping up from the
top of the head, and surmounted by the dense hairy plumes. Even in this position it is
not an inelegant crest, but it is when it is fully spread that its peculiar character is

416 THE CHOUGH.

developed. The shafts then radiate on all sides from the top of the head, reaching in
front beyond and below the tip of the beak, which is completely hidden from view. The
top then forms a perfect, slightly elongated dome, of a beautiful shining blue colour,
having a point of divergence rather behind the centre, like that in the human head. The
length of this dome from front to back is about five inches, the breadth four to four and a
half inches.’

Scarcely less curious than the “umbrella,” as this overhanging plume is very
appropriately named, is a bunch of elongated feathers that hang from the breast in a tuft,
perfectly distinct from the rest of the plumage. The peculiarity in this tuft is, that the
feathers of which it is composed do not grow from the neck, but from a cylindrical fleshy
erowth, about as thick as an ordinary goose-quill and an inch and a half long. The whole
of this curious appendage is covered with feathers, so that the breast tuft is wholly
distinct from the feathers of the neck and breast. The entire skin of the neck is
extremely loose, more so than in any other bird, according to Mr. Wallace. The feathers
of this tuft are edged with a beautiful and resplendent blue, and lap over each other like
so many scales.

The food of the Umbrella Bird consists chiefly of berries and various fruits, and it
always rejects the hard stones of stone fruit. As its cry is extremely loud and deep, the
natives call the bird by a name which signifies a pipe.

OF the next little group of Corvide, named the Pyrrhocoracinz, or Scarlet Crows, in
allusion to the red bill and legs of some of the species, England possesses a good example
in the common CxuovcH. In all these birds the beak is long, slender, slightly curved
downwards, and with a small notch at the extremity.

The Chough is essentially a coast bird, loving rocks and stones, and having a great
dislike to grass or hedges of every kind. When in search of food it will venture for some
little distance inland, and has been observed in the act of following the ploughman after
the manner of the rook, busily engaged in picking up the grubs that are unearthed.
Sometimes it will feed upon berries and grain, but evidently prefers animal food, pecking
its prey out of the crevices among the rocks with great rapidity and certainty of aim, its
long and curved beak aiding it in drawing the concealed insects out of their hiding-places.
Cornwall is the chief nesting-place of the Chough, but it is also found in many other
portions of England and the British Isles ; and the celebrated lines in “ King Lear” are
too familiarly known to need quoting as a proof that the Chough was in Shakespeare's
time an inhabitant of the Dover cliffs. It is also found in many other parts of the world,
having been observed in Europe, Asia, and several districts of Africa.

The character of the Chough is not unlike that of the Magpie, and is so admirably
delineated by Montagu in an account of a tame specimen in his possession, that it must
be related in his own words.

“ His curiosity is beyond bounds, never failing to examine anything new to him. If
the gardener is pruning, he examines the nail-box, carries off the nails, and scatters the
shreds about. Should a ladder be left against the wall, he instantly mounts and goes all
round the top of the wall; and if hungry, descends at a convenient place and immediately
travels to the kitchen-window, where he makes an incessant knocking with his bill till he
is fed or let in: if allowed to enter, his first endeavour is to get upstairs, and if not
interrupted, goes as high as he can, and gets into any room in the attic storey ; but his
intention is to get upon the top of the house. He is excessively fond of being caressed,
and would stand quietly by the hour to be smoothed, but resents an affront with violence
and effect both by bill and claws, and will hold so fast by the latter that he is with
difficulty disengaged. Is extremely attached to one lady, upon the back of whose chair
he will sit for hours, and is particularly fond of making one in a party at breakfast, or in
a summer's evening at the tea-table in the shrubbery.

His natural food is evidently the smallest insects; even the minute species he picks
out of the crevices of the walls, and searches for them in summer with great diligence.
The common grasshopper is a great dainty, and the fern chaffer is another favourite
morsel: these are swallowed whole ; but if the great chafler be given to him, he places it

BIRDS OF PARADISE. 417

under one foot, pulls it to pieces and eats it by piecemeal. Worms are wholly rejected,
but flesh, raw or dressed, and bread he eats greedily, and sometimes barley, with the
pheasants and other eranivorous birds occasionally turned into the garden, and never
refuses hempseed. He seldom attempts to hide the remainder of a meal.

With a very considerable share of attachment, he is naturally pugnacious, and the
hand that the moment before had tendered him food and caresses will repent an attempt
to take him up. To children he
has an utter aversion, and will
scarcely suffer them to enter the
garden. Even strangers of any
age are challenged with impunity ;
he approaches all with daring im-
pudence, and so completely does
the sight of strangers change his
affection for the time, that even
his favourites and best bene-
factors cannot touch him with
impznity in these moments of
evident displeasure.”

As is the case with nearly all
coast birds, the Chough builds its
nest at no great distance from the
sea, generally choosing some con-
venient crevice in a cliff, or an
old ruin near the sea-shore. The
nest is always placed at a consi-
derable elevation from the ground,
and is made of sticks lined with
wool, hair, and other soft sub-
stances. The eggs are usually
five in number, and in colour
they are yellower than those of
the crow or rook, but are spotted
with similar tints. The general
colour of the Chough is black,
with a rich blue gloss, contrasting
well with the vermilion-red of the
beak, legs, and toes. The claws
are black, and the eyes are curi-
ously coloured with red and blue
in concentric circles. The total
length of the adult male Chough
is about seventeen inches, and
the female is about three inches
shorter.

CHOUGH.—Cordcia gracula.

THE supremely glorious mem-
bers of the feathered tribe which
have by common consent been
termed Brrps OF PARADISE are not very numerous in species, but are so different in
form and colour, according to the sex and age, that they have been considered far
more numerous than is really the case. The plumage of these birds is wonderfully rich
and varied, and not even the humming-birds themselves present such an inexhaustible
treasury of form and colour as is found among the comparatively few species of the Birds
of Paradise. In all, the feathers glow with resplendent radiance, in nearly all there is
some strange and altogether unique arrangement of the plumage, and in many the feathers
2, EE

418 THE KING BIRD OF PARADISE.

are modified into plumes, ribbons, and streamers, that produce the most surprising and
lovely effects.

Various strange tales were told of these birds by the ancient writers. The Paradise
Bird was thought to have no legs or feet, or use for them, but to pass its time floating in
the air, and only taking a little occasional rest by suspending itself from the branches of
a tree by the feathers of its tail. The obvious difficulty of hatching the eggs was
accounted for by saying that they were laid in the hollow formed by the plumage
of the male, and that the mother bird sat upon them while resting on the back of her
husband, both birds floating luxuriously in the breeze, and feeding on the soft dews of
heaven. This fable found its origin in the fact that the natives of the country where the
Paradise Bird resides, always cut off its legs before preserving the skin, so that all the
specimens which reached Europe were legless. The plan of preservation adopted was
simple in the extreme. The interior organs of the bird were removed, the legs cut
off, a hot iron thrust into the body, and the bird dried over a fire without any
further care.

The food and habits of these birds seem to be very similar, although the plumage
is so distinct. I shall, therefore, give a detailed account of one species, and merely
present the reader with good figures and short descriptions of the others. These birds
had formerly been broken up into many genera, but are now very rightly shown to be
members of the same genus.

THE first species on our list is the Manucopg, or Kine Brrp OF PARADISE, so called
because it was thought to exercise a regal sway over the other species, and to hold itself
aloof from them like a proud and imperious monarch.

It is a very little bird, the body being scarcely larger than that of a common sparrow,
and is remarkable for the very eccentrie way in which its plumage is arranged, as will
be seen from an examination of the engraving. The natives of the country which it
inhabits say that it lives in flocks of thirty or forty in number, under the guidance of
one bird which is termed the king, and which is known by the eyes at the extremity of
the long tail-feathers. They further relate that the whole troop perches together on the
branches of a tree, and that if the king can only be shot, the whole of his subjects
remain around his dead body and can be slain without difficulty.

Le Vaillant, in treating of this subject, remarks that the King Bird of Paradise very
often gets among a flock of another species, and would therefore hold, and be held, rather
aloof from them. Moreover, this species is solitary, and is by no means fond of tall trees,
preferring to flit among the low bushes in search of the berries and other food on which
it subsists. The natives of New Guinea are in the habit of capturing the King Bird of
Paradise by means of a kind of bird-lime, which they make from one of their native
plants, and which they lay along the branches which the bird is known to frequent.
During the greater part of the year this species remains in New Guinea, but during
the western monsoon it migrates to the Aroo islands, returning as soon as the rainy
season sets in.

Lesson, who had the opportunity of a few days’ visit to New Guinea, and who, like an
enthusiastic naturalist, certainly made the very best use of his limited time, makes the
following remarks upon this bird: “The Manucode presented itself twice in our shooting
excursions, and we killed the male and the female. This species would seem to be
monogamous, or perhaps it is only separated into pairs at the period of laying. In the
woods this bird has no brilliancy ; its fine coloured plumage is not discovered, and the
tints of the female are dull. It loves to take its station on the teak-trees, whose ample
foliage shelters it, and whose small fruit forms its nourishment. Its irides are brown,
and the feet are of a delicate azure. The Papuans call it Saya.”

The King Bird of Paradise is as beautiful as it is rare. The whole upper parts of the
body are rich chestnut with a wash of purple, and the under portions of the body are
pure white. Across the chest is drawn a band of light golden-green, and from the sides
and below the shoulders spring a series of feathers, disposed so as to form a plume, their
colour being dusky brown tipped with vivid green. From the upper tail-coverts spring

EMERALD BIRD OF PARADISE.—Puradisea dpods. (Male and Female.) KING BIRD OF PARADISE.—Paradisea régia.

the very long and very slender shafts, which are bare, excepting at their extremities, when
they suddenly expand into a light emerald-green web, which is curled as if it had been
just coiled into a spiral form and then flattened. The green web only belongs to one side

of the shaft.
EE2

420; THE GOLDEN BIRD OF PARADISE.

INCOMPARABLE BIRD OF PARADISE.—Paradisea gularis

ANOTHER species of these wonderful
birds is well represented in the accom-
panying illustration. This is the IN-
COMPARABLE BIRD OF PARADISE, also an
inhabitant of New Guinea.

This bird is remarkable not only for
the glorious iridescent splendour of its
robes, but for the extraordinary develop-
ment of its tail and the velvety crest on
its head, which would render it a truly
beautiful bird even were the plumage a
sober black or brown. Indeed, on first
seeing one of these birds, it is difficult to
believe that it is not altogether a “made-
up” specimen, composed, like the many
mermaids now in existence, of portions
taken from different species and inge-
niously put together. We are accustomed
by our knowledge of the peacock to see
a bird with a disproportionately long
train, but in this case the true tail-
feathers are developed both in length
and width to such an extent that they
hardly seem to have started from the
little body to which they belong.

The true position of this species has
been much doubted by naturalists, some
having considered it to be analogous to
the thrushes, and having accordingly
placed it near those birds, while others
have ranked it among the Paradise Birds,
but have made it into a fresh genus.
There seems, however, no real cause for
removing it from the other Paradise
Birds, and thus increasing the number
of genera, which is already allowed to
be far too large. As it is by no means
a common bird, and the natives of New
Guinea are not observant naturalists,
caring nothing for the birds but the price
which is paid for their skins, very little
is known of its habits. The tail of this
species is fully three times as long as the
body, the head is ornamented with a
double crest of glittering feathers, and
its whole plumage glows with an efful-
gence of varied hues that almost bafte
description. This gorgeous plumage be-
longs only to the male ; the female being
smaller, comparatively sober in hue, and
devoid of the beautiful crest which adorns
the head of her mate.

Ir is hardly possible to conceive a
more singular arrangement of plumage
than is presented in the GOLDEN Birp
oF PARADISE, although in many species

GOLDEN BIRD OF PARADISE.—Parudisea sexsetacea,

there is something so remarkable and unexpected that we believe the extreme of
uniqueness to have been reached, until we come across another species which equally
raises our wonder and admiration.

In the king Bird of Paradise we have already seen two long bare shafts springing
from the upper “tail-coverts and extending beyond the tail, Such an arrangement is not,
however, without a parallel in other members of the feathered race—as the Leona nightjar
and the great Dicrurus both possess a similar development of feathers, the wing of the
one and the tail of the other being thus decorated. But in the species which we are now
examining six long slender shafts start from the head, three on each side, bare for the
greater part of their length, and furnished with a little patch of web at their extremities.
These curious shafts are movable, as the bird possesses the power of raising them so as to
stand out horizontally on each side of the head, or of permitting them to hang loosely
down the sides of the neck. The flanks are decorated with massive plumes of a jetty
black, that are also capable of being raised or lowered at the pleasure of the bird, and
that fall over the wings and tail so as nearly to conceal them.

422, THE EMERALD BIRD OF PARADISE.

The general colour of this curious species is deep velvety-black, changing into gray
on the top of the head, and into the richest changeable golden-green on the back of the
neck. The throat is most gorgeous in the sunshine, being covered with scale-like feathers
of glittering green edged with gold. The feathers of the tail are also velvet-like, and
some of the shafts are long and filamentous. The total length of this bird is rather

under a foot.

THe EMERALD BrirD OF PARADISE is the species which is most generally known, and is
the one of which were related the absurd tales which have already been mentioned. The
specific term, apoda, signifies “footless,” and was given to the bird by Linnzeus in allusion
to those fables which were then current, but which he did not believe.

This most lovely bird is a native of New Guinea, where it is far from uncommon, and
is annually killed in great numbers for the sake of its plumage, which always commands
a high price in the market. It is a very retiring bird, concealing itself during the day in
the thick foliage of the teak-tree, and only coming from the green shelter at the rising and
setting of the sun, for the purpose of obtaining food. Almost the only successful method
of shooting the Emerald Paradise Bird is to visit a teak or fig tree before dawn, take up a
position under the branches, and there wait patiently until one of the birds comes to settle
upon the branches, or leaves the spot which has sheltered it during the night. This bird
is rather tenacious of life, and unless killed instantly is sure to make its escape amid the
dense brushwood that grows luxuriantly beneath the trees, and if the sportsman ventured
to chase a wounded bird amid the bushes, he would, in all probability, lose his way and
perish of hunger. Those sportsmen, therefore, who desire to shoot this bird always
provide themselves with guns that will carry their charge to a great distance, and employ
very large shot for the purpose, as the bird always perches on the summits of the loftiest
trees of the neighbourhood, and would not be much damaged by the shot ordinarily used
in shooting.

This species is very suspicious, so that the sportsman must maintain a profound
silence, or not a bird will show itself or utter its loud full ery, by which the hunter's
attention is directed to his victim.

The following valuable account of an Emerald Paradise Bird may be found in
“ Bennett's Wanderings,” and as it is highly descriptive of the habits which characterise
the Paradise Birds, it must be given in the words of the narrator :—

“This elegant creature has a light, playful, and graceful manner, with an arch and
impudent look; dances about when a visitor approaches the cage, and seems delighted at
being made an object of admiration : its notes are very peculiar, resembling the cawing of
the raven, but its tones are by far more varied. During four months of the year, from
May to August, it moults. It washes itself regularly twice daily, and after having
performed its ablutions, throws its delicate feathers up nearly over the head, the quills of
which feathers have a peculiar structure, so as to enable the bird to effect this object. Its
food during confinement is boiled rice, mixed up with soft eggs together with plantains,
and living insects of the grasshopper tribe ; these insects, when thrown to him, the bird
contrives to catch in its beak with great celerity ; it will eat insects in a living state, but
will not touch them when dead.

I observed the bird, previously to eating a grasshopper given him in an entire or unmu-
tilated state, place the insect upon the perch, keep it firmly fixed with the claws, and,
divesting it of the legs, wings, &c., devour it, with the head always placed first ; the
servant who attends upon him to clean the cage, give him food, &c. strips off the legs,
wings, &c. of the insects when alive, giving them to the bird as fast as he can devour
them. It rarely alights upon the ground ; and so proud is the creature of its elegant dress,
that it never permits a soil to remain upon it, and it may frequently be seen spreading out
its wings and feathers, and regarding its splendid self in every direction, to observe
whether the whole of its plumage is in an unsullied condition. It does not suffer from
the cold weather during the winter season at Macao, though exposing the elegant bird to
the bleak northerly wind is always very particularly avoided. Mr. Beale is very desirous

_s Cae

HABITS OF THE PARADISE BIRD. 423

of procuring a living female specimen of this bird ; to endeavour, if possible, to breed
them in his aviary.

The sounds uttered by this bird are very peculiar; that which appears to be a note of
congratulation resembles somewhat the cawing of a raven, but changes to a various scale
in musical gradation, as he! hi! ho! haw/ repeated rapidly and frequently, as lively and
playfully he hops round and along his perch, dismounting to the second perch to be
admired, and congratulate the stranger who has made a visit to inspect him ; he frequently
raises his voice, screeching forth notes of such power as to be heard at a long distance and
as it would scarcely be supposed so delicate a bird could utter; these notes are whock!
whock! whock! whock! uttered in a barking tone, the last being uttered in a low note
as a conclusion.

A drawing of the bird of the natural size was made by a Chinese artist; this was
taken one morning to the original, who paid a compliment to the artist by considering it
one of his own species. The bird advanced stedfastly towards the picture, uttering at the
same time its cawing, congratulatory notes ; it did not appear excited by rage, but pecked
gently at the representation, jumping about the perch, knocking its mandibles together
with a clattering noise, and cleaning them against the perch as if welcoming the arrival of
a companion.

After the trial with the picture, a looking-glass was brought to see what effect it would
produce upon the bird, and the result was nearly the same; he regarded the reflection of
himself most stedfastly in the mirror, never quitting it during the time it remained before
him. When the glass was removed to the lower from the upper perch, he instantly
followed, but would not descend upon the floor of the cage when it was placed so low.

It seemed impatient, hopping about without withdrawing its gaze from the mirror,
uttering the usual cawing notes, but with evident surprise that the reflected figure, or, as he
seemed to regard it, his opponent, imitated so closely all his actions and was as watchful as
himself. There was, however, on his part no indication of combativeness by any elevation
of the feathers, nor was any irritation displayed at not being able to approach nearer to
the supposed new comer from his own native land. His attention was directed to the
mirror during the time it remained before him; but when removed, he went quietly and
composed himself upon the upper perch, as if nothing had excited him.

One of the best opportunities of seeing this splendid bird in all its beauty of actions,
as well as display of plumage, is early in the morning, when he makes his toilet; the
beautiful sub-alar plumage is then thrown out and cleaned from any spot that may sully
its purity, by being passed gently through the bill; the short chocolate-coloured wings
are extended to the utmost, and he keeps them in a steady flapping motion as if in
imitation of their use in flight, at the same time raising up the delicate long feathers over
the back, which are spread in a chaste and elegant manner, floating like films in the
ambient air. In this position the bird would remain for a short time seemingly proud of
its heavenly beauty, and in raptures of delight with its most enchanting self; it will
then assume various attitudes, so as to regard its plumage in every direction.

I never yet beheld a soil on its feathers. After expanding the wings it would bring
them together so as to conceal the head, then bending it gracefully it would inspect the
state of its plumage underneath. This action it repeats in quick succession, uttering at the
same time its croaking notes; it then pecks and cleans its plumage in every part within
reach, and throwing out the elegant and delicate tuft of feathers underneath the wings,
seemingly with much care and with not a little pride, they are cleaned in succession, if
required, by throwing them abroad, elevating, and passing them in succession through the
bill. Then turning its back to the spectator, the actions above mentioned are repeated,
but not in so careful a manner; elevating its tail and long shaft-feathers, it raises the
delicate plumage of a similar character to the sub-alar, forming a beautiful dorsal crest,
and throwing its feathers up with much grace, appears as proud as a lady dressed in her
full ball-dress. Having completed his toilet he utters the usual cawing notes, at the
same time looking archly at the spectators, as if ready to receive all the admiration that
it considers its elegant form and display of plumage demands ; it then takes exercise by
hopping in a rapid but graceful manner from one end of the upper perch to the other, and

424 PLUMAGE OF THE EMERALD PARADISE BIRD.

descends suddenly upon the second perch close to the bars of the cage, looking out for
the grasshoppers which it is accustomed to receive about this time.

Should any person place his finger into the cage, the bird darts at it rapidly: if it is
inserted and withdrawn quickly, the slightly curved extremity of the upper mandible
causes the intruder to receive a sharp peck ; but if the finger is placed quietly in the cage
close to the beak of the animal, he grasps and thrusts it out as if hinting that he dislikes
the intrusion.

His prehensile power in the feet is very strong, and still retaining his hold, the bird
will turn himself round upon the perch. He delights to be*sheltered from the glare of
the sun, as that luminary is a great source of annoyance to him if permitted to dart its
fervent rays directly upon the cage. The iris frequently expanding and contracting, adds
to the arch, wicked look of this, animated bird, as he throws the head on one side to
glance at visitors, uttering the cawing notes or barking aloud, to the astonishment of the
auditors, who regard the bird as being in a very great - rage at something or other beyond
their conception. Having concluded, he jumps down to the lower perch in search of
donations of living arasshoppers, seemingly in the most happy and good-humoured
manner,

The bird is not at all ravenous in its habits of feeding; but it eats rice leisurely,
almost grain by grain; should any of the insects thrown into his cage fall on the floor
he will not descend to them, appearig to be fearful that in so doing he should soil his
delicate plumage ; he therefore seldom or never descends, except to perform his ablution
in the pan of water placed at the bottom of the cage expressly for his use.’

Several other specimens which were seen by M. Lesson in Amboyna were generally fed
on boiled rice, but were exceedingly fond of cockroaches. They had been kept in the same
cage for more than six months, but had thriven well and were extremely lively, always
on the move. The bird described by Mr. Bennett had been in captivity nine years.

The general colour of the upper part of the body is rich chocolate brown, the whole
of the front being covered with velvet-like feathers of the deepest green, at one moment
sinking into black, and at another flashing forth with glittering emerald. The upper part
of the throat is bright golden green, and the upper part of the neck a delicate yellow.
The most wonderful part of this bird’s plumage is the mass of loose floating plumes that
rises from the flanks, and extends in a most graceful manner far beyond the tail. Even
in the absolute quiet of a stuffed skin under a glass case, these plumes are full of
astonishing beauty, their translucent golden- white vanelets producing a most superb
effect as they cross and recross each other; forming every imaginable shade of white, gold,
and orange, and then deepening towards their extremities into a soft purplish red. There
is a magnificently arranged specimen of this bird in the British Museum, placed in a
separate case, and worthy of a journey merely for that one object.

But when the bird is living and healthy, no pen can describe the varied and changeful
beauties that develop themselves at every moment, for the creature seems to comprehend
within its own single form the united beauties of all other members of the feathered tribe.
There is delicacy of shape, grace of movement, and elegance of form, which alone would
render it a most beautiful bird. But in addition to all these qualities, it possesses plumage
which in one part glitters with all the dazzling gem-like hues of the humming-bird’s
wing, in another is soft, warm, and delicately tinted, and in another is dyed with a rich
intensity of colouring that needs a strong light to bring out its depth of power. Yet more,
the torrent of oraceful and softly tinted ‘plumes that flow with such luxuriant redundance
of changeful curves over the body, are in themselves sufficient to place the Emerald
Paradise Bird in the first rank of beauty. What, then, must be the effect of these manifold
perfections when exhibited under the pure bright air and cloudless sky of its native land,
its velvet feathers flashing with emerald rays at every change of position, and its wondrous
plumes waved according ‘to the mental emotions which flit through the bird’s mind, and
swaying gracefully w ith the slightest breath of air?

In addition to these beautiful feathers, there are two long horn-like shafts which rise
from the upper part of the tail, and are prolonged to nearly two feet in length, taking a

SUPERB BIRD OF PARADISE.—Paradisea superba.

bold and elegant curve in their course. Subtracting these elongated shafts, the total
length of the adult male is about thirteen inches. The female is comparatively a sober-
plumaged bird, having no gem-like feathers or floating plumes, and being coloured of a
deep chocolate, a reddish-brown, and pure white.

ALTHOUGH undistinguished by the wonderful floating plumes which form so conspicuous
a decoration of the preceding species, and not being equal to it in dimensions, the SUPERB
BrirpD OF PARADISE is by no means the least curious of this group.

In this bird, the scapulary feathers are greatly developed, being elongated and widened
so as to form a very large double plume or crest, which lies along the back and sides when
the bird is at rest, but can be raised at will, and then overtops the head on each side in
the manner shown in the engraving. As if to balance this shoulder-crest, another curious
tuft of feathers hangs from the breast, spreading into a doubly pointed form, the extre-
mities being directed downwards. The general colour of the plumage is the deepest
imaginable violet “shot” with green, appearing of a velvety blackness from its very
intensity, and only flashing forth in the brighter hues as the light falls upon the edge of

RED BIRD OF PARADISE.—Paradisea rubra.

each feather. The breast tuft, however, forms an exception to this rule, being of the most
brilliant steely green, glittering with gem-like radiance in the sunbeams. Although it is
not a very large bird, measuring only nine inches in total length, it is really not so very
inferior in size to the emerald Paradise Bird, as its tail is short and its plumage
closely set.

THE last species of these birds which will be mentioned in these pages is the RED
BIRD OF PARADISE.

Although not possessed of such dazzling and refulgent plumage as characterises several
of its kin, it is yet a most beautiful bird, and both for the soft delicate purity of the tints
with which it is adorned, and the harmony of their arrangement, may challenge compe-
tition with any of the feathered race. In size it is about equal to a small pigeon. The
forehead and chin are clothed with velvet-like feathers of the intensest green, so arranged
as to form a kind of double crest on the forehead, and a sharply defined gorget on the
throat. The head, back, and shoulders, together with a band round the neck immediately
below the green gorget, are rich orange-yellow, golden in the centre and tinged with

SATIN BOWER BIRD.—Ptilonorhynchus holosericeus.

carmine on the margins. The wings, chest, and abdomen are a deep warm chocolate-
brown, and the tail is somewhat of the same tint, but not quite dark. Over the tail
falls a long double tuft of loose plumy feathers of a beautiful carmine, and two long

black filamentous appendages also hang from the tail, and extend to a considerable
length.

TuE large and important family of the Srartrncs now claims our attention. These
birds are seldom of great size, the common Starling of England being about an average
example of their dimensions. The bill of the Starling tribe is straight until near its
extremity, when it suddenly curves downward, and is generally armed with a slight notch.
The first sub-family of these birds is that which is known by the name of Ptilono-
rhynchine, or Glossy Starlings, so called on account of the silken sheen of their plumage.

The best representative of this little group is the celebrated Satin Bower Birp of
Australia.

This beautiful and remarkable bird is found in many parts of New South Wales, and
although it is by no means uncommon, is so cautious in the concealment of its home,
that even the hawk-eyed natives seem never to have discovered its nest. Perhaps they
may be actuated by some superstitious reverence for the bird, and have therefore feigned
ignorance of its residence, for it is well known that the voracious native, who will eat
almost anything which is not poisonous and will yield to his sharp and powerful teeth,

has in many portions of the country so great an awe for this bird that he will never
loll it.

428 THE SPOTTED BOWER BIRD.

The chief peculiarity for which this bird is famous is a kind of bower or arbour,
which it constructs from twigs in a manner almost unique among the feathered tribes.
The form of this bower may be seen in the illustration, and the mode of construction,
together with the use to which the bird puts the building, may be learned from
Mr. Gould’s account.

“On visiting the Cedar Brushes of the Liverpool range, I discovered several of these
bowers or playing-places ; they are usually placed under the shelter of the branches of
some overhanging tree in the most retired part of the forest; they differ considerably in
size, some being larger, while others are much smaller. The base consists of an exterior
and rather convex platform of sticks, firmly interwoven, on the centre of which the bower
itself is built. This, like the platform on which it is placed and with which it is inter-
woven, is formed of sticks and twigs, but of a more slender and flexible description, the
tips of the twigs being so arranged as to curve inwards and nearly meet at the top ; in the
interior of the bower, the materials are so placed that the forks of the twigs are always
presented outwards, by which arrangement not the slightest obstruction is offered to the
passage of the birds.

For what purpose these curious bowers are made is not yet, perhaps, fully understood ;
they are certainly not used as a nest, but as a place of resort for many individuals of both
sexes, who when there assembled run through and round the bower in a sportive and
playful manner, and that so frequently that it is seldom entirely deserted.

The interest of this curious bower is much enhanced by the manner in which it is
decorated, at and near the entrance, with the most gaily coloured articles that can be
collected, such as the blue tail-feathers of the Rose Hill and Lory Parrots, bleached bones,
the shells of snails, &c. Some of the feathers are stuck in among the twigs, while others,
with the bones and shells, are strewed about near the entrance. The propensity of these
birds to fly off with any attractive object is so well known, that the blacks always search
the runs for any missing article.”

So persevering are these birds in carrying off anything that may strike their fancy,
that they have been known to steal a stone tomahawk, some blue cotton rags, and an old
tobacco-pipe. Two of these bowers are now in the nest room of the British Museum, and
at the Zoological Gardens the Bower Bird may be seen hard at work at its surface, fastening
the twigs or adorning the entrances, and ever and anon running through the edifice with
a curious loud full cry that always attracts the attention of a passer-by. The Satin Bower
Bird bears confinement well, and although it will not breed in captivity, it is very
industrious in building bowers for recreation.

The food of this bird seems to consist chiefly of fruit and berries, as the stomachs of
several specimens were found to contain nothing but vegetable remains. Those which are
caged in Australia are fed upon rice, fruit, moistened bread, and a very little meat at
intervals, a diet on which they thrive well. It is rather a gregarious bird, assembling in
flocks led by a few adult males in their full plumage, and a great number of young males
and females. They are said to migrate from the Murrumbidgee in the summer, and to
return in the autumn.

The plumage of the adult male is a very glossy satin-like purple, so deep as to appear
black in a faint light, but the young males and the females are almost entirely of an olive-
green.

HARDLY less beautiful in form and plumage, and quite as interesting in habits, the
SporteD Bower BirpD now comes before our notice.

This species is an inhabitant of the plains in the interior of New South Wales, and is
thought by Mr. Gould to be sufficiently distinct from the preceding species to warrant
its introduction into a separate genus. Of this species Mr. Gould makes the following
valuable remarks :—

“Tt is as exclusively an inhabitant of the forests in the interior of the country, as the
Satin Bower Bird is of the bushes between the mountain ranges of the coast. From the
extreme shyness of its disposition, the bird is seldom seen by ordinary travellers, and it
must be under very peculiar circumstances that it can be approached so as to observe its

colours. It has a harsh, grating, scolding note, generally uttered when its haunts are
intruded on, by which its presence is detected.

The situation of its runs or bowers varies much. They are considerably larger and
more avenue-like than those of the Satin Bower Bird, being in many instances three feet
in length. They are outwardly built of twigs and lined with tall grasses ; the decorations
are very profuse, consisting of bivalve shells, crania of small mammalia, and other bones.
Evident indications of contrivance are manifest throughout the whole of the bower and its
decorations, particularly in the manner in which the stones are arranged, apparently to
keep the grasses with which it is lined firmly in their places. A row of stones diverges
from the mouth of the run on each side, so as to form little paths, while the heap of
decorative materials is placed at a heap before the entrance; this arrangement is the
same at both ends. Some of the larger bowers, which had evidently been resorted to for
many years, contained nearly half a bushel of bones and shells.”

The colour of this bird is a rich brown covered with buff spots, and upon the back
of the neck there is a band of lengthened feathers of a beautiful rose-pink and glistening
with a satin-like sheen. For more detailed information of these curious birds, as well as
for some admirable coloured engravings of themselves and their bowers, the reader is
referred to Gould’s “ Birds of Australia.”

The account of the Glossy Starlings would be incomplete without a passing mention of
. ~ 5 . . . > .
the Juma: a bird rather larger than our English starling, with an elongated tail, and a
oie : = PhS: . 2 SS Eta OE 2
plumage that is most singularly covered with every imaginable shade of shining copper,
urple, violet, and blue, intermixed in such a manner as to defy description, and seeming
7 t=)

MINO BIRD.—Grdcula musica.

as if the hues had been splashed at random upon the feathers, and then rubbed in and
polished. There are several species of Juida, some inhabiting Australia, and others being
found in India and Africa. They live in flocks, often attacking the gardens and making
great havoc among the fruit. They also are in the habit of perching upon the backs of
cattle for the sake of catching the various insects which are always to be found upon a
cow’s back. Their nest is usually made in the clefts of rocks.

THE Graculine, or Grakles, form the next group of birds. Formerly a very large
number of species were ranked among the members of this group, but the naturalists of
the present day have restricted the appellation to comparatively few birds. In all the
species the bill is broad at the base, with the ridge of the upper mandible slightly curved,
and there is a little notch near the extremity.

The Mino Birp is very common in many parts of India and the Indian islands, where
it is frequently captured and domesticated,

It is a bright and lively little bird, wonderfully intelligent, and even conceiving
so great an affection for its master, that it is permitted to fly about at will. Many
amusing tricks are often taught to the Mino Bird, and it possesses a talent for talking
equal to that enjoyed by the magpie, the raven, the starling, or the parrot. So admirable
a conversationalist is the Mino Bird that some writers who have had personal experience
of its capabilities, think that it surpasses even the grey parrot in its powers of imitating
the human voice. It will repeat many words with extraordinary accuracy, and some
specimens have learned phrases and sentences of considerable length.

The colour of the Mino Bird is a deep velvet-like black, with the exception of a white
mark on the base of the quill-feathers of the wing. Around the base of the beak and the
forehead the feathers are extremely short and have a velvety sensation to the touch. The
bill and the feet are yellow, and on the back of the head are two wattles of a bright yellow
colour. The food of this bird consists chiefly of berries, fruits, and insects, and in
dimensions it is about equal to a common thrush. By the Javanese it is known by
the titles of Bed and Mencho, and the Sumatrans call it Teeong.

THE AFRICAN BEEF-EATER. 431

In one solitary instance the Mino Bird has been known to visit England, having been
seen on the Norfolk coast. In all probability the bird had escaped either from an aviary,
or from some homeward-bound ship.

The CROWNED GRAKLE is one of the handsomest of the genus to which it belongs, and
on account of the peculiar colouring from which it derives its name is a very conspicuous
bird.

It inhabits the parts of the
jungle where the vegetation is
thickest, and interspersed with tall
trees, on whose topmost branches
the Crowned Grakle loves to settle
while engaged in its search after
berries, fruits, and the various
substances on which it feeds. It
is not a very timid bird, and will
frequently haunt human habita-
tions, entering the gardens where-
ever tall trees have been left
standing, and whistling cheerily
as it flies from one tree or bough
to another. When frightened it
signifies its alarm by a harsh,
rough screech, but its ordinary
notes are full and melodious.

The top of the head and part
of the nape, together with the
chin and a mari on the centre of
several of the primary feathers of
the wings, are bright “ king’s”
yellow. Round the eye is a large,
comma-shaped patch of bare pink
skin, the pomt of the comma
being directed towards the ear.
The general colour of the body,
as well as the short and square-
tipped tail, which looks as if it
had been snipped off abruptly by
a pair of shears, is a very deep
green, “shot” with blue in cer-
tain lights, and sooty black in
others.

ANOTHER curious group of this
large family is known by the CROWNED GRAKLE.—Grdcula corondta.
name of Buphagine, 7.e. Beef-
eaters or Ox-peckers; a title
which they have earned by their
habits. They may be easily known by their remarkably shaped bill, which is wonder-
fully adapted for the peculiar duties which it has to perform. One of the most common
species of this group is the AFRICAN BEEF-EATER, a bird which is found in great numbers
both in Southern and Western Africa.

It generally assembles in flocks, and haunts the spots where cattle are kept, alighting
upon their backs and setting vigorously to work in digging from beneath their skins the
larve of the bot-flies which burrow beneath the hide, and may often be seen on the backs
of our English cattle, by means of the little hillock of skin which they raise. To extraet

wameegesp ti” lp a

AFRICAN BEEF-BATER.—Biphaga Africana.

these deeply buried creatures would seem to be a matter of considerable difficulty, but the
Beef-eater manages the matter easily enough, by fixing itself tightly on the animal’s back
by means of its extremely powerful claws, and working with its strong and oddly shaped
beak. Other animals beside oxen are subject to the attacks of these insect foes, and
are equally visited by the Beef-eater, who pursues his beneficial avocation without the
least opposition on the part of the suffering animal.

The general colour of the African Beef-eater is a dull brown upon the whole of the
upper portions of the body, the chin, and the throat. The breast and abdomen are buff-
coloured, and the upper and under tail-coverts are nearly of the same hue. The tail
is wedge-shaped, and of a greyish brown colour, warming into reddish brown on_ the
inner webs of the exterior feathers. The basal half of the bill is rich orange, and the
curiously squared extremity is scarlet. The total length of the bird is between nine
and ten inches.

WE now come to the true Starlings, or Sturnine, as they are scientifically termed.
In these birds the bill is almost straight, tapering and elongated, slightly flattened at the
top, and with a hardly perceptible notch. Two examples of this group are found in
England, the first and rarest of which is the Rosh-coOLOURED PASTOR.

Although of rare occurrence in England, these birds are very common in many other
countries, and in some parts of India are so numerous that forty or fifty have been killed
at a single shot, and they are said by the agriculturists to be hardly less destructive than
locusts. Like the common Starling, the Rose-coloured Pastor always flies in flocks, and
seems to possess many of the habits which belong to the beef-eaters, perching on the
backs of cattle and feeding on the parasitic insects and grubs which are generally found
in such situations. On account of this habit of frequenting the cattle-field and the
sheep-fold, the bird has received the title of Pastor, or shepherd. It feeds chiefly on
insects, but in the autumn months varies its diet with ripe fruits.

The Rose-coloured Pastor possesses a rather flexible voice ; its ordinary ery is rather
harsh and grating, but the bird is able to modulate its voice so as to imitate the tones of
various other members of the feathered tribe. One of these birds, that was domesticated

THE COMMON STARLING. 433

by a person who had slightly wounded it and afterwards tended it until it had recovered,
was so good a mimic that an excellent judge of songsters, who had heard its voice without
seeing the bird from which it proceeded, thought that he was listening to a concert of two
starlings, two goldfinches, and some songster, probably a siskin. This bird was fed upon
insects and barley-meal moistened with milk.

It is a remarkably pretty and conspicuous bird ; the beautiful crest which decorates
the crown and the delicate tints of the plumage rendering it easily distinguishable from
any of its kin. The head is orna-
mented with a crest of long flow-
ing feathers, which are of a jetty
black glossed with.violet; and
the neck, wings, and tail are of
the same hue. The chin, throat,
front of the neck, thighs, and
under tail-coverts are also black,
but without the blue gloss. The
back, scapularies, breast, sides,
and abdomen are of a beautiful
rose-pink ; the legs and toes are
yellowish brown, and the beak
yellow with a dash of rose. The
total length of this species is
between eight and nine inches.
The bird does not attain this
beautiful plumage until the third
year; in the first year there is
no crest at all, and the plumage
is simply coloured with different
shades of brown and white; in
the second year the crest is com-
paratively small and scanty, the
dark parts of the plumage have
a brown tinge, and the rosy parts
are dull and washed with grey or
brown.

THE common STARLING is one
of the handsomest of our British
birds, the bright mottlings of its
plumage, the vivacity of its move-
ments, and the elegance of its
form, rendering it a truly beauti-
ful bird.

Tt is very common in all
parts of the British Isles, as well
as in many other countries, and
assembles in vast flocks of many ROSE-COLOURED PASTOR.—Pastor réseus.
thousands in number, enormous
accessions being made to their
ranks after the’ breeding season.

These vast assemblies are seen to

best advantage in the fenny districts, where they couch for the night amid the osiers and‘

aquatic plants, and often crush whole acres to the ground by t their united weight. In

their flight the Starlings are most wonderful birds, each flock, no matter how large its

dimensions, seeming to “be under the command of one single bird, and to obey his voice

with an instantaneous action which appears little short of a miracle. A whole cloud of
2. FF

434 FLIGHT. OF THE STARLING.

Starlings may often be seen flying along at a considerable elevation from the ground,
darkening the sky as they pass overhead, when of a sudden the flock becomes momentarily
indistinguishable, every bird having simultaneously turned itself on its side so as to present
only the edge of its wings to the eye. The whole body will then separate into several
divisions, each division wheeling with the most wonderful accuracy, and after again
uniting their forces they will execute some singular manceuvre, and then resume their
onward progress to the feeding-ground or resting-place. On one occasion, a pheasant,
rising from the ground, flew across the path of a flock of Starlings, and was killed on the
spot by the shock. This circumstance occurred near Wootton Bassett.

The migration of the Starling has been well worked out by Mr. Thompson. “In that
portion of the north of Ireland with which I am myself best acquainted, there is nothing
irregular in the migration of Starlings; they do not await any severity of weather, and
although they may occasionally change their quarters when within the island, yet of all
our birds they present the clearest evidence of migration, as they are annually observed
for several weeks to pass into Ireland from the north and wing their way southward.

To myself they have frequently so appeared ; but I prefer giving the more full and
satisfactory testimony of trustworthy and intelligent ‘shore-shooters, three of whom, being
consulted, agree upon the subject. They state that the general autumnal migration of
Starlings commences towards the middle or end of September, according to the season,
and continues daily for about six or eight weeks. So early as the middle of July, a flock
was once observed flying southerly in the autumnal course. When the weather is
moderate, flocks consisting of from half a dozen to two hundred individuals are seen
every morning, coming from the north-east, passing over a point of land where a river
enters Belfast Bay about a mile from the town, and continuing in the same course until
lost to view. They are generally seen only for one and a half or two hours—from eight
to ten o’clock, A.M.—never appearing before the former hour, and rarely many after the
latter, except when the wind is high, and then the flight is protracted until noon ; if very
stormy, they do not come at all.

When they commence migration unusually late in the season, as was the case in 1838,
- they make up for lost time by an increase of numbers. Thus, they were first seen in that
year on the 23d of October, when they made their appearance at half-past eight o'clock
A.M., and continued passing in flocks of from twenty to one and two hundred individuals
until two o’clock. At the season of their earliest appearance there is daylight between
four and five in the morning; and the fact of their not being seen before eight o'clock,
leads to the belief that they have left some distant place at an early hour. On the same
morning the flocks all take the same line of flight, but the direction varies when the wind
is sufficiently strong to affect their movements.

The number of birds that come in this course is not very great. The average of five or
six flocks seen in a morning perhaps consisted of two hundred and fifty individuals, the
greatest number ever seen in one day probably amounted to fifteen hundred, and those
altogether seen throughout the migratory period may be estimated at about fifteen
thousand. Of my three informants, two lived in the district over which the Starlings
flew, and consequently had daily opportunities of seeing them in their season. One has
indeed done so for the last half-century, and the other was in the habit of goimg to the
place every morning, in the hope that the flocks would pass over within shot, which they
often did. In only one instance did any of these persons see Starlings return this way
in spring, when on the 13th of March a flock appeared passing north-eastward in the
direction whence they came in autumn ;—on the 23d of that month a flock, consisting of
sixty, was once observed by myself, returning by this course.”

The nest of the Starling is a very loose kind of affair, composed of straw, roots, and
grasses, thrust carelessly together, and hardly deserving the name ofa nest. In many cases
the bird is so heedless that it allows bits of straw or grass to hang from the hole in which
the nest is placed, just as if it had intentionally furnished the bird-nesting boy with a
clue to the position of the nest. Although this bird makes its home in some retired spot,
such as the cleft of a rock, a niche in some old ruin, a ledge in a church-tower, or a hole in
a decaying tree, there are few nests more easy to discover ; for not only does the bird

NEST OF THE STARLING. 435

leave indications of its home in the manner already described, but is so very loquacious
that it cannot resist the temptation of squalling loudly at intervals, especially when
returning to its domicile laden with food for its young, and so betrays the position of its
home. The eggs are generally five in number, and of the faintest imaginable blue.
I often used to get these eggs out of the deep holes in which they had been placed
by means of a little bird-lime at the end of a fishing-rod.

Oftentimes the Starling makes
its home in the vicinity of man,
and it is a very common thing to
find Starlings and pigeons occu-
pying the same cote. In such
cases the neighbours seem to be
perfectly friendly, and there seem
to be no grounds for the assertion
that Starlings kill and eat the
young pigeons. The Starling is,
however, very eccentric in its
choice of a locality for its domi-
cile, having been known to breed
in the most unexpected places,
such as chimneys, empty flower-
pots, and deserted rabbit-burrows.
The affection of the Starling for
its young is very great, as was
shown some years ago, A barn
was on fire, and a poor Starling
had her nest full of young in
the thatch. As the flames neared
her residence the bird darted
about in great consternation, and
at last flew to the nest, drew out
one of the young birds, and re-
moved it to a place of safety.
She then returned for another
load, and before her nest had
been reached by the fire, she had
placed the whole five of her
young in security.

I once remember seeing some
Starlings in a great state of per-
plexity. A few very cold days had
suddenly come at the beginning
of autumn, and a heavy fall of
snow descended while some Star-
lings, who had built in the roof
of an adjoining barn, were in the
fields collecting food for their
young. On their return they
were quite unable to discern the
entrances to their nests, and flapped about in the soft snow in the most pitiable manner,
screaming with alarm and half frantic at hearing the cries of their young, without being
able to reach them.

The food of the Starling is very varied, but consists chiefly of insects. These birds
have a habit of following cows, sheep, and horses, fluttering about them as they move for
the purpose of preying upon the insects which are put to flight by their feet. The
Starlings also perch upon the backs of the cattle, and rid them of the parasitic insects

FF 2

COMMON STARLING.—Sturnus vulgari.

GREAT BOAT-TAIL.—Quiscalus major.

that infest them. From the sheep the Starling often takes toll, pulling out a beakful of
wool now and then, and carrying it away to its nest. It is a voracious bird, the stomach
of one of these birds haying been found to contain more than twenty shells, some of no
small size and all nearly perfect; a great number of insects, and some grain. Another
Starling had eaten fifteen molluses ‘of different kinds, a number of perfect beetles, and
many grubs.

The Starling is easily tamed, and is a most amusing as well as a graceful pet. It is
an admirable talker, and can be taught to repeat words and phrases nearly as well as a
parrot. Some ignorant and cruel people have a horrid custom of slitting the tongue of
the Starling, in order to enable it to speak; a proceeding which is not only entirely
ineffectual, but often causes the death of the poor bird.

The colour of this bird is very beautiful, and is briefly as follows: The general tint
is an extremely dark purplish green, having an almost metallic glitter in a strong light.
The feathers of the shoulders are tipped with buff, and the wing- coverts, together with ‘the
quill-feathers of the tail and wings, are edged with pale reddish brown. ‘The beak is a
fine yellow. The feathers of the upper part of the breast are elongated and pointed.
This is the plumage of the adult male, and is not brought to its perfection until three
years have elapsed. The first year’s bird, before its autumnal moult, is almost wholly of
a brownish grey, and after its moult is partly brown and partly purple and green. Inthe
second year the plumage is more decided in its tints, but is variegated with a great
number of light-coloured spots on the under and upper surfaces, and the beak does not
attain its beautiful yellow tinge.

THE Quiscaline, or Boat-tailed Birds, are so named from the peculiar formation of
their tails, which, as may be seen on reference to the illustration, are hollowed in a manner
somewhat similar to the interior of a canoe. There are several species of Boat-tails, all
being natives of America, and being spread over the greater part of that vast country.
One of the best known species 1s the GREAT BOAT-TAIL, or GREAT CROW BLACKBIRD, as it
is sometimes called.

THE PURPLE GRAKLE 437

This bird is rather a large one, being between sixteen and seventeen inches in length,
and twenty-two inches across the outspread wings. Its general colour is black, glossed
with blue, green, and purple, in different lights. It is mostly found in the southern
portions of the United States, where it passes under the name of jackdaw, and is seen in
vast flocks among the sea islands and marine marshes, busily engaged in finding out the
various substances that are left by the retiring tide. It preserves its social disposition
even in its nesting, and builds in company among reeds and bushes in the neighbourhood
of forests and marshy lands. The eggs are of a whitish colour and generally five in
number. It is a migratory bird, leaving America for winter quarters about the latter
end of November, and returning in February and March.

A CLOSELY allied species, popularly called the PURPLE GRAKLE (Qutscalus versicolor),
inhabits the northern states of America, where it lives in almost incredible numbers ; and
although it is very beneficial to the agriculturist during the earlier parts of the year by
devouring the grubs and caterpillars, it is so terribly destructive when the crops are
ripening, that it seems to counterbalance by its voracity the good which it had previously
done. Wilson, in speaking of this bird, makes the following remarks :—

“The trees where these birds build are often at a 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 surrounding 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 its 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 invitation from the proprietor,
descend on the fields and begin to pull up and regale themselves on the seed, scattering
the green blades around. While thus eagerly employed, the vengeance of the gun some-
times overtakes them, but these disasters are soon forgotten.

About the middle of August, when the young ears are in their milky state, they are
attacked with redoubled vigour by the Grakles and redwings in formidable and combined
bodies. They descend like a blackening, sweeping tempest in the corn, drag 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 corn, 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.

A few miles from the bank of the Roanoke, on the 20th of January, I met with one of
these 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, 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 mourning; their notes and screaming the mean-
while resembling the distant sound of a great cataract, but in more musical cadence,
swelling and dying away in the air, according to the fluctuation of the breeze.

A singular attachment frequently takes place between this bird and the fish-hawk.
The 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 faggots, among the
interstices of which sometimes three or four pairs of Crow Blackbirds will construct their
nests, while the hawk is sitting or hatching above. Here each pursues the duties of
incubation and rearing the young, living in the greatest harmony, and protecting each
other’s property from depredators.”

The colour of this species resembles that of the great Boat-tail, the violet gloss being
remarkably conspicuous on the head and breast, the green on the back of the neck,
and a coppery red upon the back and abdomen. All the plumage is extremely glossy and
shining, and varies according to the angle at which the light falls upon each fibre. In
dimensions the Purple Grakle is. not so large as the Great Boat-tail, being only twelve
inches in length, and eighteen across the outspread wings.

438 THE ORCHARD ORIOLE.

THE IcTERIN”, or Hang-nest birds, now claim our attention. These birds are remarkable
for the hammock-like nest which they construct, and the wonderful skill with which they
adapt its structure to the exigencies of the climate or locality.

One of the most familiar examples of these birds is the ORCHARD ORIOLE, popularly
known by the title of Bob o’ Link throughout the countries which it inhabits.

This bird, in common with
other allied species, is so extremely
varied in its plumage according
to its age and sex, that several
species were confounded together
in the most perplexing manner,
until Wilson succeeded, by dint of
patient observation, in unravelling
the tangled web which had been
woven by other writers.

The nest of the Orchard Oriole
is a truly wonderful structure,
woven into a bag or purse-like
shape from long grasses, almost
as if it had been fashioned in a
loom, and so firmly constructed
that it will withstand no small
amount of rough treatment before
its texture gives way. In one of
these purse-like nests now lying
before me, I find that the bird
often employs two and sometimes
three threads simultaneously, and
that several of these double
threads pass over the branch to
which the nest is hung, and are
then carried to the very bottom
of the purse, so as to support the
structure in the firmest possible
manner. The entrance is from
above, and near the mouth; the
nest is comparatively slight in
texture, becoming thicker and
more compact near the foot,
where the eggs and young are
laid. The interior of the nest
is generally lined with some soft
downy seeds. So admirably does
the bird’s beak weave this re-

GEEHKisn CRicrR een ie markable nest, that an old lady
to whom Wilson exhibited one of
these structures, remarked that
the Orchard Oriole might learn

. to darn stockings.

The size and form of the nest may vary very greatly according to the climate in
which the bird lives, and the kind of tree on which its home is placed. Should the nest
be suspended to the firm stiff boughs of the apple or other strong-branched tree, it is
comparatively shallow, being hardly three inches in length, and rather wider than it is
deep. But if it should be hung to the long and slender twigs of the weeping willow, as is
often the case, the nest is lengthened until it is four or five inches in depth, the size of the
entrance remaining the same as in the shallower nest. This variation in structure is

HABITS OF THE ORCHARD ORIOLE. 439

evidently intended to prevent the eggs or young from being shaken out of their home by
the swaying of the boughs in the wind. The same amount of material appears to be used
in either case, so that the elongated nest is not so thick as the short one. My own
specimen is an example of the elongated structure. Moreover, in the warmer parts of
America, the nest is always much slighter than in the colder regions, permitting a free
circulation of air through its walls.

The habits of this bird are very curious and interesting, and are well described by
Wilson in his well-known work on the Birds of America :—

“The Orchard Oriole, though partly a dependent on the industry of the farmer, is no
sneaking pilferer, but an open and truly beneficent friend. To all those countless multi-
tudes of destructive bugs and caterpillars that infest the fruit-trees in spring and summer,
preying on the leaves, blossoms, and embryo of the fruit, he is a deadly enemy ; devastating
them wherever 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. I have witnessed instances where the entrance to his nest was more than half
closed by a cluster of apples, which he could easily have demolished in half a minute ;
but, as if holding the property of his patron saered, or considering it a natural bulwark to
his own, he slid out and in with the greatest gentleness and caution.

I am not sufficiently conversant with entomology to particularize the different species
on which he feeds, but I have good reason for believing that they are almost altogether
such as commit the greatest depredations 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 protected by every considerate husbandman. Nor is the gaiety of his song
one of his least recommendations. Being an exceedingly active, sprightly, and restless
bird, he is on the ground—in 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 such
rapidity and seeming confusion, that the ear is unable to follow them distinctly. Between
these he has a single note, which is agreeable and interesting.

Wherever he is protected, he shows his confidence and gratitude by his numbers and
familiarity. In the Botanic Gardens of my worthy and scientific friends, the Messrs.
Bartrams, of Kingsess, which present an epitome of everything that is rare, useful and
beautiful in the vegetable kingdom of this western continent, and where the murderous
gun scarce ever intrudes, the Orchard Oriole revels without restraint through thickets of
aromatic flowers and blossoms, and, heedless of the busy gardener that labours below,
hangs his nest in perfect security on the branches over his head.”

Audubon, also, has taken great interest in this bird, and has devoted a considerable
portion of his work to the elucidation of its habits.

“No sooner have they reached that portion of the country in which they intend to
remain during the time of raising their young, than the birds exhibit all the liveliness
and vivacity belonging to their nature. The male is seen rising in the air from ten to
twenty yards in a violent manner, jerking his tail and body, flapping his wings, and
singing with remarkable impetuosity, as if under the influence of haste, and anxious to
return to the tree froin which he has departed. He accordingly descends with the same
motions of the body and tail, repeating his pleasing song as he alights.

These gambols and warblings are performed frequently during the day, the intervals
being employed in ascending or descending along the branches and twigs of different trees
in search of insects or larvee. In doing this they rise on their legs, seldom without jetting
the tail, stretch the neck, seize the prey, and emit a single note, which is sweet and
mellow, although in power much inferior to that of the Baltimore. At other times it is
seen bending its body downwards in a curved posture, with the head gently inclined
upwards, to peep at the outer part of the leaves, so as not to suffer any part to escape its
vigilance. It soon alights on the ground when it has espied a crawling insect, and again
flies towards the blossoms, in which are many lurking, and devours hundreds of them
each day, thus contributing to secure to the farmer the hopes which he has of the
productiveness of his orchard.”

440 THE BALTIMORE ORIOLE.

One of these birds that was kept in a cage by Wilson proved to be a very interesting
creature, chanting its wild clear notes at an early age, and accommodating itself to its
captivity with perfect ease. It had a curious love for artificial light, fluttering about its
cage, and becoming uneasy at the sight of a lighted candle, and not being satisfied when
its. cage was placed close to the object of attraction. In that case, it would sit close to the
side of the cage, dress its plumage, and occasionally break into snatches of song,

The adult male is nearly black upon its head, neck, back, wings, and tail, a brownish
tint being perceptible in the wings. The lower part of the breast, the abdomen, tail-
coverts, and some of the wing-coverts, are light reddish brown, and the greater wing-
coverts are tipped with white. The adult female is yellowish olive above, with a brown
tinge on the back, and a brown wash over the wings. The whole of the lower parts are
yellow, the primary feathers of the wings are slightly edged with yellowish white, and
the same colour is found on the edges of the secondaries and greater coverts, and on the
tips of the lesser coverts. The length of the bird is between six and seven inches. The
young male is like the female during his first year, but in his second year sundry feathers
of black make their appearance in various parts of the body, and in the third year they
spread over the upper surface and breast, as has already been mentioned.

The BALTIMORE ORIOLE is an inhabitant of the whole of Northern America, its range
extending from Canada to’ Mexico—eyven as far south as Brazil.

It is a migratory bird, arriving about the beginning of May, and departing towards the
end of August or the beginning of September. The name of Baltimore Oriole has been
given to it ; because its colours of black and orange are those of the arms belonging to Lord
Baltimore, to whom Maryland formerly belonged. This species is remarkably familiar and
fearless of man, hanging its beautiful pensile nest upon the garden-trees, and even
venturing into the streets wherever a green tree flourishes, and chanting its wild mellow
notes in close proximity to the sounds and sights of a populous city.

The nest of the Baltimore Oriole is somewhat similar to that of the preceding species,
although it is generally of a thicker and tougher substance, and more ingeniously woven.
The materials of which this beautiful habitation is made are flax, various kinds of
vegetable fibres, wool, and hair, matted together, so as to resemble felt in consistency.
A number of long horsehairs are passed completely through the fibres, sewing it firmly
together with large and irregular, but strong and judiciously placed stitching. In one of
these nests Wilson found that several of the hairs used for this purpose measured two feet
in length. The nest is in the form of a long purse, and at the bottom is arranged a heap
of soft cows’ hair and similar substances, in which the eggs find a warm resting-place.
The female bird seems to be the chief architect, receiving a constant supply of materials
from her mate, and occasionally rejecting the fibres or hairs which he may bring, and
sending him off for another load better to her taste.

Since the advent of civilization, the Baltimore Oriole has availed himself largely of his
advantages, and instead of troubling himself with a painful search after individual hairs,
wherewith to sew his hammock together, keeps a look-out for any bits of stray thread
that may be thrown away by human sempstresses, and makes use of them in the place of
the hairs. So sharpsighted is the bird, and so quick are his movements, that during the
bleaching season the owners of the thread are forced to keep a constant watch upon their
property as it lies upon the grass, or hangs upon the boughs, knowing that the Oriole is
ever ready to pounce upon such valuable ‘material, and straightway to weave it into his
nest. Pieces of loose string, skeins of silk, or even the bands with which young grafts
are tied, are equally sought by this ingenious bird, and often purloined to the discomfiture
of the needlewoman or the gardener. “The average size of the nest is six or seven inches
in depth, and three or four in diameter. Wilson thinks that the bird improves in nest-
building by practice, and that the best specimens of architecture are the work of the
oldest birds.

The eggs are five in number, and their general colour is whitish pink, dotted at the
larger end with purplish spots, and covered at the smaller end with a great number of fine
intersecting lines of the same hue, The food of the Baltimore Oriole seems to be almost

BALTIMORE ORIOLE.—Yphantes Baltimore.

entirely of an animal nature, and to consist of caterpillars, beetles, and other insects, most
of them injurious to the farmer or the gardener.

The colouring of this bird is as follows: The head and throat, together with the upper
part of the back and the wings, are deep black, with the exception of an orange bar upon
the shoulders. The lower part of the back and the whole of the under surface are bright
orange, warming into scarlet on the breast. The edges of the secondaries, the exterior
edges of the greater wing-coverts, and part of those of the primaries, are white. The tail
is rather curiously coloured, and thus described by Wilson: “ The tail-feathers under the
coverts, orange ; the two middle ones from thence to the tips are black, the next five on
each side black near the coverts, and orange towards the extremities, so disposed that
when the tail is expanded and the coverts removed, the black appears in the form of a
pyramid supported on an arch of orange.” The female is dull black upon the upper parts
and mottled with brownish yellow, each feather being marked with that tint upon the
edges. The lower part of the back and all the under portions of the body are dull orange,
and the tail is mostly olive yellow. The wings are dull brown, and marked with yellowish
white upon the coverts.

44.2 THE CRESTED ORIOLE.

From these colours the bird has derived the names of Golden Robin, and Fire Bird.
Tts total length is about seven inches.

One of the most curious and handsome birds of this group is termed the CRESTED
ORIOLE on account of the sharp pointed crest which rises from its head.

It is a native of tropical Ame-
rica, and seems to be rather a
familar bird, often leaving the
forests where it usually dwells,
and making its home near the
habitations of man. Whether in
the vast woods of its native
land, or whether in the cultivated
grounds, it is always to be found
in the loftiest trees, traversing
their branches in search of food,
and suspending its nest from the
extremity of the slenderest twigs.
It is a very active bird both on
foot and in the air, one quality
being needful for its movements
among the boughs while getting
berries, and the other for the chase
of the various insects with which
it varies its diet.

The nest of the Crested Oriole
is a very elegant structure, much
larger than that of either of the
preceding species, being sometimes
not less than three feet in length.
Tt is always hung from the very
extremity of some delicate twig,
so as to escape the marauding
hand of the monkey or the dreaded
fangs of the snake; and as a great
number of these are generally
found upon one tree, the com-
bined effect, together with the
busy scene of the parent birds
continually going and returning
from their homes, is remarkably
fine. The shape of the nest is
cylindrical, swelling into a some-
what spherical form at the bot-
tom; and it is found that both
birds take an equal share of work
in its construction.

The Crested Oriole is very beautifully as well as curiously coloured. The head,
shoulders, breast, and abdomen are warm chocolate-brown, and the wings are dark green,
changing gradually into brown at their tips. The central feathers of the tail are dark
brown, and the remaining feathers are bright yellow. There is also a green tinge upon
the thighs and the middle of the breast. Upon the top of the head there is a long and
pointed crest, and the horny portion of the bill is green, and, as may be seen in the
illustration, extends above the eye. The legs and feet are black. The Crested Oriole
is larger than either of the preceding species, being about the size of acommon
jackdaw.

CRESTED ORIOLE.—Cacicus cristatus.

THE COW TROOPIAL. 443,

In the Cow Brrp or Cow Trooprat of America we have a curious instance of the
frequency with which a remarkable habit, supposed to be almost unique, and especially
characteristic of some particular species, is found to occur in a totally distinct species
inhabiting another continent. That the cuckoo of Europe is no nest-maker, but only
usurps the homes of other birds, and forces them to take care of its progeny, is a well-
known fact, and it is really remarkable that the Cow Bird, which inhabits the opposite
quarter of the globe, and belongs to an entirely different order of birds, should follow the
same principle.

Before commencing the description of this bird, I must caution the reader against
mistaking the present species for the American cuckoo, which is by many persons called
the Cow Bird on account of its ery, which resembles the word “cow, cow,” frequently
repeated. The American cuckoo is free from the intrusive habits of the Cow Troopial,
and not only builds its own nest, but rears and tends its young with great affection.

COW TROOPIAL.—Molothrus pécoris.

The Cow Bird is one of the migrators, arriving in Pennsylvania about the end of
March or the beginning of April, and is somewhat gregarious, being found in little parties,
generally accompanied by the red-winged starling, which bird will soon be described.
Towards the middle or end of October the Cow Birds begin to leave the place of their
temporary residence, and again assembling in flocks, together with the red-winged starling,
take their departure for their winter quarters in Carolina and Georgia. While remaining
in the country, they are generally seen near streams, perched on the trees that skirt rivers
and creeks. It is a rather curious fact that during the months of July and August the
Cow Troopials suddenly vanish, and are not seen again until September, when they make
their appearance in considerable numbers. Whether they take a journey during that time,
or whether they retire into the depths of the forest, is not clearly ascertained.

Unlike the generality of birds, the Cow Bird seems to be actuated by no attachment
to those of the opposite sex. No pairing has yet been observed, nor does the male bird
take possession of a number of females as is the case with many species. Indeed, there
would be no need for such an alliance, for the female Cow Bird makes no nest, neither
does she trouble herself about rearing her young, but searching out for the nest of some
little bird, she deposits her own egg among the number, and then leaves it to its fate.
The remarkable feature in the matter is, that the poor bird on whom this intruder has been

444 HABITS OF THE COW BIRD.

foisted invariably takes charge of it in preference to its own offspring, and will always
rear the young Cow Bird, even though the whole of its own offspring perish.

There seems to be in the Cow Bird an irresistible attractive power, forcing other birds
to take charge of it and attend to its wants. This supposition is strengthened by the
conduct of a cardinal grosbeak, kept by Wilson, into whose cage was introduced a young
Cow Bird just taken out of the nest of a Maryland yellow throat. At first, the grosbeak
examined the intruder with some reserve, but as soon as the stranger began to ery for food,
the grosbeak took it under its protection, tended it carefully, brought it food, tore large
insects to pieces in order to suit the capacity of the young bird’s mouth, cleaned its
plumage, taught it to feed itself, and exhibited towards it all a mother’s care.

Several species of the smaller birds are especially selected by the Cow Troopial for
the purpose of acting as foster parents towards its young. Among these the favourites
are the Maryland yellow-throat, the red-eyed flycatcher, the white-eyed flycatcher, the
blue-grey flycatcher, the blue-bird, the chipping sparrow, and the golden-crowned thrush.
Why these birds should be thus distinguished is not easy to determine, for they are of
very different sizes, and build very different nests ; some making their home in the fork
of a branch, some on the ground, and others building a regular pensile nest suspended to
the end of a slender twig. The character of this bird and its curious habits have been
admirably worked out by Dr. Potter, who communicates his information to Mr. Wilson in
the following words :—

“That the ‘fringilla’ never builds a nest for itself you may assert without the hazard of
a refutation. I once offered a guinea for the nest, and the negroes in the neighbourhood
brought me a variety of nests, but they were always traced to some other bird. The time
of depositing the eggs is from the middle of April to the last of May, or nearly so,
corresponding with the season of laying observed by the small birds on whose property it
encroaches. It never deposits but one egg in 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 to say how many they lay in a season unless
they could be hatched when confined in an aviary.

By a minute attention to a number of these birds when they feed in a particular
field in the laying season, the deportment of the female when the time of laying draws -
near becomes particularly interesting. She deserts her associates, assumes a drooping,
sickly aspect, and perches 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 scene of this sort which I cannot forbear
to relate. Seeing a female prying into a bunch of bushes in search of a nest, I
determined to see the result if practicable, and knowing how easily they are disconcerted
by the near approach of man, I mounted my horse and proceeded slowly ; sometimes
seeing and sometimes losing sight of her, till I had travelled nearly two miles along the
margin of the creek. She entered every thick place, prying with the strictest scrutiny
into places where the small birds usually build, and at last darted suddenly into a thick
copse of alders and briars, where she remained 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 nest of a yellow-throat with an egg of each.
Knowing the precise time of deposit, I noticed the spot and date, with a view of
determining a question of importance—the time required to hatch the egg of the Cow
Bird, which I supposed to commence from the time of the yellow-throat laying the last
ege. A few days after the nest was removed, I know 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 upon herself to quit the
place, and upon examination I found a sparrow 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 Cow
Troopial never makes a forcible entry upon the premises by attacking other birds and

. BLUE BIRD AND COW BIRD. 445

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 her mate. 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 upon manifest more or less
concern at finding the eggs of a stranger in their own nests. Among others, the sparrow
is exceedingly punctilious ; for she sometimes chirps her complaints for a day 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 Cow Troopial insinuates herself
slyly into the nests of other birds, but that even the most pacific of them will resent the
insult. A blue-bird had built for three successive seasons in the cavity of a mulberry-tree
near my dwelling. One day when the nest was nearly finished I discovered a female
Cow Bird perched upon a stake fence near, her eyes apparently fixed upon the
spot, while the builder was busy adjusting her nest. The moment she left it the
intruder dashed into it, and in five minutes returned and rushed off to her companions
with noisy delight, which she expressed by her gestures and notes. The blue-bird soon
returned, and entered the nest, but instantaneously fluttered back with much apparent
hesitation and perched upon the highest branch of the tree, uttering a rapidly repeated
note of complaint and resentment, which soon brought the male, who vociferated his
feelings by every demonstration of the most vindictive resentment. They entered the nest
together, and returned a second time, uttering their uninterrupted complaint for ten or
fifteen minutes. The male then dashed away to the neighbouring trees, as if in quest of
the offender, and fell upon a cat-bird, which he chastised severely and then attacked an
innocent sparrow that was chirping its ditty in a beech-tree. Notwithstanding the
affront was so passionately resented, I found the Cow Bird had laid an egg the next day.
Perhaps, a tenant less attached to a favourite spot would have acted more fastidiously by
deserting the premises altogether. In this instance also I determined to watch the
occurrences that were to follow ; but’on one of my morning visits I found the common
enemy of the eggs and young of all the small birds had despoiled the nest—a coluber was
found coiled at the bottom, 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 remarkable that they
are all smaller than the intruder: the blue-bird is the only one nearly as large. This is
a good-natured creature, although it makes a vigorous defence when assaulted. The
yellow-throat, the sparrow, the goldfinch, the indigo-bird, and the blue-bird, are the only
kinds in whose nests I have found the eggs or young of the Cow Troopial, though
doubtless there are some others.

What becomes of the eggs or young of the proprietors? This is the most interesting
question that appertains to this subject. There must be some especial 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 your own conclusions. Whatever theory may be adopted, the fact 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 side 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 affection and
discovered the usual concern at my approach. On the succeeding day only two of the

446 A CURIOUS PROBLEM. °

sparrow’s eggs remained, and the next day there were none. I sought in vain for them
on the ground in every direction.

Having found the eggs 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 after, my first discovery was in a blue-bird’s nest, built in a hollow
stump. The nest contained six eggs, and the process of incubation was going on. Then
a few days after my visit I found a young Cow Bird and three eggs remaining. I took the
egos out: two contained young birds apparently come to their full fime, and the other was
rotten. I found one of the other eggs on the ground at the foot of the stump, differig in
no respect from those in the nest, no signs of life being discernible in either.

Soon after this I found a goldfinch’s nest, with an egg of each only, and I attended it
carefully till the usual complement of the owner were laid. Being away at the time,
T could not ascertain precisely when the process of incubation commenced, but from my
reckoning, I think the egg of the Cow Bird must have been hatched in nine or ten days
from the commencement of incubation. On my return, I 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 eggs of the intruder should have been so uniformly
the first hatched? The idea of the egg being larger, and therefore from its own gravity
filling the centre of the nest, is not sufficient to explain the phenomenon ; for in this
supposition the other eggs must be proportionably elevated at the sides, and therefore
have as much or more warmth from the body of the imcumbent than the others. This
principle would simply 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 builder of the nest. How
do the eggs get out of the nest? Is it by the size and nestling of the young Cow Bird?
This cannot always be the case, because in the instance of the blue-bird’s nest in the
fallen stump the cavity was a foot deep, the nest at the bottom, and the ascent perpen-
dicular ; nevertheless, the eggs were removed, although filled with young ones. Moreover,
a young Cow-hen finch is as helpless as any other young bird, and so far from haying
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
eges 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-breast. 1 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 process of hatching, she is taken away by her attention to the young stranger; the
egos would be only an incumbrance, and therefore instinct prompts her to remove them.
I might add, that I have mostly found the eges of the sparrow, in which were remarked
young ones, lying near the nest containing a Cow Bird, and therefore I cannot resist this
conclusion. :

Would the future 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 immediately
after rearing their own. I should think the sooty-looking stranger would scarcely interest
a mother while the cries of her own offspring, always intelligible, were to be heard. Should

THE RED-WINGED STARLING, 447

such a contradiction ever take place, I judge the stranger would be the sufferer, and
probably the sparrows removed soon become extinct. Why the lex nature conservatrix
should decide in favour of the supposititious fledgling is not for me to determine.”

The Cow Bird derives its name from its habit of haunting the pasture-lands for the
purpose of feeding upon the numerous flies and other insects that are always to be found
in the vicinity of cattle; it is also
known under the titles of Cow
Bunting, and Cow-pen Bird.

The colouring of the Cow Bird
is pleasing, though not brilliant. ’ tee
The head and neck are of a dark eee EF
drab, and have a kind of silken
gloss; the whole of the upper
surface and abdomen are black
“shot” with green, and the upper
part of the breast is dark violet.
When young it isaltogether brown,
and the darker tints. make their
appearance by degrees, showing
themselves in patches here and
there, which enlarge as the bird
grows older, and finally overspread
the entire body. The length of
the bird is about seven inches.

THE RED-WINGED STARLING is
one of those birds which may
either be looked upon as most
beneficial or most hurtful to the
coasts in which they live, accord-
ing to the light in which they are
viewed.,

From the farmer’s point of
view, it is one of his worst enemies,
as it eats vast amounts of grain,
and assembles in such enormous
flocks that the fields are black
with their presence, and the sun
is obscured by the multitude of
their wings. The soft immature
grain of the Indian corn is a
favourite food with the Red-
winged Starlings, and according
to Wilson, “reinforced by nume-
rous and daily flocks from all RED-WINGED STARLING.—Agelaius pheniceus
parts of the interior, they pour
down on the low countries in
prodigious multitudes. Hence
they are seen like vast clouds, wheeling and driving over the meadows and deserted corn-
fields, darkening the air with their numbers. They commence the work of destruction on
the corn, the husks of which, though composed of numerous envelopments of closely
wrapped leaves, are ‘soon completely torn off; while from all quarters myriads continue
to pour down like a tempest, blackening half an acre at a time, and if not disturbed
repeat their depredations till little remains but the cob and the shrivelled skins of the
grain. From dawn to nearly sunset this open and daring devastation is carried on, under

4485 HABITS OF THE RED-WINGED STARLING.

the eye of the proprietor ; and a farmer who has very considerable extents of corn would
require half a dozen men at least with guns to guard it, and even then all their vigilance
and activity could not prevent a ground tithe of it from becoming the prey of the black-
birds.”

In consequence of their depredations the Red-winged Starling is persecuted in every
possible way. Every man and boy who has a gun takes it and shoots at the “blackbirds,”
every urchin who can throw a stone hurls it at their blackening flocks, and even the
hawks come from far and near to the spot where these birds are assembled, and make great
havoc among them. As they are in the habit of resting at night among the reeds that
grow in profusion upon the morasses, the farmers destroy great multitudes of them
by stealing quietly upon their roosting-places at night and setting fire to the dry reeds.
The poor birds being suddenly awakened by the noise and flames, dart wildly about, and
those who escape the fire generally fall victims to the guns of the watchful farmer and
his men. Thousands of birds are thus killed in a single night, and as their flesh is
eatable, though not remarkable for its excellence, the party return on the following
morning for the purpose of picking up the game.

Such are the deyastations wrought by the Red-winged Starling, and on the first glance
they appear so disastrous as to place the bird in the front rank of winged pestilences. But
there is another side of the question, which we will now examine.

During the spring months these birds feed almost exclusively upon insects, especially
preferring those which are in their larval state, and devour the young leaves of growing
crops. These destructive grubs are hunted by the Red-winged Starling with the greatest
perseverance, seeing that upon these the existence of themselves and their young
entirely depends. Whether a grub be deeply buried in the earth, eating away the root of
some doomed plant, whether it be concealed among the thick foliage which it is consuming,
or whether it be tunnelling a passage into the living trunk of the tree, the Red-winged
Starling detects its presence, and drags it from its hiding-place. From many dissections
which he made, Wilson calculated that on the very smallest average each bird devours at
least fifty larvee per diem, and that it probably eats double that number. But, taking the
former average as the true one, and multiplying it by the number of Red-winged Starlings
which are known to visit the country, he calculates that these birds destroy sixteen
thousand millions of noxious insects in the course of each breeding season, even supposing
that they do not eat a single insect after the young are able to shift for themselves.

The nest of this bird is made among the rank foliage of marshy and low-lying soils, and
is not unfrequently placed upon the bare ground. The materials of which it is made are
fine reeds, roots, and grasses, lined with soft herbs. In order to keep the nest in its place
among the loose and yielding substances in which it is placed, the bird fastens the twigs
or herbage together by intertwining them with the exterior rushes which edge the nest,
and sometimes fastens the tops of the grass-tufts together. The eggs are five in number,
pale blue in colour, and marked with pale purplish blotches and many lines and shades of
black. The male bird is extremely anxious about his home, and whenever he fears danger
from an intruder, he enacts a part like that which is so often played by the lapwing
ofEng land, and by feigning lameness and uttering pitiful cries as he flutters along,
endeavours to entice the enemy from the vicinity of its nest. The young birds are able
to fly about the middle of August, and then unite in large flocks.

When captured young it soon accommodates itself to its new course of life, becomes
very familiar with its owner, and is fond of uttering its curious song, puffing out its
feathers and seeming in great spirits with its own performance.

The colour of the adult male is deep glossy black over the greater part of the
body, reddish brown upon the first row of the wing-coverts, and a rich bright scarlet
decorating the remaining coverts. In length it measures about nine inches. The female is
much smaller than her mate, being only seven inches long, and is coloured in a very
different manner. The greater part “of the plumage is black, each feather being edged with
light brown, white, or bay, so that she presents a curiously mottled aspect. ~The chin is
cream, also with a dash of red; two stripes of the same colour, but dotted with black,
extend from the nostrils over the eyes, and from the lower mandible across the head.

RICE TROOPIAL, OR BOB-O-LINK. 449

There is a stripe of brown-black passing from the eye over the ear-coverts, and the whole
of the lower parts are black streaked with creamy white. The young males resemble the
females in their colouring, and as they advance in age present feathers of the characteristic
black and red in different parts of their plumage. Not until several years have elapsed is
the male joyous in his full plumage, and it is seldom that a perfectly black and scarlet
bird is found, some of the feathers generally retaining their juvenile brown and bay.

Few of the American birds
are better known than the Rick
TROOPIAL, which is familiar over
the greater part of that con-
tinent.

No American zoologist omits
a notice of the Rice Troopial, and
there are few writers on country
life who do not mention this little
bird under one of the many names
by which it is known. In some
parts of the States it is called the
Rice Brrp, in another the RED
Brrp, in another the R1IcE or REED
BUNTING, while its more familiar
title, by which it is called through-
out the greater part of America, is
Bop-o-Link or Bop-Linkum. It
also occasionally visits Jamaica,
where it gets very fat, and is in
consequence called the BurrEr
Birp. Its title of Rice Troopial
is earned by the depredations
which it annually makes upon the
rice crops, though its food is by
no means restricted to that seed,
but consists in a very large degree
of insects, grubs, and various wild
grasses.

Like the preceding species it is
a migratory bird, residing during
the winter months in the southern
parts of America and the West
Indian Islands, and passing in
vast flocks northwards at the com-
mencement of the spring. Few
birds have so extensive a range
as the Rice Troopial, for it is
equally able to exist in the warm RICE TROOPIAL, OR BOB-O-LINK.—Dolichonyx oryzivorus.
climates of tropical America and
the adjacent islands, and in the
northerly regions of the shores of
the St. Lawrence.

According to Wilson their course of migration is as follows: “ In the month of April,
or very early in May, the Rice Buntings, male and female, arrive within the southern
boundaries of the United States, and are seen around the town of Savannah in Georgia
about the fourth of May, sometimes in separate parties of males and females, but more
generally promiscuously. They remain there but a short time, and about the twelfth of
May make their appearance in the lower part of Pennsylvania as they did in Savannah.

GG

450 FINCHES.

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 cater-
pillars, of which they destroy great quantities. In their passage, however, through
Virginia at this season, they do great damage 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 Siates, 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.”

As soon as the young are able to fly, the Rice Troopials collect in vast flocks, and
settling down upon the reeds and wild oats, feed so largely that they become very fat, and
are thought to be equal in flavour to the celebrated ortolan of Europe. Multitudes of
these birds are killed for sale, and are exposed in the dealer’s shop tied together in long
strings.

The song of this bird is very peculiar and varies greatly with the occasion. As the
flocks of Rice Birds pass southwards after the breeding season, their ery is nothing
but a kind of clinking note frequently repeated ; but the love song addressed to the actual
or intended mate is of a very different character, excellent, voluble, and fervent. Filled
with happiness, and uttering the joy of his heart in blithe and merry notes, the Rice
Bird flings himself into the air, hovers for a while over the object of his love, pours
forth a volley of wild and rapid notes whose exulting strains can be interpreted even by
a human ear, and, alternately risimg and sinking on the wing, thus pays his court with the
wildest medley of melodious notes that ever issued from a feathered throat. The
rapidity with which the sounds succeed each other is so great that the ear can hardly
distinguish them, the high and low notes being uttered apparently at random, making
such a singular jumble of musical sounds that they seem to be produced by at least six or
seven throats instead of one. Although so unconnected with each other, these short and
variable notes harmonise well when several birds are singing simultaneously. The song
lasts for a considerable time, one of these birds when kept in a cage having been known
to sing continuously from April to the end of June.

Sometimes a party of thirty or forty will begin to sing altogether, as if following the
direction of some leader, each taking up the strain in proper succession, and the whole
flock ceasing suddenly as if by some preconcerted signal. These curious concerts are
performed as often as the little flock perches upon a tree.

The male Rice Troopial is a handsome little bird, and is thus coloured: The upper
part of the head, the sides of the neck, the wings, tail, and lower surface of the body, are
deep black, the feathers being sometimes edged with yellow if the bird is not an old one.
The back is also black, but diversified with streaks of brownish yellow. The scapularies
and tail-coverts are white, and the lower part of the back is also white, with a bluish
tinge. The female is streaked with brownish yellow upon the back, and the whole of the
lower parts are dull yellow. This plumage is also assumed by the male as soon as the
breeding season is over, and is not laid aside for his brilliant vestments until the next
season of love. Sometimes the change is rather tedious, and then the poor bird seems to
be greatly sensible of the disadvantages under which he is labouring, sitting idly in
a disconsolate kind of fashion, until his new clothes arrive and his vivacity with them.
The total length of the Rice Troopial is between seven and eight inches.

WE now arrive at the large and important families of the Frncuss, in which group is
contained very many of the more familiar British birds, which are popularly known by the
title of Finch, together with some distinctive prefix, as well as a large number of less
known but not less interesting natives of foreign lands. In all these birds the bill is
conical, short and stout, sharp at the extremity and without any notch in the upper
mandible.

The first group of the Finches is composed of a number of species, which, although for
the most part not conspicuous either for size, beauty of form, or brilliancy of colour, are yet
among the most remarkable of the feathered tribe. The nests of the Baltimore and orchard

THE SOCIABLE WEAVER BIRD. 451

oriole are sufficiently curious examples of bird architecture, but those of the Weaver Birds
are even more wonderful. Dissimilar in shape, form and material, there is yet a nameless
something in the construction of their edifices, which at once points them out as the
workmanship of the Weaver Birds. Some of them are huge, heavy, and massive
clustered together in vast multitudes, and bearing down the branches with their weight
Others are light, delicate, and
airy, woven so thinly as to
permit the breeze to pass through
their net-like interior, and dan-
gling daintily from.the extremity
of some slender twig. Others,
again, are so firmly built of flat-
tened reeds and grass blades, that
they can be detached from their
branches and subjected to very
rough handling without losing
their shape, while others are so
curiously formed of stiff grass-
stalks that their exterior bristles
with sharp points like the skin of
a hedgehog.

The true Weaver Birds all
inhabit the hotter portions of the
Old World, the greater number of
them being found in Africa, and
the remainder in various parts of
India.

The SoctaBLe WEAVER Birp
is found in several parts of
Africa, and has always attraeted
the attention of travellers from
the very remarkable edifice which
it constructs. The large social
nests of this bird are so con-
spicuous as to be notable ob-
jects at many miles’ distance, and
it is found that they are generally
built in the branches of the giraffe
thorn or “kameel-dorn,’ one of
the acacia tribe, on which the
giraffe is fond of feeding, and
which is especially valuable in
Southern Africa for the hardness
of its wood, from which the axle-
trees of waggons, handles of agri-
cultural tools, and the strongest
timbers of houses are made. This
tree only grows in the most arid
districts, and is therefore very suitable for the purposes of the Sociable Weaver Bird,
which has a curious attachment to dry localities far from water.

The Sociable Weaver Bird, which is by some writers termed the Sociable Grosbeak, in
choosing a place for its residence, is careful to select a tree which grows in a retired and
sheltered situation, secluded as far as may be from the fierce wind storms which are
so common in hot countries. When a pair of these birds have determined to make a new
habitation, they proceed after the following fashion. They gather a vast amount of dry
grasses, the favourite being a long, tough, and wiry species, called “ Booschmanees-

(hey

SOCIABLE WEAVER BIRD.—Phileterus socius.

452 THE MAHALI WEAVER BIRD.

grass,” and by hanging the long stems over the branches and ingeniously interweaving
them, they make a kind of roof, or thatch, which is destined to shelter the habitations of
the community.

In the under sides of this thatch they fasten a number of separate nests, each being
inhabited by a single pair of birds, and only divided by its walls from the neighbouring
habitation. All these nests are placed with their mouths downward, so that when the
entire eclifice is completed, it reminds the observer very strongly of a common wasp’s
nest This curious resemblance is often further strengthened by the manner in which these
birds will build one row of nests immediately above or below another, so that the nest-
groups are arranged in layers precisely similar to those of the wasp or hornet. The
number of habitations thus placed under a single roof is often very great. Le Vaillant
mentions that in one nest which he examined, there were three hundred and twenty
inhabited cells, each of which was in the possession of a distinct pair of birds, and would
at the close of the breeding season have quadrupled their numbers.

The Sociable Weaver Bird will not use the same nest in the following season, but
builds a new house, which it fastens to the under side of its previous domicile. As, more-
over, the numbers of the nests are always greatly increased year by year, the Weaver
Birds are forced to enlarge their thatched covering to a proportionate extent, and in course
of years they heap so enormous a quantity of grass upon the branches that it fairly gives
way with the weight, and they are forced to build another habitation. So large is this
thatch-like covering, that Harris was once deluded by the distant view of one of these
large nests with the belief that he was approaching a thatched house, and was only
undeceived to his very great disappointment on a closer approach.

The object of this remarkable social quality in the bird is very obscure. As in many
instances the nests of the Weaver Birds are evidently constructed for the purpose of
cuarding them from the attacks of snakes and monkeys, the two most terrible foes against
which they have to contend, it is not improbable that the Sociable Weaver Birds may find
in mutual association a safeguard against their adversaries, who might not choose to face
the united attacks of so many bold though diminutive antagonists. The shape and
general aspect of the nest varies greatly with their age, those of recent construction
being comparatively narrow in diameter, while the older nests are often spread in
umbrella fashion over the branches, enveloping them in their substance, and are some-
times only to be recognised as a heap of ruins from which the inhabitants have long fled.

In general the Sociable Weaver Bird prefers to build its nest on the branches of some
strong and lofty tree, like the giraffe thorn above mentioned, which also has the advantage
of massive and heavy foliage, disposed in masses not unlike the general shape of the
Weaver Bird’s nest. Sometimes, however, and especially near the banks of the Orange
River, the bird is obliged to put up with a more lowly seat, and contents itself with the
arborescent aloe. The number of eggs in each nest is usually from three to five, and their
colour is bluish white, dotted towards the larger end with small brown spots. The food of
this bird seems to consist mostly of insects, as when the nests are pulled to pieces, wings,
legs, and other hard portions of various insects are often found in the interior of the cells.
It is said that the Sociable Weaver Birds have but one enemy to fear in the persons of the
small parrots who also delight in assembling together in society, and will sometimes make
forcible entries into the Weaver Bird’s nest and disperse the rightful inhabitants.

The colour of the Sociable Weaver Bird is brown, taking a pale buff tint on the under
surface of the body, and mottled on the back with the same hue. It is quite a small bird,
measuring only five inches in length.

The Manatr WEAVER Brrp is also an inhabitant of Africa, and has a rather large
range of country, being found spread over the land as far south as the tropic of Capricorn,
and probably to a still farther extent.

The nest of this bird is quite as remarkable as that of the preceding species. In
general shape and size it somewhat resembles the reed-covered bottles which are often
to be seen in the windows of wine importers, being shaped somewhat like a flask, or
perhaps more like a common skittle, and being composed of a number of very thick grass

THE TAHA WEAVER BIRD. 453

stems laid longitudinally, and interwoven in a manner that can hardly be understood
without an illustration. Contrary to the usual custom of nests, in which the materials are
woven very smoothly, the nest of this bird is purposely constructed so as to present the
roughest possible exterior, all the grass stems being so arranged that their broken ends
protrude for several inches in a manner that reminds the observer of a military “ abattis,”
a defence formed by prostrate trees with the ends of the branches cut off and sharpened.
Probably this structure is for the same purpose as the abattis, and is meant to protect the
bird from the inroad of its enemies. Several of their curious edifices may be seen in the
nest-room of the British Museum. The interior of the nest is sufficiently soft and warm,
more so, indeed, than would be supposed from the porcupine-like aspect of the exterior
walls.

The Mahali Weaver Bird is very social in its habits, the nests being placed in close
proximity to each other, a single tree often containing from thirty to forty of these
ingenious domiciles. The birds associate in flocks of different sizes, varying probably
according to the season of the year, as is often the case with gregarious birds, whose
numbers are greatly augmented after the breeding season by the presence of the yearling
young. It feeds upon insects and fruit of different kinds, and a whole flock may often be
seen on the ground, feeding away. with great zest, and rapidly traversing the soil in search
of food. Its disposition is wary, and at the first symptom of danger the whole flock takes
to wing and flies to a more distant tree, where the birds sit amicably together until the
cause of their alarm has disappeared, and then return in a body to their feeding ground.

The colour of the Mahali Weaver Bird is brown of different depths, variegated with
yellowish white. The breast and abdomen are of a creamy yellow, and the chin, throat,
and under tail-coverts are white. It is rather larger than the preceding species, measuring
between six and seven inches in total length.

TAHA WEAVER BIRD.—Pléceus Taha.

ANOTHER small species belonging to this group, called the TAHA WEAVER Brrp, does
not extend its range so far north as the preceding birds, being seldom if ever seen beyond
the twenty-sixth degree of north latitude. th

This species is very common, and is found plentifully in many districts north of the
line which has just been mentioned. Perhaps it is rather too plentiful in the estimation
of the agricultural population of the land which it inhabits, as it is in the habit of
associating in large flocks, and descending upon the cultivated lands, where it feeds upon

454 THE RUFOUS-NECKED WEAVER BIRD.

the growing crops and does considerable damage. In many places, these birds are so
numerous, that in order to preserve their fruits or grain, the owners of gardens or corn-
fields are obliged to keep a constant watch over their crops during the whole day. For the
greater part of the year the Taha Weaver Bird frequents trees near the banks of rivers,
and may be seen in considerable numbers disporting among the branches. But at the
moment of the breeding season the birds retire from the trees and betake themselves to
the rank and luxuriant reeds which heavily fringe the edges and shoals of rivers, and
which form the supports on which the pensile nests are suspended.

The colour of the adult male is yellowish brown, grey, and black, disposed rather
pleasingly over the whole plumage. The female is yellowish brown above, covered with
dashes of deep blackish brown. The chest is yellowish white with a slight rusty red
tinge, and the abdomen and remainder of the under portion of the body are greyish
white. During the winter the male lays aside his handsome vestments, and assumes the
more sober tints of the female, so that the two sexes are almost undistinguishable.

RUFOUS-NECKED WEAVER BIRD.—Hyphantornis textor.

The RuFrous-NECKED WEAVER is also an inhabitant of Africa, being found in Senegal,
Congo, and other hot portions of that continent.

By many persons this species is known by the name of the Capmore Weaver, a term
which is evidently nothing but a corruption of Buffon’s name for the same bird, namely
“Le Cap-noir,” or Blackeap Weaver. It is a brisk and lively bird, and possesses a cheerful
though not very melodious song. It has often been brought to Europe, and is able to
withstand the effects of confinement with some hardihood, living for several years in a
cage. Some of these caged birds carried into captivity the habits of freedom, and as soon
as the spring made its welcome appearance, they gathered together every stem of grass or
blade of hay, and by interweaving these materials among the wires of their cage, did their
utmost to construct a nest. The food of this bird consists mostly of beetles and other
hard-shelled insects; and in order to enable it to crush their defensive armour, which
is extremely strong in many of the African beetles, its beak is powerful and its edges
somewhat curved. Seeds of various kinds also form part of its diet; and the undulating
edge of the bill is quite as useful in shelling the seeds as in crushing the insects.

The general colour of this species is orange-yellow, variegated with black upon the
upper surface. ‘The head, chin, and part of the throat are black, and a ruddy chestnut
hand crosses the nape of the neck. Like many other birds, however, it changes the

THE RED-BILLED WEAVER BIRD. 455

colour of its plumage according to the time of year, and after the breeding season is over,
its head assumes a tint somewhat like that of the back. It is by no means a large bird,
its total length being a little more than six inches.

OnE of the best known of these curious birds is the RED-BILLED WEAVER BIrp.

This species is common in Southern Africa, and is notable for its habit of attending
the herds of buffaloes in a manner somewhat similar to that of the African beef-eater,
which has already been described. It does not, however, peck the deep-seated grubs
from the hide, as its bill is not sufficiently strong for that purpose, but devotes itself
to the easier task of capturing and eating the numerous parasitic insects which always
infest those large quadrupeds. The buffaloes are quite sensible of the benefit which is
conferred upon them by their feathered allies, and move about quite unconcernedly while
serving as pasture-grounds for the Weaver Birds.

RED-BILLED WEAVER BIRD.—Textor erythrorhynchus.

Another important service is rendered to the buffalo by this Weaver Bird. It is a
watchful and suspicious creature, and at the first intimation of danger it flies abruptly
into the air from the buffalo’s back. The beast, who as long as the Weaver bird
remained quietly on his back, continued to feed calmly, is roused by the sudden flutter of
the wings and raises its head to ascertain the cause of the disturbance. Should it see
grounds for apprehension, the alarm is given, and the whole herd dash off to a place of
safety, accompanied by their watchful feathered friends.

This species has also been brought to Europe, and accommodates itself so well to the
climate that the Parisian bird-dealers are able to breed it like the canary, though not
with quite such success. The general colour of this bird is blackish brown, variegated
with white on the primaries, and reddish brown below. The chin is black, as is a patch
on the ears, and the beak is crimson, with a dash of purple on the sides. Sometimes the
plumage varies slightly, and when the bird is in peculiarly fine condition and has
arrived at its full maturity, a roseate hue appears on several parts of the body, and gives
to it a very pleasing aspect.

AmonG the birds which are grouped together under the title of Weavers, none are
more curious than those species which are popularly known by the title of Widow Birds,
and more rightly by the name of Whidah Birds.

THE PARADISE WHIDAH BIRD.

ie

Z

c/ (dl, if Hs

& gi?

PARADISE WHLDAE BIRD.— Vidua paradtsea.

“iy (b; ALA.
(

\

The PARADISE or BROAD-SHAFTED
WuibaAu Birp is the species that is most
familiar in cages and menaveries, as it is
by no means an uncommon bird in its
native land, and bears confinement better
than most inhabitants of a tropical land.
It is an inhabitant of Western Africa,
being found throughout the whole district
from Senegal to Angola; and as it is of
a light and airy disposition, it gives a
lively aspect to the trees among which
it lives. It is perpetually in motion,
flitting from bough to bough with graceful
lightness, pecking here and there after a
casual insect, and evidently admiring its
own beautiful tail with thorough appre-
ciation.

The name Widow Bird is altogether
an erroneous title, although it is supposed
by many persons to have been given to
the bird on account of its dark colour
and long train, as well as in consequence
of its evidently disconsolate state when
the beautiful tail-feathers have fallen off
after the breeding season. Certainly a
caged Whidah Bird in such a condition
exhibits the sincerest grief for his loss,
and conducts himself as if labouring
under the most poignant sorrow. Instead
of boldly skipping among the highest
forks, and flirting his long tail for the
admiration of every spectator, he sits
humbly on the lowest perches, or even
on the floor of the cage, backs himself
into a corner, and seems thoroughly
ashamed of his undress. In point of
fact, however, the proper name is Whidah
Bird, a title that was originally given
to it by the Portuguese, because the first
specimens that were brought to Europe
came from the kingdom of Whidah on
the eastern coast of Africa.

Of late years the Whidah Bird has
come into fashion in England as an in-
habitant of the aviary, and in France
has been common for a very long time.
Many of the French dealers have suc-
ceeded in breeding these birds. On
account of the peculiarly long tail, the
Whidah Bird requires a very roomy cage,
with perches of considerable height, and
so arranged as not to interfere with the
movements of the bird. It is very fond
of bathing, and like many other tame
birds, bursts into a ery of gratitude when
supplied with fresh water. Of its habits
in a wild state little or nothing is known,

THE SHAFT-TATLED

save that its nest is ingeniously woven
from vegetable fibres, said to be wholly
those of cotton down, and is divided into
two compartments, one being for the use
of the female and her eggs or young,
and the other as a seat for the male
whereon he may perch himself to sing
to his family.

Although not very brilliant in hue,
the Paradise Whidah Bird is very beauti-
fully clothed with softly tinted and
gracefully shaped plumage. The general
colour of the adult male bird in his full
dress is very deep brown-black, the
former tint prevailing on the wings and
tail, and the latter on the back. The
head, chin, and throat are also black,
and a line of the same colour starts from
the chin down the centre of the breast.
Round the neck runs a collar of rich
tuddy brown, which edges the black
line down the breast, and softly melts
into the pale buff cf the abdomen and
under portions of the body. The tail
of this bird is most singularly formed.
Both webs of the two central feathers
are extremely broad for about three
inches, and then suddenly disappear,
leaving the bare slender shaft to project
for two or three inches. The two next
feathers are equally elongated, and rather
broadly webbed, being nearly three quar-
ters of an inch in width. They are often
more than eleven inches long, and sweep
in a graceful curve from the insertion of
their quills to the extremity of their
points. All the feathers of the tail are
set vertically, so that the profile is more
striking than the full view.

The Broad-shafted Whidah Bird is
about the size of a sparrow, measuring
between five and six inches exclusive of
the elongated tail-feathers. After the
breeding season, the beautiful plumes
fall out, and the whole colouring of the
bird is changed from the deep black
and orange into rusty brown and dull
white.

THERE are many species of these
pretty little creatures, all being remark-
able for some peculiarity in their form
or colouring. Space will not permit us
to engrave more than one other species,
the SHAFT-TAILED WHIDAH BIRD.

This exquisite bird is found along the
African coasts, and is in great favour in

WHIDAH BIRD.

SHAFT-TAILED WHIDASH

BIRD. —Vidua regix

458 THE CARDINAL GROSBEAK.

Europe as a cage bird. Its voice is superior to that of the preceding species, although none
of the Whidah Birds are remarkable for the musical power or brilliancy of their song. _It is
bright and sprightly in all its movements, flitting about its cage with a restless activity
and fearless demeanour that endear it to its owner. From the Paradise Whidah Bird it
may be distinguished not only by its colouring, but by the curious arrangement of its tail-
feathers, which are very short, with the exception of the four central feathers, which are
most singularly elongated, each feather presenting to the eye little but the bare shaft for
the greater part of its length, and then slightly widening towards the extremities. The
sides of the head and around the neck are
deep rusty red, and the back of the neck and
top of the head are mottled black. The
total leneth of the Shaft-tailed Whidah Bird
is from nine to ten inches.

THE Grosbeaks or Hawfinches now claim
our attention. They are all remarkable for
their very large, broad, and thick beaks, a
peculiarity of construction which is intended
to serve them in their seed-crushing habits.

The most magnificent example of this
croup is the CARDINAL or SCARLET GROs-
BEAK, an inhabitant of various parts of
America, where it is known under the titles
of Red Bird, Crested Red Bird, and Virginian
Nightingale.

It is rather a large bird, measuring about
eight inches in total length, and is coloured
in a most gorgeous fashion. The back is
dusky red, and the whole of the rest of the
plumage is bright vivid scarlet with the
exception of a patch of jetty black short
feathers that decorate the chin, forehead, and
base of the beak. Upon the head there is a
high pointed crest, which can be raised or
lowered at pleasure. Even the bill is bright
scarlet. The female is a smaller bird, and is
not nearly so handsome as her mate. The
upper parts of the body are brown-olive, and
the tail, tip of the crest, and the wings are
scarlet. The chin and forehead are ashen
erey, and the breast and abdomen are drab
with a dash of red. The bill is scarlet like
that of the male.

CARDINAL GROSBEAK.—Cardindlis Virginiénus. The voice of the Cardinal Grosbeak is
naturally fine, though the song is apt to be
rather too monotonous, the bird repeating the
same phrase twenty or thirty times before

proceeding to another. Still its musical powers are sufticiently marked to earn for the
bird the title of Virginian Nightingale, and it is a curious fact that the female often
sings nearly as well as her mate. :

This bird seems to be of a very tender-hearted disposition, and given to the adoption
of other birds when young and helpless. Wilson mentions that he placed a young cow
bird in the same cage with a Cardinal Grosbeak, which the latter immediately adopted,
and reared the poor helpless little creature that had appealed so suddenly to its com-
passionate feelings. Mr. Webber moreover, in his account of the Birds of America, gives
an anecdote of a Scarlet Grosbeak belonging to an old woman in Washington city, which

ee

HAWFINCH OR GROSBEAK.—Coccothraustes vulgaris.

used to make a regular business of rearing the young of other birds which were placed
under his charge, and thereby earning a considerable sum of money in the course of a
season. She had often been offered a high price for her bird, but always refused to sell
him, impelled either by hope of gain or by love of the bird: we may hope that the latter
feeling predominated.

In its native land the Cardinal Grosbeak is most common in the Southern States, and
in some localities is migratory, while in others it remains throughout the year. “In the
Northern States,” says Wilson, “they are migratory, but in the lower parts of Pennsylvania
they reside during the whole year, frequenting the borders of creeks and rivulets, in
sheltered hollows covered with holly, laurel, and other evergreens. They love also to
reside in the vicinity of fields of Indian corn, a grain that contributes their chief and
favourite food. The seeds of apples, cherries, and of many other sorts of fruit are also
eaten by them, and they are accused of destroying bees.”

Many of these splendid birds are now brought to England as inhabitants of the
aviary, and are found to be hardy birds, able to withstand the inclemency of the English
climate. Many of them may be seen living in the Crystal Palace and in other buildings
where caged birds are kept. It is a remarkable fact, that in confinement the Cardinal
Grosbeak is very apt to change its colour, the bright scarlet and vermilion fading to a
dull whitish red ; probably the effect of insufficient or improper food. When carefully
tended, it is a reaily healthy and long-lived bird, having been known to survive for a space
of twenty years in a cage.

The nest of the Cardinal Grosbeak is generally placed in a holly, cedar, laurel, or
other thick evergreen, and is made of slender sticks, weeds, strips of bark, and fine
grass-stems. The eggs are generally five in number, and their colour is dull grey-white
covered with numerous blotches of brownish olive. There are generally two broods in
the season.

ENGLAND possesses a good example of this group in the well-known HAawFIncu, or
GROSBEAK.

This bird was once thought to be exceedingly scarce, but is now known to be anything
but uncommon, although it is rarely seen, owing to its very shy and retiring habits, which
lead it to eschew the vicinity of man and to bury itself in the recesses of forests. So

460 THE BLACK AND YELLOW GROSBEAK.

extremely wary is the Hawfinch, that to approach within gunshot is a very difficult
matter, and can seldom be accomplished without the assistance of a decoy-bird, or by
imitating the call-note, which bears some resemblance to that of a robin. It feeds chiefly
on the’ various wild berries, not rejecting even the hard stones of plums and the laurel
berries. In the spring, it is apt to
make inroads in the early dawn
upon the cultivated grounds, and
has an especial liking for peas,
among which it often works dire
havoc.

It is a gregarious bird, as-
sociating in flocks varying in
number from ten to two hundred,
and always being greatest after
the breeding season. According
to Mr. Doubleday, it is not mi-
eratory, but remains in Eneland
throughout the year, Epping Forest
being one of its chief strongholds,
as it abounds in berries of various
kinds, is within a reasonable dis-
tance of cultivated grounds and
affords an excellent retreat. When
in the forest, the bird generally
perches upon the extreme top of
some lofty tree, from whence it
keeps so complete a watch that
hardly a weasel could steal upon
it without being perceived and its
presence reported by an alarm
note, which is perfectly under-
stood not only by other Grosbeaks,
but by all the feathered and some
of the furred tribes.

The nest of the Hawfinch is
not remarkable either for ele-
gance or peculiarity of form. It is
very simply built of slender twigs,
bits of dried creepers, grey lichens,
roots, and hair, and is so carelessly
put together that it can hardly be
moved entire. The eggs are from
four to six in number, and their
colour is very pale olive-green,
streaked with grey and spotted
with black dots. The birds pair
in the middle of April, begin to build their nests about the end of that month, and
the young are hatched about the third week in May.

The colour of the adult male Grosbeak is briefly as follows: The head and nape of
the neck are fawn colour, deepening towards the shoulders and fading into grey on the
other portions of the neck, and the chin and throat are velvety black. The upper part of
the body is chestnut-brown, and the wing-coverts are variegated with white, black, and
fawn. The primary feathers of the wing are deep blue-black, white on the inner webs.
The upper tail-coverts are fawn, and the tail itself is black and white, with the exception
of the two central feathers, which are greyish brown, tipped with white. The sides of the
neck, the breast, abdomen, and whole of the under parts are brown of a lighter and paler

BLACK AND YELLOW GROSBEAK.—Coccothraustes melanoranthus.

THE SCARLET TANAGER. 46)

hue than that of the back, and the under tail-coverts are white. The female is similarly
coloured, but the hues are much duller than in her mate. The total length of the bird is
seven inches,

On examining the wings of this bird, the observer will be struck with the curious
shape of the fifth, sixth, seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth primary feathers, which are not
pointed, but are larger at the ends, rounded and hooked in a manner which is well
compared by Yarrell to the head of an ancient battle-axe. Perhaps the Jedburgh axe
is more like the shape of these curious feathers.

ALTHOUGH not possessed of the glowing scarlet hue which decorates the cardinal
Grosbeak, the BLAck AND YELLOW GROSBEAK is quite as remarkable and scarcely a-less
handsome bird.

Its ordinary habitation is in the northern parts of India, but it is a bird of strong wing,
and often wanders as far as Central India in search of food. Like others of the same group,
it mostly feeds on berries and various stone-fruits, crushing even the hard-shelled seeds
and stones in its thick and powerful beak. Even at a distance, this bird is very

“conspicuous on account of the bold and dashing manner in which the whole of the
plumage is variegated with black, white, and yellow, all these colours being of the purest
and brightest quality.

The whole of the upper surface and the breast are deep jetty black, with a slight
silken gloss when the bird is in good condition. A few snowy white spots appear on the
basal portions of the four central primary feathers of the wing, and several of the
primaries, together with the whole of the secondaries, are edged with the same hue, thus
presenting a very strong contrast to the jetty feathers of the back. The lower part of the
breast and the abdomen are bright golden yellow, so that the bird is coloured only with
these three decided hues, without any gradation through intermediate hues, as is generally
the case in birds of bright plumage. The female is easily distinguished from her mate,
as the upper surface is dusky black, largely mottled with yellow upon the head, neck,
and back. The breast and abdomen are greyish yellow, profusely covered with black
spots resembling the “tears” in heraldry. The quality of the hue is rather variable, as
in some specimens the black is of the deepest, and the yellow of the richest, glossiest gold,
whereas in some individuals—probably the young male just entering his perfect plumage,
or the old male getting feeble with age—the black has a dirty look, and the yellow is
nearly white. In size this bird is about equal to the cardinal Grosbeak.

The Tanagrine birds are well represented by the ScARLET TANAGER of America.

It is a very handsome bird, decorated with lively scarlet and deep black, and is
possessed of a tolerable, though not especially musical voice. This is one of the migratory
species, arriving in the northern portions of the United States about the end of April, and
remaining until the breeding season is over. The nest is made of rather rough materials,
such as flax-stalks and dry grass, and is so loosely put together that the light is perceptible
through the interstices of the walls. The number of eggs is generally three, and their
colour is dullish blue, variegated with brown and purplish spots. While engaged in the
business of incubation, both birds are extremely terrified at the presence of any strange
object, and if a human being approaches the nest, the male flies to a little distance and
keeps cautiously aloof, peering through the boughs at the foe, and constantly fearful of
being seen. The female also leaves the nest, but continues to fly restlessly about her
home, hovering over the eggs or young in great distress. When, however, the young are
hatched, the male parent takes his full share in attending upon them, and cares nothing
for being seen.

The attachment of the male bird to his young seems to be very strong, as is shown
by the following account, extracted from Wilson.

“ Passing through an orchard, and seeing one of these young birds that had but
lately left the nest, I carried it with me about half a mile to show it to my friend,
Mr. William Bartram, and having procured a cage, hung it up on one of the large pine-
trees in the Botanic Garden, within a few feet of the nest of an orchard oriole, which also
contained young, hopeful that the charity and kindness of the orioles would induce them

SCARLET TANAGER.—Pyranga rubra.

to supply the cravings of the stranger. But charity with them, as with too many of the
human race, began and ended at home.

The poor orphan was altogether neglected, notwithstanding its plaintive cries, and as
it refused to be fed by me, I was about to return it to the place where I found it, when
towards the afternoon a Scarlet Tanager, no doubt its own parent, was seen fluttering round
the cage, endeavouring to get in. Finding this impracticable, he flew off and soon returned
with food in his bill, and continued to feed it till after sunset, taking up his lodgings on
the higher branches of the same tree. In the morning, almost as soon as day broke, he
was again seen most actively engaged in the same affectionate manner, and, notwith-
standing the insolence of the orioles, continued his benevolent offices the whole day,
roosting at night as before.

On the third or fourth day he appeared extremely solicitous for the liberation of his
charge, using every expression of distressful anxiety, and every call and invitation that
nature had put in his power for him to come out. ‘This was too much for the feelings of
my venerable friend; he procured a ladder, and mounting to the spot where the bird was
suspended, opened the cage, took out the prisoner, and restored him to liberty and to his
parent, who, with notes of great exultation, accompanied his flight to the woods.”

The colour of the adult male bird is brilliant scarlet, with the exception of the wings
and tail, which are deep black. The tail is forked, and very slightly tipped with white.
This plumage is, however, only donned during the breeding season, for in the autumnal
moult a number of greenish yellow feathers make their appearance, giving the bird a
uniformly dappled or mottled aspect. The female is a comparatively ‘soberly clad bird,
being green above and yellow beneath, with wings and tail brownish black, edged with
green. The total length of the Scarlet Tanager is between six and seven inches.

All the Tanagers inhabit America, and are mostly confined to the southern portions of
that land. They may readily be distinguished from the other Fringillide by the notched
upper mandible, and by the triangular base and arched ridge of the beak. Most of them
are possessed of musical powers ; one species, the ORGANIST TANAGER (Euphonia musica),
deriving its popular and scientific title from its rich full tones. The colours of the
Tanagers are generally brilliant, scarlet, black, and orange being the ordinary hues with
which their plumage i is bedecked.

GROUP OF FINCHES.

THE true Finches are known by their rather short and conical beak, their long and
pointed wings, and the absence of nostrils in the beak. England possesses many examples
of these birds, several of which are celebrated for their beauty of plumage and powers
of song.

g.

4G 4 THE CHAFFINCH

AmonG the most beautiful of these birds, the GouLDIAN Fincu holds a high place, its
plumage being decorated with the softest and most harmonious hues, the feathers glowing
with delicately opalescent shades of lilac, green, and golden yellow.

This exquisite little bird is a native of New South Wales, and although not very
scarce in the district which it frequents, is yet decidedly local in its habits. It is seldom
seen in the open country, preferring to haunt the thicket and edges of forests, where it
may be seen hopping easily among the branches, in little bands of from four to seven or
eight in number. The voice of this finch is not remarkable for force or beauty, being
little more than a querulous kind of twitter,
which it utters mournfully when disturbed,
at the same time flying to the summit of the
nearest tree, and there sitting until the cause
of alarm is removed.

The colour of this bird is as follows:
The head and throat are deep velvet-black,
the back and wings are soft yellowish green,
and a stripe of bright verditer green runs
from behind the eye down the sides of the
neck, until it is merged in the yellow-green
of the back. Across the breast runs a broad
band of purple, yellow, or lilac, and the whole
of the under surface is golden yellow with a
kind of waxen gloss. The bill is scarlet at
the tip, and white at the base. These tints
belong only to the adult bird, the young
being soberly clad in grey, buff, and olive.

ON the opposite illustration are two
of the most familiar and prettiest of the
British songsters, the lower figure repre-
senting the CHAFFINCH, and the upper the
GOLDFINCH,

The CHAFFINCH is one of our commonest
field birds, being spread over the whole of
England in very great numbers, and fre-
quenting hedges, fields, and gardens with
equal impartiality. It is a most gay and
lively little bird, and whether singly, or
assembled in large flocks, it always adds
much life to the landscape, and delights the
eye of every one who is not a farmer or a
gardener, both of which personages wage
deadly war against the bright little bird. For

GOULDIAN FINCH.—Amadina Gouldie. the Chaffinch is apt at times to be a sad thief,
and has so strong a liking for young. and
tender vegetables that it pounces upon the
green blades of corn, turnips, radishes, and

similar plants, as soon as they push their way through the soil, and in a few hours
destroys the whole of the seedlings. In one instance, a few Chaffinches settled upon a
piece of ground about one hundred and twenty yards square, that had been planted with
turnips, and before the day had closed, they had pulled up every young shoot, and eaten
a considerable amount of them. ’

As, however, is the case of the rook, the chief food of the Chaffinch consists of insects
which would be most noxious to the agriculturist, and in all probability the harm which
they do in eating young plants and buds is more than counterbalanced by the benefit
which they confer in destroying myriads of dangerous insects.

CHAFFINCH.—Fringilla calchs. GOLDFINCH.—Fringilla carduélis.

The specific title of Ccelebs, which is given to the Chaffinch, signifies a bachelor, and
refers to the annual separation of the sexes, which takes place in the autumn, the females
departing to some other region, and the males congregating in vast multitudes, consoling
themselves as they best can by the pleasures of society for the absence of the gentler
portion of the community. Very large flocks of these birds appear towards the “end of
autumn, and seem at first to be wholly composed of females. It is, however, more than
probable that they consist of the females together with their young families of both sexes,
and that the immature males have not as yet assumed their perfect plumage. The flocks
are generally seen about hedgerows and stubble-fields; and if the weather should be very
severe, they adjourn to the vicinity of human habitations, haunting the gardens and farm-
yards, and often rivalling the sparrows in their boldness of demeanour.

The note of this bird is a merry kind of whistle, and the call-note is very musical and
ringing, somewhat resembling the word “ pinck,” which has therefore been often applied to
the bird as its provincial name.

The nest of the Chaffinch is one of the prettiest and neatest among the British nests.
It is deeply cup-shaped, and the materials of which it is composed are moss, wool, hair,
and lichens, the latter substances being always stuck profusely over the surface, so as to
give it a resemblance to the bough on which it has been built. The nest is almost
invariably made in the upright fork of a branch, just at its junction with the main stem
or bough from which it sprang, and is so beautifully worked into harmony with the bark
of the particular tree on which it is placed, that it escapes the eye of any but a practised
observer. Great pains are taken by the female in making her nest, and the structure
occupies her about three weeks. The eggs are from four to five in number, and their

2. HH

466 THE GOLDFINCH.

colour is pale brownish butf, decorated with several largish spots and streaks of very
dark brown.

The colour of this pretty bird is as follows: At the base of the beak the feathers are
jetty black, and the same hue, but with a slight dash of brown, is found on the wings and
the greater wing-coverts. The top of the head and back of the neck are slaty grey, the
back is chestnut, and the sides of the head, the chin, throat, and breast are bright ruddy
chestnut, fading into a colder tint upon the abdomen. The larger wing-coverts are tipped
with white, the lesser coverts are entirely of the same hue, and the tertials are edged
with yellowish white. The tail has the two central feathers greyish black, the next three
pairs black, and the remaining feathers variegated with black and white. The total length
of the bird is six inches. The female is coloured something like the male, but not
so brilliantly.

OF all the British Finches, none is so truly handsome as the GOLDFINCH, a bird whose |
bright yellow orange hues suffer but little even when it is placed in close proximity to the
more gaudy Finches of tropical climates. Like the chaffinch, it is spread over the whole
of England, and may be seen in great nnmbers feeding on the white thistledown. There
are few prettier sights than to watch a cloud of Goldfinches fluttermg along a hedge,
chasing the thistledown as it is whirled away by the breeze, and uttering all the while
their sweet merry notes.

The birds are not very shy, and by lying quietly in the hedge the observer may watch
them as they come flying along, ever and anon perching upon the thistle-tops, dragging
out a beakful of down, and biting off the seeds with infinite satisfaction. Sometimes a
Goldfinch will make a dart at a thistle or burdock, and without perching snatch several
of the seeds from their bed, and then alighting on the stem, will run up it as nimbly as a
squirrel, and peck away at the seeds, quite careless as to the attitude it may be forced to
adopt. These beautiful little birds are most useful to the farmer, for they not only devour
multitudes of insects during the spring months, but in the autumn they turn their attention
to the thistle, burdock, groundsel, plantain, and other weeds, and work more effectual
destruction than the farmer could hope to attain with all his labourers. Several Gold-
finches may often be seen at one time on the stem and top of a single thistle, and two or
three are frequently busily engaged on the same plant of groundsel.

Like the preceding species, the Goldfinch keeps to the open ground or hedgerows
during the summer and autumn, but during the winter is often forced to seek for food
nearer to man, and accordingly vacates the fields and proceeds in flocks to the farmyards,
where it makes the most of its opportunities. In Mr. Thompson’s History of the Birds
of Ireland, there is a communication from Mr. R. Patterson respecting the conduct of this
bird during a very severe winter.

“When at Limerick, in August, 1843, I had the pleasure of meeting Randal Burough,
Esq. of Cappa Lodge, Kilrush, county of Clare, who communicated to me the following
particulars respecting an unusual assemblage of Goldfinches observed at his residence in
the winter of 1836.

Mr. B. had two pet Goldfinches, which were allowed not only to fly about the room,
but also through the open window. The winter was beginning to be severe, and the food
suitable for small birds consequently scarce, when one day the two Goldfinches brought
with them a stranger of their own species, who made bold to go into the two cages that
were always left open, and regale itself on the hospitality of its new friends, and then took
his departure. He returned again and brought others with him, so that in a few days
half a dozen of these pretty warblers were enjoying the food bountifully provided for
them. The window was now kept up, and the open cages with plenty of seed were placed
on a table close to it, instead of on the sill as previously.

The birds soon learned to come into the room without fear. The table was by degrees
shifted from the window to the centre of the room, and as the number of the birds had
continued gradually to increase, there was soon a flock of not less than twenty visiting the
apartment daily, and perfectly undisturbed by the presence of the members of the family.
As the inclemency of the weather decreased, the number of birds gradually diminished,

THE SISKIN, OR ABERDEVINE. 467

until at length, when the severe weather had quite passed away, there remained none
-except the original paix.”

After perusing the foregoing note, Mr. Burough added :—

“ This account is perfectly correct ; and I have only to remark that it was the innocent
cause of making many idlers, for several strange gentlemen were in the habit of stopping
for hours in amazement at the novel scene. My house is situated immediately on the
banks of the Shannon, the road only separating it from the shore, and scarcely any timber
growing nearer than a mile. The two pet Goldfinches must, in their flight, have gone a
considerable distance to make out new acquaintances, for they (Goldfinches) are very scarce
indeed close to the sea—as Cappa Lodge is situated.”

