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Major E.W. Tate

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THE

NATURALIST'S

CABINET:

Containing
INTERESTING SKETCHES

OF

ANIMAL HISTORY;

Illustrative of the
NATURES, DISPOSITIONS, MANNERS, AND HABITS,

OF ALT, THE MOST UEM AIIKABLE

Quadrupeds, Birds, Fishes, Amphibia, Reptiles, fyc,

IN THE KNOWN WORLD. '

REGULARLY ARRANGED, AND ENRICHED WITH NUMEROUS
BEAUTIFUL DESCRIPTIVE ENGRAVINGS.

" Who can this field of miracles survey,
And not with Galen all in rapture say,
Behold a God, adore him, and obey ?"

BLACKMORE.

IN SIX VOLUMES.
VOL. III.

BY THE

REV. THOMAS SMITH,

Editor of a New and Improved Edition of Winston's Jojcphus, &c. &c.

ALBION PRESS PRINTED:
PUBLISHED BY JAMES CUNDEE,

Ivy-Lane, Paternoster- Raw.

1806.

CONTENTS.

VOL. III.

Pagt
OF BIRDS IN OENERAL .... 3

THE OSTRICH EO

.... EMU 3]

CASSOWARY 31

.... CONDOR. ; . . . . . • .40

.... VULTURE 45

. i . . GOLDEN EAGLE H

.... BEARDED EAGLE . . . .59
.... SECRETARY FALCON .... 65

BUZZARD C'9

.... HEN HARRIER, 7*

.... SPARROW HAWK .... 70

. .• . . CHANTING FALCON . 78

.... BUTCHER-BIRD . . . . -79
.... TYRANT SHRIKE .... 8.3

.... BROWN OWI, 8&

SCREECH OWL ... . 88

.... GREAT HORNED OWL . . . <>0

.... RAVEN 93

.... CARRION CROW . .... git

.... ROOK 102

....JACKDAW 112

JAY 114

.... MAGPIE 110

.... CINEREOUS CROW . . ' . . i-.-o
.... REDLEGGED CROW . . . . J21
.... ASH-COLOURED PARROT . . . 12*

ETHIOPIAN, OR GUINEA PARROT 130

.... YELLOW-WINGED PARROT . . 133

GREEN MACAW 136

TOUCAN 138

.... RED-WINGED ORIOLE . . .141

.... ICTERIC ORIOLE 143

, i . . WEAVER ORIOLE .... ibid

GREAT BIRD OF PARADISE . . 1 15

.... LITTLE BIRD OF PARADISE . . } K)
, . .- KING OF BIRDS OF PAKAPI?E . 150

CONTENTS.

Page

THE PEACOCK i»

.... WHITE PEACOCK . IfcZ

VARIEGATED PEACOCK, kc. . . l6S

.... CUCKOO 167

.... BEE CUCKOO 177

.... AMERICAN CUCKOO . . . .181

.... CAPE CUCKOO ..... 182

SACRED CUCKOO .... ibid

.... JAMAICA CUCKOO . 1U3

SHINING CUCKOO .... 184

GREEN WOODPKCKER . . . 18J

.... BLACK WOODPECKER . IHJJ

WHITE-BILLED WOODPECKER . KJO

RED-HEADED WOODPECKER . . 191

.... GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER . 193

.... LITTLE SPOTTED WOODPECKER . 194

HANGING WOODPECKER . 1Q6

.... NUT-HATCH 198

HOOPOE 201

.... CREEPER 20.1

.... RED CREEPER 205

.... THRUSH 206

MISSEL THRUSH 210

LOCUST-EATING THRUSH . . 213

.... LINNET 215

GOLDFINCH 218

.... CANARY 223

.... NIGHTINGALE 225

REDBREAST 234

PENSILE WARBLER .... 238

.... DARTFORD WARBLER, . . 240

WHEAT-EAR ibid

WAGTAIL ...... 242

WREN 246

CRESTED, OR GOLDEN WREN . 250

^ . . . WILLOW WREN 251

.... TAYLOR BIRD 25*

KING-FISHER ibid

. .. . HUMMING BIRD 257

.... RED-THROATED HUMMING BIRD 265

.... STARLING 267

SPARROW . .' . . . .272

MOUNTAIN SPARROW . «7T

FIELDFARE 278

.... REDWING 279

BLACKBIRD 28O

BLUEBIRD 283

TITMOUSE S»4

CONTENTS. iij

Pagt
THE PENDULINE TITMOUSE ... 285

BEARDED TITMOUSE . 28T

.... LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE . . 288

.... COLE TITMOUSE . 2flO

CAPE TITMOUSE 291

.... MOCK BIRD S92

SKYLARK 395

.... WOODLARK 301

.... TITLARK 304

CROSS-BILL 305

.... GROSBEAK 309

.... CARDINAL GROSBEAK . . .311
.... GRENADIER GROSBEAK . . .312

ABYSSINIAN GROSBEAK - . .313

.... BENGAL GROSBEAK .... ibid
.... SOCIABLE GROSBEAK . . .315

BULFINCH Sir

.... TRUMPETER 320

. PHEASANT SC4

.... BUSTARD 332

.... PIGEON 336

.... PASSENGER PIGEON . , . .344

.... QUAIL 348

PTARMIGAN 362

THE

Jlaturaltsrs Cafcmet

CHAP. L

Ye birds

That, singing, up to Heaven's gate ascend
Beacon your wings, and in your notes His praise."

OF BIRDS IN GENERAL.

Introductory remarks.

THERE is no division of animated nature in
which the wisdom of our Creator, various in its
plans, and matchless in its execution, shines
forth more conspicuously than in the different
feathered tribes. Their formation, and habits of
life, art admirably adapted to the various func-
tions they have to 'perform. In their structure
every part seems formed for traversing the aerial
regions : some launch away in repeated springs,
and advance as it were, by successive boundings/
while others glide smoothly through the atmos-
phere, and cleave it with an equal and uniform
progress. The former skim over the surface
A 2 •

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Nature and arrangement of the plumage.

of the earth; the latter soar up to the clouds:
all, however, are capable of varying their course
to every direction with the utmost promptitude;
and of descending from the greatest height, on
a particular spot, with equal safety and precision.

Their bodies are clothed with feathers; which
are not only a defence against wet and cold, and
a means of hatching the young, but also most
convenient for flight. For these purposes they
are placed over each other, close to the body,
like the tiles of a house; and are arranged from
the fore-part backward, by which the animals are
enabled the more conveniently to cut their way
through the air. A short and extremely soft
down fills up all the 'vacant spaces between the
shafts of the feathers, in order to give a suitable
degree of warmth to the body ; and the w ing*
;are so constructed, that in striking downward,
they expand very greatly ; and, except that they
are somewhat hollow on the under side, they be-
come, in this act almost two planes. The mus-
cles that move the wings dowrhwards have been
estimated, in some instances, to constitute not
less than the sixth, purl of the weight of the
whole body.

The flying of the volatiles is thus effected.
The bird first springs with a violent Jeap from
the ground, stretcher his wings from the body,
and strikes them downwards with great force.
By this stroke they are put into an oblique direc-
tion, partly upwards and partly horizontally for-

BIRDS. 5

Mode of (tying.

wards. That part of the force tending upwards,
is destroyed by the weight of the bird; and the
horizontal force serves to carry him forwards.
The stroke being completed, he moves up his
wings; which, being contracted, and having
their edges turned upwards, meet with very little
resistance from the air. When they are suffici-
ently elevated, he takes a second stroke down-
wards, and the impulse of the air again moves
him forward. These'successive strokes act only
as so many leaps taken in air. In turning to the
right or left, the bird strikes strongly with the
opposite wing, which impels him to the proper
side. The tail acts like the rudder of a ship ;
except that it moves him upwards or downwards,
instead of sideways. If the bird design to rise,
he raises his tail; and if to fall, he depresses it:
whilst he is in an horizontal position, it keeps
him steady.

It has been remarked, that a bird, by spread-
ing his wings, can move horizontally in the air
for some time, without striking; because he has
acquired a sufficient velocity, and his wings

" being parallel to the horizon, meet with a very
trifling resistance; and, when he begins to fall,
he can easily steer himself upwards by his tail,

'till it be necessary to renew his motion by two
or three more strokes of his' wings. On alight-
ing,'he expands his wings and tail full against

' the air, that they may meet with all the resist-
ance possible.

NATURALISTS CABINET.

Centre of gravity — Preservation against water.

The centre of gravity in birds is behind the
wings; and to counterbalance it, most of them
are obliged to thrust out their head and neck in
flying. This is particularly obvious in the flight
of ducks, geese, and several other kinds of water-
fowl, whose centre of gravity is farther back-
wards liian in the land birds. The long head
and neck of the heron, on the contrary, although
foWed up in flight, overbalance the rest of the
body; and therefore the long legs are extended,
in order to give the necessary counterpoise, and
to supply what is wanting from the shortness of
the tail.

To prevent the plumage of these animals from
perpetually imbibing the moisture of the atmos-
phere, and absorbing so much wet, during rain,
as might impede their flight; the wise economy
of nature has furnished the rump with two
glands, in which a quantity of oil is constantly
secreting. This is occasionally pressed out by
means of the bill, and used for anointing the
feathers. The birds that share, as it wrere, the
habitations of man, and live principally under
cover, do not require so great a supply of this
fluid as those that rove abroad, and reside in the
open element : but water-fowls are endowed with
such a quantity as sometimes communicates a
degree of rancidity to the taste of their flesh.

The wings, legs, claws, and beaks of all birds
are excellently adapted to their various pursuits.
Birds of prey that must fly to a considerable dis-

BIRDS. 7

Adaptation of structure to various pursuits.

tance to obtain their food, are furnished with
large strong wings ; while domestic birds are
uniformly the reverse. The generality of small
birds, sparrows for instance, that harbour near
our habitations, and pick up grain or crumbs
from the table, have a small bill, with short legs
.and neck; but the case is different with the
woodcock, the snipe, and a variety of other birds
that seek their aliment very deep in the earth,' or
amidst slime and mud.

The bill of the woodpecker is of a consider-
able length, and very strong; the tongue also is
sharp, extremely long, and armed with small
points, to enable the bird to obtain its prey;
which consists chiefly of little worms or insects
that lr ' in the heart of many branches, or under
of old wood. The heron, on the con-
_tls on frogs, or whatever small fish he

.ii pick up in fens, or near the shores of rivers
or the sea; he is therefore elevated on very long
legs and thighs, almost destitute of plumage;
and his long neck and enormous bill, jagged at
the extremity, like hooks, enable him to seize
and detain his slimy prey. Similar observations
may be applied to the whole of the race of vo-
latiles.

The organ of smelling is large, and so well
provided with nerves as to render this sen-
sation very acute. This is sufficiently illustrated
by the raven, who is able to find out his prey,

'

NATUKALTSTS CABINET.

Auditory passage — Nictitating membrane.

though concealed from his sight at a consider-
able distance.

Birds have no external ears, but merely a tuft
of fine feathers covering the auditory passage;
which readily allows the rays of sound, and at
the same time precludes the entrance of dust or
insects.

As many of these creatures are frequently pas-
sing through hedges and thickets, their eyes are
secured from external injuries, as well as from
too much light, by a nictitating or winking mem-
brane, which can at pleasure be drawn over the
whole eye, like a curtain. This covering is nei-
ther opaque nor wholly pellucid, but is somewhat
transparent ; and it is by means of this, that the
eagle is said to gaze at the sun. The sight in
birds is evidently more piercing, extensive, and
accurate than in the other orders of animals.
The eye is much larger in proportion to the bulk
of the head, than in any of these. This is a su-
periority not only necessary but even indispen-
sable to their safety and subsistence. Were this
organ in birds dull, or in the least degree opaque,
they would be in perpetual danger of striking
against various objects in their flight. In this
case their celerity, instead of being an advan-
tage, would become an evil, and their flight must
be restrained by the danger resulting from it.

The respiration of volatiles is performed by
means of air-vessels, extended through the whole
3

BIRDS.

Respiration — Different abodes.

body, and adhering to the under surface of the
bones. These, by their motion, force the air
through the true lungs, which are very small,,
seated in the uppermost part of the chest, and
closely braced down to the back and ribs. Mr.
John Hunter attempted by a variety of experi-
ments to discover the use of this general diffu-
sion of air through the bodies of birds ; and from
these he found, that it prevents their respiration
from being stopped or interrupted by the rapi-
dity of their motion through the air as a resist-
ing medium.

The abode of the volatile tribes is very various ;
as they are found in every part of the known
world, from the hottest to the coldest regions.
Some species are confined to particular coun-
tries; others are widely dispersed; and many
change their abode at certain seasons of the year,
and migrate to climates more congenial with
their temperament or mode of life, for a certain
period, than those which they leave. Many of
the birds of our own island, directed by a pecu-
liar and unerring i,nstinct, retire, before the com-
mencement of the cold season, to the southern
parts of Africa, und again return in the spring.
The causes generally assigned for migration are,
either a defect of food, or the want of a secure
asylum for incubation and the nutrition of their
young. They generally perform their journeys
in large companies; and, in the day, follow A
leader, who is occasionally changed.

VOL. in. — NO. xvi. B

to NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Migrations of the swallow and cuckoo.

The migrations of the swallow and the cuckoo,
have been particularly noticed by every writer
on ornithology ; and various opinions have been
formed respecting their disappearance, and the
state in which they subsist during that interval.
Some naturalists have imagined that these birds
do not migrate at the end of autumn, but that
they lie in a torpid state concealed in banks, in
the hollows of decayed trees, among the ruins of
old buildings, and other sequestered places, until
the return of summer. Some have even asserted
that they cling together by the feet, and thus
great numbers being conglomerated in a mass,
they sink themselves to the bottoms of rivers or
pools, where they lie concealed under the water.
No great depth of reasoning, however, is required
to prove the physical impossibility of this hypo-
thesis. On the one hand it is certain that swal-
lows have been found in winter in a torpid state;
but these instances seldom occur, and conse-
quently will not support the inference, that if any
individuals survive the winter in that situation,
the whole species is preserved in the same manner.
Several instances of cuckoos having been found
in a similar state, might be adduced, as well as
of swallows, house martins, &c. having been seen
flying about long after the general migration had
taken place; all which circumstances leave no
room to doubt that several young birds which
have been late hatched, not finding themselves
strong enough to undertake a long voyage, re-

BIRDS. 11

Migrations — Acquired notes.

main behind, and lie concealed in hiding places
until the return of spring and that the cold of
winter benumbs and renders them torpid. On
the other hand, the actual migration of the swal-
low tribe has been demonstrated by a number of
well authenticated facts, taken from the observa-
tions of navigators, who have been eye-witnesses
of their flights, and who inform us that the rig-
ging of their ships have often been covered with
the weary travellers. These accounts, indeed,
so frequently occur in the narratives of voyages,
that we cannot doubt of their authenticity, nor
of the reality of these migrations. However,
after all the enquiries of naturalists into this mys-
terious branch of animal economy, the subject
remains involved in no small degree of obscurity;
and, after all our researches, we cannot deter-
mine into what regions of the globe these little
animals migrate,

" Amusive birds, say where your hid retreat,
When the frost rages and the tempests beat ;
Whence your return, by such nice instinct led,
When spring, sweet season ! lifts her bloomy head ?
Such baffled searches mock man's prying pride j
The God of Nature is your secret guide,"

It appears from observation, founded on nu-
merous experiments, that the peculiar notes of
the different species of birds, are altogether ac-
quired, and are no more innate than language is
in man. The attempt of a nestling to sing, may
be exactly compared with the imperfect en dea-
lt 2

1 1 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Acquired notes.

vour of a child to talk. The first essay seem*
not to possess the slightest rudiments of the fu-
ture song; but, as the hird advances in age and
strength, it is not difficult to perceive what it is
aiming at. A sparrow, taken from the nest when
very young, and placed near a linnet and gold-
finch, (though in a wild state it would only have
chirped,) adopted a song that was a mixture
of the notes of these two. Three nestling lin-
nets were educated, one under a sky-lark, ano-
iher under a wood«lark, and the third under a
tit-lark; and, instead of the song peculiar to
their own species, they adhered invariably to
that of their respective instructors. A linnet,
taken from the nest when but two or three days
old, and brought up in the house of an apothe-
cary, at Kensington, from want of other sounds
to imitate, almost articulated the words " pretty
boy;" as well as some other short sentences; but
its owner said, that it had neither the note nor
the call of any bird whatever.

These, and a variety of other facts, seem to
prove, that birds have no innate notes, but that,
like mankind, they adopt the language of those
to whose care they are committed at birth. It
may, however, seem somewhat unaccountable,
from these observations, why, in a wild state,
they adhere so steadily to the song of their own
species, when so many others are to be heard
around them. This arises from the attention
paid by the nestling to the instructions of it*

mnns. 13

Variety of food—Cruel experiments.

own parent, generally disregarding the notes of
all the rest. Persons, however, who have an ac-
curate ear, and have studied the notes of differ-
ent birds, can frequently distinguish some that
have a song mixed with those of another species.
The food of birds is, of course, very different in
the different kinds. Some are altogether carni-
vorous ; others subsist on fish ; some on insects and
worms, and many on fruits or grain. ^ The extra-
ordinary powers of the gizzard in the granivorous
tribes, in comminuting their hard food, so as to
prepare it for digestion, would appear incredible,
were they not supported by incontrovertible facts
founded on experiment. In order to ascertain
the strength of these stomachs, the ingenious
Spallanzani made several cruel, though interest-
ing, experiments. Tin tubes, full of grain were
forced in the stomachs of turkeys; and after re-
maining twenty hours, were found to be broken,
compressed, and distorted in the most irregular
manner. The stomach of a cock, in the space of
twenty-four hours, broke off the angles of a piece
of rough jagged glass; and, upon examining
the gizzard, no wound or laceration appeared.
Twelve strong tin needles were firmly fixed in a
ball of lead, with their points projecting about a
quarter of an inch from the surface; thus armed,
it was covered with a case of paper, and forced
down the throat of a turkey : the bird retained it
a day and a half without exhibiting the least
symptom of uneasiness: the point* of all the

14 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Cruel experiments — Birds' nests.

needles were broken off close to the surface of
the ball, except two or three, of which the stumps
projected a little. Twelve small lancets, very
sharp both at the points and edges, were fixed
in a similar ball of lead, which was given in the
same manner to a turkey-cock, and left eight
hours in the stomach ,- at the expiration of which
time that organ was opened, but nothing ap-
peared except the naked ball ; the twelve lances
having been broken to pieces — the stomach at
the same time remaining perfectly entire. From
these facts it was concluded, that the stones so
often found in the stomachs of many of the fea-
thered tribes, are highly useful in assisting the
gastric juices to grind down the grain and other
hard substances which constitute their food. The
stones themselves also, being ground down and
separated by the powerful action of the gizzard,
are mixed with the food, and indisputably con-
tribute to the health as well as to the nutriment
of the animals.

The nests of birds are, in general, constructed
with surprising art ; and with a degree of arch-
itectural skill and propriety, that would foil all
the boasted ingenuity of man, the haughty lord,
of the creation. Hence the poet justly and
tifully exclaims

Mark it well; within, without:
No tool had he that wrought ; no knife to cut,
No nail to fix, no bodkin to insert,
No g'up to join; his little beak was all.

BIRDS.

Building the nests — Care of the young.

And yet, how neatly finish'd ! What nice hand,
With ev'ry implement and means of art,
And twenty years apprenticeship to boot,
Could make me such another ? Fondly then
We boast of excellence, whose noblest skill
Instinctive genius foils.

Both the male and female bird assist in this
interesting concern ; each bringing materials to
the place: first sticks, moss, or straws,, for the
foundation and exterior ; then hair, wool, or the
down of animals or plants, to form a soft and
commodious bed for their eggs, and the bodies
of their tender young when hatched. It is also
worthy of remark, that the outsides of the nests
generally bear so great a resemblance in colour
to the surrounding foliage or branches, as not
easily to be discovered even by persons who are
in search of them.

The production of the young may, in fact, be
considered as the great era of a bird's happiness ;
nothing can at this time exceed its spirit and in-
dustry ; they are rendered sensible of the cares
that attend a family, and the important pursuits
of common subsistence occupies their whole at-
tention; the warblers are silent; — it is no longer
a season for singing, or at least they indulge it less
frequently, and their attachment to their off-
spring operates to a degree that even changes
their natural disposition, and new duties intro-
duce new inclinations. The most timid become
courageous in defence of their young, and bird*

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Care and drtchcc of the young.

of the rapacious kind, at this season, become
more than usually fierce and active; they carry
their prey, yet throbbing with life to the nest,
and early accustom their young to habits of ra-
pine and cruelty. Even the hen, when she be-
comes the parent of a family, no longer conti-
nues the same creature; naturally timorous, and
before this period, knowing nothing but flight,
she becomes a heroine at the head of a troop of
chickens; she despises danger, courageously at-
tacks the stoutest dog in defence of her brood,
and would probably venture to encounter even a
lion.

But though animals in their generation may
be wiser than the sons of men, yet their wisdom
is confined in a narrow compass, and limited to
a few particulars. The design or conduct is not
hi the animal, but in that beneficent and .adorable^
Being who directs all its operations by what may
properly be stiled a mysterious influence.

" With what caution," says an elegant writer,
<e does the female provide herself a nest in places
unfrequented and free from noise and disturb-
ance ! When she has laid her eggs in such a man-
ner, that she can cover them, what care does she
not take in turning them frequently, that all
parts may partake of the vital warmth ! When
she leaves them, to provide for her necessary
sustenance, how punctually does she return be-
fore they have time to cool, and become incapa-
\»le of producing ail animal! In. thcfsummer you

BIRDS. 17

Hatching of chickens.

see her giving herself greater freedom, and quit-
ting her care for above two hours together ; but
in winter, when the rigor of the season would
chill the principles of life, and destroy the young
ones, she grows more assiduous in her attend-
ance, and stays away but half the time. When
the birth approaches, with how much nicety and
attention does she help the chick to break its
prison! Not to take notice of her covering it
from the injuries of the weather, providing it
proper nourishment, and teaching it to help
itself; nor to mention her forsaking the nest, if
after the usual time of reckoning, the young ones
do not make their appearance. A chymical ope-
ration could not be followed with greater art or
diligence, than is seen in the hatching of a
chick.

" But at the same time the hen, that has all
this seeming ingenuity, which is indeed abso-
lutely necessary for the propagation of the spe-
cies; considered in other respects, is without the
least glimmerings of thought or common sense.
She mistakes a piece of chalk for an egg, and
sits upon it in the same manner ; she is insensi-
ble of any increase or diminution in the number
of those she lays; she does not distinguish be-
tween those of another species; and when the
birth appears of never so different a bird, she
will cherish it for her own. In all these circum-
stances, which do not carry an immediate regard

VOL. II. — NO. XVI. C

18 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Interesting anecdote.

to the subsistence of herself or species, she is
a very ideot."

Of the anxiety and courage of birds, in the
preservation of their brood, and their instinctive
discernment, we have a singular instance related
by Professor Reimar, and such a one as perhaps
seldom occurred to the observation of naturalists.

" Two robins," says he, " had their nest within
a small hollow of a rock, which was shaded by a
spreading oak : the female had five eggs, which
she hatched with such assiduity that both I and
others often viewed her very near, and even
touched her, without her making the least mo-
tion tO'avoid the apparent danger.

" One day my lying-in bird was absent, and I
apprehended she had forsaken her nest ; but my
suspicions were changed on seeing a cuckoo
hopping along an adjoining descent, and which
finally alighted on a tree near where I stood, at
the same time I perceived my robins watching
the cuckoo's motions. It occurred to me that it
is the practice of the female cuckoo to lay its
eggs in the nest of some other small bird, and
such seemed her present intention. Reason
would have taught the robins to post themselves
in the nest, the better to defend it, but instinct
determined them to keep at a distance, and put
the enemy on a wrong scent: accordingly the
nearer it approached the nest, the more alertly
the robins strove to mislead it, by fluttering

BIRDS.

Interesting anecdote.

about with all the marks of anguish, and using a
note highly expressive of distress; the cuckoo
at length, after a long pursuit, returned to a
bough much nearer to the nest than she had yet
been; a moment was not therefore to be lost;
one of the robins rushed under the feathers of
the cuckoo's tail, and fell to pecking her with
unabating fury, while she kept shivering, her
bill open so very wide, that the other robin
which attaced her in front, threw herself in so
far that no part of her head was to be seen, and
the cuckoo, appearing to be seized with a kind
of vertigo, fell towards the ground, hanging with
her claws to the branch on which she had perch-
ed, while her relentless enemies availed them-
selves of her condition, and would probably have
put a period to her existence had not a sudden
storm put a termination to the combat."

Those birds that are hatched early in the
spring constantly prove the most strong and
vigorous offspring; while the feeble and tender
children of declining summer or autumn are sel-
dom capable of sustaining the severities ot a
rigorous winter. But this is a circumstance that
only Uappens in consequence of their nests being
repeatedly pillaged, in spite of which they perse-
vere in their efforts for a new progeny.

c 2

20 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Observations.

CHAP. II.

" Gavest thou the goodly wings unto the peacock,
Or wings and feathers unto the ostrich?"

BOOK OF JOB.

THE OSTRICH.

THE ostrich has an indisputable claim to stand
foremost in the arrangement of the feathered
tribe, not only upon account of the superiority
of its size, but because it appears to form the
connecting link in the great chain of Nature be-
tween birds and quadrupeds; in the general out-
line it certainly resembles the former, and at the
same time possesses many of the characteristics
of the latter, especially in the internal formation,
which may be said to have as great a similarity
to the one as the other; it is also the same with
the external covering, which, although a kind of
plumage, bears as near a resemblance to hair as
to feathers.

The ostrich stands so high, as to measure from

THE OSTRICH.

Description, &c.

seven to nine feet from the top of the head to
the ground : from the back, however, it seldom
exceeds more than three or four feet, the rest of
its height being made up by its extremely long
neck. The head is small; and, as well as the
greater part of the neck, is covered with only a
few scattered hairs. The feathers of the body
are black and loose ; those of the wings and tail
are of a snowy white, waved and long, having
here artd there a tip of black. The wings are
furnished with spurs, somewhat like a porcu-
pine's quills. The thighs and flanks are nak-
ed ; and the feet are strong, and of a grey-brown
colour.

The sandy and burning deserts of Africa and
Asia are the only native residences of these ani-
mals. Here they are seen in flocks, so large as
sometimes to have been mistaken for distant
cavalry.

There are many circumstances in the economy
of this animal which show it to be peculiarly dif-
ferent from the rest of the feathered race. Its
strong-jointed legs and feet are well adapted both
for speed and defence. The wings and all its
feathers are insufficient to raise it from the
ground : its camel-shaped neck is covered with
hair: its voice is a kind of hollow mournful low-
ing: and it grazes on the plain with the qua-cha
and zebra.

These birds frequently do great damage to the

22 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Depredations — Surprising s\vifti»es>s.

farmers in the interior of Southern Africa; by
coming in flocks into their fields, and destroying
the ears of wheat so completely, that in a large
tract of land it often happens that nothing but
the bare straw is left behind. The body of the
bird is not higher than the corn; and when it
devours the ears, it bends down its long neck, so
that at a little distance it cannot be seen ; but on
the least noise it rears its head, and generally
contrives to escape before the farmer gets within
gun-shot of it.

In running, the ostrich has a proud and
haughty look; and even when in extreme dis-
tress, never appears in great haste, especially if
the wind be favourable with it. Its wings are
frequently of material use in aiding its escape;
for when the wind blows in the direction that it
is pursuing, it always flaps them. In this case
the swiftest horse cannot overtake it : but if the
•weather be sultry, and there is no wind, or if it
has lost a wing, the difficulty of outrunning it is
not so great.

The ostrich is one of the few polygamous birds
found in a state of nature; one male being fre-
quently seen with two or three, and sometimes
with five females. It has been asserted by most
ancient writers, that the female, after depositing
her eggs in the sand, and covering them up,
leaves them to be hatched by the heat of the
sun,, and suffers the young to shift for themselves.

THE OSTRICH. 23

Incubation — Attention to the young.

Recent travellers, however, assure us, that no
bird has a stronger affection for her offspring
than this, and that none watches her eggs with
greater assiduity. It happens, probably, in those
hot climates, that there is less necessity for the
continual incubation of the female ; and she fre-
quently leaves her eggs, which are in no fear of
being chilled by the weather: but though she
sometimes forsakes them by day, she always
carefully broods over them by night; and Kol-
ben, who saw great numbers of ostriches at the
Cape of Good Hope, affirms, from, his own ob-
servation, that they sit on their eggs like other
birds, and that the males and females perform
this task alternately. Nor is it more true that
they forsake their young as soon as excluded
from the shell. On the contrary, these are not
able to walk for several days after they are
hatched. During this time the old ones are very
assiduous in supplying them with grass and wa-
ter, and careful to defend them from harm : and
will even encounter every danger in their de-
fence. The females which are united to one
male, deposit all their eggs in the same place, to
the number of ten or twelve each: these they
hatch all together, the male also taking his turn
of sitting on them. Between sixty or seventy
eggs have sometimes been found in one nest.
The time of incubation is six weeks.

M. Le Vaillant informs us, that he started an

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Nests of ostriches found in Africa.

ostrich from its nest in Africa, where he found
eleven eggs quite warm, and four others at a
short distance. Those in the nest had young in
them; hut his attendants eagerly caught up the
detached ones, observing that they were good
to eat. ' They informed him, that near the nest
are always placed a certain number of cti^s
which the birds do not sit upon, and which are
designed for the first nourishment of the future
young. " Experience," says this traveller, " has
convinced me of the truth of this observation ;
for I never afterwards met with an ostrich's nest,
without finding eggs disposed in this manner at
a small distance from it."

Some time after this, our author found a female
ostrich on a nest containing thirty-two eggs;
and twelve eggs were arranged at a little dis-
tance, each in a separate cavity formed for it.
He remained near the place some time ; and saw
three other females come and alternately seat
themselves in the nest; each sitting for about a
quarter of an hour, and then giving place to ano-
ther, who, while waiting, sat close by the side of
her whom she was to succeed.

In proof of the affection, which these birds
bear toward their offspring, Professor Thunberg
relates, that he once rode past the place where a
hen ostrich was sitting on her nest; when she
sprang up and pursued him, evidently with a
view to prevent his noticing her eggs or young.

THE OSTRICH. 25

Nests and eggs of the ostrich.

Every time he turned his horse towards her, she
retreated ten or twelve paces ; but as soon as he
rode on again she pursued him, till he had got
to a considerable distance from the place where
he started her.

The nest appears to be merely a hole in the
ground, formed by the birds trampling the earth
for some time with their feet.

If any person touch the eggs during the ab-
sence of the parent, they immediately discover it
by the scent at their return ; and not only desist
from laying any more in the same place, but
even crush with their feet all those that have
been left. In taking part of their eggs away,
therefore, the negroes never touch any of them
with their hands, but always push them out of
the nest with a long stick.

Mr. Barrow, to whom we are indebted for a
most excellent description of the, southern parts
of Africa, informs us, that the eggs of the ostrich
are there considered as a great delicacy. There
are various methods of cooking them, but that
adopted by the Hottentots is accounted the best.
This is simply to bury them in hot ashes ; and
through a hole maae in the upper end, to stir
the contents round till they acquire the consist-
ence of an omelet : prepared in this manner, he
says, he often found them an excellent repast in
the courle of his long journeys over the svilds of
Africa. These eggs are easily preserved for a
great length of time, even at sea j and without

VOL. II. — NO. XVI. D

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Clitise of the ostrich.

any of that trouble of constantly turning them,
which is necessary with hen's-eggs : this is owing
entirely to the thickness and strength of their
shells. They are also so large, that one of them
is sufficient to serve two or three persons at a
meal.

Thunberg saw necklaces and ornaments for
the waist, that the Hottentots had made of the
shells of the eggs, by grinding bits of them into
the form of small rings : and Mr. Barrow says that
in the interior of them are frequently discovered
a number of small oval-shaped pebbles, of a pale
yellow colour, and about the size of a large pear.

The ostrich is chiefly valuable for its plumage;
and the Arabs have reduced the chase of it to at
sort of science. They hunt it on horseback ; and
begin their pursuit by a gentle gallop ; for were
they to use the least rashness, at first, the fleet-
ness of the game would immediately carry it out
of their sight, and in a very short time beyond
their reach. But when they proceed gradually,
it makes no particular effort to escape. It does
not go in a direct line, but runs first on one side
and then on the other; this its pursuers take ad-
vantage of, and by rushing directly onward save
much ground. In a few days, at most, the
strength of the bird is exhausted; and it then
either turns on the hunters in the fury of despair,
or hides its head and tamely submits to its fate.
Some authors relate that the natives frequently
conceal themselves in. the skin of one of these

THE OSTRICH. 2?

A singular spectacle.

birds, and by that means are able to approach
near enough to surprise them.

Ostriches are tamed with very little trouble;
and in their domestic state few animals may be
rendered more useful: for besides the valuable
feathers which they cast, and the eggs which
they lay; their skins are used by the Arabians as
a substitute for leather ; and they are even some-
times made to serve the purpose of horses.

Mr. Adanson informs us, that during his resi-
dence at a French factory on the south bank of
the river Niger, two ostriches, which had been
about two years in the factory, afforded him a
sight of a very extraordinary nature. These gi-
gantic birds, though young, were of nearly the
full size. " They were," says he, " so tame that
two little blacks mounted both together on the
back of the largest. No sooner did he feel their
weight, than he began to run as fast as possible,
and carried them several times round the village;
as it was impossibJe to stop him, otherwise than
by obstructing the passage. This sight pleased
me so much that I wished it to be repeated ; and,
to try their strength, directed a full-grown negro
to mount the smallest, and two others the largest.
(See the annexed Engraving). This burthen did
not seem at all disproportioned to their strength.
At first they went at a pretty sharp trot; but
when they became heated a little, they expanded
their wings, as though to catch the wind, and
moved with such fleetness that they scarcely
D 2

28 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Swiftness of the ostrich.

seemed to touch the ground. Most people have,
one time or other, seen a partridge run; and
consequently must know that no man is able to
keep up with it: and it is easy to imagine, that
if this bird had a longer step, its speed would be
considerably augmented. The ostrich moves
like the partridge, with this advantage; and I am
satisfied that those I am speaking of would have
distanced the fleetest race-horses that were ever
bred in England. It is true, they would not
hold out so long as a horse ; but they would un-
doubtedly be able to go over the space in lesg
time. I have frequently beheld this sight; which
is capable of giving one an idea of the prodigi-
ous strength of an ostrich, and of showing what
use it might be of, had we but the method of
breaking and managing it as we do a horse."

In a tame state, these birds may be frequently
seen playing and frisking about with the utmost
vivacity : and in the heat of the day they are parti-
cularly fond of strutting along the sunny side of
a house, fanning themselves with their expanded
wings, and seeming at every turn to admire and
be enamoured of their own shadows. In hot
climates, indeed, their wings are almost continu-
ally in a kind of vibrating or quivering motion,
as if designed to assuage the heat.

To persons acquainted with them they are
tractable and familiar, but are often fierce towards
strangers, frequently attempting to push them
down, by running furiously upon them ; and on

THE OSTRICH. 29

Fierceness towards strangers.

succeeding in this effort, they not only peck at
their fallen foe with their bills, but strike vio-
lently at him with their feet. The inner claw
being exceedingly strong, Dr. Shaw says he once
saw an unfortunate person who had his belly en-
tirely ripped open by one of these strokes.
While thus engaged, the ostriches make a fierce
hissing noise, and have their throats inflated and
mouths open. At other times they have a sort
of cackling voice, as in some of the gallinaceous
kinds : this they use when they have overcome
or routed an adversary. During the night they
utter a hideous cry, somewhat resembling the
distant roaring of a lion, or the hoarse tone of a
bear.

Of all the species of animals the ostrich is the
most voracious; he indiscriminately takes up
and swallows gravel, stones, glass, leather, or in
short, almost every thing that comes in his way;
and with this voracity his powers of digestion
are equal, that is, with all such things as are di-
gestible ; but glass, stone, iron, and other sub-
stances which will not soften, pass whole, and
are voided in the same forms that the animal
swallowed them. Dr. Shaw tells us that he saw
one at Oran which swallowed, without any ap-
parent inconvenience, several leaden bullets, as
they were thrown upon the floor, scorching hot
from the mould.

The vulgar idea, however, of the ostrich di-
gesting iron, is in a great measure confuted by

30 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Swallowing iudigcstrMc substances.

Barbot, in his Description of North Guinea,
wherein he relates that the ambassador who was
sent from Morocco to the States General of the
United Provinces in the year 1659, brought over
to Holland, among other varieties of those coun-
tries, as a present, an ostrich, which died in Am-
sterdam through swallowing nails, which the
people continually supplied him with, upon the
supposition that it could digest iron like bread.;
and as a proof of this being the cause of its
death, he states, that upon being opened, about
eighty nails were found entire in its stomach.
Ranby and Valisnieri in several which they dis-
sected, always found the stomachs overloaded
with a variety of substances, such as glass,
stones, iron, wood, &c. ; and in one of them they
found a piece of stone which weighed upward*
of a pound. From the whole of the accounts,
there appears some reason to conclude that in
swallowing these different articles, they are actu-
ated by the same necessity which obliges the
smaller birds to pick up gravel, namely, to keep
the coats of the stomach asunder ; or it may pos-
sibly arise from a craving appetite, which may
keep the animal perpetually uneasy, unless the
great capacity of its stomach be tilled up, and
therefore to acquire rest, nutritious substances
not being obtainable, it swallows whatever comes
in its way.

Some of the savage nations of Africa hunt
these birds for their flesh, of which they are *o

THE EMU. 31

Ostrich at Exeter 'Change.

fond, that particular tribes have acquired the
name of Struthophagi, or ostrich-eaters. Even
the Romans appear to have considered it as a
dainty, for Apicius has left a receipt for making
a particular sauce for the ostrich; and it is re-
corded of Heliogabalus that he had the brains of
six hundred of these animals, at a feast, served
up in one dish.

A remarkably fine ostrich brought from Goree,
in the Alexander, by Captain Gore, has been re-
cently added to the collection of animals in Ex-
eter 'Change. It feeds principally upon bread
and cabbages, and is so perfectly tame that even,
strangers may handle it without the least danger.

THE EMU.

THIS bird is a native of the New Continent,
and is inferior in size to none but the ostrich, to
which indeed all travellers have been more desi-
rous of approximating its affinities than in point-
ing out its peculiarities. It principally inhabits
the banks of the Oroonoko, Guiana, the inland
provinces of Brasil and Chili, and the immense
forests contiguous to the mouth of the river
Plata. They were formerly in many other parts
of South America, but as population increased,
and the inhabitants multiplied, these timid ani-
mals, at least such as could escape the destruc-

32 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description.

tive power 'bf men, fled from the vicinity of their
habitations.

The emu is generally six feet high, measuring
from the head to the feet. The legs are three
feet long, and the thighs are nearly as thick as
those of a man. The toes differ from those of
the ostrich, and the bird has three upon each
foot, whereas the ostrich has but one. This bird
has a long neck, small head, and the bill flatted,
like that of the ostrich ; but in all other respects
it bears a nearer resemblance to the cassowary.
The form of the body is an oval, but it appears
perfectly round : its wings are remarkably short,
and it has not any tail. The back and rump are
covered with long feathers, which fall backward,
and cover the vent : these feathers are grey upon
the back, and white upon the belly. It is very
swift in its motions, and seems assisted in its
pace by a kind of tubercle behind, like a heel,
upon which, on plain ground, it treads very se-
curely : in its course it uses a peculiar kind of
action, lifting up one wing, which it keeps ele-
vated for a time, and then letting that drop, it
lifts up the other. What particular advantage it
derives in thus keeping only one wing elevated is
not easy to discover ; whether it serves the pur-
pose of a sail to catch the wind, or as a rudder
to guide its course, in order to avoid the arrows
of the Indians, yet remains to be .ascertained ;
however this may be, the einu runs with such

THE EMU. 33

Mode of hatching the young.

Swiftness, that the fleetest dogs are often thrown
out in the pursuit. It is related of one of them,
that finding itself surrounded by the hunters, it
darted among the dogs with such fury that they
made way to avoid its rage; and that by its
amazing speed it afterwards escaped in safety to
the mountains.

This bird being but little known, travellers
have indulged their imaginations in describing

<— ' o O

some of its actions. " This animal," says Nie-
remberg, " is very peculiar in the hatching of
its young. The male compels several of the fe-
males to lay their eggs in one riest ; he then,
when they have done laying, drives them away,
and places himself upon the eggs : taking the
precaution, however, of rolling two of the num-
ber to some little distance. When the young
ones come forth, these two eggs of course are
addled ; which he having foreseen, breaks one,
and then the other; these attract multitudes of
flies, beetles, Sec. which supply the young brood
with a sufficiency of provisions, until they are
able to shift for themselves."

Wafer, on the other hand asserts, that he has
seen great quantities of these animals' eggs bu-
ried in the sand on the desert shores, to the
northward of the river La Plata, in order to be
hatched by the heat of the climate. But both
these accounts may be doubted ; and it is more
probable that it was the crocodile's eggs which
Wafer saw, and which are assuredly left in th»
ui. — NO. xvi. E

34 NATURALISTS CABINET.

Emus at Exeter 'Change.

sand, and are rendered productive by the heat of
the sun alone.

Tliis latter author further adds, that when the
young ones are hatched, they are so familiar that
they will follow the first person they meet. " I
have been followed myself," says he, " by many
of these young ostriches ; which, at first, are ex-r
tremely, harmless and simple ; but as they grow
older, they become more cunning and distrustr
fill, and run so swift that a greyhound can
scarcely overtake them." Their flesh, in gene-
ral, is good to be eaten, especially if they be
young, and it would be no difficult matter to
rear up flocks of them tame, particularly as they
are naturally so familiar; and they might be
found to answer domestic purposes, like the hen,
or the turkey.

Several of these birds are now (1806) in the
menagerie at Exeter 'Change. They subsist
principally on bread, cabbages, &c. and are tole-
rably tame. On my last visit the keeper showed
me an egg recently laid by one of the females™
It is rather smaller than that of the ostrich, and
of a beautiful deep green, diversified with minute
specks of white.

THE CASSOWARY.

THE conformation of this bird gives it an ai*
of strength and force, which the fierceness and

THE CASSOWARY.

Description.

singularity of its countenance conspire to render
formidable. M. de BufFon says, that the one
mentioned by the gentlemen of the French Aca~
demy five feet and a half in length, from the
point of the bill to the extremity of the claws,
and about three feet from the breast to the end
of the rump; for it has no tail. The head and
neck measured from eighteen inches to two feet;
the legs were two feet and a half high, from the
belly to the end of the claws; they were exceed-
ingly gross, ami covered with a yellowish rind ;
the feet were thick, knobbed, and without spurs;
instead of which were placed on the fore-part
ihree long horny claws : the largest toe, includ-
ing the claw, was five inches long, and the claw
alone of the least toe, three inches and a half in
length. Their wings are very small, and so much
concealed under the feathers of the back, as to
be scarcely perceivable. In other birds, a part
of the feathers serve for flight, and are different
from those that serve for merely covering ; but
in the cassowary all the feathers are of the same
kind, and outwardly of the same colour, a dark
red mixed with black. They are generally dou-
ble, with two long shafts, growing out of a short
one, which is fixed in the skin. Those that are
double, are always of an unequal length ; for
some are fourteen inches long, particularly on
the rump, while those on the breast, back, and
thighs, are not above three. The beards that
adorn the stem or shaft, are from about half way
£ 2

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description, &c.

to the end, very long, and as thick as a horse
hair, without being subdivided into fibres. The
stem or shaft is flat, shining, black, and knotted
below; and from each knot there proceeds a
beard, which, as well as those at the end of the
large feathers, are perfectly black ; towards the
roots they are of a grey tawny colour; short,
soft, and throwing out fine fibres, like down; so
that nothing appears except the ends, which are
hard and black, the other part, composed of
down, being quite covered. On the head and
neck the feathers, are so short, and thinly sown,
that the skin appears naked, except towards the
hinder part of the head, where they are a little -
longer : those which adorn the rump, are very
thick, but do not differ, in other respects, from
the rest, excepting their being longer. The
wings, when deprived of their feathers, are
but three inches long ; and the feathers resemble
those on the other parts of the body. The ends
of the wings are armed with five prickles, of dif-
ferent lengths and thickness, which bend like a
bow : these are hollow from the roots to the ex-
tremities, having only that slight substance within
which is common to all quills. The longest of
these prickles is eleven inches, and a quarter of
an inch in diameter at the root, being thicker
there than towards the extremity, and is so blunt
at the end that the point seems broken pff.

This animal, however, is distinguished chiefly
by the head, which, though small, like that of

THE CASSOWAfct. 37

Description.

the ostrich, does not fail to inspire a degree of
terror. It is in a manner armed with a helmet
of horny substance, black before and yellow be-
hind. Its substance is very hard, being formed
of the elevation of the bone of the skull, and con-
sisting of several plates, one over another, like the
horn of an ox. It has been supposed by some
authors that this was shed every year with the
feathers; but the most probable opinion is, that
it only exfoliates slowly like the beak. To the
peculiarity of this natural armour may be added
the colour of the eye, which is a bright yellow,
and the globe being above an inch and a half in
diameter, gives it an air equally fierce and extra-
ordinary. At the bottom of the upper eye-lids
is a row of small hairs, and over them another
row of black hairs, which have much the appear-
ance of eye-brows. The holes of the ears are
very large and open. The sides of the head are
of a dark blue, except the middle of the lower
eye-lid, which is white. The neck is of a violet
colour, inclining to that of slate ; with a tincture
of red behind in several places, but chiefly in the
; middle. About the middle of the neck before,
are two processes formed by the skin, which
somewhat resemble the gills of a cock, but that
they are blue as well as red. The skin which
covers the fore-part of the breast, on which this
bird leans and rests, is hard, callous, and without
feathers. The thighs and legs are extremely
thick, strong and covered with a kind of scales;

.18 N ATI' tt A LIST'S CABINET.

: 1

Description — Habits.

but the legs arc thicker a little above the toot
than In any other place. The toes are likewise
covered with scales, and are but three in num-
ber, all of which are in the front ; they are seve-
rally armed with claws of a hard and solid sub-
Stance, black without and white within.

It has been remarked by a celebrated author,
that the cassowary has the head of a warrior, the
eye of a lion, the defence of a porcupine, and
the swiftness of a courser; and yet though thus
formed for a life of hostility, and for its own de-
fence, and from which it might be suspected of
being one of the most fierce and terrible animals
of the creation, nothing is so opposite to its na-
tural character; it seems to be solicitous after
peace, and never gives disturbance to any ; even
when attacked, instead of employing its bill,
though so well calculated for defence, it rather
makes use of its legs and feet ; kicking like a
a horse, or running against its pursuer, beating
him down to the ground, and then endeavouring
to escape. The method of its running has a
strange appearance, for it does not go directly
forward, but kicks up behind with one leg, and
then making a bound onward with the other,
proceeds with such prodigious velocity, that the
swiftest racer would prove unequal to the pursuit.

The cassowary is equally as voracious as the
ostrich, and swallows every thing that comes
within the capacity of its gullet. The Dutch
travellers assert that it can devour not only glass.

THE -CASSOWARY. Sf)

Singular antipathies.

iron, and stones, but even burning coals, without
testifying the smallest fear, or feeling the least
injury. It is said that the passage of the food
through its gullet is performed so speedily, that
even eggs, which it may have swallowed, will
pass through unbroken, and in the same form,
they went down. Its eggs, which are not so.
Jarge nor so round as those of the ostrich, are of
a greyish ash-colour, marked with a number of
little tubercles of a deep green; the shell is not
very thick, .and the largest measure fifteen inches
round one way, and about twelve the other.

This bird is a native of the hottest parts of the
East Indies, and its favourite climate seems lo
begin where that of the ostrich terminates; for
the letter has never been found beyond the
Ganges ; while the cassowary is never seen nearer
than the islands of Banda, Sumatra, Java, the
Molucca Islands, and the corresponding parts of
the continents.

Two of these animals, a male and female are
now (1806) among Mr. Pidcock's collection of
animals at Exeter 'Change. They are remark-
ably tame, and subsist, as the keeper informs me,
principally upon bread.

40 NATCRALIST'S CABINET.

Observations.

CHAP. III.

" The savage condor there pursues his prey
And itains the rocks with blood."

THOMAS,

THE COXDOR.

IF size and strength combined with rapidity of
flight and rapacity were deserving of pre-emi-
nence, no bird could stand in competition with
the condor; as it possesses in a higher degree
than the eagle all the qualities that render it for-
midable not only to the smaller species of birds,
but to quadrupeds, and even to man himself.

The wings of this animal extend to the dimen-
sions of eighteen feet ; the body, bill, and talons
are proportionably large and strong ; the throat
js naked, and of a red colour. ,The upper parts
in some individuals, are variegated with black,
grey, and white ; and the belly is in general, of ^
fine scarlet. The head of a condor that was shot
at Port Desire, off Penguin Island, nearly resem-
bled that of an eagle ; except that it was adorne4
a large comb. The neck was encircled with
I

THE CONbOtt. 41

Description — Prodigious strength.

a white ruff, somewhat like a lady's tippet. The
feathers on the back were as black as jet, and
perfectly bright ; the legs were remarkably strong
and large; the talons like those of an eagle; and
the wings, when extended, measured twelve feet
from point to point. Two specimens, supposed
to be a male and female, were deposited a few
years since in the Leverian Museum; on the
breast they had a kind of pendulous pear-shaped
Substance. The male measured ten feet from tip
to tip of the wings.

From the following account given by Father
Feuillee, we may form some idea of this animal's
prodigious strength. " The condor," says he,
" is a bird of prey that inhabits the valley of Ylo
in Peru. I discovered one that was perched
upon a great rock : I approached it within mus-
ket-shot and fired; but, as my piece was only
loaded with swan-shot, the lead could not do
much more than pierce its feathers. I perceived,
however, from its motions, that it was wounded:
for it rose heavily, and could with difficulty reach
another great rock, five hundred paces distant,
upon the sea-shore. I therefore charged my
piece with a bullet, and hit the bird under the
throat. I then saw that I had succeeded, and
ran to secure the victim: but it struggled obsti-
nately with death; and, resting upon its back,
repelled my attempts with its extended talons.
I was at a loss on what si/de to lay hold of it ;

VOL. II. — JNO. XVI. f

42 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Surprising strength, size, &c.

and I believe that if it had not been mortally
wounded, I should have found great difficulty in
securing it. At Jast I dragged it down from the
top of the rock; and, with the assistance of a
sailor, carried it away to my teat.

" The wings of this bird, which I measured
Very exactly, were twelve feet three inches (Eng-
lish) from tip to tip. The great feathers, that
were of a beautiful shining black, were two feet
four inches long. The thickness of the beak
was proportionable to the rest of the body ; the
length about four inches; the point hooked
downwards, ajid white at the extremity ; and the
other part was of a jet black. A short down, of
a brown colour, covered the head ; the eyes were
black, and surrounded with a circle of reddish
blown. The feathers on the breast, neck, and
wings, were of a light brown : those on the back
rather darker. Its thighs were covered with
brown feathers to the knee. The thigh bone
was ten inches long, the leg five inches, the toes
were three before and one behind ; that behind
w as an inch and an half, and the claw with which
it was armed, was black, and three quarters of
an inch. The other claws were in the same pro-
portion ; and the leg was covered with black
scales, as also the toes; but in these the scale*
were larger.

" These birds usually keep in the mountain^
where they find their prey; they never descend

THE CON1KKR. 43

Habits — Depredations.

to the sea-shore but in the rainy season, for as
they are very sensible of cold, they go there for
greater warmth. Though these mountains are
situated in the torrid zone, the cold is often very
severe ; for a great part of the year they are co-
vered with snow, but particularly in winter.

" The h'ttTe nourishment which these birds
find on the sea-coast, except when a tempest
drives in some great fish, obliges the condors tx»
continue there but a short time. They usually
come to the coast at the approach, of everting,
stay there all night, and fly back in the mom-
ing."

It has been asserted by some writers, that thff
condor is twice as large as the eagle, and so*
strong that it can pounce and carry off a sheep;
that it devours even stags, and easily overthrows
a man. Others relate, that its bealcis sufficiently
firm to pierce a cow's hide, and that two of them
are able to kill that animal and devour the
carcase.

Ulloa, in his voyage to South America, relates/,
that he once saw a condor seize and fly away
with a lamb. " Observing," says he, f< on a hill
adjoining to that where I stood, a flock of sheep
in great confusion, I saw one of these birds flying
upwards from among them with a lamb betwixt
its claws ; and when at some height, it dropped.
it. The bird immediately followed, took it up
and let it fall a second time; when it flew out of
F 2

44 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Carrying off lambs.

sight, on account of the Indians, who, at the
cries of the boys and the barking of the dogs,
were running towards the place."

This circumstance of the condor seizing and
carrying off lambs is also attested by Frezier, in
a Voyage to the South Seas. " We one day,"
says this writer, " killed a bird of prey called
the condor; which was nine feet from the end
of one wing to the end of the other, and had a
brown comb or crest, but not jagged like that of
a cock. The fore-part of its throat was red,
without feathers like a turkey. These birds are
generally large and strong enough to take up a
lamb. In order to separate one of these animals
from the flock, they form themselves into a cir-
cle, and advance towards them with their wings-
extended, that, by being driven too close toge-
ther, the full-horned rams may not be able to de-
fend their young. They then pick out the lambs,
and carry them off."

The female condor makes her nest among the
highest and most inaccessible rocks ; where she
lays two white eggs, somewhat bigger than those
of the turkey.

In their native country of South America these
enormous animals seem to supply the place of
wolves; and are as much feared by the inhabi-
tants as wolves are in other climates. In conse-
quence of this, many modes of destroying -them
have been adopted. Sometimes a person, cover-

THE VULTURE. 45

Modes of taking the condor.

ing himself with the hide of a newly skinned ani-
mal, goes out, and so manages it, that the condor
will frequently attempt to attack him in this dis-
guise : other persons that have hidden them-
selves then come forward to his assistance ; and,
all at once falling on the bird, overpower and
kill it. A dead carcase is also sometimes put
within a very high inclosure ; and when the con-
dor has satiated himself, and is umible to rise
freely, persons are in readiness to subdue him.
Sometimes also they are caught by means of
traps and springs.

THE VULTURE.

THE vulture is commonly found in many of
the wanner parts both of Europe, Asia, and Ame-
rica ; but is totally unknown in England. Its
length is about four feet and a half, and its
weight, in general, betwixt four and tive pounds.
The head is small, and covered with a red skin,
beset only with a few black bristles, which gives
it a distant resemblance to a turkey. The co-
lour of the plumage is dusky, mixed with purple
and green. The legs are of a dirty flesh-colour,
and the claws black.

