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ORNITHOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY.

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ORNITHOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY,

OR AN ACCOUNT OF THE HABITS OF THE

BIRDS OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA ,

ACCOMPANIED BY DESCRIPTIONS OF THE OBJECTS REPRESENTED
IN THE WORK ENTITLED

THE BIRDS OF AMERICA,

AND INTERSPERSED WITH DELINEATIONS OF AMERICAN
SCENERY AND MANNERS.

BY JOHN JAMES AUDUBON, F.R.SS.L.& E.

RELLOW OF THE LINNEAN AND ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETIES OF LONDON; MEMBER OF THE LYCEUM
OF NEW YORK, OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY OF PARIS, THE WERNERIAN NATURAL
HISTORY SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH ; HONORARY MEMBER OF THE SOCIETY OF NATURAL
HISTORY OF MANCHESTER, AND OF THE SCOTTISH ACADEMY OF PAINTING, SCULPTURE,
AND ARCHITECTURE; MEMBER OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY, OF THE
ACADEMY OF NATURAL SCIENCES AT PHILADELPHIA, OF THE NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETIES

OF BOSTON, OF CHARLESTON IN SOUTH CAROLINA, &c. &c.

VOL. III.

ADAM & CHARLES BLACK, EDINBURGH ;

LONGMAN, REES, BROWN, GREEN & LONGMAN, LONDON; R. HAVELL,
ENGRAVER, 77. OXFORD STREET, LONDON ; THOMAS SOWLER,
MANCHESTER; MRS ROBINSON, LEEDS; ALEXANDER HILL, EDIN-
BURGH; J. HENRY BEILBY, BIRMINGHAM; E. CHARNLEY, NEW-
CASTLE-UPON-TYNE ; AND GEORGE SMITH, LIVERPOOL.

N

MDCCCXXXV.

PRINTED BY NEILL & Co,
Old Fishmarket, Edinburgh.

INTRODUCTION.

TEN years have now elapsed since the first number of my
Illustrations of the Birds of America made its appearance. At
that period I calculated that the engravers would take sixteen
years in accomplishing their task ; and this I announced in my
prospectus, and talked of to my friends. Of the latter not a
single individual seemed to have the least hope of my success,
and several strongly advised me to abandon my plans, dispose of
my drawings, and return to my country. I listened with atten-
tion to all that was urged on the subject, and often felt deeply
depressed, for I was well aware of many of the difficulties to be
surmounted, and perceived that no small sum of money would
be required to defray the necessary expenses. Yet never did
I seriously think of abandoning the cherished object of my
hopes. When I delivered the first drawings to the engraver, I
had not a single subscriber. Those who knew me best called
me rash ; some wrote to me that they did not expect to see a
second fasciculus; and others seemed to anticipate the total
failure of my enterprise. But my heart was nerved, and my
reliance on that Power, on whom all must depend, brought

bright anticipations of success.

Nat Tote

vi INTRODUCTION.

Having made arrangements for meeting the first difficulties.
I turned my attention to the improvement of my drawings, and
began to collect from the pages of my journals the scattered notes
which referred to the habits of the birds represented by them.
I worked early and late, and glad I was to perceive that the
more I laboured the more I improved. I was happy, too, to
find, that in general each succeeding plate was better than its
predecessor, and when those who had at first endeavoured to dis-
suade me from undertaking so vast an enterprise, complimented
me on my more favourable prospects, I could not but feel happy.
Number after number appeared in regular succession, antl at
the end of four years of anxiety, my engraver, Mr HaveELt,
presented me with the First Volume of the Birds of America.

Convinced, from a careful comparison of the plates, that at
least there had been no falling off in the execution, I looked for-
ward with confidence to the termination of the next four years’
labour. 'Time passed on, and I returned from the forests and
wilds of the western world to congratulate my friend HavELL,
just when the last plate of the second volume was finished.

About that time, a nobleman called upon me with his fa-
mily, and requested me to shew them some of the original draw-
ings, which I did with the more pleasure that my visitors pos-
sessed a knowledge of Ornithology. In the course of our con-
versation, I was asked how long it might be until the work
should be finished. When I mentioned eight years more, the
nobleman shrugged up his shoulders, and sighing, said, “ I may
not see it finished, but my children will, and you may please to
add my name to your list of subscribers.” The young people
exhibited a mingled expression of joy and sorrow, and when I

with them strove to dispel the cloud that seemed to hang over

INTRODUCTION. Vil

their father’s mind, he smiled, bade me be sure to see that
the whole work should be punctually delivered, and took his
leave. The solemnity of his manner I could not forget for seve-
ral days; I often thought that neither might I see the work
completed, but at length I exclaimed “ my sons may.” And
now that another volume, both of my Illustrations and of my
Biographies is finished, my trust in Providence is augmented,
and I cannot but hope that myself and my family together may
be permitted to see the completion of my labours.

I have performed no long journey since I last parted from you,
and therefore I have little of personal history to relate to you.
I have spent the greater part of the interval in London and
Edinburgh, in both which cities I have continued to enjoy a
social intercourse with many valued friends. In the former, it
has been my good fortune to add to the list the names of WIL-
LIAM YARRELL, Esq., Dr BELL, Dr Boor, Captain JaMEs
CLark Ross, R.N.,and Dr RicHarpson. From Mr Yar-
RELL and the two latter gentlemen, both well known to you as
intrepid and successful travellers, I have received much valuable
information, as well as precious specimens of birds and eggs,
collected in the desolate regions of the extreme north. My
anxiety to compare my specimens with those of the Zoological
Society of London, induced me to request permission to do so,
which the Council freely accorded. For this favour I now pre-
sent my warm acknowledgments to the Noble Earu of Dersy,
the Members of the Council, their amiable Secretary Mr BENn-
NETT, and to Mr GouLD, who had the kindness to select for me
such specimens as I wanted. My friend Professor JAMESON of
Edinburgh has been equally kind in allowing me the means of

comparing specimens. From America I have received some

viii INTRODUCTION.

valuable information, and many interesting specimens of birds
and eggs, for which I am indebted to the Rev. Joun Bacu-
MAN, Dr RicnHarD Haruan, Dr GEorGcE ParkMAN, Ep-
warp Harris, Esq. and others.

The number of new species described in the present volume
is not great. Among them, however, you will find the largest
true Heron hitherto discovered in the United States. I have
corrected some errors committed by authors, and have added to
our Fauna several species which, although described by Euro-
pean writers, had not been observed in America. The habits
of many species previously unknown have also been given in
detail.

Having long ago observed, in works on the Birds of the
United States, the omission of the females and the different ap-
pearances produced by the change of season in most water birds,
I have represented the male accompanied by his mate, and, in
as many instances as possible, the young also. The technical
descriptions have been given at greater length than in the for-
mer volumes, with the view of preventing error even in com-
paring dried skins with either the figures or the descriptions.
I have also given the average meastirement of the eggs, which
I regret I had omitted to do in the other volumes ; an error
which I purpose to atone for by presenting you, in the last
number of my Illustrations, with figures of all those which I
have collected.

The figures in the third volume of my Illustrations amount
to one hundred and eighty-two, and are thus much fewer than
those in either of the preceding volumes. This, however, —
was rendered necessary by the comparatively large size of the

originals, the aquatic species of Birds greatly exceeding the

INTRODUCTION. ix

terrestrial in this respect. Many of them in fact are so large
that only a single figure could be given, and that not always in
so good an attitude as I could have wished. For this reason I
have sometimes been obliged to give the figure of the young in
a separate plate; and this I shall in a few cases continue to do,
in order to correct the errors of authors respecting certain spe-
cies, which I have proved to be merely nominal. Still the num-
ber contained in the three volumes being six hundred and
seventy-four, there are more than two to each species.

The engraving and colouring of the plates of this volume
have generally been considered as much superior even to those
of the second. Indeed, some of my patrons, both in Europe
and America, have voluntarily expressed their conviction of the
superiority of these plates. This is the more gratifying to me,
that it proves the unremitted care and perseverance of Mr
HaveELL and his assistants, of whom I mention with approba-
tion Messrs Buaker and EDINGTON. |

The Ornithology of the United States may be said to have
been commenced by ALEXANDER WILSON, whose. premature
death prevented him from completing his labours. It is un-
necessary for me to say how well he performed the task which
he had imposed upon himself ; for all naturalists, and many who
do not aspire to the name, acknowledge his great merits. But
although he succeeded in observing and obtaining a very great
number of our birds, he left for others many species which he
was unable to procure. These have been sought for with eager-
ness, and not without success, by persons who have engaged in
the pursuit with equal ardour. The Prince or MusiGNano,
full of enthusiasm, having his judgment matured by long obser-

vation, and his mind stored with useful learning, collected in

x INTRODUCTION.

our woods and prairies, by our great rivers, and along our extend-
ed shores, materials sufficient for four superb volumes, intended
as a continuation of WiLson’s work. ‘THoMas NuTTaLtu,
equally learned and enthusiastic, next entered the field. His
Manual of our Birds contains a mass of useful information, and
is for the most part excellent. Many others have, in various
ways, endeavoured to extend our knowledge on this subject ;
but with the exception of THomas Say, none have published
their discoveries in a connected form. Dr Haran has given
to the world an excellent account of our Mammalia; various
works on Mollusca have appeared, and at present Dr Hort-
BECK of Charleston is engaged in publishing an account of our
Reptiles.

Along our extended frontiers I have striven to observe and
gather whatever had escaped the notice of the different collec-
tors ; and now, kind Reader, to prove to you that if not so for-
tunate as I had wished, I yet have done all that was in my
power, I present you with a third volume of Ornithological Bio-
graphies, in which you will find some account of about sixty
species of Water Birds not included in the works of WILson.
These, at one season or other, are to be met with along the
shores or streams of the United States. Some of them are cer-
tainly very rare, others remarkable in form and habits ; but all,
I trust, you will find distinct from each other, and not inaccu-
rately described.

The difficulties which are to be encountered in studying the
habits of our Water Birds are great. He who follows the fea-
thered inhabitants of the forests and plains, however rough or
tangled the paths may be, seldom fails to obtain the objects of

his pursuit, provided he be possessed of due enthusiasm and per-

INTRODUCTION. xi

severance. ‘The Land Bird flits from bush to bush, runs before
you, and seldom extends its flight beyond the range of your
vision. It is very different with the Water Bird, which sweeps
afar over the wide ocean, hovers above the surges, or betakes it-
self for refuge to the inaccessible rocks on the shore. ‘There,
on the smooth sea-beach, you see the lively and active Sand-
piper ; on that rugged promontory the Dusky Cormorant ; un-
der the dark shade of yon cypress the Ibis and Heron ; above
you in the still air floats the Pelican or the Swan ; while far
over the angry billows scour the Fulmar and the Frigate bird.
If you endeavour to approach these birds in their haunts, they
betake themselves to flight, and speed to places where they are
secure from your intrusion.

But the scarcer the fruit, the more prized it is ; and seldom
have I experienced greater pleasures than when on the Florida
Keys, under a burning sun, after pushing my bark for miles over
a soapy flat, I have striven all day long, tormented by myriads
of insects, to procure a heron new to me, and have at length suc-
ceeded in my efforts. And then how amply are the labours of
the naturalist compensated, when, after observing the wildest
and most distrustful birds, in their remote and almost inacces-
sible breeding places, he returns from his jowmeys, and relates
his adventures to an interested and friendly audience.

I look forward to the summer of 1838 with an anxious hope
that I may then be able to present you with the last plate of
my Illustrations, and the concluding volume of my Biographies.
To render these volumes as complete as possible, I intend to un-
dertake a journey to the southern and western limits of the
Union, with the view of obtaining a more accurate knowledge

of the birds of those remote and scarcely inhabited regions.

xii INTRODUCTION.

On this tour I shall be accompanied by my youngest son, while
the rest of my family will remain in Britain, to direct the pro-
gress of my publication.

In concluding these prefatory remarks, I have to inform
you that one of the tail-pieces in my second volume, entitled
« A Moose Hunt,” was communicated to me by my young friend.
Tuomas: Lincoun of Dennisville in Maine ; and that it was
at his particular request, and much against my wishes, that his
name was not mentioned at the time. I have now, however,

judged it proper to make this statement.

JOHN J. AUDUBON.

Epinsureu, lst December 1835.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

The Canada Goose, .
The Red-throated Diver,

The Great Red-breasted Rail, or

Fresb-water Marsh-Hen,

The Clapper Rail, or Salt-water

Marsh-Hen,
The Virginian Rail, .

Tue AMERICAN Sun PERrcuH,

The Wood Duck,

The Booby Gannet, .
The Esquimaux Curlew,
Wilson’s Plover, .

The Least Bittern,

Tue Eecers or LaBrapor,

The Great Blue Heron,

The Common American Gull,
ime Eating ye

The Razor-billed Auk, .

The Hyperborean Phalarope,

FIsHING IN THE Ouro,

The Wood Ibis, .

The Louisiana Heron, .
The Foolish Guillemot,
The Black Guillemot, .
The Piping Plover, .

Anser canadensis,
Colymbus_septentrionalis,

\ Rallus elegans,

+ Rattus crepitans, .

Rallus virginianus,

Anas Sponsa, .

Sula fusca, .

Numenius borealis,
Charadrius Wilsonius, .
Ardea exilis,

Ardea Herodias, .
Larus zonorhynchus,
Mormon arcticus,

Alca Torda,
Phalaropus hyperboreus,

Tantalus Loculator, .
Ardea ludoviciana,
Uria Troile,

Uria Grylle,
Charadrius melodus, .

xiv TABLE OF CONTENTS.

THe WrEcKERS OF FLORIDA,

The Mallard, . . .-. -. . . . Anas Boschas,

The WhiteTbis, .. ...- . . Ibis alba, :
The American Oyster- Aiatelien. . . Hematopus palliatus,
The Kittiwake Gull, . . . . . Larus tridactylus,
The Kildeer Plover, . . . . . Charadrius vociferus,

Tue Wuite Percnu AnD 1Ts Favourite Bait,

The Whooping Crane, . . . . - Grus americana, -
The Pintail Duck, . . . . . . Anas acuta,

The Green-winged Teal, . . . . Anas Crecca,

The Scaup Duck, . . . . . . Filigula Marila, .
The Sanderling, . . . . . . . Tinga arenaria, .

A Racoon Hunt 1n KEntucky,

The Long-billed Curlew, . . . . Numenius longirostris,
The Hooded Merganser, . . . . Mergus cucullatus,
The Sora Rail, . . . . . . * #allus carohnus, .
The Ring-necked Duck, . . . . Fuligula rujfitorques, .
The Sooty Tern,. . . . . . . Sterna fuliginosa,

A Witp Horss, .

The Night Heron, . . . . . . Ardea Nycticorax,
The Hudsonian Curlew, . . . . Numenius hudsonicus,
The Great Marbled Godwit, . . . Limosa Fedoa,

The American Coot, . . . . . Fulica americana,
The Roseate Tern, . . . . . . Sterna Dougaillii, .

REMINISCENCES OF THomas Bewick, .

The Great Black-backed Gull, . . Larus marinus,

The Snowy Heron, . . . . . . Ardea candidissima, .
The American Snipe, . . . . . Scolopax Wilsonii,
The Common Gallinule, . . . . Gallinula Chloropus,
The Large-billed Guillemot, . . . Uria Brunnichii, .

Pirtine or WoLvEs,

The Eider Duck,. . ... . . . Filigula mollissima, .
The Velvet Duck, . . . . . . Fuligula fusca,

Page
158
164
173
181
186
19]

197

202
214
219
226
231

235

240
246
251
259
263

270

275
283
287
291
296

300

305
317
322
330
336

338

342
354

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

The Pied-billed Dobchick,
The Tufted Puffin, .
The Arctic Tern,

A Toveu Watk For A YourTu,

The Brown Pelican,
The Florida Cormorant,
The Pomarine Jager,
Wilson’s Phalarope,
The Red Phalarope,

BREAKING UP OF THE Ick,

The Reddish Egret, .

The Double-crested Cormorant, .

The Hudsonian Godwit,
The Horned Grebe, .
The Forked-tailed Petrel,

A Mapte-sucar Camp,

The Whooping Crane, .

The Tropic Bird,

The Curlew Sandpiper,

The Fulmar Petrel, :
The Buff-breasted Sandpiper,

THE Opossum,

The Common Cormorant, .
The Arctic Jager,

The American Woodcock,
The Greenshank, .
Wilson’s Petrel,

A Lone Caum at SEA,

The Frigate Pelican,
Richardson’s Jager, .
The Cayenne Tern, .

The Semipalmated Snipe, or Willet,

The Noddy Tern,

Stitt BEcaLMED,

Podiceps carolinensis,
Mormon cirrhatus,

Sterna arctica,

Pelecanus fuscus, .

Phalacrocorax floridanus, .

Lestris pomarinus,
Phalaropus Wilsonii,
Phalaropus fulicarius,

Ardea rufescens,
Phalacrocorax dilophus,
Limosa hudsonica,
Podiceps cornutus,
Thalassidroma Leachii,

Grus americana,
Phaeton ethereus,
Tringa subarquata, .
Procellaria glacialis,
Tringa rufescens, .

Phalacrocorax Carbo,
Lestris parasiticus,
Scolopax minor,

Totanus Glottis, .
Thalassidroma Wilsonii,

Tachypetes Aquilus, .
Lestris Richardsonii,
Sterna cayana,

Totanus semipalmatus, .
Sterna stolida, .

XV
Page
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364:
366

371

376
387
396
400
404

408

41]
420
426
429
434,

438

44)
4A2
4.44,
446
451

4.54

458
4'70
ATA
483
4.86

491
495
503
505

510
516

520

Xvi

The King Duck, .
Hutchins’s Goose,
Schinz’s Sandpiper, .
The Sandwich Tern,
The Black Tern, .

NatcuHez 1n 1820,

The Great White Heron, .

The White-winged Silvery Gull,
The Wandering Shearwater, .
The Purple Sandpiper, .

The Forked-tailed Gull,

Tue Lost Portrotio, .

The White-fronted Goose, .
The Ivory Gull, . . .
The Yellowshank,

The Solitary Sandpiper,
The Red-backed Sandpiper,

LABRADOR,

The Herring Gull,

The Crested Grebe, .
The Large-billed Puffin,
The Pectoral Sandpiper,
The Manks Shearwater,

Great Ecce Harpour,

The Barnacle Goose,’
The Harlequin Duck, .
The Red-necked Grebe,
The Dusky Petrel, .
The Golden Plover, .

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

Fuligula spectabilis, .
Anser Hutchinsii,
Tringa Schinzui, .
Sterna cantiaca,

Sterna nigra,

Ardea occidentalis,
Larus leucopterus,
Puffinus cinereus,
Tringa maritima,
Larus Sabini, .

Anser albifrons,
Larus eburneus,

Totanus flavipes, .
Totanus chloropygius,
Tringa alpina, . .

Larus argentatus,
Podiceps cristatus,
Mormon glacialis,
Tringa pectoralis,
Puffinus Anglorum, .

Anser leucopsis,
Fuligula histrionica, .
Podiceps rubricollis, .
Puffinus obscurus,
Charadrius pluvialis,

REMARKS ON THE ForM OF THE ToEs oF Birps,

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561

564

568
571
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576
580

584

588
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599
601
604

606

609
612
617
620
623

629

ORNITHOLOGICAL BIOGRAPHY.

THE CANADA GOOSE.

ANSER CANADENSIS, VIEILL.
PLATE CCI. Mate ann FEmateE.

Autnoucu the Canada Goose is considered as a northern species, the
umber of individuals that remain at all-seasons in the milder latitudes;
and in different portions of the United States, fully entitles this bird to
be looked upon as a permanent resident there. It is found to breed spa-
ringly at the present day, by many of the lakes, lagoons, and large
streams of our Western Districts, on the Missouri, the Mississippi, the
lower parts of the Ohio, on Lake Erie, the lakes farther north, and in se-
veral large pools situated in the interior of the eastern parts of the States
of Massachusetts and Maine. As -you advance farther toward the east
and north, you find it breeding: more abundantly.. While on my way to
Labrador, I found it in the Magdeleine Islands, early in June, sitting on
its eggs. In the Island of Anticosti there is a considerable stream, near
the borders of which great numbers are said to be annually reared; and
in Labrador these birds breed in every suitable marshy plain. The
greater number of those which visit us from still more northern regions,
return in the vernal season, like many other species, to the dismal coun-
tries which gave them birth.

Few if any of these birds spend the winter in Nova Scotia, my friend
Mr TxHomas M‘Cuttocu having informed me that he never saw one about
Pictou at that period. In spring, as they proceed northward, thousands
are now and then seen passing high in the air; but in autumn, the flocks
are considerably smaller, and fly much lower. During their spring move-
ments, the principal places at which they stop to wait for milder days are

SS

VOL. IITs A

2 CANADA GOOSE.

“a

Bay Chaleur, the Magdeleine Islands, Newfoundland, and Labrador, at
all of which some remain to breed and spend the summer.

The general spring migration of the Canada Goose, may be stated to
commence with the first melting of the snows in our Middle and Western
Districts, or from the 20th of March to the end of April; but the pre-
cise time of its departure is always determined by the advance of the sea-
son, and the vast flocks that winter in the great savannahs or swampy
prairies south-west of the Mississippi, such as exist in Opellousas, on the
borders of the Arkansas River, or in the dismal “ Ever Glades” of the
Floridas, are often seen to take their flight, and steer their course north-
ward, a month earlier than the first of the above mentioned periods. It
is indeed probable that the individuals of a species most remote from the
point at which the greater number ultimately assemble, commence their
flight earlier than those which have passed the winter in stations nearer
to it.

It is my opinion that all the birds of this species, which leave our
States and territories each spring for the distant north, pair before they
depart. This, no doubt, necessarily results from the nature of their place
of summer residence, where the genial season is so short as scarcely to af-
ford them sufficient time for bringing up their young and renewing their
plumage, before the rigours of advancing winter force them to com-
mence their flight towards milder countries. This opinion is founded
on the following facts: I have frequently observed large flocks of
Geese, in ponds, on marshy grounds, or even on dry sand bars, the mated
birds renewing their courtship as early as the month of January, while
the other individuals would be contending or coquetting for hours every
day, until all seemed satisfied with the choice they had made, after which,
although they remained together, any person could easily perceive that
they were careful to keep in pairs. I have observed also that the older
the birds, the shorter were the preliminaries of their courtship, and that
the barren individuals were altogether insensible to the manifestations of
love and mutual affection that were displayed around them. The bache-
lors and old maids, whether in regret, or not caring to be disturbed by
the bustle, quietly moved aside, and lay down on the grass or sand at
some distance froin the rest ; and whenever the flocks rose on wing, or
betook themselves to the water, these forlorn birds. always kept behind.
This mode of preparing for the breeding season has appeared to me the

more remarkable, that, on reaching the place appointed for their summer

CANADA GOOSE. 3

residence, the birds of a flock separate in pairs, which form their nests
and rear their young at a considerable distance from each other.

It is extremely amusing to witness the courtship of the Canada Goose
in all its stages; and let me assure you, reader, that although a Gander
does not strut before his beloved with the pomposity of a Turkey, or the
grace of a Dove, his ways are quite as agreeable to the female of his
choice. I can imagine before me one who has just accomplished the de-
feat of another male after a struggle of half an hour or more. He ad-
vances gallantly towards the object of contention, his head scarcely raised
an inch from the ground, his bill open to its full stretch, his fleshy tongue
elevated, his eyes darting fiery glances, and as he moves he hisses loudly,
while the emotion which he experiences, causes his quills to shake, and
his feathers to rustle. Now he is close to her who in his eyes is all love-
liness ; his neck bending gracefully in all directions, passes all round her,
and occasionally touches her body ; and as she congratulates him on his
victory, and acknowledges his affection, they move their necks in a hun-
dred curious ways. At this moment fierce jealousy urges the defeated
gander to renew his. efforts to obtain his love ; he advances apace, his
eye glowing with the fire of rage ; he shakes his broad wings, ruffles up:
his whole plumage, and as he rushes on the foe, hisses with the intensity
of anger. The whole flock seems to stand amazed, and opening up a
space, the birds gather round to view the combat. The bold bird who
has been caressing his mate, scarcely deigns to take notice of his foe, but
seems to send a scornful glance towards him. He of the mortified feel-
ings, however, raises his body, half opens his sinewy wings, and with a
powerful blow, sends forth his defiance. The affront cannot be borne in
the presence of so large a company, nor indeed is there much disposition
to bear it in any circumstances; the blow is returned with vigour, the.
aggressor reels for a moment, but he soon recovers, and now the combat
rages. Were the weapons more deadly, feats of chivalry would now be
performed ; as it is, thrust and blow succeed each other like the strokes
of hammers driven by sturdy forgers. But now, the mated gander has
caught hold of his antagonist’s head with his bill ; no bull-dog could cling
faster to his victim ; he squeezes him with all the energy of rage, lashes
him with his powerful wings, and at length drives him away, spreads out
his pinions, runs with joy to his mate, and fills the air with cries of exul-
tation.

But now, see yonder, not a couple, but half a dozen of ganders are
. 2
A

+ CANADA GOOSE.

engaged in battle! Some desperado, it seems, has fallen upon a mated
bird, and several bystanders, as if sensible of the impropriety of such con-
duct, rush to the assistance of the wronged one. How they strive and
tug, biting, and striking with their wings! and how their feathers fly
about! Exhausted, abashed, and mortified, the presumptuous intruder
retreats in disgrace ;—there he lies almost breathless on the sand !

Such are the conflicts of these ardent lovers, and so full of courage
and of affection towards their’ females are they, that the‘approach of a
male invariably ruffles their tempers as well as their feathers. No sooner
has the goose laid her first egg, than her bold mate stands almost erect
by her side, watching even the rustling sound of the breeze. The least
noise brings from him a sound of anger. Should he spy a racoon making
its way among the grass, he walks up to him undauntedly, hurls a vigor-
ous blow at him, and drives him instantly away.. Nay I doubt if man
himself, if unarmed, would come off unscathed in such an encounter:
The brave gander does more ; for, if imminent danger excite him, he
urges his mate to fly off, and resolutely remains near the nest until he is
assured of her safety, when he also betakes himself to flight, mocking as
it were by his notes his disappointed enemy.

Suppose all to be peace and quiet around the fond pair, and the fe-
male to be sitting in security upon her eggs. The nest is placed near
the bank of a noble stream or lake; the clear sky is spread over the
scene, the bright beams glitter on the waters, and a thousand odorous
flowers give beauty to the swamp which of late was so dismal. The gan-
der passes to and fro over the liquid element, moving as if lord of the
waters; now he inclines his head with a graceful curve, now sips to
quench his thirst ; and, as noontide has arrived, he paddles his way to-
wards the shore, to relieve for a while his affectionate and patient consort.
The lisping sounds of their offspring are heard through the shell ; their
little bills have formed a breach in the inclosing walls; full of life, and
bedecked with beauty, they come forth, with tottermg steps and downy
covering. Toward the water they now follow their careful parent, they
reach the border of the stream, their mother already floats on the loved
element, one after another launches forth; and now the flock glides
gently along. What a beautiful sight! Close by the grassy margin,
the mother slowly leads her innocent younglings ; to one she shews the
seed of the floating grass, to another peints out the crawling slug. Her

careful eye watches the cruel turtle, the garfish, and the pike, that are

CANADA GOOSE. 5

lurking for their prey, and, with head inclined, she glances upwards to
the eagle or the gull that are hovering over the water in search of food.
A ferocious bird dashes at her young ones; she instantly plunges beneath
the surface, and, in the twinkling of an eye, her brood disappear after
her ; now they are among the thick rushes, with nothing above water but
their little bills. The mother is marching towards the land, having lisp-
ed to her brood in accents so gentle that none but they and her mate can
understand their import, and all are safely lodged under cover until the
disappointed eagle or gull bears away.

More than six weeks have now elapsed. The down of the goslings,
which was at first soft and tufty, has become coarse and hairlike. Their
wings are edged with quills, and their bodies bristled with feathers. They
have increased in size, and, living in the midst of abundance, they have
become fat, so that on shore they make their way with difficulty, and as
they are yet unable to fly, the greatest care is required to save them from
their numerous enemies. They grow apace, and now the burning days
of August are over. They are able to fly with ease from one shore to
another, and as each successive night the hoarfrosts cover the. country,
and the streams are closed over by the ice, the family joins that in their
neighbourhood, which is also joined by others. At length they spy the
advance of a snow-storm, when the ganders with one accord sound the
order for their departure.

After many wide circlings, the flock has risen high in the thin air, and
an hour er more is spent in teaching the young the order in which they
are to move. But now, the host has been marshalled, and off it starts,
shewing, as it proceeds, at one time an extended front, at another a single
lengthened file, and now arraying itself in an angular form. The old
males advance in front, the females follow, the young come in succession
according to their strength, the weakest forming the rear. Should one
feel fatigued, his position is changed in the ranks, and he assumes a place
in the wake of another, who cleaves the air, before him; perhaps the pa-
rent bird flies for a while by his side to encourage him. Two, three, or
more days elapse before they reach a secure resting place. The fat with
which they were loaded at their departure has rapidly wasted ; they are
fatigued, and experience the keen gnawings of hunger ; but now they spy
a wide estuary, towards which they direct their course. Alighting on the
water, they swim to the beach, stand, and gaze around them; the young

full of joy, the old full of fear, for well are they aware that many foes

os

6 CANADA GOOSE.

have been waiting their arrival. Silent all night remains the flock, but
not inactive; with care they betake themselves to the grassy shores, where
they allay the cravings of appetite, and recruit their wasted strength.
Soon as the early dawn lightens the surface of the deep they rise into the
air, extend their lines, and proceed southward, until arriving in some place
where they think they may be enabled to rest in security, they remain
during the winter. At length, after many annoyances, they joyfully per-
ceive the return of spring, and prepare to fly away from their greatest
enemy man.

The Canada Goose often arrives in our Western and Middle Districts
as early as the beginning of September, and does not by any means confine
itself to the seashore. Indeed, my opinion is, that for every hundred
seen during the winter along our large bays and estuaries, as many thou-
sands may be found in the interior of the country, where they frequent
the large ponds, rivers, and wet savannahs. During my residence in the
State of Kentucky, I never spent a winter without observing immense
flocks of these birds, especially in the neighbourhood of Henderson, where
{ have killed many hundreds of them, as well as on the Falls of the Ohio
at Louisville, and in the neighbouring country, which abounds in ponds
overgrown with grasses and various species of Nymphez, on the seeds of
which they greedily feed. Indeed all the lakes situated within a few miles
of the Missouri and Mississippi, or their tributaries, are still amply sup-
plied with them from the middle of autumn to the beginning of spring.
In these places, too, I have found them breeding, although sparingly.
It seems to me more than probable, that the species bred abundantly in
the temperate parts of North America before the white population ex-
tended over them. This opinion is founded on the relations of many old
and respectable citizens of our country, and in particular of General
Grorce Crark, one of the first settlers on the banks of the Ohio, who,
at a very advanced age, assured me that, fifty years before the period.
when our conversation took place (about seventy-five years from the pre-
sent time), wild geese were so plentiful at all seasons of the year, that he
was in the habit of having them shot to feed his soldiers, then garrisoned
near Vincennes, in the present State of Indiana. My father, who tra-
velled down the Ohio shortly after Brapocx’s defeat, related the same to
me ; and I, as well as many persons now residing at Louisville in Ken-
tucky, well remember that, twenty-five or thirty years ago, it was quite

easy to procure young Canada Geese in the ponds around. So late as

CANADA GOOSE. 7

1819, I have met with the nests, eggs, and young of this species near
Henderson. However, as I have already said, the greater number re-
move far north to breed. I have never heard of an instance of their
breeding in the Southern States. Indeed, so uncongenial to their consti-
tution seems the extreme heat of these parts to be, that the attempts made
to rear them in a state of domestication very rarely succeed.

The Canada Goose, when it remains with us to breed, begins to form
its nest in March, making choice of some retired place not far from the
water, generally among the rankest grass, and net unfrequently under a
bush. It is carefully formed of dry plants of various kinds, and is of a
large size, flat, and raised to the height of several inches. Once only did.
I find a nest elevated above the ground. It was placed on the stump of
a large tree, standing in the centre of a small pond, about twenty feet
high, and contained five eggs. As the spot was very secluded, I did not
disturb the birds, anxious as I was to see in what manner they should
convey the young to the water. But in this I was disappointed, for, on
going to the nest, near the time at which I expected the process of incu-
bation to terminate, I had the mortification to find that a racoon, or some
other animal, had destroyed the whole of the eggs, and that the birds had
abandoned the place. The greatest number of eggs which I have found
in the nest of this species was nine, which I think is more by three than
these birds usually lay in a wild state. In the nests of those which I
have had in a domesticated state, I have sometimes counted as many as
eleven, several of them, however, usually proving unproductive. The
eggs measure, on an average, 34 inches by 24, are thick shelled, rather
smooth, and of a very dull yellowish-green colour. The period of incu-
bation is twenty-eight days. They never have more than one brood in a
season, unless their eggs are removed or broken at an early period.

The young follow their parents to the water a day or two after they
have issued from the egg, but generally return to land to repose in the
sunshine in the evening, and pass the night there under their mother, who
employs all imaginable care to ensure their comfort and safety, as does
her mate, who never leaves her during incubation for a longer time than
is necessary for procuring food, and takes her place at intervals.. Both
remain with their brood until the following spring. It is during the
breeding-season that the gander displays his courage and strength to the
greatest advantage. I knew one that appeared larger than usual, and of

which all the lower parts were of a rich cream colour. It returned three

~

8 CANADA GOOSE.

years in succession to a large pond a few miles from the mouth of

Green River in Kentucky, and whenever I visited the nest, it seemed to

Jook upon me with utter contempt. It would stand in a stately attitude,

until I reached within a few yards of the nest, when suddenly lowering

its head, and shaking it as if it were dislocated from the neck, it would

open its wings, and launch into the air, flying directly at me. So daring
was this fine fellow, that in two instances he struck me a blow with one

of his wings on the right arm, which, for an instant, I thought, was

broken. I observed that immediately after such an effort to defend his

nest and mate, he would run swiftly towards them, pass his head and neck -
several times over and around the female, and again assume his attitude

of defiance.

Always intent on making experiments, I thought of endeavouring to
conciliate this bold son of the waters. For this purpose I always after-
wards took with me several ears of corn, which I shelled, and threw towards
him. It remained untouched for several days ; but I succeeded at last,
and before the end of a week both birds fed freely on the grain even
in my sight! I felt much pleasure on this occasion, and repeating my
visit daily, found, that before the eggs were hatched, they would allow
me to approach within a few feet of them, although they never suffered
me to touch them. Whenever I attempted this the male met my fingers
with his bill, and bit me so severely that I gave it up. The great
beauty and courage of the male rendered me desirous of obtaining pos-
session of him. I had marked the time at which the young were likely
to appear, and on the preceding day I baited with corn a large coop
made of twine, and waited until he should enter. He walked in, I
drew the string, and he was my prisoner. The next morning the female
was about to lead her offspring to the river, which was distant nearly half
a mile, when I caught the whole of the young birds, and with them the
mother too, who came within reach in attempting to rescue one of her
brood, and had them taken home. There I tock a cruel method of pre-
venting their escape, for with a knife I pimioned each of them on the
same side, and turned them loose in my garden, where I had a small but
convenient artificial pond. For more than a fortnight, both the old birds
appeared completely cowed. Indeed, for some days I felt apprehensive
that they would abandon the care of the young ones. However, with
much attention, I succeeded in rearing the latter by feeding them abun-
dantly with the larva of locusts, which they ate greedily, as well as with

corn-meal moistened with water, and the whole flock, consisting of eleven

CANADA GOOSE. )

individuals, went on prosperously. In December the weather became in-
tensely cold, and I observed that now and then the gander would spread
his wings, and sound a loud note, to which the female first, and then all
the young ones in succession, would respond, when they would all run
as far as the ground allowed them in a southerly direction, and attempt
to fly off. 1 kept the whole flock three years. The old pair never
bred while in my possession, but two pairs of the young ones did, one
of them raising three, the other seven. They all bore a special enmity
to dogs, and shewed dislike to cats; but they manifested a still greater
animosity towards an old swan and a wild turkey-cock which I had. I
found them useful in clearing the garden of slugs and snails; and al-
though they now and then nipped the vegetables, I liked their company.
When I left Henderson, my flock of geese was given away, and I have
not since heard how it has fared with them.

On one of my shooting excursions in the same neighbourhood, I chan-
ced one day to kill a wild Canada Goose, which, on my return, was sent
to the kitchen. The cook, while dressing it, found in it an egg ready
for being laid, and brought it to me. It was placed under a common
hen, and in due time hatched. Two years afterwards the bird thus rais-
ed, mated with a male of the same species, and produced a brood. . This
goose was so gentle that she would suffer any person to caress her, and
would readily feed from the hand. She was smaller than usual, but in
every other respect as perfect as any I have ever seen. At the period of
migration she shewed by her movements less desire to fly off than any
other I have known; but her mate, who had once been free, did not par-
ticipate in this apathy.

I have not been able to discover why many of those birds which I have |
known to have been reared from the egg, or to have been found when very
young and brought up in captivity, were so averse to reproduce, unless
they were naturally sterile. Ihave seen several that had been kept for more
than eight years, without ever mating during that period, while other indi-
viduals had young the second spring after their birth. I have also observed
that an impatient male would sometimes abandon the females of his species,
and pay his addresses to a common tame goose, by which a brood would
in due time be brought up, and would thrive. That this tardiness is not
the case in the wild state I feel pretty confident, for I have observed ha-
ving broods of their own many individuals which, by their size, the dul-

ness of their plumage, and such other marks as are known to the practi-

oS

10 CANADA GOOSE.

cal ornithologist, I judged to be not more than fifteen or sixteen months
old. I have therefore thought that in this, as in many other species, a
long series of years is necessary for counteracting the original wild and
free nature which has been given them; and indeed it seems probable
that our attempts to domesticate many species of wild fowls, which would
prove useful to mankind, have often been abandoned in despair, when a
few years more of constant care might have produced the desired effect.

The Canada Goose, although immediately after the full development
of its young it becomes gregarious, does not seern to be fond of the com-
pany of any other species. Thus, whenever the White-fronted Goose,
the Snow Goose, the Brent Goose, or others, alight in the same ponds, it
forces them to keep at a respectful distance; and during its migrations I
have never observed a single bird of any other kind in its ranks. .

The flight of this species of Goose is firm, rather rapid, and capable
of being protracted to a great extent. When once high in the air, they
advance with extreme steadiness and regularity of motion. In rising
from the water or from the ground, they usually run a few feet with out-
spread wings; but when suddenly surprised and in full plumage, a sin-
gle spring on their broad webbed feet is sufficient to enable them to get
on wing. While travelling to some considerable distance, they pass
through the air at the height of about a mile, steadily following a direct
course towards the point to which they are bound. Their notes are dis-
tinctly heard, and-the various changes made in the disposition of their
ranks are easily seen. But although on these occasions they move with
the greatest regularity, yet when they are slowly advancing from south
to north at an early period of the season, they fly much lower, alight
more frequently, and are more likely to be bewildered by suddenly formed
banks of fog, or by passing over cities or arms of the sea where much
shipping may be in sight. On such occasions great consternation prevails
among them, they crowd together in a confused manner, wheel irregularly,
and utter a constant cackling resembling the sounds from a disconcerted
mob. Sometimes the flock separates, some individuals leave the rest, pro-
ceed in a direction contrary to that in which they came, and after a while,
as if quite confused, sail towards the ground, once alighted on which they
appear to become almost stupified, so as to suffer themselves to be shot
with ease, or even knocked down with sticks. This I have known to take
place on many occasions, besides those of which I have myself been a wit-

ness. Heavy snow-storms also cause them great distress, and in the midst

CANADA GOOSKE. 11

of them some have been known to fly against beacons and lighthouses,
dashing their heads against the walls in the middle of the day. In the
night they are attracted by the lights of these buildings, and now and then
a whole flock is caught on such occasions. At other times their migra-
tions northward are suddenly checked by a change of weather, the ap-
proach of which seems to be well known to them, for they will suddenly
wheel and fly back in a southern direction several hundred miles. In
this manner I have known flocks to return to the places which they had
left a fortnight before. Nay even during the winter months, they are
keenly sensible to changes of temperature, flying north or south in search
of feeding-grounds, with so much knowledge of the future state of the
weather, that one may be assured when he sees them proceeding south-
ward in the evening, that the next morning will be cold, and vice versa.
The Canada Goose is less shy when met with far inland, than when
on the sea-coast, and the smaller the ponds or lakes to which they resort,
the more easy it is to approach them. They usually feed in the manner
of Swans and fresh-water Ducks, that is, by plunging their heads towards
the bottom of shallow ponds or the borders of lakes and rivers, immersing
their fore parts, and frequently exhibiting their legs and feet with the
posterior portion of their body elevated in the air. They never dive on
such occasions. If feeding in the fields or meadows, they nip the blades
of grass sidewise, in the manner of the Domestic Goose, and after rainy
weather, they are frequently seen rapidly patting the earth with both
feet, as if to force the earth-worms from their burrows. If they dabble
at times with their bills in muddy water, in search of food, this action is
by no means so common with them as it is with Ducks, the Mallard for
example. They are extremely fond of alighting im corn-fields covered
with tender blades, where they often remain through the night and com-
mit great havoc. Wherever you find them, and however remote from
the haunts of man the place may be, they are at all times so vigilant and
suspicious, that it is extremely rare to surprise them, In keenness of
sight and acuteness of hearing, they are perhaps surpassed by no bird
whatever. They act as sentinels towards each other, and during the
hours at which the flock reposes, one or more ganders stand on the watch.
At the sight of cattle, horses, or animals of the deer kind, they are sel-
dom alarmed, but a bear or a cougar is instantly announced, and if on
such occasions the flock is on the ground near water, the birds imme-

diately betake themselves in silence to the latter, swim to the middle of

12 CANADA GOOSE.

the pond or river, and there remain until danger is over. Should their
enemies pursue them in the water, the males utter loud cries, and the
birds arrange themselves in close ranks, rise simultaneously in a few se-
conds, and fly off in a compact body, seldom at such times forming lines
or angles, it being in fact only when the distance they have to travel is
great that they dispose themselves in those forms. So acute is their sense
of hearing, that they are able to distinguish the different sounds or foot-
steps of their foes with astonishing accuracy. Thus the breaking of a
dry stick by a deer is at once distinguished from the same accident. occa-
sioned by a man. If a dozen of jarge turtles drop into the water, making
a great noise in their fall, or if the same effect is produced by an alligator,
the Wild Goose pays no regard to it ; but however faint and distant may
be the sound of an Indian’s paddle, that may by accident have struck the
side of his canoe, it is at once marked, every individual raises its head
and looks intently towards the place from which the noise has proceeded,
and in silence all watch the movements of their enemy.

These birds are extremely cunning also, and should they conceive
themselves unseen, they silently move into the tall grasses by the margin
of the water, lower their heads, and lie perfectly quiet until the boat has
passed by. I have seen them walk off from a large frozen pond into the
woods, to elude the sight of the hunter, and return as soon as he had
crossed the pond. But should there be snow on the ice or in the woods,
they prefer watching the intruder, and take to wing long before he is
within shooting distance, as if aware of the ease with which they could be
followed by their tracks over the treacherous surface.

The Canada Geese are fond of returning regularly to the place which
they have chosen for resting in, and this they continue to do until they
find themselves greatly molested while there. In parts of the country
where they are little disturbed, they seldom go farther than the nearest
sandbank or the dry shore of the places in which they feed; but in other
parts they retire many miles to spots of greater security, and of such ex-
tent as will enable them to discover danger long before it can reach them.
When such a place is found, and proves secure, many flocks resort to it,
but alight apart in separate groups. Thus, on some of the great sand-
bars of the Ohio, the Mississippi, and other large streams, congregated
flocks, often amounting to a thousand individuals, may be seen at the ap-
proach of night, which they spend there, lying on the sand within a few

feet of each other, every flock having its own sentinel. In the dawn of

CANADA GOOSE. 13

next morning they rise on their feet, arrange and clean their feathers,
perhaps walk to the water to drink, and then depart for their feeding
grounds.

When I first went to the Falls of the Ohio, the rocky shelvings of
which are often bare for fully half a mile, thousands of wild geese of this
species rested there at night. The breadth of the various channels that
separate the rocky islands from either shore, and the rapidity of the cur-
rents which sweep along them, render this place of resort more secure
than most others. The wild geese still betake themselves to these islands
during winter for the same purpose, but their number has become very
small; and so shy are these birds at present in the neighbourhood of
Louisville, that the moment they are disturbed at the ponds where they
go to feed each morning; were it but by the report of a single gun, they
immediately return to their rocky asylums. Even there, however, they
are by no means secure, for it not unfrequently happens that a flock
alights within half gunshot of a person concealed in a pile of drifted wood,
whose aim generally proves too true for their peace. Nay, I knew a gen-
tleman, who had a large mill opposite Rock Island, and who used to kill
the poor geese at the distance of about a quarter ofa mile, by means of
a small cannon heavily-charged with rifle bullets; and, if I recollect truly,
Mr Tarascon in this manner not unfrequently obtained a dozen or more
geese at a shot. This was done at dawn, when the birds were busily en-
gaged in trimming their plumage with the view of flying off in a few mi-
nutes to their feeding grounds. This war of extermination could not last
long: the geese deserted the fatal rock, and the great gun of the mighty
miller was used only for a few weeks.

While on the water, the Canada Goose moves with considerable grace,
and in its general deportment résembles the wild Swan, to which I think
it is nearly allied. If wounded in the wing, they sometimes dive to a
small depth, and make off with astonishing address, always in the direc-
tion of the shore, the moment they reach which, you see them sneaking
through the grass or bushes, their necks extended an inch or so above the
ground, and in this manner proceeding so silently, that, unless closely
watched, they are pretty sure to escape. If shot at and wounded while
on the ice, they immediately walk off in a dignified manner, as if anxious
to make you believe that they have not been injured, emitting a loud note
all the while; but the instant they reach the shore they become silent,

and make off in the manner described. I was much surprised one day,

14 CANADA GOOSE.

while on the coast of Labrador, to see how cunningly one of these birds,
which, in consequence of the moult, was quite unable to fly, managed for
a while to elude our pursuit. It was first perceived at some distance fronr
the shore, when the boat was swiftly rowed towards it, and it swam be-
fore us with great speed, making directly towards the land; but when we
came within a few yards of it, it dived, and nothing could be seen of it
for a long time. Every one of the party stood on tiptoe to mark the spot
at which it should rise, but all in vain, when the man at the rudder
accidentally looked down over the stern and there saw the goose, its
body immersed, the point of its bill alone above water, and its feet busily
engaged in propelling it so as to keep pace with the movements of the
boat. The sailor attempted to catch it while within a foot or two of him,
but with the swiftness of thought it shifted from side to side, fore and aft,
until delighted at having witnessed so much sagacity in a goose, I begged
the party to suffer the poor bird to escape.

The crossing of the Canada Goose with the common domestic species
has proved as advantageous as that of the wild with the tame Turkey,
the cross breed being much larger than the original one, more easily raised,
and more speedily fattened. ‘This process is at present carried on to a con-
siderable extent in our Western and Eastern States, where the hybrids are
regularly offered for sale during autumn and winter, and where they bring
a higher price than either of the species from which they are derived.

The Canada Goose makes its first appearance in the western country,
as well as along our Atlantic coast, from the middle of September to that
of October, arriving in flocks composed of a few families. The young
birds procured at this early season soon get into good order, become ten-
der and juicy, and therefore afford excellent eating. If a sportsman is’
expert and manages to shoot the old birds first, he is pretty sure to cap-
ture the less wily young ones afterwards, as they will be very apt to re-
turn to the same feeding places to which their parents had led them at
their first arrival. To await their coming to a pond where they are known
to feed is generally effectual, but to me this mode of proceeding never
afforded much pleasure, more especially because the appearance of any
other bird which I wished to obtain would at once induce me to go after
it, and thus frighten the game, so that I rarely procured any on such oc-
casions. But yet, as I have witnessed the killing of many a fine goose, I
hope you will suffer me to relate one or two anecdotes connected with the
shooting of this kind of game.

CANADA GOOSE. 15

Reader, I am well acquainted with one of the best sportsmen now
living in the whole of the western country, one possessed of strength, ac-
tivity, courage, and patience,—qualities of great importance in a gunner.
I have frequently seen him mount a capital horse of speed and bottom at
midnight, when the mercury in the thermometer was about the freezing
point, and the ground was covered with snow and ice, the latter of
which so encased the trees that you might imagine them converted into
glass. Well, off he goes at a round gallop, his steed rough shod, but no-
body knows whither, save myself, who am always by his side, He hasa
wallet containing our breakfast, and abundance of ammunition, together
with such implements as are necessary on occasions like the present. The
night is pitch-dark, and dismal enough; but who cares! He knows the
woods as well as any Kentucky hunter, and in this respect I am not much
behind him. A long interval has passed, and now the first glimpse of day
appears in the east. We know quite well where we are, and that we have
travelled just twenty miles. The Barred Owl alone interrupts the melan-
choly silence of the hour. Our horses we secure, and on foot we move
cautiously towards a “ long pond,” the feeding-place of several flocks of
geese, none of which have yet arrived, although the whole surface of open
water is covered with Mallards, Widgeons, Pintail Ducks, Blue-winged
and Green-winged Teals. My friend’s gun, like mine, is a long and
trusty one, and the opportunity is too tempting. On all fours we cau-
tiously creep to the very edge of the pond; we now raise ourselves on
our knees, level our pieces, and let fly. The woods resound with re-
peated echoes, the air is filled with Ducks of all sorts, our dogs dash
into the half frozen water, and in a few minutes a small heap of game
lies at our feet. Now, we retire, separate, and betake ourselves to diffe-
rent sides of the pond. If I may judge of my companion’s fingers by
the state of my own, I may feel certain that it would be difficult for
him to fasten a button. There we are shivering, with contracted feet and
chattering teeth ; but the geese are coming, and their well known cry,
hauk, hauk, awhawk, awhawk, resounds through the air. They wheel
and wheel for a while, but at length gracefully alight on the water,
and now they play and wash themselves, and begin to look about for
food. 'There must be at least twenty of them. Twenty more soon ar-
rive, and in less than half an hour we have before us a flock of a hundred
individuals. My experienced friend has put a snow-white shirt over his

apparel, and although I am greatly intent on observing his motions, I

16 CANADA GOOSE.

see that it is impossible even for the keen eye of the sentinel goose to fol-
low them. Bang, bang, quoth his long gun, and the birds in dismay in-
stantly start, and fly towards the spot where I am. When they approach
I spring up on my feet, the geese shuffle, and instantaneously rise upright ;
I touch my triggers singly, and broken-winged and dead two birds come
heavily to the ground at my feet. Oh that we had more guns! But the
business at this pond has been transacted. We collect our game, return
to our horses, fasten the necks of the geese and ducks together, and throw-
ing them across our saddles, proceed towards another pond. In this
manner we continue to shoot until the number of geese obtained would
seem to you so very large that I shall not specify it.

At another time my friend proceeds alone to the Falls of the Ohio,
and, as usual, reaches the margins of the stream long before day. His
well-trained steed plunges into the whirls of the rapid current, and, with
some difficulty, carries his bold rider to an island, where he lands drench-
ed and cold. The horse knows what he has to do as well as his master,
and while the former ranges about and nips the frozen herbage, the lat-
ter carefully approaches a well-known pile-of drifted wood, and conceals
himself in it. His famous dog Nep is close at his heels. Now the dull
grey dawn gives him a dim view of the geese ; he fires, several fall on the
spot, and one severely wounded. rises and alights in the Indian Chute.
Neptune dashes after it, but as the current is powerful, the gunner whist-
les to his horse, who, with pricked ears, gallops up. He instantly vaults
into the saddle, and now see them plunge into the treacherous stream.
The wounded game is overtaken, the dog is dragged along, and at length
on the Indiana shore the horse and his rider have effected a landing. Any
other man than he of whose exploits I am the faithful recorder, would
have perished long ago. But it is not half so much for the sake of the
plunder that he undergoes allthis labour and danger, as for the gratifi-
cation it affords his kind heart to distribute the game among his nume-
rous friends in Louisville.

On our eastern shores matters are differently managed. The gunners
there shoot geese with the prospect of pecuniary gain, and go to work in
another way. Some attract them with wooden geese, others with ac-
tual birds; they lie in ambush for many hours at a time, and destroy an
immense number of them, by using extremely long guns; but as there is
little sport in this sort of shooting, I shall say no more about it. Here

the Canada Goose feeds much on a species of long slender grass, the Zos-

CANADA GOOSE. 17

tera marina, along with marine insects, crustacea, and small shell-fish,
all of which have a tendency to destroy the agreeable flavour which their
flesh has when their food consists of fresh-water plants, corn, and grass.
They spend much of their time at some distance from the shores, become
more shy, diminish in bulk, and are much inferior as food to those which
visit the interior of the country. None of these, however, are at all to
be compared with the goslings bred in the inland districts, and procured
in September, when, in my opinion, they far surpass the renowned Can-
vass-backed Duck.

A curious mode of shooting the Canada Goose I have practised with
much success. J have sunk in the sand of the bars to which these birds
resort at night, a tight hogshead, to within an inch of its upper edges,
and placing myself within it at the approach of evening, have drawn over
me a quantity of brushwood, placing my gun on the sand, and covering
it in like manner with twigs and leaves. ‘The birds would sometimes
alight very near me, and in this concealment I have killed several at a
shot ; but the stratagem answers for only a few nights in the season. Du-
ring severe winters these birds are able to keep certain portions of the
deepest parts of a pond quite open and free from ice, by their continued
movements in the water; at all events, such open spaces occasionally oc-
cur in ponds and lakes, and are resorted to by the geese, among which
great havoc is made.

It is alleged in the State of Maine that a distinct species of Canada
Goose resides there, which is said to be much smaller than the one now
under your notice, and is described as resembling it in all other particu-
lars. Like the true Canada Goose, it builds a large nest, which it lines
with its own down. Sometimes it is placed on the sea-shore, at other
times by the margin of a fresh-water lake or pond. ‘That species is dis-
tinguished there by the name of Flight Goose, and is said to be entirely
migratory, whereas the Canada Goose is resident. But, notwithstanding
all my exertions, I did not succeed in procuring so much as a feather of
this alleged species.

While we were at Newfoundland, on our return from Labrador, on
the 15th August 1833, small flocks of the Canada Goose were already
observed flying southward. In that country their appearance is hailed
with delight, and great numbers of them are shot. They breed rather
abundantly by the lakes of the interior of that interesting country. In
the harbour of Great Macatina in Labrador, I saw a large pile of young

VOL. III. . B

18 CANADA GOOSKE.

Canada Geese, that had been procured a few days before, and were al-
ready salted for winter use. The pile consisted of several hundred indi-
viduals, all of which had been killed before they were able to fly. I was
told there that this species fed much on the leaves of the dwarf firs, and,
on examining their gizzards, found the statement to be correct.

The young dive very expertly, soon after their reaching the water, at
the least appearance of danger. In the Southern and Western States, the
enemies of the Canada Goose are, by water, the Alligator, the Garfish,
and the Turtle; and on land, the Cougar, the Lynx, and the Racoon.
While in the air, they are liable to be attacked by the White-headed
Eagle. It is a very hardy bird, and individuals have been kept in a state
of captivity or domestication for upwards of forty years. Every portion
of it is useful to man, for besides the value of the flesh as an article of
food, the feathers, the quills, and the fat, are held in request. The eggs

also afford very good eating.

ANAS CANADENSIS, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 198.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 838.
ANSER CANADENSIS, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 377.

Canapa GoosE, ANAS CANADENSIS, Wiis. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 52. pl. 67. fig. 4.
ANSER CANADENSIS, CanaDA Goose, Swains. and Richards, Fauna Bor. Amer. p. 468.

Canapa Gooser, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 349.

Adult Male. Plate CCI. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, rather higher than broad at the base, some-
what conical, depressed towards the end, rounded at the tip. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line sloping, the ridge broad and flattened, the
sides sloping, the edges soft and obtuse, the oblique marginal lamelle
short, transverse, about thirty on each side ; the unguis obovate, convex,
denticulate on the inner edge. Nasal groove oblong, parallel to the ridge,
filled by the soft membrane of the bill ; nostrils medial, lateral, longitu-
dinal, narrow-elliptical, open, pervious. Lower mandible straight, with
the angle very long, narrow, and rounded, the edges soft and obtuse, with
about thirty oblique lamellz on a perpendicular plane.

Head small, oblong, compressed. Neck long and slender. Body full,
slightly depressed. eet short, stout, placed behind the centre of the
body ; legs bare a little above the tibio-tarsal joint ; tarsus short, a lit-
tle compressed, ‘covered all round with angular reticulated scales, which
are smaller behind; hind toe very small, with a narrow membrane ;
third toe longest, fourth a little shorter, but longer than second ; all the

CANADA GOOSE. 19

toes reticulated above at the base, but with narrow transverse scutella to-
wards the end; the three anterior connected by a reticulated membrane,
the outer with a thick margin, the inner with the margin extended into a
two-lobed web ; claws small, arched, rather compressed, except that of
the middle toe, which is bent obliquely outwards and depressed, with a
curved edge. Wings of moderate length, with an obtuse protuberance at
the flexure.

Plumage close, rather short, compact above, blended on the neck and
lower parts of the body. The feathers of the head and neck very narrow,
of the back very broad and abrupt, of the breast and belly broadly round-
ed. Wings, when closed, extending to about an inch from the end of the
tail, acute ; primaries very strong, curved, the second longest, the third
slightly shorter, the tirst almost as long as the third, the rest rapidly
graduated ; secondaries long, rather narrow, rounded. ‘Tail very short,
rounded, of eighteen stiff, rounded, but acuminate, feathers.

Bill, feet, and claws black. Iris chestnut-brown. Head and two
upper thirds of the neck glossy black ; forehead, cheeks, and chin, tinged
with brown; lower eyelid white; a broad band of the same across the
throat to behind the eyes ; rump and tail-feathers also black. The gene-
ral colour of the rest of the upper parts is greyish-brown, the wing-coverts
shaded into ash-grey; all the feathers terminally edged with very pale
brown; the lower part of the neck passing into greyish-white, which is
the general colour of the lower parts, with the exception of the abdomen,
which is pure white, the sides, which are pale brownish-grey, the feathers
tipped with white, and the lower wing-coverts, which are also pale brown-
ish-grey. ‘The margins of the rump, and the upper tail-coverts, pure
white.

In very old males, I have found the breast of a fine pale buff.

Length to end of tail 43 inches, extent of wings 65; bill along the
ridge 24, in depth at the base 1,%,, in breadth 1 ; tarsus 37, ; middle toe
and claw 41; wing from flexure 20; tail 71. Weight 7 lb.

Adult Female. Plate CCI. Fig. 2.

The Female is somewhat less than the male, but similar in colouring,
although the tints are duller. The white of the throat is tinged with
brown; the lower parts are always more grey, and the black of the head,
neck, rump, and tail, is shaded with brown.

Length 41 inches. Weight 5§ lb.
~ B2

THE RED-THROATED DIVER.

COLYMBUS SEPTENTRIONALIS, Linn.

PLATE CCII. Marermn summer, Youne Matz 1n WINTER, FEMALE, AND YOUNG
UNFLEDGED.

Wuutst the icicles are yet hanging from the rocks of our eastern
shores, and the snows are gradually giving way under the influence of
the April rains, the Bluebird is heard to sound the first notes of his love-
song, and the Red-throated Diver is seen to commence his flight. Al-
ready paired, the male and female, side by side, move swiftly through
the air, steering their course, at a great height, towards some far distant
region of the dreary north. Pair after pair advance at intervals during
the whole day, and perhaps continue their journey all night. Their long
necks are extended, their feet stretched out rudder-like beyond the short
tail, and onwards they speed, beating the air with great regularity. Now
they traverse a great arm of the sea, now cross a peninsula; but let what
may intervene, their undeviating course holds straight forwards, as the
needle points to its pole. High as they are, you can perceive the brilliant
white of their lower parts. Onward they speed in silence, and as I stand
gazing after them, they have already disappeared from my view.

The middle of May has arrived ; our woods are once more filled with
the melodies of numberless warblers, and the Divers have ceased to be
seen on our eastern coasts. Too study their habits at this season, we must
follow them to the islands in the mouth of the broad St Lawrence, or to
the granitic rocks of Labrador. The voyage cannot be performed with-
out great expense, and may be attended with danger, but enthusiasm
urges me on, and now my bark skims over the blue waters. At length
arrived on the rocky shores, I prepare to visit the interior of that rude
and moss-clad region. Thousands of little lakes are seen, on which are
numberless islets richly clad with grass and sedge, the whole of which
seems as if it had grown in a day, so tender are the fresh blades, and so
pure their light green tint. High over these waters, the produce of the
melted snows, the Red-throated Diver is seen gambolling by the side of
his mate. The males emit their love-notes, and, with necks gracefully
curved downwards, speed by the females, saluting them with meliow tones
as they pass. In broad circles they wheel their giddy flight, and now,

RED-THROATED DIVER. 21

with fantastic glidings and curves, they dive towards the spot of their
choice. Alighted on the water, how gracefully they swim, how sportive-
ly they beat it with their strong pinions, how quickly they plunge and
rise again, and how joyously do they manifest to each other the depth
and intensity of their affection ! Now with erected neck and body deeply
immersed they swim side by side. Reynard they perceive cunningly ad-
vancing at a distance; but they are too vigilant for him, and down like
a flash they go, nor rise again until far beyond his reach. Methinks I
see them curiously concealed among the rank weeds under the bank of
their own islet, their bills alone raised above the water, and there will
they remain for an hour, rather than shew themselves to their insidious
enemy, who, disappointed, leaves them to pursue their avocations.

The Red-throated Diver is found, in tolerable abundance, on the sea-
coast of the United States during autumn, winter, and early spring, from
Maryland to the extremities of Maine. The younger the birds, the far-
ther south do they proceed to spend the winter, and it is rare to see an
old bird, of either sex, at any season to the south of the Bay of Boston.
Farther eastward they become more common, and they may be said to be
plentiful towards the entrance of the Bay of Fundy, in the vicinity of
which a few remain and breed. I found some in December, January,
and February at Boston, where I procured males, females, and young
birds. The old had the red patch on the throat rather darker than in
the breeding season ; the delicate grey and white lines on the neck were
as pure as I observed them to be during summer in Labrador; and I
have since been convinced that birds of this family undergo very little if
any change of colouring after they have once acquired their perfect
plumage, the Loon and the Black-throated Diver being included in this
remark; while, on the contrary, all the Grebes with which I am ac-
quainted, lose the beauty of their plumage as soon as the breeding season
is over. This remarkable difference between the Divers and the Grebes
would of itself be sufficient to separate the two genera, were there not
also other distinctions. 'The Divers, moreover, live on the sea during the
greater part of the year, and resort to ponds, lakes, or the borders of
rivers to breed; whilst the Grebes spend most of their time on inland
lakes, marshes, and streams. Immediately after the breeding season, as
soon as the young are able to fly, the families of Divers make their way
to the arms and inlets of the sea, rarely entering the fresh waters until

the following spring.

22 RED-THROATED DIVER.

The Red-throated Diver is at all times an extremely shy and vigilant
bird, ever on the alert to elude its numerous enemies. The sight of
man seems invariably to alarm it, even in the wildest countries in which
it breeds. I have often observed that, while yet several hundred yards
from them, they marked my approach with great watchfulness. First
they would dive and make their way to the farther end of the pond, after
which, with outstretched necks, they would remain silent and motionless,
until I approached within about a hundred yards, when, instead of diving
again, as the Loon always does, they at once, with a single spring, rose
from the water, and ere I had proceeded a few yards, they were already
eight or ten feet above it. If I crept towards them through the tangled
mosses or shrubs, they would swim about with their heads elevated, as if
determined to make their escape on the appearance of imminent danger.
In many instances, my party observed this species in small flocks of five
or six in the same lake, when it happened to be of considerable extent ;
and as this was during the height of the breeding season, we concluded
that these associated birds were barren, as I ascertained that males and
females, when once paired, remain together until their young are able to
fly, when they part company, until the next pairing season, which is about
the first of March.

This species begins to breed in Labrador in the beginning of June,
and about a fortnight earlier along the Bay of Fundy. The numerous
nests which our party found in the former district were all placed on
small sequestered islands in the middle of lakes or large ponds of fresh
water, rarely more than one mile distant from the sea-shore. These nests
consisted merely of a few blades of rank grasses loosely put together, and
were quite flat, without any down to warm or conceal the eggs at any pe-
riod of incubation. The nest was placed within a few feet of the water,
and well-beaten tracks, such as are made by otters, led to it. Whenever
the birds went to this spot they walked nearly erect in an awkward man-
ner, but when they sat in their nest they laid themselves flat on the eggs,
in the manner of a Goose or Duck. In no instance did they alight on the
islands, but always on the water, at some distance, when, after examining
all around them for a while, they crawled silently out, and moved to the
spot which contained their treasure.

Having been told that the Red-throated Diver covers its eggs with
down in the manner of many ducks, I was surprised to find the assertion

incorrect, and having killed several individuals during the period of in-

RED-THROATED DIVER. 23

cubation and immediately after it, I carefully examined them, and found
all of them fully covered with down, they being, in this respect, quite
different from the Eider Duck, the Velvet Duck, the Harlequin Duck,
and other species of that family, nay even from the Black Guillemot, of
which I shall speak in the present volume. Probably it is on account of
those birds breeding much farther north, that, according to Dr Ricuarp-
son, they there line their nest with down. We also found the Colymbus gla-
cialis incubating without any in its nest. The idea generally entertained
that this species never lays more than two eggs I found equally incorrect,
for of five nests, two contained two eggs each, two had three each, and
the fifth had three young birds. The eggs measure 3 inches in length
by 13 in breadth, and are of an elongated elliptical form, nearly equally
rounded at both ends; they are of a deep olive-brown colour, irregularly
marked with spots of a darker dull brown. The male incubates as well
as the female, and both are extremely solicitous about the safety of their
young, which betake themselves to the water on the day succeeding that
of their escape from the egg, and are from the first most expert swimmers
and divers. Two of the young were shot by Captain Emery, having
been easily approached in the absence of their parents, at which he had
shot without success, they not having yet learned from experience the dan-
ger of the proximity of man. They dived beautifully, and swam with
great buoyancy, inclining their necks forwards, in the manner of the old
birds. This was on the 5th July 1833. On the 15th of the same month,
Tuomas Lincotn and my son Joun Woopuouse, saw several young
ones, which, although quite small, were equally expert at diving. When
swimming by the side of their mother they floated high, with the neck
quite erect, while the old bird swam deep, with her neck inclined forward.
When the little ones dived, they moved under the water like so many
turtles, and at last were caught on the bottom of the pond, which was
small and shallow, by placing the gun-rods upon them. So averse from
moving are the old birds when sitting on their eggs, that they will not
bestir themselves until in imminent danger, on which, however, they
scramble to the water, dive, and, on emerging, immediately rise on wing
without uttering any note. The male only is noisy on such occasions,
and more especially when it returns from afar to its mate, when it evinces
its satisfaction by calling aloud, as it repeatedly passes and repasses over
the spot, and then alights in a pompous manner on the water.

The sexes differ materially in size, the male birds being much larger

~

24 RED-THROATED DIVER.

than the females, and weighing at an average fully a pound more. These
birds are extremely tenacious of life. One which my son shot on the
wing fell, dived instantly, and swam to a considerable distance under
water, but returned to the surface, back downwards, and quite dead.

The notes of the Red-throated Diver are harsh and rather loud ; they
resemble the syllables cae, cac, cac, carah, carah, enounced in rapid succes-
sion. In some instances the young men of my party found that the most
successful method of approaching these birds whilst on the water, was to
run as fast as possible towards them and shout loudly, for on such occa-
sions the birds dived instead of flying at once, and on emerging again, af-
forded them much better chances as they took to wing. At certain times,
when approached while they have young, they utter a soft plaintive note,
which evidently conveys to their offspring their wish that they should re-
main quiet in their hiding-places.

The Red-throated Diver does not acquire the full beauty of its plu-
mage until its fourth year. The young are at first covered with thick
hairy down, of a blackish colour, inclining to brown. Before they are
fully able to fly, this is changed into a dull grey on the upper parts, thick-
ly sprinkled with white dots on the extremity of each feather, the lower
parts being of a sullied white. During the second year these tints are
firmer, there are fewer spots above, and the texture of the lower parts is
more silky. In the third, both sexes assume the fine grey of the hind-
neck, with its longitudinal white stripes, and here and there a few spots
of red on the lower part of the throat. The next spring their plumage is
perfect.

I have never observed any of these birds on our inland lakes or rivers.
In the neighbourhood of Boston, and along the Bay of Fundy, they are
best known by the names of “ Scape-grace” and “ Cape-racer.” By the
9th of August the young birds had left the fresh-water lakes and ponds
for the bays on the coast, and we were informed by the settlers, both in
Newfoundland and Labrador, that, by the last days of September, none
were to be found in those countries.

The dislike which this species shews to fresh-water after the breeding-
season is such, that they are rarely seen in the upper part of large bays,
but prefer for their winter residence the shores of sea-islands and barren
rocks. Thus, at that season, they are met with about the outer islands of
the Bay of Fundy, and those along our eastern coast.

While in fresh water, the Red-throated Diver feeds principally on

RED-THROATED DIVER. 25

small fish, shrimps, leeches, snails, and aquatic insects. The masses of
feather-like substances often found in the stomachs of Grebes, I have
never met with in this species. Its flesh is oily, tough, dark-coloured, and
disagreeable to the taste, although I saw some Mountain Indians feeding

upon it at Labrador with apparent pleasure.

CoLyMBUS SEPTENTRIONALIS, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 220.—ZLath. Ind. Ornith.
vol. ii. p. 801.—Ch. Bonap. Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 421.
ReEvD-THROATED DivER, CoLYMBUS SEPTENTRIONALIS, Richards and Swains. Fauna

Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 476.— Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 519.

Adult Male in summer. Plate CCII. Fig. 1.

Bill as long as the head, slender but strong, straight, rather com-
pressed, tapering to a point. Upper mandible with the dorsal line almost
straight, the ridge convex, as are the sides, the edges sharp and involute ;
nasal groove basal, short ; nostrils basal, lateral, direct, oblong, pervious.
Lower mandible with the angle extremely narrow and extending beyond
the middle, the dorsal line straight and sloping upwards to the point, the
ridge convex, but narrower than that of the upper mandible, the edges
sharp and involute; the point of both mandibles rather sharp.

Head of moderate size, oblong, narrowed before. Neck rather long
and slender. Eyes rather small. Body elongated, somewhat depressed.
Wings small. Feet short, rather large, placed very far back; tibia al-
most entirely concealed; tarsus short, exceedingly compressed, sharp-
edged before and behind, covered all over with reticulated angular scales ;
hind toe extremely small, connected with the second by a very small
membrane ; the anterior toes united by reticulated membranes, the fourth
longest, the third a little shorter, the second considerably shorter than the
third ; all covered anteriorly with very narrow transverse scutella, the
second toe with a free two-lobed membrane ; claws very small, depressed,
rounded.

Plumage short and dense; of the head and neck very short, blended ;
of the lower parts blended, short, and with a silky gloss; of the upper
slightly glossed and somewhat compact ; the feathers in general oblong
and rounded. Wings proportionally very small and narrow, curved ;
primaries strong, tapering, first longest, second almost as long, the rest
rapidly graduated ; secondaries broad, rounded. ‘Tail extremely short,
rounded, of twenty rounded feathers.

XN

26 RED-THROATED DIVER.

Bill bluish-black. Iris deep bright red. Feet brownish-black, the
anterior edge of the tarsus, the upper surface of the toes, the claws, and
part of the webs, pale livid flesh-colour. ore part and sides of the head,
throat, and sides of the neck, of a fine bluish-grey ; fore part of the neck
rich brownish-red ; hind part of the head and hind neck longitudinally
streaked with greenish-black and pure white, each feather black in the
middle, with the sides white, the colours disposed in lines. The upper
surface brownish-black, tinged with green, more or less mottled with
white according to age, excepting the primary quills and the tail-feathers,
the latter of which are merely paler at the end. The whole under sur-
face pure white, excepting the feathers on the sides under the wings,
some of those about the vent, and the lower tail-coverts, which are grey-
ish-brown, with white margins and tips.

Length to end of tail 253 inches, to end of claws 27, extent of wings
43,3; bill 2;%, gape 33; tarsus 3, fourth toe and claw 33 ; wing from
flexure 113, tail 3. Weight 4 Ib.

Adult Female in summer. Plate CCII. Fig. 3.
The female is precisely similar to the male in form and colouring, but
is considerably smaller.

Length to end of tail 25 inches, to end of claws 28,', ; extent of wings
43. Weight 3 lb.

Male in winter immature. Plate CCII. Fig. 2.

In this state the principal differences are the following :—The fore
part of the neck, instead of being of a uniform rich brownish-red, is mere-
ly mottled with that colour; all the feathers of the upper surface have
each two white spots towards the end ; the tail-feathers are edged and ter-
minated with white ; the colouring in general is somewhat less pure and
deep, and the bill is of a much paler tint.

Young bird unfledged. Plate CCII. Fig. 4.

The young are at first covered with a dense elastic down of a greyish
black colour, tinged with brown. The bill is bluish-black, its basal edges
yellow; the iris reddish-brown.

Came)

THE GREAT RED-BREASTED RAIL, OR FRESH-
WATER MARSH-HEN.

RALLUS ELEGANS.
PLATE CCIII. Mate anp Youne.

No doubt exists in my mind that Witson considered this beautiful
bird as merely the adult of Radlus crepitans, the manners of which he de-
scribed, as studied at Great Egg Harbour in New Jersey, while he gave
in his works the figure and colouring of the present species. My friend
Tuomas Nutra has done the same, without, I apprehend, having seen
the two birds together. Always unwilling to find faults in so ardent a stu-
dent of nature as Witson, I felt almost mortified when, after having, in
the company of my worthy and learned friend, the Reverend Joun Bacu-
MAN, carefully examined the habits of both species, which, in form and
general appearance, are closely allied, I discovered the error which he had
in this instance committed. Independently of the great difference as to
size between the two species, there are circumstances connected with their
habits which mark them as distinct. The Rallus elegans is altogether a
fresh-water bird, while the 2. crepitans never removes from the salt-water
marshes, that are met with along our eastern Atlantic coasts, from the
Jerseys to the Gulf of Mexico. Nay, the present species is found at con-
siderable distances inland, where it breeds and spends the whole year ;
whereas the latter never goes farther from its maritime haunts than the
borders of the salt-marshes, and this merely on certain occasions, when
driven thither by the high risings of tides. The Fresh-water Marsh-hen,
besides, is confined to the Southern States, a few stragglers only having
been observed farther eastward than the State of Pennsylvania, and these
only in fresh-water meadows.

So long ago as the year 1810, on the 29th May, I caught one of these
birds, a female, at Henderson, in the State of Kentucky, when I made
the following memorandum respecting it :—“ It is an excessively shy bird,
runs with great celerity, and when caught, cries like a common fowl.”
It weighed eleven ounces avoirdupois ; its total length was 203 inches,
and its alar extent 22. p

This species constantly resides in the fresh-water marshes and ponds

28 GREAT RED-BREASTED RAIL.

in the interior of South Carolina, Georgia, the Floridas, and Louisiana,
from which a few migrate, and probably breed as far to the eastward as the
wet meadows of the Delaware and Schuylkil rivers, in the vicinity of which
I killed one female in New Jersey, a few miles from Camden, in July 1832,
in company with my friends Epwarp Harris and Mr Ocoen, of that
city. On inquiring of numerous hunters, I was told by several of them
that they now and then obtained a few of these birds, which they consi-
dered as very rare, and knew only by the name of “ King Rails.” On
recently examining the museums of our eastern cities my friend JoHn
BacuMAN saw only one specimen; and Mr Wii1i1am Cooper of New York
assured him that he had never seen any other individuals than those sent
to him from Charleston. Mr Bacuman was present at the killing of a
specimen near Philadelphia, which was considered as a very old individual
of the Rallus crepitans. In Louisiana, the Creoles know this bird by the
name of Grand Rale de Prairie.

As the Fresh-water Marsh-Hen is abundant in South Carolina, I
shal] attempt to describe its habits as observed in that State, both by my-
self and by my friend Joun BacuMan, of whose notes, delivered to me for
the purpose, I shall make free use. “ Although not nearly so numerous
as the other species, they are not rare in that country, in certain favour-
able situations. Wherever there are extensive marshes by the sides of
sluggish streams, where the bellowings of the alligator are heard at inter-
vals, and the pipings of myriads of frogs fill the air, there is found the
Fresh-water Marsh-hen, and there it may be seen gliding swiftly among
the tangled rank grasses and aquatic weeds, or standing on the broad
leaves of the yellow Cyamus and fragrant Water-lily, or forcing its way
through the dense foliage of Pontederia and Sagittaria. There, during
the sickly season, it remains secure from the search of man, and there, on
some hillock or little island of the marsh, it builds its nest. In such
places I have found so many as twenty pairs breeding within a space ha-
ving a diameter of thirty yards. The nests were placed on the ground,
and raised to the height of six or eight inches by means of withered weeds
and grasses. ‘The number of eggs was nine or ten. About the middle
of March I found a few nests containing two or three eggs each ; but, in
my opinion, the greater number of these birds commence breeding about
the middle of April. They appear to repair their nests from time to time,
and to return to them several years in suécession.”

The young, which are at first black, leave the nest as soon as they

GREAT RED-BREASTED RAIL. 29

burst the shell, and follow their mother, who leads them along the bor-
ders of the streams and pools, where they find abundance of food, con-
sisting of grass-seeds, insects, tadpoles, leeches, and small crayfish. At
this early period, when running among the grass, which they do with
great activity, they may easily be mistaken for meadow-mice. My friend
Bacumay, who had several times attempted to raise these birds, with the
view of domesticating them, did not succeed, principally, he thinks, on
account of the difficulty of procuring enough of their accustomed food.
They all died in a few days, although the greatest attention was paid to
them.

When grown they feed on a variety of substances, and it has appeared
to me that they eat a much greater proportion of seeds and other vege-
table matters than the Salt-water Marsh-Hens. It is true, however,
that, in the gizzard of the latter we find portions of the Spartina glabra ;
but when that kind of food is not to be procured, which is the case du-
ring three-fourths of the year, they feed principally on “ Fiddlers,” small
fish, and mollusca. In the gizzard of the present species, besides tie food
already mentioned, I have always found a much greater quantity of the
seeds of such grasses as grow in the places frequented by them. On one
occasion I found the gizzard crammed with seeds of the cane (Arundo
tecta) ; and that of another contained a large quantity of the seed of the
common oat, which had evidently been picked up on a newly sown field
adjoining to the marsh. In autumn I have killed this species in corn-
fields, in the company of Jonn Bacuman, Paut H. Legs, Esq. and
others. These birds are rarely shot by common gunners, on account of
the difficulty of raising them, and because they generally confine them-
selves to places so swampy and covered with briars, smilaxes, and rough
weeds, that they are scarcely accessible. But although they are thus
safe from man, they are not without numerous enemies.

My friend Bacuman once killed a large Moccasin snake, on opening
which he found an old bird of this species, that had evidently been swal-
lowed but a short time before. Its feathers are frequently found lying on
the banks of rice-fields, ponds, and lagoons, in places where the tracks of
the minx plainly disclose the plunderer. The Barred Owl and the Great
Horned Owl also occasionally succeed in capturing them in the dusk.
“« On one occasion,” says my friend Bacumay, in a note addressed to me,
‘“‘ while placed on a stand for deer, I saw a wild cat creeping through a

marsh that was near to me, evidently following by stealthy steps some-

~

30 GREAT RED-BREASTED RAIL.

thing that he was desirous of making his prey. Presently he made a sud-
den pounce into a bunch of grass, when I immediately heard the piercing
cries of the Marsh-Hen, and shortly after came passing by me the suc-
cessful murderer with the bird in his mouth.”

“In seasons of great drought, when the marshes which are their fa-
vourite haunts become dry, these birds have been known entirely to dis-
appear from the neighbourhood, and not to return until after heavy rains,
having in the mean time, no doubt, retired to the shores of the larger and
deeper ponds of the swamps of the interior.”

The young of this species acquire the redness of their plumage du-
ring the first summer, and increase in size and beauty for several years,
without experiencing any change in their colouring after the spring fol-
lowing that of their birth. The sexes are scarcely distinguishable other-
wise than by the difference of size, the males being considerably larger
than the females. I am not aware that this species raises more than one
brood in the season, although, when its eggs have been destroyed, it may
lay a second time.

The flight of this Rail resembles that of the salt-water kind, but

‘is considerably stronger and more protracted. When suddenly flushed,
they rise and go off with a chuck, their legs dangling beneath, and gene-
rally proceed in a straight line for some distance, after which they drop
among the thickest grass, and run off with surprising speed. In several
instances they have been known to stand before a careful pointer. They
are less apt to take to the water than the Rallus crepitans, and are by no
means so expert at diving. Their number does not appear to be dimi-
nished in winter by any migratory movements. Their cries, which do
not differ much from those of the other species, are less frequently re-
peated after the breeding season.

Few birds afford better food than this species: during autumn, when,
feeding chiefly on grass seeds, they are juicy and tender ; in spring, how-
ever, they are less delicate. Their superiority in size over all other birds
of the genus that occur in the United States, renders them valuable game
to the knowing sportsman and epicure. Their eggs also are excellent as
food, being much preferable to those of the common fowl.

T regret that I am obliged to conclude this account, without being
able to describe the eggs, which, although well known to my friend Joun
Bacuman, have not yet come under my inspection, but which I trust I

shall have an opportunity of figuring in the concluding plates of my work,

GREAT RED-BREASTED RAIL. 31

GREAT RED-BREASTED Ratt, or FresH-warerR Marsu Hen.

RALLus ELEGANS.

Adult Male. Plate CCIII. Fig. 1.

Bill much longer than the head, slender, compressed, very slightly
curved, deep at the base. Upper mandible with the dorsal line almost
straight until towards the end, where it is ‘slightly curved, the ridge
flattish at the base, and extending a little on the forehead, convex to-
wards the end; a deep groove runs on either side parallel to the ridge
for two-thirds of the whole length ; the edges inflected, with a very slight
notch close to the tip. Nostrils lateral, linear, direct, open and pervious.
Lower mandible with the angle very long, extremely narrow, the sides
erect, slightly convex, the edges inflected, the tip narrowed.

Head small, oblong, much compressed. Neck long and slender.
Body slender, much compressed. Feet long; tibia bare a considerable
way above the joint ; tarsus rather long, strong, compressed, anteriorly
covered with broad scutella, posteriorly with smaller, and on the sides re-
ticulated ; hind toe very small and slender, middle toe longest, fourth
considerably shorter, and but little longer than the second ; toes free, scu-
tellate above, compressed, granulate beneath ; claws of moderate length,
arched, slender, much compressed, acute, flat, and marginate beneath.

- Plumage rather stiff, compact and glossed on the upper parts. Feathers
of the head and neck short and blended ; of the forehead with the shaft
enlarged, and extended beyond the tip. Wings very short and broad ;
alula large ; primaries curved, broad, tapering but obtuse, third longest,
second scarcely shorter, first and seventh about equal; secondaries weak,
broad, rounded. Tail very short, much rounded, of twelve feeble rounded
feathers; the upper and lower coverts nearly as long as the tail-feathers.

Lower mandible and edges of upper brownish-yellow ; ridge of upper,
and tips of both, deep brown. Iris bright red. Feet yellowish-brown,
tinged with olive; claws of the same colour. Upper part of head
and hind neck dull brown, the bristle-like shafts of the frontal feathers
brownish-black ; a brownish-orange line from the bill over the eye; a
broader band of the same colour from the lower mandible, the interme-
diate space dusky ; chin white. The upper parts in general are streaked
with brownish-black and light olive-brown, the two sides of each feather
being of the latter colour. Wing-coverts dull chestnut, most of them ir-

regularly tipped with brownish-white. Alula and primaries deep olive-

a

32 GREAT RED-BREASTED RAIL.

brown; secondaries and tail-feathers like the back. Sides and fore part
of the neck, and greater part of the breast, bright orange-brown ; sides
and lower wing-coverts undulated with deep brown and greyish-white ;
tibial feathers pale greyish-brown, faintly barred with darker, as is the
hind part of the abdomen, the fore part being uniform pale greyish-
brown ; lateral lower tail-coverts white, each with a blackish-brown spot
near the end; those in the middle barred with black and white.

Length to end of tail 19 inches, to end of claws 26, extent of wings
25; bill 23; tarsus 23, middle toe and claw 212 ; wing from flexure 7,

tail 23. Weight 1 lb. 9 oz.

Adult Female.

The female, which is smaller, is similar to the male, but has the tints
somewhat duller.

Length to end of tail 18 inches, to end of claws 223, extent of wings
24. Weight 1 lb. 2 oz.

Young in autumn. Plate CCIII. Fig. 2.
The young in autumn and fully fledged resemble the female, but

are duller in their colours.

€ 3a) ))

THE CLAPPER RAIL, OR SALT-WATER MARSH-
HEN.

RALLUS CREPITANS, GMEL.

PLATE CCIV. Mate anp FemMate.

AuTHouGH this species is a constant resident, and extremely abundant
along the salt-marshes and reedy sea islands of South Carolina, Georgia,
Florida, Alabama, and Louisiana, to the mouths of the Mississippi, and
probably farther south, at all seasons of the year, it leaves these districts
in considerable numbers in spring, and extends its movements along the
Atlantic shores as far as the Middle States. They confine themselves en-
tirely to the salt-marshes in the immediate vicinity of the Atlantic, the
islands and the channels between them and the main shores, but are never
seen inland or on fresh waters, unless when, during high tides, they remove
to the margins of the main, where, indeed, during heavy gales and high
seas, these poor birds are forced to take refuge, in order to escape the de-
structive fury of the tempest that, notwithstanding their utmost exertions,
destroys great numbers of them. On all such occasions the birds appear
greatly intimidated and stupified, and as if out of their proper element,
Those individuals which leave the south for a season, reach'the shores of
New Jersey about the middle of April, and return to the southern States
about the beginning of October, to spend the winter along with their
young, after which period none are to be found in the Middle Districts.
Few if any ever go beyond Long Island in the State of New York; at least
I have never seen or heard of one farther east. Their migrations take place
under night, and in perfect silence; but the moment they arrive at their
destination, they announce their presence by a continuation of loud cack-
lings, meant no doubt as an expression of their joy. * Having studied the
habits of these interesting birds in the Jerseys, in South Carolina, and in
the Floridas, on the maritime borders of all of which they breed, I shall
here attempt to describe them.

In these countries, from about the beginning of March to that of
April, the salt-marshes resound with the cries of the Clapper Rail, which
resemble the syllables cac, cac, cac, cac, ca, caha, caha. The commence-

ment of the cry, which is heard quite as frequently during day as by
Ru c

34 CLAPPER RAIL.

night, is extremely loud and rapid, its termination lower and protracted.
At the report of a gun, when thousands of these birds instantaneously
burst forth with their cries, you may imagine what an uproar they make.
This bird seems to possess the power of ventriloquism, for, when several
hundred yards off, its voice often seems to be issuing from the grass
around you. At this period, the males are very pugnacious, and combats
are rife until each has selected a female for the season. The males stand
erect and cry aloud the least sound they hear, guard their mates, and
continue faithfully to protect them until the young make their appear-
ance. These come more under the care of the mother, who leads them
about until they have attained a considerable size, and are able to shift
for themselves. The nest is large, constructed of marsh plants, and fas-
tened_to the stems in the midst of the thickest tufts, above high-water
mark. The materials of which it is formed are so well interlaced with
the plants around them, as to prevent their being washed away by extra-
ordinarily high tides, which, however, sometimes carry off and destroy
the eges, as well as many of the sitting birds, whose attachment to them
is so great, that they are now and then drowned while endeavouring to
keep them safe. The nest is very deep, so that the eggs seem placed in
the bottom of a bowl or funnel. They are from eight to fifteen in num-
ber, measure an inch and a half in length by one and an eighth in breadth,
and have a pale buff colour, sparingly sprinkled with light umber and
purplish spots. , The period of incubation is fourteen days. When un-
disturbed, this species lays only one set of eggs in the season ; but as the
eges are in request as a delicious article of food, they are gathered in
great numbers, and I myself have collected so many as seventy-two
dozens in the course of a day. The nest is generally open at top, and
then is very easily discovered, although sometimes the reeds are so arranged
about them as to conceal them from the view. When the birds are sit-
ting, they suffer you to approach within a few feet ; but, as if aware of
your intention, they glide away in silence to some distance, and remain
crouched among the grass until you have retired. When, on returning,
the poor bird finds that her treasure has been stolen, she immediately
proclaims her grief aloud, and in this is joined by her faithful mate. In
a few days, however, more eggs are deposited, although, I believe, never
in the same nest. This species may be called gregarious, yet the nests
are seldom nearer to each other than five or ten yards. They are placed

in the thickest and most elevated tufts of grass, principally near the edges

CLAPPER RAIL. 35

of the many lagoons that everywhere intersect the sea marshes, so that a
man may go from one to another, finding them with ease as he proceeds
along the muddy shores. In the Jerseys, it forms almost a regular occu-
pation to collect the eggs of this bird, and there I have seen twenty or
more persons gathering them by thousands during the season; in fact, it
is not an uncommon occurrence for an egger to carry home a hundred
dozens in a day; and when this havock is continued upwards of a month,
you may imagine its extent. The abundance of the birds themselves is
almost beyond belief; but if you suppose a series of salt marshes twenty
miles in length, and a mile in breadth, while at every eight or ten steps
one or two birds may be met with, you may calculate their probable
number.

During ebb, the Clapper Rail advances towards the edge of the wa-
ters as they recede, and searches, either among the grasses, or along the
deep furrows made by the ebb and flow of the tides, for its food, which
consists principally of small crabs, a species of salt-water snail attached
to the rushes, the fry of fishes, aquatic insects, and plants. When the
tide flows, they gradually return, and at high-water they resort to the
banks, where they remain concealed until the waters begin to retreat.
This species is by no means exclusively nocturnal, for it moves about in
search of food during the whole of the day, in this respect resembling the
Gallinules. Their courage is now and then brought to the test by the
sudden approach of some of their winged enemies, such as a Hawk or an
Owl, especially the Marsh Hawk, which is often attacked by them while
sailing low over the grass in which they are commonly concealed. On
such occasions, the Rail rises a few yards in the air, strikes at the ma-
rauder with bill and claws, screaming aloud all the while, and dives again
among the grass, to the astonishment of the bird of prey, which usually
moves off at full speed. They are not so fortunate in their encounters
with such hawks as pounce from on high on their prey, such as the Red-
tailed and Red-shouldered Hawks, against which they have no chance of
defending themselves. Minxes, racoons, and wild cats destroy a great
number of them during night, and many are devoured by turtles and ra-
venous fishes ; but their worst enemy is man. My friend Bacuman has
shot so many as sixty in the course of four hours, and others have killed
double that number in double the time.

The Salt-water Marsh Hen swims with considerable ease, though not

swiftly or gracefully. While in this act, it extends its neck forward, and
a cQ

36 CLAPPER RAIL.

strikes the water with its feet, as if unwilling to move far ata time, the
motion of its neck resembling that of the Gallinules. It dives well, re-
mains a considerable time under water, and in this manner dexterously
eludes its pursuers, although it certainly does not possess the power of
holding fast to the bottom, as some persons have alleged. When hard
pressed, it often sinks just below the surface, keeping the bill above in
order to breathe, and in this position, if not detected, remains for a consi-
derable time. If perceived and approached, it instantly dives, and uses
its wings to accelerate its progress, but rises as soon as it comes to a place
of safety.

Their movements on the ground, or over the partially submersed or
floating beds of weeds, are extremely rapid, and they run swiftly off be-
fore a dog, the utmost exertions of which are required to force them on
wing. Such an attempt by man would prove utterly futile, unless he
were to come upon them unawares. When not pursued, and feeling se-
cure, they walk in a deliberate manner, the body considerably inclined,
now and then jerking the tail upwards, although by no means so fre-
quently as Gallinules are wont todo. On the least appearance of danger,
they lower the head, stretch out the neck, and move off with incompara-
ble speed, always in perfect silence. They have thousands of paths
among the rank herbage, crossing each other so often that they can very
easily escape pursuit; and besides, they have a power of compressing
their body to such a degree, as frequently to force a passage between two
stems so close, that one could hardly believe it possible for them to squeeze
themselves through. When put up, they fly slowly and generally straight
before you, with their legs dangling, so that they are very easily shot by
a quick sportsman, as they rarely fly far at a time on such occasions, but
prefer pitching down again into the first tuft of rank grass in their way.
When on their migrations, however, they pass low and swiftly over the
marshes, or the water, stretched to their full extent, and with a constant
beat of the wings.

The young, which are at first covered with down of a black colour,
obtain their full plumage before the winter arrives, and after this under-
go little change of colour, although they increase in size for a year after.
In the Eastern States, this species is not held in much estimation as an
article of food, perhaps in a great measure on account of the quantity of
Soras met with there during early autumn, and which are certainly more

delicate ; but in the Southern States, especially during winter, they are

CLAPPER RAIL. 37

considered good for the table, and a great number are killed and offered
for sale in the markets. Numbers are destroyed by torch light, which so
dazzles their eyes, as to enable persons fond of the sport to knock them
down with poles or paddles during high tides. It is by day, however,
that they are usually shot, and as this kind of sport is exceedingly plea-
sant, I will attempt to describe it.

About Charleston, in South Carolina, the shooting of Marsh Hens
takes place from September to February, a few days in each month du-
ring the spring-tides. A light skiff or canoe is procured, the latter being
much preferable, and paddled by one or two experienced persons, the
sportsman standing in the bow, and his friend, if he has one with him,
taking his station in the stern. At an early hour they proceed to the
marshes, amid many boats containing parties on the same errand. There
is no lack of shooting-grounds, for every creek of salt-water swarms with
Marsh Hens. ‘The sportsman who leads has already discharged his bar-
rels, and on either side of his canoe a bird has fallen. As the boat moves
swiftly towards them, more are raised, and although he may not be ready,
the safety of the bird is in imminent jeopardy, for now from another bark
double reports are heard in succession. ‘The tide is advancing apace, the
boats merely float along, and the birds, driven from place to place, seek
in vain for safety. Here, on a floating mass of tangled weeds, stand a
small group side by side. The gunner has marked them, and presently
nearly the whole covey is prostrated. Now, onward to that great bunch
of tall grass all the boats are seen to steer; shot after shot flies in rapid
succession ; dead and dying lie all around on the water ; the terrified sur-
vivors are trying to save their lives by hurried flight ; but their efforts are
unavailing,—one by one they fall, to rise no more. It is a sorrowful
sight, after all: see that poor thing gasping hard in the agonies of death,
its legs quivering with convulsive twitches, its bright eyes fading into
glazed obscurity. In a few hours, hundreds have ceased to breathe the
breath of life; hundreds that erst revelled in the joys of careless exist-
ence, but which can never behold their beloved marshes again. The cruel
sportsman, covered with mud and mire, drenched to the skin by the
splashing of the paddles, his face and hands besmeared with powder,
stands amid the wreck which he has made, exultingly surveys his
slaughtered heaps, and with joyous feelings returns home with a cargo of
game more than enough for a family thrice as numerous as his own. How

joyful must be the congratulations of those which have escaped, without

38 CLAPPER RAIL.

injury to themselves or their relatives! With what pleasure, perhaps,
have some of them observed the gun of one of their murderers, or the pow-
der-flask of another, fall overboard ! How delighted have they been to see a
canoe overturned by an awkward movement, and their enemies struggling
to reach the shore, or sticking fast in the mud! Nor have the minx and
racoon come off well, for notwithstanding the expertness of the former
at diving, and the cunning of the latter, many have been shot, and the
boatmen intend to make caps of their fur.

In the Carolinas there are some most expert marksmen, of whom I
know two who probably ,were never surpassed. One of them I have seen
shoot fifty Marsh-Hens at fifty successive shots, and the other, I am assu-
red, has killed a hundred without missing one. I have heard or read of
a French king, who, on starting a partridge, could take a pinch of snuff,
then point his gun, and shoot the bird; but whether this be true or not
I cannot say, although I have witnessed as remarkable a feat, for I have
seen a Carolinian, furnished with two guns, shoot at and kill four Marsh-
Hens as they flew off at once around him! On speaking once to a friend
of the cruelty of destroying so many of these birds, he answered me as
follows :—* It gives variety to life; it is good exercise, and in all cases
affords a capital dinner, besides the pleasure I feel when sending a mess
of Marsh-Hens to a friend such as you.”

Ratuus crepitans, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 713.—ZLath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 756.
Craprer Rar, Rattus creritans, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 112, but not

the figure, which is that of the preceding species.— Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii, p. 201-

Adult Male. Plate CCIV. Fig. 1.

Bill much longer than the head, slender, compressed, slightly curved,
rather deep at the base. Upper mandible with the dorsal line almost
straight until towards the end, where it is slightly curved, the ridge
slightly flattened for a short space at the base, and extending a little
on the forehead, narrow and convex to the end; a deep groove runs on
either side parallel to the ridge for two-thirds of the whole length ; the
edges inflected, with a very slight notch close to the tip. Nostrils late-
ral, linear, direct, open and pervious. Lower mandible with the angle

very long, extremely narrow, the sides erect, slightly convex, the edges
inflected, the tip narrowed.

CLAPPER RAIL. 39

Head small, oblong, much compressed. Neck long and slender. Body
slender, much compressed. Feet long; tibia bare a considerable way
above the joint ; tarsus of moderate length, strong, compressed, and an-
teriorly covered with broad scutella, posteriorly with smaller, and on the
sides reticulated. Hind toe very small and slender, middle toe longest,
fourth considerably shorter, and but little longer than the second ; toes
free, scutellate above, compressed, granulate beneath. Claws of mode-
rate length, arched, slender, much compressed, acute, flat and marginate
beneath.

Plumage rather stiff, compact and glossed on the upper parts. Fea-
thers of the head and neck short and blended, of the forehead with the
shaft enlarged and extended beyond the tip. Wings very short and
broad; alula large; primaries curved, broad, tapering, but obtuse, third
longest, second scarcely shorter, first and seventh about equal; secon-
daries weak, broad, rounded. ‘Tail extremely short, much rounded, of
twelve feeble, rounded feathers; the upper and lower coverts nearly as
long as the tail-feathers.

Lower mandible and edges of upper yellowish-brown ; ridge of upper
and tips of both deep brown. Iris pale yellow. Feet pale livid grey,
tinged with orange about the tibio-tarsal jomt; claws dusky. Upper
part of the head and hind neck dull brown, the bristle-like shafts of the
frontal feathers brownish-black ; a pale brownish-orange line from the
bill over the eye; loral space and sides of the head dull bluish-grey, the
two sides of each feather being of the latter colour. Wing-coverts dull
olive, tinged with grey, some of them with slight irregular whitish mark-
ings; alula and primaries olive-brown ; secondaries and tail feathers like
the back. Chin yellowish-white, edged on either side with pale yellowish-
brown ; sides and fore part of the neck bluish-grey, tinged more especially
before with dull pale yellowish-brown ; the fore part of the breast of the
latter colour. Lower wing-coverts, sides, hind part of abdomen, and
middle lower tail-coverts undulated with deep greyish-brown and greyish-
white, lateral tail-coverts with the outer webs white; tibial feathers simi-
larly barred, but paler, middle of the abdomen ereyish-white.

Length to end of tail 15 inches, to end of claws 20, extent of wings 202;
bill 22 ; tarsus 2, middle-toe and claw 2,°,; wing from flexure 6,7, ; tail 24.
Weight 11 oz.

40 CLAPPER RAIL.

Adult Female. Plate CCIV. Fig. 2.

The Female, which is smaller than the male, is similar in colouring,
but has the tints somewhat duller.

Length to end of tail 14 inches, to end of claws 172; extent of
wings 194. Weight 7? oz.

(xiao

THE VIRGINIAN RAIL.

RALLUS VIRGINIANUS, Linn.
PLATE CCV. Mate, Femate, anv Youne.

Tuts species, which, although smaller, bears a great resemblance to
the Great Red-breasted Rail or Fresh-water Marsh-Hen, is met with in
most parts of the United States at different seasons. Many spend the
winter within our southern limits, and I have found them at that time
in Lower Louisiana, the Floridas, Georgia, and the Carolinas. In the
Western country some have been known to remain until severe frost came
on, and there they usually stay to a much later period than in our Middle
Districts, from which they generally retire southward in the beginning of
October. During spring and summer, I observed some in different places
from the shores of the Wabash River in Illinois, to those of the St John’s
in the British province of New Brunswick. In the latter district, they
were considered extremely rare birds by the inhabitants, some of whom
brought me a few as great curiosities. Farther north, I neither saw nor
heard of any; but on the borders of Lakes Erie and Michigan, they
breed in considerable numbers, as well as near our maritime districts.

In its habits the Rallus virginianus is intermediate between the R.
crepitans and R. carolinus: it obtains its food as well in salt-water marshes,
as in fresh meadows, watery savannahs, and the borders of ponds and
rivers. The latter situations, however, seem to suit it best during summer ;
but whenever both kinds of places are combined, or near each other, there
you are sure to meet with it.

The time of breeding varies according to the latitude of the place. I
have found the female sitting on her eggs in the beginning of March, a
few miles from New Orleans; in that of April in Kentucky, near Hen-
derson ; about a fortnight later near Vincennes, in Illinois ; and from the
10th of May to the middle of June, in the Middle and Eastern States.
The males usually arrive at the breeding-places a week or ten days be-
fore the females. They travel silently and by night, as I have ascer-
tained by observing them proceed singly and in a direct course, at a height
of only a few feet, over our broad rivers, or over level land, when their

speed is such as is never manifested by them under ordinary circum-

42 VIRGINIAN RAIL.

stances. Their movements can be easily traced for fifty yards or so du-
ring nights of brilliant moonshine, when you see them passing with a con-
stant beat of the wings, in the manner of a Green-winged Teal. As soon —
as they arrive at their destination, they may be heard emitting their cries
about sunset, occasionally through the night, and again with increased
vigour at the dawn of day, as if expressing their impatience for the ar-
rival of their companions. The love-notes of this species have some re-
semblance to those of the Clapper Rail, but now and then are changed
for others something like crek, crek, creek, or creck, creek, creek. Being
expert ventriloquists, like their congeners, they sometimes seem to be far
off, when in fact they are within a few yards of you. One morning I had
the good fortune to witness their amatory gestures, which I will here try
to describe, that you may in some degree participate in the amusement
which the scene afforded me.

The sun had searcely begun to send his horizontal rays over the lake,
on the margin of which I stood, revolving in my mind the many enjoy-
ments which the Author of nature has benignantly accorded to his crea-
tures. ‘The air was clear and serene, and the waters spread before me
without a ruffle on their surface. The notes of the Rail came loudly on
my ear, and on moving towards the spot whence they proceeded, I ob-
served the bird exhibiting the full ardour of his passion. Now with open
wings raised over its body, it ran around its beloved, opening and flirting
its tail with singular speed. Each time it passed before her, it would pause
for a moment, raise itself to the full stretch of its body and legs, and bow
to her with all the grace of a well-bred suitor of our own species. The fe-
male also bowed in recognition, and at last, as the male came nearer and
nearer in his circuits, yielded to his wishes, on which the pair flew off in
the manner of house-pigeons, sailing and balancing their bodies on open
wings until out of sight. During this exhibition, the male emitted a mel-
low note, resembling the syllables cuckoe, cuckoe, to which the female re-
sponded with the kind of lisping sound uttered by young birds of the
species when newly hatched.

Excepting our Little Partridge, I know no bird so swift of foot as
the Virginian Rail. In fact, I doubt if it would be an easy matter for an
active man to outstrip one of them on plain ground ; and to trust to one’s
speed for raising one among the thick herbage to which they usually
resort, would certainly prove fallacious. There they rim toa short dis-

tance, then tack about, and again scud away in a lateral direction, so as

VIRGINIAN RAIL. 43

to elude the best dog, or if likely to be overtaken, rise on wing, fly with
dangling legs eight or ten yards, drop among the weeds, and run off as
swiftly as before. Notwithstanding all this, I managed to secure a good
number of them by means of a partridge net, setting the wings of that
apparatus at very obtuse angles, and calling them by imitating the lisp-
ing notes of the female from some distance beyond the bag of the net.
Now and then I found them too cunning for me, as, on discovering that
the wings of the net were in their way, they would get over it in the
same manner as that in which a sailor mounts the shrouds of a ship. Our
Common Coot uses the same artifice, as I shall elsewhere describe.

The nest of the Virginian Rail is not easily found after incubation
has commenced, for then the male, contrary to the habits of most birds,
becomes comparatively silent, and the female quite mute. At such times
I have once or twice almost trodden on one, which I should never have
discovered, had not the poor bird fluttered off in despair, employing all
the artifices used by other species on such occasions. It is placed on a
small elevation formed by the accumulation of the stalks of a large bunch
of grasses, in the centre of which some dry weeds are arranged to the
height of two or three inches, with a very shallow cavity. The eggs are
four or five, seldom more than six or seven, and resemble in colour those
of the Rallus crepitans, although smaller, measuring an inch and a quarter
in length, by eleven-twelfths in breadth, and being rather more rounded.
The young are covered with a jet black down, and run after their mother
as soon as they make their escape from the egg ;—at least I suppose this
to be the case, on account of my having caught some that seemed newly
hatched. 'The mother leads them with the greatest care among the
long grass of the damp meadows, or the weeds growing near the ponds, to
which they resort at all times, and particularly near the margins of pools
or muddy streams, into which they run and disperse on the least appear-
ance of danger. When no water is near, the little ones squat in silence,
and await the call of their parent, to which all at once answer, when they
quickly collect once more around her.

This species is able to cling to, and climb along the blades of tall
grasses, even under water, when in danger, and is equally able to swim
gracefully to a considerable distance, as to alight on low bushes, in which
situation I have shot a few of them. When amid the broad leaves of
water-lilies, they walk and run on them with as much ease as the Galli-

nules ; and I would be inclined to assign them an intermediate station ~

S

44 VIRGINIAN RAIL.

between the genera Rallus and Crex, as they partake of the habits of
both. When pursued, the Virginian Rail is, with great difficulty, put
up, as I have already mentioned, but when it is once on wing it may be
shot by a very ordinary gunner. It rises without noise, flies off with its
legs dangling and its neck stretched out, but seldom proceeds farther
than twenty or thirty yards at a time, unless when it has a stream to
cross, or during its migrations. Like all the other species with which I
am acquainted, it feeds both by day and by night. Its food consists of
small slugs, snails, aquatic insects, worms, crustacea, and the seeds of
those grasses which grow in salt or fresh water marshes, in either of which
they reside and even breed. I have not been able to ascertain whether
they lay more than once in the season; but, on account of the compa-
ratively small number of this species, I am inclined to suppose that they
seldom raise more than one brood, unless their eggs have been destroyed,
whether by inundation or otherwise.

The Virginian Rail is not without enemies; and, although it mani-
fests a good deal of courage, and at times acts towards the Marsh Hawk
in the same manner as the Rallus crepitans, it seldom succeeds in its at-
tempts, and on several occasions I have seen that bird seize them as they
attempted to strike it with their bill and claws for the purpose of driving
it away. The minx, the garfish, the snapping turtle, and sometimes eels,
destroy them, as well as the Sora Rail.

Whilst at Charleston in South Carolina, I frequently saw little strings
of these birds exposed in the market, at a very low price ; and they are
excellent eating during autumn and winter. Their comparative scarcity,
however, prevents the gunner from searching after them with the same
eagerness as he pursues the Rallus crepitans, and to shoot a dozen in the
course of a day may be considered a remarkable feat. In that country,
during the latter part of autumn, and in winter, they are usually met with
in the salt-marshes bordering the estuaries of large rivers.

Like the two preceding species, the Virginian Rail has the power of
contracting its body to enable it to pass with more ease between the stalks
of strong grasses or other plants. When observed unseen, it frequently
jerks the tail upwards, in the manner of Gallinules, but the moment it
notices any one of its enemies, it droops the tail, lowers its head, and runs
off with the quickness of thought.

The young of this species are at first of a black colour, like that of
Rallus crepitans and R. clegans ; but, like those of the latter, attain the

VIRGINIAN RAIL. 45

rufous hue of the parent birds before the commencement of winter, al-
though they increase in size and improve in the depth of their tints pro-

bably for several years.

RaLyus virernianvs, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 263.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of
Birds of the United States, p. 334.

Raruivus aquaticus, var. Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 755.

Virerian Rait, Rattus vireinianus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 109. pl. 62.
fig. 2.

Lesser Crapper Ratt, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 205.

Adult Male. Plate CCV. Fig. 1.

Bill longer than the head, slender, compressed, slightly curved, deep
at the base. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly curved, the
ridge flattish at the base, and extending a little on the forehead, convex
and narrow towards the end ; a deep groove runs on either side parallel
to the ridge for two-thirds of the whole length; the edges inflected, with
a very slight notch close to the tip. Nostrils lateral, linear, direct, open
and pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very long, extremely nar-
row, the sides erect, slightly convex, the edges inflected, the tip narrowed,
the dorsal and marginal outlines slightly arched.

Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long. Body
slender, much compressed. Feet rather long; tibia bare a considerable
way above the joint; tarsus of ordinary length, compressed, anteriorly
covered with broad scutella, posteriorly with smaller, and on the sides re-
ticulated. Hind toe very small and slender, middle tee longest, fourth
considerably shorter, and but little longer than the second ; toes free, scu-
tellate above, compressed, granulate beneath. Claws of moderate length,
arched, slender, much compressed, acute, flat and marginate beneath.

Plumage rather stiff, compact, slightly glossed on the back. Feathers
of the head and neck short and blended ; of the forehead with the shaft
enlarged and extended beyond the tip. Wings very short and broad ;
alula large ; primaries curved, broad, tapering, but obtuse, third longest,
second very little shorter, first and sixth about equal ; secondaries broad
and rounded. ‘Tail extremely short, much rounded, of twelve feeble
rounded feathers ; the upper and lower tail-coverts nearly as long as the

tail-feathers.

Bill dark brown, the lower mandible and edges of upper yellowish-

~

46 VIRGINIAN RAIL.

brown. Iris bright red. Feet yellowish-brown, tinged with olive; claws
more dusky. ‘The general colour of the upper parts is deep brownish-
black, with streaks of light olive-brown ; sides of the head dull bluish-
grey, loral space of a deeper tint; a brownish-orange line over the eye.
Alula, primary quills, and tail blackish-brown ; secondary quills like the
back, but edged with greenish-brown, smaller coverts dark chestnut.
Throat reddish-white ; fore neck and breast bright orange-brown, ap-
proaching to yellowish-red ; sides, abdomen, and lower wing-coverts bar-
red with brownish-black and white, the bands of the latter narrower ;
tibial feathers dusky anteriorly, light reddish behind. Lower tail-coverts
each with a central brownish-black spot, the edges white, the tips pale
reddish.

Length to end of tail 10} inches, to end of claws 13, extent of
wings 1423; bill 1,7, ; tarsus 1,5,, middle toe and claw 1,°,; wing from

Wy, ] 10
flexure 42, tail 139.

Adult Female. Plate CCV. Fig. 2.

The Female is considerably smaller than the male, but resembles it in
colouring, only the dark tints of the upper parts are lighter, the chestnut
of the wings paler, and the lower parts of a less bright red.

Length 94.

Young bird fledged. Plate CCV. Fig. 3.
When fully fledged the young does not differ materially in colour

from the old, the tints being merely somewhat duller.

In colouring this species is so nearly allied to R. elegans, that the de-
scription of the one might pass very well for that of the other; the prin-
cipal difference being that the sides of the head are grey in the former,
and dusky in the latter. Of course, the difference in size and habits is

sufficient to prevent their being confounded together.

(47)

THE AMERICAN SUN PERCH.

Few of our smaller fresh-water fishes excel either in beauty or in deli-
cacy and flavour the species which I have chosen as the subject of this
article, and few afford more pleasure to young fishers. Although it occurs in
all our streams, whether rapid or gentle, small or large, in the mill-dam over-
shadowed by tall forest-trees, or in the open lake margined with reeds,
you must never expect to find it in impure waters. Let the place be
deep or shallow, broad or narrow, the water must be clear enough to
allow the sun’s rays to fall unimpaired on the rich coat of mail that covers
the body of the Sun-fish. Look at him as he poises himself under the
lee of the protecting rock beneath our feet! See how steadily he main-
tains his position, and yet how many rapid motions of his fins are neces-
sary to preserve it! Now another is by his side, glowing with equal
beauty, and poising itself by equally easy and graceful movements. The
sun is shining, and under the lee of every stone and sunk log, some of the
little creatures are rising to the surface, to enjoy the bright blaze, which
enhances all their beauty. The golden hues of some parts of the body
blend with the green of the emerald,.while the coral tints of the lower
parts and the red of its sparkling eye, render our little favourite a perfect
gem of the waters.

The rushing stream boils and-gurgles as it forces its way over the
obstacles presented by its bed, the craggy points, large stones, and logs
that are strewn along the bottom. Every one of these proves a place
of rest, safety and observation to the little things, whose eyes are ever
anxiously watching their favourite prey as it passes. There an unfortu-
nate moth, swept along by the current, labours in vain to extricate itself
from the treacherous element; its body, indeed, at intervals, rises a little
above the surface, but its broad wings, now wet and heavy, bear it down
again to the water. The Sun-fish has marked it, and as it passes his re-
treat, he darts towards it, with twenty of his fellows, all eager to seize
the prize. ‘The swiftest swallows it in a moment, and all immediately
return to their lurking places, where they fancy themselves secure. But,
alas, the Sun-fish is no more without enemies than the moth, or any other

living creature. So has Nature determined, evidently to promote pru-

48 AMERICAN SUN PERCH.

dence and industry, without which none can reap the full advantage of
life.

On the top of yon miller’s dam stands boldly erect the ardent fisher.
Up to the knees, and regardless of the danger of his situation, he prepares
his apparatus of destruction. A keen hook attached to his grass-line is
now hid within the body of a worm or grasshopper. With a knowing
eye he marks one after another every surge of the water below. Observ-
ing the top of a rock scarcely covered, he sends his hook towards it with
gentleness and certainty ; the bait now floats and anon sinks; his reel
slowly lengthens the line, which is suddenly tightened, and he feels that
a fish is secured. Now whirls the reel again, thrice has the fish tried its
utmost strength and speed, but, soon panting and exhausted, it is seen
floating for a moment on the surface. Nothing now is required but to
bring it to hand, which done, the angler baits anew, and sends ferth the
treacherous morsel. For an hour or more he continues the agreeable oc-
cupation, drawing from the stream a fish at every short interval. To the
willow-twig fastened to his waist, a hundred “ sunnies” are already at-
tached. Suddenly the sky is overcast, and the crafty fisher, although
aware that, with a different hook and bait, he might soon procure a fine
eel or two, carefully wades to the shore, and homeward leisurely plods
his way.

In this manner are the sun-fishes caught by the regular or “ scientific”
anglers, and a beautiful sight it is to see the ease and grace with which
they allure the objects of their desire, whether in the open turbulence of
the waters, or under the low boughs of the overhanging trees, where, in
some deep hole, a swarm of the little creatures may be playing in fancied
security. Rarely does his tackle become entangled, whilst, with incom-
parable dexterity, he draws one after another from the waters.

Thousands of individuals, however, there are, who, less curious in
their mode of fishing, often procure as many sunnies without allowing
them to play for a moment. Look at these boys! One stands on the
shore, while the others are on fallen trees that project over the stream.
Their rods, as you perceive, are merely shoots of the hazel or hickory,
their lies are simply twine, and their hooks none of the finest. One has
a calabash filled with worms and grubs of many sorts, kept alive in damp
earth, and another is supplied with a bottle containing half a gross of live
“‘ hoppers ;” the third has no bait at all, but borrows from his nearest

neighbour. Well, there they are, “ three merry boys,” whirling their

AMERICAN SUN PERCH. 49

rods in the air to unrol their lines, on one of which, you observe, a cork
is fastened, while on another is a bit of light wood, and on the third a
grain or two of large shot, to draw it at once to a certain depth. Now
their hooks are baited, and all are ready. Each casts his line as he thinks
best, after he has probed the depth of the stream with his rod, to enable
him to place his buoy at the proper point. Bob, bob, goes the cork ;
down it moves; the bit of wood disappears; the leaded line tightens ; in
a moment up swing the sunnies, which, getting unhooked, are projected
far among the grass, where they struggle in vain, until death ends their
efforts. 'The hooks are now baited anew, and dropped into the water.
The fish is abundant, the weather propitious and delightful, for it is now
October, and so greedy have the sunnies become of grasshoppers and grubs,
that dozens at once dash at the same bait. The lads, believe me, have
now rare sport, and in an hour scarcely a fish remains in the hole. The
happy children have caught perhaps some hundreds of delicious “ pan-
fish,” to feed their parents, and delight their little sisters. Surely their
pleasure is fully as great as that experienced by the scientific angler.

I have known instances when the waters of a dam having been let out,
for some reason better known to the miller than to myself, all the sun-fish
have betaken themselves to one or two deep holes, as if to avoid being
carried away from their favourite abode. There I have seen them in
such multitudes that one could catch as many as he pleased with a pin-
hook, fastened to any sort of line, and baited with any sort of worm or
insect, or even with a piece of a newly caught fish. Yet, and I am not
able to account for it, all of a sudden, without apparent cause, they would
cease to take, and no allurement whatever could entice them or the other
fishes in the pool to seize the hook.

During high freshets, this species of perch seldom bites at any thing,
but you may procure them with a cast-net or a seine, provided you are
well acquainted with the localities. On the contrary, when the waters
are low and clear, every secluded hole, every eddy under the lee of a
rock, every place sheltered by a raft of timber, will afford you amuse-
ment. In some parts of the Southern States, the Negroes procure these
fishes late in the autumn in shallow ponds or bayous, by wading through
the water with caution, and placing at every few steps a wicker appara-
tus, not unlike a small barrel, open at both ends. The moment the fishes
find themselves confined within the lower part of this, which is pressed to
the bottom of the stream, their skippings announce their capture, and the
fisher secures his booty. .

VOL, III. D

50 AMERICAN SUN PERCH.

This species, the Labrus auritus of Linnzus, the Pomotis vulgaris
of Cuvier, seldom exceeds five or six inches in length, but is rather
deep in proportion. The usual size is from four to five inches, with a
depth of from two to two anda half. They are not bony, and at all sea-
sons afford delicate eating. Having observed a considerable change in
their colour in different parts of the United States, and in different
streams, ponds, or lakes, I was led to think that this curious effect might
be produced by the difference of colour in the water. Thus, the Sun-fish
caught in the deep waters of Green River, in Kentucky, exhibit a depth
of olive-brown quite different from the general tint of those caught in the
colourless waters of the Ohio or Schuylkill; those of the reddish-coloured
waters of the Bayous of the Louisiana swamps, look as if covered with a
coppery tarnish ; and, lastly, those met with in streams that glide beneath
cedars or other firs, have a pale and sallow complexion.

The Sun Perch, wherever found, seems to give a decided. preference to
sandy, gravelly, or rocky beds of streams, avoiding those of which the
bottom is muddy. At the period of depositing their eggs, this preference
is still more apparent. The little creature is then seen swimming rapidly
over shallows, the bed of which is mostly formed of fine gravel, when after
a while it is observed to poise itself and gradually sink to the bottom,
where with its fin it pushes aside the sand to the extent of eight or ten
inches, thus forming a circular cavity. In a few days a little ridge is
thus raised around, and in the cleared area the roe is deposited. By wad-
ing carefully over the extent of the place, a person may count forty, fifty,
or more of these beds, some within a few feet of each other, and some se-
veral yards apart. Instead of abandoning its spawn, as others of the fa-
mily are wont to do, this little fish keeps guard over it with all the care
of a sitting bird. You observe it poised over the bed, watching the ob-
jects around. Should the rotten leaf of a tree, a piece of wood, or any
other substance, happen to be rolled over the border of the bed, the Sun-
fish carefully removes it, holding the obnoxious matter in its mouth, and
dropping it over the margin. Having many times witnessed this act of
prudence and cleanliness in the little sunny, and observed that at this pe-
riod it will not seize on any kind of bait, I took it into my head one fair
afternoon to make a few experiments for the purpose of judging how far
its instinct or reason might induce it to act when disturbed or harassed.

Provided with a fine fishing-line, and such insects as I knew were re-
lished by this fish, I reached a sand-bar covered by about one foot of

AMERICAN SUN PERCH. 51

water, where I had previously seen many deposits. Approaching the
nearest to the shore with great care, I baited my hook with a living
ground-worm, the greater part of which was left at liberty to writhe as it
pleased, and throwing the line up the stream, managed it so that at last
it passed over the border of the nest, when I allowed it to remain on the
bottom. The fish, I perceived, had marked me, and as the worm in-
truded on its premises, he swam to the farther side, there poised himself
for a few moments, then approached the worm, and carried it in his mouth
over the side next to me, with a care and gentleness so very remarkable
as to afford me much surprise. I repeated the experiment six or seven
times, and always with the same result. Then changing the bait, I em-
ployed a young grasshopper, which I floated into the egg-bed. The in-
sect was removed, as the worm had been, and two attempts to hook the
fish proved unsuccessful. I now threw my line with the hook bare, and
managed as before. The sunny appeared quite alarmed. It swam to one
side, then to another, in rapid succession, and seemed to entertain a fear
that the removal of the suspicious object might prove extremely danger-
ous toit. Yet it gradually approached the hook, took it delicately up,
and the next instant dropped it over the edge of the bed !

Reader, if you are one who, like me, have studied Nature with a desire
to improve your mental faculties, and contemplate the wonderful pheno-
mena that present themselves to the view at every step we take in her wide
domain, you would have been struck, had you witnessed the actions of
this little fish, as I was, with admiration of the Being who gave such in-
stincts to so humble an object. I gazed in amazement on the little crea-
ture, and wondered that nature had endowed it with such feelings and
powers. The irrepressible desire of acquiring knowledge prompted me to
continue the experiment; but with whatever dexterity I could in those
days hook a fish, all my efforts proved abortive, not with this individuai
only, but with many others, which I subjected to the same trials.

Satisfied that at this period the Sun-fish was more than a match for
me, I rolled up my line, and with the rod gave a rap on the water as
nearly over the fish as I could. The sunny darted off to a distance of
several yards, poised itself steadily, and as soon as my rod was raised
from the water, returned to its station. ‘The effect of the blow on the
water was now apparent, for I perceived that the fish was busily em-
ployed in smoothing the bed; but here ended my experiments on the

Sun-fish. ,
; p2

use ity

THE WOOD DUCK.

ANAS SPONSA, LINN.
PLATE CCVI. Mates, Femates, anp NEstT.

I nave always experienced a peculiar pleasure while endeavouring to
study the habits of this most beautiful bird in its favourite places of re-
sort. Never on such occasions have I been without numberless compa-
nions, who, although most of them were insensible of my presence, have
afforded me hours of the never-failing delight resulting from the contem-
plation of their character. Methinks I am now seated by the trunk of a
gigantic sycamore, whose bleached branches stretch up towards the hea-
vens, as if with a desire to overlook the dense woods spread all around.
A dark-watered bayou winds tortuously beneath the maples that margin
its muddy shores, a deep thicket of canes spreading along its side. The
mysterious silence is scarcely broken by the hum of myriads of insects.
The blood-sucking musquito essays to alight on my hand, and I willing-
ly allow him to draw his fill, that I may observe how dexterously he
pierces my skin with his delicate proboscis, and pumps the red fluid into
his body, which is quickly filled, when with difficulty he extends his tiny
wings and flies off, never to return. Over the withered leaves many a
tick is seen scrambling, as if anxious to clude the searching eye of that
beautiful lizard. A squirrel spread flat against a tree, with its head di-
rected downwards, is watching me; the warblers, too, are peeping from
among the twigs. On the water, the large bull-frogs are endeavouring
to obtain a peep of the sun; suddenly there emerges the head of an otter,
with a fish in its jaws, and in an instant my faithful dog plunges after
him, but is speedily recalled. At this moment, when my heart is filled
with delight, the rustling of wings comes sweeping through the woods,
and anon there shoots overhead a flock of Wood Ducks. Once, twice,
three times, have they rapidly swept over the stream, and now, having
failed to discover any object of alarm, they all alight on its bosom, and
sound a note of invitation to others yet distant.

Scenes like these I have enjoyed a thousand times, yet regret that

I have not enjoyed them oftener, and made better use of the oppor-

WOOD DUCK. 53

tunities which I have had of examining the many interesting objects
that attracted my notice. And now, let me endeavour to describe the
habits of the Wood Duck, in so far as I have been able to apprehend
them.

This beautiful species ranges over the whole extent of the United
States, and I have seen it in all parts from Louisiana to the confines of
Maine, and from the vicinity of our Atlantic coasts as far inland as my
travels have extended. It also occurs sparingly during the breed-
ing-season in Nova Scotia; but farther north I did not observe it.
Everywhere in this immense tract I have found it an almost constant re-
sident, for some spend the winter even in Massachusetts, and far up the
warm spring waters of brooks on the Missouri. It confines itself, how-
ever, entirely to fresh water, preferring at all times the secluded retreats
of the ponds, bayous, or creeks, that occur so profusely in our woods.
Well acquainted with man, they carefully avoid him, unless now and then
during the breeding-season, when, if a convenient spot is found by them
in which to deposit their eggs and raise their young, they will even locate
themselves about the miller’s dam.

The flight of this species is remarkable for its speed, and the ease and
elegance with which it is performed. 'The Wood Duck passes through
the woods and even amongst the branches of trees, with as much facility
as the Passenger Pigeon ; and while removing from some secluded haunt
to its breeding-grounds, at the approach of night, it shoots over the trees
like a meteor, scarcely emitting any sound from its wings. In the lower
parts of Louisiana and Kentucky, where they abound, these regular ex-
cursions are performed by flocks of from thirty to fifty or more indivi-
duals. In several instances I have taken perhaps undue advantage of
their movements to shoot them on the wing, by placing myself between
their two different spots of resort, and keeping myself concealed. In this
manner I have obtained a number in the course of an hour of twilight ;
and I have known some keen sportsmen kill as many as thirty or forty in
a single evening. ‘This sport is best in the latter part of autumn, after
the old males have joined the flocks of young led by the females. Se-
veral gunners may then obtain equal success by placing themselves at re-
gular distances in the line of flight, when the birds having in a manner
to run the gauntlet, more than half of a flock have been brought down in
the course of their transit. While passing through the air on such occa-

sions, the birds are never heard to emit a single note.

~

54 WOOD DUCK.

The Wood Duck breeds in the Middle States about the beginning of
April, in Massachusetts a month later, and in Nova Scotia or on our
northern lakes, seldom before the first days of June. In Louisiana and
Kentucky, where I have had better opportunities of studying their habits
in this respect, they generally pair about the 1st of March, sometimes a
fortnight earlier. I never knew one of these birds to form a nest on the
ground, or on the branches of a tree. They appear at all times to pre-
fer the hollow broken portion of some large branch, the hole of our
largest Woodpecker (Picus principalis), or the deserted retreat of the
fox-squirrel; and I have frequently been surprised to see them go in
and out of a hole of any one of these, when their bodies while on wing
seemed to be nearly half as large again as the aperture within which they
had deposited their eggs. Once only I found a nest (with ten eggs) in
the fissure of a rock on the Kentucky River a few miles below Frankfort.
Generally, however, the holes to which they betake themselves are either
over deep swamps, above cane brakes, or broken branches of high syca-
mores, seldom more than forty or fifty feet from the water. They are
much attached to their breeding-places, and for three successive years I
found a pair near Henderson, in Kentucky, with eggs in the beginning
of April, in the abandoned nest of an Ivory-billed Woodpecker. The
eggs, which are from six to fifteen, according to the age of the bird, are
placed on dry plants, feathers, and a scanty portion of down, which I be-
lieve is mostly plucked from the breast of the female. They are perfectly
smooth, nearly elliptical, of a light colour between buff and pale green,
two inches in length by one and a half in diameter ; the shell is about
equal in firmness to that of the Mallard’s egg, and quite smooth.

No sooner has the female completed her set of eggs than she is aban-
doned by her mate, who now joins others, which form themselves into
considerable flocks, and thus remain apart until the young are able to fly,
when old and young of both sexes come together, and so remain until the
commencement of the next breeding season. In all the nests which I
have examined, I have been rather surprised to find a quantity of feathers
belonging to birds of other species, even those of the domestic fowl, and
particularly of the wild goose and wild turkey. On coming upon a nest
with eggs when the bird was absent in search of food, I have always found
the eggs covered over with feathers and down, although quite out of
sight, in the depth of a woodpecker’s or squirrel’s hole. On the contrary,
when the nest was placed in the broken branch of a tree, it could easily

WOOD DUCK. 55

be observed from the ground, on account of the feathers, dead sticks, and
withered grasses about it. If the nest is placed immediately over the
water, the young, the moment they are hatched, scramble to the mouth
of the hole, launch into the air with their little wings and feet spread out,
and drop into their favourite element ; but whenever their birth-place is
at some distance from it, the mother carries them to it one by one in her
bill, holding them so as not to injure their yet tender frame. On several
occasions, however, when the hole was thirty, forty, or more yards from a
bayou or other piece of water, I observed that the mother suffered the
young to fall on the grasses and dried leaves beneath the tree, and after-
wards led them directly to the nearest edge of the next pool or creek. At
this early age, the young answer to their parents’ call with a mellow pee,
pee, pee, often and rapidly repeated. 'The call of the mother at such times
is low, soft, and prolonged, resembling the syllables pe-éé, pe-z@. The
watch-note of the male, which resembles hoe-éék, is never uttered by the
female; indeed, the male himself seldom uses it unless alarmed by some
uncommon sound or the sight of a distant enemy, or when intent on call-
ing passing birds of his own species.

The young are carefully led along the shallow and grassy shores, and
taught to obtain their food, which at this early period consists of small
aquatic insects, flies, musquitoes, and seeds. As they grow up, you now
and then see the whole flock run as it were along the surface of the slug-
gish stream in chase of a dragon-fly, or to pick up a grasshopper or locust
that has accidentally dropped upon it. They are excellent divers, and
when frightened instantly disappear, disperse below the surface, and make
for the nearest shore, on attaining which they run for the woods, squat in
any convenient place, and thus elude pursuit. I used two modes of pro-
curing them alive on such occasions. One was with a bag net, such as is
employed in catching our little partridge, and which I placed half sunk in
the water, driving the birds slowly, first within the wings, and finally
into the bag. In this manner I have caught young and old birds of this
species in considerable numbers. The other method I accidentally dis-
covered while on a shooting excursion, accompanied by an excellent
pointer dog. I observed that the sight of this faithful animal always
immediately frightened the young ducks to the shores, the old one taking
to her wings as soon as she conceived her brood to be safe. But the next
instant Juno would dash across the bayou or pond, reach the opposite

bank, and immediately follow on their track. In a few moments she

06 WOOD DUCK.

would return with a duckling held between her dips, when I would take
it from her unhurt.

While residing at Henderson, I thought of taming a number of Wood
Ducks. In the course of a few days Juno procured for me, in the man-
ner above described, as many as I had a mind for, and they were convey-
ed home in a bag. A dozen or more were placed in empty flour barrels,
and covered over for some hours, with the view of taming them the sooner.
Several of these barrels were placed in the yard, but whenever I went
and raised their lids, I found all the little ones hooked by their sharp
claws to the very edge of their prisons, and, the instant that room was
granted, they would tumble over and run off in all directions. I after-
wards frequently saw these young birds rise from the bottom to the brim
of a cask, by moving a few inches at a time up the side, and fixing foot
after foot by means of their diminutive hooked claws, which, in passing
over my hand, I found to have points almost as fine as those of a needle.
They fed freely on corn meal soaked in water, and as they grew, collect-
ed flies with great expertness. When they were half-grown I gave them
great numbers of our common locusts yet unable to fly, which were ga-
thered by boys from the trunks of trees and the “ iron weeds,” a species of
wild hemp very abundant in that portion of the country. These I would
throw to them on the water of the artificial pond which I had in my gar-
den, when the eagerness with which they would scramble and fight for
them always afforded me great amusement. They grew up apace, when
I pinioned them all, and they subsequently bred in my grounds in boxes
which I had placed conveniently over the water, with a board or sticks
leading to them, and an abundant supply of proper materials for a nest
placed in them.

Few birds are more interesting to observe during the love season than
Wood Ducks. The great beauty and neatness of their apparel, and the
grace of their motions, always afford pleasure to the observer ; and, as I
have had abundant opportunities of studying their habits at that period,
I am enabled to present you with a full account of their proceedings.

When March has again returned, and the Dogwood expands its pure
blossoms to the sun, the Cranes soar away on their broad wings, bidding
our country adieu for a season, flocks of water-fowls are pursuing their
early migrations, the frogs issue from their muddy beds to pipe a few notes
of languid joy, the Swallow has just arrived, and the Bluebird has re-
turned to his box. The Wood Duck almost alone remains on the pool,

WOOD DUCK. 57

as if to afford us an opportunity of studying the habits of its tribe. Here
they are, a whole flock of beautiful birds, the males chasing their rivals,
the females coquetting with their chosen beaux. Observe that fine drake !
how gracefully he raises his head and curves his neck! As he bows before
the object of his love, he raises for a moment his silken crest. His
throat is swelled, and from it there issues a guttural sound, which to his
beloved is as sweet as the song of the Wood Thrush to its gentle mate.
The female, as if not unwilling to manifest the desire to please which she
really feels, swims close by his side, now and then caresses him by touch-
ing his feathers with her bill, and shews displeasure towards any other of
her sex that may come near. Soon the happy pair separate from the rest,
repeat every now and then their caresses, and at length, having sealed the
conjugal compact, fly off to the woods to search for a large woodpecker’s
hole. Occasionally the males fight with each other, but their combats are
not of long duration, nor is the field ever stained with blood, the loss of a
few feathers or a sharp tug of the head being generally enough to decide
the contest. Although the Wood Ducks always form their nests in the
hollow of a tree, their caresses are performed exclusively on the water, to
which they resort for the purpose, even when their loves have been first
proved far above the ground on a branch of some tall sycamore. While
the female is depositing her eggs, the male is seen to fly swiftly past the
hole in which she is hidden, erecting his crest, and sending forth his love-
notes, to which she never fails to respond.

On the ground the Wood Duck runs nimbly and with more grace
than most other birds of its tribe. On reaching the shore of a pond or
stream, it immediately shakes its tail sidewise, looks around, and proceeds
in search of food. It moves on the larger branches of trees with the same
apparent ease ; and, while looking at thirty or forty of these birds perch-
ed on a single sycamore on the bank of a secluded bayou, I have conceived
the sight as pleasing as any that I have ever enjoyed. They always re-
minded me of the Muscovy Duck, of which they look as if a highly
finished and flattering miniature. They frequently prefer walking on an
inclined log or the fallen trunk of a tree, one end of which lies in the
water, while the other rests on the steep bank, to betaking themselves to
flight at the sight of an approaching enemy. In this manner I have seen
a whole flock walk from the water into the woods, as a steamer was ap-
proaching them in the eddies of the Ohio or Mississippi. They swim

and dive well, when wounded and closely pursued, often stopping at the

58 WOOD DUCK.

edge of the water with nothing above it but the bill, but at other times
running to a considerable distance into the woods, or hiding in a cane-
brake beside a log. In such places I have often found them, having been
led to their place of concealment by my dog. When frightened, they rise
by a single spring from the water, and are as apt to make directly for the
woods as to follow the stream. When they discover an enemy while
under the covert of shrubs or other plants on a pond, instead of taking to
wing, they swim off in silence among the thickest weeds, so as generally to
elude your search, by landing and running over a narrow piece of ground
to another pond. In autumn, a whole covey may often be seen standing
or sitting on a floating log, pluming and cleaning themselves for hours.
On such occasions the knowing sportsman commits great havock among
them, killing half a dozen or more at a shot. ;

The food of the Wood Duck, or as it is called in the Western and
Southern States, the Summer Duck, consists of acorns, beech-nuts, grapes,
and berries of various sorts, for which they halfdive, in the manner of
the Mallard for example, or search under the trees on the shores and in
the woods, turning over the fallen leaves with dexterity. In the Caro-
linas, they resort under night to the rice fields, as soon as the grain be-
comes milky. They also devour insects, snails, tadpoles, and small water
lizards, swallowing at the same time a quantity of sand or gravel to aid
the trituration of their food.

The best season in which to procure these birds for the table is from
the beginning of September until the first frost, their flesh being then
tender, juicy, and in my opinion excellent. They are easily caught in
figure-of-four traps. I know a person now residing in South Carolina,
who has caught several hundreds in the course of a week, bringing them
home in bags across his horse’s saddle, and afterwards feeding them in
coops on Indian corn. In that State, they are bought in the markets for
thirty or forty cents the pair. At Boston, where I found them rather
abundant during winter, they bring nearly double that price; but in
Ohio or Kentucky twenty-five cents are considered an equivalent. Their
feathers are as good as those of any other species; and I feel well assured
that, with a few years of care, the Wood Duck might be perfectly domes-
ticated, when it could not fail to be as valuable as it is beautiful.

Their sense of hearing is exceedingly acute, and by means of ‘it they
often save themselves from their wily enemies the minx, the polecat, and

the racoon. The vile snake that creeps into their nest and destroys their

WOOD DUCK. 59

eggs, is their most pernicious enemy on land. The young, when on the
water, have to guard against the snapping turtle, the gar-fish, and the
eel, and in the Southern Districts, against the lashing tail and the tre-
mendous jaws of the alligator.

Those which breed in Maine, New Brunswick, and Nova Scotia, move
southward as soon as the frosts commence, and none are known to spend
the winter so far north. I have been much surprised to find Wr1tson
speaking of the Wood Ducks as a species of which more than five or six
individuals are seldom seen together. A would-be naturalist in America,
who has had better opportunities of knowing its habits than the admired
author of the “ American Ornithology,” repeats the same error, and, I
am told, believes that all his statements are considered true. For my own
part, I assure you, I have seen hundreds in a single flock, and have known
fifteen to be killed by a single shot. They, however, raise only one brood
in the season, unless their eggs or young have been destroyed. Should
this happen, the female soon finds means of recalling her mate from the
flock which he has joined.

On having recourse to a journal written by me at Henderson nearly
twenty years ago, I find it stated that the attachment of a male to a female
lasts only during one breeding season; and that the males provide them-
selves with mates in succession, the strongest taking the first choice, and
the weakest being content with what remains. The young birds which
I raised, never failed to make directly for the Ohio, whenever they escaped
from the grounds, although they never had been there before. The only
other circumstances which I have to mention are, that when entering the
hole in which its nest is, the bird dives as it were into it at once, and does
not alight first against the tree; that I have never witnessed an instance
of its taking possession, by force, of a woodpecker’s hole; and lastly,

that during winter they allow ducks of different species to associate with
them.

60 WOOD DUCK.

Anas sponsa, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 207.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 871.—Ch.
Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 385.
Summer Duck, or Woop Duck, Anas sponsa, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 97.
pl. 78. fig. 3.— Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 394.

DENDRONESSA SPONSA, Richards and Swains. Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 446.

Adult Male. Plate CCVI. Fig. 1, 3.

Bill shorter than the head, deeper than broad at the base, depressed
towards the end, slightly narrowed towards the middle of the unguis, the
frontal angles prolonged and pointed. Upper mandible with the dorsal
line at first sloping, then concave, along the unguis convex, the ridge
broad and flat at the base, then broadly convex, the sides concave and
perpendicular at the base, convex and sloping towards the end, edges soft,
with about twenty-two internal lamella, unguis broadly elliptical, curved,
rounded. Nostrils subbasal, lateral, rather small, oval, pervious. Lower
mandible flattish, with the angle very long and rather narrow, the dorsal
line very short, convex, the sides convex, the edges soft and rounded, la-
mellate above.

Head of moderate size, neck rather long and slender, body full and
depressed, wings rather small. Feet very short, strong, placed rather far
back ; tarsus very short, considerably compressed, at its lower part ante-
riorly with two series of scutella, the rest covered with reticulated angu-
lar scales. Toes scutellate above; first very small, free, with a narrow
membrane beneath, third longest, fourth a little shorter ; claws small,
curved, compressed, acute, the hind one smaller and more curved, that
of the third toe with an inner sharp edge.

Plumage dense, soft, blended, generally glossed. Feathers of the
middle of the head and upper part of hind neck, very narrow, elongated,
and incurved, of the rest of the head and upper part of neck very short,
of the back and lower parts in general broad and rounded, excepting on
the shoulders before the wings, where they are enlarged, very broad and
abrupt. Wings of moderate length, narrow, acute; primaries curved,
strong, tapering, first and second longest ; secondaries broad, rounded.
Tail of moderate length, rather broad, much rounded, of sixteen rounded
feathers.

Upper mandible bright red at the base, pale yellow on the sides, the
intermediate space along the ridge, and the unguis, black, as in the lower
mandible and its membrane. Iris and edges of eyelids bright red. Feet

WOOD DUCK. 61

dull orange, claws black. Upper part of head, and space between the
bill and eye deep green, and highly glossed ; below the latter space a patch
of dark purple, and a larger one of the same colour, but lighter, behind
the eye; sides of the neck, its hind part under the crest, and the middle
all round very dark purple. A narrow line along the base of the upper
mandible and over the eye, meeting on the occiput, pure white, as are
some of the feathers of the crest; another from behind the eye, meeting
below the occiput, and including several of the lower elongated feathers.
Throat, for more than three inches, pure white, with a process on each
side a little beyond the eye, and another nearly halfway down the neck.
Sides of the neck, and its lower part anteriorly reddish-purple, each feather
on the latter with a triangular white tip. Middle of the neck behind, back
and rump, very dark reddish-brown, the latter deeper, and tinged with
green; upper tail-coverts and tail greenish-black ; some of the lateral tail-
coverts dull reddish-purple, a few on either side with their central filaments
light red. Smaller wing-coverts, alula and primaries dull greyish-brown ;
most of the latter with part of their outer web greyish-white, and their
imner towards the end darker and glossed with green. Secondary quills
tipped with white, the outer webs green, with purple reflections, those of
the inner secondaries and scapulars velvet-black, their inner webs partially
glossed and changing to green. The broad feathers anterior to the wings
are white, terminated with black; breast and abdomen greyish-white ;
feathers under the wings yellowish-grey, minutely undulated with black
and white bars; lower wing-coverts and axillar feathers white, barred
with greyish-brown ; lower tail-coverts dull greyish-brown.

Length 203 inches, to end of claws 172, extent of wings 28; bill 1

tarsus 1,°,, middle toe and claw 2,°,; wing from flexure 9, tail 42.

fn
Ig2

Adult Female. Plate CCVI. Figs. 2, 4.

The female is considerably smaller, and differs greatly from the male
in colouring. The feathers of the head are not elongated, but those of
the upper part of the neck behind are slightly so. In other respects the
plumage presents nothing very remarkable, and is similar to that of the
male, only the feathers anterior to the wing, the upper hypochondrial,
the inner secondaries and the rump-feathers are not enlarged, as in him.
Bill blackish-brown; feet dusky, tinged with yellow. Upper part of
head dusky, glossed with green, sides of the head and neck, with the hind

62 WOOD DUCK.

part of the latter, light brownish-grey ; throat white, but without the
lateral processes of the male. Fore part of neck below and sides light
yellowish-brown, mottled with dark greyish-brown, as are the sides under
the wings; breast and abdomen white, the former spotted with brown.
Hind neck, back, and rump, dark brown, glossed with green and purple.
Wings as in the male, but the speculum less, and the secondaries exter-
nally faint reddish-purple, the velvet black of the male diminished to a
few narrow markings. ‘Tail dark brown, glossed with green; lower tail-
coverts pale greyish-brown, mottled with white ; lower wing-coverts as in
the male.
Length 193 inches.

The tree represented in the plate is the Platanus occidentalis, which
in different parts of the United States is known by the names of Button-
wood, Sycamore, Plane-tree, and Water Beech, and in Canada by that
of Cotton-tree. It is one of our largest trees, and on the banks of our
great western and southern rivers, often attains a diameter of eight or ten
feet. Although naturally inclined to prefer the vicinity of water, it grows
in almost every kind of situation, and thrives even in the streets of several

of our eastern cities, such as Philadelphia and New York.

( 63 )

THE BOOBY GANNET.
SULA Fusc4a, Briss.
PLATE CCVII. Mate.

As the Marion was nearing the curious islets of the Tortugas, one of
the birds that more particularly attracted my notice was of this species.
The nearer we approached the land, the more numerous did they become,
and I felt delighted with the hope that ere many days should elapse, I
should have an opportunity of studying their habits. As night drew her
sombre curtain over the face of nature, some of these birds alighted on
the top-yard of our bark, and I observed ever afterwards that they mani-
fested a propensity to roost at as great a height as possible above the sur-
rounding objects, making choice of the tops of bushes, or even upright
poles, and disputing with each other the privilege. The first that was
shot at, was approached with considerable difficulty : it had alighted on
the prong of a tree which had floated and been fastened to the bottom of
a rocky shallow at some distance from shore; the water was about four
feet deep and quite rough; sharks we well knew were abundant around
us; but the desire to procure the bird was too strong to be overcome by
such obstacles. In an instant, the pilot and myself were over the sides
of the boat, and onward we proceeded with our guns cocked and ready.
The yawl was well manned, and its crew awaiting the result. After we
had struggled through the turbulent waters about a hundred yards, my
companion raised his gun and fired; but away flew the bird with a broken
leg, and we saw no more of it that day. Next day, however, at the same
hour, the Booby was seen perched on the same prong, where, after rest-
ing about three hours, it made off to the open sea, doubtless in search of
food.

About eight miles to the north-east of the Tortugas Lighthouse, lies
a small sand-bar a few acres in extent, called Booby Island, on account
of the number of birds of this species that resort to it during the breed-
ing-season, and to it we accordingly went. We found it not more than
a few feet above the surface of the water, but covered with Boobies, which
lay basking in the sunshine, and pluming themselves. Our attempt to
land on the island before the birds should fly off, proved futile, for before

64 BOOBY GANNET.

we were within fifty yards of it, they had all betaken themselves to flight,
and were dispersing in various directions. We landed, however, distri-
buted ourselves in different parts, and sent the boat to some distance, the
pilot assuring us that the birds would return. And so it happened. As
they approached, we laid ourselves as flat as possible in the sand, and al-
though none of them alighted, we attained our object, for in a couple of
hours we procured thirty individuals of both sexes and of different ages,
finding little difficulty in bringing them down as they flew over us at a
moderate height. The wounded birds that fell on the ground made im-
mediately for the water, moving with more ease than I had expected from
the accounts usually given of the awkward motions of these birds on the
land. Those which reached the water swam off with great buoyancy, and
with such rapidity, that it took much rowing to secure some of them,
while most of those that fell directly into the sea with only a wing
broken, escaped. The island was covered with their dung, the odour of
which extended to a considerable distance leeward. In the evening of the
same day we landed on another island, named after the Noddy, and thick-
ly covered with bushes and low trees, to which thousands of that species
of Tern resort for the purpose of breeding. There also we found a great
number of Boobies. 'They were perched on the top-branches of the trees,
on which they had nests, and here again we obtained as many as we de-
sired. They flew close over our heads, eyeing us with dismay but in si-
lence ; indeed, not one of these birds ever emitted a cry, except at the mo-
ment when they rose from their perches or from the sand. Their note is
harsh and guttural, somewhat like that of a strangled pig, and resembling
the syllables hork, hork.

The nest of the Booby is placed on the top of a bush at a height of
from four to ten feet. It is large and flat, formed of a few dry sticks,
covered and matted with sea-weeds in great quantity. I have no doubt
that they return to the same nest many years in succession, and repair it
as occasion requires. In all the nests which I examined, only one egg
was found, and as most of the birds were sitting, and some of the eggs
had the chick nearly ready for exclusion, it is probable that these birds
raise only a single young one, like the Common Gannet or Solan Goose.
The egg is of a dull white colour, without spots, and about the size of
that of a common hen, but more elongated, being 22 inches in length,
with a diameter of 13. In some nests they were covered with filth

from the parent bird, in the manner of the Florida Cormorant. The

BOOBY GANNET. 65

young, which had an uncouth appearance, were covered with down; the
bill and feet of a deep livid blue or indigo colour. On being touched,
they emitted no cry, but turned away their heads at every trial. A great
‘quantity of fish lay beneath the trees in a state of putrefaction, proving
‘how abundantly the young birds were supplied by their parents. Indeed,
-while we were on Noddy Island, there was a constant succession of birds
coming in from the sea with food for their young, consisting chiefly of
flying-fish and small mullets, which they disgorged in a half macerated
state into the open throats of their offspring. Unfortunately the time
afforded me on that coast was not sufficient to enable me to trace the pro-
gress of their growth. I observed, however, that none of the birds which
were still brown had nests, and that they roosted apart, particularly on
Booby Island, where also many barren ones usually resorted, to lie on the
sand and bask in the sun.

The flight of the Booby is graceful and extremely protracted. They
pass swiftly at a height of from twenty yards to a foot or two from the
surface, often following the troughs of the waves to a considerable distance,
their wings extended at right angles to the body ; then, without any ap-
parent effort, raising themselves and allowing the rolling waters to break
beneath them, when they. tack about, and sweep along in a contrary
direction in search of food, much in the manner of the true Petrels.
Now, if you follow an individual, you see that it suddenly stops short,
plunges headlong into the water, pierces with its powerful beak and se-
cures a fish, emerges again with inconceivable ease, after a short interval
rises on wing, performs a few wide circlings, and makes off toward some
shore. At this time its flight is different, being performed by flappings
for twenty or thirty paces, with alternate sailings of more than double
that space. When overloaded with food, they alight on the water, where,
if undisturbed, they appear to remain for hours at a time, probably until
digestion has afforded them relief.

The range to which this species confines itself along our coast, seldom
extends beyond Cape Hatteras to the eastward, but they become more and
more numerous the farther south we proceed. They breed abundantly
on all such islands or keys as are adapted for the purpose, on the southern
and western coasts of the Floridas and in the Gulf of Mexico, where I
‘was told they breed on the sand-bars. Their power of wing seems suffi-
cient to enable them to brave the tempest, while during a continuance of

VOL. III, E

66 BOOBY GANNET.

fair weather they venture to a great distance seaward, and I have seen
them fully 200 miles from land.

The expansibility of the gullet of this species enables it to swallow
fishes of considerable size, and on such occasions their mouth seems to
spread to an unusual width. In the throats of several individuals that
were shot as they were returning to their nests, I found mullets measur-
ing seven or eight inches, that must have weighed fully half a pound.
Their body beneath the skin, is covered with numerous air-cells, which
probably assist them in raising or lowering themselves while on wing, and
perhaps still more so when on the point of performing the rapid plunge
by which they secure their prey.

Their principal enemies during the breeding-season are the American
Crow and the Fish Crow, both of which destroy their eggs, and the Tur-
key Buzzard, which devours their young while yet unfledged. They
breed during the month of May, but I have not been able to ascertain if
they raise more than one brood in the season. The adult birds chase
away those which are yet immature during the period of incubation. It
would seem that they take several years in attaining their perfect state.

When procured alive, they feed freely, and may be kept any length
of time, provided they are supplied with fish. No other food, however,
could I tempt them to swallow, excepting slices of turtle, which after all
they did not seem to relish. In no instance did I observe one drinking.
Some authors have stated that the Frigate Pelican and the Lestris force
the Booby to disgorge its food that they may obtain it; but this I have
never witnessed. Like the Common Gannet, they may be secured by
fastening a fish to a soft plank, and sinking it a few feet beneath the sur-
face of the water, for if they perceive the bait, which they are likely to
do if they pass over it, they plunge headlong upon it, and drive their bill
into the wood.,

When a Booby has alighted on the spar of a vessel, it is no easy mat-
ter to catch it, unless it is much fatigued; but if exhausted and asleep,
an expert seaman may occasionally secure one. I was informed that af-
ter the breeding-season, these birds roost on trees in company with the
Brown Pelican and a species of Tern, Sterna stolida, and spend their
hours of daily rest on the sand-banks. Our pilot, who, as I have men-
tioned in my. second volume, was a man of great observation, assured me

that while at Vera Cruz, he saw the fishermen there go to sea, and re-

BOOBY GANNET. 67

turn from considerable distances, simply by following the course of the
Boobies.

The bills and legs of those which I procured in the brown plumage,
and which were from one to two years of age, were dusky blue. These were
undergoing moult on the 14th of May. At a more advanced age, the
parts mentioned become paler, and when the bird has arrived at maturity,
are as represented in my plate. I observed no external difference between
the sexes in the adult birds. The stomach is a long dilatable pouch, thin,
and of a yellow colour. The body is muscular, and the flesh, which is of
a dark colour, tough, and having a disagreeable smell, is scarcely fit for
food.

I am unable to find a good reason for those who have chosen to call
these birds boobies. Authors, it is true, generally represent them as ex-
tremely stupid; but to me the word is utterly applicable to any bird
with which I am acquainted. 'The Woodcock, too, is said to be stupid,
as are many other birds; but my opinion, founded on pretty extensive
observation, is, that it is only when birds of any species are unacquainted
with man, that they manifest that kind of zgnorance or innocence which
he calls stupidity, and by which they suffer themselves to be imposed up-
on. A little acquaintance with him soon enables them to perceive enough
of his character to induce them to keep aloof: This I observed in the
Booby Gannet, as well as in the Noddy Tern, and in certain species of
land birds of which I have already spoken. After my first visit to Booby
Island in the Tortugas, the Gannets had already become very shy and
wary, and before the Marion sailed away from those peaceful retreats of
the wandering sea-birds, the Boobies had become so knowing, that the most

expert of our party could not get within shot of them.

PeLecanvs Sua, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 218.—Lath. Index Ornith. vol. ii. p. 892.
Suxa Fusca, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 408.
Boosy, Sura Fusca, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 500.

Adult Male. Plate CCVII.

Bill longer than the head, opening beyond the eyes, straight, elongated-
conical, broader above than beneath at the base, compressed. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line convex at the base, then a little concave,

and towards the tip slightly arched, ridge very broad, convex, separated
: E2

68 BOOBY GANNET.

by a seam on each side, from the sides, which are nearly perpendicular,
edges sharp, inflected, serrated, tip acute. No external nostrils. . Lower
mandible prolonged at the base behind the upper, its angle very long,
wide at the base, with a bare membrane, very narrow towards the end,
dorsal line straight, ascending, sides convex, tip very acute, edges serrat-
ed towards the end.

Head rather large ; neck rather long and thick; body of moderate
bulk, rather elongated; wings long. Feet short, strong, placed rather
far behind ; tibize concealed ; tarsus very short, rounded before, sharp
behind, covered all round with reticular scales; toes all united by mem-
branes ; first very short, being about half the length of the second, third
and fourth longest and nearly equal, but the claw of the third is much
longer than that of the fourth ; claws small, compressed, acute, curved,
that of the third toe largest, depressed, curved outwards, with a thin pec-
tinated inner edge.

Plumage generally short, close, rather compact, the feathers small and
rounded ; those on the head very small; loral and orbital spaces bare, as
is that in the angle of the lower mandible, and a short space above the
tibio-tarsal joint ; wings long, acute, narrow ; primaries strong, narrow,
tapering rapidly to a rounded point, first and second longest and about
equal, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries short, rather broad, nar-
rowed towards the rounded point. Tail rather long, cuneate, of twelve
narrow, tapering feathers.

Bill and naked parts at its base bright yellow, pale flesh-coloured to-
wards the end; a dusky spot before the eye. Iris white. ‘'Tarsi, toes,
and their connecting webs, pale yellow, claws white. Head, neck all
round, upper parts in general, and lower surface of wings, dusky brown,
tinged with grey ; the breast, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts, pure
white.

Length 31 inches, to end of claws 27, extent of wings 297; bill along
the back 311, along the edge 5; tarsus 1,°,, middle toe and claw 33.
Wing from flexure 163, tail 8}. Weight 2 lb. 43 oz.

The Female resembles the male, but is smaller.

The Young, when fledged, are of a greyish-brown colour all over, the
breast and abdomen being merely a little lighter than the rest. The bill

and claws are dusky, the tarsi and toes with their membranes dull yellow.

ESQUIMAUX CURLEW.
NUMENIUS BOREALIS, Latu.

PLATE CCVIII. Mate anp Femate.

I recrert that I am unable to present a complete history of the Es-
quimaux Curlew. It is true I might somewhat enlarge my account of
its habits, were I to borrow from others, but as I have resolved to confine
myself to the results of my own observation, unless in certain cases, in
which I always take care to give my authorities, I hope you will be
pleased with the little which I have to offer.