There are few birds in so much favour as the Goldfinch, for it soon accommodates
itself to captivity, is of a most loving disposition, and being extremely intelligent and
docile, learns to play all kinds of tricks. I remember one of these birds that used to
live in a drawer in the surgery of my father’s house, and was a most amusing little
creature, hauling up its daily supply of water by means of a little metal bucket, perching
on the finger and whistling, and firing a little cannon with perfect steadiness and absence
of alarm. Many professional exhibitors are in the habit of teaching their Goldfinches
to go through a regular performance, and even to enact a sort of play or pantomime,
which is quite intelligible even without the somewhat involved explanations of the
proprietor.

The nest of the Goldfinch is very neat and prettily made, sometimes built in a hedge
or thick bush, but mostly placed towards the extremity of a thickly foliaged tree-branch,
such being a favourite for this purpose. In this position, the nest is so ingeniously
concealed from the gaze of every one beneath, by the disposition of the branches and
leaves and by the manner in which the exterior of the nest is made to harmonize in tint
with the bark, that it can scarcely be discerned even when the observer has climbed the
tree and is looking down upon the nest. The bird, too, seldom flies directly in or out of
the nest, but alights at a little distance from her tree, and then slips quietly through the
leaves until she reaches her eggs or young.

The materials of which the exterior of the nest is made differ according to the tree in
which it is placed. In general, fine grasses, wool, hairs, and very slender twigs are
employed in constructing the walls, and the interior is softly lined with feathers, down,
and hairs. The eggs are generally four or five in number, and delicately marked with
small dots and streaks of light purplish brown upon a white ground, having a tinge
of blue, something like “ sky-blue” milk.

This pretty bird is coloured after a very beautiful and rather complicated fashion.
Around the base of the bill is a band of bright crimson, and the top of the head is jetty
black, continued down the sides of the face and ending in the point of the shoulders. The
sides of the face are white, and a stripe of the same hue comes below the black cap where
it joins the nape of the neck. The back and upper surface are greyish brown, and the
throat, breast, sides of the body, and thighs are tinged with the same colour. The greater
wing-coverts and the first half of the outer edge of the primaries are light yellow, and
the remainder of the primaries are black. Each of the tertials has a white spot at the
extremity, and the upper tail-coverts are white with a grey tinge. The tail is black, with
a spot or two of white at the tip of several of the feathers, and the abdomen is greyish
white. The female is coloured in a somewhat similar fashion, but the black takes a
browner tinge, the white and yellow are dashed with grey, and the scarlet band round the
beak is much narrower and spotted with black. The total length of the bird is about
five inches.

The SisktN, or ABERDEVINE, is one of the British birds which performs an annual
migration either partial or complete, a question about which there has been some
controversy, and one which may fully receive a solution from the supposition that some
birds remain in this country throughout the year, retiring no farther to the north than
Scotland, while others pass to Norway and Sweden for the purpose of nidification, and do
not return to this land until the autumn.

HH 2

SISKIN, OR ABERDEVINE.—Fringilla spinus.

They are lively little birds, assembling in small flocks of eight or ten in number, and
haunting the edges of brooks and streams for the purpose of seeking the seeds of the elder
and other trees, on which they chiefly feed. Along the banks they are quick and active,
fluttermg from one bough to another, and clinging in every imaginable attitude, with a
strength of limb and briskness of gesture much resembling the movements of the titmice.
While thus engaged, they constantly utter their sweet and gentle call-note, which is so
soft that bird-dealers are in the habit of pairing the Siskin with the canary, in order to
obtain a song-bird whose voice is not so ear-piercing as that of the pure canary.

The nest of this bird is usually placed on the fork of a bough, and is composed
of wool, grass, hairs, and similar substances. The eggs are from three to five in number,
and the young are hatched in a fortnight, being able to take to wing in a month or five
weeks.

The colouring of this bird is remarkable for the very peculiar green with which most
of its plumage is tinged, and which is spread over the whole of its back and the upper
portions of its body. The centre of each feather of its back is dark olive-ereen. The top
of the head and the chin are black, anda light sulphur-yellow is found behind the ear, on
the neck, breast, and edge of the quill-feathers of the wings, upon the greater coverts,
and the tail. This yellow varies in quality and intensity, in some parts being sulphurous,
and in others of a rich golden hue. The middle of the quill-feathers of the wings and
tail are black washed with olive; the abdomen and under tail-coverts are white,
deepening into grey on the flanks. The female is similarly coloured, but the hues are not
nearly so bright. In total length the Siskin measures rather more than five and a half
inches, the female being a little less.

The GREENFINCH is one of our commonest birds, being resident in this country
throughout the year, and not even requiring a partial migration.

It is mostly found in hedges, bushes, and copses, and as it is a bold and familiar bird,
is in the habit of frequenting the habitations of men, and even building its nest within
close proximity to houses or gardens. During the mild weather, the Greenfinch remains

acme tage

GREENFINCH.—Fringilla chloris. LINNET.—Fringilla canndbina.

in the open country, but in the severe winter months it crowds to the farmhouses,
and boldly disputes with the sparrows the chance grains of food that it may find. When
young, the bird is fed almost wholly upon caterpillars and various insects, and not
until it has attained its full growth does it try upon the hard seeds the large bill which
has obtained for it the title of Green Grosbeak.

The voice of the Greenfinch is very ordinary, being possessed neither of strength nor
melody, so that the bird is in very little demand as an inhabitant of the aviary.

The nest of this bird is generally built rather later than is usual with the Finches, and
is seldom completed until May has fairly set in. Its substance is not unlike that of the
chaftinch, being composed of roots, wool, moss, and feathers. It is not, however, so neatly
made, nor so finely woven together, as the nest of that bird. The eggs are from three to
five in number, and the colour is bluish white covered at the larger end with spots
of brown and grey.

In the adult male bird, the head, neck, and all the upper parts of the body are yellow, with
a green wash, and the wings are partly edged with bright yellow. The primary feathers
of the wings are grey-black, edged for a considerable portion of their length with brilliant

470 THE SNOW BIRD.

yellow. The greater wing-coverts, together with the tertiaries, are grey; the chin, throat,
breast, and under parts of the body are yellow, falling into grey on the flanks. With the
exception of the two short middle feathers, which are grey-brown throughout, the tail-
feathers are yellow for the first half of their length, and grey-brown for the remainder, The
female is of much more sober colours, being greenish brown on the back and under surface,
and the yellow of the wings being very dull, The total length of the bird is about six
inches, the female being little less than her mate,

TxE lower figure of the illustration represents the common LINNET, sometimes called the
Brown LINNET, in contradistinction to the preceding species, or the GREATER REDFINCH,
in allusion to the vermilion-tipped feathers of the crown.

Few birds are better known than the Linnet, although the change of plumage to which
it is subject in the different seasons of the year has caused the same bird, while in its
winter plumage, to be considered as distinct from the same individual in its summer dress.
Except during the breeding season, the Linnets associate in flocks, flying from spot to spot,
and feeding upon the seeds of various plants, evidently preferring those of the thistle,
dandelion, and various cruciferous plants. It is a very lively bird, and is possessed of a
sweet and agreeable, though not very powerful song.

The nest of this bird is strangely variable in the positions which it occupies, sometimes
being placed at a considerable height upon a tree, and at other times built in some bush
quite close to the ground, the latter being the usual locality chosen by the bird. The full
number of the eggs is five, and the colour is mostly blue, spotted with dark brown, and a rather
faint and undecided purple. The Linnet is not at all successful in concealing her nest, so
that the eggs are always found in great numbers on the string of the bucolic nest-seeker.

The summer plumage of the male bird is as follows: On the top of the head, the feathers
are greyish brown at their base, but are tipped with bright vermilion, a tint which contrasts
well with the ashen grey-brown of the face and back of the neck. The upper parts of the
body are warm chestnut, and the wing is black, excepting the narrow exterior webs, which
are white. The chin and throat are grey, the breast bright red slightly dappled with
brown, and the under portions of the body are grey-brown, taking a yellowish tint on the
flanks. The tail is rather forked, and the feathers are black, edged with white.

During the winter the vermilion-red of the head and breast vanishes, and is replaced
by simple brown. It is a curious fact that the fine red tint is only to be found in the
wild birds. The female is lighter in colour than her mate, and the under surface of the
body is brown, slightly dashed with red. The total length of the bird is nearly six inches,
the female being about half an inch shorter,

The Snow Birp, which is not to be confounded with the Snow Bunting, hereafter to be
described, is an inhabitant of America, and has a very large range of country.

According to Wilson’s lively description of this bird, “ at first they are most generally
seen on the borders of woods among the falling and decayed leaves, in loose flocks of
thirty or forty together, always taking to the trees when disturbed. As the weather sets
in colder, they venture nearer the farmhouses and villages, and on the approach of what
is usually called ‘falling weather,’ assemble in larger flocks, and seem doubly diligent in
searching for food. This increased activity is generally a sure prognostic of a storm.

When deep snow covers the ground, they become almost half domesticated. They
collect about the barns, stables, and other outhouses, spread over the yard, and even round
the steps of the door; not only in the country and villages, but in the heart of our large
cities ; crowding around the threshold early in the morning, gleaning up the crumbs, and
appearing very lively and familiar. They also have recourse at this severe season, when
the face of the earth is shut up from them, to the seeds of many kinds of weeds that still
rise above the snow, in corners of fields, and low sheltered situations, along the borders of
creeks and fences, where they unite with several species of sparrow. ‘They are at this
time easily caught with almost any kind of trap, are generally fat, and it is said are
excellent eating.”

At the very beginning of summer, as soon as the weather begins to be warm, the
Snow Bird retires from its winter quarters, and migrates to the higher regions of the

aie

SNOW BIRD.—Fringilla hyemidlis.

earth, for the purpose of breeding. Even in the business of rearing their young, the
Snow Birds are very gregarious, placing the nest upon the ground, or on the grass, in close
proximity to each other.

The head, neck, and upper parts of the body, and the wings, are very deep slaty brown,
either colour predominating according to the age of the individual and the season of the
year. The lower parts of the breast and the abdomen are pure snowy white, and the two
exterior tail-feathers are of the same hue, the secondaries being dark slate. The female has
but little of the slaty blue, and is almost wholly brown. The total length of this species
is about six inches.

THERE are many other British Birds which are worthy of notice, such as the Lesser
and Mealy Redpoles, the Mountain Linnet, or Twite, and others; but as our space will
not permit us to give a history of all the British birds, we must now pass on to another
species, which, although not indigenous to England, has become so far naturalized, that to
many eyes it is even more familiar than the sparrow.

THE pretty little CANARY Birp, so prized as a domestic pet, derives its name from the
locality whence it was originally brought.

Rather more than three hundred years ago, a ship was partly laden with little green
birds captured in the Canary Islands, and having been wrecked near Elba, the birds made
their escape, flew to the island and there settled themselves. Numbers of them were
caught by the inhabitants, and on account of their sprightly vivacity and the brilliancy
of their voice they soon became great favourites, and rapidly spread over Europe.

The original colour of the Canary is not the bright yellow with which its feathers are
generally tinted, but a kind of dappled olive-green, black, and yellow, either colour
predominating according to circumstances. By careful management, however, the bird-
fanciers are able to procure Canaries of every tint between the three colours, and have
instituted a set of rules by which the quality and arrangement of the colouring is reduced
to aregular system. Still, the original dappled green is always apt to make its appearance ;
and even when two light-coloured birds are mated, a green young one is pretty sure to be
found in the nest. For my own part, I care little for the artificial varieties produced by

472 THE CANARY.

the fanciers according to their arbitrary rules, always subject to variation; and to my
mind, an intelligent bird and a good songster is not one whit the less attractive because
the colours of its plumage are not arranged precisely according to the fanciers’ rules.

I have kept Canaries for many years, and could fill pages with anecdotes and histories
of them and their habits, but as I have already written rather a long biography of my
Canaries in “ My Feathered Friends,” together with instructions for the management and
rearing of these pretty birds, there is no need to repeat the account in the present pages.

Several accounts of talking Canaries have come before the public, but none of them
very reliable until Mr. S. L. Sotheby addressed the following communication to Mr.
Gray, Vice-President of the Zoological Society.

“Touching that marvellous little specimen of the feathered tribe, a talking Canary, of
which I had the pleasure a few days since of telling you, I now send you all the infor-
mation I can obtain respecting it, from the lady by whom it was brought up and educated
at this our homestead.

Its parents had previously and successfully reared many young ones; but three years
ago they hatched only one out of four eggs, the which they immediately neglected, by com-
mencing the rebuilding of a nest upon the top of it. Upon this discovery, the unfledged
and forsaken bird, all but dead, was taken away and placed in flannel by the fire, when
after much attention it was restored and then brought up by hand. Thus treated, and
away from all other birds, it became familiarised with those only who fed it ; consequently
its first smging notes were of a character totally different to those usual with the Canary.

Constantly being talked to, the bird, when about three months old, astonished its
mistress by repeating the endearing terms used in talking to it, such as ‘ Kissve, kiss?e,’
with its significant sounds. This went on, and from time to time the little bird repeated
other words ; and now, for hours together, except during the moulting season, astonishes
us by ringing the changes, according to its own fancy, and as plain as any human voice
can articulate them, on the several words—‘ Dear sweet Titchie’ (its name), ‘Kiss Minnie,’
‘Kiss me then, dear Minnie, ‘Sweet pretty little Titchie, ‘ Kissie, kissie, kissie,’ ‘ Dear
Titchie, ‘Titchie wee, gee, gee, gee, Titchie, Titchie.’ The usual singing notes of the bird
are more of the character of the nightingale, mingled occasionally with the dog-whistle
used about the house. It sometimes whistles, very clearly, the first bar of ‘God save the
Queen.’

It is hardly necessary to add that the bird is, of course, by nature remarkably tame ; so
much so that, during its season, it will perch down from its cage on my finger, shouting
and talking in the most excited state. Our friend Mr. B. Waterhouse Hawkins, who has
heard the bird, tells me that about twenty years ago a Canary that spoke a few words was
exhibited in Regent-street, the only other instance, I believe, publicly known.”

This very interesting communication was printed in the Proceedings of the Zoological
Society, and may be found in No, cccuxt. 1858.

One word of advice I will just give to possessors of Canaries: It often happens that
the birds become dispirited, sit drooping on the ground or their perches, and have every
symptom of severe illness. In nine cases out of ten, this is caused by the red-mite, a tiny
parasitic creature, almost invisible to the naked eye, which attacks the Canaries, and by
the continual irritation and want of rest which it occasions, especially during the night,
gives rise to many dangerous complaints. Formerly I lost several birds by this pest, but
have now succeeded in its almost complete extirpation.

The red-mites are haters of light, and during the daytime they generally retire from the
birds, and conceal themselves in the cracks and crevices of the cage, their minute
dimensions enabling them to congregate in immense numbers within a very small space.
Iam accustomed, therefore, at the brightest moments of noonday, when the mites have
entirely retreated into their hiding-places, to remove the birds from the cage, and to apply
neat’s-foot oil to every part of the cage where a mite could take shelter. This plan has
the advantage over all others, that it not only kills the mites, but also destroys their eggs,
and so prevents a fresh supply from being raised. I then take each bird separately, and,
after rubbing some Persian Insect Powder well into the feathers, I scatter some powder in
a piece of calico, wrap the bird in it, and let it lie for a quarter of an hour. A feather

ee

CANARY.—Carduélis candria.

waved over the eyes of a Canary while it is lying on its back has the effect of depriving it
of all power, so that it will lie quite motionless until taken up. The powder is then
shaken carefully out of the feathers, together with the dead and dying mites that may
have remained in the plumage, the bird restored to the cage, and the powder and mites
burned.

As a few of these pests will escape observation in spite of all precautions, I wait until
night has fairly set in, and suddenly taking a very bright lamp into the cage where the
birds live, throw its ight upon them, and cause the mites to leave the feathers and hurry
towards their hiding-places. As at that hour they are always distended with blood, they
are easily visible by the light of the lamp, and can at once be killed by being touched with
a little oil. Prevention, moreover, is better than cure, and as the mites are chiefly bred in
the so-called “ nests” which are sold in the shops, no building substances should be given to
the birds without having been previously plunged into boiling water. By carefully taking
these precautions, the mites will be effectually destroyed in the course of a fortnight or so,
and the owner of the birds will find his reward in the recovered sprightliness of his
feathered pets, and their speedy restoration to health. The best insect powder that I have
yet seen can be obtained at No. 33, Newgate-street, City, at the cost of tenpence per
packet. It is instantaneously effectual towards the insects, which it kills or paralyzes, and
does no harm to the birds even if it should get into their eyes or mouths. When rammed
into a paper tube and burned, it smoulders slowly away, and the smoke will destroy many
of the insect pests that infest our houses or injure our plants. In such cases the smoke
should be confined as much as possible by coverings of some sort, as its potency is of
course according to its concentration.

THE noisy, familiar, impatient SPARROW is one of those creatures that has attached
itself to man, and follows him wherever he goes.

Nothing seems to daunt this bold little bird, which is equally at home in the fresh air
of the country farm, in the midst of a crowded city, or among the strange sights and
sounds of a large railway-station ; treating with equal indifference the slow-paced waggon

AT 4 FOOD OF THE SPARROW.

horses, as they deliberately drag their load over the country roads, the noisy cabs and
omnibuses as they rattle over the city pavements, and the snorting, puffing engines,
as they dash through the stations with a velocity that makes the earth tremble beneath
their terrible rush.

Although its ordinary food consists of insects and grain, both of which articles it can
only obtain in the open country, it accommodates itself to a town life with perfect ease,
and picks up a plentiful subsistence upon the various refuse that is thrown daily out of
town houses, and which, before it is handed over to the dustman, is made by the Sparrow
to yield many a meal. Indeed, the appetite of this bird is so accommodating, that there
is hardly any article of human diet on which the Sparrow will not feed; and it may often
be seen sharing with its family a dry crust of bread, some fragments of potatoes, any of
the refuse of a greengrocer’s shop, or even sitting upon a bone “and picking it with great
contentment, In market- places, especially in those where vegetables are sold, as Covent
Garden and Farringdon Market, the Sparrow appears in creat force, and, in no way
daunted by the multitudes of busy human beings that traverse the locality, flutters about
their very feet, and feeds away without displaying the least alarm.

In the Zoological Gardens, and indeed in all large aviaries, the Sparrow is quite
in its element, pushing its way through the meshes of the wire roofs and fronts, pecking
at the food supplied to the birds within, and retreating through the wires if attacked by
the rightful owners of the plundered food. Even the majestic eagle is not free from the
depredations of the Sparrow, who hops through the bars of the cage with great impudence,
feeds quite at its leisure on the scraps of meat that are left by the royal bird, and,
within a yard of the terrible beak and claws, splashes about merrily in the eagle’s bath.
The large animals are also favoured by constant visits from the Sparrows, which hop about
the rhinoceros, the elephant, the hippopotamus, or the wild swine with utter indifference,
skipping about close to their feet, and picking up grain as if they were the owners of the
whole establishment.

When in the country the Sparrow feeds almost wholly on insects and grain, the
former being procured in the spring and early summer, and the latter in autumn and
winter. As these birds assemble in large flocks and are always very plentiful, they
devour great quantities of grain, and are consequently much persecuted by the farmer,
and their numbers thinned by guns, traps, nets, and all kinds of devices. Yet their
services in insect-killing are so great as to render them most useful birds to the
agriculturist. A single pair of these birds have been watched during a whole day, and
were seen to convey to their young no less than forty grubs per hour, making an
average exceeding three thousand in the course of the week. In every case where the
Sparrows have been extirpated, there has been a proportional decrease in the crops from
the ravages of insects. At Maine, for example, the total destruction of the Sparrows was
ordered by Government, and the consequence was that in the succeeding year even the
green trees were killed by caterpillars, and a similar occurrence took place near Auxerre,

Moreover, even in the autumn the Sparrow does not confine itself to grain, but feeds
on various seeds, such as the dandelion, the sow-thistle, and the groundsel, all of which
plants are placed by the agriculturist in the category of weeds. It has also been observed
to chase and kill the common white butterfly, whose caterpillars make such terrible
destruction among the cabbage and other garden plants. While feeding, the Sparrows
like to be in company, so that they may be seen in bands of variable numbers, all
fluttering, and chirping, and pecking, and scolding, and occasionally fighting with
amusing pertness. So closely do they congregate, that when I was a boy I used often to
shoot the Sparrows with sixpenny toy cannons, by pushing their muzzles through holes
bored in the stable-door, pointing them at a little heap of oats thrown there for the
occasion, and firing them as soon as a flock of Sparrows had descended to feed.

The Sparrow is not one of the earliest risers among the feathered tribes, but it is quite
as wakeful as any of them, beginning to chatter almost with the dawn, and keeping wp an
animated conversation for nearly an hour before it leaves its roost. The same conduct is
observable at night, the birds congregating together before roosting, settling on the tops of
houses or in trees, and chattering in a very “quarrelsome and noisy fashion before they

SPARROW.—Passer domésticys.

retire to their several domiciles. One of my pupils used to catch numbers of Sparrows
by hiding in a haystack, watching them home, and drawing them out of their holes after
dark. ;

The nest of the Sparrow is a very inartificial structure, composed of hay, straw, leaves,
and various similar substances, and always filled with a prodigious lining of feathers.
For, although the Sparrow is as hardy a bird as can be seen, and appears to care little for
snow or frost, it likes a warm bed to which it may retire after the toils of the day, and
always stuffs its resting-place full of feathers, which it gets from all kinds of sources.
Even their roosting-places are often crammed with feathers.

Generally the nest is built in some convenient crevice, such as a hole in an old wall,
especially if it be covered with ivy ; but the bird is by no means particular in the choice
of a locality, and will build in many other situations. Every one who has watched a
rookery will have observed the numbers of Sparrows’ nests that have been built under the
nests of the larger birds, 'so as to obtain a shelter from rain; and many country house-
keepers have learned to their sorrow how fond the Sparrow is of building in water-spouts,
thereby choking up the passage, and causing the house to be overflowed. There are
generally five eggs, though they sometimes reach the number of six, and their colour is
greyish white, profusely covered with spot8 and dashes of grey-brown. They are, however,
extremely variable, and even in the same nest it is not uncommon to find some eggs that
are almost black with the mottlings, while others have hardly a spot or stripe about them.
The Sparrow is a very prolific bird, bringing up several broods in the course of a season,
and has been known to rear no less than fourteen young in a single breeding season.

476 THE TREE SPARROW.

Sometimes, but very rarely, the Sparrow takes to the trees, and builds a big clumsy
nest among the branches, employing a profusion of hay for the exterior, which in that
case is always domed, with an entrance in the side, and a great mass of warm feathers for
the lining. The reader must remember in this place that he is not to confound this nest
with that of the tree Sparrow, the bird next upon our list. The Sparrow is a very
affectionate parent, and may often be seen, even in our crowded streets, busily engaged in
feeding its young, which sit on the ground, opening their beaks and flapping their wings
with hungry eagerness.

Like other familiar birds, the Sparrow sometimes builds its nest in very unsuspected
localities, and there are several examples of their nests being placed on different parts of
a ship’s rigging. For example, while the Great Britain was lying in the Sandown graying
dock, some Sparrows built two nests in the “bunts” of the main and mizen topsails, ze.
the place where the sail is gathered up into a bundle near the mast. As the sail could not
be set without disturbing the birds, the sailors augured a speedy and pleasant voyage.
Mr. Thompson gives an instance of the Sparrow building upon the furled sail of the
Aurora of Belfast, but as the sail was loosened during the second voyage to Glasgow, the
nest was destroyed and the eggs broken. Again, a pair of Sparrows built their nest under
the slings of the fore-yard of the ship Ann of Shields just before leaving port, and when
the vessel reached the Tyne the birds went ashore and brought back materials wherewith
to complete their home.

The colouring of the Sparrow is really rich and pretty, though not brilliant. The top
of the head is slaty grey, the chin and throat are black, and the same hue extends from
the base of the head over the eyes in a slightly curved line. The sides of the head, the
neck, back, and wings are rich ruddy brown, beautifully mottled with black, each feather
having a deep black centre. Some of the smaller wing-coverts are tipped with white, the
breast is grey-brown, mottled with black, and the abdomen is greyish white. Varieties of
pure white, pied, black and dun are not uncommon. ‘The total length of the bird is about
six inches. These beautiful shades of colour are only to be seen in the country Sparrows,
as the feathered inhabitants of streets soon become tinged with a uniform dingy brown
by the smoky atmosphere in which they live.

The TREE SPARROW may readily be distinguished from the preceding species by the
chestnut head, the triangular patch of black on the cheeks, and the browner white of
the lower surface of the body.

This bird is not nearly so common as the house Sparrow, and generally places its nest
in trees in preference to thatch and walls. Sometimes, however, it follows the common
Sparrow in the building of its domicile, and has been known to place its nest in the
deserted home of a crow or rook, making a dome like that of the common Sparrow when
building in trees. Occasionally it has been observed to build its nest in the hollow of a
tree, and to take possession of a hole that had formerly been occupied by the woodpecker.
The eggs are different in hue from those of the common Sparrow, being dullish white,
covered entirely with very light dots of ashen brown. Their number is generally from
four to six.

In the Field newspaper there is a short communication from a gentleman residing at
Penzance. “A Norwegian brig put into Penzance a few days since, and among other
incidents of the voyage between Norway and England, the master of the vessel mentioned
that midway between the two countries, thousands of small Sparrows paused and alighted
on the ship, covering the deck, and rigging. The birds were exhausted and soon died, and
some half-dozen were kept from mere curiosity to show to friends. These were brought
for my inspection, a day or two since, by a person who begged them of the captain to
show me. The six specimens were all Passer montanus, the Tree Sparrow, the Mountain
Sparrow of Bewick.”

Beside the markings which have already been mentioned, the Tree Sparrow has
a streak of white, marking the boundary between the chestnut of the neck and the red hue
of the back and wings. The lower wing-coverts are not so broadly tipped with white as
in the common species, but are of a deep black, with a very narrow edging of white.

TREE SPARROW.—Passer montdnus.

Below the eye and over the ear-coverts there is a narrow black streak, and the breast and
abdomen are white, with a brown tinge, deepening on the flanks. In size the Tree
Sparrow is not so large as the common species, by nearly half an inch of length.

The WHITE-THROATED SPARROW is an inhabitant of America, and is one of the partial
migrators, passing to and from the northern and southern portions of that continent,
according to the season of the year.

Of this bird Wilson speaks as follows: “ This is the largest as well as the handsomest
of all our Sparrows. It resides in most of the States south of New England. From
Connecticut to Savannah I found these birds numerous, particularly in the neighbourhood
of the Roanoke river and among the rice plantations. In summer they retire to the
higher inland parts of the country, and also farther south, to breed. According to Pennant,
they are also found at that season in Newfoundland. During their residence here in
winter they collect together in flocks, always preferring the borders of swampy thickets,
creeks, and mill-ponds, skirted with alder bushes and long rank weeds, the seeds of which
form their principal food.

Early in the spring, a little before they leave us, they have a few remarkably sweet
and clear notes, generally in the morning a little after sunrise. About the twentieth of
April they disappear, and we see no more of them until the beginning or second week of
October, when they again return, part to pass the winter with us, and part on their return
farther south.”

The colouring of this bird is very graceful. The upper surface of the body and the
lower wing-coverts are rather agreeably mottled with black, ashen brown, bay, and clear

WHITE-THROATED SPARROW.—Zonotrichia albicollis.

ash, the breast is ash, and the chin and the under portions of the body are pure white.
The head is striped with black and white, and another white streak which passes over the
eye warms into orange-yellow between the eye and the nostril. The female is easily
distinguished by the lighter breast, the drab wash upon the white, and the smaller size of
the orange line on the head. The legs are flesh-coloured, and the bill has a bluish tinge.
The total length of the White-throated Sparrow is about six and a half inches.

The SHARP-TAILED FINCH derives its popular and appropriate title from the peculiar
shape of its tail, which can be readily understood by reference to the illustration.

It is an interesting little bird, remarkably swift of foot, and a very excellent climber
of reeds and rushes, two accomplishments which are very seldom combined in the same
species. The sea-shore is the favourite haunt of this bird, which seems to depend wholly
upon the waves for its subsistence. While feeding, it courses along the edge of the water
with wonderful celerity, pecking here and there at the little fish and crustaceans which
have been flung ashore by the water, and would make good their escape were not they
interrupted by the ready beak of their destroyer. As it trips over the sands it has all the
appearance of the sandpipers and other shore-living birds, although its legs are shorter and
its dimensions smaller.

The low coral-covered islands that edge the Atlantic coast of America are the favoured
resorts of the Sharp-tailed Finch, which seldom quits these places of safety, unless driven
by continuous and wild easterly gales, which drive the sea over the islands and render
them untenable for the time. The bird then flies over to the main land, but still remains
close to the sea, preferring to roost on the ground and run about after dark. On
examining the stomach of several of these birds, Wilson found that they contained
fragments of shrimps, very small molluscs, and broken limbs of small crabs, no other
substances ever being found in their interior. Owing to this diet, the flesh of this species
is not at all fitted for the table, being rank and fishy.

The crown of the head is olive-brown divided laterally with a streak of slaty blue or
light ash. The head and sides of the face are marked with several streaks of white, one
of which becomes orange-yellow near the beak. The whole of the upper parts are brownish

THE YELLOW BUNTING, OR YELLOW AMMER. 479

olive with a perceptible blue wash, the chin and abdomen are pure white, the breast is
ashen grey streaked liberally with buff, and the under tail-coverts are buff streaked with
black. All the wing-coverts are tipped with narrow white bands, and the wings are rather
richly variegated with yellow. The pe length of this bird is rather more than six
inches.

THE Buntings are known by their sharp
conical bills, with the edges of the upper
mandible rounded and shghtly turned in-
wards, and the knob on the palate. They
are common in most parts of the world,
are gregarious during the winter months,
and in some cases become so fat upon the
autumn grain that they are considered great
dainties.

ONE of the most familiar of all these
birds is the YELLow BuNTING, or YELLOW
AMMER as it is often called.

This lively bird frequents our fields and
hedgerows, and is remarkable for a curious
mixture of wariness and curiosity, the latter
feeling impelling it to observe a traveller
with great attention, and the former to keep
out of reach of any missile. So, in walking
along a country lane, the passenger is often
preceded by one or more of these birds,
which always keeps about seventy or eighty
yards in advance, and flutters in and out of
the hedges or trees with a peculiar and un-
mistakeable flirt of the wings and tail. It
possesses but little song, and is consequently
of no value as a cage-bird, remaining scath-
less while many a poor goldfinch, lark, or
thrush falls a victim to the birdcatcher,
and passes the remainder of its life cooped
in the narrow precincts of a cage.

The song—if it may so be called—of the
bird is set in the minor key, and has a
peculiar intonation, which is almost articu- SHARP-TAILED FINCH.—Ammodromus caudacitus.
late, and is variously rendered in different
parts of England. For example, among the
southern counties it is well represented by
the words, “A little bit of bread and no cheese!” the last syllable but one being strongly
accented. In Scotland it assumes a sense quite in accordance with the character of its
surroundings, and is supposed to say, “ De’il, de'il, de’il take ye.” So, in revenge for the
sentiment by which the bird is supposed to be actuated, the rustics persecute the bright
little creature most shamefully, killing the parents, breaking the eggs, and destroying the
nests, whenever they can find an opportunity. Mr. Thompson says, that to his ears the
ery of the Yellow Bunting is of a mournful character, in which opinion I cannot at all agree
with him, having many a time been cheered by the odd little tones that were poured
forth close to my ear.

The nest of the Yellow Bunting is generally placed upon or very close to the earth,
and the best place to seek for the structure is the bottom of a hedge where the grass
has been allowed to grow freely, and the ground has been well drained by the ditch. In
rustic parlance, a “ rough gripe” is the place wherein to look for the Yellow Ammer’s
nest. It is a neatly built edifice, composed chiefly of grasses, and lined with hair. The

YELLOW BUNTING, OR YELLOW AMMER.—Emberiza citrinella.

eggs are five in number, and their colour is white, with a dash of very pale purple, and
dotted and scribbled all over with dark purple-brown. Both dots and lines are most
variable, and it also frequently happens that an egg appears with hardly a mark upon it,
while others in the same nest are entirely covered with the quaint-looking decorations.
Generally the nest is built later than that of most small birds, but there are instances
when it has been completed and the five eggs laid as early as January or even
December.

Both parents are strongly attached to each other and to their young, and during the
last few days of incubation the mother bird becomes so fearless, that she will sit in her
nest even when she is discovered, and in some instances has even suffered herself to be
touched before she would leave her charge.

About the end of autumn, all the young birds have been fully fledged, and instead of
haunting the hedgerows, they assemble in considerable flocks, and visit the fields in search
of food. In the winter, should the weather be severe, they become very bold, and joining
the sparrows, and other little birds, enter the farmyards and cultivated grounds, and
endeavour to pick up a subsistence. When food is plentiful, the Yellow Ammer
becomes very fat, and in some instances is killed for the table, being thought nearly as
good as the celebrated ortolan, to which bird it is closely allied.

The reader may probably have remarked, that I have called the bird Yellow Ammer,
and not Yellow Hammer, as is mostly the case. The correction is due to Mr. Yarrell, who
well observes that, “I have ventured to restore to this bird what I believe to have been its
first English name, Yellow Ammer, although it appears to have been printed Yellow
Ham and Yellow Hammer from the days of Drs. William Turner and Merrett to the
present time. The word Ammer is a well-known German term for Bunting, in very
common use. Thus Bechstein employs the names Schnee-ammer, Grau-ammer, Rohr-
ammer, Garten-ammer, and Gold-ammer, for our Snow Bunting, Corn Bunting, Reed
Bunting, Ortolan or Garden Bunting, and Yellow Bunting. Prefixing the letter H to the
word appears to be unnecessary, and even erroneous, as suggesting a notion which has no
reference to any known habit or quality in the bird.”

THE BUNTING. 481

The general colour of this bird is bright yellow, variegated with patches of dark brown,
and having a richly mottled brownish yellow on the back, with a decided warm ruddy
tinge. The. primary feathers of the wing are black, edged eis yellow, and the remainder of
the feathers throughout, with all the wing-coverts, are deep brown-black, edged with ruddy
brown. The chin, throat, and all the under parts of the body are bright pure yellow,
sobering into rusty brown on the flanks. The female is similarly marked, but is not so
brilliant in her hues. The total leneth of the bird is about seven inches.

The OrTOLAN or GARDEN BUNTING is
widely celebrated for the delicacy of its flesh,
or rather for that of its fat; the fat of the
Ortolan being somewhat analogous to the
ereen fat of the turtle in the opinion of
gourmands.

The Ortolan has occasionally been shot
in England, but it is most frequently found
on the continent, where its advent is expected
with great anxiety, and vast numbers are an-
nually captured for the table. These birds
are not killed at once, as they would not be
in proper condition, but they are placed in
a dark room, so as to prevent them from
moving about, and are fed largely with oats
and millet, until they become mere lumps of
fat, weighing nearly three ounces, and are
then killed and sent to table. The net and
decoy-bird are the means that are generally
employed for their capture.

The nest of the Ortolan is placed on the
ground, generally among corn, and upon a
sandy soil, where some slight defence helps
to conceal the nest, and to afford a partial
shelter from the wind. The materials of
which it is made are grasses of different
degrees of fineness, and a few hairs which
are placed in the interior. “The number of
egos is five or six, and their colour is pale
bluish white, covered with spots of black.
The nest is generally begun in the early
part of May. The Ortolan has no real song,
its voice being limited to a few monotonous
chirping notes.

The colouring of this bird is as follows : RTOW Ay Sueenere Eanes
The head is grey with a green tinge, and the
back is ruddy brown beautifully mottled with
black, The wings are black, with brown
edges to the feathers ; the chin, throat, and
upper portions of the ‘breast are greenish-yellow ; and the abdomen is warm buff. The
total length of the Ortolan is rather more than six inches.

As the Common BuntinG is not so brilliant a bird as the Yellow Bunting, it is less
noticed, though quite as plentiful.

It is a thick-set and heavily made bird, not being possessed of the elegant shape which
is found in its yellow relative. During the spring ‘and summer, the Bunting is generally
found in the corn-fields, from which habit it is sometimes termed the Corn ‘Bunting, and
is but seldom seen among trees or on open pasture-lands. Its food chiefly consists of

2 IT

“a.

482 HABITS AND VOICE OF THE BUNTING,

various grass seeds, especially those of the stronger species, so that it often does ‘good
service to the farmer, by preventing the increase of these very stubborn weeds. The
millet is a very favourite article of food, as may be supposed from the specific name of
miliaris, which has been given to the bird by systematic zoologists, and considerable
injury is often done to the millet crops by the attacks of the Bunting.

When hard pressed for food, it is capable of doing no small damage, as may be seen
from Mr, Knapp’s “Journal of a Naturalist.” “T was this day (January 25) led to reflect

upon the extensive injury that might be pro-

duced by the agency of a very insignificant in-

strument, in observing the operations of the

common Bunting, a bird that seems to live

—— principally, if not entirely, on seeds, and has

= = its mandibles constructed in a very peculiar

manner, to aid this established appointment

of its life. In the winter season it will

frequent the stacks in the farmyard, in com-

pany with others, to feed upon any corn that

may be found scattered about; but, little

inclined to associate with man, it prefers

those situations which are most lonely and
distant from the village.

It would hardly be supposed that this
bird, not larger than a lark, is capable of
doing serious injury; yet I this morning
witnessed a rick of barley standing in a dis-
tant field, entirely stripped of its thatching,
which this Bunting effected by seizing the
end of the straw, and deliberately drawing
it out, to search for any grain the ear might
yet contain; the base of the rick being
entirely surrounded by the straw, one end
resting against the ground, the other against
the mow, as it slid down from the summit ;
and so completely was the thatching pulled
off, that the immediate renewal of the cover
became necessary. The sparrow and other
birds burrow into the stack, and pilfer the
corn, but the deliberate operation of unroofing
the edifice appears to be the habit of this
Bunting alone.”

oe

Yesleman er edt During the autumn and winter, the Bunt-
Ue: a a ings assemble in flocks, and as they get very
BUNTING.—Lmberiza milidrts. fat about that time, the young birds are

thought to be great delicacies, and are killed
in great numbers for the table, being often
sold under the name of larks, from which,
Vier however, they may be easily distinguished,
by the short bill with the knob on the palate. In some parts of England these birds are
captured alive, and fattened with millet for the table. The roosting-place of the Bunting
is generally in thick, low bushes, but it sometimes rests for the night in stubble fields,
where it is caught, together with the lark, in the nets used for the purpose.

_ The Bunting has no song, its voice being a harsh and rather jarring scream, which it
is very fond of uttering, especially when it is observed or anxious, so that it frequently
betrays the position of its home through its very desire to conceal it. The nest of this
bird is a tolerably made edifice, composed of grasses, roots, and hair, the latter substance

being used as the lining. It contains about five eggs, of a grey-white, tinged with red or

THE BLACK-THROATED BUNTING. 483

purple, and covered with spots and streaks of very dark purplish brown. The usual
locality for the nest is among coarse rank herbage or bramble-bushes, and it is seldom
more than a few inches from the ground. The nest is completed about the middle of
April, and the young birds are in the habit of leaving their home before they can fly, and
ramble among the herbage, where they are fed by their parents until they can get their
own living.

The general colour of the Bunting is somewhat like that of the lark, so that in some
parts of England it goes by the name of Lark
Bunting. The upper part of the body is
hair-brown, mottled with a darker hue in
the centre of each feather, and taking a
yellowish tinge on the wing-coverts and
quill-feathers. The chin, throat, breast, and
abdomen are whitish brown, covered with
longitudinal streaks of dark-brown, of a
conical shape on the breast, and linear upon
the flanks. The total length of the bird is
about seven inches,

The BLACK-THROATED BUNTING is a native
of America, and is rather less than the pre-
ceding species. Of this bird and its habits,
Wilson writes as follows,

“They arrive in Pennsylvania, from the
south, about the middle of May, descend in
the neighbourhood of Philadelphia, and seem
to prefer level fields covered with rye grass,
timothy or clover, where they build their
nest, fixing it on the ground, aud forming it
of fine dried grass. The female lays five
white eggs, sprinkled with specks and lines
of black. Like most part of their genus, they
are nowise celebrated for musical powers.
Their whole song consists of tive notes, or
more properly of two notes, the first re-
peated twice, and slowly, the second thrice
and rapidly, resembling ‘chip-chip, che-
che-che.” In their shape and manner they
very much resemble the yellow ammers of
Britain ; like them, they are fond of mount-
ing to the top of some half-grown tree, and
there chirruping for half an hour at a
time.

In travelling through different parts of BLACK-THROATED BUNTING.—Euspiza Americéna
New York and Pennsylvania in spring and
summer, whenever I came to level fields of
deep grass, I have constantly heard these
birds around me. In August they become
mute, and soon after, that is towards the beginning of September, leave us altogether.”

The top of the head is greenish yellow, the neck is dark ashen grey, and the back
rusty red, touched with black, the same colour extending to the wings and tail, but of a
darker hue, without the black spots. The chin is white, and the throat is marked with a
heart-shaped patch of deep black edged with white. The breast is yellow, and a line of
the same hue extends over the eyes and into the lower angle of the bill. The lesser
coverts are bay, and the abdomen greyish white. The total length of the bird is about six
inches and a half.

Te

484 THE LAPLAND BUNTING.

The LAPLAND BuNnTING, SNow BuntTING, or SNow FLECK is one of our winter
visitors, and is known by a great variety of names owing to the manner in which
its plumage is coloured, according to the time of year or age of the individual. In some
places it is called the Tawny Bunting, White Lark, or Pied Finch ; in others the Mountain
Bunting, because it is usually found upon the hilly ranges of the counties which it
frequents.

It is an interesting bird, and has engaged the attention of almost every practical
ornithologist. It generally arrives in the northern regions of Great Britain at the end of
autumn, and remains during the winter; the oldest birds always leaving last and keeping
towards the north, while the young birds arrive first, and go farther southward than their
elderly relatives. They generally congregate in little flocks, and may be seen scudding
over the snow-clad hills, their black wings and tail contrasting strangely with the pure white
surface over which they pass. Colonel Montague once shot more than forty out of the
same flock, and found that there were hardly any two specimens whose plumage was
precisely alike, the feathers varying from the tawny hue of the young bird to the pure
white and black of the adult in full winter dress.

LAPLAND BUNTING.—Plectréphanes nivalis.

While treating of this bird, Mudie gives the following interesting remarks. “There
is another trait in the natural history of birds, which, although it may be observed in them
all, resident as well as migrate, is yet so conspicuous in the Snow Bunting that this is the
proper place for noticing it. The male is the most sensitive to heat, and the female
to cold. That difference appears, whether the result of the action of heat be change
of place or change of plumage. The males of all our summer birds arrive earlier than
the females, and in all resident birds the change of plumage and voice of the male are
among the first indications of the spring, taking precedence of most of the vegetable
tribes, for the redbreast and the wren sing before the snowdrop flowers appear.

It seems, too, that the song and the attractions of the male are accessories in aid of the
warmth of the season, to produce the influence of the season upon the female ; and even
as the season advances, the female remains a skulking and hideling bird throughout the
season, at least until the young have broken the shell and require her labour to feed, and
her courage (which she sometimes requires to a wonderful degree at this time) to protect
them. Whether it be that instinct leads the female to husband her heat for the purpose

of hatching her eggs, or simply that the thinning of the under plumage, which takes

THE SKYLARK. 485

place at that time, is the more conspicuous the more closely that the bird sits, it is
certain that the females of most birds avoid the sun, and that all cover their eggs from the
light during the period of incubation.”

Wilson says of this species that it makes its appearance in the northern states early
in December, coming in flocks of different sizes, and flying closely together at some little
elevation from the ground. They seem to be restless in their disposition, seldom staying
long in one spot, and resuming their flight after a short repose. The nest of the Snow
Bunting is made in the most retired mountainous districts, and is placed in the cleft of a
rock at some distance from other habitations of the same species. It is built of grass
and feathers, and is lined with down or the fur of different quadrupeds ; the fox and the
hare being the most usual. The number of eggs is five, and the colour is white spotted
with brown.

The song of the Lapland Bunting is feeble but pleasing, and is continually uttered
while the bird is sitting near its nest. There are, besides, several notes peculiar to this
bird ; one, a sweet, short call, and the other a harsh ringing scream of alarm. In several
countries this bird is valued for its flesh, which when it is fat is thought to be very
delicate, and in Greenland it is captured in great quantities and dried; the Laplanders
have an idea that it fattens on the flowing of the tide and grows lean on the ebb.

The food of this bird is rather various, but greatly consists of seeds. According
to Wilson, it “derives a considerable part of its food from the seeds of certain aquatic
plants, which may be one reason for its preferring those remote northern countries,
so generally intersected with streams, ponds, lakes, and sheltered 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 large flock
of these birds feeding on the surface-of the water, supported on the top of a growth of
weeds that rise from the bottom, growing so close together that our boat could with great
difficulty make its way through them. They were running 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 this kind of aquatic excursion
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.”

As has already been noticed, the plumage of the Lapland Bunting varies greatly in its
colouring, passing through every imaginable stage between the winter and summer dress,
The winter plumage of this bird is briefly as follows: The back and part of the wings
are dark black-brown, and the whole of the remaining feathers are pure snowy white. In
all cases the amount of black is very variable, and in some instances the entire plumage
has been white. In the summer, the colour is a tawny brown, speckled with white, and
the back is black, mottled with brown. The quill-feathers of the wing and tail are black,
variegated with bay and white, and the under surface dull white, deepening into tawny on
the flanks. The lenght of the bird is about seven inches.

Besides the examples already given, there are very many other species of Bunting, some
inhabiting Great Britain, and others scattered over the surface of the globe, whose history is
equally interesting, but cannot be given in a work of the present dimensions. The
species, however, which haye already been mentioned are good examples of the group, and
will serve as types by which the character of the sub-families may be known.

THE Larks may be readily recognised by the very great length of the claw of the hind
toe, the short and conical bill, and the great length of the tertiary quill-feathers of the
wing, which are often as long as the primaries.

The first example of these birds is the well-known SKYLARK, so deservedly famous for
its song and its aspiring character.

This most interesting bird is happily a native of our land, and has cheered many a sad
heart by its blithe jubilant notes as it wings skyward on strong pinions, or flutters
between cloud and earth, pouring out its very soul in its rich wild melody. Early in the
spring the Lark begins its song, and continues its musical effort for nearly eight months,

456 NEST OF THE SKYLARK.

so that on almost every warm day of the year on which a country walk is practicable, the
skylark’s happy notes may be heard ringing throughout the air, long after the bird which
utters them has dwindled to a mere speck, hardly distinguishable from a midge floating in
the sunbeams.

The natural impulse of the bird to hurl himself aloft while singing is so powerful, that
when kept in confinement it flings itself against the top of the cage, and would damage
itself severely were not a piece of green baize strained tightly as a roof, so as to take away
the shock of the upward spring. In a state of nature, the Skylark sometimes sings while
on the ground, and has been seen to sit on the top of a post, and from that point of
vantage to pour forth its light sparkling melody.

Although it is by no means a familiar bird, nor does it seek the society of human
beings, it is marvellously indifferent to their presence, and exhibits no discomposure at the
close vicinity of the labourer, springing from the ground close to his feet, and singing
merrily as it passes by his face. When pressed by danger, it has even been known to
place itself under human protection. A gentleman was once riding along a road in
Northamptonshire, when a Skylark suddenly dropped on the pummel of his saddle, where
it lay with outspread wings, as if wounded to. death. When the rider tried to take it up,
it shifted round the horse, and finally dropped under the legs of the horse, where it lay
cowering, evidently smitten with terror. On looking up, the rider saw a hawk hovering

above, evidently waiting to make its stoop, as soon as the Lark left her place of refuge. The
Lark presently ‘remounted the saddle, and taking advantage of a moment when the hawk
shifted its position, sprang from the saddle, and shot into the hedge, where it was safe.

The following curious instance of a Lark’s intelligence I had from the lady who was
an eye-witness of the scene.

A pair of Larks had built their nest in a grass field, where they hatched a brood of
young. Very soon after the young birds were out of the eggs, the owner of the field was
forced to set the mowers to work, the state of the weather forcing him to cut his grass
sooner than usual, As the labourers approached the nest, the parent birds seemed to take
alarm, and at last the mother bird laid herself flat upon the ground, with outspread wings
and tail, while the male bird took one of the young out of the nest, and by dint of pushing
and pulling, got it on its mother’s back. She then flew away with her young one over
the fields, and soon returned for another. This time, the father took his turn to carry one
of the offspring, being assisted by the mother in getting it firmly on his back; and in this
manner they carried ‘off the whole brood before the mowers had reached their nest. This
is not a solitary instance, as I am acquainted with one more example of this ingenious
mode of shifting the young, when the parent-birds feared that their nest was discovered,
and carried the brood into some standing wheat.

Mr. Yarrell, moreover, mentions that the Lark has been seen in the act of carrying
away her young in her claws, but not on her back as in the previous instance. Perhaps
the bird would learn the art of carriage by experience, for the poor little bird was dropped
from the claws of its parent, and falling from a height of nearly thirty feet, was killed by
the shock. It was a bird some eight or ten days old. The Lark has also been known to
carry away its eggs when threatened by danger, grasping them with both feet.

The nest of the Skylark is always placed on the ground, and generally in some little
depression, such as the imprint of a horse’s hoof, the side of a mole hill, or the old furrow
of a plough. It is very well concealed, the top of the nest being only just on a level with
the surface of the ground, and sometimes below it. I have known several instances where
the young Larks would suffer themselves to be fed by hand as they sat in their nests, but
the parent birds always seemed rather distressed at the intrusion into their premises. The
materials of which it is made are dry grasses, bents, leaves and hair, the hair being
generally used in the lining. It will be seen that the sober colouring of those substances
renders the nest so uniform in tint with the surrounding soil, that to discover it is no
easy matter. The eggs are four or five in number, and their colour is grey-yellow washed
with light brown, and speckled with brown of a darker hue. They are laid in May and
are hatched in about a fortnight.

The young birds are rather precocious, and leave the nest long before they are fully

SKYLARK.—4Alauda arvensis.

fledged. Even when young, the sexes can be distinguished by the deep yellow of the
breast and the more upright carriage. Dealers say that the most ce rtain mode of
ascertaining the sex of the Skylark is to lay it flat on its back, when, if it be a male, it
will spread its tail like a fan.

The flesh of the Lark is very excellent, and thousands of these birds are annually
captured and sent to market. Although it may seem a pity to eat a bird of such
musical capacities, the Lark multiplies so rapidly that their numbers seem to suffer no
perceptible diminution, and possibly their quick death at the hands of the bird-catcher
may be a merciful mode of terminating their existence. The food of the Lark consists
of grasshoppers, beetles, and other insects, worms, spiders, and various grubs, all of which
it finds upon the ground. In the spring and autumn it varies its diet w ith vegetable
food, eating young grass shoots in the spring, and seeds of the =oiere in the summer.

The upward flight of this bird is rather remarkable, as it does not consist of a
diagonal shoot like that of the pigeon, nor a succession of leaps like that of the eagle
and hawk, but is a continual fluttering ascent, taking a spiral course, widening as the

WOODLARK,—<dAlauda arborea,

bird rises into the air, The form of the spiral has been well described by comparing it
to a spiral line wound around the exterior of an ascending column of smoke. Mudie
suggests that the bird extends the diameter of the spiral in exact proportion to the
sustaining power of the atmosphere, and remarks that while descending the Lark follows
the same line which it had taken in its ascent.

During the spring and summer the Skylark lives in pairs, and is assiduously employ ed
in attending to the wants of its family, of which it gener: uly produces two broods in each
season, Towards the end of autumn and throughout the winter the Larks become very
gregarious, “packing” in flocks of thousands in number, and becoming very fat when
snow should cover the ground, in which case they speedily lose their condition. These
flocks are often augmented by the arrival of numerous little flocks from the continent,
that come flying over the sea about the end of autumn, so that the bird-catchers generally
reap a rich harvest in a sh: arp winter.

The colour of the Skylark is brown of different shades, mingled with a very little
white and an occasional tinge of yellow. The feathers on the top of the head form
a crest, and are dark brown with paler edges. The whole of the upper parts are brown
mottled with a darker hue in the middle of each of them, the throat and upper part of
the breast are greyish brown spotted with dark brown, and the abdomen is yellowish
white deepening into pale brown on the flanks. The greater part of the tail is brown,
dark in the centre of the feathers and lighter upon the edges, the two exterior feathers
are white streaked with brown on the inner web, and the two next feathers are dark
brown streaked with white on the outer web. The total length of this bird is rather more
than seven inches.

ANOTHER species of British Lark is often mistaken for the preceding species, from
which, however, it may be distinguished by its inferior dimensions, its shorter tail, and the
light streak over the eye. This is the WoopLark, so called on account of its arboreal
tendencies and its capability to perch upon the branches of trees, a power which seems to
be denied to the skylark. I have, however, seen one or two letters from persons who

PENCILLED LARK.—Otocoris pencilldtus.

assert that they have seen the skylark singing in trees, and proved the truth of their
assertion by shooting the songster.

The Woodlark is a very sweet singer, not so powerful in tune nor so various in
phrase as the skylark, but so pleasing and gentle that by many persons it is preferred to
its more powerful relative, and even thought to rival the nightingale. Like that bird, it
will often sing long after the sun has set, perching upon the low branch of a tree, or
circling in the air and pouring forth its soft plaintive strains during the warm summer
evenings. This bird has the curious habit of fluttering to some tree-branch, singing
fitfully the while, and after uttering a few low notes it darts from the branch, launches
itself into the air, and rises nearly as high as the skylark, its song becoming louder in
proportion to the height of its ascent, and sinking as it floats downward towards the
eround. On account of the sweetness of the song, the Woodlark is in quite as great
demand as the skylark, and is caged and fed after the same fashion.

The nest of the Woodlark is placed on the ground, and is composed of grasses, moss,
and hair. The eges are generally four or five in number, and their colour is pale
reddish white covered with little red-browa spots. The bird builds very early, the nest
being begun in March and the young birds hatched in May. The Woodlark is not
so gregarious a bird as the skylark, being seldom seen in large flocks, the ordinary number
being about eight to twelve, and generally being composed of the parents and their young.
It is not so common as the skylark, but is by no means a rare bird in the locality which
it best loves. It is seldom found in the open country, preferring cultivated lands in the
more immediate neighbourhood of copses, woods, plantations, and thick hedges.

The general tint of the Woodlark is rather yellower than that of the skylark, and
there is more red about the breast. The tail is differently coloured, the two exterior
feathers being light brown, with a deeper patch on the inner web, the two central
feathers uniform light brown, and all the others rather dark brown with a white spot at
the extremity. The whole of the under surface is pale yellowish brown diversified
on the breast by dark spots. The total length of the bird is a little more than
six inches.

490 THE BULLFINCH.

THERE is a curious genus of Larks called by the name of Otécoris, or Eared Larks, on
account of the double pencil, or tuft of feathers, which they bear upon their heads, and
which project on each side of the face like the pen of a lawyer's clerk from behind his
ear. Two species of this genus are now well known to ornithologists, the one being the
PENCILLED LARK, and the other the Shore Lark.

The Pencilled Lark is a very rare bird, and has comparatively recently been introduced
to science. It is found in Persia, especially about Erzeroum, and is worthy of notice on
account of the greatly developed pencils of dark feathers from which it derives its name.
It is a prettily, though not brightly, coloured bird. The upper part of the body is darkish
ash, the wings and quill-feathers being of a brownish cast, with the exception of the
external primaries, which are white. The forehead, the chin, ear-coverts, breast, and
abdomen are white, and the two projecting pencils are jetty black. The top of the head
and the nape of the neck are also ashen, but with a purple wash. The tail is dark brown,
with the exception of the two central feathers, which are dusky grey.

A CLOSELY allied species is sometimes seen in this country. This is the SHorE LARK,
a bird which has occasionally been seen, and of course killed, on our coasts, although its
ordinary dwelling-place is in North America. Of this bird Wilson speaks as follows :—

“Tt is one of our winter birds of passage, arriving 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 times have a singular ery, almost exactly like the
skylark of Britain.

They are very numerous in many tracts of New Jersey, and are frequently brought to
Philadelphia market. They are then generally very fat, and are considered excellent
eating. Their food seems principally to consist of small round compressed seeds, huck-
wheat, oats, &c. with a large proportion of gravel. On the flat commons, within the
boundaries of the city of Philadelphia, flocks of them are regularly seen during the whole
winter. In the stomachs of them I have found, in numerous instances, quantities of the
eges or larve of certain insects, mixed with a kind of slimy earth. About the middle
of March they generally disappear, on their route to the north.”

Forster informs us that they visit the environs of Albany first in the beginning of
May, but go farther north to breed; that they feed on grass seeds and buds of the spring
birch, and run into small holes, keeping close to the ground; from whence the natives
call them “chi-chup-pi-sue.” The pencils which decorate the head of this bird are
movable, and are raised or depressed at the will of their owner, thereby producing a very
grotesque appearance. It is a remarkable fact that when the bird is dead, they lie so
closely among the other feathers, that they can with difficulty be distinguished.

THE well-known BULLFINCH is, perhaps, rather more familiar as a cage bird than as a
denizen of the wood, for it is so remarkably shy and retiring in its habits that it keeps
itself sedulously out of sight, and though bold enough in the pursuit of food, invading the
gardens and orchards with considerable audacity, it yet has a careful eye to its own safety
and seldom comes within reach of gunshot.

It cares little for open country, preferring cultivated grounds, woods, and copses, and
is very fond of orchards and fruit-gardens, finding there its greatest supply of food. This
bird seems to feed almost wholly on buds during their season, and is consequently shot
without mercy by the owners of fruit-gardens. The Bullfinch has a curious propensity
for selecting those buds which would produce fruit, so that the leafage of the tree is not
at all diminished. Although the general verdict of the garden-keeping public goes against
the Bullfinch, there are, nevertheless, some owners of gardens who are willing to say
a kind word for Bully, and who assert that its mischievous propensities have been much
overrated.

It is true that the bird will oftentimes set hard to work upon a fruit-tree, and ruth-
lessly strip off every single flower-bud, thereby destroying to all appearance the prospects
of the crop for that season. Yet there are cases when a gooseberry-bush has thus been

BULLFINCH.—Pyrrhila rubicilla.

completely disbudded, and yet borne a heavy crop of fruit. The reason of this curious
phenomenon may probably be, that some of the buds were attacked by insects, and that
the kind of pruning process achieved by the Bullfinch was beneficial rather than hurtful
to the plant.

The Bullfinch affords a curious instance of the change wrought by domestication.

In its natural state its notes are by no means remarkable, but its memory is so good,
and its powers of imitation so singular, that it can be taught to pipe tunes with a sweet
and flute-like intonation, having some of that peculiar “ woody” quality that is observable
in the clarionet. It is always captured very young for this purpose, and from the
moment of its capture its instruction begins. The teacher keeps his birds separate, and
always plays the tune to be learned upon some instrument, such as a bird-organ or a
flageolet, as soon as he has given them their food. The latter instrument always turns
out the best birds, as those which are taught with the bird-organ acquire that mechanical
precision of note and total absence of feeling which renders the notes of a grinding organ
so obnoxious to musical ears.

The birds are always apt to forget their lesson during the moulting season, and if they
are permitted at that time to hear other birds, they pick up notes that are entirely foreign
to the air which they are meant to perform, and so make a sad jumble. I once
knew a piping Bullfinch, a very amusing bird, who had forgotten the first two or three
bars of “ Cherry-ripe,” and always used to commence in a most absurd manner in the very
middle of a phrase. He always finished with a long whistle, as of surprise, and then
began to chuckle and hop about the table as if greatly charmed with his own performance.
He had a great wish to teach me to pipe, and used to give me lessons every time I saw
him. Sometimes I would purposely go wrong in the tune, when he would break off his
piping, scold harshly, and begin afresh.

The Bullfinch is a remarkably tameable and loving bird, and is easily affected by
predilection or dislike for different persons, generally holding fast by its first impulse.
The bird which I have just mentioned was most absurd in the violence of his feelings
He was fond of scudding about on a bare mahogany table, and liked to lift up knitting-

492 A JEALOUS BULLFINCH

needles and let them fall, merely for the pleasure of hearing them rattle against the wood.
But towards the lady to whom the said needles belonged he had an unappeasable enmity,
and so jealous was he, that when she was working at “the same table, she dared not touch
her thread or scissors without looking to see whether Bully were near, for if he could do
so he always dashed across the table and pecked her fingers, hissing loudly with anger,
and all his feathers ruffled up.

Mrs. Webber gives a very interesting account of a Bullfinch which was in her
possession, and which went the way of most pets, and perhaps a happier way than that
which would have been travelled in their neglected state.

“THE loss of our pet, General Bem, was deeply felt. There was a sad vacancy in our
house again which we did not soon expect to haye filled. However, one morning, while I
yet wept for General Bem, W- came in with a small cage in his hand, containing an
English Bullfineh.

‘See!’ said he, ‘I have brought a fine Bullfinch to cheer you ; he sings very sweetly
several German airs, and it will fill Bem’s place a little for you.’

‘No, no, I cannot let him stay, no bird can take Bem’s place, I do not want another
bird to love; take him away,’

Poor little Bobby, I found him in the room of a rough fellow who did not care for him,
and who gladly exchanged the sullen bird, as he called him, for some trinket. A little
irl I saw there told me how sweetly he sang, and I determined to have him at any rate.

‘Must I take the poor bird away? He will be so startled among my clamourers that he
will not sing to me.’

‘Well, let the fellow stay, though I assure you I cannot love him’

So he hung the birdcage on a nail in my room, and I tried to turn my back upon
him. I could not help observing, however, that he seemed to relish the glow of my wood
fire and the warmth of the room greatly, and was commencing to dress his feathers, and
to jump about in his little cage with quite a cheerful air.

I thought him at all events a sensible bird, and determined to give him a larger cage
during the day. I then discovered that he had been so unfortunate as to lose three of his
toes, perhaps in the struggles he had made when he had been taken prisoner, by means of
the deceitful bird-limed twig, so that he was almost incapable of resistance, if one chose
to catch him while in the cage, and then he would only crouch in a corner, and with his
bright black eye and beseeching chirp pray to be left at peace.

For a week or more I took but little notice of him, only admiring his irresistible
song, for he became so cheerful as to sing to us once or twice during the twenty-four
hours.

One afternoon, however, I caught myself mimicking the droll whistle with which he
would break his song, and which had precisely the sound we express by the whew-o-0-o
when we make what we know to be some ludicrous mistake.

He instantly repeated it more slowly. I tried again and again till he seemed satisfied,
and commenced the first bar of a strain of German music and then paused. I looked up,
‘What, do you mean to teach me your song ?

He repeated the notes, and I essayed to reproduce them ; my effort, however, seemed
to amuse the young master, for he drew out to its fullest extent his whew-o-0-0-0, but
instantly commenced the bar again. By this time I had become thoroughly interested,
and not liking to be laughed at, made a more successful effort. This time Bob seemed
more satisfied, and added a few more notes. When I had achieved these, he repeated all
and put me to the test, and so on through his whole song ; every few moments, however,
evidently enjoying the fantastic mistakes which I made, and uttering his whistle in the
most provokingly sarcastic tone. TI was greatly amused, and related the story with great
eusto on Mr. Webber’s return.

The next morning when I came near the cage, the bird came as near me as he could
and commenced a pleasant chirping, which evidently meant ‘Good morning to you.’
This [ returned in tones resembling his as nearly as T could, and it finally ended by my
taking the young gentleman into my hand and feeding him. He took his seeds from my

SAD END OF A PET. 493

fingers from that time every morning, for two or three weeks. Then we were to leave
C for some time, and I sent him back to W——, congratulating myself that I was
yet heart-whole as far as Bobby was concerned.

Tn about a month we returned and we called to see the birds ; what was my surprise
when Master Bullfinch instantly descended from his perch to the corner of the cage
nearest to my face, and after the first chirp of greeting commenced singing in a sweet
undertone, hovering and turning, his feathers lifted, his eye gleaming, and his whole
expression one of the most profound admiration for little me. I was quite heartless, only
shrugging my shoulders and turning away.

But I do not know exactly how it came about ; in a few weeks I had the painted finch

and the Bullfinch quite domesticated in my room, and though I still said I did not love
him, yet I talked a great deal to the bird, and as the little fellow grew more and more
cheerful and sang louder and oftener each day, and was getting so handsome, I found plenty
of reasons for increasing my attention to him, and then above all things he seemed to need
my presence quite as much as sunshine, for if I went away, if only to my breakfast, he
would utter the most piteous and incessant cries until I returned to him, when in a
breath his tones were changed and he sang his most enchanting airs. He made himself
most fascinating by his polite adoration, he never considered himself sufficiently well
dressed, he was most devoted in his efforts to enchain me by his melodies. Art and nature
both were called to his aid, until, finally, I could no longer refrain from expressing in no
measured terms my admiration. He was then satisfied, not to cease his attention, but
to take a step further ; he presented me with a straw, and even with increased appearance
of adulation.
From that time he claimed me wholly; no one else could approach the cage ; he would
fight most desperately if any one dared to approach, and if they laid a finger on me
his fury was unbounded, he would dash himself against the bars of his cage, and bite the
wires as if he would obtain his liberty at all hazards, and thus be enabled to punish the
offender.

If I went away now he would first mourn, then endeavour to win me back by sweet
songs. In the morning I was awakened by his cries, and if I but moved my hand, his
moans were changed to glad greetings. If I sat too quietly at my drawing, he would
become weary seemingly, and call me to him ; if I would not come, he would say in gentle
tone, ‘Come here ! come here!’ so distinctly that all my friends recognised the meaning
of the accents at once, and then he would sing to me. All the day he would watch me;
if I was cheerful, he sang and was so gay ; if I was sad, he would sit by the hour watching
every movement, andif I arose from my seat I was called, ‘Come-e-here ; and whenever
he could manage it, if the wind blew my hair within his cage he would cut it off, calling
me to help him, as if he thought I had no right to wear anything else than feathers, and
if I would have hair it was only suitable to nest-building! If I let him fly about the
room with the painted finch, he would follow so close on my footsteps that I was in
constant terror that he would be stepped upon or lost in following me from the room. At
last he came to the conclusion that I could not build a nest; I never seemed to understand
what to do with the nice materials he gave me, and when I offered to return them, he
threw his body to one side and looked at me so drolly from one eye that I was quite
abashed. From that time he seemed to think I must be a very young creature, and more
assiduously fed me at stated periods during the day, throwing up from his own stomach the
half-digested food for my benefit, precisely in the manner of feeding young birds.

But I did not like this sort of relationship very much, and determined to keep
it down, and forthwith commenced by coldly refusing to be fed, and as fast as I could
bring my hard heart to do it, breaking down all the gentle bonds between us.

The result was sad enough; the poor fellow could not bear it. He sat in wondering
grief; he would not eat. At night I took him in my hand and held him to my cheek ; he
nestled closely and seemed more happy, although his little heart was too full to let him
speak. In the morning I scarcely answered his tender low call, ‘Come-e-here!’ but I sat
down to my drawing, thinking if I could be so cold much longer to so gentle and uncom-
plaining a creature.

494 THE CROSSBILL.

I presently arose and went to the cage. Oh, my poor, poor bird ; he lay struggling on
the floor; I took him out, I tried to call him back to life in every way that I knew, but
it was useless ; I saw he was dying, his little frame was even then growing cold within
my warm palm. I uttered the call he knew so well; he threw back his head with its yet
undimnied eye and tried to answer—the effort was made with his last breath. His eye
glazed as I gazed, and his attitude was never changed ; his little heart was broken. I can
never forgive myself for my cruelty.”

THosE who desire to find the nest of the Bullfinch must search in the thickets and
most retired parts of woods or copses, and they may, perhaps, find the nest hidden very
carefully away in some leafy branch at no great height from the ground. A thick bush
is a very favourite spot for the nest; but I have more than once found them in hazel
branches, so slender that their weight has bent them aside. The eggs are very prettily
marked with deep violet and purple-brown streaks and mottlings upon a greenish white
ground, and are easily recognisable by tlie more or less perfect ring which they form
round the larger end of the egg. The eggs are generally five in number.

The parents are very fond of their young, and retain them through the autumn and
winter, not casting them off until the next breeding season. The families assemble
together in little flocks only five or six in number, and may be seen flying about in
company, but never associating with birds of any other species.

In confinement it is a very jealous and withal a most combative bird, not easily
daunted, and fighting with its fellow-prisoners till one or the other is vanquished or even
killed. These birds have been known to fight continually with other inhabitants of the
same cage, and even to kill the goldfinch in spite of his long pointed bill and high spirit.
Many persons who keep Bullfinches find their plumage getting gradually darker until at
last it assumes a black hue. This change of colour is mostly produced by two causes—
one the confinement in a smoky atmosphere, and the other the presence of hemp-seed in
the food. Hemp-seed when too liberally given has often this effect upon the cage-birds,
and even the light colours of the goldfinch will darken into dingy black and brown under
its influence. The reason of so curious a phenomenon is not known, but it is virtually
a problem which when solved may be of considerable value.

The colour of the adult male bird is as follows :—

The base of the neck and the back are beautiful slaty grey, which has been known to
take a roseate hue. The top of the head, the greater wing-coverts, the upper tail-coverts,
and the chin are jetty black, and the tips of the wing-coverts are snowy white, so that
they form a bold white bar across the wing. The quill-feathers of the wing and tail are
deep black with a perceptible violet lustre, and the sides of the head, the throat, breast,
and abdomen are light and rather peculiar red with a slight chestnut tinge. As is the
case with most birds, varieties are not uncommon. The bill is deep shining black.

The female is not so brilliantly coloured as her mate, the grey of the back being of a
rather dingy cast, and the red of the under portions being of a purplish brown hue.
Young birds are coloured like the female, except that the head is not black. The total
length of the bird rather exceeds six inches.

The CrossBiLLs, of which three species are known to inhabit England, are most
remarkable birds, and have long been celebrated on account of the singular form of beak
from which they derive their name.

In all these birds, the two mandibles completely cross one another, so that at first
sight the structure appears to be a malformation, and to prohibit the bird from picking
up seeds or feeding itself in any way. But when the Crossbill is seen feeding, it
speedily proves itself tq be favoured with all the ordinary faculties of birds, and to be
as capable of obtaining its food as any of the straight-beaked birds.

The food of the Crossbill consists almost, if not wholly, of seeds, which it obtains in a
very curious manner. It is very fond of apple-pips, and settling on the tree where ripe
apples are to be found, attacks the fruit with its beak, and in a very few moments cuts a
hole fairly into the “core,” from which it picks out the seeds daintily and eats them,
rejecting the ripe pulpy fruit in which they had been enveloped. As the Crossbill

CROSSBILL —Lovxia eurvirostris.

is rather a voracious bird, the havoe which it will make in an orchard may be
imagined.

Some persons say that the bird is able to cut an apple in two with a single bite ; but I
should fancy that in such cases the apple must be of the smallest and the bird of the
largest, for it is hardly larger than the bullfinch, and the head is not at all dispro-
portionate in length to the rest of the body.

This bird is also very fond of the seeds of cone-bearing trees, and haunts the pine-forests
in great numbers. While engaged in eating, it breaks the cones from branches, and
holding them firmly in its feet after the fashion of the parrots, inserts its beak below the
scales, wrenches them away, and with its bone-tipped tongue scoops out the seed. They
get their beaks under the scales by partially opening their mouths so as to bring
the extremities of the bill immediately over each other, thus forming a kind of wedge.
The points of the beak are then easily inserted like a wedge under the scales, and by
suddenly drawing the lower mandible sideways, the scale is detached from the cone.

The power of the beak is quite extraordinary, as the bird evinces no difficulty in
breaking open almonds while in their shell, and getting at the kernel. This feat is
achieved by pecking a hole in the shell, pushing the point of the beak into the
aperture, and then wrenching the shell asunder by a sudden turn of the bill. The
apparently clumsy beak is thus shown to be an apparatus adapted in the most perfect
manner to the wants of its owner, and to be capable, not only of exerting great force on
occasions, but of picking up little seeds as well as could be done by a sparrow or
a canary. Indeed, the bird can shell hemp and canary seed with perfect ease and
readiness.

As might be gathered from the description of the habits of the Crossbill, the beak and
all its attendants are of very great strength, the muscles on each side of the face being
very conspicuous for their size and development. The position of the two mandibles is
not at all uniform, nor does it depend, according to some persons, on the sex of the bird.
Sometimes the upper mandible is turned to the right and the lower to the left, while
in other individuals the reverse arrangement is followed. In either case, the lower

496 NESTING OF THE CROSSBILL.

mandible is that which is used for the wrenching asunder of the coverings which hide
its food.

The Crossbill is not common in this country, although when it does make its
appearance it generally comes over in flocks. Usually it consorts in little assemblies
consisting of the parents and their young, but it has often been known to associate in
considerable numbers. It is a very shy bird, and has a peculiar knack of concealing
itself at a moment’s notice, pressing itself closely upon the branches at the least alarm,
and remaining without a movement or a sound to indicate its position until the danger
has departed.

Mr. Yarrell mentions that on one occasion he had sueceeded in shooting seven of these
birds upon a tree, and as they still hung upon the boughs, one of the party volunteered
to climb the tree in search of them. When he had got among the branches, a flock of
eighteen or twenty Crossbills suddenly flew out, uttering a shrill sharp ery of alarm.
Sometimes flocks of great extent have been noticed in England, upwards of a hundred
individuals having been seen in a single flock.

In Sweden and Norway the Crossbill is a very common bird; and the north of
Europe seems to be their proper breeding-place.

The nests are always placed in rather close proximity, so that if one nest is found,
others are sure to be at no great distance. The nest is made of little fir-twigs, mosses,
and wool, and is of rather a loose texture. It is always found upon the part of the
branch that is nearest to the stem. The fir is the tree that is almost always if not
invariably employed by this bird as the nesting-place. The eggs are generally three, but
sometimes four in number, and are something like those of the greenfinch, but rather
larger.

The nest is generally built at the end of February or the beginning of March, and the
young are remarkable from the fact that their beaks are not crossed like those of the
parents, but made much like those of any other young bird, the crossing not taking place
until they are attaining an age and development which will enable them to shift for
themselves. On one or two occasions the Crossbill has been known to make its nest in
the British islands.

The colour of this bird is variable in the extreme, seeming to depend on external
circumstances for its difference of tint and depth of hue.

The adult male assumes several varieties of tint, the plumage being coloured with
red, yellow, or orange, which latter hue, as Mr, Yarrell well observes, is partly covered
by the mixture of the other two. His description of the different kinds of plumage is
very interesting.

«“ A red male now before me, that had completed his moult during his first autumn,
has the back dull reddish brown, darkest in colour towards the tip of the upper mandible ;
the head, rump, throat, breast and belly tile-red ; the feathers on the back mixed with
some brown, producing a chestnut brown; wing-coverts, and quills, and tail-feathers
nearly uniform dark brown.

A second male bird, killed at the same time as the red bird just described, has the
head, rump, and under surface of the body pale yellow tinged with green, the back olive
brown; wings and tail-feathers like those of the red bird.

A third male, killed at the same time, has the top of the head and the back a mixture
of reddish brown and dark orange: the rump reddish orange ; the upper tail-coverts light
orange; the chin, throat, and upper part of the breast red, passing on the lower part of
the breast, belly, and sides to orange.

Red males that have moulted in confinement have changed during the moult to
greenish yellow, and others to light yellow; thus apparently indicating that the yellow
colour is that of the older livery ; but young males, as before observed, certainly some-
times change at once to yellow, without going through either the red or the orange
coloured stages. The lightest colours, whether green, yellow, red, or orange, pervade the
feathers of the rump and the upper tail-coverts.

In captivity I have known several instances of red and yellow coloured specimens
changing back to dull brown, as dark or even darker than their early plumage. This

CHILIAN PLANT-CUTTER.—Phytotoma rara.

might be the effect of particular food, which is known to exercise such an influence on
other birds ; but whether having once assumed light tints, they ever in a wild and healthy
state go back to olive brown or more dull colours, has not, I believe, been ascertained.”

The young birds are dark green covered with horizontal dashes of black. They
afterwards assume their yearling plumage, which is a general dull brown, greyish white
on the head, and with the under surface of the body liberally streaked with a darker tint.
The female is of a green-yellow, with a dash of brown on the top of the head and the
upper surface of the body, changing into a purer yellow on the upper tail-coverts,

The total length of the male bird is rather more than six inches, and the female
frequently reaches seven inches in length.

THE PLaNt-curters derive their name from their habit of seizing the plants on which
they feed, and nipping their stems asunder with their sharp bills as neatly as if they had
been cut with shears. They are all of moderate size, about equalling the bullfinch in
dimensions. In order to enable them to obtain their food, their beaks are very sharp and
slightly notched.

The CHILIAN PLANT-CUTTER is rather a large species, being equal to a thrush in
dimensions. It is a common bird in its native country, and is most destructive to the
crops. It is very fond of sprouting corn, and, not content with eating the green blades, it
seems to find such pleasure in the exercise of its bill, that it cuts down hundreds of stalks
as if in mere wantonness, and leaves the green stems lying strewed about the ground.
On account of these destructive propensities, it is greatly persecuted by the agriculturists,
who shoot it and trap it, and further aid in its extermination by setting a price on its
head, and giving a certain sum to every one who will bring in a dead bird.

The nest is made on the summit of a lofty tree in some very retired situation, so that
in spite of all the persecution with which it meets, it still holds its ground against the
farmers. In colour it is sober; the usual tints being grey, with a bronze tinge on the
back, and somewhat of a slaty hue upon the breast and abdomen: The quill-feathers of
the wing and tail are black. Its voice is rather harsh, and consists of a series of rough
broken notes.

2. KK =

SENEGAL COLY.—Colius macrocercus.

THE Cores form a small family of birds, whose exact place among the feathered
tribes seems to be rather uncertain. They are inhabitants of Africa and India; and as
their plumage is of a soft and silken character, and generally of sober tints, they often go
by the name of Mouse-birds, a title which is also due to their mouse-like manner of
creeping among the bouchs of trees.

The SENEGAL or LONG-TAILED CoLy is found in Africa, in the country from which it
derives its name.

It is a pretty bird, and as it traverses the branches has a peculiarly elegant appearance ;
its long tail seeming to balance it in the extraordinary and varied attitudes which it
assumes, and its highly movable crest being continually raised or depressed, giving it a
very spirited aspect. ,

It is gregarious, living in little companies of four or five in number, and is continually
jumping and running about the branches in search of its food, which consists of fruit
and buds. The grasp of its feet is very powerful, as much so indeed as that of the parrot ;
and while traversing the boughs, it may often be seen hanging by its feet with its head
downward, and occasionally remaining for some time suspended by a single foot. Le
Vaillant says that this bird, in common with other members of the same family, is fond
of sleeping in this singular attitude, and that in the early morning it may often be found
so benumbed with cold, that it can be taken by hand before it can loosen its hold from
the bough which it grasps so firmly.

Owing to the formation of its feet, which are almost wholly formed for grasping, it is
seldom seen on the ground, and when it has alighted, is awkward in its movements.
Among the bottghs, however, it is all life and energy, leaping about with a quick vivacity
that reminds the observer of our common long-tailed titmouse. In climbing from one
branch to another, as in lowering themselves, the Colies frequently use their beaks to aid
them, after the well-known practice of the parrots.

The nests of the Colies are all large and rounded, and are generally placed in close
proximity to each other, five or six being often found on the same branch. The materials
of which they are made are slender twigs externally, lined with mosses and soft feathers.

VIOLET PLANTAIN-EATER.—Musophaga violdcca

The number of the eggs is from four to six. When fat and in good condition, the flesh
is said to be delicate and tender. In size it is about equal to a blackbird.

The general colour of this species is a rather light chestnut-grey, brightening into
ruddy fawn on the forehead. The crest is composed of fine and slender feathers. The
nape of the neck takes a blue tint, and the back is grey, changing to slaty blue on the
upper tail-coverts. The chin and the abdomen are pearl-grey, and the chest is of the
same light ruddy fawn as the forehead. The beak is thick and sturdy, and is black at the
tips, and brown towards the base.

ALLIED to the colies we find another curious and interesting group of birds called the
PLANTAIN-EATERS,

These birds are natives of Africa, where they are not at all uncommon, and in the
forests which they frequent may be seen flitting among the branches of the lofty trees,
gliding among the boughs with great adroitness, and displaying their shining silken
plumage to the best advantage. They are wary birds, and seem to have tolerably accurate
ideas respecting the range of shot, for they mostly keep to the highest parts of the tree,
and can but seldom be approached sufficiently near to be killed by the gun. Their food
is almost wholly composed of fruits, and for feeding on such substances they are well
suited by their large and peculiarly formed beaks.

They are all handsome birds, their dimensions averaging those of the European jay, and
their plumage glancing with violet, green, purple, and red of different shades. One of the
finest of the species is the Violet Plantain-eater, a bird which is found about Senegal and

KK 2

WHITE-CRESTED TOURACO,—Turacus albocristatus.

the Gold Coast. It is remarkable for the extraordinary shape and dimensions of the
beak, which is everywhere large and prominent, but is especially swollen towards the
base, where it expands into a large shield-like mass of horny substance, which spreads
over the forehead as far as the crown, where it terminates in a semicircular thickened line.
The ridge of the beak is greatly arched, and its sides are much compressed. Its colour is
equally singular with its shape, for it is of a fine golden yellow, passing into rich crimson
on the upper part of the base.

The top of the head is crimson, not unlike that of the beak, and the feathers are very
soft and fine, bearing a velvety or plush-like aspect. The general colour of the plumage
is very deep violet, appearing black in the shade, and glossed with rich green in many
lights. Part of the primary quills of all the secondaries are carmine, softening into
delicate lilac, and tipped with deep violet. The large and powerful legs are black.

ANOTHER beautiful example of this group is the WHITE-CRESTED TOURACO.

This bird is remarkable not only for its handsome plumage, but for its peculiar
customs. It is*even more suspicious and wary than the previous species, and has a
peculiar talent for concealing itself. Let a White-crested Touraco only take the alarm,
and in a second of time it will be so well hidden that even a practised eye can scarcely
obtain a clue to its whereabouts.

It is generally to be found among the branches of trees, and if it should be alarmed,
and fly from one tree to another, it will vanish from sight so rapidly that the only way to
get a shot at it is by sending some one up the tree to beat each bough in succession.

BLUE PLANTAIN-EATER.—Schizorhis gigantec.

While traversing the branches, it runs along them, always keeping its body in the same
line with the bough, so that if it fears any danger, it has only to crawl closely to the
upper part of the bough to be quite imperceptible from below. Like the European
creepers, or the squirrel, it often avails itself of the thick trunk of a tree to hide itself
from a supposed enemy, slipping quietly round the trunk, and always keeping on the
opposite side.

Some of these birds are extremely inquisitive, and, in spite of their native caution,
will follow a traveller for miles; keeping just out of gunshot, and screaming loudly the
while. The general colour of this species is olive-green above, except on the crest, which
is also green, but of a lighter hue, and is edged with a delicate line of white. The wings
take a bluish purple tint, especially upon the primary quill-feathers, and there is a hori-
zontal streak of pure white beneath each eye. It is about as large as a common jackdaw

The BLUE PLANTAIN-EATER, whose colour may be known by its popular title, is
generally to be found on the lofty trees that skirt the edges of streams, either perched
demurely on the boughs, or flitting rapidly through them in search of the fruits and
insects on which it feeds,

HOATZIN.—Opisthécomus cristdtus.

The wings of this species are but weak, and are unable to endure a lengthened flight.
It is rather remarkable that this species should have two distinct modes of flight: the one
—which is its most usual method—is by a succession of rapid and apparently laborious
flappings ; while the other is a graceful soar, in which the bird floats softly through the
air with wings extended and motionless. It never employs its wings if it can avoid
doing so, and even in making a short flight it avails itself of every opportunity of
alighting, thinking, like the unfortunate people who live in the courts of royalty, that
to sit whenever it gets a chance is the wisest course of conduct.

This duplicate kind of movement extends to its feet as well as its wings. Sometimes
it will take a lazy fit, and will sit in a lumpish drowsy position, as if it were one of the
slowest birds among the feathered tribes, its body all huddled up, and its head sunk
between its shoulders. But when roused, it leaps in a single instant from this apathetic
condition into graceful vivacity, every movement full of life and sparkling energy,
traversing the boughs with wonderful speed, its head and neck being darted in every
direction, like that of a snake, its crest ri ipidly raised and depressed, its eyes full of light,
and its voice uttering loud and animated cries.

HORNBILLS. 503

The voice of this and other Plantain-eaters is always of a loud character. It is quite
as shy as its comrades, concealing itself in the same effective manner, and displaying
more than ordinary precaution when in the vicinity of human habitations. The nest of
this bird is made in the hollow of some decaying tree. The general colour of this bird is
dark blue, marked with verditer green. The crest is almost black, the abdomen is
greenish, and the thighs chestnut.

THE remarkable bird known by the name of Hoarzin, or CrESTED TourRAco, is the
sole example of the family or sub-family, as the case may be, to which it belongs. Its
exact place in the catalogue of birds is rather unsettled, some authors considering it to
belong to the poultry, or the Gallinaceous birds, and others looking upon it as one of the
true Passerines.

It is a very fine bird, being nearly as large as a peacock, and having somewhat of
the same gait and mode of carriage. The peculiar construction of the foot, the outer
toe of which cannot be turned backward, has induced zoologists of the present day to
separate it from the plantain-eaters, and to consider it as a unique representative of a
sub-family.

This bird is a native of tropical America, being found in Guiana and the Brazils,
where it leads a gregarious life, assembling together in large flocks, on the banks of creeks
and rivers. Although so closely resembling the Gallinaceous birds in general appearance
and habits, its flesh is, fortunately for itself, quite uneatable, being impregnated with a
strong and peculiar odour that deters any but a starving man from making a meal upon
it. Perhaps this odour may be caused by its food, which consists almost ‘wholly of the
leaves of the arum.

The nest of the Hoatzin is made in the lower part of a tree, and is composed exteriorly
of slender twigs, and interiorly of mosses and other soft substances. The eggs are about
three or four in number, and their colour is greyish white, besprinkled with red spots.
The head of this species is adorned with a tuft of elongated and narrow feathers. Its
colour is brown above, striped with white, and the breast and throat are light brown
washed with grey. The abdomen is deep chestnut, and the tail tipped with white. The
bill is short, thick, very convex, and bent downwards at the tip.

THERE are many strange and wonderful forms among the feathered tribes ; but there
are, perhaps, none which more astonish the beholder who sees them for the first time, than
the group of birds known by the name of HORNBILLS.

They are all distinguished by a very large beak, to which is added a singular helmet-
like appendage, equalling the beak itself in some species, while in others it is so small as
to attract but little notice. On account of the enormous size of the beak and the helmet,
which in some species recede to the crown of the head, the bird appears to be overweighted
by the mass of horny substance which it has to carry; but on a closer investigation, the
whole structure is found to be singularly light, and yet very strong.

On cutting asunder the beak and helmet of a Hornbill, we shall find that the outer
shell of horny substance is very thin indeed, scarcely thicker than the paper on which
this description is printed, and that the whole interior is composed of numerous honey-
combed cells, with very thin walls and very wide spaces, the walls of the cells beg so
arranged as to give very great strength when the bill is used for biting, and with a very
slight expenditure of material. The whole structure, indeed, reminds us greatly of that
beautiful bony network which gives to the skull of the elephant its enormous size and
lightness, and which is fully described in the volume on Mammalia, page 733. The
general appearance of the dried head of a Hornbill, with its delicate cellular arrangements,
and its thin polished bony shell, is not unlike the well-known shell of the paper nautilus,
and crumbles in the grasp almost as easily.

Five species of Hornbills are shown in the engraving on page 504. The upper
figure is the common Rhinoceros Hornbill (Biceros Rhinéceros); the handsome, but
smaller, bird on its left is the White-crested Hornbill (Buceros albocristatus). Of the
two figures that occupy the middle of the drawing, the left bird represents the Crested

GROUP OF HORNRBILLS

Hornbill (Buceros cristatus), and that on the right is the Two-horned Hornbill (Buceros
bicornis). The smaller species at the bottom is the Woodpecker Hornbill (Buceros Pica).

PERHAPS the greatest development of beak and helmet is found in the RHINOCEROS
HORNBILL, although there are many others which haye these appendages of great size, as
may be seen by referring to the group of Hornbills,

RHINOCEROS HORNBILL.—Biiceros Rhinoceros.

As is the case with all the Hornbills, the beak varies greatly in proportion to the age
of the individual, the helmet being almost imperceptible when it is first hatched, and the
bill not very striking in its dimensions. But as the bird gains in strength, so does the
beak gain in size, and when it is adult the helmet and beak attain their full proportions.
It is said that the ¢ age of the Hornbill may be known by inspecting the beak, for that in
every year a wrinkle is added to the number of the furrows that are found on the bill.

The object of the huge helmet-like appendage is very obscure, but the probability is,
that it may aid the bird in producing the loud roaring cry for which it is so celebrated,
When at liberty in its native forests, the Hornbill is lively and active, leaping from bough
to bough with great lightness, and appearing not to be in the least incommoded by its
large beak. It ascends the tree by a succession of easy jumps, each of which brings it
to a higher branch, and when it has attained the very summit of the tree, it stops
and pours forth a succession of loud roaring sounds, which can be heard at a considerable
distance.

The flight of the Hornbill is rather laborious, and performed by rapid flappings of the
wings. While in the air the bird has a habit of clattering its great mandibles together,

506 THE WHITE-CRESTED HORNBILL.

which, with the noise of the wings, pro-
duces a most weird-like sound in the
forest depths, which is a fertile source of
alarm to the timid traveller.

The food of the Hornbill seems to
consist both of animal and vegetable
matters, and Lesson remarks that those
species which inhabit Africa live on
carrion, while those that are found in
Asia feed on fruits, and that their flesh
acquires thereby an agreeable and pecu-
liar flavour—something, we may pre-
sume, like that of the famous lamb fed
upon pistachio nuts. Perhaps this state-
ment may be too sweeping, and the birds
of both continents may in all probability
be able to eat both animal and vegetable
food.

At all events, the enormous beak of
the Rhinoceros Hornbill, which is one of
the Asiatic species, appears to be made
for the express purpose of destroying
animal life, as is now known fo be the
case with the corresponding member of
the toucan. It is hard to think that so
formidable a weapon should be given to
the Hornbill merely for the purpose of
eating fruits ; and when we remember that
many of the species are acknowledged to
be carnivorous, and that the toucan em-
ploys its huge and similarly formed beak
in the destruction of small quadrupeds
and birds, it is but rational to suppose
that the Hornbill acts often in a similar
fashion.

One individual, a Coneave Hornbill
(Buceros cavatus), which was kept in
captivity, was much more attached to
animal than vegetable food, and, like the
toucan, would seize with avidity a dead
mouse, and swallow it entire, after squeez-
ing it once or twice between the saw-
shaped edges of its beak. The Rhinoceros

* Hornbill is said to be oftentimes ex-
tremely carnivorous in its habits, and
to follow the hunters for the purpose of
feeding upon the offal of the deer and
other game which they may have killed.

While on the ground, the movements
of the Hornbill are rather peculiar, for
instead of walking soberly along, as might
be expected from a bird of its size, it
hops along by a succession of jumps. It
is but seldom seen on the ground, pre-
ferring the trunks of trees, which its
powerful feet are well calculated to clasp

WHITE-CRESTED HORNBILL.—Biiceros albocristétus firmly.

TOCO TOUCAN. 507

The colour of the Rhinoceros Hornbill is as follows: The general tint of the body is
dusky black, changing to greyish white below. The feathers of the head and neck are
long and loose, and more like hairs than feathers. The tail is of a greyish white, with a
bold black band running across it near the extremity. Theenormous bill is generally of
a yellowish white colour. the upper mandible being of a beautiful red at its base, and the
lower mandible black. The helmet is coloured with black and white. The length of the
bill is about ten inches.

ANOTHER species of this curious group is the WHITE-CRESTED HoORNBILL, a bird which
is remarkable for the peculiarity from which it derives its name.

Although not nearly so large as the preceding species, it is a truly handsome bird, and,
except by an ornithologist, would hardly be recognised as belonging to the same group as
the rhinoceros Hornbill. Its beak, although very large in proportion to the rest of the
bird, is not so prominent a feature as in the other Hornbills, and its beautiful white fan-
shaped crest takes off much of the grotesque aspect which would otherwise be caused by
the large bill. Very little of the helmet is visible in this species, as it is of comparatively
small dimensions, and is hidden by the plumy crown which decorates the head. The tail
is very long, and, as will be seen by the engraving, is graduated and coloured in a very
bold manner, each feather being black except at the extreme tips, which are snowy white.
The general colour of this bird is deep, dull black, through which a few very small
white feathers protrude at distant intervals, the tail is black, each feather being tipped
with white, and the crest is white, with the exception of the black shaft and black tip of
each feather.

THE very curious birds that go by the name of ToucANS are not one whit less
remarkable than the hornbills, their beak being often as extravagantly large, and their
colours by far superior.» They are inhabitants of America, the greater number of species
being found in the tropical regions of that country.

Of these birds there are many species, of which no less than five were living in the
Zoological Gardens in a single year. Mr. Gould, in his magnificent work, the “Monograph
of the Rhamphastide,” figures fifty-one species, and ranks them under six genera.

Unlike the hornbills, whose plumage is of a sober cast, the Toucans are gorgeously
clothed in every colour of the rainbow; and from the peculiar texture of the feathers,
these brilliant tints possess a purity which is seldom seen elsewhere. There is hardly a
shade of colour which may not be found in these birds, whose plumage would give
admirable hints to the student of colouring. In some species, and often in the same
individual, the intensest carmine, azure, emerald-green, orange, and gold, may be seen
suddenly contrasted with jetty black and snowy white, while in others the feathers are
tinged with the softest and most delicate grey, lilac, pink, and primrose. Unfortunately,
many of these colours are so intimately connected with the life of the bird, that they
fade immediately after its death, and cannot be restored by any known art of man.

In one species, the Curl-crested Aragari, the feathers of the head assume a most unique
and somewhat grotesque form, reminding the observer of a coachman’s wig dyed black.
On the top of the head the shafts of the feathers, instead of spreading out into webs,
become flattened, and are rolled into a profusion of bright shining curls, so that the
bird really appears to have been under the tongs of the hairdresser. Indeed, it appears
almost impossible that this singular arrangement of the feathers should not be the work
of art.

The most extraordinary part of these birds is the enormous beak, which in some
species, such as the Toco ToucaN, is of gigantic dimensions, seeming big enough to give
its owner a perpetual headache, while in others, such as the Toucanets, it is not so large
as to attract much attention.

As in the case of the hornbills, their beak is very thin and is strengthened by a vast
number of honeycomb-cells, so that it is very light and does not incommode the bird in
the least. In performing the usual duties of a beak, such as picking up food and pluming
the feathers, this apparently unwieldy beak is used with perfect address, and even in
flight its weight does not incommode its owner.

COMMON TOUCAN.—Rhamphastos Ariel

The beak partakes of the brilliant colouring which decorates the plumage, but its
beautiful hues are sadly evanescent, often disappearing or changing so thoroughly as to
give no intimation of their former beauty . The prevailing colour seems to be yellow, and
the next in order is red, but there is hardly a hue that is not found on the beak of one or
other of the species. As examples of the colouring of the beaks, we will mention the
following species. In the Toco Toucan it is bright ruddy orange, with a large black oval
spot near the extremity ; in the Short-billed Toucan it is light green, edged and tipped with
red; in the Tocard Toucan it is orange above and chocolate below ; in the Red-billed
Toucan it is light scarlet and yellow; in Cuvier’s Toucan it is bright yellow and black,
with a lilac base; in the Curl-crested Aracari it is orange, blue, chocolate, and white; in
the Yellow-billed Toucan it is wholly of a creamy yellow, while in Azara’s Aracari it is
cream-white with a broad blood-red stripe along the middle. Perhaps the most remarkable
bill of all the species is found in the Laminated Hill Toucan (. Andigena lamindtus),
where the bill is black, with a blood-red base, 7 has a large buff-coloured shield of horny
substance at each side of the upper mandible, the end next the base being fused into the
beak, and the other end free. The use of this singular, and I believe unique, appendage
is not known.

HABITS OF THE TOUCANS. 509

The flight of the Toucan is quick, and the mode of carrying the head seems to vary in
different species, some holding their heads rather high, while others suffer them to droop.
Writers on this subject, and indeed on every point in the history of these birds, are rather
contradictory ; and we may assume that each bird may vary its mode of flight or carriage
in order to suit its convenience at the time. On the ground they get along with a rather
awkward hopping movement, their legs being kept widely apart. In ascending a tree the
Toucan does not climb, but ascends by a series of jumps from one branch to another, and
has a great predilection for the very tops of the loftiest trees, where no missile except a
rifle ball can reach him.

The voice of the Toucan is hoarse and rather disagreeable, and is in many cases rather
articulate. In one species the cry resembles the word “Tucano,” which has given origin
to the peculiar name by which the whole group is designated. They have a habit of
sitting on the branches in flocks, having a sentinel to guard them, and are fond of lifting
up their beaks, clattering them together, and shouting hoarsely, from which custom the
natives term them Preacher-birds. Sometimes the whole party, including the sentinel, set
up a simultaneous yell, which is so deafeningly loud that it can be heard at the distance of
amile. They are very loquacious birds, and are often discovered through their perpetual
chattering.

Grotesque as is their appearance, they have a great hatred of birds who they think to
be ugler than themselves, and will surround and “mob” an unfortunate owl that by
chance has got into the daylight with as much zest as is displayed by our crows and
magpies at home under similar circumstances. While engaged in this amusement, they
get round the poor bird in a circle, and shout at him so, that wherever he turns he sees
nothing but great snapping bills, a number of tails bobbing regularly up and down, and
threatening gestures in every direction.

In their wild state their food seems to be mostly of a vegetable nature, except in the
breeding season, when they repair to the nests of the white ant which have been softened
by the rain, break down the walls with their strong beaks, and devour the insects wholesale.
One writer says that during the breeding season they live exclusively on this diet. They
are very fond of oranges and guavas, and often make such havoc among the fruit-trees,
that they are shot by the owner, who revenges himself by eating them, as their flesh is
very delicate. In the cool time of the year they are killed in great numbers merely for
the purposes of the table.

In domestication they feed on almost any substance, whether animal or vegetable, and
are very fond of mice and young birds, which they kill by a sharp grip of the tremendous
beak, and pull it to pieces as daintily as a jackdaw or magpie. One Toucan, belonging
to a friend, killed himself by eating too many ball-cartridges on board a man-of-war. As
the habits of most of these birds are very similar, only one species has been figured, for
the description of other species would necessarily have been limited to a mere detail of
colouring.

Mr. Broderip has given a very interesting account of an Ariel Toucan and its habits,
which has been frequently quoted, but is so graphic a description that any work of this
nature would be incomplete without it :—

“ After looking at the bird which was the object of my visit, and which was apparently
in the highest state of health, I asked the proprietor to bring up a little bird, that I might
see how the Toucan would be affected by its appearance. He soon returned, bringing
with him a goldfinch, a last year’s bird; the instant he introduced his hand with the
goldfinch into the cage of the Toucan, the latter, which was on a perch, snatched it with
his bill. The poor little bird had only time to utter a short weak ery, for within a second
it was dead; killed by compression on the sternum and abdomen, and that so powerful,
that the bowels were protruded after a very few squeezes of the Toucan’s bill.

As soon as the goldfinch was dead, the Toucan hopped with it still in his bill to
another perch, and placing it with his bill between his right foot and the perch, began to
strip off the feathers with his bill. When he had plucked away most of them, he broke
the bones of the wings and legs (still holding the little bird in the same position) with

510 HOW THE TOUCAN SLEEPS.

his bill, taking the limbs therein, and giving at the same time a strong lateral wrench.
He continued this work with great dexterity till he had almost reduced the bird to a
shapeless mass; and ever and anon he would take his prey from the perch in his
bill, and hop from perch to perch, making at the same time a peculiar hollow clattering
noise ; at which times I observed that his bill and wings were affected with a vibratory or
shivering motion, though the latter were not expanded.

He would then return the bird to the perch with his bill, and set his foot on it ; he first
ate the viscera, and continued pulling off and swallowing piece after piece, till the head,
neck, and part of the sternum, with their soft parts, were alone left. These, after a little
more wrenching while they were held on the perch, and mastication, as it were, while
they were held in the bill, he at last swallowed, not even leaving the beak or legs of his
prey. The last part gave him most trouble; but it was clear that he felt great enjoyment,
for whenever he raised his prey from the perch he appeared to exult, now masticating the
morsel with his toothed bill, and applying his tongue to it, now attempting to gorge it,
and now making the peculiar clattering noise, accompanied by the shivering motion
above mentioned. The whole operation, from the time of seizing his prey to that of
devouring the last morsel, lasted about a quarter of an hour; he then cleansed his bill
from the feathers, by rubbing it against the perches and bars of his cage.

While on this part of the subject, it may be as well to mention another fact which
appears to me not unworthy of notice. I have more than once seen him return his food
some time after he had taken it into his crop, and after masticating the morsel for awhile
in his bill, again swallow it ; the whole operation, particularly the return of the food to the
bill, bearing a strong resemblance to the analogous action in ruminating animals. The
food on which I saw him so employed was a piece of beef, which had evidently been
macerated some time in his crop. While masticating it, he made the same hollow
clattering noise as he made over the remains of the goldfinch.

Previous to this operation he had examined his feeding trough, in which there was
nothing but bread, which I saw him take up and reject, and it appeared to me that he was
thus reduced from necessity to the above mode of solacing his palate with animal food.
His food consists of bread, boiled vegetables, eggs, and flesh, to which a little bird is now
added about every second or third day. He shows a decided preference for animal food,
picking out all morsels of that description, and not resorting to the vegetable diet till all
the former is exhausted.”

When settling itself to sleep, the Toucan packs itself up in a very systematic manner,
supporting its huge beak by resting it on its back, and tucking it completely among the
feathers, while it doubles its tail across its back, just as if it moved on a spring hinge.
So completely is the bill hidden among the feathers, that hardly a trace of it is visible in
spite of its great size and bright colour, and the bird when sleeping looks like a great ball
of loose feathers.

In the Toco Toucan the beak is of enormous size, being eight inches and a half long,
forming rather more than one third of the entire length. Its colour is rich glowing
orange, with a large oval patch near the tip, and a black line round the base. There are
also a number of darker red bars upon the sides. The head and body are deep black, and
the throat and cheeks are white, changing into brimstone-yellow on the breast, edged with
a line of blood red. The upper tail-coverts are greyish white, and the under tail-coverts
deep crimson. Around the eye is a large orange circle, within which is a second eirele of
cobalt-blue. The eye is rather curious, a green ring encircling the pupil, and a narrow
yellow ring encircling the green.

SCANSORES, OR CLIMBING BIRDS.

PARROTS.

A LARGE group of birds is arranged by naturalists under the title of SCANSORES, or
CiimBinG Brrps, and may be recognised by the structure of their feet. Two toes are
directed forward and the other two backward, so that the bird is able to take a very
powerful hold of the substance on which it is sitting, and enables some species, as the
woodpeckers, to run nimbly up tree-trunks and to hold themselves tightly on the bark
while they hammer away with their beaks, and other species, of which the Parrots
are familiar examples, to clasp the bough as with a hand. There is some little difficulty
in settling the exact limits of this group, so I have preferred to accept the arrangement
which has been sanctioned by the authorities of the British Museum.

THE general form of the Parrots is too well known to need description. All birds
belonging to this large and splendid group can be recognised by the shape of their beaks,
which are large, and have the upper mandible extensively curved and hanging far over the
lower; in some species the upper mandible is of extraordinary length. The tongue is
short, thick, and fleshy, and the structure of this member aids the bird in no slight degree
in its singular powers of articulation. The wings and tail are generally long, and in
some species, such as the Macaws, the tail is of very great length, while in most of the
Parrakeets it is longer than the body.

THE first sub-family of this group is composed of those birds which are called by the
title of Ground Parrakeets. In the generality of the Parrot tribe, the legs are short, but
in these birds they are of greater length in order to enable them to run freely on the
ground. One of the most striking examples of this little group is the PARRAKEET
Cockatoo of Australia.

Although not clothed with the brilliant plumage that decorates so many of the Parrot
tribe, this bird is a remarkably pretty one, and is worthy of notice not only for the
curious crest with which its head is adorned, but for the grace and elegance of its form.
With the exception of the head, on which a little crimson and yellow are seen, the
plumage of the Parrakeet Cockatoo is simply tinted with brown, grey, and white; but
these colours are so pure, and their arrangement so harmonious, that the eye does not at all
look for brighter colouring.

It is mostly seen upon the ground, where it runs with great swiftness, and is very
accomplished at winding its way among the grass stems, upon the seeds of which it
subsists. It is by no means a shy bird, and will permit of a close approach, so that its
habits can be readily watched. When alarmed, it leaves the ground and flies off to the
nearest tree, perching upon the branches and crouching down upon them lengthwise so as
to be invisible from below. There is no great difficulty in shooting it, which is a matter
of some consequence to the hunter, as its flesh is notable for its tenderness and delicate
flavour.

The eggs of this species are pure white, which is the case with Parrot eggs generally,
and their number is from four to six.

Mr. Gould gives the following description of the Parrakeet Cockatoo :—

“The interior portion of the vast continent of Australia may be said to possess a
fauna almost peculiar to itself, but of which our present knowledge is extremely limited.
New forms therefore of great interest may be expected when the difficulties which the
explorer has to encounter in his journey towards the centre shall be overcome. This

PARRAKEET COCKATOO.—Nymphicus Nove Hollindic.

beautiful and elegant bird is one of its denizens. I have, it is true, seen it cross the great
mountain ranges and breed on the flats between them and the sea ; still, this is an unusual
occurrence, and the few thus found, compared to the thousands observed on the plains
stretching from the interior side of the mountains, proves that they have, as it were,
overstepped their natural boundary.

Its range is extended over the whole of the southern portion of Australia, and being
strictly a migratory bird, it makes a simultaneous movement southward to within one
hundred miles of the coast in September, arriving in the York district near Swan River
in Western Australia precisely at the same time that it appears in the Liverpool plains in
the eastern portion of the country. After breeding and rearing a numerous progeny, the
whole again retire northwards in February and March, but to what degree of latitude
towards the tropics they wend their way I have not been able satisfactorily to ascertain.
I have never received it from Port Essington or any other port in the same latitude, which,
however, is no proof that it does not visit that part of the continent, since it is merely
the country near the coast that has yet been traversed. In all probability it will be found
at a little distance in the interior wherever there are situations suitable to its habits, but
doubtless at approximate periods to those in which it occurs in New South Wales.

THE YELLOW-BELLIED PARRAKEET. 513

It would appear to be more numerous in the eastern divisions of Australia than in the
western. During the summer of 1839, it was breeding in all the apple-tree (Angophora)
flats on the Upper Hunter as well as in similar districts on the Peel and other rivers which
flow northward.

After the breeding season is over, it congregates in numerous flocks before taking its
departure. I have seen the ground quite covered by them while engaged in procuring
food; and it was not an unusual circumstance to see hundreds together in the dead
branches of the gum-trees in the
neighbourhood of water, a plenti-
ful supply of which would appear
to be essential to its existence ;
hence we may reasonably suppose
that the interior of the country is
not so sterile and inhospitable as is
ordinarily imagined, and that it yet
may be made available for the uses
of man. The Harlequin Bronze-
wing and the Warbling Grass.
Parrakeet are also denizens of that
part of the country, and equally
unable to exist without water.”

The head and throat of this
species are yellow, and there is a
patch of crimson on the ears.
Upon the head there is a long,
slender, painted crest, yellow at
the base and grey at the tip,
giving the bird so curious an
aspect that at first sight it ap-
pears either to be a cockatoo or a
Parrakeet as the eye is directed
to the crest or the general form.
The back and under portions of
the body are brown, and a large
part of the wings is white. The
central tail-feathers are brown,
and the rest grey. The female
is distinguished from her mate
by a green tinge which pervades
the yellow of the head and throat,
and the numerous bars of yellow
and dark blackish brown which
cross the tail.

THE genus Platycercus, or
Wide-tailed Parrakeets, to which
the YELLOW-BELLIED PARRAKEET YELLOW-BELLIED PARRAKEET.—Platycercus Caledénicus.
belongs, is a very extensive one,
and numbers among its members
some of the loveliest of the Parrot
tribe, They all glow with the purest azure, gold, carmine, and green, and are almost
immediately recognisable by the.bold lancet-shaped feathers of the back, and the manner
in which each feather is defined by its light edging and dark centre.

The Yellow-bellied Parrakeet inhabits the whole of Van Diemen’s Land and the islands
of Bass Straits, where it is very plentiful, and often so completely familiar as to cause
extreme wonder in the mind of an Englishman who for the first time traverses the roads of

2, LL

514 : THE ROSE-HILL PARRAKEET.

this strange land, and finds the Parrakeets taking the place of the sparrows of his native
country, quite as familiar and almost as pert, perching on the trees or fences, and regarding
him with great indifference. But the novelty soon wears off, and before long his only
emotions at the sight of a Parrot are hatred at its thieving propensities, and a great longing
to eat it. As to this particular species, its flesh is cultivated for its delicacy and peculiar
flavour, and Mr. Gould is so appreciative of its merits, that he waxes quite eloquent when
speaking of Parrakeet pie.

These birds are gregarious, assembling in little companies, probably composed of the
parents and their young, and haunting almost every kind of locality ; trees, rocks, grass,
fields, or gully, being equally in favour. They are excellent runners, getting over the
eround with surprising ease and celerity ; and there are few prettier sights than to behold
a flock of these gorgeous birds, decked in all the varied beauty of their feathery garments,
scudding over the cround i in search of food, their whole movements instinct with. vivacity,
and assuming those eraceful attitudes which are best suited for displaying the beauty of
the colouring.

The food of these birds consists mostly of erass seeds, but they also feed upon the
flowers of the gum-trees, upon grubs and different insects. Whenever there is a scarcity
of food, the Yellow-bellied Parrakeets betake themselves to human habitations, and crowd
around the farm-doors with as much confidence as if they formed part of the regular
establishment. There is, however, not very much need for this intrusion into the farm-

yard, as its natural food is simple and varied, and the powers of wing are sufficiently great
to carry the bird over a large extent of country. The flight of this species is pow erful, and
is achieved by means of a series of very wide undulations. Yet on some occasions the
mendicant Parrakeets may be counted by hundreds, as they press around the barn-door,
disputing every chance grain of corn with the poultry, and behaving with perfect self-
reliance.

In captivity, the Yellow-bellied Parrakeet is a hardy bird, and is well adapted for
a caged life.

The nest of this bird is made in the bark of a gum-tree, and the eggs are in colour a
pure white, and in number average from six to eight. The season for nest- building is from
September to January. When the young are hatched, they are covered with a coating of
soft white cottony down.

The colouring of this species is very magnificent. The forehead is rich crimson, and
the back is a peculiar mottled green, each feather being of a deep black-green, edged
with the same hue, but of a much lighter character. The throat and the middle of the
wings are blue, the breast and abdomen are bright golden yellow, and the under tail-
coverts are marked with a few red dashes. The two middle feathers of the tail are green,
and the remainder are blue, dark at the base, but becoming lighter towards the tip. The
female is similarly coloured, but not so brilliantly.

ANOTHER most beautiful example of this genus is found in the RosE-HILL PARRAKEET,
popularly known to dealers by the name of the Rosella Parrot,

This most lovely bird is found in New South Wales and Van Diemen’s Land, and although
very plentiful in places which it frequents, it is a very local bird, haunting one spot in
hundreds, and then becoming invisible for a range of many miles. In the open country
it lives in little companies like the preceding species, and is even more familiar, being
exceedingly inquisitive, as is the nature of all the Parrot tribe. Plentiful as it is, there
are few birds which are likely to suffer more from the gun, as its plumage is so magnificent
and its form so elegant that it is in great request among the dealers, who are always sure
of a sale when the beautiful skin is properly stuffed and. put into a glass case.

The wings of the Rose-hill Parrakeet are not very powerful, and do not seem capable
of enduring a journey of very great extent, for the bird always takes opportunities of
settling as often as it can do so, and then, after running along the ground for awhile,
starts afresh. The flight is composed of a succession of ‘undulations, ‘The voice of this
species is not so harsh as that of many Parrots, being a pleasing and not very loud whistle,
which is often uttered. As the bird is a hardy one, and can bear confinement well, it is

THE GROUND PARRAKEET. 515

coming much into fashion as an inhabitant of the aviary, and will probably be brought over
to England in great numbers. The natural food of the Rose-hill Parrakeet consists of seeds,
a diet which it varies by eating many kinds of insects, a food which every Australian bird
can have in the greatest variety, and without the slightest fear of stint.

The eggs of this bird are rather numerous, being from seven to ten as a general average,
and they are laid in the bark of some decaying gum-tree. Their colour is pure white.

The plumage of the adult
Rose-hill Parrakeet is very beau-
tiful, and is coloured as follows:
The head, sides of the face, back
of the neck, and the breast, are
glowing scarlet, connected with
each other by a band that passes
over the shoulders. The chin
and upper part of the throat are
pure white. The feathers of the
back are very dark black-green,
broadly edged with light green of ©
that exquisite hue which is only
seen in the early spring leaves of
the hawthorn. The upper tail-
coyerts are wholly of this beau-
tiful leaf-green. The shoulder of
the wing is shining lilac mixed
with black, which by degrees
settles upon the centre of the
feathers, so that many of the ter-
tiaries are nearly of the same
colour as the feathers of the back.
Many of the tertiaries have their
centre black-green, their edges
bright golden yellow, and a very
little bright green spot just on
the tip. The primaries are dull
-blackish brown, with a tinge of
purple on their inner webs. The
‘central feathers of the tail are
dull green, and the others are
lilac-blue, deeper towards their
base and becoming nearly white
at their tips. They are regularly
graduated, the central being the
longest, and on their under sur-
faces are a few scattered dashes ROSE-HILL PARRAKEET.—Platycercus extmius.
of black. The lower part of the ’
breast is yellow, which changes
eradually into very light green
on the abdomen, and the under tail-coverts are light scarlet. In total length it measures
about thirteen inches.

ALTHOUGH not endowed with the glowing hues of the preceding species, the GROUND
PARRAKEET is a remarkably pretty and interesting bird.

This species derives its name from its ground-loving habits. Mr. Gould says
that it never perches on trees; but the author of “Push Wanderings in Australia”
remarks that he has seen it perching upon the tea-tree scrub. From its peculiarly
pheasant-like shape and habits, it is sometimes called the pheasant by the colonists.

LL2

GROUND PARRAKEET.—Pezophorus formosus.

It is a very common bird, and is found spread over the whole of Southern Australia
and Van Diemen’s Land.

It is remarkable that this bird, which has much of the outline of the pheasant, should
have many of the habits of our game birds, and a very strong game odour. It runs very
rapidly on the ground, and is especially excellent at getting through grass-stems, among
which it winds its way with such wonderful celerity, that it can baffle almost any dog.
Flight seems to be its last resource ; and even when it does take to wing, it remains in the
air but a very short time, and then pitches and takes to its feet.

The flight is very low, very quick, as bewilderingly irregular as that of the snipe, but is
not maintained for more than a hundred yards. When the dogs come near the place where
it is concealed, it crouches closely to the ground, hoping thereby to escape detection ; but if
this stratagem should prove of no avail, it leaps suddenly into the air, dashes forward for
a few yards, and then settles again. This bird makes no nest, and does not even make its
home in the hollow of a tree, but lays its white eggs upon the bare ground.

The flesh of the Ground Parrakeet bears some resemblance to that of our British
game birds, and is said to be somewhat of the same character as that of the snipe or
the quail.

The general colour of this pretty bird is dark green above, mottled with yellow and
variegated with a multitude of black semilunar markings. The under surface is yellow,
changing to a greener tint upon the throat, and also mottled with a darker hue. The tail
is long and slender, the two central feathers are green barred with yellow, and the rest are
marked in just the reverse fashion, being yellow barred with dark green.

THE RINGED PARRAKERT.

THE genus Paleornis, of which the
RINGED PARRAKEET is an excellent ex-
ample, is a very extensive one, and has
representatives in almost every hot por-
tion of the world, even including Aus-
tralia.

The Ringed Parrakeet is found both
in Africa and Asia, the only difference
perceptible between the individuals
brought from the two continents being
that the Asiatic species is rather larger
than its African relative. It has long
been the favourite of man as a caged bird,
and is one of the species to which such
frequent reference is made by the ancient
writers, the other species being the Alex-
andrine Ringed Parrakeet (Paleornis
Alexandri).

The individual from which the illus-
tration is taken belongs to one of my
friends, and is a very great favourite in
the house, being looked upon more in the
light of a human being than a bird. Her
birthday is scrupulously kept, and on
that auspicious morning she is always
presented with a sponge cake, which she
eats daintily while sitting on the mantel-
piece, chuckling to herself at intervals.
She is a most affectionate little creature,
and cannot bear that any of her espe-
eial friends should leave the room with-
out bidding farewell ; and I once saw her
set up such a sereech because her mis-
tress happened to go away without speak-
ing to her, that she had to be taken out
of her cage and comforted before she
would settle quietly.

Her owner, by whose permission the
portrait was taken, has kindly presented to
ine the following account of the bird :—

“You ask me to tell you something
about my little Polly ; perhaps the sim-
plest plan will be to give a sketch of her
history, premising that although I believe
my little pet to be a male, still, as I love
her so tenderly, I always use the femi-
nine pronoun in speaking of and to her.

Polly’s birthplace was Trincomalee,
and she was brought over to this country
by one of my wife's sons, an officer in the
Royal Navy, being accompanied hither
by a vast retinue of Parrakeets, almost
all of whom fell victims to the rough cold
weather whiclt they had to encounter,
together with the change of climate.

RINGED PARRAKEERT.—Paleornis torquatus.

517

‘518 EYELID OF THE RINGED PARRAKEET.

The poor birds literally laid them down and died, the deck being strewn with their elegant
forms. Polly, I am thankful to say, was blessed with an excellent constitution, and her
nurse, a kind-hearted weather-beaten sailor, loved her, and she lay in his bosom and was
so kept warm and comfortable through the cold.

On Polly’s arrival at Plymouth, her nurse, being obliged to attend to other matters,
left her to her own resources in an old cage in which she usually slept, when her horizon
was suddenly darkened by a cloud of bum-boat women from the shore, one of whom,
seeing her defenceless situation, seized upon her, ike Glumdalclitch upon Gulliver, and
conveyed the delicate little creature to her coarse bosom. Fortunately for Polly, she
uttered a little sound, which was heard by her nurse, who, seizing the woman by the
shoulders, rescued Polly from the vile embrace.