The bodies of these birds are extremely offen-
sive to the smell; and they perch at nights on
rocks or trees, with their wings' partly extended,
apparently to purify themselves. They soar to a

40 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Favonrite food — Habits, &c.

pfodigions height, and have in the air the sailing
motions of the kite. Carrion and filth of almost
every description, seem to constitute their favour-
ite food ; and from the acuteness of their scent,
they can distinguish prey at an immense distance.
When a dead body of any size is thrown out,
they may be observed coming from all quarters,
each wheeling about in gradual descent till he
reaches the ground.

In Carthagena, these birds may be seen sitting
on the roofs of the houses, or even stalking along
the streets : and they are even of great service
to the inhabitants; devouring that filth which
would otherwise, by its intolerable effluvium,
render the climate still more unwholesome than
it is. In some countries they are rendered even
of still greater importance to the inhabitants, by
destroying the eggs of the alligator, and thereby
checking the increase of that destructive animal.
They watch the female in the act of depositing
her eggs in the sand, and on her retiring into the
•water, they pour down upon the place, dig up
the eggs, and greedily devour their contents.
When they find no food in the cities, they seek
for it among the cattle of the adjoining pastures,
If any animal be unfortunate enough to have a
sore on its back, they instantly alight on it, and
attack the part affected. The poor victim may
in vain attempt to free itself from the gripe of
their talons : even rolling on the ground is of no

THE VULTURE. 47

A curious disappointment.

effect, for the vultures never relinquish their hold
till they have completed its destruction.

The resemblance of these birds, at a distance,
to the turkey, was the cause of considerable vex>-
•ation to one of the officers engaged in the expe-
dition round the world, under W codes Rogers.
In the island of Lobos, immense numbers of
them were seen, and, highly delighted with the
prospect of such delicious fare after a tedious
voyage, the officer would not wait even till the
boat could put him ashore, but, with his gun ia
his hand, leaped overboard and swam to land.
Coming near to a large collection of the birds,
he fired among them, and killed several : but
when he came to seize his game, he was sadly
disappointed in finding that they were not tur-
kies, and their stench was almost insupportable.

Kolben mentions these birds, or a variety of
the same species, as frequenting many parts in
the vicinity of the Cape of Good Hope. " I
have often," says this author, " been a spectator
of the manner in which they have anatomized a
dead body : I say anatomized, for no artist in the
world could have done it more cleanly. They
have a wonderful method of separating the flesh
from the bones, and yet leaving the skin quite
entire. Upon coining near the carcase, no one
would suppose it thus deprived of its internal
substance, till he began to examine it more
closely ; he then finds it, literally speaking, no-»

48 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Mode of anatomizing the prey.

thins: but skin and bone. Their manner of per-
forming the operation is this: they first make an
opening in the belly of the animal, from whence
they pluck out and greedily devour the entrails;
then entering into the hollew which they have
made, they separate the flesh from the bones,
without ever touching the skin. It often hap-
pens that an ox returning home alone to its stall
from the plough, lies down by the way ; it is then,
if the vultures perceive it, thai, they fall with fury
down, and inevitably devour the unfortunate ani-
mal. They sometimes attempt the herds grazing
in the fields; and then, to the number of a hun-
dred, or more, make their attack all together."

Some authors have been inclined to suppose,
that the vulture never destroys, or feeds upon any
thing that has life ; but no conclusion can possi-
bly be more unfounded ; for they are mortal ene-
mies to almost all kind of poultry, hares, and
young kids.

Catesby remarks, that they are attracted by
carrion from a very great distance. " It is plea-
sant," says he, " to behold them, when they are
eating, and disputing for their prey. An eagle
generally presides at these entertainments, and
makes them all keep their distance till he has
done. They then fall too with an excellent ap-
petite; and their sense of smelling is so exquisite,
that the instant a carcase drops, the vultures mnv
be seen floating in the air from all quarters, ami
coine pouncing on their prey." When they can

THE VUlTUttU. 49

'. , '

Rapacity — Insupportable oduur of the flesh.

come at lambs, they show no mercy; and ser-
pents are their ordinary food. Albertus says,
they wound their prey with only two of their
talons, and carry it off with the others. They
are not by any means apprehensive of danger,
but will suffer themselves to be approached very
fcear, particularly when they are eating) without
discovering tke smallest signs of fear.

The filth, idleness, and voraciousness of these
birds, almost exceed credibility. In the Brasils,
where they are found in great abundance, when
they light upon a carcase, which they have
liberty to tear at their ease, they continue to feed^
till they are unable to fly, and if pursued, can
only attempt their escape by hopping along; but
when hard pressed, they get rid of their burthen;
by returning what they have eaten, and then fly
off with as much speed as possible ; though at all
times they are rather slow of flight.

The flesh of these animals is inconceivably
etringy and nauseous ; yet there have been in-
stances of men, when pressed with hunger, en-
deavouring to eat it. It is in vain that, when
killed, the rump has been cut off; in vain the body
has been washed, and spices used to overpower
its prevailing odour; it still smells and tastes of
the carrion by which it was nourished, and sends
forth a most insupportable stench. These birds,
ms far as we have been able to discover, usually
lay two eggs at a time, and produce but once a
year. They make their nests in inaccessible

YOL. in. — NO. xvii. G

'50 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Manners, &c.

cliffs, and in places so remote that they an
clom met with. Those which are found in I Eu-
rope, chiefly reside in the places where they
breed, and seldom come down into the plains,
except when the snow and ice, in their native re-
treats, has banished all living animals but them-
selves: then they quit their heights, and brave
the perils they must encounter in more cultivated
regions.

THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 61

Description.

CHAP. IV.

" High from the summit of a craggy cliff,
Hung o'er the deep, — such as amazing frowns
On utmost Kilda's shore, whose lonely race
Resign the setting sun to Indian worlds, —
The royal eagle draws his vig'rous young,
Strong-pounc'd, and ardent with paternal.fire ;
Now, fit to raise a kingdom of their own,
He drives them from his fort, the towering seat,
JOT ages, of his empire."

THOMSON.

THE GOLDEN EAGLE.

THE golden eagle is a very large species, some-
times measuring three feet from the bill to the
insertion of the tail; and the wings, when ex-
tended, are more than seven feet from point to
point. The bill is very strong, hooked, and of a
deep blue; the head and neck are of a dark
brown, bordered with tawny: the hind-part of
the head is of a bright rust colour, and the rest
t f the body brown. The tail is barred with ash-
G S

53 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Similarity between the eagle and the lion.

colour. The legs are yellow, and feathered to.
the toes, which are scaly : the claws are remark-
ably large, the middle one being nearly two
inches in length.

This eagle has been considered to bear the
same dominion over birds, which has been,
almost universally, attributed to the lion over
quadrupeds. Buffon is also of opinion that they
Jjave many points of resemblance, both physical
and moral. " Magnanimity," says he, " is
equally conspicuous in bpth ; they despise the
small animals, and disregard their insults. It is
only after a series of provocations, after being
teased with the noisy or harsh notes of the raven
or magpie, that the eagle determines to punish
their temerity or their insolence with death.
Both disdain the possession of that property
which is not the fruit of their own industry ; re-,
jecting with contempt the prey which is not pro-
cured by their own exertions. Both are remark-
able for their temperance. This species seldom,
devours the whole of his game, but, like the lion,
leaves the fragments and offals to the other ani-
mals. Though famished for want of prey, he
disdains to feed upon carrion.

'« Like the lion also he is solitary, the inhabi-
tant of a desert, over which he reigns supreme,
excluding all the other birds from his silent do-
main. It is more uncommon, perhaps, to se»
two pair of eagles in the same tract of mountain.

THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 53

Mode of flying.

than two families of lions in the same part of the
forest. - They separate from each other at such
wide intervals,, as to afford ample range for sub-
sistence; and esteem the value and extent of
their dominion to consist in the abundance of
the prey with which it is replenished.

" The eyes of the eagle have the glare of those
of the lion, and are nearly of the same co-
lour; the claws are of the same shape; and the
cry equally terrible. Destined, both of them, for
war and plunder, they are equally fierce, equally
bold and untractable. It is impossible to tame
them, unless they be caught when in their infan-
cy.— It requires much patience and art to train a
young eagle to the chase ; and after he has at-
tained to age and strength, his caprices and mo-
mentary impulses of passion are sufficient to
create suspicions and fears in his master. Authors
inform us that the eagle was anciently used in.
the East for falconry ; but this practice is now
laid aside : he is too heavy to be carried on the
hand without great fatigue ; nor is he ever
brought to be so gentle as to remove all suspici-
ons of danger. His bill and claws are crooked
and formidable : his figure corresponds with his
instinct; his body is robust; his legs and wings
strong; his flesh hard; his bones firm; his fea-
thers stiff; his attitude bold and erect ; his move-
ments quick ; his flight rapid. He rises higher
in the air than any other of the winged race ;
hence he was termed by the ancients the

54 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Depredations— Instance of revenge.

celestial bird, and was regarded in their mytho-
logy as the messenger of Jupiter. He can dis-
tinguish objects at an immense distance ; but his
power of smell is inferior to that of the vulture.
By means of his exquisite sight he pursues his
prey; and, when he has seized it, he checks his
flight, and places it upon the ground, to examine
its weight before he carries it off. Though his
wings are vigorous, yet, his legs being stiff, it i*
with difficulty he can rise, especially if he be
loaded. He is able, however, to bear away
geese and cranes; and also carries off hares,
young lambs, and kids. When he attacks fawns
or calves, he instantly gluts himself with their
blood and flesh, and afterwards transports their
mangled carcases to his nest, or aerie!'

Formed by nature for a life of rapine and hos-
tility, these birds are solitary and unsociable.
They are also fierce, but not implacable; and
though not easily tamed, are certainly capable of
great docility, and in some cases, evince an at-
tachment to those by whom they are kindly
treated. This, however, happens but rarely; as
the keeper is too often savage and unrelenting;
and sometimes brings on himself a severe revenge,
A gentleman who resided in the south of Scot-
land had, some years ago, a tame eagle^ which
the keeper one day injudiciously lashed with a
horsewhip. About a week afterwards, the man
chanced to stoop within reach of its chain; when
the enraged animal, recollecting the late insult,

THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 55

Eagles' nests.

flew in his face with so much violence, that he
was terribly wounded, but was fortunately driven
so far back by the blow as to be out of all further
danger. The screams of the eagle alarmed the
family: who found the poor man lying at some
distance, equally stunned with the fright and the
fall. The animal was still pacing and screaming
in the most terrible rage; and just as the party
withdrew he broke his chain, by the violence of
his exertions, and escaped for ever.

The golden eagle builds its nest in elevated
rocks, dilapidated castles and towers, and other
solitary places. Its form resembles that of a
floor: its basis consisting of sticks about five or
six feet in length, which are supported at each
end, and covered with several layers of rushes
and heath. It is generally placed in a dry and
inaccessible situation ; and the same nest is said
to serve during the life of the architect.

An eagle's nest, found in the Peak of Derby-
shire, has been thus described : " It was made of
great sticks, resting one end on the edge of a.
rock, the other on a birch tree. Upon these was
a layer of rushes, and over them a layer of heath,
and on the heath rushes again ; upon which lay
one young, and an addle egg; and by them a
lamb, a hare, and three heath pouts. The nest
was about two yards square, and had no hollow
in it."

The females generally lay two or three eggs,
are hatched in thirty days. They feed

56 . NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Robbing the uests.

their young with the slain carcases of such small
animals as come iu their way; and, though they
are at all times formidable and ferocious, they
are particularly so while nurturing their progeny.

It is said that an Irish peasant in the county
of Kerry, once got a comfortable subsistence for
his family, during a summer of great scarcity >
out of an eagle's nest, by robbing the eaglets of
their food, which was plentifully furnished by the
parents He protracted their assiduity beyond
the usual time, by clipping the wings, and thus
retarding the flight of the young ; and tying
them so as to increase their cries, which is always
found to increase the dispatch of the parents in
supplying their wants. It was a fortunate cir-
cumstance, however, that the old ones did not
detect their plunderer, as their resentment might,
in all probability, have proved fatal. For a
countryman, not many years ago, resolved to
rob an eagle's nest, which he knew to be built in
a small island in the beautiful lake of Killarney.
Accordingly he stripped himself for this purpose,
and swam over when the old birds were gone;
but, in his return, while yet up to the chin in
water, the parents coming home, and missing
their offspring, quickly fell on the plunderer,
and, in spite of all his resistance, dispatched him
•with their formidable beaks and talons.

Several instances have been recorded, of chil-
dren being seized and carried off by these ra-
pacious animals. Pontoppidau relates, that la

a

THE GOLDEN EAGLE. 57

Children carried off by eagles.

the year 1737, in the parish of Norderhougs, in
Norway, a boy somewhat more than two years
old, was running from the house to his parents,
who were at work in the fields at no great dis-
tance, when an eagle pounced upon, and flew off
with him in their sight. It was with grief and
anguish that they beheld their child' dragged
away, but all their screams and efforts to prevent
it were in vain. Anderson also asserts, that in
Iceland "children of four or five years of age have
been sometimes taken away by eagles ; and Ray
relates, that in one of the Orkneys, a child of
twelve months old was seized in the talons of an
eagle, and carried above four miles to its nest.
The mother, however, knowing the place, pur-
sued the bird, found her child in the nest, and
took it away unhurt: a circumstance which pro-
bably gave rise to one of Hayley's most beautiful
ballads.

The following story is related by a gentleman
of unquestionable veracity. While upon his tra-
vels in France he was invited by an officer of
distinction to pass a few days at his country-seat
near Mende; while there the table was every
clay plentifully supplied with wild fowl, but he
was not a little surprised to observe that not one
was s«rved up which had not undergone some
mutilation ; some wanting wings, and others legs
or heads. This being so invariably the case, he
was at length induced to enquire into the cause;
when his host replied it was solely to be attri-

VOL. III. — NO. XVII. H

NATURALISTS CABINET.

Robbing the nests.

butecl to the voracious appetite of his caterer,
and who could not be prevented from first tast-
ing what he had prepared. This, instead of
allaying, rather excited his curiosity, which the
officer observing, he satisfied by explaining him-
self in this manner: "These mountainous parts
of the kingdom are much frequented by eagles,
who build their nests in the cavities of the neigh-
bouring rocks; these are sought after by the
shepherds, who, having discovered one, erect
a little hut at the foot of the rock, to screen
themselves from these dangerous birds, which
are particularly furious when they have young
ones to supply with provisions ; in this employ
the male is sedulously engaged for the space of
three months and the female continues it until
the young bird is capable of quitting the nest:
when that period arrives they force him to spring
up in the air, where they support him with their
wings and talons, whenever he is in danger of
falling. While the young eagle continues in the
nest, the parents ravage all the neighbouring
country, and seize every kind of poultry, phea-
sants, partridges, hares, or kids, which come in
their way, and all of which they bear to their
young.

tc The shepherds being thus properly situated
watch the approach of the parent birds with their
food, who merely stay to deposit their cargo, and
the moment they have left the nest the shepherds
mount the rocks and take away what the eagle?
6

THE BEARDED EAGLE. 59

Powers of abstinence.

Irave conveyed thither, leaving the entrails of
some animal in its stead; but as this cannot be
done so expeditiously as to prevent the young
eagles from devouring part of their food, the
shepherds are under the necessity of bringing
our supply somewhat mutilated."

The golden eagle is remarkable for its longe-
vity, and its power of sustaining abstinence from
food for a surprising length of time. One that
died at Vienna had been in confinement above a
century ; and one that was in the possession of
a gentleman of Conway, in Caernarvonshire,
was, from the neglect of his servants, kept for
three weeks without any food. M. de Bufibn
was also assured, by a person of veracity, that
one of them, being caught in a fox-trap, existed
iive weeks without any aliment. It showed no
appearance of languor till the last eight days,
and was at length killed, in order to put a period
to its sufferings.

THE BEARDED EAGLE.

THE bearded eagle, of which so many ro-
mantic tales have been related, inhabits the high-
est parts of die great chain of the Alps, that se-
parates Switzerland from Italy ; where they are
frequently seen of immense size. One that was
caught in the Canton of Glaurus, is said to have
measured nearly seven feet from the tip of the
H 2

60 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description, food, &c.

beak to the extremity of its tail, and eight feet
and a half from tip to tip of its wings ; but some
have been shot that were much larger. The
beak is of a purplish flesh colour, hooked at the
point ; the head and neck are covered with fea-
thers; beneath the throat hangs a kind of beard,
composed of very narrow feathers, like hairs.
The body is of a blackish brown above; and the
tinder parts white, with a tinge of brown. The
legs are feathered quite to the toes, and the claws
are strong and black.

These birds form their nests in the clefts of
rocks, inaccessible to man; and generally pro-
duce three or four young ones at a time. They
subsist for the most part on Alpine animals : such
as the chamois, white hares, kids, marmots, and
particularly lambs; from which last circumstance
they are called by the Swiss peasants lammer-
geyer, or lamb-vultures. They seldom appear
but in small parties, usually consisting of the two
old birds and their young.

These rapacious animals, like the former spe-
cies, do not always confine their assaults to the
brute creation, but sometimes attack and carry
off young children : and Gessner informs us, on
respectable authority, that some peasants be-
tween the cities of Miesen and Brisa, in Germany,
losing every day some of their cattle, which they
sought for in the forests in vain, observe^ by
chance a very large nest resting on three oak*,

THE BEARDED EAGLE. 6i

Eagle's nest — Mr. Bruce's description of the bearded eagle.

constructed with sticks and branches of trees,
and as wide as the body of a cart. They found
in this nest three young birds; already so large,
that their wings extended seven ells. Their legs
were as thick as those of a lion: and their nails,
the size of a man's fingers. In the nest were
found several skins of calves and sheep.

From one of the two varieties of this bird tbat
are sometimes seen in Persia and other Oriental
countries, it is probable that the fabulous stories
of the roc of the Arabian Tales originated. It
has-indeed been generally supposed that the con-
dor was alluded to in those fictions: but this
seems improbable, since that bird is confined to
the wild districts of South America, and has
never been ascertained to have visited the old
continent.

Mr. Bruce describes himself as having seen a
variety of the bearded eagle on the highest part
of the mountain of Lamalmon, near Gondar, the
capital of Abyssinia : where the inhabitants on
account of the tuft growing beneath its beak,
called it Abou Duch'n, or Father Long-beard.
He supposed it one of the largest birds in the
creation. From wing to wing it measured eight
feet four inches ; and from the tip of its tail to
the point of its beak, when dead, four feet seven
inches. It weighed twenty-two pounds, and was
\ery, full of flesh. Its legs were short, but the
thighs extremely muscular. Its eyes were remark-

NATURALISTS CABINET.

An unwelcome intruder.

ably small, the aperture being scarcely half an
inch. The crown of the head was bald, as was
also the front, where the bill and skull joined.

" This noble bird," says Mr. Bruce, " was not
an object of any chase or pursuit, nor stood in
need of any stratagem to bring him within our
reach. Upon the highest top of the mountain
Lamalmon, while my servants were refreshing
themselves from that toilsome rugged ascent,
and enjoying the pleasure of a most delightful '
climate, eating their dinner in the open air, with
several large dishes of boiled goat's flesh before
them, this enemy suddenly appeared: he did not
stoop rapidly from a height, but came flying
slowly along the ground, and sat down close to
the meat, within the ring the men had formed
round it, A great shout, or rather cry of dis-
tress, called me to the place. I saw the engle
stand for a minute, as if to recollect himself;
while the servants ran for their lances and shields.
I walked np as near to him as I had time to do.
His attention was fully fixed upon the flesh. I
saw him put his foot into the pan where there
was a large piece in water prepared for boiling;
but feeling the smart, which he had not expect-
ed, he withdrew it, and forsook the piece that
he held.

" There were two large pieces, a leg and a
shoulder, lying upon a wooden platter: into
tliese he thrust both his claws, and carried them
off; but he still seemed to look wistfully at the

THE BEARDED EAGLE. 03

Bearded eagle shot by Mr. Bruce.

large piece which remained in the warm water.
Away he went slowly along the ground, as he
had come. The face of the cliff over which cri-
minals are thrown, took him from our sight.
The Mahometans that drove the asses were much
alarmed, and assured me of his return. My ser-
'vants, on the other hand, very unwillingly ex-
pected him, and thought he had already taken
more than his share.

" As I had myself a desire of more intimate
acquaintance with him, I loaded a rifle-gun with
ball, and sat down close to. the platter by the
meat. It was not many minutes before he came,
and a shout was raised by my attendants, enough
to have dismayed a less courageous animal.
Whether he were not quite so hungry as at his
first visit, or suspected something from my ap-
pearance, I know not; but he made a small turn,
and sat down about ten yards from me, the pan
with the meat being between me and him. As
the field was clear before me, and I did not know
but his next move might bring him opposite to
some of rny people, so that he might actually
get the rest of the meat and make off, I shot him
with the ball through the middle of his body,
about two inches below the wing, so that he lay
down upon the grass without a single flutter.

" Upon laying hold of his monstrous carcase,
I was not a little surprised at seeing my hands
covered with yellow powder or dust. On turn-
ing him upon his belly, and examining the fea-

64 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Curious yellow dust, or powder, on the plumage.

liners of his back, they also produced a dust, <>!'
the colour of the feathers. This dust was not in
small quantities; for, upon striking the breast, it
flew in greater quantity than from a hair-dresser's
powder-puff. The feathers of the belly and
breast, which were of a gold colour, did not ap-
pear to have any thing extraordinary in their for-
mation ; but the large feathers in the shoulders
and wings seemed apparently to be fine tubes,
which, upon pressure, scattered this dust upon
the finer part of the feather ; but this was brown,
the colour of the feathers of the back. Upon
the side of the wing, the ribs, or hard part of the
feathers, seemed to be bare, as if worn : or, I ra-
ther think, were renewing themselves, having
before failed in their functions.

" What is the reason of this extraordinary
provision of nature, it is not in my power to de-
termine: but as it is an unusual one, it is proba-
bly meant for a defence against the climate, in
favour of the birds which live in those almost
inaccessible heights of a country doomed, even
in its lower parts, to several months excessive
rain."

The same day our author shot a heron ; which
differed in no respect from ours, except that it
was smaller, and had upon its breast and back a
blue powder.

THE SECRETARY FAtOOK. fi.f

Description.

THE SECRETARY FALCON.

THIS bird, in its external appearance, bears
some resemblance both to the eagle and the
crane; having the head of the former, and some-
what the form of body of the latter. When
standing erect, the distance from the top of the
head to the ground is full three feet. The bill
is black, sharp, and crooked, like that of an
eagle ; and round the eyes there is a place bare
of feathers, and of a deep orange colour. The
upper eye-lids are furnished with strong bristles,
like eye-lashes. The plumage is for the most
part of a bluish ash-colour; and the ends of the
wings, the thighs, and vent, incline to black.
The tail is somewhat ash-coloured, except at the
end, which for above an inch is black, and then
tipped with white: the two middle feathers are
twice as long as any of the rest. The legs are
iong, and stouter than those of a heron ; the
claws are crooked and of a black colour. From,
the back of the head spring several long dark-
coloured feathers, that hang loose behind, like a
pendent crest, which the bird can erect or de-
press at pleasure. Le Vaillant remarks, that the
Dutch gave it the name of secretary, on account
of the bunch of quills behind its head: for in.
Holland, clerks, when interrupted in their writ-
ing, stick their pen in their hair behind their
right ear; and to this the tuft of the bird was
VOL. in. — NO. xvii. i

NATURALISTS CABINET.

Mode of attacking and devouring serpents.

thought to bear some resemblance. The Hot-
tentots at the Cape of Good Hope distinguish
it by a name that signifies the serpent-enter;
and it would almost seem that nature had princi-
pally destined it for the purpose of confining
within due bounds the race of serpents, which io
very extensive ill all the countries that this bird
inhabits.

The mode in which the secretary falcon seizes
these reptiles is very singular. When it ap-
proaches them, it is always careful to carry the
point of one of its wings forward, in order to
parry off their venomous bites ; sometimes it
iinds an opportunity of spurning and treading
upon its antagonist, or else of taking him on its
pinions and throwing him into the air. When
by this proceeding it has at length wearied out
its adversary, and rendered him almost senseless,
it kills and then swallows him at leisure.

Le Vailtant informs us, that he once saw an
.engagement between a bird of this species and a
serpent- The battle was obstinate, and con-
ducted with equal address on both sides. But
,the serpent at length feeling the inferiority of his
strength, employed, in his attempt to regain his
hole, all that cunning which is attributed to the

* <j

tribe; while the bird, apparently guessing his

design, stopped him on a sudden and cut oil' his.

.retreat, by placing herself before him at a single

.leap. On whatever side the reptile endeavoured

tp escape, ULs enemy still appeared before him.

THE SECRETARY FALCON.

Engagement between a falcon and a serpent.

Then, uniting at once both bravery and cunning,
he erected himself boldly to intimidate the bird ;
and hissing dreadfully, displayed his menacing
throat, inflamed eyes, and a head swoln with
rage and venom. " Sometimes," says our au-
thor, " this threatening appearance produced a
momentary suspension of hostilities ; but the
bird soon returned to the charge, and covering
her body with one of her wings as a buckler,
struck her enemy with the bony protuberances of
the other. I saw him at last stagger and fall :
the conqueror then fell upon him, and with one
stroke of her beak laid open his skull."

At this instant Le Vaillant shot the bird : and
on dissecting her, he found in her craw eleven'
tolerably large lizards; three serpents, as long as
his arm ; eleven small tortoises, most of which
were about two inches in diameter; and a num-
ber of locusts and other insects, several of them
sufficiently whole to be worth preserving. He
also observed, that, in addition to this mass of
food, the craw contained a sort of ball, as large
as the egg of a goose, formed of the vertebrae of
serpents and lizards, shells of tortoises, and wings,
claws, and shields, of different kinds of beetles.
This indigestible mase, when become sufficiently
large, the secretary would probably have thrown
up, in the manner of other predaceous birds.

Dr. Solander asserts, that he has seen one of
these birds take up a small tortoise, a snake, or
<other reptile, in its claw, and dash it against the
I 3

68 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Tame secretaries.

ground with such violence, that the creature was
immediately killed ; if, however, this did not
happen to be the case, the operation was repeated
till the victim was dispatched, after which it was
eaten.

The female makes a flat nest with twigs, about
three feet in diameter, and lines it with wool and,
feathers. This is generally built in some high
tuft of trees, and is often so completely concealed,
as not to be discovered without considerable dif-
ficulty.

The secretary may be easily tamed; and when
domesticated, will eat any kind of food, either
dressed or raw. If well fed, it not only lives
with poultry on amicable terms, but if it see any
quarrel, will even run to part the combatants and
restore order. When pinched with hunger, it
will devour the ducklings and chickens: but this
is merely tbe effect of imperious want, and the
simple exercise of that necessity which rigorously
devotes one half of the living creation to satisfy
the appetite of the rest.

M. Le Vaillant informs us, that tame secreta-
ries are kept in several of the plantations at the
Cape. He says they commonly lay two or three
white eggs nearly as large as those of a goose.
The young remain a great while in the nest; be-
cause, from their legs being long and slender,
they cannot easily support themselves. Even at
the age of four months, they may be seen to walk
resting on the heel; which gives them a very

THE BTJZZAHD.

Observations of M. Buffon.

awkward appearance. But when they are seven
months old, and have attained their full growth
and size, they display much grace and case ia
their motions, which well accord with theif
stately figure. Thunberg observes, that they are
not to be reared without great difficulty, as they
are very apt to break their legs.

M. de Buffon, speaking of the shrewdness and
cunning of this bird, seems to have attributed to
it a greater degree of intelligence than it really
possesses: — " When a painter," says he, " was
employed in drawing one of the secretary fal-
cons, it approached him, looked attentively upon
his paper, stretched out its neck, and erected the
feathers of its head, as if admiring its own figure.
It often came with its wings raised, and its head
projected, to observe what he was doing." This
stretching out of its head and erection of its
crest, however, was, in all probability, merely oc-
casioned by that love which almost all tame
birds evince of having their heads scratched:
and these birds, in particular, when domes-
ticated, are known to approach every person
who comes near, and to stretch out their necks
by way of making known their desire.

THE BUZZARD.

THIS bird is about twenty inches in length,
and four feet and a half in breadth when tlie

VATURALISTS CABINET.

Description — Habits, &c.

\vingg are extended. He has a large head, and
flat crown, with a short hooked bill, of a lead
colour; the upper part of his body is of a dark-
ish dun; some of them have white spots in the
upper feathers of the wings, which, when spread,
have the appearance of a white line, somewhat
like what is seen upon the back and shoulders;
the extreme edges of the feathers are of a dirty
yellow, the belly of a yellowish white, with rusty
spots on the breast; a sort of bristles, or hair,
grows between the eyes and nostrils, and a large
down upon the middle of the back, which is co-
vered with the scapular feathers. The thighs
are large, fleshy, and feathered below the knees;
the legs and feet are yellow, and covered with
scales.

The buzzard is of a sedentary and indolent
disposition : it continues perched for several
hours upon a tree or eminence, whence it darts
upon such prey as comes within its reach. It
feeds on birds, small quadrupeds, reptiles, and
insects. Though possessed of strength, agi'Iitv,
and weapons to defend itself, it is so cowardly
and inactive, that it will fly from a sparrow-hawk ;
and, when overtaken, will suffer itself to be
beaten, and even brought to the ground, without
resistance. The female breeds in large woods,
and generally takes possession of an old crow's
nest, which she enlarges, and lines with wool
and various other soft materials. She com-
monly lays two or three egL,s, and when the

THE BUZZARD. 71

M. Fontaine's account of a tame buzzard.

young are hatched, she attends them with the
utmost assiduity.

The buzzard may be tamed with tolerable faci-
lity, and has sometimes been known to prove an
attached and faithful domestic; as will appear
from the following anecdote, related by M. Fon-
taine, and inserted in the Comte de Buffon's
Natural History: — " In 1763," says this gentle-
man, " a buzzard was brought to me that had
been taken in a snare. It was at first extremely
wild and unpromising. I undertook to tame it;
and I succeeded, by leaving it to fast, and coiv-
straining it to come and eat out of my hand.
By pursuing this plan, I brought it to be very
familiar : and, after having shut it up about six
weeks, I began to allow it a little liberty, taking
the precaution, however, to tie both pinions of
its wings. In this condition it walked out into
my garden, and returned when I called it to feed.
After some time, when 1 judged that I could
trust to its fidelity, I removed the ligatures; and
fastened a small bell, an inch and a half in dia-
meter, above its talon, and also attached on the
breast a bit of copper having my name engraved
on it. I then gave it entire liberty, which it
soon abused ; for it took wing, and flew as far as
the forest of Belesme. I gave, it up for lost: but
four hours after, I saw it rush into my hall, which
was open, pursued by five other buzzards, who
Jmd constrained it to seek again its asylum.

" After this adventure, it ever preserved its

72 NATtJftAlIST's CABINET.

Aversion to dogs and cats.

fidelity to me, coming every night to sleep on
my window ; it grew so familiar as to seem to>
take singular pleasure in my company. It at-
tended constantly at dinner; sat on a corner of
the table, and very often caressed me with it»
head and bill, emitting a weak sharp cry, which,
however, it sometimes softened. It is true that
I alone had this privilege. It one day followed
roe when I was on horseback, more than two
leagues, flying above my head.

" It had an aversion both to dogs and cats ; not
that it was in the least afraid of them ; but had
often tough battles with them, and always came
off victorious. I had four very strong cats,
Trhich I collected into my garden with my buz-
zard : I threw to them a bit of raw flesh; the
nimblest cat seized it ; the rest pursued ; but the
tird darted upon her body, bit her ears with
his bill, and squeezed her sides with his talons
so forcibly, that she was obliged to relinquish
her prize. Often another cat snatched it the
instant it dropped; but she suffered the same
treatment, till the buzzard got entire possession
of the plunder. He was so dexterous in his de-
fence, that when he perceived himself assailed
at once by the four cats, he took wing, and ut-
tered a cry of exultation. At last, the cats, cha-
•grined with* their repeated disappointment, would
no longer contend.

" This buzzard had a singular antipathy : h€
not suffer a red cap on the head of any of

THE JbUZZARD.

Habits, &c.

the peasants ; and so alert was he in whipping it
off, that they found their heads bare without
knowing what was become of their caps. He
also snatched wigs, without doing any injury;
and he carried these caps and wigs to the tallest
tree in a neighbouring park, which was the ordi-
nary deposit of his booty.

" He would suffer no other bird of prey to
enter his domain; but attacked them very boldly,
and put them to flight. He did no mischief in
my court-yard; and the poultry, which at first
dreaded him, grew insensibly reconciled to him.
The chickens and ducklings received not the
least harsh usage; and yet he bathed among the
latter. But, what is singular, he was not gentle.
to my neighbours' poultry: and I was often
obliged to publish that I would pay for the da-*
mages he might occasion, However, he waj
frequently fired at; and at different times, re*
ceived fifteen musket-shots without suffering any
fracture. But once, early in the morning, ho*
vering over the skirts of a forest, he dared to at-
tack a fox; and the keeper, seeing him on the
shoulders of the animal, fired two shots at him:
the fox was killed, and the buzzard had his wing
broken; yet, notwithstanding this fracture, he
escaped from the keeper, and was lost seven
days. This man having discovered, from the
noise of the bell, that he was my bird, cairie next
morning to inform me. 1 sent to make search
near the spot; but the bird could not be foiindj

VOL. 111. — NO. XVU. K

74 is ATLRALJST'S CABINET.

Description.

Dor did it return till seven days after. 1 had
been used to call him every evening with a whis-
tle, which he did not answer for six days ; but
on the seventh, I heard a feeble cry at a distance,
which I judged to be that of my buzzard: I re-
peated the whistle a second time, and heard the
same cry. I went to the place from whence the
sound came ; and, at last, found my poor bird
with his. wing broken, who hud travelled more
than half a league on foot to regain his asylum,
from which he was then distant about a hundred
uid twenty paces. Though he was extremely
reduced, he gave me many caresses. It was six
weeks before he was recruited, and his wounds
were healed ; after which he began to fly -as be-
fore, and follow his old habits for about a year;
he then disappeared for ever. I am convinced
that he was killed by accident; and that he
would not have forsaken me from choice."

THE HEX HARRIER.

THE ben harrier- is nearly eighteen inches
long, and three feet wide. The upper parts of
the body are of u bluish grey; and the back of
the head, the breast, belly, and thighs, white :
ihe two former marked with dusky streaks. The
bill. is black, ami the cere yellow. The two mid-
dle feathers of the tail are grey; and the outer
webs of the others are of the same colour, but

-THE HEN HARRIER.

Pheasant pursiu-d by a hen harrier.

the inner ones are marked with alternate bars of
white and rust-colour. The legs are long, slen-
der, and yellow; and the claws black.

These birds may be frequently seen about
forests, heaths, and other retired places; particu-
larly in the neighbourhood of marshy grounds,
where they destroy prodigious numbers of snipes.
They sail with great regularity all over a piece
of marsh, till they discover them, when they im-
mediately pounce upon and kill them.

Mr. White informs us in his Naturalist's Ca-
lendar, that a gentleman who was shooting in
Hampshire, by chance sprung a pheasant in a
\vheat-3tubble, and shot at it; when., notwith-
standing the report of the gun, it was pursued
by a hen harrier, but escaped into some covert.
He then sprung a second, and a third, in the
same field, and these likewise got away; the
hawk hovering round him all the while he was
beating the field, conscious, no doubt, of the
game that lurked in die stubble. Hence .we may
conclude, that this bird of prey was rendered
daring by hunger, and .that lurvks are not always
T$ a condition to strike their game. We may
also observe, that they cannot pounce on .their
quarry when it is on the ground, where it might
be able to make a stout resistance ; since so large
a fowl as a pheasant could not but be visible to
the piercing eye of a hawk, when hovering over
i±- Hence that propensity in game to cowering
squatting till they are almost trod on ; vvhic)}
K 2

7<5 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Taking small lizards.

doubtless was intended as a mode of security,
though it has long been rendered destructive by
the invention of' nets and guns.

A hen harrier that was shot some years ago in
the vicinity of London, was first observed dodg-r
ing roifnd the lower parts of some old trees, and
sometimes appearing to strike against the trunks
of them with its beak or talons, but still continu-
ing on the wing. ' The cause of this singular
conduct could not be surmised, till after the bird
was killed; when, on opening its stomach, nearly
twenty small brown lizards were found there,
which it had artfully seized, by coming suddenly
round upon them. They were each bitten or
torn in two or three pieces.

These destructive birds breed annually on the
Cheviot-hills; and from a hen harrier and ring-
tail having been shot on the same nest, it seems
that these are not two distinct species, however
different they may be in appearance, but in
reality the male and female of the same. Their
nests are formed on the groundj and the usual
number of young is about four. They are fre-
quently caught in a trap baited with a stuffed;
jrabbit's skin, and covered over with moss,

THE SPARROW HAWK.

THIS bird is rather larger than a common-
»ized pigeon ; it has a short-hooked bill, rather
3

THE SPARROW HAWK. 77

Description, habits, &c.

bluish, but black towards the tip; the top of its
head is of a dark brown ; some few of them,
however, have white feathers over the eyes on
the back part of the head ; the wings, and upper
parts of the body, are brown, spotted with a yel-
lowish dun ; the lower parts of the body in some
are whitish, and in others of a russet colour.
The tail is pretty long, and the wings, when
closed, do not reach beyond its middle; the
thighs are very strong, but the legs are slender,
and of a red colour.

The sparrow hawk, for its size, is very bold
and courageous, and is the dread of the tenants
of the farm-yard, making at times great havock
among the young poultry of all kinds; and com-
mitting its depredations in the most daring man-
ner, even in the presence of man.

In a domestic state, however, it is very docile
and obedient; and, when properly trained, capa-
ble of great attachment. " I well remember one
that I had when a boy," says the compiler of
Beauties of Natural History, *' that used to ac-
company me through the fields, catch his game,
devour it at his leisure, and, after all, find, me
out wherever I went : nor, after the first or second
adventure of this kind, was I ever afraid of losing
him. A peasant, however, to my great mortifi-
cation, one da}T shot him, for having made too
free with some of his poultry. He was about as
Jarge as a wood-pigeon; and I have seen him
/fly at a turkey-cock, and when beaten, return to

NATCRAL1STS CABINET.

Description.

the charge with undaunted intrepidity: I have
also known him kill a fowl five or six times as
big as himself." It appears from other writers
of respectability, that this bird may be trained
to hunt quails and partridges.

The female generally builds in hollow trees,
high rocks, or lofty ruins; sometimes, however,
she is contented with the old nest of a crow: she
generally lays four or five eggs, which, at the
broad end, are spotted with a sort of red circle,
in specks of a pretty deep colour.

THE CHANTING FALCON.

THIS species which has been recently disco-
vered in Caffraria, and some of tlie adjacent
countries, js about the size of the common fal-
con. The plumage is in general of a pale lead
or dove-colour, with the top of the head and thp
scapulars inclining to brown. The under parts
of the breast are of a pearly grey, barred with
numerous grey stripes. The quills are black.
The tail is wedge-shaped, the outer feathers oqe-
third shorter than the middle ones, and the tip
white. The bill and claws are black, and the legs
orange. It chiefly subsists by rapine, and is par-
ticularly destructive to partridges, hares, quails,
rats, moles, and other small animals.

The female generally forms her nest between
the forks of trees, oc in bushy groves, where she

7D

Attentions of the male.

carefully performs the task of incubation ; while
the male serenades her every morning and even-
ing, and like the nightingale, not uncommonly all
the night through. He sings out in a loud tone
for more than a minute, and after an interval
begins anew. During his song the bird is so re-
gardless of his own safety, that any one may ap-
proach very near; but at other times he is very
suspicious, and takes flight at the slightest alarm.
Should the male be killed, the female may also
be shot without difficulty : for her attachment to
him is so great, that she continues flying round
with the most plaintive voice; and, often passing
within a few yards of the gunner. But if the
female happen to be shot first, the affection of
her mate does not prove so romantic ; for, retir-
ing to the top of some distant tree, he is not
easily approached : he does not, however, cease
to sing, but becomes so wary as to fly entirely
away from that neighbourhood on the slightest
alarm.

THE BUTCHER-BIRD.

THIS bird, sometimes called the great shrike,
is a native both of Europe and America. It
is somewhat larger than a starling; it has a
strong black bill near an inch long, and hooked
at the end; which, together with its carnivorous
appetites, give it a claim to rank among the car-

80 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Constitution, attacks, &c.

nivorous birds; though the slenderness of its
legs, and the formation of the toes, give it, in
some measure, the appearance of being a shade
between them and the granivorous. The upper
part of the body is of a reddish ash-colour, the
breast white, varied with a few dark-coloured
lines running across each other, and it has a black
line from the beak, parallel with the eyes.

The constitution of the butcher-bird seems to
be perfectly congenial with its conformation, as
it lives as well upon flesh as upon insects, and
thus partakes, in some measure, of a double na-
ture; its appetite for flesh indeed is the most
prevalent, and it never takes up with the latter
when it can obtain the former ; it may therefore
be said to lead a life of continual combat and op-
position; as "from its size it does not much terrify
the smaller birds of the forest, so it very frequently
meets with those willing to try their strength,
and it never declines the engagement, even with
the pie, the crow, and the kestril, though each
of them is considerably bigger than itself. It
not only fights upon the defensive, but often
commences the attack, and always with advan-
tage, particularly when the male and female
"Unite to protect their young, and to drive away
the more powerful birds of rapine; they <lo not
then wait the approach of the invader; but the
instant they see him preparing for the assault at
ft distance, they sally forth, attack him with fury,
«ud wound lu'ui so severely on every side, that

THE BUTCHER-BIRD. 81

Favourite food.

he is glad to make off, and seldom returns to the
charge. In these disputes, they generally prove
victorious, though it sometimes happens that
they fall to the ground with the bird they have
so fiercely fixed upon, and the combat terminates
with the destruction of both.

The favourite food of the butcher-bird consists
of small birds; which it seizes by the throat, and
strangles in an instant. And it is asserted by
the most undoubted authorities, that when it has
killed the bird or insect, it fixes them upon some
neighbouring thorn, and when thus spitted, pulls
them to pieces with its bill. Even when confined
in a cage, it will often treat its food in the same
manner, by sticking it against the wires before it
devours it.

Mr. Bell, who travelled from Moscow, through
Siberia, to Pekin, informs us, that in Russia
these birds are often taken by the bird-catchers,
an'' made tame. He had one of them given to
him, which he taught to perch on a sharpened
stick fixed in the wall of his apartment. When-
ever a small bird was let loose in the room, the
butcher-bird would immediately fly from his
perch, and seize it by the throat in such a man-
ner as to suffocate it almost in a moment. He
would then carry it to his perch, and spit it on
the end, which was sharpened for the purpose;
drawing it on carefully and forcibly with his bill
and claws. If several birds were given him, he
would use them all, one after another, in the

VOL. III. — NO. XVH. L

82 NATURALIST'S CABINKT.

Curious stratagem for decoying prey.

same manner. These were so fixed, that they
hung by the neck till he had leisure to devour
them. This singular practice has given rise to
the appellation of butcher-bird.

In America, these creatures have been ob-
served to adopt a curious stratagem for the ap-
parent purpose of decoying their prey. A gen-
tleman there, accidentally observing that several
grasshoppers were stuck upon the sharp thorny
branches of some trees, enquired of a person who
lived near the spot, the cause of the phenome-
non ; and was informed that they were sluck
there by these birds, which are called by the
English in America nine-killers. On further en-
quiry he was led to suppose, that this was an in-
stinctive stratagem adopted to decoy the smaller
birds, which feed on insects, into a situation
•where they might be seized with facility. The
butcher-bird is called nine-killer from the suppo-
sition that he sticks up nine grasshoppers in suc-
cession. That the insects are placed there as
food to tempt other birds, is said to appear from
their being frequently left untouched for a con-
siderable length of time.

During summer, these birds remain among
the mountainous parts of the country; but in
winter they descend into the plains, and nearer
human habitations. The females make their
nests on the highest trees, and lay about six
egjjs, of a white colour, encircled at the large
end with a ring of brownish red. The nest, on

THE TYRANT STRIKE. 83

Affection toward the young.

the outside, is composed of moss, interwoven
with long grass; within, it is well lined with
wool, moss, and downy herbs, and is usually fixed
among the forking branches of a tree. The
young are fed for a short time with caterpillars
and other insects; but are soon accustomed to
flesh, which the male procures with surprising
industry. Their nature is also very different
from other rapacious birds in their parental care:
for, instead of driving out their young from the
nest to shift for themselves, they keep them with
care ; and even when adult they do not forsake
them, but the whole brood live in one family
together. Each family lives apart, and is gene-
rally composed of the male, female, and five or
six young ones: these all maintain peace and
subordination among each other, and hunt in
concert. Upon the returning season of courtship
this union is at an end, the family parts for ever,
each to establish a little household of its own.
These birds may be easily distinguished at a dis*
tance, not only from their going in companies,
but also from their manner of flying, which is
generally up and down, seldom direct or side-
ways.

THE TYRANT SHRIKE.

THE tyrant shrike is about the size of a
tbrush. The bill is of a blackish brown, and
1,2

84 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description, courage, &c.

furnished with bristles at the base. The upper
parts of the plumage are of a lead colour, the
under parts are white, and the breast inclines to
ash-colour. The tail is brown and the legs of a
dark brown.

The courage of this little creature, according
to the relations of respectable writers, is very
singular. He pursues," says Catesby, " all kinds
of birds that come near his station, from the
smallest to the largest, none escaping his fury :
nor did I ever see any that dared to oppose him
while flying; for he does not offer to attack them
when sitting. I have seen one of them fix on
the back of an eagle, and persecute him so, that
he has turne'd on his back, and into various pos-
tures in the air, in order to get rid of him ; and
at last was forced to alight on the top of the
next tree, whence he dared not move till the
little tyrant was tired, or thought fit to leave
him. This is the constant practice of the cock
while the hen is brooding. He sits on the top
of a bush, or small tree, not far from her nest,
near which if any small birds approach, he
drives them away; but the great ones, as crows,
hawks, and eagles, he will not suffer to come
within a quarter of a mile of him without attack-
ing them. These birds have only a chattering
note, which they utter with great vehemence
all the time they are fighting. When their
young are flown, they are as peaceable as other
birds.

£

THE T.YRANT SHRIKE. 85

Depredations committed by a crow.

Upon some occasions, however, observations
seem to have been made somewhat different
from the above: — " A tyrant shrike," says Mr.
Abbot, of Georgia, " having built its nest on the
outside of a large lofty pine, I was one day con-
sidering how I could procure the eggs; when,
viewing the nest, I perceived a crow alight on
the branch, break and suck the eggs, and dis-
place the nest, appearing all the while uncon-
cerned, notwithstanding both the cock and hen.
continued flying at and striking him with their
bills all the while ; but as soon as the crow had
completed the robbery, he departed."

These birds are principally found in the pro-
vince of Carolina, iu North America. The eggs
of the female are flesh-coloured and prettily
spotted at the large end with pink and black.

86 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description.

CHAP. V.

" Sare that from yonder ivy-mantled tow'r,
The moping owl does to the moon complai*

Of such as wand'ring near her secret bow'r,
Molest her ancient solitary reign."

THE BROWN OWL.

THIS bird is in general, about a foot in length ;
and is spotted with black on the head, wings,
and back. The breast is of a pale ash-colour,
with dusky, longitudinal streaks ; and round the
eyes is an ash-coloured circle, spotted with
brown.

This is one of the most rapacious of the owl
species. It resides in the thickest parts of the
woods during the day; but at the approach of
night, when many animals, as hares, rabbits, and
partridges, come out to feed, it begins to be very
active and clamorous: and its depredations are
truly surprising. In the dusk of evening, the
brown owls approach the farmers' dwellings ; and
frequently enter the pigeon-houses, where they

THE BROWN OWL. 87

Depredations — Boldness in defence of the young.

commit dreadful ravages. They also kill prodi-
gious quantities of mice, and skin them with the
utmost dexterity. They seize their prey with
great ferocity ; and, beginning at the head, tear
it in pieces with much violence. They do not,
however, devour the whole of their victim; but
generally leave the hinder parts untouched.

The Rev. Mr. Bingley observes, in his inter-
esting work on Animal Biography, that on ex-
amining a nest of these owls, which contained
two young ones, several pieces of young rabbits,
leverets, and other small animals, were found.
The hen and one of the young ones were taken
away ; the other was left to entice the cock,
which was absent when the nest was discovered.
On the following morning, there were found in
the nest no fewer than three young rabbits, that
had been brought to this young one by the cock
during the night.

These owls are sometimes bold and even furi-
ous in defence of their young; as will appear
from the following anecdote related in the thirty-
fifth volume of the Gentleman's Magazine. " A
carpenter, some years ago, passing through a
field near Gloucester, was suddenly attacked by
an owl that had a nest in a tree near the path.
It flew at his head; and the man struck at it
with a tool that he had in his hand, but missed
his blow. The enraged bird repeated the attack;
and fastening her talons in his face, lacerated
him in a most shocking manner."

-

gg NATURALISTS CABINET.

Description, habits, &c.

In uttering their disagreeable cry, these ani-
mals inflate their throats to the size of a hen'?
egg. They breed in hollow trees, or ruined
buildings; laying commonly four whitish ellipti-
cal eggs. They are commonly caught in traps;
and may easily be allured and shot in the even-
ing, by any person who can imitate tolerably
well the squeaking of a mouse.

THE SCREECH OWL.

THIS animal is nearly of the size of the for-
mer, but the plumage is very elegant. All the
upper parts of the body are of a fine pale yellow,
variegated with white spots ; the under parts are
entirely white, and a circle of soft white feathers
surrounds each of the eyes. The legs are lea-
thered down to the claws. It is well known, from
the circumstance of its frequenting churches, old
houses, and dilapidated buildings ; whence it sal-
lies out in the evening, to seek for food; and it
probably received the appellation of " screech
owl," from the loud and frightful cries which it
utters during its flight.

Like the rest of the species, this owl, after de-
vouring its prey, emits the bones, feathers, hair,
and other indigestible parts, at the mouth, in the
form of little pellets; and we are informed, that
a gentleman on digging up a decayed pollard-ash
that had .been frequented by these animals for

THE SCREECH OWL. 89

Antipathies.

several generations, found at the bottom many
bushels of this refuse. It sometimes happens
that when these birds have satisfied their ap-
petite, they will like dogs, conceal the remain-
der of their prey; but it is worthy of remark,
that they have an insurmountable antipathy to
shrew-mice, which, though they frequently kill,
they always leave untouched. A gentleman in
Cornwall, also discovered by accident another of
the antipathies of white owls. A pig having
been recently killed, he offered a tame owl a bit
of the liver: when nothing could exceed the con-
temptuous air with which the bird spurned it
from him.

The female makes no nest; but deposits her
eggs, generally five or six in number, in the holes
of the walls, or under the eaves of old buildings.
While the young are in the nest, the cock and
hen alternately sally out in quest of food. They
ure seldom absent more than five minutes, when
they return with the prey in their claws; but as
it is necessary to shift it from thence into their
bill, for the purpose of feeding their young, they
always alight to do that before they enter the
nest. As the young continue for a considerable
time in the nest, and are fed even long after they
are able to fly, the old birds have to supply them
with many hundreds of mice: on this account
they may be considered as useful animals in the
destruction of those vermin.

TOL. in. — NO. xvii. M

90 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Honours paid to the owl by the Mongol and Kaltmic Tartars.

The utmost honours are paid to this bird by
the Mongol and Kalmuc Tartars; as they attri-
bute to it the preservation of Jenghis Khan, the
founder of their empire. That prince, with a
small army, happened to be surprised and put to
flight by his enemies. Compelled to seek con-
cealment in a coppice, an owl settled on the bush
under which he was hidden. This circumstance
induced his pursuers not to search there, since
they supposed it impossible that that bird would
perch where any man was concealed. Jenghis
Khan escaped; and thenceforth -his countrymen
held the owl sacred, and every one wore a plume
of its feathers on his head. To this day, the
Kalmucs continue the custom on all their great
festivals; and some tribes among them have an
idol, in the form of an owl, to which they fasten
the real legs of this bird.

THE GREAT HORNED OWL.

THIS species is equal in size to some of the
eagles. The body is of a tawny red colour ; ele-
gantly marked with lines and spots of black,
brown, ash,, and rust colour. The wings are
long; and the tail is short, and marked with
transverse dusky streaks. The legs are thick, of
a dull red, and feathered to the claws, which ar«
large, hooked, and dusky.

THE GREAT HORNED OWL. 91

Attachment to the young.

It inhabits the most inaccessible rocks and de-
sert places, and is found in most parts of Europe,
Asia, and America; though but rarely seen in
Great Britain. It sees better during the day
than almost any other variety, and has frequently
been observed preying upon birds and small qua-
drupeds in broad day-light.

Owls are superstitiously considered by the
people of most countries as birds of ill omen, and
the messengers of woe ; the Athenians, however,
among the ancients, seem to have been free from
this popular prejudice, and the present species,
which is very common in many parts of Greece,
was even considered as a favourite bird of Mi-
nerva; and the proverb, Noctuas Athenas mittere,
" to send owls to Athens," was exactly equiva-
lent to the one used by us, (< to send coals to
Newcastle."

Of the attachment of these birds to their
young, a pleasing instance is recorded by M.
Cronstedt, in the Transactions of the Philoso-
phical Society of Stockholm : This gentleman
resided several years on a farm in Sudermania,
"near a steep mountain, on the summit of which
two horned owls had their nest. One day in the
month of July, a young one, having quitted the
nest, was seized by some of his servants. This
bird, after it was caught, was shut up in a large
hen-coop; and the next morning M. Cronstedt
found a young partridge lying dead before the
M 2

02 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Attentions to the young.

door of the coop. He immediately concluded
that this provision had been brought thither by
the old owls; which he supposed had been mak-
ing search in the night-time for their lost young
one, and had been led to the place of its confine-
ment by its cry. This proved to have been the
case, by the same mark of attention being re-
peated fourteen nights successively. The game
which the old ones carried to it consisted chiefly
of young partridges, for the most part newly
killed, but sometimes a little spoiled. One day
a moor-fowl was brought, so fresh that it was still
warm under the wings. A putrescent lamb was
also found, at another time; which had probably
been spoiled by lying long in the nest of the old
owls; and it is supposed that they brought it
merely because they had no better provision at
the time. M. Cronstedt and his servant watched
at a window several nights, that they might ob-
serve, if possible, when this supply was deposited.
Their plan did not succeed : but it appeared that
these owls, which are very sharp sighted, had
discovered the moment when the window was
not watched ; as food was found to have been
deposited before the coop one night when this
had been the case.

In the month of August, the parents disconti-
nued this attendance; but at that period all birds
of prey abandon their young to their own exer-
tions. From this instance it may be readily

THfc RAVEN. 93'

Habits — Depredations.

concluded, how great a quantity of game must
be destroyed by a single pair of these birds dur-
ing the time they employ in rearing their young.
And as the edible species of forest animals repair
chiefly in the evening to the fields, they are par-
ticularly exposed to the acute sight, smell, and
claws, of these nocturnal depredators.

