BANCROF7&C ILLUSTRATIONS OF r° BRITISH ORNITHOLOGY PRIDBAUX JOHN SELBY, ESQ. FELLOW OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH ; FELLOW OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY; AND MEMBER OF THE WERNERIAN NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY, C. VOL. II. WATER BIRDS. EDINBURGH : PRINTED FOR THE PROPRIETOR, AND PUBLISHED BY W. H. LIZARS, EDINBURGH; LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN, GREEN AND LONGMAN, LONDON ; AND W. CURRY JUN. & CO. DUBLIN. MDCCCXXXIII. EDINBURGH : PRINTED BY NEILL & CO. OLD FISHMARKET. TABLE OF CONTENTS OF VOLUME II. Common Crane, . . . Plate I. Page 4 Common Heron, . . .II. 11 Crested Purple Heron, . . . III. 15 Great White Heron, ... 18 Little Egret Heron, . . .V. 21 Buff-backed Heron, ... 24 Squacco Heron, .... VI. 25 Common Bittern, . . . VIII. 30 American Bittern, ... 34 Little Bittern, .... VI.* 36 Common Night-Heron, . . VII. & VII. 39 Cayenne Night-Heron, . . VII.** 43 White or Common Stork, . . XI. 45 Black Stork, . . . XL* 48 White Spoonbill, . . .X. 51 Glossy Ibis, .... XII. 56 Common Curlew, . . . .XIII. 62 Whimbrel Curlew, . . . XIV. 65 Dusky Sandpiper, .... XV. 69 Redshank Sandpiper, . . . XVI. 72 Green Sandpiper, . . . XVI. 75 Wood Sandpiper, . . . XVI. 77 Common Sandpiper, . . . XV. 81 IV CONTENTS. Spotted Sandpiper, Greenshank, Scooping Avocet, . Black-tailed Godwit, Red Godwit, Brown Longbeak, Woodcock, Great Snipe, Sabine's Snipe, Common Snipe, Jack- Snipe, Ruff, Knot, Buff-breasted Tringa, Temminck's Tringa, Minute Tringa, Purple or Rock Tringa Dunlin or Pnrre, Curlew Tringa, Grey Phalarope, . Red Lobefoot, Common Rail, Meadow or Corn Crake, . Spotted Crake, Baillon's Crake, Little Crake, Common Gallinule, Common Coot, Common Oyster-Catcher, Common Turnstone, Common Sanderling, Common Pratincole, Cream-coloured Swift-foot, Crested or Green Lapwing, Bastard or Grey Plover, . Golden Plover, Dotterel, Pkte XVII. Page 84 XIX. 86 XX 90 XXI. 94 XXII. 98 XXIV. 103 XXIII. 107 XXIII. 115 XXIV. 118 XXIII. 121 XXIII. 125 XXV. 130 XXVII. 138 XXVII. 142 XXVII*. 144 XXVII*. 147 XXVI. 150 XXVI. 153 XXVI. 157 XXVIII. 162 XXVIII*. 166 XXIX. 172 XXX. 176 XXX*. 179 XXX*. 182 XXX*. 185 XXXI. 188 XXXII. 193 XXXIII. 200 XXXIII*. 204 XXXVI. 208 LXIII. 213 XXXIII**. 217 XXXIV. 221 XXXV. 227 XXXVII. 231 XXXIX. 236 CONTENTS. Ringed Plover, Kentish Plover, Black-winged Stilt, Common Thick- Knee, Grey-lag Wild- Goose, Bean- Goose, White-fronted Wild- Goose, Bernicle Goose, or Clackis, Brent Goose, Red-breasted Goose, Whistling Swan, . Bewick's Swan, Common Shieldrake, Ruddy or Casarka Shieldrake, Common Shoveller, Common Gad wall, Common Wild-Duck. Common Pintail, Common Teal, Gargany Teal, Bi maculated Teal, . Common Wigeon, Black Scoter, Velvet Scoter, Surf- Scoter, Common Eider, King Eider, Red-headed Pochard, Red-crested Pochard, Nyroca Pochard, Scaup Pochard, Tufted Pochard, Western Pochard, Long-tailed Hareld, Common Golden-eye Garrot, Harlequin Garrot, Goosand.er, Plate XXXVIII. Page 240 XXXVIII. 243 XXXIX.* 247 . XL. 250 . XLI. 261 XLII. 263 XLIII. 266 XLV. 268 XLV. 271 XLVl. 275 XLVII. 278 XLVIL* 288 XLVI1I. 289 . XLVIII.** 293 . XLVIII.* 297 . LI. & LI.* 301 L. & L. 305 XLIX. & LI.* 311 LIV. 315 LIII. 318 . LV. & LV. 321 LII. 324 LXVIII. 329 LXVII. 333 LXIX. 335 LXX. & LXX.* 338 LXXI. 343 LXIII. 347 . 350 LXIII. 352 LXVI. & LXVI.* 354 LXV. 357 LXVI.** 360 LXI. 363 LXII. 367 ' 371 LVII. 375 VI CONTENTS. Plate Page Red-breasted Merganser, . LVIII. & LVIIL* 379 Hooded Merganser, . . LVIII.** 383 Smew or White Nun, . . LIX. 385 Red-necked Grebe, . . LXXII. 392 Crested Grebe, . . . LXXIII. 394 Horned Grebe, . . . LXXIV. 397 Eared Grebe, . . . LXXIV. 399 Little Grebe, . . . LXXV. 401 Northern Diver, . . . LXXVI. 406 Black-throated Diver, . . LXXVII. 411 Red-throated Diver, LXXVIII. & LXXVIII. 414 Foolish Guillemot, - . . LXXIX. 420 Black Guillemot, . . . LXXX. 426 Common Rotche, . . . LXXXI. 430 Great Auk, . . . LXXXII. 433 Razor Bill Auk, . . . LXXXIII. 435 Common Puffin, . . . LXXXIII. 439 Common Cormorant . . LXXXIV. 446 Crested Cormorant, . . LXXXVI. 450 Solan Gannet, LXXXVIL* & LXXXVII. 455 Caspian Tern, . . . 463 Sandwich Tern, . . . LXXXVIH. 464 Common Tern, . . . XC. 468 Roseate Tern, . . . LXXXIX. 470 Arctic Tern, . . . XC. 473 Lesser Tern, . . . LXXXIX. 475 Black Tern, . . . XCI. 477 Gull-billed Tern, . . . LXXXVIH. 480 Little Gull, . . . XCII. 484 Black-headed Gull, . . XCII. 486 Common Gull, . . . XCIII. 490 Kittiwake, . . . XCIV. 493 Ivory Gull, . . . XCIV.* 497 Glaucous Gull, , . . XCIX. 498 Iceland Gull, . . . XCVIII. 501 Herring-Gull, . . XCVI. & XCVL* 504 Great Black-backed Gull, XCVII. 507 CONTENTS. vii Plate Page Lesser Black-backed Gull, . XCV. 509 Common Skua, ... C. 514 Pomarine Skua, . . . CI. 517 Arctic Skua, . . CI. &. CI.* 520 Fulmar Petrel, .... CII. 525 Cinereous Shearwater, . . . CII.* 528 Mank's Shearwater, . . . CII. 529 Common Storm Petrel, . . . CIII. 533 Fork-tail Storm Petrel, . . CIII. 537 SYNOPTICAL TABLE OF BRITISH WATER-BIRDS. ABBREVIATIONS. I. INDIGENOUS. P. V. PERIODICAL VISITANT. O. V. OCCASIONAL VISITANT. 1 1 Subfamily. . .-= £ | Subfamily. | | 1 o ENGLISH SPECIFIC NAMES. LATIN SPECIFIC NAMES. Abbrevi- ations. 12 13 Brown Longbeak, Woodcock, Macroramphus griseus. Scolopax rusticola. 0. V. P. V. Great Snipe, major. O. V. Sabine's Snipe, Sabini. 0. V. Common Snipe, gallinago. I. Jack Snipe, gallinula. P. V. 14 Ruff, Machetes pugnax. P. V. 15 Knot, Tringa Canutus. P. V. Buff-breasted Tringa, rufescens. O. V. Temminck's Tringa, Temminckii. 0. V. Minute Tringa, minuta. O. V. Purple or Rock Tringa, maritima. P. V. Dunlin or Purre, variabilis. I. Curlew Tringa, subarquata. O. V. 16 Grey Phalarope, Phalaropus lobatus. 0. V. 17 Red Lobefoot, Lobipes hyperboreus. P. V. 18 Common Rail, Rallus aquaticus. I. 19 Meadow or Corn Crake, Crex pratensis. P. V. Spotted Crake, Porzana. P. V. Baillon's Crake, Baillonii. O. V. Little Crake, pusilla. O. V. 20 Common Gallinule, Gallinula chloropus. I. 21 Common Coot, Fulica atra. I. 5 22 23 24 Common Oyster Catcher, Common Turnstone, Common Sanderling, Hsematopus ostralegus. Strepsilas interpres. Arenaria calidris. I. P. V. P. V. 25 Collared Pratincole, Glareola torquata. 0. V. 26 Cream-coloured Swiftfoot, Cursorius isabellinus. 0. V. 27 28 Crested or G reen Lapwing, Bastard or Grey Plover, Vanellus cristatus. Squatarola cinerea. I. P.V. 29 Golden Plover, Charadrius pluvialis. I. Dotterel, morinellus. P.V. Ringed Plover, Hiaticula. I. Kentish Plover, Cantianus. P.V. 30 31 Black-winged Stilt, Common Thick-Knee, Himantopus melanopterus. CEdicnemus crepitans. 0. V. P.V. 5 1 1 32 Grey-lag Wild Goose, Anser palustris. P.V. Bean Goose, ferus. P.V. White-fronted Wild Goose, Erythropus. P.V. Bernicle or Clake Goose, Bernicla. P.V. Brent Goose, Brenta. P.V. Red-breasted Goose, ruficollis. 0. V. 2 33 Whistling Swan, Cygnus ferus. P. V. Bewick's Swan, Bewickii. P. V. 34 Common Shieldrake, Tadorna vulpanser. I. Ruddy Shieldrake, rutila. 0. V. 35 Common Shoveller, Spathulea clypeata. I. 36 Common Gad wall, Chauliodus Strepera. P.V. 37 Common Wild Duck, Anas Boschas. I. 38 Common Pintail, Querqueduk acuta. P.V. BRITISH WATER-BIRDS. XI j j 1 Genus. ENGLISH SPECIFIC NAMES. LATIN SPECIFIC NAMES. Abbrevi- ations. Common Teal, Querquedula Crecca. I. Garganv Teal, Bimaculated Teal, Circia. Gloscitans. P. V. O. V. 4 40 Common Wigeon, Black Scoter, Mareca Penelope. Oidemia nigra. P. V. P. V. Velvet Scoter, fusca. P. V. 41 Surf Scoter, Common Eider, perspicillata. Somateria mollissima. O. V. I King Eider, spectabilis. O. V. 42 Red-headed Pochard, Fuligula ferina. P. V. Red-crested Pochard, rufina. O. V. Nyroca Pochard, Nyroca. 0. V. Scaup Pochard, marila. P. V. Tutted Pochard, cristata. P. V. Western Pochard, dispar. 0. V. 43 Long-tailed Hareld, Harelda glacialis. P. V. 44 Common Golden-eye ) Garrot, J Clangula vulgaris. P. V. Harlequin Garrot, Histrionica. O. V. 5 45 Gooseander, Mergus merganser. P. V. Red-breasted Merganser, serrator. I. Hooded Merganser, cucullatus. O. V. Smew or White Nun, albellus. P. V. 2 ... 46 Red-necked Grebe, Podiceps rubricollis. P. V. Crested Grebe, cristatus. I. Horned Grebe, cornutus. I. Eared Grebe, auritus. I. Little Grebe, minor. I. 47 Northern Diver, Colymbus glacialis. P. V. Black-throated Diver, arcticus. I. Red-throated Diver, septentrionalis. I. 3 48 Foolish Guillemot, Uria Troile. P. V. Black Guillemot, Grylle. I. 49 Common Rotch, Mergulus melanoleucos. O. V. 50 Great Auk, Alca impennis. O. V. Razor-bill Auk, Torda. P. V. 51 Common Puffin, Fratercula arctica. P. V. 4 52 Common Cormorant, Phalacrocorax Carbo. I. Crested Cormorant, cristatus. I. 53 Solan Gannet, Sula Bassana. P. V. 5 54 Caspian Tern, Sterna Caspia. O. V. Sandwich Tern, Boysii. P. V. Common Tern, Hirundo. P. V. Roseate Tern, Dougallia. P. V. Arctic Tern, arctica. P. V. Lesser Tern, minuta. P. V. Black Tern, nigra. P. V. Gull- billed Tern, Anglica. 0. V. 55 Little Gull, Larus minutus. O. V. Black-headed Gull, ridibundus. I. Xll SYNOPTICAL TABLE, &c. 1 j>. 1 3 CO Genus. ENGLISH SPECIFIC NAMES. LATIN SPECIFIC NAMES. Abbrevi- ations. Common Gull, Larus Canus. I. Kittiwake, Kissa. P. V. Ivory Gull, eburneus. O. V. Glaucous Gull, glaucus. O. V. Iceknd Gull, Islandicus. O. V. Herring Gull, argentatus. I. Great Black-backed Gull, marinus. I. Lesser Black-backed Gull, fuscus. I. 56 Common Skua, Cataractes vulgaris. P. V, Pomarine Skua, Pomarinus. 0. V. Arctic Skua, parasiticus. P. V. 57 Fulmar Petrel, Procellaria glacialis. P. V. 58 Cinereous Shearwater, Puffinus cinereus. O. V. Mank's Shearwater, Anglorum. P. V. 59 Common Storm Petrel, Thalassidroma Pelagica. I. Fork-taU Storm Petrel, BuUockii. I. ILLUSTRATIONS OF BRITISH ORNITHOLOGY ORDER IV. GRALLATORES— WADERS. IN the system so ably developed by Mr VIGORS, in his Treatise on the Affinities which connect the Orders and Fa- milies of Birds, this constitutes his fourth Order, being ana- logous to the Gr alias of LATHAM and others, and holding the intermediate station between the Rasores or Gallinaceous Birds, and the Natatores or true Aquatics. In addition to the various genera of the order Grallce of other systems, which was placed at the head of the second great Division or Aves Aquatic^ it contains some of the genera arranged in the Order Pinnatipedes of LATHAM, as Fulica, Phala- ropus, &c. and also others which, from the development of the membrane connecting the toes, had been included amongst the Palmipedes or Swimmers, but whose real affi- nities clearly point them out as more intimately connected with the members of this Order ; such are the Genera Phce- nicopterus, Recurvirostra, &c. The five families into which it may be divided, according to the quinary system (placing VOL. H. A 2 GRALLATORES. GRUID^. those considered most typical in the centre, in accordance with the views of Mr VIGOHS), are the Gruidce, Ardeadce, Scolopacida, Rallid^ and Charadriada, of which the Ardea- da and Scolopatida are the typical or normal groups, as partaking most equally of the advantages of both elements. Of the other three or aberrant Divisions, the Gruida and Charadriadez, placed at the extremes of the Order, are more attached to the land in their habits, and serve not only to connect this with the preceding Order of Rasores or Galli- naceous Birds, but to support that succession of affinities which prevails within the circle of the order itself ; while the third,, or Rattida, deviating in form from the other groups, and exhibiting in many respects a close approach to birds more decidedly aquatic, serves as a connecting link between the present order, and the succeeding one of Natatores. FAMILY I.— GRUID^E. Many of the birds of this family were formerly comprised in the genus Ardea of LINNAEUS, but they differ from the re- mainder of that group not only in the form of the bill and feet (the first of which is thicker and more obtuse at the end, and the latter usually much shorter than in the true Ardece), but a marked and considerable difference exists in their ha- bits and manners, which are nearer allied to those of the land birds, and their food, instead of being entirely animal, and derived from the water, is in a great measure vegetable. ' Their plumage and general carriage also indicate a near al- liance with some of the StrntMonidce of the preceding order, through which the chain of affinities connecting the present order with the more typical gallinaceous birds, is supported. In addition to the recently instituted genera Anthropoides, the type of which is the Numidjan Crane (Ardea Virgo of LINN.) ; Balearica, represented by the Crowned Crane (Ardea Pavonina of LINN.) ; and Grus> of which the Ardea CRANE. GRALLATORES. GRUS. 3 Grits of LINN.EUS may be considered typical ; this family al- so contains the genus Psophia, closely connected with An- thropoides in the form and shortness of the bill, and which also, in plumage and other particulars, indicates its affinity to the Struthion-ida ; and the genus Cariama of BRISSON ( Dicholoplius of ILLIGER) also appears to be in its natural situation in this family ; and it is through some of the mem- bers of this group that a more immediate link with the Cha- radriadce (which meet the present family at the correspond- ing extreme of the order) is effected. GENUS GRUS. CRANE. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill longer than the head, straight, strong, laterally com- pressed, the tip convexo-conical, pointed. Mandibles of equal length and height ; cuhnen, from the base to one-half of the length of the bill, flat and indistinct, from thence to the tip rounded ; nasal furrow reaching rather beyond the mid- dle of the bill, broad and deep. Tomia straight, parallel, smooth, except near the tip, where they are slightly and fine- ly serrated. Ascending angle of the lower mandible with a rounded culmen. Nostrils placed horizontally in the anterior part of the fur- row, large, concave, and pervious, posteriorly closed by the membrane. Tongue broad, fleshy, and sharp-pointed. Legs long, with great part of the tibia naked. Feet four- toed ; toes strong and rather short, the middle one about one- third the length of the tarsus, and joined to the exterior by a membrane reaching almost as far as the second phalange ; the interior one nearly free. Hind toe short, dependent, articu- lated upon the tarsus, above the plane of the others. Claws short, strong, sharp, falcated, and entire, Front of the tarsus and toes scutellated ; under part of the toes roughly reticu- lated. 4 GRALLATORES. GRUS. CRANE. Tail rather short, and consisting of twelve feathers. Wings rounded ; the first quill shorter than the second ; the third the longest of all. In plumage, the head more or less naked, or thinly clad with bristles. Upper part of the neck, with the feathers linear and acuminated. The rest of the plumage close set. Secondary quills, nearest the back, elongat- ed, dependent, arched, frequently with webs open and distinct. The genus Grus, as now restricted, ' contains several spe- cies, all birds of large size, inhabitants of extensive marshy plains, where they subsist upon vegetables, grains, seeds, worms, and reptiles. Their habits are more those of land birds than any of the succeeding family .Ardeadce, to which, however, they are nearly allied, forming a connecting link ; their plumage and appearance at the same time indicating their connexion with the Struthionida of the rasorial order. Of the various known species, only one is a native of Eu- rope, viz. the Grus cinerea, or Common Crane, which at one time appears to have been common in Britain, but is now on- ly found as a rare visitant. They are all birds of migra- tory habits, retiring, from whatever division of the globe they happen to belong, to more northerly or colder regions du- ring the summer, or period of reproduction. In most of the species of this genus, as well as in Anthropoides, the trachea of the male is of various construction, making seve- ral convolutions, previous to its entrance within the thorax. COMMON CRANE. GRUS CINEREA, Bechst. PLATE I. Grus cinerea, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. p. 103 — Temm. Man. d'Ornith. v. 2. p. 557 — Steph. Shaw's Zool. v. 11. 524. pi. 40 — Wagler, Syst. Av. sp. 9. Ardea Grus, Linn. Syst. 1. p. 234. 4 — Briss. 5. p. 374. 6. t. 33 Rail Syn. p. 95. A. 1. La Grue, Buff. Ois. v. 7- p- 287. t. 14. Grue cendree, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. p. 557- Aschgrauer Kranick, Meyer, Taschenb. Deut. 2. p. 350. CRANE. GRALLATORES. GRUS. 5 Common Crane, Penn. Br. ZooL 2. App. 629. t. 6 — Arct. Zool. 2. p. 453. A. — Will (Angl.) 2J4.—Lath. Syn. 5. p. 50. 5 — Mont. Ornith. Diet — Id. Sup — Lath. Syn. Sup. 2. 298. 2 — Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 29.— Shaw's Zool 11. p. 524. pi. 40. IN earlier times, when the country was not so well peopled, and vast tracts of land remained uninclosed, this majestic and elegant bird (if we are to credit the accounts transmit- ted to us by the ornithologists of those days) appears to have visited Britain with great regularity during the periods of its migrations, most probably during its summer or polar movement (though RAY mentions winter visits), as ALDRO- VANDUS speaks of their breeding in the fens and marshes of Cambridgeshire. This fact is corroborated by WILLOUGHBY, who, in enumerating the statutes for the preservation of wild fowl, quotes one of them as imposing a penalty of twenty pence upon any one who shall take away the egg of a Crane or Bustard. As enclosures became more frequent, and com- mons and fens, the appropriate haunts of these birds for ni- dification, were drained, the Crane, with several other spe- cies (as the Bustard, (Edicneme, &c.) seem rapidly to have decreased in numbers, and by degrees to have deserted the island, as no longer affording them either security, or the peculiarities of soil and situation necessary to their economy. Accordingly Mr PENNANT, who wrote upwards of fifty years ago, mentions the Crane as a bird at that time almost un- known, even in those districts where it had, at an earlier pe- riod, been represented as quite common ; and he instances a single individual killed in 1773, as the only one that had been seen in England during his time. It still continues equally rare, and appears to have permanently changed the line of its migrations, for (in addition to the above mention- ed instance by PENNANT) I can only cite a small flock that visited Zetland during the harvest of 1807, as recorded by MONTAGU and the Rev. Dr FLEMING, out of which one was shot*. These circumstances, therefore, only entitle it to * Since writing the above, I have received information that a Crane was killed in Oxfordshire, in December 1830. 6 GRALLATORES. GRUS. CRANE. Rare visi- rank in our Fauna, at the present day, as a very rare visi- tant. The Crane, in its contour and gait, bears a consider- able resemblance to some of the StruthionidcB ; and we are immediately reminded of the Ostrich, by the long flowing plumes that overhang the tail, Through this and other fa- milies its affinity to the Rasores is readily traced. In its internal conformation it also differs very essentially from the more typical families of the Grallatores, and its strong and muscular stomach indicates a different general economy from that of the members of the succeeding family of Ardeada, in which it was included by former authors. It is gregarious, and usually makes its distant aerial voyages in considerable bodies, which fly at a great elevation, uttering during their progress loud cries, which may be distinctly heard even when the birds themselves are far beyond the reach of sight ; and these flights are very frequently performed in the night time. Its equatorial migrations extend to India, Egypt, and other warm climates of Asia and Africa ; but in sum- mer it retires to the northern and eastern parts of Europe to Nest, &c. breed. The nest is placed amongst the long herbage of marshy tracts, and sometimes (according to TEMMINCK) up- on ruins, or the roofs of houses. Its eggs, two in number, are of a pale bluish-green colour, blotched with brown. It frequents extensive plains, particularly open grounds under Food. cultivation, and feeds much upon newly sown corn and other seeds ; in this respect indicating a close connexion with birds of the gallinaceous or rasorial order. It, however, readily devours both worms and frogs and other reptiles, the more appropriate food of the Ardeada, to which family its long slender neck, lengthened tarsi, form of wings, &c. show a near approach. The Crane, as well as other mem- bers of the Gruidte (as genus Antliropoides, &c.) exhibits a remarkable structure of the trachea or windpipe. In this bird, instead of going directly into the thorax, it enters a large cavity formed in the keel of the sternum, and is there doubly reflected ; the first duplicature reaching the full ex- CRANE. GRALLATORES. GRUS. 7 tent of the excavation, the second about midway. After its return from this second flexure, it bends upwards, and pass- ing over the ridge of the sternum by the left clavicle, there enters the thorax, and is attached to the lungs by its bron- chial tubes *. The female possesses the same formation as the male, but the duplicatures are not so considerable, nor do they extend so far backwards into the cavity of the sternum. PLATE 1. Represents the Crane of about one-half the size of nature, from a very fine specimen in the splendid col- lection of Sir WILLIAM JAKDINE, Bart. The bill is black, with the tip of a straw-yellow colour ; the General nostrils pervious and oblong. The forehead and space between the bill and eyes, bluish black, garnished with stiff bristly hairs. The crown is naked, with the skin of a tile-red colour. The occiput, the throat, and fore part of the neck, deep broccoli-brown ; the hinder part, and sides of the neck, greyish- white. The upper and under parts of the body of a deep ash-grey. The pri- mary quills and greater coverts black ; some of the se- condaries and the tertials long and arched ; the latter with decomposed barbs of a blackish-brown colour, and forming elegant plumes, something similar to those of the Ostrich, which usually droop over the tail, but can be erected at pleasure. The legs and feet are black. The plumage of both sexes is similar, though the colours of the male bird are perhaps generally of a finer and brighter tint than those of the female. The young do not acquire their perfect plumage till after the second moulting, previous to which the crown of the head is covered with downy feathers, and they want the deep chocolate-brown upon the occiput and throat. * For a further description, see Dr LATHAM'S Essay on the Trachea of Birds, in the fourth volume of the Linnean Transactions. « GRALLATORES. ARDEAD.E. FAMILY IL— ARDEAD^l. As I have previously observed, those groups which appear to partake most equally of the advantages to be derived from both land and water, may properly be considered as the ty- pical families of the Grallatores. The Ardeadse, then, na- turally come under that class ; as birds which inhabit the land, or at least do not possess the essential qualities of wa- ter-fowl (such as the powers of swimming and diving), but yet derive their support almost entirely from the watery ele- ment. The characteristics of the family (at least of the most typical genera) are legs of great length, enabling them to wade deep into the water in search of their prey, and for the capture of which is added a great extension of neck, with a long sharp-pointed bill-, acting as a spear to transfix it. Modifications, however, of these characters, of course exist in the forms which lead to and connect this with the other families of the order, and with the other orders of the class, supporting that succession of affinities that prevails, not on- ly in the feathered race, but throughout the whole system of animated nature. The food of the Ardeadae is almost entirely animal, con- sisting of fish, reptiles, worms, and insects, and sometimes of the smaller Mammalia, inhabiting the banks of rivers, or living in marshy districts. A small portion only of the genera that compose the va- rious families are to be found in the British Islands, as might indeed be expected in so confined a part of the globe. Due allowance must therefore be made for the apparent deficiency of those links that unite birds with characters deviating con- siderably from each other ; as such links are beautifully sup- plied by the interposition of genera or forms belonging to other climes ; and the natural chain of affinities readily and satisfactorily traced. HERON. GRALLATORES. ARDEA. 9 GENUS ARDEA. HERON. \ GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill longer than the head, higher than broad, straight, compressed, sharp-pointed, of mean strength. Base of both " mandibles covered with a delicate cere. Mandibles of near- ly equal length ; maxilla laterally sulcated for about two- thirds of its length ; culmen rounded ; tip drawn to a point, and very slightly inclined, emarginated ; tomia of maxilla equal, serrated towards the tip. Mandibles of equal depth, tomia drawn inwards, very sharp, and serrated near the point. Angle of maxilla with the culmen compressed, more or less ascending. Lores naked. Nostrils at a short distance from the base of the bill, and placed in the lateral furrow ; longitudinal and narrow ; per- vious, and partly covered with a naked membrane. Tongue reaching to about half the length of the bill, nar- row, membranous, and sharp-pointed. Feet with the tarsus considerably longer than the middle toe ; toes four, rather long, slender, congruous, all unequal ; the middle one con- nected, as far as the first phalange, to the exterior by a membrane ; interior one nearly free. Hind toe about half the length of the middle one, articulated interiorly upon the same plane, and resting entirely upon the ground. Tibia naked for a considerable space above the tarsal joint. Nails falcate, that of the hind toe the longest of all ; that of the middle toe pectinated. Front of the tarsus clypeate; hinder part of the tarsus reticulated. Upper part of the toes scu- tellated. Wings ample, rounded ; the second and third quills the longest. Tail short and even. Neck covered with short close-set feathers; and, in adults, towards the base of the fore part of the neck, rise long acuminate pendulous feathers. Feathers on the back elongated, silky, linear, or laciniated, with decomposed barbs and barbules. 5 10 GRALLATORES. ARDEA. HERON. General plumage loose and open, with barbs^slightly ad- hering. The genus Ardea of the earlier writers was very compre- hensive, and contained many birds, which 'as science ad- vanced, and their natural affinities became better known, it has been found necessary to transfer to other groups, or to form into distinct genera. I have accordingly adopted the views of the first ornithologists of the present day, and re- stricted the genus to those species which possess all the es- sential typical characters, as developed in Ardea herodias^ cinerea, purpurea, &c., though a slight modification in the species that lead to the succeeding and nearest allied genera is perceptible. The genus, even as now restricted, contains a great many species, which all inhabit marshes and the banks of lakes and rivers, and form a very prominent part of the normal group of the Ardeadge, in the order Gralla- tores. Their food consists of fish, reptiles, and insects, which their lengthened tarsi and acute serrated bill enable them to capture in the shallower parts of the water. Their habits are solitary, except during the season of reproduction, when they assemble, and breed in large companies; and, when they obey the laws of migration, their journeys are per- formed in extensive flocks. Some of the species, that dwell in the colder latitudes, are furnished with a down upon some parts of the body, which appears to act not only as an additional clothing, but as the medium for distributing a peculiar powder over the whole plumage, tending to make it impervious to moisture. Most of the species are ornamented, in a greater or less degree, with elongated plumes, which arise from the occiput, the lower and fore part of the neck, and the back. In some species, the feathers of the last named part have their barbs long, silky, and decomposed. The occipital plumes are short during the autumn and winter, but become fully deve- loped on the approach of the pairing season. The plumage HERON. GRALLATORES. ARDEA. 11 of l>oth sexes is similar, that of the male exhibiting only a superior lustre, and pureness of tint. The young of many species differ considerably from the mature birds, which has led to much confusion, and sometimes an unnecessary multi- plication of species. Their flight is heavy, with the neck re- tracted, and resting between the shoulders ; and having the legs extended behind, to preserve the balance of the body. Their appetite is voracious, and their digestion powerful and rapid. COMMON HERON. ARDEA CINEREA, Lath. PLATE II. Ardea cinerea, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 691. 54.— Shaw's Zool 11. 548 — Wag. ler, Syst. Av. sp. 3.—Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 95. 126. Heron cendre', Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 567- Ardea major, Linn. Syst. 1. 23C. 12.— Gmel Syst. 1. 627. sp. 12 — Rati Syn. 98. A. 1. Ardea cristata, Sriss. 5. 396. 2. t. 35. Le Heron huppe', Buff. Ois, 7- 342. PL Enl. 755. Aschgrauer Itheiher, Meyer, Taschenb. Deut. 2. p. 332. Ardea cinerea, Linn. 1. 236. 11 — Briss. Orn. 5. 392. 1. \ Young of Le Heron, Buff. Ois. 7. 342. pi. 19. j both sexes. Crested Heron, Albin. Br. Birds, 1. pi. 67.— Low's Faun. Oread. 77. Common Heron, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. No. 173. — Arct. Zool. 2. No. 343 — Lath. Syn. 5. 83. 50 — Mont. Ornith. Diet.— Id. Sup — Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 37 — Lewin's Br. Birds, 5. pi. 118 Shaw's Zool 11. 548 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 95. PROVINCIAL — Heronseugh. NOTWITHSTANDING the Heron is now so little esteemed, both by the epicure and the sportsman, there is no bird bet- ter entitled to claim the protection of the admirers of nature and picturesque scenery, from the striking effect its presence can produce in the solitary haunts in which it delights, and Haunts, where it is most commonly found. Its form, whether at rest or upon the wing, is interesting, and well adapted to give effect to the landscape, and for this reason it is frequently introduced as a prominent feature in the productions of the pencil. At an earlier period, however, when hawking was 12 GRALLATORES. ARDEA. HERON. held in great estimation, and was considered the appropriate pastime of the gentry of the land, the Heron, from the ex- cellent sport it afforded by its determined resistance to the Falcon, was regarded as noble game, and penal statutes were enacted for its protection ; and we find, that to have taken its eggs alone subjected the offender to a mulct of twenty shillings. As an article of luxury, its flesh was also in such repute, as to be deemed little, if at all, inferior to that of the Peacock, a bird whose rarity and costliness confined it to the tables of the great. But indeed the low estimation in which the flesh of the Heron is now held, would seem to be in a great degree the effect of prejudice, or the fashion of taste, as, under proper treatment and good cookery, the Heron, when fat and in fine condition, is but little inferior to some of our most approved wild fowl. In its habits it is soli- tary, and being a bird of great timidity and watchfulness, is not easily approached within gunshot. When seen, it is usually standing immoveable in the shallows of rivers, or pools of water, with its neck bent, and drawn between its Food. shoulders, watching attentively the motions of its finny prey, upon which, when once within reach 9 it darts with unerring aim, transfixing it by a single stroke of its sharp bill. Its favourite food is fish, and its appetite being very voracious, and the digestive powers exceedingly rapid, it sometimes com- mits great depredations in fish-ponds, before the evil is dis- covered. It also devours frogs and other reptiles, and even young water-rats, mice, and other small Mammalia are swal- lowed whole, and with great avidity. The geographical distribution of the species is very extensive, and embraces the greater part of the old world ; in some countries it is re- gularly migratory, but it is a permanent resident in Britain. About the beginning of March, Herons assemble together previous to resorting to their respective breeding stations, or Heronries, which are always in the loftiest trees the country Nest, &c. may happen to afford. Their nests are large and flat, and many are frequently placed close together upon the same HERON. GRALLATORES. ARDEA. 13 tree ; they are built of sticks, and the interior lined with wool and other soft materials. They lay four or five eggs, of a bluish-green colour, but without lustre. The young, when first hatched, are naked and very unsightly ; and it is generally five or six weeks before they are so far fledged as to be able to quit the nest, during which period they are amply supplied with fish and other food by the parent birds, they having frequently to roam to a great distance for it *. When taken young, the Heron may be easily reared, and rendered very tame, and, when domesticated, is a pleasing addition to the other birds frequently kept in gentlemen's grounds, though troublesome to maintain, on account of the peculiarity of its food. But the old birds, when caught, soon die, from obstinately refusing all nourishment. When wounded by the sportsman, and not entirely disabled, the Heron must be approached with caution, as it sets itself in a menacing attitude, and makes a formidable defence, striking directly at the eyes of the dog that unwarily attacks it •(•. PLATE 2. Represents a male bird of about two-thirds of the natural size. The forehead, crown, sides of the head, and throat, the General ridge of the wings, the breast and belly, are pure white. The sides, and back part of the neck, pale grey. The front of the neck has a double row of ob- long spots of greyish-black. The long plumes which * A curious account of a battle between a colony of Herons and a neigh- bouring rookery is related by BEWICK, upon the authority of Dr HEY- SHAM, to which I refer my reader. f From the following interesting anecdote, communicated by my worthy friend P. NEILL, Esq. of Canonmills, near Edinburgh, it would seem, that, under certain circumstances, and where favoured by situation, the Heron is not disinclined to breed in a state of domestication. " The Common Heron (a male), which was winged on Coldingham Muir in autumn 1821, when a young bird, and given to me in 1822 by Mr JOHN WILSON of the College, has since resided in my garden at Canonmills, and is now so tame, that he often follows me, expecting a piece of cheese, which he relishes. Four years ago Mr ALLAN of Lauriston sent me a young fe- 14 GRALLATORES. ARDEA. HERON. spring from the lower part of the neck are white, or greyish-white. The streak over the eyes, and the oc- cipital plumes (which are sometimes six or eight inches in length) are black, as are also the flanks and feathers on each side of the breast. The feathers of the back and the scapulars are pale grey, long, loose, and acu- minated. The lesser wing-coverts bluish-grey. The quills greyish-black. The tail deep bluish-grey. The bill kingVyellow ; the irides gamboge-yellow. The legs and toes brown, tinged with yellowish-green. The naked part of the tibia yellowish or orange. The female resembles the male, except that the tints of her plumage are not quite so pure. The young are without the occipital crest ; and the long scapulary feathers that adorn the old birds, as well as male, which had been taken during a severe storm. She soon associated with the older male. In summer 1828 she laid three or four eggs (I am not sure which), on the top of a wall next to the mill-pond : these all tum- bled into the water ; for though the birds had carried up a few sticks, they made no proper nest. She then laid one or two on the flower-border be- low the wall, and close by the box-edging : here some eggs were broken by the birds suddenly starting off when alarmed by strangers walking in the garden. We supplied their place by some bantam eggs, and only one heron egg at last remained. Alas ! the poor hen, having strayed to the margin of the mill-pond, was shot by some thoughtless young man with a fowling-piece. The cock continued to sit for several entire days af- ter the death of the hen, but at last tired. He used to sit, when she went off for food. During the whole time of pairing, the cock was very bold, raising his feathers and snapping his bill whenever any one approached." To the foregoing Mr NEILL adds the following curious fact with regard to his male bird, which shews that the Heron is not altogether incapable of swimming, though in its natural or wild state it is seldom obliged to have recourse to this unusual mode of obtaining its prey. " 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 fell a rat by one blow on the back of the head, when the rat was munching at his dish of fish." 2 HERON. GRALLATORES. ARDEA. 15 those that hang down from the lower part of the neck, are wanting. The forehead, crown, hinder and lateral parts of the neck, the back, and wing-coverts, are deep grey. The throat, belly, abdomen, and inner part of the thighs, are white. The fore part of the neck is spotted with blackish-grey. The upper mandible is blackish-brown, and the under one greenish-yellow. The lores yeUowish-green ; the legs and feet grey, or brown, tinged with yellow. The bare part of the tibia greenish-yellow. CRESTED PURPLE HERON. ARDEA PURPUREA, Linn. i PLATE III. Ardea purpurea,' Linn. Syst. 1. 236. 10 — Gmel Syst. 1. 626 — Lath. Tnd.^ Orn. 2. 697- 72. Ardea Botaurus, Gmel. Syst. 1. 636 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 698. 74. Ardea rufa, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 692. 55. Botaurus rnajor,\Bms. Orn. 5. 455. 28. Ardea stellaris major, Rail, Syn. 100. 13 — Will. 208. Grand Butor, Buff: Ois. 7- 422. Heron pourpre', Temm. Man. d'Ornith, 2. 570. Purper Reiher, Meyer., Taschenb. Deut. 4. 27. t. 2. Crested Purple Heron, Lath. Syn. 5. 95. 65 — Shaw's Zool. 11. 556. Greater Bittern, Lath. Syn. 5. 58. 18. Greater Speckled or Red Heron, Will (Angl.) p. 283. Rufous Heron, Lath. Syn. 5. 99. 72. Ardea purpurata, Gmel. Syst. 1. 641.— Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 698. 75. Ardea Caspica, Lath. Ind. 2. 698. 73. Ardea variegata, Lath. Ind. 2. 692. 56. Heron pourpre, Buff. Ois. 7- 369. Youfl ff. Purple Heron, Lath. Syn. 5. 96. 66. African Heron, Lath. Syn. Sup. 237 — Mont. Ornith. Diet. Ardea rubiginosa, Gmel. Syst. 1. 632 — Lath. Ind. 2. 693. 58. Rusty Crowned Heron, Arct. Zool. 2. No. 358 — Lath. Syn. 5. 87- 53. THIS beautiful Heron stands in the list of our Fauna as a Rare visi- tant. rare visitant ; for it appears that, prior to the publication of MONTAGU'S Ornithological Dictionary, only two specimens had been recorded as killed in England. Since that time Natural History has made rapid advances> and from having, as a science, been more generally cultivated, has induced a Adult 16 ORALLATORES. ARDEA. HERON- closer investigation into the habitats of species ; and conse- quently, several stragglers have been announced, which would otherwise have escaped observation. Among others, I may mention that in the month of May 1830, a fine male of this species, that was killed in Norfolk, came into my possession, and its mate into that of Sir WILLIAM JAR- DINE *. This bird undergoes considerable change, in co- lours and texture of plumage, in its progress from the young to the adult and perfect state ; and a want of sufficient in- formation, arising probably from a neglect of the narrow in- vestigation which should attend all pursuits in Natural His- tory, has given rise to the long list of synonyms above quoted. By LATHAM alone it has been specifically describ- ed under seven different titles, most of them marking the particular change now certified as taking place at the differ- ent moultings, in its progress to maturity. Like the Ardea cinerea, its geographical distribution extends to the three quarters of the old world. In Europe, it is most abundant in the southern countries, becoming scarce as it approaches to the north. It is, however, well known in Holland, but not to so great a degree as the Common Heron. In Asia, it abounds on the shores of the Caspian Sea, and on the bor- ders of the rivers and lakes of Tartary, and is also an inha- bitant of the Philippine Isles. In Africa it is met with in Nest, &c. Nubia, at the Cape of Good Hope, &c. Its habits are simi- lar to those of Ardea cinerea, but a slight difference exists in the form of the feet (the toes being very long and slender, and closely resembling those of the Bittern), which prevents Food. it from perching with the same ease, and consequently so of- ten on trees, as the other species, and of course from there placing its nest. On the contrary, it builds in the thickest and tallest reeds on the margins of the rivers or lakes it fre- quents. It is stated to lay three eggs, of a pale bluish-green colour, and not quite so large as those of the Common Heron. It feeds upon fish, frogs, and other reptiles and insects, and * Since writing the above, I have heard of three other specimens, two killed in Norfolk, and another near to London. HERON. GRALLATORES. ARDEA. 17 occasionally upon the smaller Mammalia that come within its reach. PLATE 3. Represents the male, in the plumage of maturity, and about three-fourths of the size of nature. The bill (except the culmen, which is brown) is of a fine General gamboge-yellow ; lores the same ; irides pale yellow. The head, and occipital crest (which is formed of long acuminated feathers) are ink-black, in some lights tinged with green. A list of black also runs from the back part of the neck, for about two-thirds of its length. From the posterior angle of the mouth, a narrow list of black proceeds backwards to the nape, and another down each side of the neck. The front of the neck is spotted with black, white, and purplish-red. The plumes towards the bottom of the neck are long and acuminate, of a pale grey, or greyish-white colour, tinged with purple. The space behind the eyes, and the sides of the neck (with the exception of the black lists) are of a rich reddish-brown. The chin and throat pure white. The shoulders are adorned with feathers of a rich reddish-brown, tinged with lavender-purple. The breast purplish-red. The margins of the wings are white. The back, wing-coverts, flanks, and tail are grey, tinged with purple and green. The scapulars are long, semi-laciniated, and of a deep lavender-purple. The belly and abdomen are greyish-black. The thighs reddish-brown. The naked part of the tibia, the hin- der part of the tarsus, and under parts of the toes, are yellow. The front of the tarsus, and upper parts of the toes, are brown, tinged with yellowish-green. The nails are long, semi-falcate, and black. The young, until three years old, are without the occipi- tal crest, as well as the elongated feathers at the base of the neck, and in the scapulars. The chin is white, the forehead blackish-grey; the crown and occiput grey, VOL. II. B 18 GRALLATORES. ARDEA. HERON. tinged with reddish-brown. The neck is pale reddish- brown, without the black lists. The front of the neck is yellowish- white, with longitudinal black spots. The back, scapulars, wings, and tail deep-grey ; the feathers margined with reddish-brown. The belly and thighs are reddish- white. The upper mandible is blackish-brown ; the under one, the lores, and eyes, are pale yellow. As the young bird advances towards maturity, the tints become purer in colour, and it approaches, by degrees, to the fine plumage that distinguishes the adult. GREAT WHITE HERON. ARDEA ALBA, Linn. PLATE IV. Ardea alba, Linn. Syst. 1. 239. 24 — Gmel Syst. 1. 639 Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 695. 65.— Wagler, Syst. Av. 1. sp. 8. Ardea Candida, Briss. 5. 428. 15. Ardea alba major, Rail Syn. p. 99. A. 4. Ardea Egrettoides, Gmel. Reise, 2. 193. t. 25. Heron Aigrette, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 672, but not all the synonyms quoted. Le Heron blanc, Buff. Ois. 7. 365. Great White Heron, Br. Zool. 2. 1?5. t. 62.— Will (Angl.) 279. t. 49 — Lath. Syn. 5. 91. 60 — Mont. Ornith. Diet. 1 — Id. Sup. Ardea Egretta, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 11. 543. The American White Heron, or true Ardea Egretta, and Ardea alba, are here confounded together, and given as the same species. THE claim of this Heron to the title of a British bird, even as a rare visitant, appears doubtful, and to rest upon vague testimony. WILLOUGHBY, whose description possesses all the accuracy and minuteness of a personal examination, does not state how or where the specimen was obtained, nor does he even speak of it as a bird that he had himself ever seen in England. Towards the conclusion of his ob- servations, however, he quotes, upon the authority of AL- DROVANDUS, that " a certain Englishman affirmed that he had seen White Herons, though but rarely, which neither, in bigness of body, nor shape, differed at all from the Common Heron ;" and then he farther adds, that a Mr JOHNSON, who HERON. GRALLATORES. ARDEA. 19 had seen the White Heron in England, considered.it to be a distinct species, and not an accidental variety of the Com- mon Heron. This supposition, however, unless it were con- firmed by actual examination (which does not appear to have been the case), cannot be considered as at all conclusive, since white varieties of the Ardea cinerea are known to oc- cur. PENNANT, in his British Zoology, expressly states that it had never fallen within his observation, and merely cites WILLOUGHBY'S authority for placing it among the Bri- tish birds. Other compilers seem to have included it upon no better authority ; and no farther evidence appears of its visiting England, till MONTAGU published his Ornithologi- cal Dictionary, in which, under the article " Great White Heron," he says, " One of these birds (we are informed by Dr LATHAM) was killed in Cumberland not many years ago." In the Supplement to the same work, he further men- tions, that a White Heron was observed in Devonshire, in the autumn of 1805, often in company with three or four of the common sort, and sometimes alone ; and that the Rev. Mr VAUGHAN, who had frequent opportunities of observing it, was of opinion, that, from its size, it must have been Ardea alba, and not an accidental variety of Ardea cinerea. I may add, that I have myself never met with it, nor have I been able to trace an authenticated instance of its capture in any part of Great Britain since the publication of MON- TAGU'S work. Upon such inconclusive evidence as above men- tioned, I dare scarcely venture to insert it even as one of our rarest visitants; but as the possibility, or even probability, of its occasionally visiting these islands is not to be questioned, considering its geographical distribution, I have thought it the safer course to retain it as such, rather than to dismiss Rarest vi- it altogether from the list of our Fauna. By many of the sl1 later writers, Ardea alba has been confounded with Ardea Egretta, an American species, and apparently its representa- tive in the New World. Even TEMMINCK, whose character as a descriptive ornithologist stands deservedly in the high- B 2 20 GRALLATORES. ARDEA, HERON. est estimation, has failed in pointing out the distinctive cha- racters of the two species, and considers them in his Manual as identical, in which he has been followed by STEPHENS and others, WAGLER, however, whose skill in detecting, and accuracy in delineating, specific distinctions, merit the highest praise, has marked, with much precision, the charac- ters of each ; and WILSON, who describes the Ardea Egretta in his admirable Ornithology of North America, states his conviction, from a comparison of the characters of each, that the European must be a distinct species from that which he describes. The White Heron inhabits the eastern parts of Europe, and is found in abundance upon the shores of the Caspian and Black Seas. It is plentiful in Turkey, Hun- gary, Russia, and Poland ; and is also met with in Sardinia and Greece. It does not appear that its geographical distri- bution extends to Africa, the White Heron of that country, frequently confounded with it, being a different species, de- scribed by WAGLER under the title of Ardea Jlavirostris. In the mature state, the Great White Heron is adorned with long plumes, which form a train, hanging over and beyond the tail : the feathers which compose it take their rise on the back, from behind the shoulders, and consist each of a strong shaft, with long hair-like laciniated silky webs. These fea- thers, as well as those of the Lesser Egret {Ardea garzetta), were formerly in great request as plumes for the head, and to adorn other parts of dress, and are still much worn by the Turks, and other eastern nations. The bird, when ir- ritated or frightened, is in the habit of erecting these long dorsal feathers. Its manners greatly resemble those of its Food. congeners, and its food is similar, consisting of fish, reptiles, Nest, &c. insects5 &c. It is stated to build its nest in the marshes, among reeds, and other aquatic herbage, and not upon trees, and to lay four or five large bluish-green eggs. General pLATE JV. The whole of the body is pure white. A short tion. crest depends from the occiput. In the adult bird, and HERON. GRALLATORES. ARDEA. when in the summer plumage, a course of long plumes spring from the back, immediately behind the shoul- ders, and hang over the tail. The webs of these fea- thers are long, divided, hair-like, and silky, and are si- milar in their formation and texture to those of the Lesser Egret (Ardea garzetta) and the American Great Egret (Ardea egrettd). The bill is of a deep wood- brown colour, becoming more tinged with yellow about the nostrils. The culmen is blackish-brown. The lores and orbits are greyish-green : irides orange-yellow. The legs and toes are yellowish-brown, tinged with red. The young, and adults previous to the spring-moulting, are destitute of the long dorsal plumes ; and the legs of the former are of a greenish-black colour ; their bill black- ish-green, tinged with yellow. The adult bird measures three feet four or five inches in length; the bill about six inches; the tarsi eight inches; and the naked part of the tibia four inches and a half long. LITTLE EGRET HERON. ARDEA GARZETTA, Linn. PLATE V. Ardea garzetta, Linn. Syst. 1. 937. 13 — Gmel. Syst. 1. 628 — Lath. IncU Ornith. 2. 694. 64 — Wagler, Syst. Av. 1. sp. 10 — ShavSslZool. 11. 545. — Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 574. but not all his synonyms. Ardea nivea, Gmel. Reise, 1. 164. Ardea xanthodactylos, Gmel. Reise, 3. 253. the young. Ardea alba minor, Will, young. Egretta, Briss. 5. 431. 16. Garzetta, Raii Syn. 99. 5 — Will. 206. L' Aigrette, Buff. Ois. 7. 372. 20. Heron garzette, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 574. Lesser White Heron, Will. (Angl.) 280. 5. Little Egret, Br. Zool. App. t. 7 — Arct. ZooL 2. No. 347 — Lath. Syn. 5. p. 90. 59 — Mont. Ornith. Diet — Shaw's Zool. 11. 545. pi. 41. IF the birds mentioned in the bill of fare at the famous feast of Archbishop NEVILLE, in the reign of HENRY IV, 22 GRALLATORES. ARDEA. HERON- under the name of Egrets or Egrittes, were of this species, it must have been extremely abundant at that period, to have admitted of a thousand being served up at a single en- tertainment. I am, however, much inclined to favour the opinion of Dr FLEMING, as advanced in his History of Bri- tish Animals, and to think that some other bird was there signified, most probably, as he suggests, the Lapwing or Pewit (Vanellus cristatus), which also possesses a long occi- pital crest, and which always has been, and still continues to be, remarkably plentiful throughout Britain. For other- wise (as he says), under the supposition that the Ardea gar- zetta was the bird alluded to, it is very difficult to account for the silence of our early writers in regard to this species being native in Britain. WILLOUGHBY, in his description of the Lesser White Heron (which is without doubt the bird now under consideration), expressly states, that the speci- men from which it was taken was obtained in Venice ; and he never even alludes to this bird as inhabiting or visiting the British Islands. PENNANT is the only writer who ad- duces any evidence of the Egret having been killed in Bri- tain ; and even that evidence is far from being conclusive, Rarest vi. as it only amounts to his having once received from Angle- sea the feathers of a bird shot there, which he conjectured to be those of the Egret. Under these circumstances, its claim to rank as a British bird stands upon nearly the same ground as that of the preceding species (Ardea alba), or the Great White Heron. Its geographical distribution is con- fined to the Old World ; but it is represented in America by a closely-allied species (with which by some authors it has been confounded), viz. Ardea Carolinensis of WILSON'S North American Ornithology (Ardea candidissima of WAG- LER). In Europe it is sometimes found in Germany, where it is migratory ; as also in France and Italy. It abounds in Turkey, Hungary, and Poland ; and also occurs in Sicily HERON. GRALLATORES. ARDEA. 23 and Sardinia. It inhabits the confines of Asia ; and, in Africa, is met with in Nubia and Egypt. In its modes of life, it resembles its congeners, and builds among the reeds of lakes and marshes, laying from four to Food, &c. six bluish-white eggs. PLATE V. The body is entirely white. The occiput is crested, and has (when in perfect plumage) two or three General long narrow subulated feathers. The lower part of the tion. neck is also adorned with long pendant feathers, slight- ly decomposed towards their tips. From the back, be- hind the shoulders, arises a course of long plumes, each composed of a strong elastic shaft, with long, decom- posed hair-like silky webs, which move with the slight- est breath of air. The ends of these feathers curl up- wards, and form (as in Ardea alba) a beautiful train, which the bird, when suddenly disturbed, generally erects. The bill is black, as is also the naked part of the tibia, and upper half of the tarsus ; the remainder of the tarsus and the toes being yellowish-green. The lores are greenish-yellow. The young are without the long subulated feathers of the occiput, and lower part of the neck, as well as of those which form the train of the mature bird ; and the lower mandible is white for more than half its length from the base. In maturity, this bird measures from one foot ten inches to two feet long. The bill, measuring from the corners of the mouth, is rather more than three inches ; the tarsi four inches ; and the naked part of the tibia about two inches and a quarter in length. 24 GRALLATORJ3S. ARDEA. HERON. BUFF-BACKED HERON. ARDEA RUSSATA, Wagler. PLATE V. • Ardea russata, Wagler, Syst. Av. part i. sp. 12. Ardea affinis, Horsf. in Linn. Trans. 13. 189. sp. 4. Ardea minor alia vertice croceo, Aldr&v. Ardea aequinoctialis, var. B. Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 697- Ardea comata, var. B. Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 687. sp. 39. Le Crabier de la cote de Coromandel, Buff. PL Enl. 910. Ardea aequinoctialis, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 11. 571. pi. 43, but not the syno- nyms. Little White Heron, Mont. Orn. Diet. Sup. but only a part of the syno- nyms. THE confusion in which the history of this species has been involved, by the appropriation of synonyms to which it had no claim, has been removed by the fortunate discri- mination of WAGLER, in the first part of his " Systema Avium," under genus Ardea, where those only are quoted which can strictly be referred to it. The geographical dis- tribution of this Heron embraces the three divisions of the ancient world, being found in the warmer parts of Europe, and also in Asia and Africa. In America it is not known, the Ardea aqumoctialis, with which it has been confounded, being a species perfectly distinct, and confined to that conti- Rarest vi- nent. In Britain, it is a rare visitant ; and the first instance of its capture is recorded by MONTAGU, in the 9th vol. of the Transactions of the Linnean Society, under the title of Ardea cequinoctialis. He afterwards described it more fully in the Supplement to the Ornithological Dictionary, under the name of the " Little White Heron? This specimen, which was a female, and apparently in the plumage of the first year, was shot in October 1805, near to KingVbridge, in the southern part of Devonshire, where it was seen for several days previous in the same field, amongst some cows, and picking up insects, Of its habits, I am unable to give any detailed account. The following is MONTAGU'S descrip- tion of this individual : HERON. GRA LLATORES. ARDEA. 25 " The length about twenty inches. The bill two inches long General to the feathers on the forehead, and of an orange-yellow; tion. the lore and orbits the same : irides pale yellow. The whole plumage snowy white, except the crown of the head, and the upper part of the neck before, which are buff. Legs three inches and a half long, and one inch and a half of bare space above the knee : these parts are nearly black, with a tinge of green ; the toes and claws are of the same colour ; the middle claw pectinated. " In the adult, the occiput, nape, and hinder part of the neck is clothed with rigid open feathers of a saffron- yellow. Throat, front part of the neck and breast, white, tinged with sienna-yellow. Long flowing plumes of the back ochre-yellow. Wings, tail, and under parts of the body, pure white. SQUACCO HERON. ARDEA RALLOIDES. PLATE VI. Ardea Ralloides, Scop. Ann/1. No. 121 — Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 581 — Shaw's ZooL 11. 573 — Wagler, Syst. Av. 1. sp. 27- Ardea comata, Pall Reise, 2. 715. 31 — Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 687. 39, but not his var. B. Ardea Squaiotta, Gmel. Syst. 1. 634 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 686. 3ft Ardea Castanea, Gmel. Syst. 1. 633 — Lath. 2. 687. 40. Le Crabier de Mahon, et Crabier caiot, Buff. Ois. ^. 393. and 389. Heron Crabier, Temm. 2. 581. Cancrofagus luteus, Briss. Orn. 5. 472. 37. Rallen Reiher, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 47. Squaiotta and Castaneous Heron, Lath. Syn. 5. 72. & 75. Squacco Heron, Lath. Syn. 6. 74. 39 — Sup. 2. 302. 9 — Mont. Ornith. Diet. Sup — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. sp. 5 — Shaw's ZooL 11. 573. Ardea erythropus,. var. B. Lath. Ind. 2. 686. 38. Ardea pumila, Lath. 2. 683. 28. Ardea Senegalensis, Gmel Syst. 1. 645 — Lath. Ind. 2. 684. 30. Ardea marsigli, Gmel. Syst. I. 637 — Lath. Ind. 2. 681. 20. Cancrofagus rufus, Briss. Orn. 5. 469. 35. Le Petit Butor du Senegal, Buff. Ois. 7- 393. Le Crabier Marron, Buff. Ois. 7. 390. Red-legged Heron, Lath. Syn. 5. 73. 38. Dwarf Heron, Lath. Syn. 5. 77. 42. Senegal Bittern, Lath. Syn. 5. 67- 29. Swabian Bittern, Lath. Syn. 5. 60. 20. Adult of both Sexes. Young. 26 GRALLATORES. ARDEA. HERON. As several well authenticated instances of the capture of this species of Heron have occurred in England, I have not Occasional the same hesitation in giving it a place in the list of British Birds, as an occasional visitant, that I have expressed with regard to the two preceding species. In addition to the spe- cimen shot at Boy ton in 1797, of which a drawing was pre- sented to the Linnean Society by Mr LAMBERT, as recorded in the minutes of the 3d volume of their Transactions, an- other was killed in Cambridgeshire about twelve years ago, which, from a drawing sent to me, appears to have been a fine adult bird, in perfect plumage ; and a third, a female (of which I likewise obtained a correct drawing, of the na- tural size), was shot in the summer of 1825, near Bridge- water in Somersetshire *. The short neck of this species (as well as of Ardea Agami, Ardea spetiosa, &c.) clothed with lax and longer feathers than the more typical Herons, and the decreasing length of the tarsus, indicate an approach to the succeeding group of Bitterns, which, in accordance with the views of the first ornithologists of the day, I consider en- titled to a generic distinction. The economy of this species is similar to that of the other members of the family, inha- biting marshes, and the margins of seas, lakes, and rivers, and subsisting on small fish, reptiles, crustaceous animals, Food. and insects. It is found in all the three divisions of the old world. In Europe, its distribution extends to most of the southern districts, but in the northern it is very rare or quite unknown. Upon the confines of Asia it is abundant, and (according to the report of travellers) equally so in Egypt, Nest. Nubia, and other parts of Africa. It builds in trees ; but the number, size, and colour of its eggs, are yet unknown. General PLATE VI. Represents a mature bird, of the natural size. tion.riP~ ^ne f°renead5 crown, and occiput, are of a sienna-yellow * Since writing the above, I have been informed that two of these birds were killed near to Yarmouth, in the month of May 1831. HERON. GRALLATORES. ARDEA. 27 colour, each feather being bordered with black. From the nape of the neck proceed eight or ten long, narrow, subulated feathers, which hang down as low as the back ; they are white, with a narrow border of black on each side. The chin and throat are also white; the rest of the neck and the breast sienna-yellow. From the upper part of the back, immediately behind the shoulders, proceed long feathers, with open, hair-like decomposed barbs ; these cover the whole of the back and scapulars, equalling the tail in length ; their colour is a deep sienna-yellow, tinged towards the upper part of the back with lavender-purple. The wings and sca- pulars are white, slightly tinged in parts with pale sienna-yellow. The abdomen, vent, thighs, rump, and tail are pure white. The bill, for nearly two-thirds from its base, is pale azure-blue ; the remainder black. The lores are greenish-yellow. The irides bright sulphur- yellow. The legs dusky, tinged with red. The under part of the toes, and about the tarsal joint, greenish-yel- low. In the mature state, the plumage of both sexes is alike ; but the crest of the male bird is generally long- est. The young have not the occipital crest ; and the entire plumage of the head and neck and the wing-coverts are of a wood-brown colour, with longitudinal streaks of a darker hue. The dorsal plumes are wanting, and the upper part of the back and the scapulars are brown. The throat, rump, and tail, are white ; the quills have their exterior webs ash-grey, and their interior ones white. The upper mandible is brown, tinged with oil- green ; the under one yellowish-green. The lores are greenish-grey. Legs and toes yellowish-green. 28 GRALLATORES. BOTAURUS. BITTERN. GENUS BOTAURUS. BITTERN. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill of the same length, or rather longer than the head, strong, higher than broad, the mandibles of equal length, the upper rather deeper than the under one, sulcated for two- thirds of its length, and gently curving from the base to the point. Culmen broad, and flat at the base, but becoming narrow and rounded from before the nostrils to the tip. Under mandible strong, tapering to the point, its angle trifling and indistinctly marked. Tomia of both mandibles even, bending inwards, very sharp, and finely serrated near the tip. Chin-angle reaching beyond the middle of the bill. Lores and orbits naked. Nostrils basal, linear, and longitudinal, placed in the fur- row of the maxilla, and partly covered by a naked mem- brane. Legs of mean length ; toes long and slender, all unequal ; the middle toe of equal length with the tarsus ; hind toe long, articulated with the interior toe, and on the same plane ; claws long, subfalcate, that of the middle toe pecti- nated. Front of the tarsus seutellated ; back part of the tarsus re- ticulated. Wings long, rounded ; the three first quills the longest, and those nearly equal. In plumage, the hinder part of the neck covered with down ; the sides and front with long lax feathers, which can be expanded laterally at pleasure. No elongated feathers on the hinder part of the head, or on the back. Till very lately, the Bitterns have formed a section of the genus Ardea in ornithological systems ; but as they possess BITTERN. GRALLATORES. BOTAURUS. 29 characters distinct from that genus (as now defined), I have adopted the views of some naturalists of the present day, and given them a generic title, believing that a determinate name applicable to the group is better calculated to promote the ends of science, and facilitate the study of this interesting branch of natural history, than the adoption of sections and subsections. The Bitterns differ from the Herons in having a much shorter neck, and in the hinder part of it being clothed with down, and the front and sides with long feathers which they can occasionally raise; and which peculiar distribution of plu- mage is essential to their economy, enabling them without inconvenience to bend and retain the neck in the position ge- nerally assumed when at rest, or when they move through the long grass and reeds in search of their prey. In this at- titude the long side-feathers of the neck meet behind, and completely cover the downy part, which, upon the extension of the neck, is left open and exposed. In these birds the bill also is shorter, stronger, and slightly arched ; the tarsi we shorter, and the tibiae are covered with feathers as far, or nearly so, as the tar sal joint. The plumage of most of the species is spotted or rayed. They are solitary birds, and inhabit extensive woody marshes where reeds and other thick aquatic plants abound. Their food consists of worms, in- sects, frogs, reptiles, and small fish ; and, being nocturnal feeders, they are seldom seen on wing, except during even- ing or twilight. 30 GRALLATORES. BOTAURUS. BITTERN. COMMON BITTERN. BOTAURUS STELLARIS, Steph. PLATE VIII. Botaurus stellaris, Steph. Shaw's Zool. v. 11. 593. PL 45. Botaurus, Briss. Orn. 5. 4-44. 24. PL 37. f. 1. Ardea stellaris, Linn. Syst. 1. 239. 21 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 680. 18, but not var. B — Rail Syn. 100. A. 11.— Will. 207. 1. 50. 52.—Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 95. 127 — Wagler, Syst. Or. 1. sp. 8. Le Butor, Buff. Ois. 7. 411. 21. Heron Grand Butor, Temm. Man. 2. 580. Grosse Rhordromrnel, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 63. Bittern, Br. ZooL 2. No. 174 — Will. (Angl.) p. 282 — Lath. Syn. 5. 56. 17. —Id. Sup. 234 — Mont. Ornith. Diet, and Sup — Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 47 — Shaw's ZooL 11. 593. PL 45, &c, PROVINCIAL— Miredrum, Bull of the Bog, Butter-bump, Bumpy- Cop, Bog-jumper, Bog-blutter, Bittour. THE Bittern has lately become, in most parts of Britain, a bird of comparatively rare occurrence, and is now, as a per- manent resident, principally confined to the fens and marshy districts of some of the eastern counties. This desertion has, without doubt, been greatly caused by the system of drain- ing now so prevalent throughout the kingdom ; a natural consequence of the improvements in agriculture, and the en- closure of waste lands. Previous to such improvements, it appears to have been very generally, if not numerously, dis- persed, if we may judge from the various provincial names it has acquired, and was the well known and (by the super- stitious) dreaded inhabitant of all the marshes and extensive quagmires throughout the country. At the present day, the capture of a Bittern is, in many parts of England, a subject of great interest ; and perhaps, with the exception of a few breeding in the marshes of Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk, the stragglers that are met with in other parts 5 BITTERN. GRALLATORES. BOTAURUS. 31 of the island are not birds permanently resident, but such as visit us during the course of their migration from other countries ; as the instances of their being taken now general- ly occur during the later autumnal or the winter months. This has been particularly the case in the present winter (1830-1), during which a more than usual number of Bit- terns has been killed in various parts of the kingdom ; and I am credibly informed, that no less than ten were exposed for sale in one morning at Bath. The habits of the Bittern are solitary, and, being a night- Habits. feeding bird, it remains quiet during the day, concealed in the reeds and long herbage of its marshy haunts. In this state, it generally sits closely squatted, with the neck bent, so that the head rests between the shoulders ; and, when thus dosing, and digesting the meal of the previous night, it will frequently allow itself to be nearly trodden upon before it will take wing, or endeavour to escape ; and even when roused, it seldom flies to any considerable distance. When wounded or surprised, and unable to escape, it defends itself with vigour, and as it always aims at the eyes of its enemy with its strong and sharp-pointed bill, a considerable degree of caution must be used in capturing it. When attacked by a dog, it throws itself upon its back, like the Owls and other raptorial birds, and strikes with its claws as well as with its bill ; and in this manner it will keep the most resolute dog at bay, as the infliction of a stroke or two of the latter spear- like weapon is commonly sufficient to keep him afterwards at a respectful distance. The Bittern used to afford excel- lent sport in falconry ; for when flown at, it immediately be- gins to soar, rising in spiral circles, and endeavouring to keep above its enemy. Should this manoeuvre fail, it then prepares for the descent of the Hawk, by setting its sharp bill perpendicularly upwards, upon which its impetuous an- tagonist frequently transfixes itself, or is so severely wound- ed a£ to be obliged to give up a second attack. The bellow- ing or booming noise of the Bittern is confined to the pair- 32 GRALLATORES. BOTAURUS. BITTERN. ing season, which commences in February, or the beginning of March. At this time, on the approach of twilight, it leaves its place of resort during the day, and rising in a spi- ral direction, soars to a very great height, uttering at inter- vals the peculiar cry, that in former days was heard with su- perstitious dread. It also makes the bellowing noise when on the ground, to assist in the production of which extraor- dinary note, it was supposed to thrust its bill into the hollow of a reed, — an idea not at all probable, and unsupported by any confirmatory evidence. Nest, £c. The nest of the Bittern is generally placed very near^to the water, among the thickest reeds or long herbage, and is composed of a large mass of reeds, sticks, &c. containing four or five eggs of a pale asparagus-green colour, from which, in the course of twenty-five or twenty-six days, the young are produced. These, as may be supposed, are at first very shapeless, being naked, and the neck, head, and legs appearing quite out of proportion to the other parts of the body. They are fed by the parents till fully fledged, and do not quit the nest until nearly able to provide for them- Food. selves. The food of the Bittern consists of water-insects, reptiles, fish, and small mammalia, particularly moles, mice, and shrews. Young birds also are frequently devour- ed by it, and Sir WILLIAM JARDINE informs me, that he once took a whole Water-Rail out of the stomach of a Bit- tern ; — a fact, however, not extraordinary, when we consider that the gape of this bird is very wide, and will stretch to a great extent, the commissure of the bill reaching behind the line of the eyes, and the esophagus being, through its whole length, capable of much distention. The Bittern, in earlier times, was greatly esteemed as a luxury for the table, and even now it brings a good price, when exposed for sale. The flesh is dark-coloured, but not coarse in texture, and the flavour partakes of that of the Hare, combined with the pe- culiar taste of what are usually termed Wild Fowl. Its geo- graphical distribution seems confined to Europe, extending BITTERN. GRALLATORES. BOTAURUS. 