Previous to my voyage to Labrador, I had seen only a single bird of
this species, which was kindly given me by my learned friend W1LL1aM
Oakes, Esq. of Ipswich, Massachusetts, who had procured it in his imme-
diate neighbourhood, where, as I have since ascertained, the Esquimaux
Curlew spends a few days in early autumn, while on its way southward.
During their short stay in that State, they are met with on the high
sandy hills near the sea-shore, where they feed on the grasshoppers and on
several kinds of berries. On this food they become fat, so as to afford
excellent eating, in consequence of which they have probably acquired
the name of “ Dough Bird,” which they bear in that district, but which
is also applied to several other birds. How this species manages to cross
the whole extent of the United States without being seen after leaving
Massachusetts, is to me very wonderful. On one occasion only have I
ever had a glimpse of it. I was in company with my learned and gene-
rous friend Jonn Bacuman of Charleston, on one of the islands on the
coast of South Carolina, whither we had gone with the view of watching
the Long-billed Curlews (Nwmenius longirostris). It was at the dawn
of a fine day, when a dense flock of the northern Curlews passed to the
southward, near enough to enable us to ascertain the species, but so swift-
ly, that in a few minutes they were quite out of sight.

On the 29th of July 1833, during a thick fog, the Esquimaux Cur-
lews made their first appearance in Labrador, near the harbour of Bras
dOr. They evidently came from the north, and arrived in such dense
flocks as to remind me of the Passenger Pigeons. ‘The weather was ex-

tremely cold as well as foggy. For more than a week we had been look-

70 ESQUIMAUX CURLEW.

ing for them, as was every fisherman in the harbour, these birds being
cousidered there, as indeed they are, great delicacies. 'The birds at length
came, flock after flock, passed close round our vessel, and directed their
course toward the sterile mountainous tracts in the neighbourhood ; and
as soon as the sun’s rays had dispersed the fogs that hung over the land,
our whole party went off in search of them.

I was not long in discovering that their stay on this coast was occa-_
sioned solely by the density of the mists and the heavy gales that already
gave intimation of the approaching close of the summer ; for whenever
the weather cleared.up a little, thousands of them set off and steered in
.a straight course across,the broad Gulf of St Lawrence. On the con-
_trary, when the wind was high, and the fogs thick, they flew swiftly and
low over the rocky surface of the country, as if bewildered. Wherever
‘there was a spot that seemed likely to afford a supply of food, there the
Curlews abounded, and were easily approached. By the 12th of August,
however, they ‘had all left the country.

In Labrador they feed on what. the fishermen call the Curlew berry,

a small black fruit growing on.a creeping shrub, not more than an inch
or two in height, and.so abundant, that patches of several acres covered
the rocks here and there. When the birds were in search of these feed-
ing-grounds, they flew in close masses, sometimes high, at other times
low, but always with remarkable speed, and performing beautiful evolu-
tions inthe air. The appearance of man did not seem to intimidate them,
for they would alight so near us, or pass over our heads at so short a dis-
tance, that we easily shot them. While on wing, they emitted an oft re-
peated soft whistling note, but the moment they alighted they became si-
lent. They ran swiftly along, all in the same direction, picking up the
berries in their way; and when pursued, would immediately squat in the
manner of a snipe or partridge, sometimes even laying their neck and head
quite flat on the ground, until-you came within a short distance, when,
at the single whistle of any one.of the flock, they would all immediately.
scream and fly off, rambling about for a while, and not unfrequently re-
alighting on the same spot. Now and then, however, their excursion
would last a long time, they would rise high in the air, make towards the
sea, and, as if aware of the unfavourable state of the weather for pursuing
their southward course, would return.

They continued to arrive at Bras d’Or for several days, in flocks which

seemed to me to increase in number. I saw no Hawks in their rear, and

ESQUIMAUX CURLEW. 71

I was the more astonished at this, that at that period the Pigeon Hawk
and Petit Caporal Hawk were pretty abundant.

They rose from the ground by a single quick spring, in the manner
of a snipe, when they would cut backward, forward, and all around, in a
very curious manner, and would now and then pause in the air, like a
Hawk, remaining stationary for a few moments with their head meeting
the wind, when immediately afterwards they would al] suddenly alight.
In calm and fair weather, they were more shy than at other times.
While on their passage across the Gulf, they flew high in close bodies,
and with their usual speed, by no means in regular lines, nor in any or-
der, but much in the manner of the Migratory Pigeon, now and then
presenting a broad front, and again coming together so as to form a close
body.

Those which we procured were extremely fat and juicy, especially the
young birds, of which we ate a good many. Mr Jones, an old set-
tler of Bras d’Or, and his son, shoot a great number every season, which
they salt for winter food. They informed us that these birds pass over
the same tract about the middle of May, on their way northward, and
that they never found them breeding in their neighbourhood. Little dif-
ference could be observed at that season between the males and females,

or between the old and young birds.

Noumenivs sorEatis, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 712.—Ch. Bonaparte, Amer.
Ornith. vol. iv. p. 26. fig. 3.—Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 314.—
Richardson and Swainson, Fauna Boreali Americana, part ii. p. 378.

Esquimaux Curtew, NumMENIvs BoREALIS, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 101.

Plate CCVIII. Adult Male. Fig. 1.

Bill much longer than the head, very slender, subcylindrical, com-
pressed, slightly arched. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly
arched, the sides, excepting at the base, nearly perpendicular, and marked
with a narrow groove extending more than two-thirds of its length, edges
rather obtuse. Nostrils basal, lateral, longitudinal, elliptical. Lower
mandible with the dorsal line arched, the angle extremely narrow and
extended to near the end, the sides convex, the edges rather obtuse, the
tips obtuse, that of the upper mandible longer.

Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long, slender.
Body slender. Feet of moderate length, slender. Toes small; first very

72 ESQUIMAUX CURLEW.

small, second and fourth about equal, third considerably longer. Claws
small, compressed, blunt, that of middle toe much longer, curved out-
wards, with a sharp dilated inner edge.

Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short.
Wings rather long, very acute, narrow, the first quill longest, the second
a little shorter, the rest regularly and rapidly graduated ; secondaries
short, incurved, rounded, excepting some of the inner, which are greatly
elongated and tapering. Tail short, nearly even, of twelve rounded
feathers. i

Bill brownish-black, the lower mandible flesh-coloured at the base.
Iris dark brown. Feet greyish-blue, claws black. The upper part of
the head is brownish-black, streaked with pale yellowish-brown, and ha-
ving an indistinct central line of the latter. The back is also brownish-
black, marked with numerous spots of light brownish-yellow, there being
several along the margin of each feather. Wing-coverts and secondaries
of a lighter brown, similarly spotted; alula, primary coverts and quills
unspotted, the shafts of most of the latter pale brown, but of the outer
white. Tail pale greyish-brown, with light deep brown bars, and tipped
with brownish-white. Sides of the head, and the neck all round, pale
yellowish-brown, striped with dark brown; breast and sides of the same
tint, with longitudinal and transverse dark markings. Lower wing-coverts
and lower tail-coverts similarly barred ; axillar feathers regularly banded,
and of a deeper tint. Abdomen without markings. Throat and a line
over the eye nearly white.

Length to end of tail 143, to end of wings 147, to end of claws 16 ;
wing from flexure 8}, tail 31; extent of wings 273; bill along the
back 2%, along the edge 23; tarsus 1,°,, middle toe 4}, its claw #3.
Weight 3 Ib.

Adult Female. Plate CCVIII. Fig. 2.

The Female resembles the male, and is scarcely inferior in size.

(738)

WILSON’S PLOVER.
CHARADRIUS WILSONIUS, Orv.

PLATE CCIX. Mate anp FEmaAte.

Reaper, imagine yourself standing motionless on some of the sandy
shores between South Carolina and the extremity of Florida, waiting with
impatience for the return of day ;—or, if you dislike the idea, imagine
me there. The air is warm and pleasant, the smooth sea reflects the
feeble glimmerings of the fading stars, the sound of living thing is not
heard ; nature, universal nature, is at rest. And here am I, inhaling
the grateful sea-air, with eyes intent on the dim distance. See the bright
blaze that issues from the verge of the waters! and now the sun himself
appears, and all is life, or seems to be; for as the influence of the Divi-
nity is to the universe, so is that of the sun to the things of this world.
Far away beyond that treacherous reef, floats a gallant bark, that seems
slumbering on the bosom of the waters like a silvery sea-bird. Gentle
breezes now creep over the ocean, and ruffle its surface into tiny wavelets.
The ship glides along, the fishes leap with joy, and on my ear comes the
well known note of the bird which bears the name of one whom every or-
nithologist must honour. Long have I known the bird myself, and yet
desirous of knowing it better, I have returned to this beach many suc-
cessive seasons for the purpose of observing its ways, examining its nest,
marking the care with which it rears its young, and the attachment which
it manifests to its mate. Well, let the scene vanish! and let me present
you with the results of my observations.

Witson’s Plover ! I love the name because of the respect I bear to-
wards him to whose memory the bird has been dedicated. How pleasing,
I have thought, it would have been to me, to have met with him on such
an excursion, and, after having procured a few of his own birds, to have
listened to him as he would speak of a thousand interesting facts connected
with his favourite science and my ever-pleasing pursuits. How delightful
to have talked, among other things, of the probable use of the double claws
which I have found attached to the toes of the species which goes by his
name, and which are also seen in other groups of shore and sea birds. Per-

haps he might have informed me wh y the claws of some birds are pectinated

74 WILSON’S PLOVER.

on’one toe and not on the rest, and why that toe itself is so cut. But alas!
Witson was with me only a few times, and then nothing worthy of his
attention was procured.

This interesting species, which always looks to me as if in form a
miniature copy of the Black-bellied Plover, is a constant resident in
the southern districts. of the Union. ‘There it breeds, and there too
it spends the winter. Many individuals, no doubt, move farther south,
but great’ numbers are at all times to be met with from Carolina to
the mouths of the Mississippi, and in all these places I have found it
the whole year round. Some go as far to the eastward as Long Island
in the State of New York, where, however, they are considered as rarities;
but beyond this, none, I believe, are seen along our eastern shores.
This circumstance has seemed. the more surprising to me, that its relative
the Piping Plover proceeds as far as the Magdeleine Islands; and that
the latter bird should also breed in the Carolinas a month earlier than
Wixtson’s Plover ever does, seems to me not less astonishing.

Witson’s Plover begins to lay its eggs about the time when the young
of the Piping Plover are running after their parents. ‘Twenty or thirty
yards from the uppermost beat of the waves, on the first of June, or
some day not distant from it, the female may be seen scratching a small
cavity in the shelly sand, in which she deposits four eggs, placing them
carefully with the broad end outermost. The eggs, which measure an
inch anda quarter by seven and a half eighths, are of a dull cream co-
lour, sparingly sprinkled all over with dots of pale purple and spots of
dark brown. 'The eggs vary somewhat in size, and in their ground co-
lour, but less than those of many other species of the genus. The young
follow their parents as soon as they are hatched, and the latter employ
every artifice common to birds of this family, to entice their enemies to
follow them and thus save their offspring.

The flight of this species is rapid, elegant, and protracted. While
travelling from one sand-beach or island to another, they fly low over the
land or water, emitting a fine clear soft note. Now and then, when after
the breeding season they form into flocks of twenty or thirty, they per-
form various evolutions in the air, cutting backwards and forwards, as if
inspecting the spot on which they wish to alight, and then suddenly
descend, sometimes on the sea-beach, and sometimes on the more elevated
sands at a little distance from it. They do not run so nimbly as the Pip-

ing Plovers, nor are they nearly so shy. I have in fact frequently walked

WILSON’S PLOVER. 75

up so as to: be within ten yards or so of them. They seldom mix with
other species, and: they shew a decided preference to solitary uninhabited
spots.

‘Their food consists principally of small marine insects, minute shell-
fish, and sandworms, with which they mix particles of sand. Towards
autumn they become almost silent, and being then very plump, afford de-
licious eating. They feed fully as much by night as by day, and the
large eyes of this as of other species of the genus, seem to fit them for
nocturnal searchings.

The young birds assemble together, and spend the winter months
apart from the old ones, which are easily recognised by their lighter
tints. While in the Floridas, near St Augustine, in the months of De-
cember and January, I found this species much more abundant than any
other ; and there were few of the Keys that had a sandy beach, or a rocky

shore, on which one or more pairs were not observed.

Witson’s Prover, CHaraprius Witxsonius, Wiis. Amer. Ornith. vol. ix. p. 77.
pl. 73. fig. 5.— Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 21.
Cuaraprivus Witsontus, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 296.

Adult Female. Plate CCIX. Fig. 2.
Bill as long as the head, stout, straight, cylindrical, obtuse, and some-

what turgid at the tip. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight
until towards the end, when it is slightly arched and declinate, the sides
convex, the edges sharp and slightly inflected. Nasal groove extending
to about half the length of the bill ; nostrils lateral, linear, direct, in the
lower part of the bare membrane. Lower mandible with the angle
rounded, the dorsal line convex and ascending, the back broad, the sides
convex, the edges inflected.

Head large, a little compressed, the forehead prominent; eyes large.
Neck short. Body rather full. Wings long. Legs rather long, slender ;
tibia bare a little above the joint; tarsus of ordinary length, somewhat
compressed, covered with angular scales; toes small and slender, covered
above with numerous ‘small scutella, first toe wanting, fourth longer than
second, third longest, the two outer connected at the base by a pretty
large web ; claws small, slightly arched, much compressed, obtuse.

Plumage soft and rather blended. Wings long, narrow, primaries

nearly straight, narrow and tapering, the first longest, second a little

76 WILSON’S PLOVER.

shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; outer secondaries very short, inner
elongated so as to extend as far as the second primary. ‘Tail of mode-
rate length, straight, rounded, of twelve feathers.

Bill black. Edges of eyelids grey ; iris reddish-brown. Feet light
flesh-coloured; claws dusky. The general colour of the plumage above
is light brownish-grey. Lower part of forehead and a broad streak over
the eyes white ; throat white, that colour extending narrow behind so as
to form a collar, below which is another of the general tint of the back
across the fore neck. The rest of the lower parts white. Quills and
tail of a deeper greyish-brown, the shafts white, the two lateral tail-fea-
thers whitish.

Length to end of tail ‘7,8; inches, to end of wings 77’, to end of claws
8,5,; extent of wings 144; wing from flexure 5; tail 27; bill along the

back 23, along the edges 1; tarsus 1,%, ; middle toe +4, its claw 7%.
Young Male in winter plumage. Plate CCIX. Fig. 1.

The Adult Male which is represented in Plate 284, is similar in
colouring to the female as described above, but the lore is dusky, the
white band on the forehead is surmounted by one of brownish black, and

there is a half collar of the same colour across the neck in front.

@ 770)

THE LEAST BITTERN.

ARDEA EXILIS, GMEL.
PLATE CCX. Mates, Femae, anp Youne.

One morning while I was at the Cincinnati Museum in the State of
Ohio, a woman came in holding in her apron one of this delicate species
alive, which she said had fallen down the chimney of her house under
night, and which, when she awoke at daybreak, was the first object she
saw, it having perched on one of the bed posts. It was a young bird.
I placed it on the table before me, and drew from it the figure on the
left of my plate. It stood perfectly still for two hours, but on my touch-
ing it with a pencil, after my drawing was done, it flew off and alighted
on the cornice of a window. Replacing it on the table, I took two books
and laid them so as to leave before it a passage of an inch and a half,
through which it walked with ease. Bringing the books nearer each
other, so as to reduce the passage to one inch, I tried the Bittern again,
and again it made its way between them without moving either. When
dead, its body measured two inches and a quarter across, from which it
is apparent that this species, as well as the Gallinules and Rails, is en-
abled to contract its breadth in an extraordinary degree.

While I was in Philadelphia, in September 1832, a gentleman pre-
sented me with a pair of adult birds of this species, alive and in perfect
plumage. They had been caught in a meadow a few miles below the
city, and I kept them alive several days, feeding them on small fish and
thin stripes of pork. They were expert at seizing flies, and swallowed
caterpillars, and other insects. My wife admired them much on account
of their gentle deportment, for although on being tormented, they would
spread their wings, ruffle their feathers, and draw back their head as if
to strike, yet they suffered themselves to be touched by any one without
pecking at his hand. It was amusing to see them continually attempt- |
ing to escape through the windows, climbing with ease from the floor to
the top of the curtain by means of their feet and claws. This feat they
would repeat whenever they were taken down. ‘The experiment of the |
books was tried with them, and succeeded as at Cincinnati. At the ap-

proach of night they became much more lively, walked about the room,

78 LEAST BITTERN.

in a graceful manner with much agility, and generally kept close toge-
ther. I had ample opportunities of studying their natural positions,
and drew both of them in the attitudes exhibited in the plate. I would
gladly have kept them longer; but as I was bound for the south, I had
them killed for the purpose of preserving their skins.

This bird ranges over most part of the United States, but is nowhere
to be found in tolerable abundance excepting about the mouths of the
Mississippi and the Southern portions of the Floridas, especially the
« Ever-glades.” I have met with them to the eastward as far as New
Brunswick, on our large lakes, and in the intermediate portions of the
country, although I have seldom found more than one or two at a time.
In the Floridas and Carolinas they have been known to breed in small com-
munities of four or five pairs. One instance of this was observed by my
friend Dr Horxisecx of Charleston, and Dr Lr1TneEr, another friend of
mine, found them quite abundant in certain portions of the Florida
marshes.

Although the Least Bittern is not unfrequently started in salt marshes,
it gives a decided preference to the borders of ponds, lakes or bayous of
fresh water, and it is in secluded situations of this kind that it usually
forms its nest. ‘This is sometimes placed on the ground, amid the rankest
grasses, but more frequently it is attached to the stems several inches
above it. It is flat, composed of dried or rotten weeds, and in shape re-
sembles that of the Louisiana Heron, although this latter employs no-
thing but sticks. The eggs are three or four, seldom more, of a dull
yellowish-green, without spots, an inch and a quarter in length, almost
equal at both ends.

When the young are yet quite small, their heads are covered with large
tufts of reddish down, their bill is very short, and they sit on their rump
with their legs extended on each side before their body, in the manner of
young Herons. If disturbed when about two weeks old, they leave the nest
and scramble through the grass with celerity, clinging to the blades with
their sharp claws whenever this is necessary. At a later period they
seem to await the coming of their parents with impatience; and if no
noise is made, you may hear them calling continually in a low croaking
voice for half an hour at a time. As soon as they are able to fly, they
not unfrequently alight on the branches of trees to escape from their va-
rious enemies, such as minxes and water snakes, the latter of which de-

stroy a good number of them.

LEAST BITTERN. 79

In two instances, I found the nests of the Least Bittern about three
feet above the ground, in a thick cluster of smilax and other briary plants.
In the first, two nests were placed in the same bush, within a few yards of
each other. In the other instance there was only one nest of this bird,
but several of the Boat-tailed Grakle, and one of the Green Heron, the
occupants of all of which seemed to be on friendly terms. When startled
from the nest, the old birds emit a few notes resembling the syllable qua,
alight a few yards off, and watch all your movements. If you go towards
them, you may sometimes take the female with the hand, but rarely the
male, who generally flies off, or makes his way through the woods. Its
ordinary cry, however, is a rough croak resembling that,of the Great Blue
Heron, but much weaker.

The flight of this bird is apparently weak by day, for then it seldom
removes to a greater distance than a hundred yards at a time, and this,
too, only when frightened in a moderate degree, for, if much alarmed, it
falls again among the grass in the manner of the Rail; but in the dusk
of the evening and morning I have seen it passing steadily along, at the
height of fifty years or more, with the neck retracted, and the legs
stretched out behind, in the manner of the larger Herons. On such occa-
sions it uttered, at short intervals, its peculiar cry, and continued its
flight until out of sight. Several individuals were together, and I ima-
gined them to be proceeding in search of breeding-grounds, or on a mi-
gratory expedition. When disturbed by day, they fly with extended
neck and dangling legs, and are easily shot, as their course is generally
direct and their flight slow. When walking, it shoots its head forward
at every step, as if about to thrust its bill into some substance ; and, if
you attempt to lay hold of it when disabled, it is apt to inflict a painful
wound.

The food of this bird consists of snails, slugs, tadpoles, or young
frogs and water-lizards. In several instances, however, I have found
small shrews and field-mice in their stomach. Although more nocturnal
than diurnal, it moves a good deal about by day in search of food. About
noon, being doubtless much fatigued, they are not unfrequently observed
standing erect on one foot, and so soundly asleep as to be easily knocked
down or even caught by the hand, if cautiously approached. ‘This very
remarkable habit of both our species of Bittern has brought upon them
the charge of extreme stupidity, whence the name of Butor given to them
by the Creoles of Louisiana. _Whether or not this term be appropriate

80 -LEAST BITTERN.

to the'case, I leave for you to determine; but, my opinion is, that the
animal truly deserving to be called stupid, yet remains to be discovered,
and that the quality designated by that epithet occurs nowhere else than
among the individuals of that species which so thoughtlessly applies the

opprobrium.

ARDEA EXILI3, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 308.
Least Brrrern, AnpEa ExiL1s, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 37. pl. 65. fig. 4.—
Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 66.

Adult Male. Plate CCX. Fig. 1.

Bill longer than the head, slender, straight, tapering to a point, deeper
than broad at the base, compressed towards the end. Upper mandible with
its dorsal line almost straight, the ridge broad and rather rounded at the
base, narrowed towards the end, the sides sloping, the edges very sharp,
the tip acute. Nasal groove long; nostrils basal, linear, longitudinal.
Lower mandible with the angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line
sloping upwards, the sides nearly flat, the edges sharp and inflected, the
tip very acute.

Head oblong, much compressed. Neck long. Body very slender,
much compressed. Feet long, rather robust; tibia nearly entirely fea-
thered ; tarsi covered anteriorly with broad oblique scutella; toes scutel-
late above; hind toe stout, second and fourth nearly equal, third much
longer ; claws long, slender, arched, compressed, acute, that of middle toe
serrated on the inner edge.

Eyelids and a large space before and beneath the eye, bare. Plumage
soft, blended; feathers of the hind head elongated, as are those of the
neck generally, but especially of its lower part anteriorly. Wings short,
broad, rounded, the second quill longest. Tail very short, rounded, of
twelve feathers.

Bill dark olive-brown above, edges of upper mandible and bare fron-
tal space yellow; lower mandible pale yellow, inclining to flesh colour.
Iris yellow. Feet dull greenish-yellow, claws brown. Upper part of the
head, and the back, greenish-black and glossy; sides of the head and
hind part of neck, brownish-red or light chestnut; wing-coverts pale ~
greyish-brown, quills purplish-grey, tipped with yellowish-brown, the in-
ner secondaries broadly margined with light chestnut, of which colour
also are the secondary coverts and the edge of the wing at the flexure ;

LEAST BITTERN. 81

the tail greenish-black. The throat and fore neck are reddish-white ; the
rest of the lower parts are of the same colour, excepting the fore part of
the breast, which is blackish-brown, the feathers tipped with reddish-yel-
low, and the outer tibial feathers, which are reddish. In younger indi-
viduals the fore neck is more or less spotted with light brown, as was the
case with that represented ; but in old birds that part is unspotted.
Length to end of tail 133 inches, to end of claws 16; to end of wings
12,4; extent of wings 173; wing from flexure 5}; tail 143; bill along
the ridge 12, along the edge of lower mandible 23; tarsus 1,8,; middle

toe 11, its claw 34. Weight 42 oz.

Adult Female. Plate CCX. Fig. 2.

The Female is smaller, and differs considerably from the male iy
colour. The bare parts and iris are the same. ‘The upper part of the
head is reddish-brown, with a tinge of green; the back and scapulars are
dark chestnut, and there is a line of yellowish-white along each side of
the back, formed by the outer edges of the feathers. The rump is darker,
the tail bluish-black as in the male. In other respects the colouring is
similar, but the feathers of the fore neck and sides have each a narrow
central line of dark brown.

Length to end of tail 12 inches; wing from flexure 43 ; tail 12; bill
along the ridge 13, along the edge of lower mandible 2,4; tarsus 11;
middle toe 1,%,, its claw ;4. Weight 32 oz.

Young in first plumage. Plate CCX. Fig. 3.

The young has the bill, eyes and feet, nearly of the same tints as the
old ; but the upper parts of the plumage are generally of a light brownish-
red, variegated with brownish-yellow ; the primary quills and tail black.

I have lately received a letter from my friend Joun Bacumay, stat-
ing that he had found this species breeding in considerable numbers on
the plantation of James H. Suiru, Esq. six miles east of Charleston,
where he procured specimens both of the birds and of their eggs. Mr
Smrru’s sons had killed, in the course of a couple of weeks, not less than
fourteen of these diminutive Herons. He describes the nest as flat, com-
posed of pieces of dry rushes about a foot in length, and placed ina bunch
of Juncus effusus. The eggs were nearly white with a very light tinge
of blue.

VOL, Ili. F

( & )

THE EGGERS OF LABRADOR.

Tue distinctive appellation of Eggers is given to certain persons who
follow, principally or exclusively, the avocation of procuring the eggs of
wild birds, with the view of disposing of them at some distant port. Their
great object is to plunder every nest, whenever they can find it, no mat-
ter where, and at whatever risk. They are the pest of the feathered
tribes, and their brutal propensity to destroy the poor creatures after they
have robbed them, is abundantly gratified whenever an opportunity pre-
sents itself.

Much had been said to me respecting these destructive pirates before
I visited the coast of Labrador, but I could not entirely credit all their
cruelties until I had actually witnessed their proceedings, which were
such as to inspire no small degree of horror. But you shall judge for
yourself.

See yon shallop shyly sailing along ;—she sneaks like a thief, wishing
as it were to shun the very light of heaven. Under the lea of every rocky
isle some one at the tiller steers her course. Were his trade an honest
one, he would not think of hiding his back behind the terrific rocks that
seem to have been placed there as a resort to the myriads of birds that
annually visit this desolate region of the earth, for the purpose of rearing
their young, at a distance from all disturbers of their peace. How unlike
the open, the bold, the honest mariner, whose face needs no mask, who
scorns to skulk under any circumstances! 'The vessel herself is a shabby
thing :—her sails are patched with stolen pieces of better canvass, the
owners of which have probably been stranded on some inhospitable coast,
and have been plundered, perhaps murdered, by the wretches before us.
Look at her again !—Her sides are neither painted, nor even pitched ; no
—they are daubed over, plastered and patched with stripes of seal-skins,
laid along the seams. Her deck has never been washed or sanded, her
hold—for no cabin has she,—though at present empty, sends forth an
odour pestilential as that of acharnel-house. The crew, eight in number,
lie sleeping at the foot of their tottering mast, regardless of the repairs
needed in every part of her rigging. But see! she scuds along, and as I

EGGERS OF LABRADOR. 83

suspect her crew to be bent on the commission of some evil deed, let us
follow her to the first harbour.

There rides the filthy thing! The afternoon is half over. Her crew
have thrown their boat overboard ; they enter and seat themselves, each
with a rusty gun. One of them skulls the skiff towards an island for a
century past the breeding place of myriads of Guillemots, which are now
to be laid under contribution. At the approach of the vile thieves, clouds
of birds rise from the rock and fill the air around, wheeling and scream-
ing over their enemies. Yet thousands remain in an erect posture, each
covering its single egg, the hope of both parents. The reports of several
muskets loaded with heavy shot are now heard, while several dead and
wounded birds fall heavily on the rock or into the water. Instantly all
the sitting birds rise and fly off affrighted to their companions above, and
hover in dismay over their assassins, who walk forward exultingly, and
with their shouts mingling oaths and execrations. Look at them! See
how they crush the chick within its shell, how they trample on every egg
in their way with their huge and clumsy boots. Onward they go, and
when they leave the isle, not an egg that they can find is left entire. The
dead birds they collect and carry to their boat. Now they have regained
their filthy shallop ; they strip the birds by a single jerk of their feathery
apparel, while the flesh is yet warm, and throw them on some coals, where
in a short time they are broiled. The rum is produced when the guille-
mots are fit for eating, and after stuffing themselves with this oily fare,
and enjoying the pleasure of beastly intoxication, over they tumble on the
deck of their crazed craft, where they pass the short hours of night in
turbid slumber.

The sun now rises above the snow-clad summit of the eastern mount.
“¢ Sweet is the breath of morn” even in this desolate land. The gay Bunt-
ing erects his white crest, and gives utterance to the joy he feels in the
presence of his brooding mate. The Willow Grous on the rock crows
his challenge aloud. ach floweret, chilled by the night air, expands its
pure petals ; the gentle breeze shakes from the blades of grass the heavy
dewdrops. On the Guillemot Isle the birds have again settled, and now re-
new their loves. Startled by the light of day, one of the Eggers springs
on his feet and rouses his companions, who stare around them for a while,
endeavouring to recollect their senses. Mark them, as with clumsy fin-
gers they clear their drowsy eyes! Slowly they rise on their feet. See

FQ

34 EGGERS OF LABRADOR.

how the filthy lubbers stretch out their arms and yawn; you shrink back,
for verily “ that throat might frighten a shark.”

But the master, soon recollecting that so many eggs are worth a dol-
lar or a crown, casts his eye towards the rock, marks the day in his memory,
and gives orders to depart. The light breeze enables them to reach ano-
ther harbour a few miles distant, one which, like the last, lies concealed
from the ocean by some other rocky isle. Arrived there, they re-act the
scene of yesterday, crushing every egg they can find. For a week each
night is passed in drunkenness and brawls, until, having reached the last
breeding place on the coast, they return, touch at every isle in succession,
shoot as many birds as they need, collect the fresh eggs, and lay ina
cargo. At every step each ruffian picks up an egg so beautiful that any
man with a feeling heart would pause to consider the motive which could
induce him to carry it off. But nothing of this sort occurs to the Egger,
who gathers and gathers, until he has swept the rock bare. The dollars
alone chink in his sordid mind, and he assiduously plies the trade which
no man would ply who had the talents and industry to procure subsist-
ence by honourable means.

With a bark nearly half filled with fresh eggs they proceed to the
principal rock, that on which they first landed. But what is their sur-
prise when they find others there helping themselves as industriously as
they can! In boiling rage they charge their guns, and ply their oars.
Landing on the rock, they run up to the Eggers, who, like themselves, are
desperadoes. The first question is a discharge of musketry, the answer
another. Now, man to man, they fight like tigers. One is carried to his
boat with a fractured skull, another limps with a shot in his leg, and a
third feels how many of his teeth have been driven through the hole in
his cheek. At last, however, the quarrel is settled; the booty is to be
equally divided ; and now see them all drinking together. Oaths and
curses and filthy jokes are all that you hear; but see, stuffed with food,
and reeling with drink, down they drop one by one; groans and execra-
tions from the wounded mingle with the snorings of the heavy sleepers.
There let the brutes lie.

Again it is dawn, but no one stirs. The sun is high ; one by one
they open their heavy eyes, stretch their limbs, yawn, and raise themselves
from the deck. But see, here comes a goodly company. A hundred.

honest fishermen, who for months past have fed on salt meat, have felt a

EGGERS OF LABRADOR. 85

desire to procure some eggs. Gallantly their boats advance, impelled by
the regular pull of their long oars. Each buoyant bark displays the flag
of its nation. No weapons do they bring, nor any thing that can be used
as such save their oars and fists. Cleanly clad in Sunday attire, they ar-
rive at the desired spot, and at once prepare to ascend the rock. The
Eggers, now numbering a dozen, all armed with guns and bludgeons, bid
defiance to the fishermen. A few angry words pass between the parties.
One of the Eggers, still under the influence of drink, pulls his trigger, and
an unfortunate sailor is seen to reel in agony. Three loud cheers fill the
air. All at once rush on the malefactors; a horrid fight ensues, the re-
sult of which is, that every Egger is left on the rock beaten and_ bruised.
Too frequently the fishermen man their boats, row to the shallops, and
break every egg in the hold.

The Eggers of Labrador not only rob the birds in this cruel manner,
but also the fishermen, whenever they can find an opportunity ; and the
quarrels they excite are numberless. While we were on the coast, none
of our party ever ventured on any of the islands which these wretches
call their own, without being well provided with means of defence. On
one occasion, when I was present, we found two Eggers at their work of
destruction. I spoke to them respecting my visit, and offered them pre-
miums for rare birds and some of their eggs; but although they made
fair promises, not one of the gang ever came near the Ripley.

These people gather all the eider down they can find; yet so incon-
siderate are they, that they kill every bird that comes in their way. The
egos of Gulls, Guillemots, and Ducks are searched for with care ; and the
Puffins and some other birds they massacre in vast numbers for the sake
of their feathers. So constant and persevering are their depredations,
that these species, which, according to the accounts of the few settlers T
saw in the country, were exceedingly abundant twenty years ago, have
abandoned their ancient breeding places, and removed much farther north
in search of peaceful security. Scarcely, in fact, could I procure a young
Guillemot before the Eggers had left the coast, nor was it until late in J uly
that I succeeded, after the birds had laid three or four eggs each, instead
of one, and when nature having been exhausted, and the season nearly
spent, thousands of these birds left the country without having accom-
plished the purpose for which they had visited it. This war of exter-
mination cannot last many years more. The Eggers themselves will be

the first to repent the entire disappearance of the myriads of birds that

86 EGGERS OF LABRADOR.

made the coast of Labrador their summer residence, and unless they
follow the persecuted tribes to the northward, they must renounce their
trade.

Had not the British Government long since passed strict laws against
these ruthless and worthless vagabonds, and laid a heavy penalty on all
of them that might be caught in the act of landing their cargoes in New-
foundland or Nova Scotia, 1 might

nee}

THE GREAT BLUE HERON.

ARDEA HeErop1i4s, Linn,

PLATE CCXI. Mate.

Tue State of Louisiana has always been my favourite portion of the
Union, although Kentucky and some other States have divided my affec-
tions; but as we are on the banks of the fair Ohio, let us pause a while,
good Reader, and watch the Heron. In my estimation, few of our waders
are more interesting than the birds of this family. Their contours and
movements are always graceful, if not elegant. Look on the one that
stands near the margin of the pure stream :—see his reflection dipping
as it were into the smooth water, the bottom of which it might reach
had it not to contend with the numerous boughs of those magnificent
trees. How calm, how silent, how grand is the scene! The tread of the
tall bird himself no one hears, so carefully does he place his foot on the
moist ground, cautiously suspending it for a while at each step of his pro-
gress. Now his golden eye glances over the surrounding objects, in sur-
veying which he takes advantage of the full stretch of his graceful neck.
Satisfied that no danger is near, he lays his head on his shoulders, allows
the feathers of his breast to droop, and patiently awaits the approach of
his finned prey. You might imagine what you see to be the statue of a
bird, so motionless is it. But now, he moves; he has taken a silent step,
and with great care he advances ; slowly does he raise his head from his
shoulders, and now, what a sudden start! his. formidable bill has trans-
fixed a perch, which he beats to death on the ground. See with what
difficulty he gulps it down his capacious throat ! and now his broad wings
open, and away he slowly flies to another station, or perhaps to avoid his
unwelcome observers.

The “ Blue Crane” (by which name this species is generally known
in the United States) is met with in every part of the Union. Although
more abundant in the low lands of our Atlantic coast, it is not uncom-
mon in the countries west of the Alleghany Mountains. I have found it
in every State in which I have travelled, as well as in all our “ Terri-
tories.” It is well known from Louisiana to Maine, but seldom occurs
farther east than Prince Edward’s Island in the Gulf of St Lawrence,

88 GREAT BLUE HERON.

and not a Heron of any kind did I see or hear of in Newfoundland or
Labrador. Westward, I believe, it reaches to the very bases of the Rocky
Mountains. It is a hardy bird, and bears the extremes of temperature
surprisingly, being in its tribe what the Passenger Pigeon is in the family
of Doves. During the coldest part of winter the Blue Heron is observed
in the State of Massachusetts and in Maine, spending its time in search
of prey about the warm springs and ponds which occur there in certain
districts. They are not rare in the Middle States, but more plentiful to
the west and south of Pennsylvania, which perhaps arises from the inces-
sant war waged against them.

Extremely suspicious and shy, this bird is ever on the look-out. Its
sight is as acute as that of any falcon, and it can hear at a considerable
distance, so that it is enabled to mark with precision the different objects
it sees, and to judge with accuracy of the sounds which it hears. Unless
under very favourable circumstances, it is almost hopeless to attempt to
approach it. You may now and then surprise one feeding under the
bank of a deep creek or bayou, or obtain a shot as he passes unawares
over you on wing ; but to walk up towards one would be a fruitless ad-
venture. I have seen many so wary, that, on seeing a man at any distance
within half a mile, they would take to wing; and the report of a gun
forces one off his grounds from a distance at which you would think he
could not be alarmed. When in close woods, however, and perched on
a tree, they can be approached with a good chance of success.

The Blue Heron feeds at all hours of the day, as well as in the dark
and dawn, and even under night, when the weather is clear, his appetite
alone determining his actions in this respect ; but I am certain that when
disturbed during dark nights it feels bewildered, and alights as soon as
possible. When passing from one part of the country to another at a dis-
tance, the case is different, and on such occasions they fly under night at
a considerable height above the trees, continuing their movements in a
regular manner.

The commencement of the breeding season varies, according to the
latitude, from the beginning of March to the middle of June. In the Flo-
ridas it takes place about the first of these periods, in the Middle Dis-
tricts about the 15th of May, and in Maine a month later. It is at the
approach of this period only that these birds associate in pairs, they being
generally quite solitary at all other times; nay, excepting during the

breeding season, each individual seems to secure for itself a certain dis-

GREAT BLUE HERON. 89

trict as a feeding ground, giving chase to every intruder of its own spe-
cies. At such times they also repose singly, for the most part roosting
on trees, although sometimes taking their station on the ground, in the
midst of a wide marsh, so that they may be secure from the approach of
man. ‘This unsocial temper probably arises from the desire of securing
a certain abundance of food, of which each individual in fact requires a
large quantity.

The manners of this Heron are exceedingly interesting at the approach
of the breeding season, when the males begin to look for partners. About
sunrise you see a number arrive and alight either on the margin of a broad
sand-bar or ona savannah. They come from different quarters, one after
another, for several hours; and when you see forty or fifty before you, it
is difficult for you to imagine that half the number could have resided
in the same district. Yet in the Floridas I have seen hundreds thus col-
lected in the course of a morning. They are now in their full beauty,
and no young birds seem to be among them. The males walk about with
an air of great dignity, bidding defiance to their rivals, and the females
croak to invite the males to pay their addresses to them. The females
utter their coaxing notes all at once, and as each male evinces an equal
desire to please the object of his affection, he has to encounter the enmity
of many an adversary, who, with little attention to politeness, opens’ his
powerful bill, throws out his wings, and rushes with fury on his foe.
Each attack is carefully guarded against, blows are exchanged for blows ;
one would think that a single well-aimed thrust might suffice to inflict
death, but the strokes are parried with as much art as an expert swords-
man would employ; and, although I have watched these birds for half
an hour at a time as they fought on the ground, I never saw one killed
on such an occasion ; but I have often seen one felled and trampled upon,
even after incubation had commenced. These combats over, the males
and females leave the place in pairs. They are now mated for the sea-
son, at least I am inclined to think so, as I never saw them assemble
twice on the same ground, and they become comparatively peaceable after
pairing.

It is by no means a constant practice with this species to breed in
communities, whether large or small; for although I have seen many
such associations, I have also found many pairs breeding apart. Nor do
they at all times make choice of the trees placed in the interior of a swamp,

for I have found heronries in the pine-barrens of the Floridas, more than

<

90 GREAT BLUE HERON.

ten miles from any marsh, pond, or river. I have also observed nests on
the tops of the tallest trees, while others were only a few feet above the
ground : some also I have seen on the ground itself, and many on cac-
tuses. In the Carolinas, where Herons of all sorts are extremely abun-
dant, perhaps as much so as in the lower parts of Louisiana or the Flori-
das, on account of the numerous reservoirs connected with the rice plan-
tations, and the still more numerous ditches which intersect the rice-fields,
all of which contain fish of various sorts, these birds find it easy to pro-
cure food in great abundance. There the Blue Herons breed in con-
siderable numbers, and ‘if the place they have chosen be over a swamp,
few situations can be conceived more likely to ensure their safety, for one
seldom ventures into those dismal retreats at the time when these birds
breed, the effluvia being extremely injurious to health, besides the diffi-
culties to be overcome in making one’s way to them.

Imagine, if you can, an area of some hundred acres, overgrown with
huge cypress trees, the trunks of which, rising to a height of perhaps fifty
feet before they send off a branch, spring from the midst of the dark
muddy waters. Their broad tops, placed close together with interlaced
branches, seem intent on separating the heavens from the earth. Beneath
their dark canopy scarcely a single sunbeam ever makes its way; the
mire is covered with fallen logs, on which grow matted grasses and lichens,
and the deeper parts with nymphez and other aquatic plants. The
Congo snake and water-moccasin glide before you as they seek to elude
your sight, hundreds of turtles drop, as if shot, from the floating trunks
of the fallen trees, from which also the sullen alligator plunges into the
dismal pool. The air is pregnant with pestilence, but alive with musqui-
toes and other insects. The croaking of the frogs, joined with the hoarse
cries of the Anhingas and the screams of the Herons, forms fit music for
such a scene. Standing knee-deep in the mire, you discharge your gun
at one of the numerous birds that are breeding high over head, when im-
mediately such a deafening noise arises, that, if you have a companion
with you, it were quite useless to speak to him. The frightened birds
cross each other confusedly in their flight; the young attempting to se-
cure themselves, some of them lose their hold, and fall into the water with
a splash ; a shower of leaflets whirls downwards from the tree-tops, and
you are glad to make your retreat from such a place. Should you wish
to shoot Herons, you may stand, fire, and pick up your game as long as

you please; you may obtain several species, too, for not only does the

GREAT BLUE HERON. 91

Great Blue Heron breed there, but the White, and sometimes the Night
Heron, as well as the Anhinga, and to such places they return year after
year, unless they have been cruelly disturbed.

The nest of the Blue Heron, in whatever situation it may be placed,
is large and flat, externally composed of dry sticks, and matted with
weeds and mosses to a considerable thickness. When the trees are large
and convenient, you may see several nests on the same tree. The full
complement of eggs which these birds lay is three, and in no instance
have I found more. Indeed, this is constantly the case with all the large
species with which I am acquainted, from Ardea caerulea to Ardea occi-
dentalis ; but the smaller species lay more as they diminish in size, the
Louisiana Heron having frequently four, and the Green Heron five, and
even sometimes six. Those of the Great Blue Heron are very small
compared with the size of the bird, measuring only two and a half inches
by one and seven-twelfths; they are of a dull bluish-white, without spots,
rather rough, and of a regular oval form.

The male and the female sit alternately, receiving food from each
other, their mutual affection being as great as it is towards their young,
which they provide for so abundantly, that it is not uncommon to find
the nest containing a quantity of fish and other food, some fresh, and
some in various stages of putrefaction. As the young advance they are less
frequently fed, although still as copiously supplied whenever opportunity
offers ; but now and then I have observed them, when the nests were low,
standing on their haunches, with their legs spread widely before them,
and calling for food in vain. The quantity which they require is now so
great that all the exertions of the old birds appear at times to be insufli-
cient to satisfy their voracious appetite; and they do not provide for
themselves until fully able to fly, when their parents chase them off, and
force them to shift as they can. They are generally in good condition
when they leave the nest ; but from want of experience they find it dif-
ficult to procure as much food as they have been accustomed to, and soon
become poor. Young birds from the nest afford tolerable eating ; but the
flesh of the old birds is by no means to my taste, nor so good as some epi-
cures would have us to believe, and I would at any time prefer that of a
Crow or young Eagle.

The principal food of the Great Blue Heron is fish of all kinds; but
it also devours frogs, lizards, snakes, and birds, as well as small quadru-

peds, such as shrews, meadow-mice, and young rats, all of which I have

92 GREAT BLUE HERON.

found in its stomach. Aquatic insects are equally welcome to it, and it
is an expert flycatcher, striking at moths, butterflies, and libellule, whe-
ther on the wing or when alighted. It destroys a great number of young
Marsh-Hens, Rails, and other birds ; but I never saw one catch a fiddler or
a crab; and the only seeds that I have found in its stomach were those
of the great water-lily of the Southern States. It always strikes its prey
through the body, and as near the head as possible. When the animal is
strong and active, it kills it by beating it against the ground or a rock,
after which it swallows it entire. While on the St John’s River in East
Florida, I shot cne of these birds, and on opening it on board, found
in its stomach a fine perch quite fresh, but of which the head had been
cut off. The fish, when cooked, I found excellent, as did Lieutenant
Prercy and my assistant Mr Warp, but Mr Leesman would not so
much as taste it. When on a visit to my friend Joun Butow, I was in-
formed ‘by him, that although he had several times imported gold fishes
from New York, with the view of breeding them in a pond, through
which ran a fine streamlet, and which was surrounded by a wall, they
all disappeared in a few days after they were let loose. Suspecting the
Heron to be the depredator, I desired him to watch the place carefully
with a gun; which was done, and the result was, that he shot a superb
specimen of the present species, in which was found the last gold fish that
remained.

In the wild state it never, I believe, eats dead fish of any sort, or in-
deed any other food than that killed by itself. Now and then it strikes
at a fish so large and strong as to endanger its own life; and I once saw
one on the Florida coast, that, after striking a fish, when standing in the
water to the full length of its legs, was dragged along for several yards,
now on the surface, and again beneath. When, after a severe struggle,
the Heron disengaged itself, it appeared quite overcome, and stood still
near the shore, his head turned from the sea, as if afraid to try another
such experiment. The number of fishes, measuring five or six inches,
which one of these birds devours in a day, is surprising: Some which I
kept on board the Marion would swallow, in the space of half an hour,
a bucketful of young mullets; and when fed on the flesh of green turtles,
they would eat several pounds at a meal. I have no doubt that, in fa-
vourable circumstances, one of them could devour several hundreds of
small fishes in a day. A Heron that was caught alive on one of the Flo-

rida keys, near Key West, looked so emaciated when it came on board,

GREAT BLUE HERON. | 93

that I had it killed to discover the cause of its miserable condition. It
was an adult female that had bred that spring; her belly was in a state of
mortification, and on opening her, we found the head of a fish measuring
several inches, which, in an undigested state, had lodged among the en-
trails of the poor bird. How long it had suffered could only be guessed,
but this undoubtedly was the cause of the miserable state in which it was
found.

I took a pair of young Herons of this species to Charleston. They
were nearly able to fly when caught, and were standing erect a few yards
from the nest, in which lay a putrid one that seemed to have been tram-
pled to death by the rest. They offered little resistance, but grunted
with a rough uncouth voice. I had them placed in a large coop, contain-
ing four individuals of the Ardea occidentalis, who immediately attacked
the new-comers in the most violent manner, so that I was obliged to turn
them loose on the deck. I had frequently observed the great antipathy
evinced by the majestic white species towards the blue in the wild state,
but was surprised to find it equally strong in young birds which had
never seen one, and were at that period smaller than the others. All
my endeavours to remove their dislike were unavailing, for when placed
in a large yard, the White Herons attacked the Blue, and kept them com-
pletely under. The latter became much tamer, and were more attach-
ed to each other. Whenever a piece of turtle was thrown to them, it was
dexterously caught in the air and gobbled up im an instant, and as they
became more familiar, they ate bits of biscuit, cheese, and even rhinds of
bacon.

When wounded, the Great Blue Heron immediately prepares for de-
fence, and woe to the man or dog who incautiously comes within reach
of its powerful bill, for that instant he is sure to receive a severe wound,
and the risk is so much the greater that birds of this species commonly
aim at the eye. If beaten witha pole or long stick, they throw themselves
on their back, cry aloud, and strike with their bill and claws with great
force. I have shot some on trees, which, although quite dead, clung by
their claws for a considerable time before they fell. I have also seen the
Blue Heron giving chase to a Fish Hawk, whilst the latter was pursuing
its way through the air towards a place where it could feed on the fish
which it bore in its talons. The Heron soon overtook the Hawk, and at

the very first lounge made by it, the latter dropped its quarry, when the

94 GREAT BLUE HERON.

Heron sailed slowly towards the ground, where it no doubt found the
fish. On one occasion of this kind, the Hawk dropped the fish in the
water, when the Heron, as if vexed that it was lost to him, continued to
harass the Hawk, and forced it into the woods.

The flight of the Great Blue Heron is even, powerful, and capable of
being protracted to a great distance. On rising from the ground or on
leaving its perch, it goes off in silence with extended neck and dangling
legs, for eight or ten yards, after which it draws back its neck, extends
its feet in a straight line behind, and with easy and measured flappings
continues its course, at times flying low over the marshes, and again, as if
suspecting danger, at a considerable height over the land or the forest.
It removes from one pond or creek, or even from one marsh to another,
ina direct manner, deviating only on apprehending danger. When about
to alight, it now and then sails in a circular direction, and when near the
spot it extends its legs, and keeps its wings stretched out until it has ef-
fected a footing. 'The same method is employed when it alights on a
tree, where, however, it does not appear to be as much at its ease as on the
ground. When suddenly surprised by an enemy, it utters several loud
discordant notes, and mutes the moment it flies off.

This species takes three years in attaining maturity, and even after
that period it still increases in size and weight. When just hatched they
have a very uncouth appearance, the legs and neck being very long, as
well as the bill. By the end of a-week the head and neck are sparingly
covered with long tufts of silky down, of a dark grey colour, and the
body exhibits young feathers, the quills large with soft blue sheaths.
The tibio-tarsal joints appear monstrous, and at this period the bones of
the leg are so soft, that one may bend them to a considerable extent with-
out breaking them. At the end of four weeks, the body and wings are
well covered with feathers of a dark slate colour, broadly margined with
ferruginous, the latter colour shewing plainly on the thighs and the flexure
of the wing ;_ the bill has grown wonderfully, the legs would not now easily
break, and the birds are able to stand erect on the nest or on the objects
near it. They are now seldom fed oftener than once a-day, as if their
parents were intent on teaching them that abstinence without which it
would often be difficult for them to subsist in their after life. At the
age of six or seven weeks they fly off, and at once go in search of food,
each by itself.

GREAT BLUE HERON. 95

In the following spring, at which time they have grown much, the
elongated feathers of the breast and shoulders are seen, the males shew
the commencement of the pendent crest, and the top of the head has be-
come white. None breed at this age, in so far as I have been able to ob-
serve. The second spring, they have a handsome appearance, the up-
per parts have become light, the black and white marks are much purer,
and some have the crest three or four inches in length. Some breed
at this age. The third spring, the Great Blue Heron is as represented
in the plate.

‘The males are somewhat larger than the females, but there is very
little difference between the sexes in external appearance. This species
moults in the Southern States about the beginning of May, or as soon as
the young are hatched, and one month after the pendent crest is dropped,
and much of the beauty of the bird is gone for the season. The weight
of a full grown Heron of this kind, when it is in good condition, is about
eight pounds ; but this varies very much according to circumstances, and
I have found some having all the appearance of old birds that did not
exceed six pounds. The stomach consists of a long bag, thinly covered
by a muscular coat, and is capable of containing several fishes at a time.
The intestine-is not thicker than the quill of a swan, and measures from
eight and a half to nine feet in length.

Anpea Henopras, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 237.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 692.
—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. p. 304.

Great Heron, Arpea HEropias, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 106. pl. 61.
Fig. 1.— Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 42.

Adult Male in spring. Plate CCXI.

Bill much longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering to a
point, the mandibles nearly equal; upper mandible with the dorsal line
nearly straight, the ridge broadly convex at the base, narrowed towards
the end, a groove from the base to near the tip, beneath which the sides
are convex, the edges extremely thin and sharp, towards the end broken
into irregular serratures, the tip acute. Lower mandible with the angle
extremely narrow and elongated, the dorsal line beyond it ascending, and
slightly curved, the ridge convex, the sides flattish and ascending, the
edges as in the upper, the tip acuminate. Nostrils basal, linear, lon-
gitudinal, with a membrane above and behind.

96 GREAT BLUE HERON.

Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and
slender. Body slender and compressed; wings large. Feet very long ;
tibia elongated, its lower half bare, very slender, covered all round with
hexagonal scales; tarsus elongated, thicker than the lower part of the
tibia, compressed, covered anteriorly with large scutella, excepting at the
two extremities, where it is scaly, the sides and hind part with angular
scales. ‘Toes of moderate length, rather slender, scutellate above, reti-
cularly granulate beneath, third toe much longer than second and fourth,
which are nearly equal, first shorter, but strong ; claws of moderate size,
strong, compressed, arched, rather acute, the thin inner edge of that of
the third toe finely serrated.

Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare, as is
the lower half of the tibia. Plumage soft, generally loose. Feathers of
the upper part of the head long, tapering, decurved, two of them ex-
tremely elongated ; of the back long and loose, of the rump soft and
downy ; scapulars with extremely long slender rather compact points.
Feathers of the fore neck much elongated and extremely slender, of the
sides of the breast anteriorly very large, curved and loose; of the fore-
part of the breast narrower and elongated, as they are generally on the
rest of the lower surface; on the tibia short. Wings, large, rounded ;
primaries curved, strong, broad, tapering towards the end, the outer cut
out on both margins, second and third longest ; secondaries very large,
broad and rounded, extending beyond the primaries when the wing is
closed. Tail of moderate length, rounded, of twelve rather broad, rounded
feathers.

Bill yellow, dusky green above, loral and orbital spaces light green.
Iris bright yellow. Feet olivaceous, paler above the tibio-tarsal joints ;
claws black. Forehead pure white; the rest of the elongated feathers
bluish-black ; throat white, neck pale purplish-brown, the elongated fea~
thers beneath greyish-white, part of their inner webs purplish-blue. Up-
per parts in general light greyish-blue, the elongated tips of the scapulars
greyish-white, the edge of the wing, some feathers at the base of the
fore neck, and the tibial feathers, brownish-orange. The two tufts of
large curved feathers on the fore part of the breast bluish-black, some of
them with a central stripe of white. Lower surface of the wings and the
sides light greyish-blue; elongated feathers of the breast white, their in-
ner edge black, of the abdomen chiefly black ; lower tail-coverts white,
some of them with an oblique mark of black near the tip.

GREAT BLUE HERON. 97

Length to end of tail 48 inches, to end of claws 63 inches, extent of
wings 72; bill 54, gape 7,4, ; tarsus 63, middle toe and claw 5, hind toe
and claw 24, naked part of tibia 4; wings from flexure 20; tail 7.

The Female, when in full plumage, is precisely similar to the Male.

On Prince Edward’s Island, in the Gulf of St Lawrence, there is
a fine breeding-place of the Great Blue Heron, which is probably the
most northern on the Atlantic coast of North America. The birds there
are more shy than they usually are at the period of breeding, and in the
most cowardly manner abandon their young to the mercy of every in-
truder. A friend of mine who visited this place for the purpose of pro-
curing adult birds in their best plumage, to add to his already extensive
collection, found it extremely difficult to obtain his object, until he at
length thought of covering himself with the hide of an ox, under the dis-
guise of which he readily got within shot of the birds, which were com-
pletely deceived by the stratagem.

VOL. IIt. G

( 9)

THE COMMON AMERICAN GULL
LARUS ZONORHYNCHUS, RICHARDSON.

PLATE CCXII. Apurtt Mats, anp Younec IN WINTER.

No country can afford greater facilities for the migration of water-
birds than the United States of America. Even the Gulls are enabled to
traverse their whole extent from north to south, and in the contrary di-
rection, without suffering from want of food or of proper resting places.
The Gull that has been bred in Labrador, or still farther north, can reach
the Gulf of Mexico without being seriously incommoded by the storms that
now and then rage along the Atlantic coast.. The broad waters of the St
Lawrence leads it to our great lakes, from which hundreds of streams
conduct it to the head waters of the Ohio or the Mississippi, by follow-
ing the windings of which it at length arrives in the warm regions of the
Mexican Gulf, on whose waters the traveller can spend the winter. That
these advantages are embraced by many species of Gull, there can be no
doubt; and should you, as I have done, repeatedly visit our broad lakes,
or the great rivers just mentioned, you would find there, at particular
seasons, not only this species, but several others, as well as various kinds
of Terns, but none of the genus Lestris. Lake Erie supplies with food
the Larus marinus, L. argentatus, L. atricilla, and some others, as
well as the Great, the Arctic, the Roseate, and the Black Terns, all of
which passat times over to the Ohio, and from thence to the ocean.
During these inland movements, the birds seem to be peculiarly attract-
ed by certain places, at which they remain for a while. Thus, at the
Falls of the Ohio, some species remain for weeks, and wherever much
shipping occurs on that river or the Mississippi, Gulls are sure to be seen
gleaning the garbage that has been thrown overboard, or seizing such
fishes as rise incautiously to the surface of the water. In the months of
September and October, Gulls and Terns might almost be said to abound
on our great streams, and many return thither during the spring months
on their way northward. Nay, to some species of Tern, the beautiful
sand-bars and rocky beaches that occur here and there, are so attractive as
to induce a few to remain and breed there. This is especially the case

with the Black Terns, some of which rear their young by the rapids of

COMMON AMERICAN GULL. 99

the Ohio below Louisville, amidst the roaring sounds of which may be
heard their shrill and continued cries.

You must not suppose, however, that all the Gulls which migrate in
that country take the same route; for thousands follow the sinuosities of
our Atlantic coast, some of them perhaps proceeding as far south in that
direction as those which follow our rivers. My opinion is, that the feebler
individuals of the different species follow the inland route, while the older
and more hardy birds keep along the shores of the ocean. The examina-
tion of numerous specimens on both of these extensive tracks has almost
rendered this a matter of certainty, yet I should be much pleased to find
this opinion corroborated by the observations of any other student of
nature.

While on the coast of Florida, in the winter of 1832-33, I every day
saw Gulls of many species, but among them all were no adult birds, with
the exception of the Black-headed Gull of Wi1son, which was very
abundant. This greatly tended to strengthen my opinion, that the young
gulls are of more delicate constitution than their parents, which are better
enabled to stand the rigours of the winter in the Middle States, where
they are found equally abundant at that season. For similar reasons, I
also feel assured that the oldest birds are those which go farthest north to
breed, and that the older and stronger individuals are larger, with more
purely tinted plumage, and with the colours of their legs, feet and bills,
as well as of the circle around the eye, more vivid, than those which, al-
though found breeding, yet have not acquired their full maturity. In
consequence of these circumstances, some species have been described as
forming several, and the great difference between the plumage of the young
and the old birds has led to similar errors.

Our Common Gull is seldom seen in the adult plumage of winter be-
yond the shores of Maryland southward, or in full summer plumage be-
yond the Bay of New York, and this rarely after the middle of April,
as at that period they gather into flocks, and remove farther north to
breed. The places to which this species resorts for that purpose, and
which I have visited, are several islands between Boston and Eastport,
another close to Grand Manan at the entrance of the Bay of Fundy, the
great Gannet Rock of the Gulf of St Lawrence, and certain rocky isles
in the deep bays on the coast of Labrador.

This species, although one of those most abundant on our coast, is so
well acquainted with the artifices of man, that it keeps more than others

«2

100 COMMON AMERICAN GULL.

beyond the reach of the gun. While in our harbours or rivers it sails at
a moderate height, sometimes mingling with the Silvery Gull, or even
with the Great Black-backed. Its movements are graceful and easy, and
it floats as it were in the air, whether proceeding in a direct line, or in
irregular curves, when, suddenly checking its speed, it partially closes its
wings, and descends with rapidity in a spiral manner. As it approaches
the water, it allows its legs to hang, opens its bill, and while seizing its
food, raises its wings erect and flaps them quickly to support its body.
Now with loaded bill it sweeps off to some distance, alights, and devours
its prey.

When in pursuit of a shoal of small fish, it assembles in flocks, keeps
up a constant yelping noise, dips every instant among the fry, and conti-
nues to feed until so gorged as to be unable to fly. Alighting in groups,
they float with great buoyancy, and it is pleasant to see them rising and
falling alternately on the waves of a moderately agitated sea, the snowy
whiteness of their under parts contrasting with the deep green water, and
their elongated wings extending beyond the tail, giving the appearance
of lightness and agility to their form.

The flight of this species is light and long sustained, and the cireum-
stance of birds of this genus being able to find food almost anywhere, in-
duces them at times to proceed far out to sea; and I have now and then
been gratified by the sudden appearance of several birds of the present
species to the lee of the ship, on whose deck I was with impatience
watching for the sight of land. The winged pilgrims would no sooner
come up than they also would express their pleasure by their cries, espe-
cially when they received from the passengers bits of bread or such gar-
bage as might be at hand. Once fed, they would fly about us the whole
day, and sometimes would be seen the next; and then perhaps all at
once, as if made aware of the existence of land in a particular direction,
they would fly off, and we would see no more of them.

When spring has fairly commenced, our Common Gulls assemble in
parties of hundreds, and alight on mud flats or sandy beaches, in our
eastern estuaries and bays. For a while they regularly resort to these
places, which to the Gulls are what the scratching or tooting grounds are
. tothe Pinnated Grous. The male Gulls, however, although somewhat pug-
nacious, are not very inveterate in their quarrels, making up by clamour
for the deficiency of prowess in their tournaments. The males bow to
the females with swollen throats, and walk round them with many odd

COMMON AMERICAN GULL. 101

gesticulations. As soon as the birds are paired, they give up their ani-
mosities, and for the rest of the season live together on the best terms.
After a few weeks spent in these preparatory pleasures, the flocks take to
wing, and betake themselves to their breeding places.

On an island within a few miles of Eastport in Maine, I found these
birds breeding in great numbers in the beginning of May. Their nests
were there placed amid the scanty tufts of grass. On the Gannet Rock,
early in June, they were breeding on the shelves towards the summit,
along with the Guillemots, while the Kittiwakes had secured their nests
far below. The different species kept apart, but yet exhibited no anti-
pathy towards each other. On the 18th of July, we discovered a low
rocky island at the bottom of a bay ten miles from the open sea, opposite
the harbour of Little Macatina, on the coast of Labrador, where we found
upwards of two hundred nests, all containing eggs with the chicks more
or less advanced. The number of eggs in each nest was three or four,
more generally three. They resembled those of the Great Black-backed
Gull in form and colour, but were much smaller, measuring two inches
and three quarters in length, by one and five and a half eighths in their
greatest diameter. There was considerable diversity both in the tint
of their ground colour, and in the number and size of the spots on
them, as is the case with the eggs of most water birds. In general,
however, they were of a dull dark cream-colour, thickly blotched, sprink-
led and touched with different shades of purple, umber, and black. When
fresh, these eggs are delicious food, as I have had abundant occasion
to know. The nests were in this place all situated on the bare rock,
but in all other respects resembled those found among the grass or on
more elevated rocks; they were formed of seaweeds, well construct-
ed, about six inches across within, and twelve in their greatest dia-
meter. Some of the nests were much thicker and larger than others;
many were placed within the distance of a foot from each other; and the
whole place was covered with feathers and dung, which emitted a very
disagreeable stench, proving to us that it was annually resorted to by
these birds. To our surprise the birds were very shy. Among those
killed by us were some having all the appearance of mature age, such as
I have mentioned above. The number of individuals among them hav-
ing the black ring on the bill was much greater than among those found
near Grand Manan; some, however, were without this ring, and on

others it was but partially marked. Some had no white on the tips of the

102 COMMON AMERICAN GULL.

primaries, and differences were also observable in the length of the tarsus
and toes; but all had the same voice, and were actually of the same spe-
cies. We also found considerable differences in their size and weight,
even in individuals of the same sex, some weighing one pound, others four
ounces more, and some so much as one pound ten ounces. The males,
at an average, were larger than the females. Not a bird of any other
species was found there, or on the grassy islands.

Whatever opinion may be held as to the synonyms of this Gull, I am
perfectly assured of the above mentioned variations in the colour, size,
and markings of the younger and older birds. I am equally sure that no
individuals acquire the full beauty of their plumage before the third
spring. ‘The young are at first of a dull greenish-yellow, spotted with
dark brown on the head and rump. Ina very few days they leave the
nest, ramble about in its vicinity, waiting the arrival of their parents with
food, and conceal themselves under stones or in crevices at the appearance
of danger. When a few weeks old, they do not hesitate, on being pur-
sued, to betake themselves to the water, where they swim with great
lightness. When about the size of pigeons, they assume a brownish ‘co-
lour, each feather being broadly banded or tipped with light ferruginous
and grey. At this season, the fishermen of Labrador and Newfoundland
kill them in great numbers, and pack them in salt for winter use. I was
much surprised one morning while at Labrador, to see one of the barges
of the Gulnare come alongside of the Ripley after a long cruize, when offi-
cers and men were glad to have a good mess of these young Gulls in the

bow of their boat, they having run short of provisions.

Larus ZONORHYNCHUS, Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 421.

Rinc-BILLED MEw-cutt, Larus zonoruyncuus, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 300.

Adult Male in summer plumage. Plate CCXIT. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, robust, nearly straight, compressed. Up-
per mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight at the base, arched and
declinate towards the end, the ridge convex, the sides slightly convex,
the edges sharp inflected, arched, the tip rather obtuse. Nasal groove
rather long and narrow; nostrils in its fore part, lateral, longitudinal,
linear, wider anteriorly, open, and pervious. Lower mandible with a

prominence at the end of the angle, which is long and narrow, the dorsal

COMMON AMERICAN GULL. 103

line then nearly straight and ascending, the sides convex, the edges sharp
and inflected.

Head rather large. Neck of moderate length. Body rather full.
Wings long. Feet of moderate length, rather slender ; tibia bare below;
tarsus somewhat compressed, covered before and behind with numerous
broad scutella, the sides reticulated ; hind toe very small and elevated,
the fore toes rather long and slender, the fourth longer than the second,
the third longest, all scutellate above, and connected by reticulated en-
tire membranes, the lateral toes margined externally with a narrow mem-
brane. Claws small, compressed, slightly arched, rather obtuse.

The plumage in general is close, elastic, very soft and blended, on
the back rather compact. Wings very long, rather broad, acute, the
first quill longest, the other primaries rapidly graduated ; secondaries
broad and rounded, the inner elongated and narrow. ‘Tail of moderate
length, even, of twelve rounded feathers.

Bill marked opposite the angle with a broad transverse band of
brownish-black, between which and the base it is light greenish-yellow,
the tips orange-yellow. Edges of eyelids greenish-yellow ; iris bright
yellow. Feet greenish-yellow, the webs tinged with orange; claws black.
The general colour of the plumage is pure white, excepting the back
and wings, which are light pearl-grey. The first six quills are black
towards their extremities, the first and second being almost entirely so, the
sixth with only a small spot. The tips of these feathers are white, that
of the first having merely a narrow margin of that colour, which gradu-
ally enlarges on the rest, the first moreover has near the end along patch
of white, the second a smaller one on the inner web. The proportional
size of the white marks on the outer primaries varies in individuals.
The other quills and secondaries are all white at the ends.

Length to end of tail 20 inches, to end of wings 223, to end of claws
201; extent of wings 48; wing from flexure 153, tail 6 ; bill along the back
1§, along the edge 24, depth at the base 3, depth at the prominence 3;
bare part of the tibia 2, tarsus 2; middle toe 1,%, its claw 2}; hind

toe 73, its claw yy. Weight 14 lb.

Young bird, after first moult, shot on 26th November. Plate
CCXII. Fig. 2.

Bill black, base of lower mandible and edges of upper towards the

base, livid flesh-colour. Edges of eyelids livid blue; iris hazel. Feet

104 ‘COMMON AMERICAN GULL.

purplish-grey ; claws brownish-black. The general colour of the plum-
age is dull white, mottled with greyish-brown beneath, on the back with
large brownish-black spots, the dark markings being central. Anterior
to the eye is a crescent of greyish-black. The outer primary quills are
black, the two first without white at the ends, the rest margined round
the ends with that colour. 'The abdominal and tibial feathers are white;
the lower and upper tail-coverts white, with brown spots.

Length to end of tail 188, to end of wings 204, extent of wings 443 ;

tarsus 2, middle toe 1,3,, its claws ;%4,. Weight 1 Ib. 3 ounces.

On a rocky island on the coast of Labrador, where this bird was
breeding in great numbers, a comparatively small number of individuals
only had the bill marked with the black ring, the others, although pre-
cisely similar in other respects, wanted that mark. This bird although
in many respects precisely similar to that which is usually named Larus
canus in Europe, differs greatly in the size of the bill, which even in
young birds is much deeper than in the oldest individuals of that spe-

cies.

( 105 )

THE PUFFIN.
MoRMON ARCTICUS, ILLIGER.

PLATE CCXIII. Mate anp FEMAteE.

Tue Sea Parrot, as this bird is usually called on the eastern coasts
of the United States, as well as by the fishermen of Newfoundland and
Labrador, sometimes proceeds as far south as the entrance of the River
Savannah in Georgia, where I saw a good number in the winter of
1831-32. It is by no means, however, common with this species to
extend its southward migrations so far, and I suspect it does so only
in very severe weather. It is never plentiful off Long Island, but be-
comes more abundant the farther you proceed eastward, until you reach
the entrance to the Bay of Fundy, where it is quite common, and on the
Islands of which many breed, although not one perhaps now for a hun-
dred that bred there twenty yearsago. Those which proceed farther north
leave the United States about the middle of April, and move along the
coast, none ever crossing over the land to any extent. On my voyage
to Labrador I observed Puffins every day; but although we reached
that country in the early part of June, none had then begun to breed.
As we approached the shores of that inhospitable land, we every now
and then saw them around the vessel, now floating on the swelling wave,
now disappearing under the bow, diving with the swiftness of thought,
and sometimes rising on wing and flying swiftly, but low, over the sea.
The nearer we approached the coast the more abundant did we find the
Puffins, and sometimes they were so numerous as actually to cover the
water to the extent of half an acre or more. At first we paid little atten-
tion to them, but as soon as I became aware that they had begun to breed,
I commenced an investigation, of which I now proceed to lay before you
the result.

The first breeding place which I and my party visited was a small
island, a few acres in extent, and pleasant to the eye, on account of the
thick growth of green grass with which it was covered. The shores were
exceedingly rugged, the sea ran high, and it required all the good ma-
nagement of our captain to effect a safe landing, which, however, was at

length accomplished at a propitious moment, when, borne on the summit

106 PUFFIN.

of a great wave, we reached the first rocks, leaped out in an instant, and
held our boat, while the angry waters rolled back and left it on the land.
After securing the boat, we reached with a few steps the green sward,
and directly before us found abundance of Puffins. Some already alarmed
flew past us with the speed of an arrow, others stood erect at the entrance
of their burrows, while some more timid withdrew within their holes as
we advanced towards them. In the course of half an hour we obtained a
good number. The poor things seemed not at all aware of the effect of
guns, for they would fly straight towards us as often as in any other di-
rection; but after a while they became more knowing, and avoided us
with more care. We procured some eggs, and as no young ones were yet
to be found, we went off satisfied. The soil was so light, and so easily
dug, that many of the burrows extended to the depth of five or six feet,
although not more than a few inches below the surface, and some of the
poor birds underwent a temporary imprisonment in consequence of the
ground giving way under our weight. ‘The whole island was perforated
like a rabbit-warren, and every hole had its entrance placed due south, a
circumstance which allowed the birds to emerge in our sight almost all at
once, presenting a spectacle highly gratifying to us all. Our visit to this
island took place on the 28th of June 1833.

On the 12th of August, the day after my son procured the two Jer-
falcons mentioned in the second volume of this work, our Captain, my
friends Grorce SHatruck and Wit.iam Ineatts, with four sailors,
and another boat in company, went on a visit to ‘* Perroket Island,” dis-
tant about two miles from the harbour of Bras d’Or. The place is known
to all the cod-fishers, and is celebrated for the number of Puffins that an-
nually breed there. As we rowed towards it, although we found the water
literally covered with thousands of these birds, the number that flew over
and around the green island seemed much greater, insomuch that one might
have imagined half the Puffins in the world had assembled there. 'This far-
famed isle is of considerable extent, its shores are guarded by numberless
blocks of rock, and within a few yards of it the water is several fathoms in
depth. The ground rises in the form of an amphitheatre to the height of
about seventy feet, the greatest length being from north to south, and its
southern extremity fronting the Streight of Belleisle. For every burrow in
the island previously visited by us there seemed to be a hundred here, on
every crag or stone stood a Puffin, at the entrance of each hole another,

and yet the sea was covered and the air filled by them. I had two double-

PUFFIN. 107

barrelled guns and two sailors to assist me; and I shot for one hour by
my watch, always firing at a single bird on wing. How many Puffins I
killed in that time I take the liberty of leaving you to guess.

The burrows were all inhabited by young birds, of different ages and
sizes, and clouds of Puffins flew over our heads, each individual holding
a “lint” by the head. This fish, which measures four or five inches in
length, and is of a very slender form, with a beautiful silvery hue, exist-
ed in vast shoals in the deep water around the island. The speed with
which the birds flew made the fish incline by the side of their neck.
While flying the Puffins emitted a loud croaking noise, but they never
dropped the fish, and many of them, when brought down by a shot, still
held their prey fast. I observed with concern the extraordinary affection
manifested by these birds towards each other ; for whenever one fell dead
or wounded on the water, its mate or a stranger immediately alighted by
its side, swam round it, pushed it with its bill as if to urge it to fly or
dive, and seldom would leave it until an oar was raised to knock it on
the head, when at last, aware of the danger, it would plunge below in an
instant. ‘Those which fell wounded immediately ran with speed to some
hole, and dived into it, on which no further effort was made to secure
them. ‘Those which happened to be caught alive in the hand bit most
‘severely, and scratched with their claws at such a rate that we were
glad to let them escape. The burrows here communicated in various
ways with each other, so that the whole island was perforated as if by
a multitude of subterranean labyrinths, over which one could not run
without the risk of falling at almost every step. The voices of the young
sounded beneath our feet like voices from the grave, and the stench was
extremely disagreeable, so that as soon as our boats were filled with birds
we were glad to get away.

During the whole of our visit, the birds never left the place, but con-
stantly attended to their avocations. Here one would rise from beneath
our feet, there, within a few yards of us, another would alight with a fish,
and dive into its burrow, or feed the young that stood waiting at the en-
trance. The young birds were far from being friendly towards each
other, and those which we carried with us kept continually fighting so
long as we kept them alive. 'They used their yet extremely small and
slender bills with great courage and pertinacity, and their cries resembled
the wailings of young whelps. The smaller individuals were fed by the

parents by regurgitation, or received little pieces of fish which were placed

108 PUFFIN.

in their mouths; the larger picked up the fish that were dropped before
them ; but almost all of them seemed to crawl to the entrance of the holes
for the purpose of being fed. In all the burrows that communicated with
others, a round place was scooped out on one side of the avenue, in the
form of an oven; while in those which were single, this oven-like place
was found at the end, and was larger than the corridor. All the passages
were flattish above, and rounded beneath, as well as on the sides. In
many instances we found two birds sitting each on its egg in the same
hole.

The Puffin never lays more than one egg, unless the first may have
been destroyed or taken away ; nor does it raise more than a single young
one in the season. The time of incubation is probably from twenty-five to
twenty-eight days, although I have not been able to ascertain the precise
period. Both birds work in digging the hole, using their bills and feet ;
they also sit alternately on their egg, although the female engages more
industriously in this occupation, while the male labours harder at the
burrow. The egg is pure white when first deposited, but soon becomes
soiled by the earth, as no nest is formed for its reception. It generally
measures two and a half inches by one and three-fourths, but varies in
size according to the age of the bird, as well as in shape, some being con-
siderably more rounded at the smaller end than others. When boiled, the
white is of a livid-blue colour. The captain and myself were the only
persons of our party who tried to eat some. The eggs are certainly very
bad, and are never collected by “‘ The Eggers.” The flesh of the birds
is very dark, tough, and so fishy, as to be eatable only in cases of great
want. ‘Two Italians who had come to Labrador to purchase cod-fish, and
were short of provisions, fed upon Puffins daily, to the great amusement
of our party. The fishermen at times, when bait is scarce along the coast,
destroy a great number of these birds, which they skin like rabbits, and
then cut the flesh into slices.

The flight of the Puffin is firm, generally direct, now and then pretty
well sustained. It is able to rise at once from the water or the land, al-
though at times it runs on both before taking to wing. This depends
much on necessity, for if pushed it flies at once from the ground, or
plunges under the surface of the water. There they swim, with the wings
partially opened, at a small depth, passing along in the manner of Divers ;
and by this means they catch their prey ; but at other times they dive to
the bottom, many fathoms deep, for shell-fish and other objects.

PUFFIN. 109

During the love season, the males chase each other in the air, on the
water, or beneath its surface, with so much quickness, as to resemble the
ricochets of a cannon-ball. Having kept several for about a week, I
threw them overboard in the harbour where we were at anchor, and where
the water was beautifully clear. On leaving my gloved hand, they
plunged through the air, entered the water, and swam off, assisting them-
selves by their wings to the distance of from fifty to an hundred yards.
On coming up, they washed their plumage for a long time, and then dived
in search of food. While on board, they ran about from the dark towards
the light, keeping themselves erect, and moving with great briskness, un-
til at times close to my feet, when they would watch my motions like
hawks, and if I happened to look towards them, would instantly make
for some hiding-place. They fed freely and were agreeable pets, only
that they emitted an unpleasant grunting noise, and ran about incessantly
during the night, when each footstep could be counted. When on rocky
shores, or islands with large stones, I observed that the Puffins often flew
from one crag or stone to another, alighting with ease, and then standing
erect.

The young, while yet covered with down, are black, with a white patch
on the belly. Their bills do not acquire much of the form which they
ultimately have for several weeks; nor do they assume their perfect shape
for years. I have examined many hundred individuals, among which I
have found great differences in the size and form of the bill. In fact, the
existence of this diversity has induced many persons to think that we have
several species of Puffin on our coasts ; but, after having examined many
specimens in Europe, I am decidedly of opinion that this species is the
same that occurs in both continents, and that we have only one more at
all common on our eastern coasts. The sexes differ in no perceptible de-
gree, only that the males are somewhat larger. When two years old they
may be considered of their full size, although the bill continues to grow

and acquires furrows, until it becomes as you see it in the Plate.

Atca arctica, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 211.—Zath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 792.
Mormon arcticus, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 430.
Purrin, on COULTERNEB, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 542.

Adult Male in summer. Plate CCXIII. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, nearly as high as long, exceedingly

110 PUFFIN. .

compressed, at the base as high as the head, obliquely furrowed on the
sides. Upper mandible with a horny rim along the basal margin, its dor-
sal line curved from the base, the ridge very narrow but rounded, the
sides rapidly sloped, aud marked with three curved oblique grooves, the
edges obtuse, their outline nearly straight, the tip deflected, very narrow
but obtuse. Between the basal rim and the first groove is a triangular
flat space analogous to the nasal groove, in the lower part of which, close
to the edge of the bill, is the linear direct nostril. Lower mandible with
the angle very narrow, and so placed that the base of the bill is inflected
beyond. the perpendicular, the dorsal line a little convex at first, towards
the end straight, the ridge narrow, broader about the middle, the sides
nearly flat, grooved and ridged as in the upper, the edges strong, the tip
very narrow. The gape extends downwards a little beyond the base of
the bill, and is furnished with a soft corrugated extensible membrane.

Head large, oblong, anteriorly compressed. Eye rather small, with
bare orbits; over the upper eyelid an oblong, nearly erect, horny body,
along the lower a more elongated one of the same nature. Neck short
and thick. Body full and rounded. Wings short. Feet short, rather
stout; tibia bare for a short way above the joint. Tarsus very short,
little compressed, anteriorly with a series of small scutella, the rest with
reticular angular scales. Hind toe wanting. Toes of moderate length,
rather slender, scutellate above, connected by reticulated entire mem-
branes which project a little, the third and fourth toes about equal, the
second considerably shorter, with a narrow marginal web. Claws strong,
of moderate length, compressed, slightly arched, that of the inner toe
much curved and acute.

Plumage close, blended, soft, very short on the head. Wings curved,
short, narrow, acute. Primary quills narrow, incurved, first longest, se-
cond a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated. Secondaries very short,
small and rounded. ‘Tail very short, slightly rounded, of sixteen narrow
rounded feathers.

Bill with the basal rim and first ridge of upper mandible dull yellow,
the intervening space greyish-blue, basal margin of lower bright red, first
ridge and intervening space as in the upper, the rest bright red (carmine
tinged with vermilion) ; membrane at the base of the gape gamboge-yellow,
inside of mouth and tongue yellow. Edge of eyelids vermilion, horny
appendages of eyelids greyish-blue. Iris light blue. Feet vermilion, claws
black. Throat and sides of the head white, that colour extending over

PUFFIN. 111

the eye, and passing in a narrow line behind the occiput. Upper part of
the head blackish-grey, tinged with olive, paler anteriorly. The middle
of the neck all round, and all the upper parts of the body, deep black,
with blue reflections, the quills tinged with brown. 'The whole under
surface white, except the upper part of the sides, which are dusky.

Length to end of tail 112 inches, to end of claws 133, extent of
wings 23; bill along the back 2, along the edge of upper mandible 14 ;
depth of bill at base 12, its greatest diameter 3; tarsus 1, middle toe 14,
its claw 3. Weight 3 lb.

Female. Plate CCXIII. Fig. 2.

The Female is precisely similar to the male, but of somewhat smaller
size.

cma)

THE RAZOR-BILLED AUK.
Aca Torp4d, Linn.

PLATE CCXIV. Mate and FEMALE.

A Few birds of this species occasionally go as far south as New York
during winter ; but beyond that parallel I never met with one. From Bos-
ton eastward many are seen, and some breed on the Seal Islands off the
entrance of the Bay of Fundy. These Auks generally arrive on our At-
lantic coast about the beginning of November, and return northward to
breed about the middle of April. During their stay with us, they are
generally seen singly, and at a greater distance from the shores than the
Guillemots or Puffins ; and I have no doubt that they are able to procure
shell-fish at greater depths than these birds. I have observed them fish-
ing on banks where the bottom was fifteen or eighteen fathoms from the
surface, and, from the length of time that they remained under water,
felt no doubt that they dived to it. On my voyage round Nova Scotia
and across the Gulf of St Lawrence, we saw some of them constantly.
Some had eggs on the Magdeleine Islands, where, as the inhabitants in-
formed us, these birds arrive about the middle of April, when the Gulf
is still covered with ice. As we proceeded towards Labrador, they passed
us every now and then in long files, flying at the height of a few yards
from the water, in a rather undulating manner, with a constant beat of
the wings, often within musket-shot of our vessel, and sometimes moy-
ing round us and coming so close as to induce us to believe that they had
a wish to alight. The thermometer indicated 44°. The sight of these
files of birds passing swiftly by was extremely pleasing ; each bird would
alternately turn towards us the pure white of its lower parts, and again
the jetty black of the upper. As I expected ere many days should pass
to have the gratification of inspecting their breeding grounds, I expe-
rienced great delight in observing them as they sped their flight toward
the north.

After we had landed, we every day procured Auks, notwithstanding
their shyness, which exceeded that of almost all the other sea-birds. The
fishermen having given me an account of their principal breeding places,

the Ripley proceeded toward them apace. One fair afternoon we came

RAZOR-BILLED AUK. 113

in view of the renowned Harbour of Whapati Guan, and already saw its
curious beacon, which, being in form like a huge mounted cannon placed
on the elevated crest of a great rock, produced a most striking effect. We
knew that the harbour was within the stupendous wall of rock before us,
but our pilot, either from fear or want of knowledge, refused to guide us
to it, and our captain, leaving the vessel in charge of the mate, was obliged
to go off in a boat, to see if he could find a passage. He was absent more
than an hour. The Ripley stood off and on, the yards were manned on
the look-out, the sea was smooth and its waters as clear as crystal, but
the swell rose to a prodigious height as it passed sluggishly over the great
rocks that seemed to line the shallows over which we floated. We were
under no apprehension of personal danger, however, for we had several
boats and a very efficient crew ; and besides, the shores were within can-
non shot; but the idea of losing our gallant bark and all our materials
on so dismal a coast haunted my mind, and at times those of my com-
panions. From the tops our sailors called out “ Quite shallow here, Sir.”
Up went the helm, and round swung the Ripley like a duck taken by
surprise. ‘Then suddenly near another shoal we passed, and were careful
to keep a sharp look-out until our commander came up.

Springing upon the deck, and turning his quid rapidly from side to side,
he called out, “All hands square the yards,” and whispered to me ‘ All’s
safe, my good Sir.” The schooner advanced towards the huge barrier,
merrily as a fair maiden to meet her beloved ; now she doubles a sharp
cape, forces her way through a narrow pass ; and lo! before you opens
the noble harbour of Whapati Guan. All around was calm and solemn ;
the waters were smooth as glass, the sails fell against the masts, but the
impetus which the vessel had received urged her along. The lead was
heaved at every yard, and in a few minutes the anchor was dropped.

Reader, I wish you had been there, that you might yourself describe
the wild scene that presented itself to our admiring gaze. We were se-
parated from the rolling swell of the Gulf of St Lawrence by an im-
mense wall of rock. Far away toward the east and north, rugged mounds
innumerable rose one above another. Multitudes of frightened Cor-
morants croaked loudly as they passed us in the air, and at a distance
fled divers Guillemots and Auks. The mossy beds around us shone with
a brilliant verdure, the lark piped its sweet notes on high, and thousands
of young codfish leaped along the surface of the deep cove as if with joy.
Such a harbour I had never seen before; such another, it is probable, I

VOL. III. H

114 RAZOR-BILLED AUK.

may never see again; the noblest fleet that ever ploughed the ocean might
anchor in it in safety. 'To augment our pleasures, our captain some days
after piloted the Gulnare into it. But, you will say, ‘‘ Where are the
Auks, we have lost sight of them entirely.” Never fear, good reader, we
are in a delightful harbour, and anon you shall hear of them.

Winding up the basin toward the north-east, Captain Emery, myself,
and some sailors, all well armed, proceeded one day along the high and
precipitous shores to the distance of about four miles, and at last reached
the desired spot. We landed on a small rugged island. Our men were
provided with long poles, having hooks at their extremities. These sticks
were introduced into the deep and narrow fissures, from which we care-
fully drew the birds and eggs. One place, in particular, was full of birds ;
it was a horizontal fissure, about two feet in height, and thirty or forty
yards in depth. We crawled slowly into it, and as the birds affrighted
flew hurriedly past us by hundreds, many of their eggs were smashed.
The farther we advanced, the more dismal did the cries of the birds sound
in our ears. Many of them, despairing of effecting their escape, crept
into the surrounding recesses. Having collected as many of them and
their eggs as we could, we returned, and glad were we once more to
breathe the fresh air. No sooner were we out than the cracks of the
sailors’ guns echoed among the rocks. Rare fun to the tars, in fact, was
every such trip, and, when we joined them, they had a pile of Auks on
the rocks near them. The birds flew directly towards the muzzles of the
guns, as readily as in any other course, and therefore it needed little
dexterity to shoot them.

When the Auks deposit their eggs along with the Guillemots, which
they sometimes do, they drop them in spots from which the water can
escape without injuring them; but when they breed in deep fissures,
which is more frequently the case, many of them lie close together,
and the eggs are deposited on small beds of pebbles or broken stones
raised a couple of inches or more, to let the water pass beneath them.
Call this instinct if you will :—I really do not much care; but you must
permit me to admire the wonderful arrangements of that Nature from
which they have received so much useful knowledge. When they lay
their eggs in such a horizontal cavern as that which I have mentioned
above, you find them scattered at the distance of a few inches from each
other ; and there, as well as in the fissures, they sit flat upon them like

Ducks, for example, whereas on an exposed rock, each bird stands almost

RAZOR-BILLED AUK. 115

upright upon its egg. Another thing quite as curious, which I observed,
is, that, while in exposed situations, the Auk seldom lays more than one
egg, yet in places of greater security I have, in many instances, found
two under a single bird. This may perhaps astonish you, but I really
. cannot help it.

The Razor-billed Auks begin to drop their eggs in the beginning of
May. In July we found numerous young ones, although yet small.
Their bill then scarcely exhibited the form which it ultimately assumes.
They were covered with down, had a lisping note, but fed freely on
shrimps and small bits of fish, the food with which their parents supply
them. They were very friendly towards each other, differing greatly in
this respect from the young Puffins, which were continually quarrelling.
They stood almost upright. Whenever a finger was placed within their
reach, they instantly seized it, and already evinced the desire to bite se-
verely so cordially manifested by the old birds of this species, which in
fact will hang to your hand until choked rather than let go their hold.
The latter when wounded threw themselves on their back, in the manner
of Hawks, and scratched fiercely with their claws. They walked and
ran on the rogks with considerable ease and celerity, taking to wing, how-
ever, as soon as possible. When thus disturbed while breeding, they fly
round the spot many times before they alight again. Sometimes a whole
flock will alight on the water at some distance, to watch your departure,
before they will venture to return.

This bird lays one or two eggs, according to the nature of the place.
The eggs measure at an average three inches and one-eighth, by two and
one-eighth, and are generally pure white, greatly blotched with dark red-
dish-brown or black, the spots generally forming a circle towards the lar-
gerend. They differ considerably from those of the Common and the
Thick-billed Guillemots, being less blunted at the smaller end. The eggs
afford excellent eating; the yolk is of a pale orange colour, the white
pale blue. The eggers collect but few of the eggs of this bird, they be-
ing more difficult to be obtained than those of the Guillemot, of which
they take vast numbers every season.

The food of the Razor-billed Auk consists of shrimps, various other
marine animals, and small fishes, as well as roe. Their flesh is by the
fishers considered good, and I found it tolerable, when well stewed, al-
though it is dark and therefore not prepossessing. The birds are two
years in acquiring the full size and form of their bill, and, when full

H2

116 RAZOR-BILLED AUK.

grown, they weighed about a pound and a half. The stomach is an ob-
long sac, the lower part of which is rather muscular, and answers the pur-
pose of a gizzard. In many I found scales, remnants of fish, and pieces
of shells. The intestines were upwards of three feet in length.
Immediately after the breeding season, these birds drop their quills,
and are quite unable to fly until the beginning of October, when they
all leave their breeding grounds for the sea, and move southward. 'The
young at this period scarcely shew the white streak between the bill and
the eye; their cheeks, like those of the old birds at this time, and the
fore part of the neck, are dingy white, and remain so until the following
spring, when the only difference between the young and the old is, that
the former have the bill smaller and less furrowed, and the head more
brown. The back, tail, and lower parts do not seem to undergo any

material change.

Aca Torpa, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 210.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 793.—
Ch. Bonap. Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 431.
Razor-B1iL1, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 547.

Adult Male in summer. Plate CCXIV. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, feathered as far as the nostrils, beyond which
it is very high, exceedingly compressed, and obliquely furrowed on the
sides. Upper mandible with the dorsal line curved so as to form the
third of a circle, the ridge extremely narrow but rounded, the sides near-
ly flat, with five grooves, the one next the base deeper and more narrow,
the edges inflected and sharp, the tip decurved and obtuse. Nostrils
medial, marginal, linear, short, pervious, but concealed by the feathers.
Lower mandible with the angle very narrow, and having a horny triangular
appendage, the base at first horizontal and extremely narrow, then slop-
ing forwards and rounded, the dorsal outline rounded, towards the end
concave, the sides slightly concave, the edges inflected, the tip decurved.

Head large, oblong, anteriorly narrowed. Eyes small. Neck short
and strong. Body full, rather depressed. Wings small. Feet placed
far behind, short, rather strong; tibia bare a short way above the joint ;
tarsus very short, compressed, anteriorly scutellate, laterally covered with
reticulated angular scales, posteriorly granulate. Hind toe wanting;

toes of moderate length, rather slender, scutellate above, connected by re-

RAZOR-BILLED AUK. 117

ticulated entire membranes, the inner toe having also a projecting mar-
gin ; outer toe slightly longer than middle one ; inner considerably shorter.
Claws rather small, arched, compressed, obtuse.

Plumage close, blended, very soft, on the head very short and velvety.
Wings short, curved, narrow, acute. Primary quills narrow, incurved,
acute, first longest, second slightly shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ;
secondary quills very short, obliquely rounded. Tail short, tapering, of
twelve narrow, pointed feathers.

Bill black, with a white line across each mandible; inside of the
mouth gamboge-yellow. Iris deep hazel. Feet black. Fore part of
neck below, and. all the lower parts, white; the rest black, the head,
hind neck, and back, glossed with olive-green, the throat and sides of
the neck tinged with chocolate, the wings with brown, the tips of the se-
condary quills, and a narrow line from the bill to the eye, white.

Length to the end of tail 17 inches, to the end of claws 172; extent
of wings 294; wing from flexure 83, tail 4; bill along the ridge 1,%,
along the edge 24%, its greatest depth 3}; tarsus 1,4, middle toe 1,°,, its

claw »z. Weight 14 pound.

Adult Female in summer. Plate CCXIV. Fig. 2.

The female is precisely similar to the male.

The Young in their winter plumage have the colouring distributed
as in the old birds, but with the black duller, the wings more brown, the
throat and sides of the head mottled with white, the white line from the
bill to the eye existing, but the bill much smaller, without furrows or a

white line.

The Old Birds in winter have the throat and sides of the neck mottled
as described above ; but in other respects their colours are the same as
in summer.

The gullet wide, dilated towards the lower extremity, its mucous
coat longitudinally corrugated ; the proventriculus very wide and glan-
dular ; the stomach rather small, oblong, muscular, with an inner, longi-
tudinally corrugated and horny cuticular coat. Pylorus very small ; in-
testine near its commencement 3‘; of an inch in diameter, gradually con-
tracted to the cxeca, where itis ;%; caca half an inch long, tapering. The

length of the gullet and stomach together is 8, that of the intestine 41 inches.

CLAD

HYPERBOREAN PHALAROPE.

PHALAROPUS HYPERBOREUS, LATH.
PLATE CCXV. Matz, Femate, anp Younce.

Few individuals of this species are ever seen to the South of New York.
Near Boston I procured several, and my learned friend Tuomas Nout-
TALL presented me with some that had been shot in the neighbourhood
of that city, as did Mr Jonn Betuune and Mr Ropman of New Bed-
ford. As we advanced eastward in the month of May, we saw more and
more of them, and while at Eastport in Maine my son Joun shot seve-
ral out of flocks of sixty or more. At one time a flock consisting of
more than a hundred was seen in the Bay of Fundy. They were ex-
ceedingly shy, and the gunners of Eastport, who knew them under the
name of Sea Geese, spoke of them as very curious birds.

They procure their food principally upon the water, on which they
alight like Ducks, float as light as Gulls, and move about in search of food
with much nimbleness. The sight of a bank of floating sea-weeds or
garbage of any kind induces them at once to alight upon it, when they
walk about as unconcernedly as if on land. Their notes, which resemble
the syllables tweet, tweet, twect, are sharp and clear, and in their flight
they resemble our common American Snipe. At the approach of an
enemy, they immediately close their ranks, until they almost touch each
other, when great havock is made among them ; but if not immediately
shot at, they rise all at once and fly swiftly off emitting their shrill cries,
and remove toa great distance. These Phalaropes congregate in this
manner for the purpose of moving northwards to their breeding grounds,
although some remain and breed as far south as Mount Desert Island.
I have met with them in equally large flocks at a distance of more than
a hundred miles from the shores. They were feeding on great beds of
floating seaweeds, and in several instances some Red Phalaropes were
seen in their company.

Whilst in Labrador, I observed that the Hyperborean Phalarope oc-
curred only in small parties of a few pairs, and that instead of keeping at
sea or on the salt-water bays, they were always in the immediate vicinity

of small fresh-water lakes or ponds, near which they bred. The nest was

ae HYPERBOREAN PHALAROPE. 119
a hollow scooped out among the herbage, and covered with a few bits
of dried grass and moss. The eggs are always four; they measure at an
average an inch and three-sixteenths in length, seven-eighths in their great-
est diameter, are rather pointed at the smaller end, and are more uni-
form in their size and markings than those of most water-birds. The
ground colour is a deep dull buff, and is irregularly marked with large
and small blotches of dark reddish-brown, which are larger and more
abundant on the crown. The birds shewed great anxiety for the safety
of their eggs, limping before us, or running with extended wings, and
emitting a feeble melancholy note as if about to expire. When we ap-
proached them, they resumed all their natural alacrity, piped in their
usual manner, flew off and alighted on the water. Captain Emery and
myself followed some nearly an hour, assisted by a pointer dog, in the hope
of tiring them out ; but they seemed to laugh at our efforts, and when Dash
was quite close to them, they would suddenly fly off in another direction,
and with great swiftness, always leading us farther from their nests. The
young leave the nest shortly after they are hatched, and run after their
parents over the moss, and along the edges of the small ponds; but I
saw none on the water that were not fully fledged. Both young and old
had departed by the beginning of August.

The Hyperborean Phalarope seems to undergo an almost continual
moult, and is in full plumage only about six weeks each year. The
young when fledged are nearly grey above, and all white beneath. Some of
them breed before they have acquired what may be considered the perfect
plumage ; and the very old birds become greyish also at the approach
of winter, the red of the throat and other parts becoming bright again
in the beginning of May, or sometimes in April. The scapulars of the
young are conspicuously shorter than the longest primaries, but after the
first moult are equal in length. The upper wing-coverts are then also
short.

I have never met with this species in any part of the interior, although
I have procured the Red Phalarope and Wilson’s Phalarope in many
parts to the west of the Alleghany Mountains, at a distance of more than
a thousand miles from the sea coast.

120 HYPERBOREAN PHALAROPE.

PHALAROPUS HYPERBOREUS, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 774—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops.
of Birds of the United States, p. 342.—Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer-
part ii. p. 406.

HyprrnorEan Puatanorg, Ch. Bonaparie, Amer. Ornith. vol. iii— Nuttall, Manual,

vol. ii. p. 239.

Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCXV. Fig. 1.

Bill long, very slender, flexible, nearly cylindrical, but towards the
point tapering. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, excepting
at the end, where it is a little curved, the ridge broad and depressed, the
sides slightly sloping, the edges rounded, and inflected towards the nar-
row slightly curved, acute tip. Nasal groove long, linear ; nostrils basal,
linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very long and narrow,
the sides convex, the tip narrowed.

Head small, with the fore part high and rounded. Eyes small. Neck
rather long and slender. Body slender. Wingslong. Feet of moderate
length, slender ; tibia bare a considerable way above the joint; tarsus
much compressed, narrowed before, very thin behind, covered anteriorly
with numerous scutella ; toes slender ; first extremely small, free, with a
slight membrane beneath ; second slightly shorter than fourth, third con-
siderably longer ; toes all scutellate above, margined on both sides with
lobed and pectinated membranes, which are united at the base, so as to
render the foot half webbed; the outer web much longer than the inner.
Claws very small, compressed, arched, that of the middle toe with a re-
curved sharp edge.

Plumage soft and blended. Feathers of the back, and especially the
scapulars, elongated. Wings long and pointed; primary quills tapering,
but rounded, the first longest, the second scarcely shorter, the rest rapidly
graduated ; secondary quills rather short and narrow, the inner tapering
and elongated so as nearly to equal the longest primaries when the wing
is closed. Tail rather short, much rounded, of twelve feathers.

Bill black. Iris dark brown. Feet bluish-grey ; claws black. The
general colour of the upper parts is greyish-black, the head lighter and
more tinged with grey, the scapulars and some of the feathers of the back
edged with yellowish-red, of which colour also are the sides of the head
and neck ; throat and sides of the upper part of the neck white. Wing-
coverts and quills brownish-black, tinged with grey, the shafts of the

quills, the margins and tips of the secondaries, and a broad bar on the

HYPERBOREAN PHALAROPE. 12]

tips of the secondary coverts, white. Tail light grey, the feathers mar-
gined with white, the two middle ones dark brownish-grey, the lateral
upper tail-coverts white, barred with dusky. The breast and abdomen
white.

Length to end of tail 6 inches, to end of claws 6}, to end of wing 53;
extent of wings 13}; wing from flexure 43; tail 24; bill along the
back 73, along the edge of lower mandible +3; tarsus +9, middle toe 13,

7 2
its claw 3%.

Adult Female. Plate CCXV. Fig. 2.
The Female is similar to the male, but the red markings are not so
deep in tint.

Young fully fledged. Plate CCXV. Fig. 3.
The young bird has the markings similarly disposed, but the upper
parts are in general of a dull dark grey, the red of the neck much fainter,

and that of the scapulars much paler, and inclining to greyish-yellow.

( 122 )

FISHING IN THE OHIO.

Ir is with mingled feelings of pleasure and regret that I recall to my
mind the many pleasant days I have spent on the shores of the Ohio.
The visions of former years crowd on my view, as I picture to myself
the fertile soil and genial atmosphere of our great western garden, Ken-
tucky, and view the placid waters of the fair stream that flows along its
western boundary. Methinks I am now on the banks of the noble river.
Twenty years of my life have returned to me; my sinews are strong, and
the “ bowstring of my spirit is not slack ;” bright visions of the future
float before me, as I sit on a grassy bank, gazing on the glittering wa-
ters. Around me are dense forests of lofty trees and thickly tangled un-
dergrowth, amid which are heard the songs of feathered choristers, and
from whose boughs hang clusters of glowing fruits and beautiful flowers.
Reader, I am very happy. But now the dream has vanished, and here I
am in the British Athens, penning an episode for my Ornithological Bio-
graphy, and having before me sundry well-thumbed and weather-beaten
folios, from which I expect to be able to extract some interesting particu-
lars respecting the methods employed in those days in catching Cat-fish.

But, before entering on my subject, I will present you with a brief
description of the place of my residence on the banks of the Ohio. When
I first landed at Henderson in Kentucky, my family, like the village, was
quite small. The latter consisted of six or eight houses; the former of my
wife, myself, and a young child. Few as the houses were, we fortunately
found one empty. It was a log-cabin, not a log-house ; but as better
could not be had, we were pleased. Well, then, we were located. The
country around was thinly peopled, and all purchasable provisions rather
scarce; but our neighbours were friendly, and we had brought with us
flour and bacon-hams. Our pleasures were those of young people not
long married, and full of life and merriment; a single smile from our in-
fant was, I assure you, more valued by us than all the treasures of a
modern Croesus would have been. The woods were amply stocked with
game, the river with fish ; and now and then the hoarded sweets of the
industrious bees were brought from some hollow tree to our little table.
Our child’s cradle was our richest piece of furniture, our guns and fish-

ing-lines our most serviceable implements, for although we began to cul-

FISHING IN THE OHIO. . 123

tivate a garden, the rankness of the soil kept the seeds we planted far
beneath the tall weeds that sprung up the first year. I had then a part-
ner, a “ man of business,” and there was also with me a Kentucky youth,
who much preferred the sports of the forest and river to either day-book
or ledger. He was naturally, as I may say, a good woodsman, hunter,
and angler, and, like me, thought chiefly of procuring supplies of fish
and fowl. ‘To the task accordingly we directed all our energies.

Quantity as well as quality was an object with us, and although we
well knew that three species of Cat-fish existed in the Ohio, and that all
were sufficiently good, we were not sure as to the best method of securing
them. We determined, however, to work on a large scale, and imme-
diately commenced making a famous “ trot-line.” Now, reader, as you may
probably know nothing about this engine, I shall describe it to you.

A trot-line is one of considerable length and thickness, both qualities,
however, varying according to the extent of water, and the size of the
fish you expect to catch. As the Ohio, at Henderson, is rather more
than half a mile in breadth, and as Cat-fishes weigh from one to an hun-
dred pounds, we manufactured a line which measured about two hundred
yards in length, as thick as the little finger of some fair one yet in her
teens, and as white as the damsel’s finger well could be, for it was wholly
of Kentucky cotton, just, let me tell you, because that substance stands
the water better than either hemp or flax. The main line finished, we
made a hundred smaller ones, about five feet in length, to each of which
we fastened a capital hook of Kirsy and Co.’s manufacture. Now for
the bait !

It was the month of May. Nature had brought abroad myriads of
living beings: they covered the earth, glided through the water, and
swarmed in the air. The Cat-fish is a voracious creature, not at all nice
in feeding, but one who, like the vulture, contents himself with carrion
when nothing better can be had. A few experiments proved to us that,
of the dainties with which we tried to allure them to our hooks, they gave
a decided preference, at that season, to live toads. These animals were
very abundant about Henderson. ‘They ramble or feed, whether by in-
stinct or reason, during early or late twilight more than at any other time,
especially after a shower, and are unable to bear the heat of the sun’s rays
for several hours before and after noon. We have a good number of
these crawling things in America, particularly in the western and southern

parts of the Union, and are very well supplied with frogs, snakes, lizards,

124 FISHING IN THE OHIO.

and even crocodiles, which we call alligators; but there is enough of food
for them all, and we generally suffer them to creep about, to leap or to
flounder as they please, or in accordance with the habits which have been
given them by the great Conductor of all.

During the month of May, and indeed until autumn, we found an
abundant supply of toads. Many “ fine ladies,” no doubt, would have
swooned, or at least screamed and gone into hysterics, had they seen one
of our baskets filled with these animals, all alive and plump. Fortunately
we had no tragedy queen or sentimental spinster at Henderson. Our
Kentucky ladies mind their own affairs, and seldom meddle with those of
others farther than to do all they can for their comfort. The toads, col-
lected one by one, and brought home in baskets, were deposited in a
barrel for use. And now that night is over, and as it is the first trial we
are going to give our trot-line, just watch our movements from that high
bank beside the stream. ‘There sit down under the large cotton-wood
tree. You are in no danger of catching cold at this season.

My assistant follows me with a gaff hook, while I carry the paddle of
our canoe; a boy bears on his back a hundred toads as good as ever
hopped. Our line—oh, I forgot to inform you that we had set it last
night, but without the small ones you now see on’my arm. Fastening
one end to yon sycamore, we paddled our canoe, with the rest nicely
coiled in the stern, and soon reached its extremity, when I threw over the
side the heavy stone fastened to it as a sinker. All this was done that it
might be thoroughly soaked, and without kinks or snarls in the morning.
Now, you observe, we launch our light bark, the toads in the basket are
placed next to my feet in the bow; I have the small lines across my knees
all ready looped at the end. Nar, with the paddle, and assisted by
the current, keeps the stern of our boat directly down stream ; and Davip
fixes, by the skin of the back and hind parts, the living bait to the hook.
I hold the main line all the while, and now, having fixed one linelet to it,
over goes the latter. Can you see the poor toad kicking and flouncing
in the water? ‘“ No”—well, Ido. You observe at length that all the
lines, one after another, have been fixed, baited, and dropped. We now
return swiftly to the shore.

« What a delightful thing is fishing !” have I more than once heard
some knowing angler exclaim, who, with “ the patience of Job,” stands
or slowly moves along some rivulet twenty feet wide, and three or

four feet deep, with a sham fly to allure a trout, which, when at length

FISHING IN THE OHIO. 125

caught, weighs half a pound. Reader, I never had such patience. Al-
though I have waited ten years, and yet see only three-fourths of the
Birds of America engraved, although some of the drawings of that work
were patiently made so long ago as 1805, and although I have to wait
with patience two years more before I see the end of it, I never could hold
a line or a rod for many minutes, unless I had—not a “ nibble,” but a
hearty bite, and could throw the fish at once over my head on the
ground. No, no—If I fish for trout, I must soon give up, or catch, as
I have done in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh, or the streams of Maine, fifty or
more in a couple of hours. But the trot-line is in the river, and there
it may patiently wait, until I visit it toward night. Now I take up my
gun and note-book, and, accompanied by my dog, intend to ramble
through the woods until breakfast. Who knows but I may shoot a tur-
key or a deer? It is barely four o’clock ; and see what delightful morn-
ings we have at this season in Kentucky !

Evening has returned. The heavens have already opened their
twinkling eyes, although the orb of day has yet scarcely withdrawn it-
self from our view. How calm is the air! The nocturnal insects and
quadrupeds are abroad ; the bear is moving through the dark cane-
brake, the land crows are flying towards their roosts, their aquatic
brethren towards the interior of the forests, the squirrel is barking his
adieu, and the Barred Owl glides silently and swiftly from his retreat, 1o
seize upon the gay and noisy animal. The boat is pushed off from the
shore; the main-line is in my hands; now it shakes; surely some fish
have been hooked. Hand over hand I proceed to the first hook. No-
thing there! But now I feel several jerks stronger and more frequent
than before. Several hooks I pass; but see, what a fine Cat-fish is
twisting round and round the little line to which he is fast! Nar,
look to your gaff—hook him close to the tail. Keep it up, my dear fel-
low !— there now, we have him. More are on, and we proceed. When
we have reached the end many goodly fishes are lying in the bottom of
our skiff. New bait has been put on, and, as we return, I congratulate my-
self and my companions on the success of our efforts; for there lies fish
enough for ourselves and our neighbours.

A trot-line at this period was perfectly safe at Henderson, should I
have allowed it to remain for weeks at a time. The navigation was

mostly performed by flat-bottomed boats, which during calm nights floated

126 FISHING IN THE OHIO.

in the middle current of the river, so that the people on board could not
observe the fish that had been hooked. Not a single steamer had as yet
ever gone down the Ohio; now and then, it is true, a barge or a keel-
boat was propelled by poles and oars; but the nature of the river is such
at that place, that these boats when ascending were obliged to keep near
the Indiana shore, until above the landing of the village, (below which
I always fixed my lines), when they pulled across the stream.

Several species or varieties of Cat-fish are found in the Ohio, namely
the Blue, the White, and the Mud Cats, which differ considerably in
their form and colour, as well as in their habits.) The Mud Cat is the
best, although it seldom attains so great a size as the rest. The Blue
Cat is the coarsest, but when not exceeding from four to six pounds, it
affords tolerable eating. The White Cat is preferable to the last, but
not so common; and the Yellow Mud Catis the best and rarest. Of the
blue kind some have been caught that weighed a hundred pounds. Such
fishes, however, are looked upon as monsters.

The form in all the varieties inclines to the conical, the head being
disproportionately large, while the body tapers away to the root of the
tail. ‘The eyes, which are small, are placed far apart, and situated as it
were on the top of the forehead, but Jaterally. Their mouth is wide, and
armed with numerous small and very sharp teeth, while it is defended by
single-sided spines, which, when the fish is in the agonies of death, stand
out at right angles, and are so firmly fixed as sometimes to break before
you can loosen them. The Cat-fish has also feelers of proportionate
length, apparently intended to guide its motions over the bottom, whilst
its eyes are watching the objects passing above.

Trot-lines cannot be used with much success unless during the mid-
dle stages of the water. When very low, it is too clear, and the fish, al-
though extremely voracious, will rarely risk its life for a toad. When
the waters are rising rapidly, your trot-lines are likely to be carried away
by one of the numerous trees that float in the stream. A “ happy me-
dium” is therefore best.

When the waters are rising fast and have become muddy, a single
line -is used for catching Cat-fish. It is fastened to the elastic branch of
some willow several feet above the water, and must be twenty or thirty
feet in length. The entrails of a Wild Turkey, or a piece of fresh veni-

son, furnish good bait ; and if, when you visit your line the next morning

FISHING IN THE OHIO. 127

after you have set it, the water has not risen too much, the swinging of
the willow indicates that a fish has been hooked, and you have only to
haul the prize ashore.

One evening I saw that the river was rising at a great rate, although
it was still within its banks. I knew that the White Perch were running,
that is, ascending the river from the sea, and, anxious to have a tasting of
that fine fish, I baited a line with a cray-fish, and fastened it to the bough
of a tree. Next morning as I pulled in the line, it felt as if fast at the
bottom, yet on drawing it slowly I found that it came. Presently I felt
a strong pull, the line slipped through my fingers, and next instant a
large Cat-fish leaped out of the water. I played it for a while, un-
til it became exhausted, when I drew it ashore. It had swallowed the
hook, and I cut off the line close to its head. Then passing’ a stick
through one of the gills, I and a servant tugged the fish home. On
cutting it open, we, to our surprise, found in its stomach a fine White
Perch, dead, but not in the least injured. The Perch had been lightly
hooked, and the Cat-fish, after swallowing it, had been hooked in the sto-
mach, so that, although the instrument was small, the torture caused by it
no doubt tended to disable the Cat-fish. The Perch we ate, and the Cat,
which was fine, we divided into four parts, and distributed among our
neighbours. My most worthy friend and relative, NicHotas Berruovup,
Esq., who formerly resided at Shippingport in Kentucky, but now in
New York, a better fisher than whom I never knew, once placed a trot-
line in “ the basin” below “ Tarascon’s Mills,” at the foot of the Rapids
of the Ohio. I cannot recollect the bait which was used; but on taking
up the line we obtained a remarkably fine Cat-fish, in which was found
the greater part of a sucking pig !

I may here add, that I have introduced a figure of the Cat-fish in
Plate XX XI. of my first volume of my Illustrations, in which I have
represented the White-headed Eagle.

THE WOOD IBIS
TANTALUS LOCULATOR, Linn.

PLATE CCXVI. Mate.

Tuts very remarkable bird, and all others of the same genus that are
known to occur in the United States, are constant residents in some part
of our Southern Districts, although they perform short migrations. A
few of them now and then stray as far as the Middle States, but instances
of this are rare; and I am not aware that any have been seen farther to
the eastward than the southern portions of Maryland, excepting a few
individuals of the Glossy and the White Ibises, which have been procured
in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. The Carolinas, Georgia,
the Floridas, Alabama, Lower Louisiana, including Opellousas, and Mis-
sissippi, are the districts to which they resort by preference, and in
which they spend the whole year. With the exception of the Glossy
Ibis, which may be looked upon as a bird of the Mexican territories, and
which usually appears in the Union singly or in pairs, they all live social-
ly in immense flocks, especially during the breeding season. The coun-
try which they inhabit is doubtless the best suited to their habits; the
vast and numerous swamps, lagoons, bayous, and submersed savannahs
that occur in the lower parts of our Southern States, all abounding with
fishes and reptiles; and the temperature of these countries being conge-
nial to their constitutions.

In treating of the bird now under your notice, Mr W111.1am Bartram
says, “ This solitary bird does not associate in flocks, but is generally seen
alone.” This was published by Witson, and every individual who has
since written on the subject, has copied the assertion without probably
having any other reason than that he believed the authors of it to state a
fact. But the habits of this species are entirely at variance with the above
quotation, to which I direct your attention not without a feeling of pain,
being assured that Mr Barrram could have made such a statement only
because he had few opportunities of studying the bird in question in its
proper haunts.

The Wood Ibis is rarely met with single, even after the breeding sea-

son, and it is more easy for a person to see an hundred together at any

WOOD IBIs. 129

period of the year, than to meet with one by itself. Nay, I have seen
flocks composed of several thousands, and that there is a natural necessity
for their flocking together I shall explain to you. This species feeds en-
tirely on fish and aquatic reptiles, of which it destroys an enormous quan-
tity, in fact more than it eats; for if they have been killing fish for half
an hour and have gorged themselves, they suffer the rest to lie on the
water untouched, when it becomes food for alligators, crows, and vultures,
whenever these animals can lay hold of it. To procure its food, the
Wood Ibis walks through shallow muddy lakes or bayous in numbers.
As soon as they have discovered a place abounding in fish, they dance as
it were all through it, until the water becomes thick with the mud stirred
from the bottom by their feet. The fishes, on rising to the surface, are
instantly struck by the beaks of the Ibises, which, on being deprived of
life, they turn over and so remain. In the course of ten or fifteen minutes,
hundreds of fishes, frogs, young alligators, and water-snakes cover the
surface, and the birds greedily swallow them until they are completely
gorged, after which they walk to the nearest margins, place themselves in
long rows, with their breasts all turned towards the sun, in the manner of
Pelicans and Vultures, and thus remain for an hour or so. When diges-
tion is partially accomplished, they all take to wing, rise in spiral circlings
to an immense height, and sail about for an hour or more, performing
the most beautiful evolutions that can well be conceived. Their long
necks and legs are stretched out to their full extent, the pure white of
their plumage contrasts beautifully with the jetty black of the tips of their
wings. Now in large circles they seem to ascend toward the upper regions
of the atmosphere ; now, they pitch towards the earth ; and again, gently
rising, they renew their gyrations. Hunger once more induces them to
go in search of food, and, with extended front, the band sails rapidly to-
wards another lake or bayou.

Mark the place, reader, and follow their course through cane-brake,
cypress-swamp, and tangled wood. Seldom do they return to the same
feeding place on the same day. You have reached the spot, and are
standing on the margin of a dark-watered bayou, the sinuosities of which
lead your eye into a labyrinth ending in complete darkness. The tall
canes bow to each other from the shores; the majestic trees above them,
all hung with funereal lichen, gently wave in the suffocating atmosphere ;
the bullfrog, alarmed, shrinks back into the water; the alligator raises

his head above its surface, probably to see if the birds have arrived, and
VOL, III. I

130 WOOD IBIs.

the wily cougar is stealthily advancing toward one of the Ibises, which he
expects to carry off into the thicket. Through the dim light your eye
catches a glimpse of the white-plumaged birds, moving rapidly like spec-
tres to and fro. The loud clacking of their mandibles apprises you of the
havock they commit among the terrified inhabitants of the waters, while
the knell-like sounds of their feet come with a feeling of dread. Move,
gently or not, move at all, and you infallibly lose your opportunity of
observing the actions of the birds. Some old male has long marked you ;
whether it has been with eye or with ear, no matter. The first stick
your foot cracks, his hoarse voice sounds the alarm. Off they all go,
battering down the bending canes with their powerful pinions, and break-
ing the smaller twigs of the trees, as they force a passage for themselves.

Talk to me of the stupidity of birds, of the dulness of the Wood Ibis !
say it is fearless, easily approached, and easily shot. I listen, but it is
merely through courtesy ; for I have so repeatedly watched its movements,
in all kinds of circumstances, that I am quite convinced we have not in
the United States a more shy, wary, and vigilant bird than the Wood
Ibis. In the course of two years spent, I may say, among them, for I
saw some whenever I pleased during that period, I never succeeded in
surprising one, not even under night, when they were roosting on trees at
a height of nearly a hundred feet, and sometimes rendered farther secure
by being over extensive swamps.

My Journal informs me, that, one autumn while residing near Bay-
ou Sara, being intent on procuring eight or ten of these birds, to skin
for my learned and kind friend the Prince of Musignano, I took with me
two servants, who were first-rate woodsmen, and capital hands at the rifle,
and that notwithstanding our meeting with many hundreds of Wood Ibi-
ses, it took us three days to shoot fifteen, which were for the most part
killed on wing with rifle-balls, at a distance of about a hundred yards.
On that occasion we discovered that a flock roosted regularly over a large
corn field covered with huge girted trees, the tops of which were almost
all decayed. We stationed ourselves apart in the field, concealed among
the tall ripened corn, and in silence awaited the arrival of the birds.
After the sun had disappeared, the broad front of a great flock of Ibises
was observed advancing towards us. They soon alighted in great num-
bers on the large branches of the dead trees; but whenever one of the
branches gave way under their weight, all at once rose in the air, flew

about several times, and alighted again. One of my companions, having

WOOD IBIS. 131

a good opportunity, fired, and brought two down with a single bullet ;
but here the sport was ended. In five minutes after, not an Ibis was
within a mile of the place, nor did any return to roost there for more
than a month. When on the margin of a lake, or even in the centre of
it—for all the lakes they frequent are exceedingly shallow—the first
glimpse they have of a man induces them to exert all their vigilance ;
and should he after this advance a few steps, the birds fly off.

The name of “ Wood Ibis” given to this bird, is not more applicable
to it than to any other species; for every one with which I am acquainted
resorts quite as much to the woods at particular periods. All our species
may be found on wet savannahs, on islands surrounded even by the waters
of the sea, the Florida Keys for example, or in the most secluded parts
of the darkest woods, provided they are swampy, or are furnished with
ponds. I have found the Wood, the Red, the White, the Brown, and
the Glossy Ibises, around ponds in the centre of immense forests; and
in such places, even in the desolate pine-barrens of the Floridas; some-
times several hundred miles from the sea coast, on the Red River, in the
State of Louisiana, and above Natchez, in that of Mississippi, as well as
within a few miles of the ocean. Yet, beyond certain limits, I never saw
one of these birds.

One of the most curious circumstances connected with this species is,
that although the birds are, when feeding, almost constantly within the
reach of large alligators, of which they devour the young, these reptiles
never attack them ; whereas if a Duck or a Heron comes within the reach
of their tails, it is immediately killed and swallowed. The Wood Ibis
will wade up to its belly in the water, round the edges of “ alligators’
holes,” without ever being injured; but should one of these birds be shot,
an alligator immediately makes towards it and pulls it under water. The
gar-fish is not so courteous, but gives chase to the Ibises whenever an op-
portunity occurs. The Snapping Turtle is also a great enemy to the
young birds of this species.

The flight of the Wood Ibis is heavy at its rising from the ground.
Its neck at that moment is deeply curved downward, its wings flap hea-
vily but with great power, and its long legs are not stretched out behind
until it has proceeded many yards. But as soon as it has attained a
height of eight or ten feet, it ascends with great celerity, generally in a
spiral direction, in silence if not alarmed, or, if frightened, with a rough
eroaking guttural note. When fairly on wing, they proceed in a direct

; 12

132 WOOD IBIS.

flight, with alternate flappings and sailings of thirty or forty yards, the
sailings more prolonged than the flappings. They alight on trees with
more ease than Herons generally do, and either stand erect or crouch on
‘the branches, in the manner of the Wild Turkey, the Herons seldom
using the latter attitude. When they are at rest, they place their bill
against the breast, while the neck shrinks as it were between the shoul-
ders. In this position you may see fifty on the same tree, or on the
ground, reposing in perfect quiet for hours at a time, although some in-
dividual of the party will be constantly on the look-out, and ready to
sound the alarm.

In the spring months, when these birds collect in large flocks, before
they return to their breeding places, I have seen thousands together, pass-
ing over the woods in a line more than a mile in extent, and moving with
surprising speed at the height of only a few yards above the trees. When
a breeding place has once been chosen, it is resorted to for years in suc-
cession; nor is it easy to make them abandon it after they have deposited
their eggs, although, if much annoyed, they never return to it after that
season.

Besides the great quantity of fishes that these Ibises destroy, they also
devour frogs, young alligators, wood-rats, young rails and grakles, fiddlers
and other crabs, as well as snakes and small turtles. They never eat the
eggs of the alligator, as has been alleged, although they probably would
do so, could they demolish the matted nests of that animal, a task beyond
the power of any bird known to me. I never saw one eat any thing which
either it or some of its fellows had not killed. Nor will it eat an animal
that has been dead for some time, even although it may have been killed
by itself. When eating, the clacking of their mandibles may be heard at
the distance of several hundred yards.

When wounded, it is dangerous to approach them, for they bite se-
verely. They may be said to be very tenacious of life. Although
usually fat, they are very tough and oily, and therefore are not fit for
food. The Negroes, however, eat them, having, previous to cooking them,
torn off the skin, as they do with Pelicans and Cormorants. My own
attempts, I may add, were not crowned with success. Many of the Ne-
groes of Louisiana destroy these birds when young, for the sake of the
oil which their flesh contains, and which they use in greasing machines.

The French Creoles of that State name them “ Grands Flamans,”
while the Spaniards of East Florida know them by the name of “ Gan-

WOOD IBIS. 133

nets.” When in the latter country, at St Augustine, I was induced to
make an excursion, to visit a large pond or lake, where I was assured
there were Gannets in abundance, which I might shoot off the trees,
provided I was careful enough. Onasking the appearance of the Gannets,
I was told that they were large white birds, with wings black at the end,
a long neck, and a large sharp bill. The description so far agreeing with
that of the Common Gannet or Solan Goose, I proposed no questions re-
specting the legs or tail, but went off. ‘Twenty-three miles, Reader, [
trudged through the woods, and at last came in view of the pond ; when,
lo! its borders and the trees around it were covered with Wood Ibises.
Now, as the good people who gave the information spoke according to their
knowledge, and agreeably to their custom of calling the Ibises Gannets,
had I not gone to the pond, I might have written this day that Gannets
are found in the interior of the woods in the Floridas, that they alight on
trees, &c. which, if once published, would in all probability have gone
down to future times through the medium of compilers, and all perhaps
without acknowledgment.

The Wood Ibis takes four years in attaining full maturity, although
birds of the second year are now and then found breeding. This is rare,
however, for the young birds live in flocks by themselves, until they have
attained the age of about three years. They are at first of a dingy brown,
each feather edged with paler ; the head is covered to the mandibles with
short downy feathers, which gradually fall off as the bird advances in age.
In the third year, the head is quite bare, as well as a portion of the upper
part of the neck. In the fourth year, the bird is as you see it in the plate.
The male is much larger and heavier than the female, but there is no

difference in colour between the sexes.

TANTALUS LocuLAToR, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 240.—Lath. Ind. Ornith, vol. ii,
p. 702.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 310.
Woop Ists, Tanratus tocutator, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 39. pl. 68.

fig. 1. Adult.— Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 82.

Adult Male. Plate CCXVI.

Bill long, stout, at the base as wide as the face, deeper than broad,
compressed, tapering towards the end, which is curved. Upper man-
dible with the dorsal line straight to near the end, then considerably
curved, the ridge rather broad and flattened at the base, narrowed at the

134 WOOD IBIS.

middle, convex towards the end, the sides sloping and rather flat at the
base, towards the end rounded, the edges overlapping, inflected, sharp
but strong, the tip declinate, narrow, rounded, with a notch on either
side. Nostrils basal, close to the ridge, direct, pervious, oblong ; no na-
sal groove. Lower mandible curved towards the end, like the upper, its
angle rather wide, and having a bare dilatable membrane, the sides ra-
ther flat and erect at the base, afterwards narrowed and with the back
rounded, the edges erect, sharp, with a groove externally for the inser-
tion of those of the upper mandible.

Head of ordinary size, short, compressed. Neck long. Body rather
slender, deeper than broad. Wings large. Feet very long, slender, like
those of the Herons. Tibia long, slender, bare for one-half of its length ;
and with the long, compressed tarsus, covered all round with hexagonal
scales. 'Toes rather long and slender, the first smallest, the second next
in length, the third longest, the fourth intermediate between the second and
third, all covered above with numerous scutella, laterally with angular
scales, beneath flattened with soft margins, the anterior connected at the
base by pretty large webs, of which the outer is larger. Claws small,
rather compressed, rounded above, obtuse, the thin edge of that of the
third not serrated.

The head all round, and the hind neck half way down, destitute of
feathers, the skin wrinkled and covered with irregular scurfy scales. Plu-
mage in general rather loose, more so on the neck. Wings long, ample,
primaries strong, the third longest, second almost as long, fourth about
the same length as third, first considerably shorter, all curved, emargi-
nate, of twelve broad, rounded feathers.

Bill dusky yellowish-brown, the edges yellow. Sides of the head
dark bluish-purple, upper part of the head horn-colour or dull greyish-
yellow, the rest of the bare skin of the same tint, many of the scales an-
teriorly blue. Iris deep brown, at a distance seeming black. Tibia and
tarsus indigo-blue. Toes above black, on the lateral and hind toes, how-
ever, many of the scutella bluish-grey; the webs pale yellowish flesh-
colour; claws black.

The general colour of the plumage is pure white with a tinge of yellow.
Alula, primary coverts, primary and secondary quills, excepting the in-
ner, and tail, black, with green and purplish-blue reflections, according to
the light in which they are viewed.

Length to end of tail 444 inches, to end of claws 593, to end of wings

WOOD IBIS. 135

463; wing from flexure 18; tail 6; extent of wings 62; bill along the
back 94, along the edge 9, its greatest depth 2+; bare part of tibia 6;
tarsus 9; middle toe 4,%, its claw 2. Weight 11 lb.

The Female is precisely similar to the Male, differing merely in be-

ing smaller. Its weight is 9} lb.

The Young are dusky grey all over, the quills and tail brownish-
black. The head all covered with down, excepting just at the base of
the bill. After the first moult, the bare space extends over the head and
cheeks; the downy feathers of the hind head and neck are dusky ; the
general colour of the plumage is white, the quills and tail nearly as in
the adult, but with less gloss. A Male of this description shot in Ja-
jjuary was in length 35 inches, its bill 73, tarsus 7, middle toe 4, its

claw 3; its weight 7% lb.

When the Wood Ibis has caught a fish too large to be easily swallow-
ed, it shakes its head in a violent manner, as if to force its prey down or
drive it up again. In the latter case, it carries the fish to the shore, and
breaks it into pieces, which it then swallows.

This species has the subcutaneous cellular tissue highly developed,
especially along the breast, and the lower parts of the body, although not
by any means so much so as in the Brown Pelican. I have represented
a flock of these birds in the back ground, with the view of giving you an
idea of the swamps to which they usually resort. They are on the edge
of an alligator’s hole, at their avocations. The trees, clad with dangling
mosses, afford evidence of the insalubrity of the atmosphere. You see
the alligators with their heads and backs above water, watching the mo-
tions of the birds.

@ 186“)

LOUISIANA HERON.

ARDEA LUDOVICIANA, WILS.
PLATE CCXVII. Mate.

DeuicaTE in form, beautiful in plumage, and graceful in its move-
ments, I never see this interesting Heron, without calling it the Lady of
the Waters. Watch its motions, as it leisurely walks over the pure sand
beaches of the coast of Florida, arrayed in the full beauty of its spring
plumage. Its pendent crest exhibits its glossy tints, its train falls grace-
fully over a well defined tail, and the tempered hues of its back and
wings contrast with those of its lower parts. Its measured steps are so
light that they leave no impression on the sand, and with its keen eye
it views every object around with the most perfect accuracy. See, it has
spied a small fly lurking on a blade of grass, it silently runs a few steps,
and with the sharp point of its bill it has already secured the prey. The
minnow just escaped from the pursuit of some larger fish has almost rushed
upon the beach for safety ; but the quick eye of the Heron has observed
its motions, and in an instant it is swallowed alive. Among the herbage
yet dripping with dew the beautiful bird picks its steps. Not a snail can
escape its keen search, and as it moves around the muddy pool, it secures
each water lizard that occurs. Now the sun’s rays have dried up the
dews, the flowers begin to droop, the woodland choristers have ended their
morning concert, and like them, the Heron, fatigued with its exertions,
seeks a place of repose under the boughs of the nearest bush, where it
may in safety await the coolness of the evening. Then for a short while
it again searches for food. Little difficulty does it experience in this ;
and at length, with the last glimpse of day, it opens its wings, and flies
off towards its well-known roosting-place, where it spends the night con-
tented and happy.

This species, which is a constant resident in the southern parts of the
peninsula of the Floridas, seldom rambles far from its haunts during the
winter season, being rarely seen at that period beyond Savannah in Geor-
gia to the eastward. To the west it extends to the broad sedgy flats
bordering the mouths of the Mississippi, along the whole Gulf of Mexico,
and perhaps much farther south. In the beginning of spring, it is

LOUISIANA HERON. 137

found abundantly in the Carolinas, and sometimes as far east as Mary-
land, or up the Mississippi as high as Natchez. You never find it far
inland : perhaps forty miles would be a considerable distance at any time
of the year. It is at all seasons a social bird, moving about in company
with the Blue Heron or the White Egret. It also frequently associates
with the larger species, and breeds in the same places, along with the
White Heron, the Yellow-crowned Heron, and the Night Heron; but
more generally it resorts to particular spots for this purpose, keeping by :
itself, and assembling in great numbers. Those which visit the Carolinas,
or the country of the Mississippi, make their appearance there about the
first of April, or when the Egrets and other species of Heron seek the
same parts, returning to the Floridas or farther south about the middle
of September, although I have known some to remain there during mild
winters. When this is the case, all the other species may be met with in
the same places, as the Louisiana Heron is the most delicate in constitu-
tion of all. Whilst at St Augustine in Florida, in the month of January,
I found this species extremely abundant there; but after a hard frost of
a few days, they all disappeared, leaving the other Herons, none of which
seemed to be affected by the cold, and returned again as soon as the Fah-
renheit thermometer rose to 80°. There they were in full livery by the
end of February, and near Charleston by the 5th of April.

Although timid, they are less shy than most other species, and more
easily procured. I have frequently seen one alight at the distance of a
few yards, and gaze on me as if endeavouring to discover my intentions.
This apparent insensibility to danger has given rise to the appellation of
Egrette folle, which is given to them in Lower Louisiana.

The flight of this beautiful Heron is light, rather irregular, swifter than
that of any other species, and capable of being considerably protracted.
They usually move in long files, rather widely separated, and in an undulat-
ing manner, with constant flappings. When proceeding towards their
roosts, or when on their migrations, they pass as high over the country as
other species; on the former occasion, they pass and repass over the same
tract, thus enabling the gunner easily to shoot them, which he may especial-
ly calculate on doing at the approach of night, when they are gorged with
food, and fly lower than in the morning. They may, however, be still
more surely obtained on their arriving at their roosting place, where they
alight at once among the lowest branches. On being shot at, they sel-

dom fly to a great distance, and their attachment to a particular place

138 LOUISIANA HERON.

is such that you are sure to find them there during the whole period of
their stay in the country, excepting the breeding time. At the cry of a
wounded one, they assail you in the manner of some Gulls and Terns,
and may be shot in great numbers by any person fond of such sport.

On the 29th of April, while wading around a beautiful key of the
Floridas, in search of certain crustaceous animals called the sea Cray-fish,
my party and I suddenly came upon one of the breeding places of the
Louisiana Heron. The southern exposures of this lovely island were
overgrown with low trees and bushes matted together by thousands of
smilaxes and other creeping plants, supported by various species of cac-
tus. Among the branches some hundred pairs of these lovely birds had
placed their nests, which were so low and so close to each other, that
without moving a step one could put his hand into several. The birds
thus taken by surprise rose affrighted into the air, bitterly complaining
of being disturbed in their secluded retreat. The nests were formed of
small dried sticks crossing each other in various ways. They were flat,
had little lining, and each contained three eggs, all the birds being then
incubating. Observing that many eggs had been destroyed by the Crows
and Buzzards, as the shells were scattered on the ground, I concluded
that many of the Herons had laid more than once, to make up their full
complement of eggs; for my opinion is, that all our species, excepting
the Green Heron, never lay more nor less than three, unless an accident
should happen. The eggs of the Louisiana Heron measure one inch
and six and a half twelfths in length, an inch and a quarter in breadth ;
they are nearly elliptical, of a beautiful pale blue colour inclining to green,
smooth, and with a very thin shell. The period of incubation is twenty-
one days. Like all other species of the genus, this raises only one brood
in the season. The little island of which I have spoken lies exposed to
the sea, and has an extent of only a few acres. The trees or bushes with
which it was covered seemed to have been stunted by the effect produced
by their having been for years the receptacles of the Herons’ nests.

On the 19th May, in the same year, I found another breeding place
of this species not far from Key West. The young birds, which stood
on all the branches of the trees and bushes on the southern side of the
place, were about the size of our Little Partridge. Their notes, by which
we had been attracted to the spot, were extremely plaintive, and resembled
the syllables wiee, wiec, wiee. When we went up to them, the old birds

all flew to another key, as if intent on drawing us there ; but in vain, for

LOUISIANA HERON. 139

we took with us a good number of their young. It was surprising to see
the little fellows moving about among the branches, clinging to them in
all sorts of curious positions, and persevering in forcing their way toward
the water, when over which they at once dropped, and swam off from us
with great vigour and speed. When seized with the hand, they defended
themselves to the utmost. At this early period, they plainly shewed the
sprouting feathers of the crest. Many Crow Blackbirds had nests on the
same mangroves, and a Fish-Hawk -also had formed its nest there at a
height of not more than five feet from the water. On the 24th of May,
these Herons were fully fledged, and able to fly to a short distance. In
this state we, with some difficulty, procured one alive. Its legs and feet
were green, the bill black, but its eyes, like those of an adult bird, were
of a beautiful red hue. Many were caught afterwards and taken as pas-
sengers on board the Marion. They fed on any garbage thrown to them
by the sailors; but whenever another species came near them, they leaped
towards its bill, caught hold of it as if it had been a fish, and hung to it
until shaken off by their stronger associates. On several occasions, how-
ever, the Ardea occidentalis shook them off violently, and after beating
them on the deck, swallowed them before they could be rescued !

The place farthest up on the Mississippi where I have found this spe-
cies breeding was on Buffalo Creek, about forty miles below Natchez,
and ten miles in a direct line from the great river. To the eastward I
have found them, breeding in company with the Green Heron and the
Night Heron, within a few miles of Charleston.

During summer and autumn, after the old birds have left their young,
both are frequently seen in the rice-fields, feeding along the ditches by
which the water is led to those places. At this season they are uncom-
monly gentle and easily approached.

The Louisiana Heron acquires the full beauty of its plumage the
second year after its birth, although it continues for some time to increase
in size. The train and crest lengthen for several years until they become
as represented in the plate. To procure specimens in such complete
plumage, however, requires some care, for this state does not last many
days after pairing has taken place, and by the time the young are hatch-
ed much of this fine plumage has dropped. When autumn has come,
only a few of the long barbs remain, and in winter no appearance of them
can be seen.

The flesh of the young birds affords tolerable eating. The food of

140 LOUISIANA HERON.

this species consists of small fry, water insects, worms, slugs, and snails,

as well as leeches, tadpoles, and aquatic lizards.

Lours1ana Heron, ARDEA Lupovicrana, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 13. pl. 64.
fig. 1. adult.— Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 51.
ARDEA LUDOVICIANA, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 305.

Adult Male. Plate CCXVII.

Bill much longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering to a
point, the mandibles nearly equal. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
nearly straight, the ridge broad and slightly convex at the base, narrow-
ed towards the end, a groove from the base to two-thirds of the length,
beneath which the sides are convex, the edges thin and sharp, with a
notch on each side close to the sharp tip. Nostrils basal, linear, longitu-
dinal, with a membrane above and behind. Lower mandible with the
angle extremely narrow and elongated, the dorsal line beyond it ascend-
ing and almost straight, the edges sharp and slightly inflected, the tip
acuminate.

Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and slender.
Body slender and compressed ; wings rather large. Feet very long ;
tibia elongated, its lower half bare, very slender, covered all round with
angular scales, of which the posterior are scutelliform ; tarsus elongated,
slender, compressed, covered anteriorly with numerous scutella, laterally
and behind with angular scales. Toes of. moderate length, rather slen-
der, scutellate above, reticularly granulate beneath ; third toe much lon-
ger than second, which is very little longer than fourth, the hind toe
much shorter but strong; claws of moderate size, rather strong, arched,
compressed, rather acute, that of the hind toe much larger, the edge of
that of the third regularly pectinated.

Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare, as is the
lower half of the tibia. Plumage soft, generally loose. Feathers of the
upper and hind part of the head elongated, tapering, decurved, about six
of them larger and much longer ; of the sides, and especially of the lower
part of the neck, also much elongated and narrow. The feathers of the
fore part of the back long and narrow-pointed, those behind extremely
elongated, with long loose threadlike barbs; the rest of the back with
short soft feathers. Wing of moderate length; primaries tapering but
rounded, the third longest, second very little shorter, first and fourth

LOUISIANA HERON. 141

about equal ; secondaries broad and rounded, some of the inner as long
as the longest primaries, when the wing is closed. Tail very short, small,
slightly rounded, of twelve rather weak feathers.

Bill brownish-black on the greater part of the upper mandible, and
on the sides of the lower mandible towards the point; the rest yellow, as
is the bare space before and around the eye. Iris bright red. Feet light
yellowish-green, the anterior scutella dusky, as are the claws. The gene-
ral colour of the upper parts is light purplish-blue ; the elongated fea-
thers of the head and hind neck above of a fine reddish-purple, as are
those of the lower part of the neck; the six longest feathers of the head
white. The long loose feathers of the back dull purplish-yellow, paler
towards their extremities. Throat white, its lower part chestnut; a line
of white all the way down the fore part of the neck ; the longer feathers
of the fore part of the breast dusky blue on their inner webs. The
breast, abdomen, tibize, and under wing-coverts, white; the lower tail-
coverts tipped with blue.

Length to end of the tail 27 inches, to end of wings 28, to end of
claws 343; extent of wings 37; loose feathers from 4 to 5 inches beyond
the tail; wing from flexure 103; tail 33; bill along the back 4, along
the edges 5; bare part of tibia 21; tarsus 43, middle toe 23, its claws 3.
Weight 1 Ib. .

The Adult Female is precisely similar to the male.

The Young, when newly hatched, are covered above with pale purplish-
grey down, which is of greater length on the head, as in other species.

The young fully fledged have the neck and fore part of the back
light brownish-red, the throat and lower parts white, as is the hind part
of the back ; the quills, larger wing-coverts and tail, light purplish-blue.
The feathers of the head, neck and back are not yet elongated. The bill
nearly as in the adult, but the legs deep greenish-olive.

After the first moult, the feathers of the head, neck and back, are a
little elongated, and begin to be tinged with the colours which they have
when the bird is full grown. The red of the neck is changed for tints of
blue and purple, as is that of the back, although remnants of it are still
seen. The fore part of the neck is white, mixed with brownish-red ; the
legs lighter.

( 142 )

THE FOOLISH GUILLEMOT.
Ur1s TROILE, Latu.

PLATE CCXVIII. Mate anp Femate.

Tus bird is seldom found farther south than the entrance of the Bay
of New York, where, however, it appears only during severe winters,
for being one of the most hardy inhabitants of the northern regions,
its constitution is such as to enable it to bear without injury the rigours
of their wintry climates. About the bays near Boston the Guillemots
are seen every year in greater or less numbers, and from thence to the
eastward they become gradually more abundant. A very old gunner whom
I employed while at Boston, during the winter of 1832-3, assured me,
that when he was a young man, this species bred on many of the rocky
islands about the mouth of the bay there; but that for about twenty
years back none remained after the first days of April, when they depart-
ed for the north in company with the Thick-billed Guillemot, the Com-
mon Auk, the Puffin, and the Eider and King Ducks, all of which visit
these bays in hard weather. In the Bay of Fundy, the Foolish Guille-
mot is very numerous, and is known by the name of Murre, which it re-
tains among all the eggers and fishermen of Newfoundland and Labrador,
where it breeds in myriads. To those countries, then, I must lead you,
good Reader, as there we can with ease study the habits of these birds.

Stay on the deck of the Ripley by my side this clear and cold morn-
ing. See how swiftly scuds our gallant bark, as she cuts her way through
the foaming billows, now inclining to the right and again to the left. Far
in the east, dark banks of low clouds indicate foul weather to the wary
mariner, who watches the approach of a northern storm with anxiety.
Suddenly the wind changes; but for this he has prepared ; the topsails
are snugged to their yards, and the rest are securely reefed. A thick fog
obscures all around us. The waters suddenly checked in their former
course, furiously war against those which now strike them in front. The
uproar increases, the bark is tossed on every side ; now a sweeping wave
rushes against the bows, the vessel quivers, while down along her deck

violently pour the waters, rolling from side to side, seeking for a place

FOOLISH GUILLEMOT. 143

by which they may escape. At this moment all about you are in dismay
save the Guillemots. The sea is covered with these intrepid navigators
of the deep. Over each tumultuous billow they swim unconcerned on
the very spray at the bow of the vessel, and plunging as if with pleasure,
up they come next moment at the rudder. Others fly around in large
circles, while thousands contend with the breeze, moving directly against
it in long lines, towards regions unknown to all, save themselves and some
other species of sea birds.

The Guillemots pair during their migrations ;—many of them at least
do so. While on my way toward Labrador, they were constantly within
sight, gambolling over the surface of the water, the males courting the
females, and the latter receiving the caresses of their mates. These would
at times rise erect in the sea, swell their throats, and emit a hoarse puffing
guttural note, to which the females at once responded, with numerous
noddings to their beaux. Then the pair would rise, take a round in the
air, re-alight, and seal the conjugal compact; after which they flew or
swam together for the season, and so closely, that among multitudes on
the wing or on the waves, one might easily distinguish a mated pair.

Not far from Great Macatina Harbour lie the Murre Rocks, con-
sisting of several low islands, destitute of vegetation, and not rising high
from the waters. There thousands of Guillemots annually assemble in
the beginning of May, to deposit each its single egg, and raise its young.
As you approach these islands, the air becomes darkened with the multi-
tudes of birds that fly about ; every square foot of the ground seems to
be occupied by a Guillemot planted erect as it were on the granite rock,
but carefully warming its cherished egg. All look toward the south, and
if you are fronting them, the snowy white of their bodies produces a very
remarkable effect, for the birds at some distance look as if they were
destitute of head, so much does that part assimilate with the dark hue
of the rocks on which they stand. On the other hand, if you approach
them in the rear, the isle appears as if covered with a black pall.

Now land, and witness the consternation of the settlers! Each af-
frighted leaves its egg, hastily runs a few steps, and launches into the
air in silence. Thrice around you they rapidly pass, to discover the ob-
ject of your unwelcome visit. If you begin to gather their eggs, or,
still worse, to break them, in order that they may lay others which you
can pick up fresh, the Guillemots all alight at some distance, on the bo-

som of the deep, and anxiously await your departure. Eggs, green and

144 FOOLISH GUILLEMOT.

white, and almost of every colour, are lying thick over the whole rock ;
the ordure of the birds mingled with feathers, with the refuse of half-
hatched eggs partially sucked by rapacious Gulls, and with putrid or
dried carcasses of Guillemots, produces an intolerable stench; and no
sooner are all your baskets filled with eggs, than you are glad to abandon
the isle to its proper owners.

On one occasion, whilst at anchor at Great Macatina, one of our boats
was sent for eggs. The sailors had eight miles to pull before reaching
the Murre Islands, and yet ere many hours had elapsed, the boat was
again alongside, loaded to a few inches of the gunwale, with 2500 eggs!
Many of them, however, being addle, were thrown overboard. The order
given to the tars had been to bring only a few dozens; but, as they said,
they had forgotten !

The eggs are unaccountably large for the size of the bird, their ave-
rage length being three inches and three-eighths, and their greatest
breadth two inches. They are pyriform or elongated, with a slight com-
pression towards the smaller end, which again rather swells and is rounded
at the extremity. They afford excellent food, being highly nutritive and
palatable, whether boiled, roasted, poached, or in omelets. The shell is
rough to the touch, although not granulated. Some are of a lively ver-
digris colour, others of different tints, but all curiously splashed, as it were,
with streaks or blotches of dark umber and brown. My opinion, how-
ever, is, that, when first dropped, they are always pure white, for on open-
ing a good number of these birds, I found several containing an egg ready
for being laid, and of a pure white colour. The shell is so firm that it
does not easily break, and I have seen a quantity of these eggs very care-
lessly removed from a basket into a boat without being damaged. They
are collected in astonishing quantities by “‘ the eggers,” to whom I have
already given a character, and sent to distant markets, where they are
sold at from one to three cents each.

Although the Guillemots are continually harassed, their eggs being
carried off as soon as they are deposited, and as long as the birds can
produce them, yet they return to the same islands year after year, and,
notwithstanding all the efforts of their enemies, multiply their numbers.

The Foolish Guillemot, as I have said, lays only a single egg, which
is the case with the Thick-billed Guillemot also. The Razor-billed Auk
lays two, and the Black Guillemot usually three. I have assured myself

of these facts, not merely by observing the birds sitting on their eggs,

FOOLISH GUILLEMOT. 145

but also by noticing the following circumstances. The Foolish Guille-
mot, which lays only one, plucks the feathers from its abdomen, which
is thus left quite bare over a roundish space just large enough to cover
its single egg. The Thick-billed Guillemot does the same. The Auk,
on the contrary, forms two bare spots, separated by a ridge of feathers.
The Black Guillemot, to cover her three eggs, and to warm them all at
once, plucks a space bare quite across her belly. These observations
were made on numerous birds of all the species mentioned. In all of
them, the males incubate as well as the females, although the latter are
more assiduous. When the Guillemots are disturbed, they fly off in
silence. The Auks, on the contrary, emit a hoarse croaking note, which
they repeat several times, as they fly away from danger. The Foolish
Guillemot seldom if ever attempts to bite, whereas the Razor-billed Auk
bites most severely, and clings to a person’s hand until choked. The plu-
mage of all the birds of this family is extremely compact, closely downed
at the root, and difficult tobe plucked. The fishermen and eggers often
use their skins with the feathers on as “‘ comforters” round their wrists.
The flesh is dark, tough, and not very palatable ; yet many of these birds
are eaten by the fishermen and sailors.

The young, which burst the egg about the beginning of July, are
covered with down of a brownish-black colour. When eight or ten days
old they are still downy, but have acquired considerable activity. As
they grow up, they become excessively fat, and seem to be more at ease
on the water than on the land. About the middle of August they follow
their parents to the open sea, the latter being then seldom able to fly,
having dropped their quills; and by the middle of September scarcely
any of these birds are to be found on or near the islands on which they
breed, although great numbers spend the winter in those latitudes.

There is no perceptible difference between the sexes as to colour, but
the males are larger than the females. The white line that encircles the
eye and extends toward the hind head is common to both sexes, but oc-
curs only in old birds. Thousands of these Guillemots however breed,
without having yet acquired it, there merely being indications of it to
be seen on parting the feathers on the place, where there is a natural di-
vision.

The flight of the Foolish Guillemot is rapid and greatly protracted,
being performed by quick and unintermitted beatings. They move
through the air either singly or in bands, in the latter case seldom keep-

VOL. Tz, K

146 FOOLISH GUILLEMOT.

ing any very regular order. Sometimes they seem to skim along the sur-
face for miles, while at other times they fly at the height of thirty or forty
yards. They are expert divers, using their wings like fins, and under
water looking like winged fishes. They frequently plunge at the flash of
the gun, and disappear for a considerable time. Before rising, they are
obliged to run as it were on the water, fluttering for many yards before
they get fairly on wing.

Those which I kept alive for weeks on board the Ripley, walked
about and ran with ease, with the whole length of their tarsus touching
the deck. They took leaps on chests and other objects to raise them-
selves, but could not fly without being elevated two or three feet, although
when they are on the rocks, and can take a run of eight or ten yards,
they easily rise on wing.

The islands on which the Guillemots breed on the coast of Labrador,
are flattish at top, and it is there, on the bare rock, that they deposit
their eggs. I saw none standing on the shelvings of high rocks, although
many breed in such places in some parts of Europe. Their food consists
of small fish, shrimps, and other marine animals ; and they swallow some

gravel also.

Urria Troe, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 796.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds
of the United States, p. 424.Swains. and Richards. Fauna-Bor. Amer. vol. ii.
p- 477.

FoorisH GuILLEMoT, oR Murre, Nuitall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 526.

Adult Male, in summer. Plate CCXVIII.

Bill of moderate length, rather stout, tapering, compressed, acute.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly curved, the ridge narrow,
broader at the base, the sides sloping, the edges short and inflected, the
tip a little decurved with a slight notch. Nasal groove broad, feathered ;
nostrils at its lower edge, sub-basal, lateral, longitudinal, linear, pervious.
Lower mandible, with the angle medial, narrow, the dorsal line sloping
upwards, and straight, the back very narrow, the sides nearly flat, the
edges sharp and inflected.

Head oblong, depressed, narrowed before. Eyes rather small. Neck
short and thick. Body stout, rather depressed. Wings rather small.
Feet short, placed far behind ; the greater part of the tibia concealed, its

lower portion bare ; tarsus short, stout, compressed, anteriorly sharp, and

FOOLISH GUILLEMOT. 147

covered with a double row of scutella, the sides with angular scales ; toes
of moderate length, the first wanting, the third nearly longest, the fourth
longer than the second ; all covered above with numerous scutella, webbed,
the lateral ones with small margins ; claws small, slightly arched, com-
pressed, rather acute, the middle one larger, with a dilated inner edge.

Plumage dense, very soft, blended ; on the head very short. Wings
rather short, narrow, acute; primary quills curved, tapering, the first
longest, the second little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries
short, incurved, broad, rounded. ‘Tail very short, rounded, of twelve
narrow feathers.

Rill black ; inside of mouth gamboge-yellow. Iris dark brown. Feet
black. The general colour of the plumage is greyish-black on the upper
parts; the sides of the head and upper part of the neck black, tinged
with brown. A white bar across the wing, formed by the tips of the se-
condary quills, and a line of the same encircling the eye, and extending
behind it. The lower parts white.

Length to end of tail 173 inches, to end of claws 194, to end of wings
1735; extent of wings 30 inches; wing from flexure 73; tail 2; tarsus
1,; middle toe 1,7, its claw ,%. Weight 2 lb.

Adult Female. Plate CCXVIII. Fig. 2.
The Female is similar to the male, and, when mature, has the white

line round and behind the eye.

( 148 )

THE BLACK GUILLEMOT.

Urr4a GryLLe, Lartu. V
PLATE CCXIX. Aputt iw Summer, ADULT IN WINTER, AND YOUNG.

Ir was a frightful thing to see my good Captain, Henry Emery,
swinging on a long rope upon the face of a rocky and crumbling emi-
nence, at a height of several hundred feet from the water, in search of
the eggs of the Black Guillemot, with four or five sailors holding the
rope above, and walking along the edge of the precipice. I stood watch-
ing the motions of the adventurous sailor. When the friction of the rope
by which he was suspended loosened a block, which with awful crash came
tumbling down from above him, he, with a promptness and dexterity that
appeared to me quite marvellous, would, by a sudden jerk, throw himself
aside to the right or left, and escape the danger. Now he would run
his arm into a fissure, which, if he found it too deep, he would probe
with a boat-hook. Whenever he chanced to touch a bird, it would come
out whirring like a shot in his face; while others came flying from afar
toward their beloved retreats with so much impetuosity as almost to alarm
the bold rocksman. After much toil and trouble he procured only a few
eggs, it not being then the height of the breeding season. You may ima-
gine, good Reader, how relieved I felt when I saw Mr Emery drawn up,
and once more standing on the bold eminence waving his hat as a signal
of success. ‘This happened in one of the Magdeleine Islands, in the Gulf
of St Lawrence.

During severe winters, I have seen the Black Guillemot playing over
the waters as far south as the shores of Maryland. Such excursions,
however, are of rare occurrence, and it is seldom that any of these birds
are to be seen until you reach the Bay of Boston. About the different
entrances of the Bay of Fundy, this species is a constant resident, and
many individuals breed in fissures, at a moderate height above the water,
on the rocky shores of the Island of Grand Manan, and others in the
same latitude. Proceeding farther toward the north-east, we found them
on Jesticoe Island, and wherever else we happened to touch on our way
to Labrador, in which country there is a regular nursery of these birds.

Unlike the Foolish and Thick-billed Guillemots, or the Razor-billed

BLACK GUILLEMOT. 149

Auk, they do not confine themselves to any particular spot, but take up
their abode for the season in any place that presents suitable conve-
niences. Wherever there are fissures in the rocks, or great piles of blocks
with holes in their interstices, there you may expect to find the Black
Guillemot.

Whether European writers have spoken of this species at random, or
after due observation, I cannot say. All I know is, that every one of them
whose writings I have consulted, says that the Black Guillemot lays on-
ly one egg. As 1 have no reason whatever to doubt their assertion, I
might be tempted to suppose that our species differs from theirs, were I
not perfectly aware that birds in different places will construct different
nests, and lay more or fewer eggs. Our species always deposits three,
unless it may have been disturbed ; and this fact I have assured myself
of by having caught the birds in more than twenty instances sitting
on that number. Nay, on several occasions, at Labrador, some of my
party and myself saw several Black Guillemots sitting on eggs in the
same fissure of a rock, where every bird had three eggs under it, a
fact which I communicated to my friend THomas Nurratt. What
was most surprising to me was, that even the fishermen there thought
that this bird laid only a single egg; and when I asked them how
they knew, they simply and good-naturedly answered that they had
heard so. Thus, Reader, I might have been satisfied with the say-
ings of others, and repeated that the bird in question lays one egg;
but instead of taking this easy way of settling the matter, I found it ne-
cessary to convince myself of the fact by my own observation. I had
therefore to receive many knocks and bruises in scrambling over rugged
crags and desolate headlands ; whereas, with less incredulity, I might very
easily have announced to you from my easy chair in Edinburgh, that the
Black Guillemots of America lay only a single egg. No true student of
nature ought ever to be satisfied without personal observation when it
can be obtained. It is the “ American Woodsman” that tells you so,
anxious as he is that you should enjoy the pleasure of studying and ad-
miring the beautiful works of Nature.

To satisfy yourself as to the correctness of the statements which he
here lays before you, go to the desolate shores of Labrador. There, in
the vernal month of June, place yourself on some granite rock, against
the base of which the waves dash in impotent rage; and ere long you

will see the gay Guillemot coming from afar by the side of its mate.

150 BLACK GUILLEMOT.

They shoot past you on fluttering wings, and suddenly disappear. Go
to the place ; lay yourself down on the dripping rock, and you will be
sure to see the birds preparing their stony nest, for each has brought a
smooth pebble in its bill. See how industriously they are engaged in
raising this cold fabric into the form of a true nest, before the female lays
her eggs, so that no wet may reach them, from the constant trickling of
the waters beneath. Up to the height of two or three inches the pebbles
are gradually raised, the male stands by his beloved ; and some morning
when you peep into the crevice, you observe that an egg has been de-
posited. Two days after you find the number complete.