After this contretemps, Polly was put into a rickety old cage, with two buns for her
nourishment, and sent all by herself in the train to London. On her arrival there she
was forwarded to a person who had formerly been confidential servant to my wife. One
morning, this good person, hearing a great chattering downstairs, looked in at her back-
parlour door, and there, to her infinite surprise, she saw Polly seated upon the cat's back,
chattering away at no allowance, while pussy was majestically marching round the room.

Soon after this we came to London, and then saw for the first time our little pet, which
soon began to know and love me. Her favourite place is on my shoulder, where at lunch-
time she delights to sit and digest after having pecked from my plate whatever she most
fancies. If the weather be cold and her feet chilly, she pulls herself wp by my whiskers,
placing herself on the top of my head, which being partially bald is warm to her little
pattes. Her favourite resort is generally on my shoulder, and whilst sitting there, her
manner of attracting attention is by giving my ear a little peck.

Whenever I come home, and wherever Polly may be, no sooner do I put my key in
the lock, or sometimes before I have quite reached the door, than Polly gives a peculiar
shrill call, and then it is known for certain that I am in the house. Even when I go to
bed, though it may be at one or two in the morning, on my entering the room, however
gently, Polly knows I am there, and although apparently asleep and with two thick
shawls wrapped round her cage, excluding all light, she immediately utters one little note
of welcome.

She has a peculiar way of contracting her eye when preparing to do or actually doing
anything mischievous: when so contracted, the pupil of the eye appears as it were a mere
speck of jet. I believe that her fondness for and her sympathetic attachment to me was
something more than mere instinct, for if I think strangely of her at any time, even in
the middle of the night, she is sure to answer me with her own little note, her eyes
remaining shut and her head tucked in her shoulder as though she were fast asleep.”

I have noticed the peculiar movement of the eye referred to in this narrative, and
must add that the entire eyelid partakes of this curious contraction, the bird possessing
the power of circularly contracting the lid, at first quite smoothly, but afterwards with a
multitude of tiny radiating wrinkles or puckers, until at last the aperture is reduced
to the size of a small pinhole. It looks, to use a familiar illustration, as if the eyelid
were made of India-rubber, and could be contracted or relaxed at will.

Perhaps this power of reducing the aperture of vision may be given to the bird for the
purpose of enabling it to see the better, and may have some connexion with the united
microscopic and telescopic vision which all birds possess in a greater or less degree.

This species of Parrakeet is not very good at talking, though it can learn to repeat a
few words and is very apt at communicating its own ideas by a language of gesture and
information especially its own. It is, however, very docile, and will soon learn any lesson
that may be imposed, even that most difficult task to a Parrot—remaining silent while
any one is speaking. One of my pupils had one of these birds, of which he was
exceedingly fond; and finding that although his body was in the schoolroom below, his
mind was with his Polly in the room above, I allowed her to stay in the room on condition
that the lesson should be properly learned. At first, however, Polly used to screech so
continually that all lessons were stopped for the time, and I was fearful that Polly must

THE WARBLING GRASS OR ZEBRA PARRAKEET. 519

be banished. However, I soon overcame the difficulty, for every time that Polly screamed
I used to put her into a dark cupboard and not release her for some time. She soon found
out my meaning, and it was very amusing to see her push out her head ready for a scream,
and then check herself suddenly.

She was a very nice Polly, and became a great favourite. Her great treat was a half
walnut, which she held tightly in one claw while she delicately prized out the kernel with
her hooked bill and horny tongue. The end of the poor bird was very tragic ; she got
out of window, flew to a tree, and was there shot by a stupid farmer. The history of this
bird is given more at length in “ My Feathered Friends.”

The general colour of this species is grass-green, variegated in the adult male as
follows: The feathers of the forehead are “light. green, W hich take a bluish tinge as they
approach the crown and nape of the neck, where they are of a lovely purple blue.
Just below the purple runs a narrow band of rose colour, and immediately below the
rosy line is a streak of black, which is narrow towards the back of the neck, but soon
becomes broader, and envelops the cheek and chin. It does not go quite round the neck,
as there is an interval of nearly half an inch on the back of the neck. The quill-feathers
of both wings and tail are darkish green; the wings are black beneath, and the tail
yellowish. The two central feathers of the tail are always much longer than the others,
sometimes projecting nearly four inches. The female is wholly green, and may thereby be
distinguished from her mate. Owing to the variable development of the central feathers
of the tail, the length of this bird cannot be accurately given, but may be set down from
sixteen to eighteen inches. The upper mandible is coral-red, and the lower is blackish ;
the feet are flesh-coloured. :

ONE of the very prettiest and most interesting of the Parrot tribe is the Grass or
ZEBRA PARRAKEET; deriving its names from its habits and the markings of its plumage.

It is a native of Australia, and may be found in almost all the central portions of
that land, whence it has been imported in such great numbers as an inhabitant of our
aviaries, that when Dr. Bennett was last in England, he found that he could purchase the
birds at a cheaper rate in England than in New South Wales. This graceful little creature
derives its name of Grass Parrakeet from its fondness for the grass lands, where it may be
seen in great numbers, running amid the thick grass blades, clinging to their stems, or
feeding on their seeds. It is always an inland bird, being very seldom seen between the
mountain ranges and the coasts.

Of the habits of this bird Mr. Gould writes as follows: “I found myself surrounded
by numbers, breeding in all the hollow spouts of the large Eucalypti bordering the Mokai ;
and on crossing the plains between that river and the Peel, in the direction of the Turi
mountains, I saw them in flocks of many hundreds, feeding upon the grass seeds that
are there abundant. So numerous were they, that I determined to encamp upon the spot,
in order to observe their habits and to procure specimens. The nature of their food and
the excessive heat of these plains compel them frequently to seek the water; hence my
camp, which was pitched near some small fords, was constantly surrounded by large
numbers, arriving in flocks varying from twenty to a hundred or more.

The hours at which they were most numerous were early in the morning, and some
time before dark in the evening. Before going down to drink, they alight on the neigh-
bouring trees, settling together in clusters, sometimes on the dead branches, and at others
on the drooping boughs of the Eucalypti. Their flight is remarkably straight and rapid,
and is generally accompanied by a screeching noise. During the heat of the day, when
sitting motionless among the leaves of the gum-trees, they so closely assimilate in colour,
particularly on the breast, that they are w ith difficulty detected.”

The voice of this bird is quite unlike the rough screeching sounds in which Parrots
seem to delight, and is a gentle, soft, warbling kind of song, which seems to be contained
within the body, and is not poured out with that decision which is usually found in birds
that can sing, however small their efforts may be. This song, if it may be so called,
belongs only to the male bird, who seems to have an idea that his voice must be very
agreeable to his mate, for in light warm weather he will warble nearly all day long, and

520 NESTING OF THE WARBLING GRASS PARRAKEET.

often pushes his beak almost into the ear of his mate, so as to give her the full benefit of
his song. The lady, however, does not seem to appreciate his condescension as he wishes,
and sometimes pecks him sharply in return. Dr. Bennett observes that the bird has some
ventriloquial powers, as he has noticed a Grass Parrakeet engaged in the amusement of
imitating two birds, one warbling and the other chirping.

The food of this Parrakeet
consists almost chiefly of seeds,
those of the grass plant being
their constant food in their native
country. In England they take
well to canary seed, and it is
somewhat remarkable that they
do not pick up food with their
feet, but always with their beaks.
It is a great mistake to confine
these lively little birds in a small
cage, as their wild habits are
peculiarly lively and active, and
require much space. The dif-
ference between a Grass Parrakeet
when in a little cage and after
it has been removed into a large
house, where it has plenty of
space to move about, is really
wonderful.

This species has frequently
bred in England, and nest-making
is of very common occurrence,
though it often happens that the
female deserts her eggs before
they are hatched. A correspon-
dent of the Field newspaper, Mr.
Moore, of Fareham, writes as fol-
lows: “Having been very suc-
cessful in breeding most of our
British birds im cages, I was
induced to try the Australian
Parrakeet, commonly known as
the Grass Warbling Parrakeet,
and I now have the pleasure of
making known to you what I
consider my most extraordinary
success. Between the 24th of
December last and the present
month, I have reared eleven from
one pair, and having watched their
habits very carefully, I venture to

make a few remarks upon them.

They do not build a nest as most birds do, but must have a piece of wood with a
rough hole in the middle, and this they will finish to their liking. Let it be kept-private,
and let them pass through a hole to the nesting-place. When the hen has laid, take the
ege out, putting a false one in its place till four have been laid. This should be attended
to, as she only lays on alternate days, and the young would be so far apart in hatching.
By so doing I have ascertained the exact time of incubation, and have found it to be
seventeen days. I mention this, as persons might otherwise be led astray. These birds
feed their young in the same manner as pigeons; the young never gape, but the old ones

WARBLING GRASS PARRAKEET.—Melopstttacus wndulatus.

THE BLUE-BANDED GRASS PARRAKEET. 521

take the beak in their mouths, and by a peculiar process disgorge the food, which the
young take at the same moment. They begin to breed in December, that being their
summer. The young are so tame that they will fly after me anywhere.”

In another instance, mentioned in the same journal, the birds laid their eggs upon
some sawdust and there hatched two young, the number of eggs having been three. This
Parrakeet will breed more than once in the season. The young birds get on very fast
after hatching, provided that the room be kept warm and the parent well supplied with
food. At thirty days of age the young Parrakeet has been observed to feed itself from
the seed-drawer of its cage. Groundsel seems to be a favourite diet with them, but it
seems that lettuce does not agree with their constitution. With this exception, the Grass
Parrakeet may be fed precisely in the same manner as the canary.

In its native land it is a migratory bird, assembling after the breeding season in
enormous flocks as a preparation for their intended journey. The general number of the
egos is three or four, and they are merely laid in the holes of the gum-tree without
requiring a nest.

The general colour of this pretty bird is dark mottled green, variegated with other
«colours. The forehead is yellow, and the head, the nape of the neck, the wpper part of
the back, the scapularies and the wing-coverts are light yellowish green, each feather
being marked with a crescent-shaped spot of brown near the tip, so as to produce the
peculiar mottling so characteristic of the species. These markings are very small on the
head, and increase in size on the back, and from their shape the bird is sometimes called
the Shell or Scallop Parrot. On each cheek there is a patch of deep blue, below which
are three circular spots of the same rich hue. The wings are brown, having their outer
webs deep green, roped with a yellower tint. The throat is yellow, and the abdomen and
whole under surface light grass-green. The two central tail-feathers are blue, and the
remainder green, each with an oblique band of yellow in the middle.

The young birds have the scallopings all over the head, and the females are coloured
almost exactly like their mate, who may be distinguished by the cere of the upper part of
the beak being of a deep purple.

A very beautiful species of Parrakeet, and closely allied to the preceding bird, is the
BLUE-BANDED GRASS PARRAKEET, also a native of Australia.

This pretty little Parrakeet is a pleasing and interesting creature, not at all uncommon
i its favourite localities.

It is a summer visitor to Van Diemen’s Land, where it remains from September to
February or March. Thickly wooded places are its usual haunts, as it feeds almost
wholly on seeds and grasses, and it is generally seen on the ground unless it has been
alarmed. It congregates in flocks, and appears to have but little fear of danger, and but
very confused notions of placing itself in safety; for as soon as a flock is alarmed, they all
rise screaming feebly, and after flying for a hundred yards or so, again alight. During
the short time that they are on the wing, their flight is rapid and very irregular, reminding
the European sportsman of the snipe, and being not unlike that of the ground Parrakeet
already mentioned.

It is a very quick runner, and displays great address in threading its way among the
grass stems. Sometimes when frightened it will fly to some neighbouring tree and there
perch for awhile ; but it soon leaves the uncongenial branches and returns to the ground.
As it is not at all shy, a careful observer can easily approach the flocks within a short
distance by moving very slowly and quietly, and can inspect them quite at his ease
through a pocket telescope, that invaluable aid to practical ornithologists. As it is a
hardy bird and bears confinement well, it is rapidly coming into favour as a cage bird, and
will probably earn great popularity, as it is very easily tamed and of a very affectionate
nature.

The eggs of this species are six or seven in number, and are generally laid in a
convenient hole of a gum-tree, although the bird sometimes prefers the hollow trunk of
a prostrate tree for the purpose.

The colour of this bird is green with a slight brown wash; the wings, the tail, and a

BLUE-BANDED GRASS PARRAKEET.—Luphéma chrysdstoma.

band over the forehead are beautiful azure, and around the eyes and on the centre of the
abdomen the colour is yellow.

THE pretty bird to which so extravagantly long a name has been given is also a native
of Australia, and is found only in New South Wales, being, though plentiful, very local.

The SCALY-BREASTED LORRIKEET is a good example of a very large genus; and as the
habits of all the species are very similar, more than a single example is not necessary.
The name Trichoglossus signifies “ hairy tongue,” and is given to these birds in consequence
of the structure of that member, which is furnished with bristly hairs like the tongue of
the honey-eaters, and is employed for the same purpose. This species may generally be
found in those bush ranges which are interspersed with lofty gum-trees, from the blossoms
of which it extracts the sweet juices on which it feeds. While employed in feeding, it
clings so tightly to the blossoms, that if shot dead its feet still retain their hold. The
amount of honey consumed by these birds is really surprising, a teaspoonful of honey
having been taken from the crop of a single bird. Whenever the natives kill one of these
birds, they always put its head in their mouths and suck the honey out of its crop.
Young birds are always very well supplied with this sweet food, and are consequently in
great favour with the native epicures.

When captured it is readily tamed, and is sufficiently hardy to live in a cage, provided
that it be well supplied with sugar as well as seeds.

It assembles in large flocks of a thousand or more in number; and when one of the
vast assemblies is seen perched on a tree, the effect is most magnificent. They are so

SCALY-BREASTED LORRIKEET.—Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus.

heartily intent on their food, that they cannot be induced to leave the tree even by the
report of a gun or the rattling of shot among them, and at the best will only scream and
go to another branch. ‘This species will associate with others very harmoniously, and
Mr. Gould has shot at a single discharge four species of Lorrikeet, all feeding in the most
friendly manner upon the same tree.

The Lorrikeets are very conversational birds, and discourse in loud and excited
tones, so that the noise of a large flock is quite deafening. When the whole flock rises
simultaneously, as is generally the case, and moves to another tree, the effect of all the
wings beating the air together is extraordinary, and is said to resemble a thunderstorm
mixed with wind.

The colour of this species is as follows; The upper surface is rich grass-green, and the
under surface, together with a few feathers on the back of the neck, is light yellow with
green edges. The under side of the shoulders and the base of the wings are deep scarlet,
and the rest of the under surface of the wings is jetty black.

Tue Macaws are mostly inhabitants of Southern America, in which country so many
magnificent birds find their home.

They are all very splendid birds, and are remarkable for their great size, their very
long tails, and the splendid hues of their plumage. The beak is also very large and
powerful, and in some species the ring round the eyes and part of the face are devoid of
covering. Three species are well known in our menageries ; but as their habits are all very
similar, only one example has been figured. This is the great BLUE AND YELLOW Macaw,
a bird which is mostly found in Demerara. It is a wood-loving bird, particularly haunting
those places where the ground is wet and swampy, and where grows a certain palm on the
fruit of which it chiefly feeds.

The wings of this species are strong, and the long tail is so firmly set that considerable
powers of flight are manifested. The Macaws often fly at a very high elevation, in large
flocks, and are fond of executing sundry aérial evolutions before they alight. With one
or two exceptions they care little for the ground, and are generally seen on the summit
of the highest trees.

2
a

BLUE

AN

D

THE BLUE AND YELLOW MACAW.

YELLOW MACAW.—<Ara Ararauna.

Waterton writes as follows of
the Rep AND BLuE Macaw :—

“Superior in size and beauty
to any Parrot of South America,
the Ara will force you to take
your eyes from the rest of ani-
mated nature and gaze at him;
his commanding strength, the
flaming scarlet of his body, the
lovely variety of red, yellow, blue,
and green in his wings, the ex-
traordinary leneth of his scarlet
and blue tail, seem all to join and
demand from him the title of em-
peror of all the parrots. He is
scarce in Demerara until you
reach the confines of the Ma-
coushi country; there he is in
vast abundance ; he mostly feeds
on trees of the palm species.

When the coucourite trees
have ripe fruit on them, they
are covered with this magnificent
Parrot. He is not shy or wary;
you may take your blowpipe and
a quiver of poisoned arrows, and
kill more than you are able to
carry back to your hut. They
are very vociferous, and like the
common Parrots, rise up in bodies
towards sunset and fly two and
two to their places of rest. It is
a grand sight in ornithology to
see thousands of Aras flying over
your head, low enough to let you
have a full view of their flaming
mantle. The Indians find the
flesh very good, and the feathers
serve for ornaments in their head-
dresses.”

The Blue and Yellow Macaw
generally keeps in pairs, though,
like the other species, it will
sometimes assemble in flocks of
considerable size. When thus
congregated the Macaws become
very conversational, and their
united cries are most deafening,
and can be heard at a great dis-
tance, as any one can understand
who has visited the Parrot-house
of the Zoological Gardens. In
common with the other Macaws,
this species is easily tamed, and
possesses some powers of imitation,
being able to learn and repeat

THE CAROLINA PARROT. 525

several words or even phrases. It is not, however, gifted with the extraordinary powers
of speech which are so wonderfully developed in the true Parrots, and on account of its
deafening cries is not an agreeable inhabitant of a house. !

The Macaws lay their eggs in the hollows of decaying trees, and are said to alter the
size and form of the hole to their taste by means of their powerful beaks, a feat which
they certainly have the ability to perform. The eggs are never more than two, and there
are generally two broods in the season. Both parents assist in the duties of incubation.

The GREAT GREEN Macaw, a very splendid species, with green body, scarlet and blue
head, blue-tipped wings, and red and blue tail, is not so exclusively an inhabitant of the
forest nor so wary as the preceding species. Taking advantage of the labours of mankind,
it makes raids on the maize and corn fields, and does very great damage in a very short
time, for its appetite is voracious, and its beak powerful. Like most birds of similar
character, it never ventures upon one of these predatory excursions without placing a
sentinel on some elevated post where he can see the whole of the surrounding country,
and give the alarm to his comrades whenever he fears the approach of danger. So great
is the destruction wrought by these birds, that the agriculturists are forced to protect their
property by keeping a watch day and night over their corn fields from the time when the
grain begins to ripen to the day when it is cut and carried.

During the rainy season these Macaws leave the country, and do not return until
January or February.

The plumage of the Blue and Yellow Macaw is rather roughly set on the body, and is
thus coloured : The forehead is green, and the whole of the upper surface ; the wings and
tail are bright rich blue of a verditer cast. The cheeks are white and nearly naked, and
below the eye are three delicate semilunar streaks of black. Below the chin is a broad
black band, which sweeps round towards the ears, and runs round nearly the whole of the
white space. The throat, head, and abdomen are rich golden yellow, and the under
surfaces of the wmgs and tail are also yellow, but of a more ochreous cast. The bill is
deep black, the eye yellowish white, and the legs and feet blackish grey.

The entire length of this bird is about forty inches, of which the tail alone occupies
nearly two feet. It is not, however, the largest species of Macaw, as the Red and Blue
Macaw equals it in size,

ANOTHER species of Macaw is found in the more northern portions of America, though
it is popularly called a Parrot, and not a Macaw. ‘This is the well-known CAROLINA
Parrot, of which so. much has been written by Wilson, Audubon, and other American
ornithologists.

This bird is much more hardy than the generality of the Parrot tribe, and has been
noticed by Wilson in the month of February flying along the banks of the Ohio in the
midst of a snow storm, and in full ery. It inhabits, according to Wilson, “the interior of
Louisiana, and the shores of Mississippi and Ohio and their tributary waters, even beyond
the Illinois river, to the neighbourhood of Lake Michigan in latitude 42° N., and contrary
to the generally received opinion, is chiefly resident in all these places. Eastward, however,
of the great range of the Alleghany, it is seldom seen farther north than the state of
Maryland; though straggling parties have been occasionally observed among the valleys
of the Juniata, and according to some, even twenty-five miles to the north-west of Albany
in the state of New York.” These accidental visits are, however, rightly regarded by our
author as of little value.

The Carolina Parrot is chiefly found in those parts of the country which abound most
in rich alluvial soils on which grow the cockle-burs, so dear to the Parrot and so hated by
the farmer. In the destruction of this plant the Carolina Parrot does good service to the
sheepowner, for the prickly fruit is apt to come off upon the wool of the sheep, and in
some places so abundantly as to cover it with one dense mass of burs through which the
wool is hardly perceptible. The prickly hooks of the burs also break away from the fruit,
and intermingle themselves so thoroughly with the fleece that it is often rendered worthless,
the trouble of cleansing it costing more than the value of the wool.

Besides the cockle-burs, the beech-nut and the seeds of the cypress and other trees

CAROLINA PARROT.—Contirus Carolinensis,

are favourite food of the Carolina Parrot, which is said to eat apples, but probably only bites
them off their stems for wantonness, as it drops them to the ground and there lets them
lie undisturbed.

An idea was and may be still prevalent in its native country, that the brains and
intestines of the Carolina Parrot were fatal to cats; and Wilson after some trouble
succeeded in getting a cat and her kittens to feed upon this supposed poisonous diet.
The three ate everything excepting the hard bill, and were none the worse for their meal.
As, however, the Parrot was in this case a tame one, and had been fed upon Indian corn,
he conjectured that the wild Parrot which had lived on cockle-burs might be injurious to
the cat, although that which had eaten the comparatively harmless diet might do no
injury.

The nest of this bird is made in hollow trees.

One of these Parrots was tamed by Wilson, who gave the following animated
description of his favourite and her actions :—

“ Anxious to try the effects of education on one of those which I procured at the Big
Bone Lick, and which was but slightly wounded in the wing, I fixed up a place for it in

A TAME CAROLINA PARROT. 527

the stern of my boat, and presented it with some cockle-burs, which it freely fed on, in
less than an hour after it had been on board. The intermediate time between eating and
sleeping was occupied in gnawing the sticks that formed its place of confinement, in order
to make a practicable breach, which it repeatedly effected.

When I abandoned the river and travelled by land, I wrapped it up closely in a silk
handkerchief, tying it tightly around, and carried it in my pocket. When I stopped for
refreshment I unbound my prisoner and gave it its allowance, which it generally
despatched with ereat dexterity, unhusking the seeds from the bur in a twinkling ; in
doing which it always employed its left foot to hold the bur, as did several others that I
kept “for some time. I began to think that this might be peculiar to the whole tribe, and
that they all were, if I may use the expression, left-footed ; but by shooting a number
afterwards while engaged in eating mulberries, I found sometimes the left and sometimes
the right foot stained with the fruit, the other always clean ; from which, and the constant
practice of those I kept, it appears that, like the human species in the use of their hands,
they do not prefer one or the other indiscriminately, but are either left or right footed.

But to return to my prisoner. In recommitting it to ‘durance vile’ we generally had
a quarrel, during which it frequently paid me in kind for the wound I had inflicted and
for depriving it of liberty, by cutting and almost disabling several of my fingers with its
sharp and powerful bill.

The path between Nashville and Natchez is in some places bad beyond description.
There are dangerous creeks to swim, miles of morass to struggle through, rendered almost
as gloomy as night by a prodigious growth of timber, and an underwood of canes, and other
evergreens, while the descent into these sluggish streams is often ten or fifteen feet
perpendicular into a bed of deep clay. In some of the worst of these places, where I had
as it were to fight my way through, the Paroquet frequently escaped from my pocket,
obliging me to dismount and pursue it through the worst of the morass before I could
regain it. On these oceasions I was several times tempted to abandon it, but I persisted
in “bringing it along. When at night I encamped in the woods, I placed it on the baggage
beside me, where it usually sat with great composure, dozing and gazing at the fire till
morning. In this manner I carried it upwards of a thousand miles in my pocket, where
it was exposed all day to the jolting of the horse, but regularly liberated at meal times
and in the evening, at which it always expressed great satisfaction.

In passing through the Chickasaw and Chactaw nations, the Indians, whenever I
stopped to feed, collected around me—men, women, and children—laughing, and seemingly
wonderfully amused with the novelty of my companion. The Chickasaws called it in
their language ‘ Kelinky, but when they heard me call it Poll, they soon repeated the
name ; and whenever I chanced to stop amongst these people, we soon became familiar
with each other through the medium of Poll.

On arriving at Mr, Dunbar’s, below Natchez, 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. Numerous 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 amusing. She crept close up to it as it hung on the ‘side of the cage, chattering
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, some-
times Poll’s head being thrust among the plumage of the other.

On the death of this companion she appeared restless and inconsolable for several
days. On reaching 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 she
was completely deceived. Always when evening drew on, and often during the day, she
laid her head close to that of the image in the glass, and began to doze with great
composure and satisfaction. I

In this short space she had learned to know her name, to answer when called on, to
climb up my clothes, sit on my shoulder, and eat from my mouth. I took her with me to

528 THE PAPUAN LORY.

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 result of this and other experiments was, that Wilson delivered his verdict in
favour of the Carolina Parrot, saying that it is a docile and sociable bird, soon becomes
perfectly familiar, and is probably capable of imitating the accents of man. Towards its
own kind it displays the strongest affection, and if its companions be in danger, it hovers
about the spot in loving sympathy. It is very fond of salt, and will frequent the saline
marshes in great numbers, covering the whole ground and neighbouring trees to such an
extent, that nothing is visible but their bright and glossy plumage.

While thus assembled together Wilson shot a great number of the birds, and was
much struck with their affectionate conduct. “Having shot down a number, some
of which were only wounded, the whole flock swept repeatedly round their prostrate
companions, and again settled on a low tree within twenty yards of the spot where I stood.
At each successive discharge, though showers of them fell, yet the affection of the survivors
seemed rather to increase, for after a few circuits round the place they again alighted near
me, looking down on their slaughtered companions with such manifest symptoms of
sympathy and concern as entirely disarmed me.”

The same graceful writer then proceeds to observe, with that accuracy of detail for
which his works are so valuable, “I could not but take notice of the remarkable contrast
between their elegant manner of flight, and their lame, crawling gait, among the branches.
They fly very much like the wild pigeon—in close compact bodies, and with great
rapidity, making a loud and outrageous screaming, not unlike that of the red-headed
woodpecker. Their flight is sometimes in a direct line, but most usually circuitous,
making a great variety of elegant and easy serpentine meanders as if for pleasure.

They are particularly attached to the large sycamores, in the hollows of the trunks
and branches of which they generally roost; thirty or forty, and sometimes more, entering
at the same hole. Here they cling close to the sides of the tree, holding fast by the claws
and also by the bill. They appear to be fond of sleep, and often retire to their holes
during the day, probably to take a regular siesta. They are extremely sociable with and
fond of each other, often scratching each other's heads and necks, and always at night
nestling as close as possible to each other, preferring at that time a perpendicular position,
supported by their bill and claws.”

The general colour of this bird is green, washed with blue, and diversified with other
tints as follows: The forehead and cheeks are reddish orange, the same tint is seen
on the shoulders and head and wings, and the neck and back of the head are pure golden
yellow. The upper parts of the body are soft green, and the under portions are of the
same hue, but with a yellowish cast. The greater wing-coverts are yellow, tinged with
ereen, the primary feathers of the wing are deep purplish black, and the long wedge-
shaped tail has the central feathers streaked with blue along their central line. The
female is coloured after the same fashion, but not so brightly, and the young of both sexes
are green on the neck instead of yellow. The total length of this species is about twenty-
one inches.

In the Lories the bill is weaker than in the preceding species, and of smaller size,
and the plumage is very beautiful, scarlet being the predominating tint.

The Papuan Lory is, as its name denotes, a native of Papua and other parts of New
Guinea, and has always attracted great attention on account of its beautiful form and
rich colouring. In its general shape it is not unlike the ring Parrakeet, the contour of the
body being very similar and the tail boldly graduated, with the two central feathers
projecting far beyond the rest. This elongated form of the tail-feathers is so unusual in
the Lories, which mostly have rather short and stumpy tails, that it has induced systematic
naturalists to place the bird in a genus distinct from the other Lories. Many specimens of
this lovely bird have been sent to England, but, like the birds of paradise, they are often
destitute of legs, and in some cases even the long tail-feathers have been abstracted, thus
entirely altering the appearance of the bird.

PAPUAN LORY.—Charmosyna Papua.

The colours with which this species is decorated are remarkably rich and intense.
The general colour is deep scarlet, relieved by patches of azure, golden yellow, and grass-
green. The head, neck, the upper part of the back, and all the lower parts of the body
are brilliant scarlet, with the exception of two patches of azure-blue across the top of the
head, edged with deep purple. There are also some patches of yellow on the sides of the
breast and the thighs. The lower parts of the back, the upper tail-coverts, and the
lower part of the legs are deep azure, and the wings are green. ‘The two long feathers of
the tail are light grass-green for the greater part of their length, and are tipped with
golden yellow. The remaining feathers of the tail have their basal halves deep green,
and the remainder golden yellow. The total length of the Papuan Lory is about’seventeen
inches, of which measurement the two long tail-feathers occupy no less than eleven inches.
The bill is orange-red, and the upper mandible is much longer than the lower, but is not
very sharply curved.

ANOTHER beautiful example of these birds is given in the PURPLE-CAPPED Lory,
a native of the Moluccas and other islands.

The reader will not fail to observe the great difference in form between this and the
preceding species, caused chiefly by the shortness and shape of the tail. It is often sent
to this country as a cage-bird, and as it is readily tamed, is of an affectionate nature, and
can be taught to speak very creditably, is somewhat of a favourite among bird-fanciers.
It is a lively and active creature, ever in motion, and is very fond of attracting the notice
of strangers and receiving the caresses of those whom it likes.

2. MM

PURPLE-CAPPED LORY.—Lérius domicellus.

Like the Papuan Lory, the principal tint of the plumage is rich scarlet, which is
in even greater abundance than in that bird. The top of its head is very deep purple,
being nearly black on the forehead, and passing into violet on the hinder part of the head.
Upon the upper part of the breast there is a collar of yellow, and with this exception, the
whole of the face, neck, back, breast, and abdomen are rich scarlet. The wings are
green above, changing to violet on the edges and on the under wing-coverts. The feathers
of the tail are rich scarlet at their base, and each feather is banded near its extremity with
black, and tipped with yellow. ‘The feathers of the thigh aré azure. The bill is yellow,
with a tinge of orange, and is rather narrow towards the tip. In spite of its short tail,
this bird measures about eleven inches in length, so that it is very much larger than the
preceding species.

The true Parrots constitute a group which are easily recognised by their short squared
tails, the absence of any crest upon the head, and the toothed edges of the upper mandible.
Many species belong to this group, of which we shall find three examples in the following

pages.

GREY PARROT.—Psittacus erijthacus.

The Grey Parrot has long been celebrated for its wonderful powers of imitation and
its excellent memory.

It is a native of Western Africa, and is one of the commonest inhabitants of our
aviaries, being brought over in great numbers by sailors, and always finding a ready sale
as soon as the vessel arrives in port. Unfortunately the nautical vocab sulary is none of
the most refined, and the sailors have a malicious pleasure in teaching the birds to repeat
some of the most startling of their phrases. The worst of the matter is, that the Parrot’s
memory is wonderfully tenacious, and even after the lapse of years, and in spite of the
most moral training, the bird is apt to break out suddenly with a string of very reprehen-
sible observations affecting the eyes, limbs, and general persons of his hearers.

There is no doubt that the Parrot learns in course of time to attach some amount of
meaning to the words which it repeats, for the instances of its apposite answers are too
numerous and convincing not to prove that the bird knows the general sense of the phrase,
if not the exact force of each word.

I am unwilling to reproduce narratives which I have already published, and therefore
restrict myself to one or two original anecdotes.

MM 2

532 THE GREY PARROT.

There was a Parrot belonging to a friend of our family, a Portuguese gentleman who
had married an English wife and resided in England. This Parrot was a great favourite
in the house, and being accustomed equally to the company of its owner and the rest of
the household, was familiar with Portuguese as well as’ English words and phrases. The
bird evidently had the power of appreciating the distinction between the two languages,
for if it were addressed, its reply would always be in the language employed.

The bird learned a Portuguese song about itself and its manifold perfections, the words
of which I cannot remember. But it would not sing this song if asked to do so in the
English language. Saluted in Portuguese, it would answer in the same language, but was
never known to confuse the two tongues together. Towards dinner-time it always became
very excited, and used to call to the servant whenever she was late, “Sarah, lay the cloth,
—want my dinner!” which sentence it would repeat with great volubility, and at the top
of its voice.

But as soon as its master’s step was heard outside the house, its tone changed, for the
loud voice was disagreeable to its owner, who used to punish it for screaming by flip-
ping its beak. So Polly would get off the perch, very humbly sit on the bottom of the
cage, put its head to the floor, and instead of shouting for its dinner in the former impe-
rious tone, would whisper in the lowest of voices, “ Want my dinner! Sarah, make haste,
want my dinner!”

In the well-known autobiography of Lord Dundonald, there is an amusing anecdote of
a Parrot which had picked up some nautical phrases, and had learned to use them to good
effect.

Some ladies were paying a visit to the vessel, and were hoisted on deck as usual by
means of a “ whip,” e. a rope passing through a block on the yardarm, and attached to
the chair on which the lady sits. Two or three had been safely brought on deck, and the
chair had just been hoisted out of the boat with its fair freight, when an unlucky Parrot
on board suddenly shouted out, “Let go!” The sailors who were hauling up the rope
instantly obeyed the supposed order of the boatswain, and away went the poor lady, chair
and all, into the sea.

Its power of imitating all kinds of sounds is really astonishing. I have heard the
same Parrot imitate, or rather reproduce, in rapid succession the most dissimilar of sounds,
without the least effort and with the most astonishing truthfulness. He could whistle
lazily like a street idler, cry prawns and shrimps as well as any costermonger, creak like
an ungreased “sheave” in the pulley that is set in the blocks through which ropes run for
sundry nautical purposes, or keep up a quiet and gentle monologue about his own accom-
plishments with a simplicity of attitude that was most absurd.

Even in the imitation of louder noises he was equally expert, and could sound the
danger whistle or blow off steam with astonishing accuracy. Until I came to understand
the bird, I used to wonder why some invisible person was always turning an imperceptible
capstan in my close vicinity, for the Parrot had also learned to imitate the grinding of the
capstan bars and the metallic clink of the catch as it falls rapidly upon the cogs.

As for the ordinary accomplishments of Parrots, he possessed them in perfection, but
in my mind his most perfect performance was the imitation of a dog having his foot run
over by a cart-wheel. First there came the sudden half-frightened bark, as the beast found
itself in unexpected danger, and then the loud shriek of pain, followed by the series of
howls that is popularly termed “pen and ink.” Lastly, the howls grew fainter, as the dog
was supposed to be limping away, and you really seemed to hear him turn the corner and
retreat into the distance. The memory of the bird must have been most tenacious, and
its powers of observation far beyond the common order; for he could not have been
witness to such canine accidents more than once.

The food of this, as well as the green Parrot, consists chiefly of seeds of various kinds,
and in captivity may be varied to some extent. Hemp-seed, grain, canary-seed, and the
cones of fir-trees are very favourite articles of diet with this bird. Of the cones it is
especially fond, nibbling them to pieces when they are young and tender; but when they
are old and ripe, breaking away the hard scales and scooping out the seeds with its very
useful tongue. Hawthorn berries are very good for the Parrot, as are several vegetables.

FOOD OF THE GREY PARROT. 533

These, however, should be given with great caution, as several, such as parsley and chick-
weed, are very hurtful to the bird.

There are few things which a Parrot likes better than nuts and the stones of various
fruits. I once succeeded in obtaining the affections of a Parisian Parrot, solely through the
medium of peach-stones, which I always used to save for the bird, and for which he
regularly began to gabble as soon as he saw me coming along the street. When taken
freshly from the peach the stones are very acceptable to the Parrot, who turns them over
and over, chuckling all the while to show his satisfaction, and picking all the soft parts
from the deep indentations in the stone. As a great favour I sometimes used to crack
the stone before giving it to him, and his delight then knew no bounds. Walnuts when
quite ripe are in great favour with Parrots; and itis very curious to see how well the bird
sets to work at picking out their contents, holding the nut firmly with its foot, and
hooking out its kernel with the bill and tongue. A split walnut will give a Parrot
employment for more than an hour.

Woody fibre is generally beneficial to these birds, who often try to gratify their
natural longing for this substance by pulling their perches to pieces. The Parrot owner
will find the health of his pet improved and its happiness promoted by giving it, every
now and then, a small log or branch, on which the mosses and lichens are still growing.
Some persons are in the habit of giving their Parrots pieces of meat, fish, and other
similar articles of diet, but generally with evil effects. The diet is too stimulating, and
keeps up a continual irritation in the system, which induces the bird to be always pecking
out its feathers’ Many Parrots have almost stripped themselves of their plumage by this
constant restlessness, and I knew of an individual that had contrived to pluck himself
completely bare in every part of the body which his bill could reach, so that he presented
the ludicrous sight of a bare body and a full-plumaged head. The soaked bread and milk
which is so often given to these birds is, also, too heating a diet, and their bread should
only be steeped in water.

The Parrot has the true tropical love for hot condiments, and is very fond of cayenne
pepper or the capsicum pod from which it is supposed to be made. If the bird be ailing,
a capsicum will often set it right again. It is rather curious that my cat has a similar
taste, having, I presume, caught it from her master. Some months ago, a careless cook
made a “curry” with a dessert-spoonful of cayenne pepper instead of curry powder, to the
very great detriment of the throats of the intended consumers. “Pret,” as usual, pushed
her nose against my hand to ask for some of my dinner, so in joke I gave her a very red
piece of the meat. To my profound astonishment, she ate the burning morsel with great
zest, and became so clamorous for more that I could hardly satisfy her fast enough.

The Parrot should be able to change its position, as it does not like to sit perpetually
on a round perch, and is much relieved by a little walking exercise. If possible, it should
have some arrangement to enable it to climb; a matter easily accomplished by means of
a little wire cord and a small modicum of ingenuity. There should always be some spot
where the Parrot can find a warm perch; as all these birds are singularly plagued with
cold feet, and often catch sundry disorders in consequence. Ii it is kept in a cage, the
Parrot should never be confined in a brass prison ; for the bird is always climbing about
the wires by means of its beak, and is likely to receive some hurt from the poisonous
verdigris that is sure to make its appearance sooner or later on brass wire. An occasional
bath is very beneficial to the Parrot’s health ; and if the bird refuses'to bathe, tepid water
may be thrown over him with very good effect.

When proper precautions are taken, the Parrot is one-of our hardiest cage-birds, and
will live to a great age even in captivity. Some of these birds have been known to attain
an age of sixty or seventy years, and one which was seen by Le Vaillant had attained the
patriarchal age of ninety-three. At sixty its memory began to fail; and at sixty-five the
moult became very irregular, and the tail changed to yellow. At ninety it was a very
decrepid creature, almost blind and quite silent, having forgotten its former abundaft
stock of words.

A Grey Parret belonging to one of my friends was, during the former part of its life,
remarkable only for its large vocabulary of highly discreditable language, which it would

534 THE GREEN PARROT.

insist upon using exactly when it ought to have been silent, but suddenly changed its
nature and subsided into a tender and gentle foster-mother.

In the garden of its owner there were a number of standard rose-trees, around all of
which was a circular wire fence covered with convolvuluses and honeysuckle. Within
one of these fences a pair of goldfinches had made their nest, and were constantly fed by the
inhabitants of the house, who all had a great love for beasts and birds, and took a delight in
helping the little creatures under their charge ; and, indeed, were deeply interested in
animated nature generally. Polly soon remarked the constant visits to the rose-tree, and
the donations of crumbs and seeds that were regularly given, and must follow so good an
example. So she set off to the spot; and after looking at the birds for a little while, went
to her cage, brought a beakful of her sopped bread, and put it into the nest.

At last the young birds were hatched, much to Polly’s delight; but she became so
energetic in her demonstrations of attachment that she pushed herself fairly through the
wire meshes, and terrified the parents so much that they flew away. Polly, seeing them
deserted, took on herself the task of foster-mother, and was so attentive to her little charge
that she refused to go back to her cage, but remained with the little birds by night as well
as by day, feeding them carefully, and forcing them to open their beaks if they refused
her attentions. When they were able to hop about they were very fond of getting on her
back, where four of them would gravely sit, while the fifth, which was the youngest, or at
all events the smallest, always preferred to perch on Polly's head.

With all these little ones on her back, Polly would very deliberately walk up and down
the lawn as if to give them exercise; and would sometimes vary her performance by
rising into the air, thus setting the ten little wings in violent motion, and giving the birds
a hard task to remain on her back. By degrees they became less fearful, and when she
rose from the ground, they would leave her back and fly down. They were but un-
erateful little creatures after all; for when they were fully fledged they flew away, and
never came back again to their foster-mother.

Poor Polly was for some time in great trouble about the desertion of her foster-children,
but soon consoled herself by taking care of another little brood. These belonged to a pair
of hedge-sparrows, whose home had been broken up by the descent of some large bird,
which was supposed to have been a hawk by the effects produced. Polly found the little
birds in dire distress; and contrived in some ingenious manner to get them, one by one,
on her back, and to fly with them to her cage. Here she established the little family ;
never entering the cage except for the purpose of attending to her young charge.

The oddest part of the matter was, that one of the parents survived, and Polly was
seen to talk to her in the most absurd manner; mixing up her acquired vocabulary with
that universal bird-language that seems to be common to all the feathered tribes, and plen-
tifully interlarding her discourse with sundry profane expressions. At last the instinctive
language conquered the human, and the two birds seemed to understand each other
perfectly well. At that time Polly was supposed to be about eight or nine years old.

There is a rather general belief that only the male Parrot can talk, but this is merely a
popular error. The female Parrot has often been known to be an excellent talker, and at
the same time has proved her sex by the deposition of a solitary egg. As might be
supposed, such eges produce no young; but there are accredited instances where the Grey
Parrot has bred in Europe. In Buffon’s well-known work may be seen a notice of a pair
of Parrots that bred regularly for five or six years, and brought up their young success-
fully. The place chosen for their incubation was a tub, partially filled with sawdust,
and was. probably selected because it bore some resemblance to the hollow trunk of a tree,
which is the usual nesting-place of the Parrots.

The general colour of this bird is a very pure ashen grey, except the tail, which is
deep scarlet.

Two species of Green Parrot are tolerably common, the one being the FEsTIVE GREEN
Parrot, and the other the Amazon Green Parrot.

The former bird is a much larger and altogether finer species than the latter, often
measuring sixteen inches in length. It is found in various parts of South America, such

as Guiana, Cayenne, and the Brazils, and is very plentiful along the banks of the Amazon.
It is a forest-loving bird, frequenting the depths of the yast wooded tracts which cover
that country with their wonderful luxuriance, and being seldom seen beyond their out-
skirts. Being of an affectionate nature and easily tamed, it is in great favour as a cage-
bird, and can readily be taught to pronounce words or even sentences.

The general colour of this Parrot is bright green. On the top of the head and behind
the eyes the feathers are rather pale cobalt-blue, and a deeper tint of blue is also seen
on the outer webs of the primary and secondary feathers of the wings, their interior webs
being dark greenish black. The lower part of the back and the upper tail-coverts are
deep crimson-red, and the short square tail is green, except the outermost feathers, which
are edged with blue. On all the tail-feathers, except the central, there is a spot of pale
red near the base. The bill is large and flesh-coloured.

The AMAZON GREEN PARROT is the species most commonly seen in England. It is a

handsome bird, and is even a better conversationalist than the last-mentioned species-

Like the Festive Parrot, it is a native of Southern America, and especially frequents the

536 SWINDERN’S LOVE-BIRD.

banks of the Amazon. It is not, however, so retiring in its habits as that bird, and will
often leave the woods for the sake of preying upon the orange plantations, among which
it works great havoc. Its nest is made in the decayed trunks of trees.

As a general fact, it is not so apt at learning and repeating phrases as the Grey Parrot,
but I have known more than one instance where its powers of speech could hardly be
exceeded, and very seldom rivalled. One of these birds which used to live in a little
garden into which my window
looked, was, on our first entrance
into the house, the cause of much
perplexity to ourselves and the
servants. The nurserymaid’s name
was Sarah, and the unfortunate
girl was continually running up
and down stairs, fancying herself
called by one of the children in
distress. The voice of the Parrot
was just that of a child, and it
would call Sarah in every imagin-
able tone, varying from a mere
enunciation of the name as if in
conversation, to angry remon-
strances, petulant peevishness, or
sudden terror.

Even after we had been well
accustomed to the bird, we were
often startled by the sharp ery
of “Sarah! Sacrah, Sa... rah!”
Presently it would ery, “Sarah,
lay the cloth ;* and after a while,
“Sarah, why don’t you lay the
cloth?” always contriving to get
the name of that domestic into
its sentences.

The end of the poor bird was
rather tragic. It was the pro-
perty of a very irritable master,
from whom the angry cries for
Sarah were probably learned. He
was very fond of his Parrot, but
one day in playing with her, he
teased her so far beyond her

Ss ay patience, that she bit his finger,
Or ! whereupon, in a fit of passion, he
S seized her by the neck and dashed
SWINDERN’S LOVE-BIRD.—Psittdcula Swinderniana. her on the eround so hard, that

she died on the spot.
From the Festive Parrot it
may easily be distinguished, not
only for its lesser size, it being barely twelve inches in length, but by the different
* arrangement of the colouring. The whole of the cheeks, chin, and the angles at the
base of the bill are yellow, the forehead is deep blue-purple, and the feathers of the back
of the head and nape of the neck are green, edged with black. When the bird is angry,
it raises these feathers like a crest. The plumage of the body both above and below is
rich green. ‘The tail-feathers are beautifully marked with green, yellow, and red, and
the primary feathers of the wings are tinged with green of various qualities, azure, deep
brownish red and black.

GROUP OF COCKATOOS

The Love-birds derive their name from the great fondness which they display for others
of their own species, and the manner in which they always sit close to each other while
perched, each trying to snuggle as closely as possible among the soft feathers of its neigh-
bour. They are all little birds, and among the smallest of these is the SwINDERN’s LOVE-
BirD, which measures barely six inches in length,

538 THE GOLIATH ARATOO

It is a rather scarce bird, but deserves notice on account of its very small dimensions,
and its beautiful plumage. Like others of its kind, it is very fond of society, and unless
furnished with a companion is very apt to droop, refuse nourishment, and die. Its habits
in a wild state are not precisely known, as it is a bird of rare occurrence, and not easily
to be watched.

The head of this species is light grass-green ; round the back of the neck runs a black
collar, and the chest, together with a band round the neck, just. below the black collar, is
yellow with a greenish “cast. The general colour of the body is the same grass-green as
that of the head, except the upper tail-coverts, which are deep rich azure. The short and
rounded tail is beautifully and richly coloured, the two central feathers being green, and
the others bright scarlet for the first half of their length, then banded with a warm bar of
black, and the tips green. The bill is black, and of a stronger make than is usually the
case with the Love-birds. The legs and feet are greyish black.

THE Cockatoos are very familiar birds, as several species are common inhabitants of
our aviaries, where they create much amusement by their grotesque movements, their
exceeding love of approbation, and their repeated mention of their own name. Wherever
two or three of these birds are found in the same apartment, however silent they may be
when left alone, the presence of a visitor excites them to immediate conversation, and the
air resounds with “Cockatoo!” “Pretty Cocky!” in all directions, diversified with an
occasional yell, if the utterer be not immediately noticed.

They are confined to the Eastern Archipelago and Australia, in which latter country a
considerable number of large and splendid species are found. The nesting-place of the
Cockatoos is always in the holes of decaying trees, and by means of their very powerful
beaks, they tear away the wood until they have augered the hollow to their liking. Their
food consists almost wholly of fruit and seeds, and they are often very great “pests to
the agriculturist, settling in large flocks upon the fields of maize and corn, and devouring
the ripened ears or disinterring the newly sown seeds with hearty eoodwill. The wrath
of the farmer is naturally aroused by these frequent raids, and the Cockatoos perish
annually in great numbers from the constant persecution to which they are subjected,
their nests being destroyed, and themselves shot and trapped.

To those, however, who own no land, and are anxious about no crops, a flock of
Cockatoos is a most beautiful and welcome sight, as they flit among the heavy-leaved
trees of the Australian forest, their pinky-white plumage relieved against the dark masses
of wmbrageous shade, as they appear and vanish among the branches like the bright
visions of a dream,

THE first of the Cockatoos which will be noticed in these pages is the GOLIATH
ARATOO, a striking and very remarkable bird.

The generic name “microglossum” which is given to this creature is of Greek origin,
and signifies “little-tongue,” that member being very curiously formed. In the generality
of the Parrot tribe the tongue is thick and fleshy, but in the Aratoo it is long, tubular,
and extensile. The powerful bill is also of a rather unusual form, the upper mandible
being very large, sharply curved, and having its cutting edges two-toothed, while the lower
mandible is comparatively small, and only furnished with a single tooth.

It is a native of New Guinea and the neighbouring islands, and is not a very common
bird, although specimens may be found in several museums. The peculiar formation of
the tongue and beak would lead the observer to suppose that its habits must be different
from those of ordinary Cockatoos ; but as little or nothing is known of its mode of life in
a wild state, the precise use of these or. cans is rather problematical.

In size this bird is one of the largest of the Parrot tribe, being equal to and in some
cases exceeding that of the great macaws, although the absence of the long tail renders it
a less conspicuous bird. The general colour of this species is deep black with a greenish
gloss, caused chiefly by the large amount of whitish powder which is secreted in certain
imperfect quills, and thence scattered among the feathers, giving them a kind of “bloom,”
like that of the plum or grape.

GOLIATH ARATOO.—WMicroglossum aterrimum.

This substance is found very largely in most of the Parrot tribe, and I well remember
getting my coat powdered like that of a miller from playing with the great white Cockatoo
in the Zoological Gardens of Dublin. Many other birds, such as the vultures, possess
this curious powdery substance, whose office is rather doubtful. The powder is produced
from the formative substance of the quill, which, instead of being developed into shaft
and web, as in the case of the perfect quills, dries up and is then thrown off in a dusty
form. The imperfect quill-feathers can generally be seen intermixed with the rest of the
plumage when the Cockatoo bends down its head or plumes itself, and the white substance
may be seen in the open ends of the imperfect quills, or lying thickly about them. In
the case of the vultures it is thought to be given for the purpose of keeping their skin and
plumage undefiled by the putrid animal substances on which those unclean and useful
birds feed, but as it is found in equal plenty on the Cockatoos, than who no cleaner
feeding or more fastidious birds exist, it is a that it must serve some purpose that
is common to these two dissimilar species. Very little structure is found in this dust
when placed under the microscope, but with the aid of the polarizer I have made out
several well-marked hexagonal cells.

GREAT WHITE COCKATOO.—Cacatia cristatus.

The green-black hue extends over the whole of the plumage, but around the eye is a
large naked space of skin, red in colour, and covered with wrinkles. The head is
ornamented with a large and curiously formed crest, which is composed of a number of single
feathers, each being long, narrow, and the web rather scanty. The colour of the crest is
rather greyer than the remainder of the plumage, probably on account of its less massive
construction, and its freedom from the white powdery dust which has just been described.
In general the crest lies along the top of the head, and merely exhibits the tips of its
feathers projecting over the neck ; but when the bird is excited by anger or pleasure, it can
erect the crest as well as the common Cockatoo. Some naturalists think that there are
two species of Aratoo, the larger being distinguished by the title of M. Goliath, and the
smaller called by the name of M. atérrimum, but the general opinion leans in favour of
a single species and two varieties.

Two species of Cockatoo are tolerably familiar in England, differing from each other
in the colour of their crests.
The first of these is the Great Waurre Cockatoo, a remarkably handsome bird,

SULPHUR-CRESTED COCKATOO. 541

especially when excited. In size it is rather a large bird, equalling a common fowl in
dimensions, and assuming a much larger form when ‘it ruftles up its feathers when under
the influence of anger. “Many of these birds are admirable talkers, and their voice is
peculiarly full and loud.

A Great White Cockatoo which I lately saw, was rather celebrated for his powers of
conversation ; but as he was moulting, his vocabulary was silenced for the time, and he
sat in a very disconsolate manner on his perch, looking as if he had fallen into a puddle
and not had time to arrange his plumage. All the breast and fore-parts of the body were
quite bare of feathers, and even the beautiful crest had a sodden and woe-begone look.
By dint, however, of talking to the bird, and rubbing his head, I induced him to favour
us with a few words which were given in a voice as full and rounded as that of a strong-
voiced man accustomed to talk to deaf people.

Presently we were startled with a deafening laugh, not unlike that of the hyena, but
even louder and more weird-like. On turning round, I saw the Cockatoo suddenly
transformed into a totally different bird, his whole frame literally blazing with excitement,
his crest flung forward to the fullest extent, and repeatedly spread and closed like the
fan of an angry Spanish lady, every feather standing on end and his eyes sparkling with
fury while he volleyed forth the sounds which had so startled us. The cause of this
excitement was to be found in the persons of two children who had come to look at the
bird, and who by some means had excited his ire. He always objected to children,
probably with good reason, and being naturally irritable from the effect of moulting, his
temper was aroused by the presence of the objects of his dislike.

The plumage of this species is white with a very slight roseate tinge, and the crest
is white.

The species of Cockatoo which is most common in England is the SULPHUR-CRESTED
Cockatoo, well depicted in the illustration. It may readily be distinguished from the
preceding bird by the bright yellow colour of its crest and its more pointed form.

This bird is an inhabitant of different parts of Australia, and is especially common in
Van Diemen’s Land, where it may be found in flocks of a thousand in number, Owing
to the ease with which it is obtained, it is frequently brought to England and is held in
much estimation as a pet.

A Cockatoo which I have lately seen, a young bird, displays admirably many
peculiarities of the Cockatoo nature.

As yet it is not a very accomplished linguist, although it can repeat many words with
much fidelity. It certainly has some notion of the meaning attached to certain words, as
it can distinguish between the various members of the family, and when they enter the
room will frequently utter their name. Sometimes it will act in the same manner when
they leave the room. It can laugh merrily, but in rather too loud a tone for sensitive
ears, and promises well for further accomplishments. Like others of the parrot tribe, it
rejoices greatly in exercising its sharp beak, and is very fond of biting to pieces every bit
of wood that may come in its way.

Empty cotton-reels are favourite toys, and it watches the gradual diminution of the
thread with great interest, knowing that it is sure to have the wooden reel after the thread
has been used. When the reel is placed on the outside of the cage the bird descends
from its perch, pushes one of its feet through the wires and with extended toes feels in
every direction for its toy. When the position of the coveted article is found, the bird
grasps it with its feet, draws it through the wires, and bites it to pieces. Many times it
has been known to split a reel with a single bite. Sometimes its owners give it one of
those flat wooden discs on which silk-ribbon has been wound, and in such cases it always
takes care to turn the disc edgeways before attempting to bring it through the wires.

So powerful is its beak that it can break up the shell of a periwinkle or even a whelk,
and with its curved beak peck out the inhabitant. In a similar manner it will crack nuts
to pieces, and extract the kernel ; but seems to do so merely for the pleasure of exercising
its beak, as it generally allows the kernel to fall on the floor and contents itself with
breaking the shell into many little pieces.

SULPHUR-CRESTED COCKATOO.—Cacatia galerita.

When I saw it, the plumage was in very fine order, and the crest with its double fan
of bright yellow feathers had a remarkably fine effect as the bird ruffled up its plumage,
erected the crest, and began bowing and crying “Pretty Cocky!” in a very excited state
of mind.

Although its beak is so powerful, it can climb up the hands or face of any one whom
it knows without doing any damage, whereas another Cockatoo of my acquaintance once
inflicted unwitting but painful damage on my finger, as it lowered itself from my hand to
its perch. I suppose that the bird found the substance of the finger yielding under the
pressure of its beak, and fearful lest it should fall, gripped the finger in hope of saving
itself, thereby inflicting a rather severe wound, and bruising the surrounding parts to such
an extent that the whole finger swelled greatly, and for nearly a week could not be used.

The Cockatoo seems to court notice even more than the parrot, and will employ
various ingenious manceuvres in order to attract attention to its perfections. They are
mostly good-tempered birds, seldom trying to bite unless they have been teased, and even
in that case they generally give fair notice of their belligerent intentions by yelling
loudly with anger, and spreading their yellow crests in defiance of their enemy.

LEADBEATER’S COCKATOO,—Cacatua Leadbeater.

The Cockatoo evidently possesses some sense of humour, particularly of that kind
which is popularly known as practical joking. A lady had once shown some timidity in
approaching a tame Cockatoo, and was evidently afraid of its beak. The bird thought
that it was a great joke to frighten any one so much bigger than itself, and whenever the
lady came near its perch, it would set up its feathers, yell and make believe to attack her,
merely for the pleasure of hearing her scream and seeing her run away.

In its own country the Cockatoo is anything but a favourite on account of its
devastation among the crops. In treating of this bird, Mr. Gould writes as follows:
« As may be readily imagined, this bird is not upon favourable terms with the agriculturist,
upon whose -fields of newly sown grain and ripening maize it commits the greatest
devastation. It is consequently hunted and shot down wherever it is found, a circum-
stance which tends much to lessen its numbers. It is still, however, very abundant,
moving about in flocks varying from a hundred to a thousand in number, and evinces a
decided preference for the open plains and cleared lands, rather than for the dense bushes
near the coast.

544 THE PHILIP ISLAND PARROT.

Except when feeding or reposing on the trees after a repast, the presence of a flock,
if not seen, is sure to be indicated by their horrid screaming notes, the discordance of
which may be slightly conceived by those who have heard the peculiarly loud, piercing,
and grating scream of the bird in captivity ; always remembering the immense increase
of the din occasioned by the large number of the birds uttering their disagreeable notes
at the same moment.”

The colour of this Cockatoo is white, with the exception of the crest, which is of a
bright sulphur-yellow, and the under surface of the wings and the basal portions of the
inner webs of the tail-feathers, which are of the same colour, but much paler in hue. The
total leneth of this species is about eighteen inches,

THE remarkably handsome bird which is represented on page 543 is a native of
Australia. It is called by several names, such as the TRICOLOR CRESTED CocKATOO, and
the Pink Cockaroo, by which latter name it is known to the colonists. The title of
LEADBEATER’S COCKATOO was given to the bird in honour of the well-known naturalist,
who possessed the first specimen brought to England.

It is not so noisy as the common species, and may possibly prove a favourite inhabitant
of our aviaries, its soft blush-white plumage and splendid crest well meriting the attention
of bird-fanciers. The crest is remarkable for its great development, and for the manner
in which the bird can raise it like a fan over its head, or depress it upon the back of its
neck at will. In either case it has a very fine effect, and especially so when it is elevated,
and the bird is excited with anger or pleasure.

The general colour of this bird is white, with a slight pmkish flush. Round the base
of the beak runs a very narrow crimson line, and the feathers of the crest are long and
pointed, each feather being crimson at the base, then broadly barred with golden yellow,
then with crimson, and the remainder is white. The neck, breast, flanks, and under tail-
coverts are deeply stained with crimson, and the under surface of the wing is deep crimson
red. The beak is pale greyish white, the eyes brown, and the feet and legs dark grey,
each scale being edged with a lighter tint. In size it is rather superior to the common
white Cockatoo.

A veRY singular form of Cockatoo is that which is known as the Par~ip ISLAND, or
the LONG-BILLED PARROT.

This bird is only found in the little island from which it derives its name.. It may
probably become extinct at no distant period, as its singularly shaped beak renders it an
object of attraction to those who get their living by supplying the dealers with skins and
various objects of natural history; and its disposition is so gentle and docile, that it
readily accommodates itself to captivity. Philip’s Island is only five miles in extent ; and
it is a very remarkable fact, that this Long-billed Parrot is never found even in Norfolk
Island, though hardly four miles distant.

Its favourite resorts are among rocky ground interspersed with tall trees, and its food
consists mostly of long and succulent vegetable substances. The blossoms of the white
Hibiscus afford it a plentiful supply of food, and in order to enable it to obtain the sweet
juices of the flowers, the tongue is furnished with a long, narrow, horny scoop at the under
side of the extremity, not very unlike the human nail. As earth has often been found
upon the long upper mandible, the bird is believed to seek some portion of its food m the
ground, and to dig up with its pickaxe of a bill the ground nuts and other subterraneous
vegetation. This opinion is strengthened by the fact that another species of Parrot
belonging to the same country is known to seek its food by digging.

The hard and strong fruits which are so favoured by other Parrots, are rejected by
this species, whose long bill does not possess the great power needed for cracking the
shells. In captivity it has been known to feed upon various soft leaves, such as lettuce
and cabbage, and displays a decided predilection for ripe fruits, cream, and butter.

While on the ground its mode of progression is not the ungainly waddle generally
employed by the Parrot tribe, but is accomplished by hopping something after the fashion
of the rooks, the wings aiding in each hop. One species of this genus has been known

PHILIP ISLAND PARROT.—Nestor productus.

to imitate the human voice with much accuracy. This is the Southern Nestor, or the
Kaka of the natives (Nestor hypopélius). The voice of the Long-billed Parrot is harsh,
loud, and very disagreeable, and is said to resemble the continual barking of a hoarse-
voiced, ill-tempered cur. While ranging among the trees, these birds fill the woods with
their dissonant quacking barks. The eggs of this species are white, and, as is generally
the case with the Parrots, are laid in the hollow of a decaying tree.

The birds which belong to the genus Nestor may at once be known by their extra-
ordinarily long upper mandibles, which curve far over the lower, and remind the observer
of the overgrown tooth so common in the rat, rabbit, and other rodent animals. This
remarkable structure is very probably for the purpose of enabling the bird to scoop roots
and other vegetable substances out of the earth. The length, curve, and shape of the
upper mandible differ in the various species. Another peculiarity is that the tips of the
tail-feathers are partially denuded of their webs, leaving the shaft to project slightly
beyond the feathered portion. Some persons suppose the Long-billed Parrots to form a
link between the Parrots and the Cockatoos.

2. NN

546 THE BANKSIAN COCKATOO,

Neither of these birds are remarkable for brilliancy of plumage, the prevailing tints
being brown and grey, with a little red and yellow here and there. The Philip’s Island
Parrot is dark brown on the upper surface of the body, but takes a greyish hue on the
head and back of the neck. Each feather of the upper surface is edged with a deeper
tinge, so that the otherwise uniform grey and brown is agreeably mottled. The cheeks,
throat, and breast are yellow, warming into orange on the face. The inner surface of the
shoulders is olive-yellow, and the abdomen and both tail-coverts are deep orange-red.
The tail is moderately long, and squared at the extremity. The feathers are crossed at
their base by bands of orange-yellow and brown, and the under surfaces of the inner webs
are brown, mingled with dusky red. The feet are dark blackish brown, and the long bill
is uniformly of a brownish tint. The total length of the adult bird is about fifteen inches.

The BANKSIAN CocKATO0O is a good representative of a very curious genus of Cockatoos
resident in Australia.

The plumage of these birds, instead of being white or roseate as in the two previous
Cockatoos, is always of a dark colour, and frequently dyed with the richest hues. About
six species belong to this genus, and they all seem to be wild and fierce birds, capable of
using their tremendously powerful beaks with great effect. Their crests are not formed
like those of the common Cockatoo, and the tails are larger and more rounded.

The Banksian Cockatoo is only found in New South Wales, inhabiting the vast brush
district of that land. Its food is mostly of a vegetable nature, consisting chiefly of the
seeds of the Banksia; but the bird will also eat the large and fat grubs of different insects,
mostly of a coleopterous nature, which it digs out of the trunks of trees with its strong
bill.

It is not seen in such large flocks as the white Cockatoo, being generally in pairs,
although little companies of six or eight in numbet are occasionally met in the
bushes. Being a particularly wild and cautious bird, it is not easily approached by a
European, except when feeding, at which time it is so occupied that a cautious sportsman
may creep within gunshot. The native, however, unencumbered with raiment, and caring
nothing for his time, can glide through the bushes noiselessly, and bring down the bird
with a well-aimed stick.

The flight of this handsome bird is rather heavy, the wings flapping laboriously, and
the progress being rather slow. It seldom mounts to any great height, and as a general
fact only flies from the top of one tree to another. The eggs are generally two and
sometimes three in number, and are laid in the hollow “spout” of a green tree, without
any particular nest.

The chin of the adult male is deep rich black with a green gloss. A broad vermilion
band crosses the whole of the tail, with the exception of the two central feathers, and the
external webs of the outside feathers. The female is also greenish black, but her plumage
is variegated with numerous spots and bars of pale yellow.

THERE are many other species of Australian Cockatoos, which cannot be mentioned
in these pages. The native mode of hunting Cockatoos is so curious, and displays so well
the character of the birds, that it must be given in the words of the writer, Captain Grey.

“Perhaps as fine a sight as can be seen in the whole circle of native sports, is the
killing Cockatoos with the kiley, or boomerang. A native perceives a large flight of
Cockatoos in a forest which encircles a lagoon ; the expanse of water affords an open clear
space above it, unencumbered with trees, but which raise their gigantic forms all around,
more vigorous in their growth from the damp soil in which they Hourish. In their leafy
summits sit a countless number of Cockatoos, screaming and flying from tree to tree, as
they make their arrangements for a night’s sound sleep.

The native throws aside his cloak, so that he may not have even this slight covering
to impede his motions, draws his kiley from his belt, and with a noiseless, elastic step,
approaches the lagoon, creeping from tree to tree, and from bush to bush, and disturbing
the birds as little as possible. Their sentinels, however, take the alarm, the Cockatoos
farthest from the water fly to the trees near its edge, and thus they keep concentrating

BANKSIAN COCKATOO.—Calyptorhynchus Banksii

their force as the native advances ; they are aware that danger is at hand, but are ignorant
of its nature. At length the pursuer almost reaches the edge of the water, and the scared
Cockatoos, with wild cries, spring into the air; at the same instant the native raises his
right hand high over his shoulder, and, bounding forward with his utmost speed, to give
impetus to his blow, the kiley quits his hand as if it would strike the water; but when it
has almost touched the unruffled surface of the lake, it spins upwards with inconceivable
velocity, and with the strangest contortions.

In vain the terrified Cockatoos strive to avoid it; it sweeps wildly and uncertainly
through the air—and so eccentric are its motions, th at it requires but a slight stretch of
the imagination to fancy it endowed with life—and with fell swoops in rapid pursuit of
the devoted birds, some of whom are almost certain to be brought screaming to the earth.
But the wily savage has not yet done with them. He avails himself of the extraordinary
attachment which these birds,have for one another, and fastening a wounded one toa
tree, so that its cries may induce its companions to return, he watches his opportunity, by
throwing his kiley or spear, to add another bird or two to the booty he has already
obtained.”

NN 2

OWL PARROT.—Strigops habroptilus.

THE name given to the curious bird now before us is a very appropriate one, as the
creature seems to partake equally of the natures of the Owl and the Parrot.

Even in its habits it has much of the Owl nature, being as strictly nocturnal as any
of those birds. During the daytime it conceals itself in holes, under the stumps of trees,
and similar localities, and seldom being seen except after sunset. The natives of New
Zealand, where it is found, say that during the winter months the Owl Parrots assemble
together in great numbers, collecting themselves into certain large caverns, and that while
arranging for their winter-quarters, and before dispersing for the summer, they become
very noisy, and raise a deafening clamour.

‘The Owl Parrot is weak of wing and seldom trusts itself to the air, taking but a very
short flight whenever it rises from the ground. Neither is it seen much in trees, preferring
to inhabit the ground, and making regular paths to and from its nest, by means of which
its habitation may be discovered by one who knows the habits of the bird. These tracks
are about a foot in width, and so closely resemble the paths worn by the footsteps of human
beings that they have been mistaken for such by travellers.

The food of this bird is mostly obtained on the ground, and consists of tender twigs,

PESQUETS DASYPTILUS. 549

leaves, and roots, which it digs up with its curved bill, covering that useful organ with
earth and mud. The eggs of the Owl Parrot are merely laid upon some decaying wood in
the same hollows wherein the bird sleeps during the day. Their number is two, although
three are sometimes found. The breeding season commences in February. The natives
distinguish this bird by the name of Kakapo.

It is a very large bird, nearly equalling the eagle owl in dimensions ; and, like that bird,
standing very upright on its legs. The general colour of the plumage is darkish green
profusely mottled with black, and
sparingly dashed with yellow.
Under the eye is a patch of
yellow green. The beak is long
and curved, very like that of an
owl, and it is nearly concealed by
the stiff bristles with which it is
surrounded, and many of which
cross each other at the tips over
the bill. The abdomen is green
of a yellower hue than the upper
parts of the body, crossed with a
few very faint bars of a darker
hue. The tail is also green, but
marked with brown.

ACCORDING to some authors,
the Aratoo, already described on
page 538, is closely connected
with the very remarkable bird
represented in the accompanying
illustration.

As in the case of the previous
species we find an example of a
Parrot following the owl type in
its form and many of its habits, we
have here an instance of another
Parrot bearing a close resem-
blance to the diurnal predaceous
birds. Indeed, from examining
the Parrots and their habits, it
is impossible not to perceive the
analogy that exists between them-
selves and the birds of prey, many
of whom are far less formidably
armed than the vegetable-feeding
Parrots. Perhaps we may call
the Parrots vegetarian raptores.

The rather long generic name
of Dasyptilus which has been
given to this bird is of Greek ori-
gin, signifying “ Hairy-plumage,”
and is appropriated to the bird
on account of the bristle-like feathers, which cover the head and neck, and the generally
bristly character of the plumage. The beak is long, straight for a considerable portion
of its length, and then curved suddenly downwards at the tip, just after the manner of the
eagles. Indeed, if the head were removed from the body, nine persons out of ten would
attribute it to one of the eagles. The lower mandible is, however, more like that of the
Parrots, short, thick, and keeled. Around the eye there is a large patch of bare skin, and

PESQUET’S DASYPTILUS.— Dasyptilus Pesquétii.

550 THE HAIRY-BREASTED BARBET.

the bristly feathers of the head and neck very scantily protect those portions. The
nostrils are round, and situated in the “ cere” at the base of the beak.

The colouring of this bird is very simple. The general tint of the whole upper surface
is black-green, like that of the Aratoo, Becane the greater wing-coverts, and the upper
tail- coverts, which are of arich crimson. The abdomen and thighs are also crimson, but
with a perceptible vermilion tint. The upper part of the breast and the neck are black,
and a very slight white edging appears on some of the feathers. The tail is moderately
long, rounded, and very firmly made, The total length of this bird is about twenty
inches.

HAIRY-BREASTED BARBET.—Laimodon hirsitus,

WE now take our leave of the Parrots, and come to a very interesting family of
scansorial birds, known popularly as W oodpecker 's, and scientifically as Picidee.

There are many members of this large family, differmg exceedingly in size, colour, and
form, but yet possessing a kind of family resemblance not easy to be described, but readily
recognisable. For convenience of description modern zoologists have grouped the Wood-
peckers into several sub-families, all of which will be represented in the following pages,
and which are termed the Capitonine or Barbets, the Picumninz or Piculets, the: Picinee
or true Woodpeckers, the Gecinz or Green Woodpeckers, the Melanerpine or Black
Woodpeckers, and the Colaptinse or Ground Woodpeckers.

Our example of the first sub-family is the HAtRY-BREASTED BARBET.

This is, perhaps, the most curious of all the Barbets, on account of the peculiarity
from which it derives its name. The feathers of the breast are much stiffer than the
others, and more sharply pointed, and the shafts of the lower breast-feathers are devoid of
web, and project to the distance of nearly an inch from the rest of the plumage, looking
as if a number of long curved bristles had been inserted among the plumage. All
the Barbets possess strong and conical beaks, surrounded with bristles at the base, and
their stiff tail-feathers enable them to support their bodies while they are perched upon
the upright trunk of the tree on which they are seeking their insect food. They are all
found in tropical climates, and the greater number, among which the present species may
be included, are natives of Western Africa. In their habits they are said to be rather slow
and sluggish birds, not possessed of the fiery vivacity which distinguishes the true Wood-
peckers, and their food is not so wholly of an insect nature. The wings and tail are short,
and all the species are of small dimensions.

THE PIGMY PICULET. 551

The general colour of this bird is brown on the upper parts of the body, spotted with
sulphur-yellow, a round mark of that tint being found on the end of each feather. The
head, chin, and part of the throat are black, and there is one white stripe behind the eye,
and another running from the angle of the mouth down the neck. The quill-feathers of
the wings are deep ‘brown, edged “with sulphur-yellow. The whole of the under surface
is yellow with a green tinge, and is profusely spotted with black. The total length of this
species rather exceeds seven inches.

THE Piculets seem to bear the same proportion to the Woodpeckers as the merlin
to the eagle, being about the size of sparrows, and more slenderly framed. Their bills are
shorter in proportion than those of the true woodpeckers, and are rather deeper than wide
at the base. Their wings are short and rounded, and their tails are also short.

The Premy PICULET is a very
pretty example of this little sub-
family. It is a native of Southern
America, and is generally found
in the vast forests of that fertile
land. It is a lively little creature,
running quickly up the trunks
of trees after the manner of the
English creeper, but seldom ap-
pearing to use its tail im aid of
its progress, or to seek its food
on the tree-trunks in the usual
Woodpecker fashion. In general
it is seen among the branches,
where it sits across the boughs
when at rest, and hops quickly
from one branch to another while
searching after its food.

It is not a gregarious bird,
being generally found either singly 8), nae
or in pairs. The nest of this PIGMY PICULET.—Picumnus pygmeus.
species is made in hollow trees,
and its eggs are only two in
number.

This species is a remarkably pretty one, elegant in shape and delicately coloured.
The general colour of the back and upper portions of the body is a very soft hair-brown,
and the wings are also brown, but of a deeper hue. Over the back are scattered a few
oval spots of a much lighter brown, each eee a nearly black spot towards one end, and
contrasting in a very pleasing manner with the delicate brown of the back. The tail
is of the same dark brown as the wings, with the exception of the two central feathers,
which are of a light fawn. The most striking portion of this bird is the top of the head,
which is decorated with a bright scarlet crest- like crown, covered with velvety- black
dots. The rest of the head and the back of the neck are jetty black, interspersed with
white dots. The under surface of the body is pale brown variegated with the same
curious spots as those of the back. In size this bird hardly exceeds a wren.

WE now arrive at the true Woodpeckers, several species of which bird are familiar
from their frequent occurrence in this country.

As is well known, the name of Woodpecker is given to these birds from their habit of
pecking among the ae caying wood of trees in order ‘to feed upon the insects that are found
within. They also chip away the wood for the purpose of making the holes or tunnels
wherein their eggs are deposited. In order to enable them to perform these duties, the
structure of the Woodpecker is very curiously modified. The feet are made extremely
powerful, and the claws are strong and sharply hooked, so that the bird can retain a firm

552 HEAD AND TONGUE OF THE WOODPECKER.

hold of the tree to which it is clinging, while it works away at the bark or wood with its
bill. The tail, too, is furnished with very stiff and pointed feathers, which are pressed
against the bark, and form a kind of support on which the bird can rest a large proportion
of its weight. The breast-bone is not so prominent as in the generality of flying birds,
in order to enable the Woodpecker to press its breast closely to the tree, and the beak is
long, strong, and sharp.

These modifications aid the bird in cutting away the wood, but there is yet a provision
needful to render the Woodpecker capable of seizing the little insects on which it feeds,
and which lurk in small holes and crannies into which the beak of the Woodpecker could

not penetrate. This structure is shown by the accompanying sketch of a Woodpecker’s

HEAD OF WOODPECKER

head dissected. The tongue-bones or “ hyoid” bones are greatly lengthened, and pass over
the top of the head, being fastened in the skull just above the right nostril. These long
tendinous-looking bones are accompanied by a narrow strip of muscle by which they are
moved.

The tongue is furnished at the tip with a long horny appendage covered with barbs
and sharply pointed at the extremity, so that the bird is enabled to project this instrument
to a considerable distance from the bill, transfix an insect, and draw it into the mouth.
Those insects that are too small to be thus treated are captured by means of a glutinous
liquid poured upon the tongue from certain glands within the mouth, and which cause the
little insects to adhere to the weapon suddenly projected among them. This whole
arrangement is clearly analogous to the tongue of the ant-eater, described in the volume on
Mammalia, page 771. Some authors deny the transfixion.

The GREAT SpoTTED WOODPECKER is one of the five British species, and is also
known by the names of Frenchpie and Woodpie.

It is found in many parts of England, and, like the other Woodpeckers, must be sought
in the forests and woods rather than in orchards and gardens. Like other shy birds,
however, it soon finds out where it may take up its abode unmolested, and will
occasionally make its nest in some cultivated ground, where it has the instinctive assurance
of safety, rather than entrust itself to the uncertain security of the forest.

In the woods frequented by these birds, which are often more plentiful than is
generally known, the careful observer may watch their movements without difficulty, by
taking a few preliminary precautions.

The rapid series of strokes on the bark, something like the sound of a watchman’s
rattle, will indicate the direction in which the bird is working; and when the intruding
observer has drawn near the tree on which he suspects the Woodpecker to have settled, he
should quietly sit or lie down, without moving. At first the bird will not be visible, for
the Woodpeckers, like the squirrels, have a natural tact for keeping the tree-trunk or

THE GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER. 553

branch between themselves and the supposed enemy, and will not show themselves until
they think that the danger has passed away.

Presently the Woodpecker may be seen coming very cautiously round the tree,
peering here and there, to assure itself that the coast is clear, and then, after a few
preliminary taps, will set vigorously to work. So rapidly do the blows follow each other,
that the head of the bird seems to be vibrating on a spring, and the sound can only be
described by the comparison already made, namely, a watchman’s rattle. Chips and bark
fly in every direction, and should
the tree be an old one, whole
heaps of bark will be discovered
at the foot. By the aid of a smali
telescope, the tongue can be seen
darted out occasionally, but the
movement is so quick, that unless
the attention of the observer be
especially directed towards it, he
will fail to notice it.

The Woodpecker has several
modes of tapping the trees, which
can be readily distinguished by a
practised ear. First there is the
preliminary tap and the rapid
whirring strokes already described,
when the bird is engaged in seek-
ing its food. Then there is a
curious kind of sound made by
pushing its beak into a crack, and
rattling it in such a manner
against the wood, that the insects
think their house is falling, and
run out to escape the impending
danger, just as worms come to
the surface when the ground is
agitated by a spade or fork.
Lastly, there is a kind of drum-
ming sound made by striking the
bill against some hollow tree, and
used together with the peculiar
cry for the purpose of calling its
mate.

Although the Woodpeckers
were formerly much persecuted,
under the idea that they killed the
trees by pecking holesin them, they
are most useful birds, cutting away
the decaying wood, as a surgeon
removes a gangrened spot, and
eating the hosts of insects which
encamp in dead or dying wood,
and would soon bring the whole tree to the ground. They do not confine themselves to
trees, but seek their food wherever they can find it, searching old posts and rails, and
especially delighting in those trees that are much infested with the green fly, or aphis,
as the wood-ants swarm in such trees for the purpose of obtaining the “honey-dew,” as it
distils from the aphides, and then the Woodpeckers eat the ants. Those destructive
creatures generally called wood-lice, and known to boys as “monkey-peas,” are a favourite
article of diet with the Woodpeckers, to whom our best thanks are therefore due.

Ki \ /}
I)" ppdedfie \

GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER.—Picus major.

554 THE DOWNY WOODPECKER.

But the Woodpeckers, although living mostly on insects, do not confine themselves
wholly to that diet, but are very fond ‘of fruits, always choosing the ripest. In this
country the forest- land forms so small a portion of the kingdom, that the Woodpeckers
are comparatively few, and can do little appreciable mischief | to the gardens ; but in some
lands, such as many parts of America, they do very great damage, stripping the trees of
their fruit, and the fields of their crops, to such an extent that they are annually shot by
hundreds.

As is the case with all its congeners, the Great Spotted Woodpecker lays its eges in
the hollow of a tree.

The locality chosen for this purpose is carefully selected, and is a tunnel excavated, or
at all events altered, by the bird for the special purpose of nidification. Before com-
mencing the operation, the Woodpeckers always find out whether the tree is sound or
rotten, and they can ascertain the latter fact, even through several layers of sound wood.
When they have fixed upon a site for their domicile, they set determinately to work, and
speedily cut out a circular tunnel just large enough to admit their bodies, but no larger.
Sometimes this tunnel is tolerably straight, but it generally turns off in another direction.

ae the bottom of the hole the female bird collects the little chips of decayed wood that
have been cut off during the boring process, and deposits her eggs upon them without any
attempt at nest- -making. The eges are generally five in number, but six have been taken
from the nest of this species. The young are able to run about the tree some time before
they can fly, and traverse the bark quite fearlessly, retirmg to the hole and calling their
parents whenever they want food.

Generally the nests of birds are kept scrupulously clean; but that of the Woodpecker
is a sad exception to the rule, the amount of filth and potency of stench being quite
beyond human endurance. The colour of the eggs is white, and their surface glossy,
and they are remarkable, when fresh, for some very faint and very narrow lines, which run
longitudinally down the shell towards the small end.

The general colour of this species is black and white, curiously disposed, with the
exception of the back of the head, which is light scarlet, and contrasts strongly with the
sober hues of the body, Taking the black to be the ground colour, the white is thus
arranged: The forehead and ear-coverts, a patch on each side of the neck, the scapularies,
and part of the wing-coverts, several little squared spots on the wings, and large patches
on the tail, are pure white. The throat and the whole of the under surface are also white,
but with a greyish cast, and the under tail-coverts are red. The total length of the adult
male is rather more than nine inches. The female has no red on the head, and the young
birds of the first year are remarkable for having the back of the head black and the top
of the head red, often mixed with a few little black feathers.

The Downy WooprecKker derives its name from the strip of loose downy feathers
which passes along its back. It is a native of America, and very plentiful in various
parts of that country. Its habits are so well described by Wilson, that his own words
will be the best comment on this pretty little bird.

«“ About the middle of May the male and female look out for a suitable place for the
reception of their eggs and young. An apple, pear, or cherry tree, often in the near
neighbourhood of the farmhouse, is generally pitched upon for this purpose. The tree is
minutely reconnoitred 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 described with
a pair of compasses. He is occasionally relieved by the female, both parties working
with the most indefatigable diligence. The direction of the hole, if made in the body
of the tree, is generally downw ards 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,
capacious, and as smooth as if polished by the cabinet-maker ; but the entrance is
judiciously left just so large as to adimit 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 lay, the female often visits the place, passes in and out, examines

YW
th

DOWNY WOODPECKER.—Picus pubescens.

every part 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 in the smooth bottom of the cavity. The male occasionally
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.”

The same writer then proceeds to remark that the process of nest-making is not
always permitted to go on without hindrance, for the impertinent little house-wren, who
likes to build her nest in hollows, but who is not strong or large enough to scoop a
habitation for herself, will often allow the Woodpeckers to make a nice deep hole just fit
for a wren’s nest, and then drives them off and takes possession of the deserted domicile.
One pair of Woodpeckers met with very hard treatment, being twice turned out of their
house in one season, and the second time they were even forced to abandon one egg that
had been laid.

The holes made by this Woodpecker in trees are very numerous, and have often led
more observant orchard-owners to think the bird an enemy to their trees, and to kill it
accordingly. Wilson has, however, completely exonerated the bird from the charge, and
proved it to be a useful ally to man instead of a noxious foe. ‘ Of all our Woodpeckers,

556 THE IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER,.

none rid the apple-trees of so many vermin as this; digging off the moss which the
negligence of the proprietor had suffered to accumulate, 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 fond 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 sometimes far beyond it, the
whole bark of many apple-trees is perforated in this manner, so as to appear as if made
by successive 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.

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 pro-
ductive. Many of them were upwards 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.”

Although a little bird—less than seven inches in length—it is a truly handsome one.
The crown of the head is velvety black, its back deep scarlet, and there is a white streak
over the eye. The back is black, but is divided by a lateral stripe of puffy or downy
white feathers. The wings are black spotted with white, and the tail is also variegated
with the same tints. From the base of the beak a black streak runs down the neck. The
sides of the neck, the throat, and the whole of the under parts of the body are white.
The nostrils are thickly covered with small bristly feathers, probably to protect them from
the chips of wood struck off by the beak. The female is known by the greyish white of
the abdomen, and the absence of red upon its head,

ALTHOUGH not the largest of the Woodpecker tribe, the [voRY-BILLED WO0ODPECKER,
of North America, is perhaps the handsomest and most striking in appearance.

This splendid bird is armed with a tremendous beak, long, powerful, sharp, and white
as ivory, which can be used equally as an instrument for obtaiing its food, or as a weapon
for repelling the attacks of its enemies, and, in the latter point of view, is a truly
formidable arm, as terrible to its enemies as the British bayonet, to which it bears no little
resemblance in general shape.

Few birds are more useful than the Ivory-billed Woodpecker, which wages continual
war upon the myriad insects which undermine the bark of forest-trees, and saves the
forest giants from falling a prey to their diminutive adversaries. In one season several
thousand acres of huge pine-trees, from two to three feet in diameter, and many of them
measuring one hundred and fifty feet in height, were destroyed by the larvee of a little
insect not bigger than a grain of rice. Besides this creature, there are large grubs and
caterpillars that bore their way into the interior of trees, and are the pioneers of the
destruction that afterwards follows.

When the Ivory-billed Woodpecker has been hard at work upon a tree, he leaves
ample traces of his progress in the heaps of bark and wood chips which surround the
tree, and which look, according to Wilson, as if a dozen axe-men had been working at the
trunk. Strips of bark seven or eight inches in length are often struck off by a single
blow, and the body of the tree is covered with great excavations that seem more like the
work of steel tools than of a bird’s beak. Yet these apparent damages are really useful
to the tree, as the sound wood is allowed to remain in its place performing its proper
functions, while the decaying substances are scooped out in order that the bird may get
at the grubs and beetles that make their home therein.

As in the case of all Woodpeckers, the beak is also employed in excavating the holes

AN)

IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER.—Campéphilus principdalis.

in which the eggs are laid. The following account of the nesting of this bird is given by
Audubon :—

“The Ivory-billed Woodpecker nestles earlier in spring than any other species of its
tribe. I have observed it boring a hole for that purpose in the beginning of March. The
hole is, I believe, always made in the trunk of a live tree, generally of an ash or a hagberry,
and is at a great height.

The birds pay great regard to the particular situation of the tree, and the inclination
of its trunk, first, because they prefer retirement, and again, because they are anxious to

the trunk. It is first bored horizontally for a few inches, then directly downwards, and
not in a spiral manner, as some people have imagined. According to circumstances, this
cavity is more or less deep, being sometimes not more than ten inches, whilst at other
times it reaches nearly three feet downwards into the core of the tree. I have been led
to think these differences result from the more or less necessity under which the female
may be of depositing her eggs, and again have thought that the older the Woodpecker is,

558 A CAPTIVE WOODPECKER.

the deeper does it make its hole. The average diameter of the different nests which
I have examined was about seven inches within, although the entrance, which is perfectly
round, is only just large enough to admit the bird.

Both birds work most assiduously at this excavation, one waiting outside to encourage
the other whilst it is engaged in digging, and when the latter is fatigued, taking its place.
I have approached trees “whilst: these Woodpeckers were thus busily employed in forming
their nest, and by resting my head against the bark could easily distinguish every blow
given by the bird. I observed that in two instances, when the Woodpeckers saw me thus
at the foot of the tree in which they were digging their nest, they abandoned it for ever.
For the first brood there are generally six eggs. “They are deposited in a few chips at the
bottom of the hole, and are of a pure white colour, The young are seen creeping out of
the hole about a fortnight before they venture to fly to any other tree. The second brood
makes its appearance about the 15th of August.”

The courage and determination of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker is very great, and it
will fight with its opponent in a most desperate manner. When wounded, it endeavours
to reach the nearest tree, and to run up its trunk, and if intercepted will peck as fiercely
at the hand of its pursuer as at the wood and bark, and is able to inflict severe injury with
its sharp powerful bill, On account of this bold and fiery disposition, the American
Indians pay much honour to the bird, and are in the habit of carrying its head and bill
among the numerous charms or “medicines” in which they delight, and which are
supposed to transmit to the wearer the good qualities of the slain creature.

The voice of this Woodpecker is seldom uttered while the bird is on the wing, but is
frequently heard as soon as the bird has alighted. It is a rather shrill and very loud
tone, and can be heard at a great distance.

The ery of the wounded bird is, according to Wilson, just like that of a hurt child.
“The first place I observed this bird at, when on my way to the south, was about twelve
miles north of Wilmington, in North Carolina. Having wounded it slightly in the wing,
on being caught, it uttered a loudly reiterated and most piteous note, exactly resembling
the violent crying of a young child, which terrified my horse so, as nearly to have
cost me my life.

It was distressing to hear it. I carried it with me in the chair, under cover, to
Wilmington. In passing through the streets, its affecting eries surprised every one within
hearing, particularly the females, who hurried to the doors and windows with looks of
alarm and anxiety. I drove on, and on arriving at the piazza of the hotel where
I intended to put up, the landlord came forward, and a number of other persons who
happened to be there, all equally alarmed at what they heard; this was greatly increased
by my asking, whether he could furnish me with accommodations for myself and my baby.
The man looked blank and foolish, while the others stared with still greater astonishment.
After diverting myself for a minute or two at their expense, I drew my Woodpecker from
under the cover, and a general laugh took place. I took him upstairs, and locked him
up in my room, while I went to see my horse taken care of.

In less than an hour I returned, and on opening the door, he set up the same
distressing shout, which now appeared to proceed from grief that he had been discovered
in his efforts at escape. He had mounted along the side of the window, nearly as high as
the ceiling, a little below which he had begun to break through. The bed was covered
with large pieces of plaster; the lath was exposed for at least fifteen inches square, and a
hole large enough to admit the fist, opened to the weather boards ; so that in less than
another hour he would certainly have succeeded in making his way through. T now tied
a string round his leg, and fastening it to the table, again left him. I wished to preserve
his life, and had gone off in search of suitable food for him. As I reascended the stairs,
T heard him again hard at work, and on entering had the mortification to perceive that he
had almost entirely ruined the mahogany table to which he was fastened, and on which
he had wreaked his whole vengeance. While engaged in taking a drawing, he cut me
severely in several places, and on the whole displayed such a noble and unconquerable
spirit, that I was frequently tempted to restore him to his native woods. He lived with
me nearly three days, but refused all sustenance, and T witnessed his death with regret.”

THE GREEN WOODPECKER. 559

The general colour of this bird is black, glossed with green, The fore part of the head
is black, and the remainder is covered with a beautiful scarlet crest, each feather being
spotted towards the bottom with white, and taking a greyish ashen hue at the base. Of
course these colours can only be seen when the crest is erected. From below the eye a
white streak runs down the neck, and along the back, nearly to the insertion of the tail,
and the secondaries, together with their coverts and the tips of some of the primaries, are
also white, so that when the bird shuts its wings, its back appears wholly white. The
tapering tail is black above, yel-
lowish white below, and each
feather is singularly concave.
The wings are also lined with
yellowish white. The billis white
as ivory, strong, fluted along its
leneth, and nearly an inch broad
at the base. The female is plu-
maged like the male, with the
exception of the head, which is
wholly black, without the beauti-
ful scarlet crest. The total length
of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker is
about twenty inches.

THE commonest of the British
Woodpeckers is that which is
generally known by the name of
the GREEN WoopPECKER. It has,
however, many popular titles, such
as Rain-bird, Wood-spite, Hew-
hole, and Wood-wall. This bird
is our representative of the Ge-
cine, or Green Woodpeckers.

Although the Green Wood-
pecker is a haunter of woods and
forests, it will sometimes leave
those favoured localities, and visit
the neighbourhood of man. The
grounds between the Isis and
Merton College, Oxford, are rather
favourite resorts of this pretty
bird, and I once performed some-
thing of a cruel feat by flinging a
brickbat at a Green Woodpecker,
without the least idea of hitting
it, and crushing its legs with the
edge of the brick. I do not think
I ever threw a stone at a bird GREEN WOODPECKER.—Gécinus viridis.
afterwards, and though the event
happened some years ago, I have
never forgiven myself for it.

The name of Rain-bird has been given to this species because it becomes very
vociferous at the approach of wet weather, and is, as Mr. Yarrell well observes, “a living
barometer to good observers.” Most birds, however, will answer the same purpose to
those who know how and where to look for them. The other titles are equally appropriate,
Wood-spite being clearly a corruption of the German term “specht.” Hew-hole speaks
for itself; and Wood-wall is an ancient name for the bird, occurring in the old
English poets.

560 THE RED-HEADED WOODPECKER.

This species, although mostly found on trees, is a frequent visitor to the ground, where
it finds abundance of food. Ants’ nests are said to form a great attraction to the Green
Woodpecker, which feasts merrily at the expense of the insect community. During the
autumn, it also lives on vegetable food, being especially fond of nuts, which it can crack
without any difficulty by repeated strokes from its bill. The nest of this Woodpecker is,
like that of the other species, a mere heap of soft decaying wood at the bottom of a tunnel
dug by the birds, or adapted to their use from an already existing cavity.

The colouring of this species is very pretty. The top of the head is bright scarlet, and
from the base of the beak starts a kind of moustache, black, with a scarlet centre. The
whole of the upper surface is dark green, mixed with yellow, changing to sulphur-yellow
on the upper tail-coverts. The primaries are greyish black spotted with white, and the
secondaries and tertials are green on their outer webs, and grey-black spotted with white
on the inner. The stiff tail-feathers are greyish black, variegated with some bars of a
lighter hue ; and the throat, chest, and all the under surface are ashen green. The colour
of the beak is dark horny black. The female may be known from her mate by the
wholly black moustache, and the smaller ornament of scarlet on the head. In the young
birds of both sexes, the scarlet of the head is mottled with black and yellow, the green
feathers of the back are yellow at their tips, and the under surface is dull brownish white,
with streaks and bars of greyish black. The total length of this bird rather exceeds
one foot. The other British species are the Great Black Woodpecker (Drydcopus Martius),
the Northern Three-toed Woodpecker (Picdides tridactylus), and the Lesser Spotted Wood-
pecker (Picus minor).

AMERICA possesses many species of these birds, among which the RED-HEADED Woop-
PECKER deserves a short notice, as being a good representative of the Black Woodpeckers.

It is one of the commonest of American birds, bold, fearless of man, and even
venturing within the precincts of towns. The habits of this bird are well told by
Audubon and Wilson. The former author remarks of this bird: “When alighted on a
fence stake by the road, or im a field, and one approaches them, they gradually move
sideways out of sight, peeping now and then to discover your intention, and when you
are quite close and opposite, lie still until you have passed, when they hop to the top of
the stake, and rattle upon it with their bill, as if to congratulate themselves on the success
of their cunning. Should you approach within arm’s length, which may frequently be
done, the Woodpecker flies to the first stake or the second from you, bends his head to
peep, and rattles again, as if to provoke you to continuance of what seems to him excellent
sport. He alights on the roof of the house, hops along it, beats the shingles, utters a
cry, and dives into your garden to pick the finest strawberries he can discover.”

Every one who has had practical experience of this bird agrees that it is very
mischievous ina garden ; and even Wilson, whose kind heart would hardly permit him to
see that any feathered creature could be hurtful to man, is forced to admit that its robberies
are very extensive, but ought to be conceded as a tribute of thankfulness to the bird for
eating so many grubs. “ Wherever there is a tree or trees of the wild cherry,” writes
Wilson, “covered with ripe fruit, there you see them busy among the branches, and in
passing orchards you may easily know where to find the earliest and sweetest apples, 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 tree 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 passage through the numerous folds of the husk, and feeding on it
with voracity. The girdled or deadened timber, so common among cornfields in the back
settlements, are his favourite retreats, whence he sallies out to make his depredations.
He is fond of the ripe berries of the sour gum, and pays pretty regular visits to the cherry-
trees when loaded with fruit. Towards 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

RED-HEADED WOODPECKER.—Melanerpes erythrocéphalus.

high dead limbs of some large tree, pursuing and playing with each other, and amusing
the passenger with their gambols.

Their note or ery is shrill and liv ely, and so much resembles that of a species of tree-
frog which inhabits the same tree, that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish the one
from the other.”

On account of the garden-robbing propensities of this bird, itis held in much odium,
and trapped whenever occasion offers itself. In some places the feeling against it was so
strong, that a reward was offered for its destruction. It is probable, however, that the
services which it renders by the destruction of acknowledgedly noxious insects may more
than compensate for its autumnal ravages in the fields and orchards.

Unlike the previous species, which is a permanent inhabitant, the Red-headed
Woodpecker is a bird of passage, appearing in Pennsylvania about the beginning of May,
and leaving that country towards the end of October. The eggs of this bird are pure white,
speckled with reddish brown, mostly towards the larger end, “and generally six in number.

The adult male is a really beautiful bird, its plumage clowi ing with steely black, snowy
white, and brilliant scarlet, disposed as follows: The head and neck are deep scarlet, and
the upper parts of the body are black, with a steel-blue gloss. The upper tail-coverts, the
secondaries, the breast, and abdomen, are pure white. The beak is light blue, deepening
into black towards the tip; the legs and feet are blue-green, the claws blue, and round
the eye there is a patch of bare skin of a dusky colour. The female is coloured like her
mate, except that her tints are not so brilliant. The young of the first year have the
head and neck blackish grey, and the white on the wings is variegated with black. The
total length of the bird is between nine and ten inches.

THE Ground Woodpeckers are represented by the GOLD-wiNcED WoopDPECKER of
America.

This bird may lay claim to the title of the feathered ant-eater, for it feeds very largely
on those insects, and has its beak shaped in a somewhat pickaxe-like form, in order to
enable it to dig up their nests from the ground and the decaying stumps of trees. In the
stomach of one of these birds Wilson found a mass of ants nearly as large as a plum.
It also feeds much on woodlice, those destructive creatures which eat the bitterest and the

2. 00

GOLD-WINGED WOODPECKER.—Colaptes auratus.

toughest substances with the best of appetites, and have been known to render a boat
unsafe for sea, in spite of the strong flavour of salt water, pitch, and tar, with which sea-
faring boats are so liberally imbued.

It is a brisk, lively, and playful creature, skipping about the trunks of trees with great
activity, and “hopping not only upwards and downwards, but spirally, pursuing and
playing with its fellow in this manner round the body of the tree.” I may here mention.
that I never yet saw an English Woodpecker hop down the tree’s trunk. Like others of
its race, it is fond of varying its insect diet with a little vegetable food, eating various
fruits, the Indian corn, the wild cherries, and the sour gum and cedar berries.

The Gold-winged Woodpecker seems to be readily tamed, as may be seen from the
following account by Wilson.

“Tn 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 himself inclosed on all sides, he lost no time in idle fluttering,
but throwing himself against the bars of the cage, began instantly to demolish the willows,
battering them with great vehemence, and uttering a loud piteous kind of cackling, similar to
that of a hen when she 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 from side to side, that he soon opened for himself a passage, and
though I repeatedly repaired the breach, and barricaded every opening in the best manner
I could, yet, on my return into the room, I always found him at large, climbing up the
chairs, or running about the floor, where, from the dexterity of his motions, moving
backwards, forwards, and sideways 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 all hopes of making his
escape, and soon became very tame; fed on young ears of Indian corn, refused apples, but
ate the berries of the sour gum greedily, small winter grapes, and several other kinds of
berries, exercised himself frequently in climbing, or rather hopping perpendicularly along

THE WRYNECK. 563

the sides of the cage, and as evening drew on fixed himself in a high hanging or
perpendicular position, and slept with his head in his wing.

As soon as dawn appeared, even before it was light enough to perceive him distinctly
across the room, he descended to the bottom of the cage and | began his attack on the ears
of Indian corn, rapping so loud as to be heard from every room in the house. After this
he would sometimes resume his former position and take another nap. He was beginning
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.”

The colouring of the Gold-winged Woodpecker is very complicated. The top of the
head is grey, the cheeks are cinnamon, and the back and wings are umber, marked with
transverse bars of black. On the back of the head is a semilunar spot of plood-red, the
two horns pointing towards the eyes, and a streak of black passes from the base of the beak
down the throat. The sides of the neck are grey. The breast, throat, and chin are
cinnamon, and a broad crescentic patch of black crosses the chest. The abdomen is
yellowish-white, profusely spotted with black. The upper tail-coverts are white, serrated
with black. The inner sides of the wings and tail, and the shafts of nearly all the
feathers, are of a beautiful golden yellow ; “the upper sides of the tail and the tip below
are black, edged with light loose ‘filaments of a cream colour, the two exterior feathers
serrated with whitish.” The bill is dusky brown colour and slightly bent. The female is
coloured, but does not possess the black feathers on each side of the throat. The total
length of this bird is about one foot.

WRYNECK.—Yunz torquilla.

Tuts curious bird, known under the popular and appropriate name of the WRYNECK, is
by some authors considered to be closely allied to the woodpeckers.

The Wryneck is a summer visitant to this country, appearing just before the cuckoo,
and therefore known in some parts of England as the cuckoo’s footman. There isa Welsh
name for this bird, signifying “ Cuckoo's knave,’ “Gwas-y-gég,” the pronunciation of
which I must leave to Welsh throats.

The tongue of this bird is long, slender, and capable of being g projected to the distance
of an inch or so from the extremity of the beak, and its construction is almost exactly the
same as that of the woodpecker. As might be supposed, it is employed for the same
purpose, being used in capturing litle insects, of which ants form its favourite diet. So
fond, indeed, is the Wryneck of these insects, that in some parts of England it is popularly

00 2

564 NESTING OF THE WRYNECK.

known by the name of Emmet-hunter. In pursuit of ants it trips nimbly about the trunks
and branches of trees, picking them off neatly with its tongue as they run their untiring
course. It also frequents ant-hills, especially when the insects are bringing out their
pupe to lie in the sun, and swallows ants and pupz at a great pace. When, as in damp or
cold weather, the ants remain within their fortress, the Wryneck pecks briskly at the
hillock until it breaks its way through the fragile walls of the nest, and as the warlike
insects come rushing out to attack the intruder of their home and to repair damages, it
makes an excellent meal of them in spite of their anger and their stings.

When ants are scarce and scantily spread over ‘the ground, the Wryneck runs after
them in a very agile fashion; but when it comes upon a well-stocked spot, it stands
motionless, with the exception of the head, which is darted rapidly in every direction, the
neck and central line of the back twisting in a manner that reminds the observer of a snake.
When captured or wounded, it will lie on its back, ruffle up its feathers, erect its neck,
and hiss so like an angry serpent that it is in some places known by the name of the
snake-bird. It is a bird of retiring habits, keeping itself mostly to the wooded parts of
the country, and especially favouring fir-woods where the ants most congregate, the dead
leaves of the fir-trees forming excellent material for their nests without the trouble
of cutting them to a proper length.

As the food of this bird is so dependent on the ants, it only comes to this country when
the weather is warm enough to induce the ants to leave their winter quarters ; and as soon
as they begin to retire into their hiding-places, it takes its departure for warmer lands.
During the early part of the season they are rather sociable, and may be captured by
a good imitation of their call-note.

Mr. Yarrell, however, seems to hold rather an opposite opinion, and says that “the
Wryneck is rather solitary in its habits, being very seldom seen associating with, or even
near, any other bird than its own single partner, and that too but for a very limited portion
of the year,’

In captivity, the Wryneck is tolerably docile ; and when taken young can be perfectly

tamed. In some countries it is the fashion to tie a string to the leg of a tame Wryneck
and take it out for daily exercise for food, letting it run up the trees or on the ground in
search of insects. The little bird soon becomes accustomed to this kind of life, and when
the string is pulled returns to its owner, and runs about his clothes until he gives it per-
mission to take another excursion.
The nest of the Wryneck is hardly deserving of that name, being merely composed of
chips of decaying wood. ‘The eggs are laid in the hollow of a tree, not wholly excavated
by the bird, as is the case of the woodpeckers, its beak not being sufficiently strong for
such a task, but adapted to the purpose from some already existing hole.

From a letter of a correspondent to Mr. Yarrell, it seems that although the Wryneck
makes no nest, it does not hesitate in appropriating the deserted home of any other bird
which it may find in the hollow which it selects for nidification. The bird had chosen a
hole in an old apple-tree for that purpose, and the eggs were laid upon a mass of hair,
moss, and fibrous roots, evidently a deserted nest of a redstart, The pertinacity with
which the Wryneck adhered to the tree was really extraordinary, for she suffered her nest
to be disturhed and replaced five times, and to be robbed four times of her eggs before
she would finally leave the spot. The number of eggs laid by the Wryneck is rather great,
as many as ten having often hee found in a single nest. In the instance just mentioned, no
less than twenty-two eggs were taken at the four intervals. Their colour is beautiful white
with a pinky tinge, not unlike those of the kingfisher ; and as this pink colour is produced
by the yolk showing itself through the delicate shell, it is, of course, lost when the ege is
emptied of its contents. The plumage of this little bird, although devoid of brilliant
hues, and decked only with brown. black, and grey, is really handsome, from the manner
in which those apparently sombre tints are disposed. In Yarrell’s “ British Birds” the
markings of the Wryneck are given so concisely that they cannot be altered without
damage. “The top of the head greyish brown, barred across with streaks of darker brown
and white: neck, back, rump, and upper tail-coverts grey, speckled with brown. From
the occiput (ze. back of the head) down the middle line of the back of the neck and

GREAT HONEY GUIDE.—Indicator major,

between the scapularies, is a streak of dark brown mixed with black; the wings brown,
speckled with lighter yellow brown, and a few white spots; the primary quill-feathers
barred alternately with pale yellow, brown, and black; the tertials on the upper surface
marked with a descending line of black; upper surface of the tail-feathers mottled with
grey and brown, and marked with four irregularly transverse bars of black; chin, throat,
ear-coverts, and neck, in front, pale yellow-brown with narrow transverse black lines ;
breast, belly, sides, and under tail-coverts, dull white tinged with yellow-brown, and
spotted with black ; under surface of tail-feathers pale greyish brown, speckled and barred
with black ; legs, toes, and claws brown.” The total length of the adult male bird is about
seven inches, and the female is a little smaller than her mate.

THE Cuckoos constitute a large family, containing several smaller groups, and many
species. Representatives of the groups will be found in the following pages. All these
birds have a rather long, slender, and somewhat curved beak, which in some species takes
a curve so decided, that it gives quite a predaceous air to its owner. Examples of the
Cuckoo tribe are to be found in almost every portion of the globe, and are most plentiful
about the tropics.

The first group is that of which the celebrated Great HonEY GUIDE is our typical
example. The Honey Guides derive their name from the fact that they are extremely
fond of wild bees and their honey, and by their eager cries attract keen-eared and sharp-
eyed hunters to the spoil. It has been said that the birds intentionally ask the aid of
mankind to dig out the nests when the combs are placed in too secure a spot, and that
they utter their peculiar cry of “Cherr! cherr!” to call attention, and then precede their
human assistants to the nest, fluttering their wings, and keeping a few yards in adyance.
That they do lead travellers to the bees’ nests is true enough, but that they should seek
out human beings, and intentionally bring them to the sweet stores, seems doubtful,
though it has been affirmed by many travellers.

At all events, even up to the present time, whenever the Honey Guide does sneceed in
leading the Hottentot to a store of honey, the men are grateful to it for the service, and do
not eat the whole of the honey, leaving some for their confederate. Neither will they

RAIN-BIRD.—Sauréthera vétula.

kill the bird, and they are offended if they see any one else do so. Sparrman remarks that
the present species is seldom seen near Cape Town, as it cannot find a supply of its food
so near the habitations of man, and that he never saw any except on the farm of a single
colonist, who had succeeded in hiving some wild swarms by fixing convenient boxes on
his grounds.

One thing is certain, that the Honey Guide is by no means a safe conductor, as it will
sometimes lead its follower to the couching-place of a lion or tiger, or the retreat of a
poisonous snake. Gordon Cumming, as well as other travellers, testifies to this curious
mode of conduct.

The feathers of the Honey Guide are thick, and the skin is tougher than is usually the
case with birds, so that if the irritated bees should attack them, little harm is done unless
a sting should penetrate the eye or the bare skin around it.

Honey Guides are found in various parts of Africa, India, and Borneo, and in all cases
their habits seem to be very similar. Two species are very common in Southern Africa,
namely, the bird figured in the engraving, and a smaller species (Indicator minor). The
nesting of both these birds is very similar, their homes being pendent from the branches
of trees, and beautifully woven into a bottle-like form, the entrance being downward. The
material of which they are composed is bark torn into filaments. The eggs are from three
to four in number, and their colour is a brownish white. Both parents assist in the duties
of incubation. 5

These birds are very soberly clad, the Great Honey-eater being brown above, darker on
the wings and tail, and greyish white on the under surface of the body.

WE now arrive at the Ground Cuckoos, all of which are inhabitants of tropical
America and the neighbouring islands, and are represented by the Rary-Brrp.

This curious Cuckoo, which is popularly known in Jamaica by the name of RArN-Birp,
is tolerably common in the West Indian Islands.
_ According to Mr. Gosse, who has given a very interesting account of this species
in his “Birds of Jamaica,” the Rain-Bird is so inquisitive at the sight of any new
object, and so reckless of danger while gratifying its curiosity, that it is often called by

THE PHEASANT CUCKOO.

the name of Tom Fool. Indeed, the first
Rain-Bird which he saw lost its life by a
Stone, while sitting on a bush only a few
feet distant, so occupied with the two
featherless bipeds that were approaching,
that it suffered itself to be struck from its
perch by a missile that might have been
avoided with the least precaution.

The wings of this bird are rather short
and weak, so that it does not fly to any
great distance when alarmed, but merely
flits to a branch a few yards in advance,
and then turns round and contemplates
the intruder. It has a curious habit of
sitting across a branch with its head
lower than its feet, and balanced by the
long tail, which hangs nearly perpendicu-
larly. The voice is a harsh cackle, some-
thing like the words “ticky-tieky,” pro-
nounced with very great rapidity. It
feeds on animal substances, preferring
insects and spiders to any other kind of
food, but not disdaining to prey upon the
smaller reptiles and mammalia. The nest
seems to be made in the fork of a branch.
The colour of this bird is soft brown-grey
upon the back, dullish yellow on the
under parts of the body, and rusty red
upon the wings. The long tail is beauti-
fully barred with black and white.

Or the Coccygine, or Lark-heeled
Cuckoos, so called from their long hind
toe, we shall select two examples; the
one being an Australasian bird, and the
other an inhabitant of America.

The PHEASANT Cuckoo derives its
popular appropriate name from the great
length of its tail, which gives to the bird
an outline bearing some resemblance to
that of the pheasant, a similitude which
is further carried out by the bold mark-
ings of its plumage. This handsome bird
is a native of New South Wales, where it
is not uncommon, although rather a local
bird, seldom wandering to any great dis-
tance from the spot which it loves. It
frequents low-lying and swampy lands ;
living almost entirely among the rank
herbage of such localities, and keeping it-
self concealed among the brushes. When
alarmed it flies to the nearest tree, alights
on the lowest branches, rapidly makes its
way through the boughs to the very sum-
mit, and then takes to wing.

The nest of this bird is placed on the

PHEASANT CUCKO0O.—(

éntropus

Phasianus.

567

COW-BIRD. —Coceygus Americanus.

ground, shaded by a convenient tuft of grass. It is a large and rather clumsily con-
structed edifice ; having two apertures, through one of which the hen, while sitting, thrusts
her head, and through the other she pokes her tail. The eggs are generally from
three to five in number, and are more spherical than is generally the case among birds.
Their colour is greyish white, sometimes blotched with brown, and they are remarkable
for the roughness of their shells.

The colours of this bird are not brilliant, but are rich and warm in their tone and dis-
posed so as to form very bold markings. The upper surface of the body is black devoid
of gloss, with the exception of the shafts of the feathers ; which are highly polished and
glittering. The wing-coverts are brown mottled richly with black. The wings are ruddy
chestnut barred with black, and the tail is dark brown glossed with green, freckled with
brown, barred with white, and tipped with the same colour. The young birds are much
lighter in colour than their parents, are more liberally streaked, and have more white
about them.

In a former part of this work, the reader was warned not to confound the cow-troopial
with the Cow-Birp which is here presented to his notice.

This bird is a native of America, and is one of the most familiar of the feathered tribes
which inhabit that country. The name of Cow-Bird is derived from the cry which sounds
like the word “ Cow, cow !” constantly repeated. From the colour of its beak, it is some-
times known by the name of the Yellow-billed Cuckoo. It is one of the migrators,
arriving in Pennsylvania about the end of April, and returning to the south towards the
middle of September. Respecting this bird and its habits, Wilson has the following
interesting remarks :—

“The singular, I will not say unnatural, conduct of the European Cuckoo (Cuculus
canorus), Which never constructs a nest for itself, but drops its eggs in those of other
birds, and abandons them to their merey and management, is so universally known,
and so proverbial, that the whole tribe of Cuckoos have, by some inconsiderate people,
been stigmatised as destitute of all parental care and affection. Without attempting to

THE SAVANNAH BLACKBIRD. 569

account for this remarkable habit of the European species, far less to consider as an error
what the wisdom of Heaven has imposed as a duty upon the species, I will only remark,
that the bird now before us builds its own nest, hatches its own eggs, and rears its own
young; and, in conjugal and parental affection, seems nowise behind any of its neighbours
of the grove.

Early in May they begin to pair, when obstinate battles take place among the males.
About the tenth of that month they commence building. The nest is usually fixed
among the horizontal branches of an apple-tree ; sometimes in a solitary thorn, crab, or
cedar, in some retired part of the woods. It is constructed, with little art, and scarcely
any concavity, of small sticks and twigs, intermixed with green weeds and blossoms of
the common maple. On this almost flat bed, the eggs, usually three or four in number,
are placed ; these are of a uniform greenish blue colour, and of a size proportionable to
that of the bird. While the female is sitting, the male is generally not far distant, and
gives the alarm, by his notes, when any person is approaching. The female sits so close,
that you may almost reach her with your hand, and then precipitates herself to the
ground, feigning lameness, to draw you away from the spot, fluttering, trailing her wings,
and tumbling over, in the manner of the partridge, woodcock, and many other species.
Both parents unite in providing food for the young. This consists, for the most part, of
caterpillars, particularly such as infest apple-trees. The same insects constitute the chief
part of their own sustenance.

They are accused, and with some justice, of sucking the eggs of other birds, like the
crow, the blue jay, and other pillagers. They also occasionally eat various kinds of
berries. But, from the circumstance of destroying such numbers of very noxious
larvee, they prove themselves the friends of the farmer, and are highly deserving of his
protection.”

The general colour of this bird is dark drab with a silken greenish gloss. The quill-
feathers of the wings are ruddy cinnamon, and the tail is composed of black feathers
tipped with white, with the exception of the two outer feathers, which are of the same
green-glossed drab as the back. The whole under surface is pure white. The bill is
rather long and curved, and is greyish black above and yellow beneath. The female may
be known by the fact that the four central tail-feathers are drab, and the white takes a
greyish tinge. Its total length is rather more than a foot.

Tae Anis are all inhabitants of tropical climates, and are found chiefly in forest-lands,
being most common in the dense woods of South America. They are by no means
large birds, seldom exceeding the dimensions of the common English Blackbird. These
birds are known by their compressed and arched beaks, and the decided keel or ridge
upon the upper mandible.

The SAVANNAH BLACKBIRD is acknowledged to be the typical species of these birds,
as it exhibits the peculiar form of the beak in a very marked manner. As it is rather a
conspicuous bird, it is known by several other names, among which are Razor-billed
Blackbird and Great Blackbird. In some places it is called the Black Parrakeet, and in
Mexico its native title is Cacalototl.

The food of the Savannah Blackbird is mostly of an animal nature, and consists
chiefly of grasshoppers, locusts, and similar insects, although the bird is very fond of
lizards and other small vertebrates, a prey which its peculiar beak is well calculated to
secure. Seeds are also said to be eaten by this bird.

In some cases their insect-loving nature is directed in a manner very useful to the
cattle-owners. In those regions, the cows are greatly troubled with ticks and other
parasitic insects, which fasten upon their backs where the poor beasts cannot reach
them. The Anis are fortunately very fond of these noxious insects, and perching upon
the cow’s back, soon rid them of their unpleasant companions. The cows are so well
aware of the services rendered to them by these birds, that when they find themselves
much annoyed by ticks, they lie down in order to permit the Anis to pursue their
avocation without disturbance. Sometimes, according to Brown, in his History of
Jamaica, the Anis remind the cows of their reciprocal duties, and if the great quadruped

SAVANNAH BLACKBIRD.—Crotophaga Ani.

forgets to lie down for their mutual benefit, they hop about just in front of its nose as it
grazes, and give it no peace until it complies with their request.

It is gregarious in its habits, associating in large flocks, and is a very fearless creature,
caring little for the report or the effects of a gun. Whether this insensibility to danger
be due to love of its comrades and to real courage, or only to that spurious bravery which
fears nothing because it knows nothing, is not certain; but it is well known that if a
flock of Anis be fired at, and many killed by the discharge, the survivors will only rise
and fly to a short distance, and there settle as composedly as if no danger were at hand.

The Anis are very noisy, as is often the case with gregarious birds, and the combined
loquacity of a large flock of Anis is almost deafening. They do not seem to use their
wings to any great extent, their flight being low and short. They are easily tamed, soon
become amusing inhabitants of the house, and can be taught to utter several words.
Fortunately for itself, the flesh of the Savannah Blackbird is thought to be very dis-
agreeable, so that it is not killed for the table.

The nesting of this bird is rather peculiar. It haunts bushes, the skirts of woods, and
similar localities, and builds its nest on the branches of trees. The nest is extremely
large, and is said to be in common to several pairs of birds, which live amicably under
the same rvof like the sociable weaver birds of Africa,

In size the Savannah Blackbird rather exceeds the generality of its kind, equalling a
pigeon in dimensions, the long tail adding to the apparent length. Its colour is black,
glossed with green.

THE very remarkable bird known by the name of CHANNEL-BILL inhabits part of
Australia and some of the Eastern Islands. Its large and curiously formed beak gives
it so singular an aspect, that on a hasty glance it might almost be taken for a species of
toucan or hornbill.

It is most common in New South Wales, and is migratory in its habits, arriving in
October and departing in June. It is a gregarious bird, being scen in little flocks or
companies varying in number from three to eight, and sometimes living in pairs. The
voice of the Channel-Bill is by no means pleasing, and is exercised at the approach of

CHANNEL-BILL.—Scythrops Nove Hollandie.

rainy weather or the presence of a hawk. In either instance, the bird utters a series of
vigorous yells, which are well understood by those who have studied its habits.

Although one of the migrators, it is slow and heavy of wing. Apparently, it is not
easily tamed, for Mr. Gould mentions an instance where one of these birds, was wounded
and kept alive for two days, during the whole of which time ié refused to be reconciled
to captivity, screaming and pecking fiercely at its cage and captor. Its food consists of
the seeds of the red gum and peppermint, and it also feeds upon beetles, phasmide, and
other large insects of the land which it frequents.