33 nearly to the confines of Asia ; and it is most abundant in such countries as are intersected by water, or possess extensive swamps or marshy woods. In the colder countries of Europe it is regularly migratory, but it is permanently resident in the warmer parts of the continent. Its internal anatomy exhibits nothing very particular. The annulary cartilages of the windpipe are not entire, but semicircular ; the other part being supplied by a thin soft membrane ; and, like many other kinds belonging to this family, it has but one cae- cal appendage, about half an inch in length. From the re- searches of Dr BARROW on the arterial system of birds, it appears that Messrs MECHEL and NITZSCH are in error in describing the two common carotid arteries of this bird as uniting into a single trunk, as, in fact, they only appear to do so from the close adhesion that takes place where the one passes behind the other. PLATE 8. Represents the Bittern in a position in which it does not seem to have been previously figured, but one always assumed when at rest, or when seeking its prey amongst reeds or long herbage. In this posture the neck is bent in the form of a flattened letter S, with the head resting nearly between the shoulders. The long side-feathers of the neck are thus brought together, and form a close and compact covering, leaving none of the bare or downy part exposed, which latter must be the case, if the bird kept the neck in the state of extension in which it is usually depicted. This position of the head is also the most advantageous for the ready cap- ture of its prey, as it is always prepared to dart its bill forward, like a javelin from its poise, the moment that the desired object is within its reach. The present figure is of the natural size. The crown of the head is black, glossed with bronzed General green ; the feathers of the occiput are margined with cream-yellow, and rayed with black. From the angle VOL. II. C 34 GRALLATdRES. BOTAURUS. BITTERN. of the mouth proceeds a broad streak of black and dark brown. The whole of the plumage is of a sienna- yellow, or pale buff colour, rayed and varied with black and reddish-brown. The sides of the neck are barred transversely with dark brown ; the front with large lon- gitudinal streaks of red-brown, intermixed with black- ish-brown. The feathers of the breast are glossy black, deeply margined with buff; those of the belly and ab- domen are buff, with narrow longitudinal streaks of brownish-black. The quills are brownish-black, barred with reddish-brown. Tail short, reddish-brown, barred with black. The bill is yellowish-green ; the culmen darker ; the orbits and angles of the mouth yellow. Legs and toes pale grass-green ; the claws (which are very long, particularly that of the hind toe) of a pale horn colour ; the middle one pectinated. The tibia is clothed with feathers to within half an inch of the tar- sal joint. AMERICAN BITTERN. BOTAURUS MOKOHO, Vieill. Ardea mokoho, Wagler, Syst. Av. part 1. sp. 29. Botaurus lentiginosus, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 11. 596. p. 46. Ardea lentiginosa, Mont. Ornith. Diet. Supp. Ardea stellaris, var. B. Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 680. sp. 18. Freckled Heron, Mont. Ornith. Diet. Supp. Freckled Bittern, Shaw's Zool. 11. 596. PL 46. American Bittern, Wils. Orn. 8. 35. t. 65. f. 3. The Bittern from Hudson's Bay, Edwards, 3. p. t. 136. IN the supplement to MONTAGU'S Ornithological Diction- Rare visi- arVj a bird is described under the title of the Freckled Heron (Ardea leutiginosa) ; as the author was unable at that time to refer it to any known species, though he suspected it might be the female of some of the rarest European Herons. Subsequent investigation has proved it to be identical with BITTERN. ORALLATORES. BOTAURUS. 35 the American Bittern described by WILSON in his admira- ble work on the Birds of North America, and the Hudson's Bay Bittern figured by EDWARDS, and referred to by LATHAM as a variety of Ardea (Botaurus) stdlaris. This specimen, which was shot in the parish of Piddleton in Dor- setshire, in the autumn of 1804, passed into MONTAGU'S pos- session, and is now, with the rest of his collection, deposited in the British Museum. No subsequent instance has occurred of its capture in England. The habits and manners of this species, according to WILSON *, are similar to those of the Common Bittern, which, in figure, size, and colour, it nearly resembles. It inhabits marshes, the banks of lakes, rivers, Sec. where it remains at rest during the day, concealed in the thick reeds, &c. ; as it is, like the rest of this group, a noc- turnal feeder, and only roused into activity by the departure of daylight. When surprised, or driven from its retreat, it emits like the Bittern a sound something like the tap on a drum, — a fact observed by Mr CUNNINGHAM, the gentleman who shot the individual above mentioned. It is common in North America, extending from the Carolinas as far as Hud- son's Bay, where it arrives in May as a summer visitant. — It breeds in the marshes among the reeds and swampy herbage, Nest, &c. and the eggs are stated to be of a pale bluish-green colour. For a minute description of the plumage of this bird, I must refer my readers to MONTAGU'S work. * See WILSON'S North American Ornithology, article American Bittern. 36 GRALLATORES. BOTAURUS. BITTERN. Old of both Synonyms of young, different ages. LITTLE BITTERN. BOTAURUS MINUTUS. PLATE VI.* Fig. 1. 2. Ardea minuta, Linn. Syst. 1. 240. 26. B — Lath. Ind. 2. 683. 27 Steph. Shaw's ZooL 11. 589. pi. 44.— Flem. Brit. Anim. 1. 97. 6. Ardeola, Briss. Orn. 5. 49?. 46. t. 40. f. 1. Le Blongios de Suisse, Buff. Ois. 7- 395. Heron Blongios, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 584. Kleiner Reiner, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 71. Little Bittern, Br. Zool. app. 663. pi. 8 — Lath. Syn. Sup. 235.— Mont. Orn. Diet, and Sup.— Pult. Cat. Dorset BewicWs Br. Birds, 2. pi. 51. ^Little Heron, Shaw's ZooL Ardea Danubialis, Lath. Ind. 2. 681. 21. Botaurus striatus, Briss. 5. 454. 27. Le Butor brun raye', Buffi Ois. 7. 4-24. Rayed Bittern, Lath. Syn. 5. 61. 21. Ardea soloniensis, Lath. Ind. 2. 681. 19. Botaurus rufus, Briss. 5. 458. 29. Le Butor Roux, Buff. Ois. 7. 425. ^Rufous Bittern, Lath. Syn. 5. 60. 19. Pao vivc i AL, — Boonk, or Long Neck. visitant. THIS is one of the smallest of the Ardeada, scarcely equal- ling, in bulk of body, the Spotted Crake, or the Water Rail. Very rare In England it is a very rare visitant ; not more than five or six having come under the notice of our naturalists. Three of these MONTAGU mentions, as having been killed in Devon- shire, in the course of the summer of 1808 ; another is re- corded by Dr FLEMING, as killed at Sunda, one of the Ork- ney Islands, in the winter of 1805 ; and PENNANT has intro- duced this bird into the Appendix to his British Zoology, in consequence of an adult specimen, which was shot as it perched upon a tree on the banks of the Severn, at Shrews- bury. To this list may be added another instance, in which a Little Bittern was killed at Blagdon, in Northumberland, the seat of Sir M. W. RIDLEY, Baronet, in May 1810 ; and figured by BEWICK, in his Supplement to the British Birds. BITTERN. GRALLATORES. BOTAURUS. 37 Though deviating in some respects from the typical form of Botaurus, particularly in the length and straightness of the bill, which approaches closely to some of the smaller aber- rant species of the genus Ardea (and forming the passage, as it were, from one group to the other), I have thought it better to be retained in that genus to which its affinity appears the strongest, and where the proportion and form of its legs and feet, and the clothing of its neck, indicate the true Bittern. This bird is an inhabitant of woody marshes, particularly where reeds and other aquatic herbage grow very thick, amongst which it passes a solitary life, feeding upon frogs, Food, the fry of fish, insects, and reptiles ; and seldom taking wing, unless when suddenly disturbed. Its usual position, when at rest, is that of sitting upon the whole length of the tar- sus, with the neck bent, the head thrown back, and the bill pointing almost perpendicularly upwards. — It breeds among Nest, &c. rushes, or upon hummocks in the marshes, making a large nest of broken reeds, grass, and other dry materials, and lays five or six eggs of a pale asparagus-green colour. It is found in most of the temperate continental parts of Europe, and also in Asia and Africa, wherever there are localities suitable to its habits. It does not exist in America, but is represented by a very nearly allied species, Ardea ex'ills. PLATE 6.* Fig. 1. represents the adult bird of the natural size. The crown of the head, the back, scapulars, exterior General webs of the secondary quills, and the tail, are black tion glossed with green. The cheeks and neck of a pale sienna-yellow, tinged with lilac-purple. The wing co- verts sienna-yellow ; with the throat, and under wing coverts white. The under parts of the body are red- dish-white, with a few hair-brown streaks upon the flanks. The greater quills are greyish-black. The bill, from the forehead, is two inches long, of a gamboge- yellow colour ; with the culmen and tip brown. The 38 GRALLATORES. BOTAURUS. BITTERN. legs and toes are wax-yellow, tinged with green. The tibia? are clothed with feathers to the tarsal joint. The male and female are alike. bird. Fig. 2. The young bird after the first moulting. The crown of the head is blackish-green. The back and scapulars chesnut - brown, margined with yellowish- white. On each side of the throat is a spot of white- Front part of the neck yellowish-brown, mixed with streaks of white; sides of the neck reddish-brown. Feathers of the breast deep liver-brown, with a glossy lustre ; and margined with yellowish- white. Belly and flanks yellowish-white, with streaks of brown. Tail , blackish-green. Legs pale olive-green. Bill yellowish- brown. GENUS NYCTICORAX. NIGHT-HERON. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill very strong, rather longer than the head, compressed ; the upper mandible curving towards the point, and_ slightly bulging towards the base ; maxilla sulcated for three-fourths of its length, and emarginated ; culmen rounded ; tomia of both mandibles strait and sharp, that of the under mandible entering within the upper one. Nostrils basal, longitudinal, placed in the furrow of the maxilla, and covered above by a naked membrane; lores and orbits naked. Legs of mean length, slender ; toes, three anterior and one posterior ; mid- dle toe not so long as the tarsus ; exterior toe connected by a membrane to the middle one as far as the first joint. Claws short, falcated ; that of the middle toe pectinated. Tibiae naked for a short space above the tarsal joint. Wings having the first quill-feather shorter than the se- cond ; the third the longest of all. In plumage the occiput NIGHT-HERON. GRALLATORES. NYCTICORAX. 39 is furnished with a few narrow subulated feathers ; canalicu- lated, and fitted one within the other ; and varying in num- ber from two to six, according to the species. Neck short, covered with lax feathers; lower part of the neck behind clothed only with down. This group of the Ardeadte, which differs from the Bit- terns in the proportions of the bill, and legs, in having the neck covered with shorter feathers, and the hinder part of the head furnished with long canaliculated plumes, has latter- ly been separated from them, and has also been removed from the genus Ardea, under the generic name of Nyctico- rax. Like the Bitterns, these birds are nocturnal feeders ; but, in other respects, their economy is different, and ap- proaches nearer to the Herons. Their plumage is not rayed, or varied like that of the typical Bitterns; but in large masses of distinct and opposed colours. The young are very different in appearance from the old birds, and do not attain the plumage indicative of maturity till after the third moult- ing. COMMON NIGHT-HERON. NYCTICORAX EUROPMUS, Steph. PLATE VII. AND PLATE VII.» Nycticorax Europaeus, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 11. 609. pL 47. Ardea Nycticorax, Linn. 1. 235. 9 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 678. 13 Briss. 5. 493. 45. t. 39 — Rail, Syn. 99. 3 Wils. Amer. Orn. 7- 101. 61. £ 2 Wagler, Syst. Av. 1. sp. 31. Le Bihoreau, Buff. 7. 455. t. 22. Synonvm of Adult. Bihoreau, au Manteau Noir, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 577. Der Nacht-Reiher, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 54. Ardea Garden!, Gmel. Syst. 1. 645 — Lath. Ind. 2. 685. sp. 32. } Synonym Butor tachete' ou Pouacre, Buff. 7. 427. I Of the Spotted and Gardenian Heron, Lath. Syn. 5. 70. and 71. sp. 31 and 32. f Young of Ardea Jamaicensis, Gmel. Syst. 1. 625. — Lath. Ind. 2. 679. 14. { the Vgar Jamaica Night-Heron, Lath. Syn. 5. 54. 14. Synonym of Young after first moult, and < before they acquire maturity. 40 GRALLATORES. NYCTICORAX. NIGHT-HERON. ( Ardea grisea, Linn. 1. 239. 22 — Gmel. Syst. 1. 625. Ardea Nycticorax foem. Lath. Ind. 2. 678. 13. Bihoreau k femelle, Buff. Ois. 7. 435. Ardea obscura, Lath. Ind. 2. 679. 16. Ardea Badia, Gmel. Syst. 1. 644.— Lath. Ind. 2. 686. 37. Le Crabier Roux, Buff. Ois 7. 390. Chesnut Heron, Lath. Syn. 5. 73. 37. Ardea Cracra, Lath. Ind. 2. 699. 77- Cracra Heron, £a^. Syn. 5. 96. 68. Night-Heron, or Qua-Bird, Wils. Amer. Orn. 7. 106. pi. 61. fig. 2. and 3. Night-Heron, or Night-Raven, Penn* Arct. Zool. 2. 356 — Will. (Angl.) 279. 3. pL 49 — Lath. Syn. 5. 52. Do. Sup. 234.— BewicVs Br. Birds, 2. 145 — Mont. Ornith. Diet, and Sup — Shaw's ZooL 11. 609. pi. 47.— Ffero. Br. Anim. 1. 96. sp. 4. PEQVINCIAL, — Lesser Ash-coloured Heron. THE geographical distribution of this singular bird is very widely extended, as its appearance has been recognised in certain localities, in all the four quarters of the globe. In the southern and eastern parts of Europe it is abundant, especially in Hungary ; but it becomes of rarer occurrence as it approaches the north, and, in our own Islands, it is Occasional only known as an occasional visitant. — The first instance sitant. Up0n record of its being shot here, was one near London, in 1782. In 1798, a notice of the Gardenian Heron (or young of this species), shot by Lord Kirk wall, at Thame, in Ox- fordshire, was communicated to the Linnean Society ; and since that period several specimens of the adult bird have been killed ; two of which came under my own observation, viz. a beautiful male, shot by the Earl of Home, at the Hir- sel, near Coldstream, in the spring of 1823; and another, now in the Museum of Sir W. JABDINE, Bart., which was killed about two years afterwards in the neighbourhood of Dumfries. Like the Bitterns, these birds feed, and are in Habits. activity during the night. — In the day they resort to woods, or to tall trees on the banks of rivers, or in the immediate neighbourhood of the swamps where they procure their food, and on which they quietly roost till the decline of the sun, and the approach of twilight again calls them forth to satisfy the cravings of appetite. In their flight to the feeding ground they frequently utter a hoarse and hollow note, ha- NIGHT-HERON. GRALLATORES. NYCTICORAX. 41 ving the sound of qua, and by some compared to that pro- duced by the retching of a sick person. They live and breed together in societies, selecting the highest trees where- on to build their nests; and seldom breeding upon the ground among marshy spots and reeds, as stated by TEM- MINCK. In North America, where the species is very com- mon, the most solitary and shaded part of a cedar-swamp is generally chosen *.— The nest is composed entirely of sticks ; Nest) &c> and the eggs, which are generally four in number, are of a pale greenish-blue colour, in size nearly equal to those of the Common Heron. As soon as the young have gained suffi- cient strength, they climb to the tops of the trees, where they are fed by the parents, till they are able to fly, and support themselves. — The food of the Night-Heron consists of fish, Food. reptiles, and the larger aquatic insects ; to which may occa- sionally be added some of the smaller mammalia. Their prey is swallowed whole ; the gullet being very large and expansive immediately below the bill, from whence it nar- rows to the stomach, which is a soft membranous oblong pouch. PLATE 7. represents the mature bird of the natural size, taken from the above mentioned specimen killed by the Earl of Home, and now in the Edinburgh Museum. The bill is black, inclining to yellow at the base and General gape ; the lores and orbits pale greenish-blue (accord- d.escnP- ing to WILSON, bluish-white). The irides deep reddish- Adult orange. The crown of the head, nape of the neck, up- bird* per part of the back, and the scapulars, are black, with green reflections. The lower part of the back, rump, wings, and tail, of a fine pearl-grey. The sides of the neck are tinged with grey; the forehead, throat, and all the under parts, are white. From the nape of the * See WILSON'S characteristic and interesting account of this species in his American Ornithology, vol. vii. p. 106, article Night-Heron, or Qua Bird. 42 GRALLATORES. NYCT1CORAX. NIGHT-HERON. neck spring three long narrow subulated white feathers, concave or canaliculated underneath, and fitting one within the other, so as to appear like a single plume ; and these the bird can erect at pleasure, when alarmed or irritated. The legs and toes are pale yellowish-green ; the claws black, short, and hooked ; with that of the middle toe pectinated on its inner side. PLATE 7. * Is a figure of the Gardenian Heron (of authors), thought to have been a distinct species, but now fully ascertained to be the young of the Common Night-Heron, in its first (or nestling) plumage ; drawn from a British specimen, in the possession of Mr YAR- RELL, and kindly lent to me for the purpose. Young In this state it wants the plumes from the nape of the neck. The culmen and tip of the bill are blackish brown ; the base and lower mandible yellowish-green. The irides (according to WILSON) are vivid orange. The head and back part of the neck are brown, with the centres of the feathers yellowish-white. The fore part of the neck and the feathers of the breast are yellowish- white, deeply margined with wood-brown and yellowish-brown. The belly and abdomen are the same. The back and the lesser wing-coverts are deep wood-brown, with sub- triangular yellowish-white streaks occupying the centres of the feathers. The greater coverts and quills are deep wood-brown ; their tips with triangular spots of white. The tail is broccoli-brown. The legs yellowish-green. As the bird proceeds to maturity, it acquires, at each suc- cessive moulting, a plumage approaching nearer to that of the adult ; and in these intermediate stages has been described as constituting different species, by various writers, as may be seen by the list of synonyms above given. NIGHT-HERON. GRALLATORES. NYCTICORAX. 43 CAYENNE NIGHT-HERON. NYCTICORAX CAYENENSIS. Ardea Cayenensis, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 680. sp. 17- Ardea violacea, Linn, Syst. 1. 238. 16 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 690. sp. 50. Ardea callocephala, Wagler, Syst. Av. 1. sp. 34. Cancrofagus Bahamensis, Briss. 5. 481. 41. Le Bihoreau de Cayenne, Buff. Ois. 7- 439. Le Crabier gris de fer, Buff. Ois. 7. 399. Yellow-crowned Heron, Penn. Arct. Zool. 2. 352 — Lath. Syn, 5. 80. 46 — Wils. Amei. Orn. 8. 26. pi. 65. f. 1. Cayenne Night-Heron, Lath. Syn. 5. 56. 16. I INSERT this species, as an occasional visitant, in conse- Occasional quence of a specimen taken near Yarmouth, in May 1824; and recorded by Mr YOUELL of that place, in the 14th volume of the Transactions of the Linnean Society. It is an American species, and rather widely disseminated, being found not only upon the Continent, but throughout the greater part of the West Indian Islands. For a detailed account of its habits, I must refer my readers to WILSON'S " American Ornithology," in which they will find the sub- ject treated. with the graphic excellence that so remarkably distinguishes his admirable volumes. — Like the Common Night-Heron, it breeds in societies, making its nest in the Nest, &c. lower branches of trees in the neighbourhood of swamps and marshes ; and lays four eggs, of a greenish-blue colour. The young birds are said to be in much esteem for the deli- cacy and flavour of their flesh. This species feeds upon fish and reptiles, and (like the rest of the group) during the night; remaining at rest, and concealed, throughout the day. In the adult state, the crown of the head is white or yel- General lo wish-white ; a stripe of the same passing from the nos- trils, beneath the eyes, towards the occiput ; the rest of the head is black ; ending in a peak behind, from whence depends a crest, com posed of two very long white canalicu- 44 GRALLATORES. CICONIA. STORK. lated feathers, and four black ones. The neck and under parts of the body pure bluish-grey. Back, wings, and tail, of the same colour, but darker ; the feathers of the back having a black streak running down their centres. Wing-coverts spotted with white. Train bluish-grey. GENUS CICONIA. STORK. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill long, straight, strong, thick, subconic, pointed, much higher than broad ; culmen cultrated ; the angle of the un- der mandible rather ascending ; the upper mandible gently descending to its end, which is pointed and sharp. Mandi- bles of equal length ; the upper deeper than the lower ; tomia straight, entire ; those of the upper mandible bending slightly inwards. Nostrils linear, egg-shaped, at a short distance from the base of the bill, pierced in the horny substance. Tongue very short, narrow, entire, placed in the gape. Orbits naked. Legs long ; part of the tibia naked. Feet four-toed ; front of the tarsi reticulated, or covered with hexagonal scales; toes of mean length ; middle toe one-third of the length of the tarsus, and joined to the exterior one by a large mem- brane, reaching as far as the second, and to the interior as far as the first joint. First joints of the toes covered with hexagonal scales ; the remainder imperfectly scutellated. Hind toe short, incumbent, articulated opposite to the base of the interior toe. Claws short, blunt, entire. Tail equal, of mean length, and composed of twelve feathers. Wings long, with the first quill shorter than the second, and the third and fourth the longest. In plumage, the up- per parts of the body are covered with close-set feathers, truncated at their ends. My readers will observe that these generic characters are not applicable to all the species of the genus Ciconia of STORK. ORALLATORES. CICONIA. 45 BECHSTEIN, CUVIEE, TEMMINCK, and WAGLER, but only to that group of which Ciconia alba may be considered the type. The larger species, viz. Ciconia Marabou, Argdla, Mycteria^ &c. seem to me possessed of characters sufficiently distinct to warrant such a separation, a fact indeed admitted by the necessity under which these authors have found them- selves of subdividing their genus into sections. The Storks are inhabitants of marshy districts, and are gregarious. In many countries they are migratory, and their journeys are performed in immense flocks. Their food is fish, reptiles, small mammalia, young birds, &c., and their appetite is very voracious. In most countries where they occur, they are protected and highly esteemed by the inhabitants for their utility in the destruction of noxious reptiles and vermin. WHITE OR COMMON STORK. CICONIA ALBA, Bellon. PLATE XI. Ciconia alba, Briss. Orn. 5. 365, 2. pi. 32 — Rail, Syn. 97. A Shaw's Zool. 11. 617. pi. 48 — Wagler, Syst. Av. 1. sp. 8 — Bechst, Naturg. Deut. 4. 82. Ardea Ciconia, Linn. Syst. 1. 235. 7 — Gmel. Syst. 1. 622 — Lath. Ind. 2. 676. 9. Cicogne blanche, Buff. Ois. ^. 253. t- 12 — Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 560. Weisser Storch, Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 345 White Stork, Penn. Art. Zool. 2. 455 — Will (Angl.) 286. pi. 52 Lath. Syn. 5. 49 — Id. Sup. 234.— Mont. Ornith. Diet, and Sup — Shaw's Zool. 11. 617. pi- 48 — Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 32 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 96. sp. 10. THE rare occurrence of the Stork in Britain, contrasted JRare visi- with the abundance in which it is found on the opposite con- tinental coast, in Holland and France, is a remarkable in- stance of the laws which direct the migrations of birds, and confine them within certain limits. And this appears the more striking, when we know that its polar, or vernal, mi- gration extends to a higher parallel of northern latitude than our own, as it regularly visits and breeds in Sweden, and 46 GRALLATORES. CICONIA. STORK. the northern parts of Russia. Upon the continent of Europe it is a strict periodical visitant, arriving in spring, and, after fulfilling the duties imposed on the reproduction of the species, departing in the autumn with great exactness as to time, to pass the period of our winter in the warmer climates of Asia and Africa. In Holland (and indeed in all coun- tries where it breeds), the Stork is taken under especial pro- tection by the inhabitants for the service it performs in clear- ing the country of reptiles and noxious vermin ; and every fa- cility is afforded to it for securely rearing its young ; and for this purpose, in Holland, and in some parts of Germany, boxes or platforms are placed upon the roofs of the houses in the different towns and villages, or false chimneys with flat tops, erected upon the out-houses, as sites for the nests. In consequence of such kind treatment, and the naturally social disposition of the bird, it is very familiar, and may often be seen walking quite undaunted along the dikes and margins of the canals, solely intent on picking up whatever food it may dis- cover. In some towns, Storks are frequently taken when young and domesticated, and these are kept in the fish, and other markets, to devour the offal, and thereby prevent the accumu- lation of filth, which would otherwise necessarily happen. Such I met with in Amsterdam, and some other towns in Holland ; and this office of scavenger they certainly per- Nest, &c. formed with great efficiency. — The nest of the Stork is formed of sticks and twigs, arranged in the boxes provided for them, or placed upon the tops of chimneys or other elevated parts of buildings, and sometimes upon the top of the decayed stump of a tree. The eggs are from three to five in num- ber, nearly equal in size to those of a goose, of a cream- colour, or a yellowish-white. After a month's incubation the young are hatched, and, with great care, attended and watched alternately by the parents until fully fledged and able to provide for themselves. Previous to the autumnal migration (which, in Europe, happens in the last week of August or the beginning of September), these birds congregate STORK. GRALLATORES. CICONIA. 47 in immense flocks, and, as if to try the strength of pinion of the recently produced brood, make several short excursions, and are much in motion among themselves. After these trials of capability, they suddenly take flight, rise high into the air, and wing their way with great swiftness to the dis- tant climes in which they pass our hiemal months ; and where, it is said, they sometimes produce a second brood. Of the extent of such flocks, some idea may be formed from Dr Shaw's account of those which he witnessed leaving Egypt, and passing over Mount Carmel, each of which was half a mile in breadth, and occupied a space of three hours in pass- ing over. When it sleeps, the Stork, like the Cranes, al- ways stands upon one leg, with the neck bent, and the bill resting upon the breast. It frequently makes a loud clatter- ing noise, by bringing the mandibles of the bill into quick and forcible contact the one within the other ; which peculiarity also belongs to the other species. — The food of this bird con- Food, sists of fish, amphibia, moles, mice, insects, and worms, and frequently the young of ducks and other water-fowl ; indeed nothing of animal nature seems to come amiss to its appetite, though Willoughby informs us that one taken in Norfolk, and kept alive for some time, refused toads. PLATE 11. Represents the Stork of nearly one-half the size of nature, taken from a fine specimen in the collection of Sir WILLIAM JARDIXE, Bart. The bill and legs are red ; the naked orbits of the eyes Genera! are black ; the irides brown. The whole of the body is of a piure unsullied white, with the exception of the greater wing coverts, scapulars, and quills, which are black. The young are similar to the old birds, except that the black of the wings is not so intense, and the bill is of a reddish-brown colour. 48 GRALLATORES. CICONIA. STORK. BLACK STORK. CICONIA NIGRA, Bellon. PLATE XI*. Ciconia nigra, Ran Syn. 97. 2 — Will 211. t. 52 — Shaw's Zool. 11. 620. —Wagler, Syst. Av. 1. sp. 9 — Bechst. 4. 96. Ardea nigra, Linn. Syst. 1. 235. 8 Gmel. Syst. 1. 623.— Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 677. 11. Ciconia fusca, Briss. 5. 362. 1. t. 31. young. Cicogne noire, Buff. Ois. 7. 271. — Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 562. Schwarzer Storck, Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 348. Black Stork, Perm. Arct. Zool. 11. 456 — Will. (Angl.) 286. t. 52.— Lath. Syn. 5. 50. 11 Mont. Trans, of Linn. Soc. v. 12. 19 — Shaw's Zool. 11. 620 Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 97- 11* Very rare THIS beautiful species is entitled to a place amongst the visitant British Fauna, from the capture of one (after being slightly wounded by shot in the wing), at Westsedgemoor, in So- mersetshire, in May 1814. This bird was afterwards pre- sented alive to Montagu, who kept it for some years in con- finement, and who, availing himself of such an opportu- nity, has given a very interesting account of its habits in a paper published in the 12th volume of the Transactions of the Linnean Society, and to which I refer my readers. From that account it appears, when captured, to have been a young bird ; and he had the satisfaction of witnessing the various changes of plumage it underwent, previous to maturity. This species is a periodical visitant in many countries of Europe, but its longitudinal range does not extend so far as that of Ciconia alba, as it is unknown in Holland. Its lati- tudinal flight, however, seems to be even greater, as it passes over Sweden in vast flocks on its passage to Siberia and the extreme northern continental point. In its natural state, it is of a much more timid disposition than the preceding species, never, like it, resorting to the neighbourhood of towns or villages. Its abode is generally in the marshy parts 3 STORK. GRALLATORES. CICONIA. 49 of remote and extensive forests, where it builds on the tops of the highest pines, or other trees, forming a considerable nest of sticks, in which it deposits two or three large green- Nest, &c. ish-white eggs, which (according to TEMMINCK and WAG- LEE) are sometimes marked with indistinct dusky spots. It feeds upon fish, reptiles, insects, small mammalia, &c. Food. When caught, it is easily domesticated, and soon becomes very tame ; nor does it, like the White Stork, seem to make such pugnacious use of the bill as 'characterises many other groups of the Ardeada, even submitting to be taken up and handled, without displaying anger. A beautiful specimen of this bird is now to be seen in the Gardens of the Zoological v Society ; and I have remarked, that in its quiescent state, it assumes exactly the attitude described by MONTAGU, viz. standing on one leg, with the neck much shortened, and the hinder part of the head resting between the shoulders, whilst the bill is supported by the forepart of the neck, and nearly hidden under its loose projecting feathers. PLATE 11. * Represents the bird in about half the natural size. The head, neck, the whole of the upper parts of the body, General the wings and tail, are black, glossed with tints of the d.escriP- richest purple and green, varying according to the light in which the bird is viewed ; the under parts are pure white. The bill, the naked orbits of the eyes, the gular pouch, and the legs, are red. In the young state, the head and neck are brown, speckled with deeper shades. The back and upper parts are brownish-black, with paler margins to the feathers, and slightly glossed with green. The bill is dusky red, brighter towards the tip ; the orbits are the same. The legs and toes are orange-brown. VOL. IT. D 50 GRALLATORES. PLATALEA. SPOONBILL. GENUS PLATALEA. SPOONBILL. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill very long, broad, straight, thin, much flattened, di- lated towards the tip, which is rounded and spoon-shaped. Upper mandible sulcated, transversely furrowed and rugose ; the tip bent downwards, and projecting beyond the lower. Under mandible smooth, except at the base ; its suture dis- tinct and well marked. Basal half of both mandibles inte- riorly furnished with a double row of tubercles ; the anterior half with fine longitudinal striae. Nostrils basal, egg-shaped, open, bordered with a membrane, and placed in the line of the furrows on the surface of the bih1. Tongue very short, and blunt. Face and head partly, or entirely naked. Legs long ; feet four-toed ; three before and one behind ; the front ones united by a membrane or web ; hind toe long, articulated a little above the plane of the others, and resting, for the greater part of its length, upon the ground. Tibiae naked for one-half of their length above the tar sal joint. Front and back part of the tarsus reticulated. Front of the toes imperfectly scutellated. Claws short, straight, and entire. Wings long, ample; the first quill a little shorter than the second, which is the longest of all. In plumage, the neck clothed with short close-set feathers. IT O -' In habit and manner of life the Spoonbills approach very near to other groups of Ardeadce. They form societies, inha- biting estuaries, banks of rivers, and woody marshes, where they find their food, viz. small fish, crustaceae, reptiles, and aquatic insects. To obtain their prey they sometimes swim, which they are enabled to do by the extensive development of the mem- brane uniting the toes ; and which brings the present order SPOONBILL. GRALLATORES. PLATALEA. 51 near to, and connects it with, that of Natatores. The birds of this genus breed in high trees, in the vicinity of the rivers or lakes they frequent ; or, in failure of these, in the reeds and aquatic herbage of extensive marshes. Their moulting is simple, and the young do not acquire the adult plumage before the third year. Three species are known, each pos- sessing a distinct geographical disposition, viz. the White Spoonbill (S. Platalea leucorodia), inhabiting Europe and continental Asia ; S. Platalea ajaja, confined to America ; and another, which is found in the Philippine and other Asiatic Islands. WHITE SPOONBILL. PLATALEA LEUCORODIA, Linn. PLATE X. Platalea leucorodia, Linn. Syst. 1. 231. 1 — Gmel. Syst. 1. 613. — Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 667. 1 — Shaw's Zool. 11. 642. pL 52. in the immature plumnge — Lesson, Man. 2. 246. Platea seu Pelecanus, Aldrov., Rail Syn. 102. 1. — Briss.5. 352. 1. Le Spatule, Buff. Ois. 7- 448. Spatule blanche, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 595. Wiesser Loffler, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 4. t. 17- Platalea nivea, Cuv. Heg. Anim. 1. p. 482. Spoonbill or Pelican, Will. (Angl.) 288. t. 52. White Spoonbill, Br. Zool. App. t. 9 — Arct. Zool. 2. 441. A — Id. Sup. 66 — Lath. Syn. 5. 13. 1 — Mont. Ornith. Diet, and Sup Shaw's Zool. 11. 642. pi. 52 — Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. t. p. 25. THE visits of this singular bird to our shores are uncer- Rare tain, and frequently at distant intervals. PENNANT men- vlsltan • tions a flock that appeared in the marshes near Yarmouth, in April 1774 ; and MONTAGU states, that it had sometimes been seen, during winter, on the coast of South Devon. This indeed is corroborated afterwards (in the Supplement to his Ornithological Dictionary), by the fact of his receiving two specimens from that part of England, the first killed in 52 GRALLATORES. PLATALEA. SPOONBILL. November 1804, and the second in March 1807. Since that period other individuals have been obtained ; amongst these, two recorded in the third volume of the Zoological Journal, as killed in Lincolnshire; and, when in London in May 1830, I obtained a male and female in fine adult plumage from Norfolk. From the time of year at which these birds were killed, it is not improbable (and the conjecture may be hazarded) that they would have remained to breed in the district they had selected; and, though my collection has profited by their capture, I must still regret that they were not allowed to remain in security. This species is pretty generally dispersed upon the Continent, and in no country is more plentiful than in Holland, where it comes as a summer periodical visitant, and retires for warmer climates in Sep- tember, frequently migrating in company with the stork. — Nest, &c. If trees occur in the neighbourhood of the haunts of the Spoonbill, it builds on them like the Heron, and other kinds of Ardeada ; but if there be none, it then makes its nest in the rushes or reeds of the marshes or lakes to which it re- sorts. It lays from two to four eggs, generally pure white, but sometimes marked with spots of reddish-brown. In the young state of the bird the bill is soft and flexible, covered with a thin skin, and shewing none of the rugosity or trans- verse furrows that distinguish that part in maturity. The food of the Spoonbill consists of the fry of fish, aquatic worms, reptiles, insects, and the roots of certain weeds and grasses. Its flesh is said to be in flavour nearly like that of the goose, without any fishy or unpleasant taste. In its ana- tomy it shews an affinity to the Cranes in the form of the windpipe, which, previous to entering the thorax, undergoes a double flexure to the extent of about two inches, and forms a convolution similar to the figure 8. The flexures touch, but do not cross each other, the points of contact being uni- ted by fine membranes. This double flexure, according to WILLOUGHBY and TEMMINCK, was supposed peculiar to the males ; but MONTAGU disproves that idea, as the specimen SPOONBILL. GRALLATORES. PLATALEA. 53 he dissected was a female, and yet possessed the flexure to the extent above described ; and this indiscriminate characteris- tic was corroborated by the dissection of the specimens I obtained. PLATE X. represents the male, of the natural size, as drawn from the recently killed bird, as above described, from Norfolk, in May 1830. Bill eight inches and a half in length, black, except the General tip, which, for about one inch or upwards, is ochre- descrip- yellow ; the base and upper surface is rugose, from the Adu'lt bird depth of the transverse furrows. The naked skin of the forehead, the space round the eyes, and the throat are yellow ; the latter passing into reddish-pink, where it comes in contact with the feathers of the neck. Irides venous-red. Crown and hind part of the head with a full crest of narrow, elongated, and canaliculated feathers, pointing backwards, and which the bird can raise or de- press at pleasure. Whole of the body pure white, with the exception of a collar or gorget of ochreous yellow, which passes round the junction of the neck and breast, pointing upwards to the shoulders. The legs and toes are black ; the tibiae naked for four inches above the tar sal joint. Tibiae and tarsi entirely covered with hexagonal scales. The middle toe three inches long (being one-half the length of the tarsus), and joined to the outer one by a web, as far as the second joint ; and to the inner one as far as the first joint. Claws short, and nearly straight. Hind toe rather long, and resting on the ground for two- thirds of its length. The plumage of the female is similar to that of the male bird, but the crest is not so long, and the yellow pecto- ral band not so bright in colour. Previous to the acquisition of the mature plumage, the young Spoonbill is without the crest. The bill also is paler in bird- colour, and has not the furrows that cause the rough- 54 GRALLATORES. IBIS. IBIS. ness about its base, and upon its surface, in the old bird. The iris is pinkish-grey. The outer webs and tips of the two or three first quill-feathers are black ; and the yellow gorget is not acquired till the end of the second, or beginning of the third year. GENUS IBIS. IBIS. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill very long, slender from the middle to the point, thickened and subangulate at the base, arched, higher than broad, compressed, and with the tip obtuse. |The upper mandible projecting a little beyond the lower one, deeply furrowed on each side of the culmen for the whole of its length ; the tomia nearly upright immediately at the base, from thence to the tip much drawn inwards, and forming a narrow canal in the centre of the interior of the bill ; culmen rounded, narrower towards the base. Under mandible with the same curvature as the upper one ; the anterior part rounded by the intraction of the tomia ; the basal half with the sides square and upright. Angle of the chin narrow, and occupying about one-half the length of the mandible, filled with a naked skin. Nostrils near the base of the bill, placed in the commencement of the lateral furrows, oblong, longitudinal, and protected above by a naked membrane. Face more or less naked : in some species, the whole of the head and neck bare of feathers. Tongue short, sharp- pointed or entire. Legs long, or of mean length, slender ; the tibia partly naked. Toes three before, and one behind ; the middle toe joined to the outer by a membrane as far as the first joint ; the inner one nearly free. Hind toe half the length of the outer one ; articulated opposite to the inner toe, and resting, for nearly its whole length, upon the ground. Front of the tarsus in some species scutellated ; in IBIS. GRALLATORES. IBIS. 55 others reticulated, or covered with hexagonal scales. Claws either straight and long, with the middle one imperfectly serrated or pectinated, or strong, short, and much arched, and entire. Tail extending beyond the wings, when closed ; square and equal, or conico-elongate ; formed of twelve feathers. Wings long ; the second and third quills being the longest, In plumage, the species with feathered heads and necks have the feathers long, adpressed, narrow and acuminate. The wings and tail of most of the species have a bronzed or metallic lustre. In works which treat of the ornithology of a limited dis- trict, or particular country, where the genera are restricted, and comparatively few in number, it must be expected that many forms, which serve to unite the different orders, fami- lies, and genera together, will necessarily be wanting ; and that, under such circumstances, many birds must appear (as it were) isolated ; and that a very imperfect idea can be con- veyed of that admirable circular succession of affinities that actually exists throughout the feathered class. Such is the case with respect to the present genus, which, placed upon the limits of the family of Ardeadce, and viewed as an iso- lated group, seems so far removed from the more typical species, is yet (through the intervention of other genera, such as Tantalus, &c.) closely and intimately connected with it. The modification of the form, however, which it has un- dergone, prepares it as a link of connexion between the Ar- deadfE and the succeeding family of Scolopacida ; and this is beautifully effected through the genus Numenius (Curlew). The genus Ibis, as at present constituted, might perhaps with propriety admit of still further division, as several species possess characters, which others seem either totally to want, or have in a greatly modified degree ; but as I have not had an opportunity of examining and comparing all the known species with the requisite care and attention, before such division could properly be attempted, I have merely 56 GBALLATORES. IBIS. IBIS. thrown out this hint for the consideration of others who may enjoy more fortunate means of comparison. Species of this genus are found in all the four quarters of the globe, and many of them have a very extensive geographic range ; none more so than the species included in the list of our Fauna as an occasional, but rare, visitant, the Glossy or Bay Ibis. Birds of this genus inhabit the borders of lakes and rivers, and resort to such countries as are subject to periodi- cal inundations. They feed on worms, insects, and mollus- cous animals, and some of the species feed much upon vege- tables, particularly the roots of bulbous plants. They con- gregate and live in societies, and in most countries are perio- dically migratory, performing their journeys in numerous flocks. Their moulting is simple. The young of many species differ greatly from the adult birds in colour of plu- mage, and only acquire the dress of maturity after the third moulting ; the consequence of which has been considerable difficulty in discriminating their proper station, and, in some cases, an unnecessary multiplication of specific synonyms. A peculiar metallic lustre on the wings and tail distinguishes- most of the species ; and some have the barbs of the tertiary and secondary wing feathers long and decomposed. GLOSSY IBIS. IBIS FALCINELLUS, Temm. PLATE XII. Ibis Falcinellus, Temm. Man. d'Ornith, 2. 598 Wagler, Syst. Av. 1. sp I. —Flem* Br. Anim. 1. 102. Ibis ignea, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 13. Tantalus Falcinellus, Linn. 1. 241. 2 Gmel. Syst. 1. 648 Lath Ind Ornith. 2. 707- 14. Falcinellus, Rail Syn. 103. 3 — Will. 218. 54 Ib. (Angl.) 295. 54. Numenius viridis, JBriss. 5. 326. 4. Le Courlis vert, Buff. Ois. 8. 27. Bay Ibis, Lath. Syn, 5. 113. 12 — Arct. Zool, 2. 460. A. IBIS. GRALLATORES. IBIS. 57 Tantalus viridis, Gmel. Syst. 1. 848 — Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. ) 707. 15. > Young. Green Ibis, Lath. Syn. 5. 114. 13. J Tantalus igneus, Gmel. Syst. 1. 649 — Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 708. 16. Glossy Ibis, Lath. Syn. 5. 115. 14 Lewin's Br. Birds, 4. pi. 152.— .Mow*. Ornith. Diet, and Sup Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 13. — Bewick's Sup. to the Birds. Brazilian Curlew, Nat. Miscell. 17- 705. THIS resplendent bird (for so it may with propriety be call- Occasional ed, from the metallic lustre which gilds the greater part of its V1S1 plumage) is occasionally driven from its direct course to our shores, during its periodical autumnal migrations from the northern part of the European continent, to which great bodies of them annually resort to breed and pass the summer months. At the period of the first publication of Dr LA- THAM'S works, it seems to have been of very rare occurrence in Britain, or had perhaps escaped observation, from the small degree of previous attention bestowed on the subject of natural history. Since the appearance, however, of his Index Ornithologicus and General Synopsis, many speci- mens have been noticed, and scarcely a year passes without mention of one or more of these birds being taken. From the change undergone in plumage from the young to the ma- ture state, this Ibis has, by GMELIN, LATHAM, and other writers, been described under different specific names. Our countryman MONTAGU (whose attention was particularly di- rected to this interesting subject), appears to have been the first to detect and point out the identity of these supposed species ; and he has, at considerable length, and with great clearness, elucidated its history in the valuable Supplement to his Ornithological Dictionary, under our present specific title. The geographical distribution of this bird is very wide, and embraces the greater part of the ancient world. In Europe (where it is periodically visitant, residing during the summer season), it is found in all the continental parts, as far north as Sweden, Norway, and (according to WAGLEE), Iceland ; but its longitudinal flight does not spread so far to the westward as our islands. In Asia it is very common, 58 GRALLATORES. IBIS. IBIS. having been traced from Siberia to the isles of Celebes and Java, and it is equally so in Africa. It seems to have been held by the Egyptians in the same sacred estimation as Ibis religlosa (of WAGLEE), or the true sacred Ibis of authors, as its remains are frequently found with those of the last mentioned bird, deposited amongst the mummies of the Egyptian catacombs. Like others of the genus, this species generally lives in societies, and its migrations are performed in numerous flocks. It frequents the banks of rivers, the shores of lakes, and lands that have been recently inun- Food. dated ; feeding on worms, insects, molluscous animals, and certain aquatic plants. The nidification, eggs, and other particulars respecting its propagation, have not been noticed ; and these points, with more extensive information, tending to illustrate the individual habits of the bird, are still want- ing to complete its history. PLATE. General jn ^he perfect, or adult plumage, the cheeks and crown of tion. the head are of a deep greenish-black, glossed with a Adult bird. rjch metallic purple; the feathers narrow and acumi- nate. The neck, the uppermost part of the back, the breast, the upper ridge of the wings, and under parts of the body, are of a deep reddish (or maroon) brown. The wings and tail, lower part of the back, wing co- verts, and scapulars, are blackish-green, with the richest metallic tints of purple and green, as viewed in different lights. The naked skin extending from the bill to the eyes is green. The bill is blackish-green, in some spe- cimens measuring upwards of six inches in length. Legs and feet are blackish-green : the naked part of the tibia is upwards of two inches long. Young PLATE XII. represents the young bird previous to its first moulting, taken from a specimen killed near Rothbury, in Northumberland, and now in my collection. IBIS. GRALLATORES. IBIS. 59 The bill is greenish-black, fading towards the tip to wood- brown, and measures five inches in length ; the lores are green. The head, throat, and back of the upper part of the neck are pale hair-brown ; the feathers margined with white, and giving a spotted appearance. On the forepart of the neck are two narrow transverse bars, and a large irregular spot of white. Lower part of the neck, and the whole of the under parts, of a hair-brown colour, the margins of the feathers having greenish re- flections. Upper parts of the body, wings, and tail, glossy olive-green, with faint changeable reflections of purplish-red upon the scapulars and wing coverts. Legs and toes blackish-green. FAMILY III.— SCOLOPACID^E. THIS family, partaking, in an equal degree with that of ArdeadcB, of the advantage of both elements of land and wa- ter, naturally forms the other typical division of the order Grallatores. In the various members of which it is com- posed, the bill is long, fully developed, and admirably adapted for extracting or securing their prey, in the marshes, or on the shores of the ocean, where they resort ; and this again is accompanied by a proportionate length of leg, giving them the power of wading to some depth in search of it. In tracing the affinities of the family, we find it beautifully con- nected with the preceding one of Ardeadce, through the in- terposition of NumeniuSy which approaches very closely to the genus Ibis of that family in the form of the bill. To the Rallidce, another but aberrant family of this order, its con- nexion is readily traced by means of Phalaropus and Lobipes, which possess the lobated foot of the Coots, and whose ha- bits (as being more aquatic), place them at the extremity of the Scolopacidce ; and to the fifth family, or Charadriadce, 60 GRALLATORES. IBIS. IBIS. which completes the circle of the order, it is linked, through the medium of Tringa, &c. with the genera Vanellus, Are- naria, &c. of that aberrant family. The Scolopacidce are the inhabitants of marshes, and the shores of lakes, rivers, and the sea. They live entirely on animal matter, such as worms, insects, mollusca, the roe and small fry of fishes. Most of the genera procure food by thrusting the bill into the soft earth, or the mud of shores, and thence extracting their prey ; and, to facilitate this, an extraordinary development of the nerve is distributed over, and to the extreme point of the bill, thus endowing them with an exquisite sense of feeling ; and, in many species, this member is further provided with a peculiar muscle, which, by the closing or contracting of the upper part of the man- dibles, operates so as to expand them at the point, and enables the bird, with the bill still buried in the ground, to seize its prey the moment it is aware of being in contact with it. From this particular mode of searching for their prey, these are frequently styled " Birds of Suction." They all possess a great power of flight, having an ample development of wing, and are generally subject to the laws of migration. Species of this family are found in all parts of the world, and many of the genera have a very wide geographical distri- bution. Their nidification is on the ground, and they lay four eggs of a peculiar form, one end being large and round- ed, the other decreasing to a point. The position of these in the nest is with the rounded end outwards, the smaller in- wards, and meeting together in the centre of the nest. Thus placed, they occupy a small space, and are more easily co- vered in incubation than they would be if disposed in any other form. The flesh of these birds is in general succulent and well-flavoured. CURLEW. GRALLATORES. NUiMENIUS. 61 GENUS NUMENIUS, LATH. CURLEW. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill very long, slender, incurved, slightly compressed, rounded through its whole length, with the tip of the under mandible projecting beyond the lower one; hard, and semi- obtuse ; laterally furrowed for three-fourths of its length. Tomia of the upper mandible a little in advance from the base, bending inwards progressively towards the tip, and forming a channel in the centre of the interior of the bill ; those of the under mandible even and straight. Angle of the chin very narrow, extending about one-half the length of the bill, and covered with feathers. Nostrils near the base of the bill, placed in the lateral groove, linear, and covered above by a naked membrane. Lores (or space between the . bill and eyes) covered with feathers. Legs long, slender, naked above the tar sal joint. Feet four-toed ; three before and one behind ; the front ones connected at the base by a large membrane. Toes short ; the outer and inner ones of nearly equal length ; hind toe short, and articulated above the plane of the others upon the tarsus, its tip only resting on the ground. Claws short and blunt. Front of the tarsus partly scutellated ; back of the tarsus reticulated. Front of the toes scutellated. The Curlews, from their close affinity to the genus Ibis of the preceding family, are properly placed at the head of the Scolopacidce, to the most typical species of which they directly lead through other nearly allied groups, thus main- taining that striking succession of affinities which is so uni- versally found throughout Nature. They are birds of mi- gratory habits, arid, during the winter season, collect in flocks, and resort to the sea shores ; generally frequenting such as offer extensive oozy sands, easily perforated by their 62 GRALLATORES. NUMENIUS. CURLEW. long cylindrical bills. Early in spring they commence their polar migration, and retire inland, selecting moors, extensive waste grounds, and mountainous heaths, abounding in marshes and pools of water, as appropriate habitats during the breed- ing season, when they separate into pairs. Their food con- sists of worms, reptiles, insects, and mollusca. The plumage of the young is similar to that of the old birds ; and the former are only to be distinguished by the bill being shorter and softer. Their flight is strong, and generally at a consi- derable height in the air, and in disposition they are very timid and wary. COMMON CURLEW. i NUMENIUS ARauATA, Lath. PLATE XIII. Numenius arquata, Lath. Ind. Omith. 2. 710. 1. — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 101. 136. Numenius major, Steph. — Shaw's Zoo\. 12. 26. pi. 4. Scolopax arquata, Linn. Syst. 1. 242. 3 — Gmel. Syst. 1. 655. Numenius, Rail Syn. 103. A. 1 — Will. 216. pi. 54 — Briss. Ornith. 5. 311. 1. Le Courlis, Buff. Ois. 8. 19. Le Courlis d'Europe, Cuv. Reg. Anim. 1. 485. Grand Courlis cendre7, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 603. Grosse Brachvogel, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 121. Common Curlew, Br. Zool. 2. 176. 63— Arct. Zool. 2. 462. A — Will (Angl.) 294 pi. 54,.— Lath. Syn. 5. 119 — Id. Sup. 242.— Pult. Cat. Dor- set. 14 Lewin's Br. Birds, 4. pi. 153.— Mont. Ornith. Diet, and Sup. —Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 54 — Shaw's Zool. 12. 26. pi. Winter Scolopax Curonica, Gmel. Syst. 1. 669 Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 724. 37. I plumage. Courland Snipe, Lath. Syn. Sup. 2. 310. J Scolopax Totanus, GmeL Syst. 1. 655. 12 Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 721.24. Totanus alter, Ran Syn. 106. 11 — Will. (Angl.) 297 — Barker, Albin. 2. t. 71. Spotted Snipe, Lath. Syn. 2. 148. 19 — Lewin's Br. Birds, t. 164 — Mont. Orn. Diet. 2. and Sup. with a fig. Spotted Redshank, Penn. Brit. Zool. 2. No. 186 Bewick's Br. Birds, ed. 1826. pL tab. 69. THE difference of plumage between the young and mature bird in this species, and the peculiar change annually under- gone previous to the pairing season, have occasioned great perplexity in discriminating it under such various garbs, and given rise to the long list of synonyms above quoted. This is a rare species in Britain, and the specimens taken are ge- nerally birds of the year (that is, the young previous to the first moulting), or old birds in their winter dress. MON- TAGU describes two, both in the young state, under the title of the Spotted Snipe, and has given a correct figure of one Synonyms of Young. 70 GRALLATORES. TOTANUS. SANDPIPER. of them in the Supplement to his Ornithological Dictionary. BEWICK also mentions two, as having been killed in the north of England. In my collection is one, also a young bird, which was shot near ^ Yarmouth ; and I may add, to this list, two in the possession of B. BAKER, Esq. of Hardwicke Court, in Gloucestershire, one an old bird in the winter plumage, the other a bird of the year ; and which were presented to him as the Spotted Redshank, in summer and winter plumage. The figure given in the present work, of the adult bird in its nuptial dress, is drawn from a very fine specimen (killed in Britain) in the collection of W. YARRELL, Esq. In this species the sulcum (or groove) of the upper mandible is short, not extending beyond a third part of its length ; in advance of the furrow, the bill becomes much rounded, by the doub- ling in of the tomia ; and the tip of the maxilla is suddenly bent downwards, with a fine sharp point. — This bird inhabits marshy meadows, and the borders of rivers and lakes ; and is sometimes found, during its migrations, on the sea-coasts. — It feeds principally on small univalve and bivalve mollusca, to which may be added worms and insects. It retires within the Arctic Circle to breed, but no description of its nest or eggs has hitherto been obtained. It seems to have a wide geographical distribution, as the specimens sent from India appear to be precisely the same ; and no difference exists in those procured from North America. PLATE 15. Fig, 1. The adult bird in the summer plumage, as taken from Mr YARRELI/'S specimen. General Tne head, neck, and under parts, are brownish-black, with tion. a tinge of grey ; the feathers upon the breast and belly Adult bird finely edged with white. The upper parts of the body plumage. are blackish-brown ; the feathers with triangular white spots upon their margins and tips. The quills are dusky black ; the shaft of the first quill white. The lower part of the back is white. The upper tail-coverts are barred black and white. The tail-feathers are greyish-black, SANDPIPER. GRALLATORES. TOT ANUS. 71 with narrow transverse white bars. The base of the lower mandible is brick-red, the other part brownish- black. The legs are red. . 2. represents the young of the year (or Spotted Snipe Young , .« j bird of the of authors), and is taken from a specimen killed on the year. coast of Norfolk, and presented to me by H. GIRDLE- STONE, Esq. of Yarmouth. The bill is brownish-black ; the base of the under mandible red. Between the bill and eyes is a patch of white, and below is another of hair-brown. The chin and throat are white. The forepart of the neck, the breast, and all the under parts, are greyish-white, with transverse un- dulating bars of pale hair-brown. The hindpart of the neck is hair-brown, the feathers being margined with greyish-white. The back is clove-brown, the margins of the feathers having small triangular spots of white. The wing-coverts, scapulars, and tertials, are deep clove-brown, with large triangular white bars and spots. Tail deep hair-brown, barred with greyish-white, and forming (as observed by MONTAGU) a double fork ; the middle and outer feathers being the longest. The lower part of the back is white. The upper tail-coverts are white, with dark hair-brown bars. Legs and toes orange-red. The adult bird in the winter plumage has the eye-brows Adult bird pure white; and between the bill and the eyes is a dusky patch or streak. The crown of the head, the sides and back part of the neck, and upper part of the back, are of a fine ash-grey. The chin, throat, and under parts, are of pure white. The scapulars and ter- tials are ash-grey, having the margins of the feathers with alternate bars of white and hair -brown. The wing-coverts are deep ash-grey, barred upon their mar- gins with white and blackish grey. The lower part of the back is white. The upper tail-coverts white, barred 72 GRALLATORES. TOTANUS. SANDPIPER. with blackish-grey. The tail has the middle feathers ash-grey, barred with blackish-grey ; the outer feathers with alternate bars of white and blackish-grey. Legs and toes orange-red. REDSHANK SANDPIPER. TOTANUS CALIDRIS, Bechst. PLATE XVI. Fig. 1. Totanus calidris, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 216.— -Shaw's Zool. J2. 135 Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 102. No. 139. Le Grande Chevalier au pieds rouges, Cuv. Reg. Anim. 1. 493. /Chevalier Gambette, Temrn. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 643. Red-legged Sandpiper, Shaw's Zool. 12. 135. Scolopax calidris, Linn. Syst. 1. 245. 11 — GmeL Syst. 1. 164 Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 722. 25. Scolopax Totanus, Briss. 5. 188. 3. t. 17. f. 1 Rail Syn. 107. A, 1. La Gambette, Buff. Ois. 7. 513. t. 28. Rothfussiger Wasserlaiifer, Meyer Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 368. Redshank or Pool Snipe, Br. Zool. 2. No. 184. t. 65— Lath. Syn. 5. 150. Id. Sup. 225.— Mont. Ornith. Diet, and Sup Lewirfs Br. Birds, 4. pi. 165 — BewicVs Br. Birds, 2. 91. Tringa Gambetta, Linn. Syst. 1. 248. 3. — GmeL Syst. 1. 671. — Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 728. 9 Gambetta, Rail Syn. 107. 2 Will. 222. Id. (Angl.) 300. Red-legged Horseman, Albni. 2. t. 68. Gambet Sandpiper, Lath. Syn. 5. 167- 9.; but not the Gambet of Penn. Br. Zool., which is a young Ruff, as is also the Gambet of Mont. Orn. Diet. Young j Tringa striata, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 733. 24. I Striated Sandpiper, Arct. Zool. 2. 383 — Lath. Syn. 5. 176. 21. PROVINCIAL, — Sandcock. ALTHOUGH this is a well-known bird, and a permanent residenter in our country, yet we find it, even in the compi- lations of our own authors, described under various titles ; and, what seems more extraordinary, and shows how little dependence can be placed upon works so composed, we meet with it arranged as a species in different genera. Thus we have it classed with the Woodcocks and Snipes under the name Scolopax calidris; and again, in another genus, as Tringa Gambetta., and Tringa striata. This discrepancy Synonyms pfOld. SANDPIPER. GRALLATORES. TOTANUS. 73 occurring between authors, who must be referred to for con- sultation, renders the identity of species and the collation of synonyms a matter of considerable difficulty, and very often of great uncertainty ; the descriptions appended being in many instances so short and unsatisfactory, as to make it al- most impossible to say with decision to what bird they really belong. Among the synonyms quoted by recent writers as !__!-„ * il. T» J I 1_ • j.1- . S~1 1-JJ-. _£ T»_. t- ,; belonging to the Redshank, is the Gambetta of PENNANT^ British Zoology ; but this, I think, belongs more proper] to the Rujf (Tringa pitgnax of authors) in its young state, or after it has lost its nuptial dress ; and, as seems in favour of such an opinion, I have attached it to1* that bird. The Tringa Eewickii of MONTAGU, and Totanus Bewickii of STEPHENS, a bird described by BEWICK from two specimens sent to him from Lincolnshire, also appears to belong to the Ruff rather than to the Redshank ; indeed, BEWICK'S description corresponds very closely with speci- mens of the Reeve in my collection. Tringa striata of LA- THAM certainly belongs to this species in its young, or nest- ling, feathers ; but the other synonyms quoted by him refer to the Purple (or Rock) Tringa (Tringa maritimd). Du- ring the winter the Redshank is found upon the sea-coast, and about the mouths of rivers, in small flocks ; but on the approach of spring it retires inland, to the fenny parts of the country, where it breeds. Its nest is placed on some large Nest, &c. tuft of grass in the marshes, or on the ground in moist mea- dows ; and is there formed by lining a shallow hole or de- pression with dry grasses and other vegetable remains. The eggs, four in number, are rather smaller than those of VaneL lus cristatus (Common Lapwing), in colour a deep oil-green, blotched with blackish-brown ; with the spots most numerous at the larger end. — During incubation, when disturbed from its nest, this bird is very vociferous, flying round the in- truder, and unceasingly uttering its shrill and piping notes. Upon the coast it is generally very wild and wary, and, as it always gives a loud whistle upon first rising, it spreads an 74 GRALLATORES. TOTANUS. SANDPIPER. alarm amongst all other birds near at hand, and thereby of- Food. ten disappoints the shooter in his expectation of sport. Its food is the same as the rest of its immediate tribe. General descrip- tion. Adult bird in winter plumage. Summer plumage. Young of the year. PLATE 16. Fig. 1. represents the Redshank in the winter plumage, and of the natural size. Head, back part of the neck, back and scapulars, of an uniform pale hair-brown, tinged with grey, and glossed with olive- green. Wing-coverts ash-grey, margined with white. Throat and under part of the neck white, finely streaked with ash-grey. Breast white, with small ob- long spots of deep hair-brown. The flanks and under tail-coverts white, with transverse bars of hair-brown. Abdomen and vent pure white. Lower part of the back white. Upper tail-coverts and tail white, barred with deep hair-brown. The base of the bill brick-red> with the tip brownish-black. Legs orange-red. In the summer plumage, or nuptial dress, a white streak extends from the base of the bill over the eye. The head, neck, and the whole of the under parts are white, with oblong spots of dark hair-brown. Chin white, with a few small specks of hair-brown. Back and scapulars pale hair-brown, with an olivaceous gloss, and barred with brownish-black, occupying the centres of the fea- thers. Lesser wing-coverts plain hair-brown, glossed with olive. The greater coverts and tertials hair-brown, margined with white, and transversely barred with black- ish-brown. Upper tail-coverts and tail barred black and white. Bill and legs as in the winter dress. The young of the year, previous to the assumption of the winter plumage, have a large patch of hair-brown be- tween the bill and eyes. The eyebrows are white. The nape and back part of the neck ash-grey. The throat and under side of the neck white, with fine striae of ash- grey. The sides of the breast marbled with wood-brown. The belly, abdomen, and vent, pure white. The back, SANDPIPER. GRALLATORES. TOT ANUS. 75 scapulars, and wing-coverts, hair-brown, with a grey tinge, and with yellowish- white triangular spots occupy- ing the margins of the feathers on each side of their shafts. Legs pale orange-yellow. Bill reddish at the base, with the tip blackish-brown. GREEN SANDPIPER. TOTANUS OCHROPUS) Temm. PLATE XVI. Fig. 2. Totanus ochropus, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 651.