A closet-naturalist was quite surprised, I have been told, when he
read in one of my volumes that Grakles form no nests in one portion
of the United States, being there contented with merely dropping their
eggs in the bottom of a Woodpecker’s hole ; while in the Middie States
the same species forms a very snug nest. That his astonishment was
great I do not in the least doubt, especially as I know how surprised
I was to find the Larus argentatus breeding on fir-trees forty feet above
the ground, and to see three eggs, instead of one, placed on a bed of
small pebbles beautifully arranged, and every one belonging to a single
pair of Black Guillemots. Yet, good Reader, as I have also been told,
the same person had no doubt whatever that ermines turn from brown
to white in winter, that snakes and crabs cast off their skins and shells,
and that “ fleas are not lobsters ;” but then the reason of his belief was
simply that he had read of these things; and his doubts as to the Grakles
arose from the facts having been recently reported by a stranger from the
*“ far west,” who, it seems, talked of things which he had not read of be-
fore.

Whilst in Labrador, I was delighted to see with what judgment the
Black Guillemot prepares a place for itseggs. Whenever the spot chosen
happens to be so situated as to preclude damp, not a pebble does the bird
lay there, and its eggs are placed on the bare rock. It is only in what I
call cases of urgency that this trouble is taken. About fifty or sixty
pebbles or bits of stone are then used, and the number is increased or dimi-
nished according to circumstances.

The eggs of this species, which appear disproportionately large, mea-
sure two inches and three eighths in length, by an inch and five-eighths
in breadth. Their form is regular ; they are rather rough to the touch,
although not granulated ; their ground colour an earthy white, thickly

BLACK GUILLEMOT. 151

blotched with very dark purplish-black, the markings larger and closer
towards the great end, which, however, is generally left free of them.
The shell is much thinner than that of the egg of the Foolish Guillemot
or Razor-billed Auk. As an article of food they are excellent, being de-
licate and nutritious.

The parents pluck the feathers from a space across the lower part of
their belly, as soon as incubation commences ; and this bare place, when
the bird is taken alive, it immediately conceals by drawing the feathers of
the upper part of the abdomen over it, as if it were anxious that it should
not be observed. When driven from the nest, the Black Guillemot at
once runs out of its hiding-place and flies to the water, on which it plays,
bathes as it were, dives a few times, and anxiously watches your retreat,
after which it soon returns and resumes the arduous task of incubation.

The young, which are at first quite black, are covered with soft down,
and emit, although in an under tone, the same lisping notes as their pa-
rents. Their legs, feet, and bill are black. The red colour of the legs.
of the old birds is much brighter during the breeding-season than at any
other time, and the mouth also is bright red. About the first of August
the Guillemots lead their progeny to the water, and although at this time
neither old nor young are able to fly, they dive deeply and with great
ease, which enables them to procure abundance of food, for at this season,
lints, shrimps, and marine insects are plentiful in all the waters.

While in Labrador, I made a severe experiment to ascertain how long
the Black Guillemot could live without food,—an experiment on which
I have never since been able to think, without some feeling of remorse.
I confined a pair of them in the fissure of a rock for many days in suc-
cession. After the entrance was securely closed, I left the place, and for
eight days the wind blew so hard that no boat was safe on the waters
without the harbour. Many a time I thought of the poor captives, and
at last went to their retreat one rainy afternoon, over a great swell of the
sea. The entrance of the fissure was opened, and a stick pushed into the
hole, when I had the pleasure of seeing both birds, although apparently
in a state of distress, run out by me, and at once fly to the water.

The flight of the Black Guillemot is rapid and continued. As they
proceed in their course, they alternately shew the black of their lower
parts and the white of their wings. They walk on the rocks with consider-

able ease, using short steps, and whenever they wish to remove from one

152 BLACK GUILLEMOT.

crag or block to another, make use of their wings. When their nests are very
high above the water, they fly directly into them; and from such heights,
if necessity demands it, they at once dive towards the water.

I kept many alive on board the Ripley. They ran on the floor in an
erect position for a few yards, fell down on their breasts, rose again, and
continued their exertions to escape, until they got fairly concealed behind
a chest or barrel.

The winter plumage of this species differs so greatly from that of sum-
mer, that I have been induced to present you with a figure of the bird in
both states. It is difficult to perceive any external difference between the
sexes, only the males are rather larger than the females. Their flesh, al-
though black and tough, is not very unpalatable.

The trachea is flattened, with numerous close, transparent rings. The
gullet, as in all the other species of this genus, is very dilatable. The
gizzard, which is small, has its inner membrane thin and of a yellow co-
lour. The intestines are about the thickness of a goose quill, and mea-

sure two feet eight inches in length.

Uris Gryt_e, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 797.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds
of the United States, p. 423.—Swains. and Richards. Fauna Boreali-Americana,
part ii. p. 478.

Brack GuiLiEemor, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 523.

Adult in Summer. Plate CCXIX. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, straight, rather stout, tapering, compress-
ed, acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight and slop-
ing, towards the tip slightly arched, the sides sloping and towards the end
a little convex, the edges sharp and slightly inflected. Nostrils basal, la-
teral, linear, partially concealed by the feathers. Lower mandible with the
angle long and very narrow, the dorsal line ascending, straight, the sides
sloping upwards, slightly convex, flat at the base, the edges sharp and in-
flected, the tip acute.

Head of moderate size, oblong; neck short; body full, depressed ;
Wings rather small. Feet placed far behind, short, of moderate size;
tarsus short, compressed, anteriorly scutellate, laterally covered with re-
ticulated angular scales; toes rather slender, scutellate above, connected

by entire reticulated webs, the outer and inner with a small marginal

BLACK GUILLEMOT. 153

membrane ; the first toe wanting, the third and fourth about equal, the
second shortest ; claws small, arched, compressed, rather obtuse, that of
the middle toe with a dilated thin inner edge.

Plumage soft, close, blended and velvety ; feathers of the head very
short, on the back broadly rounded, of the lower parts more elongated.
Wings rather small; primary quills curved, the first longest, the second
little shorter, the rest rather rapidly diminishing; secondary incurved,
broadly rounded. ‘Tail short, narrow, rounded, of twelve rather pointed
feathers.

Bill black, inside of mouth vermilion tinged with carmine. Iris deep
brown. Feet of the same colour as the mouth, claws black. The general
colour of the plumage is deep black, on the upper part tinged with green,
on the lower with red, there being only a large patch on each wing, in-
cluding the secondary coverts and some of the smaller feathers pure white,
as are the lower wing-coverts. The quills and tail are tinged with brown.

Length to end of tail 137 inches, to end of claws 16}, to end of
wings 13; extent of wings 213; wing from flexure 63, tail 2; bill along
the ridge 11, along the gape 17; tarsus 1,%, middle toe 14, its claw 3.
Weight 133 oz.

Adult in winter. Plate CCXIX. Fig. 2.

The bill and iris are of the same colour as in summer, but the red of
the feet is paler. The general colour of the plumage is white, the sides
of the head, the neck all round, the lower parts, and the rump being of
that colour, more or less shaded with grey. The upper part of the head
obscurely mottled with greyish-black ; the back and scapulars black,
each feather tipped with greyish-white, those cf the latter more broadly.
The wings and tail brownish-black, the former with the conspicuous white

patch, as in summer.

Young a few days old. Plate CCXIX. Fig. 3.

Bill and feet black, the former tinged with red ; iris dark brown. The
general colour of the soft thick down with which the whole body is covered
is brownish-black.

( 154 )

THE PIPING PLOVER.
CHARADRIUS MELODUS, Orp.

PLATE CCXX. Mate anp FEMALE.

Durie the spring and summer months, this pretty little Plover is
found on the sandy beaches of our extensive coasts, from the southern
point of the Floridas to the confines of Maine. As you proceed towards
Labrador, you find it in every suitable place, as far as the Magdeleine
Islands, on the sands of which I saw many that were paired and had eggs
on the 11th of June 1833. It breeds on all parts of the eastern coast of
the United States, wherever the locality is adapted to its habits. On the
3d of May, this bird was found with eggs on the Keys of the Floridas ;
about a month later, you may meet with it in the States of Maryland,
New Jersey, and New York. Those which leave the south at the ap-
proach of spring, return to it about October: and during the whole win-
ter you may find them on the sandy beaches, from South Carolina to the
western coast of the Floridas. The species, therefore, may be considered
as resident with us.

While migrating eastward, the Piping Plovers proceed in pairs; and
should one of these on its way find a convenient place for breeding, and
remain there, several others are often induced to take up their abode in
the neighbourhood. In autumn, they go in flocks of twenty or thirty in-
dividuals, and at times associate with other species, particularly the Turn-
stone, in whose company I have found them abundantly on the coast of
Florida, in the winter months. They never proceed to any distance in-
land, even along the sandy margins of our largest rivers ; nor are they seen
along very rocky shores or places covered with deep mud.

The favourite breeding stations of this species are low islands, mostly
covered with drifting sand, having a scanty vegetation, and not liable to
inundation. In such a place many pairs may be found, with nests thirty
or forty yards apart. The nest is sometimes placed at the foot of a tuft
of withered grass, at other times in an exposed situation. A cavity is
merely scooped out in the soil, and there are deposited in it four eggs,
which are in a great measure hatched by the heat which the sand acquires

under the influence of a summer sun ; but in rough weather, and always

PIPING PLOVER. 155

by night, the female is careful to sit upon them. Her mate is extremely
attentive to her during the period of incubation, and should you happen
to stroll near the nest, you are sure to meet him at his station. The
eges, which are four, and have their points placed together, measure
one inch and one-eighth by seven and a half eighths, are pyriform,
broad, and flatly rounded at the larger end, and tapering directly to
the smaller, which is also rounded. They are of a pale bluish-buff
colour, sprinkled and lined nearly all over with dark red, brown, and
black. Only one brood is raised in the season. The young, which go
abroad immediately after they are hatched, run with remarkable speed,
and, at the least note of the parent bird indicative of danger, squat so
closely on the sand, that you may walk over them without seeing them.
Their downy covering is grey mottled with brown; their bill almost
black. If taken up in the hand, they emit a soft plaintive note resem-
bling that of the old bird. The strange devices which their parents at
this time adopt to ensure their safety, cannot fail to render the student of
nature very unwilling to carry them off without urgent necessity. You
may see the mother, with expanded tail and wings trailing on the ground,
limping and fluttering before you, as if about to expire. It is true you
know it to be an artifice, but it is an artifice taught by maternal love;
and, when the bird has fairly got rid of her unwelcome visitor, and you
see her start up on her legs, stretch forth her wings, and fly away piping
her soft note, you cannot but participate in the joy that she feels.

The flight of this Plover is extremely rapid, as well as protracted.
It passes through the air by glidings and extended flappings, either close
over the sand, or high above the shores. On the ground, few birds are
swifter of foot: It runs in a straight line before you, sometimes for
twenty or thirty yards, with so much celerity, that unless you have a
keen eye, it is almost sure to become lost to your view. Then, in an in-
stant it stops, becomes perfectly motionless, and if it perceives that you
have not marked it, squats flat on the sand, which it so much resembles
in colour, that you may as well search for another, as try to find it again.

Their notes, which are so soft and mellow as nearly to resemble those
of the sweetest songster of the forest, reach your ear long before you have
espied the Piping Plover. Now and then, these sounds come from per-
haps twenty different directions, and you are perplexed, as well as de-

lighted. At the approach of autumn, this species becomes almost mute,

156 PIPING PLOVER.

the colour of the plumage fades ; and it is then very difficult for you to
perceive one that may be only a few yards off, until it starts and runs or
flies before you. At this season they are less shy than before.

During winter they are generally in good condition, and their flesh is
very delicate and savoury, although, on account of their small size, they
seldom draw the sportsman after them. Their food consists of marine

insects, minute shell-fish, and small sand worms.

Rincep Prover, Cuaraprius Hiaricura, var. Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. v. p. 30.
pl. 37. fig. 3.

CHaARADRIUS MELODUS, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 296.

Prrinc RincepD Piover, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 18.

Male in Summer. Plate CCXX. Fig. 1.

Bill half the length of the head, straight, somewhat cylindrical. Up-
per mandible with the dorsal line straight to the middle, then bulging a
little and curving to the tip, which projects beyond that of the lower man-
dible, the sides flat and sloping at the base, convex towards the end, the
edges sharp and overlapping. Nasal groove extended to the middle of
the bill, filled with a bare membrane ; nostrils basal, linear, in the lower
part of the membrane, open, and pervious. Lower mandible with the
angle rather short, rounded, the sides at the base sloping outwards and
flat, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the edges sharp and
inflected.

Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed, the forehead rounded.
Eyes large. Neck short. Body rather slender, ovate. Wings long.
Feet of moderate length, slender ; tibia bare a little above the joint ;_tar-
sus rather compressed, covered all round with reticulated angular scales ;
toes slender; the hind toe wanting; third or middle toe longest, outer
toe considerably longer than inner, all scutellate above and marginate,
the outer connected with the middle by a short membrane ; claws small,
compressed, obtuse, the rather blunt inner edge of the middle claw a little
dilated.

Plumage soft and blended ; the feathers rounded, those on the back
somewhat distinct. Wings long and pointed ; primary quills tapering,
the first longest, the second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ;
inner secondaries tapering and elongated, so as nearly to equal the longest

PIPING PLOVER. Loe

primaries, Tail of moderate length, slightly rounded, of twelve rather
narrow feathers, which taper a little towards their rounded extremities.

Bill orange in its basal half, the rest black. Iris reddish-brown ; mar-
gins of eyelids orange. Feet brownish-yellow ; claws dusky. Forehead,
sides of the face, throat, and the whole under parts, pure white. Upper
parts pale brownish-grey. A black band across the upper part of the
forehead, another surrounds the lower part of the neck, broad on the
sides, but narrow above and below, where it is formed merely by the tips
of some of the feathers. Above this is a white band over the hind neck,
also very narrow above. Primaries dusky, each with a large white patch
on a portion of the outer, and on the greater part of the inner web; se-
condaries of a lighter brown, white on the inner webs, some of those nearest
the body entirely white ; the five innermost like the back; most of the
quills are more or less tipped with white, the primary and secondary
coverts more distinctly so. The tail-feathers may be described as white ;
the second has a brown spot on the inner web towards the end, the third
a larger spot or band on both webs, and the colour enlarges on the rest,
until the middle feathers are nearly all dusky brown.

Length to end of tail 7} inches, to end of claws 7, to end of wings 63 ;
extent of wings 154; wing from flexure 44; tail 2,%,; bill along the back 4,
along the edge of lower mandible ;4; tarsus 73; middle toe 7, its

claw 3%. Weight 3 oz.

Female in Summer. Plate CCXX. Fig. 2.

The Female is considerably smaller, but resembles the male in colour-
ing, only the dark bands on the forehead and neck are narrower, and of
a dusky brown tint.

Length to end of tail '7 inches, extent of wings 144.

The young, previous to their first moult, have the bill black, the feet
flesh-coloured, with dusky claws. The colours of the plumage are nearly
the same as in the adult, but there is no dark band on the forehead, and
that on the lower neck is merely indicated by a brownish-grey patch on
each side. The neck is surrounded by a collar of downy white feathers,
and the tips and margins of the feathers of the head and back are pale
ochre.

( 158 )

THE WRECKERS OF FLORIDA.

Lone before I reached the lovely islets that border the south-eastern
shores of the Floridas, the accounts I had heard of “ The Wreckers” had
deeply prejudiced me against them. Often had I been informed of the cruel
and cowardly methods which it was alleged they employed to allure ves-
sels of all nations to the dreaded reefs, that they might plunder their car-
goes, and rob their crews and passengers of their effects. I therefore
could have little desire to meet with such men under any circumstances,
much less to become liable to receive their aid; and with the name of
Wreckers, there were associated in my mind ideas of piratical depreda-
tion, barbarous usage, and even murder.

One fair afternoon, while I was standing on the polished deck of the
United States’ revenue cutter the Marion, a sail hove in sight, bearing in
an opposite course, and “ close-hauled” to the wind. The gentle rake of
her masts, as she rocked to and fro in the breeze, brought to my mind
the wavings of the reeds on the fertile banks of the Mississippi. By-and-
by the vessel altering her course, approached us. The Marion, like a
sea-bird, with extended wings, swept through the waters, gently inclining
to either side, while the unknown vessel leaped as it were from wave to
wave, like the dolphin in eager pursuit of his prey. In a short time, we
were gliding side by side, and the commander of the strange schooner sa-
luted our captain, who promptly returned the compliment. What a
beautiful vessel ! we all thought ; how trim, how clean-rigged, and how
well manned! She swims like a duck; and now with a broad sheer, off
she makes for the reefs, a few miles under our lee. There, in that nar-
row passage, well known to her commander, she rolls, tumbles, and dances,
like a giddy thing, her copper sheathing now gleaming, and again disap-
pearing under the waves. But the passage is thrid, and now, hauling on
the wind, she resumes her former course, and gradually recedes from the
view. Reader, it was a Florida Wrecker !

When at the Tortugas, I paid a visit to several vessels of this kind, in
company with my excellent friend Ropert Day, Esq. We had observed
the regularity and quickness of the men then employed at their arduous
tasks, and as we approached the largest schooner, I admired her form so
well adapted to her occupation, her great breadth of beam, her light

WRECKERS OF FLORIDA. 159

draught, the correctness of her water-line, the neatness of her painted
sides, the smoothness of her well-greased masts, and the beauty of her
rigging. We were welcomed on board with all the frankness of our na-
tive tars. Silence and order prevailed on her decks. The commander
and the second officer led us into a spacious cabin, well lighted, and fur-
nished with every convenience for fifteen or more passengers. The for-
mer brought me his collection of marine shells, and whenever I pointed
to one that I had not seen before, offered it with so much kindness, that
I found it necessary to be careful in expressing my admiration of any par-
ticular shell. He had also many eggs of rare birds, which were all handed
over to me, with an assurance that before the month should expire, a new
set could easily be procured, “ for,” said he, “ we have much idle time on
the reefs at this season.” Dinner was served, and we partook of their
fare, which consisted of fish, fowl, and other materiais. These rovers,
who were both from ‘‘ down east,” were stout active men, cleanly and
smart in their attire. In a short time, we were all extremely social and
merry. They thought my visit to the Tortugas, in quest of birds, was
rather “a curious fancy ;” but, notwithstanding, they expressed their
pleasure while looking at some of my drawings, and offered their services
in procuring specimens. Expeditions far and near were proposed, and
on settling that one of them was to take place on the morrow, we parted
friends.

Early next morning, several of these kind men accompanied me to a
small key called Booby Island, about ten miles distant from the light-
house. Their boats were well manned, and rowed with long and steady
strokes, such as whalers and men-of-war’s men are wont to draw. The
captain sang, and at times, by way of frolic, ran a race with our own
beautiful bark. ‘The Booby Isle was soon reached, and our sport there
was equal to any we had elsewhere. They were capital shots, had excel-
lent guns, and knew more about boobies and noddies than nine-tenths of
the best naturalists in the world. But what will you say when I tell you
that the Florida Wreckers are excellent at a deer hunt, and that at cer-
tain seasons, ‘‘ when business is slack,” they are wont to land on some ex-
tensive key, and in a few hours procure a supply of delicious venison.

Some days afterwards, the same party took me on an expedition in
quest of sea-shells. There we were all in the water at times to the waist,
and now and then much deeper. Now they would dip, like ducks, and
on emerging would hold up a beautiful shell. This occupation they
seemed to enjoy above all others.

160 WRECKERS OF FLORIDA.

The duties of the Marion having been performed, intimation of our
intended departure reached the Wreckers. An invitation was sent to me
to go and see them on board their vessels, which I accepted. Their ob-
ject on this occasion was to present me with some superb corals, shells,
live turtles of the Hawk-billed species, anda great quantity of eggs. Not
a “ pecayon” would they receive in return, but putting some letters in my
hands, requested me to “‘ be so good as put them in the mail at Charles-
ton,” adding that they were for their wives ‘‘ down east.” So anxious
did they appear to be to do all they could for me, that they proposed to
sail before the Marion, and meet her under weigh, to give me some birds
that were rare on the coast, and of which they knew the haunts. Cir-
cumstances connected with “ the service” prevented this, however; and
with sincere regret, and a good portion of friendship, I, bade these excel-
lent fellows adieu. How different, thought I, is often the knowledge of
things acquired by personal observation, from that obtained by report !

I had never before seen Florida Wreckers, nor has it since been my
fortune to fall in with any ; but my good friend, Dr BeNsamIn StROBEL,
having furnished me with a graphic account of a few days which he spent
with them, I shall present you with it in his own words.

“ On the 12th day of September, while lying in harbour at Indian
Key, we were joined by five wrecking vessels. Their licences having ex-
pired, it was necessary to go to Key West to renew them. We deter-
mined to accompany them the next morning, and here it will not be amiss
for me to say a few words respecting these far-famed Wreckers, their
captains and crews. From all that I had heard, I expected to see a
parcel of dirty, pirate-looking vessels, officered and manned by a set of
black-whiskered fellows, who carried murder in their very looks. I was
agreeably surprised on discovering that the vessels were fine large sloops
and schooners, regular clippers, kept in first-rate order. The Captains
generally were jovial, good-humoured sons of Neptune, who manifested
a disposition to be polite and hospitable, and to afford every facility to
persons passing up and down the Reef. The crews were hearty, well-
drest, and honest-looking men.

“On the 13th, at the appointed hour, we all set sail together, that is,
the five Wreckers and the schooner Jane. As our vessel was not noted
for fast-sailing, we accepted an invitation to go on board of a Wrecker.
The fleet got under weigh about eight o'clock in the morning, the wind
light but fair, the water smooth, and the day fine. I can scarcely find

WRECKERS OF FLORIDA. 161

words to express the pleasure and gratification which I this day experi-
enced. ‘The sea was of a beautiful soft, pea-green colour, smooth as a
sheet of glass, and as transparent, its surface agitated only by our vessels
as they parted its bosom, or by the Pelican in pursuit of his prey, which
rising for a considerable distance in the air, would suddenly plunge down
with distended mandibles and secure his food. The vessels of our little
fleet, with every sail set that could catch a breeze, and the white foam
curling round the prows, glided silently along, like islands of flitting
shadows, on an immovable sea of light. Several fathoms below the sur-
face of the water, and under us, we saw great quantities of fish diving
and sporting among the sea-grass, sponges, sea-feathers, and corals, with
which the bottom was covered. On our right hand were the Florida
Keys, which, as we made them in the distance, looked like specks upon
the surface of the water, but as we neared them, rose to view as if by en-
chantment, clad in the richest livery of spring, each variety of colour and.
hue rendered soft and delicate by a clear sky and a brilliant sun over
head. All was like a fairy scene; my heart leaped up in delighted ad-

miration, and I could not but exclaim in the language of Scott,

< Those seas behold,

Round thrice an hundred islands rolled.”

The trade-wind played around us with balmy and refreshing sweetness ;
and, to give life and animation to the scene, we had a contest for the
mastery between all the vessels of the fleet, while a deep interest was ex-
cited in favour of this or that vessel, as she shot ahead, or fell astern.

About three o’clock in the afternoon, we arrived off the Bay of
Honda. The wind being light, and no prospect of reaching Key West
that night, it was agreed that we should make a harbour here. We
entered a beautiful basin and came to anchor about four o’clock. Boats
were got out, and several hunting parties formed. We landed, and were
soon on the scent, some going in search of shells, others of birds. An In-
dian, who had been picked up somewhere along the coast by a Wrecker,
and who was employed as a hunter, was sent ashore in search of venison.
Previous to his leaving the vessel, a rifle was loaded with a single ball,
and put into his hands. After an absence of several hours, he returned
with two deer, which he had killed at a single shot. He watched until
they were both in range of his gun, side by side, when he fired and
brought them down.

VOL, IIl. ‘ L

162 WRECKERS OF FLORIDA.

All hands having returned, and the fruits of our excursion being col-
lected, we had wherewithal to make an abundant supper. Most of the game
was sent on board the largest vessel, where we proposed supping. Our
vessels were all lying within hail of each other, and as soon as the moon
arose, boats were seen passing from vessel to vessel, and all were busily
and happily engaged in exchanging civilities. One could never have sup-
posed that these men were professional rivals, so apparent was the good-
feeling that prevailed among them. About nine o'clock we started for
supper ; a number of persons had already collected, and as soon as we
arrived on board the vessel, a German sailor, who played remarkably well
on the violin, was summoned on the quarter-deck, when all hands, with a
good will, cheerily danced to lively airs until supper was ready. The
table was laid in the cabin, and groaned under its load of venison, wild
ducks, pigeons, curlews, and fish. Toasting and singing succeeded the
supper, and among other curious matters introduced, the following song
was sung by the German fiddler, who accompanied his voice with his in-
strument. He is said to be the author of the song. I say nothing of
the poetry, but merely give it as it came on my ear. It is certainly very
characteristic.

THE WRECKER’S SONG.

Come ye, goot people, von and all,
Come listen to my song:

A few remarks I have to make,
Which vont be very long.

*Tis of our vessel stout and goot,

As ever yet was built of woot,

Along the reef where the breakers roar,

De Wreckers on de Florida shore !

Key Tavernier’s our rendezvous ;

At anchor there we lie,
And see the vessels in the Gulf,

Carelessly passing by.
When night comes on we dance and sing,
Whilst the current some vessel is floating in ;
When day-light comes, a ship’s on shore,

Among de rocks where de breakers roar.

WRECKERS OF FLORIDA. 163

When day-light dawns, we’re under weigh,
And every sail is set,

And if the wind it should prove light,
Why then, our sails we wet.

To gain her first each eager strives,

To save de cargo and de people’s lives, .

Amongst de rocks where de breakers roar,

De Wreckers on de Florida shore.

When we get ‘longside, we find she’s bilged :
We know vel vat to do,
Save de cargo dat we can,
De sails and rigging too ;
Den down to Key West we soon vill go,
When quickly our salvage we shall know;
When every ting it is fairly sold,

Our money down to us it is told.

Den one week’s cruize we'll have on shore,
Before we do sail again,
And drink success to de sailor lads
Dat are ploughing of de main.
And when you are passing by dis way,
On the Florida Reef should you chance to stray,
Why, we will come to you on de shore,

Amongst de rocks where de breakers roar.

Great emphasis was laid upon particular words by the singer, who
had a broad German accent. Between the verses he played a symphony,
remarking, ‘‘ Gentlemens, I makes dat myself.” The chorus was trolled
by twenty or thirty voices, which, in the stillness of the night, produced

no unpleasant effect.

( 164 )

THE MALLARD.

ANAS BoscHas, Linn.

PLATE CCXXI. Mates anp FEMALES.

ALTHOUGH it is commonly believed that the Mallard is found abun-
dantly everywhere in the United States, I have received sufficient proof
to the contrary. If authors had acknowledged that they state so on re-
port, or had said that in the tame state the bird is common, I should not
have blamed them. According to my observation, and I may be allowed
to say that I have had good opportunities, this valuable species is ex-
tremely rare in the wild state, in the neighbourhood of Boston in Mas-
sachusetts; and in this assertion, I am supported by my talented and
amiable friend Mr Nurratt, who has resided there for many years. Far-
ther eastward, this bird is so rare that it is scarcely known, and not one
was seen by myself or my party beyond Portland in Maine. On the
western coast of Labrador none of the inhabitants that we conversed with
had ever seén the Mallard, and in Newfoundland the people were equally
unacquainted with it, the species being in those countries replaced by the
Black Duck, Anas fusca. From New York southward, the Mallards
become more plentiful, and numbers of them are seen in the markets of
Philadelphia, Baltimore, Richmond in Virginia, and other towns. Al-
though they are very abundant in the Carolinas and Floridas, as well as
in Lower Louisiana, they are much more so in the Western Country.
The reason of this is merely that the Mallard, unlike the sea ducks, is
rarely seen on salt water, and that its course from the countries where it
chiefly breeds is across the interior of the continent. From our great
lakes, they spread along the streams, betake themselves to the ponds,
wet meadows, submersed savannahs, and inland swamps, and are even
found in the thick beech woods, in early autumn, and indeed long before
the males have acquired the dark green colour of the head. Many of
them proceed beyond the limits of the United States.

It would be curious to know when this species was first domesticated ;
but, Reader, the solution of such a question is a task on which I shall
not venture. In the domestic state every body knows the Mallard.

When young it affords excellent food, and when old lays eggs. A bed

MALLARD. 165

made of its feathers is far preferable to the damp earth of the camp of an
American woodsman, or the plank on which the trained soldier lays his
wearied limbs at night. You may find many other’ particulars if you
consult in chronological order all the compilers from ALDRovaNDus to
the present day.

Be not startled, good Reader, when I tell you that many of these
ducks are bred in the lakes near the Mississippi, nay even in some of the
small ponds in the low lands or bottoms of the States of Kentucky, In-
diana and Illinois; for in many parts of those districts I have surprised
the females on their eggs, have caught the young when their mother was
cautiously and with anxiety leading them for greater safety to some
stream, and have shot many a fat one before the poor thing could fly,
and when it was so plump, tender, and juicy, that I doubt much whether,
you, like myself, should not much prefer them to the famed Canvass-
backed Duck.

Look at that Mallard as he floats on the lake; see his elevated head
glittering with emerald-green, his amber eyes glancing in the light ! Even
at this distance, he has marked you, and suspects that you bear no good
will towards him, for he sees that you have a gun, and he has many a
time been frightened by its report, or that of some other. The wary
bird draws his feet under his body, springs upon them, opens his wings,
and with loud quacks bids you farewell.

Now another is before you, on the margin of that purling streamlet.
How brisk are all his motions compared with those of his brethren that
waddle across your poultry-yard ! how much more graceful in form and
neat in apparel! The duck at home is the descendant of a race of slaves,
and has lost his native spirit : his wings have been so little used that they
ean hardly raise him from the ground. But the free-born, the untamed
duck of the swamps,—see how he springs on wing, and hies away over
the woods.

The Mallards generally arrive in Kentucky and other parts of the
Western Country, from the middle of September to the first of October,
or as soon as the acorns and beech-nuts are fully ripe. In a few days
they are to be found in all the ponds that are covered with seed-bearing
grasses. Some flocks, which appear to be guided by an experienced
leader, come directly down on the water with a rustling sound of their
wings that can be compared only to the noise produced by an Eagle in

the act of stooping upon its prey, while other flocks, as if they felt un-

166 MALLARD.

easy respecting the safety of the place, sweep around and above it se-
veral times in perfect silence, before they alight. In either case, the
birds immediately bathe themselves, beat their bodies with their wings,
dive by short plunges, and cut so many capers that you might imagine
them to be stark mad. The fact, however, seems to be, that all this ala-
crity and gaiety only shews the necessity they feel of clearing themselves
of the insects about their plumage, as well as the pleasure they experience
on finding themselves in a milder climate, with abundance of food around
them, after a hard journey of perhaps a day and a night. They wash
themselves and arrange their dress, before commencing their meal; and
in this other travellers would do well to imitate them.

Now, towards the grassy margins they advance in straggling parties.
See how they leap from the water to bend the loaded tops of the tall reeds.
Woe be to the slug or snail that comes in their way. Some are probing
the mud beneath, and waging war against the leech, frog, or lizard, that
is within reach of their bills; while many of the older birds run into the
woods, to fill their crops with beech-nuts and acorns, not disdaining to
swallow also, should they come in their way, some of the wood-mice that,
frightened by the approach of the foragers, hie towards their burrows.
The cackling they keep up would almost deafen you, were you near them;
but it is suddenly stopped by the approach of some unusual enemy, and
at once all are silent. With heads erected on out-stretched necks, they
anxiously look around. It is nothing, however, but a bear, who being,
like themselves, fond of mast, is ploughing up the newly fallen leaves
with his muzzle, or removing an old rotting log in search of worms. The
ducks resume their employment. But another sound is now heard, one
more alarming. ‘The bear raises himself on his hind legs, snuffs the air,
and with a loud snort gallops off towards the depths of his cane-brake.
The ducks retreat to the water, betake themselves to the centre of the
pool, and uttering half-stifled notes await the sight of the object they
dread. There the enemy cunningly advances first covered by one tree,
then by another. He has lost his chance of the bear, but as he is pushed
by hunger, a Mallard will do for the bullet of his rusty rifle. It is an
Indian, as you perceive by his red skin and flowing black hair, which,
however, has been cut close from the sides of his head. In the centre of
his dearly purchased blanket, a hole has been cut, through which he has
thrust his bare head, and the ragged garment, like a horse’s netting, is
engaged as it were in flapping off the last hungry musquitoes of the sea-

MALLARD. 167

son that are fast sucking the blood from his limbs. Watch him, Mallard,
Nay, wait no longer, for I see him taking aim ; better for you all to fly !
No—well, one of you will certainly furnish him with a repast. Amid the
dark wood rises the curling smoke, the report comes on my ear, the ducks
all rise save a pair, that, with back downwards and feet kicking against
the air, have been hit by the prowler. The free son of the forest slowly
approaches the pool, judges at a glance of the depth of the mire, and
boldly advances, until with a cane he draws the game towards him. Re-
turning to the wood, he now kindles a little fire, the feathers fill the air
around; from each wing he takes a quill, to clean the touch-hole of his
gun in damp weather ; the entrails he saves to bait some trap. Ina short
time the ducks are ready, and the hunter enjoys his meal, although brief
time does he take in swallowing the savoury morsels. Soon, the glimmer-
ing light of the moon will see him again on his feet, and lead him through
the woods, as he goes in pursuit of other game.

The Mallards that remain with us during the whole year, and breed
on the banks of the Mississippi or Lake Michigan, or in the beautiful
meadows that here and there border the Schuylkil in Pennsylvania, begin
to pair in the very heart of winter; and although ducks are quite desti-
tute of song, their courtships are not devoid of interest. The males, like
other gay deceivers, offer their regards to the first fair one that attracts
their notice, promise unremitting fidelity and affection, and repeat their
offers to the next they meet. See that drake, how he proudly shews, first
the beauty of his silky head, then the brilliancy of his wing-spots, and, with
honeyed jabberings, discloses the warmth of his affection. He plays around
this one, then around another, until the passion of jealousy is aroused in
the breasts of the admired and flattered. Bickerings arise; the younger
duck disdains her elder sister, and a third, who conceives herself a co-
quette of the first order, interposes, as if to ensure the caresses of the
feathered beau. Many tricks are played by ducks, good Reader, but
ere long, the females retire in search of a safe place in which they may
deposit their eggs and rear their young. They drawa quantity of weeds
around them, and form an ill-arranged sort of nest, in which from seven
to ten eggs are laid. From their bodies they pluck the softest down, and
placing it beneath the eggs, begin the long process of incubation, which
they intermit only for short periods, when it becomes absolutely neces-

sary to procure a little sustenance.

168 ‘MALLARD.

At length, in about three weeks, the young began to cheep in the
shell, from which, after a violent struggle, they make their escape. What
beautiful creatures! See how, with their little bills, they dry their
downy apparel! Now in a long line, one after another, they follow their
glad mother to the water, on arriving at which they take to swimming
and diving, as if elated with joy for having been introduced into :exist-
ence. The male, wearied and emaciated, is far away on some other pond.
The unnatural barbarian cares nothing about his progeny, nor has a
thought arisen in his mind respecting the lonely condition of his mate,
the greatness of her cares, or the sadness that she may experience under
the idea that she has been utterly forsaken by him who once called her
his only and truly beloved. No, Reader, not a thought of this kind has
he wasted on her whom he has left alone in charge of a set of eggs, and
now of a whole flock of innocent ducklings, to secure which from danger,
and see them all grow up apace, she manifests the greatest care and
anxiety. She leads them along the shallow edges of grassy ponds, and
teaches them to seize the small insects that abound there, the flies, the
musquitoes, the giddy beetles that skim along the surface in circles and
serpentine lines. At the sight of danger they run as it were on the water,
make directly for the shore, or dive and disappear. In about six weeks,
those that have escaped from the ravenous fishes and turtles have attained
a goodly size; the quills appear on their wings; their bodies are encased
with feathers ; but as yet none are able to fly. They now procure their
food by partial immersions of the head and neck in the manner of the old
bird. At this period they are already fit for the table, and delicate as
well as savoury food they afford. By the time that the leaves are changing
their hues, the young Mallards take freely to their wings, and the old
males join the congregated flocks.

The Squatters of the Mississippi raise a considerable number of Mal-
lards, which they catch when quite young, and which, after the first year,
are as tame as they can wish. These birds raise broods which are supe-
rior even to those of the wild ones, for a year or two, after which they
become similar to the ordinary ducks of the poultry-yard. The hybrids
produced between the Mallard and the Muscovy Duck are of great size,
and afford excellent eating. Some of these half-breeds now and then
wander off, become quite wild, and have by some persons been considered

as forming a distinct species. They also breed, when tame, with the

MALLARD. 169

Black Duck (Anas fusca) and the Gadwal, the latter connection giving
rise to a very handsome hybrid, retaining the yellow feet and barred plu-
mage of the one, and the green head of the other parent.

I have found the Mallard breeding on large prostrate and rotten logs,
three feet above the ground, and in the centre of a cane-brake, nearly a
mile distant from any water. Once I found a female leading her young
through the woods, and no doubt conducting them towards the Ohio.
When I first saw her, she had already observed me, and had squatted
flat among the grass, with her brood around her. As I moved onwards,
she ruffled her feathers, and hissed at me in the manner of a goose, while
the little ones scampered off in all directions. I had an excellent dog,
well instructed to catch young birds without injuring them, and I ordered
him to seek for them. On this the mother took to wing, and flew through
the woods as if about to fall down at every yard or so. She passed and
repassed over the dog, as if watching the success of his search ; and as
one after another the ducklings were brought to me, and struggled in my
bird-bag, the distressed parent came to the ground near me, rolled and
tumbled about, and so affected me by her despair, that I ordered my dog
to lie down, while, with a pleasure that can be felt only by those who are
parents themselves, I restored to her the innocent brood, and walked off.
As I turned round to observe her, I really thought I could perceive gra-
titude expressed in her eye; and a happier moment I never felt while
rambling in search of knowledge through the woods.

In unfrequented parts, the Mallards feed both by day and by night ;
but in places where they are much disturbed by gunners, they feed most-
ly by night, or towards evening and about sunrise. In extremely cold
weather, they betake themselves to the sources of streams, and even to
small springs, where they may be found along with the American Snipe.
At times, after heavy falls of rain, they are seen searching for ground-
worms over the corn-fields, and during the latter part of autumn, the
rice plantations of Georgia and the Carolinas afford them excellent pas-
ture grounds. I have thought indeed that at this season these birds per-
‘form a second migration as it were, for they then pour into the rice-fields
by thousands from the interior. In the Floridas, they are at times seen
in such multitudes as to darken the air, and the noise they make in rising
from off a large submersed savannah, is like the rumbling of thunder. So
numerous were the Mallards while I was at General Hernanpez’s in

Fast Florida, that a single Negro whom that gentleman kept as a hunter,

170 MALLARD.

would shoot from fifty to a hundred and twenty in a day, thus supplying
the plantation with excellent food.

The flight of the Mallard is swift, strong, and well sustained. It rises
either from the ground or from the water at a single spring, and flies al-
most perpendicularly for tex or fifteen yards, or, if in a thick wood, until
quite above the tops of the tallest trees, after which it moves horizontally.
If alarmed, it never rises without uttering several quacks ; but on other
occasions it usually leaves its place in silence. While travelling to any
distance, the whistling sound of their wings may be heard a great way off,
more especially in the quiet of night. Their progress through the air I
have thought might be estimated at a mile and a half in the minute; and
I feel very confident that when at full speed and on a long journey, they
can fly at the rate of a hundred and twenty miles in the hour.

The Mallard is truly omnivorous, its food consisting of every thing
that can possibly satisfy the cravings of its extraordinary appetite. Nor
is it at all cleanly in this respect, for it will swallow any kind of offals,
and feed on all sorts of garbage, even putrid fish, as well as on snakes
and small quadrupeds. Nuts and fruits of all kinds are dainties to it,
and it soon fattens on rice, corn, or any other grain. My friend Jcun
Bacumay, who usually raises a great number of Mallards every year, has
the young fed on chopped fish, on which they thrive uncommonly well.
So very greedy are these birds, that I have often observed a couple of
them tugging for a long time against each other for the skin of an eel,
which was already half swallowed by the one, while the other was en-
gaged at the opposite end. They are expert fly-catchers, and are in the
habit of patting with their feet the damp earth, to force ground-worms
out of their burrows.

Besides man, the enemies of the Mallard are the White-headed Eagle,
the Snowy Owl, the Virginian Owl, the racoon, the lynx, and the snap-
ping turtle. Mallards are easily caught by snares, steel-traps baited with
corn, and figure-of-four traps. As we have no decoys in the United
States, I shall not trouble you with a new edition of the many accounts
you will find in ornithological books of that destructive method of pro-
curing Wild Ducks.

The eggs of this species measure two inches and a quarter in Jength,
one inch and five-eighths in breadth. The shell is smooth, and of a plain
light dingy green. They are smaller than those of the tame duck, and

rarely so numerous. As soon as incubation commences, the males asso-

MALLARD. 171

ciate together in flocks, until the young are able to migrate. This spe-
cies raises only one brood in the season, and I never found its nest with
eggs in autumn. The female covers her eggs before she leaves them to
go in search of food, and thus keeps them sufficiently warm until her re-

turn.

Anas Boscuas, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 205.—Zath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 850.—
Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 383.

Mattarp, Anas Boscuas, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 112. pl. 70. fig. 7.—
Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 378.

Adult Male. Plate CCXXI. Fig. 1.1.

Bill about the length of the head, higher than broad at the base,
depressed and widened towards the end, rounded at the tip. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line sloping and a little concave, the ridge at
the base broad and flat, towards the end broad] y convex, as are the sides,
the edges soft and rather obtuse, the marginal lamellz transverse, fifty on
each side; the unguis oval, curved, abrupt at the end. Nasal groove el-
liptical, subbasal, filled by the soft membrane of the bill; nostrils sub-
basal, placed near the ridge, longitudinal, elliptical, pervious. Lower
mandible slightly curved upwards, with the angle very long, narrow, and
rather pointed, the lamella about sixty.

Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed ; neck rather long and
slender ; body full, depressed. Feet short, stout, placed a little behind
the centre of the body; legs bare a little above the joint ; tarsus short, a
little compressed, anteriorly with small scutella, laterally and behind with
reticulated angular scales. Hind toe extremely small, with a very nar-
row membrane ; third toe longest, fourth a little shorter, but longer than
second ; all the toes covered above with numerous oblique scutella; the
three anterior connected by reticulated membranes, the outer with a thick
margin, the inner with the margin extended into a slightly lobed web.
Claws small, arched, compressed, rather acute, that of the middle toe
much larger, with a dilated, thin, inner edge.

Plumage dense, soft, and elastic ; of the head and neck short, blended,
and splendent ; of the other parts in general broad and rounded. Wings
of moderate length, acute; primaries narrow and tapering, the second

longest, the first very little shorter; secondaries broad, curved inwards,

172 MALLARD.

the inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, much rounded, of sixteen
acute feathers, of which the four central are recurved.

Bill greenish-yellow. Iris dark brown. Feet orange-red. Head and
upper part of neck deep green, a ring of white about the middle of the
neck ; lower part of the neck anteriorly, and fore part of breast, dark
brownish-chestnut; fore part of back light yellowish-brown, tinged with
grey; the rest of the back brownish-black, the rump black, splendent
with green and purplish-blue reflections, as are the recurved tail-feathers.
Upper surface of wings greyish-brown, the scapulars lighter except their
inner webs, and with the anterior dorsal feathers minutely undulated
with brown. The speculum on about ten of the secondaries is of brilliant
changing purple and green, edged with velvet-black and white, the ante-
rior bands of black and white being on the secondary coverts. Breast,
sides, and abdomen, very pale grey, minutely undulated with darker ;
lower tail-coverts black with blue reflections.

Length to the end of the tail 24 inches, to the end of the claws 23, to
the tips of the wings 22; extent of wings 36; wing from flexure 103 ;
tail 42; bill 2,2,; tarsus 13; middle toe 2,%, its claw y,. Weight from
22 to 3 |b.

Adult Female. Plate CCX XI. Figs. 2. 2.

Bill black in the middle, dull orange at the extremities and along the
edges. Iris as in the male, as are the feet. The general colour of the
upper parts is pale yellowish-brown, streaked and spotted with dusky
brown. The feathers of the head narrowly streaked, of the back with the
margin and a central streak yellowish-brown, the rest dark, of the scapu-
lars similar, but with the light streak on the outer web. The wings are
nearly as in the male, the speculum similar, but with less green. The
lower parts dull ochre, deeper on the lower neck, and spotted with brown.

Length 22 inches. Weight from 2 lb. to 23.

The Young acquire the full plumage in the course of the first winter.

CLP raat)

THE WHITE IBIS.

IBIS ALBA, ViEILL.

PLATE CCXXII. Aputt Mats, anp Youne.

Sanpy Istawnp, of which I have already spoken in my second volume,
is remarkable as a breeding-place for various species of water and land
birds. It is about a mile in length, not more than a hundred yards broad,
and in form resembles a horse-shoe, the inner curve of which looks toward.
Cape Sable in Florida, from which it is six miles distant. At low water,
it is surrounded to a great distance by mud flats abounding in food for
wading and swimming birds, while the plants, the fruits, and the insects
of the island itself, supply many species that are peculiar to the land.
Besides the White Ibis, we found breeding there the Brown Pelican, the
Purple, the Louisiana, the White, and the Green Herons, two species of
Gallinule, the Cardinal Grosbeak, Crows, and Pigeons. The vegetation
consists of a few tall mangroves, thousands of wild plum trees, several
species of cactus, some of them nearly as thick as a man’s body, and
more than twenty feet high, different sorts of smilax, grape-vines, cane,
palmettoes, Spanish bayonets, and the rankest nettles I ever saw,—all so
tangled together, that I leave you to guess how difficult it was for my
companions and myself to force a passage through them in search of birds’
nests, which, however, we effected, although the heat was excessive, and
the stench produced by the dead birds, putrid eggs, and the natural ef-
fluvia of the Ibises, was scarcely sufferable. But then, the White Ibis
was there, and in thousands; and, although I already knew the bird, I
wished to study its manners once more, that I might be enabled to pre-
sent you with an account of them, which I now proceed to do,—endeavour-
ing all the while to forget the pain of the numerous scratches and lacera-
tions of my legs caused by the cactuses of Sandy Island.

As we entered that well-known place, we saw nests on every bush,
cactus, or tree. Whether the number was one thousand or ten I cannot
say, but this I well know :—I counted forty-seven on a single plum-tree.
These nests of the White Ibis measure about fifteen inches in their great-
est diameter, and are formed of dry twigs intermixed with fibrous roots

and green branches of the trees growing on the island, which this bird

174 WHITE IBIS.

easily breaks with its bill; the interior, which is flat, being finished with
leaves of the cane and some other plants. The bird breeds only once in
the year, and the full number of its eggs is three. ‘They measure two
inches and a quarter in length, with a diameter of one inch and five-
eighths, are rough to the touch, although not granulated, of a dull white
colour, blotched with pale yellow, and irregularly spotted with deep reddish-
brown. Theyafford excellent eating, although when boiled they do not look
inviting, the white resembling a livid-coloured jelly, and the yolk being of a
reddish-orange, the former wonderfully transparent, instead of being opaque
like that of most other birds. The eggs are deposited from the 10th of April
to the 1st of May, and incubation is general by the 10th of the latter month.
The young birds, which are at first covered with thick down of a dark
grey colour, are fed by regurgitation. They take about five weeks to be
able to fly, although they leave the nest at the end of three weeks, and
stand on the branches, or on the ground, waiting the arrival of their pa-
rents with food, which consists principally of small fiddler crabs and cray-
fish. On some occasions, I have found them at this age miles away from
the breeding-places, and in this state they are easily caught. As soon as
the young are able to provide for themselves, the old birds leave them,
and the different individuals are then seen searching for food apart.
While nestling or in the act of incubating, these Ibises are extremely gen-
tle and unwary, unless they may have been much disturbed, for they al-
most allow you to touch them on the nest. The females are silent all the
while, but the males evince their displeasure by uttering sounds which
greatly resemble those of the White-headed Pigeon, and which may be
imitated by the syllables crooh, croo, croo. 'The report of a gun scarcely
alarms them at first, although at all other periods these birds are shy and
vigilant in the highest degree.

The change in the colouring of the bill, legs, and feet of this bird,
that takes place in the breeding-season, is worthy of remark, the bill be-
ing then of a deep orange-red, and the legs and feet of a red nearly
amounting to carmine. The males at this season have the gular pouch
of a rich orange colour, and somewhat resembling in shape that of the
Frigate Pelican, although proportionally less. During winter, these parts
are of a dull flesh colour. The irides also lose much of their clear blue,
and resume in some degree the umber colour of the young birds. I am
thus particular in these matters, because it is doubtful if any one else has

ever paid attention to them.

WHITE IBIS. 175

While breeding, the White Ibises go to a great distance in search of
food for their young, flying in flocks of several hundreds. Their excursions
take place at particular periods, determined by the decline of the tides,
when all the birds that are not sitting go off; perhaps twenty or thirty
miles, to the great mud flats, where they collect abundance of food, with
which they return the moment the tide begins to flow. As the birds of
this genus feed by night as well as by day, the White Ibis attends the
tides at whatever hour they may be. Some of those which bred on Sandy
Key would go to the keys next the Atlantic, more than forty miles dis-
tant, while others made for the Ever Glades; but they never went off
singly. They rose with common accord from the breeding-ground, form-
ing themselves into long lines, often a mile in extent, and soon disappear-
ed from view. Soon after the turn of the tide we saw them approaching
in the same order. Not a note could you have heard on those occasions ;
yet if you disturb them when far from their nests, they utter loud hoarse
erles resembling the syllables hunk, hunk, hunk, either while on the ground
or as they fly off.

The flight of the White Ibis is rapid and protracted. Like all other
species of the genus, these birds pass through the air with alternate flap-
pings and sailings; and I have thought that the use of either mode de-
pended upon the leader of the flock, for, with the most perfect regularity,
each individual follows the motion of that preceding it, so that a constant
appearance of regular undulations is produced through the whole line.
If one is shot at this time, the whole line is immediately broken up, and for
a few minutes all is disorder; but as they continue their course, they
soon resume their former arrangement. The wounded bird never at-
tempts to bite or to defend itself in any manner, although, if only winged,
it runs off with more speed than is pleasant to its pursuer.

At other times the White Ibis, like the Red and the Wood Ibises,
rises to an immense height in the air, where it performs beautiful evolu-
tions. After they have thus, as it were, amused themselves for some

time, they glide down with astonishing speed, and alight either on trees

or on the ground. Should the sun be shining, they appear in their full

beauty, and the glossy black tips of their wings form a fine contrast with
the yellowish-white of the rest of their plumage.

This species is as fond of resorting to the ponds, bayous, or lakes that
are met with in the woods, as the Wood Ibis itself. I have found it

176 WHITE IBIS.

breeding there at a distance of more than three hundred miles from the
sea, and remaining in the midst of the thickest forests until driven off to
warmer latitudes by the approach of winter. This is the case in the
State of Mississippi, not far from Natchez, and in all the swampy forests
around Bayou Sara and Pointe Coupée, as well as the interior of the
Floridas. When disturbed in such places, these Ibises fly at once to the
tops of the tallest trees, emitting their hoarse huni, and watch your mo-
tions with so much care that it is extremely difficult to get within shot
of them.

The manner in which this bird searches for its food is very curious.
The Woodcock and the Snipe, it is true, are probers as well as it, but
their task requires less ingenuity than is exercised by the White or the
Red Ibis. It is also true that the White Ibis frequently seizes on small
crabs, slugs and snails, and even at times on flying insects; but its usual
mode of procuring food is a strong proof that cunning enters as a princi-
pal ingredient in its instinct. The Cray-fish often burrows to the depth
of three or four feet in dry weather, for before it can be comfortable it
must reach the water. This is generally the case during the prolonged
heats of summer, at which time the White Ibis is most pushed for food.
The bird, to procure the Cray-fish, walks with remarkable care towards
the mounds of mud which the latter throws up while forming its hole, and
breaks up the upper part of the fabric, dropping the fragments into the
deep cavity that has been made by the animal. Then the Ibis retires a
single step, and patiently waits the result. The Cray-fish, incommoded
by the load of earth, instantly sets to work anew, and at last reaches the
entrance of its burrow; but the moment it comes in sight, the Ibis seizes
it with his bill.

Whilst at Indian Key, I observed an immense quantity of beautiful
tree snails, of a pyramidal or shortly conical form, some pure white,
others curiously marked with spiral lines of bright red, yellow and black.
They were crawling vigorously on every branch of each bush where
there was not a nest of the White Ibis; but wherever that bird had
fixed its habitation, not a live snail was to be seen, although hundreds
lay dead beneath. Was this caused by the corrosive quality of the bird’s
ordure ?

There is a curious though not altogether general difference between

the sexes of this species as to the plumage :—the male has five of its

WHITE IBIS. 177

primaries tipped with glossy black for several inches, while the female,
which is very little smaller than the male, has only four marked in this
manner. Qn examining more than a hundred individuals of each sex, I
found only four exceptions, which occurred in females that were vely old
birds, and which, as happens in some other species, might perhaps have
been undergoing the curious change exhibited by ducks, pheasants, and
some other birds, the females of which when old sometimes assume the
livery of the males.

Much, as you are aware, good Reader, has been said respecting the
“ oil bags” of birds. I dislike controversy, simply because I never saw
the least indications of it in the ways of the Almighty Creator. Should
I err, forgive me, but my opinion is, that these organs were not made
without an object. Why should they consist of matter so conveniently
placed, and so disposed as to issue under the least pressure, through aper-
tures in the form of well defined tubes? The White Ibis, as well as the
Wood Ibis, and all the other species of this genus, when in full health,
has these oil bags of great size, and, if my eyes have not deceived me,
makes great use of their contents. Should you feel anxious to satisfy
yourself on this subject, I request of you to keep some Ibises alive for
several weeks, as I have done, and you will have an opportunity of judg-
ing. And again, tell me if the fat contained in these bags is not the very
best lip-salve that can be procured.

When any species of Ibis with which I am acquainted falls into the
water on being wounded, it swims tolerably well; but I have never ob-
served any taking to the water and swimming either by choice or to escape
pursuit. While in the company of Mr JosepH Mason, a young man who
was for some time employed by me, and who has drawn plants to some of
my birds, although not so successfully as my amiable friend Miss Martin,
or Grorce Lrumay, who finish those they draw as beautifully as my learn-
ed and valued friend Witt1am Maceitiivray of Edinburgh does his
faithful drawings of birds, I chanced one morning to be on the look-out for
White Ibises, in a delightful swamp not many miles from Bayou Sara. It
was in the end of summer, and all around was pure and calm as the clear
sky, the bright azure of which was reflected by the lake before us. The
trees had already exchanged the verdure of their foliage for more mellow
tints of diversified hue ; the mast dropped from the boughs; some of the
Warblers had begun to think of removing farther south ; the Night Hawk,
in company with the Chimney Swallow, was passing swiftly towards the

VOT. ITI. M

178 WHITE IBIS.

land of their winter residence, and the Ibises had all departed for the
Florida coasts, excepting a few of the white species, one of which we at
length espied. It was perched about fifty yards from us towards the
centre of the pool, and as the report of one of our guns echoed among the
tall cypresses, down to the water, broken-winged, it fell. ‘The exertions
which it made to reach the shore seemed to awaken the half-torpid alli-
gators that lay in the deep mud at the bottom of the pool. One shewed
his head above the water, then a second and a third. All gave chase to
the poor wounded bird, which, on seeing its dreaded and deadly foes,
made double speed towards the very spot where we stood. I was sur-
prised to see how much faster the bird swam than the reptiles, who, with
jaws widely opened, urged their heavy bodies through the water. The
Ibis was now within a few yards of us. It was the alligator’s last chance.
Springing forward as it were, he raised his body almost out of the water ;
his jaws nearly touched the terrified bird; when pulling three triggers at
once, we lodged the contents of our guns in the throat of the monster.
Thrashing furiously with his tail, and rolling his body in agony, the alli-
gator at last sunk to the mud; and the Ibis, as if in gratitude, walked to
our very feet, and there lying down, surrendered itself tous. I kept this
bird until the succeeding spring, and by care and good nursing, had the
pleasure of seeing its broken wing perfectly mended, when, after its long
captivity, I restored it to liberty, in the midst of its loved swamps and
woods.

The young bird of this species which I kept alive for some time, fed
freely, after a few days captivity, on soaked Indian corn meal, but evinced
great pleasure when cray-fishes were offered to it. On seizing one, it beat
it sideways on the ground, until the claws and legs were broken off, after
which it swallowed the body whole. It was fond of lying on its side in
the sun for an hour or so at a time, pluming its body and nursing the
sore wing. It walked lightly and very gracefully, though not so much
so as the Herons. It did not molest its companions, and became very
gentle and tame, following those who fed it like a common fowl.

The Creoles of Louisiana call this species ‘* Bec croche,” and also
“ Petit Flaman,” although it is also generally known by the name of
* Spanish Curlew.” The flesh, which, as well as the skin, is of a dull
orange colour, is extremely fishy, although the birds are often sold in
our southernmost markets, and are frequently eaten by the Indians.

The White Ibis has been shot eastward as far as New Jersey’ Of

WHITE IBIS. 179

this I have been made aware by my gencrous friend Epwarp Harris,

Esq. I never saw one farther up the Mississippi than Memphis.

TanTALus aLBus, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 242.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 705.

Waite Isis, Tantatus ateus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 43. pl. 66. fig. 3.—
Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 86.

Tpis apa, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 312.

Adult Male. Plate CCX XII. Fig. 1.

Bill very long, slender, deeper than broad, compressed, tapering, ar-
cuate, obtuse at the tip. Upper mandible with the dorsal line arched in
its whole length, the ridge convex, broader towards the end, the sides at
the base nearly erect, towards the end very convex and narrow, the ridge
separated in its whole length from the sides by a deep narrow groove, the
edges inflected and sharp. Nostrils basal, dorsal, linear, direct. Lower
mandible nearly equal to upper, its angle very narrow, and protracted in
the form of a groove to the tip, the sides convex, the edges sharp, but
strong.

Head small, compressed ; neck long and slender ; body slender, deeper
than broad; wings rather large. Feet very long, slender ; tibiae long,
bare about half their length, and covered all round with hexagonal scales;
tarsi long, slender, anteriorly covered with numerous broad scutella, the
rest with hexagonal scales; toes slender, the first much smaller, the third
longest, the fourth considerably shorter, the second very little shorter than
the fourth, all covered above with numerous scutella, laterally with an-
gular scales, beneath flattened with thick soft margins; the anterior
connected at the base by membranes, of which the outer is longer ;
claws small, arched, compressed, obtuse, the middle one with a sharp thin
edge.

Head and throat bare to beyond the eyes, as are the tibize nearly half
way up. Plumage in general soft, unglossed, the feathers rather blended,
those of the head and neck narrow and more blended. Wings long,
ample, some of the secondaries as long as the longest primary when the
wings are closed; third quill longest, but second and fourth almost as
long, first longer than fifth ; secondaries broad and rounded. Tail short,
slightly emarginate and rounded, of twelve rounded feathers.

Bare parts of the head light orange-red; bill the same, but towards
the tip dusky. Iris of a fine pearly blue. Legs and toes paler than the

p mM 2

180 WHITE IBIS.

bill; claws dusky, tipped with horn colour. Plumage pure white, ex-
cepting the ends of from three to five of the outer primaries, which are
deep black, with blue and green reflexions.

Length to end of tail 243 inches, to end of wings 27, to end of claws
$14; extent of wings 40; wing from flexure 123; tail 43; bill along
the back 54, along the edge 53; bare space of tibia 13, tarsus 3}, middle
toe 21, its claw 3. Weight 2 lb.

The adults vary considerably in size, and remarkably in the length
of the bill. The extent of the bare space on the head varies according
to age. In the breeding season the bill and legs are bright carmine ;
during the rest of the year paler.

Young bird killed in September. Plate CCX XII. Fig. 2.

In its first plumage this species is of a dull brown colour all over, ex-
cepting the rump, which is whitish, and the tail, which is tinged with
grey.

After the first moult, the bill is pale yellowish-orange, toward the
base greenish ; the naked parts of the head are pale orange-yellow, in-
clining to flesh-colour; the eye dark brown; the feet pale blue. The
plumage is of a dull olivaceous brown, the quills darker, the tail ra-
ther lighter, the hind part of the back white, the breast and abdomen
white.

The Crayfish represented in the plate will be found described in the

article entitled ‘‘ the White Perch and its favourite bait.”

( 181 )

THE AMERICAN OYSTER-CATCHER.

HZ#MATOPUS PALLIATUS, TEMM.
PLATE CCXXIII. Mate.

Our Oyster-Catcher has a very extensive range. It spends the win-
ter along the coast from Maryland to the Gulf of Mexico, and being then
abundant on the shores of the Floridas, may be considered a constant
resident in the United States. At the approach of spring, it removes to-
ward the Middle States, where, as well as in North Carolina, it breeds. It
seems scarcer between Long Island and Portland in Maine, where you
again see it, and whence it occurs all the way to Labrador, in which coun-
try I found that several were breeding in the month of July. Unless in
winter, when these birds assemble in parties of twenty-five or thirty indivi-
duals, they are seldom met with in greater numbers than from one to
four pairs, with their families, which appear to remain with the parent
birds until the following spring. It is never found inland, nor even far
up our largest rivers, but is fond of remaining at all times on the sandy
beaches and rocky shores of our salt-water bays or marshes. In Labra-
dor, I met with it farther from the open sea than,in any other part, yet
always near salt-water. I have never met with any other species on the
coasts of North America.

Shy, vigilant, and ever on the alert, the Oyster-Catcher walks with a
certain appearance of dignity, greatly enhanced by its handsome plumage
and remarkable bill. If you stop to watch it, that instant it sounds a
loud shrill note of alarm; and should you advance farther towards it,
when it has neither nest nor young, off it flies quite out of sight. Few
birds, indeed, are more difficult to be approached, and the only means of
studying its habits I found to be the use of an excellent telescope, with
which I could trace its motions when at the distance of a quarter of a
mile, and pursuing its avocations without apprehension of danger. In
this manner I have seen it probe the sand to the full length of its bill,
knock off limpets from the rocks on the coast of Labrador, using its wea-
pon sideways and insinuating it between the rock and the shell like a
chisel, seize the bodies of gaping oysters on what are called in the South-

ern States and the Floridas “* Racoon oyster beds,” and at other times

182 AMERICAN OYSTER-CATCHER.

take up a “ razor-handle” or solen, and lash it against the sands until the
shell was broken and the contents swallowed. Now and then they seem
to suck the sea-urchins, driving in the mouth, and introducing their bill
by the aperture, without breaking the shell ; again they are seen wading
up to their bodies from one place to another, seizing on shrimps and
other crustacea, and even swimming for a few yards, should this be
necessary to enable them to remove from one bank to another without
flying. Small crabs, fiddlers, and sea-worms, are also caught by it, the
shells of which in a broken state I have found in its gizzard in greater or
less quantity. Frequently, while on wet sea-beaches, it pats the sand, to
force out the insects; and in one instance I saw an individual run from
the water to the dry sand, with a small flounder in its bill, which it after-
wards devoured.

This bird forms no regular nest, but is contented with scratching the
dry sand above high-water mark, so as to form a slight hollow, in which
it deposits its eggs. On the coast of Labrador, and in the Bay of
Fundy, it lays its eggs on the bare rock. When the eggs are on sand,
it seldom sits on them during the heat of the sun; but in Labrador, it
was found sitting as closely as any other bird. Here, then, is another
instance of the extraordinary difference of habit in the same bird under dif-
ferent circumstances. It struck me so much that had I not procured a
specimen in Labrador, and another in our Middle Districts, during the
breeding season, and found them on the closest examination to be the
same, I should perhaps have thought the birds different. Everywhere,
however, I observed that this bird is fond of places covered with broken
shells and drifted sea-weeds or grasses, as a place of security for its eggs,
and where, in fact, it is no very easy matter to discover them. The eggs
are two or three, measure two inches and one-eighth in length, by aninch
and a half in breadth, and are of the form of those of a common hen.
They are of a pale cream colour, spotted with irregular marks of brown-
ish-black, and others of a paler tint, pretty equally dispersed all over.
The birds, even when not sitting on them, are so very anxious about them,
that on the least appearance of an enemy, they scream out loudly, and if
you approach the nest, fly over and around you, although always at a
considerable distance. When you meet with the young, which run as
soon as they are hatched, the old birds manifest the greatest anxiety.
They run before you, or fly around you, with great swiftness, and emit

peculiar notes, which at once induce their little ones to squat among the

AMERICAN OYSTER-CATCHER. 183

sand and broken shells, where, on account of their dull greyish-colour, it
is very difficult to see them unless you pass within a foot or two of them,
when they run off emitting a plaintive note, which renders the parents
doubly angry. Their shape is now almost round, and the streaks of
their back and rump, as well as the curved points of their bills, might in-
duce you to believe them to be any thing but the young of an Oyster-
Catcher. I have caught some, which I thought were more than a month
old, and yet were unable to fly, although full feathered. They appeared
weakened by their fatness, and were overtaken by running after them on the
sands. ‘There were no parent birds near or in sight of them ; yet I much
doubt if they procured their own food at this period, and have more rea-
son to believe that, like some other species of birds, they were visited and
supplied with food at particular hours of the day or of the night, as is the
case with Herons and Ibises, for the Oyster-Catcher is scarcely nocturnal.

By the beginning of October these birds return to the south. I saw
them at Labrador until the 11th of August, but cannot say at what period
they leave that country. When wounded while wading or on the shore,
they make for the water, on which they float buoyantly and move with ease.

The flight of the American Oyster-catcher is powerful, swift, elegant
at times, and greatly protracted. While they are on wing, their beau-
ties are as effectually displayed as those of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker
of our woods, the colours of which are somewhat similar. The transpa-
rent white of their wings contrasts with their jetty tips, and is enriched
by the coral hue of the bill, while the beautiful white of their lower parts
has a very pleasing effect. Their loud cries, too, of wheep, wheep, wheeop,
which sound in your ears, are quite different from any you have heard; and
as they perform their various evolutions, all charming in themselves, you
cannot, if unacquainted with the bird, refrain from asking what it is ?
Now wheeling with wonderful impetuosity, they pass within a hundred
yards of you, and suddenly checking their flight return, not low over
the waters as before, but high in the air. Again, they form their ranks
in a broad front, and again, as if suddenly alarmed by the report of a
distant gun, they close pell-mell, and dip towards the sands or the waters.
Shoot one at such a moment, and you may expect to kill another; but
as this is done, the wary birds, as if suddenly become aware of your in-
tentions, form themselves into a straggling line, and before a minute has

elapsed, far beyond reach, and fading on the view, are the remaining
Oyster-catchers.

184 AMERICAN OYSTER-CATCHER.

The gullet of this species is capable of being considerably distended.
When your finger is introduced into it, it passes with ease into a sort of
crop, where the food is apparently prepared before entering the gizzard,
which is rather muscular. How this bird disposes of the hard particles
of shells, pebbles, and other matters, with which its food is mixed, is be-
yond my comprehension, and one which I gladly leave for your solution.
Their flesh is dark, tough, and unfit for eating, unless in cases of extreme
necessity.

The females and young are dark olive-brown above, like the males,
but of a browner shade. I have represented a male bird. I have never
met with the European Oyster-catcher, Hematopus Ostralegus, in any
part of the United States, and, although I cannot of course aver that it
does not occur there, I believe that the American or Mantled Oyster-
catcher has been confounded with it by Witson and others. Indeed,
the figure given by Witson resembles that of the European bird, but
his description of the female and young almost agrees with the present

species, the dimensions also being nearly the same.

He#MarTopus PALLIaTUS, Temm. Man. d’Ornith. part ii. p. 532.

ManTLep OysTER-CATCHER, Ha#Matorus PALLIATUS, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii.
p. 15.

Plate CCX XIII. Male in June.

Bill long, slender but strong, straight, deeper than broad at the base,
towards the end extremely compressed, terminating in a very thin wedge-
shaped point. Upper mandible with the dorsal line at the base straight
and slightly sloping, convex beyond the nostrils, then straight and slop-
ing to the point, the ridge broad and flattened as far as the prominence,
afterwards extremely narrow, the sides sloping at the base, perpendicular
towards the end, the edges rather sharp. Nasal groove basal, long ; nos-
trils basal, in the middle of the groove, linear, direct, placed nearer the
margin than the dorsal line, pervious. Lower mandible straight, the
dorsal line at the base sloping upwards, at one-third of the length of the
bill bulging, then straightish and slightly ascending, the tip narrower
than that of the upper mandible, the sides at the base sloping upwards,
and having a shallow groove, towards the end becoming perpendicular.
The bill differs from that of the Hematopus Ostralegus in being much
deeper at the bulging part, much more attenuated towards the point, and
proportionally longer,

AMERICAN OYSTER-CATCHER. 185

Head of moderate size, oblong, the forehead rounded. Neck rather
long. Body stout, compact, deeper than broad. Wings long. Feet of
moderate length, rather stout; tibia bare for a fourth of its length, and,
like the slightly compressed tarsus, covered all round with hexagonal
scales ; toes rather short and fleshy, the hind toe wanting, the second a
little shorter than the fourth, the third much longer, all scaly at the base
above, scutellate towards the end, flattened and broad beneath, with thick
margins, which are covered with prominent thick scales, and connected
at the base by short webs of which the outer is longer ; claws small, blunt,
rather compressed, that of the middle toe largest, and with a dilated thin
inner edge. ,

Plumage of the head and neck short, blended, of the back compact,
and slightly glossed, of the lower parts close and rather blended, the fea-
thers in general incurved, broad, and rounded. Wings long, acute ;
primaries rather narrow and tapering, the first longest, the second slight-
ly shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries broad and rounded,
the inner much elongated and tapering. ‘Tail short, rounded of twelve
rather broad, rounded feathers.

Bill vermilion, lighter at the base. Edges of eyelids vermilion; iris
bright yellow. Feet very pale flesh-colour ; claws brownish-black. Head
and neck dull black tinged with bluish-grey; lower eyelid white; the
bases of the feathers on the chin white. The general colour of the upper
parts is light greyish-brown, tinged with olive, and in certain lights with
faint reddish-purple reflections ; the edge of the wing, the tips of the se-
condary coverts, the secondary quills, excepting the inner elongated ones,
pure white; as are the breast, sides, under wing-coverts, abdomen, sides
of the rump, the upper and the lower tail-coverts. Basal half of the tail
white, the rest greyish-brown, like the back.

Length to end of tail 173, to end of claws 193; wing from flexure
103, tail 43; extent of wings 36; bill along the back 35; along the
edge 37; bill at the base ,°,, at the deepest part in the middle ;8, ; naked
part of tibia 1; tarsus 2}; middle toe 1,%,, its claw 73. Weight 1 lb.
44 oz.

The bill varies considerably in length and depth. Individuals vary
in length from 17 to 18 inches.

The Female is precisely similar to the male.

( 186 )

THE KITTIWAKE GULL.
LARUS TRIDACTYLUS, LatH.

PLATE CCXXIV. Apvtr1n Summer, anp Youne 1n WinTER.

Tuts beautiful Gull ranges, during the autumnal and winter months,
along the whole of our extensive coasts. I have procured it from the
mouth of the Mississippi to the coast of Maine, and have traced it from
the latter district to Labrador. Yet I never saw it on any of our great
lakes or rivers, nor in any part of the interior. From New York to East-
port it is extremely abundant, and many breed on the Island of Grand
Manan, off the entrance of the Bay of Fundy.

As we approached the famous Gannet Rock of the Gulf of St Law-
rence, the wind suddenly rose to a gale ; but as I was exceedingly anxious
that a landing should be effected on the island, every exertion was made
to enable me to accomplish my purpose. The whale boat was manned.
Tuomas Lincotn and my son leaped into it, accompanied by young
Coonepver. Urged by strong pulls, the buoyant boat advanced towards
the grim rock. For nearly an hour it became hidden from my sight ; but
now and then the report of a gun brought intimation that all was as yet
safe; and at length I had the great pleasure of seeing it advancing to-
wards the Ripley, which stood off and on, shivering as it were under the
heavy blast. My eye fixed to the telescope, watched every movement of
the boat, as with fear I saw it tossed from billow to billow, this moment
a glimpse of her keel appearing over the edge of a wave, the next a foot
of her stem only seeming to float on the waters. “ Pull steadily on, my
good lads,” at last came on my ear, when, by a heavy surge, the floating
shell was driven back some twenty yards, as I thought, and the wave,
foaming with wrath, broke over her. Breathless and exhausted, the crew
at length came within reach of a line, as the boat was dangerously plung-
ing, when by good luck the rope was thrown across her, and in a few mo-
ments she lay snug under our lee. How happy was I when I again saw
my son, my young companions, and the sailors, on the deck of the Ripley.
Quickly was the whaler hauled on board, and with joy we saw our vessel
fly off like a Kittiwake before the gale.

When the anxiety was over, inquiries were made as to the success of the

KITTIWAKE GULL. 187

adventurous party. Several nests of the Kittiwake and many of its eggs
had been brought safe on board. Notes had been taken on the spot, and
the result of the expedition was as follows :—The nests were found placed
on some ledge of the huge rock, so small as barely to admit their breadth,
which was about a foot. They were placed where no other bird than the
Guillemot would have ventured to drop its egg, or the Raven to fix his
nest. Yet on that narrow platform the Kittiwake sat on its three eggs,
as unconcerned as if ina meadow. The nests were altogether composed
of sea-weeds called “ eel-grass,” and coarse grasses, probably procured on
the top of the rock, or stolen from the nest of some unwary Solan Goose.
Their inner surface was quite flat, although some of the nests were many
inches in thickness, and looked as if they had been increased in bulk year
after year. The sitting birds remained on their eggs with uncommon
pertinacity, seldom indeed flying off, but merely moving aside. The
male birds, or those that had no eggs, on the contrary, were extremely
clamorous, flew around the party in great concern, and shewed much cou-
rage. ‘The eggs are of a light olive-green colour, marked with numerous
irregular spots of dark brown. Their average length is two inches and a
quarter, their greatest breadth one inch and seven-eighths. No other
species of Gull was seen about the rock ; and indeed I have regularly ob-
served that each species of this genus breeds far apart, although at all
other seasons it may associate with others.

The young remain a considerable time in the nest or about it, when
room is afforded. ‘Their bills and feet are now quite black, the eye dark,
and they do not change these colours until the second spring after their
birth, when the bill is dull yellow, the legs and feet of a greenish flesh-
colour, and these parts gradually improve in their tints until they acquire
the appearance represented in the plate. This species raises only one
brood in the season, and old and young leave the coast of Labrador at
the first appearance of winter, or when the Ivory Gull reaches that coun-
try. This, however, I know only from hearsay, having received the in-
formation from a settler at Bras d’Or, who has lived there many years,
and must know something of both species, as he was in the habit of salt-
ing young Kittiwakes for winter provisions, along with those of other spe-
cies, and of shooting the Ivory Gull when it arrived over his harbour in
the month of December.

The Kittiwake is on land the most awkward of its tribe; and, although

it walks often on the rocks, its gait manifests a waddling gaucherie; but

188 KITTIWAKE GULL.

on the water, or in the air, few birds surpass it in buoyancy, grave, and
ease of motion. Bearing up against the heaviest gale, it passes from one
trough of the sea to another, as if anxious to rest for an instant under the
lee of the billows; yet as these are seen to rear their curling crests, the
Gull is already several feet above them, and preparing to plunge into the
next hollow. While in our harbour, and during fine weather, they seemed
to play with their companions of other species. Now with a spiral curve,
they descend toward the water, support themselves by beats of their wings,
decline their heads, and pick up a young herring or some bit of garbage,
when away they fly, chased perhaps by several others anxious to rob them
of the prize. Noon has arrived. High above the mast-head of our tall-
est man-of-war, the Kittiwakes float gracefully in wide circles, until all,
as if fatigued, sail downward again with common accord towards the
transparent deep, and, alighting close to each other, seem to ride safely at
anchor. There they now occupy themselves in cleaning and arranging
their beautiful plumage.

The food of this species consists of small fish, sea insects, and small
bivalves, most of which they procure while on wing, even those left dry
by the tide. Unlike the larger species, they do not take up shell-fish to
break them by letting them fall on the rocks; at least I never saw them
do so. Their principal enemies are different species of Lestris, especially
that beautiful one named the L. parasiticus. 'This tormentor follows the
Kittiwake to the very waters around the Gulf of Florida during the
winter. There with astonishing swiftness, and an audacity scarcely to be
surpassed, it gives chase to the Gull, overtakes it, and forces it to alight
on the water, or to disgorge the fish which it has just swallowed.

The two represented in the plate were drawn at Boston, at the ap-
proach of spring, when the old birds had already assumed the pure white
of the head. This species was so abundant on several of the islands of
the Bay of Boston, that several basketfuls of them were procured in the
course of a few excursions. When one fell to the water, the rest would
hover about and around the boat, until many were shot from a flock.

The case was the same, while we were in some of the harbours of Labra-

dor.

:

KITTIWAKE GULL. 189

Larus Tripactytvs, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 817.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of
Birds of the United States, p. 359.—Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer.
part ii. p. 423.

Kittiwake Gut, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 298.

Adult in Summer. CCXXIV. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, strong, nearly straight, compressed. Up-
per mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight and slightly declinate,
until towards the end, when it is decurved, the ridge convex, the sides
slightly convex, the edges a little inflected, straight, towards the end
declinate and arched, the tip rather obtuse. Nasal groove narrow, rather
long ; nostril in its fore part, lateral, longitudinal, linear, wider ante-
riorly, open, and pervious. Lower mandible with a slight prominence
at the end of the angle, which is long and narrow, the dorsal line then
nearly straight and ascending, the sides convex, the edges sharp and
inflected.

Head rather large, oblong, anteriorly compressed. Neck of moderate
length. Body rather full. Wings long. Feet of moderate length rather
strong; tibia bare below; tarsus somewhat compressed, covered before
and behind with numerous broad scutella, the sides reticulated; hind toe
rudimentary, with a minute knob in place of the claw; the fore toes
rather long and slender, the fourth longer than the second, all scutellate
above, and connected by reticulated entire membranes, the lateral toes
margined externally with a narrow membrane. Claws small, compressed,
slightly arched, rather obtuse.

The plumage in general is close, elastic, very soft and blended, on the
back somewhat compact. Wings very long, rather broad, acute, the first
quill longest, the other primaries rapidly graduated ; secondaries broad
and rounded, the inner elongated and narrow. ‘Tail of moderate length,
even, of twelve rounded feathers.

Bill pale greenish-yellow. Edges of eyelids crimson; iris reddish-
brown. Feet black. The head, neck, rump, tail, and lower parts gene-
rally are pure white. The back and upper surface of the wings light
pearl-grey. The first five quills are black at the end, the first on its outer
web also, the fifth with a small white tip, the tips of all the other quills
more or less white.

Length to end of tail 18 inches, to end of wings 20, to end of claws Me:
extent of wings 363 ; wing from flexure 12, tail 7; bill along the back by,

190 KITTIWAKE GULL.

along the edge of lower mandible 2,%, ; tarsus 1,’,; middle toe 14, its
claw ,4,. Weight 12 lb.

Young bird in January. Plate CCX XIV. Fig. 2.

Bill and feet black. Edges of eyelids and iris as in the adult. The
hind head and neck are bluish-grey, and before the eye there is a semi-
lunar blackish mark, the tips of the auriculars also dark grey. Forehead,
sides of the head, throat, and lower parts, white, as is the rump. Tail
white, with a broad terminal band of black, the outer feather having only
a spot on the inner web. The mantle is bluish-grey, but a broad band
of black crosses the lower part of the hind neck, and the larger wing-
coverts are of the same colour towards the end. The primary quills are
black, more or less margined with white internally.

Length to end of tail 17 inches, to end of wings 19, to end of claws 17;
extent of wings 36,,. Weight 143 oz.

( 191 )

THE KILDEER PLOVER.

CHARADRIUS VOCIFERUS, WILs.

PLATE CCXV. Mate anp FEemate.

READER, suppose yourself wandering over some extensive prairie, far
beyond the western shores of the Mississippi. While your wearied limbs
and drooping spirits remind you of the necessity of repose and food, you
see the moon’s silvery rays glitter on the dews that have already clothed the
tall grass around you. Your footsteps, be they ever so light, strike the
ear of the watchful Kildeer, who, with a velocity scarcely surpassed by
that of any other bird, comes up, and is now passing and repassing swiftly
around you. His clear notes indicate his alarm, and seem to demand why
you are there. To see him is now impossible, for a cloud has shrouded
the moon ; but on your left and right, before and behind, his continued
vociferations intimate how glad he would be to see you depart from his
beloved hunting-grounds. Nay, be not surprised if he should follow you
until his eyes, meeting the glaring light of a woodsman traveller, he will
wheel off and bid’ you adieu.

The Kildeer’s large eyes seem to be given it to enable it to feed by
night as well as by day. At any time after the breeding season, this
species moves in loose flocks, seldom exceeding ten or fifteen individuals,
which disperse over the space of an acre or two of ground. Yet some one
of them always acts as a sentinel, for standing erect to the full stretch of
its legs, it carefully watches all the moving objects around, as far as its
eye can reach. Cows, horses, or sheep are none of its enemies, and among
them it will seek for food ; but let a man, or a dog, or any other animal
bent on destruction, shew himself, and that instant the bird runs swiftly
with a querulous note, and should any of these his enemies evince the
least disposition to molest it, its beautiful wings and tail are spread, and
away it goes, cheerily calling to its companions to follow.

The Kildeer is by most people called a “ noisy bird and restless.”
Now to me it is any thing but this, unless indeed when it is disturbed by
the approach or appearance of its enemies, more particularly man, of
whom indeed few wild birds are fond. Watch them from under some

192 KILDEER PLOVER.

cover that completely conceals you, and you will see them peaceably and
silently follow their avocations for hours. In this respect the Kildeer
resembles the Lapwing of Europe, which is also called a restless and
noisy bird, because men and dogs are ever in pursuit of the poor thing,
which after all its vigilance often falls a prey to the sportsman, who con-
demns it merely because it endeavours to draw him from its nest or young.
During winter, when undisturbed, the Kildeer is in fact an unusually silent
bird. In Louisiana, where it breeds and resides at all seasons, it has ob-
tained the name of “ Piallard,” so strongly rooted are old prejudices.
The Kildeer, or more properly ‘* Kildee,” so named on account of its
note, which may be imitated by the syllables hildee, kildee, dee, dee, dee,
appear in much greater numbers in the interior than along the coast.
Few are seen in the State of Maine ; none, I believe, in Nova Scotia, any
more than in Newfoundland or Labrador. Inland, however, these birds
remove to a great distance north. Unless during winter, in fact, this
species is not wont te approach the shores of the sea, but prefers the
newly ploughed fields, the banks of clear rivers, or the elevated worn-
out grounds of the interior. Few winter to the east of Boston, while du-
ring the cold season they abound in the Southern States, although thou-
sands spend the most rigorous months in the Western Country. In the
Floridas, Georgia, and South Carolina, you find them dispersed through
the sugar, cotton and rice fields ; and now they are so gentle and so silent,
that you can hardly conceive why they should be called noisy birds.
Around the pools, upon the marshes, and along the oyster-beds at low
tides, as well as on the extensive mud-flats, you will then meet with them
diligently searching for food, and not neglecting to watch you with dis-
trust. Even in the corn-fields and in company with Doves and Grakles,
or by the side of some strolling Partridge, you may now and then spy
the Kildeer. At this period I have sometimes got so near to it that I
could clearly see the pale red margin of its beautiful eye. The bird
would perhaps run a few steps, when suddenly checking its course, it would
stand still, erect and rigid. Should I level my gun in jest, he would that
instant fly off low over the ground, removing to the distance of a hundred
yards, alight running as it were, advance twenty or thirty steps more,
and then stand still. I would now again approach it as before. Never
try it the third time, Reader, the Kildeer will denounce you as an enemy.
It will stretch its wings, fly across a river or field, and leave you to amuse

yourself as you may. Many a time have I been thus treated.

KILDEER PLOVER. 193

The flight of the Kildeer is strong and rapid, and is at times pro-
tracted to a great distance. It skims quite low over the ground, or plays
at a great height in the air, particularly during the love season, when
you may see these birds performing all sorts of evolutions on wing. On
the ground their speed is such that it has become proverbial, and to ‘* run
like a Kildee,” is to move with the utmost possible agility. Their ordi-
nary posture when standing, might be called stitf, were they not so beau-
tiful in form and colouring. When pursued over a large space, they
are able to lead you from one spot to another more than twenty times in
the course of an hour; and the more you follow them, the more shy do
they become, until wearied and hungry, as the fox said of the grapes,
you will probably begin to think them poor and insipid after all.

Now you see the Kildee wading in the water, and observe how it
splashes it about. Down it lays itself, and with fluttering wings, seems
to enjoy the sight of the drops trickling over its silky back. Now drip-
ping and almost soaked to the skin, it retires to the warm earth, to dry
its plumage and clear it of insects.

This species breeds in Louisiana about the beginning of April; in the
Middle States a full month later, as well as in the Western Country and
farther north. Not one, however, has ever been found breeding in the
low lands of South Carolina, although these birds remain there until the
beginning of May. The nests are various, some being merely a hollow
scooped in the bare ground, while at other times the Kildee searches for
a place on the edge of a pond, forms a hollow, and constructs a nest of
grass, at the foot of a thick bunch of plants. Now and then small
pebbles and fragments of shells are raised in the form ,of a rim around
the eggs, on which the sitting bird is seen as if elevated two or three
inches. Wutson saw nests of this kind; so have I ; and the circumstance
appeared as strange to me as that of the birds not breeding in the low
lands of the Carolinas. ‘The eggs are almost always four, pyriform, well
pointed at the small end, an inch and five-cighths in length, an inch and
one eighth in diameter at the broadest part, and of a deep cream colour,
pretty generally marked all over with small irregular blotches of purplish-
brown and black. ‘The young, as soon as hatched, run about. At this
period, or during incubation, the parents, who sit alternately on the eggs,
never leaving them to the heat of the sun, are extremely clamorous at
sight of anenemy. The female droops her wings, emits her plaintive
notes, and endeavours by every means she can devise to draw you from

VOL, III, \ N

194 KILDEER PLOVER.

the nest or young. The male dashes over you in the air, in the man-
ner of the European Lapwing, and vociferates all the remonstrances of
an angry parent whose family is endangered. If you cannot find pity
for the poor birds at such a time, you may take up their eggs and see their
distress ; but if you be at all so tender-hearted as I would wish you to
be, it will be quite unnecessary for me to recommend mercy !

Few Plovers with which I am acquainted, acquire their full plumage
sooner than this species. Before December you can observe no difference
between the young birds and their parents; nay by this time, like most
other species, the former are as fully able to fly as at any other period.

While I was residing in Pennsylvania, the son of my tenant the mil-
ler was in the habit of catching newly-hatched birds of every sort, to
bait his fish-hooks. I had rather peremptorily remonstrated against this
barbarous practice, although, I believe, without effect. One morning I
met him returning from the shores of the Perkioming Creek, with his hat
full of young Kildees. He endeavoured to avoid me, but I made direct-
ly up to him, peeped into his hat and saw the birds. On this I begged
of him to go back and restore the poor things to their parents, which he
reluctantly did. Never had I felt more happy than I did when I saw
the young Plovers run off and hide under cover of the stones.

The Kildee seems to be remarkably attached to certain localities at
particular periods. Whilst at General HERNANDEz’s in East Florida, I
accidentally wounded one near a barn on the plantation of my accomplish-
ed host. Yet it returned to the same spot for the ten days that I re-
mained there, although it always flew off when I approached it.

The food of this species consists of earth-worms, grass-hoppers,
crickets, and coleopterous insects, as well as small crustacea, whether of
salt or fresh water, and snails. Now and then they may be seen thrust-
ing their bills into the mud about oysters, in search of some other food.
During autumn, they run about the old fields and catch an insect which
the Blue Bird has been watching with anxious care from the top of a
withering mullein stalk. They run briskly after the ploughman, to pick
up the worms that have been turned out of their burrows. Now stand-
ing on the grassy meadow, after a shower, you see them patting the moist
ground, to force out its inhabitants. During winter, you meet with them
on elevated ground, or along the margins of the rivers; but wherever
you observe one about to pick up its food, you clearly see its body mov-

ing in a see-saw manner on the joints of the legs, until the former being

KILDEER PLOVER. 195

so placed that the bill can reach the ground, the objectvis seized, and the
usual horizontal position is resumed.

The flesh of the Kildee is generally indifferent, unless in early autumn,
when the young birds of that season are fat, juicy and tender. At all
seasons of the year, the Kildee is however shot by inexperienced sports-
men, and many of these birds are offered for sale in our markets. Little

difference is observed at any period in the plumage of the adult birds.

CuarapRivs vociFrERus, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 253.—Zath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii.
p. 742.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States p. 297.—Swains.
and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 368.

KitpEER Prover, CuarapRius vocirErus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p- 73-
pl. 59. fig. 6.— Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 22.

Adult Male in summer. Plate CCXXV. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, straight, somewhat cylindrical. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line straight for two-thirds of its length, then
bulging a little and curving to the tip, which is rather acute, the sides
flat and sloping at the base, convex towards the end, where the edges are
sharp and inclinate. Nasal groove extended along two-thirds of the
mandible, filled with a bare membrane ; nostrils basal, linear, in the lower
part of the membrane, open, and_ pervious. Lower mandible with the
angle long, narrow, but rounded, the sides at the base sloping outwards
and flat, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the edges sharp
and involute towards the narrow tip.

Head of moderate size, oblong, rather compressed, the forehead
rounded. Eyes large. Neck rather short. Body ovate, rather slender.
Wings long. Feet long, slender; tibia bare a considerable way above
the joint ; tarsus rather compressed, covered all round with reticulated
hexagonal scales; toes slender; the hind toe wanting ; third or middle
toe longest, outer toe considerably longer than inner, all scutellate above
and marginate, the outer connected with the middle toe by a membrane
as far as the second joint ; claws small, compressed, slender but obtuse at
the end, the inner edge of the middle claw slightly dilated.

Plumage soft and blended; the feathers rounded, those of the back
somewhat distinct. Wings long and pointed ; primary quills tapering,
the first longest, the second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ;

inner secondaries tapering and elongated, so as nearly to equal the longest
n2

196 KILDEER PLOVER.

primaries. Tail rather long, much rounded or graduated, of twelve rather
broad rounded feathers.

Bill black. Edges of eyelids bright red; iris dark brown. Feet
light greyish-blue, the hind part of the tarsus pale flesh colour. Upper
part of the head, the back, the smaller: wing-coverts, and the secondary
quills, yellowish-brown. Lower parts white. A brown bar over the
lower part of the forehead, and passing under the eye to the occiput;
over this a white band on the forehead, surmounted by a brownish-black
band between the eyes; behind the eyes also a short white band, ending
in light red. The middle of the neck is encircled with a broad brownish-
black collar, and on its lower part anteriorly between the wings is a nar-
rower band of the same colour. Primaries brownish-black, each with a
white mark, linear on the outer, enlarging on the inner quills.. Seconda-
ries, excepting the inner, white, but most of them with a large patch of
blackish-brown towards the end; their tips and those of most of the pri-
maries white, as are those of the primary and secondary coverts. Rump
and upper tail-coverts bright yellowish-red. Tail-feathers of the same
colour at the base, the middle feathers brown, all with a broad subtermi-
nal band of black, the tips white, those of the four middle feathers pale
reddish ; the outer feather on each side white, with three black bands on
the inner web.

Length to end of tail 10 inches, to end of wings 9, to end of claws 93;
extent of wings 20; wing from flexure 63 ; tail 4; bill along the back 7$,
alony the edge 333; tarsus 1,°,; middle toe 4}, its claw ,%. Weight

52 ounces.

Adult Female in summer. Plate CCX XV. Fig. 2.
The Female resembles the Male.

Gu 297")

THE WHITE PERCH AND ITS FAVOURITE
BAIT.

No sooner have the overflowing waters of early spring subsided within
- their banks, and the temperature become pleasant, than the trees of our
woods are seen to unfold their buds and blossoms, and the White Perch,
which during the winter has lived in the ocean, rushes up our streams,
to seek the well-known haunts in which it last year deposited its spawn.
With unabating vigour it ascends the turbulent current of the Missis-
sippi, of which, however, the waters are too muddy to suit its habits ; and
glad no doubt is it to enter one of the numberless tributaries whose limpid
waters are poured into the mighty river. Of these subsidiary waters
the Ohio is one in whose pure stream the White Perch seems to delight ;
and towards its head springs the fish advances in numerous shoals, follow-
ing the banks with easy progress. Over many a pebbly or gravelly bar
does it seek its food. Here the crawling mussel it crunches and devours ;
there, with the speed of an arrow, it darts upon the minnow ; again, at
the edge of a shelving rock, or by the side of a stone, it secures a cray-
fish.. No impure food will ‘‘ the Growler” touch ; therefore, reader, never
make use of such to allure it, otherwise not only will your time be lost,
but you will not enjoy the gratification of tasting this delicious fish.
Should you have no experience in fishing for perch, I would recommend
to you to watch the men you see on that shore, for they are excellent
anglers.

Smooth are the waters, clear is the sky, and gently does the stream
move,—perhaps its velocity does not exceed a mile in the hour. Silence
reigns around you. See, each fisher has a basket or calabash, containing
many a live cray ; and each line, as thick as a crow quill, measures scarce
a furlong. At one end two perch hooks are so fastened that they cannot
interfere with each other. A few inches below the reaching point of the
farthest hook, the sinker, perhaps a quarter of a pound in weight, having
a hole bored through its length, is passed upon the line, and there secured
by a stout knot at its lower extremity. The other end of the line is fas-
tened ashore. The tackle, you observe, is carefully coiled on the sand at
the fisher’s feet. Now on each hook he fixes a cray-fish, piercing the shell

beneath the tail, and forcing the keen weapon to reach the very head of

198 WHITE PERCH AND ITS FAVOURITE BAIT.

the suffering creature, while all its legs are left at liberty to move. Now,
each man, holding his line a yard or so from the hooks, whirls it several
times overhead, and sends it off to its full length directly across the
stream. No sooner has it reached the gravelly bed, than gently urged
by the current, it rolls over and over, until it is nearly in the line of the
water. Before this, however, I see that several of the men have had a
bite, and that by a short jerk they have hooked the fish. Hand over
hand they haul in their lines. Poor perch, it is useless labour for thee to
flounce and splash in that manner, for no pity will be shewn thee, and
thou shalt be dashed on the sand, and left there to quiver in the agonies
of death. The lines are within a few yards of being in. I see the fish
gasping on its side. Ah! there are two on this line, both good ; on most
of the others there is one; but I see some of the lines have been robbed
by some cunning inhabitant of the water. What beautiful fishes these
perches are ! so silvery beneath, so deeply coloured above! What a fine
eye too! But, friend, I cannot endure their gaspings. Pray put them
on this short line, and place them in the water beside you, until you pre-
pare to go home. In a few hours each fisher has obtained as many as he
wishes. He rolls up his line, fastens five or six perches on each side of
his saddle, mounts his horse, and merrily wends his way.

In this manner the White Perch is caught along the sandy banks of
the Ohio, from its mouth to its source. In many parts above Louisville
some fishers prefer using the trot-line, which, however, ought to be placed
upon, or very little above, the bottom of the stream. When this kind of
line is employed, its hooks are more frequently baited with mussels than
with cray-fish, the latter being perhaps not so easily procured there as far-
ther down the stream. Great numbers of perches are also caught in seines,
especially during a transient rise of the water. Few persons fish for them
with the pole, as they generally prefer following the edges of the sand-
bars next to deep water. Like all others of its tribe, the White Perch
is fond of depositing its spawn on gravelly or sandy beds, but rarely at a
depth of less than four or five feet. These beds are round, and have an
elevated margin formed of the sand removed from their centre, which is
scooped out for two or three inches. The fish, although it generally re-
mains for some days over its treasure, is by no means so careful of it as
the little sunny, but starts off at the least appearance of danger. I have
more than once taken considerable pleasure in floating over their beds,
when the water was sufficiently clear to admit of my seeing both the fish

WHITE PERCH AND ITS FAVOURITE BAIT. 199

and its place of deposit ; but I observed that if the sun was shining, the
very sight of the boat’s shadow drove the perches away. I am of opinion
that most of them return to the sea about the beginning of November ;
but of this I am not certain.

The usual length of this fish, which on the Ohio is called the White
Perch, and in the State of New York the Growler, is from fifteen to twenty
inches. I have, however, seen some considerably larger. The weight
varies from a pound and a half to four, and even six pounds. For the
first six weeks of their arrival in fresh water streams they are in season ;
the flesh is then white and firm, and affords excellent eating; but during
the heats of summer, they become poor, and are seldom very good. Now
and then, in the latter days of September, I have eaten some that tasted
as well as in spring. One of the most remarkable habits of this fish is
that from which it has received the name of Growler. When poised in
the water, close to the bottom of a boat, it emits a rough croaking noise,
somewhat resembling a groan. Whenever this sound is heard under a
boat, if the least disturbance is made by knocking on the gunwale or bot-
tom, it at once ceases; but is renewed when every thing is quiet. It is
seldom heard, however, unless in fine calm weather.

The White Perch bites at the hook with considerable care, and very
frequently takes off the bait without being caught. Indeed, it requires a
good deal of dexterity to hook it, for if this is not done the. first time it
touches the bait, you rarely succeed afterwards; and I have seen young
hands at the game, who, in the course of a morning, seldom caught more
than one or two, although they lost perhaps twenty crays. But, now that
I have afforded you some information respecting the habits of the White

Perch, allow me to say a few words on the subject of its favourite bait.

The Cray is certainly not a fish, although usually so styled; but as
every one is acquainted with its form and nature, I shall not inflict on
you any disquisition regarding it. It is a handsome crustaceous animal
certainly, and its whole tribe I consider as dainties of the first order. To
me “ Ecrevisses,” whether of fresh or of salt water, stripped of their coats,
and blended into a soup or a “ gombo,” have always been most welcome.
Boiled or roasted too, they are excellent in my estimation, and mayhap in
yours. The Crayfish, of which I here more particularly speak—for I
shall not deprive them of their caudal appendage, lest, like a basha with-

out his tail, they might seem of less consequence—are found most abun-

200 WHITE PERCH AND ITS FAVOURITE BAIT.

dantly swimming, crawling at the bottom or on shore, or working at their
muddy burrows, in all the southern parts of the Union. If I mistake
not, we have two species at least, one more an inhabitant of rocky stream-
lets than the other, and that one by far the best, though the other is good
too. Both species swim by means of rapid strokes of the tail, which pro-
pel them backwards to a considerable distance at each repetition. All
that I regret concerning these animals is, that they are absolutely little
aquatic vultures—or, if you please, crustacea with vulturine habits—
for they feed on every thing impure that comes in their way, when they
cannot obtain fresh aliment. However this may be, the Crays somehow
fall in with this sort of food, and any person may catch as many as he may
wish, by fastening a piece of flesh to a line, allowing it to remain under
water for a while, and drawing it up with care, when, with the aid of a
hand-net, he may bring it ashore with a few! But although this is a
good method of procuring Cray-fish, it answers only for those that live
in running waters. The form of these is delicate, their colour a light
olive, and their motions in the water are very livély. The others are
larger, of a dark greenish-brown, less active in the water than on land,
although they are most truly amphibious. The first conceal themselves
beneath shelving rocks, stones, or water-plants ; the others form a deep
burrow in the damp earth, depositing the materials drawn up, as a man
would do in digging a well. The manner in which they dispose of the
mud you may see by glancing at the plate of the White Ibis, in my
third volume of Illustrations, where also you will find a tolerable portrait
of one of these creatures.

According to the nature of the ground, the burrows of this Crayfish
are more or less deep. Indeed, this also depends partly on the increasing
dryness of the soil, when, influenced by the heat of summer, as well as
on the texture of the substratum. Thus, in some places, where the Cray
can reach the water after working a few inches, it rests contented during
the day, but crawls out for food at night. Should it, however, be left
dry, it renews its labour; and thus while one burrow may be only five or
six inches deep, another may be two or three feet, and a third even more.
They are easily procured when thus lodged in shallow holes; but when
the burrow is deep, a thread is used, with a small piece of flesh fastened
to it. The Cray eagerly seizes the bait, and is gently drawn up, and
thrown to a distance, when he becomes an easy prey. You have read of
the method used by the White Ibis in procuring Crays; and I leave you

WHITE PERCH AND ITS FAVOURITE BAIT. 201

to judge whether the bird or the man is the best fisher. This species is
most abundant round the borders of the stagnant lakes, bayous, or ponds
of the Southern Districts; and I have seen them caught even in the
streets of the suburbs of New Orleans, after a heavy shower. They be-
come a great pest by perforating embankments of all sorts, and many are
the maledictions that are uttered against them both by millers and plant-
ers, nay even by the overseers of the levees along the banks of the Mis-
sissippi. But they are curious creatures, formed no doubt for useful pur-

poses, and as such they are worthy of your notice.

( 202)

THE WHOOPING CRANE.
GRUS AMERICANA, TEMM.

PLATE CCXXVI. Mater.

Tur variegated foliage of the woods indicates that the latter days of
October have arrived ; gloomy clouds spread over the heavens ; the fierce
blasts of the north, as if glad to escape from the dreary regions of their
nativity, sport in dreadful revelry among the forests and glades. Showers
of sleet and snow descend at intervals, and the careful husbandman ga-
thers his flocks, to drive them to a place of shelter. The traveller gladly
accepts the welcome of the forester, and as he seats himself by the blaz-
ing fire, looks with pleasure on the spinning wheels of the industrious in-
mates. ‘The lumberer prepares to set out on his long voyage, the trapper
seeks the retreats of the industrious beaver, and the red Indian is making
arrangements for his winter hunts. The Ducks and Geese have already
reached the waters of the western ponds; here a Swan or two is seen
following in their train, and as the observer of nature stands watching
the appearances and events of this season of change, he hears from on
high the notes of the swiftly travelling but unseen Whooping Crane.
Suddenly the turbid atmosphere clears, and now he can perceive the
passing birds. Gradually they descend, dress their extended lines, and
prepare to alight on the earth. With necks outstretched, and long bony
legs extended behind, they proceed supported by wings white as the snow
but tipped with jet, until arriving over the great savannah they wheel
their circling flight, and slowly approach the ground, on which with half-
closed wings, and outstretched feet they alight, running along for a few
steps to break the force of their descent.

Reader, see the majestic bird shake its feathers, and again arrange
them in order. Proud of its beautiful form, and prouder still of its
power of flight, it stalks over the withering grasses with all the majesty
of a gallant chief. With long and measured steps he moves along, his
head erect, his eye glistening with delight. His great journey is accom-
plished, and being well acquainted with a country which has often been

visited by him, he at once commences his winter avocations.

WHOOPING CRANE. 203

The Whooping Crane reaches the Western Country about the mid-
dle of October, or the beginning of November, in flocks of twenty or
thirty individuals, sometimes of twice or thrice that number, the young
by themselves, but closely followed by their parents. They spread from
Illinois over Kentucky, and all the intermediate States, until they reach
the Carolinas on the southern coast, the Floridas, Louisiana, and the
countries bordering on Mexico, in all of which they spend the winter,
seldom returning northward until about the middle of April, or towards
the beginning of May. They are seen on the edges of large ponds sup-
plied with rank herbage, on fields or savannahs, now in swampy woods,
and again on extensive marshes. ‘The interior of the country, and the
neighbourhood of the sea shores, suit them equally well, so long as the
temperature is sufficiently high. In the Middle States, it is very seldom
indeed that they are seen; and to the eastward of these countries they are
unknown ; for all their migrations are performed far inland, and thus
they leave and return to the northern retreats where, it is said, they breed
and spend the summer. While migrating they appear to travel both by
night and by day, and I have frequently heard them at the former, and
seen them at the latter time, as they were proceeding toward their desti-
nation. Whether the weather be calm or tempestuous, it makes no dif-
ference to them, their power of flight being such as to render them re-
gardless of the winds. Nay I have observed them urging their way du-
ring very heavy gales, shifting from high to low in the air with remark-
able dexterity. The members of a flock sometimes arrange themselves in
the form of an acute-angled triangle ; sometimes they move in a long
line ; again they mingle together without order, or form an extended
front; but in whatever manner they advance, each bird sounds his loud
note in succession, and on all occasions of alarm these birds manifest the
same habit. While with us they are also always met with in flocks
But now, Reader, allow me to refer to my journals, whence I shall ex-
tract some circumstances relative to this majestic bird, which I hope you
will find not uninteresting.

Louisville, State of Kentucky, March 1810.—I had the gratification
of taking ALExaNpDER Witson to some ponds within a few miles of
town, and of shewing him many birds of this species, of which he had
not previously seen any other than stuffed specimens. I told him that
the white birds were the adults, and that the grey ones were the young.
Witson, in his article on the Whooping Crane, has alluded to this, but,

204 WHOOPING CRANE.

as on other occasions, has not informed his readers whence the informa-
tion came.

Henderson, November 1810.—The Sand Hill Crane arrived at the
Long Pond on the 28th of last month. I saw two flocks of young ones
there, and one of adults on the Slim Pond. Both old and young imme-
diately set to digging through the mud, the rains having scarcely begun to
cover those places with water, for during summer they become almost dry.
The birds work very assiduously with their bills, and succeed in uncover-
ing the large roots of the great water-lily, which often run to a depth of
two or three feet. Several cranes are seen in the same hole, tugging at
roots and other substances, until they reach the object of their desire,
which they greedily devour. While thus engaged, they are easily ap-
proached ; for if their heads are bent down they cannot see you, and un-
til they raise themselves again, to take notice of what may be going on
around the place, you may advance so as to get within shot. While I
watched them at this work, they were perfectly silent ; and as I lay con-
cealed behind a large cypress tree, within thirty paces of a flock, thus
buried, as it were, in the great holes they had formed, so as to put me in
mind of a parcel of hogs or bears at their wallowing spots, I could plainly
see the colour of their eyes, which is brown in the young, and yellow in
the adult. After observing them as long as I wished, I whistled, on which
they all at once raised their heads to see what the matter might be. I
had so fair an opportunity that I could not resist the temptation, espe-
cially as several of the birds had their necks so close together that I felt
confident I must kill more than one of them. Accordingly, just as their
last croaking notes were heard, and I saw them preparing to set to work
again, I fired. Only two flew up, to my surprise. They came down the
pond towards me, and my next shot brought them to the ground. On
walking to the hole, I found that I had disabled seven in all. Those
which were in different holes farther off, all flew away, uttering loud cries,
and did not return that afternoon. In the course of a week these birds
turned up the earth, and dug holes all over the dry parts of the ponds.
As soon as heavy rains fill the pools, the Cranes abandon them, and resort
to other places.

Natchez, November 1821.—The Sand-hill Cranes now resort to the
fields, in which corn, pease, and sweet potatoes have been planted, as well
as to the cotton plantations. They feed on the grains and pease, dig up

the potatoes, which they devour with remarkable greediness ; and in the

WHOOPING CRANE. 205

wet fields seize on water insects, toads and frogs, but never, I believe,
on fishes.

Bayou Sara, April 12. 1822.—The Sand-hill Cranes have left all the
fields, and removed to the swamps and inner lakes. I saw some catching
young bull-frogs, water-lizards, and water-snakes, as well as very small
alligators. One struck at a young snapping turtle, which, however, es-
caped. The Wood Ibises and these birds do not agree together ; the lat-
ter chase the former up to their bellies in the water.

April 16.—I saw nine beautiful adult birds apparently in perfect
plumage. They were round a fallen log, about twenty yards from the
water, all very busily occupied in killing a band of young alligators, which
had probably endeavoured to save themselves from the attacks of the
Cranes by crawling beneath the sides of the log. I shot at them without
much effect, for, although I believe I wounded two of them, they all flew
off. On going up to the log, I found several young alligators, measuring
from seven to eight inches in length, apparently dead, with their heads
sadly bruised as if by a powerful blow. This led me to think that they
kill a number of animals before they feed upon them, as the Wood Ibis
is wont todo. This afternoon I saw four of these young Cranes tearing
up the ground in search of cray-fish. One caught a butterfly as it was
fluttering near, and instantly swallowed it.

This species feeds only during the day. Besides the objects which I
have already mentioned, it now and then swallows a mole or a meadow-
mouse, and not unfrequently, I think, snakes of considerable length. I
opened one that had a garter-snake, more than fifteen inches long, in its
stomach.

The wariness of this species is so remarkable, that it takes all the cun-
ning and care of an Indian hunter to approach it at times, especially in
the case of an old bird. ‘The acuteness of their sight and hearing is quite
wonderful. If they perceive a man approaching, even at the distance of
a quarter of a mile, they are sure to take to wing. Should you acciden-
tally tread on a stick and break it, or suddenly cock your gun, all the
birds in the flock raise their heads and emit a cry. Shut the gate of a
field after you, and from that moment they all watch your motions. To
attempt to crawl towards them, even among long grass, after such an in-
timation, would be useless; and unless you lie in wait for them, and be
careful to maintain a perfect silence, or may have the cover of some large

trees, heaps of brushwood, or fallen logs, you may as well stay at home.

206 WHOOPING CRANE.

They generally see you long before you perceive them, and so long as
they are aware that you have not observed them, they remain silent; but
the moment that, by some inadvertency, you disclose to them your sense
of their presence, some of them sound an alarm. For my part, Reader,

I would as soon undertake to catch a deer by fair running, as to shoot a

s
Sand-hill Crane that had observed me. Sometimes, indeed, towards the
approach of spring, when they are ready to depart for their breeding
grounds, the voice of one will startle and urge to flight all within a mile
of the spot. When this happens, all the birds around join into a great
flock, gradually rise in a spiral manner, ascend to a vast height, and sail
off in a straight course.

When wounded, these birds cannot be approached without caution, as
their powerful bill is capable of inflicting a severe wound. Knowing this
as I do, I would counsel any sportsman not to leave his gun behind,
while pursuing a wounded Crane. One afternoon in winter, as I was
descending the Mississippi, on my way to Natchez, I saw several Cranes
standing on a large sand-bar. The sight of these beautiful birds excited
in me a desire to procure some of them. Accordingly, taking a rifle and
some ammunition, I left the flat-bottomed boat in a canoe, and told the
men to watch for me, as the current was rapid at that place, the river
being there narrowed by the sand-bar. I soon paddled myself to the
shore, and having observed, that, by good management, I might approach
the Cranes under cover of a huge stranded tree, I landed opposite to it,
drew up my canoe, and laying myself flat on the sand, crawled the best
way I could, pushing my gun before me. On reaching the log, I cau-
tiously raised my head opposite to a large branch, and saw the birds at a
distance somewhat short of a hundred yards. I took, as J thought, an
excellent aim, although my anxiety to shew the boatmen how good a
marksman I was rendered it less sure than it might otherwise have been.
I fired, when all the birds instantly flew off greatly alarmed, excepting
one which leaped into the air, but immediately came down again, and
walked leisurely away with a drooping pinion. As I rose on my feet, it
saw me, I believe, for the first time, cried out lustily, and ran off with
the speed of an ostrich. I left my rifle unloaded, and in great haste pur-
sued the wounded bird, which doubtless would have escaped had it not
made towards a pile of drift wood, where I overtook it. As I approached
it, panting and almost exhausted, it immediately raised itself to the full
stretch of its body, legs, and neck, ruffled its feathers, shook them, and

WHOOPING CRANE. 207

advanced towards me with open bill, and eyes glancing with anger. I
cannot tell you whether it was from feeling almost exhausted with the
fatigue of the chase; but, however it was, I felt unwilling to encounter
my antagonist, and keeping my eye on him, moved backwards. The far-
ther I removed, the more he advanced, until at length I fairly turned my
back to him, and took to my heels, retreating with fully more speed than
I had pursued. He followed, and I was glad to reach the river, into
which I plunged up to the neck, calling out to my boatmen, who came
up as fast as they could. The Crane stood looking angrily on me all the
while, immersed up to his belly in the water, and only a few yards dis-
tant, now and then making thrusts at me with his bill. There he stood
until the people came up; and highly delighted they were with my situa-
tion. However, the battle was soon over, for, on landing, some of them
struck the winged warrior on the neck with an oar, and we carried him
on board.

While in the Floridas, I saw only a few of these birds alive, but many
which had been shot by the Spaniards and Indians, for the sake of their
flesh and beautiful feathers, of which latter they make fans and fly-
brushes. None of these birds remain there during summer ; and W11-
LIAM Bartram, when speaking of this species, must have mistaken the
Wood Ibis for it.

The young are considerably more numerous than the old white birds ;
and this circumstance has probably led to the belief among naturalists
that the former constitute a distinct species, to which the name of Canada
Crane, Grus canadensis, has been given. This, however, I hope, I shall
be able to clear up to your satisfaction. In the mean time, I shall con-
tinue my remarks.

According to circumstances, this species roosts either on the ground
or on high trees. In the latter case, they leave their feeding-ground
about an hour before sun-set, and going off in silence, proceed towards
the interior of high land forests, where they alight on the largest branches
of lofty trees, six or seven settling on the same branch. For half an
hour or so, they usually dress their plumage, standing erect: but after-
wards they crouch in the manner of Wild Turkeys. In this situation
they are sometimes shot by moonlight. Those which resort to planta-
tions, situated in the vicinity of large marshes, covered with tall grasses,
cat’s tails, and other plants, spend the night on some hillock, standing on

one leg, the other being drawn under the body, whilst the head is thrust

208 WHOOPING CRANE.

beneath the broad feathers of the shoulder. In returning towards the
feeding grounds, they all emit their usual note, but in a very low under-
tone, leaving their roost at an earlier or later hour, according to the state
of the weather. When it is cold and clear, they start very early ; but
when warm and rainy, not until late in the morning. Their motions to-
ward night are determined by the same circumstances. They rise easily
from the ground after running a few steps, fly low for thirty or forty
yards, then rise in circles, crossing each other in their windings, like Vul-
tures, Ibises, and some other birds. If startled or shot at, they utter
loud and piercing cries. ‘These cries, which I cannot compare to the
sounds of any instrument known to me, I have heard at the distance of
three miles, at the approach of spring, when the males were paying their
addresses to the females, or fighting among themselves. They may be in
some degree represented by the syllables kewrr, kewrr, kewrooh ; and
strange and uncouth as they are, they have always sounded delightful in
my ear. .

In December 1833, I sent my son to Spring Island, on the coast of
Georgia, to which these birds are in the habit of resorting every winter.
Mr Hammon, the proprietor of this island, treated him with all the hos-
pitality for which the southern planters are celebrated. ‘The Cranes,
which were plentiful, resorted to the sweet potato fields, digging up their
produce as expertly as a troop of negroes. They walked carefully over
the little heaps, probed them in various parts in the manner of Wood-
cocks or Snipes, and whenever they hit upon a potato, removed the soil,
took out the root, and devoured it in rather small pieces. In this manner
they would search over the whole field, which was two miles in length, and
rather more than a quarter of a mile in breadth, gleaning all the potatoes
that had escaped the gatherers. 'They were so shy, however, that not-
withstanding all the endeavours of my son, whoisa good hand at getting
in upon game, as well as a good shot, he only killed a young one, which
was evidently of that year’s brood, it being yet almost reddish-brown, the
long feathers of the rump just beginning to shew, and the head yet cover-
ed with hairlike feathers to the mandible, and merely shewing between
them the wrinkled skin so conspicuous in the old birds. ‘The specimen
procured on Spring Island was carefully examined and described, and
the skin is now in the British Museum in London. Its flesh was tender
and juicy, of a colour resembling that of young venison, and afforded ex-

cellent eating. ‘This I have always found to be the case with young

WHOOPING CRANE. 209

birds of this species, so long as they are in their brown livery, and even
when they have begun to be patched with white; but in old birds the
flesh becomes very dark, tough and unfit for the table, although the
Seminole Indians shoot them on all occasions for food.

In captivity the Whooping Crane becomes extremely gentle, and feeds
freely on grain and other vegetable substances. A Mr Maewoop, re-
siding near Charleston, in South Carolina, kept one for some time feed-
ing it on maize. It accidentally wounded one of its feet on the shell of
an oyster, and, although the greatest care was taken of it, died after lin-
gering some weeks. Having myself kept one alive, I will give you an ac-
count of its habits.

It was nearly full-grown when I obtained it, and its plumage was
changing from greyish-brown to white. Its figure you will see in the
plate to which this article refers. I received it as a present from Captain
Cxacx of the United States Navy, commander of the Erie sloop of war.
It had been wounded in the wing, on the coast of Florida, but the frac-
tured limb had been amputated and soon healed. During a voyage of
three months, it became very gentle, and was a great favourite with the
sailors. I placed it in a yard, in company with a beautiful Snow Goose.
This was at Boston. It was so gentle as to suffer me to caress it with
the hand, and was extremely fond of searching for worms and grubs
about the wood-pile, probing every hole it saw with as much care and
dexterity as an Ivory-billed Woodpecker. It also watched with all the
patience of a cat the motions of some mice which had burrows near the
same spot, killed them with a single blow, and swallowed them entire, one
after another, until they were extirpated. I fed it on corn and garbage
from the kitchen, to which were added bits of bread and cheese, as well
as some apples. It would pick up the straws intended to keep its feet
from being soiled, and arrange them round its body, as if intent on form-
ing anest. For hours at a time, it would stand resting on one foot in a very
graceful posture ; but what appeared to me very curious was, that it had
a favourite leg for this purpose ; and in fact none of my family ever found
it standing on the other, although it is probable that this happened in
consequence of the mutilation of the wing, the leg employed being that
of the injured side. The stump of its amputated wing appeared to be
a constant source of trouble, particularly at the approach of the win-
ter : it would dress the feathers about it, and cover it with so much care,
that I really felt for the poor fellow. When the weather became intense.

VOL, III. \ oO

210 WHOOPING CRANE.

ly cold, it regularly retired at the approach of night under a covered pas-
sage, where it spent the hours of darkness ; but it always repaired to this
place with marked reluctance, and never until all was quiet and nearly dark,
and it came out, even when the snow lay deep on the ground, at the first ap-
pearance of day. Now and then it would take a run, extend its only wing,
and, uttering a loud cry, leap several times in the air, as if anxious to re-
turn to its haunts. At other times it would look upwards, cry aloud as
if calling to some, acquaintance passing high in the air, and again use its
ordinary note whenever its companion the Snow Goose sent forth her own
signals. It seldom swallowed its food without first carrying it to the
water, and dipping it several times, and now and then it would walk
many yards for that express purpose. Although the winter was severe,
the thermometer some mornings standing as low as 10°, the bird fattened
and looked extremely well. So strong was the natural suspicion of this
bird, that I frequently saw it approach some cabbage leaves with mea-
sured steps, look at each sideways before it would touch one of them,
and after all, if it by accident tossed the leaf into the air when attempt-
ing to break it to pieces, it would run off as if some dreaded enemy were
at hand.

The trachea of this bird, of which you will find a notice at p. 213,
confirms my opinion that the Canada Crane and the Whooping Crane are
merely the same species in different states of plumage, or in other words,
at different ages; and, in truth, the differences are not greater than those
exhibited by many other birds, both aquatic and terrestrial. In illus-
tration of this subject I might adduce Ibises, Herons, Divers, and Grebes;
but this is quite unnecessary.

In reading the accounts given of the Canada Crane of authors, I find
no description of its manner of breeding. In the Fauna Boreali-Ameri-
cana of Mr Swainson and Dr Ricnarpson, the eggs of both are describ-
ed, and in Nurratt’s Manual those of the Whooping Crane also; but
in these works the account given of the birds and of their eggs is such,
that one might even, from comparing the descriptions, suppose them to be
of the same species. I have never had the satisfaction of finding any of
the breeding-places of the Whooping Crane ; but I well know that many
birds breed long before they have attained their full plumage. The sup-
posed new species of Heron described under the name of Ardea Pealii,
by my excellent friend Prince CuarLes Bonaparte, breeds as the White-

headed Eagle sometimes does, the immature bird in a snow-white dress,

WHOOPING CRANE. 211

the adult in purple and greyish-blue plumage. The young of Ardea
cerulea were for some time considered to form a distinct species, they
being white also, then blue and white, and finally dark blue. But the
most remarkable instance of change of plumage in the Traders is ex-
hibited in the Scarlet Ibis. My humble opinion is, that unless in cases
where birds are at first of one colour, and that colour remains ever after,
little dependence can be placed on the tints of the plumage as a specific
character.

On looking over my notes, I find that I have omitted to inform you
that the extraordinary strength of the thighs, legs, and feet of the
Whooping Crane, tends greatly to make it more terrestrial than the
Herons ; and that the great size of their nostrils, which so much resem-
ble those of the Vultures, is well adapted to keep the inner parts of the
organ from the damp earth and other matters with which they are so of-
ten in contact, while searching in the ground or mud for roots and other
vegetable substances, on which the bird principally feeds. I am con-
vinced also, that this species does not attain its full size or perfect plu-
mage until it is four or five years old. The beauty of the plumage may
be improved in brilliancy during the breeding-season by a greater bright-
ness in the colour of the bill, as in the Booby Gannet and White Ibis, as
well as in the redness of the fleshy parts of the head.

The measurements of the adult bird of my plate, drawn at New Or-
leans, in the month of April, were as follows:—Length from tip of bill
to end of claws, 5 feet 5 inches ; to end of tail, 4 feet 6 inches; the droop-
’ ing feathers 1 foot beyond ; alar extent 7 feet 8 inches; length of wing
22 inches; naked part of thigh 5 inches; tarsus 11} inches; length of
middle toe 44, of its claw 3.

The measurements of the specimen kept at Boston :—Length from
tip of bill to end of tail, 3 feet 9 inches; to end of claws, 4 feet 6 inches ;
tarsus 8 inches ; naked part of thigh 33. The elongated inner secon-
daries equalled the tail. The weight was 9 lb. 142 oz.

Measurements of that killed on Spring Island :—Length 4 feet 43
inches, the claws being 7 inches beyond the tail, so that the length from
the tip of the bill to the end of the tail was 3 feet 94 inches ; alar extent
5 feet 8 inches. Weight 8? lb.

In the Museum of the University of Edinburgh, there is a specimen
of still smaller size.

My friend Jonn BacuMay, in a note addressed to me, says, “ I saw

02

212 WHOOPING CRANE.

a pair of tame birds of this species, which, as they advanced in age,
changed their colours from grey to white.”

Grus Americana, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds. of the United States, p. 302.—
Swains. and Richards. Fauna-Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 372.

Wuoorine CranE, ARDEA AMERICANA, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 20. pl. 64.
fig. 3. Adult.

GRruUs CANADENSIS, BRowN CRANE, Swains. and Richards. Fauna-Bor. Amer. part ii.
p. 373.

Adult Male. Plate CCX XVI.

Bill long, straight, rather slender, but strong, compressed, pointed.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, a little concave at
the middle, slightly declinate toward the tip, the ridge flat and rather
broad as far as the middle, the sides sloping, towards the end convex,
with a wide groove filled by a soft membrane, and extending nearly two-
thirds of its length, the edges sharp but thick for two-thirds of its length,
and very slightly serrated. Nostrils lateral, placed at about a third of the
length of the bill from its base, oblong, large, pervious. Lower mandible
with the angle narrow and very long, the sides perpendicular at the base,
the edges straight and sharp.

Head small, compressed. Eyes of moderate size. Neck very long.
Body rather slender. Feet very long; tibia long, bare to a large extent,
and covered with transverse series of rectangular scales ; tarsus very long,
rather compressed, covered anteriorly with numerous oblique scutella,
posteriorly with large, and laterally with small scales ; toes rather small ;
the first very small, secoud and fourth nearly equal, third considerably
longer, the third and fourth connected at the base by a web of consider-
able size, all marginate, covered above with numerous narrow scutella,
beneath broad, flattened, and granulate; claws of moderate size, strong,
considerably curved, rather compressed, that of hind toe much smaller,
second and third largest, the latter with a groove on its inner edge.

Fore and upper part of head to the occiput papillar, and covered only
with small hairs, as are the sides of the head. The plumage in general
is soft, but distinctly imbricated ; the feathers rounded, those of the neck
short. Wings ample; the second primary longest, third and fourth nearly
as long, first longer than fifth ; inner secondaries and their coverts curved
‘downwards, forming a beautiful bunch of loosely barbed feathers. Tail

short, rounded, of twelve broad rounded feathers.

WHOOPING CRANE. 213

Bill dusky, towards the base yellow. Iris yellow. Bare part of head
carmine, with the hairs black. Feet black. The plumage is pure white,
excepting the alula, primaries, and primary coverts, which are brownish-
black.

Length to end of tail 54 inches ; to end of wings 53, to end of.claws 65;
extent of wings 92; wing from flexure 223; tail 7; bill along the ridge
5,4, along the edge of the lower mandible 5,4;, bare part of tibia 5;

tarsus 111; middle toe 44, its claw 2.

The Young after its first autumnal moult has the sides of the head
feathered behind the eye, and beneath to the base of the lower mandible ;
the curved secondaries and their coverts are tapering and elongated, but
not nearly so much developed as in the old birds. The skin of the head
is red; the bill brownish-black, as are the feet. Chin and sides of the
head greyish-white. The plumage generally is bluish-grey, but the fea-
thers are largely tipped and margined with yellowish-brown ; the primary
quills and their coverts dark brown towards the end ; but with brownish-
white shafts ; the abdomen pure greyish-blue.

As the bird advances in age, the yellowish-brown disappears, and the
general colour of the plumage becomes pure bluish-grey, which ultimately
changes to white.

The trachea, which is 13 inches long to its entrance between the crura
of the furcula, passes into a cavity in the sternum, where it curves so as
to describe two-thirds of a circle, returns on the right side, and enters
the thorax by curving backwards. The cavity in the sternum is 2 inches
long, with an equal depth, and a breadth of 3 inch. The ridge of the keel
is at its fore part 2 in breadth, and contracts to } inch at its junction with
the angle of the furcula, which is continuous with it. The gizzard is of
moderate size; the intestine, which is thin and small, measures 5 feet in

length. Boston specimen.

( 214 )

THE PINTAIL DUCK.
ANUS ACUT4A, LINN.

PLATE CCXXVII. Mate anp FEMALE.

Tue first observation that I made on arriving at Labrador, was that
no species of Ducks, excepting those which were entirely or chiefly ocea-
nic, seemed to resort to that coast, and I left the country with the same
impression. We saw no Mallards, Teals, Widgeons, or Wood Ducks
there ; nor any species of Merganser, excepting the Red-breasted, which is
a marine bird. The Pintail Duck, then, was not seen in the parts of that
country which I visited; nor was it known in Newfoundland, on the
Magdeleine Islands, or in the British province of Nova Scotia, at least
along its Atlantic boundaries. In Kentucky and the whole of the West-
ern Country, where it is extremely abundant in early autumn, during
winter, and up to a very advanced period in spring, you meet with “it”
wherever its usual food is found. It follows the waters of the Mississippi
to New Orleans, is seen westward in the prairies of Oppelousas, and ex-
tends to the eastward as far as Massachusetts, beyond which, like the
Mallard, it is very seldom seen. Indeed, this species is at all times rare
on the sea coast of America, and must therefore be considered as an in-
land bird.

The Pintail, which, in the United States, is better known by the name
of Sprigtail, arrives on the western waters early in October, sometimes
even about the middle of September, the period of its arrival depending
on the state of the weather, or the appearance of other species, with which
it keeps company. Their plumage is in fine condition when they arrive ;
their tail-feathers are then as long as at any other period, and the whole
apparel of the adult birds is as perfect as in the breeding season.

On the water, few birds exhibit more graceful motions than the Pin-
tail Duck. Its delicately slender neck, the beautiful form of its body,
and its pointed tail, which it always carries highly raised, distinguish it
from the other species with which it may associate. There seems also a
kind of natural modesty in it which you do not find in other ducks, and
its notes, which are often heard, are soft and pleasant. That these notes

should ever haye been compared to those of the Mallard, appears to me

PINTAIL DUCK. 215

very strange ;—so strange that I am tempted to believe that they who
say so must have mistaken Mallards for Pintails.

Whilst with us, the Pintail is found in company with the Baldpate
or American Widgeon, the Blue-winged Teal, and the Mallard, more fre-
quently on ponds than on streams, although it sometimes resorts to the
latter, when their shores are overhung with beech-trees loaded with their
nutritious fruits, of which this species is extremely fond, and in search of
which they even ramble to a short distance into the woods. Were this
duck to feed entirely on beech-nuts, I have no doubt that its fiesh would
be excellent. It feeds on tadpoles in spring, and leeches in autumn,
while, during winter, a dead mouse, should it come in its way, is swallowed
with as much avidity as by a Mallard. To these articles of food it adds
insects of all kinds, and, in fact, it is by no means an inexpert fy-catcher.

The Pintails are less shy in the Western Country than most species of
their family, and in this respect they resemble the Blue-winged Teals,
which in fact might be called stupid birds with as much propriety as
many others. They swim rather deeply, keep close together, and raise
the hind part of the body like the Mallards; and on the water, on land,
or on the wing, several may generally be killed at a shot. A friend of
mine killed nineteen with two shots of his double-barrelled gun. They
are scarcely nocturnal, but rest much in the middle of the day, basking in
the sunshine whilst on the water, whenever they can indulge in this luxury.
While on ponds, they feed along the most shallow parts, or by the edges;
and if you take my advice, you will never shoot at them while their heads
are at the bottom, and their feet kicking above water. I have several
times, for diversion, done so, but in no instance did I damage a single
individual. But when they raise their heads, you may commit great
havock among them.

During heavy rains in winter, or after them, the Pintails are fond of
alighting on our broad prairies, corn-fields and meadows; and in almost
every puddle you may then find them busily engaged. They move over
the ground as swiftly as Wood Ducks, still carrying their tail erect, un-
less when seizing an insect that is on wing or resting on a blade of grass.
I knew a particular spot in a corn-field, not many miles from Bayou Sara
in Louisiana, where, even after a shower, I was sure to meet with this species,
and where I could always have produced a good number, had I thought
them likely to be prized at the dinner-table. While I was at General Her-

NANDEZ’s in Florida, the Pintails were very numerous. They alighted

216 PINTAIL DUCK.

everywhere, and I shot a few in order to satisfy myself that they were of the
same species as those I had been accustomed to see. On one occasion I
shot at a large flock swimming on a shallow pond in a large savannah,
and wounded several, which I was surprised to see diving very expertly
as I waded out for them, this species being by no means addicted to that
practice. Those which I have now and then wounded, while in a boat
and in deep water, soon gave up diving, and surrendered, without ex-
hibiting any of those feats of cunning performed by other species.

The flight of the Pintails is very rapid, greatly protracted, and almost
noiseless. 'They arrive in the Western Country mostly in the dusk of
evening, and alight without much circumspection wherever they find
water. They remain at night in the ponds where they feed, and continue
there generally unless much disturbed. On such occasions they keep in
the middle of the water, to avoid their land enemies; but the Virginian
and Barred Owls not unfrequently surprise them, and force them to rise
or make towards the shore, when they fall a prey to the nocturnal ma-
rauders. In the Middle States, they are highly esteemed for the table.
There they arrive later and retire sooner towards their breeding-places,

than in the country west of the Alleghany Mountains.

Anas acuta, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 202.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. yol. ii. p. 864.—
Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 383.

Pintart Duck, Anas acuta, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 72. pl. 68. fig. 3.—
Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 386.

Anas caupacuTa, Prntait Duck, Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii.
p- 441.

Adult Male. Plate CCX XVII. Fig. 1.

Bill nearly as long as the head, deeper than broad at the base, de-
pressed towards the end, the frontal angles short and obtuse. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line at first sloping, then concave, towards the
curved unguis nearly straight, the ridge broad and flat at the base, then
broadly convex, the sides convex, the edges soft, with about fifty internal
lamellz ; unguis small, somewhat triangular, curved abruptly at the broad
end. Nostrils subbasal, lateral, rather small, oval, pervious. Lower
mandible flattish, its angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line very
short, slightly convex, the sides convex, the edges soft, with about sixty

lamellee.

PINTAIL DUCK. 217

Head of moderate size, compressed, the forehead rounded. Neck
rather long and slender. Body full and depressed. Wings rather small.
Feet very short, placed rather far back; tarsus very short, compressed,
at its lower part anteriorly with two series of scutella, the rest covered
with reticulated angular scales. ‘Toes obliquely scutellate above ; first
very small, free, with a narrow membrane beneath ; third longest ; fourth
a little shorter, their connecting webs entire, reticulated, at the edge pec-
tinate ; claws small, curved, compressed, acute, the hind one smaller and
more curved, that of the third toe with an inner sharp edge.

Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers of the head and neck short,
on the hind head and neck elongated. Wings narrow, of moderate
length, acute, the first quill longest, the second nearly equal, the rest
rapidly graduated ; outer secondaries broad and rounded ; inner elongat-
ed and tapering, as are their coats, and the scapulars ; first quill serrated
on the outer edge, somewhat like that of an Owl. ‘Tail of moderate
length, tapering, of fourteen tapering feathers, of which the two middle
project far beyond the rest. ’

Bill black, the sides of upper mandible light blue. Iris brown. Feet
greyish-blue ; claws black. Head, throat, and upper part of neck ante-
riorly greenish-brown, faintly margined behind with purplish-red ; a small
part of hind neck dark green; the rest, and the upper parts in general
beautifully undulated with very narrow bars of brownish-black and_yel-
lowish-white, smaller wing-coverts, alula, and primary quills grey, the
latter dark-brown towards the end; speculum of a coppery red, chang-
ing to dull green, edged anteriorly with light brownish-red, posteriorly
with white; the inner secondaries, and the scapulars, black and green,
with broad grey margins. Upper tail-coverts cream-coloured, the outer
webs blackish and green; tail light grey, the middle feathers dark brown,
glossed with green. On each side of the neck is an oblique band of
white, of which colour are the under parts in general, the sides however
undulated like the back, the lateral feathers of the rump cream-coloured,
the lower tail-coverts black, those at the sides edged with white.

Length to end of tail 29 inches; extent of wings 36; bill along the
back 2,%, along the edge of lower mandible 2,°,; tarsus 1,8,, middle toe

2, its claw ;’7; wing from flexure 11, tail 53. Weight 2 Ib.

Adult Female. Plate CCX XVII. Fig. 2.

The Female, which is much smaller, has the upper parts variegated

218 PINTAIL DUCK.

with brownish-black and light yellowish-brown, the margin of the fea-
thers, and a mark on each side of the shaft being of the latter colour ; the
speculum is dusky green, margined behind with white; the primary quills
greyish-brown. The lower parts are of a light brownish-yellow, the
sides variegated with brown, the bill is black, the iris brown, the feet light
bluish-grey.

Length 223 inches, extent of wings 34. Weight 1 lb. 9 oz.

( 219 )

THE GREEN-WINGED TEAL.

ANAS CrREcC4, LINN.

PLATE CCXXVIII. Mate anp FEMaAte.

Noruine can be more pleasing to an American sportsman, than the
arrival of this beautiful little duck in our Southern or Western States.
There, in the month of September, just as the sun sinks beneath the hori-
zon, you may find him standing on some mote or embankment of a rice-
field in Carolina, or a neck of land between two large ponds in Kentucky,
his gun loaded with number four, and his dog lying at his feet. He sees
advancing from afar, at a brisk rate, a small dark cloud, which he has
some minutes ago marked and pronounced to be a flock of Green-winged
Teals. Now he squats on his haunches ; his dog lies close; and ere an-
other minute has elapsed, right over his head, but too high to be shot at,
pass the winged travellers. Some of them remember the place well, for
there they have reposed and fed before. Now they wheel, dash irregu-
larly through the air, sweep in a close body over the watery fields, and in
their course pass near the fatal spot where the gunner anxiously awaits.
Hark, two shots in rapid succession ! The troop is in disorder, and the dog
dashes through the water. Here and there lies a Teal, with its legs
quivering; there, one is whirling round in the agonies of death; some,
which are only winged, quickly and in silence make their way towards a
hiding-place, while one, with a single pellet in his head, rises perpendi-
cularly with uncertain beats, and falls with a splash on the water. The
gunner has charged his tubes, his faithful follower has brought up all
the game, and the frightened Teals have dressed their ranks, and flying
now high, now low, seem curious to see the place where their companions
have been left. Again they fly over the dangerous spot, and again re-
ceive the double shower of shot. Were it not that darkness has now set
in, the carnage might continue until the sportsman should no longer con-
sider the thinned flock worthy of his notice. In this manner, at the first
arrival of the Green-winged Teal in the Western Country, I have seen
upwards of six dozen shot by a single gurmmer in the course of one day.

I have often thought that water-birds, ducks for example, like land-

birds which migrate in flocks, are very apt to pass over the place where

220 GREEN-WINGED TEAL.

others of the same kind had been before. Pigeons, Starlings, Robins,
and other land-birds are often observed to do so; while Curlews, Cormo-
rants, Plovers, Ducks and Geese, are similar in this respect. The first
object in view with such species is to remove from one part of the country
to another, as every one knows; and as to reach a place of safety abun-
dantly supplied with food, is the next object, you may perhaps join me in
concluding, that, to the spot or district in which birds have once been
and spent a season, they are ever afterwards inclined to return. Well,
the Green-wings are known to follow each other in flocks, sometimes con-
sisting of a few families, sometimes of many hundred individuals, parti-
cularly in autumn, when old and young leave the north to avoid the
rigours of its dreary winter. In spring, again, many species both of land
and water birds perform their migrations, either singly or in smaller
groups, the males departing before the females, and in some cases the
young keeping by themselves, an arrangement perhaps intended for the
greater dispersion of the species.

In Louisiana, the Green-winged Teal is named Sarcelle @hiver, while
the Blue-winged species bears the name of Sarcelle d’été, although the lat-
ter remains only some weeks in that country after the departure of the

>

former. Its general name, however, is the ‘“ Green-wing ;” and a poor
name in my opinion it is, for the bird has not more green on its wings
than several other species have. Indeed, very many birds are strangely
named, not less in pure Latin, than in English, French, and Dutch ; and
very many are every year receiving names still stranger than those they
bore. For my part, I am at present a kind of conservative, and adhere
to the old system until I see the mud raised up by the waders subside,
when I may probe my way with more chance of success.

The Green-winged Teal is a fresh-water bird, being rarely met with
in marine bays, creeks, or lagoons, where, however, it may sometimes
spend a few days. It is accordingly enabled to feed with its body half-
immersed, in the manner of the Mallard and several other species, for
which purpose it is furnished with a comparatively long neck. Its food
consists principally of the seeds of grasses, which are collected either when
floating or when still adhering to their stalks, small acorns, fallen grapes
or berries, as well as aquatic insects, worms, and small snails. I have
never found water lizards, leeches, fishes, or even tadpoles in their giz-
zards. The food of this bird being thus more select than that of most
other Ducks, its flesh is delicious. probably the best of any of its tribe;

GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 221

and I would readily agree with any epicure in saying, that when it has
fed on wild oats at Green Bay, or on soaked rice in the fields of Georgia
and the Carolinas, for a few weeks after its arrival in those countries, it
is much superior to the Canvass-back in tenderness, juiciness, and flavour.
Indeed, the Green-wing is as’much superior to the Canvass-back, as the
European Quail is to the Capercailie, or the Sora of the Delaware to the
Scolopaceous Curlew of the Florida Ever Glades.

On land, the Green-wing moves with more ease and grace than any
other species with which I am acquainted, excepting our beautiful Wood
Duck. It can run at a good rate, without entangling its webbed feet, as
many others do; and in this, too, there is a marked difference between
fresh-water and salt-water Ducks, as one may very readily perceive. On
the water, also, it moves with great ease, at times with considerable ra-
pidity, and when not severely wounded, is able to dive in a very credit-
able manner. On wing it has no rivals among Ducks. Our two smaller
Mergansers, however, are swifter, although they exhibit none of the
graceful movements every now and then shewn by the Green-wings, when
coursing in the air over and around a pond, a river, or a large wet sa-
vannah. They rise from the water at a single spring, and so swiftly too,
that none but an expert marksman need attempt to shoot them, if when
starting they are many yards distant. While feeding, they proceed in
a close body along the shores, or wherever the water is so shallow that
they can reach the bottom with ease. In savannahs or watery fields
intersected by dry ridges, they remove from one pool to another on
foot, unless the distance is considerable ; and in effecting the transit, they
run so huddled together, as to enable a gunner to make great havock
among them. When the cravings of hunger are satisfied, they retire to
some clean part of the shore, or a sandbar, where they rest in perfect har-
mony, each individual composing its dress, and afterwards, with wings
slightly drooping, placing its breast to the sun. There they remain for
an hour or more at a time, some sound asleep, some dosing, but rarely
without a trusty sentinel watching over their safety. In this manner they
spend the winter months in the Southern and Western Countries. ‘There,
indeed, they are far more abundant than in our eastern districts, just be-
cause the climate is milder, the human population more dispersed, and
the damp fields, meadows, and savannahs more abundant.

The migrations of this species are performed more over the land than
along the borders of the sea ; and it is probable that its principal breed_

222 GREEN-WINGED TEAL.

ing-places are in the interior of the fur countries; as it has been met there
by Sir Epwarp Parry, Sir James Ross, Dr RicHarpson, and other
intrepid travellers. Some, however, remain on our great lakes, and I
have seen individuals breeding on the banks of the Wabash, in Illinois,
where I found a female with young, all of which I obtained. It was not
far above Vincennes, and in the month of July. On Lakes Erie and
Michigan, nests containing eggs have also been found; but these may
have been cases in which the birds were unable to proceed farther north,
on account of wounds or other circumstances, or because of the early pe-
riod at which they might have paired before the general departure of the
flocks, a cause of detention more common in migratory birds than people
seem to be aware of. ‘These opportunities, few as they were, have ena-
bled me to see the kinds of places in which the nests were found, the
structure of the nest, the number, size, and colour of the eggs; so that I
have in so far been qualified to draw a comparison between our Green-
winged Teal and that of Europe.

The Green-wings leave the neighbourhood of New Orleans in the end
of February; but im the Carolinas they remain until late in March, at
which time also they depart from all the places between the Atlantic and
the States of Kentucky, Indiana, &c. Farther eastward I have seen this
species as late as the 9th of May, when I shot a few not far from Phila-
delphia. As you advance farther along our coast, you find it more rare;
and scarcely any are met with near the shores of the British provinces.
In Newfoundland and Labrador, it is never seen. Its migrations south-
ward, I am satisfied, extend beyond the United States; but their ex-
treme limits are unknown tome. I have seldom seen it associate with
other species, although I have frequently observed individuals on a pond
or river not far from other Ducks. It is more shy than the Blue-winged
Teal, but less so than most of our other fresh-Water Ducks. Its voice
is seldom heard during winter, except when a flock is passing over an
other that has alighted, when a few of the males call to the voyagers, as
if to invite them to join them. Before they depart, however, they be- —
come noisy. Combats take place among the males; the females are seen
coquetting around them, and most of the birds are paired before they
leave us.

In the few instances in which I found the nest of this bird, and they
were only three, it was not placed nearer the water than five or six yards,
and I should not have discovered it had I not first seen the birds swim-

GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 223

ming or washing themselves near the spot. By watching them carefully
I discovered their landing places, and on going up found a path formed,
in a direct line among the rushes. In two cases I came so near the nest,
as almost to touch the sitting bird as it rose affrighted. While it flew
round me, and then alighted on the water, I viewed the nest, with per-
haps more interest than I have felt on most occasions of a like nature.
On a scanty bed of the bird’s own down and feathers, supported by ano-
ther of grasses, intermixed with mud and stalks of the plants around,
raised to the height of four or five inches, I found seven eggs in one,
nine in another, and only five in a third. They were all found in the
month of July, and not far from Green Bay. The average measurement
of the eggs was an inch and three quarters by an inch and _ three-eighths.
They were much rounded, of a dull yellowish colour, indistinctly marked
with a deeper tint, as if soiled. In one of the nests only the eggs were
fresh. I took two of them, which I afterwards ate. Having planted a
stick as a mark of recognition, I visited the nest three days in succession,
but found that the bird had abandoned it; while those of the other two
nests, which were not more than about a hundred yards distant, and
whose eggs I had handled quite as much, although I took none away,
continued to sit. No male birds were to be seen during my stay in that
neighbourhood. I concluded that although the eggs may be touched or
even handled and lifted from the nest, yet if they were all replaced, the
bird did not take umbrage; but that should any of them be missed,
some strong feeling urged her to abandon the rest. Again I thought
that as incubation had just commenced with this bird, she cared less
about her eggs than the other two whose eggs contained chicks,

Having met with the young of this species only once, at a time when
I was less aware of the necessity of noting observations in writing, I am
unwilling to speak of their colours from recollection. All I can say is
that I had great trouble in catching four of them, so cunningly did they

hide in the grass, and so expert were they at diving.

224 GREEN-WINGED TEAL.

Anas Crecca, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 204.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 872.—
Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p- 386.

Anas Crecca, var. AMERICAN TEAL, Swains. and Richards, Fauna Bor. Amer.
part ii. p. 443,

GREEN-WINGED TEat, Anas Crecca, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p- 101. pl. 70.
fig. 4.

American Tat, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 400.

Adult Maile. Plate CCXXVIII. Fig. 1.

Bill almost as long as the head, deeper than broad at the base, de-
pressed towards the end, its breadth nearly equal in its whole length,
being however a little enlarged towards the rounded tip. Upper man-
dible with the dorsal line at first sloping, then concave, towards the ends
nearly straight, the ridge broad and flat at the base, then broadly convex,
the sides convex, the edges soft, with about fifty-five lamella. Nostrils
subbasal, near the ridge, rather small, elliptical, pervious. Lower mans
dible flattish, with the angle very long and rather narrow, the dorsal line
very short, straight, the sides perpendicular with about 130 lamelle.

Head of moderate size, compressed. Neck of moderate length, rather
slender. Body full, depressed. Wings rather small. Feet short, placed
rather far back ; tarsus short, compressed, at its lower part anteriorly with
two series of scutella, the rest covered with reticulated angular scales.
Toes scutellate above ; first toe very small, free, with a narrow membrane
beneath ; third longest ; fourth a little shorter ; the anterior toes united
by reticulated webs, of which the outer is deeply sinuate; claws small,
curved, compressed, acute, the hind one smaller and more curved, that of
the third toe largest, and with an inner sharp edge.

Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers of the middle of the head
and upper part of hind neck, very narrow, elongated, with soft filamen-
tous disunited bands, of the rest of the head and upper part of neck very
short, of the back and lower parts in general broad and rounded. Wings
of moderate length, narrow, acute ; primaries strong, curved, tapering,
second longest, first scarcely shorter; secondaries broad, rather pointed,
the inner elongated and tapering, as are the scapulars. Tail short, round
ed and acuminate, of sixteen acuminate feathers.

Bill black. Iris brown. Feet light bluish-grey. Head and upper
part of the neck chestnut-brown; a broad band, narrowing backwards,

from the eye down the back of the neck, deep shining green, edged with

GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 225

black below, under which is a white line, which before the eye meets an-
other that curves forward and downward to the angle of the mouth; chin
brownish-black, as are the feathers at the base of the upper mandible.
Upper parts and flanks beautifully undulated, with narrow brownish-black
and white bars; anterior to the wings is a short broad transverse band of
white. Wings brownish-grey ; the speculum in its lower half velvet-
black, the upper bright green, changing to purple, and edged above with
black, behind margined with white, before with reddish-white. Tail
brownish-grey, the feathers margined with paler ; the upper coverts brown-
ish-black, edged with light yellowish-grey. Lower part of neck anteriorly
barred as behind; breast yellowish-white, spotted with black, its lower
part white ; abdomen white, faintly barred with grey; a patch of black
under the tail, the lateral tail-coverts cream coloured, the larger black,
with broad white margins and tips.

Length to end of tail 142 inches, to end of claws 151; extent of
wings 24; wing from flexure 73; tail 31; bill along the back 1,%, along
the edge of lower mandible 1,°, ; tarsus 1,2, ; middle toe 1,°,, its claw 5.
Weight 10 oz.

Adult Female. Plate CCX XVIII. Fig. 2.

The Female wants the elongated crest, and differs greatly in colouring.
The head and neck are streaked with dark brown and light red, the fore
neck whitish ; the upper parts mottled with dark brown, the anterior fea-
thers barred, the posterior margined with yellowish-white. The wings are
nearly as in the male, but the green of the speculum is less extensive ; the
lower part of the fore neck is tinged with yellowish-red, and mottled with
dark brown, as are the sides ; the rest of the lower parts white.

Length to end of tail 133; to end of claws 14; extent of wings 224.
Weight 10 oz.

‘The differences between the American and European specimens are so
small that I can find no good reason for considering the birds of the two
continents distinct. The American Teal has a white band before the
wing, which the European bird has not, while the latter has the greater
part of the outer webs of most of the scapulars white, there being none
of that colour on those of our bird. ‘The proportions and size are similar ;
and if the two birds are really distinct species, I do not know upon what
circumstances specific distinctions are to be founded.

VOL. III. ‘ Pr

(226°)

THE SCAUP DUCK.

FULIGULA MariLé, STEPH.

PLATE CCXXIX. Mate anp FEMALE.

Tue opinion, derived from Witson’s account of the Scaup Duck,
that it is met with only along our sea coasts, in bays, or in the mouths of
rivers, as far as the tide extends, is incorrect. Had Witson resided in
the Western Country, or seen our large lakes and broad rivers during
late autumn, winter, or early spring, he would have had ample opportu-
nities of observing thousands of this species, on the Ohio, the Missouri,
and the Mississippi, from Pittsburg to New Orleans. I have shot a good
number of Scaup Ducks on all these rivers, where I have observed them
to arrive early in October, and whence they depart between the Ist of
March and the middle of April. I have not, however, seen any in small
creeks, lagoons, or ponds. When they arrive on the western waters, they
are seen in flocks of from fifteen to twenty individuals; but in a few
weeks these flocks are joined by others, for which reason the species is
named in Kentucky the “ Flocking Fowl.” They are, however, seldom
seen close together while on the water, and they rarely associate with other
birds.

The Scaup Duck seems to float less lightly than it really does, its
body being comparatively flat. It moves fast, frequently sipping the
water, as if to ascertain whether its favourite food be in it. ‘Then turn-
ing its head and glancing on either side to assure itself of security, down
it dives with all the agility of a Merganser, and remains a considerable
time below. On emerging, it shakes its head, raises the hind part of its
body, opens its short and rather curved wings, after a few flaps replaces
them, and again dives in search of food. Should any person appear when
it emerges, it swims off to a considerable distance, watches every move-
ment of the intruder, and finally either returns to its former place, or flies
away.

These birds are fond of large eddies below projecting points of land,
but frequently dive in search of food at a considerable distance from
them. When in eddies they may be approached and shot with less diffi-
culty than when in any other situation. If wounded only, they are not °

SCAUP DUCK. 227

easily secured ; in fact, you need not go after them, for by diving, flutter-
ing along the surface, and cutting backward and forward, they generally
elude pursuit. Between Louisville and Shippingport, on the Kentucky
side of the Ohio, the shores are from ten to fifteen feet high, and rather
abrupt when the waters are at their ordinary level. The Scaup Ducks
are fond of diving for food along this place, and there, by coming directly
upon them unseen, till you are almost over them, you may have the very
best opportunities of procuring them. They are not worth shooting,
however, unless for sport or examination, for their flesh is generally tough
and rather fishy in flavour. Indeed I know none, excepting what is call-
ed an Epicure, who could relish a Scaup Duck.

They appear to experience some difficulty in getting on wing, and
assist themselves on all occasions, either by meeting the current or front-
ing the wind, while they also use their broad feet as helps. When dan-
ger is near, they frequently, however, prefer diving, which they find as
effectual a means of security as flying. As they usually feed at some
distance from each other, it is amusing to see them go off, as they emerge
from the water in succession, and to watch them when they collect again,
and when, after flying for a long time in circles, now high then low over the
water, they all realight. These habits, and the toughness of their sinewy
bodies, render it rather difficult to shoot them. Although flat-billed, they
dive to a considerable depth, and when they have reached the bottom, no
doubt furrow the mud, in the manner of the Shoveller (Anas clypeata),
although the latter performs this action while floating on the surface, with
its head and neck alone submersed, as it swims over the shallows.

The food of the Scaup Duck I have found to consist of small fry,
crayfishes, and a mixture of such grasses as here and there grow along
the beds of our rivers. I never found any portions of testaceous mol-
lusca in the gizzards of those obtained on our western waters, although
even there they might meet with abundance of these animals.

When these birds are travelling, their flight is steady, rather labori-
ous, but greatly protracted. The whistling of their wings is heard at a
considerable distance when they are passing over head. At this time
they usually move in a broad front, sometimes in a continuous line.
When disturbed, they fly straight forward for a while, with less velocity
than when travelling, and, if within proper distance, are easily shot. At
times their notes are shrill, but at others hoarse and guttural. They are

p2

~

228 SCAUP DUCK.

however rarely heard during the day, and indeed, like many other spe-
cies, these birds are partly nocturnal.

At the approach of spring the Drakes pay their addresses to the fe-
males, before they set out on their journey. At that period the males
become more active and lively, bowing their heads, opening their broad
bills, and uttering a kind of quack, which to the listener seems produced
by wind in their stomach, but notwithstanding appears to delight their
chosen females.

The Scaup Duck varies materially as to size at different ages. Some
wounded individuals which I kept, and which were birds of the first year,
were much larger and heavier at the end of a year ; and I agree with my
learned friend Nurtaty, that specimens may be procured measuring
from sixteen and a half to eighteen, nineteen, or twenty inches in length.

On the Atlantic coast I have met with this species from the Gulf
of Mexico to the Bay of Fundy, and my friend THomas Maccuirocn
has told me that they are not unfrequent at Pictou in Nova Scotia. Far-

ther north I saw none ; and their breeding places are yet unknown to me.

Anas Marita, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 196—Zath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 853.

Furicuta marita, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 392.—
Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 453.

Scaur Ducx, Anas mariLa, Wils. Amer. Ornith, vol. viii. p. 84. pl. 69. fig. 8.—
Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 437.

Adult Male. CCXXIX. Fig. 1.

Bill as long as the head, deeper than broad at the base, enlarged and
flattened towards the end, which is rounded, the frontal angles narrow
and pointed. Upper mandible with the dorsal line at first straight and
declinate, then slightly concave, along theunguis curved, the ridge broad
at the base, narrowed at the middle, enlarged and convex towards the
end, the sides nearly erect at the base, becoming more and more declinate
and convex, the edges curved upwards, with about forty lamellz, the
unguis small and oblong. Nostrils submedial, oblong, rather large, per-
vious, near the ridge, in an oblong groove with a soft membrane. Lower
mandible flat, with the angle very long and rather narrow, the dorsal
line very short and straight, the erect edges with about sixty lamellze,—
on the upper edge, however, the lamella are more numerous,—the unguis

broadly elliptical.

SCAUP DUCK. 229

Head of moderate size. Eyes small. Neck of moderate length, ra-
ther thick. Body comparatively short, compact, and depressed. Wings
small. Feet very short, strong, placed rather far behind; tarsus very
short, compressed, anteriorly with a series of broad scutella, externally of
which is another of smaller, the rest reticulated with angular scales.
Hind toe small, with a free membrane beneath ; anterior toes double the
length of the tarsus, united by reticulated membranes having a sinus at
their free margins, the outer and inner with loose somewhat lobed margi-
nal membranes, all obliquely scutellate above, the third and fourth about
equal and longest. Claws small, that of first toe very small and curved,
of middle toe largest, with an inner thin edge, of the rest very slender
and pointed.

Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers of the head and neck short and
velvety, those of the hind head a little elongated. Wings shortish, narrow,
pointed ; primary quills curved, strong, tapering, the first longest, the
second very little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondary broad
and rounded, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail very short, much
rounded, of fourteen feathers.

Bill light greyish-blue, the unguis blackish. Iris yellow. Feet grey-
_ish-blue, the webs and claws black. The head, the whole neck, and the
fore part of the back and breast black, the head and neck glossed with
purple and green, the rest tinged with brown. Hind part of the back,
rump, abdomen, and upper and lower tail-coverts brownish-black. Mid-
dle of the back, scapulars, inner secondaries, anterior part of abdomen,
and sides greyish-white, beautifully marked with undulating black lines.
Middle of the breast white, wings light brownish-grey. Alula, primaries
at the base and end, and the greater part of secondaries, brownish-black ;
the speculum on the latter white.

Length to end of tail 164 inches, to end of claws 18; extent of wings
29; wing from flexure 83; tail 21; bill along the back 119, along the
edge of lower mandible 2; tarsus 11; middle toe 2.2,, its claw 33.

Weight 1 Ib. 6 oz.

Adult Female. Plate CCX XIX. Fig. 2.