Some writers inform us, that when falconers
wish to lure the kite for the purpose of training
the falcon, they sometimes fasten the tail of a
fox to one of these owls : the animal thus disfi-
gured, is then let loose ; and sails slowly along,
flying, as he usually does very low. The unsus-
pecting kite, either curious to observe so odd an
animal, or, perhaps, inquisitive to know whether
it may not be eligible prey, flies after it; but on
Kis approaching and hovering over it, the fal-
coner looses a strong-winged falcon against him,
and immediately deprives him of his liberty.

THE RAVEN. ; 0

THE raven is a large strong-bodied bird, and
some have been seen which measured nearly two
feet from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail.
The whole body is black, but bears a kind of
bluish gloss, particularly upon the tail and wings;
the belly is of a paler colour, and more inclining
to a brown ; the beak is strong, sharp, and rathec

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Habits, amusing qualities, &c.

hooked on the upper pai;t, and the feet are armed
with large crooked claws.

Ravens arc found in every region of the world,
being naturally strong and hardy, and uninflu-
enced by the. changes of the weather; when
other birds seem numbed with cold, or pining
with famine, the raven is active and healthy, bu-
sily employed in prowling for prey, or sporting
in the coldest atmosphere.

It frequents the neighbourhood of great towns ;
where it is useful in devouring the carrion and
filth, which it scents at a vast distance : and,
being possessed of a considerable share of cun-
ning, it is generally careful in keeping beyond
the reach of a gun.

When taken from the nest, and reared up as a
domestic, the raven becomes very familiar, and
possesses many qualities that render him highly
amusing. Busy, inquisitive, and impudent, he
goes every where, affronts and drives off the
dogs, plays his tricks on the poultry, and is par-
ticularly assiduous in cultivating the good-will of
the cook-maid, who is generally his favourite in
the* family. But with these amusing qualities,
he blends many vices and defects. He is a glut-
ton by nature, and a thief by habit, lie does
not confine himself to petty depredations on the
pantry or the larder, for the gratification of his
nppetite: but aims at more magnificent plunder,
which he can neither exhibit nor enjoy, but
which, like a miser, he rests satisfied with having

THE HAVEN. 95

Predilection for money, spoons, &c.

the satisfaction of sometimes visiting and con-
templating in secret. A piece of money, a tea-
spoon, or a ring, is always a tempting bait to his
avarice: these he will slily seize upon, and, if
not watched, will carry to his favourite hole. In.
proof of this assertion a gentleman's butler hav-
ing missed several silver spoons, and other arti-
cles, without being able to account for the mode
in which they disappeared, at last observed a
tame raven, that was kept about the house, with
one in his mouth ; and, on watching him to his
hiding-place, discovered there upwards of a do-
zen more.

These birds are very injurious to cultivated
grounds, yet a sort of popular respect is paid to
them, from their having been the birds that fed
the prophet Elijah in the wilderness. This pre-
possession in favour of the raven is indeed of
very ancient date; since the Romans themselves
esteemed it a bird of much importance in au-
gury, and paid to it, from motives of fear, the
most profound veneration.

Pliny informs us, that one of these birds which
had been kept in the Temple of Castor, flew
down into the shop of a taylor, who was highly
delighted with its visits. He taught the bird se-
veral tricks ; but particularly to pronounce the
names of the Emperor Tiberius, and the whole
royal family. The taylor was beginning to grow
rich by those who came to see this wonderful
raven ; till an envious neighbour, displeased at

96 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Perseverance in the act of incubation.

his success, killed the bird, and deprived the
teiylor of all his hopes of future fortune. The
Romans, however, thought it necessary to take
the poor taylor's part; they accordingly punished
the man who offered the injury, and gave the
deceased bird a magnificent interment.

The female builds her nest early in the spring,
in trees and the holes of rocks; in which she
lays five or six eggs of a bluish green, spotted
with brown. She sits about twenty days; during
which time she is constantly attended by the
male, who not only provides her with abundance
of food, but, whenever she leaves the nest, lakes
her place.

The following singular anecdote, related by
Mr. White, will fully illustrate the perseverance
of the raven in the act of incubation : In the
centre of a grove near Selborne, there stood an
oak, which, though shapely and tall on the
whole, bulged out into a large excrescence near
the middle of the trunk. On this tree a pair of
ravens had fixed their residence for such a series
of years, that the oak was distinguished by the
title of " Raven-tree." (See the annexed Engrav-
ing,) Many were the attempts of the neigh-
bouring youths to get at it: the difficulty served
but to excite their inclinations, and each was
ambitious of surmounting the arduous task ; but
when they arrived at the swelling, it jutted out
so in their way, and was so far beyond their
grasp, that the boldest lads were deterred, and,
6

THE RAVEN.

The raven of Selborne.

acknowledged the undertaking to be too hazard-
ous. Thus the ravens continued to build, nest
upon nest, in perfect security ; till the fatal day
arrived on which the wood was to be levelled.
This was in the month of February, when those
birds usually sit. The saw was applied to the
trunk, the wedges were inserted into the opening,
the woods echoed to the heavy blows of the
beetle or mallet, the tree nodded to its fall; but
still the dam persisted to sit. At last, when it
gave way, the bird was flung from her nest; and,
though her maternal affection merited a better
fate, she was whipped down by the twigs, which
brought her lifeless to the ground.

In a wild state the raven subsists chiefly on
small animals ; and is particularly destructive to
rabbits, young ducks, chickens, and even lambs,
when they happen to be dropped in a weak state.
In the northern regions, it preys in concert with
the white bear, the Arctic fox, and the eas:le : it

* * O x

devours the eggs of other birds, and eats shell-
fish; with the latter it soars into the air, and
drops them from on high to break the shells and
thus get at the contents. In the act of feeding, it
shifts its prey from the bill to the feet, and from
the feet to the bill, to ease itself. Some writers
have asserted, that it may be trained to fowling,
like a hawk. Its flesh is eaten by the natives of
Greenland ; who also use the skins sewed toge-
ther as an inner garment, and form the split
quills into fishing lines.

VOL. in, — NO. xvin. N

NATUUALIST'S CABINET.

Description, &.c.

Its faculty of scent must be very acute ; for in
the coldest winter-days, at Hudson's-Bay, when
every kind of effluvia is almost instantaneously
destroyed by the frost, buffaloes and other beasts
have been killed where not one of these birds
was seen ; but in a few hours, scores of them
would gather about the spot to pick up the offal.

M. Le Vaillant found a variety of the raven,
differing from ours in size only and the greater
curvature of its beak, in Saldanha-Bay, at the
Cape of Good Hope ; where he informs us, they
unite in large flocks, often attacking and killing
the young antelopes.

THE C4RRION CROW.

THIS bird is considerably less than the raven';
but is similar to it in colour, external appearance,
and in many of its habits. These birds live
chiefly in pairs, in the woods, where the female
builds her nest on the trees, lays five or six eggs,
much like those of the raven; and, while sitting,
is always fed by the male. They feed on putres-
cent flesh of all sorts; as well as on worms, in-
sects, and various kinds of grain. They do much
mischief in rabbit-warrens, by killing and de-
vouring the young rabbits; and chickens and
young ducks frequently become their victims.
Thyy have a very acute scent, and are said to

THE CARRION CROW. 99

Boldness — Mode of devouring muscles.

smell gunpowder at a considerable distance, so
that it is extremely difficult to shoot them.

" We once saw this bird," says Mr. Montagu,
" in pursuit of a pigeon, at which it made seve-
ral pounces like a hawk ; but the pigeon escaped
by flying in at the door of a house. We have
also seen it strike a pigeon dead, from the top of
a. barn." It is so bold a bird, that neither the
kite, the buzzard, nor the raven, approaches its
nest without being attacked and driven away.
When it has young it will even insult the pere-
grine falcon, and at one pounce frequently bring
that bird to the ground.

When poultry lay their eggs in hedge-bottoms
or stack-yards, crows are often caught in the act
of devouring them. On the northern coast of
Ireland a friend of Dr. Darwin saw above a hun-
dred crows at once preying upon muscles: each
bird took a muscle up in the air twenty or forty
yards high, and let it fall on the stones, and thus
by breaking the shell, got possession of the
animal.

In some parts of the East, these birds are so
familiar, and even audacious, that they com-
monly frequent the courts of the houses belong-
ing to the Europeans ; and as the servants are
carrying in dinner, will alight on the dishes, and
fly away with the meat, if not driven oft' by per-
sons who attend with sticks for that purpose.

In some parts of North America they are very
numerous, and destroy the new-sown maize by
N 2

10O NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Rewards for the destruction of crows.

pulling it out of the ground and devouring it.
They are also very injurious to the ripening
plants, by picking a hole in the leaves which sur-
round the ears, and thus exposing them to cor-
ruption by letting in the rain. The inhabitants
of New Jersey and Pennsylvania formerly held
out a pecuniary reward for their destruction ; but
the law was soon repealed, on account of the ex-
pence which it brought upon the public treasury.
Mr. Pennant relates, that in the reign of
Henry VIII., crows had become so numerous
in England, and were thought so prejudicial to
the farmer, that they were considered an evil
Ujortby of parliamentary redress ; and an act was
passed for their destruction, in which also rooks
and choughs were included. Every hamlet was
ordered to destroy a certain number of crows?-
nests for ten successive years ; and the inhabitants
were compelled to assemble at stated times dur-.
ing that period, in order to consult on the most
proper and effectual means of extirpating them.
It is supposed, however, that there are at present
more of these birds bred in this country than in
any other part of Europe. In Sweden they arc
so rare, that Linnaeus speaks of the crow as a bird
which he never knew killed in that country but
once.

The modes of catching these animals in some
countries are equally singular and curious. A
crow is fastened alive on its back firmly to the
ground, by means of a brace on each side, at the

THE CARRION CROW. 101

Singular mode uf taking crows.

origin of the wings. In this position the animal
struggles and screams; the rest of its species
flock to its cries from all quarters, with the in-
tention, probably, of affording relief. But tho
prisoner, grasping at every thing within reach to
extricate himself from his situation, seizes with
his bill and claws, which are left at liberty, all
that come near him, and thus delivers them 4
prey to the bird-catcher. Crows are also caught
with cones of paper baited with raw flesh; as the
"bird introduces his head to devour the bait,
which is near the bottom, the paper, being be-
smeared with bird-lime, sticks to the neck, and
he remains hooded. Unable to get rid of this
bandage which completely covers his eyes, the
crow rises almost perpendicularly into the air,
the better to avoid striking against any object;
till, quite exhausted, he sinks down near the spot
from which he mounted.

If a crow be put into a cage, and exposed in
the fields, his calls generally attract the attention
of others that are in the neighbourhood, who im-
mediately flock around him. This plan is fre-
quently adopted in order to get these birds within
gun-shot; for, however shy they might otherwise
be, their care in this case is so much occupied
on their friend, as to render them heedless of the
gunner's approach.

These birds are sometimes seen pied, and one
now in the menagerie at Exeter 'Change is per-
fectly white. It is said to have been taken out

102 NATURALISTS CABINET.

White crow at Exeter 'Change.

of a common crow's nest on Lord Egremont's
^estate, at Petworth, in Sussex ; and to have been
presented to Mr. Pidcock ; in whose possession,
it has been about sixteen years.

THE ROOK.

THE rook is something larger than the car-
rion crow, but its plumage is more glossy ; and
the nostrils, and the root of the bill are naked;
whereas in the crow they are covered with bristly
hair. It is said to have no craw, but a sort of
gullet below the bill, which occasionally dilates
itself into a sort of bag, wherein it carries the
meat from a considerable distance that it has
gathered for its young.

These birds occasion some inconvenience to
the farmer by feeding on his grain; but this seems
compensated by the good tbey/lo to him, in ex-
tirpating the maggots of some of the most de-
structive of the beetle tribe. In Suffolk, and
in some parts of Norfolk, the farmers find it their
interest to encourage the breed of rooks, as the
only means of freeing their grounds from the
grub that produces the cock-chafer, which in
this state destroys the roots. of corn and grass to
*uch a degree, that Mr. Stillingfleet observes, he
ljus ?<en a piece of pasture-land where you might
turn up the turf with your foot. An intelligent
fanner in Berkshire informed this gentleman^

THE ROOK. 103

Rookeries, &c.

that one year, while his men were hoeing a field
of turnips, a great number of rooks alighted in a
part of it where they were not at work. The
consequence was a remarkably fine crop in this
part, while in the other parts of the field there
were scarcely any turnips that year.

Rooks are gregarious, and are sometimes seen
in such immense flocks, that they almost darken
the air in their flight. They build in woods,
in the neighbourhood of man, and sometimes
make choice of groves, in the very midst of
cities, for the place of their retreat and secu-
rity. In these they establish a kind of legal con-
stitution, by which all intruders are excluded
from coming to live among them, and none are
suffered to build but acknowledged natives of
the place. " I have often, " says a celebrated
author, " amused myself with observing their
plan of policy from my window that looks upon
a grove, where they have made a colony in the
midst of the city. At the commencement of
spring, the rookery, which, during the continu-
ance of winter, seemed to have been deserted, or
only guarded by about five or six, like old sol-
diers in a garrison, now begins to be once more
frequented, and in a short time all the bustle and
hurry of business is fairly commenced. Where
these numbers resided during the winter is not
easy to guess; perhaps in the trees of hedge-
rows, to be nearer their food. In spring, how-
ever, they return to their native trees, and, in

704 NATTRAMST'S CABINET.

Trimming the nests.

UK: places where they were themselves hatched,
they prepare to propagate a future progeny.

" They keep together in pairs; and when the
offices of courtship are over, they prepare for
making their nests ami laying. The old inhabi-
tants of the place are all already provided ; the
nest which served them for years before, with a
Jittle trimming and dressing, will serve very well
again; the difficulty of building lies only upon
the young ones who have no nest, and must
therefore get up one as well as they can. But
not only the materials are wanting, but also the
place in which to fix it. Every part of a tree
vrill not do for this purpose, as some branches
may not be sufficiently forked, others may not
be sufficiently strong; and still others may be
too much exposed to the rockings of the wind.
The male and female upon this occasion are,
for some days, seen examining all the trees
of the grove very attentively; and when they
have fixed upon a branch that seems fit for their
purpose, they continue to sit upon, and observe
it. very sedulously for two or three days longer.
The place being thus determined upon, they
begin to gather the materials for their nest; such
as sticks and fibrous roots, which they regularly
dispose in the most substantial manner. But
here a new and unexpected obstacle arises. It
often happens that the young couple have made
choice of a place too near the mansion of an older
pair, who do not chuse to be incommoded by

THE ROOK. 105

Difficulties attendant on building.

such troublesome neighbours. A quarrel there-*
fore instantly ensues ; in which the old ones are
always victorious.

" The young couple, thus expelled, are obliged
again to go through the fatigues of deliberating,
examining and choosing ; and having taken care
to keep their due distance, begin their nest again,
and their industry deserves commendation. But
their alacrity is often too great in the beginning;
they soon grow weary of bringing the materials
for their nest from distant places, and they easily
perceive that sticks may be provided nearer
home, with less honesty, indeed, but with some
degree of address. Away they go, therefore, to
pilfer as fast as they can ; and whenever they see
a nest unguarded, they take care to rob it of the
choicest sticks of which it is composed. But
these thefts never go unpunished ; and sometimes
a sort of general punishment is inflicted. I have
seen eight or ten rooks come upon such occasi-
ons, and setting upon the new nest of the young
couple all at once, tear it to pieces in a moment.

" At length, therefore, the young pair find the
necessity of going more regularly and honestly
to work. While one flies to fetch the materials,
the other sits upon the tree to guard it ; and thus
in the space of three or four days, with a skir-
mish now and then between, the pair have fitted
up a commodious nest composed of sticks with-
out, and of fibrous roots and long grass within.
From the instant the female begins to lay, alj

VOL. III. — NO, XVIII. O

106 NATURALIST'S

Aversion against intruders.

hostilities are at an end; as not one of the whole
grove, that a little before treated her so rudely,
will now ventnre to molest her."

" It is also worthy of remark, that as soon as
the nests are completed the coeks begin to feed
the hens ; who receive their bounty with a fond-
ling tremulous voice,. fluttering wings, and all the
little blandishments that are expressed by the
young while in a helpless state. This affectionate
deportment of the males is continued throughout
the whole season of incubation. When the tir-r
brood are sufficiently fledged, they all leave their
nests in the day time, and resort to some distant
place in quest of food; but return regularly every
evening to their favourite trees, wliere, after
flying round several times with, much noise and
clamour till they are all assembled, they take up
their abode for the night.

Of the aversion which these animals entertain
against intruders some idea «iay be formed from
the following anecdote:

In the year 17&3 a pair of rooks, after an un-
successful attempt la establish themselves in a
rookery at no great distance from the Exchange,
at Newcastle, were compelled to abandon the
attempt, and take refuge on the spire of that
building; and, although constantly interrupted
by other rooks, they built their nest on the top
of the vane, and reared their young, undisturbed
by the noise of the populace below them: — the
nea and its inhabitants were of course turned

.

THE ROOK. 107

Rook's nest built on a spire.

about by every change of the wind. They re-
turned and built their nest every year on the
same place, till the year 1793, soon after which
the spire was taken down. This circumstance
excited such general interest, and became so po-
pular a topic in the neighbourhood, that a small
copper- plate was engraved, of the size of a watch-
paper, with a representation of the top of the
spire and the nest ; and so much pleased were
the inhabitants and other persons with it, -that as
many impressions were sold as produced to the
engraver the sum often pounds.

Mr. Hutchinson relates a remarkable circum-
stance respecting these birds which occurred a
few years ago at a gentleman's seat in West-
moreland. There were two groves adjoining to
the park; one of which had for several years
been the resort of a number of herons, that an-
nually built and bred there. In the other was a
very large rookery. For a long time the two
tribes lived peaceably together. At length, in
tiie spring of 1775, the trees of the heronry were
cut down, and the young brood perished by the
lull of the timber. The parent birds, not willing
to be driven from the place, endeavoured to effect
a settlement in the rookery. The rooks made
an obstinate resistance; but, after a desperate
contest, in the course of which many of the rooks
and some of the herons lost their lives, the latter
at length succeeded in obtaining possession of
of ihe trees, and that very spring bu-ilt

108 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

A singular anecdote.

nests afresh. The next season a similar conflict
took place; which, like the former, was termi-
nated by the victory of the herons. Since this
time, peace seems to have been agreed upon be-
tween them: the rooks have relinquished part
of the grove to the herons, to which part alone
they confine themselves: and the two commu-
nities appear to live together in as much har-
mony as before the dispute.

Dr. Percival, in his Dissertations, relates an
interesting anecdote of this sagacious tribe: " A
large colony of rooks," says he, " had subsisted
many years in a grove on the banks of the river
Irwell, near Manchester. One serene evening,
I placed myself within view of it, and marked
with attention the various labours, pastimes, and
evolutions, of this crowded society. The idle
members amused themselves with chasing each
other through endless mazes; and in their flight,
they made the air resound with an infinitude of
discordant noises. In the midst of these playful
exertions, it unfortunately happened that one
rook, by a sudden turn, struck his beak against
the wing of another. The sufferer instantly fell
into the river. A general ciy of distress ensued.
The birds hovered, with every expression of anx-
iety,.over their distressed companion. Animated
by their sympathy, and, perhaps, by the language
of counsel known to themselves, he sprang into
the air, and, by one strong effort, reached the
point of a rock which projected into the water.

THE ROOK.

Singular antipuiliy.

The joy became loud and universal; bi}t, alas!
it was soon changed into notes of lamentation ;
for the poor wounded bird, jn attempting to fiy
towards his nest, dropped into the river, and was
drowned, amidst the moans of his whole fra-
ternity."

A singular antipathy has been observed to
exist between these birds and the r^ven : Mr.
Markwick informs us that in the year 1778, as
soon as a raven had built her nest in a tree ad-
joining to a numerous rookery, all the rooks im-
mediately forsook the spot, ah 1 have not returned
to build there since. At the Bishop of Chiches-
ter's rookery, at Broomham, near Hastings, upon.
a raven's building her nest in one of the trees, all
the rooks forsook the spot; they, however, re-
turned to their haunts in the autumn, and built
their nests there the succeeding year. To ac-
count for this antipathy it may be observed, that
the raven will scarcely suffer any bird to come
within a quarter of a mile of its nest, being very
fierce in defending it: and it is also known to
feeize the young rooks from their nests, to feed
its own young.

Mr. Pennant remarks, that the females begin
to build in March; and, after the breeding sea-
son is over, they quit their nesting trees, and for
some time roost elsewhere ; but they have inva-
riably been observed to return in August.

When the first brood are sufficiently fledged,
they all leave their nest-trees in the day-time aad

110 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Evening exercises in autumn.

resort to some distant place in search of' food :
but return regularly every evening, in vast flights,
to their nest-trees ; where, after flying round se-
veral times with much noise and clamour till
they are all assembled together, they take up
their abode for the night.

A celebrated writer, speaking of the evening
exercises of these birds in the autumn, remarks,
that just before dusk they return in long string*
from the foraging of the day, and rendezvous by
thousands over Selborne Down, where they wheel
round, and dive in a playful manner in the air,
exerting their voices; which being softened by
the distance, become a pleasing murmur, not
unlike the cry of a pack of hounds in deep-echo-
ing woods. When this ceremony is over, with
the least gleam of light they retire to the deep
beech woods of Tisted and Kepley. " We re-
member," says our author, " a little girl, who as
she was going to bed used to remark, on such
an occurrence, in the true spirit of physico-theo-
logy, that the rooks were saying their prayers ;
and yet this child was much too young to be
aware that the Scriptures have said of the Deity
— that ' he teedeth the ravens, who call upon
him."

In those parts of Hampshire which lie conti-
guous to the New Forest, after the parent rooks
have reared their progeny, and carried off such
of them as have escaped the arts of men and
boys, they retire every evening at a late hour,

THE ROOK. ill

Attention to its young.

during the autumnal and wintry months, to
the closest coverts of the forest, having spent the
day in the open fields and inclosures in quest of
food.

But although the forest may be called their
winter habitation, they generally visit their nur-
sery every day ; preserving the idea of a family,
which they begin to make provision for very
early in the ensuing spring.

Dr. Darwin has remarked, that an apprehen-
sion of danger from mankind is much more ap-
parent in rooks than in most other birds. It is
also worthy of remark, that they evidently dis-
tinguish the danger is greater when a man is
armed with a gun than when he has no weapon
in his hands. In the spring of the year, if a per-
son happen to walk under a rookery with a gun
in his hand, the inhabitants of the trees rise on
the wing, and scream to the unfledged young to
shrink into their nests from the sight of the
enemy. From this circumstance the peasants
assert that rooks can smell gunpowder.

Mr. Latham remarks, that these birds remain
in England during the whole year ; but both in
France and Silesia they migrate. And the same
writer adds, " it is a singular circumstance, that
the island of Jersey should be entirely without
rooks ; particularly when we know that they fre-*
quently fly over from our country into France."

lift NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description — Habitations.

THE JACKDJW.

THIS bird is considerably smaller than the
took, seldom exceeding twelve or thirteen inches
ift kngth. The bill is black ; the eyes are white,
the hind part of the head and neck of a heavy
grey-colour, and the rest of the plumage of a
glossy black above, and a dusky hne beneath,
•fn Switzerland there is a variety with a white
ring round the neck ; and in Norway and other
Cold countries they are sometimes seen perfectly
tvhite. They are very common in England,
where trtey remain during the whole year; but
in some parts of the continent, as in France and
Germany, they are migratory.

They frequent churches, old towers and Turns
-in great flocks, where they build their nests ; arrd
they have been sometimes known to build in hol-
low trees, near a rookery, and to join the rooks
in their foraging-parties. In some parts of
Hampshire, from the great scarcity of towers
or steeples, they are obliged to form their nests
tinder ground, rn the rabbit holes; they also
fcuild in the interstices, between the upright anft
icross stones of Stonehenge, on Salisbury Plain,
far out of the reach of the shepherd boys who
«re always idling about that place. In the Isle
of Ely, from the want of ruined edifices, they fre-
quently build their nests in chimneys. In a grate
below one of these nests, which had not beea

THE JACKDAW. J13

Favorite food — Docility.

used for some time, a fire was Jighted ; the ma-
terials of the nest caught fire, and they were in
such quantity, that it was with great difficulty
the house could be preserved from the flames.
The female lays five or six eggs, somewhat
smaller than those of the crow, and of a paler
colour.

The favorite food of these birds consists of
worms, and the giubs of insects ; but the Rev*
Mr. Bingley informs us, that he was once witness
to a singular deviation from their usual mode in
this respect. " I was walking," says that gentle-
man, " with a friend in the Inner Temple gar-
den, about the middle of May 1802, when we
observed a jackdaw hovering, in a very unusual
manner, over the Thames. A barrel was floating
near the place, a buoy to a net that some fisher-
men were hauling; and we at first thought the
the bird was about to light upon it. This, how-
ever, proved a mistake ; for he descended to the
surface of the water, and fluttered for a few se-
conds with his bill and feet immersed ; he then
rose, flew to a little distance, and again did the
same; after which he made a short circuit, and
alighted on a barge, about fifty yards from the
garden, where he devoured a small fish. When
this was done, he made a third attempt, caught
another, and flew off with it in his mouth.

Jackdaws are easily tamed ; and may be taught
to pronounce several words. Like the raven,
fhey conceal such parts of their food as they

IIJ. — NO. XVIII. J?

>14 NATURALIST'S

Description — Female's nest.

not eat; and often along with it small pieces of
money, or toys, frequently occasioning, for the
moment, suspicions of theft in persons who are
innocent. When domesticated, they are usually
fed on insects, fruit, grain, and small pieces of
meat.

THE JAY.

THE delicate cinnamon-coloured back and
Breast of this bird, with blue wing-coverts barred
with black and white, render it one of the most
elegant birds produced in these islands. Its bill
is black, its chin white; and its forehead is
adorned with a beautiful tuft of white feathers,
^treaked with black, which it has the power of
erecting at pleasure. Its voice, however, is ex-?
tremely harsh, grating, and unpleasant,

The female builds in woods, and makes an art-
less nest, composed of sticks, fibres, and tender
twigs; in which she generally lays uve or six;
eggs, of a greyish ash-colour, mixed with green,
and faintly spotted with brown. The young ones
continue with the parents till the next pairing
time \ they then chuse each its mate, and sepa-
rate, in order to produce a new progeny. The
old birds, when enticing their fledged young to
follow them, make a noise like the mewing of a
cat.

kept in a domestic state, the jay may

3

tHE JAY. 115

Familiarity — Mimicry and food.

be rendered very familiar, and will catch and re-
peat a variety of sounds. One of them has been
heard to imitate so exactly the noise made by
the action of a saw, as to induce passengers to
suppose that a carpenter was at work in the
house.

A jay, kept by a person in the north of Eng-
land had learned, at the approach of cattle, to
set a cur dog upon them, by whistling and calling
him by his name. One winter, during a severe
frost, the dog was by this means excited to at-
tack a cow big with calf; when the poor animal
fell on the ice, and was much hurt. The jay was
complained of as a nuisance, and its owner was
obliged to destroy it*

Birds of this species feed in general on acorns,
nuts, seeds, and fruit of all kinds; and in sum-
mer they are very injurious to gardens, from
their devouring the peas and cherries. Mr.
Wallis> in his Natural History of Northumber-
land, says, " They come two or three together
out of the wood into my little garden at Simon-
burn, in the rasberry and gooseberry season, and
can hardly be frightened away, proclaiming it,
as it were, in loud clamours, from tree to tree to
be their own property."

IP 2

116 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description — Intrepidity.

THE MAGPIE.

THE magpie is an elegant bird, with a long
tail, and short wings; it has a large white spol
on the breast, another on each side of the body,
and several of the wing-feathers are white, the
ether part of its plumage is black, beautifully
shaded ; indeed, its black, white, green, and pur-
ple, with the rich and gilded combination of tht*
glosses on its tail, are as fine as any that adorn
the most beautiful of the feathered tribe. But it
has so many bad qualities that they depreciate
these natural perfections ; vain, restless, loud, and
quarrelsome, it is an unwelcome intruder every
where; and never misses an opportunity, when-
it finds one, of doing mischief.

The magpie bears a near resemblance to the
- butcher-bird in its bill, which has a sharp process
near the end of the upper chap, as well as in the
shortness of- its wings, and the form of the tailr
each feather shortening from the two middle-
most. But it agrees still more in its food, sub-
listing not only upon worms and insects, but also*
«pon small birds when they can be seized. A
wounded lark, or a young chicken separated from:
the hen are sure plunder; and it will even some-
times have the assurance to attack a thrush or
blackbird; nay, it will even seize the largest ani-
mals, when its insults can be offered with secu-
rity. As a proof of this almost every peasant

THE MAGPIE.

Food — Superiority ot Instinct.

must often have observed a magpie perched
upon the back of an ox or a sheep, pecking out
the insects which might have taken refuge in
their hides, chattering and tormenting the poor
animal at the same time, and stretching out its
neck for combat, if the beast turned its head
backward to interrupt its employment. They
seek out also the nests of small birds; and if the
old ones escape, the eggs make up for the defi-
ciency; the thrush and the blackbird are thus
frequently robbed by this depredator ; a circum-
stance which may probably account for those
tribes not being more numerous.

The magpie is by no means particular in its
food ; it shares with ravens in their carrion, with
rooks in their grain, and with the cuckoo in
bird's eggs; but it seems possessed of a prudence
seldom usual with gluttons, for when satisfied it
lays up the remainder of the feast for another
occasion. Even in a domesticated s^tate it will
hide its food when done eating, and after a time
return to the secret hoard with renewed appetite
and vociferation.

From every action the magpie demonstrates
that it possesses a degree of instinct superior to
other birds. Its nest is not less remarkable for
the manner in which it is composed, than for the
place chosen to build in. It is usually placed in
a very conspicuous situation, either in the middle
of some hawthorn-bush, or on the top of some
high tree. But careless as this may appear on

NATURALISES CAtflNET.

Ingenuity in nest-building.

the first glance, yet, on examination, it will be
found to have the choice of sagacity, for the
place so chosen is invariably difficult of access;
the tree pitched upon usually grows in some
thick hedge-row; fenced by brambles at the root;
or when in a bush, such a one is selected that it
is hardly possible to get to the top twigs in which
its nest is interwoven. When a secure place i»
chosen, the next care is to fence the nest above,
so as to defend it from a variety of natural ene-
mies. The kite, the crow, and the sparrow-hawk,
are to be guarded against, for as their nests have
been sometimes plundered by the magpie, so it
may be reasonably expected that they will take
the first opportunity to retaliate. To prevent
this, the magpie's nest is built with surprising
labour and ingenuity. The body of the nest is
composed of hawthorn branches, the thorns stick-
ing outward, but well united together by their
mutwal insertion. Within it is lined with fibrous
roots, wool, and long grass, and then curiously
plastered all round with mud and clay. The ca-
nopy, which is to defend it above, is composed
of the sharpest thorns, woven together in such
a manner as to deny all entrance, except at
the opening, which is left on the side, just large
enough to permit egress and regress to the
owners. In this fortress the female hatches and
and brings up their brood with security, sheltered
from all attacks of the feathered race, and but
disturbed by man. She generally lays

THE MAGPIE.

Docility — Surprising mimicry.

six or seven eggs, of a pale green colour, spotted
with brown.

When kept in a domestic state, the magpie
still preserves its natural character with strict
propriety. The same noisy, mischievous habits
attend it to the cage that were conspicuous in
the woods; and being more cunning, so it is also
a more docile bird than any other taken into
keeping. It may be easily taught to articulate
not only words, but sentences, very distinctly,
and even to imitate any particular noise that it
hears. In illustration of this, Plutarch relates,
that a barber at Rome had a magpie which pos-
sessed the imitative faculty to a surprising extent.
Some trumpets happened one day to be sounded
before the shop ; and for a day or two afterwards
the magpie was quite mute, and seemed pensive
and melancholy. This surprised all who knew
it; and they supposed that the sound of the
trumpets had so stunned it as to deprive it at the
same time both of voice and hearing. It ap-
pears, however, that this was not the case;
" for," says our author, " the bird had been all
the time occupied in profound meditation, and
was studying how to imitate the sound of the
trumpets: accordingly, in the first attempt, it
perfectly imitated all their repetitions, stops, and
changes. This new lesson, however, made it en-
tirely forget every thing that it had learned
before."
. The magpie is found in certain districts pf

150 NATURALISTS CABINET.

Superstitious fancies.

Norway ; but not in any great quantity. Acerbi
remarks, that if it makes its appearance in parts
where it is not commonly seen, it is considered
as a sign of the approaching death of some prin-
cipal person in the neighbourhood. In various
parts of the north of England, if one of these
birds be observed flying by itself, it is accounted
by the vulgar a sign of ill omen ; if there are two
together, they forebode something fortunate;
three indicate a funeral; and four a wedding.—
Such are the absurd and superstitious fancies still
indulged in a Christian and enlightened country!

THE CINEREOUS CROW,

THIS bird is so small as seldom to weigh
three ounces. Its plumage is brown-grey ; the
feathers are very long, soft, and silky, and in ge»
neral so much unwebbed as in many parts of the
body to resemble hair.

The cinereous crow is very familiar, and fond
of frequenting either houses or tents; and is so
much addicted to pilfering, that no kind of pro-r
visions, either fresh or salted, are secure from
its depredations. It is sufficiently bold to come
into tents, perch on the edge of a kettle when
hanging over the fire, and steal victuals put of
the dishes.

It appears to be very troublesome to the hun-
gers, both English and Indian ; frequently follow*

THE RED-LEGGED CROW. 121

Instance of foresight.

ing them a whole day, perching on a tree while
they are beating their martin-traps, and, as soon
as their backs are turned, going and eating the
baits. They subsist for the most part, however,
on fruits, moss, and worms. — It is a kind of
mock-bird ; and has, of course, a variety of notes.
It may be easily tamed, and will feed freely, but
never lives long in confinement; always pining
away from the moment it is deprived of its
liberty.

The care that this bird takes in laying up in
summer a stock of fruit for winter provision,
when no fruit is to be had abroad, is a remark-
able instance of foresight in the volatile tribes;
as this propensity is by no means common
among them.

The female builds her nest in trees, exactly hj
the manner of those of the blackbird and thrush;
she generally lays four blue eggs, but seldom
hatches more than three.

The cinereous crow is a native of North Ame-
rica, and is principally found in the vicinity of
Hudson's Bay.

THE RED-LEGGED CROW.

THIS species is not very common in any part
of the world; it is, however, found in some par-
ticular parts of both Asia and Africa : and it also
frequents some places in Cornwall and North

VOL. in. — NO. xvin. Q

122 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description — Injurious to houses.

Wales, inhabiting the cliffs and ruinous castles
along the shores. A few are found on Dover-
cliff, where they came entirely by accident; a
gentleman in the neighbourhood had a pair sent
from Cornwall as a present, which escaped, and
stocked those rocks. They are not constant to
their abode ; but frequently, in the course of the
year, desert the place for a week or ten days at a
time.

It is a very elegant bird, of a fine blue or pur-
ple colour, with bright orange bill and legs. Its
constitution is also extremely delicate, and inca-
pable of bearing severe weather. Active, rest-
less, and meddling, it is not to be trusted where
things of consequence lie. It is much pleased
with glittering objects ; and very apt to snatch
up bits of lighted sticks, so that instances have
occurred of houses being set on fire by it. The
injury that it does to thatched houses is some-
times very great; for, tearing holes into them
with its long bill in search of worms and other
insects, the rain is admitted and quickens their
decay. It will also often pick out lime from
walls, in search of spiders and flies, and other
insects.

These birds generally fly very high, and make
a much shriller noise than the jackdaw. The
Cornish peasantry attend so much to them, that
it is very common to see them tame in their gar*
dens. They shriek out aloud at the appearance
of any thing strange or frightful; but when ap-»

THE RED-LEGGED CROW.

Docile and amusing when tame.

plying for food, or desirous of pleasing those
nho usually fondle them, their chattering is soft
and engaging.

When tame, they are very docile and amusing,
and extremely regular to their time of feeding.
But, though perfectly familiar with their imme-
diate friends, they will not suffer a stranger to
touch them.

The female builds her nest ahout the middle
of the cliffs, or in the most inaccessible parts of
ruins: here she lays four or five eggs, some-
what longer than those of the jackdaw, and of a
cinereous white, marked with irregular dusky
blotches.

1S4 NATURALISTS CABINET.

Description.

CHAP. VI.

" Lord, how he nicks us," Tom More cries;
" Lord, how he nicks us," Poll replies :
Tom throws — and eyes the glitt'ring store,
And, as he throws, exclaims, " Tom More!"
" Tom More !" the mimic bird replies,
" TV astonish'd gamesters lift their eyes,
And, wond'ring, stare and look around,
A§ doubtful whence proceeds the sound.

AN01T.

THE ASH-COLOURED PARROT.

THIS parrot, which is the species now mosf
commonly brought into Europe, is nearly the
size of a small pigeon ; and, including its tail, is
about twenty inches in length. The bill is black ;
the cere, and the skin round the eyes, are mealy,
and vrhite. Its plumage is chiefly ash-coloured:
the rump and lower part of the belly are hoary,
with ash-coloured edges: the feathers on the
head, neck, and under parts, are hoary on their
edges. The tail is of a bright red, having the
shafts of the feathers blackish. The legs are ash-
coloured ; and the claws inclining to black. It
is a native of Gninea, and several of the inland

THE ASH-COLOURCD PARROT. 125 '

Attention — Astonishing memory.

parts of Africa. This bird is justly deemed supe-
rior to the green parrot, both in the facility and
the eagerness with which it imitates the human
voice : it listens with attention, and strives to re-
peat ; it dwells constantly on some syllables which
it has heard, and seeks to surpass every voice by
the loudness of its own. It seems to prescribe
to itself tasks, and tries every day to retain its
lesson. This engages its attention even in sleep ;
and Marcgrave asserts, that it even prattles in its
dreams. Its memory, if early cultivated, become.1*
sometimes astonishing. Rhodiginus mentions a
parrot which could recite correctly the whole of
the Apostles' Creed.

A parrot of this species, which a gentleman
purchased at Bristol, not only repeated a great
number of sentences, but answered many ques-
tions: it was also able to whistle a variety of
of tunes. It beat time with all the appearance
of science; and so accurate was its judgment,
that, if by chance it mistook a note, it would re-
Tert to the bar where the mistake was made, cor-
rect itself, and still beating regular time, go
through the whole with wonderful exactness. —
Its death was thus announced in the General
Evening Post, for the ninth of October, 1802.
" A few days ago died, in Half-Moon Street,
Piccadilly, the celebrated parrot of Colonel
O'Kelly. This singular bird sang a number of
songs in perfect time and tune. She could ex-
press her wants articulately, and give her orders

NATURALISTS CABINET.

Deaili of a scientific parrot.

in a manner approaching to rationality. Her
age was not known ; it was, however, more than
thirty years, for previously to that period Mr.
O'Kelly bought her at Bristol for a hundred
guineas. The colonel was repeatedly offered a
hundred guineas a-year for the bird, by persons
who wished to make a public exhibition of her;
but this, out of tenderness to the favourite, he
constantly refused. The bird was dissected by
Dr. Kennedy and Mr. Brooke; and the muscles
of the larynx, which regulate the voice, were
found from the effect of practice to be uncom-
monly strong."

The sister of M. de Buffon had a parrot,
which would frequently speak to himself, and
seem to fancy that some one addressed him. He
often asked for his paw, and answered by hold-
ing it up. Though he liked to hear the voice of
children, he seemed to have an antipathy to
them; he pursued them, and bit them till he
drew blood. He had also his objects of attach-
ment ; and though his choice was not very nice,
it was constant. He was excessively fond of the
cook-maid ; followed her every where, sought
for, and seldom missed finding her. If she had
been some time out of his sight, the bird climbed
tvith his bill and claws to her shoulders, and
lavished on her his caresses. His fondness had
all the marks of close and warm friendship. The
girl happened to have a very sore finger, which
was tedious in healing, and so painful as to make
her scream. While she uttered her moans, the

THE ASH-COLOURED PARROT. 12?

Singular attachment — Anecdotes.

bird never left her chamber. The first thing he
did every day, was to pay her a visit ; and this
tender condolence lasted the whole time of the
cure, when he again returned to his former calm
and settled attachment. Yet this strong predi-
lection for the girl seems to have been more
directed to her office in the kitchen, than to her
person ; for when another cook-maid succeeded
her, the parrot showed the same degree of fond-
ness to the new comer, the very first day.

The society which the parrot forms with man
is, from its use of language, more intimate and
pleasing than what the monkey can claim from
its antic imitation of our gestures and actions.
It highly diverts and amuses us ; it takes part in
conversation, it laughs, it breathes tender expres-
sions, or mimics grave discourse ; and its words,
uttered indiscriminately, please by their incon-
gruity, and sometimes excite surprise by their
aptness. Willoughby tells us of a parrot, which,
when a person said to it, " Laugh, Poll, laugh,"
laughed accordingly, and the instant after
screamed out, " What a fool, to make me
laugh !" Another, which had grown old with its
master, shared with him the infirmities of age.
Being accustomed to hear scarcely any thing but
the words, ({ I am sick ;" when a person asked
it, " How d'ye do, Poll?" " I am sick," it replied
in a melancholy tone, stretching itself along,
" I am sick."

Goldsmith relates, that a parrot belonging to

JSS NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Waterman's disappointment.

King Henry VII., from having been kept in a
room next the Thames, in his palace at West-
minster, had learned to repeat many sentences
from the boatmen and passengers. One day,
sporting on its perch, it unluckily fell into the
water. The bird had no sooner discovered its
situation, than it called out, aloud, " A boat!
twenty pounds for a boat!" A waterman hap-
pening to be near the place where the parrot was
floating, immediately took it up, and restored it
to the king; (See the annexed Engraving), de-
manding, as the bird was a favourite, that he
should be paid the promised reward. This was
refused; but it was agreed that, as the parrot'
had offered a sum, the man should again refer
to its determination for the sum he was to re-
ceive. The reference was accordingly made;
when the bird screamed aloud " Give the knave
a groat."

Mr. Locke, in his Essay on the Human Un-
derstanding, has related an anecdote concerning
a parrot, of which he seems to have had so much
evidence, as to have been firmly convinced of
its authenticity. " During trie government of
Prince Maurice in Brasil, he had heard of an
old parrot that was much celebrated for answer-
ing like a rational creature many of the common
questions that were put to it. It was at a great
distance; but so much had been said about it,
that his curiosity was roused, and he directed it
to be sent for. When it was introduced into
2

<&

THE ASH-COLOURED PARROT. 129

Locke's anecdote of a parrot.

the room where the prince was sitting in com-
pany with several Dutchmen, it immediately ex-
claimed, in the Brasilian language, " What a
company of white men are here !" They asked
it, " Who is that man ?" (pointing to the prince),
the bird answered, " Some general or other."
When the attendants carried it up to him, he
asked it, through the medium of an interpreter,
(for he was ignorant of its language,) " From
whence do you come ?" the bird answered,
" From Marignan." The prince asked, " To
whom do you belong?" It answered, <( To a
Portuguese." He asked again, " What do you
do there?" It answered, " I look after the
chickens." The prince, laughing, exclaimed,
" You look after chickens !" The parrot in an-
swer said, " Yes, I; and I know well enough how
to do it;" clucking at the same time, in imitation
of the noise made by the hen to call together
her young."

This account came directly from the prince to
the above author : he said, that though the par-
rot spoke in a language he did not understand,
yet he could not be deceived, for he had in the
room both a Dutchman who spoke Brasilian,
and a Brasilian who spoke Dutch : that he asked
them separately and privately, and both agreed
very exactly in giving him the parrot's discourse.

A curious discovery was made by means of a
parrot, in Stephen-Street, Dublin, about twenty-
five years ago. It is customary in that country

VOL. in. — NO. xvin. R

150 ITATURALIST'S CABINET.

Baker's teH-tale parrot.

for the lord mayor, with proper attendants, to
perambulate the streets, and enter bakers' and
other sh6ps unexpectedly, in order to weigh their
commodities, examine their measures, &c. &c.
The lord mayor having accordingly visited a
baker's shop in the abovementioned street, or-
dered several loaves to be put into the scale,
which were all found to be sufficiently heavy.
His lordship expressed his satisfaction, and was
about to depart, when a tell-tale parrot, which
was hanging up in a cage in the window, imme-
diately exclaimed, " Light bread in the cfoset :
light bread in the closet." Hereupon his lord-
ship and servants entered a small apartment,
where they found several loaves deficient in
weight, which were accordingly carried away.

Parrots of this species not only imitate dis-
course, but also mimic gestures and actions.
ScaJiger tells us that he saw one which performed
the dance of the Savoyards, at the same tim«
that it repeated their song. The females of this
species deposit their eggs (which do not exceed
two in number,) In the hollows of trees; and
there is no way of getting at their yootig but
by cutting down and cleaving the trees.

ETHIOPIAN, OR GUINEA PARROT.

THIS is a small species, not much larger than
a lark, and is so common in this country, thfct it
6

THE ETHIOPIAN PARROT.

Mutual affection.

does not meet with that degree of admiration
which is due to its superior elegance. Its colour
is in general green ; the jbill, throat, and breast,
being red, and the rump blue. Although very-
imitative of the manners of other birds, it is dif-
ficult to teach them to articulate words, having
by nature a very disagreeable cry. Some, how-
ever, have attained this art, but tjie instances ar#
very rare.

They are exceedingly kind and affectionate
towards each other. The female seldom attempts
to eat before the jnale, who, it i? observed, gene-
rally perches on ;the right side of his mate.

A singular instance of the attachment of thesp
birds is recorded in Bonnet's Contemplation p#
Nature. A male and female of this specif s .were
lodged together in a large square cage, gt $£
bottom of which was placed the vessel vvhic,fo
contained their food. The male usually sat 9»
the same perch with the female, ,and close besid$
her. Whenever one descended fpr food, the
Other always followed; and when their hunger
.was satisfied, they returned together to the high-
£st perch of the cage. They passed four ye#r£
together in this state of cpnfinement; and frpn>
their mutual attentions and satisfaction, it wajs
evident that a strong affection for each other hajt
been excited. At the end of this period, the/ei-
male fell into a state of languor, which had every
symptom of old age ; her legs swelled, and knots
appeared upon them, as if the disease had
R 2

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Singular attachment.

of the nature of the gout. It was no longer pos-
sible for her to descend and take her food as for-
merly; but the male assiduously brought it to
her, carrying it in his bill and delivering it into
hers. He continued to feed her in this manner,
with the utmost vigilance, for four entire months.
The infirmities of his mate, however, increased
every day ; and at length she became no longer
able to sit upon the perch: she remained now
crouched at the bottom, and from time to time
made a few useless efforts to regain the lower
perch ; while the male, who remained close by
her, seconded these her feeble attempts with aH
his power. Sometimes he seized with his bill
the upper part of her wing, to try to draw her
up to him ; sometimes he took hold of her bill,
and attempted to raise her up, repeating his efforts
for that purpose several times. His countenance,
his gestures, his continual solicitude— every thing,
in short, indicated in this affectionate bird an
ardent desire to aid the weakness of his compa-
nion, and to alleviate her sufferings. But the
scene became more interesting when the female
was on the point of expiring. Her unfortunate
partner went round and round her without ceas-
ing; he redoubled his assiduities and his tender
cares; he attempted to open her bill, in order to
give her some nourishment; his emotion became
every instant redoubled ; he went to her and re-
turned with the most agitated air, and with the
utmost inquietude; at intervals he uttered the

THE YELLOW-WINGED PARROT. 153

Tender constitution and timidity.

most plaintive cries ; at other times, with his eyes
fixed upon her, he preserved a sorrowful silence.
His beloved companion at length expired : he
himself languished from that time, and survived
her only a few months.

These birds abound not only in Ethiopia and
Guinea, but also in Java, and other parts of the
East Indies, where they are. seen in immense
flocks; and like the sparrows in Europe, do great
damage to the corn and fruits. The trading ves-
sels continually bring away considerable numbers
in cages; but they are so tender that most of
them die in their passage to our colder climates.
It has been also remarked, that many of them
have dropped down dead through timidity at the
firing of a vessel's great guns. Should they sur-
vive their voyage, they live a long time if kept
together in pairs, and have even been known to
propagate.

THE YELLOW-WINGED PARROT.

THE length of this bird (which is a native of
South America) is about thirteen inches; the
bill is whitish, and the cere hoary. The general
colour of the body is green ; and the feathers on
the hind part of the neck and on the back have
black margins. The forehead is of a whitish
ash-colour; and the top of the head, and the
cheeks, throat, and the fore part of the neck are

Description, habits,

yellow ; the hind part of the head is yellow-green.
The thighs and the ridges of the wings are yel-
low: the remainder of the wings are, in diiJerewf
parts, .red, yellow, and green, with the .gwuitef
quills black. The four middle tail-feathers MSf
green, and yellowish nearfthe end ; 'the otke,rs are
partly red and partly .green. The legs are hoary.
and the claws ush-coloiyed.

Of the .manners and disposition of this biitf
very little move is known than what is contained
in the following account of a tome one commu-
nicated to Comic de Buffon, by Father jBougot:

" It is," says he, " very susceptible of attach-
ment to its .waster; it i$ fond of hi«i, ibut re-
quires frequent caresses, #nd s«e\xis .Disconso-
late if neglected, and vindictive if provoked. .It
has fits of obstinacy: it bites during its ill hu-
mour, and immediately laughs, exulting in its
mischief. Correction and rigorous treatment
serve but to harden it ; gentle usage alone suc-
ceeds in mollifying its tem-per.

" Its inclination to gnaw whatever it can reach,
has very destructive effects ; it cuts the cloth of
the furniture,, splits tl>e wood of the -chuifs, and
tears papers, pens, &c.; .«ud if.it be removed
from the spot, its proneness to contradiction will
instantly hurry it back. But this mischievous
Jjent is .counterbalanced i>y Agreeable qualities;
for it remembers readily what.it is taught toisp.y.
Before it artiqula^ it qlaps k wi»gs ftnjl pl^ys
on its roost ; in tjie cage ,it J>eooine.s jie^ctejjl ami

THE tKI.LOW-tflNGED PARROT. 133

Account of a tdme one.

continues silent; and never prattles well except
when it enjoys liberty.

" In its cheerful days it is affectionate, receives
and returns caresses, and listens and obeys; but
a peevish fit often interrupts this harmony. It
seems affected by the change of weather, and be-
comes silent ; the way to re-animate it is to sing
beside it, and it then strives by its noisy screams
to surpass the voice which excites it. It is fond
of children ; in which respect it differs from most
other parrots. It contracts a predilection for
some of them, and suffers them to handle and
carry it; it caresses them, and if any person then
touch them, it bites at him fiercely. If its fa-
vourite children leave it, it is unhappy, follows,
them, and calls loudly after them. During moult-
ing, it is much reduced, and seems to endure
great pain; and this state lasts nearly three
months.

" The food! commonly given him consists of
hemp-seed, nuts, fruits of every kind, and bread
soaked in wine ; he would prefer meat, but that
kind of aliment has been found to make him dull
and heavy, and to cause his feathers to drop off
after some time. It has likewise been observed,
that he keeps his«food in a kind of pouch, from
which he afterwards throws it up ia the same
manner as ruminating animals."

136 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description — Gentle disposition.

THE GREEN MACAW.

THIS rare and beautiful bird is about seven-
teen inches in length. Its bill is black; and on
the cheeks there is a bare white patch, marked
with black lines, in which the eyes are placed.
The general colour of the plumage is green. The
forehead is of a chesnut purple; and the crown
is blue, which colour blends itself with the green
as it passes backwards. On the lower part of
the thighs, the feathers are red ; and the w ings
are, in different parts, crimson, blue, and black.
The tail is green above, near the ends blue, and
beneath of a dull red. The legs are brown, and
the claws black.

The disposition of this bird is exceedingly gen-
tle. It soon becomes familiar with persons whom
it sees frequently, and is pleased in receiving and
repaying their caresses. But it has an aversion
to strangers; particularly to children, at whom
it flies with great fury. It becomes enraged at
seeing a young child sharing its mistress's cares-
ses and favours ; it tries to dart at the infant, but,
as its flight is short and laborious^, it can only ex-
hibit its displeasure by gestures and restless
movements, and continues to be tormented by
these fits till she leaves the child, and takes the
bird on her finger. It is then overjoyed, mur-
murs satisfaction, and sometimes makes a noise
exactly like the laugh of an old person. It is

THE GREEN MACAW. IS?

Food — Mode of climbing.

also jealous of the company of other parrots : and
if one be lodged in the same room, seems to enjoy
no comfort.

It eats almost every article of human food. It
is particularly fond of bread, beef, fried fish,
pastry, and sugar. It cracks nuts with its bill,
and picks them dexterously with its claws. It
does not chew the soft fruits ; but sucks them,
by pressing its tongue against the upper mandi-
ble : and the harder sorts of food, such as bread
and pastry, it bruises or chews, by pressing the
tip of the lower mandible upon the most hollow
part of the upper.

The green macaw is a native of Jamaica, Gui-
ana, and the Brasils : like all the other parrots,
it uses its claws with great dexterity; it bends
forward the hinder toe to lay hold of the fruits
and other things which are given it, and to carry
them to its bill. The parrots, therefore, employ
their toes, nearly in the manner as the squirrels
and monkeys do their fore-paws ; they also cling
and hang by them. There is another habit com-
mon to the parrots: they never climb nor creep
without fastening by the bill; with this they be-
gin, and they use their feet only as secondary in-
struments of motion.

These gregarious birds breed in the hollows of

trees like the owls, seldom forming any nest, and

laying two or three eggs each time. It is said

that the male and female sit alternately . Alex-

VOL. in. — NO. xvm. s.

138 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description — Manners of a tame one.

ander the Great is said to be the first who intro-
duced parrots into Europe.

THE TOUCAN.

THIS curious bird is almost twenty inches
in length; the bill is six inches long, and near
two inches thick at the base, being of a yellowish
green colour, reddish at the tip. The nostrils
are at the base of the bill, but are not covered
with feathers, as in some of the species. The
principal upper parts of the body, and the breast
and neck are of a glossy black, with a tinge of
green; the lower part of the back, the rump,
upper part of the tail, and small feathers of the
wings are the same, with a cast of ash-colour :
the breast is of a fine orange. The belly, sides,
thighs, and the short feathers of the tail are a
bright red; the remainder of the tail is of a
greenish black, tipped with red. The legs and
claws are black. This bird is easily tamed, and
will eat almost any thing offered to it; in general
it feeds on fruits. Pozzo, who bred up a toucan,
and had it perfectly domesticated, tells us that it
leaped up and down, wagged its tail, and cried
with a voice resembling that of a magpie. It fed
upon the same things as parrots : but was most
greedy of grapes; which, being plucked off one
by one, and thrown to it, it would with great

THE TOUCAN. 139

Remarkable long tongue.

dexterity catch in the air before they fell to the
ground. Its bill, he adds, was hollow, and on
that account very light, so that the bird had but
little strength in this apparently formidable wea-
pon ; nor could it peck or strike smartly with, it.
But its tongue seemed to assist the efforts of this
unwieldy machine : it was long, thin, and flat, not
much unlike one of the feathers on the neck of
a dunghill cock; this the bird moved up and
down, and often extended five or six inches from
the bill. It was of a flesh-colour, and very
remarkably fringed on each side with small fila-
ments.

