'i'i^^S XTNIVERSITY OF PITTSBtTRGH Darlington Alemonai Library • • • • r • % /;('o./l-mr/,<-n dot. .yrT./Uiy,!,- H.Mfin/r .J/K'i'.tmiy ri,rDRY. ADVERTISEMENT tskj^ The want of an edition of Wilson's Ornithology, adapted ^ to general circulation, has long been felt in the United States. >. While several popular editions have been published in Europe, ' there has been none here, except the original one, and an- jj other, with slight modifications; both of which, on account of "1^ their costliness, have been necessarily excluded from the hands V of many who might desire to possess or peruse Wilson's work. y The present work is designed to supply this want, and it is ^ hoped it may serve at once to extend the fame of the author, \ to give a wider scope to the influence of his genius, and pro- <;-N mote an interest in the study of American ornithology. To accomplish these objects, the original work of Wilson I has been followed, adding thereto the copious and valuable ^ notes of Jardine. In order, however, to present a complete ^ view of the birds of North America, a Synopsis has been ap- pended, including all the birds described by Wilson, Nuttall, M^^ Bonaparte, Audubon, and Richardson. The Synopsis has ^j^ been prepared solely with a view to supply, so far as could be rs^ done within such narrow limits, that which is wanting in the ^ original text of Wilson. A brief explanation of the plan upon $ry which it has been prepared, may not, therefore, be out of place. J It will be seen that the Synopsis comprises the names, both scientific and otherwise, of all the birds now known to exist in North America, arranged according to their natural affinities. Wherever birds have been fully described in the preceding pages, it has been deemed necessary to refer only to the works of American ornithologists, who have also given their history. ? iv ADVERTISEMENT. Where this has been imperfectly given, such additional facts relative to their manner of breeding, etc., as the space ad- mitted, have been added ; and where the bird was not known to Wilson, a brief scientific description has been appended. I should be guilty of great injustice, were I to omit to add how much I have been assisted by the labors and writings of the illustrious Audubon. With his free and generous consent, I have been permitted to draw from the materials which his industry and perseverance had prepared to my hands, and without which I could have done but little. Whatever merits, therefore, may appear in my labors, will, I trust, be attributed to the source to which they are rightly due. It will also be seen that in the arrangement by genera and families, the present Synopsis owes a great deal to that of Mr. Audubon. Tt, however, differs in two material points. The latter has no division by orders. The omission is an important one, and it was deemed advisable to supply it. I have also judged it inexpedient to imitate the needless subdivisions into genera, which is the prevailing fault in modern ornithology. Without entering into a discussion of this controverted question, I have only to urge, in defence of my adhesion except in such instances as it appeared wrong to do so, to old genera — my conviction that the present mode of subdivision, instead of tending to simplify science, as its advocates assert, but adds to the difficul- ties of the beginner, ayd serves to discourage his efforts to master the subject. In fine, I would venture to submit this brief catalogue of the birds of North America, with the assurance, which justice compels me to make, that its merits, if it has any, are due to others ; its faults — and I am aware of its deficiencies — are partly mine, and partly those of my narrow limits. T. M. B. CONTENTS Page. Auk, Little, 658 Avoset, American, 539 , Long-legged, 490 Bittern, American, 558 , Least, 560 Blue Bird, 37 Brant, 621 Bunting, Bay-winged, 296 , Black-throated, 36 , Cow, 187 , Painted, 234 , Rice, 129 , Snow, 212 , Towhe, 121 , , (Fem^e,) 459 , White-crowned, 295 Butcher Bird, 49 Buzzard, American, 452 , Turkey, 660 Cat Bird, 157 Cedar Bird, 70 Chat, Yellow-breasted, 60 Chuck- Will's Widow, 462 Coot, Cinereous, 633 Crane, Blue, 534 , Whooping, 548 Creeper, Black and White, 205 , Brown, 81 Crossbill, American, 291 , White-winged, 294 Crow, 318 , Carrion, 667 A* Page. Crow, Clark's, 209 , Fish, 343 Cuckoo, Black-billed, 269 , Yellow-billed, 267 Curlew, Esquimaux, 473 , Long-billed, 550 Darter, Black-bellied, 644 , , (Female,).. 647 Diver, Great Northern, 648 Dove, Ground, 409 , Turtle, 388 Duck, Black or Surf, 567 , Buffel-headed, 568 , Canvass-Back, 603 , Dusky, 626 , Eider, 615 , , (Female,) 617 , Harlequin, 625 , Long-tailed, 596 , , (Female,). . .597 , Pied, 594 , Pintail, 582 , Red-headed, 607 , Ruddy, 619 , , (Female,) 620 , Scaup, 590 , Scoter, 623 , Summer, 598 , Tufted, 574 , Velvet, 624 . Wood, 598 Eagle, White-headed or Bald,. . .325 VI CONTENTS. Page. Eagle, Ring-tailed, 467 ,Sea, 469 Falcon, Rough-legged, 302 , Winter, 314 Finch, Pine, 180 , Purple, 79, 386 ■ , Savannah, 313 , Sea-Side, 311 , Sharp-tailed, 312 Flamingo, Red, 565 Flycatcher, Canada, 253 , Great-crested, 147 , GreenBlack-capped,255 , Hooded, 254 , Pewit, 149 , Red-eyed, 133 , Small Blue-gray,. . .199 , Small Green-crested,148 , Small-headed, 443 , Solitary, 186 , Tyrant, 140 , Warbling, 385 , White-eyed, 200 , WoodPewee, 151 , Yellow-throated, 77 Gadwall 614 Gallinule, Purple, 637 Godwit, Great Marbled, 479 , Telltale, 495 Golden Eye, 575 Goldfinch, 7 Goosander, 579 , (Female,) 581 Goose, Canada, 570 , Snow, 585 , , (Young) 593 Grakle, Purple, 217 , Rusty, 216 Grosbeak, Blue, 240 , Cardinal, 123 , Pine, 53 , Rose-breasted, 182 Page. Grouse, Pinnated, 256 , Ruffed, 430 Gull, Black-headed, 652 Hawk, American Sparrow,. 