The female agrees with the male in the characters of the plumage, and
in the colours of the bare parts; but those of the former differ consider-
ably. The head, neck, and fore part of the back and breast, are umber

brown; and there is a broad patch of white along the fore part of the

230 SCAUP DUCK.

forehead. The upper parts in general are brownish-black, the middle of

the back and the scapulars undulated with whitish dots and bars. The

primary quills are greyish in the middle, and the speculum is white, but

of less extent than in the male. The greater part of the breast and ab-

domen is white ; the sides and parts under the tail umber brown.
Length 162 inches, extent of wings 28. Weight 1 lb. 6 oz.

The males, as has been said, vary greatly in size, but in adult speci-
mens there is little difference in colouring. The birds figured in my II-
lustrations, and described above, were from the Mississippi; but others

seen in various parts presented no such differences as to indicate perma-

nent varieties.

@ 231)

THE SANDERLING.

TRINGA ARENARI4A, Bonap.

PLATE CCXXX. Mate anp FEMALE.

AutHoucn the Sanderling extends its rambles along our Atlantic
shores, from the eastern extremities of Maine to the southernmost Keys of
the Floridas, it is only an autumnal and winter visitor. It arrives in the
more Eastern Districts about the 1st of August, on the sea-shores of New
York and New Jersey rarely before the 10th of August, and seldom'reaches
the extensive sand-banks of East Florida previous to the month of Novem-
ber. Along the whole of this extended coast, it is more or less abundant,
sometimes appearing in bands composed of a few individuals, and at times
in large flocks, but generally mingling with other species of small shore-
birds. 'Thus I have seen Turnstones and Knots mixed with the Sander-
lings, but in such cases they are perhaps wanderers, which have not suc-
ceeded in meeting with companions of their own species, that associate
with the birds of which I here speak.

The Sanderling obtains its food principally by’ probing the moist
sands of the sea-shores with its bill held in an oblique position. At every
step it inserts this instrument with surprising quickness, to a greater or
less depth, according to the softness of the sand, sometimes introducing
it a quarter of an inch, sometimes to the base. ‘The holes thus made
may be seen on the borders of beaches, when the tide is fast receding, in
rows of twenty, thirty, or more; in certain spots less numerous ; for it
appears that when a place proves unproductive of the food for which they
are searching, they very soon take to their wings and remove to another,
now and then in so hurried a manner that one might suppose they had
been suddenly frightened. The contents of the stomach of those which
I shot while thus occupied, were slender sea-worms, about an inch in
length, together with minute shell-fish and gravel. At other times, when
they were seen following the receding waves, and wading up to the belly
in the returning waters, I found in them small shrimps and other crus-
tacea.

In their flight the Sanderlings do not perform so many evolutions as
Sandpipers usually display. They generally alight about a hundred

232 SANDERLING.

yards of the place from which they started, and run for a yard or so,
keeping their wings partially extended. They move on the sand with
great activity, running so as to keep pace with a man walking at a mode-
rate rate. Their flight is rapid and straighter than that of other small
species, and when on wing they seldom exhibit each surface of the body
alternately, as many others are wont to do.

I have thought that the migrations of this bird are carried on under
night ; but of this I am by no means certain, although I observed some
small flocks, composed of a few dozen individuals, crossing the Gulf of
St Lawrence, at a little height over the water, in the month of June.
The lateness of the season induced me to hope that I might find some
nests of the Sanderling on the coast of Labrador ; but in this I was dis-
appointed, although some young birds were seen at Bras d’Or, in little
parties of four or five individuals. This was early in August, and they
were already on their way southward.

The Sanderling affords good eating, especially the young, and the
sportsman may occasionally kill six or seven at a shot, provided he fires
the moment the flock has alighted, for immediately after the birds spread
abroad in search of food.

The female may easily be distinguished from the male, by her su-
perior size ; but in the colouring of birds of both sexes, I have observed
as much difference as in the Turnstone. Even during winter, some are
more or less marked with black and brownish-red, while others, which,
however, I easily ascertained to be younger birds, were of an almost uni-
form light grey above, each feather edged with dull white; but in all
those which I have examined, whether old birds in the full spring or sum-
mer dress, in which I have shot some in May, in the Middle Districts, or
young birds in autumn and during winter, I have seen no difference in
the colours of the bill, legs, and toes. My plate of this species represents
two birds in winter plumage, which were obtained in East Florida in the
month of December. The figure of a fine male, which, being on another
sheet of paper, was overlooked during my absence from London, you

will find in Plate CCLXXXV. of “ The Birds of America.”

SANDERLING. 235

Cuarapnrivs Catipris, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 255.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii.
p- 741, in Winter.

Cuaraprivs RuBIDUS, Ibid. p. 740, in Summer.

TrInGA ARENARIA, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 320.

CALIDRIS ARENARIA, SANDERLING, Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii.
p- 366.

Ruppy Prover, CHarapRivs ruBIDUS, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 129. pl. 63.
fig. 3—Summer dress.

SanDERLING Ptover, Jbidem, vol. vii. p. 68. pl. 59. fig. 4. Winter dress.— Nuttall,

Manual, vol. ii. p. 4.

Adult Male in winter. Plate CCX XX. Fig. 1.

Bill rather longer than the head, slender, subcylindrical, straight,
flexible, compressed at the base, the point rather depressed and obtuse.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, slightly sloping to
beyond the middle, the ridge convex, towards the end flattened, at the
point convex ; sides sloping, edges rather blunt and soft. Nasal groove
long ; nostrils basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle
long and very narrow, the dorsal line slightly convex, the sides sloping
outwards, towards the end convex.

Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Eyes rather large.
Neck of moderate length. Body rather slender. Feet slender, of mode-
rate length ; tibia bare a considerably way up; tarsus compressed, ante-
riorly and posteriorly with numerous small scutella; hind toe wanting ;
toes of moderate length, slender ; inner toe shorter than outer, middle toe
considerably longer, all scutellate above and marginate, with prominent
papillae, and free; claws small, slightly curved, extremely compressed,
blunt.

Plumage very soft, blended beneath, slightly distinct above. Wings
long and pointed; primaries tapering, obtuse, the first longest, the se-
cond a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries rather short,
obliquely rounded, curved inwards, the inner elongated and tapering.
Tail rather short, rounded, of twelve feathers, the two middle ones con-
siderably longer.

Bill and feet black. Iris brown. The general colour of the plumage
above is ash-grey, the edges paler; the lower parts pure white. Alula
and’ primaries brownish-black, the latter with more or less white on their

outer webs or along the shaft; secondaries white, the outer with a patch

234 SANDERLING.

of brownish-black towards the end, the inner ash-grey ; primary coverts
brownish-black, tipped with white ; secondary coverts greyish-brown,
broadly tipped with white. Middle tail feathers greyish-brown, their
shafts white, the rest of a paler tint on the outer webs, white on the inner,
the lateral almost pure white. |
Length to end of tail '73$, to end of wings 718, to end of claws 8};
extent of wings 123; wing from flexure 443; tail 2%; bill along the
back 1; along the edge of lower mandible 1,4, ; tarsus 1; middle toe 2,

its claw 5%. Weight 12 oz.

Adult Female in Winter. Plate CCX XX. Fig. 2.
The Female is precisely similar to the Male.

In its summer plumage, this species differs in the following particu-
lars. The bill, feet, and iris, are as described above, and the lower parts
are also pure white, excepting the fore part and sides of the neck, which,
as well as the upper parts of the head, and the hind neck, are pale yellow-
ish-red, spotted with brownish-black. The back is similarly marked,
the spots larger, and on the scapulars disposed in bars; the tips of most
of the feathers greyish-white, the wings and tail are as in winter.

A RACOON HUNT IN KENTUCKY.

Tue Racoon, which is a cunning and crafty animal, is found in all
our woods, so that its name is familiar to every child in the Union. The
propensity which it evinces to capture all kinds of birds accessible to it
in its nightly prowlings, for the purpose of feasting on their flesh, induces
me to endeavour to afford you some idea of the pleasure which our west-
ern hunters feel in procuring it. With your leave, then, Reader, I will
take you to a “ Coon Hunt.”

A few hours ago the sun went down far beyond the “far west.” The
woodland choristers have disappeared, the matron has cradled her babe,
and betaken herself to the spinning-wheel ; the woodsman, his sons, and
“ the stranger” are chatting before a blazing fire, making wise reflections
on past events, and anticipating those that are to come. Autumn, sal-
low and sad, prepares to bow her head to the keen blast of approaching
winter ; the corn, though still on its stalk, has lost its blades; the wood
pile is as large as the woodsman’s cabin; the nights have become chill,
and each new morn has effected a gradual change in the dews, which now
crust the withered herbage with a coat of glittering white. The sky is
still cloudless; a thousand twinkling stars reflect their light from the
tranquil waters ; all is silent and calm in the forest, save the nightly
prowlers that roam in its recesses. In the cheerful cabin all is happiness ;
its inmates generously strive to contribute to the comfort of the stranger
who has chanced to visit them; and, as racoons are abundant in the
neighbourhood, they propose a hunt. The offer is gladly accepted. The
industrious woman leaves her wheel, for she has listened to her husband’s
talk ; now she approaches the fire, takes up the board shovel, stirs the
embers, produces a basket filled with sweet potatoes, arranges its contents
side by side in front of the hearth, and covers them with hot ashes and
glowing coals. All this she does, because she “ guesses” that hungry sto-
machs will be calling for food when the sport is over. Ah! Reader,
what ‘“ homely joys” there are in such scenes, and how you would enjoy
them! The rich may produce a better, or a more sumptuous meal ; but
his feelings can never be like those of the poor woodsman. Poor I ought
not to call him, for nature and industry bountifully supply all his wants ;

236 RACOON HUNT IN KENTUCKY.

the woods and rivers produce his chief dainties, and his toils are his plea-
sures.

Now mark him! the bold Kentuckian is on his feet; his sons and
the stranger prepare for the march. Horns and rifles are in requisition.
The goodman opens the wooden-hinged door, and sends forth a blast
loud enough to scare a wolf. The racoons scamper away from the corn-
fields, break through the fences, and hie to the woods. The hunter has
taken an axe from the wood-pile, and returning, assures us that the night
is clear, and that we shall have rare sport. He blows through his rifle,
to ascertain that it is clear, examines his flint, and thrusts a feather into
the touch-hole. To aleathern bag swung at his side is attached a powder-
horn; his sheathed knife is there also; below hangs a narrow strip of
home-spun linen. He takes from his bag a bullet, pulls with his teeth
the wooden stopper from his powder-horn, lays the ball on one hand, and
with the other pours the powder upon it until it is just overtopped.
Raising the horn to his mouth, he again closes it with the stopper, and
restores it to its place. He introduces the powder into the tube; springs
the box of his gun, greases the ‘*‘ patch” over with some melted tallow, or
damps it ; then places it on the honeycombed muzzle of his piece. The
bullet is placed on the patch over the bore, and pressed with the handle of
the knife, which now trims the edges of the linen. The elastic hickory
rod, held with both hands, smoothly pushes the ball to its bed: once,
twice, thrice has it rebounded. The rifle leaps as it were into the hun-
ter’s arms, the feather is drawn from the touch-hole, the powder fills the
pan, which is closed. “ Now I’m ready,” cries the woodsman. His com-
panions say the same. Hardly more than a minute has elapsed. I wish,
Reader, you had seen this fine fellow—but hark! the dogs are bark-
ing.

All is now bustle within and without: a servant lights a torch, and
off we march to the woods. ‘ Don’t mind the boys, my dear sir,” says
the woodsman, “ follow me close, for the ground is covered with logs, and
the grape vines hang everywhere across.” “ Toby, hold up the light,
man, or we'll never see the gullies.” ‘ Trail your gun, sir, as General
Crark used to say,—not so, but this way—that’s it; now then, no dan-
ger you see; no fear of snakes, poor things! They are stiff enough, I'll
be bound. The dogs have treed one. Toby, you old fool, why don’t
you turn to the right—not so much there—go a-head, and give us light

—What’s that >—Who’s there >—Ah, you young rascals! you've played

RACCOON HUNT IN KENTUCKY. 237

us a trick, have you. It’s all well enough, but now, just keep behind,

or Tl”. and in fact, the boys, with eyes good enough to see in the

dark, although not quite so well as an Owl’s, had cut directly across the
dogs, which had surprised a racoon on the ground and bayed it, until the
lads knocked it on the head. ‘ Seek him, boys,” cries the hunter.—The
dogs, putting their noses to the ground, pushed off at a good rate.
‘“‘ Master, they’re making for the creek,” says old Toby. On towards it
therefore we push. What woods, to be sure! No gentleman’s park this,
I assure you, Reader. We are now in a low flat; the soil thinly covers
the hard clay ; nothing but beech trees hereabouts, unless now and then
a maple. Hang the limbs! say I—hang the supple-jacks too—here I
am, fast by the neck—cut it with your knife. My knee has had a tre-
mendous rub against a log—now, my foot is jammed between two roots
—and here I stick. “* Toby, come back—don’t you know the stranger
is not up to the woods. Halloo, Toby, Toby !” There I stood perfectly
shackled, the hunter laughing heartily, and the lads glad of an opportu-
nity of slipping off. Toby arrived, and held the torch near the ground, on
which the hunter cutting one of the roots with his hatchet, set me free.
“‘ Are you hurt, Sir ?”—no, not in the least. Off we start again. The
boys had got up with the dogs, which were baying a Racoon in a small
puddle. We soon joined them with the light. “ Now, stranger! watch and
see!” The Racoon was all but swimming, and yet had hold of the bottom
of the pool with his feet. The glare of the lighted torch was doubtless
distressing to him; his coat was ruffled, and his rounded tail seemed
thrice its ordinary size, his eyes shone like emeralds; with foaming jaws
he watched the dogs, ready to seize each by the snout if it came within
reach. They kept him busy for several minutes ; the water became thick
with mud ; his coat now hung dripping, and his draggled tail lay floating
on the surface. His guttural growlings, in place of intimidating his as-
sailants, excited them the more; and they very unceremoniously closed
upon him, curs as they were, and witheut the breeding of gentle dogs !
One seized him by the rump and tugged, but was soon forced to let go;
another stuck to his side, but soon taking a better directed bite of his
muzzle than another dog had just done of his tail, coon made him yelp;
and pitiful were the cries of luckless Tyke. The Racoon would not
let go, but in the mean time the other dogs seized him fast, and worried
him to death, yet to the last he held by his antagonist’s snout. Knocked

on the head by an axe, he lay gasping his last breath, and the heaving

238 RACOON HUNT IN KENTUCKY.

of his chest was painful to see. The hunters stood gazing at him in the
pool, while all around was by the flare of the torch rendered trebly dark
and dismal. It was a good scene for a skilful painter.

We had now two coons, whose furs were worth two quarters of a dol-
lar, and whose bodies, which I must not forget, as Toby informed us,
would produce two more. “ What now,” I asked—‘* What now,” quoth
the father, “‘ why go after more to be sure.” So we did, the dogs ahead,
and I far behind. Ina short time the curs treed another, and when we
came up, we found them seated on their haunches, looking upwards, and
barking. The hunters now employed their axes, and sent the chips about
at such a rate that one of them coming in contact with my cheek marked
it so, that a week after several of my friends asked me where, in the name
of wonder, I had got that black eye. At length the tree began to crack,
and slowly leaning to one side, the heavy mass swung rustling through
the air, and fell to the earth with a crash. It was not one coon that was
surprised here, but three—aye three of them, one of which, more crafty
than the rest, leaped fairly from the main top while the tree was stagger-
ing. The other two stuck to the hollow of a branch, from which they
were soon driven by one of the dogs. Tyke and Lion having nosed the
cunning old one, scampered after him, not mouthing like the well-trained
hounds of our southern fox hunters, but yelling like furies. The hun-
ter’s sons attacked those on the tree, while the woodsman and I, preceded
by Toby, made after the other; and busy enough we all were. Our
animal was of extraordinary size, and after some parley, a rifle ball was
sent through his brain. He reeled once only,—next moment he lay dead.
The rest were dispatched by the axe and the club, for a shot in those days
was too valuable to be spent when it could be saved. It could procure
a deer, and therefore was worth more than a coon’s skin.

Now, look at the moon! how full and clear has she risen on the Ra-
coon hunters! Now is the time for sport! Onward we go, one follow-
ing the long shadow of his precursor. The twigs are no impediment,
and we move at a brisker pace, as we return to the hills. What a hue
and cry !—here are the dogs. Overhead and all around, on the forks of
each tree, the hunter’s keen eye searches for something round, which is
likely to prove a coiled up Racoon. There’s one! Between me and the
moon I spied the cunning thing crouched in silence. After taking aim,
I raise my barrel ever so little, the trigger is pressed; down falls the Ra-

coon to the ground. Another and another are on the same tree. Of

RACOON HUNT IN KENTUCKY. 239

goes a bullet, then a second ; and we secure the prey. ‘“* Let us go home,
stranger,” says the woodsman ; and contented with our sport, towards his
cabin we trudge. On arriving there, we find a cheerful fire. Toby stays
without, prepares the game, stretches the skins on a frame of cane, and
washes the bodies. 'The table is already set; the cake and the potatoes
are all well done; four bowls of butter-milk are ranged in order; and
now the hunters fall to.

The Racoon is a cunning animal, and makes a pleasant pet. Monkey-
like, it is quite dexterous in the use of its fore feet, and it will amble after
its master, in the manner of a bear, and even follow him into the street.
It is fond of eggs, but prefers them raw, and it matters not whether it be
morning, noon, or night, when it finds a dozen in the pheasant’s nest, or
one placed in your pocket to please him. He knows the habits of mussels
better than most conchologists. Being an expert climber, he ascends to
the hole of the woodpecker, and devours the young birds. He knows,
too, how to watch the soft-shelled turtle’s crawl, and, better still, how to
dig up her eggs. Now by the edge of the pond, grimalkin-like, he lies
seemingly asleep, until the summer-duck comes within reach. No Negro
knows better when the corn is juicy and pleasant to eat; and although
squirrels and woodpeckers know this too, the Racoon is found in the corn-
field longer in the season than any of them, the havock he commits there
amounting to a tithe. His fur is good in winter, and many think his flesh
good also; but for my part I prefer a live Racoon to a dead one, and

should find more pleasure in hunting one than in eating him.

( 240 )

THE LONG-BILLED CURLEW.

NUMENIUS LONGIROSTRIS, WI1s.

PLATE CCXXXI. Mate anp FreMma.e.

Tue Long-billed Curlew is a constant resident in the southern dis-
tricts of the United States, whereas the other species are only autumnal
and winter visitors. It is well known by the inhabitants of Charleston
that it breeds on the islands on the coast of South Carolina; and my
friend the Reverend Joun Bacuman has been at their breeding grounds.
That some individuals go far north to breed, is possible enough, but we
have no authentic account of such an occurrence, although many swpposi-
tions have been recorded. All that I have to say on this subject is, that
the bird in question is quite unknown in the Magdeleine Islands, where,
notwithstanding the assertions of the fishermen, they acknowledged that
they had mistaken Godwits for Curlews. In Newfoundland, I met with
a well-informed English gentleman, who had resided in that island: up-
wards of twenty years, and described the Common Curlew of Europe
with accuracy, but who assured me that he had observed only two species
of Curlew there, one about the size of the Whimbrel—the Numenius
hudsonicus, the other smaller—the N. borealis, and that only in August
and the beginning of September, when they spend a few days in that
country, feed on berries, and then retire southward. Mr Jones of Lab-
rador, and his brother-in-law, who is a Scotch gentleman, a scholar, and
a sportsman, gave me the same account. None of my party observed an
individual of the species in the course of our three months’ stay in the
country, although we saw great numbers of the true Esquimaux Curlew,
N. borealis. Yet I would not have you to suppose that I do not give
credit to the reports of some travellers, who have said that the Long-billed
Curlew is found in the fur countries during summer. This may be true
enough ; but none of the great northern travellers, such as RicHarpson,
Ross, Parry, or Frankwtn, have asserted this as a fact. Therefore if
the bird of which I speak has been seen far north, it was in all probabi-
lity a few stragglers that had perhaps been enticed to follow some other
species. I am well aware of the propensity it has to ramble, as I have

shot some in Missouri, Indiana, Kentucky, Arkansas, and Mississippi ;

LONG-BILLED CURLEW. 241

but the birds thus obtained were rare in those districts, where the species
only appears at remote periods ; and in every instance of the kind I have
found the individuals much less shy than usual, and apparently more per-
plexed than frightened by the sight of man.

Until my learned friend, Prince Cuaries Bonaparte, corrected the
errors which had been made respecting the Curlews of North America,
hardly one of these birds was known from another by any naturalist,
American or European. To Wrxson, however, is due the merit of having
first published an account of the Long-billed Curlew as a species distinct
from the Common Curlew of Europe.

This bird is the largest of the genus found in North America. The
great length of its bill is of itself sufficient to distinguish it from every
other. The bill, however, in all the species, differs greatly, according
to the age of the individual, and in the present Curlew I have seen it
in some birds nearly three inches shorter than in others, although all
were full grown. In many of its habits, the Long-billed Curlew is closely
allied to the smaller species of Ibis ; its flight and manner of feeding are
similar, and it has the same number of eggs. Unlike the Ibis, however,
which always breeds on trees, and forms a large nest, the Curlew breeds
on the ground, forming a scanty receptacle for its eggs; yet, according
to my friend BacuMan, the latter, like the former, places its nests ‘so
close together, that it is almost impossible for a man to walk between
them, without injuring the eggs.”

The Long-billed Curlew spends the day in the sea-marshes, from
which it returns at the approach of night, to the sandy beaches of the
sea-shores, where it rests until dawn. As the sun sinks beneath the hori-
zon, the Curlews rise from their feeding-grounds in small parties, seldom
exceeding fifteen or twenty, and more usually composed of only five or
six individuals. The flocks enlarge, however, as they proceed, and in
the course of an hour or so the number of birds that collect in the place
selected for their nightly retreat, sometimes amounts to several thousands.
As it was my good fortune to witness their departures and arrivals, in the
company of my friend Bacuman, I will here describe them.

Accompanied by several friends, I left Charleston one beautiful morn-
ing, the 10th of November 1831, with a view to visit Cole’s Island, about
twenty miles distant. Our crew was good, and although our pilot knew
but little of the cuttings in and out of the numerous inlets and channels in
our way, we reached the island about noon, After shooting various birds,

VOL. III. Q

242 LONG-BILLED CURLEW.

examining the island, and depositing our provisions in a small summer
habitation then untenanted, we separated ; some of the servants went off
to fish, others to gather oysters, and the gunners placed themselves in rea-
diness for the arrival of the Curlews. The sun at length sunk beneath
the water-line that here formed the horizon; and we saw the birds making
their first appearance. They were in small parties of two, three, or five,
and by no means shy. ‘These seemed to be the birds which we had ob-
served near the salt-marshes, as we were on our way. As the twilight
became darker the number of Curlews increased, and the flocks approach-
ed in quicker succession, until they appeared to form a continuous pro-
cession, moving not in lines, one after another, but in an extended mass,
and with considerable regularity, at a height of not more than thirty
yards, the individuals being a few feet apart. Not a single note or ery
was heard as they advanced. They moved for ten or more yards with
regular flappings, and then sailed for a few seconds, as is invariably the
mode of flight of this species, their long bills and legs stretched out to
their full extent. They flew directly towards their place of rest, called
the “‘ Bird Banks,” and were seen to alight without performing any of the
evolutions which they exhibit when at their feeding-places, for they had
not been disturbed that season. But when we followed them to the Bird
Banks, which are sandy islands of small extent, the moment they saw us
land the congregated flocks, probably amounting to several thousand in-
dividuals all standing close together, rose at once, performed a few evolu-
tions in perfect silence, and re-alighted as if with one accord on the ex-
treme margins of the sand-bank close to tremendous breakers. It was
now dark, and we left the place, although some flocks were still arriving.
The next morning we returned a little before day; but again as we
landed, they all rose a few yards in the air, separated into numerous par-
ties, and dispersing in various directions, flew off towards their feeding-
grounds, keeping low over the waters, until they reached the shores, when
they ascended to the height of about a hundred yards, and soon disap-
peared.

Now, Reader, allow me to say a few words respecting our lodgings.
Fish, fowl, and oysters had been procured in abundance; and besides
these delicacies, we had taken with us from Charleston some steaks of
beef, anda sufficiency of good beverage. But we had no cook, save your
humble servant. A blazing fire warmed and lighted our only apartment.

The oysters and fish were thrown on the hot embers ; the steaks we stuck

LONG-BILLED CURLEW. 243

on sticks in front of them; and ere long every one felt perfectly contented.
It is true we had forgotten to bring salt with us; but I soon proved to
my merry companions that hunters can find a good substitute in their
powder-flasks. Our salt on this occasion was gunpowder, as it has been
with me many a time; and to our keen appetites, the steaks thus salted
were quite as savoury as any of us ever found the best cooked at home.
Our fingers and mouths, no doubt, bore marks of the “ villanous salt-
petre,” or rather of the charcoal with which it was mixed, for plates or
forks we had none ; but this only increased our mirth, Supper over, we
spread out our blankets on the log floor, extended ourselves on them with
our feet towards the fire, and our arms under our heads for pillows. I
need not tell you how soundly we slept.

The Long-billed Curlews are in general easily shot, but take a good

charge. So long as life remains in them, they skulk off among the thick-
est plants, remaining perfectly silent. Should they fall on the water,
they swim towards the shore. The birds that may have been in com-
pany with a wounded one fly off uttering a few loud whistling notes. In
this respect, the species differs from all the others, which commonly re-
main and fly about you. When on land, they are extremely wary ; and
unless the plants are high, and you can conceal yourself from them, it is
very difficult to get near enough. Some one of the flock, acting as senti-
nel, raises his wings, as if about to fly, and sounds a note of alarm, on
which they all raise their wings, close them again, give over feeding, and
watch all your motions. At times a single step made by you beyond a
‘certain distance is quite enough to raise them, and the moment it takes
place, they all scream and fly off. You need not follow the flock. The
best mode of shooting them is to watch their course for several evenings
in succession ; for after having chosen a resting place, they are sure to
return to it by the same route, until greatly annoyed.

The food of the Long-billed Curlews consists principally of the small
crabs called fiddlers, which they seize by running after them, or by pull-
ing them out of their burrows. They probe the wet sand to the full
length of their bill, in quest of sea-worms and other animals. They are
also fond of small salt-water shell-fish, insects, and worms of any kind ;
but I have never seen them searching for berries on elevated lands, as
the Esquimaux Curlews are wont to do. Their flesh is by no means so
delicate as that of the species just mentioned, for it has usually a fishy
taste, and is rarely tender, although many persons consider it good. They

a2

244 LONG-BILLED CURLEW.

are sold at all seasons in the markets of Charleston, at about twenty-five
cents the pair.

Rambling birds of this species are sometimes seen as far as the neigh-
bourhood of Boston; for my learned friend THomas Nurratt says in his
Manual, that “ they get so remarkably fat, at times, as to burst the skin
in falling to the ground, and are then superior in flavour to almost any
other game bird of the season. In the market of Boston, they are seen
as early as the 8th of August.” I found them rather rare in East Florida
in winter and spring. They were there seen either on large savannahs,
or along the sea shore, mixed with marbled Godwits, Tell-tales, and other

species.

NumeEnivus toneirostris, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States,
p- 314.— Richards and Swains. Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 376.

Lonc-BILLED CurRLEW, NUMENIUS LoNGIROsTRIS, Wils.s Amer. Ornith. vol. viii-
p- 23. pl. 64. fig. 1. adult.—Nwttal7, Manual, vol. ii. p. 94.

Adult Male. Plate CCXXXI. Fig. 1.

Bill excessively elongated, being more than four times the length of
head, very slender, subcylindrical, slightly compressed, nearly straight to
the middle, beyond which .it is slightly curved. Upper mandible with
the ridge broad and flat at the base, broad and rounded in the rest
of its extent, a deep groove running from the nostrils to near the tip,
which is decurved, enlarged so as to form an oblong obtuse knob, pro-
jecting beyond the point of the lower mandible, the edges rounded, the
inner surface with a deep narrow groove. Nostrils basal, lateral, longi-
tudinal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible similar in its curvature to the
upper, its angle extremely narrow, and extending to near the middle, the
ridge rounded, the sides with a shallow groove to near the end, the edges
directly meeting those of the upper mandible, the tip obtuse.

Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck long and slender.
Body rather slender. Feet long and rather stout. Toes rather small,
scutellate above ; first very small, second and fourth about equal, third
considerably longer, flat beneath and broadly marginate, the three ante-
rior connected by short webs, of which the outer is much larger. Bare
part of tibia covered with transverse series of angular scales, as is the
upper part of the tarsus, its lower two-thirds with scutella in front.
Claws small, compressed, blunt, that of middle toe largest, curved out-

wards, with a sharp dilated inner edge.

LONG-BILLED CURLEW. 245

Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short.
Wings long, very acute, narrow, the first quill longest, the second a little
shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries of moderate length,
slightly incurved, narrowly rounded, some of the inner greatly elongated
and tapering. Tail short, much rounded, of twelve rounded feathers.

Upper mandible of a rich deep brown in its whole extent, as is the
lower in its terminal half, its basal portion being flesh colour tinged with
brown. Iris hazel. Feet light greyish-blue; claws dusky. The ground
colour of the plumage is light yellowish-red ; the head marked with ob-
long spots, the back with spots and bars of brownish-black. Alula and
euter webs of first four quills deep brown, the rest of the quills of the
general colour, barred on both webs with dark brown, as are the tail fea-
thers. Chin or upper part of throat white, as is the lower eyelid; neck
marked with longitudinal lines of brownish-black ; sides barred with the
same, as are the lower larger wing-coverts ; the rest of the lower parts un-
spotted, the sides and under wing-coverts of a richer yellowish-red than
the rest.

Length to end of tail 26 inches, to end of wings 25, to end of claws
29; extent of wings 40; wing from flexure 113; tail 44; bill along the
back 83; along the edge of lower mandible 8; bare part of tibia 2;

tarsus 3,7, ; middle toe 119, its claw 74. Weight 13 lb.

Adult Female. Plate CCX XXII. Fig. 2.
The Female cannot be distinguished from the Male by external ap-
pearance.

The bill varies in length from 7 to 9 inches. It has been remarked
that the tarsus of this species is scutellate anteriorly in its whole length,
whereas that of NV. arquata is scutellate on its lower half only ; but this is
incorrect ; for both species have transverse series of small scales on the
upper third of the tarsus.

(2464)

THE HOODED MERGANSER.
MERGUS CUCULLATUS, LINN.

PLATE CCXXXII. Mate anp Fremate.

Excertine the Smew or White Nun, the Hooded Merganser is the
handsomest of its family. Its broad and rounded crest of pure white,
with an edging of jetty black, and which it closes or spreads out at plea-
sure, renders the male of this species conspicuous on the waters to which
it resorts. The activity of its motions, the rapidity of its flight, and its
other habits, contribute to render it a pleasing object to the student of
nature, not less than to the sportsman. Its flesh, however, has a fishy
taste and odour, although it is relished by some persons. It seems to pre-
fer fresh water, and is by no means very frequent along the sea coast.
Long, narrow, and moderately deep creeks, or small ponds, are more fre-
quented by it than large rivers or lakes.

On the waters of the Western and Southern States, these Mergansers
are seen to arrive from the north early in October, but generally later
than many species of Ducks, although sooner than either the Red-breasted
Merganser or the Goosander. At the approach of night, a person stand-
ing still on the banks of such a river as the Ohio, first hears the well-
known sound of wings whistling through the air, presently after, a diffe-
rent noise, as if produced by an eagle stooping on her prey, when gliding
downwards with the rapidity of an arrow, he dimly perceives the Hooded
Mergansers sweeping past. Five or six, perhaps ten, there are; with
quick beats of their pinions, they fly low over the waters in wide circles.
Now they have spied the entrance of a creek; there they shoot into it,
and in.a few seconds you hear the rushing noise which they make as they
alight on the bosom of the still pool. How often have I enjoyed such
scenes, when enticed abroad by the clear light of the silvery moon, I have
wandered on the shores of Ja belle riviére, to indulge in the contemplation
of nature !

Up the creek the Mergansers proceed, washing their bodies by short
plunges, and splashing up the water about them. Then they plume them-
selves, and anoint their feathers, now and then emitting a low grunting

note of pleasure. And now they dive in search of minnows, which they

HOODED MERGANSER. 247

find in abundance, and which no doubt prove delicious food to the hun-
gry travellers. At length, having satisfied their appetite, they rise on
wing, fly low over the creek with almost incredible velocity, return to the
broad stream, rove along its margin until they meet with a clean sand-
beach, where they alight, and where, secure from danger, they repose un-
til the return of day. A sly Racoon may, when in search of mussels,
chance to meet with the sleeping birds, and surprise one of them; but
this rarely happens, for they are as wary and vigilant as their enemy is
cunning, and were the prowler to depend upon Hooded Mergansers for
food, he would be lean enough.

This bird ranges throughout the United States during winter, content
with the food it meets with in the bays and estuaries of the eastern coast,
and on the inland streams. The dam of the Pennsylvania miller is as
agreeable to it as that of the Carolina rice-planter. The Le High and
Brandy-wine Creek have their fishes, as well as the waters of Bear Grass
or Bayou Sara. Nay, the numerous streams and pools of the interior of
the Floridas are resorted to by this species, and there I have found them
full of life and gaiety, as well as on the Missouri, and on our great lakes.
When the weather proves too cold for them they move southwards many
of them removing towards Mexico.

The Hooded Merganser is a most expert diver, and so vigilant that
at times it escapes even from the best percussion gun. As to shooting at
it with a flint lock, you may save yourself the trouble unless you prevent
it from seeing the flash of the pan. If you wound one, never follow it :
the bird, when its strength is almost exhausted, immerses its body, raises
the point of its bill above the surface, and in this manner makes its way
among the plants, until finding some safe retreat along the shore, it be-
takes itself to it, and there remains, so that you may search for it in vain,
unless you have a good dog. Everi on wing it is not easily shot. If on
a creek ever so narrow, it will fly directly towards its mouth, although
you may be standing knee-deep in the middle. It comes up like a ball,
rises and passes over head with astonishing speed, and if you shoot at it,
do not calculate upon a hit. You may guess how many one may shoot
in a day.

When I removed from Pennsylvania to Kentucky, the Hooded Mer-
ganser was not uncommon in the neighbourhood of Louisville during
summer, and I told Witson so. On several occasions I caught the

young with a partridge net; and let me assure you, Reader, that they

248 HOODED MERGANSER.

are not yellow, as is alleged by some writers, but very dark brown.
Even when feathered they retain the same colour until the beginning of
August, when they gradually change it for the dress of the adult female.

Like all the rest of the tribe, which, when far north, for the want of
hollow trees, breed on the moss or ground, the Hooded Mergansers that
remain with us nestle in the same kind of holes or hollows as the Wood
Ducks ; at least I have found their nests in such situations seven or eight
times, although I never saw one of them alight on the branch of a tree,
as the birds just mentioned are wont todo. They dive as it were directly
into their wooden burrows, where on a few dried weeds and feathers of
different kinds, with a small quantity of down from the breast of the fe-
male, the eggs are deposited. They are from five to eight, measure one
inch and three-fourths by one and three-eighths, and in other respects
perfectly resemble those of the Red-breasted Merganser.

The young, like those of the Wood Duck, are conveyed to the water
by their mother, who carries them gently in her bill; for the male takes
no part in providing for his offspring, but abandons his mate as soon as
incubation has commenced. The affectionate mother leads her young
among the tall rank grasses which fill the shallow pools or the borders of
creeks, and teaches them to procure snails, tadpoles, and insects. The eggs
are laid in May, and the young are out some time in June. On two oc-
casions the parents would not abandon the young, although I expected
that the noises which I made would have induced them to do so: they
both followed their offspring into the net which I had set for them. The
young all died in two days, when I restored the old birds to liberty.

The Hooded Merganser, as well as all the other species with which T
am acquainted, moves with ease on the ground, nay even runs with speed.
Those which leave the United States, take their departure from the first
of March to the middle of May; and I am induced to believe that pro-
bably one-third of them tarry for the purpose of breeding on the margins
of several of our great lakes. When migrating, they fly at a great height,
in small loose flocks, without any regard to order. Their notes consist
of a kind of rough grunt, variously modulated, but by no means musical,
and resembling the syllables croo, croo, crooh. The female repeats it six
or seven times in succession, when she sees her young in danger. ‘The
same noise is made by the male, either when courting on the water, or as

he passes on wing near the hole where the female is laying one of her
eggs.

HOODED MERGANSER. 249

The males do not acquire the full beauty of their plumage until the
third spring, but resemble the females for the first year. In the course
of the second, the crest becomes more developed, and the white and black
markings about the head and body are more distinct. The third spring

they are complete, such as you see the bird represented in the plate.

Mercus cucurzatus, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 207.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii.
p- 830.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 397.

Hoopep MEnRGanseER, Ween CUCULLATUS, Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 463.— Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 465.

Adult Male. Plate CCX XXII. Fig. 1.

Bill about the length of the head, straight, somewhat cylindrical,
deeper than broad at the base. Upper mandible with the dorsal outline
sloping gently to the middle, then straight, along the unguis curved, the
ridge broad at the base, then convex, the sides sloping at the base, con-
vex towards the end, the edges serrated beneath, with twenty-five tooth-
like lamellze directed backwards, the unguis oblong, much curved, round-
ed at the end. Nasal groove oblong, subbasal, filled by a soft membrane ;
nostrils linear-elliptical, submedial, direct, pervious. Lower mandible,
with the angle very narrow and extended to the roundish unguis, the sides
rounded, with a long narrow groove, the edges with about twenty-five la-
melle.

Head of moderate size, compressed, oblong. Neck rather short, body
full and depressed. Wings small. Feet placed far behind, extremely
short ; tibia bare for a short space above the joint; tarsus extremely
short, compressed, anteriorly covered with scutella, and another row on
the lower half externally, the sides reticulate. Hind toe very small, with
an inferior free membrane ; anterior toes double the length of the tarsus ;
second shorter than fourth, which is nearly as long as the third, all con-
nected by reticulated webs, of which the outer is deeply cut ; the outer
toe slightly margined, the inner with a broad marginal membrane. Claws
short, considerably curved, compressed, acute, that of the middle toe with
a thin inner edge.

Plumage on the upper parts strong and imbricated, on the lower
blended and glossed ; on the head and neck soft and blended, the feathers
of the upper part of the head elongated and capable of being erected into

a long compressed rounded crest, those of the shoulders very broad and

250 HOODED. MERGANSER.

elongated. Wings very short, small, curved, and pointed; primaries
narrow, tapering, the first scarcely shorter than second, the rest rapidly
graduated ; secondaries short, narrow, rounded, the inner elongated and
tapering. Tail short, graduated, of sixteen rounded feathers.

Bill black. Iris yellow. Feet yellowish-brown ; claws dusky. Up-
per part of the head, back, smaller wing-coverts, quills and tail, brown-
ish-black ; sides of the head, upper half of neck all round, the broad ex-
tremities of the large feathers on the shoulders, the scapulars, inner secon-
daries, and larger wing-coverts, greenish-black. A broad patch of white
behind the eye, very conspicuous in the erected crest. Lower part of
neck and breast also white, as are the speculum and the central part of
the inner secondaries. Sides beautifully marked with undulated trans-
verse lines of yellowish-brown and brownish-black ; lower tail-coverts
whitish, similarly undulated.

Length to end of tail 19 inches, to end of wings 163, to end of claws
18; extent of wings 26; wing from flexure 73; tail 4; bill along the
ridge 113, along the edge of lower mandible 12; tarsus 14, middle toe
123, itsclaw}. Weight 1 lb. 7 oz.

Adult Female. Plate CCX XXII. Fig. 2.

The female is much smaller than the male. The crest is smaller and
of a looser texture ; the feathers of the shoulders not so large; those of
the sides shorter and more compact. The bill is brownish-black towards
the end and along the ridge, orange towards the base. The upper part
of the head, including the crest, yellowish-brown ; chin whitish, upper
part of neck and sides of the head greyish-brown. The general colour of
the back, upper surface of wings, tail, and sides, is blackish-brown, the
feathers edged with paler, the edgings of the fore part of the back and
shoulders larger and pale greyish-brown ; speculum greyish-white ; breast
and abdomen pale yellowish-brown.

Length to end of tail 173 inches, to end of claws 163; extent of
wings 24. Weight 1 lb.

The Young resemble the female. The young males after their first
moult still resemble the female, but have the speculum and lower parts
pure white.

( 251 )

THE SORA RAIL.
RALLUS CAROLINUS, LINN.

PLATE CCXXXIII. Maret, FemMate, anp Youne.

Nor many years have elapsed since it was supposed by some of the
inhabitants of those districts to which thousands of this species of Rail
resort at particular periods, that the Soras buried themselves in the mud
at the approach of cold weather, for the purpose of there spending the
winter in a state of torpidity. Many wonderful tales were circulated to
convince the world of the truth of this alleged phenomenon ; but the fact
was, as you will naturally anticipate, that the birds merely shifted their
quarters, as no doubt they will continue to do, so long as the climate be-
comes too cold for them in winter. Prior to the days of Witson, very
little indeed had been published respecting the habits of our birds. Su-
perstitious notions and absurd fancies occupied the place of accurate
knowledge in the minds of people too earnestly engaged in more import-
ant pursuits, to attend to the history of the animals around them; and
with respect to the Sora in particular, I have no doubt that the settlers
in our original forests cared very little about them, farther than that,
when well cooked, they afforded a very savoury dish. Now, however,
the case is very different. Many of the enterprising and industrious sons
of Columbia have attained affluence and ease, and their children receive
a liberal education. The sciences and arts, those attendants on peaceful
commerce, are now sources of pleasure to many of our citizens, and at the
present day there are not a few individuals among us, devotedly engaged
in the pursuit of zoology in all its branches. So rapid has been the pro-
gress of ornithology in particular, that I should hesitate before asserting
that any American, however uncultured, now believes that Rails burrow
in the mud.

Those who have studied the habits of our birds, or of those of any part
of the world, no longer admit that Swallows are condemned to search for
warmth under the ice; for we have proofs that these birds can with ease ob-
tain all that is necessary for their comfortable subsistence, by removing on
wing to a warmer region. The Soras and many other species of birds are

similar in this respect to the Swallows. The Vulture that was supposed

252 SORA RAIL.

to scent his food from afar, has well nigh lost his olfactory powers.
Geese are no longer the offspring of sea-shells ; nor do Swans now chaunt
their own requiem. The Pelican, too, has ceased to tear its own breast
to gorge its voracious young. Students of nature have gradually recti-
fied the various errors into which our ancestors had fallen ; and we should
now just as readily expect to see a shoal of fishes issuing from beneath
the plough, as to see a flock of Rails emerge from the mud, shake them-
selves, and fly off. This subject, then, being disposed of, I have now to
relate to you the result of my observations on the habits of the Sora.
This bird, which I think might have been named the Pennsylvanian
or Virginian Rail, enters the Union from the shores of Mexico, early in
March, when many are to be seen in the markets of New Orleans. Some
reach their northern destination by ascending along the margins of our
western streams, or by crossing the country directly, in the manner of the
Woodcock ; while those which proceed along the coast shorten their jour-
ney as much as possible by flying across the headlands of the numerous
inlets or bays of our southern districts, retiring or advancing more slowly
according to the state of the weather. Thus, those which cross the pen-
insula of Florida, through the marshes and lagoons that lead to the head
waters of the St John’s River, instead of travelling round the shores of
Georgia and South Carolina, fly directly across towards Cape Lookout.
It it nevertheless true, that a certain number of these birds follow the si-
nuosities of the shores, for I found some in the markets of Charleston, in
the month of April, that had been killed in the immediate neighbourhood
of that city, and I obtained others in various parts; but the number of
these is very small compared with that of those which cross at once.
When their passage takes place, either during calm weather or with a
favourable wind, the fortunate travellers pursue their journey by entering
Pimlico Sound, and following the inner margins of the outward banks of
this part of the coast until they reach Cape Henry. From thence some
ascend the Chesapeake, while others make for the mouth of the Delaware,
and these perhaps again meet on the borders of Lake Ontario, or the wa-
ters of the St Lawrence, after which they soon enter those portions of the
country in which they breed, and spend a short but agreeable season.
Every person acquainted with the general movements of birds either
during spring, when they pass northwards, or the autumnal months, when
they are on their way to milder climes, is aware that, at the former period,

their anxiety to reach the place of breeding is much greater than that

SORA RAIL. 253

which they feel at any other period. Thus, in its movement southward,
~ the Sora, like all other Rails, when returning with its progeny, which are
yet feeble and unable to undergo much fatigue, proceeds considerably
slower than in spring. Hence its appearance in autumn, in multitudes,
in various places, where it is enticed by an abundance of food and com-
parative security, to tarry for some time, and recruit its strength. Thus,
in September and part of October, the Sora is found in great numbers on
the borders of our great lakes, feeding on wild oats, and on the reedy
margins of the rivers of our Middle Districts. Several natural causes
prevent birds of this species from following the sea-coast of the United
States, while migrating either in spring or in autumn, the principal of
which is the absence there of their favourite Zizania marshes, which are
but very rarely met with to the east of the State of New York. This is
probably the cause of the great rarity of this species in Massachusetts,
whilst, so far as I know, none are ever found to the eastward of that
State. These observations are corroborated by those of my friend Tuo-
mAs MacCuttocu of Pictou, who never met with one of these birds du-
ring many years’ residence in that part of Nova Scotia.

Having seen flocks of Soras winging their way close over the waters
of the Gulf of Mexico, and between Cape Florida and the main shores
of the Carolinas, in the month of April, when they were moving direct-
ly towards Cape Lookout, I have very little doubt that many return
in the same track, in the end of October, when the young, well fed and
strengthened, are able to follow their parents on wing, even across that
large extent of water. I shall now dismiss this part of the subject, by
adding, in confirmation of their capability of protracted flight, that some
of these birds, when accidentally separated from their flock, have sup-
ported themselves on wing until they have met with vessels several hun-
dred miles from land; and facts of this kind have been announced by
persons of well known respectability.

During the autumnal months, a goodly number of Soras are found in
the rice-fields and fresh-water marshes of the Carolinas. Sometimes also
they have been shot in salt-water marshes, in spring, while on their north-
ward migration. At this period they are very silent, until forced to fly.
In those States none are seen during summer. Very few, it appears, re-
main in any part of the Middle Districts. My friend Joun Bacuman,
however, was shewn some eggs of this bird, that had been found in the

meadows below Philadelphia; and whilst I was in the company of my

254 SORA RAIL.

friend Epwarp Harris, Esq. on a woodcock shooting expedition, my
son shot some young birds scarcely fledged, and shortly afterwards an
adult female. JouHn BacuMan met with a nest on the shore of the Hud-
son, and I saw two in the marshes of Lake Champlain.

Fond of concealment, as all its tribe are, the Sora is rarely seen du-
ring day, although, being seminocturnal, it skulks amid the tall reeds or
grasses, both by day and at night, in search of its food. Differing, how-
ever, in habit, as well as in form, from the Gallinules, it rarely abandons
the retreats which it has chosen after the breeding season, and rises, when
forced by tides, to the tops of the plants about it, climbing along or
clinging to their stalks or leaves, with as much ease as it walks on the
floating garbage, when persons in boats can see them without any diffi-
culty. Whenever these occurrences take place, and the country around
is thickly peopled, great havock is made among them. This particularly
happens on the James and Delaware rivers, where thousands are annually
destroyed during their autumnal stay. The sport of shooting Soras is
much akin to that of shooting Clapper Rails, or Salt-Water-Marsh-Hens,
which I have already described. But Witson having given an account
of it, as pursued when Soras were much more abundant than I ever saw
them, I shall transcribe his description of the manner adopted by the
sportsmen on the Delaware.

*“« The usual method of shooting them, in this quarter of the country,
is as follows :—The sportsman furnishes himself with a light batteau, and
a stout experienced boatman, with a pole of tweive or fifteen feet long,
thickened at the lower end to prevent it from sinking too deep into the mud.
About two hours or so before high water, they enter the reeds, and each
takes his post, the sportsman standing in the bow ready for action, the
boatman, on the stern seat, pushing her steadily through the reeds. The
Rail generally spring singly, as the boat advances, and at a short distance
ahead, are instantly shot down, while the boatman, keeping his eye on
the spot where the bird fell, directs the boat forward, and picks it up as
the gunner is loading. It is also the boatman’s business to keep a sharp
look-out, and give the word ¢ mark!’ when a Rail springs on either side
without being observed by the sportsman, and to note the exact spot
where it falls until he has picked it up; for this once lost sight of, owing
to the sameness in the appearance of the reeds, is seldom found again.
In this manner the boat moves steadily through and over the reeds, the

birds flushing and falling, the gunner loading and firing, while the boat-

SORA RAIL. 255

man is pushing and picking up. The sport continues till an hour or two
after high water, when the shallowness of the water, and the strength and
weight of the floating reeds, as also the backwardness of the game to
spring as the tide decreases, oblige them to return. Several boats are
sometimes within a short distance of each other, and a perpetual cracking
of musketry prevails along the whole reedy shores of the river. In these
excursions it is not uncommon for an active and expert marksman to kill
ten or twelve dozen in a tide. They are usually shot singly, though I
have known five killed at one discharge of a double-barrelled piece. These
instances, however, are rare.”

*¢ Such is the mode of Rail shooting in the neighbourhood of Phila-
delphia. In Virginia, particularly along the shores of James River, with-
in the tide water, where the Rail or Sora are in prodigious numbers, they
are also shot on the wing, but more usually taken at night in the follow-
ing manner :—A kind of iron grate is fixed on the top of a stout pole,
which is placed like a mast, in a light canoe, and filled with fire. The
darker the night the more successful is the sport. The person who
manages the canoe is provided with a light paddle, ten or twelve feet in
length, and, about an hour before high water, proceeds through among
the reeds, which lie broken and floating on the surface. The whole
space, for a considerable way round the canoe, is completely enlightened,
the birds stare with astonishment, and, as they appear, are knocked on
the head with the paddle, and thrown into the canoe. In this manner,
from twenty to eighty dozen have been killed by three Negroes in the
short space of three hours !”

The flight of this little bird while migrating is low, and performed
with a constant beating of the wings, as in the Coot and other birds of
its kind. They pass swiftly along in compact flocks of from five toa
hundred or more individuals. At times you see them rise in a long
curve, asif they had perceived some dangerous object beneath them ; then
resume their ordinary direct flight, and are soon out of sight. On the
contrary, when they are with us in autumn, they seem far from being
alert on wing, flying slowly with dangling legs, and proceeding only toa
short distance, when they drop among the reeds with their wings extend-
ed, as if they had been shot. If raised two or three times, it is extreme-
ly difficult to see them again ; for on such occasions they will rather dive
and hide under some floating weeds, keeping their bill only above the

water. When walking leisurely, they throw up the tail, in the manner

256 SORA RAIL.

of Gallinules, and if they apprehend danger in consequence of any suspi-
cious sight or sound, they run off with great speed. Their notes are
shrill and short, but reiterated, like those of Rallus crepitans, although
by no means so loud and disagreeable. When wounded they dive well
at the approach of the sportsman, and sometimes cling to the roots of the
grasses for a few moments, but more usually rise under the cover of the
floating leaves. Some persons still believe that these birds cannot be
drowned ; and this notion tempted my friend Joun Bacuman to make
the experiment. In a note of his now before me, he says :—“ I once, in
company with some naturalists of Philadelphia, tried two experiments
upon two Soras that had been slightly wounded in the wing, to ascertain
how long they could live under the water. They were placed ina covered
basket, which was sunk in the river. One remained fifteen, the other
eight minutes, under water; and on being taken out, they were both
found dead. We placed them in the sun for several days, but, I need
hardly say, they did not revive.”

The most curious habit or instinct of this species is the nicety of sense
by which they can ascertain the last moment they can remain at any of
the feeding grounds at which they tarry in autumn. One day, you may
see or hear the Soras in their favourite marshes, you may be aware of
their presence in the dusk of evening; but when you return to the place
early next morning, they are all gone. Yesterday the weather was mild,
to-day it is cold and raw; and no doubt the Soras were aware that a
change was at hand, and secured themselves from its influence by a prompt
movement under night. It is probable that these sudden removals gave

rise to the idea of their diving into the mud.

Rattus caRotinus, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 263.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of
Birds of the United States, p. 334.

GaLiinuta carotina, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 771.

Rai, Rattus caroxrinus, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vi. p. 24. pl 48. fig. 2. Male.

Carorrna Ratt, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 208.

Adult Male. Plate CCXXXIII. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, rather stout, deep, compressed, tapering.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, being slightly con-
vex towards the end, the ridge flattish for a very short space at the base,

very slightly extended on the forehead, narrow in the rest of its extent ;

bo
ina d
“I

SORA RAIL.

the sides convex towards the end, the edges sharp, inflected, with a slight
sinus close to the tip. Nasal groove broad and extending to two-thirds
of the length of the bill; nostrils linear, lateral, submedial, pervious.
Lower mandible with the angle long and narrow, the sides erect, the dor-
sal line slopmg upwards, the edges inflected, the tip narrowed, the gape-
line straight.

Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck of moderate length.
Body rather slender, much compressed. Feet of moderate length, ra-
ther stout; tibia bare a short way above the joint; tarsus of ordinary
length, compressed, anteriorly covered with broad scutella, posteriorly
with smaller, and on the sides reticulated. Hind toe very short and
slender, middle toe longest and longer than the tarsus, fourth considerably
shorter than third, and a little longer than second ; toes free, scutellate
above, much compressed, with an inferior sharp margin. Claws rather
long, exceedingly compressed, slightly arched, tapering to a fine point,
flat and marginate beneath.

Plumage rather stiff, but blended, slightly glossed above. Feathers
of the forehead with the shaft enlarged and slightly extended beyond the
tip. Wings short and broad; alula large; primaries curved, broad ta-
pering, but rounded, second longest, third scarcely shorter, first equal to
sixth; secondaries broad and rounded. Tail extremely short, much
rounded, of twelve feeble rounded feathers; the upper and lower tail-
coverts nearly as long as the tail-feathers.

Bill yellow at the base, dusky towards the end. Iris bright chestnut.
Feet yellowish-green ; claws light brown. A broad band surrounding the
base of the bill, the central part of the crown, the chin, and the fore neck
in its whole length, brownish-black. Ear-coverts olive-brown; a band
over the eye, the cheeks, and the sides of the neck, ash-grey. Sides of
the crown, the hind neck, and the rest of the upper parts, olive-brown,
the feathers brownish-black in the centre, those on the back with two mar-
ginal lines of white. Smaller wing-coverts of a lighter brown ; secondary
coverts margined with black and white markings; quills dusky olive-
brown, as is the tail. Middle of breast and abdomen greyish-white ;
sides barred with brownish-black and greyish-white, as are the lateral
feathers of the rump, those of the abdomen reddish-yellow.

Length to end of tail 9,°, inches; to end of wings 82, to end of claws 12;
extent of wings 14; wing from flexure 4,5,; tail 2; bill along the ridge

VOL. III. R

258 SORA RAIL.

19, along the edge of the lower mandible }§ ; tarsus 1,°,; middle toe 1,4,

its claw 44. Weight 7 oz.

Adult Female. Plate CCX XXIII. Fig. 2.

The Female differs considerably from the Male in colouring. The
naked parts and iris are similar, as are the upper parts generally ; but the
black around the base of the bill, on the head, and fore neck is wanting,
the fore part of the head being light brown, the chin whitish, the sides of
the neck light greyish-brown. ‘The white lines of the back are duller,
and the dark bands of the sides of a lighter tint.

Young Male. Plate CCX XXIII. Fig. 3.

The Young Male, after its first moult, is intermediate in colouring
between the adult male and the female, but more like the latter, the black
on the head and fore neck appearing in spots, and the sides of the neck

being nearly as in the female.

THE RING-NECKED DUCK.

FULIGULA RUFITORQUES, Bonar.

PLATE CCXXXIV. Mare anp FEMALE.

Tue Ring-necked Duck is abundant on all our western waters during
autumn and winter. It is also met with along our Atlantic coasts; but
there, although I have seen many individuals on the Chesapeake and
other large arms of the sea, it is by no means so plentiful as in the inte-
rior. Its flesh is excellent, equalling in my opinion that of any other
duck ; and when it has been feeding along the margins of rivers, creeks,
or ponds for a few weeks, it becomes very fat, tender, and juicy, and has
none of the fishy flavour of those species which are in the habit of diving
deep for their food. In shape, the Tufted Duck, or Ring-bill, as it is
called in Kentucky, resembles the Scaup or Flocking Fowl, but is plumper
and more rounded.

This bird arrives in Kentucky and the neighbouring States, as far
down the Mississippi as New Orleans, from the 20th of September to the
middle of October, at which latter period it may be found in the whole
extent of the Union, from Massachusetts to Louisiana, being more nume-
rous in some districts than in others, according to the suitableness of the
place. They commonly move while on wing in flocks of from fifteen to
twenty individuals, keeping rather scattered, and thus rarely affording
what is called a good shot. They fly with rapidity, keeping at a con-
siderable height, and the motion of their wings produces a constant whist-
ling as they pass over head. Before alighting, they wheel and perform
various evolutions, although they do not occupy so much time with them
as Teals are wont to do.

They swim rather lightly and with ease, and, unlike the Scaups, ex-
perience no difficulty in rising on wing, whether from the land or from
the water, but generally spring up at once, especially if alarmed. They
have an almost constant practice of raising the head in a curved manner,
partially erecting the occipital feathers, and emitting a note resembling
the sound produced by a person blowing through a tube. At the ap-
proach of spring the males are observed repeating this action every now.

rQ

266 RING-NECKED DUCK.

and then, while near the females, none of which seem to pay the least at-
tention to their civilities.

Whilst in ponds, they feed by diving and dabbling with their bills in
the mud amongst the roots of grasses, of which they eat the seeds also,
as well as snails and all kinds of aquatic insects. When on rivers, their
usual food consists of small fish and crays, the latter of which they pro-
cure at the bottom. A male which I shot near Louisville, in the begin-
ning of May, exhibited a protuberance of the neck so very remarkable as
to induce me to cut the skin, when I found a frog, the body of which was
nearly two inches long, and which had almost choked the bird, as it al-
lowed me to go up within a dozen or fifteen paces before I took aim. This
species remains with us in the Western country later than most others of
its tribe, and not unfrequently as late as the Blue-winged Teal.

We are indebted for the discovery of this species to my friend the
Prince of Musignano, who first pointed out the difference between it and
the Tufted Duck of Europe. The distinctions that exist in the two spe-
cies he ascertained about the time of my first acquaintance with him at
Philadelphia in 1824, when he was much pleased on seeing my drawing
of a male and a female, which I had made at Louisville in Kentucky pre-
vious to Witson’s visit to me there. Wzutson supposed it identical with
the European species.

The summer haunts and habits of this Duck have not been ascertained ;
for although Dr RrcHarpson mentions that he found it not rare in the
fur countries, he says nothing of its eggs or nest. While with us it has
no long crest, but I am inclined to think that at the commencement of

the breeding season that appendage may be developed.

FULIGULA RUFITORQUES, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of United States, p. 393.

sUFTED Duck, Anas Futicuta, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 60. pl. 67, fig. 5.

Rinc-NECKED Duck, FULIGULA RUFITORQUES, Swains. and Richards. Fauna-Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 453.— Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 439.

Adult Male. Plate CCX XXIV. Fig. 1.

Bill about the same length as the head, rather deeper than broad at
the base, depressed and enlarged towards the end, the frontal angles acute.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line at first sloping, then concave, along
the unguis decurved, the ridge broad and flat at the base, then broadly

convex, the sides nearly flat and perpendicular at the base, convex and

RING-NECKED DUCK. 261

sloping towards the end, the edges soft, with about forty-five internal la-
mellz, unguis obovate, curved. Nostrils subbasal, lateral, rather small,
oval, pervious. Lower mandible flat, with the angle very long and rather
narrow, the dorsal line very short, slightly convex, the edges with about
sixty-five lamellze and smaller intermediate ones above.

Head of moderate size, neck rather long and slender, body full and
depressed, wings rather small. Feet very short, strong, placed rather
far behind ; tarsus very short, compressed, at its lower part anteriorly
with two series of scutella, the rest covered with reticulated angular scales.
Toes scutellate above, first very small, free, with a broad membrane be-
neath, fourth longest, third scarcely shorter ; claws small, curved, com-
pressed, obtuse, the hind one smaller, more curved and acute, that of the
third toe with an inner sharp edge.

Plumage dense, soft, blended, rather glossy. Feathers of the middle
of the head, and upper part of hind neck, very narrow and a little elon-
gated ; of the rest of the head and upper part of the neck very short, of
the back and lower parts in general broad and rounded. Wings of mo-
derate length, narrow, acute; primaries curved, strong, tapering, first
longest, second very littie shorter ; secondaries broad, rounded, short, the
inner longer and tapering. Tail very short, rather broad, much rounded,
of sixteen rounded feathers.

Bill black, with a basal band, the edges of both mandibles, and a band
across the upper towards the end, pale blue. Iris yellow. Legs greyish-
blue, the webs brownish-black. The head, and upper part of the neck,
greenish-black, with purple reflexions. A brownish-red collar, broader
before, on the middle of the neck. Its lower part all round, as well as
the back, scapulars, smaller wing-coverts, and posterior part of abdomen,
brownish-black. Inner secondaries of the same colour, outer bluish-grey
on the outer web, light brown on the inner, as are the primaries, of which
the outer webs and tips are dark brown. Tail brownish-grey. Chin
white, breast greyish-white, sides and fore part of abdomen greyish. white,
minutely undulated with greyish-brown.

Length to end of tail 18 inches, to end of wings 16; extent of wings 28 ;
wing from flexure 72; tail 24; bill along the back 2,',, along the edge

of lower mandible 144; tarsus 1,4;; middle toe 2;%, its claw 4‘.

Adult Female. Plate CCX XXIV. Fig. 2.

The Female has the neck umber brown, the upper part of the head

362 RING-NECKED DUCK.

darker, the back blackish-brown, the speculum bluish-grey, as in the
male, the breast brownish-white, the loral spaces and chin pale brown,
the abdomen umber brown.

Length 16 inches.

The Tufted Duck of Europe, Fuligula cristata, is very intimately
allied to this species. The bill of the latter is longer, narrower, and diffe-
rently coloured, the unguis broader at the end, as is the flat triangular
space at the base of the upper mandible. The bill of the Scaup Duck is
still broader towards the end, with a much narrower unguis, and the flat-
tened part of the upper mandible still narrower than in the Tufted Duck ;
the colour of the speculum is also different, being bluish-grey in the Ring-
necked Duck, and white in the two allied species. The females of the
Ring-necked and Scaup Ducks, which are nearly similar in colour, differ

in the speculum, and in the peculiar form of the bill.

( 263 )

THE SOOTY TERN.
STERNA FULIGINOSA, LaTH.

PLATE CCXXXV. Mate.

Earty in the afternoon of the 9th of May 1832, I was standing on
the deck of the United States’ revenue-cutter the Marion. The weather
was very beautiful, although hot, and a favourable breeze wafted us on-
wards in our course. Captain Roserr Day, who stood near me, on
looking toward the south-west, ordered some person to be sent to the top
to watch the appearance of land. A young lad was instantly seen as-

“cending the rigging, and not many minutes after he had attained his post,
we heard from him the ery of “ land.” It was the low keys of the Tor-
tugas, toward which we had been steering. No change was made in the
course of the “ Lady of the Green Mantle,” who glided along as if aware of
the knowledge possessed by her commander. Now the light-house lantern
appeared, like a bright gem glittering in the rays of the sun. Presently
the masts and flags of several wreckers shewed us that they were anchor-
ed in the small but safe harbour. We sailed on, and our active pilot,
who was also the first lieutenant of the Marion, pointed out to me a small
island which he said was at this season the resort of thousands of birds,
which he described by calling them “ Black and White Sea Swallows,”
and again another islet, equally well stocked with another kind of Sea -
Swallow, which he added were called Noddies, because they frequently
alighted on the yards of vessels at night, and slept there. He assured me
that both species were on their respective breeding-grounds by millions,
that the eggs of the first lay on the sand under bushes, at intervals of
about a foot, while the nests of the last were placed as thickly on the
bushes of their own chosen island. ‘ Before we cast anchor,” he added,
«© you will see them rise in swarms like those of bees when disturbed in
their hive, and their cries will deafen you.”

You may easily imagine how anxious I was to realize the picture; I
expressed a wish to be landed on the island; but the kind officer replied,
‘“¢ My good Sir, you will soon be tired of their incessant noise and num-
bers, and will enjoy the procuring of Boobies much better.” After vari-

ous tacks, we made our way through the curious and extremely danger-

264 SOOTY TERN.

ous channels leading to the small harbour, where we anchored. As the
chain grated the ear, I saw a cloud-like mass arise over the “ Bird Key,”
from which we were only a few hundred yards distant; and in a few
minutes the yawl was carrying myself and my assistant ashore. On land-
ing, I felt for a moment as if the birds would raise me from the ground,
so thick were they all round, and so quick the motion of their wings.
Their cries were indeed deafening, yet not more than half of them took
to wing on our arrival, those which rose being chiefly male birds, as we
afterwards ascertained. We ran across the naked beach, and as we en-
tered the thick cover before us, and spread in different directions, we
might at every step have caught a sitting bird, or one scrambling through
the bushes to escape from us. Some of the sailors, who had more than
once been there before, had provided themselves with sticks, with which
they knocked down the birds as they flew thick around and over them.
In less than half an hour, more than a hundred Terns lay dead in a heap,
and a number of baskets were filled to the brim with eggs. We then re-
turned on board, and declined disturbing the rest any more that night.
My assistant, Mr H. Warp, of London, skinned upwards of fifty spe-
cimens, aided by Captain Day’s servant. The sailors told me that the
birds were excellent eating, but on this point I cannot say much in cor-
roboration of their opinion, although I can safely recommend the eggs,
for I considered them delicious, in whatever way cooked, and during our
stay at the Tortugas we never passed a day without providing ourselves
with a good quantity of them.

The next morning Mr Warp told me that great numbers of the
Terns left their island at two o’clock, flew off towards the sea, and re-
turned a little before day, or about four o'clock. This I afterwards ob-
served to be regularly the case, unless there happened to blow a gale, a
proof that this species sees as well during the night as by day, when they
also go to sea in search of food for themselves and their young. In this
respect they differ from the Sterna stolida, which, when overtaken at sea
by darkness, even when land is only a few miles distant, alight on the
water, and frequently on the yards of vessels, where if undisturbed they
sleep until the return of day. It is from this circumstance that they have
obtained the name of Noddy, to which in fact they are much better en-
titled than the present species, which has also been so named, but of
which I never observed any to alight on a vessel in which I was for

thirty-five days in the Gulf of Mexico, at a time when that bird was as

Oo

SOOTY TERN. 26:

abundant during the day as the other species, of which many were caught
at my desire by the sailors.

The present species rarely alights on the water, where it seems in-
commoded by its long tail; but the other, the Sterna stolida, which, in
the shape of its tail, and in some of its habits, shews an affinity to the
Petrels, not only frequently alights on the sea, but swims about on float-
ing patches of the Gulf Weed, seizing on the small fry and little crabs
that are found among the branches of that plant, or immediately beneath
them.

I have often thought, since I became acquainted with the habits of
the bird which here occupies our attention, that it differs materially from
all the other species of the same genus that occur on our coasts. The
Sterna fuliginosa never dives headlong and perpendicularly as the smaller
species are wont to do, such as S¢. Hirundo, St. arctica, St. minuta, St.
Dougallii, or St. nigra, but passes over its prey in a curved line, and
picks it up. Its action I cannot better compare to that of any other bird
than the Night Hawk, while plunging over its female. I have often ob-
served this Tern follow and hover in the wake of a porpoise, while the
latter was pursuing its prey, and at the instant when by a sudden dash
it frightens and drives toward the surface the fry around it, the Tern as
suddenly passes over the spot, and picks up a small fish or two.

Nor is the flight of this Tern characterized by the buoyancy and un-
decidedness, if I may so speak, of the other species mentioned above, it
being as firm and steady as that of the Cayenne Tern, excepting during
the movements performed in procuring its food. Like some of the smaller
gulls, this bird not unfrequently hovers close to the water to pick up
floating objects, such as small bits of fat pork and greasy substances
thrown overboard purposely for making the experiment. It is not im-
probable that the habits peculiar to this species, the Noddy, and one or
two others, of which I shall have occasion to speak elsewhere, may tend
to induce systematic writers to place them in a new “ subgenus.”

There is a circumstance connected with the habits of the two species
of which I now more particularly speak, which, although perhaps some-
what out of place, I cannot refrain from introducing here. It is that the
Sterna stolida always forms a nest on trees or bushes, on which that bird
alights with as much ease as a Crow or Thrush; whereas the Sterna Suli-

ginosa never forms a nest of any sort, but deposits its eggs in a slight

266 SOOTY TERN.

cavity which it scoops in the sand under the trees. But, reader, let us
return to the Bird Key.

Early the next morning I was put on shore, and remained there until
I had completed my observations on the Terns. I paid no attention to
their lamentable cries, which were the less piercing that on this occasion
I did not molest them in the least. Having seated myself on the shelly
sand, which here formed the only soil, I remained almost motionless for
several hours, in consequence of which the birds alighted about me, at
the distance of only a few yards, so that I could plainly see with what
efforts and pains the younger females deposited their eggs. Their bill
was open, and their pantings indicated their distress, but after the egg
had been expelled, they immediately walked off in an awkward manner,
until they reached a place where they could arise without striking the
branches of the bushes near them, when they flewaway. Here and there,
in numerous places within twenty yards of me, females, having their com-
plement of eggs, alighted, and quietly commenced the labour of incuba-
tion. Now and then a male bird also settled close by, and immediately
disgorged a small fish within the reach of the female. After some curious
reciprocal nods of their heads, which were doubtless intended as marks
of affection, the caterer would fly off. Several individuals, which had
not commenced laying their eggs, I saw scratch the sand with their feet,
in the manner of the common fowl, while searching for food. In the
course of this operation, they frequently seated themselves in the shallow
basin to try how it fitted their form, or find out what was still wanted to
ensure their comfort. Not the least semblance of a quarrel did I observe
between any two of these interesting creatures ; indeed, they all appeared
as if happy members of a single family ; and as if to gratify my utmost
wishes, a few of them went through the process of courtship in my presence.
The male birds frequently threw their heads over their back as it were, in
the manner of several species of gulls; they also swelled out their throats,
walked round the females, and ended by uttering a soft puffing sound as
they caressed them. Then the pair for a moment or two walked round
each other, and at length rose on wing and soon disappeared. Such is
one of the many sights it has been my good fortune to witness, and by
each of them have I been deeply impressed with a sense of the pervading
power of the Deity.

The Sooty Tern always lays three eggs as its full number, and in no

SOOTY TERN. 267

instance, among thousands of the nests which were on the Bird Key, did
I find one more when the female was sitting close. I was desirous of as-
certaining whether the male and the female incubate alternately ; but this
I was unable to do, as the birds frequently left their eggs for half an
hour or even three quarters at a time, but rarely longer. This circum-
stance, together with the very slight difference in size and colour between
the sexes, was the cause of my failure.

It was curious to observe their actions whenever a large party landed
on the island. All those not engaged in incubation would immediately
rise in the air and scream aloud ; those on the ground would then join them
as quickly as they could, and the whole forming a vast mass, with a broad
extended front, would as it were charge us, pass over for fifty yards or so,
then suddenly wheel round, and again renew their attack. This they would
repeat six or eight times in succession. When the sailors, at our desire,
all shouted as loud as they could, the phalanx would for an instant be-
come perfectly silent, as if to gather our meaning; but the next moment,
like a huge wave breaking on the beach, it would rush forward with
deafening noise.

When wounded and seized by the hand, this bird bites severely, and
utters a plaintive cry differing from its usual note, which is loud and
shrill, resembling the syllables 00-ee, oo-ee. ‘Their nests are all scooped
near the roots or stems of the bushes, and under the shade of their boughs,
in many places within a few inches of each other. There is less difference
between their eggs, than is commonly seen in those of water birds, both
with respect to size and colouring. ‘They generally measure two inches
and one-eighth, by one and a-half, have a smooth shell, with the ground
of a pale cream colour, sparingly marked with various tints of lightish
umber, and still lighter marks of purple, which appear as if within the
shel]. The Lieutenant, N. Lacostr, Esq. informed me that shortly af-
* ter the young are hatched, they ramble pell-mell over the island, to meet
their parents, and be fed by them; that these birds have been known to
collect there for the purpose of breeding, since the oldest wreckers on
that coast can recollect; and that they usually arrive in May, and re-
main until the beginning of August, when they retire southward to spend
the winter months. I could not however obtain a sufficiently accurate
description of the different states of plumage which they go through, so

_as to enable me to describe them in the manner I should wish todo. All

268 SOOTY TERN.

that I can say is, that before they take their departure, the young are
greyish-brown above, dull white beneath, and have the tail very short.

At Bird Key we found a party of Spanish Eggers from Havannah.
They had already laid in a cargo of about eight tons of the eggs of this
Tern and the Noddy. On asking them how many they supposed they
had, they answered that they never counted them, even while selling them,
but disposed of them at seventy-five cents per gallon ; and that one turn
to market sometimes produced upwards of two hundred dollars, while it
took only a-week to sail backwards and forwards and collect their cargo.
Some eggers, who now and then come from Key West, sell their eggs at
twelve and a half cents the dozen; but wherever these eggs are carried,
they must soon be disposed of and eaten, for they become putrid in a few
weeks.

On referring to my journals once more, I find the following remarks
with reference to the Sooty Tern. It would appear that at some period
not very remote, the Noddy, Sterna stolida, must have had it in eon-
templation to appropriate to itself its neighbour’s domains; as on ex-
amination of this island, several thousand nests of that bird were found
built on the tops of the bushes, although no birds of the species were
about them. It is therefore probable that if such an attempt was made
by them, they were defeated and forced to confine themselves to the neigh-
bouring island, where they breed by themselves, although it is only a few
miles distant. That such interferences and conflicts now and then occur
among different species of birds, has often been observed by other per-
sons, and in several instances by myself, particularly among Herons. In
these cases, right or wrong, the stronger party never fails to dislodge the

weaker, and keep possession of the disputed ground.

STERNA FuLIGtNosa, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 804.-Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of .
Birds of the United States, p. 355.

Sooty Tern, STERNA FULIGINOSA, Lath. Synops. vol. vi. p. 352.—Wils. Amer.
Ornith. vol. viii. p. 145. pl. 72. fig. 7.—Nutall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 284.

Adult Male. Plate CCX XXV.
Bill longer than the head, strong, slender, nearly straight, compres-
sed, very acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly arched,

the ridge broad and convex at the base, narrowed towards the end, the

SOOTY TERN. 269

sides convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip acute. Nasal groove
extended to beyond half the length of the bill, slightly inflected towards
the edge; nostrils basal, linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandible with
the angle very narrow, acute, extending to a little beyond the middle,
the dorsal line straight, the sides convex, the sharp edges inflected, the
tip very acute.

Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed ; neck of moderate length;
body slender ; feet very small, wings and tail very long. Tibia bare for
a short space; tarsus very short, slender, roundish, covered anteriorly
with small scutella, laterally and behind with reticulated rather indistinct
scales ; toes small, slender, the first very small, the third longest, the
fourth nearly as long, the second much shorter, all scutellate above, the
anterior united by reticulated webs, having an incurved margin; claws
curved, compressed, acute, that of hind toe smallest, of middle toe by
much the largest, and having the inner edge thin and dilated.

Plumage soft, close, blended, very short on the head ; the feathers in
general broad and rounded. Wings very long, narrow and pointed ; pri-
mary quills tapering but rounded, the first longest, the rest rapidly gra-
duated ; secondary short, broad, rather acute, the inner more tapering.
Tail long, very deeply forked, of twelve feathers, of which the outer are
tapering, the middle rounded and short.

Bill and feet black. Iris chestnut. Forehead white; lores, upper
part of the head, the hind neck and all the upper parts, deep black
glossed with blue, excepting the edges of the wings and the lateral tail-
feathers, which are white, the latter with the inner web towards the end
dusky. All the lower parts and the sides of the neck are pure white.

Length to end of tail 16} inches, to end of wings 152, to end of claws
113; extent of wings 342; wing from flexure 12; tail to the end 73, to
the fork 33; bill along the ridge 13, along the edge of lower mandible 2,°;
tarsus +2; middle toe 24, its claw 4s.

The Female is similar to the Male.

( 270 )

A WILD HORSE

Wuite residing at Henderson in Kentucky, I became acquainted
with a gentleman who had just returned from the country in the neigh-
bourhood of the head waters of the Arkansas River, where he had pur-
chased a newly caught “ Wild Horse,” a descendant of some of the horses
originally brought from Spain, and set at liberty in the vast prairies of
the Mexican lands. The animal was by no means handsome :—he had a
large head, with a considerable prominence in its frontal region, his thick
and unkemt mane hung along his neck to the breast, and his tail, too
scanty to be called flowing, almost reached the ground. But his chest
was broad, his legs clean and sinewy, and his eyes and nostrils indicated
spirit, vigour, and endurance. He had never been shod, and although he
had been ridden hard, and had performed a long journey, his black hoofs
had suffered no damage. His colour inclined to bay, the legs of a deeper
tint, and gradually darkening below until they became nearly black. I
inquired what might be the value of such an animal among the Osage
Indians, and*was answered, that the horse being only four years old, he
had given for him, with the tree and the buffalo tug fastened to his head,
articles equivalent to about thirty-five dollars. The gentleman added,
that he had never mounted a better horse, and had very little doubt, that
if well fed, he could carry a man of ordinary weight from thirty-five to
forty miles a-day, for a month, as he had travelled at that rate upon him,
without giving him any other food than the grass of the prairies, or the
canes of the bottom lands, until he had crossed the Mississippi at Natchez,
when he fed him with corn. Having no farther use for him, now that he
had ended his journey, he said he was anxious to sell him, and thought he
might prove a good hunting horse for me, as his gaits were easy, and he
stood fire as well as any charger he had seen. Having some need of a
horse possessed of qualities similar to those represented as belonging to
the one in question, I asked if I might be allowed to try him. “ Try
him, Sir, and welcome ; nay, if you will agree to feed him and take care
of him, you may keep him for a month, if you choose.” So I had the
horse taken to the stable and fed. '

About two hours afterwards, I took my gun, mounted the prairie

nag, and went to the woods. I was not long in finding him very sensible

A WILD HORSE. 271

to the spur, and as I observed that he moved with great ease both to
himself and his rider, I thought of leaping over a log several feet in dia-
meter, to judge how far he might prove serviceable in deer-driving or
bear-hunting. So I gave him the reins, and pressed my legs to his belly
without using the spur, on which, as if aware that I wished to try his
mettle, he bounded off and cleared the log as lightly as an elk. I turned
him, and made him leap the same log several times, which he did with equal
ease, so that I was satisfied of his ability to clear any impediment in the
woods. I next determined to try his strength, for which purpose I took him
to a swamp, which I knew was muddy and tough. He entered it with his
nose close to the water, as if to judge of its depth, at which I was well
pleased, as he thus evinced due caution. I then rode through the swamp
in different directions, and found him prompt, decided, and unflinching.
Can he swim well? thought I;—for there are horses, which, although
excellent, cannot swim at all, but will now and then lie on their side, as
if contented to float with the current, when the rider must either swim
and drag them to the shore, or abandon them. To the Ohio then I went,
and rode into the water. He made off obliquely against the current, his
head well raised above the surface, his nostrils expanded, his breathing
free, and without any of the grunting noise emitted by many horses on
such occasions. I turned him down the stream, then directly against it,
and finding him quite to my mind, I returned to the shore, on reaching
which he stopped of his own accord, spread his legs, and almost shook
me off my seat. After this I put him to a gallop, and returning home
through the woods, shot from the saddle a turkey-cock, which he after-
wards approached as if he had been trained to the sport, and enabled me
to take it up without dismounting.

As soon as I reached the house of Dr Ranx1n, where I then resided,
I sent word to the owner of the horse that I should be glad to see him.
When he came, I asked him what price he would take ; he said, fifty dol-
lars in silver was the lowest. So I paid the money, took a bill of sale,
and became master of the horse. The Doctor, who was an excellent judge,
said smiling to me, “‘ Mr Aupuson, when you are tired of him, I will re-
fund you the fifty dollars, for depend upon it he is a capital horse.” The
mane was trimmed, but the tail left untouched ; the Doctor had him shod
*¢ all round,” and for several weeks he was ridden by my wife, who was
highly pleased with him.

Business requiring that I should go to Philadelphia, Barro (he was

272 A WILD HORSE.

so named after his former owner) was put up for ten days and well at-
tended to. The time of my departure having arrived, I mounted him ;
and set off at the rate of four miles an hour ;—but here I must give you
the line of my journey, that you may, if you please, follow my course
on some such map as that of Tanner’s. From Henderson through
Russellville, Nashville, and Knoxville, Abington in Virginia, the Natural
Bridge, Harrisonburgh, Winchester and Harper’s Ferry, Frederick and
Lancaster to Philadelphia. There I remained four days, after which I
returned by way of Pittsburgh, Wheeling, Zanesville, Chillicothe, Lex-
ington, and Louisville to Henderson. But the nature of my business
was such as to make me deviate considerably from the main roads, and I
computed the whole distance at nearly two thousand miles, the post roads
being rather more than sixteen hundred. I travelled not less than forty
miles a-day, and it was allowed by the Doctor that my horse was in as good
condition on my return as when I set out. Such a journey on a single
horse may seem somewhat marvellous in the eyes of a European; but in
those days almost every merchant had to perform the like, some from alk
parts of the western country, even from St Louis on the Missouri, al-
though the travellers not unfrequently, on their return, sold their horses
at Baltimore, Philadelphia, or Pittsburg, at which latter place they took
boat. My wife rode on a single horse from Henderson to Philadelphia,
travelling at the same rate. The country was then comparatively new;
few coaches travelled, and in fact the roads were scarcely fit for carriages.
About twenty days were considered necessary for performing a journey
on horseback from Louisville to Philadelphia, whereas now the same dis-
tance may be travelled in six or seven days, or even sometimes less, this
depending on the height of the water in the Ohio.

It may be not uninteresting to you to know the treatment which the
horse received on those journeys. I rose every morning before day,
cleaned my horse, pressed his back with my hand, to see if it had been
galled, and placed on it a small blanket folded double, in such a manner
that when the latter was put on, half of the cloth was turned over it. The
surcingle, beneath which the saddle-bags were placed, confined the blan-
ket to the seat, and to the pad behind was fastened the great coat or
cloak, tightly rolled up. The bridle had a snaffle bit; a breastplate was
buckled in front to each skirt, to render the seat secure during an ascent ;
but my horse required no crupper, his shoulders being high and well-

formed. On starting he trotted off at the rate of four miles an hour,

A WILD HORSE. 273

which he continued. I usually travelled from fifteen to twenty miles be-
fore breakfast, and after the first hour allowed my horse to drink as much
as he would. When I halted for breakfast, I generally stopped two
hours, cleaned the horse, and gave him as much corn blades as he could
eat. I then rode on until within half an hour of sunset, when I watered.
him well, poured a bucket of cold water over his back, had his skin well
rubbed, his feet examined and cleaned. The rack was filled with blades,
the trough with corn, a good-sized pumpkin or some hens’ eggs, when-
ever they could be procured, were thrown in, and if oats were to be had,
half a bushel of them was given in preference to corn, which is apt to
heat some horses. In the morning, the nearly empty trough and rack
afforded sufficient evidence of the state of his health.

I had not ridden him many days before he became so attached to me
that on coming to some limpid stream, in which I had a mind to bathe,
I could leave him at liberty to graze, and he would not drink if told not
to do so. He was ever sure-footed, and in such continual good spirits,
that now and then, when a turkey happened to rise from a dusting place
before me, the mere inclination of my body forward was enough to bring
him to a smart canter, which he would continue until the bird left the
road for the woods, when he never failed to resume his usual trot. On
my way homewards I met at the crossings of the Juniata River a gentle-
man from New Orelans whose name is Vincent Notte. He was mount-
ed on a superb horse, for which he had paid three hundred dollars, and
a servant on horseback led another as a change. I was then an ut-
‘ter stranger to him, and as I approached and praised his horse, he not
very courteously observed that he wished I had as good a one. Finding
that he was going to Bedford to spend the night, I asked him at what
hour he would get there. ‘ Just soon enough to have some trouts ready
for our supper, provided you will join when you get there.” I almost
imagined that Barro understood our conversation ; he pricked up his ears,
and lengthened his pace, on which Mr Notte caracolled his horse, and
then put him to a quick trot, but all in vain, for I reached the hotel
nearly a quarter of an hour before him, ordered the trouts, saw to the
putting away of my good horse, and stood at the door ready to welcome
my companion. From that day Vincent Notre has been a friend to
me. It was from him I received letters of introduction to the RaTHRONES
of Liverpool, for which I shall ever be grateful to him. We rode toge-
ther as far as Shippingport, where my worthy friend NicHotas Brr-

VOL. III, é s

274 A WILD HORSE.

THOUD, Esq. resided, and on parting with me he repeated what he had
many times said before, that he never had seen so serviceable a creature as
Barro.

If I recollect rightly, I gave a short verbal account of this journey,
and of the good qualities of my horse, to my learned friend J. Sk1nNER,
Esq. of Baltimore, who I believe has noticed them in his excellent Sport-
ing Magazine. We agreed that the importation of horses of this kind
from the Western Prairies might improve our breeds generally ; and,
judging from those which I have seen, I am inclined to think that some
of them may prove fit for the course. A few days after reaching Hender-
son, I parted with Barro, not without regret, for a hundred and twenty

dollars.

( 275)

THE NIGHT HERON.

ARDEA NycTIcoRAX, Linn.

PLATE CCXXXVI. Aputtr Mate anv Youna.

Tue Night Heron is a constant resident in the Southern States, where
it is found in abundance in the low swampy tracts near the coast, from
the mouth of Sabine River to the eastern boundaries of South Carolina.
On the whole of that vast extent of country, it may be procured at all
seasons. The adult birds keep farther south than the young, flocks of
the latter remaining in South Carolina during the whole winter, and there
the Night Herons are at that period more common than most other species
of the family. In that State it is named “ the Indian Pullet,” in Lower
Louisiana the Creoles call it ** Gros-bec,” the inhabitants of East Florida
know it under the name of “ Indian Hen,” and in our Eastern States its
usual appellation is ‘‘ Qua Bird.”

In the course of my winter rambles through East Florida, I met with
several of the large places of resort of Night Herons, and, in particular,
one remarkable for the vast number of birds congregated there. It is
about six miles below the plantation of my friend Jonn Buttiow, Esq.,
on a bayou which opens into the Halifax River. There several hundred
pairs appeared to be already mated, although it was only the month of
January ; many of the nests of former years were still standing, and all
appeared to live in peace and contentment. My friend Jonn Bacuman
is acquainted with a place on Ashley River, about four miles distant from
Charleston, where, among the branches of a cluster of live-oak trees, he
has for the last fifteen years found a flock of about fifty of these birds
during the winter. They were all young, not a single individual hav-
ing been observed in the adult plumage, which is the more remarkable,
because it is usual for young birds to retreat farther south during winter
than the old. It is very common at this period for the sportsmen near
Charleston to take their stand along the margins of the salt-water ponds,
to which the Herons generally resort about dusk; and they frequently
obtain several shots in an evening, but not a single old bird is known to
have been killed at this season.

The Night Heron seldom advances very far into the country, but re-

5 2

yo ~

276 NIGHT HERON.

mains on the low swampy lands along the coast. It is rare to see one
farther up the Mississippi than the mouth of the Arkansas, to which a few
are at times induced to go while rambling along the great stream. I
never saw one, or heard of any, whilst in Kentucky, and I doubt much
if they are ever seen in the upper parts of the State of Tennessee. The
distance of a hundred miles from the tide-mark appears to be the farthest
extent of their inland movements. On the other hand, they are fond of
resorting to the islands along the coast, on many of which they breed.

At the approach of spring, great numbers of those which have wintered
far south, leave their places of sojourn and migrate eastward, although
probably an equal number remain in the low lands of Louisiana and the
Floridas during the whole year. There, indeed, I have found them with
egos in April and May, and as young birds just fledged were very abun-
dant at the same places, I concluded that these eggs were of the second
laying. By the middle of March, the number of Night Herons is
seen to increase daily in the Carolinas, and, about a month later, some
make their appearance in the Middle Districts, where many remain and
breed. They are not abundant in the State of New York, are seen spar-
ingly breeding in Massachusetts, while only a few proceed to Maine, and
farther eastward they are looked upon as a great curiosity. In Nova
Scotia, Newfoundland, and Labrador, this species is quite unknown.

Some European writers have alleged, that the Night Heron is scarce
in the United States, and of rare occurrence even in the southern parts.
I wish these pecple had been with me and my friend Bacumay, or with
some of the many hundred persons who reside in the Southern Districts,
or have travelled from Louisiana to North Carolina. How strange it
would have appeared to such assertors of notions, to have seen a boat-
load of Night Herons shot in the course of a few hours, and that too in
the winter season.

Excepting while breeding, this species is extremely shy and wary, es-
pecially the adults. 'To approach them from a distance after they have
seen you, is no easy task. They seem to know the distance at which
your gun can injure them, they watch all your movements, and at the ~
proper moment leave their perches. Should you chance to crack a stick
while advancing towards them, they start at once, give a few raps with
their wings in the manner of the Common Pigeon, and fly off as if de-
lighted at your disappointment. On the contrary, you may shoot them

with ease, if you lie in wait near the places to which they resort to roost

“I

NIGHT HERON. 27

by day, and at which they generally arrive singly, or a few at a time,
when, from your place of concealment among the trees, you may kill them
the moment they alight over your head, and at a short distance. In this
manner I have known forty or fifty procured by two sportsmen in the
course of about two hours. You may also not unfrequently shoot them
at any hour of the day, by starting them from secluded feeding-grounds,
and thus I have shot a good many in different parts of the United States,
and even in the Middle Districts. 'They are, however, rarely shot whilst
on the ground, their hearing being still more acute than that of the Ame-
rican Bittern, which prefers squatting in the grass to flying off, when any
noise is heard, whereas the Night Heron rises immediately.

This species breeds in communities around the stagnant ponds, either
near rice plantations or in the interior of retired and secluded swamps, as
well as on some of the sea islands covered with evergreen trees. Their
heronries are formed either in low bushes, or in middle-sized or tall trees,
as seems most convenient or secure. In the Floridas, they are partial to
the mangroves that overhang the salt-water ; in Louisiana, they prefer the
cypresses ; and in the Middle States, they find the cedars most suitable.
In some breeding-places within a few miles of Charleston, which I visited
in company with my friend Joun Bacumay, the nests were placed on low
bushes, and crowded together, some within a yard of the ground, others
raised seven or eight feet above it, many being placed flat on the branches,
while others were in the forks. Hundreds of them might be seen at once,
as they were built on the side of the bushes fronting the water. Those
which I found in the Floridas were all placed on the south-west sides of
mangrove islands, but were farther apart from each other, some being on-
ly about a foot above high-water mark, while others were in the very tops
of the trees, which, however, scarcely exceeded twenty feet in height. In
some inland swamps in Louisiana, I saw them placed on the tops of tall
cypress trees about a hundred feet high, and along with those of Ardea
Herodias, A. alba, and some Anhingas. In the Jerseys I have found the
Night Herons breeding on water oaks and cedars ; and my friend Tuo-
mAs Nurratt informs me, that ‘ in a very secluded and marshy island,
in Fresh Pond, near Boston, there likewise exists one of these ancient
heronries ; and though the birds have been frequently robbed of their
eggs, in great numbers, by mischievous boys, they still lay again im-
mediately after, and usually succeed in raising a second brood.” The

same accurate observer remarks, that ‘ about the middle of October, the

278 NIGHT HERON.

Qua Birds begin to retire from this part of Massachusetts, towards their
southern winter quarters, although a few of the young birds still linger
occasionally to the 29th or 30th of that month.” This last observation
is a farther evidence of the reluctance which the young of this species feel
to go as far south during winter as the old birds.

The nest of the Night Heron is large, flattish, and formed of sticks
placed in different directions, sometimes to the height of three or four
inches. At times it is arranged with so little care, that the young upset
it before they are able to fly. Many of the nests are annually repaired,
and these birds, when they have once found an agreeable settlement, re-
turn regularly to it, until some calamity forces them to abandon it. The
full number of the eggs is four, and they measure at an average two inches
and one-sixteenth by an inch and a half. They are thin-shelled, and of
a plain light sea-green colour. In about three weeks after the young are
hatched, most of them leave the nest, and crawl about the branches, to
which they cling firmly, ascending to the tops of the bushes or trees, and
there awaiting the return of their parents with food. If you approach
them at such times, the greatest consternation ensues both among the
young and the old birds; the loud and incessant croaking which both
have until then kept up, suddenly ceases ; the parent birds rise in the air,
sail around and above you, some alighting on the neighbouring trees ;
while the young scramble off in all directions to avoid being taken. So
great at times is their terror, that they throw themselves into the water,
and swim off with considerable rapidity, until they reach the shore, when
they run and hide in every convenient place. Retire for half an hour,
and you will be sure to hear the old and the young calling to each other ;
the noise gradually increases, and in a short time isas loud as ever. ‘The
stench emitted by the excrements with which the abandoned nests, the
branches and leaves of the trees and bushes, and the ground, are co-
vered, the dead young, the rotten and broken eggs, together with putrid
fish and other matters, renders a visit to these places far from pleasant.
Crows, Hawks and Vultures torment the birds by day, while Racoons
and other animals destroy them by night. The young are quite as good
for eating as those of the Common Pigeon, being tender, juicy, and fat,
with very little of the fishy taste of many birds which, like them, feed on
fishes and reptiles. At this period few if any of the old birds have the

long feathers of the hind head, and these are not reproduced before the

NIGHT HERON. 279

latter part of the following winter, when they seem to attain their extreme
length in a few weeks.

The flight of the Night Heron is steady, rather slow,’and often greatly
protracted. They propel themselves by regular flappings of the wings,
and, like the true Herons, draw in their head on the shoulders, while
their legs stretch out behind, and with the tail form a kind of. rudder.
When alarmed they at times rise high in the air, and sail about for a
while. They sail in the same manner before alighting on their feeding
grounds, which they rarely do without having previously attended to
their security by alighting on the neighbouring trees and looking about
them. Their migrations are performed under night, when their passage
is indicated by their loud hoarse notes resembling the syllable qua, uttered
at pretty regular intervals. On these occasions they appear to fly faster
than usual.

On the ground, this bird exhibits none of the grace observed in all
the true Herons ; it walks in a stooping posture, the neck much retracted,
until it sees its prey, when, with a sudden movement, it stretches it out
and secures its food. Itis never seen standing motionless, waiting for its
prey, like the true Herons, but is constantly moving about in search ot
it. Its feeding places are the sides of ditches, meadows, the shady banks
of creeks, bayous, and ponds or rivers, as well as the extensive salt-marshes
and mud-bars left exposed at low water; and I have observed it to alight
in the ponds in the suburbs of Charleston towards evening, and feed there.
In all such situations, excepting the last, this bird may often be seen by
day, but more especially in the evening or morning twilight, wading up
to its ankles, or, as we commonly say, its knee-joints. Its food consists of
fishes, shrimps, tadpoles, frogs, water-lizards, and leeches, small crustacea
of all kinds, water insects, moths, and even mice, which seem not less wel-
come to it than its more ordinary articles of food. When satisfied,
it retires to some high tree on the banks of a stream or in the interior of
a swamp, and there it stands, usually on one leg, for hours at a time, ap-
parently dosing, though seldom sound asleep.

When wounded, this bird first tries to make its escape by hiding
among the grass or bushes, squatting the moment it finds what it deems
a secure place; but if no chance of a safe retreat occurs, it raises its
crest, ruffles its feathers, and, opening its bill, prepares to defend itself.
It can bite pretty severely, but the injury inflicted by its bill is not to

be compared with that produced by its claws, which on such occasion,

280 NIGHT HERON.

it uses with much effect. If you seize it, it utters a loud, rough, con-
tinued sound, and tries to make its escape whenever it perceives the least
chance.

The Night Heron undergoes three annual changes of plumage ere it
attains its perfect state, although many individuals breed in the spring of
the third year. After the first autumnal moult, the young is as you see
it represented in the plate. In the second autumn, the markings of the
neck and other parts have almost entirely disappeared ; the upper parts
of the head have become of a dull blackish-green, mixing near the upper
mandible with the dull brown of the first season, while the rest of the
plumage has assumed a uniform dull ochreous greyish-brown. In the
course of the following season, the bird exhibits the green of the shoulders
and back, the head is equally richly coloured, and the frontal band be-
tween the upper mandible and the eye, and over the latter, is pure white.
At this age it rarely has the slender white feathers of the hind head longer
than an inch or two. ‘The sides of the neck, and all the lower parts,
have become of a purer greyish-white. The wings are now spotless in
all their parts, and of a light brownish-grey, as is the tail. The follow-
ing spring, the plumage is complete, and the bird is as represented in the
plate. After this period, with the exception of losing its long crest-
feathers after the young are hatched, it retains its colouring. No diffe-
rence can be observed in the tints of the sexes, but the male is somewhat
larger.

A very considerable difference in size is observable at all seasons in
birds of this species. Some that are fully feathered, and therefore at least
three years old, measure as much as four inches less than others of the same
sex, and weigh less in proportion. These circumstances might suffice
with some naturalists to attempt to form two species out of one, but in
this they would certainly fail.

In the neighbourhood of New Orleans, and along the Mississippi, as
far up as Natchez, the shooting of this species is a favourite occupation
with the planters, who represent it as equalling any other biid in the de-
licacy of its flesh. ;

The frog, of which I have introduced a figure, is common in the re-
tired swamps which the Night Heron frequents, and is often devoured
by it. The flowering plants which you see, are abundant in the States

of Georgia and South Carolina, as well as in the Floridas.

NIGHT HERON. 28)

Arpvea Nycriconax, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol.i. p. 235.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 678.
—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 306.

Nicut Heron, or Qua Birp, Wiis. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 3, pl. 51, fig. 2. Adult.
Fig. 3. Young.

Qua Birp, or AMERICAN Nicut Heron, Arpea Discors, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii.
p- 54.

Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCX XXVI. Fig. 1.

Bill a little longer than the head, strong, straight, compressed, taper-
ing. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly arched and declinate,
the ridge broad and rather rounded at the base, narrowed towards the
end, the sides sloping, the edges very sharp and inflected, obscurely ser-
rated with minute oblique slits, and having a distinct notch close to the
compressed, rather obtuse tip. Nasal groove wide at the base, extending
narrow to near the tip; nostrils basal, linear, wider behind, longitudinal.
Lower mandible with the angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line
straight and sloping upwards, the sides flat, the sharp obscurely jagged
edges slightly inflected, the tip very acute.

Head oblong, much compressed ; eyes large. Neck long. Body ra-
ther slender, compressed. Feet rather long, robust ; tibia bare at its lower
part ; tarsus covered anteriorly along its upper two-thirds with scutella,
below and on the sides with large angular scales ; toes long and rather
slender, scutellate above, flat beneath, marginate ; hind toe stout, fourth
a little longer than second, third much longer; claws of moderate size,
stout, arched, compressed, rather acute, that of middle toe beautifully
pectinate on the inner edge.

Plumage soft, blended. Feathers of the upper and hind part of the
head elongated and loose, with three very long, linear incurved occipital
feathers, having their webs inflected. The feathers of the neck, especial-
ly of its lower part and sides, are also elongated, the latter curved back-
wards. Wings of moderate length, broad, rounded ; primaries broad,
rounded, the third longest, the first longer than the fourth. Tail short,
slightly rounded, of twelve broad, rounded feathers.

Bill black. Bare loral space and eyelids yellowish-green ; iris bright
red. Feet yellow; claws brown. Feathers on the upper part of the
head, the fore part of the back, and the scapulars, glossy blackish-green ;
anterior part of forehead white; neck anteriorly white, on the sides and

behind shaded into pale lilac, the lower elongated feathers tinged with

282 NIGHT HERON.

cream-colour ; breast and abdomen white, similarly tinged. Wings,
rump, and tail, light greyish-blue, tinged with lilac.

Length to end of tail 25,% inches, to end of wings 25}$, to end of
claws 30;4,; extent of wings 44; wing from flexure 132; tail 5; bill
along the ridge 3;%, along the edge of lower mandible 4,%, ; bare part of
tibia 14; tarsus 34; middle toe 3, its claw 73. Weight 1 lb. 14 oz.

Young after first moult. Plate CCX XXVI. Fig. 2.

Bill and bare space about the eye yellowish-green, the ridge of the
upper mandible, and part of the lower towards the end, black. Iris
bright red. Feet pale greenish-yellow. At this period the occipital fea-
thers are not developed. The general colour of the upper parts is light
greyish-brown, the edges of the feathers paler; that of the lower parts
dull white, tinged with grey and cream colour, with the central part of
each feather greyish-brown ; the feathers of the back and wings, as well
as the secondary quills, have a long triangular spot of brownish-white at
the end; the rump and tail more tinged with bluish-grey.

The Adult Female resembles the Male.

Amarytuis Aramasco, Willd. Sp. Pl. vol. ii. p. 51. Push, Flora Amer. Sept. vol. i.
p. 222.

This species, which grows in swamps, and moist woods, in Virginia
and Carolina, is characterized by having an acute bifid spatha, an erect
funnel-shaped corolla of a pale rose-colour or pure white, with a short
tube at the base, the segments nearly equal, as are the declinate stamens.
It flowers in June and July, and attains a height of from eight inches to

a foot.

( 283 )

THE HUDSONIAN CURLEW.

NUMENIUS HUDSONICUS, LatH.

PLATE CCXXXVII. Mate.

Tue habits of this species, which until a few years ago was always
confounded with the Esquimaux Curlew, Numenius borealis, are yet in a
great measure unknown. Every person who writes on American birds
repeats, that it arrives at Hudson’s Bay, breeds farther north, &c.; but
none has yet given any of those details so necessary to enable the student
of nature to judge in what respects this species resembles, or differs
from others, at the season of reproduction. During my visit to Labra-
dor, I made diligent inquiry respecting it and the Esquimaux Curlew,
but I obtained no information farther than that the latter is extremely
abundant for a few weeks in early autumn, and that the present species
was entirely unknown. Even Mr Jones and. his sons, who had probably
killed thousands of the species just mentioned, had never seen it in the
course of their long residence at Bras d’Or. Nor is our information re-
specting their winter retreats much better, for scarcely any of them are
ever seen in the colder months within the limits of the United States, and
their movements during their migrations are more rapid than those of
most water birds. In short, I am unable to present you with such an ac-
count of them as I could have wished.

I have found this species abundant on the shores of New Jersey in
the month of May, and there they remain a few weeks. I once saw a
large flock of them near Charleston, in the month of December, and I
have found them in the Boston market in September. None were ever seen
by me in any part of the interior, where, indeed, it is probable they very
seldom make their appearance. As I have nothing of any importance to
add, I shall present you with a few extracts, from Witson and Nurratt,
both of whom have had opportunities of observing this species.

“‘ The Short-billed Curlew,” says the former, “ arrives in large flocks
on the sea-coast of New Jersey early in May, from the south, frequents
the salt-marshes, muddy shores, and inlets, feeding on small worms and
minute shell-fish. They are most commonly seen on mud-flats at low

water, in company with various other waders; and at high water roam

284 HUDSONIAN CURLEW.

along the marshes. They fly high, and with great rapidity. A few are
seen in June, and as late as the beginning of July, when they generally
move off toward the north. Their appearance on these occasions is very
interesting: they collect together from the marshes as if by premeditated
design, rise to a great height in the air, usually an hour before sunset,
and, forming in one vast line, keep up a constant whistling on their way
to the north, as if conversing with one another to render the journey more
agreeable. Their flight is then more slow and regular, that the feeblest
may keep up with the line of march ; while the glittering of their beauti-
fully speckled wings, sparkling in the sun, produces altogether a very
pleasing spectacle.

“In the month of June, while the dewberries are ripe, these birds
sometimes frequent the fields, in company with the Long-billed Curlews,
where brambles abound ; soon get very fat, and are at that time excellent
eating.”

Nuttall says, “ From the middle of August to the beginning of Sep-
tember, they arrive in the vicinity of Massachusett’s Bay, and other parts
of New England, frequenting the pastures as well as marshes, and fatten
on grasshoppers and berries, till the time of their departure, about the
close of September ; and they wholly disappear from New Jersey, on their
way to the south, early in the month of November.”

I have only to add, that, having compared specimens of the present
species with the Whimbrel of Europe, Numenius Pheopus, I am satisfied
that they are perfectly distinct.

NumENIvus uupsonicus, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 712.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops.
of Birds of the United States, p. 314.—Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer.
part ii. p. 377.

Esaurmaux CurRLEw, ScoLopax BorEALIS, Wels. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 92. pl. 59.
fig. 1.

Esauimavux Curtew, NuMENivus HUDsONICUS, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 97.

Adult Male. Plate CCX X XVII.

Bill much longer than the head, very slender, subcylindrical, com-
pressed, slightly arched. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly
arched, the sides, excepting at the base, rounded, and marked with a nar-
row groove extending more than two-thirds of its length, the ridge ra-

ther flattened at the base, convex and narrower towards the end, the edges

HUDSONIAN CURLEW. 285

rather obtuse. Nostrils basal, lateral, longitudinal, linear. Lower
mandible with the dorsal line arched, or nearly parallel to that of the up-
per, the angle extremely narrow and extended to near the end, the sides
at the base nearly erect with a shallow groove close to the rather obtuse
edge; the tips obtuse, and about equal in length.

Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long, slender.
Body rather full. Feet of moderate length, slender. Tibia bare a con-
siderable way above the joint ; tarsus with numerous anterior scutella,
excepting in its upper fourth, where, and on the sides, it is reticulated.
Toes small, scutellate above ; first very small, second and fourth about
equal, third considerably longer; the anterior toes marginate, and con-
nected at the base by short webs, of which the outer is larger. Claws
small, compressed, obtuse, that of middle toe much larger, curved out-
wards, with a sharp dilated inner edge.

Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short ; the
feathers in general small, oblong or ovate and rounded. Wings rather
long, very acute, narrow, the primaries tapering, the first longest, the se-
cond a little shorter, the rest regularly and rapidly graduated ; secon-
daries short, incurved, rounded, excepting some of the inner, which are
greatly elongated and tapering. Tail short, rounded, of twelve rounded
feathers.

Bill brownish-black, the basal half of lower mandible flesh colour.
Iris dark brown. Feet greyish-blue, claws black. The upper part of
the head is deep brown, with a central longitudinal line of white, and a
broader lateral one of the same over each eye; a brown line from the bill
to the eye, and another extending behind the latter. The neck all round
is pale yellowish-grey, longitudinally streaked with brown, excepting the
chin or upper part of the throat, which is greyish-white. The upper parts
in general are blackish- brown, marked with numerous spots of brownish-
white, there being several along the margins of each feather; the wings and
rump are lighter, the upper tail-coverts and tail barred with brown and
yellowish-grey, the latter tipped with white. Primaries and their coverts
brownish-black, the outer unspotted on their outer web; all with trans-
verse light markings on the inner; the secondaries like the smaller coverts.
Breast and abdomen greyish-white, the sides tinged with cream-colour,
and barred with pale greyish-brown; the outer lower tail-coverts with a

few brown marks.

286 HUDSONIAN CURLEW.

Length to end of tail 19 inches, to end of wings 18, to end of claws 21 ;
wing from flexure 9}; tail 4; extent of wings 33 ; bill along the back 44,
along the edge of lower mandible 43; tarsus 2,4,, middle toe 1,5, its

claw 333. Weight 1 lb. 14 oz.

The Female resembles the male.

The bill varies greatly in length: in a specimen now before me, it is
278, in another 2,%,, while in the individual figured it was 44.

( 287)

THE GREAT MARBLED GODWIT.
LimosA FEDOA, Viet.

PLATE CCXXXVIII. Mate anp FEMALE.

Tuis fine bird is found during winter on all the large muddy flats of
the coast of Florida that are intermixed with beds of racoon oysters. As
the tide rises it approaches the shores, and betakes itself to the wet savan-
nahs. At this season it is generally seen in flocks of five or six, searching
for food in company with the Tell-tale, the Yellow-shanks, the Long-billed
Curlew, and the White Ibis. While feeding, it probes the mud and wet
sand, often plunging its bill to its whole length, in the manner of the
Common Snipe and the Woodcock. It is fond of the small crabs called fid-
dlers, many of which it obtains both by probing their burrows, and run-
ning after them along the edges of the salt meadows and marshes. Some-
times you see it wading in the water up to its body, and when about to
lose ground, it rises and extends its wings, still continuing to search for
fry, until forced to fly off by the increased depth of the water, when it
alights on the shore and recommences its operations. While feeding on
the banks, it appears to search for food between and under the oysters with
singular care, at times pushing the bill sidewise into the soft mud beneath
the shells. Towards the middle of the day, the separate flocks come to-
gether, assembling on some large sand-bar, where they remain for hours,
trimming their plumage, after which many of them continue some time
motionless, standing on one leg. Suddenly, however, they are all seen to
stretch their wings upwards, their bleating notes are heard, and the next
moment the flock rises, and disperses in small parties, each of which pro-
ceeds in a different direction in search of food.

Few birds are more shy or vigilant than the Great Marbled Godwit.
It watches the movements of the gunner with extreme care, particularly
while in small flocks, in which case it rarely happens that one can ap-
proach them, and they are more commonly shot by coming unawares over
the concealed sportsman. When in large flocks I have known them to
be neared, and killed in great numbers. On such occasions, they walk
towards each other, until they are quite close, when they stand still. Then

is the time for the gunner, who has driven them before him as it were, to

288 GREAT MARBLED GODWIT.

the extremity of a mud or sand-bar, to fire with a certainty of obtaining
something worth his trouble, for besides the number killed by his first
shot, he is likely to commit equal havock with the second, as they fly off
in a dense mass.

On the 31st of May 1832, I saw an immense number of these birds
on an extensive mud-bar bordering one of the Keys of Florida, about six
miles south of Cape Sable. When I landed with my party, the whole,
amounting to some thousands, collected in the manner mentioned above.
Four or five guns were fired at once, and the slaughter was such, that I
was quite satisfied with the number obtained, both for specimens and for
food, For this reason, we refrained from firing at them again, although
the temptation was at times great, as they flew over and wheeled round
us for a while, until at length they alighted at some distance and began
to feed. ‘Those which we killed were plump, and afforded excellent eat-
ing. I was much surprised to find these Godwits so far south, but next
morning, when none were to be seen excepting some wounded birds which
we had not pursued, I concluded that the flock, which was the largest I
have seen, had merely alighted there for the day.

The flight of this bird is regular and rather quick, although in the
latter respect not to be compared with that of the Curlews. When flying
to a considerable distance, or migrating, they usually proceed in extended
lines, presenting an irregular front, which rarely preserves its continuity
for any length of time, but undulates and breaks as the birds advance.
The beat of their wings is regular, and they rarely utter any cries on such
occasions.

This species enters the United States, on its return from its northern
breeding-grounds, about the middle of August, and probably travels along
the coast at that period as well as when proceeding northward, none ha-
ving been seen by me or my party in Labrador or Newfoundland, and
their passage having been observed only on the Atlantic shores of Nova
Scotia, and the whole line of our coast, on different parts of which some
of the flocks alight, and rest for a few weeks, both in spring and in au-
tumn. I may add, that I never saw one of these birds beyond the dis.

tance of a few miles from the sea-shore.

GREAT MARBLED GODWIT. 289

Limosa FeEpoa, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 328.—Swains.
and Richards, Fauna-Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 395.

Great Marsiep Gopwrir, Scotorax Frepoa, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol: vii. p. 30.
pl. 56. fig. 4._Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 173.

Adult Male. Plate CCX XXVIII. Fig. 1.

Bill very long, slender, subcylindrical, tapering to the obtuse point,
slightly recurved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly curved up-
wards in its whole extent, the ridge convex, the sides with a narrow groove
extending almost to the point, the edges rather obtuse, the tip very slightly
enlarged. Nostrils basal, lateral, nearer the edge than the dorsal line,
small, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle very long and
extremely narrow, the dorsal line slightly recurved, the sides with a nar-
row groove extending almost to the end, the edge rather blunt, the tip
obtuse.

Head small, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long, slender. Body
slender. Feet long and slender. ‘Tibia bare for about a third, anteriorly
scutellate ; tarsus long, slender, covered anteriorly with numerous scu-
tella, scutellate behind also, laterally reticulate ; toes small, slender, scu-
tellate above, flat beneath, broadly marginate, the anterior connected at
the base by webs, of which the outer is much larger ; first toe very small,
second slightly shorter than fourth, third little longer. Claws small, com-
pressed, slightly arched, obtuse, that of middle toe with the inner edge
curved outwards and thin.

Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short, on
the neck short and almost downy, on the abdomen and sides full, on the
back moderate ; all the feathers oblong and rounded. Wings rather long,
very acute, narrow ; primaries tapering, the first longest, the second little
shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries incurved, obliquely round-
ed, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, even, of twelve narrow,
rounded feathers.

Bill dull flesh-colour in its basal half, the rest blackish-brown. Iris
brown. Feet bluish-grey. The head and neck light yellowish-grey, the
throat without markings, the upper part of the head streaked with black-
ish-brown, as is the hind-neck, the markings there being fainter. The
rest of the upper parts spotted and barred with brownish-black and grey-

ish-yellow. Alula and primary coverts brownish-black, as are the outer
VOL. IIT. T

290 GREAT MARBLED GODWIT.

webs of the three first quills, those of the other primaries, and both webs
of the secondaries, reddish-ochre, all more or less mottled with dusky, and
the primaries of that colour towards the end, but with the terminal mar-
gins whitish ; the inner secondaries barred like the back, as are the tail-
feathers. Breast, abdomen, and lower surface of wings, light reddish-
yellow, the axillar feathers of a deeper tint, the sides faintly barred with
dusky.

Length to end of tail 183 inches, to end of wings 194, to end of claws
21; wing from flexure 9; tail 31; bill along the ridge 4,°,, along the
edge of lower mandible 4,4, ; bare part of tibia 1,7 ; tarsus 239; middle

toe 1,5, its claw #3.

Adult Female. Plate CCX XXVIII. Fig. 2.
The Female is considerably larger than the male, but is similar in co-

louring, the lower parts of a less bright buff.
Length to end of tail 203 inches, to end of wings 213; bill 5.

The inner edge of the middle claw is usually broken, which is a com-
mon circumstance in birds that have it very thin, but there are no regu-

lar serratures or notches upon it.

THE AMERICAN COOT.
FULICA AMERICANA, GMEL.

PLATE CCXXXIX. Mate.

From November until the middle of April, the Coots are extremely
numerous in the southern parts of the Floridas, and the lower portions
of Louisiana. At that season they are seen in flocks of several hun-
dreds, following their avocations on all the secluded bayous, grassy lakes,
and inlets, which are so plentiful in those countries ; but after the period
above mentioned none remain, and therefore it is certain none can breed
there, although such is asserted by Mr Bartram, who no doubt mistook
the Common Gallinule for the Coot, that bird breeding in those places in
considerable numbers. During the month of September, the Coot is
also abundant on all the western waters, and its appearance in those dis-
tricts being so much earlier than in the Floridas, is a sure indication of
the inland course of its migrations. On the sea coast, in fact, it is com-
paratively rare.

Although the curious form of their feet, and the situation of their
legs, might induce one to suppose these birds incapable of moving on land
with ease, experience proves the contrary, for they not only walk with
freedom, but can run with great speed when necessary. They are ac-
customed to leave the water too, and resort to open lands on the margins
of streams and lakes, for the purpose of feeding, both in the morning and
in the evening. While ascending the Mississippi, being about fifty miles
above New Orleans, on the 21st of March 1822, the weather cloudy, I
had the pleasure of seeing about six or seven hundreds of these birds
feeding on the grass of a savannah bordering the river. I took them while
at some distance, for a great flock of Guinea Fowls. Their movements
were brisk, they often struck at each other in the manner of the domestic
fowl, and ran with surprising celerity. As I approached nearer, I plainly
saw them nibble the tender grass, in the same manner as poultry ; and
having found a place of concealment behind a rise of the ground, I laid
myself flat, and observed their motions at leisure ; but during twenty mi-
nutes spent in that situation, I did not hear a single note from the flock.
I fired among them, and killed five, on which the rest, after running a

Y 9

292 AMERICAN COOT.

few steps, all rose and flew off’ with speed towards the river, mounted high
in the air, came curving over me, their legs hanging behind, their wings
producing a constant whir, and at length alighted on a narrow channel
between the shore, where I was, and a small island. Following them
with caution, I got sufficiently near to some of them to be able to see them
leap from the water to seize the young leaves of the willows that overhung
the shores. While swimming, they moved with ease, although not with
much speed, and used a constantly repeated movement of the head and
neck, corresponding with that of the feet. Now, twenty or thirty of them
would close their ranks, and swim up the stream in a lengthened body,
when they would disperse, and pick up the floating substances, not one of
them diving all the time. On firing at a large group of them that had ap-
proached me, they started off in various directions, patting the water with
their feet, and rushing with extended wings, for thirty or forty yards,
but without actually flying. After this, they made towards the brushy
shores, and disappeared for about a quarter of an hour, ‘The rest of the
birds, which were a few hundred yards off, scarcely took notice of the re-
port of the gun; and before I left the place, they had returned to the
shore, and walked into another savannah, where they probably remained
until night. The next morning not a single Coot could I find while look-
ing for them, for several miles along the river, and I concluded that they
had left the place, and continued their migratory journey northward, this
being about the beginning of the time of their general departure.

Whilst at General HerNanpbeEz’s, in East Florida, I found the Coot
abundant in every ditch, bayou, or pond. This was in December 1831,
and in the next month I saw great flocks of them near the plantation of
my friend Joun Buttow, Esq. Whilst on a visit to Spring Garden
springs, at the head of the St John’s River, I observed them to be equally
abundant along the grassy margins of the lagoons and lakes. On my re-
turn from the upper parts of that river to St Augustine, on the 28th
February, I saw large flocks of them already moving northward. They.
had suddenly become shy, and would rise before our boat, at a distance
of a hundred yards or so, with apparently scarcely any difficulty, and fly.
in loose flocks at a considerable height, half a mile or more at a time,
and without uttering a note. Indeed, the only sound I ever heard these
birds utter, is a rough guttural note, somewhat resembling cruck, cruck,
which they use when alarmed, or when chasing each other on the water in

anger. I am doubtful whether our Coot cackles and cries by night and

AMERICAN COOT. 293

by day, as has been reported ; on the other hand, I am pretty well assured
that Gallinules and Rails of different species have been confounded with
the Coot in this respect.

I never saw this species dive for food, and the only fish that I ever
found in the many that I have opened, was very small minnows or fry,
which I think they catch along the shallow edges of the water. Indeed,
unless when wounded, our Coot feels great reluctance at immersing its
body in the water; at all events, it has not the quickness of any of the
diving birds, and rarely escapes the shot of a common flint gun while at-
tempting to get away. When wounded it dives to some distance, but as
soon as it reaches the grass or reeds, it contents itself with lying flat on
the water, and thus swimming to the nearest shore, on reaching which it at
once runs off and hides in the first convenient place. When undisturbed,
it feeds both by day and by night, and as often on land as on the water.
Its food consists of seeds, grasses, small fishes, worms, snails, and insects,
and along with these it introduces into its stomach a good quantity of
rather coarse sand.

The principal breeding places of this species are yet unknown to me.
At Charleston it was supposed that it breeds in the neighbourhood of
that city ; but my friend Bacuman while searching for their nests at the
proper season, saw that the Common Gallinule was in fact the bird that
had been taken for the Coot. My learned friend Nurraut mentions that
a pair had bred in Fresh Pond near Boston, and that he there saw parents
and young. Some travelling lumberers assured me that the Coot breeds
in numbers in the lakes lying between Mars Hill in Maine and the St
Lawrence River ; but I can find no authentic accounts of its nest having
been found in any part of the United States, although some probably
breed on the borders of our northern lakes.

In Louisiana, this species is named Poule d’Eau, which is also applied
to Rallus crepitans. In all other parts of the Union, it is known by the
names of Mud Hen and Coot. The appellation of “ Flusterers” given to
it by Mr Lawson in his History of South Carolina, never came to my
ear, during my visits to that State.

These birds are frequently caught in the nets placed across the bayous
of the lakes in the neighbourhood of New Orleans, for the purpose of
catching Blue-winged Teals and other Ducks. They come against them
while flying, but if the hunter is not extremely quick they make their
escape by nimbly scrambling up, using their bill and feet until they reach

\

294 AMERICAN COOT.

the outer part of the net, when they drop into the water like so many
terapins. At times they congregate in vast numbers, and swim so closely
that a hunter in my employ, while on Lake Barataria, killed eighty at a
single shot. ‘They are extremely abundant in the New Orleans’ markets
during the latter part of autumn and in winter, when the negroes and the
poorer classes purchase them to make “ gombo.” In preparing them for
cooking, they skin them like rabbits instead of plucking them.

Both old and young birds differ considerably in size and weight. The
male, from which I drew the figure in the plate, was procured at General
HERNANDEz’s, in East Florida, and was among the best of about thirty

shot on one of my excursions there.

Fuxica americana, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 779.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of
Birds of the United States, p. 338.

Common Coot, Furica atra, Wiis. Amer. Ornith. vol. ix. p. 61. pl. 73. fig. 1.

CrinEREOvs Coot, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 229.

Adult Male. Plate CCXXXIX.

Bill about the same length as the head, stout, straight, compressed,
higher than broad at the base. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
straight and slightly sloping, towards the end slightly arched and deflected,
the ridge flattish at the base, and continuous with an oblong soft tumid
plate which ascends on the forehead, the rest of the ridge convex ; sides
rapidly slopping, edges overlapping, sharp, with a slight notch close to
the obtuse tip. Nasal groove wide, extending to two-thirds of the whole
length of the mandible, filled with a soft bare membrane ; nostrils linear,
medial, lateral, direct, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long,
narrow, rounded, the dorsal line nearly straight, the sides flattish, the
edges sharp.

Head small, oblong, much compressed. Neck of moderate length,
slender. Body rather full, compressed. Feet of moderate length, strong ;
tibia bare a short way above the joint ; tarsus rather short, compressed,
broader below, anteriorly covered with broad scutella, laterally with an-
gular scales, on the outer side behind a row of scutelliform scales ; hind
toe short, slender ; middle toe longest, fourth longer than second ; toes
scutellate above, hind one with an inferior lobe, second with two larger

inner and two smaller outer rounded lobes ; third with three, fourth with

AMERICAN COOT. 295

four on each side ; claws of moderate length, slightly arched, much com~-
pressed, acute, the middle one with a thin inner edge.

Plumage very soft and blended, on the head and neck short. Wings
short, broad, rounded ; primaries curved, second longest, third little
shorter, first rather longer than sixth, all broad and rounded ; secondaries
broad, rounded with a minute tip, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail
very short, much rounded, of twelve weak rounded feathers ; the upper
and lower coverts nearly as long as the tail-feathers.

Bill greyish-white, with a dusky spot on each mandible towards the
end; frontal callosity white during life, brownish-red after death. Head
and neck greyish-black, the upper parts deep bluish-grey, with an oliva-
ceous tinge on the scapulars and inner secondaries. Quills greyish-brown,
darker towards the tips; the edge of the wings, outer margin of first quill,
and tips of outer secondaries, white. Tail brownish-black ; lower tail-
coverts white. (The breast and abdomen are light bluish-grey, the latter
paler, the sides darker; the lower surface of the wings of the same dull
leaden tint.

Length to end of tail 1319 inches, to end of wings 14,%;, to end of
claws 182; extent of wings 25; wing from flexure 73 ; tail 22; bill along
the back 13%, along the edge of lower mandible 13% ; bare part of tibia 3? ;
tarsus 2; middle toe 2,°, its claw 73. Weight 1 Ib-

THE ROSEATE TERN.

STERNA DovuGALLu, Mont.

PLATE CCXL. Apbutv.

On the 28th of April 1832, it was my lot to be on the beautiful rocky
islet named Indian Key, where I spent a few hours of the night in un-
successful attempts to procure repose, which was effectually banished by
the consciousness of my being in a portion of the country not yet exami-
ned by any industrious student of nature, and in which I expected to
find much that would prove interesting. The rain fell in torrents, ‘and
the rattling of the large drops on the shingles of the veranda in which my
hammock had been slung, together with the chillness of the air, contri-
buted to keep me awake. Finding it useless to remain in bed,"I roused.
my companions; it was just four o'clock, and in a few minutes all the
people in the house were up, and breakfast preparing. Before six the
rain abated, and as I was determined not to lose a day, the guns were
mustered, we made our way to the boats, and pushed off through a gentle
shower in quest of unknown birds! In about an hour the rain ceased, the
sky gradually cleared, and the sun soon dried our clothes. About this
time we observed a great number of Terns on a sand bar, which we ap-
proached. The birds were not shy, so that we obtained an opportunity
of firing two guns at them, when we leaped out, and on wading to the
shore picked up thirty-eight Roseate Terns and several of another spe-
cles.

Beautiful, indeed, are Terns of every kind, but the Roseate excels the
rest, if not in form, yet in the lovely hue of its breast. I had never seen
a bird of this species before, and as the unscathed hundreds arose and
danced as it were in the air, I thought them the Humming Birds of the
sea, so light and graceful were their movements. Now they flocked to-
gether and hovered over us, again with a sudden dash they plunged to-
wards us in anger; even their cries of wrath sounded musical, and al-
though -I had carried destruction among them, I felt delighted. As I
have just said, I had not before seen a Roseate Tern, not even the skin
of one stuffed with tow ; the species was not in the Synopsis of my friend

Bonaparte, and now I had my cap filled to the brim with specimens.

ROSEATE TERN. 297

You may rest assured that I took precious care of those which I had pro-
cured, but not another individual was robbed of life on that excursion.
The other Terns were as new to me. I observed the form of their black
bill and feet, the yellow tip of the former, and wrapped them up with
care, while I tried to recollect the name they bore in books. To have
found hundreds of the Roseate Tern in the Floridas, while I had anxious
but slender hopes of meeting it on the coast of Labrador, was to me
quite astonishing. So it was, however, and I determined to ransack every
key and sand-beach, to try to find its breeding-ground. Nor were my
desires ungratitied.

The Roseate Tern spends the breeding season along the southern
shores of the Floridas in considerable numbers. At different times in the
course of nearly three months which I spent among the keys, I saw flocks
of twenty, thirty, or more pairs, breeding on small detached rocky islands,
scantily furnished with grass, and in the company of hundreds of Sand-
wich Terns. The two species appeared to agree well together, and their
nests were intermingled. The full number of eggs of the present species
is three. They differ considerably in size and markings; their average
length, however, is an inch and three quarters, their breadth an inch and
one-eighth ; they are of a longish oval shape, rather narrowed at the
small end, of a dull buff or clay colour, sparingly sprinkled and spotted
with different tints of umber and light purple. They were deposited on
the bare rocks, among the roots of the grasses, and left in fair weather to
the heat of the sun. Like those of the Common Tern and other species,
they are delicious eating. The eggs of the Sandwich Tern were more
attended to during the day, but toward night both species sat on their
eggs. I did not see any of the young, but procured a good number of
those of the preceding year, which kept apart from the old birds, but had
in all respects the same habits.

The Roseate Tern is at all times a noisy, restless bird ; and on ap-
proaching its breeding place, it incessantly emits its sharp shrill cries, re-
sembling the syllable crak. Its flight is unsteady and flickering, like that
of the Arctic or Lesser Terns, but rather more buoyant and graceful.
They would dash at us and be off again with astonishing quickness,
making great use of their tail on such occasions. While in search of prey,
they carry the bill in the manner of the Common Tern, that is perpen-
dicularly downward, plunge like a shot, with wings nearly closed, so as

to immerse part of the body, and immediately reascend. They were seen

298 ROSEATE TERN.

dipping in this manner eight or ten times in succession, and each time
generally secured a small fish. Their food consisted of fishes, and a kind
of small molluscous animal which floats near the surface, and bears the
name of “ sailor’s button.” They usually kept in parties of from ten to
twenty, followed the shores of the sand-bars and keys, moving backwards
and forwards much in the manner of the Lesser Tern, and wherever a
shoal of small fish was found, there they would hover and dash headlong
at them for several minutes at a time.

The wreckers informed me that this species returns regularly to these
islands each spring, about the 10th of April, and goes off southward early
in September. These birds, with their favourite companions the Sand-
wich Terns, habitually resorted to the sand-bars each day, to rest for an
hour or two. I have never seen them on any part of our middle or eastern
coast, and am of opinion that they rarely proceed farther eastward than
the Capes of Florida, and that they are more attached to the immediate
vicinity of the shores than the larger species, which more generally fly
out to some distance. The delicate and beautiful rosy tint of the breast
soon fades after death. Those specimens which were not skinned imme-
diately after being procured did not retain it for a week, and in none of
them was it perceptible, without separating the feathers, at the end of a
month. In winter it disappears, as well as the glossy black of the head.
The length of the outer tail-feathers varies considerably ; but I could per-
ceive no decided difference of size or colour in the sexes, although I thought

the females somewhat smaller than the males.

Sterna Dovcatti, Mont. Ornith. Dict.

HironDELLE-DE-MER DoveGaLt, STERNA Doucauit, Temm. Man. d’Ornith. part ii.
p- 738.

RosEate Tern, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 278.

Adult Male. Plate CCXL.

Bill longer than the head, slender, tapering, compressed, nearly straight,
very acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly arched, the
ridge rather broad and convex at the base, narrow towards the end, the
sides convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip acute. Nasal groove
short, extended to one-third of the length of the bill, deflected towards
the edge; nostrils basal, linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandible with

the angle extremely narrow, very acute, extending to a little beyond the

ROSEATE TERN. 299

middle, the dorsal line straight, the sides convex, the sharp edges in-
flected, the tip extremely acute.

Head of moderate size, oblong; neck of moderate length; body very
slender ; feet small; wings and tail very long. ‘Tibia bare for a consi-
derable space; tarsus very short, slender, roundish, covered anteriorly
with small scutella, laterally and behind with reticular scales ; toes small,
slender, the first very small, the third longest, the fourth nearly as long,
the second much shorter, all scutellate above, the anterior united by re-
ticulated webs having a concave margin ; claws curved, compressed, acute,
that of hind toe smallest, of middle toe by much the largest, and having
the inner edge thin and dilated.

Plumage soft, close, blended, very short on the head ; the feathers in
general broad and rounded. Wings very long, narrow, and pointed ;
primary quills tapering, the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated ; se-
condary short, broad, incurved, rounded, the inner more tapering. Tail
long, very deeply forked, of twelve feathers, of which the outer are taper-
ing, the middle short and rounded.

Bill brownish-black, deep orange at the base. Iris brown. Feet ver-
milion ; claws blackish-brown, yellow at the base. The upper part of the
head and elongated occipital feathers greenish-black ; the hind neck white,
the rest of the upper parts pale bluish-grey, the tail lighter ; the edges of
the wings, the tips and inner edges of the quills, and the shafts white.
The first primary is black on the outer web and part of the inner, the
next two are similarly marked, but with the black shaded over with pale
grey, the loose barbules being of that colour ; the other primaries become
gradually lighter. The lower parts are of a beautiful light roseate hue,
which soon fades after death; the under surface of wings and tail white.

Length to end of tail 1442 inches, to end of wings 12, to end of claws
9; extent of wings 30; wing from flexure 9}; tail to end of shortest
feathers 43, to end of longest feathers 73; bill along the ridge 14, along

the edge of lower mandible 274; tarsus +2, middle toe 49, its claw 33.

( 300 )

REMINISCENCES OF THOMAS BEWICK.

TurovucH the kindness of Mr Sexsy of Twizel-House in Northum-
berland, I had anticipated the pleasure of forming an acquaintance with
the celebrated and estimable Berwick, whose works indicate an era in the
history of the art of engraving on wood. In my progress southward,
after leaving Edinburgh in 1827, I reached Newcastle-upon-Tyne about
the middle of April, when Nature had begun to decorate anew the rich
country around. The lark was in full song, the blackbird rioted in the
exuberance of joy, the husbandman cheerily plied his healthful labours,
and I, although a stranger in a foreign land, felt delighted with all around
me, for I had formed friends who were courteous and kind, and whose
favour I had reason to hope would continue. Nor have I been disappoint-
ed in my expectations.

Bewicx must have heard of my arrival at Newcastle before I had an
opportunity of calling upon him, for he sent me by his son the following
note :—* T. Bewrcx’s compliments to Mr Aupusoy, and will be glad of
the honour of his company this day to tea at six o’clock.”. These few
words at once proved to me the kindness of his nature, and, as my labours
were closed for the day, I accompanied the son to his father’s house.

As yet I had seen but little of the town, and had never crossed the
Tyne. The first remarkable object that attracted my notice was a fine
church, which my companion informed me was that of St Nicholas. Pass-
ing over the river by a stone bridge of several arches, I saw by the wharfs
a considerable number of vessels, among which I distinguished some of
American construction. ‘The shores on either side were pleasant, the
undulated ground being ornamented with buildings, windmills, and glass-
works. On the water glided, or were swept along by great oars, boats
of singular form, deeply laden with the subterranean produce of the hills
around,

At length we reached the dwelling of the Engraver, and I was at once
shewn to his workshop. There I met the old man, who, coming towards
me, welcomed me with a hearty shake of the hand, and for a moment took
off a cotton night-cap, somewhat soiled by the smoke of the place. He

was a tall stout man, with a large head, and with eyes placed farther apart

THOMAS BEWICK. 301

than those of any man that I have ever seen :—a perfect old Englishman,
full of life, although seventy-four years of age, active and prompt in his
labours. Presently he proposed shewing me the work he was at, and went
on with his tools. It was a small vignette, cut on a block of boxwood not
more than three by two inches in surface, and represented a dog frighten-
ed at night by what he fancied to be living objects, but which were actu-
ally roots and branches of trees, rocks, and other objects bearing the sem-
blance of men. This curious piece of art, like all his works, was exquisite,
and more than once did I feel strongly tempted to ask a rejected bit, but
was prevented by his inviting me up stairs, where, he said, I should soon
meet all the best artists of Newcastle.

There I was introduced to the Misses Bewicx, amiable and affable
ladies, who manifested all anxiety to render my visit agreeable. Among
the visitors I saw a Mr Goup, and was highly pleased with one of the
productions of his pencil, a full length miniature in oil of Brwicx, well,
drawn, and highly finished.

The old gentleman and I stuck to each other, he talking of my draw-
ings, I of his wood-cuts. Now and then he would take off his cap, and
draw up his grey worsted stockings to his nether clothes; but whenever
our conversation became animated, the replaced cap was left sticking as
if by magic to the hind part of his head, the neglected hose resumed
their downward tendency, his fine eyes sparkled, and he delivered his sen-
timents with a freedom and vivacity which afforded me great pleasure.
He said he had heard that my drawings had been exhibited in Liverpool,
and felt great anxiety to see some of them, which he proposed to gratify
by visiting me early next morning along with his daughters and a few
friends. Recollecting ai that moment how desirous my sons, then in
Kentucky, were to have a copy of his works on Quadrupeds, I asked him
where I could procure one, when he immediately answered ‘* Here,” and
forthwith presented me with a beautiful set.

The tea-drinking having in due time come to an end, young BEewick,
to amuse me, brought a bagpipe of a new construction, called the Dur-
ham Pipe, and played some simple Scotch, English and. Irish airs, all
sweet and pleasing to my taste. I could scarcely understand how, with
his large fingers, he managed to cover, each hole separately. The instru-
ment sounded somewhat like a hautboy, and had none of the shrill war-.

like notes or booming sound of the military bagpipe of the Scotch High-.

302 THOMAS BEWICK.

landers. 'The company dispersed at any early hour, and when f parted
from Bewicx that night, I parted from a friend.

A few days after this I received another note from him, which I read
hastily, having with me at the moment many persons examining my draw-
ings. This note having, as I understood it, intimated his desire that I
should go and dine with him that day, I accordingly went ; but judge of
my surprise when, on arriving at his house at 5 o'clock, with an appetite
becoming the occasion, I discovered that I had been invited to tea and
not to dinner. However, the mistake was speedily cleared up to the sa-
tisfaction of all parties, and an abundant supply of eatables was placed on
the table. The Reverend WiL1L1am Turner joined us, and the evening
passed delightfully. At first our conversation was desultory and multi-
farious, but when the table was removed, BEewicx took his seat by the
fire, and we talked of our more immediate concerns. In due time we
took leave, and returned to our homes, pleased with each other and with
our host.

Having been invited the previous evening to breakfast with Bewick
at 8, I revisited him at that hour on the 16th April, and found the whole
family so kind and attentive that I felt quite at home. The good gentle-
man, after breakfast, soon betook himself to his labours, and began to
shew me, as he laughingly said, how easy it was to cut wood ; but I soon
saw that cutting wood in his style and manner was no joke, although to
him it seemed indeed easy. His delicate and beautiful tools were all
made by himself, and I may with truth say that his shop was the only
artist’s “‘ shop” that I ever found perfectly clean and tidy. In the course
of the day Bewrck called upon me again, and put down his name on my
list of subscribers in behalf of the Literary and Philosophical Society of
Newcastle. In this, however, his enthusiasm had misled him, for the
learned body for which he took upon himself to act, did not think proper
to ratify the compact.

Another invitation having come to me from Gatehead, I found my
good friend seated in his usual place. His countenance seemed to me to
beam with pleasure as he shook my hand. “ I could not bear the idea,”
said he, “ of your going off, without telling you, in written words, what
I think of your Birds of America. Here it is in black and white, and
make of it what use you may, if it be of use at all.” I put the unsealed

letter in my pocket, and we chatted on subjects connected with natural

THOMAS BEWICK. 303

history. Now and then he would start and exclaim, “ Oh, that I were
young again! I would go to America too. Hey! what a country it will
be, Mr Avpuzon.” I retorted by exclaiming, “ Hey ! what a country it
is already, Mr Bewtcx !” In the midst of our conversation on birds and
other animals, he drank my health and the peace of all the world in hot
brandy toddy, and I returned the compliment, wishing, no doubt in ac-
cordance with his own sentiments, the health of all our enemies. His
daughters enjoyed the scene, and remarked, that for years, their father
had not been in such a flow of spirits.

I regret that I have not by me at present the letter which this gene-
rous and worthy man gave me that evening, otherwise, for his sake, I
should have presented you with it. It isin careful keeping, however, as a
memorial of a man whose memory is dear to me; and be assured I regard
it with quite as much pleasure as a manuscript “Synopsis of the Birds
of America,” by ALEXANDER Witson, which that celebrated individual
gave to me at Louisville in Kentucky, more than twenty years ago.
Bewrcx’s letter, however, will be presented to you along with many others,
in connection with some strange facts, which I hope may be useful to the
world. We protracted our conversation beyond our usual time of retir-
ing to rest, and at his earnest request, and much to my satisfaction, I
promised to spend the next evening with him, as it was to be my last at
Newcastle for some time.

On the 19th of the same month I paid him my last visit, at his house.
When we parted, he repeated three times, “‘ God preserve you, God bless
you!” He must have been sensible of the emotion which I felt, and
which he must have read in my looks, although I refrained from speaking
on the occasion.

A few weeks previous to the death of this fervent admirer of nature,
he and his daughters paid me a visit in London. He looked as well as
when I had seen him at Newcastle. Our interview was short but agree-
able, and when he bade adieu, I was certainly far from thinking that it
might be the last. But so it was, for only a very short time had elapsed
when I saw his death announced in the newspapers.

My opinion of this remarkable man is, that he was purely a son of
nature, to whom alone he owed nearly all that characterized him as an
artist and a man. Warm in his affections, of deep feeling, and possessed

of a vigorous imagination, with correct and penetrating observation, he

304 THOMAS BEWICK.

needed little extraneous aid to make him what he became, the first en-
graver on wood that England has produced. Look at his tail-pieces,
Reader, and say if you ever saw so much life represented before, from the
glutton who precedes the Great Black-backed Gull, to the youngsters fly-
ing their kite, the disappointed sportsman who, by shooting a magpie, has
lost a woodcock, the horse endeavouring to reach the water, the bull roar-
ing near the style, or the poor beggar attacked by the rich man’s mastiff.
As you turn each successive leaf, from beginning to end of his admirable
books, scenes calculated to excite your admiration everywhere present
themselves. Assuredly you will agree with me in thinking that in his
peculiar path none has equalled him. There may be men now, or some
may in after years appear, whose works may in some respects rival or even
excel his, but not the less must Tuomas Bewicx of Newcastle-on-Tyne
be considered in the art of engraving on wood what Linnzvs will ever be
in natural history, though not the founder, yet the enlightened improver

and illustrious promoter.

THE GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL.
LARUS MARINUS, Linn.

PLATE CCXLI. Maie.

Hreu in the thin keen air, far above the rugged crags of the desolate
shores of Labrador, proudly sails the tyrant Gull, floating along on almost
motionless wing, like an eagle in his calm and majestic flight. On widely
extended pinions, he moves in large circles, constantly eyeing the objects
below. Harsh and loud are his cries, and with no pleasant feeling do
they come on the winged multitudes below. Now onward he sweeps,
passes over each rocky bay, visits the little islands, and shoots off towards
the mossy heaths, attracted perhaps by the notes of the Grous or some
other birds. As he flies over each estuary, lake, or pool, the breeding
birds prepare to defend their unfledged broods, or ensure their escape
from the powerful beak of their remorseless spoiler. Even the shoals of
the finny tribes sink deeper into the waters as he approaches ; the young
birds become silent in their nests or seek for safety in the clefts of the
rocks; the Guillemots and Gannets dread to look up, and the other Gulls,
unable to cope with the destroyer, give way as he advances. Far off
among the rolling billows, he spies the carcass of some monster of the deep,
and, on steady wing, glides off towards it. Alighting on the huge whale,
he throws upwards his head, opens his bill, and, louder and fiercer than
ever, sends his cries through the air. Leisurely he walks over the putrid
mass, and now, assured that all is safe, he tears, tugs, and swallows piece
after piece, until he is crammed to the throat, when he lays himself down
surfeited and exhausted, to rest for a while in the feeble sheen of the north-
ern sun. Great, however, are the powers of his stomach, and ere long the
half-putrid food which vulture-like he has devoured, is digested. Like all
gluttons, he loves variety, and away he flies to some well-known isle, where
thousands of young birds or eggs are to be found. ‘There, without re-
morse, he breaks the shells, swallows their contents, and begins leisurely
to devour the helpless young. Neither the cries of the parents, nor all
their attempts to drive the plunderer away, can induce him to desist until
he has again satisfied his ever-craving appetite. But although tyrannical,

the Great Gull is a coward, and meanly does he sneak off when he sees
VOL, III. U

306 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL.

the Skua fly up, which, smaller as it is, yet evinces a thoughtless intre-
pidity, that strikes the ravenous and merciless bird with terror.

If we compare this species with some other of its tribe, and mark its
great size, its powerful flight, and its robust constitution, we cannot but
wonder to find its range so limited during the breeding season. Few in-
dividuals are to be found northward of the entrance into Baffin’s Bay,
and rarely are they met with beyond this, as no mention is made of them
by Dr Ricuarpson in the Fauna Boreali-Americana. Along our coast,
none breed farther south than the eastern extremity of Maine. The
western shores of Labrador, along an extent of about three hundred miles,
afford the stations to which this species resorts during spring and summer ;
there it is abundant, and there it was that I studied its habits.

The farthest limits of the winter migrations of the young, so far as I
have observed, are the middle portions of the eastern coast of the Floridas.
While at St Augustine, in the winter of 1831, I saw several pairs keep-
ing company with the young Brown Pelican, more as a matter of interest
than of friendship, as they frequently chased them as if to force them to
disgorge a portion of their earnings, acting much in the same manner as
the Lestris does toward the smaller Gulls, but without any effect. They
were extremely shy, alighted only on the outer edges of the outer sand-
bars, and could not be approached, as they regularly walked off before my
party the moment any of us moved towards them, until reaching the last
projecting point, they flew off, and never stopped until out of sight. At
what period they left that coast I am unable to say. Some are seen scat-
tered along our sea-shores, from the Floridas to the Middle States, there
being but few old birds among them ; but the species does not become
abundant until beyond the eastern extremities of the Connecticut and
Long Island, when their number greatly increases the farther you pro-=
ceed. On the whole of that extensive range, these birds are very shy and
wary, and those which are procured are merely “ chance shots.” They
seldom advance far up the bays, unless forced to do so by severe weather
or heavy gales; and although I have seen this bird on our great lakes, I
do not remember having ever observed an individual on any of our eastern
rivers, at a distance from the sea, whereas the Larus argentatus is fre-
quently found in such places.

Towards the commencement of summer, these wandering birds are
seen abandoning the waters of the ocean to tarry for a while on the wild

shores of Labrador, dreary and desolate to man, but to them delightful

GREAT BLACK-BACK&D GULL. 307

as affording all that they can desire. One by one they arrive, the older
individuals first. As they view from afar the land of their birth, that
moment they emit their loud cries, with all the joy a traveller feels when
approaching his loved home. The males sooner or later fall in with the
females of their choice, and together they proceed to some secluded sand-
bar, where they fill the air with their furious laughs until the rocks echo
again. Should the student of nature happen to be a distant spectator of
these meetings, he too must have much enjoyment. Each male bows,
moves around his mate, and no doubt discloses to her the ardour of his
love. Matters are managed to the satisfaction of all parties, yet day after
day for a while, at the retreat of the waters, they meet as if by mutual
agreement. Now you see them dressing their plumage, now partially ex-
panding their wings to the sun; some lay themselves comfortably down
on the sand, while others, supported by one foot, stand side by side.
The waters again advance, and the Gulls all move off in search of food.
At length the time has arrived; small parties of a few pairs fly to-
wards the desert isles. Some remain in the nearest to prepare their nests,
the rest proceed, until each pair has found a suitable retreat, and before
a fortnight has elapsed, incubation has commenced.

The nest of this species is usually placed on the bare rock of some
low island, sometimes beneath a projecting shelf, sometimes in a wide fis-
sure. In Labrador it is formed of moss and seaweeds carefully arranged,
and has a diameter of about two feet, being raised on the edges to the
height of five or six inches, but seldom more than two inches thick in the
centre, where feathers, dry grass, and other materials are added. The
eggs are three, and in no instance have I found more. They are two
inches and seven-eighths in length, by,two inches and one-eighth in breadth,
broadly ovate, rough but not granulated, of a pale earthy greenish-grey
colour, irregularly blotched and spotted with brownish-black, dark umber,
and dull purple. Like those of most ‘other Gulls, they afford good eat-
ing. This species lays from the middle of May to that of June, and
raises only one brood in the season. The birds never leave their eggs
for any length of time, until the young make their appearance. Both
sexes incubate, the sitting bird being supplied with food by the other.
During the first week, the young are fed by having their supplies dis-
gorged into their bill, but when they have attained some size, the food is
dropped beside or before them. When they are approached by man,
they walk with considerable speed towards some hiding place, or to the

u 2

308 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL.

nearest projecting ledge, beneath which they squat. When five or six
weeks old, they take to the water, to ensure their escape, and swim with
great buoyancy. If caught, they cry in the manner of their parents. On
the 18th of June, several small ones were procured and placed on the
deck of the Ripley, where they walked with ease and picked up the food
thrown to them. As soon as one was about to swallow its portion, ano-
ther would run up, seize it, tug at it, and if stronger, carry it off and de-
vour it. On the 23d of that month, two individuals, several weeks old,
and partly fledged, were also brought on board. Their notes, although
feeble, perfectly resembled those of their parents. They ate greedily of
every thing that was offered to them. When fatigued they sat with their
tarsi placed on the ground and extended forward, in the manner of all
the Herons, which gave them a very ludicrous appearance. Ere a month
had elapsed, they appeared to have formed a complete acquaintance
with the cook and several of the sailors, had become quite fat, and
conducted themselves much like Vultures, for if a dead Duck, or even a
Gull of their own species, were thrown to them, they would tear it in
pieces, drink the blood, and swallow the flesh in large morsels, each try-
ing to rob the others of what they had torn from the carcass. ‘They never
drank water, but not unfrequently washed the blood and filth from their
bills, by immersing them and then shaking the head violently. These
birds were fed until they were nearly able to fly. Now and then, the
sailors would throw them overboard while we were in harbour. This
seemed to gratify the birds as well as the sailors, for they would swim
about, wash themselves, and dress their plumage, after which they would
make for the sides, and would be taken on board. During a violent gale,
one night, while we were at anchor in the harbour of Bras d’Or, our bark
rolled heavily, and one of our pets went over the side and swam to the
shore, where, after considerable search next day, it was found shivering:
by the lee of a rock. Qn being brought to its brothers, it was pleasant
to see their mutual congratulations, which were extremely animated. Be-
fore we left the coast, they would sometimes fly of their own accord into
the water to bathe, but could not return to the deck without assistance, .
although they endeavoured to do so. I had become much attached to
them, and now and then thought they looked highly interesting, as they.
lay panting on their sides on the deck, although the thermometer did not
rise above 55°. ‘Their enmity to my son’s pointer was quite remarkable,

and as that animal was of a gentle and kindly disposition, they would.

GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL. 309

tease him, bite him, and drive him fairly from the deck into the cabin.
A few days after leaving St George’s Bay in Newfoundland, we were as-
sailed by a violent gale, and obliged to lie-to. Next day one of the Gulls
was washed overboard. It tried to reach the vessel again, but in vain ;
the gale continued; the sailors told me the bird was swimming towards
the shore, which was not so far off as we could have wished, and which it
probably reached in safety. The other was given to my friend Lieutenant
Green of the United States Army, at Eastport in Maine. In one of his
letters to me the following winter, he said that the young Larus marinus
was quite a pet in the garrison, and doing very well, but that no percep-
tible change had taken place in its plumage.

On referring to my journal again, I find that while we were at anchor
at the head of St George’s Bay, the sailors caught many codlings, of
which each of our young Gulls swallowed daily two, measuring from
eight to ten inches in length. It was curious to see them after such a
meal: the form of the fish could be traced along the neck, which for a
while they were obliged to keep stretched out ; they gaped and were evi-
dently suffering ; yet they would not throw up the fish. About the time
the young of this species are nearly able to fly, they are killed in consider-
able numbers on their breeding grounds, skinned and salted for the set-
tlers and resident fishermen of Labrador and Newfoundland, at which
latter place I saw piles of them. When they are able to shift for them-
selves, their parents completely abandon them, and old and young go se-
parately in search of food.

The flight of the Great Black-backed Gull is firm, steady, at times
elegant, rather swift, and long protracted. While travelling, it usually
flies at the height of fifty or sixty yards, and proceeds in a direct course,
with easy regulated flappings. Should the weather prove tempestuous,
this Gull, like most others, skims over the surface of the waters or the
land within a few yards or even feet, meeting the gale, but not yield-
ing to it, and forcing its way against the strongest wind. In calm wea-
ther and sunshine, at all seasons of the year, it is fond of soaring to a
great height, where it flies about leisurely and with considerable elegance
for half an hour or so, in the manner of eagles, vultures, and ravens. Now
and then, while pursuing a bird of its own species, or trying to. escape
from an enemy, it passes through the air with rapid boundings, which,
however, do not continue long, and as soon as they are over it rises and

slowly sails in circles. When man encroaches on its domains, it keeps

‘

310 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL.

over him at a safe distance, not sailing so much as moving to either side
with continued flappings. To secure the fishes on which it more usually
preys, it sweeps downwards with velocity, and as it glides over the spot,
picks up its prey with its bill. If the fish be small, the Gull swallows it
on wing, but if large, it either alights on the water, or flies to the nearest
shore to devour it.

Although a comparatively silent bird for three-fourths of the year,
the Great Black-backed Gull becomes very noisy at the approach of the
breeding season, and continues so until the young are well fledged, after
which it resumes its silence. Its common notes, when it is interrupted or
surprised, sound like cack, cack, cack. While courting, they are softer
and more lengthened, and resemble the syllables cawah, which are often
repeated as it sails in circles or otherwise, within view of its mate or its
place of abode.

This species walks well, moving firmly and with an air of importance.
On the water it swims lightly but slowly, and may soon be overtaken by
a boat. It has no power of diving, although at times, when searching
for food along the shores, it will enter the water on seeing a crab or a
lobster, to seize it, in which it at times succeeds. I saw one at Labra-
dor plunge after a large crab in about two feet of water, when, after
a tug, it hauled it ashore, where it devoured it in my sight. I watched
its movements with a glass, and could easily observe how it tore the crab
to pieces, swallowed its body, leaving the shell and the claws, after which
it flew off to its young and disgorged before them.

It is extremely voracious, and devours all sorts of food excepting ve-
getables, even the most putrid carrion, but prefers fresh fish, young birds,
or small quadrupeds, whenever they can be procured. It sucks the eggs
of every bird it can find, thus destroying great numbers of them, as well
as the parents, if weak or helpless. I have frequently seen these Gulls
attack a flock of young Ducks while swimming beside their mother, when
the latter, if small, would have to take to wing, and the former would all
dive, but were often caught on rising to the surface, unless they happened
to be among rushes. The Eider Duck is the only one of the tribe that
risks her life, on such occasions, to save that of her young. She will fre-
quently rise from the water, as her brood disappear beneath, and keep
the Gull at bay, or harass it until her little ones are safe under some
shelving rocks, when she flies off in another direction, leaving the enemy
to digest his disappointment. But while the poor Duck is sitting on her

GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL. 31)

eggs in any open situation, the marauder assails her, and forces her off,
when he sucks the eggs in her very sight. Young Grous are also the
prey of this Gull, which chases them over the moss-covered rocks, and
devours them before their parents. It follows the shoals of fishes for
‘hours at a time, and usually with great success. On the coast of Labra-
dor, I frequently saw these birds seize flounders on the edges of the shal-
lows ; they often attempted to swallow them whole, but, finding this im-
practicable, removed to some rock, beat them, and tore them to pieces.
They appear to digest feathers, bones, and other hard substances with
ease, seldom disgorging their food, unless for the purpose of feeding their
young or mates, or when wounded and approached by man, or when pur-
sued by some bird of greater power. While at Boston in Massachusetts,
one cold winter morning, I saw one of these Gulls take up an eel, about
fifteen or eighteen inches in length, from a mud bank. The Gull rose
with difficulty, and after some trouble managed to gulp the head of the
fish, and flew towards the shore with it, when a White-headed Eagle
made its appearance, and soon overtook the Gull, which reluctantly gave
up the eel, on which the Eagle glided towards it, and, seizing it with its
talons, before it reached the water, carried it off.

This Gull is excessively shy and vigilant, so that even at Labrador
we found it difficult to procure it, nor did we succeed in obtaining more
than about a dozen old birds, and that only by stratagem. They watched
our movements with so much care as never to fly past a rock behind which
one of the party might be likely to lie concealed. None were shot near
the nests when they were sitting on their eggs, and only one female at-
tempted to rescue her young, and was shot as she accidentally flew with-
in distance. The time to surprise them was during violent gales, for then
they flew close to the tops of the highest rocks, where we took care to con-
ceal ourselves for the purpose. When we approached the rocky islets on
which they bred, they left the place as soon as they became aware of our
intentions, cackled and barked loudly, and when we returned, followed us

_ at a distance more than a mile.

They begin to moult early in July. In the beginning of August the
young were seen searching for food by themselves, and even far apart.
By the 12th of that month they had all left Labrador. We saw them
afterwards along the coast of Newfoundland, and while crossing the Gulf
of St Lawrence, and found them over the bays of Nova Scotia, as we pro-
ceeded southward. When old, their flesh is tough and unfit for food.

312 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL.

Their feathers are elastic, and good for pillows and such purposes, but
can rarely be procured in sufficient quantity.

The most remarkable circumstance relative to these birds is, that they
either associate with another species, giving rise to a hybrid brood, or that
when very old they lose the dark colour of the back, which is then of
the same tint as that of the Larus argentatus, or even lighter. This
curious fact was also remarked by the young gentlemen who accompanied
me to Labrador; and although it is impossible for me to clear up the
doubts that may be naturally entertained on this subject, whichever of
the two suppositions is adopted, the fact may yet be established and ac-
counted for by persons who may have better opportunities of watching
them and studying their habits. No individuals of Larus argentatus
were, to my knowledge, seen on that coast during the three months which
I passed there, and the fishermen told us that the ‘“ saddle-backs were the
only large Gulls that ever breed there.”

This bird must be of extraordinary longevity, as I have seen one that
was kept in a state of captivity more than thirty years. The following
very interesting account of the habits of a partially domesticated indivi-
dual I owe to my esteemed and learned friend Dr Netix of Edinburgh.