— Shaw's Zool. 21. 127.— Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 103. No. 140. Tringa ochropus, Linn. Syst. 1. 250. 13 — Gmel. Syst. 1. 676. — Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 729. 12. Tringa Aldrovandi, Rail Syn. 108. A. 7. 8 — Will 222. t. 55 Id. (Angl.) 300. Becasseau ou Cul bknc, Buff. Ois. 7- 534. Chevalier Cul blanc, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 651. Punktierte Strandlaiiter, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 283 — Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 386. Green Sandpiper, Br. Zool. 2. No. 201 Lath. Syn. 5. 170. — Mont. Ornith. Diet. 2. and Sup. with a Fig — Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 100. — Shaw's ZooL 12. 127. pi. 17 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 103. No. 140. Wood Sandpiper, Linn. Trans. 1. 130. f. 2. THIS well- shaped and handsome bird is with us an occa- Occasional sional visitant during its vernal and autumnal migrations, vlsltant- and at the latter period, from being a bird of solitary habits, is always seen single, but is sometimes met with in pairs when happening to visit our islands, in the progress to its summer residence. It inhabits the edges of small streams, and pools of fresh water in the interior of the country, and is rarely, if ever, found upon the sea coast. It runs with great activity, flirting its tail in the same manner as the Common Sandpiper (Totanus hypoleucos). When flushed, it utters a shrill whistle, and generally flies low, skimming over the surface of the water, and following with precision all the bends and angles of the stream. I have met with it 76 GRALLATORES. TOTANUS. SANDPIPER. on the moors of Northumberland in August, and have now in my collection two beautiful specimens, killed by the side of a small mountain rill. Another, also killed in the same county, is now in the museum of the Natural History So- ciety at Newcastle-upon-Tyne ; and JOHN MURRAY, Esq. of Murraythwaite in Dumfriesshire, possesses a male and fe- male, shot by him when together, near that place in the spring of 1829. — This species occurs throughout the great- est part of continental Europe, frequenting inland rivers and waters, and is said to retire into the northern central parts Nest, &c. to breed. The nest is made by the side of some stream, and the eggs (according to TEMMINCK) are of a greenish- white, blotched with brown. It is also found in several parts of Asia. — By many writers this has been confounded with an- other species, viz. Totanus Glareola, the Wood Sandpiper ; and LATHAM, in the Supplement to his General Synopsis, has unaccountably united them, although, in his Index Or- nithologicus, they stand as distinct species. MONTAGU, however, in his Ornithological Dictionary and its Supple- ment, has pointed out the peculiar distinctions of each, and which are indeed so strongly marked, as to render the dis- crimination of the two birds a matter of no doubt to those who have an opportunity of examining them. PLATE 16. Fig. 2. Represents the Green Sandpiper, from a specimen killed on the moors near Twizell, as above mentioned, apparently a bird of the year, as it has the distinguishing marks of that state, as given by TEM- MINCK. General The crown of the head hair-brown. The streaks passing tion.nP~ above and below the eye white, speckled with hair- brown ; the intermediate space being dark hair-brown. Chin and throat white. The sides and back part of the neck hair-brown, tinged with grey, and varied with fine striae of greyish-white. Fore part of the neck and breast white, with lance-shaped spots of hair-brown, l SANDPIPER. GRALLATORES. TOTANUS. 77 Under parts pure white. The back, scapulars, and wing-coverts hair-brown, glossed with olive-green ; the margins of the feathers being finely spotted with yellow- ish-white. The quills very dark hair-brown, with all the shafts dark- coloured. The under wing-coverts deep hair-brown, beautifully varied with marks like the letter V. Rump white. Tail white; the middle feathers having three broad dark hair-brown bars, the next with two, and the two outer feathers almost immaculate. The legs and toes are greenish-grey, and not nearly so long in proportion to the size of the bird, as in the Wood Sandpiper ( Totanus glareold). The principal difference in the plumage of the adult con- sists in the upper part of it being more thickly covered with small white specks, and the fore part of the neck and breast having longitudinal brown streaks, instead of the lance-shaped spots of the young bird. WOOD SANDPIPER. TOTANUS GLAREOLA, Temm. PLATE XVI. Fig. 3. Totanus Glareola, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 654 Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 103. No. 141 — Shaw's Zool. 12. 130. Totanus Grallatoris, Shaw's Zool. 12. 148. Tringa Glareola, Linn. Syst. 1. 250. 13. B.— Gmel Syst. 1. 677 Lath, Ind Orn. 2. 730. 13. Tringa Grallatoris, Mont. Sup. Orn. Diet. Chevalier Sylvain, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 654. Wald Strandlaufer, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 291 — Meyer, Tasschenb. 2. 387. Wood Sandpiper, Penn. Arct. Zool. 2. 482. 9 — Lath. Syn. 5. 172. 13 Shaw's Zool. 12. 130 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 103. No. 141 Mont. Orn. Diet, and Sup. with a Fig. Long-legged Sandpiper, Mont. Ornith. Diet. App. to Supp. — Shaw's Zool. 10 14H THIS species (which has been frequently confounded with Very rare the preceding one) is also an occasional but a very rare 78 GRALLATORES. TOTANUS. SANDPIPER. sitant ; a solitary straggler being now and then driven as far to the westward as the longitude of our islands during the periodical migration of the species from the northern to the more southern districts of Europe. The short specific de- scriptions given by LINNAEUS of these two nearly allied birds, and their rare occurrence in Britain, without doubt induced Dr LATHAM and others (as mentioned in the preceding ac- count of the Green Sandpiper) to think that they might be identical. His description, however, of the present bird, in his Index Ornithologicus, ought to have satisfied him that it could not be the Tringa Aldrovandi of RAY and WIL- LOUGHBY, quoted as a synonym of Ochropus (and with great propriety, as it answers exactly to it) ; for he describes Gla- reola as having " remiges fuscae, rachi nivea, secundariae apices margine alba,1' characters which are correct, and very distinctive of the species. MONTAGU, in his Ornithological Dictionary, has so accurately described each from personal inspection, as to render mistake, or a confusion of the spe- cies, almost impossible for any one who is enabled to com- pare his descriptions with the specimens of these birds. He has, however, in his Appendix to the Supplement of the same work, created some unnecessary confusion by rejecting the Linnean specific appellation of Glareola altogether, and imposing in its place the new title of Tringa Gr dilator is (Long-legged Sandpiper) ; which confusion is still further increased by Mr STEPHENS, in his Continuation of SHAW'S Zoology, giving both the Glareola of LINN^US, and Gralla- toris of MONTAGU as distinct species. In size, this bird is fully one-third less than the Ochropus^ with the legs much longer in proportion ; the tarsi of the former being one- eighth of an inch longer than those of the latter, and the naked part of the tibia is considerably longer. In addition to the specimens recorded by MONTAGU and others, I can mention a beautiful one of the young bird, killed at Elling- ham in the month of September 1828 (now in my collection, and a description of which is given below) ; a second, killed 5 SANDPIPER. GRALLATORES. TOTANUS. 79 at Prestwick Car in 1830, and now in the museum of the Natural History Society of Newcastle-upon-Tyne ; and a third, shot at White-mare Pool, in the county of Durham, and now in the possession of Mr EDWARD BACKHOUSE. It is a native of the interior of Continental Europe, and has a wide geographical distribution, being found in India ; and I have specimens also from the Cape of Good Hope. Moist woods and swamps producing willows and other brush- wood are its favourite habitats, where it lives solitary, or, in the breeding season, in pairs. It retires within the Arctic Nest, &c. circle to breed, and its nest is made by the side of some rill or pool. The eggs, four in number, are said to be of a yel- lowish or oil-green colour, spotted with brown. — It feeds up- Food, on worms and insects. PLATE 16. Fig. 3. Represents the Wood Sandpiper of the natural size. Between the bill and eyes is a dark hair-brown streak. General Crown of the head, back, and wings, are hair-brown, with a tinge of grey, but no gloss of green. Margins of the dorsal and scapular feathers, and also the wing- coverts, are marked with small white and greyish-white spots. The secondaries are margined and tipped with white. The greater quills are hair-brown, the first one having a white shaft. Nape of the neck, cheeks, sides of the breast, and the flanks are greyish- white, with hair-brown rays. Eyelids, throat, belly, and abdomen white. The lower part of the back is blackish-grey, having the feathers finely margined with white. Rump and upper tail-coverts white ; the latter with a brown streak down their shafts. Tail white, barred with hair- brown ; the outer feathers having their inner webs pure white. The wings, when closed, reach to the end of the tail. The bill is black, with a green tinge towards the base. Legs and toes greenish-grey. In the summer plumage, the spots of white upon the back 80 GRALLATORES. TOTANUS. SANDPIPER. and wing-coverts are larger and purer in colour, and the scapulars are obscurely barred with a deeper shade of hair-brown. The following is a description of the bird of the year, from a specimen killed at Ellingham in September 1828, and kindly presented to me by the late THOMAS HAGGERSTONE, Esq. Between the bill and eyes is a narrow blackish-brown streak. The temples and eyebrows are white, finely streaked with hair- brown. Chin and throat pure white. Crown of the head dark brown, having the feathers finely margined with yellowish-brown. Nape and sides of the neck greyish-white, striated with brown. Breast white ; each feather having a brown streak down the shaft, and being very finely margined with hair-brown. The flanks are marked with undulating bars of brown and yellowish- white. Belly and abdomen white. The back, scapulars, and wing-coverts deep brown, with a purplish gloss, and each feather having a large reddish white spot on each side of the shaft near the tip. The quills are brownish-black ; the shaft of the first one be- ing white. The secondaries margined with yellowish- white. The lower part of the back is greyish-black, margined with white. The rump and upper tail-coverts white ; the tips of some of the latter with a hair-brown spot. Tail barred with deep hair- brown and white ; the outer feathers having their inner webs nearly pure white. Legs and toes wax-yellow, tinged with greenish gre y. Bill black at the tip, and the base tinged with green. SANDPIPER. GRALLATORES. TOTANUS. 81 COMMON SANDPIPER. TOTANUS HYPOLEUCOS, Temm. PLATE XV. Fia. 3. 4. Totanus Hypoleucos, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 657 — Shaw's Zool. 12. 142. — Flem. Br. Anim. I. 104. No. 143. Tringa Hypoleucos, Linn. Syst. 1. 250. 14 — Gmel. Syst. 1. 678 — Lath. Ind, Ornith. 2. 734. 28. Tringa minor, Rail Syn. 108. A. 6. — Will. 223. t. 55. Le Guinette. Buff. Ois. 7. 540. Chevalier Guinette, Temm. Man. 2. 657. Trillender Strandlaufer, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 295. — Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 389. Common Sandpiper, Br. Zool. 2. No. 204. t. 71 Arct. Zool. 2. No. 388. — Will. (Angl.) 301. t. 55 — Lath. Syn. 178. 23 Mont. Ornith. Diet — Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 104 — Ib. 2. 111. the Young Shaw's Zool. 12. 142 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 104. No. 143. Spotted Sandpiper, Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 111. PROVINCIAL — Willy-wicket, Water-junket, Summer Snipe. THIS active little bird is a regular periodical visitant, and Periodical during summer is the well known inhabitant of the margins of all our rivers and lakes. It usually makes its first ap- pearance about the 20th of April, and I have observed that if suffered to breed unmolested, the same pair (at least so it may be presumed) will return for many successive seasons to the locality previously occupied. In this country its migra- tions extend to the northern parts of the mainland of Scot- land, as it is known in Caithness, which appears to be its boundary in this longitude, as it is not noticed by Low in his Natural History of the Orkneys, and Dr FLEMING, in his History of British Animals, states it to be wanting in these islands. It is very abundant upon the shores of the Scottish fresh-water lakes, and upon Loch Awe in July (when the young broods begin to fly), I have at one view seen three or four families on the wing crossing over or skim- ming along the edges of the lake. The Common Sandpiper is a bird of most lively habits, having its body in continual VOL. IT. F 82 GRALLATORES. TOTANUS. SANDPIPER. motion ; for whether running along the shore, or perched upon a stone, its tail is ever moving up and down ; and it has also the custom (in common with other species of this genus) of nodding the head, by suddenly stretching and contracting the neck. Its flight is graceful, though pecu- liar, being performed by a rapid motion of the pinions, suc- ceeded by an interval of rest, the wings at the same time be- ing considerably bent, and forming an angle with the body; and in this manner it skims with rapidity over the surface of the water, not always flying in a straight line, but making occasional sweeps, uttering at the same time its shrill and well known whistle, which has been compared to the sound of the words bestowed upon it as a provincial appellation. — It breeds upon the banks of rivers or lakes, taking care to make its nest beyond the reach of the usual floods, and fre- quently, should a corn-field approach the edge of the water, Nest, &c. it will retire within it. The immediate site of the nest is ge- nerally under a projecting tuft of grass or rush, where it scrapes rather a deep hole in the ground, lining it with dried grass, leaves, and other materials. The eggs are four in number, and not Jive, as stated by some authors ; they are of a cream-yellow colour, with numerous spots of dark brown upon the surface, and others of a lighter hue appearing, as it were, underneath the outer shell. If disturbed during the period of incubation, the female quits the nest as quietly as possible, and usually flies to a distance, making at this time no outcry ; as soon, however, as the young are hatched, her manners completely alter, and the greatest agitation is ex- pressed on the apprehension of danger, and every stratagem is tried, such as feigning lameness and inability of flight, to divert the attention of the intruder from the unfledged brood. As soon as hatched the young quit the nest, and are then covered with down of a greyish-brown colour above, with black streaks upon the head, and a black list down the back, the under parts being white. This is rapidly succeeded by the regular plumage, and in the course of three weeks they SANDPIPER. GRALLATORES. TOTANUS. 83 are nearly able to fly. If discovered, and attempted to be caught before being fully fledged, they boldly take to the water, repeatedly diving, and to a considerable distance; — a provision wisely granted, as being so well adapted to insure their safety in the unfledged state. After the young have gained sufficient strength, these birds prepare for their au- tumnal or equatorial migration, and by the end of Septem- ber the greater part of them have quitted the kingdom. They retire to the warmer parts of Continental Europe, to Asia, and to Africa ; but Dr LATHAM appears to be in er- ror when he states it as a species common to America, for it is not recognised by WILSON, or by other American orni- thologists. Its place in that country is supplied by another closely allied species, viz. Totanus macularius (Spotted Sandpiper). In BEWICK^S admirable work a description and figure are given of a bird which he thought was the Tr'mga macularia of authors, but it approaches, in every respect, so closely to the young of the Common Sandpiper, that I can- not help thinking he must have mistaken the species. At all events, his bird could not have been an adult Spotted Sandpiper •, as neither the figure nor description give an idea of the peculiar spotting of the whole of the under parts, so distinctive of both the male and female of that species. In Totanus hypoleucos and Totanus macularius the furrow ex- tends for more than two-thirds of the length of the upper mandible, and the bill is not quite so much rounded near the tip, as in the preceding species of this genus ; in these particulars shewing their affinity to the genus Tringa. The food of these birds consists of the worms and insects usually found in the localities they frequent. PLATE 15. Fig. 3. Represents the Common Sandpiper of the natural size. Between the bill and eyes is a dark hair-brown patch, and General over the eyes is a white streak. Head and upper parts tio^np of the body of a lightish hair-brown colour, glossed with .d"lfc 84 GRALLATORES. TOTANUS. SANDPIPER. olive-green; the shafts of the feathers being darker, and being further varied upon the back and scapulars with fine transverse zigzag lines of dark hair-brown, giving the bird an elegantly mottled appearance. The lesser wing-coverts marked with transverse bars of hair- brown, the greater coverts tipped with white. Two first quill-feathers hair-brown ; the rest hair-brown, with a large white spot in the centre of the inner web. The four middle tail-feathers similar to the back ; the two next on each side tipped with white ; the outermost having the tip white, and the outer web pale hair-brown, with darker bars. Throat and chin white, with a few small specks of pale hair-brown. Sides of the neck and breast greyish- white, streaked with hair-brown. Ab- domen and vent white. Bill of a dusky greenish-grey colour. Legs and toes yellowish-grey. Young Fig. 4. Represents the young bird, soon after exclusion, and covered with a down of the colour previously de- scribed. SPOTTED SANDPIPER. TOTANUS MACULARIUS, Temm. PLATE XVII. Totanus macularius, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 656. — Shaw's Zool. 12. 144. but not the figure which represents the young of the Common Sand- piper— Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 103. No. 142 — Wils. Amer. Orn. 7. 60. pi. 59. Tringa macularia, Linn. 1. 249. 7 — Gmel. Syst. 1. 672 Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 734. 29. Turdus aquaticus, Briss. 5. 255. 20. La Grive d'Eau, Buff. Ois- 8. 140. Chevalier perle', Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 656. Geflechte Strandlaufer, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 342. — Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 385. Spotted Tringa, Edw. t. 227. f- 2. Spotted Sandpiper, Br. Zool. 2. No. 196. ?—Latfi. Syn. 5. 179. 24 — Shaw's Zool. 12. 144. the synonyms, but not the figure or description. — Mont. Ornith. Diet.— Flem. JBr. Anim. 1. 103. sp. 142. SANDPIPER. GRALLATORES. TOTANUS. 85 THE authority upon which this bird ranks as a rare Bri- Rare visi. tish visitant, seems to rest solely on the description given by Mr EDWARDS of a bird that was shot in Essex, but which (as I have before remarked with regard to that figured and described by BEWICK as Totanus macularms) appears to be nothing more than Totanus hypoleucos ; and the specimens also from which my figures were taken, though supposed to have been killed in England, I am afraid cannot be satis- factorily substantiated as such. According to TEMMINCK, it is sometimes met with on the coast of the Baltic, and in parts of Germany, but never in Holland. This distribu- tion appears singular ; and, as an American species, it is dif- ficult to account for its appearance so far out of the line of its migrations. In the United States it is very common, and, like the Sandpiper of this country, to which it is closely al- lied, is there known as a summer visitant. During that sea- son, it is found distributed throughout the interior, inhabit- ing, in great numbers, the banks of the various rivers and lakes with which that country abounds. Its manners and economy appear to be very similar to those of our own spe- cies ; and in perusing WILSON'S animated and graphic ac- count of this bird in his excellent American Ornithology *, we can scarcely divest ourselves of the idea that he is not de- scribing Totanus hypoleucos. The same continual motion of the tail equally distinguishes both kinds ; and their mode of nidification, the colour of the eggs, their food, and other Nest, &c. particulars, are all much alike. It quits the United States Food* in October for more southern latitudes, and is supposed to winter in South America and the West Indian islands. PLATE 17. Represents the male and female of the natural size, which is rather less than Totanus hypoleucos. Under mandible of the bill orange-yellow; the upper and General tip brown. The eye-streak and orbits white. Head and the whole of the upper parts pale hair-brown, glossed * See WILSON'S American Ornithology, vol. vii. p. 64. pi. 59. fig. 1, 86 GRALLATORES. TOTANUS. SANDPIPER. with olive-green, with the shafts and centres of the fea- thers darker. First quill-feather hair-brown ; the rest having a white spot in the middle of the inner web. Greater wing-coverts and bastard wing tipped with white. Middle tail-feathers like the back; the outer ones white, barred with hair-brown. Chin, sides of the neck, breast, and under parts white, beautifully marked with round spots of a deep hair-brown, closest upon the back and breast. Legs and toes sienna-yellow. GREENSHANK. TOTANUS GLOTTIS. PLATE XIX. Tetanus glottis, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 249. No. 10 Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 104. sp. 144. Scolopax glottis, Linn. Syst. 1. 245. 10 — GmeL Syst. 2. 264.— Lath, Ind. Orn. 2. 720. 21. * Scolopax canescens, GmeL Syst. 1. 668 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 721. 22. Limosa grisea, Briss. 5. 267. 2. t. 23. f. 1. Limosa glottis, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 86. pi. 13. Pluvialis major, Rait Syn. 106. A. 8 — Will. 220. t. 55 Id. (Angl.) 298. La Barge varie'e, et La Barge Aboyeuse, Buff. Ois. 5. 503. et 505. La Barge grise, Buff. Ois. 5. 267. Le Chevalier Aboyeur, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 659. Le Chevalier a gros bee, Cuv. Reg. Anim. 2. 493. Grunfussiger Wasserlaufer, Meyer. Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 371. Greenshank, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. 183 — Lath. Syn. 5. 147. 18 Id. Sup. 249. — Lewin's Br. Birds, 4. pi. 163 — Mont. Oniith. Diet — Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 86 — Shaw's Zool. 12. 86. pi. 13 Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 104. sp. 144. Green-legged Horseman, Albin. Br. Birds, 2. 69. Cinereous Godwit, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. 180 Lath. Syn. 5. 145. 15 Mont. Ornith. Diet, and Sup. PROVINCIAL — Greater Plover. THIS bird I shall still retain in the genus Totanus, though placed upon the confines of the group, and by some authors " TEMMINCK, in his enumeration of the synonyms of this bird, in a note, says, " Mais point le Scolopax glottis de GMELIN et de LATHAM, dont la phrase Latine n'appartient point a la presente e'spece." To the justice of this remark I cannot assent, as the specific description does an- swer to the Greenshank, and has by all other authors been quoted as such. SANDPIPER. GRALLATORES. TOTANUS. 87 already separated from it, having been described by NILSON in his Ornithologia Suecica as Glottis chloropus, and by STE- PHENS, in the 12th volume of SHAW'S Zoology, as Limosa glottis. The only differing point, however, is in the form of the bill, which is rather stronger, and bent upwards from the middle to the point, thus leading to and beautifully con- necting the present genus with the genera Limosa and Re- curvirostra. It is a scarce bird in Britain, and generally Periodical only to be met with about the periods of its vernal and au- visltant tumnal migrations, though I am inclined to think that a few may breed upon the edges of the Scottish lakes, as Sir WIL- LIAM JARDINE and myself met with the young upon Loch Awe in July; and I have an adult specimen that was shot in Scotland in the month of May. Upon the Continent, it is rather common during winter in some parts of Holland, and also upon the shores of the Swiss lakes, and on the larger rivers of Germany ; but it retires in the summer to more northern countries to breed. Its geographical distribution seems to be of wide extent in the ancient world, as the spe- cimens I have received from different parts of India are pre- cisely similar to our own. It has also been mentioned by some authors as occurring in America ; but this does not ap- pear to be the case, and the mistake has probably arisen from confounding some nearly allied species with it. It is seldom found on the sea-coast, but is the constant inhabitant of the margins of rivers, and the shores of pools and lakes in the interior of the countries it frequents, feeding upon the fry of fish, testaceous mollusca, aquatic worms, and insects. Food. We have no authentic account of its nidification. MONTAGU mentions an egg that he received from the fens, as belonging to this bird, and describes it as rather less than that of a Lapwing, but very similar in shape and colour. This, how- ever, may have been an egg of one of the Godwits, birds of nearly the same size, and which have been ascertained to breed in the fens of Norfolk and Cambridgeshire. 88 GRALLATORES. TOTANUS. SANDPIPER. PLATE 19. Represents the Greenshank of the natural size, just after having assumed the winter plumage, from a specimen killed in 1824 at Lennoxlove, near Hadding- ton in Scotland. fescriS! Forehead, region of the eyes, throat, fore part of the neck, tion. and all the under parts, pure white. Crown of the TimTe head, and sides of the neck, streaked with hair-brown. Sides of the breast with streaks and transverse rays of pale brown. Upper part of the back, wing-coverts, and scapulars, deep clove-brown, with a purplish tinge, the feathers being margined with greyish-white. Tertials margined with white, and faintly barred with hair-brown of a deeper shade. Quills brownish-black ; the shafts of the first being white, very strong, and broad. Lower part of the back, and the rump, white. Tail white, with irregular bars of hair-brown. Bill brownish-black, two inches and two-eighths in length. Legs and feet greenish-grey. Summer jn summer, the eye-brows and chin are white ; the face, pluinaffe. head, under part of the neck, breast, and sides, with large drop-like spots of the same colour ; the rest of the under parts pure white. Upper part of the back is a mixture of black and grey, many of the feathers being black, with greyish-white margins, the rest ash-grey, marbled with pale hair-brown, having the shafts alone black. Greater and part of the lesser wing-coverts ash- grey, with darker centres. Tertials, and long feathers covering the quills, ash-grey, with black shafts, and barred upon the outer part of the webs with black and pale ash-grey. Lower part of the back and the rump white. Upper tail-coverts white, barred with hair- brown. Tail, having the middle feathers greyish-white, marked with zig-zag lines and bars of pale hair-brown ; the outer feathers being wholly white, except a longitu- dinal streak of hair-brown upon the outer web. Legs and toes greenish-grey. AVOCET. GRALLATORES. RECURVIROSTRA. 89 GENUS RECURVIROSTRA, LINN. AVOCET. GENERIC CHARACTERS. BILL long, slender, subulate, much depressed, thin, bend- ing considerably upwards toward the tip, which is very flex, ible, and brought to a fine point. Both mandibles grooved. Nostrils placed near to the base, and upon the surface of the bill, long and linear. Legs long, slender ; the greater part of the tibiae naked. Tarsi thin, laterally compressed, with both the front and back part reticulated. Feet four-toed, three before and one behind, the anterior united for nearly the whole of their length, by a scalloped membrane ; hind toe very short, articulated upon the tarsus, and not reaching to the ground. Wings long and sharp-pointed, with the first quill-feather exceeding the rest in length. Plumage close, soft, adpressed, and party-coloured. This small but well-marked group (which, during the pe- riod of the artificial system of classification, was included among the Palmipedes, or true swimming birds), now, ac- cording to the views of Mr VIGORS, so ably exemplified in his observations on the natural affinities connecting the va- rious orders and genera of birds, holds a place amongst the Grallatores, in the family of Scolopacidce^ intermediate be- tween the genera Totanus and Limosa. To the first group, it is allied by the intervention of Totanus semipalmata, an American species, with feet webbed nearly to the same ex- tent, and also by Totanus glottis, where the upward curving of the bill appears to commence; and its connection with Limosa is shewn in the long and turned-up bill of the mem- bers of that genus, as well as by a considerable similarity in habits and manners. Amongst the Charadriadoe it is repre- sented by the genus Himantopus, which, by WILSON (who 90 GRALLATORES. RECURVIROSTRA. AVOCET. has given an interesting and detailed description of the form and habits of an American species) was considered so closely approaching to Recurvirostra, as to induce him to place it in that genus, rather than in the family of the Charadriadce, to which, as an aberrant form, it more properly belongs. This genus, as far as it is at present known, contains four species, only one of which is European. They are the in- habitants of the muddy shores of the ocean, and more par- ticularly of the estuaries of rivers, where they obtain a plen- tiful supply of food in the sediment brought down from the interior, and upon which soft substance they are supported by their palmated feet. Their food consists of minute aqua- tic insects, the lesser univalve and bivalve mollusca, and the spawn of fishes. They form their nests upon the ground in sea-marshes. When feeding, they frequently wade deep in the pools, or on the edges of rivers, but never swim volun- tarily ; and, from observations which have been made, they appear unable to use their legs and feet for this purpose with much effect. Their flight is strong and rapid. Their moult appears to be simple ; and the sexes exhibit no difference in plumage. SCOOPING AVOCET. RECURVIROSTRA AVOCETTA, Linn. PLATE XX. Recurvirostra Avocetta, Linn. Syst. 1. 256. 1 — Gmel Syst. 1. 693 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 786. 1 Rail Syn. 117. A. 1 — Will. 240. t. 60 Id (Angl.) 321 Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 101. sp. 135. — Shaw's Zool. 12. 170. pi. 22. L'Avocette, Buff. Ois. 8. 466. t. 38. Avocette a Nuque noire, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 590. Der blauf iissige Wasser Sabler, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 450. t. 25. f. 2. Scooping Avocet, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. 504. No. 228 — Arct. Zool. 2. 503. Albin. Br. Birds, 1. pi. 101 — Lath. Syn. 5. 293. 1 — Id. Sup. 263 Mont. Ornith. Diet. Avocet, Lewirfs Br. Birds, 6. 202 — Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 158. Common Avocet, Shaw's Zool. 12. 173. pi. 22. PROVINCIAL — Butterflip, Scooper, Yelper, Picarini, Cobler'-awl, Crooked-bill. AVOCET. GRALLATORES. RECURVIROSTRA. 91 THESE elegant, though singular birds are not uncommon upon the eastern coasts of England south of the Humber, and breed in certain parts of the fenny districts of Lincoln- shire and Norfolk; and also in Romney Marsh in Kent. They are occasionally, but rarely, met with in the north of England, and in Scotland. During winter, they assemble in small flocks, and frequent the oozy and muddy shores, particularly about the mouths of rivers, where they obtain a plentiful supply of food, consisting of small worms and marine insects, as well as the young univalve and bivalve mollusca. Their mode of feeding is by scooping, or, as it Food, were in appearance, beating the soft mud with their flat and upturned bill ; and, when thus engaged, they are frequently . seen wading up to their breasts in the pools left by the re- ceding tide. They are never seen to swim voluntarily, al- though furnished with feet so extensively palmated as to have induced the earlier systematists to place them amongst the swimming birds ; but this structure is an admirable pro - vision for enabling them to traverse the soft and yielding substance in which they find their food. Their legs also are formed for wading, by being laterally compressed, and thin, thus offering the least possible resistance to their progress through the water. They are quick and active birds, and their flight, from the form and dimensions of their wings, is powerful and rapid. In spring, they resort to the marine marshes, which are only occasionally or partially covered by the tide, and select the driest part for nidification. — The eggs are of a greenish- white, spotted with black. If dis- Nest, &c. turbed at this season, particularly when the young are firsi excluded, these birds fly round in repeated circles, uttering at the same time, without intermission, their peculiar cry, which resembles the word twit twice repeated. — The geogra- phical distribution of this species is very extensive, it being found throughout the greater part of temperate Europe. In Asia, it inhabits Siberia, and is very plentiful upon the shores of the Caspian Sea, and on the salt-lakes of Tartary. 92 GRALLATORES. RECURVIROSTRA. AVOCET. In Africa, it is met with in Egypt, and other parts ; and the species sent from the Cape of Good Hope appears also to be identical. PLATE 20. Represents this bird of the natural size. General Head, nape, and two-thirds of the hinder part of the neck, tion. black. The cheeks, the rest of the neck, and the whole body white, with the exception of the outer scapulars, the middle wing-coverts, and the greater quills, which are black. Bill black. Legs and toes bluish-grey. The young, previous to the first moulting, have those parts which are of deep black in the adult birds, more inclining to brown, and in them, the black on the head extends but little beyond the occiput. The dark sca- pular feathers, and intermediate wing-coverts, are also margined with reddish-grey. GENUS LIMOSA, BEISS. GODWIT. GENERIC CHARACTERS. BILL very long, rather thick at the base, compressed, more or less turned upwards, higher than broad, semi-flexible throughout its whole length ; culmen rounded from the base for two-thirds of its length, the remainder to the tip flattened ; both mandibles laterally grooved to within a short distance from the point, which is somewhat dilated, and blunt ; tip of the upper mandible projecting beyond the lower one; angle of the chin very narrow, and extending about one- third of the length of the bill. Nostrils near the base ; placed in the lateral groove, nar- row, and longitudinal. Wings acuminate, of mean length ; the first quill-feather the longest. GODWIT. GRALLATORES. LIMOSA. 93 Legs long and slender ; a great part of the tibiae naked. Front and back part of the tarsus scutellated. Feet four- toed, three before and one behind ; the outer toe united to the middle one by a membrane as far as the first joint ; the inner one nearly free. Hind toe short, articulated upon the tarsus, and touching the ground with its tip only. Inner edge of the middle claw dilated, and in some species ser- rated. The Godwits, which shew their affinity to the preceding genus by retaining the recurved bill, and which prevails to a greater or less extent in all the species, were formerly in- cluded by authors among the true Scolopaces. They differ, however, in many essential points from the Woodcocks and Snipes, which may be considered as the typical forms of the extensive group known under that designation. In these latter birds, the bill is very flexible and soft throughout its whole length, and furnished with an extraordinary plexus of nerves, giving an exquisite perception of feeling ; and the tip of the bill, soon after death, becomes rugose, by the exsiccation of the nervous fibres distributed over and near its surface. In the Godwits, this member, although it possesses much of the general form, is more solid, less flexible, and thicker towards the base ; and as the nerves are neither so numerous nor so generally disposed over the surface, it never shews any of that peculiar roughness after death, so conspicuous in the other more typical genera, but remains smooth and polished, shewing it in fact to be an intermediate form between the hard, horny, and sharp-pointed bill of the Totani, and the soft and pulpy one of the Snipes and Woodcocks. They also differ in habits and manners ; and a great dissimilarity pre- vails in the colour and disposition of the plumage, which approaches nearer to that of the Totani (Sandpipers). The birds of the present genus form a small group, are of consi- derable size, with long necks and legs, which latter are naked for a considerable space above the tarsal joint, and with feet Winter plumage and young. 94 GRALLATORES. LIMOSA. GODWIT. formed upon the same model as those of the Totani, the outer toe being joined to the intermediate one by a mem- brane. They inhabit marshes., and the banks and mouths of rivers, where the muddy deposit is deep and soft, and in which, by probing with their long and semiflexible bills, they find worms, and aquatic insects and their larva, upon which they constantly feed. When thus engaged, these birds are frequently seen with the head entirely under wa- ter ; and we accordingly find them amply provided with the peculiar gland, situated immediately above the eye, whose function appears to be that of lubricating and defending this delicate organ from the effects of saline and other waters. They are subject to a double moult, and their nuptial dress is very different from the plumage they wear during the other parts of the year. The females exceed the males much in size, and it has been remarked that they are much later than the other sex in acquiring the change of feather dis- tinctive of the breeding season. They perform the same migratory movements as the rest of the Scolopacida, and their passage takes place at the same periods. BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. LIMOSA MELANURA, Leisler. PLATE XXI. FIGS. 1. and 2. Limosa melanura, Leisl Nacht. zu. Bechst. Naturg. Deut. Heft 2. 150 and 157. fig. 21 Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 664 — Horsf. in Trans. Linn. Soc. 13. 193. Limosa ^Egocephala, Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 107. sp. 150. Fedoa melanura, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 73. but not the figure, which appears to be that of the Red or Common Godwit. Barge a Queu noir, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 264. Black-tailed Godwit, Shaw's Zool. 15. 73. — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 107- sp. 150. 'Scolopax Limosa, Linn. Syst. 1. 245. 12. — Gmel Syst. 1. 666 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 719- 18. Fedoa nostra secunda, Ran Syn. 105. A. 5 Witt. 216 — Id. (Angl.) 293. La Barge ou Barge commun, Buff. Ois. 7. 509. t. 27. Lesser Godwit, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. 444. No. 182, male. Jadreka Snipe, Lath. Syn. 5. 146 — Mont. Orn. Diet. 2. and Sup. with a plate Lewin's Br. Birds. 4. pi. 162. I GODWIT. GRALLATORES. LIMOSA. 95 Scolopax belgica, Gmel. Syst. 1. 663.— Lath. Ind. 2. 716. 9. Scolopax jEgocephala, Linn. Syst. 1. 246. 16. — Gmel. Syst. 1. 667 Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 719. 16. Limosa rufe major, Briss. 5. 284. 6. jEgocephalus Bellonii, Rail Syn. 105. A. 4 Will. 2. 215. Id. (Angl.) 294. Summer Le Grande Barge rousse, Buff. Ois. 7. 505. /plumage. Godwit, Lath. Syn. 5. 142. 14. A. Scolopax Hudsonica, Lath —Ind. 2. 720. 20. Hudsonian Godwit, Lath, Syn. Sup. 246. Red Godwit, Penn. Br. Zool. 5. No. 181.— Lath. Syn. 5. 142.— Mont. Ornith. Diet. 1., but the synonyms quoted belong to the Bar-tailed Godwit. THE numerous list of synonyms above quoted is an evi- dent proof of the uncertainty, and consequent confusion, at- tending the history of this species, arising, it would appear, from the earlier ornithologists being quite unacquainted with the peculiar change of plumage to which these, as well as many other birds, are periodically subject; for, if we ana- lyze the various specific names now before us, we shall find that most of them have been given, either when the bird had actually perfected some considerable change, as that from the winter to the spring (or nuptial) dress, or else in the in- termediate state, that is, of progress from one to the other. Of our naturalists, MONTAGU was among the first to discover and fix his attention on this important fact, of such value towards elucidating the history of species, and, by such in- vestigation, succeeded in clearing away many inaccuracies and mistakes which had crept into our native ornithology. With respect to the bird in question, he has, however, fallen into some error in the two first volumes of his Ornithological Dictionary, by confounding the synonyms of the two species; but, in his description and figure of the Jadreka Snipe, in the supplement to the same work, we at once detect Limosa me- lanura (Black-tailed Godwit) ; and in his Red-breasted Snipe, we recognise the summer plumage of the Common Godwit of many authors, the Red or Bar-tailed Godwit (Limosa rufa) of this work. This species seems to have been hitherto considered as a 96 GRALLATORES. LIMOSA. GODWIT. rare visitant, but, from the observations I have been enabled to make, it appears to be as regular in its visits as the other, though perhaps not so numerous or so generally dispersed ; and it has been proved, within these few years past, to be the present species which breeds in certain parts of our fens, and not the Common Godwit, as had been previously supposed. During winter, these birds are sparingly scattered along our oozy shores, and at the mouths of our larger rivers, as well as in the fenny districts of Lincolnshire and Norfolk ; but about the period of their annual movements, they are more numerous, and also more widely dispersed, and at this time frequently visit the coasts of Northumberland, and other northern districts *. Food. The food of the Black-tailed Godwit consists of insects and worms, obtained by probing the mud and soft sand with its long bill ; and it is then frequently seen wading tolerably deep in the water, immersing the head at intervals, and searching the deposit beneath. This habit accounts for the great development of that gland, which, as I have before observed, appears to secrete a fluid for lubricating and pro- tecting the eyes of such birds as are accustomed to have the head frequently submerged ; and it accordingly exists to the greatest extent in the Order Natatores, or true water birds — The species is widely distributed throughout Europe and Asia ; and if the Hudsonian Godwit of Latham be identical with it, is an inhabitant of North America ; but, as the de- scription of that species is very concise, I quote it with some degree of doubt, as it may possibly refer to the Marbled God- wit (Limosa Fedoa) of the American continent. — The Black- tailed Godwit, as before stated, breeds annually in some of Nest, &c. our fens, making its nest in the thick herbage, and always in the vicinity of water. It lays four eggs, of a deep oil-green colour, faintly blotched with spots of a darker shade. * Whilst writing this account (March 1831), four Godwits were brought to me for sale, three of which were of the black-tailed species, and just be- ginning to acquire the summer plumage. GODWIT. GRALLATORES. LIMOSA. 97 PLATE 21. Fig. 1. Represents a female of the natural size. Bill orange-yellow at the base ; tip black. Head, neck, General upper part of the breast, back, and scapulars ash-grey, tion.nP tinged with hair-brown ; deepest upon the latter parts. Female. Chin, the streak over the eye, the whole of the under parts of the body, and the upper tail-coverts, white. Wing-coverts pale hair-brown, deeply margined with greyish-white. Quills brownish- black, with an angular white spot at their tips ; the shafts, as well as the basal parts of the outer webs of the third, fourth, fifth, and following feathers pure white, and forming a bar across the wings. In the tail, the middle feathers are almost wholly black, the base alone being white ; and this in- creases progressively to the outer feather, which is white for upwards of half its length. But the tail, when not expanded, appears wholly black. The tips of the tail- feathers, in some specimens, are margined with greyish- white. Legs very long, with the tibiae naked for up- wards of an inch and three-quarters above the tarsal joint ; colour blackish-grey. Fig. 2. Represents the summer (or nuptial) plumage of the Male. male bird. Bill a fine orange-colour at the base, with the tip black. Crown of the head reddish-brown, streaked with black. Forehead, eye-streak, and chin, reddish-white. Cheeks, neck, and breast pale reddish-brown ; the latter trans- versely barred with brownish-black. Belly, abdomen, thighs, and under tail-coverts, white, barred at distant intervals with pale reddish-brown and blackish-brown. Back and scapulars black, having each feather margined and barred with reddish-brown. Smaller wing coverts, near the bend of the wing, of a deep hair-brown ; the greater coverts deeply margined with white. Tail black, with the bases of the feathers white. Legs black- ish-grey. VOL. II. G 98 GRALLATORES. LIMOSA. GODWIT. Young. The young birds, previous to the first moulting, have the crown of the head blackish-brown ; each feather being margined with pale reddish-brown. The neck and breast are of an ash-grey colour, tinged with reddish- brown. The eye streak, chin, the bases of the caudal and quill feathers, the belly, abdomen, upper and under tail coverts are white. The back and scapulars brown- ish-black, each feather being margined with reddish- brown. Wing coverts ash-grey, margined and termi- nated by reddish-white. RED GODWIT. LIMOSA RUFA, Briss. PLATE XXII. Fig. 1. 2. Limosa rufa, Briss. Orn. 5. 281. No. 5. t. 25. f. 1 — Leister, Nacht. zu. Bechst. Naturg. Deut. Heft 2. 162 Flem. Br. Anim. 1.107. sp. 151. Fedoa rufa, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 77. but the figure that of the Black. tailed Godwit. La Barge rousse, Buff. Ois. 7. 504 — Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 668. La Barge aboyeuse, ou d Queue raye', Cuv. Reg. Anim. 1. 488. Scolopax Lapponica, Linn. Syst. 1. 246. 15 — GmeL Syst. 1. 667 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2-718. sp. 15. Red Godwit, Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 80 — Shaw's Zool. 12. 77. but not the figure — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 107. sp. 151. Female as- f Fedoa Meyeri, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 75. sumingsum- •< Barge Meyer, Temm. Man. 1 ed. 434. mer plumage. (Meyer's God wit, Shaw's Zool. 12. 75. f Fedoa pectoralis, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 79. Male. Sum- J Red-breasted Godwit, ib. mer plumage, "j Red-breasted Snipe, Mont. Ornith. Diet. Sup. with a figure, but not ^ the synonyms — Id. in Trans, of Linn. Soc. 9. 198. ! Scolopax leucophaea, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 719. 17. , Limosa grisea major, Briss. Orn. 5. 272. t. 24. Common Godwit, Br. Zool. 2. 179 — Arct. ZooL 2. 373 — Lath. Syn. 5 144. 15 — Id. Sup. 245.— Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 78 — Mont. Ornith. Diet. 1. but with many of the synonyms of Limosa melanura. Grey Godwit, Lewin's Br. Birds, 4. pi. 161. PROVINCIAL. — Yarwhelp, Yarwhip, Poor Willie, Godwyn. THIS species, in its general appearance, greatly resembles the preceding, with which indeed, in some of its changes, it has frequently been confounded. It may, however, be al- GODWIT. GRALLATORES. LIMOSA. 99 ways recognised, under every state of plumage, by the com- parative shortness of its legs, in being without the white up- on the basal parts of the quills, and in having the tail feathers invariably and distinctly barred. Its manners are also very similar, and it inhabits the same localities ; but as its polar Periodical migration seems to extend to much higher latitudes than that of Limosa melanura, it is found during winter more dispersed upon our northern coasts than that species, whose appearance seldom occurs but at the periods of migratory flight. This bird, in its summer plumage, is described by MONTAGU under the title of the Red-breasted Snipe, and he has quoted the names Scolopax Novoboracensis, and S. Hud- sonica, as synonymous ; but the first belongs to a very diffe- rent bird, viz. Macroramphus griseus of LEACH (the Brown Snipe of authors), and it appears that S. Hudsonica, as I have before mentioned, may be referred either to Limosa melanura or L. Fedoa. Still greater perplexity and confu- sion has been thrown upon the group by Mr STEPHENS, in his continuation of SHAW'S Zoology, in which two supposed new species are recorded, viz. Fedoa Meyeri (Meyer's God- wit, described indeed as such by TEMMINCK in his first edi- tion of the Manual, but afterwards, in his second edition of the same work, plainly acknowledged to be Limosa ntfa in a peculiar state of plumage), and Fedoa pectoralis, an imagi- nary species, founded upon MONTAGU'S description of his Red-breasted Snipe, and which he was only led to consider as distinct, from the supposition that the Red Godwit of authors was only referable to Limosa melanura (the Jadreka Snipe of MONTAGU), not being aware at the time that a similar change of plumage took place in the Common Godwit. These birds are usually found in small societies, frequent- ing the mud banks of river-mouths, or inlets of the sea, abounding in oozy shore, where they readily meet with the usual food, viz. worms, aquatic insects, and the smaller uni- Food, valve and bivalve mollusca. They often mingle with other members of the Scolopacidae. as the Redshanks (Totanus cali- 100 GRALLATORES. LIMOSA. GODWIT. dris), Knots (Tringa canutus), &c. Their flight is power- ful, though not very rapid ; and when disturbed and raised on the wing, they generally send forth a cry, not unlike the bleat of the goat. Their flesh is juicy, and of excellent flavour, and on this account they are in great request for the table. In April, the males have acquired the nuptial plumage, after which period they entirely desert our shores, retiring to more northern countries, such as Iceland, Lapland, Sweden, Sec. to breed. PLATE 22. Fig. 1. Represents the male bird in the sum- mer plumage, and of the natural size. descrip- Crown of the head, nape and back part of the neck, pale ^|*e reddish orange-brown, streaked with blackish-brown ; Summer chin and eye-streak reddish-white. Fore part of the neck, breast, and all the under parts pale reddish- brown ; the feathers of the belly and abdomen finely margined with white ; the flanks and under tail-coverts being streaked with dark hair-brown. Upper part of the back and scapulars blackish-brown, with oval spots and margins of pale orange. Lower part of the back and upper tail -coverts white, with the central parts of the feathers dark hair-brown ; some few of the latter being margined with orange-brown. Wing coverts ash- grey, with darker centres, and edged with white. The quills have their outer webs black, the inner ones hair- brown, mottled with white on the outer edge, with white shafts. The tail marked with alternate bars of hair- brown and reddish-white. Bill flesh-red at the base ; with the fore-part blackish-brown, and frequently reach- ing to seven inches in length. Legs having the tibiae much shorter than those of Limosa melanura ; and of a blackish-grey colour. Male. Fig. 2. Represents the winter plumage of the same species ; Plumage. *n wnicn state tne crown of the head, the space between the bill and eyes, the neck and breast are greyish- white, GODWIT. GRALLATORES. LIMOSA. 101 streaked with pale hair -brown. Throat pure white. The belly and abdomen white, with a tinge of yellow- ish-grey. The flanks, and some of the under tail-coverts streaked with hair-brown. Upper part of the back and scapulars a fine pearl-grey, margined paler; with the shafts and part immediately contiguous greyish-black. Wing coverts white, with centres of hair-brown. The quills are as described in the summer plumage. The tail is barred with hair-brown and greyish-white. The young, previous to the first change, have the crown Young, of the head streaked with dark hair-brown; the eye- streak and cheeks white, with small pale streaks of wood-brown. The throat white. The neck and breast grey, tinged with wood- brown, and faintly streaked with a darker shade of brown ; under parts white, tinged with yellowish-grey. Upper part of the back and the scapulars hair-brown, deeply margined and spotted with pale sienna or ochreous yellow. Lower part of the back, and upper tail-coverts white, with a few spots of pale hair-brown. Tail barred with hair-brown and white. Legs grey. Bill, in many specimens, not exceeding two inches and a-half in length ; brown, with a flesh-coloured base. GENUS MACRORAMPHUS, LEACH. LONGBEAK. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill very long, nearly straight, rather tumid and wrinkled at the base ; the tip much dilated, and rugose after death ; both mandibles furrowed to within a short space of the point. Nostrils lateral, placed near the base, linear and pervious. Wings long ; the first quill scarcely exceeding the second, and the longest in the wing. Legs long, slender ; with the lower parts of the tibiae naked. Feet four- toed ; three- before and one behind. The outer toe connected with the inter- 102 GRALLATORES. MACRORAMPHUS. LONGBEAK. mediate one by a membrane as far as the first joint ; the inner one not so far ; hind toe articulated upon the tarsus, and resting on its tip only. Plumage close and adpressed. This genus, first established by Dr LEACH, upon the cha- racters presented by the Scolopax grisea of authors (Brown Snipe of PENNANT'S Arctic Zoology, Red-breasted Snipe of WILSON'S North American Ornithology), and which, as yet, remains the only known species, appears to form a link connect- ing more intimately the Godwits with the Snipes and Wood- cocks. In it we find the bill approaching closely in form to that of the latter, and furnished with a nervous apparatus of nearly equal extent, as shewn by the rugosity apparent after death ; the tip, however, is proportionally more dilated, and the base thicker, as in the Godwits. Its feet differ from those of the Scolopaces by the toes being shorter, and by the outer toe being joined to the middle one by a membrane, or web, extending as far as the first joint, as in the genera Limosa and Totanus. Its habits and manners, as described by those writers who have had an opportunity of studying them, are also essentially different from those of the true Snipes ; and its plumage, as far as regards colour and periodical change, is equally at variance, but in both respects closely assimilated to that of the Godwits. With such peculiarities of habits and form, I concur with Mr STEPHENS in the propriety of retaining Dr LEACH'S designation, and separating this bird from the genus Scolopax^ as now restricted, this being in perfect accordance with its affinities, and the intermediate station it holds with respect to the Godwits and Snipes. Nor do I think it less entitled to a generic distinction than many of the genera established by Mons. TEMMINCK himself, who, in the second edition of his valuable " Manuel d'Ornitholo- gie," has, in strong terms, condemned Dr LEACH for sepa- rating it from Scolopax, although, at the same time, he has thought it necessary to institute a third sectional division in that genus for the express reception of this bird, as if such LONGBEAK. GBALLATORES. MACRORAMPHUS. 103 frequent and arbitrary divisions were less likely to burthen the memory than the imposition of a generic title. The only species of the genus hitherto met with is a na- tive of the northern part of the continent of America ; and the two specimens killed in Europe can only be regarded as visitants accidentally driven thither. BROWN LONGBEAK. MACRORAMPHUS GRISEUS, Leach. PLATE XXIV. FIG. 2. Macroramphus griseus, Leach, Cat. Brit. Mus. p. 31. — Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 61. pi. 9. Becassine ponctue'e, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 679. Red-breasted Snipe, Wils. Amer. Ornith. 7- 49. pi. 58. f. 1. Brown Longbeak, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 61, pi. 9. Scolopax novoboracensis, Gmel. Syst. 1. 658 — Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 723-1 sp. 32. f Summer Totanus novoboracensis, Saline, Frank. Journ. Appen. 687. f plumage. Red-breasted Snipe, Penn. Arct. Zool. 2. p. 368. — Lath. Syn. 5. 153. 26. ) Scolopax grisea, Gmel. Syst. 1. 658 — Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 724. sp. 33. } Winter Brown Snipe, Penn. Arct. Zool. 2. 369 — Lath. Syn. 5. 154. 28 — Mont. f Dlumaae. Ornith. Diet. 2. and plate in Supp. — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 106. 1. Strag- f * gler. J THE bird now before us belongs to North America, and Very rare . visitant. has been hitherto only twice met with in Europe, one speci- men having been killed in Sweden, and the other in Eng- land, upon the coast of Devonshire. This latter fortunately came into the hands of the zealous MONTAGU, and was thus introduced into the list of British birds, as an occasional, though very rare visitant. A full description of this species is given by WILSON, in his North American Ornithology, bearing all the marks of that graphic and characteristic style, by which his writings are rendered so generally interesting. From that account, its habits and manners appear to differ greatly from those of the true Snipes and Woodcocks, ap- proaching much nearer to those of the Godwits and Tringas ; 104 GRALLATORES. MACRORAMPHUS. LONGBEAK. and he adverts in particular terms to the distinctive charac- ters it possesses. It inhabits the sea coasts that abound in marine marshes, or display an extent of soft muddy shore, and is never found in the interior of the country. Upon the coasts of New Jersey, where WILSON made his observations, it arrives early in April, on its return from its equatorial or winter migration, when it has nearly acquired the nuptial plumage ; and again in the beginning of August, on its way southward, after having passed the summer in higher lati- tudes, where it breeds. It flies, he observes, in very large flocks, and performs many evolutions over the marshes, sometimes wheeling, coursing, and doubling along their sur- face ; then shooting high in the air, then separating in va- rious bodies, uttering at the same time a kind of quivering whistle. Such evolutions I have myself also frequently seen performed by the Knots and other species of the Tringas, when associated in large flocks. Some idea of the numbers of these birds may be formed, when the above-mentioned writer tells us, that they occasionally settle so close together, that eighty-five have been killed by a single discharge from a musket, and as their flesh is excellent, and highly esteemed at the table, they are of course eagerly sought after, during their stay in the country, and mown down in incredible numbers by the American sportsmen. At low water they frequent the sand-bars and mud flats, and, from the contents found by WILSON in the stomach of those he dissected, seem to feed principally upon small univalve mollusca. They seldom associate with other species, but keep in flocks by themselves. The nidification, and colour, &c. of the eggs remain undescribed. General PLATE 24. Fig. 2. represents this bird, under the title of ,tion. the Brown Snipe, in the summer plumage, and of the natural size. Summer Crown of the head blackish-brown, having the feathers margined with pale reddish-brown. Between the bill LONGBEAK. GRALLATORES. MACRORAMPHUS. 105 and eyes is a dark streak. The eye-streak and chin white, tinged with reddish-brown. Nape and back part of the neck blackish-brown, margined with yellow- ish-brown. Upper part of the back and scapulars black, beautifully margined, and varied with pale reddish- brown and white. The tertials black, with oblique nar- row transverse bars of pale brownish-red. Lower part of the back, rump, and tail white, barred transversely with black. Fore part of the neck, breast, flanks, and thighs pale orange-brown, spotted with black. Belly and abdomen reddish-white. Vent and under tail-coverts white, tinged with reddish-brown, and bar- red with black. Legs and toes greenish-grey. Bill having the point black, and the base wrinkled, and of a deep greenish-grey colour. In the winter the plumage of this bird is nearly as fol- Winter lows : — The eye-streak, cheeks, and chin white. Between PlumaSe- the bill and eye is a dusky streak. Crown of the head, neck, and upper part of the breast, deep-grey, tinged with brown. Upper part of the back and scapulars clove-brown, the feathers being margined with ash- grey and reddish-brown. Wing-coverts hair-brown, with paler margins. The greater coverts, as well as the secondary quills, margined and tipped with white. Lower part of the breast and belly white. Under tail- coverts and vent white, barred with deep hair-brown. Rump and tail as in the summer plumage. Quills deep hair-brown, the shaft of the first quill being white. GENUS SCOLOPAX, LINN. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill long, slender, straight ; the tip obtuse, rounded, and ending with an internal knob ; both mandibles, in dead birds, rugose behind the tip ; under mandible shorter than 106 GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. the upper one, which is sulcated for nearly the whole of its length. Nostrils basal, lateral, placed in the commencement of the furrow, linear and longitudinal, covered with a membrane. Wings having the first and second quills of nearly equal length, and the longest in the wing. Legs slender. The tibia? entirely plumed, or else naked for a short way only above the tarsal joint. Feet four-toed ; three before and one behind ; the former cleft to their origin, the latter short, and resting on the ground only with its tip. By VIELLOT, and some other recent authors, the Wood- cocks have been separated from the snipes, and a genus esta- blished for them under the title of Ruslicola. The charac- ter upon which this separation is founded rests, however, en- tirely upon the tibia of one group being feathered down to the tarsal joint, while in the other it is naked for a short space above it. It must not be omitted that, in addition to this peculiarity, the two groups differ also in their habits ; the Woodcocks being (at least through the day-time), inhabi- tants of the forests and thickest underwood, whilst the Snipes, on the contrary, resort to exposed marshy districts and moist meadow land. The distinctive character, however, being of so slight a nature, I have determined (although an advocate for generic division, wherever the difference of form is such as to indicate a material difference of economy), to retain them under the same generic title ; at least till some other better marked character be recognised, upon which to found the division. The mode of feeding, and quality of their food, are nearly the same in both groups, consisting of earth-worms and insects ; and, although the Woodcocks pass the day in rest, and the retirement of close thickets, they invariably, during night, repair to open glades and meadows to seek their subsistence. Both groups are subject to a double moult, but the change in spring is not different from the usual plumage in the disposition of the colour and WOODCOCK. GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. 107 markings, though more intense and brilliant in tint. They are solitary birds, and generally live isolated, except during the season of reproduction, or at the periods of migration. They are distinguished from the rest of the Scolopacidce by the square form of the head, and by the eyes being seated so far backward, a provision which gives them a very free com- pass of sight, and allows them to plunge the bill deeper in the soft ground in search of their prey. WOODCOCK. SCOLOPAX RVSTICOLA, Linn. PLATE XXIII. FIG. 1. Scolopax rusticola, Linn. Syst. 1. 243. 6 Gmel Syst. 1. 660. — Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 713. 1 — Shaw's Zool. 12. 44. pi. 7 Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 105. sp. 145. Scolopax, JBriss. 5. 292. 1 — Ran Syn. 104. A. I.— Will. 213. 53. La Becasse, Buff. Ois. 7- 462. 25. Becasse ordinaire, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 673. Wald-schneppe, Becks t. Naturg. Deut. 4. 158 — Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 361. Woodcock, Br. Zool. 2. No. 178. t. 65.— Arct. Zcol. 2. 470. A — Will (Angl.) 289. t. 53.—Albin. Br. Birds, 1. t. 70.— Lath. Syn. 5. 129. 1.— Mont. Ornth. Diet. 2 — Id. Sup — Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. t. p. 60— Shaw's Zool. 12. 44. pi. 7. THIS well-known bird, so favourite an object of pursuit with the sportsman, and so highly esteemed by the epicure, can only be considered as a regular winter visitant ; for al- Periodical though instances are not wanting of Woodcocks remaining vlsltant* through the summer, and even breeding in extensive woods in different parts of the kingdom*, they are still too few, I think, to warrant its admission as an indigenous species. I have, however, heard it asserted of late, that such instances are increasing, and that there are districts in which these birds may be found at all seasons in the year ; among others? * See BEWICK'S British Birds, Art. Woodcock; and MONTAGU'S Orni- thological Dictionary and Supplement, where well-authenticated instances are given. 108 GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. WOODCOCK. the extensive woody tracts in the neighbourhood of Dunkeld and Blair-Athol, planted by the late Duke, have been men- tioned ; a situation, indeed, to all appearance particularly fa- vourable to their habits, exhibiting a great variety of surface covered with wood, and at the same time affording such a profusion of springs, open glades, and moist ground, as to insure to them a constant and abundant supply of food. In Northumberland, the Woodcock has been known to breed in the woods about Netherwitton, and I have now in my collec- tion eggs taken from a nest in Pigdon Wood, not far from Morpeth. In this instance the female appeared not to have had a mate, as the eg^s were found to be all addled after 7 C*O she had sat upon them with great assiduity for nearly a month, towards the conclusion of which time she had become so weak as to be scarcely able to rise from the ground. — The first autumnal flight of the Woodcock, on its retreat from the northern countries of Europe, where it breeds and passes the summer, generally takes place towards the end of Sep- tember or beginning of October ; but as this consists of birds whose flight is directed to more southern latitudes than our islands, a few stragglers only remain; or the flight, after resting for a day, proceeds on its course to Portugal, and so onwards to the farthest limit of its equatorial movement. The direction taken by such a great and successive column of these birds, under migration from the north to the southern parts of Europe and Northern Africa, being in a great mea- sure intersected by the south-western coasts of England and Ireland, accounts for the abundance of them in Devonshire, Cornwall, and the countries thus situated, and the still greater numbers found in the southern and western districts of Ireland, compared with the other parts of the kingdom. It is thus also that Woodcocks are generally first observed in these positions, and sometimes long before they are seen in the north of England or Scotland. The succeeding flights, which continue at intervals during October and the two following months, becoming each more limited in extent^ WOODCOCK. GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. 