171, 300 , Ash-colored or Black-cap,453 , Black, 455, 456 , Broad-winged, 460 ,Fish, 334 , Great-footed, 677 , Marsh, 445 , Night, 371 , Pigeon, 166 , Red-shouldered, 457 , Red-tailed, 450 , Sharp-shinned, 404 , Slate-colored, 407 , Swallow-tailed, 447 , White-breasted, 452 Heron, Great, 554 , White, 527 , Green, 522 , Louisiana, 542 , Night, 524 , Snowy, 536 , Yellow-crowned, 5.52 Humming Bird, 115 Ibis, Scarlet, 563 , White, 564 , Wood, 561 Indigo Bird, 66 Jay, Blue, 1 , Canada, 211 Kingsfisher, Belted, 227 Kite, Mississippi, 241 Lark, Brown, 387 , Meadow, 203 , Shore, 57 Loon, 643 COxNTENTS. Page. Magpie, 31G Mallard, 608 Martin, Purple, 365 , Sand, 358 Merganser, Hooded, 586 , Red-breasted, 588 Mocking Bird, 107 Nun, White, 618 Nuthatch, Brown-headed, 165 , Red-bellied, Black- capped, 27 , White-breasted, Black- capped, 24 Oriole, Baltimore, 10 , , (Female,) . . . .458 , Orchard, 43 Osprey , 334 Owl, Barred, 304 , Great Horned, 435 , Hawk, 444 , Little, 309 , Long-eared, 449 , Mottled, 201 , Red, 383 , Short-eared, 307 , Snow, 297 , White or Barn, 440 Oyster-Catcher, Pied, 543 Parrot, Carolina, 246 Partridge, 413 Petrel, Stormy, 517 Phalarope, Gray, 640 , Red, 642 Pigeon , Carolina, 388 , Passenger, 394 Plover, Black-bellied, 486 , Golden, 505 , Kildcer, 507 , Ring, 500 , Ringed, 345 , Ruddy, 541 Page Plover, Sanderling, 503 , Wilson's, 643 Purre, 484 Qua Bird, 524 Quail, 413 Rail, 418 , Clapper, 531 , Virginian, 529 Raven, 673 Red Bird, Summer, 63 Red Poll, Lesser, 288 Redstart, 405 , American, 68 Robin, 20 Sandpiper, Ash-colored, 482 , Bartram's, 499 , Little, 347 , Red-backed, 475 , Red-breasted, 487 , Semipalmated, 542 , Solitary, 493 , Spotted, 497 Sheerwater, 514 Shoveller, 577 Shrike, Great American, 49 , Loggerhead, 225 Skimmer, Black, 514 Smew, 618 Snake Bird, 644, 647 Snipe, 411,495 , Red-breasted, 488 , Semipalmated, 477 , Yellow Shanks, 495 Snow Bird, 178 Sparrow, Chipping, 177 , Field, 174 , Fox-colored, 223 , Savannah, 224 , Song, 176 , Swamp, 220 , Tree, 175 VIU CONTENTS. Page. Sparrow, White-throated, 222 : , Yellow- winged, 239 Spoonbill, Roseate, 538 Starling, Red-winged, 281 Swallow, Bank, 358 , Barn, 348 , Chimney, . , 359 , Green, Blue, or White- bellied, 356 Tanager, Louisiana, 207 , Scarlet, 125 Teal, Blue- winged, 583 , Green- winged, 601 Tern, Great, 509 , Lesser, 511 , Marshy, 630 , Short-tailed, 513 , Sooty, 632 Thrush, Ferruginous, 152 , Golden-crowned, 155 , Hermit, 391 , Tawny, 392 , Water, 233 , Wood, 15 Titmouse, Black-capped, 91 , Crested, 92 Turnstone, 480 Vulture, Black, 667 , Turkey, 660 Warbler, Autumnal, 232 , Bay-breasted, 161 , Blackburnian, 231 , Black Poll, 287, 466 , Black and Yellow,. . . .231 , Black-throated Blue,. .170 , Black-throated Green,.] 83 , Blue-eyed Yellow,. . . .169 , Blue-green, 265 , Blue Mountain, 402 , Blue- winged Yellow,.. 167 Page. Warbler, Blue Yellow-Back,... .270 , Cape May, 465 , Cerulean, ^185 , Chestnut-sided, 162 , Connecticut, 370 , Golden-winged, 170 , Hemlock, 403 , Kentucky, 244 , Mourning, 163 , Nashville, 266 , Pine Creeping, 206 , Pine Swamp, 393 , Prairie, 245 , Prothonotary, 236 , Tennessee, 243 , Worm-eating, 237 , Yellow Red-Poll, 271 , Yellow-Rump, 406 , Yellow-rumped, 184 -, Yellow-Throat, 139 Whippoorwill, 376 Widgeon, American, 591 Woodcock, 426 Woodpecker, Downy, 104 , Gold- winged, 29 , Hairy, 102 • , Ivory -billed, 272 , Lewis's, 210 , Pileated, 279 , Red-bellied, 75 , Red-cockaded,.. . .164 , Red-headed, 96 , Yellow-bellied,. . .100 Wren, Great Carolina, 137 , Golden-crested, 84 , House, 87 , Marsh, 135 , Ruby-crowned, 55 , Winter, 94 Yellow Bird, 7 Yellow Throat, Maryland,.. .59, 198 SYNOPSIS, 682. WILSON'S AMERICAN ORNITHOLOGY, BLUE JAY. — CORVUS CRISTATUS. — Fig. 1. Linn. Sijst. i. p. 157, 158. — Garrulus Canadensis coeruleus, Briss. ii. p. 54, 2. t. 4. fig. 2. — Pica glandaria cristata, Klein, p. 61,3. — Le geay bleu du Canada, Buff. iih p. 120. PL enl. 529. — Blue Jay, CatesL Car. i. 15. — Edw. 239. — Arct. Zool. ii. No. SS. — Lath. Syn.'u p. 386, ^O. — Bartram^p.'IdO.^Peak's Museum, No. 1290. OARRVLUS CRISTATUS. — Y1E1LL.0T. Garrulus crislatus, VieilL Gat. des Ois. pi. 102. — North. Zool. iL p. 293. — Bonap. Synop. No. 63. — Pica cristata, Wagl. No. 8. This elegant bird, which, as far as I can learn, is peculiar to North America, is distinguished as a kind of beau among the feathered ten- ants of our woods, by the brilliancy of his dress ; and, like most other coxcombs, makes himself still more conspicuous by his loquacity, and the oddness of his tones and gestures. The Jay measures eleven inches in length ; the head is ornamented with a crest of light blue or purple featherSjwhich he can elevate 6r depress at pleasure ; a narrow line of black runs along the frontlet, rising on each side higher than the eye, but not passing over it, as Catesby has represented, and as Pennant and many others have described it ; back and upper part of the neck a fine light purple, in which the blue predominates ; a collar of black, proceeding from the hind head, passes with a graceful curve down each side of tlie neck to the upper part of the breast, where it forms a crescent ; chin, cheeks, throat, and belly, white, the three former slightly tinged with blue ; greater wing-coverts, a rich blue ; exterior sides of the primaries, light blue, those of the secondaries, a deep pur- ple, except the three feathers next the body, which are of a splendid light blue ; all these, except the primaries, are beautifully barred with crescents of black, and tipped with white ; the interior sides of the wing-feathers are dusky black; tail long and cuneiform, composed of twelve feathers of a glossy light blue, marked at half inches with transverse curves of black, each feather being tipped with white, except the two middle ones, which deepen into a dark purple at the extremities ; breast and sides under the wings, a dirty white, faintly 2 BLUE JAY. stained with purple ; inside of the mouth, the tongue, bill, legs, and claws, black ; iris of the eye, hazel. The Blue Jay is an almost universal inhabitant of the woods, fre- quenting the thickest settlements as well as the deepest recesses of the forest, where his squalling voice often alarms the deer, to the disappointment and mortification of the hunter ; one of whom informed me, that he made it a point, in summer, to kill every Jay he could meet with. In the charming season of spring, when every thicket pours forth harmony, the part performed by the Jay always catches the ear. He appears to be among his fellow-musicians what the trumpeter is in a band, some of his notes having no distant resem- blance to the tones of that instrument. These he has the faculty of changing through a great variety of modulations, according to the particular humor he happens to be in. When disposed for ridicule, there is scarce a bird whose peculiarities of song he cannot tune his notes to. When engaged in the blandishments of love, they resem- ble the soft chatterings of a Duck, and, while he nestles among the thick branches of the cedar, are scarce heard at a few paces' distance ; but he no .sooner discovers your approach than he sets up a sudden and vehement outcry, flying off", and screaming with all his might, as jf he called the whole feathered tribes of the neighborhood to witness some outrageous usage he had received. When he hops undisturbed among the high branches of the oak and hickory, they become soft and musical; and his calls of the female a stranger Avould readily mistake for the repeated screakings of an ungreased wheelbarrow. All these he accompanies with various nods, jerks, and other gesticula- tions, for which the whole tribe of Jays are so remarkable, that, with some other peculiarities, they might have very well justified the great Swedish naturalist in forming them into a separate genus by them- selves.