‘¢ In the course of the summer of 1818, a “ big scorie” was brought to
me by a Newhaven fisher-boy, who mentioned that it had been picked up
at sea, about the mouth of the Frith of Forth. The bird was not then
fully fledged : it was quite uninjured: it quickly learned to feed on po-
tatoes and kitchen refuse, along with some ducks; and it soon became
more familiar than they, often peeping in at the kitchen window in hopes
of getting a bit of fat meat, which it relished highly. It used to follow
my servant Peccy Oxiver about the doors, expanding its wings and vo-
ciferating for food. After two moults 1 was agreeably surprised to find
it assuming the dark plumage of the back, and the shape and colour of
the bill of the Larus marinus, or Great Black-backed Gull; for I had
hitherto regarded it as merely a large specimen of the Lesser Black-backed
(L. fuscus), a pair of which I then possessed, but which had never al-
lowed the new comer to associate with them. The bird being perfectly
tame, we did not take the precaution of keeping the quills of one wing
cut short, so as to prevent flight ; indeed, as it was often praised as a re-
markably large and noble looking Sea-maw, we did not like to disfigure
it. In the winter 1821-2, it got a companion in a cock-heron, which had
been wounded in Coldinghame Muir, brought to Edinburgh alive, and

GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL. 313

kept for some weeks in a cellar in the old College, and then presented to
me by the late Mr Jonn Wi1soy, the janitor,—a person remarkably dis-
tinguished for his attachment to natural history pursuits. This Heron
we succeeded in taming completely, and it still (1835) remains with me,
having the whole garden to range in, the trees to roost upon, and access
to the Loch at pleasure, the loch being the boundary of my garden.
Some time in the spring of 1822, the large Gull was amissing ; and we
ascertained (in some way that has now escaped my memory) that it had
not been stolen, nor killed, as we at first supposed, but had taken flight,
passing northwards over the village, and had probably therefore gone to
sea. Of course I gave up all expectation of ever hearing more of it. It
was not without surprise, therefore, that on going home one day in the
end of October of that year, I heard my servant calling cut with great
exultation, “ Sir, Big Gull is come back !” I accordingly found him
walking about in his old haunts in the garden, in company with, and re-
cognising (as I am firmly persuaded) his old friend the Heron. He dis-
appeared in the evening, and returned in the morning, for several days ;
when Pecey Oxiver thought it best to secure him. He evidently did
not like confinement, and it was concerted that he should be allowed
his liberty, although he ran much risk of being shot on the mill-pond by
youthful sportsmen from Edinburgh. After this temporary captivity,
he was more cautious and shy than formerly ; but still he made almost
daily visits to the garden, and picked up herrings or other food laid down
for him. In the beginning of March 1823 his visits ceased; and we
saw no more of him till late in the autumn of that year. These winter
visits to Canonmills, and summer excursions to the unknown breeding-
place, were continued for years with great uniformity: only I remarked
that after the Gull lost his protectress, who died in 1826 *, he became
more distant in his manners. In my note-book, under date of 26th Oc-
tober 1829, I find this entry: ‘ Old Pecey’s Great Black-backed Gull
arrived at the pond this morning, the seventh (or eighth) winter he has
regularly returned. He had a scorie with him, which was soon shot on

the loch, by some cockney sportsman. The young bird, doubtless

* « Peccy OLIVER was remarkable for the zeal and taste she displayed in the domesti-
cating of uncommon animals, as well as in the culture of plants: her expertness in the
latter department is noticed and praised by Mr Loupon in his Gardener’s Magazine. Her
funeral was attended by some of the most distinguished naturalists here, and, among
others, by your friend Dr MacCuxtocn of Pictou, who happened to be in Edinburgh at
the time, and whose friendship I have also'the happiness to enjoy.” ~

314 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL.

one of his offspring, had its wing shattered, and continued alive in the
middle of the pond, occasionally screaming piteously, for two or three
days, till relieved by death. The old Gull immediately abandoned the
place for that winter, as if reproaching us for cruelty. By next autumn,
however, he seemed to have forgotten the injury ; for, according to my
record, ‘ 30th October 1830. The Great Black-backed Gull once more
arrived at Canonmills garden.” The periods of arrival, residence, and
departure were nearly similar in the following year. But in 1882,
not only October, but the months of November and December passed
away without Gull’s making his appearance, and I of course despaired
of again seeing him. He did, however, at length arrive. The following
is the entry in my common-place book: ‘ Sunday, 6th January 1833.
This day the Great Black-back returned to the mill-pond, for (I think)
the eleventh season. He used to re-appear in October in former years,
and I concluded him dead or shot. He recognised my voice, and hover-
ed over my head.’ He disappeared early in March as usual, and re-ap-
peared at Canonmills on 23d December 1833, being a fortnight earlier
than the date of his arrival in the preceding season, but six weeks later
than the original period of re-appearance. He left in the beginning of
March as usual, and I find from my notes that he ‘‘ reappeared on 30th
December 1834 for the season, first hovering around and then alighting
on the pond as in former years.’ The latest entry is, ‘11th March
1835: The Black-backed Gull was here yesterday, but has not been seen
to-day ; nor do I expect to ae him till November.’

‘< This Gull has often attracted the attention of persons passing the vil-
lage of Canonmills, by reason of its sweeping along so low or near the
ground, and on account of the wide expanse of wing which it thus dis-
plays. It is well known to the boys of the village as “ Nriiu’s Gull,”
and has, I am aware, owed its safety more than once to their interfer-
ence, in informing passing sportsmen of its history. When it first ar-
rives in the autumn, it is in the regular habit of making many circular
sweeps around the pond and garden, at a considerable elevation, as if re-
connoitring; it then gradually lowers its flight, and gently alights about
the centre of the pond. Upon the gardener’s mounting the garden-wall
with a fish in his hand, the Gull moves towards the overhanging spray
of some large willow-trees, so as to catch what may be thrown to him, be-
fore it sinks in the water. There can be no doubt whatever of the iden-
tity of the bird. Indeed, he unequivocally shews that he recognises my

GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL. 315

voice when I call aloud ‘ Gull, Gull;’ for whether he be on wing or
afloat, he immediately approaches me.

“ A few pairs of the Great Black-backed Gull breed at the Bass Rock
yearly, and it seems highly probable that my specimen had originally
been hatched there. If I may be allowed a conjecture, I would suppose
that, after attaining maturity, he for some years resorted to the same
spot for the purpose of breeding ; but that of late years, having lost his
mate or encountered some other disaster, he has extended his migration
for that purpose to some very distant locality, which has rendered his re-

turn to winter quarters six weeks later than formerly.”

Larus maninvs, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 225.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 813.—
Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 362.
Buack-BackED Gut, or Coss, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 308,

Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCXLI.

Bill shorter than the head, robust, compressed, higher near the end
than at the base. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight at
the base, declinate and arched towards the end, the ridge convex, the
sides slightly convex, the edges sharp, inflected, arcuate-declinate towards
the end, the tip rather obtuse. Nasal groove rather long and narrow;
nostril in its fore part, lateral, longitudinal, linear, wider anteriorly, per-
vious. Lower mandible with the angle long and narrow, the outline of
the crura rather concave, as is that of the remaining part of the mandible,
a prominent angle being formed at their meeting, the sides nearly flat,
the edges sharp and inflected.

Head rather large, oblong, narrowed anteriorly. Neck of moderate
length, strong. Body full. Wings long. Feet of moderate length, ra-
ther slender ; tibia bare below ; tarsus somewhat compressed, covered an-
teriorly with numerous scutella, laterally with angular scales, behind with
numerous small oblong scales ; hind toe very small and elevated, the fore
toes of moderate length, rather slender, the fourth longer than the second,
the third longest, all scutellate above, and connected by reticulated en-
tire membranes, the lateral toes margined externally with a narrow mem-
brane. Claws small, slightly arched, depressed, rounded, that of middle
toe with an expanded inner margin.

The plumage in general is close, full, elastic, very soft and blended,
on the back rather compact. Wings very long, broad, acute, the first

316 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL.

quill longest, the second scarcely shorter, the rest of the primaries rather
rapidly graduated ; secondaries broad and rounded, the inner narrower.
Tail of moderate length, even, of twelve rounded feathers.

Bill gamboge-yellow, the lower mandible bright carmine towards the
end. Edges of eyelids bright carmine, iris silvery. Feet yellow, claws
black. The head, neck, and all the lower parts, pure white; back and
wings deep blackish-grey tinged with purple, or dark slate-colour ; the
rump and tail white, as are the edges of the wing, and a large portion of
the extremities of all the quills; the second, third, fourth, and fifth pri-
maries have a broad band of black across their ends, the inner web only
of the second being so marked, in some specimens however both webs.
‘The cesophagus is very large, the gizzard small, the intestine four feet
long, and about the thickness of a goose quill.

Length to end of tail 293 inches, to end of wings 314, to end of
claws 293; extent of wings 67; wing from flexure 20; tail 9; bill along
the ridge 218, along the edge of lower mandible 3,%,; its depth at the
angle 1, at the base 43; tarsus 3,%,; middle toe 24, its claw 4. Weight
3 |b.

The Female is similar to the Male, but considerably less.

The Young when fledged have the bill brownish-black, the iris dark
brown, the feet as in the adult. The head and neck are greyish-white,
streaked with pale brownish-grey ; the upper parts mottled with brown-
ish-black, brownish-grey, and dull white, the rump paler. The primary
quills blackish-brown, slightly tipped with brownish-white; the tail-fea-
thers white, with a large brownish-black patch towards the end, larger on
the middle feathers, which are also barred towards the base with dusky.
The lower parts are greyish-white, the sides and lower tail-coverts ob-

scurely mottled with greyish-brown.

Qn Bly >

THE SNOWY HERON.

ARDEA CANDIDISSIMA, GMEL.

PLATE CCXLII. Mate.

Tunis beautiful species is a constant resident in Florida and Louisiana,
where thousands are seen during winter, and where many remain during
the breeding season. It is perhaps of a still more delicate constitution
than the Blue Heron, Ardea c@rulea, as no individuals remain in the
neighbourhood of Charleston when the winter happens to be rather colder
than usual. In its migrations eastward it rarely proceeds farther than
Long Island in the State of New York; few are seen in Massachusetts,
and none farther to the east. My friend Professor MacCutiocn never
heard of it in Nova Scotia, and I cannot imagine on what authority
Witson stated that it inhabits the sea-coast of North America to the
Gulf of St Lawrence. My friend Nurratt also asserts, without men-
tioning on what evidence, that, by pursuing an inland course, it reaches
its final destination in the wilds of Canada. It has not been observed in
any part of the western country; nay, it rarely ascends the Mississippi
as high as Memphis, or about two hundred miles from the mouth of the
Ohio, and cannot be said to be at all abundant much farther up the great
river than Natchez. In fact, the maritime districts furnish its favourite
places of resort, and it rarely proceeds farther inland than fifty or sixty
miles, even in the flat portions of the Carolinas, but even in the Middle
States, where it prefers the islands along the Atlantic coast.

While I was at Charleston, in March 1831, few had arrived from the
| Floridas by the 18th of that month, but on the 25th thousands were seen
in the marshes and rice fields, all in full plumage. They reach the shores
of New Jersey about the first week of May, when they may be seen on
all parts of the coast between that district and the Gulf of Mexico. On
the Mississippi, they seldom reach the low grounds about Natchez, where
they also breed, earlier than the period at which they appear in the Mid-
dle States.

_ While migrating, they fly both by night and by day, in loose flocks
of from twenty to a hundred individuals, sometimes arranging themselves

in a broad front, then forming lines, and again proceeding in a straggling

318 SNOWY HERON.

manner. They keep perfectly silent, and ‘move at a height seldom ex-
ceeding a hundred yards. Their flight is light, undetermined as it were,
yet well sustained, and performed by regular flappings, as in other birds
of the tribe. When they have arrived at their destination, they often go
to considerable distances to feed during the day, regularly returning at
the approach of night to their roosts on the low trees and bushes border-
ing the marshes, swamps, and ponds. They are very gentle at this sea-
son, and at all periods keep in flocks when not disturbed. At the ap-
proach of the breeding season, many spend a great part of the day at their
roosting places, perched on the low trees principally growing in the water,
when every now and then they utter a rough guttural sort of sigh, raising
at the same moment their beautiful crest and loose recurved plumes, curv-
ing the neck, and rising on their legs to their full height, as if about to
strut on the branches. They act in the same manner while on the ground
mating. Then the male, with great ardour, and with the most graceful
motions, passes and repasses for several minutes at a time before and around
the female, whose actions are similar, although she displays less ardour.
When disturbed on such occasions, they rise high in the air, sail about
and over the spot in perfect silence, awaiting the departure of the intruder,
then sweep along, exhibiting the most singular movements, now and then
tumbling over and over like the Tumbler Pigeon, and at length alight on
a tree. On the contrary, when you intrude upon them while breeding,
they rise silently on wing, alight on the trees near, and remain there until
you depart.

The Snowy Herons breed in large communities ; and so very social
are they, that they do not appear even to attempt to disturb such other
birds as are wont to breed among them, the Night Herons, for instance,
the Green Herons, or the Boat-tailed Grakles. I have visited some of their
breeding grounds, where several hundred pairs were to be seen, and seve-
ral nests were placed on the branches of the same bush, so low at times
that I could easily see into them, although others were situated at a height
of ten or fifteen feet. In places where these birds are often disturbed,
they breed in taller trees, though rarely on very high ones. In the Flo-
ridas I found their nests on low mangroves ; but wherever they are placed
you find them fronting the water, over which, indeed, these Herons seem
fond of placing them. The nest, which is formed of dry sticks, is rather
small, and has a shallow cavity. The eggs are three, one inch and five-

eighths and a half in length, one and a quarter across, of a broadly ellip-

SNOWY HERON. 319

tical form, and having a plain pale bluish-green colour. In the Middle
Districts, the usual time of laying is about the middle of May ; in the
Carolinas a month sooner; and in the Floridas still earlier, as there, on
the 19th of May, I found the young in great numbers walking off their
nests on the mangrove branches, and, like those of the Louisiana Heron,
which also breeds in the same places, trying to escape by falling into the
water below, and swimming in search of hiding-places among the roots
and hanging branches. Both sexes incubate. Many of the eggs are de
stroyed by Crows and Turkey Buzzards, which also devour the young,
and many are carried off by men.

The young acquire the full beauty of their plumage in the course of
the first spring, when they can no longer be distinguished from the old
birds. The legs and feet are at first of a darkish olive, as is the bill, ex-
cept at the base, where it is lighter, and inclining to yellow. At the ap-
proach of autumn, the crest assumes a form, and the feathers of the lower
parts of the neck in front become considerably lengthened, the feet ac-
quire a yellow tint, and the legs are marked with black on a yellowish
ground ; but the flowing feathers of the back do not appear until the ap-
proach of spring, when they grow rapidly, become recurved, and remain
until the young are hatched, when they fall off.

The Snowy Heron, while in the Carolinas, in the month of April, re-
sorts to the borders of the salt-water marshes, and feeds principally on
shrimps. Many individuals which I opened there contained nothing else
in their stomach. On the Mississippi, at the time when the shrimps are
ascending the stream, these birds are frequently seen standing on floating
logs, busily engaged in picking them up; and on such occasions their
pure white colour renders them conspicuous and highly pleasing to the
eye. At a later period, they feed on small fry, fiddlers, snails, aquatic
insects, occasionally small lizards and young frogs. Their motions are
generally quick and elegant, and, while pursuing small fishes, they run
swiftly through the shallows, throwing up their wings. T'wenty or thirty
seen at once along the margins of a marsh or a river, while engaged in
procuring their food, form a most agreeable sight. In autumn and early
spring, they are fond of resorting to the ditches of the rice fields, not un-
frequently in company with the Blue Herons. When, on being wound-
ed in the wing one falls into the water, it swims off towards the nearest
shore, and runs to hide itself by the side of some log, or towards a tree

which if possible it climbs, ascending to its very top. When seized, they

320 SNOWY HERON.

peck at you with great spirit, and are capable of inflicting a severe
wound.

There is no difference between the sexes as to plumage, but the male
is somewhat larger. When in good condition, its flesh is excellent eating,
especially in early autumn, when it is generally very fat. Some may be seen
for sale in the markets of New Orleans and other southern cities. They
return southward from the Middle Districts early in October, but in the
Carolinas they remain until the first frosts, when they all depart for the
Floridas, where I found them during the whole winter in considerable

numbers, associating with the Blue Herons.

ARDEA CANDIDIssImA, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 305.
Snowy Heron, ARDEA canprpissima, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 120. pl. 62.
fig. 4. Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 49. é

Adult Male in full spring plumage. Plate CCXLII.

Bill longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering to a point,
the mandibles nearly equal. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly
straight, the ridge broad and slightly convex at the base, narrowed to-
wards the end, a groove from the base to two-thirds of its length, beneath
which the sides are convex, the edges thin and sharp, with a slight notch
close to the very acute tip. Nostrils basal, linear, longitudinal, with a
membrane above and behind. Lower mandible with the angle extremely
narrow and elongated, the dorsal line beyond it ascending and almost
straight, the edges sharp and slightly inflected, the tip acuminate.

Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and slender.
Body slender and compressed. Feet very long; tibia elongated, its lower
half bare, very slender, covered all round with angular scales, of which
the posterior are scutelliform ; tarsus elongated, slender, compressed, an-
teriorly covered with numerous scutella, laterally and behind with angu-
lar scales. 'Toes of moderate length, rather slender, scutellate above, re-
ticularly granulate beneath ; third toe much longer than second, which is
very little shorter than fourth, the hind toe much shorter but strong.
Claws rather small, arched, compressed, acute, that of hind toe much
larger, the inner edge of that of the third regularly pectinate.

Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare, as is the
lower half of the tibia. Plumage soft and blended. Feathers of the up-.

per and hind part of the head, very long, loose, decurved; of the sides,

SNOWY HERON. 321

and especially of the lower part of the neck, also much elongated ; of the
middle of the back very long, loose, and hanging over the sides and rump,
but with their extremities recurved. Wings of moderate length; pri-
maries tapering and rounded, the third longest, the second very little
shorter, first and fourth about equal; secondaries broad and rounded,
some of the inner as long as the longest primaries, when the wing is closed.
Tail very short, small, slightly rounded, of twelve rather weak feathers.

Bill black, the bare space at its base yellow. Iris and edges of eye-
lids yellow. Tibia and tarsus black, the lower part of the latter behind
and the toes bright yellow; claws bluish black. The plumage is pure
white.

Length to end of tail 223 inches, to end of wings 23, to end of claws
303; extent of wings 38; wing from flexure 103; tail 3; loose feathers
14 beyond the tail; bill along the ridge 3,2, ; along the edge of lower
mandible 32; bare part of tibia 2}; tarsus 343; middle toe 22, its claw
fs. Weight 12 oz.

VOL. IIIf x

( 822 )

THE AMERICAN SNIPE.
ScoLopax Witsonu, TEM™.

PLATE CCXLIII. Mate, Femare, anp Youne 1n AUTUMN,

Tue summer range of the Common American Snipe extends north-
ward to a considerable distance beyond the limits of the United States.
During the breeding season it is not to be found in our Southern Dis-
tricts, much less does it breed on the borders of the Mississippi, as has
been alleged by some writers. It may indeed sometimes happen that a
pair is found during summer in the mountainous districts of the Caro-
linas; but occurrences of this kind are rare, and are probably caused by
one of the birds being disabled, and so prevented from prosecuting its
journey farther northward, although not incapacitated for reproduction.
Some pairs are more frequently met with in Virginia, Maryland and
Pennsylvania, either with eggs or with young, but the great body of this
species goes farther north for the purpose of breeding. In the State of
Maine, they become tolerably abundant at this season, and as you pro-
ceed eastward you find them more numerous. In Nova Scotia they are
plentiful during summer, and there they breed in all convenient places.

In these northern districts, the Snipe begins to lay its eggs in the early
part of June. The swampy parts of the extensive moss-covered marshes
in elevated situations afford it places of security and comfort, in which it
is not likely to be disturbed by man, and finds immediately around it an
abundance of food. The nest itself is a mere hollow in the moss, scantily in-
laid with a few grasses. The eggs, which, like those of many of the Tringas,
are four, and placed with the small ends together, measure one inch and
five-eighths by one and one-eighth, being pyriform, with the tip some-
what inflated. The ground colour is a yellowish-olive, pretty thickly
spotted and blotched with light and dark umber, the markings increas-
ing in size as they approach the large end, where they form a circle.
The young, like those of the Woodcock, leave the nests as soon as hatched,
and so resemble those of the Common Snipe of Europe, Scolopax Gal-
linago, that the same description answers for both, they being covered
with down of different tints of brown and greyish-yellow. The bill is at

this age short, very soft and easily bent by the least pressure; nor does it

AMERICAN SNIPE. 323

acquire its full growth before winter, and its length differs in different
apparently full grown individuals, by half an inch or even three-fourths.
They seem to feed at first on minute insects collected on the surface
of the mires, or amid the grass and moss; but as they grow older, and
the bill becomes firmer and larger, they probe the ground like their
parents, and soon become expert at this operation, introducing the bill
at every half inch or so of the oozy mire, from which they principally
obtain their food. In the Middle States, this Snipe, however, has been
found breeding in meadows, as well as in the State of Maine ; and it also
nestles in the mountainous districts of these parts of the Union. I never
had the good fortune to meet with a nest in Pennsylvania, although I
have known several instances of a pair breeding not far from Mill Grove
on the Perkioming.

In the Western Country this bird arrives from the north early in Oc-
tober, alighting in the low meadows watered by warm springs, and along
the borders of ponds and small secluded rivulets, sometimes in the corn
fields after a continuance of rainy weather, but never in the woods or any
place from which it cannot easily make its escape when approached. In
Kentucky it often remains all winter, and is at times very abundant.
Farther south, it is more plentiful, especially in the lower parts of Loui-
siana, where it is named “ cache cache” by the Creoles, and over the
whole country between that State and the Carolinas. During winter, it
is not uncommon in Louisiana to meet with it in flocks of considerable
numbers, as is also the case in South Carolina, where the grounds of the
rice-planter afford it abundance of food. In some fields well known to

| my Charleston friends, as winter retreats of the snipe, it is shot in great
numbers. At times it is so much less careful about concealing itself than
at others, that it is not at all uncommon to see it walking about over its
wet feeding-grounds, and on such occasions many are killed. In such
places I have found these birds by fifties and hundreds in fields of a few
acres. At the first shots, dozens in succession would take to wing, each
emitting its cry of wau-aik, after which they would rise in the air, gra-
dually collect, fly round a few times to the distance of some hundred
yards, and returning pitch towards the ground, and alight, with the velo-
city of an arrow, not many yards from the spot where they had previously
been. In a few minutes they would all disperse, to seek for food. So
much are they at times attached to particular spots, that the sportsmen
continue to shoot them until their number is reduced to a few, which

me

324 AMERICAN SNIPE.

having perhaps been several times shot at, become extremely wary, and
are left to entice others to join them, so that another day’s sport may be
obtained. It is not rare to find some of these birds in the immediate vi-
cinity of Charleston, when they are pursued by the younger gunners, and
sometimes by keen sportsmen. I have known eight or ten procured by
one person in a short time, between that city and the race-ground, which
is scarcely a mile distant. They are also abundant in the wet savannahs
in the Floridas, from which they retire a few weeks earlier than from
Louisiana and the Carolinas, where some remain until the beginning of
April. During the whole of the winter months, these birds are observed
to ramble from one place to another, and a field which yesterday contained
a good number, has only a few to-day, and to-morrow may be quite de-
serted. But before the end of a week, there you will find them again,
as abundant as at first. They rarely visit salt waters, and never resort
to the interior of the woods.

The flight of the Snipe while travelling to some distance, is performed
at a considerable elevation, by regular and quickly repeated beats of the
wings. Yet they do not appear as if pursuing a direct course, for every
now and then they deviate a little to either side. They pass over rapidly,
however, and are able to travel to a great distance in a short time. Their
migrations, although performed singly, or in small parties of a single fa-
mily, may be said to be in a manner continuous, as in the course of a few
days a whole section of country, in which none had been seen for several
months, becomes well supplied with them. When surprised by the sports-
man, or any other enemy, they usually rise at one spring, dash through
the air in a zig-zag course, a few feet from the ground, emit their ery
when about twenty yards distant, and at times continue to employ this
cunning mode of escape for sixty or seventy yards, after which they mount
into the air, and perform the rounds already described. I have found
the instant at which they utter their note of alarm the best for pulling
the trigger ; but almost every sportsman has his peculiar fancy, and many
are glad to kill them the best way they can; for he who shoots thirty
snipes in succession, without missing one, is a good hand at any kind of
shooting. Sometimes the Snipe will squat with great pertinacity, and even
stand a pointer, while at other times it will not suffer either man or dog
to approach within fifty yards of it. This, however, depends much on
the state of the atmosphere. The finer and warmer the day, the easier I

have found it to get near them, and the smaller is the distance at which

AMERICAN SNIPE. 325

they realight ; whereas during drizzly weather, they fly off to a great dis-
tance. When the Snipe alights within sight, and you are concealed and
silent, its movements can easily be observed. It first stands for an in-
stant in a half crouching attitude, as if to listen, then raises itself and
runs a few steps, when, if it be in any degree apprehensive of danger, it
squats, and there remains until put up. If all around is quiet, you see
it move in its ordinary manner, walking lightly, and with some grace, its
bill half inclined downwards, in search of a good spot to probe for food.
The instant it meets with this it sets to work, and thrusts its bill into the
mud or the damp soil, to a depth determined by the degree of softness of
the ground, repeating its thrusts eight, ten, or more times in quick suc-
cession. When it has thus examined a spot, and perhaps found some
food, it walks off in search of another, and thus continues until it is satis-
fied, when it generally lays itself down in a soft tuft of grass until the ap-
proach of night, when it flies off and rambles about for exercise in com-
parative security. When wounded, it runs with moderate speed, but, if
closely pursued, squats whenever a good opportunity occurs. It will at
times continue to run for fifty or more yards, after which, if you have not
a good dog, it is next to impossible to find it, for on such occasions it re-
mains perfectly silent. While travelling eastward from Charleston, in
the month of March, I found this Snipe perhaps more abundant near the
Great Santie River than any where else. We could see them with ease
from the carriage as they were walking over the rice-fields, as if in perfect
assurance of security.

The food of our Common Snipe consists principally of ground worms,
insects, and the juicy slender roots of different vegetables, all of which
tend to give its flesh that richness of flavour and juicy tenderness, for
which it is so deservedly renowned, it being equal to that of the wood-
cock. Many epicures eat up both Snipe and Woodcock with all their
viscera, worms and insects to boot, the intestines in fact being considered
the most savoury parts. On opening some newly killed Snipes, I have
more than once found fine large and well-fed ground worms, and at times
a leech, which I must acknowledge I never conceived suitable articles of
food for man, and, for this reason, I have always taken good care to have
both Snipes and Woodcocks well cleaned, as all game ought to be.

To Wirson is due the merit of having first shewn the difference be-
tween this bird and the Common Snipe of Europe; and it is honourable

for the ornithologists of that region of the globe to have dedicated our

326 AMERICAN SNIPE.

species to so zealous and successful a student of nature. I have, how-
ever, been surprised that he should not have mentioned the difference in
the notes of the two species, which in fact is as great as that between those
of the American Crow and the Carrion Crow of Europe. A decided
difference of this kind I am always disposed to consider as satisfactory in
the case of nearly allied species. While glancing over some of the num-
berless compilations that are pouring their muddy waters into the great
stream of human knowledge, I was somewhat surprised to find in one of
them an account of the American Snipe, in which it is stated that it is a
winter visitant in the northern States, and will most probably breed far-
ther south, without leaving the country !

The American Snipe is easily caught in snares placed on the spots of
mud which it is wont to probe, and a good number are thus obtained by
the farmers’ children, especially during very cold weather, when, the birds
having become emaciated from want of a good supply of food, they re-
sort to the small warm springs of our meadows, and there remain until
the return of milder weather. At such times and places, I have heard
this bird utter various curious notes, which I am unable to describe, put-
ting themselves into strange postures all the while, jerking their tails up-
wards, downwards, and sideways, for several seconds at a time, while the
head and neck were moved backwards and forwards, as if the bird had
been in a fit. I never saw this during warm weather, and am unable to
account for it.

It arrives in Pennsylvania from the south about the middle of March,
earlier or later according to the nature of the season, a month later in
Maine, and about a week or ten days after in Nova Scotia. We neither
saw nor heard of any in Newfoundland or Labrador, but they are abun-
dant in the interior of the northern parts of the Canadas.

The young acquire the full plumage of the adult the first year after their
birth, when no essential difference is perceptible between the sexes, the
female being merely somewhat larger than the male. My friend Tuomas
MacCuttocu, who has not unfrequently found this bird breeding, and
from whom I have received many of its eggs, was unable to say whether
both sexes incubate, although this is very probable, as the male is often
seen with or near the female while she is sitting, excepting towards evening
or in the early part of the morning, when he mounts into the air, as if for
the purpose of congratulating her by his curious song. It often happens

that before these birds depart in spring, many are already mated. The

AMERICAN SNIPE. 327

birds are then met with in meadows or on low grounds, and, by being on
the spot before sunrise, you may see both mount high in the air in a spiral
manner, now with continuous beats of the wings, now in short sailings,
until more than a hundred yards high, when they whirl round each other
with extreme velocity, and dance as it were to their own music ; for at this
juncture, and during the space of five or six minutes, you hear rolling
notes mingling together, each more or less distinct, perhaps according to
the state of the atmosphere. The sounds produced are extremely pleas-
ing, though they fall faintly on the ear. I know not how to describe
them, but I am well assured that they are not produced simply by the
beatings of the wings, as at this time the wings are not flapped, but are
used in sailing swiftly in a circle not many feet in diameter. A person
might cause a sound somewhat similar by blowing rapidly and alternately
from one end to another, across a set of small pipes consisting of two or three
modulations. ‘This performance is kept up until incubation terminates,
but I never observed it at any other period. Our Woodcock produces a
somewhat similar sound at the same season, and also at times on fine au-
tumnal evenings, as I shall mention more particularly when describing
that bird.

In confinement, our Common Snipe feeds freely on moistened Indian
corn meal, mixed with some insects, but rarely becomes as gentle as the
Woodcock in similar circumstances. When approached, it droops its
wings and runs round its place of confinement, even should it be a small
room, keeping its tail spread out on the side next you. If the bird is
confined in a small space in front of you, it alternately throws the tail up-
wards, and spreads it in the manner mentioned at every successive turn to
and from each corner. Sometimes it emits a lisping sound, but is more

usually silent.

Scotopax Wixsonu, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 330.—
Swains. and Richards. Fauna-Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 401.
Snire, Scotopax Gariinaco, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vi. p. 18. pl. 47. fig. 1,

Witson’s Snrre, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 185.

Adult Male. Plate CCXLIII. Fig. 1.

Bill twice as long as the head, subulate, straight, compressed for more
than half its length, depressed towards the end. Upper mandible with
the dorsal line straight, the ridge for a short space at the base flattish,

then convex, towards the end flattened, the sides with a narrow groove

328 AMERICAN SNIPE.

extending to near the tip, which is obtuse and probe-like, the edges soft
and obtuse. Nostrils basal, linear, very small. Lower mandible with
the angle extremely long and narrow, the sides nearly erect, with a groove
having several bars across it; the end of both mandibles covered, after
death, with numerous prominences, or rather with reticular depressions,
leaving small prominences between them.

Head rather small, oblong, narrowed anteriorly, the forehead elevated
and rounded. Neck rather short. Body rather full. Legs of moderate
length, slender ; tibia bare below, scutellate before and behind ; tarsus with
numerous scutella before, smaller ones behind, and reticulated sides ; toes
very slender, free, scutellate above, narrow and slightly margined beneath ;
first very small, third longer than the tarsus, fourth much shorter, but con-
siderably longer than second. Claws slightly arched, extremely compress-
ed, very acute, that of the third toe largest.

Plumage very soft, rather full, blended, on the fore part of the head
very short. Wings of moderate length, narrow, sharp ; primaries broad,
tapering, but rounded, the first extremely small and pointed, the second
longest, the third very little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; se-
condaries broad, short, incurved, rounded, the inner very long, tapering,
as are the scapulars. Tail short, rounded, of sixteen rounded feathers.

Bill brown, the granulated part towards the tip black. Iris hazel.
Feet bluish-grey, claws dusky. On the upper part of the head two brown-
ish-black longitudinal broad bands, separated by a narrower central pale
brown one, and with another pale brown band on each side from the bill
over the eye; then a loral band of dark brown; chin whitish; neck pale
reddish-brown, spotted with brownish-black. The general colour of the
upper parts is brownish-black, variegated with pale reddish-brown, of
which latter colour are the outer edges of the scapulars and of the lateral
feathers on the anterior part of the back. Wing-coverts and inner se-
condaries similarly mottled, the smaller anterior coverts, the primary co-
verts, primary quills, and outer secondaries deep brown, more or less tipped
with white ; first quill white, dusky in the centre, second with the outer
edge brownish-white ; rump barred with yellowish-grey and dusky ; upper
tail-coverts similar, but the larger barred with brownish-red and black.
Tail-feathers brownish-black at the base,with a broad subterminal band
of brownish-red on the outer web of the two middle, and on both webs of
the rest, excepting the outer on each side, which is barred with brownish-

black and white, the black bars five; the tips of all white. Anterior part

AMERICAN SNIPE. 329

of breast like the neck, the rest white; abdomen and lower tail-coverts
greyish-yellow, barred with brownish-black, as are the sides; scapulars
white, barred with greyish-black ; lower wing-coverts similarly mottled.

Length to end of tail 103 inches, to end of claw 114; extent of
wings 17; wing from flexure 5; tail 2}; bill along the back 2,4, along
the edge of lower mandible 2,°, ; tarsus 1,°,, middle toe 11, its claw 4
Weight 3 oz.

Ly
g°

Adult Female. Plate CCXLIII. Fig. 2.
The Female resembles the Male, but is rather larger.

Autumnal plumage, Plate CCXLIII. Fig 3.
The young in autumn resemble the old birds, but have the dark mark-

ings of a browner tint, the light more dingy, and the colours in general
less pure.

( 330 )

THE COMMON GALLINULE.
GALLINULA CHLOROPUS, Latu.

PLATE CCXLIV. Mate.

THE two species of Gallinule which occur in the United States are
confined within a comparatively small range in that extensive country,
the southern portions of which appear to suit them better, at all seasons
of the year, than the other districts. The Common Gallinule is extremely
abundant during winter along the rivers, fresh-water creeks, lagoons,
ponds and lakes, between the Gulf of Mexico and the eastern shores of
the Floridas, while in spring and summer a good number migrate east-
ward into the Carolinas, and now and then a few stragglers may be seen
on the fresh waters of the Middle Districts, beyond which none, to my
knowledge, have ever been observed. They seldom ascend any of our
southern streams to any considerable distance, few are ever met with many
miles above Natchez on the Mississippi, and none are to be seen in the
Western Country.

In general they are equally diurnal and nocturnal in their habits, and
when undisturbed frequent the land as much as the water. In the lower
parts of Louisiana and the Floridas, I have seen them seek their food and
amuse themselves by day in the pastures and fields, and I have observed
both them and the Gallinules of England enacting their courtship, while
the sun was yet high above the horizon. In sight of man, however, they
are timorous although not shy, and retreat from him among the grass and
sedges bordering the water, to which they resort for safety. If shot at,
or otherwise frightened, they run with speed, and either fly or swim off
as fast as possible, to elude their enemy.

During my various temporary residences in London, I have often seen
the Gallinules resort to the grounds in the Regent’s Park at all hours of
the day. They were there in a manner partially domesticated, and walked
quite unconcernedly in the meadows, led their young over the water, and
paid their addresses to each other, while fifty or more’ persons were amu-
sing themselves with feeding the ducks and swans over the bridge leading
to the inner circle, and within sight of these birds. While I was at

Spring-Garden Spring in East Florida, in the early part of January, the

COMMON GALLINULE. 331]

Gallinules were seen in great numbers on every bayou leading towards
the waters of the St John, and at that early period the manifestations of
their amatory propensity were quite remarkable. The male birds courted
the females, both on the land and on the water ; they frequently spread
out their tail like a fan, and moved round each other, emitting a murmur-
ing sound for some seconds. The female would afterwards walk to the
water’s edge, stand in the water up to her breast, and receive the caresses
of the male, who immediately after would strut on the water before her,
Jerking with rapidity his spread tail for a while, after which they would
both resume their ordinary occupations. This was in the middle of the
day, when I could have counted eight or ten pairs in sight.

The nest is formed with more labour than art, being composed of a
quantity of withered rushes and plants, interwoven in a circular form,
frequently from two to three inches thick in the centre, surrounded by an
edge or brim four or five inches high. If not greatly disturbed, these
birds raise several broods in a season, using the same nest, and making
additions to it previous to depositing each new set of eggs. In Lower
Louisiana I found it usually five or six feet from the water, among the
rankest weeds, along the bayous and lakes, which are so numerous there.
In some instances it was placed on a prostrate trunk of a tree over the
water, when the materials of which it was composed were less abundant
than in other circumstances. I never saw one floating loose, but have
often heard people say they had occasionally seen a nest in that state, al-
though I am not much disposed to give credit to such assertions. The
number of eggs seldom exceeds eight or nine, and is more frequently from
five to seven. As the bird lays more than once, its progeny is thus nu-
merous. The Gallinules cover their eggs when they leave them, no doubt
to protect them from crows and other enemies, but return to them as soon
as food has been procured, although both sexes incubate. The eggs
measure an inch and five-eighths, by an inch and one and a half eighths,
and are of a dull darkish cream colour, spotted and dotted with various
tints of reddish-brown and umber.

The females are as assiduous in their attentions to their young as the
wild Turkey Hens ; and, although the young take to the water as soon
as hatched, the mother frequently calls them ashore, when she nurses and
dries them under her body and wings. In this manner she looks after
them until they are nearly a month old, when she abandons them and be-

gins to breed again. The young, which are covered with hairy, shining,

332 COMMON GALLINULE.

black down, swim beautifully, jerking their heads forward at each move-
ment of their feet. They seem to grow surprisingly fast, and at the age
of six or seven weeks are strong, active, and perhaps as well able to elude
their enemies as the old birds are. Their food consists of grasses, seeds,
water-insects, worms, and snails, along with which they swallow a good
deal of sand or gravel. They walk and run over the broad leaves of water-
lilies, as if on land, dive if necessary, and appear at times to descend into
the water in search of food, although I cannot positively assert that they
do so.

On more than one occasion, I have seen a flock of these young birds
playing on the surface of the water like Ducks, beating it with their
wings, and splashing it about in a curious manner, when their gam-
bols would attract a garfish, which at a single dart would seize one of
them and disappear. The rest affrighted would run as it were with in-
conceivable velocity on the surface of the water, make for the shore, and
there lie concealed and silent for a quarter of an hour or so. In the
streams and ponds of the Floridas, this species and some others of simi-
lar habits, suffer greatly from Alligators and Turtles, as well as from va-
rious kinds of fish, although, on account of their prolific nature, they are
yet abundant.

This Gallinule seldom resorts to salt water, but at times is met with
on the banks of bayous in which the water is brackish. This, however,
happens only during winter. On land it walks somewhat like a chicken,
and thirty, forty, or more individuals may be seen searching for worms
and insects among the grass, which they also nip in the manner of the
domestic fowl. On such occasions, the constantly repeated movements of
their tail are rendered conspicuous by the pure white of the feathers be-
neath it, which, along with the white stripes on the flanks, and in spring
the vivid red of the frontal plate, renders their general appearance quite
interesting. In cases of danger, they run with great speed, and easily
conceal themselves. On the water they sit very lightly, and swim with
activity, the movements of their head and neck keeping pace with those
of their feet. They pick up their food from either side, continually jerk
their tail, and not unfrequently touch the water with it.

Although not a migratory bird, this species flies very well, whenever
it has occasion to rise from the ground. Its wings, although concave,
are large for its size, more so in fact than those of Rallus crepitans, which

migrates to a considerable extent. But in general, the Gallinules are

COMMON GALLINULE. 333

averse from flying, unless when anxious to remove from one lake or stream
to another, when they rise fifty or sixty feet in the air, and fly with ease
and considerable velocity, by continued flappings, the neck and legs
stretched out. At all other times when raised, they suffer their legs to
dangle, proceed slowly to a short distance, and drop among the reeds,
or, if over the water, they dive and hide, leaving nothing but the bill
projecting above the surface.

The young in autumn have not attained their full size; their colours
are much duller than those of the old birds, particularly the stripes on
the flanks and under the tail, which are of a dull cream colour instead of
being pure white. The frontal plate is small, and almost covered by the
feathers around it; the legs and feet are of a dingy green, and the red
band on the tibia is scarcely apparent. In spring they acquire their full
plumage, but the frontal plate increases in size for several years.

There are great differences as to size between birds of both sexes.
The male from which I drew the figure in the plate, was of an average
size, having been selected from a bagful procured expressly for the pur-
pose. Our Gallinule corresponds so precisely with that of Europe, that

I cannot hesitate in affirming that it is the same species.

GALLINULA cHLoRoPUs, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 770.
Ga.uinuta GaLEata, Ch. Bonaparte, Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 128. pl. 27. fig. 1.

Fiorina GaLLinuLE, GALLINULA GALEATA, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 223.

Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCXLIV.

Bill shorter than the head, nearly straight, rather stout, deep, com-
pressed, tapering. Upper mandible with a soft oblong plate at the base
extending over the forehead, the dorsal line beyond this plate straightish
and slightly declinate as far as the middle, then arcuato-declinate, the
ridge rather narrow, the sides nearly perpendicular, towards the end
slightly convex, the edges sharp, with a notch close upon the narrow ob-
tuse tip. Nasal groove extending to the middle of the bill, rather broad;
nostrils submedial, lateral, linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandible with
the angle long and narrow, the sides nearly erect, with a groove to the
middle, the dorsal line beyond the angle ascending, straight, the edges
sharp, inclinate, the tip narrowed, rather sharp.

Head small, oblong, much compressed. Neck of moderate length,

slender. Body much compressed. Feet large, long; tibia bare a con-

334 COMMON GALLINULE.

siderable way above the joint; tarsus rather long, strong, compressed,
anteriorly covered with broad scutella, laterally with angular scales, pos-
teriorly with minute scales; hind toe comparatively small, middle toe
longest and much longer than the tarsus, fourth considerably shorter, and
but little longer than the second ; toes free, slender, compressed, scutel-
late above, flat beneath and marginate ; claws rather long, slender, much
compressed, acute.

Plumage soft, blended, on the fore part of the head short; a tuft of
elongated incurved feathers on the sides. Wings short, broad; alula
large; primaries curved, broad, second and third longest, first and sixth
about equal; secondaries broad and rounded. ‘Tail short, much round-
ed, of twelve rather weak rounded feathers, which but slightly exceed the
upper and lower coverts.

Frontal plate and bill deep carmine, the ends of both mandibles yel-
low. Iris bright red. Feet yellowish-green, a portion of the bare part
of the tibia carmine; claws dusky. Head and neck deep bluish-grey ;
that colour continues paler over the breast, sides and abdomen, the
latter having the feathers tipped with greyish white, and the posterior
hypochondrial feathers having a longitudinal band of white towards the
end ; lower eyelid white, as are the lateral lower tail-coverts, those in the
middle black. The back and wings are deep olive, the latter having a
narrow edging of white, which also runs along the outer quill. Tail
brownish-black.

Length to end of tail 14 inches, to end of claws 19; extent of wings
22; wing from flexure 7}; tail 3; bill from base of frontal plate 143,
along the edge of lower mandible 1}; tarsus 21, middle toe 2,75, its
claw 5. Weight 12 oz.

The Female is similar to the male, but has the frontal plate smaller.

The Young, when fledged, have the upper part of the head of an oli-
vaceous brown, like the back and wings, the neck of a light dull grey, the
chin dull white, the lower parts light grey tinged with yellowish on the
breast, most of the feathers tipped with whitish, the lines on the hypo-
chondrial feathers of a dull cream colour and of small extent. The fron-
tal plate is small, and with the bill of a dingy greenish colon as are the

feet, the claws yellowish-brown.

COMMON GALLINULE. 335

On comparing together a great number of European and American
specimens, I can find no specific differences. Individuals of either kind
are larger or smaller, their frontal plates differ in size and somewhat in
form, as do the bill and the claws; but if the species are really diffe-
rent, Nature has made them so wonderfully like each other, that there
seems to me no possibility of distinguishing them.

My friend Dr Nerux has furnished me with the following anecdotes
illustrative of the habits of this bird. ‘‘ At Canonmills Loch, near Edin-
burgh, a pair (or sometimes two pairs) of water-hens breed yearly, mak-
ing their nest on the branches of some very large saughs (willow-trees,
Salix russehana) growing in my garden, and overhanging the pond. One
season (four or five years ago) finding themselves persecuted by a tame
heron, which watched and devoured their first young brood (for we de-
tected him in the act), they formed their next nest more than fifteen feet
high on the trunk of the willow-tree. There the eggs were hatched in
safety, four or five young being in due time seen sailing about with the
old birds. We had only one pair on the Loch last summer. How they
descended to the water can only be conjectured: they might have crept
downwards three or four feet, but they must at all events have fallen at
once from a height of not less than twelve feet. When the pond is frozen
over and covered with skaters, the water-hens enter the garden and con-
ceal themselves in an overgrown rock-work, subsisting on minced flesh
mixed with bread or potatoes, purposely laid down for them, and on which

I have often watched them feasting when the snow was lying deep.”

( 38386 )

THE LARGE-BILLED GUILLEMOT.

S

Urié BRUNNICHII, SABINE.

PLATE CCXLV. Aputr Mate.

I Have never observed this bird on any part of the coast of our Mid-
dle Districts, and, although I was told that it not unfrequently occurred
about the Bay of Boston, I failed in my endeavours to procure it there.
The specimen from which my figure was made was sent to me in ice, along
with several other rare birds, from Eastport in Maine. I received it quite
fresh and in excellent plumage, on the 18th of February 1833. It had
been shot along with several other individuals of the same species while
searching for food in the waters of Pasmaquody Bay, which were then
covered with broken ice. Its flight was described by Mr Curtis, who
sent it to me, as similar to that of the Foolish Guillemot, with which it
associated. No other information was transmitted, excepting that it dived
and swam like the other species. I afterwards sent the skin to my friend
Joun Bacumay, in whose collection it remains,

No individuals of this species were observed by my party on our way
to Labrador ; and as the Foolish Guillemot was abundant on the coast of
that country, I concluded that the Thick-billed Guillemots which visit
our eastern seas in winter, set out for the far north at an earlier period
than the others. I am indebted to Mr Hewirson of Newcastle, author
of the “ British Oology,” for a description of an egg of this bird, which
is in the valuable collection of the Messrs Hancocks, who procured it
from Greenland. It measures 3} inches in length, by 23 at its broadest

part, and is of a bluish-green colour, streaked and spotted with black or

very dark umber.

Unia Brunnicuut, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of United States, p. 424.
Urira Brunniciu, Brunnicu’s GuitLEMoT, Swains. and Richards. Fauna-Bor.

Amer. part ii. p. 477.
LarGE-BILLED GuILLEMOT, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 529.

Adult Male in winter. Plate CCXLV.

Bill shorter than the head, stout, tapering,-compressed, acute. Upper

LARGE-BILLED GUILLEMOT. 537

mandible with the dorsal line slightly curved, the ridge narrow, broader
at the base, the sides sloping, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip a little
decurved, with a slight notch. Nasal groove broad, feathered ; nostrils
at its lower edge, subbasal, lateral, longitudinal, linear, pervious. Lower
mandible with the angle medial, narrow, the dorsal line sloping upwards
and straight, the back very narrow, the sides nearly flat, the edges sharp
and inflected.

Head large, oblong, depressed, narrowed before. Eyes of moderate
size. Neck short and thick. Body stout, rather depressed. Wings
small. Feet short, placed far behind; the greater part of the tibia con-
cealed, its lower portion bare ; tarsus short, stout, compressed, anteriorly
sharp, and covered with a double row of scutella, the sides with angular
scales ; toes of moderate length, the first wanting, the third longest, the
fourth longer than the second, all covered above with numerous scutella,
webbed, the lateral ones with small margins; claws small, slightly arched,
compressed, rather acute, that of the middle toe largest, with a dilated in-
ner edge.

Plumage dense, very soft, blended ; on the head very short. Wings
rather short, narrow, acute; primary quills curved, tapering, the second
longest, the first slightly shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries
short, incurved, broad, rounded. ‘Tail very short, rounded, of twelve
narrow feathers.

Bill black. Iris dark brown. Feet dusky, tinged with red. The
general colour of the plumage is greyish-black on the upper parts, those
of the head tinged with brown. The sides of the head and neck, its fore
part, the breast, abdomen, edges of the wings and the tips of the secon-
daries, white; the sides shaded with greyish-black ; a line of the same
behind the eye.

Length to end of tail 183 inches, to end of claws 214; extent of
wings 30; wing from flexure 8, tail 23; bill along the ridge 1,%,, along
the edge of lower mandible 2; tarsus 1,4, ; middle toe 1,%, its claw
Weight 2+ lb.

VOL, IIt. Y

( aaa

PITTING OF WOLVES.

THERE seems to bea universal feeling of hostility among men against
the Wolf, whose strength, agility, and cunning, which latter is scarcely in-
ferior to that of his relative master Reynard, tend to render him an object of
hatred, especially to the husbandman, on whose flocks he is ever apt to
commit depredations. In America, where this animal was formerly abun-
dant, and in many parts of which it still occurs in considerable numbers,
it is not more mercifully dealt with than in other parts of the world.
Traps and snares of all sorts are set for catching it, while dogs and horses
are trained for hunting the Fox. The Wolf, however, unless in some way
injured, being more powerful and perhaps better winded than the Fox, is
rarely pursued with hounds or any other dogs in open chase ; but as his
depredations are at times extensive and highly injurious to the farmer,
the greatest exertions have been used to exterminate his race. Few in-
stances have occurred among us of any attack made by Wolves on man,
and only one has come under my own notice.

Two young Negroes who resided near the banks of the Ohio, in the
lower part of the State of Kentucky, about twenty-three years ago, had
sweethearts living on a plantation ten miles distant. After the labours
of the day were over, they frequently visited the fair ladies of their choice,
the nearest way to whose dwelling lay directly across a great cane brake.
As to the lover every moment is precious, they usually took this route,
to save time. Winter had commenced, cold, dark, and forbidding, and”
after sunset scarcely a glimpse of light or glow of warmth, one might im-
agine, could be found in that dreary swamp, excepting in the eyes
and bosoms of the ardent youths, or the hungry Wolves that prowled
about. The snow covered the earth, and rendered them more easy
to be scented from a distance by the famished beasts. Prudent in a
certain degree, the young lovers carried their axes on their shoulders,
and walked as briskly as the narrow path would allow. Some transient
glimpses of light now and then met their eyes, but so faint were they
that they believed them to be caused by their faces coming in contact
with the slender reeds covered with snow. Suddenly, however, a long
and frightful howl burst upon them, and they instantly knew that it
proceeded from a troop of hungry, perhaps desperate Wolves. They

PITTING OF WOLVES. 339

stopped, and putting themselves in an attitude of defence, awaited the
result. All around was dark, save a few feet of snow, and the silence
of night was dismal. Nothing could be done to better their situation,
and after standing a few minutes in expectation of an attack, they judged
it best to resume their march; but no sooner had they replaced their
axes on their shoulders, and begun to move, than the foremost found
himself assailed by several foes. His legs were held fast as if pressed by
a powerful screw, and the torture inflicted by the fangs of the ravenous
animal was for a moment excruciating. Several Wolves in the mean
time sprung upon the breast of the other Negro, and dragged him to
the ground. Both struggled manfully against their foes; but in a short
time one of them ceased to move, and the other, reduced in strength,
and perhaps despairing of maintaining his ground, still more of aiding
his unfortunate companion, sprung to the branch of a tree, and speedily
gained a place of safety near the top. The next morning, the mangled
remains of his comrade lay scattered around on the snow, which was
stained with blood. Three dead Wolves lay around, but the rest of
the pack had disappeared, and Scipio, sliding to the ground, took up
the axes, and made the best of his way home, to relate the sad adven-
ture.

About two years after this occurrence, as I was travelling between
Henderson and Vincennes, I chanced to stop for the night at a farmer’s
house by the side of the road. After putting up my horse and refresh-
ing myself, I entered into conversation with mine host, who asked if I
should like to pay a visit to the wolf-pits, which were about half a mile
distant. Glad of the opportunity I accompanied him across the fields
to the neighbourhood of a deep wood, and soon saw the engines of de-
struction. He had three pits, within a few hundred yards of each
other. They were about eight feet deep, and broader at bottom, so
as to render it impossible for the most active animal to escape from
them. The aperture was covered with a revolving platform of twigs,
attached to a central axis. On either surface of the platform was
fastened a large piece of putrid venison, with other matters by no
means pleasant to my olfactory nerves, although no doubt attractive to
the Wolves. My companion wished to visit them that evening, merely
as he was in the habit of doing so daily, for the purpose of seeing that all
was right. He said that Wolves were very abundant that autumn, and

had killed nearly the whole of his sheep and one of his colts, but that
¥2

340 PITTING OF WOLVES.

he was now “ paying them off in full;” and added that if I would tarry
a few hours with him next morning, he would beyond a doubt shew me
some sport rarely seen in those parts. We retired to rest in due time,
and were up with the dawn.

“I think,” said my host, “ that all’s right, for I see the dogs are
anxious to get away to the pits, and although they are nothing but curs,
their noses are none the worse for that.” As he took up his gun, an
axe and a large knife, the dogs began to howl and bark, and whisked
around us, as if full of joy. When we reached the first pit, we found
the bait all gone, and the platform much injured; but the animal that
had been entrapped had scraped a subterranean passage for himself and
so escaped. On peeping into the next, he assured me that “ three fa-
mous fellows were safe enough” in it. I also peeped in and saw the
Wolves, two black, and the other brindled, all of goodly size, sure
enough. They lay flat on the earth, their ears laid close over the head,
their eyes indicating fear more than anger. “ But how are we to get
them out ?”—‘ How Sir,” said the farmer, “ why by going down to be
sure, and ham-stringing them.” Being a novice in these matters, I beg-
ged to be merely a looker-on. ‘ With all my heart,” quoth the farmer,
*¢ stand here, and look at me through the brush.” Whereupon he glid-
ed down, taking with him his axe and knife, and leaving his rifle to
my care. I was not a little surprised to see the cowardice of the Wolves.
He pulled out successively their hind legs, and with a side stroke of the
knife cut the principal tendon above the joint, exhibiting as little fear as
if he had been marking lambs.

** Lo!” exclaimed the farmer, when he had got out, “ we have for-
got the rope; Ill go after it.” Off he went accordingly, with as much
alacrity as any youngster could shew. In a short time he returned out’
of breath, and wiping his forehead with the back of his hand—« Now:
for it.” I was desired to raise and hold the platform on its central ba-
lance, whilst he, with all the dexterity of an Indian, threw a noose over
the neck of one of the Wolves. We hauled it up motionless with fright, :
as if dead, its disabled legs swinging to and fro, its jaws wide open, and
the gurgle in its throat alone indicating that it was alive. Letting him’
drop on the ground, the farmer loosened the rope by means of a stick,’
and left him to the dogs, all of which set upon him with great fury and:
soon worried him to death. The second was dealt with in the same man-’
ner ; but the third, which was probably the oldest, as it was the blackest,

PITTING OF WOLVES. 341

shewed some spirit, the moment it was left loose to the mercy of the
curs. This Wolf, which we afterwards found to be a female, scuffled
along on its fore legs at a surprising rate, giving a snap every now and
then to the nearest dog, which went off howling dismally with a mouth-
ful of skin torn from its side. And so well did the furious beast de-
fend itself, that apprehensive of its escape, the farmer levelled his rifle
at it, and shot it through the heart, on which the curs rushed upon it,

and satiated their vengeance on the destroyer of their master’s flock.

( 342 +)

THE EIDER DUCK.

FULIGULA MOLLISSIMA, Bonar.

PLATE CCXLVI. Mate anp Femate.

Tue history of this remarkable duck must ever be looked upon with
great interest by the student of nature. The depressed form of its body,
the singular shape of its bill, the beautiful colouring of its plumage, the
value of its down as an article of commerce, and the nature of its haunts,
render it a very remarkable species. Considering it as such, I shall en-
deavour to lay before you as full an account of it as I have been able to
obtain from my own observation.

The fact that the Eider Duck breeds on our eastern coasts, must be
interesting to the American Ornithologist, whose fauna possesses but few
birds of this family that do so. The Fuligulz are distinguished from all
other ducks that feed in fresh or salt water, by the comparative shortness
of the neck, the greater expansion of their feet, the more depressed form
of their body, and their power of diving to a considerable depth, in order
to reach the beds on which their favourite shelly food abounds. Their
flight, too, differs from that of the true ducks, inasmuch as it is performed
nearer the surface of the water. Rarely, indeed, do the Fuligule fly at
any considerable height over that element, and with the exception of three
species, they are rarely met with inland, unless when driven thither by
storms. They differ, moreover, in their propensity to breed in commu-
nities, and often at a very small distance from each other. Lastly, they
are in general more ready to abandon their females, the moment incuba-
tion has commenced. Thus the female is left in a state of double respon-
sibility, which she meets, however, with a courage equal to the occasion,
although alone and unprotected.

The Eider is now seldom seen farther south along our eastern coast
than the vicinity of New York. Wrutson says they are occasionally ob-
served as far as the Capes of Delaware ; but at the present day this must
be an extremely rare occurrence, for the fishermen of the Jerseys informed
me that they knew nothing of this duck. In Wutson’s time, however,
it bred in considerable numbers, from Boston to the Bay of Fundy, and

it is still to be met with on the rocky shores and islands between these

EIDER DUCK. 343

points. Farther to the eastward they become more and more plentiful,
until you reach Labrador, to which thousands of pairs annually resort, to
breed and spend the short summer. Many, however, proceed much far-
ther north; but, as usual, I will here confine myself to my own observa-
tions.

In the latter part of October 1832, the Eiders were seen in consider-
able numbers in the Bay of Boston. A large bagful of them was brought
to me by a fisherman-gunner in my employ, a person advanced in years,
formerly a brave tar, and one whom I feel some pride in telling you I
assisted in obtaining a small pension from our government, being sup-
ported in my application by two of my Boston friends, the one the gene-
rous Grorce Parxman, M.D., the other that great statesman JoHNn
Quincey Apams. The old man had once served under my father, and
to receive a bagful of Eider Ducks from him was a gratification which
you may more easily conceive than I can describe. Well, there were the
ducks, all turned out on the floor; young males still resembling their
mother, others of more advanced age, and several males and females com-
plete in all their parts, only that the bills of the former had lost the orange
tint, which that part exhibits during a few weeks of the breeding season,
Twenty-one there were in all, and they had been killed in a single day by
the veteran and his son. 'Those masterly gunners told me, that to pro-
cure this species, they were in the habit of anchoring their small vessel
about fifty yards off the rocky isles round which these birds harbour and
feed at this season. There, while the birds were passing on wing, al-
though usually in long lines, they could now and then kill two of them at
a shot. Sometimes the King Eider was also procured under similar cir-
cumstances, as the two species are wont to associate together during win-
ter. At Boston the Eiders sold that winter at from fifty to seventy-five
cents the pair, and they are much sought after by Epicures.

On the 31st of May 1833, my son and party killed six Eiders on the
island of Grand Manan, off the Bay of Fundy, where the birds were
seen in considerable numbers, and were just beginning to breed. A nest
containing two eggs, but not a particle of down, was found at a distance
of more than fifty yards from the water.

Immediately after landing on the coast of Labrador, on the 18th of
June in the same year, we saw a great number of “ Sea Ducks,” as the
gunners and fishermen on that coast, as well as on our own, call the Eiders

and some other species. On visiting an island in “ Partridge Bay,” we

344 EIDER DUCK.

procured several females. The birds there paid little attention to us, and
some allowed us to approach within a few feet before they left their nests,
which were so numerous that a small boat-load might have been collected,
had the party been inclined. ‘They were all placed amid the short grass
growing in the fissures of the rock, and therefore in rows, as it were. The
eggs were generally five or six, in several instances eight, and in one ten.
Not a male bird was to be seen. At the first discharge of the guns, all
the sitting birds flew off and alighted in the sea, at a distance of about a
hundred yards. They then collected, splashed up the water, and washed
themselves, unul the boat left the place. Many of the nests were unpro-
vided with down; some had more or less than others, and some, from
which the female was absent when the party landed, were quite covered
with it, and the eggs felt warm to the hand. The musquitoes and flies
were there as abundant and as tormenting as in any of the Florida swamps.

On the 24th of the same month, two male Eiders, much advanced in
the moult, were shot out of a flock all composed of individuals of the
same sex. While rambling over the moss-covered shores of a small
pond, on the 7th of July, we saw two females with their young on the
water. As we approached the edges, the old birds lowered their heads
and swam off with those parts lying flat on the surface, while the young
followed so close as almost to touch them. On firing at them without
shot, they all dived at once, but rose again in a moment, the mothers
quacking and murmuring. The young dived again, and we saw no more
of them; the old birds took to wing, and, flying over the hills, made for
the sea, from which we were fully a mile distant. How their young were
to reach it was at that time to me a riddle; but was afterwards rendered
intelligible, as you will see in the sequel. On the 9th of July, while
taking an evening walk, I saw flocks of female Eiders without broods.
‘They were in deep moult, kept close to the shore in a bay, and were pro-
bably sterile birds. On my way back to the vessel, the captain and I
started a female from a broad flat rock, more than a hundred yards from
the water, and, on reaching the spot, we found her nest, which was placed
on the bare surface, without a blade of grass within five yards of it. It
was of the usual bulky construction, and contained five eggs, deeply
buried in down. She flew round us until we retired, when we had the
pleasure to see her alight, walk to her nest, and compose herself upon it. .

Large flocks of males kept apart, and frequented the distant sea islands

at this period, when scarcely any were able to fly to any distance, although

EIDER DUCK. 345

they swam about from one island to another with great ease. Before their
moulting had commenced, or fully a month earlier, these male birds, we
observed, flew in long lines from place to place around the outermost
islands every morning and evening, thus securing themselves from their
enemies, and roosted in numbers close together on some particular rock
difficult to be approached by boats, where they remained during the short
night. By the Ist of August scarcely an Eider Duck was to be seen on
the coast of Labrador. ‘The young were then able to fly, the old birds
had nearly completed their moult, and all were moving southward.

Having now afforded you some idea of the migrations and general
habits of this interesting bird from spring to tHe close of the short sum-
mer of the desolate regions of Labrador, I proceed, with my journals be-
fore me, and my memory refreshed by reading my notes, to furnish you
with such details as may perhaps induce you to study its habits in other
parts of the world.

The Eider Duck generally arrives on the coasts of Newfoundland and
Labrador about the Ist of May, nearly a fortnight before the waters of
the Gulf of St Lawrence are freed from ice. None are seen there during
winter, and their first appearance is looked upon with pleasure by the few
residents as an assurance of the commencement of the summer season.
At this period they are seen passing in long files not many feet above the
ice or the surface of the water, along the main shores, and around the
inner bays or islands, as if in search of the places where they had for-
merly nestled, or where they had been hatched. All the birds appear to
be paired, and in perfect plumage. After a few days, during which they
rest themselves on the shores fronting the south, most of them remove to
the islands that border the coast, at distances varying from half a mile to
five or six miles. The rest seek for places in which to form their nests,
along the craggy shores, or by the borders of the stunted fir woods not
far from the water, a few proceeding as far as about a mile into the in-
terior. They are now seen only in pairs, and they soon form their nests.
I have never had an opportunity of observing their courtships, nor have
I received any account of them worthy of particular notice.

In Labrador, the Eider Ducks begin to form their nests about the
last week of May. Some resort to islands scantily furnished with grass,
near the tufts of which they construct their nests; others form then: be-
neath the spreading boughs of the stunted firs, and in such places, five,

six, or even eight are sometimes found beneath a single bush. Many are

346 EIDER DUCK.

placed on the sheltered shelvings of rocks a few feet above high-water
mark, but none at any considerable elevation, at least none of my party,
including the sailors, found any in such a position, The nest, which is
sunk as much as possible into the ground, is formed of sea-weeds, mosses,
and dried twigs, so matted and interlaced as to give an appearance of neat-
ness to the central cavity, which rarely exceeds seven inches in diameter. In
the beginning of June the eggs are deposited, the male attending upon
the female the whole time. ‘The eggs, which are regularly placed on the
moss and weeds of the nest, without any down, are generally from five to
seven, three inches in length, two inches and one eighth in breadth, be-
ing thus much larger than those of the domestic Duck, of a regular oval
form, smooth-shelled, and of a uniform pale olive green. I may here
mention, by the way, that they afford delicious eating. I have not been
able to ascertain the precise period of incubation. If the female is not
disturbed, or her eggs removed or destroyed, she lays only one set in the
season, and as soon as she begins to sit the male leaves her. When the
full complement of eggs has been laid, she begins to pluck some down
from the lower parts of her body; this operation is daily continued for
some time, until the roots of the feathers, as far forward as she can reach,
are quite bare, and as clean as a wood from which the undergrowth has
been cleared away. ‘This down she disposes beneath and around the
eggs. When she leaves the nest to go in search of food, she places it
over the eggs, and in this manner, it may be presumed to keep up their
warmth, although it does not always ensure their safety, for the Black-
backed Gull is apt to remove the covering, and suck or otherwise destroy
the eggs.

No sooner are the young hatched than they are led to the water, even
when it is a mile distant, and the travelling difficult, both for the parent
bird and her brood; but when it happens that the nest has been placed’
among rocks over the water, the Eider, like the Wood Duck, carries the
young in her bill to their favourite element. I felt very anxious to find
a nest placed over a soft bed of moss or other plants, to see, whether, like
the Wood Duck on such occasions, the Eider would suffer her young ones
to fall from the nest; but unfortunately I had no opportunity of observ-
ing a case of this kind. The care which the mother takes of her young
for two or three weeks, cannot be exceeded. She leads them gently in a
close flock in shallow waters, where, by diving, they procure food, and at

times, when the young are fatigued, and at some distance from the shore,

KIDER DUCK. 347

she sinks her body in the water, and receives them on her back, where
they remain several minutes. At the approach of their merciless enemy,
the Black-backed Gull, the mother beats the water with her wings, as if
intending to raise the spray around her, and on her uttering a peculiar
sound, the young dive in all directions, while she endeavours to entice the
marauder to follow her, by feigning lameness, or she leaps out of the wa-
ter and attacks her enemy, often so vigorously, that, exhausted and dis-
appointed, he is glad to fly off, on which she alights near the rocks, among
which she expects to find her brood, and calls them to her side. Now
and then I saw two females which had formed an attachment to each other,
as if for the purpose of more effectually contributing to the safety of their
young, and it was very seldom that I saw these prudent mothers assailed
by the gull.

The young, at the age of one week, are of a dark mouse colour, thickly
covered with soft warm down. Their feet at this period are proportion-
ally very large and strong. By the 20th of July they seemed to be all
hatched. They grew rapidly, and when about a fortnight old were, with
great difficulty, obtained, unless during stormy weather, when they at
times retired from the sea to shelter themselves under the shelvings of the
rocks at the head of shallow bays. It is by no means difficult to rear
them, provided proper care be taken of them, and they soon become quite
gentle and attached to the place set apart for them. A fisherman of
Eastport, who carried eight or ten of them from Labrador, kept them
several years in a yard close to the water of the bay, to which, after they
were grown, they daily betook themselves, along with some common ducks,
regularly returning on shore towards evening. Several persons who had
seen them, assured me that they were as gentle as their associates, and al-
though not so active on land, were better swimmers, and moved more
gracefully on the water. They were kept until the male birds acquired
their perfect plumage and mated; but some gunners shot the greater
number of them one winter day, having taken them for wild birds, al-
though none of them could fly, they having been pinioned. I have no
doubt that if this valuable bird were domesticated, it would prove a great
acquisition, both on account of its feathers and down, and its flesh as an
article of food. I am persuaded that very little attention would be neces-
sary to effect this object. When in captivity, it feeds on different kinds
of grain and moistened corn-meal, and its flesh becomes excellent. Indeed,

the sterile females which we procured at Labrador in considerable num-

348 EIDER DUCK.

ber, tasted as well as the mallard. The males were tougher and more
fishy, so that we rarely ate of them, although the fishermen and settlers
paid no regard to sex in this matter.

When the female Eider is suddenly discovered on her nest, she takes
to wing at a single spring; but if she sees her enemy at some distance,
she walks off a few steps, and then flies away. If unseen by a person
coming near, as may often happen, when the nest is placed under the
boughs of the dwarf fir, she will remain on it, although she may hear
people talking. On such occasions my party frequently discovered the
nests by raising the pine branches, and were often as much startled as the
ducks themselves could be, as the latter instantly sprung past them on
wing, uttering a harsh cry. Now and then some were seen to alight on
the ground within fifteen or twenty yards, and walk as if lame and bro-
ken-winged, crawling slowly away, to entice their enemies to go in pur-
suit. Generally, however, they would fly to the sea, and remain there in
a large flock until their unwelcome visitors departed. When pursued by
a boat, with their brood around them, they allowed us to come up to
shooting distance, when, feigning decrepitude, they would fly off, beating
the water with partially extended wings, while the young either dived or
ran on the surface with wonderful speed, for forty or fifty yards, then
suddenly plunged, and seldom appeared at the surface unless for a mo-
ment. The mothers always flew away as soon as their brood dispersed,
and then ended the chase. The cry or note of the female is a hoarse roll-
ing croak ; that of the male I never heard.

Should the females be robbed of their eggs, they immediately go off
in search of mates, whether their previous ones or not I cannot tell, al-
though I am inclined to think so. However this may be, the duck in
such a case soon meets with a drake, and may be seen returning the same
day with him to her nest. They swim, fly, and walk side by side, and
by the end of ten or twelve days the male takes his leave, and rejoins
his companions out at sea, while the female is found sitting on a new set
of eggs, seldom, however, exceeding four. But this happens only at an
early period of the season, for I observed that as soon as the males had
begun to moult, the females, whose nests had been plundered, abandoned
the place. One of the most remarkable circumstances connected with
these birds is, that the females with broods are fully three weeks later
in moulting than the males, whereas those which do not breed begin

to moult as early as they. This may probably seem strange, but I

EIDER DUCK. 349

became quite satisfied of the fact while at Labrador, where, from the
number which we procured in a state of change, and the vast quantities
every now and then in sight, our opportunities of observing these birds
in a perfectly natural state were ample.

Some authors have said that the males keep watch near the females ;
ut, although this may be the case in countries such as Greenland and
Iceland, where the Eiders have been trained into a state of semi-domesti-
cation, it certainly was not so in Labrador. Not a single male did we
there see near the females after incubation had commenced, unless in the
case mentioned above, when the latter had been deprived of their eggs.
The males invariably kept aloof and in large flocks, sometimes of a hun-
dred or more individuals, remaining out at sea over large banks with
from seven to ten fathoms of water, and retiring at night to insular rocks.
It seemed very wonderful that in the long lines in which we saw them
travelling, we did not on any occasion discover among them a young
bird, or one not in its mature plumage. The young males, if they breed
before they acquire their full colouring, must either be by themselves at
this period, or with the barren females, which, as I have already said,
separate from those that are breeding. I am inclined to believe that
the old males commence their southward migration before the females
or the young, as none were to be seen for about a fortnight before the
latter started. In winter, when these Ducks are found on the Atlantic
shores of the United States, the males and females are intermingled ; and
at the approach of spring the mated pairs travel in great flocks, though
disposed in lines, when you can distinctly see individuals of both sexes
alternating.

The flight of the Eider is firm, strong, and generally steady. They
propel themselves by constant beats of the wings, undulating their lines
according to the inequality of surface produced by the waves, over which
they pass at the height of a few yards, and rarely more than a mile from
the shores. Few fly across the Gulf of St Lawrence, as they prefer fol-
lowing the coasts of Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, to the eastern en-
trance of the straits of Belle Isle, beyond which many proceed farther
north, while others ascend that channel and settle for the season along
the shores of Labrador, as far up as Partridge Bay, and still farther up
the St Lawrence. Whilst on our waters, or at their breeding grounds,
the Eiders are not unfrequently seen flying much higher than when

travelling, but in that case they seem to be acting with the intention of

350 EIDER DUCK.

guarding against their enemy man. The velocity of their flight has
been ascertained to be about eighty miles in the hour.

This species dives with great agility, and can remain a considerable
time under water, often going down in search of food to the depth of
eight or ten fathoms, or even more. When wounded, however, they soon
become fatigued in consequence of the exertion used in diving, and may
be overtaken by a well-manned boat in the course of half an hour or so,
as when fatigued they swim just below the surface, and may be struck
dead with an oar or a boat-hook.

Their food consists principally of shell-fish, the shells of which they
seem to have the power of breaking into pieces. In many individuals
which I opened, I found the entrails almost filled with small fragments
of shells mixed with other matter. Crustaceous animals and their roe,
as well as that of various fishes, I also found in their stomach, along with
pebbles sometimes as large as a hazel nut. The cesophagus, which is in
form like a bag, and is of a leathery firm consistence, was often found
distended with food, and usually emitted a very disagreeable fishy odour.
The gizzard is extremely large and muscular. The trachea of the young
male, so long as it remains in its imperfect plumage, or for the first twelve
months, does not resemble that of the old male; but on this subject I
intend to speak at length on another occasion. The males do not obtain
their full plumage until the fourth winter. They at first resemble the
mother, then gradually become pie-bald, but not in less time than be-
tween two and three years.

The Eider Duck takes a heavy shot, and is more easily killed on
wing than while swimming. When on shore they mark your approach
while you are yet ata good distance, and fly off before you come within
shot. Sometimes you may surprise them while swimming below high
rocks, and, if you are expert, then shoot them; but when they have first
seen you, it is seldom that you can procure them, as they dive with ex-
treme agility. While at Great Macatina Harbour, we discovered a large
basin of water, communicating with the sea by a very narrow passage
about thirty yards across, and observed that at particular stages of the
tides the Eider Ducks entered and returned by it. By hiding ourselves
on both sides of this channel, we succeeded in killing a good number, but
rarely more than one at a shot, although sometimes we obtained from a
single file as many as we had of gun-barrels.

Excepting in a single nest, I found no down clean, it having been in

RIDER DUCK. 351

every other instance more or less mixed with small dry fir twigs and bits
of grass. When cleaned, the down of a nest rarely exceeds an ounce in
weight, although, from its great elasticity, it is so bulky as to fill a hat,
or if properly prepared even a larger space. The eggers of Labrador
usually collect it in considerable quantity, but at the same time make
such havock among the birds, that at no very distant period the traffic

must cease.

Anas mottissima, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 198.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 845.
FuricuLa MoLuissima, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 388.
SomaTERIA MOLLISSIMA, Swains. and Richards, Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 448.
Exper Duck, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 406.

Adult Male. Plate CCXLVI. Figs. 1. 1.

Bill about the length of the head, deeper than broad at the base, some-
what depressed towards the end, which is broad and rounded. Upper
mandible with a soft tumid substance at the base, extending upon the fore-
head, and deeply divided into two narrow rounded lobes, its whole sur-
face marked with divergent oblique lines, the dorsal outline nearly
straight and sloping to beyond the nostrils, then curved, the ridge broad
at the base, broadly convex towards the end, the edges perpendicular, ob-
tuse, with about fifty small lamellz on the inner side, the unguis very
large, elliptical. Nostrils submedial, oblong, large, pervious, nearer the
ridge than the edge. Lower mandible flattened, with the angle very long,
rather narrow and rounded, the dorsal line short and slightly convex, the
edges with about sixty lamellze, the unguis very broad, elliptical.

Head very large. Eyes of mederate size. Neck of moderate length,
rather slender at its upper part. Body bulky and much depressed. Wings
rather small. Feet very short, strong, placed rather far behind ; tarsus
very short, compressed, anteriorly having a series of scutella in its whole
length, and a partial series above the fourth toe, the rest reticulated with
angular scales. Hind toe small, with a free membrane beneath ; anterior
toes double the length of the tarsus, connected by reticulated membranes,
having a sinus at their free margins, the inner with a broad lobed margi-
nal membrane, the outer with a thickened edge ; all obliquely scutellate
above, the third and fourth about equal and longest. Claws small, that
of first toe very small and curved, of middle toe largest, all rather de-

pressed and blunt.

8352 EIDER DUCK.

Plumage short, dense, soft, blended. Feathers on the fore part of the
head extremely small; on the upper part very narrow, on the occiput and
upper and lateral parts of the neck hairlike, stiff and glossy. Wings
rather short, narrow, pointed; primary quills curved, strong, tapering,
the first longest, the second scarcely shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ;
secondaries short, broad, rounded, the inner elongated, tapering, and re-
curved. ‘ail very short, much rounded, of sixteen narrow feathers.

Bill pale greyish-yellow, the unguis lighter, the soft tumid part pale
flesh-colour. Iris brown. Feet dingy light green, the webs dusky. Up-
per part of the head bluish-black ; the central part from the occiput to
the middle white. The hair-like feathers on the upper part and sides of
the neck are of a delicate pale green tint. The sides of the head, the
throat, and the neck, are white, the fore neck at its lower part of a fine
colour intermediate between buff and cream-colour. The rest of the
lower surface is brownish-black, as are the upper tail-coverts, and the
central part of the rump. ‘The rest of the back, the scapulars, smaller
wing-coverts, and inner curved secondary quills, white, the scapulars
tinged with yellow. Secondary coverts and outer secondaries brownish-
black ; primaries and tail-coverts greyish-brown.

Length to end of tail 25 inches, to end of wings 213, to end of claws
27; extent of wings 42; wing from flexure 113; tail 43; bill from ex-
tremity of tumid part 239, from its notch 2,%, along the edge of lower
mandible 21° ; tarsus 12 ; middle toe 219, its claw 73. Weight in winter,

5 lb. 54 02. ; in breeding time 4 lb. 8 oz.

Adult Female. Plate CCXLVI. Fig. 2.

The Female differs greatly from the Male. The bill is shorter, its
tumid basal part much less and narrower. The feathers of the head and
upper part of the neck are very small, soft, and uniform ; the scapulars
and inner secondaries are not elongated, as in the male. Bill pale grey-
ish-green; iris and feet as in the male. The head and neck all round
light brownish-red with small lines of brownish-black. Lower part of
neck all round, the whole upper surface, the sides, and the lower tail-
coverts of the same colours, but there the brownish-black markings are
broad. Secondary quills and larger coverts greyish-brown, tipped with
white, primaries brownish-black; tail-feathers greyish-brown. Breast and
abdomen greyish-brown, obscurely mottled.

Length to end of tail 24 inches, to end of wings 203, to end of claws 27;

EIDER DUCK. 353

extent of wings 39; wing from flexure 112; tail 4; bill 3,4; tarsus 13;
middle toe 2,’,, its claw 3. Weight in winter 4 1b. 43 oz. ; in breeding
time 3 lb. 12 oz.

The down of the female is light grey; that of the male on the white
parts is pure white, on the dark, greyish-white.

I have represented three of these birds in a state of irritation. A
mated pair, having a few eggs already laid, have been approached by a
single male, and are in the act of driving off the intruder, who, to facili-

tate his retreat, is lashing his antagonists with his wings.

VOL. III. zZ

( 354 )

THE VELVET DUCK.

FULIGULA FUSCA, Bonar.

PLATE CCXLVII. Mate anp FemAte.

Tue Velvet Duck arrives from the north along the shores of the Mid-
dle States, about the first of September, and extends to a greater or less
distance southward, according to the state of the weather, often proceed-
ing as far as Georgia. ‘The Bay of Chesapeake and all the estuaries to
the eastward are amply furnished with it, and there it is usually seen in
company with the American Scoter, the Golden-eyed Duck, and some
other species. It very rarely enters fresh waters during its stay on our
coast, and is with great propriety called a Sea Duck. My friend Tuo-
mAs NutTatt mentions that some, which probably were young birds, had
been seen in Fresh Pond near Cambridge in Massachusetts. This is the
only case of the kind that I have heard of, although these birds breed in
fresh water lakes and in rivers, in which they remain at the season of re-
production about two months,

In the beginning of April, the Velvet Ducks, which are gregarious,
collect in large flocks, for the purpose of removing to their northern
breeding places, and as they fly steadily onwards, you may see thousands
passing at short distances from the shores, and forming an almost conti-
nuous line, each flock composed of twenty or thirty individuals, which
fly low and irregularly, ranged in an angular form. While on the Bay
of Fundy, I went with my party to a projecting cape, round which these
birds passed during our stay, from daylight until evening. When it
blows hard from the sea, the Ducks come near to the shore, and afford
abundant opportunities to such sportsmen as are fond of shooting them.

As we approached the shores of Labrador, we found the waters cover-
ed with dense flocks of these birds, and yet they continued to arrive there
from the St Lawrence for several days in succession. We were all as-
tonished at their numbers, which were such that we could not help ima-
gining that all the Velvet Ducks in the world were passing before us.
This was about the middle of June, which I thought late for them, but
the season had been tardy, and the fishermen informed us, that when the

weather is warmer, these birds pass a fortnight earlier. The greater num-

VELVET DUCK. 3905

ber merely appear for a few days on their way farther north, but some
remain to breed on the southern coast of Labrador. Thousands of sterile
individuals, however, spend the summer on the Bay of Fundy.

During the breeding season, the Velvet Duck resembles the Eider in
its habits, only that it prefers fresh water, which is rarely the case with
the other species. The males leave the females after incubation has com-
menced. 'Those which breed at Labrador begin to form their nests from
the Ist to the 10th of June, and on the 28th of July I caught some young
ones several days old. The nests are placed within a few feet of the bor-
ders of small lakes, a mile or two distant from the sea, and usually under
the low boughs of the bushes, of the twigs of which, with mosses and va-
rious plants matted together, they are formed. They are large and almost
flat, several inches thick, with some feathers of the female, but no down,
under the eggs, which are usually six in number, intermediate in size be-
tween those of the Eider and King Ducks, measuring an inch and three
quarters in length, one and seven-eighths in breadth, of a uniform pale
cream colour tinged with green, not pure white as stated by some authors.
On the 28th of July I procured five young ones out of a brood of six, among
which, although to appearance scarcely a week old, I could readily dis-
tinguish the males from the females as they swam on the little pond
around their mother, the former having already a white spot under the eye.
The down with which they were covered was rather stiff and hair-like, of
a black colour, excepting under the chin, where there was a small patch
of white. They swam with great ease, and when we drove them into a
narrow place for the purpose of catching them, they several times turned
upon us and dived with the view of getting back to the middle of the
pond, so that at last we found it necessary to shoot them. Only one
escaped ashore, which my young friend Tuomas Lincoxn caught, but
afterwards restored to its mother, which continued on the pond, manifest-
ing the greatest anxiety, and calling to her brood all the while with
short squeaking notes, by no means unpleasant to the ear. On being
shot at, she flew off to another pond, but soon returned. Her plumage
was rusty and ragged, but the wings seemed to be complete, as she fiew
with great ease, springing at once from the water.

Mr Jones of Bras d’Or assured me, that either that individual or an-
other of the same species, had bred on the same pond for six or seven
years in succession, and that he had looked at the nest and observed her
manners when leading about the young, which he said did not leave the

zQ%

356 VELVET DUCK.

pond until they were able to fly. That year, 1833, she and her mate
had arrived nearly a month later than usual. This accounted for the
small size of the young, which he was sorry to see dead; and here let me
say that Mr Jones, who is not only a good-hearted and benevolent man,
but also fond of observing nature, was the first person I met with who could
give me any rational account of the ducks which bred in his vicinity.

A few of the Velvet Ducks breed on the Island of Grand Manan, and
in other places about the Bay of Fundy, but rarely farther south, and
the number that remain in Labrador is comparatively small, as we did
not observe there more than six or seven broods. They generally leave
that part of the coast about the middle of August ; but that season they
were still seen after the Eider Ducks had departed, which makes me think
that they require more warmth than these birds before they begin to lay
their eggs. Captain James Crark Ross, of the British Royal Navy, a
gentleman, besides his professional merits, distinguished for his love of
science, informed me that none of these birds were observed on either of
chis Arctic voyages. The extreme limits of their migrations remain un-
known. I have already related the manner in which this and several
other species are caught by the Indians in the Bay of Fundy, and there-
fore it is unnecessary that I should repeat it here, as you will find it at
p- 487. of Vol. II.

‘the flight of the Velvet Duck is strong and sustained, although it
usually flies low ; yet when pursued, or at the sight of gunners in a boat,
it often rises to the height of forty or fifty yards, describes elegant curved
lines as it passes and repasses, and thus continues to fly until danger is no
longer apprehended. Its movements in the air are performed by con-
tinued flappings, and when on wing the white of the wings is beautifully
contrasted with the dark hue of the rest of its plumage. It dives with as
much agility as the Eider or the American Scoter, and, when wounded,
is equally difficult to be caught, nor can it be killed with certainty with-
out a heavy shot.

The Velvet Ducks enter the bays and estuaries to a greater distance
than the Eiders. On land they move with more difficulty than those
birds, and keep themselves in a more erect attitude, like that in which I
have endeavoured to represent the male in the plate. They swim with
more buoyancy than the Eiders, but at times seem to rise from the water
with considerable difficulty. Their food consists of shell-fish and crus-

acea, as well as sea-weeds, small fish, and spawn. Their flesh is extreme-

VELVET DUCK. 357

ly dark, tastes of fish, and is very unpalatable, although I have seen per-
sons of great judgment in matters of this kind not only eat it with avidity,
but praise it as highly as if it were equal to the most tender and juicy
venison. They are sold in abundance in our eastern markets and those
of the Middle States, at from fifty cents to a dollar the pair.

This species is, in my opinion, very closely allied to the Eider, in so
much that I frequently call it the Black King-Duck. Along our coasts
it commonly receives the name of White-winged Coot. The female is
smaller than the male. The young much resemble the female during the
first year. The white spots of the head, however, are apparent, although
mottled with dusky, and their feet now shew some of the redness of those
of the old males; but I am unable to say with certainty at what age they
attain their full summer plumage, and the rich colouring of the bill. The
Gizzard, which is not so large as that of the Eider, is of a yellow colour ;

the gut very large, tough, and strong, about eight feet in length.

Awas ¥usca, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 196.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 43.
Fuxicura rusca, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 390.
OrpEmia FUSCA, Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer. patt ii. p. 449.

Ve tveT Duck, Anas Fusca, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 137. pl. 92. fig. 3.
Vexrvet Duck, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 419.

Adult Male. Plate CCXLVII. Fig. 1.

Bill about the length of the head, very broad, as deep as broad at the
base, depressed and flattened towards the end, which is rounded. Up-
per mandible with a short abrupt prominence at the base, its dorsal line
on the prominence straight, at its fore edge abruptly sloping, then slight-
ly concave, and at the end curved, the ridge on the prominence very
broad and nearly flat, towards the end broadly convex, the sides con-
vex, the edges obtuse with about thirty lamella, the unguis very large,

and elliptical. Nostrils subbasal, elliptical, very large, pervious, nearer
the ridge than the edge, and placed on the lower side of the basal pro-
minence. Lower mandible flat, with the angle long, rather narrew,
rounded, the dorsal line slightly convex, the edges with about twenty-
five lamellze, the unguis nearly circular and very large.

Head large. Eyes rather small. Neck of moderate length, thick.
Body large, and much depressed. Wings rather small. Feet very
short, placed rather far behind ; tarsus very short, compressed, having

anteriorly in its whole length a series of small scutella, and above the

358 VELVET DUCK.

outer toe a partial series, the rest covered with reticular angular scales.
Hind toe small, with a free membrane beneath ; anterior toes double the
length of the tarsus, united by reticulated membranes having a sinus on
their free margins, the inner with a lobed marginal membrane, the outer
with a thick edge, the third and fourth about equal and longest. Claws
smal], that of first toe very small and curved, of middle toe largest, with
a dilated inner edge, of the rest slender, all obtuse.

Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers on the fore part of the head
extremely small, on the neck velvety. Wings rather short, narrow,
pointed ; primary quills curved, strong, tapering and pointed, the first
longest, the second very little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; se-
condary broad and rounded, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail
very short, narrow, wedge shaped, of fourteen stiff narrow feathers.

Basal prominence and sides of the bill black, the sides towards the end
bright red, the unguis flesh-colour, with a black line on each side. Iris
bright yellow. Feet carmine on the outer side, orange-red on the inner,
the webs greyish-black. The general colour of the plumage is brown-
ish-black, on the upper parts glossed with blue, lighter on the lower.
The outer secondary quills are white, and there is a spot of the same un-
der the eye.

Length to end of tail 22 inches, to end of wings 193, to end of claws
241; extent of wings 39; wing from flexure 12; tail 33; bill 1,4, along
the edge of lower mandible 2,7; tarsus 1445; middle toe 3, its claw 455.
Weight 3 lb. 10 oz.

Adult Female. Plate CCXLVII. Fig. 2.

In the Female the basal prominence of the bill is much less elevated,
and the colour of the whole bill is dusky. The iris and feet are as in
the Male, but of duller tints. The general colour of the plumage is a
sooty brown, the breast and abdomen lighter. There are two whitish spots
on each side of the head, one near the base of the upper mandible, the
other behind the eye; the outer secondary quills are white as in the Male.

Length to end of tail 22 inches, to end of wings 18, to end of claws
253; extent of wings 38; wing from flexure 114; tail 34; bill 174, along
the edge of lower mandible 2,7, ; tarsus 13; middle toe 239, its claw ;5.
Weight 3 Ib. 3 oz. ;

The down of this species is similar to that of the Eider Duck, and
apparently of equal quality.

( 359 )

THE PIED-BILLED DOBCHICK.
PRODICEPS CAROLINENSIS, Latu.

PLATE CCXLVIII. Mater anp Femate.

Tuere go the little Dobchicks, among the tall rushes and aquatic
grasses that border the marsh. They have seen me, and now I watch
them as they sink gently backwards into the deep water, in the manner
of frightened frogs. Cunning things! ‘“ Water-witches,” as they call
you, I clearly see your bills, although you have withdrawn all of you
save those parts, and sneak off towards yon great bunch of bulrushes.
Well, speed on, and may safety attend you! Nature has granted you
means of eluding your enemies, and I am heartily glad to see that you
have profited by her instructions. I know you can fly too. How happy
must you be, to be thus enabled to migrate through the air, instead of
being obliged to labour for months with your curiously scolloped feet, in
removing from one country to another, as authors say you do. Ah! you
have reached a small secluded pool, where you intend to breed in peace
and security; there you are, collecting rushes and weeds to form a large
matted bed, on which you intend to deposit your pearly eggs. Labour
on, mind me not, I am a true friend and admirer of your race. I see that
among these plants you have fixed your tenement, in which there will
soon be five eggs, which, although tinged with green, will look as if pure
white. I wish I knew how many days of constant heat from your bodies
it will require to hatch them. Some other time perhaps you may tell me.
Miniatures of yourselves I now see swimming gaily, skipping, springing,
gliding, dipping, just like yourselves. So, you snatch the crawling bug,
and gorge yourselves with leeches, fish, and herbage. How fast your
young ones grow, changing from downy to hairy, and again to feathery
and silky. On winglets they now cross the clear pool, and crawl on the
opposite shore, there enjoying the warmth of the bright sunbeams. Sep-
tember has come; plump and strong seven of you there are; the even-
ing is calm and beautiful; you spread out your wings, reach with some
difficulty a proper height, and swift as meteors glide through the air, un-
til, meeting with warmer waters, you alight on them, and there remain

for a season.

360 PIED-BILLED DOBCHICK.

The Pied-billed Dobchick may be met with in almost every part of the
United States, at one season or other: in the south and west during au-
tumn and winter, in the east and north-west in spring and summer, mostly
on fresh waters of all descriptions, yet when these are covered with ice,
on bays and estuaries, where it searches for shrimps and fry, although un-
der other circumstances such haunts are not congenial to it. It is found
in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, but I did not meet with it in La-
brador or Newfoundland.

I had the good fortune, on the 28th of June, to stumble upon a nest
of this bird near the banks of the Wabash river, above Vincennes. It
was large for the bird, raised several inches above the muddy and reedy
shores of a pond, only a few feet from the water, and composed of de-
cayed weeds, rushes, and earth. On being discovered, the sitting bird
slid over the mud, along a path that led directly to the water, in which it
immediately dived, and I saw no more of it for about twenty minutes.
The eggs, which were five, measured an inch and a quarter, by seven and a
half-eighths, were smooth, rather rounded, and of a light greenish-white
colour. On breaking one of them, I found it to contain a chick consider-
ably advanced, which induced me to leave the rest untouched, and before I
departed I saw the bird, which I believed to be the female, swimming low
at adistance. I watched it for some time, but could not discover another,
and walked away to allow it to resume its occupation. The nest was fixed
among the stalks of strong reeds, but was not attached to any of them.
In the month of August, while on the Cayuga lakes, I saw one of these
birds with a brood of young about half grown, but could not obtain a.
single specimen, as they dived with extreme quickness, and eluded all
pursuit.

Few birds plunge with more rapidity than this species, which, during
submersion, employs its wings, as I had an opportunity of observing while
some were passing under a boat when I was in pursuit of them. On the
water it is almost impossible to catch them, unless they have been injured in
the wing, when they are unable to dive without difficulty. The curious
habit which they have of sinking gradually backward in the water, at the
sight of an enemy, is very pleasing to observe. Not a ripple do they
leave on the spot where they have disappeared, and one unacquainted
with them can hardly conceive that a bird could have escaped in so dex-
terous a manner. My friend THomas MacCuttccu gave me an account
of one which, having been observed on a small mill-dam, was pursued by

PIED-BILLED DOBCHICK. 361

the miller’s sons, who, after chasing it fully an hour, could not even drive
it on shore. Their father, however, who was as anxious as themselves to
see the curious creature, drained the pond, when the little thing was seen
crawling over the mud in a manner not unlike that of a turtle. It was
now easily caught, as it was not able to rise on wing, the species, it seems,
being incapable of springing from the ground, and was afterwards given
to my young friend, who presented it beautifully prepared to me.

While I was at Philadelphia, my learned and staunch friend Dr
Ricuarp Harway, received two Pied-billed Grebes alive, which had been
eaught in a fishing-net on Brandywine Creek. We placed them in a large
tub of water, where we could see all their subaqueous movements. They
swam round the sides of the tub in the manner of the Puffin, moving
their wings in accordance with their feet, and continued so a much longer
time than one could suppose it possible for them to remain under water,
coming up to breathe, and plunging again with astonishing celerity.
When placed on the carpet, they ran awkwardly half erect, for a distance
of a few feet, tumbled over, and scrambled along with the aid of their
wings. Nothing could induce them to eat, and after a day or two of cap-
tivity, the little creatures were taken to the Delaware, and set at liberty.

This bird retires to rest on the floating beds of rushes met with in ponds,
or on the edges of the shores ; and in such places you may see it sitting up-
right, and dressing its plumage in the sunshine. They are extremely un-
willing to rise on wing, unless during their migrations, or when chasing

each other at the pairing season, which commences in March, when they
"manifest a good deal of pugnacity. On such occasions, the males fly, dive,
and rise again on wing, in the manner of the Foolish Guillemot. While
travelling, they pass rapidly through the air, at times at a considerable ele-
vation, when the movements of their wings produce a sound like that of a
hawk stooping on its prey. They are seldom found in parties of more
than six or seven. The idea of their migrating by water is quite absurd.
How long would it take a Dobchick to swim from the mouths of the Mis-
sissippi to the head waters of the Ohio; and when arrived there, after
‘six or seven weeks of constant paddling, how is he to proceed farther ?
Yet it is well known that they breed farther north, and are general on
the southern waters early in October.

The food of the Pied-billed Dobchick consists of small fry, plants, seeds,
aquatic insects, and snails; along with which they swallow gravel. On

opening several individuals, in different parts of the Union, I observed in

362 PIED-BILLED DOBCHICK.

their gizzards a quantity of hair and feather-like substance, for which I
could not account, but which I at length found to be the down of certain
plants, such as thistles, the seeds remaining undigested and attached to it.
My friend Tuomas MacCurtocn made the same observation on examin-
ing some at Pictou in Nova Scotia, and I have found similar substances in
the stomach of many individuals of Podiceps cristatus.

The Pied-billed Dobchicks seem to form particular attachments to cer-
tain ponds or small lakes, where, until they are closed by ice, you may
always observe a pair or a family. Opposite Henderson I regularly saw
a couple every autumn, and my friend the Reverend Joun Bacuman has
observed a group of them for many winters in a small pond a few miles
distant from Charleston. They seem to have a dislike to swift-running
streams, and when on them keep to the eddies along the shores, The
curious double pectination on the hind part of their tarsi, seems to aid
them greatly while sitting upright on the broad leaves of water-lilies, on
the surface of which I have observed indented impressions after the birds
had plunged into the water from them. The young differ in colour from
the adult, but the old males and females resemble each other, only the

former are larger.

PopIcEPs CAROLINENSIS, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 785.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops.
of Birds of the United States, p. 418.—Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer.
part ii. p. 412.

Prep-sitit Doscuick, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 259.

Adult Male. Plate CCXLVIII. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, stout, deep, compressed, tapering. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight at the base, curved towards
the end, the ridge slightly flattened for a short space at the base, narrow
in the rest of its extent, the sides convex towards the end, the edges sharp,
inflected, the tip obtuse, a little decurved. Nasal groove broad, and ex-
tending beyond the middle of the mandible ; nostrils elliptical, lateral, sub-
medial, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and narrow, the
sides nearly erect, but convex, the dorsal line very short and sloping up-
wards, the edges inflected, the tips narrow, the gape-line nearly straight.

Head rather small, oblong, compressed ; neck rather long ; body de-
pressed. Feet placed far behind, short, stout; tibia bare for a very short

space below; tarsus short, much compressed, thin before and behind, an-

PIED-BILLED DOBCHICK. 363

teriorly scutellate, on the sides with large scutelliform scales, posteriorly
rough, with a double row of very small scales. Hind toe very small and
situated high; fourth toe longest, third a little shorter, second much
shorter ; anterior toes connected by webs, which beyond the second joint
are slit and rounded, the outer edges of the second and fourth furnished
with broad lobed membranes; the lobes are marked with parallel grooves,
directed a little forwards. Claws of fore toes depressed, that of middle
toe resembling a human nail.

Plumage blended, on the forehead with stiff enlarged shafts, as in the
Rails, on the back shining and rather hard, as well as on the lower part
of the neck anteriorly and laterally, on the rest of the lower parts glossy
and hair-like. Wings very small; primary quills curved, the second
longest, first slightly shorter, third longer than first; secondary short,
broad, rounded, the inner elongated and more tapering. Tail a slight
tuft of loose feathers. ‘

Bill pale blue, upper mandible dusky along the ridge, and with the
lower having a black spot beyond the middle. Iris brown. Feet greyish-
black. Upper part of the head and the throat black ; neck and sides of
the head light greyish-brown, the stiff edges of the feathers on the lower
part and sides of the neck greyish-yellow ; back brownish-black, as are
the inner secondaries ; the outer light brown, with a reddish-white spot
on the end of the inner web ; primaries light brown, dusky at the end.
The breast is silvery white, the abdomen brownish-grey, and the sides
mottled with the same.

Length to end of tail 14 inches, to end of wings 12, to end of claws 18 ;
extent of wings 23: wing from flexure 4}$; bill along the ridge 139;
along the edge of lower mandible 1,4; ; tarsus 1,5, ; middle toe 2, its
claw 44. Weight 15 oz.

Adult Female. Plate CCXLVIII. Fig. 2.
The Female wants the black band on the bill; but is in other respects
nearly similar to the male. Weight 13 oz.

( 364 )

THE TUFTED PUFFIN.

Moruon CIRRHATUS, TEMM.

PLATE CCXLIX. Mater.

THE specimen from which I drew the figure of this singular looking
bird, was procured at the mouth of the Kennebeck River, in Maine. It
was shot by a fisherman gunner, while standing on some floating ice, in
the winter of 1831-32. No other individual was seen. I could not obtain
any information respecting its habits; but as the bird was in tolerable
order, I hope that my figures of it will prove not unacceptable. It wasa
male, and appeared to be adult. My friend, the Prince of Musignano,
mentions this species as being an inhabitant of the seas between North
America*and Kamtschatka, being, he adds, often found on the western

coasts of the United States in winter.

Atca cirRHATA, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 791.
Mormon cirruatus, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 429.

TurteD Mormon or Purrin, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 539.

Adult Male. Plate CCXLIX. Fig. 1, 2.

Bill about the length of the head, nearly as high as long, extremely
compressed, at the base as high as the head, furrowed on the sides. Up-
per mandible with a horny rim along the basal margin, its dorsal line con-
vex to the middle, or along the extent of a long, narrow, rounded dorsal
prominence, which extends from the base to the first groove, afterwards
curved in the fourth of a circle, the ridge narrow, in its basal half round-
ed, narrower and rather sharp towards the end, the sides slightly convex,
and marked with four curved transverse grooves, between the nostril and
the tip, the edges rather blunt, nearly straight until close to the decurved,
narrow, obtuse tip. The basal rim is scrobiculate, the rest of the mandi-
ble smooth. The nostrils are linear, direct, close to the edge, and near
the base. Lower mandible with the angle extremely short and narrow,
the dorsal line nearly straight and ascending, the sides slightly concave,

without grooves, the ridge narrow but convex, the tip very narrow, ob-

TUFTED PUFFIN. 365

liquely truncate. The gape extends downwards a little beyond the base
of the bill, and is furnished with a soft corrugated extensible membrane.

Head large, oblong, anteriorly compressed ; eye of moderate size, with
the edges of the eyelids bare ; neck short and thick ; body full and round-
ed. Feet short, rather stout ; tibia bare for a short space above the joint ;
tarsus very short, anteriorly with a series of small scutella, the rest with
small roundish scales. Hind toe wanting; toes of moderate length, ra-
ther slender, scutellate above, connected by reticulated entire membranes,
the third toe longest, the fourth little shorter, the second considerably
shorter, with a narrow marginal web. Claws strong, of moderate length,
compressed, arched, that of the inner toe much curved, of the middle toe
with a thin inner edge.

Plumage close, blended, soft, very short on the head, where, however,
along a line over and behind the eye, there is on each side a tuft of long,
very slender, acute incurved feathers, of a shining hair-like texture.
Wings rather short, curved, narrow, acute ; primary quills narrow, in-
curved, first longest, second slightly shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ;
secondaries very short, small and rounded. ‘Tail very short, slightly
rounded, of sixteen narrow rounded decurved feathers.

Bill light yellowish-red, the basal rim and the ridge towards the end
of the upper mandible bright red, asis the edge of the eyelids. Iris light
blue. Feet bright red ; webs of a deeper tint ; claws black. Sides of the
head white; upper part brownish-black ; the elongated feathers behind
the eye pale yellow. The general colour of the upper parts is brownish-
black, glossed with blue, of the lower deep purplish-brown.

Length to end of tail 15 inches, to end of wings 14, to end of claws
14; extent of wings 221; wing from flexure 8%, ; tail 2; bill along the
ridge 23, along the edge of lower mandible 14}; tarsus 1,%, ; middle toe

THE ARCTIC TERN.
STERNA ARcTICA, TEMM.

PLATE CCL. Mate.

Lient as a sylph, the Arctic Tern dances through the air above and
around you. The graces, one might imagine, had taught it to perform
those beautiful gambols which you see it display the moment you ap-
proach the spot which it has chosen for its nest. Over many a league of
ocean has it passed, regardless of the dangers and difficulties that might
deter a more considerate traveller. Now over some solitary green isle,
a creek or an extensive bay, it sweeps, now over the expanse of the
boundless sea; at length it has reached the distant regions of the north,
and amidst the floating icebergs stoops to pick up a shrimp. It betakes
itself to the borders of a lonely sand-bank, or a low rocky island ; there
side by side the males and the females alight, and congratulate each other
on the happy termination of their long journey. Little care is required
to form a cradle for their progeny ; in a short time the variegated eggs
are deposited, the little Terns soon burst the shell, and in a few days
hobble towards the edge of the water, as if to save their fond parents
trouble; feathers now sprout on their wings, and gradually invest their
whole body; the young birds at length rise on wing, and follow their
friends to sea. But now the brief summer of the north is ended, dark
clouds obscure the sun,’a snow-storm advances from the polar lands, and
before it skim the buoyant Terns, rejoicing at the prospect of returning
to the southern regions.

The day after our arrival at the Magdaleine Islands, the weather was
beautiful, although a stiff breeze blew from the south-west. I landed
with my party at an early hour, and we felt as if at a half-way house
on our journey from Nova Scotia to Labrador. Some of us ascended the
more elevated parts of those interesting islands, while others walked along
the shores. A clean sand-beach lay before us, and we proceeded over
it, until having reached a kind of peninsula, we were brought to a stand.
The Piping Plover ran and flew swiftly before us, emitting its soft and
mellow notes, while some dozens of Arctic Terns were plunging into

the waters, capturing a tiny fish or shrimp at every dash. Until that

ARCTIC TERN. 367

moment this Tern had not been familiar to me, and as I admired its easy
and graceful motions, I felt agitated with a desire to possess it. Our
guns were accordingly charged with mustard-seed shot, and one after
another you might have seen the gentle birds come whirling down upon
the waters. But previous to this I had marked their mode of flight, their
manner of procuring their prey, and their notes, that I might be able to
finish the picture from life. Alas, poor things! how well do I remem-
ber the pain it gave me, to be thus obliged to pass and execute sentence
upon them. At that very moment I thought of those long-past times,
when individuals of my own species were similarly treated ; but I excused
myself with the plea of necessity, as I recharged my double gun. As
soon as a sufficient number of males and females lay dead at our feet, we
retired from the water’s edge, to watch the motions of the survivors,
among whom confusion and dismay prevailed, as they dashed close over
our heads, and vociferated their maledictions. We did not, however, de-
part until we had tried a curious experiment for the third time. A female
had been shot, and lay dead on the water for a considerable while. Her
mate, whom I was unwilling to destroy, alighted upon her, and attempt-
ed to caress her, as if she had been alive. The same circumstance took
place three different times, on our throwing the dead bird on the water.
Something of the same nature I have related in my article on the Wild
Turkey. All this happened in the month of June 1833, when none of
the Arctic Terns had yet produced eggs, although we found them nearly
ready to lay, as were the Piping Plovers.

Our schooner now sailed onward, and carried us to the dreary shores
of Labrador. There, after some search, we met with a great flock of
Arctic Terns breeding on a small island slightly elevated above the sea.
Myriads of these birds were there sitting on their eggs. The individuals
were older than those which we had seen on the Magdeleine Islands; for
the more advanced in life the individuals of any species are, the more
anxious are they to reproduce, the sooner do they proceed to their summer
residence, and the more extensive is the range of their migration north-
ward. On the other hand, the younger the bird is, the farther south it
removes during winter, both because it thus enjoys a milder climate, and
requires less exertion in procuring its food ; whereas the older individuals
not only have a stronger constitution, but are more expert in discovering

and securing their prey, so that it is not necessary for them to extend
their journey so far.

368 ARCTIC TERN.

The Arctic Tern is found with us on the eastern coasts of the United
States only, where it appears, from the shores of New Jersey northwards,
in autumn, and whence it departs in early spring. No sooner have the
winter tempests subsided, than it is observed gliding along the coast, to-
gether with many other birds. In the beginning of March, you see it
following the sinuosities of the shores, some passing directly from the
Sable Islands off the Bay of Fundy and Newfoundland into Baffin’s Bay;
others, younger, and unwilling to encounter the perils of a more extended
flight, passing up the Gulf of St Lawrence, either through the Straits of
Cansso, or the broader channel between Cape Breton and Newfound-
land, and betaking themselves to the Magdaleine Islands and the coasts of
Labrador. ‘

While at American Harbour in June 1833, my son and some of his
companions met with a low rocky island, on which hundreds of these
Terns had deposited their eggs. No other species was seen there; the
birds were mostly sitting, and, on the landing of the party, they all rose
as if in the greatest consternation, hovered over their heads, and left their
eggs to the mercy of the intruders who carried off a basketful of them,
with a few of the birds themselves.

On the 18th of the same month, the Arctic Terns were found breed-
ing on another island in considerable numbers ; many dozens of their eggs
were gathered, and delicious food indeed they proved to be. The full
number of their eggs is three, but as it was early in the season many had
only two. Their average dimensions were an inch and a quarter in
length, and five-eighths in their greatest breadth; they were oval, but
rather sharp at the smaller ends; their ground-colour a light-olive, irre-
gularly covered with patches of dark umber, larger towards the round
end. They were deposited on the rocks wherever there was any grass,
but no nest had been formed for their reception. They differed extreme-
ly in their colour, indeed quite as much as those of the Sandwich Tern.
As we approached the little island, they all rose in the air, and flew high
over our heads, screaming loudly, which they continued to do until we
left the place. Several were shot, and as each fell the rest immediately
plunged through the air after it. Whenever one was wounded so slight-
ly as to be able to make off, it was lost to us, and the rest followed it.
Only a very few of those which we saw and shot had the bill entirely red,
and those which had were evidently older birds. Some exhibited a con-
siderable portion of the point tinged with brownish-black, yet all of them

ARCTIC TERN. 369

could easily be distinguished from the Sterna Hirundo, first by their
smaller size, shorter tarsi, more delicate bill, and greater curvature of the
outer part of their wings; and secondly, by the leaden tint of their lower
parts, from the neck to the tail, those parts in Sterna Hirundo being
pure white. The back is also of a deeper blue in the Arctic Tern.
The long tail-feathers were much shorter in the females than in the males,
but M. Tremmincx is wrong in saying that this bird has the tail propor-
tionally longer than that of other species, the Roseate Tern having it of
much greater length, considering its diminutive size.

At the beginning of the first autumn, the plumage of the young so much
resembles that of the young of Sterna Hirundo, that a person, not paying
attention to the tarsi and feet, might readily confound them together. Yet
even at this early age, there are strong indications of the bluish tint on the
under parts. ‘The longest tail-feathers at this period do not extend more
than two inches beyond the rest; the upper parts of the body are mottled
with brown, as in all the other species, and in Gulls. The mantle of this, as
of all other Terns, assumes its permanent hue before any part of the wings.
On the 5th of August, in Labrador, the young birds were gambolling
along with their parents, over the shores of Bras d’Or Harbour, and when
we left that country the Terns still remained, so that I am unable to
state at what particular period they commence their journey southward.

The notes of this species resemble the syllables creek, creek, and are
often repeated while the bird is on wing. During autumn it follows
the sinuosities of the shores of the bays and inlets, ascending against the
ebb, and, returning to meet the tide, which enables it to procure its food
in succession while it keeps on its course. I have only farther to mention
a curious fact, which is, that all the Terns which breed in the northern
parts of the United States, and in regions still nearer the pole, sit closely
on their eggs, while the small species that breed to the southward incu-

bate only during night, or in rainy weather.

Srerna arctica, Temm. Man. d’Ornith. part ii. p. 742,—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of
Birds of the United States, p. 354.—Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer.
part ii. p. 414.

Arctic Trern, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 275.

Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCL.
Bill about the same length as the head, slender, tapering, compressed,
nearly straight, very acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slight-

VOL. III. Aa

376 ARCTIC TERN.

ly arched, the ridge rather broad and convex at the base, narrow towards
the end, the sides convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip acute.
Nasal groove extended beyond the nostrils nearly to the tip ; nostrils ba-
sal, linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle extremely
narrow, very acute, extending beyond the middle, the dorsal line straight,
the sides erect and slightly convex, the sharp edges inflected, the tip ex-
tremely acute.

Head of moderate size, oblong; neck of moderate length; body very
slender. Feet very small; tibia bare for a considerable space ; tarsus ex-
tremely short, slender, roundish, covered anteriorly with small scutella,
laterally and behind with reticular scales; toes very small, slender, the
first extremely small, the third longest, the fourth nearly as long, the se-
cond much shorter, all scutellate above, the anterior connected by reti-
culated webs having a concave margin ; claws arched, compressed, acute,
that of hind toe smallest, of middle toe by much the largest, and having
the inner edge thin and dilated.

Plumage soft, close, blended, very short on the fore part of the head ;
the feathers in general broad and rounded. Wings very long, narrow
and pointed; primary quills tapering, slightly curved inwards, the first
longest, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondary short, broad, incurved,
rounded, the inner more tapering. Tail long, very deeply forked, of
twelve feathers, of which the outer are tapering, the middle short and
rounded.

Bill, mouth, and feet vermilion tinged with carmine. Iris brown.
The upper part of the head and elongated occipital feathers greenish-
black; the sides of the head and chin white; the upper parts pale grey-
ish-blue, the rump lighter, the tail white, excepting the outer webs of the
two lateral feathers which are dusky grey, primaries dusky towards the
ends, the two outer with their outer webs blackish, all with the greater
part of the inner web white ; secondaries tipped with white. Neck, breast
and sides pale greyish-blue, like the upper parts, but lighter ; abdomen,
under tail-coverts, and lower surfaces of wings and tail white.

Length to end of tail 153 inches, to end of wings 132, to end of claws
93; extent of wings 32; wing from flexure 103; tail to end of shortest
feathers 31, to end of longest 73; bill along the ridge 14, along the edge
of lower mandible 11° ; tarsus & ; middle toe ?3, its claw 2}. Weight

93
23 o7.

Grea

A TOUGH WALK FOR A YOUTH.

Asout twelve years ago I was conveyed, along with my son Vicror,
from Bayou Sarah to the mouth of the Ohio, on board the steamer Mag-
net, commanded by Mr M‘Knicur, to whom I here again offer my best
thanks for his attentions. The very sight of the waters of that beautiful
river filled me with joy as we approached the little village of Trinity,
where we were landed along with several other passengers, the water be-
ing too low to enable the vessel to proceed to Louisville. No horses could
be procured, and as I was anxious to continue my journey without delay,
I consigned my effects to the care of the tavern-keeper, who engaged to
have them forwarded by the first opportunity. My son, who was not
fourteen, with all the ardour of youth, considered himself able to accom-
plish on foot the long journey which we contemplated. Two of the pas-
sengers evinced a desire to accompany us, “ provided,” said the tallest and
stoutest of them, “ the lad can keep up. My business,” he continued,
“is urgent, and I shall push for Frankfort pretty fast.”. Dinner, to
which we had contributed some fish from the river, being over, my boy
and I took a ramble along the shores of Cash Creek, on which some years
before I had been detained several weeks by ice. We slept at the tavern,
and next morning prepared for our journey, and were joined by our com-
panions, although it was past twelve before we crossed the creek.

One of our fellow-travellers, named Rosr, who was a delicate and
gentlemanly person, acknowledged that he was not a good walker, and
said he was glad that my son was with us, as he might be able to keep up
with the lively youth. The other, a burly personage, at once pushed for-
ward. We walked in Indian file along the narrow track cut through the
canes, passed a wood-yard, and entered the burnt forest, in which we met
with so many logs and briars, that we judged it better to make for the
river, the course of which we followed over a bed of pebbles, my son some-
times a-head, and again falling back, until we reached America, a village
having a fine situation, but with a shallow approach to the shore. Here
we halted at the best house, as every traveller ought to do, whether pedes-
trian or equestrian, for he is there sure of being well treated, and will not

have more to pay than in an inferior place. Now we constituted Mr Rosr
Aa

372 ‘A TOUGH WALK FOR A YOUTH.

purser. We had walked twelve miles over rugged paths and pebbly
shores, and soon proceeded along the edge of the rivet. Seven tough
miles ended, we found a house near the bank, and in it we determined to
pass the night. The first person we met with was a woman picking cot-
ton in a small field. On asking her if we might stay in her cabin for the
night, she answered we might, and hoped we could make a shift with the
fare on which she and her husband lived. While she went to the house
to prepare supper, I took my son and Mr Rose to the water, knowing
how much we should be refreshed by a bath. Our fellow-traveller re-
fused, and stretched himself on a bench by the door. The sun was set-
ting; thousands of robins were flying southward in the calm and clear
air; the Ohio was spread before us smooth as a mirror, and into its wa-
ters we leaped with pleasure. In a short time the goodman of the hut
called us to supper, and in a trice we were at his heels. He was a tall
raw-boned fellow, with an honest bronzed face. After our frugal meal,
we all four lay down in a large bed spread on the floor, while the good
people went up to a loft.

The woodsman having, agreeably to our instructions, roused us at
day-break, told us that about seven miles farther we should meet with a
breakfast much better than the last supper we had. He refused any pe-
cuniary compensation, but accepted from mea knife. So we again started.
My dear boy appeared very weak at first, but soon recovered, and our
stout companion, whom I shall call S., evidently shewed symptoms of
lassitude. On arriving at the cabin of a lazy man blessed with an indus-
trious wife and six healthy children, all of whom laboured for his support,
we were welcomed by the woman, whose motions and language indicated
her right to belong to a much higher class. Better breakfast I never ate :
the bread was made of new corn ground on a tin-grater by the beautiful
hands of our blue-eyed hostess; the chickens had been prepared by one
of her lovely daughters ; some good coffee was added, and my son had
fresh milk. The goodwoman, who now held a babe to her bosom, seemed
pleased to see how heartily we all ate; the children went to work, and the
lazy husband went to the door to smoke a corn-cob pipe. A dollar was
put into the ruddy hand of the chubby urchin, and we bade its mother
farewell. Again we trudged along the beach, but after a while betook
ourselves to the woods. My son became faint. Dear boy! never can I
forget how he lay exhausted on a log, large tears rolling down his cheeks.
I bathed his temples, spoke soothingly to him, and chancing to see a fine

A TOUGH WALK FOR A YOUTH. 373

turkey cock run close by, directed his attention to it, when, as if sudden-
ly refreshed, he got up and ran a few yards towards the bird. From that
moment he seemed to acquire new vigour, and at length we reached Wil-
cox’s, where we stopped for the night. We were reluctantly received at
the house, and had little attention paid to us, but we had a meal and went

to bed. |

The sun rose in all its splendour, and the Ohio reflected its ruddy beams.
A finer view of that river can scarcely be obtained than that from the
house which we were leaving. Two miles through intricate woods brought
us to Belgrade, and having passed Fort Massacre, we halted and took
breakfast. S. gave us to understand that the want of roads made travel-
ling very unpleasant; he was not, he added, in the habit of “ skulking
through the bushes or tramping over stony bars in the full sunshine,”
but how else he had travelled was not explained. Mr Rose kept up
about as well as Vicror, and I now led the way. Towards sunset we
reached the shores of the river, opposite the mouth of the Cumberland,
On a hill, the property of a Major B., we found a house, and a solitary
woman, wretchedly poor, but very kind. She assured us, that if we
could not cross the river, she would give us food and shelter for the night,
but said that as the moon was up, she could get us put over when her
skiff came back. Hungry and fatigued we laid us down on the brown
grass, waiting either a scanty meal, or the skiff that was to convey us
across the river. I had already grated the corn for our supper, run down
the chickens, and made a fire, when a cry of ‘“* Boat coming” roused us
all. We crossed half of the Ohio, walked over Cumberland Isle, and
after a short ferry found ourselves in Kentucky, the native land of my
beloved sons. I was now within a few miles of the spot where, some
years before, I had a horse killed under me by lightning.

It is unnecessary to detain you with a long narrative, and state every
occurrence until we reached the banks of Green River. We had left
Trinity at 12 o'clock of the 15th October, and on the morning of the
18th four travellers descending a hill, were admiring the reflection of the
sun’s rays on the forest-margined horizon. The frost which lay thick
on the ground and the fences, glittered in the sheen, and dissolved away ;
all nature seemed beautiful in its calm repose; but the pleasure which I
felt on gazing on the scene was damped by the fatigue of my son, who
now limped like a lamed turkey, although, as the rest of the party were

not much better off, he smiled, straightened himself, and strove to keep

374 A TOUGH WALK FOR A YOUTH.

up with us. Poor S. was panting many yards behind, and was talking
of purchasing a horse. We had now, however, a tolerably good road, and
in the evening got toa house where I inquired if we could have a supper
. and beds. When I came out, Vicror was asleep on the grass, Mr Rose
looking at his sore toes, and S. just finishing a jug of monongahela.
Here we resolved that, instead of going by Henderson, we should take a
cut across to the right, and make direct for Smith’s Ferry, by way of
Highland Lick Creek.

Next day we trudged along, but nothing very remarkable occurred
excepting that we saw a fine black wolf quite tame and gentle, the owner
of which had refused a hundred dollars for it. Mr Rost, who was an
engineer, and a man of taste, amused us with his flageolet, and frequent-
ly spoke of his wife, his children, and his fireside, which increased my
good opinion of him. At an orchard we filled our pockets with October
peaches, and when we came to Trade Water River we found it quite low.
The acorns were already drifted on its shallows, and the Wood Ducks
were running about picking them up. Passing a flat bottom, we saw a
large Buffalo Lick. Where now are the bulls which erst scraped its
earth away, bellowing forth their love or their anger ?

Good Mr Rosr’s feet became sorer and sorer each succeeding day ;
Mr S. at length nearly gave up; my son had grown brisker. The 20th
was cloudy, and we dreaded rain, as we knew the country to be flat and
clayey. In Union County, we came to a large opening, and found the
house of a Justice, who led us kindly to the main road, and accompanied
us for a mile, giving us excellent descriptions of brooks, woods and barrens,
notwithstanding which we should have been much puzzled, had not a
neighbour on horseback engaged to shew us the way. The rain now fell
in torrents, and rendered us very uncomfortable, but at length we reached
Highland Lick, where we stumbled on a cabin, the door of which we
thrust open, overturning a chair that had been placed behind it. Ona
dirty bed lay a man, a table with a journal or perhaps a ledger before him,
a small cask in a corner near him, a brass pistol on a nail over his head,
and along Spanish dagger by his side. He rose and asked what was
wanted. “ The way to a better place, the road to Suces’s.” “ Follow the
road, and you'll get to his house in about five miles!” My party were
waiting for me, warming themselves by the fires of the salt-kettles. The

being I had seen was an overseer. By-and-by we crosssed a creek ; the

A TOUGH WALK FOR A YOUTH. 375

country was hilly, clayey and slippery ; Mr S. was cursing, RosE limped
like a lame duck, but Vicror kept up like a veteran.

Another day, kind Reader, and I shall for a while shut my journal.
The morning of the 21st was beautiful; we had slept comfortably at
Suces’s, and we soon found ourselves on pleasant barrens, with an agree-
able road. Rose and S. were so nearly knocked up, that they proposed
to us to go on without them. We halted and talked a few minutes on
the subject, when our companions stated their resolution to proceed at a
slower pace. So we bade them adieu. I asked my son how he felt; he
laughed and quickened his steps; and in a short time our former asso-
ciates were left out of sight. In about two hours we were seated in the
Green River ferry-boat, with our legs hanging in the water. At Smith’s
Ferry this stream looks like a deep lake ; and the thick cane on its banks,
the large overhanging willows, and its dark green waters, never fail to
form a fine picture, more especially in the calm of an autumnal evening.
Mr Situ gave us a good supper, sparkling cider, and a comfortable bed.
It was arranged that he should drive us to Louisville in his dearborne;
and so here ended our walk of two hundred and fifty miles. Should you
wish to accompany us during the remainder of our journey, I have only
to refer you to the article “ Hospitality in the Woods,” which you wil

find in a former volume.

Gusisua

THE BROWN PELICAN.

PELECANUS FuscUs, Linn.

PLATE CCLI. Mate.

Tuer Brown Pelican, which is one of the most interesting of our Ame-
rican birds, is a constant resident in the Floridas, where it resorts to the
Keys and the salt-water inlets, but never enters fresh-water streams, as the
White Pelican is wont to do. It is rarely seen farther eastward than
Cape Hatteras, but is found to the south far beyond the limits of the
United States. Within the recollection of persons still living, its num-
bers have been considerably reduced, so much indeed that in the inner Bay
of Charleston, where twenty or thirty years ago it was quite abundant,
very few individuals are now seen, and these chiefly during a continuance
of tempestuous weather. There is a naked bar, a few miles distant from
the main land, between Charleston and the mouth of the Santee, on which
my friend Joun BacHMaN some years ago saw a great number of these ’
birds, of which he procured several; but at the present day, few are
known to breed farther east than the salt-water inlets running parallel to
the coast of Florida, forty or fifty miles south of St Augustine, where I
for the first time met with this Pelican in considerable numbers.

My friend Joun Buttow, Esq. took me in his barge to visit the Ha-
lifax, which is a large inlet, and on which we soon reached an island
where the Brown Pelicans had bred for a number of years, but where, to
my great disappointment, none were then to be seen. The next morning,
being ten or twelve miles farther down the stream, we entered another in.
let, where I saw several dozens of these birds perched on the mangroves,
and apparently sound asleep. I shot at them from a very short distance,
and with my first barrel brought two to the water, but although many of
them still remained looking at us, I could not send the contents of my
second barrel to them, as the shot had unluckily been introduced into it
before the powder. They all flew off one after another, and still worse,
as the servants approached those which had fallen upon the water, they
also flew away.

On arriving at the Keys of Florida, on board the Marion Revenue

Cutter, I found the Pelicans pretty numerous. They became more abun-

BROWN PELICAN. 377

dant the farther south we proceeded, and I procured specimens at diffe-
rent places, but nowhere so many as at Key West. There you would
see them flying within pistol-shot of the wharfs, the boys frequently try-
ing to knock them down with stones, although I believe they rarely suc-
ceed in their efforts. The Marion lay at anchor several days at a short
distance from this island, and close to another. Scarcely an hour of
daylight passed without our having Pelicans around us, all engaged at
their ordinary occupations, some fishing, some slumbering as it were on
the bosom of the ocean, or on the branches of the mangroves. This
place and all around for about forty miles, seemed to be favourite resorts
of these birds; and as I had excellent opportunities of observing their
habits, I consider myself qualified to present you with some account of
them.

The flight of the Brown Pelican, though to appearance heavy, is re-
markably well sustained, that bird being able not only to remain many
hours at a time on wing, but also to mount to a great height in the air to
perform its beautiful evolutions. Their ordinary manner of proceeding,
either when single or in flocks, is by easy flappings and sailings alternat-
ing at distances of from twenty to thirty yards, when they glide along
with great speed. They move in an undulated line, passing at one time
high, at another low, over the water or land, for they do not deviate from
their course on coming upon a key or a point of land. When the waves
run high, you may see them “ troughing,” as the sailors say, or directing
their course along the hollows. While on wing they draw in their head
between their shoulders, stretch out their broad webbed feet to their whole
extent, and proceed in perfect silence.

When the weather is calm, and a flood of light and heat is poured
down upon nature by the genial sun, they are often, especially during
the love season, seen rising in broad circles, flock after flock, until they
attain a height of perhaps a mile, when they gracefully glide on con-
stantly expanded wings, and course round each other, for an hour or
more at a time, after which, in curious zigzags, and with remarkable ve-
locity, they descend towards their beloved element, and settle on the
water, on large sand-bars or on mangroves. It is interesting beyond de.
scription to observe flocks of Brown Pelicans thus going through their
aérial evolutions.

Now, Reader, look at those birds standing on their strong column-like

legs, on that burning sand-bar. How dexterously do they wield that

378 BROWN PELICAN.

great bill of theirs, as they trim their plumage! Now along each broad
quill it passes, drawing it out and displaying its elasticity ; and now with
necks stretched to their full length, and heads elevated, they direct its
point in search of the insects that are concealed along their necks and
breasts. Now they droop their wings for a while, or stretch them alter-
nately to their full extent ; some slowly lie down on the sand, others
remain standing, quietly draw their head over their broad shoulders,
raise one of their feet, and placing their bill on their back, compose them-
selves to rest. There let them repose in peace. Had they alighted on
the waters, you might have seen them, like a fleet at anchor, riding on
the ever-rolling billows as unconcernedly as if on shore. Had they
perched on yon mangroves, they would have laid themselves flat on the
branches, or spread their wings to the sun or the breeze, as Vultures are
wont to do.

But see, the tide is advancing; the billows chase each other towards
the shores; the mullets joyful and keen leap along the surface, as they
fill the bays with their multitudes. The slumbers of the Pelicans are
over; the drowsy birds shake their heads, stretch open their mandibles
and pouch by way of yawning, expand their ample wings, and simulta-
neously soar away. Look at them as they fly over the bay; listen to the
sound of the splash they make as they drive their open bills, like a pock-
net, into the sea, to scoop up their prey; mark how they follow that
shoal of porpoises, and snatch up the frightened fishes that strive to escape
from them. Down they go, again and again. What voracious creatures
they are!

The Brown Pelicans are as well aware of the time of each return of
the tide, as the most watchful pilots. Though but a short time before
they have been sound asleep, yet without bell or other warning, they
suddenly open their eyelids, and all leave their roosts, the instant when
the waters, which have themselves reposed for a while, resume their mo-
tion. ‘The Pelicans possess a knowledge beyond this, and in a degree
much surpassing that of man with reference to the same subject: they
can judge with certainty of the changes of weather. Should you see
them fishing all together, in retired bays, be assured, that a storm will
burst forth that day ; but if they pursue their finny prey far out at sea,
the weather will be fine, and you also may launch your bark and go to
the fishing. Indeed, most sea-birds possess the same kind of knowledge,

as I have assured myself by repeated observation, in a degree correspond-

BROWN PELICAN. 379

ing to their necessities ; and the best of all prognosticators of the weather,
are the Wild Goose, the Gannet, the Lestris, and the Pelican.

This species procures its food on wing, and in a manner quite dif-
ferent from that of the White Pelican. A flock will leave their resting
place, proceed over the waters in search of fish, and when a shoal is per-
ceived, separate at once, when each, from an elevation of from fifteen to
twenty-five feet, plunges in an oblique and somewhat winding direction,
spreading to the full stretch its lower mandible and pouch, as it reaches
the water, and suddenly scoops up the object of its pursuit, immersing
the head and neck, and sometimes the body, for an instant. It im-
mediately swallows its prey, rises on wing, dashes on another fish, seizes
and devours it, and thus continues, sometimes plunging eight or ten
times in a few minutes, and always with unerring aim. When gorged,
it rests on the water for a while, but if it has a brood, or a mate sit-
ting on her eggs, it flies off at once towards them, no matter how heavily
laden it may be. The generally received idea that Pelicans keep fish or
water in their pouch, to convey them to their young, is quite erroneous.
The water which enters the pouch when it is immersed, is immediately
forced out between the partially closed mandibles, and the fish, unless
larger than those on which they usually feed, is instantly swallowed, to
be afterwards disgorged for the benefit of the young, either partially
macerated, or whole, according to the age and size of the latter. Of
all this I have satisfied myself, when within less than twenty yards of
the birds as they were fishing; and I never saw them fly without the
pouch being closely contracted towards the lower mandible. Indeed, al-
though I now much regret that I did not make the experiment when I
had the means of doing so, I doubt very much if a Pelican could fly at
all with its burden so much out of trim, as a sailor would say.

They at times follow the porpoise, when that animal is in pursuit of
prey, and as the fishes rise from the deep water towards the surface, come
in cunningly for their share, falling upon the frightened shoal, and seizing
one or more, which they instantly gobble up. But one of the most curi-
ous traits of the Pelican is, that it acts unwittingly as a sort of purveyor
to the Gulls just as the Porpoise acts towards itself. The Black-headed
Gull of Witson, which is abundant along the coast of the Floridas in
spring and summer, watches the motions of the Pelicans. The latter
having plunged after a shoal of small fishes, of which it has caught a

number at a time, in letting off the water from amongst them, some-

sap. BROWN PELICAN.

times allows a few to escape; but the Gull at that instant alights on the bill
of the Pelican, or on its head, and seizes the fry at the moment they were
perhaps congratulating themselves on their escape. This every body
on board the Marion observed as well as myself, while that vessel was
at anchor in the beautiful harbour of Key West, so that it is not again
necessary for me to lay before you a certificate with numerous signa-
tures. 'To me such sights were always highly interesting, and I doubt
if in the course of my endeavours to amuse you, I ever felt greater plea-
sure than I do at this moment, when, with my journal at my side, and
the Gulls and Pelicans in my mind’s eye as distinctly as I could wish, I
ponder on the faculties which Nature has bestowed on animals which we
merely consider as possessed of instinct. How little do we yet know of
the operations of the Divine Power! On the occasions just mentioned,
the Pelicans did not manifest the least anger towards the Gulls. It is
said that the Frigate Pelican or Man-of-war Bird, forces the Brown Pe-
lican to disgorge its food, but of this I never saw an instance; nor do I
believe it to be the case, considering the great strength and powerful bill
of the Pelican compared with those of the other bird. Indeed, if I had
been told that when the Frigate Bird assails the Pelican, the latter opens
its large pouch and swallows it entire, I might as soon have believed the
one story as the other. But of this more anon, when we come to the
habits of the bird in question.

On the ground this species is by no means so active, for it walks
heavily, and when running, which it now and then does while in play, or
during courtship, it looks extremely awkward, as it then stretches out its
neck, partially extends its wings, and reels so that one might imagine it
ready to fall at each step. If approached when wounded and on the
water, it swims off with speed, and when overtaken, it suddenly turns
about, opens its large bill, snaps it violently several times in succession,
causing it to emit a smart noise in the manner of owls, strikes at you, and
bites very severely. While I was at Mr Buttow’s, his Negro hunter waded
after one whose wing had been broken. The Pelican could not be seized
without danger, and I was surprised to see the hunter draw his butcher’s
knife, strike the long blade through the open pouch of the bird, hook it,
as it were, by the lower mandible, and at one jerk swing it up into the air
with extreme dexterity, after which he broke its neck and dragged it a-
shore.

The pouch measures from six to ten inches in depth, according to the

BROWN PELICAN. 381

age of the bird after the first moult. ‘The superb male whose portrait is
before you, and which was selected from among a great number, had it
about the last mentioned size, and capable of holding a gallon of water,
were the mandibles kept horizontal. This membrane is dried and used
for keeping snuff, gunpowder and shot. When fresh it may be extended
so as to become quite thin and transparent, like a bladder.

This Pelican seldom seizes fish that are longer than its bill, and the
size of those on which it ordinarily feeds is much smaller. Indeed, seve-
ral which I examined, had in the stomach upwards of a hundred fishes,
which were only from two to three inches in length. That organ is long,
slender, and rather fleshy. In some I found a great number of live blue-
coloured worms, measuring two and a half inches in length, and about
the thickness of a crow-quill. The gut is about the size of a swan’s quill,
and from ten to twelve feet in length, according to the age of the indi-
vidual.

At all periods the Brown Pelican keeps in flocks, seldom amounting
to more than fifty or sixty individuals of both sexes, and of different
ages. At the approach of the pairing time, or about the middle of April,
the old males and females separate from the rest, and remove to the
inner keys or to large estuaries, well furnished with mangroves of goodly
size. The young birds, which are much more numerous, remain along
the shores of the open sea, unless during heavy gales.

Now let us watch the full grown birds. Some skirmishes have taken
_ place, and the stronger males, by dint of loud snappings of their bill,
some hard tugs of the neck and head, and some heavy beats with their
wings, have driven away the weaker, which content themselves with less
prized belles. The females, although quiet and gentle on ordinary oc-
casions, are more courageous than the males, who, however, are assiduous
in their attentions, assist in forming the nest, feed their mates while sit-
ting, and even share the labour of incubation with them. Now see the
mated birds, like the citizens of a newly laid out town in some part of
our western country, breaking the dry sticks from the trees, and convey-
ing them in their bills to yon mangrove isle. You see they place all their
mansions on the south-west side, as if to enjoy the benefit of all the heat
of that sultry climate. Myriads of mosquitoes buzz around them, and
alight on the naked parts of their body, but this seems to give them no
concern. Stick after stick is laid, one crossing another, until a strong

platform is constructed. Now roots and withered plants are brought,

382 BROWN PELICAN.

with which a basin is formed for the eggs. Not a nest, you observe, is
placed very low ; the birds prefer the tops of the mangroves, although
they do not care how many nests are on one tree, or how near the trees
are to each other. The eggs, of which there are never more than three,
are rather elliptical, and average three inches and one-eighth in length,
by two inches and one-eighth in their greatest breadth. The shell is thick
and rather rough, of a pure white colour, with a few faint streaks of a
rosy tint, and blotches of a very pale hue, from the centre towards the
crown of the egg.

The young are at first covered with cream-coloured down, and have
the bill and feet disproportionately large. ‘They are fed with great care,
and so abundantly, that the refuse of their food, putrid and disgusting,
lies in great quantities round them; but neither young nor old regard
this, however offensive it may be to you. As the former grow the latter
bring larger fish to them. At first the food is dropped in a well mace-
rated state into their extended throats ; afterwards the fish is given to them
entire; and finally the parent birds merely place it on the edge of the
nest. The young increase in size at a surprising rate. When half fledged
they seem a mere mass of fat, their partially indurated bill has acquired
considerable length, their wings droop by their sides, and they would be
utterly unable to walk. The Vultures at this period often fall upon them
and devour them in the absence of their parents. The Indians also carry
them off in considerable numbers ; and farther eastward, on the Halifax
river, for instance, the Negroes kill all they can find, to make gombo
soup of them during winter. The crows, less powerful, but quite as cun-
ning, suck the eggs; and many a young one which has accidentally fallen
from the nest, is sure to be picked up by some quadruped, or devoured
by the Shark or Balacuda. When extensive depredations have thus
been made, the birds abandon their breeding places, and do not return
tothem. ‘The Pelicans in fact are, year after year, retiring from the’
vicinity of man, and although they afford but very unsavoury food at
any period of their lives, will yet be hunted beyond the range of civiliza-
tion, just as our best of all game, the Wild Turkey, is now, until to
meet with them the student of nature will have to sail round Terra del
Fuego, while he may be obliged to travel to the Rocky Mountains before
he find the other bird. Should you approach a settlement of the Pelicans
and fire a few shots at them, they all abandon the place, and leave their

eggs or young entirely at your disposal.

BROWN PELICAN. 383

At all seasons, the Negroes of the plantations on the eastern coast of
the Floridas lie in wait for the Pelicans. There, observe that fellow,
who, with rusty musket, containing a tremendous charge of heavy shot,
is concealed among the palmettoes, on the brink of a kind of embank-
ment formed by the shelly sand. Now comes a flock of Pelicans, forcing
their way against the breeze, unaware of the danger into which they rush,
for there, a few yards apart, several Negroes crouch in readiness to fire ;
and let me tell you, good shots they are. Now a blast forces the birds
along the shore ; off goes the first gun, and down comes a Pelican; shot
succeeds shot; and now the Negroes run up to gather the spoil. They
skin the birds like so many racoons, cut off the head, wings and feet ;
and should you come this way next year, you may find these remains
bleached in the sun. ‘Towards night, the sable hunters carry off their
booty, marching along in Indian file, and filling the air with their ex-
temporaneous songs. At home they perhaps salt, or perhaps smoke them;
but in whatever way the Pelicans are prepared, they are esteemed good
food by the sons of Africa.

The Brown Pelican isa strong and tough bird, although not so weighty
as the white species. Its flesh is, in my opinion, always impure. It seems
never satisfied with food, and it mutes so profusely, that not a spot of ver-
dure can be seen on the originally glossy and deep-coloured mangroves on
which it nestles; and I must say that, much as I admire it in some re-
spects, I should be sorry to keep it near me as a pet.

During winter, when the mullets, a favourite fish with the Brown
Pelican, as it is with me, retires into deeper water, these birds advance
farther to seaward, and may be seen over all parts of the Gulf of Mexico,
and between the Florida Reefs and the opposite isles, especially during
fine weather. They are very sensible to cold, and in this respect are ten-
der birds. Now and then, at this season, they are seen on Lake Borgne
and over Lake Pontchartrain, but never on the Mississippi beyond the
rise of the tides, the space higher up being abandoned to the White Peli-
can. The keenness of their sight is probably equal to that of any hawk,
and their hearing is also very acute. They are extremely silent birds,
but when excited they utter a loud and rough grunt, which is far from
musical. The young take two years to attain maturity. Several persons
in the Floridas assured me that the Brown Pelicans breed at all seasons
of the year; but as I observed nothing to countenance such an idea, I

would give it as my opinion that they raise only one brood in the season.

384 BROWN PELICAN.

Their bodies are greatly inflated by large air-cells ; their bones,
though strong, are very light; and they are tough to kill.

Peiecanus Fuscus, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 215.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 883.
—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 401.
Brown Petican, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 476.

Adult Male. Plate CCLI.

Bill more than twice the length of the head, rather stout, straight, de-
pressed towards the end. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight
as far as the unguis, the ridge broad and convex, separated from the side
by a groove on each side, broader and more convex at the base, narrowed
and flattened towards the unguis, which is curved, stout, convex above,
sharp-edged, acute; sides of the bill perpendicular at the base, narrowed
towards the middle, widened and approaching to horizontal towards the
end; edges sharp, with a broad furrowed groove beneath for the recep-
tion of those of the lower mandible. Lower mandible with the angle ex-
tending to less than half an inch from the tip, and filled by a bare mem-
brane, the sides nearly erect and convex, the edges sharp, the tip com-
pressed, deflected, obtuse. The membrane of the lower mandible extends
down the fore neck in the form of a wrinkled pouch.

Head of moderate size, oblong ; neck long, stout ; body rather slender.
Feet short, stout, nearly central ; tibia bare at its lower part, covered all
round with small scales; tarsus short, stout, compressed, covered all
round with hexagonal scales, of which the anterior are much larger ; toes
in the same plane, all connected by reticulated webs, the first shortest,
the third and fourth nearly equal, reticulate at the base, scutellate along
the rest of the upper surface, claws short, strong, curved, rather acute,
that of hind toe with a sharp pectinate inner edge.

Feathers of the head and neck exceedingly small and slender, of the
fore part of the head stiff, hair-like and glossy ; of the upper middle part
of the neck behind a little larger and soft, forming a slight longitudinal
crest ; of the sides and hind part of the neck soft and downy. The
feathers of the upper parts in general are remarkably small, narrow,
tapering to a point; of the lower part of the neck stiff and pointed, of
the breast and sides somewhat larger than those above, and softer. Wings
long, rounded ; primaries much curved, with strong square shafts; the

second longest, the third very little shorter, the first a little longer than

BROWN PELICAN. 385

the fifth, secondaries very numerous, rather small, rounded, the inner
longer and more tapering. ‘Tail short, slightly rounded, of twenty-two
feathers.

Bill greyish-white, tinged with brown, and marked with irregular
spots of pale carmine; upper mandible dusky towards the end, lower
blackish from the middle to near the end. Bare space between the bill
and the eye deep blue; eyelids pink ; iris white. Feet black. The
gular pouch is greenish-black, the ridges of its wrinkles lighter. The
hairlike feathers on the fore part of the head light yellow, the rest of
the head white ; a stripe of the same margining the pouch to the middle
of the neck, and extending a little beyond, a short space between these
two lines anteriorly, and the whole of the posterior and lateral parts of
the neck of a dark chestnut brown, the small crest paler. The back
and wings are dusky, each feather with the central part greyish-white ;
the latter colour prevails on the scapulars and larger wing-coverts. _ Pri-
maries and their coverts brownish-black, secondaries greyish-brown, their
outer edges greyish-white ; tail light grey ; the shafts of the quills and
tail-feathers are white in their basal half, black towards the end. The
lower parts are brownish-grey ; the sides of the neck and body with nar-
row longitudinal white lines. On the fore neck, below the dark chest-
nut spot is a smaller pale yellow mark, behind which the feathers for a
short space are blackish-brown.

Length to end of tail 52 inches, to end of wings 52, to end of claws
531; extent of wings 80 ; bill along the ridge 133, along the edge of lower
mandible 144; depth of gular pouch 10, its extent along the neck 13 ;
wing from flexure 24; tail 7; tarsus 2}; middle toe 3}3, its claw ,%.
Weight 6 Ib. 43 oz.

The Female, which is considerably larger, resembles the male in
colour, only that the neck is yellowish-white in its whole extent, without
any brown, and its feathers are stiff and not downy as in the male. Weight
7 lb. 12 oz.

VOL. It. ’ Bb

386 BROWN PELICAN.

THe MANGROVE.

Ruizorpnora Manere, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. ii. p. 325.

The species of Mangrove represented in the plate is very abundant
along the coast of Florida and on almost all the Keys, excepting the Tor-
tugas. Those islands which are named Wet Keys are entirely formed
of Mangroves, which raising their crooked and slender stems from a bed
of mud, continue to increase until their roots and pendent branches afford
shelter to the accumulating debris, when the earth is gradually raised
above the surface of the water. No sooner has this taken place than the
Mangroves in the central part of the island begin to decay, and in the
course of time there is only an outer fringe or fence of trees, while the in-
terior becomes overgrown with grass and low bushes. Meantime the
Mangroves extend towards the sea, their hanging branches taking root
wherever they come in contact with the bottom, and their seeds also
springing up. I am at a loss for an object with which to compare these
trees, in order to afford you an idea of them; yet if you will figure to
yourself a tree reversed, and standing on its summit, you may obtain a
tolerable notion of their figure and mode of growth. The stem, roots
and branches are very tough and stubborn, ‘and in some places the trees
are so intertwined that a person might find it as easy to crawl over them
as to make his way between them. They are evergreen, and their tops
afford a place of resort to various species of birds at all seasons, while
their roots and submersed branches give shelter to numberless testaceous
mollusca and small fishes. The species represented is rarely observed on
the coast of Florida of a greater height than twenty-five or thirty feet,
and its average height is not above fifteen feet. The Land Mangrove, of
which I have seen only a few, the finest of which were on Key West, is
a tall tree, much larger and better shaped than the other, with narrower
leaves and shorter fruits.

( 387 )

THE FLORIDA CORMORANT.

PHALACROCORAX FLORIDANUS.

PLATE CCLII. Mate.

Few birds inhabiting the United States are so little known, or have
been so incorrectly described, as the Cormorants. Nay even some of the
European species of this genus are yet not well understood, so imperfectly
have they been studied by writers who, although they have defined their
forms, have not sufficiently studied them in the places to which they re-
sort during the breeding season. Of the three species of which I shall
speak in this volume, only one has been accurately described. I allude
to the Double-crested Cormorant, P. dilophus, which was met with by the
intrepid Dr Ricnaxpson in the course of his Arctic journeys, and intro-
duced to the scientific world in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, but with-
out a figure, a circumstance to be regretted, as good representations of
birds are fully as necessary as good descriptions. When the student has
perused both, he cannot fail to recognise the species in whatever part of
the world he may afterwards meet with it.

Our Cormorants are by no means great travellers, although they all
migrate more or less at particular seasons. The three species to which
only I shall at present allude, are each restricted to a comparatively small
portion of North America. The Large Cormorant, P. Carbo, rarely goes
farther north than the southern coast of Labrador, and is seldom seen as
far south as the Bay of New York. The Double-crested, P. dilophus,
which is next in size, proceeds farther in both directions, having been met
with by Dr Ricuarpson, although my amiable friend Captain Jamus
Crank Ross, R. N. does not mention having seen any birds of this
family in the course of his voyages in the arctic seas. It breeds in great
numbers in Labrador, and during winter proceeds along our eastern coasts
sometimes as far as Charleston in South Carolina. The Florida Cormo-
rant, P. floridanus, is a constant resident in the southern parts of the
country from which it derives its name, and is more especially abundant
there in early spring and summer, breeding on the keys and along the
salt-water inlets of the southern extremity of the peninsula, from which
considerable numbers are now known to visit the waters of the Mississippi

BbQ

388 FLORIDA CORMORANT.

and even of the Ohio, while others proceed as far eastward as Cape Hat-
teras, all returning to the Floridas on the approach of cold weather.

The Florida Cormorant seldom goes far out to sea, but prefers the
neighbourhood of the shores, being found in the bays, inlets, and large
rivers. I never met with one at a greater distance from land than five
miles. It is at all seasons gregarious, although it is not always found in
large flocks. The birds of this species never suffer others of the same
genus to resort to their breeding places, although they sometimes as-
sociate with individuals belonging to different genera. The P. Carbo
appropriates to itself the upper shelves of the most rugged and elevated
rocks, whose bases are washed by the sea; P. dilophus breeds on flat
rocky islands at some distance from the shores of the mainland ; and the
Florida Cormorant nestles on trees. In the many breeding places of all
these species which I have visited, I never found individuals of one in-
termingled with those of another, although the Large Cormorant did not
seem averse from having the Peregrine Falcon in its vicinity, while the
Double-crested allowed a few Gannets or Guillemots to nestle beside it,
and the Florida Cormorant associated with Herons, Frigate Pelicans,
Grakles, or Pigeons.

This species seldom flies far over land, but follows the sinuosities of the
shores or the waters of rivers, although its course towards a given point
should thus be three times as long. It is the only one of the three species
that, in as far as I have observed in America, alights on trees. My learned
friend, the Prince of Musignano, mentions in his valuable Synopsis of
the Birds of the United States, a species of Cormorant under the name
of P. Graculus, which he describes as being when adult greenish-black,
with a few scattered white streaks on the neck, in winter bronzed, and
having a golden-green crest, the head, neck, and thighs with short small
white feathers, and adds that it “ inhabits both continents and both he-
mispheres: not uncommon in spring and autumn in the Middle States:
very common in the Floridas, where it breeds, though very abundant in
the arctic and antarctic circles.” Unfortunately no dimensions are given,
except of the bill, which is said to be three and a half inches long. 'The
Florida Cormorant, however, does not at any season present these charac-
ters, and therefore conceiving it to be different from any hitherto de-
scribed, I have taken the liberty of giving it a name, while the figure and

description will enable the scientific to form a distinct idea of it, and thus

FLORIDA CORMORANT. 389

to confirm the species, or restore to it its previous appellation, should it
have received one.

On the 26th of April 1832, 1 and my party visited several small
Keys, not many miles distant from the harbour in which our vessel lay.
Mr Turvston had given us his beautiful barge, and accompanied us
with his famous pilot, fisherman and hunter, Mr Ecay. The Keys were
separated by narrow and tortuous channels, from the surface of the clear
waters of which were reflected the dark mangroves, on the branches of
which large colonies of Cormorants had already built their nests, and
were sitting on their eggs. ‘There were many thousands of these birds,
and each tree bore a greater or less number of their nests, some five or
six, others perhaps as many as ten. The leaves, branches, and stems of
the trees, were in a manner white-washed with their dung. The tempe-
rature in the shade was about 90° Fahr., and the effluvia which im-
pregnated the air of the channels were extremely disagreeable. Still the
mangroves were in full bloom, and the Cormorants in perfect vigour.
Our boat being secured, the people scrambled through the bushes, in
search of the eggs. Many of the birds dropped into the water, dived,
and came up at a safe distance; others in large groups flew away af-
frighted ; while a great number stood on their nests and the branches, as
if gazing upon beings strange to them. But alas! they soon became too
well acquainted with us, for the discharges from our guns committed
frightful havock among them. The dead were seen floating on the water,
the crippled making towards the open sea, which here extended to the
very Keys on which we were, while groups of a hundred or more swam
about a little beyond reach of our shot, awaiting the event, and the air
was filled with those whose anxiety to return to their eggs kept them
hovering over us in silence. In a short time the bottom of our boat was
covered with the slain, several hats and caps were filled with eggs; and
we may now intermit the work of destruction. You must try to excuse
these murders, which in truth might not have been nearly so numerous,
had I not thought of you quite as often while on the Florida Keys, with
a burning sun over my head, and my body oozing at every pore, as I do
now while peaceably scratching my paper with an iron-pen, in one of
the comfortable and quite cool houses of the most beautiful of all the
cities of old Scotland.

The Florida Cormorant begins to pair about the first of April, and

commences the construction of its nest about a fortnight after. Many do

390 FLORIDA CORMORANT.

not lay quite so early, and I found some going through their preparations
until the middle of May. Their courtships are performed on the water.
On the morning, beautiful but extremely hot, of the 8th of that month,
while rambling over one of the Keys, I arrived at the entrance of a nar-
row and rather deep channel, almost covered over by the boughs of the
mangroves and some tall canes, the only tall canes I had hitherto ob-
served among those islands. I paused, looked at the water, and obser-
ving it to be full of fish, felt confident that no shark was at hand. Cock-
ing both locks of my gun, I quietly waded in. Curious sounds now
reached my ears, and as the fishes did not appear to mind me much, I
proceeded onward among them for perhaps a hundred yards, when I ob-
served that they had all disappeared. The sounds were loud and con-
stantly renewed, as if they came from a joyous multitude. The inlet
_ suddenly became quite narrow, and the water reached to my arm-pits.
At length I placed myself behind some mangrove trunks, whence I could
see a great number of Cormorants not more than fifteen or twenty yards
from me. None of them, it seemed, had seen or heard me; they were
engaged in going through their nuptial ceremonies. ‘The males while
swimming gracefully round the females, would raise their wings and tail,
draw their head over their back, swell out their neck for an instant, and
with a quick forward thrust of the head utter a rough guttural note, not
unlike the cry of a pig. The female at this moment would crouch as
it were on the water, sinking into it, when her mate would sink over
her until nothing more than his head was to be seen, and soon afterwards
both sprung up and swam joyously round each other, croaking all the
while. Twenty or more pairs at a time were thus engaged. Indeed, the
water was covered with Cormorants, and, had I chosen, I might have
shot several of them. I now advanced slowly towards them, when they
stared at me as you might stare at a goblin, and began to splash the
water with their wings, many diving. On my proceeding they all dis-
persed, either plunging beneath or flying off, and making rapidly to-
wards the mouth of the inlet. Only a few nests were on the mangroves,
and I looked upon the spot as analogous to the tournament grounds of
the Pinnated Grouse, although no battles took place in my presence. A
few beautiful Herons were sitting peaceably on their nests, the musquitoes
were very abundant, large ugly blue land-crabs crawled among the man-
groves, hurrying towards their retreats, and I retired, as I had arrived,

in perfect silence. While proceeding I could not help remarking the in-

FLORIDA CORMORANT. 391

stinctive knowledge of the fishes, and thought how curious it was that, as
soon as they had observed the Cormorants’ hole, none had gone farther,
as if they wefe well aware of the danger, but preferred meeting me as I
advanced towards the birds. I emerged from the water almost exhausted
with heat, my eyes aching from the perspiration ; but the refreshing sea-
breeze now reached me, and cooled my feverish frame. Thankful, Reader,
did I then feel, and thankful do I feel now, having survived so many en-
counters of this kind.

The nest of the Florida Cormorant is of rather a small size, being only
eight or nine inches in diameter. It is formed of sticks crossing each other,
and is flat, without any appearance of finishing. All the nests are placed
on a western exposure, and are usually completely covered with excre-
ment, as are also frequently the eggs, which are three or four, and differ
in size, their average length, however, being two inches and a quarter,
their greatest breadth one inch and three and a half eighths. They
are rendered rather rough by the coating of calcareous matter which
surrounds them; but when this is removed, the real shell is found to be
of a uniform fine light bluish-green tint. I was unable to ascertain the
period of incubation. The young are at first blind, naked, black, and
extremely uncouth. On placing some which were quite small on the wa-
ter, they instantly dived, rose again, and swam about at random, diving
on the least noise. If you approach them when about a month old, they
throw themselves from the nest and plunge into the water. When un-
disturbed, they remain in the nest until they are fully fledged and able
to fly, after which they undergo various changes, and are not perfect until
nearly two years old.

Soon after they are left to shift for themselves, great numbers go to
search for food in the quiet waters of inland streams. Thousands may
now be seen on the lakes of the interior of the Floridas, and on the large
rivers there. At this season many proceed as far as the Capes of North
Carolina, the Mississippi, the Arkansas, the Yazoo, and other streams,
including the fair Ohio, on which they are at times seen early in October,
when they begin to return to the places of their nativity. During seve-
ral weeks which I spent on the St John’s River, while on board the United
States’ schooner-of-war the Spark, I was surprised to see the number of
these Cormorants already returning towards the keys, so much so that

had I been the discoverer of that stream under similar circumstances, I

392 FLORIDA CORMORANT.

should in all probability have named it Cormorant River. While we were
at anchor near its mouth, they passed close ‘to us in long single files almost
continually, and, on reaching the sea, bore away towards the south along
the shores.

On the Mississippi, in the month of Gctober, when the temperature is
considerably lower than in the Floridas, you see these birds during the
day standing in their usual inclined position, on the sawyers and planters,
as if resting there—so at least was the case in the autumn of 1820,—or on
the dead branches of trees along the shores. In cloudy days they sail-
ed high in the air, and in wide circles, after which, as if aware of cold
weather being at hand, they swiftly followed in long lines the meandering
course of the stream, at a considerable elevation. While sailing aloft,
they frequently uttered a note not unlike that of the raven in similar cir-
cumstances. When approached while standing on a planter, instead of
taking to wing at once, although elevated several feet above the water,
they prefer plunging first into the stream, when they almost instantly rise
to the surface, paddle with their feet, and beat with their wings for twenty
or thirty yards, and then rise into the air. Now and then, when of a
sudden the weather becomes cold at night, you see them at early dawn
join in numbers of fifty or perhaps a hundred, rise high in the air, arrange
themselves in angular double files, and fly swiftly southward.