109 the whole country gradually receives its accession of winter visitants, those that take up their haunt in the northern counties of England and Scotland seldom arriving before the middle of November or the beginning of December ; the earlier flights, when they do alight in the country, merely remaining for a day, and then passing on to the southward. From this latter circumstance, the search for Woodcocks in Northumberland, in the beginning of the season, is very un- certain, and, to insure success, attention must be paid to the state of the weather and the direction of the wind. I have found that they always come over in the greatest bodies in hazy weather with little wind, and that blowing from the north-east ; and it is probable that they then find the upper region of the atmosphere (in which they fly) freer from coun- ter currents of air, than in more open weather. After a night of this description I have frequently met with great numbers upon the edges of plantations, in hedges, and even in turnip fields, and enjoyed excellent sport for the day; but on seeking, on the following morning, for a renewal of the like success, I have not found a single bird, the whole flight having proceeded on their course during the interven- ing night. It is during this time that Woodcocks, like most migratory birds, perform their journeys ; and it seems probable that those which halt upon the eastern coast of Scotland, and the northern counties of England, have com- pleted their task from shore to shore, between sunset and sunrise, as they appear but little fatigued on their arrival, provided the weather has been calm. The distance of the coasts of Norway and Sweden, from whence these visitors are supposed to come, offers no objection to this supposition, as a continued flight of eight or ten hours, even at a rate infe- rior to what I conceive they are capable of accomplishing, would suffice for the transit. Another argument in favour of this supposition, is the high state of condition in which the birds generally arrive on our shores, especially at an ad- vanced period of the season, by no means indicating the 110 GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. WOODCOCK. wasting effects of very long-continued exertions. From the facts I am about to mention, it appears that they fly at a considerable altitude (as indeed do most birds when per- forming their migratory movements), to avoid, it is pre- sumed, the currents of air so frequent near the surface of the earth. A respectable person who lived upon the coast, and who, being a keen pursuer of wildfowl, was in the habit of frequenting the sea-shore at an early hour in the morning, assured me that he had more than once noticed the arrival of a flight of Woodcocks coming from the north-east just at day-dawn. His notice was first attracted by a peculiar sound in the air over his head, that, upon attending to, he found proceeded from birds descending in a direction almost perpendicular ; and which, upon approaching the shore, se- parated, and flew towards the interior. Some of them he observed to alight in the hedges immediately adjoining the coast ; these he pursued and shot, and which proved, as he surmised by the view he had of them as they flew past him, to be Woodcocks. The haunts selected by these birds, for their residence during the day-time, are usually the closest brakes of birch and other brushy underwood, and where the ground, from the deep shade, is nearly free from herbage ; and, for this reason, thick fir plantations of ten or twelve years'* growth are a favourite resort. In woods that are very exten- sive they are generally found, and abound most in thickets by the sides of open glades, or where roads intersect, as by these they pass to and from their feeding ground at evening and in the dawn of the morning. Unless disturbed, they remain quietly at roost upon the ground during the whole day, but as soon as the sun is wholly below the horizon, they are in full activity, and taking flight nearly at the same instant, leave the woods and cover for the adjoining meadows, or open land, over which they disperse themselves, and are fully engaged in search of food during the whole night. Advan- tage has long been taken of this regular mode of going to and returning from the feeding grounds, by the fowler, in WOODCOCK. GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. Ill i those districts where Woodcocks are abundant, by suspend- ing nets across the glades, or by the sides of hedges where they are observed to pass continually ; and, though the adoption of the fowling-piece has in general superseded the modes of capture formerly practised, great numbers are still taken in this manner in Devonshire and Cornwall. Another method of entrapping Woodcocks (as well as Snipes) is by the springe, which is set in places where those perforations made by the bill of the Woodcock in search of food, and tech- nically called Borings, are observed to be most frequent. It is formed of an elastic stick, of which one end is thrust into the ground, the other having affixed to it a noose made of horse- hair ; the stick being then bent down, this noose is passed through a hole in a peg fastened to the ground, and is kept properly expanded by means of a fine trigger, so set as to be displaced by the slight pressure of the bird^s foot. To conduct them to this trap, a low fence of twigs, or of stones placed so closely together as to leave no passage through the interstices, is extended to some distance on each side of the springe, and generally in an oblique direction; over which obstacle, however trifling, it seems the birds never attempt to hop or fly, but keep moving along it, till they ap- proach the part occupied by the noose of the springe : upon attempting to pass through this apparently open space, they displace the trigger, and are almost invariably caught by the noose, and retained by the spring of the stick against the opposing peg. — Day being the Woodcock's time for repose, it sits very close, and is not easily flushed ; the sportsman then^requiring the aid of the busy spaniel, or the bush, in which it is ensconced, to be actually beaten by an attend- ant, before it will take wing. It rises, however, with much Flight, quickness, and threads its way through the branches with great rapidity, until the underwood and trees are fairly cleared, when its flight becomes measured, and offers an easy aim to the sportsman. When roused, it seldom flies to any great distance, but alights in the first thicket that attracts 112 GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. WOODCOCK. its attention, closing its wings, and dropping suddenly down, and in such cases it is not unusual for it to run a little way before it squats. Just before rising, upon being disturbed, or when running, it jerks its tail upwards, partly expanding it, and fully shewing the white that distinguishes the under Food. surface of the tips of the tail feathers. — In feeding, the Wood- cock inserts its bill deep into the earth in search of worms, which are its favourite and principal food. This instrument is most admirably calculated for the offices it has to perform when thus immersed in the soil ; for, in addition to its great length, it possesses a nervous apparatus distributed over a great portion of its surface, and especially on such parts as are likely to come first into contact with its prey, giving it the sense of touch in the highest perfection ; and to enable it to secure the object thus detected by the discriminating sensibility of the bill, it is further provided with peculiar muscles (common, I believe, to all the members of the genus), which, by compression of the upper or basal part of the bill, are brought into action, so as to expand the tips of both mandibles sufficiently wide, to lay hold of and draw forth the hidden treasure. The digestion of this bird is rapid, and the quantity of worms it can devour in the course of a night is astonishing. I have known one, that consumed at a meal (that is, within the night), more large earth-worms than half filled a garden-pot of considerable size. It may, how- ever, by management, be brought to eat other food ; as MON- TAGU mentions one that was induced to feed on bread and milk, by worms cleanly washed being put into a mess of that kind ; and, by this practice being persisted in, the bird soon acquired a relish for this new sort of aliment, and, with the addition of a few worms, throve well upon it. The flesh of the Woodcock, when in condition, is highly and deservedly esteemed, being juicy meat, and of delicate flavour ; indeed so excellent has it been considered by the epicure, that no portion was suffered to be lost, and we therefore always see it customarily dressed with the entrails undrawn, and serving WOODCOCK. GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. 113 as a savoury addition to the rest of the flesh ; in the same manner also Snipes are universally treated. Towards the latter part of February, when the vernal change of plumage commences, the flesh of these birds loses its fine flavour, and becomes strong, the skin also turns dry and scurfy, and they are rarely fit to be presented at the table ; soon after which time they begin to pair ; and, going off in succession, by the middle of April the whole have re-migrated to higher northern latitudes, where they breed and pass the summer months. During the period of their returning flights, should the wind, then blowing from the south and south-west, sud- denly veer round to the north-east, we frequently have an accumulation of Woodcocks on the eastern coast ; but (as I have before observed) they are now out of condition, and therefore never pursued by the sportsman with the same eagerness as in the early part of the season. — The nest of j^e t & this bird is generally in thickets, and placed near the root of a bush or tree, and is formed merely by a slight hole, lined with a few dead leaves and stems of grass ; and the eggs (which, as far as I can ascertain, are always four in number), are of yellowish- white, blotched with a pale chestnut-brown colour. In Sweden, and other parts of the continent where it breeds in abundance, the eggs are now considered a deli- cacy for the table, as those of the Green Lapwing have long been in England ; and to this destruction of the breed has been attributed the decrease of Woodcocks so generally com- plained of by our sportsmen for some years past. Its geo- graphical distribution embraces a great part of the ancient continent, as there are few countries within the temperate and frigid zones in which it is not known either as a winter or summer visitant. It has not hitherto been met with in America, but is there represented by a nearly allied species, the Scolopax minor of authors. Being a nocturnal feeder, the eyes of the Woodcock are large and prominent, in order to collect the scattered and indistinct rays of twilight ; their situation also is peculiar, being placed far back in the head, VOL. II. H 114 GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. WOODCOCK. and nearly on a level with the crown, which gives its head, and those of the Snipes, a square compressed form, not seen to that degree in any other members of the ScolopatidtE. The above-mentioned peculiarity, however, enables these birds to probe the ground to a greater depth without incon- venience, and at the same time considerably extends the sphere of vision. The female (contrary to the account given in SHAWLS Zoology), generally exceeds the male bird in size ; she also has less^of the white and greyish- white upon the back and scapulars, and the under parts are of a redder tinge. The outer web of the first quill-feather is also barred for the whole of its length, which, in the male, is often entirely white, or with a few faint bars near to the tip only. PLATE 23. Fig. 1. Represents the Woodcock of the natural size. General Bill flesh-red, tinged with bluish-grey, increasing in inten- tion!"1 sity of colour towards the point ; in the living bird smooth, but becoming wrinkled or rough near the tip, by the desiccation of the nervous fibres, soon after death. Forehead and crown grey. From the corners of the bill to the eyes is a streak of deep brown. Hind part of the head, and nape of the neck, having four broad brownish -black bars, the intermediate spaces be- ing reddish-white. Chin white. On each side of the front of the neck is a patch of brown, more or less dis- tinct in different individuals. Upper parts of the plu- mage a mixture of chestnut-brown, pale ochreous yel- low and grey, with large spots and zigzag transverse lines and bars of black ; the black most intense upon the back and scapulars. Rump and tail-coverts pale chestnut-brown ; some of the latter with pale reddish- white tips and narrow transverse bars of black. Tail black, more or less varied with chestnut-brown ; the tips of the feathers grey above, and pure white below. SNIPE. GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. 115 Quills dusky ; the outer webs having triangular bars of chestnut-brown. First quill-feather in the males im- perfectly barred near the tip, or immaculate ; in the fe- males generally barred throughout the whole length. Under parts greyish-white, tinged more or less with yel- lowish-brown, and transversely barred with hair-brown. Vent and under tail-coverts yellowish-white, with trian- gular centres of black. Legs livid or flesh-red, tinged with grey. Lower part of the tibia feathered. GREAT SNIPE. SCOLOPAX MAJOR, Gmel. PLATE XXIII. FIG. 2. Scolopax major, Gmel. Syst. 1. 661. — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 714. 4.— Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 105. sp. 146. Gallinago major, Steph. Shaw's ZooL 12. 51. pi. 8. Grande ou Double Becassine, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 675. Great Snipe, Br. ZooL 2. No. 188 — Arct. Zool. 2. 470. B — Lath. Syn. 5. 1 33. 4 — Mont. Ornith. Diet. 2. and Sup — Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 67 Shaw's Zool. 12. 51. pi. 8. PROVINCIAL — Solitary Snipe. THE Great, or, as it is frequently called, the Solitary Snipe, Occasion- is known to us as an occasional visitant, from a few stragglers tant. being now and then driven upon our coasts during their pe- riodical migrations, the immediate direction of their latitu- dinal flight being much to the east of the longitude of the British Islands. Such instances, as far as I have been able to ascertain (and all those which have fallen under my own observation), have occurred during the autumnal or equato- rial movements of these birds, when, quitting the colder re- gions of the northern parts of Europe, where they breed and pass the summer months, they seek more genial climates, and in which, from the mildness of the winter and absence of severe frost, they are certain of obtaining a constant sup- ply of food. MONTAGU mentions birds of this species hav- 116 GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. SNIPE. ing been killed in the counties of Kent, Wiltshire, and Lan- cashire. In Northumberland several instances have come under my own knowledge within the last eight or ten years, .and the specimen from which the figure in Plate XXIII. is taken, was killed in October 1822 on some boggy ground within a short distance of Twizell. In the year 1826, being a very dry and warm season, they seem to have visited us in more than usual numbers, as several individuals were killed in different marshes ; and I am informed that not less than five or six were shot on one morass not far from Sedge- field, in the county of Durham. In general appearance the Great Snipe bears a strong resemblance to the common spe- cies (Scolopax Gallinago), and in all probability this resem- blance has frequently caused the former to have been con- founded with the latter, or at any rate to have been consi- dered merely as a large variety of it. Its bulk is always much greater, and its Weight averages about eight ounces and a half. The bill being smaller and shorter in propor- tion to its size, the tarsi thicker and not so long, and the belly and abdomen always barred with brown and white, afford never-failing indications of the species. When flushed, the Great Snipe generally utters a cry in some degree simi- lar to that of the common species, but shorter and hoarser ; its flight is not so rapid, nor does it perform the same twist- ing evolutions when first forced upon wing, but moves in a direct manner, not unlike the Woodcock. Like the rest of Food, the genus, it feeds upon worms and insects, obtained by bor- ing the marshy ground and mud with its bill, which shows in its post-mortem examination the same roughness near the tip that distinguishes all the true Snipes and Woodcocks, and which, as I have before observed, is caused by the dry- ing and consequent contraction of the nervous papillae dis- tributed over its surface. This species is spread over a great part of Continental Europe, particularly towards the east and over the north of Asia. In most countries it is migra- tory, retiring during summer to the vast marshes of the north. TEMMTNCK mentions having received a specimen SNIPE. GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. 117 from North America ; but I have never obtained it from that country, nor does WILSON, or any other American or- nithologist, include it in the list of birds belonging to that quarter of the globe. The Snipe common to that country, long supposed to be Scolopax Gattinago, is now ascertained to be a distinct species. The Great Snipe breeds in marshes, selecting a tolerably dry spot near to some standing water, and the materials of the nest, which are scanty, are collected from the decayed Nest, &c. grasses and water-plants immediately around. The four eggs which it lays are very similar to those of the Common Snipe, being (according to the authors who have described them) of a yellowish- white, or very pale oil-green, blotched with dark brown. As a delicacy, its flesh is in high estima- tion, being equal, if not superior, to that of the common species. PLATE 28. Fig. 2. Represents this bird of the natural size, from a very perfect specimen killed near Twizell in Oc- tober 1822, and which weighed nearly nine ounces. Bill of a pale brown colour, inclining to flesh-red at the General base, 'with the tip blackish -brown. Between the bill and eyes is a narrow streak of rich chestnut-brown. Crown of the head blackish-brown, with a few specks of reddish-brown, with a central streak of cream-colour- ed white. Eye streak, cheeks, and throat, cream-yel- low, finely speckled with brown. Hind part of the neck pale ochreous yellow, spotted with brown. Fore part of the neck yellowish-white, with large angular brown spots. Back brownish-black, varied with pale chestnut-brown ; the outer webs of the feathers having a broad yellowish-white margin. Shoulders and sca- pulars yellowish-brown, and on each feather a large black bar near the tip, and the outer webs with white edges. Tertials barred with black, and margined with a double line of black and yellowish- white. Lesser wing-coverts marbled with black and yellowish-brown, 118 GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. SNIPE. and tipped with white. Greater coverts black, tipped with white. Quills dusky, or deep hair-brown. Breast, sides, and flanks white, with triangular transverse bars of deep hair-brown. Belly the same, with smaller hair- brown undulations or bars. Thighs barred, hair-brown and white. Tail consisting of sixteen feathers ; the two centre ones black for two-thirds of their length ; the re- maining part of a bright chestnut-brown colour, with a narrow black bar near the tip, which is itself reddish- white ; and the outer feathers white, barred with hair- brown. Upper tail- coverts yellowish-brown, barred with black. Legs yellowish-grey, tinged with brown. SABINE'S SNIPE. SCOLOPAX SABINI, Vigors. PLATE XXIV. FIG. 1. Scolopax Sabini, Vigors in Trans, of Linnean Society, vol. xiv. 556.— Jar- dine and Selby's Illus. of Ornith. vol. i. pi. 27 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 105. sp. 147. Sabine's Snipe, Vigors, &c. as above. THIS recent addition to the list of British birds, was first recognised by Mr VIGORS, and described by him under its present title in the fourteenth volume of the Transactions of the Linnean Society, from an individual killed in Queen's County, Ireland, in August 18£2, and which, fortunately for science, was sent to him on the same day that it was shot, as presenting a remarkable deviation from the usual plumage of the common species. This specimen now enriches the col- lection of the Zoological Society in London, having been presented to it by Mr VIGORS, together with a numerous and very valuable assortment of other birds. A second in- stance afterwards occurred, in that of a female (agreeing in every respect as to plumage and general proportion with the bird first described) which was shot on the banks of the SNIPE. GRALLATORES.. SCOLOPAX. 119 Medway, near Rochester, in October 1824, and is now pre- served in the excellent collection of Mr DUNNING of Maid- stone. Since that time, no instance of the capture of this species has come to my knowledge, although I have used all diligence on the subject, not only in England and Scotland, but also in Ireland, where it was first discovered, and where the nature of the soil, and the abundance of marshy tracts, are peculiarly favourable to birds of this genus. The above indicates that, as a species, it is very sparingly distributed throughout the kingdom ; and, from the circumstance of no skin or specimen having been hitherto obtained from any other part of the globe, it would appear to be equally rare in such countries as have been examined with attention, as far as regards their ornithological productions. I do not, however, make these remarks, as questioning in any degree its claim to be considered a distinct species (of which I en- tertain no doubt, both from the accurate description of Mr VIGORS, and from personal inspection of the original speci- mens), but merely as noticing its present apparent rarity. It is not at all improbable, but that it may be discovered in abundance in some hitherto unexamined part of the world, or where ornithology has been little attended to ; and I need scarcely add, what is well known to most practical natural- ists, viz. that species, in every department of nature, are fre- quently very restricted and local in their distribution. In giving the distinctive characters of this species, I can- not do better than quote Mr VIGORS'S own words : — " It is at once distinguished from every other European species of Scolopax, by the total absence of white from its plumage, or any of those lighter tints of ferruginous-yellow, which extends more or less in stripes along the head and back of them all. In this respect it exhibits a strong resemblance to Scolopax saturata of Dr HORSFIELD, from which, however, it suffi- ciently differs in its general proportions ; and I find no de- scription of any other extra-European species of true Scolo- pax which at all approaches it in this character of its plu- mage. In the number of its tail-feathers, again, which 120 GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. SNIPE. amount to twelve, it differs from Scolopax major, which has sixteen, and Scolopax Gallinago, which has fourteen ; it agrees, however, in this point, with Scolopax Gallmula, which also has but twelve ; but it can never be confounded with that bird, from the great disproportion between the essential characters of both : the bill alone of Scolopax Sabim exceed- ing that of the latter species by one-third of its length. In the relative length and strength of the tarsi it equally differs from all. These members, although stouter than those of Scolopax Gallinago, fall short of them by /Oths of an inch ; they are much weaker, on the other hand, than those of Sco- lopax major, although they nearly equal them in length." Such are the characters that distinguish it from all the other species of Snipes, and which, independent of the peculiarity of plumage, are sufficient to entitle it to rank as specifically distinct. Of its general economy I can say nothing ; but, judging from analogy, it may be inferred that in this point it bears a close r2semblance to the rest of the genus *. PLATE 24. Fig. 1. Represents the bird of the natural size, taken from the above mentioned specimen, in the mu- seum of the Zoological Society. General Head, throat, and neck brownish-black, speckled with ob- tion. scure chestnut-brown. Belly and vent brownish-black, barred with chestnut-brown. Back and scapulars black, with obscure chestnut-brown bars and spots. Under wing-coverts brownish-black. The tail consists of twelve feathers, the basal half of which are black ; the remaining part chestnut-brown, with black fascia. Bill (which is two inches and seven-tenths in length) blackish-brown, pass- ing into yellowish-brown at the base. Legs and feet blackish-grey. Tarsus an inch and a quarter 1< * Since the above account was put to press, I have received a fresh spe- cimen of this rare Snipe from Morpeth, possessing all the characteristics of Mr VIGORS'S bird. The under parts are perhaps a little darker, having fewer bars or undulations of the lighter tint. SNIPE. GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. 121 COMMON SNIPE. SCOLOPAX GALLINAGO, Linn. PLATE XXIII. FIG. 3. Scolopax Gallinago, Linn. Syst. 1. 244. 7 — Gmel. Syst. 1. 662 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 715. 6 Raii Syn/105. A. 2 — Will. 214. t. 53. — Flem. Br. Aiiim. 1. 106. sp. 148. Gallinago media, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 54. Scolopax gallinaria, Gmel. Syst. 1. 662 Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 715. 7. Be'cassine, Buff. pis. 7- 483. 26. Becassine ordinaire, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 676 — Lesson, Man. 2. 266. Heerschneppe, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 185. — Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 363. Snipe or Snite, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. No. 187. 68 — Arct. Zool. 2. No. 386 — Will. (Angl.) 290. t. 53 — Albin. 1. t. 71 — White's Hist. Selb. p. 29 — Lath. Syn. 5. 134. 6 — Pull. Cat. Dorset, p. 14. Common Snipe, Mmt. Orm'th. Diet — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 106. sp. 148 — Shaw's Zool. 12. 54 — Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 68. PROVINCIAL — Heather Bleater, Whole Snipe. THE Common Snipe is the only British species that can properly be considered indigenous, considerable numbers re- maining with us constantly, and merely changing their places of resort, according to the state of the weather, or the season of the year. Early in spring, the great body of these birds that remain in the country retire to the boggy grounds of the moors in the northern parts of England and the High- lands of Scotland, ascending to very high elevations where- ever the surface is congenial to their habits. Some few, however, remain and breed in the fens and marshy lands of the lower and more southern parts of the island. Towards the end of March, or beginning of April, Snipes having nearly perfected their summer or nuptial plumage (which only differs from that of the winter in the clearness and bril- liancy of its tints), select appropriate places for nidification, and the male bird commences his calls of invitation for a mate. These are always uttered upon the wing, and con- sist of a piping or clicking note often repeated, and accom- 122 GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. SNIPE. panied at intervals by a humming or bleating noise, not un- like that of a goat, apparently produced by a peculiar action of the wings, as the bird, whenever this sound is emitted, is observed to descend with great velocity, and with a trem- bling motion of the pinions. At this season it soars to an im- mense height, remaining long upon the wing ; and its notes may frequently be heard when the bird itself is far beyond the reach of sight. These flights are performed at intervals during the day, but more commonly towards the evening, and are continued during the whole time that the female is Nest, &c. engaged in incubation. — The nest is usually placed under the shelter of a bush of heath, or a tuft of rushes in the bogs so common upon all our northern moors, and is formed by lining a slight depression in the earth with decayed grasses, pieces of heather, and other dry materials. The eggs, four in number, are of a yellowish-grey, inclining to oil-green, blotched with brown of two different shades, and always placed, like those of other birds of this order, with the smaller ends inwards. The young, as soon as hatched, quit the nest, and are then covered with a parti-coloured down of brown, white, and yellowish-grey, as shewn in Fig. 4, which repre- sents one about eight days old ; and this is rapidly succeed- ed by a plumage very similar to that of the adults, but darker in its shades. The young are attended by the parent birds till they are almost fully fledged, and capable of pro- viding for themselves. The bill, upon their exclusion from the shell, is very short, and does not acquire its full dimen- sions for two or three months ; and the young birds may be known by the flexibility and tenderness of this member, after every other indication of immaturity has disappeared. As autumn advances, they begin to change their haunts, and descend to the lower parts of the country, and are then to be found in all the fenny districts, in moist pastures, wet stub- bles, and, indeed, in every situation likely to afford the re- Food, quisite food, viz. worms and insects — obtained in a similar manner to the rest of this genus, by probing the soft earth SNIPE. GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. 123 and mud with their bills. They seldom remain long in one situation, moving from place to place, under the regulation, as it would appear, of the state of the weather, and the pre- valence of particular winds ; so that the sportsman who has enjoyed excellent snipe-shooting one day, may find the same spots entirely deserted on the following. In severe frosts, and when the ground is covered with snow, they are com- pelled to betake themselves to the heads of springs, that from their higher temperature remain unfrozen ; in which places they obtain a partial supply of food, but should the frost be of long continuance, that source of provision becomes ex- hausted, and the birds are so emaciated as scarcely to be able to fly, and many perish from actual want. When living se- parate, or stationary for a time in any particular haunt, the Snipe, as the sportsman terms it, lies very close, and is sel- dom flushed till very nearly approached; but, if moving about in numbers together, it is more impatient of approach, and the well known alarm-cry of the first that rises is certain to call up all the rest upon wing in rapid succession. When disturbed, it always utters its cry of alarm as it springs up- on the wing, which cry may be compared to the word chis- sick lispingly pronounced. At first it flies in a horizontal Flight, direction near to the ground, moving in a zigzag course against the wind ; but, after proceeding thus about sixty or eighty yards, it springs up into the air to a great height, where it continues flying till attracted by some other appro- priate spot, upon which it descends almost perpendicularly with the rapidity of an arrow. In addition to our native Snipes, great flights come annually from Norway, and other northern parts of Europe ; and in Northumberland I have observed that they arrive in the greatest numbers in the be- ginning of November. The geographical distribution of this species, I am inclined to think, is not so extensive as has been hitherto supposed, and which, by many ornithologists, has been stated as occupying the greater part of the globe ; but writers appear to have mistaken other species for it, bear- 124 GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. SNIPE. ing a strong resemblance in general appearance, but which 7 upon investigation and comparison, are found to possess cha- racters essentially distinct ; such is the Snipe of North Ame- rica (Scolopax delicata of ORD), another belonging to South- ern Africa, and two or three from Asia. Scolopax Gattinago, as far as my observation serves, appears confined to Europe, and the north of Asia. The flesh of the Snipe is delicately flavoured, and of course in great estimation for the table ; and in autumn, and the milder parts of winter, when a plen- tiful supply of food is to be obtained, it becomes very fat and delicious, and is always dressed, like the Woodcock, without extracting the entrails, which are considered not the least savoury part of the bird. In the fens, Snipes are some- times taken by lark-nets, and the springe (which I have de- scribed above, under the article Woodcock), is also occasion- ally used to capture them ; but the favourite mode of pur- suit is with the gun, as they afford an inviting trial of skill to the sportsman, from the quickness and oblique movements of their flight. From the disposition of the colours in its plumage, assimilating so well with the situations it inhabits, there is difficulty in discerning this bird upon the ground, and this is increased by its squatting closely down the mo- ment an intruder approaches. I have now, for many years, been in the habit of shooting great numbers of Snipes, and although well acquainted with the exact spots they are ac- customed to frequent, very few instances have occurred in which I have obtained a sight of the bird, previous to its tak- ing wing. In the bogs of Ireland Snipes are very abun- dant. PLATE 23. Fig. 3. Represents this bird of the natural size. General Bill yellowish-brown, inclining to flesh-red at the base, tionnP" an^ darker towards the tip. Streak between the bill and eye dark brown. Crown of the head blackish - brown, divided down the centre by a line of yellowish- white. Chin and throat white. On each side of the SNIPE. GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. 125 fore part of the neck is a streak composed of umber- brown spots. Lower part of the neck and breast pale yellowish-brown, with a grey tinge, spotted and barred with dusky or blackish-brown. Abdomen and thighs pure white. Flanks barred with deep hair-brown. Back and scapulars velvet-black, with a purplish or bronzed reflection, barred with pale chestnut-brown, and having the outer webs of the feathers deeply edged with cream-yellow. Wing-coverts hair-brown, barred with pale chestnut-brown, and tipped with reddish- white. Quills black; the first having its outer web nearly white. Tail consisting of fourteen feathers, black for two-thirds of their length ; the rest being red- dish-brown with a black bar, and with reddish-white tips. Upper tail-coverts yellowish-brown, barred with hair-brown. Legs and feet deep ash-grey, or lead-co- loured. The plumage of both sexes is similar, but the female ge- nerally exceeds the male bird in size. JACK SNIPE. SCOLOPAX GALLINULA. PLATE XXIII. Fig. 5. Scolopax Gallinula, Linn. Syst. 1. 244. 8 — Gmel. Syst 1. 662.— Lath. Ind Orn. 2. 715. sp. 8.—Ftem. Br. Anim. 1. 106. sp. 149. Gallinaffo minima, Ran Syn. 105. A. 3.— Will. 314 Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 57. Gallinago minor, Briss. Orn. 5. 303. 3. 26. f. 2. La Petite Be'cassine, Buff. Ois. 7. 490. Be'cassine sourde, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 678. Moorschneppe, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. p. 196.— Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 364. Jack Snipe, Gid, or Judcock, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. No. 189. t. 68 — Arct. Zool. 2. 367.— Will. (Angl.) 291.— Albinos Br. Birds, 3. t. 81.— Lath. Syn. 5. 136. 8.— Mont. Ornith. Diet. 2 Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 73. — Shaw's Zool. 12. M.—Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 106. sp. 149. THIS is the smallest species of true Scolopax hitherto dis- 3 126 GRALLATORES, SCOLOPAX. SNIPE. covered, scarcely equalling by one half the bulk of the Common Snipe, its length averaging about eight inches, and its usual weight, when in full condition, seldom exceeding Periodical two ounces and a quarter. With us it is a periodical winter visitant, yigjtan^ jts summer retreat being in much higher northern latitudes, where it nidificates and breeds in the vast swamps of those desolate regions. The first flights generally arrive as early as in the second week of September, as I have sel- dom failed to meet with it in a favourite haunt between the 14th and 20th of that month. Its stay is usually prolonged to the end of February, or beginning of March, according to the rigour of the season ; it then quits us for polar lati- tudes, and the desertion seems, in the case of this bird, to be very general, I may say universal, for I have not suc- ceeded hitherto in detecting a single instance of its remain- ing during the summer, or breeding in any of our fens ; nor do any of our writers on this branch of natural history men- tion an authenticated fact of this kind. I have, indeed, been told at different times of Jack Snipes to be seen in certain bogs, as well as their nests and eggs, — but these, in every instance, proved on investigation to be Dunlins or Purres (Tringa variabilis of TEMMINCK) ; which is a bird nearly of the same size, and in its summer plumage, and on the wing, very liable to be mistaken for the Judcock. The re- sort of this Snipe is always to the softest and most miry parts of bogs, where vegetation has made but partial ad- vances ; and in the uncovered places of these it probes for Food, its food, consisting of small aquatic worms and insects, and its bill (which measures about one inch and a half in length) possesses the same delicacy of feeling, being furnished with the same nervous and muscular apparatus as the other spe- cies of this genus. This bird sits very close, and will allow itself to be almost trodden upon before it can be forced upon wing ; its flight then is more direct, and without the twist- ing evolutions of the common species, resembling that of the Woodcock, when flying in open space, the wings being con- SNIPE. GRALLATORES. SCOLOPAX. 127 siderably bent, and forming an acute angle with the body. It seldom flies to any distance, but drops in the first miry spot that presents itself, from whence it is roused with even more difficulty than at first. It utters no alarm-cry when it rises, nor have I been able to discover any note belonging to this species. — Of its nidification I can only speak after Nest, &c. other writers, who state the site of the nest to be in bogs and morasses, and TEMMINCK enumerates the eggs as four or five ; the former of which is, in all probability, the cor- rect number, as this appears the usual quantity laid by all the Scolopacida ; and I believe the same holds good with respect to the Charadriadte. Its geographical distribution seems confined to Europe and Northern Asia; although LATHAM, in his Index Ornithologicus, mentions it also as an American species, in which he is followed by STEPHENS and other compilers. This, however, requires corroboration, more particularly as it is not enumerated by WILSON ; or by any other writer who has treated upon the birds of that country. In the delicacy and flavour of its flesh it is equal to its congeners, and, considered in this point of view, is not too diminutive to attract the aim of the sportsman. In open and mild weather it soon becomes exceedingly fat, and as speedily loses its condition in severe frosts, when its feeding- ground is restricted to the heads of springs and unfrozen ditches. PLATE 23. Fig. 5. represents this bird of the natural size. Bill black at the tip, fading into grey, with a tinge of General flesh-red, towards the base. From the bill, over the eye tion. and down to the nape of the neck, is a broad streak of cream-yellow. Between the bill and eye is a streak of amber-brown. The ear-coverts have a mixture of white and brown, each feather being tipped with black. Crown of the head black ; the feathers being margined with reddish-brown. Throat white. Lower part of the neck and the breast pale yellowish-brown, tinged with 128 GRALLATORES. MACHETES. RUFF. grey, and spotted with blackish-brown. Back and sca- pulars black, with bronze and purple reflections; the latter feathers being long and narrow, with their outer webs of a rich cream-yellow, and forming two conspi- cuous bands down the back. Wing-coverts black, mar- gined with pale brown and white. Tail consisting of twelve feathers, brownish-black, and margined with pale chestnut-brown. Abdomen white. Legs and toes green- ish-grey. GENUS MACHETES, CUVIER. RUFF. GENERIC CHARACTERS. BILL straight, rather slender, as long as the head, with the tip dilated and smooth. Upper mandible laterally sulcated for four-fifths of its length. Culmen rounded. Nostrils basal, lateral, linear, placed in the commencement of the groove., Wings long, and sharp-pointed ; with the first and second quill- feathers of equal length, and the longest in the wing. Legs long and slender, having the tibiae naked for a con- siderable space above the tar sal joint. Feet four- toed ; three before, and one behind ; the outer toe being united to the middle one by a membrane as far as the first joint, and the inner one free. Hind toe short, articulated upon the tarsus, with the tip 'of the claw barely touching the ground. In plumage, the head and neck of the male, during the amatory season, are adorned with long plumose feathers, springing from the occiput and throat ; which, when raised, form a large ruff or shield around the head ; and the face of the male bird, during the same period, is covered with small fleshy warts or papillae. In the systems of LINN^US and his immediate followers, the Ruff was included among the Tringas, a numerous .genus, containing, besides the species still classed under that RUFF. GRALLATORES. MACHETES. 129 head, several birds which have since become the types of new genera in the family of the Scolopacidce. ; as well as others, now more properly transferred to the Rallida and Charadriada. The distinguishing characteristics of this cu- rious bird did not, however, escape the keen and observant eye of CUVIER ; and, accordingly, in his valuable work the " Regne Animal," he has removed it from its former station, and made it the type of a new genus, which he has appro- priately named Machetes, as expressive of the pugnacious disposition that so remarkably distinguishes the only species hitherto discovered. In its affinities it appears to connect the Tringas (particularly that group to which the Knot belongs) with the Sandpipers ( Totani) ; the length of the tarsi, and structure of the feet, as well as its superior size, indicating a near approach to the latter group ; while the dimensions and form of the bill assimilate it to the former. The habits and mode of life of the Ruff strongly resemble, in many re- spects, the other scolopaceous groups. It differs, however, from all the rest in that essential point of its economy, the propagation of the species; for, instead of being monoga- mous, as they are, and associated with the female in the va- rious duties attendant upon the rearing of the young, &c., the males are polygamous, and their society is courted for a short time only by different females; a peculiarity which also distinguishes some of the rasorial Order, along with certain members of the Anatida, in the Order Natatores. It is during this period only that the male birds are adorned with the singular feathers that spring from the hinder part of the head and the neck (from whence arises the English designation), as well as the papillae upon the forehead and round the base of the bill. VOL. II. 130 GRALLATORES. MACHETES. RUFF. RUFF. MACHETES PUGNAX, Cuvier. PLATE XXV. FIGS. 1. 2. and 3. Machetes pugnax, Cuv. Reg. Anim. 1. 490 — Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 110 pi. 16. fern. Tringa pugnax, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 631 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 110. sp. 158. Fighting Ruff, Shaw's Zool. 12. 110. pi. 16. ( Tringa pugnax, Linn. Syst. 1. 247. 1 — Gmel. Syst. 1. 669 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 725. sp. 1 — Rail Syn. 107- A. 3 — Will. 224. t. 56. Le Combattant ou Paon de Mer, Buff. Ois. 7. 581. pi. 29. and 37. Summer Be'casseau combattant, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 631. plumage of j streitshandlaufer, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 266 Meyer, Tasschenb. 3. 377. Ruff and Reeve, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. No. 172. pi. 69 Arct. Zool. 2. 479. A. — Will. (Angl.) 302. t. 56 — Albin. 1. 1. 72. 73.— Lath. Syn. 5. p. 159. 1. — Mont. Ornith. Diet. 2. Id. Sup.— Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. t. pL 95. 1 Tringa littorea, Linn. Syst. 1. 251. 17 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 731. sp. 15. Totanus cinereus, Briss. 5. 203, 7. t. 17. f. 2. Le Chevalier varie, Buff. Ois. 7. 517. Shore Sandpiper, Arct. Zool, 2. 481. f.—Lath. Syn. 5. 171. Tringa Grenovicensis, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 731. sp. 16. Greenwich Sandpiper, Lath. Syn. Sup. p. 249. both sexes. Young and (Tringa equestris, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 730. 14. Old after J Le Chevalier commun, Buff. Ois. 7. 511. autumnal ) Equestrian Sandpiper, Lath. Syn. Sup. 2. 311. moult. (Yellow-legged Sandpiper, Mont. Ornith. Diet. 2. App. THIS bird, so remarkable for its combative disposition, and the extraordinary plumage that distinguishes the male at a certain period of the year, is among the number of our Periodical summer visitants ; arriving in the fenny districts of Lincoln- visitant, shire, the Isle of Ely, and other marshy parts of England, in the month of April, and departing, on its equatorial mi- gration, towards the end of September, or early in the fol- lowing month. In its polygamous nature, this species differs from the rest of its congeners ; such peculiarity producing, of course, the difference of habits that so remarkably distin- guishes it during the season of reproduction ; in this respect becoming assimilated to the polygamous species of other RUFF. GRALLATORES. MACHETES. 131 orders. An analogy is thus maintained between individuals otherwise far removed from each other. Shortly after the arrival of the males in this country, and as soon as the fea- thers of the throat, which form the ruff, and the auricular tufts' (also appendages peculiar to the season) become almost fully developed), they begin to hill, as it is termed ; that is, to assemble in companies upon some dry hillock, or rising spot of ground amidst the marshes ; each individual select- ing there a particular stand or walk at a small distance from his neighbour ; any attempt to encroach upon which is in- stantly resented, and the possession of it most obstinately defended. Here each bird keeps moving in his respective circle,1? awaiting the approach of any one of the other sex ; whose appearance immediately throws the whole assemblage into excitement, and acts as the signal for a general fight, her favours Jbeing the prize of victory. Each morning, soon after daybreak, when the males return to their hill from the surrounding marshes, where they disperse and feed during the night, the same species of warfare takes place, and the theatre of these^ battles and amours soon becomes bare of grass from the constant traversing of the combatants. This scene continues during the month of May and great part of June, until their mutual fervour begins to abate ; indicated in the male birds by the shedding of the ruff and auricular plumes, and the commencement of a general moult. The papillae, or small fleshy tubercles, that cover the face and the region of the eyes during the height of the season (and which are ascertained, by experiments on birds kept in con- finement, to be only consequent on sexual connexion) also disappear; and in a short time they become clothed in a plumage so unlike that of the early summer, as to be with difficulty recognised. With this difference of plumage, a change is also wrought in their disposition, as they no longer exhibit the extreme pugnacity that distinguished them during the time of hilling ; and this fact is in accordance with the manners of the Pheasant, Black Grouse, and other polyga- 132 GRALLATORES. MACHETES. RUFF; mous birds of the rasorial Order, all of which take up sepa- rate stations, and obstinately defend them during the season of excitement ; but, after that period, again unite in society, and live amicably together. In fighting, the actions of the Ruff are not unlike those of the Common Cock ; the head is lowered, and held in a horizontal direction, and the feathers of the neck, which form the shield, are distended outwards, so as to cover and protect the tender parts of the body ; the auricular feathers are erect, and the tail is partly expanded. In this attitude the combatants stand opposed to each other, attempting to lay hold with their bills ; and, if this is effect- ed, by a leap the wings are then brought into offensive ac- tion. As might be expected from the nature of the weapons, their contests are not often attended by fatal consequences. This, however, sometimes does occur, as MONTAGU mentions an instance, in which the bird died from an injury in the throat, got in one of its feuds when in confinement; for even in this state they are easily excited, and a mess of food placed before three or four of them is sufficient to rouse the spirit of contention *. Nothing perhaps is more singular in Diversity the history of this bird than the diversity of plumage which individuals exhibit at that period of the year when they are subject to the feathery appendages of the head and neck ; at this time it is scarcely possible to find two that are precisely alike in colour. In some, the frill is of a yellowish or chest- nut hue, elegantly barred with black ; in others, of a plain brown ; some have it pure white ; others white intermixed with black and chestnut ; and others again entirely black, or black glossed with purple and steel-blue. The upper parts of the body and breast partake also at this time of the pre- vailing tints of the elongated neck-feathers ; and the bill and legs vary from a pale yellow to black and other intermediate * For a, full and interesting account of the Ruff, the mode of taking them, &c. I must refer my readers to the Supplement to MONTAGU'S Ornithological Dictionary, art. Ruff. RUFF. GRALLATORES. MACHETES. 133 shades, according to the intensity or want of colour in the ruff. During the remainder of the year, or when divested of these periodical appendages, they are more uniform in colour ; though the birds that assume a black or white frill, may usually be distinguished by the comparative darkness or paleness of the head and neck. The females, generally called Reeves, are much inferior in size to the males, — an- other circumstance in which they differ from their congeners. They possess no elongated feathers, and the plumage of summer varies but little from that of autumn and winter ; *hey live in the marshes, and resort (as I have before ob- served) to the hills of the male birds at stated periods. The place selected for nidification is commonly of the most swampy nature, abounding in tufts of tall grass and other marshy plants, and upon these the nest is formed, being a Nest, &c. slight depression only, lined with coarse grass and herbage. The eggs, four in number, are in colour and markings very like those of the Common Snipe, but rather larger. The young are excluded in July, and by the end of August, or the beginning of September, are fully fledged; soon after which they congregate, and with the old females leave the kingdom upon their equatorial migration. The flesh of the Ruff is much esteemed, and these birds consequently bring a high price in the market ; on which account, the trade of catching them is still pursued by fowlers in the fens of Lincolnshire, and other places where they abound. From MONTAGU (who made a tour through that county for the purpose of gaining information respecting this bird), it ap- pears that they are taken at two different seasons, viz. in spring, when the old males are captured at the time of hill- ing ; and in September, after the young are fledged, and immediately previous to their leaving the kingdom. They are all caught alive, by means of clap-nets, into which they are enticed by stuffed skins and other devices, and afterwards fattened for the table in confinement; it being a peculiar character of this bird to feel but little alarm, and even to 134 GRALLATORES. MACHETES. RUFF. Food, feed greedily immediately after being taken. In the wild state, their food consists of worms, aquatic insects, and their larva? ; but in confinement they soon eat bread and milk, boiled wheat, and other farinaceous diet, with avidity, and upon which they shortly become very fat. In England, this species, from its habits, is very locally distributed ; .the fens of Lincolnshire and Cambridge being the chief resort ; they are, however, found, though in inconsiderable numbers, in other places. A small flock annually frequents the marsh of Prestwick Car, near Newcastle-upon-Tyne ; and this, as far as I have been able to trace, is the northern limit of resi- dence in this country. In autumn I have indeed frequently met with small flocks on the coast, or in the marshes farther inland, but consisting of birds (viz. young males, with some- times a few females intermixed) on their migration from the north of Europe towards their winter-quarters, and whose stay seldom exceeded a week or ten days. The geographical distribution of this species is confined to the old Continent, and its polar migration extends as far as Iceland, and the northern parts of Russia; but the limit of its equatorial movement has not been well ascertained. PLATE 25. Fig. 1. represents a male in the summer plu- mage. General Bill and legs pale ochre-yellow. Face naked, and covered j^np" with small yellow fleshy tubercles. From the hind part Male bird °^ t^le neac^ or auricles, arise two thick tufts of feathers, having tips curled backwards, of a yellowish-brown co- lour, barred with black, and glossed with purple. Ruff composed of elongated feathers, with strong shafts, springing from the throat, and under side of the neck, of a pale sienna-yellow colour, with zigzag black bars. Upper parts of the body a mixture of hair-brown, yel- lowish-brown, and black. Sides of the breast and flanks yellowish-brown, barred with black. Middle of the belly, abdomen, and under tail-coverts, white. Wings RUFF. GRALLATORES. MACHETES. 135 hair-brown, having the coverts and scapulars barred and margined with reddish- white. Tail with the outer feathers of a uniform pale hair- brown, and the middle ones with darker bars. Another specimen in my possession has the ruff and ear- tufts black, glossed with purple and green, and varied with yellowish-brown. The sides of the breast and flanks are also black, glossed with purple. The back darker, and more varied in colour than in Fig. 1. — A third has the ruff and breast entirely black, glossed with steel-blue ; with the back still darker than in the last described specimen. But as the variety of colour is end- less in different individuals, it is unnecessary to particu- larize more. Fig. 2. is the female bird. In size much less than the male, and always destitute of Female. the ruff. In summer, the upper parts of the body, the neck, and breast, are varied, with black glossed with steel-blue, and cinereous or brownish-grey. In autumn, or the winter plumage, the cinereous brown prevails without any mixture of black feathers. Belly and ab- domen white. Legs pale yellow, sometimes tinged with flesh-red. — The young of the year have the neck and breast deeply tinged with yellowish-brown. Fig. 3. represents the young male killed in autumn. Young In this state the cheeks and region of the eyes are of a e' pale reddish-white, tinged with grey. Throat white, tinged with reddish-brown. Sides of the neck and breast yellowish-orange, tinged with grey. Crown of the head black, the feathers being margined with reddish-brown. Belly and under tail-coverts greyish-white, tinged with buff. Back and scapulars brownish-black, glossed with purple, and the feathers deeply margined with pale orange-brown. Side coverts of the tail white. Two 136 GRALLATORES. TRINGA, TRINGA. middle tail-feathers barred with greyish-black and buff; the outer ones uniform greyish-black ; but with the tips of the whole pale buff. Legs and toes greenish-grey ; with the knees thick, indicating a bird of the year. In this state it answers to the synonyms quoted as belong- ing to the young. The Yellow-legged Sandpiper of MONTAGU seems to refer to the winter plumage of the old Ruff. GENUS TRINGA, AUCTOR. TRINGA. GENERIC CHARACTERS. BIT.L of the same length as, or longer than, the head, straight, or slightly arched, compressed at the base, the tip blunt, smooth, and dilated, semi-flexible throughout its length, and with both mandibles furrowed as far as the smooth bulb or tip. Nostrils lateral, linear-oblong, placed near the base of the bill in the membrane that covers the groove. Wings of mean length, acuminate, having the first quill- feather the longest. Legs of mean length, slender, more or less naked above the tarsal joint. Feet four-toed, three before and one behind. The anterior ones divided, and fringed with a small lateral membrane. The hind toe small, articulated upon the tar- sus, and barely touching the ground with its tip. Plumage soft, close, and adpressed. Under this generic title I include all the species contained in the first section of the genus Trmga, as described by Mons. TEMMINCK in his u Manuel d'Ornithologie," as well as some others given by different authors, which possess the essential characters of the group. This arrangement I am •induced to adopt for the present, from not being satisfied TRINGA. GRALLATORES. TRINGA. 137 that the characters upon which the Baron CUVJER has esta- blished his new genera Calidris and Pelidna in the " Regne Animal," are so distinct and well-marked as to warrant a generic division, being in fact only such slight modifications of form as might naturally be expected in birds standing at the extremes of the group to which they belong, and whose intimate connexion is shewn by the intervention of species intermediate in form, and leading gradually and almost im- perceptibly from one to the other. The Tringas are a nu- merous tribe, chiefly inhabiting the marine marshes and shores, though some habitually frequent the margins of lakes and the rivers of the interior. They associate and live in flocks, and perform their periodical migrations in large bo- dies. Their moult is double, that is, the plumage is re- newed twice in the year, and the summer (or, as it has been appropriately called, the nuptial) livery is very different from that in which they are clothed during the rest of the year. The principal variations of colour are from white to reddish- brown, and from grey to black. These frequent and pecu- liar changes, as in other genera of the Scolopacida, have given rise to great confusion in the enumeration of species, the same bird having been described under three or four dis- tinct names, according to the existing state of feather. This error has been strongly exemplified in the Knot (Trmga Canutus), and the Dunlin (Trmga variabilis)-, and the dif- ficulty is farther increased by the appearance of the young birds, possessing, previous to the first moult, a very different plumage from that of the adults. The colour of feather in the sexes is nearly alike ; but the females are distinguished by their superior size. Their food consists of insects, worms, small bivalve and other molluscous animals, obtained on the muddy shores of the ocean, and generally sought for at the recession of the tide, and upon the surface, as they are not accustomed to bore in the same degree as the true Snipes, their bills not being furnished with the delicate nervous ap- paratus that is so highly developed in those last mentioned. 138 GRALLATORES. TRINGA. KNOT. By the Knot, which stands at one extremity of the group, the Tringas are allied to the genus Machetes, the bill of that bird being nearly straight, and resembling that of the Ruff. It also leads the way to the Plialaropes, the membrane which borders its toes being more dilated than in most of the other species. The direct passage to these last mentioned birds is probably better effected by the intervention of the Tringa semipalmata of WILSON'S North American Ornithology, in which, and in the Tringa himantopus of the Prince of Mu- si gnano, the toes are connected by a considerable membrane or web. These have been separated by that eminent natu- ralist from the genus Tringa, under the generic title of Hemipalama, and, by peculiar modifications of form in which birds, a union is effected with the genus Numenius, with which the present family commences. From the Knot to the Tringa subarquata (Pigmy Curlew), in which the bill appears to attain its utmost degree of curvature and length, the passage (by means of the Tringa maritima, Tringa va- riabilis, and other species) is easy and gradual. KNOT. . TRINGA CANUTUS, Linn. PLATE XXVII. FIGS. 1, 2. & 3. Tringa canutus, Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 109. sp. 156. Tringa cinerea, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 627. — Saline, Linn. Trans. v. 12. 533. Becasseau Canut, Temm. ut supra. Calidris Islandica, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 90. pL 14. / Tringa Islandica, Linn. Syst. 1 — Addend. Gmelin's Syst. 1. 682.— Lath. Summer lad. Orn. 2. 737- sp. 39. Plumage ; Tringa rufa, Wils. Amer. Orn. 7- 43. pi. 57- £ 5. of both ^ Aberdeen Sandpiper, Penn. Br. Zoology, 2. No. 203. sexes I Red Sandpiper, Lath. Syn. 5. 186. 34 — Lewirfs Br. Birds, 5. t. 177 — V Mont. Ornith. Diet. 2. KNOT. GRALLATORES. TRINGA. 139 Tringa canutus, Linn. Syst. 1. 251. 15 — Gmel. Syst. 1. 679 — Ran Syn. 108. >A Briss. Orn. 5. 258. 21 Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 738. sp. 44. Le Canut, Buff. Ois. 8. 142. Knot, Br. Zool. 2. 193.— Will. (Angl.) 302 — Lath. Syn. 5. 187- sp. 36. Mont. Ornith. Diet, and Sup. Tringa grisea, Gmel. Syst. 1. 681 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 733. sp. 23. Manbeche grise', Buff. Ois. 7. 531. Grisled Sandpiper, Lath. Syn. 5. 175. 20. Tringa cinerea, Gmel. Syst. 1. 673 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 733. sp. 25 — Wils. Amer. Orn. 7. pi. 57. f. 2. Ash-coloured Sandpiper, Br. Zool. 2. No. 194 — Lath. Syn. 5. 177 22.. — Mont. Ornith. Diet, and Sup — LewMs Br. Birds, 5. 171 — Bewick's Br. Birds. 2. 103. Tringa calidris, Linn. Syst. 1. 252. 19 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 372. sp. 21. —Briss. 5. 226. 14. pi. 20. f. 1. .La Maubeche, Buff. Ois. 7- 529. t. 31. Dusky Sandpiper, Lath. Syn. 5. 174. 18. Tringa njevia, Gmel. Syst. 1. 681 Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 732. sp. 22. Maubeche tachete'e, Buff. Ois. 7. 531. Freckled Sandpiper, Arct. Zool. 2. 480 — Lath. Syn. 5. 174. 19. Tringa australis, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 737- sp. 40. Southern Sandpiper, Lath. Syn. 5, 187. 35 — Id. Sup. 249. Winter Plumage, Young of the year previous to first moult. In the change from the Winter to the Sum- mer Plum- age. THE Knot, which has been described by various writers Periodical under so many different specific titles, according to the pe- V] riod of plumage when the specimens were examined, is the largest of the group hitherto discovered, equalling the Reeve (or female of the Ruff) in the bulk and weight of body. Its legs, however, are much shorter in comparison, giving it a different appearance, and depriving it of the elegance of carriage which so much distinguishes the other bird. In Britain, it is known as a winter resident, great numbers ar- riving from the Polar Regions early in autumn, and spread- ing themselves along the shores, take up their residence in localities congenial with their habits, viz. bays, the mouths of rivers, and other flat parts of the coast, covered with ooze or soft sand, in which they find an abundance of the minute bivalve shell-fish that constitute their principal food. In such situations, collected in immense flocks, whose evolu- tions, when upon wing, are curious and interesting (not un- like those described by WILSON as characterizing the Long- beak (Macroramplms grisea), they reside till the latter part of April or the beginning of May; when they again depart to the Arctic Regions, for the purposes of incubation and of 140 GRALLATORES. TRINGA. KNOT. rearing their young. Previous to such departure, some of the earlier birds, or those that first feel the influence of the season, partly or totally acquire the nuptial livery — a plum- age altogether unlike the winter dress, and in which state this species has been described as the Aberdeen or Red Sand- piper (Tringa Islandica). The polar migration of the Knot extends to very high latitudes, as it is enumerated by Cap- tain SABINE and others in the list of birds inhabiting the icy shores of Greenland and Spitzbergen. It is also com- mon to the continent of North America, and is described by WILSON under the title of the Ash-coloured Sandpiper, be- ing the plumage of the young of the year (in which state it appears upon these coasts in September and October in its flight southwards), and again as the Red-breasted Sand- piper, on its return to Hudson's Bay and other breeding- stations in April and May. By LEWIN, and other subse- quent compilers, Knots are described as visiting the fens of Lincolnshire, and being there taken in vast numbers by nets, in the same manner as the Ruff. This, however, is not the fact, as it is upon the sea-coast of that county they appear, and not in the fens of the interior. This plan of taking them has also been long abandoned, as MONTAGU mentions, in his Ornithological Dictionary, that the noted Ruff-feeders of that county assured him upwards of twenty years had elapsed at that time since any of these birds had been taken by means of nets. The flesh is tender, delicate, and well-flavoured, per- haps scarcely inferior to that of the Ruff. In former times, they were caught alive, kept for a certain time in confinement upon the same kind of food as the Ruff, and are said to have thriven equally well. On their arrival in autumn they are very tame, and admit of a near approach, as I have always found, upon the extensive sands between the mainland and Holy Island, subject to the alternate flowing and receding of the tide. During high-water, they retire in great num- bers to a small island at the mouth of the harbour, where I have seen great slaughter made amongst them, the survivors KNOT. GRALLATORES, TRINGA. 141 after each discharge merely making a short circuitous flight, and again alighting amidst their dead companions. They soon, however, grow more wary, and, during the winter months, it becomes very difficult to approach them, either at rest or when feeding on the sands, though in their various evolutions on the wing, they sometimes approach near enough to be within range of the fowling-piece. In this species, the bill approaches very closely in form to that of the Ruff, be- ing nearly straight, and more dilated at the tip than in the other members ; and the feet, in which the membrane cover- ing the lower surface of the toes is rather strongly marked, indicate the passage from this genus to the Phalaropes and Lobipedes. Of the nidification, colour of the eggs, Sec. we have no authentic information; and I cannot but suppose that the egg figured by LEWIN as that of the Knot, belonged to some other bird, which is rendered more likely by his adding, that the Knot arrives in the fens in spring, at the same time as the Ruff and Reeve — an assertion at variance both with the observations of other naturalists, and with the ascertained migratory movements of the species. PLATE 27. FIG. 1. Represents the Old Bird in the winter General plumage. ^escrip. In this state, the crown of the head, hind part of the neck, Adult bird, back, scapulars, and wing-coverts, are of a light brown- plumage, ish-grey, with the shafts of the feathers darker. The middle wing-coverts deeply margined and tipped with white. Throat white, with a few small hair-brown specks. Sides and lower part of the neck white, streaked with hair-brown. Belly, abdomen, and under tail-coverts, pure white. Breast, sides, and flanks, barred with hair- brown. Lower part of the back and upper tail-coverts white, with transverse bars of deep hair-brown. Tail grey, very finely margined with white. Quills deep hair- brown, with white shafts. Legs and feet blackish-grey. FIG. 2. Is the young of the year (or Tringa cinerea of au- thors), killed in September. 142 GRALLATORES. TRINGA. TRINGA Young of the year. At this age, the breast and belly are white, tinged with pale buff-yellow ; the markings upon the former not so distinct or well defined as in the adult bird. Upper parts grey, each feather near the tip being surrounded with a double circle of black and yellowish- white. The quills are also lighter in colour ; and the crown of the head more varied with streaks of hair-brown. Adult bird. Summer Plumage. FIG. 3. The summer plumage is very dissimilar to the two foregoing. The throat, sides, and fore part of the neck, breast, and belly of a uniform orange-coloured brown. Crown of the head, nape, and hind part of the neck, orange- brown, streaked with black, and interspersed with specks of white. Back and scapulars black, barred and va- ried with orange-brown ; the margins and tips of most of the feathers being white. Upper tail-coverts barred with black, white, and orange-brown. In this state it answers to the Tringa Islandica of LATHAM ; and in its progress towards it, from the winter plumage, is suc- cessively the Trmga cdlidris, navia, and australis, of the same author. BUFF-BREASTED TRINGA. THING A RUFESCENS, Vieittot. PLATE XXVII. FIG. 4- Tringa rufescens, Vieill. Gall, des Ois. pi. 238 — Yarrell, in Trans. Linn. Soc. 16. 109. pL 11. Le Tringa roussatre, Nouv. Diet. d'Hist. Nat. torn. pi. 470. Hare visi- THIS elegant Tringa^ now inserted in the list of the Bri- tish Fauna as a rare visitant, was first described by Mr YAR- RELL in the 1 6th volume of the Transactions of the Linnean Society, as a species new to Europe, upon the authority of a specimen shot in the month of September 1826, in the pa- TRINGA. GRALLATORES. TRINGA. 