* * This has now been done ; and modem ornithologists adopt the title Garndiis_ of Brisson, for this distinct and very well defined group, containing many species, which agree intimately in their general form and'habits, and are dispersed over every quarter of the w'orld, New Holland excepted. The colors of their plum^e are brown, gray, blue, and black ; in some distributed with sober chastity, while, in others, the deep tints and decided markings rival the richest gems. Proud of cerulean stains. From Heaven's unsullied arch purloin'd, the Jay Screams hoarse. Gisborne's Walks in a Forest. In geographical distribution, we find those of splendid plumage following the ■warmer climates, and associating there with our ideas of Eastern magnificence 5 while the more sober dressed, and, in our opinion, not the least pleeising, range through more temperate and northern regions, or those exalted tracts in tropical countries, where all the productions in some manner receive the impress of an alpine or northern station. This is no where better exemplified than in the specimens lately sent to this country from the lofty and extensive plains of the Himalaya, where we have already met with prototypes of the European Jay, Black and Green Wood- peckers, Greater Titmouse, and Nutcracker. They inhabit woody districts ; in their dispositions are cunning, bold, noisy, active, ancf restless, but docile and easily tamed, when introduced to the care of man, and are capable of being taught tricks and various sounds. The following instance of the latter propensity is thus related by Bewick : — " We have heard one imitate the sound made by the action of a saw, so exactly, that, thouah it was on a Sunday, we could hardly be persuaded that the person who kept it, Ixad not a carpenter at work in the house. Another, at the ap- proach of cattle, had learned to hound a cur dog upon them, by whistling and calling BLUE JAY. 3 The Blue Jay builds a large nest, frequently in the cedar, sometimes on an apple-tree, lines it with dry, fibrous roots, and lays five eggs of a dull olive, spotted with brown. The male is ])articularly careful of not being heard near the place, making his visits as silently and se- cretly as possible. His favorite food is chestnuts, acorns, and Indian corn. He occasionally feeds on bugs and caterpillars, and sometimes pays a plundering visit to the orchard, cherry rows, and potato patch ; and lias been known, in times of scarcity, to venture into the barn, through openings between the weather boards. In tliese cases he is extremely active and silent, and, if surprised in the fact, makes his escape with precipitation, but without noise, as if conscious of his criminality. Of all birds, he is the most bitter enemy to the Owl. No sooner has he discovered the retreat of one of these, than he summons the whole feathered fraternity to his assistance, who surround the glimmering solitaire, and attack him from all sides, raising such a shout as may be heard, in a still day, more than half a mile offl When, in my hunting excursions, I have passed near this scene of tumult, I have imagined to myself that I heard the insulting party venting their respective charges with all the virulency of a Billingsgate mob ; the Owl, mean- while, returning every compliment Avith a broad, goggling stare. The war becomes louder and louder, and the Owl at length, forced to betake himself to flight, is followed by his whole train of persecutors, until driven beyond the boundaries of their jurisdiction. But the Blue Jay himself is not guiltless of similar depredations with tlie Owl, and becomes in his turn the very tyrant he detested, when he sneaks through the woods, as he frequently does, and among the thickets and hedge-rows, plundering every nest he can find of its eggs, tearing up the callow young by piecemeal, and spreading alarm and sorroAv around him. The cries of the distressed parents soon bring together a number of interested spectators, (for birds in such circum- stances seem truly to sympathize with each other,) and he is some- times attacked with such spirit as to be under the necessity of making a speedy retreat. upon him by his name. At last, during a severe frost, the dog was, by that means, excited to attack a cow big with calf, when the poor animal fell on the ice, and was much hurt : the Jay was complained of as a nuisance ; and its owner was obliged to destroy it." They feed indiscriminately, and, according to circum- stances, on either animal or vegetable substances 5 plundering nests of their eggs and young, and even, in the more exposed farm-yards, disappointing the hopes of the mistress, in the destruction of a favorite brood. They are also robbers of or- cJiards and gardens of their finest fruits 5 but, when without the reach of these luxu- ries, they will be content to satisfy their hunger with Nature's own productions, the wild berries, or fruits and seeds of the forest and the field. Several new species have been added to the North American list, some of which are described by the Prince of 31usignano 5 and, in addition^ we may mention one new species, published by Dr. Richardson and Mr. Swainson, in the Arctic Zoology. The only specimen brought home was killed on the roof of the dwelling-house at Fort Franklin, and was so similar to the Canada Jay, that it was not then recognized as a distinct species. The chief distinctions mentioned in the above work are the shorter bill, broader at the base, and narrower on the ridge ; the plumage looser than in G. Canadensis ; the secondaries proportionally longer, and all end in slender, but very distinct points, scarcely discernible in the Blue Jay, and not nearly so much developed in the Whisky-Jack. Tail is shorter than the latter j tlic tarsus is more robust. — Ed. 4 BLUE JAY. He will sometimes assault small birds, with the intention of killing and devouring them ; an instance of which I myself once witnessed, over a piece of woods near the borders of Schuylkill ; where I saw him engaged for more than five minutes pursuing what I took to be a species of Moiadlla, Avheeling, darting, and doubling in the air, and, at last, to my great satisfaction, got disappointed, in the escape of his intended prey. In times of great extremity, when his hoard or mag- azine is frozen up, buried in snow, or perhaps exhausted, he becomes very voracious, and Avill make a meal of whatever carrion or other animal substance comes in the way, and has been found regaling himself on the bowels of a Robin in less than five minutes after it was shot There are, however, individual exceptions to this general character for plunder and outrage, a proneness for which is probably often oc- casioned by the wants and irritations of necessity. A Blue Jay, which I have kept for some time, and with whom 1 am on terms of familiarity, is in reality a very notable example of mildness of disposition and sociability of manners. An accident in the woods first put me in pos- session of this bird, while in full plumage, and in high health and spirits ; I carried him home with me, and put him into a cage already occupied by a Golden-winged Woodpecker, where he was saluted with such rudeness, and received such a drubbing from the lord of the manor, for entering his premises, that, to save his life, 1 was obliged to take him out again. 