It is probable that this long tongue has greater
strength than the thin hollow beak that contains
it ; and that the beak is only a kind of sheath
for this peculiar instrument used by the toucan
in making its nest and in obtaining its provision.
Indeed there appears to be some doubt as to the
real strength of this bird's beak. Willoughby
says, that notwithstanding its extreme lightness,
" yet it is of a bony substance ; and therefore it
is not to be wondered that, dexterously used, it
should by many strokes pierce a tree ; having,
perchance, the instinct to chuse a rotten one."

The toucan builds its nest in the "holes of trees,
that are either formed by itself, or that from ac-
cident it meets with, and lays two eggs ; and no
bird, says M. de Buffon, better secures its young
from external injury. It has not only birds,
jnen, and serpents/ to guard against, but a nu-
s 2

140 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Delicacy of its flesh — Beautiful plumage.

merous train of monkies, still more prying, mis-
chievous, and hungry, than all the rest. The
toucan, however, sits in his hole, defending the
entrance with its great beak ; and if the monkey
venture to offer a visit of curiosity, the toucan
gives him such a welcome, that he is soon glad
to escape with safety.

The toucan is a native of Guiana and Brasil,
and is said to be in great request in South Ame-
rica ; both from the delicacy of its flesh, and on
account of the beauty of its plumage, partic*u-
larly the feathers of the breast. The skin of this
part the Indians pkck off, and, when dry, glue
to their cheeks : they consider these an irresisti-
ble addition to their beauty. The female lays
two eggs, and it is probable, they have more
than one brood in the year.

In several parts of South America these birds
have the name of preacher toucan; from the
habit of having one of this flock perched at the
top of a tree, above its companions, while they
are asleep. This makes a continued noise resem-
bling ill-articulated sounds, moving its head dur-
ing the time to the right and left, in order, it is
said, to deter birds of prey from seizing on them.
They generally feed on fruits, and are continually
moving from place to place in quest of food,
going northward or southward as the fruits ripen.

THE RED-WINGED OttlOLE. 141

Description — Destructive to game.

THE RED-WINGED ORIOLE.

THIS bird is about the size of a starling, with
a black bill and legs; but the plumage is of a
deep black, except the upper part of the wings,
which is a deep red.

These birds are so numerous in some parts of
America, that more than three hundred are fre-
quently caught at one draft of a net. They feed
on insects, wheat, and maize; and are exceed-
ingly destructive to the grain. They seldom
attack the maize except just after it is sown, or
afterwards on the ear becoming green, when,
pecking a hole in the side, the rain is admitted,
and the grain spoiled. This they are supposed
to do in search of insects. The farmers some-
times attempt their destruction, by steeping the
maize in a decoction of white hellebore before it
is sown; the birds that eat this prepared corn
are seized with a vertigo, and fall down. They
are so bold and voracious, that the flock may
frequently he shot at two or three times before
they can be driven off; indeed, it often happens,
that during the second loading of the gun their
number increases. In America their general ap-
pellation is maize-thief.

We are informed by Catesby, that these birds,
in Carolina and Virginia, always breed among
the rushes; the points of which they weave so
as to form a sort of roof or shed, under whick

140 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Easily caught by traps.

they build their nest, at so judicious a height
that it can never be reached even by the highest
floods. Latham says, that they build between
the forks of trees, three or four feet from the
ground, in swamps which are seldom penetrable
by man.

By setting traps in thickets \vhich they fre-
quent, these birds are easily caught ; and, ivith-
ont difficulty, are also rendered tame, and even
taught to speak. Whether taken young or old
they become immediately tame. They are fond
of singing ; and are exceedingly playful, either
when confined or when suffered to run about the
house. It is very common to keep them in a cy-
lindrical cage with bells, which they turn round
in the same manner as squirrels are often made
to do in this country. With the liveliness and
familiarity which they possess, it is said to be
highly diverting to place them before a looking-
glass, and observe their strange and whimsical
gesticulations : sometimes they erect the feathers
of their head, and hiss at the image; then lower-
ing their crest, they set up their tail, quiver their
wings, and strike at it with their bills. When
they have been confined in a cage for some
years, they are said to become perfectly white,
and so stupid and inanimate as at last not to be
able to feed themselves; this, however, never
happens in their native country.

THE ICTERIC ORIOLE. 143

Description — Construction of their nests.

THE ICTERIC ORIOLE.

THIS bird is also a native of Carolina and Ja-
maica; and in size is somewhat less than a black-
bird. It feeds on insects ; for the purpose of
killing which, the Americans keep it in their
houses. It hops about like the magpie ; and has
also many other gestures of that bird. Albin
assures us, that in all its actions it resembles the
starling ; and adds, that sometimes four or five
of them will unite to attack a larger bird, which,
after they have killed, they eat in a very orderly
manner, each chusing his part according to his
valour. In a wild state, they are so fierce and
bold, that when disturbed they will attack even
man ; but when introduced into our society, they
are said to be easily domesticated.

The nests of these birds are constructed in a
cylindrical form ; several on the same tree, and
suspended from the extremity of the branches,
where they wave freely in the air. In these situ-
ations they are far out of the reach of such ani-
mals as would otherwise destroy the young.

THE WEAVER ORIOLE.

THIS bird is found in Senegal, and some
other parts of Africa. Two females having been
brought from thence and kept together in a

144

NATURALISTS CABINET.

Nest-building in confinement.

cage, it was observed that they entwined some
of the stalks of the pimpernel, with which they
were fed, in the wires. As this seemed to show
a disposition for forming a nest, some rush stalks
were put into the cage: on which they presently
made a nest large enough to hide one of them ;
but it was as often deranged as made, the work
of one day being spoiled the next. This evinced
that the fabrication of the nest in a state of na-
ture, was the work of both male and female, and
that the female is not able to finish this impor-
tant work by herself.

A bird of this species having by accident ob-
tained a thread of sewing-silk, wove it among
the wires of its cage; and on being supplied with
more, it interlaced the whole very confusedly, so
as to prevent most part of that side of the cage
from being seen through. Green and yellow
were the chief colours it seemed to prefer.

GREAT BIRD OF PARADISE. 145

Description.

CHAP. VII.

" Wide o'er the winding umbrage of the floods,
Like vivid blossoms glowing from afar,
Thick swarm the brighter birds. For Nature's hand,
That with a sportive vanity has deck'd
The plumy nations, there her gayest hues
Profusely pours. But if she bids them shine
Array'd in all the beauteous beams of day,
Yet frugal still, she humbles them in song."

The peacock spreads

His ev'ry colour'd glory to the sun."

GREAT BIRD OF PARADISE.

IT is impossible to do justice to the elegant
plumage which adorns this bird; the most re-
markable features in it are the two long filaments
which rise beneath the tail, and the quantity of
long feathers that grow on the sides of it between
the wing and thigh, and which extending far be-
yond the real tail, are confounded with it, and
form a kind of false tail. These extraneous fea-
thers are individually extremely light, and by
their conjunction, form a bulk that is specifically
lighter, being almost without any substance, and

YOU III.— NO. XIX. T

146 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description — Loss of plumage every year.

___^

in a manner serial. The head and the back of
the neck are of a pale yellow ; the colour of the
most brilliant emerald covers the throat; the
breast and the upper part of the belly are of a
purple chesnut in most, but black in some, and
the wings are likewise chesnut. The bill is of a
greenish yellow, and the feet and claws are
brown. The head is very small in proportion to
the body; the eyes are also small, and placed
near the opening of the bill. They never fly
with the wind, which would ruffle their long plu-
mage, but always take a contrary direction; and
a change of wind sometimes obliges them to
alight on the ground, from which they can with
difficulty raise themselves again. When sur-
prised by a heavy gale they immediately soar
perpendicularly into a higher region beyond the
reach of the tempest, where in a serene sky they
float at ease on their light, flowing feathers, and
pursue their journey in security.

They lose the beautiful feathers of their tail
every year, and it is several months before they
recover them. During this time, which is the
rainy season in the countries they inhabit, they
conceal themselves; but as soon as they have
grown again, the birds again appear abroad, and
fly in flocks like starlings in Europe. During
their flight, they utter n. note somewhat resem-
bling the croaking of a raven, and this is heard
very distinctly, when they are surprised by a
storm in their rear.

GREAT BIRD OF PARADISE. 14?

Strange stories — Food— Residence.

Many strange stories, relative to this^ird, have
been not only fabricated, but believed, before
naturalists became in any degree acquainted with
it. It was reported to be destitnte of feet; to be
continually flying, even when asleep ; to live
only upon ether and dew; and that the female
produces her egg in the air, which the male re-
ceives in an orifice in his body: with many other
declarations equally absurd and ridiculous.

As this bird is scarcely ever found excepting
in that part of Asia which produces spices, (par-
ticularly in the islands of Arou) we may conclude
that it finds among those aromatic trees, that
kind of food which is best suited to its nature.
Tavernier assures us, that it is very fond of nut-
megs ; that it never fails to glut itself with them
when in season; and that those nuts are so strong
as to intoxicate and make the birds fall upon
the ground. J. Otto Helbigius (who travelled
through the East Indies) remarks, that the bird
of Paradise feeds upon red berries which grow
on a very lofty tree. Linnaeus says, that it preys
upon large butterflies; and Bontius, that it some-
times chases and devours small birds. The woods
are its usual residence ; and it perches on the
trees, where the natives, concealing themselves
in a bovver made of the branches, shoot them
with reed arrows. They are likewise caught
with bird-lime, or in nooses, and when taken,
they make -a vigorous resistance, defending them-
selves with their bills. Some of these people cut
T 2

NATURALISTS CABINET.

Value of their feathers — Longest passage.

open the bellies of the birds with a knife the mo-
ment they drop, and taking out the entrails and
part of the flesh, they introduce a red-hot iron
into the cavity, after which, they dry them by
smoke, and sell them at very low rate to the Eu-
ropeans. They are sent to all parts of India, and
to Persia, to adorn the turbans of persons of rank,
and even the trappings of the horses. A few
years ago our British ladies wore their fealhera
as an additional ornament to their head-dresses.
This bird is consequently confined to a very
small portion of the old world, and is never found
in any part of the new. Its longest passage is
from the islands of Arou to New Guinea, and
back again. Its return takes place during the
Tvestern or dry monsoon, and it repairs from
Arou to New Guinea at the commencement of
the eastern or rainy monsoon. The birds of Pa-
radise fly in flocks of thirty or forty, under the
conduct of a bird of their kind, which the natives
of Arou denominate the king, and is black with
red spots. This chief always flies above the rest 5
they never forsake him, and rest whenever he sets
the example. This submission, however, is the
cause of their destruction whenever the king
alights on the ground, being unable to raise
themselves again, on account of the particular
form and disposition, of their plumage as already
pbserved.

LITTLE BIRD OF PARADISE. 149

Habits — Description.

LITTLE BIRD OF PARADISE.

THIS little bird has been represented as a va-
riety of the great bird of Paradise, there being
but a very small difference between the two ; yet
there is every reason to presume that they are
distinct species. The principal foundation for
this opinion is the difference of their manners
and habits ; this bird existing only in the islands
of the Papous, which extend from the southern
extremity of Gilolo, and the northern point of
Ceram, to the western extremity of New Guinea;
whereas the other lives only in New Guinea and
the islands of Arou. Besides, the little bird of
Paradise never leaves its native island, and we
have seen that the common one annually migrates
at stated periods. This dissimilarity in their
manner of life argues against the identity of the
species, notwithstanding they resemble each other
in form and colour, except in size, this bird being
scarcely twenty inches, while that of the great
bird of Paradise is usually two feet four inches.
The bill is of a lead-colour, palest at the point :
the eyes are small, and the neck, which is sur-
rounded with a black ring, is of an emerald green.
The head and the upper part of the neck are of
a dusky yellow, the breast and belly dark brown,
the wings short, and of a chesnut colour; the
feathers proceeding from beneath the wings, are
about a foot long, of a paler hue than the same

150 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

How taken by ilie natives oi .Ma \ sol.

feathers in the preceding species ; and the back
is of a greyish yellow. In general, the colour*
of this kind are less brilliant than those of the
larger. The neck and bill of the male are longer
than the same parts of the female.

These little birds also follow, and appear to
obey, a king or chief, whose colours are less bril-
liant and more of a purple hue. They perch
upon the loftiest trees on the mountains, and
there construct their nests. The natives of May-
sol kill them with blunt arrows, for fear of injur-
ing their beautiful plumage. It is likewise said,
that they impregnate, with a certain drug, the
springs at which the birds are accustomed to
drink, by the effects of which they are intox-
icated, and are then easily taken. They are fond
of a tree called tsampedocb; this they pirrce
with their bills, and extract the pulp which it
contains. The natives take out their entrails,
thrust a hot piece of iron into the belly, and put
them into the hollow of a bauibou to preserve
them.

*
.KING OF BIRDS OF PARADISE.

THIS is a solitary bird, never perching upon
lofty trees like others of that tribe, but hopping
from bush, to bush in those districts that produce
the shrubs beariog red berries. It does not ap-

KING OF BIRDS OF PARADISE. 1.51

How taken — ^Description.

pear to breed in the islands of Arou, for the na-
tives assert that they have never found its nest,
and imagine that it comes from New Guinea,
and remains at Arou only during the west or dry
monsoon. They catch this bird with snares made
of a plant called by them gumu natty, or with a
viscous matter extracted from the bread-fruit.
They either dispose of these birds to the natives
of Banda, or keep them to ornament their hel-
mets with their plumage.

M. Son nerat, who had an opportunity of ob-
serving this bird in his native land, has given us
the following description of it. " The king of
the birds of Paradise, , is about the size of the
European blackbird, lie differs from the other
species of birds of Paradise, in the length of his
wings, which project over his tail. His head,
neck, throat, back, tail, and wings, are of a glossy
red, as lively and brilliant as carmine, and at the
same time as soft and delicate as velvet. The
belly is white, which at the bottom of the neck
is bordered by a transverse green line. The fea-
thers composing this stripe are short, broad, and
possess the lustre and polish of metal. From
each side of the belly, beneath the wings, proceed
long feathers, grey at the bottom and part of their
length, but each terminated by a green spot of
equal lustre with those which form the collar
round the neck. From the middle of the tail
rise two long filaments, like the stems of black
feathers without barbs, extending far beyond the
S

152 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description of another species.

tail and wings; these bend inwards, expand, and
are decorated at their extremity on one side only
with very long feathers : thus forming a ring, the
circumference of which is broad, and the centre
a circular hole. This ring is of a bright emerald
colour. The bill and feet are yellow, the iris is
the same, and at the internal angle of the eye
there is a black spot."

There is another kind of this bird, which is
distinguished by two plumes of feathers, situ-
ated at the beginning of the neck behind. The
first is composed of several narrow feathers of a
yellowish colour, marked near the end with a
small black spot, and which, instead of being
placed in the usual manner, are raised, so that
those nearest the head form a right angle with it.
Below this tuft is another considerably larger, but
more inclined towards the tail. It is formed of
long filaments, proceeding from very short quills,
fifteen or twenty of which are united to form a
kind of feathers of a straw colour, which appear
as if cut square at the ends. On each side of
this second plume are feathers of the common
kind variegated with brown and orange, and it
is terminated behind by a bright reddish brown
spot of a triangular form, the point of which is
turned towards the tail; the feathers that com-
pose it being of the same description as those of
the second plume.

Another characteristic mark of this bird, are
the two filaments of the tail, which are about a

THE PEACOCK. 153

Characteristic marks.

foot long and one line in breadth, of a blue,
changing to a bright green colour. Thus far
they greatly resemble the filaments of the pre-
ceding species, but they differ in their form, ter-
minating in a point, and having feathers only on
the middle of the interior side. The- middle of
the neck and of the breast is marked from the
throat by a row of very short feathers, exhibiting
a succession of small transverse lines, which are
alternately of a beautiful bright green, changing
to blue, and of a dark green like a drake. Brown
is the principal colour of the abdomen, rump,
and tail, a reddish yellow of the wings and the
feathers by which they are covered. Those of
the head are short, straight, close, and very soft
to the touch; it is a kind of a velvet of varying
colours, as in almost all the birds of Paradise,
upon a brown ground; the throat is covered with
the same kind of feathers, but the latter are
black, with reflections of gold and green. This
bird is rather larger than the other king of birds
df Paradise.

THE PEACOCK.

THIS master-piece of magnificence may justly
be called the handsomest of the feathered cre-
ation, having a tall majestic figure, and a bril-
liant plumage, in which are united all the colours
of the heavens and the earth. Its small, oblong

VOL. III. — NO. XIX. U

154 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Elegant tuft — Characteristics.

head is decorated with a tuft, the elegant diadem
of beauty in no respect similar to those of other
birds. This ornament is composed of twenty-
four strait distinct feathers, of a green gold co-
lour, rising to the height of about two inches
above the head; these are nearly bare their
whole length, and are tipped with a tuft at the
top.

This beautiful bird is about the size of a young
turkey-cock of the first year; his usual length,
from the end of the bill to the extremity of the
tail, is three feet eight inches; the tail is about a
foot and a half long, and the wings, when ex-
tended, are about five inches shorter. The bill,
which is convex and thick, is about two inches
long, and of a brown colour. The feet of the
male have but a single spur, very thick, about
three quarters of an inch long, and terminating
in a sharp point. But the character which par-
ticularly distinguishes the peacock from the nu-
merous family of gallinaceous birds, is the extra-
ordinary length of the feathers which cover the
tail; these feathers forming a kind of train, or
false tail, have on each side of their stem, long
distinct barbs, and are terminated by other barbs,
adhering to each other; round the top they are
ornamented with long fringes, and expand into
circles, marked in the middle with spots, in the
form of eyes, all of which are beautifully vari-
egated.

The head, throat, neck, and belly of this bird

fci 1 1 liii

THE PEACOCK. 155

Description.

are covered with a bright green, enriched with a
golden tinge, and turning to a brilliant blue.
On each side of the head are two long white
spots, one of which is situated above the eye,
and the other, which is shorter and broader, is
placed below it. The top of <he feathers com-
posing the crest, glistens with the same rich co-
lours as the top of the head. The feathers of
the back and rump, are of a very bright green
and gold, with reflections of a copper colour : a
circle of a velvet-black terminates and borders
these feathers, which in arrangement and posi-
tion resemble the scales of fishes. The several
long feathers which cover the tail, are divided
into different rows, placed one above the other ;
their stems are white, and from their beginning
nearly to the extremity, they are furnished with
long barbs, detached from each other, of a bright
golden green, with a copper-coloured reflection.
At the extremity of these feathers the barbs unite
and form an expansive surface, in the midst of
which is the eye, a large spot, whose centre is of
a velvet black, cut into the form of a heart, and
surrounded by a circle of green, with a bright
reflection of blue and violet. This circle is again
encompassed with two other circles of gold of
different tints, and reflections of a copper colour.
The last row of these feathers, which cover the
tail, is terminated by a surface of a dusky colour,
the end of which appears as if cut square, arjd
fcas no eyes like the others.
V 2

\o6 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Inferiority of the peahen.

The peacock's belly and sides are blackish,
with some tints of green and gold ; the lower fea-
thers covering the tail; and the tail itself, com-
posed of eighteen feathers, are of a brown grey.
The feathers of the legs are of a bright fawn-
colour ; the small feathers of the wings are vari-
egated with the same and black, and have a
slight tint of gold and green; the middle ones
are of a dark blue changing to gold and green,
and the largest, which are situated farthest from
the body, are reddish. The iris of the eye is
yellow ; and the feet and claws are grey.

The peahen is smaller than the cock ; her de-
corations are less splendid, her crest is lower, and
her feet are generally without spurs ; but in some
a rudiment of one is seen. The feathers which
cover the tail are destitute of the resplendent
beauties, which are possessed by the male ; and
they are even shorter than the tail itself. Almost
her whole plumage is of a brown approaching an
ash colour; the top of the head and crest are of
the same, variegated with a few small spots of a
bright green. The two white spots on the side
of the head are larger than in the male: the
throat is white, the neck green, and each of the
feathers on the breast is bordered with white ; the
iris of the eye is of a lead colour ; the bill, feet,
and claws are grey.

This bird, which seems proud of his gaudy
plumage, is a faithful emblem of those vain mor-
tals whose only merit consists in the splendor

THE PEACOCK.

Sensible to admiration.

and elegance of their dress; for, like them, he is
almost useless-, his flesh heing dry, hard, and
without the flavour of that of other domestic
birds. His beauty also is short-lived, as his brU-
liant plumage drops off every year. Then, a$
if sensible of his loss, he appears afraid of being
seen in that humiliating situation, and seeks the
most obscure retreats to conceal himself, till the
returning spring decks him out in his accustomed
dress, and again brings him forward to enjoy the
homage due to his charms. It is said that the
peacock is so sensible to admiration, that the
best method of inducing him to display his mag-
nificence, is to take notice of him; and that on
the contrary, when a person looks at him without
interest or attention, he carefully conceals all his
treasures from one who is incapable of paying
them due attention.

This bird has long been naturalized in Europe ;
but he is of Eastern origin, being a native of In-
dia, where he is found almost every where in a
wild state, subsisting and multiplying without
the aid of man. From India they probably
passed to the western provinces of Asia, and
were thence transported into Greece, in the reign
of Alexander, where they were at first so rare,
that at Athens they were exhibited as objects of
curiosity, and the people flocked from the adja-
cent towns to see them. They are no where,
indeed, so large or so fine as in India, in the
neighbourhood of the Ganges, from whence, by

158 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Slyness — Singular mode of catching them.

degrees, they have spread into all parts, increas-
ing in a wild state in the wanner climates, but
wanting much attention in the colder regions.

When Alexander saw them for the first time
in India, on the banks of the Hyarotis, he was
so struck with their beauty, that he forbade them
to be killed under very severe penalties. It ap-
pears, however, that soon after his time, and
even during his reign, they became very com-
mon ; for the poet Antiphanes, who was contem-
porary with that prince, and survived him, says,
that a single pair which had been brought to
Greece, had multiplied to such a degree, that
they were as abundant as quails. Aristotle, like-
wise, who survived his pupil only two years,
speaks in several places of peacocks as then very
common.

In India, where these birds live in a wild state,
though they may be seen in the fields in nume-
rous flocks, they are so shy that they will allow
no person to approach them. The moment they
discover the fowler, they conceal themselves in
thickets, where it is impossible to pursue them.
The only means of catching them then is night-
time, and this is effected in the following singular
manner. Approaching the tree where they are
perched, a kind of banner, upon which are fixed
two lighted candles, is held up towards them.
On this decoy are "the figures of peacocks, judici-
ously painted. The bird, dazzled by the light,
or deceived by the painted figures, stretches out

THE PEACOCK. 159

Fecundity — Necessary directions.

his neck, draws back, and again extends it, till
he is caught in a noose, fixed for the purpose*
when the fowler draws the cord and secures it.

The fecundity of this bird is doubtless much
greater in its own than in the more northern re-
gions. The peahen there lays twenty or thirty
eggs in a year, while with us the number seldom
exceeds four or five. The eggs are white and
speckled like those of the turkey, and nearly of
the same size. If suffered to act according to
the instinct of nature, the peahen deposits her
eggs in a secret, sequestered place, and as soon
as she has finished laying she begins to sit. She
continues sitting from twenty-seven to thirty
days, according to the temperature of the climate
and of the season ; and during this period a suffi-
cient quantity of food should be placed near at
hand, that she may not be obliged to leave her
eggs too long in quest of it. - Care should like-
wise be taken not to disturb her while sitting, for
being of a restless and suspicious disposition, if
she find that she is discovered she will leave her
eggs, and begin to prepare for a fresh brood,
which can never be equal to the first on account
of the approach of winter.

The young, when hatched, should be left under
the mother twenty-four hours, after which they
may be removed beneath a coop. During the
first days, it has been observed that the mother
never returns with her brood to sleep in her nest,
nor even twice in the same place. As they can-

KJO NATURALISES CABINET.

M;iimrr* of the young.

not reach the brandies of trees, and are exposed
to many dangers, considerable attention should
at first be paid them; the place which the parent
has chosen for her lodging should be discovered,
and the young brood should be placed in safety
beneath a coop, or within an inclosure of hurdles
in the open fields.

These birds in their infant state are very weak,
and drag their wings along the ground, unac-
quainted as yet with the use of them. The mo-
ther taking them upon her back every evening,
carries one of them after the other upon the
branch where they are to pass the night ; the
next morning she hops from it upon the ground
before them, and by accustoming them to follow
her, «t length teaches them how to use their
wings. As the young brood acquire strength,
they begin to fight with each other, particularly
in warm countries, and, for this reason, the an-
cients, who appear to have paid more attention
than we to the breeding of these birds, kept them
in separate boxes. The crest at length appears,
and it is not till then that the peacock discovers
them to be his progeny ; for before that time he
drives them away as strangers and intruders. It
is not safe, however, to put them among the full-
grown birds till they are seven months old ; and
if they should not perch of themselves upon the
Toogt, they should be accustomed to it, and not
suffered to sleep on the ground, on account of
the cold aud humidity.
2

PEACOCfe.

Singular property of its flesh.

These birds are very clean in their habits, and
though unable to fly much, are fond of climbing;
they commonly pass the night upon the roofs of
houses, where they do considerable mischief, or
upon the highest trees, and it is from these situ-
ations that they are heard to utter those notes
which are thought disagreeeable; but which may
probably be their expressions of alarm when their
repose meets with any interruption.

Young peacocks are still thought eatable,
though, as already mentioned, the flesh of the
old is hard, and naturally very dry; to which
quality is owing the singular property of keeping
several years unputrefied, as has been proved by
very satisfactory experiments.

The feathers of the peacock were formerly
used for making various kinds of fans; and
wreaths, like those of laurel, were formed of
them, for the poets, called Troubadours. Gessner
says, that he saw a kjnd of stuff, the warp of
which was composed of silk and gold-thread, and
the woof of these feathers ; such, doubtless, was
the mantle of peacock's feathers sent by Pope
Paul III. to King Pepin. In China, the feathers
of the peacock are a mark of authority, and when
worn in the cap, announce a mandarin of the
highest class. In ancient times they were also
among the ornaments of the kings of England.

At Dunkirk, in the winter of 1776, one of these
birds was buried for several days beneath the
snow. The owner did not know what had be-

VOL. UI. — NO. XIX. X

J62 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Circumstance of one buried under snow.

come of him, till he was discovered alive, but
completely frozen; being gradually warmed by
a moderate heat, he soon began to take his food,
and continued just as well as if nothing had
happened. This is the more remarkable, when
we consider that the bird is originally a native of
a hot climate.

The life of this bird is reckoned by some at
about twenty-five years; by others one hundred*

THE WHITE PEACOCK.

THIS bi-rd, as its name imports, ia entirely
white, not excepting even the eyes of the train,
which it is, nevertheless, easy to trace out. It
jfetains its colour in every season, and every
country; which, indeed is so permanent, that
the eggs of this species laid and hatched, even
in Italy, still produce white peacocks. Most
naturalists agree in representing Norway, and
the other northern countries as its native land.
It appears to live there in a wild state, being fre-
quently found wandering about in Germany dur-
ing the winter; it is even seen in countries much
more southerly, as France and Italy, but only in
a domesticated state. This variety is, in La-
tham's opinion, more common in England thai*
elsewhere. We are informed by the same writer,
that two instances have occurred to him of the
females of this species having die external maika

THE VARIEGATED PEACOCK. l63

• — — ", — ; — '

Observations on varieties.

of the plumage of the male. Modern naturalists
say very little relative to the history of these
birds, excepting that the young are very difficult
to rear. It is probable, however, that the influ-
ence of the climate is not confined to their plu-
mage, but that it extends more or less to their
habits, manners, and disposition.

As a proof that the breed of white peacocks is
not absolutely peculiar to the climates of the
north, we are told by Mauduyt, that in 1783, a
pair of common peacocks, at Gentilli, near Pa-
lis, produced four young ones, two of which re-
sembled the parents in their plumage, the other
two being perfectly white. This gentleman also
asserts, that there was not a white peacock in the
\illage, or its neighbourhood. The same thing
occurred a few years before, in a place about the
sanie distance from Paris.

THE VARIEGATED PEACOCK,
AND OTHERS.

IT is supposed by Frisch, that the variegated
peacock is no other than the produce of a mix-
ture of the two preceding, the common peacock,
and the white peacock. Its plumage, indeed,
seems to indicate this mongrel origin; for it is
white upon the belly, wings, and head ; while in
every other respect it resembles the common
peacock, excepting that the eye-spots of the tail

164 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description of the Japan peacock.

are neither so long, so round, nor so distinct : its
young are not so difficult to rear as those of the
white peacock.

Besides these there are other varieties, parti-
cularly the Japan peacock, which is only known
to Europe, by means of a painting, sent by the
emperor of Japan to the pope. It is about the
size of the crested peacock, but the bill is larger,
and ash-coloured ; the iris yellow, :and round the
eye is red. On the top of the head is an upright
crest, four inches long, and shaped somewhat
like an ear of corn. The colour is green, mixed
with blue. The top of the neck and head green-
ish, marked with spots of bine ; the breast is blue
and green gold mixed ; the belly, sides, and
thighs are ash colour, marked with black spots
streaked with white on the belly; the wring co-
verts and secondaries are not unlike the back;
the greater quills are green, transversely barred
with black linos, but growing yellowish towards
the ends, where they are black ; the upper-tail
coverts are fewer than those of the common pea-
cock, but much longer than the tail; they are of
a chesnut brown, with white shafts, and have at
the end of each a large spot, gilded in the middle,
then blue, and surrounded with green; the legs
arc r.sh-coloured, and not furnished with spurs.

The female of this species is smaller than the
male, and differs in having the brily quite black,
and tin i-npu'-tail cove <s much shorter.

Chinese peacock is larger th.au the corn.,.

THE CHINESE PEACOCK. 1(55

Description of male and female.

mon peacock : the bill is black, but from the
nostrils to the tip of the upper mandible, red;
the iris is yellow. The feathers on the crown of
the head are sufficiently long to form a crest, of
a dull brown colour. The space between the
bill and thighs is naked, with a few scattered
hairs ; the sides of the head are white ; the neck
is bright brown, striated across with dusky
brown ; the upper parts of the back, scapulars,
and wing-coverts, are dull brown, dotted with
paler brown, and yellowish ; besides which each
feather is marked near the end with a roundish
large spot of a gilded purple colour, changing
into blue and green in different lights ; the lower
part of the back is dotted with white; all the
under parts are brown, striated transversely with
black; the quills are dusky; the secondaries are
marked with the same spot as the rest of the
wing; the upper-tail coverts are longer than the
tail, and each marked at the end with a spot like
the wing feathers, each of which is surrounded
first with a circle of black, and ultimately with
an orange one ; the legs and claws are brown,
and- on the back part of each leg are two spurs,
one above the other.

The female is a -third smaller than the male.
The head, neck, and under parts are brown; the
head smooth; the upper parts are also brown,
and the feathers marked with a dull blue spot,
surrounded with dirty orange; the feathers which
Cover the tail are similar, but marked at the end

NATURALISTS CABINET.

Description of the Thibet peacock.

with an obscure dull oval spot of blue ; the
have no spurs.

Some of this species have been brought to
England from China alive, and have beeu for
some time in the possession of Dr. James Monro.
The male is now in the Leverian Museum in the
finest preservation.

The Thibet peacock is about two feet and
nearly two inches long. The bill is above an
inch and a half long, and cinereous; the iris yel-
low; the head, neck, and under parts are ash-
coloured, marked with blackish lines ; the wing
coverts, back and rump, are grey, with small
white dots, besides which, on the wing covert*
and back are large round spots, of a fine blue,
changing in different lights to violet and green
gold ; the quills and upper-tail coverts are also
grey, marked with blackish lines £the quills have
two round blue spots on each, like those of the
coverts; on the outer webs, and on each tail-
feather there are four of the same, two on each
side of the web ; the middle coverts are the long-
est, the others shorter by degrees; the legs are
grey, furnished with two spurs behind. Tho
claws are blackish.

THE CUCKOO. IG7

Description.

CHAP. VIIL

" The plain-song cuckoo grey,

Whose note full many a man doth mark.

And doth not answer nay."

8HAKSPEARS,

THE CUCKOO.

1 HIS bird is about fourteen inches long, and
twenty-five broad : its bill is black, and more or
less bending ; the iris yellow ; its head, neck,
back, and wing coverts are of a pale blue, or
dove colour, which is darkest on the head and
back, and palest on the fore-part of the neck and
rump ; its breast and belly are white, elegantly
crossed with wavy bars of black : the tail, which
consists of ten feathers of unequal lengths, is
long; the two middle feathers are black, with
white tips ; the others dusky, marked with alter-
nate spots of white on each side of the shaft ;
the legs are short and of a yellow colour; the
toes are placed two forward and two backward,
-tnd thq claws are white.

Ififi NATURALISTS CABINET-

Singular disposal of its egg.

The well-known cry of the cuckoo is generally
heard about the middle of April, and ceases about
the latter end of June : its stay is short, the old
cuckoos being said to quit this country early in
July. These birds are generally supposed to
huild no nest; but, what is also extraordinary,
the female" cuckoo deposits her solitary egg,
which is smaller than that of a house-sparrow,
in that of another bird, by whom it is hatched.
The nests she chuses for this purpose are gene-
rally selected from those of the following birds;
the hedge-sparrow, water-wagtail, titlark, yellow-
hammer, green-linnet, or the whinchat. Of these
it has been observed, that she shows much the
greatest partiality to the nest of the hedge-spar-
ijow. The growth of the young cuckoo is ex-
tremely rapid ; it has a plaintive chirp, but not
learned from its foster-parents, and it never ac-
quires the adult note during its stay in this
country.

The following accurate observations relative
to the economy of this bird in the singular dis-
,posal of its egg, were communicated to the
Royal Society by Mr. Edward Jenner, and pub-
lished in the Transactions, vol. 78, part 2.

" During the time the hedge-sparrow is laying
her eggs, which generally occupies four or five
days, the cuckoo contrives to deposit her egg
among the rest, leaving the future care of it en-
tirely to the hedge-sparrow. This intrusion often,
occasions some disorder ; for the old hedge-spar-

THE CUCK00. 169

Cuckoos eggs hatched by hedge-sparrows.

row at intervals, whilst she is sitting, not only
throws out some of her own eggs, but sometimes
injures them in such a way that they become
addle, so that it frequently happens that not
more than two or three of the parent4>ird's eggs
are hatched : but, what is very remarkable, it
has never been observed that she has either
thrown out or injured the egg of the cuckoo.
When the hedge-sparrow has sat her usual time,
and has disengaged the young cuckoo and some
of her own offspring from the shell, her own
young ones, and any of her eggs that remain
unhatched, are soon turned out; the young
cuckoo then remains in full possession of the
nest, and is the sole object of the future care of
the foster-parent. The }roung birds are not pre-
viously killed, nor the eggs demolished; but
they are left to perish together, either entangled
in the bush that contains the nest, or lying on
the ground under it."

Our author then proceeds to account for this
seemingly unnatural circumstance ; and, as what
he has advanced is the result of repeated obser-
vations, it cannot, we think, be unacceptable to
our readers. " On the 18th of June, 1787, I ex-
amined a nest of a hedge-sparrow, which then
contained a cuckoo's and three hedge-sparrow*9
eggs. On inspecting it the day following, the
bird had hatched ; but the nest then contained
only a young cuckoo and one young hedge-
sparrow. The nest was placed so near the extre-

VOL. in, — NO. xix. y

)70 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Remarkable sagacity of young cuckoos.

inity of a hedge, that I could distinctly see what
was going forward in it ; and, to my great asto-
nishment, saw the young cuckoo, though so
lately hatched, in the act of turning out the
young hedge-sparrow. The mode of accom-
plishing this was curious ; the little animal, with
the assistance of its rump and wings, contrived
to get the hird upon its back, aivd, making a
lodgment for its burthen by elevating its elbows,
climbed backwards with it up the side of the
nest till it reached the top ; where, resting for a
moment, it threw off its load with a jerk, and
quite disengaged it from the nest. After re-
maining a short time in this situation, and feel-
ing about with the extremities of its wings, as if
to be convinced that the business was properly
executed, it dropped into the nest again. I made
several experiments in different nests, by repeat-
edly putting in an egg to the young cuckoo ;
which I always found to be disposed of in the
same manner. It is very remarkable, that na-
ture seems to have provided for the singular dis-
position of the cuckoo, in its formation at this
period ; for, different from other newly-hatched
birds, its back, from the scapulae downward, is
very broad, with a considerable depression in the
middle, which seems intended by nature for the
purpose of giving a more secure lodgment to the
egg of the hedge-sparrow or its young one, whilq
the young cuckoo is employed in removing either
of them from the nest. When it is above twelve

THE CUCKOO. 171

Contest for possession of a nest.

days old, this cavity is quite filled up, the back
assumes the shape of that of nestling birds in ge-
neral, and at that time the disposition for turning
out its companion entirely ceases. The smallness
of the cuckoo's egg, which in general is less than,
that of the house-sparrow, is another circum-
stance to be attended to in this surprising tran-
saction, and seems to account for the parent
cuckoo's depositing it in the nests of such small
birds only as have been mentioned. If she were
to do this in the nest of a bird that produced a
larger egg, and consequently a larger nestling,
the design would probably be frustrated; the
young cuckoo would be unequal to the task of
becoming sole possessor of the nest, and might
fall a sacrifice to the superior strength of its
partners."

This gentleman likewise observes, that it some-
times happens that the eggs of two cuckoos are
deposited in the same nest; and gives the follow-
ing instance, which fell under his observation.

" Two cuckoos and a hedge-sparrow were
hatched in the same nest ; one hedge-sparrow's
egg remained unhatched. In a few hours a con-
test began between the cuckoos for possession of
the nest, which continued undetermined till the
afternoon of the following day, when one of them,
which was somewhat superior in size, turned out
the other, together with the young hedge-sparrow
and the unhatched egg. This contest, he adds,
was very remarkable : the combatants alternately
Y2 »»

172 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Probable cause for not building a nest.

appeared to have the advantage, as each carried
the other several times nearly to the top of the
nest, and again sank down oppressed by the
weight of its burthen ; till at length, after various
efforts, the strongest prevailed, and was after-
wards brought up by the hedge-sparrows."

Undoubtedly no reason can be assigned from
the formation of this bird, why, in common with
others, it should not build a nest, incubate its eggs,
and rear its own young ; for it is in every respect,
perfectly formed for all these offices. The only
cause which can be assigned for these singulari-
ties is, the short residence this bird is allowed to
make in the country where it is destined to pro-
pagate its species, and the call that nature has
upon it during that short residence to produce a
numerous progeny. The cuckoo's first appear-
ance here is about the middle of April ; its egg
is not ready for incubation till some weeks after
its arrival, seldom before the middle of May. A
fortnight is taken up by the sitting bird in hatch-
ing the egg. The young bird generally conti-
nues three weeks in the nest before it flies, and
the foster-parents feed it more than five weeks
after this period ; so that if a cuckoo should be
ready with an egg much sooner than the time
pointed out, not a single nestling, even of the
earliest, would be fit to provide for itself before
its parent, would be instinctively directed to seek
a new residence, and be thus compelled to aban-
don its offspring; for the old birds take their
6

THE CUCKOO. 173

Observations on the conduct of the young.

final leave of this country the first week in July.
Mr. Jenner, on this subject observes, " There
seems no precise time fixed for the departure of
young cuckoos. I believe they go off in succes-
sion, probably as soon as they are capable of
taking care of themselves: for although they
stay here till they become nearly equal in size,
and in growth of plumage, to the parent, yet in
this very state the fostering care of the hedge-
sparrow is not withdrawn from them. I have
frequently seen the young cuckoo of such a size,
that the hedge-sparrow has perched on its back,
or half-expanded wing, in order to gain sufficient
elevation to put the food into its mouth. At this
advanced age it is probable that the young cuc-
koos procure some food for themselves; like the
young rook, for instance, which in part feeds
itself, and is partly fed by the old ones, till the
approach of the pairing season."

The young cuckoos are directed also by the
same instinctive impulse which induces the pa-
rent to deposit her eggs in the nests of other
birds, as soon as hatched to throw out the eggs
and young of the owner of the nest. The scheme
of nature would be incomplete without this; for
it would be extremely difficult, if not impossible,
for the birds destined to find nourishment for the
cuckoo, to find it also for their own young ones,
after a certain period; nor would there be room,
in the same nest for them all to inhabit.

Notwithstanding the above well-attested in-

174 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Instances of the cuckoos hatching their own eggs.

stances of the cuckoo's laying its eggs in the
nests, and trusting its young to the protection
of other birds ; we have also instances, equally
well attested, of their hatching and feeding their
own nestlings. We are informed by Mr. D.
Barrington, that while the Rev. Mr. Stafford was
one day walking in Blossopdale, in Derbyshire,
he saw a cuckoo rise from its nest ; which was
on the stump of a tree that had been some time
felled, so as almost to resemble the colour of the
bird. In this nest were two young cuckoos; one
of which he fastened to the ground by means of
a peg and line; and very frequently, for many
days, beheld the old cuckoo feed them. The
same gentleman was also furnished with two
other instances of cuckoos' nests, in which the
proper parents fed their young; the one within
four miles of London, and the other on the
south-west coast of Merionethshire.

Some imagine that the cuckoo remains in this
Country hidden in hollow trees, and in a torpid
state, during the winter. In support of this opi-
nion, Willoughby, on the credit of another per-
son, relates the following story.

" The servants of a gentleman in the country,
having stacked up, in one of the meadows, some
old, dry, rotten willows, thought proper, on a
certain occasion, to carry them home. In heat-
ing a stove, two logs of this timber were put into
the lower part, and fire was applied as usual.
But soon, to the great surprise of the family, was

THE CUCKOO. 175

Of their being found in a torpid state.

heard the voice of a cuckoo, chirping three time*
from under the stove. Wondering at so extra-
ordinary a cry in winter time, the servants dre\v
the willow logs from the furnace, and in the
midst of one of them saw something move ; when
taking an ax, they opened the hole, and, thrust-
ing in their hands, first they plucked out nothing
but feathers; afterwards they got hold of a liv-
ing animal, and this was the cuckoo that the fire
had waked. It was, indeed, brisk and lively, but
wholly naked and bare of feathers, and without
any winter provision in its hole. This cuckoo
the boys kept two years afterwards, alive in the
stove."

Mr. Bewick informs us upon good authority,
that a few years ago a young cuckoo was found
in a torpid state, in the thickest part of a close
furze-bush. When taken up, it soon exhibited
signs of life, but was quite destitute of feathers.
Being kept warm, and carefully fed, it grew and
recovered its coat. In the spring following it
made its escape ; and in flying across the river
Tyne was heard to give its usual call.

To assert as a general fact, that the cuckoos
remain torpid in this country during the winter,
because half a dozen (or perhaps not so many)
instances are recorded of their having been found
in this state, would be both presumptuous and
absurd. It is very probable that these accidental
occurrences have arisen probably from their
being young birds that had not been strong

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Male cuckoos more abundant than females.

enough to leave us at the usual time of migration,
and had therefore sought for shelter and warmth
in the places where they have been discovered.
Buflbn mentions several instances of young cuc-
koos having been kept in cages, which, perhaps
for want of proper nutriment, did not survive
the winter.

According to the general supposition, male
cuckoos are more abundant than females : Mr.
Pennant observed that five male birds were
caught in a trap in one season ; and Dr. Latham
says, that out of at least half a dozen that he
attended to, chance never directed him to a fe-
male. The males alone being vocal may, how-
ever, be one cause why our specimens are chiefly
of this sex ; their note directing the gunner
to take aim, whilst silence is the female's se-
curity.

It was once doubted whether the cuckoo was
carnivorous; but Reaumur was at the pains of
breeding up several, and found they would nei-
ther eat bread nor corn, but that flesh and insects
were their favourite food. The young cuckoos,
though helpless and foolish for a great length of
time, may be, and often are, brought up tame,
so as to become familiar. In this state they will
eat bread and milk, fruits, insects, eggs, and
flesh, either cooked or raw ; but in a state of na-
ture, they are supposed to live principally on ca-
terpillars. When fat, Dr. Latham assures us
they are as good eating as the land-raiL

THE BEfi CUCKOO. 177

Plumage varies — Description.

The plumage of the cuckoo varies greatly at
different periods of its life. In young cuckoos
the bill, legs, and tail, are nearly the same as in
the old ones; the eye is blue ; the throat, neck,
breast and belly are elegantly barred with a dark
brown on a light ground ; the back is of a lead
color, mixed with brown, and faintly barred with
white: the tail-feathers are irregularly marked
with black, light brown, and white, and tipped
with white; its legs are yellow.

This is the only species found in Great Britain,
and not more than two or three are natives even
of Europe. The different species are scattered
through the four quarters of the globe, but are
much more usual in the hot than in temperate
or cold climates. The note of this bird is in all
countries used in a reproachful sense.

THE BEE CUCKOO.

THE bee cuckoo, or moroc, in its external
appearance, does not much differ from the com-
mon sparrow : except that it is somewhat larger,
and of a rather lighter colour; it has also a yel-
low spot on each shoulder, and the feathers of its
tail are dashed with white.

This bird is exceedingly fond both of honey
and bee maggots, and is therefore peculiar for its
faculty of discovering and pointing out to man,
jind to the animal called the ratel, the nests of
iij. — NO. xix. z

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Manner of discovering the lionet-combs.

wild bees; for it well knows that, when a nest is
plundered, some must-fall to the ground, which
consequently comes to its share; indeed a part
is generally left on purpose hy the plunderers as
a reward for its services.

We are informed by Dr. Sparrman, that a nest
which was shown to him as belonging to this
bird was composed of slender filaments of bark
woven together in the form of a bottle ; the
neck and opening hung downwards, and a string
in an arched shape was suspended across the
opening, fastened by the two ends, perhaps for
the birds to perch on.

The surprising manner in which this bird di-
rects the hunters and ratel to the honey-combs,
(according to many respectable authorities,) is
truly as remarkable as it is well adapted to the
purpose, and is thus recorded by Dr. Sparrman.

" The morning and evening are its principal
meal-times; at least, it is then that it shows the
greatest inclination to come forth, and with a
grating cry of ' cherr, cherr, cherr,' to excite the
attention of the ratel, as well as of the Hottentots
and colonists, of whose country it is a native.
Somebody then generally repairs to the place
whence the sound proceeds; when the bird, con-
tinually repeating its cry of ( cherr, cherr, cherr,'
flies on slowly and by degrees towards the quar-
ter where the swarm of bees have taken up their
abode. The persons thus invited accordingly

THE BEE CUCKOO. 179

Dr. Sparnnan's account.

follow; taking great care at the same time not
to frighten their guide by any unusual noise, but
rather to answer it now and then with a soft and
very gentle whistle, by way of letting the bird
know that its call is attended to. When the
bees'-nest is at some distance^ the bird often
makes long stages or flights, waiting for its sport-
ing companions between each flight, and calling
to them again to come on; but it flies to shorter
distances, and repeats its cry more frequently and
with greater earnestness, in proportion as they
approach nearer the nest. When the bird has
sometimes, in consequence of its great impa-
tience, got too far a head of its followers ; but
particularly when, on account of the unevenness
of the ground, they have not been able to keep
pace with it ; it has flown back to meet them,
and with redoubled cries, denoting still greater
. impatience, upbraiding them, as it were, for being
so tardy. When it comes to the bees'-nest,
whether built in the cleft of a rock, or in a hol-
low tree, or in some cavity of the earth, it hovers
.over the spot for the space of a few seconds,
after which it sits in silence, and for the most
part concealed, in some neighbouring tree or
bush, in expectation of what may happen, and
with a view of receiving its share of the booty.
It is probable that this bird always hovers more
or less, in the manner just mentioned, over the
bees'nest, before it hides itself; though the peo-
ple dq not always pay attention to this circum-

z 2

'-

160 NATUKALIST'S CABINET.

Mr. Bruce'* observations.

stance : at all events, however, one may be as-
sured that the bces'-ncst is very near, when, after
the bird has guided its followers to some distance,
it is on a sudden silent/'

Though Dr. Sparnnan asserts, that he was
twice eye-witness of this circumstance, yet it is
discredited by Mr. Bruce, whose severe and
somewhat ill-natured animadversions are as fol-
low:

" 1 cannot, for my own part, conceive that, in
a country where there are so many thousand
hives, there was any use for giving to a bird a
peculiar instinct or faculty of discovering honey,
when, at the same time, nature hath deprived
him of the power <Jf availing himself of any. ad-
vantage from the discovery; for man seems in.
this case to be made for the service of the moroc,
which is very different from the common and
ordinary course of things : man certainly needs
not this bird ; for on every tree, and on every
hillock, he may see plenty of honey at his own
deliberate disposal. I cannot then but think,
with all submission to these natural philosophers,
(Dr. Sparrman, and Jerome Lobo who has also
given an account of this bird,) that the whole
of this is an improbable fiction : nor did I ever
hear a single person in Abyssinia suggest, that
either this or any other bird had such a property.
Sparrman says it was not known to any inhabi-
tant of the Cape, any more than that of the mo-
rot was in Abyssinia; it was a secret of natufl

THE AMERICAN CUCKOO. 161

Sparrniau's account confirmed — Description.

hid from all but these two great men, and I most
willingly leave it among the catalogue of their
particular discoveries."

However, Mr. Barrow, (who in the years 1797
and 1 798 travelled into the interior of the south-
ern extremity of Africa) fully confirms the truth,
of Dr. Sparrman's account. " Every one in thafc
country," says this gentleman, " is too well ac-
quainted with the moroc to have any doubts a$
to the certainty either respecting the bird or it?
information of the repositories of the bees." He
tells us further, that it indicates to the inhabi-
tants with equal certainty the dens of lions,
tigers, hyenas, and other beasts of prey and nox-
ious animals. M. Le Vaillaint says, that thx;
Hottentots are very partial to the moroc on ac-
count of the service it renders them; and that
once, when he was about to shoot one, they im-
plored him to spare his life in consideration of^
.its utility.

THE AMERICAN CUCKOO.

THIS is about the size of a blackbird; the
upper mandible of the bill black, the lower yel-
low ; the large wing-feathers are reddish ; the
rest of the wing, and all the upper part of the
body, head and neck, is of an ash colour-, all the
under part of the body, from the bill to the tail,
the tail long and narrow, composed *i'

HMTtJR A LIST'S CABINET.

Description — Supposed cdolis.

six long, and four shorter feathers,- their legs
short and strong. Its note is very different from
the cuckoo of this country and not so remark-
able to he taken notice of. It is a solitary bird,
frequenting the dark recesses of woods and shady
thickets, and retires on the approach of winter.

THE CAPE CUCKOO.

THIS is somewhat smaller than that of our
country; the bill a deep brown, the upper part
of the body a greenish brown ; the under parts
of the body white, crossed with lines of black,
the legs reddish brown. It inhabits the Cape of
Good Hope; and is most likely the same bird
which is called edolis, from its pronouncing that
word frequently in a low melancholy tone. Voy-
agers also mention another cuckoo which is com-
mon to Loango, in Africa. It is bigger than ours,
but of the same colour, and repeats the word
" cuckoo," like that bird, but in a different in-
flexion of voice.

THE SACRED CUCKOO.

THIS is also rather less than our cuckoo; the
general colour is blackish ash in the upper parts,
marked with two spots of white on each feather ;
beneath white, transversely spotted with ash et>-

THE JAMAICA CUCKOO. 183

Description — -Cries — Names — Habits.

lour. This species inhabits Malabar, where the
natives hold it sacred. It feeds on reptiles,
which, perhaps, may be such as are the most
obnoxious ; if so, this seeming superstition might
have taken its origin from a more reasonable
foundation than many others of the like sort.

THE JAMAICA CUCKOO.

THIS species is somewhat bigger than a
blackbird. It is frequent in the woods and
hedges of Jamaica all the year round, and has
the name tacco, from its cry, which is like that
word ; the first syllable of this is pronounced
boldly, the other following in a full octave lower
than the first. It has also another cry like qua,
qua, qua; but that only when alarmed by an
enemy. It has also the name of rain-bird, as it
is said to make the greatest noise before rain.
It is very tame, and feeds on seeds, small worms,
caterpillars, lizards, small snakes, frogs, young
rats, and sometimes even small birds. The
snakes they swallow head foremost, letting the
tail hang out of the mouth till the fore-parts are
(digested. It is so gentle as to suffer the negro
children to catch it with their hands. Its gait is
that of leaping like a magpie, being frequently
seen on the ground; and its flight but short,
phiefly from bush to bush. At the time when
#ther birds breed, they likewise retire into the

184 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Other species or varieties.

woods, but their nests have never yet been found,
from which one should be induced to think, that
they were indebted to other birds for the rearing
their young, in the manner of the common cuc-
koo. In another species or variety, common in
Jamaica, the feathers on the throat appear like
a downy beard, whence, probably arose the name
of old man rain-bird, given there, and by Ray,
.Sloane, &c.

THE SHINING CUCKOO

IS the size of a small thrush ; the bill is bluish;
the upper part of the body green, with a rich
gilded gloss; the under parts are white, trans-
versely waved with green and gold ; the under
tail-coverts almost white ; the quills and tail dusky
brown ; the legs are bluish. This inhabits part of
New Zealand, where it is called poops-arowro.

Thirty-nine other species are enumerated in
•various parts of the world, the most particular of
which is the Cayenne cuckoo, which is the size
of the blackbird, and in that country goes by the
name of the devil. The natives consider it as a
bird of ill omen : and will not touch its flesh, which
is certainly very bad and lean ; it is remarkably
tame, and will suffer itself almost to be touched^
without offering to escape.

THE GREEN WOODPECKER. 185

Descri ption — Varieties.

CHAP. IX.

" To the deep wood*

They haste away

. The cleft tree

Offers its kind concealment to a few;

Their food its insects and its moss their nests."

THE GREEN WOODPECKER.

OF this bird there are many kinds, and many
varieties in each kind; and which are very nu-
merous in the forests of every part of the world.
They differ in size, colour, and appearance : and
agree only in habits which result from so peculiar
a conformation. The species now under consi-
deration is about the size of a jay; the throat,
breast, and belly are of a pale greenish colour :
and the back, neck, and covert-feathers of the
wings are green, the large feathers of the wings
are beautifully spotted towards the edges; the
top of the head is of a crimson colour, and the
tail-feathers alternately marked with dark green,

in. — NO. XIX. 2 A

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Food — Strength of his bill.

and black. The wings are pretty long, measuring
eighteen or twenty inches when extended from
point to point. But the bill and tongue of this
little animal are its naost distinguished charac-
teristics, and which serve for its support and
defence.