143 rish of Melbourne in Cambridgeshire, being in company with some of the Common Dottrel (Charadrius Morinellus). This individual soon after passed into Mr YARRELI/S pos- session, and now enriches his valuable cabinet of British birds ; and it is to the kind and liberal attention of this emi- nent naturalist, in offering me the free use of his collection, that I am enabled to give a correct delineation of this, as well as of other rare British birds. This is an American species, and inhabits Louisiana ; but even on that continent it appears to be of rare occurrence, or very locally distri- buted, as it is not mentioned by WILSON in his delightful work, or in the continuation of the same by M. CHARLES BUONAPARTE, Prince of Musignano. The only specimen, indeed, hitherto described, or even noticed, appears to be that in the Parisian Museum, and which served VIEILLOT and others to identify it as a species. Of its habits I am unable to give any account ; but, from the circumstance of its having been killed at a distance from the coast, it pro- bably frequents the lakes and rivers of the interior of the American continent. In the length and form of its bill, as well as in dimensions and bulk of body, it approaches near to the species described in the " Illustrations of Ornithology" by Sir WILLIAM JARDINE, &c. under the 'specific title of Tringa australis *, which is a native of the coasts of New Holland, and from whence the specimens were received. The Buff-breasted Tringa, independent of the prevailing tint of the lower part of its body (from which arises its tri- vial appellation), is easily recognised from all the other known species by the peculiar markings and speckled ap- pearance of the under surface of the wings. The specimen in Mr YARRELL'S collection, from the plumage, and state of ossification of the tarsi, is supposed by him to be the young of the year ; that at Paris appears to be an adult bird. * The Tringa auslralis of LATHAM'S Index Ornithologicus has no re- ference to this bird, being merely a synonym of the Knot (Tringa canutvs). 144 GRALLATORES. TRINGA. TRINGA. FIG. 4. Of the natural size. General Chin, throat, front of the neck, and breast, pale ochreous, tion.nP~ inclining to sienna, yellow. Sides of the neck and nape spotted with brown. Abdomen, flanks, and under tail- coverts, white, dashed with yellow. Front part of the under surface of the wings rufous brown, the other parts spotted ; under coverts white. Shafts of the pri- mary quills on their under surface pearl-white ; outer web dusky ; the inner one pale hair-brown, plain on the part next to the shaft, but having its other half elegantly mottled with dark specks. Secondary quills mottled at their base, and ending in distinct sabre- shaped points, presenting, as Mr YARRELL observes, a regular series of lines, formed by alternating shades of white, black, and dusky bands, well defined, and exhi- biting a beautifully variegated appearance peculiar to the species. Back blackish-brown, with the margins of the feathers paler. Scapulars and tertials blackish- brown, margined with pale reddish-brown. Tail-co- verts brown, with paler edges. Tail cuneiform, the centre feathers black, those on each side hair-brown, enclosed by a zone of black, and edged with white. Bill black. Legs brown, and bare for about half an inch above the tarsal joint. TEMMINCK'S TRINGA. TRINGA TEMMINCKII, Leisl. PLATE XXVII. « FIGS. 1, 2. Tringa Temminckii, Leisler, Nachr. zu Bechst. Naturg. Deut. Heft 1. 65. —Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 622. Tringa pusilla, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 737- but not the Tringa pusilla of Linn. —Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 108. sp. 154. Pelidna pusilla, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 101. Pelidna Temminckii, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 103. Becasseau Temmnia, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 622. ; ejusd. PL Col. Little Sandpiper, Mont. Ornith. Diet. App — Lath. Syn. 5. 184. 32. Temminck's Dunlin, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 101. Temminck's Knot or Sandpiper, Fox, Syn. of Newcastle Mus. p. 14. TRINGA. GRALLATORES. TRINGA. 145 AFTER a careful examination of the descriptions by various authors, of the two small species of Tringa generally known under the specific titles of Tringa pusilla and T. minuta, the above list of synonyms appears to be strictly referable to the first-mentioned species, which is also known to many as the T. Temminckii) a name imposed by LEISLER, and adopted by M. TEMMTNCK, in his excellent work the " Manuel d'Orni- thologie," as well as in the " Planches Coloriees" of the same author. In adopting LEISLER'S specific name for this bird, I agree with that naturalist and M. TEMMINCK in consider- ing it as distinct from the Tringa pusilla of LINNAEUS, al- though LATHAM quotes that as synonymous with the Little Sandpiper of his Synopsis, which latter certainly appears to be the bird now under examination. Dr FLEMING, in his History of British Animals, also retains the title of Pusilla for this bird, stating, as his ground for which, that the cha- racter of the tail identifies it with the Linnean species. In this decision, I think he is not borne out by the terms used by LINNAEUS, which are, " rectricibus extimis scapo albo ;" whereas, to suit the T. Temminckii, they ought to be " rec- tricibus extimis albis." The Linnean species is farther de- scribed as " corpore subtus rufescente;" that is, with the un- der parts of the body rufous or reddish — a character by no means applicable to the T. Temminckii at any period, or change of plumage, but which is so to another exotic species. The Little Sandpiper of the British Zoology, described as having the tail dusky, I have ventured to assign to the next species, as being more applicable to it ; and the same with regard to the Brown Sandpiper of that work, which is dis- tinctly stated as having the tail cinereous. The Little Sand- piper described in the Appendix to MONTAGU'S Ornithologi- cal Dictionary is retained, as it agrees in every particular with the Tringa Temminckii of LEISLER, and of the " Ma- nuel d'Ornithologie ;" but the bird described under the same title in the Supplement to that work, I have transferred to the Tringa minuta, of which species it appears to be the young. VOL. II. K 146 GRALLATORES. TRINGA. TRINGA. The Pelidna pusilla and Pelidna Temminckii of STEPHENS seem to be identical. Occasional This delicate little species is known to us as an occasional visitant during the seasons of its migration, and several in- stances of its capture have been given of late years. Among others, two are mentioned in the second volume of the Zoolo- gical Journal, by that distinguished naturalist WILLIAM YARRELL, Esq., which were killed near Chichester in 1826 ; and I have in my possession a male and female killed in Norfolk in May 1830. In habits it resembles the rest of the tribe, but frequents more the interior lakes and rivers than the shores of the ocean. It feeds on insects, worms, and molluscous animals ; and though it is supposed to retire foi the purpose of reproduction to the higher latitudes of the north-eastern parts of Europe, the nest, colour of the eggs, &c. remain still unascertained. Upon the continent it is found in many parts of Germany, in its favourite locali- ties, during the period of migration ; but its stay is short, and it is never known to breed there. Similar as it is in size and general contour to the Tringa minuta, it may al- ways be recognised from that species by the whiteness of the outer feathers, and the more perfectly wedge-shaped form of the tail, as well as by the tarsi of this bird being considera- bly shorter than those of T. minuta. PLATE 27.* Fig. 1. Represents the adult bird, acquiring the summer plumage. General Forehead white, speckled with pale hair-brown. Between tion. the bill and eyes is a dusky streak, and over the eyes an indistinct whitish line. Chin and throat white, with a few minute brown specks. Crown, nape of the neck, and breast, ash-grey, spotted with hair-brown, and tinged with wood-brown. Back, scapulars, and wing- coverts hair-brown, tinged with olive; several black feathers with reddish margins being interspersed, indi- cating the commencement of the vernal change. Quills TRINGA. GRALLATORES. TRINGA. 147 deep hair-brown, glossed with olive-green. Tail cunei- form ; the middle feathers deep hair-brown, and the outer ones on each side white. Belly, vent, and under tail-coverts white. Legs greenish-grey, with the tarsus about five-eighths of an inch long. Bill nearly the same length, black. In the perfect nuptial dress, the whole of the feathers of the upper parts are black in the cen- tre, deeply margined with reddish-brown, and the mid- dle tail-feathers also become edged with reddish-white. Fig. 2. Is the young bird in its first or nestling plumage. In this state of feather the forehead, throat, belly, vent, Young and under tail- coverts, are white. Over the eyes is a streak of white, with specks of ash-grey. The nape, sides of the neck, and breast, are ash-grey, tinged with pale wood-brown. Back, scapulars, and wing-coverts hair-brown, each feather being edged with a double zone of dark hair-brown and white, similar to the im- mature Knot. Quills and middle tail-feathers edged with white. Legs and bill paler than in the adult bird. MINUTE TRINGA. TRINGA MINUTA, Ldsler. PLATE XXVII. « FIGS. 3. and 4. Tringa minuta, Leisler, Nachtr. zu Bechst. Naturg. Deut. Heft 1. 74. art. 10 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 109. sp. 155. Pelidna minuta, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 105. Tringa fusca ? Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 733. 26 ? Becasseau echassees, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 624. Little Sandpiper, Mont. Ornith. Diet. Supp. Young. Little and Brown Sandpiper, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. 463. No. 195. and 473. No. 207 Lath. Syn. Sup. 250. Minute Dunlin, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 105. Little Stint, BewicWs Br. Birds, 122 — Fox, Newc. Mus. 114. THIS appears to be the bird most commonly described by our writers as the Little Sandpiper ( Tringa pusilla of LIN- 148 GRALLATORES. TRINGA. TRINGA. »it£us), though the same objections hold good with respect to its identity, which I have previously stated as prevailing in the case of T. Temminckn, with which species also I have no doubt it has been frequently confounded. In size it rather exceeds that bird ; but its form and general appear- ance are so similar, as to render a narrow inspection abso- lutely necessary to ascertain the peculiar characters that dis- tinguish the one from the other. The first essential differ- ence observable is in the comparative length of the tarsus, being in T. minuta fully seven-eighths of an inch long, whilst in T. Temminckii it does not exceed five-eighths. The form of the tail also varies from that of the latter bird (which I have described as wedge-shaped), being doubly forked ; that is, the two middle feathers and the outer one on each side are longer than the intermediate ones, thus giv- ing to each half of the tail a forked appearance ; added to which, its colour is dissimilar, the whole of the feathers be- ing of an uniform pale hair-brown, with the exception of the central ones, which are deep lustrous hair-brown. The legs and feet also of the present species vary, by being of a darker colour. Like the T. Temmmckii it can only be con- Occasional sidered in the light of an occasional visitant, during its au- tumnal migrations. In addition to the instances recorded by MONTAGU, BEWICK, and others, Mr YARRELL, in the Zoological Journal, mentions four of these birds that were killed in 1826, and I have since met with other specimens, all killed in the southern parts of England, as it is very rare- ly met with in the northern districts of the island. Accord- ing to TEMMINCK, it is not uncommon during its autumnal passage in the extensive marshes of Holland ; and it is also frequently found on the margins of lakes and rivers in France and Germany. It is very common upon the lake of Geneva ; and I have received specimens in almost perfect summer plu- mage from Italy, as well as others from India, which appear Food, to be identical with the European kind. It feeds upon the smaller water-insects, worms, and mollusca. It has not yet THINGA. GRALLATORES. TRINGA. 149 been ascertained where it retires to breed, but from its line of migration, the summer retreat will probably be found in the north-eastern parts of Europe, and in Northern Asia. Fig. 3. Represents the adult bird in summer plumage. Forehead, eye-streak, chin, throat, abdomen, vent, under General and side coverts of the tail, pure white. Crown of the tion. head blackish-brown, the feathers being margined with Adult pale reddish-brown. Nape of the neck ash-grey. Breast-feathers spotted with hair-brown, and margined with yellowish-brown. Back, scapulars, and tertials deep hair-brown, the feathers being margined with red- dish-brown and yellowish-white. Lesser coverts, near the ridge of the wings, plain hair-brown, the rest edged with reddish-brown and yellowish-white. Quills deep hair-brown, with white shafts. Tail doubly forked, the two middle feathers deep hair-brown, with reddish- white edges ; the others pale hair-brown, faintly edged with white. Tarsus seven-eighths of an inch long. Legs and toes blackish-grey. Fig. 4. Is the young of this species ; — in which state it Young very closely resembles the immature bird of the prece- ding one. The eye-streak is, however, more distinct, and the breast more inclined to pale yellowish-brown. The dark zone which encircles each feather in the upper parts of the body is also more defined and intense in co- lour, giving a spotted appearance. The comparative length of the tarsus, as in the adult, is of itself sufficient to distinguish it from T. Temminckn. 150 GRALLATORES. TRINGA. TRINGA. PURPLE OR ROCK TRINGA. TRINGA MARITIMA, Brun. PLATE XXVI. FIG. 6. Tringa maritima, Erun. No. 182 — Gmel. Syst. 1. 678 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 731. sp. 18 — Markw. Cat. Birds in Trans. Linn. Soc. 4. 22. Tab. 1. Tringa nigricans, Mont, in Linn. Trans. 4. 40. Tab. 2. Tringa striata, Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 110. sp. 157., but not the T. striata of Lath, and Gmel., which refers to Totanus calidris. Tringa canadensis, Lath. Ind. Orn. Sup. 65 — Steph. Shaw's ZooL 12. 122. Totanus maritimus, Steph. Shaw's ZooL 12. 146. Becasseau Violet, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 619. Selninger Sandpiper, Lath. Syn. 5. 173. 15 — Arct. Zool. 2. 480. Sea Sandpiper, Linn. Trans. 4. 22. Tab. 1. Quebec Sandpiper, Lath. Syn. Sup. 2. 313. Knot, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. 461. No. 193., but not the synonyms except that of Brunnick. — Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 75. Phayrelarn Sandpiper, Mont, in Trans. Linn. Soc. 4. 40. Tab. 2. Purple Sandpiper, Wall. Syn. 2. 155 — Mont. Ornith. Diet, et Supp. — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 110. sp. 157 — Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 146. THE locality of this species being strictly confined to the rocky coasts of the ocean, and never found upon the flat and sandy shores (the usual resort of most of the maritime scolo- paceous birds), has occasioned its falling less frequently un- der the notice of ornithologists, and its history has been con- sequently involved in much obscurity, and there is some dif- ficulty in collating the synonyms under which it has been described by different authors. In the above list I have omitted the Tringa striata of LATHAM and GMELIN, quoted by MONTAGU and STEPHENS as a synonym of this species, as I consider it more appropriate, and rather belonging to Totanus calidris in its immature plumage, than to this bird. I have also rejected the Black Sandpiper of PENNANT ( Tringa Lincolniensis of LATHAM), which bird MONTAGU thinks may be a variety of T. maritima ; but, when describ- ed as having long and slender legs, I cannot reconcile it with the Purple Tringa, whose legs are short, the tarsus scarcely TRINGA. GRALLATORES. TRINGA. 151 equalling the length of the middle toe. In the fourth volume of the Linnean Transactions, a correct description of our bird is given by MONTAGU as a supposed nondescript species, under the title of the Phayrelarn Sandpiper ( Tringa nigri- cans) ; but he afterwards corrected his mistake in the Orni- thological Dictionary and the Supplement to it. It is also described in the above mentioned volume by Mr MARCH- WICK, in his Catalogue of the Birds of Sussex, as the Sea Sandpiper (Tringa maritima of LATHAM). PENNANT, in his description of the Knot, appears to have mixed up this bird with the true Knot (Tringa canutus), in which confu- sion he was followed by BEWICK, whose excellent figure of the Knot, however, at once identifies it with the Purple Sand- piper of authors. STEPHENS has, in one instance, described it as a Tringa, under the title of Tringa canadensis (Que- bec Sandpiper of LATHAM) ; and, in another place, as a To- tanus, under the name of Totanus maritimus. The Purple Tringa is a winter visitant to this country, Periodical generally arriving early in October, and departing for more northern latitudes in April. On the Northumbrian coast it is a common bird, and is met with in numerous flocks where- ever the beach is bold and rocky. The Fern Islands, which are composed of trap (or basaltic) rocks, are a favourite re- sort, and it sometimes happens that a few stragglers are left at the period of the vernal migration, remaining through the summer, and breeding on the smaller islets. I have hitherto been unable to obtain the eggs, but have met with the young more than once in the month of June. When in flocks, these birds fly in a compact body, but seldom to any great distance ; and, when disturbed, after taking a small circuit seaward, often return to the same exposed rock by the water's edge, from which they started. They feed on marine in- Food, sects, such as onisci, small cancri, and on bivalve mollusca?, &c. which they seek for by turning aside the fronds of the ulvas, and other maritime plants, that grow on the rocks. Their cry is feeble, and not unlike the word weef, weet, fre- 152 • GRALLATORES. TRINGA. TRINGA. quently repeated. In spring, they sometimes associate with the Turnstones (Strepsilas inter pres), which affect the same localities. The flesh of this Tringa, from the nature of the food, is strong and somewhat rank, much inferior to that of the Knot, Purre, &c. The species is rather widely dissemi- nated throughout Europe during its equatorial migration, being found upon the rocky shores of the Baltic and Medi- terranean, as well as upon those of Holland and the British Islands. There is no difference between the American and our own ; there it inhabits Hudson's Bay, and the other northern coasts of that continent. FIG. 6. Represents this bird in the winter plumage. General Head and neck greyish-black, tinged with broccoli-brown. tioSn.nP" Orbits of the eyes, eye-streak, and chin, greyish- white. Winter Breast deep ash-grey, inclining to hair-brown, many of plumage. tne feathers having a darker centre, and being finely margined with white. Abdomen, flanks, and under tail-coverts white, spotted and streaked with deep ash and hair brown. Back and scapulars greyish-black, glossed with purple, and each feather margined with ash-grey. Wing-coverts greyish-black, margined and tipped with white, the tips of the greater ones forming a bar across the wings. Secondary quills, nearest to the tertials, almost wholly white, the rest having white tips only. Lower back and upper tail-coverts black, glossed with purple. Tail cuneiform, the middle feathers greyish-black; the outer ones ash-grey, mar- gined with white. Bill, in adult specimens, one inch and a quarter long, very slightly deflected at the tip ; the base reddish-orange, the tip dusky. Legs and toes ochreous-yellow, having the tibiae feathered to within a short distance of the tarsal joint ; and the lateral mem- brane (or web) of the toes not quite so large as in the Knot. DUNLIN. GRALLATORES. TRINGA. 153 In the summer, the head becomes darker, and the feathers Summer margined with greyish- white. The back and scapulars also acquire a greater intensity, and the purple gloss shines with greater brilliancy ; the ash-grey edging of the feathers also changes to white, and the spots upon the breast and flanks acquire a more distinct lanceolated form. In the young, or nestling plumage, the head, back, and Young. scapulars are of a dull greyish-black, the feathers being margined with dirty yellowish-brown. The sides of the neck and breast are ash-grey, with darker streaks. Flanks and under tail-coverts with large longitudinal streaks of deep ash-grey. Base of the bill ochre-yellow. D'UNLIN, OR PURRE. TRINGA VARIABILIS, Meyer. PLATE XXVI. Figs. 1. 2. 3. Tringa variabilis, Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 397 Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 612. Pelidna variabilis, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 98. pi. 15. in summer pl\jmage. Tringa alpina, Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 108. sp. 153 — Sabine, Trans. Linn. , Soc 12. 534. Becasseau Brunette ou variable, Temm. Man. 2. 612. L'Alouette de Mer a Collier, Cuv. Reg. Anim. 1 490. Dunlin, Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 108. sp. 153 — Mont. Ornith. Diet. App. to Sup. Purre Dunlin, Steph. Shaw's ZooL 12. 98. pi. 15. Tringa Cinclus, Linn. Syst. 1. 251. 18 — Gmel Syst. 1. 680.— Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 735. sp. 35.— Rail, Syn. 100. A. 13. Cinclus, Briss. Orn. 5. 211. pi. 19. f. 1. L'Alouette de Mer, Buff. Ois. 7- 548. Winter Purre or Stint, Will. ( Angl.) 305 — Penn. Br. Zool. 2. 472 — N o. 206 — Id. plumage. Arct. Zool. 2. 475 — Lath. Syn. 5. 182 Mont. Orn. Diet. 5 Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 119 — Wils. Amer. Orn. 7. 39. pi. 59. f. 3— Wall. Syn. 2. pi. 150. Tringa ruficollis, Pall. Reis. 3. 700. 31 Lath. Orn. 736. sp. 36. Red-necked Sandpiper, Lath. Syn. 5. 183. 31. This appears to be young when it has nearly perfected the winter plumage. Summer plumage, and changes in acquiring and losing it. 154 GRALLATORES. TRINGA. DUNLIN. Tringa alpina, Linn. Syst. 1. 249. 11 — Geml Syst. 1. 676 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 736. sp. 37- Cinclus torquatus, JBriss. Orn. 5. 216. No. 11. t. 19. f. 2. Gallinago anglicana, Id. 5. 309. 5. Le Cincle, Buff. Ois. 7. 553. La Brunette, Id. 7. 493. Red-backed Sandpiper, Wils. Amer. Orn. 7- 25. pi. 56. f. 2. Dunlin, Will. Orn. (Angl.) 305.— Kali Syn. 109. A. 11 — Penn. Br. Zool. 2. 471. No. 205 Arct-Zool. 2. No. 391.— Lath. Syn. 5. 185. 33. Id. Sup. 249. — Mont. Ornith. Diet. 1. Sup. and App. to Sup.— Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 117- &c. PROVINCIAL — Sea-snipe, Ox-bird, Oxeye, Wagtail, Least Snipe. PREVIOUS to the appearance of MONTAGU'S Supplement to his Ornithological Dictionary (when the identity of the Dunlin and Purre of authors was first pointed out), this bird, in the writings and compilations of earlier naturalists, had always been considered, under its different states of plumage, as forming at least two distinct species, as may be collected from the list of synonyms given above. These views of our zealous countryman, who was one of the first to direct the attention of inquirers to the remarkable changes of plumage that so many species are now ascertained to un- dergo, were soon afterwards corroborated by the observations of that discriminating ornithologist Mons. TEMMINCK, in his " Manuel," where he has traced and attached the various sy- nonyms, as they appeared applicable to the different states of this bird, either at the period when the change has been com- pletely effected (as exhibited in its winter or summer plum- age), or in the intermediate stages of moulting, in its pro- gress from one to the other. After the authority of two such names, it may appear unnecessary to bring forward any additional proof of this identity ; but as the situation in which I happen to reside is peculiarly favourable for mak- ing observations on the tribes of fowl that resort to our coasts, I may be allowed to remark, that after having ex- amined specimens at all seasons, and indeed during each month of the year (when the progressive changes from one state to another may be traced step by step), I have been able to verify, most satisfactorily to my own mind, the cor- DUNLIN. GRALLATORES. TRINGA. 155 rectness of that opinion by which these supposed ^different species have been pronounced identical, under peculiar mo- difications of plumage. The Dunlin, or (as it is called in its winter dress) the Purre, is a very well known and nume- rous species, frequenting in immense flocks the sandy bays and oozy shores of the whole line of our coast. In the southern parts of Britain it is a winter visitant, and conse- Periodical T . , . visitant. quently oftenest observed in its plain, or ash-grey plumage ; and it is only in spring, immediately previous to its depar- ture for more northern latitudes, or early in autumn, on its first return, that a few are seen clothed in the garb proper to the Dunlin of earlier authors. In Scotland and its islands, this bird may be considered indigenous, as great numbers are known to breed not only upon the sea coast, but in the marshes of the interior. A few also remain in Northumber- land, which may be called the southern limit of the perma- nent residence of the species. It is not to be supposed, however, that the multitudes that people our northern shores are the offspring of such only as breed in this latitude; they are principally composed of migrants from countries farther northward, to which the great body retires during summer, as offering peculiar facilities for the reproduction of the species, but which, upon the approach of frost, and when food begins to fail, send forth their now increased flocks southward, in search of warmer winter quarters, where a more plentiful supply of nourishment may await them.— Like many of its congeners, the flight of this species is attended with such regular evolutions, as no one who has enjoyed the opportunity of visiting the parts of our coast frequented by Purres, and other scolopaceous birds, can have failed to re- mark. I allude to the glancing and simultaneous exposure of the upper or under surface of the body by every indivi- dual of a flock (be it ever so numerous), as it sweeps along the surface of the ocean, or across the shining sands. In Scotland, the Purre breeds upon the shingle at the mouths of rivers, or on the salt marshes near the coast, as well as in 156 GRALLATORES TRINGA. DUNLIN. Nest, &c. the bogs of the upland country. — The nest, merely a depres- sion in the ground, lined with a few straws or dried stems of grass, and, in appearance, similar to that of the Snipe or Ring Dotterel. The eggs, as in the rest of the family, are four in number, of an oil or greenish-grey colour, marked all over with variously sized spots of hair-brown, and are rather less than those of the Common Sandpiper (Totanus hypoleucos). Food. This species feeds on worms, insects, molluscae, and the smaller crustaceae, which it usually obtains by probing the sand in following the ebb of the tides. It runs with great celerity, and has a sprightly carriage and delicate form* When in action, it is in the constant habit of moving the tail up and down. Its cry, on wing, is a weak scream, but when at rest on the ground, or feeding, a softer and more pleasing note is used. Its flesh, during the autumn, is tender and well flavoured, but in winter it becomes darker in colour and fishy, and is always indeed inferior to that of the Knot. General Fig. 1. Represents this bird in the perfect winter plumage, tkm^" Crown of the head, hind part of the neck, back and sea- Winter pulars ash-grey, with a tinge of hair-brown ; the shaft of each feather being darker. Between the bill and eyes is an indistinct line of brown. Eye-streak and cheeks white, streaked with pale hair-brown. Chin and throat white. Lower part of neck and breast grey, the shafts of the feathers being hair-brown. Belly, ab- domen, vent, and under tail-coverts pure white. Wing- coverts hair-brown, margined with pale ash-grey, the larger ones having white tips. Rump and upper- tail-covers deep hair-brown, margined paler. Tail ap- proaching to the doubly-forked shape^ the two middle feathers being the longest, and of a deep hair- brown colour, the rest, on each side, grey, with white shafts. Bill black, very slightly inclined at the tip. Legs and toes blackish-grey. DUNLIN. GRALLATORES. TRINGA. 157 Fig. 2. The same species in the summer or nuptial plum- Summer age. Crown of the head black, the feathers being margined with reddish-brown. Chin white. Cheeks, fore part of the neck and breast, black, with the feathers deeply margined with white, giving these parts a beautifully spotted appearance. Belly and abdomen black. Flanks and side-coverts of the tail white, streaked with black. Hind part of the neck, mantle, and scapulars black, each feather being deeply margined with clear reddish- brown. Lower part of back, and upper tail-coverts brownish-black. Wing-coverts as in the winter plum- age.— This description taken from a specimen killed to- wards the end of May. Fig. 3. Is the young of the year, in a state of change from Young the nestling to the winter plumage. Head blackish-brown, the feathers being edged with yel- lowish-brown. Upper parts exhibiting a mixture of the pale grey feathers that mark the winter plumage, with the darker (or nestling) feathers. Cheeks and sides of the neck pale brown mixed with grey. Breast grey, spotted with black. Belly white, with large black spots. Vent and under tail-coverts white. CURLEW TRINGA. TRINGA SUBARQUATA, Temm. PLATE XXVI. Figs. 4. 5. Tringa rsubarquata, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 609. — Flem. Br. Anim. 1, 107. sp. 152. Becasseau Cocorli, Temm. ut supra. Pelidna subarquata, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 96. L'Alouette de Mer ordinaire, Cuv. Reg. Anim. 1. 490. Red Dunlin, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 96. Pigmy Sandpiper, Bewick's Br. Birds. 2. Sup. p. and t. 11. Pigmy Curlew, Mont, Orn. Diet, Sup. the young of the year. 3 158 GRALLATORES. TRINGA. CURLEW. f Numenius Africanus, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 7i2. sp. 10. Winter J Scolopax Atricana, Gmel. Syst. I. 655. plumage. 1 L'Alouette de Mer, Buff. Ois. Enl. 851. (Cape Curlew, Lath. Syn. 5. 126. 9. ! Scolopax subarquata, Gmel. Syst. 1. 658. sp. 25. Numenius subarquata, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 135. No. 3. t. 6. Rauthbauchiger Brachvogel, Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 356. Red Sandpiper, Penn. Arct. ZooL 2. 476. No. 392.— Lath. Syn. 5. 186. Rockmillis, Will. Oin. (Angl.) p. 304. ? THIS species, in its winter dress, may easily be mistaken by a cursory observer for Trmga variabilis, to which it bears a close resemblance in colour and dimensions, particu- larly as regards the male, which is always much less than the female bird, and the bill of which is frequently found very little longer than in adult specimens of the Dunlin. The greater curvature, however, of this member, the compa- rative length of the tarsi, and larger naked portion of the tibiae, as well as the colour of the upper tail-coverts, are always sufficiently characteristic to point out the difference between the two species whenever a proper comparative examination can take place. In its summer plumage, such a mistake can scarcely occur, as the difference then must be obvious, even to those unacquainted with the subject. In collating the synonyms of this species, I have omitted the Numenius pygmaus of LATHAM, as I concur with Mons. TEMMINCK and Mr VIGORS in considering it to refer to the Trmga platyryncha of TEMM., rather than to the present species. The Cape Curlew (Numenius Africanus), however, appears to be strictly referable to it ; and specimens that I have re- ceived from Africa are in every respect similar to those killed Rare visi- in Europe. — This bird is a rare visitant in Britain, and only seen during its vernal or autumnal migration. Upon the continental shores of Europe, and on the margins of the larger lakes, it is not uncommon ; and, according to TEM- MINCK, it occasionally breeds in Holland by the sides of the extensive inland seas that occupy so large a portion of that Eggs. country. — Its four eggs are stated to be yellowish (jauna- tres), probably answering to SYME'S oil-green, spotted with CURLEW. GRALLATORES. TRINGA. 159 brown, the prevailing colour, indeed, of the eggs of most of the Scolopacidse. Its geographical distribution is very ex- tensive, as the species appears to be the same in all the four quarters of the globe. In addition to the specimens hitherto recorded, a male and female were killed a short time ago near Hartlepool, in the county of Durham ; and two, in the collection of Sir WILLIAM JARDINE, were shot upon the coast in Dumfriesshire. It runs with great quickness, and feeds upon insects, worms, &c. for which it probes the sand Food. by the water's edge. Fig. 4. Represents this bird when beginning to lose the General summer plumage, taken from a specimen killed on the tion.™^ Norfolk coast, in company with several others which had Summer . ' plumage. nearly acquired the winter garb, and presented to me by H. GIRDLESTONE, Esq. of Yarmouth. Bill black and deflected near the tip, its length one inch and three-eighths. Crown of the head blackish-brown, mar- gined with pale reddish-brown. Hind part of the neck reddish-brown, streaked with hair-brown. Back and scapulars black, deeply bordered with reddish- brown, the tips of the feathers fading into yellowish-grey, and much worn by the action of the weather, &c. Wing- coverts pale hair-brown, margined with greyish-white. Quills hair-brown, with white shafts. Upper tail- coverts white, barred with black. Forehead, eye-streak, chin, and throat white, mixed with pale orange-brown. Under parts orange-brown, with a few white feathers inter- mixed ; shewing the commencement of the winter plum- age. Under tail-coverts white, with arrow-shaped black spots. Legs black, much longer than those of the Ihm- lin, and naked for half an inch above the tarsal joint. Wings, when closed, reaching a little beyond the tail. Fig. 5. Is a young bird of the year, acquiring the winter plumage. 160 GRALLATORES. PHALAROPUS. Young. Eye- streak, face, and fore part of the neck, white. Crown of the head blackish-brown, bordered with greyish-white. Hind part of neck greyish- white, with streaks of a deeper tint ; upper parts hair-brown, with a glossy re- •flection, the feathers being margined with white and reddish-white. Upon the back are several ash-grey feathers, indicative of the approaching change. Upper tail-coverts white. Lower part of neck and breast yel- lowish-grey. Belly, abdomen, and under tail-coverts white. Tail grey margined with white. Winter jn ^ne perfect winter dress, the whole of the upper parts, plumage. ... with the exception of the tail-coverts, become of an uni- form pale hair-brown, with a slight olivaceous gloss, the shafts of the feathers remaining dark. Lower part of the neck and breast grey, streaked with hair-brown. GENUS PHALAROPUS, BRISS. PHALAROPE. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill rather longer than the head, somewhat three-cornered at the base, and depressed throughout its whole length ; both mandibles laterally grooved, the tip of the upper mandible dilated, its extremity slightly deflected, and covering that of the under one, which is brought to a fine point ; culmen rounded. Tongue short, with a blunt tip. Nostrils basal, lateral, oblong, rather prominent, and sur- rounded by a membrane. Legs of mean length, slender, slightly compressed, naked above the tar sal joint. Feet four- toed, three before and one behind ; the front toes joined at the base by a membrane, and from thence to the claws, bordered with large scalloped membranes. Hind toe small, with the tip of its claw scarcely reaching to the ground. In plumage, having the under parts of the body clothed with thickly set feathers, and very closely adpressed. GRALLATORES. PHALAROPUS. 161 THE genus Phalaropus of BRISSON contained not only tfye species to which it is now restricted, but also the Cootfoots, or birds belonging to the genus Lobipes of CUVIER, repre- sented by the Phalaropus Hyperboreus of authors, and which that eminent naturalist judged it expedient to separate from the present group, in consequence of the distinct character it displayed in the form of the bill. By LATHAM, TEMMINCK, and other systematists, these birds were placed in an order entitled Pinnatipedes, an arrangement completely artificial, and which embraced groups widely different, and so far re- moved from each other in point of affinity, as to possess, in fact, nothing in common except feet imperfectly webbed or lobated. According to the natural arrangement, or that grounded upon affinity, they are now more appropriately classed with the Scolopacida, and the groups which stand at the extremity of that family, or which, departing from the central (or more typical) genera, in regard to their habits (that are more aquatic), and in the lobated form of their feet (that are not unlike those of the Coots), lead the way and serve as a link to connect it with the succeeding family of the Rallidf-e. In the Phalaropes, the formation of the bill is nearly the same as that of the Knot, but it is more de- pressed throughout its length, and the tip comes to a sharper and more determinate point. The general contour of the body is also similar to that of the Tringas. The extensive development of the membrane connecting and bordering the margins of the toes, as well as the thick and closely set plum- age of the under parts of the body, indicate more aquatic habits, and a greater power of being supported on the water ; and we accordingly find, that the Phalaropes are more fre- quently seen upon the surface of the ocean, where they float at ease even amidst the roughest waves, than on the land, where their motions are more confined, and display less of the activity that distinguishes the Tringas and other birds that frequent the shores. Their moult is double, and the changes they undergo are not unlike those of the Tringas. VOL. II. L 162 GRALLATORES. PHALAROPUS. PHALAKOPE. They are natives of the Arctic regions, and extend to very high northern latitudes. Their food consists of marine insects, mollusca, and worms, which abound in the waters they frequent, and are seized by them when swimming, as they float near the surface. GREY PHALAROPE. PHALAROPUS LOBATUS, Flem. PLATE XXVIIT. Phalaropus platyrynchos, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 712. — Sabine, Linn. Trans. 12. 536. Phalaropus griseus, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 163. pi. 20. Phalaropus lobatus, Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 776. 2. (Tringa lobata, Linn. 1. 249. $.—Gmel. Syst. 1. 674. Phalaropus, Briss. 6. 12. 1. Le Phalarope a festons denteles, Buff. Ois. 8. 226. Le Phalarope gris, Cuv. Reg. Anim. 1. 492. Grey Coot-footed Tringa, Edward, t. 308. Grey Phalarope, Br. Zool. 2. No. 218. t. 76 — Arct. Zool. 2. No. 412 — Mont. Ornith. Diet, and Sup. Appendix. Grey Phalarope, Lath. Syn. 272 __ the young commencing the autumnal moult / Tringa fulicaria, Linn. Syst. 1. 249. 10 — Brun. Orn. Boreal. 51. No. 172. I Phalaropus rufescens, Briss. Ornith. 6. 20. 4. Summer I Le Phalarope rouge, Buff. Ois. 8. 225 — Cuv. Reg. Anim. 1. 492. plumage. \ Red Coot-footed Tringa, Edward, t. 142. I Red Phalarope, female, Lath. Syn. 5. 271. ^Rothbauchiger Wassertreter, Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 419. sp. 2. (Phalaropus glacialis, Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 776. sp. 3. Adult in J Tringa glacialis, Gmel. Syst. 1. 675. change, (plain Phalarope, Arct. Zool. 2. 415 __ Lath. Syn. 5 1?3. 3. Rare Ouit acquaintance with this species is only as a rare visi- visitant. a £ew straggiers being accidentally driven upon our coasts, during their autumnal migrations. These birds are inhabitants of the north-eastern parts of Europe, and North- ern Asia, where they are numerous upon the large lakes and rivers of Siberia : they also abound in North America ; but their range, even during the equatorial migrations, does not PHALAROPE. GRALLATORES. PHALAROPUS. 163 seem to extend far beyond the limits of the arctic circle. In summer, during the breeding season, they retire to very high latitudes, and are amongst the few kinds met with by navi- gators in those icy and desolate regions. In their habits they are much more aquatic than the Tringas, &c. passing the greater part of their lives on the water, and swimming with great buoyancy and ease ; upon this element also they obtain their food, consisting of marine insects and worms Food, that live in the water, and move near the surface ; for it does not appear that these birds are enabled to dive, never having been observed to exercise that faculty, either when feeding, or in their endeavours to escape from any threatened danger. In addition to their lobated feet, they possess other peculia- rities indicative of aquatic habits ; for we find the tarsus slightly flattened (so as to offer less resistance to the water, when drawn forwards to make the stroke in swimming), and the plumage of the lower parts of the body rendered, by its thick and close-set character, more impervious to the water, similar to that of the Laridte and Anatida. They fly with great strength and swiftness, and, when on wing, are not easily distinguished from the Tringas. The nidification and colour of the eggs of this species have not yet been de- scribed. PLATE 28. represents the Phalarope, as killed in autumn, when it has nearly acquired the winter or grey plu- mage; and again in that which it assumes as spring advances, and called the summer, or nuptial dress. In the former state, the forehead, crown of the head, General throat, fore part and sides of the neck, breast, and the ^^^ whole of the under parts are white. Hind part of the Winter head, ear-coverts, and streak down the nape of the Plumaga neck, greyish-black. Upper parts of the body fine bluish-grey, intermixed with a few feathers of a greyish- black, margined with pale yellowish-brown and white ; these being the remains of the summer plumage. Wing 164 GRALLATORES. LOBIPES. coverts greyish-black, edged with white ; the secondary coverts having their tips white, and forming a bar across the wings. Tertials black, with the outer web margined with white. Quills greyish-black, with white shafts. Tail grey, finely margined with white. Bill blackish-brown. Legs and toes greenish-grey, with the tarsus somewhat flattened. In this state of plumage it appears to be the Phalaropus gladalis of LATHAM, (Plain Phalarope of PENNANTS Arctic Zoology). The specimen, as above described, was killed at the Fern Islands in the autumn of 1820. Summer In summer, the sides and fore part of the neck, the breast and under parts, are of an uniform orange-brown. The streak above the eye sienna-3/ellow. Crown of the head, nape of the neck, back, and scapulars of a very deep olive-brown ; each feather being margined with pale red- dish-brown and yellowish-brown. Wing coverts as in the winter plumage. GENUS LOBIPES. LOBEFOOT. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill longer than the head, strait, smooth, slightly depressed at the base ; the point subulate, and rather inclined ; man- dibles grooved. Tongue slender and pointed. Nostrils ba- sal, lateral, linear, placed in the commencement of the man- dibular furrow, and surrounded by a prominent membra- nous rim. Wings long, and sharp-pointed ; with the first quill longest, and the rest decreasing by regular gradation. In the legs, the lower part of the tibiae is naked ; the tar- sus slender, and much compressed ; feet four-toed, three be- fore and one behind. The middle toe connected with the inner one as far as the first, and with the outer ones as far GRALLATORES. LOBIPES. 165 as the second joint ; the remaining part of the toes having lobated membranes, with finely pectinated edges ; nails, scarcely extending beyond the ends of the toes, small, fal- cated, and sharp-pointed. Plumage similar in texture to the genus Phalaropus. The different characters exhibited in the form of the bill between the Phalaropus liyperboreus of authors, and the Phalaropus lobatus, induced CUVIER, in his " Regne Ani- mal," to separate the former from the latter, and to make it the type of a genus, which he entitled Lobipes. In this arrangement he has been followed by most of the ornitholo- gists of the present day, and the propriety of it is further evinced by the discovery of several new species, possessing all the distinct characters of the type. In the Grey Phala- rope the form of the bill is described as approaching to that of the Knot ; in the Lobefoots it is similar to that of the Sandpipers, being slender, very little depressed, and acumi- nated at the point. In the Lobefoots, the tongue is long, slender, and sharp-pointed ; whereas in the Phalaropes, it is short, and blunt at the tip : the legs also- of the former are considerably longer in proportion to the size of the body. Their habits, as might be expected from the form of the feet, and, from their general resemblance, are very similar to those of the Phalaropes, and they 'swim with equal strength and ease. They are the inhabitants of sea coasts, as well as of inland fresh-water lakes and rivers, and are widely distri- buted, being found in countries differing, to extremes, in temperature. The Lobipes hyperborea, which sometimes visits our shores, inhabits the arctic regions of Europe and North America; the Lobipes incana is a native of South America ; and another has been found in Africa. Like the Phalaropes, and other scolopaceous birds, their moult is double, and the plumage of summer is more varied, and of brighter tints, than their winter clothing. The feathers of the under parts of the body are, in texture, like those of the 166 GRALLATORES. LOBIPES. LOBEFOOT. Phalaropes, and equally well adapted to resist the effects of the element in which they chiefly move. They breed upon the margins of lakes, and, like the other birds of this family, lay four eggs. Aquatic insects, molluscae, &c. compose their food, which they generally obtain on or very near the sur- face of the water. RED LOBEFOOT. LOBIPES HYPERBOREA, Cuvier. PLATE XXVIII. FIGS. 1. 2. Lobipes hyperborea, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 169. pL 21 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 100. sp. 134. Le Lobipede a hauss col, Cuv. Reg. Anim. 1. 495. Phalaropus hyperboreus, Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 775. 1 — Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 709 — Sabine, Linn. Trans. 12. 535 — Saline, in Frank. Jour. Append. 690. Tringa hyperborea, Linn. Syst. 1. 249. 9 — Gmel Syst. 1. 675. sp. 9. Phalaropus cinereus, Briss* Ornith. 6. 1-5. 2. Phalarope cendre' ou Phalarope de Siberie, Buff. Ois, 8. 224. Rothhalsiger Wassertreter, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 5. 373 — Meyer, Tass- chenb. Deut. 2. 417. Cock Coot-footed Tringa, Edward, Glean, pi. 148. Red Phalarope, Br. Zool. 2. 219. t. 76.— Lath. Syn. 5. 270. 1.— Mont. Ornith. Diet and Sup. Append — Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 109 Will. Amer. Ornith. 9. 75. Phalaropus "Williamsii, Simmonds, in Linn. Trans. 8. 264. f Phalaropus fuscus, Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 776. sp. 4 — Briss. Ornith. 6. 18.3. Uringa fusca, Gmel. Syst. 1. 675. Gemeine Wassertreter, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 2. 217- Coot-footed Tringa, Edward, pi. 46. Brown Phalarope, Penn. Arct. Zool. 2. 414 — Lath. Syn. 5. 274. 4. PROVINCIAL — Water Snipe. IN the Orkneys, and the other northern Scottish islands, the Red Lobefoot is a common species, inhabiting, during the summer, the numerous small fresh- water lakes, upon the mar- gins of which it breeds and rears its young. In these places it goes under the name of the Water Snipe, from its aquatic ha- bits, for it is more frequently seen swimming or floating upon the surface of the water, than running or reposing on the LOBEFOOT. GRALLATORES. LOBIPES. 167 shore ; and in the former element also its food is obtained, consisting of water insects, vermes, and molluscous animals*. Food. In England, we only know this bird as a rare visitant during the period of its migration, and but few instances of its cap- ture are on record. It is, however, plentiful in the north- Rare visi- eastern parts of Europe, and in Northern Asia, as well as in Engian(j. North America, where its polar migration, as in the two first mentioned quarters of the globe, extends to a very high latitude. Its nest is made in the grass, and other herbage Nest, &c. not far removed from the edge of the water, and its four eggs are of a deep oil-green colour, thickly spotted with black. On the approach of autumn, and after the young have attained sufficient strength, these birds leave their breeding stations in the Orkneys, and the higher northern regions, and migrate, for the winter season, to the shores of the Baltic, and other eastern parts of Europe. PLATE 28*. Fig. 1. represents it in the summer plumage. Crown of the head, nape and hinder part of the neck, General sides of the breast, and streak behind the eyes, ash- ^Jnp" grey. Sides of the neck marked with an irregular patch Summer of orange-brown. Throat, middle of the breast, and p uma£e' all the under parts white ; except the flanks, which are dashed with ash-grey. Back and scapulars black ; the feathers being deeply margined with ash-grey and red- dish-brown. Wing coverts blackish-grey ; the greater ones terminated with white, and forming a bar across the wings. The two middle tail-feathers black ; the rest deep ash-grey, margined with white. Bill black ; legs and toes greenish-grey ; the lobes upon the anterior joint of the toes extending a little beyond the tip of the * According to Mr BULLOCK, who had frequent opportunities of observ- ing this bird, during an excursion to the Scottish Isles, it swims with the greatest ease, looking on the water like the beautiful miniature of a duck, and carrying its head close to the back, similar to the Teal. He also found it very tame, and so little alarmed by the report of a fowling-piece, as to- permit him to fire repeatedly, without its moving from the spot. 168 GRALLATORES. LOBIPES. LOBEFOOT. claw. Iris brown. — The above is the male bird. The plumage of the female is similar to that of the male, with the exception of the tints not being so pure, and the red patch on the sides of the neck not so intense in hue*. Fig. 2. is the winter plumage ; from a bird killed near Aln- mouth in Northumberland. Winter Forehead white, tinged with cinereous. Crown of the head, streak behind the eyes, and the list down to the back of the neck, blackish-grey. Chin, throat, middle of the belly, abdomen, and under tail-coverts, white, with a slight pinkish tinge. Sides of the neck and breast grey, with a faint blush of purplish-red. Back, scapulars, and wing-coverts black ; the feathers of the former being deeply edged with yellowish-brown ; and the greater coverts having their tips white, forming a distinct bar across the wings. Middle feathers of the tail black, margined with yellowish-brown ; the rest ash-grey, margined with white. Legs and toes green- ish-grey. In the above state it approaches very closely to the description of the young of this species, as given by TEMMINCK ; and also to the Phalaropus fuscus of LATHAM. It would, therefore, seem, that the plumage of the young of the year, and that of the adults in win- ter, bear a strong resemblance. * The description of the female, as given in MONT. Ornith. Diet, from Dr LATHAM'S authority, applies to the Phalarope, and not to the species ofLobefoot GRALLATORES. RALLID^. 169 FAMILY IV.— RALLID^l. FROM the typical family of the Scolopatidce we now enter upon that of the Rallidce, which forms the fourth natural division of the Order, standing as an aberrant group. The various members composing it, and which answer to the Macrodactyles of CUVIER, are distinguished from the birds of the preceding family, by having the bill considerably stronger, the tarsi shorter, and the hind toe of greater length. They are also separated from all the other families of the order, and more united together, by the particular shape of the body, which, in the typical or representative species, is much compressed on the sides, arising from the structure of the breast-bone, it being found, on dissection, remarkably narrow. In their habits they are more decidedly aquatic than the other families, and the greater part of them inhabit the interior lakes and marshes of their respective countries ; many of them swim habitually and with facility, in this re- spect shewing their connexion with the true Natatores ; to which order, by means of the Coot, they directly lead the way. The feet of most of the species are divided and with- out webs, but the toes and claws of many of them are long, and cover a large disk when expanded ; which formation (as well as the shape of the body), not only aids them in swim- ming, but is of great assistance to them in traversing the sur- face of the water, when covered with aquatic plants and grasses. In GaUinula, whose habits are decidedly aquatic, the toes are bordered along their sides with a narrow web, being an extension, as it were, of the membranous sole of the foot ; and the same is observable, perhaps to a greater de- gree, in the nearly allied genus Porphyrio. This, in the genus Fulica (placed still nearer to the farther extremity of the family, and serving as a link between it and the Cha- radriadce, and the Order Natatores), become still more ex- 170 GRALLATORES. RALLUS. tended, and assumes the form of large scalloped lobes; a structure that induced former systematists, in their artificial arrangement, to establish a separate order for its reception, and that of some other birds, to appearance not intimately connected, as the Phalaropes and Grebes ; the first of which belong to the Scolopacidce, the other to the Order Natatores, and included in the Family of the ColymUdce. In Britain, the members belonging to this family are few ; consequently many links of the chain that connect the various groups with each other are wanting. The plumage of most of the Rallidce is soft, and loose in texture ; their wings, with few excep- tions, are short and rounded, generally armed with one or more spurs near the first flexure of the wing (more or less developed in the different genera), and they fly in a heavy and awkward manner ; many of them, indeed, shewing a great unwillingness to take flight. They feed on aquatic herbs, grasses, and their seeds, as well as worms, insects, arid molluscae. They generally make a large nest, and lay several eggs ; in which character they resemble not only the gallinaceous birds of the rasorial order, but also the Anatidce of the Order Natatores. GENUS RALLUS, AUCT. RAIL. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill longer than the head, rather slender, compressed at the base, with the tip cylindrical and slightly incurved ; up- per mandible sulcated for two- thirds of its length, the under one strait, and the angle very small. Nostrils pierced in a membrane, and situated in the fur- row of the bill at a short distance from the base ; linear and pervious. Tongue narrow, compressed, having a fibrous tip. Wings short, with the first quill feather much shorter than GRALLATORES. RALLUS. 171 the second and third, which are the longest in the wing. The bastard wing armed with a spine or spur. Forehead plumed ; the shaft of each feather ending in a sharp horny point. Tail short, consisting of twelve feathers. Legs of mean length, with the tibiae naked for a short space above the tarsal joint. Feet four-toed, three before and one behind ; toes long, slender, and cleft to their base, the middle one generally as long as the tarsus. Hind toe as long as the first joint of the middle one, and touching the ground. Nails falcate, compressed, and sharp-pointed. Front of the tarsus and upper part of the toes scutellated. The members of the genus Rallus, which may be consi- dered the typical (or representative) form in the family, have the body remarkably compressed, arising from the structure of the breast-bone, which is very narrow. Their wings are short and rounded ; their flight awkward and irregular, and only by sudden surprise, or close pursuit, can they be com- pelled to take wing. This partial deficiency, however, is amply compensated by the swiftness with which they can pierce through the thickest growth of reeds, or other aquatic herbage of the situations they chiefly frequent ; and their progress through which is doubtless much facilitated by the laterally-compressed form of body they possess, being thus enabled to squeeze through the narrowest interval. They also swim with ease, and though not so often seen in the ex- ercise of this faculty as the nearly allied genus Gallinula, they shew no unwillingness to pass by this mode the brooks, or many pools of water, in the marshes they inhabit. They live on worms, aquatic insects, and shelly molluscae, with a proportion also of vegetables and seeds. They closely ap- proach, in many respects, to the genera Crex and Galllnula., the passage to which is effected by certain species that stand at the extremity of the group, and which have the bill rather shortened and thicker than that of the Common Rail 172 GBALLATORES. RALLUS. RAIL. COMMON RAIL. RALLUS AQUATICVS, Linn. PLATE XXIX. Rallus aquaticus, Linn. Syst. 1. 262. sp. 2 — Geml Syst. 1. 712 — Rail, Syn. 113. A. 2 Ibid. 190. 12 — Witt. 234. t. 16 — Lath. Ind. Orn.» 2. 755. 1. but not the var. B Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 192. pi. 25-—Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 98. sp. 128. Gallina serica Gesneri, Raii Syn. 114. 4. La Rale d'Eau, Buff. Ois. 3. 154. t. l3.—Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 683. La Rale d'Eau d'Europe, Cuv. Reg. Anim. 1. 500. Wasser Ralle, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 464. — Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 2. 406. Velvet Runner, Will. (Angl.) 315. Water Rail, Bilcock, or Brook Ouzel,— Will. (Angl.) 314 — Penn, Br. Zool. 2. 484. No. 214. t. 75.— Alton's Br. Birds, 1. pi. 77 — Lath. Syn. 5. 227. I.— Levin's Br. Birds, 5. t. 189 — Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 15— Mont. Orn. Diet. 1. and Sup.— Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. t. p. 13.— Shaw's Zool. 12. 192. pi. 25 Flem. Br. Anim. 1.98. sp. 128. Bilcock, Rennie's Mont. Ornith. Diet. p. 33. PROVINCIAL — Runner, Skiddy.cock, Oar-cock, Grey-skit, Brook-runner. THE shy and solitary habits of this bird, as well as the peculiar localities it inhabits, and the difficulty with which it is forced on wing, prevent it being so frequently seen as, from its general dispersion throughout the kingdom, might otherwise be expected. It is permanently resident in this country, and to be found at all seasons of the year. MON- TAGU, however, (in the Supplement to his Ornithological Dictionary,) suggests that a part of those annually produced may probably migrate, and, in favour of this opinion, instances the great accumulation of Rails in the marshes of Devonshire in the autumn, being the period when, in this case, they would naturally leave England for a warmer climate. This supposition I have not been able to verify, and further ob- servations are therefore necessary to convert it into a fact. In the northern continental parts of Europe, this is a regu- larly migrative species, but in those countries the winter being always much more severe than it is in England, the 1 RAIL. GRALLATORES. RALLUS. 173 peculiar haunts of this and other members of the Rallidce are in consequence more completely frozen up, and the supplies of food more effectually cut off than they ever are in our island. The haunts of the Rail are marshes, pools, and wa- ter-courses, particularly such as are covered or bordered with dense aquatic herbage and reeds, in which it finds shelter and refuge, being enabled, by the narrow form of its head and body, to pass through the closest beds of these plants with great rapidity. To the above property is owing its principal security, as, when forced upon wing, its flight is awkward and slow, with the legs hanging down, and offering an easy aim to the sportsman. Few dogs are able to force it into view, unless when taken by surprise, or before it has time to gain its retreat, which I have not unfrequently found to be the forsaken hole of a water-rat, or amidst the entangled roots of a stunted willow or alder-bush. When moving about undisturbed, or in search of food, it often flirts up its tail, similar to the Water-Hen, exposing the cream-white un- der-co verts of that part. It occasionally swims, or (as WIL- LOUGHBY expressively terms it) walks in the water, travers- ing the pools, or crossing the brooks, upon whose margins it resides. When disturbed, it will occasionally run along the surface of the water, supported by the floating herbage, for which purpose its feet are well adapted, covering, upon ex- pansion, a large disk. It can also dive with readiness, to which method of escape it sometimes resorts, as I have ex- perienced in several instances. — Worms, slugs, and insects, Food, are its food, to which may be added the leaves and seeds of particular aquatic plants. One of these birds which I kept for some time, was fed entirely with earth-worms, upon which it continued to thrive, till an accident put an end to its life. It refused bread, and the larger kinds of grain. — In conse- quence of the retired spots chosen for nidification (being always amidst the thickest herbage of its haunts), the nest Nest, &c. is rarely found. MONTAGU mentions having discovered one in a willow-bed, which was composed of sedge and coarse 174 GRALLATORES. RALLUS. RAIL. grass, and contained six eggs of an immaculate white ; like those of its congeners, rounded at both ends. TEMMINCK and BECHSTEIN, however, make the number of eggs to be ten or twelve, and their colour a yellowish-white, spotted with reddish-brown, a description which also answers to those of the Crex Porzana. This discordance, I regret, it is not in my power to settle, never having been fortunate enough to meet with the nest of the Rail. The geographical distr^ bution of this species appears to be confined to Europe, and perhaps the northern parts of Asia ; permanent in the warm districts, but migratory as it approaches the north. It is very abundant throughout Holland, France, and Germany. PLATE 29- Represents this bird of the natural size. General ft[\\ reddish-orange at the base, passing into blackish-brown tion. towards the tip. Irides red. Chin pearl-grey. Cheeks, sides of the neck, breast, and belly, bluish-grey. Ab- domen and flanks greyish-black, barred with white and cream-yellow. Under tail-coverts cream-yellow. Crown of the head, nape and back part of the neck, and all the upper parts of the body, yellowish-brown, with the cen- ters of the feathers velvet-black. A few of the lesser wing-coverts barred with black and white. Legs and toes yellowish-brown, tinged with flesh-red. Both sexes are of similar plumage. GENUS CREX, BECHST. CRAKE. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill shorter than the head, thick at the base, subcultrated, compressed ; the culmen gradually deflecting from the fore- head to the point of the bill ; lateral furrow of the upper mandible broad, and occupying more than half its length ; angle of the under mandible bending upwards ; both man- dibles of an equal length. CRAKE. GRALLATORES. CREX. 175 Nostrils concave, lateral, linear-ovoid, pierced in a mem- brane occupying the mandibular furrow in the middle of the bill. Wings armed with a spine, and having the second and third quill feathers the longest. Plumage soft, thick, and open in texture. Legs strong, of mean length, with the lower part of the tibiae naked. Feet four-toed, three before and one behind. Toes long, slender, and cleft to their base, without any lateral membrane, hind toe resting almost wholly on the ground. Claws arcuate, compressed, and sharp-pointed. The Crakes hold an intermediate station between the Rails on the one hand, and the Gallinules on the other, from the first of which they are distinguished by a shorter, thicker, and more angular bill, and from the latter in wanting the extension of the lateral membrane that borders the soles of the toes, as well as the naked callous skin (or plate) that oc- cupies the forehead. By LINN^US, they were included in his genus Rallus^ but LATHAM afterwards, under his system, transferred them to the genus Gallimila, in which he has been followed by TEMMINCK, who places them in his first sectional division of that genus. BECHSTEIN, however, and other ornithologists of the present day, have separated them from both genera, constituting a new one for their reception, and to which they are fairly entitled, from the distinctive characters they display. Their habits are similar, in many respects, to the above mentioned birds, being of a shy and solitary disposition, living concealed in the thick herbage of meadows or marshy districts. They have the same thin and compressed shape of body, and they run with a skulking gait, and with great quickness, seldom taking wing unless sud- denly surprised, or when forced to it by persevering pursuit, of course, with the exception of the times of their annual migrations. — They feed on worms and insects, as well as ve- getables and seeds. — Their flight is awkward and heavy, and 176 GRALLATORES. CREX. CRAKE. they hang their legs when only on wing for a short distance. All the British species are migratory, and come under the designation of summer visitants. The plumage of both sexes is nearly alike, differing only in the colours of the male bird being purer and brighter in tint. The young, however, are very different, and do not acquire the matured plumage till they undergo the second general moulting MEADOW OR CORN CRAKE. CREX PRATENSIS, Bechst. PLATE XXX*. Crex pratensis, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 470. Ortygometra Crex, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 218. pi. 26.—Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 98. sp. 129. Rallus Crex, Linn. Syst. 1. 261. 1.— -Gmel Syst. 1. 71 1- Gallinula Crex, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 766. sp. \.-Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 686. Porphyrio rufescens, Briss. 5. 533. 5.— Will, 236. Rale de Genet, ou lioi des Cailles, Buff. Ois. 8. 146. t. 12 — Id. PI. Enl. 750. Poule d'Eau de Genet, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 686. Wiesenknarrer, Bechst. 4. 470. — Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 1. t. Heft 10. Land-Hen, Daker-Hen, or Rail, Will (AngL) 1?0. t. 29. Crake Gallinule, Penn- Br. Zool. 2. 484. No. 21 6. pi .75.— Lath. Syn. 5. 250. 1 — Mcmt. Ornith. Diet. 1. Bewick's Br. Birds. 1. 311. Corn-crake, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 218. pi. 26 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 98. sp. 129. PROVINCIAL — Land-rail, Crek, Bean-crake, Corn-cracker, Corn-drake. SOME writers have attempted to separate the Meadow- Crake from the other species, and to make it the type of a genus ; not, it would appear, from any essential difference in its characters (which, on the contrary, and particularly with respect to anatomical structure, agree with the others), but from a fancied difference in its habits, which are considered not so much approaching to aquatic as those of any of its congeners. This modification will, however, be found much slighter in reality than they who would thus separate the species are willing to allow, being in fact confined to a trif- ling difference in the quality and dampness of the soils these CRAKE. GRALLATORES. CREX. 177 birds respectively frequent ; the Meadow Crake (and, in- deed some other species), affecting rich meadows, occasionally inundated by running streams ; the others, the rougher growth of marshy grounds or stagnant waters. In all other particulars their manners are very similar, being of an equally shy and timorous nature, depending for safety more upon the concealment afforded by the long herbage in which they habitually reside, and upon swiftness of foot, than on their power of flight, as they are with difficulty roused to the lat- ter expedient. — This species is a summer visitant to us, ar- Periodical riving in the southern and midland parts of the island in the end of April, but seldom observed in the north before the beginning of May. The first indication of its presence is given by its peculiar and well known cry of crek, crek, fre- quently repeated in a rough broken kind of note, not un- like the sound produced by drawing a stick along the teeth of a strong comb, and by which imitation the bird may fre- quently be enticed within a very short distance. This is the note of the male, and is continued until a mate be found and incubation commenced, after which it ceases. Its favourite resorts are rich meadow grounds, near to rivers, lakes, &c. particularly such as are subject to occasional inundation. Upon the banks of the Trent below Newark, the meadows (which are of this description) are annually visited by great numbers of Crakes ; and I have, in the course of an hour, killed eight or ten in a single field. They are very plentiful throughout Wales, the north of England, and Scotland, in all such low situations as afford meadows and cultivated land in the immediate vicinity of water. In the Highlands of Scotland, and the Hebrides, they also abound, and their mi- gration extends to the Orkney and Shetland Isles. PENNANT remarks, that on first arriving in Anglesea they are very lean ; but, in the midland and northern districts of England, I have generally found them in high condition, and, I think, as fat as they usually are previous to their departure in au- tumn. This may perhaps be accounted for on the supposi- VOL. II. M 178 GRALLATORES. CREX. CRAKE. tion (which the observations I have made corroborate), that the Welsh and Irish shores are the first upon which these birds land, as being in the direct line of their polar migra- tion from Northern Africa and the southern parts of Europe, and that, from the extent of their journey, they arrive ex- hausted and reduced, but are recruited by a short residence, or during the time spent in a gradual passage to their dif- ferent places of resort. The Crake runs very swiftly, thread- ing through the closest grass with extraordinary ease, and, unless sorely pressed, or from a failure of cover, is very un- willing to seek safety in flight. To succeed in flushing it requires the aid of a dog trained to the sport, and taught either to follow the Trail with great quickness, or to make a rapid circuit and get in advance of the bird. It flies low, and in a heavy wavering manner, with the feet hanging down, and seldom to any distance at a time. It breeds in meadows, or in the rough herbage of moist thickets, and sometimes in Nest, &c. standing corn, if near to water. The nest is composed of grass and other dried plants, a slight hole being first made in the ground, and the eggs, in number from ten to fourteen, are of a yellowish-white, slightly tinged with pink, and spotted irregularly with reddish-brown, in size nearly equal to those of the partridge, but of a more oblong shape. The young, when excluded, quit the nest, and are then covered with a black hairy down, which gives place by degrees to the usual plumage, and in less than six weeks they are able to fly. When uttering its cry, the neck of the Crake is stretched perpendicularly upwards, and the note is varied, seeming to a listener to come from different distances, and producing thus Food, an effect similar to ventriloquism. — It feeds on worms, slugs, and insects, with vegetables and seeds. I have kept this bird in confinement in apparent good health, on a diet of earth-worms, and bread steeped in milk. In this species a few of the frontal feathers possess the hard and horny tip that distinguishes the Rails; but this is not found in the others of the genus. CRAKE. GRALLATORES CREX. 179 PLATE 30 *. Represent a male and female of the natural size. Bill brown. Eyes yellowish-brown. Over the eyes, and General down the sides of the neck is a streak of ash-grey. Chin and throat yellowish-white, tinged with ash-grey. Breast pale yellowish-brown, tinged with ash-grey. Belly red- dish-white. Flanks and under tail-coverts pale reddish- brown, barred with reddish- white. Crown of the head and upper parts of the body deep liver .brown, each feather having a broad margin of pale-yellowish-brown, slightly tinged with oil-green. Wing-coverts pale orange- coloured brown. Quills hair-brown, tinged with reddish- brown. Legs yellowish-brown, with a tinge of grey. SPOTTED CRAKE. CREX PORZANA, Bechst. PLATE XXX. FIGS. 1. and 2. Rallus Porzana, Linn. Syst. 1. 