1 then put him into another cage, where the only tenant was a female Orchard Oriole. She also put on airs of alarm, as if she considered herself endangered and insulted by the in- trusion ; the Jay, meanwhile, sat mute and motionless on the bottom of the cage, either dubious of his own situation, or willing to allow time for the fears of his neighbor to subside. Accordingly, in a few minutes, after displaying various threatening gestures, (like some of those Indians we read of in their first interviews with the whites,) she began to make her approaches, but with great circumspection, and readiness for retreat Seeing, however, the Jay begin to pick up some crumbs of broken chestnuts, in a humble and peaceable way, she also descend- ed, and began to do the same ; but, at the slightest motion of her new guest, wheeled round, and put herself on the defensive. All this ceremonious jealousy vanished before evening ; and they now roost together, feed, and play together, in perfect harmony and good humor. When the Jay goes to drink, his messmate very impudently jumps into the water to wash herself, throwing the water in showers over her companion, who bears it all patiently ; venturing now and then to take a sip between every splash, without betraying the smallest token of irritation. On the contrary, he seems to take pleasure in his little fel- low-prisoner, allowing her to pick (which she does very gently) about his whiskers, and to clean his claws from the minute fragments of chestnuts which happen to adhere to them. This attachment on the one part, and mild condescension on the other, may, perhaps, be partly the effect of mutual misfortunes, which are found not only to knit mankind, but many species of inferior animals, more closely together ; and shoAvs that the disposition of the Blue Jay may be humanized, and rendered susceptible of affectionate impressions, even for those birds BLUE JAY. 5 which, in a state of nature, he would have no hesitation in making a meal of. He is not only bold and vociferous, but possesses a considerable talent for mimicry, and seems to enjoy great satisfaction in mocking and teasing other birds, particularly the Little Hawk, [F. sparveriu. ,.• c y,. { Male. . . . Female Baltimore. Spurious Baltimore of duto. \ ^^^^^^^^ j^j^,^ ^^^,^^^j ^,.^,^^ pj^ j2 TT, . T> 1.- r-k • 1 S Male. . . . Male Baltimore. Pennant s Baltimore Oriole. \ ^^^^^^^^_ _ ^ ^^^^^ Baltimore. Catesbv's Baltimore Oriole. c, . /-w • 1 r J-. > Male. . . . Male Orcliard Oriole, Fig. 14. Spurious Oriole of ditto. \ ^^^^^^^^^_ _ ^j^^^ ,,5,^^^ p; j>,_ Male J^altimore. Not mentioned. „ . o ,.. .,... X .«cu. Male Orchard Oriole, Fig. 12. Spurious Baltimore of ditto. I ^^^^^^^^_ _ j^-^^^ ^^ ^. j^^ Among all these authors Catesby is doubtless the most inexcusable, having lived for several years in America, "where he had an opportunity of being more correct: yet, when it is considered, that the female of this bird is so much shyer than the male ; that it is seldom seen ; and that, while the males are flying around and bewailing an approach to their nest, the females keep aloof, watching every movement of the enemy in restless but silent anxiety ; it is less to be wondered at, I say, tliat two birds of the same kind, but different in plumage, making their appearance together at such times, should be taken for male and female of the same nest, without doubt or examination, as, from that strong sympathy for each other's distress which prevails so uni- versally among them at this season, it is difficult sometimes to distin- guish between the sufferer and the sympathizing neighbor. The female of the Orchard Oriole, Fig. 11, is six inches and a half in length, and eleven inches in extent ; the color above is a yellow olive, inclining to a brownish tint on the back ; the wings are dusky brown, lesser wing-coverts tipped with yellowish white, greater coverts and secondaries exteriorly edged Avith the same, primaries slightly so ; tail, rounded at the extremity, the two exterior feathers three quarters of an inch shorter than the middle ones ; whole lower parts, yellow ; bill and legs, light blue ; the fonner bent a li+tle, very sharp pointed, and black towards the extremity ; iris of tiie eye, hazel ; pupil, black. The young male of the first season corresponds nearly with the above description. But in the succeeding spring he makes his appearance with a large patch of black marking the front, lores, and throat, as represented in Fig. 12. In this stage, too, the black sometimes makej its appearance on the two middle feathers 46 ORCHARD ORIOLE. of the tail ; and slight stains of reddish are seen commencing on the sides and belly. The rest of the plumage as in the female ; this con- tinuing nearly the same, on the same bird, during the remainder of the season. At the same time, other individuals are found, as rep- resented by Fig. 13, which are at least birds of the third summer. These are mottled with black and olive on the upper parts of the back, and with reddish bay and yellow on the belly, sides, and vent, scattered in the most irregular manner, not alike in any two individ- uals ; and, generally, the two middle feathers of the tail are black, and the others centred with the same color. This bird is now evi- dently approaching to its perfect plumage, as represented in Fig. 14, where the black spreads over the whole head, neck, upper part of the back, breast, wings, and tail ; the reddish bay, or bright chestnut, occupying the lower part of the breast, the belly, vent, rump, tail- coverts, and three lower rows of the lesser wing-coverts. The black on the head is deep and velvety ; that of the wings inclining to brown ; the greater wing-coverts are tipped with white. In