It is a very handsome and elegantly coloured bird. The head and breast are grey, and
the spaces around the eyes and nostrils are scarlet. The back is a deep greyish green,
each feather being tipped with black, so as to give that portion of the bird a boldly mottled
aspect. The under parts are white tinged with buff; and faintly barred with greyish
brown. The long tail has the two central feathers black to the very tip, and the others
are barred with black and tipped with white. Both sexes are alike in their colouring ;
the chief difference being that the female is smaller than her mate. In dimensions the
Channel-Bill is about equal to the common crow, but owing to the long and broad tail,
which causes the bird to measure more than two feet in total length, it appears much
larger than is really the case.

THERE are few birds which are more widely known by good and evil report than the
common CUCKOO.
As the harbinger of spring, it is always welcome to the ears of those who have just

572 HABITS OF THE CUCKOO,

passed through the severities of winter; and as a heartless mother, an abandoner of its
offspring, and an occupier of other homes it has been subjected to general reprobation.
As is usual in such cases, both opinions are too sweeping; for the continual ery of
“ Cuck-oo ! cuck-oo !” however agreeable it may be on the first hearing, soon becomes
monotonous and fatiguing to the ear; and the mother Cuckoo is not so far lost to all
feelings of maternity as to take no thought for her young, but ever remains near the place
where it has deposited her egg and seems to keep watch over the foster-parents.

It is well known that the female Cuckoo does not make any nest, but places her egg
in the nest of some small bird; and leaves it to the care of its unwitting foster-parents.
Various birds are burdened with this charge, such as the hedge-warbler, the pied-wagtail,
the meadow-pipit, the red-backed shrike, the blackbird, and various finches. Generally,
however, the three first are those preferred, Considering the size of the mother-bird, the
ege of the Cuckoo is remarkably small, being about the same size as that of the skylark,
although the latter bird has barely one- fourth the dimensions of the former, The little
birds, therefore, which are always careless about the colour or form of an egg, provided
that it be nearly the size of their own productions, and will be perfectly contented with an
egg-shaped pebble or a scraped marble, do not detect the imposition, and hatch the inter-
loper together with their own young.

The “general colour of the Cuckoo's egg is mottled reddish grey, but the tint is very
variabie in different individuals, as I can “testify from personal experience. It has also
been noted that the colour of the egg varies with the species in whose nest it is to be
placed, so that the egg which is intended to be hatched by the hedge-warbler is not
precisely of the same colour as that which is destined for the nest of the pipit.

Several experienced naturalists now lean to the opinion that the female Cuckoo really
feels a mother’s anxiety about her young; and this theory—a somewhat recent one—is
corroborated by an account kindly sent to me by a lady, at that time unknown to me.
A young Cuckoo had been hatched in the nest of some small bird, and after it was able to
leave the nest for a short time, was taken under the protection of a female Cuckoo,
who had been hovering about the place, and which at once assumed a mother’s authority
over the young bird, feeding it and calling it just like any other bird.

On inquiring whether the old Cuckoo ever helped the young one back into the nest,
nothing could be ascertained. The children of the family, who were naturally interested
in the affair, used sometimes to pick up the young bird and put it back into the nest, but
it was often found in its warm home without human intervention, and as it was too
helpless and timid to perform such a feat unaided, the natural assumption was that the
old bird had given her assistance.

The mode by which the Cuckoo contrives to deposit her eggs in the nest of sundry
birds was extremely dubious, until a key was found to the problem by a chance discovery
made by Le Vaillant. He had shot a female Cuckoo, and on opening its mouth in order
to stuff it with tow, he found an ege lodged very snugly within the throat,

When hatched, the proceedings ‘of the young Cuckoo are very strange. As in process
of time it would be a comparatively large bird, the nest would soon be far too small to
contain the whole family ; so the young ‘bird, almost as soon as it can scramble about the
nest, sets deliberately to work to turn out all the other egos or nestlings. This it accom-
plishes by getting its tail under each egg or young bird in succession, wriggling them on
to its back, and then cleverly pitching them over the side of the nest. It is rather curious
that in its earlier days it only throws the eggs over, its more murderous propensities not
being developed until a more advanced age.

There seems to be some peculiarity in the nature of the Cuckoo which forces other
birds to cater for its benefit, as even in the case of a tame and wing-clipped Cuckoo, which
was allowed to wander about a lawn, the little birds used to assemble about it with food
in their mouths, and feed it as long as it chose to demand their aid.

Sometimes two Cuckoo’s eggs have been laid in the same nest; when they are
hatched there is a mutual strugele for the sole possession of the nest. Dr. Jenner, in
his well-known and most valuable paper on this bird, gives the following account of such
a strife.

CUCKO00.—Cuctilus candrus.

“Two Cuckoos and a hedge-sparrow were hatched in the same nest this morning ; one
hedge-sparrow’s egg remained unhatched. In a few hours after, a combat began between
the Cuckoos for the possession of the nest, which continued undetermined until the next
afternoon, when one of them, which was somewhat superior in size, turned out the other,
together with the young hedge-sparrow and the unhatched egg. This contest was very
remarkable. The combatants alternately appeared to have the advantage, as each carried
the other several times nearly to the top of the nest, and then sank down again oppressed
by the weight of its burden, till at length, after various efforts, the strongest prevailed,
and was afterwards brought up by the hedge-sparrows.”

In order to enable the young Cuckoo to perform this curious feat, its back is very different
in shape from that of ordinz ary birds, being very broad from the shoulder downwards , leaving
a well-marked depression in the middle, on which the ege or young bird rests while it is
being carried to the edge of the nest. In about a fortnight this cavity is filled up, and the
young bird has nothing extraordinary in its appearance.

From its peculiar mode of foisting off its young upon other birds, its character would
seem to be of a solitary nature. Such, however, is not the case, for at some periods of
the year these birds may be seen in considerable numbers, playing with each other or
feeding in close proximity. Upwards of twenty have been observed in a single field,
feeding on the caterpillars of the burnet moth, and several communications have been
addressed to the Fveld and other journals in which the subject of natural history
is discussed, relating similar occurrences. One of these correspondents records a large
assembly of Cuckoos seen by herself in the month of August, the locality being near
Leicester, and another relates a curious anecdote of a number of Cuckoos, which he saw
on the wing, playing over and near a large grey stone in Eskdale. It seems that these
birds are very partial to prominent objects, such as bushes, tree-stumps, large stones, &c.;
and that they are fond of congregating in their vicinity.

The peculiar note of the Cuckoo is so well known as to need no particular description,
but the public is not quite so familiar with the fact that the note changes according to thé
time of year. When the bird first begins to sing, the notes are full and clear ; but towards
the end of the season, they become hesitating, hoarse, and broken, like the breaking voice

574 VOICE AND FOOD OF THE CUCKOO.

of a young lad. This peculiarity was noticed long ago by observant persons, and many
are the country rhymes which bear allusion to the voice and the sojourn of the Cuckoo.
For example :—
“In April

Come he will.

In May

He sings all day.

In June

He alters his tune.

In July

He prepares to fly.

In August

Go he must,”

About Derbyshire and the north of England, this rhyme is slightly varied, and is given

as follows :—
“Tn April Cuckoo sings her lay ;
In May she sings both night and day
In June she loses her sweet strain ;
In July she is off again.”

An old writer, John Haywood, who “flourished,” according to Mangnall, about 1580, has
the following quaint and very graphic rhyme upon the voice of the Cuckoo at different
periods of the year ;—

“Tn April the Coocoo can sing her song by rote.
In June oft time she cannot sing a note.
At first, koo, koo; koo, koo; sings till can she do
At last, kooke, kooke, kooke; six kookes to one koo.”

The voice of the female bird is quite distinct from that of the male, and has been
compared to the sound made by pouring water out of a narrow-necked bottle, and to
the quacking clutter of the dabchick.

Sometimes the Cuckoo has been known to sing at night, having been seen to perch in
a tree and then to commence its song. Many such instances are recorded, as also of the
Cuckoo's song heard very early in the season; but in all such instances where the bird
was not actually seen, great caution must be used in accepting evidence. For the note of
the Cuckoo is so peculiar, and so easily imitated, that boys are often in the habit of
hiding in the copses and behind hedges for the purpose of deluding people into the idea
that the Cuckoo has arrived. There have even been instances where such delinquents
have confessed their bad practices when they attained to mature years, and wrote on
natural history themselves.

When the stomach of the Cuckoo is opened, it is found to be lined with brown hairs,
which on investigation with the microscope have been found to be those of the long-haired
caterpillars, such as the “woolly-bear,” ce. the larva of the tiger-moth (Arctia caja), on
which the Cuckoo loves to feed.

In captivity it feeds on many substances, always preferring caterpillars and raw beef
chopped fine. It also likes worms, hard-boiled eggs, flies, wasp-grubs, and similar food,
According to some persons, the young Cuckoo is a very easy bird to rear; while according
to others it gives the greatest trouble. One writer goes so far as to say that he would
sooner rear a baby single-handed than a Cuckoo. However this may be, the first winter
is always a trying season to the young bird, and there are very few which get well
through it.

In general appearance the Cuckoo bears some resemblance to a bird of prey, but it has
little of the predaceous nature. It is rather curious that small birds have a tendency to
treat the Cuckoo much as they treat the hawks and owls, following it wherever it flies in
the open country, and attending it through the air.

The colour of the plumage is bluish grey above, with the exception of the wings and
tail, which are black, and barred with white on the exterior feathers. The chin, neck, and
breast are ashen grey, and the abdomen and under wing-coverts are white, barred with

slaty grey.

THE OCEANIC FRUIT PIGEON. 575

Sometimes the colour varies from these tints, and a white specimen may occasionally
be found. Yearling birds of both sexes are hair-brown above, barred profusely with
brownish red ; the quill-feathers of the wing are reddish brown, barred with white, while
those of the tail are of the same dark tinge, but without the white bars, and spotted with
white along the centre of the feathers. The whole of the under portions of the body are
grey-white, barred with brown, and the short tail is tipped with white. A little white
also appears on the tips of some of the feathers on the upper surface of the body.
The total leneth of the adult bird is about fourteen inches. The female is rather
smaller than her mate, and on her first arrival in England may be distinguished from the
opposite sex. by the brown bars upon her neck, and the brown tinge upon the back
and wings.

COLUMBA; OR, DOVES AND PIGEONS.

TuE large order of CoLUMB&, or the Pigeon tribe, comes now under our notice. It
contains very many beautiful and interesting birds ; but as its members are so extremely
numerous, only a few typical examples can be mentioned in these pages.

All the Pigeons may be distinguished from the poultry, and the gallinaceous birds in
general, by the form of the bill, which is arched towards the tip, and has a convex
swelling at the base, caused by a gristly kind of plate which covers the nasal cavities, and
which in some species is very curiously developed. In order to enable the parent birds to
feed their young, the gullet swells into a double crop, furnished with certain large glands
during the breeding season, which mingle their secretions with the food, and soften it, so
that when the bird throws up the food after its fashion, to feed its young, the whole mass
has acquired a soft and pulpy consistence, suitable to the delicate digestive powers of the
tender young. Other peculiarities of form will be found in the appendix to this volume.

In their habits, the Pigeons greatly resemble each other, mostly haunting trees, but
sometimes preferring the soil as a hunting-ground. Generally, the family likeness between
the Pigeons is sufficiently strong to enable even a novice to know a Pigeon when he sees
it ; but there are one or two remarkable exceptions to this rule, such as the Dodo and the
Tooth-billed Pigeon, birds which need careful examination to be recognised as belonging
to the present order. :

The powers of wing are generally very great, the Pigeons being proverbially swift and
enduring ; but even this rule has its exceptions. They are found in almost all parts of the
globe, being most plentiful in the warmer regions. In this country the colours of the
Pigeons, although soft and pleasing, and in some portions of the bird, such as the neck,
glowing with a changeful beauty, are not particularly striking for depth or brilliancy. But
in the hotter regions of the world, especially towards the tropics, the Pigeons are among
the most magnificent of the feathered tribes, their plumage being imbued with the richest
colours, and often assuming very elegant forms.

Our first example of this order is the OcEANIC FRUIT PIGEON.

The whole of the birds belonging to the genus Carpdphaga are notable for the curious
knob that is found upon the base of the upper mandible, and which only makes its
appearance during the breeding season. During the rest of the year, the base of the beak
is more flattened than is generally the case with the Pigeons; but as soon as the breeding
season approaches, a little swelling is observable in this part, which rapidly grows larger,
until it assumes the aspect shown in the engraving. Towards the end of the breeding
season, the knob becomes smaller, and is gradually absorbed, leaving the bill in its former
flattened condition.

This species is found in the Pelew and neighbouring islands, and is a forest-loving
bird, taking up its residence in the woods, where it finds abundance of food. The diet

576 THE PASSENGER PIGEON.

which this bird most favours is the soft covering of the nutmeg, popularly known as
“mace,” and the flavour which this aromatic food imparts to the flesh is so peculiarly
delicate, that the Oceanic Fruit Pigeon is in great request for the table, and is shot by
hundreds. During the nutmeg season, these Pigeons find such an abundance of food that
they become inordinately fat, and are sometimes so extremely plump, that when they are
shot, and fall to the ground, they burst asunder.

Setting aside the gastronomical properties of this bird, it is a most useful creature,
being the means of disseminating far and wide the remarkable nutmeg-tree. The Pigeon,
being a bird of large appetite,
swallows the nutmeg together
with the mace, but only the latter
substance is subject to digestion,
the nutmeg itself passing through
the system with its reproductive
powers not only uninjured, but
even improved. The sojourn
within the body of the bird seems
to be almost necessary in order to
induce the nutmeg to grow; and
when planted by human hands,
it must be chemically treated with
some preparation before it will
strike root.

The colour of this species is
as follows: The forehead, cheeks,
and throat are greyish white, and
the rest of the head and the back
of the neck are grey with a slaty
blue wash. The back and upper
portions of the body are light me-
tallic green. The lower part of
the throat and the breast are
rusty grey, and the thighs and
abdomen are deep brownish red.
The under surface of the tail is
also green, but with a reddish
gloss. The total length of the
bird is about fourteen or fifteen
inches.

AmonG the most extraordinary
of birds, the PASSENGER PIGEON
may take very high rank, not on
account of its size or beauty, but
on account of the extraordinary
multitudes in which it sometimes
migrates from one place to another.
The scenes which take place during
these migrations are so strange, so
wonderful, and so entirely unlike
any events on this side of the
Atlantic, that they could not be believed but for the trustworthy testimony by which
they are corroborated. To abridge or to condense the spirited narrations of Wilson
and Audubon would be impossible, without losing, at the same time, the word-painting
which inakes their descriptions so exceedingly valuable ; and accordingly, these well-
known naturalists shall speak for themselves.

OCEANIC FRUIT PIGEON.—Carpéphage ocednica,

PASSENGER PIGEON.—Ectopistes migratorius.

After professing his belief that the chief object of the migration is the search after food ;
and that the birds having devoured all the nutriment in one part of the country take
wing in order to feed on the beech-mast of another region, Wilson proceeds to describe
a breeding-place seen by himself in Kentucky, which was several miles in breadth, was
said to be nearly forty miles in length, and in which every tree was absolutely loaded
with nests. All the smaller branches were destroyed by the birds, many of the large
limbs were broken off and thrown on the ground, while no few of the grand forest-trees
themselves were killed as surely as if the axe had been employed for their destruction.
The Pigeons had arrived about the tenth of April, and left it by the end of May.

“ As soon as the young were fully grown, and before they left the nests, numerous
parties of the inhabitants, from all parts of the adjacent country, came with waggons,
oxen, beds, cooking utensils, many of them accompanied by the greater part of their
families, and encamped for several days at this immense nursery. Several of them
informed me that the noise in the woods was so great as to terrify their horses, and that it
was difficult for one person to hear another speak without bawling in his ear. :

2, IPI

578 FLIGHT OF THE PASSENGER PIGEON.

The ground was strewed with broken limbs of trees, eggs and young squab pigeons
which had been precipitated from above, and on which herds of hogs were fattening.
Hawks, buzzards, and eagles were sailing about in great numbers, and seizing the squabs
from their nests at pleasure ; while from twenty feet upwards to the top of the trees, the
view through the woods presented a perpetual tumult of crowding and fluttering multi-
tudes of pigeons, their wings roaring like thunder, mingled with the frequent crash
of falling timber. For now the axe-men were at work cutting down those trees which
seemed to be most crowded with nests, and contriving to fell them in such a manner that
in their descent they might bring down several others, by which means the falling of one
large tree sometimes produced two hundred squabs, little inferior in size to the old ones,
and almost one mass of fat.

On some single trees upwards of one hundred nests were found, each containing one
young only, a circumstance in the history of this bird not generally known to naturalists.
It was dangerous to walk under these flying and fluttering millions, from the frequent fall
of large branches, broken down by the weight of the multitudes above, and which, in
their descent, often destroyed numbers of the birds themselves.

I had left the public road to visit the remains of the breeding place, near Shelbyville,
and was traversing the woods with my gun, on my way to Frankfort, when, about one
o'clock, the pigeons which I had observed flying the greater part of the morning northerly
began to return in such immense numbers as I never before had witnessed. Coming
to an opening by the. side of a ereek called the Benson, I was astonished at their
appearance.

They were flying with great steadiness and rapidity, at a height beyond gunshot, in
several strata deep, and so close together that could shot have reached them, one discharge
would not have failed of bringing down several individuals. From right to left, as far as
the eye could reach, the breadth of this vast procession extended, seeming everywhere
equally crowded.

Curious to determine how long this appearance would continue, I took out my watch
to note the time, and sat down to observe them. It was then half-past one. I sat for
more than an hour, but instead of a diminution of this prodigious procession, it seemed
rather to increase both in numbers and rapidity ; and anxious to reach Frankfort before
night, I rose and went on. About four o'clock in the afternoon, I crossed the Kentucky
river, at the town of Frankfort, at which time the living torrent above my head seemed
as numerous and as extensive as ever. The great breadth of front which this mighty
multitude preserved would seem to intimate a corresponding breadth of their breeding
place, which by several gentlemen who had lately passed through part of it, was stated to
me at several miles.”

A few observations on the mode of flight of these birds must not be omitted.

“The appearance of large detached bodies of them in the air, and the various evolutions
they display, are strikingly picturesque and interesting. In descending the Ohio by
myself in the month of February, I often rested on my oars to contemplate their aerial
manceuvres,

A column, eight or ten miles in length, would appear from Kentucky, high in air,
steering over to Indiana. The leaders of this great body would sometimes gradually
vary their course, until it formed a large bend of more than a mile in diameter, those
behind tracing the exact route of their predecessors. This would continue sometimes
long after both extremities were beyond the reach of sight; so that the whole, with its
glittering undulations, marked a space on the face of the heavens resembling the windings
of a vast and majestic river. When this bend became very great, the birds, as if sensible
of the unnecessarily circuitous course they were taking, suddenly changed their direction,
so that what was in column before became an immense front, straightening all its
indentures until it swept the heavens in one vast and infinitely extended line.

Other lesser bodies united with each other as they happened to approach, with
such ease and elegance of evolutions, forming new figures, and varying them as they
united or separated, that I was never tired of contemplating them, Sometimes a hawk
would make a sweep on a particular part of the column, when, almost as quick as

A PIGEON ROOST. 579

lightning, that part shot downwards out of the common track ; but soon rising again,
continued advancing at the same rate as before. This reflection was continued by those

behind, who on arriving at this point dived down almost perpendicularly to a great depth,
and rising, followed the exact path of those before them.”

Let us now see what Audubon has to say on this subject. The reader will remark the
brilliant account given by Wilson, of the effects produced by the attack of a hawk on
a flock. Audubon has also remarked the same circumstance, and says: “But I cannot
describe to you the extreme beauty of their aerial evolutions when a hawk chanced to
press upon the rear of a flock. At once, like a torrent, and with a noise like thunder,
they rushed into a compact mass, pressing upon each other towards the centre. In these
almost solid masses, they darted forward in undulating and angular lines, descended and
swept close over the earth with inconceivable velocity, mounted perpendicularly so as to
resemble a vast column, and when high, were seen wheeling and twisting within their
continued lines, which then resembled the coils of a gigantic serpent.”

Writing of the breeding places of these birds, the same author proceeds as follows :—

“ One of these curious roosting-places on the banks of the Green River in Kentucky
I repeatedly visited. It was, as is always the case, a portion of the forest where the trees
are of great magnitude, and where there was little underwood. I rode through it upwards
of forty miles, and found its average breadth to be rather more than three miles. My
first view of it was about a fortnight subsequent to the period when they had made choice
of it, and I arrived there nearly two hours before sunset.

Few pigeons were then to be seen, but a great number of persons with horses and
waggons, guns and ammunition, had already established encampments on the borders.
Two farmers from the vicinity of Russelsville, distant more than a hundred miles, had
driven upwards of three hundred hogs to be fattened on the pigeons that were to be
slaughtered. Here and there the people employed in plucking and salting what had
already been procured were seen sitting in the midst of large piles of these birds. Many
trees two feet in diameter I observed were broken off at no great distance from the
ground; and the branches of many of the largest and tallest had given way, as if the
forest had been swept by a tornado. Everything proved to me that the number of birds
resorting to this part of the forest must be immense beyond conception. As the period
of their arrival approached, their foes anxiously prepared to receive them; some were
furnished with iron pots containing sulphur—others with torches of pine-knots,—many
with poles, and the rest with guns. The sun was lost to our view, yet not a pigeon had
arrived. Everything was ready, and all eyes were gazing on the clear sky which appeared
in glimpses amidst the tall trees.

Suddenly there burst forth a general ery of ‘Here they come.’ The noise which
they made, though yet distant, reminded me of a hard gale at sea, passing through the
rigging of a close reefed vessel. As the birds arrived and passed over me I felt a current
of air that surprised me. Thousands were soon knocked down by the pole-men; the
birds continued to pour in; the fires were lighted, and a most magnificent as well as
wonderful and almost terrifying sight presented itself. The pigeons arriving by thousands
alighted everywhere, one above another, until solid masses as large as hogsheads were
formed on the branches all round. Here and there the perches gave way with a crash,
and falling on the ground destroyed hundreds of the birds beneath, forcing down the
dense groups with which every stick was loaded.

It was a scene of uproar and confusion; no one dared venture within the line of
devastation: the hogs had been penned up in due time, the picking up of the dead
and wounded being left for next morning’s employment. The pigeons were constantly
coming, and it was past midnight before I perceived a decrease in the number of those
that arrived. Towards the approach of day the noise in some measure subsided; long
before objects were distinguishable the pigeons began to move off in a direction quite
different from that in which they had arrived the evening before, and at sunrise all
that were able to fly had disappeared. The howlings of the wolves now reached our
ears, and the foxes, lynxes, cougars, bears, racoons, and opossums were seen sneaking off,

1p in

580 THE STOCK-DOVE.

whilst eagles and hawks of different species, accompanied by a crowd of vultures, came
to supplant them, and enjoy their share of the spoil.”

The chief food of the Passenger Pigeon is beech-mast, but the bird feeds on numerous
other grains and fruits, such as acorns, “buckwheat, hempseed, maize, holly-berries, huckle-
berries, and chestnuts. Rice is also a favourite article of food, and pigeons have been
killed with rice still undigested in their stomachs, though the nearest rice plantation was
distant several hundred miles. The amount of food consumed by these birds is almost
incredible. Wilson calculates that taking the breadth of the great column of pigeons
mentioned above, to be only one mile, its length to be two hundred and forty miles, and
to contain only three Pigeons in each square yard (taking no account of the several
strata of birds, one above the other,) and that each bird consumes half-a-pint of food
daily; all which assumptions are below the actual amount, the quantity of food consumed
in each day would be seventeen million bushels. Audubon makes a similar calculation,
allowing only two birds to the square yard.

Although these birds are found in such multitudes, there is only a single young
one each time of hatching, though there are probably two or even three breeds in a
season. The young birds are extremely fat, and their flesh is very delicious, only, as
during their stay every one eats pigeons all day and every day, they soon pall upon the
taste. So plump are these birds, that it is often the custom to melt them down for the
sake of their fat alone.

When they begin to shift for themselves they pass through the forest in search of
their food, hunting among the leaves for mast, and appear like a prodigious torrent
rolling along through the woods, every one striving to be in the front. “ Vast numbers of
them are shot while in this situation. A person told me that he once rode furiously into
one of these rolling multitudes and picked up thirteen pigeons, which had been trampled
to death by his horse’s feet. In a few minutes they will beat the whole nuts from a tree
with their wings, while all is a scramble, both above and below, for the same.” The
young, the males and females, have a curious habit of dividing into separate flocks.

One or two specimens of this bird have been taken in Europe, and one individual was
shot in Fifeshire in 1825. This species has bred in the Zoological Gardens, and it is
rather remarkable that the female made the nest while her mate performed the duties of
hodman by bringing materials. The nest is very slight, being only composed of a few
twigs rudely woven into a platform, and so loosely made that the eges and young can be
seen from below. In this instance the nest was begun and finished in the same day.
The young bird was hatched after sixteen days.

The colour of the Passenger Pigeon is as follows: The head, part of the neck and the
chin are slate-blue, and the Tower part and sides of the neck are also deep slate “shot”
with gold, green, and purplish crimson, changing at every movement of the bird.
The throat, breast, and ribs are reddish hazel ; the back and upper tail-coverts dark slaty
blue, slightly spotted with black upon the shoulders. The primary and secondary quill-
feathers of the wings are black, the primary being edged and tipped with dirty white.
The lower part of the breast is a pale purplish red, and the abdomen is white. The long
and pointed tail has the two central feathers deep black, and the rest white, taking a
bluish tint near their bases, and being marked with one black spot and another of rusty
red on the inner webs. The beak is black, the eye fiery orange, and a naked space
around it is purplish red. The female is known by her smaller size, her oaken-brown
breast and ashen neck, and the slaty hue of the space round the eyes. The total length
of the adult male is about sixteen inches.

The Srock-Dove derives its name from its habit of building its nest in the stocks or
stumps of trees. It is one of our British Pigeons, and is tolerably common in many parts
of England.

It is seldom found far northward, and even when it does visit such localities, it is
only as a summer resident, making its nest in warmer districts. As has already been
mentioned, the nest of this species is made in the stocks or stumps of trees, the birds finding

RING-DOVE.—Columba palumbus. STOCK-DOVE.—Columba w@nas.

out some convenient hollow, and placing their eggs within. Other localities are, however
selected for the purpose of incubation, among which a deserted rabbit-burrow is among
the most common. The nest is hardly worthy of the name, being a mere collection of
dry fibrous roots, laid about three or four feet within the entrance, just thick enough to
keep the eggs from the ground, but not sufficiently woven to constitute a true nest. In
some places when the keepers discover a brood they make a network of sticks at the
mouth of the hole, so that the young cannot escape, although they can be fed by the
parents from without, and when they are sufficiently large and plump they are taken for
the table.

Now and then the Stock-Dove takes up its residence under thick furze-bushes,
especially those which have grown close to the ground, and into which little openings
have been made by the rabbits. The voice of the Stock-Dove is rather curious, being a
hollow rumbling or grunting kind of note, quite unlike the well-known cooing of the
Ring-Dove.

The head, neck, and back and wing-coverts are bluish grey, the primary quill-feathers
of the wing taking a deeper hue, the secondaries being pearl-grey deepening at the tips,
and the tertials being blue-grey with two or three spots. The ¢hin is blue-grey, the sides
of the neck slaty grey glossed with green, and the breast purplish red. The specific name
of “cenas,” or wine-coloured, is given to the bird on account of the peculiar hue of the
throat. The whole of the under surface is grey, and the tail-feathers are coloured with
grey of several tones, the outside feathers having the basal portion of the outer web white.
The beak is deep orange, the eyes scarlet, and the legs and toes red. The total length is
about fourteen inches, the female being a little smaller.

582 THE BLUE ROCK PIGEON.

THE bird which now comes before our notice is familiar to all residents in the country
under the titles of Rrvc-Dove, Woop-Pi1ckon, Woop-GuEstT, and CUSHAT.

This pretty Dove is one of the commonest of our British birds, breeding in almost
every little copse or tuft of trees, and inhabiting the forest grounds in great abundance.
‘Towards, and during the breeding season, its soft complacent cooing—-coo-go00-ro0-0-0-0 !
c00-go00-ro00-0-0-0 !—is heard in every direction, and with a very slight search its nest
may be found. It is a strange nest, and hardly deserving that name, being nothing
more than a mere platform of sticks resting upon the fork of a bough, and placed so
loosely across each other, that when the maternal bird is away, the light may sometimes
be seen through the interstices of the nest, and the outline of the eggs made out.
Generally the Ring-Dove chooses a rather lofty branch for its resting-place, but it
oceasionally builds at a very low elevation. I have found the nest of this bird in a
hedge only a few feet from the ground, so low indeed, that I could look down upon the
eggs while standing by the hedge, and more like the work of the turtle-dove than of the
Ring-Dove.

The eggs are never more than two in number, and perfectly white, looking something
like hen’s eggs on a small scale, save that the ends are more equally rounded. The
young are plentifully fed from the crops of their parents, and soon become very fat.
Just before they are able to fly they are held in great estimation for the table, and in
some places ingenious boys are in the habit of going round to the Ring-Dove’s nest while
the young are still in their infantile plumage, tying a piece of string to their legs,
passing it through the interstices of the nest, and fastening it to the branch. The
young birds are thereby prevented from escaping, and are sure to be at hand when
wanted. Even when adult, the Ring-Dove is a favourite article of food, and is shot by
hundreds when they flock together in the cold weather. They also exhibit a decided
partiality for certain roosting-places, and can be shot by waiting under the trees to which
they have taken a liking.

The food of this Dove consists of grain and seeds of various kinds, together with the
green blades of newly sprung corn and the leaves of turnips, clover, and other vegetables.
Quiet and harmless as it may look, the Ring-Dove is a wonderful gormandizer, and
can consume great quantities of food. The crop is capacious to suit the appetite, and
can contain a singular amount of solid food, as indeed seems to be the case with most of
the Pigeon tribe, so that when the birds assemble together in the autumn, the flocks will
do great damage to the farmer.

The Ring-Dove may be easily known by the peculiarity from which it derives its
name, the feathers upon the side of the neck being tipped with white so as to form
portions of rings set obliquely on the neck. The head, chin, and part of the neck
are blue-grey ; the remainder of the neck and the breast are purple-red, and the bare
skin about the base of the beak is nearly white. The upper parts of the body are also
blue-grey, but of a more slaty hue than the head and neck. The wings are also of the
same dark hue, the primary quill-feathers having black shafts and a narrow band of
white extending along the edges of their outer webs. The wing coverts are mostly blue-
grey, but some of the feathers are more or less white, so that when the bird spreads its
wings they form a very bold white patch, but when the wings are closed the white
feathers of the coverts only form a line along the top of the wing. The tail is marked
with several shades of grey, and the abdomen is soft pearly grey; the beak is: warm
orange, and the eyes topaz yellow. It is a larger bird than the preceding species, being
about seventeen inches in length.

THE many varieties of size, form, and colour which may be seen in the accompanying
illustration afford an excellent example of the wonderful variations of which animals are
susceptible under certain circumstances. Different as are the Domestic PIGEONS, some
of which are most ably figured on the next page by a practical pigeon-fancier as well as
an accomplished artist, they all are modifications of the common Biue Rock PicEoy,
and if permitted to mix freely with each other, display an inveterate tendency to return
to the original form, with its simple plumage of black bars across the wing, just as the
finest breeds of lop-eared rabbits will now and then produce upright-eared young.

GROUP—DOMESTIC PIGEONS.—ROCK-DOVE.—Columba Livia. BALD-HEAD.

CARRIERS POUTER. NUNS. TRUMPETERS. TURBITS.
FANTAILS. JACOBINS. TUMBLERS.

The Rock-Dove derives its popular name from its habit of frequenting rocks rather
than trees, an idiosyncracy which is so inherent in its progeny, that even the domestic
Pigeons, which have not seen anything except their wooden cotes for a long series of

584 THE ROCK-DOVE.

senerations, will, if they escape, take to rocks or buildings, and never trouble themselves
about trees, though they should be at hand. Some years ago, one of my friends, living
opposite Merton College, lost all his pigeons, by their gradual desertion of the loft in
which they and their progenitors had been born, in favour of Merton tower, where they
finally took up their residence in amiable proximity to multitudinous jackdaws and
several owls, and may be seen hovering about the towers, but always remaining near its
summit.

This species seems to have a very considerable geographical range, for it is common
over most parts of Europe, Northern Africa, the coasts of the Mediterranean, and has even
been found in Japan.

As a general rule, anyone who wants Pigeons about his house, and is not particular
about the breed, can obtain them without the least trouble, by getting a good cote
put up on his premises, and painting it white. The Pigeons are sure to be attracted
by the glittering object, and will take possession of it spontaneously. I think that
in many cases the cotes are deserted by the birds because they are left so long uncleansed,
and are made on too small a scale. Among rocks or ruins, cleanliness. is no such great
matter, because there is plenty of air, and the birds can change their places freely ; but in
the case of the wooden cotes, the space is very limited, and the ventilation almost reduced
to a nullity. Vermin, too, swarm in such places, and the birds show their good sense in
getting away from so unhealthy a situation. The cotes should always be well cleaned at
intervals, and the owner will be repaid by the health and rapidly increasing number of his
birds. ;

In a domesticated state, although it is better to feed them at home and so keep them
from straying, they will always forage for themselves and young without any assistance, a
flight of ten miles or so being a mere nothing to these strong-winged birds. Indeed, the
Pigeons that inhabit the Hague, are known to cross the sea as far as the coast of Norfolk
for the sake of feeding on the vetches.

The colour of the Rock-Dove is as follows: The head is grey, and the neck of the
same colour, but “shot” with purple and green. The chin is blue-grey, and the throat
changeable green and purple. The upper surface of the body is also grey, but of
a different tone; the greater coverts are barred with black at their tip, forming a decided
band across the wing; the tertials are also tipped with black, and another black band
crosses the wing a little below the first-mentioned bar. These conspicuous black bars are
difficult to eradicate from the domestic breeds, and are always apt to make their appearance
most unexpectedly, and annoy the fancier greatly. The lower part of the back is pure
white, the upper tail-coverts are pearl grey, and the breast and abdomen of the same hue.
The total length of this bird is not quite a foot.

From this stock, the varieties that have been reared by careful management are almost
innumerable, and are so different in appearance that if they were seen for the first time,
almost any systematic naturalist would set them down as belonging not only to different
species, but to different genera. Such, for example, as the pouter, the jacobin, the
trumpeter, and the fantail, on page 583, the last-mentioned bird having a greater number
of feathers in its tail than any of the others.

As this work is not intended to be of a sporting or “fancy” character, a description of
the various fancy Pigeons cannot be given. But the “homing” faculty of this bird, and
the use to which it has been put, is too important to be passed over without a notice.

It has long been known that Pigeons have a wonderful power of finding their home,
even if taken to great distances, and the mode by which the birds are enabled to reach
their domiciles has long been the object of discussion, one party arguing that it is an
instinctive operation, and the other, that it is entirely by sight. In my opinion the latter
party have the better of the argument, though perhaps the element of instinct ought not
wholly to be omitted. I have been told by those who have hunted on vast plains, where
no object serves as a guide, that the only way to get safely back is to set off on the
homeward track without thinking about it, for that when a man begins to exercise his
reason, his instinct fails him in proportion, and unless he should be furnished with a
compass, he will probably be lost.

TOP-KNOT PIGEON.~Lopholdimus antércticus.

Still, that the sense of sight is the principal element, cannot, I think, be denied. For
in training a bird, the instructors always take it by degrees to various distances, beginning
with half-a-mile or so, and ending with sixty or seventy miles in the case of really good
birds, which will travel from London to Manchester in four hours and a half. In fogey
weather the birds are often lost, even though they have to pass over short distances, and
when a heavy fall of snow has obliterated their landmarks and given the country an
uniform white coating, they are sadly troubled in finding their way home. The fancy
Carrier Pigeon, with the large wattles on the beak, is said to be no very good messenger, the
trainers preferring the Belgian bird, with its short beak, round head, and broad shoulders.

It is a curious, but a well ascertained fact, that the accuracy of Pigeon flight depends
much on the points of the compass, although each individual bird may have a different
idiosyneracy in this respect. Some birds, for example, always fly best in a line nearly
north and south, while others prefer east and west as their line of flight. This remarkable
propensity seems to indicate that the birds are much influenced by the electric or magnetic
currents continually traversing the earth. When starting from a distance to reach their
home, these Pigeons rise to a great height, generally hoyer about for a while in an

586 THE TURTLE-DOVE.

undecided manner, and then, as if they had got their line, dart off with an arrowy flight.
Missives written on very thin paper and rolled up tightly, are secured to the bird in such
a way that they will not be shaken off by the flapping of the wings, or encumber the
bird in its flight; and before the introduction of the electric telegraph, this mode of
correspondence was greatly in use, mostly in political or sporting circles.

The splendid Top-Knor PIGEON is one of the handsomest of the tribe, and in any
collection of birds would be one of the most conspicuous species.

It is a native of Southern and Eastern Australia, and, according to Mr. Gould, is most
plentifully found in the bushes of the [lawarra and Hunter rivers. The powerful feet
and general structure point it out as an arboreal bird, and it is so exclusively found in the
trees that it will not even perch among the underwood, but must needs take its place on
the branches of lofty trees. When perched it sits boldly and uprightly, having an almost
hawk-like air about it.

It is a gregarious bird, assembling in large flocks, and being very fond of constant
proximity to its neighbours, whether it be swiftly flying through the air, or quietly
perched upon a branch. When a flock of Top-Knot Pigeons directs its flight towards a
tree, the rushing sound of wings can be heard at a considerable distance, and when the
birds perch simultaneously upon the boughs, bending them down with their weight, or
fluttering their wings and displaying their beautiful crests, they present a very animated
scene. Their wings are proportionately powerful to their feet, and they have a custom of
ascending high into the air and taking very long flights, packed so closely together
that the spectator involuntarily wonders how they can move their wings without striking
their companions.

The food of this bird consists mostly of fruits, and it is very fond of the wild fig, and
the berries of the cabbage palm. Its throat is wonderfully capacious, and Mr. Gould says
it could swallow a walnut without inconvenience. Fortunately for itself, it is not good
eating, the flesh being dry and coarse. 7

The crest of the forehead and top of the head, together with the hackle-like feathers
of the throat and breast, are silver grey, showing the darker hues on the breast. On the
back of the head the crest is of a ruddy rust colour. From the eye to the back of the
head runs a dark streak shaded by the crest. The upper surface of the body is dark slaty
grey, and the primaries and secondaries, together with the edge of the wing, are black.
The tail is grey of two shades, having a broad band of black across the centre, and the
extremity deeply tipped with the same dark hue. The under surface is silver grey like
the breast. The eye is fiery orange, surrounded with a narrow crimson line ; the base of
the bill is blue and the remainder red, and the feet are purplish red. The length of this
fine bird is about seventeen inches.

THE world-famed TurtLE-DoVE is, although a regular visitor of this country, better
known by fame and tradition than by actual observation. This bird has, trom classic
time until the present day, been conventionally accepted as the type of matrimonial
perfection, loving but its mate and caring for no other until death steps in to part the
wedded couple. Yet it is by no means the only instance of such conjugal affection among
the feathered tribes, for there are hundreds of birds which can lay claim to the same
excellent qualities, the fierce eagle and the ill-omened raven being among their number.

The Turtle-Dove seems to divide its attention pretty equally between Africa and
England, pausing for some little time in southern Italy as a kind of half-way house. It
arrives here about the beginning of May, or pérhaps a little earlier in case the weather be
warm, and after resting for a little while, sets about making its very simple nest and
laying its white eggs. The nest of this bird is built lower than is generally the case with
the Wood-Pigeon, and is usually placed on a forked branch of some convenient tree, about
ten feet or so from the ground. Both parents aid in the duties of incubation as they
ought to do, and both are equally industrious in the maintenance of their small family. The
egos are laid rather late in the season, so that there is seldom more than a single brood of
two young in the course of the year.

TURTLE-DOVE.—Turtur auritus.

The Turtle-Dove is far more common in the southern than in the northern counties, and I
have reason to believe that in Derbyshire, where I was greatly fond of bird-nesting for some
years, it is not of very frequent occurrence, at least as far as personal experience goes,
which, however, is only of a negative character in this instance. The white eggs are
rather more sharply pointed than those of the Wood-Pigeon, but all the English Pigeons’
eggs are much alike and can with difficulty be distinguished from each other.

The food of the Turtle-Dove mostly consists of seeds, such as corn, peas, rape, and
similar seeds.

It is a bird of strong flight, and on its migrating journeys prefers to travel in company,
associating in little flocks of ten or twelve. The end of August and September are the
periods most in favour for the annual emigration. : ,

The Turtle-Dove may be readily known by the four rows of black feathers tipped with
white, which are found on the sides of the neck. The top of the head is ashen slate,
deepening into a browner hue on the back of the neck. The chin and neck are pale
brown, tinged with purple upon the breast. The upper surface of the body is pale brown
mottled with a darker hue, and the wing-coverts are another shade of brown edged with
warm ruddy chestnut. The quill-feathers of the wing are brown, and the upper tail-
coverts are also brown with a slight ruddy tinge. The two central tail feathers are of
the same colour, and the remaining feathers are dark brown tipped with white. Both
edges of the tail are also white. The abdomen and under tail-coverts are white. The
eye is chestnut, and under it there is a little patch of bare pink skin; the legs and toes
are brownish yellow, and the beak is brown. The young birds of the year are differently
shaded with brown, the head is wholly of that colour, the wing-coverts are tipped with

588 THE BRONZEWING PIGEON.

yellowish white, and the quill-feathers of the wing are edged with a rusty hue. The tail,
too, is without the white that distinguishes the adult bird. The total length of this species
is rather more than eleven inches.

THE little Crestep PrcEoN, although not so conspicuous as some of its relations, is
one of the most elegant in form and pleasing in colour among this tribe.

It is a native of central Australia, and, according to Mr. Gould, is fond of haunting
the marshy ground by the side of rivers and lagoons, and there assembling in large flocks.
The gregarious propensities of this bird are indulged to an extent that seems almost
ridiculous, for a large flock of Crested Pigeons will fly to the same tree, sit closely packed
upon the same branch, and at the same moment descend in a mass to drink, returning in
a similar manner to their perch. The flight of this bird is strong, and rather curiously
managed. When it starts from the tree on which it is sitting, it gives a few quick strokes
with its wings, and then darts off on steady pinion with an arrowy flight. When it
settles, it flings up its head, erects its crest, and jerks its tail over its back, so that the
crest and tail nearly touch each other. Its nest is, like that of most pigeons, made of
little twigs, and placed on the low forking branch of some convenient tree. While sitting
on the nest, or perching quietly on the bough, the crest les almost upon the back, and
from below is hardly distinguishable from the rest of the plumage.

The head, face, and most of the under portions are pearl grey, the long slender crest
being jetty black, and the sides of the neck tinged slightly with pmk. The back of the
neck, the back, flanks, and both tail-coverts are light brown ; the feathers at the insertion
of the wing are buff, crossed with black nearer their tips, and the great coverts are
shining bronze green edged with white. The primary feathers of the wing are brown,
some partially edged with brownish white, and the rest with pure white. The secondaries
are brown in their inner webs, and their outer webs are bronzy purple at the base, tipped
with brown, and edged with white. The two central feathers of the tail are brown, the
rest are blackish brown, with a green gloss on their outer webs and tipped with white.
The bill is olive black, deepening at the tip, the feet are pink, and the eye orange set in a
pink orbit.

The BronzEWING PIGEON is also an Australian bird, and with the exception of the
Wonga-Wonga Pigeon, hereafter to be described, is the most celebrated for the delicacy of
its flesh.

It is a plump, and readily fattening bird, weighing about a pound when in good
condition. The breast is particularly large, as may be supposed from the great force of
its wings, and when the bird is fat, is the most esteemed portion. To the Australian
traveller the Bronzewing is invaluable, as it is a great water drinker, and its flight will
direct the thirsty wanderer to the stream or spring. My. Gould, who has had long
experience of this as well as of many other birds, gives the following interesting account
of its habits :—

“Its amazing powers of flight enable it to pass in an incredibly short space of time
over a great expanse of country, and just before sunset it may be observed swiftly
Winging its way over the plains or down the gullies to its drinking place.

During the long drought of 1839--40, when I was encamped at the northern
extremity of the Brezi range, I had daily opportunities of observing the arrival of this
bird to drink ; the only water for miles, as I was assured by the natives, being that in the
immediate vicinity of my tent, and that was merely the scanty supply left in a few
natural basins in the rocks, which had been filled by the rains of many months before.
This peculiar situation afforded me an excellent opportunity for observing not only the
Bronzewing, but many other birds inhabiting the neighbourhood. Few, if any of the
true insectivorous or fissirostrial birds came to the water holes, but on the other hand,
those species that live upon grain and seeds, particularly the parrots and honey-eaters
(Lrichoglossi and Meliphagi), were continually rushing down to the edges of the pools,
utterly regardless of my presence, their thirst for water quite overcoming their sense of
danger ; seldom, if ever, however, did the Bronzewing make its appearance during the

CRESTED PIGEON.—Ocyphaps lophétes. BRONZEWING PIGEON.—Phaps chaledptera.

heat of the day, but at sundown, on the contrary, it arrived with arrow-like swiftness,
either singly or in pairs.

Tt did not descend at once to the edge of the pool, but dashed down te the ground at
about ten yards’ distance, remained quiet for a short time, then walked leisurely to the
water, and after taking libations deep and frequent, winged its way to its roosting-place
for the night. With a knowledge, therefore, of the habits of this bird, the weary traveller
may always perceive when he is in the vicinity of water ; and however arid the appearance
of the country may be, if he observes the Bronzewing wending its way from all quarters
to a given point, he may be certain to procure a supply of food and water. When rain
has fallen in abundance, and the rivers and lagoons are filled not only to the brim, but
the water has spread over the surface of the surrounding country, the case is materially
altered ; then the Bronzewing and many other birds are not so easily procured, the
abundant supply of the element so requisite to their existence, rendering it no longer
necessary that they should brave every danger in procuring it.”

This Pigeon does not assemble in flocks, but in many parts of the country is so
plentiful and is so attached to certain localities that forty or fifty may be killed in a day
after the breeding season, when it is in best condition. It feeds almost invariably on the
ground, its diet consisting chiefly of leguminous seeds. The nest is a frail structure of
twigs, rather more hollowed than is usually the case with the houses of Pigeons, and is
placed on the low forking branch of a gum tree near water. The bird is presumed to
undergo a partial migration.

WONGA-WONGA PIGEON.—Lewcosércia picata

In colour, the forehead is buff, the head is dark brown changing to deep plum colour
at the sides, the sides of the neck are grey, and there is a white waved line under the
eye, and running partly down the chin. The upper surface of the body is dark brown.
The coverts are marked with bronze-green spots, and the tertiaries have a large oblong
shining green spot, edged with buff. The two central feathers of the tail are brown
and the rest grey, banded with black near the tip. The breast is purple-brown,
fading into grey on the abdomen. The eyes are reddish brown, and the legs and feet
crimson.

OF all this group of birds, the WoncA-WoncGA PiGEon is the most celebrated for the
whiteness, plumpness, and delicacy of its flesh, which, when eaten with bread sauce, is
of such remarkable excellence, that the remembrance always excites the liveliest re-
miniscences in those who have partaken of so great a dainty.

The Wonga-Wonga Pigeon is a native of Australia, but is not spread generally over
the country, being found mostly, if not wholly, among the bushes along the coast of
New South Wales, or the sides of the hills of the interior. According to Mr. Gould,
it inhabits the same district as the bush turkey, the satin bower bird, and the lyre bird.
It lives mostly on the ground, feeding upon the stones and seeds of fallen fruit. When
disturbed, it suddenly rises from the ground with a loud whirring rush like that of the
pheasant, and like that bird, rather startles the novice with the noise. It does not
maintain a long flight; but either directs its course to a neighbouring tree, or again
settles upon the earth.

In colour it is a very conspicuous bird. The forehead and chin are white, and a
jetty black line passes from the eye to the base of the bill. The sides of the head are
grey, the back and upper surface are slate-grey, and the chest is deep blackish grey,
with a very broad white band crossing the chest and running up the sides of the neck.
The abdomen is white, the under coverts dark brown tipped with buff, and the flanks
are also white, but agreeably diversified with a bold black spot near the tip of each feather.
The beak is red tipped with black, the eyes are dark brown with pink orbits, and
the legs are bright pink.

NICOBAR PIGEON.—Calenas Nicohdrica.

The Nicopar Pickon may fairly be reckoned among the more magnificent species
belonging to the Pigeon tribe; the long pointed feathers of the neck and shoulders
glowing with resplendent green, bronze, and steely blue, and having a peculiarly attractive
effect as they droop towards the ground, their loose points waving in the wind, and their
hues changing with every movement. Like others of the sub-family to which it belongs,
it is mostly a terrestrial bird. As its name imports, it is most commonly found in
Nicobar ; but it also inhabits Java, Sumatra, and many neighbouring islands.

The head of this Pigeon is slaty blue, with a purplish cast, which is more conspicuous
in certain lights. The beautiful long-pointed feathers of the neck are greatly like the
hackles of the game cock, except that they hang lower on the neck. Their colour is rich
refulgent green, deepening into a warm copper when the light falls obliquely upon
them, and the wing-coverts are of the same hue, and pointed after a similar fashion.
The back and whole of the upper surface is glowing green, with bronze and steel-blue
reflections, and the under surface partakes of the same colouring, but without its peculiar
resplendence. The short, square tail is pure white. It is rather remarkable that in the
breeding season a rounded fleshy knob makes its appearance upon the upper mandible,
similar to that which has already been noticed in the Fruit Pigeon, on page 576. The
total length of this bird is about fourteen inches.

THE splendid CrowNnep PIGEON is indisputably the most conspicuous of all its
tribe ; its great size and splendid crest rendering it a most striking object, even at
a considerable distance.

So large and so un-pigeon like is this bird, that few on first seeing it would be likely
to determine its real relations to the rest of the feathered race, and would be more likely
to class it among the poultry than the pigeons. If, however, the reader will lay a card
upon the crest so as to expose only the head, he will see that the general outline of the
head and beak is clearly that of a pigeon. It is a native of Java, New Guinea, and
the Moluceas.

In the Zoological Gardens are several specimens of this splendid bird, whose manners
are very curious and interesting. Their walk is quite of a royal character, stately and

ff" fy

CROWNED PIGEON.—Gaura corondta

majestic, and well according with the beautiful feathered crown which they bear upon
their heads. The crest seems to be always held expanded. They have a quaint habit of
sunning themselves upon the hot pavement of their prison by lying on one side, laying
the head flat on the ground, tucking the lower wing under them, and spreading the
other over their bodies so as to form a very shallow tent, each quill-teather being
separated from its neighbour, and radiating around the body. Sometimes the bird varies
this attitude by stretching the other wing to its full length, and holding it from the
ground, at an angle of twenty degrees or so, as if to take advantage of every sunbeam
and every waft of air.

While lying in this unique attitude, it might easily pass at a little distance for a
moss-covered stone, a heap of withered leaves, or a rugged tree-stump, with one broken
branch projecting to the side. No one would think of taking it for a bird. Un-
fortunately, it is a difficult matter to take a sketch of the bird while thus reposing, for
there are so few salient points, that a very careful outline is needed, and its companions
are sure to come and peck it up before the sketeh can be concluded,

Weolen no

TOOTH-BILLED PIGEON.—Didinculus strigirostris.

The ery of this bird is loud and sonorous, and not very easy of description. Some
authors compare it to the gobbling of a turkey cock, but I can perceive no resemblance
to that sound. It is more of a loud, hollow boom, than anything else, a kind of mixture
between a trombone and a drum, and every time that the bird utters this note, it bows
its head so low that the crest sweeps the ground.

The nest of the Crowned Pigeon is said to be made in trees, the eggs being two in
number, as is generally.the case with this group of birds. Its flesh is spoken highly
of by those who have eaten it. The general colour of this bird is a deep and nearly
uniform slate-blue ; the quill-feathers of the wing and tail being very blackish ash, and
a patch of pure white and warm marroon being found on the wing.

Iy the Samoan islands of the Pacific, is found a bird of extreme rarity of form,
which is, as far as is known, unique among the feathered tribes that now inhabit the
earth, I say, now inhabit, because in former days, when the Dodo was still in existence,
that remarkable and ungainly bird presented a form and structure greatly similar to
those of the ToorH-BILLED PIGEON.

On account of its close relationship with the Dodo, it has received from some
systematic zoologists the generic name of Didunculus, or Little Dodo, while others
have given it the title of Gnathodon, or Toothed-jaw, in allusion to the structure of its
beak, The food of this bird consists largely of the soft bulbous roots of several plants.
The whole contour of the Tooth-bill is remarkable, and decidedly quaint ; its rounded body
seeming hardly in accordance with the large beak, which is nearly as long as the head,
and is greatly arched on the upper mandible. The lower mandible is deeply cleft into
three distinct teeth near its tip.

In colour it is rather a brilliant bird. The head, neck, breast, and abdomen are
glossy greenish black, and upon the shoulders and the upper part of the back the
feathers are velvety black, each having a crescent-shaped mark of shining green near
its extremity. The rest of the back, the wings, tail, and under tail-coverts, are deep
chestnut. The primary and secondary quill-feathers of the wing are greyish black, and
the large arched bill is orange. The total length of this bird is about fourteen inches.

2. 29

594 THE DODO.

‘

Tue position held by the celebrated Dopo among birds was long doubtful, and was
only settled in comparatively late years by careful examination of the few relics which
are our sole and scanty records of this very remarkable bird.

For many years the accounts given by the early voyagers of the Dodar, or Walgh
Vogel, found in the Mauritius and other islands, were thought to be merely fabulous
narratives, a mental reaction having set in from the too comprehensive credulity of the
previous times ; and the various portraits of the Dodo to be found in the books of travel
were set down as examples, not of the Dodo, but of the inventive faculties possessed
by the authors, Truth, however, stood its own ground, as it always will do, and steadily
withstood the batteries of negative reasonings that were brought to bear on the subject.
An entire bird was quietly lodged in the Ashmolean Museum at Oxford ; portions of
other specimens made their way to Europe among the curiosities which sailors are so
fond of bringing home, and there is every reason to believe that a living example of this
bird was exhibited in Holland, if not in England.

It is curious that, but for a code of far-seeing regulations, providing that when the
stuffed skin of a bird was so far decayed as to be useless as a specimen, the head and
feet should be preserved, our best and most perfect relics of the Dodo would have been
burned as useless rubbish. The specimen at Oxford was suffered to fall into decay, no
one seeming to be aware of its priceless value, and when the skin was destroyed, the
head and feet were laid aside and put away with other cbjects, among which they were
afterwards discovered to the great joy of the finder. These were sufficiently perfect to
prove the real existence of the bird, and the correctness with which it had been depicted
by many draughtsmen ; some portraits being of the rudest description, while others were
the work of eminent artists, and most valuable for their high finish and accuracy of detail.
The position of the bird among the feathered tribes was long doubtful, and it was
provisionally placed between the ostriches and bustards, until, after a careful examination
of the relies, it was found to belong to the pigeon tribe. This decision received a
valuable confirmation in the discovery of the tooth-billed pigeon, just described.

For further information respecting the anatomical and scientific details of this bird,
the reader is referred to Strickland and Melville’s instructive and interesting work on the
subject.

Many of the earlier travellers have spoken of the Dodo—a name, by the way,
corrupted from the Dutch term Dod-aers—and their accounts are as quaint as the bird
which they describe. For example, Bontius writes as follows: “The Dronte, or
Dod-aers, is for bigness of mean size between an ostrich and a turkey, from which it
partly differs in shape and partly agrees with them, especially with the African ostriches,
if you consider the rump, quills, and feathers; so that it was like a pigmy among them
if you regard the shortness of its legs.

It hath a great ill-favoured head, covered with a kind of membrane, resembling a
hood ; great black eyes; a bending, prominent, fat neck; an extraordinary long, strong,
bluish-white bill, only the ends of each mandible are a different colour, that of the upper
black, that of the nether yellowish, both sharp-pointed and crooked. Its gape, huge wide,
as being naturally very voracious. Its body is fat and round, covered with soft grey
feathers after the manner of an ostrich’s ; in each side, instead of hard wing-feathers or
quills, it is furnished with small soft-feathered wings, of a yellowish ash colour; and
behind, the rump, instead of a tail, is adorned with five small curled feathers of the same
colour, It hath yellow legs, thick, but very short; four toes in each foot ; solid, long, as
it were sealy, armed with strong black claws,

It is a slow-paced and stupid bird, and which easily becomes a prey to the fowlers.
The flesh, especially of the breast, is fat, esculent, and so copious that three or four Dodos
will sometimes suftice to fill one hundred seamen’s bellies. If they be old, or not well
boiled, they are of difficult concoction, and are salted and stored up for provision of
vietual. There are found in their stomachs stones of an ash colour, of divers figures and
magnitudes, yet not bred there, as the common people and seamen fancy, but swallowed
by the bird; as though by this mark also nature would manifest that these fowls are of
the ostrich kind, in that they swallow any hard things though they do not digest them.”

«

DODO.—Didus ineptus.

Other travellers, such as Leguat and De Bry, agree with Bontius in his description of
the bird, and coincide in his opinion of the excellence of its flesh; but one writer, Sir
T. Herbert, who visited the Mauritius about 1625, differs greatly in his estimation of the
value of the Dodo as an article of food. In his book of travels, which is perhaps
the quaintest and raciest to be found among such literature, he speaks as follows of
this bird :—

“ The Dodo, a bird the Dutch call Walghvogel, or Dod Eersen; her body is round and
fat, which occasions the slow pace, or that her corpulencie, and so great as few of them
weigh less than fifty pound: meat it is with some, but better to the eye than stomach,
such as only a strong appetite can vanquish. .. . It is of a melancholy visage, as sensible
of nature’s injury in framing so massie a body to be directed by complimental wings,
such, indeed, as are unable to hoise her from the ground, serving only to rank her among
birds. Her traine, three small plumes, short and improportionable, her legs suiting to
her body, her pounces sharpe, her appetite strong and greedy. Stones and iron are
digested ; which description will better be conceived in her representation.”

So plentiful were the Dodos -at one time, and so easily were they killed, that the
sailors were in the habit of slaying the birds merely for the sake of the stones in their
stomachs, these being found very efficacious in sharpening their clasp-knives. The nest of
the Dodo was a mere heap of fallen leaves gathered together on the ground, and the bird
laid but one large ege. The weight of one full-grown Dodo was said to be between forty
and fifty pounds. The colour of the plumage was a greyish brown in the adult males,
not unlike that of the ostrich, while the plumage of the females was of a paler hue.

QQ 2

CRESTED CURASSOW.—Crax Alector.

LEAVING the pigeons, we now come to the large and important order of birds, termed
scientifically the Galline, and, more popularly, the Poultry, Sometimes they are termed
Rasores, or scrapers, from their habit of scraping up the ground in search of food. To
this order belong our domestic poultry, the grouse, partridges, and quails, the turkeys,
pheasants, and many other useful and interesting birds. In almost every instance the
Galline are handsome birds, and interesting in their habits, but as their number is legion,
and our space is rapidly diminishing, we must content ourselves with such species as
afford the best types of the order to which they belong.

Our first example of these birds is the CRESTED CuRAssow, the representative of the
genus Crax, in which are to be found a number of truly splendid birds. All the
Curassows are natives of tropical America, and are found almost wholly in the forests.

The Crested Curassow inhabits the thickly wooded districts of Guiana, Mexico, and
Brazil, and is very plentifully found in those countries. It is a really handsome bird,
nearly as large as the turkey, and more imposing in form and colour. It is gregarious in
its habits, and assembles together in large troops, mostly perched on the branches of trees.
It is susceptible of domestication, and, to all appearances, may be acclimatized to this
country as well as the turkey or the pheasant.

There is special reason that the Curassows should be added to our list of domesticated
poultry, for their flesh is peculiarly white and well flavoured, surpassing even that of the
turkey, and they are of a pleasant temper, and readily tamed by kindness. A dry soil is
absolutely necessary for their well-being, as they suffer greatly from damp, which
produces a disease of the foot and toes, often causing the toes to mortify and fall off,

THE AUSTRALIAN JUNGLE FOWL. 597

Trees are also needful, as these birds are fond of perching at some height from the ground
and the situation must be sheltered from wind or rain.

In their native country the Curassows build among the trees, making a large and
rather clumsy-looking nest of sticks, grass stems, leaves, and grass blades. There are
generally six or seven eggs, not unlike those of the fowl, but larger and thicker shelled.
The voice of the Crested Curassow is a short croak, but the various species differ slightly
in this respect. The male Globose Curassow, for example, has a voice that sounds like a
short hoarse cough, and every time that it utters the cry it jerks up its tail and partially
spreads the feathers. The voice of the female is unlike that of her mate, being a gentle
whining sound. While perambulating the ground or traversing the branches, the Curassow
continually raises and depresses its crest, giving itself a very animated aspect.

The colour of the Crested Curassow is very dark violet, with a purplish green gloss
above and on the breast, and the abdomen is the purest snowy white, contrasting beauti-
fully with the dark velvety plumage of the upper parts. The bright golden yellow of the
crest adds in no small degree to the beauty of the bird.

The GuANs also belong to the same family as the Curassows. They are also inha-
bitants of the forests of tropical America; and are easily to be recognised by the naked
and dilatable skin of the throat. They are not gregarious, like the curassow, but are
mostly solitary in their habits, feeding chiefly on fruits and remaining on the branches.
They are not so susceptible of domestication as the curassow, nor are they so large,
being of a more delicate and slender shape. The flesh of these birds is very excellent.

SEVERAL very singular birds are found in Australia and New Guinea, called -by the
name of Megapodine or Great-footed birds, on account of the very large size of their
feet ; a provision of nature which is necessary for their very peculiar mode of laying their
eggs and hatching their young.

The first of these birds is the AUSTRALIAN JUNGLE Fowl, which is found in several
parts of Australia, but especially about Port Essington. Im that country great numbers
of high and large mounds of earth exist, which were formerly thought to be the tombs of
departed natives, and, indeed, have been more than once figured as such. The natives,
however, disclaimed the sepulchral character, saying that they were origins of life rather
than emblems of death; for that they were the artificial ovens in which the eggs of the
Jungle Fowl were laid, and which, by the heat that is always disengaged from decaying
vegetable substances, preserved sufficient warmth to hatch the eggs.

The size of these tumuli is sometimes quite marvellous; in one instance, where
measurements were taken, it was fifteen feet in perpendicular height, and sixty feet
in circumference at its base. The whole of this enormous mound was made by the
industrious Jungle Fowl, by gathering up the earth, fallen leaves, and grasses with its
feet, and throwing them backwards while it stands on the other leg. If the hand be
inserted into the heap, the interior will always be found to be quite hot. In almost every
case the mound is placed under the shelter of densely leaved trees, so as to prevent the
sun from shining upon any part of it. This precaution is probably taken in order
to prevent the rays of the sun from evaporating the moisture. The aspect of the heap
depends much on the surrounding objects ; and in one instance it was placed close to the
sea, just above high-water mark, and was composed of sand, shells, and black mould. It
was situated in the midst of a large yellow-blossomed hibiscus, by which it was enveloped.

The bird seems to deposit its eggs by digging holes from the top of the mound, laying
the egg at the bottom, and then making its way out again, throwing back the earth that
it had scooped away. The direction, however, of the holes is by no means uniform, some
running towards the centre and others radiating towards the sides. They do not seem
to be dug quite perpendicularly ; so that although the holes in which the eggs are found
may be some six or seven feet in depth, the eggs themselves may be only two or three
feet from the surface.

A further detailed account of these tumuli and the manner in which the bird Jays its
eggs is given by Mr. Gilbert, whose researches are quoted in Gould’s Birds of Australia.

AUSTRALIAN JUNGLE FOWL.—Megapédius timulus.

“The birds are said to lay but a sinele ege in each hole, and after the egg is deposited,
the earth is immediately thrown down leghtly until the hole is filled up; the upper part
of the mound is then smoothed and rounded over. It is easily known where a Jungle
Fowl has been recently excavating, from the distinct impression of its feet on the top
and sides of the mound ; and the earth being so lightly thrown over, that with a slender
stick the direction of the hole is readily detected, the ease or difficulty of thrusting
the stick down indicating the length of time that may have elapsed since the bird’s
operations.

Thus far it is easy enough, but to reach the eggs requires no little exertion and
perseverance. The natives dig them up with their hands alone, and only make sufficient
room to admit their bodies and to throw out the earth between their legs. By grubbing
with their fingers alone, they are enabled to feel the direction of the hole with greater
certainty, which will sometimes, at a depth of several feet, turn off abruptly at right
angles, its direct course being obstructed by a clump of wood or some other impediment.

Their patience is, however, often put to severe trials. In the present instance the
native dug down six times to a depth of, at least, six or seven feet, without finding an
egg, and at the last attempt came up in such a state of exhaustion that he refused to try
again. But my interest was now too much excited to relinquish the opportunity of
verifying the native’s statement, and by the offer of an additional reward I induced him to
try again. This seventh trial proved successful, and my gratification was complete when
the native, with equal pride and satisfaction, held up an egg, and after two or three
more attempts, produced a second; thus proving how ca vutious Europeans should be in

THE NATIVE PHEASANT. 599

disregarding the narratives of these poor children of nature, because they happen to sound
extraordinary or different from anything with which they were previously acquainted.”

On one occasion, Mr. Gilbert caught a young Jungle Fowl in a hole, about two feet
in depth, and the little creature, which appeared to be only a few days old, was lying
upon some dry leaves. It was a wild and intractable bird despite its tender age, and
though it was treated well and ate largely of the food with which it was supplied, it
continued to be restless and uneasy, and in two or three days contrived to escape. Even
at that age it possessed the earth-heaping propensities of its kind, and used to be
continually flinging about the sand which filled the box in which it was placed.
Although so small a bird, not larger than a young quail, it could grasp a quantity of
sand, and throw it from one end of the box to the other, without apparently exerting
itself, and was so constantly engaged in that occupation that it deprived its owner of
sleep during the few nights that ‘Ut remained in his possession.

The same patient and acute observer gives the following account of the general
habits of this species :—

“The Jungle Fowl is almost exclusively confined to the dense facets immediately
adjacent to the sea-beach ; it appears never to go far inland except along the banks of
creeks. It is always met with in pairs or quite solitary, and feeds on the ground ; its
food consisting of roots, which its powerful claws enable it to scratch up with the
utmost facility, and also of seeds, berries, and insects, particularly the larger kind
of coleoptera.

It is at all times a very difficult bird to procure; for although the rustling noise
produced by its stiff pinions when flying away be frequently heard, the bird itself is
seldom to be seen. Its flight is heavy and unsustained in the extreme. When first
disturbed, it invariably flies to a tree, and on alighting, stretches out its head and neck
in a straight line with its body, remaining in this position as stationary and motionless
as the branch upon which it is perched; if, however, it becomes fairly alarmed, it takes
a horizontal but laborious flight for about a hundred yards, with its legs hanging down
as if broken. I did not myself detect any note or cry, but from the natives’ description
and imitation of it, it much resembles the clucking of the domestic fowl, ending with
a scream like that of the peacock.

I observed that the birds continued to lay from the latter part of August to March,
when I left that part of the country ; and, according to the testimony of the natives,
there is only an interval of about four or five months, the driest and the hottest part of
the year, between their season of incubation.”

The colouring of this bird is simple, but the tints are soft and pleasing. The head
is rich ruddy brown, the back of the neck blackish grey, and the back and wings
brownish cinnamon, deepening into dark chestnut on the tail-coverts. The whole of the
under surface is blackish grey. The legs are orange, and the bill rusty brown.

The Lerpoa or NATIVE PHEASANT of the colonists, so called on account of the pheasant-
like aspect of its head and neck, and the general outline of the body, is also an Australian
bird, inhabiting the north-western parts of that country, and the sandy plains of the
interior.

Like the preceding species, it lays its eggs in a mound of earth and leaves, but the
mound is not nearly so large, seldom exceeding three feet in height and eight or nine in
diameter, so that it bears some resemblance to a large ant-heap, a similitude which is
greatly strengthened by the large number of ants which are always found in the mounds,
and by the indurated substance of its lower portion, which is sometimes so hard that the
eges cannot be got at without the aid of a chisel. These nests are generally well hidden
away from observation, being placed in the driest and sandiest spots, in which a thick
dense bush grows so plentifully that a human being can hardly force his way through
them, though the bird is able to traverse their intricacies with great celerity.

The mound is composed of sand and soil, containing a mass of leaves and grass, in
the midst of which the eggs are laid, each egg being carefully placed separately from the
others. There are many eggs, often more than a dozen, and one of these mounds is quite a

N 5 ee

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Or ——— —=—— («As
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NATIVE PHEASANT,—Leipoa ocellata.

little property to the person who is fortunate enough to find it, as the bird will suffer her
nest to be robbed repeatedly, and will lay over and over again, thus affording a bountiful
supply of eggs to the discoverer. The colour of the eggs is white with a very slight
tinge of red.

The Leipoa is an active bird, chiefly depending on its legs, like the pheasant of our
own country, and never seeking to escape by flight unless absolutely driven to such a course.
When startled, its usual plan is to take to its legs, and run off at full speed, threading the
bushes with great rapidity and being very likely to escape if the bush be thick, But if it
be surprised when the ground is tolerably open, it may be run down and captured without
much difficulty, as it possesses a stupid habit which was formerly attributed to the ostrich,
Looking naturally upon the bushes as its home, it makes at once for the nearest bush,
dashes into it, and there remains until the pursuer comes up and drags it from its fancied
refuge.

The head of the Leipoa is decorated with a well-defined crest, which, like the remainder
of the head, is blackish brown. The neck and shoulders are dark ashen grey, and the
front of the neck and the upper part of the breast are covered with long black pointed
feathers, each having a white stripe along its centre. The primary feathers of the wings
are dark brown, having some sharply toothed lines near the tip, and the feathers of the
back and remainder of the wings are marked near their extremities with three bands of
greyish white, brown, and black, forming a series of “eyes” upon the feathers. The under
surface is buff, the flanks being barred with black. The tail is deep blackish brown with
a broad buff tip, the bill is black, and the legs blackish brown. In size the Leipoa is
about equal to a very small turkey.

BRUSH TURKEY.—Tallegalla Lathami.

ANOTHER very remarkable bird possesses many of the same habits as the two preceding
species. This is the BrusH TURKEY, sometimes called the WATTLED TALLEGALLA or the
New Ho.uanp VULtTUuRE, the latter extraordinary title having been given to it on account
of its head and neck, which in some parts are devoid of feathers, in others are covered
only with short hair, and in others are decorated with naked fleshy wattles. The
native name is Weelah.

This bird is far from uncommon in many parts of New South Wales, and inhabits the
densest bushes of that country. Like the Leipoa, when pursued it endeavours to effect its
escape by running through the tangled brush, a feat which it can perform very adroitly,
but it is not so silly as to allow itself to be taken by hand as in the case of the preceding
species. When very close pursued, and unable to escape by speed, it jumps into the
lowest branch of some tree, leaps from bough to bough until it has reached the top, and
either perches there or flies off to another part of the brush.

The Brush Turkey is a gregarious bird, living in small companies, and, like the true
turkey, is very wary and suspicious. The great enemy of this bird is the dingo or native
dog, which persecutes the flocks sadly, and often hunts them down. From this foe they
are safe by flying into a tree ; but this elevated position only makes them the more subject
to the colonist’s gun, and as the birds seem stunned or bewildered by the report, they will
suffer several rounds to be fired before they will fly away. Moreover, they have a habit
of resorting to the trees at midday, and sheltering themselves from the sun under the
spreading foliage, so that any one who has a knowledge of the customs of this bird may
be sure of good sport and a heavy bag.

602 THE BRUSH TURKEY.

The food of the Brush Turkey mostly consists of seeds and vegetable substances, though
insects of various kinds have been found in its stomach, which is exceedingly muscular.
Like other gallinaceous birds, it is fond of dusting itself, and as it loves to resort to the
same spot, it scrapes considerable depressions in the earth, which lead the practised
hunter to its residence. The voice of the Brush Turkey is a rather loud clucking sound.
Its flesh is particularly excellent, and there are hopes that this fine bird may also be in
time added to our list of domesticated poultry.

The egg mound—for it cannot rightly be called a nest—of this bird is extremely
large, containing, according to Mr. Gould, several cartloads of materials, and being
formed into a conical or somewhat pyramidal shape. It is not made by a single pair
of birds, but is the result of united labour, and is used from year to year, fresh materials
being supplied each season in order to make up the deficiency caused by the decom-
position of the vegetable matter below. Mr. Gould, to whom we are indebted for the
greatest part of our knowledge respecting these curious birds, gives the following account
of the nidification of the Brush Turkey :— :

“The mode in which the materials composing these mounds are accumulated is very
singular, the bird never using its bill, but always grasping a quantity in its foot,
throwing it backwards to one common centre, and thus clearing the surface of the
ground for a considerable distance so completely that scarcely a leaf or a blade of grass
is left. The heap being accumulated, and time allowed for a sufficient heat to be
engendered, the eggs are deposited, not side by side as is usually the case, but planted
at the distance of nine or twelve inches from each other, and buried at nearly an arm’s
depth, perfectly upright, with the large end upwards; they are covered up as they are
laid, and allowed to remain until hatched. I have been credibly informed, both by
natives and settlers living near their haunts, that it is not an unusual event to obtain
nearly a bushel of eggs at one time from a single heap; and as they are delicious eating,
they are eagerly sought after.

Some of the natives state that the females are constantly in the neighbourhood of
the heap about the time the young are likely to be hatched, and frequently uncover
and cover them up again, apparently for the purpose of assisting those that may have
appeared ; while others have informed me that the eggs are merely deposited, and the
young allowed to force their way unassisted. In all probability, as Nature has adopted
this mode of reproduction, she has also furnished the tender birds with the power of
sustaining themselves from the earliest period; and the great size of the egg would
equally lead to this conclusion, since in so large a space it is reasonable to suppose that
the bird would be much more developed than is usually found in eggs of smaller
dimensions. In further confirmation of this point, I may add that in searching for eggs
in one of the mounds, I discovered the remains of a young bird, apparently just
excluded from the shell, and which was clothed with feathers, not with down, as is
usually the case.”

In the “Guide to the Gardens of the Zoological Society,” by Mr. P. L. Sclater, the
Secretary to the Society, is the following most valuable account of the habits of this bird
in a state of captivity. The date of the notice is May, 1861.

“Since the year 1854, the singular phenomenon of the mound-raising faculty of the
Tallegalla, which had been well ascertained in Australia by My. Gould, has been annually
displayed in this country.

On being removed into an inclosure, with an abundance of vegetable material within
reach, the male begins to throw it up into a heap behind him, by a scratching kind of
motion of his powerful feet, which project each footful as he grasps it for a considerable
distance in the rear. As he always begins to work at the outer margin of the inclosure,
the material is thrown inwards in concentric circles, until sufficiently near the spot
selected for the mound to be jerked upon it. As soon as the mound is risen to a height
of about four feet, both birds work in reducing it to an even surface, and then begin to
excavate a depression in the centre. In this, in due time, the eggs are deposited as they
are laid, and arranged in a circle, about fifteen inches below the summit of the mound,
at regular intervals, with the smaller end of the egg pointing downwards. The male

THE PEACOCK 603

bird watches the temperature ‘of the mound very carefully: the eggs are generally
covered, a cylindrical opening being always maintained in the centre of the circle for
the purpose of giving air to them, and probably to prevent the danger of a sudden
increase of heat from the action of the sun or accelerated fermentation in the mound
itself. In hot days the eggs are nearly uncovered two or three times between morning
and evening.

On the young bird chipping out of the egg, it remains in the mound for at least
twelve hours without making any effort to emerge from it, being at that time almost as
deeply covered up by the male as the rest of the eggs.

On the second day it comes out, with each of its wing-feathers well developed in a
sheath which soon bursts, but apparently without inclination to use them, its powerful
feet giving it ample means of locomotion at once. Early in the afternoon, the young
bird retires to the mound again, and is partially covered up for the night by the assiduous
father, but at a diminished depth as compared with the circle of eggs from which it
emerged in the morning. On the third day, the nestling is capable of strong flight, and
on one occasion one of them, being accidentally alarmed, actually forced itself, while on
the wing, through the strong netting which covered the inclosure. The accounts of the
habits of the Tallegalla, given by. Mr. Gould in his Birds of Australia, in 1842, strange
as it appeared at the time, are thus perfectly verified in every respect.”

The general colour of the adult male Talegalla is blackish brown above, and the
same on the under surface with a silver grey gloss produced by the grey tips of the
back feathers. The cheeks are naked, the head and neck covered with short hair-like
feathers of a dark blackish hue, and the front of the neck is furnished with a large
naked fleshy wattle, something like that of a turkey, and being of a bright yellow
warming into orange-red at its junction with the neck. The bill is black; the eyes
brown chestnut, and the legs and feet dark brown. The male bird is about the size of
an ordinary turkey, and the female is about one-fourth less. Her plumage is like
that of the male, from which she may be readily distinguished by the smaller size
of the wattle.

THE large family of the Peacocks, or Pavonide, now claims our attention. For
convenience of description, these birds have been separated into several sub-families,
which are defined with tolerable certainty. Of the Pavonine, we shall find two
examples in the following pages.

The Pracock may safely be termed one of the most magnificent of the feathered
tribe, and may even lay a well-founded claim to the chief rank among birds in splendour
of plumage and effulgence of colouring. We are so familiar with the Peacock that we
think little of its real splendour; but if one of these birds had been brought to Europe
for the first time, it would create a greater sensation than even the hippopotamus
or the gorilla.

The Peacock is an Asiatic bird, the ordinary species being found chiefly in India,
and the Javanese Peacock in the country from which it derives its name. In some parts
of India the Peacock is extremely common, flocking together in bands of thirty or forty
in number, covering the trees with their splendid plumage, and filling the air with
their horridly dissonant voices. Captain Williamson, in his “Oriental Field Sports,”
mentions that he has seen at least twelve or fifteen hundred peacocks within sight of
the spot where he stood.

These birds are great objects of sport, and are mostly killed by the gun, though a
good rider may sometimes run them down by fair chase. The Peacock takes some
little preparation to get on the wing, and if hard pressed is not able to rise into the
air. The horseman then strikes at the bird with his long lashed whip, so as to get the
lash round its neck, and soon masters the beautiful quarry. “ When upon the wing,”
says Captain Williamson, “they fly very heavy and strong, generally within an easy
shot. It may reasonably be supposed that they fall very heavy, but if only winged they
soon recover, and if not closely pursued will, nine times in ten, disappear. When the
peepul berries, or figs, are in season, their flesh is rather bitter ; but when they have fed

PEACOCK.—Pavo cristatus,

a while among the corn-fields, they become remarkably sweet and juicy. This is to be
understood of the young birds, which make excellent roasters. The older birds are
sometimes put to the spit, but are by no means so good as when the breasts are made
into cutlets, and the residue boiled down into a rich soup. I have always thought such
Peacocks as frequented the mustard-fields after the pods were formed to be very superior.

‘HABITS OF THE PEACOCK. 605

They abound chiefly in close wooded forests, particularly where there is an extent
of long grass for them to range in. They are very thirsty birds, and will only remain
where they can have access to water. Rhur plantations are their favourite shelter,
being close above so as to keep off the solar rays, and open at the bottom sufficiently
to admit a free passage for the air. If there be trees near such spots, the Peacocks may
be seen mounting into them every evening towards dark to roost; and in which they
generally continue till the sun rises, when they descend to feed, and pass the midday
in the heavy coverts.

They are very jealous of all quadrupeds, especially of dogs; no doubt from finding
the jackal, and probably the tiger, to be such inveterate enemies. When Peacocks are
discovered in a tree, situated on a plain, if a dog be loose and hunt near it, the bird will
rarely move from it, though it will probably show extreme uneasiness.

But the most certain mode of killing one or two birds is by stealing under the trees
at night ; if there be a clear moon, so much the better. In this way, by looking up
among the foliage, the Peacocks may be readily distinguished. When they are very
numerous, and only one bird is wanted, as certain a mode as any is to lie in wait behind
a bush near their feeding haunts ; but without the most perfect silence this will not
succeed,

Though Pea-fowls invariably roost in trees, yet they make their nests on the ground,
and ordinarily on a bank raised above the common level, where in some sufficient bush
they collect leaves, small sticks, &c, and sit very close. I have on several occasions
seen them in their nests, but as I refrained from disturbing them, they did not offer to
move, though they could not fail to know that they were discovered. They usually sit
on about a dozen or fifteen eggs. They are generally hatched about the beginning of
November; and from January to the end of March, when the corn is standing, are
remarkably juicy and tender. When the dry season comes on, they feed on the seeds of
weeds and insects, and their flesh becomes dry and muscular.”

Peacock-shooting, although an exciting sport, is a dangerous one, the tiger feeling
himself suited by the rhur and other vegetation in which the peacock delights, so that
an inexperienced sportsman may suddenly find himself face to face with a tiger, and
run a strong chance of being himself the object of pursuit. Old hunters, however, who
know the habits of the Peacock, find that bird extremely useful in denoting the
presence of tigers. When the Peacock find itself in close proximity to a tiger or even
a wild cat, it raises the sound of alarm, which is a loud hoarse cry, answered by those
within hearing. The bird then utters a series of sharp quick grating notes, and gets
higher into the trees so as to be out of reach of the tiger’s claws.

In this country the Peacock is very common, and forms a magnificent adjunct to
the lawn, the park, the garden, and the farmyard. The evident admiration and self-
consciousness with which a Peacock regards himself are truly amusing, the bird always
looking out for spectators before it spreads its train, and turning itself round and round
so as to display its beauties to the best advantage. At night it always roosts in some
elevated spot; and invariably sits with its head facing the wind. Several Peacocks,
whom I used to see daily, always roosted upon the thatch of a corn-rick, their long trains
lying along the thatch so closely that towards dark they could hardly be seen. In
character, the Peacock is as variable as other creatures, some individuals being mild and
good-tempered, while others are morose and jealous to the extreme.

One of these birds, living in the north of Ireland, was a curious mixture of cruelty
and fun. He had four wives, but he killed them all successively by pecking them to
death, for what cause no one could find out. Even its own children shared the same
fate, until its owner put the Pea-fowl eggs under a sitting hen, and forced her to hatch
the eggs and tend the young far out of his sight.

His great amusement was to frighten the chickens. There were two iron troughs
in which the food for the chickens was placed daily, and to which they always resorted
as soon as their food was poured into their troughs. No sooner had they all assembled
than the Peacock would erect his train, rattle his quills together with that peculiar
rustling sound that is so characteristic of these birds, and march slowly towards the

606 THE CRESTED PEACOCK PHEASANT.

chickens. The poor little birds would slowly back away from the trough as the Peacock
advanced, not liking to lose sight of their food, and not daring to remain in defiance
of their persecutor. By degrees he got them all into a corner, crouching together and
trembling, when he would overshadow them with his train, place the ends of the
feathers against the wall so as to cover them completely, rattle the quills heartily so as
to frighten them extremely, and then would walk off, looking quite exultant at the
trick he had just played. He did not care for eating their food, but left the trough
untouched.

The train of the male Peacock, although popularly called its tail, is in reality composed
of the upper tail-coverts, which are enormously lengthened, and finished at their extremities
with broad rounded webs, or with spear-shaped ends. The shafts of these feathers are
almost bare of web for some fourteen or fifteen inches of their length, and then throw out
a number of long loose vanes of a light coppery green. These are very brittle and apt to
snap off at different lengths. In the central feathers the extremity is modified into a
wide flattened battledore-shaped form, each barbule being coloured with refulgent emerald
green, deep violet-purple, greenish bronze, gold and blue, in such a manner as to form a
distinct “eye,” the centre being violet of two shades, surrounded with emerald, and the
other tints being arranged concentrically around it. In the feathers that edge the train
there is no “eye,” the feathers coming to a point at the extremity, and having rather wide
but loose emerald green barbules on its outer web, and a few scattered coppery barbules
in the place of the inner web. The tail-feathers are only seven or eight inches in length,
are of a greyish brown colour, and can be seen when the train is erected, that being their
appointed task.

On the head is a tuft or aigrette of twenty-four upright feathers, blackish upon their
almost naked shafts and rich golden green shot with blue on their expanded tips. The
top of the head, the throat and neck, are the most refulgent blue, changing in different
lights to gold and green. On the back the feathers are golden green, edged with velvety
black, giving a peculiar richness of effect. The wings are darker than the rest of the
plumage, the quill-feathers being marked with black, and having some red aboutt hem
The abdomen is blackish with a green gloss, and the feathers of the thighs are fawn.
The female is much smaller than her mate, and not nearly so beautiful, the train being
almost wanting, and the colour ashy brown with the exception of the throat and neck,
which are green. A white or albino variety of this bird is not at all uncommon, and
in this case the characteristic “eyes” are faintly indicated in neutral tint.

THE generic term Polyplectron signifies “many-spurred,” and is given to a genus of
gallinaceous birds because they have two or sometimes three spurs on each leg. There
are several species, all very handsome birds, and one of the most conspicuous is the
Crestep PEAcocK PHEASANT. As is the case with all the species, the tail is greatly
enlarged, so as to be spread into a flat, wide, fan-like form, with two ranges of feathers
placed one above each other, and decorated with a double row of large lightly coloured
spots. It probably inhabits Soudan and the Moluccas, but there is little known of its
habits.

The beautiful crest which adorns the head is very deep shining violet-blue, and the
head, neck, and breast are of the same colour. Over the eye runs a white streak, and a
white patch is placed just below and behind the eye, contrasting very boldly with the
deep violet of the surrounding plumage. The back is brown, covered with irregular wavy
lines of a paler hue, and the wing-coverts and secondaries are bright azure tipped with
velvety black. The tail is brown, covered with innumerable little spots of yellowish
white, and each feather is marked near the tip with a large oval spot of shining metallic
ereen, surrounded first with a waved line of black and then with a broader line of pale
brown. Close to the tip each feather is bordered with black, and the extremity is pale
fawn. The abdomen is dull black. In total length, this bird measures about twenty
inches,

THE Pheasants come next in order, and the grandest and most imposing of this group,
although there are many others that surpass its brilliant colouring, is the ARGUS PHEASANT,

PEACOCK PHEASANT.—Polyplectron Napolednis.

so called in remembrance of the ill-fated Areus of mythology, whose hundred eyes never
slept simultaneously until charmed by the magic lyre of Mercury.

This magnificent bird is remarkable for the very great length of its tail-feathers and
the extraordinary development of the secondary feathers of the wings. While walking
on the ground, or sitting on a bough, the singular leneth of the feathers is not very
striking, but when the bird spreads its wings, as shown in the smaller figure in the back-
ground, they come out in all their beauty. As might be supposed from the general
arrangement of the plumage, the bird is by no means a good flier, and when it takes to
the air, only flies for a short distance. In running, its wings are said to be efficient
aids.

Although the Argus is hardly larger than an ordinary fowl, the plumage is so greatly
developed that its total length measures more than five feet. The head and back of the
neck are covered with short brown feathers, and the neck and upper part of the breast
are warm chestnut-brown covered with spots of yellow and black, and similar tints
are formed on the back. The tail is deep chestnut, covered with white spots, each spot
being surrounded with a black rmeg. When the bird chooses, it can raise the tail, so that
it stands boldly in the air between the wings and is partially spread. The secondaries of
the wings are most wonderful examples of plumage, and would require many pages to
describe them fully. Suffice it to say that the gradations of jetty black, deep rich brown,
orange, fawn, olive and white are so justly and boldly arranged as to form admirable studies
for the artist, and totally to baffle description.

In one feather now before me there are seventeen large “eyes” on the outer web, each
being surrounded with a ring of jetty black, then with a dash of chocolate within the

THE PHEASANT.

ARGUS PHEASANT.—Argus gigantéus.

ring, then olive with the least possible
tinge of purple, and lastly with a spot
of pure white near the tip, fading imper-
ceptibly into the olive on one side and
the chocolate on the other. Between these
“eyes” some leopard-like mottlings diver-
sify the rich fawn of the ground colour,
and outside them four wavy bands of
dark brown run along the feather to-
wards the edge, breaking up into spots
about an inch before they reach the edge.
The inner web is pale fawn covered with
black spots, surrounded with buff, and
the tip of the whole feather is deep brown,
spotted profusely with white. The shaft
is black at its base, and yellow towards
its termination.

In another feather both webs are
marked just like a leopard, with dark
spots on a fawn ground, only the spots
are arranged in diagonal rows. But
along the shaft runs a band, about three-
quarters of an inch wide, of rich choco-
late, profusely speckled with the tiniest
white spots, also arranged in rows. This
band does not quite extend to the end of
the feather, which at its tip is pale fawn
very sparingly studded with deep brown
rosettes, surrounded with chestnut. These
are but two feathers, and I might take
twenty as wonderful. In the female the
secondary feathers, instead of measuring
nearly a yard in length, are little more
than a foot, and the eyes are much more
obscure. The Argus Pheasant inhabits
Sumatra and neighbouring localities.

THE well-known PHEASANT affords a
triumphant instance of the success with
which a bird of a strange country may
be acclimatized to this island with some
little assistance from its owners.

Originally the pheasant was an in-
habitant of Asia Minor, and has been by
degrees introduced into many European
countries, where its beauty of form and
plumage and the delicacy of its flesh
made wt a welcome visitor. In this
country it is probably dependent to a
great extent on “preserves” for its ex-
istence, as, even putting aside the ma-
rauding attacks of poachers, whether biped
or quadruped, the bird requires much
shelter and plenty of food. Even with
the precautions that are taken by the
owners of preserves, the breed is to some

PHEASANT.—Phasidivus Célehicus.

degree artificially kept up by the hatching of Pheasant’s eggs under domestic hens, and
feeding them in the coop like ordinary chickens, until they are old and strong enough to
get their own living.

The food of this bird is extremely varied. When young it is generally fed on ants’
eggs, maggots, grits, and similar food, but when it is fully grown it is possessed of an
accommodating appetite, and will eat many kinds of seeds, roots, and leaves. The tubers of
the common buttercup form a considerable item in its diet, and the bird will also eat
beans, peas, acorns, berries of various kinds, and has even been known to eat the ivy leaf
as well as the berry.

The Pheasant is a ground-loving bird, running with great speed, and always preferring
to trust to its legs rather than its wings. It is a crafty creature, and when alarmed,
instead of rising on the wing, it slips quietly out of sight behind a bush or through a
hedge, and then runs away with astonishing rapidity, always remaining under cover until
it reaches some spot where it deems itself to be safe. The male Pheasant is not in the
least given to the domestic affections, passing a kind of independent existence during
part of the year, and associating with others of its own sex during the rest of the season.
It is a very combative bird, and can maintain a stout fight even with a barn-door cock.
When the two fight, an event of no very unfrequent occurrence, the Pheasant often gets
the better of the combat by his irregular mode of proceeding. After making two or three
strokes, up goes the Pheasant into a tree to breathe awhile, leaving the cock looking about
for his antagonist. Presently, while his opponent is still bewildered, down comes the
Pheasant again, makes another stroke and retires to his branch. The cock gets so puzzled
at this mode of fighting that he often yields the point.

2. RR

610 REEVES’ PHEASANT.

It is rather curious that the Pheasant should display so great a tendency to mate with
birds of other species. Hybrids between the Pheasant and common hen are by no means
uncommon, and the peculiar form and colour of the plumage, together with the wild and
suspicious mien are handed down through several generations. The grouse is also apt to
mate with the Pheasant, and even the turkey and the guinea fowl are mentioned among
the members of these curious alliances.

As these pages are not intended for sporting purposes, the art and mystery of Pheasant
shooting will be left unnoticed. The ingenious mode employed by Mr. Waterton for
the deception of poachers, is however, too amusing to be omitted. Those nocturnal
marauders were accustomed to haunt the fir plantations at night, and by looking upwards
could easily see the Pheasants as they sat asleep across the branches, and bring them
down with the gun, or even a noose on a long rod. So, thinking that prevention was
better than prosecution, he first planted a number of thick holly clumps, dark as night in
the interior, and quite impervious to human beings unless cased in plate armour. The
Pheasants soon resorted to these fortresses, but their places were filled with a few hundred
rough wooden Pheasants, which were nailed upon the fir branches, and at night looked so
exactly like the birds that the most practised eye could not discover the difference. After
these precautions had been taken, the astute inventor was able to rest quietly at home and
chuckle to himself at the nocturnal reports in the direction of the fir-wood.

The nest of the Pheasant is a very rude attempt at building, being merely a heap of
leaves and grasses collected together wpon the ground, and with a very slight depression,
caused apparently quite as much by the weight of the eggs as by the art of the bird.
The eggs are numerous, generally about eleven or twelve, and their colour is an uniform
olive brown. ‘Their surface is very smooth. When I was a boy I well remember finding
a Pheasant’s nest in a copse, taking the whole clutch and blowing them on the spot with
perfect openness, being happily ignorant of the penalties attached to such a proceeding,
and not in the least acquainted with the risk until I exhibited my prize to some friends,
and saw their horrified looks.

The adult male Pheasant is a truly beautiful bird. The head and neck are deep steely
blue, “shot” with greenish purple and brown; and the sparkling hazel eye is surrounded
with a patch of bare scarlet skin, speckled profusely with blue-black. Over the ears there
is a patch of brown. The upper part of the back is beautifully adorned with light golden
red feathers, each being tipped with deep black ; and the remainder of the back is of the
same golden red, but marked with brown and a lighter tint of yellow without any
admixture of red. The quill-feathers of the wing are brown of several shades, and the
long quills of the tail are oaken brown changing to purple on the edge of the outer web,
and barred with jetty black on the outer web and brown on the inner. The breast and
front of the abdomen are golden red with purple reflections, and diversified by the black
edge of each feather; the rest of the abdomen and under tail-coverts are blackish brown.
In total length the full-erown male Pheasant is about three feet. The female is much
more sober in her colours and less in size than her mate, her body being of a pale yellow-
brown, and her length only some two feet.

THE gorgeous bird which is now known by the name of REEVES’ PHEASANT, but
which has undergone so many changes of title, is a native of Surinagur and Northern
China.

It is a truly remarkable bird, for although its body does not surpass the ordinary
Pheasant in size, the total leneth of a full-grown male will often exceed eight feet, owing
to the very great development of the two central tail-feathers, which alone will measure
six and seven feet in length, and are very wide at the base. This species has been
brought alive to England and placed in the Zoological Gardens, where it throve tolerably
well; and was sufficiently hardy to warrant a hope that it might be acclimatized to this
country. Its habits in a wild state are little known, but those specimens which have
been kept in captivity behaved much like the ordinary Pheasant. Although so splendid
and highly coloured a bird, it inhabits very cold regions, the mountains of Surinagur
being covered with snow. In that country it is known by the appropriate na ne of Doom-
durour or Long-tail.

THE GOLDEN PHEASANT. 611

No amount of artificial colouring
could give the full effect of the gorgeous
and ever-changing beauty which adorns
the plumage of this magnificent bird ;
while the simple black and white of an en-
graving gives but a very faint notion of its
real magnificence. The absence of colours
must therefore be faintly supplied with a
brief description in words.

The head is white, except a patch of
light scarlet naked skin around the eyes,
edged by a band of black which runs
over the forehead, under the chin, and is
rather broader over the ear-coverts. The
neck is also broadly collared with white.
The back of the neck, and the back
itself are covered with shining scale-lke
feathers, each being a light golden yellow
and edged at the extremity by a band of
deep velvety black, thus producing an
extremely rich appearance. The feathers
of the breast and abdomen are snowy
white, banded and tipped with the same
velvety black as those of the upper parts
with the exception of the middle of the
breast and abdomen, which are deep
black, and the under tail-coverts, which
are also black covered with golden yellow
spots. The two central feathers of the
tail are delicate grey, covered with nu-
merous transverse and rather curved
bands of rich dark brown, edged with a
lighter tint of the same colour. In one
of these feathers only four feet in length,
Mr. Temminck counted forty-seven bands.
The remaining feathers of the tail are
greyish white, also profusely barred with
deep brown, and passing into chestnut at
their edges. They can be folded over
each other, and they appear very narrow.

Two very lovely birds are shown in
the illustration on page 612, one glowing
like the sun in the full radiance of gold
and crimson, and the other shining like
the moon with a soft silvery lustre, not
so splendid, but even more pleasing.

The GOLDEN PHEASANT is a native
of China, where it is a great favourite,
not only for its splendid plumage and
elegant form, but for the excellence of
its flesh, which is said to surpass in de-
licacy even that of the common Pheasant.

For the purposes of the table, how-
ever, it is hardly likely to come into
general use, as there are great difficulties
in the way of breeding it in sufficient

SILVER PHEASANT.—Gallophdsis Nycthémerus. GOLDEN PHEASANT.—Thawnilia picta,

number, and one feels a natural sensation of repugnance to the killing of so beautiful a
bird merely for the sake of eating it. As it is a tolerably hardy bird, bearing confine-
ment well, and breeding freely, especially in the southern parts of England, it has been
turned out into preserves with the common Pheasant, but as yet without sufficient success
to warrant the continuation of the experiments.

This bird, together with another which will be briefly mentioned, is remarkable for
the large ruff of broad squared feathers which folds round its neck, as well as for the
finely developed crest. This crest is of rich golden yellow with a tinge of carmine. The
feathers of the ruff are squared, and disposed in a scale-like fashion; their colour is
rich orange edged with velvety black. The whole ruff can be raised or depressed at
will. Fly-fishers hold the crest and ruff of this bird in great value, as many of their
best artificial baits owe their chief beauty to the Golden Pheasant. Just below the ruff
comes a patch of scale-like rounded feathers of dark glossy green, over which the ends
of the ruff feathers play as the bird moves its head, and below them the back is wholly
of a bright golden yellow, enriched on the upper tail-coverts by a crimson edging. The
primary and secondary feathers of the wings are rich brown barred with chestnut, and
their bases are deep blue. The breast and abdomen are brightest scarlet, and the tail
is rich chestnut mottled with black. The eye is bright, glancing, and of a whitish
yellow.

These magnificent colours only belong to the male bird, the female being reddish
brown, spotted and marked with a darker hue, and the tail is short.

VEILLOT'S FIREBACK. 613

The second ruffed Pheasant is that which is known by the name of AMHERST’s
Pheasant (Thaumdlea Ambhérstie), also a native of China. This magnificent bird has
a wonderfully long and broad tail, quite as remarkable as that of Reeves’ Pheasant.
The crest of this beautiful bird is scarlet, the tippet is snowy white, each feather being
tipped with velvety black, the shoulders are rich shining green, the abdomen pure
white, and the tail is white, barred with dark green, and strikingly varied with the
scarlet tips of the upper tail-coverts, which are much elongated.

The SmveR PHEASANT is another inhabitant of China, and is found chiefly in the
northern portions of that country.

It is one of the largest and most powerful of the tribe to which it belongs, and is
said to be a match for a gamecock in fair combat. It is a hardy bird, and like the
Golden Pheasant, has been turned loose into British preserves, but with even less
success. The weight of the bird is generally too great in proportion to its strength of
wing, so that it does not readily raise itself from the ground, and thereby runs a risk
of being devoured by the carnivorous quadrupeds that infest every preserve. Moreover,
it is so large, so strong, and so combative, that it fights the common Pheasants and
drives them out of the coverts, so that at present we have to content ourselves with
rearing it under the safe protection of brick and wire.

The crest on the top of the head is deep purple-black, and the naked skin round the
eyes, which forms a kind of wattle over the nostrils and below the chin, is a bright
scarlet. The upper surface of the body is pure silver-white, delicately pencilled with
wavy black lines. The tail is also white, pencilled boldly with black, except the two
central feathers, which are wholly white, long and curved. The breast and abdomen are
of the same deep purple black as the crest. The colours of the female are quite dis-
similar, so that the bird would hardly be recognised as belonging to the same species.
She is much smaller in size, has a smaller crest, and a shorter tail, of a brown colour,
streaked on the outer feathers with black and white. Instead of the silvery white of
the male, her back is greyish brown, irregularly marked and waved with narrow black
bars. The breast and abdomen are greyish white, marked with brown and barred with
black.

THE very handsome FIREBACK is an Asiatic bird, inhabiting Sumatra and in all
probability several other neighbouring localities.

The popular name of Fireback is very appropriate, being given to the bird on account
of the fiery red feathers which decorate a considerable portion of the back. It is re-
markable for the great size of the naked skin about the eyes, which nearly covers the
whole head, running over the ears and forehead, and descending well below the chin.
The colour is of a bluish purple during the life of the bird, but after its death the colour
darkens into dark brown, as is generally the case with bare skin both in beasts and
birds, and in the stuffed species it shrinks, like wetted leather, and entirely loses its
former fulness and shape.

The head is decorated with an elegant crest of upright feathers, their shafts being
nearly devoid of web, and expanding at the extremities into a number of delicate barbs.
The general colour of the bird is rich deep satiny violet, appearing black except in
certain lights, and the feathers of the lower part of the back are flaming orange-red,
the depth of hue being changeable according to the light. he tail is smaller than that
of the domestic cock, and the central feathers are snowy white, the others bemg deep
green glossed with purple. The total length of the adult male is about two feet. The
female is smaller, and her plumage is warm cinnamon-brown above and greyish white
below.

WE now arrive at the typical genus of the Galline, to which our ordinary barn-door
poultry, with all its multitudinous varieties belongs. Our first example of this genus is
the beautiful SONNERAT’s JUNGLE FowL,

This fine bird is a native of India, and is found chiefly in the wooded districts.
Although smaller than the common domestic fowl, it is a wonderfully powerful bird in

VEILLOT'’S FIREBACK.—Gallophasis Veillotvi.

proportion to its size, and so fierce and determined a combatant that the native sportsmen,
who set great store upon fighting cocks, always prefer a Jungle Cock as their champion.
As in general appearance it is something like the domestic fowl, some persons have
supposed that it is the stock from which our poultry were derived. The Bankiva Fowl,
however, is thought with more reason to be the original progenitor of these useful birds.
The very peculiar formation of the hackles affords a good reason for believing that the
domestic fowl is not the oftspring of Sonnerat’s Jungle Fowl. The webs of the hackles
and upper tail-coverts are dark grey, but their shafts ave bright orange, dilating in the
centre and at the tip into flat, shining horny plates of a brilliant orange hue, which give
a peculiar splendour to the plumage, and are discernible at a considerable distance, their
tips being rounded instead of lancet-shape.

The voice of this bird is rather startling, for at first sight it looks so like a game-cock,
that its crow strikes the ear in a very absurd manner. Every one knows the ludicrous
attempts made by a young cock to crow like his elders; how he breaks down just when
he thinks he is doing best, like a young lad with a cracked voice, trying to talk with a
manly intonation, and going unexpectedly from hoarse bass to sharpest treble. Give the
young cock a sharp attack of whooping-cough, and that will afford a tolerably good notion
of the crowing of this Jungle Fowl.

The head of this bird is adorned with well-developed wattles, deeply notched at the
tip. The beautiful hackles have already been described, with their flattened ends shining
like the gold coins gleaming on the dark tresses of Oriental beauties. The back and
lower portions of the body ave deep grey, and the tail is long, arched, and beautifully

SONNERAT’S JUNGLE FOWL.—Gallus Sonneratii.

coloured with changing hues of purple, green, and gold. The female is a smaller and
very sober-looking bird, without comb or wattles, and devoid of the curious horny hackles
that decorate her mate.

The BankivA JUNGLE FowL is now supposed to be the original stock of the
domesticated poultry.

It is a native of Java, and the male very closely resembles the game-cock of England.
It is a splendid creature, with its light searlet comb and wattles, its drooping hackles, its
long arched tail, and its flashing eye. The comb and wattles are of the brightest scaylet,
the long hackles of the neck and lower part of the back are fine orange-red, the upper
part of the back is deep blue-black, and the shoulders are ruddy chestnut, The secondaries
and greater coverts are deep steely blue, and the quill-feathers of the wing are blackish
brown edged with rusty yellow. The long, arched and drooping tail is blue-black glossed
with green, and the breast and under parts black, so that in general aspect it is very like
the black-breasted red gaime-cock.

The domesticated bird is of all the feathered tribe the most directly useful to man,
and is the subject of so many valuable treatises that the reader is referred to them for the
best mode of breeding, rearing, and general management of poultry. On the accompanying
illustration are shown some of the most useful or remarkable of the varieties of this bird.

Towards the top, and on the left hand, may be seen some examples of the famous
Cochin Fowl, whose enormous size and ungainly appearance took England so completely
by storm some few years ago. Nothing was talked of but Cochin China Fowls, and the

BANKIVA FOWL.—Gallus Bankiva.—DOMESTIC POULTRY.

COCHINS. GAME. BANTAMS.
SPANISH. DORKINGS. POLISH.

sums given for these birds almost rose to the fabulous. A first-rate hunter, or three or four
valuable cows, or a tolerable flock of sheep might have been purchased for the money
that was freely given for a single Cochin China Fowl.

Occupying the centre of the plate are a pair of the Game Fowls, certainly the finest

DOMESTIC FOWLS. 617

of all the varieties. The time has now passed away, when these splendid birds were
openly trained for combat, and cock-fights were held in every village and town throughout
the kingdom. The law has rightly prohibited this savage amusement, and cock-fighting
like dog-fighting is now confined to a small and continually decreasing knot of sporting
men. For this ] purpose, the birds are trained in the most regular and scientific manner,
as great pains being taken about them as about a race-horse on the eve of the Derby. In
order to deprive the antagonist of the advantage which it would gain by pecking the
comb, which is very tender and bleeds freely, the comb was cut off and the horny spurs
were replaced with steel weapons, long, sharp-edged and pointed. These precautions were,
_after all, not so barbarous as they seem on a first view, for the comb was “dubbed” at so
early an age that its growth was prevented rather than its substance mangled, and the
substitution of metal for horny spurs served to set the combatants on more equal terms,
just as a sword sets a small man on an equality with a large one. Irrespective of these
advantages, the Game-cock is an hereditary gladiator, delighting in combat and instinctively
practising the art of defence as well as that of assault. So superior is it to the ordinary
breeds in these respects, that I have seen a little old one-eyed Game-cock cut down, as if
with a sword, a great swaggering barn-door cock that looked as if it could have killed its
puny antagonist with a blow and eaten him afterwards.

There seems to be no limits to the courage of the Game-cock, which will attack not
only his own kind, but any other creature that may offend it. One of these birds has
been known to fly at a fox that was carrying off one of his wives, and to drive his spur
deep into the offender's eyes. There are instances innumerable of similar rescues from
cats, rats, and other marauders. Sometimes, however, the Game-cock takes upon himself
to defend certain localities, and then often becomes dangerous. One such bird, of whose
ferocity I have often had personal proof, was accustomed to parade, with the air of an
emperor, the yard in which he was necessarily confined, and would fly at every living
being that came within the prohibited precinct. A besom was kept by the door and
always used by every one who passed through the yard, for the purpose of repelling the
attacks of this savage bird. Many a time have I tried to tire him out, knocking him
over with the broom, or pushing him back against the wall, but I was always tired first,
and had to vacate the premises, leaving him to get on a water-butt and crow forth his
triumph. Sometimes he would slip past the broom, and then the stroke of his spur was
no trifle, feeling like the blow of a stone thrown by a strong arm, and leaving a black-
and-blue mark for days afterwards.

The flesh of the Game breed is very excellent, but they are troublesome birds to keep,
the males always fighting among each other, and having to be separated before they are
fully grown. Crosses with the Game breed are common.

Just below the game bird is seen an odd-looking fowl, with a head so covered with a
monstrous plume of drooping feathers that its features are not more discernible than
those of a skye-terrier under his thick hair. This wealth of cranial plumage seems,
however, to impoverish the brain, for the large-crested Polish fowls are generally stupid
birds, and apt to meet with accidents which might easily be avoided.

On the opposite side of the plate is the Spanish fowl, a very fine variety, glossy black,
with a very large comb, and notable for the white naked skin below the ear. It is a very
large breed, coming next in size to the Cochin China, and very far surpasses that large
but uncouth bird in the symmetry of its form. The flesh of this breed is excellent, and as
the hens are regular layers, these birds are deservedly favourites among poultry owners.

On the foreground of the plate are some examples of those birds whose many
excellencies have rendered a town famous. These are the Dorking Fowls, short-legged,
round-bodied, plump-fieshed, and remarkable for having at least one, and sometimes two
supplementary toes. These useful birds are mostly to be found in Surrey and Kent, the
northern and marshy districts not suiting them. The Dorking Fowls are excellent for the
table, their flesh being peculiarly plump and white, and the hens are remarkably prolific
layers.

: Lastly comes the odd, quaint, opiniated little Bantam, with its feathered legs, full
breast, and bold fearless carriage. This minikin member of the poultry tribe is, despite

HORNED TRAGOPAN.—Ceriornis Lathami,

his small dimensions, as bold as any of them, and if he thinks himself aggrieved will

attack a great Cochin China or Spanish cock with such spirited audacity that he will not
unfrequently come off victor in the contest. The Bantam is of little use to the poultry
keeper, and may be classed among the fancy fowls, of w hich there are so many and ever-
varying breeds, Two examples of these birds may be seen perched on the paling just
above the game-cock’s tail.

The common Barn-Door Fowl is of no particular breed, no pains being taken to
prevent crossing, but is a kind of compound of all the preceding, except perhaps the
bantam, which ought to be kept eee from them as tending to diminish the size of the
birds and their eggs. The regular ege trade is a very complicated and curious affair,
eiving a liv elihood to thousands ,and possessing a nation: al importance of which few
would dream whose only notion of eggs is connected with the breakfast table or the

salad bowl.

A most singular group of birds now comes before our notice, of which the HorNED
TRAGOPAN affords an example. The males are vemarkable for the loose pendent skin
which hangs from the base of the lower mandibles, and can be inflated at the pleasure of
the bird, and for the two le nethened protuberances behind the eyes which generally hang
listlessly down the cheeks, but can be erected at will and then look as shown in the
illustration. In all these birds the plumage is ample and the tail short. As far as is at
present known they are found in the higher and more mountainous districts of Asia,
having been taken in Thibet, Nepal, and the Himalayas.

They all are beautifully coloured, and the present example may challenge competition
with any of the species, if not for absolute brilliance of plumage, yet for delicacy of
tint, and pleasing marking of its feathers. The bare skin around the eyes, together with
the wattles and horns are bluish purple, and the feathers of the crest, together with the
chin and back of the neck are deep black. The upper part of the breast, the neck and
shoulders are light cinnamon with a dash of carmine and purple, and variegated by the

white eye-like tips of the feathers. The wings and part of the back are rich amber

mottled with brown, and also decorated with white spots. The spots are largest and
most conspicuous upon the flanks. The tail-coverts are also amber-brown, spotted with
white, and extend to such a length as nearly to conceal their short rounded tail. In size
the Tragopan about equals a common Spanish fowl.

THE now well-known Turkey is another example ot the success with which foreign
birds can be acclimatized in this country, and is one of the creatures that affords great
encouragement to the members of the Acclimatization Society to persevere in their
valuable efforts. Indeed, if so wild a bird as the Turkey, and one so delicate in its
youth, can be thus transferred from America to England, there seems every reason that
the numerous birds and beasts mentioned by Mr. Buckland in his well-known lecture on
this subject, may find a suitable home in this country.

As to its qualities as a poultry bird, there is little to be said, as every reader will have
had practical experience thereof, and the mode of breeding and rearing it belongs to the
regular treatises on poultry, and does not come within the province of this work.

620 HABITS OF THE TURKEY.

Admirable descriptions of the Turkey when wild are given by Audubon and other
writers, and their narratives must be condensed very briefly in consequence of our rapidly
decreasing space.

The Turkey is spread over many parts of America, such as the wooded parts of
Arkansas, Louisiana, Alabama, Indiana, &c. but does not seem to extend beyond the
Rocky Mountains. It begins to mate about the middle of February, and the males then
acquire those ludicrous gobbling sounds which have caused the bird to be called Gobbler,
or Bubbling-Jock by the whites, and Oocoocoo by the Cherokees. In Persia, a pair of these
birds, who had wandered there in some strange manner, were thought to speak very good
Arabic, though the particular dialect was beyond the comprehension of the hearers.

The female makes her nest in some secluded spot, and is very guarded in her
approaches, seldom employing the same path twice in succession; and if discovered
using various wiles by which to draw the intruder from the spot. As soon as the young
are hatched she takes them under her charge, and the whole family go wandering about
to great distances, at first returning to the nest for the night, but afterwards crouching in
any suitable spot. Marshy places are avoided by the Turkey, as wet is fatal to the young
birds until they have attained their second suit of clothes, and wear feathers instead
of down. When they are about a fortnight old they are able to get up into trees, and
roost in the branches, safe from most of the numerous enemies which beset their path
through life.

The great horned owl is, however, still able and willing to snatch them from the
branches, and would succeed oftener in its attempts, were it not baffled by the instinctive
movements of the Turkey. Even the slight rustling of the owl’s wings sets the watchful
Turkeys on the alert, and with anxious eyes they note his movements as he sails dark and
lethal over them in the moonbeams, his large lambent eyeballs glowing with opalescent
light; a feathered Azrael impending over them, and with fearful deliberation selecting
his victim. Suddenly the stoop is made, but the intended victim is ready for the assault ;
ducks down its head, flattens its tail over its back, and the owl, striking upon this
improvised shield, finds no hold for his claws, and slides off his prey like water from a
duck’s back. The whole flock drop from the boughs, and are safely hidden among
the dark underwood before their enemy has recovered himself and renewed the attack.

The lynx is a terrible foe to the Turkeys, bounding suddenly among them, and as they
hastily rise into the air to seek the shelter of the branches, the lynx leaps upwards and
strikes them down with his ready paw just as a cat knocks down sparrows on the wing.
Various other animals and birds persecute the inoffensive Turkey throughout its existence,
but its worst enemy is the featherless biped. Snares of wonderful construction, traps, and
“pens,” are constantly employed for the capture of this valuable bird; the “pen” being
s0 simple and withal so ingenious, that it merits a short description.

A little square hut is made of logs, without window or door, A trench is cut in the
ground, some ten or twelve feet in length, passing under the wall of the hut and termin-
ating in its centre. A kind of bridge of flattened logs or sticks is then laid across the
trench in the interior of the hut, close to the wall. The roof is then laid, and the pen is
complete. Its mode of action is as follows. A quantity of corn is strewn in the pen and
along the trench, and is sparingly scattered at intervals so as to lead the Turkeys to the
trench. When they see the corn they follow it up, feeding as they go, and finding that
the trench is so well supplied, they traverse its length and pass into the pen. There is no
trap-door to prevent them from escaping, neither is there need of it. As is the custom of
trapped birds in general, they walk round the walls of their prison, trying to find a hole
at which to escape, and peering anxiously through the interstices between the logs.
When they come to the trench, they never think of going out by the way that they
entered, but keeping close against the wall, they walk over the little bridge and re-
commence their tour. In this way great numbers of Turkeys are taken annually.

The Turkey is a very migratory bird, passing over great distances, and retaining the
habit in its tamed state, giving no small amount of trouble to the poultry owner. In
describing one of these migrations, Audubon speaks as follows :—

THE HONDURAS TURKEY. 621

“ About the beginning of October, when scarcely any of the seeds and fruits have
fallen from the trees, these birds assemble in flocks, and gradually move towards the rich
bottom-lands of the Ohio and Mississippi. The males, or as they are more commonly
called the gobblers, associate in parties from ten to a hundred, and search for food apart
from the females, while the latter are seen either advancing singly, each with its brood of
young, then about two-thirds grown, or in union with other families, forming parties often
amounting to seventy or eighty individuals, all intent on shunning the old cocks, who,
when the young birds have attained this size, will fight with and often destroy them by
repeated blows on the head. Old and young, however, all move in the same course, and
on foot, unless their progress be intercepted by a river, or the hunter's dog force them to
take wing.

When they come upon a river, they betake themselves to the highest eminences, and
there often remain a whole day, and sometimes two, as if for the purpose of consultation.
During this time the males are heard gobbling, calling, and making much ado, and are
seen strutting about as if to raise their courage to a pitch befitting the emergency.
Even the females and young assume something of the same pompous demeanour, spread
out their tails, and run round — other, purring loudly and performing extravagant
leaps.

a length when the weather appears settled, and all around is quiet, the whole party
mount to the tops of the highest trees, whence at a signal, consisting of a single cluck
given by a leader, the flock takes flight for the opposite shore. The old and fat birds get
easily over, even should the river be a mile in breadth, but the younger and less robust
frequently fall into the water, not to be drowned, however, as might be imagined; they
bring their wings close to their body, spread out their tail as a support, and striking out
their legs with great vigour, proceed rapidly towards the shore ; on approaching which,
should they find it too steep for landing, they cease their exertions for a few moments,
float down the stream until they come to an accessible part, and by a violent effort
generally extricate themselves from the water. It is remarkable that immediately after
crossing a large stream, they ramble about for some time as if bewildered. In this state
they fall an easy prey to the hunter.”

The colouring of the wild male Turkey is briefly as follows. The small head and half
of the neck are covered with a warty, naked, bluish skin, hanging in wattles from the base
of the bill and forming a long fleshy protuberance, hanging from the base of the bill and
having a tuft of hairs at its tip. This excrescence is capable of elongation under excite-
ment. There is also a long tuft of strong black hairs hanging from the junction of the
neck and breast. The general colour of the plumage is very beautiful, gleaming with
golden bronze, banded with black and “shot” with violet, green, and blue. In total
length this bird measures about four feet.

THE splendid HonpuRAS TuRKEY is even a more magnificent bird than the preceding
species. It is found, as its name imports, in the wooded districts of Honduras and
Yucatan.

Two specimens of this splendid bird, a male and female, were brought to the Zoological
Gardens; and I am indebted to the kindness of Mr. T. W. Wood, the artist of the
accompanying illustration, for the following short account of its habits in a state of
captivity, I being at the time unable through ill health to visit the gardens. “In the
spring, the male became highly excited, and stalked about with his tail spread, wings
drooping, and all his feathers puffed up, looking as if he would burst with pride. At such
a time his head was thrown back so far and his breast-feathers projecting so far that he
could not observe the ground beneath him, and consequently he often stepped into the
water, much to his annoyance and the visitor’s amusement.”

The colouring of this bird is peculiarly fine. The naked skin of the head and neck
is delicate violet-blue, covered with a number of round pea-like knobs, arranged in a
cluster upon the crown and of a pale buff-orange, a row over the eye, and others
scattered about the neck without any particular arrangement. ‘The wattle hanging from
the base of the neck is light orange at its tip. The skin round the eyes and the knobs on

HONDURAS TURKEY.—WMeledaqris ocellata.

the neck are carmine. The hairy tuft on the breast is not seen in this species. The
feathers are finely webbed, rounded, and scale-like, and their colours are truly splendid.
On the lower part of the neck and upper part of the back they are bronze-ereen banded
with black and gold; and towards the tail the green assumes a flashing emerald hue, and
the gold band becomes wider and darker with fiery-red, like the throat of the ruby-
throated hummine-bird. The tail-coverts are furnished with bold “eyes” at their tips,
and the lower parts of the body are also bronze-green and black, but without the lustre of
the upper parts. The primary feathers of the wings are black edged with white, and the
secondaries have the outer webs wholly white. The greater coverts are rich chestnut, and
the legs and feet are lake. In size this bird is rather smaller than the common turkey.