262. 3 Gmel Syst. 1. 712. Gallinula Porzana, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 772. sp. 19 Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 688 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 99. sp. 131. Ortygometra Porzana, Steph. Shaw's ZooiL 12. 223. Rallus aquaticus minor, sive Maruetta, Briss. Orn. 5. 155. pi. 13. £ 1. Gallinula ochra Gesneri, Rail Syn. 115 — Will. (AngL) 316. Rale d'Eau ou la Maronette, Buff. Ois. 8. 157— 7d pi. EnL 751. Poule d'Eau Maronette, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 688. Punkliertes Rhorhuhn, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 478 — Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 412. Spotted gallinule, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. 486. No. 215 — Arct. Zool. Sup. 69. —Lalh. Syn. 5. 264. 18 — Wall. Syn. 2. pi. 172 — Mont. Ornith. Diet. 1. and Supp — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 99. sp. 131. Water Crake, BewicWs Br. Birds, 2. t. p. 10. Spotted Crake, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 223. Skitty, Rennie's ed. of Mont. p. 462. PROVINCIAL— Spotted Rail, Spotted Water-Rail, Spotted Water-Hen. THIS prettily marked small species of Crake (being about Periodical one-third less than the preceding one) is one of our earliest vlsltant birds of passage in arrival, and among the latest in taking its departure, as MONTAGU mentions having met with it in M 2 189 GRALLATORES. CREX. CRAKE, Devonshire on the 14th of March, and having seen it in au- tumn as late as the 23d of October. Though not numerous, these birds are rather generally disseminated throughout England, in such localities as accord with their habits ; and I have also found them in various parts of Scotland, al- though MONTAGU states, that, in his time, the species had not been observed farther to the northward than Cumber- land. Their haunts are the margins of pools and rivulets, overgrown with reeds, sedges, and other thick herbage, as well as more extensive marshy grounds ; and, as in habits strongly resembling their nearly allied congeners, they are rarely seen unless expressly sought after. By the aid of a dog accustomed to pursue these birds, I have (in the au- tumn, just previous to their departure) sometimes^w^d as many as six in a large morass in my neighbourhood, the ma- jority of which were generally young birds of the year. The flight of the Spotted Crake is similar to that of the others, and of the Rail, — from the latter of which, owing to its dark- ness of colour, it is difficult to be distinguished when on wing. Nest, &c. — Its nest is built amongst the thick sedges and reeds of the marshes, and from the foundation of it being frequently placed in water, is composed of a large mass of decayed aquatic plants interlaced, with the hollow neatly formed and comfortably lined. The eggs are eight or ten, of a yellow- ish-grey colour, with a tinge of pink, and with round spots of umber-brown of various sizes, and with others of a lighter shade, appearing to be (as it were) beneath the exterior shell. In magnitude the eggs equal those of a Missel Thrush. — It Food, feeds on worms, aquatic insects, slugs, seeds, &c. ; and its flesh, like that of the Meadow Crake, is sweet and well-fla- voured. In autumn it becomes loaded with fat, a layer of nearly a quarter of an inch in thickness covering the whole surface of its body. The species is widely distributed through Europe, particularly in the southern and eastern parts, and is also found in Northern Asia. CRAKE. GRALLATORES. CREX. 181 PLATE 30. Figs. 1. and 2. The male and female in summer. O Bill red at the base, the other part lemon-yellow. Fore- General head, eye-streaks, chin, and throat, deep smoke-grey, tionTP Crown of the head deep brown, the feathers being mar- gined with yellowish-brown, and speckled with white. Sides of the neck, breast, and under parts pale oil-green, tinged with grey ; with transverse bars and spots of white, surrounded by a narrow list of black. Mantle, shoulders, and scapulars black, the feathers being deep- ly edged with oil-green, and marbled with white, sur- rounded by a narrow list of black. Wing-coverts oil- green, tinged with yellowish-brown, and with white spots, surrounded by a line of black. Lower part of back, and upper tail-coverts black, edged with white and pale oil-green. Under tail-coverts yellowish- white. Quills hair-brown, tinged with oil-green, with the outer web of the first quill-feather white. Legs wax-yellow. The young have the upper parts of a deeper oil-green, Young and the white more dispersed in the form of small spots. Eyebrows deep grey, with numerous white specks. Cheeks, chin, and throat greyish-white, with a few darker specks. Lower part of the neck and the breast oil-green, tinged with grey, and with small spots of white. Belly and abdomen greyish-white. Quills deep hair-brown. Legs deep oil-green, tinged with grey. Bill dirty saffron-yellow at the base, the tip brown. 182 GRALLATORES. CREX. CRAKE. BAILLON'S CRAKE. CREX BAILLONII, J. 8$ 8. PLATE XXX. FIG. 3. Crex Baillonii, Jardine and Selby's Illus. of Orn. part I. pi. 15. GaUinula Baillonii, Temm. Man. d'Ornith, 2. 692. Ortygometra Baillonii, Shaw's Zool. 12. 228. pi. 27. Gallinula Foljambei ? Mont. Ornith. Diet. App. to Supp. ? Poule d'Eau Baillon, Temm. Man. 2. 692. Olivaceous Gallinule ? Mont. Ornith. Diet. App. to Supp. ? Baillon's Crake, Jardine and Selby's Illus. of Orn. 1. pi. 15. — Shaw's ZooL 12. 228. pi. 27. AFTER an attentive perusal of MONTAGU'S description of the Olivaceous Gallinule, given in the Appendix to the Sup- plement of his Ornithological Dictionary, and comparing it with TEMMINCK'S account of Gallinula Baillonii, as well as with several specimens of that bird, I feel considerable doubt whether it can properly be referred to that species ; and I have therefore retained TEMMINCK'S specific appellation, in- stead of that of Foljambei, to which (if they were really iden- tical) the bird now under consideration would, by priority of imposition, be entitled. With respect to size, and to the comparative length of the wings (as far as can be judged from MONTAGU'S figure) they nearly agree, but in other par- ticulars the Foljambe bird differs considerably from Crex Baillonii. The upper parts of the body are described as to- tally free from any white spots or markings, of which I never yet found any mature specimens of C. Baillonii entirely des- titute ; and the bird thus described having been killed in the month of May, there remains no doubt of its being an adult. It might, however, be suggested, that this is merely a sexual difference, being the summer livery of the female, but such an idea is directly contradicted by TEMMINCK'S statement, that the females do not differ from the males ; and I may add, that the various specimens of both sexes that have come under my notice, always possessed the character- istic white markings on the upper parts of the body. The CRAKE. GRALLATORES. CREX. 183 legs are also described as of an olive colour ; whereas those of C. Baillonii are flesh-coloured, and the bill orange-red at the base, a particular unnoticed by TEMMINCK in his ac- count of the latter species, but which nearly agree with the colour of those parts in Crex pusilla. MONTAGU'S bird is evidently nearly allied to C. Baillonii ; but as, in ornitho- logy, specific differences are sometimes found to exist in fea- tures of as little apparent consequence as those just mention- ed, it is not improbable but that future investigation will prove the Gattinula Foljambei of MONTAGU to be a distinct species from either the C. Baillonii or C. pusilla. For the present, however, I have inserted it as a doubtful synonym of the former of these. — This Crake, like the others of the genus, is an inhabitant of swamps, and the reedy margins of lakes or smaller pools ; in such retirement its peculiar shy- ness of disposition screens it from observation, unless, when suddenly surprised, it is compelled to make a momentary use of its pinions. At other times, when aware of the ap- proach of danger, it evades its enemy by the rapidity of its progress through the entangled aquatic herbage ; or by the ease with which, from the compressed and wedge-shaped form of its body, it can pierce through the interstices of the thickest bed of reeds. It is also said to swim and dive well, and sometimes to elude pursuit by submerging its body, and keeping its bill only above the surface of the water, as the Rail and Common Gallinule frequently do. — In Britain it is Rare visi- only known as a rare visitant ; and the few specimens which tant* have occurred have all been taken in the eastern parts of England ; nor have I hitherto met with any instance of its capture in the north. Upon the opposite continental coast, in nearly the same parallel of latitude, it is not uncommon, being well known in the neighbourhood of Boulogne, where it annually breeds in the marshes. It is also spread over the other districts of France during its polar migration ; but is much more numerous in Italy, and the eastern parts of Eu- rope.— Its nest is usually placed near to the water's edge, or Nest, &c. 1S4 GRALLATORES. CREX. CRAKE. fastened to the reeds, and is formed of decayed sedge and aquatic weeds entwined and matted together. The eggs are eight or ten in number, of a greyish- white, spotted with yel- lowish-brown, and rounded at both ends. The food of this species is similar to that of its congeners, viz. worms, slugs, insects, and sometimes vegetables and seeds. PLATE 30. Fig. 3. Represents this bird of the natural size, from a specimen caught near Melbourne, in Cambridge- shire, and now in the possession of the Rev. Dr T HACKERY, Provost of King's College, Cambridge. General Bill dark olive-green, thicker and shorter than that of tk>SnriP" Crex pusilla. Crown of the head, and back part of the neck, wood-brown. Throat and fore part of the neck, cheeks, breast, and belly, bluish-grey, with a few undulations of brown upon the breast, indicative of a young bird. Flanks, vent, and under tail-coverts grey- ish-black, barred with white. Upper parts yellowish- brown, tinged with oil-green, and marbled with irregu- lar spots of white, each being surrounded by a narrow border of black. Outer web of the first quill-feather margined with white. Legs and toes yellowish-brown, tinged with flesh-red. Irides reddish-brown. An adult male in my possession has the chin and throat pearl-grey ; the forehead, cheeks, sides, and fore part of the neck, breast, and belly, plain bluish-grey ; thighs, abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts greyish- black, barred with white. Crown of the head, and hind part of the neck, yellowish-brown, with the shafts of the feathers darker. Down the centre of the back is a broad black list, varied with irregular spots of white. The scapulars, tertials, and wing-coverts yellowish- brown, tinged with oil-green, and varied with white spots and streaks, surrounded, or else barred, with black. CRAKE. GRALLATORES. CREX. 185 » LITTLE CRAKE. CREX PUSILLA) Mihi. PLATE XXX. FIG. 4. Rallus pusillus, Lath. Ind. O-rn. 2. 761. sp. 24 — Pall. Reis. 3. 700. No. 30. Gallinula pusilla, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 484 — Temm. Man. 2. 690. Gallinula minuta, Mont. Ornith. Diet. Supp. Zapornia pusilla, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 231. pi. 28. Poule d'Eau Poussin, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 690. Kleines Rhorhuhn, Meyer •, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 414. Dwarf Rail, Lath. Syn. Sup. 2. 323. Little Gallinule, Mont. Ornith. Diet. Supp. Little Craker, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 231. pL 28. THE little Crake rather exceeds in size the preceding spe- cies, to which it bears a close resemblance in shape and co- lour. It may, however, always be distinguished from the other by the comparative slenderness of its bill, the greater length of its wings (which, when closed, reach nearly to the tip of the tail), and by the naked portion of the tibia being longer and more apparent than in Crex Baillonn. In con- sequence of this slight modification in the form of the bill, and its greater length of wing, Dr LEACH, in his Catalogue of the British Museum, separated it from the other Crakes, and gave it the generic name of Zapornia (an apparent transmutation of Porzana) ; in which distinction he has been followed by Mr STEPHENS, the continuator of SHAW'S Zoolo- gy. I have, nevertheless, ventured to retain it amongst the Crakes, thinking that the very slight difference it exhi- bits is not of sufficient importance to warrant a generic divi- sion.— Like the Crex Baillonii it is of rare occurrence, and Rare visi- can only be considered as a visitant of that character. Its tant* first notice, as a British species, is contained in MONTAGU'S Supplement to his Ornithological Dictionary, under the name of the Little Gallinule (Gallinula minuta), where a specimen he received from Mr TUCKER, and apparently a young bird, 186 GRALLATORES. CREX. CRAKE. is accurately described : this bird, it appears, was shot near Ashburton, in Devonshire, in the year 1809. Since that time, few individuals have, I believe, been noted ; one, how- ever (an adult), now in the possession of the Rev. T. Gis- BORNE, of Yoxall Lodge, Staffordshire, and Prebendary of Durham, was killed near Derby, and from which the figure in this work is taken. The habits of the Little Crake are similar to those of the other species, and it is found in simi- lar localities, viz. marshes, moist meadows, the reedy banks of rivulets, &c. In the eastern and warmer parts of Europe it is very abundant, but becomes more thinly disseminated towards the north, being of occasional occurrence only in most of the provinces of France, and also in Holland. Ac- Nest, &c. cording to TEMMINCK, it makes its nest in rushes and other thick herbage, constructed chiefly of decayed and broken reeds ; and lays seven or eight eggs, of a yellowish or green- ish-white (jaunatres), with longitudinal spots of olive-brown. Food. It feeds upon insects, worms, slugs, &c. PLATE 30. Fig. 4. Represents it of the natural size, from the above mentioned specimen in the possession of the Rev. Mr GISBORNE. General Bill five-eighths of an inch long, slender, and of a fine sap- descrip- green colour. Irides crimson-red. Throat, sides of Male tne head, and neck, breast, and abdomen, deep bluish- bird, grey. Crown of the head, back part of the neck, and upper parts of the body, deep oil-green, tinged with brown. Down the mesial line of the back is a broad streak or patch, composed of feathers marbled with black and white. The scapulars have a longitudinal bar of white, encircled with black, near the margins of the feathers. Smaller coverts plain oil-green, the greater ones having white tips, surrounded by a line of black. Vent and under tail-coverts blackish-grey, transversely barred with white. Quills and tail hair-brown, tinged with oil-green. Legs and toes sap-green. Tarsus one GRALLATORES. GALLINULA. 187 inch in length. Middle toe, with its claw, one inch and a half long. Wing-spine small and short. In the female, the eyebrows and cheeks are pale grey. Female. The throat greyish- white. Neck and breast of a paler grey, slightly tinged with yellowish-brown. The dark mesial line on the back having fewer white spots. The young have few or no distinct white spots upon the Young. upper parts of the body ; and the fore part of the neck, the breast, and belly, are of a yellowish- white. The flanks, vent, and under tail-coverts brown, barred with pale yellowish-brown. For a more detailed account of this bird, I refer my readers to the Supplement to MONTAGU'S Ornithologi- cal Dictionary, under the article Gallinule, Little. GENUS GALLINULA, LATH. GALLINULE. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill thick at the base, compressed, slightly swollen to- wards the tip, subconic, as short as the head. Upper man- dible convex, with the culmen extended and dilated, forming a naked frontal plate or shield ; lateral furrow wide. Man- dibles of nearly equal length ; angle of the lower one as- cending. Tomia of the under mandible slightly intracted, and covered by the upper. Nostrils lateral, pervious, pierced in the membrane of the furrow in the middle of the bill ; longitudinal, and linear. Wings (as in Rallus and Creoi) armed with a small sharp recumbent spine. Legs strong, of mean length, naked for a short space above the tarsal joint. Front of the tarsus scutellated ; hinder part reticulated. Feet four-toed, three before and one behind ; toes long, divided, and bordered through their whole length by a narrow entire membrane. 188 GRALLATORES. GALLINULA. GALLINULE Plumage soft, thick, but loose in texture. Body com- pressed at the sides. The Gallinules differ from the preceding genus in having the culmen of the upper mandible dilated in a plate-like form upon the forehead, and in having their toes bordered, for the whole of their length, by a narrow unbroken mem- brane. Their habits are also more aquatic, being more fre- quently seen upon the water, where they swim and dive with facility, and in which element they procure a principal part of their food. In affinity, they stand nearly allied to the genus Crex on the one hand, and to those of Porphyrio and Fullca on the other. With them the body is compressed, but not to so great a degree as in the Rails and Crakes. They run swiftly, and, when danger threatens, hide them- selves in reeds, sedges, holes in river banks, &c. They breed in the neighbourhood of water, frequently founding the nest upon floating weeds or drift bushes, and lay several eggs. Their food consists of insects, worms, slugs, vege- tables, and seeds. COMMON GALLINULE. GALLINULA CHLOROPUS, Lath. PLATE XXXI. Gallinula Chloropus, Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 770. sp. 13 — Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 242. pi. 30 Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 99. sp. 130. Fulica Chloropus, Linn. Syst. 1. 258. ±.—Gmel. Syst. 1. 698. Gallinula Chloropus major, Raii Syn. p. 113. A. 1. — Briss. Ornith. 6. 3. 1. t. 1 Will. 233. t. 58. Poule d'Eau, Buff. Ois. 8. 171. t. 15 — Id. pi. Enl. 877. Poule d'Eau ordinaire, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 693. Grunfussiger Rhorhuhn, Btchst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 489.— Meyer, Taschenb. Deut. 2. 410. Common Water-Hen, or Moor-Hen, Will (Angl.) 312. 58. — Albin. Birds, 2. pi. 72. 3. pi. 91 — Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 128. -Common Gallinule, Penn. Br. ZooL 2. 217. pi. 77.— Arct. Zool. 2. 411 — Lath. Syn. 5. 258. 12 — Lewirfs Br. Birds, 5. pi. 191 Wale. Syn. 2. pi. 169 — Mont. Ornith. Diet. 1,— Shaw's Zool. 12. 242— Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 99. sp. 130. GALLINULE. GRALLATORES. GALLINULA. 189 Gallinula fusca, Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 771. sp. 15. Fulica fusca, Linn. Syst. 1. 257. 1 — Gmel Syst. 1. 697. Gallinula minor, Briss. Ornith. 6. 6. f. 2. Gallinula alia, Aldrw Will. 234 — Id. (Angl.) 314. and 319. [ La Poulette d'Eau, Buff. Ois. 8. 177- Brown Gallinule, Lath. Syn. 5. 260. 14. Gallinula flavipes et fistulans, Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 773- sp. 21. et 22 — Gmel. Syst. 1. p. 702. Yellow-legged, and Piping Gallinule, Lath. Syn. 5. 260. and 267. sp. 20. et 21. These are taken from GESNER, who appears to have described them from imperfect drawings. PROVINCIAL. — Moor-Hen, Marsh-Hen, Stank-Hen, Cuddy, Water-Hen^ Moor-Coot. THIS well known bird is indigenous, and very generally dispersed throughout the kingdom, inhabiting old water courses, and ponds covered with aquatic herbage, as well as brooks and rivers, particularly such as flow with a deep and slow current, and are bordered by sedges, willow bushes, &c. It is also dispersed throughout the European continent, where it is permanently stationary in the warmer and tem- perate districts, but migratory as it approaches nearer to the north. The species is also found in parts of Asia and Africa. The habits of the Gallinule are decidedly aquatic, as it swims from choice, and is indeed more frequently seen in the wa- tery element than upon land ; it also dives with ease, not only to avoid impending danger, but as it would appear for the purpose of obtaining food ; as I have several times known it to have been taken by a line baited with an earth- worm for catching eels or trout. It is thus in all probability that the Gallinule obtains the larger coleopterous water in- sects, aquatic worms, and the larvae of dragon-flies, &c. When suddenly surprised in a situation at all exposed, it usually takes wing, skimming along the surface of the water, but only for a short distance, to the first bush or cover that offers, where it conceals itself so effectually, either by sub- merging its body, and keeping only the bill above water, or in some hole or shelving retreat in the bank, as generally to defeat any attempts at raising it a second time, even with the assistance of a dog. Its flight is heavy, and when for a 190 GRALLATORES. GALLINULA. GALLINULE. short space only, with the legs hanging down ; though it rises without apparent difficulty, and can occasionally take a long course on wing. It will sometimes perch upon a bush, or low tree, and that without effort, its long and slender toes giving to it a strong power of grasp. On the margins of ponds or rivers, where the grass is short, it is frequently seen walking about in search of worms and slugs, flirting up its tail at intervals, and thus displaying, in a conspicuous manner, its white under coverts ; and as its motions are lively, it becomes a desirable ornamental appendage to those Nest, &c. parts of pleasure grounds. For the site of its nest it selects a retired spot among the sedges or low brooks by the water- sides, its foundation frequently resting upon the low floating branches, or upon the stump of an old willow-tree. It is formed of an interlaced mass of decayed flags, rushes, &c. of considerable thickness ; in which are deposited from eight to ten eggs, larger than those of the Meadow Crake, and of a yellowish-white, or pale yellowish-brown colour, marbled all over with a differently-sized spots of reddish-brown, or um- ber brown of various shades. These birds, when they leave the nest for the purpose of feeding, cover their eggs ; an in- stinctive habit possessed by several others, not only of this but of other families, and which I conceive to be done rather with a view to concealment from their enemies, than to re- tain during their absence the warmth generated by incu- bation, as suggested by Dr RENNIE. After three weeks the young are excluded, covered with a black hairy down, and immediately take to the water, where they are assiduously attended by the parent, who frequently broods over them in the manner of a hen. This downy covering gradually gives place to the usual plumage, and in the course of nearly five weeks they can fly and provide for themselves. In this young state they are exposed to many dangers, and often become the prey of rats and other vermin, as well as of the voracious pike, which, according to MONTAGU, has been known even to swallow the old bird. — Their nests and eggs are also GRALLATORES. FULICA. 191 liable to accident, being, from their close situation to the water's edge in brooks and rivers, often carried away by the summer floods. — -Slugs, worms, and insects, with various ve- Food, getables and seeds constitute their food. I have kept these birds in good health, when in confinement, upon a diet of grain, earth-worms, and raw meat. Their flesh is of pale colour and delicate flavour, and is in some parts held in high estimation. PLATE 31. represents an adult bird in the breeding season. Base of the bill, and frontal shield red ; the tip wine- General yellow. Irides red. Legs and toes fine olive-green, tkm!^" The naked portion of the tibiae of a fine vermilion-red, and commonly called the garter. Head, throat, neck, and under parts blackish-grey, margined upon the belly and abdomen with greyish- white. Flanks with large longitudinal streaks of white. Upper parts of the body of a very deep oil-green. Ridge of the wings, and un- der tail-coverts white ; the latter being divided by se- veral black feathers. Quills and tail greyish-black. The female is rather less than the male ; and in her the colours of the bill and garter are not so bright ; but in other respects similar. The young have the throat and fore part of the neck Young, white. Front and checks a mixture of brown and white. Sides of the neck yellowish-brown. Breast and sides ash-grey, tinged with brown ; the belly paler. Flanks with yellowish-brown longitudinal streaks. Un- der tail coverts cream-yellow. Upper parts blackish- grey, tinged with dark oil-green. Legs dirty olive- green. Bill olive-green, darker towards the base, and the frontal shield but slightly apparent, being almost hidden by converging feathers. 192 GRALLATORES. FULICA. GENUS FULICA, LINN. COOT. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill shorter than the head, strong, strait, subconic, com- pressed, much higher than broad. Upper mandible slightly arched ; the culmen dilated into a broad shield-like plate up- on the forehead ; mandibular furrow broad, and occupying two-thirds of its length. Mandibles of equal length; the angle of the lower one ascending. Nostrils concave, pierced in the membrane of the mandi- bular furrow near the middle of the bill, pervious, linear, oblong. Wings tuberculated ; with the second and third quill fea- thers the longest. Tail short. Body laterally compressed. Legs of mean length and strength ; naked for a short space above the tar sal joint. Feet four-toed, three before and one behind ; toes long, united at their base, and loba- ted ; the middle toe with three, the inner one with two, and the outer with four, distinct rounded membranes. Middle toe longer than the tarsus. Front of tarsus, upper part of the toes, and the membranes scutellated. Hind toe as long as the first joint of the middle one, and resting for half its length upon the ground. Claws falcate, acute. Plumage thick, soft, and open in texture. In the present arrangement the Coots are placed in that station to which their real affinities (as indicated by their anatomy and habits), so plainly point, viz. at the extremity of the Rallidce, and leading the way, by their lobated feet and aquatic character, to the true swimming birds, in the succeeding order of Natatores. From the Gallinules they are chiefly separated by the greater development of the membrane bordering the toes, which, instead of being nar- row and entire as in that genus, becomes large and rounded 2 COOT. GRALLATORES. FULICA. 193 distinct lobes, which correspond with the phalanges, or joints of the toes. This formation gives them more power in the water, and we accordingly find them more conversant with that element than the preceding genera. In other respects there is great similarity of manners, and their narrow form and general appearance denote their near alliance to the typical Rallidce. By former systematists, the Coots, toge- ther with the Phalaropes and Grebes, were made a distinct order, styled Pinnatipedes ; an arrangement purely artificial, as the members of which it was composed were not united together by affinity, but only bore, in the form of their feet, a distant analogy to each other ; for even here a considerable difference existed in structure, as will be evident to any one who compares the foot of the Coot with that of the Grebe. The members of this genus inhabit lakes and ponds, as well as the more retired and calmer parts of inland seas. They live chiefly on the water, where they swim and dive with equal facility, and are but rarely seen on the land. They feed on worms, insects, aquatic vegetables, and seeds. The species are few, and their plumage is dark, and com- monly without variety of colour. They breed amongst the close and tali herbage of the waters they inhabit, and lay several eggs. Their flesh is palatable. COMMON COOT. FULICA ATRA, Linn. PLATE XXXTI. Fulica atra, Linn. Syst. 1. 257 Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 777. sp. 1. variety Gmel Syst. 1. 702.— Briss. Ornith. 6. 23. t. 2. f. 2.— Rail Syn. 116. A.— Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 234. pi. 29 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 100. sp. 132. Fulica aterrima, Linn. Syst. 1. 258. 8 — Gmel. Syst. 1. 703 Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 778. sp. 2. Fulica major, Briss. Ornith. 5. 28. 2. t. 2. f. 2.—Raii Syn. 117. 2 Will. p. 239. t. 51. Le Foulque ou Morelle, Buff. Ois. 8. 211. t. 18.— Id. PI. Enl. 197.— Reg. Anim. 1. 503. Le Grand Foulque ou la Macroule, Buff. Ois. 8. 220. VOL. II. N 194 GRALLATORES. FULICA. COOT. Foulque Macroule, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 706. Schwartzes Wasserhuhn, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 511. Greater Coot, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. No. 221.— Lath. Syn. 5. 277. 2 Will (Angl.) 320 — Mont. Ornith. Diet. 1.— Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 137. Common Coot, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. 494. No. 220. pi. 77.— Arct. Zool. 2. No. 416.— Albinos Br. Birds, 1. pi. 83 — Lath. Syn. 5. 271 Id, Sup. p. 259. JFi& (Angl.) 319. t. 59 — Lewin's Br. Birds, 5. t. 198 —Pult. Cat. Dor- set.— Mont. Ornith. Diet, and Sup — Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 133 Shaw's Zool. 12. 234. pi. 29. PROVINCIAL— Bald Coot, Bel-poot. DURING the summer, the Coot is very generally dispersed throughout this kingdom, as there is scarcely a large piece of water (provided it is partially covered with reeds, or other tall aquatic plants), to be found without a colony of these birds. MONTAGU states them to be permanent residents in the southern parts of England, and as never forsaking their breeding places, even though these may be smaller ponds ; but, at the same time, he hints the probability that the vast flocks which are seen in the Southampton River, and other salt-water inlets, in winter, are bred farther to the north- ward, and resort to these places only as visitants at that period. Of the correctness of this supposition I entertain no doubt, as a long course of observation has shewn that the Coots in the north of England and in Scotland regularly quit their breeding stations in autumn ; and that, after the month of October, not an individual is to be seen in their summer haunts. Their return in spring, as nearly as I can ascertain, takes place towards the end of April, or the begin- ning of May. — The Coot swims with buoyancy and ease, and is also an excellent diver ; which latter faculty it fre- quently exerts to obtain food, as well as to escape from dan- ger. Like the Gallinules, and others of the Raltidce, it is very timorous and impatient of observation ; and, when dis- turbed, immediately makes for the reeds or thick sedges (the necessary appendages to its habitat), where it effectually conceals itself, and remains so as long as the intruder conti- nues in sight. Although generally seen in the water, it is far from being an inactive bird on land, as BEWICK and COOT. GRALLATORES. FULICA. 195 some other writers have stated, but walks with steadiness, and can run even swiftly. Like the Gallinule, it often quits its favourite element in the morning and evening, seeking on the land for worms, slugs, seeds, &c., which, with aquatic Food. plants and insects, and the fry of fish, constitute its food ; though, in a state of confinement, it will greedily devour grain and other farinaceous diet. The same disinclination to use its wings is shewn by the Coot, that characterizes the Crakes and Gallinules, and it seldom flies, unless when sud- denly disturbed or pursued, and then only to the nearest place of concealment ; and so low, as to aid its progress by striking the surface of the water with its feet. That it is not, however, incapable of long-continued flight is evident from the migrations it undertakes; and I have more than once seen this bird flying at a considerable elevation, with a very unexpected degree of strength and speed. It breeds amongst the reeds and sedges at the water's edge, and the nest (composed of a large mass of decayed aquatic plants), Nest, &c. sometimes rests upon a tuft of rushes, and at others is sup- ported by the reeds in a floating state, or, where the water is shallow, may have its foundation on the bottom, as de- scribed by the Author of the " British Oology," whose inte- resting account of the nest of the Coot I quote in his own words : " I have had," says he, " an opportunity of examin- ing many of their nests. They are large, and apparently clumsy at first sight, but are amazingly strong and compact : they are sometimes built on a tuft of rushes, but more com- monly amongst reeds ; some are supported by those that lie prostrate on the water, whilst others have their foundations at the bottom, and are raised till they become from six to twelve inches above its surface, sometimes in a depth of one and a half or two feet. So firm are some of them, that, whilst up to the knees in water, they afforded me a seat suf- ficiently strong to support my weight." From the nature of the materials composing the nest, and of the situation in which it is built, it sometimes happens that it is torn from 196 GRALLATORES. FULICA. its moorings by floods, and afterwards floated at random on the surface of the water, without destroying the eggs, or pre- venting the female from continuing her incubation, as in the instances recorded by MONTAGU and BEWICK. The eggs are from seven to ten in number ; their colour a dirty green- ish-white, thickly covered with minute specks of brown, and with others, less numerous, but of a larger size and deeper tint. The young, when excluded, are clothed with a harsh black down, tipped with grey ; having the base of the bill and forehead covered with small scarlet appendages, and the occiput surrounded with a circle of yellow hairy down. They immediately quit the nest and take to the water; where they are attended and protected by the parent, till able to provide for themselves. This species is widely disse- minated throughout Europe, but is particularly abundant in Holland and in parts of France, and it is also found in many parts of Asia. The Greater Coot of authors is now con- sidered to be the perfect or adult state of the common kind ; but the Common Coot of WILSON^S American Ornithology is a distinct species. In the southern parts of England, near Southampton, in the Isle of Sheppy, &c. great numbers of Coots are killed during the winter, and brought to market ready plucked ; their flesh is white and tender, but the fla- vour, being peculiar, is not relished by many palates. PLATE 32. represents this bird as seen in summer, and of the natural size. General Bill pale rose-red. Irides arterial blood-red. Frontal tion.nP" plate large, milk-white. Head and neck deep greyish- black. Under parts of the body greyish-black, tinged with bluish-grey. Upper parts blackish-grey. Naked part of the tibiae orange. Legs and toes greenish-grey, tinged with yellow. The young of the year are of less size, and have the fron- tal plate very small. The under parts of the plumage are pale grey. GRALLATORESL 197 FAMILY V.— CHARADRIAD^E. THIS subdivision, constituting the fifth family of the Or- der, completes the circle ; and, by its alliance with certain members of the Gruidce (with which that circle commenced), a regular series of affinities is maintained through the differ- ent families of the Gr dilator es. It also comes into close con- tact with the Struthiomdce of the Rasorial Order, by the affinity subsisting between certain species of the genus Otis of that family, and the genera Cursorius, (Edicnemus, &c. of the present one. The passage from the preceding family of the RallidcB seems to be effected by the genus Hamatopus, which retains to a certain extent the habits and power of swimming possessed by the more aquatic groups of that fa- mily ; and which also exhibits rudiments of the lobated mem- brane that borders the toes of the genus Fulica. With the Scolopacidce the connexion is supported by the genus Are- naria (Sanderling), which, with the three- toed feet of Cha- radrius, has a bill nearly corresponding in structure with that of the Tringas. An approach to that family, in the form of the feet, is also shewn by the genera Strepsilas, Va- nellus, and Squatarola^ which alone of the Charadriadce are furnished with a hind toe, or the rudiments of one. On this account the above genera have frequently been arranged with or near to the Tringas; but the structure of the bill, and other anatomical details, as well as their habits, demonstrate a much closer alliance to the typical members of the family in which they are now placed, and point out this deviation in the form of the foot, as one of those beautiful gradations that compose the great chain of affinity by which the various orders and families are held together. The habits of the Charadriadce vary according to the re- lative situation they hold with the other groups ; the typical 198 GRALLATORES. 1LEMATOPUS. species, and such as come nearest in structure to the Rasorial Order, being more attached to the land, than those which are more immediately connected with the other families of the Grallatores. These latter live on the sea-coasts, or in places immediately contiguous to water, obtaining their food in a great measure from that element ; the others, on the contrary, reside in the interior of the country, preferring open ground and plains ; whilst some of them even inhabit the arid sands of the desert. A great proportion of this family feed at twilight, or during the night, and have the eyes large, which is necessarily attended by a corresponding expansion of the socket, giving the head a bulky appearance ; and this is a characteristic feature with them. The number of eggs laid by most of the genera is restricted to four -, as in the Scolopa- cidte ; in (Edicnemus, however, it is confined to two, thus ex- hibiting the connexion of this genus with the Bustards. The flight of the Charadriadte is in general strong and ra- pid ; the wings being long, and usually brought to a point. Most of them are subject to the double moult, or that change of plumage which immediately precedes the season of repro- duction. GENUS H^EMATOPUS, LINN. OYSTER-CATCHER. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill longer than the head, strait, strong, the point much compressed and forming a wedge ; culmen of the anterior part slightly convex. Upper mandible with a broad lateral groove, extending to one-half the length of the bill. Man- dibles nearly equal, and having their tips truncated. Nostrils basal, lateral, linear, pierced in the membrane of the mandibular groove. Legs of mean length, naked for a short space above the tar sal joint. Tarsus strong; feet three-toed; all the toes GRALLATORES. HJEMATOPUS. 199 directed forwards, and united at their base by a membrane, that is prolonged, and margins them. Nails strong, broad, slightly falcate, and semi- acute. Wings of mean length, with the first quill-feather the longest. Plumage close, firm, and adpressed. General contour ro- bust. The species hitherto described of this well-marked genus, although not numerous, are distributed over a wide geo- graphical range, one or more of them being found in almost every quarter and climate of the globe. They dwell on the shores of the ocean, subsisting entirely on marine animals, such as molluscous shell fish, Crustacea, &c., to detach and obtain which their strong wedge-shaped bill is admirably adapted. Their habits are more aquatic than the other groups of the family, indicated indeed by the membranes that unite and border their toes, and which conformation (as I have before remarked) preserves the connexion with the aquatic groups of the other families. They are thus enabled to swim with ease, and which they occasionally do, when passing from one feeding spot to another, where the water is too deep to admit of wading. During the winter, and whilst performing their migratory movements, they associate in large flocks ; but on the approach of spring, they separate and pair. They are subject to a double moult, but not in- ducing any striking difference of colour. They are birds of a compact robust form, with a thick and muscular neck, well adapted to support the bill as a powerful lever in de- taching patellae, &c. from the rocks, or for wrenching open the shells of the bivalve molluscae. Their flight is strong and steady, and can be sustained for a long time. They breed on the shingle of the sea-coasts, and lay invariably four eggs. 200 GRALLAT. H^BMATOPUS. OYSTER-CATCHER. COMMON OYSTER-CATCHER. HIEMATOPUS OSTRALEGUS, Linn. PLATE XXXIII. FIGS. 1. 2. Heematopus ostralegus, Linn. Syst. 1. 257 — Gmel. Sysl. 1. 694 — Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 752. 1 — Ran Syn. 105. A. J.— Will. 220. 55 — Sharis Zool. 11. 494. pi. 36 — Flem. Brit. Anim. 1. 115. sp. 167. Ostralega seu Pica marina, Briss. Orn. 5. 38. t. 3. f. 2. L-'Huiterier, Buff. Ois. 8. 119. t. 9 — Id. pi. Enl. 929. L'Huiterier Pie, Temm. Man. (TOrnith. 2. 531. Geschackte Austern-Fischer, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 439. Sea Pie, or Pied Oyster-Catcher, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. No. 213. pi. 74. in Winter Plumage Arct. Zool 2. 406 — Will. (Angl.) 297 AUrin. 1. t. 78 Lath. Syn. 5. 219. t. 84.— Lewies Br. Birds, 5. t. 188 Mont. Ornith. Diet. Id. Sup — Wall. Syn. 2. t. 166 — Pult. Cat. Dorset, p. 151. Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. t. p. 7 — Low's Faun. Oread, p. 91. Common Oyster-Catcher, Shaw's Zool. 11. 494. pi. 36 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 115. sp. 169. PROVINCIAL — Pianet, Sea Piet, Olive, Sea Woodcock, Trillichan, Chalder, Chaldrick, Skildrake, Scolder. THE peculiar form of the bill, by which this bird is ena- bled to wrench open oysters, muscles, &c. (by inserting its wedge-shaped point between the valves, as these shell-fish lay partially open in shallow water), has given rise to the British trivial name, now attached to the genus. In addition Food, to bivalves, it feeds much upon the limpet (patella), detach- ing it with equal ease from the rock to which it adheres, and afterwards scooping out the fish from its shell by means of the same powerful instrument. This species is indigenous, and distributed along the whole extent of the British coast, but seems to be more numerous upon extensive flat shores, particularly those of Lincolnshire and of the Solway Frith, where it finds its favourite food, viz. the bivalve shell-fish, more abundant than where the coast is of a more abrupt and rocky character. It breeds upon the shore, laying its eggs on the bare ground amongst the shingle, or in such scanty herbage as grows immediately above high water-mark. The OYSTER-CATCHER. GRALLAT. HJ3MATOPUS. 201 eggs are invariably four in number, and not restricted to Nest, &< two or three, as stated by TEMMINCK ; are of a pale oil-green colour, blotched with brownish-black ; in that respect very similar to those of the Golden Plover (Charadrius pluvialis), but larger. During incubation the male bird is always on the watch, and immediately gives the alarm of apprehended danger to the female, by a loud shrill whistle, upon. hearing which she silently quits her eggs, and runs to some distance before taking wing, or joining in the alarm cry with her mate. The parents are also very clamorous so long as the young (who quit the nest as soon as hatched) are unable to fly, and persecute any intruder with their incessant cries, fly- ing around him in repeated circles, and often advancing very near, although at other times they are particularly wary and difficult of approach. After the young have acquired their full growth, these birds begin to assemble into large flocks, and continue thus associated during winter, or until the ge- nial influence of the advancing season again induces them to separate and pair. The Oyster- Catcher is a bird of hand- some appearance, of compact and rounded form, and when upon wing cannot fail to attract attention, from the pure white of the belly, wing-bars, and rump, contrasting well with the bright orange of the bill, and the glossy black of the rest of the body. Though possessing a foot only par- tially webbed, it swims easily and with much buoyancy, and, if wounded, immediately betakes itself to the water for safety. I have also seen it swimming from one feeding-place to another, where the intervening water was too deep for wading. Its flesh is of a dark colour, and partakes of the odour of the food on which it subsists. This is a widely dis- tributed species, being found upon all the shores of the Eu- ropean continent, as well as those of Asia and Africa. It is not very difficult to rear this bird in confinement, and it is frequently kept so, with other aquatic species, for the neat- ness of its form, and the well contrasted colours of its plu- mage. 202 GRALLATORES. STREPSILAS. PLATE 33. Fig .1. Represents it in the summer plumage. General Head, neck, upper part of the breast, mantle, scapulars, tion.nl lesser wing-coverts, and the front half of the tail, glossy Summer velvet black. Under parts, lower part of the back, p umage. rump, basal part of the tail, and the transverse wing bars pure white. Quills black, with an oblong white spot occupying the centre of each feather near the tip, and the basal part of the inner web white. Bill, and circle round the eyes, orange-red. Irides crimson. Legs deep purplish-red. "Winter Fig. 2. In the winter plumage. Distinguished by a collar plumage. of white keneatn the throat ; the dark parts of the plu- mage not so intense, but more inclining to brownish- black, and the bill and legs of paler hue. The young of the year have still more brown in the dark parts, and the white is not of such unsullied purity as in the adults. The feet are livid or greyish-white, tinged with pink. The irides brown. The bill yellow- ish-brown, tinged with orange. GENUS STREPSILAS, ILLIGER. TURNSTONE. GENERIC CHARACTERS. BILL as short as the head, strong, compressed, forming an elongated cone : thick at the base, and narrowing gradually to the point, which is horny and hard. Upper mandible rather longer than the lower one ; the eulmen flattened at the base, and rounded from thence to its extremity, which is subtruncated. Under mandible ascending. Nostrils basal, lateral, linear, oblong, pervious, partly co- vered above by a membrane. Wings long, acuminate, with the first quill-feather the longest. GBALLATORES. STREPSILAS. 203 Legs of mean length ; the naked space above the tarsal joint small. Feet four-toed, three before and one behind ; the front ones united by a short membrane at the base, and furnished with narrow lobated margins ; hind toe articulated upon the tarsus, bending inwards, and touching the ground with its tip. Plumage thick, close, and adpressed. In the systems of LINNAEUS, LATHAM, and others, the Turnstone was arranged, along with other Scolopaceous birds, in the genus Tringa, although the form and structures of the bill presented characters sufficiently distinct to shew the impropriety of such a classification, without considering the difference exhibited in their respective habits. BRISSON first removed it from this situation, under the name of Are- naria ; but as that title was appropriated to the Sanderling (Tringa Arenaria of LINN^US, now Arenaria Calidrls of BECHSTEIN), the generic name of Strepsilas, bestowed by ILLIGER (and happily descriptive of a peculiar habit pos- sessed by the only known species), has now been generally adopted. As the general economy of this bird is much more closely assimilated to that of a Plover than to any member of the family of the Scolopacida, I have adopted Mr VIGORS'S views with respect to it, and have accordingly made it a con- stituent member of the Charadriada. Hitherto only one species has been discovered, but which holds a wide geographical range, being found in all the divi- sions of the old, as well as in the new world, and subject to a great variety of climate, during the periods of its migra- tions, 204 GRALLATORES. STREPSILAS. TURNSTONE COMMON TURNSTONE. STREPSILAS INTERPRES, Leach. PLATE XXXIII. * FIG. 1, 2, and 3. Strepsilas Interpres, Leach in Cat. Brit. Mus. p. 29 — Steph. Shaw's Zool. 11. 520. pi. 39 Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 110. sp. 159. Strepsilas collaris, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 553. Tourne-Pierre a collier, Temm. Man. 2. 553. Common Turnstone, Shaw's Zool. 11. 520. pi. 39 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 110. sp. 159. Tringa Interpres, Linn. Syst. 1. 248. 4 — GmeL Syst. 1. 671 — Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 738. sp. 45. Arenaria, Briss. Orn. 5. 132. 1. Morinellus marinus, Raii Syri. 112. A. 5 — Will. 251. t. 58. Le Tourne-Pierre, Buff. Ois 8. 130. 10. Le Coulond Chaud, Buff. PL Enl. 856. Steindrehende Strandlaufer, BechsL Naturg. Deut. 4. 335 — Meyer, Tass- chenb. Deut. 2. 382. Hebridal Sandpiper, Br. Zool. 2. 467- No. 200 — Arct. Zool. 2. No. 382. Turnstone or Sea Dotterel, Edw. Glean, t. 141 — Will. (Angl.) 311.— Lath. Syn. 5. 188. sp. 37 Id. sup. 249 — Lewirfs Br. Birds, 5. 179 — Mont. Ornith. Diet. 1 — Low's Faun. Oread. 87- and 850.— Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. 124. and 126. /Tringa Morinella, Linn. Syst. 1. 249. 6.— GmeL Syst. 1. 671. 4. B. I Arenaria cinema, Briss. Orn. 5. 137- No. 2. t. 11. f. 2. v ) Coulond Chaud de Cayenne, et Coulond Chaud gris de Cayenne, Buff. g* \ PI. Enl. 340. et 857. I Turnstone or Sea Dotterel, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. No. 199.— Lath. Syn. 5. V 190. 37- var. A. • PROVINCIAL — Skirlcrake. Periodical THIS handsome bird (the only species of this genus hi- visitant. therto discovered) is amongst the number of our winter visi- tants, making its first appearance on our shores sometimes as early as the end of August, and continuing till the spring, when it departs, about March or April, for higher northern latitudes, there to breed and pass the summer months. Dr FLEMING, in his " History of British Animals," states it as a constant resident in Zetland, having met with it at all seasons of the year. It certainly appears, at first sight, to be a contradictory circumstance, that a bird, which in Eng- TURNSTONE. GRALLATORES. STREPSILAS. 205 land and on the mainland of Scotland is only known as a winter visitant, should be stationary through the year in a country still farther northward. The peculiarity of climate thus indicated, is in all probability attributable to the small extent of the Shetland Isles, and the great body of water surrounding them, being thus rendered a suitable habitat at all seasons to the constitution and habits of the bird. It lives on the rocky or gravelly shores of the ocean, and is never seen upon the soft and oozy sands, frequented by the Scolopacida ; and is also met with, but less frequently, up- on the larger rivers and lakes of the interior of Continental countries. It is seldom found associated in flocks, being either a few together (probably the brood of the preceding year) or single; and this last is generally the case with adults. It feeds on marine, coleopterous, and other insects, Food, as well as on small bivalve molluscae and crustacese> which it finds by turning over the stones with its bill, — an instrument most beautifully adapted for that purpose, being strong, very hard, and drawn to a fine point, and forming altogether a powerful lever. In other respects the manners of the Turnstone resemble those of the Plovers ; and I have fre- quently found it in company with the Ring Dotterel (Cha- radrius Hiaticula), which inhabits similar shores. TEM- MINCK considers this bird as subject to only one moult with- in the year, and that the young probably undergo three of these changes before they acquire the mature plumage. My observations, however, do not accord with this opinion, as I have frequently killed it in spring, when undergoing a change, which I considered as the assumption of what he has appropriately termed the nuptial livery; and at this time also, I think the young birds acquire the plumage described by him as characteristic of their completing the first year. The Turnstone is found upon most of the European shores, but is particularly abundant in Norway, and on the coasts of the Baltic. In Africa it is met with in Senegal, at the Cape of Good Hope, and several other parts. Its distribu- 206 GRALLATORES. STREPSJLAS. TURNSTONE tion through Asia is equally extensive ; and the species from the American continent is in every respect similar to our own. It thus embraces a geographical range, known to few others, but which tends to confirm an observation advanced, viz. that the distribution of species seems to be more or less ex- tended, in an inverse proportion, to the number each genus contains. — This bird breeds (as before mentioned) in the Nest, &c, higher latitudes ; and, for a nest, merely scrapes a small hole in the gravel, there depositing its eggs, four in number, of an oil-green or yellowish-grey colour, blotched and spotted with brown. Captain SABINE mentions it as breeding in the North Georgian Islands. — Its flight is very similar to that of the Dotterel and Ring Plover, and it frequently ut- ters, when on wing, a short whistling note. It runs swiftly, and is a brisk and lively bird. PLATE 33.* Fig. 1. Represents the male in mature plu- mage. General Forehead, eyebrows, oval space between the bill and eyes, tionnP~ throat, nape and hind part of the neck white. Crown Mature of the head black, the feathers being margined with yel- plumage. lowish-white. From the base of the under mandible, on each side, proceeds a band of black which surrounds the eyes, and, passing down the sides of the neck, joins the large gorget of black that occupies the lower part of the neck and upper part of the breast. Mantle and scapulars reddish-brown, irregularly varied with black. Lower part of the back, and upper tail-coverts, white. Rump black. Lateral tail-feathers white, the central ones black. Quills having their outer webs black, the basal parts of the inner webs and the shafts white. Se- condaries having broad white tips, forming a distinct bar across the wings. Belly, abdomen, vent, and under tail-coverts pure white. Legs and toes orpiment-orange, with the joints darker. Bill black. GRALLATORES. ARENAR1A. 207 Fig. 2. Is the female, resembling the male bird, except that the colours are not so distinct or bright, and the white on the head and neck less pure. Fig. 3. The young of the year. Young of In this state the cheeks and throat are white. Head and the year' neck hair-brown, with darker variegations. Collar and gorget black, edged with greyish- white. Back and sca- pulars hair-brown, glossed with olive-green, each feather having its tip black, margined with yellowish-white. Outer tail-feather white, with a large black spot near the tip, the rest tipped with white. Legs honey-yel- low. It is frequently met with in an intermediate state, with more or less of the reddish-brown ; and the collar, eye-patch, &c. less marked and distinct than in the adult bird. GENUS ARENARIA, BECHST. SANDERLING. GKNERIC CHARACTERS. BILL as long as the head, strait, slender, semi-flexible, compressed at the base, with the tip dilated and smooth. Nostrils lateral, basal, narrow, longitudinally cleft in the nasal furrow, which extends to the dertrum or nail of the bill. Wings of mean length, acuminate, with the first quill- feather the longest. Legs slender, of mean length, naked above the tarsal joint. Feet three-toed, all the toes directed forwards, with a very small connecting membrane at their base. By LINNAEUS the Sanderling was at first arranged with the Tringas, but afterwards transferred to the genus Charad- rius, in which it was retained by GMELIN and LATHAM, 208 GRALLATORES. ARENARTA. SANDEBLING. Subsequent authors, however, very properly separated it from the true Plovers (as the form of its bill was plainly in- compatible with such an arrangement), and made it the type of a separate genus, named, by BECHSTEIN and MEYER, Arenaria, and by ILLIGER Calidris. In the form of its feet and general habits we trace its affinity to the typical Cha- radriada, so that its situation in this Family is distinctly marked. At the same time, the connexion of this bird with the Scolopacida is supported by the structure of its bill, which strongly resembles that of the genus Tring-a ; and it thus becomes one of those essential links, as it were, that so beautifully unite the groups of the different families through- out the whole feathered tribe. The Sanderlirig is as yet the only species of its genus. Its geographical range is extensive, being found, during its pe- riodical migrations, in all quarters of the globe. It is sub- ject to the double moult, and the change from the winter to the summer plumage is very distinct. Winter plumage, and young. COMMON SANDERLING. ARENARIA CALIDRIS, Meyer. PLATE XXXVI. FIGS. 1 & 2. Arenaria Calidris, Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 7- 68. pi. 59. f. 4. Arenaria vulgaris, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 11. 490. pi. 35. Calidris arenaria, Leach's Cat- Br. Mus. p. 28.— -Flem. Brit. Anim. 1. 112. sp. 162. Sanderling variable, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 524. Common Sanderling, Shaw's Zool. 11. 490. pi. 35. winter plumage — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 112. 162. Tringa arenaria, Linn. Syst. 1. 255. 9. — Rail Syn. 109. A. 11 — Gmel Syst. 1. 680. Charadrius grisea minor, Briss. Ornith. 5. 636. 17. t. 20. f. 2. Le Sanderling, Buff. Ois. 7- 532. Charadrius Calidris, Linn. Syst. 1. 255. 9 — Gmel. Syst. 1. 689 — Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 741. sp. 4. Arenaria vulgaris, Bechst. Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 462. Sanderling, or Curwillet, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. 480. No. 212. pi. 73 — Arct, Zool. 2. 403.— Will. (Angl.) 303 — Lath. Syn. Sup. 5. 197 — Id. Sup. 253 — Lath. Syn. Sup. 2. 315 — Bewick's Br. Birds, 2. t. p. 1 — Pult. Cat. Dorset. 16 — Mont. Ornith. Diet. 2 — Id. Sup— Wils. Amer. Orn. 7. 68. pi. 59. fig. 4. SANDERLING. GRALLATORES. ARENARIA. 209 Charadrius rubidus, GmeL Syst. 1. G88 Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 740. sp. 2. \ — mis. Amer. Ornith. 7. 129. pi. 63. fig. 3. / Summer Ruddy Plover, Penn. Arct. Zool. 2. 4M.—Lath. Syn. 5. 195. 2.- JFtfe. > Plumage. Amer. Ornith. 7. 129. pL 63. fig. 3. ) PROVINCIAL, — Curwillet, Towilly. THIS active little bird is a visitant to our shores during Periodical the winter season, being one of the various species whose polar migration extends far within the arctic circle. Its re- sidence in those dreary northern climes appears, however, to be confined to little beyond the time necessarily occupied by the duties attendant on reproduction, as it is seen on our coast sometimes as early as the month of August, at which time I have killed several individuals upon the Northum- brian strand. These have generally been the young of the year, and are probably stragglers from flocks of the earliest broods, whose destination is pointed to more southern lati- tudes ; as the great body, that resorts to our shores, and those of the opposite continent, seldom arrives before the middle of September. Upon their first appearance, we find few of them possessing the complete winter plumage, bearing still strong indications of their summer clothing, varied, of course, according to the advance in winter dress of each in- dividual, and presenting much diversity of appearance. The change, however, goes rapidly on, and, in October, they are perfectly clad in the plain garb that distinguishes them till the approach of spring, when it gives place to a gayer and more attractive suit, appropriately styled by TEM MINCE, " Plumage des Noces? This bird lives on the sandy shores of the ocean, but does not frequent those of an oozy or slimy nature ; in habits it strongly resembles the smaller species of Charadrius, and sometimes associates with Charadrius hia- ticula. It runs very swiftly, and its flight is strong and ra- pid. It feeds on the smaller marine coleopterous insects and Food, minute worms and larvae, which it finds on the beach. The distribution of the species, during its migrations, is widely spread, as it has been met with throughout the greater part VOL. II. O 210 GRALLATORES. ARENARIA. SANDERLING. Nest, &c. of Europe and Asia, and also in North America. — Its nest and eggs remain yet undescribed, though it is known to re- tire to the arctic regions during the summer months, for the purpose of incubation. Dr FLEMING has suggested, that, in all probability, it may occasionally breed in Great Britain, as it has been observed in the Mull of Cantyre as late as on the 2d of June (Linn. Transac. vol. viii. p. £68,) ; no disco- very of such a fact, however, having come within my know- ledge, even after diligent inquiry, it may be presumed that such instances of late appearance have arisen from some in- jury sustained by the individuals thus seen ; although it may be remarked, that even after the period above men- tioned, sufficient time would still remain to enable the birds to reach the nearest breeding station, and rear their young, before the close of the polar summer compelled them to re- migrate to more southern latitudes. PLATE 36. Fig. 1. represents the Sanderling in the winter plumage. General Front, throat, sides of the neck, and the whole of the under tionnP~ parts, pure white. Crown, nape of the neck, back, and Winter scapulars, ash-grey, the shafts of the feathers being plumage. blackish-brown. Secondary quills hair-brown, with broad white tips, forming a bar across the wings. Greater quills having their outer webs deep hair-brown, and their shafts white. Tail cuneated ; the middle fea- thers hair-brown, margined with white ; the outer ones greyish- white. Elbow of the wings deep hair-brown. Bill and legs black. Fig. 2. In the summer or nuptial dress. Summer Crown of the head, and forehead, black ; the feathers being margined with pale reddish-brown and white. Throat, neck, and breast, a mixture of reddish-brown, ash- grey, and brownish-black. Back and scapulars red- dish-brown, with large irregular patches and spots of black. Greater coverts blackish-brown, margined and GRALLATORES. GLAREOLA. 211 tipped with white ; and forming a bar across the wings. Quills brownish-black. In the first, or nestling plumage, the forehead, eye-streak, Young, cheeks, and throat, are white. At the lower part of the neck is a zone of pale cream or yellowish-white, which passes into light ash-grey upon the upper part of the breast. Under parts of the body white. Crown of the head black, margined and spotted with pale buff. Nape and hind part of the neck pale ash-grey, with darker streaks. Mantle and scapulars black, margined and spotted with white. Tertials hair-brown, margined with greyish-white. Quills and tail as in the winter plumage of the adult bird. Legs deep grey. GENUS GLAREOLA. PRATINCOLE. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill short, hard, bulging at the base, convex, and curved for upwards of half its length, compressed towards the point ; gape wide, the commissure extending as far as the anterior angle of the eye ; edges of the under mandible bending in- wards, and covered by those of the upper, whose curvature they follow. Nostrils basal, lateral, and obliquely cleft. Legs of mean length, slender ; with part of the tibiae im- mediately above the tarsal joint naked. Feet four-toed; three before and one behind ; the outer united at its base to the middle one by a membrane ; the inner toe free. Claws rather long, nearly straight, truncated ; that of the middle toe imperfectly pectinated. Wings very long ; the first quill-feather being the longest. Tail more or less forked. The members of this genus are inhabitants of the tempe- rate and warmer climates of the ancient world. They fre- 212 GRALLATORES. GLAREOLA. quent the margins of lakes and rivers, as well as marshes of the interior of the country, feeding chiefly upon the insects that such situations abundantly afford, and which they take both on wing and on the ground, where the birds can run very swiftly. Their flight, from the great length of wing, and forked shape of the tail, is also extremely rapid. Their moult is said to be double, but there is no abrupt or very marked change of colour between the winter and spring plumage, the variation principally consists in an additional brilliancy and depth of tint. By LINNJEUS, who, with re- spect to this group, appears to have mistaken similitude for affinity, the Glareoles were placed amongst his Hirudines ; in which error he has been followed by many subsequent compilers. In the " Index Ornithologicus" of LATHAM, we find the genus Glareola standing next to Rallus ; CUVIER, also, in his " Regne Animal," placed it at the extremity of his family of Macrodactyles, but as a group which he found it difficult to reconcile in character with the others. In the first edition of the " Land Birds" of this work, in which the systematic arrangement of TEMMINCK was chiefly adopt- ed, (the publication of it having been previous to the intro- duction of the natural system, or that founded upon the true affinities connecting the various orders and families), the Glareola was given as a member of the Alectorides ; an order framed by TEMMINCK for the reception of a few genera, whose affinities he had not accurately traced, or which, upon investigation, he could not readily arrange with his other systematic divisions. These are now more appropriately transferred to the stations they should occupy according to their affinities ; and it is upon the connexion which may be traced with the other members of the family of CharadriadtS, that the genus Glareola now becomes included in that fa- mily. PRATINCOLE. GRALLATORES. GLAREOLA. 213 COLLARED PRATINCOLE*. GLAREOLA TORQUATA. PLATE LXIII. Glareola torquata, Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 404. Glareole a Collier, Temm. Man. d'Omith. 2. 500. Glareola Austriaca, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 753. sp. 1. Hirundo Pratincola, Linn. Syst. 345. sp. 12 — Gmel. Syst. 1. 695 — Bul- lock in Trans. Linn. Soc. 11. 177» Glareola, Briss. 5. 141. t. 12. f. 1. Hirundo marina, Raii Syn. 72 — Will. 156. La Perdrix de Mer, Buff. Ois. 7- 544. —Id. PL Enl. 882. Das Rothfussige Sandhuhn, Bechst, Naturg. Deut. 4. 457. t. 13. Austrian Pratincole, Lath. Syn. 5. 222. t. 85 — Mont. Ornith. Diet. Sup. with a figure — Bullock in Trans. Linn. Soc. 11. 177- Glareola Senegalensis et Nsevia, Gmel. Syst. 1. 695. sp. 1. 2. and 3. — v Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 753. and 754, sp. 2. 3. and the varieties — Briss. 3. 147 and 148. Le Perdrix de Mer, La Grise, La Brune, and La Giarole, Buff. Ois. 7- 544 et 245. Das Braunringige Sandhuhn, und Gefleckte Sandhuhn, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 461. var. A. B. Coromandel, Senegal, Spotted, and other varieties, Lath. Syn. 5. 224 et 225. Old and young of both sex sexes. Young and other varieties. THE Collared Pratincole was first added to the British Rare Fauna by Mr BULLOCK, proprietor of the late London vlsltant* Museum, who, in May 1807, received a specimen that was shot near Ormskirk in Lancashire, and which is now in the celebrated collection of Lord STANLEY. He afterwards, in an excursion to the northern parts of Scotland in 1812, killed another in the island of Unst, the northernmost of the Shet- land group ; and, as the circumstances are interesting, as " In consequence of the different station in the system now properly as- signed to this bird, its description has been removed from the letter-press of the Land Birds, in the second edition of that volume ; at the same time, it has not been possible to make a similar arrangement in the volumes of Plates. I must therefore trust to the indulgence of my readers, and hope they will not find much inconvenience in still referring to Part I. for the figure of the Pratincole. 