the same orchard, and at the same time, males in each of these states of plu- mage may be found, united to their respective plain-colored mates. In all these, the manners, mode of building, food, and notes, are, generally speaking, the same, differing no more than those of any other individuals belonging to one common species. The female appears always nearly the same. I have said that these birds construct their nests very differently from the Baltimores. They are so particularly fond of frequenting orchards, that scarcely one orchard in summer is without them. They usually suspend their nest from the twigs of the apple-tree ; and often from the extremities of the outward branches. It is formed exteriorly of a particular species of long, tough, and flexible grass, knit, or sewed through and through in a thousand directions, as if actually done with a needle. An old lady of my acquaintance, to whom I was one day showing this curious fabrication, after admiring its texture for some time, asked me, in a tone between joke and earnest, whether I did not think it possible to learn these birds to darn stockings. This nest is hemispherical, three inches deep by four in breadth ; the concavity scarcely two inches deep by two in diameter. I had the curiosity to detach one of the fibres, or stalks of dried grass, from the nest, and found it to measure thirteen inches in length, and in that distance was thirty-four times hooked through and returned, winding round and round the nest ! The inside is usually composed of wool, or the light, downy appendages attached to the seeds of the Platanus occidentalism or button-wood, which form a very soft and commodious bed Here and there the outward work is extended to an adjoining twig, round which it is strongly twisted, to give more stability to the whole, and prevent it from being overset by the wind. When they choose the long, pendent branches of the weeping willow to build in, as they frequently do, the nest, though formed of the same materials, is made much deeper, and of slighter texture. The circumference is marked out by a number of these pensile twigs that descend on each side like ribs, supporting the whole ; their thick foliage, at the same time, completely concealing the nest from view. The depth in this case is increased to four or five inches, and the ORCHARD ORIOLE. 47 whole is made much slighter. These long, pendent branches, being sometimes twelve and even fifteen feet in length, have a large sweep in the wind, and render the first of these precautions necessary, to prevent the eggs or young from being thrown out ; and the close shelter afforded by the remarkable thickness of the foliage is, no doubt, the cause of the latter. Two of these nests, such as I have here described, are now lying before me, and exhibit not only art in tlie construction, but judgment in adapting their fabrication so judi- ciously to their particular situations. If the actions of birds pro- ceeded, as some would have us believe, from the mere impulses of that thing called instinct, individuals of the same species would uniformly build their nest in the same manner, wherever they might happen to fix it ; but it is evident from those just mentioned, and a thousand such circumstances, that tliey reason a priori, from cause to consequence ; providently managing with a constant eye to future necessity and convenience. The eggs, one of which is represented on the same plate, (Fig. a,) are usually four, of a very pale bluish tint, with a few small specks of brown, and spots of dark purple. An egg of the Baltimore Oriole is exhibited beside it, (Fig. b ; *) both of these were minutely copied from nature, and are sufficient of themselves to determine, beyond all possibility of doubt, the identity of the two species. I may add, that IMr. Charles W. Peale, proprietor of the museum in Philadelphia, who, as a practical naturalist, stands deser\^edly first in tlie first rank of American connoisseurs, and who has done more for the promotion of that sublime science than all our speculative theorists together, has expressed to me his perfect conviction of the changes which these birds pass through; having himself examined them both in spring and towards the latter part of summer, and having at the present time in his possession thirty or forty individuals of this species, in almost every gradation of change. The Orchard Oriole, though partly a dependant on the industry of the farmer, is no sneaking pilferer, but an open and truly beneficent friend. To all those countless multitudes of destructive bugs and caterpillars that infest the fruit-trees in spring and summer, preying on the leaves, blossoms, and embryo of the fruit, he is a deadly ene- my ; devouring them wherever he can find them, and destroying, on an average, some hundreds of them every day, without offering the slightest injury to the fruit, however much it may stand in his way. I have witnessed instances where the entrance to his nest was more than half closed up by a cluster of apples, which he could have easily demolished in half a minute ; but, as if holding the property of his patron sacred, or considering it as a natural bulwark to his own, he slid out and in with the greatest gentleness and caution. I am not sufficiently conversant in entomology to particularize the different species of insects on which he feeds, but I have good reason for be- lieving that they are almost altogether such as commit the greatest depredations on the fruits of the orchard ; and, as he visits us at a time when his services are of the greatest value, and, like a faithful guardian, takes up his station where the enemy is most to be expected, * The references here are to Wilson's orig^inal edition. 