This bird feeds upon insects, and particularly
on those which are lodged in the bottom of hol-
low or rotten trees, in the discovery of which,
the extraordinary strength of his bill is of the
greatest advantage; traversing up and down the
trunk of the tree, he keeps striking with his bill,
and where the place sounds hollow he stops, and
by continued blows penetrates a hole in the bark
sufficient to receive his bill, which he then thrusts
in, and sends forth a loud whistling into the ca-
vity, in order to disengage the insects, and put
them into motion; which he has no sooner done,
than he makes use of his tongue, which proves
an excellent instrument for procuring this food,
it is round, ending irt a stiff, sharp, bony tip,
clentatcd on both sides, like the beard of an
arrow; and which he can dart out three or four
inches from the bill, rfnd draw in again at plea-
sifre. The prey is thus transfixed, and drawn
into the bill, which bejrig swallowed, the daft is

airain launched at fresh arame.
o >—

Nothing hds employed the attention of the cu-
rious, in this part of anatomy, more than the con-
trivance by which the tongue of this" bird per-
forms its functions with such great celerity; and

THE GREEN WOODPECKER. 187

Extraordinary tongue — Sagacity.

by their observations they find that the tongue
is drawn back into the hill by the help of two
small round cartilages, fastened into the fore-
mentioned bony tip, and running along the
length of the tongue. These cartilages, from
the root of the tongue, take a circuit beyond the
ears; and being reflected backwards to the crown,
of the head, make a large bow. The muscular,
spongy flesh of the tongue, encloses these carti-
lages like a sheath ; and is so made, that it may
be extended or contracted like a worm. The
cartilages indeed have muscles accompanying
them along their whole length backwards. But
there is still another contrivance; for there is a
a broad muscle, joining the cartilages to the
bones of the skull, which, by contracting or di-
lating, forces the cartilages forward through the
tongue, and then forces the tongue and all
through the bill, to be employed for the animal's
preservation in piercing its prey.

When the woodpecker, by its natural sagacity,
discovers the rotten part of a tree, and which
part almost always contains ants' eggs, and a va-
riety of insects. When resting by its strong
claws, and leaning on the thick feathers of its
.tail, it begins to bore with its sharp strong beak,
until it penetrates pretty largely into the internal
habitation. Upon which, either through pier-
sure at the sight of its prey, or with a desire to
alarm the insect colony, it sends forth a loud cry,
which throws terror and confusion into the whole
2 A 2

188 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Mode of preying on ants.

insect tribe; they are put into general motion,
endeavouring to provide for their own safety,
while the bird luxuriously feasts upon them at
Jeisure, darting its tongue with unerring certainty,
and quits not its situation until it has devoured
the whole, or satisfied its appetite. At times,
either from a want of supply, or from an inclina-
tion to change their food, they will seek out the
ant-hill; and here again they show a peculiar sa-
gacity, for as the ants are generally too deep
under the earth for them to reach with their
tongues, they peck away the top, which disturb-
ing the nest, the ants are put in motion, which
the woodpeckers observing, they thrust out their
long tongues as far as they are able, and as the
ants come upon them, they draw them in with
wonderful celerity, and by this means they never
fail of obtaining a sufficient suppty.

This bird not only makes small holes in trees
to procure its food, but also large ones to form
its nest, and even this seemingly arduous task
they also perform with the bill, although some
have affirmed that the animal uses its tongue as
a gimblet, to bore with ; but this is a supposition
evidently founded in error, since in large woods
and forests, the noise of the bill has, and fre-
quently may be heard, while they are employed
in that office. It is, however, certain that they
select for this purpose trees that are decayed, or
wood that is soft, like beech elm, and poplar.
In these, with very little trouble, they make holes
6

THE BLACK WOODPECKER. 189

Curious nest? — Description.

as exactly round as a mathematician could with
compasses. As they find no great hardship in
making these holes, they are very difficult in
their choice, and often make twenty before one
gives entire satisfaction ; but having once fixed,
they never forsake it until they have brought up
their young. Beyond making the cavity, they
are extremely indolent with respect to the forma-
tion of their nests, not taking the trouble to give
them any kind of lining, but deposit their eggs
in the hole, without any thing to keep them
warm, except the heat of the parent's body.
Their number is generally five or six; always
white, oblong, and of a middle size. When the
young are excluded, and before they leave the
nest, they are adorned with a scarlet .plumage
under the throat, which adds to their beauty.

In some parts of the country this bird is called
the rain-fowl, because, when it makes a greater
noise than usual, it is supposed to ibretel rain.

THE BLACK WOODPECKER.

THE black woodpecker weighs about eleven
ounces. Its plumage is black ; except the crown
of the head, which is of a rich crimson. The
head of the female is only marked with red be-
hind. The bill is strait, strong and angular, and
at the end formed like a wedge, for the purpose

1QO NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Capable of piercing sound timber.

of piercing trees. The feathers of the tail are
very stiff; and so firmly set into the rump, that
•when the bird has fastened its claws into the
inequalities of the bark, he places his strong tail-
feathers against it, and thus, standing as it were
erect, forms a hole by means of its bill. It is
able to pierce not only sound, but even hard
trees, as the oak and hornbeam. The hole thus
made is enlarged within, for the greater conveni-
ence of depositing its nest. The damage it does
to timber by this means is very considerable.

The female lays two or three white eggs.
This bird, which has a very loud and unpleasant
voice, inhabits Switzerland, Germany, and seve-
ral of the northern regions; and is migratory.
It is sometimes, but very rarely found in Eng-
land. This bird likewise lives on insects ; which
it catches on the bark of trees, or between the
bark and wood, in the same manner as the green
woodpecker.

WHITE-BILLED WOODPECKER.

THIS species is about the size of a crow.
The bill is white, three inches long, and chan-
nelled. On the head is a red pointed crest: the
head itself and the body in general are black ;
but the lower part of the back, the rump,, and
upper tail-coverts, are white. From the eye a
white stripe arises, and passes on each side of the

RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. 1Q1

Noise while at work.

neck down to the back. It is found in Caro-
lina, Virginia, and various parts of South Ame-
rica; where the Spanish settlers have given it
the name of the carpenter, from the noise that it
makes with its bill against the trees in the woods,
and which is heard at a very great distance; in-
deed, when several of them are at work together,
the sound is not much unlike that proceeding
from woodmen or carpenters. It rattles its bill
against the sides of the orifice, till even the
woods resound. A bushel of chips, a proof of
its labours, is often to be found at the foot of the
tree. On examination, its holes have been ge-
nerally found of a winding form, the better to
protect the nest from the effects of rain.

We are informed by Catesby, that the Cana-
dian Indians make a kind of coronets with the
bills of these birds, by setting them in a wreath
with the points outwards; arid that for this pur-
pose they will purchase them at the rate of two
or three buck-skins per bill.

RED-HEADED WOODPECKER.

THIS species is about nine inches long. The
bill is about an inch and a quarter in length, of
a lead colour with a black tip. The head and
neck are of a most beautiful crimson; the back
and wings black ; the rump, breast, and belly*
white; and the first ten quills black, the eleventh

Instructive to orchards.

black and white, and the rest white with black
shafts.

The red-headed woodpecker is a very common
bird, and exceedingly destructive to the maize-
fields and orchards, picking the ears of maize,
and destroying vast quantities of apples. They
attack the trees in flocks, and eat so much of the
fruit that nothing but the skin is left. In some
years they are much more numerous than in
others. A premium of twopence per head was
formerly paid from the public funds of some of
the states, in order, if possible, to extirpate the
breed : but this has been much neglected of late.

They build like the other species in holes
which they form in the trees, but generally high
from the ground. It is said, the noise that they
make with their bills in this operation, may be
heard at more than a mile distance. In the win-*
ter they are very tame, and are frequently known
to come into the houses in the same manner
as the redbreast does in England. Their flesh
is reckoned very good eating by some people.
They remain the whole year in Virginia, Caro-
lina, and most other parts of North America, but
are by no means seen in such numbers in winter
as during summer.

GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKEft. 1Q3

Description.

GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER.

THIS species seldom weighs more than three
ounces, the wings, when extended, being about
fourteen inches from each extremity. It has a
strait black bill, which grows thicker towards the
head, and is about an inch long, ending in a
sharp point, channelled with a furrow or two,
with a sort of black hairs or bristles growing out
of the nostrils ; the iris of the eye red, and the
tongue much the same as the green woodpecker.
The top of the head is black, dashed with a shin-
ing sort of green, the sides of it, and the feathers
that encompass the base of the upper chap, and
also those about the eyes, are white, with a line
of fine crimson on the back part, that runs from
side to side, and joins to the while on each side
of the head with a large black stroke reaching
from the corner of the mouth to the back, as low
as the insertion of the wings, crossed with a black
line just below the head ; on the side of each
wing is a great white spot, the other parts of the «
wings are bluck beautifully interspersed with se-
micircular white spots, the interior covert-fea-
thers of which are white, the exterior have one
or two white spots, the base or ridge is whitish.

The tail is strong and stiff, about three inches
long, with a forked end, bending inwards; the
outermost feather of each side black, with a
white spot on the exterior web, with some fevr

VOL, 111. — NO. XX. 21 A

194 NATUII A LIST'S CABINET.

Description, &c.

transverse black strokes, the tip of a reddish
white. This feeds in the same manner as the
preceding.

LITTLE SPOTTED WOODPECKER.

THIS is exactly like the other for shape and co-
lour, but is considerably less ; the wings, when ex-
tended, being about ten inches from each point,
and its weight about twelve drachms; the breast,
throat and belly are of a dunish white; it has a
broad streak of red upon the top of the head,
the back part of which is black, with a sort of
dusky colour about the nostrils; round the eyes
to near the middle of the neck, on both sides, is
a broad line of white feathers, which terminate
with black, except about the ears, where the co-
lour is much the same as that of the throat; the
covert-feathers of the wings are black ; the prime
feathers, and the rest of the covert-feathers beau-
tifully spotted with a sort of semicircular white
spots ; the middle part of the back white, with
"black cross-lines. The hen is distinguished from
the cock i>y a white stroke upon the top of the
head, where the cock's has a red one.

THE HANGING WOODPECKER.

Mode of sleeping — Food — Nests.

THE HANGING WOODPECKER.

THIS is a very curious bird, found in Ger-
many, Italy, and sometimes in the southern parts
of France, in the months of March and April.
It is also called the gold merle: its whole plu-
mage is blue and green, beautifully intermixed
all over the body; it has a black beak, and a
black spot on each side between the bill and the
eyes; and the large wing-feathers of the hen are
blackish, with white spots at the ends.

Pliny says, that these birds hang on the
branches of trees by their legs, where they sleep
with their heads downwards: that their food is
chiefly the same with the common woodpecker,
only these add thereto that of figs, of which they
are extremely fond; and that they also build
their nests on the extremities of the boughs of
large high trees, which are very curiously con-
trived so as to keep out the rain and the wind,
having only a small hole for the bird to go in
and out.

Aldrovandus observes, that some or other of
the different species of woodpeckers are found
in most part of Europe; they build in hollow
trees, and make a very artifical nest; which if
taken out of the tree whole appears round, and
in size resembles a foot-ball.

In the warmer regions of Guinea and Brasil,the
woodpecker composes his nest of a fibrous kind
2 B 2

NATURALISTS CABINET.

Precaution against monkey!) and snakes.

of moss, which it glues together by some viscous
substance, extracted from the trees: these are
curiously suspended from the extremities of the
different branches, having a small hole on one
side, just big enough for the little artist to enter,
and cherish its young.

" There is not in the whole history of nature,"
says a modern writer, " a more singular instance
of the sagacity of those little animals in protect-
ing themselves against such enemies as they have
most occasion to fear. In cultivated countries a
great part of the caution of the feathered tribe is
to hide or defend their nests from the invasions
of man, as he is their most dreaded enemy; but
in the depth of those remote and solitary forests,
where man is but seldom seen, the little bird has
nothing to apprehend from him. The parent is
careless how much the nest is exposed to general
notice, if the monkey and snake can be guarded
against. For this purpose its nest is built upon
the depending points of the most outward
branches of a tall tree, such as the banana, or
the plantane. On one of those immense trees is
seen the most various, and the most inimical as-
semblage of creatures that can be imagined.
The top is inhabited by monkeys of some parti-
cular tribe, that drive off all others ; lower clown
twine about the great trunk numbers of the
larger snakes, patiently waiting till some unwary
Animal comes within the sphere of their activity ;
at the edges of the tree hang these artificial

THE HANGING WOODPECKER. 197

Formation of their hanging nests.

nests, in great abundance, inhabited by birds of
the most delightful plumage.

" The nest is usually formed in this manner:
•when the time of incubation approaches they fly
busily about in quest of a kind of moss, called
by the English inhabitants of those countries
' old man's beard.' It is a fibrous substance, and
not very unlike hair, which bears being moulded
into any form, and suffers being glued together.
This, therefore, the little woodpecker, called by
the natives of Brasil the guiratemga, first glues
by some viscous substance gathered in the forest,
to the extremes! branch of a tree ; then building
downward, and still adding fresh materials to
those already procured, a nest is formed, that
depends, like a pouch, from the point of the
branch : the hole to enter at is on the side, and
all the interior parts are lined with the finer
fibres of the same substance which compose the
whole.

" Such are the general contrivance of these
banging nests, which are made by some other
birds, with still superior art. A little bird of the
grosbeak kind, in the Philippine islands, makes
its nest in such a manner that there is no open-
ing but from the bottom. At the bottom the
bird enters, and goes up through a funnel, like a
chimney, till it comes to the real door of the
nest, which lies on one side, and only opens into
this funnel.

ff Some birds glue their nests to the kaf of the

1f)8 NATUKALIST'S CABINET.

Plumage various — Description.

banana tree, which makes two sides of their little
habitation, while the oilier two are artificially
composed by their own industry. But these,
and all of the kind, are built with the same pre-
cautions to guard the young against the depre-
dations of monkeys and serpents, which abound
in every tree. The nest hangs there, before the
spoilers, a tempting object, which they can only
gaze upon, while the bird flies in and out, with-
out danger or molestation, from so formidable a
vicinity."

The plumage of those which inhabit tropical
regions is exceedingly various.

THE NUT-HATCH.

THERE are several species of this bird, but
only one found in England, the length of which
is five inches and three quarters. The bill is
strong and straight, about three quarters of an
inch long; the upper mandible is black, and the
lower white. The tongue is short, horny at the
end, and jagged. All the upper parts of the
body are of a bluish grey: the cheeks and chin
are white ; the breast and belly pale orange-
coloured ; and the quills dusky. The tail is short;
and consists of twelve feathers, the two middle
ones of which are grey, the two outer spotted
with white, and the rest dusky. The legs are
pale yellow ; the claws are large, and the back

THE NUT-HATCH. 199

Habits — Mode of eating the nuts.

one very strong. The toes arc placed three for-
ward and one backward ; the middle toe joined
closely at the base to both the outer and the
back toe as large as the middle one.

This bird is shy and solitary, frequenting the
woods, and running up and down the trees. It
often moves its tail like the wagtail. The man-
ners of all the other species very nearly corres-
pond with those of the European nut-hatch;
most of them feed on insects, and some of them
on hazel-nuts. This bird, indeed, the squirrel,
and the field-mouse, which live much on hazel-
nuts, have each a very curious way of getting at
the kernel. Of the two latter, the squirrel, after
rasping off the small end, splits the shell in two
with his long fore- teeth, as a man does with
his knife; the field-mouse nibbles a hole with
his teeth, as regular as if drilled with a whimble,
and yet so small that one would wonder how the
kernel could be extracted through it; while the
nut-hatch picks an irregular ragged hole with
his bill ; but as this last artist has no paws to
hold the nut firm while he pierces it, he, like an
adroit workman, fixes it as it were in a vice, in
$ome cleft of a tree, or in some crevice ; when,
standing over it, he perforates the stubborn shell.
On placing nuts in the chink of a gate-post
where nut-hatches have been known to haunt, it
has always been found that these birds have
readily penetrated them. While at work, they
make a rapping noise that may be heard at a

3

200 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Attention <>! the female to her eggs.

considerable distance. Dr. Plott informs us that
this bird, by putting its bill into a crack in the
bough of a tree, sometimes makes a violent
sound as if the branch was rending asunder.
Besides nuts, it feeds also on caterpillars, beetles,
and various other insects. This bird has a con-
siderable alliance to the woodpecker.

The female deposits her eggs, six or seven in
number, in some hole of a tree, frequently in
one that has been deserted by the woodpecker,
on rotten wood mixed with moss. If the en-
trance be too large, she nicely stops up part of it
with clay, leaving only a small hole for herself to
pass in and out. While the hen is sitting, if a
stick be put into the hole she hisses like a snake;
and she is so much attached to her eggs, that she
will sooner suffer any one to pluck off her fea-
thers than fly away. During the time of incu-
bation, $\e is assiduously attended by the male,
who supplies her with food. If the barrier of
plaster at the entrance of the hole be destroyed
while these birds have eggs, it is speedily re-
placed ; a peculiar instinct, to prevent their nest
from being destroyed by the woodpecker and
other birds of superior size and strength, which
build in similar situations.

The nut-hatch does not migrate, but in winter
approaches nearer inhabited places, and is some-
times seen in orchards and gardens. It is sup-
posed not to sleep perched (like birds in general)
on a twig ; for it has been observed, that when

THE HOOPOE. 201

Peculiar habits — Description.

kept in a cage, notwithstanding it would perch
now and then, yet at night it generally crept, if
possible, into some hole or corner to sleep ; and
it is remarkable, that when perched, or Otherwise
at rest, it had mostly the head downwards ; or at
least even with the body, and not elevated like
other birds. The young ones are accounted very
good eating.

This bird is likewise called the nut-jobber,
wood-cracker, &c. all which names it has derived
from its partiality for hazel-nuts.

THE HOOPOE.

THE length of this bird is twelve inches, and
the breadth nineteen. The bill is above two
inches long, black, slender, and somewhat curv-
ed ; the eyes hazel ; the tongue very short and
triangular; the head is ornamented with a crest,
consisting of a double row of feathers, of a pale
orange-colour, tipped with black, the highest
about two inches in length ; the neck is of a pale
reddish brown ; the breast and belly white, which
in the young ones, are marked with various dusky
lines, pointing downwards; the back, scapular,
and wings, are crossed with broad bars of black
and white ; the lesser coverts of the wings, light
brown; the rump is white; the tail consists of
ten, feathers, each marked with white, which,
when closed, assumes the form of a crescent, the

VOL. 111. — NO. XX, 2 C

202 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Seen at uncertain periods — Food — Habits.

horns pointing downwards: the legs are short
and black.

There is only one species of this bird found in
this kingdom, and even that is not very common,
being seen only at uncertain periods, [n the
stomach of one which was shot near Bedlington,
Northumberland, were found the claws and other
indigestible parts of insects of the beetle tribe :
it was alive some time after it was shot, and
walked about, erecting its tail and crest in a very
pleasing manner.

The female is said to have two or three broods
in the year ; she makes no nest, but lays her eggs
(generally about four or five in number) in the
hollow of a tree, and sometimes in a hole in the
wall, or even on the ground. Buffon says, that
he has found a soft lining of moss, wool, or fea-
thers in the nests of these birds, and supposes
that, in such case, they may have used the de-
serted nests of some other birds. Its food con-
sists chiefly of insects, with the remains of which
its nest is sometimes so filled, as to become ex-
tremely offensive. It is a solitary bird, two of
them being seldom seen together. In Egypt,
where they are very common, they are seen only
in small flocks. Its crest usually falls behind on
its neck, except when it is surprised 01 irritated,
and then it stands erect.

THE CREEPER. SOS

Description — Manners.

THE CREEPER.

THIS is a small bird, its weight being no
more than five drachms. The length of his fea-
thers and the manner of his ruffling them, give it,
however, an appearance much beyond its real
size. Its bill is long, slender, and much curved,
the upper mandible brown, the lower whitish;
the eyes are hazel; the head, neck, back, and
wing-coverts are of a dark brown, variegated
with streaks of a light hue ; the throat, breast,
and belly are of a silvery white; the rump tawny ;
the quills are dusky, edged with tawny, and
marked with bars of the same colour; the tips
are white ; above each eye a small dark line pas-
ses towards the neck, above which there is a line
of white; the tail is long, and consists of twelve
stiff feathers, of a tawny colour, pointed and
forked at the end ; the legs are short, and of a
brown colour; the claws are long, sharp, and
much hooked, which enable it to run with great
facility on all sides of small branches of trees in
quest of insects and their eggs, which constitute
its food. Although very common, it is not seen
without difficulty, from the ease with which
on the appearance of any one, it escapes to the
opposite side of the tree. It builds its nest early
in the spring in the hole of a tree. The female
lays from five to seven eggs, of an ash colour
marked at the end with spots of a deeper hue.
2 c 2

204 NATURALISTS CABINET.

Utility in destroying insects.

This bird is found in Europe and Asia, and is
also very common in some parls of North Ame-
rica, particularly in the neighbourhood of Phila-
delphia. From observing its utility in destroy-
ing insects, it has long been a custom in many
parts of the United States to fix a small box at
the end of a long pole in gardens, and about
houses, as a place for it to build in. In these
boxes the animals form their nests, and hatch
their young, which the parent birds feed with a
variety of insects, particularly those which are
most injurious to gardens.

A gentleman, who was at the trouble of watch-
ing these birds for the purpose, observed that
the parents generally went from the nest, and re-
turned with insects from forty to sixty times in
an hour ; and that in one particular hour, they
carried food seventy-one times in the hour. In
this business they were engaged during the
greater part of the day. Allowing twelve hours
to be thus occupied, a single pair of these birds
would destroy at least six hundred insects in the
course of one day, on the supposition that the
two birds took only a single individual each
time; but it is highly probable that they often
took more.

THE RED CREEPEK. 205

Description.

THE RED CREEPER.

THIS diminutive bird is even smaller than
the last-mentioned species. It is chiefly remark-
able for its nest, which, unlike those of most of
the other kinds of creepers, is pensile. It is
formed not unlike a chemist's retort fixed with
the mouth downwards, through which the parent
ascends to its young placed in the bulb at the
top. Its length is about fourteen or sixteen
inches, and it is suspended to the most extreme
and tender branches of the trees, by means of a
kind of woven work of the same materials as the
exterior of the nest. In the broadest part of the
bulb it measures about six inches in diameter.
Within it is lined with extreme soft and downy
materials, to guard the bodies of the tender
young from injury; and it is altogether so very
light as to be driven about by the most gentle
breeze.

This bird is an inhabitant of New Spain, and
feeds on insects, like the common species.

206 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description.

CHAP. X.

" Hither the vocal thnah repairs ;

Secure the linnet sings ;
The goldfinch dreads no slimy siiarei,

To clog her painted wings.

Sad Philomel ! ah, quit thy bannt
Yon distant woods among,

And round my friendly grotto chant
Thy sweetly-plaintive song.

Let not the harmless red-breast fear,
Domestic bird ! to come.

And seek a sure asylum here

With one that loves his home."

CRIAVIS.

THE THRUSH.

THERE are four or five species of this bird,
and all have a straitish bill, bending towards the
point, and slightly notched near the end. The
inside of the bill is yellow, and at its base are se-
veral black hairs, which project forward; the
nostrils oval, and for the most part naked ; the
tongue slightly jagged at the end, and the corner
of the mouth furnished with a few slender hairs,-
the upper part of the body is of a dark brown,

THE TIIHUSH. 207

Fulness of his note — Nests.

the lower part lighter, and spotted. Their length
varies in the different species, from eight to ele-
ven inches.

The song-thrush, or throstle, is distinguished
among the singing birds, by the clearness and
fulness of his note ; his song, which charms us
not only with its sweetness, but likewise with its
variety, begins early in the spring, and continues
during great part of the summer.

This species, though not considered as migra-
tory with us, has, however, been observed in
greater numbers, in some places, during the
spring and summer, where not one was to be
seen in the winter. From this circumstance it
has been supposed that they either shift their
quarters entirely, or take shelter in the more re-
tired parts of the woods. That the throstle is
migratory in France, and other parts of the con-
tinent, we are assured by that accurate observer
of nature, M. Buftbn, who says, that these birds
appear in Burgundy about the season of the
vintage, and leave that country again at the com-
mencement of winter.

The thrush builds in woods or orchards, and
sometimes in a thick hedge, near the ground.
The outside of the nest consists of a fine soft
green moss, interwoven with dead grass, hay, &c.
The inside is very curiously plastered with cow-
dung, not daubed as some imagine, but with
better skill than many of our plasterers could do
the same work.. She lays her eggs upon the

208 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Number of eggs — Familiarity.

bare inside plastering (but not till it is thoroughly
dry) five or six in number, of a bluish-green co-
lour, speckled with a few black spots, chiefly at
the biggest end. These birds commonly pair
about the beginning of spring, and lay twice, or
even a third time, in. case any accident destroys
the former clutches. M. Albin says, he saw a
nest of young thrushes on the 5th or 6th of April,
notwithstanding it had been a cold spring, which
were well feathered, and at least twelve days old.
It is difficult to distinguish the male of this spe-
cies from the female, either by the size, which
is nearly equal in both sexes, or by the colours,
which are extremely variable.

The thrushes, though solitary birds, may some-
times be seen in considerable numbers. Each
family commonly goes under the conduct of the
parents, and sometimes several of these families
meeting together in the woods, might induce a
belief that they are gregarious. These meetings,
however, are only accidental and momentary ;
the birds are soon observed to separate into as
many parties as there are families; and these dis-
perse completely when the young are capable of
providing for themselves.

This bird, which renders the forest vocal with
his music, sings equally well in a state of capti-
vity. " A lady of my acquaintance," says Son-
iiini, " had a thrush which she kept eight years.
He became so familiar as to follow his mistress,
'Whistled several tunes extremely well, aud lived
6

THE THRUSH. 20Q

Similarity of the cock and hen.

upon a paste, made of crumb of bread and rape
seed, of which he consumed fifty-two pounds in
the course of the year. This is a curious obser-
vation, affording a medium of judging of the
quantity of food taken by a bird, and of the de-
predations which some of the smaller species
commit on the produce of our fields.

" This tame thrush was subject to the gout;
one of his legs swelled, he appeared to suffer
great pain ; the fits lasted several days ; his death
was the consequence of an accident."

The cock and hen of this kind are so much
alike in colour and shape, as already observed,
that, notwithstanding the most minute and care-
ful examination, no certain marks have been dis-
covered to know the one from the other, except-
ing that when in full feather, the dusky or olive-
colour on the cock's back, is somewhat darker
than the back of the hen ; he has also a more
glossy cast; the spots on his breast and belly
seem darker, and rather more white appears on
his belly.

It is observable, that in the cocks and hens of
all kinds of birds, where the colours are the same
in both, yet the cock-bird constantly excels the
hen in the resplendency of his feathers; in the
song-thrush, in an old bird, this difference is ap-
parent.

In young thrushes it is best to chuse the sleek-
est and brightest bird; when they begin to feed
themselves, both cocks and hens will record ; th«

TOL. III. — NO. XX. 2 D

tflO NATURALIST'S CABINBT.

Description — Where found.

cock will get upon his perch and sing his notes
low for some time; the hen will attempt to sing,
but do it only by jerks, and so disappoint expec-
tation. At the latter end of the summer, when
their moulting is over, the cock will break out
strong in song, and sing in winter as well as
in summer.

THE MISSEL THRUSH.

THIS species, so called from its feeding on
the berries of the misletoe, is distinguished
from the rest of the thrush tribe by its supe-
rior size; being about eleven inches in length
from the point of the bill to the end of the
tail. The upper part of the head, neck, and
whole body is of a brown grey, somewhat mixed
with red towards the rump ; the sides of the head,
the throat, and the lower part of the body are of
a yellowish white, spotted with black. The fea-
thers of the wings are brown, with pale edges ;
the tail-feathers are the same, and the three out-
ermost are tipped with white. The bill is yellow
at the base and corners, but the rest of it is
brown ; the legs are yellow, and the claws black.
These birds are rare to be seen. They are found
in various parts of Europe; and though they are
said to be migratory in some places, continue
in England during the whole year. They build
ilieir nests sometimes on trees of moderate height,

THE MISSEL THRUSH. 211

Nests — Food — Manners.

and sometimes on the summit of the most lofty,
preferring those which are most covered with
moss. The nest, which is large, is formed, both
within and without, of grass, leaves, and moss ;
it bears a greater resemblance to that of the
blackbird, than to that of the thrush, excepting
that it is lined in the inside. They breed twice
a year, producing four or five large eggs at each
clutch, and feed their young with caterpillars,
worms, and snails, whose shells they break in
order to get at them. The old birds subsist, in
summer, upon berries of every kind, cherries,
grapes, and other fruits, and in winter on the
berries of juniper, holly, ivy, but particularly
misletoe.

This bird expresses its anger in a very harsh
note, between a chatter and a shriek. The male,
however, has a very agreeable voice, and begins
to sing very early in the spring, ch using for his
station the tops of the highest trees. The only
difference between the male and female is, that
the former has a greater proportion of black in
his plumage.

M. de Montbeillard, the assistant of Buffon,
describes the manners of the missel thrush as
perfectly gentle and pacific. The truth of this
observation is, however, disputed by M. Le
Vaillant, who declares that it is the most quarrel-
some and petulant of birds. " This disposition,"
he adds, " manifests itself in such a degree, that
when there are several of these birds in the same
2 D 2

f 12 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Animosity — Heath-thrush — Red-wing swincpipe.

neighbourhood, they pursue each other continu-
ally, screaming and fighting till the weakest are
obliged to shift their quarters. This animosity
is not confined to their own species, but extends
to every bird, even though much stronger than
themselves, that approaches the place where they
have fixed their abode.

<e The stock-dove, the ring-dove, the raven,
the cuckoo, and the butcher-bird, are all afraid
of the missel thrush, and experience his persecu*-
tions. He has the spirit to attack the sparrow-
hawk, the kestrel, and the merlin, and I have
seen even the buzzard and the kite fly with pre-
cipitation upon his approach. However, when
the enemy appears too formidable, these birds,
forgetting their private resentments, attack him
with united force. Their harsh cries of crrrre,
crrrre, grrrre, grrrre, trrre, trrre, trrre, trc, trt, tre,
trt, repeated in every tone, and with an expres-
sion of rage, contribute not a little to the terror
inspired by these naturally vindictive birds."

The same naturalist, upon this occasion relates,
that in the vicinity of Paris, he witnessed a com-
bat between about ten of these birds and an
eagle, in which the latter was completely beaten
and put to flight.

There is another sort found in England, called
the heath thrush, as it builds upon heaths and
commons, which is of a darker hue than any of
the thrush kind, and by some valued for singing.
Another sort called the red-wing swinepipe, o?

THE LOCUST-EATING THRUSH. 213

Description.

wind-thrush, is in shape and colour very like the
song-thrush, but in no esteem for singing. It
is a bird of passage that shifts places according
to the season of the year; but whither it goes
cannot be ascertained.

LOCUST-EATING THRUSH.

THIS new species, which is found in the inte-
rior of the south of Africa, only in places which
the migrating locusts frequent, has received from
Mr. Barrow the specific name of gryllivorus; its
whole food seems to consist of the larvae of
locusts; and, in districts which this insect does
not infest, it is very seldom to be found. Its
head, breast, and back, are of a pale ash-colour;
and the abdomen and ramp white. The wings
and tail are black ; the latter short, and a little
forked. From the angle of the mouth a naked
area of sulphureous yellow extends under the eye
and a little beyond it; and there are two naked
black streaks under the throat.

This bird seems to have been peculiarly or-
dained by Providence as a relief to the inhabi-
tants of the country, where it is found, from the
dreadful attacks of those most voracious and
jnost numerous of all insects. For, however
astonishing the multitudes of locusts may be,
the numbers of gryllivori are not less so. Their
pests., which at a distance seem of a most enor-

214 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Nc-sts — Attend the flight ot'locusts.

mous size, appear on examination to consist of a
number of cells, each of which forms a separate
nest, with a tube that leads into it through the
side; so that what seemed but one great nest, i»
found to consist of a little society of perhaps ten
or twenty. One roof of interwoven twigs covers
the whole, like that made over the nest of the
magpie of our country.

Mr. Barrow informs us, in his Travels, that he
saw a vast number of these hirds in the district
of Sneuwberg, about an hundred and fifty leagues
north-east of the Cape. The gryllivori had not
visited that colony for thirteen years before ; that
is to say, since the last time the locusts had in-
fested it. " They had," he says, " taken up a
temporary abode here; in a place which they
were not likely, in a short space of time, to be
tinder the necessity of quitting for want of food.
Of the innumerable multitudes of the incorrtplete
insect, or larva of the locusts, that at this time
infected this part of Africa, no adequate idea
could possibly be formed ; in an area of nearly
two thousand square miles, the whole surface of
the earth might be literally said to be covered
with them. The gryllivori attended closely the
last flight of locusts, and departed with them ;
since which time till the year 1797, (in which
our author visited Africa,) not one of them was
to be found in the country."

THE LINNET.

Description — Docility.

THE LINNET.

THIS favourite bird which is universally ad-
mired for the melody of his voice, is in length, from
the point of the bill to the end of the tail, five
inches and a half long, and usually weighs about
ten drachms. The bill bluish-grey, the eyes ha-
zel, the upper parts of the head, neck, and back
are of a dark reddish brown, the edges of the
feathers pale ; the under parts are of a dirty red-
dish white ; the breast is deeper than the rest,
and iti spring becomes of a very beautiful crim-
son; the sides are spotted with brown; the quills
are dusky, edged with white; the tail brown like-
wise, with white edges, except the two middle
feathers which have no margins; it is somewhat
forked; the legs are brown.

The linnet is so much esteemed for the sweet-
ness of his singing, that, by many persons, he is
thought to excel all small birds. He has cer-
tainly a curious fine note of his own, little infe-
rior to the most celebrated birds, and may be
taught likewise to pipe, whistle, or the song of
any other bird; but as his own is so good, that
trouble is unnecessary. He is, however, very apt
in learning, and if brought up from the nest, will
take the woodlark's or canary-bird's song to per-
fection. In some instances it has been said to
pronounce words with great distinctness.

The cock linnet may be known, either old or

010 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Signs of a cock linnet — Nests.

young, by these two marks; first, the feathers
on his back are much browner than those of the
lien ; and secondly, by the white on the three
or four longest feathers of the wing ; if it appear
clear, bright, and broad, and reach up to the
quills, it is a sure sign of a cock bird ; for the
white in the wing of the hen is much less, fainter,
and narrower.

These birds commonly build in a thick bush,
or hedge, and sometimes among furze-bushes,
&c. making a small, pretty nest, the outside of
bents, dried weeds, and other stubble matter,
and the bottom all matted together; the inside
of fine soft wool, mixed with down stuff, gathered
from dried plants, with a few horse-hairs, made
exceedingly neat and warm, on which she lays
four, and sometimes five white eggs, with fine
red specks, especially at the blunt end ; and has
young ones by the middle of April or beginning
of May. The young may be taken at ten days
old, or sooner; it is very necessary, however,
that they should be kept very warm, clean, and
fed at least once in every two hours. Their food
at first should consist of rape-seed, soaked eight
or ten hours in water, then scalded, and after-
wards bruised, clearing it as much as possible
from the hulls ; to this should be put twice as
much white bread, that had first been soaked in
water, and afterwards boiled in a little milk, mix-
ing them together in a kind of soft paste, and
which should be prepared fresh every day, as

THE LINNET. C!l?

Proper food — Docility — How taken.

sour meat is very fatal to all kinds of birds; when
they begin to pick about their meat, and feed
themselves, set scalded rape-seed in their cage,
to wean them from the bread and milk as soon
as possible ; because sometimes feeding too long
upon soft food will make them rotten. It willv
be a month or six weeks before they will be able
to crack their seeds, and live entirely upon hard
meat; such as rape and canary-seed, which is
the best food they can have. They are particu-
larly fond of linseed, from which, Bewick says,
they derive their name.

Linnets are easily taught to whistle, or to imi-
tate other birds ; and when it is intended they
should be thus instructed, they should have their
lessons at the times they are fed, for they will
learn very much before they can crack hard
seeds ; or hang them under any bird you have a
mind they should learn his song ; for these birds,
when young, are exceedingly docile, and will
learn any song or tune, as already observed.

Linnets are frequently found in flocks; they
are taken with clap-nets, in June, July, and Au-
gust, and likewise flight-birds about Michaelmas
in great plenty, by laying the nets near a small
purling stream, where they come to drink; and
as when thus caught they soon become familiar,
it is scarcely worth the trouble of bringing them
up from the nest.

Navarctti, in his account of China, takes no-
tice of a bird like the linnet, which the natives

VOL. III. — NO, XX. 2 E

218 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description.

rear for the purpose of fighting, after the manner
of European game cocks.

THE GOLDFINCH.

THIS handsome-shaped bird, highly esteemed
in every part of the kingdom, both for singing
and the beauty of its colours, has a straight sharp
ash-coloured bill, and eyes of a hazel-colour.
The length of a full grown one, from the tip of
the bill to the point of the tail, is five inches and
a half, of which the latter is two, and the former
little more than half an inch long; when in flesh
it weighs about an ounce. A ring of curious
scarlet-coloured feathers encompass the forepart
of his head, or basis of the bill, and from the
eyes to the bill on each side is drawn a black
line, the jaws or cheeks white, the top of the
head black, from which a broad black line is ex-
tended on both sides, almost to the neck; the
hinder part of the head is white; the neck, and
fore-part of the back, are of a reddish ash-colour:
the rump, breast, and sides of the same, but a
little paler; the belly whitish, the wings and tail
black; only the tips of the principal feathers in
both are white; besides, the wings are adorned
with a most beautiful transverse stroke of yellow.
The feathers on the ridge of the wing in the
cock are coal-black, quite up to the shoulder,
whereas in the hen-bird, though they appear

THE LINNET. 219

Gentleness — Familiarity.

black, they are of a grey, or dusky ash-colour,
when compared to those of the cock ; he is browner
on the back and sides of the breast; the red, yel-
Jovv, and, in short, all his colours are much
brighter than those of the hen ; these are con-
stant, infallible marks, by which the cock may
be known from the hen, either old or young.

These birds are of so mild and gentle a nature,
that, after they are caught, without using any art
or care, they will fall to their meat and drink :
nor are they so affrighted at the presence of a
man as most other birds generally are, nor very
much troubled at their imprisonment in a cage;
for after some little continuance therein, they
become so familiar that though let loose, they
will not go away, but if frightened, fly directly
to their cage for shelter. It is a long-lived bird,
that will sometimes reach to the age of twenty
years: Mr. Willoughby makes mention of one
that lived twenty-three years. They fly in flocks,
or companies; and when at liberty, delight to
feed upon the seeds of thistle, teasel, hemp,
dock, 8cc.

In some places they are called draw-waters,
from their aptness to learn to draw their water
when they want to drink, in a little ivory bucket,
fastened to a small chain, made for that purpose;
they will pull up their bucket, drink, and throw
it down again; and many of them are taught to
lift up the lid of a small box or bin, with their
bill, to come at their meat, 8cc. They are won-
2 E 2

NATURALISTS CABINET.

Adjusting its plumage. — Nests.

derfully delighted with viewing themselves in a
glass, fixed to the back of their bucket-board,
where they will sit upon their perch, pruning
and dressing themselves with the greatest care
imaginable, often looking in the glass, and plac-
ing every feather in the nicest order ; no capricious
female can take greater pains, or be more parti-
cular in dressing herself, than this little bird is in
rectifying all disorders in its plume, not suffering
a feather to lie amiss.

The goldfinch is a very healthy bird, seldom

out of order, and begins to build in April, when

the fruit-trees are in blossom: as they excel

all our small birds in beauty of feathers, so do

they likewise in art: their nest is not only very

small, but exceedingly pretty : the outside con-

sists of very fine moss, curiously interwoven with

other soft bedding; the inside lined with delicate

fine down, wool, &c. She lays five or six white-

eggs, speckled and marked with a reddish brown.

To find their nest is not very easy, for they ge-

nerally build in fruit-trees, viz. apple, pear,

plumb, &c. but most commonly in the apple,

pretty high upon the branches, where either the

blossom or leaves secure them from discovery,

and at such a time when they cannot be got :it

without the hazard of damaging the bloom or

young fruit. They sometimes build in the elder-

tree; and sometimes in thorn hedges; but not

near so common as in fruit-trees.

As they are tender birds, they should not be

THE GOLDFINCH.

Proper meat — Docility.

taken from the nest before they are pretty well
feathered; when, for their meat, they should
have white bread soaked in clear water, strained,
and then boiled with a little milk, till it is as
thick as hasty pudding, adding to it a little flour
of canary-seed; with this meat they should be
fed every two hours, or oftener, but little at a
time, about sun-rising, till sun-setting; they
should have fresh victuals every day, or every
other day at farthest: in about a month's time
they may be brought by degrees to feed on ca-
nary-seed ; they will, it is true, feed on the hemp-
seed, but it is not near so good for them as the
former.

If a young goldfinch.be brought up under the
canary-bird, the wood-lark, or any other fine
singing bird, he will take their song very readily.

These birds are taken almost at any time of
the year, either with lime-twigs, or the clap-net,
in great numbers during the young flight in
June, July, or August ; but the best time for
catching them is about Michaelmas. They fre-
quent the fields where the thistle, and wild seeds
grow; they are easily caught, being of a gentle
and familiar nature, and will both feed and sing
almost immediately. Wben caught, they are
readily tamed, and are remarkable for their doci-
lity and the attention they pay to instruction. It
requires very little trouble to teach them to per-
form several movements with accuracy; to fire a
cracker, or, as before noticed, to draw up cups

GQ2 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Wonderful performances.

containing their food and drink: for this last pur-
pose, they must have fastened round them a small
belt of soft leather, two lines broad, with four holes,
through which the feet and wings are passed ;
and the ends joining under the belly, are to be
held by a ring which supports the chain ami cup.
A few years ago the Sieur Roman exhibited
in this country the wonderful performances of
his birds. These were goldfinches, linnets, and
canary-birds. One appeared dead, and was held
up by the tail or claw without exhibiting any
signs of life. A second stood on its head, with
its claws in the air. A third imitated a Dutch
milkmaid going to market with pails on its
shoulders. A fourth mimicked a Venetian girl
looking out at a window. A fifth appeared as a
soldier, and mounted guard as a sentinel. The
sixth was a cannoneer, with a cap on its head, a
firelock on its shoulder, and a match in its claw;
and discharged a small cannon. The same bird
also acted as if it had been wounded : it was
wheeled in a barrow, to convey it (as- it were) to
the hospital ; after which it flew away before the
company. The seventh turned a kind of wind-
mill. And the last bird stood in the midst ef
some fire-works which were discharged all round
it; and this without exhibiting the least sign of
fear.

THE CANARY.

Description — Sensibility.

THE CANARY.

THE canary-bird or canary-finch, was origi-
nally peculiar to those islands from whence the
name is derived. They appear to have been first
brought into Europe about the fourteenth cen-
tury, but they are now so commonly bred in our
own country, that they may be easily procured.
It is about five inches and a half in length ; the
bill is of a pale flesh-colour ; the plumage in ge-
neral yellow, more or less mixed with grey, and
in some with brown, on the upper parts ; the tail
is somewhat forked; the legs are a pale flesh-
colour.

BufTon enumerates twenty-nine varieties, and
many more might probably be added to the list.
In the places fitted up for the rearing and breed-
ing these charming birds, we are delighted to
see the workings of nature exemplified in the
choice of their mates, building their nests, hatch-
ing and rearing their young, and in the impas-
sionate ardor exhibited by the male in assisting
his faithful mate in collecting materials for her
nest, in arranging them for her accommodation,
in providing food for her offspring, or in chant-
ing his lively and amorous songs during every
part of the important business. The canary will
breed freely with the siskin and goldfinch; it
likewise proves prolific with the linnet, and also

224 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Curious Anecdote.

admits, but unwillingly, the chaffinch, yellow
bunting, and even the sparrow.

Dr. Darwin relates the following curious anec-
dote of one of these birds. " On observing a
canary-bird at the house of Mr. Hervey, near
Tutbury, in Derbyshire, I was told it always
fainted away when its cage was cleaned; and I
desired to see the experiment. The cage being
taken from the ceiling, and the bottom drawn
out, the bird began to tremble, and turned quite
white about the root of its bill : he then opened
his mouth as if for breath, and respired quick,
stood up straighter on his perch, hung his wings,
spread his tail, closed his eyes, and appeared
quite stiff and cataleptic for nearly half an hour,
and at length, with much trembling and deep
respirations, came gradually to himself."

It is by no means certain that the song of the
canary-bird is generally composed either of the
titlark's or the nightingale's notes. Mr. Bar-
rington saw two of the birds which came from
the Canary Islands, neither of which had any
song at all, and he was informed, that a ship
afterwards brought over a great many of them
with the same defect. Most of the birds that
are imported from the Tyrol, have been educated
under parents, the progenitors of which were in-
structed by a nightingale. Our English canary-
birds have, however, more of the titlark's than
of the nightingale's notes.

THE NIGHTINGALE.

Des. ription — Superiority.

NIGHTINGALE.

THIS charming songster is not remarkable
for variety or richness of colour. The upper
part of its body is of a rusty brown, tinged with
olive : the under parts are of a pale ash-colour,
almost white at the throat and belly. Its length
is about six inches. The nightingales do not re-
side in this climate the whole year; they come
towards the latter end of March or beginning of
April, and commence their emigration in Sep-
tember or October^ but to whence they take
their flisrht has not as vet been ascertained.

O •*

The nightingale seems to have been fixed upon
almost universally as the most exquisite of sing-
ing birds, which superiority it certainly may
boldly challenge; one reason, however, of this
bird's being more attended to than others is, that
it sings in the night.

It is very remarkable, that all the gay and
brilliant birds of America should be entirely des-^
titute of that pleasing power of song which gives
so peculiar a charm to the groves and fields of
Europe. The nightingale's superiority in this
respect is thus expressed by the poet :

" Nor envy we the gaudy robes they lent
Proud IVlontezunia's realm, whose legions cast
A boundless radiance waving on the sun,
While Philomel is ours; while in our shades,
Through the soft silence of the list'ning night,
The sober-suited songstress trills her lay."
VOL, III. — NO. XX. 2F

£36 NATURALIST'* CABINET.

Variety of notes.

Mr. Harrington once kept a very fine night-
ingak for three years, during which time he paid
a particular attention to its song. Its tone was
infinitely more mellow than that of any other
bird ; though at the same time, by a proper ex-
ertion, it could be excessively brilliant. Whea
this bird " sang its song round," in its whole
compass, he observed sixteen different begin-
nings and closes; at the same time that the inter-
mediate notes were commonly varied in their
succession with so much judgment, as to produce
a most pleasing variety. Another point of supe-
riority in the nightingale, is its continuance of
song without a pause; which Mr. Barrington
observed to be sometimes not less than twenty
seconds. Whenever respiration, however, be-
came necessary, it was taken with; as much judg-
ment as by an opera singer.

Here it should be remarked, that nightingales
in general, in a wild state, do not sing above ten
weeks in the year; while those confined in a
cage continue their song for nine or ten months;
and a caged nightingale sings infinitely more
sweetly than those which we hear abroad in the
tpring. The latter, as the bird-fanciers term it,
are so rank, that they seldom sing any thing but
short and Ipud jerks; which consequently cannot
be compared to the notes of a caged bird, since
the instrument is thus overstrained.

The music of the nightingale, when out o€
4oors, and with the corresponding darkness, and
I

THE NIGHTINGALE.

Melody of song.

scenery, has always been considered as plaintive
or melancholy ; and sometimes as even conveying
ideas of distress. From Pliny's description, how-
ever, we should be led to believe that it possessed
a persevering strain. " The nightingale," says
he, " that for fifteen days and nights hid in the
thickest shades, continues her note without in-
termission, deserves our attention and wonder.
How surprising that so great a voice can reside
in so small a body ! Such perseverance in so mi-
nute an animal! With what a musical propriety
are the sounds it produces modulated ! The note
at one time drawn out with a long breath, now
stealing off into a different cadence, now inter-
rupted by a break, then changing into a new
note by an unexpected transition ; now seeming
to renew the same strain, then deceiving expec-
tation ! She sometimes seems to murmur within
herself; full, deep, sharp, swift, drawling, trem-
bling; now at the top, the middle, and the bot-
tom of the scale ! In short, in that little bill seems
to reside all the melody which man has vainly
laboured to bring from a variety of musical in-
struments. Some even seem to be possessed of
a different song from the rest, and contend with
each other with great vigour. The bird over-
come is then seen only to discontinue its song
with its life." iTK>;

From the dissections of several birds made by
Mr. John Hunter, at the request of the Hon.
Daines Barrhigton, it appeared that in the best
2 F 2

528 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Docility — Gessner's anecdote.

singers the muscles of the larynx were the strong-.
est. Those in the nightingale were stronger than
in any other bird of the same size. When we
consider the size of many singing birds, it is really
amazing to what a distance their notes can be
heard. Jt is supposed that those of a nightin-
gale may be heard above half a mile, if the even-
ing be calm.

These birds will adopt the notes of others;
and will even chant the stiff airs of a nightingale^-
pipe. They may be instructed to sing by turns
with a chorus, and to repeat their couplet at the
proper time. Mr. Stackhouse, of Feudarvis, in
Cornwall, has remarked, that the nightingale
will modulate its voice to any given key; he
says, if any person whistle a note to it, the bird
will immediately try, in its strain, an unison with
it. Nightingales may also be taught to articu-
late words. The sons of the emperor Claudius,
according to Pliny, had some nightingales that
spoke Greek and Latin.

Gessner likewise assures as, that it is not only
the most agreeable songster in a cage, but that
it is possessed of a most admirable faculty of
talking. He tells the following story in proof of
his assertion, which, he says, was communicated
to him by a friend. " Whilst I was at Kntis-
hon," says his correspondent, " I put up at an.
inn, the sign of the Golden Crown, where my
host had three nightingales. What 1 am going
to ix-pcat is wondeiiul, aluioj>t iucrtdibie, and ye*

THE NIGHTINGALE. 229

Extraordinary Slory.

is true. The nightingales were placed separately,
so that each was shut up by itself in a dark cage.
It happened at that time, being the spring of the
year, when those birds are wont to sing indefati-
gably, that I was so afflicted with the stone that
I could sleep but very little all night. It was
usual then about midnight, when there was no
noise in the house, but all still, to hear the two
nightingales jangling, and talking with each
other, and plainly imitating mens' discourses,
for my part, I was almost astonished with won-
der, for at this time, when all was quiet else, they
held conference together, and repeated whatever
they had heard among the guests by clay. Those
two of them that were most notable, and masters
of this art, were scarce ten foot distant from one
another. The third hung more remote, so that
I could not so well hear it as I lay a-bed. But
it is wonderful to tell how those two provoked
each other; and by answering, invited and drew
one another to speak. Yet did they not con-
found their words, or talk both together, but
rather utter them alternately and of course. Be-
sides the daily discourse of the guests they
chanted out two stories, which generally held them
from midnight till morning; and that with such
modulations and inflections, that no man could
have taken to come from such little creatures.
When I asked the host if they had been taught,
or whether he heard them talking in the night,
he answered, no: the same said the whole family.

£3O NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Story communicated to Gessner.

But I, who could not sleep for nights together,
was perfectly sensible of their discourse. One
of their stories was concerning the tapster and
his wife, who refused to follow him to the wars,
as he desired her; for the husband endeavoured
to persuade his wife, as far as I understood by
die birds, that he would leave his service in that
inn, and go to the wars in hopes of plunder. But
she refused to follow him, resolving to stay either
at Ratisbon, or go to Nuremberg. There was a
long and earnest contention between them ; and
all this dialogue the birds repeated. They even
repeated the unseemly words which were cast
out between them, and which ought rather to
have been suppressed and kept a secret. But the
birds, not knowing the difference between mo-
dest, immodest, honest, and filthy words, did out
with them. The other story was concerning the
war which the emperor was then threatening
against the protestants; which the birds probably
heard from some of the generals that had confer-
ences in the house. These things did tho.y repeat
in the night after twelve o'clock, when there was
a deep silence. But in the day-time, for the
most part, they were silent, and seemed to do
nothing but meditate and revolve with themselves
upon what the guests conferred together as they
sat at table, or in their walk. I verily had never
believed our Pliny writing so many wonderful
things concerning these little creatures, had 1
not myself seen with my eyes, and heard them

THE NIGHTINGALE. 231

Mode of discoTering their nests.

with my ears uttering such things as I have re-
lated. Neither yet can I of a sudden write all,
nor call to remembrance every particular that I
have heard."

The nightingales frequent cool and shady
places, where there are little rivulets of water,
and they build their nests in close thick hedges,
pretty low, a little above the edge of the bank,
and most commonly where briars and thorns are
thickly interwoven, which are a strong fence to
them against the approach of their enemies; the
nest is 'made of the leaves of trees, straw, and
moss, and in which the hen lays four or five eggs
of a brown nutmeg colour, but she seldom brings
them all to perfection ; their time of hatching is
usually about the middle of May. A night-
ingale's nest may be found by observing the
place where the cock sings, for the hen is never
far off; or you may stick two or three meal-
worms on the thorns near the place most fre-
quented by the cock, and then observe, when he
comes to take them, which way he carries them,
and by listening you will hear the young, while
the old ones are about feeding them, for they
make a great noise for so small a bird.

The young ones should not be taken till they
are almost as full of feathers as the old ones ; and
though they are apt to be sullen and refuse their
meat, when taken so old, yet, by opening their
bills, and giving them two or three small pieces

Directions tor rearing the young.

at a time, they will soon grow tame and feed
themselves; they should be immediately put,
with the nest, into a little basket, covered warm,
and constantly fed every two hours. Their food
should be sheep's hearts, or other raw flesh-meat,
chopped very fine, and all the strings, skins, and
fat taken away : and it should always be mixed
with hens' eggs boiled hard ; they should be put
in cages like the nightingale's back-cage, with a
little straw or dry moss at the bottom ; but when
they are grown large, they should have ants'
mould; they must be kept very clean, like other
singing birds, for otherwise they will have the
cramp, and perhaps the claws will drop off. la
autumn they will sometimes abstain from their
food for a fortnight, and sometimes longer, unless
two or three meal-worms be given them two or
three times a week, or two or three spiders iri
a day ; they must liikewise have a little saffron
in their water. Figs chopped small among their
meat will help them to recover their flesh.
When their legs are gouty, to which they are
very subject after having been kept for some
time in a cage, they should be anointed vith
fresh butter, or capon's fat, three or four days
together. If they grow melancholy, \\ hite sugar-
candy should be put into their water, and they
should be fed with sheep's heart, with three or
four meal-worms in a day, and a few ants, with
their eggs, and some of their mould at the bot-

THE NIGHTINGALE. 233

Haunts — How taken — Habits.

torn of their cage; among which, some hen's
egg boiled hard, and chopped very small, should
be strewed, and some saffron put into their
water.