When in fresh water streams they fish principally in the eddies, and
as soon as one of them is depopulated, or proves unworthy of their far-
ther search, they rise and fly about a foot above the surface to another
place, where they continue to fish. In the inner lakes of the Floridas
they fish at random any where, and this is equally the case around the
Keys, and on the bays and inlets along the coast. In fine calm weather,
when the sun is pouring down a flood of light and heat, the Cormorants
in flocks betake themselves to some clean sand-bar or rocky isle, or alight
on trees, where they spread out their wings, and bask at times for hours,
in the manner of Vultures and Pelicans.

The Florida Cormorant, like all the other species with which I am
acquainted, swims deep, and dives with great expertness, so that it is al-
most useless to follow one when wounded, unless it has been greatly in-
jured. On seeing an enemy approach, it first beats the water with its
wings, as if in play, or as it would do if washing itself, raises both wings

for a minute or more, then paddles off, and takes to wing. When ona

FLORIDA CORMORANT. 393

lake, they prefer diving to flying, swim with all but the neck and head
under water, in the manner of the Anhinga or Snake-bird, and easily
dive without shewing their backs.

. They procure their food entirely by diving from the surface of the
water, never from on wing, as some compilers assert; nay, the very form
of their bill, and the want of air-cells, such as plunging birds are usually
provided with, prevent them from darting from above into the water, as
is the habit of Gannets and other birds, which seek for food on wing, go
far out to sea, and stand gales such as the Cormorant, which rarely ven-
ture out of sight of the shores, does not dare to encounter, or of those
which, like Gulls, pass swiftly in curved lines over the surface, picking
up their prey. On emerging, these Cormorants usually swallow their
prey if it has been so seized as to enable them to do so with ease ; if not,
they throw it up to a short distance in the air, receive it with open bill,
and gulp it head foremost. If the fish is large, they swim or fly to the
shore, or alight on a tree with it, and there beat and tear it to pieces,
after which they swallow it. ‘Their appetite 1s scarcely satiable, and they
gorge themselves to the utmost at every convenient opportunity.

The flight of this species is perhaps more rapid than that of the others
mentioned above, and is performed by continued flappings when the bird
is travelling, but by alternate flappings and sailings of great elegance
during the beginning of the breeding season, or when they collect in large
flocks in lowering weather, sometimes also when about to alight. Their
food consists chiefly of fish, and they generally prefer those of small
size. While on the Florida Keys, I procured five specimens of the Hip-
pocampus, fresh and uninjured, from the gullets of some of these Cor-
morants. They are hard to kill, and live to a great age.

They are easily treated in captivity ; but their awkward movements
on the ground, where they often use the tail as a support, render them
less pleasing objects than other feathered pets. Besides, they eat and
mute inordinately, and instead of charming you with songs, utter no
sound excepting a grunt. Their flesh is dark, generally tough, and has
a rank fishy taste, which can suit the palate only of refined epicures, some
of whom I have heard pronounce it excellent. The Indians and Negroes
of the Floridas kill the young when nearly able to fly, and after skinning
them, salt them for food. I have seen them offered for sale in the New

Orleans market, the poorer people there making gombo soup of them.

394 FLORIDA CORMORANT.

A bird of this species, which I shot near its breeding place, and which,
on being examined, proved to be a female, had the feathers of the tail
covered with delicate slender sea-weeds of a bright green colour, such as
I have often observed on marine turtles, and which appeared to have ac-
tually grown there.

The slender feathers on the sides of the head fall off by the time in-
cubation has commenced, and do not appear during winter, as is alleged
by authors when speaking of the crests or appendages of Cormorants, nor
do they last more than a few weeks, as is also the case in the Egrets and

Herons.

PHALACROCORAX FLORIDANUS.

Plate CCLII. Adult Male in spring.

Bill about the length of the head, rather slender, somewhat compressed,
straight, with the tip curved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly
concave, until near the tip, when it is decurved, the ridge convex, and
separated from the sides by a narrow groove, the sides erect, convex, the
edges sharp and straight as far as the unguis, which is strong, convex above,
incurved, acute. No external nostrils when full-grown. Lower mandible
with the angle long and very narrow towards the end, filled by an ex-
tensible membrane, which extends a short way down the throat, its dorsal
line a little convex, the sides erect and convex, the edges sharp and in-
flected, the tip compressed and obliquely truncate.

Head rather small, oblong, narrowed before. Neck long and slender.
Body rather full, depressed. Feet short, stout, placed far behind; tibia
feathered in its whole length ; tarsus very short, strong, much compressed,
covered all round with scales, of which the anterior and lateral are large
and subhexagonal, the posterior very small and roundish. 'Toes all placed
in the same plane, and connected by reticulated webs, covered above with
very numerous oblique scutella; first toe smallest, fourth longest. Claws
rather small, strong, compressed, acute, rounded above, arched, that of
the third toe pectinated on its inner edge.

Plumage of the head, neck, lower parts, and posterior portion of the
back glossy, blended, and silky, of the fore part of the back and wings
compact, the feathers with narrow loose glossy margins. From behind the

eye to the length of an inch and a half on each side, a line of extremely

FLORIDA CORMORANT. 5395

slender loose elongated feathers. Space around the eye, and to a large
extent along the base of the bill, together with the small gular sac, bare.
Wings rather small; primaries very strong, curved, rather narrow, taper-
ing and obtuse, second longest, third almost equal, first longer than fourth ;
secondaries decurved, broad, broadly rounded, the inner narrower. Tail
of moderate length, very narrow, much rounded, or cuneate, of twelve
narrow rounded feathers, having extremely strong shafts.

Upper mandible black, along the basal margins bright blue; lower
bright blue, curiously spotted with white. Iris light green, margins of eye-
lids light blue, spotted with white. Bare space on the head and gular sac rich
orange. Feet and claws greyish-black. All the silky part of the plumage
is greenish-black, at a distance appearing black, but at hand in a strong
light green. The imbricated feathers of the back and wings greyish-
brown, tinged with purple, their fringe-like margins greenish-black. Pri-
mary quills brownish-black, secondary like the other feathers of the wing.
Tail brownish-black. The shafts of all the feathers brownish-black.

Length to end of tail 293 inches, to end of wings 251, to end of
claws 283; extent of wings 461; wing from flexure 112; tail 6; bill
along the back 2,%, along the edge of lower mandible 3, ; tarsus 2 ;
outer toe 37%, its claw #4. Weight 34 lb.

The Female is precisely similar to the male.

The young, after their first moult, have the bill dull yellow, the ridge
of the upper mandible dusky, the unguis or hook horn-colour; the naked
parts about the base of the bill rich yellow, the iris light green, the feet
as In the adult. The feathers of the head and neck are blended, but not
silky ; the upper part of the head and the hind neck are brownish-black,
tinged with green, the throat greyish-white, the fore neck and anterior
part of the breast variegated with pale brownish-grey and black. The
rest of the plumage is as in the adult, but the imbricated feathers of the

upper parts are of a lighter colour, but not bronzed.

This species differs from the Double-crested Cormorant principally in
being smaller, and in having the elongated feathers behind the eye much
fewer. The two species will be more particularly compared when the

latter is described.

( 396 )

THE POMARINE JAGER.,
LESTRIS POMARINUS, TEMM.

PLATE CCLIII. Frmate.

Tuis bird I never had an opportunity of examining until I visited
Labrador ; nor am I able to give you much information respecting its
habits as obtained by my own observation, and therefore I shall take the
liberty of adding to my description such notices as I may judge interest-
ing, taken from the works of authors who, having seen for themselves, are
entitled to credit.

While sailing towards the harbour of Little Macatina, and yet about
forty miles distant from it, although not far from the shore, we observed
a bird of this species approaching the vessel. It flew in the manner of the
Pigeon Hawk, to my account of which I may refer you, alighted on the
water like a Gull, and fed on some cod-fish’s liver that had been thrown
overboard for the purpose of attracting it. Several small Petrels joined
it, but it did not come within shot, and the sea was too rough for even
our whale-boat. On the 30th of July the young men of my party brought
me a fine adult female, in excellent order, from which I drew the figure
in the plate. A few days after we experienced a very heavy gale while
in the harbour of Bras d’Or, during the continuance of which twenty or
thirty of these birds came about us, although none of them approached
within shot, and no boat could have ridden the furious waves without im-
minent danger. On that occasion, however, I was enabled to observe
some of their habits. They flew wildly about, yet with much grace, moy-
ing rapidly to and fro, now struggling against the blast, now bearing off
and drifting to a considerable distance. Many Gulls were flying about,
having also made for the harbour to obtain some shelter from the storm.
The Lestris chased the smaller species with effect, but never approached
the Great Black-backed Gulls, nor even their young, which were also fly-
ing with the rest. The Kittiwakes and the Ring-billed Gulls were the
species which we saw them attack, although they did not procure much
food from them, the weather being such that they could not fish. They
were therefore contented, as was the Lestris, with the fishes that had been

thrown on shore. At times the Jagers would ramble over the land,

POMARINE JAGER. 397

flying close upon the rocks, and proceeding at a rapid rate even against
the wind. They remained in our neighbourhood until the tempest abated,
when they went off to sea, and I saw no more of them until we reached
St George’s Bay in Newfoundland.

There, on a squally afternoon, two or three of them were observed
flying around, but keeping at such a distance that we could not shoot any
of them. The following day, after setting sail, we encountered a heavy
gale, which, although foretold by me from the appearance of the birds in
the harbour, our good captain would not believe as likely to happen. We
were obliged to lie-to, and were tossed about for three nights and days,
but escaped with little other damage than the loss of a pet Gull, which
was washed overboard.

On our return to Eastport, Captain Emery told me that he had seen
a great number of these Jagers near Cape Sable ; and at Halifax, in Nova
Scotia, I was assured that they breed on Sable Island, which is sixty or
seventy miles distant from the coast. I never observed one of these birds
along the shores of the United States, although some of the genus go as
far south in winter as the Gulf of Mexico.

Nothing is known with certainty respecting the changes which this
species undergoes as it advances toward maturity. Captain James Cuarx
Ross, R. N. has informed me that a nest containing two eggs was found
by him near Fury Point, close by the edge of a small lake. I have no
doubt that this bird breeds in Labrador, as the female which I obtained
in July appeared as if it had young at the time.

My friend Mr Setsy states that he is not aware that an adult bird
has yet been killed in Britain. M.'Temmincx says it forms a rude nest
of grass and moss, which is placed on a tuft in the marshes, or on a rock,
and lays two or three very pointed eggs, of a greyish-olive colour, marked
with a few blackish spots. Dr Ricnarpsow has the following notice re-
specting it in the Fauna Boreali-Americana:—“ The Pomarine Jager or
Gull-hunter is not uncommon in the Arctic seas and northern outlets of
Hudson’s Bay, where it subsists on putrid fish and other animal sub-
‘stances thrown up by the sea, and also on the matters which the Gulls
disgorge when pursued by it. It retires from the north in the winter,
and makes its first appearance at Hudson’s Bay in May, coming in from

seaward.”

398 POMARINE JAGER.

Lesteis pomMarinus, Temm. Man. d’Ornith. part ii. p. 793.
LEsTRIS POMARINA, PoMARINE JaGER, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the
United States, p. 364.—Swains. and Richards, Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 429.

PomaRINE JAGER, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 315.

Adult Female. Plate CCLIII.

Bill shorter than the head, strong, slightly compressed, straight, the
tip curved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight, to-
ward the tip curved, the ridge broad and convex with a slight central de-
pression, the sides convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip compres-
sed, rather rounded but sharp. Nasal groove long, narrow, curved ;
nostrils in its fore part, medial, lateral, longitudinal, broad before, ex-
tremely narrow behind, open and pervious. Lower mandible with the
angle long and narrow, a slight prominence at its extremity, beyond
which the dorsal line is slightly concave, the sides erect, and slightly
convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip obliquely truncate.

Head rather large. Neck of moderate length. Body rather full.
Feet of moderate length, rather slender ; tibia bare at its lower part, and
rough all round with small convex scales ; tarsus compressed behind, an-
teriorly covered with decurved scutella, the sides reticulated, the hind
part rough with small pointed scales; hind toe extremely small and ele-
vated, the fore toes of moderate size, connected by reticulated webs, which
have their margins convex ; the third toe longest, the fourth nearly as long,
all scutellate above. Claws strong, curved, very acute, compressed, that
of third toe with a sharp inner edge.

The plumage in general is close, elastic, soft and blended; the fea-
thers on the back and wings rather compact and distinct. Wings very
long, rather broad, pointed ; primary quills tapering and rounded, the
first longest, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondary rather short, rounded.
‘Tail of moderate length, the feathers, which are twelve, are broad and
rounded, the two middle an inch longer than the next.

Bill blackish-brown at the end, dingy yellow towards the base. Iris
brown. Tibia, toes, webs, and lower half of tarsus black, the upper half
light blue; claws black. Upper part and sides of the head anteriorly
brownish-black ; upper part of neck all round yellowish-white; the rest
of the neck white, barred with brownish-black, each feather having two
transverse bands of that colour; breast white ; sides, abdomen and lower

tail-coverts white, barred with brownish-black, as are the upper tail-

POMARINE JAGER. 399

coverts. Back and wings brownish-black; primary quills of the same
colour, white on the inner webs towards the base, as are the secondaries
and tail-feathers, lower surface of wings mottled and barred with white
and dusky.

Length to end of tail 203 inches, to end of wings 204, to end of claws
193; extent of wings 48 ; wing from flexure 14; tail 6,2, ; bill along the
back 1,°,, along the edge of lower mandible 21; tarsus 2/5; middle toe
1,%, its claw 3%. Weight 14 lb.

( 400 )

WILSON’S PHALAROPE.
PHALAROPUS WILSONI, SABINE.

PLATE CCLIV. Mate anp Youne.

Tue habits of this beautiful species are little known, for so irregularly
does it perform its migrations, and so rarely does it settle for any length of
time in any part of the United States, that at present few opportunities of
studying them occur. Although I have found individuals in various places
along our eastern coast, from Boston to New Jersey, as well as in Ken-
tucky and other portions of the Union, I have not seen its nest, nor even
its eggs. Mr Drummonp, whose zeal as a student of nature must be
known to every one devoted to natural history, had the good fortune to
find its nest in the course of his rambles among the Rocky Mountains,
but he has given no information respecting its habits. A person who
shewed me the skins of two specimens procured in July near Cape May
in New Jersey, assured me that he shot them near their nests, and that
they had four eggs. While I was in the same neighbourhood, in the
month of June 1829, a fisherman gunner, with whom I was at the time
residing at Great Egg Harbour, brought me a pair which he had just
killed. He represented them as very gentle and easily approached, and
said that on going towards them they affected to be lame, and opened
their wings as if to induce him to run after them ; instead of doing which,
however, he immediately fired and killed them both. Having put away
the birds in a safe place, he and I took to his boat and went to the island
where he had found them. He shewed me the spot on which they had
been shot; but although we searched most diligently for the nest, we
could not find it. On examining the birds when we returned, I saw that
the female must have been sitting. About the same period my son pro-
cured two specimens of this Phalarope out of a flock of five, on the rocks
at the rapids of the Ohio below Louisville. Late in the summer of 1824
I shot three of them near Buffalo Creek on Lake Erie. My generous
friend Epwarp Harris, Esq. presented me, at New York, with a young
bird in autumnal plumage, from which I made the figure in the plate ;
and another, in a most emaciated state, was given me at Boston in the

winter by my young friend Joun Betaune, Esq.

WILSON’S PHALAROPE. 401

Those which I procured near Lake Erie were engaged in feeding
around the borders and in the shallows of a pond of small extent. When
I first observed them at some distance, I thought they were Yellow-shanks
(Totanus flavipes), so much did their motions resemble those of that spe-
cies. Like it, this Phalarope wades in the water up to its body, picks for
food right and left, turns about, and performs all its motions with viva-
city and elegance. They kept closer together than the Yellow-shanks
usually do, but, like them, they would for a few moments raise their wings
as if apprehensive of getting into too deep water and being obliged to fly.
They preferred flying to swimming on such occasions, although from the
general character of the tribe one might expect otherwise. After watch-
ing them about a quarter of an hour, during which time they did not utter
a single note, I fired at them when they were all close together, and killed
the whole. On opening them I found their stomachs to contain small
worms and fragments of very delicate shells. The birds seen at the Falls
of the Ohio flew in the manner of the Common Snipe, proceeding at first
in an undulating or zigzag line, but more steadily after reaching a certain
elevation, when they came pretty close together, wheeled a few times, and
alighted again near the same shallow pools.

Dr Ricuarvson, who found this species breeding on the Saskatchewan,
says ‘ it lays two or three eggs among the grass on the margins of small
lakes: they are very obtuse at one end, taper much at the other, and have
a colour intermediate between yellowish-grey and cream-yellow, inter-
spersed with small roundish spots and a few larger blotches of umber-
brown, more crowded at the obtuse end. The eggs measure sixteen lines
and a half in length and eleven across.”

I observed scarcely any difference in the colouring of the sexes, the

female being merely larger than the male.

Puararorus Witsontl, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 342.

Gray PuaLarore, PHaLaropcs Losatus, Wils, Amer. Ornith. vol. ix. p. 72. pl. 73.
fig. 2. j

Witson’s Poararopr, PHataropus Witsonu, Ch. Bonaparte, Amer. Ornith. vol. iv.
p- 59. pl. 24. fig. 1. Adult ; and pl. 25. fig. 1. Young.

Puatarorus Witsonirt, Wiison’s PHararopr, Swains. and Richards, Fauna Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 405, pl. 69.

AMERICAN PHALAROPE, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 245.

Adult Male. Plate CCLIV.. Fig. 1.
Bill long, very slender, flexible, flattened towards the end. Upper

VOL. III. ce

402 WILSON’S PHALAROPE.

mandible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge flattened, the sides at the
base sloping, but towards the end nearly horizontal, the edges obtuse, the
tip narrow. Nasal groove linear, long ; nostrils basal, linear, pervious.
Lower mandible with the angle very long and extremely narrow, the sides
slightly convex, the tip narrowed.

Head small, with the fore part high and rounded; eyes of moderate
size. Neck rather long and slender. Body slender. Feet rather long,
slender ; tibia bare a considerable way above the joint ; tarsus extremely
compressed, narrowed before, very thin behind, covered anteriorly with
numerous scutella, posteriorly with two series of scutella meeting with a
sharp edge; toes slender, first very small, free, with a slight membrane
beneath, second slightly shorter than fourth, third considerably longer ;
all scutellate above, margined on both sides with narrow, slightly lobed,
crenate membranes, which are united at the base so as to form short webs,
of which the outer is longer. Claws very small, compressed, arched, that
of the middle toe with the inner edge sharp.

Plumage soft and blended. Feathers of the back and wings distinct.
Wings long and pointed, primary quills tapering but rounded, the first
longest, the second scarcely shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secon-
dary quills rather short, broad, obliquely rounded, with a small tip, the
inner tapering and elongated, so as nearly to equal the longest primaries
when the wing is closed. Tail rather short, nearly even but with the
two middle feathers longer, of twelve rounded feathers, of which the outer
are incurved.

Bill black. Iris brown. Feet bluish-grey, claws black. The general
colour of the upper parts is brownish-grey, the hind neck and upper tail-
coverts greyish-white, the top of the head ash-grey. A white line over
the eye; a band of black along the lore, under the eye, and down the
side of the neck, on which it becomes broader and changes into chestnut-
brown, when it proceeds along the scapulars of a brownish-red colour ;
another brownish-red band across the wing and including part of the inner
secondaries. Quills greyish-brown, the outer primaries and their coverts
darker. ail-feathers pale brownish-grey on the outer, white more or less
mottled on the inner webs. Throat and cheeks white; fore neck orange-
brown, fading below, and extending paler along the sides of the body ;
breast, abdomen and lower wing-coverts white; lower surface of wings
pale grey, of tail white.

Length to end of tail 10 inches, to end of claws 11; extent of wings

WILSON’S PHALAROPE. 405

173; wing from flexure 7,4, ; tail 2.2,; bill along the back 1,7,, along the
edge of lower mandible 1,°, ; bare part of tibia 3; tarsus 11; middle toe

1,4, its claw 23. Weight 23 oz.

The Female, which is somewhat larger, is in colour precisely similar
to the Male. Weight 3 oz.

Young in autumn. Plate CCLIV. Fig. 2.

The young bird after the first moult has the bill brownish-black, the
iris brown, the feet greenish-yellow, the claws black. The upper parts
are variegated with brownish-black and light greenish-yellow, the central
part of each feather being of the former colour ; primary quills brownish-
black ; tail-feathers as in the adult. The lower parts are white.

( 404 )

THE RED PHALAROPE.

PHALAROPUS FULICARIUS, Bonar.
PLATE CCLY. Apvutt Mate anp Fematr 1n SUMMER, AND ADULT IN WINTER.

My first drawing of the Red Phalarope was made at Louisville in
Kentucky, a few weeks after my removal to that place, in 1808. One af-
ternoon, while returning from the house of my hospitable friend General
Crocnan, I observed a large flock of birds proceeding along the shores
of the Ohio. They were quite unknown to me, and therefore extremely
anxious I was to procure some of them. I therefore ran through the
woods until I got ahead of them, went to the margin of the river, and
concealed myself at some distance from them. They swam beautifully,
played about, picked up substances floating on the water, now dispersed,
and again came close together, until at length coming opposite to a small
sand-bar stretching out from the shore to the distance of a few yards,
they directed their course towards it, and waded out. When just land-
ing, they were so close to each other that I could not withstand the temp-
tation, and so levelled my gun, pulled both triggers, and saw that I had
made considerable havock among them. Those which had not been hitten,
flew off in a compact body, while the birds that had been but slightly
wounded made for the water, and swam away so fast that they seemed to
be running on the surface. I picked up seventeen, which I found so
beautiful and withal so plump, that I felt quite delighted, and resolved
to shoot as many more as I could. But I did not succeed in killing more
than other five that day.

I had never until then seen a Phalarope of any kind, although I
had inspected some shocking figures of these elegant birds, figures so un-
like the originals that even with the aid of a name printed beneath, you
could not recognise them. Such of my acquaintances at Louisville as had
been accustomed to shoot birds, had never seen one of this species on the
Ohio, or in any part of the country. It was then and there that I made
my first drawing of the Red Phalarope, which I shewed to ALEXsNDER
Witson during his visit to Louisville. It being late in October, the
specimens which I had procured were all in their grey livery, and proved

capital eating. As I was anxious to watch the rest of the flock, which I

RED PHALAROPE. 405

think must have been composed of at least a hundred individuals, I went
to the same place on the following afternoon. As I crossed Bear Grass
Creek, near its junction with the Ohio, I observed eight or ten of them
walking over the green moss on the surface of the water near the shore.
Of these I succeeded in killing three. In the course of a walk of two miles
along the banks of the river, I could see none; and some Blue-winged
Teals happening to pass over from the stream in the direction of a pond
between it and Kieger’s Ferry-house, I went in pursuit of them. Before
I got up they had flown away, or had passed over without alighting. There,
however, to my great joy, I found all the Phalaropes swimming along the
margins and picking up the seeds of grasses. They were much less shy
than when I met with them on the river, so that I soon procured eight
more at asingle shot. The rest rose, emitting quick sharp cries, performed
a few evolutions at a considerable height, and went off to the westward.

On the Ist of September 1831, while on board the packet ship Co-
lumbia, commanded by my good friend JosrrH Detano, Esq. Nantucket
being distant about sixty miles, we came upon an extensive bank of sea-
weeds and froth, about a mile in length, which I was told was produced
by the action of the tides. On this bed were hundreds of Phalaropes
of this species, walking as unconcernedly as if on land. As we approached
it, they rose and flew around the vessel for a few minutes, and when we
had passed through we saw them re-alight.

I have not seen the Red Phalarope alive on any other occasion than
those mentioned above ; and I am indebted to my generous friend Cap-
tain James Crarx Ross for the beautiful specimens in summer plumage,
from which the figures in the plate were taken.

None of those which I had wounded attempted to dive. When caught
and held in the hand, they merely fluttered and tried to escape, like other
small birds. Their flight was rapid, resembling that of the Red-backed
Sandpiper, T'ringa alpina, and they performed various evolutions, some-
times skimming over the water, when they kept more apart than either
when rising at first, or when they reached a certain height, on attaining
which they pursued their course, with alternate inclinations to either side.

According to Captain J. C. Ross, these birds breed in great numbers
far north. The eggs, of which he has favoured me with some, measure
an inch and a quarter by seven-eighths ; their ground colour is dull green

ish-yellow, irregularly blotched and dotted with reddish-brown.

406 RED PHALAROPE.

PHALARoPUS FULICARIUS, Ch. Bonaparie, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 341.

Rep PHaLaRoPe, PHaLanorus HYPERBOREUS, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. ix. p. 75.
pl. 74, fig. 4.

PHALAROPUS FULICARIUS, FLAT-BILLED PHALAROPE, Swains. and Richards, Fauna-
Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 407.

Rep Puararore, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 236.

Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCLV. Fig. 1.

Bill scarcely longer than the head, straight, slender, nearly cylindrical,
towards the end broader and flattened, the tip narrow. Upper mandible
with the dorsal line straight, excepting at the end, where it is a little
curved, the ridge convex, flattened at the broad part, the sides slightly
sloping, the edges rounded, and near the slightly curved obtuse tip in-
flected. Nasal groove linear, extending to near the tip; nostrils basal,
linear-elliptical. Lower mandible with the angle very long and narrow,
the sides convex, the tip narrowed, obtuse.

Head small, with the fore part high and rounded ; eyes small. Neck
of moderate length. Body rather full. Feet rather short, slender ; tibia
bare a short way above the joint ; tarsus much compressed, narrowed be-
fore and behind, covered anteriorly with numerous scutella; toes very slen-
der, first extremely small, free, with a slight membrane beneath, second
shorter than third, which is a little longer ; all scutellate above, the anterior
margined on both sides with lobed and pectinated membranes, which are
united at the base, so as to render the foot nearly half-webbed, the outer
web much longer than the inner. Claws very small, compressed, arched,
obtuse, that of the middle toe with an inner sharp edge.

Plumage soft and slender, the feathers on the back and wings some-
what distinct. Wings long and pointed ; primary quills tapering, but
rounded, the first longest, the second a little shorter, the rest rapidly gra-
duated ; secondary quills rather short, obliquely truncate, the inner ta-
pering and elongated, so as nearly to equal the longest primaries when
the wing is closed. Tail of moderate length, much rounded, of twelve
feathers.

Bill greenish-yellow, black at the point. Iris brown. Feet pale
greyish-blue. Upper part of the head black ; loral space and chin black-
ish-grey ; sides of the head, and a band round the occiput, white. Sides
and fore part of the neck, breast, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts deep

orange-red. Fore part of the back, scapulars, and mner secondaries, black,

RED PHALAROPE. 407

the feathers edged with whitish ; wing-coverts deep ash-grey ; quills dark
greyish-brown, their shafts and basal parts white; the ends of the se-
condary and primary coverts, and the basal part of the outer webs of the
primaries, being white, a band of that colour is seen on the wing when
it is extended. Upper tail-coverts orange-red ; tail deep grey, darker to-
wards the end, slightly tipped with reddish.

Length to end of tail 74 inches, to end of claws 62; extent of wings
13; wing from flexure 5; tail 22; bill along the back +3, along the edge

of lower mandible 1,4, ; tarsus +9; middle toe +$, its claw 33.

Adult Female in summer. Plate CCLV. Fig. 2.

The Female has the upper part variegated with light red and brown-
ish-black, the central part of each feather being of the latter colour, the
upper tail-coverts entirely of the former. Wings greyish-black, with a
transverse white band; tail deep grey as in the male. The lower parts
are of a less pure red than those of the male, being paler and tinged with

grey.

Adult in winter. Plate CCLV. Fig. 3.

The winter plumage of the adult is very different in colour. The bill
is nearly black, the feet as in summer. The upper part of the head,
cheeks, fore part and sides of the neck, breast, abdomen, lower and upper
tail-coverts, and a band across the wing, are white; a brownish-black line
from the eye to the occiput, which is of the same colour, as well as the
middle of the hind neck. The back, scapulars, and inner secondaries, are
ash-grey, the wings as in summer.

Length to end of tail 74 inches.

( 408 )

BREAKING UP OF THE ICE.

WHILE proceeding up the Mississippi above its junction with the Ohio,

I found, to my great mortification, that its navigation was obstructed by
ice. The chief conductor of my bark, who was a Canadian Frenchman,
was therefore desired to take us to a place suitable for winter-quarters,
which he accordingly did, bringing us into a great bend of the river called
Tawapatee Bottom. The waters were unusually low, the thermometer
indicated excessive cold, the earth all around was covered with snow, dark
clouds were spread over the heavens, and as all appearances were unfa-
vourable to the hope of a speedy prosecution of our voyage, we quietly
set to work. Our bark, which was a large keel-boat, was moored close
to the shore, the cargo was conveyed to the woods, large trees were
felled over the water, and were so disposed as to keep off the pressure
of the floating masses of ice. In less than two days, our stores, bag-
gage, and ammunition, were deposited in a great heap under one of the
magnificent trees of which the forest was here composed, our sails were
spread over all, and a complete camp was formed in the wilderness. Every
thing around us seemed dreary and dismal, and had we not been endowed
with the faculty of deriving pleasure from the examination of nature, we
should have made up our minds to pass the time in a state similar to that
of bears during their hybernation. We soon found employment, how-
ever, for the woods were full of game; and deer, turkeys, racoons, and
opossums might be seen even around our camp; while on the ice that now
covered the broad stream rested flocks of swams, to surprise which the
hungry wolves were at times seen to make energetic but unsuccessful
efforts. It was curious to see the snow-white birds all lying flat on the
ice, but keenly intent on watching the motions of their insidious enemies,
‘until the latter advanced within the distance of a few hundred yards, when
the swans, sounding their trumpet-notes of alarm, would all rise, spread
out their broad wings, and after running some yards and battering the
ice until the noise was echoed like thunder through the woods, rose ex-
ultingly into the air, leaving their pursuers to devise other schemes for

gratifying their craving appetites.

The nights being extremely cold, we constantly kept up a large fire,

formed of the best wood. Fine trees of ash and hickory were felled, cut

BREAKING UP OF THE ICE. 409

up into logs of convenient size, and rolled into a pile, on the top of which,
with the aid of twigs, a fire was kindled. There were about fifteen of
us, some hunters, others trappers, and all more or less accustomed to live
in the woods. At night, when all had returned from their hunting-
grounds, some successful and others empty-handed, they presented a pic-
ture in the strong glare of the huge fire that illuminated the forest, which
it might prove interesting to you to see, were it copied by a bold hand on
canvass. Over a space of thirty yards or more, the snow was scraped
away, and piled up into a circular wall, which protected us from the cold
blast. Our cooking utensils formed no mean display, and before a week
had elapsed, venison, turkeys, and racoons hung on the branches in pro-
fusion. Fish, too, and that of excellent quality, often graced our board,
having been obtained by breaking holes in the ice of the lakes. It was
observed that the opossums issued at night from holes in the banks of the
river, to which they returned about day-break; and having thus dis-
covered their retreat, we captured many of them by means of snares.

At the end of a fortnight our bread failed, and two of the party were
directed to proceed across the bend, towards a village on the western
bank of the Mississippi, in quest of that commodity ; for although we
had a kind of substitute for it in the dry white flesh of the breast of the
wild turkey, bread is bread after all, and more indispensable to civilized
man than any other article of food. The expedition left the camp early
one morning ; one of the party boasted much of his knowledge of woods,
while the other said nothing, but followed. They walked on all day, and
returned next morning to the camp with empty wallets. The next at-
tempt, however, succeeded, and they brought on a sledge a barrel of flour
and some potatoes. After a while, we were joined by many Indians, the
observation of whose manners afforded us much amusement.

Six weeks were spent in Tawapatee Bottom. The waters had kept
continually sinking, and our boat lay on her side high and dry. On both
sides of the stream, the ice had broken into heaps, forming huge walls.
Our pilot visited the river daily, to see what prospect there might be of
achange. One night, while, excepting himself, all were sound asleep, he
suddenly roused us with loud cries of “ the ice is breaking! get up, get
up, down to the boat lads, bring out your axes, hurry on, or we may lose
her, here let us have a torch!” Starting up, as if we had been attacked
by a band of savages, we ran pell-mell to the bank. The ice was indeed

breaking up ; it split with reports like those of heavy artillery, and as the

410 BREAKING UP OF THE ICE.

water had suddenly risen from an overflow of the Ohio, the two streams
seemed to rush against each other with violence, in consequence of which
the congealed mass was broken into large fragments, some of which rose
nearly erect here and there, and again fell with thundering crash, as the
wounded whale, when in the agonies of death, springs up with furious
force, and again plunges into the foaming waters. To our surprise, the
weather, which in the evening had been calm and frosty, had become wet
and blowy. The water gushed from the fissures formed in the ice, and
the prospect was extremely dismal. When day dawned, a spectacle
strange and fearful presented itself: the whole mass of water was violent-
ly agitated, its covering was broken into small fragments, and although
not a foot of space was without ice, not a step could the most daring have
ventured to make upon it. Our boat was in imminent danger, for the trees
which had been placed to guard it from the ice were cut or broken into
pieces, and were thrust against her. It was impossible to move her ; but
our pilot ordered every man to bring down great bunches of cane, which
were lashed along her sides ; and before these were destroyed by the ice,
she was afloat and riding above it. While we were gazing on the scene,
a tremendous crash was heard, which seemed to have taken place about
a mile below, when suddenly the great dam of ice gave way. The cur-
rent of the Mississippi had forced its way against that of the Ohio ; and
in less than four hours, we witnessed the complete breaking up of the ice.

During that winter, the ice was so thick on the Mississippi, that op-
posite St Louis, horses and heavy waggons crossed the river. Many
boats had been detained in the same manner as our own, so that provi-
sions and other necessary articles had become very scarce, and sold at a

high price. This happened about twenty-eight years ago.

GRAITA)

THE REDDISH EGRET.

ARDEA RUFESCENS, GMEL.

PLATE CCLVI. Aputt anp Youna.

Waite sailing towards the Florida Keys, my mind was agitated with
anticipations of the delight I should experience in exploring a region
whose productions were very imperfectly known. Often did I think of
the Heron named after Tirtan PEate, by my learned friend the Prince
of Musignano. Mr Prats had procured only a single specimen, and in
the winter season, but whether or not the species was abundant on the
Keys of Florida remained to be discovered. No sooner had I been landed
and formed an acquaintance with Mr Eeay, the pilot of whom I have
often spoken, who was well acquainted with the haunts of many of the
birds of those islands, than I asked him respecting the various Herons
which might be found there or on the shores of the mainland. Before an-
swering me, he counted his fingers slowly, and then said that he could
recollect only ‘twelve sorts;” ‘* but,” added he, “ these birds change
their colours so curiously, that it is past wonder with me to believe that
any one man could know them without watching them as I have done for
many years.” I then inquired if I was in good time to procure all the
sorts which he knew. He answered in the affirmative; but felt some
doubt as to my procuring the eggs of one kind at least, which breed
earlier than the rest, and was pure white from the shell, and the largest
of all. Thinking the species to which he alltided might be the Ardea
alba of Linnaus, I asked if it had long thread-like feathers over the tail
during the breeding season. ‘ Oh no, Sir,” said he, “ it never has; it is
as tall as yourself, and when you see some on the wing, you will be pleased,
for their wings are as large as those of the Brown Pelican. The one I guess
you mean, mostly goes farther to the eastward to breed, along with a very
small one, also always white, with the feathers over the tail as you say,
and curled upwards. These are the only three sorts that are white.”
I begged him to describe the colours of the others, which he did so well
that I recognised ten species in all; but the large white one, and another
of a grey and purple colour, were unknown to me, and I told him so,

stating at the same time how anxious I was to procure them if possible.

412 REDDISH EGRET.

“‘ If possible ! nothing in the world can be more easy, for if they have no
eggs left, they have young ones enough to load your schooner. I can
take you straight to their breeding place.”

You may suppose, Reader, how my spirits were raised by this intelli-
gence, and how surprised I was that Peaz’s Egret was not in the number
of the Florida Herons. We speedily embarked in Mr Turuston’s boat,
spread our sails to the breeze, and passed several keys, on which we pro-
cured two young birds of the large white species, which I saw at once
was unknown to me, but of which you will find an account in this volume.
As we approached the next island, I saw twenty or thirty pairs of Herons,
some of which were pure white, others of a light blue colour, but so much
larger than the Blue Heron, Ardea cerulea, that I asked the pilot what
they were, when he answered, “ the very fellows I want to shew you, and
you may soon see them close enough, as you and I will shoot a few by
way of amusement.” Before half an hour had elapsed, more than a dozen
were lying at my feet. Some of them were as white as driven snow, the
rest of a delicate purplish tint, inclining to grey on the back and wings,
with heads and necks of a curious reddish colour. Males and females
there were, but they were all of one species, for my companion assured
me that “this sort bred before they turned to their natural colours,” by
which he meant before attaining their full plumage at the age of three
years. Well, the immature birds were the very same as the individual to
which, as the representative of a new species, the name of Peale’s Egret
had been given. This I saw at once, for so good is the representation of
it in the fourth volume of Bonararte’s American Ornithology, that from
the mere recollection of it I was enabled to recognise the bird at once.
You may imagine the pleasure I felt, as well as that which I experienced
on becoming better acquainted with this species, which I found in many
places both with eggs and with young.

The Reddish Egret is a constant resident on the Florida Keys, to which
it is so partial at all seasons that it never leaves them. Some individuals are
seen as far east as Cape Florida, and westward along the Gulf of Mexico.
Whether it may ever betake itself to fresh water I cannot say, but I never
found one in such a situation. It is a more plump bird for its size than
most other Herons, and in this respect resembles the Night Heron and the
Yellow-crowned species, but possesses all the gracefulness of the tribe to
which it belongs. In walking it lifts its feet high, and proceeds at a

quiet pace, but sometimes briskly ; it alights with ease on trees, and walks

REDDISH EGRET. 413

well on the larger branches. It rarely feeds from the edges of the water,
but resorts to the shallows of the extensive mud or sand flats, so nume-
rous about the keys. There, twenty or thirty, sometimes so many as a
hundred, may be seen wading up to the heel (or knee-joint as it is usually
called) in pursuit of prey, or standing in silence awaiting the approach
of an animal on which it feeds, when it strikes it, and immediately swal-
lows it, if not too large; but if so, it carries it to the shore, beats it, and
tears it to pieces, rarely, however, using its feet for that purpose, and cer-
tainly never employing its pectinated claws, which no Heron that T know
ever uses for any other object than that of scratching its head, or per-
haps of securing its steps on rocky bottoms. [These birds remain on
the flats thus employed, until the advance of the tide forces them to the
land.

The flight of this Heron is more elevated and regular than that of
the smaller species. During the love season, it is peculiarly graceful and
elegant, especially when one unmated male is pursuing another, a female
being in sight. They pass through the air with celerity, turn and cut
about in curious curves and zigzags, the stronger bird frequently erecting
its beautiful crest, and uttering its note, at the moment when it expects
to give its rival a thrust. When these aérial combats take place between
old and immature birds, their different colours form a striking contrast,
extremely pleasing to the beholder. While travelling to and from their
feeding grounds, or from one key to another, they propel themselves by
easy, well-sustained, and regular flappings of their extended wings, the
neck reposing on the shoulders, the legs stretched out behind like a rud-
der, while their beautiful thready trains float in the breeze. On ap-
proaching a landing place, they seldom fail to perform a few cireumvolu-
tions, in order to see that all around is quiet, for they are more shy and
wary than the smaller Herons, and almost as suspicious as the two larger
species, Ardea occidentalis, and A. Herodias ; and this becomes apparent:
as soon as they discontinue the feeding of their young, when you find it
extremely difficult to approach them. After this period I rarely shot one,
unless I happened to come upon it unawares, or while it was passing over
me when among the mangroves.

About the beginning of April, these Herons begin to pair. The
males chase each other on the ground, as well as in the air, and on re-
turning to their chosen females*erect their crest and plumes, swell out

their necks, pass and repass before them, and emit hollow rough sounds,

414 REDDISH EGRET.

which it is impossible for me to describe. It is curious to see a party of
twenty or thirty on a sand-bar, presenting as they do a mixture of colours
from pure white to the full hues of the old birds of either sex; and still
more curious perhaps it is to see a purple male paying his addresses to a
white female, while at hand a white male is caressing a purple female, and
not far off are a pair of white, and another of purple birds. Nay, reader,
until I had witnessed these remarkable circumstances, I felt some distrust
respecting the statement of the worthy pilot. I am even now doubtful
if all the young breed the first spring after their birth, and am more in-
clined to think that they do not, on account of the large flocks of white
birds of this species which during the breeding time kept apart from those
that had nests, but which on examination were not found to be barren
birds, although they had the crests and pendent feathers less elongated
than those white individuals that were actually breeding.

By the middle of April, they construct their nests, which they place
for the most part on the south-western sides of the mangroves immediately
bordering the keys, never on the trees at a distance from the water, and
rarely very close together. Some are placed on the top branches, others
a foot or two above the highest tide-mark ; many of them are annually
repaired, perhaps all that stand the winter gales. The nest, which is quite
flat, is large for the size of the bird, and is formed of dry sticks, inter-
spersed with grass and leaves. The eggs are three, average an inch and
three quarters in length, one and three-eighths in breadth, have an elliptical
form, and a smooth shell, of a uniform rather pale sea-green colour. They
afford excellent eating. Both sexes incubate, but I did not ascertain the
time required for hatching.

The young while yet naked are of a dark colour, there being only a
few scanty tufts of long soft down on the head and other parts; but
when the feathers begin to sprout they became white. Being abundantly
. and carefully fed, at first by regurgitation, they grow fast, and soon be-
come noisy. When about a month old, they are fed less frequently, and
the fish is merely dropt before them, or into their open throats; soon af-
ter they sit upright on the nest, with their legs extended forward, or
crawl about on the branches, as all other Herons are wont to do. ‘They
are now sensible of danger, and when a boat is heard coming towards them
they hide among the branches, making towards the interior of the keys,
where it is extremely difficult to follow them. On one occasion, when I

was desirous of procuring some of them alive, to take to Charleston, it

REDDISH EGRET. Al5

took more than an hour to catch eight or nine of them, for they moved so
fast and stealthily through the mangroves, always making for the closest
and most tangled parts, that a man was obliged to keep his eyes constantly
on a single individual, which it was very difficult todo, on account of the
number of birds crossing each other in every direction. They do not fly
until they are six or seven weeks old, and even then do not venture be-
yond the island on which they have been reared. In captivity, those
which we had procured feed freely, and soon became tolerably docile.
They were supplied with pieces of green turtle and other species of the
tribe, and some of them reached Charleston in good health. One con-
tinued alive for nearly two years with my friend the Rev. Joun Bacu-
MAN. It was allowed to walk in the garden and poultry-yard, and ate
an enormous quantity of small fish and all sorts of garbage, contenting
itself, when better food was scarce, with the entrails of fowls, and even
fed freely on moistened corn-meal or mush. It caught insects with great
dexterity, and was very gentle and familiar, frequently going into the
kitchen, where it was a great favourite. It had acquired a crest and a
few of the pendent feathers of the back by the month of January, when
about twenty-two months old. One cold night, it was accidentally neglect-
ed, and in the morning was found dead, having shared the fate of so many
thousands of pet birds in all parts of the world. On being opened, it was
found to be a male. Although I have not been able to trace the gradual
changes of colour which this species undergoes, I have little doubt that
it will be found to attain maturity the third spring after birth.

The Reddish Egret rarely associates with others; nor does it suffer
them to nestle on the same island with itself. In this respect, it differs
from all other Herons with which I am acquainted; for although the Great
White Heron, A. occidentalis, has a decided antipathy to the Great Blue
Heron, still it now and then allows a few to breed on the north side of its
island. The present species is as strictly marine as the Great White
Heron; and these are the only two that are so, for all the others feed on
fresh-water fishes, not less than on those obtained in salt-water, as well as
on other food of various kinds. Like all others, the Reddish Egret
loses its ornaments soon after incubation, when old and young mix, and
follow their occupations together. When wounded, it strikes with its bill,
scratches with its claws, and, throwing itself on its back, emits its rough
and harsh notes, keeping all the while its crest erected and expanded,

and its feathers swelled out. Its principal food consists of fishes of vari-

416 REDDISH EGRET.

ous sizes, of which it consumes a great number, and of which it finds no
difficulty in procuring a sufficiency, as all the waters of those portions of
the Floridas that are inhabited by it are very profusely stocked. I was
told that, although still plentiful in the Floridas, this species was much
more so when the keys were first settled. I was present when a person
killed twenty-eight in succession in about an hour, the poor birds hover-
ing above their island in dismay, and unaware of the destructive power
of their enemy.

The remarkable circumstance of this bird’s changing from white to
purple will no doubt have some tendency to disconcert the systematists,
who, it seems, pronounce all the birds which they name Egrets to be al-
ways white; but how much more disconcerted must they be when they
see that among the Herons peculiarly so named, which they say are al-
ways coloured, the largest known to exist in the United States is pure
white. It is not at present my intention to say what an Egret is, or what
a Heron is; but it can no longer be denied that the presence or absence
of a loose crest, floating plume, and a white colour, are insufficient for
establishing essential characters separating Egrets from Herons, which in
fact display the most intimate connection, the one group running into the
other in an almost imperceptible gradation. Hoping that an account of
the extent of the migrations of the twelve species of Heron that occur in
the United States, and whose habits I have studied for many years under
the most favourable circumstances, may prove acceptable, I now lay one
before you, arranging the species according to size, without regard to the
rank they hold in systematic works.

1. The Great White Heron. Ardea occidentalis. A constant resi-
dent on the southern keys of Florida; entirely maritime ; never goes
farther eastward than Cape Florida, though in winter the younger birds
migrate southward, and perhaps pass beyond the extremities of the Gulf
of Mexico.

2. The Great Blue Heron. Ardea Herodias. ‘A constant resident
in the Floridas ; migrates throughout the Union, and as far along the
Atlantic coast as the southernmost islands of the Gulf of St Lawrence in
summer ; breeds in all the districts, and at the approach of winter returns
to the Southern States.

8. The White Heron. Ardea alba. Resident in the Floridas; mi-
grates to the eastward sometimes as far as Massachusetts, and up the

Mississippi as far as the city of Natchez ; never seen far inland.

REDDISH EGRET. 417

4. The Purple Heron. Ardea rufescens. Resident on the Florida
Keys ; entirely maritime ; never seen farther eastward than Cape Florida ;
the young sometimes remove southward in winter.

5. The American Bittern. Ardea minor. A winter resident in the
Floridas; many migrate over the greater part of the Union and beyond
its northern limits ; never seen in Kentucky; return before winter to the
Southern States.

6. The Night Heron. Ardea Nycticoraxy. Resident in the Floridas ;
migrates eastward as far as Maine, up the Mississippi as high as Memphis ;
none seen in Kentucky ; returns to the Southern States at the approach
of winter, and occurs at the distance of a hundred miles inland.

7. The Yellow-crowned Heron. Ardea violacea. A few spend the
winter in the Floridas; it rarely migrates farther eastward than New
Jersey ; proceeds up the Mississippi to Natchez; never goes far inland ;
the greatest number winter beyond the southern limits of the United
States.

8. The Blue Heron. Ardea cwrulea. Resident in the Floridas ; mi-
grates eastward as far as Long Island ; proceeds up the Mississippi about
a hundred miles above Natchez; never goes far inland.

9. The Louisiana Heron. Ardea Ludoviciana. Resident in the Flo-
ridas ; rarely seen as far east as New Jersey ; seldom passes Natchez on
the Mississippi; never goes far inland.

10. The White Egret. Ardea candidissima. Resident in the Flo-
ridas; migrates eastward as far as New York, up the Mississippi as far
as Memphis; never goes far inland ; returns to the Southern States as
soon as the young are able to travel.

11. The Green Heron. Ardea virescens. Resident in the Floridas;
disperses over the Union ; goes far inland ; the greater number return at
the approach of winter to the Southern States.

12. The Least Bittern. Ardea ewilis. Resident in the Floridas ;
migrates as far as Maine, and throughout the Western Country, far up
the Missouri; returns early in autumn to the Southern States.

You will see from the above statement, that the Herons are almost
similar to our Pigeons in respect to the extent of their migrations, which
must appear the more remarkable on account of their comparative size,
Ardea Herodias and A. virescens corresponding in a great degree to the
Columba migratoria and C. carolinensis.

VOL. III. pd

418 REDDISH EGRET.

T’AIGRETTE ROUSSE, Buffon, Ois. vol. vii. p. 378. Pl. Enl. 902.
ARDEA RUFESCENS, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 628.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 694.
Reppisu Ecret, Arct. Zool. vol. ii. N. 348.—Lath. Gen. Synops. vol. iii. p. 88.

Preate’s Ecret Heron, ARDEA Pratit, Ch. Bonaparte, Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 96,

pl. xxvi. fig. 1, the Young Bird.

Adult Male. Plate CCLVI. Fig. 1.

Bill much longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering, the
mandibles nearly equal in size. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
nearly straight, the ridge broad and convex at the base, afterwards very
narrow, a groove from the base to near the end, beneath which the sides
are convex, the edges thin and sharp, with a notch on each side close to
the narrow but obtuse tip. Nostrils basal, linear, longitudinal. Lower
mandible with the angle long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line be-
yond it ascending and very slightly convex, the edges sharp and slightly
inflected, the tip very narrow but obtuse.

Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck very long and slender.
Body slender and compressed. Feet very long ; tibia elongated and
slender, its lower half bare, covered all round with angular scales ; tar-
sus elongated, slender, compressed, covered anteriorly with numerous
large scutella, laterally and behind with angular scales. Toes of moderate
length, rather slender, scutellate above, reticularly granulate beneath ;
third toe considerably longer than the fourth, which is in nearly the same
proportion longer than the second, the first much shorter, but strong ;
claws rather small, strong, arched, compressed, obtuse, that of hind toe
much larger, the inner edge of that of the third regularly pectinated.

Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, bare, as is the
lower half of the tibia. Plumage soft, generally loose. Feathers of the
upper and hind part of the head, and of the neck generally, especially on
the sides and at the lower part anteriorly, much elongated very narrow,
loose, with linear compact extremities. The feathers of the back are si-
milar but broader at their base, and those from the middle of the back
are so elongated as to extend several inches beyond the tail, forming a
train of which the filaments are hair-like and rather stiff. Wings of mo-
derate length ; primaries broad, tapering, the inner broadly rounded, with
an acumen, as are the very broad secondaries ; first quill longest, second
almost equal, third and fourth slightly shorter, the rest of the primaries
rapidly graduated ; the inner secondaries extend to nearly an inch of the

REDDISH EGRET. 419

tip of the wing, when the latter is closed. Tail very short, slightly
rounded, of twelve rather weak rounded feathers.

Bill black on its terminal third, the rest and the bare space on the
head pale flesh-colour. Iris white. Legs and feet ultramarine blue, the
scutella bluish-black, as are the claws. Feathers of the head and neck
light reddish-brown, tinged with lilac, the tips fading to brownish-white.
Back and wings dull greyish-blue ; the long feathers of the train yellow-
ish towards the tips; all the lower parts are greyish-blue paler than that
of the upper.

Length to end of tail 31 inches, to end of wings 32; to end of claws
40; extent of wings 46; wing from flexure 142; tail 44; bill along the
back 4, along the edge of lower mandible 433, depth at the base 1; bare
part of tibia 4,5; tarsus 6; middle toe 3, its claw $3: Weight 12 lb.

The Female is precisely similar to the Male in colour, but is rather

smaller.

Young nearly two years old. Plate CCLVI. Fig 2.

The bill is coloured as in the adult, as is the iris, but the feet are
dark olive-green, the soles greenish-yellow. The plumage presents the
same form as in the adult, but is entirely pure white.

In this state the bird has been described as a distinct species under
the name of Peale’s Egret Heron, but must now be restored to its proper
species, the adult having been described and figured by Burron under the
name of Aigrette rousse, and named by Laruam the Reddish Egret.

This species may be distinguished at the first glance from all others
that occur in the United States, by the peculiar form of the feathers of
the head and neck, which are loose, pendent, and fringe-like, at all sea-
sons, excepting in the young bird before the first moult.

The number of young, as in all other species, much exceeds that of
adult or coloured birds; and I have procured them in the proportion of
three to one. I carried upwards of fifty specimens of this Heron to
Charleston, where, as well as in Philadelphia, New York, and London, I
presented some to my friends and to public institutions. I also sent seve-
ral to my friend P, J. Setsy, Esq. of Twizel, Northumberland, and lately
gave a pair to the Museum of the University of Edinburgh. Several spe-
cimens, which I presented to His Royal Highness the Duxr of Sussrx,
have been by him given to the British Museum.

pd

( 420 )

THE DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT.

PHALACROCORAX DILOPHUS.

PLATE CCLVII. Mate.

Tue objects that more especially attract the notice of the voyager, as he
draws near the south-west coast of Labrador, are the numerous low islands
covered with countless multitudes of birds, that have assembled there for
the purpose of reproduction. Some miles farther, you see a ridge of craggy
and desolate cliffs, emerging from the sea, and presenting the appearance of
a huge granite wall. ‘This forms a partition between the waters of the great
St Lawrence and many fine harbours hidden here and there behind it,
along with numerous inlets and bays, coves and small creeks,‘in which
the bark of the adventurer may ride in comparative safety. From the
hoary summit of this bulwark the view is grand beyond description ; val-
leys richly carpeted with moss and thickets of low shrubs glow in tints of
the richest green ; clear blue lakes bear on their bosom numerous birds
of varied wing, while around their margins the females are seated on their
eggs or carefully leading about their young ; banks of perennial snow ar-
rest your eye for a moment, and perhaps produce an involuntary chill ;
onward towards the horizon, mountains heaped confusedly behind moun-
tains, mingle their gloomy tints with those of the cold sky. In that land,
man may for weeks, even months, seek for his kind in vain. The deep
silence that reigns around him during a calm, seldom fails to bring sad-
ness to his heart, as his eye grows dim with gazing on the wilderness.
Should the northern gale issue from its snowy chambers, darkness fol-
lows in its train, and should its whole fury pour upon you, melancholy
indeed must be your lot.

To the low islands above alluded to, the beautiful Cormorant repre-
sented in the plate before you, resorts each spring, for the purpose of
breeding. It arrives from the south about the beginning of May, or as
soon as the waters of the Gulf are sufficiently free of ice to enable it to
procure food. The winter it spends on our eastern coasts, but it rarely
proceeds farther south than the Capes of North Carolina, about which it
meets its southern friend the Florida Cormorant, on whose dominions,

however, it does not venture.

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT. 42)

While with us, the Double-crested Cormorants are seen flying in long
lines, sometimes forming angles, and passing low over the water, at no
great distance from the shore. They enter our large bays, rivers and
creeks, going up as far as the tide, but are seldom or never seen fishing
in fresh-water. Their stay along the Middle Districts continues from the
beginning of October to the middle of April; farther east they are seen
a month earlier, and disappear a fortnight later. A good number breed
on the Seal Islands off the Bay of Fundy, but the greater part return to
Labrador and Baffin’s Bay, where Dr Ricuarpson found this species.
To that excellent man and intrepid traveller, we are indebted, among
other valuable fruits of his labours, for the first good description of this
bird. From his account and the information which I have received from
Captain James Crarx Ross, I believe that it does not go much farther
north than the place where it was observed by the first mentioned traveller ;
and no Cormorants were seen during the late voyage to the Arctic circle.
Itis probable that neither the Double-crested nor the Florida Cormorants
occur in any part of Europe; at least, if they have been described as
birds of that quarter of the globe, I can find no account sufficiently cor-
rect to enable me to recognise them.

A few miles from one of the entrances of the Harbour of Whapatiguan,
is a low and flat island about a mile in length, on which the present species
breeds. As we sailed past it, we could easily observe the birds on their
nests, all over the rock, which was completely white-washed with their ex-
crement, that emitted a disagreeable odour to a great distance. I had seen
several islands near the Harbour of Great Macatina inhabited by these
Cormorants, but being anxious to complete the examination of one sub-
ject at a time, and knowing that we should see a greater number as we
approach the Straits of Belle Isle, I put off the investigation until I should
have leisure to prosecute it satisfactorily.

My son, accompanied by the captain and four sailors, sailed for Cor-
morant Island, on which, however, they found great difficulty in landing,
for the surf broke so fearfully as to call into requisition all the judgment
and good management of Mr Emery. The moment they landed, al-
most all the birds of the island rose on wing, darkening the air, and
alighted at some distance on the water in large bodies. They were so shy
that it was not without considerable difficulty that ten of them were ob-
tained. At the first shot, hundreds of young ones scrambled out of their
nests, and huddled together in packs of fifteen or twenty. When the men

422 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT.

approached them, they opened their bills, squeaked, hissed, and puffed in
a most outrageous manner ; and the noise produced by the multitudes on
the island was not merely disagreeable, but really shocking. Some of the
nests contained eggs, and the young were of all sizes, from the newly
hatched up to those able to fly ; none, however, even of the largest, at-
tempted to gain the water, but all preferred hiding themselves in the fis-
sures of the rocks, or behind the nests. It was curious to see them crawl
flat on the rock, assisting themselves with their bill, feet and wings, em-
ploying the first in the manner of Parrots, and the wings like the oars of
a boat or the flappers of turtles. When approached, they curved and
twisted their necks in the most curious manner, reminding one of the
writhings of a snake, and when seized they muted so profusely as to excite
disgust. A dozen or more of different sizes, however, were thrust into a
bag, and carried on board the vessel. The materials and dimensions of
the nests were noted on the spot, and a hatful of eggs was brought to me.

The Double-crested Cormorant forms its nest of sea-weeds, some sticks,
moss, and clods of earth, with grass adhering to them, which it piles up
into a solid mass, often as high as three feet from the rock, with a diame-
ter of fifteen or eighteen inches at the top, and of two and a half feet at
the base. The whole has an appearance of solidity seldom seen in the
nests of water-birds. The nests are placed as near each other as the
nature of the ground will permit, and a great number which appeared to
have stood out against the winter storms, had been enlarged and repaired
that season. Many, however, lay scattered over the rocks, having been
demolished by heavy gales or the breaking of the surf during tempests.
The whole surface of the rock resembled a mass of putridity: feathers,
broken and rotten eggs, and dead young, lay scattered over it; and I
leave you to guess how such a place must smell in a calm warm day. The
eggs are three or four, average two and a half inches in length by one
inch and four and a half eighths in breadth, and have an elongated form.
They are covered with a calcareous coating, which is more or less soiled
with filth, but when carefully scraped, shews a fine light greenish-blue tint.

The young when just hatched, are of a bluish-black colour tinged
with purple, and look extremely odd. They remain blind for several
days, and for about a fortnight are fed by the parents with the greatest
care, the food being regurgitated into their open throats. They appear
to grow rapidly, for in the course of eight or ten days we found some the
size of a pullet, which, when marked, were scarcely half that size. They

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT. 423

are covered with long down of a brownish-black colour, and do not leave
the nest, unless they are intruded on, until they are able to fly, when
their parents, who long before had ceased to feed them by dropping the
fish into their bill, and had merely placed it on the ground near them,
leave them to shift for themselves. By the middle of August all these
birds remove southward, along Newfoundland, by Cape Breton Island,
and the shores of Nova Scotia, scarcely any remaining on the coast of
the first during winter, when indeed not many are seen farther east than
the Bay of Halifax.

The fishermen and eggers never gather their eggs, they being unfit
for being eaten by any other animals than Gulls or Jagers; but they
commit great havock among the young, which they salt for food or bait.
The old birds are too shy to be killed in great numbers, otherwise their
feathers, although they smell strongly of fish, might be turned to account.
I have never eaten Cormorant’s flesh, and intend to refrain from tasting
it until nothing better can be procured.

The flight of this species is strong and well sustained, although not
so rapid as that of the Florida Cormorant. It sails at times in a beauti-
ful manner, and at a great height above the waters. Like other species,
the Double-crested Cormorants are fond of sunning themselves, with their
wings spread out. They walk awkwardly, and cannot run without the
aid of their wings. In order to arise from the water, in which they sink
so as nearly to be covered when swimming, they are obliged to run and
beat the surface for many yards, before they get fairly on wing. Their
food consists of shrimps, lents, capelings, codlings, and other fishes, scarce-
ly any kind coming amiss unless too strong or of too great a size. Of
the codlings especially they devour vast numbers, they being in astonish-
ing shoals on the coast of Labrador at the time when the Cormorants
are breeding, and indeed remaining until the departure of the birds, when
they retire to deeper water. I never saw a Cormorant plunge from the
air after its prey, but should be much gratified by such a sight, which,
if we trust compilers, is nothing uncommon ; nor have I ever seen a bird
of this species perched on any thing higher than the top of the low island
on which the nest is placed, none having been observed by me on any of
the high rocks on which the common species breeds in America.

I have given the figure of a beautiful male in its perfect spring plu-
mage. This is probably the only representation of the bird yet presented

to the public, and the same remark applies to the Florida Cormorant.

424 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT.

PELEcANUS (CARBO) DILOPHUS, DoUBLE-CRESTED Cormorant, Swains. and Rich-
ards. Fauna-Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 473.

DovusLE-cRESTED Cormorant, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 483.

Adult Male at the commencement of the breeding season. Plate
CCLVII.

Bill about the length of the head, rather slender, somewhat compress-
ed, straight, with the tip curved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
slightly concave, until near the tip, when it is curved, the ridge convex,
and separated from the sides by a narrow groove, the sides erect, convex,
the edges sharp and straight as far as the unguis, which is strong, convex
above, incurved, acute. No external nostrils. Lower mandible with the
angle long and very narrow towards the end, filled by an extensive mem-
brane, which extends a short way down the throat, its dorsal line a little
convex, the sides erect and convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip
compressed and obliquely truncate.

Head rather small, oblong, narrowed before. Neck long and rather
slender. Body full, depressed. Feet short, stout, placed far behind ;
tibia feathered in its whole length; tarsus very short, strong, much com-
pressed, covered all round with scales, of which the anterior and lateral
are large and subhexagonal, the posterior very small and roundish. Toes
all placed in the same plane, and connected by reticulated webs, covered
above with very numerous oblique scutella; first toe smallest, fourth
longest. Claws rather small, strong, compressed, acute.

Plumage of the head, neck, lower parts and posterior portion of the
back glossy, blended and silky, of the fore part of the back and wings
compact, the feathers with loose glossy margins. From behind the eye
to the length of an inch and a half on each side, an elongated tuft of long
slender, loose recurved feathers. Space around the eye, and to a large
extent along the base of the bill, together with the small gular sac, bare.
Wings rather small; primaries very strong, curved, rather narrow, taper-
ing and obtuse, second longest, third almost equal, first longer than fourth;
secondaries decurved, broad, broadly rounded, the inner narrower. Tail
of moderate length, very narrow, much rounded or cuneate, of twelve nar-
row, rounded feathers, having extremely strong shafts.

Upper mandible dusky, along the edges greyish-yellow ; lower yel-
low, irregularly marked with dusky towards the edges. Iris bright green,

margin of eyelids, bare space on the head, and gular sac, rich orange.

DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT. 425

Feet and claws black. All the silky part of the plumage is greenish-
black, at a distance appearing black, but at hand in a strong light green.
The imbricated feathers of the back and wings greyish-brown, their
fringe-like margins greenish-black ; primary quills brownish-black; secon-
dary like the other feathers of the wing. Tail black, the shafts of all the
feathers black.

Length to end of tail 33 inches, to end of wings 29, to end of claws
33; extent of wings 51; wing from flexure 13; tail 62; bill along the
back 2;%, along the edge of lower mandible 33% ; tarsus 27%; outer toe
33, its claw #4. Weight 5 lb. 7 oz.

The Female is somewhat smaller, but in other respects is similar to
the male.

The Young, after the first moult, have the head and neck mottled
with greenish-black and greyish-brown; the other parts as in the adult,
but the tufts on the head wanting.

The Double-crested and the Florida Cormorants are very nearly allied,
their forms, and the structure of their plumage, being precisely similar.
There is, however, a very considerable difference in size, as will be seen
on comparing their measurements and average weights as given by me.
The bills are similar in form, but their colours differ, as do those of the
eyelids ; but in the breeding season these birds may readily be distinguish-
ed by the temporary tufts or crests behind the eyes, which in P. floridanus
consist of a mere line of single feathers curved downwards, while in P. dilo-
phus they are of considerable breadth, and composed of about forty recury-
ed feathers. In the absence of the crests, the difference in size affords the

principal means of distinguishing them.

( 426 )

THE HUDSONIAN GODWIT.
LLIMOSA HUDSONICA, SWAINS.

PLATE CCLVIII. Aputtr Mate ann Younc FEMALE.

Tuts species, which is of rare occurrence in any part of the United
States, is scarcely ever found farther south along the coast than the State
of Maryland. I had never seen it in the flesh, until I went to Boston
in 1832, when I found specimens of it in the market late in Septem--
ber. An old gunner in my employ brought me eight or ten in the course
of a month, but they were all young birds. From one of them my son
drew the figure in the plate. While I was at Pictou Professor Mac-
Cuttocu presented me with a pair of adult birds in beautiful plumage.
When we were on our way towards Labrador, the fishermen and inhabi-
tants of the Magdeleine Islands, who gave the name of Curlews to the
Godwits, assured me that this species breeds there in some marshes at the
extremity of the principal island, and that they were in the habit of kill-
ing them as soon as they were able to fly, when they were considered ex-
cellent food. We saw none, however, on our voyage farther north, and
in Labrador and Newfoundland nobody seemed to know them.

My young friend Tuomas MacCuxtocu, who gave me, in London,
several well-mounted specimens of this species, in the spring of 1835, con-
firmed the assertions of the people of the Magdeleine Islands, and informed
me that these birds breed at times on Prince Edward’s Island, from which
they spread along the coast of Nova Scotia, where they remain until very
severe weather comes on, when they suddenly disappear.

I have tried to give a good figure of the adult, and that made by my
son will, I hope, be considered faithful by those who are acquainted with
the bird in its autumnal plumage. The adult has been represented as lying
down, in order to shew the difference between this species and the Limosa
melanura of Europe, to which it is allied, but from which it may readily
be distinguished at all periods by the black colour of the inner wing-coverts.
In the European bird these feathers are white, and the species does not
occur in the United States, perhaps not in any part of North America.
The females are rather larger than the males, but nothing is known re-
specting the nests or eggs.

HUDSONIAN GODWIT. 427

Scotopax Hupsonica, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 720.

Limosa Hupsonica, Hupsonr1an Gopwit, Swains. and Richards. Fauna-Bor. Amer.
part ii. p. 396.

Hupson1an Gopwit, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 175.

Adult Male. Plate CCLVIII. Fig. 1.

Bill double the length of the head, subcylindrical, compressed at the
base, tapering to the obtuse point, which is a little enlarged, slightly re-
curved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly curved upwards
in its whole extent, the ridge convex, the sides with a narrow groove ex-
tending almost to the point, the edges rather obtuse, the tip slightly en-
larged. Nostrils basal, lateral, near the edges, small, linear, pervious.
Lower mandible with the angle very long and extremely narrow, the
dorsal line slightly recurved, the sides with a narrow groove extending
almost to the end, the edges rather blunt, the tip obtuse.

Head small, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long and slender.
Body slender. Feet long and slender ; tibia bare for about a third, an-
teriorly scutellate ; tarsus long, slender, covered anteriorly and posterior-
ly with numerous scutella, laterally for a very small space reticulate ; toes
small, slender, scutellate above, flat beneath, broadly marginate, the an-
terior connected at the base by webs, of which the outer is much larger ;
first toe very small, second slightly shorter than fourth, third little longer.
Claws small, compressed, slightly arched, obtuse, that of middle toe with
the inner edge curved outwards and thin.

Plumage soft on the head, neck and lower parts blended, on the back
imbricated ; all the feathers oblong and rounded. Wings long, very
acute, narrow; primaries tapering, the first longest, the second little
shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries incurved, obliquely round-
ed, with a recurved tip, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, of
twelve rounded feathers, slightly forked, but with the two middle feathers
a little longer than those next them.

Bill greyish-yellow, dark brown along the ridge of the upper mandi-
ble, and blackish toward the tips of both. Iris brown. Feet light
greyish-blue. The head and neck brownish-grey, with darker lines; a
band from the bill over the eye, and the throat greyish-white ; the back
deep grey ; the scapulars brownish-black, with small white markings on
the edges of the feathers ; the smaller wing-coverts, alula, primary quills

and their coverts brownish-black ; the secondaries lighter, and with their

428 HUDSONIAN GODWIT.

inner webs pale grey ; tips of the primary coverts and bases of the quills,
white, as is a broad band over the rump. - Tail feathers and upper tail-
coverts brownish-black, their bases white, and their tips narrowly edged
with brownish-white. The lower parts are bright yellowish-red, the sides
mottled with dark brown ; the abdomen and lower tail-coverts paler and
variegated with dusky; the lower wing-coverts blackish-brown, edged
with whitish.

Length to end of tail 153 inches, to end of wings 163, to end of claws
192; wing from flexure 83; tail 34; extent of wings 28; bill along the
back 3,7, ; along the edge of lower mandible 3, ; bare part of tibia 1};

tarsus 2} ; middle toe 1;4, its claw #3. Weight 9 oz.

Young Female in winter. Plate CCLVIII. Fig. 2.

The bill, iris and feet, as in the adult male. Upper part of the head
dusky, with darker lines; sides of the head, and the neck, greyish-yel-
low ; a whitish band over the eye. The lower parts are pale brownish-
grey, the upper brownish-grey ; the fore part of the back and scapulars
brownish-black, the feathers edged with light brownish-red ; the wing-
coverts brownish-grey ; the quills as in the adult, as is the tail, anterior
to which is also a broad white band.

In September 1835, I shot, near Edinburgh, a young individual of
Limosa rufa, which I had previously observed for some time. It thrust
its bill into the wet sand in the same manner as the Woodcocks ; and I
was much surprised, on taking it up, to see that its bill was perfectly
straight in its whole length. When I opened it, however, in order to
place a little cotton in its throat, a sudden spring-like movement of the
mandibles made them curve upwards. Never having kept birds of this
genus alive, I am unable to say whether the bill be naturally straight or

not.

( 429 )

THE HORNED GREBE,

PODICEPS CORNUTUS, LINN.

PLATE CCLIX. Mate anp Youne.

Tue period at which this little Grebe makes its first appearance, af-
ter the breeding season, on the waters of the Western States, such as the
Ohio, the Mississippi, and their numerous tributaries, is the beginning of
October, when I have seen them arriving and passing onward on wing at
a considerable height in the air, following the course of the streams. The
generally received idea that birds of this genus perform their migrations
on the water, is extremely absurd. I have already offered some remarks
on this subject, but as too much cannot be said, when an erroneous no-
tion extensively adopted has to be disproved, I here repeat that I have
seen flocks of Grebes on wing and migrating high in the air, apparently
with as much ease, as many longer-winged birds, and with considerable
velocity.

Towards evening, on the 14th of October 1820, I was floating in a
small boat on the Ohio. The weather was perfectly calm, and I was
startled by a whistling sound over head, resembling that of a Hawk stoop-
ing on its prey, when, on looking up, I saw a flock of Grebes, about thirty
in number, gliding towards the water as if about to alight within a quarter
of a mile from me. Ina few minutes they had come within a few yards
of the surface of the water, when suddenly checking their speed, they
pursued their course until out of sight; but in a short time I saw them
returning towards me, and in less than a minute they all passed at a dis-
tance of forty or fifty yards, took a round and alighted pell-mell. The
next moment, they were all engaged in washing and trimming themselves,
in the manner of Ducks, Cormorants, and other aquatic birds. As I
rowed towards them, they scarcely took notice of me, so that they were
easily approached ; and finding a number of them close together, I fired
and killed four. The rest paddled off for some yards, rose on wing, and
flew down the stream in a pretty close body, looking as if not disposed to
settle again for some time. On picking up the dead birds, I found them
to be of the present species, three being young, the other an adult with

430 HORNED GREBE.

the winter plumage beginning to appear. Here I may remark, that Grebes
in’ general do not moult so early as most other birds after they have young;
thus the Crested Grebe often passes to the south in September, with its
head still adorned with a large portion of the feathers of its spring and
summer tippet. While residing at different places on the Ohio, I have
many times witnessed the passage of the Horned and the Crested.

The Horned Grebe is abundant during autumn and winter on the
large rivers or inlets of the Southern States, but rare along the coasts of
the Middle and Eastern Districts. On the rivers about Charleston in
South Carolina it is seen at those seasons in considerable numbers, al-
though not in larger flocks than from four to seven individuals. The
same is observable from that place to the mouths of the Mississippi. It
is particularly fond of those streams of which the borders are overgrown
by rank sedges and other plants, and are subject to the influx of the tide.
In such places they enjoy greater security while searching for their food,
than in ponds, to which, however, they for the most part retire at the ap-
proach of the pairing season, which commences early in February. At
that time one might be apt to think that these birds could scarcely fly, as
they are then rarely seen on wing; but when they are pursued, and there
happens to be a breeze, they rise from the water with considerable ease,
and fly to'a distance of several hundred yards. In December and January
I have never procured any having the least remains of their summer head-
dress; but by the 10th of March, when they were on their journey to-
wards the north, the long feathers of the head were apparent. ‘These
tufts seem to attain their full development in the course of a fortnight or
three weeks, the old birds becoming plumed sooner than the young, some
of which leave the country in their winter dress.

On the ground, this species is not better off than the Dobchick, it be-
ing obliged to stand nearly erect, the hind part of the body resting, and
the tarsi and toes extended laterally. They dive with great celerity, and
-when once acquainted with the effects of the gun, are not easily shot. A
report is at times sufficient to make the old birds dive at once, although
they may be quite beyond the reach of a shot. The young birds are
more easily procured at their first appearance; but the most efficient me-
thod of obtaining them is to employ fishing nets, in the meshes of which
they become entangled.

Excepting a species of Hawk nearly allied to Circus cyaneus, I know

of no other bird that has the eye of such colour, the iris being externally

HORNED GREBE. 431

of a vivid red, with an inner circle of white, which gives it a very singular
appearance. On attentively examining the eyes of our Divers and Grebes,
I have not found any with similar eyes. The Horned Grebe does not
seem to see better than any other species, nor does it appear to be more
diurnal than the rest, nor are the objects on which it feeds more minute,
for I have found as small seeds in the stomach of the large Grebe as in
that of the present species. The reason of this strange colouring of the
iris, therefore, I am unable to conjecture.

Although the greater number of these birds go far northward to breed,
some remain within the limits of the United States during the whole year,
rearing their young on the borders of ponds, particularly in the northern
parts of the State of Ohio, in the vicinity of Lake Erie. Two nests which
I found were placed at a distance of about four yards from the water’s edge,
on the top of broken down tussocks of rank weeds. The materials of which
they were composed were of the same nature, and rudely interwoven to a
height of upwards of seven inches. They were rather more than a foot
in diameter at the base, the cavity only four inches across, shallow, but
more neatly finished with finer plants, of which a quantity lay on the bor-
ders, and was probably used by the bird to cover the eggs when about to
leave them. There were five eggs in one nest, seven in the other; all
contained chicks (on the 29th of July) ; they measured one inch and three
quarters in length, by one inch and two and a half eighths; their shell
was smooth, and of a uniform yellowish cream colour, without spots or
marks of any kind. The nests were not more than fifty yards apart, on
the south-western side of the pond. I am thus particular because of the
near relation of this bird to the Podiceps auritus of LatHam, with which
it may be confounded by a not over-careful observer, as may the eggs too,
those of the latter species being precisely of the same length, but fully an
eighth of an inch narrower, which of course gives them a more elongated
appearance. I have observed the same differences in the eggs of these two
species in Europe. I could not ascertain if both the parent birds incubate ;
but as I saw two pairs on the pond, I am inclined to think that they do.
The nests were not fastened to the weeds around them, nor do I conceive
it probable that they could be floated, as various writers assert they are
at times.

I have not seen the young of this species when small; but from the
knowledge I have of those of other Grebes, I feel pretty certain that the

notions entertained of their being carried either on the back or under the

432 HORNED GREBE.

wings of their parents in cases of danger must be erroneous, as Grebes in
all such cases dive or fly at once, when it would be impossible for the
old and young to keep thus attached to each other.

I have observed in the stomachs of almost all that I have examined,
a quantity of hair-like substances rolled together like the pellets of owls,
but have not ascertained whether or not these masses are disgorged. They
certainly cannot pass through the intestines. But unless birds of this
kind are kept in an aviary and watched, this matter must remain unknown.
The food of this species, while on salt-water, is composed of shrimps,
small fishes, and minute crustacea. While on fresh-water, they procure
insects, leeches, small frogs, tadpoles, and aquatic lizards ; they also pick
up the seeds of grasses, and I have found as many in the stomach of an
individual as would fill the shell of one of its eggs. Their flight is per-
formed by regular short flappings, executed with great quickness.

I have represented an adult male in full spring plumage, and a young
bird shot in December. The males are rather larger than the females,

which are similar in colour, but rarely have the head so well feathered

during the breeding season.

Popicers cornuTvus, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 782.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of
Birds of the United States, p. 417.—Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor, Amer.

part ii. p. 411.
Hornep Gree, or Doscuicx, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 254.

Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCLIX. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, straight, acute, rather slender. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line straight for one-half of its length, towards
the end declinate and slightly convex, the ridge convex, the sides sloping,
the edges sharp and inflected, the tip acute. Nasal groove broad, extend-
ing to beyond the middle of the mandible ; nostrils subbasal, linear-ellip-
tical, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and very narrow,
the dorsal line short, ascending, straight, the sides erect, slightly convex,
the edges sharp, inflected, the tip narrow, acute.

Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long and
slender. Body depressed. Feet large, short, placed far behind ; tibia
feathered to the joint; tarsus short, extremely compressed, anteriorly
with a narrow scutellate ridge, laterally with numerous broad scutella ;

posteriorly with a narrow ridge having a double row of small prominent

HORNED GREBE. 433

scales. Hind toe very small, with an inferior small membrane ; fore toes
long, the outer longest, scutellate above, united at the base by short webs,
externally margined, internally with broad rounded expansions, which
are marked with parallel oblique lines, and crenate on the edges. Claws
flattened, that of the middle toe broadest, with an extremely thin broad
terminal edge.

Plumage of the head and neck very soft and downy, of the breast and
sides silky and highly glossed, of the abdomen downy, of the upper parts
imbricated, but with loose edges. Wings small; primaries much curved,
the first longest, the second almost equal. Tail, a small tuft of loose fea-
thers. On the head, at this season, is a tuft of soft feathers on each side
behind the eye, and a larger on each side of the upper part of the neck.

Bill bluish-black, its tip yellow. Short loral space bright carmine, as
is the iris, its inner margin white ; edges of eyelids greyish-blue. Feet
dusky externally, internally and on the anterior and posterior ridges of
the tarsus dull yellow; claws dusky. Forehead greyish-brown ; upper
parts of the head bluish-black, as are the sides, fore neck anteriorly, and
the elongated ruff feathers; a broad band over the eyes, and the elongated
tufts behind them yellowish-brown. Fore neck brownish-red ; lower parts
white, the sides reddish-brown ; abdomen dull grey. The upper parts
are brownish-black, the feathers edged with greyish, the middle secondary
quills white.

Length to end of tail 143, to end of claws 19; extent of wings 251 ;
wing from flexure 53; bill along the back 33, along the edge of lower

mandible 1}; tarsus 1}; outer toe 1/9, its claw 3,. Weight 14 oz.

Young Female in winter. Plate CCLIX. Fig. 2.

The feathers of the hind head are a little elongated, but at this age
there are no tufts on the head. In other respects the plumage is as in
the adult male. The bill is bluish-grey, as is the bare loral space; the
eye bright carmine, the iris with an inner white edge; the feet bluish-grey.
The upper part of the head, and the hind neck, are greyish-black, as are |
the upper parts in general. The feathers of the back edged with light
grey. The throat, the sides of the head, a broad patch on each side of
the neck nearly meeting behind, the breast white; the sides and downy
feathers of the abdomen brownish-grey. Some of the secondaries are
white, as in the adult male.

VOL. IIIf. ‘ Ee

( 434 )

THE FORKED-TAILED PETREL.
THALASSIDROMA LEACHII, Bonar.

PLATE CCLX. Mate anp FEMALE.

Beronre describing the habits of this bird, I think it necessary to speak
of three distinct species which are at times found near our coasts, and of
which I have found two breeding within the Union. The present species
is the largest; that named after Witson the next in size; and the one
called the Stormy Petrel the least. Until I had met with the whole of
these species near our coast, I, like others, thought that the last mention-
ed kept nearer to Europe than it in reality does at certain seasons.

In August 1831, I was on board of the American packet-ship the Co-
lumbia, commanded by my friend Josrru Deano, Esq. who had promised
that, in case of a calm occurring, he would allow me to have a boat manned
to go in search of birds. The day is not given, because I never keep a jour-
nal while crossing the Atlantic ; but as I had left England on the first of
the month, and was then on the banks of Newfoundland, it must have
been towards the latter part of it, when the weather suddenly became quite
calm and beautiful. ‘ Mother Carey’s Chickens” were by hundreds around
the noble ship, and although ill in consequence of the sickness which
never leaves me at sea, I asked for a boat and some hands to row me
about for an hour or so. This was granted, guns and ammunition were
placed in the yawl, and my assistant Mr Henry Warp of London, an
officer, and two sailors, accompanied me. We had three guns which were
alternately loaded and handed to me. In the course of about an hour
twenty-five or thirty Petrels were shot, together with some Fulmars. Had
you been looking on, you might perhaps have laughed at me on seeing
that the moment after I fired, I was obliged to lean over the side of the
bark to relieve myself from the distressing state of my stomach. On re-
turning to the ship, my companions nimbly ascended the chains ; but al-
though when on land I am pretty firm and active, I was now quite unfit
for service, and therefore was hoisted in a chair. Once on deck, I laid
myself down on a mattress, my wife attended to me, and I gradually be-
came.relieved, as the ship stood, to use the words of my kind captain,

** as still as if on the stocks.” There were the dead birds nicely arranged

FORKED-TAILED PETREL. 435

on a board by my side; the wounded ones were placed in a cage, and I
began to examine them all with care. To my great surprise, I found
among them all the three species mentioned above. Sixteen of these birds
were beautifully prepared by Mr Warp, and the rest were placed in
spirits, after I had made correct outlines of each species, and taken their
exact dimensions and weight. The drawings, however, I was unable to
finish on account of the giddiness, which seldom leaves me while at sea.
The calm continued the whole of the next day, and, laying myself down
on the top of the round-house, I had ample opportunities of observing the
habits of the three species, while thus at a distance from land.

My esteemed friend the Prince of Musignano has stated that the
Forked-tailed Petrel is less numerous near the American coast than the
species named after Wirson. It is true that it rarely goes so far south,
but in the vicinity of Massachusetts, and from thence to Newfoundland, it
is by far the most abundant of the two ; and it breeds on all suitable places
from the Islands of Mount Desert to the last mentioned country.

The species of this genus with which I am acquainted all ramble over
the seas, both by night and by day, until the breeding season commences,
when they remain in their burrows, under rocks, or in their fissures, un-
til towards sunset, when they start off in search of food, returning to their
mates or young in the morning, and feeding them then. I feel pretty
confident that these birds, like Owls, can hold out against hunger for
many hours, and are satisfied with one abundant meal in the day. Wu-
son was of a different opinion, but I believe he never found these birds
breeding.

The Forked-tailed Petrel emits its notes night and day, and at not
very long intervals, although it is less noisy than Witson’s Petrel. They
resemble the syllables pewr-wit, pewr-wit. Its flight differs from that of
the other two species, it being performed in broader wheelings, and with
firmer flappings, in which respect it resembles that of the Night Hawk,
Caprimulgus virginianus, while that bird is passing low over the mea-
dows or the waters. It is more shy than the other species, and when it
wheels off after having approached the stern of a ship, its wanderings are
much more extended before it returns. I have never seen it fly close
around a vessel, as the others are in the habit of doing, especially at the
approach of night ; nor do I think that it ever alights on the rigging of
ships, but spends the hours of darkness either on the water, or on low
rocks or islands. It also less frequently alights on the water, or pats it

EeQ

436 FORKED-TAILED PETREL.

with its feet, probably on account of the shortness of its legs, although it
frequently allows them to hang down. In this it resembles the T’halassi-
droma pelagica, and Witsoy’s Petrel has a similar habit during calm
weather. I have seen all the three species immerse their head into the water,
to seize their food, and sometimes keep it longer under than I had expected.

About the first of June, the species separate, collect in numbers, and
return to their breeding places. I state so from the report of persons on
whose testimony I can rely, and who have assured me that, like the Guille-
mots, they revisit their haunts each spring for years in succession. They
now fly in front of the high rocks, in the manner of our Purple Martin
when it first arrives at its well known box, passing and repassing a thou-
sand times in the day, enter their dark and narrow mansions, or stand in
the passage, and emit their cries, as the bird just mentioned is wont to do
on similar occasions. Now they alight on some broad shelf, and walk as
if about to fall down, but with considerable ease, and at times with ra-
pidity. Now and then the mated birds approach each other, and, I be-
lieve, disgorge some food into each other’s mouths, although I am not ab-
solutely certain that they do so, having only observed them at such times
by means of a glass. They collect grasses and pebbles, of which they form
a flat nest, on which a single white egg is deposited, which measures an
inch and a quarter in length, by seven-eighths in breadth, is nearly equal-
ly rounded at both ends, and looks very large for the size of the bird.
When boiled, it has a musky smell, but is palatable. When you pass
close to the rocks in which they are, you easily hear their shrill querulous
notes; but the report of a gun silences them at once, and induces those
on the ledges to betake themselves to their holes.

. The Forked-tailed Petrel, like the other species, feeds chiefly on float-
ing mollusca, small fishes, crustacea, which they pick up among the float-
ing sea-weeds, and greasy substances, which they occasionally find around
fishing-boats or ships out at sea. When seized in the hand, it ejects an
oily fluid through the tubular nostrils, and sometimes disgorges a quantity
of food. I could not prevail on any of those which I had caught to take
food.

These birds are caught from the sterns of vessels, with long slender
threads, the manner of using which I shall describe when I come to speak
of Wixson’s Petrel. I never could entice one of them to swallow a hook.
Very few are found on the coasts of England or Scotland, where, how-
ever, the species is said to breed.

FORKED-TAILED PETREL. 437

TuHarassiproma Leacuit, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States,

p- 367.
Procetraria Leacui, Temm. Man. dOrnith. part ii. p. 812.

Adult Male. Plate CCLX. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, slender, straight, with the tips curved, as
broad as high at the base, extremely compressed at the end Upper
mandible with the nostrils forming a tube on its ridge at the base, beyond
which the dorsal line is for a short space straight, then decurved, the
ridge narrow and separated from the convex sides by a narrow groove,
the edges sharp, inflected, the tip compressed, incurved. Lower man-
dible with the angle rather long, narrow and pointed, the dorsal line be-
yond it decurved, the sides erect, the edges sharp, the tip decurved.

Head of ordinary size, roundish, anteriorly narrowed. Neck short.
Body rather slender. Feet rather long, slender ; tibia bare at its lower
part ; tarsus slender, reticulate all round. Hind toe minute, with a coni-
cal claw; anterior toes of moderate length, slender, scutellate above, con-
nected by striated webs with concave margins; the third and fourth toes
longest, and about equal. Claws slender, arched, compressed, acute.

Plumage very soft, blended, the feathers distinct only on the wings,
which are very long; primary quills tapering but rounded, the outer four
a little incurved at their extremities, the second longest, the third almost
equal, the first and fourth about the same length, the rest rapidly gra-
duated; outer secondaries incurved, obliquely rounded ; inner longer.
tapering, straight. Tail deeply forked, of twelve broad, rounded feathers,

Bill and feet black. Iris dark brown. The general colour of the
plumage is dark greyish-brown, the quills and tail brownish-black, the
smaller wing-coverts and inner secondaries light greyish-brown ; the rump,
sides of the abdomen, and exterior lower tail-coverts, white.

Length to end of tail 8 inches, to end of wings 8}; extent of wings
18}; wing from flexure 6}; tail 3; bill along the back 3%, along the
edge of lower mandible +$ ; tarsus 1; middle toe {2, its claw 73. Weight

13 oz.
The Female is exactly similar to the male.

Adult Female. Plate CCLX. Fig. 2.

( 488 )

A MAPLE-SUGAR CAMP.

Wuize advancing the best way I could through the magnificent woods
that cover the undulating grounds in the vicinity of the Green River in
Kentucky, I was overtaken by night. With slow and cautious steps I
proceeded, feeling some doubt as to my course, when the moon came
forth, as if purposely to afford me her friendly light. The air I thought
was uncommonly keen, andthe gentle breeze that now and then shook
the tops of the tall trees, more than once made me think of halting for the
night, and forming'a camp. At times I thought of the campaigns of my
old friend DantEt Boon, his strange adventures in these very woods, and
the extraordinary walk which he performed to save his fellow-creatures at
Fort Massacre from the scalping knives of the irritated Indians. Now
and then a racoon or opossum, causing the fallen leaves to rustle, made
me pause for a moment; and thus I was forcing my way, thinking on
many things dismal as well as pleasing, when the glimmer of a distant
fire suddenly roused me from my reveries, and inspired me with fresh
animation. As I approached it, I observed forms of different kinds moving
to and fro before it, like spectres; and ere long, bursts of laughter, shouts,
and songs apprised me of some merrymaking. I thought at first that I
had probably stumbled upon a camp-meeting; but I soon perceived that
the mirth proceeded from a band of sugar-makers. Every man, woman,
and child stared as I passed them, but all were friendly, and, without
more ceremony than was needful, I walked up to the fire, at which I
found two or three old women, with their husbands, attending to the
kettles. Their plain dresses of Kentucky homespun were far more pleasing
to my sight than the ribboned turbans of city dames, or the powdered
wigs and embroidered waistcoats of antique beaux. I was heartily wel-
comed, and supplied with a goodly pone of bread, a plate of molasses, and
some sweet potatoes.

Fatigued with my long ramble, I lay down under the lee of the smoke,
and soon fell into a sound sleep. When day returned, the frost lay thick
around ; but the party arose cheerful and invigorated, and after perform-
ing their orisons, resumed their labour. The scenery around was most
pleasing; the ground all round looked as if it had been cleared of under-

wood ; the maples, straight and tall, seemed as if planted in rows; be-

A MAPLE-SUGAR CAMP. 439

tween them meandered several rills, which gently murmured as they has-
tened toward the larger stream ; and as the sun dissolved the frozen dews,
the few feathered songsters joined the chorus of the woodsmen’s daugh-
ters. Whenever a burst of laughter suddenly echoed through the woods,
an Owl or Wild Turkey would respond to it, with a signal welcome to
the young men of the party. With large ladles the sugar-makers stirred
the thickening juice of the maple; pails of sap were collected from the
trees and brought in by the young people; while here and there some
sturdy fellow was seen first hacking a cut in a tree, and afterwards boring
with an auger a hole, into which he introduced a piece of hollow cane, by
which the sap was to be drained off. About half a dozen men had felled
a noble yellow poplar, and sawed its great trunk into many pieces, which,
after being split, they were scooping into troughs to be placed under the
cane-cocks, to receive the maple juice.

Now, good Reader, should you ever chance to travel through the
maple grounds that lie near the banks of that lovely stream the Green
River of Kentucky, either in January or in March, or through those on
the broader Monongahela in April; nay, should you find yourself by the
limpid streamlets that roll down the declivities of the Pocano “Mountains
to join the Lehigh, and there meet with a sugar-camp, take my advice
and tarry for a while. If you be on foot or on horseback, and are thirsty,
you can nowhere find a more wholesome or more agreeable beverage than
the juice of the maple. A man when in the Floridas may drink molasses
diffused in water; in Labrador he may drink what he can get; and at
New York or Philadelphia he may drink what he chooses; but in the
woods a draught from the sugar-maple is delicious and most refreshing.
How often, when travelling, have I quenched my thirst with the limpid
juice of the receiving troughs, from which I parted with regret; nay,
even my horse, I have thought, seemed to desire to linger as long as he
could.

But let me endeavour to describe to you the manner in which the su-
gar is obtained. The trees that yield it (Acer saccharinum) are found more
or less abundantly in all parts of the Union from Louisiana to Maine, grow-
ing on-elevated rich grounds. An incision is made into the trunk, at a height
of from two to six feet; a pipe of cane or of any other kind is thrust into
the aperture; a trough is placed beneath and receives the juice, which
trickles by drops, and is as limpid as the purest spring water. When all the
trees of a certain space have been tapped, and the troughs filled, the peo-

440 A MAPLE-SUGAR CAMP.

ple collect the juice, and pour it into large vessels. A camp has already
been pitched in the midst of a grove, several iron boilers have been fixed
on stone or brick supports, and the business proceeds with vigour. At times
several neighbouring families join, and enjoy the labour as if it were a past-
time, remaining out day and night for several weeks; for the troughs and
kettles must be attended to from the moment when they are first put in
requisition until the sugar is produced. The men and boys perform the
most laborious part of the business, but the women and girls are not less
busy.

It takes ten gallons of sap to produce a pound of fine-grained sugar ;
but an inferior kind in lumps, called cake-sugar, is obtained in greater
quantity. When the season is far advanced, the juice will no longer
grain by boiling, and only produces a syrup. I have seen maple sugar
so good, that some months after it was manufactured it resembled candy ;
and well do I remember the time when it was an article of commerce
throughout Kentucky, where, twenty-five or thirty years ago, it sold at
from 6} to 123 cents per pound, according to its quality, and was daily
purchased in the markets or stores.

Trees that have been thus bored rarely last many years; for the cuts
and perforations made in their trunks injure their health, so that after
some years of weeping they become sickly, exhibit monstrosities about
their lower parts, gradually decay, and at length die. I have no doubt,
however, that, with proper care, the same quantity of sap might be ob-
tained with less injury to the trees; and it is now fully time that the far-
mers and land-owners should begin to look to the preservation of their
sugar-maples.

( 441)

THE WHOOPING CRANE.

Grus AMERICANA, TEMM.

PLATE CCLXI. Youne.

THE specimen from which the figure in this plate was drawn, was that
mentioned at p. 209, as having been presented to me by Captain Crack.
It has already been described at p. 213. In this state, the Whooping
Crane has been considered as a distinct species, to which the name of
Brown or Canada Crane, Grus canadensis, has been given.

On referring to one of my journals, written on the Gulf of Mexico, I
find it stated that one of these birds came on board one dark night, and,
after passing the man at the helm, fell into the yawl hanging at the stern
of the ship, where in the morning it was discovered and secured. Al-
though to appearance in good health, it refused every kind of food, and
in a few days died. Knowing the great power of flight of this species, I
could only conjecture that some disease operating powerfully at the mo-

ment, had caused the bird to take refuge in the boat.

( 442 )

THE TROPIC BIRD.

PHAETON £ZTHEREUS, Linn.

PLATE CCLXII. Aputt MALE anv FEMALE.

Tue specimens from which the figures in the plate were taken, were
obtained on the Tortugas, in the summer of 1832, by my kind friend
Rozert Day, Esq. of the United States’ Revenue Cutter, the Marion.
They were shot out of a flock of eight or ten, and were in fine condition.
I have represented the Male and Female, in what I suppose to be their
full summer or breeding plumage ; . but not having had an opportunity of
studying the habits of this remarkable bird, I am unable to give any in-

formation respecting them.

PHAETON £THEREUS, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 219.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 893.
—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 409.
Troric Brrp, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 503.

Adult Male in summer. Plate CCLXII. Fig. 1.

Bill as long as the head, stout, very much compressed, slightly curved,
tapering, acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly arched, the
ridge narrow, but rounded, the sides sloping and slightly convex at the
base, nearly perpendicular towards the end, the edges sharp, irregularly
broken, the tip acute. Nasal groove short, near the ridge; nostrils linear,
very small. Lower mandible with the angle of moderate length, ex~
tremely narrow, the dorsal line straight and ascending, the sides erect and
slightly convex, the edges sharp but irregularly serrated, the tip very
acute.

Head rather large, ovate. Neck short and thick. Body rather full.
Feet very short; tibia bare for a considerable space; tarsus extremely
short, roundish, covered all round with small round scales ; toes rather
small, placed in the same place, and connected by reticulated webs; the
first toe very small, the third and fourth about equal, all scutellate above.
Claws small, arched, compressed, rather sharp, that of middle toe largest,
with an undulated thin inner edge.

Plumage soft, blended, on the back and wings rather compact. Wings

TROPIC BIRD. 443

long, acute ; primaries strong, tapering, the first longest, the rest rapidly
graduated ; secondaries very short, incurved, rounded, the inner longer.
Tail of twelve feathers, wedge-shaped, the two middle feathers extremely
elongated, narrow, and tapering.

Bill orange-red. Iris brown. Tarsi and base of toes yellow, the rest
and the webs black, as are the claws. The general colour of the plum-
age is pale pink, or white tinged with carmine, the two middle tail fea-
thers redder. A curved spot before the eye, and band behind it, black.
A band of the same colour extends across the wing from the flexure,
running narrow along the middle coverts, much enlarged on the inner
secondaries and their coverts, and including the extremities of the scapu-
lars. The outer webs, shafts, and a portion of the inner webs of the first
four primary quills, are also black, and there is a spot of the same on
some of the primary coverts. The shafts of the two middle tail feathers
are black, excepting towards the end; and some of the long hypochon-
drical feathers are greyish-black in the centre.

Length to end of tail 293 inches, to end of wings 16; to end of
claw 14; extent of wings 38; wing from flexure 11}; tail 193; bill
along the ridge 2, along the edge of lower mandible 23; tarsus 19;
middle toe 1,4, its claw 44. Weight 15 oz.

Adult Female. Plate CCLXII. Fig. 2.

The Female resembles the male, but is less tinged with red. The
bill is yellow, the iris and feet as in the male. The tail-feathers are also
less elongated.

Length to end of tail 26 inches, to end of wings 144, to end of claws
13; wing from flexure 11; tail 16; extent of wings 34; bill along the
ridge 33, along the edge of lower mandible 21; tarsus 42; middle toe
1,4, its claw #4. Weight 12 oz.

( 444 )

THE CURLEW SANDPIPER.

TRINGA SUBARQUATA, TEMM.

PLATE CCLXIII. Anpvutt anp Youne.

In the course of my extensive rambles along our coasts and in the in-
terior, I have seen only three birds of this species, all of which I have
kept with care, considering the Cape Sandpiper or Pigmy Curlew as the
rarest of its genus with us. It appears to resort to particular districts ;
two of my birds were shot at Great Egg Harbour in New Jersey, in the
spring of 1829, the other on Long Island near Sandy Hook.. No other
birds were near them, and I approached them without much difficulty.
They were wading along the shores up to the knees, picking up floating
garbage and sand worms. In their stomachs I found fragments of mi-
nute shells, slender red worms, and bits of marine plants. The one
killed on Long Island was a fine male in full plumage, and from it I
made the figure that has been engraved in the plate. ‘The others were
females or young birds of the preceding year. One, in plain plumage,
was drawn; the other, mottled beneath with patches of white and dull
rufous, I considered as a female which might perhaps have perfected its
colouring that season. I have seen a few specimens in New York, and
two in Boston; and my friend Joun Bacuman has one or two in his

possession.

Trivea suBARQUATA, Temm. Man. d’Ornith. part ii. p. 609.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis
of Birds of the United States, p. 317.
NumMEntvs arricanus Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. 712.

Care CurRLEW or SanppiPER, Nuttall, Manual, p. 104.

Adult Male. Plate CCLXIII. Fig. 1.

Bill longer than the head, slender, subcylindrical, flexible, very slight-
ly decurved, compressed at the base, the point obtuse. Upper mandible
with the dorsal line at first slightly sloping, then nearly straight, and to-
wards the end slightly decurved, the ridge convex but narrow, the sides
sloping, the edges rather blunt and soft. Nasal groove extending to near
the tip; nostrils basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle
long and very narrow, the dorsal line straight, the sides nearly erect, with

a long narrow groove, the tip tapering but rounded.

CURLEW SANDPIPER. - 445

Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Eyes of moderate size.
Neck of moderate length, rather slender. Body rather slender. Feet
rather long, slender ; tibia bare about a third of its length; tarsus com-
pressed, anteriorly and posteriorly covered with numerous scutella ; hind
toe very small; the rest of moderate length, slender, the fourth a little
longer than the second, the third longest, all free, scutellate above, flat
beneath, slightly marginate; claws small, slightly arched, compressed,
acute, that of third toe largest, with the inner edge slightly dilated.

Plumage very soft, blended beneath, slightly distinct above. Wings
long and pointed ; primaries tapering, obtuse, the first longest, the second
scarcely shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; outer secondaries short, in-
curved, obliquely truncate, the inner web extending beyond the outer ;
the inner secondaries elongated, tapering. ‘Tail rather short, slightly
rounded, of twelve rounded feathers, the two middle a little longer,

Bill dark olive-green, dusky towards the point. Iris hazel. Feet
light olive, claws dusky. ‘The head, neck and breast, are bright yellowish-
red, the sides whitish, the lower tail-coverts white, with a brownish-black
spot towards the end. The central parts of the feathers on the upper
part of the head are dark brown, and there are slight streaks of the same
on the hind neck and sides of the breast. The upper parts are mottled
with brownish-black and dull red, the rump pale brownish-grey, as are
the smaller wing-coverts. Quills greyish-brown, the primaries dark, the
outer secondaries light and tipped with white, the inner darker and glossed
with green. Upper tail-coverts white, spotted with brown and red ; tail
pale brownish grey, glossed with green.

Length to end of tail 8? inches, to end of wings 9,4; extent of wings
16; wing from flexure 5; tail 2345 bill along the back 13, along the
edge of lower mandible 1;% ; bare parts of tibia}; tarsus 1;, middle toe

1, its claw 7%. Weight 22 oz.

Adult Female, Plate CCLXIII. Young in autumn.

The bill, iris, and feet as in the adult. On the upper parts the fea-
thers are brown, edged with darker, and margined with greyish yellow ;
the lore, cheeks and sides of the neck and body are greyish-yellow, with
dusky lines, a broad band from the mandible over the eye, the fore part
of the neck, and the rest of the lower parts, white. Quills and tail as in
the adult, but lighter.

Length to end of tail 7? inches; extent of wings 143. Weight 12 oz,

( 446 )

THE FULMAR PETREL.
PROCELLARIA GLACIALIS, Linn.

PLATE CCLXIV. Mate.

TuovucH not a large bird, the Fulmar is possessed of considerable
strength, and has a powerful and sustained flight. In autumn and win-
ter it is seen on our eastern coasts, from which it retires early in summer,
to betake itself to the northern retreats in which it rears its young. I
have never seen it farther south than Long Island, but I have often found
it on the banks of Newfoundland, and in the space intervening between
them and our shores. From the beginning of September to that of May
it may be said to be pretty common, especially around the banks, to which
the cod-fishers resort, and where it feeds chiefly on the rejected garbage.

One calm day in August, when on a voyage from England to New York,
of which I have already spoken when describing the Forked-tailed Petrel,
I procured several Fulmars. They came up and alighted near the boat,
whenever we threw any thing overboard, and did not seem to be in the
least alarmed by the report of a gun. In one instance I shot one on the
water, when it was so near that I could distinctly see the colour of its eye.
A great number of them were swimming in small detached flocks of eight
or ten, their colour at a distance appearing as if pure white, and con-
trasting beautifully with the dark blue of the sea. They floated very
buoyantly, some swimming about with great ease, others to appearance
sound asleep. Most of them had the wing and tail feathers ragged, and
some were much soiled with greasy matter, which gave them an unplea-
sant appearance. Those which were caught, on being wounded, emitted
quantities of oily matter by their nostrils, and disgorged much of the
same substance; but did not attempt to bite, which seemed strange in
birds having the bill so powerful and hooked. They fly with less grace
than the Shearwaters, proceeding in a direct line, and at a small height,
towards the objects on which they feed.

I was much disappointed at not finding the Fulmar along the rocky
shores of Labrador, where I had expected to meet with it, as it is regu-
larly observed in spring moving northward in files opposite the entrance
of the Straits of Belle Isle. Its passage towards the Arctic Regions has

FULMAR PETREL. 447

been observed by Captain Sasine on the coast of Greenland. ‘ Whilst
the ships,” he says, ‘‘ were detained by the ice in Jacob’s Bay, in latitude
71°, from the 24th of June to the 3d of July, Fulmars were passing in a
continual stream to the northward, in numbers inferior only to the flight
of the Passenger Pigeon in America.” While on my way to Labrador,
I was told that they bred on the Seal Islands off the entrance of the Bay
of Fundy. The egg, which is of a regular ovate form, with a smooth
brittle pure white shell, measures two inches and seven-eighths in length,
by two inches in breadth.

My much esteemed friend Mr Setsy, in his Illustrations of British
Ornithology, gives the following account of this species. “The steep and
rocky St Kilda, one of the western islands of Scotland, is the only locality
within the British dominions annually resorted to by the Fulmar, the rest
of the Scottish and our more southern coasts being rarely visited even by
stragglers. Upon St Kilda these birds are found in vast numbers during
the spring and summer months, breeding in the caverns and holes of the
rocks; and, from the various uses to which the down, feathers, and oil of
the young are applied, contribute essentially to the comfort of the inhabi-
tants. They lay but one egg each, white, and of a large size, with a shell
of very brittle texture. The young are hatched about the middle of June,
and are fed with oi thrown up by the parents (the produce of the food
upon which they subsist), and, as soon as fledged, are eagerly sought for
by the natives, although often at the risk of life, in scaling the tremendous
and overhanging cliffs in which they nestle. Like most of the group,
these birds have the power of ejecting oil with much force through their
tubular nostrils, which is used as the principal mode of defence; it be-
comes an essential point, therefore, that they should be taken and killed
by surprise, in order to prevent the loss of a liquid so requisite for the
comfort of the inhabitants, by supplying them with the necessary fuel for
their Jamps. The Fulmar is of voracious appetite, feeding upon all sorts
_ of animal substance, particularly of an oily nature, such as the blubber of
whales, seals, &c.; and for this purpose it follows in great numbers the
track of the whale vessels, and is so greedy of its favourite food, as to be
often seen alighting upon the wounded animal, when not quite dead, and
immediately proceeding to break the skin with its strong hooked bill, and
gorging itself with the blubber to repletion.”

The Rev. Mr Scorxssy, in his “ Arctic Regions,” vol. i. p. 528, gives
the following account of its habits as observed by him in the polar seas.

448 FULMAR PETREL.

“The Fulmar is the constant companion of the whale-fisher. It joins
his ship immediately on passing the Shetland Islands, and accompanies it
through the trackless ocean to the highest accessible latitudes. It keeps
an eager watch for any thing thrown overboard ; the smallest particle of
fatty substance can scarcely escape it. As such, a hook baited with a
piece of fat meat or blubber, and towed by a long twine over the ship’s
stern, is a means employed by the sailor boys for taking them. In the
spring of the year, before they have glutted themselves too frequently
with the fat of the whale, they may be eaten; and when cleared of the
skin, and of every particle of yellow fatty substance lying beneath it, and
well soaked in water, they are pretty good, particularly in ‘ sea pies.’
They are remarkably easy and swift on the wing. They can fly to wind-
ward in the highest storms, and rest on the water with great composure
in the most tremendous seas. But it is observed that, in heavy gales,
they fly extremely low, generally skimming along by the surface of the
water. The Fulmar walks awkwardly, and with the legs so bent that the
feet almost touch the belly. When on ice it rests with its body on the
surface, and presents its breast to the wind. Like the Duck, it sometimes
turns its head backward, and conceals its bill beneath its wing.

«* Fulmars are extremely greedy of the fat of the whale. Though few
should be seen when a whale is about being captured, yet, as soon as the
flensing process commences, they rush in from all quarters, and frequent-
ly accumulate to many thousands in number. They then occupy the
greasy track of the ship ; and being audaciously greedy, fearlessly advance
within a few yards of the men employed in cutting up the whale. If, in-
deed, the fragments of fat do not float sufficiently away, they approach so
near the scene of operations, that they are knocked down with boat hooks
in great numbers, and sometimes taken up by the hand. The sea im-
mediately about the ship’s stern, is sometimes so completely covered with
them, that a stone can scarcely be thrown overboard, without striking one
of them. When any thing is thus cast among them, those nearest the
spot where it falls take the alarm, and these exciting some fear in others
more remote, sometimes put a thousand of them in motion ; but as, in
rising into the air, they assist their wings, for the first few yards, by
striking the water with their feet, there is produced by such a number of
them, a loud and most singular splashing. It is highly amusing to ob-
serve the voracity with which they seize the pieces of fat that fall in their

way ; the size and quantity of the pieces they take at a meal ; the curious

FULMAR PETREL. 449

chuckling noise which in their anxiety for dispatch they always make ;
and the jealousy with which they view, and the boldness with which
they attack, any of this species that are engaged in devouring the finest
morsels. They frequently glut themselves so. completely, that they are
unable to fly ; in which case, when they are not relieved by a quantity
being disgorged, they endeavour to get on the nearest piece of ice, where
they rest until the advancement of digestion restores their wonted powers.
Then, if opportunity admit, they return with the same gust to the ban-
quet as before; and though numbers of the species may be killed, and
allowed to float about among them, they appear unconscious of danger to
themselves.

“© The Fulmar never dives, but when incited to it by the appearance
of a morsel of fat under water. When in close view of any men, it keeps
a continual watch both on the men and its prey; having its feet con-
tinually in motion, and yet perhaps not moving at all through the water.
Its boldness increases with the numbers of its species that surround it.
It is a very hardy bird. Its feathers being thick it is not easily killed with
ablow. Its bite, from the crookedness, strength, and sharpness of its bill,
is very severe.

«¢ When carrion is scarce, the Fulmars follow the living whale; and
sometimes, by their peculiar motions, when hovering at the surface of the
water, point out to the fisher the position of the animal of which he is in
pursuit. They cannot make much impression on the dead whale, until
some more powerful animal tears away the skin; the epidermis and rete
mucosum they entirely remove, but the true skin is too tough for them

to make way through it.”

ProcEetraria GLaciaLis, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 213,—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii.
p- 823.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 369.
Fouimar Perret, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 330.

Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCLXIV.

Bill shorter than the head, robust, straight, slightly compressed, the
tip curved. Upper mandible with the nostrils on the ridge, separated
only by a thin partition, covered by an elevated horny case, and open-
ing directly forwards, the sides convex, and separated by a groove from
the nasal plate, as well as from the unguis, which is remarkably strong,

VOL. III. f KF f

450 FULMAR PETREL.

curved and acute, the edges sharp, inflected, and slightly curved. Lower
mandible with the angle long, rather wide, acute, the sides erect but con-
vex, the edges sharp and inflected, the very short dorsal line ascending
and slightly concave, the edges decurved at the end.

Head rather large, ovate. Neck rather short. Body full. Feet of
moderate length, stout ; tibia bare for a short space below ; tarsus a little
compressed, rather sharp before, covered all round with reticular scales,
of which those on the anterior and posterior ridges are much smaller.
Hind toe a slight prominence, with a conical obtuse claw ; the fore toes
long, slender, scutellate above, connected by striated entire webs, the
fourth a little longer than the third, the second not much shorter. Claws
rather small, arched, compressed, rather acute, that of third toe with an
inner thin edge.

Plumage free, close, elastic, blended ; on the back and wings the fea-
thers rather distinct. Wings long; primary quills rather broad, taper-
ing, acuminate, the first longest, the rest graduated ; secondary broad and
rounded. ‘Tail rather short, slightly rounded, of twelve broad, rounded
feathers.

Bill, iris, and feet yellow, the latter tinged with green. The head,
neck and lower parts, are pure white; the back and wings light greyish-
blue, the rump paler, the tail bluish-white ; the primary quills and their
coverts blackish-brown.

Length to end of tail 163 inches, to end of wings 173, to end of claws
1135 extent of wings 80; wing from flexure 13; tail 44; bill along the
back 119, along the edge of lower mandible 2,%, ; tarsus 2; outer toe 15%,
its claw #4. Weight 1 Ib. 4 oz.

The Female is similar to the Male.

( 451 )

THE BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER.
TRINGA RUFESCENS, VIEILL.

PLATE CCLXV. Mate anv FEmMAte.

Ir is a curious fact that although this beautiful bird is by no means
rare, at particular periods, along the shores of our Eastern Districts, it
remained unknown to Witson, Bonaparte, and, until found in England
by Mr Yarre tt, to myself. It was first discovered by Vir1LLoT in
Louisiana, where, however, I never met with it. My friend Nurratt,
who has also described it, states that it is often seen near Boston, in
company with the Pectoral Sandpiper, and is not uncommon in the
market there. To my friend Mr Yarreut I am indebted for the use
of his specimen, from which I made the figure in the act of starting on
wing. The other figure was taken from an American specimen, pro-
cured at Boston, and now in my possession. I regret, however, that I can
say nothing respecting the habits or haunts of this bird, farther than
that having seen a wing of it in the possession of my friend Captain
James Crakk Ross, I think it probable that it breeds near the Arctic
circle, as he received a wing from the sailors, who had found it in the
course of one of the numerous inland excursions in the desolate regions

from which these intrepid navigators have recently returned.

Trinca RUFESCENS, LE Trinca roussaTRE, Vieill. Nouv. Dict. d’Hist. Nat.—
Yarrell, in Linn. Trans. vol. xvi. p. 109. pl. 11.

BuFF-BReaSTED Trinca, TRINGA RUFESCENS, Selby, Ilustr. vol. ii. p. 142. pl. 27.
fig. 4.

Burr-BREASTED SANDPIPER, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 113.

Adult Male. Plate CCLXV. Fig. 1.

Bill about the length of the head, slender, subcylindrical, very slightly
decurved, compressed at the base, the point rather depressed and obtuse.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line very slightly decurved towards the
end, the ridge convex, the sides sloping, the edges rather blunt and soft.
Nasal groove extending to near the tip, nostrils basal, linear, pervious.

Lower mandible with the angle long and very narrow, the dorsal line

nf 2

452 BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER.

straight, the sides sloping outwards, with a long narrow groove, the tip 2
little broader, but tapering.

Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Eyes rather large.
Neck of moderate length. Body rather slender. Feet rather long,
slender; tibia bare a third part of its length; tarsus compressed, an-
teriorly and posteriorly with numerous small scutella ; hind toe very
small; the rest of moderate length, slender, the fourth slightly longer
than the second, the third longest ; all free, scutellate above, flat beneath,
slightly marginate; claws rather small, slightly arched, compressed, ra-
ther obtuse, that of the third toe much larger, with the inner edge di-
lated.

Plumage very soft, blended on the lower parts, the feathers rather
distinct above. Wings very long, pointed ; primaries tapering, obtuse,
the first longest, the second almost equal, the rest rapidly graduated ;
outer secondaries slightly incurved, narrow, very obliquely sinuate on
the outer web towards the end, the inner web rounded, and extending
beyond the outer ; inner secondaries very narrow, tapering, acute, reach-
ing, when the wing is closed, to within half an inch, of its tip. Tail
of moderate length, nearly even, with the two middle feathers exceed-
ing the rest, and having the shaft projecting, of twelve narrow, rounded
feathers.

Bill dull olive-green, dusky towards the point. Iris hasel. Feet dull
yellowish-green, claws dusky. The general colour of the upper parts is
greyish-yellow, each feather blackish-brown in the centre; wing-coverts —
lighter ; quills and their coverts light greyish-brown, greenish-black at
the end, but with a whitish tip, the inner webs whitish in the greater _
part of their breadth, and beautifully dotted with black in undulating
lines ; the inner secondaries like the feathers of the back. The two middle
tail-feathers greyish-brown, dark-brown glossed with green at the end, and
slightly margined and tipped with white, the rest gradually paler to the
outer, margined and tipped with white, within which are two lines of
blackish-brown. Sides of the head, fore neck, and sides light yellowish-
red, the throat paler, the sides of the neck and body spotted with brown-
ish-black ; the rest of the lower parts paler and unspotted. The lower
wing-coverts are white, those near the edge of the wing black in the centre,
the primary coverts dotted with black, and having a spot of the same near

the end.

BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER. 453

Length to end of tail 8 inches, to end of wings 8,4, ; extent of wings
18; wing from flexure 53; tail 214; bill along the ridge }$4, along the
edge of lower mandible 1; bare part of tibia 74; tarsus 1y4, middle toe

i$, its claw $4. Weight 24 oz.

Adult Female. Plate CCLXV. Fig. 2.

The Female is somewhat larger than the male, which it resembles in
colour, but has the lower parts paler, and the feathers of the upper parts
of a lighter brown, with an inner margin of brownish-black and an outer

of greyish-yellow.

( 454)

THE OPOSSUM.

Tuts singular animal is found more or less abundant in most parts of
the Southern, Western, and Middle States of the Union. It is the Didel-
phis virginiana of Pennant, Haran, and other authors who have given
some account of its habits; but as none of them, so far as I know, have
illustrated its propensity to dissimulate, and as I have had opportunities
of observing its manners, I trust that a few particulars of its biography
will prove amusing.

The opossum is fond of secluding itself during the day, although it by
no means confines its predatory rangings to the night. Like many other
quadrupeds which feed principally on flesh, it is also both frugivorous and
herbivorous, and, when very hard pressed by hunger, it seizes various
kinds of insects and reptiles. Its gait, while travelling, and at a time
when it supposes itself unobserved, is altogether ambling: in other words,
it, like a young foal, moves the two legs of one side forward at once.
The Newfoundland dog manifests a similar propensity. Having a con-
stitution as hardy as that of the most northern animals, it stands the coldest
weather, and does not hybernate, although its covering of fur and hair
may be said to be comparatively scanty even during winter. The defect,
however, seems to be compensated by a skin of considerable thickness, and
a general subcutaneous layer of fat. Its movements are usually rather
slow, and as it walks or ambles along, its curious prehensile tail is carried
just above the ground, its rounded ears are directed forward, and at al-
most every step its pointed nose is applied to the objects beneath it in
order to discover what sort of creatures may have crossed its path. Me-
thinks I see one at this moment slowly and cautiously trudging over the
melting snows by the side of an unfrequented pond, nosing as it goes for
the fare its ravenous appetite prefers. Now it has come upon the fresh
track of a grouse or hare, and it raises its snout and snuffs the keen air.
At length it has decided on its course, and it speeds onward at the rate of
a man’s ordinary walk. It stops and seems at a loss in what direction to
go, for the object of its pursuit has either taken a considerable leap, or
has cut backwards before the opossum entered its track. It raises itself up,
stands for a while on its hind feet, looks around, snuffs the air again, and

then proceeds ; but now, at the foot of a noble tree, it comes to a full

THE OPOSSUM. 455

stand. It walks round the base of the huge trunk, over the snow-covered
roots, and among them finds an aperture, which it at once enters. Seve-
ral minutes elapse, when it re-appears, dragging along a squirrel already
deprived of life, with which in its mouth it begins to ascend the tree.
Slowly it climbs. The first fork does not seem to suit it, for perhaps it
thinks it might there be too openly exposed to the view of some wily foe,
and so it proceeds, until it gains a cluster of branches intertwined with
grape-vines, and there composing itself, it twists its tail round one of the
twigs, and with its sharp teeth demolishes the unlucky squirrel, which it
holds all the while with its fore paws.

The pleasant days of spring have arrived, and the trees vigorously
shoot forth their buds ; but the opossum is almost bare, and seems nearly
exhausted by hunger. It visits the margins of creeks, and is pleased to
see the young frogs, which afford it a tolerable repast. Gradually the
poke-berry and the nettle shoot up, and on their tender and juicy stems
it gladly feeds. The matin calls of the Wild Turkey Cock delight the
ear of the cunning creature, for it well knows that it will soon hear the
female, and trace her to her nest, when it will suck the eggs with delight.
Travelling through the woods, perhaps on the ground, perhaps aloft, from
tree to tree, it hears a cock crow, and its heart swells as it remembers the
savoury food on which it regaled itself last summer in the neighbouring
farm-yard. With great care, however, it advances, and at last conceals
itself in the very hen-house.

Honest farmer! why did you kill so many crows last winter? aye,
and ravens too? Well, you have had your own way of it; but now hie
to the village and procure a store of ammunition, clean your rusty gun,
set your traps, and teach your lazy curs to watch the opossum. There
it comes! The sun is scarcely down, but the appetite of the prowler is
keen ; hear the screams of one of your best chickens that has been seized
by him! The cunning beast is off with it, and nothing now can be done,
unless you stand there to watch the fox or the owl, now exulting in the
thought that you have killed their enemy and your own friend, the poor
crow. That precious hen under which you last week placed a dozen eggs
or so, is now deprived of them. The opossum, notwithstanding her angry
outcries and rufflings of feathers, has removed them one by one; and now,
look at the poor bird as she moves across your yard ; if not mad, she is at
least stupid, for she scratches here and there, calling to her chickens all

the while. All this comes from your shooting crows. Had you been

456 THE OPOSSUM.

more merciful or more prudent, the opossum might have been kept with-
in the woods, where it would have been satisfied with a squirrel, a young
hare, the eggs of a Turkey, or the grapes that so profusely adorn the
boughs of our forest trees. But I talk to you in vain.

There cannot be a better exemplification of maternal tenderness than
the female oppossum. Just peep into that curious sack in which the
young are concealed, each attached to a teat. The kind mother not only
nourishes them with care, but preserves them from their enemies; she
moves with them as the shark does with its progeny, and now, aloft on
the tulip tree, she hides among the thick foliage. By the end of two
months they begin to shift for themselves ; each has been taught its par-
ticular lesson, and must now practise it.

But suppose the farmer has surprised an Opossum in the act of kill-
ing one of his best fowls. His angry feelings urge him to kick the poor
beast, which, conscious of its inability to resist, rolls off like a ball. The
more the farmer rages, the more reluctant is the animal to manifest re-
sentment ; at last there it lies, not dead, but exhausted, its jaws open, its
tongue extended, its eye dimmed ; and there it would lie until the bottle-
fly should come to deposit its eggs, did not its tormentor at length walk
off. ‘ Surely,” says he to himself, “ the beast must be dead.” But no,
reader, it is only “ *possuming,” and no sooner has its enemy withdrawn,
than it gradually gets on its legs, and once more makes for the woods.

Once, while descending the Mississippi, in a sluggish flat-bottomed
boat, expressly for the purpose of studying those objects of nature more
nearly connected with my favourite pursuits, I chanced to meet with two
well-grown Opossums, and brought them alive to the “ ark.”. The poor
things were placed on the roof or deck, and were immediately assailed by
the crew, when, following their natural instinct, they lay as if quite dead.
An experiment was suggested, and both were thrown overboard. On
striking the water, and for a few moments after, neither evinced the least
disposition to move ; but finding their situation desperate, they began to
swim towards our uncouth rudder, which was formed of a long slender
tree, extending from the middle of the boat thirty feet beyond its stern.
They both got upon it, were taken up, and afterwards let loose in their
native woods. °

In the year 1829, I was in a portion of Lower Louisiana, where the
Opossum abounds at all seasons, and having been asked by the President

and the Secretary of the Zoological Society of London, to forward live

THE OPOSSUM. 457

animals of this species to them, I offered a price a little above the com-
mon, and soon found myself plentifully supplied, twenty-five having been
brought to me. I found them excessively voracious, and not less coward-
ly. They were put into a large box, with a great quantity of food, and
conveyed to a steamer bound for New Orleans. Two days afterwards, I
went to the city, to see about sending them off to Europe; but, to my
surprise, I found that the old males had destroyed the younger ones,
and eaten off their heads, and that only sixteen remained alive. A sepa-
rate box was purchased for each, and some time after they reached my
friends the Ratuzones of Liverpool, who, with their usual attention,
sent them off to London, where, on my return, I saw a good number of
them in the Zoological Gardens.

This animal is fond of grapes, of which a species now bears its name.
Persimons are greedily eaten by it, and in severe weather I have ob-
served it eating lichens. Fowls of every kind, and quadrupeds less
powerful than itself, are also its habitual prey.

The flesh of the Opossum resembles that of a young pig, and would
perhaps be as highly prized, were it not for the prejudice generally en-
tertained against it. Some “ very particular” persons, to my knowledge,
have pronounced it excellent eating. After cleaning its body, suspend
it for a whole week in the frosty air, for it is not eaten in summer ; then
place it on a heap of hot wood embers; sprinkle it when cooked with
gunpowder ; and now tell me, good reader, does it not equal the famed
Canvas-back Duck? Should you visit any of our markets, you may see
it there in company with the best game.

( 458 ) ;

THE COMMON CORMORANT.

PHALACROCORAX CARBO, Dumont.

PLATE CCLXVI. Mate, Fematre, anp Younc.

Loox at the birds before you, and mark the affectionate glance of the
mother, as she stands beside her beloved younglings! I wish you could
have witnessed the actions of such groups as I did while in Labrador.
Methinks I still see the high rolling billows of the St Lawrence breaking
in foaming masses against the huge cliffs, on the shelves of which the
Cormorant places its nest. I lie flat on the edge of the precipice some
hundred feet above the turbulent waters, and now crawling along with all
care, I find myself only a few yards above the spot on which the parent
bird and her young are fondling each other, quite unconscious of my
being near. How delighted I am to witness their affectionate gratula-
tions, hear their lisping notes, mark the tremulous motions of their ex-
panded. throats, and the curious vacillations of their heads and necks !
The kind mother gently caresses each alternately with her bill: the little
ones draw nearer to her, and, as if anxious to evince their gratitude, rub
their heads against hers. How pleasing all this is tome! But at this
moment the mother accidentally looks upward, her keen eye has met mine,
she utters a croak, spreads her sable wings, and in terror launches into
the air, leaving her brood at my mercy. Far and near, above and be.
neath me, the anxious parent passes and repasses; her flight is now un-
natural, and she seems crippled, for she would fain perform those actions
in the air, which other birds perform on the ground or on the water, in such
distressing moments of anxiety for the fate of their beloved young. Her
many neighbours, all as suspicious as herself, well understand the mean-
ing of her mode of flight, and one after another take to wing, so that the
air is in a manner blackened with them. Some fly far over the waters,
others glide along the face of the bold rock, but none that have observed
me realight, and how many of those there are I am pretty certain, as the
greater number follow in the track of the one most concerned. Mean-
while the little ones, in their great alarm, have crawled into a recess, and

there they are huddled together. I have witnessed their pleasures and

COMMON CORMORANT. 459

their terrors, and now, crawling backwards, I leave them to resume their
ordinary state of peaceful security.

It was on the 3d of July 1833, about iene in the morning, that I
had the pleasure of witnessing the scene described above. I was aware
before that a colony of Cormorants had nestled on the ledges of the great
rocky wall that separated our harbour of Whapatiguan from the waters
of the Gulf of St Lawrence. A strong gale had ruffled the sea, and the
waves dashed with extreme violence against the rocks, to which circum-
stance, I believe, was owing my having remained a while unseen and
unheard so near the birds, which were not more than four or five yards
below me. ‘The mother fondled and nursed her young with all possible
tenderness, disgorged some food into the mouth of each, and coaxed them
with her bill and wings. ‘The little ones seemed very happy, billed with
their mother, and caressed her about the breast. When the parent bird
flew off on observing me, the young seemed quite frightened, squatted at
once on their broad nest, and then crawled with the aid of their bills un-
til they reached a recess where they remained concealed.

On another occasion, my young friends Lincotwn and Coo.eper,
along with my son, went to the same rocks, for the purpose of bringing
me a nest and some of the young Cormorants. They reported that, in
one instance, they surprised the parent birds close beneath them, appa-
rently asleep, resting on their rumps in an upright position, with the head
thrust under the wing, and that, had they had a noose attached to their
poles, they might ee secured at least one of them, but that after a few
minutes one drew out her head, stretched her neck, and after looking
around flew off croaking, so as to alarm all her neighbours.

We saw no nests of this species placed in any other situations than
‘the highest shelves of the precipitous rocks fronting the water and having
a southern exposure. No other Cormorants bred on the spots of which
this kind had taken possession; but Ravens and Peregrine Falcons were
observed to have nests on the same rocks, and in some instances close to
them. ‘The nests were formed of a quantity of small dry sticks, matted
in a rude manner with a large quantity of weeds and moss, to a thickness
of four or five inches in new nests, and in others to that of a foot or more ;
for we observed that this species, as well as the Double-crested and the
Florida Cormorants, repair and enlarge their tenements each season, and
return to the same rocks many years in succession, as was shewn by their

places of resort remaining whitewashed with excrements through the win-

460 COMMON CORMORANT.

ter, in which condition we saw them previous to the arrival of the birds
that season. The nests varied in breadth according to the space on which
they were placed ; where there was ample room, they measured at the
base from thirty to thirty-six inches in diameter ; others were scarcely
large enough to hold the young, which nevertheless seemed as contented
as their neighbours. On some shelves, eight or ten yards in extent, the
nests were crowded together; but more usually they were placed apart
on every secure place without any order; none, however, were below a
certain height on the rocks, nor were there any on the summit. The nests
being covered with tilth, were offensive to the eye, and still more so to the
nose. The eggs, three or four in number, more frequently the former,
average two inches and five-eighths in length, by one inch and three quar-
ters in breadth, the shell of a uniform pale bluish-green colour, mostly
coated over with calcareous matter.

The young are at first of a dark purplish livid colour, and have a
very uncouth appearance, their legs and feet seeming enormous. In less
than a fortnight they become covered on all the upper parts with brown-
ish-black down, but the abdomen remains bare much longer than the
rest. They increase rapidly in size, and are fledged in six or seven
weeks. Some that were weighed when about a month old, averaged three
pounds, and others almost able to fly six pounds, the young of this spe-
cies, as of most water birds, being much heavier than the parent at
the time of leaving the nest. We procured several of different sizes,
which we kept on the deck. Whenever a person approached them,
they raised their heads, stretched their necks, and opened their bills,
so as to expand the skin of the throat, which they made to vibrate,
while they uttered a sort of hissing mutter of a very strange character,
but resembling that of the young of the Brown Pelican. They crawled
sluggishly about, aiding themselves in their progress with their bills, and
at all times looked extremely clumsy. They took food very readily, ate
a prodigious quantity, certainly more than their own weight each day,
and appeared always ready to receive more. When thrown overboard,
they swam off under water, like the old birds, with considerable speed,
moving their unfledged wings all the while. Some would not rise for
twenty or thirty yards, but few went farther under water than that dis-
tance, and they were soon fatigued. On one occasion, some half-grown
young birds threw themselves from their nest, or were pushed off by their

parents while in the agonies of death, they having been shot at. As they

COMMON CORMORANT. 461

passed quickly downwards through the air, they moved their wings with
great rapidity, and the instant they reached the water they disappeared
beneath the surface.

This Cormorant swims at times with astonishing speed, keeping it-
self deeply immersed. Now and then, should it apprehend danger, it
sinks so far as to shew only the head and neck, in the manner of the
Anhinga. When searching for food in clear shallow water, they fre-
quently swim with the rump rather elevated, and the head under, in
the manner of the Shoveller Duck on such occasions, as if they were
looking for prey on the bottom; but I never observed them act thus
when the depth of water exceeded a few vards. They secure their prey
by diving and pursuing it under water, with the wings partially ex-
tended and employed as paddles, while the tail directs their course, and
checks or accelerates their speed. I have observed this in the Florida
Cormorant, as well as in the present species. I never saw one while fly-
ing plunge after its prey; but I have repeatedly seen them drop from
a rock headlong into the sea when shot at for the purpose of observing
their actions.

Cormorants, Pelicans, Ducks, and other water birds of various kinds,
are, like land birds, at times infested with insects which lodge near the roots
of their feathers ; and to clear themselves of this vermin, they beat up the
water about them by flapping their wings, their feathers being all the while
ruffled up, and rub or scratch themselves with their feet and claws, much
in the same manner as Turkeys and most land birds act, when scattering
up the dry warm earth or sand over them. The water birds after thus clean-
sing themselves remove, if perchers, and able to fly, to the branches of trees,
spread out their wings and tail in the sun, and after a while dress their
plumage. Those which are not perchers, or whose wings are too wet,
swim to the shores, or to such banks or rocks as are above water, and
there perform the same process. The Florida Cormorant is especially
addicted to this practice, and dives and plumes itself several times in the
day. The Double-crested and the present species, which inhabit colder
regions, seem to be satisfied with less frequent trimming, and go through
the operation only once a-day, at the warmest period. I never observed
any of these birds in their natural free state perform these actions in rainy
or even cloudy weather, but have frequently seen Cormorants in a state
of captivity do so on small artificial ponds, such as those of the London

Zoological Gardens.

462 COMMON CORMORANT.

When they have landed after cleansing themselves by washing, they
usually extend their wings, and flap them for a while, in the manner of
young birds of any kind when trying the strength of their wings before
leaving the nest. They are extremely regular in returning to the same
places to roost, at the approach of night, when hundreds appear to con-
gregate on their way there, as they pass over the different fishing grounds.
Those that have no broods, spend the night apart from the rest, standing
nearly erect in files on the most elevated shelves, to which they ascend in
the manner of some Hawks, when about to perch on any elevated spot. In
winter, however, I observed some near Boston roosting singly, and im-
mediately over their fishing places, which are usually the eddies under the
projecting points of rocky islands. They are shy and wary at all periods ;
but when congregated in the day, it is almost impossible to approach
them while fishing, for they dive and return to the surface one after ano-
ther, so that one or more are constantly on the watch, and act as sentinels.
It is in general quite useless to pursue one that has been wounded.

The flight of this species is strong, swift, and remarkably sustained.
They usually fly in long strings, now and then forming angles, at a mo-
derate elevation in the air. When on the rocks, they stand erect on their
rump, with the neck gracefully curved, and resting between the shoulders.
You may see them in hundreds, when they look like a crowd of black
dominoes. If alarmed, they extend their neck to its full length, and move
their head sideways to observe your motions ; and if you approach them,
they gradually raise and extend their wings, elevate the tail, incline the
body forwards, and fly off in silence.

All our Cormorants feed principally on fish of various kinds. When
they have seized one that is too large to be swallowed entire, they carry
it to the shore, or to the branch of a tree, and there thrash and tear it to
pieces. Some fishes which they have swallowed evidently incommode
them, and on such occasions I have sometimes seen them shake their heads
with great violence, and disgorge the fish, or pass it downwards into the
stomach. The young ones which we kept several weeks at Labrador,
performed both actions, but generally the first. All the species are ex-
pert at tossing up a fish inconveniently caught, a foot or so above their
head, and receiving it in their extended gullet, in the same manner as the
Frigate Pelican, of which an account will be given in the present vo-
lume. Some which I have observed in a domesticated state, were so ex-

pert at receiving a fish thrown to them from the distance of several yards,

COMMON CORMORANT. 463

by a sudden and precise movement of the neck and head, as seldom to
miss one in a dozen. ,

The courtship of this species is so similar to that of the Florida Cormo-
rant, that I consider it unnecessary to describe it, as I should merely repeat
what has been said with respect to that species. I have seen them act in
the same manner, both on the shelves on which the nests were placed, and
on the water. They begin to lay about the first of June, on the islands
near the Bay of Fundy, about a fortnight later in Labrador ; and it is
my opinion that the younger birds spend their breeding season in the
former places.

The Common Cormorant walks in a waddling and awkward manner,
but at a good pace, and leaps from one stone to another, assisting itself
with its wings, and occasionally with the tail, which acts as a kind of
spring. I am unable to say at what age this species attains the full dress
of the love season, but it cannot be in less than three years, as some which
I have known to have been kept in a state of constant captivity, did not
shew the white patch on the thigh, nor the slender white feathers around
the head and part of the neck, until the middle of May, in the fifth year.
That the younger birds of this and other Cormorants, breed before they
have acquired the full beauty of their plumage, is a fact which I have
had many opportunities of ascertaining. The Common Cormorant is
found breeding, both near the entrance of the Bay of Fundy, and along
the coast of Labrador, in flocks of fifty or more pairs, of which not an
individual shews any white unless on the sides of the head, and along the
throat, but much duller on these parts than even in the female repre-
sented in the plate, which was yet what may be termed an immature bird.
No differences appear in the garb of the sexes, in their different states of
plumage, and perfect specimens of both are equally beautiful in the breed-
ing season, being then similar to the male of which I have endeavoured
to present a good portrait. I have observed a greater difference in size
between individuals of this species, than those of any other.

The white markings observed on the old birds of this species, durmg
the period of courtship, incubation, and rearing of the young until they
are able to fly, and which extends to two months and a half, begin to
disappear from the moment incubation has fairly begun, and at the time
when the young leave the nest scarcely any remain, unless on the sides
of the head. In autumn and winter the feathers of the head are similar

to those of the neck, and the plumage in general has lost much of its ver-

464 COMMON CORMORANT.

nal and xstival beauty. The entire crest also falls off in autumn. The
white markings and the crest are renewed in the wild state about the end
of February ; but in birds kept in domestication rarely before May.
The young do not exhibit the crest until the second spring, at which
period, being yet destitute of white markings on the head and thighs,
they might readily be mistaken for a different species, by a person unac-
quainted with their habits.

The singular fact that the young of the three species of Cormorant
described in this volume, have open nostrils until they are nearly half-
grown, may surprise you as much as it surprised me. Having observed
it in many individuals, I preserved one in spirits, and of it you will find
a description beneath.

The Common Cormorant is rarely seen farther south than the extreme
limits of Maryland; but fron: Cheasapeake Bay eastward, it becomes
more plentiful ; and in severe winters, I have seen it exposed for sale in
the New York market. They are abundant in winter around the islands
of the Bay of Boston, and on the coasts of Massachusetts and Maine,
where most of them remain during autumn, winter, and the early part of
spring, as well as on the Bay of Fundy and along the shores of Nova
Scotia. I am unable to say how far north they go beyond Labrador, to
breed, or what may be the limits of their range on the St Lawrence in
autumn. I have never seen one on a tree, or on fresh water. The flesh
of this species is dark, tough, and fishy, its eggs also do not furnish

agreeable food, and it is seldom that either are eaten, even by epicures.

Perecanus Carpo, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 216.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 886.
Puaracrocorax Caro, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 402.
Cormorant, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 479.

Adult Male in March. Plate CCLXVI. Fig. 1.

Bill about the length of the head, rather slender, somewhat compress-
ed, straight, with the tip curved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line
sloping and slightly concave, at the tip decurved, its ridge broad and
rounded, and separated from the sides by a narrow groove, the sides erect,
irregularly scaly, convex, the edges sharp and straight as far as the unguis,
at the base a distinct horny plate, the unguis strong, convex above, in-
curved, acute. No external nostrils when full-grown. Lower mandible

with the angle long and very narrow towards the end, filled by an exten-

COMMON CORMORANT. 465

sible membrane, which extends a short way down the throat, its short dorsal
line a little convex, then concave, the sides scaly, erect, and slightly convex,
the edges sharp and inflected, the tip compressed and obliquely truncate.

Head rather large, oblong, narrowed before. Neck long and stout.
Body rather full, depressed. Feet short, stout, placed far behind ; tibia
feathered in its whole length ; tarsus very short, strong, much compress-
ed, covered all round with scales, of which the outer are subhexagonal.
the inner transversely elongated, the posterior very small and roundish.
Toes all placed in the same plane, and connected by reticulated webs, co-
vered above with very numerous oblique scutella ; first toe smallest, fourth
longest. Claws strong, curved, compressed, acute, that of the third toe
pectinated on its inner edge.

Plumage of the head, neck, lower parts, and posterior portion of the
back, glossy, blended, and silky ; of the fore part of the back and wings
compact, the feathers with loose glossy margins. The middle feathers of
the occiput and hind neck are elongated, and those of the head and up-
per neck are intermixed with numerous linear feathers of a different colour,
and erectile at will. Space around the eye, and to a large extent along
the base of the bill, together with the small gular sac, bare. Wings ra-
ther small; primaries very strong, curved, rather narrow, tapering and
obtuse, third longest, second almost as long, first little shorter ; secon-
daries decurved, broad, broadly rounded, the inner broad and shorter.
Tail small, much rounded, of fourteen narrow, rounded feathers, having
extremely long shafts.

Upper mandible greyish-black, along the edges yellowish-white ; lower
_ yellowish-white at the base, dusky towards the end. Iris light bluish-
green, margins of eyelids dusky. Bare space about the eye dull olive,
below it bright red, the gular sac yellow. Feet and claws greyish-black.
All the silky part of the plumage is black, glossed with deep greenish-
blue; at the base of the gular sac is a broad gorgelet of white, and the
linear interspersed feathers over the head and upper neck are white, there
is also a large parcel of elongated white feathers on the side over the
thigh. The feathers of the wings and part of the back are dull bluish-grey
glossed with bronze, their fringe-like margins greenish-black. Primary
quills greyish-black, secondary like the other feathers of the wing. ‘Tail
greyish-black. The shafts of all the feathers are black at the end, leaden-
grey towards the base.

Length to end of tail 37 inches, to end of claws 36; to end of wings

VOL. III. Gg

466 COMMON CORMORANT.

32: extent of wings 62; wing from flexure 14; tail 6}; bill along the
ridge 3,5, along the edge of lower mandible 47%; tarsus 24; outer toe
3,7, its claw $3. Weight 73 tb.

Female in July. Plate CCLXVI. Fig. 2.

he Female when old is similar to the male. In the state here re-
presented, the plumage in general is similar, but the white feathers of
the head and thighs are wanting. The bill, eyes and feet are coloured as
in the male, as are the bare parts about the base of the Dill, only the
part under the eye which is bright red in the male, is bright yellow im
the female,

Young Birds unfledged. Plate CCLXVI. Fig. 3, 4.

The inside of the mouth and the gular sac flesh-coloured ; the bill
dusky, at*the base flesh-coloured ; the eyes bluish grey. The general co-
lour of their skin is dull livid ; the feet purplish-dusky, the webs yellow-

ish-brown.

The following is a description of the smaller individual represented in
the plate, and which was about two weeks old. The length is twelve
inches and a half; the colour dull livid, the abdomen and breast lighter,
the forehead, gular sac, and bases of the mandibles, flesh-colour tinged -
with yellow, as is the mouth. The head and upper part of the neck are
bare, as well as the lower surface of the wings. Over the rest of the body
are small down tufts rising in regular series, excepting along an impressed
line extending from the anterior part of the thorax to the anus. The
apertures of the ears are round, extremely small, being only half a twelfth
in diameter; the eyes very small, the iris grey. The aperture of the
posterior nares is linear-lanceolate, smooth on the edges, half an inch long.
A probe introduced into it passes readily out by the nostril, which is basal,
linear, small, two-twelfths long, placed at the commencement of the long
groove which separates the sides from the ridge of the mandible, and co-
vered above by the skin, so as to be not readily observed, although it is
easily dilatable. Each internal nostril is oblique, much wider below, and.
has on its inner side a transverse soft ridge, which divides it into two ca-
vities, the posterior deep and funnel-shaped, passing backwards and up-
wards, the anterior becoming narrower towards the external aperture.

The tongue is extremely small, four-twelfths long, elliptical, with a cen-_

COMMON CORMORANT. 467

tral ridge. 'The cesophagus is extremely dilatable, and as far as the mid-
dle of the neck is of larger diameter than below, but it again dilates as it
enters the stomach. Its length is five inches and a half. The inner coat
is smooth in its dilated part, but in the rest is raised into numerous lon-
gitudinal ridges or folds, which at the lower part are undulated. The
stomach is oblong, four and a half inches long, quite membranous, and
without apparent central tendons. The gastric glands are disposed so as
to occupy two spaces, the one three and a half inches by two, the other a
little smaller. The inner coat is soft and without wrinkles. The in-
testine is five feet two inches long, at its upper part three-twelfths in
diameter, gradually diminishing to one-twelfth. At the distance of two
inches from the anus are two cceca, three-twelfths long, one-twelfth in
diameter, and rounded. The contents of the stomach were fragments of
fish, with numerous bones, and a pebble about half an inch in diameter.
The heart triangular, much flattened. The liver of two very unequal
lobes, the right one two inches and a half long, the other one and a half.
The specimen, which I had preserved in spirits, was examined in my pre-
sence by my friend Mr Macerttivray. Whether the fact of the anterior
aperture of the organ of smell being open in the young Cormorant has been
observed by any other person than myself, I know not; but it would seem
that the general opinion is, that Cormorants have no external nares in any
stage, and although some state that in the adult they exist, and are ex-
tremely small, others allege that there are none at all.

A young female, shot in the end of October, on being carefully ex-
amined, was found to present the following characters.

The length to the end of the tail was 36 inches, to the end of the
wings 293, to the end of the outer toe 343; the extent of the wings 55 ;
the weight 5 Ib. 103 oz.

Bill along the ridge and unguis black, the sides brownish-grey ; the
lower mandible brownish-grey, dusky on the sides at the middle, the bare
skin at the base yellow, as is the gular sac. Upper part of the head and
hind neck brownish-black ; the back greenish-black, its fore part, the sca-
pulars and the wing-coverts brownish-grey, the feathers edged with green-
ish-black, and an outer margin of brownish-white, most conspicuous on
the secondary coverts ; the quills brownish-black, the secondaries tinged
with grey on the outer edge; the tail greyish-black, the shafts greyish-
blue. Upper part of the throat brownish-white; the rest of the neck
greyish-white, mixed with brown; the breast and abdomen white, the

6 g2

468 COMMON CORMORANT.

sides greenish-black ; the lower surface of the wings dusky ; the lower
tail-coverts greyish-brown, the feathers before them brownish-black. The
feet greyish-black ; the inner edge of the middle claws very slightly pec-
tinated. The foot, when stretched to its full extent, measures, from the
tip of the first to that of the fourth claw, 5}9 inches.

The tongue is oblong, carinate above, 7z long, 7 broad. The pala-
tal slit or aperture of the posterior nares is linear, 1;% long, with a soft
flap on each side. The mouth is 1,% wide; the bill 31 along the back,
4 along the edge of lower mandible. The aperture of the ear is circular,
only half a line in diameter.

On blowing into the posterior nares no air passes. The internal ca-
vities are separated by a longitudinal membranous dissepiment ; each ca-
vity is transversely divided by a membranous partition, but neither of the
chambers thus formed has any external communication by the mandible.
The lachrymal duct, which is wide, passes obliquely forward and down-
ward into the anterior cavity. On gradually slicing the horny covering
of the mandible over the place where the nostril ought to be, its position
is found clearly defined, there being a slight discontinuity of the bone at
that part; but on cutting farther all traces disappear, the original aper-
ture being closed by ossification. .

The aperture of the glottis has thick prominent rounded edges, which
unite behind and terminate in three knobs, and there is a small transverse
flap on each side behind.

The heart is triangular, depressed, obtuse, 23 inches long, its greatest
breadth 1,4. The liver has two very unequal lobes, the right 5 inches,
the left 3 inches long; the former 23 broad, the latter 13. The gall-bladder
is 21 long, 74 in diameter, rounded, but not much enlarged at the ex-
tremity.

The cesophagus is 224 inches long; at its upper part when dilated
upwards of two inches wide, extremely thin, its circular fibres distinct.
It is contracted in the whole length of the thorax, where its smallest dia-
meter is 3°, the largest $$; but this part, which in the ordinary state has
its inner coat folded into numerous longitudinal wrinkles, is capable of
being dilated so as to present a diameter of more than 3 inches, when the
internal rugze disappears. The proventriculus seems at first to form part
of the stomach ; its walls are extremely thick and studded with glandules,
disposed in two circular patches, which are separated by a space of about

yz of aninch. The stomach properly so called is very small; its mus-

COMMON CORMORANT. 469

cular coat thin, but with two distinct tendons. It is of an oblong form,
compressed, and at its upper parts has a rounded lobe, from which the in-
testine comes off. The inner coat is thick, soft, and rugous. The pylorus
has a circular marginal rim. The intestine, which is 8 feet long, is at its up-
per part 23 in diameter, towards the cceca 23. The rectum is 7 inches long,
its diameter for 41 inches is ;4; the cloaca globular, 2;’z in diameter; the
coeeca yz long. The cystic duct enters one inch below the hepatic ; between
them enters one of the pancreatic ducts, the other 2 inches farther up.
The distance from the pylorus to the hepatic duct is 163 inches.

The lungs extend to the kidneys. The ovules exceedingly small and
numerous. In the"proventriculus and lower part of the cesophagus were
many small ascarides. The contents of the stomach were a few bones
of fishes.

Although I have not actually observed that Cormorants have the
power of disgorging such substances as they are unable to digest, I should
‘not be surprised to find this to be the case, when their habits are investi-

gated in a state of domestication.

( 470 ) -

THE ARCTIC JAGER.

LESTRIS PARASITICUS, Bote.

PLATE CCLXVII. Mare anp FEMALE.

Dvrine winter this indefatigable teaser of the smaller Gulls often
ranges along our southern coasts as far as the Mexican Gulf, where I
have seen it, as well as opposite the shores of the Floridas; but I never
met with a single individual in summer, even in the most northern parts,
although I had expected to find it breeding on the coasts of Labrador
and Newfoundland. Few birds surpass it in power or length of flight.
It generally passes through the air at a height of fifty or sixty yards,
flying in an easy manner, ranging over the broad bays, on which Gulls
of various kinds are engaged in procuring their food. No sooner has it
observed that one of them has secured a fish, than it immediately flies to-
ward it and gives chase. It is almost impossible for the Gull to escape,
for the warrior with repeated jerkings of his firm pinions sweeps towards
it, with the rapidity of a Peregrine Falcon pouncing on a Duck. Each
cut and turn of the Gull only irritates him the more and whets his keen
appetite, until by two or three sudden dashes, he forces it to disgorge the
food it had so lately swallowed. This done, the poor Gull may go in
search of more; the Lestris is now for a while contented, and alights on
the water to feed at leisure. But soon, perceiving a distant flock of
Gulls, he rises on wing and speeds towards them. Renewing his at-
tacks, he now obtains an abundant supply, and at length, when quite
gorged, searches for a place on which to alight, unseen by any other of his
tribe more powerful than himself. When on wing, its beautiful long
tail-feathers seem at times to afford this bird great assistance in execut-
ing short sudden turns, which have often brought to my mind the mo-
tions of a greyhound while pursuing a hare. By sudden lashings of its
tail, it can instantly turn, or arrest its flight. When it is on the water,
it keeps that part upright, but when on a rock or a floating piece of tim-
ber, it allows it to fall in a graceful manner.

Although usually seen single, or at most in pairs, during the winter,
I observed this species in April, on my voyage to the Florida Keys, in

‘ flocks of from ten to fifteen, congregated as if for the purpose of return-

ARCTIC JAGER. 471

ing to the northern regions, where it is said to breed in groups. Mr
SEzy, in treating of this bird, says “‘ It breeds upon several of the
Orkney and Shetland Isles, and is gregarious during that period ; and
the situations selected for nidification are the unfrequented heaths at some
distance from the shores. The nest is composed of dry grass and mosses,
and its two eggs are of a dark oil-green, with irregular blotches of liver-
brown. At this season the bird is very courageous, and, like the Com-
ion Skua, attacks every intruder upon the limits of its territory, by
pouncing and striking at the head with its bill and wings. It also occa-
sionally endeavours to divert attention by feigning accidental lameness.”
Having received eggs of this bird from individuals who had collected
them, I may add that they are broadly rounded at the larger end, rather
pointed at the smaller, have a smooth shell, and average two inches four-
twelfths in length, by one inch and four and a half eighths in breadth.

M. Tremminck, in his Manuel d’Ornithologie, describes the young
when about to leave the nest as follows: ‘“* Top of the head of a deep
grey ; sides and upper part of the neck of a light grey, sprinkled with
longitudinal brown spots; a black spot before the eyes; lower part of
the neck, back, scapulars, small and large wing-coverts, umber-brown,
each feather bordered with yellowish-brown, and often with reddish ;
lower parts irregularly variegated with deep brown and yellowish-brown
on a whitish ground; tail-coverts and abdomen transversely barred ;
quills of the wings and tail blackish, white at their base and on the inner
barbs, all terminated with white; the two outer shafts white; tail only
rounded ; base of the bill yellowish-green, black towards the point; tarsi
bluish-grey ; base of the toes and membranes’ white, the rest black, hind
claw often white.”

- In middle age, he says, “ all the upper parts are greyish-brown with-
out spots; lower parts of a somewhat lighter tint, and also unspotted ;
inner base of the quills and only the upper parts of the tail-feathers pure
white, the rest blackish-brown ; the two elongated tail-feathers gradually
diminish in breadth towards the extremity, which ends in a very attenu-
ated point ; bill and feet as in the old individuals.”

Captain James Crarx Ross has informed me by letter, that this spe-
cies was seen in great numbers during his late voyage towards the Arctic
circle; that the Pomarine Lestris was less abundant, and Ricuarpson’s

very rare.

472 ARCTIC JAGER.

Lestnris Burronu, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 364.

Lestris PARASITICA, ARCTIC JAGER, Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii.
p- 430.

Arctic JaGER, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 317.

Adult Male. Plate CCLXVII. Fig. 1. é

Bill about the length of the head, rather slender, straight, the tip,
curved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, toward the end
curved, the ridge broad and convex, the sides separated from the ridge
by a narrow groove, extremely narrow and convex, the edges sharp and
inflected, the tip compressed, rather obtuse. Nostrils in the fore part of
the nasal groove, nearer the tip than the base, submarginal, pervious,
linear, oblong, wider anteriorly. Lower mandible with the angle long
and narrow, a slight prominence at its extremity, beyond which the dor-
sal line is straight and ascending, the sides sloping outwards and convex,
the edges sharp and inflected, the tip obliquely truncate and rather ob-
tuse.

Head rather small, oblong, much narrowed before. Neck of moderate
length. Body rather slender. Feet rather short and of moderate strength ;
tibia bare at its lower part ; tarsus anteriorly covered with broad decurved
scutella, on the sides with oblong scales, behind with smaller oblong pro-
minent scales; hind toe extremely small and elevated, the fore toes of
moderate size, connected by reticulated webs, which have their margins
convex ; the third toe longest, the fourth not much shorter, all covered
above with numerous scutella, the lateral ones margined externally with
small prominent scales directed forwards. Claws of moderate size, curved,
acute, compressed, that of third toe with a sharp inner edge.

The plumage in general is close, elastic, soft, and blended ; the fea-
thers on the back and wings rather compact and distinct. Wings very
long, rather broad, pointed; primary quills tapering and rounded, the
first longest, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondary rather short, round-
ed. Tail feathers of moderate length excepting the two middle, which are
extremely elongated and gradually attenuated, the rest broad and round-
ed, there being twelve in all.

Bill greyish-black, the upper part bluish. Iris brown. Feet black,
but with the greater part of the tarsus yellow. The neck and lower parts

are white, the former tinged with yellow ; upper and fore part of head

ARCTIC JAGER. 473

with the space before the cheeks blackish-brown ; the lower part of the
hind neck and all the upper parts blackish-grey, the primary quills and
tail-feathers brownish-black, the shafts of the former white.

Length to end of tail 23 inches, to end of wings 15; extent of wings
45 ; wing from flexure 12; tail 12; bill along the back 14, along the
edge of lower mandible 12; tarsus 1;% ; middle toe 144, its claw #5.

Adult Female. Plate CCLXVII. Fig. 2.
The Female resembles the male, but the middle tail-feathers are about
three inches shorter.

( 474 )

THE AMERICAN WOODCOCK.

SCOLOPAX MINOR, GMEL.

PLATE CCLXVIII. Mate, Femare, anp Youne.

Tuere is a kind of innocent simplicity in our Woodcock, which has
often excited in me a deep feeling of anxiety, when I witnessed the rude
and unmerciful attempts of mischievous boys, on meeting a mother bird
in vain attempting to preserve her dear brood from their savage grasp.
She scarcely limps, nor does she often flutter along the ground, on such
occasions ; but with half extended wings, inclining her head to one side,
and uttering a soft murmur, she moves to and fro, urging her young to
hasten towards some secure spot beyond the reach of their enemies. Re-
gardless of her own danger, she would to all appearance gladly suffer
herself to be seized, could she be assured that by such a sacrifice she
might ensure the safety of her brood. On an occasion of this kind, I saw
a female Woodcock lay herself down on the middle of a road, as if she
were dead, while her little ones, five in number, were endeavouring on
feeble legs to escape from a pack of naughty boys, who had already
caught one of them, and were kicking it over the dust in barbarous sport.
The mother might have shared the same fate, had I not happened to is-
sue from the thicket, and interpose in her behalf.