48 ORCHARD ORIOLE. he ought to be held in respectful esteem, and protected by every con- siderate husbandman. Nor is the gayety of his song one of his least recommendations. Being an exceedingly active, sprightly, and rest- less bird, he is on the ground — on the trees — flying and carolling in his hurried manner, in almost one and the same instant. His notes are shrill and lively, but uttered with such rapidity and seeming con- fusion, that the ear is unable to follow them distinctly. Between these, he has a single note, which is agi-eeable and interesting. Wherever he is protected, he shows his confidence and gratitude by his numbers and familiarity. In the botanic gardens of my worthy and scientific friends, the Messrs. Bartrams of Kingsess, which present an epitome of almost every thing that is rare, useful, and beautiful in the vegetable kingdom of this western continent, and where the murderous gun scarce ever intrudes, the Orchard Oriole revels with- out restraint through thickets of aromatic flowers and blossoms, and, heedless of the busy gardener that labors below, hangs his nest, in perfect security, on the branches over his head. The female sits fourteen days ; the young remain in the nest ten days afterwards, before they venture abroad, which is generally about the middle of June. Nests of this species, with eggs, are sometimes found so late as the 20th of July, Avhich must either belong to birds that have lost their first nest, or, it is probable that many of them raise two broods in the same season, though I am not positive of the fact The Orcliard Orioles arrive in Pennsylvania rather later than the Baltimores, commonly about the first week in May, and extend as far a.s the Province of Maine. They are also more numerous towards the mountains than the latter species. In traversing the country near the Blue Ridge, in the month of August, I have seen at least five of this species for one of the Baltimore. Early in September, they take their departure for the south ; their term of residence here being little more than four months. Previous to their departure, the young birds become gregarious, and frequent the rich extensive meadows of the Schuylkill, below Philadelphia, in flocks of from thirty to forty, or upwards. They are easily raised from the nest, and soon become agreeable domestics. One which I reared and kept through the winter, whistled with great clearness and vivacity at two months old. It had an odd manner of moving its head and neck, slowly and regu- larly, and in various directions, when intent on observing any thing, without stirring its body. This motion was as slow and regular as tliat of a snake. When at night a candle was brought into the room, it became restless, and evidently dissatisfied, flutterinor about the cage, as if seeking to get out ; but, when the cage was placed on the same table with the candle, it seemed extremely well pleased, fed and drank, dressed, shook and arranged its plumage, sat as close to the light aw possible, and sometimes chanted a few broken, irregular notes in that situation, as I sat writing or reading beside it. I also kept a young fiMualc of the same nest, during the greatest part of winter, but could not observe, in that time, any change in its plumage.* This l)ir/(r/)/t'.ecinien of a Woodpecker from Georgia, closely allied to this, whir-h he suspects to be undescribed ; and, in the event of being correct, he proposes to deilicalc it to IMr. Audubon, — Dendrocopus Audubonii, Sw. — Ed. YELLOW-BELLIED WOODPECKER. 101 Paupastaoiv;* they are also common in tlie states of Kentucky and Ohio, and nave been seen in the neighborhood of St. Louis. They are reck- oned by Georgi among the birds tliat frequent the Lake Baikal, in Asia ; f but their existence there has not been satisfactorily ascertained. The habits of this species are similar to those of the Hairy and Downy Woodpeckers, with which it generally associates. The only nest of tliis bird which I have met with, was in the body of an old pear-tree, about ten or eleven feet from the ground. The hole was almost exactly circular, small for the size of the bird, so that it crept in and out witli difficulty ; but suddenly widened, descending by a small angle, and then running downward about fifteen inches. On the smooth, solid wood lay four white eggs. This was about the twenty-fifth of May. Having no opportunity of visiting it afterwards, I cannot say whether it added any more eggs to the number ; I rather think it did not, as it appeared at that time to be sitting. The Yellow-bellied Woodpecker is eight inches and a half long, and in extent fifteen inches ; whole crown, a rich and deep scarlet, bordered witli black on each side, and behind forming a slight crest, w^hich it frequently erects ; f from the nostrils, which are thickly covered with recumbent hairs, a narrow strip of white runs downward, curving round the breast ; mixing with the yellowish white on the lower part of the breast ; throat, the same deep scarlet as the crown, bordered with black, proceeding from the lower mandible on each side, and spreading into a broad, rounding patch on the breast ; this black, in birds of the first and second year, is dusky gray, tlie feathers being only crossed with circular touches of black ; a line of white, and below it another of black, proceed, the first from tlie upper part of the eye, the other from the posterior half of the eye, and both lose themselves on the neck and back ; back, dusky yellow, sprinkled and elegantly waved with black ; wings, black, with a large, oblong spot of white ; the primaries, tipped and spotted with white ; the three secondaries next the body are also variegated with white ; rump, white, bordered with black ; belly, yellow ; sides under the wings, more dusky yellow, marked with long arrow-heads of black ; legs and feet, greenish blue ; tail, black, consisting of ten feathers, the two outward feathers on each side tipped with white, the next totally black, the fourth edged on its inner vane half way down with white, the middle one wliite on its interior vane, and spotted with black ; tongue, flat, horny for half an inch at the tip, pointed, and armed along its sides with reflected barbs ; tha other extremities of the tongue pass up behind the skull in a groove, and end near the right nostril; in birds of the first and second year they reach only to the crown ; bill, an inch long, channeled, wedge- formed at the tip, and of a dusky horn color. The female is marked nearly as the male, but wants the scarlet on the throat, whicli is whitish ; she is also darker under the wings and on the sides of the breast The young of the first season, of both sexes, in October, have the crown sprinkled with black and deep scarlet ; the scarlet on the throat may be also observed in the young males. The principal food of these birds is insects ; and they seem particularly fond of frequent- * Latham. t Ibid. J This circumstance seems to have been overlooked b\' naturalists. 9* 102 HAIRY WOODPECKER. ing orchards, boring the trunks of the apple-trees in their eager search after them. On opening them, the liver appears very large, and of a dirty gamboge color ; the stomach strongly muscular, and generally filled with fragments of beetles and gravel. In the morning, they are extremely active in the orchards, and rather shyer than the rest of their associates. Their cry is also different, but, though it is easily distinguishable in the woods, cannot be described by words. HAIRY WOODPECKER. — PICUS VILLOSUS. — Fig. 37. Picus villosus, Linn. Sijst. i. 175, 16. — Pic chevelu de Virginie, Buffon, vii. 7. — Pic vari6 male de Virginie, PI. enl. 754. — Hairy Woodpecker, Catesb. i. 19, Fig-. ^. — Arct. Zool. ii. No. 164. — Zain\^ ould indicate something the reverse of this, and provincial names are generally pretty correct in iheir application; dif- ferent habits may perhaps be sought at" difVercMit seasons. In " tlie Barrens of Kentucky they are founcl in the greatest .nbundance. They rest upon the ground at night. Their migrations are performed by day, from bush to bush ; and they CARDINAL GROSBEAK. 