The nightingales caught with nets very fre-
quently prove good songsters; those taken before
the 23d of April are accounted the best, because
after that they pair with the hens. They usually
haunt woods, coppices, and quickset hedges,
where they may be taken with trap-cages, baited
with meal-worms; they should be placed as near
the spot as possible where the bird sings, and be-
fore the trap is fixed, the earth should be turned
up twice the breadth of the cage, because they
will there look for food. They are also taken,
with lime twigs, placing them upon the hedge
where they usually sing; and there should be
meal-worms stuck at places to draw them into
the snare. After they are taken, their wings
should be gently tied with thread, to prevent
their beating themselves against the cage; but
which should be loosed again, as soon as he in
any manner becomes familiar. He should be
first hung in a private place, that he may not be
disturbed, and should be fed every two hours at
farthest, mingling amongst the meat already pre-
scribed, some worms, ants, caterpillars, or flies,
he having been used to live upon such food when
at liberty.

Nightingales are solitary birds, never associat-
ing in flocks like many of the smaller birds, but

VOL. in.— NO. xx. 2 G 2

134 NATURALIST'S

Description — Melodious voice.

biding themselves in the thickest parts of hedges
and bushes, and seldom singing but during the
night.

THE REDBREAST.

m
THIS favourite bird, universally admired for

the freedom and shrillness of his song, has a
slender, delicate bill ; its eyes are large, dark,
and expressive, and its aspect mild ; its head and
all the upper parts of its body are brown, tinged
with a greenish olive; the neck and breast (ac-
cording to its name) are of a fine deep reddish
orange ; a spot of the same colour marks its fore-
head ; its belly is whitish, and the legs and feet
of a dusky black. It is near six inches in length
from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail, the
former being about half an inch, and the latter
two inches and a half.

The cock may be known by his breast being
of a deeper red than the hen's, and the red going
up farther upon the head, and some say by the
colour of his legs, which are darker, and by cer-
tain hairs which grow on each side of his bill :
the bright red breast is a mark, that may be de-
pended upon, for the others do not always hold.
The cock is likewise of a darker olive upon the
upper surface of his whole body. He has a sweet
melodious voice, so free and shrill, that very few

THE REDBRfcAST. 235

Good natural songs — Nests — How taken.

birds can equal it; and his own natural song
being an exceeding good one,, is preferable to
any that can be taught him.

The redbreast breeds in the spring, and is so
prolific that some of them are said to have two
or three nests in the months of April, May, and
June. The hen builds her nest on the side of a
ditch or bank, amongst thorns and briars, or.
hedges; likewise in the woods, which they haunt
in summer. In order the more successfully to
conceal her nest, she covers it with leaves, suffer-
ing only a narrow winding entrance under the
heap to be left. Those that stay about farm-yards
build in out-houses, and broken walls of old
buildings; .her nest is made of coarse materials,
the outside of dry green moss, intermixed with,
coarse wool, small dried sticks, straws, leaves, peel-
ings from young trees, and other dried stuff, lined
with a few horse hairs, on which she lays five or
six eggs, but sometimes no more than four, of a
cream colour, sprinkled all over with fine reddish
yellow spots at the blunt end, so thick that they
appear almost in one.

These birds may be taken at ten or twelve
days old ; if left too long, they are apt to be sul-
len, and consequently much more troublesome
to bring up ; they should at first be put in a lit-
tle basket, with soft hay at the bottom, and kept
very warm, especially in the night. In bringing
up they should be treated in the same manner,
and supplied with the same food as the woodlarJc
2 G 2

£36 NATIONALIST'S CABINET.

Diseases — Cures — Habits — Age.

and nightingale. It is very subject to the cramp,
and a giddiness of the head> which makes him
often fall off from his perch upon his back, and
it is present death, unless he has some help speed-
ily given him. The best method to prevent it
is, to keep him warm and clean in his cage; and
as a cure, two or three meal-worms now and then
for the former, and six or seven earwigs in a
week for the latter. If he has a little appetite
to eat, he should have now and then six or seven
hog-lice. To prevent these diseases, he should
be kept very clean and warm, always having dry
soft gravel in the bottom of his cage, and never
wanting fresh water and wholesome food; he
should sometimes have in his water a blade or
two of saffron, and a slice of liquorice.

When taken old he is apt to be sullen at first,
and refuse to eat his meat, but by giving him a
few worms cut small amongst a little fresh earth,
crumbs of bread, &c. in the bottom of his cage,
in two or three days he will take his meat freely
enough ; a young cock-bird, when taken by a
trap, will sing in a short time.

As to the extent of this bird's life, he seldom
lives above seven years, by reason he is so sub-
ject to the falling sickness, cramp, and oppres-
sion of the stomach. It is reckoned among the
birds of passage ; but, as Button says, " the depar-
ture in the autumn not being proclaimed among
the red- breasts, as among other birds at that
season, collected into flocks, many stay behind;

THE REDBREAST*. 23?

Annual visits — Familiarity.

and these are either the young and inexperi-
enced, or some which can derive support from
the slender resources of the winter. In that sea-
son they visit our dwellings, and seek the warm-
est and most sheltered situations; and, if any
one still continue in the woods, it becomes the
companion of the faggot-maker, cherishes itself
at his fire, pecks at his bread, and flutters the
whole day round him, chirping its slender pip.
But when the cold grows more severe, and thick
snow covers the ground, it approaches our houses,
and taps on the window with its bill, as if to en-
treat an asylum, which is cheerfully granted; and
it repays the favour by the most amiable famili-
arity, gathering the crumbs from the table, dis-
tinguishing affectionately the people of the house,
and assuming a warble, not indeed so rich as that
of the spring, but more delicate. This it retains
through all the rigors of the season; to hail each
day the kindness of its host, and the sweetness
of its retreat. There it remains tranquil, till the
returning spring awakens new desires, and invites
to other pleasures : it now becomes uneasy, and
impatient to recover its liberty."

The annual visits of this little favourite, are
very beautifully described by Thomson, in the
following lines :

" The red-breast, sacred to the household gods,
Wisely regardful of th' embroiling sky,
In joyless fields, and thorny thickets, leares
His shivering mate, and pays to trusted man

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Remarkable delicacy — Description.

His annual visit. Half-afraid he first
Against the window beats; then brisk alights
On the warm hearth ; then, hopping o'er the floor,
, Kye* all the smiling family askance,
And pecks, and starts, and wonders where he is ;
Till more familiar grown, the table-crumbs
Attract his slender feet."

This bird, when at liberty, feeds principally
on insects and worms, and its delicacy in prepar-
ing the latter is somewhat remarkable. It takes
a worm by one extremity, in its beak, and beats
it on the ground till the inner part comes away ;
then taking it in the same manner by the other
end, it cleanses the outer part, which alone it
eats.

THE PENSILE WARBLER.

THIS bird has a very delicate song, which is
continued throughout the year. It is nearly five
inches long. The bill is dusky; the head greyish
black ; and the back deep grey. Round the eye
there is a white streak, and between that and the
bill a range of yellow dots. The throat, neck,
and breast, are yellow ; the belly is white ; and
the sides of the neck and body are dotted with
black spots. The wing-coverts are white and
black, in bands ; the tail is dark grey, having the
four outer feathers marked with large spots of
white.

The pensile warbler evinces uncommon saga-
Q

THE PENSILE WARBLER. 239

Sagacity in building and protecting its nest.

city in building and placing its nest. She does
not fix it at the forking of the branches, as is
usual with most other birds; but suspends it to
binders hanging from the netting which she
forms from tree to tree, especially those which
fall from branches that hang over the rivers and
deep ravines. The nest consists of dry blades of
grass, the ribs of leaves, and exceedingly small
roots, interwoven with the greatest art; it is fas-
tened on, or rather it is worked into, the pendent
strings. It is in fact a small bed, rolled into a
ball, so thick and compacted as to exclude the
rain; and it rocks in the wind without receiving
any harm. The elements, however, are not the
only enemies against which this bird has to
struggle : with wonderful sagacity it provides
for the protection of its nest from other acci-
dents. The opening is not made on the top nor
side of the nest, but at the bottom. Nor is the
entrance direct. After the bird has made its way
into the vestibule, it must pass over a kind of
partition, and through another aperture, before it
descends into the abode of its family. This
lodgment is round and soft ; being lined with a
species of lichen, which grows on the trees, or
with the silky down of plants.

These birds are natives of St. Domingo, and
some other of the islands of the West Indies,
where they feed chiefly on insects and fruit.

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description.

THE DARTFORD WARBLER.

THIS bird is accounted rare in this country,
and owes its name, with us, to the accident of a
pair of them having been seen near Dartford, in
Kent, a few years ago ; they have since been ob-
served in great numbers, and are supposed some-
times to winter with us. It measures above five
inches in length, of which the tail is above one
half; its bill is long and slender, and a little bent
at the tip; it is of a black colour, whitish at the
base; its eyes are reddish, and eyelids deep crim-
son ; all the upper parts are of a dark rusty
brown, tinged with dull yellow ; the breast, part
of the belly, and thighs, are of a cfeep red, inclin-
ing to rust colour; the middle of the belly is
white, as is the bastard wing; the tail dusky,
except the exterior web of the outer feather,
which is white : the legs are yellow.

Buffon says, these birds are natives of Pro-
vence; where they frequent gardens, and feed
on flies and small insects.

THE WHEAT-EAR.

THIS bird weighs upwards of an ounce and
has a slender black bill, about half an inch long;
the tongue is cloven or slit, and the inside of the
mouth black; the eyes are of an hazel colour,

THE WHEAT-EAR. 241

Amuuil visits- — How ensiiitred.

above which there is a pale line passes towards
the hinder part of the head; and below them, a
large black one, which extends itself from the
corners of the mouth to the ears. The head and
back appear of a cinereous colour, with a mixture
of red. The rump is generally white, from
whence, by some it has the name of white-tail;
the belly is white, faintly dashed with red; the
breast and throat more deep; the coverts and
quills are black, with their extreme edges white,
tinctured with a dusky red; the tail is something
more than two inches long, and all white.

The wheat-ear visits England annually in the
middle of March, and leaves us in September.
The females come first, about a fortnight before
the males ; and they continue to come till the
middle of May. In some parts of England they
are found in vast plenty, and are. much esteemed.
About Eastbourne, in Sussex/ they are taken in
snares made of horse-hair, placed beneath a long
turf. Being very timid birds, the motion even
of a cloud, or the appearance of a hawk, will
immediately drive them into the traps. These
traps are first set every year on St. James's day,
(July "25;) soon after which they are caught in
astonishing numbers, considering that they are
not gregarious, and that more than two or three
are scarcely ever seen flying together. The
number annually ensnared in the district of East-
bourne alone, is said to amount to nearly two
thousand dozen. The birds caught are chiefly

VOL. in. — NO. xxi. 2 H

642 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Great quantities — Food — Nests — Eggs.

young ones, and they are invariably found in the
greatest number when an easterly wind prevails:
they always come against the wind. A gentle-
man informed Mr. Markwick, that his father's
shepherd once caught eighty-four dozen of them
in a day. Great quantities of them are eaten
on the spot by the neighbouring inhabitants;
others are picked and sent up to the London
poulterers, and many are potted.

Mr. Pennant supposes, that the vast quantities
of these birds which are found on the downs
about Eastbourne, are occasioned by a species qf
•fly, their favourite food, that feeds on the wild
thyme, and abounds in the adjacent hills. A few
of these birds feed in the old rabbit-burrows
there. The nest is large, and made of dry grass,
rabbit's down, a few feathers, and horse-hair.
The eggs are from six to eight, and are of a ligb,t
colour.

THE WAGTAIL.

THIS is a slender-bodied bird, that weighs,
about six drachms, and is about seven inches
and a half from the tip of the bill to the end of
the tail, and about eleven from the point of each
wing, when extended. It has a slender, straight,
sharp bill, of a black or dusky colour, upwards
pf half an inch long: the circles of the eyes
brown, or hazel-coloured, with a large white spo$

THE WAGTAIL. 243

Description — Food — Nests.

encircling each eye; and another or two under-
neath it, on each side of the throat; the top of
the head and the fore part of the neck, or throat,
and the upper part of the back, are all black.
Some of the tips of the quill-feathers are white,
which form a small white line upon, the wing,
and another is also formed by the white edges of
some of the rows of the covert-feathers; the
lower parts of the breast and belly are both white.
The tail is about three inches long, which is
almost continually in motion, wagging up and
down, from whence it is supposed to derive the
name of wagtail; the outer feathers are chiefly
white, the rest black. The claws are sharp-
pointed, and pretty long, of a dusky, or blackish
colour.

These birds are frequently seen about the
brinks of rivers, ponds, and small pools of water,
and also amongst the low grass in dewy morn-
ings, where they feed upon flies, worms, beetles,
and other small insects. They build under the
eaves of houses, and in holes in the walls qf old
buildings; laying four or five eggs.

There is another species, called the grey wag-
tail, from the colour of its head, neck, and back.
It is somewhat larger than the common wagtail,
owing to the great length of its tail. It has a
dark brown bill, and over each eye a pale streak;
the throat and chin are black, and all the under
parts of the body a bright yellow; the wing-co-
verts and quills are dark brown, the former with
2 H 2

244 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Grey wagtail — Yellow wagtail.

pale edges; the secondaries, which are almost as
long as the greater quills, are white at the base,
and tipped with yellow on the outer edges; the
middle feathers of the tail are black, the outer
ones white, and the legs are yellowish brown.

This elegant little bird frequents the same
places as the common wagtail, aud its food is
likewise similar to it. The female builds her
nest on the ground, and sometimes in the banks
of rivulets, laying from six to eight eggs, of a
dirty white, marked with yellow spots.

The yellow wagtail, another species, is about
six inches and a half in length ; the bill is black ;
the eyes hazel ; the head, and all the upper parts
of the body are of an olive green; the lower
parts of a bright yellow, dashed w ith a few dark
spots on the breast and belly; the wing-coverts
are edged with pale yellow ; the quills are dusky;
the tail black, except the outer feathers, which
are white; the legs also black, and the hind claws
very long.

Buffon observes, that this bird is seen very early
in the spring, in the meadows and fields, amongst
the green corn, where it frequently nestles. The
female lays about five eggs, of a pale lead colour,
with dusky spots irregularly dispersed.

The generality of the wagtails take their de-
parture frpm us in the autumn. Some authors
say, they migrate into other climates about the
end of October; but they are known to change
their quarters as the winter approaches, from

THE WAGTAIL. 245

Observations.

north to south. They are, however, to be seen
often in the middle of winter, if there happen to
be a fine day and the sun shine bright, chirp-
ing briskly, and apparently delighted with fine
weather; this is a proof that they do not come
from a far distant country.

The common wagtail's note is small and insig-
nificant, but frequently repeated, especially while
on the wing.

246 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Mellowness of song.

CHAP. XL

" Now see thee peeping on the secret nest
Where sits the parent wren, in patient rest ;

While at her side her feather'd partner sings,
Chants his short note, to charm her nursing day ;
Now for his love pursues his airy way,

And now with food returns on cheerful wings."

PETER PINDAR.

THE WREN.

THIS bird, which is found throughout Eu-
rope, is the smallest in this kingdom, except the
golden-crowned wren; it weighs about three
drachms; its length, from the point of the bill
to the end of the tail, is about four inches. It
commonly creeps about hedges and holes, mak-
ing but short flights, and, if it be driven from the
hedges, may easily be tired and run down. It
will sit upon a barn, or tree, about farm-yards,
where it mostly frequents, and sing exceedingly
fine; when kept in a cage, it will sing very
sweetly, and with a higher and louder voice than

7

THE WREN. 247

Description of the cock and hen-bird.

would be imagined for its strength and bigness.
Many persons have kept these birds a long time
in a cage, and have had them to sing as stout as
if they were in the fields, and with equal freedom
and mellowness of song. Its song is very much
admired, being, though short, a very pleasing
warble, which it continues throughout the year,
and has been heard to sing very unconcerned
even during a fall of snow. It sings also very
late in the evening, though not like the nightin-
gale, after dark.

The cock is of a dark colour ; the head, neck,
and upper parts of the body, are of a mixed
brown; the throat of palish yellow; the breast
more inclined to white, the belly of a dusky-
coloured red ; the tips of the wings, and covert-
feathers of the tail, are beautifully variegated
with a few yellowish and blackish spots upon
them. The hen-bird is all over of a reddish-r
brown colour, excepting the lines across her tail
and wings, which are black and reddish. The
bird with the largest eye is generally thought to
be a cock. The difference in those birds, while
young, can hardly be known, till the cock begins
to record and sing.

The wren has young ones in May ; the nest is
curiously constructed ; being composed chiefly
pf moss, and lined with feathers ; and in shape
almost oval, with only one small entrance. This
is generally found in some corner of an out-
ftousej stack of wood, or hole in a wall, near OUT

NATURALISTS CABINET.

Sagacity in building their nests.

habitations; but when the wren builds in the
woods, it is often in a bush near the ground, on
the stump of a tree, or even on the ground. The
female lays from ten to eighteen eggs, which are
rery small, white, and sprinkled all over with
small red spots. It is very remarkable, thai the
materials of the nest are generally adapted to the
place where it is formed: if against a hay-rick,
hs exterior is composed of hay ; if against the
side of a tree clad with white lichens, it is co-
vered with the same substance; and if built
against the tree covered with greeu moss, or in a
bank, its exterior always bears the same corres-
pondence. The lining is invariably of feathers.
The wren does not, as is usual with most other
birds, begin the bottom of its nest first: when
against a tree, its primary operation is to trace
the outline, which is of an oval shape, upon the
bark, and thus fasten it with equal strength to all
parts. It then in succession closes the sides and
top, leaving only a small hole for entrance. If
the nest is placed under a bank, the top is first
begun and well secured in some cavity ; and by
this the fabric is suspended.

Mr. St. John records the following story of
the bravery and selfishness of a wren ; but Mr.
Bingley (without any reason assigned) suspects
he means the common creeper. " Three birds
had built their nests almost contiguous to each

w

other. A swallow had affixed hers in the corner
of a piazza next his house; a bird (called a

THE WREN. «49

Anecdote by Mr. St. John.

Phebe) in the other corner ; and a wren posses-
sed a little box which I had made on purpose,
and hung between. These were all quite tame.
The wren had for some time shown signs of dis-
like to the box which had been given to it,
though it was not known on what account. At
length, however, it resolved, small as it was, to
drive the swallow from its habitation ; and, asto-
nishing to say, it succeeded. Impudence gets
the better of modesty ; and this exploit was no
sooner performed, than the wren removed every
material to its own box with the most admirable
dexterity. The signs of triumph appeared very
visible : it fluttered its wings with uncommon ve-
locity ; and an universal joy was perceivable in
all its movements. The peaceable swallow, like
the passive quaker, meekly sat at a small distance,
and never offered the least resistance. But no
sooner was the plunder carried away, than the
injured bird went to work with unabated ardor,
and in a few days the depredations were re-
paired." Mr. St. John, to prevent any repeti-
tion of the same violence, removed the wren's
box to another part of the house.

In taking the young from the nest, it is neces-
sary to leave them till they are well feathered.
In rearing they should be fed and treated like
young nightingales and robins, giving them but
little at a time. When they are grown fit for a
cage, they should have a large one, made with
very close wire, with three sides wood, and oue

VOL. III. — NO. XXI. 2 I

•j.;O NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Proper cages — Description.

side wire; it requires to be lined with a cloth, or
baize, for keeping them warm : though it is a
very small bird, a small cage does not agree with
k, nor indeed with any bird, notwithstanding
it is often practised. In the winter time espe-
cially they must be kept very warm and clean,
and frequently have dry gravel given them in
their cage.

CRESTED, OR GOLDEN WREN.

THIS is said to be the smallest bird found in
this kingdom, not weighing more than three
drachms, and has a slender straight black bill ; it
has an exceeding beautiful small row of feathers
on the top of the head, of a fine gold or orange
colour, which it has a power of drawing together
in such a manner as entirely to conceal the little
crest, by laying the feathers all flat upon the
head, and likewise to raise them at pleasure ; the
form of them is long, as they take their rise from
the base of the bill, and extend themselves to the
back of the head, on each side of which there
runs a black line: the eyes are ^encircled with
white, the sides of the neck of a fine shining yel-
lowish green, the breast of a dusky white ; the
back is of a greenish coloui, with a mixture of
yellow. The quill-feathers of the wings are of a
dusky brown, with some of their edges yellow,
others white ; the tips of some of those next to
6

THE WILLOW WREN.

Description — Nest — Eggs.

the covert-feathers are also white, and the tips of
some of the coverts being of the same colour,
form a white line across the wing. The tail is of
a dusky colour, about an inch and half long, with
some of the edges of the feathers of a yellowish
green, the feet and claws are pretty near of the
same colour.

This is a beautiful, but rather rare bird ; it is
found in some of the woods about Oxford, also
in Warwickshire and several places in Wales : it
has sometimes been seen in the southern parts of
Scotland. The female lays six or seven very
small eggs, not larger than peas, and feed upon
small insects.

THE WILLOW WREN.

THIS bird is a little larger than the common
wren. The upper parts are of a pale olive-green;
the under 'pale yellow, with a streak of yellow
over the eyes. The bill is brown ; the wings and
tail are brown, edged with yellowish green ; the
legs are yellowish.

The willow wren is rather common in Eng-
land; it is migratory, but comes early in the
year. It makes its nest in holes at the roots of
trees, in hollows of dry banks, and other similar
places. This is round, and not unlike that of the
wren. The eggs are dusky white, marked with
reddish spots; and are five in number.
2 j 2

NATURALISTS CABINET.

Three species — Sagacity — Melody.

Mr. White observes, there are three species of
the willow wren : this is called the yellow willow
wren ; the other two differ in their size (being
smaller) as well as their note; their form and
manners are However very similar; the song of
the least wiilow wren consists of a single strain,
very weak, and frequently repeated. One of
these species is common in Westmoreland, where
it is known by the name of strawsmeer. It ap-
pears in the vallies in. April, and its food consists
of insects.

A willow wren had built in a bank of one of
the fields of Mr. White, near Selborne. This
bird a friend and himself observed, as she sat in
her nest; but they were particularly careful not
to disturb her, though she eyed them with some
degree of jealousy. Some days after, as they
passed the same way, they were desirous of re-
marking how the brood went on; but no nest
could be found, till Mr. White happened to take
up a large bundle of long green moss, thrown as
it were carelessly over the nest, in order to mis-
lead the eye of any impertinent obtruder.

This bird may be justly termed the nightingale
of the northern snowy countries of Europe. It
settles on the most lofty branches of the birch
trees, and makes the air resound with its bold
and melodious song.

THE TAYLOR BIRD. 253

Curious construction of its nest.

THE TAYLOR BIRD.

THIS is also a very small bird, measuring
scarcely more than three inches in length. Its
colour is entirely yellow.

The taylor bird is a native of India; and is re-
markable for nothing so much as the construc-
tion of its nest, which is extremely curious. This
is composed of two leaves; the one generally
dead, which it fixes, at the end of some branch,
to the side of a living one, by sewing both toge-
ther with little filaments (its bill serving as a nee-
dle), in the manner of a pouch or purse, and
open at the top. Sometimes, instead of a dead
leaf arid living one, two living ones are sewed
together ; and thus connected, they seem rather
the work of human art, than of an uninstructed
animal. After the operation of sewing is finished,
the cavity is lined with feathers and soft vegeta-
ble down. The nest and birds are together so
very light, that the leaves of the most exterior
and slender twigs of the trees are chosen for the
purpose ; and, thus situated, the brood is com-
pletely secured from the depredations of every
invader.

THE KING-FISHER.

THIS, which is the most beautiful of all the
British birds, is seven inches in length, and eleven

254 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description — Mode of its catching fish.

in breadth. The bill is near two inches long,
and black, but the base of the lower mandible is
yellow. The tongue is fleshy, short, flat, and acute.
The top of the head and the sides of the body
are of a dark green, marked with transverse spots
of blue: the tail is of a deep blue, and the other
parts of the body are dusky orange, white, and
black ; the legs are red; the wings are short, but
they fly very swiftly.

The kingfisher is found throughout Europe.
It preys on the smaller fish. It sits frequently on
a branch projecting over the current; there it
remains motionless, and often watches whole
hours to catch the moment when a little fish
springs under its station; it dives perpendicularly
into the water, where it continues several se-
conds, and then brings up the fish, which it car-
ries to land, beats to death, and then swallows ;
but afterwards throws up the indigestible parts.

When this bird cannot find a projecting bough,
it sits on some stone near the brink, or even on
the gravel; but the moment it perceives the fish,
it takes a spring upward of twelve or fifteen feet,
and drops perpendicularly from that height. Of-
ten it is observed to stop short in its rapid course,
and remain stationary, hovering (in manner not
unlike some of the hawk tribe) over the same
spot for several seconds. Such is its mode in
winter, when the muddy swell of the stream, or
the thickness of the ice, constrains it to leave the
rivers, and ply along the sides of the unfrozen

THE KINGFISHER. 255

Superstitious notions respecting this bird.

brooks. At each pause it continues, as it were,
suspended at the height of fifteen or twenty feet;
and, when it would change its place, it sinks,
and skims along within a foot of the surface of
the water, then rises and halts again. This re-
peated and almost continual exercise shows that
the bird dives for many small objects, fishes or
insects, and often in vain ; for in this way it passes
over many a league.

M. Gmelin, speaking of this bird, says, " the
kingfishers are seen all over Siberia; and their
feathers are employed by the Tartars and the
Ostiacs for many superstitious uses. The former
pluck them, cast them into water, and carefully
preserve such as float; and they pretend, that if
with one of these feathers they touch a woman,
or even her clothes, she must fall in love with
them. The Ostiacs take the skin, the bill, and
the claws, of this bird, and shut them in a purse;
and as long as they preserve this sort of amulet,
they believe that they have no ill to fear. The
person who taught me this means of living happy,
could not forbear shedding tears ; he told me that
the loss of a kingfisher's skin that he had, caused
him to lose also his wife and goods. I observed
that such a bird could not be very rare, since a
countryman of his had brought me one, with its
skin and feathers : he was much surprised, and
said that if he had the luck to find one he would
give it to no person."

M. D'Aubenton kept these birds for several

53(5 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Deposits its eggs in holes.

months, by means of small fish put into basons
of water, on which they fed; for, on experiment,
they refused all other kinds of nourishment.

This bird lays its eggs, to the number of seven
or more, in a bole in the bank of the river or
stream that it frequents. Dr. Heysham, who
had a female brought alive to him at Carlisle, by
a boy who said he had taken it the preceding
night when sitting on its eggs, informs us, that
" having often observed these birds frequent a
bank upon the river Peteril, he had watched
them carefully, and at last saw them go into a
small hole in the bank. The hole was too narrow
to admit his hand ; but as it was made in soft
mould, he easily enlarged it. It was upwards of
half a yard long : at the end of it the eggs, which
were six in number, were placed upon the bare
mould, without the smallest appearance of a
nest." The eggs were considerably larger than
those of the yellow-hammer, and of a transparent
white colour.

It appears, from a still later account than this,
that the direction of the holes is always upward;
that they are enlarged at the end; and have
there a kind of bedding formed of the bones of
small fish, and some other substances, evidently
the castings of the parent animals. This is ge-
nerally about half an inch thick, and mixed in,
with the earth. There is every reason to believe,
that both male and female come to this spot for
no other purpose than to eject the refuse of their

THE HUMMING BIRD. 25?'

Ridiculous suppositions.

food, for some time before the latter begins to
lay : and that they dry it by the heat of their
bodies; as they are frequently known to continue
in the hole for hours, long before the period of
laying. On this disgorged matter the female de-
posits and hatches her eggs. When the young
are nearly full-feathered, they are extremely vo-
racious; and the old birds not supplying them,
with all the food they can devour, may be disco-
vered by their noise, as they are continually
chirping.

It has been ridiculously supposed, that these
birds will preserve woollen cloths from the de-
predations of moths; also, that when the body
of one was suspended by a thread, some magnetic
influence always turned its breast to the north.

THE HUMMING BIRD.

THIS species consists of several varieties, the
largest not being above half the size of a common
wren, and from which they gradually decrease to
that of a humming bee. They are natives of the
warmer parts of America, and of some of the
West-India islands; and bear a great resemblance
to each other in manners. Their principal food
is the nectar at the bottom of the tubular flow-
ers; which they extract, like bees, while on the
wing, by means of their long and slender bill.
Their name is derived from the humming noise

VOL. JH, — NO. xxi. S K

258 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

• Nest — Eggs — Temerity.

they make with their wings, which is even louder
than their voice. They are gregarious; and con-
struct an elegant hemispherical nest, in which
they lay two small while eggs, that are hatched
by the sitting of the male and female alternately.
The young are often attacked and devoured by
spiders.

These birds may be caught by blowing water
upon them from a tube; or, like many of our
small birds, they may be shot with sand. Small
as they are, they are extremely bold and pugna-
ceous; and their flight is very rapid. Their co-
lours are too brilliant to be expressed by any
pencil.

This bird in general has a slender weak bill,
incurvated in some species, in others straight:
the nostrils minute : the tongue very long, and
formed of two conjoined cylindrical tubes: the
legs weak: the toes placed three forward and
one backward: and the tail consisting of ten
feathers.

The humming bird has been so ably described
by a celebrated author, that we cannot do better
than repeat his very words;

" A bird, not so big as the end of one's little
finger, would probably be supposed but a crea-
ture of imagination, were it not seen in infinite
numbers, and as frequent as butterflies in a sum-
mer's day, sporting in the fields of America, from
flower to flower, and extracting their sweets with
his little bill.

THE HUMMING BIRD. 259

Description by a celebrated author.

" The smallest humming bird is about the size
of an hazel nut. The feathers on its wings and
tail are black ; but those on its body, and under
its wings, are of a greenish brown, with a fine
red cast or gloss^ which no silk or velvet can imi-
tate. It has a small crest on its head, green at
the bottom, and, as it were, gilded at the top,
and which sparkles in the sun like a little star in
the middle of its forehead. The bill is black,
straight, slender, and of the length of a small pin.
The larger humming bird is near half as big as
the common wren, and without a crest on its
head; but to make amends, it is covered, from
the throat half way down the belly, with change-
able crimson-coloured feathers, that, in different
light, change to a variety of beautiful colours,
much like an opal. The heads of both are small,
with very little round eyes, as black as jet.

" It is inconceivable how much these add to
the high finishing and beauty of a rich luxurious
western landscape. As soon as the sun is risen,
the humming birds, of different kinds, are seen,
fluttering about the flowers, without ever lighting
upon them. Their wings are in such rapid mo-
tion, that it is impossible to discern their colours,
except by their glittering. They are never still,
but continually in motion, visiting flower after
flower, and extracting its honey as if with a kiss.
For this purpose they are furnished with a forky
tongue, that enters the cup of the flower and ex-
tracts its Declared tribute. Upon this alone they
2 K 2

NATURALISTS CABINET.

Admirable contrivance of its nest.

subsist. The rapid motion of their wings brings
out an humming sound, from whence they have
their name ; for whatever divides the air swiftly,
must thus produce a murmur.

" The nests of these birds are not less curious
than the rest ; they are suspended in the air, at
the point of the twigs of an orange, a pomegra-
nate, or a citron-tree: sometimes even in houses,
if they find a small and convenient twig for the
purpose. The female is the architect, while the
male goes in quest of materials; such as cotton,
fine moss, and the fibres of vegetables. Of these
materials a nest is composed, of about the size of
an hen's egg cut in two, admirably contrived,
and warmly lined with cotton. They lay two
eggs at a time, and never more, about the size of
small peas, and as white as snow, with here and
there a yellow speck. The male and the female
sit upon the nest by turns; but the female takes
to herself the greatest share. She seldom quits
the nest, except a few minutes in the morning
and evening, when the dew is upon the flowers,
and their honey in perfection. During this short
interval, the male takes her place; for, as the
egg is so small, the exposing it ever so short
a time to the weather, would be apt to injure its
contents, the surface exposed being so great in
comparison to the bulk. The time of incubation
continues twelve days ; at the end of which the
young ones appear, much about the size of a
blue-bottle fly. They are at first bare; by de-

THE HUMMING BIRD.

Maternal affection and familiarity.

grees they are covered with down, and at last,
feathers succeed, but less beautiful tit first than
those of the old ones.

" Father Labat's companion, in the mission to
America, found the nest of an humming bird, in
a shed that was near the dwelling-house, and
took it in at a time when the young ones were
about fifteen or twenty days old ; he then placed
them in a cage at his chamber window, to be
amused by their sportive flutterings ; but he was
soon surprised to see the old ones, that came and
fed their brood regularly every hour in the day.
By these means they themselves soon grew so
tame, that they seldom quitted the chamber;
but, without any constraint, came to live with
their young ones. All four have frequently come
to perch upon their master's hand, chirruping as
if they had been at liberty abroad. He fed them,
•with a very fine clear paste, made of wine, bis-
cuit, and sugar ; they thrust their tongues into
this paste, till they were satisfied, and then flut-
tered and chirruped about the room. ' I never
beheld any thing more agreeable,' continues he,
' than this lovely little family that had taken pos-
session of my companion's chamber, and that
flew out and in just as they thought proper; but
were ever attentive to the voice of their master
when he called them.' [n this manner they lived
with him for six months; but at a time when he
expected to see a new colony formed; he unfor-
tunately forgot to tie upj.heir cage to the ceiling

262 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Observations on its notes.

at night, to preserve them from the rats, and he
found they were destroyed in the morning.

" These birds, on the continent of America,
continue to flutter the year round; as their food,
which is the honey of flowers, never forsakes
them in those warm latitudes where they are
found. But it is otherwise in the islands of the
Antilles, where, when the winter season ap-
proaches, they retire, and as some say, continue
in a torpid state during the severity of that sea-
son. At Surinam and Jamaica, where they con-
stantly have flowers, these beautiful birds are.
never known to disappear.

" It is a doubt whether or not these birds have
a continued note in singing. All travellers agree,
that, beside the humming noise produced by
their wings, they have a little interrupted chir-
rup; but Labat asserts, that they have a most
pleasing melancholy melody in their voices,
though small and proportioned to the organs
which produce it. It is very probable, that in
different places, their notes are also different;
and, as there are some that continue torpid all
the winter, there may likewise be some with
agreeable voices, though the rest may in general
be silent.

" The Indians formerly made great use of this
pretty bird's plumage, in adorning their belts and
head-dress.

" The children take them in the fields upon
rings smeared with bird lime, in the following

THE HUMMING

AI ode of catching them.

manner; — they approach the place where the
birds are flying, and twirling their rings in the
air, so allure them, either by the colour or the
sound, that the simple little creature comes to
rest upon the ring, and is seized. They are then
instantly killed and gutted, and hung up in the
chimney to dry. Those who take greater care,
dry them in a stove, which is not so likely to in-
jure the plumage as the foregoing method.

" Their beautiful feathers were once the orna-
ment of the highest rank of savage nobility; but
at present, they take the bird rather for the pur-
pose of selling it as a curiosity to the Europeans,
than that of ornament for themselves. All the
taste for savage finery is wearing out fast, even
among the Americans. They now begin to
adopt, if not the dresses of Europe, at least the
materials of which they are composed. The
wanderinsr warrior is far from thinking himself

O O

fine at present with his bow and his feathered
crown; his ambition reaches to higher orna-
ments ; a gun, a blue shirt, and a blanket."

Ferdinandez Oviedo, an author of great repute,
speaks, from his own knowledge, of the spirited
instinct even of these diminutive birds in defence
of their young: " When they observe any one
climbing the tree in which they have their nests,
they attack him in the face, Attempting to strike
him in the eyes, and coming, going, and return-
ing, with such swiftness, that a man would
scarcely credit it who had not seen it himself."

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Anecdotes.

The humming bird is seldom caught alive; a
friend of M. l)u Pratz had, however, this plea-
sure. lie had observed one of them enter the
bell of a Convolvulus ; and, as it had quite buried
itself to get at the bottom, he run immediately
to the place, shut the flower, cut it from the
stalk, and carried off the bird a prisoner. He
could not, however, prevail upon it to eat; and
it died in the course of three or four days.

Charjevoix says, that he had one of them iu
Canada for about twenty-four hours. It suffered
itself to be handled; and even counterfeited
death, that it might escape. A slight frost in
the night destroyed it.

Dr. Latham was informed by Captain Davies,
" that he kept these birds alive for four months
by the following method: — He made an exact
representation of some of the tubular flowers,
with paper fastened round a tobacco-pipe, and
painted them of a proper colour: these were
placed in the order of nature, in the cage in
which the little creatures were confined: the bot-
toms of the tubes were filled with a mixture of
brown sugar and water, as often as emptied; and
he had the pleasure of seeing them perform every
action ; for they soon grew familiar, and took
their nourishment in the same manner as when
ranging at large, though close under the eye."

BED-THROATED HUMMING BIRD. 265

Description — Habits.

RED-TI1RO4TED HUMMING BIRD.

THE length of this diminutive creature is a
little more than three inches, of which its bill
occupies three quarters of an inch. The male is
green gold on the upper part with a changeable
copper gloss : the under parts grey. The throat
and forepart of the neck are of a ruby colour; in
some lights as bright as fire. When viewed
sideways, the feathers appear mixed with gold,
and beneath of a dull garnet colour. The two
middle feathers of the tail are the same as the
upper plumage, and the rest are brown. The
female, instead of the bright ruby throat, has
only a few obscure small brown spots; and all
the outer tail-feathers, which in the male are
plain, are in the female tipped with while. The
bill and legs are black in both sexes.

This beautiful little creature is as admirable
for its vast swiftness in the air, and its manner of
feeding, as for the elegance and brilliancy of its
colours. The motions of its wings is so rapid, as to
render it imperceptible to the nicest observer, and
it never feeds but upon the wing, suspended over
the flower which it extracts nourishment from.
It admires most those flowers that have the deep-
est tubes; and in the countries which these birds
inhabit, whoever sets plants of this description
before his windows is sure to be visited by mul-
titudes of them. It is very entertaining to see
VOL. in. — NO. xxi. 2 L

?66 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Contentions — Nests — Eggs.

them swarming around the flowers, and trying
every tube by putting in their bills. If they find
that their brethren have anticipated them, and
robbed the flower of its honey, they will, in a
rage, (if possible,) pluck it off, and throw it on
the ground ; sometimes they tear it in pieces.

These little creatures are at times animated
with the most violent passions. They have often
dreadful contests, when numbers happen to dis-
pute the possession of the same flower. They
will tilt against one another with such fury, as if
they meant to transfix their antagonists with
their long bills. During the fight, they fre-
quently pursue the conquered into the apart-
ments of those houses whose windows are left
open ; take a turn round the room, as flies do in
England ; and then suddenly regain the open air.
They are fearless of mankind ; and in feeding,
will suffer persons to come within two yards of
them; but, on a nearer approach, they dart away
with wonderful swiftness. Mr. St. John says,
that their contentions often last till one or other
of the combatants is destroyed.

The red-throated humming bird most fre-
quently builds on the middle of a branch of a
tree : they are often known to take up with some
low bush, or even a tobacco-stalk : the nests have
also been seen fixed to the side of a pod of ocra;
they are so small, that they cannot be seen by a
person who stands on the ground. Both nests
and eggs are like those of the common humming
birds.

THE STARLING. 26?

Description — Murks of the cock-bird.

THE STARLING.

FEW birds are more generally known than
the starling; being an inhabitant of almost all
climates, and sufficiently common in every part
of England. The whole plumage .is dark and
glossed with blue purple and copper; each fea-
ther being marked at the end with a light yellow
spot ; the wing-coverts are edged with yellowish
brown; the quill and tail feathers are dusky with
light edges; the legs are of a reddish brown.
The length of a full grown bird from the tip of
its bill to the end of his tail is nine inches. Its
bill is straight, and depressed. The nostrils are
guarded above by a prominent rim. The tongue
is hard and cloven ; and the middle toe is con-
nected to the outermost as far as the first joint.

The starling bears a very great resemblance to
the blackbird, the young in particular being so
much alike, that it is scarcely possible to distin-
guish them from each other. There is a mark
peculiar to the cock of this kind, whereby he
may be known from the hen, whilst young.
Under his tongue he has a black stroke, very
plain to be seen on Opening his mouth, which
the hen has not, or at least so faint, that it is
hardly visible ; but the first time the cock moults
his feathers, he loses that black stroke : he may
then be known from the hen by his colours, in
the beauty of which he much excels her. His
2 L 2

268 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Familiarity — Strong voitv — Food.

breast has a changeable cast of green, red, and
purple, the feathers all over his body are black,
with a blre and purple gloss, varying, as it is dif-
ferently exposed to the light; only the tips of
the feathers on his head, neck, and breast, are
yellowish ; and on the belly, white : all his spots
and colours are brighter than those of the hen.
The bill of the cock is of a pale yellow, inclining
to white; of the hen, dusky.

The starling is a very familiar bird, and in a
of captivity easily trained. Its natural
voice i.i strong and sonorous; it whistles well,
and repeats the notes of the canary admirably.
It may be also taught to speak several languages,
and to repeat long sentences. Slitting their
tongues, in order to make them talk the plainer,
is a cruel and useless expedient, as they are
very docile and attentive, and will soon learn to
articulate, when proper pains are taken with
them. They can pronounce the letter R very
distinctly. In a state of confinement it will eat
small pieces of raw flesh, or bread soaked in wa-
ter: but, like other species of birds deprived of
their liberty, they are subject to epilepsy; and it
has been asserted, that their flesh is a specific for
the disease in the human subject.

M. de Montbeillard asserts, that an action at
law was brought for the purpose of recovering a
starling which tbe plaintiff asserted, he had en-
trusted to the care of the defendant, who under-
took to teach the bird to speak, whistle, sing,

THE STARLING. 269

Sociability — Manner of flying.

&c. At the expiration of the time agreed upon,
the latter carried home a blackbird which he had
instructed with great care, and claimed his re-
muneration, declaring that he had received only
a blackbird.

Unlike the blackbird, however, the starlings
are fond of society, assembling in vast flocks in
the winter evenings ; and they not only join
those of their own species, but also birds of a
different kind, redwings, fieldfares, and even
owls, jackdaws, and pigeons. They have a pecu-
liar manner of flying, which appears to be di-
rected by an uniform and regular system of tac-
tics, like that of a disciplined body, obeying with
precision the commands of a single chief. It is
the voice of instinct alone that the starlings
obey ; and that instinct teaches them to keep
constantly approaching the centre of the flock,
while the rapidity of their flight invariably car-
ries them beyond it. Thus this multitude of
birds, united by one common tendency towards
the same point, flying incessantly to and fro, and
crossing each other in every direction, form a
kind of agitated mass, which appears to perform
a general revolution round itself, resulting from
the particular movement of each of its parts.
This method of flight is attended with advan-
tages which could not be obtained in any other
manner. It protects the flock from the attacks
of the bird of prey, which, being embarrassed by
the numbers of his feeble adversaries, incom-

270 NATURALIST'S. CABINET.

Peculiar habits.

moded by the flapping of their wings, stunned
by their cries, disconcerted by their order of bat-
tle, and judging himself too weak to penetrate
their lines, that are more and more concentrated
by fear, is frequently obliged to abandon the
tempting boot)', without being able to appropri-
ate to his use the smallest part of it. Isozeman,
a Dutch ornithologist, says, it is a positive fact
that starlings, when hard pressed by a bird of
prey, discharge their excrements in the face of
the assailant, with such force as to oblige him to
make a precipitate retreat. On the other hand,
their manner of flying affords the fowler the faci-
lity of catching a great number of these birds at
once, by means of one or two birds of the same
species, with a limed thread fastened to each
foot; these he lets loose; when mingling with
the flock, by their perpetual motion backward
and forward, they embarrass a great number in
the perfidious thread, and soon fall with them at
the feet of the fowler. They chatter much in
the evening and morning, when they assemble
and disperse, but much less during the day, and
at night they are totally silent.

The starlings are at no great pains to provide
a place for the reception of their progeny. They
frequently take possession of the nest of the
woodpecker, as the latter sometimes seizes upon
theirs ; but when they construct one themselves,
they merely collect some grass and moss in a
a hole in a tree or wall ; and upon this artless

THE STARLING.

Nests — Eggs — Food — Utility.

bed the female deposits five or six €ggs. Some-
times, also, she builds in dove-cotes, under the
eaves of houses, and even in holes in the rocks,
on the sea coast. She lays four or five eggs, and
sits eighteen or twenty days, and the young,
which are of a dusky brown colour till they first
moult, remain a long time dependent upon their
parent for subsistence. This bird usually breeds
in May.

The food upon which starlings principally live,
are snails, worms, and the beautiful searabaei that
are found in June, upon the flowers, and espe-
cially upon the rose. They likewise live upon
wheat, rye, millet, hemp-seed, elder-berries,
olives, cherries, and grapes ; which latter are
said to be the best corrective of the natural
bitterness of their flesh.

Notwithstanding the starlings commit consi-
derable depredations on the labours of the hus-
bandman, the interest of agriculture requires that
they should be preserved, on account of the vast
numbers of pernicious insects they consume,
which would completely annihilate the hopes of
the farmer, if nature had not counteracted their
prodigious multiplication by active means of
destruction.

This bird will live seven or eight years, and
even more, in a state of domestication. The
author of the Sentimental Journey, while consi-
dering the horrors of captivity, supposes himself

«72 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Sterue'-s starlm;,'.

to be interrupted by this speaking bird in the
following manner :

" I stood looking at the little bird : and to
every person who came through the passage, it
ran fluttering to the side towards which they ap-
proached it, with the same lamentation of its
captivity — ' I can't get out,' said the starling —
God help thee! said I; but I will let thee out,
cost what it will ; so I turned about the cage, to
get at the door; it was twisted, and double twisted
so fast with wire, there was no getting it open
without pulling the cage to pieces — I took both
hands to it.

" The bird fleyv to the place where I was at-
tempting his deliverance, and thrusting his head
through the trellis, pressed his breast against it,
as if impatient — I fear, poor creature! said I,
I cannot set thee at liberty. — ' No,' said the star-
ling— ( I can't get out — I can't get out.' "

THE SPARROW.

THE length of this well-known bird is five
inches and three quarters. The bill is dusky,
the eyes hazel ; the top of the head, and back
part of the neck, ash-colour; the throat, forepart
of the neck, and space round the eyes, black;
the cheeks whitish ; the breast and all the under
parts are of a pale ash-colour; the back, scapu-

THE sPAunovV. 273

Fumiliiirily — Cunning.

Jars, and wing-coverts are of a reddish-brown,
mixed with black ; the latter is tipped with white,
forming a light bar across the wing; the quills
are dusky, with reddish edges ; the tail is brown,
edged with grey, and a little forked; the legs are
pale brown. The female is distinguished from
the male, in wanting the black patch on the
throat, and in having a light streak behind each
eye ; she is also much plainer and duller in her
whole plumage.

This is a familiar bird, but so cunning as not
to be easily taken in snares. It frequents our
habitations, and is seldom absent from our gar-
dens or fields. In a wild state its note is only a
chirp: this arises, however, not from want of
powers, but from its attending solely to the note
of the parent bird. A sparrow, when fledged,
was taken from the nest, and educated under
a linnet: it also heard by accident a goldfinch;
and its song was, in consequence, a mixture
of both.

Sparrows are generally hated by farmers, and,
perhaps, unjustly, for though they do some in-
jury in their rural economy; they have been
fully proved to be much more useful than they
are noxious. Mr. Bradley, in his General Trea-
tise on Husbandry and Gardening, shews, that a
pair of sparrows, during the time they have their
young to feed, destroy on an average every
week thirty-three thousand and sixty caterpillars.
This calculation he found upon actual obser-

VOL. Ill, — NO. XXI. 2 M

£74 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Utility — Nests — Egg.

vation. He discovered that the two parents car-
ried to the nest forty caterpillars in an hour. He
supposed the sparrows to enter the nest only dur-
ing twelve hours each day, which would cause a
daily consumption of four hundred and eighty
caterpillars. This sum gives thirty-three thou-
sand and sixty caterpillars extirpated weekly from
a garden. But the utility of these birds is not
limited to this circumstance alone; for they like-
wise feed their young with butterflies and other
winged insects, each of which, if not destroyed
in this manner, would be the parent of hundred*
of caterpillars.

These birds build early in the spring; gene-
rally forming their nests under the eaves of
houses, and in holes in the walls. When such
convenient situations are not to be had, they
build in the trees a nest bigger than a man's
head, with an opening like a mouth at the side,
resembling that of a magpie, except that it is
•formed of straw and hay, and lined with feathers,
and so nicely managed, as to be a defence both
against wind and rain. They likewise form their
.nests in the bottoms of rooks' nests; and this
seems a favourite situation with them. The fe-
male lays five or six eggs, of a reddish-white co-
lour, spotted with brown ; she has generally three
broods in the year, from whence the multiplica-
tion of the species must be immense.

A pleasing anecdote, illustrative of the affec-
tion of these birds towards their young is related

II

•-

3 !

t !

-

THE SPARROW. 275

Pleasing anecdote.

by Mr. Smellie, with which we shall here present
our readers, accompanied by an engraving:

" When I was a boy," says our author, " I
carried off a nest of young sparrows, about a
mile from my place of residence. After the nest
was completely removed, and while I was march-
ing home with them in triumph, I perceived with
some degree of astonishment, both parents fol-
lowing me at some distance, and observing my
motions in perfect silence. A thought then
struck me, that they might follow me home, and
feed the young according to their usual manner.
When just entering the door I held up the nest,
and made the young utter the cry which is ex-
pressive of the desire of food. I immediately
put the nest and the young in the corner of a
wire cage, and placed it on the outside of a win-
dow. I chose a situation in the room where I
could perceive all that should happen, without
being myself seen. The young animals soon
cried for food. In a short time both parents,
having their bills filled with small caterpillars,
came to the cage; and after chatting a little, as
we would do with a friend through the lattice of
a prison, gave a small worm to each. This pa-
rental intercourse continued regularly for some
time ; till the young were completely fledged,
and had acquired a considerahle degree of
strength. I then took one of the strongest of
them, and placed him on the outside of the cage,
in. order to observe the conduct of the parents

Q \r O

& -'I »J

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Mutcrnul affection.

after one of their offspring was emancipated. In
a few minutes both parents arrived, loaded, as
usual, with food. They no sooner perceived that
one of their children had escaped from prison,
than they fluttered about, and made a thousand
noisy demonstrate us of joy both with their wings
and their voices. These tumultuous expressions
of unexpected happiness at last gave place to a
more calm and soothing conversation. By their
voices and their movements it was evident that
they earnestly intreated him to follow them, and
to fly from his present dangerous state. He
seemed impatient to obey their mandates; but,
Ly his gestures, and the feeble sounds he uttered,
he plainly expressed that he was afraid to try an
exertion he had never before attempted. They,
however, incessantly repeated their solicitations ;
by flying alternately from the cage to a neigh-
bouring chimney-top, they endeavoured to show
him how easily the journey was to be accom-
plished. He at last committed himself to the
air, and. alighted in safety. Upon his arrival
another scene of clamorous and active joy was
exhibited. Next day I repeated the same expe-
riment, by exposing another of the young on the
top of the cage. I observed the same conduct
with the remainder of the brood, which consisted
of four. I need hardly add, that not one either
of the parents or children ever afterwards revi-
sited the execrated cage."

This bird is subject to great varieties of plu-

THE MOUNTAIN SPAfcROW. 277

Description — Food — Activity.

mage: in the British and Leverian Museums
there are several white ones, with yellow eyes
and bills: others more or less mixed with brown,
and some entirely black.

THE MOUNTAIN SPARROW.

THIS species is somewhat less than the common
sparrow. The bill is black; the eyes hazel; the
crown of the head, and hind part of the neck
are of a chesnut colour; the sides of the head,
white; the throat black; behind each eye is a
large black spot; the upper parts of the body-
are of a rusty brown, spotted with black ; the
breast and under parts whitish ; the quilis are
black, w ith reddish edges, as are also the greater
coverts ; the lesser are bay, edged with black,
and crossed with two white bars; the tail is of a
reddish brown, and even at the end; the legs
are pale yellow. This species is common in
Yorkshire, Lancashire, and also in Lincolnshire,
but has not been seen further north ; it is indeed
much more plentiful in many parts of the conti-
nent than in England, and has also been found
in Italy, France, Germany, and Russia.

Buflbn says, that the mountain sparrow feeds
on fruits, seeds, and insects. 'It is a lively, active
little bird, and when it alights, has a variety of
motions, whirling about and jerking its tail up-

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description — Visits dirtVrent places.

wards and downwards. It makes its nest in trees,
and not in buildings, like the common sparrow.

THE FIELDFARE.

THIS bird is somewhat less than the missel
thrush; its length being ten inches. The bill is
yellow; each corner of the mouth is furnished
with a few black bristly hairs ; the eye is light
brown; the top of the head, and back part of
the neck are of a light ash-colour, the former
spotted with black ; the back and coverts of the
wings are of a deep houry brown; the rump ash-
coloured ; the throat and breast are yellow, regu-
larly spotted with black; the belly and thighs of
a yellowish white; the tail brown, inclining to
black ; the legs dusky yellowish brown ; in young
birds yellow.

The fieldfare is only a visitant in this island,
making its appearance about the beginning of
October, in order to avoid the rigorous winters
of the north, from whence it sometimes comes in
great flocks, according to the severity of the sea-
son, and leaves us about the latter end of Febru-
ary or the beginning of March, and retires to
Russia, Sweden, Norway, and as far as Siberia
and Kamtschatka.

BufTon observes, that they do not arrive ia
France till the beginning of December; that

THE REDWING. 279

Food — Habits — Nests.

they assemble in flocks of two or three thousand,
*md feed on ripe cervices, of which they are ex-
ceedingly fond: during the winter they feed on
haws and other berries ; they likewise eat snails,
slugs, and worms.

These birds, while associated in flocks, have
evident marks of keeping a kind of watch, to re-
mark and announce the appearance of danger.
On any one's approaching a tree that is covered
with them, they continue fearless, till one at the
extremity of the bush, rising on his wings, gives
a loud and peculiar note of alarm ; when they all
immediately fly, except another, who continues
till the person approaches still nearer, to certify,
as it were, the reality of the danger, and then he
also flies off, repeating the note of alarm.

Fieldfares, though they build their nests in
high trees, and sit on trees in the day-time,
^always roost on the ground. These birds were
jield in high esteem by the Roman epicures;
who had them in their aviaries, and fattened
ihern w ith crumbs of bread mixed with minced

THE REDWING.

THE redwing is not more than eight inches in
length. The bill is of a dark brown colour; the
eyes deep hazel; the plumage in general is simi-
lar to that of the thrush, but a white streak over

280 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description— Observations.

they eye distinguishes it from that bird ; the
belly is not quite so much spotted, and the sides
of the body and the feathers under the wings are
tinged with red, which is its peculiar character-
istic, and from whence it derives its name.

The redwings make their appearance a few-
days before the fieldfares, and are generally seen
with them after their arrival: they frequent the
same .places, eat the same food, and are very si-
milar to them in manners. Like the field-fares,
they leave this country in the spring, conse-
quently their song, which is said to be very pleas-
ing, is quite unknown to us. The female builds
its nest in low bushes or hedges, and lays six eggs,
of a greenish blue colour, spotted with black.
This bird was also esteemed as a delicacy by the
Roman epicures.

November 7, 1785, a redwing was taken up at
six o'clock in the morning, which, on its approach
to land, had flown against the lighthouse at
Tynemouth, and was so stunned that it fell to
the ground and died soon after. The light most
probably had attracted its attention.