Tue prettily spotted GuinrA Fown or Pryrapo is, although now domesticated in
England, a native of Africa, and with some exceptions, has much of the habits and
propensities s of the turkey, which bird it evidently represents.

Like the turkey, it is a confirmed wanderer, travelling continually during the day, and
perching on the branches to roost at night It differs from the turkey however in its
choice of locality, for whereas the turkey always keeps itself to the driest spots, shunning
the low-lying lands as fatal to its young, the Guinea Fowl has a special liking for the
marshes, and may generally be found among the most humid spots or upon the “banks of
rivers. It is a gregarious bird, assembling in large bands which traverse the country in
company. The flieht of the Pintado is seldom extended to any great distance, as the
hody is heavy in proportion to the power of wing, and the bird is forced to take short and
hasty flights with much flapping of the wings, and to trust mos ly to its legs for loco-

GUINEA FOWL.—Ninida meleagris.

motion. On the ground the Guinea Fowl is a very swift bird, as is well known to those
who have tried to catch it in an open field.

Both in the wild and the captive state the Guinea Fowl is wary and suspicious, and
particularly careful not to betray the position of its nest, thus often giving great trouble
to the farmer. Sometimes when the breeding season approaches, the female Pintado will
hide herself and nest so effectually that the only indication of her proceedings is her
subsequent appearance with a brood of young round her, The number of eggs is rather
large, being seldom below ten and often double that number. Their colour is yellowish-
red, covered with very little dark spots, and their size is less than that of the common
fowl. Their shells are extremely hard and thick, and when boiled for the table require
some little exertion to open properly.

Every one knows the curious, almost articulate ery of the Guinea Fowl, its “ Come-
back! come-back !” being continually uttered wherever the bird is kept, and often
affording a clue to its presence. This bird has been imported into America and several of
the West Indian islands, where it has entirely acclimatized itself, and has increased so
much in numbers as to be reckoned among the game birds and shot accordingly. In the
poultry-yard it is not always a desirable inmate, partly on account of its wandering habits,
sometimes extending over a mile or two of the surrounding country, and partly because it
is so pugnacious, quarreling with the fowls and pecking them sharply with its hard beak.
Still, as its flesh when young is very good, and the cost of its keep very trifling, it is a
profitable bird if well watched.

The forehead of the Guinea Fowl is surmounted with a horny casque, and the naked

IMPEYAN PHEASANT.—Lophéphorus Invpeyanus.

skin round the eyes falls in wattles below the throat. In the male the wattles are
purplish red, and in the female they are red without any mixture of blue, and are
of smaller size. The legs are without spurs. The pretty spotted plumage of this bird is
too well known to need description. Another species of the same genus, the CRESTED
GUINEA FOWL, is remarkable for a large crest of arched feathers upon its head, taking the
place of the casque of the common species. The colour of the Crested Guinea Fowl
is blue-black, each feather having from four to six greyish spots. The primary feathers
of the wings are oaken brown, and the edges of the secondaries snowy white, forming a
bold contrast with the extremely dark plumage of the body.

Although less in size than the peacock, and without the wonderful train of that bird,
the IMPEYAN PHEASANT or MONAL is nearly as splendid a creature, and but for the absence
of the train, would even surpass it in the glory of its hues.

On looking at a living or well-stuffed male Monal it strongly reminds the observer of
the humming- birds, and looks as if one of those glittering little beings had been suddenly

magnified to a thousand times its size, The plumage of the Impey an Pheasant has the

PARTRIDGE.—Perdix vinéreus.

appearance of having been cut out of thin flakes ot nacre or mother-of-pearl, their
shining polished surface, their deep changing hues of azure, metallic green, amethystine
purple, and fiery orange, being just like the effect produced by the finest nacre when
rightly cut.

Although possessed of such flashing hues, which are mostly the offspring of a tropical sun,
the Impeyan Pheasant inhabits the cold, snowy regions of the Himalayas, a climate not
unlike that of our Scotch mountains. ‘There is, therefore, some hope that we may be able
to have this wondrously magnificent bird fairly settled down in the British Islands, for it
is hardy enough in this country, breeds without difficulty, and endures our severest frosts
with impunity. As far as is known, it remains entirely in the higher regions of its native
land, and never descends to the plains. The food of this bird consists mostly of bulbous
roots, which it digs out of the ground with its peculiarly curved and sharp beak. Even
in captivity the Impeyan Pheasant will often indulge in many quaint and grotesque
actions, especially towards the pairing time, when all birds like to show themselves off to
the best advantage.

The colouring of this gorgeous bird may be briefly described as follows: The head and
throat are of a metallic golden green, and the feathers of the crest are bare shafted for the
greater part of their length, and spread at their tips into flattened spatula-shaped ends.
The lower part of the neck and top of the back are rich shining purple with green andsred
reflections, and the feathers are all lancet-shaped. Across the lower part of the back there
is a broad band of pure snowy white, and the tail is reddish brown, barred irregularly with
a darker hue. The rest of the plumage is deep steely blue. The legs are spurred, and the
general form is strong and robust. The female is a very sober-plumaged bird, without the
lofty crest or gorgeous colours of her mate. Her feathers are mostly dull brown, mottled
with grey and ochry yellow, and there is a broad white patch under the chin and throat.
She is also smaller than her mate.

Or the many members of the Perdicine group, we shall take only five examples, the
first of which is the well-known English PARTRIDGE.
2 ss

a

626 THE PARTRIDGE.

This bird, so dear to British sportsmen, is found spread over the greater part of Europe,
always being found most plentifully near cultivated ground, It feeds upon yarious
substances, such as grain and seeds in the autumn, and green leaves and insects in the
spring and early summer, In all probability this bird, although it may do some damage
to the corn-fields, may still be very useful to the farmer by its unceasing war upon the
smaller “vermin,” that devastate the fields and injure the crops. Small slugs are a
favourite diet with the Partridge, which has a special faculty for discovering them in the
recesses where they hide themselves during the day, and can even hunt successfully
after the eggs of these destructive creatures. Caterpillars are also eaten by this bird, and
the terrible black grub of the turnip is consumed in great numbers by the Partridges,
Even the white cabbage butterfly, whose numerous offspring are so hurtful in the kitchen
garden, falls a victim to the quick-eyed Partridge, which leaps into the air and seizes it
in its beak as the white-winged pest comes fluttering unsuspectingly over the bird’s head.

The Partridge begins to lay about the end of April, gathering together a bundle of
dried grasses into some shallow depression in the ground, and depositing therein a clutch
of eggs, generally from twelve to twenty in number.. Sometimes a still greater number
have been found, but in these cases it is tolerably evident from many observations that
several birds have laid in the same nest. Now and then a number of pheasants’ eggs are
found in the nest of a Partridge, and vice versa, the pheasant seeming, however, to be the
usurper in most instances. The Partridge is singularly careless of the position of her
nest, placing it in the most exposed situations, and sitting wpon the eggs with perfect
contentment, although within a yard or two of a footpath. Indeed, I have found the nest
of this bird, with six or seven eggs, so close to a frequented pathway running through a
little copse, that a careless step to one side might have broken the eggs. In colour the
eggs are not unlike those of the pheasant, being of a smooth olive-brown. é

The mother-bird sits very closely, and is not easily frightened from her charge ; and
during the last day or two of incubation she is so fearless that she will not suffer herself
to be disturbed, and will allow the scythe of the mower to kill her on her nest rather than
desert her home. Sitting Partridges have sometimes allowed themselves to be taken by
hand, When imminent danger threatens the nest, the mother-bird has been known to
earry off the eggs and convey them to a place of safety, executing the task in a wonder-
fully short space of time. Mr. Jesse mentions one such instance, where there were
twenty-one eggs, the whole of which were removed to a distance of forty yards in about
twenty minutes. It is probable that the cock bird assisted his mate in her labours.

When the young are hatched they are strong on their legs at once, running about with
ease, and mostly leaving the nest on the same day. The mother takes her little new-born
brood to their feeding-places, generally ant-hills or caterpillar-haunted spots, and aids them
in their search after food by scratching away the soil with her feet. The nests of the
wood-ant, which are mostly found in fir plantations or hilly ground, being very full of
inhabitants, very easily torn to pieces, and the ants and their larve and pupe being very
large, are favourite feeding-places of the Partridge, which in such localities is said to
acquire a better flavour than among the lower pasture lands.

The young brood, technically called a “covey,” associate together, and have a very
strong local tendency, adhering with great pertinacity to the same field or patch of land.
When together they are mostly rather wild, and dart off at the least alarm with their well-
known whirring flight, just topping a hedge or wall and settling on the other side till again
put up; but when the members of the covey are separated they seem to dread the air, and
crouch closely to the ground, so that it is the object of the sportsman to scatter the covey
and to pick them up singly. They are always alarmed at a soaring bird, whether of
prey or not, and squat closely to the ground. When they are very wild and shy, the
sportsmen take advantage of this propensity, and fly a kite shaped like a hawk over them,
thus inducing them to lie frightened on the ground until the dog can point them in the
proper fashion. Even a common, long-tailed, round-shouldered boy’s kite will answer the
purpose well enough. Some punctilious sportsmen, however, denounce the kite as a trick
only worthy of a poacher, and would rather walk after the birds all day without getting
a shot than secure a full bag by the use of such a‘device.

THE RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE. 627

About the middle or end of February, according to the mildness or inclemency of the
season, the Partridge begins to pair; and as the male birds are very numerous, they fight
desperate battles for the object of their love. While engaged in combat, they are so deeply
absorbed in battle, that they may be approached quite closely, as they whirl round and
round, grasping each other by the beak, and have even been taken by hand. So strong,
however, is the warlike instinct, that, when released, the furious birds recommenced the
quarrel.

The females take no part in these battles; waiting quietly, like the strong-minded
heroines of romance, to abide the issue of the combat, and to reward the victors with their
love. Not that they are devoid of courage, but they reserve its display for a better purpose,
namely, the defence of their young. “Should a hen Partridge be disturbed while in
charge of her little brood, she will endeavour to put them out of danger, and to draw the
intruder aside by the exertion of many a crafty wile. But should the enemy come upon
them too suddenly to be deceived by cunning, she will boldly dash at the foe, and, with
self-sacrificing courage, attack with beak, foot, and wing, until the enemy has left the
ground or herself is killed, knowing that her young charge are taking advantage of the
time to place themselves in safety. Small though the bird may be, it can strike with
considerable force, and has been known to inflict some painful wounds on the faces of
human beings who have suddenly disturbed a brood of young.

Though strong and rapid of flight for a short distance, the Partridge loves not to trust
itself over much to the air, and cannot fly to any great distance without alighting. When
these birds are forced to pass over wide rivers or arms of the sea, they are often so
wearied that they fall into the water, and these are mostly drowned, having but little idea
of swimming, beyond the idea that they are to sit still and trust to their fortune. A bird
thus fallen into the sea will sometimes be washed to shore, should the tide be favourable,
but in fresh water it is generally drowned, or snapped up by a hawk from above, or a big
pike from below, should such fresh-water sharks feed in that locality.

The plumage of the Partridge is brown of severai shades above, mingled with grey.
The breast is grey, with a horseshoe-like patch of rich chestnut on its lower portion, and the
sides and flanks are barred with chestuut. The total length of the male bird is rather
more than a foot ; the female is smaller than her mate, and the chestnut bars on the flanks
are broader than those of the male.

The RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE is a larger and stronger bird than the common species,
from which it may at once be distinguished by the black bar over the forehead, behind the
eye and round the breast, as well as ‘by the black streaks that pass from the neck towards
the tail, and the conspicuous grey, fawn, and black bars on the flanks.

This bird is common in France and Italy, and also is a denizen of the Channel
Islands, whence it has been introduced into our country, and thrives so well that, like
the Norwegian rat, it has in some places fairly driven away the original breed, and
usurped their territory. It is much stronger on the wing than the common Partridge,
and yet is so swift and active of foot that it cannot easily be induced to rise, but runs
away from the dogs with such speed that it often bafiles their best efforts to start it
within shot range. According to Yarrell, they are difficult of capture even when wounded,
as they have a habit of running into rabbit-holes or similar sanctuaries, whence they
cannot be dislodged without costing too much of the sportsman’s time. These birds seem
to prefer heaths and commons to the turnip and corn fields as frequented by the common
Partridge.

The eggs of this species are very numerous, averaging sixteen or seventeen in each
nest ; and their colour is unlike those of the ordinary species, being yellowish white with
a dash of yellow, and covered with spots of reddish brown. The food is the same as that
of the ordinary breed.

The plumage of this bird is altogether smoother than that of the last-mentioned species.
The upper parts of the body are soft brown. Before and behind the eye there is a line of
white, and a bold stripe of black runs over the forehead to the eye, then starts from
behind the eye, and runs along the sides of the neck over the breast, where it is very broad.

$s 2

RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE.—Céceabis rura

A number of black dotted streaks extend from the black stripe so as to form an interrupted
band of black over the shoulders. The breast is grey, the abdomen is fawn, and the feathers
of the flanks and sides are marked with curved bands of grey, white, black, and fawn.
The legs and beak are red. The total length of this bird is between thirteen and fourteen
inches. The female is like the male, but smaller and not quite so brightly coloured.

The SANGUINE FRANCOLIN may fairly be reckoned as the finest of its group.

This splendid bird inhabits the great Himalayan range, and is thought to be peculiar
to that region. Very little is known of its habits, the fullest account being that given by
Dr. Hooker, and quoted by Mr. Gould in his “ Birds of Asia.”

“This, the boldest of the Alpine birds of its kind, frequents the mountain ranges of
Eastern Nepal and Sikkim, at an elevation varying from 10,000 to 14,000 feet, and is very
abundant in many of the valleys among the forests of pine (abies Webbtana) and juniper.
It seldom or never crows, but emits a weak cackling noise. When put up, it takes a very
short flight, and then runs to shelter. During winter it appears to burrow under the
hills among the snow, for I have snared it in January, in regions thickly covered with
snow, at an altitude of 12,000 feet. I have seen the young in May.

The principal food of this bird consisting of the tops of the pine and juniper in spring,
and the berries of the latter in autumn and winter, its flesh has always a very strong
flavour, and is, moreover, uncommonly tough; it was, however, the only bird I obtained
at these great elevations in tolerable abundance for food, and that not very frequently.

The Bhoteas say that it acquires a distinct spur every year; certain it is, that they
are more numerous than in any other bird, and that they are not alike on both legs. I
could not discover the cause of this difference, neither could I learn if they were produced
at different times. I believe that five on one leg and four on the other is the greatest
number I have observed.”

The colouring and arrangement of their plumage are very complete, and entirely dif-
ferent in the two sexes. In the male, the forehead and a line round the eyes are black, and
the crest is grey with buff streaks. The chin and throat are deep blood-red, and the
upper part of the breast is white streaked with black. The feathers of the back and
whole of the upper surface are slaty grey, each having a streak of white crossed with

SANGUINE FRANCOLIN. —Ithdginis cruentus.

black down the centre; and the breast and upper part of the abdomen are light green,
streaked with blood-red and white. The lower part of the abdomen is brown-grey. The
upper tail-coverts are blood-red, with a long narrow streak of yellow down the centre of
each feather; and the tail is white at the tip, and each feather is broadly crossed with
blood-red at the base. The bill is black at the tip and red at the base, and the legs and
feet are deep pinky red. The female is a bird of very sober plumage, being reddish brown,
lighter on the head and neck, and freckled with black on the back. The under surface is
rather redder than the upper. In size the Sanguine Francolin about equals an ordinary
fowl.

THE odd, short-legged, round-bodied, quick-footed QuatL is closely allied to the
partridge in form and many of its habits. Of these birds there are many species; but as
all are much alike, there is no need of many examples.

The common Quail is found spread over the greater part of Europe, and portions of
Asia and Africa, coming to our island in the summer, though not in very great numbers.
In England the bird is not sufficiently plentiful to be of any commercial value ; but in
Italy and some of the warmer lands which the Quails traverse during their periodical
migrations, the inhabitants look forward to the arrival of the Quail with the greatest
anxiety. In those countries they are shot, snared, and netted by thousands; and it is
chiefly from the foreign markets that our game shops are supplied with these birds,
When fat, the flesh of the Quail is very delicious ; and the most approved way of cooking
the bird is to envelop it in a very thin slice of bacon, tie it up in a large vine-leaf, and
then roast it.

In their migrations the Quails fly by night, a peculiarity which has been noted in
the Scriptural record of the Exodus, where it is mentioned, that “at even the Quails came
up and covered the camp.” Mr. Yarrell suggests, that the object of this nocturnal
journeying may be to save the defenceless birds from the attacks of the numerous birds of
prey, which would probably assail them were they to travel during the daytime. Thore are,
however, larger and more powerful birds, which need no such safeguard, and yet are in
the habit of travelling by night, as well as the Quail.

QUAINL.—Coturnix communis.

It is rather curious, that the males precede the females by several days, and are
consequently more persecuted by the professional fowlers.

The male bird does not pair like the partridge, but takes to himself a plurality of
wives, and, as is generally the case with such polygamists, has to fight mamy desperate
battles with others of its own sex. Although ill provided with weapons of offence, the
Quail is as fiery and courageous a bird as the gamecock; and in Eastern countries is
largely kept and trained for the purpose of fighting prize-battles, on the result of which
the owners stake large sums. The note of the male is a kind of shrill whistle, which is
only heard during the breeding season.

The nest of the Quail is of no better construction than that of the partridge, being
merely a few bits of hay and dried herbage gathered into some little depression in the
bare ground, and gene rally entrusted under the protection of corn-stalks, clover, or a tuft
of rank grass. The number of eggs is generally about fourteen or fifteen, and their colour
is buffy white, marked with patches or speckles of brown. The young are able to run
about almost immediately after they leave the eggs, and are led by their parent to their
food. However wild they may be, many of these birds are killed by a very simple
device. The sportsman having marked down a covey of Quails, walks round them in
circles sufficiently large not to alarm them, and as he returns towards the spot whence
he started, he strikes off for another circle of less diameter. By describing a gradually
lessening spiral, he drives all the Quails together in the middle, where they pack closely
and suffer themselves to be killed in numbers.

The colouring of the Quail is simple, but pleasing. The head is dark brown, except a
streak of pale brown over the eyes, and another on the top of the head passing towards
the nape of the neck, The whole wpper surface is brown streaked with yellower brown,
and the feathers with lighter shafts. The chin and throat are white, and around the throat
run two semicircular bands of dark brown, their points reaching as high as the ear-coverts,
and having a black patch in front. The breast is rather pale but warm brown, variegated
by the polished straw colour of the shafts, and the remainder of the under surface is
ochry white deepening into chestnut on the flanks. The female may be known by the
absence of the two dark semicircles on the throat, which even in the male are not acquired

VIRGINIAN QUAIL.—Ortyx Virginidna,

until the second year, and the little dark spots on the feathers of the breast, The total
length of the Quail is about seven inches.

AN allied species is found in many parts of North America, and is known by the name of
the VIRGINIAN QuAIL. In popular parlance, however, it is generally called the Partridge,
greatly to the confusion of young ornithologists. On account of its peculiar cry, it is
also called “ Bob-White,” its clear call-note bearing considerable resemblance to those
words.

The Virginian Quail generally keeps itself to the open ground, preferring those spots
where grain is plentiful. Sometimes, however, it shelters itself among the trees or brush-
wood, but even then seems to pass but little of its time in such retreats. During the
winter it gains courage by hunger, approaching human habitations in search of food, and
boldly fighting with the poultry for the grain thrown to them. Oftentimes the eggs are
placed under the domestic hen, and in that case the young birds are very tame, provided
that the foster-smother is of a quiet stay-at-home temper, and not given to roam. Wilson
informs us that two young Quails, which had been hatched by a hen, attached themselves
to the cows, accompanying them regularly to the field; standing by them when they were
milked, retiring with them in the evening and roosting in the stable. These interesting
little birds unfortunately disappeared in the spring.

As the flesh of the Quail is particularly excellent, it is greatly persecuted in the winter
time, when it is easily attracted by baits. Ten or fifteen at a time are often caught in a
contrivance that much resembles the common sieve-trap of our own country, saving that
a kind of coop supplies the place of the sieve.

In the wild state the Quail makes its rude nest under the shelter of corn or grass-
tufts, and then lays from fifteen to twenty-four pure white eggs. As is the case with the
Huropean Quail, the young are able to run about as soon as they are fairly free of the
shell, and are euided by their mother to the best feeding-places. The old bird is peculiarly
watchful of her charge, and if she should be suddenly surprised, she endeavours to draw
off the attention of the intruder by feigning lameness, flapping alone the ground as if
with a broken wing, in order to gain time for the helpless young to conceal themselves.
At night the Quails prefer to roost on some elevated spot in the middle of a field, and it

632 THE CAPERCAILLIE.

appears that they sit in a circle with their heads radiating outwards and their tails
almost touching each other.

The top of the head and the upper part of the breast are warm reddish brown, the
chin is pure white, and a streak of white runs from behind the eye along the neck. The
sides of the neck are also reddish brown spotted with black and white. The upper
surface of the body is reddish brown sprinkled with ashy grey and black. The wings are
grey-brown, and the tertials edged with yellowish white. The abdomen and lower parts
of the breast are yellowish white, marked with spear-head dashes of black. The female
is known by the yellowish brown of the chin and sides of the head. It is a larger bird
than the European Quail, being about nine inches long.

ALTHOUGH once a common inhabitant of the highland districts of Great Britain, the
CAPERCAILLIE has now been almost wholly extinct for some years, a straggling specimen
being occasionally seen in Scotland, and shot “for the benefit of science.” This bird is
also known by the following names: Cock of the Woods, Mountain Cock, Auerhahn, and
Capercailzie.

It is now most frequently found in the northern parts of Europe, Norway and Sweden
being very favourite homes. From those countries it is largely imported into England by
the game-dealers.

The Capereaillie is celebrated, not only for its great size and the excellence of its flesh,
but for its singular habits just previous to and during the breeding season. Mr. Lloyd
has given so excellent an account of these curious proceedings, that they must be told in
his own words :—

“ At this period, and often when the ground is still deeply covered with snow, the
cock stations himself on a pine and commences his love song, or play as it is termed in
Sweden, to attract the hens about him. This is usually from the first dawn of day to
sunrise, or from a little after sunset until it is quite dark. The time, however, more or
less depends upon the mildness of the weather and the advanced state of the season.

During his ‘play,’ the neck of the Capercaillie is stretched ont, his tail is raised and
spread like a fan, his wings droop, his feathers are ruffled up, and, in short, he much
resembles an angry turkey-cock. He begins his play with a call something resembling
Peller! peller! peller! These sounds he repeats at first at some little intervals ; but as he
proceeds, they increase in rapidity, until at last, and after perhaps the lapse of a minute
or so, he makes a sort of gulp in his throat and finishes with sucking in, as it were, his
breath.

During the continuance of this latter process, which only lasts a few seconds, the
head of the Capercaillie is thrown up, his eyes are partially closed, and his whole
appearance would denote that he is worked up into an agony of passion, At this time
his faculties are much absorbed, and it is not difficult to approach him. . . . The play of
the Capercaillie is not loud, and should there be any wind stirring in the trees at the time,
it cannot be heard at any considerable distance. Indeed, during the calmest and most
favourable weather, it is not audible at more than two or three hundred paces.

On hearing the call of the cock, the hens, whose cry in some degree resembles the
eroak of the raven, or rather perhaps the sounds, Gock! Gock! Gock/ assemble from all
parts of the surrounding forest. The male bird now descends from the eminence on
which he was perched, to the ground, where he and his female friends join company.

The Capercaillie does not play indiscriminately over the forest, but he has his certain
stations (Tjader-lek, which may perhaps be rendered, his playing-grounds). These, how-
ever, are often of some little extent. Here, unless very much persecuted, the song of
these birds may be heard in the spring for years together. The Capercaillie does not,
during his play, confine himself to any particular tree, for, on the contrary, it is seldom
he is to be met with exactly on the same spot for two days in succession.

On these lek, several Capercaillie may occasionally be heard playing at the same
time ; Mr. Grieff, in his quaint way, observes, ‘It then goes gloriously.’ So long, how-
ever, as the old male birds are alive, they will not, it is said, permit the young ones, or
those of the preceding season, to play. Should the old birds, however, be killed, the

CAPERCAILLIE.—Tétrao wrogallus

young ones, in the course of a day or two, usually open their pipes. Combats, as it may
be supposed, not unfrequently take place on these occasions; though I do not recollect
having heard of more than two of these birds being engaged at the same time.

Though altogether contrary to law, it is now that the greatest slaughter is committed
among the Capercaillie ; for any lamp of a fellow who has strength to oan a trigger
may, with a little instruction, manage to knock them down. As the plan, however, of
shooting these noble birds during their play is something curious, I shall do my best to
describe it.

It being first ascertained where the /ek is situated, the sportsman proceeds to the spot
and listens in profound silence until he hears the call of the cock. So long, however, as
the bird only repeats his commencing sound, he must, if he be at all near to him, remain
stationary ; but the instant the Capercaillie comes to the wind-up, the gulp, &e. during which,
as I have just now said, its faculties of both seeing and hearing are in a degree absorbed,
then he may advance a little. This note, however, lasts so short a time, that the sports-
man is seldom able to take more than three or four steps before it ceases ; for the instant
that is the case, he must again halt, and if in an exposed situation remain fixed like a

c

COCK OF THE PLAINS.—Tétrao wrophasidnus.

statue. This is absolutely necessary ; for during his play, excepting during the gulp,
&e., the Capercaillie is exceedingly watchful, and easily takes the alarm. If “all remain
quiet, however, the bird usually goes on again immediately with his first strain, and when
he once more comes to the final note, the sportsman advances as before.

To become a proficient at this sport requires a good deal of practice. In the first
place, a person must know how to take advantage of the ground when advancing upon
the Capercaillie ; for if in full dé wylight, this is hardly practicable in exposed situations
and in the next, that he may not move forward excepting upon the note which is so fatal
to that bird. This is likely enough to happen if it be an old cock that has been previously
exposed to shots, for he often runs on with Peller, peller, peller, until one supposes that
he is just coming to the gulp, when he suddenly makes a stop. If, therefore, a person
were then incautiously to advance, he would, in all probability, instantly take to flight.”

The nest of the Capercaillie is made upon the ground, and contains eight to ten eggs ;
when hatched, the young are fed upon insects, more especially ants and their pupe.
The adult birds feed mostly on vegetable substances, such as juniper, cranberry, and
bilberries, and the leaves and buds of several trees.

The colour of the adult male bird is chestnut-brown covered with a number of black
lines irregularly dispersed, the breast is black with a gloss of green, and the abdomen is
simply black, as are the lengthened feathers of the throat and the tail. The female is
easily known by the bars of yed and black which traverse the head and neck, and the
reddish yellow barred with black of the under surface, In size, the Capereaillie is nearly
equal to a turkey.

THE BLACK GROUSE. 635

The Cock oF THE PLAINS is closely allied to the preceding species.

It is an American bird, being found in the dry plains in the interior of southern
California. Like the cock of the woods, this bird is accustomed during the breeding
season to disport himself after a peculiar and grotesque manner, drooping his wings,
spreading his tail like a fan, puffing out his crop until the bare yellow skin stands
prominently forward, somewhat after the fashion of the pouter pigeon, and erecting the
long silken plumes of the neck. Thus accoutred, he parades the ground with much
dignity, turning himself about so as to display his shape to the best advantage, assuming
a variety of rather ludicrous attitudes, and uttering a loud booming ery that is compared
to the sound made by blowing strongly into a large hollow reed.

The nest of this bird is made of dried erasses and small twigs, and is placed on the
ground under the shelter of bushes or rank herbage. It is rather carefully made, and
generally contains from thirteen to seventeen brown egas blotched with chocolate on the
large end. The Cock of the Plains is a gregarious bird, assembling in little troops in the
summer and autumn, and in large flocks Ot ‘several handed: in mace during the winter
and spring. The flesh of this bird is eatable, but dark in colour and not of a very good
flavour.

The male is a very handsome bird, brown on the upper surface and mottled with very
dark brown and yellowish white. The skin ‘of the crop is deep orange-yellow, and on
each side of it is a tuft of long and very slender feathers, having the shafts nearly naked,
and dotted at the tip with a pencil of black bands. The throat and head are white
profusely variegated with black, and the white feathers of the sides are firm, rounded, and
of a scale-like form. The shafts of the breast-feathers are black and stiff. In total length
this bird measures about twenty-two inches. The female is less in size, is without the
feather-tufts on the neck and the scale-like plumage of the sides.

THE well-known BLAcK GrRousk, or BLACK Cock, is a native of the more southern
countries of Europe, and still survives in many portions of the British Isles, especially
those localities where the pine-woods and heaths afford it shelter, and it is not dislodged
by the presence of human habitations.

Like the two preceding species, the male bird resorts at the beginning of the breeding
season to some open spot where he utters his love-calls, and displays his new clothes to
the greatest advantage, for the purpose of attracting to his harem as many wives as possible.
The note of the Black Cock when thus engaged is loud and resonant, and can be heard at
a considerable distance. This crowing sound is accompanied by a harsh, grating, stridu-
lous kind of ery, which has been likened to the noise produced by whetting a scythe.
The Black Cock does not pair, but leaves his numerous mates to the duties of maturity
and incubation, and follows his own desires while they prepare their nests, lay their eggs,
hatch them, and bring up the young. The mother-bird is a fond and watchful parent, and
when she has been alarmed by man or beasts of prey, has been known to remove the eggs
to some other locality, where she thinks they will not be discovered.

The nest is a careless kind of structure, of grasses and stout herbage, and is placed on
the ground under the shelter of grass or bushes. The female lays about six or ten eges
of a yellowish grey diversified with spots of light brown. The young are fed first
upon insects and their larvee, and afterwards on berries, grain, the buds and young shoots
of trees.

It is a wild and wary bird, requiring much care on the part of the sportsman to get
within fair gunshot. The old male which has survived a season or two is particularly
shy and erafty, distrusting both man and dog, and running away as fast as his legs can
carry him as soon as he is made aware of the approaching “danger,

In the autumn the young males separate themselves from the other sex, and form a
number of little bachelor establishments of their own, living together in harmony until
the next breeding season, when they all begin to fall in lov e; “the apple of discord is
thrown among them by the charms of the “hitherto repudiated sex, and their rivalries
lead them into determined and continual battles, which do not cease until the end of the
season restores them to peace and sobriety, and they need fear no foes save the beasts and
birds of prey, and their worst enemy, the autumnal British statesman.

BLACK GROUSE.—Téirao tetrix.

The general colour of the adult male bird is black glossed with blue and purple,
except a white band across each wing. The under tail-coverts are white. The remarkable
form of the tail is caused by the peculiar development of the exterior feathers, three, four,
or even five of which are laterally curved, the outermost being the longest and having the
most decided curve. Their ends are somewhat squared. The colouring of the female is
quite different. Her general colour is brown, with a tinge of orange, barred with
black and speckled with the same hue, the spots and bars being larger on the breast, back,
and wings, and the feathers on the breast more or less edged with white. The under tail-
coverts are greyish white. The total length of the adult male is about twenty-two inches,
and that of the female from seyenteen to eighteen inches. She also weighs nearly one-
third less than her mate, and is popularly termed the Heath Hen.

ANOTHER fine species of this group is the PrynateD Grouse ot North America.

This bird is found almost wholly in open dry plains on which are a few trees or tufts
of brushwood, pines and shrub-oaks being the most favoured shelter. Like the greater
part of the group, the males “play” at the breeding season, ruffling their feathers, erecting
their neck-tufts, swelling out their wattles, and uttering their strange love-cries. At this
time the Pinnated Grouse is particularly remarkable for the large size and bright orange
colour of the naked sacculated appendages which hang at each side of the neck, and
which can be filled with air until they are nearly of the same size and colour as a Seville
orange, or can be permitted to hang loosely along the neck. The males are great fighters
on these occasions, and dash fiercely against each other, though to all appearance these
combats are more notable for display than for effect, little or no damage seeming to be
done or suffered by either party.

PINNATED GROUSE. 637

Mr. Webber gives the following interesting account of some of the habits of this
species :—

“ The most extraordinary phenomenon produced by the necessities of the climate, and
as a protection against the terrible winds which sweep over that apparently illimitable
beach at the approach of winter, consists in the assembling of these birds, from a distance
of many miles around, to roost upon the same spot, something after the manner of the
wild pigeon. This fact seems also to have escaped M. Audubon’s notice.

At the opening of winter a spot is selected on the open prairies, in the upper part of
the Missouri country, which is more sheltered than the surrounding regions, by the
character of the ground, from the biting force of the north-east winds. Here the prairie-
hens begin to assemble early in the evening; and by the time dusk comes, an immense
number are collected. They approach the scene in small flocks, in a leisurely manner, by
short flights. They approach the place of gathering silently, with nothing of that whirr
of wings for which they are noted when they are suddenly put up, but they make ample
amends when they arrive; as in the pigeon-roost, there is a continued roar, caused by the
restless shifting of the birds and sounds of impatient struggle emitted by them, which can
be heard distinctly for several miles. The numbers collected are incalculably immense,
since the space covered sometimes extends for over a mile in length with a breadth
determined by the character of the ground.

This is a most astonishing scene when approached in the early part of the night on
horseback ; the hubbub is strangely discordant and overwhelmingly deafening, They will
permit themselves to be killed in great numbers, with sticks or any convenient weapon,
without the necessity of using guns. They, however, when frequently disturbed in the
first of the season, will easily change their roosting-place; and when the heavy snows
have fallen, by melting which by the heat of their bodies, and by trampling it down, they
have formed a sort of sheltered yard, the outside walls of which defend them against the
winds, they are not easily driven away by any degree of persecution. Indeed, at this
time they become so emaciated as to afford but little inducement to any human persecutors,
by whom they are seldom troubled, indeed, on account of the remoteness of these locations ;
from foxes, wolves, hawks, and owls, &e., their natural enemies, they have, of course, to
expect no mercy at any time.

The noise of their restless cluckings, flutterings, and shiftings, begins to subside a few
hours after dark. The birds have now arranged themselves for the night, nestled as close
as they can be wedged, every bird with his breast turned to the quarter in which the
wind may be prevailing. This scene is one of the most curious that can be imagined,
especially when they have the moonlight on the snow to contrast with their dark backs.
At this time they may be killed by cartloads, as only those in the immediate neighbour-
hood of the aggressors are disturbed apparently. They rise to the height of a few feet
with a stupified and aimless fluttering, and plunge into the snow within a short distance,
where they are easily taken by the hand. In these helpless conditions such immense
numbers are destroyed, that the family would be in danger of rapid extermination but
that the fecundity of the survivors nearly keeps pace with the many fatalities to which
they are liable.

These birds are distributed over an immense northern territory ; and though they are
everywhere in the more sheltered regions found to exhibit the propensity to collect in
numbers greater or smaller, during the extreme cold weather, in low spots where they will
have some shelter from the accidental peculiarities of the locality, yet nowhere else except
just upon these wide plains are they to be found in such astonishing congregations as we
have here described. The universal habit of all this family of Gallinacez is rather to
run and roost in little squads or flocks. Whence this difference in the habits of the same
bird, who knows? Ah! whence the difference? That is the question.”

The nest of the Pinnated Grouse is a rude structure of grasses and leaves, and placed
under the shadow of a bush or a tuft of thick grass. The eggs are brownish white, and
about fifteen in number.

ad PINNATED GROUSE.—Téireo Cupido.

The colour of the Pinnated Grouse is mottled with black, white, and chestnut-brown,
the male having two wing-like appendages on the neck, composed of eighteen feathers,
five long and black, and thirteen shorter, streaked with black and brown. The male is
also known by the slight crest on the head, a semicircular comb of orange-coloured skin
over each eye, and the naked appendages to the neck already described. He is also larger
than his mate. The under parts are brown marked with white in broken transverse bars,
and the throat is white with mottlings of reddish brown and black. The length is about
nineteen inches.

The RuFFED GROUSE is spread over the greater portion of the United States, where it
is known either as Partridge or Pheasant, according to the locality.

Its habits are described at length by Wilson, in his “ American Ornithology,” to which
work the reailer is referred for fuller information. His account of the “ play ” of the male
Ruffed Grouse must, however, be given in his own words: “In walking through the
solitary woods frequented by these birds, a str: inger is surprised by suddenly hearing a
kind of thumping very similar to that produced by striking two full- blown. bladders
together, but much louder. The strokes at first are slow and distinct, but gradually
increase in rapidity, till they run into each other, resembling the rumbling sound of very
distant thunder, dying away gradually on the ear. After a few minutes’ pause, this is
again repeated ; and in a calm day may be heard nearly a mile off. This drumming is
most common in spring, and is the call of the cock to his favourite female. It is produced
in the following manner :—

The bird, standing on an old prostrate log, generally in a retired and sheltered situation,
lowers his wings, erects his expanded tail, contracts his throat, elevates the tufts of
feathers on the neck, and inflates his whole body, something in the manner of the turkey-
cock, strutting and wheeling about with oreat stateliness. After a few manceuvres of
this kind, he begins to strike with his stiffened wings in short and rapid quick strokes,
which become more and more rapid till they run into each other, as has already been
described. This is most common in the morning and evening, though I have heard them
drumming at all hours of the day.”

This bird pairs in April, and builds its nest in May, placing it on the ground at the
root of a bush or a stump, and laying from nine to fifteen brownish-white eggs. The
mother-bird has a system of decoying intruders from her nest, very similar to that which
has already been mentioned in connexion with several other birds. The best time for
shooting the Ruffed Grouse is September and October, when it is very fat, having fed on
whortle-berries and other fruits which give its flesh a delicate and somewhat aromatic
flavour. In winter these birds feed much on the buds of alder and laurel, and are then
thought to be poisonous.

In general colour the male is rich chestnut-brown, variegated with abundant mottling
of dark brown and grey. The curious tufts on the shoulder are rich velvety black glossed
with green, and just below them the skin is bare. The tail is grey, barred with blackish
brown. The length of the male bird is about eighteen inches. The female is smaller,
and is known by the brown colour of the neck-tufts and the bar on the tail.

The RED GROUSE seems to be exclusively confined to the British Islands, and is found
in the north of England, Wales, Ireland, and Scotland, and some of the Channel Islands.
The birds of this genus are separated from the remainder of the group in consequence of
the feathered toes, which are thickly clothed with short plumage, earning thereby the
name of Lagopus, or Hare-footed,

It inhabits the moors, where heather is in abundance, as it feeds chiefly on the
tender leaves of that plant together with whortle-berries, grain, and similar substances.
The bird pairs early in the spring, and makes its nest of grass and ling stems, occasionally

toe)

RED GROUSE.—Lagopus Sedticus.

interspersed with feathers, and places it on the ground under the shelter of a heather-tuft.
As soon as hatched, the young are able to run about, and are led to feed by both parents.
These birds are greatly persecuted by sportsmen; but, in spite of their annual losses, they
increase rather than diminish in number, except in seasons like the present (1861), when
they are suffering greatly from internal parasites.

The colour of the Red Grouse is extremely variable, differing according to the locality
or the season of year; and cream-coloured and speckled varieties are most uncommon. The
ordinary plumage is as follows: In winter the adult male is chestnut-brown upon the upper
surface, barred and speckled with black, and diversified by a few feathers of light yellowish
brown. The head and neck are also chestnut-brown, but of a warmer tint than the back.
Over the eye is a crescent-shaped patch of light scarlet bare skin, slightly fringed above.
The tail is brown, with a tinge of red on the central feathers. The breast is brown, and
the remainder of the under surface and flanks is of the same hue, each feather being
tipped with white. The short plumage of the legs and toes is greyish white. In summer
the red is lighter, and the body is sprinkled with yellow. The female is smaller and
lichter than her mate, with more yellow and less red. In total measurement the male
bird is about sixteen inches in length. This bird is also called the Red Ptarmigan and the
Brown Ptarmigan.

The Common PrarMican (Ldgopus vulgaris) belongs to the same genus. This is the
smallest of the British Grouse, and is not restricted to Great Britain, being found in
Northern and mountainous Europe, especially in Norway and Sweden, and is also an
inhabitant of North America.

This bird has a habit of resorting to stones and broken ground covered with lichens,
which so exactly harmonise with the colours of its plumage that it is hardly distinguishable
from the ground on which it is sitting, and under such circumstances it squats very
closely. A person may walk through a flock without seeing a single bird. Mr. McGillivray
says : “ When squatted, they utter no sound, their object being to conceal themselves ; and
if you discover the one from which a cry has proceeded, you generally find him on the top

SAND GROUSE.—Ptérocles bicinetus.

of a stone, ready to spring off the moment you show an indication of hostility. If you
throw a stone at him, he rises, utters his call, and is immediately joined by all the
individuals around, which to your surprise, if it be your first rencontre, you see spring up
one by one from the bare ground.” A flock of these birds flitting along the sides of a
mountain has a very curious effect, their speckled bodies being hardly visible as they sweep
along, and when they alight they vanish from view as if by magic. In the winter, too,
when the snow lies thickly on the ground, the Ptarmigan assumes a white coat, hardly
distinguishable from the snow. When perceived by a hawk, the Ptarmigan has been seen
to dash boldly into the deep snow, and to find a refuge under the white covering until its
enemy had left the spot.

In the winter, the plumage of the male Ptarmigan is almost wholly white, the
exceptions being a small patch behind the eye, the shafts of the primaries, and the bases
of the fourteen exterior tail feathers, which are black. There is also a patch of red, bare
skin round the eye. In the summer, the black retains its position, but the white is
mottled and barred with black and grey. The length of the adult male is rather more than
fifteen inches.

The SAND GROUSE are mostly found in the sandy deserts of Africa and Asia, though
one or two species are inhabitants of Europe. The wings of all these birds are long and
pointed, denoting considerable powers of flight, and in many species the two central
feathers of the tail are much elongated and project beyond the others.

These birds are mostly gregarious, assembling in large flocks, but still retaining a
division into pairs. One species, the Pin-tailed Sand Grouse, is found in such vast
multitudes that they are killed by boys, who arm themselves with sticks and fling these
rude missiles at the winged armies. it has been suggested by some writers that this bird
is the quail of Scripture. The Sand Grouse runs with considerable rapidity ; and as the
legs are very short, and the body consequently carried close to the ground, the effect
produced very much resembles the toy mice which are wound up like “watches, and run
about the floor. When coming directly towards the observer, the bird has a very comical
aspect, the feet being hardly visible beneath the broad body, and the steps being very
short, quick and tripping.

2. nu,

WHITE SHEATH-BILL.—Chionis alba.

The female Sand Grouse makes no nest, but lays her eggs, generally about two or three
in number, on the bare ground. The young birds are very strong of foot, and as soon as
their plumage has dried after their exit from the shell, they run about with their mother,
and can afterwards lead a vagrant life.

The male bird has its forehead whitish, then a black patch and then white. The upper
part of the plumage is dusky brown, mottled with buff; ; and its tailis buff, barred profusely
with blackish brown, the tip being buff, and the last bar very broad and black. The
breast is pale buff, and between the breast and abdomen rnns a semilunar white band,
reaching up to the shoulders. Just below the white there is an equally conspicuous black
band, also running up under the wings to the shoulders. The abdomen and flanks are
pale buff, mottled transversely with black-brown. In the female the plumage is of a more
yellow cast, the black patch on the forehead and black band round the chest are wanting,
and the white band has a grey tinge.

ANOTHER curious group of birds is known by the title of Sheath-bills, on account of
the remarkable sheath of horny substance, which is situated on the base of the bill, and
under which lie the nostrils. The use of this appendage is rather obscure. The whole of
the bill is short and stout, and it is considerably arched towards the tip.

One of the commonest species of this group is the WHITE SHEATH-BILL, a native of
Australia, New Zealand, and neighbouring islands.

This bird is almost exclusively found upon the coasts, finding its food among the
molluses, small crustacese, and bestranded fish and other similar substances. Perhaps,
under some circumstances, it may subsist on carrion, and thereby give an evil flavour to
its flesh, as there are very contradictory reports as to its value for the table, some specimens

ELEGANT TINAMOU.—Tinamotis élegans.

having been of so vile an odour that even the sailors, with their proverbial appetites for
fresh meat, could not touch the ill-savoured flesh, while in other cases the bird is reported
to be of excellent quality and equal to duck in tenderness and flavour. The legs of the
Sheath-bill are rather long in proportion to the size of the body ; and as it always frequents
the sea-side, running in and out of the water in search of its food, and possesses many of
the habits of the waders, it has been classed hy some naturalists among these birds.

The White Sheath-bill is a pretty bird, its whole plumage being pure white, and the
legs reddish black. The generical name, Chionis, is derived from a Greek word, signifying
snow, and is given to this bird in allusion to its pure snow-white plumage. In total length,
the adult male measures about fifteen inches.

The ELecANtT TINAMOU is one of the handsomest, though not the largest, of the family
to which it belongs.

The Tinamous are only found in South America, where they are tolerably common.
The word Tinamou is the native name for these birds; and as they bear some resemblance
to bustards, the generic title of Tinamotis, although rather a barbarous combination of
languages, is sufficiently appropriate.

The Tinamous are found in the open fields, preferring those which lie on the borders
of woods. They are very seldom known to perch on branches, and are not very willing to

use their wings, trusting rather to the swiftness of their legs. Of one species of Tinamou,

Mr. Darwin writes as follows: “These birds do not go in coveys, nor do they conceal

themselves like the English kind. It appears a very silly bird. A man on horseback, by

riding round and round in a circle, or rather-in a spire, so as to approach closer each time,

may knock on the head as many as he pleases. The more common method is, to catch
TZ

644 THE OSTRICH.

them with a running noose or little lasso, made of the stem of an ostrich’s feather, fastened
to the end by a long stick. A boy on a quiet old horse will frequently thus catch thirty
or forty in a day.”

The food of the Tinamous consists mostly of grain; and after the fields of corn and
maize are sown, these birds do considerable damage by running over the ground, and
picking out all the seeds which have not been entirely covered by the soil. The eggs of
these birds are about seven or eight in number, and are laid in the centre of some
convenient tuft of herbage.

The Elegant Tinamou is a native of Chil, and is rather larger than the generality of
its kind, as it slightly exceeds a grouse in dimensions, and has a much longer neck. The
head and neck are light greyish buff with short delicate longitudinal streaks, and upon the
head there is a long curved crest, each feather being brown with a dark streak along its
centre. The back is spotted and barred with buff and blackish brown, and on the breast
and general under-surface the feathers are irregularly barred with the same hue, the bars
being wider and darker on the flanks.

CURSORES.

Wir the OstrIcH commences a most important group of birds, containing the largest
and most powerful members of the feathered tribe, and termed Cursores, or Running-
Birds, on account of their great speed of foot and total impotence of wing. All the
birds belonging to this order have the legs developed to an extraordinary “degree, the
bones being | long, stout, and nearly as solid as those of a horse, and almost devoid of the
air-cells which give such lightness to the bones of most birds. By the aid of the micro-
scope, the peculiar character of the bone is clearly shown, though the bone of an Ostrich
or cassowary is very different from the same bone in a fowl or a pigeon. The wings are
almost wanting externally, their bones, although retaining the same number and form as
in ordinary birds, being very small, as if suddenly checked in their growth. The huge
wing muscles which give such prominence to the breast of flying birds, are therefore not
required, and the breast-bone is consequently devoid of the projecting keel, and is quite
smooth and rounded. _

The common Ostrich is so well known that little need be said of its habits, its use to
mankind, and the mode of hunting it, a very brief description being all that is necessary.

This magnificent creature, the largest of all existing birds, inhabits the hot sandy
deserts of Africa, for which mode of life it is wonderfully fitted. In height it measures
from six to eight feet, the males being larger than their mates, and of a blacker tint.
The food of the Ostrich consists mostly of the wild melons which are so beneficently
scattered over the sandy wastes, absorbing and retaining every drop of moisture condensed
in the comparatively cool temperature of night, or fallen in the brief but severe rainstorms
which serve to give new vigour to the seanty ‘desert vegetation and to replenish the rare
water springs.

Besides these melons, which the Ostrich, in common with the lion and other inhabitants
of the desert, eats as much for drink as for food, the bird feeds on grasses and hard grain,
which it is able to crush in its powerful gizzard, the action of which internal mill is
aided by stones and other hard substances, which the Ostrich picks up and swallows just
as ordinary grain-eating birds swallow sand and small pebbles. In captivity the Ostrich
will swallow almost anything that comes in its way, such as brickbats, knives, old shoes,
scraps of wood, feathers, and tenpenny nails, in addition to the legitimate stones. It has
even been seen to swallow in succession a brood of ducklings ; but whether in that case
the bird was impelled by normal hunger, whether it was afflicted by a morbid appetite, or
whether it was merely eating the young birds for sheer mischief, are questions open for
consideration.

The Ostrich is a gregarious bird, associating in flocks, and being frequently found
mixed up with the vast herds of quaggas, zebras, giraffes, and antelopes which inhabit the

OSTRICH.—Strithio Camélus.

same desert plains. It is also polygamous, each male bird having from two to seven
wives. The nest of the Ostrich is a mere shallow hole scooped in the sand, in which are
placed a large number of eggs, all set upright, and with a number of supplementary eggs
laid round the margin.

The eggs are hatched mostly by the heat of the sun ; but, contrary to the popular belief,
the parent birds are very watchful over their nest, and aid in hatching the eggs by sitting
upon them during the night. Both parents give their assistance in this task. The eggs
which are laid around the margin of the nest are not sat upon, and consequently are
not hatched, so that when the eggs within the nest are quite hard, and the young bird is
nearly developed, those around are quite fit for food. Their object is supposed to be to

646 EGGS AND FEATHERS OF THE OSTRICH.

give nourishment to the young birds before they are strong enough to follow their parents
and forage for themselves.

Each egg will weigh on the average about three pounds, being equal to two dozen
ordinary fowl’s eggs. Yet one of them is not thought too much for a single man to eat
at a meal, and in one instance two men finished five in the course of an afternoon. The
approved method of dressing Ostrich eggs is to set the egg upright on the fire, break a
round hole at the top, squeeze a forked stick into the aperture, leaving the stem protruding,
and then to twist the stick rapidly between the hands so as to beat up the contents of the
egg while it is being cooked. Within each egg there are generally some little smooth
bean-shaped stones, which are composed of the same substance that forms the shell.

These eggs are put to various useful purposes. Not only are they eaten, but the shell
is carefully preserved and chipped into spoons and ladles, or the entire shell employed as
a water vessel, the aperture at the top being stuffed with grass. The mode of filling
these shells from sandy pools is ingenious and simple. The business of procuring water
is entrusted to the women, each of whom is furnished with a hollow reed, a bunch of
grass, and her ege-shells. She makes a hole in the bed of the water-pool as deep as her
arms will reach, ties the bunch of grass ut the end of the reed, pushes it to the bottom of
the hole, and rams the wet sand tightly round it. After waiting a little for the water to
accumulate, she applies her mouth to the upper end of the reed, drawing the water
through the tuft of grass at the bottom and so filtering it. Having filled her mouth with
water, she puts another reed into the egg-shell, and pours the water from her mouth into
the shell. In this manner a whole village is supplied with water, the shells being care-
fully buried to prevent evaporation.

The Bushmen make terrible use of these water shells. When they have determined
on a raid, they send successive parties on the line, loaded with Ostrich egg-shells full of
water, which they bury in spots known to themselves alone. The tiny but resolute little
warriors start off on their expedition, get among the dwellings of their foes, carry off as
many cattle as they can manage, shoot the rest with poisoned arrows, and then retiring
over the burning desert are able to subsist upon their concealed water stores, while their
enemies are totally unable to follow them.

After removing the eges from the nest, the approved method of carrying them is to take
off the “crackers” or leather trousers, tie up the ankles firmly, fill the garment with eggs,
and set it astride the shoulders if the captor be a pedestrian, or in front of the saddle
should he be on horseback. The shells are so strong that they are able to bear this rather
curious mode of conveyance without damage, provided that no extreme jolting take place.
A frisky horse will, however, sometimes smash the whole cargo, with disastrous con-
sequences to himself and the vessel in which they were carried.

Among the Fellatahs, an Ostrich egg on the top of a pole fixed to the roof of the hut
is the emblem of royalty. The Copts call it the emblem of watchfulness, and carry out
the idea by making the empty shell defend their church lamps from the rats, which erawl
down the cords by which the lamps are suspended, and drink the oil. Their plan is to
run the cord through an Ostrich shell, which is placed at some little distance above the
lamp, and, by its smooth polished surface, forms an impassable barrier even to rats.

The feathers are too well known to need description. On an average, each feather is
worth about a shilling. The best time for obtaining them is in the months of March and
April. The greater number aré furnished by means of the poisoned arrow, the native
hunter scraping a hole in the sand near the nest, and lying concealed there until the birds
come to their eges, when a few rapid discharges will kill as many birds. Sometimes the
hunter envelops himself in the skin of an Ostrich, his natural legs doing duty for those
of the bird, and his arm managing the head and neck in such a way as to simulate the
movements of the bird when feeding—an imitation so admirably managed that at a
short distance it is impossible to distinguish the sham bird from the true. The
enterprising little hunter is thus enabled to get among a flock of Ostriches, and to shoot
one atter the other with great ease, the birds not being able to understand the reason why
their comrades should suddenly run away and then lie down, and permitting their enemy
to follow them up until they share the same fate.

SKELETON OF OSTRICH. 647

In some tribes each Ostrich feather worn on the head is an emblem of an enemy
slain in battle.

The flesh of the Ostrich is tolerably good, and is said to resemble that of the zebra.
Tt is, however, only the young Ostrich that furnishes a good entertainment, for the flesh
of the old bird is rank and tough. The fat is highly valued, and when melted is of a
bright orange colour. It is mostly eaten with millet flour, and is also stirred into the
egas while roasting, so as to make a rude but well-flavoured omelet.

Those who are fond of hunting employ a more sportsman-like though less profitable
mode of procuring this bird. Mounted on swift horses they give fair chase to the nimble-
footed bird, and generally manage to secure it by sending one of their number to head it
on its course, and shooting it as it
dashes by. The speed of the Os-
trich is very great, though hardly so
considerable as has been supposed.
Some writers set it down as run-
ning sixty miles per hour, while
others only give it half that rate.
When going at full speed, its legs
move so rapidly that they hardly
seem to touch the grownd; and as
the pace of a running adult Os-
trich is from ten to fourteen feet
in length, its exceeding swiftness
may be imagined.

For a short distance, the speed
of the Ostrich is perhaps quite
as great as the higher of the
above statements ; but it seldom
keeps up that astonishing rate of
going for more than half a mile,
and then settles down into a more
steady rate of progress. Being a
long-winded bird, it would tire
out most horses, did not it always
run in curves, so that the horse-
man by taking a direct course
saves much ground, and is able
to get a shot as the huge bird
comes dashing by him. By the ac-
companying sketch of the Ostrich
skeleton, the reader will be better
enabled to understand the great
powers of the bird and the curious
modifications of its structure better
than by many pages of description.
The long and powerful legs with
their two toes at their extremity
are firmly yet flexibly jointed into SKELETON OF OSTRICH.
their sockets, and their form is
wonderfully adopted for the at-
tachment of the stalwart muscles
which move them. Not only are the legs employed for progression, but they can be used
with tremendous effect as offensive weapons, knocking over a hyena with a stroke, and
deterring even the agile leopard from coming within their reach. The Ostrich always kicks
forward, and when hunted with dogs it is sure to inflict severe injuries on young and
inexperienced hounds before it is pulled down. The strong sharp claw with which its toe

648 THE EMEU.

is armed gives dreadful effect to the blow, and, like the claw of the kangaroo, has been
known to rip up an antagonist at a stroke. When driven to bay it will turn and fight
desperately even with man, and, unless due precautions are taken, will strike him down
and trample upon him. In captivity, the bird has been frequently known thus to assault
intruders or strangers, and to be very formidable to them, although to its keeper it soon
becomes affectionate.

The voice of the Ostrich is a deep, hollow, rumbling sound, so like the roar of the lion
that even practised ears have been deceived by it, and taken the harmless Ostrich for a
prowling lion. In its wild state the Ostrich is thought to live from twenty to thirty

ears.
; In the male bird, the lower part of the neck and the body are deep glossy black, with
a few white feathers, which are barely visible except when the plumage is ruffled. The
plumes of the wings and tail are white. The female is ashen brown, sprinkled with white,
and her tail and wing-plumes are white, like those of the male. The weight of a fine
adult male seems to be between two and three hundred pounds.

The Emev inhabits the plains and open forest country of Central Australia, where it
was in former days very common, but now seems to be decreasing so rapidly in numbers
that Dr. Bennett, who has had much personal experience of this fine bird, fears that it will,
ere many years, be numbered with the Dodo and other extinct birds.

The Emeu is not unlike the ostrich, which it resembles in many of its habits as well
as in its form and general aspect. It is very swift of foot, but can be run down by horses
and dogs without much difficulty. The dogs are trained to reserve the attack until the
bird is thoroughly tired out, and then spring upon the throat in such a manner as to
escape the violent kicks which the Emeu deals fiercely around, and which are sufficiently
powerful to disable an assailant. The Emeu does not kick forwards like the ostrich, but
delivers the blow sideways and backwards like a cow.

The flesh of the Emeu is thought to be very good, especially if the bird be young.
The legs are always the coarsest and worst-flavoured portions, the flesh of the back being
thought equal to fowl. The natives will not permit women or boys to eat the flesh of the
Emeu, reserving that diet for warriors and counsellors. A rather valuable oil is obtained
from this bird, as much as six or seven quarts being secured from a fine specimen. It
chiefly resides in the skin, but also collects in great quantities about the rump, and
between the scapularies and the sternum. It is obtained easily enough by plucking the
feathers, cutting the skin into pieces, and boiling them in a common cooking-pot. A still
simpler plan, though not so productive, is to toast the skin before the fire, and catch the
oil in a vessel as it drips from the heated skin. This oil is of a light yellow colour, and
is considered very valuable, being largely used as an embrocation to bruises or strains,
either by itself or mixed with turpentine. As it does not readily congeal, or become
glutinous, it is useful for oiling the locks of firearms. The natives prefer to roast the
Emeu with the skin still upon it, thinking that the oil makes the flesh more luscious.
When quite fresh, it is almost free from taste or smell, and is quite transparent.

The food of the Emeu consists of grass and various fruits. Its voice is a curious,
hollow, booming, or drumming kind of note, produced by the peculiar construction of the
windpipe. The legs of this bird are shorter and stouter in proportion than those of. the
ostrich, and the wings are very short, and so small that when they lie closely against the
body they can hardly be distinguished from the general plumage.

The nest of the Emeu is made by scooping a shallow hole in the ground in some
scrubby spot, and in this depression a variable number of eggs are laid. Dr. Bennett remarks
that “there is always an odd number, some nests having been discovered with nine, others
with eleven, and others, again, with thirteen.” The colour of the eggs is, while fresh, a
rich green, of varying quality, but after the shells are emptied and exposed to the light,
the beautiful green hue fades into an unwholesome greenish brown. The parent birds sit
upon their eggs, as has been related of the ostrich, The Emeu is not polygamous, one
male being apportioned to a single female.

In captivity, the Emeu soon accommodates itself to circumstances, and even in

EMEU.—Dromaius Nove Hollandic.

England breeds freely, and seems as much at ease as if it were in its proper climate. It
is a most inquisitive bird, inspecting every novelty with great attention. “I once,” writes
Dr. Bennett, “saw a fine pair of full-grown specimens in a paddock near Sydney,
Stopping to observe one which was at a short distance from the fence, he immediately
came down to have a look at me. The second bird was some distance off, but, with their
usual keenness of vision, on perceiving me viewing his companion, he came stalking down
rapidly, and they both stared at me most attentively, stretching out their necks for the
sake of making a nearer acquaintance, when, finding no result from our interview, and
their curiosity being satisfied, they quietly stalked away.

In the Domain, near the Government House, some tame Emeus may be seen walking
about, and often, near the Grand House, marching with measured pace, as if keeping

650 THE RHEA.

guard with the soldiers on duty. One day, during the levée, when the Domain was
crowded with people to see the arrivals and listen to the band, the Emeus mingled with
the crowd, apparently enjoying the gay scene around them, when some strangers, who
were afraid of these birds, ran away. On seeing this, the Emeus, enjoying a chase,
pursued, and overtaking one of the gentlemen, took off his hat, to his great surprise. The
above circumstance demonstrates their fearless nature, and how readily these noble birds
might be domesticated.”

The colour of the adult bird is lightish brown and grey, but when it is young, its
plumage is decorated with four broad, black, longitudinal stripes down the back, and four
on each side, and four more down the neck and breast. These stripes run in pairs, the
two streaks of each pair being divided by a narrow line of white. Towards the head, the
stripes are broken into spots and dashes. The feathers are very loose. and hairy in their
appearance, and, as is the case with all the Struthiones, will repay a close examination, on
account of the great development of the accessory plumes, springing from the shafts of
the feathers. The height of a fine male Emeu is from six to seven feet.

Another species belonging to the same genus, the SporreD EmMgeu (Dromaius irrordtus),
is found in the same country, and can be distinguished by its black head and neck, and
the dashes of brownish black and grey upon its plumage.

AMERICA is not without representatives of this fine group of birds, three distinct
species being even now (1861) in the gardens of the Zoological Society.

The RHEA is a native of South America, and is especially plentiful along the river
Plata. It is generally seen in pairs, though it sometimes associates together in flocks of
twenty or thirty in number. Like all the members of this group, it is a swift-footed and
wary bird, but possesses so little presence of mind that it becomes confused when
threatened with danger, runs aimlessly first im one direction, and then in another, thus
giving time for the hunter to come up and shoot it, or bring it to the ground with his
“bolas ”—a terrible w eapon, consisting of a cord with a heavy ball at each end, which is
flung at the bird, and winds its coils round its neck and legs, so as to entangle it, and
bring it to the eround.

The food of the Rhea consists mainly of grasses, roots, and other vegetable substances,
but it will occasionally eat animal food, being known to come down to the mud banks of the
river for the purpose of eating the little fish “that have been stranded in the shallows.

Our knowledge of the R hea and its habits is almost wholly derived from Mr. Darwin's
writings, and, as an original narrative is mostly superior to a second-hand description,
part of his account will be given in his own words. The reader must remember that the
Rhea is popularly called the Ostrich in South America.

“This bird is well known to abound on the plains of La Plata. To the north
it is found, according to Azara, in Paraguay, where, however, it is not common; to the
south, its limit appears to have been from 42° to 43°. It has not crossed the Cordilleras,
but I have seen it within the first range of mountains in the Uspallata plain, elevated
between six and seven thousand feet. They generally prefer running against the wind,
yet, at the instant, they expand their wings, and, like a vessel, make all sail. On one
fine hot day I saw several Ostriches enter a bed of tall rocks, where they squatted
concealed till nearly approached.

It is not generally known that Ostriches readily take to the water. Mr. King informs
me that at Patagonia, in the Bay of St. Blas, and at Port Valdez, he saw these birds
swimming several times from island to island. They ran into the water both when driven
down to a point, and likewise of their own accord, when not frightened. The distance
crossed was about two hundred yards. When swimming, very little of their bodies
appears above water, and their necks are stretched a little forward ; their progress is slow.
On two occasions I saw some Ostriches swimming across the Santa Cruz River, where it
was about four hundred yards wide, and the stream rapid.

The inhabitants who live in the country readily distinguish, even at a distance, the
male bird from the female. The former is larger and darker coloured, and has a larger
head. The Ostrich, I believe the cock, emits a singular deep-toned hissing note. When

RHEA.—Rhea Americana

first I heard it, while standing in the midst of some sand hillocks, I thought it was made
by some wild beast, for it is such a sound that one cannot tell from whence it comes, or
from how far distant.

When we were at Bahia Blanca, in the months of September and October, the ecas
were found in extraordinary numbers all over the country. They either lie scattered
singly, in which case they are never hatched, and are called by the Spaniards “ huachos,”
or they are collected together into a hollow excavation, which forms the nest. Out of the
four nests which I saw, three contained twenty-two eggs each, and the fourth twenty-
seven. In one day’s hunting on horseback sixty-four eggs were found ; forty-four of these
were in two nests, and the remaining twenty, scattered huachos. The Gauchos
unanimously affirm, and there is no reason to doubt their statement, that the male bird
alone hatches the eggs, and that he, for some time afterwards, accompanies the youns
The cock, while in the nest, lies very close ; I have myself almost ridden over one. It is
asserted that at such times they are occasionally fierce, and even dangerous, and that they
have been known to attack a man on horseback, trying to kick and leap on him. My
informant pointed out to me an old man whom he had seen much terrified by one of these
birds chasing him.” ss

652 THE CASSOWARY.

In captivity it is rather an amusing bird, and easily domesticated. Sometimes it seems
to be taken with a fit, and runs up and down its inclosure as if it were being chased,
holding its wings from the body and appearing in the most desperate state of alarm. This
is only a sham ‘after all, a mere outburst of frolic, for the bird immediately subsides into
quietude, and resumes its leisurely walk as if nothing had happened. If startled or vexed ;
it utters a kind of grunt as a warning, and if the offence be repeated, hisses sharply, draws
back its head, and seems poising itself for a stroke. The grunt is a hollow sound, some-
thing like the noise produced by striking a tin can with a wooden mallet, and every time
that it is produced the throat swells and sinks conyulsively. The young are pretty little
birds, pert, brisk, and lively, and are coloured rather prettily, their general hue being grey,
striped with black, each stripe having a cream-coloured line along its centre. In the
Zoological Gardens there are several of these pretty creatures, which have been hatched in
the Society’s incubator.

The Rhea is darkish grey, taking a blackish hue above, and being rather lighter below.
The plumes of the wings are white, and a black band runs round the neck, and passes into
a semilunar patch on the breast. The neck is completely feathered. The average height
of the Rhea is about five feet.

Three species of Rhea are, however, all inhabitants of South America, namely, the
common Rhea just described, Darwin’s RuEA (hea Darwinit), and the LARGE-BILLED
RaEA (Lthea macrorhyncha).

THE well-known Cassowany, long thought to be the only example of the genus, is
found in the Malaceas,

This fine bird is notable for the glossy black hair-like plumage, the helmet-like
protuberance upon the head, and the light azure, purple, and scarlet of the upper
part of the neck. The “helmet” is a truly remarkable apparatus, being composed of
a honey-combed cellular bony substance, made on a principle that much resembles
the structure of the elephant’s skull, imentioned 4 in the previous volume of this work
treating of the Mammalia. It yields readily to a sharp knife or a fine saw, and may be
cut through by a steady hand without leaving ragged edges. This helmet is barely per-
ceptible in the young bird when newly hatched, and increases in proportion with its growth,
not reaching its full development until the bird has obtained adult age. A similar pheno-
menon may be observed in the common Guinea fowl. The beak is high in proportion to
its width, and is therefore unlike the flattened and comparatively weak bills of the ostrich.

The plumage of the body is very hair-like, being composed of long and almost naked shafts,
two springing from the same tube, and one always being longer then the other. At the roots
of the shafts there is a small tuft of delicate down, sufficiently thick to supply a warm and
soft inner garment, but yet so small as to be hidden by the long hair-like plumage. Even
the tail is furnished with the same curious covering, and the wings are clothed after a
similar manner, with the exception of five black, stiff; strong, pointed quills, very like the
large quills of the porcupine, and being of different lengths, the largest not exceeding one
foot, and generally being much battered about the point. When stripped of its feathers,
the whole covering only extends some three inches in length, and is evidently a mere
indication of the limb.

The eye of the Cassowary is fierce and resolute, and its expression is carried out by
the character of the bird, which is tetchy of disposition, and apt to take offence without
apparent provocation. Like the bull, it is excited to unreasoning ire at the sight of a
scarlet cloth, and, like the dog or the cat, has a great antipathy tow rards ragged or “unclean
persons, attacking such individuals with some acerbity merely because their garments or
general aspect do not please its refined taste. It is a determined and rather formidable
antagonist, turning rapidly about and launching a shower of kicks which can do no small
damage, their effect being considerably heightened by the sharp claws with which the toes
are armed. In the countries which it inhabits, the native warriors are accustomed to use
the innermost claw of the Cassowary’s foot as the head of their spears.

The food of this bird in a wild state consists of herbage and various fruits, and in
captivity it is fed on bran, apples, carrots, and similar substances, and is said to drink

CASSOWARY.—Casudrius Emu.

nearly half a gallon of water per diem. The eggs are somewhat like those of the rhea,
save that their surface is more tubercular, and the shades of green more varied. The
colour of the plumage is black, glossy above, as if made of shining black horsehair,
and rather duller below. At the lower part of the neck there are two wattles, and the
upper part of the neck is coloured with beautiful blue, purple, and scarlet. The legs are
feathered. An adult male is about five feet in height.

THE other species of Cassowary was discovered by Captain Devlin, and, having been
taken to Sydney in 1857, was there purchased and sent to England by Dr. Bennett, after
whom it has been very appropriately named. Its native title is Moorvx, and its home is
in the island of New Britain.

Dr. Bennett's description of the Mooruk is as follows: “The height of the bird is three
feet to the top of the back, and five feet when standing erect. Its colour is rufous, mixed
with black on the back and hinder portions of the body, and raven-black about the neck
and breast ; the loose wavy skin of the neck is beautifully coloured with iridescent tints of
bluish purple, pink, and an occasional shade of green, quite different from the red and
purple caruncles of the Cassowary ; the feet and legs, which are very large and strong, are
of a pale ash colour, and exhibit a remarkable peculiarity in the extreme length of the
claw of the inner toe of each foot, it being nearly three times the length which it attains
in the claws of the other toes. This bird also differs from the cassowary in having a
horny plate instead of a helmet-like protuberance on the top of the head, which callous
plate resembles mother-of-pearl darkened with black lead.”

654 HABITS OF THE MOORUK,

The voice of the Mooruk is a kind of whistling chirp. It is a very cleanly bird, keeping
its plumage free from stain, and being very fond of washing, lying down to have repeated
bucketfuls of water poured over its body, and squatting on the ground in heavy rain. In
the month of May, 1861, three examples of the Mooruk were in the Zoological Gardens,
all presented by Dr. Bennett. Their proceedings when in captivity are most amusingly
told by their owner in his valuable “Gatherings of a Naturalist in Australasia,” and
although too long to be entirely inserted, are so interesting and so indicative of the
Mooruk’s character, that a portion must find a place in these pages.

“On the 29th of October I succeeded in purchasing the birds. When placed in the
yard, they walked about as tame as turkeys. They approached any one who came in, as
if desirous of being fed, and were very docile. They began pecking at a bone they found
lying about (probably not having tasted any meat for some time), and would not, while
engaged upon it, touch some boiled potatoes which were thrown to them; indeed, it was
found afterwards that they fed better out of a dish than from the ground, having no doubt
been early accustomed to be fed in that manner, They seemed also fond of scraping about
the dunghill, and appeared to pick up food from it, probably insects or grubs. They were
as familiar as if born and bred among us for years, and did not require time to reconcile
them to their new situation, but were sociable and quite at home at once.

We found them on the following day rather too tame, or, like spoilt pets, too often in
the way. One or both of them would walk into the kitchen, and while one was dodging
under the tables and chairs, the other would leap up on the table, keeping the cook in a
state of excitement ; or they would be heard in the hall or in the library, in search of food
or information ; or they would walk upstairs, and then quickly descend again, making
their peculiar chirping, whistling noise ; not a door could be left open, but in they walked.
They kept the servants constantly on the alert: if one went to open the door, on turning
round she found a Mooruk behind her; for they seldom went together, generally wandering
apart from each other.

If any attempt was made to turn them out by force, they would dart rapidly about the
room, dodging about under the tables, chairs, and sofas, and then end by squatting down
under a sofa or in a corner; indeed, it was impossible to remove the bird, except by
carrying it away. On attempting this, the long muscular legs would begin kicking and
struggling, when it would soon get released, and politely walk out of its own accord. I
found the best method was to entice them out as if you had something eatable in your
hand, when they would follow the direction in which you wished to lead them. On the
housemaid attempting to turn the bird out of one of the rooms, it kicked her and tore her
dress. They walk into the stables among the horses, poking their bills into the manger.
When writing in my study, a chirping, whistling noise is heard; the door, which is ajar,
is pushed open, and in walk the Mooruks, who quietly pace round the room inspecting
everything, and then as peaceably go out again.

Even in the very tame state of these birds, I have seen sufficient of them to know
that, if they were loose in a wood, it would be impossible to catch them, and almost as
difficult to shoot them. One day, when apparently frightened at something that occurred,
I saw one of them scour round the yard at a swift pace, and disappear under the archway
so rapidly that the eye could hardly follow it, upsetting all the poultry in its progress, as
they could not get out of the way. The lower half of the stable door, about four feet high,
was kept shut, to prevent them going in; but this proved no obstacle, as it was easily
leaped over by these birds.

They never appeared to take any notice of or be frightened at the jabiru, or gigantic
crane, which was in the same yard, although that sedate, stately bird. was not pleased
at their intrusion, One day I observed the jabiru spreading his long wings, and clattering
his beak, opposite one of the Mooruks, as if in ridicule of their wingless condition. The
Mooruk, on the other hand, was preening its feathers, and spreading out its funny little
apology for wings, as if proud of displaying the stiff horny shafts with which they were
adorned. The Mooruks often throw up all their feathers, ruffling them, and then ‘they
suddenly fall flat as before. Their wings aid them in running, but are never used for

MOORUK.—Casudrius Bennéttii

defence, Captain Devlin says, that the natives consider them to a certain degree sacred,
and rear them as pets. He does not know whether they are used as food, but if so, not
generally ; indeed, their shy disposition, and power of rapid running, darting through brake
and bush, would almost preclude their capture.

The natives carry them in their arms, and entertain a great affection for them, which
will account for their domesticated state with us. The noise of these birds, when in the
yard, resembled that of the female turkey ; at other times, the pecular chirping noise was
accompanied by a whistling sound, which often reminded me of the chirp of the Guinea
fowl. The contrast of these birds ‘with the jabiru, or gigantic crane (Myctéria Australis),
was very great. The Mooruks were sometimes seen moving about like the female turkey,
but were more often in a state of rapid motion or excite ment; when w alking quietly, they
were very inquisitive, poking their beaks into everything, and familiar with every person.
The jabiru, on the other hand, was a perfect picture of sedate quietness, looking upon all
play as injurious to his constitution or derogatory to his dignity, remaining stiff in his
gait and serious in his demeanour. The Mooruks, by their activity and noise, would let
every one know they were in the yard, whereas no one would be aware of the presence of
the jabiru except by sight; and w ae he moves away, it 1s with a quiet sedate gait.

The Mooruk has, when seen in full face, a fine eagle-like expression of countenance,
having the same vivid, piercing eye and curved beak. The instant the Mooruk saw an
ego laid by a hen, he darted upon it, and breaking the shell, devoured it iminediately, as if
he had been accustomed to eges all his life. A servant was opening a cask of ale: as soon
as the birds heard the hammering, they both ran down to it, and remained there while it
was unpacked, squatting down on each side, most intently watching the process, and
occasionally pecking at the straw and contents.

When the carpenter was in the yard, making some alteration in the cage of these
birds, previous to their voyage to England, it was very amusing to see them squat down
upon their tarsi, like dogs, watching the man, with the greatest apparent interest in all his
actions, enjoying the hammering noise, and occasionally picking up a nail, which was not
in this instance swallowed, but again dropped; one of them swallowed his “oilstone.”

which so alarmed the man that he considered the bird had committed suicide, and hurried

656 TAME MOORUKS.

to inform me of the circumstance, when, to his surprise, I told him if he did not take care
they would swallow his hammer, nails, and chisel. The birds kept close to the man until
he left for dinner, when they went about the yard as usual, resuming their position near
him as soon as he returned to his work, and not leaving until he had finished.

These birds invariably retire to roost at dusk, and nothing more is seen or heard of
them until daylight, as they never leave their usual roosting-place after retiring; indeed,
their usual time of roosting is as soon as the sun is on the verge of setting, even before the
poultry depart ; and on looking at them about this time in their retirement, they utter
their usual greeting chirps, and one may be observed reposing upon the breast, the other
upon the tarsi. The door may be safely left open during the night, as they will not move,
nor leaye their sleeping-place, until the dawn of day. If, during any hour of the night, I
approached their resting-place, they immediately greeted me with their peculiar chirping
noise, being evidently, like geese, very watchful, or, according to the common saying,
‘sleeping with one eye open;’ when gazed at, they not only chirped, but, if I continued
too long, I was saluted by a loud growl.

One morning the male Mooruk was missing, and was found in the bedroom upstairs,
drinking water out of the water-jug. There were some silkworms in the room at the time,
but they were fortunately covered ; otherwise, I have no doubt, he would have made a meal
of them. The same bird swallowed a bung-cork which measured one and a half inch in
diameter ; indeed, they both seem to swallow anything, from butter and eggs to iron, in
the form of small bolts or nails, and stones. The bird did not appear well; he was sulky
and heavy all day; and when, in this sickly state, any one approached him, instead of
being greeted with a cheerful chirping, he uttered a loud sulky growl: we were afraid he
was dying. On the following day he was as lively as ever, haying passed the cork in a
perfectly undigested state.

To show how dangerous it was to leave any object capable of being swallowed, I will
relate the following occurrence: The servant was starching some muslin cuffs, and having
completed one and hung it up to dry, she was about to finish the other, when, hearing the
bell ring, she squeezed up the cuff, threw it into the starch, and attended to the summons.
On her return the cuff was gone, and she could not imagine who had taken it during her
brief absence, when she discovered that the Mooruk was the thief, its beak and head being
covered with starch: he had without doubt swallowed it. This occurred at eleven A.M.,
and at half-past five p.m. the cuff was passed, quite undigested and uninjured, and with a
little washing was as good as ever.

They could not digest unboiled potato. Maize, or any unboiled grain, was likewise
indigestible. When a piece of bread was offered them at a height beyond their reach, they
would first stretch up the body and neck as much as possible, and then, finding they could
not get it, they would jump up for it like a dog. They were frequently seen running and
tumbling about the yard together in high spirits. It is well to warn persons, inclined
to keep these birds as pets, of their insatiable propensities. When about the house, they
displayed extraordinary delight in a variety of diet ; for, as I have previously related, one
day they satisfied their appetites with bones, whetstones, corks, nails, and raw potatoes,
most of which passed perfectly undigested ; one dived into thick starch and devoured a
muslin cuff, whilst the other evinced a great partiality for nails and pebbles; then they
stole the jabiru’s meat from the water. If eggs and butter were left upon the kitchen
table, they were soon devoured by these marauders ; and when the servants were at their
dinner in the kitchen, they had to be very watchful, for the long necks of the birds
appeared between their arms, devouring everything off the plates; or, if the dinner table
was left for a moment, they would mount upon it and clear all before them.

At other times they stood at the table, waiting for food to be given to them, although
they did not hesitate to remove anything within their reach. I have often seen them
stand at the window of our dining-room, with keen eye, watching for any morsel of food
that might be thrown to them. The day previous to the departure of the pair for England,
in February, 1859, the male bird walked into the dining-room, and remained by my side
during the dessert. I regaled him with pine-apple and other fruits, and he behaved very
decorously and with great forbearance. Having had these birds for a considerable time

APTERYX, OR KIWI-KIWL—'Apieryx australis

in my possession, I had ample opportunity of hearing all the notes uttered by them. I
never heard them utter a sound like ‘Mooruk.’ I am inclined to consider the name
signifies, in the native language, ‘swift’—resembling closely the Malay term ‘a muck,’ or
mad career.”

In the same work is much more curious and valuable information respecting this bird,
and to its pages the reader is referred for further information concerning this and many
other objects of natural history.

The Mooruk is not devoid of offensive weapons, for it can kick very sharply, delivering
the stroke forward like the ostrich, and deriving much aid from the long-pointed claw
which has already been mentioned. Its attitudes are much more various, and its form more
flexible, than would be supposed by persons who have not seen the bird in a living state.
Sometimes it squats down with the legs bent under it, and so sits upright like a dog that
has been taught to “beg ;” sometimes it lies on its side, stretching the legs straight
behind it ; sometimes it flattens itself against the ground, its legs tucked under its body,
and its head and neck stretched at full length on the ground. This latter position is a
favourite one. Like the emeu, it is often taken with an ebullition of joyousness, and then
dashes about its inclosure as if half mad, jumps against a tree or post, trying to kick it at
a great height from the ground, and tumbling flat on its back when it misses its aim.
Then it will suddenly cease its vagaries, and walk about very composedly, but panting
for breath with open bill.

This bird may be distinguished from the cassowary by the four (instead of five) spines
of the wings, and the shape of the helmet.

PERHAPS the very strangest and most weird-like of all living birds is the APTERYX, or
Kiwi-Kiwi.

2. UU

658 THE APTERYX.

This singular bird is a native of New Zealand, where it was once very common, but, like
the dinornis, is in a fair way of becoming extinct, a fate from which it has probably been
hitherto preserved by its nocturnal and retiring habits. ;

Not many years ago, the Apteryx was thought to be a fabulous bird, its veritable
existence being denied by scientific men as energetically as that of the giraffe in yet older
days, or the duck-bill in more modern times. A skin brought from New Zealand was given
to a taxidermist to “set up,” and the man, taking it for one of the penguins on account of
its very short wings and the total absence of a tail, stuffed it in a sitting posture, such
as is assumed by the penguine tribe, and arranged the head and neck after the same
model.

In this bird there is scarcely the slightest trace of wings, a peculiarity which has gained
for it the title of Apteryx, or wingless. The plumage is composed of rather curiously
shaped flat feathers, each being wide and furnished with a soft, shining, silken down for the
basal third of its length, and then narrowing rapidly towards the extremity, which is a
single shaft with hair-like webs at each side. The quill portion of the feathers is
remarkably small and short, being even overlapped by the down when the feather is
removed from the bird.

The skin is very tough and yet flexible, and the chiefs set great value upon it for the
manutacture of their state mantles, perniitting no inferior person to wear them, and being
extremely unwilling to part with them even for a valuable consideration. The bird lives
mostly among the fern; andas it always remains concealed during the day in deep recesses
of rocks, ground or tree roots, and is remarkably fleet of foot, diving among the heavy fern-
leaves with singular adroitness, it is not very easy of capture. It feeds upon insects of
various kinds, more especially on worms, which it is said to attract to the surface by
jumping and striking on the ground with its powerful feet. The natives always hunt the
Kiwi-kiwi at night, taking with them torches and spears. The speed of this bird is very
considerable, and when running it sets its head rather back, raises its neck, and plies its
legs with a vigour little inferior to that of the ostrich,

The fine specimen in the Zoological Gardens has already proved a very valuable bird,
as she has laid several eggs, thereby setting at rest some disputed questions on the subject,
and well illustrates the natural habits of the species. During the day she remains hidden
behind the straw, which is piled up in a corner of her box, and declines to come forth
unless removed by force. When brought to the light, she looks sadly puzzled for a short
time, and when placed on the ground, she turns her back—not her tail, as she has no such
appendage—and runs off to her box in the most absurd style, looking as if she were going
to topple over every moment. I noticed that she always goes round her box and slips in
between the box and the wall, insinuating herself behind the straw without even showing
afeather. Before hiding herself, she lingered a few moments to eat some worms from her
keeper's hand, taking them daintily with the end of the bill, and disposing of them at a
rapid rate.

Upon her box is placed, under a glass shade, the shell of one of her eggs. These eggs
are indeed wonderful, for the bird weighs just a little more than four pounds, and each egg
weighs between fourteen and fifteen ounces, its length being four inches and three-quarters,
and its width rather more than two inches, thus being very nearly one-fourth of the weight
of the parent bird. There have been six eggs laid between 1852, when it was first introduced
to the Gardens, and 1861, when I last saw the bird, and each egg has varied between
thirteen and fourteen and a half ounces in weight.

The long curved beak of the Apteryx has the nostrils very narrow, very small, and set
on at each side of the tip, so that the bird is enabled to pry out the worms and other
nocturnal creatures on which it feeds, without trusting only to the eyes. The general
colour of the Apteryx is chestnut-brown, each feather being tipped with a darker hue, and
the under parts are lighter than the upper. The height is about two feet.

Three species of Apteryx are known—namely, the one already described, OWEN’s
APTERYX (Apteryx Owenii), remarkable for the puffy downiness of its plumage, and
MANTELL'S APTERYX (Apteryx Mantelli’), and it is very probable that there are still other
species at present unknown.

GREAT BUSTARD,—0tis tarda.

ALTHOUGH the progress of civilization has conferred many benefits on this country, it
has deprived it of many of its aboriginal inhabitants, whether furred or feathered, the
GREAT BustarD being in the latter category.

This splendid bird, although in former days quite a usual tenant of plains and
commons, and having been an ordinary object of chase on Newmarket Heath, is now so
very rare, that an occasional specimen only makes its appearance at very rare intervals,
and is then generally found—and shot—on Salisbury Plain. In the countries which
it still inhabits, it is a most wary bird, and very difficult of approach, being generally shot
with rifles after a careful and lengthened chase that rivals deer-stalking in the watchfulness
and perseverance that are requisite before the sportsmen can get within shot. They are
carried in carts, covered with ordinary farm produce, and haying an aperture through
which they can aim; they put on various disguises ; they enact the part of agricultural
labourers, plying their work, and gradually slipping towards the wary birds; they walk
behind cows, and, in fine, put into practice every device which their ingenuity, sharpened
by experience, can suggest.

UU 2

660 THE LITTLE BUSTARD.

The Great Bustard is not fond of flying, its wings having but a slow and deliberate
movement; but on foot it is very swift, and tests the speed of dog and horse before it can
be captured.

The nest—if a hole in the ground may be called a nest—of this bird is generally made
among corn, rye, &c., although it is sometimes situated in rather unexpected localities.
The eggs are two or three in number, and of an olive-brown colour, splashed with light
brown, in which a green tinge is perceptible. The food of the bird is almost wholly of a
vegetable nature, though it is said to feed occasionally upon mice, lizards, and other small
vertebrates. The flesh of the Bustard is very excellent, but the extreme rarity of these
birds prevents it from being often seen upon English tables. When caught young, the
Bustard can be readily tamed, and soon becomes quite familiar with those who treat it
kindly.

The head and upper part of the neck are greyish white, and upon the side of the neck
there is a small patch of slaty blue bare skin, almost concealed by the curious feather tuft
which hangs over it. The upper part of the body is pale chestnut, barred with black, and
the tail is of similar tints with a white tip, and a very broad black band next to the white
extremity. The wing-coverts, together with the tertials, are white, and the primaries
black. The under surface of the body is white. The total length of an adult male is about
forty-five inches.

The LrrrLe Bustarp is also an occasional visitor to this country ; and whenever it
does make its appearance, it almost invariably chooses the winter time.

It is by no means uncommon in several parts of Europe, and in Russia, assembles in
little flocks. Towards the shores of the Caspian Sea it is found in greater numbers, the
flocks being of considerable size, and all appearing (in the month of December) to consist
of birds which have not put on, or which have already put off, their nuptial plumage.
This bird feeds upon insects, herbs, grasses, and seeds, and its flesh is very good, having
been compared to that of a young pheasant. The eggs are placed on the ground among a
tuft of rank herbage in which the bird can lie concealed ; their number is about four, and
their colour olive-brown.

The male, when in full plumage, is a decidedly handsome bird. The top of the head is
fawn and black, and the sides of the face and neck are slaty grey. Around the neck runs a
broad gorge of black, cut by two white bands, one narrow and forming a ring round the neck,
and the other, broader and of semilunar shape, just across the top of the breast. The upper
parts of the body are fawn, mottled profusely with black, and the wings are beautifully
marked with black and white. The under surface of the body is white. The female is
without the beautiful black and white stripes on the neck and chest, and her breast, sides,
and flanks are barred with black. Except during the breeding season, the male has the
same plumage. The total length of this bird is about seventeen inches.

THERE are many other Bustards scattered over the world, some being well known in
India under the title of Florikans, and others being distributed over Africa. The Houpara,
or RUFFLED Bustarp, is well known, on account of its curious-plumed ruffles and the sport
which it affords to Algerian falconers. There are also two South African species, the Pauw
and the Koran, which are often casually mentioned in the works of African travellers.
Both these birds belong to the genus Eupodotis, and of them Captain Drayson, R.A., has
kindly given me the following account :—

“The Pauw bird is more sought for by the pot-hunter than any other in South Africa.
Its size is about that of a turkey, and its flesh delicious. On the breast of this bird there
are two coloured meats. First, there is a dark brown, similar to that of the grouse; but
beneath this there is white meat, which is similar in appearance to chicken’s flesh.

The Pauw is usually found on the plains, which it prefers to bushy country ; for as it
is a very crafty bird, it does not like to give the sportsman an opportunity to stalk it.
When the long grass of the plains has been burnt, and the young grass began to shoot up,
then would numbers of Pauws assemble on the ground, and search for the worms and
slugs which became visible. There was little chance, however, of approaching within two

heel

Se — Le
LD La
— Wie

LITTLE BUSTARD.—Otis tetraz.

hundred yards of the bird at these times, as the whole flock would take flight immediately
they believed themselves in danger, and they had formed a very fair estimate of the
distance at which a smooth bore wotld be dangerous. The flight of the Pauw was
something like the heron’s, except that, when it purposed settling, it would skim for a
considerable distance with its wings quite rigid.

The bird being rather heavy, with the appearance of a full habit of body, it could not
take flight very readily. When it was possessed of a good feeding locality it seemed
disinclined to fly away, although its sense of danger was apparent. The sportsman might
then probably reach to within one hundred yards of the bird, particularly if there happened
to be only one near him, and if he did not look attentively in the direction of the Pauw.
It was still necessary, however, to ride round the circumference of a circle of which the
Pauw was the centre, and, by decreasing the radius, to approach nearer and nearer. If the
Pauw crouched, then it usually depended upon the accuracy of the shooting whether or not
the bird was killed; for the sportsman might then gradually narrow the radius of his
circle, until he was within seventy or eighty yards, when he might dismount, if on horse-
back, and run in towards the bird, discharging the dose of buck-shot just as the Pauw
opened wide his wings. These birds are not confined to any particular locality, but seem
to range over any country within a radius of a hundred miles or so.

The CorAN is much smaller than the pauw, is longer, in proportion, in the leg, and
is rarely seen in flocks. It is quite as much esteemed for the table as the larger bustard,
and possesses also the two coloured meats. The Coran may be expected where the grass
is long, near rivers or ponds, and where there are some portions of marshy ground ; but it

GREAT PLOVER, OR THICK-KNEE.—'idicnémus crépitans

avoids showing itself much in the open. The poet has very appropriately designated this
bird as the ‘listless Coran,’ for its flight is slow and short, and, if possible, will be avoided
altogether.

In consequence of these characteristics this bird, if once seen, is almost certain to be
‘bagged.’ It will allow the sportsman to almost ride over it before it will rise; then a
slow, lazy, owl-like flight of about two hundred yards will satisfy its organ of caution.
Upon being pursued, it will again lie close, and has to be almost kicked before it will leave
the ground ; after which its slow flight affords eveu an indifferent shot an excellent chance
of killing, for the Coran can carry off very little shot.”

TuE Wading Birds are well furnished with legs and feet formed for walking, and in
many species the legs are greatly elongated, so as to enable them to walk in the water
while they pick their food out of the waves.

In the British Museum the Plovers head the list of Waders, of which our first
example is the GREAT PLOVER, or THICK-KNEE, of England.

It is not an uncommon visitor to this country, spending the months between April and
September within our coasts, and being found in various parts of England, where it is
known under the names of SroNE CuRLEW and NorroLk PLover. As it comes from the
south, it is more common in the southern than in the northern counties. It moves about
chiefly in the dark, its large full eyes enabling it to take advantage of the waning light,
and to pounce upon the slugs, worms, and insects that come forth by night. The bird is
also thought to kill and devour lizards, frogs, and mice; and the remains of the large
hard-shelled beetles have been found within its stomach.

The note of this Plover is almost human‘in its intonation, sounding like that strange
whistle produced by putting the fingers in the mouth and blowing shrilly through them.
The Thick-knee frequents open country and plains, disliking inclosures, and being
very fond of downs where sheep are fed in large flocks. It is a cautious and very shy
bird, so that the sportsman cannot, without great trouble, come within shot range. More-
over, it is singularly tenacious of life, and will carry away a large charge of shot without
seeming much the worse at the time.

—

—

PRATINCOLE.—Glaréals pratincola.

The eggs of this bird are laid upon the bare ground, and are two in number. Their
colour is rather light dingy brown, covered w ith splashes and streaks of slaty blue and
dark brown. The male bird is supposed to aid in the duties of incubation. When
hatched, the young birds are covered with a soft spotty down, so like the stones and soil
in which they repose, that they can hardly be discovered even within a yard or two. For
the same reason, the eggs are very safe from unpractised eyes. About October the birds
take their departure, assembling together in flocks before they start on their travels.

The general colour of the Thick-knee is mottled brown and black. The head is brown
streaked with black : ; there is a light-coloured stripe from the forehead to the ear-coverts,
and the chin and throat are white. The back is brown streaked with black, and the quill-
feathers of the wing are nearly black, with a few patches of white. The neck and breast
are extremely pale brown, streaked with a darker hue, and the abdomen is nearly white,
with a few long and very narrow longitudinal streaks. In total length the bird measures
about seventeen inches.

THE close compact plumage of the PRAtrNcoLg, its long pointed wings, its deeply
forked tail, and swallow-like form, point it out as a bird of swift wing and enduring
flight.

The Pratincole is by no means plentifully found in the British Isles, making its usual
residence in the east of Europe and Central Asia. Like the swallows, to which it is so
similar in form and habits that even modern zoologists have doubted whether it ought
not to find a place among those birds rather than with the Waders, the Pratincole feeds
much upon the wing, snapping up the insects as they come across its path, and especially
delighting in picking the aquatic insects out of their native element without even staying
its aerial course. Its endurance is equal to its speed, and a flight of two or three hundred
miles is but an easy journey to this bird, which can thus pass over a very great extent of
country in a few days.

The nest of the Pratincole is made among thick aquatic herbage, and the eggs are
generally about five or six in number. The general colour of the Pratincole is shining
yellowish brown above. The chin is whitish, and the front of the throat reddish white, A

CREAM-COLOURED COURSER.~Cursérius Gallicus.

narrow black streak runs from the eyes over the ear-coverts, and round the throat, forming
the “collar,” by which the bird is so readily known. The breast is light brown, and the
abdomen, as well as the upper tail-coverts, is white. The quill-feathers of the wings are
dark blackish brown, and the deeply forked tail is white at its basal half, and dark
blackish brown to the tip.

THE very rare bird which, on account of its speed of foot and the colour of its
plumage, is termed the CREAM-COLOURED CoURSER, is found even less frequently than the
preceding species.

It seems to live chiefly in Barbary or Abyssinia, though specimens have been obtained
from almost every country in Europe. One of these birds, shot in Kent, was remarkable
for its boldness. When the gun that was aimed at it missed fire, the bird only flew away
for a short distance, and then alighted within a hundred yards of the gunner. It ran
with great velocity, picking up objects from the ground in its course, and it was with
ditticulty raised from the ground so as to afford a fair shot. The note of this species is
very peculiar, and is uttered on the wing.

The crown of the head is fawn, fading into grey behind, and the chin is white. From
the eye over the ear-coverts is a black curved streak, and immediately above it is a similar
white streak. The whole upper parts of the body are pale reddish brown, the primary
feathers of the wing are jetty black, and there is a curious black spot near the end of each
tail-feather. The whole under surface is cream-white, becoming white on the under tail-
coverts. Both sexes are similarly coloured, and the total length is rather more than
ten inches.

THE well-known LApwING, or PEEwit, is celebrated for many reasons. Its wheeling,
flapping flight is so peculiar as to attract the notice of every one who has visited the
localities in which it resides, and its strange, almost articulate, cry is equally familiar.
When it fears danger, it rises from the nest, or rather from the eggs, into the air, and
continually wheels around the intruder, its black and white plumage flashing out as it
inclines itself in its flight, and its mournful cry almost fatiguing the ear with its piercing

LAPWING.—Vanellus cristdtus

frequency. ‘“ Wee-whit! wee-e whit!” fills the air, as the birds endeavour to draw away
attention from their home ; and the look and cry are so weird-like that the observer ceases
to wonder at the superstitious dread in which these birds were formerly held. The
French call the Lapwing “ Dix-huit,” from its ery.

It is the male bird which thus soars above and around the intruder, the female sitting
closely on her eggs until disturbed, when she runs away, tumbling and flapping about as
if she had broken her wing, in hopes that the foe may give chase and so miss her eggs.
It is certainly very tempting, for she imitates the movements of a wounded bird with
marvellous fidelity.

The eges of the Lapwing are laid in a little depression in the earth, in which a few
grass stalks are loosely pressed. The full number of eggs is four, very large at one end and
very sharply pointed at the other, and the bird always arranges them with their small end
inwards, so that they present a somewhat cross-like shape as they lie in the nest. Their
colour is olive, blotched and spotted irregularly with dark blackish brown, and they
harmonize so well with the ground on which they are laid that they can hardly be
discerned from the surrounding earth at a few yards’ distance. Under the title of “ Plover's
egos” they are in great request for the table, and are sought by persons who make a trade
of them, and who attain a wonderful expertness at the business. The eggs are generally
laid in marshy grounds, heaths, and commons, where they are sometimes found by dogs
trained for the purpose. They are, however, often placed in cultivated grounds, and I have
found numbers in ploughed fields in the months of April and May. At first, the novice
may pass over the ground three or four times without finding an egg, and may have the
mortification of seeing a more experienced ege-hunter go over the very same ground and
fill his bag. After a while, however, the eye becomes accustomed to the business, and the
speckled eges stand out boldly enough against the ground. Even the protruding ends of
the bents and grass stems on which they are laid take the eye, and there are very few eggs
that can escape.

The food of the Lapwing consists almost wholly of grubs, slugs, worms, and insects. It
is easily tamed, and is often kept in gardens for the purpose of ridding them of these

666 THE DOTTEREL,

destructive creatures. In the garden next our own a Lapwing was kept, and lived for some
years, tripping featly over the grass and thoroughly at home.

In its colouring the Lapwing is rather a handsome bird. The top of the head is black,
as is the long-pointed crest, which can be raised or depressed at will. The sides of the
face and neck are white, speckled with black; the chin, throat, and breast are jetty black,
and from the chin a black streak runs under the eye. The upper part of the body is
shining coppery green, glazed with purple, and the primary feathers of the wing are black,
with some greyish white at their tips. The upper tail-coverts are chestnut, and the tail is
half white and half black, the exterior feather on each side being almost wholly white. —
The under parts are white, changing to fawn on the under tail-coverts. In winter the chin
and throat are white. The yearling birds are mottled with buff on the back. The total
length of the bird rather exceeds one foot.

THE three Plovers represented in the engraving are common throughout England.

The GOLDEN PLOVER, sometimes called the YELLow PLOVER from its prettily coloured
plumage, is common in many parts of England, being found mostly in the more northern
districts of Great Britain, moving southward in the autumn. The spots which it selects
for its breeding-places are generally situated on open moors, where the vegetation is but
scanty, and water is at hand, although well below the level of the nest, rather high ridges,
with a dell slope, being its most favoured spots. It makes its simple preparations in the
beginning of April or “the end of March, according to the season, choosing some little
depression in the soil, scratching it tolerably level, and laying in it a few bents and grass
stems. The eggs are usually four in number, and their colour is yellowish olive, blotched
with dusky brown. Like the eggs of the lapwing, they are arranged with their small
ends inwards. The Golden Plover also puts in ‘practice sundry devices to draw an
intruder away from the nest, rising into the air when it has succeeded in its object, and
uttering an exultant whistling ery as it wheels off im safety. The female is very careful
about her eggs. While sitting, she crouches so low upon them that her speckled plumage
can hardly be distinguished from the earth; and when she leaves her nest, she runs to
some little distance along the ground before she rises into the air, and returns after the
same cautious fashion.

The young birds are active on foot, and are able to follow their parent within a very
short time after their escape from the ege-shell. They are pretty little creatures, covered
with thick dusky mottled down, and not easily to be discovered.

The plumage of the Golden Plover varies generally according to age and the season of
year. In the summer, the top of the head and whole of the upper surface are greyish
black, mottled with triangular spots of golden yellow. The face, chin, throat, and under
surface of the body are jetty black, a w hite streak passing over the eyes and forehead, and
separating the mottlings of the head from the black of the face. The primaries are nearly
black, and the tail is barred with whitish grey and blackish brown. Below the wing there
is a band of white, and the under tail-coverts are white. In the winter the chin is white,
and the breast also dusky white, spotted with yellow ; and in late autumn and early spring
the changing plumage is curiously mottled with black, yellow, and white. The yearling
birds are more grey on the breast and lower parts than when they have attained their
second year’s plumage. In total length this bird measures not quite one foot.

The Dotreret has long been held as the type of stupidity, and to call a man a Dotterel
is considered as great an insult as to term him a goose ora donkey.

Certainly, the Dotterel is not a very wise bird in some things, having but little of the
general wary habits of the Plovers, and allowing itself to be approached without displaying
much uneasiness. It was once thought to be so very inquisitive and so foolish as to
imitate all the actions of the fowler, holding out a wing if he held out an arm, lying flat
if he did the same, and so permitting the net to be thrown over it before it was aware of
any danger. It is not now so plentiful as it used to be, its numbers having been much
thinned by guns and nets. Its flesh is thought very good, and the bird finds a ready sale
in the poulterer’s shop. The specific title, ‘Morinellus, signifies a little fool. The ery of
the Dotterel is a kind of piping whistle.

GOLDEN PLOVER.—Charddrius pluvidlis. DOTTEREL.—Charddrius morinellus.
KENTISH PLOVER.—Charddrius cantidnus.

The breeding-places are selected on high grounds, and the eggs, mostly three in
number, are placed on a few grass stems laid carelessly ina depression i in the soil, sheltered
in most cases by a large stone or fragment of rock. The colour of the eggs is like that of
the golden Plover.

The top of the head and back of the neck are dark brown; above the eye a rather broad
white streak runs towards the nape of the neck, and the chin and sides of the face are
white, speckled with darker tints. The back is ashen brown, and the scapularies and wing-
coverts are edged with buff. ‘The primaries are ashen grey mixed with white. The throat
is ashen grey, and the breast is rich dark fawn, crossed by a bold white streak, extending
completely across the breast and terminating at the shoulders. The abdomen is black, and
the under tail-coverts buffy white. In the summer the breast is buffy white. The total
length of this bird is not quite ten inches.

THE pretty little KrntisH PLover may be seen on some of our shores, running along
the edge of the waves with surprising celerity, pecking here and there as the waves retreat,
and uttering its happy whistling lttle notes as it runs.

It bears a considerable resemblance to the ringed Plover (Charadrius hiaticula), but
may be distinguished from that bird by the smaller size and the broken black collar on the
neck, which does not extend completely across the breast. The best mode of observing
this bird, or, indeed, the many species that haunt the shores, is to get on the cliffs, le down
among the high grass and herbage, and make use of a good double field- glass. With an
ordinary telescope the birds get ‘out of the field too rapidly, and they are liable to be
alarmed by the movements of the tube.

668 THE OYSTER-CATCHER.

The eggs of this bird are laid in a hollow scraped in the sand or the fine shelly shingle.
There is no nest excepting the sand. The colour of the eggs is yellowish olive, with
streaks and spots of black.

The top of the head is rich chestnut, the forehead white, with a black patch immediately
above the white, and a slight streak of white passes near the eye. The ear-coyerts are
black, and the edge of the neck is greyish white. The chin, sides of the throat, breast; and
under parts are white, except a black collar which very nearly crosses the breast, but
leaves a white space in front.
The back and upper parts
are ashen brown, and the
primaries dull black. The
length of the adult bird is
not quite seven inches,

THE handsome OystTER-
CATCHER is another of our
coast birds, and is tolerably
plentiful upon the shore.
From the black and white
hues of its plumage, it is
sometimes called the Sea-Pie.

It generally keeps to the
shore, haunting sandy bays,
interspersed with partially

Se : submersed rocks, and pick-
ing up its subsistence with
OYSTER-CATCHER.—Heméatopus ostrdalegus. great animation. It feeds

mostly on molluscs, mussels

and limpets being ordinary
articles of its food. It is able to detach the firmly-clinging limpet from the rock by
striking a sharp blow with its wedge-like beak, and detaching the molluse before it has
had time to take the alarm and draw itself firmly against its support. It is swift of foot,
and a good swimmer, frequently taking to the water in search of food, and beimg able to
dive when alarmed. Diving, however, does not seem to be a favourite accomplishment,
and is seldom resorted to unless under peculiar circumstances.

In some parts of England, the Oyster-Catcher makes short inland migrations during
the summer, but even im such eases it displays its aquatic propensities by keeping near
the river banks, and feeding on the worms, slugs, and similar creatures.

The nest of the Oyster-Catcher is merely a hole scraped in the ground, wherein lie three
or four eges of a yellowish olive, spotted with grey and brown. They are generally placed
on the beach well above high-water mark, but the bird sometimes makes its home at some
distance from the sea. The flat sandy coasts of Lincolnshire seem to be the localities most
favoured by the Oyster-Catcher. The young are covered with soft down of a greyish
brown colour.

The head, neck, upper part of the breast, scapularies, quill-feathers, and latter half of
the tail-feathers are deep shining black, and the rest of the plumage is pure white. The
curious beak is three inches in length, very much compressed—?.e. flattened sideways—and
towards the point is thinned off into a kind of wedge or chisel-shaped termination. The
rich ruddy colour is deepest at the base. During some of the winter months there is no
white collar round the throat, and in the yearling bird the back and wings are mottled
with brown. The total length of the Oyster-Catcher is about sixteen inches.

THE handsomely plumed TuURNSTONE is, though a little bird, so boldly decorated with
black, white, and ruddy orange, that it is more conspicuous upon the coast than birds of
double its size.

oe

THE TURNSTONE. 669

The name is derived from its movements when feeding, at which times it runs along
the beach, picking up sandhoppers, marine worms, and other creatures, and turning over
the stones in its course for the purpose of getting at the small crustacez that are generally
found in such situations. This bird is spread over a considerable portion of the world,
and is found even in Northern America, where it retains the same habits which distinguish
it in Europe. According to Wilson, it feeds almost wholly, during May and June, on the
spawn of the king-crab, and is known by the name of the Horse-foot Snipe, the king-crab
being popularly called-the horse-foot crab. It runs with some speed, but not the rapidity
that characterises many shore-loving birds, and spends some time in examining any spot
of ground to which it has taken a fancy, tossing the pebbles from side to side, and
picking up the unfortunate being that may have lain under their shelter.

TURNSTONE. —Cinclus intérpres.

The nest of this bird is situated upon the coast, and the bird is very valiant in its
attacks upon the gulls which approach too near its home. <A nest found by Mr. Hewitson
“was placed against a ledge of rock, and consisted of nothing more than the drooping
leaves of the juniper-bush, under a creeping branch, by which the eggs, four in number,
were snugly concealed, and admirably sheltered from the many storms by which these
bleak and exposed rocks are visited, allowing just sufficient room for the bird to cover
them. The several nests that we examined were placed in the same situation as the one
described, with the exception of two, one of which was under a slanting stone, the other
on the bare rock ; all the nests contained four eggs each. Their time of breeding is about
the middle of June. The eggs measure one inch seven lines in length, by one inch two
lines in breadth, of an olive-green colour spotted and streaked with ash-blue and two
shades of reddish brown.” These nests were found on the coast of Norway.

The top of the head is white streaked with black, and a black band crosses the fore-
head and passes over the eyes. The chin, face, and sides of the neck are white, and the
breast is jetty black, throwing out black branches shaped like the gnarled boughs of the
oak, which run to the base of the bill, the lower eyelid, the back of the neck, and the
shoulders. The upper part of the back is also black, with a band of bright rust-red, and
the lower part white, with a broad band of black just above the tail-coverts. The under
parts are pure white, and the legs and toes are scarlet-orange. The length of the bird is
rather more than nine inches.

THE two birds represented on the following engraving are natives of Tropical America,

GOLDEN-BREASTED TRUMPETER.—Psophia crépitans. CARIAMA.—Cari@ma cristata.

The GOLDEN-BREASTED TRUMPETER is a handsome bird, remarkable for the short velvety
feathers of the head and neck, and their beautiful golden green lustre on the breast. The
body of this bird is hardly larger than that of a fowl, but its legs and neck are so long as
to give it the aspect of being much larger than it really is. Like most birds of similar
structure, it trusts more to its legs than its w ings, and is able to run with great speed and
activity. It is generally found in the forests.

As it is very easily tamed, it is a favourite inmate of the house, where it soon
constitutes itself the selfchosen guardian, watching the premises as jealously as any dog,
and permitting no other bird or beast to share its owner’s favours at the same time. Dogs
and cats it dislikes, and turns them out of the room when meal-times approach. The
dog sometimes fights for its privileges, but mostly m vain, for the Trumpeter has. a way
of rising into the air, coming down on the doe’s back and striking him with bill and feet,
that effectually puzzles the four-footed foe and forces him to vacate the field of battle. It
is said to learn to drive sheep, and to perform this arduous duty as well as any dog.

The name of Trumpeter is derived from the strange hollow cry which it utters without
seeming to open the beak. This cry is evidently produced by means of the curiously
formed “windpipe, which is furnished with two membranous expansions, and, during the
utterance of the ery, puffs out the neck very forcibly, just as the rhea does when orunting.
The nest of the Trumpeter is said to be a hole scratched in the ground at the foot of a
tree, and to contain about ten or twelve light green eges. The head and neck are velvety
black, and on the breast the feathers become large, rounded, and more seale-like, and
their edges are beautifully bedecked with rich shining ereen with a purplish gloss in

THE CRANE. 671

sGne lights and a lustrous” golden hue in others. The back is grey, the feathers being
loag and silken and hanging over the wings. The wings, under surface, and tail are
black, and the feathers of the tail are soft and short.

The CarraMa is rather larger than the trumpeter, and has many of the same habits.
It is chiefly remarkable for the feathery crest on the crown and forehead.

The Cariama is an admirable runner, getting over the ground with astonishing speed,
and tining and twisting with such adroit rapidity that even the admirable horsemen of
its nat'ye land find it put their skill to the sharpest test. Not until it is quite wearied
out, an'l crouches under a bush or other shelter, does the hunter endeavour to use either
rifle or 4gso, the two deadly weapons of his land. The walk of this bird is peculiarly
bold and easy, its paces are long, its lithe neck moves with every step as it continually
turns its littie sharp-looking head from side to side, and its full intelligent eyes gleam
through their heavy lashes as they survey every object within their ken. The eyes are
truly beautiful, large, round, and translucent, of a clear pearly grey, with many little
dark changing spot, much like the eye of a living dragon-fly.

It is easily tamed, and soon becomes so attached to its new home that it is accustomed
to roam about at will, and to return to its owner like the common fowl. The nest of this
bird is placed upon the branches of a rather low tree, it is made of sticks, and generally
contains two white eggs.

The general colour of the Cariama is pale brown, with numerous irregular splashes of
dark brown. The crest is always held erect, and the feathers of the forehead project
slightly over the beak. The wing is blacker brown than the rest of the body, and is covered
with narrow white streaks, dotted with black. The under parts are greyish white, the bill
is red, and the legs orange. In total leagth it measures about thirty-two inches.

ALTHOUGH in former days tolerably conrmon in England, the CRANE has now, with the
bustard, almost disappeared from this land, a smgle specimen being seen at very long and
increasing intervals. In some parts of England and Ireland the popular name of the
heron is the Crane, so that the occasional reports which sometimes find admission into
local newspapers respecting the Crane have often reference, not to that bird, but to the
heron.

The Crane is found in various parts of the continent of Europe, migrating from place
to place, and flying in large flocks at a great elevation in the an. They continue their
aerial journeys for great distances, and seldom descend but for the jrxnose of feeding.
When they alight, it is generally on marshy ground, the banks of rivers, vr the enasts of
the sea, where they can find a bountiful supply of marine and aquatic animals; end
sometimes they are attracted by a field of newly-sown corn, among which they make
sad havoe, stocking up the seed with their long bills, or eating the newly sprouted blades.
The food of the Crane is various, mostly consisting of worms, slugs, frogs, lizards, newts,
and similar creatures ; but the bird will often feed upon grain and the leaves of different
plants.

The voice of the Crane is loud, resonant, and trumpet-like, and has a singular
effect when heard from the great elevation at which the bird prefers to fly. The
peculiar resonance of the note is caused by a remarkable structure of the windpipe, which
is elongated, and instead of running straight down the neck, passes into the breast-bone,
lodges between the two plates of bone which form the keel, and, after making some
contortions which vary according to the age of the bird, leaves the breast-bone and
proceeds as usual to the lungs.

The Crane makes its nest mostly on marshy ground, placing it among osiers, reeds, or
the heavy vegetation which generally flourishes in such localities. SSometimes, however,
it prefers more elevated situations, and will make its nest on the summit of an old deserted
ruin. The eggs are two in number, and their colour is light olive, covered with dashes of
a deeper hue and brown. The well-known plumes of the Crane are the elongated tertials,
with their long drooping loose webs, which, when on the wings of the bird, reach beyond
the primaries.

The forehead, top of the head, and neck are rather dark slaty ash, and a patch of

CRANDE.—Grus cinérea

greyish white extends from behind the eyes, partially down the neck on eaeh side. The
general surface of the body is soft ashen grey, and the primaries are black. The long
plumy tertials form two crest-like ornaments, which can be raised or depressed at will.
The eyes are red, and the beak is yellow, with a green tinge. The total length of the
adult Crane is about four feet, but it is rather variable im point of size, and the males are
rather larger than the females.

THE two following birds are remarkable, not only for their beauty of form and plumage,
but for the extraordinary antics in which they occasionally indulge.

The DEMOISELLE, or NUMIDIAN CRANE, is common in many parts of Africa, and has
been seen in some portions of Asia and oecasionally in Eastern Europe. The movements
of this beautiful bird are generally slow and graceful, with a certain air of delicate
daintiness about them which has earned for it the title of Demoiselle. But on occasions
it is seized with a fit of eccentricity, and puts itself through a series of most absurd gambols,
dancing about on the tips of its toes, flapping its wings, and bowing its head in the most
erotesque fashion, It may sometimes be seen performing these antics in the Zoological
Gardens, but it is very capricious in its habits, and, like the parrot, will seldom perform its
tricks when it is most desired to do so.

It is a very pretty bird, the soft texture of the flowing plumage, and the delicate greys
of the feathers, harmonizing with each otherin a very agreeable manner. The general tint
of the plumage is blue-grey, taking a more leaden tone on the head and neck, and offering
a beautiful contrast to the snowy-white ear-tufts, issuing from velvety black, which
decorate the head. There is also a tuft of long flowing plumes of a deep black grey,

DEMOI!ISELLE CRANE.—Scops Virgo. CROWNED CRANE.—Baledrica pavonina.

hanging from the breast. Its secondaries are much elongated, and hang over the primaries
and tail-feathers. In height the Demoiselle Crane is about three feet six inches.

The CrowNED CRANE is even more striking than the demoiselle, its coronet of golden
plumes and the scarlet cheeks making it a very conspicuous bird.

This species is a native of Northern and Western Africa, where it is usually found in
swampy and marshy localities, which it frequents for the purpose of feeding on the
insects, molluses, reptiles, and fishes which are to be caught abundantly in such places.
Like the demoiselle, the Crowned Crane occasionally indulges in fantastic gambols, and
on account of the conspicuous crest and general aspect of the bird, they have an effect
even more ludicrous.

In captivity the Crowned Crane thrives well, and its habits can be readily watched.
At the Zoological Gardens there are some fine specimens of these birds, and an hour may
be pleasantly spent in watching their proceedings. Sometimes they rest still and stately,
one leg tucked under them quite out of sight, and the body balanced on the other. Some-
times they like to sit on their bent legs, their feet projecting far in front of them, and
their knees, or rather their ankles, sustaining the weight of the body. At another time
they will walk majestically about their inclosure, or begin their absurd dances, while a
very favourite amusement is to run races at opposite sides of the wire fence, and then
come to a halt, each bird trying which can yell the loudest. The voice is very loud, and
has something of a trumpet in its hollow ringing resonance.

The forehead is black, the feathers being short and velvety. From the top of the
head rises a tuft of long straight filamentary plumes, of a golden hue, fringed with very

2. xx

674 THE HERON.

delicate black barbules. The skin of the cheek is bare, and the greater part of it is
bright scarlet, the upper part being white, and running into a small wattle on the throat.
The general colour of the plumage is slaty grey, and the primaries and quill-feathers of
the tail are black, the long secondaries are brown and the wing-coverts snowy white. The
height of this species is about four feet.

Tue three birds represented on the accompanying illustration afford examples of the
Herons. Two of them are natives of England, though yearly becoming more scarce
owing to the rapid spread of cultivation, and the third is a European species, but not as
yet known on our British Islands.

The EGRET is a native of several parts of America, having its principal residence in the
southern portions of that continent, and visiting the more northern districts during several
months of the year, arriving generally about February or March. As it finds its food
among inundated and swampy grounds, it is generally seen haunting the rice-fields, the
marshy river-shores, and similar localities, and seldom if ever visits the high inclosed
regions. The food of the Egret consists of the smaller mammalia, little fish, frogs, lizards,
snakes, and insects. It is a handsome and elegant bird, and is conspicuous among
the low marshy grounds which it frequents, on account of its large size and snowy
plumage.

The beautiful loose feathers of the train, which fall from the shoulders over the back,
are not fully developed until the third year, and are then greatly in request for feather
brushes, either to dust delicate furniture or to flap away the flies. The old birds are,
however, so very wary that they cannot be approached without great difficulty, and these
brushes are therefore sold at a high price. The train-feathers are also employed in the
decoration of head-dresses. The Egret breeds chiefly in extensive cedar-swamps, placing
its nest on the branches of trees, and laying three or four large pale blue eggs. The young
are usually hatched about the end of June; and when they are strong enough to walk
about, they associate in little flocks of twenty or thirty im number.

The colour of the Egret is pure snowy white, with the exception of the train, which
has a creamy yellow tinge. The feathers of the train are so long that when they are
fully developed they hang over the tail and quite conceal it. The long sharp bill is
nearly six inches in length, and its colour is rich golden orange, darkening into black at
the tip. The long legs are black and the eye is rather pale orange. In total length the
adult bird is about four feet, if the measurement be taken to the end of the train. Both
sexes have the same plumage.

THE well-known HERON was once one of our commonest English birds, but on account
of the draining of swamps and their conversion into fertilized and habitable ground, is
now seldom to be seen except in certain localities which still retain the conditions that
render them so acceptable to this bird. There are some places where Herons are yet
plentiful, especially those localities where the owner of the land has established or pro-
tected the nests, or where a wide expanse of wild uncultivated ground affords them a
retreat. Only a few days ago I came suddenly on three of these beautiful birds fishing
quietly in the Avon, and permitting my approach within a few yards before they spread
their wide wings for flight.