123 CARDINAL GROSBEAK. — LOXL\ CARDINALIS. Figs. 43, 44. Linn. Sijst. i. p. 300, No. 5. — Le Gros-bec de Virginie, Briss. Om. iii. p. 255. No. ll. — Buf. iii. p. 458, pi. 28. PL enl. SI. — Lath. Syn. ii. p. 118, No. 13.— Cardinal, Brown's Jam. p. Gil. — Peak's Museum, No. 3668. GUJlRIC.a C^RDIJ^J-jlLIS. — Syv j^ijisoy. Fringilla cardinalis, Bonap. Synop. p. 113. This is one of our most common cage birds ; and is very generally known, not only in North America, but even in Europe, numbers of tliem having been carried over both to France and England, in which last country they are usually called Virginia Nightingales. To this name, Dr. Latham observes, " they are fully entitled," from the clear- ness and variety of their notes, which, botJi in a wild and domestic state, are very various and musical : many of them resemble the high notes of a fife, and are nearly as loud. They are in song from March to September, beginning at the first appearance of dawn, and repeat- ing a favorite stanza, or passage, twenty or thirty times successively ; sometimes, with little intermission, for a whole morning together, which, like a good story too often repeated, becomes at length tire- some and insipid. But the sprightly figure and gaudy plumage of the Red-Bird, his vivacity, strength of voice, and actual variety of note, and the little expense with which he is kept, will always make him a favorite. This species, like the Mocking Bird, is more numerous to the east of the great range of the Alleghany Mountains, and inliabits from New England to Carthagena. Michaux the younger, son to the celebrated botanist, informed me, that he found this bird numerous in the Bermu- das. In Pennsylvania and the Northern States, it is rather a scarce species ; but through the whole lower parts of the Southern States, in tlie neighborhood of settlements, I found them much more numerous ; their clear and lively notes, in the months of January and February, being, at that time, almost the only music of tlie season. Along the road sides and fences I found them hovering in half dozens together, associated with Snow Birds, and various kinds of Sparrows. In the Northern States, they are migratory ; but in the lower parts of Pennsylvania, they reside during the Avhole year, frequenting the bor- ders of creeks and rivulets, in sheltered hollows, covered with holly, laurel, and other evergreens. They love also to reside in tlie vicinity of fields of Indian corn, a grain that constitutes their chief and favor- ite food. The seeds of apples, cherries, and of many other sorts of fruit, are also eaten by them ; and they are accused of destroying bees. seoni to be much at a loss when a larg^c extent of forest is to be traversed by them. Tliey perform these journeys almost singly. The females set out before the males iu autumn, the males before the females in spring' ; the latter not appearing in the middle districts until the end of April, a fortnight after the males had arrived." — Ed. 124 CARDINAL GROSBEAK. In the months of March and April, the males have many violent engagements for their favorite females. Early in May, in Pennsylva- nia, they begin to prepare their nest, which is very often fixed in a holly, cedar, or laurel bush. Outwardly, it is constructed of small twigs, tops of dry weeds, and slips of vine bark, and lined with stalks of fine grass. The female lays four eggs, thickly marked all over with touches of brownish olive, on a dull M'hite ground, as represented in the figure ; and they usually raise two broods in the season. These birds are rarely raised from the nest for singing, being so easily taken in trap-cages, and soon domesticated. By long confinement, and per- haps unnatural food, they are found to fade in color, becoming of a pale whitish red. If w^ell taken care of, however, they will live to a considerable age. There is at present in Mr. Peale's museum, the stuffed skin of one of these birds, which is there said to have lived in a cage upwards of twenty-one years. The opinion which so generally prevails in England, that the music of the groves and woods of America is far inferior to that of Europe, I, who have a thousand times listened to both, cannot admit to be cor- rect We cannot with fairness draw a comparison between the depth of the forest in America, and the cultivated fields of England ; because it is a well-known fact, that singing birds seldom frequent the former in any country. But let the latter places be compared Avith the like situations in the United States, and the superiority of song, 1 am fully persuaded, would justly belong to tlie western continent The few of our song birds that have visited Europe extort admiration from the best judges. "The notes of the Cardinal Grosbeak," says Latham, " are almost equal to those of the Nightingale." Yet these notes, clear and excellent as they are, are far inferior to those of the Wood Thrush, and even to those of the Brown Thrush, or Thrasher. Our inimitable Mocking Bird is also acknowledged, by tliemselves, to be fully equal to the song of tlie Nightingale, " in its whole compass." Yet these are not one tenth of the number of our singing birds. Could these people be transported to the borders of our woods and set- tlements, in the montli of May, about half an hour before sunrise, such a ravishing concert would greet tlieir ear as they have no concep- tion of. The males of the Cardinal Grosbeak, when confined together in a cage, fight violently. On placing a looking-glass before tlie cage, the gesticulations of the tenant are truly laughable ; yet with this he soon becomes so well acquainted, that, in a short time, he takes no notice whatever of it; a pretty good proof tliat he has discovered the true cause of the appearance to proceed from himself. Tliey are hardy birds, easily kept, sing six or eiglit months in the year, and are most lively in wet weatiier. They are generally known by the names, Red-Bird, Virginia Red-Bird, Virgmia Nightinoale, and Crested Red- Bird, to distinguish them from another beautiful species, the Scarlet Tanager, Figs. 45 and AG. I do not know that any successful attempts