The American Woodcock, although allied to our Common Snipe,
Scolopax Wilsonii, differs essentially from it in its habits, even more than
in form. The former is amuch gentler bird than the latter, and although
both see at night, the Woodcock is more nocturnal than the Snipe. The
latter often, without provocation or apparent object, migrates or takes
long and elevated flights during the day ; but the Woodcock rarely takes
flight at this time, unless forced to do so to elude its enemies, and even
then removes only to a short distance. When rambling unconcernedly,
it rarely passes high above the tree tops, or is seen before the dusk or
after the morning twilight, when it flies rather low, generally through
the woods; and its travels are altogether performed under night. The
largeness of its eyes, as compared with those of the Snipe, might of itself
enable one to form such a conclusion; but there is moreover a difference

in the habits of the Woodcock and Snipe, which I have been surprised at

AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 475

not finding mentioned by Witson, who certainly was an acute observer.
It is that the Woodcock, although a prober of the mire, frequently alights
in the interior of extensive forests, where little moisture can be seen, for
the purpose of turning up the dead leaves with its bill, in search of
food beneath them, in the manner of the Passenger Pigeon, various
Grakles, and other birds. This the Snipe, I believe, has never been ob-
served todo. Indeed, although the latter at times alights on the borders
of pools or streams overhung by trees, it never flies through the woods.

The American Woodcock, which in New Brunswick is named the
Bog-sucker, is found dispersed in abundance during winter, over the
southern parts of the Union, and now and then, in warm and sequestered
places, even in the Middle Districts. Its stay in any portion of the coun-
try at this period, seems to depend altogether on the state of the weather.
In the Carolinas, or even in Lower Louisiana, after a night of severe frost,
I have found their number greatly diminished in places where they had
been observed to be plentiful the day before. The limits of its northern
migrations at the commencement of the breeding season, are yet unascer-
tained. When in Newfoundland I was assured that it breeds there; but
I met with none either in that country or in Labrador, although it is not
rare in the British Provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia during
summer. From the beginning of March until late in October, this bird
may be found in every district of the Union that affords places suited to
its habits; and its numbers, I am persuaded, are much greater than is
usually supposed. As it feeds by night, it is rarely met with by day, un-
less by a sportsman or gunner, who may be engaged in pursuing it for
pleasure or profit. It is, however, killed in almost incredible numbers,
from the beginning of July until late in winter, in different parts of the
Union, and our markets are amply supplied with it during its season.
You may at times see gunners returning from their sports with a load of
Woodcocks, composed of several dozens ; nay, adepts in the sport have
been known to kill upwards of a hundred in the course of a day, being
assisted by relays of dogs, and perhaps a change of guns. In Lower
Louisiana, they are slaughtered under night by men carrying lighted
torches, which so surprise the poor things that they stand gazing on the
light until knocked dead with a pole or cane. This, however, takes place
only on the sugar and cotton plantations.

At the time when the Woodcocks are travelling from the south to-

wards all parts of the United States, on their way to their breeding places,

476 AMERICAN WOODCOCK.

these birds, although they migrate singly, follow each other with such
rapidity, that they might be said to arrive in flocks, the one coming di-
rectly in the wake of the other. This is particularly observable by a
person standing on the eastern banks of the Mississippi or the Ohio, in
the evening dusk, from the middle of March to that of April, when al-
most every instant there whizzes past him a Woodcock, with a velocity
equalling that of our swiftest birds. See them flying across and low over
the broad stream ; the sound produced by the action of their wings
reaches your ear as they approach, and gradually dies away after they
have passed and again entered the woods. While travelling with my
family, in the month of October, through New Brunswick and the
northern part of the State of Maine, I saw the Woodcocks returning
southward in equal numbers late in the evenings, and in the same con-
tinuous manner, within a few yards or even feet of the ground, on the
roads or through the woods.

This species finds itself accommodated in the warmer parts of the
United States, as well as in high northern latitudes, during the breeding
season: it is well known to reproduce in the neighbourhood of Savannah
in Georgia, and near Charleston in South Carolina. My friend Joun
Bacuman has known thirty young ones, not yet fully fledged, to have
been killed in the vicinity of the latter place in one day. I have never
found its nest in Louisiana, but I have frequently fallen in with it in the
States from Mississippi to Kentucky, in which latter country it breeds
abundantly. In the Middle Districts, the Woodcock begins to pair in
the end of March ; in the southern a month earlier. At this season,
its curious spiral gyrations, while ascending or descending along a space
of fifty or more yards of height, in the manner described in the article
of the Snipe, when it utters a note different from the cry of that bird,
and somewhat resembling the word kwauk, are performed every eve-
ning and morning for nearly a fortnight. While on the ground, at
this season as well as in autumn, the male not unfrequently repeats this
sound, as if he were calling to others in his neighbourhood, and on hear-
ing it answered, immediately flies to meet the other bird, which in the
same manner advances toward him. On observing the Woodcock while
in the act of emitting these notes, you would imagine he exerted himself
to the utmost to produce them, its head and bill being inclined towards
the ground, and a strong forward movement of the body taking place at

the moment the kwauk reaches your ear. This over, the bird jerks its

AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 477

half-spread tail, then erects itself, and stands as if listening for a few mo-
ments, when, if the cry is not answered, it repeats it. I feel pretty con-
fident that, in spring, the female, attracted by these sounds, flies to the
male ; for on several occasions I observed the bird that had uttered the
call immediately caress the one that had just arrived, and which I knew
from its greater size to be a female. I am not, however, quite certain
that this is always the case, for on other occasions I have seen a male fly
off and alight near another, when they would immediately begin to fight,
tugging at and pushing each other with their bills, in the most curious
manner imaginable.

The nest, which is formed of dried leaves and grass, without much
apparent care, is usually placed in some secluded part of the woods, at
the foot of some bush, or by the side of a fallen trunk. In one instance,
near Camden, in New Jersey, I found one in a small swamp, on the upper
part of a log, the lower portion of which was covered with water to the
height of several inches. The eggs, which are laid from February to the
first of June, according to the latitude of the place selected, are usually
four, although I have not very unfrequently found five in a nest. They
average one inch and five and a half-eighths in length, by one inch and
an eighth in breadth, are smooth, of a dull yellowish clay colour, varying
in depth, and irregularly but pretty thickly marked with patches of dark
brown, and others of a purple tint.

The young run about as soon as they emerge from the shell. To my
astonishment, I once met with three of them on the border of a sand-bar
on the Ohio, without their parent, and to all appearance not more than
half a day old. I concealed myself near them for about half an hour,
during which time the little things continued to totter about the edge of the
water, as if their mother had gone that way. During the time I remain-
ed I did not see the old bird, and what became of them I know not. The
young birds are at first covered with down of a dull yellowish-brown co-
lour, then become streaked with deeper umber tints, and gradually acquire
the colours of the old. At the age of from three to four weeks, although
not fully fledged, they are able to fly and escape from their enemies, and
when they are six weeks old, it requires nearly as much skill to shoot
them on wing as if they were much older. At this age they are called
stupid by most people; and, in fact, being themselves innocent, and not
yet having had much experience, they are not sufficiently aware of the

danger that may threaten them, when a two-legged monster, armed with

478 AMERICAN WOODCOCK.

a gun, makes his appearance. But, Reader, observe an old cock on such
occasions : there he lies, snugly squatted beneath the broad leaves of that
“‘ sconk cabbage” or dock. I see its large dark eye meeting my glance ;
the bird shrinks as it were within its usual size, and, in a crouching atti-
tude, it shifts with short steps to the other side. The nose of the faithful
pointer marks the spot, but unless you are well acquainted with the ways
of Woodcocks, it has every chance of escaping from you both, for at this
moment it runs off through the grass, reaches a clump of bushes, crosses it,
and, taking to wing from a place toward which neither you nor your dog
have been looking, you become flustered, take a bad aim, and lose your shot.

Thousands of persons besides you and myself are fond of Woodcock
shooting. It is a healthful but at times laborious sport. You well know
the places where the birds are to be found under any circumstances; you
are aware that, if the weather has been for some time dry, you must resort
to the damp meadows that border the Schuylkil, or some similar places ;
that should it be sultry, the covered swamps are the spots which you ought
to visit; but if it be still lowering after continued rain, the southern sides
of gentle hills will be found preferable; that if the ground is covered
with snow, the oozy places visited by the Snipe are as much resorted to
by the Woodcock ; that after long frost, the covered thickets along some
meandering stream are the places of their retreat; and you are aware
that, at all times, it is better for you to have a dog of any kind than
to go without a dog at all. Well, you have started a bird, which with
easy flaps flies before you in such a way that-if you miss it, your com-
panion certainly will not. Should he, however, prove as unsuccessful
as yourself, you may put up the bird once, twice, or thrice in succession,
for it will either alight in some clump of low trees close by, or plunge
into a boggy part of the marsh. As you advance towards him, you
may chance to put up half a score more, and stwpid though you should
be, you must be a bad shot indeed if you do not bring some one of
them to the ground. Aye, you have done it, and are improving at the
sport, and you may be assured that the killing of Woodcocks requires
more practice than almost anyother kind of shooting. The young sports-
man shoots too quick, or does not shoot at all, in both which cases the
game is much better pleased than you are yourself. But when once you
have acquired the necessary coolness and dexterity, you may fire, charge
and fire again from morning till night, and go on thus duting the whole

of the Woodcock season.

AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 479

Now and then, the American Woodcock, after being pursued for a
considerable time, throws itself into the centre of large miry places, where
it is very difficult for either man or dog to approach it ; and indeed if
you succeed, it will not rise unless you almost tread upon it. In such
cases I have seen dogs point at them, when they were only a few inches
distant, and after several minutes seize upon them. When in clear woods,
such as pine barrens, the Woodcock on being put up flies at times to a
considerable distance, and then performs a circuit and alights not far
from you. It is extremely attached to particular spots, to which it re-
turns after being disturbed.

Its flight is performed by constant rather rapid beats of the wings,
and while migrating it passes along with great speed. I am inclined to
think its flight is greatly protracted, on account of the early periods at
which it reaches Maine and New Brunswick :—I may be wrong, but I
am of opinion that at such times it flies faster than our little Partridge.
In proceeding, it inclines irregularly to the right and left at the end of
every few yards; but when it has been put up after having settled for a
while, it rises as if not caring about you, and at a slow pace goes a few
yards and alights again, runs a few steps and squats to await your depart-
ure. It is less addicted to wading through the water than the Snipe,
and never searches for food in salt marshes or brackish places. Rivulets
that run through thickets, and of which the margins are muddy or com-
posed of oozy ground, are mostly preferred by it; but, as I have already
said, its place of abode depends upon the state of the weather and the de-
gree of temperature.

The food of the Woodcock consists principally of large earth-worms,
of which it swallows as many in the course of a night as would equal its
own weight ; but its power of digestion is as great as that of the Herons,
and it is not very often that on opening one you find entire worms in its
stomach. It obtains its food by perforating the damp earth or mire, and
also by turning the dead leaves in the woods, and picking up the worms
that lie beneath them. In captivity, Woodcocks very soon accustom

‘themselves to feed on moistened corn meal, bits of cheese, and vermicelli
soaked in water. Ihave seen some that became so gentle as to allow their
owner to caress them with the hand. On watching several individuals
probing mud in which a number of earthworms had been introduced, in
a tub placed in a room partially darkened, I observed the birds plunge

their bills up to the nostrils, but never deeper ; and from the motion of

480 AMERICAN WOODCOCK.

the parts at the base of the mandibles, I concluded that the bird has the
power of working their extremities so as to produce a kind of vacuum,
which enables it to seize the worm at one end, and suck it into its throat
before it withdraws its bill, as do Curlews and Godwits. The quickness
of their sight on such occasions was put to the test by uncovering a cat
placed in the corner of the room, at the same height above the floor as
the surface of the mud which filled the tub, when instantly the Woodcock
would draw out its bill, jerk up its tail, spread it out, leap upon the floor,
and run off to the opposite corner. At other times, when the cat was
placed beneath the level of the bird, by the whole height of the tub, which
was rather more than a foot, the same result took place ; and I concluded
that the elevated position of this bird’s eye was probably intended to
enable it to see its enemies at a considerable distance, and watch their
approach, while it is in the act of probing, and not to protect that organ
from the mire, as the Woodcock is always extremely clean, and never
shews any earth adhering to the feathers about its mouth.

How comfortable it is when fatigued and covered with mud, your
clothes drenched with wet, and your stomach aching for food, you arrive
at home with a bag of Woodcocks, and meet the kind smiles of those you
love best, and which are a thousand times more delightful to your eye,
than the savoury flesh of the most delicate of birds can be to your palate.
When you have shifted your clothes, and know that on the little round
table already spread, you will ere long see a dish of game, which will
both remove your hunger and augment the pleasure of your family ; when
you are seated in the midst of the little group, and now see some one
neatly arrayed introduce the mess, so white, so tender, and so beautifully
surrounded by savoury juice; when a jug of sparkling Newark cider
stands nigh; and you, without knife or fork, quarter a Woodcock, ah
Reader !—But alas! I am not in the Jerseys just now, in the company of
my generous friend Epwarp Harris; nor am I under the hospitable -
roof of my equally esteemed friend Joun BacuMan. No, Reader, I am
in Edinburgh, wielding my iron pen, without any expectation of Wood-

cocks for my dinner, either to-day or to-morrow, or indeed for some

months to come.

AMERICAN WOODCOCK. 481

Scoropax MINOR, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 661.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 714.
—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 331.
Woopcocx, ScoLopax minor, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vi. p. 40. pl. 48. fig. 2.

Lesser Woopcock, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 194.

Adult Male. Plate CCLXVIII. Fig. 1.

Bill double the length of the head, straight, slender, tapering, sub
trigonal and deeper than broad at the base, slightly depressed towards the
end. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge narrow,
towards the end flattened, the sides nearly erect, sloping outward towards
the soft obtuse edges, the tip blunt, knob-like, and longer than that of
the lower mandible. Nostrils basal, lateral, linear, very small. Lower
mandible broader than the upper, the angle very long and narrow, the
dorsal line straight, the back broadly rounded, the sides marked with a
broad groove, sloping inwards at the base, outwards towards the end,
the edges soft and obtuse, the tip rounded.

Head rather large, oblong, narrowed anteriorly ; eyes large, and placed
high. Neck short and thick. Body rather full. Feet rather short ;
tibia feathered to the jot; tarsus rather short, compressed, anteriorly
covered with numerous scutella, laterally and behind with subhexagonal
scales, and having a row of small scutelliform scales along the outer side
behind. Toes free, slender, the first very small, the second slightly
shorter than the fourth, the third much longer and exceeding the tarsus
in length ; all scutellate above, marginate, flattish beneath. Claws very
small, arched, acute, that of hind toe extremely small, of middle toe with
a thin inner edge.

Plumage very soft, elastic, blended ; of the fore part of the head very
short, of the neck full. Wings short, rounded; the fourth and fifth
quills about equal and longest, the first three extraordinarily attenuated,
being in fact sublinear, narrower beyond the middle, the inner web slight-
ly enlarged towards the end, the first as long as the seventh; secondaries
broad, the outer a little incurved and rounded, the inner tapering and
elongated. Tail very short, wedge-shaped, of twelve narrow feathers,
which taper towards the rounded point.

Bill light yellowish-brown, dusky towards the end. Inis brown.
Feet flesh coloured ; claws brownish-black. The forehead is yellowish-
grey, with a few dark mottlings in the centre; on the upper part of the
head are two broad blackish brown transverse bands, and on the occiput

VOL. III. : Hh

482 AMERICAN WOODCOCK.

two narrower, separated by bands of light red; a brownish-black loral
band, and a narrow irregular line of the same across the cheek and con-
tinued to the occiput. The upper parts are variegated with brownish-
black, light yellowish-red, and ash-grey ; there are three broad longitudi-
nal bands of the first colour, barred with the second, down the back, se-
parated by two of the last. The inner wing-coverts and secondary quills
are similarly barred ; the outer pale greyish-red, faintly barred with dusky.
The quills are greyish-brown, tipped with dull grey, the secondaries spot-
ted on the outer web with dull red. Upper tail-coverts barred ; tail-fea-
thers brownish-black, their tips grey, their outer edges mottled with red-
dish. The sides of the neck are grey tinged with red ; the lower parts in
general light red, tinged with grey on the breast, on the sides and lower
wing-coverts deeper ; the lower tail-coverts with a central dusky line, and
the tip white.

Length to end of tail 11 inches, to end of wings 93 ; wing from flexure
51; tail 2,4; bill along the ridge 2.8,, along the edge of lower mandible

254; tarsus 1,4, ; middle toe 1,%, its claw 3. Weight 6} oz.

Adult Female. Plate CCLXVIII. Fig. 2.

The Female, which is considerably larger, has the same colours as
the male.

Length to end of tail 11,4, to end of wings 10,5, to end of claws 13,4 ;
wing from flexure 5,4’, ; tail 2;‘, ; bill along the ridge 2}$ ; along the edge
of lower mandible 243 ; tarsus 1,%, ; middle toe 2,5, its claw 7. Weight

1
83 02.

Young fledged. Plate CCLXVIII. Fig. 3.
The Young when fully fledged is similar to the old female.

THE GREENSHANK.
Toranus GLOTTIS, BEcusT.

PLATE CCLXIX. Mater.

Wuite on Sand Key, which is about six miles distant from Cape
Sable of the Floridas, in lat. 24° 57 north, and 81° 45’ long. west of
Greenwich, I shot three birds of this species on the 28th of May 1832.
I had at first supposed them to be Tell-tale Godwits, as they walked
on the bars and into the shallows*much in the same manner, and, on
obtaining them, imagined they were new; but on shewing them to my
assistant Mr Warp, who was acquainted with the Greenshank of Europe,
he pronounced them to be of that species, and I have since ascertained the
fact by a comparison of specimens. They were all male birds, and I
observed no material difference in their plumage. We did not find any
afterwards ; but it is probable that we had seen some previously, although
we did not endeavour to procure them, having supposed them to be Tell-
tales. Almost all the birds seen in the Floridas at this date had young
or eggs; and this circumstance increased my surprise at finding all the
three individuals to be males. ‘They had been shot merely because they
offered a tempting opportunity, being all close together, and it is not often
that one can kill three Tell-tales at once. As I am not acquainted with
the habits of this species, I have applied to my friend Mr Maccittivray,
who has kindly furnished me with the following notice of them as observed
in the Hebrides.

“¢ The Greenshank is seen in the Outer Hebrides early in spring, and
generally departs in October, although I have observed individuals there in
November. Previous to the commencement of the breeding-season, and
after the young are fledged, it resorts to the shores of the sea, frequenting
pools of brackish-water at the head of the sand-fords, and the shallow
margins of bays and creeks. Its habits are very similar to those of the
Redshank, with which it associates in autumn. It is extremely shy and
vigilant, insomuch that one can very seldom shoot it, unless after it has
deposited its eggs. Many individuals remain during the summer, when
they are to be found by the lakes in the interior, of which the number in

Hh 2

484 GREENSHANK.

Uist, Harris, and Lewis is astonishing. At that season it is very easily
discovered, for when you are perhaps more than a quarter of a mile dis-
tant, it rises into the air with clamorous cries, alarming all the birds in
its neighbourhood, flies round the place of its nest, now wheeling off to a
distance, again advancing towards you, and at intervals alighting by the
edge of the lake, when it continues its cries, vibrating its body all the
while. I once found a nest of this bird in the island of Harris. - It was
at a considerable distance from the water, and consisted of a few fragments
of heath and some blades of grass, placed in a shallow cavity scraped in
the turf, in an exposed place. The nest, in fact, resembled that of the
Golden Plover, the Curlew, or the Lapwing. The eggs, placed with
their narrow ends together, were four in number, pyriform, larger than
those of the Lapwing, and smaller than those of the Golden Plover,
equally pointed with the latter, but proportionally broader and more
rounded at the larger end than either. The dimensions of one of them,
still remaining with me, are two inches exactly, by one inch and three-
eighths; the ground colour is a very pale yellowish-green, sprinkled all
over with irregular spots of dark brown, intermixed with blotches of light
purplish-grey, the spots, and especially the blotches, more numerous on
the larger end. Although in summer these birds may be seen in many
parts of the islands, they are yet very rare, a pair being to be met with
only at an interval of several miles, In other parts of Scotland they are
seen chiefly in autumn, but are of rare occurrence.”

It is curious how nearly by this account the habits of the Greenshank

correspond with those of the Tell-tale Godwit, T’otanus melanoleucos.

Scotopax Grorris, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 245.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 270.
Toranus Giorris, Temm. Man. d’Ornith. part ii. p. 659.—Selby, Ilust. vol. ii. p. 86.
GrREENSHANK, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 618.

Male in Summer. Plate CCLXIX.

Bill long, slender, compressed, tapering, slightly recurved. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line very slightly curved upwards, the ridge
convex, the sides grooved nearly to the middle, afterwards convex, the
edges inflected and directly meeting those of the lower mandible, the tip
narrowed and slightly deflected. Nostrils basal, linear, pervious, nearer
the edge than the dorsal line. Lower mandible with the angle very nar-

row and medial, beyond it the outline straight and ascending, the sides

GREENSHANK. 485

grooved as far as the angle and convex, the edges sharp and inflected,
the point very narrow.

Head small, oblong, narrowed before. Neck rather long, slender.
Body slender. Feet long and slender ; tibia bare for half its length, scu-
tellate before and behind ; tarsus long, slender, covered before and behind
with numerous scutella, the narrow lateral spaces with extremely small
oblong scales. ‘Toes small, very slender, scutellate above, flat beneath,
marginate, the middle toe connected with the outer by a basal membrane,
with the inner by an extremely small one; first toe extremely small, se-
cond slightly shorter than fourth, third considerably longer. Claws small,
compressed, arched, rather obtuse, that of third toe with a dilated inner
edge.

Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short, on
the neck short and almost downy. Wings rather long, very acute, nar-
row ; primaries tapering and rounded, the first longest, the second little
shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries obliquely rounded, the
inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, of twelve narrow, rounded fea-
thers, the two middle ones considerably longer than the rest.

Bill dusky-green, black at the end. Iris brown. Feet dull green-
ish-grey. . A broad band from the bill to the eye, all the lower parts, as
well as the back, excepting a small portion anteriorly, pure white; that
colour, however, does not appear on the back, when the wings are closed,
it being covered over by the scapulars. Loral space white, marked with
small oblong spots of greyish. brown ; sides of the lower part of fore neck
and a portion of the breast faintly barred with grey. The upper part of
the head, and the hind part and sides of the neck are greyish-white, with
longitudinal central greyish-brown markings. The scapulars and inner
secondaries are greyish-brown, the feathers edged with greyish-white, and
lined or mottled with dark brown towards the margins; the smaller wing-
coverts plain, the larger darker near the edge and margined with whitish,
as are the outer secondaries; the primary quills and their coverts dark
brown, the shaft of the outer white. The tail is greyish-white, undulated
with light brown, the four outer feathers on each side with only a series
of spots on the outer edge, which on the outermost feathers is almost
obliterated.

Length to end of tail 11 inches, to end of wings 12 ; wing from flexure
7; tail 3; bill along the back 27%, along the edge of lower mandible 2,3 ;

bare part of tibia 1,% ; tarsus 27%; middle toe 14%, its claw 33.

( 486 )

WILSON’S PETREL.
THALASSIDROMA WILSONII.

PLATE CCLXX. Mate anv FEMALE.

A Lone voyage would always be to me a continued source of suffer-
ing, were I restrained from gazing on the vast expanse of the waters, and
on the ever-pleasing inhabitants of the air that now and then appear in the
ship’s wake. The slightest motion of the vessel effectually prevents me
from enjoying the mirth of my fellow passengers, or sympathizing with them
in their sickness. When the first glimpse of day appears, I make my
way on deck, where I stand not unlike a newly hatched bird, tottering
on feeble legs. Let the wind blow high or not, I care little which, pro-
vided it waft me toward the shores of America. If the sky be clear, the
first sight of the sun excites emotions of gratitude towards the Being
by whose power it was formed, and sent forth to shed its benign influence
on surrounding worlds. Silent adoration occupies my soul, and I con-
clude with ardent wishes for the happiness of friends left far behind, and
those toward whom I am proceeding. But now, ever flapping its wing-
lets, I have marked the little bird, dusky all over save a single spot, the
whiteness of which contrasts with the dark hue of the waters and the
deep tone of the clear sky. Full of life and joy it moves to and fro, ad-
vances toward the ship, then shoots far away, gambols over the swelling
waves, dives into their hollows, and twitters with delight as it perceives
an object that will alleviate its hunger. Never fatigued, the tiny Pe-
trels seldom alight, although at times their frail legs and feet seem to
touch the crest of the foaming wave. I love to give every creature all
the pleasure I can confer upon it, and towards the little things I cast
over the stern such objects as I know they will most prize. Social crea-
tures! would that all were as innocent as you! There are no bickerings,
no jealousies among you; the first that comes is first served ; it is all the
result of chance; and thus you pass your lives. But the clouds gather,
the gale approaches, and our gallant bark is trimmed. Darkness spreads
over the heavens, and the deep waters send back a blacker gloom, broken
at intervals by the glimmer of the spray. You meet the blast, and your

little wings bear you up against it for a while ; but you cannot encounter

WILSON’S PETREL. 487

the full force of the tempest; and now you have all come close beneath
me, where you glide over the curling eddies caused by the motion of the
rudder. You shall have all possible attention paid you, and I will crawl
to the camboose, in search of food to support your tiny frames in this
hour of need. But at length, night closes around, and I bid you fare-
well.

The gale is over; the clear blue of the sky looks clearer than ever,
the sun’s rays are brighter, on the quiet waters the ship seems to settle in
repose, and her wings, though widely spread, no longer swell with the
breeze. At a distance around us the dusky wanderers are enjoying the
bright morning ; the rudder-fish, yesterday so lively, has ended its career,
so violently was it beaten by the waves against the vessel ; and now the
Petrels gather around it, as it floats on the surface. Various other mat-
ters they find; here a small crab, there the fragments of a sea-plant. Low
over the deep they range, and now with little steps run on the waters.
Few are their notes, but great their pleasure, at this moment. It is need-
less for me to feed them now, and therefore I will return to my task.

It would be extremely difficult for any individual to determine the
extent of the movements of the three species of Petrel seen on the waters
of the Atlantic. My opinion is that until their breeding places are re-
peatedly visited by naturalists, little can be known respecting the range
of their flight. I have crossed the ocean many times, and have always
paid more or less attention to these birds; yet I am as ignorant of their
migrations as my predecessors. I have rarely seen Wilson’s Petrel farther
to the eastward than the Azores, and beyond these islands it generally
abandoned the vessel. Along the American coast, I have not met with it
to the northward beyond the 51st degree of latitude; while to the south-
ward I have rarely observed many on the Gulf of Mexico; nor do I be-
lieve that any breed on the shores of the Floridas, or on the Bahama Is-
lands, as alleged by Witson, who, it would appear, stated so from report.
Petrels are rarely destroyed by men, quadrupeds, or rapacious birds, when
breeding ; to the former they are of no value as an article of food, and
by the latter they are seldom sought after ; consequently they are more
likely to return to their breeding places than most other birds, many of
which are frequently induced to abandon them on account of the perse-
cutions to which they are subjected. I have found the Forked-tailed
Petrel breeding on our coast, in the fissures of rocks above the reach of the

spray, and Wixson’s digging for itself burrows in the sand or loose earth,

488 WILSON’S PETREL.

on low islands. The Thalassidroma pelagica I have never found breed-
ing on any part of our coast ; but it is well known that it resorts to holes
on certain of the Shetland Islands, among the blocks and stones of which
the beaches are formed ; though it appears that in some spots, where the
fisherman are in the habit of destroying them, many resort to the elevated
fissures of the rocks, where also a few of the Forked-tailed species occa-
sionally breed. The latter then, though more abundant in America, be-
longs to Europe also. Wuitson was not aware that the species now
named after him was any thing else than “ the Stormy Petrel, Procellaria
pelagica of Linnaus ;” and he remarks that it “* is found over the whole
Atlantic ocean, from Europe to North America, at all distances from
land, and in all weathers.”

To my learned friend the Princ or Mustenano, the scientific world
is indebted for a Memoir on Petrels, in which he has clearly shewn the
specific differences of the three species mentioned above, of which he has
also given figures, as well as those of the bills and feet nearly of the natural
size. But the artist who drew these birds for him, or the engraver,
committed an error in representing the present bird as the largest of the
three.

Wilson’s Petrel breeds on some small islands situated off the southern
extremity of Nova Scotia, and called “ Mud Islands,” but which are
formed of sand and light earth, scantily covered with grass. Thither the
birds resort in great numbers, about the beginning of June, and form bur-
rows of the depth of two or two and a haif feet, in the bottom of which
is laid a single white egg, a few bits of dry grass, scarcely deserving the
name of a nest, having been placed for its reception. ‘The egg measures
an inch and a half in length, by seven-eighths of an inch in breadth, is
almost equally rounded at both ends, and has a pure white colour. These
Petrels copulate on the water, in the same manner as the Hyperborean
Phalarope. By the beginning of August the young follow their parents
to sea, and are then scarcely distinguishable from them. During in-
cubation, they remain in the burrows, or at their entrance, rarely going
to seek for food before the dusk.

On wing this species is more lively than the Forked-tailed, but less so
than the Common Stormy Petrel. It keeps its wings nearly at right an-
gles with its body, and makes considerable use of its feet, particularly
during calm weather, when it at times hops or leaps for several feet, or

pats the water, whilst its wings are extended upwards with a fluttering

WILSON’S PETREL. 489

motion, and it inclines its head downwards to pick up its food from the
water, and I have observed it immerse the whole head beneath the surface,
to seize on small fishes, in which it generally succeeded. It can walk pretty
well on the deck of a vessel, or any other flat surface, and rise from it
without much difficulty. Its notes are different from that of the Forked-
tailed Petrel, and resembles the syllables kee-re-kee kee. They are more
frequently emitted at night than by day. I never could ascertain whe-
ther or not these birds alight on the rigging at night, but my opinion is
that they do not, for the sailors, to whom I had offered premiums for
catching some of them, told me that although they flew about them while
aloft, they could not see one standing anywhere.

In my journal written on board the packet ship Columbia, command-
ed by my worthy friend Joserx Detano, Ksq., I find the following me-
morandums: Wilson’s Petrel was first seen, this voyage, about two
hundred miles from England, and alone until we reached the middle of
the Atlantic, when the Forked-tailed came in sight, after which the lat-
ter was most plentiful, and the pelagica by far the least numerous.” Du-
ring my several visits to the coasts of the Floridas, I saw scarcely any of
these birds in the course of several months spent there, but I found them
pretty abundant on returning towards Charleston. This species, like
the others, feeds on mollusca, small fishes, crustacea, marine plants, ex-
crements of cetaceous animals; and the greasy substances thrown from
vessels. When caught, they squirt an oily substance through the nos-
trils, and often disgorge the same. The sexes are similar in their ex-

ternal appearance.

Tuatassiproma Wisont1, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States,
p. 367.

Stormy PETREL, PROcCELLARIA PELAGICA, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p- 90. pl. 60.

Procetraria Witsont, Ch. Bonaperte, Journ. Acad. Phil. vol. vi. p. 231. pl. 9.

Witson’s Stormy Perret, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 322.

Adult Male. PlateCCLXX. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, slender, straight, with the tips curved, as
broad as high at the base, compressed towards the end. Upper mandi-
ble with the nostrils forming a tube at the base, beyond which, for a short
space, the dorsal line is straight, then decurved, the ridge narrow and se-
parated from the sides by a narrow groove, the edges sharp, inflected, the

tip compressed obliquely deflected. Lower mandible with the angle ra-

490 WILSON’S PETREL.

ther long, narrow and pointed, the dorsal line beyond it very slightly
concave and decurved, the sides erect, the edges sharp, the dip slightly
decurved.

Head of moderate size, roundish, anteriorly narrowed. Neck short.

Body rather slender. Feet long

g, very slender; tibia bare at its lower

part ; tarsus very slender, reticulate, anteriorly with along plate which is
very slightly marked. Hind toe conical, so minute as scarcely to be per-
ceptible; anterior toes rather long and extremely slender, obscurely scutel-
late above, connected by striated webs with concave margins; the third
and fourth toes longest, and about equal. Claws slender, arched, de-
pressed, acute.

Plumage very soft, blended, the feathers distinct only on the wings,
which are very long; primary quills tapering, but rounded, the third
longest, the second slightly longer than the fourth, the first much shorter
and a little longer than the sixth ; secondaries short, the outer incurved,
obliquely rounded. ‘Tail rather long, even, of twelve broad rounded
feathers.

Bill and feet black, but the webs yellow excepting at the margin.
Iris dark brown. The general colour of the plumage is dark greyish-
brown, the quills and tail brownish-black, the outer secondary wing-co-
verts and some of the secondary quills light greyish-brown, and tipped
with whitish. The rump, sides of the abdomen, and exterior lower tail-
coverts, white.

Length to end of tail '74 inches, to end of wings 8, to end of claws 8;
extent of wings 153; wing from flexure 6; tail 33; bill along the back
zz, along the edge of lower mandible ;8, ; tarsus 13, middle toe 1, its

z :
claw ~,. Weight 13 oz.

Adult Female. Plate CCLXX. Fig. 2.

The Female resembles the male.

( 491 )

A LONG CALM AT SEA.

On the 17th of May 1826, I left New Orleans on board the ship Delos,
commanded by JoserH Harcu, Esq. of Kennebunk, bound for Liver-
pool. The steamer Hercules, which towed the ship, left us several miles
outside the Balize, about ten hours after our departure; but there was
not a breath of wind, the waters were smoother than the prairies of the
Oppelousas, and notwithstanding our great display of canvass, we lay, like
a dead whale, floating at the mercy of the currents. The weather was
uncommonly fair, and the heat excessive; and in this helpless state we
continued for many days. About the end of a week we had lost sight of
the Balize, although I was assured by the commander, that all this while
the ship had rarely answered the helm. The sailors whistled for wind,
and raised their hands in all directions, anxious as they were to feel some
motion in the air; but all to no purpose; it was a dead calm, and we con-
cluded that AXolus had agreed with Neptune to detain us, until our
patience should be fairly tried, or our sport exhausted ; for sport we cer-
tainly had, both on board and around the ship. I doubt if I can better
contribute to your amusement at present, than by giving you a short ac-
count of the occurrences that took place, during this sleepy fit of the
being on whom we depended for our progress toward merry England.

_ Vast numbers of beautiful dolphins glided by the side of the vessel,
glancing like burnished gold through the day, and gleaming like meteors
by night. The captain and his mates were expert at alluring them with
baited hooks, and not less so at piercing them with a five-pronged instru-
ment, which they called grains; and I was delighted with the sport, be-
cause it afforded me an opportunity of observing and noting some of the
habits of this beautiful fish, as well as several other kinds.

On being hooked, the Dolphin flounces vigorously, shoots off with great
impetuosity to the very end of the line, when, being suddenly checked, it
often rises perpendicularly several feet out of the water, shakes itself
violently in the air, gets disentangled, and thus escapes. But when well
secured, it is held in play for a while by the experienced fisher, soon be-
comes exhausted, and is hauled on board. Some persons prefer pulling
them in at once, but they seldom succeed, as the force with which the fish

shakes itself on being raised out of the water, is generally sufficient to

492 A LONG CALM AT SEA.

enable it to extricate itself. Dolphins move in shoals, varying from four
or five to twenty or more, hunting in packs in the waters, as wolves pur-
sue their prey on land. The object of their pursuit is generally the Fly-
ing-tish, now and then the Bonita; and when nothing better can be had,
they will follow the little Rudder-fish, and seize it immediately under the
stern of the ship. The Flying-fishes, after having escaped for a while by
dint of their great velocity, but on being again approached by the Dol-
phin, emerge from the waters, and spreading their broad wing-like fins,
sail through the air and disperse in all directions, like a covey of timid
partridges before the rapacious falcon. Some pursue a direct course,
others diverge on either side; but in a short time they all drop into their
natural element. While they are travelling in the air, their keen and
hungry pursuer, like a greyhound, follows in their wake, and performing
a succession of leaps, many feet in extent, rapidly gains upon the quarry,
which is often seized just as it falls into the sea.

Dolphins manifest a very remarkable sympathy with each other. The
moment one of them is hooked or grained, those in company make up to
it, and remain around until the unfortunate fish is pulled on board, when
they generally move off together, seldom biting at any thing thrown out
to them. ‘This, however, is the case only with the larger individuals,
which keep apart from the young, in the same manner as is observed in
several species of birds; for when the smaller Dolphins are in large shoals,
they all remain under the bows of a ship, and bite in succession at any
sort of line, as if determined to see what has become of their lost com-
panions, in consequence of which they are often all caught.

You must not suppose that the Dolphin is without its enemies. Who,
in this world, man or fish, has not enough of them? Often it conceives
itself on the very eve of swallowing a fish, which, after all, is nothing but
a piece of lead, with a few feathers fastened to it, to make it look like a
flying-fish, when it is seized and severed in two by the insidious Bala-
couda, which I have once seen to carry off by means of its sharp teeth, the
better part of a Dolphin that was hooked, and already hoisted to the sur-
face of the water.

The Dolphins caught in the Gulf of Mexico during this calm were
suspected to be poisonous ; and to ascertain whether this was really the
case, our cook, who was an African Negro, never boiled or fried one with-
out placing beside it a dollar. If the silver was not tarnished by the time
the Dolphin was ready for the table, the fish was presented to the passen-

ae

A LONG CALM AT SEA. 493

gers, with an assurance that it was perfectly good. But as not a single
individual of the hundred that we caught had the property of converting
silver into copper, I suspect that our African sage was no magician.

One morning, that of the 22d of June, the weather sultry, I was sur-
prised, on getting out of my hammock, which was slung on deck, to find
the water all around swarming with Dolphins, which were sporting in
great glee. The sailors assured me that this was a certain “ token of
wind,” and, as they watched the movement of the fishes, added, ‘ aye,
and of a fair breeze too.” I caught several Dolphins in the course of an
hour, after which scarcely any remained about the ship. Not a breath of
air came to our relief all that day, no, nor even the next. The sailors
were in despair, and I would probably have become despondent also, had
not my spirits been excited by finding a very large Dolphin on my hook.
When I had hauled it on board, I found it to be the largest I had ever
caught. It was a magnificent creature. See how it quivers in the ago-
nies of death! its tail flaps the hard deck, producing a sound like the
rapid roll of adrum. How beautiful the changes of its colours! Now
it is blue, now green, silvery, golden, and burnished copper ; now it pre-
sents a blaze of all the hues of the rainbow intermingled ; but, alack! it
is dead, and the play of its colours is no longer seen. It has settled into
the deep calm that has paralyzed the energies of the blustering winds,
and smoothed down the proud waves of the ocean.

The best bait for the Dolphin is a long stripe of shark’s flesh. I think
it generally prefers this to the semblance of a flying-fish, which indeed it
does not often seize unless when the ship is under weigh, and it is made
to rise to the surface. There are times, however, when hunger and the
absence of their usual food, will induce the Dolphins to dash at any sort
of bait; and I have seen some caught by means of a piece of white linen
fastened to a hook. Their appetite is as keen as that of the Vulture, and
whenever a good opportunity occurs, they gorge themselves to such a de-
gree that they become an easy prey to their enemies the Balacouda and
the Bottle-nosed Porpoise. One that had been grained while lazily swim-
ming immediately under the stern of our ship, was found to have its sto-
mach completely crammed with flying-fish, all regularly disposed side by
side, with their tails downwards,—by which I mean to say that the Dol-
phin always swallows its prey tail foremost. They looked in fact like so
many salted herrings packed in a box, and were to the number of twenty-

two, each six or seven inches in length.

\

494 A LONG CALM AT SEA.

The usual length of the Dolphins caught in the Gulf of Mexico is
about three feet, and I saw none that exceeded four feet two inches. The
weight of one of the latter size was only eighteen pounds; for this fish is
extremely narrow in proportion to its length, although rather deep in its
form. When just caught, the upper fin, which reaches from the forehead
to within a short distance of the tail, is of a fine dark blue. The upper part
of the body in its whole length is azure, and the lower parts are of a gol-
den hue, mottled irregularly with deep blue spots. It seems that they at
times enter very shallow water, as in the course of my last voyage along
the Florida coast, some were caught in a seine, along with their kinsman
the “‘ Cavalier,” of which I shall speak elsewhere.

The flesh of the Dolphin is rather firm, very white, and lies in flakes
when cooked. ‘The first caught are generally eaten with great pleasure,
but when served many days in succession, they become insipid. It is not,
as an article of food, equal to the Balacouda, which is perhaps as good as

any fish caught in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

THE FRIGATE PELICAN.
TACHYPETES AQUILUS, V1¥ILL.

PLATE CCLXXI. Anputr.

Previous to my visit to the Florida Keys, I had seen but few Fri-
gate Birds, and those only at some distance, while I was on the Gulf of
Mexico, so that I could merely recognise them by their mode of flight.
On approaching Indian Key, however, I observed several of them, and
as I proceeded farther south, their numbers rapidly increased; but on
the Tortugas very few were observed. This bird rarely travels farther
eastward than the Bay of Charleston in South Carolina, although it is
abundant at all seasons from Cape Florida to Cape Sable, the two ex-
treme points of the peninsula. How far south it may be found I cannot
tell.

The Frigate Pelicans may be said to be as gregarious as our Vultures:
You see them in small or large flocks, according to circumstances. Like
our Vultures, they spend the greater part of the day on wing, searching
for food ; and like them also, when gorged or roosting, they collect in
large flocks, either to fan themselves or to sleep close together. They are
equally lazy, tyrannical, and rapacious, domineering over birds weaker
than themselves, and devouring the young of every species, whenever an
opportunity offers, in the absence of the parents; in a word, they are
most truly Marine Vultures.

About the middle of May, a period which to me appeared very late
for birds found in so warm a climate as that of the Florida Keys, the
Frigate Pelicans assemble in flocks of from fifty to five hundred pairs or
more. They are seen flying at a great height over the islands on which
they have bred many previous seasons, courting for hours together ; after
which they return towards the mangroves, alight on them, and at once
begin to repair the old nests or construct new ones. They pillage each
other’s nests of their materials, and make excursions for more to the near-
est keys. They break the dry twigs of trees with ease, passing swiftly
on wing, and snapping them off by a single grasp of their powerful bill.
It is indeed a beautiful sight to see them when thus occupied, especially

when several are so engaged, passing and repassing with the swiftness of

496 FRIGATE PELICAN.

thought over the trees whose tops are blasted ; their purpose appears as
if accomplished by magic. I know only two other birds that perform the
same action: one of them is the Forked-tailed Hawk, the other our swift
or Chimney Swallow; but neither of them is so expert as the Frigate
Pelican. It sometimes happens that this bird accidentally drops a stick
while travelling towards its nest, when, if this should happen over the
water, it plunges after it and seizes it with its bill before it has reached
the waves.

The nests are usually placed on the south side of the keys, and on
such trees as hang over the water, some low, others high, several in a
single tree, or only one, according to the size of the mangrove, but in
some cases lining the whole side of the island. They are composed of
sticks crossing each other to the height of about two inches, and are
flattish but not very large. When the birds are incubating, their long
wings and tail are seen extending beyond the nest for more than a foot.
The eggs are two or three, more frequently the latter number, measure
two inches and seven-eighths in length, two in breadth, being thus of a
rather elongated form, and have a thick smooth shell, of a greenish-white
colour, frequently soiled by the filth of the nests. The young are covered
with yellowish-white down, and look at first as if they had no feet. They
are fed by regurgitation, but grow tardily, and do not leave the nest until
they are able to follow their parents on wing.

At that period the plumage of the young females is marbled with grey
and brown, with the exception of the head and the lower parts, which are
white. The tail is about half the length it attains at the first moult, and
is brownish-black, as are the primaries. After the first change of plu-
mage, the wings become longer, and their flight is almost as elegant and
firm as that of older birds.

The second spring plumage of this sex is brownish-black on the up-
per parts, that colour extending over the head and around the neck in
irregular patches of brown, continued in a sharp angle towards the breast,
but separated on its sides by the white that ascends on either side of the
neck towards the head. The lower tail-coverts are brownish-black, as
are the lower parts of the belly and flanks; the shoulders alone remain-
ing as at first. The tail and wings are perfect.

The third spring, the upper parts of the head and neck are of a purer
brownish-black, which extends down to the extremity of the angle, as are

the feathers of the belly and the lower tail-coverts, the dark colour reach-

FRIGATE PELICAN. 497

ing now to within five inches of the angle on the breast. ‘he white of
the intermediate space has become much purer ; here and there light tints
of bronze appear; the feet, which at first were dull yellow, have become of
a rich reddish-orange, and the bill is pale blue. The bird is now capable
of breeding, although its full plumage is not obtained until the next
moult, when the colours become glossy above, and the white of the breast
pure.

The changes which the males undergo are less remarkable. They
are at first, when fully fledged, entirely of the colour seen on the upper
parts of the young females; and the tint is merely improved afterwards,
becoming of a deeper brownish-black, and acquiring purer reflections of
green, purple and bronze, which in certain lights are seen on every part
of the head, neck and body, and in very old males on the wings and
tail. They also commence breeding the third spring. But I now return
to the habits of this interesting bird.

The Frigate Pelican is possessed of a power of flight which I conceive
superior to that of perhaps any other bird. However swiftly the Cayenne
Tern, the smaller Gulls or the Jager move on wing, it seems a matter of
mere sport to it to overtake any of them. The Goshawk, the Peregrine, and
the Gyr Falcon, which I conceive to be the swiftest of our hawks, are ob-
liged to pursue their victim, should it be a Green-winged Teal or Passenger
Pigeon, at times for halfa mile, at the highest pitch of their speed, before
they can secure them. The bird of which I speak comes from on high with
the velocity of a meteor, and on nearing the object of its pursuit, which
its keen eye has spied while fishing at a distance, darts on either side
to cut off all retreat, and with open bill forces it to drop or disgorge
the fish which it has just caught. See him now! Yonder, over the
waves leaps the brilliant dolphin, as he pursues the flying-fishes, which
he expects to seize the moment they drop into the water. The Frigate
Bird, who has marked them, closes his wings, dives toward them, and now
ascending, holds one of the tiny things across his bill. Already fifty
yards above the sea, he spies a porpoise in full chase, launches towards
the spot, and in passing seizes the mullet that had escaped from its dread-
ed foe; but now, having obtained a fish too large for his gullet, he rises,
munching it all the while, as if bound for the skies. Three or four of
his own tribe have watched him and observed his success. They shoot
towards him on broadly extended pinions, rise in wide circles, smoothly,

VoL. III. Ti

498 FRIGATE PELICAN.

yet as swiftly as himself. ‘They are now all at the same height, and each
as it overtakes him, lashes him with its wings, and tugs at his prey. See!
one has fairly robbed him, but before he can secure the contested fish
it drops. One of the other birds has caught it, but he is pursued by
all. From bill to bill, and through the air, rapidly falls the fish, un-
til it drops quite dead on the waters, and sinks into the deep. Whatever
disappointment the hungry birds feel, they seem to deserve it all.

Sights like these you may every day see, if you take ship and sail for
the Florida Keys. I have more to tell you, however, and of things that
to me were equally pleasing. While standing in the cool veranda of
Major Guasset of the United States army, at Key West, I observed a
Frigate Pelican that had forced a Cayenne Tern, yet in sight, to drop a
fish, which the broad-winged warrior had seized as it fell. ‘his fish was
rather large for the Tern, and might probably be about eight inches in
length. The Frigate Pelican mounted with it across his bill about a
hundred yards, and then tossing it up caught it as it fell, but not in the
proper manner. He therefore dropped it, but before it had fallen many
yards, caught it again. Still it was not in a good position, the weight of
the head, it seemed, having prevented the bird from seizing it by that
part. A second time the fish was thrown upwards, and now at last was
received in a convenient manner, that is, with its head downwards, and
immediately swallowed.

When the morning light gladdens the face of nature, and while
the warblers are yet waiting in silence the first rays of the sun, whose ap-
pearance they will hail with songs of joy, the Frigate Bird, on extended
pinions, sails from his roosting place. Slowly and gently, with retracted
neck he glides, as if desirous of quietly trying the renovated strength of
his wings. ‘Toward the vast deep he moves, rising apace, and before any
other bird views the bright orb emerging from the waters. Pure is the
azure of the heavens, and rich the deep green of the smooth sea below ;
there is every prospect of the finest weather; and now the glad bird
shakes his pinions ; and far up into the air, far beyond the reach of man’s
unaided eye, he soars in his quiet but rapid flight. There he floats in
the pure air, but thither can fancy alone follow him. Would that I could
accompany him! But now I see him again, with half-closed wings, gently
falling towards the sea. He pauses a while, and again dives through the
air. Thrice, four times, has he gradually approached the surface of the

ocean ; now he shakes his pinions as violently as the swordsman whirls his

FRIGATE PELICAN. 499

claymore ; all is right; and he sweeps away, shooting to this side and
that, in search of prey.

Mid-day has arrived, and threatening clouds obscure the horizon; the
breeze, ere felt, ruffles the waters around; a thick mist advances over the
deep; the sky darkens, and as the angry blasts curl the waves, the thun-
der mutters afar; all nature is involved in gloom, and all is in confusion,
save only the Man-of-war Bird, who gallantly meets the gale. If he can-
not force his way against the storm, he keeps his ground, balancing him-
self like a hawk watching his prey beneath ; but now the tempest rages,
and rising obliquely, he shoots away, and ere long surmounts the tumul-
tuous clouds, entering a region calm and serene, where he floats secure
until the world below has resumed its tranquillity.

I have frequently observed the Frigate Bird scratch its head with its
feet while on wing; and this happening one day, when the bird fell through
the air, as it is accustomed to do at such times, until it came within shot, I
killed it when almost over my head, and immediately picked it up. I
had been for years anxious to know what might be the use of the pecti-
nated claws of birds ; and on examining both its feet with a glass, I found
the racks crammed with insects, such as occur on the bird’s head, and es-
pecially around the ears. I also observed that the pectinated claws of
birds of this species were much longer, flatter, and more comb-like than
those of any other species with which I am acquainted. I now therefore
feel convinced, that, however useful this instrument may be on other oc-
casions, it is certainly employed in cleansing parts of the skin of birds
which cannot be reached by the bill.

At times these birds may be seen chasing and jostling each other as if
engaged in a frolic, after which they bear away on extended wings, and
fly in a direct course until out of sight. But although their flight is easy
and powerful, in a degree not surpassed by any other bird, they move
with great difficulty on the ground. They can rise, however, from a sand-
bar, no matter how low and level it may be. At such times, as well as
when sitting on the water, which it occasionally does, the bird raises its
wings almost perpendicularly, spreads its tail half erect, and at the first
flap of the former, and simultaneous stroke of the latter, on the ground
or the water, bounces away. Its feet, however, are of little service be-
yond what I have mentioned, and the supporting of its body when it has
alighted on a branch, on which it rarely stands very erect, although it
moves sideways on it, as Parrots sometimes do. It never dives, its bill

\

Tele

500 FRIGATE PELICAN.

in form resembling that of the Cormorants, which also never plunge from
on wing in pursuit of fish, and only dip into the water when dropping
from a perch or a rock to escape danger, as the Anhingas and some other
birds are also accustomed to do.

When the Frigate Pelican is in want of a dead fish, a crab, or any
floating garbage suited to its appetite, it approaches the water in the man-
ner of Gulls, holding its wings high, and beating them until the bill has
performed its duty, which being accomplished, the bird immediately rises
in the air and devours its prey.

These birds see well at night, although they never go to sea except-
ing by day. At various times I have accidentally sailed by mangrove
keys on which hundreds were roosted, and apparently sound asleep, when,
on my firing a gun for the purpose of starting whatever birds might be
there, they would all take to wing and sail as beautifully as during day,
returning to the trees as the boats proceeded. They are by no means
shy ; indeed they seem unaware of danger from a gun, and rarely all go
off when a party is shooting at them, until a considerable number has
been obtained. The only difficulty I experienced in procuring them was
on account of the height to which they so soon rose on leaving the trees ;
but we had excellent guns, and our worthy pilot’s “ Long Tom” dis-
tinguished itself above the rest. At one place, where we found many
hundreds of them, they sailed for nearly half an hour over our heads, and
about thirty were shot, some of them at a remarkable height, when we
could hear the shot strike them, and when, as they fell to the water, the
sound of their great wings whirling through the air resembled that pro-
duced by a sail flapping during a calm. When shot at and touched ever
so slightly, they disgorge their food in the manner of Vultures, Gulls and
some Terns; and if they have fallen and are approached, they continue to
vomit the contents of their stomach, which at times are extremely putrid and
nauseous. When seized, they evince little disposition to defend themselves,
although ever so slightly wounded, but struggle and beat themselves until
killed. Should you, however, place your fingers within their open bill, you
might not withdraw them scatheless.

They are extremely silent, and the only note which I heard them
utter was a rough croaking one. They devour the young of the Brown
Pelican when quite small, as well as those of other birds whose nests are
flat and exposed during the absence of the parent birds ; but their own

young suffer in the same manner from the still more voracious Turkey

FRIGATE PELICAN. 501

Buzzard. The notion that the Frigate Bird forces the Pelicans and
Boobies to disgorge their prey is erroneous. The Pelican, if attacked or
pursued by this bird, could alight on the water or elsewhere, and by one
stroke of its sharp and powerful bill destroy the rash aggressor. The
Booby would in all probability thrust its strong and pointed bill against
the assailant with equal success. ‘The Cayenne Tern, and other species
of that genus, as well as several small Gulls, all abundant on the Florida
coasts, are its purveyors, and them it forces to disgorge or drop their prey.
Those of the deep are the dolphins, porpoises, and occasionally the sharks.
Their sight is wonderfully keen, and they now and then come down from
a great height to pick up a dead fish only a few inches long floating on
the water. ‘Their flesh is tough, dark, and, as food, unfit for any other
person than one in a state of starvation.

I have given a figure of a very beautiful old male in spring plumage,
which was selected from a great number of all ages. I have also repre-
sented the feet of an individual between two and three years old, on ac-
count of the richness of their colour at that age, whereas in the adult

males they are quite black.

Pretecanus Aquitus, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 216.

PELECANUS AQUILUS, LEUCOCEPHALUS, AND PaLMERSTONI, Lath. Ind. Ornith.
vol. ii. pp. 885, 886.

TacuHyrEetreEs Aquitus, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 406.

FricatE Perican, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 491.

Adult Male. Plate CCLXXI.

Bill much longer than the head, strong, broader than deep, excepting
towards the curved extremity, the edges irregularly jagged. Upper man-
dible with the dorsal line slightly concave, at the tip decurved, its ridge
broad and nearly flat at the base, narrowed and more convex towards the
end, the sides separated from the ridge by a narrow groove, convex, the
edges sharp and inflected, with a prominence at the commencement of the
curve of the elongated compressed hooked point. Nostrils basal, linear,
inconspicuous. Lower mandible with the angle extremely long, narrow,
the membrane bare and dilatable into a small pouch, the very short dor-
sal line decurved, the sides erect at the base, convex in the rest of their
extent, the edges sharp and much inflected, at the narrow tip decurved.

Head of moderate size, oblong. Neck of moderate length, stout.

Body rather slender. Feet very short, stout; tibia very short; tarsus

\

502 FRIGATE PELICAN.

extremely short, feathered ; toes all placed in the same plane, and con-
nected by short reticulated webs with concave margins, but running nar-
row along the sides; they are scutellate above, broad and papillate be-
neath; first toe small, second shorter than fourth, third much longer than
the latter. Claws strong, compressed, curved, acute, that of middle toe
long, obliquely flattened, and pectinate on the inner edge.

Eyelids and gular sac, with the anterior part of the neck, bare. Plu-
mage compact, on the head, neck, breast, and back, shining. The fea-
thers of the head, neck, and back are lanceolate and acuminate; of the
breast and sides broader ; of the wings small and rounded. Wings ex-
tremely long, pointed, the first quill longest, the rest rapidly diminishing ;
the secondaries very short, obliquely rounded and acuminate, the inner
long and tapering. ‘Tail very long, deeply forked, of twelve rounded
feathers, the outer narrow and abruptly rounded.

Bill light purplish-blue, white in the middle, the curved tips dusky.
Inside of mouth carmine; gular sac orange. Bare space about the eye
purplish-blue ; iris deep brown. Feet light carmine above, orange be-
neath. The general colour of the plumage is brownish-black, the head,
neck, back, breast, and sides, splendent with green and purple reflections,
the former predominating on the head, the latter on the back. The wings
are tinged with grey, the inner secondaries and tail with brown; the shafts
of the former black, of the latter brown.

I havé observed in specimens which I considered to be very old, that
the gular sac was covered with pustules, similar to those found at times
around the base of the mandibles of the Cathartes Aura, and which ap-
pear to be the effects of disease, occasioned by their coming frequently
in contact with putrid substances.

Length to end of tail 41 inches, to end of wings 37; to end of claws
242; wing from flexure 25, tail 18; extent of wings 86; bill along the
back 53, along the edge of lower mandible 5,4 ; tarsus 2; middle toe 23, its
claw. Weight 3 lb. 6 oz.

The Adult Female differs from the male in several respects. The.
former has the whole plumage dark-coloured, whereas the latter has a
broad white space on the breast, that colour extending forwards along
the sides of the neck, and encircling it about the middle. The feathers
of the back are less elongated and pointed, and their lustre is much in-
ferior to that of the male. The dark parts also are more tinged with

brown, and most of the smaller wing-covyerts are of the latter colour.

( 503 )

RICHARDSON’S JAGER.
LestTRis RICHARDSONII, SWAINs.

PLATE CCLXXII. Mate ann Youne.

Tuts bird, though rare on the coast of the United States, visits the
shores of Massachusetts and Maine, where, during winter, it is seen over
the bays and inlets, to which various species of Gulls also resort at the
same season. It is more shy and difficult to be approached than the Po-
marine Jager. Its flight is rapid and greatly protracted; and, like the
other species of this genus, it harasses the smaller Gulls and Terns, for-
cing them to disgorge their food. Dr Ricuarpson informs us that it
breeds in considerable numbers in the barren grounds, at a distance from
the coast, and that it feeds on testaceous mollusca, which are plentiful in
the small lakes of the fur countries. I am unable to afford any informa-
tion respecting its habits; nor can I state decidedly the number of eggs
which it lays, although I have procured several of them. ‘They measure
two inches and three-eighths in length, by one inch and five-eighths in
breadth, are of an oval rather pointed form, and have a dull greyish-yel-
low ground, patched with umber and faint purple, the markings closer
towards the larger end. I am extremely doubtful as to the right which

this bird has to rank as a species distinct from L. parasiticus.

Lesrris Ricuarpsoni, RicHarpson’s JaGER, Swains. and Richards. Fauna-Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 433.— Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 319.

Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCLX XII. Fig. 1.

Bill about the length of the head, rather slender, straight, the tip
curved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, toward the end
curved, the ridge broad and convex, the sides separated from the ridge
by a narrow groove, extremely narrow and convex, the edges sharp and
inflected, the tip compressed, rather obtuse. Nostrils in the fore part of
the nasal groove, nearer the tip than the base, submarginal, pervious,
linear-oblong, wider anteriorly. Lower mandible with the angle long and
narrow, a slight prominence at its extremity, beyond which the dorsal
line is straight and ascending, the sides sloping outwards and convex, the

edges sharp and inflected, the tip obliquely truncate and rather obtuse.

504 RICHARDSON’S JAGER.

Head rather small, oblong, much narrowed before. Neck of moderate
length. Body rather slender. Feet rather short, and of moderate strength ;
tibia bare at its lower part; tarsus anteriorly covered with broad decurv-
ed scutella, on the sides with oblong scales, behind with smaller oblong
prominent scales; hind toe extremely small and elevated, the fore toes of
moderate size, connected by reticulated webs, which have their margins
convex ; the third toe longest, the fourth a little shorter, the second con-
siderably shorter ; all covered above with numerous scutella, the lateral
ones margined externally with small prominent scales directed forwards.
Claws of moderate size, curved, acute, compressed, that of third toe with
a sharp inner edge.

The plumage in general is close, elastic, soft, and blended ; the fea-
thers on the back and wings rather compact and distinct. Wings very
long, rather broad, pointed; primary quills tapering and rounded, the
first longest, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondary rather short, obliquely
rounded. ‘Tail feathers of moderate length, excepting the two middle,
which extend beyond the rest and taper to a point, the other feathers
broad and rounded, there being twelve in all.

Bill greyish-black, the upper part bluish. Iris brown. Legs and feet
black. The general colour of the plumage is of a sooty brown, the upper
part of the head, the primary quills, and the tail darker, the breast and
abdomen lighter ; the shafts of the primary quills white, of the tail feathers
brownish.

Length to end of tail 183 inches, to end of wings 17 ; extent of wings
40; wing from flexure 12%; tail 83, the middle feathers 2? longer than
the rest; bill along the back 1,5, along the edge of lower mandible 1;

tarsus 1,8, ; middle toe 1;%, its claw 7.

Young Bird in September. Plate CCLX XII. Fig. 2.

Bill light blue, dusky at the end. Iris brown. Tarsi and basal por-
tion of the toes and webs light blue, the rest black. The general colour
of the plumage is sooty brown, lighter on the neck and lower parts; the
feathers of the back are all tipped with whitish, and the breast, sides, lower
wing-coverts, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts, are undulatingly barred
with pale greyish-yellow.

Length to end of tail 153 inches, to end of wings 133, to end of claws
134; wing from flexure 11}; tail 61, the middle feathers only ? longer
than the rest ; bill along the back 1}; tarsus 1{; middle toe and claw

3. Weight 7 oz.

( 505 )

THE CAYENNE TERN.

STERNA CAYANA, LATH.

PLATE CCLXNXIII. Mate.

On reaching the entrance of the little port of St Augustine in East
Florida, I observed more Cayenne Terns together than I had ever before
seen. I had afterwards good opportunities of watching them both during
that season and the following, about the Keys. Their shyness surprised
me not a little, especially as they are very seldom molested, and it was
such that I could study their habits only with the aid of a good glass. I
found them at first in great flocks, composed of several hundred individuals,
along with Razor-billed Shearwaters, which also congregated there in
great numbers. During low water, both species resorted to a large flat
sand-bar in the middle of the channel, where they reposed until the re-
turn of the tide, sitting close together, in an easy posture, with their heads
facing the breeze. They kept separate, however, placing themselves in
parallel lines twenty or thirty paces asunder, and either lay flat on the
sand, or stood up and plumed themselves. My attempts to procure some
of them were always futile, for they flew off when I was yet several hun-
dred yards distant, and moved directly towards the sea. It was pleasing to
see the whole of these birds take to wing at the same moment, the jetty
hue of the Shearwaters contrasting with the pale blue of the Terns, and
the brilliantly-coloured bills of both species, their different modes of
flight, and their various evolutions presenting a most agreeable sight. The
Terns on these occasions constantly emitted their harsh loud cries, while
the Shearwaters moved in perfect silence. After spending several days
in unsuccessful endeavours to approach them, I employed several boats,
which advanced towards the sands at several points, and we shot as many
as we wished, for as the flocks passed over any of the boats, several indi-
viduals were brought down at once, on which the rest would assail the
gunners, as if determined to rescue their brethren, and thus afford sub-
jects for them on which to exercise their skill. We found it necessary to
use large shot, the Cayenne Tern being a strong and tough bird, the lar-
gest of the genus met with on our Atlantic coasts. When wounded, how-

ever slightly, they disgorged in the manner of Vultures; and when brought

50€ CAYENNE TERN.

to the water disabled, they at once endeavoured to make off from the
shores, swimming with buoyancy and grace, though without making much
progress. When seized they at once erected their beautiful crest, threw
up the contents of their stomach, uttered loud cries, and bit severely.
One that was merely touched in the wing, and brought ashore, through
a high surf, by my Newfoundland dog, stuck fast to his nose until forced
to relinquish its hold by having its throat squeezed, after which it dis-
gorged seven partially digested fishes.

Although the Cayenne Tern often searches for food over the sea, and
at times several miles from the shore, it gives a decided preference to the
large inlets running parallel to the coast of the Floridas, within the high
sandy embankments, as well as the rivers in the interior of the peninsula.
They alight on the banks of racoon oysters, so abundant in the inlets,
and are seen in company with the Semipalmated Snipe and the American
Oystercatcher, searching for food like these birds, and devouring crabs
and such fishes as are confined in small shallow pools. These they catch
with considerable agility, in a manner not employed by any of our other
Terns. While on the St John’s River, I saw them alight on stakes, in
the manner of the Marsh Tern and the Noddy ; and as I ascended that
stream, I often saw them, at the distance of seventy miles from the sea,
perched in the middle of the river, on the same sticks as the Florida
Cormorants, and found them more easily approached in the dusk than
during broad daylight. Until then I had supposed this species to be en-
tirely oceanic, and averse from mingling with any other.

The flight of the Cayenne Tern is strong and well sustained, although
less lively or graceful than that of the smaller species, excepting on par-
ticular occasions. ‘They usually incline their bill downwards, as they
search for their prey, like the other Terns, but keep at a much greater
height, and plunge towards the waters with the speed of an arrow, to seize
on small fishes, of which they appear to capture a great number, espe-
cially of the “ mullets,” which we saw moving about in shoals, composed
of individuals of different sizes. When travelling, these birds generally
proceed in lines; and it requires the power of a strong gale to force them
back, or even to impede their progress, for they beat to windward with
remarkable vigour, rising, falling, and tacking to right and left, so as to
seize every possible opportunity of making their way. In calm and plea-
sant weather, they pass at a great height, with strong unremitted flap-

pings, uttering at intervals their cries, which so nearly resemble the shriek-

CAYENNE TERN. 507

* ing notes of our little Parrakeet, that I have often for a moment thought
T heard the latter, when in fact it was only the Tern. At times their
cries resemble the syllables kwee-reek, repeated several times in succes-
sion, and so loudly as to be heard at the distance of half a mile or more,
especially when they have been disturbed at their breeding places, on
which occasion they manifest all the characteristic violence of their tribe,
although they are much more guarded than any other species with which
I am acquainted, and generally keep at a considerable distance from their
unwelcome visitors.

On the 11th May 1832, I found the Cayenne Terns breeding on one
of the Tortugas. There they had dropped their eggs on the bare sand,
a few yards above high-water mark, and none of the birds paid much at-
tention to them during the heat of the day. You may judge of my sur-
prise when, on meeting with this Tern breeding on the coast of Labrador,
on the 18th of June 1833, I found it sitting on two eggs deposited in a nest
neatly formed of moss and placed on the rocks, and this on a small island, in
a bay more than twelve miles from our harbour, which itself was at some
distance from the open Gulf. On another equally sequestered islet,
some were found amidst a number of nests of our Common Gull; and,
during my stay in that country, I observed that this Tern rarely went
to the vicinity of the outer coast, for the purpose of procuring food, pro
bably because there was an extreme abundance of small fishes of several
kinds in every creek or bay. Until that period I was not aware that any
Tern could master the Lestris Pomarinus, to which, however, I there saw
the Cayenne Tern give chase, driving it away from the islands on which
it had its eggs. On such occasions, I observed that the Tern’s power of
flight greatly exceeded that of the Jager; but the appearance of the
Great Black-backed Gull never failed to fill it with dismay, for although
of quicker flight, none of the Terns dared to encounter that bird, any
more than they would venture to attack the Frigate Pelican in the
Floridas.

The Cayenne Tern usually lays two eggs ; in a few instances I found
_ only one, and I concluded that no more had been laid, as it contained a
chick, which would not have been there had the Great Gull ever visited
the nest. The eggs measure two inches and six-eighths in length, by
one inch and six and a half eighths in breadth, and are rather sharp at
the smaller end. They have a pale yellowish ground colour, irregularly

spotted with dark umber and faint purplish marks, dispersed all over

508 CAYENNE TERN.

but not close. The eggs, like those of the other species, afford good
eating.

I never saw the young of this bird while small, and cannot speak of
the changes which they undergo from their first state until autumn.
Then, however, they greatly resemble the young of the Sandwich Tern,
their colour being on the upper parts of a dark greyish-brown, trans-
versely marked with umber, and on the lower dull white. While in this
plumage, they keep by themselves, in flocks of fifty or more individuals,
and remain separated from the old birds until spring, when they have
acquired the full beauty of their plumage, although they appear rather
inferior in size.

My surprise at finding this species breeding in Labrador was increased
by the circumstance of its being of rare occurrence at any season along
the coasts of our Middle and Eastern Districts. Nor does it become
abundant until you reach the shores of North Carolina, beyond which it
increases the farther south you proceed. It winters in the Floridas, and
along the shores of the Mexican Gulf; but I never saw it far up the
Mississippi. While on the coast of Newfoundland, on the 14th of
August, I saw several individuals on their way southward, flying very
high, and keeping up their remarkable cries.

The flesh of every species of Tern is oily, like that of the Gulls and
Jagers, and the smallest hole made by shot affords an exit to the grease,
which is apt to destroy the beauty of their elastic plumage, so that it is
very difficult to preserve them, both on account of this circumstance, and
of the quantity of oil that flows from their bill. In no species have I

found this to be more remarkably the case than in the Cayenne Tern.

.

SrERNA CAYANA, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 804.—_Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds
of the United States, p. 353.
Cayenne Tern, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 268.

Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCLXXITI.

Bill longer than the head, stout, nearly straight, compressed, very
acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly arched, the ridge
broad and convex at the base, narrowed towards the end, the sides con-
vex, the edges sharp and direct, the tip acute. Nasal groove short ; nos-
trils basal, lateral, linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandible with the

angle very narrow, acute, extending to the middle, the dorsal line straight,

CAYENNE TERN. 509

the sides slightly convex, nearly erect, the sharp edges inflected, the tip
very acute.

Head rather large, oblong ; neck of moderate length and thick ; body
rather slender; feet short, stout. Tibia bare for a considerable space ;
tarsus short, roundish, covered all round with small scales; first toe very
small, third longest, fourth a little shorter, the anterior connected by re-
ticulated webs having an incurved margin; claws slightly curved, com-
pressed, acute, that of hind toe smallest, of middle toe by much the largest,
and having the inner edge thin and dilated.

Plumage soft, close, blended, very short on the fore part of the head
elongated behind, rather compact on the back and wings. Wings ex-
tremely long, narrow, and pointed ; primary quills tapering but rounded,
the first longest, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondary short, rather nar-
row, tapering, rounded. ‘Tail long, deeply forked, of twelve feathers, of
which the outer taper to a rounded point.

Bill bright carmine, the tips paler. Iris dark brown. Feet black.
The top of the head and occiput is greenish black ; the back and wings
light greyish-blue ; the primary quills bluish-grey on their outer webs,
darker on the outer part of the inner, their inner part white, as are the °
ends and inner webs of the secondaries ; upper tail-coverts and tail grey-
ish-white ; all the other parts are pure white.

Length to end of tail 19 inches, to end of wings 201; extent of
wings 44; wing from flexure 15; tail 7; bill along the back 23, along the
edge of lower mandible 141}; tarsus 3,4; middle toe 1, its claw i.

Weight 143 oz.

The figure of the Crab in the plate was introduced on account of its
singularly bright red colour, which, when the animal is boiled, changes
to pale yellow. It is rather common along the rocky shores of some of

the Florida Keys, and is excellent eating.

( 510)

THE SEMIPALMATED SNIPE, OR WILLET.

TOTANUS SEMIPALMATUS, TEMM.

PLATE CCLXXIV. Mate ayp FEMALE.

Many individuals of this fine species spend the winter in our Southern
States, and the extent of its migration northwards is comparatively limit-
ed. Some are occasionally seen as far eastward as the neighbourhood of
Boston, and a few have been known to breed not far from New Bedford in
Massachusetts ; but beyond that state the species may be said to be un-
known. ‘Their propensity to remain at all seasons in the immediate vici-
nity of the coast is such, that they are very seldom met with far inland,
even along large rivers, on the margins of which they might find the food
they usually prefer. I once shot one in autumn on the lower part of the
Ohio, but it was much emaciated, and I concluded that its appearance
there was merely accidental. From the mouth of the Mississippi-to New
York it is pretty generally found during the breeding season ; but all the
individuals betake themselves in winter to the shores of Carolina, Georgia,
Florida, and the countries bordering the Mexican Gulf. I have very
little doubt that those seen by Mr Say on the banks of the Missouri had
. accidentally visited that country, as.the favourite haunts of this species at
all seasons are the salt-marshes and sea-shores. It is well ascertained that
it occurs on the western coast, and I have seen many skins of it recently
brought from the mouth of the Columbia River. It is probably from
thence that it migrates to the shores of the Saskatchewan, where it was
observed by Dr Ricuarpson along the small saline lakes.

In the Middle States, the Semipalmated Snipe is known to every fish-

”

erman gunner by the name of “ Willet;” and from the Carolinas south-
ward by that of «* Stone Curlew.” In the latter districts, during autumn
and winter, it resorts to the stony shores of estuaries, the banks of racoon
oysters, and the extensive salt-marshes so common there along the coast.
On the Ist of May 1832, while rambling over some large and partially
submersed islets of the Floridas called Duck Keys, scantily covered with
bushes and some mangroves, I saw a good number of these birds in com-

pany with the Great Marbled Godwit. The Willets were all paired

and very clamorous, although we found none of their nests. ‘To my grea

SEMIPALMATED SNIPE. 511

surprise, I saw them alight on the bushes and trees with as much ease as
if they had been land birds, stand erect, open their wings to the sun, and
await our approach, exhibiting, when thus perched, much less shyness
than when on the ground. Until then I had never observed such a habit
in this bird, and indeed had felt surprised at seeing the Bartram Snipe,
Totanus Bartramius, alight on fences and trees. Nothing of this kind is
mentioned by Witson, who, however, speaks of both species as if he were
well acquainted with their habits. A few days after my visit to the Duck
Keys, some nests containing eggs were found on other islets not far dis-
tant.

Along the shores of the Carolinas, this species begins to lay about the
beginning of April; but in the Middle States, in New Jersey, for example,
it seldom makes its appearance before the 15th of April, and does not be-
gin to breed until a month later. At the approach of the love season,
the Willets shew a great degree of vivacity, ramble much on wing, and
fill the air with their sharp cries. Once mated, they attend to the secu-
rity of their eggs and brood with affectionate care, and are silent until dis-
turbed by the approach of some of their numerous enemies. The sight
of a Crow, a Turkey Buzzard, a quadruped of any kind, and more espe-
cially of a gunner, at once excites the greatest alarm; and, rising on wing, .
they fly above and around you at a considerable distance, vociferating
their anger with great vehemence, and continually endeavouring to allure
you away from the spot where their treasure is concealed. Should they
have young broods, they not unfrequently alight within sight, emit click-
ing and querulous notes, raise their wings upright, and run over the
ground as if wounded, moving in so pitiable a manner as frequently to
excite a good feeling towards them in the gunner, who, should he be a
parent himself, is almost sure to leave them unmolested. When much
pursued, the birds join and form a flock, the individuals of which con-
tinue to wheel through the air, at some distance from their nests, until
their enemy has departed.

The Semipalmated Snipe is at all times a shy and wary bird, so that
in approaching it the sportsman requires to use the greatest caution. The
method which I found most effectual was to employ a well-trained dog,
and conceal myself among the rankest herbage of the marshes. The
Willets rarely failed to fly close over the dog, and as he now and then,
playfully, as it were, approached me, the birds came within shooting dis-

tance. On such occasions, if one is brought down, another may follow,

512 SEMIPALMATED SNIPE.

provided the sportsman is quick ; but, after being thus shot at, the Wil-
lets generally take a long circuit, and remove towards some clear spot near
the water, where they alight and watch your motions. The cries of one
suffice to alarm all within hearing, and you see all of them with out-
stretched legs and necks running away as you approach. Often at the
very instant when you are preparing to shoot, they all rise on wing, fly
across some bay or creek, and betake themselves to the marsh, where they
are safe from your pursuit.

During winter you frequently see these birds in the Southern States
along the naked shores. The moment they see you the cry of alarm is
sounded, and the flock, which now consists of one, two, or perhaps three
families, suffer you to come almost within shot, as if purposely to tanta-
lize you, but at this moment fly off circuitously over the water, and alight
at the distance of some hundred yards. At such times you may procure
them by floating your boat quietly along the shores ; but the experiment
rarely succeeds on the same flock more than once. When they are on
large racoon-oyster beds, it is almost impossible to approach them ; and
if there should be a few Curlews or Oyster-catchers among them, it were
better for you to go in search of some other game.

The flight of this species is strong, rapid, and greatly protracted. Its
movements on wing greatly resemble those of the Oyster-catcher, and,
unless during the breeding season, are performed low over the waters.
They seldom rise without emitting their usual notes, which resemble the
syllables will-wiilet, or will, will, willet, and are different from the softer
and more prolonged whistling notes which they emit during the love sea-
son. They generally travel in flocks, even in spring, and, congregate for
the purpose of breeding, being attracted when passing by the notes of
those which have already arrived at a chosen spot. The males and females
remain together until autumn, when several families join and live peace-
ably together. When wounded and brought to the water, they swim
tolerably well, but do not dive, although they now and then, on being
approached, try to submerse themselves.

The Willets retire to the interior of the larger salt-marshes for the
purpose of forming their nests and raising their broods in security. There,
in the vicinity of the shallow pools, which frequently occur in such places,
the bird prepares a nest on the ground, among the rank grass, of which the
tenement itself is composed. It is usually raised to the height of from

three to five inches, and is, I believe, annually angmented or repaired.

SEMIPALMATED SNIPE. 513

Witson says that this augmentation or raising of the nest is carried on
whilst the Willet is laying and sitting; but this I have never observed.
The eggs, usually four in number, are placed with the broad end outwards,
as is the case with those of most birds of this tribe. They measure two
inches and one-eighth in length, by one inch and a half in breadth, are
much flattened at the larger end, and more or less pointed at the other.
The shell is smooth, of a dull yellowish-olive tint, irregularly spotted and
blotched with dark umber. The eggs afford excellent eating. Both birds
incubate, sitting alternately day and night. The young run about on
leaving the shell, and are carefully fed by their parents. They are of a
greyish hue, and covered with down, but soon shew feathers, grow rapid-
ly, become fat and juicy, and by the time they are able to fly, afford excel-
lent food. At the first moult they acquire their full plumage.

The food of the Willet consists of aquatic insects, small crabs, and
fiddlers, which they procure either by pursuing them on foot or by prob-
ing for them in their burrows, along the mud bars, and in the crevices of
the creeks and salt-water ditches. I have also observed it turning over
stones and shells to seek for worms beneath them.

The males are smaller than the females. I have presented you with

figures of the adult both in the winter and summer plumage.

ScoLopax sEmipaLMatus, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 722.

ToraNnus SEMIPALMATUS, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States,
p- 323.

SEMIPALMATED SNIPE, SCOLOPAX SEMIPALMATA, Wils, Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 27.

pl. 56. fig.3.
ToTANUS SEMIPALMATUS, SEMIPALMATED TATLER, Swains. and Richards. Fauna-

Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 388.
SEMIPALMATED SNrIPE on WILLET, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 144.

Adult Male in spring. Plate CCLXXIV. Fig. 1.

Bill long, slender, compressed, tapering, straight or recurved in an al-
most imperceptible degree. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight,
the ridge convex, flattened at the base, the sides grooved to the middle,
afterwards convex, the edges broad and flattened, the breadth of the
mandible a little increased towards the point, which is narrowed, slightly
deflected and obtuse. Nostrils subbasal, linear, pervious, nearer the edge
than the dorsal line. Lower mandible with the angle very narrow and

VOL. III. x k

514 SEMIPALMATED SNIPE.

medial, beyond it the outline slightly ascending and straight, sides grooved
as far as the angle, and convex, the edges broad and flat, the point nar-
row and slightly incurved.

Head small, oblong, narrowed before. Neck rather long, slender.
Body slender. Feet long and slender ; tibia bare for nearly half its length,
scutellate before and behind ; tarsus long, slender, covered before and be-
hind with numerous scutella, the narrow lateral spaces with extremely
small oblong scales. Toes small, slender, scutellate above, flat beneath,
marginate, the anterior toes connected by basal membranes which extend
along their sides, the outer membrane larger than the inner; first toe ex-
tremely small, second and fourth about equal, third little longer. Claws
small, compressed, slightly arched, obtuse, that of third toe with a dilated
inner edge.

Plumage soft and blended, on the fore part of the head very short,
on the neck short and very soft. Wings long, very acute, narrow; pri-
maries tapering and rounded, the first longest, the second little shorter,
the rest rapidly graduated; secondaries obliquely rounded, the inner
elongated and tapering. ‘Tail short, of twelve narrow, rounded feathers,
the two middle ones a little longer than the rest.

Bill light blue, dusky towards the end. Iris brown. Feet light blue;
claws black.. Head and neck brownish-grey, streaked with blackish-
brown; the throat, and a band from the bill over the eye white. Fore
part of back and scapulars brownish-grey, variegated with central mark-
ings and bars cf blackish-brown ; the hind part of the back brownish-grey
with a gloss of olive. Wing-coverts grey with central lines of brownish-
black ; primary coverts and primary quills brownish-black, but the latter
white in their basal half; outer secondaries white, inner like the scapulars.
Lower wing-coverts dusky ; breast and sides white, the latter undulatingly
barred with brownish-black ; abdomen and lower and upper tail-coverts
white, some of them, however, with a few dusky bars. The four middle
tail-feathers are barred with brownish-black and brownish-grey, the rest
pale grey fading to white on the outer, and all more or less minutely
mottled with pale brown.

Length to end of tail 15} inches, to end of wings 15, to end of claws
174 ; extent of wings 273; wing from flexure 8}; tail 3,%, ; bill along the
back 21; along the edge of lower mandible 274; tarsus 24; middle

toe 1,5,, its claw }. Weight 7 oz.

SEMIPALMATED SNIPE. 515

Adult Female in winter. Plate CCLX XIV. Fig. 2.

In winter the upper parts are light brownish-grey, the fore part of the
neck and the sides of the same colour but paler; the throat, breast, ab
domen, and rump white; the lower and upper tail-coverts with a few un-
dulated lines of brownish-grey ; the wings as in summer; as is the tail,
only that the middle feathers are grey.

Length 152 inches; wing from flexure 83; extent of wings 31;
tail 34; bill along the back 2/7, along the edge of lower mandible 283 ;
tarsus 1,5; middle toe 1,4, its claw }. Weight 10 oz.

KkQ

( 516 )

THE NODDY TERN.

STERNA STOLIDA, Linn.
PLATE CCLXXV.

Axsour the beginning of May, the Noddies collect from all parts of
the Gulf of Mexico, and the coasts of Florida, for the purpose of re-
turning to their breeding places, on one of the Tortugas called Noddy
Key. They nearly equal in number the Sooty Terns, which also breed on
an island a few miles distant. 'The Noddies form regular nests of twigs
and dry grass, which they place on the bushes or low trees, but never on the
ground. On visiting their island on the 11th of May 1832, I was surprised
to see that many of them were repairing and augmenting nests that had re-
mained through the winter, while others were employed in constructing new
ones, and some were already sitting on their eggs. In a great many in-
stances, the repaired nests formed masses nearly two feet in height, and
yet all of them had only a slight hollow for the eggs, broken shells of
which were found among the entire ones, as if they had been purposely
placed there. The birds did not discontinue their labours, although there
were nine or ten of us walking among the bushes, and when we had gone
a few yards into the thicket, thousands of them flew quite low over us,
some at times coming so close as to enable us to catch a few of them with
the hand. On one side might be seen a Noddy carrying a stick in its bill,
or a bird picking up something from the ground to add to its nest ; on
the other several were seen sitting on their eggs unconscious of danger,
while their mates brought them food. The greater part rose on wing as
we advanced, but re-alighted as soon as we had passed. The bushes were
rarely taller than ourselves, so that we could easily see the eggs in the nests.
This was quite a new sight to me, and not less pleasing than unexpected.

The Noddy, like most other species of Terns, lays three eggs, which
average two inches in length, by an inch and three-eighths in breadth, and
are of a reddish-yellow colour, spotted and patched with dull red and faint
purple. They afford excellent eating, and our sailors seldom failed to col-
lect bucketfuls of them daily during our stay at the Tortugas. The
wreckers assured me that the young birds remain along with the old
through the winter, in which respect the Noddy, if this account be correct,

NODDY TERN. DI7

differs from other species, the young of which keep by themselves until
spring.

At the approach of a boat, the Noddies never flew off their island, in
the manner of the Sooty Terns. They appeared to go farther out to sea
than those birds, in search of their food, which consists of fishes mostly
caught amid the floating sea-weeds, these Terns seizing them, not by plung-
ing perpendicularly downwards, as other species do, but by skimming
close over the surface in the manner of Gulls, and also by alighting and
swimming round the edges of the weeds. This I had abundant opportuni-
ties of seeing while on the Gulf of Mexico.

The flight of this bird greatly resembles that of the Night Hawk
when passing over meadows or rivers. When about to alight on the
water, the Noddy keeps its wings extended upwards, and touches it first
with its feet. It swims with considerable buoyancy and grace, and at
times immerses its head to seize on a fish. It does not see well by night,
and it is perhaps for this reason that it frequently alights on the spars of
vessels, where it sleeps so sound that the seamen often catch them. When
seized in the hand, it utters a rough cry, not unlike that of a young
American Crow taken from the nest. On such occasions, it does not dis-
gorge its food, like the Cayenne Tern and other species, although it bites
severely, with quickly repeated movements of the bill, which, on missing
the object aimed at, snaps like that of our larger Fly-catchers. Some
which I kept several days, refused all kinds of food, became dull and
languid, and at length died.

While hovering over us near their nests, these birds emitted a low
querulous murmur, and, if unmolested, would attempt to alight on our
heads. After a few visits, however, they became rather more careful of
themselves, although the sitting birds often suffered us to put a hat over
them. Like the Sooty Tern, this species incubates both day and night.
The differences exhibited by Terns with respect to their mode of nestling
and incubation, are great, even in the same neighbourhood, and under the
same degree of atmospheric temperature. This species breeds on bushes
or low trees, placing several nests on the same bush, or in fact as many
as it will hold. The Sterna fuliginosa scoops out a slight hollow in the
sand, under the bushes, without forming any nest, and incubates closely
like the former. The Sandwich, the Cayenne, and the Roseate Terns,
drop their eggs on the sand or the bare rock, and seldom sit upon them

until evening, or during cloudy or rainy weather. The Cayenne, Sooty,

518 NODDY TERN.

and Noddy Terns differ greatly in their flight, their manner of feeding,
and the extent of their migrations. ‘The Tail of the Noddy is cuneate,
instead of being forked, in which respect it differs essentially from that of
the other species. Perhaps the naturalists who placed it in the same genus
with the Roseate Tern, may have been nodding over their books.

Since writing the above account, I have read the article on this spe-
cies by my esteemed friend Mr Nurrazz, and am surprised to find
him state that “ the Noddies breed in great numbers in the Bahama
Islands, laying their eggs on the shelvings of rocks.” No authority is
given for this, which I regret, because had he given the fact as observed
by himself, it would have astonished me as much as my account of the
breeding of the Noddy in the Tortugas may astonish others.

STERNA sTOLIDA, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 227.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 805.
—Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 356.
Noppy, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 285.

Adult Male. Plate CCLXXV.

Bill longer than the head, strong, slender, nearly straight, compressed,
very acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly arched, the
ridge broad and convex at the base, narrowed towards the end, the sides
convex, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip acute. Nasal groove ex-
tended to beyond half the length of the bill, slightly deflected towards
the edge ; nostrils submedial, linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandible
with the angle very narrow, acute, extending to the middle, the dorsal
line straight, or very slightly concave, the sides convex, the sharp edges
inflected, the tip extremely acute.

Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed ; neck of moderate length ;
body slender ; feet very short, rather stout. Tibia bare for a short space ;
tarsus very short, roundish, covered anteriorly with small scutella, late-
rally and behind with reticulated scales; toes slender, the first very small,
the third longest, the fourth nearly as long, the second much shorter, all
scutellate above, the anterior united by reticulated webs, having an in-
curved margin ; claws curved, compressed, acute, that of hind toe small-
est, of middle toe by much the largest, and having the inner edge thin
and dilated.

Plumage soft, close, blended, very short on the head ; the feathers in

general broad and rounded. Wings very long, narrow, and pointed ;

NODDY TERN. 519

primary quills tapering but rounded, the first longest, the rest rapidly
graduated ; secondaries short, broad, rather acute, the inner more taper-
ing. Tail long, cuneate, of twelve tapering rounded feathers.

Bill black. Iris brown. Feet dull brownish-red, the webs dusky,
the claws black. The. general colour is sooty brown; the primaries and
tail-feathers brownish-black ; the upper part of the head greyish-white ;
a black spot anterior to and over the eye.

Length to end of tail 16;4, to end of wings 1672, to end of claws
1334; extent of wings 82; wing from flexure 10}$; tail 53; bill along
the back 13, along the edge of lower mandible 2}; tarsus 4°}, middle
toe 11, its claw 44. Weight 42 oz.

( 520 )

STILL BECALMED.

On the 4th of June we were still in the same plight, although the sur-
rents of the Gulf had borne us to a great distance from the place where,
as I have informed you, we had amused ourselves with catching Dolphins.
These currents are certainly very singular, for they carried us hither and
thither, at one time rendering us apprehensive of drifting on the coast of
Florida, at another threatening to send us to Cuba. Sometimes a slight
motion in the air revived our hopes, swelled our sails a little, and carried
us through the smooth waters like a skater gliding on ice; but in a few
hours it was again a dead calm.

One day several small birds, after alighting on the spars, betook them-
selves to the deck. One of them, a female Rice Bunting, drew our at-
tention more particularly, for, a few moments after her arrival, there came
down, as if in her wake, a beautiful Peregrine Falcon. The plunderer
hovered about for a while, then stationed himself on the end of one of
the yard-arms, and suddenly pouncing on the little gleaner of the mea-
dows, clutched her and carried her off in exultation. But, Reader, mark
the date, and judge besides of my astonishment when I saw the Falcon
feeding on the Finch while on wing, precisely with the same ease and
composure as the Mississippi Kite might shew while devouring high in
air a Red-throated Lizard, swept from one of the magnificent trees of the
Louisiana woods.

There was a favourite pet on board, belonging to our Captain, and
which was nothing more nor less than the female companion of a cock, in
other words, a common hen. Some liked her because she now and then
dropped a fresh egg,—a rare article at sea, even on board the Delos ;
others, because she exhibited a pleasing simplicity of character ; others
again, because, when they had pushed her overboard, it gave them plea-
sure to see the poor thing in terror strike with her feet, and strive to reach
her floating home, which she would never have accomplished, however,
had it not been for the humane interference of our Captain, Mr Josrrx
Hatcu of Kennebunk. Kind, good-hearted man! when, several weeks
after, the same pet hen accidentally flew overboard, as we were scudding

along at a furious rate, I thought I saw a tear stand in his eye, as she

STILL BECALMED. 521

floated panting in our wake.—But as yet we are becalmed, and heartily
displeased at old Molus for overlooking us.

One afternoon we caught two sharks. In one of them, a female, about
seven feet long, we found ten young ones, all alive, and quite capable of
swimming, as we proved by experiment ; for, on casting one of them into
the sea, it immediately made off, as if it had been accustomed to shift for
itself. Of another, that had been cut in two, the head half swam off out
of our sight. The rest were cut in pieces, as was the old shark, as bait
for the dolphins, which 1 have already said are fond of such food.

Our captain, who was much intent on amusing me, informed me that
the rudder-fishes were plentiful astern, and immediately set to dressing
hooks for the purpose of catching them. There was now some air above
us, the cotton sheets aloft bulged out, the ship moved through the water,
and the captain and I repaired to the cabin window. I was furnished
with a fine hook, a thread line, and some small bits of bacon, as was the
captain, and we dropped our bait among the myriads of delicate little
fishes below. Up they came, one after another, so fast in succession, that,
according to my journal, we caught three hundred and seventy in about
two hours. What a mess! and how delicious when roasted! If ever I
am again becalmed in the Gulf of Mexico, I shall not forget the rudder-
fish. The little things scarcely measured three inches in length; they
were thin and deep in form, and afforded excellent eating. It was curi-
ous to see them keep to the lee of the rudder in a compact body ; and so
voracious were they, that they actually leaped out of the water at the
sight of the bait, as “ sunnies” are occasionally wont to do in our rivers.
But the very instant that the ship became still, they dispersed around her
sides, and would no longer bite. I made a figure of one of them, as in-
deed I tried to do of every other species that occurred during this death-
like calm. Not one of these fishes did I ever see when crossing the At-
lantic, although many kinds at times come close to the stern of any ves-
sel in the great sea, and are called by the same name.

Another time we caught a fine Porpoise, which measured about two
yards in length. This took place at night, when the light of the moon
afforded me a clear view of the spot. The fish, contrary to custom, was
grained, instead of being harpooned ; but in such a way and so effectual-
ly, through the forehead, that it was thus held fast, and allowed to flounce
and beat about the bows of the ship, until the person who had struck it
gave the line holding the grains to the Captain, slided down along the

522 STILL: BECALMED.

bob-stays with a rope, and after a while managed to secure it by the tail.
Some of the crew then hoisted it on board. When it arrived on deck, it
gave a deep groan, flapped with great force, and soon expired. On
opening it next morning, eight hours after death, we found its intestines
still warm. ‘They were arranged in the same manner as those of a pig ;
the paunch contained several cuttlefishes partially digested. The lower
jaw extended. beyond the upper about three-fourths of an inch, and both
were furnished with a single row of conical teeth, about half an inch long,
and just so far separated as to admit those of one jaw between the corres-
ponding ones of the other.. The animal might weigh about four hundred
pounds; its eyes were extremely small, its flesh was considered delicate
by some on board; but in my opinion, if it be good, that of a large alli-
gator is equally so; and on neither do I intend to feast for some time.
The Captain told me that he had seen these Porpoises leap at times per-
pendicularly out of the water to the height of several feet, and that small
boats have now and then been sunk by their falling into them, when en-
gaged with their sports.

During all this time flocks of Pigeons were crossing the Gulf, between
Cuba and the Floridas; many a Rose-breasted Gull played around by
day ; Noddies alighted on the rigging by night; and now and then, the
Frigate bird was observed ranging high over head in the azure of the
cloudless sky.

The directions of the currents were tried, and our Captain, who had
an extraordinary genius for mechanics, was frequently employed in turn-
ing powder horns and other articles. So calm and sultry was the weather
that we had a large awning spread, under which we took our meals, and
spent the night. At length we got so wearied of it, that the very sailors
I thought seemed disposed to leap overboard, and swim to land. But
at length, on the thirty-seventh day after our departure, a smart breeze
overtook us. Presently there was an extraordinary bustle on board;
about twelve the Tortugas light-house bore north of us, and in a few
hours more we gained the Atlantic. olus had indeed awakened from
his long sleep; and on the nineteenth day after leaving the Capes of
Florida, I was landed at Liverpool.

( 523 )

THE KING DUCK.

FULIGULA SPECTABILIS, BONAP.
PLATE CCLXXVI. Mate anp FEMALE.

Tus beautiful species rarely advances farther south along our eastern
coast than the neighbourhood of the Bay of Boston. I have, however, been
assured by old and trustworthy gunners that the King Duck, about thirty
years ago, was by no means of rare occurrence there during winter, and that
a few had been known to breed in company with the Eider along the coast.
At the period of my arrival at Labrador, the greater number of the King

“Ducks had proceeded farther north ; and although some were seen there,
we found none of their nests. I can say nothing of the habits of this
bird, which, although they may be similar to those of the Eider, must
yet differ in many particulars, as is the case with all birds that are nearly
allied in form. The eggs of the King Duck collected by Captain James
Crark Ross, R. N., measure two inches and five-eighths by one inch and
three-fourths, and have a smooth shell, of an uniform dull greenish-co-
lour.

Anas spEcTaBItis, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. ii. p. 198.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 845.

Futieuta sPEcTaBILis, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 389.

SomaTERIA sPEcTABILIS, Ktne Ducx, Swains. and Richards. Fauna-Bor. Amer.
part ii. p. 447.

Kine Ducx, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 414.

Adult Male. Plate CCLXXVI. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, much deeper than broad atthe base, some-
what depressed towards the end, which is broad and rounded. Upper
mandible with a soft tumid compressed substance at the base, extending
perpendicularly upon the forehead, and by a medial band of feathers di-
vided into two broad lobes, the dorsal line beyond this descending to the
unguis, then slightly curved, the ridge broadly convex, the sides sloping

and convex, the edges perpendicular, with about forty-five narrow inter-

524 KING DUCK.

nal lamella, the unguis very large, broadly elliptical. Nostrils submedi-
al, oblong, large, pervious, near the ridge. Lower mandible flattened,
with the angle very long, rather narrow and rounded, the dorsal line short
and slightly convex, the edges with about fifty lamellz, the unguis very
large and elliptical.

Head large, compressed. Neck rather short. Body bulky and much
depressed. Feet very short, strong, placed rather far behind; tarsus very
short, compressed, anteriorly having a series of narrow scutella in its
whole length, and a partial series above the fourth toe, the rest reticu-
lated with angular and oblong scales; hind toe small, with a free mem-
brane beneath ; anterior toes longer than the tarsus, connected by reticu-
lated membranes having a sinus at their free margins, the inner with a
broad lobed marginal membrane, the outer with a thickened edge ; all
obliquely scutellate above; the third and fourth about equal and longest.
Claws small, arched, compressed, obtuse, that of first toe very small and
more curved, of middle toe largest, more depressed, and with a dilated in-
ner edge.

Plumage short, dense, blended. Feathers on the fore part of the head
extremely small, on the upper part very narrow, on the sides of the head
very short, stiff and hair-like. Wings rather short, narrow, and pointed ;
primary quills curved, strong, tapering, the second longest, the first al-
most as long, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries short, broad, round-
ed, excepting the inner, which are elongated, tapering, and curved out-
wards. ‘Tail very short, much rounded, of fourteen stiff narrow feathers.

Bill flesh-coloured, the sides of the upper mandible and the soft frontal
lobes bright orange. Iris bright yellow. Feet dull orange, the webs
dusky, the claws brownish-black. The band of feathers separating the
frontal lobes, and those along their upper and posterior edges, black ;
lower eyelid, and a forked patch on the throat, the same. The upper
part of the head light purplish-grey; the hair-like feathers on the sides
of the head pale bluish-green ; the fore neck cream coloured; the sides
and hind part of the neck, a patch on the wings, and another on each side
of the rump, white. The hind part of the back, the scapulars, the larger
wing-coverts, and the secondary quills, brownish-black, the latter glossed
with green-; primary quills and tail blackish-brown. Breast and abdomen
blackish-brown ; lower wing-coverts white, the outer brown.

Length to end of tail 25 inches, to end of wings 23; wing from flexure

KING DUCK. 525

11}; tail 33; bill from the base of the tumid part 11, along the edge of

lower mandible 2;; ; tarsus 1; middle toe 219, its claw 4.

Adult Female. Plate CCLX XVI. Fig. 2.

The Female differs greatly from the male. The bill is shorter, its
tumid basal lobes narrow and not ascending perpendicularly, so that the
forehead is low as in most Ducks. The feathers of the head and upper
part of the neck are small, soft, and uniform. The colour of the bill is
pale greenish-grey ; the iris dull yellow; the feet dull ochre. The head
and neck are pale greyish-yellow, with small lines of brownish-black.
The feathers of the back are brownish-black towards the end, with yel-
lowish-grey edges, the scapulars brownish-red on the margins. The quills
and tail-feathers are deep greyish-brown ; the recurved secondaries broad-
ly edged externally with yellowish-grey. ‘The fore part of the lower neck
and breast, the sides, and lower tail-coverts, have a central mark and sub-
marginal band of brownish-black, the middle of the breast scarcely spotted,
being of the general colour of the lower parts, which is pale yellowish-
brown.

Length to end of tail 20 inches, to end of wings 17; wing from
flexure 103 ; tail 33 ; bill from the separation of the lobes 1} ; tarsus 14, ;

middle toe 23, its claw $.

( 526 )

HUTCHINS’S GOOSE.
ANSER HuTcHINsi, RicHARDsON.

PLATE CCLXXVII. Anputrt.

In the first article in this volume, that of the Canada Goose, in which I
have described the habits of that bird at considerable length, I had occa-
sion to allude to a small species called by the gunners of Maine the Winter
or Flight Goose, which they described to me as resembling the large and
common kind in almost every particular except its size. Although it was
not my good fortune while there to meet with the bird spoken of by men
who were well acquainted with it, I have no doubt that it is the very species
which has been named in honour of Mr Hurcurys, and that its periodical
appearance along our eastern coast will ere long be fully established. This
is the more to be expected as’: Dr RicHarpson informs us that it is abun-
dant about Hudson’s Bay, where it was long mistaken for the Brent, or an
emaciated Canada Goose. In the mean time, having been presented with
a specimen of the bird in question by my highly esteemed and gallant
friend Captain James Cxiarx Ross, I have embraced the opportunity thus
offered, of laying before you a representation, the first I believe that has
yet appeared, of Hutcutns’s Goose.

For fifteen months, rendered trebly long and wearisome by heavy and
difficult marches, under the most distressing feelings, that most amiable
and accomplished traveller, carried with him many specimens of rare birds,
with the view of contributing to the advancement of our knowledge.
Would, Reader, that you could sympathize with me in the feelings of
pride and pleasure with which I call him friend. May his name be as
extensively known as his worth deserves !

Some weeks after my drawing was finished, and when I had arrived
in Edinburgh, I had the gratification of receiving a long and most inte-
resting letter from him, of which I present you with an extract. “I
have very great pleasure in having it now in my power to offer to your
acceptance the specimen of this interesting species from which your draw-
ing was taken. It was the child of my solicitude, and my constant com-
panion during a long and tedious journey, after the abandonment of

our ship, until our being received on board the Isabella, an interval of

HUTCHINS’S GOOSE. 527

fifteen months; and this will account in a great measure for the miserable
plight in which the specimen first came into your hands. I will dispose
of it according to your wishes, and am most happy to place it in the
hands of one who knows so well how to appreciate the interesting asso-
ciations connected with it.

‘© These birds arrived in flocks about the middle of June, in the neigh-
bourhood of Felix Harbour, and soon dispersed in pairs to their breeding
place. At Igloolik, the only place where we had before met with them,
their nests were found in the marshes near the sea; but on this occasion
several pairs constructed their nests on a ledge of rock near the foot of a
high precipice; immediately above them the Dovekies, Loons, several
species of Gulls, and near its summit, the Jer-Falcon and Raven, built
their nests.

‘“‘ From three to four eggs were found in each nest, of a pure white, and
of an oval form, measuring 3.1 inches by 2.1, and weighing from: 1800 to
2000 grains.

“‘ The female bird is smaller than the male. To the measurements given
by Dr Ricuarpson, which are very accurate, we may add that its extent
of wings is fifty inches, and that it averages about four pounds and a half

of weight. Its flesh is of a.most exquisite flavour.”

Anser Hourtcuinsi1, Hutcuins’s Barnac Le Goost, Swains. and Richards. Fauna

Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 470.

Adult. Plate CCLX XVII.

Bill shorter than the head, higher than broad at the base, somewhat
conical, depressed towards the end, rounded at the tip.. Upper mandible
with the dorsal line sloping, the ridge slightly flattened at the base, con-
vex in the rest of its extent, the sides sloping, the edges soft, the oblique
internal lamellz about thirty ; the unguis roundish, convex. Nasal groove
oblong, parallel to the ridge, filled by the soft membrane of the bill; nos-
trils medial, lateral, longitudinal, narrow-elliptical, open, pervious. Lower
mandible straight, with the angle very long, narrow and rounded, the
edges with about forty oblique lamelle.

Head small, oblong, compressed. Neck long and very slender. Body
full. Feet short, stout, placed behind the centre of the body; legs bare
a little above the joint ; tarsus short, a little compressed, covered all round

with angular scales, those behind smaller; hind toe very small, with a

528 HUTCHINS'S GOOSE.

narrow membrane, third the longest, fourth considerably shorter, but
longer than second ; all reticulated above at the base, but with narrow
transverse scutella towards the end ; the three anterior connected by reti-
culated webs, the outer with a thick margin, the inner with the edge more
dilated. Claws small, arched, rather compressed, except that of the middle
toe, which is bent obliquely inwards and depressed, with a curved edge.

Plumage close, blended on the neck and lower parts of the body, com-
pact on the upper. The feathers of the head and neck very narrow, of
the back very broad and abrupt, of the breast and belly broadly rounded.
Wings long ; primaries strong, curved, the second longest, but the first
and third almost as long, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries long,
rather narrow, rounded. Tail short, slightly rounded, of sixteen rounded
feathers.

Bill, feet, and claws black. Iris brown. Head and two upper thirds
of the neck glossy black. A large subtriangular patch of white on each
side of the head and neck. The general colour of the upper parts is
brownish-grey, the feathers margined with paler ; of the lower parts pale
greyish-brown, margined with yellowish-grey ; the abdomen and lower
tail-coverts white ; the hind part of the back brownish-black. The pri-
mary quills and tail-feathers are deep brown.

Length to end of tail 25 inches, extent of wings 50 ; wing from flexure
163; tail 5%; bill along the back 13, along the edge of lower mandible
14; tarsus 24; middle toe 2, its claw 7. Weight 43 lb.

In the Fauna Boreali-Americana, the tail-feathers are stated to be
fourteen. In my specimen they are sixteen, and it is probable that the
full number is eighteen, as the two middle ones seem to be wanting.

( 529 )

SCHINZ’S SANDPIPER.
TRINGA SCHINZU, BREuM.

PLATE CCLXXVIII. Mate anp Fematre.

Autuoucu I have met with this species at different times in Kentucky,
and along our extensive shores, from the Floridas to Maine, as well as on
the coast of Labrador, I never found it breeding. Indeed, I have not
met with it in the United States excepting in the latter part of autumn
and in winter. Those procured in Labrador were shot in the beginning of
August, and were all young birds, apparently about to take their depart-
ure. My drawing of the two individuals represented in the plate was
made at St Augustine in East Florida, where I procured them on the 2d
December 1831. I have always found these birds gentle and less shy than
any other species of the genus. They fly at a considerable height with
rapidity, deviating alternately to either side, and plunge toward the ground
in a manner somewhat resembling that of the Solitary Sandpiper. When
accidentally surprised, they start with a repeated weet, less sonorous than
that of the bird just mentioned. They search for food along the mar-

gins of pools, creeks and rivers, or by the edges of sand-bars, and mix
with other species.

Trinca Scuinzu1, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 249.—
Amer. Ornith. vol. iv. p. 69. pl. 24. fig. 2. Winter.—Swains. and Richards. Fauna
Bor. Amer. part. ii. p. 384.

Scuinz’s SanpDpPirER, Nuttall; Manual, vol. ii. p. 109.

Adult Male in winter. Plate CCLX XVIII. Fig. 1.

Bill about the length of the head, slender, subcylindrical, straight,
compressed at the base, the point slightly enlarged and rather obtuse.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, excepting at the tip, the
ridge narrow and convex, broader and flattened towards the end, the sides
sloping, the edges rather obtuse. Nasal groove extending to near the tip ;
nostrils basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and
extremely narrow, the dorsal line straight, the sides sloping outwards, the
tip a little broader than that of the upper.

Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck of moderate length.
VOL. III. ul

530 SCHINZ’S SANDPIPER.

Body rather slender. Feet rather long, slender ; tibia bare a third part
of its length ; tarsus compressed behind, covered anteriorly and posteriorly
with numerous scutella, which scarcely leave any intermediate space ; hind
toe extremely small; the rest of moderate length, slender, the fourth
slightly longer than the second, the third longest; all free, there being
only a very slight rudimentary web between the third and fourth, flat be-
neath, slightly marginate with rather pointed scales. Claws small, slightly
arched, compressed, rather acute, that of the third toe much larger, with
the inner edge dilated.

Plumage very soft, blended on the lower parts, the feathers distinct
above. Wings veryilong, pointed ; primaries tapering, obtuse, the first
longest, the second almost equal, the rest rapidly graduated; outer secon-
daries incurved, narrow, obliquely sinuate at the end of the outer web,
the inner rounded and extending beyond the outer ; inner secondaries
very narrow, tapering to a point, reaching, when the wing is closed, to
about half an inch from its tip. Tail of moderate length, nearly even,
but with the two middle feathers exceeding the rest, the number of feathers
twelve.

Bill and feet dusky. Iris brown. The general colour of the upper
parts is brownish-black, each feather edged with yellowish-grey, the sca-
pulars with light red. Wing-coverts greyish-brown, the shaft black ;
primary and secondary coverts tipped with white ; quills brownish-grey,
darker towards the tips, the imner primaries and outer secondaries more
or less edged and tipped with white ; the tail-coverts white with a dusky
spot, excepting the two central, which are blackish, with a few greyish-
white markings. Tail-feathers light grey, the two middle brownish-black
towards the end. Sides of the head, fore neck, anterior part of breast
and sides greyish-white, with small lanceolate central brownish-black spots;
the rest of the lower parts white.

Length to end of tail 7;'z inches, to end of wings 7,4, to end of claws
73%; 5 extent of wings 142, bill along the back 43, along the edge of lower
mandible 13; wing from flexure 44%}; tail 23%; tarsus }}; middle toe

£4, its claw 74.
Adult Female in winter. Plate CCLX XVIII. Fig. 2,

The Female is similar to the male, but a little smaller.

In some individuals, about six of the middle tail-coverts are black,

the lateral barred with white and dusky.

THE SANDWICH TERN.
STERNA CANTIACA, GMEL.

PLATE CCLXXIX. Aputt anp Youna.

On the 26th of May 1882, while sailing along the Florida Keys in
Mr Turvston’s barge, accompanied by his worthy pilot and my assist-
ant, I observed a large flock of Terns, which, from their size and other
circumstances, I would have pronounced to be Marsh Terns, had not the
difference in their manner of flight convinced me that they were of a spe-
cies hitherto unknown to me. The pleasure which one feels on such an
occasion cannot easily be described, and all that it is necessary for me to
say on the subject at present is, that I begged to be rowed to them as
quickly as possible. A nod and a wink from the pilot satisfied me that
no time should be lost, and in a few minutes all the guns on board were
in requisition. The birds fell around us; but as those that had not been
injured remained hovering over their dead and dying companions, we
continued to shoot until we procured a very considerable number. On
examining the first individual picked up from the water, I perceived from
the yellow point of its bill that it was different from any that I had
previously seen, and accordingly shouted “ A prize! a prize! a new
bird to the American Fauna!” And so it was, good Reader, for no per-
son before had found the Sandwich Tern on any part of our coast. A
large basket was filled with them, and we pursued our course. On open-
ing several individuals, I found in the females eggs nearly ready for be-
ing laid. The males, too, manifested the usual symptoms of increased ac-
tion in the organs distinctive of the sex. I felt a great desire to discover
their breeding grounds, which I had the pleasure of doing in a few days
after.

The vigour and activity of this bird while on wing afforded me great
pleasure. Indeed its power of flight exceeds that of the Marsh Tern,
- which I consider as a closely allied species. While travelling, it advances
by regular sharp flappings of its wings, which propel it forward much in
the manner of the Passenger Pigeon, when, single and remote from a flock,
it pushes on with redoubled speed. While plunging after the small mul-

lets and other diminutive fishes that form the principal part of its food, it
E12

532 SANDWICH TERN.

darts perpendicularly downwards with all the agility and force of the
Common and Arctic Terns, nearly immersing its whole body at times,
but rising instantly after, and quickly regaining a position from which it
can advantageously descend anew. Should the fish disappear, as the bird
is descending, the latter instantly recovers itself without plunging inte the
water. Its cries are sharp, grating, and loud enough to be heard at the
distance of half a mile. They are repeated at intervals while it is travel-
ling, and kept up incessantly when one intrudes upon it in its breeding
grounds, on which occasion it sails and dashes over your head, chiding you
with angry notes more disagreeable than pleasant to your ear.

How many days these birds had been laying, when I discovered the
key on which they breed, I cannot say ; but many of them were still en-
gaged in depositing their eggs, and none were as yet sitting on those
which, being three together, seemed to form the full complement. They
had been dropped on the sand, at short intervals, with scarcely any ap-
pearance of a hollow for their reception. In some instances they were laid
at the foot of a scanty tuft of grass; but all were fully exposed to the
heat of the sun, which at this time I thought almost sufficient to cock
them. The eggs varied as much in colour as those of the Arctic Tern and
Foolish Guillemot, and were equally disproportionate to the size of the bird,
their average length being two inches and one-eighth, their greatest breadth
one inch and three and a half eighths. They are of an oval form, but ra-
ther sharp at the larger end. The ground colour is yellowish-grey, vary-
ing in depth, and all more or Jess spotted, blotched, or marked with diffe-
rent tints of umber, pale blue, and reddish. But to describe them with
absolute precision seems to me impossible, and until you see my plates of
eggs, I strongly recommend to you to inspect the valuable and accurate
delineations published by my friend W. C. Hewrrson, Esq. of Newcastle-
upon-Tyne, among which you will find not less than three excellent re-
presentations of the eggs of the Sandwich Tern. That gentleman de-
scribes them as being “ mostly two” for each pair of birds, and “ sometimes
three,” on the islands on the coast of Northumberland, where he found
this species breeding in numbers. The eggs were so abundant and close
together, that, to use his own words, “ we were obliged carefully to pick
our steps in order to avoid treading upon them; they were either on the
grass as it grew, or upon a small quantity gathered together for that pur-
pose.” T-add that these eggs are most capital eating.

I never saw the Sandwich Tern on any other portion of our coasts than

SANDWICH TERN. 533

between the Florida Keys and Charleston, and from whence it first came
there, or how it went thence to Europe, is an enigma which may perhaps
never be solved. On asking the Wreckers if they had been in the habit
of seeing these birds, they answered in the affirmative, and added that
they paid them pretty frequent visits during the breeding season, on ac-
count of their eggs as well as of the young, which, when nearly able to
fly, they said were also good eating. According to their account, this spe-
cies spends the whole winter near and upon the keys, and the young keep

separate from the old birds.

STERNA CANTIACA, Gmel. Syst. Nat. Sp. 15.—Temm. Man. d’Ornith. part ii. p. 735.
Sterna Boysir, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 806.
Sanpwicn TERN, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 276.

Adult Male. Plate CCLXXIX.

Bill Jonger than the head, slender, tapering, compressed, nearly
straight, very acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly arch-
ed, the ridge rather broad at the base, very narrow towards the tip, the
sides sloping at the base, slightly convex and nearly perpendicular to-
wards the end, the edges sharp and inflected, the tip very acute. Nasal
groove extending to a little beyond the middle of the bill and deflected
towards its edge ; nostrils basal, linear, direct, pervious. Lower mandi-
ble with the angle very narrow and acute, extending nearly to the middle,
the dorsal line beyond it straight, the sides convex, towards the end more
erect, the ridge very narrow, the tip extremely acute.

Head of moderate size, oblong; neck of moderate length; body slender.
Feet very small; tibia bare for a considerable space ; tarsus very short,
anteriorly scutellate, laterally and behind reticulated ; toes small, slender,
the first extremely small, the third longest, the fourth about the same
length, the second much shorter, all scutellate above, the anterior con-
nected by reticulated webs of which the margins are deeply concave.
Claws arched, compressed, acute, that of hind toe very small, of middle
toe by much the largest, and having the inner edge thin and dilated.

Plumage soft, close, blended, very short on the fore part of the head ;
the feathers on the occiput and upper part of hind neck pointed and elon-
gated. Wings very long, narrow and pointed; primary quills tapering,
the outer slightly curved inwards at the end, the first longest, the rest ra-

pidly graduated ; secondary short, broad, incurved, rounded, the inner

584 SANDWICH TERN.

proportionally longer and narrower. Tail rather long, deeply forked, of
twelve feathers, the outer tapering to a point.

Bill black, excepting the tips, which are yellow; inside of the mouth
deep blue. Iris brown. Feet black. The upper part of the head,
occiput and part of hind neck bluish-black. Sides of the head, neck
all round, and the rest of the lower parts white, the breast frequently
tinged with pink. The fore part of the back, the scapulars and the
upper surface of the wings pale greyish-blue ; the tips and the greater
parts of the inner webs of the scapulars, and quills white, as are the ramp
and the tail; the four outer quills blackish, but covered with light grey
down, on the outer webs and over a considerable extent of the inner, their
shafts white.

Length to end of tail 153 inches, to end of wings 16,8, ; to end of
claws 123; extent of wings 333; wing from flexure 12}; tail 6; bill
along the back 24, along the edge of lower mandible 23%; tarsus 1,4,;

middle toe £3, its claw ,4. Weight 63 oz.

The Female is similar to the Male.

The young, after the first moult, are of a light greyish-blue colour
on the upper parts, the feathers tipped and banded in an undulating man-
ner with brownish-black ; the upper part of the head and the hind neck
are of the latter colour, but mottled with white. The quills are as in the
adult, the tail grey, with irregular brownish-black markings towards the
tips of the feathers. The lower parts are also pale grey, but much lighter
than the upper. The bill and feet are black, but the tip of the former
has not vet assumed a yellow tint.

( 585 )

THE BLACK TERN.

STERNA NIGRA, LINN.
PLATE CCLXXX. Aputtr Mate anv Youns.

Tue Black Tern begins to arrive from the Mexican territories over
the waters of the Western Country, about the middle of April, and con-
tinues to pass for about a month. At that season I have observed it as-
cending the Mississippi from New Orleans to the head waters of the Ohio,
then cutting over the land, and arriving at the Great Lakes, beyond
which many proceed still farther northward. But I have rarely met
with them along our Atlantic shores until autumn, when the young, which,
like those of all other Terns with which I am acquainted, mostly keep by
themselves until spring, make their appearance there. Nor did I see a
single individual,when on my way to Labrador, or during my visit to
that country. They re-appear in the Western Country, in the course of
their southern migration, in the months of September and October ; but
many pairs breed in the intermediate range.

When residing at Louisville in Kentucky, I found the Black Tern
abundant in the neighbourhood, breeding on the margins of ponds at a
short distance from the Ohio. I also found them with nests and eggs on
a pond near Vincennes, in the State of Indiana. Now, however, they
have abandoned those places, and merely pass over the country on their
way to and from the northern regions.

Often have I watched their graceful light and rapid flight, as they
advanced and passed over in groups of twenty, thirty or more, from the
delightful residence of my worthy friend and kind relative NicHoLas
Berruoun, Esq. of Shippingport, during the month of May, when Na-
ture, opening her stores anew, benignly smiled upon the favoured land
of Kentucky. The gay birds were seen ranging from the basin at the
foot of the rapids to the lower part of the narrow channel which separates
Sandy Island from the shore, up the clear stream and down again, plung-
ing at short intervals into the water to seize their prey, and continuing
their pleasing occupations through the whole day. When the period of
reproduction arrived, they would all betake themselves to the ponds, and
search along their moist shores for tufts of rank grass such as might form

536 BLACK TERN.

suitable places for their nests. One of their favourite ponds still remains
in part, although a great portion of it has been drained. It is now known
by the name of Hope-Distillery Pond, and lies a few hundred yards from
the Ohio, but is nearly surrounded with buildings of various kinds. ALEx-
ANDER Witson, to whom I shewed the old nests of the Black Tern at
this place, did not seem to be acquainted with the bird, and thought that
they were those of some species of Rail.

The nest is usually placed on the top of a broken tussock of the rank-
est grasses, of which it is itself composed, it being of a flattish form, and
about two inches thick. It is enlarged or renewed every year, some nests
being found to be from four to six inches in height. In some instances
the water surrounds the foot of the tussock on which it is placed. They
begin to lay on the first days of June. The eggs, of which the full num-
ber is four, greatly resemble in colour those of the Sandwich and Arctic
Terns. When disturbed at this season, these birds are as noisy as any of
the tribe ; but they remain close over the place, and go to the river only
at intervals to procure food. Both sexes incubate by turns, and the eggs
are kept constantly covered. 'They average in length one inch and three-
eighths by one inch across, and are nearly of an elliptical form, being but
slightly pomted at one end; their ground colour is greenish-buff, spotted
and dashed with reddish umber and black, more abundantly toward the
middle. I took the trouble of counting the number of nests round the
pond, and found it more than seventy. About the middle of August the
young fly well, and are able to seek food for themselves. I have seen the
parent birds feed them on wing in the manner of swallows.

They alight less frequently on the water than the larger species. On
shore they walk like swallows. During autumn they hunt for food over
the wet prairies, passing low, and picking up the insects as they proceed
without alighting. At this season, both old and young have become more
silent. They are at all times less shy than most others of the tribe. Their
principal food consists of aquatic insects and small fry, and their flesh is
tolerably good.

Since I wrote the above notice, I have been informed by my youngest
son that this species was still seen about the Falls of the Ohio, in con-
siderable numbers, a few years ago; but that, although he observed them
there in spring, summer, and early autumn, he did not discover their

breeding grounds, which are ‘perhaps now farther inland than formerly.

BLACK TERN. 537

Srerwa niaRA, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 227.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 810.—
Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 355.

SHortT-TAILED TERN, STERNA PLUMBEA, Wiis, Amer. Ornith. vol. vi. p. 83. pl. 60.
fig. 3. Young.

STerna nicRrA, Brack TERN, Swains. and Richards, Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 415.

Brack TERN, oR STERN, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 282.

Adult Male. Plate CCLXXX. Fig. 1.

Bill about the same length as the head, slender, tapering, compressed,
nearly straight, very acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line slightly
arched, the ridge convex at the base, narrowed towards the end, the sides
sloping at the base, slightly convex and nearly perpendicular towards the
tip, the edges sharp, the tip acute. Nasal groove reaching nearly to the
middle of the mandible; nostrils basal, linear, direct, pervious. Lower
mandible with the angle very narrow, acute, extending beyond the middle,
the dorsal line straight, the sides erect and slightly convex, the edges
sharp and slightly inflected, the tip extremely acute.

Head of moderate size, oblong; neck rather short ; body slender.
Feet small; tibia bare for a short space; tarsus very short, covered an-
teriorly with small scutella, laterally and behind with reticular scales ;
toes very slender, the first extremely small, the third longest, the fourth
nearly as long, the second much shorter, all scutellate above, the anterior
connected by short reticulate webs, having a concave margin, and not ex-
tending much beyond the middle of the toes. Claws long, slender, arched,
compressed, acute, that of hind toe smallest, of middle toe largest, and
having a thin dilated inner edge.

Plumage soft, close, blended, on the head short, on the back some-
what compact. Wings very long, narrow and pointed; primary quills
tapering, the outer slightly curved inwards at the end, the first longest,
the rest rapidly graduated ; secondary short, broad, incurved, rounded.
Tail of moderate length, emarginate, of twelve rounded feathers.

Bill brownish-black. Iris brown. Feet reddish-brown, claws black.
Head, neck, breast, sides and abdomen, greyish-black ; lower tail-coverts
white, lower wing-coverts bluish-grey. The general colour of the upper
parts is dark bluish-grey ; the outer web of the first quill greyish-black.

Length to end of tail 9 inches, to end of wings 11; extent of wings
24; wing from flexure 83; tail 3}; bill along the back 1,,, along the
edge of lower mandible 1,; tarsus 8; middle toe ;%, its claw $!

1z
Weight 3 oz.

\

538 BLACK TERN.

Young Male in Autumn. Plate CCLX XX.

The bill, iris, and feet nearly as in the adult. The upper parts are
greyish-blue, the feathers of the fore part of the back, and especially the
scapulars, brown towards the end; the upper and hind part of the head
greyish-black, of which there isa darker mark behind, and another before
the eye; the forehead greyish- white, as are the sides of the head, the fore
neck, the breast, and the abdomen; the sides dusky grey ; the lower wing-
coverts greyish-white. The quills are darker towards the end, and the
first primary is black along the outer web.

Length to end of tail 73 inches, to end of wings 9,8, ; wing from
flexure 72; tail 2}¢ ; bill along the ridge }3, along the edge of lower man-

dible 15%; tarsus 73; middle toe 3%, its claw ,%.

( 539 )

NATCHEZ IN 1820.

One clear frosty morning in December I approached in my flat-boat
the City of Natchez. The shores were crowded with boats of various
kinds, laden with the produce of the western country ; and there was a
bustle about them, such as you might see at a general fair, each person
being intent on securing the advantage of a good market. Yet the scene
was far from being altogether pleasing, for I was yet ‘ under the hill ;”
but on removing from the lower town, I beheld the cliffs on which the
city, properly so called, has been built. Vultures unnumbered flew close
along the ground on expanded pinions, searching for food ; large pines
and superb magnolias here and there raised their evergreen tops toward
the skies; while on the opposite shores of the Mississippi, vast alluvial
beds stretched along, and the view terminated with the dense forest.
Steamers moved rapidly on the broad waters of the great stream; the
sunbeams fell with a peculiarly pleasant effect on the distant objects ; and
as I watched the motions of the White-headed Eagle while pursuing the
Fishing Hawk, I thought of the wonderful ways of that Power to whom
I too owe my existence.

Before reaching the land I had observed that several saw-mills were
placed on ditches or narrow canals, along which the water rushed from
the inner swamps towards the river, and by which the timber is conveyed
to the shore; and on inquiring afterwards, I found that one of those tem-
porary establishments had produced a net profit of upwards of six thou-
sand dollars in a single season.

There is much romantic scenery about Natchez. The Lower Town
forms a most remarkable contrast with the Upper, for in the former the
houses were not regularly built, being generally dwellings formed of the
abandoned flat boats, placed in rows as if with the view of forming a long
street. The inhabitants formed a medley which it is beyond my power
to describe ; hundreds of laden carts and other vehicles jogged along the
declivity between the two towns; but when, by a very rude causeway, I
gained the summit, I was relieved by the sight of an avenue of those
beautiful trees called here the Pride of China. In the Upper Town I
found the streets all laid off at right angles to each other, and tolerably
well lined with buildings, constructed with painted bricks or boards.

540 NATCHEZ IN 1820.

The agricultural richness of the surrounding country was shewn by the
heaps of cotton bales and other produce that encumbered the streets. The
churches, however, did not please me ; but as if to make up for this, I
found myself unexpectedly accosted by my relative Mr BrrrHoup, who
presented me with letters from my wife and sons. These circumstances put
me in high spirits, and we proceeded towards the best hotel in the place,
that of Mr Garnier. The house, which was built on the Spanish plan,
and of great size, was surrounded by large virandas overlooking a fine
garden, and stood at a considerable distance from any other. At this
period the City of Natchez had a population not exceeding three thousand
individuals. I have not visited it often since, but I have no doubt that,
like all the other towns in the western district of our country, it has great-
ly increased. It possessed a bank, and the mail arrived there thrice in
the week from all parts of the Union.

The first circumstance that strikes a stranger is the mildness of the
temperature. Several vegetables as pleasing to the eye as agreeable to
the palate, and which are seldom seen in our eastern markets before May,
were here already in perfection The Pewee Fly-catcher had chosen the
neighbourhood of the city for its winter quarters, and our deservedly
famed Mocking Bird sang and danced gratis to every passer by. I was
surprised to see the immense number of Vultures that strode along the
streets, or slumbered on the roofs. The country for many miles inland
is gently undulated. Cotton is produced abundantly, and wealth and
happiness have taken up their abode under most of the planter’s roofs,
beneath which the wearied traveller or the poor wanderer in search of a
resting place, is sure to meet with comfort and relief. Game is abundant,
and the free Indians were wont in those days to furnish the markets with
ample supplies of venison and Wild Turkey. The Mississippi, which
bathes the foot of the hill, some hundred feet below the town, supplies
the inhabitants with fish of various kinds. The greatest deficiency is that
of water, which for common purposes is dragged on sledges or wheels from
the river, while that used for drinking is collected in tanks from the roofs,
and becomes very scarce during protracted droughts. Until of late years,
the orange-tree bore fruit in the open air ; but owing to the great change
that has taken place in the temperature, severe though transient frosts oc-
casionally occur, which now prevent this plant from coming to perfection
in the open air.

The remains of an old Spanish Fort are still to be seen at a short dis-

NATCHEZ IN 1820. 541

tance from the city. If I am correctly informed, about two years previ-
ous to this visit of mine, a large portion of the hill near it gave way, sank
about a hundred feet, and carried many of the houses of the lower town
into the river. This, it would appear, was occasioned by the quicksand
running springs that flow beneath the strata of mixed pebbles and clay,
of which the hill is composed. The part that has subsided presents the
appearance of a basin or bowl, and is used as a depot for the refuse of the
town, on which the Vultures feed when they can get nothing better.
There it was that I saw a White-headed Eagle chase one of those filthy
birds, knock it down, and feast on the entrails of a horse, which the Car-
rion Crow had partly swallowed.

I did not meet at Natchez with many individuals fond of Ornitho-
logical pursuits, but the hospitality with which I was received was such
as I am not likely to forget. Mr Garnier subsequently proved an ex-
cellent friend to me, as you may find elsewhere recorded. Of another in-
dividual, whose kindness towards me is indelibly impressed on my heart,
I would say a few words, although he was such a man as FENELON alone
could describe. Cuaritrs Carre’ was of French origin, the son of a
nobleman of the old regime. His acquirements and the benevolence of
his disposition were such, that when I first met with him, I could not help
looking upon him as another Mentor. Although his few remaining
locks were grey, his countenance still expressed the gaiety and buoyant
feelings of youth. He had the best religious principles ; for his heart and
his purse were ever open to the poor. Under his guidance it was that I
visited the whole neighbourhood of Natchez ; for he was acquainted with
all its history, from the period at which it had first come under the power
of the Spaniards to that of their expulsion from the country, its posses-
sion by the French, and subsequently by ourselves. He was also well
versed in the Indian languages, spoke French with the greatest purity, and
was a religious poet. Many a pleasant hour have I spent in his com-

pany; but alas! he has gone the way of all the earth !

() 5420)

THE GREAT WHITE HERON.
ARDEA OCCIDENTALIS.

PLATE CCLXXXI.

I am now about to present you with an account of the habits of the
largest species of the Heron tribe hitherto found in the United States,
and which is indeed remarkable not only for its great size, but also for
the pure white of its plumage at every period of its life. Writers who
have subdivided the family, and stated that none of the True Herons are
white, will doubtless be startled when they, for the first time, look at my
plate of this bird. I think, however, that our endeavours to discover the
natural arrangement of things cannot be uniformly successful, and it is
clear that he only who has studied ad/ can have much chance of disposing
all according to their relations.

On the 24th of April 1832, I landed on Indian Key in Florida, and
immediately after formed an acquaintance with Mr Ecan, of whom I have
already several times spoken. He it was who first gave me notice of the
species which forms the subject of this article, and of which I cannot find
any description. ‘The next day after that of my arrival, when I was
prevented from accompanying him by my anxiety to finish a drawing,
he came in with two young birds alive, and another lying dead in a
nest, which he had cut off from a mangrove. You may imagine how
delighted I was, when at the very first glance I felt assured that they
were different from any that I had previously seen. The two living birds
were of a beautiful white, slightly tinged with cream-colour, remark-
ably fat and strong for their age, which the worthy Pilot said could
not be more than three weeks. The dead bird was quite putrid and
much smaller. It looked as if it had accidentally been trampled to
death by the parent birds ten or twelve days before, the body being
almost flat and covered with filth. The nest with the two live birds was
placed in the yard. The young Herons seemed quite unconcerned when
a person approached them, although on displaying one’s hand to them,
they at once endeavoured to strike it with their bill. My Newfoundland

dog, a well-trained and most sagacious animal, was whistled for and came

GREAT WHITE HERON. 543

up; on which the birds rose partially on their legs, ruffled all their feathers,
spread their wings, opened their bills, and clicked their mandibles in great
anger, but without attempting to leave the nest. I ordered the dog to go
near them, but not to hurt them. They waited until he went within
striking distance, when the largest suddenly hit him with its bill, and
hung to his nose. Plato, however, took it all in good part, and merely
brought the bird towards me, when I seized it by the wings, which made it
let go its hold. It walked off as proudly as any of its tribe, and I was
delighted to find it possessed of so much courage. These birds were left
under the charge of Mrs Ecan, until I returned from my various excur-
sions to the different islands along the coast.

On the 26th of the same month, Mr Turuston took me and my com-
panions in his beautiful barge to some keys on which the Florida Cormo-
rants were breeding in great numbers. As we were on the way we ob-
served two tall white Herons standing on their nests; but although I was
anxious to procure them alive, an unfortunate shot from one of the party
brought them to the water. They were, I was told, able to fly, but pro-
bably had never seen a man before. While searching that day for nests
of the Zenaida Dove, we observed a young Heron of this species stalking
among the mangroves that bordered the key on which we were, and im-
mediately pursued it. Had you been looking on, good Reader, you might
have enjoyed a hearty laugh, although few of us could have joined you.
Seven or eight persons were engaged in the pursuit of this single bird,
which, with extended neck, wings, and legs, made off among the tangled
trees at such a rate, that, anxious as I was to obtain it alive, I several
times thought of shooting it. At length, however, it was caught, its bill
was securely tied, its legs were drawn up, and fastened by a strong cord,
and the poor thing was thus conveyed to Indian Key, and placed along with
its kinsfolk. On seeing it, the latter immediately ran towards it with open
bills, and greeted it with a most friendly welcome, passing their heads
over and under its own in the most curious and indeed ludicrous manner.
A bucketful of fish was thrown to them, which they swallowed in a few
minutes. After a few days, they also ate pieces of pork-rhind, cheese,
and other substances. ;

While sailing along the numerous islands that occur between Indian
Key and Key West, I saw many birds of this species, some in pairs, some
single, and others in flocks ; but on no occasion did I succeed in getting

within shot of one. Mr Eeawn consoled me by saying that he knew some

544 GREAT WHITE HERON.

places beyond Key West where I certainly should obtain several, were
we to spend a day and a night there for the purpose. Dr Brensamin
Srropet afterwards gave mea similar assurance. In the course of a week
after reaching Key West, I in fact procured more than a dozen birds of
different ages, as well as nests and eggs, and their habits were carefully
examined by several of my party.

At three o’clock one morning, you might have seen Mr Ecan and
myself, about eight miles from our harbour, paddling as silently as possi-
ble over some narrow and tortuous inlets, formed by the tides through a
large flat and partially submersed key. There we expected to find many
White Herons ; but our labour was for a long time almost hopeless, for,
although other birds occurred, we had determined to shoot nothing but
the Great White Heron, and none of that species came near us. At length,
after six or seven hours of hard labour, a Heron flew right over our heads,
and to make sure of it, we both fired at once. The bird came down dead.
It proved to be a female, which had either been sitting on her eggs or
had lately hatched her young, her belly being bare, and her plumage
considerably worn. We now rested a while, and breakfasted on some bis-
cuit soaked in molasses and water, reposing under the shade of the man-
groves, where the mosquitoes had a good opportunity of breaking their
fast also. We went about from one key to another, saw a great number
of White Herons, and at length, towards night, reached the Marion,
rather exhausted, and having a solitary bird. Mr Eeawn and I had been
most of the time devising schemes for procuring others with less trouble,
a task which might easily have been accomplished a month before, when,
as he said, the birds were “sitting hard.” He asked if I would return
that night at twelve o’clock to the last key which we had visited. I men-
tioned the proposal to our worthy Captain, who, ever willing to do all
in his power to oblige me, when the service did not require constant
attendance on board, said that if I would go, he would accompany us in
the gig. Our guns were soon cleaned, provisions and ammunition placed
in the boats, and after supping we talked and laughed until the appoint-
ed time.

“‘ Eight Bells” made us bound on our feet, and off we pushed for the
islands. 'The moon shone bright in the clear sky ; but as the breeze had
died away, we betook ourselves to our oars. The state of the tide was
against us, and we had to drag our boats several miles over the soapy

shallows ; but at last we found ourselves in a deep channel beneath the

GREAT WHITE HERON. 545

hanging mangroves of a large key, where we had observed the Herons
retiring to roost the previous evening. There we lay quietly until day-
break. But the mosquitoes and sandflies ! Reader, if you have not been
in such a place, you cannot easily conceive the torments we endured for a
whole hour, when it was absolutely necessary for us to remain perfectly
motionless. At length day dawned, and the boats parted, to meet on the
other side of the key. Slowly and silently each advanced. A Heron
sprung from its perch almost directly over our heads. Three barrels were
discharged,—in vain; the bird flew on unscathed; the pilot and I had
probably been too anxious. As the bird sped away, it croaked loudly,
and the noise, together with the report of our guns, roused some hun-
dreds of these Herons, which flew from the mangroves, and in the grey
light appeared to sail over and around us like so many spectres. I almost
despaired of procuring any more. The tide was now rising, and when we
met with the other boat we were told, that if we had waited until we
could have shot at them while perched, we might have killed several ; but
that now we must remain until full tide, for the birds had gone to their
feeding grounds.

The boats parted again, and it was now arranged that whenever a
Heron was killed, another shot should be fired exactly one minute after, by
which each party would be made aware of the success of the other. Mr
Eean, pointing to a nest on which stood two small young birds, desired
to be landed near it. I proceeded into a narrow bayou, where we re-
mained quiet for about half an hour, when a Heron flew over us and was
shot. It wasavery fine old male. Before firing my signal shot, I heard
a report from afar, and a little after mine was discharged I heard another
shot, so I felt assured that two birds had been killed. When I reached
the Captain’s boat I found that he had in fact obtained two ; but Mr Ecan
had waited two hours in vain near the nest, for none of the old birds came
up. We took him from his hiding place, and brought the Herons along
with us. It was now nearly high water. About a mile from us, more
than a hundred Herons stood on a mud-bar up to their bellies. The pilot
said that now was our best chance, as the tide would soon force them to
fly, when they would come to rest on the trees. So we divided, each
choosing his own place, and I went to the lowest end of the key, where it
was separated from another bya channel. I soon had the pleasure of ob-
serving all the Herons take to wing, one after another, in quick succes-
sion. I then heard my companions’ guns, but no signal of success. Ob-

VOL. Ill. : Mm

546 GREAT WHITE HERON.

taining a good chance as I thought, I fired at a remarkably large bird,
and distinctly heard the shot strike it. The Heron merely croaked, and
pursued its course. Not another bird came near enough to be shot at,
although many had alighted on the neighbouring key, and stood perched
like so many newly finished statues of the purest alabaster, forming a fine
contrast to the deep blue sky. The boats joined us. Mr Eean had one
bird, the Captain another, and both looked at me with surprise. We
now started for the next key, where we expected to see more. When we
had advanced several hundred yards along its low banks, we found the
bird at which I had shot lying with extended wings in the agonies of
death. It was from this specimen that the drawing was made. I was
satisfied with the fruits of this day’s excursion. On other occasions I
procured fifteen more birds, and judging that number sufficient, I left the
Herons to their occupations.

This species is extremely shy. Sometimes they would rise when at the
distance of half a mile from us, and fly quite out of sight. If pursued,
they would return to the very keys or mud-flats from which they had
risen, and it was almost impossible to approach one while perched or
standing in the water. Indeed, I have no doubt that half a dozen speci-
mens of Ardea Herodias could be procured for one of the present, in the
same time and under similar circumstances.

The Great White Heron is a constant resident on the Florida Keys,
where it is found more abundant during the breeding season than any-
where else. They rarely go.as far eastward as Cape Florida, and are not
seen on the Tortugas, probably because these islands are destitute of man-
groves. They begin to pair early in March, but many do not lay their
eggs until the middle of April. Their courtships were represented to me
as similar to those of the Great Blue Heron. Their nests are at times
met with at considerable distances from each other, and although many
are found on the same keys, they are placed farther apart than those of
the species just mentioned. They are seldom more than a few feet above
high water-mark, which in the Floridas is so low, that they look as if only
a yard or two above the roots of the trees. From twenty to thirty nests
which I examined were thus placed. They were large, about three feet
in diameter, formed of sticks of different sizes, but without any appear-
ance of lining, and quite flat, being several inches thick. ‘The eggs are
always three, measure two inches and three quarters in length, one inch
and eight-twelfths in breadth, and have a rather thick shell, of a uniform

GREAT WHITE HERON. 547

plain light bluish-green colour. Mr Eean told me that incubation con-
tinues about thirty days, that both birds sit, (the female, however, being
most assiduous,) and’ with their legs stretched out before them, in the
same manner as the young when two or three weeks old. The latter, of
which I saw several from ten days to a month old, were pure white, slightly
tinged with cream colour, and had no indications of a crest. Those which
I carried to Charleston, and which were kept for more than a year, ex-
hibited nothing of the kind. Iam unable to say how long it is before
they attain their full plumage as represented in the plate, when, as you
see, the head is broadly but loosely and shortly tufted, the feathers of the
breast pendent, but not remarkably long, and there are none of the nar-
row feathers seen in other species over the rump or wings.

These Herons are sedate, quiet, and perhaps even less animated than
the A. Herodias. They walk majestically, with firmness and great ele-
gance. Unlike the species just named, they flock at their feeding grounds,
sometimes a hundred or more being seen together ; and what is still more
remarkable is, that they betake themselves to the mud-flats or sand-bars
at a distance from the Keys on which they roost and breed. They seem,
in so far as I could judge, to be diurnal, an opinion corroborated by the
testimony of Mr Ecan, a person of great judgment, sagacity and inte-
grity. While on these banks, they stand motionless, rarely moving to-
wards their prey, but waiting until it comes near, when they strike it and
swallow it alive, or when large beat it on the water, or shake it violently,
biting it severely all the while. They never leave their feeding grounds
until driven off by the tide, remaining until the water reaches their body.
So wary are they, that although they may return to roost on the same
keys, they rarely alight on trees to which they have resorted before, and
if repeatedly disturbed they do not return, for many weeks at least.
When roosting, they generally stand on one foot, the other being drawn

and, unlike the Ibises, are never seen lying flat on trees, where, how-

u
sea they draw in their long neck, and place their head under their
wing.

I was often surprised to see that while a flock was resting by day in
the position just described, one or more stood with outstretched necks,
keenly eyeing all around, now and then suddenly starting at the sight of
a Porpoise or Shark in chase of some fish. The appearance of a man or
a boat, seemed to distract them ; and yet I was told that nobody ever

Mm 2.

548 GREAT WHITE HERON.

goes in pursuit of them. If surprised, they leave their perch with arough
croaking sound, and fly directly to a great distance, but never inland.

The flight of the Great White Heron is firm, regular, and greatly
protracted. They propel themselves by regular slow flaps, the head being
drawn in after they have proceeded a few yards, and their legs extended
behind, as is the case with all other Herons. They also now and then rise
high in the air, where they sail in wide circles, and they never alight with-
out performing this circling flight, unless when going to feeding grounds
on which other individuals have already settled. It is truly surprising that
a bird of so powerful a flight never visits Georgia or the Carolinas, nor goes
to the Mainland. When you see them about the middle of the day on their
feeding grounds they “ loom” to about double their size, and present a
singular appearance. It is difficult to kill them unless with buck-shot,
which we found ourselves obliged to use.

When I left Key West, on our return towards Charleston, I took
with me two young birds that had been consigned to the care of my
friend Dr B. Srrozet, who assured me that they devoured more than
their weight of food per day. I had also two young birds of the Ardea
Herodias alive. After bringing them on board, I placed them all toge-
ther in a very large coop ; but was soon obliged to separate the two species,
for the white birds would not be reconciled to the blue, which they would
have killed. While the former had the privilege of the deck for a few
minutes, they struck at the smaller species, such as the young of Ardea
rufescens and A. Ludoviciana, some of which they instantly killed and
swallowed entire, although they were abundantly fed on the flesh of green
Turtles. None of the sailors succeeded in making friends with them.

On reaching Indian Key, I found those which had been left with Mrs
Eean, in excellent health and much increased in size, but to my surprise
observed that their bills were much broken, which she assured me had
been caused by the great force with which they struck at the fishes
thrown to them on the rocks of their enclosure,—a statement which I
found confirmed by my own observation in the course of the day. It was
almost as difficult to catch them in the yard, as if they had never seen a
man before, and we were obliged to tie their bills fast, to avoid being
wounded by them while carrying them on board. They thrived well, and
never manifested the least animosity towards each other. One of them

which accidentally walked before the coop in which the Blue Herons were,

GREAT WHITE HERON. 549:

thrust its bill between the bars, and transfixed the head of one of these
birds, so that it was instantaneously killed.

When we arrived at Charleston, four of them were still alive. They
were taken to my friend Joun Bacumay, who was glad to see them. He
kept a pair, and offered the other to our mutual friend Dr Samuzt W11-
son, who accepted them, but soon afterwards gave them to Dr GinBeEs
of Columbia College, merely because they had killed a number of Ducks.
My friend Bacuman kept two of these birds for many months; but it
was difficult for him to procure fish enough for them, as they swallowed
a bucketful of mullets in a few minutes, each devouring about a gallon
of these fishes. They betook themselves to roosting in a beautiful arbour
in his garden ; where at night they looked with their pure white plumage
like beings of another world. It is a curious fact, that the points of their
bills, of which an inch at least had been broken, grew again, and were as
regularly shaped at the end of six months as if nothing had happened to
them. In the evening or early in the morning, they would frequently
set, like pointer dogs, at moths which hovered over the flowers, and with
a well-directed stroke of their bill seize the fluttering insect and instant-
ly swallow it. On many occasions, they also struck at chickens, grown
fowls and ducks, which they would tear up and devour. Once a cat
which was asleep in the sunshine, on the wooden steps of the viranda, was
pinned through the body to the boards, and killed by one of them. At
last they began to pursue the younger children of my worthy friend, who
therefore ordered them to be killed. One of them was beautifully mounted
by my assistant Mr Henry Warp, and is now in the Museum of Charles-
ton. Dr Giszes was obliged to treat his in the same manner ; and I after-
wards saw one of them in his collection. Of the'fifteen skins of this species
which I carried to Philadelphia, one was presented to the Academy of
Natural Sciences of that beautiful city, another was given in exchange
for various skins, and two I believe are now in the possession of GEORGE
Coorrr, Esq. of New York. Two were sent along with other specimens
to Mr Se.tsy of Twizel House, Northumberland. On my arrival in
England, I presented a pair to His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex,
who gave them to the British Museum, where I have since seen them
mounted. I also presented a specimen to the Zoological Society of Lon-
don.

Mr Ecan kept for about a year one of these birds, which he raised

550 GREAT WHITE HERON.

from the nest, and which, when well grown, was allowed to ramble along
the shores of Indian Key in quest of food. One of the wings had been
cut, and the bird was known to all the resident inhabitants, but was at *
last shot by some Indian Hunter, who had gone there to dispose of a col-
lection of sea shells.

Some of the Herons feed on the berries of certain trees during the
latter part of autumn and the beginning of winter. Dr B. B. Strope.
observed the Night Heron eating those of the ‘“‘ Gobolimbo,” late in Sep-
tember at Key West.

Among the varied and contradictory descriptions of Herons, you will
find it alleged that these birds seize fish while on wing by plunging the
head and neck into the water; but this seems to me extremely doubtful.
Nor, I believe, do they watch for their prey while perched on trees. Ano-
ther opinion is, that Herons are always thin, and unfit for food. This,
however, is by no means generally the case in America, and I have

thought these birds very good eating when not too old.

Great Wuitr HERON, ARDEA OCCIDENTALIS.

Adult Male. Plate CCLXXXI.

Bill much longer than the head, straight, compressed, tapering to a
point, the mandibles nearly equal, but the point of the upper consider-
ably extended beyond that of the lower. Upper mandible with the dor-
sal line nearly straight, the ridge broadly convex at the base, convex and
narrowed towards the end, a groove from the base to near the tip, beneath
which the sides are convex, the edges extremely thin and sharp, towards
the end broken into irregular serratures, the tip acute. Lower mandible
with the angle extremely narrow and elongated, the dorsal line beyond
it ascending and slightly curved, the ridge convex, the sides ascending
and slightly concave, the edges as in the upper, the tip acuminate. Nos-
trils basal, linear-oblong, longitudinal, with a membrane above and be-
hind.

Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck extremely long,
slender. Body slender and compressed; wings large. Feet very long;
tibia elongated, its lower half bare, very slender, covered all round with
large elongated hexagonal scales ; tarsus long, thicker than the lower part

of the tibia, compressed, covered anteriorly with large scutella, excepting

GREAT WHITE HERON. 551

at the two extremities where there are large angular scales. Toes of mo-
derate length, rather slender, scutellate above, flattened, and reticularly
granulate beneath, the thick margins covered with small scales, the sides
with larger ; the third and fourth toes connected at the base by a reticu-
lated web; the third toe much longer than the fourth, which is consider-
ably longer than the second, the first about half the length of the third ;
claws of moderate size, strong, compressed, curved, obtuse, the first
largest, the third next in size, and with an inner regularly pectinated edge,
all more or less convex beneath.

Space between the bill and eye, and around the latter, as well as at
the angle of the mouth bare, as is the lower half of the tibia. Plumage
soft, the edges of the feathers loose and blended. Feathers of the upper
part of the head and hind neck elongated and tapering ; of the back long
and loose, of the rump soft and downy ; scapulars very long, rather com-
pact, the upper loose. Feathers of the fore neck elongated, of the sides
of the breast anteriorly very long, loose and tapering ; of the rest of the
lower parts broader but pointed; of the tibia shortish. Wings large,
rounded ; primaries curved, strong, broad, tapering, the three first slightly
sinuate on the inner web; third quill longest, fourth scarcely shorter,
third almost as long as fourth, first a quarter of an inch shorter; secondaries
very large, broad and rounded, the inner extending as far as the longest
primary when the wing is closed. Tail short, slightly rounded, of twelve
broad, rounded feathers.

Bill yellow, the upper mandible dusky green at its base ; loral space
yellowish-green ; orbital space light blue. Iris bright yellow. Tibia and
hind part of tarsus yellow ; fore part of tibia and toes olivaceous, sides of
the latter greenish-yellow; claws light brown. The whole of the plumage
is pure white.

Length to end of tail 54 inches, to end of wings 54, to end of claws
70; extent of wings 83; wing from flexure 19; tail 7; bill along the
back 62, along the edges 82; bare part of tibia 6; tarsus 8}; middle
toe 449, its claw 39. Weight 93 Ib.

The Female is smaller, but similar to the male. The dimensions of
an individual were as follows.
Length to end of tail 50, to end of wings 50, to end of claws 65 ;
extent of wings 75 ; wing from flexure 183 ; tail 62; bill along the back
19, along the edges 73, its depth at base 1,5,; tarsus 74; middle toe
42, its claw 2,. Weight 7 Ib.

552 GREAT WHITE HERON.

The Young are at first covered with white down, and when fledged are
of the same colour. An individual just able to fly was of the following
dimensions.

Length to end of tail 433, to end of claws 56; wing from flexure 18 ;
bill 5;4,; along the edge 71; tarsus 63; middle toe 44, its claw 3.
The serrature of the middle claw is distinct at this age.

In this species, the skin is uncommonly tender, and of a yellow co-

Jour.

THE WHITE-WINGED SILVERY GULL.
LARUS LEUCOPTERUS, FaBer.

PLATE CCLXXXII. Aputtr Mates, anp Youna.

I HAVE not met with this species farther south than the Bay of New
York. During the winter it is not rare about Boston and farther east-
ward. At the approach of summer, before the pairing of the Herring
Gull, Larus argentatus, the White-winged Gulls collect in flocks, and set
out for the distant north, where they breed.

The flight of this species so much resembles that of the Herring Gull,
that were it not for its smaller size, and the different colour of its wings,
it could not be distinguished from the other. It is less shy, however,
proceeds farther up the rivers and salt-water creeks, and alights oftener
on the water as well as on the salt-meadows, than that species. While at
Portland in Maine, I observed a good number of these Gulls flying over
the inner harbour close to the shores, descending towards the water, and
picking up garbage in the manner of the Herring Gulls, with which they
associated. Their notes were not so loud, nor so often heard.

I was surprised to find but very few on the coast of Labrador, and
these did not seem to be breeding, for although we carefully watched them,
we did not succeed in finding any nests.

Larus LEUCOPTERUS, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 361.

Larus LEUCOPTERUS, WHITE-WINGED SILVERY GULL, Swains. and Richards. Fauna
Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 418.

Larus arcticus, Macgillivray, Wern. Trans. vol. v. p. 268.

WHITE-WINGED SILVERY GULL, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 305.

Adult Male. Plate CCLX XXII. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, strong, nearly straight, compressed. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight at the base, arched and de-
clinate towards the end, the ridge convex, the sides slightly convex, the
edges sharp, nearly direct, the tip rather obtuse. Nasal groove rather
long and narrow ; nostril in its fore part, lateral, longitudinal, linear,

wider anteriorly, open and pervious. Lower mandible with a prominence

554 WHITE-WINGED SILVERY GULL.

at the end of the angle, which is long and narrow, the dorsal line then
nearly straight and ascending, the sides flat and slightly inclined, the
edges sharp and inflected.

Head rather large. Neck of moderate length. Body rather full.
Wings very long. Feet of moderate length, rather slender ; tibia bare
below ; tarsus somewhat compressed, covered before with numerous broad
scutella, laterally and behind with roundish scales, on the outer side also
with a row of small scutella; toes of moderate length, rather slender, all
covered above with scutella; the anterior connected by reticulated webs,
the two lateral with an external thick margin ; the first extremely small,
the third longest, the fourth longer than second ; claw of hind toe small-
est, of third largest, with an inner thin edge, of second next in size, all
more or less compressed and obtuse. :

The plumage in general is close, elastic, very soft and blended, on the
back rather compact. Wing svery long, broad, pointed ; primaries tapering,
the first longest, the second slightly shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ;
secondaries broad and rounded, the inner elongated and rather narrow.
Tail of moderate length, even, of twelve broad feathers.

Bill gamboge-yellow, with a spot of orange-red near the end of lower
mandible; the angle of the mouth and the edges of the eyelids are also
orange-red. Iris pale yellow. Feet pale flesh-colour; claws greyish. brown.
The whole plumage is pure white, excepting the back and upper surface
of wings; the tips of the secondaries, the terminal third or so of the pri-
maries, their shafts, and the upper tail-coverts also white.

Length to end of tail 26 inches, to end of wings 283; extent of wings
50; bill along the back 13, along the edges 2}; tarsus 24, middle toe 274,

its claw 44; wing from flexure 173; tail 63.

Young in winter. Plate CCLXXXII. Fig. 2.

Bill yellow, the tips black. Edges of eyelids pale reddish- orange ; iris
brown. Feet yellowish flesh colour ; claws greyish-brown. The plumage
is yellowish-grey, marked on the head and neck with longitudinal streaks
of pale brown, on the back and wings with transverse undulations, those:

on the tail much fainter ; the first six quills destitute of markings.

THE WANDERING SHEARWATER.

PUFFINUS CINEREUS, Cuv.

PLATE CCLXXXIII. Mate.

I nave found this species ranging from the Gulf of St Lawrence to
that of Mexico, but have very seldom seen it near the coast. While sail-
ing round Nova Scotia, on my way to Labrador, early in June, I ob-
served one evening about sunset, a great number flying from the rocky
shores, which induced me to think that they bred there. Scarcely one
was to be seen during the day, and this circumstance strengthened my
opinion, as I was aware that these birds are in the habit of remaining
about their nests at that time. In September the case is very different ;
for they are then seen far out at sea, at all hours by day and through the
night.

In calm weather, they are fond of alighting on the water, in company
with the Fulmars, and are then easily approached. They swim buoyant-
ly, and have a graceful appearance while playing among themselves.
Two that had been caught with hooks, walked as well as Ducks, and
made no pretence of sitting on their rumps, as some writers have said
they do. On being approached, they opened their bills, raised their fea-
thers, and squirted an oily substance through their nostrils, which they
continued to do when held in the hand, at the same time scratching with
their sharp claws and bills. They refused all sorts of food; and as they
were unpleasant pets, they were set at liberty. To my great surprise,
instead of flying directly off, as I expected, they launched toward the
water, dived several yards obliquely, and on coming to the surface, splashed
and washed themselves for several minutes before they took to wing, when
they flew away with their usual ease and grace.

The flight of this wanderer of the ocean is extremely rapid and pro-
tracted. When it blows hard, it skims along the troughs of the waves
on extended wings in large curves, shewing its upper and lower parts al-
ternately, evidently with the view of being aided by the wind. In calm
weather its flight is much lower and less rapid, and it rarely throws its
body sideways, but seems to feed more abundantly than during boiste-

rous weather. Like the small Petrels, it frequently uses its feet to sup-

556 WANDERING SHEARWATER.

port itself on the surface, without actually alighting. In the stomach of
those which I opened, I found fishes, portions of crabs, sea-weeds, and
oily substances. It does not appear that this species goes far north, as
was formerly supposed ; for none of the late northern voyagers mention

having seen it, although they found the Fulmar abundant.

PuFFINUS CINEREUS, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 370.
PROCELLARIA CINEREA, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 10.

Crnereous Purrrn, Nuttall, Manual, p. 334.

Adult Male. Plate CCLX XXIII.

Bill about the same length as the head, rather slender, nearly as deep
as broad at the base, compressed towards the end, slightly curved upwards,
with the tips decurved. Upper mandible with a cere at the base extend-
ing narrow to the nostrils, which are placed above, each covered with a
lateral convex plate, and open anteriorly, with an elliptical aperture ;
the dorsal line as far as the nostrils nearly straight, then suddenly de-
flected, after which it is slightly concave,, but towards the tip incurved,
the ridge very broad and convex at the base, narrower beyond the nos-
trils, from which a groove proceeds obliquely to the commencement of
the hooked tip; the sides convex and nearly erect, the edges sharp.
Lower mandible with the angle very long and narrow, the dorsal line
beyond it, decurved, the sides sloping outwards, the edges sharp and in-
flected, the curved tip grooved above.