The food of the Heron consists mostly of fish and reptiles, but it will eat small
mamualia, such as mice, or even water-rats. In the stomach of one of these birds were
found seven small trout, a mouse, and a thrush. Eels also are a favourite food of the
Heron, but on account of their lithe bodies and active wrigglings are not so easy to
despatch as ordinary fish, and are accordingly taken on shore and banged against the
ground until disabled. Dr. Neill, quoted by Yarrell, mentions a curious instance of the
Heron feeding on young water-hens. “A large old willow-tree had fallen down into the
pond, and at the extremity, which is partly sunk in the sludge and continues to vegetate,
water-hens breed. The old cock Heron swims out to the nest and takes the young if he
can. He has to swim ten or twelve feet, where the water is between two and three feet
deep. His motion through the water is slow, but his carriage stately. I have seen him

EGRET.—' Ardea egretta, HERON.— Ardea cinerea BITTERN.—Botaurus steliaris.

fella rat at one blow on the back of the head, when the rat was munching at his dish
of fish.”

Like many other birds, the Heron is able to disgorge the food which it has swallowed,
and resorts to this measure when it is chased by birds of prey while going home after a
day’s fishing. ‘

Go

676 THE BITTERN.

While engaged in its search for food, the Heron stands on the water’s edge mostly
with its feet or foot immersed, and there remains still as if carved out of wood, with its
neck retracted, and its head resting between the shoulders. In this attitude its sober
plumage and total stillness render it very inconspicuous, and as it mostly prefers to stand
under the shadow of a tree, bush, or bank, it cannot be seen except by a practised eye, in
spite of its large size. The back view of the bird while thus standing partakes largely of
the ludicrous, ‘and reminds the observer of a large jargonelle pear with a long stalk stuck
in the ground. Sometimes it likes to squat on its bent legs, the feet being pushed out in
front, and the knees, or rather ankles, bent under its body. It generally suns itself in this
position, partially spreading the wings and slightly shaking them. Usually it sits with
the head resting on the shoulders; but if alarmed at any unexpected sound, it shuts
its wings, stretches its neck to its utmost extent, and then presents a most singular
aspect.

The flight of the Heron is grand and stately, for the wings are long and wide, and
in spite of the long neck and counterbalancing legs, the bird moves through the air
with a noble and rapid flight. It is curious to see a Heron pass directly overhead. The
head, body, and legs, are held in a line, stiff and immovable, and the gently waving wings
carry the bird through the air with a rapidity that seems the effect of magic.

The long beak of the Heron is very sharp and dagger-like, and can be used with
terrible force as an offensive weapon. The bird instinctively aims its blow at the eye of
its adversary, and if incautiously handled is sure to deliver a stroke quick as lightning at
the captor’s eye. There seems to be some attraction in the eye, for a gentleman who
turned a tame Heron into an aviary where five owls were kept, found next day that the
Heron had totally blinded four owls and only left the fifth with a single eye. Even the
game-cock can make nothing of the Heron, as has been seen in a short battle that raged
between those birds. The cock made his first fly very boldly, but not being used to such
long-legged foes, missed his stroke. Returning to the attack, he was met by a blow from
the Heron which astonished him to such a degree that he declined further combat and
ever afterwards avoided so unpleasant an antagonist. The beak of a species of Heron set
upon a stick is used by some savage tribes as a spear.

The nest of the Heron is almost invariably built upon some elevated spot, mostly the
top of a large tree, but sometimes on rocks near the coast. It is a large and rather clumsy
looking edifice, made of sticks and lined with wool. The eggs are from four to five in
number, and their colour is pale green.

The general colour of the Heron is delicate grey on the upper surface of the body,
with the exception of the primaries, which are black, and the tail, which is deep slaty grey.
The head is very light grey, and the beautiful long plume is dark slaty blue. The throat
and neck are white, covered along the front with dashes of dark blue-grey, and at the
junction of the neck with the breast the white feathers are much elongated, forming a
pendent tuft. The breast and abdomen are greyish white covered with black streaks.
The total length of the bird is about three feet. On the inside of the middle claw of
each foot the horny substance is developed into a sort of shallow-toothed comb, the use
of which is very problematical. This peculiarity runs through the genus, and several
objects have been assigned to it, combing the plumage being the favourite theory, but
clearly untenable on account of the shortness of the teeth.

The BrrrerN is now seldom seen in this country, partly because it is a rare bird and
becoming scarcer almost yearly, and partly because its habits are nocturnal, and it sits all
day in the thickest reeds or other aquatic vegetation. The marshy grounds of Essex
seem to be the spots most favoured by this bird at the present day, although specimens
are annually killed in various parts of the country.

In habits and food, the Bittern resembles the heron, except that it feeds by night
instead of by day. Like that bird it uses its long sharp beak as a weapon of offence, and
chooses the eye of its adversary as the point at which to aim. The feet and legs are also
powerful weapons, aud when disabled from flight, the Bittern will fling itself on its back,
and fight desperately with foot and bill.

—

NANKEEN NIGHT HERON.—Nycticorax Caledénicus.

The nest of the Bittern is placed on the ground near water, and concealed among the
rank vegetation that is found in such localities. It is made of sticks and reeds, and
generally contains about four or five pale brown eggs. The voice of the Bittern varies
with the season of year. Usually it is a sharp harsh cry uttered on rising, but in the
breeding season the bird utters a loud booming cry that can be heard at a great distance.

The general colour of this fine bird is rich’ brownish buff, covered with irregular
streaks and mottlings of black, dark brown, grey, and chestnut. The top of the head is
black with a gloss of bronze, the cheeks are buff, and the chin white tinged with buff.
Down the front of the neck the feathers are marked with bold longitudinal dashes of
blackish and reddish brown, and the feathers of the breast are dark brown broadly edged
with buff. The under surface of the body is buff streaked with brown, the beak is
greenish yellow, and the feet and legs are green. In total length the Bittern measures
about thirty inches. Several species “of herons have been seen in England, nine being
mentioned by Yarrell, including one species of Egret, two Bitterns, and a Night Heron.

The Night Herons derive their name from their nocturnal habits. One of these, the
Common Night Heron (Nycticoraw Huropeus), has several times been found in England ;
though its usual residence is on the continents of Europe, Asia, Africa, and North America.
In North America it is common, and an admirable description of its habits may be found
in the works of Wilson and Audubon.

The NANKEEN NicHt Heron is a native of Australia, and is thus described by
Mr. Gould.
“ This beautiful species is universally dispersed over the continent of Australia, but is

678 THE BOAT-BILL HERON.

far less abundant over the western than over the eastern coast. In the summer latitudes
it is only a summer visitant, arriving in New South Wales and South Australia in August
and September, and retiring again in February. As its name implies, it is nocturnal in its
habits, and from its frequenting swamps, inlets of the sea, the sedgy banks of rivers, and
other secluded situations, it is seldom seen. On the approach of morning it retires to the
forests, and perches among the branches of large trees, where, shrouded from the heat of the
sun, it sleeps the whole day, and when once discovered is easily taken, as it seldom moves
unless shot at, or driven from its perch by some other means, and when forced to quit its
perch, it merely flies a short distance and again alights. Its flight is slow and flapping,
and during its passage through the air the head is drawn back between the shoulders and
the legs are stretched out backwards after the manner of true Herons. When perched
upon the trees or resting on the ground, it exhibits none of the grace and elegance of
those birds, its short neck resting on the shoulders.

When impelled by hunger to search for a supply of food it naturally becomes more
animated, and its actions more active and prying ; the varied nature of its food in fact
demands some degree of activity—tishes, water-lizards, crabs, frogs, leeches, and insects
being all partaken of with equal avidity. It breeds in the months of November and
December, and generally in companies like the true Herons; the favourite localities being
the neighbourhood of swampy districts, where an abundant supply of food is to be
procured ; the branches of large trees, points of shelving rocks and caverns, are equally
chosen as a site for the nest, which is rather large and flat, and generally composed of
crooked sticks loosely interwoven.

The eggs, which are usually three in number, are of a pale green colour, and average
two inches and five-eighths in leneth by one inch and a half in breadth. So little difference
exists in the colouring of the sexes, that it is extremely difficult to distinguish the male
from the female, and never with certainty unless dissection be resorted to; both have the
three beautiful elongated occipital plumes, the use of which except for ornament is not
easily imagined. The young on the contrary differ so greatly from the adult, that they
might readily be regarded as a distinct species.”

The general colour of the adult bird is a rich cinnamon-brown, the top of the head and
nape of the neck are black, and the head-plumes, cheeks, a stripe over the eye, and whole
of the lower surface are pure white, melting softly into cinnamon-brown on the sides of
the neck. The bare skin round the eye is greenish yellow, and the eyes orange. The bill
is black, with a little yellow at the tip or on the lower mandible, and the legs and feet are
rich yellow. As is frequently the case among the feathered tribes, the plumage of the
young bird, instead of being adorned with broad uniform tints, is richly mottled and
streaked, the upper surface being buff streaked with deep brown, and the under surface
ochry white diversified with a dark stripe down the centre of each feather. The primaries
of the wings and quill-feathers of the tail are very dark chestnut at their base, deepening
into black near their extremities, which are buff-white.

THE very remarkable Boat-B1LL Heron inhabits Southern America, and is tolerably
plentiful in Guiana and Brazil.

It derives its popular name from the singular form of its beak, which, although it
really preserves the characteristics of the Heron’s bill, is modified after a rather strange
fashion, probably for the purpose of aiding it in its search after food. Generally the beak
is straight ; slender, and sharp, but in this case, although it retains the same amount of
substance, its shape is materially altered. Both mandibles are much shortened, rather
flattened, and greatly hollowed, so as to assume the aspect of a pair of boats laid upon
each other, gunwale to gunwale, the keel being well represented by the corresponding
portion of the upper mandible.

This bird is generally found near water, haunting the rivers, marshes, and swamps,
where it finds ample supplies of food. Sometimes it traverses the sea-coast, picking up
the various crustacea that are to be found at low water, but its usual places of resort are
rivers and inland swamps. Its mode of angling is not unlike that of the kingfisher, as
the Boat-bill perches upon some branch that overhangs the water, and thence pounces

BOAT-BILL.—Céncroma cochlearia.

upon the prey below. It is not a large bird, the body being hardly bigger than that of a
common duck, and the legs are rather short in proportion to the size of the body.

The adult male bird has the top of the head decorated with a long and full plume of
jetty black feathers, pointed and drooping over the back. In the female the elongated
feathers are wanting. The tuft or plume of the neck and breast is greyish white. The
feathers of the back are elongated, and their colour is grey with occasionally a wash of
rusty red; there is also a patch of the same hue, but of a deeper tone, upon the middle
of the under surface. The tail is white and the sides black. The bill is blackish brown,
and the legs nearly of the same colour, but not quite so dark. Specimens of this bird
have been kept in England, and were fed principally upon fish.

THE well-known SPOONBILL affords another instance of the endless variety of forms
assumed by the same organ under different conditions ; both the beak and the windpipe
being modified in a very remarkable manner.

The Spoonbill has a very wide range of country, being spread over the greater part of
Europe and Asia, and inhabiting a portion of Africa. Like the bird to which it is closely
allied, this species is one of the waders, frequenting the waters, and obtaining a subsistence
from the fish, reptiles, and smaller aquatic inhabitants, which it captures in the broad
spoon-like extremity of its beak. It is also fond of frequenting the sea-shore, where
it finds a bountiful supply of food along the edge of the waves and im the little pools that
are left by the retiring waters, where shrimps, crabs, sand-hoppers, and similar animals are
crowded closely together as the water sinks through the sand. The bird also eats some
vegetable substances, such as the roots of aquatic herbage, and when in confinement will

SPOONBILL.—Platalea leucorddia,

feed upon almost any kind of animal or vegetable matter, providing it be soft and moist.
The beak of an adult Spoonbill is about eight inches in length, very much flattened, and
is channelled and grooved at the base. In some countries the beak is taken from the bird,
scraped very thin, and polished, and is then used as a spoon, and is thought a valuable
article, being sometimes set in silver.

It has often been found in this country, but is now very scarce, owing to the increasing
drainage of marshy soil. The breeding-places of the Spoonbill are usually open trees,

the banks of rivers, or in little islands and tufts of aquatic herbage. In the latter cases”

the nest is rather large, and is made of reeds piled loosely together, and set on a foundation
of water-weeds heaped sufficiently high to keep the eggs from the wet. There is no lining
to the nest. The eggs are generally four in number, and their colour is greyish white,
spotted with rather pale rusty brown. > ;

The Spsonbill seems to have no power of modulating its voice, a peculiarity which is
explained by the structure of the windpipe. Upon dissecting one of these birds, the
windpipe is seen to be bent into a kind of 8-like shape, the coils not crossing, but just
applied to each other, and held in their place by a thin membrane. At the junction of the
windpipe with the bronchial tubes that communicate with the lungs, there is none of the
bony structure nor the muscular development by which the modulations of the voice are
effected, and which are found so strongly developed in the singing and talking birds. This
curious formation does not exist in the very young bird, and only assumes its perfect form
when the Spoonbill has arrived at full age.

The colour of the adult bird is pure white, with the slightest imaginable tinge of soft
pink. At the junction of the neck with the breast there is a band of buffy yellow. The

STORK.—Ciconia alba.

naked skin on the throat is yellow, the eyes are red, the legs and feet black, and the bill
yellow at the expanded portion, and black for the remainder of its leneth. The total
length of the male bird is about thirty-two inches, but the female is not quite so large, and
her crest is smaller than that of the other sex. There are six or seven known species of
these curious birds.

The SrorK is another of the birds which, in the olden days, were tolerably frequent
visitors to the British Islands, but which now seldom make their appearance in such
inhospitable regions, where food is scarce and guns are many.

It is sufficiently common in many parts of Europe, whither it migrates yearly from its
winter quarters in Africa, makes its nest and rears its young. In most countries it is
rigidly protected by common consent; partly on account of the service which it renders
in the destruction of noisome reptiles and unpleasant offal, and partly because it is
surrounded with a kind of halo of romantic traditions handed down from time immemorial
to successive generations.

The Stork is not slow in taking advantage of its position, and attaches itself to man
and his habitations, building its huge nest on the top of his house, and walking about in

682 THE STORK,

his streets as familiarly as if it had made them. It especially parades about the fish-
markets, where it finds no lack of subsistence in the offal; and in Holland, where it is
very common, it does good service by destroying the frogs and other reptiles which would
be likely to become a public nuisance unless kept down by the powerful aid of this bird.

The habits of the Stork are well told by Colonel Montague in his account of a Black
Stork (Ciconta nigra) domesticated by him.

“ Like the white Stork, it frequently rests upon one leg, and if alarmed, especially by
the approach of a dog, it makes a considerable noise by reiterated snappings of the bill,
similar to that species. It soon became docile, and would follow its feeder for its favourite
morsel, an eel. When very hungry, it crouches, resting the whole length of the legs upon
the ground, and suppliantly seems to solicit food by nodding the head, flapping its un-
wieldy pinions, and forcibly blowing the air from the lungs with audible expirations.
Whenever it is approached, the expulsion of air, accompanied by repeated noddings of the
head, is provoked.

The bird is of a mild and peaceful disposition, very unlike many of its congeners, for
it never makes use of its formidable bill offensively against any of the companions of its
prison, and even submits peaceably to be taken up without much struggle. From the
manner in which it is observed to search the grass with its bill, there can be no doubt
that reptiles form part of its natural food ; even mice, worms, and the larger insects
probably add to its usual repast. When searching in thick grass or in the mud for
its prey, the bill is kept partly open; by this means I have observed it take eels in
a pond with great dexterity; no spear in common use for taking that fish can more
effectually secure it between its fangs than the grasp of the Stork’s mandibles. A small
eel has no chance of escaping when once roused from its lurking-place.

But the Stork does not gorge its prey instantly, like the cormorant; on the contrary,
it reitres to the margin of the pond, and there disables its prey by shaking and beating it
with its bill before it ventures to swallow it. I never observed this bird attempt to swim,
but it will wade up to the belly and occasionally thrust the whole head and neck under
water after its prey. It prefers an elevated spot on which to repose; an old ivy-bound
weeping willow that lies prostrate over the pond is usually resorted to for that purpose.
In this quiescent state the neck is much shortened by resting the hinder part of the head
on the back, and the bill rests on the fore part of the neck, over which the feathers flow
partly so as to conceal it, making a very singular appearance.”

The Stork is fond of making its nest upon some elevated spot, such as the top of a
house, a chimney, or a church spire; and in the ruined cities of the East, almost every
solitary pillar has its Stork’s nest upon the summit. The nest is little more than a
heterogeneous bundle of sticks, reeds, and similar substances heaped together, and with a
slight depression for the eggs. These are usually three or four in number, and their colour
is white with a tinge of buff. The young are puffy, big-beaked, long-necked, ungainly little
things, and remain in their lofty cradle until they are well fledged and able to achieve the
downward flight. The mother-bird is exceedingly devoted to her young, and there are many
well-known tales of this parental affection. On account, probably, of this trait of character,
the Stork is looked upon with a feeling of reverence in many countries, and is encouraged
to build its nest on the houses, the inhabitant thinking that the bird will bring him good
fortune.

The flight of the Stork is extremely high, and the birds fly in large flocks, in some
instances numbering many thousand individuals. So great an aerial assembly of such
large birds necessarily causes a loud and peculiar rushing sound of huge wings; but
except an occasional sharp clattering of the beaks, the flocks make no noise. Like many
of the long-legged birds, the Stork, when resting, stands on one leg, its neck doubled back,
and its head resting on its shoulder.

The colour of the adult Stork is pure white, with the exception of the quill-feathers
of the wings, the scapularies and greater wing-coverts, which are black. The skin round
the eye is black, the eyes are brown, and the beak, legs, and toes red. The length of the
full-grown bird is about three feet six inches, and when erect, its head is about four feet
from the ground.

ADJUTANT. - Leptoptilos Argala.

SoME remarkable members of this group now come before our notice. The first is the
well-known ADJUTANT or ARGALA of India, the former name being derived from its habit
of frequenting the parade-grounds.

This fine bird is notable for the enormous size of the beak, which is capable of seizing
and swallowing objects of considerable size, a full-grown cat, a fowl, or a leg of mutton
being engulfed without any apparent difficulty. The Adjutant is a most useful bird in
the countries which it inhabits, and is protected with the utmost care, as it thoroughly
cleans the streets and public places of the various offal which is flung carelessly in the
way, and would be left to putrefy but for the constant services of the Adjutant and
creatures of similar habits. The vulture is valuable in devouring dead animals of a large
size, as its beak is capable of tearing the hide and flesh from the bones, which are in their
turn the prey of the hyena; but the Adjutant is chiefly important in swallowing the

684 THE AUSTRALIAN JABIRU.

refuse of slaughtered animals, and killing snakes and other unpleasant reptiles. It is
remarkable that the bird, though very far removed from the vulture, should have a
decidedly vulturine aspect; its nearly naked head and neck adding greatly to the
semblance.

The attitudes assumed by the Adjutant are varied, and generally partake of the
grotesque. It has a curious habit of airing itself on a hot day, by standing still with the
huge beak drooping towards the ground and nearly touching the earth, and its wings
stuck out straight from the body. In this odd attitude it will remain for a considerable
time, immovable as if carved in stone, and has about as grotesque an appearance as can
well be imagined. Sometimes it squats on the ground with its legs tucked under its body,
and sits looking about it with a superb air of dignity as of an enthroned monarch.
Sometimes it stalks menacinely along, its neck stretched to the utmost, its head thrust
forward and its huge bill open, looking a most formidable creature.

It is, however, a cowardly kind of bird, and its assumption of valour is of the most
flimsy description, for it will run away from a child if boldly faced, and would as soon
face a bantam cock as a tiger. Some enemies, however, from which man would flee,
are attacked and killed by the Adjutant, who thus redeems himself from a wholly
pusillanimous character. Serpents fall an easy prey to this bird, which has a fashion of
knocking them over before they can strike, and after battering them to death swallows
them whole. During the inundations the Adjutants are invaluable, as they follow the
course of the rising waters, and make prey of the reptiles that are driven from their holes
by the floods.

The capacity of the Adjutant’s stomach seems to be almost unlimited, and its digestion
is so rapid that it can consume a very large amount of food daily. It will swallow a
whole joint of meat, or even so impracticable a subject as a tortoise, its stomach being
endowed with the power of dissolving all the soft and digestible parts, and ejecting the
indigestible, such as the shell and bones.

It is easily tamed, and soon attaches itself to a kind owner; sometimes, indeed,
becoming absolutely troublesome in its familiarity. My. Smeathman mentions an instance
where one of these birds was domesticated, and was accustomed to stand behind its
master’s chair at dinner-time and take its share of the meal. It was, however, an
incorrigible thief, and was always looking for some opportunity of stealing the provisions,
so that the servants were forced to keep watch with sticks over the table. In spite of
their vigilance it was often too quick for them; and once it snatched a boiled fowl off the
dish and swallowed it on the spot.

The exquisitely fine and flowing plumes, termed “ Marabou feathers,” are obtained from
the Adjutant and a kindred species, the Marabou of Africa (Leptoptilos Marabou).
~The general colour of the Adjutant is delicate ashen grey above and white beneath.
The great head and proportionately large neck are almost bare of covering, having only a
scanty supply of down instead of feathers. From the lower part of the neck hangs a kind
of dewlap, which can be inflated at the will of the bird, but generally hangs loose and
flabby.

The JApirus rank among the giants of the feathered race. They are very similar ine

general form to the marabous, but may be distinguished from them by the form of bill,
which slightly turns up towards the extremity. The head and part of the neck are also
nearly destitute of feathers. There are very few species known, and they all seem to
have similar habits; haunting the borders of lakes, marshy grounds, and the banks of
rivers, where they find abundance of the fish and aquatic reptiles on which they feed.
Of one species, the AUSTRALIAN JaABrrv, Dr. Bennett has treated so fully and with such
sraphic powers of narration, that a condensation of his interesting account must be
transferred to these pages. The whole narrative may be found in his “Gatherings of
a Naturalist in Australia.” One of these birds was taken at Port Macquarie and brought
safely to Dr. Bennett's home.

“The first evening it was at my house, it walked into the hall, gazed at the gas-lamps
which had just been lighted, and then proceeded to walk upstairs, seeking for a roosting-

AUSTRALIAN JABIRU.—Mystéria Australis.

place; but not liking the ascent came quickly down again, returned into the yard, and
afterwards went to roost in the coach-house between the carriages, to which place it now
retires regularly every evening soon after dark. It may always be found in that part of
the yard where the sun is shining, and with its face invariably directed towards it. When
hungry it seeks for the cook, who usually feeds it ; and if she has neglected its food, looks
into the kitchen as if to remind her of her neglect, and waits quietly, but with a searching
eye, during the time the meat is cutting up, until it is fed.

It is amusing to observe this bird catch flies; it remains very quiet as if asleep, and
on a fly passing, it is snapped up in an instant. The only time I observed any manifesta-
tion of anger in it, was when the mooruks were introduced into the yard where it was
parading about. These rapid, fussy, noisy birds, running about its range, excited its
indignation ; for on their coming near, it slightly elevated the brilliant feathers of the

686 HABITS OF THE AUSTRALIAN JABIRU.

head, its eyes became very bright, it ruffled its feathers, and chattered its mandibles, as if
about to try their sword-like edge upon the intruding mooruks, but the anger subsided
without further demonstration than an occasional flapping of its powerful wings. One
day, however, on one of the mooruks approaching too near him, he seized it by the neck
with his mandibles, on which the mooruk ran away and did not appear in any way
injured.

When he was first placed in the yard where some poultry were kept, he stared at the
fowls, and they ran away on his approach, although he did not make the least attempt to
molest them ; and when striding round the yard, all the poultry fled before him, although
it did not appear to be an intentional chase on his part.

There happened to be a pugnacious, fussy little bantam-cock in the yard, who would
not permit the intrusion of any stranger, and on seeing the Jabiru, he strutted up with
expanded and fluttering wings and ruffled feathers in a violent state of excitement,
cackling and screaming most vehemently, and making efforts as energetic as so diminutive
a bird was capable of, to frighten and drive him out of the yard. The Jabiru with his
keen bright eyes regarded the little fluttering object with cool contempt, and walked about
as before : the bantam followed. At last the Jabiru turned and strode after the conse-
quential little urchin as if to crush him under his feet; when the bantam, seeing matters
take this serious turn, made off as fast as possible, like all little bullies, and did not again
venture to attack so formidable an opponent. In a few days the Jabiru became quite
domesticated among the poultry, and they evinced no fear; even the little bantam
tolerated his presence, but whether from fear or affection I know not.

This bird is as tame as my Native Companion when in captivity, but it will not
follow any one about as that bird will, nor has it uttered any sound; it seems to be
voiceless.

The bird appears timid when any one is looking at him from a short distance, and he
then watches acutely all the actions of the intruder; but when startled by any one coming
suddenly upon him, he appears frightened, and spreads his wings as if preparing for flight ;
it is then possible, by a little activity, to capture him by his long bill and wings. When
the mooruks came too close to him, he looked at them with flashing eyes, and flapped
his wings as if to express his contempt towards them on account of their wingless
condition, and at the same time the mooruks spread their rudimentary wings, as if to show
that they have some stumps resembling wings, and appeared proud of their appendages
also.

When the Jabiru was sunning himself as usual, and any of the mooruks came between
him and the sun, he manifested great indignation at their intrusion by clattering his beak,
ruffling his feathers, and flapping his wings at them; if these hints were disregarded, he
gave them a blow with his beak, which soon made them walk away.

The Jabiru was occasionally observed lying upon its breast, with its legs doubled up
underneath so as to resemble a large goose with a most disproportionate size of bill. I
have noticed him watch the ground very attentively under the trees, and then dart his bill
into the ground and bring up larvee, which I found to be those of locusts ( Zettigonie, or
‘Treehoppers). When the bird observed a slight motion of the soil, he darted his beak
down and devoured the insect as it was emerging from the soil. On any of these
insects falling from the trees upon the ground, he would rapidly pick them up and devour
them. On giving him one, he first crunched it between his mandibles, and throwing it up
caught and devoured it. He appeared to relish these insects very much, and was eager to
procure them.

He became latterly so familiar and domesticated that he would permit the person who
was in the habit of feeding him to touch and examine his plumage and wings. When
called to be fed, he ran from any part of the yard, and so regular was he in ‘his habits,
that when not called at the usual hour, he would stand at the “place where he was accus-
tomed to be fed, until his meat was given to him. When the person who fed him called
him, he clapped his mandibles and ran up. He seemed to delight in standing in the rain,
and did not appear in the least uncomfortable when his feathers were dripping wet. He
frequently slept in the open air all night, preferring it to the shelter of the coach-house.

THE WHALE-HEADED STORK. 687

He strutted about the yard a long time after dark. When caught by the wings or other-
wise annoyed, he displayed his anger by no other sound than a loud and violent clattering
of the mandibles, nor did he attempt any act of aggression upon his captors with his
powerful beak. He would often run about the yard, spreading and fluttering his wings,
merely for exercise.”

The Australian Jabiru appears to be a very rare bird; and as it is extremely wary,
and haunts wide expanses where but little cover can be found, it can with difficulty be
approached. The natives, with their eagle eyes, their snake-like movements, and the
exhaustless patience of men to whom time is of no value, manage to creep within range
of their weapons ; but even to them the task is a difficult one, and to Europeans almost
impracticable. One good sportsman, who succeeded at last in killing a Jabiru, followed
it for several days before he could get within long range of the suspicious bird.

The food of this species mostly consists of fish, and eels seem to be the favourite diet.
Ordinary fish it swallows at once, but eels and gar-fish are battered about until dead before
the bird attempts to devour them. Nearly two pounds of eels and small fish have been
found in the stomach of a shot Jabiru.

In its colouring the Australian Jabiru is a very handsome bird, and its movements are
quiet, majestic, easy and graceful. The large head and neck are rich shining green,
changing to rainbow tints of violet and purple upon the back of the head, the feathers
gleaming in the sun with a light metallic radiance. “The greater wing-coverts, scapularies,
lower part of the back and tail are dark brown mixed with rich bluish green, which
changes in the adult to a rich glossy green tinged with a golden lustre. The smaller
wineg-coverts, lower part of the neck and back, and upper part of the breast are white
speckled with ashy brown, but become pure white in the adult: lower part of the breast,
thighs, and inner part of the wings, white. Eyes brilliant and hazel in colour. The legs
are blackish with a dark tinge of red, becoming of a bright red colour in the adult; and
when the bird flies with the legs stretched out, looking like a long red tail... . My
specimen measures three feet ten inches to the top of the head, and is not yet full
grown; they are said to attain four or five feet in height.” The specimen belonging to
Dr. Bennett died after a captivity of about seven months, nearly four of which were
passed in Dr. Bennett's residence. The cause of his death was not known—probably the
diet might have been injurious.

THE singular WHALE-HEADED STORK is the most striking of its tribe.

This bird lives in Northern Africa, near the Nile, but is seldom seen on the banks of
that river, preferrimg the swampy districts to the running water. Mr. Petherick, who
first brought this bird to England, found it in the Rhol district, about latitude 5° to 8°, in
a large tract of country about a hundred and fifty miles in extent, where the ground is
continually swelled by rains, and has by degrees modified into a huge morass, some parts
flooded with water, others blooming with vegetation, and the whole surrounded by thick
bush. “This spot,’ writes Mr. Petherick in his “ Kgypt, the Soudan, and Central Africa,”
“is the favourite home of the Baleeniceps.”

These birds are seen in clusters of from a pair to perhaps one hundred together, mostly
wading in the water; and when disturbed, will fly low over its surface and settle at no
great distance. But if frightened and fired at, they rise in flocks high in the air, and after
hovering and wheeling around settle on the highest trees, and as long as their disturbers
are near, will not return to the water. Their roosting-place at night is, to the best of my
belief, on the ground.

Their food is principally fish and water-snakes, which they have been seen by my
men to kill and devour. They will also feed on the intestines of dead animals, the
carcases of which they easily rip open with the strong hook of their upper bill.

Their breeding-time is in the rainy season, during the months of July and August,
and the spot chosen is in the reeds or light grass immediately on the water's edge or on
some small elevated and dry spot entirely surrounded by water. The bird before laying
scrapes a hole in the earth, in which, without any lining of grass or feathers, the female
deposits her eggs. Numbers of these nests have been robbed by my men of both eggs

WHALE-READED STORK.—Baleniceps Rex.

and young, but the young birds so taken have invariably died. After repeated nnsuecess-
ful attempts to rear them, continued for two years, the eggs were eventually hatched under
hens, which were procured at a considerable distance from the Raik negroes.

As soon as the hens began to lay, and in due time to sit, a part of their eggs were
replaced with half the number of those of the Baleniceps, as fresh as possible from the
nest, the locality of which was previously known, and several birds were successfully
hatched. These young birds ran about the premises of the camp, and, to the great discom-
fort of the hens, would persist in performing all sorts of unchie kenable manceuvres, with
their large beaks and extended wings, in a small artificial pool constantly supplied with
water by several negresses retained for their especial benefit. Negro ‘boys were also
employed to supply their little pond with live fish, wpon w hich, and occasionally the
intestines of animals killed for our use, chopped into small pieces, they were reared.”

The chief point in this fine bird is the huge bill, which, from its resemblance in size
and shape to a shoe, has gained for its owner the title of Shoe-bird. It is enormously
expanded at each side of the beak, the edges of the upper mandible overhang those of the
lower, and its tip is furnished with a large hook, curved and sharp as that of an eagle, and
well suited for tearing to pieces the substances on which the bird feeds. Its colour is
brown, mottled profusely with a deep mahogany tinge. The general colour of the plumage
is dark slaty grey above, each feather being edged with a narrow band of greyish white.
ae feathers of the front of the neck are pointed, very dark in the centre, and broadly

red with grey. The under surface is grey. In the British Museum a skeleton of this
nd is placed near the stuffed specimen, and gives an excellent idea of the singular
formation of the beak and head.

BACKED 1BI8.—lvis rligives GIAEBY IBIS.—liks falcinelus

The Sacrep Ivis is one of a rather curious group of birds. With one exception they
are not possessed of brilliant colouring, the feathers being mostly white and deep purplish
black. The Scarlet Ibis, however, is a most snaguificent, though not very large bird, its
plumage being of a glowing scarlet, relieved by a few patches of black.

The Sacred Ibis is so called because it figures iaioal in an evidently sacred character on
the hieroglyphs of ancient Egypt. It is a migratory bird, arriving in Egypt as soon as
the waters of the Nile begin to rise, and remaining in that land until the waters have sub-
sided, and therefore deprived it of its daily supplies of food. The bird probably owes its
sacred character to the fact that its appearance denotes the rising of the Nile, an annual
phenomenon on which depends the prosperity of the whole country.

Sometimes the Ibis stalks in solitary state along the banks of the river or the many
watercourses that intersect the low country, but sometimes associates in little flocks of
eight or ten in number. Its food consists mostly of molluscs, sux terrestrial and aquatic,
but it will eat worms, insects, and probably the smaller reptiles es, The Ibis was at one time
thought to kill and eat snakes, and this idea was strengthened by the fact that Cuvier
detected the scales and bones of snakes within a mummied corpse ‘of an Ibis which was
found in the tombs of Egypt a Ww tach is nw. n to be ident tice an with the ? prese nt sf
Recent specimens, however, seldom contain anything but molluscs and insects.

The walk of the Ibis is anil ad deliberate though it can 1 get over the ground with
considerable speed whenever it chooses. Its flight is lofty and strong, and the bird has a
habit of uttering a loud and peculiar cry as it passes through the air. _ By the nati
Egypt it is called the Abou Hannes, 1.¢ Father John, or Abou Menzel, 7.¢ Father §
Bill, the former name being in use in Upper and the other in Lower te pt.

Z. yp

“IES,

690 THE STRAW-NECKED IBIS.

The colour of the adult bird is mostly pure silvery white, the feathers being glossy and
closely set, with the exception of some of the secondaries, which are elongated and hang
gracefully over the wings and tail. These, together with the tips of the primaries, are
deep glossy black, and the head and neck are also black, but being devoid of feathers
have a slight brownish tinge, like that of an ill-blacked boot, or an old crumpled black
kid glove. While young, the head and neck are clothed with a blackish down, but when
the bird reaches maturity, even this slender covering is shed, and the whole skin is left
bare. The body is little larger than that of a common fowl.

ANOTHER species, the Guossy Its, is also an inhabitant of Northern Africa, but is
sometimes found in this country, where the fishermen know it by the name of Black
Cwlew. It is probably the Black Ibis mentioned by Herodotus.

The Glossy Ibis is sometimes found in different parts of America, rarely in the
northern States, but of more frequent occurrence in the centre or south. Audubon
remarks that he has seen great numbers of these birds in Mexico, where it is a summer
resident only. In England a stray specimen or two alight on our shores in the course of
the migration, and in the ornithological annals of this country there are few years without
the mention of a Glossy Ibis being seen or killed in some part of the British Isles.

The habits and food of the Glossy Ibis are much the same as those of the last-
mentioned species, and, like that bird, it was invested while living with sacerdotal honours
by the ancient Egyptians, embalmed and honoured after death with a consecrated tomb,
in common with the bull, the cat, and the sacred Ibis.

The plumage of the Glossy Ibis varies somewhat according to the age of the bird, so
that according to Yarrell the same species has been termed the Glossy Ibis, the Green
Ibis, and the Bay Ibis, by various authors, the difference of colour being due to the more
or less advanced age of the individual. Both sexes have similar plumage, but the female
is smaller than her mate,

In the full-grown bird, the head, neck, and part of the back between the shoulders are
dark chocolate, and the wing-coverts and tertials are a still darker brown glossed with purple
and green. The quill-feathers of the wings are dark blackish brown glossed with green,
and the tail is of a similar hue, but glossed with purple. The breast and under surface of
the body are chocolate brown, changing to a duller hue under the wings and upon the under
tail-coverts. The beak is dark brown with a tinge of purple, the naked skin round the eyes
is greyish green, the eyes are hazel, and the legs and toes green. In total length this species
measures not quite two feet. The young birdis more mottled than the adult, and has little
of the bright glossiness of the plumage. The head and neck are dull brown streaked with
grey, the whole of: the upper surface, together with the wings and tail, are dark reddish
brown, and there are a few irregular patches of white upon the breast.

The STRAW-NECKED Isis derives its name from the tuft of stiff naked feather-shafts
which hang from the front of the neck and breast, and greatly resemble small yellow straws.
These curious feathers, with their light polished, golden surface, afford a pretty contrast
to the glossy green black of the chest and wings, and the pure white of the neck and
abdomen. The following description of the bird and its habits is written by Mr. Gould,
in the “ Birds of Australia.”

“This beautiful Ibis has never yet been discovered out of Australia, over the whole
of which immense country it is probably distributed, as it is more abundant in certain
localities at one season than at another; its presence, in fact, appears to depend upon
whether the season be or be not favourable to the increase of the lower animals upon
which the vast hordes of this bird feed. After the severe drought of 1839, it was
in such abundance on the Liverpool plains, that to compute the number in a single flock
was impossible. It was also very numerous on the seaside of the great Liverpool range,
inhabiting the open downs and flats, particularly such as were studded with shallow
lagoons, through which it would wade knee-high in search of shelled molluses, frogs,
newts, and insects ; independently of the food I have mentioned, it feeds on grasshoppers
and insects generally. The natives informed me that sometimes many seasons elapsed
without the bird being seen. Where then does it go? To what country does it pass?

HABITS OF THE STRAW-NECKED IBIS. 691

Does there not exist a vast oasis in the centre of Australia, to which the bird migrates
when it is not found in the located parts of the country? We may reasonably suppose
such to be the case.

The Straw-necked Ibis walks over the surface of the ground in a very stately manner ;
it perches readily on trees, and its flight is both singular and striking, particularly when
large flocks are passing over the plains, at one moment showing their white breasts, and at
the next, by a change in their position, exhibiting their dark-coloured backs and snow-
white tails. During the large
semicircular sweeps they take
over the plains, and when per-
forming a long flight, they rise
tolerably high in the air; the
whole flock then arrange them-
selves in the form of a figure or
letter similar to that so frequently
observed in flights of geese and
ducks.

The note is a loud, hoarse,
eroaking sound, which may be
heard at a considerable distance.
When feeding in flocks they are
closely packed, and from the con-
stant movement of their bills
and tails, the whole mass seems
to be in perpetual motion. In
disposition this bird is rather shy
than otherwise ; still, with a very
little care, numerous successful
shots may be made with an ordi-
nary fowling-piece.

The sexes, when fully adult,
exhibit the same beautiful metal-
lic colouring of the plumage. The
female is, however, smaller, and
has the straw-like appendages on
the neck less prolonged and less
stout than in the male. Mature
birds only have the whole of the
head and back of the neck quite
bare of feathers.”

The colouring of the Straw-
necked Ibis is very conspicuous,
and the lines of demarcation be-
tween the different tints are sharply
drawn. The head and part of the
neck are deep sooty black, which
suddenly changes into a beautiful
white downy plumage, clothing
the remainder of the neck. From
the fore part of the neck and
throat hang a number of delicate fringe-like feathers. The whole of the upper surface
is coloured of a deep and glistening green-black, “shot” with purple, and changing its
tints at every variation of light. lrregular bars of the same colour as the head are
drawn across the back, and the entire under surface is pure white. During the life of
this bird the thighs are slightly coloured with crimson, but this tinting soon vanishes
after death.

STRAW-NECKED IBIS.—Gerénticus spinicollis

yw

692 THE WHIMBREL.

THE two birds which have been chosen to represent the large genus Numénius are
well-known inhabitants of this country.

The CurLEW, or WHAUP, is mostly found upon the sea-shore and open moorlands, and
partly on account of its wild, shy habits, and partly because its flesh is very delicate and
well flavoured, is greatly pursued by sportsmen. These birds are most annoying to a
gunner who does not understand their ways, having a fashion of keeping just out of gun
range, rising from the ground with a wild mournful cry which has the effect of alarming
every other bird within hearing, and flying off to a distance, where they alight only to
play the same trick again. Moreover, they are strong on the wing and well feathered, so
that they require a sharp blow to bring them down, and necessitate the use of large shot.
When thu’ alarmed they generally skim along at a low elevation, averaging about four or
six feet from the ground, and consequently afford little mark.

Sir W. Jardine writes as follows concerning the habits of the Curlew. “ They retired
regularly inland after their favourite feeding-places were covered. A long and narrow
ledge of rocks runs into the Frith (Solway) behind which we used to lie concealed for the
purpose of getting shots at various sea-fowl returning at ebb. None were so regular as
the Curlew. The more aquatic were near the sea and could perceive the gradual reflux;
the Curlews were far inland, but as soon as we could perceive the top of a sharp rock
standing above water, we were sure to perceive the first flocks leave the land, thus keeping
pace regularly with the change of tides. They fly in a direct line to their feeding-grounds,
and often in a wedge shape; on alarm a simultaneous cry is uttered, and the next coming
flock turns from its course, uttering in repetition the same alarm-note. In a few days
they become so wary as not to fly over the concealed station.”

The breeding-grounds of the Curlew are more inland, the locality varying according
to the character of the district, wild heath and high hilly grounds being chosen in some
places, while marshy and boggy soils are favoured in others. The nest of this bird is
very slight, being only a small heap of dry leaves or grasses scraped together under the
shelter of a tuft of heather or a bunch of rank grass. There are usually four eggs, placed,
as is customary with such birds, with their small ends together, and bemg much larger at
one end than at the other. Their colour is brownish green with some blotches and
splashes of dark brown anda darker green. The young are curious little birds, long-
legged, short-billed, covered with puffy down, and with very little indications of either
wings or tail.

The general colouring of the Curlew is brown, lighter upon the head and neck,
and darker upon the back, each feather being darker in the centre than on the edges.
The upper tail-coverts are white streaked with brown, the smaller wing-coverts are edged
with greyish white, and the tail is grey-white barred with brown. The wings are black,
and some of the quills have white shafts. The chin is white, and the under parts are
also white, but with a tinge of grey and streaked with short marks of dark brown. The
under tail-coverts are white. Both sexes are coloured alike, and the average length is
rather more than twenty inches.

Ar first sight the WHIMBREL looks something like a diminutive curlew, save that the
bill is not so long, so thick, nor so sharply curved as in the preceding species. On
account of this resemblance it is in some places known by the name of Half-Curlew, and
in others it is called the Jack Curlew. In the Shetland Isles it is known by the popular
name of Tang-Whaap.

The habits of the Whimbrel much resemble those of the curlew. Mr. Thompson
makes the following remarks respecting this bird. “In spring, Whimbrels, probably for
want of good company—no godwits &e. being here—keep generally ‘by themselves,’ and
as such are literally a host; but in autumn they exhibit a very sociable disposition, and
are frequently to be found in company with curlews: with godwits too they not uncom-
monly associate ; I have obtained both species at the same shot. At this time they
accompany the curlew, and under a safer guardian the most trustworthy of friends could
not place them. Never while under the surveillance of the curlew, but only when
trusting to themselves, have Whimbrels fallen to my gun. Like that bird, they fly much

WHIMBREL — Num s pheojpus. CURLEW.—Numeénius arguata.

about during the autumnal nights, be they dark or moonlight, but they prefer the latter.
They may always be distinguished from other species by the cry, resembling in sound
the word titierel, the provincial name applied to them in Sussex. They fly from
the sea inland as well as in the opposite direction, and take both courses during every
state of the tide ; hence we may consider that they are night-feeding birds.”

The general colouring of the Whimbrel is much like that of the curlew, but es be
easily known from that bird by the browner tinge of the light-coloured feathers, the pale
brown streak at the top of the head, the dark line from the base of the bill to the eye,
and the light streak over the eye and ear-coverts. The quill-feathers of the wing are
greyish black and the secondaries are barred with white. The length of the Whimbrel is
various according to the individual, but the usual average is about eighteen inches.

THE two species of Godwits are known in England, the Common, or Bar-tailed, and
the Black-tailed Godwit. These birds may be known from each other by the peculiarity
from which they derive their name, the one species being distinguished by the uniform
black hue of the latter two-thirds of the tail, and the other by the brown and grey bars
which cross the tail-feathers.

The Godwit is a noisy bird, continually uttering its odd cry, which has been well
compared to the word grutto rapidly repeated. The flesh of this bird is held in high
estimation ; and in some parts of England where these Godwits are found, it is the custom
to catch them alive and to kee p them for some time before killing them, fattening them
well with bread and milk. The Godwit generally haunts marsh lands, where it finds its
food by probing the soft oozy soil with its bill. The fens of Lincolnshire are favourite

BLACK-TAILED GODWIT —Limésa egocéphala.

resorts of this bird, but it may be found occasionally in most localities where the ground
is wet and soft and where it can obtain cover.

The flight of the Godwit is strong, and when an intruder comes near the nest, the
bird rises into the air and wheels uneasily over the spot after the fashion of the lapwing,
uttering the while its screaming cry. The nest is placed on the ground sheltered by
herbage, and is made of leaves and grass inartificially put together. The eggs are
generally four in number, and their colour is light brown with a greenish tinge, covered
with spots and blotches of a darker hue. =

The shape of the Godwit is light and graceful, and the tints of its plumage, although
not at all brilliant, are rich and soft of their kind and arranged after a pleasing fashion.
The general colour of the head, neck, and upper surface is ashen brown, a whitish patch
is seen over and in front of the eye, and the feathers of the coverts and tertials are edged
with grey-brown. The primaries are dull black with white shafts, and nearly all of them
are white towards the base, so that an undefined bar is formed across the wings. The
tail is white for the first third, and the remainder is black; the two exterior feathers
have, however, more white than the others. The whole under surface of the body is ashen
grey, becoming white upon the under tail-coverts. This is the winter plumage ; the
summer clothing i is rather different, and requires a separate description.

In summer the adult male has the head reddish brown streaked with black, diversified
by a light brown streak round the eyes and a dark spotted stripe extending from the base
of the beak to the eye. The neck is simple ruddy fawn. The back is curiously mottled
with rich tints of black and warm chestnut, each feather having the darker hue on the
centre and the lighter on the edge. The primaries retain their dull black hue, but the
white band is of a purer tone and better defined, and the tail undergoes no alteration.
The breast is nearly white, barred with brown of several tints. The young birds have a
ruddy colouring on the neck, but are to be distinguished by the ashen brown of the neck
and upper part of the breast, the grey-white of the lower portion of the breast, and their
smaller size. The average length of the male is sixteen inches, and the female is about
one inch longer than her “mate.

GREEN SANDPIPER.—Toétanus échropus. COMMON SANDPIPER.—Tringéides hypoleuca.

THE two birds on the accompanying illustration are good examples of the Totaninz or
Sandpipers.

The GREEN SANDPIPER is, like the whole of its tribe, a frequenter of wet and marshy
lands, and seems not to be so fond of the sea-shore as many allied species. Salt-water
marshes are, however, favourite spots with these birds, and whenever the brackish water
spreads from the sea-coast over the adjoiming country, as is the case along part of the
southern coast of England, there the Green Sandpiper may generally be found. It is a
quick and active bird, running about with much agility, and flirting its short tail up and
down as it moves along. It is rather noisy, its cry being a shrill whistle remarkably loud
in proportion to the size of the bird, and very constantly repeated. When flushed it
begins to scream, and flies rapidly away at a low elevation, keeping as much as possible
over the water.

The food of the Green Sandpiper consists of worms, and the myriad insects and other
small creatures that swarm in moist and watery situations. Generally, this Sandpiper
moves off to Northern Europe for the breeding season, but it not unfrequently remains
with us for the purpose of rearing its young. The nest is mostly placed on the bank by
the side of a stream, hidden by overhanging grass or some such protection. The eggs are
four in number and are greyish white with a tinge of green, spotted rather profusely with
grey and ruddy brown. In colouring, however, the eggs are variable, the number and
colour of the spots differing in individual specimens. The flesh of this Sandpiper is
highly esteemed, and in the countries where the bird is plentiful it is largely captured by
limed twigs and other snares.

The general colour of the upper surface of this species is brownish green with waved
markings of deeper brown. Over the eye runs a rather broad line of white. The
primaries are black, and the scapularies and tertials greenish brown profusely spotted
with a lighter tint. The tail-feathers are white for the first half of their length, and are
then banded with blackish brown. The chin, breast, and abdomen are white, and the
front and sides of the neck are also white, but are streaked with narrow lines of grey-
brown. In total length the Green Sandpiper is not quite ten inches.

696 THE AVOCET.

The ComMoN SANDPIPER or SUMMER SNIPE is a well-known visitor to this country, and
has derived its name of Summer Snipe from its habit of remaining in England only
during the summer months, arriving here about April or May and leaving before
October.

It is a pretty and lively little bird, running about the edges of rivers, lakes, or ponds,
poking in all directions after food, and occasionally swimming or diving when alarmed.
Even the young birds, before they can fly, will take instinctively to the water when
frightened, and plunging beneath the waves will dive to some distance before they again
rise to the surface. I have seen three or four of them follow each other into a river like
so many sheep through a gate, disappearing below the water and not emerging within
sight. The river was a winding one, and the banks were thickly studded with trees, so
that I believe the birds to have emerged just round a neighbouring bend of the stream.
Owing to the dark shadows of the trees I could not see the birds when under water, but
it is said to employ its wings in urging itself along.

The nest of the Sandpiper is made on the ground, mostly on a bank of a river,
or sometimes in a field in the vicinity of water. The mother-bird is careful of her eggs
and young; and has a habit of feigning lameness, after the well-known custom of the
lapwing, when any intruder comes near her nest. A correspondent of the “ Magazine of
Natural History” gives an interesting account of the Sandpiper and her little family.
“T this year started an old one from her nest at the root of a fir-tree. She screamed out,
and rolled about in such a manner, and seemed so completely disabled, that, although
perfectly aware that her intention was to allure me from her nest, I could not resist my
inclination to pursue her; and in consequence I had great difficulty in finding the
nest again.

It was built of a few dried leaves of the Weymouth pine, and contained three young
ones, just hatched, and an egg, through the shell of which the bill of the young chick was
just making its way. Yet, young as they were, on my taking out the egg to examine it, the
little things, which could not have been out of their shells more than an hour or two, set off
out of the nest with as much celerity as if they had been running about for a fortnight.
As I thought the old one would abandon the egg if the young ones left the nest, I caught
them again, and covering them up with my hand for some time, they settled down again.
Next day all four had disappeared.”

The top of the head, back of the neck, back, upper tail-coverts, and central feathers of
the tail are greenish brown mottled with black, each feather being darker on the centre
than on the edges. The secondaries are tipped with white, and all the black primaries,
except the first, have a patch of greyish white on the inner web. From the base of the
beak to the eye runs a dark streak, and a light coloured stripe passes over the eye. The
tail is barred with greenish black; most of the feathers are tipped and patched with
white. The chin is white, the upper part of the breast ashen grey streaked with brown,
and the whole of the under surface of the body is snowy white. The average length
of the Sandpiper is between seven and eight inches.

Several other members of this sub-family are inhabitants of England; among which
may be named the Common and Spotted Redshank, the Wood Sandpiper, the Greenshank,
the Spotted and Buff-breasted Sandpipers.

The Avocet is one of the most remarkable among English birds, and is easily
recognisable by its long, curiously curved beak, and its boldly pied plumage.

The Avocet is not a common bird in England, and is now but seldom seen, though in
former days it used to be tolerably plentiful on the sea-coasts and in marshy lands. The
long and oddly curved beak is very slender and pointed, and from its peculiar shape has
earned for its owner the name of Cobblers Awl Bird. While obtaining its food the
Avocet scoops the mud with its beak, leaving sundry unmistakable marks behind ; and
is called in some countries the Scooper. The food of the Avocet consists almost wholly
of worms, insects, and little crustaceans; and while the bird is engaged in the search
after these creatures, it paddles over the oozy mud with its webbed feet and traverses
the soft surface with much ease and some celerity. The ery of the Avocet is a sharp,

STILT PLOVER.—Himdntopus candidus. AVOCET.—Recurvirostru avocetta,

shrill kind of yelp, and is uttered whenever the bird is alarmed. The flight is strong
and rapid.

The nest of the Avocet is placed on the ground in some convenient hollow, and the
eggs are yellowish brown with black marks. The mother will feign lameness when
observed, like the preceding species.

The greater part of the plumage of this bird is pure white, but the top of the head, the
back of the neck, the scapularies, lesser wing-coverts. and the primaries are jetty black.
It is a rather large bird, measuring about eighteen inches in total length. The beak is
extremely thin, and has been well compared by Yarrell to “two thin pieces of whalebone
coming to a point and curving upwards.”

The Stitt PLOVER is nearly as conspicuous for its long legs as the Avocet for its
curved bill.

This bird, which really looks if the legs were intended for a body at least twice its
size, is sometimes, but very rarely, found in England, and whenever it is found within
these islands, generally prefers the swampy or marshy ground. Owing to the great
scarcity of this species, and its speedy fate from powder and shot, very little is known of
its habits ; but if we may judge by the Black-necked Stilt of America, it employs its long
legs in wading through the water in search of food, and picks up the various aquatic
inhabitants which come in its path.

Wilson remarks of the Black-necked species, that when these birds alight on the

6938 THE RUFF.

ground “they drop their wings, stand with their legs half bent and trembling as if unable
to support the weight of their bodies. In this ridiculous position they will sometimes
stand for several minutes, uttering a curring sound, while from the corresponding
quiverings of their wings and long legs they seem to balance themselves with great
difficulty. This singular manceuvre is no doubt intended to induce a belief that they may
easily be caught, and so turn the attention of the person from the pursuit of their eggs and
young to themselves.”

The Stilt is able to swim, but generally contents itself with wading up to its belly in
water. The flight of this bird is strong, and the long legs are trailed far behind the tail,
looking at a little distance as if it had carried off a piece of string fastened to its toes.
Five or six species of Stilt are known to science. The eggs of the Stilt are of a bluish
hue covered with streaks and blotches of dusky green and dark brown.

The greater part of the plumage of this bird is white, but the back and wings are of a
deep black with a gloss of green. In the female the black takes a brownish tone. The
beak is black, the eggs red, and the legs and toes pink. The total length of this bird is
about thirteen inches.

Like many other birds which depend for their existence upon marshy and uncultivated
grounds, the RurF is gradually being turned out of England, and may in time be nothing
more than a rare and occasional visitor.

It is one of the migratory species, arriving in this country in April and leaving by the
end of September. Formerly it was so common in the fenny districts that six dozen have
been taken by one birdeatcher in a single day. The flesh of these birds is remarkably
excellent, and they fatten fast, so that the trade of catching and fattening Ruffs was at
one time a very lucrative occupation, though it now hardly repays the trouble, time,
and expense. So readily can these birds be fattened, that a Rutf weighing only six
ounces when first placed in the cage, will weigh ten when removed for the table.
Generally the young birds of the first year are chosen for slaughter, as they are more
tender and bear captivity better than the older birds. As soon as captured the Ruffs will
begin to eat, and if a basin of food be placed among a number of these birds they will fight
so eagerly for it that each bird would starve rather than allow any but itself to partake of the
provisions. The feeders, therefore, humour their selfish disposition by placing several
dishes of food in the cages and filling them all.

The Ruff is a most pugnacious bird, rivalling if not exceeding the gamecock in
irritability of temper and reckless courage. Their attitude in fighting is not unlike that
of the cock, but as they have no spurs, they cannot inflict severe wounds, and after a
fierce contest neither party will be much the worse. Prolonged and obstinate combats are
waged among the Ruffs for the possession of the females, popularly called Reeves, and as
the birds make a great noise about their affairs, and in their eager combat trample down
the grass on the little hills where they love to resort, the fowler knows well where to lay
his nets. Many birds can be taken at one sweep of the net by an experienced fowler who
knows his business.

The Ruff is chiefly remarkably for the peculiarity from which it derives its name, the
projecting ruff of long, closely set feathers, which surrounds the neck, and can be raised
or lowered at pleasure. This ruff only belongs to the adult males, and is assumed by them
during the short breeding season, being in greatest perfection about the beginning of June
and falling off by degrees from July to August and September, after which time the
plumage of the male assumes the ruff-less and sober tints of its mate.

It is a remarkable fact that the male Ruffs are never coloured exactly alike, and if a
hundred individuals be compared together, each will be found to present some diversity
of tinting. Captivity also has a great effect in altering the form and colour of the plumage.
The general colouring of the male Ruff is briefly as follows: The head, ruff, and shoulders
are black glossed with purple, and barred with chestnut. The back is chestnut spotted
with black, except the greater wing-coverts, which are ashen brown. The wings are
brownish black, and each feather has a white shaft. The tail is brown of various hues,
and mottled with black. The breast is chestnut mottled with black, and the abdomen is

RUFF.—Philomachus pugnax.

white sparely spotted with brown. The length of the adult bird is between twelve and
thirteen inches.

The female is ashen brown upon the head and neck, spotted with dark brown, the
back is nearly black, each feather being edged with ashen brown, and the wing-coverts are
barred with chestnut. The tail is also ashen brown barred with chestnut and black. The
chin is greyish white, and the neck and breast are grey spotted profusely with black.
The abdomen is white. The female is smaller than her mate, being rather under eleven
inches in length.

The Kwot, so called in honour of King Knut, or Canute as the name is generally
spelled, is one of the English members of the interesting genus Tringa.

This pretty bird is found upon our coast in varying numbers, at one season flying and
settling on the shore in flocks of a thousand or more in number, and at another being so
scarce that hardly one bird can be seen where a hundred had formerly made their
appearance. Mr. Thompson mentions that in Belfast Bay he has seen them in such
profusion, that upwards one hundred and seventy were killed at a single discharge from a
swivel-cun. Sometimes they are silent while on the ground, but at others they utter a
peculiar chucking kind of note, which seems to indicate their position to the expectant
female.

The Knot loves to feed on the large expanses of sea-grass (Zostera marina) which are
left bare by the receding tide, and is often found with a mixed assembly of godwits,
dunlins, and redshanks. As far as is known, the Knot does not breed in England,
preferring more southern countries for that business. The eggs are five in number, and
are merely laid on a tuft of grass.

700 THE DUNLIN.

When attired in its full summer plumage the male Knot is a really handsome bird.
The sides of the head are bright chestnut with a few dark spots, and the top of the head
is a deeper chestnut with dark brown streaks. The upper part of the back is richly
mottled, the centre of each feather being black, and the edges warm chestnut and white.
The greater wing-coverts are ashen grey, the primaries black with white shafts, the
secondaries edged with white, and the upper tail-coverts rusty white, edged with white and
barred with black. The tail is dark ash edged with white, and the under surface is warm
ruddy chestnut, fading into white on the under tail-coverts. After the breeding season all
the rich warm tints are lost, and the bird assumes a sober dress of ashen grey above,
black wings, and the under surface white streaked with grey. The length of the Knot is
about ten inches.

The Pramy CuRLEW, or CURLEW SANDPIPER, is so called on account of the form of its
beak, which bears some resemblance to that of the Curlew, although it is much smaller
and not so sharply curved.

This bird is a visitor to our shores, but is not plentiful. Mr. Thompson remarks that
“as it appears on the shore it is a graceful, pretty bird, and particularly interesting from
presenting so pleasing a miniature of the great Curlew. I have often known the Pigmy
Curlew to be killed in company with dunlins, occasionally with them and ring dottrells,
once with those two species and godwits, in a single instance with redshanks and knots.”
In some years these birds are more plentiful, and may be seen in little flocks of thirty or
forty in number. Sixty were killed at a single shot in Cork harbour in the year 1847, in
the month of October.

The voice of this bird is a kind of chattering noise. The eggs are yellowish white,
spotted with dark brown.

The summer plumage of the male is warm chestnut, slightly streaked with black and
white upon the head and neck. The back is beautifully mottled with black and ruddy
chestnut, each feather being of the darker hue in the centre, and edged with the hghter.
The wings are black with white shafts, the upper tail-coverts are white with dark spots,
and the tail is ashen grey. The breast and abdomen are warm chestnut with faint bars of
black, and the under tail-coverts are white spotted with black. In winter the bird
assumes quite a different aspect. The head and back of the neck are ashen brown, and a
stripe of white runs over the eye. The back is also ashen brown mottled with white ; the
wings are black, and the whole of the under surface of the body is white. The upper
tail-coverts retain their white hue, and by these alone the Pigmy Curlew may be distin-
guished from the dunlin. In length this bird rather exceeds eight inches.

TEMMINCK’S STiNT is remarkable for being the smallest of the British Sandpipers, the
average leneth being about five inches and a half.

This little bird is rarely found on our coast, preferring inland rivers and sheets of
water, where it feeds upon worms and aquatic insects. It is said by Nilsson to breed on
the shores of the seas of northern Europe.

The colouring is briefly as follows: The head is black with a little rusty red, and a
light streak passes over the eye. The back is dull black, mottled with greyish white and
rust colour. The wings are blackish brewn with whitish edges, and the tail has the two
middle feathers dusky, the next pair ashen edged with ruddy chestnut, and the remainder
white. The breast is ashen yellow streaked with white, and the under parts of the body
are white. This is the summer plumage. In winter the feathers of the back are brown
edged with grey, and the breast becomes white streaked sparingly with brown.

The Dunit is known under a variety of names, such as the Stint, the Ox-bird, the
Sea-snipe, and the Purre, the last of which is the most common.

This bird is the commonest of the sea-loving Sandpipers, and comes to our shores in
large flocks, keeping close to the edge of the waves, running along: the sands and pecking
eagerly at the molluscs, worms, and smaller crustacea, which are so plentiful on the
margin of the retiring waves. They are nimble-limbed birds, always on the move, and

PIGMY CURLEW.—T7vinga subarquata. TEMMINCK’S STINT.—Tringa Temminchii.
KNOT.—Tringa canitus. DUNLIN.—Tringa cinclus

are sure to be either engaged in running about after food or flying from one feeding-place
to another. While flying they present rather a curious aspect, as they seem to change
from white to black alternately, according to the point of view in which they are seen;
their dark backs and white under surfaces contrasting boldly with each other.

The nest of the Dunlin is placed rather inland, and is mostly so well concealed by the
heather and long grass among which it is situated, that it is not discovered without some
difficulty. The Smother bind ate very closely, and towards the latter end of incubation will
permit herself to be taken by hand rather than relinquish her sacred charge. During the
first period of incubation, however, she will slip quietly away from her nest, run to some
distance under cover of the herbage, and then begin a series of tricks, which are intended
to allure the intruder from her nest. The full number of egos is four, and their colour is
greenish white covered with numerous spots and splashes of dark rusty brown.

The peculiar flight of the Dunlin is well described by Mr. Thompson in his diary,
from which the following extract is condensed. “When immense flocks divide, fly right
and left and shoot into single strings, they strike upon the eye while the sun shines upon
them and the dark banks of the bay serve as background, like silver lines, oce asionally
of great length. A flock flying for a great distance just above the margin of the flowing
tide has strongly resembled, from their white plumage being display ed, a single wave
sweeping rapidly onwards.

I was particularly attracted by the beauty of a large flock, one moment shooting out
in the form of a cornucopia, the next gathered into a circle ; one instant almost dazzling
by their extreme brightness, the next “dark in hue, and again on the turn of the wing

702 THE COMMON SNIPE.

exhibiting both light and darkness. . . . Descending from on wing, they all swept down
in the same direction and covered an extent of bank in such. a manner as to remind one
of grain thrown from the hands of the sower. Every bird on alighting moved at the
same moderate pace, between walking and running, about equidistant from each other;
and their heads being all similarly elevated, they had a most formal and singular
appearance.

A friend being out shooting early in the morning saw a flock of several thousands.
He described their appearance as the sun rose to have been one of the most beautiful
sights he ever witnessed. The great body first appeared glancing in the sun, then it broke
up into a dozen flocks, which rose and fell in the air like molten silver, or, as his companion
observed, like showers of new shillings—a most apt image. One of the finest effects is
when the background is so dark that the birds are only seen in silvery whiteness, flashing
their under plumage upon us. The uncertainty as to when they may next appear, like
that of lightning from an extensive mass of thunder-cloud, adds much to the effect.”

The Dunlin is a very loquacious bird, and the noise made by one of these vast flocks
is very great. The bird is able to swim on occasions, and when wounded will make its
way through the water with ease.

In the : summer, the adult bird has the top of the head black mottled with a rusty hue,
the neck greyish white with black streaks, and the back black with reddish edges to each
feather. The primaries are dull black with white shafts, and the secondaries are of a
similar black, but edged with white. The upper tail-coverts are mottled with black, rusty
red and ash colour, and the tail is ashen grey except the two central feathers, which are
rather long and of a dark brown with heht edges. The breast is black mottled with
white, and “the under tail-coverts are wholly white.

In the winter the upper part of the body, together with the head and neck, is uniform
ashen grey, the centre of each feather being rather darker than the edge. The wings
retain their summer tinting, and the breast and under parts are white. In this state this
bird is called the Purre. The average length of the Dunlin is about eight inches, the
females being rather larger than the males.

THE accompanying illustrations represent three examples of British Snipes.

The Great SNrPE is rather a rare bird in England, but may occasionally be seen in
favourable localities, where even on the wing it may be distinguished from the common
species by the peculiar fan-like shape of the tail, While flying it hardly looks larger
than the common Snipe. It is not readily roused from the eround, but will permit itself
to be almost trodden on before it will rise, trusting to its brown mottled plumage, which
harmonizes so well with the ground that the bird is not readily perceived. When flushed
it only flies to a little distance and then settles among heather or rank grass. The flesh
of this species is very good, as the bird becomes exceedingly fat when it finds a good
feeding-place, so much so indeed that it can hardly fly, and according to Mr. Grieff is in
autumn so fat that it almost bursts its skin.

The nest of the Great Snipe is merely a small quantity of grass and leaves scraped
into a hollow and containing four olive-brown eges spotted with reddish brown. The food
of this bird appears to consist chiefly of the larvee or grubs of the common “daddy
longlegs,” a fly which does infinite harm to pasture-land, the erubs destroying the turf as
effectually as those of the cockchaffer. As is the case w ith all the species, the Great
Snipe haunts watery places and heaths.

The plumage of the Great Snipe is not unlike that of the common Snipe, presently to
be described, but the bird may be distinguished by the pale hue of the cheeks, the deeper
mottling of the breast and flanks, and the conspicuous straight dark line which is drawn
like a continuation of the bill from the base of the beak to the eye. The length of the
Great Snipe is about one foot.

The ComMoNn SNIPE is too well known to need much description. Its habits, how-
ever, are interesting and deserve some notice.

This bird may be seen all over England wherever damp and swampy places are found.
When first flushed it shoots off in a straight line for a few yards and then begins to twist

GREAT SNIPE.—Gallinégo major.

and turn in a strangely zigzag fashion, and at last darts away, thereby puzzling juvenile
sportsmen greatly, and often escaping before its enemy has got his aim.

The male bird has a curious habit of rising to a great height in the air, circling
repeatedly over the same ground, and uttering continually a peculiar cry like the words,
“chic! chic! chic-a, chic-a, chic-a,” constantly repeated. Every now and then the bird
makes a downward stoop, and then emits a very singular sound, something between the
bleating of a goat and the humming of a slack harp-string. How this sound is produced
has long been a controversy, but I am convinced that it is produced by the wings—at all
events that it is not from the mouth.

During a recent stay in the New Forest, I set myself to the elucidation of this
problem, and in company with two friends went towards sunset to an excellent cover
near a large marsh, in which Snipes were almost as plentiful as sparrows. From this
post we could watch the Snipes to great advantage, and the birds would come circling
over our heads, piping and drumming vigorously. On several occasions, when a Snipe was
passing over us at so low an elevation that his long drooping beak was distinctly visible,
he stooped directly over our heads and uttered his “ chic-a, ehic-a!” simultaneously with
the drumming, both sounds being distinctly heard at the same time. The first time that
we clearly heard the double sound was on June 27, but we repeatedly witnessed it on
subsequent occasions. The Snipe remains a long time upon the wing while thus engaged,
contrary to its usual habit, which is to fly for a short distance, and then to pitch again.

Sometimes the Snipe clings very closely to the ground, flies very short distances, and
will almost suffer itself to be trodden upon before it will rise. Indeed after a few flushes
it will often permit itself to be approached so closely that it can be knocked down by a
stick, as I have often seen.

The Snipe can be tamed successfully, as may be seen by the following communication
addressed to the Field newspaper by Mr. W. B. Scott, of Chudleigh, Devonshire :—

“ John Constantius Upham, Esq. of Starcross, Devon, has a common Snipe, which
is extremely tame and familiar, and answers to the name of Jenny. In December
last she was caught by some boys near the warren, and was brought to Mr. Upham in a
starving state. She was recovered by forcing her to eat some very minute pieces of raw

704 A TAME SNIPE.

mutton. Worms having been procured, she soon commenced feeding herself, and
eventually would follow Mr. Upham round the room for a worm. Her bath is a good-
sized pie-dish, her sal/e &@ manger an eight-inch flower-pot, and her amusement probing a
large damp sod of rushes placed for her fresh every day on a good thick piece of brown
paper.

We were three of us who went to see her on Wednesday, the 27th ult. On our
entering the parlour where she is allowed to run about, she evinced no alarm, and
presently commenced feeding. The upper mandible of a Snipe’s bill being a little longer
than the under one, it was with some perseverance and some difficulty that she picked up
from the carpet a worm which was thrown to her. Except when she is very hungry, she
generally washes the worms before eating them. The flower-pot is half full of earth and
worms ; it is placed on its side. The Snipe, when she feeds, probes the earth for a worm ;
having caught one, she carries it to the pie-dish. After carefully washing it, she disables
the worm by pinching it all over with the tip part of her bill; then she takes it by the
middle and throws it back to swallow, in doing which the head of the worm is on one
side of the bill and the tail on the other. The head and tail soon disappear, and the
worm goes down double, even if it be as thick as a goose-quill.

The Snipe constantly goes in and out of the pie-dish, and probes round at its bottom
with her bill. She frequently washes herself, throwing the water over her back and
flapping and splashing it with her wings, after which she comes out of the dish and
preens her feathers, spreading her tail like a fan, bending it round with great flexibility
in a curious manner, and keeping it in constant motion. She is very fond of the fire, and
stands before it on one leg for hours together. She has on two or three occasions
exhibited symptoms of impatience at confinement by flying against the window ; on the
last occasion she flew against the ceiling of the room with some violence, and came down
much hurt, so that the feathers of one of her wings have been cut.

Mr. Upham is getting a place made to collect and store worms ; her consumption of
them is almost incredible, for she consumes in twelve hours nearly double her own
weight. Three sorts of worms she takes, the dew-worm, and two other small red sorts,
the names of which are unknown to me; the brandling, the lobb, the gilt-tail, or indeed
any worm from a dung heap, she will not touch. She is also very fond of snails’ eggs,
very small young snails, woodlice, or small planorbis, and several other fresh-water shells,
eating shell and all; she also picks up gravel like other birds. I watched the bird for
more than an hour, and saw her eat more than twenty worms. The pie-dish is a blue one,
and as it was thought to be not quite deep enough for her, a larger one was searched for ;
but Starcross could not furnish a larger blue dish, so a yellow one was bought, but she
would not go near it; it was even banked up with turf, but it would not do, so the old
blue pie-dish was brought back to her again. Mr. Upham is keeping a diary, and notes
down the habits and peculiarities he observes in his pet Snipe; he much fears she will
not survive the ensuing summer. I was so much interested that I hope to pay the Snipe
another visit very soon.”

The nest of the Snipe is a simple heap of leaves placed under the shelter of a tuft
of furze, heath, or grass, and the eggs are four in number of an olive-white, spotted and
dashed with brown of different tones towards and upon the large end. The mother-bird
has been known to carry away her young when threatened by danger.

The colouring of the Common Snipe is briefly as follows: The top of the head is
dark brown, a light brown streak runs along the centre, the cheeks are pale brown with
a dark streak from the bill to the eye, and over the dark streak is another of a paler hue.
The back is beautifully mottled with two shades of brown, and four bold lines of warm
buff run along the upper surface of the body. The wings are black, some of the feathers
being tipped with white. The chin is very pale brown, the neck is also light brown, but
spotted with a darker hue, the breast and abdomen are white and the flanks grey-
white with dull black bars. The under tail-coverts are cream-coloured with a brown
tinge and barred with grey-black. The average length of the Snipe is between ten and
eleven inches,

COMMON SNIPE,—Gallindgo media JACK SNIPE.—Gallindgo gallinula.

The little Jack SNIPE is seldom seen in this country except in the winter, and is
remarkable for its tenacity in clinging to the ground even on the near approach of an
enemy. ‘Terror seems to have some part in this propensity, for Mr. Yarrell remarks that
a Jack Snipe has allowed itself to be picked up by hand before the nose of a pointer. It
has also a strong attachment to localities, adhering closely to one spot, and always returning
to the same place after a while. It is not an easy bird to shoot unless taken at the
rise, when there is danger that so diminutive a bird may be blown to pieces by the first
discharge, for it dodges about and skims just over the heather, in a vastly perplexing

manner. There is a story told of a gentleman not remarkable for his skill in shooting,
who was found lamenting over the corpse of a Jack Snipe which he had succeeded in
killing, and whose death had deprived him of the amusement which he had enjoyed for
many weeks, as the bird could always be found in the same place every morning, and
be hunted up and down all day without going out of the grounds.

The plumage of the Jack Snipe is very like that of the common species, but may be at
once distinguished by the absence of the pale brown streak over the top of the head.

Three more species of Snipe are known in England, but are very scarce. One is the
Sapine’s Snipe (Gallindgo Sabinii), notable for the total absence of white upon its
plumage; the second is the Brown, or RED-BREASTED SNIPE (Gallindgo grisea), properly
an American bird, and distinguishable by the ruddy breast and the streak of white from
the bill to the eye; and the third is rather a dubious species, known by the name of
BREUM'S SNiPp (Gallindgo Brehmit),

Ds ZZ.

706 THE WOODCOCK.

The Woopcock is nearly as well known, though not so plentiful as the snipe, to which
bird it bears a considerable resemblance in form, plumage, and many habits.

Generally it is only a winter visitor, arriving about October, and leaving England in
March or April. Sometimes, however, it will breed within the British isles, and there
remain throughout the summer, During their migration the Woodcocks fly at a great
altitude, and descend almost perpendicularly upon the spot where they intend to rest.
They fly in companies of varying numbers, and prefer hazy and calm weather for their
journey.

It is rather peculiar in some of its habits; so that an experienced Woodcock-shooter
will find plenty of birds, and fill his bag, in places where a novice will hardly get a single
shot. It is not to be seen until long after noon, and prefers the earliest dawn and the
hours of dusk for feeding and going abroad. At daybreak it rises from its covert to some
height, uttering its peculiar call, wheels about at a considerable elevation, and then starts
off to its feedine-grounds, which are like those of the snipe, wet and marshy, though the
bird always chooses a dry and elevated spot for its couch. After satisfying its hunger,
it returns to its domicile, and remains quietly hidden until about three or four in the
afternoon, when the short day is at its close. After spending some time in feeding, it
returns to its couch after some preliminary wheeling and twisting in the air, and lies quiet
until the dawn of the next day calls it again to activity.

The food of the Woodcock consists mostly of worms, which it obtains with extra-
ordinary skill, thrusting its beak as far as the nostrils into the soft moist earth, and hitting
upon the hidden worms with unerring skill. A tame Woodcock has been seen to probe
large turfs with its bill, and to draw out a worm at every thrust of the long slender beak.
It is thought that the sense of smell enables the bird to discover the worms beneath the
surface. It moves about chiefly on misty days, and is said by experienced Woodcock-
shooters to prefer the northern side of a hill to the southern.

It is a very silent bird, seldom uttering its ery except whens first starting for its
feeding-places, and hardly even crying when flushed. The flight of the Woodcock is
wonderfully swift, although the wings do not appear to move very fast; and the bird has
a custom of jerking and dodging about so quickly when it sees the sportsman, that it
often escapes his shot. One bird, mentioned by Mr. Thompson, used to baffle an
experienced sportsman by always feeding near an archway, and slipping through it before
the gun could be brought to bear. Not that the frequent escapes of the bird are owing
solely to the quickness and irregularity of its flight, because a good eye and ready hand
soon become accustomed to such movements; but the individual birds are so variable
in their mode of flight that the movements of one form hardly any criterion to those of
another.

Yet, when it is hit, it falls a very easy prey, as it falls to a very slight blow, so that
the smaller sizes of shot can be employed; and when wounded it has not much idea of
running and hiding itself, and can be easily found by a good spaniel. The first day of a
thaw is said to be the best for Woodcock shooting, but the birds are apt to desert the spot
within a day or two.

It has been remarked, that when a certain number of Woodcocks inhabit a copse, the
same number will always be found in the same spot, in spite of those that are killed.
Anglers have remarked a similar custom with trout, especially the larger fish, for if they
have taken a fine trout out of a certain spot, the deserted tenement is sure to be occupied
immediately by another large trout.

The nest of the Woodcock is made of leaves—those of the fern being favourites—
closely laid together, but without any particular skill in arrangement, and without lining.
The full number of eggs is four, and their colour is buffy white with rusty brown
blotches. The mother bird has been known to carry away her young when threatened by
danger; and from reliable accounts, she places them upon her spread feet, pressing them
between the toes and the breast. According to Mr. St. John, “regularly as the evening
comes on, many Woodcocks carry their young ones down to the soft feeding-grounds and
bring them back again to the shelter of the woods before daylight. I have often seen
them going down to the swamps in the evening, carrying their young with them.

WOODCOCK. .—Seslopax rusticola.

Indeed, it is quite evident that they must in most instances transport the newly hatched
birds in this manner, as their nests are generally placed in dry heathery woods, where the
young would inevitably perish unless the old ones managed to carry them to some more
favourable feeding-ground. Nor is the food of the Woodcock of such a nature that
it could be taken to the young from the swamps in any sufficient quantity; neither
could the old birds bring with them the moisture which is necessary for the subsistence
of all birds of this kind. In fact, they have no means of feeding their young, except by
carrying them to their food, for they cannot carry their food to them.”

Per contra, it is said that the drooping body and tail give the female an appearance,
especially if viewed from behind, of having a young bird in her embrace, although she
really is unburdened. Still, however, the numerous wellaccredited instances of this
custom set the matter beyond a doubt.

The general colour of the Woodcock is brown of several shades, pale wood-brown
upon the cheeks, rich dark brown upon the back, mottled with a lighter hue ; throat, breast,
and abdomen, wood-brown barred with dark brown. The tail is black above tipped with
grey. The average length is about fourteen inches, but the weight is extremely variable.
An ordinarily good bird weighs about thirteen ounces, but a very fine specimen will
weigh fourteen or fifteen ounces, and there are examples of Woodcocks weighing twenty-
six and twenty-seven ounces.

The Grey PHALAROPE is one of the rare British birds, belonging rightly to the limits
of the Arctic circle, and coming southward in the autumn.

It is a light and active bird, flying and swimming with great address, and braving the
raging sea with easy courage. The body of this bird is singularly buoyant, so that the
Phalarope rides on the waters like a cork, bidding defiance to the waves, and circling
about the surface with an ease and rapidity that reminds the observer of the whirligig
beetles that urge their ceaseless wheels on the surface of our shady streams. It is a bold
bird, caring little for the presence of human beings, and suffering itself to be approached
without displaying fear. Moreover, when made prisoner it becomes familiar with its

Z% 2

GREY PHALAROPE,—Phalaropus fulicarius.

captor in a very short time, and in a few hours will eat out of his hand. The general food
of the Grey Phalarope consists of marine creatures, such as molluscs and little
crustaceans, but when it comes to the shore the bird will feed on larvee and various
insects. While swimming it has a habit of nodding its head at each stroke. The flight
is said to resemble that of the terns.

The plumage differs greatly according to the season of year. In the winter the
head, back of the neck, and back are dark blackish brown and these feathers are
surrounded by an orange border. There is a white band on the wing, and the front of the
neck and lower parts of the body are dull red. In the winter the upper parts of the body
are pearly ash, the centres of the feathers being darker than their edges. The white band
on the wing is retained, and the breast and lower parts are pure white. The bill is
brown at the point, and orange-red at the base. The Grey Phalarope is but a small bird,
its length being about eight inches. The Red Necked Phalarope (Phaldropus hypoboreus)
is also an inhabitant of England.

THE two curious birds which are depicted in the accompanying illustration are
examples of the Jacanas. All these birds are remarkable for the extraordinary develop-
ment of their toes, which are so long and so slender that they seem to have been drawn
out like wire, and to impede the progress of their owner. These elongated toes are, how-
ever, of the greatest use, as they enable the bird to walk upon the floating leaves which
overspread the surface of many rivers, and to pick its food from and between the leaves
on which it walks. As the bird marches upon the leaves, the long toes dividing the
pressure upon several leaves at each step, they are slightly sunk below the surface by the
weight, so that the bird appears to be really walking upon water.

The Common JACANA is a native of Southern America, and there are other species
scattered over Africa, Asia, and Australia. Mz, Gould tells us that the Australian species
is a good diver, but a bad flier. “Their powers of diving and of remaining under water
are equal to those of any bird I have ever met with; on the other hand, the powers
of flight are very weak. They will, however, mount up fifteen or twenty yards and fly

THE CHINESE JACANA, OR MEEWA. 709

from one end of the lake to the other, a distance of half or three-quarters of a mile; but
generally they merely rise above the surface of the water and fly off for about a hundred
yards. During flight their long legs are thrown out horizontally to their full length.
While feeding, they utter a slowly repeated ‘cluck, cluck’ The stomach is extremely
muscular, and the food consists of aquatic insects and some kind of vegetable matter.”

The general colour of the Common Jacana is black, with a slight greenish gloss, taking
a rusty red tinting on the back and wing-coverts. The primary quill-feathers of the wing
are green, and the wings are
furnished at the bend with long
and sharp claws. In the African
species these spurs are hardly per-
ceptible. At the base of the beak
is a curious leathery appendage,
rismg upon the forehead above
and depending towards the chin
below. The claws are all very
long, especially that of the hind
toe, which is nearly straight, and
longer than the toe from which it
proceeds.

The pretty CHINESE JACANA
well deserves the title of Hydro-
phasianus, or Water Pheasant, a
name which has been given to it
on account of the two long tail-
feathers which droop gracefully in
a gentle curve. The quill-feathers
of the wings are also remarkable
for certain little appendages, lke
hairy plumes, which proceed from
the tip of each shaft.

The Chinese Jacana, or
MEEWA, is not confined to the
country from which it derives its
popular name, but is found in
various parts of Asia, and has
been obtained from the Himalayas
and the Philippines.

It is a very active bird on
foot or in the water, swimming
with easy grace, and traversing
the floating herbage in search of
its food, which resembles that of
most aquatic birds. A tamed JACANA,—Parra Jacana,
specimen fed readily on shrimps.

It is not very fond of using its

wings, but when flying, extends

the legs backwards after the same fashion as the heron. The flesh of the Chinese Jacana
is very excellent, and has been likened to that of the snipe, so that the bird is in some
request among sportsmen. Shooting it is, however, no very easy task, as a wounded bird
is seldom if ever recovered, diving at once and remaining submerged until the foe has
left the spot, or death has released it from its sufferings.

The nest of the Chinese Jacana is made of reeds and grasses, is flat in form, and is
supported upon the woven stems of aquatic plants. The eggs are about six or seven in

CHINESE JACANA.—Hydrophasianus Sinensis.

number, and their colour is olive-brown. These birds breed during the rains, and choose
those spots where the lotus is plentiful. The voice resembles the mewing of a distressed
kitten, to which fact is owing its native name of Meewa.

The colours of the male bird are bold and striking. The back and under parts are
deep chocolate-brown, the elongated tail is a still darker brown; and the wings, top of the
head, throat, and part of the neck are white. The back of the neck is orange, and a
narrow black line separates it from the white of the throat. The legs, toes, and beak are
grass-green. At the end of the primary feathers are certain filamentous and somewhat
lancet-shaped appendages, which, according to some writers, hinder the bird in its flight.
The female is quite sober in her plumage. The upper part of the body and head is pale
brown, warming to red on the forehead. From the bill a dark streak passes through the
eye and down the side of the neck, and above that is another streak of buffy orange.
The throat and under parts are white, and a broad collar of dark brown encircles the
junction of the neck and breast.

THE sub-family of the Screamers is here represented by two very curious birds, both
of them being large birds, having their wings armed with formidable claws capable of
being used with much effect as weapons of offence.

The HORNED SCREAMER, or KAMICHI, is a native of Central America, and is found in
the vast swamps and morasses of that hot and moist country, where the vegetation
springs up in gigantic luxuriance and the miasmatic morasses give birth to reptiles and
creeping things innumerable. The large spurs on the wings are valuable to the bird in
repelling the attacks of the numerous snakes, and guarding itself and young from their

HORNED SCREAMER.—Palamcedéa cornita. CRESTED SCREAMER.—Chauna chavaria.

rapacity. In size the Horned Screamer nearly equals a common turkey, so that a blow
from its armed wing can be struck with considerable force. The bird is not, however,
fond of using its weapons, and, unless attacked, is quiet and harmless.

The food of the Horned Screamer consists chiefly of vegetable substances, such as the
leaves and seeds of aquatic plants, in search of which it wades through the reptile-
haunted morasses. Its flight is strong and easy, its walk is erect and bold, and its
mien lofty like that of the eagle. Upon the head of the present species is a curious
horn-like appendage, from three to four inches in length, and about as large as a goose-
quill. The use of this horn is quite unknown. The voice of the Horned Screamer is
loud and shrill, and is uttered suddenly and with such vehemence that it has a very
startling effect.

The general colour of this bird is blackish brown above ; the head and upper part of
the neck are covered with downy feathers of blackish brown sprinkled with white.

ANOTHER well-known example, the CRESTED SCREAMER, or CHAJA, is a finer-looking
bird than the preceding species, though its head is without the singular appendage that
gives the horned Screamer so unique an aspect. The name of Chaja is given to this
bird on account of its cry, that of the male bird being “chaja” and of the female “chajali.”

It is a native of Brazil and Paraguay, and is generally found near the banks of rivers.
It is a shy and generally solitary bird, being mostly seen singly, sometimes in pairs, and
now and then in small flocks. Like the horned Screamer, the Chaja is armed with two
spurs on each wing, and can employ them to such purpose, that it can drive away even a

712 THE WATER RAIL.

vulture. Unless attacked, however, the bird is quiet; and as it is easily tamed, it may be
often seen domesticated in the houses.

The walk of this bird is bold and dignified; the body is held rather horizontal and the
head and neck erect. The flight is strong and sweeping, and the bird rises on circling
wings somewhat after the manner of the eagle, after obtaining so great an elevation as to
be hardly discernible against the sky. The food of the Chaja consists mostly of aquatic
plants, which it obtams by wading. The nest of this bird is a rather large edifice of
sticks and leaves, and is placed near water. The number of eggs is two, and the young
are able to follow their parents almost as soon as hatched.

The general hue of the Chaja is a leaden-blue colour diversified with black. The
bend of the wing is white, and there is a large spot of the same hue at the base of the
primaries. Round the neck is a black collar, the small head is furnished with a crest, the
upper part of the neck is clothed with down, and the space round the eye is uaked and
blood-red in colour,

WE now come to the
large family of the Rails,
a curious group of birds,
formed for rapid movement
either on the ground or
through the water, but not
particularly adapted for long

flights. Many species in-
habit England.

The WATER Ratu is one

this family, and is but sel-
dom seen, partly because it
really is not very plentiful,
and partly on account of its
shy and retiring habits, and
its powers of concealment.
It frequents ponds, lakes,
and similar localities, haunt-
ing those places where luxu-
riant reed-beds afford it
WATER RAIL.—Rallus aquaticus. shelter and covert. On the
least alarm it sets off for the
place of refuge, diving to a
considerable distance and
always pressing towards the reeds, through which it glides with wonderful address, and is
immediately out of danger. Even a trained dog can hardly flush a Water Rail when once
it has reached its reedy refuge, as the bird can thread the reeds faster than the dog can
break its way through them, and has always some deep hole or other convenient hiding-
place where a dog cannot reach it.

The food of the Water Rail consists mostly of imsects, worms, leeches, molluses, and
similar creatures, all of which can be found either upon the aquatie herbage or in the
muddy banks. Mr. Thompson mentions a curious instance of the readily domesticative
and insect-hunting propensities of this bird. ‘‘On the 15th of September, 1832, I saw in
a gunsmith’s shop, i in Belfast, one of these birds, which had been taken alive a day or two
before. It was very expert in catching flies in the shop window, running a tilt at them
quite regardless of the presence of the ‘stumbling-blocl ks which beset its path i in the form
of pistols, turn-screws, &e. When approached, this bird struck w ickedly with its bill and
feet, but never with its spurred wings.” In the stomach of these birds the same writer
found the remains of aquatic molluscs, worms, and a few seeds, and portions of leaves.
In captivity it will thrive on raw meat chopped small.

While walking, the bird has a habit of flirting up its odd little tail, so as to show the

of the British examples of

THE VIRGINIAN RAIL. 713

white under tail-coverts. The nest of the Water Rail is sheltered by the thickest herbage
of the covert, and is made of coarse grass. There are about seven or eight eges, and their
colour is buffy white spotted with brown. The young are odd little creatures, round, and
covered with soft thick down. Almost immediately after their emancipation from the
ege-shell, these little puffy balls of down tumble into the water, and swim about as
merrily as if they had been accustomed to the exercise for years.

The general colour of the
Water Rail is buffy brown above,
richly mottled with velvety black.
The throat is grey; the sides of
the neck, the breast, and abdomen
are slaty grey changing on the
flanks into greyish black barred
with white and buff, and to cream-
white on the under tail-coverts.
The bill is brown at the tip, and
light orange at the base. The
length of the Water Rail is about
one foot.

The VIRGINIAN Ratu is an in-
habitant of America, reaching the
Northern States about May, and
retiring to warmer regions in
November. Wilson writes of
this bird as follows:—“It is fre-
quently seen along the borders of
our salt-marshes, and also breeds
there, as well as among the mea-
dows that border on large rivers.
It spreads over the interior as far
west as the Ohio, having myself
shot it in the barrens of Kentucky
early in May. The people there
observe them in wet places, in
the groves, only in spring. It
feeds less on vegetable and more
on animal food than the common
rail. During the months of Sep-
tember and October, when the
reeds and wild oats swarm with
the latter species, feeding on their
nutritious seeds, a few of the pre-
sent kind are occasionally found,
but not one for five hundred of VIRGINIAN RAIL.—Rallus Virginiénus.
the others.

The food of the present species
consists of small snail shells,
worms, and the larvee of insects, which it extracts from the mud: hence the cause of its
greater length of bill, to enable it the more readily to reach its food. On this account
also, its flesh is much inferior to that of the others. In most of its habits, its thin, com-
pressed form of body, its aversion to take wing, and the dexterity with which it runs or
conceals itself among the grass and sedge, are exactly similar to those of the common
rail.”

In some parts of America it is known under the name of the Fresh-Water Mud-Hen,
because it frequents those parts of the marshes where fresh-water springs rise through the

714 THE CORNCRAKE, OR LANDRAIL,

morass. “In these places it generally constructs its nest, one of which we had the good
fortune to discover. It was bwilt in the bottom of a tuft of grass in the midst of an
almost impenetrable quagmire, and was composed altogether of old wet grass and rushes.
The eges had been flooded out of the nest by the extraordinary rise of the tide in
a violent north-east storm, and lay scattered about the drift weed. The usual number of
egos is from six to ten, They are of a dirty white or pale cream colour, sprinkled with
specks of reddish and pale purple, most numerous near the great end.”

The top of the head and the upper surface of the body are black streaked with brown ;
the cheeks and a streak over the eye are ashen grey; and by the lower eyelid there is a
white mark. The wing-coverts are light chestnut, the quills are dusky black ; there is a
white streak on the bend of the wings; the chin is white, and the whole lower surface is
orange-brown. The female may be distinguished from the male by the pale breast and
the greater amount of white on the chin and throat. The average length of the adult male
is ten inches, the female being about half an inch shorter.

THE well-known CoRNCRAKE, or LANDRAIL, is common in almost every part of the
British Islands, its rough grating call being heard wherever the hay-grass is long enough
to hide the utterer.

The bird runs with wonderful speed through the tall grass, and its ery may be heard
now close at hand, now in the distance, now right, and now left, without any other
indication of the bird’s whereabouts ; for so deftly does it thread the grass stems that not
a shaken blade indicates its presence, and it is so wary that it keeps itself well hidden
among the thick herbage. The ery of the Cornerake may be exactly imitated by drawing
a quill or a piece of stick smartly over the large teeth of a comb, or by rubbing together
two jagged strips of bone. In either case the bird may be decoyed within sight by this
simple procedure.

The Corncrake is not fond of its wings, and very seldom takes to the air, even
preferring to be caught by the dog than to escape by flight. When captured it has
a habit of simulating death, and often contrives to escape when the eye of its captor is
otherwise engaged. One of these birds which had been picked up by a pointer allowed
itself to be placed in the game-bag, carried home, and laid on the table without exhibiting
any indications of life. When it thought itself unwatched, it sprung up and dashed at
the window, which being closed frustrated this poor bird in its bold attempt.

The Corncrake can be readily tamed, as will be seen from the following account by
Mr. Thompson:—“ It became quite tame and partook of food very various in kind, such
as groats (few, however, of these), raw meat, bread and milk, stirabout and milk, yolk of
boiled eggs and butter, which last was especially relished. It also ate worms, snails,
slugs, &c., and has been seen to take small sticklebacks that happened to be in the water.
This bird was very cleanly, and washed every morning in a basin of water set apart for
the purpose. It was accustomed to be taken upstairs at night and brought down in the
morning, and of its own accord went habitually out of the cage into a basket containing
moss, where the night was passed, and in the morning likewise left the basket and
entered the cage in which it was carried downstairs.

When allowed to go about the house, the persons to whom it was attached were
sought for and followed everywhere. On becoming unwell, the poor bird took possession
of the lap of a member of the family, and looked up to her apparently for relief ; though
when in health it resisted all attempts at being handled, flying up at the intruder and
snapping its mandibles together. Every spring it called with the usual erake, beginning
very early in the morning; this was usually commenced in March, but on one occasion
was uttered as early as the 3d of February. As was remarked of the bird after this
period, ‘it would crake quite impudently in the parlour when orought there to be
shown off.’

Moulting took place in the month of August, but no symptoms of uneasiness appeared
then or at any particular season. At pairing time this bird was very comical, coming up
with its wings spread and neck stretched out after the manner of a turkey cock, and
uttering a peculiar croaking note. It would then make a sort of nest in the cage,

THE HYACINTHINE GALLINULE. 715

croaking all the while, and carry a worm or piece of meat about in its bill. So great a
favourite was this Corncrake, that its death was duly chronicled as taking place on the
14th of Jannary, 1830, after having been kept for above six years.”

The nest of the Corncrake is placed on the ground, and is made of dried grass
arranged in a suitable depression. It generally contains from eight to twelve eggs, of a
buffy white covered with rusty brown spots. The shell is rather thick, and the size of the
egg large in proportion to the dimensions of the bird. The position of the nest and the
lateness of the hatching season expose both mother and young to great danger, as the nest
is often laid low and the mother killed by a sweep of the mower’s scythe. The parent is
very fearless when engaged in incubation; and on one occasion when a female Corncrake
had been severely wounded by a scythe and taken into the farm-house for two hours, she
returned to her nest in spite of its shelterless condition and her own wounded state, and
was rewarded by the successful rearing of the brood.

The flesh of the Corncrake is very delicate and well-flavoured.

CORNCRAKE, OR LANDRAIL.—Ortygometra crew.

The upper parts of the body are elegantly mottled with dark blackish brown, ashen,
and warm chestnut; the first tint occupying the centre of each feather, the second the
edges, and the third the tips. The wing-coverts are rusty red. The throat and abdomen
are white, and the breast is greenish ash, warming into reddish rust striped with white on
the sides. In total length the Corncrake is not quite ten inches.

The HYACINTHINE GALLINULE is a rather curious example of the next sub-family of
the Crakes, being remarkable for the large size of its beak and the length of its toes. All
the species belonging to the genus Porphyrio are fond of the water, although they are
oftener seen on land than is the case with the water-hens. They feed upon seeds and
other hard substances, which they crack easily with their powerful bills. Their very long
toes enable them to walk upon the floating herbage nearly as well as the Jacanas, and
upon land they are very quick of foot. They use their long toes for carrying food to their
beak, a habit which has often been observed in the common coot.

The Hyacinthine Gallinule is spread over a large extent of range, being found in many
parts of Africa, Asia, and Europe. It is graceful and quick in its movements, but is said
to be rather a stupid bird. Perhaps future observers may give a better account of its
intellect. The nest of this species is made in the sedgy parts of the morasses which it
frequents, and contains a rather small number of nearly white eggs.

The colour of the Hyacinthine Gallinule is rich blue, taking a dark indigo tone upon
the back, and assuming a beautiful turquoise hue upon the head, neck, throat, and breast.

HYACINTHINE GALLINULE.—Porphirio véterum.

The under tail-coverts are white, the bill is licht red, and the legs and feet are pinky red.
The length of this bird is about eighteen inches.

Our most familiar example of the Gallinules is the WATER HEN, sometimes called the
Moor Hen.

This bird may be seen in plenty in every river in England, and mostly on every pond
or sheet of water where the reedy or rushy banks offer it a refuge. It is a bold bird,
though sufliciently wary on occasions ; and while it will slip quickly out of sight of a dog
or aman with a gun, will swim about with perfect self-possession in a pond by the side
of arailway, quite undisturbed by the sound and sight of the rushing train. When startled
it flies rapidly across the water with quick beating wings and dangling legs, leaving a long
track behind it, which will remain for some little time, like the wake of a ship. As it
nears its reedy refuge it sinks nearer the surface of the water, so that at the last yard or
two of its progress it drives the water before it, and seems equally to run or to fly.

When startled it often dives on the instant, and, emerging under floating weeds or
rubbish, just pokes its bill above the surface, so that the nostrils are uncovered by the
water, and remains submerged until the danger is past, holding itself in the proper
position by the grasp of its strong toes upon the weeds. If wounded, it will often escape
by diving, so that unless the sportsman kills his birds on the spot he may lose bird after
bird unless he has a good dog with him. Sometimes it pretends to be wounded, and
drops into the shelter of reeds or bushes in so death-like a manner that the gunner is
deluded into the idea that he has killed his bird very neatly, and while he is reloading
away goes the Water Hen to some secure retreat.

I once took a snap-shot from a boat at a fine male specimen, in a little pond at the end
of an inlet, and to my astonishment, after backing to the mouth of the little stream, saw
him swimming and nodding his head as coolly as if nothing had happened. I was going
to cive him the second barrel, but, being short of ammunition, determined to paddle quietly
up the inlet in which the bird was swimming, and to knock it over with an oar. The bird
took not the least notice of the boat, so I pushed the blade of the oar under it, lifted it out
of the water, and brought it into the boat. On examination I found that it had been

THE WATER HEN. yy

struck through the head with a shot ; I believe that in such cases the powers of volition are
suddenly extinguished, and that the bird continues to act according to the last impression
upon the brain. Many birds, as every sportsman knows, will tower when shot, and I have
found that in such instances they exhibit a singular tenacity of animal life.

When free from persecution, the Water Hen soon becomes familiar with man, and will
mix familiarly with domestic poultry, traversing the garden or farmyard with easy con-
fidence. It is apt, however, to be rather mischievous, eating fruit and vegetables of various
kinds. The Reverend Mr. Atkinson writes: “The Moor Hens having been much
encouraged, were very numerous, both about the moat and in two or three flagey ponds in
the adjoming pastures. I have seen as many as fourteen or fifteen at once upon one bed
of cabbage plants. They picked the peas, the strawberries, the currants, the gooseberries,
all in early stages of their growth, and they stripped the leaves of the newly planted
young cabbages and greens, until nothing was left but ragged fragments of the midrib
and stalks.”

The nesting of this bird
is very peculiar. The Water
Hen builds a large edifice of
sedges, sticks, and leaves,
either on the bank close to
the water’s edge, upon little
reedy islands, or on low
banks overhanging the water,
and generally very conspi-
cuous. The mother-bird has
a habit of scraping leaves
and rushes over her eggs
when she leaves the nest,
not, as some persons fancy.
to keep the eggs warm, but
to hide them from the pry-
ing eyes of crows and mag-
pies, jays, and other egg-
devouring birds.

The Moor Hen is by no means niggardly in her labour, but will build one or more
extra nests, or rather rafts, for the accommodation of her young brood; and in some cases
will, without apparent reason, discard the nest in which the eggs have been hatched, build
a new one, and transfer to it her little family. When thoroughly pleased with a locality
the Moor Hen evinces a strong attachment to it, and returns to the same spot through
several successive seasons.

Should the water rise beyond its ordinary level, this bird is equal to the emergency,
and rapidly elevates the nest by adding sticks and inserting them into the fabric. One
bird generally remains by the nest and acts as builder, while the other searches for
materials and brings them to its mate. Mr. Selby mentions an instance where the bird
removed the eggs during the process of elevation, and replaced them after the completion
of its labours.

The young are able to swim almost as soon as hatched, and for some time remain
close to their parents. I once, to my great regret, shot by mistake several young
Moor Hens, still in their first suit of black puffy down, and paddling about among the
water lilies and other aquatic herbage where I could not see them. Pike are rather apt to
carry off the little creatures by coming quickly under the weeds and jerking them under
water before they take the alarm.

The male bird is dark olive green above ; the head, neck, and under parts are blackish
grey. The under tail-coverts and edges of the wings are white. The bill is green towards
the tip and red at the base, the latter hue being brightest at the breeding season. The legs
and toes are green, and the naked part of the ‘thigh is red. The female has not so much
of the olive as her mate.

WATER HEN.—Gallinula chléropus.

718 THE COOT.

The Common Coot, or BALD Coot, as it is sometimes called, is another of our
familiar British water-birds, being seen chiefly in lakes, large ponds, and the quiet banks of
wide rivers.

The habits of the Coot much resemble those of the water hen, and it feeds after a
similar fashion upon molluscs, insects, and similar creatures, which it finds either in the
water or upon land. It is an admirable swimmer, swift and strong, and can grasp the
branches firmly when perching, owing to the contraction of the foot, which is furnished
with a wide flattened membrane on the edges of each toe, thus presenting a broad surface
to the water, and at the same time permitting the foot to be used in grasping. The Coot
may be seen either swimming or traversing the floating weeds in search of food, or wandering

COOT.—Fiilica atra.

over the fields with quick but rather eccentric gait, pecking here and there at the herbage,
and devouring a great quantity of destructive insects, snails, and slugs. When a very
severe winter has frozen the ponds and lakes, the Coot will make off to the nearest coast,
and along its unlocked shores obtain a living until the warm breezes of spring have
loosened the icy body of its more congenial haunts.

The nest of the Coot is a huge edifice of reeds and rank-water herbage, sometimes
placed at the edge of the water, and sometimes on little islands at some distance from
shore. I have often been obliged to wade for thirty or forty yards to these nests, which
have been founded upon the tops of little hillocks almost covered with water. The whole
nest is strongly though rudely made; and if the water should suddenly rise and set the
nest floating, the Coot is very little troubled at the change, but sits quietly on her eggs
waiting for the nest to be stranded. Several instances are known where the nest and bird
have been swept into a rapid current, and carried to a considerable distance. The eggs
are generally about eight or ten in number, and their colour is olive-white sprinkled
profusely with brown. ‘The shell is rather thick in proportion to the size of the egg, so
that Coots’ eggs can be carried away in a handkerchief without much danger ofebeing
broken.

The head and neck of the Coot are greyish black, the upper parts are deep blue-black,
and the under parts are blackish grey with a tinge of blue. ‘The billis rather pale orange-
red, and the horny plate on the forehead is rosy red in the breeding season, fading into
white at other times of the year, from which circumstance the Coot derives its sobriquet
of “bald” The legs are yellow-green, the naked part of the thigh orange-red, and the eye
bright red. The length of the Coot is about seventeen or eighteen inches.

FLAMINGO.— Phenicépterus ruber.

The well-known FLAMINGO brings us to the large and important order of Anseres, or
the goose tribe.

The common Flamingo is plentiful in many parts of the Old World, and may be seen in
great numbers on the sea-shore, or the banks of large and pestilential marshes, the evil
atmosphere of which has no effect on these birds, though to many animals it is most
injurious, and to man a certain death. When feeding the Flamingo bends its neck,
and placing the upper mandible of the curiously bent beak on the ground or under the
water, separates the nutritive portions with a kind of spattering sound, like that of a duck
when feeding. The tongue of the Flamingo is very thick, and of a soft oily consistence,
covered with curved spines pointing backwards, and not muscular. ;

A flock of these birds feeding along the sea-shore have a curious appearance, bending
their long necks in regular succession as the waves dash upon the shore, and raising them
as the ripple passes away along the strand. At each wing is always placed a sentinel
bird which makes no attempt to feed, but remains with neck erect and head turning
constantly about to detect the least indication of danger. When a flock of Flamingos
is passing overhead, they have a wonderfully fine effect, their plumage changing from pure
white to flashing rose as they wave their broad wings.

When at rest and lying on the ground, with the legs doubled under the body, the
Flamingo is still graceful, bending its neck into snaky coils, and preening every part of
its plumage with an ease almost incredible. Its long and apparently clumsy legs are
equally under command, for the bird can scratch its cheeks with its toes as easily as a
sparrow or a canary.

SPUR-WINGED GOOSE.—Plectréphanes Gambensis.

When flying the Flamingo still associates itself with its comrades, and the flock form
themselves into regular shapes, each band evidently acting under the command of a Jeader.
The nest of the Flamingo is rather curious, and consists of mud and earth scraped
together so as to form a tall hillock with a cavity at the summit. In this cavity the eggs
are laid, and the bird sits easily upon them, its limbs hanging down at each side of the nest
like a long-legged man sitting on a milestone. The eggs are ‘white, their number is two or
three, and the young birds are all able to run at an early age. Like many other long-
legged birds, the Flamingo has a habit of standing on one leg, the other being drawn up
and hidden among the plumage.

The curious beak of this bird is orange-yellow at the base and black at the extremity,
and the cere is flesh-coloured, When in full plumage the colour is brilliant scarlet, with
the exception of the quill-feathers, which are jetty black. A full-grown bird will measure
from five to six feet in height.

THE curious bird represented in the engraving brings us nearer to the true Geese.

The SPUR-WINGED GOOSE inhabits Gambia ‘and Senegal, and is remarkable for the
peculiarity from which it derives its name. The reader will remember that several birds,
such as the jacana and the secreamers, are armed with horny claws or spurs upon the
bend of the wing; and it is rather remarkable that the same formation is found in one
genus of the Goose tribe, the wings of the Spur-winged Goose being supplied with two
of these appendages. The head, too, is notable for a bold elevated crest, which starts
from the base of the bill, and which during the life of the bird is of a light red colour.
This protuberance is really part of the skull, and has a very curious aspect when the
skeleton is prepared. One or two specimens of this bird have been taken in England.
Mr. Yarrell mentions two such examples, and in the “Annals of Sporting” there is a
notice of a third specimen having been killed in 1827 at Donnington Grove on a large
piece of water. Several swans were in the same loc: shiv, but the bird always avoided
them.

The colouring of this species is bold and simple. The general tint of the plumage is
deep black clossed with purple, but the throat, front of the breast, and abdomen are
white. In size it rather exceeds the domestic goose.

CAPE BARRON GOOSE,—Cereopsis Nove Hollandic.

WE now arrive at the true Geese, our first representative being the CAPE BARRON
GOOsSE or CEREOPSIS, so called from the cere which eovers a large portion of the beak.
This fine bird is a native of New Holland, and is found, as its name implies, at Cape
Barron Island in Bass’s Straits. It is of large size, fattens easily, its flesh is good, and it
breeds without difficulty when in confinement, so that it possesses many of the quali-
fications for domestication. It has, however, one drawback, for it is very quarrelsome,
and its powerful beak and large dimensions make it a dreaded foe in the poultry-yard.
It feeds on grass like the common Goose, and requires but little care on the part of the
owner, and if it could only be induced to lay aside its quarrelsome habits would be quite
an acquisition to our limited list of domestic poultry.

For some time after its first discoyery it was so fearless of man that it would suffer
itself to be approached and knocked down with sticks, but it has now learned caution
through bitter experience, and at the sight of a human being seeks safety in flight.
Although one of the true Geese it cares little for the water, and in this respect, as well as
in others, resembles the wading birds. In England it has bred freely, the specimens in
the Zoological Gardens having yearly increased im number. The eggs of the Cereopsis
are cream-coloured, and the voice of the bird is loud, hoarse, and has a decided trumpet-
like tone that can be heard at a considerable distance.

The general colour of this bird is brownish grey, mottled on the back with a lighter
hue, and spotted with black on the wing-coverts and scapularies. On the head the grey
fades nearly into white. The bill is short, sharp, and hard, and can be used with great
force as an offensive weapon. Its colour is black, and it is covered with a very large
greenish yellow cere. The legs are pinkish and the eyes bright red.

To the first of the two birds on page-272 we are indebted for the Domestic Goose,
with its few and unimportant varieties.

The Grey-LaG Goose is found in many parts of the world, and in a wild state makes
occasional visits to this country, and it is probable that the Domestic Geese may derive
some of their blood from the other species of the same genus. The white colour of the

2, 3A

GREY-LAG GOOSE.—Anser ferus. BEAN GOOSE.—Anser ségetum.

adult Domestic Gander seems to be the result of careful breeding, probably because white
feathers sell at a higher price than the dark and grey plumes. In a state of domestication
the Goose lives to a great age, and when treated kindly becomes strongly attached to its
friends, and assumes quite an eccentric character. Of the breeding and management of
the Goose nothing can be said in these pages, the reader being referred to the numerous
extant works on domestic poultry. When wild its flavour is not so delicate as after it
has been domesticated and properly fed, and when a wild Goose is shot in the northern
climates the sportsman always buries it in the earth some hours before cooking it, a
process which removes the rank savour of the flesh. Even the fishy-flavoured sea-birds
can be rendered eatable by this curious process.

The Grey-Lag Goose may be known from its congeners by the pinky bill, with its ~
white horny nail at the tip of the mandible. The head, nape, and upper part of the
back are ashen brown, and the lower part of the back bluish grey. The quill-feathers are
leaden grey ; the chin, neck, and breast are grey ; and the abdomen white. The average
length of the adult male is not quite three feet.

The BrAN Goose is another of our English examples of this genus, but is only
a visitant of our shores, having its chief residence in the Arctic circle and high northern
latitudes, and coming southward about October.

Mr. Selby mentions that the Bean Goose breeds annually upon several of the
Sutherland lakes, and in some places it becomes nearly as tame as the common species,
but refuses to associate with them. These birds fly in flocks, varying in form according
to their size, a little band always flying in Indian file, while a large flock assumes a

2 SS ae

BERNICLE GOOSE.—Bernicla lewcopsis.

V-like form, thé sharp angle being always forward. These flocks alight on fields and
cultivated grounds, and often commit sad ravages before they again take to wing. On
account of this habit the bird is called the Harvest Goose in France.

The beak of this species is rather slender and pointed, and its colour is black with an
orange centre. The head and upper parts are brownish grey, the primaries are of a darker
hue, both tail-coverts are white, the throat and breast are greyish white, and the abdomen
is pure white. The length of the bird is about thirty-four inches.

The BrekNnicLE Goose is also found on our shores, and seems to prefer the western to
the eastern coasts.

The name of Bernicle Goose is given to this bird because the olden voyagers thought
that it was produced from the common barnacle shell, and this notion had taken so
strong a hold of their minds that they published several engravings representing the bird
in various stages of its transformation. The positive manner in which they put forth
their declaration is very amusing. “ What our eyes have seen, and hands have touched,”
writes Gerard in his “Herbalist,” “we shall declare. There is a small island in
Laneashire, called the Pile of Foulders, wherein are found the broken pieces of old and
bruised ships, some whereof have been cast thither by shipwracke, and also the trunks
and bodies with the branches of old and rotten trees, cast up there likewise ; wherein is
found a certain spume or froth, that in time breedeth into certain shels, in shape like
those of the muskle, but sharper pointed and of a whitish colour, wherein is contained
a thing, in form like a lace of silk finely woven as it were together, of a whitish colour ;
one end whereof is fastened into the inside of the shel, even as the fish of oisters and
muskles are; the other end is made fast unto the belly of a rude masse or lumpe, which
in time commeth to the shape and form of a bird: when it is perfectly formed, the shel
gapeth open, and the first thing that appeareth is the foresaid lace or string ; next come
the legs of the bird hanging out, and as it groweth greater it openeth the shel by degrees,
till at length it is all come forth and hangeth only by the bill: in short space after it
commeth to full maturitie, and falleth into the sea, where it gathereth feathers, and

3A 2

724 THE TAME OR MUTE SWAN.

groweth to a fowle, bigger than a mallard and less than a goose.... For the truth hereof
if any doubt, may it please them to repaire unto me, and I shall satisfie them by the
testimonie of good witnesses.”

The Bernicle Goose generally assembles in large flocks and haunts large salt-marshes
near the coast, and feeds on grasses and various alge. It is a very wary bird and not
easily approached. The eggs of this species are large and white. The flesh is considered
good. The bill of the Bernicle Goose is black, with a reddish streak on each side. The
cheeks and throat are white, a black streak runs from the beak to the eye, the upper
parts are boldly marked with black and white, and the lower parts are white. It is
rather a small bird, the total length barely exceeding two feet.

There are many other species of Geese which visit our shores in more or less abun-
dance, among which may be mentioned the Egyptian Goose (Chenalopex Atgyptiaca), the
Brent Goose (Bernicla Brenta), the Red-breasted Goose (Lernicla ruficollis), the Canada
Goose (Bernicla Canadensis), the Pink-footed Goose (Anser brachyrhynchus), remarkable
for its pinky feet and short and narrow beak, the White-fronted Goose (Anser erythropus),
and the Chinese Goose (Anser eygnoides).

THE beautiful Swans now come before our notice. There are nine or ten species of
these fine birds, which are well represented in the British Isles, four species being
acknowledged as English birds.

Our most familiar species is the TAME or MuTE Sway, so called from its silent
habits. This elegant and graceful bird has long been partially domesticated throughout
England, and enjoys legal protection to a great extent; heavy penalties being proclaimed
against any one who kills a Swan without a legal right. The Swan is presumed to be a
royal bird, <e. the property of the Crown, and only to be possessed by a subject under a
special grant. To each licence thus granted was attached a “swan mark,” which was cut
on the upper mandible of the birds, in order to show the right of the owner. Swans of a
certain age, not marked, become Crown property, except In some instances where a grant
conveys the right to seize and keep any adult Swan which has not been marked. Such
birds are termed “clear-billed.” The “marks” are of endless variety, partly heraldic,
and contrived so as to pain the bird as little as possible. One of the most peculiar marks
is the double chevron employed by the Vintners’ Company, which has given rise to
the well-known sign of the Swan with two necks, ze. two nicks. The present royal mark
consists of five diamonds, with rounded angles, two cut longitudinally at the base of the
beak, and the other three transversely towards the tip. The mark granted to the
University of Oxford is a cross with equal arms, each arm being again crossed near
its extremity, and that of Cambridge is three buckles, one large, in the middle of the
beak, with the point towards the head, and the other two smaller at the tip, with their
tongues pointing in different directions.

The process of marking the Swans is termed Swan-upping, a name which has been
corrupted into Swan-hopping, and is conducted with much ceremony. The technical
term of the Swan-mark is cigninota. Swan-upping of the Thames takes place in the
month of August, the first Monday in the month being set aside for the purpose, when
the markers of the Crown and the Dyers’ and Vintners’ Companies take count of all
Swans in the river, and mark the clear-billed birds which have reached maturity. The
fishermen who protect the birds and aid them in nesting are entitled to a fee for each
young bird. The mark of the Dyers’ Company is a notch on one side of the beak.

The food of the Swan consists mostly of vegetable substances, and the bird can
be readily fattened on barley, like ordinary poultry. The young birds, called cygnets,
ought not to be killed after November, as they then lose their fat, and the flesh becomes
dark and tough. Sometimes the Swan will feed upon animal food, and has been seen to
catch and swallow small fish, such as bleak and roach. In the spawning season the Swan
is a terrible enemy to the fish, haunting all the spawning-grounds, and swallowing the
eggs till it can eat no longer. The Swan will find out the spawn as it hangs on
the submerged branches, and strip them of their valuable load. They will follow the
carp to their breeding-grounds, and swallow their eggs by the quart, and in many cases

BEWICK’S SWAN.—Cygrus minor. MUTE SWAN.—Cygnus oior.
WHISTLING SWAN.—Cygnus ferus.

they have almost entirely destroyed the fish which inhabited the pond or stream in which

they live.
A good idea of the damage done to anglers by the Swan may be formed from the forcible

though unrefined description given by one of the piscatorial fraternity, quoted in the

726 THE BLACK SWAN.

Field newspaper. “ There never was no manner of doubt about the dreadful mischief
the Swans do. They eats up the spawn of every kind of fish till they have filled
out their bags, and then on to shore they goes, to sleep off their tuck out, and then at it
again.” At such times the birds are so greedy after their feast that they can hardly
be driven away, and will often show fight rather than leave the spot.

The nest of the Swan is a very large mass of reeds, rushes, and grasses set upon the
bank, close to the water, in some sheltered spot. Generally the bird prefers the shore of
a little island as a resting-place for its nest. Like other water-birds, the Swan will raise
the nest by adding fresh material before the rising of the water near which it is placed.
There are generally six or seven eggs; large, and of a dull greenish white. The young
are of a light bluish grey colour, and do not assume the beautiful white plumage until
maturity. The mother is very watchful over her nest and young, and in company with
her mate assaults any intruder upon the premises. During the first period of their life
the young Swans mount on their mother’s back, and are thus carried from one place
to another. If in the water, the Swan is able to sink herself so low that the young can

scramble upon her back out of the water, and if on land she helps them up by means of
one leg.

The Hooper, ELK SwAN, or WHISTLING SWAN, may at once be distinguished from the
preceding species by the shape and colour of the beak, which is slender, without the black
tubercle, and is black at the tip and yellow at the base, the latter colour stretching
as far as the eye.

The name of Hooper is given to this bird because its cry resembles the word “hoop ”
very loudly uttered, and repeated many times successively. The bird arrives in England
in the winter, mostly coming over in little bands. At the Orkney Islands a few Hoopers
remain throughout the year, and large flocks make their appearance about October,
departing for the north in April. On the wing these birds generally fly in the form of a
wedge, and cry loudly as they go. The curious sound is produced by means of the
formation of the windpipe, which is very long, doubled upon itself, and traverses nearly
the entire length of the breastbone, which is hollowed to receive it. The length of wind-
pipe depends on-sex and age, the adult males exhibiting this curious structure in the
greatest perfection. In the Mute Swan the windpipe is short, and does not enter the
breastbone at all.

The nest of the Hooper is like that of the mute Swan, and the eggs are pale

brownish white. The length of the Hooper is about the same as that of the mute
species, ae. five feet.

BEWICK’s SWAN, another British species, resembles the hooper in many respects, but
may be distinguished from that bird by its smaller size, the large patch of orange at the
base of the beak, and the structure of the windpipe and breastbone, which are found in
the same place as those of the hooper, but with considerable modification. This is not
nearly so graceful a bird as either of the preceding species, sitting on the water more like
a goose than a Swan, and having been frequently mistaken for the wild goose, especially

when on the wing. When flying, they generally go ina line. The length of this bird is
only four feet.