THE BLJCKBIRD.

THIS is the largest song-bird found in Eng-
land, and one of the first that proclaims the ge-
nial spring by his shrill harmonious voice. The
cock, when kept in a cage, whistles and sings all

THE BLACKBIRD. 281

Characteristics — Artificial nests.

the spring and summer time, at least four or five
months in the year; it is a stout hardy bird; and
besides his pleasant natural note, may be taught
to whistle almost any tune. The cock and hen
are not easily known by their colour while young,
but the blackest bird generally proves a cock:
the bill of an old cock-bird is of a deep yellow ;
in the hen the tip and upper part is black ; the
mouth, in both, is yellow within : the hen, and
young cock-birds are rather brown, or of a dark
russet, than black, and their bellies of an ash-
colour; but after the cock has changed his
chicken feathers, he becomes coal-black.

These birds generally measure from the tip of
the bill to the end of the tail eleven inches, of
which the bill is one inch, and the tail four inches
long. When wild in the fields, they feed pro-
miscuously upon berries and insects; it is a soli-
tary bird, that, for the most part, flies singly.

The blackbirds breed very soon in the year,
and have young ones by the end of March, or
sooner: they build their nests very artificially:
the outside of moss, slender twigs, bents, and
fibres of roots all very strongly cemented and
joined together with clay; plaistering the inside
also, and lining it with a covering of small straws,
bents, hair, or other soft matter; upon which
the hen lays four or five eggs, seldom more, of a
bluish green colour, full of dusky spots. They
build pretty open; generally in a hedge, near the
ground, and before there are many leaves upon

VOL. in. — NO. xxi. 2 N

NATURALISTS CABINET.

reared — Food — Habits.

the bushes; which so exposes their ne&ts, consi-
dering the largeness of it, that tlity may be easily
discovered. The female has either four or five
young ones at a breeding, hardly ever more or
less; and if taken from the nest, may be reared
with little trouble, taking care to keep them
clean, and feeding them with sheep's heart, or
other lean meat, that is not salted, cut very small,
and mixed with a little bread.

When grown up, they may be fed with any sort
of flesh-meat, raw or dressed, provided it be not
salt; it will be rather better food for them, if
mixed with a little bread.

He is a stout healthy bird, not very subject
to disorder,- but if sick, or drooping, a house-
spider or two, and a little cochineal in his water
will give him relief. He loves to wash and prune
his feathers; therefore when fully grown, he
should have water set in his eage for that
purpose.

This is a solitaiy bird; never congregating,
when at liberty; bnt preferring woods and re-
tired situations. It principally feeds on worms
and shelled snails; the latter of which, in order
to get at the animal, it dashes with great dexte-
rity against the stones : it likewise eagerly seeks,
after all kinds of insects as well as fruit.

THE BLUEBIRD. 283

Description — Docility — How taken.

THE BLUEBIRD.

OF this bird, which is in every respect supe-
rior to the blackbird,, we shall give Bellonius's
description. " This beautiful animal entirely re-
sembles a blackbird in all but its blue colour. It
Jives in the highest part of the Alps, and even
there chuses the most craggy rocks and the most
frightful precipices for its residence. As it is
rarely caught, it is in high estimation even in
the countries where it breeds, but still more va-
luable when carried from home. It not only
whistles in the most delightful manner, but speaks
with an articulate distinct voice. It is so docile,
and observes all things with such diligence, that
though waked at midnight by any of the family,
it will speak and whistle at the word of command.
Its colour about the beginning of winter, from
blue becomes black, which changes to its origi-
nal hue on the first approaches of spring. It
makes its nest in deep holes, in very high and
inaccessible solitudes, and removes it not only
from the accesses of man, but also hides it with
surprising cunning from the shammoy, and other
wild beasts that might annoy its young.

" The manner of taking this beautiful bird is
said to be this. The fowlers having found out
the place where it builds, take with them a strong
stilt or stake, such as the climbers of rocks make
use of to assist them in their ascent. With tb,e
2 N 2

284 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description.

assistance of this, they mount where an indiffer-
ent spectator would think it impossible to ascend,
covering their heads at the same time to ward
off any danger of the falling of pebbles or stones
from above. At length, with extreme toil and
danger, having arrived at the nest, they draw it
up from the hole in which it is usually buried,
and cherish the young with an assiduity, equal
to the pains they took to obtain them. It pro-
duces for the most part five young, and never
more ; it seldom descends into the plain country ;
flies swifter than a blackbird, and uses the same
food."

THE TITMOUSE.

WHICH is also called the blue titmouse and
tomtit, is about four inches and a half in length,
and has a straight black bill about half an inch
long, pretty thick. The upper part of the head
and the chin are black, with a large spot of white
beginning at the base of the bill, and passing
under the eyes to the sides of the neck; with a
white line upon the under part of the head, which
separates the black of the head from the yellow-
colour of the neck ; which colour descends as
low as the shoulders and middle part of the back,
where it appears more shaded with a glossy
green; the rump is of a fine blue. The quill-
feathers have some of their lips white, some blue,

THE PENDUL1NE TITMOUSE. 285

Food — Courage — Varieties.

others green; the covert-feathers by their white
tips make a small transverse white line upon
each wing. The breast, belly, and thighs are
yellow, with a broad black line passing from the
throat down the middle of the breast to the vent.
The tail is about two inches and a half long, of a
black colour, except the outward edges of some
of the feathers which are blue. The legs and
feet are a sort of lead colour.

These birds feed on insects, seeds, and fruit.
They are very prolific, laying eighteen or twenty
eggs at a time. Some of them will venture to
assault birds that are twice or thrice their own
bulk, and in this case they direct their aim chiefly
at the eyes. They often seize upon birds that
are weaker than themselves; which they kill,
and having picked a hole in their skull, eat out
the brains. Buffon says, they pursue the owl
with great fury.

There are many varieties of this bird; the
greater titmouse is about five inches in length.
The nests of almost every kind are constructed
with the most exquisite art, and with materials
of the utmost delicacy as will be found in our
Accounts of the following species.

THE PENDULINE TITMOUSE.

THIS bird is about four inches and a half in
length. The fore part of the head is whitish,

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Skilful construction of ilieir nests.

and the liind part and the neck are ash-coloured.
The upper parts of the plumage are grey ; the
forehead is black ; the throat and front of the
neck are of a very pale ash-colour ; and the
rest of the under parts are yellowish. The quills
and tail are brown, edged with white ; and the
legs are reddish grey.

These birds are natives of Poland, Italy, Sibe-
ria, and most of the intervening country ; where
they frequent the watery places for the sake of
aquatic insects, on which they feed.

The exquisite art which these birds display
in the construction of their nests, forms the most
curious fact in their history. They employ the
light dowrn found on the buds of the willow, the
poplar> and the aspen ; on thistles, dandelions,
&c. With their bill they entwine this filament-
ous substance, and form a thick close web, al-
most like cloth : this they fortify externally with
fibres and small roots, which penetrate into the
texture, and in some measure compose the basis
of the nest. They line the inside with the same
down, but not woven, that their young may lie
soft : they shut it above to confine the warmth ;
and they suspend it w ith hemp, nettles, &,c. from
the cleft of a small pliant branch (over some
stream), that it may rock more gently assisted by
the spring of the branch. In this situation the
brood are well supplied with insects, which con-
stitute their chief food ; and are also thus pro-
jected from their enemies. The nest sometime^
3

THE BEARDED TITMOUSE. 287

Esteemed sacred by the peasants.

resembles a bag, and sometimes a short purse.
The aperture is made in the side, and is almost
always turned towards the water: it is nearly
round, and only an inch and a half in diameter,
or even less, and is commonly surrounded by a
brim more or less protuberant ; this, however, is
sometimes wanting. These are seen in the fens
of Bologna, in those of Tuscany, Lithuania, Po-
land, and Germany. The peasants regard them
with superstitious veneration : one of them is
usually suspended near the door of each cottage ;
arid the possessors esteem it a defence against
thunder, and its little architect as a sacred bird.

THE BEARDED TITMOUSE.

THIS species is not so large as the common
titmouse, the bill is thick and short, of a yellow-
ish colour; the head is of a dark ash-colour, with
a tuft of feathers that begin at the base of the
bill, and are continued beyond the eyes, which,
hang down upon the sides of the neck in a sort
of picked, triangular form ; from which it is said
to take the name of beard-manica. The back,
wings, and upper part of the body are brown,
the breast and lower parts of a yellowish white,
shaded with a dusky brown; the outer fea-
thers on each wing are white, with two remark-*
able white spots on the upper coverts. The tail
is of a b^own. colour, about two inches long.

388 NATURALISTS CABINET.

Affection of the cock-bird — Uescrripiion.

The hen is more beautiful than the cock, not
quite so large, of a more yellowish brown, and
has not the beard; the cock is said to be exceed-
ingly fond of her, and covers her all the night,
while at roost, with his wing. They are not very
common in many parts of the kingdom, but are
more frequently seen in the fens in Lincolnshire,
and in some parts of Essex.

This bird is found in the southern parts of the
kingdom : it frequents marshy places where reeds
grow, on the seeds of which it feeds. It i*
that they were first brought to this country from
Denmark by the Countess of Albemarle, and that
some, having made their escape, founded a co-
lony here; but Mr. Latham supposes, that they
are ours ab origine, but, owing to their frequent-
ing inaccessible places, little is known of them.

THE LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE

HAS a short strong black bill, with a number
of small feathers growing about the nostrils, the
eyes are large, the iris of which is hazel-co-
loured, and the edges of the lids yellow. The
crown of the head is white, with a large black
scolloped mark in a circular form over each eye,
which extends itself to the hinder part of the
head. The back is of a light brown or chesnut
colour, with a few black spots upon it, the quill-
feathers black, with some of their edges white j-

THE LONG-TAILED TITMOUSE. 289

Curious construction of its nest.

the breast and belly are white, interspersed with
small dusky spots. The tail is very long, and
shaped like that of the magpie; the shafts of
some of the outer feathers white, and some few
of the tips of the same colour. The legs and
feet black. This bird flies very swiftly ; from its
slender shape, and the great length of its tail, it
seems like a dart shooting through the air. It is
almost constantly in motion, running up and
down the branches of trees with great facility.

Mr. Derham, in his Physico Theology, takes
the following notice of the artful nest which this
bird forms:

" Among many instances," he says, " that
might be given of the subtilty of birds, and other
creatures, that of the long-tailed titmouse de-
serves observation, who with great art builds her
nest with moss, hair, and the web of spiders cast
out from them when they take their flight, with
which the other materials are strongly tied toge-
ther. Having neatly built, and covered her nest
with these materials, without she thatcheth it on
the top with the muscus arboreus ramosus, or such
like broad whitish moss, to keep out rain, and to
dodge the spectator's eye : and within she listeth
it with a great number of soft feathers; so many,
that I confess 1 could not but admire how so
small a room could hold them, especially that
they could be laid so close and handsomely toge-
ther, to afford sufficient room for a bird with so

VOL. in.- — NO. xxn. 2 N

290 NATCB A LIST'S CAfelNKT.

Habits — Utility — Description.

long a tail, and so numerous an issue as this bird
commonly hath."

The young continue with the parents and form
little flocks during the winter; they utter a small
shrill cry, only as a call, but in the spring they
are said to acquire a very melodious song. They
are found in the northern regions of Europe.

These birds are said to be very beneficial in
the spring to the trees by destroying the young
caterpillars, and likewise the eggs of those insects
that so commonly destroy the fruit, which they
do by tearing the webs to pieces, and eating up
the animalcule that are inclosed in them.

THE COLE TITMOUSE.

THIS bird, which is four inches in length,
weighs only two drachms. Its bill is black, as
are also its head, throat, and part of the breast
from the corner of the bill on each side an irre-
gular patch of white passes under the eyes, ex-
tending to the sides of the neck ; a spot of the.
same occupies the hind part of the head ; the
back and all the upper parts are of a greenish
ash-colour; the wing-coverts are tipped with,
white, which forms two bars across the wing ; the
under parts are of a reddish white; the legs are
lead-colour, and the tail somewhat forked at the
end.

THE CAPE TITMOUSE. 291

Another variety — Description.

Besides the varieties already mentioned, there
is the marsh titmouse, with the whole crown of
the head, and part of the neck behind of a deep
hlack. It is somewhat short of five inches, and
is said to be fond of wasps, bees, and other in-
sects: it lays up a little store of seeds against a
season of want, and frequents marshy places,
from whence it derives its name.

THE CAPE TITMOUSE.

OF this bird we shall only remark, that its
luxurious nest, which is constructed of the down
of a species of Asclepias, is made of the texture
of flannel, and equals the fleecy hosiery in soft-
ness. Near the upper part projects a small tube,
about an inch in length, with an orifice, about
three-fourths of an inch in diameter. Immedi-
ately under the tube is a small hole in the side
that has no communication with the interior of
the nest; in this hole the male sits at nights, and
thus both male and female are secured from the
weather.

2

292 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description.

CHAP. XII.

" Hnsh'd into peaceful rest the negroes sleep,
And not a distant sound their dwelling shocks,

Save where the horrors of the foaming deep

Daeh mountain billows 'gainst the craggy rocks :

Or where the mack bird from the willow's height,
Whose pliant boughs wave ceaseless to and fro,

In solemn sadness, all the live-long night,
Tunes to the grove his plaintive tale of woe."

ANON,

THE MOCK BIRD.

THOUGH this bird cannot vie with the fea-
thered inhabitants of irs native forests in bril-
liancy of plumage, yet it possesses more rare and
estimable qualities. It is about the size of a
blackbird, but somewhat more slender, and in
figure very much resembles the thrush. The
upper part of the body is of a brown grey, more
or less dark ; the wings and tail have more brown,
but the former have a white patch that crosses
them obliquely, and the tail is bordered with the
same colour. All the under part of the body is
white from the throat to the end of the taiJ.

THE MOCK BlttD. 1'93

Various notes und imitative powers

This bird is common throughout America and
Jamaica, but changes its place in the summer,
being then seen much more to the northward
than in winter. He is the only one of the Ame-
rican singing birds that can be compared with
those of Europe; and, were it not for the atten-
tion that he pays to every sort -of disagreeable
noises which tend to debase his best notes, there
can be little doubt that he would be fully equal
to the song of the nightingale in its whole com-
pass. He frequents the dwellings of the Ameri-
can farmers; where, sitting on the roof or chim-
ney, he sometimes pours forth the most sweet
and varied notes imaginable. The Mexicans, on
account of his various notes and his imitative
powers, call him the bird of four hundred tongues.
In the warmer parts of America he sings inces-
santly from March to August, both day and
night; beginning with his own compositions,
and frequently finishing by borrowing from the
whole feathered choir. He repeals his tunes
with such artful sweetness as to excite both plea-
sure and astonishment. It possesses not only
natural notes of its own, which are truly musical
and solemn ; but it can at pleasure assume the
tone of every other animal in the forest, from
the humming bird to the eagle, and descending
even to the wolf or the raven. One of them
confined in a cage has been heard to mimic the
mewing of a cat, the chattering of a magpie, and

NATURALISTS CABINET.

Deceptious mimicries — Gesticulations.

the creaking of the hinges of a sign-post in high
winds.

This little capricious mimic seems to have a
singular pleasure in archly leading other birds
astray. He is said at one time to allure the
smaller birds with the call of their mates; and
when they come near, to terrify them with the
scream of an eagle. There is scarcely a bird of
the forest that is not at some time deceived by
his call. But he appears to imitate only to em-
bellish, and in appropriating to himself every
sound that strikes his ear, he seems to be striv-
ing to enrich and perfect his own notes, and to
exercise his indefatigable throat in every pos-
sible manner. His song continues throughout
almost the whole year, and he not only sings with
grace, but with action and feeling.

It is not, however, in the powers of voice
alone, that these birds are pleasing; they may
even be said to dance. When excited into a
kind of ectasy by their own music, they gradually
raise themselves from the place where they stand,
and with their wings extended, drop with their
head down to the same spot, and whirl round,
accompanying their melody with a variety of
pretty gesticulations.

They frequently build their nests in the bushes
or fruit-trees about houses; but they are so shy,
that if a person only looks at the nest, they im-
mediately forsake it. The nest is of the same

3

THE SKYLARK. QQ3

Nests — Habits — Food.

form and texture as that of the missel thrush,
and the female lays four or five eggs. The
young may be brought up in a cage, and ren-
dered domestic; but this, notwithstanding they
are fond of human society, is to be done only
with great difficulty, not one attempt in ten
being successful for that purpose. If the young-
be taken in the nest, the mo her will feed them
for a few days, but is sure to desert them after-
wards. If a rat happen to approach the nest,
the parent bird will fly at the head of the animal,
and with a hissing noise scare it away.

It feeds its young with grasshoppers; and
when it wants any of these insects, it flies into
the pastures, flaps its wings near the ground, and
makes a booty of three or four at a time, with
which it returns to the nest. It also feeds on
different kind of berries, and is itself eaten by
the Americans, who esteem it a delicacy.

THE SKYLARK.

ALL the lark species are distinguishable from
other small birds by the length of their heels,
and are louder in their song, though not so pleas-
ing as either the starling or nightingale. The
skylark is distinguished from the others of the
same species by a crest which it is capable of
erecting or depressing at pleasure. The feathers
of the head, the back of the neck,, and the upper

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description — Docility — Melody.

part of the body are of a dark grey in the middle
and lighter round the edges. On the head is a
stripe of a reddish grey round the upper part of
the bill; the throat, the front of the neck and
the belly are of a dusty white, slightly tinged
with red, and having a few brown spots scattered
over the breast and on the sides. The wings are
of a brown grey ; the two feathers in the middle
of the tail are the same with a reddish tint, and
the others of a dark brown. The iris of die eye
is ash-coloured ; the upper mandible of the bill
brown; the lower yellowish, and the feet and
nails are light grey.

This is a long-lived healthy bird, and much
admired for its harmony. At full growth it is
six inches and a quarter long; of which the tail
is three inches, and the bill three quarters of an
inch. When in flesh it weighs about an ounce
and a half. It is easily tamed, and becomes so
familiar as to eat off the table, and even alight
on the hand ; but it cannot cling by the toes, on
account of the form of the hind toe, which is too
long and straight. This is the reason why it
never perches on trees.

The lark commences his song early in spring,
and continues it during the whole of the summer.
It is heard chiefly in the morning and evening,
and it is one of those few birds thai chant their
mellow notes on the wing. Thomson elegantly
describes it as the leader of the warbling choir :

THE SKYLARK. 297

Mode of flying — Numbers caught.

....." Up springs the lark,
Shrill voic'd and loud, the messenger of morn:
Ere yet the shadows fly, he, mounted, sings
Amid the dawning clouds, and from their haunts
Calls up the tuneful nations."

The lark mounts almost perpendicularly, and
by successive springs, into the air ; where it ho-
vers at a vast height. Its descent is in an oblique
direction : unless threatened by some ravenous
bird of prey, or attracted by its mate ; when it
drops to the ground like a stone. When it first
leaves the earth, its notes are feeble and inter-
rupted; but as it rises, they gradually swell to
their full tone. There is something in the con-
comitant scenery, that renders the music of the
lark peculiarly delightful : the placid landscape
and various rural charms all contribute to heighten
our relish for its pleasing song.

In winter, when their song forsakes them, the
ikylarks then assemble in flocks, grow fat, and
are caught in vast numbers by the bird-catchers.
As many as four thousand dozen have been known
to be taken in the neighbourhood of Dunstable,
between September and February; but this holds
no proportion to what are sometimes caught in
different parts of Germany, where there is an
excise upon them. Keysler says, that the excise
alone produced six thousand dollars (about nine
hundred pounds sterling) every year to the city
of Leipsic ; the larks of which place are famous
all over Germany, as being of a most delicate fla-
vour. But it is not only at Leipsic that they

VOL. in. — NO. xxn. 2 P

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

'

Clap-nets — Trammel net* — Food.

taken in such numbers; but also in the country
about Naumburg, Merseburg, Halle, and other
parts. Those caught in the day-time are taker*
in clap-nets, of fifteen yards in length, and two
and a half in breadth; and nre enticed by means
•of bits of looking-glass fixed in a piece of wood,
and placed in the middle of the nets. These are
put in a quick whirling motion, by a string which
the larker commands; he also makes use of a
decoy bird. This kind of nets are used only till
the fourteenth of November; for the larks will
not frolic in the air, and of course cannot be in-
veigled in this manner, except in fine sunny wea-
ther. When the weather grows gloomy, the
'larker changes his engine ; and makes use of a
trammel-net, *twenly*seven or twenty-eight feet
long, and five broad; which is put on two poles,
eighteen feet long, and carried by men, who pass
over the fields and quarter the ground as a set-
ting-dog would ; when they hear or feel that a
lark has hit the net, they drop it down, and so
the birds are taken.

The common food of the young skylarks is
worms and insects \ but after they are grown up
they live chiefly on seeds, herbage, and most
other vegetable substances.

The female forms her nest on the ground, ge-
nerally between two clods of earth, and lines it
\vith dried grass and roots. In this she lays tour
or five brown eggs, with brownish specks, which
»re hatched in about a fortnight; and she gene-

THE SKYLARK. 299

f •

Maternal solicitude.

rally produces two broods in the yenr. When
hatched, the mother watches over them with a
truly maternal affection ; she may then be seen
fluttering over their heads, directing their mo-
tions, anticipating their wants, and guarding
them from danger.

The instinctive warmth of attachment which
the female skylark bears to her young, often dis-
covers itself at a very early period ; and even be-
fore she is capable of becoming a mother, which
might be supposed to precede, in the order of
nature, the maternal solicitude. " A young hen-
bird," says the Comte de Buffon, " was brought
to me in the month of May, which was not able
to feed without assistance: I caused her to be
educated; and she was hardly fledged, when I
received from another place a nest of three or
four unfledged skylarks. She took a strong lik-
ing to these new-comers, which were scarcely
younger than herself; she tended them night an4
day, cherished them beneath her wings, and fed
them with her bill. Nothing could interrupt her
tender offices ; if the young were torn from her,
she flew back to them as soon as she was libe-
rated, and would not think of effecting her own
escape, which she might have done a hundred
times. Her affection grew upon her; she neg-
lected food and drink; she now required the
same support as her adopted offspring, and ex-
pired at last consumed with maternal anxiety.
None of the young ones survived her, they diejd
2 P -2

500 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Directions for rearing the young.

one after another; so essential were her cares,
which were equally tender and judicious."

These birds must be taken when about ten
days old ; if left alone longer there is a great ha-
zard of losing them, as they have been known to
quit their nest in seven or eight days, wben they
have been disturbed ; if the old ones see any per-
son look at their young, they will then entice
them away of a sudden ; and in rainy weather, it
is surprising to see how young they will leave
their nest.

The young, when taken, should be put into a
basket with some short clean -hay at the bottom,
covered and tied down close and warm, and fed
with white bread and milk boiled thick, mixed
with about a third part of rape-seed, soaked,
boiled and bruised : some bring them up with
sheep's heart minced very fine, or other flesh
meat. Great care is necessary to keep them
clean, and feed them regularly once in about
two hours, from morning till night, with fresh
and wholesome food. In a week's time they
should be put into a large cage, with some hay
cut short, or coarse bran at the bottom, turning
or shifting it every day. They should have
bread, egg, and hemp-seed, till capable of feed-
ing themselves with dry meat, which they will
do in about three weeks or a month. Let the
egg be boiled very hard, grated fine, and mixed
with an equal quantity of hemp-seed bruised,
while the birds are young; but when they are

THE WOODLAHH. 301

Description.

able to crack the seed, give it them whole, and a
little bread grated among it. \ou may then let
them have a fresh turf of grass once or twice a
week, and sift some fine dry gravel at the bottom
of the cage, shifting it often, that it may not clog
their feet: for change of diet, you may sometimes
give them a little of the flesh meat. After they
have done moulting, you may give them bread,
egg, and whole hemp-seed, every other day, and
a fresh turf once a week. As the birds are of an
hardy nature, this careful management will pre-
serve them many years.

THE WOODLARK.

THIS bird is of great beauty, both in shape
and plume: his breast and belly are of a pale
yellowish hair-colour, faintly spotted with black;
the back and head are party-coloured, of black
and reddish yellow. The cock is flat-headed,
and full behind the ears, with a white stroke
from each nostril, forming a curve line over
the eye, and almost meeting behind the neck ;
the whiteness of this line, and its extension
behind the neck, are the best signs to dis-
tinguish the male: he is full-chested, long
from the neck to the shoulder of the wing, nar-
row on the vent and rump ; the rump part a
dark brown, with a long lightish tail, and the

502 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Delightful notes — Nests — Eggs.

two corner feathers touched with white ; long in
body, and carries himself upright; some of the
feathers under the throat have small stripes;
he has three small white feathers on the top
of the shoulder, and a long heel. The hen is
narrow-headed, and brown over the eyes, flattish
from the breast to the belly, and round at the
rump, short-heeled, and only two whitish, dull,
or cream-coloured feathers on the shoulder, and
the curve line of the head reaches but a little be*
yond the eye. The weight of this bird is little
more than an ounce ; its length six inches, of
which the bill is something above half an inch,
and the tail two inches.

The woodlark, which is universally admired
for its soft and delightful notes, is a very tender
bird, and yet breeds early in the spring, as soon
as the blackbird, or any other; the young birds
being ready to fly by the middle of March.
They build at the foot of a bush or a hedge, or
in lays where the grass is wet or dry, under some
turf to shelter them from the weather. Their
nest is made of withered grass, fibrous roots, and
other such like matter, with a few horse-hairs
within side at the bottom, being a small, and
very indifferent fabric, and hardly any hollow or
sides. She lays four eggs, of a pale bloom co-
lour, beautifully mottled, and clouded with red,
yellow, &c.

The young ones are so tender, that they are
exceedingly difficult to bring up from the nest ;

t

THE WOODLARK. 303

Directions for bringing up the young.

they must not be taken before tbey are well fea-
thered ; because, when they are too young, they
are more subject to the cramp and scouring,
which commonly kills them: put them into a
basket with a little hay at the bottom, or some
such thing, where they may lie clean and warm,
tying them close down : feed them with sheep's
heart, or other lean flesh meat, raw, mixed with
a hard boiled egg, a little bread, and hemp-seed
bruised or ground, all chopped together as fine
as possible, and made a little moist with clean
water, every two hours, or oftener, give them
five or six small bits, taking great care never to
overload their stomachs. The wild ones feed
upon beetles, caterpillars, and other insects, and
also upon almost any seeds they meet with.

The branchers are taken in June and July,
with a net and a hawk, after the same manner as
the skylarks. They are to be found harbouring
about gravel-pits, upon heath and common land,
and in pasture fields. Tor fear of the hawk, they
will lie so close, that sometimes they suffer them-
selves to be taken up with the hand. These
birds soon grow tame.

The next season is for Michaelmas birds, which
are taken with clap-nets in great numbers in Sep-
tember, and are counted better birds than what
are caught at any other time of the year, because
keeping them all the winter makes them more
tame than birds taken in January or February,
and will sing eight or nine months in the year.

304 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Seasons for taking woodlarks.

Woodlarks at this time commonly fly very high,
therefore the highest ground is usually chosen to
lay the nets upon, likewise in a cart-way, or
where a spot of earth is fresh turned up, or some-
times you may turn it up on purpose.

A third season for taking woodlarks is in Ja-
nuary; those caught at this time are very
stout, good birds, and will sing in a few days
after they are taken, both stouter and louder
than the Michaelmas birds, but not for so many
months; these are also caught with the clap-net,
and are found lying near a wood side in pasture
ground, where the sun rises.

Woodlarks are sometimes taken when they are
matched with their hen; but the end of January
ought to be the latest time, because they are
early breeding birds, and if taken later, are worth
very little.

THE TITLARK.

THIS species is less by one half than the sky-
lark, being only six inches in length, and ten
Inches and a quarter in breadth; and is of a more
greenish colour; the head is small, and the body
pretty long and slender; the iris of the eye is
hazel, and the top of the head and upper part of
the body are of a yellowish green, with a mixture
of black and ash-colour ; the sides of the wings
are of a dusky brown, with the edges and tops of
5

THE CROSS-BILL. SOi

„ — — ' r>

Description — Food — Nests — Familiarity.

the feathers somewhat greenish, some of a pale
yellow, and others white; the breast is of a pale
dusky colour, spotted with black, but the belly is
whiter, and free from spots ; the tail is above two
inches long, and some of the upper parts of the
outer feathers are white, and others brown, with
pale green edges ; the feet are yellow, and the
claws are very long, and of a pale dusky colour.
The cock is all over more yellow than the hen,
but especially under the throat, on the breast,
legs, and soles of the feet.

These birds feed upon insects and seeds, like
other larks, but they build their nests with moss
in low bushes, among grass, or in corn-fields, not
far from the ground, covering them on the inside
with horse-hair; they generally lay five or six
fggs, of a dark brown colour, and the young are
commonly hatched about the beginning of June.
They may be brought up with the same meq,£
and management as young woodlarks or nightinr
gales. They soon become tame and familiar.

THE CROSS-BILL,

THIS bird is about the size of a lark, being
nearly seven inches in length. It is distinguished*
by the peculiar formation of itg bill, the upper/
and under mandible coming in opposite direc-r
tions, and crossing each other at the points. Its
fyes are hazel; its general colour reddish,, mixed

YOL. III.— NO. XXII. £ O,

306 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Peculiar structure of its bill.

with brown on the upper parts; the under parts
are considerably paler, being almost white at the
vent ; the wings are short, not reaching further
than the setting on of the tail ; they are of a
brown colour ; the tail is of the same colour, and
somewhat forked; the legs are black. Its co-
lours are extremely subject to variation, both
male and female appearing very different at dif-
ferent times of the year.

The singular structure of this bird's bill Comte
tie Buffon, perhaps unthinkingly, and certainly
unjustly, has considered as one of JSature's freaks,
calculated to render the bird mut-h less essential
service than a beak in some other form would
have done.- But notwithstanding the apparently
awkward and useless shape of this member, it
has been found, on attentively watching the man-
ners of the bird, to have the best possible adapta-
tion to its destination and habits. The two man-
dibles do not lie straight; but pass, for a consi-
derable part of their length, on the side of each
pther, like the blades of a pair of scissars. By
means of this peculiar construction, the cross-bills
are able to procure their food with the utmost
address. They live principally on the seeds of
the cones of the fir or pine; and it is in order to
extract these, that this structure is principally
adapted. In this operation, they fix themselves*
across the cone, then bring the points of the
beak from their crossed or lateral position to be
Immediately over each other, In this reduced

THE CROSS-BILL. 307

Habits — Curious operations.

compass, they insinuate it between the scales,
and distending the two mandibles to their usual
position sideways, force the scales open; and
then again bringing the points into contact, pick
out the seed, in the same manner as if their bills
had the form of those of other birds. While in
this act, they are so perfectly intent on their bu-
siness, as to suffer themselves to be taken by
means of a horse-hair noose fixed to a long fish-
ing rod. They are discovered by the twittering
noise they make while feeding.

The degree of lateral force which they are able
to exert, is very surprising: and they are at times
fond of exercising it for mere amusement; which,
renders them in a tame state, not a little mis-
chievous. Doctor Townson, while at Gottingen,
kept several cross-bills> which, by kind treatment,
soon becoming tame, he let loose about his study.
They would often come to his table while he was
writing, and carry off" his pencils, little chip boxes
in which he occasionally kept insects, and other
similar objects, and tear them to pieces almost
instantaneously. Their mode of operation was
first to peck a little hole, to insert into this their
bill, and thpn split or tear the object by the la-
teral force. When he gave them, as he often
did, almonds in their shells, they got at the ker-
nel in the same manner ; first pecking a hole,
and then enlarging this by wrenching off the
pieces.

2 o2

S08 NATURALIST'S

Where found — Principal food — Nests.

Notwithstanding the apparent awkwardness of
this beak, they are able, by bringing the mandi-
bles point to point, even to pick up and eat the
smallest seeds. This bird, when kept in a cage,
has all the actions of a parrot, climbing, by means
of its crooked bill, from the upper to the lower
bars. It is an inhabitant of the colder climates,
and has been found as far as Greenland. It
breeds in Russia, Sweden, Poland, and Germany,
in the mountains of Switzerland, and among the
Alps and Pyrenees, from whence they migrate in
vast flocks into other countries. It is sometimes
met with in great numbers ill this country, but
its visits are not regular.

The principal food of these birds is said to be

the seeds of the pine-tree; the German bird-

eatchers generally feed them with poppy and

Other small seeds ; and they shell hemp-seeds in

eating them as well as any other birds whatever.

The female begins to build as early as January

her hemispherical nest in the bare branches of

the pine-tree, fixing it with the resinous matter

which exudes from that tree, and besmearing it

on the outside with the same substance, so that

melted snow or rain cannot penetrate it. In this

she lays a fe« whitish eggs, spotted towards the

thicker end with red. They are somewhat rare

in this country.

From its mode of scrambling, and the beauty
of its colours, this bird has been .called by some
the German Parrot.
7

THE GROSBEAK. S0<)

Description.

THE GROSBEAK.

THIS shy and solitary bird is near seven
inches in length ; its bill is of a horn colour, co-
nical, and prodigiously thick at the base ; its eyes
are ash-coloured ; the space between the bill and
the eye, and thence to the chin and the throatj
is black ; the top of the head is of a reddish ches-
hut, as are also the cheeks, but somewhat paler ;
the back part of the neck is of a greyish ash-
colour ; the back and lesser wing-coverts, ches-
nut ; the greater wing-coverts are grey, in some
almost white, forming a band across the wing;
the quills are all black, except some of the secon-
daries nearest the body, which are brown; the
four outer quills seem as if cut off at the ends ;
the prime quills have each of them a spot of
white about the middle of the inner web ; the
breast and belly are of a pale rust colour, growing
almost white at the vent; the tail is black, ex*
cept the ends of the middle feathers, which are
grey; the outer ones are tipped with white; the
legs are pale brown. The female greatly resem-
bles the male, but her colours-, like other female
birds, are less vivid, and the space between the
€}^e and the bill is grey, instead of black. These
birds vary considerably, as scarcely two can be
found alike. In some the head is wholly black;

SIO NATURALIST'S CABINET.

_ i

Pine grosbeak — Green grosbeak.

in others the whole upper part of the body is of
that colour, and others have been seen entirely
white, except the wings.

This species is an inhabitant of the temperate
climates from Spain, Italy, and France, as far as
Sweden; it only visits this island occasionally
and generally in winter. It has little or no song,
and chiefly inhabits the woods during summer,
and in winter resorts near the hamlets and farms.
The female builds her nest in trees, which is com-
posed of small dry roots and grass, and lined with
warmer materials. She lays about four or five
eggs, which are roundish and of a bluish-green,
spotted with brown. She feeds her young with
insects, chrysalids, and other soft nutritious sub-
stances.

There is another species, found only in the
northern parts of this island, and of Europe,
called the pine grosbeak, as it frequents the
pine forests, and feeds on the seeds of that tree.
The female builds her nest on trees, at a small
distance from the ground, and lays four white
eggs, which are hatched in June.

The green grosbeak, so called from the colour
of her plumage, is another species which is com-
mon in every part of Great Britain. It does not
migrate, and soon becomes familiar. The female
makes her nest in hedges or low bushes, and lavs
five or six eggs, of a pale greenish colour,
marked at the larger end with spots of a reddish

THE CARDINAL GROSBEAK, Sl\

Melody of its song — Characteristics.

brown; she is so close a sitter that she may
sometimes be taken on her nest. The male,
which is very attentive to' his mate, takes his
turn,

THE CARDINAL GROSBEJK.

THIS species is nearly eight inches in length.
The bill is stout, and of a pale red colour. On
the head is a pointed crest: the plumage is in
general of a fine red, but round the bill and
throat it is black. The legs are of the same COT
lour as the bill.

The cardinal grosbeak is an inhabitant of se-
veral parts of North America ; and from the me-
lody of its song, which is said somewhat to re-
semble that of the nightingale, some of the Ame-
ricans give it the same name. In spring, and
during great part of the summer, it sits on the
tops of the highest trees, and with its loud and
piercing notes makes the forests echo. The
inhabitants frequently keep them in cages; where
they will sing, -with a very short interval of
silence, throughout the whole year.

These birds are remarkable for laying up dur-
ing the summer their winter provisions of maize
and buck-wheat. Nearly a bushel of maize has
been found in the retreat of one of these birds,
artfully covered with leaves and smajl branches

312 NATURALISTS CABINET,

Description — Curious nests — Beautiful appearance.

of trees, and only a small hole left for the bird to
enter at.

THE GREN4DIZR GROSBEAK.

THIS is about the size of a sparrow. The
body is in general of a beautiful red colour. The
forehead, sides of the head, chin, breast, and
telly, are black. The vvings are brown, and the
legs pale brown.

The grenadier grosbeak is an inhabitant of the
Cape of Good Hope, and some other parts of
Africa; it is supposed to be the finch described
by Kolben in his account of the Cape, He says
it is chiefly found in marshy and reedy grounds,
vrhere it makes its nest and produces its young.
The nest is formed among the reeds with small
twigs, interwoven so closely with cotton as not
to be penetrated by any weather. It is also
divided into two compartments: of which the
upper is for the male, and the loyer for the fe-
xnale and the young. In winter (he further in-?
forms us), these birds change from scarlet to ash-
colour.

The appearance of the grenadier grosbeakg
among the green reeds of their native climates,
is said to have a wonderful effect : for, from the
extreme brightness of their colours,, they appea^
Jilie so many scarlet lilies.

THE ABYSSINIAN GROSBEAK. 313

Description — Curious nest.

THE ABYSSINIAN GROSBEAK.

THIS species is somewhat larger than the
last mentioned,, having the bill strong and black j
the head, throat, and breast, black ; the upper
parts of the body, the belly, and thighs, of pale
yellowish brown; the quills and tail brown, edged
with yellow ; and the legs reddish grey. It is,
according to its name, found in Abyssinia. It
forms a curious nest, of apyrimidal shape; which
is suspended from the ends of branches, like the
nests of some others of this tribe. The opening
is on one side, facing the east : the cavity is se-
parated in the middle by a partition to half its
height; up this the bird ascends perpendicularly,
and then descending on the other side, forms its
nest in the further chamber. By this means the
brood is defended from snakes, squirrels, mon-
keys, and other mischievous animals; besides
being secured from the rains, which in that
country last sometimes for five or six months
together.

THE BENGAL GROSBEAK.

IN the Asiatic Researches, we find the fol-
lowing description of this bird, by Sir William
Jones. " It is rather larger than a sparrow; with
yellow brown plumage, a yellowish head and

VOL. III. — NO, XXII. £ R

314 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Astonishing sensibility and docility.

feet, light-coloured breast, and a conic beak very
thick in proportion to its body.

" This l»ird is exceedingly common in Hin-
dostan : be is astonishingly sensible, faithful and
docile; never voluntarily deserting the place
where his young are hatched, but not averse, like
jnost other birds, to the society of mankind, and
easily. taught to perch on the band of his master.
In a state of nature he generally builds his nest
on the bighest tree that he can find, especially
on the palmyra, or on the Indian fig-tree, and he
prefers that which happens to overhang a well or
a rivulet : he makes it of grass, which he weaves
like cloth, and shapes like a large bottle, suspend-
ing it firmly on the branches, but so as to rock
with the wind, and, placing it with its entrance
downwards to secure it from birds of prey. His
nest usually consists of two or three chambers ;
and it is popularly believed that he lights them
with fire-flies, which he is said to catch alive at
night, and confine with moist clay or with cow-
(Jung. That such flies are often found in his
nest where pieces of cow-dung are also stuck, is
indubitable; but as their light could be of little
use to him, it seems probable that he only feeds
on them.

" He may be taught with ease to fetch a piece
of paper, or any small thing that his master
points out to him. It is an attested fact, that if
a ring be dropped into a deep well, and a signal
given to him, he will fly down with amazing ce-

THE SOCIABLE GROSBEAK. 315

Attested facts — Extraordinary nests.

lerity, catch the ring before it touches the water,
and bring it up to his master with apparent ex-
ultation; and it is confidently asserted, that if a
house or any other place be shown to him once
or twice, he will carry a note thither immedi-
ately, on a proper signal being made. One in-
stance of his docility I can myself mention with
confidence, having often been an eye-witness of
it. The young Hindoo women at Benares, and
in other places, wear very thin plates of gold,
called ticas, slightly fixed, by way of ornament,
between their eye-brows; and when they pass
through the streets, it is not uncommon for the
youthful libertines, who amuse themselves with
training these birds, to give them a signal, which
they understand, and send them to pluck the
pieces of gold from the foreheads of their mis-
tresses, which they bring in triumph to the
lovers."

THE SOCIABLE GROSBEAK

INHABITS the interior country at the Cape
of Good Hope, and was first discovered there by
Mr. Paterson. Few species of birds live together
in such large societies, or have such an extraor-
dinary mode of nidification as these. They build
their nests in a kind of mimosa; which grows to
an uncommon size, and seems well suited to
them, on account of its ample head, and strong
'.» '. 2 K 2

Slfi NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Remarkable industry.

wide-spreading branches, well calculated to admit
and support the extensive mansion they have to
erect upon it. The lallness and smoothness of
its trunk is also a perfect defence against the ser-
pent and monkey tribes. The mode in which
die nests are fabricated is highly curious. In
one tree, described by Mr. Paterson, there could
not be fewer than from eight hundred to a thou-
sand under one general roof. This gentleman
calls it a roof, because he says it resembles that
of a thatched house ; and projects over the en-
trance of the nest below, in a very singular
mariner.

" The industry of these birds," says this tra-
veller in his Journeys among the Hottentots,
f< seems almost equal to that of the bee. Through-
out the day they appear to be busily employed in
carrying a fine species of grass ; which is the
principal material they employ for the purpose
of erecting this extraordinary work, as well as
for additions and repairs. Though my short
stay in the country was not sufficient to satisfy
me by ocular proof, that they added to their nest
as they annually increased in numbers ; still,
from the many trees which I have seen borne
down by", the weight, and others which I have
observed witii their boughs completely covered
over, it would appear that this is really the case.

When the tree, which is the support of this
aerial city, is obliged to give way to the increase
pf weight, it is obvious that they are no longer

THE BULFINCH. 317

Ingenious structure of their nests.

protected, and are under the necessity of rebuild-
ing in other trees. One of these deserted nests
I had the curiosity to break down, to inform
myself of the internal structure of it; and found
it equally ingenious with that of the external.
There are many entrances; each of which forms
a regular street, with nests on both sides, at about
two inches distance from each other. The grass
' ith which they build is called the Boshman's-
grass : and I believe the seed of it to be their
principal food ; though, on examining their nests,
I found the wings and legs of different insects.
From every appearance, the nest which I dis-
sected had been inhabited for many years; and
some parts of it were much more complete than
others. This, therefore, 1 conceive to amount
nearly to a proof, that the animals added to it at
different times, as they found necessary, from
the increase of the family, or rather of the na-
tion or community."

THE BULFINCH

IS a very common bird, and when at full
growth measures, from the point of the bill to
the tip of the tail six inches, of which the tail
is two, and weighs about thirteen drachms. It
has a black short bill, very strong and crooked,
the upper part hanging over the under like that
of a hawk ; the tongue short, and the; eyes of a

318 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Names — Eggs — Capable of instruction.

hazel-colour; the head and neck in proportion
to the body larger than the generality of small
birds, from which, most probably, they derived
their name. In some places they are called
ropes ; in others, thick-bills, and in some hoops,
probably from their wild hooping kind of note.

The bulfinch makes its nest, of ordinary meaa
fabric, in bushes, in which, in May, the female
lays five or six eggs, of a bluish colour, with dark
brown and reddish spots. In the summer it
mostly frequents woods, and the more retired
places; but in winter it approaches gardens and
orchards, where it makes great havoc among the
buds of the trees.

The cock is in size equal to the hen, but has a
flatter crown, and excels her in the beauty of his
colours. In a state of nature this bird has but
three cries, all of which are unpleasant: but if
man deigns to instruct it methodically, and ac-
custom it to fine, mellower, and more lengthened
strains, it will listen with attention; and the do-
cile bird, whether male or female, wishout relin-
quishing its native airs, \\ill imitate exactly, and
sometimes even surpass its master. " I know a
•curious person," says a celebrated author, " who
having whistled some airs quite plain to a bul-
finch, was agreeably surprised to hear the bird
add such graceful turns, that the master could
scarcely recognise his own music, and acknow-
ledged that the scholar excelled him." It must,
however, be confessed, that, if the bultiuch bu

THE BULFINCH. 319

Docility — Personal attachment.

ill-directed, it acquires harsh strains. A friend
of the Comte de Buffon saw one that had never
heard any person whistle but carters; and it
whistled like them, with the same strength and
coarseness. The bulfinch also learns easily to
articulate words and sentences ; and utters them
•with so tender an accent, as to convey notions
of sensibility.

This bird is, besides, susceptible of personal
attachment, which is often strong and durable.
Some have been known, after escaping and living
a whole year in the woods, to recognize the voice
of their mistress, and return to forsake her no
more. Others have died of melancholy, on being
removed from the first object of their attach-
ment. They will also remember injuries receiv-
ed : a bulfinch that had been thrown to the
ground in its cage by some of the rabble, though
it did not appear much affected at the time, fell
into convulsions ever after at the sight of any
mean-looking person, and expired in one of these
fits eight months after its first accident.

The bulfinch is a bird much esteemed in Eng-
land for beauty and singing; for in the former
he equals most, and in the latter, when well
taught, excels all other birds of his size.

These birds must not be taken too young; they
should be at least twelve days old ; at first they
must be fed the same as theyoung linnet,chaffi nch,
&,c. with bread, milk, and rape-seed, made into a
paste; and, when grown up, with rape and canary-
seed,, three-fourths rape,, and one-fourth canary.

320 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description.

They, as well as the starlings, require much pains
to be taken with them in the early part of their
education, and should never be fed without what
they are wished to learn being repeated to them;
they soon grow attentive, and generally by the
time they are three months old, will begin to re-
cord to themselves, after which a very few les-
sons will render them perfect.

THE TRUMPETER.

ONLY two species of this bird have as yet
been discovered. The one under present consi-
deration, called also the agami, is about twenty-
two inches in length ; and its legs are five inches
high, and completely covered with small scales,
which reach two inches above the knee. Its ge-
neral plumage is black : and the feathers of the
head and neck are very short and downy ; those
of the forepart of the neck, and upper part of the
breast, of a very glossy gilded green, with a re-
flection of blue in some lights. The feathers be-
tween the shoulders are rust-coloured, changing
into a pale ash-colour as they pass downwards:
they are loose and silky. Those of the scapulars
are long; and hang over the tail, which is very
short, and consists of twelve blackish feathers.
The legs are greenish; and the bill is yellowish
green, having the nostrils pervious, perfectly re-
sembling that of geliuaceous birds.
1

1 . • . '

THE TRUMPETER. S21

Peculiar sounds — Easily tamed.

The most remarkable characteristic of these
birds consists in the wonderful noise which they
often make, either of their own accord, or when,
urged by their keepers. To induce them to this,
it is sometimes necessary to entice the bird with
a bit of bread to come near; and then making
the same kind of sound, which the keepers can
well imitate, the bird will frequently be disposed
to repeat it. This equivocal noise, which some-
what resembles the moan of pigeons, is at times
preceded by a savage cry, interrupted by a sound
approaching that of scherck, scherck. In this way,
the bird utters five, six, or seven times, with pre-
cipitation, a hollow voice emitted from within
its body, nearly as if one pronounced toil, ton, tou,
tou, tou, ton, with the mouth shut, resting upon
the last tou a very long time, and terminating
by sinking gradually with the same note. This
sound also much resembles the lengthen«d dole-
ful noise which the Dutch bakers make by blow-
ing a glass trumpet, to inform their customers
when the bread comes out of the oven. This
odd sort of tone is probably owing to the extent
of the bird's lungs, and the capacity of their
inembranaceous cells: and it. may probably be
communicated through the muscles and tegu-
ments of its body, for their appears no proof that;
it proceeds from its mouth to the external air,
which conveys the impulse to the ear.

The trumpeter is easily tamed, and always be-
comes attached to its benefactor. " Having/'-

VOL. in. — NO. xxii. 2 s

322 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

SiniMihir instance of affection.

says V osmiicr, " reared one myself, I had an op-
portunity of experiencing this. When I opened
its cage iu the morning, the kin-d animal hopped
round me, expanding both his wings, and trum-
peting) as if to wish me good-morning. He
shewed equal attention when I went out and re-
turned: no sooner did he perceive me at a dis-
tance, than he ran to meet me ; and even when
I happened to be in a boat, and set my foot on
shore, he welcomed me with the same compli-
ments, which he reserved for me alone, and never
bestowed upon others." This singular instance
of affection we have endeavoured to delineate in
the annexed engraving.

When bred up in the house, the trumpeter
loads its master with caresses, and follows his
motions ; and if it conceive a dislike to persons
on account of their forbidding figure, or of inju-
ries received, it will pursue them sometimes to a
considerable distance, biting their legs, and testi-
fying every mark of displeasure. It obeys the
voice of its master; and even answers the call of
others, to whom it bears no ill-will. It is fond
of caresses, and offers its head and neck to be
stroked ; and if once accustomed to these fami-
liarities, it becomes troublesome, and will not be
satisfied without continual fondling. It makes
its appearance as often as its master sits clown to
table: and begins with driving out the dogs and
cats from the room; for it is so obstinate and
bold that it never yields, but often after a tougU

THE TRUMPETER. 323

Vindictiveness — Jealousy — Familiarity.

battle will put a middle-sized dog to flight. It
avoids the bites of its antagonist by rising in
the air; and retaliates with violent blows of its
bill and nails, aimed chiefly at the eyes: and
after it gains the superiority, it pursues the vic-
tory with the utmost rancour, and, if not taken
oft', will destroy the fugitive. By its intercourse
with man, its instincts become moulded like
those of dogs; and it is asserted, that it can be
trained to attend a flock of sheep. It even shows
a degree of jealousy of its human rivals ; for when
at table it bites fiercely the naked legs of the ne-
groes and other domestics who come near its
master.

Almost all these birds have also a habit of fol-
lowing people through the streets, and out of
town ; even those whom they have never seen
before. It is difficult to get rid of them: if a
person enter a house, they will wait his return,
and again join him though after an interval of
three hours. " I have sometimes," says M. de la
Borcle in a letter to the Comte de Buff on,
" betaken myself to my heels: but they ran
faster, and always got before me; and when I
stopped, they stopped also. I know one that in-
variably follows all the strangers who enter its
master's house, accompanies them into the gar-
den, takes as many turns there as they do, and
attends them back again."

In a state of nature, this bird inhabits the im-
mense forests of the sultry climates of America
2 s 2

324 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Habits in a state of nature.

and it never visits the cleared grounds, nor the
settlements. It associates in numerous flocks,
and frequents alike moist and mountainous situ-
ations. It walks and runs, rather than flies;
since it never rises more than a few feet from the
ground, and then only to reach some short dis-
tance, or to gain some low branch. It feeds on
wild fruits; and, when surprised in its haunts,
makesrits escape by the swiftness of its feet, at
the same time emitting a shrill cry not unlike
that of a turkey.

The female scratches up the earth at the foot
of large trees, making a hole in which she depo-
sits her egg. She never collects any kind of sub-
stance to line it, nor makes any other kind of
nest. She lays from ten to sixteen eggs, ac-
cording to her age, and produces three broods i«
a year.

THE PHEASANT.

MODERN naturalists seem to agree that the
pheasant is a native of the old continent, and
ancient authors have supposed it to have been
originally found on the banks of the Phasis, a
river of Colchis, in Asia Minor, from which its
name also appears to be derived. However that
be, the species has long been spread over the
greatest part of the known world, and for many
ages has been held in high estimation, both on
5

THE PHEASANT. 325

Beautiful plumage.

account of the savouriness of its flesh, and bril-
liancy of its plumage. It is recorded that whea
Croesus, king of Lydia, was seated on his throne,
adorned with royal magnificence, and all the
blazing pomp of eastern splendor, he asked Solon
if he had ever beheld any thing so tine ? The
Greek philosopher, no way moved by the ob-
jects before him, or taking a pride in his na-
tive simplicity, replied, he had seen the beautiful
plumage of the pheasant, and therefore could be
astonished at no other finery ; and certainly
nothing can exceed this beautiful creature's va-
riety and richness of colours. The iris of the
eye is yellow, and the eyes themselves are sur-
rounded with a scarlet colour, sprinkled with,
small specks of black. On the forepart of the
head there are blackish feathers mixed with a
shining chesnut. The top of the head, and the
upper part of the neck, are like silk, and are
shaded with blue, green, and gold colours, and
they are so curiously intermixed as sometimes
to appear blue and sometimes green, accord-
ing as they happen to be differently placed to
the eye of the spectator. The feathers of the
breast, the shoulders, the middle of the back, and
the sides under the wings have a blackish ground,
•with edges tinged of an exquisite colour, which
appears sometimes black and sometimes purple,
according to the different lights it is placed in;
under the purple there is a transverse streak of
gold colour. The tail, from the middle feathers

32(5 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description — Love of liberty.

to the root, is about eighteen inches long ; the
legs, the feet, and the toes, are of the colour of
horn. There are black spurs on the legs, shorter
than those of a cock ; there is a membrane
that connects two of the toes together. The
male is much more beautiful than the female,
who is generally of a light brown, intermixed
with black. The general weight of the male is
from two pounds and twelve ounces to three
pounds and four ounces. That of the hen is
usually about ten ounces less.

The flesh of this bird has been long considered
as one of the greatest dainties in autumn ; and
when the old physicians spake of the wholesome-
ness of any viands, they made their comparison
with the flesh of the pheasant. These perfec-
tions were, doubtless, sufficient temptations for
man to endeavour to render it domestic, but in
vain has he employed his ingenuity for that pur-
pose, for however it has been bred, and in what-
ever manner it has been instructed, no sooner
has it obtained its liberty, than disdaining the
protection of man, it has left him to take shelter
in the thickest woods and remotest forests: even
when kept in captivity, upon all occasions he
shews his spirit of independence. When taken
wild, he is rendered furious by the loss of his
freedom, and attacks with his bill the compani-
ons of his captivity, not sparing even the
peacock.

The female has sometimes been known to

THE PHEASANT. 327

Change of plumage in the female.

assume the elegant plumage of the male; but
with pheasants, in a state of confinement, those
that take their new plumage always become bar-
ren, and are spurned and buffetted by the rest.
From what took place in a hen pheasant, in the
possession of a lady, a friend of Sir Joseph Banks,
it would seem probable, that this change arises
from some alteration of temperament at a late
period of the animal's life. This lady had paid
particular attention to the breeding of pheasants.
One of the hens, after having produced several
broods, moulted, and the succeeding feathers
were exactly those of a cock. This animal
never afterwards had young ones. Similar ob-
servations have been made respecting the pea-
hen. Lady Tynte had a favorite one, which at
eight several times produced chicks. Having
moulted when about eleven years old, the lady
and her family were astonished by her displaying
the feathers peculiar to the male, and appearing
like a pied peacock. In this process the tail,
which was like that of the cock, first appeared.
In the following year she moulted again, and
produced similar feathers. In the third year she
did the same, and then had also spurs resembling
those of the cock. The hen never bred after
this change of her plumage. She is now pre-
served in the Leverian Museum.