Head rather large, oblong, rather compressed. Neck short and stout.
Body moderate, deeper than broad. Wings long. Feet rather large ;
tibia bare for a short space below ; tarsus of moderate length, compressed,
covered all round with angular scales, the hind ones much smaller; hind
toe obsolete, but with a small conical deflected claw; fore toes long, slen-
der, connected by reticulated webs, the lateral ones with thin edges ; outer
toe slightly longer than the third, but with a shorter claw, the first con-
siderably shorter ; toes scutellate above; claws arched, compressed, acute,
that of third toe with an enlarged sharp edge.

Plumage soft, close, blended; on the back compact, the feathers
rounded. Wings very long, pointed ; primary quills tapering, the first
longest, the second considerably shorter, the rest rapidly graduated; se-
condaries short, broad, obliquely rounded, the inner not elongated. ‘Tail

of moderate length, graduated, of twelve rounded feathers.

WANDERING SHEARWATER. 557

Bill yellowish-green, the tips brownish-black, tinged with green.
Edges of eyelids dark-grey ; iris brown. Feet light greenish-grey, webs
and claws yellowish flesh-colour. The upper parts in general are deep
brown, the hind neck paler and tinged with grey ; the primary quills and
tail brownish-black. The lower parts are greyish-white ; the lower wing-
coverts white, those next the edge of the wing greyish-black towards the
end, the axillary feathers white, greyish-brown towards the end, lower tail-
coverts similar.

Length to end of tail 20 inches, to end of wings 213; to end of claws
213; extent of wings 45; wing from flexure 133; tail 5; bill along the
back 27%, along the edge of lower mandible 23; tarsus 2}; middle toe 23,
its claw 3. Weight 1 lb. 93 oz.

THE PURPLE SANDPIPER.

TRINGA MARITIMA, BRUNN.

PLATE CCLXXXIV. ADULT 1N SUMMER AND IN WINTER.

I am surprised that my worthy friend Tomas Nutra. speaks of
this species as being scarcely ever seen in the United States, where, to my
knowledge, it is on the contrary very abundant, and nowhere more so
than in the neighbourhood of the Harbour of Boston, in the markets of
which city it is sold in autumn and winter. When I was there, a gun-
ner whom I employed brought me several dozens, which he had killed
in the course of a single afternoon. I have also seen some in the markets
of New York. Farther south, however, they are rarely met with.

Timid though not shy, they are seen in flocks of eight or ten, on the
rocky shores of the sea. They seem to shun sandy beaches, and seldom
advance far inland. While I was on the Bay of Fundy, I observed nu-
merous small flocks winging their way northward, in the month of May.
On one occasion, a flock alighted almost at my feet, so that I was obliged
to retire to a proper distance before shooting at them.

Their flight is pretty rapid, and when necessary sustained, for I have
observed them flying in compact bodies across the Gulf of St Lawrence.
When started along the shores, they emit a feeble weet, which is repeated
two or three times, take a sweep over the water, and return to the same
spot or near it, somewhat in the manner of the Spotted Sandpiper. They
are generally very busy while searching for food, run nimbly with the
body lowered on the legs, which are much bent, go to the edge of the
water, seize on small shell-fish, shrimps and worms, and search industri-
ously among the sea-weeds for marine insects. Their marked predilec-
tion for rocky shores has caused them to be named “ Rock Snipes” by the
gunners of our eastern coast. In autumn and winter the young birds
become fat, and afford delicate eating.

I was sadly disappointed at not finding them breeding on any part
of the coast of Labrador which I visited, the more so because Dr
Ricwarpson says they are abundant on the shores of Hudson’s Bay,
where they breed. He gives no description of the nest or localities on

which they deposit their eggs, which are said to be “ pyriform, 16} lines

PURPLE SANDPIPER. 559

long, and an inch across at their greatest breadth. Their colour is yel-
lowish-grey, interspersed with small irregular spots of pale brown, crowded

at the obtuse end, and rare at the other.”

TRINGA MARITIMA, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 318.—
Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 382.

Purpxe SanprirEr, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 115.

Adult in summer. Plate CCLX XXIV. Fig. 1.

Bill longer than the head, almost straight, subulate, compressed at the
base, flexible ; upper mandible with the dorsal line almost straight, being
slightly deflected towards the end, the ridge narrow and convex, towards the
end broader, the sides sloping, the edges rather obtuse. Nostrils basal, late-
ral, linear; nasal groove extending to near the end of the bill. Lower
mandible with the angle long and very narrow, the dorsal line beyond it
slightly concave, the sides sloping upwards with a narrow groove, the tip
rounded.

Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Neck shortish. Body full.
Feet of moderate length, slender ; tibia bare for a short space; tarsus ra-
ther short, compressed, anteriorly covered with scutella, laterally reticu-
lated ; toes of moderate length, excepting the first, which is very small,
third longest and including the claw longer than the tarsus, fourth slight-
ly longer than second ; fore toes scutellate above, without webs at the
base, the middle one with an inner thickish margin, the lateral each with
an outer one ; claws considerably curved, compressed, obtuse, that of hind
toe very small, of middle toe largest, with a dilated thin inner edge.

Plumage soft, blended, on the back rather compact, the feathers round-
ed. Wings rather long, pointed; primaries tapering, rounded, the first
longest, the second slightly shorter ; outer secondaries short, obliquely
truncate, inner elongated and tapering. Tail short, rounded, the central
feathers elongated.

Bill deep orange, towards the end dusky. Edges of eyelids grey, iris
orange. Feet light orange, claws dusky. Head greyish-brown tinged
with purple, its sides and those of the neck deep purple; back and wings
brownish-black, with purple reflections, the margins of the feathers white ;
quills brownish-black, their shafts, the tips of all the secondaries, and the
greater part of the middle ones, white; middle tail-feathers brownish-

black, tinged with purple, the lateral shaded into ash-grey. Upper part

560 PURPLE SANDPIPER.

of throat greyish-white, fore neck grey; breast, sides, and abdomen
white.

Length to end of tail 93, to end of wings 9;;, to end of claws 10;
extent of wings 142; wing from flexure 5, tail 2}; bill along the back
1,5, along the edge of lower mandible 14,; tarsus 3; middle toe {9, its

claw yz. Weight 3} oz.

Adult in Winter. Plate CCLX XXIV. Fig. 2.

The principal differences in the winter plumage are, that the lower
parts are pale grey, while the upper have the purple tints much fainter,
the white edgings substituted by dull grey.

THE FORKED-TAILED GULL.
Larus SABINI, SABINE.

PLATE CCLXXXV. Mate.

On my return from Labrador, I had the pleasure of seeing this inte
resting little Gull flying over the harbour of Halifax in Nova Scotia. It was
in company with our Common American Gull. . Although I have not ob-
served it on our eastern shores or farther south on the coast, it is not im-
probable that it rambles there in winter along with other species which, like
itself, breed far north. Its flight in some measure resembles that of the
Common Tern, although it is more decided, and, consequently, more like
that of the smaller species of its own genus. In the course of a voyage from
Pictou in Nova Scotia to Hull in England, lately performed by my friend
Mr Tuomas MacCuttocn, he saw great numbers of this species when
more than a hundred miles off Newfoundland. They flew around the ship
in company with an almost equal number of Ross’s Gull.

Dr Ricuarpson gives the following account of the Forked-tailed Gull,
in the Fauna Boreali-Americana. ‘ This interesting species of Gull was
discovered by Captain Epwarp Sazine. It was first seen on the 25th
of July at its breeding station on some low rocky islands lying off the
west coast of Greenland, associated in considerable numbers with the
Arctic Tern, the nests of both birds being intermingled. It is analogous
to the Tern not only in its forked tail, and in its choice of a breeding
place, but also in the boldness which it displays in the protection of its
young. The parent birds flew with impetuosity towards persons approach-
ing their nests, and when one was killed, its mate, though frequently fired
at, continued on the wing close to the spot. They were observed to get
their food on the sea-beach, standing near the water’s edge, and picking
up the marine insects which were cast on shore. A solitary individual
was seen in Prince Regent’s Inlet, on Sir Epwarp Parry’s first voyage,
and-many specimens were procured in the course of the second voyage on
Melville Peninsula. Captain Sasrne also killed a pair at Spitzbergen,
so that it is a pretty general summer visitor to the Arctic Seas, and is en-
titled to be enumerated amongst the European as well as the American
birds. It arrives in the high northern latitudes in June, and retires to

VOL. Ill. Nn

562 FORKED-TAILED GULL.

the southward in August. Specimens procured in June and July corres-
ponded exactly with the one described below. When newly killed, they
all had a delicate pink blush on their under plumage. The eggs, two in
number, are deposited on the bare ground, and are hatched in the last
week of July. They are an inch and a half in length, and have an olive
colour with many brown blotches.”

At the approach of autumn, it frequently happens that several species
of gulls associate together, and at times congregate in great numbers on
the outer margins of sand-bars and in the large estuaries. There they
keep up a constant cackling, run about, dress their plumage, and await
the rising of the waters. If disturbed at such times, they shew greater
shyness than perhaps at any other. One of the oldest birds sounds an
alarm, and all simultaneously take to wing, disperse, and gradually rise
to a great elevation, flying in wide circles, and moving seaward. TI have
thought it remarkable that these birds seldom shun the fishermen, while
towards any one bearing the semblance of a gunner they act with extreme
caution. Although loquacious when congregated, they are when separated
quite silent, especially when on wing. In squally and rainy weather they
skim low over the water or the land, always against the wind. They are
very tenacious of life, and often, when wounded, revive after you had con-
sidered them incapable of breathing. The instant they are caught they are
wont to mute and eject the contents of their stomach, as well as when sud-
denly compelled to take to wing, or when pursued by predaceous birds.
In particular states of the weather they appear at a distance much larger
than they really are, and, on such occasions, they also seem much nearer,
so that the gunner is greatly deceived, and may shoot at them when too
far off.

Larus Sazint, Sabine, (J.) Linn. Trans. vol. xii. p. 520. pl. 29.

Larus Sasinil, Fork-TAILED GULL, Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer.
part ii. p. 428.

Fork-TAILED GutL, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 295.

Adult Male. Plate CCLXXXV. Fig. 1.

Bill rather shorter than the head, nearly straight, rather slender, com-
pressed. Upper mandible with its dorsal line straight to the middle, then
curved and declinate, the ridge convex, the sides slightly convex, the

edges sharp and inflected, the tip rather obtuse. Nasal groove rather

FORKED-TAILED GULL. 563

long and narrow ; nostrils in its fore part, longitudinal, submedial, linear,
pervious. Lower mandible with a slight prominence at the end of the
angle, which is long and narrow, the dorsal line then straight or slightly
concave, the ridge convex, the sides nearly flat.

Head of moderate size. Neck short. Body rather slender. Wings
very long. Feet of moderate length, rather strong ; tibia bare below for
a short space, covered behind with narrow scutella ; tarsus compressed,
anteriorly covered with numerous scutella and three inferior series of
transverse scales, laterally with rounded scales, posteriorly with oblique
scutella. Toes slender, scutellate above ; first extremely small, se-
cond much shorter than fourth, third longest, anterior toes connected by
reticulated webs, the outer and inner slightly marginate; claws small,
compressed, obtuse, that of middle toe with an expanded. inner edge.

Plumage close, soft, blended. Wings very long and pointed ; pri-
maries tapering and rounded, first longest, second almost equal, the rest
rapidly graduated ; secondaries obliquely pointed, the rounded extremity
extending beyond the tip of the shaft, which is exterior to it, the inner
feathers more elongated. Tail of moderate length, forked, of twelve fea-
thers.

Bill black at the base for more than half its length, the rest pure yel-
low. Edges of eyelids vermilion, as is the inside of the mouth. Feet
black. Head and upper part of neck all round blackish-grey, that colour
terminated below by a ring of pure black encircling the neck. Lower
neck all round, the whole lower surface, the upper tail-coverts and the
tail, pure white. The back and wings are bluish-grey, excepting a large
terminal portion of the secondaries, and the tips of the primaries, which
are white, the primaries themselves being black, with their shafts brown-
ish-black. The first quill of the specimen figured had no white on the
tip, but some individuals differ in this respect.

Length to end of tail 13 inches, to end of wings 143; extent of wings
33; wing from flexure 103; tail 5; bill along the ridge 1, along the
edges 1}; tarsus 1); middle toe 1, its claw 7%. Weight 7 oz.

The Female is rather less than the male, but in other respects similar.

nn2

THE LOST PORTFOLIO.

Wuite I was at Natchez, on the 31st of December 1820, my kind
friend NicHotas BrrtHoup, Esq. proposed to me to accompany him in
his keel-boat to New Orleans. At one o’clock, the steam-boat Columbus
hauled off from the landing, and took our bark in tow. The steamer was
soon ploughing along at full speed, and little else engaged our minds than
the thought of our soon arriving at the emporium of the commerce of the
Mississippi. ‘Towards evening, however, several inquiries were made re-
specting particular portions of the luggage, among which ought to have
been one of my portfolios containing a number of drawings made by me
while gliding down the Ohio and Mississippi from Cincinnati to Natchez,
and of which some were to me peculiarly valuable, being of birds previ-
ously unfigured, and perhaps undescribed. The portfolio was nowhere
to be found, and I recollected that I had brought it under my arm to the
margin of the stream, and there left it to the care of one of my friend’s
servants, who, in the hurry of our departure, had neglected to take it on
board. Besides the drawings of birds, there was in this collection a sketch
in black chalk, to which I always felt greatly attached while from home.
It is true the features which it represented were indelibly engraved in my
heart; but the portrait of her to whom I owe so much of the happiness
that I have enjoyed was not the less dear tome. When I thought du-
ring the following night of the loss I had sustained in consequence of my
own negligence, imagined the possible fate of the collection, and saw it in
the hands of one of the numerous boatmen lounging along the shores,
who might paste the drawings to the walls of his cabin, nail them to the
steering-oars of his flat-boat, or distribute them among his fellows, I felt
little less vexed than I did some years before when the rats, as you know,
devoured a much larger collection.

It was useless to fret myself, and so I began to devise a scheme for
recovering the drawings. I wrote to Mr Garnier and my venerable
friend Cuarites Carre’. Mr Berruovup also wrote to a mercantile ac-
quaintance. The letters were forwarded to Natchez from the first land-
ing place at which we stopped, and in the course of time we reached the
great eddy running by the Levee or artificial embankment at New Orleans.

But before I present you with the answers to the letters sent to our ac-

THE LOST PORTFOLIO. 565

quaintances at Natchez, allow me to offer a statement of our adventures
on the Mississippi.

After leaving the eddy at Natchez, we passed a long file of exquisite-
ly beautiful Bluffs. At the end of twenty hours we reached Bayou Sara,
where we found two brigs at anchor, several steamers, and a number of
flat-boats, the place being of considerable mercantile importance. Here
the Columbus left us to shift for ourselves, her commander being anxious
to get to Baton Rouge by a certain hour, in order to secure a good cargo
of cotton. We now proceeded along the great stream, sometimes float-
ing and sometimes rowing. The shores gradually became lower and
flatter, orange-trees began to make their appearance around the dwel-
lings of the wealthy planters, and the verdure along the banks assum-
ed a brighter tint. The thermometer stood at 68° in the shade at noon ;
butterflies fluttered among the flowers, of which many were in full blow ;
and we expected to have seen alligators half-awake floating on the num-
berless logs that accompanied us in our slow progress. The eddies were
covered with ducks of various kinds, more especially with the beautiful
species that breeds by preference on the great sycamores that every now
and then present themselves along our southern waters. Baton Rouge is a
very handsome place, but at present I have not time to describe it. Levees
now began to stretch along the river, and wherever there was a sharp point
on the shore, negroes were there amusing themselves by raising shrimps,
and now and then a cat-fish, with scooping-nets.

The river increased in breadth and depth, and the sawyers and plant-
ers, logs so called, diminished in number the nearer we drew towards the
famed city. At every bend we found the plantations increased, and now
the whole country on both sides became so level and destitute of trees
along the water’s edge, that we could see over the points before us, and
observe the great stream stretching along for miles. Within the levees
the land is much lower than the surface of the river when the water is
high ; but at this time we could see over the levee from the deck of our
boat only the upper windows of the planters’ houses, or the tops of the trees
about them, and the melancholy looking cypresses covered with Spanish
moss forming the back ground. Persons rode along the levees at full speed ;
pelicans, gulls, vultures, and carrion crows sailed over the stream, and at
times there came from the shore a breeze laden with the delicious perfume
of the orange-trees, which were covered with blossoms and golden fruits.

Having passed Bayou Lafourche, our boat was brought-to on account

566 THE LOST PORTFOLIO.

of the wind, which blew with violence. We landed, and presently made
our way to the swamps, where we shot a number of those beautiful birds
called Boat-tailed Grakles. The mocking birds on the fence-stakes sa-
luted us with so much courtesy and with such delightful strains, that we
could not think of injuring them; but we thought it no harm to shoot a
whole covey of partridges. In the swamps we met with warblers of vari-
ous kinds, lively and beautiful, waiting in these their winter retreats for
the moment when Boreas should retire to his icy home, and the gentle
gales of the south should waft them toward their breeding places in the
north. Thousands of swallows flew about us, the cat-birds mewed in
answer to their chatterings, the cardinal grosbeak elevated his glowing
crest as he stood perched on the magnolia branch, the soft notes of the
doves echoed among the woods, nature’ smiled upon us, and we were
happy.

On the fourth of January we stopped at Bonnet Carré, where I en-
tered a house to ask some questions about birds. I was received by a
venerable French gentleman, whom I found in charge of about a dozen
children of both sexes, and who was delighted to hear that I was a stu-
dent of nature. He was well acquainted with my old friend Cuarizs
Carre’, and must, I thought, be a good man, for he said he never suffered
any of his pupils to rob a bird of her eggs or young, although, said he
with a smile, ‘‘ they are welcome to peep at them and love them.” The
boys at once surrounded me, and from them I received satisfactory an-
swers to most of my queries respecting birds.

The sixth of January was so cold that the thermometer fell to 30°,
and we had seen ice on the running boards of our keel boat. This was
quite unlooked for, and we felt uncomfortable; but before the middle of
the day, all nature was again in full play. Several beautiful steamers
passed us. ‘The vegetation seemed not to have suffered from the frost ;
green pease, artichokes and other vegetables were in prime condition.
This reminds me that on one of my late journeys, I ate green pease in
December in the Floridas, and had them once a-week at least in my course
over the whole of the Union, until I found myself and my family feeding
on the same vegetable more than a hundred miles to the North of the St
John’s River in New Brunswick.

Early on the seventh, thousands of tall spars, called masts by the
mariners, came in sight; and as we drew nearer, we saw the port filled

with ships of many nations, each bearing the flag of its country. At

THE LOST PORTFOLIO. 567

length we reached the Levee, and found ourselves once more at New
Orleans. In a short time my companions dispersed, and I commenced a
search for something that might tend to compensate me for the loss of my
drawings.

On the 16th of March following, I had the gratification of receiving a
letter from Mr A. P. Bopiry, of Natchez, informing me that my port-
folio had been found and deposited at the office of “ the Mississippi Re-
publican,” whence an order from me would liberate it. Through the
kindness of Mr Garnier, I received it on the 5th of April. So very ge-
nerous had been the finder of it, that when I carefully examined the
drawings in succession, I found them all present and uninjured, save one,

which had probably been kept by way of commission.

( 568 )

THE WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE.
ANSER ALPIFRONS, BEcustT.

PLATE CCLXXXVI. Mate.

NEITHER Witson nor Notratt seem to have been aware of the
regularity with which this species migrates through the United States.
When I shewed a drawing of it to the first of these authors, he pronounced
it to be a young Snow Goose, although I described to him its peculiar
notes. During the whole of my residence in Kentucky, a winter never
passed without my seeing a good number of them; and at that season
they are frequently offered for sale in the markets of New Orleans. An
English gentleman, who was on his way to the settlement of Birkbeck in
the Prairies west of the Ohio, and who spent a few weeks with me at
Henderson, was desirous of having a tasting of some of our game. His
desire was fully gratified, and the first that was placed before him was a
White-fronted Goose. I had killed seven of these birds, the evening
before, in a pond across the Ohio, which was regularly supplied with
flocks from the beginning of October to the end of March. He pro-
nounced it “ delicious,” and I have no reason to dissent from his opinion.
From the numbers seen high on the Arkansas River, I presume that
many winter beyond the southern limits of the United States. They are
exceedingly rare, however, along our Atlantic coast. In Kentucky they
generally arrive before the Canada Goose, betaking themselves to the
grassy ponds; and of the different species which visit that country they
are by far the least shy. The flocks seldom exceed from thirty to fifty
individuals. ‘Their general appearance is that exhibited in the plate, and
which I consider as their winter plumage, feeling pretty confident that
in summer the lower part of the body becomes pure black.

The flight of the White-fronted is very similar to that of the Canada
Goose, being firm and well sustained. When travelling, these birds pass
at a considerable height, arranged in the same angular order, and ap-
parently guided by one of the older Ganders. They walk with ease, and
can run with considerable speed when wounded. In feeding they im-
merse their necks, like other species; but during continued rains they
visit the cornfields and large savannahs. While in Kentucky they feed

on the beech nuts and acorns that drop along the margins of their fa-

WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. 569

vourite ponds. In the fields they pick up the grains of maize left by the
squirrels and racoons, and nibble the young blades of grass. In their
gizzards I have never found fishes or water lizards, but often broken
shells of different kinds of snails.

They leave us a fortnight sooner than the Canada Geese, and start
along with the Snow Geese, but keep in separate flocks. In this order
they have been observed travelling over the fur countries by Dr Ricuarp-
son, who informs us that they breed in the woody districts skirting Mac-
kenzie’s River to the north of the sixty-seventh parallel, and also on the
islands of the Arctic Sea; but that they are not common about Hudson’s
Bay. The egg of this Goose measures two inches and three-quarters in
length, by one and three-quarters in breadth. The shell is smooth, of a
dull yellowish-green, with indistinct patches of a darker tint of the same

colour.

ANas ALBIFRONS, Gmel. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 509.—Zath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 842.

ANSER ALBIFRONS, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 376.—
Swains. and Richard. Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 456.

WHITE-FRONTED OR Lavcuine GoosE, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 346.

Adult Male. Plate CCLXXXVI. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, much higher than broad at the base, some-
what conical, depressed towards the end, rounded at the tip. Upper
mandible with the dorsal line sloping, the ridge broad and flattened, but
slightly convex, the sides sloping, the edges with twenty-eight oblique
lamella, the unguis circular, convex, obscurely denticulate along the edge.
Nasal groove oblong, parallel to the ridge, filled by the soft membrane
of the bill; nostrils medial, lateral, longitudinal, narrow-elliptical, open,
pervious. Lower mandible nearly straight, with the angle very long
and rather narrow, the edges soft and obtuse, with about forty oblique,
slightly recurved lamelle.

Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long and
slender. Body full, slightly depressed. Feet rather short, strong, placed
rather behind the centre of the body; legs bare a little above the joint ;
tarsus rather short, a little compressed, covered all round with angular
reticulated scales, which are smaller behind ; hind toe very small, with a
narrow membrane; third toe longest, fourth considerably shorter, but
longer than second ; all the toes reticulated above at the base, but with

narrow transverse scutella towards the end; the three anterior connected by

570 WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE.

a reticulated membrane, the outer having a thick margin, the inner with
the margin extended into a two-lobed web; claws small, arched, rather
compressed, obtuse, that of the middle toe bent obliquely outwards and
depressed, with a curved edge.

Plumage close, full, compact above, blended on the neck and lower
part of the body, very short on the head. Feathers of the head and neck
very narrow, on the latter part disposed in oblique series separated by
grooves, of the back very broad and abrupt, of the breast and belly
broadly rounded. Wings rather long, broad ; primaries incurved, broad,
towards the end tapering, the second longest, first and third about equal,
first and second sinuate on the inner web, second and third on the outer :
secondaries long, very broad, rounded. ‘Tail very short, rounded, of
sixteen broad rounded feathers.

Bill carmine-red, the unguis of both mandibles white. Edges of eye-
lids dull orange; iris hazel. Feet orange, webs lighter; claws white.
Head and neck rich greyish-brown, the upper part of the former darker ;
a white band, margined behind with blackish-brown on the anterior part of
the forehead along the bill. The general colour of the back is deep grey,
the feathers of its fore part broadly tipped with greyish-brown, the rest
with greyish-white ; the hind part of the back pure deep grey. Wings grey-
ish-brown, but towards the edge ash-grey, as are the primary coverts, and
outer webs of the primaries; the rest of the primaries and the secondaries
are greyish-black, the latter with a narrow edge of greyish-white, the former
edged and tipped with white. Breast, abdomen, lower tail-coverts, sides of
the rump and upper tail-coverts, white, but the breast and sides patched with
brownish-black ; on the latter intermixed with greyish-brown feathers.

Length to end of tail 274 inches, to end of wings 26, to end of claws
287; extent of wings 60; wing from flexure 143; tail 4¢; bill aloug the
back 1,8;, along the edge of lower mandible 1,4; tarsus 2}; middle toe
24,, its claw 7. Weight 54 lb.

Adult Female. Plate CCLXXXVI. Fig. 2.
The Female, which is somewhat smaller, resembles the male ; the white

margins of the wing-feathers not so distinct. Weight 4 Ib. 4 oz.

The gizzard is very large, its muscular coat an inch and a half thick
at the lower extremity, the cuticular lining thick, very hard, and denti-
culate on one side. The intestine seven feet long, the coeca twelve inches

and placed at the distance of one foot from the anus.

(95700)

THE IVORY GULL.
LARUS EBURNEUS, Putpps.

PLATE CCLXXXVII. Aputt anp Youna.

Havine ascertained that this beautiful species visits the southern coast
of Labrador and Newfoundland every winter, I have thought it probable
that it occasionally extends its rambles as far as our eastern shores, and
therefore determined to include it in my Illustrations. The figures in the
plate were taken from two specimens procured by Captain James Ciark
Ross, one of which was an adult male, the other a young bird in its se-
cond year. Captain Sazine says that the Ivory Gulls are attracted in
considerable numbers by whale blubber, are therefore usually found in
company with the Procellaria glacialis, and are easily killed, being by
no means shy. Dr Ricuarpson informs us that they were observed
breeding in great numbers on the high perforated cliffs which form the
extremity of Cape Parry, in latitude 70°.

Larus EBURNEUS, Phipps’s Voyage, p. 187.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 816 —
Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 419.

Ivory Guut, Lath. Synops. vol. vi. p. 377.—Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 301.

Adult Male. Plate CCLXXXVII. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, robust, nearly straight, compressed. Up-
per mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight at the base, arched
and declinate towards the end, the ridge convex, the sides slightly so,
the edges sharp, a little inflected, somewhat arched, the tip rather ob-
tuse. Nasal groove rather long and narrow; nostrils in its fore part,
lateral, longitudinal, linear, wider anteriorly, pervious. Lower mandible
with a prominence at the end of the angle, which is long and narrow, the
dorsal line slightly concave and ascending, the sides flattened, the edges
sharp and inflected.

Head rather large. Neck of moderate length, strong. Body rather
full. Feet of moderate length, stout ; tibia bare below ; tarsus somewhat
compressed, covered before with numerous scutella, on the sides and be-

hind with series of small angular scales; the hind toe very small and ele-

572 IVORY GULL.

vated, the fore toes of moderate length, the fourth much longer than the
second, the third longest, the hind one with a single scutellum and three
transverse series of scales, the rest scutellate above and connected by re-
ticulate membranes having a concave margin, the lateral toes margined
externally with a narrow membrane. Claws stout, rather large, arched,
compressed, rather obtuse, that of middle toe with an enlarged inner edge.

The plumage in general is close, full, elastic, soft and blended, on the
back rather compact. Wings very long, rather broad, acute, the first
quill longest, the other primaries rapidly graduated ; secondaries broad
and rounded, the inner tapering but rounded. Tail of moderate length,
even, of twelve rather broad rounded feathers.

Bill bright yellow, greenish dusky at the base. Iris brown, edges of
eyelids vermilion. Feet and claws black. The whole of the plumage
is pure white. |

Length to end of tail 19 inches, to end of wings 203 ; extent of wings
41; wing from flexure 133 ; tail 63; bill along the back 1,5,, along the
edge of lower mandible 2; tarsus 1,4; middle toe 1,%, its claw $3.
Weight 20 oz.

Young of the second year, killed in September. Plate CCLXXXVII.
Fig. 2.

After the second moult, the bill is pale yellow at the end, dusky at the
base for two-thirds of its length ; the edges of the eyelids vermilion, the
iris brown, the feet black. The plumage is white; the forehead and
sides of the head mottled with leaden-grey; most of the wing-coverts
have towards the end a spot of greyish-black, and the quills, large coverts,
and tail-feathers are similarly marked, the markings on the tail forming

a subterminal bar.

@neTs* y

THE YELLOWSHANK.
TOTANUS FLAVIPES, VIEILL.
PLATE CCLXXXVIII. Mate.

Tue Yellowshank is much more abundant in the interior, or to the
westward of the Alleghany Mountains than along our Atlantic coast, al-
though it is also met with in the whoie extent of the latter, from Florida
to Maine. It exceeds the Tell-tale Godwit in numbers on the shores of
the Ohio, as well as on the margins of the numerous ponds and lakes in
the vicinity of the Mississippi, from the mouth of the river just mentioned
to New Orleans, and beyond that city southward. In early autumn, when
the sand-bars of the Ohio are left uncovered, these active birds are seen
upon them in small flocks, formed each apparently of a single family,
busily employed in searching for food, and wading in the water up to the
feathered part of their legs. When the water is high, they resort to
ponds and damp meadows intersected by small rivulets. In the Carolinas
and the Floridas they are pretty numerous, in the former betaking them-
selves to the rice-fields, and in the latter to the wet savannahs. They
are equally fond of frequenting the shores of our estuaries that are bordered
by salt marshes, on the muddy edges of which they find their food. I
have also met with them on the margins of clear streams in the interior
of the States, and indeed should hardly be able to mention a district in
which the species is not to be seen, from the beginning of September un-
til May, when the greater number retire northward, although some re-
main and breed, even in our Middle States, as Nurrat. says they are
seen in the neighbourhood of Boston in the middle of June. I found a
few on the coast of Labrador, but did not succeed in discovering their
nests, which was the more surprising that these birds, according to my
friend Tuomas MacCuttocu, breed in considerable numbers about
Pictou. He describes the nest as placed among the grass on the edges
of the rivers and large ponds of the interior.

The flight of the Yellowshank is very similar to that of the Tell-tale
Godwit. They generally run to some distance before they take to wing,
stop as'if to discover your intention, vibrate their body backwards and

forwards, intimate by their cries the knowledge they have of the nature of

574 YELLOWSHANK.

the weapon you carry, and, as if convinced that you are bent on mischief,
spring up, rise obliquely to some height, emit louder notes, and with
continued flappings pass around you, or remove to some distant place.
Their long yellow legs, which are stretched out behind, are quite conspi-
cuous when they are on wing. Should you bring one to the ground
wounded, it walks off leisurely, vibrates its body, and emits plaintive
cries; and should one fall into the water under similar circumstances, it
paddles its way towards the nearest shore with considerable speed. If you
approach it, it may immerse its head, but it cannot dive to any depth.

In very dry weather, I have observed this species on the uplands
searching for grasshoppers and insects. It has been alleged that when
one is wounded, its companions hover around so as to be easily shot; but
this I have never observed, for although they are perhaps less shy than
the Tell-tales, on such occasions, I never found one of them to remain;
they seemed, on the contrary, to be well aware of the danger, and would
fly quite out of sight, rising high in the air, and pursuing a direct course,
emitting cries at intervals.

Along the shores of the sea, they are now and then seen in company
with other species, although they cannot be said actually to associate with
them. In autumn they become fat, and by many are considered good eat-
ing, although they always have a kind of fishy taste not at all agreeable
to my palate. Their food consists of diminutive fishes, shrimps, worms,
and aquatic insects.

I have represented one of these birds on the fore ground of a little
piece of water a few miles distant from Charleston in South Carolina, on
the borders of which, in the company of my kind friend Jonn BacuMan
and others, I have spent many a pleasant hour, while resting after fatigu-

ing rambles in the surrounding woods.

ScoLopax FiaviPeEs, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 723.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of
Birds of the United States, p. 324.

Yetiowsuanss Snipe, Scotorax FiavirEs, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 55.
pl. 58. fig. 4.

ToTaNuS FLAVIPES, YELLOWSHANKS TATLER, Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 390.

YeELtowsHanks Tater, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 152.

Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCLX XXVIII. Fig. 1.
Bill a little longer than the head, very slender, subcylindrical, straight,

flexible, compressed at the base, the point rather depressed and obtuse.

YELLOWSHANK. 575

Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge convex, broader
at the base, slightly depressed towards the end, the sides sloping, towards
the end convex, the edges soft and obtuse, the tip slightly deflected.
Nasal groove long and narrow, extending to a little beyond the middle of
the bill ; nostrils basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle
very long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line straight, the sides convex,
with a slight groove in their basal half.

Head small, oblong, anteriorly narrowed. Eyes large. Neck rather
long and slender. Body slender. Feet very long, slender; tibia bare
for half its length, scutellate before and behind ; tarsus also scutellate be-
fore and behind ; hind toe very small and elevated ; fore toes of moderate
length, very slender, connected at the base by webs, of which the outer is
much larger ; second or inner toe considerably shorter than fourth, third
longest ; all scutellate above, flat and marginate beneath. Claws small,
slightly arched, much compressed, obtuse, that of middle toe much larger,
with the inner edge enlarged.

Plumage very soft, blended, on the fore part of the head very short.
Wings long, narrow, pointed ; primaries narrow and tapering, first longest,
second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries short,
broad, incurved, obliquely rounded, the inner elongated and tapering.
Tail short, rounded, of twelve rounded feathers.

Bill black. Iris dark brown ; edges of eyelids dark grey. Feet bright
yellow, claws brownish-black. Upper part of the head, lores, cheeks,
neck, and sides of the neck deep brownish-grey, the edges of the feathers
greyish-white ; a white line from the bill to the eye and over it; upper
part of throat white ; fore neck greyish- white, streaked with brownish-grey,
as are the sides, the rest of the lower parts white, the lower tail-coverts
slightly marked with grey. The general colour of the back and scapulars
is olivaceous brown tinged with grey, the feathers edged with small dusky
and white spots. The wing-coverts and inner secondary quills are simi-
lar, the marginal spots on the latter forming bands ; primary quills black-
ish-brown, the shaft of the outer brownish-white, of the rest dark brown,
the edges of the inner, and of the middle secondaries white ; hind part of
back grey, upper tail-coverts white, the larger obscurely barred with grey.

Length to end of tail 103 inches, to end of wings 114%, to end of
claws 133%, extent of wings 20; wing from flexure 6;%; tail 23; bill
along the back 17%, along the edge of lower mandible 17%; bare part of

tibia 1y; tarsus 1}3; middle toe 14%, its claw #4. Weight 23 oz.

( 576 )

SOLITARY SANDPIPER.
TOTANUS CHLOROPYGIUS, VIEILL.

PLATE CCLXXXIX. Mater.

TuE only nest of this bird that I ever met with was placed in an ele-
vated part of the woods near Bayou Sara, on the margin of a small pond
scarcely ten yards broad, overgrown with low bushes, and cumbered with
fallen branches of trees. It was formed of grass and withered leaves, arrang-
ed without much care, and contained three eggs. Both birds were greatly
disconcerted, ran round me, and frequently alighted on the twigs and
branches with all the nimbleness of land birds, constantly throwing their
heads forward and vibrating their body and tail in the manner of the Louisi-
ana Water Thrush. The eggs measured one inch one eighth and a half in
length, seven and a half eighths in breadth; the colour was greenish-yel-
low, with spots and patches of umber, more abundant around the crown,
where the larger marks formed a conspicuous circle. I carried one of the
eggs home, and, on returning a few days after to the spot, found one of
the birds sitting, which proved to me that the great anxiety shewn at my
first visit was chiefly because the female was about to lay her last egg.
The male was absent, nor did it shew itself during my stay. About a
fortnight after I found the wings of one of the birds near the place; the
eggs also were gone ; and I concluded that some quadruped, probably a
racoon, had committed the havock. No bird of this species was in the
neighbourhood.

In the Fauna Boreali-Americana, Dr Ricnarpsown says that in high
northern latitudes these birds deposit their eggs on the bare sand, which is
another proof in addition to the many already given, that great differences
as to the mode of nestling may exist in the same species in different parts of
the country. Indeed, almost all the habits of this curious bird differ ac-
cording to the locality. In the Southern States, they are particularly fond
of low flat lands among deep woods and cane brakes, and rarely approach
ponds of any great extent, but prefer those which are small and most se-
cluded. In the Middle Districts I have found them along the Leigh-
high, and in watery places both on low and on elevated ground. In the

State of Maine they frequented similar localities. In the prairies of In-

SOLITARY SANDPIPER. 577

diana I have seen them in early spring, during rainy weather, wading and
running through the water, on the very foot-path before me, for eight or
ten yards at a time. When flushed, they would fly in a semicircle close
over the ground, and re-alight at the distance of a hundred yards or so on
the same path. Not one of the species was observed in Labrador or New-
foundland by my party ; and my friend Tuomas MacCuttzocu informs
me that only a few single birds are seen near Pictou, and that in autumn,
when they keep in marshy grounds in the neighbourhood of the sea.

The flight of the Solitary Sandpiper is swift and protracted. It moves
in a zigzag manner, and at times makes its way through the woods with
surprising ease, seldom leaving the starting place without uttering a clear
and pleasant tweet. In re-alighting it pitches downwards like the Com-
mon Snipe. On the ground they are very active, and at times so in-
different to the approach of man, that they will merely fly across or around
a small pond for a considerable time, and, if shot at and not touched,
they will be sure to be found in the same place a few hours after. Its
alighting .on trees has often appeared to me as singular as that of Bar-
tram’s Snipe and the Semipalmated species. The Solitary Snipe is, how-
ever, the most expert at catching insects on the wing, especially the smaller
kinds of dragon-flies, which it chases from the sticks on which they alight,
and generally seizes before they have flown across the little ponds, which are
the favourite place of resort of this species. I have found their stomachs
filled with aquatic insects, caterpillars of various kinds, and black spiders
of considerable size.

I consider this bird to be a constant resident in the United States,
although it ranges over a great space in summer and winter. Scarcely
any difference is observable in the sexes; and I am of opinion that the

young acquire their full plumage the first spring.

ToTanvus cHLoRopyeius, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States,
p- 325.—Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer. part ii. p. 393.

Sorirary Sanprirer, TRiNGA soLiTaria, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 53. pl. 58.
fig. 3.

GreEEN-ruMP TaTLER, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 159.

Adult Male. Plate CCLXXXIX. Fig. 1.
Bill a little longer than the head, very slender, subcylindrical, straight,

VOL. III. oo

578 SOLITARY SANDPIPER.

flexible, compressed at the base, the point rather depressed and obtuse.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, the ridge convex, broader
at the base, slightly depressed towards the end, the sides sloping, towards
the end convex, the edges soft and obtuse, the tip very slightly deflected.
Nasal groove long and narrow, extending to a little beyond the middle of
the bill ; nostrils basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle
very long and extremely narrow, the dorsal line straight, the sides convex,
with a slight groove in their basal half.

Head small, oblong, anteriorly narrowed. Eyes large. Neck rather
long and slender. Body slender. Feet long and slender ; tibia bare
nearly half its length, scutellate before and behind ; tarsus also scutellate
before and behind ; hind toe very small and elevated; fore toes rather
long, very slender, connected at the base by webs, of which the outer is
much larger; second or inner toe considerably shorter than fourth, third
longest ; all scutellate above, flat and marginate beneath. Claws small,
slightly arched, much compressed, rather obtuse, that of middle toe much
larger, with the inner edge enlarged.

Plumage very soft, blended, on the fore part of the head very short.
Wings long, narrow, pointed ; primaries rather narrow and tapering, first
and second equal, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries short, broad,
incurved, obliquely rounded, the inner elongated and tapering. Tail ra-
ther short, slightly rounded, of twelve rounded feathers.

Bill greenish-black. Iris brown; edges of eyelids dark grey. Feet
greenish-grey, claws brownish-black. Upper part of the head, lores,
cheeks, hind neck and sides of the neck deep brownish-grey, the edges of
the feathers brownish-white; a dull white line from the bill to the eye ;
upper part of throat greyish-white ; fore-neck of the same colour, streaked
with brownish-grey, as are the sides; the rest of the lower parts greyish-
white. The general colour of the back and scapulars is deep greenish-
brown, the feathers edged with a few small spots of white and dusky, those
on the inner secondaries more numerous. Wing-coverts similar, except-
ing those along the edge of the wing, which with the alula and primary
coverts are deep brownish-black ; primary quills brownish-black, secon-
daries greyish-brown ; lower wing-coverts mottled with brownish-black
and white, the axillar feathers barred with greyish-white and dusky, as
are the upper tail-coverts and the tail-feathers, of which the two middle

are merely spotted with white on the edges.

SOLITARY SANDPIPER. 579

Length to end of tail 8} inches, to end of wings 9, to end of claws 10;
extent of wings 163; wing from flexure 5}; tail 2; bill along the back
17%, along the edge of lower mandible 123; tarsus 1,4; middle toe 34,
its claw 23. Weight 13 oz.

Adult Female. Plate CCLXXXIX. Fig. 2.

There is no decided difference between the sexes in the colouring, but
the female is somewhat larger. From the only instance in which I found
this species in the act of depositing its eggs, I conclude that it generally
forms its nest on the higher grounds or along the declivities of hills.

008

( 580)

THE RED-BACKED SANDPIPER, |
TRINGA ALPINA, LINN.

PLATE CCXC. Mate iw Summer, anp ADULT IN WINTER.

In autumn and winter, this species is abundant along the whole range
of our coast, wherever the shores are sandy or muddy, from Maine to the
mouths of the Mississippi; but I never found one far inland. Sometimes
they collect into flocks of several hundred individuals, and are seen wheel-
ing over the water near the shores or over the beaches, in beautiful order,
and now and then so close together as to afford an excellent shot, especially
when they suddenly alight in a mass near the sportsman, or when, swiftly
veering, they expose their lower parts at the same moment. On such occa-
sions a dozen or more may be killed at once, provided the proper moment
is chosen.

There seems to be a kind of impatience in this bird that prevents it
from remaining any length of time in the same place, and you may see it
scarcely alighted on a sand-bar, fly off without any apparent reason to
another, where it settles, runs for a few moments, and again starts off on
wing. When searching for food they run with great agility, following
the retiring waves, and retreating as they advance, probing the wet sands,
and picking up objects from their surface, ever jerking up the tail, and
now and then uttering a faint cry, pleasant to the ear, and differing from
the kind of scream which they emit while on wing.

When I was in the Floridas in winter, I found this species abundant,
and my party shot a great number of them, on account of the fatness and
juiciness of their flesh. They all appeared to have their plumage greyer
than those shot in the Carolinas at the same season, and not one exhibited
the least redness on the back, although that colour is so conspicuous in
spring before they leave us for the north. They usually take their de-
parture from the south about the first of April, reach the Middle Dis-
tricts by the fifteenth of that month, and in a few days assume their summer
plumage. I have observed that at this season the male birds are frequently
in the habit of raising their wings and running in that position for a few
steps, when they close them, and nod to the nearest female. None of the

other sex, however, seemed to take the least notice of this homage. On

.

RED-BACKED SANDPIPER. 581

our way to Labrador we saw flocks of these birds passing, but we found
none breeding in that country. My friend Mr Maceririvray has given
me the following account of the habits of this species during the breed-
‘Ing season.

“ About the middle of April, the Purres betake themselves to the
moors, in the northern parts of Scotland, and in the larger Hebrides,
where they may be found scattered in the haunts selected by the Golden
Plovers, with which they are so frequently seen in company that they
have obtained the name of Plovers’ Pages. In the Hebrides, from this
season until the end of August, none are to be found along the shores.
The nest is a slight hollow in a dry place, having a few bits of withered
heath and grass irregularly placed in it. The eggs, four in number, are
ovato-pyriform, an inch and four-twelfths in length, eleven-twelfths in
breadth, oil-green or light greenish-yellow, irregularly spotted and blotch-
ed with deep brown, the spots becoming more numerous toward the larger
end, where they are confluent. The young, like those of the Golden Plo-
ver and Lapwing, leave the nest immediately after exclusion, run about,
and when alarmed, conceal themselves by sitting close to the ground and
remaining motionless. If at this period, or during incubation, a person
approaches their retreats, the male especially, but frequently the female
also, flies up to meet the intruder, settles on a tuft near him, or runs along
and uses the same artifices for. decoying him from the nest or young as
the Plover or Ring Dotterel. When the young are fledged, the birds
gather into small flocks, which often in the evenings unite into larger, and
join those of the Golden Plover. They rest at night on the smoother
parts of the heath, and both species, when resting by day, either stand or
lie on the ground. When one advances within a hundred yards of such
a flock, it is pleasant to see them stretch up their wings as if preparing
for flight, utter a few low notes, and immediately stand on the alert, or
run a few steps. At this season, however, they are not at all shy. To-
wards the end of August, the different colonies betake themselves to
the sandy shores. On a large sand-ford in Harris, I have at this season
seen many thousands at once, running about with extreme activity in
search of food. This place seemed a general rendezvous, and after a few
weeks the host broke up and dispersed, few if any remaining during the

winter.”

582 RED-BACKED SANDPIPER.

Trinea Cincius, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 251.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 335.
Winter plumage.

Trinea ALPINA, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 429.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 736.—
Summer plumage.

TRINGA VARIABILIS, Temm. Man. d’Ornith. part ii. p. 612.

TrineGa ALPINA, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 317.

RED-BACKED SANDPIPER, TRINGA aLPIna, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 5. pl. 56.
fig. 2. Summer.

Purre, Trinca Cincius, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p. 39. pl. 57. fig. 3. Winter.

Trinca aLpina, THE AMERICAN Dunttn, Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer.
part ii. p. 383.

Dun.LIn or Ox-Birp, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 106.

Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCXC. Fig. 1.

Bill longer than the head, slender, subcylindrical, nearly straight,
being slightly curved towards the end, compressed at the base, the point
rather depressed and obtuse. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly
straight, slightly sloping at the base, and slightly decurved towards the
end, the ridge narrow, towards the end flattened, at the point convex,
sides sloping, edges rather blunt and soft. Nasal groove long, extending
to near the point ; nostrils basal, linear, pervious. Lower mandible with
the angle long and very narrow, the dorsal line slightly concave, the sides
sloping outwards, towards the end convex.

Head rather small, oblong, compressed. Eyes rather small. Neck
of moderate length. Body rather full. Feet slender, of moderate length ;
tibia bare a considerable way up, anteriorly and posteriorly scutellate, as
is the compressed tarsus; hind toe very small and elevated, anterior toes
of moderate length, slender ; inner toe slightly shorter than outer, middle
toe considerably longer; all scutellate above, marginate with prominent
papilla, and free. Claws small, slightly arched, extremely compressed,
blunt ; edge of middle claw dilated and thin.

Plumage very soft, blended ; on the back the feathers rather distinct.
Wings long and pointed; primaries tapering, obtuse, the first longest,
the second a little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries rather
short, obliquely cut at the end with a recurved blunt point, the inner
elongated and tapering. Tail rather short, even, but with the two middle
feathers considerably longer, of twelve feathers.

Bill and feet black. Iris dark brown. The upper part of the head,

the back and the scapulars, are chestnut-red, each feather brownish-black

RED-BACKED SANDPIPER. 583

in the centre, aud the scapulars barred with the same colour. The wing
coverts greyish-brown, as are the quills, the bases and tips of the secon-
daries and part of the outer webs of the middle primaries white. Tail
light brownish-grey, the two middle feathers darker. Forehead, sides of
the head and hind neck, pale reddish-grey, streaked with dusky ;. fore
neck and anterior part of breast greyish-white, streaked with dusky ; on
the breast a large patch of brownish-black ; abdomen and lower tail-coverts
white, the latter with dusky markings.

Length to end of tail 8} inches, to end of wings 8,7, ; extent of wings
15, wing from flexure 439 ; tail 2,°,; bill along the ridge 1,4, along the
edge of lower mandible 1,°,; tarsus 1; middle toe ;$, its claw 73.

Weight 3 oz.

Adult in Winter. Plate CCXC. Fig. 2.

The bill, feet and eyes as above; the general colour of the upper
parts is brownish-grey, varying in different individuals in intensity of tint.
The wings and tail are asin summer. Throat greyish-white, sides of the
head and neck, and fore part of the latter, pale brownish-grey, faintly
streaked with darker, as are the sides; the rest of the lower parts white,

with a few streaks on the breast.

( 584 )

LABRADOR.

Wuewn I look back upon the many pleasant hours that I spent with
the young gentlemen who composed my party, during our excursions
along the coast of sterile and stormy Labrador, I think that a brief ac-
count of our employments may prove not altogether uninteresting to my
readers.

We had purchased our stores at Boston, with the aid of my generous
friend Dr Parkman of that city ; but unfortunately many things neces-
sary on an expedition like ours were omitted. At Eastport in Maine we
therefore laid in these requisites. No traveller, let me say, ought to ne-
glect any thing that is calculated to ensure the success of his undertaking,
or to contribute to his personal comfort, when about to set out on a long
and perhaps hazardous voyage. Very few opportunities of replenishing
stores of provision, clothing or ammunition, occur in such a country as
Labrador ; and yet, we all placed too much confidence in the zeal and
foresight of our purveyors at Eastport. We had abundance of ammu-
nition, excellent bread, meat, and potatoes; but the butter was quite
rancid, the oil only fit to grease our guns, the vinegar too liberally diluted
with cider, the mustard and pepper deficient in due pungency. All this,
however, was not discovered until it was too late to be remedied. Several
of the young men were not clothed as hunters should be, and some of the
guns were not so good as we could have wished. We were, however, for-
tunate with respect to our vessel, which was a notable sailer, did not leak,
had a good crew, and was directed by a capital seaman.

The hold of the schooner was floored, and an entrance made to it
from the cabin, so that in it we had a very good parlour, dining-room,
drawing-room, library, &c. all those apartments however, being, united in-
to one. An extravagantly elongated deal table ranged along the centre ;
one of the party had slung his hammock at one end, and in its vicinity
slept the cook and a lad who acted as armourer. The cabin was small:
but being fitted in the usual manner with side berths, was used for a dor-
mitory. It contained a small table and a stove, the latter of diminu-
tive size, but smoky enough to discomfit a host. We had adopted in
a great measure the clothing worn by the American fishermen on that

coast, namely, thick blue cloth trowsers, a comfortable waistcoat, and a

LABRADOR. 585

pea-jacket of blanket. Our boots were large, round-toed, strong, and
well studded with large nails to prevent sliding on the rocks. Worsted
comforters, thick mittens, and round broad-brimmed hats, completed our
dress, which was more picturesque than fashionable. As soon as we had
an opportunity, the boots were exchanged for Esquimaux mounted mo-
cassins of seal-skin, impermeable to water, light, easy, and fastening at top
about the middle of the thigh to straps, which when buckled over the hips
secured them well. 'To complete our equipment, we had several good
boats, one of which was extremely light and adapted for shallow water.

No sooner had we reached the coast and got into harbour, than we
agreed to follow certain regulations intended for the general benefit.
Every morning the cook was called before three o'clock. At half-past
three, breakfast was on the table, and every body equipt. The guns,
ammunition, botanical boxes, and baskets for eggs or minerals, were all
in readiness. Our breakfast consisted of coffee, bread, and various other
materials. At four, all except the cook and one seaman, went off in dif-
ferent directions, not forgetting to carry with them a store of cooked provi-
sions. Some betook themselves to the islands, others to the deep bays ;
the latter on landing wandered over the country, until noon, when laying
themselves down on the rich moss, or sitting on the granite rock, they
would rest for an hour, eat their dinner, and talk of their successes or
disappointments. I often regret that I did not take sketches of the curi-
ous groups formed by my young friends on such occasions, and when, af-
ter returning at night, all were engaged in measuring, weighing, compar-
ing and dissecting the birds we had procured, operations which were car-
ried on with the aid of a number of candles thrust into the necks of bot-
tles. Here one examined the flowers and leaves of a plant, there another
explored the recesses of a diver’s gullet, while a third skinned a gull or a
grous. Nor was our journal forgotten. Arrangements were made for
the morrow, and at twelve we left matters to the mangement of the cook,
and retired to our roosts.

If the wind blew hard, all went on shore, and, excepting on a few re-
markably rainy days, we continued our pursuits much in the same man-
ner during our stay in the country. The physical powers of the young
men were considered in making our arrangements. Suattuck and In-
GALs went together ; the Captain and Coo.epcE were fond of each other,
the latter having also been an officer ; Lincotn and my son being the

strongest and most determined hunters, generally marched by themselves;

586 LABRADOR.

and I went with one or other of the parties according to circumstances,
although it was by no means my custom to do so regularly, as T had
abundance of work on hand in the vessel.

The return of my young companions and the sailors was always
looked for with anxiety. On getting on board, they opened their bud-
gets, and laid their contents on the deck, amid much merriment, those
who had procured most specimens being laughed at by those who had
obtained the rarest, and the former joking the latter in return. A sub-
stantial meal always awaited them, and fortunate we were in having a
capital cook, although he was a little too fond of the bottle.

Our “fourth of July” was kept sacred, and every Saturday night the
toast of “‘ wives and sweethearts” was the first given, “ parents andfriends”
the last. Never was there a more merry set. Some with the violin and
flute accompanied the voices of the rest, and few moments were spent in
idleness. Before a month had elapsed, the spoils of many a fine bird
hung around the hold; shrubs and flowers were in the press, and I had
several drawings finished, some of which you have seen, and of which I
hope you will ere long see the remainder. Large jars were filling apace
with the bodies of rare birds, fishes, quadrupeds, and reptiles, as well as
molluscous animals. We had several pets too, Gulls, Cormorants, Guille-
mots, Puffins, Hawks, and a Raven. In some of the harbours, curious
fishes were hooked in our sight, so clear was the water.

We found that camping out at night was extremely uncomfortable,
on account of the annoyance caused by flies and musquitoes, which at-
tacked the hunters in swarms at all times, but more especially when they
lay down, unless they enveloped themselves in thick smoke, which is not
much more pleasant. Once when camping, the weather became very bad,
and the party was twenty miles distant from Whapatiguan as night
threw her mantle over the earth. The rain fell in torrents, the north-east
wind blew furiously, and the air was extremely cold. The oars of the
boats were fixed so as to support some blankets, and a small fire was with
difficulty kindled, on the embers of which a scanty meal was cooked. How
different from a camp on the shores of the Mississippi, where wood is
abundant, and the air generally not lacking heat, where musquitoes, al-
though plentiful enough, are not accompanied by carraboo flies, and
where the barkings of a joyful squirrel, or the notes of the Barred Owl,
that grave buffoon of our western woods, never fail to gladden the camper

as he cuts to the right and left such branches and canes as most easily

LABRADOR. 587

supply materials for forming a lodging for the night! On the coast of
Labrador there are no such things; granite and green moss are spread
around, silence like that of the grave envelopes all, and when night has
closed the dreary scene from your sight, the wolves, attracted by the
scent of the remains of your scanty repast, gather around you. Cowards
as they are, they dare not venture on a charge; but their howlings ef-
fectually banish sleep. You must almost roast your feet to keep them
warm, while your head and shoulders are chilled by the blast. When
morning comes," she smiles not on you with rosy cheeks, but appears
muffled in a grey mantle of cold mist, which shews you that there is no
prospect of a fine day. The object of the expedition, which was to pro-
cure some Owls that had been observed there by day, was entirely frus-
trated. At early dawn, the party rose stiffened and dispirited, and glad
were they to betake themselves to their boats, and return to their floating
home.

Before we left Labrador, several of my young friends began to feel
the want of suitable clothing. The sailors’ ever-tailoring system was, be-
lieve me, fairly put to the test. Patches of various colours ornamented
knees and elbows; our boots were worn out; our greasy garments and
battered hats were in harmony with our tanned and weather-beaten faces ;
and, had you met with us, you might have taken us for a squad of wretch-
ed vagrants ; but we were joyous in the expectation of a speedy return,
and exulted at the thoughts of our success.

As the chill blast that precedes the winter’s tempest thickened the fogs
on the hills and ruffled the dark waters, each successive day saw us more
anxious to leave the dreary wilderness of grim rocks and desolate moss-
clad valleys. Unfavourable winds prevented us for a while from spread-
ing our white sails; but at last one fair morning smiled on the wintry
world, the Ripley was towed from the harbour, her tackle trimmed, and
as we bounded over the billows, we turned our eyes toward the wilds of

Labrador, and heartily bade them farewell for ever !

( 588 )

THE HERRING GULL.
LARUS ARGENTATUS, Brunn.

PLATE CCXCI. Mate.

On the 22d of May 1833 I was kindly received with my party on
board the United States’ revenue-cutter the Swiftsure, commanded by
Captain CootepcE, and on the morning of the next day was landed on
White Head Island, at the entrance of the Bay of Fundy. This island
is the property of a worthy Englishman of the name of FranxLanp, who
received us with great hospitality, gave us leave to ransack his domains,
and invited us to remain as long as we pleased. The Herring Gulls, he
said, were breeding in great numbers, and we might expect good sport.
We immediately set out in search of them, directing our course toward
the pine woods, in which we were informed we should find them, and in
approaching which we passed over an elevated marsh of great extent. As
we came up to the place I observed that many of the Gulls had alighted
on the fir-trees, while a vast number were sailing around, and when we
advanced nearer, the former took to wing, abandoning their nests, and all
flew about uttering incessant cries.

I was greatly surprised to see the nests placed on the branches, some
near the top, others about the middle or on the lower parts of the trees,
while at the same time there were many on the ground. It is true I had
been informed of this by our captain, but I had almost believed that, on
arriving at the spot, I should find the birds not to be gulls. My doubts,
however, were now dispelled, and I was delighted to see how strangely
Nature had provided them with the means of securing their eggs and
young from their arch-enemy man. My delight was greatly increased on
being afterwards informed by Mr Franxtanp that the strange habit in
question had been acquired by these gulls within his recollection, for, said
he, “ when I first came here, many years ago, they all built their nests
on the moss and in open ground ; but as my sons and the fishermen col-
lected most of their eggs for winter use, and sadly annoyed the poor
things, the old ones gradually began to put their nests on the trees in the
thickest parts of the woods. The youngest birds, however, still have

some on the ground, and the whole are becoming less wild since I have

HERRING GULL. 589

forbidden strangers to rob their nests; for, gentlemen, you are the only
persons out of my family that have fired a gun on White Head Island
for several years past, and I daresay you will not commit any greater ha-
vock among them than is necessary, and to that you are welcome.”

I was much pleased with the humanity of our host, and requested him
to let me know when all the Gulls, or the greater part of them, would
abandon the trees and resume their former mode of breeding on the ground,
which he promised to do. But I afterwards found that this was not like-
ly to happen, because on some other islands not far distant, to which the
fishermen and eggers have free access, these Gulls breed altogether on the
trees, even when their eggs and young are regularly removed every year,
so that their original habits have been entirely given up. My opinion
that, after being thus molested for some time longer, they may resort to
the inaccessible shelves ‘of the high rocks of these islands, was strengthen-
ed by Mr Franxuanp’s informing me that many pairs had already taken
refuge in such places, where they bred in perfect security. The most re-
markable effect produced by these changes of locality is, that the young
which are hatched on the trees or high rocks, do not leave their nests un-
til they are able to fly, while those on the ground run about in less than
a week, and hide themselves at the sight of man among the moss and
plants, which frequently saves them from being carried away. The young
on the trees are shaken out of their nests, or knocked down with poles,
their flesh being considered as very good by the fishermen and eggers, who
collect and salt them for winter provision.

Some of the nests which I saw were placed at a height of more than
forty feet on the trees, others, seen in the thickest parts of the woods, were
eight or ten feet from the ground, and were placed close to the main stem,
so as to be with difficulty observed. It was truly curious to see the broad-
winged birds make their way to and from them in these secluded retreats.
The nests placed on the ground were several yards apart, and measured
from fifteen to eighteen inches in diameter, their cavity being from four
to six. The lower stratum consisted of grass, plants of various kinds,
moss, and grey lichens, and the whole was lined with fine bent, but with-
out any feathers. Those on the trees measured from twenty-four to
twenty-six inches in diameter externally, and were composed of the same
materials, but in greater quantity, the object of which I thought might
be to allow more space to the young while growing, as they could not en-

joy the pleasure of running about like those hatched on the ground. Per-

590 HERRING GULL.

haps, however, the smaller size of the nests placed there may be owing to
their belonging to the younger Gulls, as I have often observed that the
older the individual the larger is its nest. Mr Franxianp informed me
that they frequently repair the old nests at the commencement of the
breeding season, and I found the assertion proved by my own observation.
The eggs, which are three, measure three inches in length, by two in
breadth, have an oval somewhat pyriform shape, are rough though not
granulated, and are of a dull yellowish earthy colour, irregularly blotched
and spotted with dark umber. They are nearly as large as those of the
Great Black-backed Gull; but they differ considerably in size as well as
in colour, some being more or less rounded or elongated. ‘The yolk is
bright orange, the albumen bluish-white; and they are excellent eating. °

About the beginning of May the Herring Gulls collect into great
flocks for the purpose of reproducing, and betake themselves to large
sand-bars or mud-flats at Jow water, where their cacklings may be heard
at a great distance. With the aid of a glass you may see them going
through their courtships ; the males swell their throats, walk about proud-
ly, throw their heads upwards, and emit their love notes. These general
meetings take place at all hours of the day, according to the state of the
tide, and continue for about a fortnight, when they all depart and betake
themselves to the islands on which they breed. Several of these are
situated near the one mentioned, and there is one near Cape Sable, a few
miles from the most southern point of Nova Scotia, on which we saw thou-
sands alighted on the trees as we were sailing along that coast on our way
to Labrador. Some individuals begin to lay about the 19th of May or a
few days earlier, while others have not finished the process until the mid-
dle of June. During this period they resort at certain hours to bare rocky
islets, on which they copulate. At White Head Island, while we were
seated on the edge of a beautiful sand-bar eating our dinner, we saw, on
one of these rocks, a vast number forming as it were a dense mass, which
covered about half an acre. At twelve o'clock, we observed that all those
which were not sitting on their eggs, flew over us and alighted on the sea,
about half a mile from the shore, where they remained upwards of an hour,
swimming gracefully but in silence all the while. A seal happening to
raise its head above the water frightened them, and all raised their wings
as if about to fly. Soon after they rose all at once, separated, and went
off in search of food, but returned in less than an hour to the island, fly-

ing high and cackling loudly. A little before sunset all those unoccupied

HERRING GULL. 591

with incubation went off to the same rocky islands to roost, flying in silence,
and mostly in files. It was curious to observe that, whenever a large flock
made towards the sea cackling, all the ducks about immediately flew off
to a considerable distance, as if afraid of them; and we saw that these
Gulls, although timorous in the presence of man, shew great courage in
attacking predatory birds, such as Jays, Crows, Ravens, and even Hawks,
which they pursued and forced into the deep woods, or drove away from
the vicinity of their nests.

Shy and wary nearly in as great a degree as the Black-backed Gull,
they were with difficulty obtained, unless we approached them under
cover. The least noise made them instantly leave their perch, and al-
though there were six of us, each furnished with a good gun, and some
sufficiently expert, not more than a dozen were killed that day, and all
of them while flying. The moment one started, it would sound an alarm,
on which hundreds would rise and sail over us, at such a height that it
was useless to shoot at them. Now and then, one accidentally passing
low over the woods, was brought down. ‘While returning in the evening
we shot one at a great height, having merely broken the tip of its wing.
Having caught it, we placed it on the narrow path, on which it ran be-
fore us nearly to the house of the Governor, as Captain FranxkLanp is
called. It offered no resistance, but bit severely, and now and then lay
down to rest for a few moments. It ran fast enough to keep several yards
before us, cackling all the while, and once suddenly made off from the path
at a rapid rate.

Their flight is as strong as that of the Great Black-backed Gull, but
more buoyant as well as graceful. During the love season their aérial
evolutions are extremely beautiful; they pass through the air in wide cir-
clings, at a great height, and then come down in curious zigzags until
near the tops of the trees, or the surface of the sea. While in pursuit of
fish, they dart in curved lines with great rapidity, frequently wheeling
suddenly when over their prey, and falling towards it. When travelling,
they pass indifferently over the land or the water, but generally at a con-
siderable height. Their food consists principally of herrings, of which
they destroy great numbers, following the shoals. They also feed on
other fishes of small size, shrimps, crabs, and shell-fish, as well as on young
birds and small quadrupeds, and suck all the eggs they can find. 'The
rocky shores of the islands on which I found them breeding are covered

with multitudes of sea-urchins, having short greenish spines, which give

\

592 HERRING GULL.

them the semblance of a ball of moss. At low water the Herring Gulls
frequently devour these animals, thrusting their bill through the shell,
and sucking its contents. They also take up shells in the air, and
drop them on the rocks to break them. We saw one that had met with
a very hard mussel, take it up and drop it three times in succession, be-
fore it succeeded in breaking it, and I was much pleased to see the bird
let it fall each succeeding time from a greater height than before. They
seem to go out to sea in search of food at particular periods, setting out
at the first ebb and returning to the shore as the tide rises.

The young are at first fed chiefly with shrimps and other small crus-
tacea, which are picked up from the mud-bars or along the shores. They
are then of a deep rusty colour all over, and when fully feathered they
retain a good deal of that hue, but the feathers are edged with light grey
or brown; the feet and legs are of a greenish-blue colour, inclining to
purple; the bill dusky or nearly black. In spring they acquire their full
size, but still retain the grey and rusty plumage. The next year they
shew much light ash-grey and white about ‘the head, neck, and lower
parts, the orange spot appears on the bill, the feet and legs are flesh-
coloured, the tail still partially banded towards the extremity. At this
age, however, I believe they breed, as I observed some coloured in the
manner described, mated with older birds. The third spring they acquire
the colouring represented in the plate.

I found no other species breeding on the same islands. Old and young
associate together all the year round, excepting during the breeding sea-
son, when the latter separate and pursue their avocations together. The
ery or cackling of this species, which is heard at a considerable dis-
tance, may be imitated by pronouncing the syllables hac, hac, hac, cah,
cah, cah.

The Herring Gull has a greater range of migration along our coast
and in the interior than any other American species. I have found it on
our great lakes, and on the Ohio, Missouri and Mississippi, down to the
Gulf of Mexico, during the autumnal months, and in winter along the
shores of the latter, and all our eastern coasts. It may be said to be resident
in the United States, as it breeds from off Boston to Eastport in Maine ;
but the greater number go farther north. We found the nests of some
on the bare rocks of the Seal Islands off Labrador, but not on the coast
itself, They were composed of dry plants and moss brought from the
mainland. The birds kept by themselves, and appeared to be completely

HERRING GULL. 593

mastered by the Great Black-backed Gulls. On our return we saw old
and young on the northern coast of Newfoundland, and on the different
bays over which we passed.

I have represented an adult male, but not one of the largest, and a
young bird shot in winter, which I have placed on a bunch of Racoon

oysters, where it was standing when shot.

Larus aRGENTATUS, Temm. Man. d’Ornith. part ii. p. 764.
Larus arcEentatus, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 360.

Larus ARGENTATOIDES, [bidem.

Adult Male in spring. Plate CCXCI. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, robust, compressed, higher near the end
than at the base. Upper mandible with the dorsal line nearly straight at
the base, declinate and arched towards the end, the ridge convex, the sides
slightly convex, the edges sharp, inflected, arcuato-declinate towards the
end, the tip rather obtuse. Nasal groove rather long and narrow; nostril
in its fore part, lateral, longitudinal, linear-oblong, wider anteriorly, per-
vious. Lower mandible with the angle long and narrow, the outline of
the crura curved, the dorsal line beyond the prominence slightly concave,
the sides erect and nearly flat, the edges sharp and inflected.

Head rather large, oblong, narrowed anteriorly. Neck of moderate
length, strong. Body full. Feet of moderate length, rather slender ;
tibia bare below; tarsus somewhat compressed, covered anteriorly with
numerous scutella, laterally with angular scales, behind with numerous
small rectangular scales; hind toe very small and elevated, the fore toes
of moderate length, rather slender, the fourth longer than the second, the
third longest, all scutellate above, and connected by reticulated entire
membranes, the lateral toes margined externally with a thick narrow mem-
brane. Claws small, slightly arched, depressed, rounded, that of the
middle toe with an expanded thin inner margin.

The plumage in general is close, full, elastic, very soft and blended,
on the back rather compact. Wings very long, broad, acute, the first
and second quills nearly equal, the rest of the primaries rather rapidly
graduated ; secondaries broad and rounded, the inner narrower. Tail of
moderate length, even, of twelve rounded feathers.

Bill gamboge-yellow, with a large orange-red patch inclining to car-
mine towards the end of the Jower mandible. Edges of eyelids gamboge;
iris silvery white, Feet flesh-coloured ; claws brownish-black. The head,
neck, lawer parts, rump and tail, are pure white; the back and wings

VOL. Ill. rp

594 HERRING GULL.

pearl-grey or light bluish-grey, very slightly tinged with purple; the
edges of the wing and the extremities of all the quills, are white. The
first six quills are brownish-black towards the end, that colour including
the outer webs and the greater part of the inner of the two first, and on
the rest gradually diminishing, so as on the sixth merely to form a bar;
first quill with a patch of white about an inch and a half long on both webs
near the end; second with a circular white patch on the inner web, the
tips of all white.

Length to end of tail 23 inches, to end of wings 244, to end of claws
211; extent of wings 53; wing from flexure 18; tail 74; bill along the
ridge 24, along the edge of lower mandible 3; its depth at the angle ;
tarsus 24; middle toe 23, its claw #3. Weight 1 lb. 10 oz.

The Female is similar to the male, but somewhat less.

Young in November. Plate CCXCI. Fig. 2.

Bill brownish-black, paler at the base of the lower mandible. Edges
of eyelids greenish-grey ; iris hazel. Feet purplish flesh-colour ; claws
brownish-black. The general colour of the whole plumage is light pur-
plish-grey, the upper part of the head darker, the lower parts minutely
mottled with pale yellowish-grey ; the feathers of the upper parts, and
the upper tail-coverts, irregularly edged and barred with greyish-white.
Primary quills greyish-brown, their inner webs paler, their tips whitish ;
tail of the same colour, its base and outer webs of lateral feathers irregu-
larly mottled with whitish, the tips brownish-white.

Length to end of tail 183 inches, to end of wings 20; extent of wings
51; wing from flexure 16; tail 6; bill along the ridge 2, along the edge
of lower mandible 23; tarsus 24; middle toe 2, its claw 43. Weight 22 oz.

From the examination of individuals of this species, it would appear
that little reliance can be placed on the markings of the quills as afford-
ing a specific character. Four undoubted specimens of Larus argentatus
now before me, have a white spot, varying in length from one to two
inches, and including both webs, near the end of the first quill. One has
no spot on the second quill; another has a spot on both webs of the second
quill of one wing, and a smaller spot on part of the inner web of the same
quill of the other wing; the third has a very small spot on part of the
inner web of the same quill of both wings ; the fourth has a large circular

spot on the inner web of that quill also in both wings.

( 595)

THE CRESTED GREBE.
PODICEPS CRISTATUS, LATH.

PLATE CCXCII. Mate anp Femate.

Tuts beautiful species returns from its northern places of residence,
and passes over the Western Country, about the beginning of September.
A few remain on the lower parts of the Ohio, on the Mississippi, and the
lakes in their neighbourhood; but the greater number proceed towards
the Mexican territories. 'They pass swiftly through the air, at a height
of about a hundred yards, in flocks of from seven or eight to fifty or more,
proceeding in a loose body, and propelling themselves by continued flap-
pings, their necks and feet stretched out to their full length. I have ob-
served them thus passing in autumn, for several years in succession, over
different parts of the Ohio, at all hours of the day. On such occasions I
could readily distinguish the old from the young, the former being in
many instances still adorned with their summer head-dress. I never saw
this species near the sea-coast, where, on the contrary, I have met with
the Red-necked Grebe.

When about to alight on the water, these birds glide swiftly down-
ward, with their wings half-closed, and produce a sound not unlike that
of a hawk stooping towards its prey. Their velocity is so great at this
moment, that on alighting, they glide on the surface of the water for
twenty or thirty yards, leaving a furrow in their wake. In a few mo-
ments they are all engaged in washing and cleaning themselves, after
which they dive in pursuit of the fishes on which they feed, and which
they secure by following them in the manner of Divers and Cormorants.
They are exceedingly quick-sighted, and frequently elude by diving the
shot intended for their destruction, seldom after being chased raising
more than their bill above the water, but rarely making for the shore un-
less when nearly exhausted.

When in ponds, they may easily be caught with fishing hooks placed
on lines near the bottom; but if the lines are not closely attended to, or
held from a place of concealment, where you may feel that they are hooked,
and at once haul them out, the birds drown in a very short time. On
catching two or three in this manner, I found the pond deserted the fol-

Pp2

596 CRESTED GREBE.

lowing morning and for several days after. They very rarely fly in your
presence, and they leave the ponds at night. If forced to rise on wing,
they run paddling on the water for several yards before they rise, and
fly several times round a pond of thirty or forty yards before they attain
the level of the tree-tops, for they never fly through the woods. When
once high in the air, they move in a direct course and with speed, towards
some other pond or the nearest river. I do not remember to have ever
met with a bird of this species on a narrow creek or bayou, or on muddy
waters; and on the Ohio’s rising I have observed that they abandon the
river and betake themselves to the clear ponds of the interior.

By the 1st of October, scarcely any difference can be perceived be-
tween the young and the old birds with respect to plumage, only the lat-
ter have the under surface of the wings still dashed with the reddish co-
lour of the summer dress. I am not able to say from observation how
long the young are in attaining maturity ; but European writers assert
that they take three or four years. When these birds leave the southern
waters about the beginning of April, the old already shew their summer
head-dress, but seldom have it so perfect as is represented in the plate.

The food of this species consists of fishes, aquatic insects, and small
reptiles, together with the seeds of water plants. Dr RicHarpson states
that these birds are abundant in all the secluded lakes of the mountainous
districts of the fur countries, and adds that their nests are formed of a
large quantity of grass, placed among reeds and carices, and rise and fall
with the water. Mr Yarrett has kindly furnished me with specimens
of the eggs, which are generally four, measure two inches and a quarter
in length by one inch and a half, have an oval form, and a smooth sur-

face, of a uniform yellowish-white colour.

Popicers cristaTus, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 780.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of
Birds of the United States, p. 417.

CrEsTED GREBE, oR GatnT, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 250.

Adult Male in spring. Plate CCXCII. Fig. 1.

Bill about the length of the head, straight, compressed, tapering.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, slightly declinate towards
the tip, the ridge convex, the sides convex, the edges sharp and inflected,
the tip rather sharp. Nasal groove rather wide, extending to nearly half
the length of the mandible ; nostrils linear-elliptical, basal, rather small,

pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and extremely narrow ;

CRESTED GREBE. 597

dorsal line beyond it ascending and straight, sides erect, slightly convex,
tip acuminate, edges sharp. fe pe

Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck long, slender.
Body long and depressed. Feet short, large, placed close to the extremity
of the body; tibia feathered to the joint; tarsus extremely compressed ;
its anterior edge with a row of small scutella, the sides with broad scutella,
behind which are some irregular scales, the posterior ridge with a double
line of small prominent scales; first toe very small with a posterior mem-
brane, fourth longest ; the toes scutellate above, connected at the base by
amembrane, and having on both sides an expanded web-like margin
marked with oblique lines, and having a crenated edge. Claws flat, that
of third toe broadest.

Plumage very soft, blended, on the lower parts silky, on the back
glossy and rather compact. Two tufts of elongated feathers on the occi-
put, and a large frill on the sides and anterior portion of the neck at its
upper part. Wings small, acute ; primaries much curved, second longest,
first almost equal, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries short, rounded.
Tail a slight tuft of loose feathers.

Bill blackish-brown tinged with carmine ; bare loral space dusky green,
as is the edge of the eyelids. Iris bright carmine. Feet greenish-black,
the webs greyish-blue. Upper part of the head and tufts greyish-black
tinged with green, as is the hind part of the ruff, its anterior part being
brownish-red ; sides of the head and the throat white; fore neck white
tinged with brown; breast silvery white, sides reddish-brown with dusky
streaks ; the upper parts are brownish-black, the feathers edged with
lighter, the sides of the neck tinged with reddish, as is the rump. Wing-
coverts greyish-brown, primary quills brownish-black, tips of the inner
white, the middle secondaries white.

Length to end of tail 24 inches, to end of wings 21, to end of claws
29; extent of wings 33; wing from flexure 7}; bill along the ridge 2,
along the edge of lower mandible 2;% ; tarsus 2}; third toe {, its claw {.

Weight 2 lb. 9 oz.

Adult Female in spring. Plate CCXCII. Fig. 2.

The Female has the occipital feathers a little elongated, but wants the
ruff on the neck. Bill dusky green; bare loral space, edges of eyelids,
and iris, as in the male. Upper part of head and hind neck blackish-grey ;
back and wings as in the male, but more tinged with grey ; lower parts

silvery white, the sides under.the wings dusky.

098 CRESTED GREBE.

Length to end of tail 193, to end of claws 24}; extent of wings 30;
bill along the back 23, along the edge of lower mandible 27; tarsus 25 ;
third toe 23, its claw }. Weight 1 lb. 6} oz.

The following account of the digestive organs of this species was taken
from an adult male.

The cesophagus is nine and a half inches long ; at its commencement,
and for an inch and a half, it has a diameter of half an inch, for the next
two inches only two-twelfths, towards the lower extremity four-twelfths ;
this, however, in the contracted state, the specimen having been kept in
spirits. 'The mucous coat is raised into numerous longitudinal folds.

The walls of the proventriculus are extremely thick, the glands cylin-
drical, generally about a quarter of an inch long, and one-twelfth in dia-
meter. The stomach is roundish, compressed, the muscular coat very
thick, being that of a true gizzard, the tendons nearly half an inch in diame-
ter ; the inner coat thick, the cuticular lining very thick and rugous.

Between the orifice of the cesophagus and the pylorus is a rounded
lobe, from the lower part of which the intestine comes off. The pylorus
has no valve, but a thick marginal rim. The intestine, immediately after
its commencement, dilates to the diameter of half an inch, and continues
of that size for twelve inches, then gradually contracts for about six inches,
when its diameter is four-twelfths, and again within six inches of the coeca
becomes enlarged. The coeca come off at the distance of two inches from
the, anus, and are an inch and a half in length, a little enlarged towards
theirextremity, and rounded. ‘The rectum is half an inch in diameter,
the cloaca one inch. The entire length of the intestine is forty-two inches.

The heart is conical, rather pointed, and slightly curved. The trachea
is flattened, of uniform diameter, the rings complete, 167 in number, its
transverse diameter two inches and half a twelfth, contracted at the bifur-
cation to two-twelfths.

The tail of the Grebes is usually described as a small tuft of feathers ;
but on carefully removing the coverts and downy parts, the tail may be
satisfactorily traced. In this species there are 14 feathers, on each side
7 arranged in a semicircular manner. The two middle feathers are sepa-
rated to the distance of about ,’,, and the two outer or lateral approach
each other below, leaving an interval of about the same space. When the
feathers are broken across near their bases, which they frequently are,
there is thus produced the appearance of a small circular tuft. When

perfect, they are about 14 inches long, arched, with loose barbs, downy
at their extremities.

( 599 )

THE LARGE-BILLED PUFFIN.
/ Mormon GLACIALIS, LEACH.

PLATE CCXCIII. Mate.

AtrHoucH my learned friend Prince Cuartes Bonaparte says in
his Synopsis of the Birds of the United States, that this species is not un-
common in winter on our coast, I have only once met with it, and even
then I rather supposed than was actually certain that the birds observed
were Large-billed Puftins, They occurred on the outer side of the Island
of Grand Manan, at the entrance of the Bay of Fundy. None were seen
by myself or my companions on our way to Labrador, or in that country,
so that Iam unable to say any thing respecting the habits of this re-
markable bird. The specimens from which my figures were taken were
kindly lent to me by Mr Gourp of London, whose name must be fami-

liar to you as a successful cultivator of Ornithology.

Mormon GuaciaLis, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 430.
LanGE-BILLED PurFrin, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 541.

Adult Male. Plate CCXCIII. Fig. 1.

Bill about the length of the head, nearly as high as long, exceedingly
compressed, at the base higher than the head, obliquely furrowed on the
sides. Upper mandible with a horny rim along the incurved basal mar-
gin, its dorsal line irregularly curved from the base, the ridge very narrow
but rounded, the sides rapidly sloping, and marked with three curved
oblique grooves, the edges strong, rather sharp, their outline nearly straight,
the tip deflected, very narrow, but obtuse. Between the basal rim and
the first groove is a triangular flat space, in the lower part of which, close
to the edge of the mandible, is the linear direct nostril. Lower mandi-
ble with the angle narrow, and so placed that the base is inflected much
beyond the perpendicular, the dorsal line irregularly curved, towards the
end ascending and nearly straight, the ridge narrow, broader about the
middle, the sides nearly flat and grooved, the edges strong, the tip very
narrow. The gape extends downwards a little beyond the base of the
bill, and is furnished with a soft corrugated extensible membrane.

Head large, oblong, anteriorly compressed. Eyes of moderate size,

600 LARGE-BILLED PUFFIN.

with bare orbits; over the upper eyelid an oblong, tapering horny body
directed upwards and backwards, on the lower a linear body of a simi-
lar nature over its whole length. Neck short and thick. Body full and
rounded. Feet short, rather stout; tibia bare for a short space above the
joint. Tarsus very short, little compressed, anteriorly for three-fourths
of its length with a series of small scutella, the rest with reticular angular
scales. Hind toe wanting, toes rather long, and slender, scutellate above,
connected by reticulated entire membranes, the third and fourth’ toes
about equal, the second considerably shorter, with a narrow marginal
web. Claws strong, of moderate length, compressed, arched, that of the
inner toe much curved and acute.

Plumage close, blended, soft, very short on the head. Wings curved,
short, narrow, acute. Primary quills tapering, incurved, the first longest,
the second a little shorter, the rest regularly graduated ; secondaries very
short and rounded. ‘Tail very short, much rounded, of sixteen rounded
feathers.

Bill bright orange-red, soft edges of mouth gamboge. Edges of eye-
lids orange-red ; the iris and horny appendages light blue. Feet orange-
red, with the webs paler, the claw yellowish-brown. The sides of the
head and the lower parts in general, white ; upper part of the head light
brownish-grey tinged with lilac; a broad collar extending to the lower
mandible, of a dark greyish-brown tint below, and gradually passing into
the colour of the upper parts, which is brownish-black, glossed with blue ;
primary quills and their coverts blackish-brown, very slightly margined
with paler.

Length to end of tail 13 inches, to end of claws 14; to end of wings
124; extent of wings 243; bill along the ridge 21; along the edge of
lower mandible 1; depth of bill at the base 143, its greatest diameter §;

tarsus 12; middle toe 17, its claw 4.

Adult Female. Plate CCXCIII. Fig. 2.
The Female is precisely similar to the Male.

( 601 )

THE PECTORAL SANDPIPER.

TRINGA PECTORALIS, Bonar.

PLATE CCXCIV. Mate anp FemMatet.

Tis Sandpiper is not uncommon along the shores of our Eastern
States in autumn and winter. It has also lately been found in England,
and I have seen a specimen of it in the possession of Wi1tutam Yarre.t,
Esq. of London, who received it from a person who had shot it not far
from the metropolis. I first met with this species in the immediate vici-
nity of Dennisville, in the State of Maine, feeding on the rocky bars of
the river at low water. In the neighbourhood of Boston it is more abun-
dant than elsewhere. Mr Nurratz states, that “ they are killed in abun-
dance on the shores of Cohasset, and other parts of Massachussetts Bay,
and are brought in numbers to the market of Boston, being very fat and
well-flavoured.” ‘* They arrive,” he adds, “ in flocks about the close of
August, and continue there, as well as in New Jersey, till the month of
September. In some instances solitary individuals have been killed in
the marshes of Charles River, in Cambridge, about the 22d of July ;
these were in company with flocks of small Sandpipers (7. Wilsoniz),
but whether pairs may perhaps breed in the neighbouring marshes or not,
we have not had the means of ascertaining. While here, they feed on
small coleoptera, larvee, and the common green Ulva latissima, as well as
some species of fucus or sea-weed, on which they become fat. They utter
a low plaintive whistle when started, very similar to that of other species.
Like the Snipe they seem fond of damp meadows and marshes, and soli-
tary individuals are often surprised by the sportsman in the manner of
that bird.”

I have observed that the flight of the Pectoral Sandpiper resembles
that of the Knot, and is firm, rapid, and well sustained. It skims rather
low over the surface of the water or the land, and at times shoots high
up into the air, propelling itself with double rapidity and in perfect si-
lence. It runs with great agility, and probes the sand or wet earth, im-
mersing its bill up to the base. I never saw this species in any part of
the interior. Its places of resort during the breeding season, and the

changes of plumage which it undergoes, are unknown.

602 PECTORAL SANDPIPER.

TRINGA PECTORALIS, PEcToRAL SanDPiPER, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of
the United States, p. 318.

Precrorat SANDPIPER, TRINGA PECTORALIS, Ch. Bonaparte, Amer. Ornith. vol. iv-
pp. 43. pl. 23. fig. 2.— Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 111.

Adult Male in Summer. Plate CCXCIV. Fig. 1.

Bill rather longer than the head, slender, subcylindrical, straight,
flexible, compressed at the base, the point rather depressed and obtuse.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight, slightly decurved towards
the end, the ridge convex, towards the end a little flattened, at the point
convex, the sides sloping, the edges rather blunt and soft. Nasal groove
extending to near the tip; nostrils basal, linear, pervious. Lower man-
dible with the angle long and very narrow, the dorsal line straight, the
sides nearly erect, with a long narrow groove, the tip a little broader but
tapering.

Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Eyes rather large. Neck
of moderate length. Body rather slender. Feet of moderate length, slen-
der ; tibia bare for a considerable length ; tarsus compressed, anteriorly
and posteriorly with numerous small scutella; hind toe very small; the
rest rather long, slender, the fourth slightly longer than the second, the
third longest, all free, scutellate above, flat beneath, slightly marginate ;
claws rather small, slightly arched, compressed, acute, that of third toe
much larger, with the inner edge dilated.

Plumage very soft, blended beneath, slightly distinct above. Wings
long and pointed; primaries tapering, obtuse, the first longest, the second
considerably shorter, the rest regularly graduated ; outer secondaries short,
obliquely rounded, the inner elongated and tapering. ‘Tail of twelve
feathers, rather short, nearly even, but with the middle feathers much
longer and pointed, the rest rounded.

Bill dull olive-green, dusky towards the point. Iris hazel. Feet dull
yellowish-green ; claws dusky. Upper part of the head reddish-brown,
the central part of each feather brownish-black ; a faint whitish line from
the bill to a little beyond the eye; lores dusky ; sides of the head and an-
terior and lateral parts of the neck, with a portion of the breast, light
brownish-grey, marked with dark brown lines; chin and the rest of the
lower parts white. The feathers on the upper parts are brownish-black,
edged with reddish-brown, those on the wings lighter, primary quills
dusky ; the outer secondaries tinged with grey, the inner like the feathers

PECTORAL SANDPIPER. 603

of the back. ‘Tail-feathers light brownish-grey, slightly margined and
tipped with white, the two central dark like the back.

Length to end of tail 9} inches, to end of wings 91; to end of
claws 103; extent of wings 18; wing from flexure 53%; tail 275; bill
along the ridge 14, along the edge of lower mandible 1,4; bare part of
tibia 54, tarsus 114, middle toe {, its claw 7. Weight 6 oz.

Adult Female in summer. Plate CCXCIV. Fig. 2.

The Female, which is a little larger, is similar to the male.

( 604 )

THE MANKS SHEARWATER.
PUFFINUS ANGLORUM, Ray.

PLATE CCXCV. Aputr.

A.tuoveu I have procured this species to the westward of the banks
of Newfoundland, or between their soundings and the American coast, I
am unable to say any thing of importance respecting its habits as observed
by myself. This species formerly inhabited a small islet close to the Isle
of Man, but appears to have now entirely deserted it. In the Orkneys,
however, it is still abundant, and the eggs and young are in much request
there. It arrives in March, and, when the young are able to fly, betakes
itself to the open sea, disappearing towards the approach of winter. 'The
British writers who have described it inform us, that it stands nearly erect,
flies with great rapidity, feeds on marine animal substances of all kinds,
and, when taken, squirts out an oily fluid from its nostrils in the manner
of the Petrels. It is said to breed in burrows, and to lay only a single
egg, of a white colour, and elliptical form, about the size of that of a do-

mestic fowl.

Procetiania Purrinus, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 213.—JZath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii.
p- 824.
Purrinus Anctorum, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 371.

SHEARWATER PETREL, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 336.

Adult. Plate CCXCV.

Bill about the length of the head, rather slender, a little compressed,
straightish, the tips curved. Upper mandible with the dorsal line convex,
and sloping at the base, afterwards slightly concave, on the unguis curved,
the ridge broadly convex, narrowed towards the end, the sides convex,
the edges sharp and slightly inflected ; the unguis stout, curved, rather
acute. Nostrils tubular, approximated, dorsal ; the narrow nasal groove
extending to the unguis. Lower mandible with the angle very long and
narrow, the short dorsal line beyond it decurved, the sides convex and
sloping inwards, the edges sharp and inflected.

Head of moderate size, ovate, narrowed before. Neck of moderate

MANKS SHEARWATER. 605

length. Body elongated. Feet of moderate size ; tibia feathered to near
the joint ; tarsus compressed, anteriorly and posteriorly sharp, covered
all over with diversiform scales, of which a series on the inner side is scu-
telliform. Toes rather long, slender, excepting the first, which is a mere
conical knob principally composed of the claw ; anterior toes connected by
striated webs of which the margin is concave, scutellate above, the third
and fourth longest and about equal. Claws small, compressed, slightly
arched, obtuse, that of third toe with the inner edge a little dilated.

Plumage dense, soft, blended, on the upper parts rather compact.
Feathers of the fore part of the head very short. Wings long, sharp ;
primaries tapering, rounded ; first longest, the rest regularly graduated ;
secondaries rather short, rounded. Tail rounded, of twelve feathers.

Bill deep greenish-black. Iris dark brown. Inner and middle of
outer side of tibia dingy orange, the rest greenish-black, as is the fourth
toe and outer side of the third, the inner side of the latter and the whole
of the second dingy orange ; the webs much paler ; claws brownish-black.
All the upper parts are brownish-black, the lower white.

Length to end of tail 15 inches, to end of wings 153, to end of claws
16; extent of wings 32; wing from flexure 93; tail 3}; bill along the
back 1,%, along the edge of lower mandible 149; tarsus 113; middle toe

12, its claw 74. Weight 15 oz.

The Female is similar to the male.

( 606)

GREAT EGG HARBOUR.

Some years ago, after having spent the spring in observing the habits
of the migratory warblers and other land birds, which arrived in vast
numbers in the vicinity of Camden in New Jersey, I prepared to visit
the sea shores of that State, for the purpose of making myself acquainted
with their feathered inhabitants. June had commenced, the weather was
pleasant, and the country seemed to smile in the prospect of bright ‘days
and gentle gales. Fishermen gunners passed daily between Philadelphia
and the various small sea-ports, with Jersey wagons, laden with fish,
fowls and other provisions, or with such articles as were required by the
families of those hardy boatmen ; and I bargained with one of them to
take myself and my baggage to Great Egg Harbour.

One afternoon, about sunset, the vehicle halted at my lodgings, and
the conductor intimated that he was anxious to proceed as quickly as
possible. A trunk, a couple of guns, and such other articles as are found
necessary by persons whose pursuits are similar to mine, were imme-
diately thrust into the wagon, and were followed by their owner. The
conductor whistled to his steeds and off we went at a round pace over the
loose and deep sand that in almost every part of this State forms the basis
of the roads. After a while we overtook a whole caravan of similar ve-
hicles moving in the same direction, and when we got near them our
horses slackened their pace to a regular walk, the driver leaped from his
seat, I followed his example, and we presently found ourselves in the
midst of a group of merry wagoners, relating their adventures of the
week, it being now Saturday night. One gave intimation of the number of
«© Sheep-heads” he had taken to town, another spoke of the Curlews which
yet remained on the sands, and a third boasted of having gathered so
many dozens of Marsh Hen’s eggs. I inquired if the Fish Hawks were
plentiful near Great Egg Harbour, and was answered by an elderly man,
who with a laugh asked if I had ever seen the “ Weak fish” along the coast
without the bird in question. Not knowing the animal he had named, I
confessed my ignorance, when the whole party burst into a loud laugh,
in which, there being nothing better for it, I joined.

About midnight the caravan reached a half-way house, where we

rested a while. Several roads diverged from this spot, and the wagons

GREAT EGG HARBOUR. 607

separated, one only keeping us company. The night was dark and
gloomy, but the sand of the road indicated our course very distinctly.
Suddenly the gallopping of horses struck my ear, and on looking back
we perceived that our wagon must in an instant be in imminent danger.
The driver leaped off, and drew his steeds aside, barely in time to allow
the runaways to pass without injuring us. Off they went at full speed,
and not long after their owner came up panting, and informed us that they
had suddenly taken fright at some noise proceeding from the woods, but
hoped they would soon stop.. Immediately after we heard a crash ; then
for a few moments all was silent ; but the neighing of the horses presently
assured us that they had broken loose. On reaching the spot, we found
the wagon upset, and a few yards farther on were the horses quietly
browsing by the road side.

The first dawn of morn in the Jerseys in the month of June, is worthy
of a better description than I can furnish, and therefore I shall only say
that the moment the sunbeams blazed over the horizon, the loud and
mellow notes of the Meadow Lark saluted our ears. On each side of the
road were open woods, on the tallest trees of which I observed at inter-
vals the nest of a Fish Hawk, far above which the white-breasted bird
slowly winged its way, as it commenced its early journey to the sea, the
odour of which filled me with delight. In half an hour more, we were
in the centre of Great Egg Harbour.

There I had the good fortune to be received into the house of a
thorough bred fisherman-gunner, who besides owning a comfortable cot
only a few hundred yards from the shore, had an excellent woman for a
wife, and a little daughter as playful as a kitten, though as wild as a sea-
gull. In less than half an hour, I was quite at home, and the rest of the
day was spent in devotion.

Oysters, though reckoned out of season at this period, are as good as
ever when fresh from their beds, and my first meal was of some as large
and white as any I have eaten. The sight of them placed before me on
a clean table, with an honest and industrious family in my company,
never failed to afford more pleasure than the most sumptuous fare under
different circumstances; and our conversation being simple and harmless,
gaiety shone in every face. As we became better acquainted, I had to
answer several questions relative to the object of my visit. The good-
man rubbed his hands with joy as I spoke of shooting and fishing, and

of long excursions through the swamps and marshes around.

608 GREAT EGG HARBOUR.

My host was then, and I hope still is, a tall strong-boned muscular
man, of dark complexion, with eyes as keen as those of the Sea-eagle.
He was a tough walker, laughed at difficulties, and could pull an oar with
any man. As to shooting, I have often doubted whether he or Mr
Ecan, the worthy pilot of Indian Isle, was best ; and rarely indeed have
I seen either of them miss a shot.

At day-break on Monday, I shouldered my double-barrelled gun,
and my host carried with him a long fowling-piece, a pair of oars, and
a pair of oyster-tongs, while the wife and daughter brought along a seine.
The boat was good, the breeze gentle, and along the inlets we sailed for
parts well known to my companions. To such naturalists as are qualified
to observe many different objects at the same time, Great Egg Harbour
would probably afford as ample a field as any part of our coast, except-
ing the Florida Keys. Birds of many kinds are abundant, as are fishes
and testaceous animals. The forests shelter many beautiful plants, and
even on the dryest sand-bar you may see insects of the most brilliant
tints. Our principal object, however, was to procure certain birds known
there by the name of Lawyers, and to accomplish this we entered and
followed for several miles a winding inlet or bayou, which led us to the
interior of a vast marsh, where after some search we found the birds and
their nests. Our.seine had been placed across the channel, and when we
returned to it the tide had run out and left in it a number of fine fishes,
some of which we cooked and ate on the spot. One, which I considered
as a curiosity, was saved and transmitted to Baron Cuvier. Our repast
ended, the seine was spread out to dry, and we again betook ourselves to
tle marshes, to pursue our researches until the return of the tide. Having
collected enough to satisfy us, we took up our oars, and returned to the
shore in front of the fisherman’s house, where we dragged the seine seve-
ral times with success.

In this manner I passed several weeks along those delightful and
healthy shores, one day going to the woods to search the swamps in which
the Herons bred, passing another amid the joyous cries of the Marsh Hens,
and on a third carrying slaughter among the White-breasted Sea Gulls, by
way of amusement sometimes hauling the fish called the Sheep-head from
an eddy along the shore, or watching the gay Terns as they danced in the
air, or plunged into the waters to seize the tiny fry. Many a drawing I
made at Great Egg Harbour, many a pleasant day I spent along its shores;
and much pleasure would it give me once more to visit the good and

happy family in whose house I resided there.

( 609 )

THE BARNACLE GOOSE.

ANSER LEUCOPSIS, BEcustT.
PLATE CCXCVI. Mate anp FEMALE.

Severat old gunners on the coast of Massachusetts and Maine, who
were Englishmen by birth, assured me that they had killed Barnacles
there, and that these birds brought a higher price in the markets than the
Common Brent Geese. The Prince of Musignano states in his Synopsis
that they are very rare and accidental in the United States, and Mr Nut-
TALI says that they are “ mere stragglers” there. For my part, I ac-
knowledge that I never met with one of them, either along the coast or
in the interior, although I have seen beautiful mounted specimens in va-
rious parts. Being neither anxious to add to our Fauna, nor willing un-
necessarily to detract from it, I have figured a pair of these birds, with
the hope that ere long, the assertions of the gunners, and those of the
authors above mentioned, may be abundantly verified by the slaughter of
many geese. In the mean time I must further confess my ignorance of
the habits of the Barnacle.

Mr Se xsy thus speaks of it in the second volume of his [lustrations:—
“© The Bernicle is amongst the number of our winter visitants, annually
resorting in vast numbers, upon the approach of autumn, to the western
shores of Britain, and to the north of Ireland. Upon the Lancashire
coast, the Solway Frith, &c. it is very abundant ; frequenting the marsliy
grounds that are occasionally covered by the spring-tides, and such sands
as produce the sea-grasses and plants upon which it feeds. Upon the
eastern and southern shores of Britain it is of rare occurrence, its place be-
ing supplied by its nearly allied congener, the Brent Goose (Anser Brenta) ;
which again is as rarely seen upon the opposite coast of the island. Like
the rest of the genus, the Bernicle is a very wary bird, and can only be
approached by the most cautious manceuvres. It is sometimes shot by
moonlight, when it comes on the sands to feed, by persons couched on the
ground, or from behind any occasional shelter in such places as the flocks
are known to frequent. Its flesh is sweet and tender, and highly esteemed
for the table. Upon the approach of spring it leaves our shores for more

northern countries, and by the middle of March the whole have retired.”
VOL. IIT. eg

610 BARNACLE GOOSE.

It is known to breed in Iceland, Spitzbergen, Greenland, &e. as well as in
Lapland, the northern parts of Russia, and northern Asia. It also in-
habits Hudson’s Bay and other polar districts of the American continent.
During its equatorial or winter migration, it is abundant in Holland,
France, and parts of Germany.

The eggs, which I describe from specimens deposited in the rich mu-
seum of the University of Edinburgh, measure two inches and seven-
eighths by one inch and seven-eighths, and are of a uniform yellowish-
cream colour.

I have represented an adult male in spring, and a female of the pre-

ceding year.

ANAS ERYTHROPUS, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 197.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 843.
ANSER LEUCoPSIS, Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 377.
Barnacve Goose, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 355.

Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCXCVI. Fig. 1.

Bill much shorter than the head, higher than broad at the base, some-
what conical, slightly depressed towards the end, narrowed and rounded
at the tip. Upper mandible with the dorsal line sloping, the ridge broad
and flattened, the sides sloping, the edges soft and obtuse, the oblique
marginal lamella short, transverse, about thirty on each side, besides mi-
nute anterior ones; the unguis roundish, convex, striato-denticulate on
the inner edge. Nasal groove elliptical, commencing at the base and ex-
tending to the middle of the bill, parallel to the ridge, filled by the soft
membrane of the bill; nostrils lateral, submedial, longitudinal, narrow-
elliptical, open, pervious. Lower mandible straight, with the angle very
long, rather wide, and rounded, the sides sloping rapidly upwards, the
edges soft and obtuse, with about thirty-eight distinct lamelle on an in-
flected plane.

Head small, oblong, compressed. Neck rather long and slender. Body
full, slightly depressed. Feet short, stout, placed a little behind the cen-
tre of the body; legs bare a little above the tibio-tarsal joint. Tarsus
short, a little compressed, covered all round with angular reticulated scales,
which are smaller behind. Hind toe extremely small, with a very narrow
membrane ; third toe longest, fourth a little shorter, but longer than se-
cond ; all the toes reticulated above at the base, but with narrow trans-

verse scutella towards the end; the three anterior connected by a reticu-

BARNACLE GOOSE. 61]

lated membrane, the outer with a thick margin, the inner with the margin
extended into a two-lobed web. Claws small, arched, rather compressed,
except that of the middle toe, which is bent obliquely outwards, depressed,
with a curved edge. Wings of moderate length, with an obtuse protu
berance at the flexure.

Plumage close, rather short, compact above, blended on the head,
neck, and lower parts of the body. The feathers of the head and neck
very natrow, of the back very broad and abrupt, of the breast and belly
broadly rounded. Wings when closed extending about an inch and a
quarter beyond the tail, acute; primaries very strong, curved, the second
longest ; secondaries long, broad, rounded. Tail very short, rounded, of
sixteen stiff rounded and acuminate feathers.

Bill, feet, ‘and claws black. Iris dark hazel. Anterior part of the
head, including a broad space above the eye, the sides of the head, and the
throat, white ; the feathers margining the bill, and a line from the bill to
the eye, curving below the lower eyelid, and running along the upper,
brownish-black. Neck all round glossy black, of which colour are the
anterior or dorsal feathers, the scapulars, and the wing-coverts, towards
their extremities, while their bases are ash-grey, and their terminal mar-
gins white. The shorter feathers on the middle of the back are similar ;
those on the rump and the tail-feathers deep black. The quills are greyish-
black, darker towards the tips, the outer webs more or less tinged with
ash-grey. The breast, sides, and abdomen greyish-white, the upper fea-
thers of the sides with more grey; the upper and lower tail-coverts, and
the sides of the rump, pure white.

Length 27 inches, extent of wings 4 feet.8 inches ; bill along the
ridge 1}, in depth at the base +2, in breadth 7; tarsus 2+$, middle toe
- and claw 2}$; wing from flexure 17; tail 6; the feet extend beyond the
tail 33 inches. Weight 4 lb. 1 oz.

Adult Female. Plate CCXCVI. Fig. 2.

The Female, which is much smaller, has the same colours, the black
parts being tinged with brown, and the tints generally duller.

Length 23} inches, extent of wings 4 feet 4 inches; the feet extend
beyond the tail 24 inches. Weight 2 Ib. 9 oz.

aq2

( 612 }

THE HARLEQUIN DUCK.
FULIGULA HISTRIONICA, Bonar.

PLATE CCXCVII. Mate anp FEMALE.

[ wave the pleasure of presenting you with three figures of the Hat-
Yequin Duck, one a male in all the perfection of its spring plumage, the
bird having attained complete maturity, another male two years old, and
an adult female shot in the pairing season. No figures of the adult male
or of the female have, I believe, hitherto been published.

To the south of the Bay of Boston the “ Lord and Lady Duck” is
rarely seen on our coast ; but from that neighbourhood it becomes more
plentiful as you proceed eastward ; and, on reaching Maine and the en-
trance of the Bay of Fundy, you may see it at any period of the year
among the rocky islands there. It breeds on the Seal, White Head, and
Grand Manan Islands, and along the coast of Nova Scotia, Cape Breton,
Newfoundland, and Labrador. Many, however, proceed much farther
north, for specimens were obtained by Captain James Crarx Ross in
the highest latitudes visited by him. It is extremely attached to certain
localities, from which it rarely wanders unless greatly molested, and it
thus remains about the islands, or the parts of the coast on which it breeds,
unless it be forced off by very severe weather in winter. Few persons
shoot it for its flesh; not that it is inferior as food to other deep-diving
ducks, but because it is comparatively small, and difficult to be obtained.
Not only is it at all seasons remarkably shy and vigilant, but even if ap-
proached when on rocks, it plunges into the water the moment its keen
eye catches a glance of you, dives with all the agility of the Black Guille-
mot, and seldom rises within shot. If you shoot at it when passing on
wing, even should it be beyond reach, it plunges into the water the
moment it perceives the flash,—a habit which is also occasionally ob-
served in the Black Guillemot. It being usually found in flocks of one
or two families, or of from twelve to fifteen individuals, some one always
acts as a watchful sentinel, whose single note of alarm is sufficient to
induce the whole to move off without hesitation. Notwithstanding all
this vigilance, however, my party procured a good number of them at

different times, by lying in wait for them under cover of some rocks, in

a

HARLEQUIN DUCK. 613

the neighbourhood of which they were known to alight at certain hours
of the day, to bask in the sun and dress their plumage. On these occa-
sions a shot seldom failed to kill several, for they fly compactly and alight
close together.

On the 31st of May 1833, I found them breeding on White Head
Island, and other much smaller places of a similar nature, in the same
part of the Bay of Fundy. There they place their nests under the bushes
or amid the grass, at the distance of twenty or thirty yards from the
water. Farther north, in Newfoundland and Labrador, for example, they
remove from the sea, and betake themselves to small lakes a mile or so in
the interior, on the margins of which they form their nests beneath the
bushes next to the water.

The nest is composed of dry plants of various kinds, arranged in a
circular manner to the height of two or three inches, and lined with finer
grasses. ‘The eggs are five or six, rarely more, measure two inches and
one-sixteenth by one inch and four-and-a-half eighths, and are of a plain
greenish-yellow colour. ‘These measurements differ a little from those of
an egg sent to me by my friend Mr Hewrrson of Newcastle-upon-Tyne,
and which had been found in Ireland by Mr Arxinson. After the eggs
are laid, the female plucks the down from the lower parts of her body,
and places it beneath and.around them, in the same manner as the Eider
Duck and other species of this tribe. The male leaves her to perform the
arduous, but no doubt to her pleasant, task of hatching and rearing the
brood, and, joining his idle companions, returns to the sea-shore, where he
moults in July and August. The little ones leave the nest a few hours
after they burst the shell, and follow their mother to the water, where she
leads them about with the greatest care and anxiety. When about a week
old she walks with them to the sea, where they continue, in the same man-
ner as the Eiders. When discovered in one of these small inland lakes,
the mother emits a lisping note of admonition, on which she and the
young dive at once, and the latter make for the shores, where they con-
ceal themselves, while the former rises at a good distance, and imme-
diately taking to wing, leaves the place for a while. On searching along
the shores for the young, we observed that, on being approached, they
ran to the water and dived towards the opposite side, continuing their en-
deavours thus to escape, until so fatigued that we caught four out of six,
When at sea, they are as difficult to be caught as the young Eiders.

The flight of the Harlequin Duck is rapid and generally straight. At

614 HARLEQUIN DUCK.

sea it flies at a small height, but when flying over the land, or even when
approaching it, should there be any suspicion of danger, it rises to a con-
siderable height. Its food consists of shrimps, small fishes, roe, aquatic in-
sects, and mollusca, which it procures by diving. The flesh is dark, and
generally tastes of fish, but that of the female is good during the period
of her sojourn on the fresh-water ponds.

The male takes three years to acquire his full plumage, although many
individuals breed in the second year. The female is perfect in the
second spring. Dr Ricuarpson, in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, de-
scribes a male killed on the eastern declivity of the Rocky Mountains,
whence it appears that at times it goes far inland ; and it is very probable
that its habits differ greatly in different localities.

Anas HISTRIONICA, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 204.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 849.

Harxeauin Duck, Anas nisTRiIonicA, Wils. Amer. Ornith. vol. viii. p. 139. pl. 72,
fig. 4.

FuLicuLa HIsTRIONICcA, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 394.

CLANGULA HISTRIONICA, Harteauin Duck, Swains. and Richards. Fauna. Bor.
Amer. part ii. p. 459.

Harreauin Duck, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 448.

Adult Male in summer. Plate CCXCVII. Fig. 1.

Bill much shorter than the head, comparatively narrow, deeper than
broad at the base, slightly depressed towards the end, which is rounded.
Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight and sloping to the middle,
then nearly straight, towards the tip decurved, the ridge broad and flat at
the base, convex towards the end, the sides convex, the edges soft, with
about thirty-five oblique internal lamellz, the unguis large and elliptical.
Nostrils subbasal, elliptical, very large, pervious, nearer the ridge than
the edge. Lower mandible flat, with the angle long, rather narrow,
rounded, the dorsal line slightly convex, the edges with about forty la-
mellz, the unguis elliptical.

Head rather large, compressed. Eyes of moderate size. Neck of
ordinary length, thick. Body large, depressed. Wings rather small.
Feet very short, placed rather far behind ; tarsus very short, compressed,
having anteriorly in its whole length a series of small scutella, and above
the outer toe a few broad scales, the rest covered with reticular angular
scales. Hind toe very small, with a free membrane beneath ; anterior.

toes longer than the tarsus, connected by reticulated membranes, having

=<

HARLEQUIN DUCK. 615

a sinus on their free margins, the inner with a narrow lobed marginal
membrane, the outer with a thickened edge, the third and fourth about
equal and longest, all covered above with narrow scutella. Claws small,
arched, obtuse, that of first toe very small, of third largest, and with an
inner thin edge.

Plumage dense, soft, blended. Feathers on the fore part of the head
very small and rounded, on the upper part of the head slightly elongated, on
the neck narrow, on the other parts broad and rounded. Wings rather
short, narrow, pointed ; primary quills curved, strong, tapering, and point-
ed, the first and second about equal, and longest, the rest rapidly graduat-
ed; secondary short, broad and rounded. ‘Tail very short, cuneate, of
sixteen strong tapering feathers.

Bill light yellowish-olive, the tips of the unguis lighter. Iris reddish-
brown. Feet light blue, the webs greyish-black, the claws whitish. A
broad band from the base of the bill to the occiput bluish-black, margined
behind with light yellowish-red, before with white, that colour forming a
broad triangular spot on the cheek anterior to the eye. Sides of the head,
and neck all round, purplish-blue; a spot of white behind the ear, a cur-
ved line on the side of the neck, a complete ring of white below the middle
of the neck, with a curved band of the same colour anterior to the wing.
All these white markings broadly edged with deep black. The fore part
of the back light purplish-blue, the hind part gradually deepening in tint,
so as to become almost black, of which colour is the rump all round.
Scapulars chiefly white; wing-coverts purplish-blue, as are the alula and
primary coverts, the quills dark greyish-brown, the tail greyish-black, a
small white spot near the flexure of the wing ; a band of white across the
wing, formed by the tips of the secondaries, of which the inner have their
outer webs principally of the same colour. Fore part of the breast pur-
plish-blue, hind part and abdomen greyish-brown, sides light red ; a late-
ral spot of white near the root of the tail.

Length to end of tail 17} inches, to end of wings 143, to end of claws
163; extent of wings 264; wing from fiexure 7}; tail 33; bill along the
back 1,5, along the edge of lower mandible 13 ; tarsus 1,4,; middle toe 2,

its claw 74. Weight 14 lb.

Male in the second year.
The young male, after the first moult, is greyish-brown on the back

and wings, light brownish-grey beneath. The head and neck are of a

€16 HARLEQUIN DUCK.

dull leaden blue, the upper part of the head darker. The white spot be-
fore the eye is mottled with grey, the line extending over the eye obscure,
and the edging of the occiput faint reddish-brown. The two white marks
exist on the sides of the neck, but are merely edged with darker blue;
there are slight indications of the white collar, and the band before the
wing is marked, but much smaller than in the adult. The quills are dark
brown, but the secondaries are not tipped with white, of which there are
but slight indications on the scapulars. The upper tail-coverts are black-
ish, the tail bluish-grey, lighter at the end. The bill is dusky, the feet

of a leaden tint.

Male in the third year. Plate CCXCVII. Fig. 2.

After the second moult, the male has greatly improved in colouring,
although the tints are not nearly so pure as in the old bird. The hind
part of the back is still brown, as are the wing-coverts; the sides are dark
brownish-grey, with undulated yellowish-red bars. The white collar is
not yet complete, but all the white markings on the neck are edged with
black ; the fore part of the breast is dull grey, the middle yellowish-grey,
spotted with bluish-grey. The white bar on the wing is still wanting ;
the rump is glossy bluish-black, the tail nearly of the same tint.

Adult Female. Plate CCXCVII. Fig. 3.

The principal colour of the female is greyish-brown, deeper on the
head and rump, lighter on the fore neck, and mottled with greyish-white
on the breast. The quills are dark brown edged with lighter, the tail
blackish-grey. There isa large whitish spot mottled with grey before the
eye, and another of a purer white behind the ear. Bill and feet dull
bluish-grey. Iris brown.

Length to end of tail 16 inches, to end of wings 184, to end of claws
153; extent of wings 24}; wing from flexure 8}; tail 33; bill along the
back 149, along the edge of lower mandible 14; tarsus 11; middle toe 2,
its claw y4. Weight 13 lb.

(716ER)

THE RED-NECKED GREBE.
PODICEPS RUBRICOLLIS, Latu.

PLATE CCXCVIII. Mate ann Youne.

I nave found this species along the coast from New York to Maine,
in the winter season, when old and young were generally in about equal
number. At Boston I procured several specimens. On the Bay of Fundy,
and among the islands at its entrance, I saw these Grebes already in their
spring plumage, it being then the beginning of May. On one occasion
our boat was rowed over an eddy in which a pair had dived in search of
food. On emerging they were only a few yards distant ; but, although
several guns were fired at them, they escaped unhurt, for they instantly
dived again, passed under the boat at the depth of about a yard, and did
not rise until at a safe distance. None of us could conceive how they had
managed to elude us, for as they were so near, the shot threw up the water
in its course, and I had expected to find them completely mangled.

Although I have seen this species far up our salt-water bays, I never ob-
served it on any of the southern fresh-water ponds or rivers. Dr Ricnarp-
son states, in the Fauna Boreali-Americana, that it “ is very common in
the fur countries, frequenting every lake with grassy borders.” M. TEm-
MINCK says “ that they inhabit rivers, lakes, and the borders of the sea, but
in greater number on fresh-waters; are tolerably common in different
parts of Europe ; feed on small fish, fry, amphibious reptiles, insects, and
vegetables ; form their nests of the same materials, and place it in the
same situations as the Crested Grebe, and lay three or four eggs.” An
egg lent me by my esteemed friend Mr Yarre.t, measured two inches in
length by one inch and a quarter in breadth, and was of a uniform pale
greenish-white.

PopIcEPS RUBRICOLLIs, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 783.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis
of Birds of the United States, p. 417.—Swains. and Richards. Fauna Bor. Amer.
part ii. p. 411.

RED-NECKED GREBE, Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 253.

Adult Male. Plate CCXCVIII. Fig. 1.
Bill about the length of the head, straight, rather slender, compressed,

618 RED-NECKED GREBE.

acute. Upper mandible with the dorsal line straight and slightly sloping
to the middle, then slightly convex, the ridge convex, the sides sloping,
towards the end erect and convex, the edges acute and inflected. Nasal
groove extending to the middle of the mandible ; nostrils subbasal, linear-
elliptical, pervious. Lower mandible with the angle long and extremely
narrow, the dorsal line ascending and straight, the sides erect, slightly
convex, the edges sharp, inflected, the tip narrow, very acute.

Head of moderate size, oblong, compressed. Neck long and slender.
Body depressed. Feet large, placed very far behind ; tibia feathered al-
most to the joint; tarsus short, extremely compressed, anteriorly with a
narrow scutellate ridge, laterally with very broad scutella, posteriorly with
a narrow ridge having a double row of small prominent scales. Hind toe
very small, with an inferior small membrane; fore toes long, the outer
longest, scutellate above, united at the base by short webs, externally
margined with narrowish, internally with broad, lobe-shaped expansions,
which are marked with parallel oblique lines, and crenate on the edges.
Claws flattened, that of the middle toe broadest, with an extremely thin
broad terminal edge.

Plumage of the head and neck very soft and downy, of the breast and
sides silky and highly glossed, of the abdomen and rump downy, of the
upper parts imbricated, but with loose edges. Wings small; primaries
much curved, the first longest, the second almost equal, the inner secon-
daries extending beyond the first primary when the wing is closed. Tail
a small tuft of loose feathers. On the head is a tuft of elongated feathers
on each side behind the eye, and those of the posterior part of the cheek
are also elongated.

Bill brownish-black, bright yellow at the base. Iris carmine. Tarsi
and toes greenish-black externally, yellow on the inner side, the edges of
the lobes dusky. Upper part of the head greyish-black, lower part ash-
grey, with a white line from the base of the lower mandible to beyond the
eye. Hind part of the neck, and upper parts generally, greyish-black ;
the feathers edged with pale brown; the edge of the wing and the outer
secondaries white. The fore part and sides of the neck rich brownish-red ;
the breast and sides are of a silvery white, faintly marked with grey.

Length to end of rump-feathers 18% inches, to end of wings 16}, to
end of claws 24; extent of wings 32; wing from flexure 7}; bill along
the back 1;%, along the edge of lower mandible 23; tarsus 2; outer toe

23, its claw}. Weight 23 oz.

RED-NECKED GREBE. 619

Young after first moult. Plate CCXCVIII. Fig. 2.

Bill bright yellow, the ridge of the upper mandible dusky. Iris pale
yellow. Feet as in the adult. The upper part of the head blackish-grey,
the hind neck, and the upper parts generally, of the same colour, but darker
towards the rump; the edge of the wing and the outer secondaries grey-
ish-white, the latter grey towards the end. The lower parts greyish-

white.

( 620 )

THE DUSKY PETREL.
PUFFINUS OBSCURUS, Cuv.

PLATE CCXCIX. Mate.

On the 26th of June 1826, while becalmed on the Gulf of Mexico,
off the western shores of Florida, I observed that the birds of this species,
of which some had been seen daily since we left the mouth of the Missis-
sippi, had become very numerous. The mate of the vessel killed four at
one shot, and, at my request, brought them on board. From one of them
I drew the figure which has been engraved. The notes made at the time
are now before me, and afford me the means of presenting you with a short
account of the habits of this bird.

They skim very low over the sea in search of the floating bunches of
marine plants, usually called the Gulf Weed, so abundant here as some-
times to occupy a space of half an acre or more. In proceeding, they
flap their wings six or seven times in succession, and then sail for three or
four seconds with great ease, having their tail much spread, and their
long wings extended at right angles with the body. On approaching a
mass of weeds, they raise their wings obliquely, drop their legs and feet,
run as it were on the water, and at length alight on the sea, where they
swim with as much ease as ducks, and dive freely, at times passing seve-
ral feet under the surface in pursuit of the fishes, which, on perceiving
their enemy, swim off, but are frequently seized with great agility. Four
or five, sometimes fifteen or twenty of these birds, will thus alight, and,
during their stay about the weeds, dive, flutter, and swim, with all the
gaiety of a flock of ducks newly alighted on a pond. Many gulls of dif-
ferent kinds hover over the spot, vociferating their anger and disappoint-
ment at not being so well qualified for supplying themselves with the same
delicate fare. No sooner have all the fishes disappeared than the Petrels
rise, disperse, and extend their flight in search of more, returning perhaps
in a while to the same spot. TI heard no sound or note from any of them,
although many came within twenty yards of the ship and alighted there.
Whenever an individual settled in a spot, many others flew up directly

and joined it. At times, as if by way of resting themselves, they alighted,

|

DUSKY PETREL. 621

swam lightly, and dipped their bills frequently in the water, in the man-
ner of Mergansers.

I preserved the skins of the four specimens procured. One of them
I sent to the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, by Captain
Joun R. Butier, of the ship Thalia, then bound from Havannah to
Minorca. Two others were presented to my excellent friend Dr Traxx,
on my first becoming acquainted with him at Liverpool.

I found the wings of this species strong and muscular for its size, this
structure being essentially requisite for birds that traverse such large ex-
panses of water, and are liable to be overtaken by heavy squalls. The
stomach resembles a leather purse, four inches in length, and was much
distended with fishes of various kinds, partially digested or entire. The
cesophagus is capable of being greatly expanded. Some of the fishes were
two and a half inches in length, and one in depth. The flesh of this Pe-
trel was fat, but tough, with a strong smell, and unfit for food ; for, on
tasting it, as is my practice, I found it to resemble that of the porpoises.
No difference is perceptible in the sexes.

While on board the United States’ Revenue Cutter the Marion, and
in the waters of the Gulf Stream opposite Cape Florida, I saw a flock of
these birds, which, on our sailing among them, would scarcely swim off
from our bows, they being apparently gorged with food. As we were
running at the rate of about ten knots, we procured none of them. I

have also seen this species off Sandy Hook.

PROCELLARIA oBscuURA, Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii. p. 828.
Purrinus opscurus, Ch. Bonaparte, Synops. of Birds of the United States, p. 371.
Dusxy Perret, Lath. Synops. vol. iv. p. 416.— Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 337.

Adult Male. Plate CCXCIX.

Bill about the length of the head, straight, somewhat cylindrical, the
tips curved. Nostrils tubular, separate, inclosed in a horny sheath, and
dorsal, the outline straight, curved on the unguis, the sides nearly erect,
convex, the edges sharp, hard, and inflected, the tip decurved, strong.
Lower mandible straight, the angle very narrow and extending nearly to
the tip, the dorsal line beyond it decurved, the sides convex and inclining
inwards, the edges sharp and inflected.

Head of moderate size. Neck of ordinary length; body ovate. Feet

stout ; tibia bare a short way above the joint ; tarsus of moderate length,

622 DUSKY PETREL.

rather stout, reticulate; hind toe a very slight knob, with a small conical
claw ; fore toes long, slender, connected by reticulated webs with concave
margins, the outer toe slightly longer than the third. Claws small, slightly
arched, compressed obtuse.

Plumage soft, full; the feathers rounded, those of the back and wings
rather compact. Wings long; primaries tapering, rounded, the first
longest, the rest rapidly graduated ; secondaries of moderate length,
rounded. ‘Tail rather short, much rounded, of twelve feathers,

Bill light blue, the tips black, mouth light blue. Edges of eyelids light
blue, iris bluish-black. Outside of tarsus and toes indigo-black, inside and
webs pale yellowish-flesh-colour ; claws bluish-black. The upper parts are
sooty black, the lower pure white.

Length to end of tail 11 inches, to end of wings 104, to end of claws
114; extent of wings 263; bill along the back 1,4, along the edge of

lower mandible 13; tarsus 13; outer toe 2, its claw 73.

ae :

( 623 )

THE GOLDEN PLOVER.

CHARADRIUS PLUVIALIS, LINN.

PLATE CCC. Anputt in SPRING anD In WINTER, AND VARIETY.

Tur Golden Plover spends the autumn, winter, and part of the spring,
in various portions of the United States, appearing in considerable num-
bers both along the coast and in the interior, and not unfrequently on our
highest grounds. A much greater number, however, proceed in severe win-
ters beyond the limits of our Southern States, and the partial migrations of
this species are much influenced by the state of the weather. They are
more abundant along the sea shores of the Middle and Eastern Districts,
from the middle of April to the beginning of May, whereas in autumn
they range over the interior, and more especially the western prairies. In
the early part of May they congregate in immense flocks, and commence
their journey toward more northern regions, where they are said to breed.

The account which Witson gave of this species refers in part to the
“ Bull-headed Plover,” Charadrius helveticus, although his figure cannot be
mistaken for that of the latter, even in its first autumnal dress. But the
Editor of the second edition of Witson’s work has rejected the Golden
Plover as an American Bird, although he might have frequently seen it
in the very markets of Philadelphia. The Prince of Musignano corrected
this error, in ‘his valuable “ Observations on the Nomenclature of Wu1-
son’s Ornithology.” Mr SExsy, in speaking of the Golden Plover, gives
it as his opinion, that the bird so called in America, differs from that of
Kurope. This opinion, however, I cannot consider as correct, as I have
seen and examined the Golden Plovers of both countries, and have found
their manners, tone of voice, and appearance, precisely similar.

This bird moves on the ground with sprightliness. When observed,
it often runs with considerable rapidity to some distance, suddenly stops
short, nods once or twice, vibrating its body at the same time, and if it
should imagine itself unnoticed, it often lies down and remains crouched
until the danger is over. At the time of. their departure from the north,
and while on the sands or mud-bars on the sea shore, they often raise their
wings as if to air them for a few moments. While searching for food,

they move in a direct manner, often look sideways toward the ground, and

624 GOLDEN PLOVER.

pick up the object of their search by a peculiar bending movement of the
body. They are frequently observed to pat the moist earth with their
feet, to force worms from their burrows. In autumn they betake them-
selves to the higher grounds, where berries as well as insects are to be met
with, and where they find abundance of grasshoppers.

When travelling to a considerable distance, the Golden Plover flies at
the height of from thirty to sixty feet, in a regular manner, with con-
siderable velocity, the flock, when large, forming an extended front, and
moving with regular flappings, an individual now and then uttering a
mellow note. Before alighting they often perform various evolutions,
now descending and flying swiftly over the ground, then curving upwards
or sidewise, closing and extending their ranks, until the sportsman is often
tired of watching them, and, after all, the flock, just when he expects it
to alight, may suddenly shoot off and fly to a distance. When they alight
within shooting distance, the moment their feet touch the ground is the
critical one, for they are generally in a compact body, and almost imme-
diately afterwards they disperse. I have often observed them while flying
from one place to another, suddenly check their course for a moment or
two, as if to look at the objects below, in the manner of Curlews.

While at New Orleans, on the 16th of March 1821, I was invited by
some French gunners to accompany them to the neighbourhood of Lake
St John, to witness the passage of thousands of these birds, which were
coming from the north-east, and continuing their course. At the first ap-
pearance of the birds early in the morning, the gunners had assembled in
parties of from twenty to fifty at different places, where they knew from
experience that the Plovers would pass. There stationed, at nearly equal
distances from each other, they were sitting on the ground. When a
flock approached, every individual whistled in imitation of the Plover’s
call-note, on which the birds descended, wheeled, and passing within forty
or fifty yards, ran the gauntlet as it were. Every gun went off in succes-
sion, and with such effect that I several times saw a flock of a hundred or
more reduced to a miserable remnant of five or six individuals. The
game was brought up after each volley by the dogs, while their masters
were charging their pieces anew. This sport was continued all day, and
at sunset, when I left one of these lines of gunners, they seemed as intent
on killing more as they were when I arrived. A man near the place where
I was seated had killed sixty-three dozens. I calculated the number in

GOLDEN PLOVER. 625

the field at two hundred, and supposing each to have shot twenty dozen,
forty-eight thousand Golden Plovers would have fallen that day.

On inquiring if these passages were of frequent occurrence, I was told
that six years before, such another had occurred immediately after two .
or three days of very warm weather, when they came up with a breeze
from the north-east. Only some of the birds were fat, the greater num-
ber of those which I examined being very lean; scarcely any had food in
their stomach, and the eggs in the ovaries of the females were undeveloped.
The next morning the markets were amply supplied with Plovers at a
very low price.

I have again applied to my friend Witttam Macciiivray for an
account of the manners of this species during the breeding season, which
I now lay before you.

«¢ The Golden Plover is in many parts of Scotland, but especially in
the Northern Highlands, and in the Hebrides, a very common bird.
When the weather begins to improve towards the end of spring, these
birds may be seen flying over the shores or fields in their vicinity, at a
great height, in loose flocks, which now extend into a wide front, now form
irregular angular lines, move with a quiet and regular flight, frequently
emitting their peculiar soft notes, and at times uttering a singular cry,
somewhat. resembling the syllables cowrlie-wee. These flocks are leaving
their winter haunts and returning to the inland moors, over which they
disperse in pairs. In the beginning of May, should you traverse one of
the dreary heaths, you will often hear the plaintive cry of the Plover,
mingling, perhaps, with the feeble cheep of the Dunlin, or the loud
scream of the Curlew. Before you have advanced to any consider-
able distance, there may come up and alight on some mossy knoll be-
side you, a male, clad in his beautiful summer vesture of black and
green. You may approach him within ten paces if you are inclined,
and in some districts it would be easy for one to shoot many dozens
of them in a day at this season. After incubation has commenced,
the females seldom make their appearance on such occasions. Whether
the males assist their mates at that time or not, they certainly do not for-
sake them. The nest is a slight hollow in a tuft of moss, or on a dry
place among the heath, irregularly strewed with fragments of withered
plants. The eggs, of which the full number is four, are placed, as usual
in this genus, with their small ends together. They are much larger and

VOL. III. Rr

626 GOLDEN PLOVER.

more pointed than those of the Lapwing, being at an average two inches
and one-twelfth in length, and an inch and a-half in their greatest trans-
verse diameter. The shell is thin and smooth, of a light greyish-yellow
or cream-colour, irregularly spotted, dotted and patched with dark brown,
and sometimes having a few light purple spots interspersed, the markings
larger towards the broadest part. The young leave the nest immediately
after they burst the shell, and conceal themselves by lying flat on the
ground. At this period, the female evinces the greatest anxiety for their
safety, and will occasionally feign lameness to entice the intruder to pur-
sue her. I have several times seen one fly off to a considerable distance,
alight in a conspicuous place, and tumble about as if in the agonies of
death, her wings flapping as if they had been fractured or dislocated.
The eggs are delicious, and the young birds when fledged not less so.

«‘ When the young are able to fly, the Plovers collect into flocks, but
remain on the moors until the commencement of winter, when they ad-
vance towards the pasture lands, and in severe weather betake themselves
to the low grounds near the shores. During continued frosts, they feed
on the sands and rocky shores at low water, and in general during the
winter remain at no great distance from the sea.

« When a flock alights at this season on a field, the individuals dis-
perse, run about with great activity, and pick up their food. Sometimes
one finds them so tame that he can approach within fifteen yards, and I
have often walked round a flock several times in order to force them to-
gether before shooting. In windy weather they often rest by lying flat
on the ground, and I have reason to think that at night this is their ge-
neral practice. In the Hebrides I have often gone to shoot them at night
by moonlight, when they seemed as actively engaged as by day, which
was also the case with the Snipes; but I seldom succeeded in my object,
it being extremely difficult to estimate distances at night. The numbers
that at this season frequent the sandy pastures and shores of the Outer
Hebrides is astonishing.

«“ The Golden Plover, although occasionally addicted to wading, evi-
dently prefers dry ground, in which respect it differs essentially in habits
from the Totani and Limose. It frequently probes the moist sands, and
in summer the dry cow dung on the moors and upland pastures is seen
perforated by its bill. It affords delicious eating, and in my opinion is
scarcely inferior in this respect to the Woodcock.”

————— Ee ee

GOLDEN PLOVER. 627

CHARADRIUS PLUVIALIS, Linn. Syst. Nat. vol. i. p. 254.—Lath. Ind. Ornith. vol. ii.
p- 740.—Ch. Bonaparte, Synopsis of Birds of the United States, p. 297.

GoLpDEN PLovEeR, CHARADRIUS PLUVIALIS, Wiis. Amer. Ornith. vol. vii. p- 71.
pl. 59. fig. 5., Winter.— Nuttall, Manual, vol. ii. p. 16.

Adult Male in Spring. Plate CCC. Fig. 1.

Bill shorter than the head, straight, subcylindrical. Upper mandi-
ble with the dorsal line straight and slightly sloping for two-thirds of its
length, then bulging a little and curving to the tip, which is rather acute,
the sides flat and sloping at the base, convex towards the end, where the
edges are sharp and inclinate. Nasal groove extended along two-thirds
of the mandible, filled with a bare membrane ; nostrils basal, linear, in the
lower part of the membrane, open and pervious. Lower mandible with
the angle long, narrow, but rounded, the sides at the base sloping out-
wards and flat, the dorsal line ascending and slightly convex, the edges
sharp and involute towards the narrow tip.

Head of moderate size, oblong, rather compressed, the forehead
rounded. Eyes large. Neck rather short. Body ovate, rather full.
Wings long. Feet rather long, slender; tibia bare for a considerable
space ; tarsus rather compressed, covered all round with reticulated hexa-
gonal scales; toes slender; the hind toe wanting; third or middle toe
longest, fourth considerably longer than the second, all scutellate above
and marginate, the outer connected with the middle toe by a membrane
as far as the second joint ; claws small, compressed, slightly arched, slen-
der but obtuse at the end, the inner edge of the middle claw dilated.

Plumage soft, blended, slightly glossed, the feathers rounded. Wings
long and pointed ; primary quills tapering, the first longest, the second a
little shorter, the rest rapidly graduated ; outer secondaries short, broad,
obliquely rounded, inner tapering and elongated. ‘Tail rather short,
rounded, of twelve rounded feathers.

Bill black. Iris brown. Feet bluish-grey. The upper part of
the head, the fore part of the back, and the scapulars are beautifully va-
riegated with brownish-black and bright yellow, the latter in spots along
the edges of the feathers. The hind part of the back greyish-brown,
variegated with yellow of a duller tint ; the tail brown, barred with white.
The wings are hair-brown, the smaller coverts spotted with yellowish-

white, the primary coverts and secondaries tipped with white. The in-
Rr2

628 GOLDEN PLOVER.

ner secondaries like the scapulars. Part of the forehead, the loral space,
a band over the eye, and the throat, are greyish-white; the sides of the
neck and body variegated with brown, dull white and yellowish. The
breast and a broad band down the fore-neck, are brownish-black, the lat-
ter margined on each side with white. Avxzillar feathers, and lower tail-
coverts white.

Length to end of tail 103 inches, to end of wings 103, to end of
claws 113; extent of wings 223; wing from flexure 7; tail 3%; bill
along the back {3, along the edge of lower mandible 1,% ; bare part of

tibia 8, ; tarsus 1y4 ; middle toe 17s, its claw 74. Weight 53 oz.

Adult in winter. Plate CCC. Fig. 2.

The black on the lower parts is peculiar to the breeding season ; and
after the autumnal moult, they become of a light greyish colour, spotted
and streaked with deep grey. In other respects the plumage is similar
to that described above.

Length to end of tail 102, to end of claws 117 ; extent of wings 223.
Weight 43 oz.

Light coloured variety. Plate CCC. Fig. 3.

Bill and feet greyish-blue. Iris deep brown. Upper part of head
and back mottled with black and pale yellow ; wing-coverts greyish, with
white and dusky spots, as are the sides of the head and the throat; a
broad band of white over the eye; fore part of neck pale grey, fading in-
to pale cream colour and white ; the breast and fore-neck with large spots
of black.

This individual was killed in the breeding season.

(in G29:49)

REMARKS ON THE FORM OF THE TOES OF
BIRDS.

ALTHovGH naturalists have laboured, more especially since the time
of the great Linnaus, who gave an impulse to the study of natural his-
tory unparalleled in that of any other science, to make us acquainted with
animals of every class; and although much has been done by them in
ornithology in particular, it requires little knowledge to be enabled to say
with truth that a great deal more remains to be done. To take an appa-
rently trivial example, let us look to the tips of the toes of birds, and we
shall no doubt find much that is curious, and much that has been entire-
ly overlooked. The examination of those parts was suggested to me by
the following occurrence.

On the 21st of March 1816, while I was residing at Henderson in
Kentucky, great flocks of Golden Plovers happening to be passing from
their winter toward their summer haunts, I procured a good number of
them. While engaged in drawing a fine specimen, I observed something
beneath the claws, which induced me to look more particularly to that
part of the toes, when I found there what might be called a second but
smaller claw, equally horny with the part properly so called. I examin-
ed several others, and, finding them all alike in this respect, I mentioned
the circumstance to a friend, who agreed with me in thinking it very cu-
rious. Since that period I have generally, on procuring a bird of any
kind, looked to its toes, and I have found many species, both of the genus
Charadrius and of other Gralle, similarly supplied with double claws.

Although I use this term, however, let it not be supposed that I con-
sider the parts in question as really subsidiary or secondary claws ; for
as they are not furnished with a central bone, or process either from the
last phalanx or that next to it, they cannot be truly considered as such,
however much they may sometimes resemble them.
| But, in order to explain to you what I mean, let us take a general
view of the subject. If we examine the foot of any common land bird, a
domestic fowl for example, we observe that the extremity of its toes under
the nail are rounded, and covered with quincuncial papilla, generally
flattened. The extreme degree of this rounded form is seen in the Eagles

and Hawks, of which the end of the toe projects beneath the claw, having

630 FORM OF THE TOES OF BIRDS.

the appearance of a large round knob or rather pad. It is not, however,
my intention at present to describe the structure of this part in the land
birds. I may however remark, that in them, as well as in the others, the
examination of the parts in question will materially aid in limiting the
number of merely nominal species, by disclosing an identity of form, as
well as in separating species that have been confounded, by shewing a di-
versity, as I have had occasion to observe, in several species of both kinds.

In the aquatic tribes numerous remarkable modifications are observed.
Beginning with those which have the extremity of the toe largest and
most rounded, we find that the Geese, Ducks, and Gulls, supply good ex-
amples. Thus in Larus marinus, the protuberance beneath the claw is
rounded, and covered with small rounded and flattened papille, of which
there is a semicircular terminal series of a larger size, as is represented

by fig. 1.

Fig. 1. Fig. 2. Fig. 3.

The Pelicans and Gannets are similar in this respect to the Gulls, as
are the Cormorants, which, however, have the terminal pad projecting
and more pointed. In the Guillemots, also, it is rounded, with small dis-
tinct rounded scales. In the Frigate Bird, in which the webs are short,
and do not modify the pads, the terminal scales are similar to those of
the Gulls. In the genus Lesétris, they are smaller, and obscured by the
webs, their papillee smaller and more pointed. In the Terns, they are
similar to those of the Gulls, but narrower, and with the papillz large.
In Phaeton athereus, the webs appear to obliterate the terminal papilla,
which are very small. In all these, the extremities of the toes are more
or less rounded, and terminated just beneath the claw by a semicircular
series of scales larger than those immediately behind.

In the Auks, however, there is a large scale or plate, on the inner

side of the middle toe, and then a series of narrow scales. In Mormon

FORM OF THE TOES OF BIRDS. 631

glacialis, of which the end of the middle toe is represented by fig. 2,
there is a single much recurved narrow horny plate, behind which is a
narrow series of oblong scales. In the genus Puffinus, there is also a
single short rounded terminal scale or plate.

The Colymbi or Divers have the end of the toe very narrow and flat,
with a single small rounded terminal plate, and numerous small scales
behind it. These birds have the claws depressed, a form which shews
its extreme development in the Grebes. Of the extremity of the middle
toe of one of these, Podiceps cristatus, fig. 3. is a representation. Here
the claw is almost quite flat, and the end of the toe beneath it is not ele-
vated or rounded as in almost all the other genera, but perfectly de-
pressed, and having its outline concave, but still, as usual, with a series
of large scales.

If we now look to the Gralle, we shall find similar modifications.
Fig. 4 represents the lower surface, and the lateral aspect of the extre-
mity of the middle toe of Ardea rufescens, which agrees, in a general
point of view, with that of the other species of the genus, as well as with
that of the Cranes. The pad here is rounded, and terminated by a semi-
circle of larger scales. In the genera Numenius and Limosa, the arrange-
ment is similar, the terminal scales being much smaller in the latter than
in the former, and two of the lateral scales enlarged. In the genera
Tringa, Scolopax and Gallinula, the arrangement is similar. All these
genera exhibit more or less of the rounded form, terminated. by a series of

larger scales.

a
JY) ° 14) a
pp pues

NG
NS
rey

Vow,

a

Fig. 4. Fig. 5. Fig. 6.

In Ibis alba the extremity is narrowed and terminated by a small
rather pointed horny plate, divided into two unequal portions, as repre-
sented by fig. 5. The T'antali have this part also narrowed at the end,
flattened, and terminated by a semicircular slightly projecting plate or

hooflet. The same appearance is presented in Haematopus palliatus, in

632 FORM OF THE TOES OF BIRDS.

which, however, the extremity is more rounded, the semicircular plate

more decurved, and concave above, as represented by fig. 6. In Radllus

Fig. 7. Fig. 8. Fig. 9.

elegans, fig. 7, and the Rails generally, the terminal plate is similar, but
narrow and rather curved upwards. It is in the genera Strepsilas, Cha-
radrius and Totanus, that the terminal plate, being narrower, more elon-
gated and more pointed, assumes more especially the semblance of a second
claw. The extremities of the middle toes of Totanus semipalmatus and
Charadrius Pluvialis, are represented by figs 8. and 9.

Having now reached the point from which I started, according to the
approved method of reasoning in a circle, or if not, of exhibiting natural
objects in a circular arrangement, I take my leave, hoping that when I
again request your indulgence, I shall be enabled to present you with some-
thing equally curious, and perhaps better calculated to induce you to extend
your inquiries into the neglected parts of the structure of those objects,
whose investigation cannot fail to raise our minds towards the Being who

framed the beautiful and harmonious system of which we form a part.

ERRATA.

Page 211, line 4, for Traders read Waders

—— 222, ... 2, ... Sir James Ross, read Sir John Ross,
—— 273, ... 22, ... Orelans read Orleans

— 317, ... 13 from bottom, for even read not only
—— 325, ... 22, for Santie read Santee

( 633 )

SUBSCRIBERS TO “ THE BIRDS OF AMERICA,”

OBTAINED SINCE THE PUBLICATION OF THE SECOND VOLUME.

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London Institution, per Mr Brayley, Librarian.
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W. A. Coleman, Esq. New York.

R. O. Anderson, Esq. Georgetown, South Carolina.

James Grimshaw, Esq. New Orleans.

Persons intending to subscribe for “ The Birds of America,” are requested
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Tyne; Gzorcr Smitu, Bookseller, Tythebarn Street, Liverpool ,
Apam & Cuarues Brack, Booksellers, Edinburgh.

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. Page
MANGA s T OLA Asse soe se5sustoesieser ses 112
American Coot, w........:262:e008 291
Oyster-catcher,........ 181

— SHIPCjo024.<-nGhyene-s-5: 322
Sun Perch,.........-..-- 47
Woodcock,.........-+-: 474

VAMIAS| ACUGAy-c< ase heres aeoeisice 214
Boschas; vss6.06:cqaee oes 174
Creccay eee i dt eeee eee 219
SOMBA ra. 6o..'ddrenaancti: 52
Anser albifrons,.................0065 598
= Canadensis, ............20e0ee ]
ea Mutchinghis.... 25; 1criesnrres 526
~ leucopsis, ..........2seeese eee 609
PME NAC ET calcu a 2c aciem ane Seige 470
ANS anpeepeereeeprtecasacnane. 366

Ardea, candidissima,...........-++- 317
@XANIS; «7, .3\entepaisbeelscte eet on hed

ler odiasysev.c.). 22.0225. as: 87
ludoviciana,...............++ 136
NYCLICOLAK,«.-----1+-s ence ees 275

— occidentalis,..............6.. 542
BULESCESsscsecsa- eee sores sc: 411

Auk, Razor-billed,..........--...4.. 112
Barnacle Goose,.0......-..02206004 609
Bewick, Thomas,................... 300
Bitterm, Least, ...;5+-. asi ddisseeeg-s 17
Black Guillemot, ................... 148
SRORM scan spats sseepraeseeatratss 535
Black-backed Gull,................. 305
Booby Gannet,.....-.-...:s-<22---- 63
Breaking up of the Ice,............. 408
Brown Pelican, ............:.2.0.0+ 376
Buff-breasted Sandpiper,.........- 452
@alm at Sease.. ...: 0. 5ssds088: 491, 520
Camp, a Maple-sugar,............. 438
Canada Goose,...........e0ceee eres 1
Cayenne Tern,.....-...-..:.02.05 505

Charadrius melodus,......... iti LOA

Page

Charadrius pluvialis,............... 623
vociferus,..... ........ 191
Wilsonius,............ 73

Clapper: Hai, 205 eta ciecae 33
Claws! of (Birds sumga-e ence cee 629
Colymbus septentrionalis,......... 20
Common American Gull,......... 98
Cormorant,............... 458

——— Gallinule,................. 330
Coot American,..................0.. 291
Cormorant, Double-crested,...... 420
Commons GUS sacc 458

— Florida,................ 387
Crane, Whooping,........... 202, 441
(Coo Meneame hades ner ties) ee 199
Crested Grebe,...................... 595
Curlew, Esquimaux, .............., 69
Hudsonian,................ 283
Long-billed,............... 240
SANEDEPER, sts. hone te as 444

Diver, Red-throated,............... 20
Dob-chick, Pied-billed,............ 359
Double-crested Cormorant,....... 420
Duck; Hiden oil 2 aor 342
Banlequinsss: 2! tine aey. 612

ee Suen eee ee eT 523
eee Pithtaily, 325s ea 214
—— Ring-necked,............... 259
pot GCAUP) «fos. cleaetworeed.. 226
ea VElVetarcqa sci see nee teas 354
Wood) ota: 54 eae 52
Bysky Retrel sito ale 620
Rider Ducks) otec5.4 eect. 342
Eggers of Labrador,............... 82
Heret, Redditdlt, 2... s0metocate. 411
Esquimaux Curlew,................. 69
Fishing in the Ohio,.........<..::. 122
Florida, Wreckers of,.............. 158

636
Page
Florida Cormorant,................ 387
Foolish Guillemot,.................. 142
Forked-tailed Gull,................ 561
Retrely tas etehis 434
Fresh-water Marsh-hen,........... 27
Fulica americana,.........-.....+.. 291
Polioule faseas.c! 8. ee 354
— histrionica,.......0:.0.0:. 612
Marilay.GQtu leis 226
mollissima,............... 342
spectabilis,............... 523
rufitOTrques, ...- 2.6.6... 2: 259
‘Fulmar Petrel,.........-......000065 446
Frigate Pelican,..:...............0.- 495
Gallinula Chloropus,............... 330
Gallinule, Common,............... 330
Gannet Booby,.:..........2+0-.+ Sper,
Godwit, Great Marbled,.......... 287
=U Hudsoniany i200. 2..0.% 426
Golden: Plover, s.cc2c0200ane. 623
Goose, Barnacle,...../... ....-+« ». 609
Canadas. tee 1
Hutchins) ene: 526
White-fronted,.............. 568
Great Black-backed Gull,......... 305
a=] Blne tlerongireee es see 87
~~ Ege Harbour,.2. (li 20.2. 606
——— Marbled Godwit,........... 287
——=+ White Heron,............... 542
Grebe, Crested,...2..0...........65. 595
Hormedsr.c. eee e.: 429
Red-necked,.............---- 617
Greenshank,-.0.......000000 22508 .. 483
Green-winged: Teal,............... 219
Grus:-Americana,............. 202, 441
Guillemot, Black, .................. 148
; Foohishsie:: 21:20 802.4". 142
Large-billed,........... 336
Gull, Common American,......... 98
Forked-tailed,..:............. 561
Great Black-backed,.....:.. 305
BRCM Si sciette ee 588
BVOEN sn: (tees nee eee ene 571
HSS KG EbWAK es petatsncsieed Jotatkn 186
—— White-winged Silvery,..... 553

INDEX.

Hematopus palliatus,....

Harlequin Wuek, a... od. yack 3

Heron, Great Blue,......

Hooded Merganser,......

Horned Grebe,...............2.0.... ‘
Horse, a Wild,...............2000..5

Hudsonian Curlew,.......
Godwit,......

Hutchins’s Goose, .u.......-60000666

Hyperborean Phalarope,.........: 118
Ibis ‘alba,-siecoscscccces OS 173
225, W 00d, iii decor ee eee 128
Ice, Breaking up of the,.......... 408
Tvory: Gull s.s0002.:2. Se 571
Jager, Arctic, s....ceeeet ihe 470
Pomarine, ieee MD. & 396

= Richardson's, «:«..0s eee 503
Kildeer -Plover,. 2.20524 2:2 )fec 19!
King. Ducks is..c5.. ett dea iets 523
Kittiwake Gull,.................0..4. 186
tN) 2X0 (0) DE aeeeRRA SAE e Sar 6 584
~ Bepers of,,... .¢...cheuee 82
Large-billed Guillemot, .......... 336
Puffin, 22064. ae 599

Larus argentatus,................4..

eburneus, ..............00.005 571
leucopterusyu..02. 00. 553
Marinus, 22.454, Leas. 305
Sabiniyics:ss2s: 92 eS 561
tridactylus, /:...0.2.)..: 186
zonorhynchus,............... 98

Least -Bitternj..i:i.0s.0....00.000N. 77
Lestris parasiticus,.................. 470
pomarinus,..............0.. 396
Richardsonii,............... 503
Limosa Fedoa, ..........2.......... 287
— Hudsonica,................. 426
Long-billed Curlew, ............... 240

INDEX.

Page
Long Calm at Sea,...............-. 491
Most eortrolloneesne.. ser eee 564
Houisiana Heron}.!...:5.05-.-.- 136
BMI ETOVE, «i... 2 0s we 386
IVI ATC: ji cnncecosands tReet 164
Marbled Godwit,............-..+-.- 287
Mank’s Shearwater,,............... 604
Maple-sugar Camp,................ 438
Marsh Hen, Salt-water,............ 33
— Hen, Fresh-water,......... 27
Mergus cucullatus,...... ........... 246
Merganser, Hooded,.............-. 246
Mormon arcticus,.............. Leu S
= CIETNALUS) oes. coche ee eee 364
PePIACIANIS,.. ae's0.2 odes emer
Natchez:in 1820,..........:..500085 539
‘0 2) 1) (210) | ee 275
PRR POY ccce oe: .s 302.2222 2- sone) OLO
Numenius borealis,................. 69
hudsonicus, ......-..... 283
longirostris,....... gece 240
Ohio, Fishing in the,............... 122
Opossum,...... OA Ae 454

Oyster-catcher, American,....... 181

Pectoral Sandpiper,...............- 601
Pelecanus fuscus,................-. . 376
Pelican, Brown,..........-2+-+:++++ 376
= Brigateseer! iid. 0808ts2- 495
PRET CHs, SSUMs ce cares sie oe aan c ote Sa 47
PUY Mastiestaes 5 AU te 197
Metrel: Puasky,....<..0cc eke 620
Forked-tailed, .............. 434

pees oe Pmarcss costes 446
Woalsom' 500429 25 202400: |e: 486
Phaeton ethereus,.................. 442
Phalacrocorax Carbo,.............. 458
dilophus,........... 420
floridanus,........-. 387

Phalarope, Hyperborean,......... 118
TRG hae oa ee 404.

— AWAISONS)..< 02 ccsbes.- 400
Phalaropus fulicarius,.............. 404

— hyperboreus, ....... <8

637

Page

Phalaropus Wilsonii,............... 400
Pied-billed Dobchick,.............. 359
Pinta Duck, .2.5 23) toe eee > 214
Piping: Plover,...: 003. coe 154
Pitting of Wolves,..............55. 338
Plover, Golden,...............060505 623
Piping .. cP eae 154
Kildeer, ...5.[.0.04..062% 191
Wilson’s3c...24 4s ee 73
Podiceps carolinensis,.............. 359
CorMutus; eka. ee 429
CListatus;...-cotea es eee 595
.Tubricollis, ............... 617
Pomarine Jager,................00005 396
Portfolio; the Losin. 2 564
Procellaria glacialis, ............... 446
PUTIN, 162. 20 ee 105
Large-billed,................ 599

= Tutted, 225 ee 364
Puffinus Anglorum,................ 604.
CINETEUS, 25) noe 555
Obscurus, ......5......0..2- 620

Purple Sandpiper,............22..:. 557
Racoon Hunt in Kentucky,...... 235
Rail, Clapperss..5 3:13:29 Rs 33
Great Red-breasted,......... 27

Sora... sete ee 251

A GUPeN VEN ora se doegoor bop seecue 4}
Rallus carolinus,..............02..... 251
— crepitansyn.........ce eee 33

Cla anshe an oi <n tees 27

— virginianus, ..........0...... 4]
Razor-billed Auk,.................. 112
Red-backed Sandpiper,............. 580
Red-breasted Rail,.................. 27
Reddish Egret,...........0..00000.. ‘411
Red-necked Grebe,................. 617
Red Phalarope,..................... 404
Red-throated Diver, ............... 20
Reminiscences of Bewick,........ 300
Richardson’s Jager,................. 503
Ring-necked Duck,.............. .. 259
Rioseate Mernacs-...sst-e ese eee 296
Salt-water Marsh Hen,............ 33
Sabine’s' Gulliiss. ceeeseseeecee 561

638 INDEX.

Page

Samlerling,........i2ccail dt .oceeae 231
Sandpiper, Buff-breasted,......... 451
— Carles sisoscc ceeds ds 444
Pecterals .:. 2506088 601

Purple, meee Jf atau. 558
Red-backed,........... 580
Sehiniz/s;.0023:ce-0eeb 529

sae Solitary,....4...01-4---- 576
Sandwich Tern,............-.--20005 531
Scaup Dhue hea seri apes eitan’ 226
Schinz’s Sandpiper,.............++-- 529
Seolopax MiNOF,.u.......ccceeereeees 474
eee VESONI Tat sues oie 322
Semipalmated. Snipe,............... 510
Shearwater Manks,............. .... 604
Wandering, «........... 555

Snipe, American,.............200++ 322
Showy. Hexon,,....0c.5..5.s.0c0.000 317
Solitary Sandpiper,..............-.- 576
pS fa (a) 21 ee Be 263
NCTE ECE Gp See os 6 Naso Gn SSSSSSELN es ve 251
Sterna arctica,..........eceeeeeeeee 366
Cantiaeas.-.2:seeskce sain. -i5s 531
cio: aa ae 296
CAYAN AS dessa slo aida dee nia 505
a+—— fuliginosa,.......... +-+--+-. 263
MigeRternd alsa! a> bce Saket. 535
Stolidiaiecs ccc. so... .2nitzed. 516

Still Becalmed,..............-.e0e08- 520
Shs Teraea ls Beets. 3 ches. 2 63
Shit AG cl eee ene 47
Tachypetes Aquilus,............... 495
Tantalus Loculator,................ 128
Tringa alpina,..............-...0660 580
APGUATI Accuses. Ieee 231

Teal, Green-winged,............... 219
Mera Anetieneis.. 020). odode! 366
Black; sse18 2 ese ase 535
Cayenne) ql Seiece.: 505
Noddajes oil. la. tae 516
eee = ROSEALC sae aee weds aecioe ste 296
2h Sandwich,..0i0si¢ 5, iigalwacs 531

Page

Tegn,, Sooty; acne. oe 263
Thalassidroma Leachii,............. 434
Wilsonii,....... .. 486

‘Thomas, Bewitks....0.5. 5.0.96 300
Totanus Glottis,... ................. 483
MAVIPes, ac... cs 255d eee 573
semipalmatus,............. 510

Tough Walk for a Youth,......... 371
‘Pringa maritimasce..c.:. sna 558
=, pectoraligge:.s:1.c0th 601
TULESCEDB as... 524.0. <c05)c00s 451

ee Schinzit,e: 320s 529
subarquatay..........ce.ceee 444

Txopic Bird,i.,.... 2.2 See 442
Mufted::Pufinjs... ee 364
UriaBrunnichii,...../...... eee 336
Grylle,............ua hae 148
Troivle,.62 i eee 142
Velvet ‘Duck,...;.....<t2ssie). eae 354
Virginian Rail,........... cae 4\

Walk, a tough one for a youth,.. 371

Wandering Shear-water,.......... 555
Wreckers of Florida,............... 158
Whooping Crane,............ 202, 441
White-fronted Goose,.............. 568
White Heron, Great,............... 542
| | EE SPs e),. 473

Perch sis. .c 2000 ee 197
White-winged Silvery Gull,...... 553
Wild Horse, <2. 22.20.0035: ee 270
Willét;s. 002 00220.....20 ee 510
Wilson’s Petrel,................2.005 486
Phalarope,................ 400

PlOVer jcc... 00 ee 13

Wolves, Pitting of,................. 338
Wood. Duck,.-...0..4.:1.225.58 52
Tbis,.c00..60e Lee 128
Woodcock, American,............. A474
Yellowshank,.3290.002.0 Ae 573

PRINTED BY NEILL & co. OLD FISHMARKET, EDINBURGH.

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