_ANOTHER species, the PoLIsH or IMMUTABLE SWAN, is occasionally found in England.
This bird derives its name of immutable from the fact that the young are white like their
parents, and do not pass through the grey stage of plumage. It may be readily
distinguished by the orange colour, which covers almost the whole of the beak, and
the shape and position of the nostrils, which are entirely surrounded by the orange hue.
There is a slight tubercle at the base of the beak.

_ Howrver emblematical of ornithological fiction a Brack Swan might have been
In ancient times, it is now almost as familiar to English eyes as any of the white
species.

This fine bird comes from Australia, where it was first discovered in 1698. It is
a striking and handsome bird, the blood-red bill and the white primaries contrasting

BLACK SWAN.—Cygnus atratus.

beautifully with the deep black of the plumage. It is not so elegant in its movements as
the white Swan, and holds its neck stiffly, without the easy serpentine erace to which we
are so well accustomed in our British Swans. The young are not unlike those of the
white Swan, and are covered with a blackish grey down. Dr. Bennett mentions that in
the Australian Museum is preserved a white or albino specimen with pink eyes.

It is a very prolific bird, producing two and sometimes three broods in a season,
commencing to breed about October, and ceasing at the middle of January.’ The nest is
like that of the Swan, and the eggs are from five to eight in number, of a pale green,
washed with brown. ‘These birds are found in the southern district of Australia and
Jamaica, and are sometimes so abundant that Dr. Bennett recollects “a drove of Black
Swans being driven up George Street (Sydney) like a flock of geese.”

THE beautiful MANDARIN Duck is worthy of heading the true Ducks, for a more
magnificently clothed bird can hardly be found when the male is in health and in his
full nuptial plumage.

These bird are natives of China, and are held in such esteem that they can hardly be
obtained at any price, the natives having a singular dislike to seeing their birds pass into
the possession of Europeans. “A gentleman,” writes Dr. Bennett, “very recently wrote
from Sydney to China, requesting some of these birds to be sent to him. The reply was,
that from the present disturbed state of China, it would be easier to send him a pair of
mandarins than a pair of Mandarin Ducks.” This bird has the power of perching, and
it is a curious sight to watch them perched on the branches of trees overhanging the

MANDARIN DUCK, OR CHINESE TEAL.—Aiw galericulita,

pond in which they live, the male and female being always close together, the one
gorgeous in purple, green, white, and chestnut, and the other soberly apparelled in brown
and erey.

This handsome plumage of the male is lost during four months of the year, Ze. from
May to August, when the bird throws off his fine crest, his w ing-fans, all his brilliant
colours, and assumes a sober tinted dress resembling that of his mate. The Summer
Duck of America (Ax sponsa) bears a close resemb lance to the Mandarin Duck, both in
plumage and manners ; and at certain times of the year is hardly to be distinguished from
that bird. The Mandarin Duck has been successfully reared in the Zoological Gardens,
some being hatched under the parent bird, and others under a domestic hen, the latter
hatching the eges two days in advance of the former. The eggs are of a creamy brown
colour.

The crest of this beautiful Duck is varied green and purple upon the top of the head,
the long crest-like feathers being chestnut and green, From the eye to the beak the
colour is warm fawn, and a stripe from the eye to the back of the neck is soft cream,
The sides of the neck are clothed with long painted feathers of bright russet, and
the front of the neck and breast are rich shining purple. The curious wing-fans, that
stand erect like the wings of a butterfly, are chestnut, e dged with the deepes st ereen, and
the shoulders are banded with four stripes, two black and two white, The under surface
is white. The female is simply mottled brown, and the young are pretty little birds,

covered with downy plumage of a soft brown above, mottled with grey, and creamy white
below.

THE WIGEON 729

The SHIELDRAKES, of which there are two British species, namely, the common
Shieldrake (Tadorna vulpanser) and the Ruddy Shieldrake (Casarka rutila), are hand-
some birds, and remarkable for the singular construction of the windpipe, which is
expanded just at the junction of the two bronchial tubes into two very thin horny globes,
one being nearly twice the size of the other. They are sometimes called Burrow Ducks,
because they lay their eggs in rabbit-burrows made in sandy soil, and are often discovered
by the impression of their feet at the entrance of the holes. The nests are made of grass,
lined with down plucked from the breast of the parent, and the eggs are generally from
ten to twelve in number.

WIGEON.—Mareca Penélope.

THE well-known WIGEON is very plentiful in this country, arriving about the end of
September or the beginning of October, and assembling in large flocks.

These birds, although wary on. some occasions, are little afraid of the proximity of
man and his habitations, feeding boldly by day, instead’ of postponing their feeding-
time to the night, as is often the case with water-fowl. The food of the Wigeon mostly
consists of grass, which it eats after the fashion of the common goose. About March or
April the Wigeons leave us to pass to their northern breeding-places, although a few
pairs remain in the north of Scotland, and there breed their young. The nest of the
Wigeon is made of decayed reeds and rushes, and is lined with the soft down torn from
the parent’s body. The eggs are rather small and of a creamy white colour. The number
of eggs is from five to eight. The flesh of this bird is very delicate, and it is largely sold
in our markets.

The forehead and top of the head of the adult male are creamy white, and the cheeks
and back of the neck rich chocolate, and there is a dark green streak from the eye back-
wards. The back is greyish white pencilled with irregular lines of black, the wing-coverts
are white with black tips, the primaries are dark brown, the secondaries green on their
outer webs edged with black, and the outer webs of the tertials are black edged with
white. The chin and throat brownish black, the breast chestnut, the flanks white with
irregular black lines, the abdomen white, and under tail-coverts deep black. The tail is
long, pointed, and nearly black. The female is ruddy brown on the head and neck, with
dark specks, the back is brown, and the under surface white. The quill-feathers are of
the same tints as in the male. After the breeding season the male loses his bright apparel,
and is not unlike the female in the sobriety of his dress. The windpipe swells at its
junction into one large globular sac. The length of the Wigeon is about eighteen inches

730 THE MALLARD.

The Pinta Duck (Dafila acuta), so called on account of its long and sharply pointed
tail, is one of our winter visitors, arriving in October, and departing in the spring. The
male is a very handsome bird, its head and neck being rich dark brown, its back beautifully
pencilled with black on a grey ground, and the throat, breast, and abdomen snowy white,
and a line of the same hue running up the sides of the neck as far as the head. The
length of a male bird is about twenty-six inches, the female is shorter, because her tail-
feathers are not so well developed.

THE common MALLARD or WILD Duck now comes before our notice.

This is by no means one of the least handsome of its tribe, the rich glossy green of
the head and neck, the snowy-white collar, and the velvet black of the odd little curly
feathers of the tail, giving it a bold and striking appearance, which, but for its familiarity,
would receive greater admiration than it at present obtains. It is the stock from which
descended our well-known domestic Duck, to which we are so much indebted for its flesh
and its eggs.

In its wild state the Mallard arrives in this country about October, assembling in
large flocks, and is immediately persecuted in every way that the ingenuity of man can
devise. Sportsmen go out to shoot it, armed with huge guns that no man can hold to his
shoulder, and have to be mounted on gimbals in a boat, thus bringing down whole clouds
of birds at a discharge.

Nets and snares of various kinds are in great request, the principal of which is the
Decoy, a very complicated piece of apparatus, requiring several acres of water, shaped in
a peculiar manner, surrounded by reeds and bushes, and furnished with an elaborate
system of tunnels made of net strained over wooden arches, very large towards the mouth,
and tapering to a point at the extremity. Along these tunnels are set a number of reed
screens, so made that a person standing behind them is hidden from birds on the lake,
while he can be seen by those in the tunnel. Various methods are employed to induce
the Ducks to enter the mouth of the tunnels, scattered grain being a kind of bait,
and certain trained decoy Ducks acting as lures which beguile the wild birds to their
death.

As soon as a sufficient number of Ducks have entered a tunnel, the fowler, standing
behind the first screen, waves his hat so as to frighten the birds, and makes them swim
away from him, ze. along the tunnel. He then runs forwards, frightens them again, and
so drives them to the end, where they find their further progress impeded by the narrow
funnel-like termination, and their egress cut off by the structure of the net. The fowler
then takes off the pocket at the end of the tunnel, which is movable, kills the Ducks
quite at his leisure, replaces the pocket, and returns to his work. Generally, each decoy
has about six of these tunnels radiating from the centre, and the fowler is assisted by his
dog, which is trained to play about the tunnels in such a fashion that the Ducks become
inquisitive, and going to investigate the phenomenon, come upon the grain and the decoys,
and are lured to the deadly pocket. .A small piece of water about three or four acres in
extent is better for a decoy than a large expanse, as in the latter case the Mallards might
not see the dog or the decoy Ducks, Flat fenny soils afford the best localities for the
decoys.

The nest of the Mallard is made of grass lined and mixed with down, and is almost
always placed on the ground near water, and sheltered by reeds, osiers, or other aquatic
plants. Sometimes, however, the nest is placed in a more inland spot, and it now and
then happens that a Duck of more than usual eccentricity builds her nest in a tree at
some elevation from the ground, so that when her young are hatched, she is driven to
exert all her ingenuity in conveying them safely from their lofty cradle to the ground or
the water, Such a nest has been observed in an oak-tree twenty-five feet from the ground,
and at Heath Wood, near Chesterfield, one of these birds usurped possession of a deserted
crow’s nest in an oak-tree. Many similar instances are on record.

The eggs of the Mallard are numerous, but variable according to the individual which
lays them, some being far more prolific than others. The eggs are rather large and of a
greenish white colour.

MALLARD.—Anas boschas.

Like many other birds, the male Mallard or Drake lays aside his best clothes during
certain months of the year, and is then hardly to be distinguished from his mate. Mr.
Waterton has given an admirable description of the process. “About the 24th of May,
the breast and back of the Drake exhibit the first appearance of a change of colour. In
a few days after this, the curled feathers above the tail drop out, and grey feathers begin
to appear among the lovely green plumage which surrounds the eyes. Every succeeding
day now brings marks of rapid change. By the 23d of June scarcely one single green
feather is to be seen on the head and neck of the bird. By the 6th of July every feather
of the former brilliant plumage has disappeared, and the male has received a garb like
that of the female, though of a somewhat darker tint. In the early part of August this
new plumage begins to drop off gradually, and by the 10th of October the Drake will
appear again in all his rich magnificence of dress, than which scarcely anything throughout
the whole wide field of nature can be seen more lovely or better arranged to charm the
eye of man.”

The head and neck of the adult male Mallard are rich shining green, with a collar of
pure white at the lower part of the neck. The back is chestnut-brown deepening into
black on the upper tail-coverts. The four central tail-feathers are velvety black and curled
over as if with a barber's tongs, and the rest are ashen grey edged with white. The greater
wing-coverts have a bold white bar and are tipped with velvety black, and the wings are
beautifully coloured with shining purple, snowy white, and velvet-black. The upper part
of the breast is dark chestnut, and the remainder of the breast and the whole of the under
parts are greyish white, pencilled under the wings with dark grey lines. The total length
is about two feet. The female is rather less, and her whole plumage is brown of various
shades.

THE pretty little TEAL is the smallest and one of the most valuable of the British
Ducks, its flesh being peculiarly delicate and its numbers plentiful.

It arrives on our shores about September, coming over in large flocks, and remains
with us until the commencement of its breeding season. Some few birds, however, remain
in the British Isles throughout the year. Like other Ducks, it is found on lakes, ponds,

THAL—Querquédula Crecea

and in marshy places, choosing the last-mentioned localities for its home. The nest of
the Teal is made of a large heap of leaves, grasses, and sedges, lined with down and
feathers. The number of eggs is about eight or ten, and their colour is buffy white. The
Teal is caught in decoys together with the Mallard and other Ducks.

The colour of this little bird is rather complicated. The forehead and top of the head
are chestnut-brown, the sides of the face are dark shining green on the upper half, and
rich chestnut on the lower half. Above and below the eye run two narrow streaks of
buff, sharply dividing the green and the chestnut from each other. The chin is black, the
nape of the neck and back are grey-white covered with a multitude of narrow pencillings ;
the wings are brown, velvet-black and purple, with a bold white bar formed by the white
tips of the secondaries, and the tail is blackish brown. The breast is white tinged with
purple, and covered with circular black spots, and the abdomen is white. In total length
the Teal is not quite fifteen inches. The female is almost wholly brown.

Another species of the same genus, the BrimAcULATED Duck (Querquedula bimaculata),
is found in England, as is a closely allied species, the GARGANEY or SUMMER TEAL
(Pterocyanea circia).

THE curious SHOVELLER DucK may be at once known by the form of the beak, which
is much widened on each side near the tip, and bears some resemblance to the beak of the
Spoonbill.

The Shoveller is a winter visitant of this country, and, as is often the case with others
of its tribe, a few pairs remain in the British Isles throughout the year. It is found on
lakes, ponds, and on marshy grounds, feeding upon wornis, insects, and various vegetable
substances. Snails and the small fry of fishes have been found in the stomach of the
Shoveller Duck. The flesh of this bird is singularly good, and is thought by some
practical judges to equal that of the far-famed canvas-backed Duck.

The nest of the Shoveller is placed near water, but on some dry spot, and is made of
long slender grass-blades covered with down. The average number of eggs in each nest
is eight or nine, and their colour is cream-white with a wash of green. ‘The young do not
possess the curiously dilated beak.

The head and upper part of the neck of the adult male are rich green, and the lower
part of the neck white, this tint extending to the scapularies, and some of the tertials.
The back is brown, the tip of the wing, the lesser wing-coverts, and part of the tertials
are pale blue, the primaries being blackish brown. The upper tail-coverts and tail are

SHOVELLER DUCK.—Spatula clypedta.

black, and the breast and abdomeu are chestnut-brown. ‘The female is brown of various
tones above, and pale brown below. The total length of the bird is about twenty inches.

Before taking leave of the Anatinz, or true Ducks, we must cast a casual glance at the
GADWALL (Chaulelasmus strepera), a noisy and soberly plumaged species, which by right
belongs to North America, but sometimes comes over and visits the British Islands. The
well-known Muscovey or Musk Duck also belongs to this sub-family.

WE now arrive at another sub-family of Ducks, termed Fuliguline, of which we have
many representatives in England.

The PocHArD DuN-BIRD or REDHEADED POKER is one of our winter visitors, appear-
ing, as is usual with such birds, in October and departing in the spring. It is a wary and
timid bird, and being an excellent diver is often able to escape from the decoys by
submerging itself at the first alarm, and making its way under water to the mouth of the
tunnel. It is, however, possessed of little presence of mind, and according to Montagu
can be taken plentifully by a very rude kind of process.

“Poles were erected at the avenues to the decoys, and after a great number of these
birds had collected for some time on the pond to which the wild fowl resort only by day,
and go to the neighbouring fens to feed by night, a net was at a given time erected by
pulleys to these poles, beneath which a deep pit had previously been dug ; and as these
birds, like the woodcocks, go to feed just as it is dark, and are said to always rise against
the wind, a whole flock was sometimes taken in this manner. For if once they strike
against the net they never attempt to return, but flutter down the net until they are
received into the pit, whence they cannot rise, and thus we are told twenty dozen have
been taken at one catch.”

The voice of the Pochard is a kind of harsh croaking sound when the bird is alarmed,
but at other times is alow whistle. The bird swims rather deep in the water, and though
it dives well, is a bad and awkward walker.

The nest of the Pochard is placed upon the edges of lakes and ponds, and is protected
by the sedges, rushes, or similar coarse vegetation. The eggs are ten or twelve in number,
and their colour is buffy white.

In the adult male the head and upper part of the neck are chestnut-red, and the lower
part of the neck deep velvet-black. The back is grey profusely sprinkled with a darker
tint. The secondaries are tipped with white, the remaining quill-feathers are dark grey,
some of them being tipped with brown. The tail is greyish brown, The breast and

POCHARD.—Nyréca ferina.

abdomen are white finely pencilled with grey, and the under tail-coverts are black. The
bill is black at the point and base, and pale blue in the middle. The female is without
the deep black of the lower neck. The total length of this bird is about twenty inches.

Several curious species of Duck are closely allied to the Pochard, among which may
be noticed the Turrep Duck (Fuligula cristata), the Scaupe Duck (Fuligula marila), both
British birds, and the celebrated CANVAS-BACK Duck of America (Fuligula Vallisneria).
The GOLDEN-EYE Dock (Clangula glaucion), the curiously mottled HarLEquin Duck
(Clangula histrionica), and the light and active Sprrir Duck, or BUFFEL-HEADED Duck
(Clangula albeola), ave also allied, as is the Lonc-ratLeD Duck (Harelda glacialis), all of
which are found in England.

In the southern parts of England the Emrr Duck is only a winter visitant, but
remains throughout the year in the more northern portions of our island, and in the north
of Scotland.

This bird is widely celebrated on account of the exquisitely soft and bright down
which the parent plucks from its breast and lays over the eggs during the process of
incubation. Taking these nests is with some a regular business, not devoid of risk on
account of the precipitous localities in which the Eider Duck often breeds. The nest is
made of fine seaweeds, and after the mother-bird has laid her complement of eggs she
covers them with the soft down, adding to the heap daily until she completely hides them
from view.

The plan usually adopted is to remove both eggs and down, when the female lays
another set of eggs and covers them with fresh down. These are again taken, and then
the male is obliged to give his help by taking down from his own breast, and supplying
the place of that which was stolen. The down of the male bird is pale coloured, and
as soon as it is seen in the nest, the eggs and down are left untouched in order to keep up
the breed. Mr. Yarrell mentions that on one of the northern coasts of England, the
Eiders had been nearly exterminated by foolish persons, who robbed the nests, and sold
the eggs for consumption. A gentleman, however, who was employed in building a light-
house on the rocks prohibited any such robberies while he was in authority, and in
consequence of his judicious management the Eiders became plentiful again,

The Eider is a shy retiring bird, placing its nest on islands and rocks projecting well
into the sea. It is an admirable diver, its legs being set very far back, and obtains much
of its food by gathering it under water. The same structure, however, which gives the

EIDER DUCK,.—Somatéria mollissima.

bird its facility in diving, renders it a bad and awkward walker. The number of eggs
laid by the Eider is five or six, and their colour is pale green. There are generally two
broods in the year. *

In the male bird the top of the head is velvety black, and the cheeks are white. The
ear-coverts and back of the head are pale green. The back is white, the primaries and
secondaries dull black, and the tertials white, long, and drooping, having a very striking
effect as they hang over the dark wings. The neck and upper parts of the breast are
white, the lower parts of the neck pale buff, and the breast and abdomen black, relieved
by a patch of white on the flanks. The bill and legs are green. The female is reddish
brown, mottled with darker brown. The total length of this bird rather exceeds two feet.

An allied species, the Kina Duck (Somateria spectabilis), is sometimes found in
England, though it is a rare bird. It is about the size of the eider, and is notable for its
black and white body, and the light red beak and legs.

The RaceHorsE, or STEAMER Duck (Micropterus brachypterus), is a very remarkable
species, having very short wings, so that it cannot fly, and legs so formed that it scuds
over and drives through the water with amazing speed. While passing over the surface
it sends the water flying behind it like a paddle-steamer, and has thereby earned its name.
It is a very large species, forty inches in length, and its colour is leaden grey above, and
white below. It is found in the Falkland Islands and Patagonia.

Want of space compels us to omit the Scorer Ducks (Ozdemia), and to pass at once
to the next sub-family, represented by two species.

The GOOsANDER is one of our winter visitors, making its appearance about November,
and departing in March. Some few birds, however, remain throughout the year. It is
generally to be found on the northern coasts, where it may be observed diving after fish
with great address, and bringing them to the surface in its long, slender, deeply notched
beak, which is so plentifully provided with so-called teeth, that the bird in some places
goes by the name of Jacksaw.

GOOSANDER.—Mergus Castor. SMEW.—Mergellus alvellus.

The nest of this species is placed near water, under the shelter of long grass or the
hollow of a decayed tree, and is made of grasses and roots, and lined with down, The
eges are generally six or seven in number, and their colour is very pale buff. In Lapland
the eggs are regularly taken by the natives, who always leave a few in order to keep up
the breed.

The Goosander is a handsome bird; the head and upper parts of the neck are deep
shining green, with a sort of tuft on the back of the neck. The back is black, fading to
dark grey near the tail. The wing-coverts are white, as is the front of the wing, the
primaries being black. The lower part of the neck, breast, and abdomen are soft warm
buff, the bill is scarlet, and the legs reddish orange. In the female the head and neck
are reddish brown, and the back grey. The length of the bird rather exceeds two feet.

THE pretty little SMEW is another of our winter visitors, and is a very common bird,
being found not only upon the seashore, but frequenting inland lakes and ponds.

It is rather a shy bird, and not very easily approached, especially as it is a swift and
active diver, vanishing below the surface at the least alarm, and emerging at some distance.

GREAT NORTHERN DIVER.—Colymbus glacidlis.

It flies well, but, like most diving birds, walks badly. The food of the Smew consists of
fish, small crustaceans, molluses, and insects, which it obtains under the surface as easily
as above it. The eggs of this species are warm buff in colour, and they are generally
eight or ten im number.

The head, chin, and neck of the adult male are white. At the base of the bill at each
side there is a black patch which surrounds the eye, and over the back of the head runs
a green streak forming a kind of crest with some white elongated feathers. The back is
black, and the tail grey, the wings are black and white, and the under surface pure white,
pencilled with grey on the flanks. The female has her plumage mostly reddish brown
and grey. The length of the Smew is about seventeen inches, the female being three
inches shorter.

ANOTHER species of the same genus is occasionally found in England, the HoopED
MeERGANSER (Mergus cuculldtus), remarkable for the pure white crest on the jetty black
head. It is a most active bird on the wing and in the water, diving with wonderful
rapidity, and is apt to rise suddenly in the air, and shoot off as if fired from a gun.

The RED-BREASTED MERGANSER (Mergus serrator) is not an uncommon species, and
sometimes comes far southwards, having been killed on the Thames, and even in
Devonshire. It is popularly known by the title of Sawbill.

WE now come to the family of Colymbide, or Divers, several examples of which are
British birds. :

The GREAT NORTHERN DIvER is common on the northern coasts of the British Islands,
where it may be seen pursuing its arrowy course through and over the water, occasionally
, 3B

738 THE GREAT NORTHERN DIVER.

dashing through the air on strong pinions, but very seldom taking to the shore, where it
is quite at a disadvantage.

Perhaps there is no bird which excels the Northern Diver in its subaqueous powers,
although the penguins and cormorants are equally notable in that respect. Its broad
webbed feet are set so very far back that the bird cannot walk properly, but tumbles and
scrambles along much after the fashion of a seal, pushing itself with its feet, and scraping
its breast on the ground. In the water, however, it is quite at its ease, and, like the seal,
no sooner reaches the familiar element, than it dives away at full speed, twisting and
turning under the surface as if in the exuberance of happy spirits. So swiftly can it
glide through the water that it can chase and capture the agile fish in their own element,
thus exhibiting another curious link in the interchanging capacities of various beings; the
bats, for example, surpassing many birds in airy flight, the cursorial birds running faster
than most quadrupeds, the seals and others equalling the fish in their own watery domain,
and some of the fish, again, being able to pass for a considerable distance through
the air.

To shoot this bird is a matter of no ordinary difficulty, and is best achieved by the
gunner concealing himself behind rocks near the water's edge, where the bird will often
come near enough for an effectual shot. As to fair chase, the capture of the Diver is
impossible, and to shoot it almost impracticable. Sir W. Jardine mentions that he chased
a Northern Diver for a considerable time in the Frith of Forth, and though rowed by four
strong men, he could not get near the active bird. The Rev. J. C. Atkinson corroborates
this and other similar narratives. “I have myself pursued the Great Northern Diver
(which was shot through the neck at the first discharge, and seriously weakened by the
wound, and the consequent loss of blood) for a lengthened space of time; and though I
was assisted by a friend, armed like myself with a heavy flight gun, the bird dived so
quickly, and re-emerged at such a distance from the point of his disappearance, that it
was not until after we had fired twelve or fifteen shots at him, that we were able at last
to take him at such a disadvantage as to disable him for further exertion.”

Like many other diving birds, it is able to sink itself in the water, the head disappearing
after the body and neck. Young birds are more frequently found on our coasts than the
adult. The eggs of the Northern Diver are generally two in number, and of a dark
olive-brown, spotted sparingly with brown of another tone. They are laid upon the bare
ground, or on a rude nest of flattened herbage near water, and the mother-bird does not
sit, but lies flat on the eggs. If disturbed, she scrambles into the water and dives away,
cautiously keeping herself out of gunshot, and waiting until the danger is past. Should
she be driven to fight, her long beak is a dangerous weapon, and is darted at the foe with
great force and rapidity.

The head of the adult Northern Diver is black, glossed with green and purple, and
the cheeks and back of the neck are black without the green gloss. The back is black,
variegated with short white streaks, lengthening towards the breast, and the neck and
upper part of the breast are white spotted with black, and cinctured with two collars of
deep black. The breast and abdomen are white. The total length of the bird is not
quite three feet. The immature bird is greyish black above, each feather being edged
with a lighter hue, and the under parts of the body are dull white. In some places this
bird is called the Loon.

Two other species of Divers belong to the British Islands; namely, the BLAcK-
THROATED DIveER (Colymbus arcticus), notable for the bold alternate bars of black and
white which decorate the back and tertials, and the RED-THROATED DIVER (Colymbus
septentrionalis), known by its smaller size and the red throat. On account of the havoc
which this Diver makes among the shoals of sprats, it is sometimes termed the
Sprat Loon.

THE sub-family of the Grebes is represented in England by several well-known species.
All these birds may be readily distinguished by the peculiar form of the foot, in which
each toe is furnished with a flattened web, the whole foot looking something like a horse-
chestnut leaf with three lobes.

GREAT CRESTED GREBE:—Péddiceps cristdtus. EARED GREBE.—Pédiceps auritus.

The GREAT CrESTED GREBE is the largest of these birds, and is found throughout the
year in several parts of England, preferring the lakes and the fenny districts. Like the
divers, the Grebes are very bad walkers, but wonderfully active in the water, and tolerably
good fliers. They very seldom attempt to walk, and when sitting they bend their legs
under them, and assume a very upright attitude. The Crested Grebe swims low in the
water, and dives with great facility, chasing and capturing fish, on which it chiefly feeds.
It is a rather curious fact that all these birds have a habit of swallowing feathers,
apparently plucked from their own breasts.

On account of the great activity of the bird, Grebe-shooting from a boat is a favourite
amusement on the Lake of Geneva, the odds being fearfully against the bird—boats, guns,
and telescopes being all employed and all needed. Moreover, unless the boatmen are
very skilful, well acquainted with the habits of the bird, and know exactly in which
direction to row when the Grebe dives, the great activity and remarkable endurance of
the bird will certainly secure its safe retreat.

The nest of the Great Crested Grebe is made of decaying vegetation, and is placed so
close to the water that it is seldom dry, the bird feeling no discomfort ina wet bed. There
are generally three or four white eggs, and the young are very pretty little birds, covered
with soft downy plumage, and boldly striped with grey and black from beak to tail.

In the adult Crested Grebe the top of the head is dark brown, the cheeks white, and
the curious tippet reddish chestnut, darkening round the edge. The back of the neck and
upper surface is dark brown, the secondaries are white, and the whole under surface is
white, with a peculiar satiny lustre. The flanks are fawn, and the legs and toes dark
green on their outer surfaces, changing to yellow on the inner. The crest is small in

3B 2

740 THE DABCHICK.

yearling birds, and does not attain its full dimensions until the third year. The length of
this species is about twenty-two inches.

The EARED GREBE is the rarest of the British species, and derives its name from a tuft
of rich golden feathers which arise behind the eye of the adult bird. It is not nearly so
large as the preceding species, being only one foot in length, and it may be distinguished
from a young crested Grebe by the slight upward curve of the bill, and the absence of
rusty red feathers between the eye and base of the beak. The food of this bird consists
of small fish, molluscs, aquatic insects, and some water-plants. The nest is made among
thick herbage, and the eggs are creamy white, and three or four in number.

The head and neck of the Eared Grebe are black, and the back very dark brown. A
triangular patch of bright warm chestnut feathers is placed behind the eye, and the
secondaries are white. The under surface of the body is silken white, deepening to
chestnut on the flanks, and the legs are green.

ANOTHER very fine British species is the SCLAVONIAN or HORNED GREBE (Podiceps
cornutus), remarkable for its splendid ruff of dark brown feathers. This bird has been
seen to carry its young upon its back, and to dive with them when alarmed.

THE well-known Das-
CHICK, or LITTLE GREBE, is
the smallest and commonest
of the British species, being
found in most rivers, lakes,
or large ponds, where the
weeds and rushes afford it a
concealment, and a founda-
tion for its nest.

It is a pretty little bird,
quick and alert in its move-
ments, and, like the rest of
the Grebes, has a great love
for water, and an invincible
antipathy to land. When
alarmed it dives so instan-
taneously that the eye can
hardly follow its movements,
and if at the moment of its
emergence it perceives itself
still in danger it again dives,
not having been on the sur-
face for a single second of
time. Like many other
aquatic birds, it can sink it-

DABCHICK,—Pédiceps minor. self in the water slowly, and
often does so when uneasy,
rising again if relieved from
its anxiety, or disappearing
as if jerked under the surface

from below. I have often seen them in a little pond only a few yards across, thus
diving and popping up again with almost ludicrous rapidity.

This bird can fly moderately well, and can rise from the water without difficulty, when
it will circle about the spot whence it rose, and keep some five or six feet above the
surface, uttering the while its curious rattling ery.

The nest of this bird is made of water-weeds, and is placed among the rank aquatic
herbage. It is scarcely raised above the surface, and is mostly wet. The eggs are
five or six in number, and their normal colour is white, though they soon become stained
with the decaying vegetable matter on which they rest, and before hatching are of a

THE GREAT AUK. 741

muddy brown hue. The mother-bird always covers her eggs with leaves and aquatic alge
before leaving them. The bird has a curious habit of building a kind of supplementary
nest, in which it sits until it has completed the structure in which the eggs are to be laid.
The young soon take to the water, and are, on their first introduction to the waves, nearly
as adroit as their parents.

The food of the Dabchick consists of insects, molluscs, little fish, and the smaller
crustaceans.

In its summer plumage the
head, neck, and upper portions of
the body are dark brown, except
the secondaries, which are white.
The sides of the face are warm
chestnut, and the under surface
is greyish white. In the winter
the upper part of the body is
chocolate-brown, and some of the
primaries are white, the chin is
white, the front of the neck ashen
brown, and the under surface
greyish white. The total length
of the Dabchick rather exceeds
nine inches.

THE sub-family of the Alcinz
or Auks has several British re-
presentatives, among which the
GREAT AUK is the rarest.

This bird, formerly to be found
inseveral parts of Northern Europe,
in Labrador, and very rarely in
the British Isles, has not been
observed for many years, and is
thought to be as completely ex-
tinct as the Dodo. Almost. the
last living specimens known were
seen in the Orkneys, and were
quite familiar to the inhabitants
under the name of the King and
Queen of the Auks. So agile is (or
was) this bird in the water, that
Mr. Bullock chased the male for
several hours without being able
to get within gunshot, although
he was in a boat manned by six
rowers. After his departure the
bird was shot and sent to the
British Museum. The female had
been killed just before his arrival.

The egg of this bird is laid close to the water’s edge, and is a very large one, marked
after a rather curious fashion, hereafter to be described.

One of these birds was caught by a hook, and the story is told by Audubon.
“Mr. Henry Havell, brother of my engraver, when on his passage from New York to
England, hooked a Great Auk on the banks of Newfoundland in extremely boisterous
weather. On being hauled on board it was left at liberty on the deck. It walked very
awkwardly, often tumbling over, bit every one within reach of its powerful bill, and
refused food of all kinds. After continuing several days on board, it was restored to its

GREAT AUK.—Alca impennis.

742 EGG OF THE GREAT AUK.

proper element.” ‘According to the same writer, the Great Auk is said to have been
tolerably plentiful near Newfoundland and about Nahant.

According to Mr. Lloyd, this bird formerly frequented certain parts of Iceland, a
certain locality called the Auk-Skar being celebrated for the number of Auks which
nested upon it. The Skar, however, is so difficult of approach on account of the heavy
surf which beats upon it, that few persons have the daring to land. In 1813 a number of
Auks were taken from the Skar, and, horrible to relate, they were all eaten except one.

For more recent accounts of this bird I am indebted to the kindness of Mr.
R. Champley, who has brought together a large mass of information on the subject, and
most liberally furnished me with many valuable notes. The following passages are
portions of letters addressed to Mr. Champley by recent travellers.

Sir L. M‘Clintock, of the celebrated little vessel Fox, writes as follows :—“The Great
Auk has not been met with by any of the modern arctic expeditions. I was told
in South,Greenland, twenty-five years ago, that a young specimen was obtained, but am not
certain of the fact. The resident Europeans are quite aware of the value attached by
naturalists to the bird, so have kept a sharp look-out for it.” The same correspondent
again writes :—“Nothing has come to my knowledge respecting the Great Auk during
my late voyage to Iceland, Greenland, and Labrador.”

Dr. Rae writes as follows :—“TI regret I have little or no information to give you about
Alca Impennis, although I questioned many persons in Iceland about this rare, if not
extinct bird. An ineffectual search was made for them some time ago on an island N.W.
of Iceland, where they had previously been not uncommon.” Captain Allan Young, R.N.,
of the Hox, writes :—“ To my own knowledge, we never saw the Great Auk, nor has the
bird been seen for many years on the south coast of Greenland.”

Mr. Proctor, curator of the Durham Museum, writes :—“ One bird was bought, 1834,
by the Rev. IL Gisborne, for 82 I was in Iceland in 1833, and made every inquiry and
sought for it, but never saw a single bird. I went to the northern parts of Iceland in
1837 in search of it again, and travelled through the northern parts, and as far as
Gremsey, Iceland—a small island forty miles north of the main land—but could not meet
with it. I have never seen the bird alive, neither have I ever had the eggs.”

Mr. David Graham mentions, that in 1846 he met a fisherman in Iceland who had two
Auks and two eggs which he offered for 202, an offer which was refused, to the writer's
great subsequent regret. The two birds were sent to Copenhagen and the eggs were
broken. In 1821 Mr, Maclellan, of Scalpay, obtained a Great Auk alive, but allowed it
to escape after a while. Another specimen was taken by Mr. Adams, of Lewis, Hebrides,
which had been caught in a net. Nicholson says that in 1804, at the mouth of the
Bull River, in Greenland, the Great Auks were caught in great numbers, and served as
sustenance to the inhabitants through the months of February and March; their down
being made into outer garments. In 1858 Messrs. J. Wolley and Alfred Newton went to
Iceland, but were unable to land on the Auk-Skiir, or even see a bird. They obtained
bones from the inhabitants.

Owing to the extreme value attached to this bird and its eggs, and the high price
which it brings in the market, ingenious attempts have been made to forge copies of the
eges. Not many years ago, several apparently genuine Auk’s eggs were offered at a low
price, but turned out to be nothing more than forgeries admirably manufactured, and
really valuable as copies of the true egg. I am acquainted with the names of the persons
connected with this imposition, but need not mention them.

Mr. Champley has lately made a tour through Europe, and collected evidence of every
bird and genuine egg in existence, and has kindly forwarded to me a copy of his list. It
is too long to be transcribed at leneth, but may be condensed as follows :—

Altogether, thirty-four birds and forty-two eges are known, which are distributed as
follows :—England possesses fourteen birds and twenty-four eggs. The British Museum
has two eggs and two birds; and very few collections, either private or public, can boast
of both egg and bird. Sir W. Milner has one of each, and so have Mr. J. Hancock and
Mr. Troughton. Mr. Champley’s collection is, however, the most valuable, as it includes
one bird and four eggs. A photograph of his bird and an egg is now before me,

THE PUFFIN. 743

America has two eggs, both in Philadelphia; France has three birds and six eggs ;
Germany and Prussia have six birds and six eges; Austria has two birds; Switzerland
one bird, and Italy three birds; Russia one bird ; Denmark two birds and two eggs, and
Holland two of each. It is worthy of notice, that in England two birds and one egg are
changing hands, and in Germany the same may be said of one bird and two eggs.

The eggs are variable in size, and colour, and markings, some being of a silvery white
and others of a yellowish white ground; and the spots and streaks are greatly different
in colour and form, some being yellowish brown and purple, others purple and black, and
others intense blue and green.
The dimensions and weight of
Mr. Champley’s eggs are as fol-
lows :—First egg, five inches long,
two inches ten and a half lines
wide, weight thirty-one scruples
ten grains; second ege, four inches
ten and a half lines long, two
inches eleven and a half lines
wide, weight forty-one scruples
nine grains; third egg, four inches
seven lines long, three inches one
line wide, weight forty scruples
nine grains ; fourth egg, five inches
one line long, three inches wide,
weight thirty-eight scruples fif-
teen grains.

The upper surface of this bird
is black, except a patch of pure
white round and in front of the
eye, and the ends of the secon-
daries, which are white. The
whole of the under surface is
white, and in winter the chin and
throat are also white. The young
are mottled with black and white.
The total length of the bird is
thirty-two inches.

ANOTHER species of the same
genus, the Razor-Brnt (Alcea
torda), is tolerably common in the
Arctic seas, and is occasionally
found in Great Britain. A young
bird was obtained from a rock in
the Isle of Wight. The eggs of
this species are singularly variable.
Mr. Champley informs me that
he possesses five hundred distinct PURFIN.<ratereula Grotioa:
specimens,

THE odd little Purrin, so
common on our coasts, is remarkable for the singular shape, enormous size, and light
colours of its beak, which really looks as if it had been originally made for some
much larger bird. Owing to the dimensions of the beak it is often called the Sra-
PARROT, or the COULTERNEB.

The Puffin can fly rapidly and walk tolerably, but it dives and swims supremely well,
chasing fish in the water, and often bringing out a whole row of sprats at a time ranged

744 THE KING PENGUIN,

along the side of its bill, all the ‘heads being within the mouth and all the tails dangling
outside. It breeds upon the rocks and in the rabbit-warrens near the sea, finding the
ready-made burrows of the rabbit very convenient for the reception of its eggs, and
fighting with the owner for possession of the burrow. Where rabbits do not exist, the
Puftin digs ts own burrow, and works hard-at its labour. The egg is generally placed
several feet within the holes, and the parents defend it vigorously. Even the raven
makes little of an attack, for the Puffin gripes his foe as he best can, and tries to tumble
into the sea, where the raven is soon drowned, and the little champion returns home in
triumph. The egg is white, but
soon becomes stained by the earth.
The food of this bird consists of
fish, crustaceans, and insects.

The top of the head, the back,
and a ring round the neck are
black, and the cheeks and under
surfaces are white. The beak is
curiously striped with orange
upon bluish grey, and the legs
and toes are orange. The length
of this bird is about one foot.

NX

THE Penguins form a very re-
markable sub-family, all its mem-
bers having their wings modified
into paddles, useless for flight,
but capable of being employed as
fore-legs in terrestrial progression
when the bird is in a hurry, and
probably as oars or paddles in the
water. There are many species
of Penguins, but as they are very
similar in general habits, we must
be content with a single example.

The Kine PENGUIN is a native
of high southern latitudes, and is
very plentiful in the spots which
it frequents. It swims and dives
wonderfully well, and feeds largely
on cuttle-fish. Dr. Bennett has
given an admirable description of
this bird and its habits, as it ap-
peared on Macquarrie’s Island in
the South Pacific Ocean.

“The number of Penguins
collected together in this spot is
immense, but it would be almost

KING PENGUIN.—<Aplenodiytes Pennantii impossible to guess at it with any
near approach to truth, as during
the whole of the day and night
thirty or forty thousand of them

are continually landing, and an equal number going to sea. They are arranged, when on
shore, in as compact a manner and in as regular ranks as a regiment of soldiers, and are
classed with the greatest order, the young birds being in one situation, the moulting
birds in another, the sitting hens in a third, the clean birds in a fourth, &c.; and so
strictly do birds in similar condition congregate, that should a bird that is in moulting
intrude itself among those which are clean, it is immediately ejected from among them.

THE GUILLEMOT. 745

The females hatch their eggs by keeping them close between their thighs; and if
approached during the time of incubation, move away, carrying their eggs with them. At
this time the male bird goes to sea and collects food for the female, which becomes very
fat. After the young is hatched, both parents go to sea and bring back food for it: it
soon becomes so fat as scarcely to be able to walk, the old birds getting very thin. They
sit quite upright in their roosting-places and walk in the erect position until they arrive
at the beach, when they throw themselves on their breasts in order to encounter the very
heavy sea met with at their landing-places.”

There is only a single egg, and its colour is greyish white. The young are covered
with puffy grey wool. As the bird walks or rather shuftles along, the body gives a half
turn at every step and the feet cross each other. When, however; the Penguin is hurried,
it throws itself on its breast, uses its wings as fore-feet, and runs so quickly that it might
be mistaken for a quadruped by any one who was not accustomed to the bird and its
habits. Captain Fitzroy gives an amusing account of the manner in which the Penguins
feed their young. “The old bird gets on a little eminence and makes a great noise
between quacking and braying, holding its head up in the air as if it were haranguing
the penguinnery, while the young one stands close to it, but a little lower. The old bird,
having continued its chatter for about a minute, puts its head down and opens its mouth
widely, into which the young one thrusts its head and then appears to suck from the
throat of its mother for a minute or two, after which the chatter is again repeated and the
young one is again fed. This continues for about ten minutes.”

The colouring of the King Penguin is as follows: The upper part of the head and the
throat are black, round which runs a broad band of light golden yellow, becoming
narrower as it passes to the middle of the throat, and then taking a turn to each side
until it is lost in the silvery white of the under surface. The back is dark bluish grey,
and the under surface pure silvery white, the feathers being extremely thick and set upon
each other after a peculiar fashion that preserves the bird from cold and wet. During
life, the base of the under mandible is rich warm purple and the rest of the beak is black.
The front of the throat is in some request on account of its bright colouring, and is
occasionally made into waistcoats and slippers. The total length of the King Penguin is
about three feet, so that it is a really large bird, the tail being almost absent and
consequently adding little to the measurement.

There are many species of Penguins, among which the CrestED PENGUIN (Hidypes
chrysocoma) is perhaps the handsomest, its bright golden crest, which can be erected at
pleasure, giving it a very conspicuous appearance. It is also a Patagonian species. The
Penguins are very noisy birds, and the loud chorus of their voices can be heard at a great
distance. Indeed, there are several instances known where the nocturnal cries of these
and other sea birds have warned sailors of the rocks on which they were heedlessly
rushing.

THE common GUILLEMOT is an example of the next sub-family.

This bird is found plentifully on our coasts throughout the year, and may be seen
swimming and diving with a skill little inferior to that of the divers. It can, however,
use its legs and wings tolerably well, and is said to convey its young from the rocks on
which it is hatched, by taking it on the back and flying down to the water.

Mr. Yarrell remarks, that “about the middle of May, the common Guillemot, with
many other species of birds, frequenting rocks at that season, converge to particular
points, where, from the numbers that congregate and the bustle apparent among them,
confusion of interests and localities might be expected; but on the contrary, it will be
found that the Guillemots occupy one station or line of ledges upon the rock ; the razor-
bills another, the puffins a third, the kittiwake gulls a fourth ; while the most inaccessible
pinnacles seem to be left for the use of the lesser black-backed and the herring gulls.
Two distinct species scarcely ever breed by the side of each other.”

The Guillemot lays one egg, singularly variable in colour. I possess several eggs, all
unlike, and Mr. Champley has five hundred, no two of which are similar, the ground
colouring being of every shade from pure white to intense red, and from pale stone-colour

746 THE STORMY PETREL.

to light and dark green. The shape of the egg is very like that of a jargonelle pear, and
the general colour is bluish green with spots, splashes, and streaks of reddish brown and
black. The eggs are obtained by men who are let down by ropes over the precipices,
and gather up their spoil from the narrow ledges on which they are placed. So narrow,
indeed, are some of the ledges, that the egg seems lable to be blown over the edge with
every breeze.

The head and upper surface of this bird,
with the exception of the white tips to the
secondaries, are dull black, and the under
surface is pure white. The bill is black, and
the legs and toes dark brown. The leneth of
the adult bird is about eighteen inches.

There are several other British species
belonging to this sub-family, among which
may be mentioned the BLAcK GUILLEMOT
(Uria gryllé), known by its smaller size and
its black plumage with a large white patch
on the wing. The LirrTLe AUK, or ROTCHE
(Arctica allé), so well known in northern
seas, also belongs to the same group.

THE curious family of the Petrels now
comes before us. A well-known British
example is the Stormy PETREL, known to
sailors as the MorHEer CAREY'S CHICKEN,
and hated by them after a most illogical
manner because it foretells an approaching
storm, and therefore by a curious process of
reasoning is taken for its cause. A sailor
once told me very frankly, after I had held a
short argument with him, that “they mostly
takes things wrong-side forrards,” and so it is
with the Stormy Petrel, the pilot-fish, and
many other creatures.

This bird has long been celebrated for
the manner in which it passes over the
waves, pattering with its webbed feet and
flapping its wings so as to keep itself just
above the surface. It thus traverses the
ocean with wonderful ease, the billows rolling
beneath its feet and passing away under the

GUILLEMOT. —'Uria Troilé. bird without in the least disturbing it. It is
mostly on the move in windy weather, be-
cause the marine creatures are flung to the
surface by the chopping waves and can be

easily picked up as the bird pursues its course. It feeds on the little fish, crustaceans, and
molluses which are found in abundance on the surface of the sea, especially on the
floating masses of algze, and will for days keep pace with a ship for the sake of picking
up the refuse food thrown overboard. Indeed, to throw the garbage of fish into the sea
is a tolerably certain method of attracting these birds, who are sharp-sighted and seldom
fail to perceive anything eatable. It is believed that the Petrel does not dive. The
word Petrel is given to the bird on account of its powers of walking on the water, as is
related of St. Peter.

It does not frequent land except during the breeding-season, and can repose on
the surface of the ocean, settling itself just at the mean level of the waves, and rising
and falling quietly with the swell. This Petrel breeds on our northern coasts, laying

.

STORMY PETREL.—Thalassidroma peldgica.

a white egg in some convenient recess, a rabbit-burrow being often employed for the
purpose.

Mr. Reid, of Kirkwell, Orkneys, has kindly given the following short but graphic
description of these birds while breeding. “They land in our islets every breeding-season.
I have had them handed to me alive, frequently together with their eggs, and stinking
little things they were, as bad I suppose as the fulmar.”

This bird possesses a singular amount of oil, and has the power of throwing it from
the mouth when terrified. It is said that this oil, which is very pure, is collected largely
in St. Kilda by catching the bird on its egg, where it sits very closely, and making it
disgorge the oil into a vessel. The bird is then released and another taken. The
inhabitants of the Faroe islands make a curious use of this bird when young and very
fat, by simply drawing a wick through the body and lighting it at the end which projects
from the beak. This unique lamp will burn for a considerable period. Sometimes the
Petrel appears in flocks, and has been driven southwards by violent storms, some having
been shot on the Thames, others in Oxfordshire, and some near Birmingham.

The general colour of this bird is sooty black, and the outer edges of the tertials and
the upper tail-coverts are white. Its length is barely six inches.

A verY much larger species, the FULMAR PETREL, is also one of our British birds.

This Petrel is very plentiful in the island of St. Kilda, and an excellent account of
the bird and its importance to the inhabitants has been given by Mr. McGillivray, who
visited the island in 1860, “This bird exists here in almost incredible numbers. . . . It
forms one of the principal means of support to the inhabitants, who daily risk their lives
in its pursuit. The Fulmar breeds on the face of the highest precipices, and only on such
as are furnished with small grassy shelves, every spot on which, above a few inches in
extent, is occupied with one or more of its nests. The nest is formed of herbage, seldom
bulky, generally a mere shallow excavation in the turf and the withered tufts of the sea-
pink, in which the bird deposits a single egg of a pure white colour when clean, which is
seldom the case. . . . On the 30th of June, having partially descended a nearly perpen-
dicular precipice six hundred feet in height, the whole face of which was covered with
the nests of the Fulmar, I enjoyed an opportunity of watching the habits of this bird,
and describe from personal observation.

The nests had all been robbed about a month before by the natives, who esteem the
eggs of this species above all others. Many of the nests contained each a young bird a

FULMAR PETREL.—Procelliria glacidlis.

day or two old at the farthest, thickly covered with long white down. The young birds
were very clamorous on being handled, and vomited a quantity of clear oil, with which I
sometimes observed the parent birds feeding them by disgorging it. The old birds, on
being seized, instantly vomit a quantity of clear amber-coloured oil, which imparts to the
whole bird, its nest and young, and even to the rock which it frequents, a peculiar and
very disagreeable odour. Fulmar oil is among the most valuable productions of St.
Kilda. The best is obtained from the old bird. The Fulmar flies with great buoyancy
and considerable rapidity, and when at sea is generally seen skimming along the surface
of the waves at a slight elevation, though I never observed one to alight or pick up any-
thing from the water.” ’

In the Arctic regions the Fulmar Petrel accompanies the whaler, flocking round
the ship as soon as a whale is captured, and eagerly devouring all the stray bits of
blubber that are wasted during the process of flensing. It is an amusing sight to
watch these birds during the process, for they squabble and fight over their meal in
their anxiety to secure the best and largest morsels, and contrive to swallow pieces
of blubber that seem large enough to choke them. It is said that the birds will
sometimes assemble near a living whale, and so indicate to the practised eye the
whereabouts of the huge quarry. .

The colour of the Fulmar Petrel is white upon the head and neck, pearl-grey on the
upper surface, and pure white on all the lower surface. The length of the adult bird is
not quite twenty inches.

THERE are several other British examples of the Petrels, such as the CAPPED PETREL
(Procellaria hesitata), notable for the patch of white on the top of the head; the pretty
FoRK-TAILED PerreL (Thalassidroma Leachit) with its slender legs, black plumage, and

white patch on the upper tail-coverts ; Wriison’s Perret (Thalassidroma Wilsonit), much ©

resembling the last-mentioned species, but differing in its more forked tail; BULWER's
Petre (Thalassidroma Bulweri), which is wholly of a sooty black hue; and the SHEAR-
WATERS (Puffinius), of which genus three species are known in England, and are
remarkable for the proportionate length and slenderness of their bills.

THE well-known WANDERING ALBATROS is an excellent example of the next sub-
family, being the largest and finest of all the species.

This fine bird is possessed of wondrous powers of wing, sailing along for days together
without requiring rest, and hardly ever flapping its wings, merely swaying itself easily

WANDERING ALBATROS.—Diomedea exulans.

from side to side with extended pinions. Sometimes the bird does bend the last joint,
but apparently merely for the purpose of checking its progress, like a ship backing her
topsails. It is found in the Southern Seas, aud is very familiar to all those who have
voyaged through that portion of the ocean. Like the petrel, it follows the ships for the
sake of obtaining food, and so voracious is the bird that it has been observed to dash at a
piece of blubber weighing between three and four pounds, and gulp it down entire.
After this dainty morsel, the bird was not able to rise from the water, but yet swam
vigorously after another piece of blubber on a hook, snapped at it, and was only saved
from capture by the hook breaking in its mouth.

Angling for Albatros is quite a favourite amusement, and the bird often gives good
sport, sometimes rising into the air and being drawn down on deck like a boy’s kite, but
generally hanging back with all its might and resisting the pull of the line by means of
its wings squared in the water. It is no easy matter to haul in an Albatros under such
circumstances, and the bird often escapes by the hook tearing out or the line breaking.
Nothing, however, teaches it wisdom, for in a few minutes it is quite as ready to take the
bait again. Even those which have been captured, marked by a ribbon tied round their
necks and set at liberty, will follow the vessel as soon as they recover themselves.

When an Albatros is hooked, the others become very angry, thinking that their
companion is monopolising the tempting food. Down they sweep accordingly, pounce on
the spot, and when settled on the water are very much astonished to see their companion
towed away and themselves left sitting on the waves with nothing to eat. Should one of
these birds be shot, the remainder pounce upon it at once and soon entomb their late

750 THE SKUA.

companion in their rapacious maws. These birds may under some circumstances be
dangerous to human beings, as they have been observed to swoop upon the head of a
man who had fallen overboard ; and their long powerful beaks are fearful weapons when
urged by those huge pinions.

In spite of the strong oily flavour of the Albatros, some portions of it can be eaten if
properly prepared, and the long bones of the wings are in great request for pipe-stems.
When the skin and flesh are removed from the head of the Albatros, a large depression
is found just over the eyes, which in a good skull now before me exactly accommodates
my bent thumb. This cavity is filled during life with a gland, the use of which is
dubious. Dr. Bennett dissected several of the glands and found them to be formed “of
a hard granulated substance, and pale colour, consisting of numerous distinct minute oval
bodies, and on being cut, it is found to be abundantly nourished by blood-vessels ; the
nerves supplying it came from the minute foramina seen on the floor of the cavity,
and are distributed in and about the substance of the gland.” In a dissection in the
College of Surgeons, a duct is demonstrated to lead towards the nasal outlet on the upper
mandible.

The Albatros makes its home on the lofty precipices of Tristan d’Acunha, the
Crozettes, the Marion Islands, and other similar localities. Mr. Earl, who visited their
nesting-places, writes in forcible language of the strange and weird-like scene. “A death-
like stillness prevailed in these high regions, and to my ear our voices had a strange
unnatural echo, and I fancied our forms appeared gigantic, whilst the air was piercingly
cold. The prospect was altogether sublime, and filled the mind with awe. The huge
Albatros here appeared to dread no interloper or enemy, for their young were on the
ground completely uncovered and the old ones were stalking round them. They lay but
one egg on the ground, where they make a kind of nest by scraping the earth round it ;
the young is entirely white, and covered with a woolly down, which is very beautiful.
As we approached, they snapped their bills with a very quick motion, making a great
noise; this and the throwing up the contents of the stomach are the only means of
offence and defence they seem to possess. I again visited the mountain about five months
afterwards, when I found the young Albatroses still sitting in their nests, and they had
never moved away from them.”

The nests of the Soory ALBATROS (Diomedea fulginosa) are built in similar localities,
but are rather better made, consisting of mud raised some five or six inches, with a slight
depression on the top. The YELLOW-BEAKED ALBATROS (Diomedea chlororhynchus) makes
a still more elaborate nest, the heap of mud being about one foot in height, with a
kind of little trench round the base. All these species were quite undismayed at the
presence of human beings, having to be kicked out of the way before they would allow
their visitors to pass, and then returning to their posts with perfect composure. Some of
them, however, retaliated after their own fashion, by squirting oil out of their mouths upon
the clothes of their disturbers. With this oily substance the parents feed their young.

Captain Carmichael, who visited these islands, tried a curious experiment with an
Albatros, with a very unexpected result. “We had the curiosity to take one of them
by the point of the wings and fling it over the rock; yet, though it had several hundred
feet of clear fall, it never recovered itself, but dropped down like a stone.”

The Wandering Albatros is rather variable in plumage, but in general the head, neck,
back, and wings are grey or brown, and the rest of the plumage white.

THE large family of the Gulls is here represented by four species, all of which are
among our British birds.

The Skva is a large, fierce, and powerful bird, tyrannizing in a shameful manner over
its weaker relations, and robbing them without mercy. It feeds mostly on fish, but prefers
taking advantage of the labours of others to working honestly for its own living. As the
lesser Gulls are busily fishing, the Skuas hover about the spot, and as soon as a poor Gull
has caught a fish, and is going off to his family, down comes the Skua upon him with
threatening beak and rocking wings, and when the victim drops his burden, to escape
with greater facility, the Skua darts after the falling fish, and snaps it up before it reaches

COMMON GULL.—Larus canus. BLACK-BACKED GULL.—Larus méximus,
SKUA GULL.—Stercordrius catarrhactes, KITTIWAKE GULL.—Rissa trydactyla.

the water. It also eats eggs and the smaller birds, a propensity which is shared by other
Gulls than the Skua.

The Skua is no coward, however tyrannously it may behave, and is quite as ready to
repel a foe as to attack a victim. Even the golden eagle makes no head against the Skua,

o
=)

752 THE GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL

and Mr, Dunn mentions that he has seen a pair of these birds beat off an eagle from their
nesting-place on Rona’s Hill. This species breeds in some of the British islands, but
properly belongs to more northern regions. It does not associate in flocks, and it 1s
seldom that more than three or four are seen together. The eggs are two or three in
number, and their colour is olive-brown, mottled with a darker hue.

The head and neck of the Skua are brown streaked with chestnut, the back and tail
are brown, and the throat and under parts are clove-brown. In length the bird rather
exceeds two feet. The name of Skua is said to be derived from the ery of the bird,
which somewhat resembles the word “ Skui.”

Several other species of Skua are included in our list of British birds, among which is
the POMARINE SKUA (Stercorarius pomarinus), known by the mottled plumage of the back ;
and BUFFON’s SKUA (Stercorarius cepphus), remarkable for the elongated central feathers
of the tail; and one or two others.

THE common GULL is too familiar to need much description, as it is well known to all
who have visited the seashore, or the mouth of any of our larger rivers. It is a bold
bird, caring little for man, and even following a steamer so closely that the gleam of its
eyes can be plainly seen. It can easily be tamed, and is a rather useful bird in a garden,
destroying vermin of various kinds, and occasionally killing and eating any small bird
that may incautiously venture within reach of the strong bill. Oheese seems to be an
acknowledged dainty with these birds, which have often been known to contract so great
an affection for the place of their captivity as to return to it voluntarily, and even to
introduce a mate to the well-remembered hospitalities.

Its ordinary food consists of the refuse matter flung up by the tide, as well as of
various marine creatures, and to obtain them the Gulls may be seen covering the shores
with their white plumage as soon as the tide retires. A very favourite resort of the Gull
is the upper part of some sands, such as the Goodwins, which are submerged during high
water, and only uncovered as the water recedes. The bird will, however, make considerable
incursions inland, and may be seen very amicably following the plough for the purpose of
picking up the worms and grubs that are thrown to the surface by the share.

The head and neck of the Gull are pure white, the upper surface grey, variegated with
the white edges and tips of the secondaries and tertials. The primaries are black on the
outer web, and the two first quills are black at their tips. The tail-coverts, tail, and
whole under surface are pure white, and the legs and feet are ashen green. The total
length of an adult male is about eighteen inches; the female is rather smaller.

The GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL is a very fine bird, not very plentiful on our coasts,
but spread over the greater part of the British shores.

This bird prefers low-lying and marshy lands, and is found on the flat shores of Kent
and Essex at the mouth of the Thames, where it is popularly known under the name of
the Cob. It is very plentiful on the shores of Sweden and Norway, and on some of the
islands of Shetland and Orkney it breeds in abundance, the eggs being highly valued on
account of their rich flavour and their large size. It is the custom in those localities to
lay in a stock of these eggs, and to take two sets in succession, leaving the third for the
bird to hatch. Mr. Hewitson mentions that upon an island of barely half an acre in
extent, sixty dozen eggs were secured.

The food of the Great Black-backed Gull consists mostly of fish, but it has a very
accommodating appetite, and will eat almost any kind of garbage, besides destroying
young birds. It has even been known to kill weakly lambs. It is a fierce bird, and
when wounded will fight vigorously for its liberty. The nest of this species is of grass,
and generally contains three eggs of greenish dun flecked with grey and brown. In the
summer plumage the head and neck of the Great Black-backed Gull are white, the upper
surface of the body is dark leaden grey, with some white upon the quill-feathers of the
wings. The whole of the under surface is pure white, and the legs and feet are pinkish.
The length of this bird is about thirty inches. In the winter-plumage the bird is streaked
with grey.

SCISSOR-BILL.—Rhyncops nigra,

THE pretty KrrrrwAKkE GULL is tolerably plentiful on many of our shores, and breeds
upon the rocky portions of the coast. Owing to the diversity of its plumage according to
the age, the Kittiwake has been called by several names ; “Tarrock” being the best known
and belonging to the bird while young. The name of Kittiwake is given in allusion
to its ery, which bears some resemblance to that word rather slowly pronounced. The
nest of the Kittiwake is made of seaweed, and placed on narrow ledges of rock at a great
elevation. The nests are placed in close proximity to each other, and generally contain
three eggs of a brownish olive, covered with spots of grey and brown.

The head and neck of the Kittiwake are white, the upper parts of the body silvery
grey, the wings being diversified with a little black and much white. The under surface
1s pure white. Yearling birds are much flecked with black on the back of the neck, and
many of the wing-feathers are liberally tipped and edged with the same hue, and the tail
is tipped with black. The length of the Kittiwake is nearly sixteen inches. The specific
name of tridactylus, or three-toed, is given to the bird because the hinder toe is wanting,
its place being represented by a small tubercle.

THERE are many other species of British Gulls, too numerous to be described. Among
these we may notice the LirrLe GULL (Larus minutus), remarkable for its jetty black
head and neck and its small size, its length being little more than ten inches; the
LauGHine GULL (Larus atricilla), which derives its name from its curious screaming cry ;
the HERRING or StnverY GULL (Larus argentatus), a fine species, about two feet in length,
with a pure white head and neck, and a soft grey back, and jetty black primaries with a
spot or two of white at the tips; and the Ivory GuLL (Pagophila eburnea), so called on
account of the pure white of its summer plumage.

THE name of SCISSOR-BILL is very appropriately given to the species now before us.
This remarkable Gull has a long and much compressed beak, the lower mandible
being much longer than the upper, rather flatter, and shutting into the upper like a knife-
blade into the handle. This beak is orange-red at the base, deepening into black at the
om BCG

754 THE TERN.

tip. The Scissor-bill skims just over the surface of the sea, its knife-like bill cutting
through the water, and picking up the crustaceans, molluscs, and fish that come to the
surface. While thus darting along, the bird utters loud and exultant cries. It does not,
however, trust solely to the wide seas for its food, for, according to Lesson, who was an
eye-witness of the scene, the bird feeds much upon bivalves, adroitly inserting its beak
into their shells as they lie open, and then banging the shell against a rock or stone, so as
to break the hinge and expose the inhabitant, which is immediately scooped out and
swallowed.

The Scissor-bill is found along the coast of America and part of Africa. It breeds on
marshes and sandy islands, laying three eges of a white colour spotted with ash. The
colour of this bird is dark brown on the top of the head and upper surface, with a bar of
white across the wings, and the under surface white. Its length is about twenty inches.

TERN.—Sterna hirwndo.

Tae common TERN, or SEA SWALLOW, is very plentiful on our coasts, and may be
seen flying along on rapid wing, its long forked tail giving it so decidedly a swallow-like
air, that its popular name of Sea Swallow is well applied.

It is mostly seen on the wing, not often going to shore, except during the breeding-
season, but reposing occasionally on floating logs of wood, buoys, and similar resting-
places. Its food consists mostly of small fish, which it obtains by darting down from the
air upon them. When secking for food it does not rise to any great elevation, but hovers
at a few feet above the water ready to pounce upon a passing fish that may be unwary
enough to come to the surface, and sufficiently small to be eaten. Sand eels are said to
be a favourite article of food with the Tern. It is a noisy bird, ever on the move, chasing
its companions when it is tired of fishing, and uttering continually its loud jarring cry.

The Tern breeds on the low-lying lands, and makes a very rude nest, being indeed
nothing more than a shallow depression in the earth into which are scraped a few sticks,
stones, and dry grasses. The Tern reaches this country about May and departs in
September. An adult bird in summer plumage has the tip of the head and nape of the
neck jetty black, the upper part of the body ashen grey, the under surface white, and the
legs, feet, and bill coral-red, the bill deepening into black at the tip. The length of the
ne rather exceeds fourteen inches; much of it is due to the long forked feathers of
the tail.

THE NODDY. 755

ANOTHER rather celebrated species of Tern, though rare in England, is the Noppy.

This bird is spread over many portions of the world, but is a very rare visitant to our
shores. It often alights on vessels by night, and as it does not see well except in daylight,
suffers itself to be easily caught. This habit has sometimes had a most providential effect,
and saved the lives of sailors adrift in a boat without provisions. Audubon writes of the
Noddy : “The flight of this bird greatly resembles that of the night-hawk when passing
over meadows or rivers. When about to alight on the water the Noddy keeps its wings
extended upwards, and touches it first with its feet. It swims with considerable buoyancy
and grace, and at times immerses its head to seize on a fish. When seized in the hand
it utters a rough ery. On such occasions it bites severely with quickly repeated move-
ments of the bill, which on missing the object aimed at, closes witha snap.” The bird picks
up its food as it skims along the surface.

NODDY.—‘Anéus stélidus.

The nesting of the Noddy is rather variable. Sometimes it places its nest upon a
ledge of rock overhanging the water, and at other times builds it among bushes or low trees.
The nest is always a clumsy-looking affair, and as the bird is in the habit of adhering to
the same spot for several successive seasons, and adding fresh material each time, the nests
soon acquire a very large size, some being masses of seaweed about two feet in thickness,
with only a slight depression at the top. In any case, the nest is very dirty and badly
kept, and the odour of a crowded nesting-place is anything but pleasant. Mr. Gilbert
mentions that in Western Australia, where the Noddy breeds largely, its numbers are much
thinned by a kind of lizard, which eats the young and occasionally kills the old birds.
He is of opinion that not one in twenty lives long enough to take wing.

The eggs of the Noddy are usually three in number, of a dark orange colour, splashed
and spotted with red and purple. They are very good eating, and sailors collect them
largely for the table. The Noddy is a dark-looking bird, the forehead and top of the head
being buff, the back of the head dusky grey, and the whole of the remaining plumage
chocolate-brown. Even the legs, feet, and bill are black. The average length of the
Noddy is about fourteen or fifteen inches.

Several other species of Terns are found on our coasts, among which may be
mentioned the Soory TERN (Sterna fuliginosa), sooty black above and white below ; the
Lesser TERN (Sterna minuta), a very small species, only eight or nine inches in length ;

3c 2

756 THE TROPIC BIRD.

the CAsPIAN TERN (Sterna Caspia), a fine species, twenty inches long; the RosEaTE TERN
(Sterna paradisea), remarkable for the rosy white hue of its under surface; and several
other species, all resembling each other in habits and general form.

WE now arrive at the last family of birds, the Pelicans, a group which includes many
species, all remarkable for some peculiarity, and many of them really fine and handsome birds.

As its name implies, the Tropic Brrp is seldom to be seen outside the tropics unless
driven by storms. It is wonderfully powerful on the wing, being able to soar for a
considerable period, and passing whole days in the air without needing to settle. It is a
beautiful and delicately graceful bird, and always calls forth the admiration of the
beholders, as it hovers above the vessel or darts into the water in pursuit of prey. While
on the wing it utters a loud, shrill, and grating cry, which often indicates its presence at

TROPIC BIRD.—Phaéton wthéveus.

night as well as by day. On account of this shrill ery, the sailors call it the Boatswain
Bird. They also call it by the name of Startail, on account of the long projecting tail-
feathers.

As a general fact they do not fly to very great distances from land, three hundred
miles bemg about the usual lhmit; but Dr. Bennett observed them on one occasion when
the nearest land was about one thousand miles distant. The long tail-shafts of the Tropic
Bird are much valued in many lands, the natives wearing them as ornaments, or weaving
them into various implements. The feathers of a closely allied species, the ROsEATE
Tropic Brrp (Phaeton phaenicurus), are used in the South Seas for various purposes, and are
obtained by visiting the birds during the time of incubation, when they sit closely in their
nests, and quietly plucking out the coveted plume. Dr. Bennett observes, “The ‘red caps’
mentioned by Captain Cook as worn by the natives of the Friendly Islands are formed
principally from these red shafts, and I observed the same use of them in the island of
Rottma, South Pacific Ocean, the caps (named shoul, or war head-dress of the natives of
that island, and worn as a decoration by warriors in battle) being formed from the red tail-
feathers of the Roseate Tropic Bird, which the natives procure with some difficulty, and they
are consequently very highly valued, The cap is in the form of a semicirele, without any
crown, and is tied on the forehead. I have also seen many neat baskets in which the red
shafts of this bird had been very ingeniously interwoven ; they were exposed for sale at the
Sandwich Islands, and even stated to be brought from some part of the coast of California.”

DARTER.—Plotus anhinga.

The Tropic Bird breeds in the Mauritius. The young are odd little things, not
in the least resembling their parents, round as balls and covered with white down.
The flight of the Tropic Bird is of a rather peculiar jerking or shooting character. The
total length of the bird is about two feet six inches, of which the tail-feathers occupy
about fifteen inches.

THE singular DARTERS are inhabitants of two parts of the world, one species inhabiting
Africa, and another being found in America. With their slender heads, their long snake-
like necks, and their evidently aquatic bodies, they really look as if they had been formed
on the same model as the well-known plesiosaurus.

The common Darter inhabits many parts of America, and is found along the banks of
rivers and marshy grounds. Mr. Ord writes as follows of these birds: “The first
individual that I saw in Florida was making away to avoid me along the shore of a
reedy marsh, which was lined with alligators, “and the first impression on my mind was
that I beheld a snake, but, the recollection of the habits of the bird soon undeceived me.
To pursue these birds at such times is useless, as they cannot be induced to rise or even
to expose their bodies.

758 THE GANNET, OR SOLAN GOOSE.

Wherever the limbs of a tree project over and dip into the water, there the Darters are
sure to be found, these situations being convenient resting-places for the purpose of
sunning and preening themselves, and probably giving them a better opportunity of
observing their finny prey. They crawl from the water upon the limbs and fix themselves
in an upright position, which they maintain in the utmost silence. If there be foliage or
long moss, they secrete themselves in it in such a manner that they cannot be perceived
unless one be close to them. When approached, they drop into the water with such
surprising skill that one is astonished how so large a body can plunge with so little
noise, the agitation of the body being apparently not greater than that occasioned by the
gliding of an eel.”

While in the tree this bird has a habit of rapidly darting its snaky head and neck
through the foliage, so that at a first glance it would be taken for a serpent, and even
when swimming its body is submerged, and the only part visible is the long neck writhing
about just like an aquatic serpent.

The nest of the Darter is a rather large edifice of sticks, placed upon the trees that
grow in the marshy lands which the Darters frequent. The eggs are blue. In the adult
bird the general colour is very deep green. A strip of brownish white runs from the
eye partially down the sides of the neck, and the scapulary feathers are long and slender,
with a stripe of white along their centre. The wings are black variegated with silvery
white. The total length of this bird is not quite three feet.

ANOTHER species, LEVAILLANTS DarTER or SNAKE-BIRD (Plotus Levaillantii), is a
native of Africa, and its habits and general form resemble the preceding species. In the
water it is most agile, and can often dive at the flash of a gun and place itself in safety
by going under water for a considerable distance in a direction where it was not
expected, and then rising into the air and flying off.

The GANNET, SOLAN GoOoSsE, or SPECTACLED GOOSE, is a well-known resident on our
coasts, its chief home being the Bass Rock in the Frith of Forth, on which it congregates
in vast numbers.

The Gannet is a large bird, nearly three feet long; and being powerful on the wing,
and possessed of a large appetite, it makes great havoc among the fish which it devours.
Herrings, pilchards, sprats, and similar fish are the favourite food of the Gannet, and
as soon as the shoals of herrings approach the coast, the Gannets assemble in flocks and
indicate to the fishermen the presence and position of the fish. The bird is able to catch
its prey at some distance below the surface, and accomplishes its object by shooting
directly downwards with partially closed wings and seizing the fish before it has had time
to take alarm. While engaged in feeding upon the shoals of herrings that are inclosed in
the nets, the Gannets are frequently taken by becoming entangled in the meshes. They are
also caught by fastening a herring on a board and setting it afloat. The Gannet sees the
fish, but takes no notice of the board, and so comes down with a pounce, drives its beak
through the herring, and into the board, and is of course killed by the concussion. The
Gannet is enabled to guard itself against too deep a submergence and to break the shock of
its body falling against the water by means of certain subcutaneous air-cells, which according
to Montagu are capable of containing three full breaths from human lungs, and are equal
to a capacity of one hundred and eighty entire inches.

The birds that breed on the Bass Rock are very tame in consequence of their immunity
from persecution, and will even suffer themselves to be handled when on their nests
without displaying any uneasiness, except uttering a little dissatisfied croaking. The
nest of the Gannet is a heap of grass, seaweed, and similar substances, on which is laid
one very pale blue egg, which, however, does not long retain its purity. The young
are clothed with white puffy down, which after a while changes to nearly black feathers,
the white plumage not being assumed until the bird has reached full age. ‘The head and
neck of the full-grown bird are buff, the primaries black, and the rest of the plumage
white. The yearling bird is almost wholly black covered with streaks and triangular
marks of greyish white. The total length of this bird is about thirty-four inches.

GANNET, OR SOLAN GOOSE.—Sula Bassanea.

Tue well-known Boosy (Sula fusca), so called from its stupidity when attacked
whether by man or the frigate bird, is closely allied to the gannet. This bird is found in
most of the warmer latitudes settled upon the islands and rocky shores, and catching fish
all day for the benefit of the frigate birds who attack and rob it. The colour of the Booby
is brown above and whitish grey beneath.

THE common CORMORANT is well known for its voracious habits, its capacities of
digestion having long become proverbial.

This bird is common on all our rocky coasts, where it may be seen sitting on some
projecting ledge, or diving and swimming with great agility, and ever and anon returning
to its resting-place on the rock. It is an admirable swimmer and a good diver, and chases
fish with equal perseverance and success, both qualities being needful to satisfy the wants
of its ever-craving maw. Eels are favourite morsels with the Cormorant, which, if the eel
should be small, swallows it alive in spite of the writhings and struggling of its victim,
and the many retrogressions which it will make from the interior of its devourer, until it
is finally accumulated and digested, the latter being a process of wonderful celerity. If
the eel is rather large and powerful, the Cormorant batters it against some hard substance
and then swallows it easily. Mr. Fortune gives a Iudicrous narrative of a number of
tame Cormorants and their behaviour at feeding-time; how they were supplied with
eels; how they swallowed them as fast as possible ; how after all had disappeared, one of
the swallowed eels returned into the air and was immediately fought for by the birds,
greatly to the discomfiture of the individual whose property it had been; and how he
tried to reimburse himself by means of a similar mishap on the part of some of his
companions.

CORMORANT.—Grdculus Carbo. CRESTED CORMORANT.—Gréculus cristatus.

The Cormorant can easily be tamed, and in China, where everything living or dead is
utilized, the bird is employed for the purpose of catching fish. The Cormorants are
regularly trained to the task, and go out with their master in a boat, where they sit
quietly on the edge until they receive his orders. They then dash into the water, seize
the fish in their beaks, and bring them to their owner. Should one of these birds pounce
upon a fish too large for it to carry alone, one of its companions will come to its assistance,
and the two together will take the fish and bring it to the boat. Sometimes a Cormorant
takes an idle fit, and swims playfully about instead of attending to its business, when it
is recalled to a sense of duty by its master, who strikes the water with his oar and shouts
at the bird, who accepts the rebuke at once and dives after its prey. When the task is
completed, the birds are allowed their share of fish. A detailed and interesting account of
these birds may be found in Mr. Fortune’s work on China.

The Cormorant, although a web-footed bird, is able to perch, and may often be seen
sitting on a post or a rail overhanging a stream, watching the fish as they pass below.

The nest of the Cormorant is made of a large mass of sticks, seaweed, and grass, and
the eggs are from four to six in number, rather small in proportion to the dimensions of
the parent, and of a curious chalky texture externally, varied with a pale greenish blue.
Many nests are placed in close proximity to each other, and, as may be imagined from the
habits of the bird, the nesting-places are very ill-savoured and by no means adapted
to delicate nostrils. When the young are first hatched they are very odd creatures, quite
without feathers and covered only with a hard-looking black skin, upon which the
clothing of black woolly down does not appear until several days. They soon take to the
water, and, like most aquatic birds, swim long before they can fly.

THE PELICAN. 761

In the summer time the head and back of the neck are black sprinkled with hair-like
feathers of a pure white, and elongated on the back of the head so as to form a kind of
crest. The upper. part of the body is brown mottled with black, and the front of the
throat and the whole of the under surface are velvety bluish black. There is a white
patch on the thighs, and the legs and toes are likewise black. The young bird is much
lighter in colour, without the black on the head or breast, and the lower parts of the body
of a dull greyish white mottled with a little brown. The total length of this bird is about
three feet; the female is a few inches shorter. The pouch under the throat is yellow
edged with white.

ANOTHER well-known British species of this genus is the CRESTED CoRMORANT,
GREEN CORMORANT, or SHAG, a bird which can at once be distinguished from the
preceding species by the green colour of the plumage and the difference in size, the
length of an adult male being only twenty-seven inches. In habits this species
resembles the common Cormorant.

The nest of the Crested Cormorant is placed upon a ledge of rock, generally in a spot
very difficult of access, and like that of the preceding species gives forth a horrible
stench caused by the mixture of decaying seaweed and putrefying fish. The nest is made
rather ingeniously of stalks and roots of seaweed, lined with grass in the centre. The
colour of this Cormorant is rich dark green, except the wing and tail quill-feathers, which
are black. The young birds are greenish brown above, and brown and white below.

WE now arrive at the well-known PELICAN, which is universally accepted as the type
of the family.

This bird is found spread over many portions of Africa and Asia, and is also found
in some parts of Southern Europe. It is a sociable bird, assembling in large flocks, and
often mingling with the flamingoes, its white plumage contrasting finely with the scarlet
raiment of its long-necked allies. The wings of the Pelican are very long and powerful,
and the flight is singularly bold and graceful. Oftentimes the birds fly in large bodies,
sometimes forming themselves into some definite shape, sometimes spreading themselves
in any order and then gathering together into a compact mass, and often rising to such a
height as to be almost beyond ken in spite of their large size.

The pouch of the Pelican is enormously large, capable of containing two gallons of
water, and is employed by the bird as a basket wherein to carry the fish which it has
caught. The Pelican is a good fisherman, hovering above the water watching for a shoal
of fish near the surface. Down sweeps the bird, scoops up a number of fish in its
capacious pouch, and then generally goes off homeward. Sometimes it is interrupted by
a large species of hawk, which robs the Pelican in a very ingenious manner. As the
industrious bird flies home laden with the finny spoil, the hawk swoops down upon it and
ruffles its wings in so threatening a manner that the Pelican screams with terror. The
hawk snatches the fish out of the bird’s pouch and flies off, leaving the poor Pelican to
return and replenish its pouch. It is a rather curious fact, that in the Pelican the tongue,
which is so large and curiously constructed in many birds, is almost wanting, and is
represented by a little fleshy knob hardly the size of a finger-top. In spite of the large
size of the pouch, the Pelican can wrinkle it up in such a manner that it is barely
perceptible.

The nest of the Pelican is placed on the ground in some retired spot, usually an island
in the sea, or the borders of some inland lake or a river. It is made of grasses, and
contains two or three white eggs. The female sits on the eggs, and her mate goes off to
fish for her; and when the young are hatched they are fed by the parents, who turn the
fish out of their pouches into the mouths of the young. In order to perform this
operation, they press the bill against their breast, so that its scarlet tip looks like a blood-
spot against the white feathers, and has given rise to the fable that the Pelican feeds her
young with her own blood.

In spite of the huge size of the beak and pouch, the Pelican can preen its plumage
with perfect ease, and uses its feet to those parts of the neck and head which it cannot

PELICAN. — Pelecdnus onocrotalus.

reach with the bill. When it is annoyed, it has a habit of slapping the mandibles
together with a sound that can best be described by the word “ walloping,” caused by the
flapping of the loose pouch. It assumes a great variety of positions; and when two
individuals quarrel, the grotesque attitudes with which they denote their anger are
irresistibly ludicrous. When playful it tumbles about in the water, dabbles with the bill
as if it were catching fish, dashes the water on every side with its huge wings, and then
walking on shore stands still and flaps its pinions with a force and decision that strongly
remind the observer of a cabman on a very cold day.

The colour of the Pelican is white with a delicate roseate tinge like that of a blush
rose. On the breast the feathers are elongated and of a golden yellow. The quill-feathers
are black, but hardly seen until the bird expands its wings; the bill is yellow, tipped
with red. The length of the bird is almost six feet, and the expanse of wing about
twelve feet.

There are several other species of Pelican, but the habits of all are very similar.

Tue last bird on our list is the well-known FRIGATE Brrp, SEA HAwK, or MAN-or-
War Birp, an inhabitant of the tropical seas. So admirable and comprehensive a
biography of this bird has been given by Dr. Bennett in his “Wanderings of a Naturalist,”
that I cannot do better than transfer his account to these pages.

“The Frigate Bird is often seen frequenting the Austral and other tropical islands.
It somewhat resembles the cormorant in its general appearance. . . . It is interesting to
observe these birds soaring in the air with a flight widely different from that of the birds
around them, and conspicuous from the symmetry of their form and the power and extent

FRIGATE BIRD.— Atagen ‘Aquila.

of their wings. Owing to the enormous comparative size of the pectoral muscles, which
are so large as to weigh nearly one-fourth as much as the whole body of the bird, they are
capable of sustaining very long flights. From the formation of their feet they are
incapable of alighting and resting upon the surface of the water; and as they are seen at
great distances from the land, they must possess immense power of wing to enable them
to sustain such prolonged exertion without repose.

We find accordingly that the whole structure of this elegant bird is adapted to a
rapidity of flight surpassing that of all others. It has the power of soaring to so great an
elevation in the air as to appear a mere speck in the regions above; and when seen
hovering over the ship, adorned with its beautiful glossy plumage, it attracts attention by
its noble bearing and graceful evolutions as it sails in gentle undulations in mid-air, or by
its rapidity of motion when darting upon its prey. This bird, being incapable of swim-
ming and diving, may generally be seen on the alert for flying fish when they are started
into the air by albicores or bonitos, and when unsuccessful it is compelled to resort to a
system of plundering other sea-birds. The quiet and industrious birds, the gannets and
sea-swallows, are generally selected as objects of attack, and on returning to their haunts
to feed their young brood, after having been out fishing all day, are stopped in mid-air by
the marauding Frigate Bird, and compelled to deliver up some of their prey, which being
disgorged by them, is most dexterously caught by the plunderer before it reaches the
water.

The gannets can well afford to be relieved of some of their booty, as they are often
seen so full of fish as to be unable to close their beaks. When the Frigate Bird attacks
the gannet, it attains its object by hovering over the victim, and then, darting rapidly
down, strikes it upon the back of the head. Their usual mode of fishing, however, is
generally more quiet. It is not uncommon to observe a single gannet selected from a
flock as the object of attack, while the rest in the meantime continue their heavy flight
towards land.

It sometimes happens, however, that a spirit of independence rouses even the dull
gannet to a determination of resisting the plunderer. It manceuvres to avoid the blow
of the enemy by darting about, dropping from its elevation in the air, raising the beak in

764 THE FRIGATE BIRD.

a perpendicular direction, using every effort to elude the foe, so that sometimes both fall
into the water together. On this occurring the gannet gains its object, for although the
Frigate Bird has the advantage over the gannet while hovering in the air, the latter has
the best of it in the ocean, and generally escapes, leaving the piratical bird to get out of
the water in the manner most agreeable to himself.

. . . They have also been observed to soar over the masthead of a ship and tear
away the pieces of coloured cloth appended to the vane; this I have frequently seen.
When soaring in mid-air, its wings, spread to their utmost degree of expansion, are
apparently motionless, while the long forked tail is seen expanding and closing with a
quick alternate motion, until the bird rises by degrees and slowly to so lofty an elevation
in the sky as at last to appear a mere speck.”

The long black feathers of the tail are in great request among the Society Islanders,
being woven as ornaments into the head-dresses of the chiefs. The nest of the Frigate
Bird is sometimes built upon trees and bushes where the low shores afford no cliffs, but
its usual locality for breeding is on the summit of some rocky cliff. On the rock there is
no nest, but when the bird breeds among trees, it makes a rude scaffolding of sticks like
the nest of the wood pigeon. There is only one egg, of a peculiar chalky whiteness, and
while sitting the bird is very bold and will not stir even if pushed with a stick, snapping
and biting at the obnoxious implement. The voice of this bird is rough and harsh, and
is likened to the sound produced by turning a winch.

The colour of the adult Frigate Bird is shining black glossed with green, the female
being dull black above and white streaked with cinnamon upon the head, breast, and
under parts. The pouch on the throat is scarlet, and when distended has a very curious
effect against the dark black of the throat and neck. Including the long tail, the male
measures three feet in length, but the body is extremely small. The expanse of the
wings is about eight feet.

CLASS.—AVES OR BIRDS.

Anmals possessed of vertebra, breathing atmospherte aw with lungs; having warm blood, and heart with four
chambers—Young hatched from eggs—Mouth modified into a horny beak without true teeth—Fore limbs
developed into wings, mostly clothed with feathers and used for flight ; hind limbs aloays used for standing,

or progression on earth or in water.

Order. ACCIPITRES.—Bill rather compressed (?.e. flat-
tened sideways). Upper mandible sharp and hooked at tip ;
base with a bare skin termed the “‘cere,”” in which the
nostrils are pierced. Wings long and pointed. Feet strong.
Tarsi (7.e. joint between toes and knee) covered with scales.
Toes three in front and one behind, the soles rough, and the
claws strong and curved.

Sub-order. ACCIPITRES DIURNI.—Eyes at sides of
head. Cere large and prominent. Tarsi moderate.

Family. VOLTURIDH.—Bill compressed. Tarsi short
and with net-like scales. Middle toe longer than tarsus,
hinder toe rather elevated, claws blunt. Mostly with down
on head and neck, and with a large crop.

Sub-family. Gypaetinee.—Feathered on head and neck.
Cere hidden by bristly hairs.

Genus. GYPAETUS.—Bill long, sharply curved at tip,
tuft of bristly hairs*from lower mandible. Wings, second
and third quills longest and nearly equal. Tail long and
wedge-shaped. Tarsi feathered, very short. Front toes
united by membrane at base. Habitat—Mountain chains
of Europe, Asia, and Africa,

Sub-family. Sarcorhamphine.—Bill long and slender,
cere soft, nostrils longitudinal, large and oval. Tarsi long
with netted scales ; third toe mostly short and weak, two
outer front toes short and connected with membrane.

Genus. SARCORHAMPHUS.—Bill moderate, cere about
one-third its length, nostrils in middle of cere. Wings,
third and fourth quills equal and longest. Tail moderate
and even. ‘Tarsi short, feathered below knee, netted. Two
exterior toes equal and united with middle by membrane ;
hind toe weak. Head, neck and breast bare, fleshy caruncle
above nostrils of male. Habitat—Most parts of America.

Genus. CATHARISTA. — Bill long, cere two-thirds its
length, nostrils in front of cere. Wings long, pointed, third
and fourth quills longest. Tarsi short, feathered below the
knee and netted. Head and upper part of neck bare.

Genus. NEOPHRON.—Bill very long and slender, cere
two-thirds its length, nostrils near middle of bill. Wings,
third quill longest. Tail wedge-shaped. Tarsi moderate,
feathered below knee, netted. Toes with strong scales
above, inner the strongest. Front of head and throat, and
the cheeks, bare. Habitat—Africa and India.

Sub-family. Wulturinz.—Bill long, deeper than broad,
cere nearly half its length, tip very sharply curved, nostrils
in cere, and oblique. Middle toe longer than tarsi, others
much shorter.

Genus. VULTUR.—Bill large, much arched from cere to
tip. Wings, first quill short, third and fourth longest. Tail,
shafts projecting. Middle toe united to outer. Feathered
ruff on neck, mostly downy crest on back of head, head
coyered with down. Habitat—Warm portions of Old World.

Genus. OTOGYPS.—Head and neck quite bare, long
wattles beneath the ears. Rest like Vultur.

Genus. GYPS.—Bill rather swollen at sides. Head and
neck covered with short down, ruff of long pointed, or long
downy feathers. Rest like Vultur. Habitat—Warm por-
tions of Old World.

Family. _FALCONIDH.—Bill with partial cere, com-
pressed, and keel curved from cere to tip, which is much
curved and sharp, edges toothed or waved. Wings long and
pointed. Tail broad. Tarsi varied and strong, and claws
sharp and curved. Head and neck feathered, eyes sunk and
overshadowed by brow.

Subfamily. Aquilinee—Bill straight at base, and then
greatly arched at tip, edges waved ; nostrils in front of cere.
Tail long and large. Tarsilong, inner toe and claw strongest.

Genus. AQUILA.—Bill very much curved at tip and
sharp, sides much compressed, nostrils large and oblique.
Wings, fourth and fifth quills longest and equal. Tarsi
feathered to-base of toes. Habitat—Most parts of world.

Genus. SPIZAETUS.—Tarsi long and slender, Toes long
and powerful, inner much longer than outer, middle and
outer united by membrane, all covered with small scales
except a few larger at tip. Rest like Aquila, Habitat—
Asia, South America, and Africa.

Genus. HERPETOTHERES (or CACHINNA),—Bill short and
arched throughout ; nostrils large and round. Wings, third,
fourth, and fifth quills longest and equal. Tail long and
rounded. Tarsi moderate, and netted. Toes with a few
large scales at tips, rest with small scales. Habitat—South
America.

Genus. CIRCAETUS.—Bill like Aquila, nostrils large, ob-
lique, and rather oval. Wings like Aquila. Tail long and
even. Tarsi long, feathered below the knee and netted.
Toes short, scaled, outer united to middle. Habitat—Most
parts of world.

Genus, THRASAETUS,—Bill like Aquila, nostrils narrow
and set rather crosswise. Wings, fourth, fifth, and sixth
quills longest. ail long and rounded. Tarsi short, stout,
large-scaled in front, small-scaled at side. Toes powerful,

small-scaled at base, rest large-scaled. Habitat—Tropical
America,

Genus. MORPHNUS.—Bill like Aquila. Wings very long,
third, fourth, and fifth quills longest. Tail long and even.
Tarsi very long, small-scaled on sides, large-scaled on front
and back. Habitat—South America.

Genus. PANDION.—Bill short and curved from base.
Wings reaching to end of tail, second and third quills equal
and longest. Tail moderate. Tarsi, short, strong, netted.
Toes long, united at base to middle toe, claws much curved.
Habitat—Most parts of world.

Genus. HALIAETUS.—Bill like Aquila, nostrils narrow
and oblique. Wings long, third, fourth, and fifth quills

766

longest. Tarsi short and strong, narrow scales in front,
rest with small irregular scales. Habitat—Old and New
World.

Subfamily. Polyborine.— Bill slightly hooked, and
waved. Wings long. ‘Tarsi long, slender, and irregularly
scaled.

Genus. IBYCTER.—Bill much compressed, slightly waved,

nostrils large, rounded, in fore-part of cere. Sides of head
and throat naked. Tail long, broad, and rounded. Wings,
fourth quill longest. Tarsi moderate, feathered below knee,
scales large in front, rest small. Toes, inner stronger and
shorter than outer. Habitat—South America.

Genus. Mtitvaco.—Bill rather stout, nostrils with horny
tubercle in centre. Wings, third and fourth quills longest.
Tail long, broad, and rounded. Tarsi rather long, feathered
below knee. Toes, two exterior nearly equal. Habitat—
Southern America and Antarctic Islands.

Genus. POLYBORUS.—Bill short and much arched, slightly
waved near tip, a few hairs on cere, nostrils oblique and
narrow. Wings, third quill longest. Tail moderate. Tarsi
long, scales on front and behind, divided along their middle.
Claws of inner and hind toes largest. Habitat—South
America.

Sub-family. Buteoninze.—Bill short, broad at base, much
curved, cere occupying more than half its length. Wings
long. Tarsi long, with broad transverse scales in front
and behind. ‘Toes rather short.

Genus. Butro. — Bill, nostrils large and oval, hairy
feathers from base of bill to eye. Wings very long, third
and fourth quills longest. Tail moderate and even. Tarsi
long, naked, and scaled. Toes, three front joined at base.
Habitat—Most parts of world.

Genus. _ARCHIBUTEO.—Tarsi feathered to base of toes.
Habitat—Many parts of world,

Sub-family. Milvinee—Bill short and weak, waved, nos-
trils at base. Wings long and pointed. ‘Tarsi short and
strong. Toes broad and well padded beneath.

Genus. PERNIS.—Bill curved from base to tip, nostrils
long, narrow, oblique. Wings, third, fourth, and fifth quills
longest. Tail long, broad, and rounded. Tarsi, half
feathered, rest netted. Inner too longest. Habitat—
Eastern parts of Old World.

Genus. Mitvus.—Bill straight at base, then curved to
tip, margins rather straight; nostrils oval. Wings very
long, third and fourth quills longest. Tail long, rounded or
forked. ‘Tarsi very short, feathered, and scaled. Outer toe
united at base to middle. Habitat—Old World.

Genus. ELANuS.—Bill broad at base, compressed to-
wards tip. Wings very long, second quill longest. Tail
long and forked. Outer toe much shorter than inner.
Habitat—Most parts of world.

Genus. ELANOIDES (or NAUCLERUS).—Wings very long,
second and third quills longest. Tail long and very deeply
forked. Hind toe long. Habitat—South America and
Africa,

Genus. CYMINDIS.—Bill much compressed, keel gradu-
ally sloping to tip; nostrils narrow and oblique. Tail long
and rounded. Tarsi short and strong, plumed and feathered.
Inner toe longer than outer. Habitat—Tropical America.

Genus. ToTINIA.—Bill broad at base, keel arched to tip,
upper mandible deeply scooped near tip; nostrils rather
rounded. Wings very long, pointed, third and fourth
quills longest. Tail short and slightly forked. Tarsi with
transverse scales in front, small scales behind. Inner toe
eos than outer; claws sharp and compressed. Habitat—

merica.

Sub-family. Faleoninze.—Bill short and curved through-
out, toothed on tip; cere long and rounded. Wings long
and pointed. Tail long and rounded.

Genus. Fatoo.—Bill strong and toothed at tip; cere
short; nostrils round, with central tubercle. Wings,
secopd and third quills longest, first and second notched
near tip. Tarsi, feathers hanging over knee, covered with
small irregular scales. Toes long and powerful. Habitat—
Throughout world.

COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS.

Genus. HypoTRiorouis.—Tarsi long and slender, large
hexagonal scales in front. Rest like Faleo. Habitat—
Throughout world.

Genus. TERACIDEA.—Wings moderate, second and third
quills longest. Tarsi as Hypotriorchis. Hind toe rather
short. Habitat—Australia.

Genus. TINNUNCULUS.—Tarsi long, strong, with trans-
verse hexagonal scales. Rest like Falco. Habitat—Most
parts of world.

Genus. Warpracus.—Bill compressed, two teeth at tip.
Wings moderate, third, fourth, and fifth quills longest.
Tail moderate and rounded. Tarsi moderate, slender,
transverse scales in front. Two exterior toes unequal.
Habitat—South America,

Sub-family. Accipitrinee.—Bill short, much arched, and
deeply waved. Wings mostly long. Tail large. Tarsilong,
large scales in front.

Genus. ASTUR.—Bill broad at base, generally compressed
to tip, festooned in middle ; nostrils large and oval, in cere,
Wings very long, third, fourth, and fifth quills longest.
Tarsi rather long, large scales in front and behind. Inner
and hind toes equal. Habitat—Throughout world.

Genus. ACCIPITER.—BPill yery short, much compressed ;
nostrils in fore part of cere, partly hidden by hair-like
feathers. Wings moderate, fourth and fifth quills longest.
Habitat—Most parts of world.

Genus. MELIBRAX.—Cere occupying nearly half of bill.
Wings long, third, fourth, and fifth quills longest. Tarsi
long. Habitat—Africa.

Sub-family. Cireinee.—Bill moderate, short, and curved.
Tarsi mostly long and slender, and toes short.

Genus. SERPENTARIUS.—Bill broad and elevated at base,
sides compressed at tip. Wings long, blunt spur on shoulder,
third, fourth, and fifth quills longest. Tail very long,
wedge-shaped, two middle feathers projecting. Tarsi very
long, large scales in front. Toes very short, all front toes
joined at base, hind toe extremely short and rather elevated,
all covered above with transverse scales. Round eyes the
skin is naked. Habitat—Africa.

Genus. Crrous.—Bill festooned on margins; nostrils
large, oval, and partly hidden by hairy feathers. Wings
long, third and fourth quills longest. Tail long and
rounded, Tarsi long and compressed, large scales on outer
sides, small on inner. Outer toe longer than inner; claws
long and slender. Habitat—Throughout world.

Sub-order. ACCIPITRES NOCTURNI.—Eyes set more
or less in front of the head, and surrounded with a radiating
circle, more or less perfect, of stiff hairy feathers.

Family. STRIGIDZ.—Bill small, much arched, sides
compressed, base hidden under hairy feathers, tip much
hooked. ‘Tail broad. All plumage very downy. Tarsi
feathered to toes, which are either feathered or haired ;
claws long and sharp.

Subfamily. Surnine.—Head small, no feather tufts ;
facial dise imperfect over eyes.

Genus. SURNIA.—Bill nearly hidden by plumes, nostrils
entirely concealed. Wings long and pointed, third quill
longest. Tail long and wedge-shaped. Tarsi short, plumed,
Toes short, plumed. MHabitat— Northern Europe and
America.

Genus. NycoTrA—Bill as Surnia. Wings rather long,
third quill longest. Tail short and rounded. Tarsi and
toes short, strong and densely plumed, claws very long and
curved. Habitat—Arctic circle.

Genus. ATHENE.—Bill much as preceding. Wings long
and rounded, third and fourth quills longest. Tarsi rather
long, plumed ; toes short and haired, claws long and sharp.
Habitat—Warm portions of both hemispheres.

Sub-family. Buboninee.—Head large, flat at top, two
feathery tufts or “‘ears” on the sides ; facial dise imperfect
above eyes.

Genus. EPHIALTES.—Bill moderate, base broad; nostrils
round, and placed in fore part of cere. Wings long, second,
third, and fourth quills longest.

Tail short. Tarsi rather

COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS.

long, plumed to base of toes.
Habitat—Most parts of the World.

Genus. BuBo.—Bill moderate. Wings rather long,
second, third, and fourth quills longest. Tail moderate,
rounded. Tarsiand toes shortish, thickly plumed. Hind
toe short. Habitat—Most parts of world.

Sub-family. Surnine.—Head with two small tufts;
facial disc complete. -

Genus. NyoTaLE.—Bill small; nostrils small and trans-
verse ; cere somewhat swollen. Wings moderate, rounded,
third and fourth quills longest. ail long and rounded.
Tarsi short, clothed with hairy feathers. Habitat—Europe
and North America,

Genus. SuRNIUM.—Bill as usual, Wings long and
rounded, fourth and fifth quills longest. Tail long and
rounded. ‘Tarsi and toes rather short, and densely plumed.
Habitat—Many parts of the world.

Genus. OTUS.—Bill as usual. Wings very long, second
and third quills longest. Tail moderate. Tarsi long and
plumed. Toes moderate, plumed. Habitat—Most parts of
both hemispheres.

Sub-family. Strigine.—Head without tufts; facial disc
complete. *,

Genus. STRIX.—Bill long ; nostrils large, partially covered
by membrane. Wings very long, second quill longest.
Tail short. ‘Tarsi rather long, slender, and softly plumed.
Toes long, haired ; outer toe much shorter than inner, hind
toe short and thick. Habitat—Throughout world.

Order. PASSERES, or PERCHERS.—Toes usually three
in front, one behind ; sometimes outer toe can™be carried
backward.

Tribe. FISSTROSTRES.—Bill very wide. Gape beneath
eyes. Keel curved to tip. Feet weak.

Sub-tribe. Fissirostres nocturnz.—Hyes very large.
Plumage very soft.

Family. CAPRIMULGIDZ.—Bill short, flat, and broad.
Tarsi short. Toes long and powerful, hind toe joined to
inner at base.

Sub-family. Steatornine.—Bill, tip hooked, base of bill
with feathers and bristles.

Genus. STEATORNIS.—Bill long as head and elevated,
much curved and rounded, edges nearly straight and toothed
near tip, nostrils large and oblong. Wings long and pointed,
third and fourth quills longest and equal. Tail broad, long
and graduated. ‘Tarsi with a few hairs. Outer toe larger
than inner. Habitat—Guadaloupe, Trinidad, and Bogota.

Genus. PODARGUS.— Bill, sides suddenly compressed near
sharp tip, edge of the upper mandible overlapping the lower,
which curves down at tip; nostrils covered with mem-
branous scales, and narrow base of bill covered with bristles.
Wings long and pointed, second and third quills longest.
Tail long. Tarsi short, with broad scales. Toes with strong
scales above. Habitat—Australia and New Guinea.

Genus. BATRACHOSTOMUS.—Wings long and rounded,
sixth quill longest. Toes short. Rest like the preceding
genus. Habitat—Indian Archipelago.

Genus. /JEGOTHELES.—Bill small and very flat, tip hooked
and blunt; nostrils narrower behind, base of bill hidden by
plumage and bristles. Wings rounded, third and fourth
quills longest. Tarsi rather long and slender, scaled. Hind
toe long, outer larger than inner. Habitat—Australia.

Sub-family. Caprimulgine.—Bill short and weak,.very
broad, and with bristles at base. Wings long. Tail rather
long. Tarsi short, scaled or plumed. Middle toe longest, its
claw long and toothed like comb.

Toes long and scaled.

Genus. CAPRIMULGUS.—Bill very short, very wide ; nos-
trils at sides and tubular, opening partly exposed. Wings
long and pointed, second quill longest. Tail long, broad,
sometimes rounded, sometimes forked. Tarsi plumed.
Hind toe very short. Habitat—Most parts of world.

Genus. CHORDEILES.—Bill very small, a few very short
hairs at base, nostrils tubular, opening rounded. Wings
long and pointed, second quill longest. Tail long and

167

broad, rounded or forked. Tarsi short and partly plumed.
Hind toe short and slender. Habitat—America.

Sub-family. Podagerinze.—Bill very flat, keel compressed
on sides to hooked tip. Wings long and pointed. Tail long
and broad. ‘Tarsi usually plumed or with transverse scales
in front. Inner toe mostly longer than outer, and both
joined to middle toe, which is the longest, and furnished with
a long toothed claw.

Genus. ScoTORNIS.—Bill with strong bristles, nostrils
with membranous scales over opening. Wings long and
pointed, second and third quilllongest. Tail extremely long
and graduated. ‘Tarsi plumed and scaled. Toes unequal,
inner longer than outer. Habitat—Africa.

Genus. MAcRODIPTERYX.—Bill with very long bristles.
Wings very long and pointed, second or third quill longest,
and inner quill extremely lengthened, shaft bare, webbed at
tip. Tail long. ‘Tarsi plumed and scaled. Two exterior
toes nearly equal, Habitat—Africa.

Genus. PODAGER.—Nostrils partly covered by plumes.
Wings very long, first quill longest. Tail short. Tarsi
very short and plumed. Inner toe longer than outer.
Habitat South America.

Sub-tribe. Fissirostres diurnz.—LEyes moderate,
plumage close.

Family. HIRUNDINIDZ.—Bill short and weak, very
broad at base, suddenly compressed to tip. Wings long,
sharp, and narrow. ‘Tail forked. Tarsi weak.

Sub-family. Cypseline.—Wings very long and curved
like scimetars. ‘Toes short, strong, hinder toe generally
directed forwards ; claws curved and sharp.

Genus. ACANTHYLIS.—Nostrils in membranous groove.
Wings long, first quill longest. ‘Tail with shafts projecting.
Tarsi short and naked. ‘Toes compressed. Habitat—
America, India, and Australia.

Genus. MacrortERyx.—Wings long, first and second
quills longest. Tail very long and deeply forked. Tarsi
naked. Habitat—India, East India Islands, and Africa.

Genus. CYPSELUS.—Bill with sides gradually compressed
to the tip; nostrils with little feathers round opening.
Wings, second quill longest. Tail mostly forked. Tarsj
very short, plumed to toes. Toes all directed forward.
Habitat—Warm and temperate parts of world.

Genus. COLLOCALIA.—Bill very small, nostrils in mem-
branous groove. Wings, second quill longest. Tail mode-
rate. Tarsi slender and naked. ‘Toes short and thick.
Habitat—Indian Archipelago.

Sub-family. Hirundinine.—Bill short, sides gradually
compressed to tip; nostrils at base of bill and rounded.
Wings long, first quill longest. Tail forked. Tarsi mostly
scaled. Toes mostly long and slender, claws moderate.

Genus. ATTICORA.—Bill, keel curved to tip. Tail very
long and deeply forked. Tarsi short and scaled. Exterior
toes unequal. Habitat—South America, New Guinea,
Africa, and Australia.

Genus. Hirunpdo.—Nostrils partly covered by mem-
brane. ‘Tail, exterior feathers sometimes much lengthened.
Habitat—Most parts of world.

Genus. PROGNE.—Bill strong, edges curved to tip. Tail
moderate. ‘Tarsi short, strong, and scaled. Exterior toes
equal. Habitat—New World.

Genus. CoTYLE.—Bill very flat, nostrils prominent. Ta‘l
moderate, slightly forked. arsi scaled and slender. Toes
short and slender, exterior unequal. Habitat—Old and
New Worlds.

CHELIDON.—Bill short and strong. Tail mode-
rate. Tarsi rather long and plumed. Toes also plumed,
exterior unequal. Habitat—Old World.

Family. CORACIADZ.—Bill long, broad at base, tip
hooked ; nostrils at base. Wings long and pointed. Tail
mostly short andeyen. Tarsi short. ‘Toes moderate.

Sub-family. Coraciane.—Bill rather high, tip overhang-
ing lower mandible; nostrils narrow and oblique. Wings
and tail moderately long. Tarsi short. Toes moderate and
free,

Genus.

768

Genus. Eunrystomus.—Bill rather short, strong, and
flat ; nostrils partly covered by plumed membrane. Wings
long and pointed, second quill longest. Tail even. Tarsi
very short and with transverse scales. Outer toe longer
than inner, hind toe long. Habitat—Australia and parts
of Old World.

Genus. CoRactas.—Bill long and straight, nostrils nar-
row and partly covered by feathered membrane. Wings,
second and third quills longest. Tail long and rounded.
Tarsi short. Inner toe a very little longer than outer.

Genus, BRACHYPTERACIAS.—Bill long and broad, keel
gradually coming to tip. Wings short, third to seventh
quills longest. Tail long androunded. Tarsilong, slender,
and scaled transversely. Outer toe longer than inner ;
claws short, sharp, and curved. Habitat—Madagascar.

Sub-family. Todine.—Bill long, tip round or sharp;
nostrils exposed. Wings short and round, Tail slightly
forked. Tarsislender. Outer toe longer than inner.

Genus. Topus.—Bill with edges straight and finely
notched, short bristles round base ; nostrils in ashort groove.
Wings, fourth to sixth quills longest and equal. Tarsi with
one long scale in front. Outer toe united to second joint,
inner to first joint ; claws compressed and curved. Habitat
—Tropical America.

Sub-family. Eurylaimine.—Bill large, very broad at
base, keel much arched, nostrils near base. Wings rounded,
third and fourth quills longest. Tail moderate. Toes un-
equal, outer joined to middle.

Genus. EURYLAIMUS.—Bill rather flattened, edges di-
lated at base. Tail rounded. ‘Tarsi feathered below knee,
broad scales in front. Outer toe joined to middle for some
distance, hind toe long. Habitat—India and Indian Archi-
pelago.

Genus. CYMBIRHYNOHUS.—Bill with sides gradually com-
pressed, a few long and stout bristles at base. Rest like
previous genus. Habitat—India and Archipelago,

Sub-family. Momotinee.—Bill long, slightly curved, and
edges strongly notched. Wings short and round. Two
middle feathers of tail generally longest. Outer toe longer
ten inner, joined to middle as far as second joint, hind toe
short.

Genus. Momotvus.—Bill, with nostrils at base, small and
round. Wings, fourth to sixth quills longest. Tarsi scaled
in front. Habitat—Tropical America and islands.

Family. TROGONIDZ.—Pill short, somewhat triangular,
broad at base, mostly toothed ; bristles at gape. Wings
moderate and rounded. Tail long. Tarsi short and plumed.
Tees two in front and two behind.

Genus. TRrocon.—Bill, keel much curved to tip, edges
notched; nostrils hidden by plumes. Wings, fourth and
fifth quills longest. Tarsi hidden by plumes. Two front
toes unequal, united to first joint. Habitat—Tropical
America.

Genus. APALODERMA.—Bill, edges of upper mandible
nearly smooth, of lower deeply notched. ‘Tarsi nearly bare
and scaled. Front toes not united. Habitat—South Africa.

Genus. PRIOTELUS.—Bill, with edges of both mandibles
notched, nostrils partly hidden by plumes. Tail with tip of
each feather diverging. Tarsi short and scaled. Two front
toes not united. Habitat—China.

Genus. HarpactTEs.—Bill, with edges smooth, nostrils
partly hidden by membrane. ‘Tarsi short and half plumed.
‘Two front toes united for half their length. Habitat—India
and Archipelago.

Genus. CALURUS.—Beak, edges smooth and curved to
tip. Wing-coverts long and curved. Upper tail-coverts very
long, tail moderate. Tarsi partly plumed. Two front toes
united for a little distance. Habitat—South America.

Family, ALCEDINIDE.—Bill long, nostrils straight
and sharp. Wings long and rounded. ‘Tail short and
rounded, Tarsi short. ‘Toes variously arranged.

COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS.

Sub-family. Bucconine.*—Bill, nostrils hidden by
plumes. Tail moderate. Toes, two in front and two behind,
outer front toe longest.

Genus. Buoco.—Bill long, broad at base, suddenly
curved at tip, and hooked, edges straight ; nostrils in mem-
branous groove. Wings, first quill short, fourth longest. Tail
broad and even. ‘Tarsi with transverse scales, claws long,
compressed and sharp. Habitat—Tropical America.

Genus. Monasa.—Bill slightly curved and _ sharp.
Wings, fourth and fifth quills longest. Tail long, broad,
and round, ‘Tarsi with transverse scales in front; claws
short and much compressed. Habitat—Tropical America.

Genus. CHELIDOPTERA.—Bill short and curved through-
out. Wings long, third and fourth quills longest. Tail
very short. Tarsi with broad transverse scales. Habitat—
Tropical America.

Sub-family. Haleyoninze —Bill broad at base, compressed
towards tip and edges, straight or curved upwards.

Genus. DACELO.—Bill long, very broad at base, keel
straight to tip, which is slightly hooked, edges curved
upwards at end, lower mandible deepest in middle, and
curving upwards to tip; nostrils at sides of base, small and
narrow. Wings moderate, first quill long, third and fifth
longest. Tail moderate. Tarsi very short and sealed. Inner
toe short, united to middle to first joint, outer long and
united to third joint, all with broad pads below; claws
long and curved. HaAbitat—Australia and New Guinea.

Genus. Hatcyon.—Bill long, keel nearly straight, keel
of lower mandible rather more angular than in Dacelo ; nos-
trils in small membranous space, partly hidden by plumes,
Wings, first quill long, third longest. Tail moderate, Tarsi
short and scaled transversely. Outer toe united to third
joint of middle toe, inner to second joint. Habitat—Africa,
India, Australia, and South Sea Islands.

Genus. 'TANYSIPTERA.—Bill, nostrils rounded and ex-
posed. Wings, fourth quill longest. Tail wedge-shaped,
central feathers prolonged, with wide tips. Tarsi short and
scaled transversely. Inner toe short, united to second joint
of middle toe, outer long and joined to third joint. Habitat
—New Guinea and Philippines.

Genus. CEYX.—Bill long and slender, keel of lower
mandible straight to tip, nostrils narrow, in membranous
space. Wings, first quill long, second and third longest.
Tail very short and round. ‘Tarsi very short. Inner toe
absent, middle and outer toes in front, and united to third
joint. Habitat—India and Archipelago.

Subfamily. Aleedinine.—Bill long and slender, keel of
both mandibles sloping to sharp tip.

Genus. CERYLE.—Bill long and strong, keel encroaching
on forehead, edges wider at base. Tail long and rounded.
Tarsi very short, Habitat—Africa, India, and most of
America,

Genus. ALCEDO.—Bill, nostrils oblique, covered with
plumed scale. Wings, second and third quills longest, first
nearly as long. Tail short. Outer toe united to middle
nearly to tip, hind toe short and broad. Habitat—Most
parts of Old World.

Genus. ALCYONE.—As Alcedo, but inner toe wanting.
Habitat—Australia, Indian Archipelago, and New Guinea.

Sub-family. Galbulinze.—Bill various, but always long.
Wings moderate, fourth quill longest. Tail long and gra-
duated. Tarsi short. Toes, three or four, two front toes
united to near end of inner toe.

Geywus. GALBULA.—Bill squared and straight, two long
slender bristles at base; nostrils in small groove. Tarsi
feathered. Inner hinder toe very small or wanting.
Habitat—Tropical America and Islands. Includes Jaca-
MARALOCYON.

Genus. JACAMEROPS.—Bill curved. Inner hind toe
shortest, claws long, compressed, and sharp. Habitat—
Tropical America.

Family. MEROPIDE.—Bill long, both mandibles curved
and very sharp ; nostrils on sides of base, partly hidden by

* These are better called Puff-birds than Barbets, for which ses

page 550.

COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS. 769

short bristles. Wings long and pointed. Tail long and
broad. ‘Tarsi very short ; toes long, two exterior united to
middle, hind toe long with broad pad beneath.

Genus. MerRops.—Wings reaching two-thirds the length
of tail, second quill longest. Tail with two middle feathers
prolonged. Tarsi strong and scaled. Outer toe longer than
inner. Habitat—Most parts of Old World.

Genus. MELITTOPHAGUS.—Wings only reaching to middle
of tail and rounded, third quill longest. Tail broad and
even. Habitat—Africa.

Genus. NYOTIORNIS.—Bill grooved above, nostrils covered
with short plumes. Wings reaching rather beyond base of
tail, fourth quill longest. Tail slightly forked. Outer toe
longer than inner. Habitat—India and Archipelago.

Tribe. TENUIROSTRES.—Billslender, upper mandible
mostly sharp at tip. Tarsi short; toes long, hind toe
mostly lengthened.

Family. UPUPIDZ.—Bill long, sides compressed to tip ;
nostrils small and at base. Wings long and rounded. Tail
long. Outer toe united to middle, hind toe long.

Subfamily. Epimachinz.—Bill slender and arched;
nostrils in wide groove. Wings moderate, rounded. Tail
yarious. Tarsi moderately long and strong. Hind toe very
long apd strong, its claw powerful.

Genus. _ NEOMORPHA.—Wings, fifth to seventh quills
longest. Tail long, broad, and round. Tarsi with wide
scales in front. Outer toe larger than inner. Habitat—
New Zealand.

Genus. EPIMACHUS.—Wings, quills sometimes truncated.
Taillong. Tarsi with large thick scales in front. Outer
toe longer than inner. Sides of body with flattened and
decomposed feathers. Habitat— Australia and New Guinea.

Sub-family. Upupine.—Bill with prominent keel, tip
sharp. Claws long, sharp, curved, and strong.

Genus. Upura. Bill slender, and curved throughout ;
nostrils covered with membranous scale. Tail long and
even. Tarsi strong, broadly scaled. Outer toe longer than
inner, and united to first joint ; claw of hind toe long and
nearly straight. Habitat—Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Family. PROMEROPIDA.—Bill long, slender ; nostrils
at base, and covered with a scale. Wings moderate. Tarsi
moderate, broad scaled ; toes moderate, with curved sharp
claws.

Sub-family. Promeropinz.—Bill curved, base broad ;
nostrils small. Wings moderate. Tail long. Outer toe
longer than inner.

Genus. NECTARINIA.—Bill, keel large and round between
nostrils, edges of lower jaw very finely notched ; nostrils in
a short broad groove. Wings, third and fourth, or fourth
quills only, longest. Two middle feathers of tail elongated.
Habitat—Africa, India, and Archipelago.

Genus. DREPANIS.—Wings, first quill wanting, third
and fourth equal and longest. Tail moderate and even.
Habitat—Sandwich Islands.

Genus. D1c®uM,—Bill curved, short, and broad, edges
of tip very tinely notched ; nostrils in a membranous groove.
Wings, first quill wanting, third and fourth longest. Tail
short and eyen. Habitat—Australia, India, and Archi-
pelago.

Sub-family. Cerebine.—Bill rather long ; nostrils at its
base, and covered with a membranous scale. Wings, long
and pointed. Tail short. Tarsi rather long ; toes short,
outer rather longer than inner.

Genus. CHREBA.—Bill long, arched, and slender, tip
sharp. Wings, first quill spurious, third and fourth longest.
Tail short and squared. Habitat—South America.

Family. MELIPHAGIDZ.—Bill long, curved ; nostrils
in a large groove. Wings moderate. Tongue with tuft of
slender fibres at its tip. Tail long and broad. Tarsi short
and strong ; toes rather long, outer united to middle at its
base.

Sub-family.
sixth quills usually longest.
and strong.

9

Meliphagine.— Wings rounded, fourth to
Toes moderate, hind toe long

3

Genus. MrtirpHaca.—Bill slender, broad at base ; nostrils
covered by membranous scale. Wings, first quill short, and
others graduated to fourth and fifth, which are equal and
longest. ‘Tail long, very slightly forked. Claws very sharp
and long. Habitat—Australia.

Genus. PROSTHEMADERA.—Wings, fifth and sixth quills
equal and longest. Tail rounded on sides. Habitat—New
Zealand and Auckland Islands.

Genus. ANTHOCHHRA—Wings, fifth and sixth quills
equal and longest. Tail graduated on sides. Habitat—
Australia.

Genus. TROPIDORHYNCHUS (including EntomyzaA).—Bill
elevated at base. Wings, second quill double the length of
the first, fourth and fifth equal and longest. Tail long and
rounded, Habitat—Australia and New Guinea.

Sub-family. Melithreptine.—Bill short and rather conical.
Wings, fourth and seventh quills mostly longest.

MyzanTHa (MANoruINA).—Bill, nostrils at base in broad
groove, partly covered by plumes and with a membranous

scale. Wings, fourth and fifth equal and longest, third,
second, and first gradually shorter. Tail long and rounded
on sides. Habitat—Australia.

Family. 'TROCHILIDZ.—Bill very slender, tip sharp ;
nostrils covered with a large scale, sometimes feathered.
Wings long and sharp. Tail usually long. Tarsi very short ;
toes long and slender.

Genus. TROCHILUS.—Bill very slight and curved, edges
of upper mandible overlapping lower at base ; nostrils with
partly feathered scale. Wings, first quill shorter than
second. Tail forked, two feathers much projecting. Tarsi
stout, partly plumed. Inner toe shorter than outer. Ha-
bitat—Jamaica.

Genus, THAUMASTURA.—Bill small, delicate, nearly
straight. Wings moderate. Throat with scaly metallic
feathers. Two central tail feathers very long, rest abruptly

graduated, forming a very deep and sudden fork. Habitat
—Guatemala.