214 GRALLATORES. GLAREOLA. PRATINCOLE. tending to elucidate the manners of the species, I quote them from the description he has given in the Transactions of the Linnean Society. " When I first discovered it, it rose within a few feet, and flew round me in the manner of a Swallow, and then alighted close to the head of a cow that was tethered within ten yards distance. After examining it a few minutes, I returned to the house of T. EDMONDSONE, Esq. for my gun, and, accompanied by that gentleman's brother, went in search of it. After a short time, it came out of some grow- ing corn, and was catching insects at the time I fired, and, being only wounded in the wing, we had an opportunity of examining it alive. In the form of its bill, wings, and tail, as well as its mode of flight, it greatly resembles the genus Hirundo ; but, contrary to the whole of this family, the legs were long, and bare above the knee, agreeing with Tringa ; and, like the Sandpipers, it ran with the greatest rapidity when on the ground, or in shallow water, in pursuit of its food, which was wholly of flies, and of which its stomach was full." In the above description we recognise nothing that allies this bird to the HirundmidcB, beyond certain pecu- liarities possessed to an equal extent by some of the Terns (of the family of the Larid^ and the order Natatores), as well as by birds of other families and orders, viz. a full de- velopment of the wings and tail for the purposes of flight, which mere external resemblances will not imply any real affinity existing ; on the other hand, its manners and ana- tomy point out the true situation it holds in the natural system. — The Pratincole inhabits the borders of lakes, rivers, and inland seas, particularly such as form extensive marshes covered with reeds, and other aquatic herbage. In Hungary, it abounds on the marshy confines of the lakes Neusidel and Baladon, where it was seen by TEMMINCK in flocks of hundreds together ; and it is also met with in some provin- ces of Germany and ^France, as well as in Switzerland and Italy, but in these latter countries only as a bird of passage, or rather perhaps as an occasional visitant. In Tartary, and PRATINCOLE. GRALLATORES. GLAREOLA. 215 the central parts of Asia, it is common, and indeed its geo- graphical distribution seems to be very extensive, as might naturally be expected from its great power of flight. It feeds on flies, beetles, worms, and other aquatic insects, taken Food. (as before noticed) either on wing or the ground, where it runs with great swiftness. — Its flight is singularly rapid, surpassing perhaps even that of any of the Swallow tribe. — Its nest is formed amongst the rushes, and the thick herbage Nest, &c. of its above mentioned localities, and it lays several eggs, of which the colour has not been noticed by any author. This bird, from the change of plumage it undergoes at different seasons, and also attendant upon age, has been multiplied by some writers into three or four species, but which are clearly referable to the single one now under consideration. Two species, distinct from the present one, are, however, given by TEMMINCK, as found on the Asiatic Continent and in New Holland, but never met with in Europe, viz. Glareola Gral- laria and Glar. lactea, and which are figured in the " Planches Coloriees" of the same author. PART I. PLATE 63. Represents this bird of the natural size. Head, nape of the neck, back, scapulars, and wing-coverts, General yellowish-brown, inclining to wood-brown, with a me- tallic lustre. Throat, and fore part of the neck red- dish-white, bounded by a narrow list of black, which proceeds upwards and joins a black streak between the bill and the eyes. Breast pale wood- brown ; abdomen and vent white. Upper tail-coverts white. Tail much forked, having the basal half of its feathers white, the rest blackish-brown. Under wing-coverts brownish-red. Quills blackish-brown. Edges of the bill, and base of the lower mandible bright scarlet-orange. Legs brown- ish-purple red. Irides light reddish-brown. 216 GRALLATORES. CURSORIUS. GENUS CURSORIUS, LATH. SWIFTFOOT. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill as short or shorter than the head, depressed at the base, curved towards the end, and pointed. Tomia of the under mandible covered by those of the upper one, and fol- lowing its curve. Nostrils basal, lateral, oval, and surrounded by a small protuberance. Wings of mean length, having the first quill-feather nearly equal to the second, which is the longest. Legs long, slender, with the tibiae naked for a consider- able space above the tarsal joint. Feet three-toed ; toes all directed forwards, short, and united at their base by a mem- brane. Naked part of the tibiae, front of the tarsus, and up- per part of the toes scutellated. In nails, that of the middle toe broad, with its inner margin pectinated. The genus Cursorius was established by LATHAM, for the reception of the two species then known, and which had been included by GMELIN in the genus Charadrius of LIN- N^US, notwithstanding they exhibited well-marked charac- ters peculiar to themselves. TEMMINCK adopted LATHAM'S title, but transferred the genus from its situation, adjoining to the Plovers, to his order Cursorius ; which nearly answers to the family of Struthionid^ in the rasorial order of the present system. This arrangement was also adopted in the volume of letter-press that accompanied the first series of the " Illustrations of British Ornithology ;" but as subsequent investigation into the affinities of the genus seems confirma- tive of the correctness of the opinion of Mr VIGORS, with re- spect to the situation it holds in the natural arrangement, I have again placed it amongst the Charadriada, in the order SWIFTFOOT. GRALLATORES. CURSORIUS. 217 Grallatores, as being still more closely allied to the typical members of that family, than to the Bustards, or other ge- nera of the StruthionidcB. In addition to the two species above alluded to, three others have been discovered, which are beautifully displayed in the " Planches Coloriees.1' These birds are all natives of the ancient continent, inhabiting the sandy deserts of Asia and Africa. Of their habits and other peculiarities not much is known, but such information as we possess tends to confirm the propriety of their position be- tween the other genera of the present family, and the smaller members of the Strulhionidce. They run with surprising speed, and their flight, from the full development of their wings, is swift and powerful. CREAM-COLOURED SWIFTFOOTf. CURSORIUS ISABELLINUS, Meyer. PLATE XXXIII • «. Cursorius Isabellinus, Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 328 — Ternm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 5l3.—Steph. Shaw's Zool. 11. 500. pi. 37. Cursorius Europseus, Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 75 1- 1. Charadrius Gallicus, Gmel. Syst. 1. 692. Le Court-vite, Buff. Ois. 8. 128 — Id. PL Enl. 795 — Lesson. 2. 20& Court-vite Isabella, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 513. Cream-coloured Plover, Lath. Syn. 5. 217. 25— Id. Sup. 254. t. 116 — — Lewies Br. Birds, 5. pi. 187 — Wale. Syn. 2. pi. 164.— Mont. Ornith. Diet. 2 — Id. Sup. Cream-coloured Courser, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 1 1. 500. pi. 37. an ill-drawn figure. SINCE the publication of the First Part of the present work, an instance has fortunately occurred of the Cream- coloured Swiftfoot having been killed near Timber wood Hill, in Charwood Forest, Leicestershire, in October 1827. •f I have to offer a similar apology to my readers for the transfer of this bird, from the First to the Second Part of these " Illustrations," that I have already made in the preceding note (on the Collared Pratincole), with this fortunate exception, that the representation of the Swiftfoot will be found in its proper place (in Part Second of the Plates) ; as an accompanying figure was not given in Part First. 218 GRALLATORES. CURSORIUS. SWIFTFOOT. This beautiful specimen, now in the possession of the Rev. T. GISBORNE, of Yoxall Lodge, Staffordshire, was kindly lent to ma for the purpose of enriching these " Illustrations ;" and I have thus been enabled to give a correct figure of this bird in the Second Series, in the situation that it properly holds in the systematic arrangement now adopted. It is one of our Very rare rarest visitants, the above being, as far as I can collect, the third instance only of its appearance in Britain. Of the two prior specimens, one was shot in Kent, near the seat of WIL- LIAM HAMMOND, Esq. and was sent to Dr LATHAM* ; and, as the following account which accompanied it is particularly in- teresting, as being descriptive of its manners, I make no apo- logy for transcribing it : — " It was first met with running upon some light land, and so little fearful was it, that, after hav- ing sent for a gun, one was brought to him, which did not readily go off, having been charged some time, and in. conse- quence missed his aim. The report frightened the bird away, but, after making a turn or two, it again settled within a hundred yards of him, when he was prepared with a second shot, which dispatched it. It was observed to run with in- credible swiftness, and at intervals to pick up something from the ground, and was so bold as to render it difficult to make it rise from the ground, in order to take a more secure aim on the wing. The note was not like any kind of Plo- vers, nor indeed to be compared with that of any known bird." The other specimen is mentioned by MONTAGU, as having been killed in Wales, and was afterwards in the col- lection of the late Professor SIBTHOEP, of Oxford. Africa is the native region of this species, particularly the northern and western parts of that secluded country, where it inhabits the extensive plains of the desert. In Europe, even its ap- pearance is of the rarest occurrence, as there are only two • This specimen found its way into the Leverian Museum,, at the sale of which it was purchased by FICHTEL, who afterwards disposed of it to DONOVAN for the sum of eighty-three guineas.Jlt is now deposited in the British Museum. GRALLATORES. VANELLUS. 219 other instances of its capture in this division of the world, viz. one in France, and the other in Austria. On this ac- count the specific name of Isabettinus, given to it by MEYER, has been preferred to that of Europceus, so inadvertently imposed by LATHAM. Nothing is yet known respecting its particular habits, its food, or the propagation of the species. PLATE 33 **. represents this bird of the natural size, from the specimen above alluded to. Bill three quarters of an inch long, black, and arched to- General wards the tip. Irides pale yellowish-grey. Forehead and crown of the head pale buff-orange, passing towards the occiput into ash-grey, below which backwards is a triangular spot of black. Over each eye, and passing round the hind part of the head (below the black spot), is a band of pure white. From the posterior angle of the eye is a streak of black. Throat and chin pale reddish-white. The whole of the body sienna-yellow, tinged with ash-grey, palest beneath. Greater quills brownish-black ; outer tail-feathers having a small dusky spot near their tips. Legs long, with the tibiae naked for an inch above the tarsal joint. Toes short ; the outer united to the middle toe by a rather broad membrane, the inner toe by a smaller one. Claw of the middle toe pectinated ; a peculiarity belonging also to all the other species. GENUS VANELLUS, Bziss. LAPWING. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill shorter than the head, strait, slightly compressed; the points of both mandibles horny and hard, rather swollen and convex, the edges bent inwards ; nasal groove wide, and reaching as far as the horny tip. The part of the culmen that divides the nostrils lower than the tip of the bill. To- mia of both mandibles, as far as the tip, equal. 220 GRALLATORES. VANELLUS. Nostrils basal, lateral, linear, pierced in the membrane of the nasal groove. Legs slender, with the lower part of the tibiae naked ; feet four-toed, three before and one behind, united at the base by a membrane ; that portion of it between the outer and middle toe being the largest. Hind toe very short, articu- lated upon the tarsus, and not reaching to the ground. Tarsi reticulated ; nails falcate ; the inner edge of the mid- dle one flattened and expanded. Wings ample, tuberculated or spurred; the three first quill feathers notched, or suddenly narrowing towards their tips, and shorter than the fourth and fifth, which are the longest in each wing. Plumage thick, soft, rather open in texture, with more or less of a metallic gloss. The members of this genus, of which the Crested Lap- wing (Vanellus cristatus) may be considered the type, are nearly allied in the form of the bill, and in their habits, to the genera Charadrms and Pluvlanus, but differ from them in having a small hind toe, which feature brings them into connexion with other four-toed groups of the order Gral- latores. By LINNAEUS, LATHAM, and other authors, they were, on account of this hind toe, placed in the genus Tringa, to the members of which they only bear a distant alliance; their true affinity with the other groups of the Charadriadce being distinctly shewn, both from their ana- tomy and habits. The Lapwings have the forepart or elbow of the wing armed with a spur ; in some species short and blunt, in others long and pointed. The head is also gene- rally furnished with peculiar appendages ; in the European species, in the form of a long singularly shaped crest ; in other species appearing as wattles, or fleshy protuberances, about the bill and eyes. They are the inhabitants of open ground and plains, particularly where the soil is of a moist nature ; feeding on worms, insects, larvae, &c. They are sub- ject to the double moult ; but their vernal change of plumage is not attended with any remarkable difference of colour. LAPWING. GRALLATORES. VANELLUS. 221 CRESTED OR GREEN LAPWING. VANELLUS CRIST ATUS, Meyer. PLATE XXXIV. Vanellus cristatus, Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 111. sp. 160. Vanellus gavia, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 11. 509. pi. 38 — Leach, Cat. Br. Mus. p. 29. Tringa Vanellus, Linn. Syst. 1. 248. 2 — Gmel. Syst 1. 670.—Raii Syn. 110. A. 1 — Will. 228. t. 57 Briss. Orn. 5. 94. 1. t. 8. f. I.— Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 726. sp. 2. Charadrius Vanellus, Wagler, Syst. Av. 1. Le Vanneau, Buff. Ois. 8. 48. pi. 4 Id. PI. Enl. 242. Vanneau huppe', Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 550. Gehaubte Kiebitz, Bechst. Naturg. Deut 4. 346. Lapwing, or Bastard Plover, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. 453. No. 190 Arct. Zool. 2. 480. D — Will. 307. pi. 57 Alton's Br. Birds, 1. pi. 74 Lewin's Br. Birds, ft. pi. 167 — Pull. Cat. Dorset, p. 15.— Lath. Syn. 5. 161 — Bewick's Br. Birds, Ed. 1826, 2. p. t. 79 — Mont. Ornith. Diet. 1. — Low's Faun. Oread, p. 84. Crested Lapwing, Shaw's Zool. 11. 509. pi. 38. — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 111. sp. 160. BY its common appellation of Pewit, this bird is well known throughout Britain, where it is very abundant during the summer or breeding season, and is then found in almost every situation, from the upland dry or marshy moors, to the pasture and fallow grounds of the lower districts. In these various localities, after making a slight depression in the ground, which it lines with a few broken straws or dry stalks of grass, it deposits four eggs, like most of the vermi- Nest, &c. vorous Grallatores. They are of a deep oil-green colour, blotched and irregularly marked with brownish-black, and are brought in great numbers to the London market, where, as an article of luxury for the table, they always command a good price. On this account they are eagerly sought for in all the districts where these birds are numerous, and the open and extensive fields, as well as the rabbit warrens of Norfolk, with the fenny parts of Lincolnshire and Cam- bridge, furnish a principal part of the supply. The trade 222 GRALLATORES. VANELLUS. LAPWING. of collecting them continues for about two months, and great expertness in the discovery of the nests is shewn by those accustomed to it ; generally judging of their situation by the conduct of the female birds, who invariably, upon being dis- turbed, run from the eggs, and then fly near to the ground for a short distance, without uttering any alarm-cry. The males, on the contrary, are very clamorous, and fly round the intruder, endeavouring, by various instinctive arts, to divert his attention. — The young, when hatched, are covered with down of an ochreous yellow, mixed with brown : they are assiduously attended by the parents, who lead them to the softer parts of the soil, where food is more abundantly obtained. At this interesting period, when engaged in their parental duties, these birds must have attracted the attention of most persons, from the extreme anxiety they display, and the devices they practise, in order to draw off either man or dog from the vicinity of their callow brood. After the young are fully grown, and able to fly, they assemble in large flocks ; gradually, as autumn approaches, deserting the interior of the country, and moving nearer to the coast. Here they chiefly frequent the fallow grounds and turnip fields, re- maining (with allusion to the northern counties) till Novem- ber, or even later, should the weather continue mild or open ; but, in case of severe frost, most of them retire, and pass the rest of the winter farther to the southward. In Northum- berland they re-appear, towards the end of February or the beginning of March, in small flocks ; from which, having se- parated and paired, they spread themselves over the face of the country. At this season their flight (particularly that of the male birds) is very peculiar, being subject to a variety of evolutions, in the course of which they frequently dart perpendicularly upwards to a considerable height, then throwing a summerset, as it would seem, in the air, suddenly descend almost to the ground, along which they course with many turnings and great velocity, till the same manoeuvre is repeated. These movements are attended by a loud hissing 5 LAPWING. GRALLATORES. VANELLUS. 223 noise of the wings, arising from their rapid motion, aided by the peculiar form of them, which offers a broken resistance to the air. During these aerial exercises, which are sup- ported for a long time without intermission, they utter a va- riety of notes, very different in tone and expression from the monotonous cry of alarm, that has conferred on them their provincial appellation of Pewit, or Fees-weep. This species is very widely dispersed, being found throughout all the di- visions of the ancient continent. Specimens that I have re- ceived from China are precisely similar to our own birds ; they are in the winter plumage, and most of them seem to be the young of the year. In Holland the Lapwing is re- markably abundant. Its flesh, in autumn and winter, is juicy and sweet*, not yielding in flavour to that of the Golden Plover, or indeed to any of this tribe, but becomes, in the summer season, dry and unpalatable. — It feeds prin- Food, cipally on earth-worms, in obtaining which it displays great ingenuity. " I have seen," says Dr LATHAM, " this bird approach a worm- cast, turn it aside, and, after walking two or three times about it, by way of giving motion to the ground, the worm come out, and the watchful bird, seizing hold of it, draw it forth.11 It also devours slugs, insects, larva?, See., on which account it is frequently kept in gar- dens ; but, when thus domesticated, it requires to be fed and protected during the severity of winter, as it is, in such situa- tions, unable to obtain a sufficient supply of its native food. An interesting anecdote, shewing the degree of domestica- tion to which this bird may be brought, is related by .BEWICK, but as the extract would be long, I must refer my * On this account, as well as from their abundance, and their having so long a crest, or aigrette, I am led to think that the birds mentioned by LE- LAND, under the name of Egrets, as having been served up at the famous feast of Archbishop NEVIL, to the number of one thousand, were Lap. wings, and not that species of Heron, now known under the title of the Little Egret, which, from the works of our earlier naturalists, appears to have been if not an unknown, at least a rare species in Britain. 224 GRALLATORES. VANELLUS. LAPWING. readers to the original work. The plumage of the Lapwing is rich, and the colours well contrasted, and it is of very sprightly appearance. It runs swiftly, during which it has a singular habit of stopping suddenly at intervals, and put- ting its bill to the ground, but without picking up any thing, apparently to bring its body, as it were, to a proper equi- poise. PLATE #4. represents the male and female in summer plu- mage. General Bill black. Forehead, crown, chin, and gorget, shining tion. greenish-black. Occipital crest composed of long slen- der black feathers, turning slightly upwards. From the corners of the under mandible runs a black streak, passing under the eyes to the nape of the neck. Region of the eyes, nape, and sides of the neck, pure white. Back, scapulars, and tertials, pale glossy olive-green; the latter being tinged with purplish-red. Wing-coverts deep olive-green, glossed with blue and purplish red. Wings much rounded ; the quills black, with the tips of the first four dirty white. Lower part of the back clove-brown, glossed with green. Upper tail coverts orange-brown ; the lower ones paler. Tail having the basal half of the feathers white ; the rest black, with white tips ; except the outermost feather, which is en- tirely white. Belly and abdomen pure white. Legs brownish-purple red. In winter the throat and chin are white ; the feathers of the upper part of the plumage margined with reddish- white, and with less of the gloss, and reddish-purple tints. The young have the occipital crest very short ; the face and neck white, speckled with brown ; and the feathers of the back and scapulars more deeply mar- gined with pale .ochreous yellow. Legs and toes grey, with a pink tinge. GRALLATORES. SQUATAROLA. 225 GENUS SQUATAROLA, Cur. BASTARD PLOVER*. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill rather strong, cylindrical, strait, nearly as long as the head ; the tip, or horny part, about half the length of the whole bill, tumid, and arched, with the tomia bending in- wards. Nasal groove wide; half the length of the bill. Mesorhinium depressed below the level of the tip. Nostrils longitudinally pierced in the membrane of the groove, linear oblong. Wings rather long, acuminate ; with the first quill-feather the longest. Legs slender, of mean length, naked above the tarsal joint. Feet four-toed, three before and one behind ; front toes joined at their base by a membrane, that portion of it between the outer and middle toe being the longest. Hind toe very small, or rudimental. Tarsi reticulated. Plumage thick, close, and adpressed. The Bastard Plover, like the Lapwings, was placed in the genus Tringa by some of the earliest systematists-f, on ac- count of its being furnished with a very minute hind toe. It was afterwards placed by TEMMFNCK, BECHSTEIN, &c., with the Lapwings in the genus Vanellus, but as form- ing a separate section, on account of the different character exhibited in the form of the wings. Instead of adopting * I have considered it most advisable not to let generic distinction (how- ever necessary) interfere with the English name of Plover, so long attached to this species ; as my ambition has been, in the letter-press of the present work, to construct a popular manual of British Ornithology. •j- RAY and WILLOUGHBY, however, seem to have known its proper si- tuation, having placed it between the Lapwing and Golden Plover, exactly where it now stands in the natural arrangement. VOL. II. P 226 GRALLATORES. SQUATAROLA. this sectional division, CUVIER and other naturalists made it the type of a genus, of which it was then supposed to be the only species ; a second, however, has been since disco- vered in the southern hemisphere, specimens of which were brought by Captain P. P. KING, R. N., from the Straits of Magellan. This latter species has been figured in the " Illustrations of Ornithology," under the title of Squatarola cincta. In form and general appearance these birds are very similar to the true Plovers (or genus Charadrius), and, in- deed, are only to be distinguished by a stronger bill, and by the small hind toe, which the Plovers totally want. This character brings them into direct contiguity with the Lap- wings, and they thus hold an intermediate station, forming the connecting link between the genera Vanellus and Charadrius. Their manners are also very similar, and they subsist on the same food, viz. earth-worms, slugs, insects, and larvae. They are subject to the double moult, and that of the European species, in almost every respect, resembles the analogous change in Charadrius Pluvialis ; whilst that of the exotic species is very much like to Charadrius Morinellus. They inhabit the borders of rivers, plains, and marshy tracts, as well as the shores of the ocean, where they generally pass the greater portion of the winter. In Europe they are migra- tory, retiring in spring from the temperate parts to regions within the arctic circle to breed. PLOVER. GRALLATORES. SQUATAROLA. 227 BASTARD OR GREY PLOVER. SQUATAROLA CINEREA, Cuv. PLATE XXXV. FIGS. 1, 2. Squatarola cinerea, Cuv. Reg. Anim. 1. 467. — Leach, Cat. Br. Mus. p. 2 —Shaw's Zool. 11. 505 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 111. sp. 161. Vanellus melanogaster, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 356. Charadrius hypomelas, Wagler, Syst. Av. 1. sp. 43. Vanneau Pluvier, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 547 — Lesson, Man. 2. 308. Schwartzbauchiger Kiebiz, Meyer, Vog. Deutsch. 2. Heft 22. Grey Squatarole, Shaw's Zool. 11. 505.— Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 111. sp. 161 Grey Lapwing, Rennie's Ed. Mont. Ornith. Diet. Tringa Squatarola, Linn. Syst. 1.252.23. — Gmel. Syst. 1. 682— Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 729. sp. 1 1. Vanellus griseus, Briss. 5. 100. 2. t. 9. f. 1. Pluvialis cinerea, Ran Syn. 111. A. 3 — Will. 22. pi. 57. Vanneau Pluvier, Buff. Ois. 8. 68. PI. Enl. 854. Grey Plover, Alton. 1. t. 76 — Will. (Angl.) 309. t. 57 Bewick's Br. Birds, Ed. 1826, pL t. 83. Grey Sandpiper, Br. Zool. 2. 456. No. 191 — Arct. Zool. 2. 393.— Lath. Syn. 5. 168. 11 — Id. Sup. 248 — Lewin's Br. Birds, 5. pi. 169.— Wale. Syn. 146. pi. 2 — Pult. Cat. Dorset. 15.— Mont. Ornith. Diet. 2 Id. Sup. Tringa Helvetica, Linn. Syst. 1. 250. 12 — Gmel. Syst. 1. 676 Lath- Ind. Orn. 2. 718. sp. 10. Vanellus Helveticus, Briss. Orn. 5. 106. 4. t. 10. f. 1. Charadrius hypomelas, Pall. Reise, 3. 699. No. 28. Vanneau de Suisse, Buff. Ois. 8. 60 — Id. PI. Enl. 853. Swiss Sandpiper, Penn. Arct. Zool. 2. No. 396 — Lath. Syn. 5. 167 10 — Id. Sup. 248. Tringa varia, Linn. Syst. 1. 252. 21 — Gmel Syst. 1. 682. Vanellus varius, Briss. 5. 103. t. 10. f. 1. Vanneau varid, Buff. PL Enl. 923. I THE Grey Plover is not a numerous species in Britain, and, indeed, in many parts, its appearance seems almost li- mited to the period of its migrations, that is, when passing in autumn to its winter quarters, and in spring on its return to the colder regions of the north. In Northumberland there are a few stations on the coast, where it is found durino- the whole winter, but only in families or small flocks. It gene- rally arrives about the middle of September (sometimes even earlier), at which time several of the old birds still retain a Winter plumage. Summer plumage. Young. 228 GRALLATORES. SQUATAROLA. PLOVER. part of their summer plumage, and the breast is seen beauti- fully spotted with black, and in which state it is also found in spring, when beginning to assume the nuptial dress. These feathers rapidly give place to others of a different co- lour, and early in October the winter plumage is completed. Since the study of natural history became so prevalent, orni- thological specimens have acquired a proportionate value ; and, in consequence, a keener look-out is now kept by the regular shooters of wild-fowl. To this must be attributed the supply of these birds sent from Norfolk, and other parts of the eastern coast, in the month of May, while on their passage to the north. At this season they have all com- menced the change of plumage, and are killed in various stages of its progress, some few nearly in the perfect garb, and answering to the description of the Tringa Helvetica of authors. In its form and appearance, as well as in the disposition of its colours (in all its states of plumage), the present species very closely resembles the Golden Plover (Charadrius Pluvmlis), and, except upon strict examination, may be very readily confounded with it. It is, however, ra- ther superior in size, and in possessing a hind toe (or rather daw), as well as in the long black under coverts of the wings, furnishes constant and sufficient marks of distinction. Its bill, upon comparison, will also be found much stronger than either that of the Plover or Lapwing, approaching closely in form to that of the genus (Edicnemus. On our coast it is found in oozy bays, or at the mouths of rivers, where it Food, feeds upon worms, marine insects, &c. It runs with agility, and utters a piping whistle, similar to, but not quite so shrill as, that of the Golden Plover. Its flesh is tender and well flavoured, and in high esteem for the table. The species is widely distributed, being found throughout the temperate and colder parts of all the northern hemisphere, in Europe, it is common in Russia; also in France and Switzerland during the times of its migrations ; upon the coasts of Hol- land it is a regular periodical visitant, and, according to PLOVER. GRALLATORES. SQUATAROLA. 229 TEMMINCK, a few annually breed upon the northern islands of that kingdom*. It is met with in Egypt, and upon the confines of Asia, in Siberia, &c. The only nest it makes is Nest, &c. a small depression in the ground, lined with a few straws or stems of grass ; in which it lays four eggs, of an oil-green colour, blotched and spotted with black. PLATE 35. Fig. 1. represents the bird in the summer plu- mage. Forehead, eye-streak, and orbits white. Space between General the bill and eyes, cheeks, sides and fore part of neck, j^1"1^" breast, flanks, and belly, deep black. Abdomen, vent, Summer and thighs, white. Lateral under tail-coverts with ob- PlumaSe- lique black bars. Crown of the head hair-brown, with the shafts of the feathers black. Hind part of the neck a mixture of pale hair-brown and white. Back- scapulars and wing-coverts black ; the feathers being tipped and barred with white and yellowish-white. Quills having part of the inner web and the shafts white. Axillary feathers black. Tail-coverts white, barred with hair-brown. Tail the same, except the outer feather on each side, which is nearly white. Bill black. Legs and toes blackish-grey. Fig. 2. in the winter plumage. Chin white. Neck, breast, and flanks white, marbled Winter with pale ash-grey and hair-brown.' Belly and abdomen p uma£e* white. Head, back part of the neck, and the whole of the upper parts of the body hair-brown, having the shaft of each feather darker, and being margined and spotted with greyish- white, or pale ash-grey. Under wing-coverts, or axillary feathers, black. * I have occasionally met with one or two of these birds upon the Fern Islands in June, but could never detect any of their young. These indi- viduals, probably from some accidental cause, had been unequal to the usual migration. 230 GRALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. PLOVER. Young The young of the year differ from the adults in having the feathers of the upper parts of the body spotted with yellow and yellowish- white, sometimes approaching very nearly in colour to Charadrius Pluvialis. GENUS CHARADRIUS, LIN. PLOVER. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill strait, compressed, shorter than the head ; the anterior portion of each mandible horny and hard ; that of the upper one slightly arched, and rounded underneath ; of the under one gently ascending. Lateral furrow extending to two- thirds of the length of the bill. Nostrils basal, lateral, linear, longitudinally cleft in the large membrane of the nasal furrow. Wings of mean length, narrow, acuminate, with the first quill-feather the longest. Legs rather long, or of mean length, slender, naked above the tarsal joint. Tarsi reticulated. Feet three-toed ; all the toes directed forwards, rather short ; the outer toe united to the middle one by a short membrane. Tail in gradations, from nearly a square end in some species, to a very wedge-shaped form in others. Plumage thick, close, and adpressed. The members of this genus (which may be considered the typical form of the Charadriadce) are numerous, and pos- sess a very wide geographical distribution, species being found in every quarter of the globe. Some of them, during the greater part of the year, are the inhabitants of open dis- tricts, and of wild wastes, frequenting both dry and moist situations, and only retire towards the coast during the seve- rity of winter. Others are constantly resident upon the banks or about the mouths of rivers, particularly where the PLOVER. GRALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. 231 shore consists of small gravel or shingle ; such are most of the smaller species. Except during the season of reproduction, most of them live in societies, larger or of less amount, ac- cording to the species. Their migrations are also performed in numerous bodies, the old birds usually congregating by them- selves, and preceding the young in their periodical flights. They run with much swiftness, as might be expected from the simple structure of their feet ; and from the shape and dimensions of their wings, they fly with strength and rapi- dity. They live on worms, insects, and their larvae, Sec., and most of them are nocturnal feeders, as indicated by their large and prominent eyes. They are subject to the double moult, and the change at the different seasons is in many species very marked. Their nest is on the ground, and their eggs are always four in number. The flesh of the larger species, and such as inhabit the plains of the interior, is deli- cate and high flavoured ; but in many of the smaller kinds that live on the coast, or on the banks of rivers, it is not so palatable. GOLDEN PLOVER. CHARADRIUS PLUVIALIS, Linn. PLATE XXXVII. Charadrius Pluvialis, Linn. Syst. 1. 254. 7 Gmel. Syst. 1. C88 Lath, Ind. Orn. 2. 740. sp. 1. var. B — Briss. Orn. 5. 43. 1. t. 4. f. 1 — Shaw's Zool. 11. 464. pi. 34.— /Yem. Br. Anim. 1. 113. sp. 163. Pluvialis viridis, Rail Syn. 111. A. 2 — Will. 289. t. 57. Le Pluvier dore, Buff. Ois. 8. 81.— Id. PL Enl. 904 — Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 535. Goldregen Pfeifer, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 395 — Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 318. Golden Plover, Br. Zool. 2. 474. No. 208 Arct. Zool. 2. 399 Will. (Angl.) 308.— Lath. Syn. 5. 193. 1 Id. Sup. 252 — Mont. Ornth. Diet. Id. Sup.— Bewick's Br. Birds, Ed. 1826. p. t. 367 — Pult. Cat. Dorset, 16. Green Plover, Low's Faun. Oread. 88.— Flem. Br. Anim. 2. 113, sp. 163. Charadrius Africanus, Linn. Syst. 254. 6 — Gmel.. Syst. 1. 687 — Lath.. Ind. Ornith. 2. 742. sp. 5. but not all the synonyms.* — Shaw's Zool. 11. 1 466, but not Wilson's Synonyms. y Summer Alwargrim Plover, Penn. Arct. Zool. 2. 398. — Lath. Syn. 5. 198. 5. — I plumage. Shaw'sZooL 11. 466. " PROVINCIAL — Grey Plover, Whistling Plover, Black-bellied Plover. 232 GRALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. PLOVER. THE present species has a wide geographical range, though not, I imagine, to the extent supposed by many naturalists ; the birds which have been considered by them as belonging to this species being of a different one, viz. the Charadrius Marmoratus of WAGLER, which, though nearly allied to, and greatly resembling, Char. Plumalis in general appearance, yet possess certain and permanent distinctions in colour of plumage, size, &c. Among these, I may mention, as a test of contradistinction, the colour of the under surface of the wings, and of the long axillary feathers, which, in the exotic species, are of an uniform cinereous or pale hair-brown co- lour ; whereas, in all specimens of C. Pluvialis, they are pure white. Instead, therefore, of extending the range of the species now before us to America, New Holland, and other parts of the southern hemisphere, I feel inclined to limit it to Europe, Northern Asia, and some few districts in the North of Africa. Although it may be accounted indigenous in Britain, being found in parts of the kingdom through the whole year, it is nevertheless subject to the laws of migra- tion, even within these confines. Thus, as autumn approaches, and after the young have acquired maturity, large flocks are formed, which gradually leave the upland and mountainous districts, and come down to the lower lands and to the coast. Some of these bodies pass onwards to spend the winter on the open downs that overlook the sea in the southern coun- ties, where this bird can only be regarded as a winter visi- tant, since it does not appear that it breeds much to the south of a boundary formed by the river Tyne. Towards the end of March, or the beginning of April, when the impulse of nature excites them, the flocks, which during the autumn and winter had remained united, begin to separate into smaller parties, and retire to the uncultivated grounds of the northern counties of England, and to the Highlands of Scotland, where they break into pairs and prepare to breed. At this period the vernal moult commences, and a remarkable change of plumage is soon perceptible, the birds being fully clad in PLOVER. GBALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. 233 their nuptial garb by the end of May. In this state, the Golden Plover has been described as a distinct species, un- der the title of Charadrius Apricarius, a synonym also ap- plied by ornithologists, in some instances, to the exotic species which I have before mentioned as having been con- founded with the present one. Some of our naturalists indeed seem, at this day, to be either not aware or not convinced of the change that annually takes place in the appearance of our species, for Mr STEPHENS, the continua- tor of Dr SHAW'S General Zoology, under the head of Cha- radrius Apricarius (Alwargrim Plover), says, " This, which TEMMINCK asserts to be the summer plumage of Charadrius Pluvialis, I am induced to consider distinct, as I have never seen a specimen that was captured in England, where the Golden Plover is very common, and has been observed at all seasons." That Mr STEPHENS should not have met with it in this state in the south of England, is only what might be expected, as these birds quit their winter haunts before the change commences ; but that he should never have seen a British-killed specimen under this change, is certainly ex- traordinary, as many collections must at the time have pos- sessed such ; and I may add, that previous to the publica- tion of Mr STEPHENS' s eleventh volume, I was in the habit of sending this bird, in its summer dress, to various friends and correspondents, having, from my peculiar situation, op- portunities of obtaining it in all its stages of change. — About the end of May or beginning of June, the females begin to lay, making but little artificial nest, a small depression in the Nest, &c. ground amidst the heath being generally taken advantage of, and lined with a few dry fibres and steins of grass. The eggs are four in number, rather larger than those of the Lapwing, of a cream-yellow, inclining to oil-green, with large irregular confluent blotches or spots of deep umber-brown. The young, when excluded, are covered with a beautiful parti-coloured down of bright kingVyellow and brown : they quit the nest as soon as hatched, and follow their parents 234 GRALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. PLOVER. till able to fly and support themselves, which is in the course of a month or five weeks. The old birds display great anxiety in protecting their young brood, using various stra- tagems to divert the attention of an enemy ; among others, that of tumbling over, as if unable to fly, or feigning lame- ness, is the most frequent, and appears indeed to be the in- stinctive resort of those birds that construct the nest and rear their young on the ground. When aware of an intruder near, the female invariably runs to some distance from her nest before she takes wing, a manoeuvre tending to conceal its true situation ; and the discovery of it is rendered still more difficult by the colour and markings of the eggs assimi- lating so closely to that of the ground and surrounding herb- age. The usual call-note of the Plover is a plaintive mono- tonous whistle, by imitating which it may frequently be enticed within a very short distance. In the breeding season a more varied call is used, during which it flies at a great elevation, and continues soaring round for a considerable time. Towards the end of August these birds begin to leave the moors (having then congregated in large flocks), and descend to the fallows and the newly sown wheat-fields, where an abundance of their favourite food can be readily obtained. At this season they soon become very fat, and are excellent at the table, their flesh being not inferior in flavour to that of the Woodcock, or any of our most esteemed sorts of game. In these haunts they continue till severe weather approaches, when they either move nearer to the coast or migrate to the southern parts of the kingdom. They fly with strength and swiftness, and if disturbed, when in large flocks, generally perform many aerial evolutions and rapid wheelings before they again settle on the ground. The Golden Plover is a nocturnal feeder, and, during the day, is commonly seen squatted upon the ground or standing asleep, with the head Food, drawn down between the shoulders. Its food consists of earth-worms, slugs, insects, and their larvae, particularly those of the Lepidopterous tribe, many rare species of which 3 PLOVER. GRALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. 235 I have, upon dissection, found in their stomachs and gullet during the summer season. It runs very fast, and when wounded is difficult to be caught without the aid of a dog. — Upon the continent these birds are abundant during the time of their migrations, as in Holland, parts of France, Germany, &c. In Sardinia they winter in immense flocks, as well as in other countries of the south of Europe, retiring in the summer to high northern latitudes of Asia and Europe to breed. PLATE 37. Shows the Golden Plover of the natural size, in both the winter and summer plumage. Crown of the head, hind part of the neck, back, wing-coverts, General and scapulars, brownish- black, or very deep hair-brown, tion. each feather having triangular marginal spots, and the "^|j||SL tip of kingVyellow. Tail deep hair -brown, with ob- lique bars of pale king's yellow. Quills hair-brown, with the anterior part of the shafts of the first five white. Forehead, cheeks, and eye-streak yellowish-white, streak- ed and spotted with pale hair-brown and grey. Chin and throat white. Fore part of the neck, breast, sides, and flanks ash-grey, tinged in parts with king's yellow, and spotted and streaked with darker grey. Belly, ab- domen, and under tail-coverts, white. Long axillary feathers beneath the wings pure white. Legs and toes deep grey. During the breeding season the cheeks, chin, throat, auricu- Summer lars, fore part of the neck, list down the centre of the * breast, belly, and abdomen are of an intense black. Fore- head, eye-streak, and the marginal line bordering the black upon the neck and breast, pure white. Sides of the breast marbled with kingVyellow and black. Sides and flanks white, marbled with pale hair- brown and yellow. Under tail-coverts white, the lateral ones being tinged with yellow and obliquely barred with hair- brown. Upper parts of the body having the black more 236 GRALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. DOTTEREL. intense in colour, but similar in markings to the winter plumage. In the female, the black of the under parts and about the head, during the breeding season, is ge- nerally marbled with white, and not so intense as in the male bird. In spring, when acquiring, and again in July when loosing, the nuptial dress, it is found with the black or white predominating according to the ad- vance it may have made in each respective change. DOTTEREL. CHARADRIUS MORINELLUS, Linn. PLATE XXXIX. FIGS. 1. and 2. Charadrius Morinellus, Linn. Syst. 1. 254. 5.—Gmel. Syst. 1. 686 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 3. 746. sp. 17— Shaw's Zool. 11. 468 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 113. sp. 164 __ Biiss. 5. 54. 5. t. 4. f. 2 __ Rail Syn. 111. A. 4 — Wagler, Syst. Av. sp. 38. Charadriu^ Tataricus, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 746. sp. 1 5. Charadrius Sibiricus, Gmel Syst. 1. 690.— Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 747- sp. 19. Le Pluvier Guignard, Buff. Ois. 8. 87 — Id. PI. Enl. 332 — Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 537, Der Diimme Regenpfeifer, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 406. Dotterel, Br. Zool. 2. 477. No. 210 — Arct. Zool. 2. 487. A — Will. (Angl.) 309.— Albinos Br. Birds, 2. t. 62 __ Lath. Syn. 5. 208. 14 __ Bewick's Br. Birds, Ed. 1826. t. p. t. 269 __ Mont. Orn. Diet. 1 — Id. Sup — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 113. sp. 164 — Rennie's Mont. Orn. Diet. 137. Dotterel Plover, Shaw's Zool. 11. 468. Periodical ^HE Dotterel can only be reckoned a cursory visitant at visitant, the two periods of its migrating flights, viz. in spring, du- ring the months of April and May, when on its way to higher latitudes for the breeding season, and again in September and October, on its return to its winter quarters in the warmer parts of Europe and Asia. By some writers, how- ever, it has been supposed, that a part of the birds whicli visit Britain in spring remain to breed upon the moors of the northern counties of England, and in the Highlands of Scot- land. Amongst others, MONTAGU and Dr FLEMING seem to favour this opinion ; the former of whom, in his Ornitho- DOTTEREL. GRALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. 237 logical Dictionary, after stating the probability of the fact, observes, that he once saw Dotterels in Scotland sufficiently late to induce him to entertain such an idea, and further adds, that Col. THORNTON informed him of his having seen Dotterels in pairs upon the Grampian Hills ; but, unfortu- nately, in neither of these cases is the precise time of year mentioned. Dr FLEMING, in his History of British Animals, cites a passage from the Statistical Account of the parish of Carmylie, in favour of the above supposition ; but the para- graph is too generally worded to establish as a fact, the re- sidence and breeding of these birds upon the Grampian Mountains. In Northumberland (where considerable flocks annually appear in certain haunts near the coast in the month of May, and where their visit seldom extends beyond a week or ten days), I have, during summer, examined all the up- land moors, and the range of the Cheviot Hills, these being the situations to which they would naturally retire, if any remained, to breed, but always without success ; nor did the bird appear to be known to the shepherds or other inhabi- tants of these districts. The same may be said of the moors of Cumberland, and the south-western parts of Scotland, where, indeed, it is of very rare occurrence, even during its pe- riodical flight ; the line of migration of the passing bodies that visit us in spring being along the eastern coasts of the island. I may also add, that in various excursions to the Highlands of Scotland, I never met with the Dotterel in the summer or breeding season, though its congener the Golden Plover was frequently seen ; nor has any instance occurred of the nest, eggs, or immature young of this bird having been yet found. It is seen, on its return from its breeding quarters, in parti- cular haunts during the months of September and October, generally in families of five or six together, being the old birds and their brood ; occasionally, however, earlier appear- ance may happen, as in the case of the bird mentioned by Col. THORNTON in his Sporting Tour, which he killed in Scotland on the 1 6th of August ; and a Dotterel, apparently 238 GRALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. DOTTEREL. a bird of the year, once fell before my own gun when shoot- ing Grouse on the 20th of August. These, in all probability, were birds of early hatchings, which appear frequently to precede the main bodies of their species in the equatorial mi- gration, as I have previously remarked in the history of the Sanderling. The Dotterel has always been considered a stupid bird, but for what reason I cannot conceive. I allow, that on its first arrival, it shews but little fear of man, but 'this, I apprehend, arises more from inexperience of persecution in its native wilds, than from any other cause, and which ap- pears evident from the birds, when harassed and repeatedly fired at, soon becoming too cautious to admit of near ap- proach any longer. Their habits also contribute to render them unwary, for being nocturnal feeders (like many others of the Charadriadee), they are at rest and asleep during the greater part of the day, in which state also the Golden Plover (a wary bird when roused) will frequently admit of a close approach. As to the story of the Dotterel mimicking the actions of the fowler, by stretching out its leg, wing, or head, when he sets the example, it, without doubt, arose from the motions that they, as well as other birds, usually and most naturally make when roused from a state of repose ; and which every one who attends to the habits of the feathered race must (in flocks of Gulls, Plovers, Tringas, &c.) have frequently observed. The Dotterel is particularly abundant in northern Asia and the eastern parts of Europe. It inha- bits Siberia, and the vast steppes of Tartary, frequently living in the vicinity of the salt lakes and marshes of that open region. It is also found, during its winter migration, in Italy and Spain. The great body of these birds retires to the high latitudes of Northern Asia, Russia, and Lapland Alps to breed ; but the flocks which pass along the eastern coast of our island are supposed to limit their flight to the upland districts and mountains of Sweden and Norway. — The nest and eggs of the Dotterel have hitherto remained unde- scribed. DOTTEREL. GRALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. 239 During its short abode with us, which is only in particular districts, it haunts fallow and newly sown corn-fields, as well as moors and open downs. In the neighbourhood of Cambridge and Royston, it is killed during its vernal passage in consi- derable numbers; its flesh, which is sweet and of delicate flavour, being highly prized for the table. In Northumber- land, it frequents some few places along the coast, and in North Durham, about Scrimerston and Unthank (four miles south of Berwick), it annually appears in large flocks. Its food, like that of the Golden Plover, consists of worms, slugs, insects, and their larvae. PLATE 39- Fig. 1. Represents the male bird in summer plum- age. Crown of the head deep clove-brown, each feather being General finely margined with white. Over each eye is a broad tionT^ streak of white, which meet behind, at the nape of the Summer neck. Cheeks, chin, and throat white. Lower part of plu the neck, and upper part of the breast, pale hair-brown, tinged with grey. Pectoral fascia consisting of a streak of black and a broader one of white. Lower part of the breast and belly orange-brown. Abdomen black. Vent and under tail-coverts reddish-white. Upper parts of the body pale hair-brown, tinged with ash-grey, the feathers being margined with pale orange-brown. Tail slightly wedge-shaped, having the two middle feathers of a uniform pale hair-brown, the rest on each side with white tips, and the outmost, with its outer web, also white. Quills deep hair-brown, the shaft of the first being white, very thick and strong. Legs and toes yel- lowish-brown. Bill dusky. In the female, the pectoral band is not so distinct ; the orange-brown upon the breast much paler, and tinged with grey, and the abdomen mixed with white feathers. Fig. 2. Is taken from a female bird after the autumnal moult. Forehead white, streaked with brown. Crown of the head 240 GRALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. PLOVER. brownish-black, the feathers being edged with pale reddish-brown. Eye-streak, cheeks, and throat reddish- white, with a few specks and lines of brown. Neck ash- grey, tinged with pale orange-brown. Breast ash-grey marbled and tinged with pale reddish-brown, and shew- ing an imperfect greyish-white fascia. Belly and abdo- men white, dashed with pale orange-brown. Under tail-coverts reddish-white. Upper parts hair-brown, tinged with grey, each feather being deeply edged with pale orange-brown. Tail deep hair-brown, the two middle feathers being margined, near their tips, with red dish- white, the rest having large white tips, the out- most feather (as in the summer plumage), with its outer web white. RINGED PLOVER. CHARADRIUS HIATICULA, Linn. PLATE XXXVIII. FIGS. 1, 2. Charadrius Hiaticula, Linn. Syst. 1. 253 1 — Gmel Syst. 1. 683 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 743, sp. 8. but not the PL Enl. 921. of Buffon, and neither of the varieties B. and Y — Steph. Shaw's Zool. 11. 470 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 113. sp. 165 — Wagkr's Syst. Av. 1. sp. 21. Pluvialis torquata minor, Briss. Orn. 5. 63. 8. t. 5. f. 2. Pluvier a collier, Buff. Ois. 8. 90 — Id. PL Enl. 920. Grand Pluvier a collier, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 539. Buntschnubliger regenpfeifer, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 414. Halsband regenpfeifer, Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 1. Heft 15. Sea Lark, Alton's Br. Birds, 1. 1. 80 — Will. (Angl.) 310. t. 37. Hinged Plover, Br. Zool. 2. No. 211 — Arct. Zool. 2. 401 — Lath. Syn. 5. 201. 8. — Lewin's Br. Birds, 5. pi. 184 — PulL Cat. Dorset, p. 16 — Mont. Ornith. Diet. 2. and Sup — Bewick's Br. Birds, 1. 1. p. 345 Id. ed. 1826, 1. t. p. 371 Shaw's Zool. 11. 470 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 113. sp. 165. Dul willy, Rennie's ed. Mont. Ornith. Diet. p. 141. PROVINCIAL — Ring Dotterel, Sand Lark, Sea Lavrock, Sandy Lavrock, Sandy Loo. THIS small and prettily marked Plover is an indigenous species, and is found throughout the year upon all the coasts of Britain, though BEWICK, in his History of British Birds, has inadvertently stated it to be migratory in the northern counties, and only known as a summer resident. This asser- PLOVER. GRALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. 241 tion long experience enables me decidedly to contradict, as these birds are met with in even greater abundance upon the Northumbrian coast during the winter, than in the summer or breeding season, when some of them retire inland to the banks of rivers, and to the pebbly margins of lakes. They particularly frequent bays, creeks, and the mouths of rivers, where the shore is composed of gravel, and during winter collect in small flocks, which generally keep themselves se- parate from the Purres and other Tringas, although they may occasionally be seen joining them in their wheeling flights. They run with nearly as much swiftness as the Sanderling, and in this action (as is also seen in the other Plovers and Cursorial birds) the neck is shortened, and the head thrown well back between the shoulders. Early in May they begin to pair, and to look out for an appropriate situation for rear- ing the forthcoming brood. This situation is usually found amongst the gravel, near the high- water mark ; sometimes also on the links or sand-hills that line the coast, or even in a corn-field, if immediately adjoining the shore. A few, as I have before observed, retire inland for this purpose, where they take up their residence on the margins of rivers. Lit- tle artificial nest is made ; a slight hollow, lined with a few Nest, &c. stems of dry grass, sufficing to receive the four eggs, which are of cream-yellow, tinged with grey, covered all over with variously-sized spots of blackish-brown, with others of a lighter shade appearing beneath the outer shell, and in size nearly equal to those of the Common Sandpiper (Totanus Hypoleucos). The old birds display great anxiety about their young, and, like the Golden Plover, use various strata- gems (such as feigning a crippled state, or tumbling over as if unable to fly), with the view of enticing a dog, or any sus- pected enemy, from the vicinity of their brood. On wing these birds are strong, and fly with rapidity, but seldom to any great distance, unless repeatedly disturbed ; generally, after a short circuit, alighting upon the sand or gravel not far from the spot whence they last rose. Upon the sea-coast VOL. II. Q, 242 GRALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. PLOVER. Food, they feed on small marine insects, worms, and Crustacea ; and, when frequenting the edges of rivers and lakes, on aquatic insects, both as larvae and in the perfect state. The Ringed Plover is widely distributed over Europe, inhabiting the northern parts as far as Iceland. In Holland it abounds; also upon the coasts of France, Italy, &c. It is met with in parts of Africa, and the species found in North America seems to be in every respect similar. Its note is a rather soft plaintive whistle, frequently repeated when on wing, or when running on the shore. This bird appears to have been often confounded by preceding authors with the Charadrius minor of TEMMINCK, and also with the Charadrius Canti- anus of LATHAM ; which latter ranks as a British species, and is occasionally found upon the southern coast. The for- mer has not yet been met with in Britain. The Ringed Plover is subject to the double moult, but the change is on- ly shewn by the greater intensity of the black, and the more perfect purity of the white parts of the plumage. PLATE 38. Fig. 1. Represents the adult male in summer plumage. General Base of the upper mandible, space between it and the eyes, lion™1*" and tne ear-coverts, black. Forehead white; behind which a band of black passes over the crown of the plumage. nea<^ ^rom eve to eve* Over the eye a streak of white passes backwards towards the nape of the neck. Chin, throat, and collar, white. Lower part of the neck, and upper part of the breast, having a broad gorget of in- tense black, passing backwards and forming a second collar. Under parts pure white. Back part of the head, nape of the neck, and the whole of the upper parts, pale hair-brown, with a cinereous tinge. Quills deep hair-brown, with the basal part of the outer webs of the secondaries white. Greater wing-coverts having white tips. Tail, with the two middle-feathers, hair-brown, the rest having white tips, except the outer feather, PLOVER. GRALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. 243 which is white, with a black spot in the centre of the inner web. Legs and toes gallstone yellow. Bill orange at the base, with the tip black. Irides brown. The female is similar to the male bird, except that the black collar and coronal band are not so intense in co- lour. Fig. 2. The young of the year, killed in October. Upper mandible brown at the base ; under one pale orange- Winter yellow. From the base of the bill to the eye is a dusky streak. Forehead dirty white. Crown of the head hair-brown, and without the black band that distin- guishes the adult. Throat, and ring round the neck, white, tinged with yellow. Gorget wood-brown. Back and wing-coverts pale hair-brown, tinged with grey, the tips and sides of the feathers finely margined with sul- lied white. Under parts white. Tail as in the adult bird. Legs and toes wax-yellow. KENTISH PLOVER. CHARADRIUS CANTIANUS, Lath. PLATE XXXVIII. FIG. 3. Charadrius cantianus, Lath. Ind. Orn. Sup. 66. 1 Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 544 — Steph. Shaw's Zool. 11. 474. Charadrius Alexandrinus, Hassel H. 255. 30. Charadrius albifrons, Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 323. sp. 5 — Wagler, • Syst. Av. 1. sp. 32. Charadrius littoralis, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 430. t. 23. f. 1. and 2. Pluvier a collier interompu, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 544. Kentish Plover, Lewin's Br. Birds, t. 185 — Lath. Syn. Sup. 2. 316. 3 — Mont. Ornith. Diet. Sup — Shaw's Zool 11. 474. THIS species, which is rather inferior even in size to the preceding one, was first named by Dr LATHAM, in the Sup- plement to the " Index Ornithologicus," and was described by him at greater length in the second supplementary vo- 244 GRALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. PLOVER- lume of his " General Synopsis," from three specimens sent to him by Mr BOYS of Sandwich, of which one was killed in May 1787, the others in April 1791. Since that time we have other instances of its capture, amongst which may be particularly noticed two young birds of the year, killed up- on the Norfolk coast in 1827, and recorded by WILLIAM YARRELL, Esq. in the third volume of the Zoological Jour- nal, where he has, with his accustomed perspicuity, minute- ly pointed out the characters that distinguish the present species at this age from the young of Charadrius Hiaticula. Of this latter MONTAGU was inclined to consider it only a variety, as may be gathered from the contents of his paper, published in the seventh volume of the Linnean Transac- tions, and afterwards transcribed into the Supplement to the Ornithological Dictionary, under the head of " Ringed Plover." Such an opinion, however, I feel confident, could only have arisen from his never having seen a specimen of the Kentish Plover, as, upon examination and comparison with C. Hiaticula^ so accurate an observer and intelligent a naturalist must have been at once convinced that they were, though nearly allied, yet perfectly distinct species *. As to the Charadrius Alexandrinus of authors, which was also considered by him to be C. Hiaticula in its adolescent state, from being unable to refer it to any other species within his knowledge, I agree with TEMMINCK and WAGLER, that it ought to be expunged from the list of birds, being merely a nominal species, founded upon citations from other authors ; and referring not only to the present bird, but also to Cha- radrius minor of TEMMINCK (Char. Curonicus of LATHAM'S Index, Ornith.), another species of Ringed Plover, very si- milar in its markings, but inferior in size to C. Hiaticula ; * On referring to Dr RENNIE'S late edition of MONTAGU'S Dictionary, I was surprised to find that the Kentish Plover is considered bj him also as "• a variety of the Ringed Plover." I must therefore suppose that he also has never seen the former bird, or at least had the opportunity of compa- ring it with the latter. PLOVER. GRALLATORES. CHARADRIUS. 245 common in Germany and the southern parts of Europe, but hitherto unrecorded as a British species. TEMMINCK states the Kentish Plover to be very abundant in Holland ; in England it is comparatively of rare occurrence, and its ap- pearance has been hitherto confined to the eastern shores of the island. It is also found in Egypt, Nubia, and Tartary. Its manners are similar to those of the Ringed Plover, and it is a constant resident upon sea-coasts. — It breeds upon the Nest, &c. gravelly beach above the usual reach of high water, using any small depression as a receptacle for its four eggs, which are smaller than those of the preceding species, but alike in colour *. Its food consists of small marine scarabaei, and Food, other insects, worms, and diminutive bivalve shell-fish. PLATE 38. Fig. 3. Represents the adult bird, from a speci- men in the collection of Sir WILLIAM JARDINE, Bart. Bill and legs black. Forehead and streak over the eyes General white. Behind the forehead is an angular spot or band ticm^" of black. Space between the bill and eyes, and the ear. Adult coverts, black. Crown of the head and nape of the neck bird* deep yellowish-brown, tinged with ash-grey. On each side of the breast is a large patch of brownish-black. Under parts, and imperfect ring round the neck, pure white. Upper parts pale wood-brown, with a greyish tinge. Quills hair-brown, with the shafts of the pri- mary ones white. Tail having the four central feathers hair-brown, the three outer ones yellowish-white. « From a notice by Mr GEORGE CLAYTON of .Rochester, in the 23d Number of the Magazine of Natural History, it appears highly probable that the Char. Cantianus breeds annually upon the Kentish coast ; for he says, " I first met with these birds in Pegwell Bay, and on the Sandwich Flats in May 1830. They were then in pairs, and probably breed in the banks of shells which abound there." From his having shot seven of them in one day, they seem to have been rather numerous, and have in all likeli- hood hitherto escaped detection, from the similarity of their appearance and habits to the Ringed Plover. 246 GRALLATORES. HIMANTOPUS. Young. In the young state previous to the moult, there is no black about the head. Forehead and eyebrow white. Front of the neck the same. Crown of the head, back part of the neck, and all the upper parts of the body, light ash- brown. Patch on each side of the chest light hair- brown. Under parts white. Bill and legs black. GENUS HIMANTOPUS, BRISS. STILT. GENERIC CHARACTERS. BILL longer than the head, slender, cylindrical, drawn to a fine point, slightly inflected towards the middle. Mandi- bles with a lateral groove, extending through one-half of their length ; tomia of both mandibles anterior to the fur- row, intracted ; tip of the upper mandible slightly curving over that of the under one. Nostrils lateral, long, and linear. Wings long, with the first quill-feather much longer than the rest. Legs very long and slender. Tibiae naked for the great- est part of their length above the tarsal joint. Tarsi thin and laterally compressed, reticulated. Feet three-toed, all the toes directed forwards ; the outer toe united to the mid- dle one by a large membrane ; the inner toe by a much smaller membrane. Claws short, slightly curved, and hav- ing the inner edges expanded. Plumage soft, close, and adpressed. The members of this genus, remarkable for the dispropor- tionate length and the slenderness of their legs, are not nu- merous, but possess a very wide geographical range, some one of the species being found in every quarter of tne globe. By the earlier authors, when only one species was recognised, it was placed amongst the typical Plovers. It was very pro- STILT. GRALLATORES HIMANTOPUS. 247 perly, however, detached by BKISSON, and obtained from him the generic name of Himantopus, which has been gene- rally adopted by subsequent ornithologists. Its affinity to the Plovers is shewn in the form of its feet ; and the passage to the genus Charadrius is effected through the interposition of some of the longer-limbed species, and by the members of the genus Pluvianus. It also connects the present family with certain groups of the Scolopatida, as it shews an evi- dent affinity, both in form and manners, to the Avosets (ge- nus Recurvirostra) ; amongst which, indeed, WILSON was led to place the North American species, from the great si- milarity observed by that acute inquirer in their respective habits. The present birds inhabit the shores of the ocean, as well as of interior saline and fresh- water lakes, feeding up- on worms, insects, larvae, &c. which are obtained in the muddy shallows of the waters they frequent. Their moult is presumed by TEMMINCK to be double ; for the fact does not appear to be established by actual observation. BLACK-WINGED STILT. HIMANTOPUS MELANOPTERUS, Meyer. PLATE XXXIX. * Himantopus melanopterus, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 528. — Horsf. Trans. Linn. Soc. 13. 194 — Shaitfs Zool. 12. 179. — Rennie's Mont. Orn. Diet. p. 496. Himantopus rufipes, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 446. t. 25. f. 1. Himantopus atropterus, Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. ? 315. Himantopus, Briss. 5. 33. t. 3. f. 1 — Rail Syn. 106. 9 — Will 219. t. 54. Charadrius Himantopus, Linn. Syst. 1. 255. 11. — Gmel. Syst. 1. 690 Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 2. 741. sp. 3. L'Echasse, Buff. Ois. 8. 114. pi. 8 — Id. PL Enl. 878 — Cuv. Reg. Anim. I. 496. L'Echasse a Manteau noir, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 528. — Lesson, Man. d'Ornith. 2. 340. Schwarzflugelige Strandreuter, Meyer, Vog. Deutsch. 5. 2. Heft 21. Long-legged Plover, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. No. 209 Arct. ZooL 2. No. 405. —Lath. Syn. 5. 195. 3 — Id. Sup. 252 — White's Hist. Selb. p. 358 Lewies Br. Birds, 3. pi. 182 — BewicWs Br. Birds, ed. 1826. 1. 1. pi. 365. — Shaw's Zool. sect. 1. pi. 80. Black-winged Longshank, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 180. Stilt, Rennie's Mont. Orn. Diet. p. 496. 248 GRALLATORES. HIMANTOPUS. STILT. THIS bird, of such singular appearance, from the great length of its legs, in proportion to the size of its body, is on- Occasional lj known to us as an occasional visitant, — a few specimens visitant, having been from time to time killed in different parts of these islands. It is met with in France, Germany, and the southern parts of Continental Europe, but only as a bird of passage, its chief habitats being in Hungary and Russia, up- on the margins of the widely extended saline lakes of those countries, where it breeds and rears its young. It is also common in various parts of Asia, and occurs in Egypt and other districts of the African continent. Of its habits and other peculiarities I am unable to give any detailed account, never having been fortunate enough to see the bird in a liv- ing state, nor can I supply this deficiency by extracts from any other author *. Judging, however, that they will, in a great measure, resemble those of others of this genus, I refer my readers to WILSON'S graphic account of an American species closely related to the present one, and which he has described under the title of Recurvirostra Himantopus. PLATE 39.