The pheasant is much attached to the shelter
of thickets and woods where the grass is very
long; but, like the partridge, the female often

S'J8 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

N est — £ggs — Food .

breeds in clover-fields. She forms her nest ou
the ground : and lays from twelve to fifteen eggs,
which are smaller than ihose of the domestic
lien. In the mowing of clover near the woods
frequented by pheasants, the destruction of their
eggs is sometimes very great. In some places,
therefore, game-keepers have directions to hunt
them from these fields as soon as they hegin to
lay, until their haunt is broken and they retire
into the corn. Poultry hens are often kept ready
for sitting on an}' eggs that may be exposed by
the scythe; and with care, numbers are thus res-
cued from destruction. The nest is usually com-
posed of a few dry». vegetables put carelessly to-
gether; and the young follow die mother like
chickens, as soon as they break the shell. The
pheasants and their brood remain in the stubbles
and hedge-rows, if undisturbed, for some time
after the corn is ripe. If disturbed, they seek
the woods, and only issue thence in the mornings
and evenings to feed in the stubbles. They are
very fond of corn : they can, however, procure a
subsistence without it; since they often feed on
the wild berries of the woods, and on acorns.
In confinement the female neither lays so many
eggs, nor hatches and rears her brood with so
much care and vigilance, as in the fields out of
the immediate observation of man. In a mew
she will very rarely dispose them in a nest or sit
upon them at all. Indeed, in the business of
incubation and rearing the young, the domestic

THE PHEASANT. 329

Disadvantages of their wings — Habits.

hen is generally made a substitute for the hen
pheasant.

The wings of these birds are very short, and
ill adapted for considerable flights. On this ac-
count, the pheasants on the island called Isola
Madre in the Lago Maggiore at Turin, as they
cannot fly over the lake are altogether impri-
soned. -When they attempt to cross the lake,
unless picked up by the boatmen, they are always
drowned.

In some respects this is a very stupid bird.
On being roused, it will often perch on a neigh-
bouring tree; where its attention will be so fixed
on the dogs, as to suffer the sportsman to ap-
proach very near. It has been asserted, that the
pheasant imagines itself out of danger whenever
its head only is concealed. Sportsmen, however,
who will recount the stratagems that they have
known old cock pheasants adopt in thick and ex-
tensive coverts, when they have found them-
selves pursued, before they could be compelled
to take wing, will convince us that this bird is L.^
no means deficient in at least some of the con-
trivances necessary for its own preservation.

On the approach of cold weather, these birds
begin to fly at sunset into the branches of the
oak-trees, for roosting during the night. This
they do more frequently as the winter advances,
and the trees lose their foliage. The male birds,
at these times, make a noise, which they repeat
three or four times, called by sportsmen, " cock-

VOL. in. — NO. xxn. 2r

330 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

How taken — With difficulty lamed.

eting." The hens, on flying up, utter one " shrill
whistle," and then are silent. Poachers avail
themselves of these notes, to discover the roost-
ing places, where (in woods that are not well
watched) they shoot them with the greatest cer-
tainty. Where woods are watched, the poacher,
by means of phosphorus, lights a number of
brimstone matches ; and the moment the sul-
phureous fumes reach the birds, they drop into-
his possession. Or he fastens a snare of wire to
the end of a long pole ; and by means of this,
drags them, one by one, from the trees. He1
sometimes too catches these birds in nooses
made of wire, or twisted horsehair, or even with
a briar set in the form of a noose, at the verge
of a wood. The birds entangle themselves in
these, as they run, in the morning or evening,
into the adjacent fields to feed. Foxes destroy
great numbers of pheasants.

The males begin to crow the first week int
March. This noise can be heard at a consider-
able distance. They will occasionally come into
farm-yards in the vicinity of coverts where they
abound, and sometimes produce a cross breed
with the cpmmon fowls.

Though these birds are so shy as not to be
tamed without great difficulty, yet when their
natural fear of man has been counteracted from
their having been bred under his protection ; and
from his almost constantly appearing before their

THE PHEASANT. SSI

Several varieties.

eyes in their coverts ; they will come to feed im-
mediately on hearing the keeper's whistle. They
will follow him in flocks ; and scarcely allow the
pease to run from his bag into the troughs placed
•for the purpose, before they begin to eat. Those
that cannot find room at one trough, follow him
with the same familiarity to others.

Pheasants are fouad in most parts of Eng-
land; but are not plentiful in the north; and
they are seldom seen in Scotland. Wood and
corn lands, seem necessary to their existence.
Were it not for the exertions of gentlemen of
property, in preserving these birds in their woods
from the attacks of sportsmen, it is more than
probable that in the course of a few years the
breed would be extinct. Formerly they were
very plentiful in Pendarvis, in Cornwall, but the
race here (as well as in other places) has been
long unknown.

Of the pheasant tribe there are several vari-
eties, but they all preserve a superiority in the
beauty of their plumage. Some of them are
spotted all over with a wonderful degree of bril-
liancy, and are called peacock pheasants, while
others are ornamented with a beautiful crest.
The golden pheasant which is principally found
in China, is about the size of the English phea-
sant. The silver pheasant belongs to the eastern
climates, and is about the same size. The habits
.and customs of all these species are much tljQ

2 T %

332 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description.

same; their chief, if not only difference, con-
sisting of the variation in the colour of their
plumage.

THE BUSTARD,

WHICH is the largest of the English land
birds, measures from three to four feet from the
point of the bill to the end of the tail, and weighs
from twenty-five to thirty pounds, when of the
common size ; but the individuals of this species
vary considerably in magnitude. There are still
greater variations in the tints and distribution of
of the colours of the plumage than in the dimen-
sions, which are probably occasioned by differ-
ence of sex, age, or season. In general the head,
throat, and neck, are ash-coloured ; beneath the
lower bill is a tuft of long feathers of the same ;
a ring of a light red encircles the eyes ; all the
upper part of the body is reddish, with spots and
transverse bars, of a dark brown and fawn-colour;
the belly is white, slighrjy intermixed with red.
The down at the beginning of the feathers is of
a bright red: the wings are partly black and
partly white, with brown and black spots. The
tail is reddish above and white underneath ; the
feathers of which it is composed have black bars,
and are terminated with light grey. The bill is
dark grey ; the iris of the eye orange, the legs

THE BUSTARD. 333

Difference between male and female.

and feet ash-colour, and covered with very small
scales.

The male is nearly one-third larger than the
female: her colours are not so bright as those
of the male, and she wants the tuft on each side
of the head. Another very essential difference
exists between them; the male being furnished
with a bag or pouch, situate in the forepart of
the neck, and capable of containing about two,
or, as some say, seven quarts. The entrance to
this singular reservoir is immediately under the
tongue. It was firs!; discovered by Dr. Douglas,
who supposes that the bird fills it with water as
a supply in those dreary plains in which it is ac-
customed to wander. The bustard likewise makes
a further use of it in defending himself against
the attacks of birds of prey; on these occasions
he throws out the water with such violence as
frequently to baffle the pursuit of his enemy.

The bustard, though very large, is an extremely
timid animal, possessing neither a knowledge of
his strength nor the instinct to employ it. They
sometimes assemble in flocks of fifty or sixty,
but derive no more courage from their numbers
than the magnitude of their dimensions. The
least appearance of danger alarms them, and
they know no method of saving themselves but
by flight. They are slow in taking wing, but
run with great rapidity; and when young are
sometimes taken with greyhounds, which pursue
them with great avidity. The chase, which is

334 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Timidity — Friendship for the horse.

delineated in the annexed engraving, affords ex-
cellent diversion. They are, consequently, afraid
of dogs : indeed such is their cowardice that they
dare not resist the smallest animal that is bold
enough to attack them ; and if they are wounded
ever so slightly, they die rather of fear than the
effects of their wounds.

According to the ancients, the bustard enter-
tains no less friendship, for the horse than anti-
pathy against the dog; and the moment he sees
the former, this most timid of birds hastens to
meet him, and runs almost under his feet. This
extraordinary sympathy between animals of such
different natures, even if well attested, might be
accounted for by the circumstance of the bustard
finding in horse-dung grains of corn, only half
digested, which afford him a resource when in
want of other food.

This bird makes no nest : but the female lays
her eggs in some hole in the ground, in a dry
corn-field ; these are two in number, as big as
those of a goose, and of a pale olive brown,
marked with spots of a deeper colour. If, dur-
ing her absence from the nest, any one handles
or even breathes upon the eggs, she immediately
abandons them. The young follow the dam soon
after they are excluded from the egg, but are not
capable for some time of flying.

The bustards, according to the account given
by French naturalists, are confined to the old
continent, and a few of its adjacent islands: they

THE BUSTARD. 335

Food — Where found — Utility.

feed on green corn, the tops of turnips, and va-
rious other vegetables, as well as on worms ; but
they have been known also to eat frogs, mice,
and young birds of the smaller kind, which they
swallow whole. In winter they frequently feed
on the bark of trees. Buffon says, " in the stor
mach of one which was opened by the academi-
cians, there were found, besides small stones, to
the number of ninety doubloons, all worn and
polished by the attrition of the stomach."

In England they are now and then seen in
flocks of fifty or more : they frequent the open
countries of the south and east parts, from Dor-
setshire as far as the wolds in Yorkshire, and are
often met with on Salisbury Plain.

The flesh of these birds has ever been consi-
dered as a great delicacy, and therefore invari-
ably the object of pursuit; besides which their
quills are held in high estimation among anglers,
who use them as floats ; for, as they are spotted
with black, the notion is, that these black spots
appear as flies to the fish, and therefore rather
allure than drive them away.

In some parts of Switzerland the bustards are
found frozen in the fields in severe weather, but
when taken to a warm place they again recover.
They are supposed to live about fifteen years, but
are incapable of being propagated in a domestic
state, probably from not having a supply of that
peculiar food which may be necessary to their
constitution.

NATURALISTS CABINET.

Particular species — Description.

The little bustard differs only from the preced-
in^ in being of a smaller size, being not larger
than a pheasant, or about seventeen inches in
length. It is found in many parts of Europe ;
but by no means common in France, and has
only been met with three or four times in.
England.

There are six or seven species of this kind,
two or three of which, particularly the houbara
and the rhaad (both African birds) are crested,
and different from the European ones, by some
varieties in their plumage ; but there are not any
of the species found in America.

THE PIGEON.

FROM its great fecundity, this bird has
tempted man to endeavour to reclaim it from a
state of nature, and teach it to live in habits of
dependence ; and in which he has in some mea-
sure been successful. All the beautiful • varieties
of the tame pigeon derive their origin from one
species, the stockdove; the English name, im-
plying its being the stock or stem from whence
the other domestic kinds have been propagated.
This bird, in its natural state, is of a deep bluish
ash-colour; the breast dashed with a fine change-
able green and purple ; the sides of the neck of
a reddish gold colour; its wings marked with
two black bars, one on the quill-feathers, and the
7

THE PIGEON. 33?

Description — Varieties.

other on the covert; ihe back is white, and the
tail barred near the end with black. These a^e
the colours of the pigeon in a state of nature ;
and from these simple tints has man by art pro-
pagated a variety that words cannot describe,
nor even fancy conceive. Nature, however, still
perseveres in her great outline ; and though the
form, colour, and even the fecundity of these
birds may be altered by art, yet their natural
manners and inclinations continue invariable, and
undergo no change by any experiments made on
them.

Pigeons have a weak slender bill, strait at the
base, with a soft protuberance, in which the nos*
trils are situated. The legs are short, and in
most of the species red, and the toes are di-
vided to the origin. Their voice is plaintive and
mournful.

The varieties of the tame pigeon are so nume-
rous, that it would be a fruitless attempt to de-
scribe them all: for human art has so much
altered the colour and figure of this bird, that
by pairing a male and female of different sorts,
they can be bred almost to a feather. Both male
and female assist in feed ing their young. This
in most of the species, is done by means of a
substance not unlike a curd, and analogous to
milk in quadrupeds, that is secreted in their
crop. During incubation, the coats of the crop
are gradually enlarged and thickened. On com-
paring the state of the crop when the bird is not

VOL. in. — NO. "xxm. 2 u

3S8 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Difference ol the crop during incubation.

sitting, "ith its appearance on these occasions,
the difference is found to be very remarkable.
In the first case it is thin and membranous; but
when the young are about to be hatched, it be-
comes thicker, and takes a glandular appearance,
having its internal surface very irregular. What-
ever may be the consistence of this substance
when just secreted, it probably very soon coagu-
lates into a granulated white curd ; and in this
form it is always found in the crop. If an old
pigeon be killed just when the young ones are
hatching, the crop will be found as above de-
scribed, having, in its cavity pieces of white curd
mixed with the common food of the bird, such
as barley, pease, &c. The young pigeons are
fed for a little while with this substance only :
about the third day some of the common food
is to be found along with it. As the pigeon
,grows older, the proportion of common food is
increased; so that by tb.e lime it is seven, eight,
,or nine days old,, the secretion of the curd ceases
in the old ones, and of course no more is found
in the crop of the young. It is a curious fact,
that the parent pigeon has at first a power to
throw up this curd without any mixture of com-
mon food ; although afterwards both are thrown
.up in the proportion required for the young ones.
Multitudes of wild-pigeons visit us in the win-
ger, from their more northerly summer retreats;
appearing about November, and again retiring
(except a few that breed with us) in the spring.

THE PIGEON. 339

How enticed — KilVtt of music.

While the beech woods were suffered to cover
large tracts of ground, these birds used to haunt
them in myriads, frequently extending above a
mile in length as they went out in a morning to
feed. In a state of domestication, these pigeons
are rendered of very material service. They fre-
quently breed eight or nine times in a year; and'
though only two eggs are laid at a time, their
increase is so rapid and prodigious, that at the
expiration of four years, the produce and de-
scendants of a single pair may amount to the
immense number of nearly fifteen thousand.

The usual way to entice pigeons to remain at a
required spot, is to place what is called -A salt-eat
near them : this is composed of loam, old rub-
bish, and salt, and will so effectually answer the
purpose as to decoy even those belonging to
other places; it is on this account held illegal.

Mr. John Lockman, in some reflections con-
cerning operas, prefixed to his musical drama of
Rosalinda, relates the following singular anec-
dote of the effect of music on a pigeon. This
person being at the house of Mr. Lee> a gentle-
man in Cheshire, and whose daughter was a fine
performer on the harpsichord, he observed a pi-
geon, which, whenever the young lady played
the song of" Speri si," in Handel's opera of Ad-
inetus, (and this only,) would descend from an-
adjacent dove-house, to the room window where
she sat, and listen to it apparently with the most
pleasing emotion*; and when the song was

a IT o
m V m

54O NATURALISTS CABINET.

Letter* conveyed by carrier-pigeons.

finished, it always returned immediately to the
dove-house.

Of the several varieties of pigeons, the carriers
are the most justly celebrated. They obtained
their name from the circumstance of their con-
veying letters and small packets from one place to
another. It is through attachment to their na-
tive place, and particularly to the spot where
they have brought up their young, that they are
thus rendered useful to mankind. The bird is
conveyed from its home to the place whence the
information is intended to be sent; the letter is
tied under its wing, and it is let loose. From
the instant of its liberation, its flight is directed
through the clouds, at an amazing height, to* its
home; by an instinct altogether inconceivable,
it darts onward in a straight line to the very spot
from whence it was taken ; but how it can direct
its flight so exactly, will probably for ever remain
unknown to us. Formerly they were employed
. in carrying letters from governors in besieged
cities to generals about to relieve them; from
princes to their subjects, with tidings of some
fortunate event ; and from lovers to their mis-
tresses with assignations.

Lithgow assures us that one of them will carry
a letter from Babylon to Aleppo (which, to a
man, is usually a thirty days' journey) in forty-
eight hours. The Annual Register for 1?65 in-
forms us, that, to measure their speed with some
degree of exactness, a gentleman some years ago,

THE PIGEON.

Particulars oi the ring-dove.

on a trifling wager, sent a carrier-pigeon from
London bv the coach to a friend at St. Ed-
inund's-bury ; and along with it a note, desiring
that the pigeon two days after its arrival there,
might be thrown up precisely when the town
clock struck nine in the morning. This was ac-
cordingly done ; and the pigeon arrived in Lon-
don, and flew into the Bull-inn, in Bishopsgate-
gtreet, at half an hour past eleven o'clock, of ths
same morning, having flown seventy-two miles
and a half.

The carrier is easily distinguished from the
other varieties, by a broad circle of naked white
»kin round the eyes, and by its dark blue of
blackish 'colour.

The ring-dove, another species, is the largest
of all the British pigeons, generally weighing
about twenty ounces ; and may at once be dis-
tinguished by its size from all the rest. The fe-
male builds on the branches of trees, generally
preferring those of the pine. The nest is large
and open, formed principally of dried sticks; ancl
the eggs, which may be frequently seen through
the bottom of the nest, are larger than those of
the domestic pigeon.

The food of this, as well as of the carrier, is
principally grain: but a neighbour of the Rev.
Mr. White, of Selborne, shot a ring-dove as it
was returning from feeding, and going to roost;
and when his wife had picked and drawn it, she

34C NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Am ni|ii.s to domesticate ring-ciovcs.

found its craw stuffed with the most nice and
tender tops of turnips.

Attempts have frequently been made to do-
mesticate ring-doves, by hatching their eggs in
dove-houses under the common pigeon ; but as
soon as the young ones were able to fly, they
always escaped to their proper haunts. Mr.
Montagu was at considerable pains in endeavours
of this nature; and though he so far tamed them
within doors, as to have them become exceed-
ingly troublesome, yet he never could produce a
breed, either by themselves, or with the tame
pigeon. Two, bred up together with a male pi-
gtjon, were so tame as to eat out of the hand ;
but as they showed no signs of breeding in the
spring, they were in the month of June, suffered
to take their liberty, by the window of the room
being left open in which they were confined. It
was supposed, that the pigeon might induce them
to return to their usual place of abode, either for
food or to roost ; but from that moment they as-
sumed their natural habits, and nothing more
was seen of them, although the pigeon remained.
This gentleman bred up a curious assemblage of
birds, which lived together in perfect amity: it
consisted of a common pigeon, a ring-dove, a
white-owl, and a sparrow-hawk; and the ring-
dove was master of the whole.

About the beginning of winter, the ring-doves
assemble in great flocks, and leave oflf cooing.

THE PIGEON. 343

Constancy of the turtle-dove.

The multitude thus collected duiing that season,
is so disproportioned to those which continue
here the whole year, as to render it certain that
much the greatest part of them quit the country
in the spring. It is most probable that these go
into Sweden and the adjoining countries, to
breed; and return thus far southwards in au-
tumn, from being unable to sustain the rigors of
that climate in the winter months. They again
begin to coo in March ; soon after which those
that are left among us commence their prepara-
tions for breeding.

Besides these, there are the tumblers, powters,
horsemen, croppers, jacobines, nuns, runts, tur-
bits, barbs, helmets, dragoons, finnikins, shakers,
smiters, &c. which derive their respective names
from their several properties. The turtle-dove
is a smaller and shyer bird than any of the pigeon
kind. It is most remarkable for its fidelity and
constancy, and is therefore the emblem of con-
nubial attachment. It is said, if a pair be put in
a cage and one die, the other seldom long sur-
vives. The note of the turtle-dove is remarkably
tender and plaintive; and in addressing his mate,
the male makes use of very winning attitudes,
cooing at the same time in the most soothing and
gentle accents. Their stay with us is about four
or five months, during which time they build
their nests, breed and rear their young,

344 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Description — Manner* x

THE PASSENGER PIGEON

IS about the size of a common pigeon. Iti
fcill is black. Round the eyes there is a crimson
mark ; and the head, throat, and upper parts of
the body, are ash-coloured. The sides of the
neck are of a glossy, variable purple. The fore-
part of the neck and breast are vinaceous; and
the under parts are the same, but paler. The
tail is tolerably long. The legs are red, and the
claws black.

These birds visit the different parts of North
America, in enormous flocks. In the southern
provinces their numbers depend greatly on the
mildness or severity of the season ; for in very
mild weather few or none of them are to be seen.
Actuated by necessity, they change their situa-
tions in search of acorns, mast, and berries,
tvhich the warmer provinces yield in vast abun-
dance. When they alight, the ground is quickly
cleared of all esculent fruits; to the great injury
of the hop;, and other mast-eating animals. After
having devoured eve^y thing that has fallen on
the surface, they form themselves into a great
perpendicular column ; and fly round the boughs
of trees, from top to bottom, beating down the
acorns with their wings; and they then, in suc-
cession, alight on the earth, and again begin to
eat.

THE PASSENGER PIGEON.

Observations.

]NJr. Blaekburne, in a letter to Mr. Pennant
says, '•' that these are as remarkable birds as any
in America. They are in vast numbers in all
parts ; and have been of great service, at particu
lar times, to our garrisons, in supplying them
with fresh meat, especially at the out-posts. A
friend told me, that in the year in which Quebec
was taken, the whole army were supplied with
this subsistence, if they chose it. The way wa«
this. Every man took his club, (for they wer«
forbid to use their firelocks) when theyjlew, as it
was termed in such quantities, that each person
could kill as many as he wanted. They in gene-
ral begin to fly soon after day-break, and conti-
nue till nine or ten o'clock; and again about
three in the afternoon, and continue till five or
six: but what is very remarkable, they always
fly westerly. The times of flying here are in the
spring, about the latter end of February or the
beginning of March, and they continue every
<}ay for eight or ten days ; and again in the fall,
when they appear at the latter end of July or the
beginning of August. The inhabitants catch
vast quantities of them in clap-nets, with stale
pigeons. I have seen them brought to the mar-
ket at New York by sackfuls. People in general
are very fond of them, and I have heard many
say that they think them as good as our common
blue pigeon: but I cannot agree in this opinion;
the flesh tastes most like our queest, or .wild pi-
geon, but is better meat. Sir William Johnston

VOL. 111. — NO. XXIII. 2 X

346 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Singular facts.

told me, that at one shot, with a blunderbuss,, he
killed above a hundred and twenty.

" I must remark one singular factr that not-
withstanding the whole people of a town go out
a pigeoning, as they call it, they do not, on some
days, kill a single hen bird; arrd on the very
next day not a single cock, (and yet both sexes
always fly westerly:) and when this is the case,
the people are always assured that there will b*
a great quantity of them that season."

When La Hontan was in Canada, these birds
were so extremely numerous that the bishop, he
says, had been compelled more than once to ex-
orcise them formally, on account of the damage
they committed. Many of the trees were said
to have had more pigeons on them than leaves,
in this migration ; and for eighteen or twenty
days, it was supposed sufficient might have been
killed to supply food for a thousand men.

A gentleman of the town of Niagara assured
Mr. Weld, that once as he was embarking there
on board a ship for Toranto, a flight of them was
observed coming from that quarter; that as he
sailed over the lake Ontario to Toranto, forty
miles distant from Niagara, pigeons were seen
flying over-head the whole way in a contrary di-
rection to that in which the vessel proceeded ;
and that on his arriving at the place of his desti-r
nation, the birds were still observed coming down
from the north in as large bodies as had been no-f
ticed at any time during the whole voyage.

THE PASSENGER PIGEON. 347

How taken by the colonists.

Supposing, therefore, that the pigeons moved no
faster than the vessel, the flight, according to
this gentleman's accountj must have extended at
least eighty miles.

The passenger pigeons are very fat during their
migrations. It is a singular fact, that Mr. St.
John found in the craw of one of them some un-
digested rice, when the nearest rice-fields were at
least five hundred and sixty miles from his habi-
tation. He naturally concluded that either they
must fly with the celerity of the wind, or else di-
gestion must be in a great -measure suspended
during their flight.

The Indians often watch the roosting-places
of these birds; and knocking them on the head
in the night, bring them away by thousands*
They preserve the oil, or fat; which they use
instead of butter. There was formerly scarcely
any little Indian town in the interior parts of
Carolina, where a hundred gallons of this oil
might not at any time be purchased.

M. du Pratz, when he was in America, placed
under their roost ing-trees vessels filled with flam-
ing sulphur, the fumes of which brought them to
the ground in immense numbers.

By the colonists these pigeons are generally
caught in a net extended on the ground ; to
which they are allured by tamed pigeons of their
own species, that are blinded, and fastened to a
long string. The short flights and repeated calls
of the shackled birds, never fail either to excite
2x2

348 NATURALIST'S CABINET^'

Description.

their curiosity, or bring some of them down to
attempt their relief; when they are immediately
inclosed. Every fanner has a tamed pigeon in
a cage at his door all the year round, to be ready
against the season of their flight.

THE QUAIL

IS about half the size of a partridge, whom it
very much resembles in shape and manners.
The feathers of the head are black, edged with
rusty brown; the breast is of a pale yellowish
red, spotted with black ; the feathers on the back
are marked with lines of a pale yellow, and the
legs are of a pale hue. Though in feeding,
forming its nest, and rearing its young, this bird
is similar to the partridge, (and is sometimes
called the dwarf partridge,) yet in other respects
it is very different. The quail is a bird of pas-
sage, aud has not a bare space between the eyes,
nor the figure of a horse-shoe on its breast. The
female's eggs are likewise less than those of the
partridge, and veiry different in colour. Their
voices are also unlike. Quails seldom, live in
eo vies; except when their wants unite the feeble
family to their mother, or some powerful cause
urges at on<je the whole species to assemble, and
traverse together the extent of the ocean, hold-
ing their course to the same distant landis. They

THE QUAIL.

Extreme indolence — Time of migration.

are much less cunning than the partridge; and
more easily ensnared, especially when young.

The female lays about ten eggs, marked with
ragged, rust-coloured spots, in the incubation of
which she is occupied three weeks. The eggs
are whitish. The birds have been supposed, but
without foundation, to breed twice in the year.

Quails usually sleep during the day, concealed
in the tallest grass; lying on their sides, with
their legs extended, in the same spot, even for
hours together. They are so very indolent, that
a dog must absolutely run upon them before they
are flushed ; and when they are forced upon
wing, they seldom fly far. They are easily
drawn within reach of a net, by a call imitating
their cry, which is not unlike the words whit,
whit, whit : this is done with an instrument called
a quail-pipe.

They are found in most parts of Great Britain,
but no where in any great quantity, and are
esteemed excellent food. The time of their mi-
gration from this country is August or Septem-
ber. They are supposed to winter in Africa;
and they return early in the spring. If to the
circumstance of their generally sleeping in the
day, is added that of their being seldom known
to make their first annual appearance in the day-
time, it may be inferred that they perform their
journey by night, and that they direct their
course to those countries where the harvest is

350 KATUBALIST'S CABINET.

Prodigious quantities, and eaMl^y caught.

preparing, and thus change their abode to obtain
a subsistence. At their arrival in Alexandria,
such multitudes are exposed in the markets for
sale, that three or four may be bought for a me*
dina (less than three farthings). Crews of mer-
chant vessels have been fed upon them; and
complaints have been laid at the consul's office by
mariners against their captains, for giving them
nothing but quails to eat.

Such prodigious quantities have appeared on
the western coasts of the kingdom of Naples, in
the vicinity of Nettuno, that a hundred thousand
have in one day been caught within the space of
three or four miles. Most of these are taken to
Rome; where they are in great request, and are
sold at extremely high prices. Clouds of quails
also alight, in spring, along the coasts of Pro-
vence ; especially in the lands which border on the
sea. Here they are often found so exhausted, that
for a few of the first days they may be taken with
the hand. In some parts of the south of Russia
they abound so greatly, that at the time of their
migration they are caught by thousands, and
sent in casks to Moscow and Petersburgh. With
wind and weather in their favour, they have been
known to perform a flight of fifty leagues across
the Black Sea in the course of a night ; a won-
derful distance for so short-winged a bird.

In time of peace great quantities of these birds
are imported to England from France, for the
table; all of which are males. They are con-

THE OUAIL. • 351

Irascible disposition.

veyed by stage-coaches ; about a hundred in a
large square box, divided into five or six com-
partments, one above another, just high enough
to admit the quails to stand upright. Were they
allowed a greater height than this, they would
soon kill themselves; and even with this precau-
tion, the feathers on the top of the head are ge-
nerally beaten off. These boxes have wire on
the fore part, and each partition is furnished with
a small trough for food. They may be forwarded
in this manner, without difficulty, to great dis-
tances,

Quails are birds of undaunted courage; and
their quarrels often terminate in mutual destruc-
tion. This irascible disposition induced the an-
cient Greeks and Romans to fight them with
^ach other, as the moderns do game cocks. And
such favourites were the conquerors, that in one
instance Augustus punished a prefect of Egypt
with death for bringing to his table one of these
birds which had acquired celebrity for its victo-
ries. The fighting of quails is even now a
fashionable diversion in China, and in some parts
of Italy.

That these birds have an instinctive knowledge
of the precise time for emigration, has been
proved by a very singular fact in some young
quails, which having been bred in cages from the
earliest period of their lives, had never enjoyed,
and therefore could not feel, the loss of liberty,
four successive years they were observed to

352 NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Instinctive knowledge — Description.

be restless, and to flutter with unusual agitations,
regularly in September and April; and this un-
easiness lasted thirty days at each time. It began
constantly about an hour before sunset. The
birds passed the whole night in these fruitless
struggles ; and always on the following day ap-
peared dejected and stupid.

THE PTARMIGAN

IS in length about fifteen inches, being some-
what larger than a pigeon. Its bill is black, and
its plumage, in summer, is of a pale brown co-
lour, elegantly mottled with small bars, and dusky
spots. The head and neck are marked with
broad bars of black, rust-colour, and white. The
wings and belly are white.

The ptarmigans moult in the winter months,
and change their summer dress for one more
warm, and instead of having their feathers of
many colours, they then become white. By a
wonderful provision, every feather also, except
those of the wings and tail, become double; a
downy one shooting out of the base of each
which gives an additional protection against the
cold. In the latter end of February a new plu-
mage begins to appear, first about the rump, in
brown stumps : the first rudiments of the coat
they assume in the warm season, when each fea-
ther is single. In answer to enquiries made by

THE PTARMIGAN. 353

Variation of plumage — Habits.

Sir Joseph Banks, Dr. Solander, and some other
naturalists, from Captain George Cartwright>
who resided many years on the coast of Labra*-
dor, on the subject of the grous changing their
colour ; he says, " I took particular notice of
those I killed : and can aver, for a fact, that they
get at this time of the year (September) a very
large addition of feathers, all of which are white;
and that the coloured feathets at the same time
change to white. In spring, most of the white
feathers drop off, and are succeeded by coloured
ones ; or, I rather believe, all the white ones drop
off, and they get an entirely new set. At the
two seasons they change very differently; in the
spring beginning at the neck, and spreading from,
thence; now they begin on the belly, and end
on the neck."

Their feet, by being feathered entirely to the
toes, are protected from the cold of the northern
jegions. Mr. Barrington says, " that in sum-
mer both their legs and feet are rather bare of
plumage; and that although in winter the fea-
thers wrap very closely round the toes, yet none
of them spring from beneath." Every morning
they take a flight directly upwards into the air,
apparently to shake the snow from their wings
and bodies. They feed in the mornings and
evenings, and in the middle of the day they bask
in the sun. Their food consists of the buds of
trees, young shoots of pine, heath, fruits, and
the berries which grow on the mountains.

VOL. III.— -NO. XXIII. 2 Y

NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Suppositions — Curious Alarm.

About the beginning of October they assemble
in flocks of a hundred and fifty or two hundred,
and live much among the willows, the tops of
which they eat. In December they retire from
the flats of Hudson's-bay to the mountains,
where in that month the snow is less deep than
in the low lands, to feed on the mountain brr-
ries. Some of the Greenlanders believe that the
ptarmigans, to provide a subsistence through the
winter, collect a store of mountain berries into
some cranny of a rock near their retreat. It is,
however, generally supposed, that by means of
their long, broad, and hollow nails, they form
lodges under the snow, where they lie in heaps
to protect themselves from the cold. During
•winter they are often seen flying in great num-
bers among the rocks.

Though sometimes found in the mountains of
the north of Scotland, these birds are chiefly
inhabitants of that part of the globe which lies
about the Asiatic Circle. It is very rarely that
they are found in Denmark : but by some acci-
dent one of these birds, some years ago, hap-
pened to stray within a hundred miles of Stock-
holm, which very much alarmed the common
people of that neighbourhood; for, from its
nightly noise, a report very soon arose that
the wood where it took up its residence was
haunted by a ghost. So much were the people
terrified by this supposed sprite, that nothing
could tempt the post-boys to pass the wood

THE PTARMIGAN. 355

Apparently gentle yet untameabie.

dark. The spirit was, however, at last happily
removed, by some gentlemen sending their game-
keepers into the wood by moonlight, who soon
discovered and killed the harmless ptarmigan.

These birds are so stupid, as often to suffer
themselves without any difficulty to be knocked
on the head, or to be driven into any snare that
is set for them. They frequently stretch ont
their neck, apparently in curiosity, and remain
otherwise unconcerned, while the fowler takes
aim at them : when frightened they fly off; but
immediately after aligbt, and stand staring at
their foe. When the hen-bird is killed, it is said
that the male will not forsake her, but may then
also be killed with great ease. So little alarmed
are they at the presence of mankind, as even to
bear driving like poultry : yet, notwithstanding
this apparent gentleness of disposition, it is im-
possible to domesticate them ; for, when caught,
they refuse to eat, and always die soon after-
wards. Their voice, which is very extraordinary,
they do not often exert but in the night. They
form their nests on the ground, in dry ridges;
and lay from six to ten dusky eggs with reddish-
brown spots.

The usual method of taking these birds is in
nets made of twine, twenty feet square, connected
to four poles, and propped with sticks in front.
A long line is fastened to these, the end of which
is held by a person who lies concealed at a dis-
tance. Several people drive the birds within

S.5fi NATURALIST'S CABINET.

Methods of taking them.

reach of the net; which is then pulled down, and
is often found to cover fifty or sixty of them.
They are in such plenty in the northern parts of
America, that upwards of ten thousand are fre-
quently caught for the use of the Hudson's-bay
settlement, between November and May.

The Laplanders take these birds by means of
a hedge formed with the branches of birch trees,
and having small openings at certain intervals
with a snare in each. The ptarmigans are
tempted to feed on the buds and catkins of the
birch; and whenever they endeavour to pass
through the openings, they are instantly caught.

These birds are excellent food; being said to
taste so like the common grous, as to be scarcely
distinguishable from it.

END OF VOL. HI.

INDEX

TO THE THIRD VOLUME.

A

Pagt

ABBOT, Mr. on the tyrant-shrike - - 85

Adanson, Mr. his account of two ostriches - S7

Albin, Mr. on the thrush - - 208

Anderson, Mr. his account of eagles carrying away children 57

B

Barbot proves that ostriches do not digest iron - -30

Barrington, Mr. his remarks on the canary • _ - - 224

. the linnet ... 226

Barrow, Mr. his account of the Hottentots cooking ostriches'

eggs - - 25

. . . . . . locust-eating thrush - 213

Bell, Mr. on the butcher-bird ' •> ' - 81

Bingley, Rev. Mr. on the brown owl > - 87

• ' . . . on the jack-daw . - 113
Bird, the taylor, see Taylor-bird.

Birds, centre of gravity in - - - 6

. . anxiety and courage of - - - 18

. architectural skill of - ,. - 14

. . different abodes of - - - - . •'• \\jtf',

. general remarks on - * 3

. journeys of - ' «" ' - -9
VOL. III. 2

INDEX.

Toft

Birds, migrations of 10

B mode of flying - - - - - 5

. singing of - - . 12

. structure of- - - - - -7

. sight of, more strong than that of other animals - 8

. their attachment to their offspring - - 15

. . their defence of their young - - - - 16

. . their plumage - 4
. . . various food of • - » IS
Blackbird, the, description of - 280
easily brought up - - - 288
its curious nest - - - 281
Blackburn, Mr. his letter to Mr. Pennant on passenger pi-
geons - *' - - - 345
Bluebird, the, description of - 283
Bruce, Mr. his description of a bearded eagle - - 61
Buffon, M. de, his remarks on the canary ... 225
. , . ' . . on the cassowary - 35

• . . i -'• . on the eagle - - 52
on the falcon - - '69

• •'... on the fieldfare - - 278

. • , _ . . . on the hoopoe • 202

.'" • . . 'I* ' on the mountain sparrow - 277

. . • . on a tame buzzard • 71

. • V . , ... on the thrush - ' •/ ' • 207

v- • .... on the toucan ... iS9

• .... on the wag-tail - • - 24-4
Bullfinch, the, description of i • . v . -31?
. . .its docility - . . 313

its personal attachment - - . 319

Bustard, the, description of ._ 333

... . difference between male and female - - 333

. ' .its friendship for the horse • 334

; . . its utility, &c. - - 335

i*" ^ . particular species of - . 336

Buteher-bird, the, description of - 79

. ... .its affection towards its young - - 83

INDEX.

jt

Butcher-bird, the, Its constitution and continual combats -

• . . .its curious stratagems for destroying its

prey - - 82

. its favorite food - . . . - 81

Buzzard, the, description and habits of - - 70

. . capable of being tamed - - - 71

. . its aversion to dogs and cats - - 72

• . .its combat with a fox - - 73

Canary, the, description of - - - - - 223

. curious anecdote of - - , 224

. notes of .... , - - . - ib.

Cassowary, the, description of - - - - 35

.. 'ts eggs, &c. - . • ' - 39

its habits and voracity - - - 33

... its natural armour - - • .- - 37

Catesby on the tyrant-shrike - - - -84

^ ,1( . on the white-billed woodpecker ... 190

Charlevoix's account of a humming-bird - -^7 - 264

Condor, the, description of- - - .40

.... . carries off sheep, lambs, &c. . - 43, 44

. female, her nest and eggs - - - 44

, . ; . . . . immense size of - 42, 43

. . . modes of taking » •• j ' - .45

. prodigious strength of - - - - 41

Creeper, the, description of 203

W ,'.' . . its utility - rip«i'< - - - 204

the red, description of - 205

Cronstadt, M. his anecdote of the owl •< - - 91

Crossbill, the, description of ... 305

. - . carious operations of - . 307

its food, habits, &c. - ... 308

. . . peculiar construction of the bill of - - 306

Crow, tht carrion, description of - . - 9&

»-•. . ..- . . its audacity %*s.» . . 99

2z2

INDEX.

Page

Crow, the carrion, ita food and depredations - - 98

, . . rewards formerly granted for the destruc-
tion of •- - 100

.... singular modes of taking • . - 101

. . the ciucreous, description of - - - 120

. . . . iu food, foresight, and nest - 121

. the red-legged, description of - ib.

docile and amusing when tame • 123

.... injurious to houses - - 122

Cuckoo, the, migrations of - - - • • '- - 10

. . the American, description of - . - - 181

. . the Cape, description of - • - 182

.*'.-. the Jamaica, description and manners of - - 183

",' . the sacred, description of - • -' * »-'. : - 183

. . the shining, description of - • - 184

D

Darwin, Dr. his remarks on rooks - « ' - 111

Dove, turtle, see Turtle-dove

Douglas, Dr. his discovery relative to the bustard - - 333
Durham, Mr. his remarks on the long-tailed titmouse's curious

nest - - . .»"/ '' . i'.1 . . 28*

E

Eagle, the bearded, a nest belonging to, found by some pea-
sants - - 61
. • . • . description of - .Vi - f»o
romantic stories of •; >••<<• .59,61
\\-> .. , ''• -" . intrusion and freedom of »r;j *d - 62
• :•>•. • i yellow dust or powder on the plumage of 64
;•« .•. . the golden, description of - 5l
. . flies higher than any other bird - 53
children carried off by *:i- . - 5?
its depredations •> . - 58
its exquisite sight ,«.rj - 54
. its fierceness - *>i - 53

INDEX.

Eagle, the golden, its mode of carrying off its prey - 54

. . . .its vindictive disposition - 55, 56

.... nests of, plundered - - 56

. . . remarkable for its longevity, and power

of sustaining abstinence - 59

.... similarity between, and the lion - 52

Emu, the, description of - . - 3«

. . inferior in size to none but the ostrich - 31

its food . . - 34

. . very peculiar in hatching of its young - 33

where found . - ' - - - - 31

.Falcon, the chanting, description of - 78
attention of the male and attachment

of the feaiale - - 79

. the secretary, capable of being tamed - 68

description of - - - 65

its engagement with a serpent - 67

. its mode of attacking and devouring

serpents - - • - 66

... its nest - - - 68

. . . . its shrewdness and cunning - 69

origin of its name - - 65

Feuillee, Father, his account of the condor • 41

Fieldfare, the, description of - 27S

Frezier, Mr. his account of the condor's carrying off lambs 44

Gessner's story of a nightingale - . . 228

Goldfinch, the, description of ... 218

. . .its gentleness and familiarity - - £19

Goldsmith, Dr. his anecdote of a parrot ... 123

Gore, Captain, brings over a fine ostrich from Goree - 51

Grosbeak, the, description of •••»„ . ;»>,. - - 309

its nest, eggs, food, £c. . . .,; fc . 310

INDEX.

Page

Grosbeak, the Abyssinian, description of - 31 j

. . the Bengal, description of - ib.

. . . • . its great sensibility and docility - 314

the cardinal, description of • . • - 311

. f the green, description of - - Sit

. the grenadier, description of - 312

. . . .its beautiful appearance - - ib.

. . the pine, description of - . 310

.• '. the sociable, discovered by Mr. Baterson - - 315

*. ' /• . . . its industry and curious nest 316,317

H

' '-4- ''

Hawk, the sparrow, description of - -77

its courage and docility - - ib.

• <|ji»:i<» • its nest ;jj. - 78
Hen, the, naturally timorous, but courageous in defence of

her chickens - , „,, - - 16

^ib . ingenuity and attention of, in hatching her eggs 17

Harrier, the, description of 74

. . preys on lizards ,t« - 76

. . . pursues a pheasant - 75

Heron, the, remarks on - j*^. - 7

Hoopoe, the, description of - - 257, 259

. . . admirable contrivance of its nest - - 260

. . . anecdotes of - ... 264

. brilliancy of its plumage - . - 259

. . .its courage and pugnacity - «j> .-]] - 2.58

. . .its maternal affection and familiarity . - 261

. mode of catching - - 263

. . the red-throated, description of - - 265

dreadful contests of f • «n<M - 266

jjli4 . . •. . its brilliant colours - 265

fearless of mankind ' - . - 266

Jackdaw, the, description of

¥'iv »• . its docility and food -
I

n

INDEX.

fagt

Jackdaw, the, its habitations - - •» - 112

. . capable of being tamed - - 113

Jay, the, description of - 114

its familiarity, food, and mimicry - • - 115

. its nest - - - - - 114

K

Keyler's remarks on skylarks - 297

Kingfisher, the, description of - 253

« . . its mode of catching fish - 254

makes its nest of holes in the bank - 2.06

superstitious notions respecting the - 255, 257

Lark, see Titlark, Stylark, and Woodlark.

Latham, Mr. Mis remarks on rooks - - - 111

. . on the humming bird ... 264

. _ ".' on the titmouse - 288

Linnet, the, description of - - . .w. - 215

its docility and harmony - - - ib.

, ', its food and attention to instruction - - 221

•• . V* " its pride in adjusting its plumage - - 220

. . ' methods of taking . - 217

structure of the nest of - 216

Lithgow's account of carrier pigeons - - 540

Lock, Mr. anecdote by, of the parrot - . 128

Xockman, Mr. John, his story of the effect of music on a pigeon 339

M

Macaw, the green, description and disposition of - 136

its food, and mode of climbing - . \yf

Magpie, the, description of- - - -116

its docility and mimicry ... 119

. . its food, nest, &c. - . - 117

its intrepidity - . « - 116

-.'-. , its superior degree of instinct .' • - 117

INDEX.

fast

Magpie, the, superstition* fancies respecting - - 120

Mark wick, Mr. his account of a rookery • - 109

Moekbird, the, description of - 292

its food - - 295

£\l . . its gesticulations and deceptious mimicries - 294

. . .its various notes and imitative powers - 293

Montague, Mr. his account of a carrion crow - 99

... his attempt to tame ring-doves - - 342

Montbeillard, M. de, his description of the missel thrush - 211

N

NavereUi's .account of a bird like the linnet t-vc - 217"

Nuremberg, his account of the emu hatching her young - 33

Nightingale, the. description of - - 225
... directions for rearing ^ «^

. . '. extraordinary story of - »• : - 228

.'• ." _" how taken - 233

. " . . manners of - ib.

. . /. melody of the song of - 227

... mode of discovering the nests of - 231

. Tariety of its notes - 2'26

Nuthatch, the, description of - 198

attention of the male to his mate and of the

female to her eggs - 200

its manner of eating nuts « - 199

o

Oriole, the icteric, manners, food, nests, &t> of - - 1 43

. the red-winged, description of - - - 141

, . destructive to game - - - - ib.

. the weaver, observations on " - - - 144

Ostrich, the, description of - - 20

. . . blacks carried by - 27

. . . chase of - 26

. . . depredations of . 22

. . easily tamed - ' • -27

INDEX.

Page

Ortrkri, the, furious towards strangers - 28

. banted tor their flesh - -30

• . . incubation of - 23

• . .its native place - - -21

. . . surprising swiftness of - ?2, S8

. swallows stones, glass, leather, iron, bullets, &c. 29

. the strokes of their inner claw fatal - - 29

. their eggs considered a ddicacy - 25

. . . voracity of - - . -29

Ovicdo, Ferdinandez, on the bumming bird - w ib.

Owl, the brown, description of - . * > 86

its depredations, and boldness in defence of

its young - 87

. . . ils disagreeable cry - - . 88

. the great horned, considered as a bird of ill omeu • 91

. description of - - 90

its attachment to its joung - : .' V 91

.. ,-. . its depredations - - - 93

; . the screech, description of - I .» t -> . ' - * &&

... - .its antipathies an8 habits <*'. - 89

. honors paid to ' - '.• — - 90

. . . . utility of - ... „:„ , gy

Parrot, the ash-coloured, description of - ^ - f - 1Q4

^ ... . capable of wl>isi ling and singing 125
[«-.?-• • . t • . . . of mimicking gestures and

actions - 130

.-,j", ..' , entertaining anecdotes ot 126, 121, 128, 129, 130
its attention to and iir.italiun of

the human voice - - 12^

. -.. the Ethiopian or GuiiK-a, description of - - 150

its attachment to one another 131

whe/e found - 133

, . the yellow-winged, description of - " '. ' '• . it,,
,•'. .... its attaclnuent and manner* when

tame - . 134
VOL. 111. 3 A

INDEX.

Page

Pennant, Mr. his remarks on carrion crows - 100

..... on rooks - - 109

; . . - . .on the wheat-ear - 242

Percival, Dr. anecdote by, relative to a colony of rooks - 108

Pheasaul, the, beauiiiul plumage of ... 235

... change of plumage in the female - - 327

. . . description of - .«• ; , - 324

. . . disadvantages of the wings of - 329

% » ' . how taken - • - 33O

. its food, eggs, nest, &c. - - 328

. . . its love of liberty - • : - - 326

. varieties of - - 331

«, . . with difficulty tamed - „"?•. . - 33O

Pigeon, the, description of - - 336

• , . . anecdote of the effect of music on •/. - - 339

. . . difference of the crop during incubation - 338

. the carrier, letters conveyed by - 340

. . the passenger, description, and manners of - 344

..... how taken by the colonists - > 347

. . ."- . . singular facts relative to - 346

See Ring-dove and Turtle-dov .

Pliny's anecdote of a raven - - - 95

Plott, Dr. on the nuthatch - - SOO

Pozzo's account of a tame toucan - - 138

Pratz, M. du, a humming bird caught by the friend of - 264

"'*•-, . his remarks on passenger pigeons • - 347

Ptarmigan, the, description of • . - 352

. . ' . curious alarm created by - - S54

'•i1" ." • how taken - - 356

. . . variation of its plumage ... 355

untamcable, though gentle - - 355

Q

Quail, the, description of - 343

. . extrern 2 indolence of .... 349

, . time 0.' its migration - * - ib.

5

INDEX.

fmgt

R

Raven, the, description of - 93

. destructive to rabbits, chickens, &c. - 67

. its predilection for money, spoons, &c. - 95

. . its food and manner of feeding - 97

. . .its nest and perseverance in the act of incubation 96

. . .its utility, familiarity, impudence, &C. - 94

. . . venerated by the Romans from motives of fear 95

. . . visits of one to a lay lor - - ib.

Redbreast, the, description of - J-M* - - 234

fft' «' . annual visits of . - •* -.*•» - - 237

«>".' . . diseases and cures of 236

. good natural songs of 235

• .its delicacy in preparing its food •. » • - 238

Redwing, the, description of - •.•»;<.• ««>; . - 279

£f V '.' . . its similitude to the fieldfare in manners - 280

Ring-dove, the, attempts to domesticate -*••«* - - 342

; . . conjectures concerning - >. ' + . - 343

. particulars of - ••: ,J-.: - r 341

Roman, Sieur, wonderful performances of his birds - - 222

Rook, the, description of - 10i

anecdotes of r-r^ - - 107, 108

difficulties attendant on its nidiiication - - 105

its attention to its young - 111

*'( . its aversion to intruders -' - 106

its evening exercises in autumn - - 110

i'-'-k< . its preparations for nest-building - - 104

. ' . regularity of - . , 103

Secretary falcon, see Falcon.

Shaw, Dr. his anecdotes of ostriches - - 29

Shrike, the tyrant, description of - - - 83

. its courage - Jjl

. its nest and eggs - . . - 85

ikylark, the, description of - - - - . 395

3 A 2

INDEX.

Skylark, the, directions for rearing - 300

how caught -£»'». - 293

. . .its docility and melody - - ' 296

4*1 . • its maternal attachment ... 399

fff . it* mode of flying .... 297

Smcllie's anecdote of sparrows .... 275

Solander, Dr. on the falcon - - - - -67

Sonuini's account of a tame thrush - - 208

Sparrow, the, cunning and familiarity of <'. 4; •#> - 275

. . . description of i -;*<*! - - 272

... . . . its nest and eggs »lo - - V74

• . . . maternal affection of - - 276

i\ \» . pleasing anecdote of- - 275

. . the hawk, see Hawk.

••<•. . the, mountain, description of - <i'» , - J77

Stackhousc, Mr. on the nightingale . - - 223

Stalling, the, description of - 267

$tC f. . capable of speaking '- 270, 27t

?*''.' * . its familiarity and strong voice - - 268

. its sociability - .... 269

. in utility - - 271

.1 . . peculiar habits of • 270

. similitude to the blackbird --i ' - 267,269

Swallow, the, migrations of - - » . . - 10

Taylor bird, the, description of - 253

Thuaberg, Professor, his remarks on a hen ostrich - «4

. . on the shells of tire ostrich's eggs - 26

Thrush, the, description of - - 206

. fulness of its note - - 207

. . .its familiarity and number of eggs - - 20*

. similarity of the cock and hen .-- - 209

. the heath - - 2 It

. . the locust-eating, description of - - 2 13

its pursuit of locusts - - 2 1 4

. the missel, description of - . 210

INDEX.

Page.

Thrush, the, its animosity and harsh crj - - 212

its food, manners, Sec. • 211

. the wind or red-wing swinepip* - - 212

Tillark, the, description of - - - - 305

. its food ..... 306

Titmouse, the, description of - - - - 28+

. varieties of - - f8.5

. . th< bearded, description of - 287

where found ... ggjj

the Cape, description of - - . - 291

. the cole - ... 290

the Jong-tailed, description of - - - 288

• • curious construction of its nest - 289

'$% / . ' . .its utility ... 290

the marsh - . •?*„>' • - 291

the penduline, description of - - 285

skilful construction of its nest - 236

it:> . . . . superstitious veneration paid to - 287
Tomtit, see Titmouse.

Toucan, the, description of - «HVvt >*' «/; P*Q ' - 1&8

. . . easily tamed - '•'•* '•' •* •'•'*' " - ib.

. . . its beautiful plumage, and the delicacy of its flesh 14O

. its defence of its young TJ.",.!;* _ J3g

. its long tongue . ib.

Townson, Dr. his account of tnme cross-bills - 307

Trumpeter, the, description of - - 320

. - i . , easily tamed - - 321

... its familiarity, jealousy, and vindictiveness 322

its habits in a state of nature - 324

i ; '> .• . its peculiar sounds - 321

Turtle-dove, the, constancy of . 343

Tyrant shrike, see Shrike.

V U

Vaillant, M. Le, on the ostrich - - - - §4,

on the falcon - - 65, 66, 67

... on the missel thruth - * - 2H

INDEX.

Page

Ulloa, his account of a condor flying away with a lamb - 43

Vulture, the, description of - 45

. attracted by carrion from a great distance - 48

. its filth, idleness, and voraciousness - .49

. . .its flesh, stringy and nauseous - - jb.

. . its food and habits - - - 46

. its manner of anatomizing a dead body - 4f

. . its nest, manners, &c. - - - 50

*-f"' . - .its resemblance to the turkey • * ' 47

»'.'•'• .- . offensive smell of - - 45,49

w

Wafer, his remarks on ostriches' eggi - - - 35

. •,.-'„•'.• on young ostriches - , -^ ^, - 34

Wagtail, the, description of ... 242

the grey - - _ .^ - - 243

. . . the yellow - - 244

Wallis, Mr. his remarks on jays - - - - 115

Warbler, the Dartford, description of , . j-X* >«rj£ t, - 240

the pensile, description of s ».r •'..*&; - 238

..• , its sagacity in building and protecting its nest 239

Weld, Mr. an account of passenger pigeons, communicated to 348

Wheat-ear, the, annual visits of - - ^, - 341

description of -, * _-,( - 243

. . . how ensnared - - ', »,:. . 241

« . ; ., . its food, nest, &c. - - 242

White, Mr. his singular anecdote of a raven - - 96

his remarks on the hen-harrier - - - 75

* i-t •• .. fc.» v ... ' . on the ring-dove - - 341

•,••.-.«' • • on the willow-wren - - 258

Willoughby, Mr. his anecdote of a linnet - 219

. of a parrot - - 127

«... bis remarks on the toucan - - 139

Woodlark, the, description of - 301

delightful notes of - - - - 30*

« . , . difficulty of rearing - . - - ib.

. . . how and when taken ... 303

INDEX.

Page

Woodpecker, the, considerable length of its bill - 7

. . . the black, description of - 189

• .... capable of piercing sound and hard

trees - - 190

. . . the crested or golden, description of - - 250

where found - . 251

. the .hanging, description of ... 195

anecdote by Mr. St. John of - 249

. . « . . hanging-nests of - - 197

..... its mode of sleeping - - 195

its plumage various - - 198
..... its precaution against monkeys

and snakes - - - 196

• .... its sagacity in nest-building - 248
< . . small cage unfit for - - 25rt
. . . the willow, description of - 2.51
. . , . • . . three species of - - _ 25&

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