Genus. DOcIMASTER.—Bill enormously elongated, slightly

recurved. Wings large. ‘Tail forked. Habitat—Peru,
Santa Fé de Bogota.
Genus. HELIActin.—Bill short and spine-like. Male

with ong shining crest over eyes and ears. Throat with
drooping pointed gorget. Tail graduated, long, narrow,
pointed feathers. Habitat—Brazil.

Genus. ERIOCNEMIS.—Bill moderate, straight. Wings
moderate, Tail short and broad. Tarsi tufted to toes with
downy muff.

Genus. Topaza.—Bill slightly curved; nostrils with
scale, mostly concealed by plumes. Wings, first quill
longest. Tail moderate two exterior feathers on each side
much lengthened. ‘Tarsi slender, partly plumed, Outer
toe shorter than inner. Habitat—Central America.

Genus. SPATHURA.—Bill straight, slender. Throat shin-
ing green. Tail very deeply forked ; exterior feathers very
long, bare almost to end, where they have a racket-shaped
web. ‘Tarsi covered with large muff of’soft down. Habitat
—Peru, Santa Fé de Bogota, Bolivia.

Genus. Discura.—Resembles Spathura, but is without
the tarsal muffs. Habitat—Cayenne, Surinam, Demerara,
and Northern Brazil. .

Genus. RRHAMPHOMICRON.—Bill very small, short, and
delicate. Gorget effulgent. Wings small. Tail moderately
forked. Habitat—Santa Fé de Bogota.

Genus. GOULDIA.—Bill short. Wings small. Gorget
green. Tail, exterior feathers long, bristly, and pointed,
central very short, others regularly graduated. Habitat—
Brazil.

Genus. SELASPHORUS.—Bill straight and delicate.
get composed of refulgent large scaly feathers,
delicate. Tail feathers narrow. Habitat—Veragua.

Genus. PHAETHORNIS.—Bill very long, slightly curved,
base broad ; nostrils with partly plumed scale. Wings, first
quill longest. Tail long, two central feathers elongated.
Tarsi slender, and plumed ; exterior toe united to middle at
base, Habitat—South America.

D

Gor-
Wings

770

Genus. FLoRIsuGA.—Bill arched. Wings moderate.
Tail short, forming rounded fork when closed ; tail coverts
very large, projecting beyond central feathers of tail.
Habitat —Tobago, Brazil.

Genus, OXyYPOGON.—Bill short and sharp. Head of male
with long pointed crest, black in centre, rest white ; long
drooping plumes on chin, Wings moderate. Tail large,
slightly forked when closed. Habitat—Cordilleras.

Genus. HELIOMASTER,.—Bill long, straight, or nearly so,
Gorget very large, extended laterally by long lancet-shaped
feathers. Tail ample. Feet small. Habitat—Brazil, An-
tilles.

Genus. EUTOXERES.—Bill rather long, very much curved.
Tail-coverts long. Tail rapidly graduated, composed of
Bncet saved feathers. Habitat—Veragua, Santa Fé de

ogota.

Genus. HELIANGELUS.—Bill long as head, straight,
rather flat at base, rest cylindrical. Throat with scaly lus-
trous feathers, mostly a white or buff gorget. Wings
strong, outer primary well curved. Tail moderate, rounded.
Habitat—Venezuela, New Granada, &e.

Genus. LOoPHORNIS.—Bill short, slender, straight, and
sharp ; head crested. Neck furnished with fan-like plumes.
ee moderate, rounded. Habitat— Guiana, Cayenne,

razil.

Genus, PETASOPHORA.—Bill long, slender, almost, if not
quite, straight. Ear-coverts composed of large, scaly, me-
tallic feathers, standing boldly from neck. Wings large.
Tail squared. Habitat—Mexico.

Genus. TRYPHENA,—Bill long and awl-shaped; gorget
large. Wings rather small. In male, tail long, forked to
upper tail-coverts. Habitat—Mexico.

Genus. ComutEs.—Bill long, cylindrical, boldly curved
downwards, Tail very long, very deeply forked, feathers
long, wide, and squared at ends. Tarsi bare. Habitat—
Peru and Bolivia.

Genus. CALOTHORAX.—Bill long and curved, base broad,
covered with plumes ; nostrils concealed by plumes, Wings
moderate, first quill longest. Tail long. ‘Tarsi slender,
partly plumed. Outer toe shorter than inner. Habitat—
Central America.

Genus. CYNANTHUS.—Bill straight. Tail very deeply
forked, the two exterior feathers being broad, squared, and
twice the length of the second pair. The remainder are
lancet-shaped, and rapidly graduated to the central, which
are very short. Habitat—Peru, Santa Fé de Bogota,

Genus. AVoOcETTA.—Bill much curved upward in front.
Tail short. Wings moderate.

Genus, H&ELIOTHRIX.—Bill very slightly arched, and
wedge-shaped; nostrils hidden by plumes. Wings long,
largely feathered. Feet very small. Habitat—Brazil,
Guiana.

Genus, ORTHORHYNCHUS.—Bill short and _ straight.
Head with large loose tuft forming along peak. Includes
CrPHALEPIS. Habitat—Brazil, Xc.

Genus. OREOTROCHILUS.—Bill slightly curved ; nostrils
in long groove, concealed by projecting plumes. Wings,
first quill longest. Tail long and rounded. Tarsi slender,
partly plumed. Toes free. Habitat—South America,

Genus. MELLISUGA.—Bill straight; nostrils hidden by
plumes. Wings, first quill longest. Tail long. Tarsi
slender. Exterior toes united to middle at base ; outer toe
longer than inner. Habitat—New World.

Family. CERTHID.—Bill long, arched ; nostrils small
and with membranous scale. Wings, tail, tarsi, and toes
extremely varied.

Sub-family. Furnarine.—Toes long, outer longer than
inner, and united at base to middle toe.

Genus. FURNARIUS.—Nostrils oval, covered with plumes
of forehead. Wings, quills graduated to fourth and fifth,
which are longest. Tail moderate, rather squared. Tarsi
rather long ; toes moderate. Habitat—Sonth America.

COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS.

Sub-family. Certhinzs—Toes very long and delicate,
outer toe longer than inner, and joined to middle joint
beyond first joint ; inner toe united as far as first joint ;
hind toe very long and slender ; claws long and curved.

Genus. _CERTHIA.—Bill curved, nostrils lunate, partly
covered with membranous scale. Wings, first quill short,
fourth and fifth equal and longest. Tail long, graduated,
tips of feathers sharp and stiff. Tarsi short and slender.
Habitat—Europe, Asia, and North America,

Genus. TICHODROMA.—Bill slightly curved, nostrils with
membranous scale. Wings long and rounded, quills as in
Certhia, Tail short, tips of feathers soft. Habitat—Europe
and Asia,

Sub-family. Dendrocolaptine.—Bill various; nostrils
small and exposed. Tail, shaft of each feather projecting
beyond web.

Genus. DENDROCOLAPTIS (XIPHORHYNCHUS).—Bill much
curved, broad at base, then compressed to tip, nostrils oval.
Wings, fourth quill longest. Tarsi short and strong, broad
scaled. Outer toe longer than inner, and united to middle
toe. Habitat—South America.

Subfamily. Sittine,—Outer toe longer than inner, and
united as far as first joint to the middle toe.

Genus. S1rta,—Bill straight, nostrils in broad groove.
Wings, first quill very short, third and fourth longest.
Tail short and broad. Tarsi strong; hind toe longer than
middle, Habitat—Europe and North America.

Sub-family, Menurine.—Bill long and slender ; nostrils
with horny scale or membrane. Wings short and round.
Outer toe longer than inner, hind toe long.

Genus. MENURA.—Bill strong and broad; nostrils in
broad triangular groove. Wings, sixth to ninth quills
longest. Tail very long, in males lyre-shaped. Tarsi rather
long, broadly scaled in front; claws long, powerful, and
blunt. Habitat—Australia.

Genus. TROGLODYTES.—Bill straight ; nostrils in a groove,
protected by membrane. Wings, fourth to sixth quills
longest. Tail short and round. Tarsi rather short, broadly
scaled in front. Toes long and slender. Habitat—Europe,
Asia, and America,

Tribe. DENTIROSTRES.—Tip of upper mandible
slightly toothed and hooked, Outer toe united to centre
toe at base.

Family. LUSCINIDH.—Bill sharp, slender, straight,
sides rather compressed towards tip. Wings rather long.
‘Tarsi slender.

Sub-family. Malurine.—Nostrils open, in membranous

groove, ‘Tail long and rounded. Hind toe with strong
claw.
Genus. ORTHOTOMUS.—Bili slightly flattened at base ;

nostrils with longitudinal opening. Wings, fourth to eighth
guills longest. Tail graduated, feathers narrow. Tarsi
with. single scale in front. Outer toe longer than inner,
Habitat—India and Archipelago.

Genus. DRyMo1cA.—Bill short, with short bristles at
base ; nostrils with semi-lunar opening, partly covered by a
scale. Wings, fourth and fifth quills longest. Tail long,
broad, and rounded. Tarsi broadly scaled in front. Habitat
—aAfrica, Southern Europe, India, and Australia.

Genus. St1prtuRUS.—Bill with long bristles at base ;
nostrils with oval opening. Wings, fourth to sixth quills

longest. Tail long and graduated, six long slender shafts
with filamentous webs. Tarsi with large scale in front
Habitat—Australia.

Sub-family. Luscininee.—Bill slender and straight ; nos-
trils in membranous groove. Wings and tail moderate.
Tarsi slender and scaled. Toes long and slender, claws
sharp.

Genus. SyLv1a,—Bill with few weak bristles at base ; nos-
trils in broad short groove, with partly semi-lunar opening.
Wings, first quill very short, third and fourth longest. Outer
toe united at base to middle; hind toe with strong claw.
Habitat—Old World,

COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS. 771

Genus. LuscrntaA.—Bill short, no bristles ; nostrils with
rounded opening. Wings, third quill longest. Tarsi with
one long scale in front. Habitat—Old World.

Genus. CALAMODYTA.—Bill small, sometimes with very
weak bristles; nostrils with oval opening. Wings, first
quill very short, third and fourth longest. Tarsi with broad
seales in front. Habitat—Old World.

Genus. Keauios,—Bill small, broad at base; nostrils
semi-lunar, covered with membranous scale. Wings, first
quill very short, fourth and fifth longest. Tail very slightly
forked. Tarsi with one long scale in front. Habitat—
Europe, Asia, and America.

Sub-family. Erythacine—Bill with tip entire, bristles
at base. ings and tail various. Tarsi, long, slender,
with single scale. Toes moderate.

Genus. SaxicoLa.—Bill rather flat at base, nostrils in
membranous groove, opening rounded. Wings long, third
and fourth quills longest. Tail even. Outer toe longer
than inner. Habitat—Most parts of world.

Genus. PRATINCOLA.—Bill with short bristles, nostrils
with rounded opening, nearly hidden by plumes of forehead.
Wings long and round, fourth and fifth quills longest. Tail
short and broad. Outer toe longer than inner. Habitat—
Old World.

Genus,
membranous groove, opening rounded,
rounded ; fourth and fifth quills longest.
and somewhat forked. Toes short and slender.
Old World.

Genus. ErytHacts.—Bill strong; nostrils in groove,
opening elongated. Wings moderate, fourth and fifth quills
longest. Tail moderate, broad, and rather forked. Outer
longer than inner, united to middle at base, hind toe long
and slender. Habitat—Europe.

Genus. CYANECULA.—Bill straight and slender, nostrils
at base, rounded. Wings moderate, third and fourth quills
longest. Tail moderate, rounded. Tarsi long; outer toe
longer than inner, Habitat—Old World.

Genus. CopsycHus.—Bill wide at gape, with short
bristles ; nostrils in slight groove. Wings, fifth quill longest,
first to fourth graduated. Tail ratherlong. Tarsi rather
long, hind toe long and strong. Habitat—India and Africa.

Genus. StattaA.—Bill short, broad at base; nostrils in
groove, opening elongated. Wings very long and pointed,
third and fourth quills longest. Hind toe moderate. Ha-
bitat—America.

Sub-family. Accentorine.—Bill short, straight, nostrils
in groove, opening exposed. Wings long. Tail moderate.
Tarsi moderate. Outer toe united to middle at base, hind
toe long.

Genus. ACCENTOR.—Bill, nostrils very narrow. Wings,
third to fifth quills longest, first very short. Tarsi broadly
sealed in front. Claw of hind toe long and compressed.
Habitat—Europe and Asia,

Sub-family. Parinz.—Bill straight, short, and strong ;
nostrils at base. Wings moderate, first three quills gra-
duated. Tail rounded and even. Tarsi scaled in front.
Inner toe shortest ; claws curved and strong.

Routict~ta.—Bill broad at base; nostrils in
Wings long and
Tail long, broad,
abitat—

Genus. Parvs.—Bill, nostrils concealed by plumes of
forehead. Wings, fourth and fifth quills longest. Hind
toe and claw very long. Habitat—Old World and North
America.

Genus. _PAROIDES.—Wings, third and fourth quills
longest. Tail rather long. Habitat—Europe and Africa.

Sub-family. Mmiotiltinee—Bill conical, nostrils exposed,
opening rather large. Wings long. Tail moderate. Tarsi
broadly sealed ; toes long and slender.

Genus. ZOSTEROPS.—Bill with few short bristles at base ;
nostrils in broad groove, protected by semilunar scale.
Wings, fourth and fifth quills longest, first very small. Tail
broad. Outer toe longer than inner. Habitat—India,
Africa, and Australia.

Sub-family. Motacilline.—Bill moderate, keel rather
curved at end, sides much compressed; nostrils in small
groove. Wings long and pointed. Taillong. Tarsi long,
slender, with transverse scales. Toes and claws long.

Genus. Moracttia.—Bill, nostrils oval, partially hidden
by a membrane. Wings, second and third quills longest.
Tail very long, even or forked. Hind toe long. Habitat—
Most parts of world.

Genus. EPHTHIANURA.—Bill, nostrils in broad groove,
covered with membranous scale. Wings, third to fifth quills
longest. Tail rather short. Toes rather short. Habitat—
Australia,

Genus. ANTHUS—Bill straight and slender; nostrils in
short broad groove, rounded, and partly covered by mem-
brane. Wings, first to third quills longest. Claws of front
toes short and curved, that of hind toe long and sharp,
Habitat—Most parts of world.

Family. TURDIDE.—Bill rather strong, sides rather
compressed. Wings long. Tail moderate. Tarsi and toes
various,

Sub-family. Formicarine.—Bill straight; nostrils in
membranous groove, reached but not covered by plumes.
Wings short and rounded. Tarsi with divided scales in
front. Outer toe longer than inner.

Genus. Prrta—Bill broad at base, opening of nostrils
oblique and exposed, Wings, third and fourth quills longest.
Tail very short and even. Tarsi very long with broad scales.
Outer toe longer than inner, and united to middle at base ;
hind toe and claw very long. Habitat—India, Australia,
and Western Africa.

HypRoBaATA,—Bill moderate, slightly curved
upwards; opening of nostrils semilunar. Wings rounded,
third and fourth quills longest, first spurious. Tail very
short and even. Outer toe rather longer than inner.
Habitat—Europe, Asia, and America.

Sub-family. Turdine.—Bill as long as head; nostrils
open, in small groove. Wings, first quill very short. Tail
long and broad. ‘arsilong. Outer toe longer than inner,
united to middle at base, hind toe long and strong.

Genus.

Genus. Mimus.—Bill with short bristles at base ; nostrils
oval. Wings, fourth, fifth, sometimes seventh quills longest,
second shorter than third. Tarsi with broad scales in front.
Habitat—America, West Indian and Galapagos Islands.

Genus. 'TuRDUS.—Bill with weak bristles at base ; nos-
trils as in Mimus. Wings, third and fourth quills longest.
Tail slightly forked. ‘'arsi with single long scale in front.
Habitat—All parts of the world.

Sub-family. _Timaline.—Bill moderate, keel curved;
nostrils exposed. Wings short and rounded. Tail gra-
duated. Tarsi long and strong. ‘Toes long, strong, and
with large scales above ; claws compressed and sharp.

Genus. TIMALIA.—Bill, sides much compressed to tip ;
few short bristles at base; nostrils in small groove, semi-
lunar opening with a small scale. Wings, fifth to seventh
quills longest. Tarsi with one long scale in front. Habitat
—India and Java.

Genus. IcTERIA.—Bill short, strong, elevated and curved
at base, tip slightly scooped; nostrils in small groove.
Wings, third and fourth quills longest. Tarsi long, with
single large scale in front. Outer toe longer than inner.
Habitat—America.

Genus, _CINCLOSOMA.—Bill moderate, rather slender,
slightly compressed ; a few very short bristles at base ; nos-
trils with membranous scale. Wings, third to fifth quills
longest. Tarsi with broad scales. Inner toe longer than
outer. Habitat—Australia.

Genus. GARRULAX.—Bill, nostrils in short groove, opening
rounded and hidden by plumes and bristles. Wings, fifth
and sixth quills longest. Tail broad and rounded. Tarsi
strong, hind toe very long. Habitat—India and China,

Sub-family. Oriolinze—Bill long as head, broad at base,
compressed on sides, slightly curved above ; nostrils partly
closed by membrane. Wings long, third and fourth quills
longest. Tarsi short, strong scales.

3D 2

eee
7(2

Genus. ORIOLUy.—Bill, nostrils oval. Wings, first quill
only half length of third and fourth. Tail moderate and
rounded. ‘Tarsi with broad scales. Toes free, outer longer
than inner, claws strong and curved. Habitat—Old World.

Family. MUSCICAPIDZ.—Bill various, curved above,
sides compressed to tip. ‘Tail long. Tarsi short; toes
long.

Sub-family. Alectrurinee—Bill broad and rather flat-
tened at base; nostrils rounded and exposed. Wings long.
Tarsi slender.

Genus. GUBERNETES.—Bill short, with bristles at base ;
nostrils in short membranous groove, opening rounded.
Tail long and deeply forked. Tarsi with transverse scales.
Outer toe united at base to middle; hind toe long. Habitat
—South America.

Sub-family. Tyrannine.—Bill long, broad and flat at
base, sides compressed to tip, which is hooked; nostrils
hidden by plumes and bristles. Wings long and pointed.
Tail moderate. Tarsi broadly scaled. Outer toe longer
than inner, united to middle at base; claws short and
sharp.

Genus. TYRANNUS.—Bill with long bristles at base ;
nostrils small and rounded. Wings, second, third, and
sometimes to fifth quills equal, all sharply pointed. Tail

slightly forked. Tarsi slender. Habitat—Tropical America.

Genus. Minyutus.—Bill, nostrils on side and rounded.
Wings, second quill longest, first and third equal, all waved
and pointed. Tail long, very deeply forked. Tarsi slender.
Habitat—Tropical America.

Sub-family. Muscicapine.—Bill broad at base, narrowing
to tip, base with bristles. Wings long and pointed. Outer
toe longer than inner.

Genus. RHIpIDURA.—Bill with long bristles at base,
nostrils partly covered with plumes and bristles. Wings,
fourth and fifth quills longest, first short. Tail broad and
graduated. Tarsi broadly scaled; front toes short, hind
toe long. Habitat—India, New Zealand, and islands of
Indian Ocean.

Genus. TCHITREA.— Wings, fourth and fifth quills longest,
first to third graduated, Tail long and graduated. Tarsi
with slightly divided scales. Hind toe long. Habitat—
Africa and India,

Genus. Muscicapa.—Bill short, nostrils partly hidden
by plumes. Wings, third and fourth quills longest, first
very short. Tail even. Front toes short, hind toe long.

Habitat—Old World.

Genus. Musctvora.—Bill straight, rather flattened
above, bristles very long and stiff, nostrils oval and exposed,
Tail nearly even. ‘Tarsi with one long scale. Hind toe
long. Habitat—South America.

Family. AMPELIDE.—Bill moderate, broad at base,
rather flattened, sides gradually compressed to tip. Wings

long. Tail moderate. ‘Toes moderate, outer united to inner
at base.

Sub-family. Pachycephaline.—Bill with few slight
bristles at base. Wings rounded. Tarsi long and slender ;
toes long.

Genus. PARDALOTUS.—Bill very short, nostrils covered
by membrane. Wings, first to third quills longest. Hind
toe rather long. Habitat—Australia.

Sub-family. Piprine.—Bill, base very broad, nostrils at
side, nearly hidden by plumes. Wings moderate and
pointed. Tail very short and even. Tarsi long and slender ;
outer toe united to middle beyond second joint.

Genus. PiprA.—Bill short, nostrils partly closed by a

membrane. Wings, third and fourth quills longest. Outer
toe longer than inner. Habitat—Tropical America.
Genus. Ruptcota.—Bill strong, nostrils large, oval,

partly closed by a membrane. Wings, fourth and fifth quills
lorigest. Tarsi partly covered by plumes. Outer toe longer
than inner, and united to middle beyond second joint, the
inner united at base; hind toe long and strong. Habitat—
South America,

COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS.

Genus. CALYPTOMENA.—Bill short, very broad at base,
nostrils rounded. Wings, third and fifth quills equal, fourth
longest. Tarsi broadly scaled in front. Outer toe united
to inner beyond second joint. Habitat—Sumatra.

Sub-family. Ampeline.—Bill rather long, very wide
gape ; nostrils oval. Wings moderate. ‘Tail short. Outer
toe slightly united at base.

Genus. AMPELIS.—Bill moderate, gradually curved above;
nostrils on side, concealed by plumes. Wings, second
quill longest. Claws short, much curved, compressed, and
sharp. Habitat—Europe, Asia, and Northern America.

Genus. ARAPUNGA (PROCNIAS).—Bill very short at base ;
nostrils in membranous groove, plumes reach the opening.
Wings, third and fourth quills longest. Tarsi short, trans-
versely scaled. Outer toe longer than inner. Habitat—
Tropical America,

Sub-family. Campephagine.—Bill short, few bristles at
base; nostrils rounded. Wings moderate, third to fifth
quills longest. Tail long and rounded. Tarsi short, trans-
versely scaled.

Genus. PxrRtcrocotus.—Bill, sides much compressed ;
nostrils in sunken groove. ‘Tail graduated. Tarsi slender,
with narrow scales. Lateral toes equal. Habitat—India
and Archipelago.

Sub-family. Dierurine.—Bill well keeled above and
curved ; strong bristles at base. Wings long. ‘arsi and
toes short.

Genus. ARTAMUS.—Bill moderate, keel rounded, few
bristles, nostrils small and partly hidden by plumes. Wings
very long, pointed, second quill longest, and first only rudi-
mental. Tarsi short, transversely scaled. Toes short,
outer united at base to middle. Habitat—India, Australia,
and Madagascar.

Genus. DickuRUS.—Bill, keel elevated and curved to
tip; nostrils rounded, and hidden by plumes and bristles.
Wings, fourth and fifth quills longest. Tail long and deeply
forked, sometimes extensive feathers, webbed only at ends.
Outer toe united to middle at second joint, inner at base.
Habitat—India and Africa.

Family. LANIIDE.—Bill long, strong, straight, mostly
hooked, keel curved, and sides compressed to tip. Wings
moderate. Taillong. ‘Tarsi strong. Hind toe long, claws
long, curved, and very sharp.

Sub-family. Laniinze.—Bill moderate; nostrils on side
and rounded. Wings rather long. Outer toe longer than
inner, and united to middle at base. Hind toe long, broadly
padded.

Genus. LANIUSs.—Bill broad at base, tip strongly hooked ;
few short bristles at base ; nostrils partly hidden by bristles.
Wings, fourth quill longest. Tail graduated. Habitat—
Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Genus. ENNEOCTONUS.—Wings, third quill longest. Tail
eh rounded. Rest like Lanius. Habitat—Europe and
naa,

Subfamily. Thamnophiline.—Bill long, keel arched, tip
hooked, base with bristles. Wings moderate. Tail Jong.
Tarsi broadly scaled. Outer toe united to middle at base.

Genus. THAMNOPHILUS.—Bill, nostrils at side of base,
rounded and exposed. Wings rounded, fourth to seventh
quills longest. Tarsi with transverse scales before and
behind. Habitat—America.

Tribe. CONTROSTRES.—Bill strong, conical. Wings
moderate, mostly pointed. ‘Tarsi strongly scaled; toes
moderate.

Family. CORVIDE.—Bill, keel arched, sides compressed
to tip ; nostrils at base, concealed by plumes. Tail varied.
Tarsi and toes moderate.

Sub-family. — Phonogamine.—Bill long, base broad ;
nostrils long and narrow. Wings various. Tail long. Tarsi
and toes scaled ; outer toe united to middle at base.

Genus, GYMNORHINA.—Bill longer than head, keel
slightly curved and encroaching on forehead ; nostrils like
straight slits in beak. Wings very long, pointed, third ané@
fourth quills longest, first very short. ‘Tail even. Toes
nearly even. Habitat—Australia.

COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS. 773

Genus. STREPERA.—Bill, keel rounded and elevated at
base. Wings, fourth and fifth quills longest, first very
short. Tail squared. Habitat—Australia.

Sub-family. Garruline.—Bill moderate, compressed,
keel suddenly curved at tip. Wings moderate, rounded.
Tail various. Tarsi moderate, strongly sealed, toes long.

Genus, GARRULUS.—Bill not so long as head ; nostrils
hidden by plumes. Wings, fourth, fifth, and sixth quills
longest. Tail nearly even. Outer toe longer than inner ;
hind toe long and strong. Habitat—Old World.

Genus. _CYANOCORAX.—Bill slightly compressed, nostrils
pete hidden by plumes, Wings, fourth to sixth quills
ongest. Taillong and rounded. Habitat—New World.

Genus. CISsa.—Bill large, keel elevated, tip hooked,
sides much compressed ; nostrils partly covered with plumes.
Wings, fourth and fifth quills longest. Tail long and gra-
duated. Outer toe little longer than inner. Habitat—
India and Archipelago.

Subfamily. Calleatinee.—Bill short, much curved above,
sides compressed. Wings short and rounded. Tail long
and graduated. Tarsi broadly scaled in front.

Genus. TEMNURUS.—Bill, nostrils small, rounded, hidden
by plumes and bristles. Wings, fourth to sixth quills
longest. Outer toe longer than inner. Habitat—India.

Genus. CRYPSIRHINA.—Bill, tip notched, base and nos-
trils hidden by plumes. Wings, fifth and sixth quills
longest. Outer toe longer than inner. Habitat—India.

Sub-family. Corvine.—Bill, base broad, rather curved
above. Wings long and rounded. Tail various. Tarsi
broadly scaled in front. Toes moderate, strong; two exte-
rior equal.

Genus. NucIFRAGA.—Bill long, nostrils at sides of base,
and covered by bristles. Wings, fourth and fifth quills
longest. ‘Tail moderate, rounded on sides. Toes long,
strong, and broadly scaled. Habitat—Europe and Asia.

Genus. Pr1ca.—Bill long, tip slightly hooked; nostrils
rounded and hidden by bristles. Wings, fourth and fifth
quills longest, first very short, Tail long and graduated.
Tarsi long, toes short and strong. Habitat—Old World and
North America.

Genus. Corvus.—Bill strong and mostly long ; nostrils
covered by bristly plumes, except when forehead bare.
Wings long and pointed, third and fourth quills longest.
Habitat—Most parts of world.

Genus, PICATHARTES.—Bill rather flattened ; nostrils in
large membranous groove and exposed, upper part of head
and cheeks bare. Wings, sixth and seventh quills longest.
Tail, very long and rounded. Tarsi long and slender.
Habitat—A frica.

Sub-family. Gymnoderine.—Bill straight, rather flat-
tened, sides compressed to tip; nostrils in membranous
groove. Wings long and pointed. Tail moderate and
rounded, Tarsi long, transversely scaled. Toes long, outer
nearly equal to middle ; claws long, curved, and sharp.

Genus. GYMNODERUS.—Bill rather short, broad at base,
groove of nostrils clothed with down. Wings, third to fifth
quills longest. Tail even. Sides of neck bare, head and
front of neck scantily clothed with down. Habitat—
Guiana, &c.

Genus. CEPHALOPTERUS.—Bill long, opening of nostrils
large. Male with large overhanging crest on head, breast
bare with pendulous pencil of plumes. Wings, third quill
longest. Habitat—Brazil.

Sub-family. Pyrrhocoracinz.—Bill long, slemder, curved ;
nostrils hidden by broad plumes. Wings long and pointed.
Tail long.

Genus. CoRacta.—Wings, fourth quill longest. Tail
moderate, nearly equal. ‘Tarsi short, broadly scaled in
front, exterior toes nearly equal. Habitat—Europe and
Asia.

Family. PARADISEIDZ.—Bill long, strong, curved
above ; nostrils hidden by short plumes. Wings long and
rounded. Tarsi with single long scale. Outer toe longer
than inner, united to middle at base, hind toe yery long,
claws long and curved.

Genus. PARADISEA.—Bill, sides compressed to tip.
Wings, fourth to seventh quills longest. Tail long and
broad. ‘Tarsi rather long. Sides of neck, breast, body, tail,
and sometimes head with long drooping feathers. Habitat—
New Guinea.

Family. STURNIDZ.—Bill, sides compressed. Wings
long and pointed. Tail ratherlong. Tarsi strong and broadly
scaled in front. Toes long and strong, hind toe very long.

Sub-family. Ptilonorhynchine.—Bill moderate; upper
mandible scooped at tip.

Genus. PTILONORHYNCHUS.—Bill, nostrils sunken, large,
nearly covered by plumes. Wings, fourth and fifth quills
longest, three first graduated. ‘Tail short, even. Outer toe
longer than inner. Habitat—Australia.

Genus. CHLAMYDERA.—Bill, nostrils rounded, exposed,
in a membrane. Wings, third and fourth quills longest,
first two unequal. Tail long and rounded. Habitat—Aus-
tralia.

Genus. ASTRAPIA.—Bill, sides much compressed ; nos-
trils sunken, partly hidden by plumes. Wings, third and
fourth (?) quills longest. Tail very long, and deeply gra-
duated. Habitat—New Guinea.

Sub-family. Graculine.—Bill broad at base, much com-
pressed, slightly curved above; nostrils exposed. Wings
long, first quill short, third and fourth longest. Tail short.
Tarsi short. Toes long.

Genus. GRaAcULA.—Bill long. Wings, first quill rudi-
mental. Tail various. Tarsi strong, hind toe very long.
Parts of head bare. Habitat—India, New Guinea,

Subfamily. Buphagine.—Bill moderate, broad, slightly
flattened ies si oats partly closed by membrane. eal
long, graduated, each feather pointed. Tarsi short and
stroug. Toes moderate.

Genus. BupHaGa.—Bill, sides of lower mandible very
broad, projecting under eyes. Wings, third quill longest.
Habitat— Africa.

Sub-family. Sturnine.—Bill, tip rather blunt and _flat-
tened ; nostrils in membranous groove. Tail short. Tarsi
long. Toes long and strong.

Genus. PastoR.—Bill, groove of nostrils clothed with
short feathers. Wings, second quill longest, first spurious.
Taileven. Tarsi transversely scaled. Habitat—Asia, Africa,
and temperate Europe.

Genus. STURNUS.—Bill sharp, straight, and conical groove
of nostrils feathered. Wings, second quill longest, third
nearly as long, first spurious. Habitat—Most parts of
world.

Sub-family. Quiscalinee,—Bill long, slightly curved at
tip ; nostrils in triangular groove, Tail long and graduated.
Hind toe long.

Genus. Qu1ScaLUS.—Bill, upper mandible overhanging
iower ; nostrils oval, partly closed by membrane. Wings,
second to fourth quills longest. Tail, sides turned up.
Habitat—North America.

Subfamily. Icterine—Bill rather long. Tail long.
Tarsi moderate and broadly scaled. Toes moderate and
strong.

Genus. Cactcus.—Bill advancing in crescent on fore-
head, sides compressed, tip sharp; nostrils oval, pierced in
bill. Wings, third and fourth quills longest. Tail graduated.
Habitat—Tropical America,

Genus. XANTHORNIS.—Bill arched, upper mandible ad-
yancing in point on forehead ; nostrils covered with mem-
brane. Wings, third and fourth quills longest, second nearly
ee Arne Tail wedge-shaped. Habitat—America and West

ndies.

Genus. YPHANTES.—Bill, upper mandible advancing in
point on forehead; nostrils oval, covered with membrane.
Wings, second and third quills longest, first nearly equal.
Tail squared. Habitat—North America.

Sub-family. Agelainge.—Bill very conical, flattened above.
Tarsi long as middle toe. Toes long, slender, outer united
at base to middle.

774

Genus. MOLOTHRUS.—Bill short, upper mandible slightly
advanced on forehead and arched at base ; nostrils partly
covered by membrane and plumes. Wings, first and second
quills longest. Tail rounded. Habitat—America,

AGELAIUS.—Bill flattened at base, edges slightly
waved. Wings, second and third quills longest. Tail long
and rounded. Habitat—America.

Genus. DoLicHONYX.—Bill nearly straight to tip ; nos-
trils covered with membrane. Wings, first and second quills
longest. Tail, tips of feathers sharp and stiff. Tarsi slender.
Habitat—America and West Indies.

Family. FRINGILLIDE.—Small birds.—Bill short,
thick, mostly angular at base.

Sub-family. Ploceinze.—Bill, keel projecting on forehead,
arched to tip. Wings rounded, first quill very short. Legs
and toes strong, scaled, hind toe long and strong.

Genus. HYPHANTORNIS.—Bill, keel pointed on forehead,
nostrils oval, pierced in bill. Wings, fourth quill longest,
third and fifth quill nearly equal. ‘Tail short and even,
Tarsi moderate. Claws much curved. Habitat—Africa.’

Genus. PLocEUS.—Bill compressed; nostrils partly
hidden by plumes. Wings, third to fifth quills longest,
first very short; tertials nearly as long. Tail moderate.
Habitat—India and Africa,

Genus. 'TEXTOR.—Bill broad at base, curved towards tip,
edges waved ; nostrils pierced in bill. Wings, third and
fourth quills longest, second nearly equal. Toes short, claws
curved, Habitat—Africa.

Genus.

Genus. PHILET#RUS.—Bill much compressed, rather
arched above. Wings, second to fourth quills longest, first
rudimentary. Habitat—South Africa.

Genus. PLOCEPASSER.—Bill large, advancing in point on
forehead. Wings, second and third quills longest. Tarsi
with single scale in front. Claws strong and curved,
Habitat—Afriea.

Genus. VipuA—Bill compressed, advancing in point on
forehead ; nostrils hidden by plumes. Wings, third to fifth
quills longest, first spurious. Tail-coverts and tail-feathers
lengthened variously. ‘l'arsi with divided scales in front.
Habitat—A frica,

Sub-family. Coccothraustinee—Bill large, short, very
broad at base, curved to tip. Wings long and pointed.
Tail short. 'Tarsi and toes moderate,

Genus. CARDINALIS.—Bill advanced on forehead, edges
waved in middle; nostrils rounded, hidden by plumes.
Wings, fifth quill longest, four first graduated. ‘Tail rather

long, rounded. ‘Tarsi strong. Claws short, Habitat—
America.
Genus. COCCOTHRAUSTES.—Bill, edges angular at base ;

nostrils oval, hidden by plumes, Wings, second and third
quills longest, ‘Tail short, rather forked. Outer toe longer
than inner. Habitat—Europe, North America, Northern
India.

Sub-family. Tanagrine.—Bill triangular at base, rather
arched to tip, which is scooped. Wings moderate, pointed.
Tarsi and toes short and slender,

Genus. _PYRANGA.—Bill compressed to tip; nostrils
small, partly hidden by plumes. Wings, third quill longest.
Tail moderate. Habitat—New World.

Sub-family. Fringilline—Bill short, sloping to tip.
Wings long and pointed. Tarsi moderate, slender, trans-
versely sealed,

Genus. AMADINA.—Bill very broad at base, flattened
above and pointed on forehead ; nostrils sunken, hidden by
plumes. Wings, third and fourth quills longest, second
nearly equal, first verysmall. Tail short. Habitat—Africa,
Asia, and Australia.

Genus. FRINGILLA.—Bill broad at base; nostrils in
small groove. Wings, second and third quills equal and
longest, first nearly as long. Tail moderate, slightly forked.
Outer ie united to middle at base, Habitat—Most parts
of world.

COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS.

Genus, PASSER.—Bill broad at base, slightly scooped at
tip ; nostrils partly covered by plumes. Wings, second and
third quills longest. Tail moderate. Habitat—Hurope,
Asia, and Africa.

Genus. ZONOTRICHIA.—Bill, tip not scooped, nostrils in
small groove. Wings, second to fourth quills longest. Tail
rather long and broad. Tarsishort. Outer toe united at base,
hind toe long, with very long curved claws. Habitat—
America.

Genus. AMMODROMUS.—Bill straight, keel prominent at
base ; nostrils in small groove. Wings, second to fourth
quills longest, first short. Tail, lateral feathers graduated.
Hind toe long, and with long claws. Habitat—America.

Sub-family. Emberizinee.—Bill rather flattened above,
straight, edges waved, a hard knob on palate of upper man-
dible. Wings pendant and pointed. Tarsi moderate, scaled ;
hind toe longer than inner.

Genus. Euspiza.—Bill slightly scooped at tip; nostrils
oval, partly hidden by plumes. Wings, second to fourth
quills longest. Tail slightly forked. Tarsi with long scales.
Habitat—Asia, Eastern Europe, and America.

Genus. EMBERIZA.—Bill small, nostrils partly hidden by
plumes. Wings, second,and third quills longest. Tail
rather forked, feathers sharp. Claw of hind toe long.
Habitat—Old and New World.

Genus. PLECTROPHANES.—Bill short, advancing on fore-
head, palatial knob elongated. Wings, second and third
quills longest. Claw of hind toe nearly straight. Habitat
—Europe and North America.

Sub-family. Alaudine.— Wings with tertials nearly or
quite as long as primaries. Claws long, curved. Head of
hind toe very long and nearly straight.

Genus. ALAUDA.—Bill slightly ‘arched above, nostrils
oval, hidden by plumes. Wings, third quill generally
longest, first sometimes spurious. Tail moderate, slightly
forked. Habitat—Old World.

Genus. OTOCORIS.—Bill slender. Wings long, first to
third quills longest. Tail long and even. Tarsi and toes
short. Habitat—Northern Europe and America.

Subfamily. Pyrrhuline.—Bill very stout, short, arched

above. Wings moderate, rounded. ‘ail moderate, slightly
forked, Tarsi short.
Genus. PYRRHULA.—Bill rather flattened at base, wider

than high, Wings, second to fourth quills longest. Tarsi and
toes strongly scaled. Habitat—Europe and Northern India.

Sub-family. Loxianee.—Bill broad, compressed towards
tips, which sometimes cross, or upper overhangs lower,
curved. Wings rather long. ‘Tail moderate. Tarsi short.

Genus. LOXta.—Bill moderate, mandibles crossing.
Wings, first to third quills longest. Tail short, slightly
forked. ‘Tarsi scaled, flattened below knee.

Sub-family. Phytotominee.—Bill short, edges notched.

Genus. PHyToToMA.—Bill, gradually compressed to tip,
keel rather arched, edges finely notched. Wings, third to
fifth longest. Hind toe long, Habitat—South America.

Family. COLID.—Bill moderate, keel elevated at base,
sides compressed to tip; nostrils in large membranous
grooves. Wings short. Tail long and graduated. Toes
long, hind toe directed forwards.

Genus. CoLius.—Bill, edges waved. Wings, second to
fourth quills longest. Tail, feathers narrow. Habitat—
Africa,

Family. MUSOPHAGIDE.—Bill, keel much elevated
and curved, sides much flattened, tip deeply scooped.
Wings long and round. Tail long and broad. Tarsi mode-
rate, transversely scaled in front.

Sub-family.
turned back.

Genus. MusopHaca.—Bill large, much advanced on
forehead ; nostrils near middle. Wings rather short, fourth
and fifth quills longest, tertials broad. Tail rounded.
Habitat—A rica,

Musophaginz.—Outer toe capable of being

and

- tions near tip; cere broad, large and swollen.

- Wings, first to third quills longest.

COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS.

Genus. TURACUS.—Bill short; nostrils in middle partly
covered with plumes. Wings, fourth to seventh quills
longest. Habitat—Africa.

Genus. SCHIZORHIS.—Bill short, much arched, nostrils
near base, and elongated. Wings, fourth to sixth quills

longest. Tail long and equal, Edges of toes with a
membrane. Habitat—Africa.
Sub-family. Opisthocoming.— Toes long, outer not

capable of being turned back.

Genus. OpistHOcoMUS.—Bill, upper mandible hooked
over base, which is suddenly terminated; nostrils sur-
rounded by a membrane, in middle of bill. Wings, sixth
quill longest, first five graduated. Sides of head bare.
Habitat—South America.

Fumily. BUCEROTIDE.—Bill long, curved, broad at
base, compressed to tip; keel mostly with bony helmet ;
nostrils at base. Wings moderate. Tail broad and
graduated.

Genus. Bucrros.—Bill very large,. helmeted, edges
notched in adult. Wings, third and fourth quills longest.
Tail mostly long. Tarsi strong, broadly scaled in front.
Toes united at base, outer to second joint. Face and throat
nearly bare. Habitat—Africa and India.

Order. SCANSORES.—Toes arranged two in front and
two behind. ;

Family. RHAMPHASTIDZE.—Bill very long and wide,
curved above, compressed, edges notched.

Genus. RHAMPHASTCS.—Bill, nostrils at base, nearly
hidden by projection of keel. Wings short, rounded, fifth
quill longest, four first graduated and narrow at tip. Tail
short, even. Toes, outer pair larger than inner; claws
strong. Habitat—South America.

Family. PSITTACIDE.—Bill large and powerful, much
arched, tip elongated, base with a cere containing nostrils.
Wings and tail usually long.

Sub-family. Pezoporine.—Bill moderate, tip sometimes
toothed. Tiarsi short and strong. ‘Tail broad, long, and
graduated, feathers narrowed at tip.

Genus. NYMPHICUS.—Bill strongly toothed, compressed ;
nostrils large. Wings very long, second quill longest.
Tail, two central feathers lengthened. Tarsi with small
scales. Outer front toe longest. Habitat—Australia.

Genus. PLATYCERCUS.—Bill, sides swollen, tip rather
blunt, edges very slightly toothed or entire, cere small and
rounded. Wings concave, second and third quills longest.
Habitat—Australia, New Zealand, and New Guinea.

Genus. Przoporvus.—Bill not toothed, cere broad,
rounded, Wings, seeond and third quills longest. Tail
slender, ends of feathers sharpened. Habitat—Australia.

Genus, PALHORNIS.—Bill large, under mandible small,
cere narrow. Wings, second quill longest. Tail, two
middle feathers very long and slender. Habitat—India
and Australia.

EvurHEeMa.—Bill short, tip toothed, cere short
rounded. Wings, first to third quills longest.
Habitat—Australia.

Genus. MELOPSITTACUS.—Bill with several small denta-
Wings,

Genus.

second quill longest. Habitat—Australia.

Genus. TRICHOGLOSSUS.—Bill slender, cere narrow.
Tarsi partly hidden
by feathers of thighs. Tongue with bristly brush at tip.
Habitat —Australia and Indian Archipelago.

Sub-family. Araine.—Bill large, keel much arched to
lengthened tip ; lower mandible very deep. Tail long and
graduated, tips of feathers narrow.

Genus. ARA,—Bill very large, nostrils hidden by plumes.
Wings long and pointed, second and third quills longest.
Sides of head rather bare. Habitat—South America.

Genus. CoNnuRus,—Bill, lower mandible very broad at
base. Wings, first and third quills longest. Orbits bare.
Habitat—America.

Sub-family. Loringe.—Bill slender, curved to tip, edges
wayed or notched.

775

Genus. CHARMOSYNA.—Wings long, first to third quills
longest. Tail, two central feathers elongated. Habitat—
New Guinea.

Genus. LORTUS.—Wings moderate, second and third
quills longest. Tail moderate and rounded. Habitat—
Moluccas, New Guinea, and Borneo.

Sub-family. Psittacine.—Bill large, sides compressed,
arched to lengthened tip, edges toothed or festooned,
Wings long and pointed. Tail squared. 'arsi short.

Genus. PsirTacus.—Bill, upper mandible deeply scooped,
lower deeply waved and sharp edged. Wings, second and
third quills longest. Habitat—Africa and South America,

Genus. CHRysoTIS.—Bill, upper mandible scooped,
lower waved. Wings, third quill longest. Tarsi very
short. Habitat—South America.

Genus. PstrracuLa.—Bill, edges festooned. Wings,
first and second quills longest. Tail with ends of feathers
squared or pointed. Habitat—America, Africa, and Asia.

Sub-family. Cacatuine.—Bill large, compressed, arched
to tip. ‘Tail long, broad, and even.

Genus. MIcRoGLOssuUM.—Bill yery large, upper mandible
with two teeth, lower much scooped near tip; nostrils
hidden by feathers on cere. Cheeks and front of throat
bare. Habitat—New Guinea, &c.

Genus. CacaTua.—Bill, keel flattened, edges deeply
festooned, keel of lower mandible distinct, cere narrow.
Wings, second to fourth quills longest. Habitat—Australia
and Moluccas.

Genus. NESTOR—Bill very long, keel of lower mandible
flattened. Wings, third and fourth quills longest. Tail,
shafts of feathers protrude beyond web. Habitat—Aus-
tralia and New Zealand.

Genus. CALYPTORCHYNCHUS.—Bill large, lower mandible
small, deeply scooped at tip. Wings, second to fourth
quills longest. Habitat—Australia.

Genus. STRIGOPS.—Bill grooved on sides, edges toothed
in middle, lower mandible deeply grooved, feathers at base
with hair-like shafts. Wings, fifth and sixth quills longest.
Tail, end of feathers pointed and shafts lengthened.
Habitat—South Pacific Islands.

Genus. DASYPTILUS.—Bill long, lower mandible deeply
scooped; keel bold. Wings, fourth quill longest.

Family. PICIDH.—Bill long, straight, sharp, and com-
pressed at tip.

Subfamily. Capitoninee.—Bill broad at base, with bristles.
Tail short and nearly even.

Genus. Latmopon.—Bill rather arched above, edges
irregularly notched. Wings, third to sixth quills longest.
Tarsi broadly scaled in front. Habitat—Africa.

Sub-family. Picumnine.—Bill rather short. Tail short,
tip of each feather broad and rounded.

Genus. PICUMNUS.—Wings rounded, third to fifth quills
longest. Two front toes united to first joint. Habitat—
South America and India.

Sub-family. Picimee.—Bill truncated at tip; sides of
upper mandible with a distinct ridge.

Genus. Picus.—Bi'll, height and breadth equal ; nostrils
hidden by bristles. Wings short and pointed, fourth quill

longest. Tail long, rounded. Habitat—Most parts of
world,
Genus. CAMPEPHILUS.—Bill wider than high. Wings,

third to fifth quills longest.
inner hinder toe very short.

Sub-family. Gecinine.—Bill, tip sharp and truncated,
sides sloping, ridge extends to two-thirds length of upper
mandible.

Tarsi broadly scaled in front ;

Genus. GEctrNUS.—Bill, keel slightly curved, edges
straight. Wings, fourth quill longest. Tail, tip of feathers
sharp and stiff. Tarsi short; claws large. Hahitat—Old
World.

Sub-family. Melanerpine.—Bill, lateral ridge half way
between keel and edges.

776

Genus. MBLANERPES.—Wings long, fourth quill longest,
third nearly equal. Tail long, tips of feathers stiff and
pointed. Habitat—America.

Sub-family. Colaptine.—Bill, lateral ridge very small
or wanting.

Genus, COLAPTES.—Wings, fourth and fifth quills
longest, first very short. ‘Tail long, graduated, tips of
feathers stiff. Habitat—America and South Africa.

Sub-family. Yuneine.—Bill short, straight, and sharp.
Wings pointed. Tail rounded, feathers soft.

Genus. YUNX.—Bill, nostrils partly hidden by mem-
brane. Tarsi scaled, partly covered with feathers. Two
front toes united at base. Habitat—Europe, India, Africa.

Family. CUCULIDE.—Bill rather slender and com-
pressed, curved aboye, tip scooped ; nostrils in membranous
groove. Wings long. ‘Tail rounded.

Subfamily. Indicatorine.—Bill short, broad at base,
slightly curved above. Tail slightly forked. Tarsi very
short.

InDICcATOR.—Bill, tip scarcely scooped ; nostrils
Wings, third to fifth quills longest.
Habitat—A frica, India,

Genus.
long and near keel.
Front pair of toes united at base.
and Borneo,

Sub-family. Saurotherine.—Bill long, suddenly curved
at tip, much compressed. Wings rounded. Tail long and
graduated. Tarsi with transverse scales in front.

Genus. SAUROTHERA.—Bill, nostrils wide, partly covered
by membrane. Wings, fourth to sixth quills longest.
Outer lateral toes longest. Habitat—South America and
West Indies.

Subfamily. Coccyzine.—Bill elevated at base, nostrils
narrow, partly closed by a scale. Wings rounded. Tail
long and graduated. Tarsi broadly scaled.

Genus, CENTROPUS.—Bill short, edges much curved,
nostrils in short broad groove, opening oblique. Wings,
fourth to sixth quills longest. Tail broad, rounded on sides.
Outer front toe longest, inner hind toe with a long straight
claw. Habitat—Warmer parts of world.

Genus. Coccyzus.—Bill long, slender, nostrils in short
membranous groove, opening oval. Wings, third and fourth

quills longest. Habitat—America and parts of Europe.
Sub-family. Crotophagine.—Bill arched above, sides

much compressed; nostrils in substance of bill. Wings
short and rounded. Tail long, broad, and graduated. Tarsi
long, with large transyerse scales. Two outer toes longest,
Claws short.

Genus. CROTOPHAGA.—Bill short, keel deviated, tip
hooked; nostrils partly closed by membrane. Wings,
fourth to sixth quills longest. Habitat—South America and
West Indies.

Genus. SCYTHROPS.—Bill long and strong, hooked at tip,
sides channelled. Wings, third quill longest. Two front
toes united at base. Habitat—Australia.

Cuculine.—Bill broad, flattened at base,

Sub-family. Pail 1 ars}
‘ail long. Tarsi

sides compressed to tip. Wings long.
short, feathered and scaled.

CucuLvus.—Bill, nostrils in short, broad mem-
branous grooye, opening round. Wings, third quill longest.
Tail, two outer feathers shortest. 'Tarsi feathered below
knee. Outer front toe longest, united at base to inner,
Habitat—Old World.

Order. COLUMBA..— Bill short, straight, compressed,
front half of mandible vaulted, base slight, and with fleshy
membrane, in which the nostrils are pierced. Wings
moderate. ‘Tarsi strong, and toes well padded beneath.

COLUMBIDZ.—Included in above.

Columbine.—Bill, nostrils narrow, longi-
Wings pointed. Toes

Genus.

Family.

Sub-family.
tudinal in fore-part of membrane.
long.

Genus. CARPOPHAGA,—Bil!, base flattened. Wings,
second to fourth quills longest. Tail long. Tarsi very short,
covered with down below the knee, Outer toe longer than

COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS.

Habitat—India, Moluccas, Australia, and Pacific

inner.
Islands,
Genus. LLOPHOLAIMUS.—Bill much compressed, nostrils

Wings very long, third

oblique, near middle of bill.
Habitat—

quill longest. Tarsi half clothed with down.
Australia.

Genus. CoLUMBA.—Bill, membrane swollen above nos-
trils. Wings, second quill longest. Tail moderate. Tarsi
yery short. Habitat—Most parts of world.

Genus.
middle.
longest.

Wings long and pointed, first and second quills
Tail long, four central feathers sharp. Tarsi
feathered below the knee. Habitat—North America.

TuRTUR.—Bill slender. Wings long, second and
Tail moderate, rounded. Tarsi scaled

Genus.
third quills longest.

in front. Outer toe shorter than inner. Habitat—Europe,
Africa, and Asia.
Subfamily. Gourinee.—Bill moderate, straight. Tail

moderate, rounded. ‘Tarsi strong. ‘Toes long, edged with
membrane, hind toe very long, claws short.

OcypPHars.—Tip of both mandibles vaulted,
nostrils longitudinal. Wings, third quill longest, and nar-
rowed. Outer toe longer than inner. Habitat—Australia.

PHars.—Bill, nostrils at sides, membranous,
Tarsi

Genus.

Genus.
narrow. Wings, second and third quills longest.
very short. Habitat—Australia.

Genus. LEvCOSARCIA (GEOPHAPS). — Bill, nostrils at
sides of base, curved. Wings, third to fifth quills longest.

Outer toe shorter than inner. Hind toe slender, Habitat
—Australia.
Genus. CALENAS.—Bill strong, united near middle,

Base of upper mandible with a wattle. Wings, third quill
longest. Feathers of neck long and drooping. Habitat—
Indian Archipelago.

Govura.—Bill slender, slightly plumed at base ;
nostrils in groove in middle of bill. Head with compressed
crest. Wings, fourth to sixth quills longest. Tarsi with
rounded scales. Habitat—New Guinea, and Indian Archi-
pelago.

Sub-family. Didunculine.—Bill long, depressed at base,
arched to sharp hooked tip; lower mandible with three
distinct teeth; tip truncated; nostrils narrow and oblique.
Wings concave.

Genus.

Genus. DIDUNCULUS.—Bill strong. Wings with blunt
tubercle at bend, second to fourth quills longest. Skin
round eye and sides of throat bare. Habitat—Samoan
Islands.

Sub-family. Didine—Bill large, covered with mem-
brane for two-thirds its length, horny and vaulted in front ;
nostrils in fore-part of membrane. Wings and tail almost
rudimentary. Tarsi short and strong, with small scales.

Genus. D1pus.—Bill, keel straight for some distance,
then suddenly arched, and curving over tip of lower man-
dible. Outer toe shorter than inner, claws short, strong,
and blunt. Habitat—Mauritius. (Extinct.)

Order. GALLINA:.—Tarsi lone and strong, often spurred.
Toes connected at base; hinder toe elevated from the
ground,

Family. CRACIDZ.—Bill moderate, rather arched, nos-
trils at sides of base and exposed. Wings short and
rounded. ‘Tail long and broad. Hind toe long, and on
same plane with others.

Sub-family.
pressed, tip blunt.
brane,

Cracine,— Bill rather long, sides com-
Nostrils large, partly closed by a mem-

Genus. CRAX.—Bill much curved. Nostrils placed in a
cere, and with their openings crescent-shaped. Wings,
sixth to eighth quills equal and longest. ‘Tarsi covered in
front with broad scales ; toes also covered with large scales.
Habitat—Tropical America.

Family. MEGAPODID#.—Bill vaulted on tip. Wings
very round. ‘Tarsi covered with scales. Hind toe long and
resting on ground. Claws thick, long, and slightly eurved.

Ecroristes. — Bill, nostrils longitudinal, in .

COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS.

Sub-family. Tallegallinee—Bill, sides eompressed.

Genus. 'TALLEGALLUS.—Head and neck very bare. Bill
strong, opening of nostrils large, in membranous groove.
Wings, fifth and sixth quills equal and longest. Tail long,
rounded on sides. Tarsi powerful, feathered below knee,
and covered with scales in front ; toes long, claws powerful
and sharp. Habitat—Australia and New Guinea.

Sub-family. Megapodinee.—Bill rather weak, sides com-
pressed,

Genus. Muracaropius.—Bill straight, rather vaulted to-
wards tip ; nostrils with oval opening in fore part of mem-
branous groove. Wings large and round. ‘Tail short and
round. ‘Tarsi very powerful. Habitat—Australia and part
of Asiatic Archipelago.

Genus. LEIPOA.—Bill like Megapodius ; nostrils in short
membranous groove, with oblique opening. Tail long,
broad, and rounded, Claws long, sharp, and flattened.
Habitat—A ustralia.

Family. PHASIANIDZ.—Bill moderate. Wings mo-
derate and round. Tail long and broad. ‘Tarsi mostly
spurred. Toes moderate, hind toe short and elevated.

Sub-family. Pavonine.—Tail and coyerts developed and
depressed.

Genus. Pavo.—Bill apical, half arched. Wings short
and round, sixth quill longest. Tail long and round, coverts
yery long, extending far beyond tail. Tarsi with conical
spur. ‘Toes moderate. Habitat—India.

Genus. POLYPLECTRON.—Bill, nostrils with longitudinal
opening, partially concealed by membrane. Wings, fifth
and sixth quills longest. Tail long, broad, and round. Tarsi
with two or three spurs in male. Habitat—India,

Sub-family. Phasianine.—Tail long and wedge-shaped.

Genus. ARGUS, —Head and neck nearly bare. Bill rather
long ; nostrils large, with opening partly closed by mem-
brane. Wings short and round, secondaries much larger
than quills. Tail, two central feathers very long and slender.
Tarsi not spurred. Toes, outer longer than inner. Habi-
tat—Indian Archipelago.

Genus. _PHASIANUS.—Bill moderate ; nostrils in groove
at base. Wings, fourth and fifth quills longest. Tail long,
each feather narrowing at tip. Tarsi spurred in male.
Toes, outer longer than inner. Habitat—Asia.

Sub-family. Galline.— Bill moderate; nostrils large,
nearly semicircular, in membranous grooye, and protected
by asecale. Wings, secondaries equalling quills. Tail com-
pressed. Tarsi spurred.

Genus. GALLOPHASIS.—Sides of head bare, skin hanging
in wattles. Wings, fourth to seventh quills equal and
longest, secondaries broad. ‘Tarsi covered on both sides
with large scales, spurred on inner side near hind toe.
Claws short and curved. Habitat—India.

Genus. GALLUS.—Fleshy crest on head, and wattled
below chin; cheeks bare. Bill strong, nostrils exposed.
Tail compressed, and covered by lengthened coverts. Tarsi
covered in front with broad scales, and long curved spur.
Hind toe little elevated. Habitat—India.

Genus. _CERIORNIS.—Bill short and thick, tip blunt,
nostrils oval and naked. Wings very concave. ‘Tail large
and round. ‘Tarsi strong, scales in front, and short spur.
Long horn over each eye. Two naked wattle-like spaces
below chin. Habitat—Central Asia.

Sub-family. Meleagrine.—Tail short and drooping.
Head and neck naked, haired, or wattled ; sometimes base
of lower mandible wattled.

Genus. MELEAGRIS.—Bill strong, keel arched to tip,
nostrils in groove. Wings short, fifth and sixth quills longest.
Tail broad and rounded. ‘Tarsi long and strong, scaled in
front, and bluntly spurred. Front toes united at base.
Habitat—America.

Genus. NuMIp®.—Bill, nostrils large, oval, partly
covered by membrane. Wings, fifth quill longest. Tarsi
with broad divided scales. Inner toe shorter than outer.
Habitat—A frica,

T77

Sub-family. Lophophorine.—Bill broad at base, upper
mandible projecting, nostrils partly covered with feathers and
membrane. Wings moderate. Tail large. ‘Tarsi short,
strong, with divided scales. Front toes united.

Genus. LLOPHOPHORUS.—Bill flattened at base.
fourth and fifth quills longest.
Habitat—-Himalayas.

Family. TETRAONIDA.—Bill broad at base and com-
pressed, arched above to blunt tip. Wings short and
rounded, Tail rounded.

Sub-family. Perdicine.—Edges of bill entire, nostrils
covered with a hard seale. ‘l'arsi long, with divided scales
in front.

Genus. ITHAGINIS.—Bill short. Wings, fourth to sixth
quills longest. Tarsi with two or three spurs. Outer toe
longer than inner ; hind toe long. Habitat—Himalayas.

Wings,
Tarsi spurred in male.

Genus. PERDIx.—Bill short, nostrils with rounded scale.
Wings, third to fifth quills longest. Tail short. Tarsi not
spurred. Outer toe longer than inner. Habitat—Old
World.

Genus. CACCABIS.—Bill, nasal groove with short plumes,
scale bare. Wings, second to fifth quills longest. Tail short.

Tarsi with a blunt tubercle.
Northern Africa.

Genus. COTURNIX.—Bill short. Wings, second to fourth
quills longest. Tail very short. Tarsi not spurred. Habitat
—Old World and Australia.

Sub-family. Odontophorinz.—Bill, lower mandible with
two teeth, nostrils in short groove, covered with a scale.
Wings and tail rounded. Tarsi with divided scales.

Genus. ORTYX.—Edges of beak curved and waved.
Wings, third to sixth quills longest. Outer toe united to
inner at base. Habitat—America, West Indies.

Sub-family, Tetraonine.—Bill short, broad, gradually
compressed to tip, nostrils feathered. Wings rounded.
Tarsi feathered, toes long.

Genus. _TETRAO.— Wings, third and fourth quills longest.
Tarsi feathered to base of toes. Toes with rough scales.
Eyebrows bare, with red warty skin. Habitat—Northern
—Europe and America.

Genus. BONASA.—Basal half of tarsi haired, remainder
scaled. Habitat—Europe and America.

Genus. LAGorus.—Tarsi and toes wholly haired. Habitat
—Europe and America.

Sub-family. Pteroclinze.—Bili short, curved to tip, sides
compressed. Wings and tail long and pointed. Tarsi
feathered ; hind toe very small.

Genus. PTEROCLES.—Bill small, nostrils partly concealed
by membrane. Wings, first and second quills longest. Tarsi,
front and inner sides feathered. Toes short, united at base
by membrane extending along sides of toes. Habitat—
Southern Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Family, CHIONIDZ.— Bill moderate, nostrils pro-
tected by horny sheath. Wings long and pointed. Tarsi
short, front toes united at base, hind toe short.

Sub-family. Chionidine.—Horny sheath extending over
the basal half of the bill.

Genus. CHIONIS.—Bill short, base broad ; base and cheeks
covered with naked skin. Wings, second quill longest,

tubercle at bend. Tarsi roughly scaled. Habitat— Islands
of Antarctic Ocean.

Family. TINAMIDZ.—Bill straight, flattened, with
membrane at base, nostrils large. Wings short and concave.
Toes long. (Sub-family, Tinaminz, with same character-
istics.)

Genus. TINAMUS.—Bill rather short, hooked at tip; sides
compressed ; nostrils towards base. Wings, third and fourth
quills longest, tips curved. ‘Tail very short, coverts length-
ened. Claws short and thick. Habitat—South America,

Order. STRUTHIONES.—Very large size.
most rudimental.

Family. STRUTHIONIDE.— Wings very short. Toes
short, broad, and unequal. ‘Tarsi very long and powerful,

Habitat—Europe, Asia, and

Wings al-

778

Sub-family. Struthioninze.—Bill broad, flattened, rounded
in front. Toes, second or third directed forwards.

Genus. StTRUTHIO.—Bill, tip overlapping lower mandible,
nostrils in broad membranous groove near middle. Wings
with long soft plumes. Tail of curved drooping feathers.
Claws short and flattened. Habitat—A rica.

Genus. RHEA.—Bill, nostrils in membranous groove at
middle ; membrane extends over base of keel. Wings with
long soft feathers. Tail not visible. Claws strong and com-
pressed, Habitat—South America.

Genus. DRromatus.—Bill sloping to tip, nostrils in front
of membranous groove. Wings and tail not visible. Habitat
—New Holland.

Genus. CASUARIUS.—Bill long, compressed, curved to
tip; base of keel and head with elevated helmet; neck
naked, and with two wattles. Wings, five rounded shafts,
no webs. ‘Tail not visible. Toes long, inner with long
powerful claw. Habitat—New Guinea and Moluccas.

Sub-family. Apterygine.—Bill very long, slender, base
with horny cere, tip overhanging lower mandible, nostrils
at tip.

Genus. APTERYX.—Bill, sides grooved towards end, base
with long hairs. Wings very short, and covered with long
feathers. Hind toe very short, with long, strong, and sharp
claws. Habitat—New Zealand.

Sub-family. Otidinee.—Bill compressed, tip scooped,
nostrils in large membranous groove, opening oval. Wings
moderate. ‘Tail broad and rounded. ‘Tarsi long; toes and
claws short.

Genus. OvIs.—Bill, straight at base, then curved to tip ;
nostrils partly closed by membrane. Wings, second to
fourth quills lonyest, tertials long as quills. Inner toe
shorter than outer. Habitat—Europe and Asia.

Order. GRALLA.—Tarsi long, rounded, slender ; thighs
naked at lower part.

CHARADRIADZ.—Bill short, weak at base,

Family.
Hind

strong at tip; nostrils in deep longitudinal groove.
toe wanting, or small and set high.

Sub-family. (Edieneminge—Bill long as head, keel of
lower mandible angulated. Three toes in front.

Genus. CADICNEMUS.—Bill, nasal groove nearly triangular.
Wings, second quill longest. Tail wedge-shaped. Tarsi
with hexagonal scales. Toes united at base. Habitat—
Most parts of world.

Subfamily. Glareoline.—Bill short, broad at base, com-
pressed to tip. Wings very long, first quill longest, three
toes in front, one behind.

Genus. GLAREOLA,—Bill flattened at base, arched to tip.
Wings, first quill longest. Tail forked. Legs moderate,
hind toe very short, claws of middle toe slightly toothed on
one side. Habitat—Old World. .

Sub-family.
nostrils, which are in short triangular groove.
and pointed. Three slender toes in front.

Cursorine.—Bill moderate, arched beyond
Wings long

Genus. CURSORIUS.—Bill broad at base, compressed to
tip, straight above, and then arched; nostrils narrow.
Wings, first and second quills longest, Tail short and even,
Habitat—Asia, Africa, and Europe.

Sub-family. Charadrine.—Bill slender, flattened at base,
vaulted at tip, sides compressed and grooved ; nostrils: in
groove. Wings long and pointed. Tail broad. Tarsi long
and slender. Outer toe longer than inner.

VANELLUS.—Bill straight, sides grooved two-
thirds of length. Wings, second and third quills longest.
Thigh sometimes feathered to knee. Four toes, hind toe
short. Habitat—Europe, Asia, and America.

Genus.

Genus. CHARADRIUS.—Bill short, strong; groove of
upper mandible for two-thirds of length. Wings, first quill

longest. Hind toe wanting.‘ Habitat—Most parts of
world.
Sub-family. Hematopodine.—Bill long, strong, front

half very much compressed, tip blunt; nostrils in mem-
branous groove. Wings long and pointed, Toes three,
united at base.

COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS.

Genus.
middle.
World.

Sub-family. Cineline.—Bill short, straight, compressed
to tip; nostrils in membranous groove. Wings long, first
quill longest. Tarsi short, with small scales. Toes long
and free, hind toe slender.

Genus. CINCLUS.—Bill flattened at base, straight above,
edges curved upwards to tip; groove extends half length of
upper mandible. Tarsi with broad scales. Hind toe ele-
vated, tip touching ground. Habitat—Most parts of world.

Family. ARDEIDA.—Bill long, sharp, compressed. Tail
rounded. Tarsi long and slender. Outer toe longer than
inner, united at base.

Sub-family. Psophinge —Bill vaulted towards tip, which
overhangs lower mandible ; nostrils in membranous groove
reached by plumes. Hind toe short.

Genus, PSoPHIA,—Bill short, curved. Wings, fourth to
sixth quills longest. Tail very short. Tarsi with transverse
scales. Outer toe longer than inner ; claws long, compressed,
sharp. Habitat—South America.

Genus. CARIAMA. Bill strong, curved ; nostrils in front
of plumed groove. Wings, fifth to seventh quills longest,
first very short. Tail long. Tarsi very long. Habitat—
South America.

Sub-family. Gruine.—Bill long, mandibles equal ; nos-
trils in deep groove. Wings and tertials long. Tail short
and even. ‘Tarsi very long, toes short.

Genus. GRUS.—Bill slightly flattened at base, and curved
to tip; nostrils large and partly hidden by membrane.
Wings, third and fourth quills longest. Tarsi with trans-
verse scales. Outer toe united at base, hind toe very short,
Habitat—Many parts of world.

Genus. Scors.—Bill, nostrils very narrow. Wings, third
ang fourth quills longest. Habitat—Europe, Asia, and
frica.

Genus. BALEARICA.—Bill rather short and thick. Wings,
third quill longest. Cheeks naked, wattles on base of bill
and throat. Habitat—Africa and Islands of Mediterranean.

Sub-family. Ardeine.—Bill long, sharp, gape extending
beneath the eyes; nostrils in lateral groove. Wings long.
Tail short and even. Tarsi and toes long and slender.

Hamartorus.—Bill, groove reaching nearly to
Wings, first quill longest. Habitat—Old and New

Genus. ARDEA.—Bill slender, tip scooped, edges some-
times notched, nostrils guarded by membranous scale.
Wings, second and third quills longest. Tarsi with trans-
verse scales. Outer toe longer than inner. Habitat—Most
parts of world.

venus. Botaurus.—Bill rounded, tip deeply scooped,
nostrils narrow, near base. Wings, first to third quills
longest. Habitat—Many parts of world.

Genus. Nycticorax.—Bill, nostrils closed by mem-
branous scale. Wings, second and third quills longest.
Tarsi irregularly scaled. Habitat—Many parts of world.

Genus. CANcROMA.—Bill long, very broad towards
middle, sides compressed to tip. Keel very large and
grooved to tip, which is hooked ; nostrils partly closed by
membrane. Wings, third and fourth quills longest. Tarsi
irregularly scaled ; hind toe long. Habitat—South America.

Genus, PLATALEA,—Bill straight, flattened and widened
at tip, upper mandible overhanging lower, groove commenc-
ing on forehead. Wings, second quill longest. Tarsi with
netted scales. Habitat—Many parts of world.

Sub-family. Ciconinee—Bill long, compressed to tip ;

nostrils narrow, pierced through beak. Wings large, Tail

moderate. Tarsi long; front toes united at base.

CrcontA.—Bill, keel bold and straight. Wings,
Tarsi with netted scales,
Habitat—Europe,

Genus.
third and fourth quills longest.
hind toe elevated, touching ground.
Asia, and Africa.

Genus. LEPTOPTILUS.—Bill very large, high at base, keel
straight, nostrils small. Head and neck naked. Habitat—

India and Africa,
i

COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS.

Genus. MycTERtIA.—Bill very large, tip turned up.
Wings, second and third quills longest. Habitat—South
America, Africa, and Australia,

Genus. BALMHNICEPS.—Bill, sides enormously expanded,
keel widened and flattened, with two grooves, edges over-
hanging lower mandible, tip deeply scooped and hooked,
nostrils at base in groove and oblique, gape beyond eyes.
Wings long. Toes very long and straight.

Sub-family. Tantalinee.—Bill long, slender, and curved,
sides gradually compressed to tip. Wings long. Tail even.
Inner toe shorter than outer, hind toe long.

Genus. IBIs.—Bill, nostrils narrow, in narrow groove ex-
tending throughout the bill. Wings, first and second quills

longest. Head partly bare. Habitat—Europe, Asia, and
America,
Genus. _GERONTICUS.—Wings, third and fourth quills

longest. Head and neck rather bare. Tarsi with hexagonal
scales. Habitat—Asia, Africa, America, and Australia.

Family. SCOLOPACIDZ.—Bill long, slender, compressed
and grooved to tip; nostrils in groove at base, closed by
membrane. Wings long and pointed. ‘Tarsi long and
slender, hind toe short or absent.

Sub-family. Limosinee.—Bill curved or ‘straight from
base. Tail mostly short and even. Toes long, united at
base.

Genus. NUMENIUS.—Bill curved from base, upper man-
dible projecting. Wings, first quill longest. Tail short and
even. Tarsi with narrow transverse scales in front. Hind
toe slender, partly resting on ground. Habitat—Most parts
of world.

Genus. Liw0SA.—Bill inclined upwards to tip. Wings,
first quill longest. Outer toe united to middle as far as first
joint. Habitat—Most parts of world.

Sub-family. Totanine.—Bill, groove as far as or beyond
middle of bill, nostrils very narrow. Hind toe rather long
and slender, barely reaching the ground.

Genus. _TOTANUS.—Bill slightly curved at tip; groove
half length of bill. Wings, first quill longest. ‘Tarsi with
very narrow scales in front. Habitat—Both hemispheres.

Genus. TRINGOIDES.—Bill rather straight above, curved
at tip; groove extending nearly whole length of bill. Tail
rounded, broad, Habitat—Old and New Worlds.

Sub-family.
membranous.
scales in front.

Recurvirostrine.—Nostrils very narrow,
Tail short and rounded. ‘Tarsi with netted
Thigh naked above knee.

Genus. RECURVIROSTRA—Bill, keel flattened at base.
Tarsi rather compressed ; toes united by indented web;
hind toe very short. Habitat—Most parts of world.

Genus. HIMANTOPUS.—Bill long and straight, opening
of nostrils long and narrow. Wings, first quill longest.
Toes united at base, hind toe wanting. Habitat—Many
parts of the world.

Sub-family. Tringine.—Bill rather long, keel near tip,
rather flat and wide ; nostrils in groove, extending two-thirds
of bill, Toes united at base.

Genus. PHILOMACHUS.—Bill straight. Wings, first and
second quills longest. Outer toe united as far as first joint,
inner free ; hind toe short and elevated. Habitat—Europe
and part of Asia.

Genus. TRINGA.—Wings, first quill longest. Toes edged
by membrane. Habitat—Many parts of world.

Sub-family. Scolopacinz.—Bill straight, rather flattened
and bent downward at tip, which projects over lower man-
dible. Hind toe short, elevated, reaching ground.

Genus. GALLINAGO.—Nostrils oval. Wings, first and
second quills longest. Thigh bare a little above knee.
ie hind toe long and curved. Habitat—Most parts of
world.

Genus. SCOLOPAX.—Nostrils narrow. Wings, first quill
longest. Tarsi feathered below knee. Hind toe rather long
and elevated. Habitat—Old World.

i

Sub-family. Phalaropodinz.—Bill straight, but curved
at tip. Tarsi short. Toes united at base and lobed on sides.
Hind toe elevated, edged with narrow membrane.

Genus. PHALAROPUS.—Bill long. Wings, first and second
quills longest. Toes united by membrane edging each toe.
Habitat—Northern and temperate regions.

Family. PALAMEDEIDZE.—Bill long and slender,
keel rather flat, vaulted at tip, which overhangs lower man-
dible. Nostrils at sides of bill and longitudinal. Wings
long, mostly spurred at shoulder. Tail short and round.
Tarsi long and slender. Toes very long.

Sub-family. Parrine,—Bill, tip not scooped; groove
long and narrow, containing nostrils in middle. Toes with
long slender claws.

PaRRA.—Bill, sides compressed, nostrils small
and oval. Wings, third quill longest. Tail partly hidden
by coverts. Claws long, hind toe and claw very long. Base
of bill and part of head naked and wattled. Habitat—
Asia, Africa, and America.

Genus. HYDROPHASIANUS.—Wings very long, second
quill longest ; shaft of first three long, fourth to seventh
narrow and scooped. ‘Tail narrow, four central feathers
very long, rest short and graduated. Base of bill and head
fully feathered. Habitat—India.

Sub-family. Palamedeine.—Bill short, compressed, keel
curved to tip ; nostrils large, in membranous groove. Wings
with two spurs on shoulder. Tail moderate. Tarsi long,
strong, small scaled, Front toes united at base, claws long
and curved.

Genus. PALAMEDEA. Nostrils oval. Head with cylin-
drical horn. Wings, third and fourth quills longest. Toes
with squared scales above. Habitat—South America,

Genus. CHAUNA.—Bill, tip vaulted and hooked. Wings,
third and fourth quills longest. Habitat—Southern and
Central America.

Family. RALLIDE,—Bill long, curved at tip, sides com-
pressed, nostrils in membranous groove. Wings moderate.
Tail rounded. ‘Tarsi and toes long and slender.

Sub-family. Ralline.—Bill long and slender, keel bold,
sides compressed. ‘Toes free at base.

Genus. RALLUS.—Bill curved from nostrils to tip, which
is slightly scooped ; nostrils in groove, extending two-thirds
the length of bill, opening narrow. Wings, second and
third quills longest. Hind toe short and slender. Habitat—
Many parts of world.

Genus.

Genus. ORTRYGOMETRA.—Bill rather short, nostrils near
middle of groove. Wings, second and third quills longest.
Outer toe longer than inner, hinder toe very slender and
rather short. Habitat—Most parts of world.

Sub-family. Gallinuline.—Bill short, keel advancing on
forehead, sides compressed. Wings short and rounded.
Toes yery long, slender, edged with membrane, hind toe
long.

Genus. PoRPHYRIO.—Bill much elevated at base, which
is flat and broad on forehead; nostrils in small groove.
Wings, second to fourth quills longest. Tarsi with broad
scales. Outer toe longer than inner; claws long and
slender,

Genus. GALLINULA.—Bill suddenly curved at tip, nostrils
near middle of bill in a groove. Wings, second to fourth
quills longest. Habitat—Many parts of world.

Genus. FULIcA. —Bill deep, keel straight, forming a flat-
tened shield on forehead, curved near tip. Wings, second
and third quills longest. Toes much lobed, inner with two
lobes, middle with three, and outer with four. Habitat—
Most parts of world.

Order. ANSERES.—Tarsi short, compressed, set far
back. Toes webbed.

Family. ANATIDZ.—Bill flat, broad, laminated on

sides.
Sub-family. Pheenicopterine.—Bill long, rather com-.

pressed, suddenly bent downwards in middle. Tarsi very
long, thighs also long and naked, Toes short,

780

Genus. PH@NICOPTERUS.—Nostrils in groove, narrow,
eovered by membrane. Wings, first and second quills
longest. ail short. Hind toe nearly touching ground.

Habitat—Warmer parts of world.

Sub-family. Plectropterine.— Bill long, with broad
horny tip. Knee and end of thigh bare. Tarsi with
squared scales. Hind toe long.

Genus. PLECTROPHANES.—Bill, keel sloping to tip, base
large ; nostrils oval. Naked protuberance on base of keel.
Wings, second to fourth quills longest, a spur on the bend.
Tail short and round. Cheeks and part of neck bare.
Habitat—A frica,

Sub-family. Anserinz.—Bill not larger than head, keel
elevated at base, sloping to tip, which has a hard horny tip.
Knee bare, hind toe short, partially lobed.

Genus. CEREOPSIS.—Bill very short, arched above till
near tip, and then flattened ; nostrils large, rounded, in
cere. Wings, first quill short. Toes with indented web,
hind toe not lobed. Habitat—Australia.

Genus. ANSER.—Bill rather long, laminz at edge very
wide, edge of upper mandible arched at base; nostrils in
middle of bill, longitudinal. Habitat—Europe, Asia, and
America.

Genus. BErNtcLa.—Bill shorter than head, lamine not
exposed, but wide; nostrils narrow, in middle of bill.
Wings, first and second, or second only, longest. Tail short
and rounded. Hind toe very short and elevated. Habitat
—Many parts of world.

Sub-family. Cygnine.—Bill long as head, with a soft
cere, bill equally broad throughout. Front toes with large
web, hind toe not lobed, keel very long.

Genus. CYGNUS.—Cere extending to eye, tip horny.
Wings, second and third quills longest. Tail short and
rounded. Habitat—Northern Europe, Asia, and America.

Anatine.—Bill flattened towards tip, which
Hind toe long and slightly lobed.

Genus. ATX.—Bill shorter than head, horny tip very
large, edges straight. Wings, second quill longest. Toes
with large web. Habitat—America and China.

Genus. Mareca,— Bill equally broad throughont; la-
minze prominent. Wings, first and second quills longest.
Habitat—Many parts of world.

ANAS.—Bill longer than head ; nostrils near base
Wings, first quill longest, tertial long and sharp.

Sub-family.
has a horny termination.

Genus.
of keel.

Tail short and wedge-shaped. Habitat— Most parts of
world.
Genus. QUERQUEDULA.—Bill long as head, horny tip,

hooked and narrow. Wings, second quill longest, secondaries
long and sharp. Habitat—Many parts of world.

Genus. SPATULA.—Bill longer than head, narrowed at
base, having tip small.and hooked ; laminz of upper man-
dible long and slender ; nostrils oval, near base. Habitat—
Most parts of world.

Sub-family. Fuwligulinee.—Bill elevated at base, flat and
broad towards tip, which has a broad strong horny nail.
‘Tarsi short and compressed. ‘Toes long, and well webbed ;
hind toe short, with broad membranous web.

Genus. FuLicuLa,—Bill nearly long as head, edges
curved upwards. Wings, first quill longest. Habitat—New
Zealand, Northern Europe, Asia, and America.

Genus. Nyroca,—Bill long as head, lamin not promi-
nent, nostrils oval, near base. Wings, first and second quills
longest. Habitat—Most northern parts of world.

Genus. SOMATERIA.—Bill divided at base by feathers ;
front flattened and narrowed, laminze wide. Wings, first and
second quills longest. Habitat—Northern Europe and
America.

Sub-fumily. Merginee.—Bill straight, much compressed,
keel elevated at base, convex towards tip, edges notched.
Wings pointed. ‘Tail short and rounded. Front toes well
webbed, hind toe edged with web,

Genus. M@rcus.—Bill slender, tip hooked, edges widely
notched. Wings, first and second quills longest. ‘Tail
graduated. Habitat—Northern regions,

COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS,

Genus. MERGELLUS.—Bill much shorter than head, tip
broad and hooked, edges notched closely, nostrils near
middle of bill. Habitat—Northern regions.

Family. COLYMBIDZ.—Bill long, compressed, and
straight, nostrils in groove. Tail very short. Tarsi short
and much compressed ; three front toes webbed, hind toe
short, edged with slight membrane.

Sub-family. Colymbinze.—Bill, tip curved, nostril at base.
Wings long and pointed.

Genus. COLYMBUS.—Wings, first and second quills longest.
Tail rounded. Habitat—Northern regions.

Sub-family, Podicepine.—Bill slightly curved above at
tip ; nostrils oblong. Wings, first quill longest. Tail not
visible. Front toes broadly lobed.

Genus. PopIcErs.—Nostrils in short groove. Wings, first
and second quills slightly scooped at tips, Outer toe longer
than inner, hind toe short, strongly lobed. Habitat—Most
parts of world.

Family. ALCIDE.—Bill long, mostly curved to tip.
Wings short. Tail short and graduated. Hind toe small
or absent.

Sub-family. Alcinee.—Bill short, compressed, boldly keeled
above and below, top of upper mandible hooked ; nostrils

narrow. Wings moderate, first quill longest. Hind toe
wanting.
Genus. ALCA.—Beak plumed at base, front half horny,

much compressed, keel of lower mandible curved downwards,

nostrils at base. Wings pointed. Habitat—Northern
regions.
Genus. FRATERCULA.—Bill short, all horny, very deep,

very much compressed ; keel deep and sharp, Naked skin
at gape. Habitat—Northern regions.

Sub-family. Spheniscinee.—Bill long and straight, sides
compressed and grooved, keel rounded at tip, nostrils in
groove. Wings short, imperfect, feathers scale-like. Tail
pee short and stiff. Front toes webbed; hind toe very
small.

Genus. APTENODYTES.—Bill slender, base plumed, lower
mandible covered with bare skin. Tarsi very short and
plumed. Claws large. Habitat—Antarctie regions.

Sub-family. Urinee.—Bill moderate, tip scooped, nostrils
in plumed groove. Wings pointed. Tail short and rounded.
Hind toe wanting.

Genus. Ukta.—Bill, keel slightly curved. Wings, first
quill longest. ‘Tarsi with small scales. Habitat—Arctic
regions.

Fanily. PROCELLARIDZ.—Bill long, straight, com-
pressed, very deeply grooved, tip strong, arched, and sud-
denly hooked, nostrils tubular and exposed.

Sub-family. Procellarine.—Nostrils in base of keel.

Genus. 'THALASSIDROMA.—Bill shorter than head, and
slender ; nostrils elevated in front above keel, with a single
aperture in front. Wings, second quill longest. ‘Tail forked.
Legs long and slender, thighs partially naked. Toes short,
hind toe triangular. Habitat—Many parts of globe.

Genus. PROCELLARIA.—-Bill not longer than head, tip
compressed and sharp, nostrils with a single crescent-shaped
opening. Wings, first quill longest. ‘lip of thigh nearly
feathered, hind toe triangular. Habitat—High latitudes of
both hemispheres.

Sub-family. Diomedeinz.—Nostrils short, tubular, widest
in front, and near base of lateral groove.

Genus. DIoMEDEA.—Bill longer than head, strong, lower
mandible weak, compressed, truncated at tip. Wings very
long and narrow, second quill longest. Two exterior toes
edged on outside with narrow membrane, hind toe wanting.
Habitat—Both hemispheres.

Family. LARIDE.—Bill straight, compressed. Wings
long and pointed. ‘lail long. ‘Tarsi with transverse scales
in front. Hind toe mostly short.

Sub-family.—Larine.—Bill long, straight above at first,
then curved to tip.

COMPENDIUM OF GENERIC DISTINCTIONS.

Genus, STERCORARIUS.—Keel of bill covered with mem-
branous or bony cere, tip wattled and strong ; nostrils narrow,
in fore part of cere. Wings, first quill longest ; two central
feathers of tail sometimes lengthened. Hind toe very small.
Habitat—High latitudes of both hemispheres.

Genus. LARuUSs.—Bill not longer than head, nostrils at
side and near middle, longitudinal. Wings, first quill

longest. Taileven. Habitat—Most parts of world.
Genus. RissSA.—Bill longer than head. Hind toe rudi-
mental, Habitat—Northern parts of world.

Sub-family, Rhyneopine.—Upper mandible much shorter
than lower, and grooved to receive edge of lower, much
compressed throughout. Wings, long, sharp, curved at tip.
Tail forked. Front toes partly united by indented web.

Genus. Rayncors.—Bill broad at base, then suddenly
compressed ; lower mandible truncated. Wings, first quill
longest. Hind toe elevated, touching ground with tip,
claws long and curved. Habitat—Tropical parts of world.

Sub-family. Sternine.—Bill long, slender, straight, and
sharp; nostrils narrow at side of base. Wings long and
pointed. Tail forked. Toes webbed.

Genus. StERNA—Nostrils with plumes reaching the
opening. Wings, first quill longest. Front toes united by
indented web; hind toe very short. Habitat—Most parts
of world.

Genus. ANOUS.—Bill longer than head, gradually curved
above to tip. Tail with sides rounded or forked. Wings,
first quill longest. Toes long and fully webbed, outer
larger than inner. Hind toe long and slender. Habitat—
Tropical seas.

Family. PELECANIDEH.—Bill long, broad at base,
straight, and compressed. Nostrils very narrow. Sometimes
a pouch from base of lower mandible. Wings long, first
quill longest. Tarsi short and strong. All toes united by
membrane. Face and throat partially feathered.

_Sub-familu, Phaetoninge-—Bill long as head, sharp,

781

gently curved above,
and narrow.

Genus. PHAETON.—Edges of bill notched, nostrils partly
closed by membrane. Wings, first quill longest. Claws
small. Habitat—Tropical seas.

Sub-family. Plotinge-—-Bill with edges finely notched,
nostrils covered bya shield. Tail long and widening towards
end, Front toes broadly webbed. Hind toe united to inner
by web.

Genus. PLoTus.—Billlonger than head, straight, slender,
very sharp ; nostrils scarcely visible. Wings, second and third
quills longest. Outer toe long as middle. Habitat—Warmer
parts of Asia, Africa, and America.

Sub-family. Pelecaninz-—Bill long, flattened above,
compressed, hooked at tip; nostrils in grooves, hardly
visible. ‘ail short. All toes united by web. Lower man-
dible and throat with membranous pouch.

Two middle feathers of tail very long

Genus. SULA—Bill straight, slightly curved towards tip,
grooved, and edges unequally notched. Wings, first and
second quills longest. Tail graduated. Tarsi with keel
behind. Claw of middle toe notched, that of hind toe rudi-
mental. Below lower mandible and on breast, a naked
expansile space. Habitat—Many parts of world.

Genus. GRACULUS,—Bill straight, slender. Wings, second
and third quills longest. Tail rounded, Habitat—Most
parts of both hemispheres.

Genus. PELECANUS.—Bill very long, rounded above at
base, flat towards tip, which is strongly hooked, lower man-
dible broader at base than upper, narrowing to tip. Wings,
second quill longest, secondaries nearly as long as quills.
Tail short and rounded, Lower mandible with large exten-
sile pouch. Habitat—Many parts of world.

Genus. ATAGEN.—Bill longer than head, flattened and
concave above, then suddenly hooked and sharp, sides com-
pressed and grooved. Wings very long and narrow, first
and second quills longest. Tail very long and deeply forked.
Tarsi very short, half feathered. Throat naked, capable of
being dilated into a pouch as far as breast. Habitat—
Tropics,

i)
7 oe |

bias ‘ lan

rie

5
ey

aaa ]

A.

Aberdevine, 467.

Acanthylis, 129.

Accentor, 301.
Alpine, 302.
Hedge, 300.

Accipiter, 87.

Adjutant, 683.

fHigotheles, 117.

Agelaius, 447.

Aix, 728.

Alauda, 487.

Albatros, Sooty, 750.
Wandering, 748.
Yellow-beaked,

750.

Alca, 741.

Alcedo, 129,

Aleyone, 183.

Amadina, 464.

Ammodromus, 479.

Ampelide, 359.

Ampelis, 363.

Anas, 731.

Ani, 569.

Anous, 755.

Anser, 722.

Anthocheera, 221,

Ant Thrush, 320.

Short-tailed, 320.

Anthus, 317.
Apaloderma, 160.
Aptenodytes, 744,
Apteryx, 657.
Aquila, 31.
Ara, 524.
Arapunga, 367.
Aratoo, Goliath, 539.
Archibuteo, 55.
Ardea, 675.
Argala, 683.
Argus, 608.
Artamus, 369,
Astur, 84.
Atagen, 763.
Athene, 97.
Atticora, 138.
Auk, Great, 741.
Little, 746.
Avocet, 696.
Avocetta, 228.

B.

Baleniceps, 688.
Balearica, 673.
Bankiva, 615.

Barbet, Collared, 166.

Hairy - crested,
550.

White - backed,
166.

Bete White-faced,
167.

Batrachastomus, 118.
Bee-eater, 187.
Azure - throated,
191.
Bullock’s, 192.
Chestnut, 190.
Red - throated,
193.
Blue-bellied, 192.
Beef-eater, 431.
Bell Bird, 217, 366.
Benteot, 388.
Berigora, 78.
Bernicla, 723.
Bernicle Goose, 723.
Birds, 1
Bittern, 676.
Blackbird, 339.
Blackbird, Savannah,
569.
Blue Bird, 299.
Boat-bill, 678.
Boat-tail, 436.
Bob-o-link, 449.
Booby, 759.
Botaurus, 675,
Bower Bird, Satin,
427,

Spotted, 429.
Brachypteracias, 153.
Breve Giant, 319.
Brush Turkey, 601.
Bubo, 101.

Buceo, 166.

Buceros, 505.

Bulbul, 347.

Bullen-Bullen, 265.

Bullfinch, 490.

Bunting, 482.

Black - throated,

483.

Lapland, 484,

Snow, 484.

Yellow, 480.
Buphaga, 432.

Bush Creeper, Com-

mon, 311.

Bustard, Great, 659.
Coran, 661.
Houbara, 660.
Little, 660.
Pauw, 660.
Ruffled, 660.

Butcher Bird, 372.

Buteo, 53.

Buzzard, 52.
Honey, 55.
Moor, 92.
Turkey, 19.

[oN Dien Xx:

Cc.

Cacatua, 540.
Caccabis, 628.
Cacicus, 442,
Cereba, 210.
Calenas, 591.
Calamodyta, 287.
Calothorax, 249.
Calurus, 162.
PaEtoments Green,
362.

Cal a pce
547.

Campanero, 366.
Campephilus, 557.
Canary Bird, 471.
Cancroma, 679.
Capercaillie, 632.
Capocier, 273.
Caprimulgus, 119.
Caracara, Black, 49.

Brazilian, 51.

Southern, 50.
Cardinalis, 458.
Carduelis, 473.
Cariama, 671.
Carpophaga, 576.
Carrancha, 51,
Casarka, 729.
Cassowary, 652.
Casuarius, 653.

Cat Bird, 334.
Catharista, 17.
Cedar Bird, 365.
Centropus, 567.
Cephalepis, 252.
Cephalopterus, 415.
Cereopsis, 721.
Ceriornis, 618.
Certhia, 262,
Ceryle, 175.
Ceyx, 174.
Ciconia, 681.
Cinclosoma, 343.
Cinclus, 669.
Circaetus, 38.
Circus, 91.
Cissa, Hunting, 386.
Chaffinch, 465.
Chaja, 711.
Channel-bill, 571.
Charmosyna, 529.
Chat, Fallow, 290.
Yellow-breasted,
347.
Chatterer, Bohemian,
363.

Waxen, 363,
Chauna, 711.
Chelidon, 149.
Chelidoptera, 166.
Chicken, Mother-

Carey’s, 746.

Chiff-Chaff, 280.
Chionis, 642.
Chlamydera, 429.
Chordeiles, 126.
Chough, 416.
Chrysolampis, 251,
Chrysotis, 535.
Chuck-Will’s-Widow,
121.
Climacteris, 263.
Coccothraustes, 459.
Coecygus, 568.
Cock of the Plains,
634,
Rock, 362.
Cockatoo, Banksian,
547.
Great
541.
Leadbeater's,
543.
Pink, 543,
Sulphur-crested,
542.
Colaptes, 561.
Colius, 498.
Collocalia, 137.
Columba, 581,
Coly, Senegal, 498.
Colymbus, 737.
Comet, Phaon, 250.
Sappho, 248.
Cometes, 249.
Condor, 13.
Conirostres, 379.
Conurus, 526,

White,

Coot, 718.
Copsychus, 299.
Coquette, Goulds,
247.
Princess Helena,
247.

Spangled, 245.
Tufted, 246.
Coquimbo Owl, 97.
Coracia, 416.
Coracias, 152.
Cormorant, 759.
Crested, 761,
Corncrake, 714,
Corvide, 379.
Corvus, 390.
Cotile, 147.
Coturnix, 630.
Coulterneb, 743.
Courser, Cream-co-
loured, 664.
Cow Bird, 568.
Cow Troopial, 443.
Crane, 671.
Crowned, 673.
Demoiselle, 672.
Numidian, 672.
Crax, 596.

Creeper, Common-
Tree, 262.
Curved - billed,

261.

Wall, 263.
Crossbill, 494.
Crotophaga, 570.
Crow, 393.

Bald, 406.

Fish, 405.

Great-billed, 401.

Grey, 402.

Hooded, 402.

Hunting, 386.

King, 371.

Laughing, 345.

Nutcracker, 407.

Philippine, 405.

Piping, 380.

Royston, 402.
Crypsirhina, 388.
Cuckoo, 571.

Pheasant, 567.
Cuculus, 573.
Curassow, 596.
Curlew, 692.

Pigmy, 700.

Sandpiper, 700.
Cursorius, 664,
Cushat, 582.
Cyanecula, 298.
Cymbirhynchus, 551.
Cymindis, 64.
Cynanthus, 223.
Cypselus, 132.

1D).

Dabchick, 740.
Dacelo, 169.
Buff, 171.
Leach’s, 171
Dafila, 730.
Darter, 757.
Le Vaillant’s,
758.
Dasyptilus, 549.
Dayal, 298.
Death Bird, 99.
Dendrocolaptes, 261.
Diamond Bird, 360.
Diceum, Australian
209.
Red-backed, 20
Dicrurus, 371.
Didunculus, 593.
Didus, 595.
Diomedea, 749.
Dipper, 321.
Diver, ren throated,

Go Northern,
7387.

784

Diver, Red-throated,
738.

Docimaster, 232.

Dodo, 594.

Dolichonyx, 449.

Dollar Bird, 152.

Dove, Ground, 343.
Ring, 582.
Rock, 583.
Stock, 580.
Turtle, 586.

Drepanis, Scarlet,

211.

Dromaius, 649.

Drymoica, 272.

Duck, Eider, 734.
King, 735.
Mandarin, 727.
Pintail, 730.
Racehorse, 735.
Shoveller, 732.
Steamer, 735.
Summer, 728.
Wild, 730.
Various, 734.

Dun Bird, 733.

D unlin, 700.

E.

Eagle, Bald, 46.
Bold, 33.
Booted, 36.
Brazilian, 40.
Cinereous, 44.
Crested, 39.
Golden, 30.

Harpy, 39.

Imperial, 33.

Jean le Blane,
38.

Martial, 36.
Owl, 101.
Sea, 44.
White-headed,
46,
White, New Hol-
land, 85.
White-tailed, 44.
Ectopistes, 577.
Egret, 674,
Hider, 734.
Elanoides, 62.
Elanus, 63.
Emberiza, 480.
Emeu, 648.
Enneoctonus, 375.
Entomyza, 219.
Ephialtes, 100.
Ephthianura, White-
faced, 316,
Epimachus, Twelve-
thread, 199.
Superb, 197.
Eriocnemis, 234.
Hrythacus, 295.
Haphema, 522.
Eurylaimus, 155.
Euspiza, 483.
Eutoxeres, 243.
Eurystomus, 151.
Bye, 8.
1
Fairy, Cayenne, 262.
Falco, 69.

Falcon, Ash-coloured,
93.
Bengal, 83.
Black-winged, 63.
Cayenne, 64.
Chanting, 88.
Chicquera, 78.
Cream - bellied,
78.
Crook-billed, 64,
Laughing, 37.
Little, 82.
Notched, 83.
Peregrine, 70.
Red-footed, 82.
Red-throated, 49.
Rough - legged,
54,
Stone, 77.
Swallow - tailed,
62.
Fantail, | White-
shafted, 353.
Feathers, 5.
Fieldfare, 330.
Finch, Gouldian, 464,
Sharp-tailed, 479.
Finches, 463.
Fireback, 613.
Flamebearer,
238.
Rufous, 239.
Flamingo, 719.
Florikan, 660.
Florisuga, 223.
Flycatcher, 347.
Fork-tailed, 352.
Paradise, 355.
Pied, 357.
Spotted, 356.
Tyrant, 350.
Four-o'clock, 219.
Francolin, Sanguine, |
628.
Fratercula, 743.
Friar Bird, 219.
Silvery-crowned,
220.
Yellow-throated,
220.
Frigate Bird, 762.
Fringilla, 465.
Fruit Crow, 413.
Bald-head, 413.
Fruit Pigeon, Oceanic,
575.
Fulica, 718.
Furnarius, 260.

Little,

G.

Gadwall, 733.
Galbula, 185.
Gallinago, 703.
Gallinula, 717.
Gallinule, Hyacinth-
ine, 715.
Gallophasis, 612.
Gallus, 615.
Gannet, 758.
Garganey, 732.
Garrulus, 382.
Gaura, 592.
Gecinus, 559.
Geese, Various, 724.

INDEX.

Geronticus, 691.

Goat Sucker, 113.
Carolina, 121.
European, 119.
Grand, 118.

Great-eared, 118.

Leona, 125.

Long-tailed, 123.

Long - winged,
123.

Lyre-tailed, 120,

Nacunda, 127.

NewHolland,117.

Trinidad, 113.
Virginian, 125.
Godwit, Bar-tailed,
693.

Black-tailed, 693.

Goldfinch, 465.

Goosander, 735.

Goose, Bean, 722.
Bernicle, 723.

Cape Barron,721.

Domestic, 721.
Grey-lag, 721.
Solan, 758.
Spectacled, 758.
Spur-winged, 720.
Goshawk, 83.
Gouldia, 223.
Gracula, 430.
Graculus, 760.
Grakle, Crowned, 431.
Purple, 437.
Great-Crest, Royal,
359.
Grebe, Eared, 740.
Great Crested,
739.
Horned, 740.
Little, 740.
Greenlets, 348.
Griffard, 37.
Grosbeak, 459.
Cardinal, 458.
Black and yellow,
460.
Scarlet, 458.
Grouse, Black, 635.
Pinnated, 636.
Red, 639.
Ruffed, 638.
Sand, 641,
Grus, 672.
Guacharo, 114.
Guans, 597.
Gubernetes, 349.
Guillemot, 745.
Guinea Fowl, 622.
Gull, Blackbacked,
752.
Common, 752.
Kittiwake, 753.
Skua, 750.
Gulls, Various, 753.
Gymnocephalus, 414,
Gymnoderus, 413.
Gymnorhina, 380.
Gypaétos, 10.
Gyps, 25.

H.

Hematopus, 668.
Halcyon, 172.

| Halieetus, 45.

Harpactes, 161.
Harpagus, 83.
Harrier, Hen, 91.
Jardines, 93.
Marsh, 92.
Montague’s, 93.
Hawfinch, 459.
Hawk, Brown, 78.
Carrion, 49.
Fishing, 41.
Mosquito, 125.
Pigeon, 78.
Sparrow, 85.
Heliactin, 233.
Heliangelus, 244.
Heliomaster, 242.
Heliothrix, 223.
Helmet-crest, Gue-
rin’s, 242,
Linden’s, 241.
Hermit, Salle’s, 239.
Heron, 674.
Nankeen, 677.
Night, 677.
Herpetotheres, 37.
Hill-Star, Chimbora-
zian, 253.
Pichinchian, 254.
Himantopus, 697.
Hirundo, 139.
Hoatzin, 502.
Hobby, 75.
Spotted - tailed,
66

Honey-Eater, 212.
Blue-faced, 215.
Garrulous, 215.
New Holland,

212.
Wattled, 220.
White - pinioned,
213.

Yellow Wattle,
222.

Guide, 564.
Sucker, Blue-

headed, 207.
Hoopoe, 200.
Hornbill, Crested,

503.

Rhinoceros, 505.
Two-horned, 504.
White - crested,

507.

Woodpecker,504.
Humming-bird, Ara,
235.
Avocet, 253.
Bar-tailed, 218.
Fiery Topaz, 235.
Gilt-crested, 254.
Jacobin, 241.
Racket-tail, 235.
Ruby, 250.
Ruby - throated,
9

Sickle-bill, 243.

Snow-cap, 245.

Sparkling - tail,
248,

Humming-bird, Star-
throated, 243.
Sword-bill, 231.
Topaz, 250.
Vervain, 255.

Hunting Cissa, 386.
Hydrobates, 321.
Hydrophasianus, 710.
Hyphantornis, 454.
Hypotriorchis, 75.

ib

Tbigau, Great, 118.
Ibis, 689.
Glossy, 690.
Straw - necked,
690.
Ibycter, 49.
Icteria, 347.
Icterinz, 438.
Teracidea, 79.
Terax, 83.
Ictinia, 65.
Leaden, 66.
Indicator, 564.
Ithaginis, 629.

J.

Jabiru, 684,
Jacamar, 184.

Great, 186.

Green, 185.

Paradise, 184.

Three-toed, 186.
Jacamaraleyon, 186.
Jacamerors, 187.
Jacana, 708.

Chinese, 709.
Jackass, Laughing,

169.

Jackdaw, 398.
Jacobin, Great, 241.
Pied, 241.

Jay, 381.

Blue, 383.
Jerfaleon, 67.
Jungle-fowl, Austra-

lian, 597.

Bankiva, 615.

Sonnerat’s, 613.

K.

Kamichi, 710.
Kestrel, 80.
King Bird, 350.
Kingfisher, 167.
Australian, 172.
Belted, 174.
Black and white,
Lite
Great African,17.
Giant, 169. ©
Spotted, 176.
Ternate, 173.
Tiny, 183.
Tridactylous,
174.
King Paradise Bird,
418.
Kate, 57.
Arabian, 60.
Mississippi, 65.
Brazilian, 51.
Swallow - tailed,
61.
Kiwi-kiwi, 657.
Knot, 699.

L.

Lagopus, 640.
Laimodon, 550.
Lammergeyer, 10.
Lamprotila, Broad-
belted, 180.
Landrail. 714.
Lanius, 374.
Lanner, 75.
Lapwing, 664.
Lark, Pencilled, 489.
Shore, 490.
Sky, 485.
Wood, 488.
Larus, 751.
Leather-head, 219.
Leipoa, 599.
Leptoptilos, 683.
Leucosarcia, 590.
Limosa, 694.
Linchi, 137.
Lopholaimus, 585.
Lophophorus, 624.
Lophornis, 223.
Lorius, 530.
Lorrikeet, Scaly -
breasted, 523.
Lory, Papuan, 528.
Purple - capped,
529.
Love-Bird, 536.
Loxia, 495.
Luscinia, 286,
Lyre Bird, 265.
Albert’s, 268.

M.

Macaw, Blue and Yel-
low, 523.
Great Green, 525.

Macrodipteryx, 125.

Macropteryx, 131.

Magpie, 409.

Mallard, 730.

Malurus, 274.

Man-of-War Bird, 762.

Manakin, Golden-

winged, 360.

Manucode, 418.

Mareca, 729.

Martin, Fairy, 143.
House, 148.
Sand, 146.

Melanerpes, 560.

Megapodius, 598.

Meleagris, 619.

Melierax, 89.

Meliphaga, 213.

Mellisuga, 255.

Melittophagus, 193.

Melopsittacus, 520.

Menura, 266.

Merganser,

737.
Red-headed, 737.

Mergellus, 736.

Mergus, 736.

Merlin, 76.

Merops, 188.

Microchera, 245,

Microglossum, 539.

Milvago, 50.

Milvulus, 353.

9

a.

Hooded,

Milvus, 59.
Mimus, 325.
Mino Bird, 430.
Mocking Bird, 283.
Molothrus, 443,
Momotus, 156.
Monal, 624,
Monasa, 167.
Monk Bird, 219.
Moor-hen, 716.
Mooruk, 653.
Morphnus, 40.
Motacilla, 313.
Motmot, 156.
Brazilian, 156.
Muscieapa, 357.
Muscivora, 359.
Musophaga, 499.
Mycteria, 685.
Myzantha, 216.
Myzanthe, Fire -
breasted, 210.

N.

Nacunda Goatsucker,
127.
Nectarinia, 203.
Neomorpha, 196.
Neophron, 27.
Nestor, 545.
Night-Hawk, 125.
Nightingale, 285.
Night Jar, 119.
Leona, 124.
Owlet, 117.
Scissor - tailed,
122,
Noddy, 755.
Numenius, 693.
Numida, 623.

| Nuteracker, 407.

Clark's, 408.

| Nuthatch, 263.

Nyctale, 99.
Nyctea, 96.
Nycticorax, 677.
Nyctiornis, 192.
Nymphieus, 512.
Nyroca, 734.

0.

Ocyphaps, 589.
Opisthocomus, 502.
Oreotrochilus, 254.
Oriole, Baltimore,440.
Crested, 442.
Golden, 345,
Orchard, 438,
Oriolus, 346.
Orthorhynchus, 223.
Orthotomus, 271.
Ortolan, 481,
Ortyx, 631.

| Ostrich, 644.

Osprey, 41.

Otis, 661.

Otocoris, 489.

Otogyps, 22.

Otus, 106.

Ouzel, Ring, 332.

Oven Birds, 259.

Owl, Barn, 109.
Boobook, 98.
Brown, 104.

INDEX.

Owl, Burrowing, 97.
Canada, 95.
Coquimho, 97.
Eagle, 101.
Great, 101.
Hawk, 95.
Little, 99.
Long-eared, 106.
Parrot, 548.
Scops-eared, 100.
Screech, 109,
Short-eared, 108.
Short - horned,

108.
Snowy, 96.
Tawny, 104.
Tengmalm’s, 99.
Ural, 106.
Virginian-eared,
White, 109.
Winking, 98.

Owlet, Night Jar, 117.

Oxypogon, 241.

Oyster-catcher, 668.

Pe

Palxornis, 517.
Palamedea, 711.
Pandion, 41.
Paradisea, 418.
Paradise Bird,
rald, 422.
Golden, 421.
Incomparable,
420.
King, 418.
Red, 426.
Superb, 425.
Pardalotus, 360.
Paroides, 310.
Parra, 709.
Parrakeet, Blue-band-
ed Grass, 521.
Cockatoo, 511.
Grass, 519.
Ground, 516.
Ringed, 517.
Rose Hill, 515.
Yellow - bellied,
513.

Zebra, 519.
Parrot, Carolina, 525.
Green, 535.
Grey, 531.

Owl, 548.
Phillip Island,
544.
Sea, 743.
Parson Bird, 217.
Partridge, 625.

Eme-

Red-legged, 627. |

Parus, 303.
Passer, 475.
Pastor, 433.
Rose - coloured,
432.
Pavo, 604.
Peacock, 603.
Pheasant, 607.
Peewit, 664.
Pelecanus, 762.
Pelican, 761.
Frigate, 762.
35

Penguin, Crested,745. |
King, 744.
Perdix, 625.
Pericrocotus, 368,
Pernis, 57.
Petasophora, 248.
Petrel, Fulmar, 747.
Stormy, 746.
Petrels, Various, 748.
Pettichaps, Greater,
279.

Lesser, 281.
Pezophorus, 516.
Phaéthornis, 240.
Phaéton, 756.
Phalarope, 707.
Phalaropus, 708.
Phaps, 589.
Phasianus, 609.
Pheasant, 609.

Golden, 611.

Impeyan, 624. |

Native, 265.

Native, 599.

Reeve’s, 610.

Silver, 613.
Philetzrus, 451.
Philomachus, 699.
Pheenicopterus, 719.
Phonygamine, 379.
Phytotoma, 497.
Piculet, Pigmy, 551.
Picumnus, 551.

Picus, 553.

Pie, Wandering, 389.

Pigeon, Bronzewing,
588.

Crested, 588.

Crowned, 591.

Domestic, 583.

Nicobar, 591.

Passenger, 577.

Tooth-billed,593.

Topknot, 586.

Wonga - Wonga,

590.
Pimlico, 219.
Pine-Pine, 272.
Pipit, Meadow, 317.

Tree, 318,

Pipra, 361.

Pitta, Short - tailed,
321.

Plant-cutter, 497.

Plantain-eater, 499. |

Blue, 501.
Platalea, 680.
| Platycercus, 513.
Plectrophanes, 484.

- | Ploceus, 453.

Plotus, 757.
Plover-crest, De La-
lande’s, 252.
| Plume Bird, Superb,
198.
Plume Bird, Twelve-
thread, 198.
Pockard, 733.
Podager, 127.
Podargus, Cuvier's,
116.
Plumed, 117.
Moth Plumed, 116.
Tawny Shouldered,
Wiliay,

Podiceps, 739.

Poe Bird, 217.

Poker, Red-headed,
733.

Polyborus, 51.

Polyplectron, 607.

Poor Soldier, 219.

Porphyrio, 716.

Poultry, Domestic,
616. :

Pratincola, 292.
Priotelus, 161.
Prosthemadera, 218.
Psittacula, 536.
Psittacus, 531.

| Psophia, 670.

Ptarmigan, 740.

Pterocles, 641.

Ptilonorhynchus, 427.

Ptiloris, 195.

Puff-Leg, Copper-bel-
lied, 233,

Puffin, 743.

Purre, 700.

Pyranga, 462.

Pyrrhula, 491.

Q.
Quail, 629.
Virginian, 631.
Querquedula, 732.
Quiscalus, 436.

R.

Rail, Land, 714.
Virginian, 713.
Water, 712.

Rain Bird, 566.

Rallus, 712.

Raven, 390.

Razor-Bill, 743.

Recurvirostra, 697.

Redbreast, 295.

Redstart, 2938.

Redwing, 333.

Regulus, 275.

Regulus, Dalmatian,

277.

Rhamphastos, 508,

Rhea, 650,

Rhipidura, 354,

Rhyncops, 753.

Rice Troopial, 449.

Rifle Bird, 195.

Rissa, 751.

Robin, 295.

Rock, Cock of the,

361,

Roller, Australian,

152.
Garrulous, 152.
Oriental, 151.

Rook, 394.

Ruff, 698.

Rupicola, 362.

Ruticilla, 294.

Ss.

Saliearia, 289.
Sandpiper, 696.

Green, 695.
Sarcorhamphus, 13.
Saurothera, 566.
Savannah Blackbird,

569.

786

Saxicola, 290.
Seansores, 511.
Schizorhis, 501.
Scissor-Bill, 753.
Scolopax, 706.
Scops, 673.
Screamer,
711.
Horned, 710.
Scythrops, 571.
Sea Pie, 668.
Scotornis, 123.
Secretary Bird, 89.
Selasphorus, 223.
Serpentarius, 90.
Shag, 761.
Shear Tail, Cora’s,233.
Slender, 232.
Sheathbill, 642.
Shieldrake, 729.
Shoveller, 732.
Shrike, 372.
Cunningham’s
Bush, 349.
Drongo, 369.
Great Grey, 372.
Pied Crow, 880.
Piping Crow, 379.
Red-backed, 375.
Vigor’s Bush,378.
Woodchat, 376.
Sialia, 300.
Sickle Bill,
mine’s, 244,
Siskin, 467.
Sitta, 264.
Skylark, 485.
Smew, 736.
Snake Bird, 758.
Snipe, 702.
Brehm’s, 705.
Brown, 705.
Great, 702.
Jack, 705.
Red-breasted,705.
Sabine’s, 705.
Sea, 700.
Summer, 696.
Snow Bird, 470.
Snow-fleck, 484
Solan Goose, 758.
Somateria, 735.
Sparrow, 473.
Hedge, 800.
Sparrow, Tree, 476.
White - throated,
476.
Spathura, 236,
Spatula, 733.
Spizaétus, 36.
Spoonbill, 679.
Starling, 433.
Red-winged, 447,
Star-throat, Angela,
242.
Steatornis, 113.
Stercorarius, 751.
Sterna, 754.
Stilt, 697.
Stint, 700.

Crested,

Conda-

| Tallegalla, 601.

Stipiturus, 274.
Stonechat, 291.
Stork, 681.
Black, 682.
Whale - headed,
687.

Strepera, 381.

Strigops, 548,

Strix, 111.

Struthio, 645,

Sturnus, 435.

Sun Angel, Clarissa,

245.
Mars, 244.

Sun Bird, 203.
Collared, 205.
Fiery-tailed, 203.
Goalporah, 206.
Greater-collared,

205.
Javanese, 205.
Malachite, 208,

Sun-Gem, 252.

Surnia, 95.

Surnium, 105.

Swallow, 139.
Aculeated, 130.
Australian Spine-

tailed, 129.
Esculent, 137.
Grey-backed,137.
Klecho, 130,
Purple, 147.
Rufous - bellied,

142.

Rufous - necked,

143.

Sea, 754.
White - backed,

137.

White - breasted,

138.
Wire-tailed, 144.
Wood, 369.

| Swan, Bewick’s, 726, |

| Black, 727.

Elk, 726.
Hooper, 726.
Immutable, 726.
Mute, 724.
Polish, 726.
Whistling, 726.

Swift, Alpine, 131.
Large - winged,

Sylvia, 279.
Synallaxine Bird, 260. |

4h
Tadorna, 729,

Taha, 453.
Tailor Bird, 271. |

130.
White - collared, |
133.
White - bellied, |
131.
Sylph, Blue-tailed,| .
251,

INDEX.

Tanager, Scarlet, 461.
Tanysiptera, 173.
Tchitrea, 355.

Teal, 731.

Chinese, 728.
Temnurus, 389.
Tenuirostres, 194.
Tern, 754.

Terns, Various, 755.
Tetrao, 633.
Textor, 455.
Thalassidroma, 747.
Thamnophilus, 378.
Thaumalia, 613.
Thaumastura, 232.
Thornbill,Columbian,
237.

Herran’s, 237.

Thorntail, Convers’,
238.

Popelaire’s, 237.
Thrasaétus, 39,
Throstle, 340.
Thrush, Black-faced,

344.

Hermit, 338.

Missel, 328.

Sordid, 369.

Spotted Ground,

343.

Tichodroma, 263.

Timalia, Chestnut-
capped, 342.

Tinamotis, 643.

| Tinamou,Elegant,643.

Tinnunculus, 81.
Titling, Meadow, 317.
Titmouse, Bearded,
310.
Blue, 303.
Cole, 309.
Crested, 308.
Great, 302.
Long-tailed, 306.
Marsh, 310.
Rufous - bellied,
305.
Yellow -cheeked,
305.
Titterel, 693.
Todus, 154.

Tody,Great-billed,155.

Green, 154.

Javan, 154.

King, 359.
Topaza, 235.
Totanus, 695.
Toucan, 507.
Touraco, White-
crested, 500.
Tragopan, Horned,

618.

Trainbearer, 251.
Trichoglossus, 523.

| Tringa, 701.

Tringoides, 695.
Trochilus, 223.
Troglodytes, 269.
Trogon, Mexican, 158.
Beautiful, 162.

END OF BIRDS.

Trogon, Cuba, 161.
Malabar, 161.
Massena’s, 158.
Narina, 159.
Resplendent,163,

Troopial, Cow, 443.
Rice, 449.

Tropic Bird, 756.
Roseate, 756.

Tropidorhynchus,

219.

Trumpeter, 670.

Trypheena, 248,

Tue, 217.

Turacus, 500,

Turdus, 329.

Turkey, 619.
Brush, 601.
Honduras, 621.

Turkey-Buzzard, 19.

Turnstone, 669.

Turtle Dove, 586,

Turtur, 587.

Tyrannus, 351.

U.

Umbrella Bird, 415.
Upupa, 201.
Uria, 746.
Urubitinga, 40.
Urubu, 17.
Vanellus, 665.
Vidua, 456.
Violet Ear, Bolivian,
247.
Vultur, 21.
Vulture, 21.
Alpine, 26.
Arabian, 21.
Bearded, 10.
Black, 17.
Carrion, 19.
Egyptian, 26.
Fulvous, 24.
Griffin, 24.
King, 15.
New Holland,
| 601.
Pondicherry, 23.
Sociable, 22.

W.

Wagtail, Grey, 314.
Pied, 311.
Ray’s, 316.
White, 314.
Yellow, 315.

Wandering Pie, 389.

Warbler, Blackeap

283.
Blue-throated,
297.
Brake, 282.
Fan-tailed, 288.
Garden, 280.
Grasshopper,
286.
Sedge, 287.

Warbler, Willow, 281.
Wood, 282.
Warrior, 242.
Black, 241.
Water-Hen, 716.
Ousel, 321.
Wattle Bird, Brush,
220.
Waxwing, Bohemian,
363.
Weaver Bird, Mahali,
452.
Red-billed, 455.
Rufous - necked,
454.
Sociable, 451.
Taha, 453.
Whaup, 692.
Wheatear, 290.
Whidah Bird, Broad-
shafted, 456.
Paradise, 456.
Shaft-tailed, 457.
Whimbrel, 692.
Whinchat, 292.
Whip-Poor-Will, 126.
Garden, 279.
Lesser, 282.
Wigeon, 729.
Wonga-Wonga, 590.
Woodcock, 706.
Woodlark, 488.
Woodpecker, Downy,
554

Great Spotted,
553.
Gold-winged,561.
Green, 559.
Tvory-billed, 556.
Red-headed, 560.
Woodpigeon, 582.
Woodquest, 582.
Woodstar, Short-
tailed, 250.
Yarrell’s, 244.
Wood Swallow, Cine-
reous, 370.
Wren, 269.
Emeu, 274,
Fire-crested, 275.
Golden - crested,
275.
Willow, 281.
Yellow, 281.
Wryneck, 563.

xX.
Xanthornis, 438.

wou

Yellow-ammer, 480,
Yphantes, 441.
Yunx, 563.

Z.

Zonotrichia, 478.
Zopilote, 17.
Zosterops, 311.

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