* Represents this bird of the natural size. General Bill black. Irides red. Forehead, region of the eyes, descrip- ^des and front of the neck, lower part of the back, and tion. Male. the under parts white ; the latter tinged with rose-red. Occiput and nape of the neck greyish-black. Hind part of the neck white, many of the feathers being tipped with greyish -black. Mantle, scapulars, wing-coverts, and quills black, glossed with duck-green. Tail ash- grey. Legs and toes vermilion- red. Tarsi thin and reticulated. Female. The female is inferior in size, and the dark parts of her plumage incline more to brown, without exhibiting the glossy green lustre of the male bird. * I am informed that there is a coloured figure and description of this bird, under its former title of Long-legged Plover, in Dr SHAW'S " Natural- ists' Miscellany," (a periodical work of considerable ability, but now diffi- cult to be met with), taken from a recent specimen transmitted to that distinguished naturalist by a clergyman in Wales, where the bird was killed. GRALLATORES. (EDICNEMUS. 249 GEFUS CEDICNEMUS, TJBMM. THICK-KNfiE. GENERIC CHARACTERS. BILL rather longer than the head, strong, strait, depressed at the base ; the tip horny, hard, and compressed ; culmen of the upper mandible prominent, with the tip gently de- flected. Nasal fosse large and wide, covered with a mem- brane like a cere. Under mandible angulated, and ascend- ing towards the point. Gape of the bill extending back- wards as far as the anterior angle of the eye. Nostrils me- dial, longitudinally cleft as far as the horny tip of the bill, open in front, and covered in the back part by the membrane of the fosse. Wings of mean length, pointed, having the first quill shorter than the second, which is the longest in the wing. Tail wedge-shaped. Legs long, slender, with part of the tibiae naked above the tarsal joint. Tarsi covered with hexagonal scales. Feet three-toed, with all the toes directed forwards. Toes short, united at the base by a membrane, which is continued, and borders each toe. Nails short, slightly curved, with the inner edge of the middle one dilated. This interesting genus, established by TEMMINCK for the reception of that species known in Europe, and of several others which late discoveries have produced to us from Af- rica, Asia, and New Holland, stands at the extremity of the present family, and serves to connect it with the Rasorial order, by its evident affinity to the' Bustards, and other ge- nera of the family of Struthionidce. Its intermediate posi- tion|between the Plovers and Bustards is clearly pointed out by the station which earlier systematists have given to the European species (the only one then known), LATHAM hav- ing placed it in the genus Otis, LINNAEUS and others in that 250 GRALLATORES. (EDICNEMUS. THICK-KNEE. of Charadrius. It possesses, however, characters sufficient- ly prominent and distinct to warrant its separation from both ; and which necessity is further shewn by the recent discovery of several other species, all possessing the typical characters of the Common Thick-knee. To the Plovers it is allied by the structure of its bill, by its large and rounded head, and the general contour of the body ; to the Bustards by the form of its feet, and the shortness of its toes. Its ha- bits are also more assimilated to the latter group, and, like them, it lays but two eggs. The species reside on unculti- vated open countries and dry deserts, feeding upon insects, worms, small mammalia, and reptiles. Their moult appears to be simple, and there is but little difference between the sexes in plumage and general appearance. COMMON THICK-KNEE. (EDICNEMUS CREPITANS, Temm. PLATE XL. (Edicnemus crepitans, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 521. — Shaw's Zool. 11. 459. pi. 33. (Edicnemus Bellonii, Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 114. sp. 166. Charadrius (Edicnemus, Linn. Syst. 1. 255. 10 — Gmel Syst. 1. 689 — Wag- ler, Syst. Av. sp. 1. Otis (Edicnemus, Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 661. sp. 11. Pluvialis major, (Edicnemus vulgo dicta, Rail Syn. 108. A. 6 — Will. 227. tab. 58 — Brisson, Orn. 5. 76. 12. t. ?. f. I. Fedoa nostra tertia, Raii Syn. 105. A. 6 — Will. 216. Le Grand Pluvier, ou Courlis de Terre, Buff. Ois. 8. 105. pi. 7 — Id. PL Enl. 919. (Edicneme Criard, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 521 — Lesson, Man. d'Ornith. 2. 336. Lerchengraue Hegenpfeifer, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 387. — Meyer, Tass- chenb. Deut. 2. 317. Stone Curlew, Albinos Br. Birds, 1. pi. 69 — Will. (Angl.) 306 — Rennie's Mont. Orn. Diet. p. 500. Thick-kneed Bustard, Penn. Br. Zool. 1. No. 200 — White's Hist. Selb. 4to. 43. 88 — Lath. Syn. 4. 806. 9 — Lewirfs Br. Birds, 4. pi. 141 — Mont. Ornith. Diet. 1.— Id. sup. Great Plover, Bewick's Br. Birds, ed. 1826. 1. p. t. 363. Common Thick-knee, Leach, Cat. Br. Mus. p. 28.— Steph. Shaw's Zool. 11. 459.pl. 33. PROviNCiAL—Norfolk Plover. THICK-KNEE. GRALLATOBES. CEDICNEMUS. 251 THE Common Thick-knee, or, as it is frequently called, the Norfolk Plover, is a migratory bird, and one of our re- gular summer visitants. It arrives in England generally Periodical about the end of April or the beginning of May (though earlier instances of its appearance have been occasionally no- ticed), and, after performing the duties attendant upon the reproduction of the species, as autumn advances collects into flocks, and retires soon afterwards, with the addition of the new matured young, to Africa and the warmer latitudes of the European continent, to pass the hiemal months. Its dis- tribution in this country is principally confined to a few of the southern and eastern counties, as its peculiar habits di- rect it to such as afford extensive open tracts ; on which ac- count it is most abundant in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Sussex. It is also found in Hampshire, and sometimes, though of much rarer occurrence, in the wolds of Yorkshire, which seem to be the highest limit of its migration here ; as I ne- ver met with it, nor have I heard of any instances of its cap- ture in the more northern countries, or in any part of Scot- land. According to MONTAGU and other ornithologists, it is equally excluded from the western parts of the island. Wide hilly downs are the situations that suit the economy of this bird, and where it passes the period of its residence with us. It makes no nest, but deposits its eggs on the surface Nest, &c. of the earth, in fallow or other bare ground, especially where flint stones are abundant ; as their similarity in colour to the bird and its eggs furnish great means of safety from its ene- mies. Like the Bustard, its eggs are limited to two, which are of a light yellowish-brown, with blotches and streaks of different shades of brown. The young follow their parents upon immediate exclusion, and are then covered with a par- ti-coloured grey down, which gradually gives place to the proper plumage, till in six weeks or two months they are enabled to fly, and of course to provide for themselves. The large and prominent eye of this bird indicates it as being a late and nocturnal feeder, and we accordingly find its prey 252 GRALLATORES. (EDICNEMUS. THICK-KNEE. Food, to consist of small mammalia, reptiles, worms, and insects, of such species as are known to be abroad and in activity under the shades of night. The stomachs of two individuals sent to me from Norfolk in the spring, soon after their ar- rival in this country, were filled with the remains of beetles, chiefly belonging to the genus Carabus. This organ (un- like that of the Little Bustard, Otis Tetrax) was very mus- cular, with its inner coats corrugated ; and in addition to the remains above mentioned, contained several small flint peb- bles, in all probability intentionally swallowed, to assist the folds of the stomach in acting upon the hard shelly covering of its prey. This is a bird of wild and shy disposition, and, like other night-feeding species, usually is at rest during the day, sitting closely squatted behind a stone, clod, or any pro- tecting cover ; and, when disturbed, after flying to a short distance, runs off with great rapidity. With the advance of twilight it issues from its retreat in search of food, and may then be heard frequently uttering its loud and shrill whistle, which is supposed to be the amorous note-call of the male bird. It flies with great strength and swiftness, and during the night (especially in the breeding season) sometimes mounts high in the air. In its flight the legs are stretched out behind (as in the Plovers, and indeed in most of the Grallatores) to preserve the equilibrium of the body. This species has a wide geographical range in the old world, be- ing found in Spain, the southern parts of France, in Ger- many, Italy, Sardinia, and Turkey, and in other southern parts of Europe, suitable to its habits. It is also to be met with in parts of Africa and Asia. The young are said to be good for the table, but the flesh of the old birds is dry, hard, and strong. PLATE 40. Represents this bird of the natural size. General Head and upper parts of the body reddish-white, tinged W^ ash-grev and yellowish-brown, each feather having a central streak of umber-brown. Cheeks, throat, belly, THICK-KNEE. GRALLATORES. (EDICNEMUS. 253 and thighs white. Neck, and upper part of breast, yel- lowish-white, streaked with brown. Lesser wing-coverts pale cream-white. Quills black, the first having a large white bar near the middle, the second with one rather smaller. Tail wedge-shaped, the three outmost feathers reddish-white, with arrow-shaped bars and a broad tip of black, the next two feathers more inclining to wood- brown, with a few darker zigzag lines and variegations, and with black tips ; the two middle feathers pale wood-brown, slightly marbled, but without the black tips. The horny point of the bill black, the basal part being primrose-yellow. I rides gamboge-yellow. Be- hind the eyes is a bare space of a wax-yellow colour. Legs and toes yellow, with a greyish tinge. Claws blackish-brown. The female resembles the male bird ; and the young are distinguished by the colours being less marked and dis- tinct, and the tarsus below the joint being thick and swollen. ORDER V. NATATORES. THIS Order, which constitutes the fifth great division of the Class, contains (as the title imports) all the various tribes conspicuous for their aquatic habits ; and whose conforma- tion, as to the structure of the feet and other anatomical points, fits them for swimming, diving, &c., and entitles them to the appropriate name of Water-Fowl. It answers to the Palmipedes of other systematists, if we except a few forms, which it has been found necessary (in strict accordance 254 NATATORES. with their affinities, and with the station they seem naturally to hold), to remove to families of another order ; as the genus Phaenicopterus (Flamingo) to the family of Ardeadce, and Recurvirostra (Avoset) to that of Scolopaddce, in the order Grallatores ; the feet of these birds betokening more analogy than affinity to those of the true Natatores. The present order, like the preceding one, may be divided into five natural families, which (according to the nomenclature now adopted), are thus entitled, Anatidce, Colymbidce, Alca- dcR, PelecanidcB, and Laridce, each taking its designation from the typical or representative genus. Of these, the Co- lymbidce and Alcadce, possessing in a superior degree the structure and qualities that peculiarly fit them for living on the ocean, and being at the same time deficient in properties possessed by the others, which are not so directly essential to that end, may be considered the typical representatives of the order ; for as the order itself, as Mr VIGORS observes, is aberrant, inasmuch as it deviates from what he calls the more perfect structure* of the conterminous tribes or orders, the normal subdivisions will necessarily consist of such groups as carry this deviation to the greatest extreme, and this, upon investigation, will be found to prevail in the dif- ferent genera of these two families. The other three, which diverge more or less from the true natatorial form, as exhi- bited in the Colymbidce and Alcadce, and approximate to each other, as well as to the families and groups of the pre- ceding orders, form the aberrant divisions. The same cir- cular succession of affinities that prevails throughout the * When the words perfect structure are used, they must mean that pecu- liar formation which lies equally removed from the two extremes, con- sidered with respect to systematic arrangement; such, for instance, as the central (or typical) form of any division or family. This distinction seems necessary to be made, lest the term should be liable to misconstruc- tion ; as we know that every creature issued perfect from the hand of its Creator, that is, with such an adaptation of its parts and their func- tions to its peculiar habits as Almighty Wisdom alone could produce, — P. S. NATATORES. 255 other orders and their subdivisions, may be traced in the pre- sent one ; and its connexion with them, at various points, satisfactorily established by the tendency of particular ge- nera and species. It is also through the connexion of this order with that of the Raptores (however improbable it may at first view appear), that the circle of the orders themselves is completed. This seems, however, to be effected by the in- tervention of a peculiar form in the family of the Pele- canidce ; I allude to the genus TacJiypetes of VIEILLOT (the type of which is the Pelecanus Aquilus of LINN^US), of which the species, both in form, flight, and predatory ha- bits, shew a marked and near approach to the true raptorial birds. As the affinities of each family will be more particu- larly alluded to under their respective heads, I pass without further preface to that of the Anatidce, with which the order commences. FAMILY I.— ANATID^E. THE Family of Anatidce, to which we are introduced by the connexion subsisting between certain of its members and others of the preceding orders, forms the first aberrant fa- mily of the Natatores, and is formed of the extensive Lin- nean genus Anas with that of Mergus. The first it has been found necessary, by subsequent systematists (from the difficult task of reconciling and adapting the Linnean gene- ric characters to the vast variety of species it contains), to separate, either by sectional division, as adopted by M, TEMMINCK, in his " Manuel d'Ornithologie" (which division is in fact equivalent to the subfamilies of the present sys- tem), or by the institution of distinct genera, the plan of ILLIGER, as well as other naturalists of the present day, and in which they do but follow the older ornithologists who pre- ceded the learned Swede. In conjunction, however, with the genus Mergus, it appears clearly to admit of being separated 256 NATATORES. into five subdivisions or Subfamilies* (or, as others may chuse to call them, Genera), each displaying the same series of affinities within itself that regulates the more extensive divisions. The first of them is the subfamily Anserina, con- taining all the species generally known under the name of Geese (and answering to TEMMINCK'S section Les Oies), amongst which I also include the genus Cereopsis of LA- THAM. These, in their terrene habits, food, facility of walk- ing, length of neck and of leg (as compared with the other Anatidce), and bareness of the tibia above the tarsal joint (as exemplified in Cereopsis ', &c.), shew a near approach to the Rasores and Grallatores, and serve as a connecting medium between them and the present order. To the Geese, the sub- family Cygnina (Swans) seems naturally to succeed, nearly allied to them in form and other characteristics, but more aquatic in their habits ; with shorter legs, placed further backwards and more out of the centre of gravity, being thus endued with less activity upon land. In the form of the bill they shew their connexion with the two next subfamilies ; the first of which, Anatina, answers to TEMMINCK'S first sec- tion of " Canards proprement aits" This'^appears to form the typical group of the present family, for in it we find the lamellated structure of the bill (belonging more or less to all the AnatidcB), developed in the highest degree ; and habits mediate between those that approach nearest to the Land Birds, and those conducting to the more typical Natatores\. * This arrangement of the Anatidce differs slightly from that of Mr VI- GORS, as developed in his " Sketches in Ornithology," published in the third volume of the Zoological Journal ; in which he has made Cereopsis (without, as I think, sufficient reason, or a due consideration of its struc- ture and affinities) the type of a subfamily. He has also placed the Mergi in the subfamily that contains the Ducks with a lobated hind toe, whereas the peculiar characters of the former seem to entitle them to a distinct station. f I refer my readers to an able article, entitled, " On those Birds which exhibit the Typical Perfection of the Family of the Anatida" by Mr SWAINSON (one of the most scientific ornithologists of the present day) NATATORES. 257 From the Anatina we are led by easy gradations of charac- ter to the fourth subfamily Fuligulina, embracing TEM- MINCK'S second section of Canards, or Ducks with a lobated hind toe. These are more pelagic in their habits than the foregoing groups, and in form also make a more evident ap- proach to the typical families of the present order ; their legs, by being thrown far backwards, and much out of the centre of gravity, render their progress upon land constrained and awkward, but essentially contribute to their power of swimming. With them the neck becomes shortened and thicker, and the gullet more capacious, proportionate to the larger kind of food upon which they subsist. They swim remarkably well, rarely quit the water, and are in the con- stant habit of obtaining their food by diving. Nearly allied to these last in the backward situation of the legs, the form of the feet, lobated hind toe, and aquatic habits, are the members cf the genus Mergus, forming the fifth subfamily Mergina. They differ, however, in the form of the bill, which in a great measure loses the breadth and depression seen in the three immediately preceding groups of the Ana- tidce, and becomes more like that of the succeeding families of the order ; at the same time that the connexion with the first subfamily Anserina is preserved by the Smew (Mergus albellus)) whose bill is almost of an intermediate form between that of some of the smaller Geese and the other species of Mergi. The AnaiidcB are distinguished from the rest of this or- der, not only by the broad and depressed form of the bill, but by its softer consistence, and being entirely clothed by an epidermis, or skin, with the exception of the dertrum, or terminating nail. Its structure is also peculiar in another ssential point, and differs from that of all other birds in the Iges being furnished with lamellar plates, more or less de- published in the Fourth Number of the Journal of the Royal Institution ' Great Britain. VOL. II. R 258 NATATORES. veloped, according to the proximity of the species to the typi- cal subfamily Anatina ; in which, as I have before observed, it is carried to the highest perfection, in beautiful accordance with the use that so singular a structure is destined to ful- fil. In the Mergi, which stand at the further extremity of the family, and whose piscivorous habits differ from those of the rest of the Anatidce, this disposition of the edges of the bill becomes much altered, assuming the appearance of dis- tinct hooks pointing backwards, a modification admirably adapted, by acting as teeth, to assist these birds in catching and holding their slippery prey. In this family (and parti- cularly in the typical species), the tongue is very large and fleshy, furnished on its margin and other parts with rough appendages to secure their prey, and probably also to sepa- rate it from the water and mud by which it is often necessa- rily accompanied. The trachea, or windpipe, of the male birds in the three last subfamilies, and in some of the less typical species of Anserina, is distinguished by a singular en- largement or capsule near its bifurcation, differing in form according to the species ; in addition to which a few species display other enlargements in parts of the trachea, as exem- plified in Mergus merganser, Oidemia jusca, Clangula vul- garis, &c. The stomach, or gizzard, of the Anatidce is large and very muscular, and the caecum is of considerable length. SUBFAMILY ANSERINA. GENUS ANSER, Bmss. GOOSE. GENERIC CHARACTERS. Bill as long as, or shorter than, the head ; strait, conical, thick; much higher than broad at the base, depressed and flattened towards the tip ; entirely covered with a cere, or naked skin, with the exception of the nails of the upper and 1 NATATORES. ANSER. 259 lower mandibles, which are distinct and horny, orbiculate and convex ; that of the upper mandible having the tip de- flected, and covering the lower one. Lower mandible also narrower than the upper. Tomia laminato-dentated ; the lamellae of the upper mandible exposed, those of the lower mandible covered by the projection of the upper one. Nostrils lateral, placed rather behind the middle of the bill, and pierced in the lower and front part of the membrane that covers the nasal furrow. Tongue broad, fleshy, and fimbriated. Wings long, ample, tuberculated. Legs placed nearly under the centre of the body ; the ti- bia clothed nearly to the tarsal joint. Feet four- toed ; three before and one behind ; the front toes palmated, the hind one free, and articulated upon the tarsus, and scarcely touch- ing the ground with its tip. Middle toe the longest. Nails falcate, and having their inner edges dilated. Although LINN^US combined the whole of the Anatidce, with the exception of the genus Mergus, under one generic head, the elder naturalists had always separated the Geese (or genus Anser) from the true Ducks, as presenting dis- tinct and peculiar characters, not only in form, but in ha- bits. The same has also been the prevalent opinion amongst subsequent authors ; and we find the genus Anser adopted by ILLIGEU, BECHSTEIN, CUVIER, and other continental or- nithologists, as well as by FLEMING, VIGORS, and most of the distinguished writers on this subject in our own coun- try. The Bermcles have, by Mr STEPHENS, in the twelfth volume of Shaw's General Zoology, been separated from the rest, and described under the generic title of Bernicla, an arrangement that for the present I decline following, as I cannot, after the most minute investigation into the charac- ters of the species, fix upon any one of sufficient importance to warrant a separation from the genus Anser ', as above cha- racterized. The genus, therefore, as now established, will 260 NATATORES. ANSER. contain those species which we are accustomed to term Wild Geese, bearing a great resemblance to each other in form, colour of plumage, and habits ; and the Bernicles, of inferior size, with a shorter bill, and generally with black legs. From the central position of their legs, the moderate size of their feet, and the length of their tarsi, the Geese walk readily on land, and are indeed much more frequently seen there than on the water. They swim, however, with buoy- ancy and ease, but rarely dive, and only in cases of great emergency ; when wounded, perhaps, or otherwise unable to escape. In diet they are graminivorous, as well as granivo- rous, chiefly the former ; and for cutting such kind of food the laminated structure of the bill is admirably adapted. For this purpose they seek the meadows of the interior of the country, and resort much to fields of young wheat or other grain. From the great development of wing their flight is strong, and they make rapid progress during their migratory journeys, as they can move at the rate of fifty or sixty miles in an hour. In these flights they advance in a diagonal line, or in two such lines, meeting in a point like an inverted V. They breed in the marshy districts of the countries to which they retire during the summer months, laying several eggs of a white, or sullied white colour. The flesh of the species is well flavoured, and highly esteemed for the table ; and in some countries certain kinds constitute the principal support of the inhabitants, being killed in immense numbers during their periodical flights, and prepared as food for the winter. WILD GOOSE. NATATORES. ANSER. 261 GREY LAG WILD GOOSE. ANSER PALUSTRIS, Flem. PLATE XLL Anser palustris, Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 126. sp. 195. Anas Anser (ferus) Gmel. Syst. 1. 510. sp. 9 — Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 841. sp. 26. L'Oie ceridree ou Premiere, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 818. L'Oie ordinaire, Cuv. Reg. Anim. 1. 530. Wilde Gemeine Gans, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 842. Grey Lag Goose, Penn. Br. ZooL 2. 570. No. 266. — Arct. Zool. 2. 473 — Lath. Syn. 6. 459. 31 Levin's Br. Birds, 6. pi. 238 — Mont. Orn. Diet. 1. and Sup Bewick's Br. Birds, ed. 1826. p. t. 282. Wild Goose, Shaw's Zool. 12. 28. pi. 41. Common Wild Goose, Will. (Angl.) 358. FROM the concurrent testimony of our older writers, it ap- pears that this species was formerly very abundant in Bri- Periodical tain ; and was also a permanent resident here, breeding an- ^ nually in great numbers in the fens of Lincolnshire, and some of the adjoining counties. The draining and cultiva- tion of these marshy tracts, under progressive agricultural improvement, and the increasing population of the kingdom, has, however, banished these birds from their ancient haunts ; and they are now, comparatively speaking, of rare occur- rence, and, as far as I can ascertain, only met with in small flocks during the winter. They seem to have given place, as it were, to the next species (Anser segetum, Bean Goose), which, as a winter visitant, is very numerous, and widely spread throughout the country. According to TEMMINCK, the present species seldom advances much beyond the fifty- third degree of north latitude ; its geographical distribution extending over the central and eastern parts of Europe, Northern Asia, and some parts of Western Africa, where it inhabits the marshes, and the borders of lakes and inland seas. It breeds amongst the rushes and other coarse her- Nest, &c bage, making a large nest of vegetable matter, and laying 262 NATATORES. ANSER. WILD GOOSE. Food, from six to twelve eggs of a sullied white. Its food consists principally of the various grasses of the moist and marshy tracts it affects, though it eats grain with avidity. It is also very fond of the tender blades of wheat, &c., and often, during its periodical visits, does considerable damage to corn fields in an early stage of growth. Being a bird of great shyness and vigilance, it can only be approached by stealth, and with the utmost caution ; this is generally effected by that mode of fowling called stalking, in which a horse is so trained, as, hiding the person of the fowler, to advance by degrees, and in an easy and natural manner, upon the flock, as they are at rest or feeding on the ground. In the latter state, which only occurs during the day-time, sentinels (oc- casionally relieved) are always on the watch to give notice of approaching danger, which they do, on the slightest suspi- cion, by a cry of alarm ; and immediately the whole flock take wing, with an alertness and rapidity that could scarcely be expected in birds of such bulky appearance. At night they generally retire to the water for repose, but the same watchful attention to safety is maintained by sentinels, that distinguishes their conduct during the day. They usually fly at a great height in the air, moving either in a single dia- gonal line, or in two lines forming an angle, or inverted V. In this order the office of leader is taken by turns, the fore- most, when fatigued, retiring to the rear, and allowing the next in station to lead the flight. It is generally admitted that our race of domestic Geese has originally sprung from this species, and however altered they may now appear in bulk, colour, or habits, the essential characters remain the same ; no disinclination to breed with each other is evinced between them, and the offspring of wild and domesticated birds are as prolific as their mutual parents. The value of this species in its present domestic state, not only as food, but from the various uses to which its covering applies, is too well known for me to dwell upon ; and as these points, along with the rearing and management of the bird, have been BEAN GOOSE. NATATORES. ANSER. 263 fully treated of by PENNANT, MONTAGU, and BEWICK, I re- fer my readers, without further apology, to the works of these distinguished authors. PLATE 41. represents this bird in about four-fifths of the na- tural size. Bill orange-red ; nail of the bill greyish-white (which, General however, is not invariably the case, as TEMMINCK as- tion. P serts in his description of the distinctive characters of this and the following species). Head and neck clove- brown, tinged with grey, the feathers of the latter dis- posed in rows, and forming lines or furrows. Back, scapulars, and wing coverts clove-brown, tinged with ash-grey, and the feathers deeply margined with grey- ish-white. Lesser wing coverts deep bluish-grey. Up- per tail coverts white. Breast and belly greyish-white, undulated with transverse bars of a deeper shade. Vent and under tail coverts white. Tail clove-brown, with the margins and tips of the feathers white. Legs and feet tile-red. BEAN GOOSE. ANSER FERUS, Flem. PLATE XLII. Anser ferus, Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 126. sp. 196. Anser segetum, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 26. Anas Anser (ferus) Linn. Syst. 1. 197. 9. — Rail Syn. 136. sp. 2. 4. Anser sylvestris, Briss. 6. 265. 2. Anas segetum, Gmel. Syst. 1. 512 — Lath. Ind. Ornith. 2. 843. sp. 28. L'Oie sauvage, Buff. Ois, 9. 30. t. 2 — Id. PL Enl. 985. Oie vulgarie ou sauvage, Temm. Man. d'Ornith. 2. 820. Saat Gans, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 883 — Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 554. Bean Goose, Br.-Zool. 2. 575. No. 267. PL 94 Arct. Zool. 2. No. 472 Lath. Syn. 6. 464. 23 — Lewin's Br. Birds, 6. pi. 239.— Mont. Ornith. Diet, and Sup.— Bewick's Br. Birds, ed. 1826. p. 286 Shaw's ZooL 12. 26. Wild Goose, Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 126. sp. 196. PROVINCIAL— Common Wild Goose, Small Grey Goose. 264 NATATORES. ANSER. BEAN GOOSE. THE Bean, or as it is very frequently called, the Wild Goose, bears in general appearance, and in the colour of its plumage, a great resemblance to the preceding species, and with which it is sometimes confounded. It may, however, be always distinguished from the Grey Lag by the form of its bill, which is comparatively much smaller, shorter, and more compressed towards the end. The colour of that mem- ber also differs, the basal part of the under mandible, and that of the upper as far as the line of the nostrils, with the nails of both mandibles, being black, and the intermediate part flesh-red, inclining to orange. It is also generally less, though I have had specimens equal in bulk to the smaller individuals of Anser palustris ; and the wings of the present species, when closed, reach beyond the end of the tail. — In Periodical Britain it is well known as a regular winter visitant, arriving in large bodies from its northern summer haunts, during Sep- tember or the beginning of October, and seldom taking its final departure before the end of April or beginning of May. The various flocks, during their residence in this country, have each their particular haunts or feeding districts, to which on each ensuing season they invariably return, as I have found to be the case in Northumberland and the south- ern parts of Scotland, where Wild Geese have been known to frequent certain localities for a continued series of years. The habits of this and the preceding species are very simi- lar, and they shew the same vigilance, and use the same means of guarding against surprise : their capture is there- fore proportionably difficult, and it is only by stratagem that, when at rest on the ground or feeding, they can be ap- proached within gun-shot. In stormy weather, when they are compelled to fly lower than they usually do, they may be sometimes intercepted from a hedge or bank, situated in the route they are observed to take early in the morning, in passing to their feeding ground. At night they retire to the water, or else (as I have often remarked in Northumber- land) to some ridge or bar of sand on the sea coast, suffi- BEAN GOOSE. NATATORES. ANSER. 265 ciently distant from the main land to afford a secure re- treat ; and where the approach of an enemy must become visible, or at least audible to their acute organs, before it could endanger their safety. The haunts or feeding grounds of these birds are more frequently in the higher districts than in the lower and marshy tracts of the country, and they give the preference to open land, or where the inclosures are very large. — They feed much upon the tender wheat, Food, sometimes injuring these fields to a great extent ; and they frequent also the stubbles, particularly such as are laid down with clover and other grasses. In the early part of spring they often alight upon the newly sown bean and pea fields, picking up greedily such of the pulse as is left on the sur- face ; and I am inclined to think that their trivial name has been acquired from their apparent predilection for this kind of food, rather than from the shape and aspect of the nail of the upper mandible, to which it has been generally attribu- ted. They usually fly at a considerable elevation, either in a diagonal line, or in two such lines, opposed to each other, and forming a leading acute angle, like the other species ; and when on wing they maintain a loud cackling, in which the voices of the two sexes may be easily distinguished. The rate at which they move, when favoured by a gentle breeze, is seldom less than from forty to fifty miles an hour, a velocity which enables them to have their roosting place far removed from the district they frequent by day. The principal breeding stations, or summer retreats, of the Bean Goose are in countries within the arctic circle ;, it is said, how- ever, that great numbers breed annually in Harris, and some of the other outermost Western Islands. The nest is made in the marshy grounds, and formed of grasses and other dry vegetable materials ; the eggs are white, and from eight to twelve in number. The trachea of this species increases in diameter towards the middle, and the bronchiae are short and tumid. The denticulated lamina of the sides of the bill are similar in formation to those of Anser palustris, and form 266 NATATORES. ANSER. WILD GOOSE. thin sharp cutting edges, and the manner in which they lock within each other, renders the bill an instrument beautifully adapted for vegetable food. PLATE 42. represents this bird of the natural size. General Head and upper part of the neck brown, tinged with tion. grey ; the feathers of the latter being disposed in lines, and giving it a furrowed appearance. Lower part of the neck, breast, belly, and abdomen ash-grey, with deeper transverse shades of the same colour. Vent and under tail- coverts white. Back and scapulars clove- brown, tinged with grey ; each feather being margined with greyish-white. Wing-coverts ash-grey. Second- aries clove-brown, with white edges and tips. Primary quills greyish-black. Rump deep grey. Upper tail- coverts white. Tail clove-brown, with the feathers deeply edged and tipped with white. Bill having the central part and edges of the upper mandible flesh- (or sometimes tile-) red ; the base and nail black. Legs and toes inclining to orange-red, but varying in depth of colour according to the age of the bird. Wings, when closed, reaching beyond the end of the tail. WHITE-FRONTED WILD-GOOSE. ANSER ERYTHROPUS, Flem. PLATE XLIII. Anser Erythropus, Flem. Br. An. 1. 127- sp. 197. Anas Erythropus, Linn. Syst. 1. 197. 11. — Temm. Faun. Suec. 116. Anser albifrons, Steph. Shaw's ZooL 12 25. Anas albifrons, Gmel. Syst. 1. 509 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 842. 27. Anser septentrionalis sylvestris, Briss. Orn, 6. 269. L'Oie rieuse, Buff. Ois. 9. 81 — Temm. Man. d'Orn. 2. 821. Blassen Gans, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 898 — Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 555. Laughing Goose, Edward, Glean, pi. 153. — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 127- sp. 197. WILD-GOOSE. NATATORES. ANSER. 267 White-fronted Goose, Br. Zool. 2. 576. No. 268. t. 94. fig. 1 — Arct. Zool. 2. No. 476 — Lath. Syn. 6. 463. 22 — Lewies Br. Birds, 6. 240 — Mont. Orn. Diet. 1.— -BewicVs Br. Birds, ed. 1826, p. t. 294 — Shaw's Zool. 12. 25. THE White-fronted Goose is one of our regular winter visi- Periodical tants, and in the southern and midland parts of England v appears, from the testimony of MONTAGU, to be more abun- dant than the preceding species ; which is by no means the case in the northern parts of the island, being there compa- ratively of rare occurrence, and in small flocks. It varies from the Bean- Goose, in preferring low and marshy districts, to the upland and drier haunts of that bird ; and in these localities subsists on the aquatic grasses, being very seldom Food, seen to frequent corn or stubble fields. A specimen sent to me (and which was killed near Alnwick, in Northumber- land), had its stomach gorged with the tender shoots and leaves of the common clover (Trifolium pratense), upon which it was feeding, on the breaking up of a severe snow- storm. In size the large males nearly equal Anser palustris^ some of them weighing as much as seven pounds ; and in the market are frequently sold for the common species, but may at once be distinguished by the white forehead, and the black patches, which are never totally wanting on the breast and belly. During its winter or equatorial migration this species is numerous in Holland, and also in some districts of France and Germany. Its geographical distribution in- cludes Europe, Northern Asia, and North America. In summer it retires within the Arctic Circle, and rears its young in those sequestered and tranquil regions, the nursery of such various tribes of the feathered race. In England these birds disappear on the first approach of spring, and some time before the departure of the Lag and Bean Geese ; few being ever seen after the middle of March. As an ar- ticle of food the White-fronted is equal to any of the others, its flesh being well-flavoured and tender, provided the sub- ject be not too far advanced in years. 268 NATATORES. ANSER. WILD GOOSE. General PLATE 43. represents this species, rather below the natural descrip. gize tidn. Bill flesh-red, tinged with orange; the nail being skim- milk white. Forehead and margins of the upper man- dible white. Head and neck brown, tinged with grey. Breast, belly, and abdomen, black ; varied with patches of white. Back clove-brown ; with the margins of the feathers light-grey. Wing-coverts grey, edged with white. Quills greyish-black. Rump clove-brown. Up- per and under tail-coverts, and vent, white. Tail having the middle feathers deep grey, edged with white ; and the outer ones almost entirely white. Legs and toes red- dish-orange. Claws white. BERNICLE GOOSE, OB CLARIS. ANSER BERNICLA, Flem. PLATE XLTV. Anser Beraicla, Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 127- sp. 198. Anser Leucopsis, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 921. Anas Leucopsis, Temm. Man. d'Orn. 2. 823. Anas Erythropus (mas), Linn. Syst. 1. 197- 11 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 843. sp. 31 Gmel. Syst. 1. 512. Beraicla erythropus, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 49. Bernicla, Will. Orn. 274 — Briss. Orn. 6. 300. La Bernache, Buff. Ois. 9. 93. f. 5 — Id. PI. Enl. 855. Oie Bernache, Temm. Man. d'Orn. 2. 823. Weisswangige Gans, Meyer, Tasschenb. 2. 557. Canada Goose, Alton's Br. Birds, 1. t. 92. Bemicle, or Clakis, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. 577. No. 269 — Arct. Zool. 2. No. 479.— Will. (Ang.) 359 —Lath. Syn. 6. 466. 26 — Lewies Br. Birds, 7. pi. 242 Mont. Orn. Diet. 1. and Sup.— Bewick's Br. Birds, ed. 1826, p. t. 302 Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 127. sp. 198. PROVINCIAL — Claik-goose, Routherook. FROM the mistake of LINNAEUS, in describing the true Bernicle as the male of Anser Erythropus (White-fronted Goose), and considering A. Brenta and A. Bernicla of the older naturalists as synonymous, a misapplication of the ap- BERNICLE GOOSE. NATATORES. ANSER. 269 propriate specific names has arisen amongst succeeding wri- ters, they having still continued the appellation Erythropus to the Bernicle, instead of giving it to its proper object. TEMMINCK and BECHSTEIN, who saw the impropriety of re- taining a specific name so inapplicable to the species (whose legs and feet are black), instead of restoring that imposed by the predecessors of LINN^US, gave it the new one of Leu- copsis ; and also neglected to transfer that of Erythropus to its real representative, the Anas albifrons of GMELIN and LATHAM. Dr FLEMING, however, in his " History of Bri- tish Animals,"" has now rectified these errors, and the White- fronted and Bernicle Geese are each described under their appropriate titles of A. Erythropus and A. Bermcla. — The Bernicle is amongst the number of our winter visitants, an- a nually resorting in vast numbers, upon the approach of autumn, to the western shores of Britain, and to the north of Ireland. Upon the Lancashire coast, the Solway Frith, &c. it is very abundant ; frequenting the marshy grounds that are occasionally covered by the spring-tides, and such sands as produce the sea-grasses and plants upon which it feeds. Upon the eastern and southern shores of Britain it Food. is of rare occurrence, its place being supplied by its nearly- allied congener, the Brent Goose (Anser Brenta) ; which again is as rarely seen upon the opposite coast of the island*. Like the rest of its genus, the Bernicle is a very wary bird, and can only be approached by the most cautious ma- noeuvres. It is sometimes shot by moonlight, when it comes on the sands to feed, by persons crouched on the ground, or from behind any occasional shelter, in such places as the flocks are known to frequent. Its flesh is sweet and tender, " WILLOUGHBY, in his valuable " Ornithology," (page 360, edit. 1678), mentions having seen the stuffed skin of the Bernicle in Sir W. FORSTER'S hall at Bamburgh Castle, which I consider indicative of its scarcity on the Northumbrian coast at that period, being doubtless hung up as a rara avis. Brent Geese are still to be seen in great numbers in Budle Bay, not more than a mile to the northward of Bamburgh Castle. 270 NATATORES. ANSER. BERNICLE GOOSE. and highly esteemed for the table. Upon the approach of spring it leaves our shores for more northern countries, and by the middle of March the whole have retired. Its summer retreats extend to very high latitudes, as it is known to breed in Iceland, Spitzbergen, Greenland, &c. as well as in Lapland, the northern parts of Russia, and northern Asia. It also inhabits Hudson's Bay, and other polar districts of the American Continent. During its equatorial or winter migration, besides the shores of our own island, it is abun- dant in Holland, France, and parts of Germany. I cannot but notice here, for the lovers of the ridiculous, the wonder- ful accounts given by GERARD, the celebrated botanist, and some others, of the origin of this and the next species from a kind of shell (the Lepas Anatrfera of LINNJEUS); yet are they curious, as exhibiting the great ignorance and conse- quent credulity of the age in which they were written. I refer my readers therefore to GERARD'S Herbal, page 1588, edit. 1636; or to the extracts from it, and other authors, contained in the twelfth volume of SHAW'S Zoology, under the head of the Common Bernicle. In the present species, and in the Brent Goose, we have a slight modification in the form of the bill, which is shorter in proportion to the size of the birds than in the geese already described ; and the lamel- lae of the upper mandible are in a great measure concealed by the reflected edges of the bill. These differences, how- ever, are so trifling, as scarcely to warrant a generic separa- tion, but they lead the way to other forms where such sepa- ration appears necessary. The Bernicle is a bird of hand- some shape, and, from the length of its neck and tarsi, stands high upon the ground. When caught alive, it soon becomes very tame, and thrives well upon grain, Sec. ; but no attempts have been hitherto made to domesticate the breed. PLATE 44. represents this bird in about three-fourths of the natural size. BRENT GOOSE. NATATORES. ANSER. 271 Forehead, cheeks, and throat, white. Between the bill General and eyes is a narrow black streak. Crown of the head, tion.nP neck, and breast, black. Back, wing-coverts, and sea- A(*ult. pulars, fine french-grey> passing into brownish-black towards the tips of the feathers, which are white. Greater quills greyish-black, except the lower part of the outer web in each, which is light grey. Upper tail- coverts white. Tail black. Under parts silvery- white ; undulated upon the flanks with ash-grey. Tibiae clothed with black feathers. Bill black. Legs and toes black. Tubercle near the bend of the wing prominent. The female resembles the male bird. The young of the year have the streak between the bill Young, and eye much broader than the adults ; and the fore- head is spotted with black. The under parts are not of so pure a white ; and the flanks are of a more uni- form ash-grey. The upper parts of the body are darker, and the tips of the feathers are margined with reddish- white. Legs black, tinged with reddish-brown. BRENT GOOSE. ANSER BRENTA, Flem. PLATE XLV. Anser Brenta, Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 127- sp. 199. Anas Bernicla, Linn. Syst. 1198. 13 — Gmel. Syst. 1. 513 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 844. sp. 32 — Wils. Amer. Orn. 8. 121. pi. T2. f. 1. Bernicla Brenta, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 46. Brenta, Bnss. Orn. 6. 304. 16. p. 31.— Ran Syn. 130. 8 — Will. 275. t. 69. Le Cravant, Buff. Ois. 9. pi. 87. Oie Cravant, Temm. Man. d'Orn. 2. 824. Ringel Gans, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 911 — Meyer, Tasschenb. 2. 558. Brent or Brand Goose, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. 579, No. 270.— Arct. Zool. 2. No. 478.— Albin's Birds, 1. pi. 93 Will. Angl. 360.— Lath. Syn. 8. 467. 21.—Lewin's Br. Birds, 7. pi. 243 — Mont. Orn. Diet. 1. & Sup.— Bewick's Br. Birds, ed. 1826, t. 300 — Wils. Amer. Orn. 8. 145. pi. 92. f. 1. mas. Brent Bernicle, Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 46. PROVINCIAL — Rat or Road Goose, Clatter Goose, Horra Goose, Juink Goose, Ware Goose. 272 NATATORES. ANSER. BRENT GOOSE- Periodical THIS species is, like the preceding one, a winter visitant ; inhabiting the oozy bays and shores of the eastern and southern coasts of the kingdom, where a supply of the ma- rine vegetable food upon which it subsists is principally produced. Upon the Northumbrian coast a very large body of these birds annually resorts to the extensive muddy and sandy flats that lie between the mainland and Holy Island, and which are covered by every flow of the tide. In this locality tolerably sized flocks usually make their appearance in the early part of October, which are increased by the re- peated arrival of others till the beginning of November, at which time the equatorial movement of the species in this latitude seems to be completed. This part of the coast ap- pears to have been a favourite resort of these birds from time immemorial, where they have always received the name of Ware Geese, given to them, without doubt, in consequence of their food consisting entirely of marine vegetables. This Food. I have frequently verified by dissection ; finding the gizzard filled with the leaves and stems of a species of grass that grows abundantly in the shallow pools left by the tide, and with the remains of the fronds of different algas, particularly of one which seems to be the Laver (Ulva latissima). These were mixed with a considerable quantity of sharp sand, but without any portion of animal or shelly matter; although WILSON states that they feed occasionally upon small uni- valve and bivalve mollusca. In this haunt they remain till the end of February, when they migrate in successive flocks, as the individuals happen to be influenced by the season, and before April the whole have disappeared. When they depart, the same procedure as that mentioned by WILSON (in his American Ornithology) takes place ; the flock about to migrate rises high into the air by an extensive spiral course, and then moves off seaward in a northerly direction. When feeding (which they do at the ebb of the tide), or moving from one place to another, they keep up a continual hoarse cackling, or, as it is termed, honking noise, which can GOOSE. NATATORES. ANSER. 273 be heard at a great distance, and has not unaptly been com- pared (when so heard) to the cry of a pack of hounds. They are at all times extremely watchful, and can only be approached within gunshot by the person of the shooter being concealed. This is effected in the southern parts of the kingdom by means of a flat-bottomed boat, so built as to draw very little water, and whose gunwale barely rises above the surface, armed with a large fowling-piece, that traverses the half-deck upon a swivel. In this boat the fowler lies flat, and directs its motion by a paddle or small oar, till he comes within range of the flock ; when he fires, either as they float upon the water, or just as they rise. Great havoc is sometimes made in this way, not only amongst the Brent Geese, but amongst Widgeon, and other kinds of wild fowl, as we learn from Colonel HAWKER'S amusing treatise, to which I refer my readers, and where they will find every direction necessary for this particular kind of sporting *. Previous to this mode of shooting being adopt- ed, all the Brent Geese, and different species of Ducks upon our northern coast, were killed by moonlight, by the fowlers placing themselves in various parts of the lake, seated on a bundle of straw, and patiently waiting for the approach of the wild fowl, as they flew about in quest of feeding places. The destruction, however, in this way was very limited ; the number that fell to the gun of an individual during the whole season perhaps did not equal the fruits of a single day's sport with the boat and its swivel gun. Like the rest of the genus, the Brent Goose never dives in search of food; but that this does not arise from any incapability of submer- sion, as has been supposed, is evident from the ease with which it plunges, and the great distance it can go under wa- • Upon the Holy Island sandy flats, where the above method was in- deed, about two years ago, by a man from the Norfolk coast, I am credibly informed that twenty-two Brent Geese were killed and secured at one discharge during this season, 1831. VOL. II. S 274 NATATORES. ANSER. GOOSE. ter, when winged or otherwise wounded, rendering it in such case a very difficult bird to secure. Its geographical distri- bution is confined to the northern parts of Europe and North America. During the winter, besides the coasts of our own islands, it is spread along those of Holland, France, and parts of Germany, as well as of the more northern king- doms. Occasionally, and under peculiar circumstances, these birds have appeared in certain parts in unusual numbers. Thus in the years 1739 and 1765, from the long continuance of a strong north wind, they became so abundant on the coast of Picardy, and committed such depredations on the young corn in that district, that the inhabitants were com- pelled to rise en masse, in order to destroy them ; and on the English coast, during the same seasons, where food failed the congregated numbers, they became so weak as to be knocked down with sticks and stones. The same thing occurred in the severe winter of 1803, when they were in- numerable about Sandwich, and so much reduced in condi- tion, as frequently not to be able to rise after alighting. Their polar or summer migration is directed to very high latitudes, where they breed, and rear their numerous young Nest, &c. in quiet security. The nest is formed of vegetable materials, in the swamps of those desolate regions, and they lay ten or twelve white eggs. The trachea of the male bird is slightly enlarged a little below the glottis, and again near its en- trance within the merry-thought (ps furcatorius) ; below which it becomes contracted, forming a narrow cartilaginous tube. The bronchi are funnel-shaped, and composed of en- tire solid rings. When captured alive, this goose may soon be rendered very tame (as I have found from experience), and being a bird of handsome figure, and light carriage, is a considerable acquisition on large pieces of water. No steady attempts, however, appear to have been yet made to increase the breed in a domestic state, though as an article of food it is superior to most of the Anatida, and equally valuable in the quality of its feathers and down. When GOOSE. NATATORES. ANSER. 275 tame, it eats readily all kinds of grain, as well as grass, and other vegetable diet. PLATE 4>5. represents this bird of the natural size. Bill black. Irides brown. Legs and feet black, with a General tinge of reddish-brown. Head, neck, and upper part tion.np of breast black. On each side of the neck, about half Adult. way down, is a patch of white. Back, scapulars, and wing-coverts, clove-brown; the feathers having their tips and margins paler. Under parts of the body french- grey ; with the feathers margined paler. Vent, upper and under tail-coverts, white. Lower part of back, and rump, black. Quills and tail black. The female is less than the male bird, but similar in plu- mage. The young of the year have not the white patch upon the Young, neck ; and this part, the head, and upper part of the breast, are blackish-grey. The back and wing-coverts are tipped with brown ; and the legs are paler, or more inclining to brown than in the older birds. RED-BREASTED GOOSE. ANSER RUFICOLLIS f Pall. PLATE XLVI. Anser ruficollis, Pall. Spic. 6. 21. t. b.—Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 128. Anas ruficollis, Gmel. Syst. 1. 511 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 841. sp. 23. Bernicla ruficollis, Steph. Shaw's ZooL 12. 53. pi. 43. Anas torquata, Gmel. Syst. 1. 514. sp. 70. Oie a Cou roux, Temm. Man. d'Orn. 2. 826. Die rothals Gans, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 916 — Meyer, Tasschenb. 2. 561. Red-breasted Goose, Penn. Arct. ZooL 2. 571. — Lath. Syst. 6. 455. — Lewin's Br. Birds, 7. pL 241.— Mont. Orn. Diet 1 — Bewick's Br. Birds, ed. 1826, p. t. 280. Red-breasted Bernicle, Steph. Shaw's ZooL 12. 53. pi. 43. IN this beautiful species the bill is very short, being much less than that of the Bernicle ; but as it seems, as far as I s2 276 NATATORES. ANSER. GOOSE. can judge from dried skins (never having had the opportu- nity of examining a fresh specimen), to possess all the essen- tial characters, I have accordingly retained it amongst the other species of the genus Anser. — It is known in Britain Hare visi- only as a rare visitant, when driven by tempestuous weather out of the usual course of its migrations. But five or six instances of its capture are on record : the first occurred near London in the year 1 776, and the specimen passed into the hands of Mr TUNSTALL, and from it (now in the Mu- seum at Newcastle-upon-Tyne) the figure in the present work has been taken ; — in the second instance, this bird was caught alive near Wycliffe, and was kept by the above men- tioned gentleman for some years in confinement ; — a third, shot near Berwick-upon-Tweed, was sent to Mr BULLOCK, in whose museum it remained till the dispersion of that cele- brated collection ; — the others, according to Mr STEPHENS? were killed in the severe winter of 1813, in Cambridgeshire, but unfortunately, from the ignorance of the captors, were lost to the purposes of science. This species is a native of the Arctic Regions of Northern Asia, and during its polar migration is said to retire to Siberia and the confines of the Frozen Ocean, where it breeds and rears its young. Accord- ing to TEMMINCK, it is abundant about the mouths of the rivers Ob and Lena at the above season. During the winter it migrates southward to the warmer districts of Russia, and to Persia; and is plentiful about the shores of the Caspian Sea, but of very rare occurrence in any part of Europe. I am unable to give any detailed account of its habits, but they may be presumed similar to those of its near allies, the Bernicle and Brent Geese; and that it feeds on vegetable diet appears evident from its flesh being pronounced free from any fishy taste, and in great esteem for the table. PLATE 46. Figure of the natural size ; from a specimen ori- ginally in the Wycliffe Museum, but now in that of the Natural History Society of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. GOOSE. NATATORES. ANSER. 277 Forehead, crown of the head, list down the back of the General neck, chin, throat, and band, extending upwards to the tion. eye, black. Between the bill and eye is a large spot of white. Behind the eye, and surrounding a large patch of orange-brown on each side of the neck, is a list of white ; which is extended farther, and forms a line of division between the orange-brown and black of the lower part of the neck. Front of the lower part of neck and breast fine orange-brown ; the latter margined by a list of black, and another of white. Immediately before the shoulders is a second bar of white. Mantle, belly, wings, and tail, black. Abdomen, vent, thighs, upper and under tail-coverts, white. Greater wing- coverts black, margined with white. Bill reddish-brown, with the nail black. Legs blackish-brown, with a red- dish tinge. SUBFAMILY CYGNINA. GENUS CYGNUS, MEYER. SWAN. GENERIC CHARACTERS. BILL equally wide throughout its length, much higher than broad at the base, where it is swollen or tuberculated ; depressed towards the tip; nail of the upper mandible de- flected, and covering that of the lower, which is flat. Both mandibles laminato-dentate, with the lamellae placed trans- versely, and nearly hidden from view when the bill is closed. Nostrils oblong, lateral, placed in the middle of the bill. Neck long. Wings long and ample. Legs placed behind the equilibrium of the body, short. Feet four-toed, three before and one behind ; the front ones entirely webbed, the hinder toe small and free. Plumage thick, close, and adpressed ; .that upon the neck soft and downy. "278 NATATORES. CYGNUS. SWAN. These birds, so conspicuous amongst the Anatidae by their superior size and graceful appearance upon the water, are distinguished from the Geese by the form of the bill, which is as wide towards the tip as at the base, approaching nearer in shape to that of the Ducks. The neck is also more elon- gated, and the backward position and comparative shortness of the legs, by indicating an increased power of swimming, with a diminished activity in walking on land, brings them into closer connexion with the natatorial tribes of the family. Their food principally consists of the roots, stems, and leaves of aquatic plants ; the former of which they are enabled to reach in water of some depth by their great length of neck. With them the intestines and caeca are very long ; and al- though the trachea does not possess any labyrinth or am- pulla, in some species it performs certain convolutions before it enters the lungs. Their flight, from the full development f)f wing, is strong and rapid. WHISTLING SWAN. CYGNUS FERUS, Ray. PLATE XLVII. •Cygnus ferus, Ran Syn. 136. A — Will 272. t. 69 — Briss. Orn. 6. 292. pi. 28 — Steph. Shaw's Zool. 12. 10. pi. 37 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 126. sp. 194. Anas Cygnus (ferus), Linn. Syst. 1. 194. Anas Cygnus, Gmel Syst. 1. 501 — Lath. Ind. Orn. 2. 833. sp. 1. Cygne sauvage, Buff. Ois. 9. 3 — Id. PL Enl. 913. Cygne a bee jaune, ou sauvage, Temm. Man. 2. 828. Le Cygne a bee noir, Cuv. Reg. Anim. 1. 529. Der Singschwan, Bechst. Naturg. Deut. 4. 330 — Meyer, Tasschenb. Deut. 2. 498. "Wild Swan, Penn. Br. Zool. 2. 562. No. 264 — Will. (Angl.) 356. t. 69.— Edw. Glean, t. 150 — Rennie's Mont. Ornith. Diet — Bewick's Br. Birds, ed. 1826. p. t. 265 — Flem. Br. Anim. 1. 126. sp. 194. Whistling Swan, Penn. Arct. Zool. 2. 469 — Lath. Syn. 6. 433.— Id. Sup. 272.— Id. Sup. 2. 341 — Lewirfs Br. Birds, 6. pL 236 Mont. Orn. Diet. and Sup Shaw's Zool. 12. 10. pi. 37. PROVINCIAL — Elk, Hooper, Hooping Swan. SWAN. NATATORES. CYGNUS. 279 THIS handsome and stately bird is known in the Orkneys and Western Islands of Scotland as a regular winter visi- Periodica. tant ; but in England its appearance is not so certain, being governed by the state of the season. Should the winter prove generally mild, such as we have just experienced (1831-2), few, if any, Swans are seen ; as, under such cir- cumstances, they are able to obtain subsistence in higher la- titudes. It is only, therefore, when the winter sets in with unusual rigour in the northern parts, and the lakes and rivers (their source of food) become entirely frozen over, that they extend their equatorial migration to more temperate climates. In such seasons they usually appear with us in small flocks, from five perhaps to thirty together, that take up their abode upon the lakes, rivers, and inundated meadows ; and where, if unmolested, they will remain till March, or the approach of spring, when they again wing their way to the regions of the north. On referring to the seasons in which Swans have appeared in more than usual numbers in this country, they will all be remembered as remarkable for the severity and long continuance of frost. Thus in 1784—5, and in 1788—9, these birds were remarkably numerous, and extended their flight to unwonted southern latitudes, having visited Cham- paigne and other parts of France, as well as some of the larger rivers beyond the Alps. In the winters of 1813, 1814, 1819, 1823, 1828, and 1829, all more or less severe, they were very commonly met with in different parts of England, and occasionally destroyed in great numbers, as may be gathered from the statement of Mr COOKE, in his description of the Whistling Swan, viz. that in 1823, sixty of these birds were exposed for sale in London in one day *. It is probable that some of these might belong to the recent- ly discovered species, Cygnus Bewickii, which there is now * To this scientific account of the present bird I refer my readers. It is entitled " A Letter to M. MJLBAKKE, Esq. descriptive of the Whist- ling Swan, and of the peculiar Structure of its Trachea," and published in 1823. 280 NATATORE8. CYGNUS. S\VAX. every reason to suppose has visited this country for many years, although constantly confounded with the present spe- cies, to which, in outward appearance, it bears a very close resemblance, being only rather inferior in size. The geo- graphical distribution of these birds embraces the northern regions of Europe, Asia, and America, in all of which they are abundantly found. In summer they retreat to very high latitudes to breed and rear their young, and those inhabiting our parallel of latitude are then to be met with scattered over Norway, Iceland, Lapland, Spitzbergen, &c. In Asia they are numerous in Kamschatka, Northern Siberia, and other polar districts of that continent, and they are described as abounding on the unfrequented borders of the upper lakes of North America; and are mentioned in Captain FRANKLIN'S Journal as amongst the first birds of passage that come from the south upon the breaking up of the long polar winter. In these dreary regions, where man finds but a precarious sub- sistence by fishing and the chase, the return of the Swan is anxiously looked for, on account of the various benefits it confers ; its flesh and eggs affording wholesome and invigo- rating food, and its skin, when dressed with the down, sup- plying V variety of clothing, of remarkable softness and warmth. A^few pairs, it is said, occasionally remain upon some of the outer Orkney Islands, and there breed upon the margins of therfresh water lochs ; but these can only be con- sidered as stragglers, the great body retiring (as I have above remarked) to higher latitudes for that purpose. — The Nest' &c' nest of the Wild Swan is formed of the withered parts of reeds, rushes, and other aquatic herbage, to a considerable thickness * ; and the eggs, from five to seven in number, are of a pale oil-green or greenish-white colour. In six weeks the young are excluded, but it is upwards of three months before they become fully fledged. In Iceland, to the inha- * Captain LYON, in his Private Journal, during the voyage of discovery under Captain PARRY, mentions the nest of a Swan found upon Winter Island. He describes it as formed of small pieces of peat, in size five feet ten inches by four feet ten inches, and two feet in height. SWAN. NATATORES. CYGNUS. 281 bitants of which the down and feathers are of great value, not only for domestic comfort, but as an article of barter, they are hunted down and killed in great numbers in the month of August, at which time the old birds are unable to fly, from having cast their quill-feathers. At this season the natives assemble in bodies, in the places where Swans are most abundant, attended by dogs, and mounted upon small but active horses, purposely trained to pass over bogs and through marshy soil ; the chase then commences, and many are ridden down ; but the greater number are caught by the dogs, which always seize by the neck, a mode of attack that causes the bird to lose its balance and become an easy prey. The fabulous account of the sweet singing of the Swan be- fore death, which gave rise to so much beautiful allusion in the writings of the ancient poets, is now universally explod- ed * ; and the voice of the present species (oftener heard than that of any other) is generally allowed, when produced sin- gly, to be piercing and harsh. It consists of two notes, and has (not unaptly) been compared to the discordant union of the modulation of the Cuckoo, with the scream of the Gull, or the sound of the clarionet in the hand of a beginner. Some, however, still assert, that when on the wing in large flocks, or resting on the water, their united cries, becoming softened by distance, are not unpleasant to the ear. This I can readily believe, for, under such circumstances, I have even found the incongruous mixture of sound from Gulls, Guillemots, and other tribes of sea fowl (when collected about their breeding stations) mixed with the whistling of the breeze, and the murmurs of the intervening water, to reach the ear not very dissimilar to that of a band of martial music ; and I have before observed, in the account of the Brent Goose, that the tumultuous cackling of those birds » See PENNANT'S description of the Tame Swan in his " British Zoolo- gy," where he has treated the subject with the classical knowledge and taste for which he was conspicuous, and traced the source from whence this fable appears to have originated. 282 NATATORES. CYGNUS. SWAN. (harsh as it may be individually), when heard at a distance, has been compared to the enlivening cry of a pack of hounds. To the known effect produced by the association of ideas must doubtless be attributed the great pleasure which the Icelanders display upon hearing the cries of the Swan, which they compare to the notes of a violin ; but as a writer justly observes, this is not to be wondered at, for they hear them at the termination of a long and dreary winter, when the re- turn of this bird to their shores is the earliest harbinger of spring, foretelling a speedy thaw and release from a tedious confinement. In dimensions and weight the present species is commonly less than Cygnus Olor, in its tame or semi-do- mesticated state, though adult males are sometimes met with that equal the average size of the latter. It may, however, always be distinguished from it externally by the different form and colour of the bill, the position of the legs, differ- ence of carriage, along with other peculiarities ; and inter- nally, the conformation of the trachea exhibits a remarkable difference. This part, instead of being a strait and simple tube, as in Cyg. Olor, is prolonged, and enters a large cavity hollowed out of the keel of the sternum, generally to the depth of three and a-half or four inches, where it is doubled back upon itself like a trumpet ; and which inflection is al- ways vertical, never forming a loop or horizontal bend, as in Cygnus Bewickii. After its egress from this cavity, the tube is again turned upwards, and then, undergoing a con- siderable diminution in diameter, terminates exactly upon the ridge of the sternum in a compressed bony lower larynx, or bone of divarication, shaped like the mouth-piece of a bas- soon, and to which the bronchi, measuring upwards of three inches in length, are attached. The flight of the Swan is usually at a great elevation, and in a straight line ; and as its wings are long and ample, its progress, with a favouring breeze, is astonishingly rapid, and has been reckoned to ex- ceed sometimes 100 miles in an hour. This velocity renders it a difficult bird to shoot on wing, where so much allowance SWAN. NATATORES. CYGNUS. 283 is necessary to be made, according to the supposed distance of the object. When caught alive, it soon becomes very tame, as seen in the instance mentioned by MONTAGU ; and I have also, in several cases, known it survive for a long time, and thrive well, when provided with plenty of water ; it refuses, however, to associate with the common or mute species. — The food of the Swan consists of the roots, leaves, Foo