have been made to in- duce these birds to pair and breed in confinement ; but I liave no doubt of its practicability, by proper management. Some months ago, I placed a young, unfledged Cow-Bird, (the Fringilla pecoris of Turton,) whose mother, like the Cuckoo of Europe, abandons her SCARLET TANAGER 125 eggs and progeny to the mercy and management of other smaller birds, in the same cage with a Red-Bird, wliich fed and reared it with great tenderness. They both continue to inhabit the same cage, and I have hopes that the Red-Bird will finish his pupil's education by teaching him his song. I must here remark, for the information of foreigners, that the story told by Le Page du Pratz, in his Historij of Louisiana., and which has been so often repeated by other writers, that the Cardinal Grosbeak " collects together great hoards of maize and buck-wheat, often as much as a bushel, which it artfully covers with leaves and small twigs, leaving only a small hole for entrance into the magazine," is entirely fabulous. This species is eight inches long, and eleven in extent ; the whole upper parts are a dull, dusky red, except the sides of the neck and head, which, as well as the whole lower parts, are bright vermilion ; chin, front, and lores, black ; the head is ornamented with a high, pointed crest, which it frequently erects in an almost perpendicular position, and can also flatten at pleasure, so as to be scarcely percep- tible ; the tail extends three inches beyond the wings, and is nearly even at the end ; the bill is of a brilliant coralline color, very tliick and powerful, for breaking hard grain and seeds ; the legs and feet, a light clay color, (not blood red, as Buifon describes them ;) iris of the eye, dark hazel. The female (Fig. 44) is less than the male, has the upper parts of a brownish olive, or drab color, the tail, wings, and tip of the crest excepted, which are nearly as red as those of the male ; the lores, front, and chin, are light ash ; breast, and lower parts, a reddish drab ; bill, legs, and eyes, as those of the male ; the crest is shorter, and less frequently raised. One peculiarity in the female of this species is, that she often sings nearly as well as the male. I do not know whether it be owing to some little jealousy on this score or not, that the male, when both occupy the same cage, very often destroys tlie female. SCARLET TANAGER. — TANAGRA RUBRA. — Figs. 45, 46. Tanagra rubra, Lynn. Syst. i. p. 314, 3. — Cardinal de Canada, Briss. Om. iii. p. 48, pi. 2, fig. 5. — Lath. ii. p. 217, No. 3. — Scarlet Sparrow, Edw. pi. 343.— Canada Tanager, and Olive Tanager, Arct. Zool. p. 369, No. 237, 238.— Peales Museum, No. 6128. PYRAJ<-GA* RUBRji.—SwAiTisoti. Pyranga eryihropis, Vieill. Enc. Method, p. 793. — Tanagra rubra, Bonap. Synop, p. 105. — Pyranga rubra. North. Zool. ii. p. 273. This is one of the gaudy foreigners (and perhaps the most showy) that regularly visit us from the torrid regions of the south. He is * Pyranga has been established for the reception of this bird as the type, and a few otiiers, all natives of the New World, and more particularly inhabiting tbo 11* 126 SCARLET TANAGER. dressed in the richest scarlet, set off with the most jetty black, and comes, over extensive countries, to sojourn for a time among us. While we consider him entitled to all the rights of hospitality, we may be permitted to examine a little into his character, and endeavor to discover whether he has any thing else to recommend him, besides that of having a fine coat, and being a great traveller. On or about the first of May, this bird makes his appearance in Pennsylvania. He spreads over the United States, and is found even in Canada. He rarely approaches the habitations of man, unless, perhaps, to the orchard, where he sometimes builds, or to the clieny- trees, in search of fruit. The depth of the woods is his favorite abode. There, among the thick foliage of the tallest trees, his simple and almost monotonous notes, chip, chwr, repeated at short intervals, in a pensive tone, may be occasionally heard, which appear to proceed from a considerable distance, though the Ijird be immediately above you, — a faculty bestowed on him by the beneficent Author of 'Nature, no doubt, for his protection, to compensate, in a degree, for the danger to which his glowing color would often expose him. Besides this usual note, he has, at times, a more musical chant, something resem- bling in mellowness that of the Baltimore Oriole. His food consists of large-winged insects, such as wasps, hornets, and humble-bees, and also of fruit, particularly those of that species of Vaccinhnn usually called huckle-berries, which, in their S'.-ason, form almost his whole fare. His nest is built, about the middle of May, on the horizontal branch of a tree, sometimes an apple-tree, and is but sliglUly put to- gether ; stalks of broken flax and dry grass, so thinly woven together, that the light is easily perceivable througli it, fonii the repository of his young. The eggs are three, of a dull blue, spotted with broMn or purple. They rarely raise more than one brood in a season, and leave us for the south about the last week in August Among all the birds that inhabit our woods, there is none that strikes the eye of a stranger, or even a native, with so much brilliancy as this. Seen among the green leaves, with the light falling strongly on his plumage, he really aj^pears beautiful. If he has little of melody in his notes to charm us, he has nothing in them to disgust. His manners are modest, easy, and inoffensive. He commits no depreda- tions on the property of the husbandman, but rather benefits him by the daily destruction, in spring, of many noxious insects ; and, when winter approaches, he is no plundering dependent, but seeks, in a dis- tant country, for that sustenance which the severity of the season denies to his industry in this. He is a striking ornament to our rural scenery, and none of the meanest of our rural songsters. Such being tlie true traits of his character, we shall always with pleasure welcome this beautiful, inoffensive stranger to our orchards, groves, and forests. warmer parts of it. Tlif proseiU spocios is, indeed, the only one wliirh is common to the north and soulli continonts ; and, in the former, it ranks only as a summer visitant. They are all of very hritj^lit colors, and distinct markinjjs. They are distiiignishecl from the Inie Tanac^ers, by their stout and rounded bill, slisrhtly notched, bent at the tip. and lia\ in^ a jntti"nn^-out. blunt tooth about the middle of the upper mandil)le^ 'I'liey are nlai'ed by Dcsniarest among his Tanotrras coi/iinem. or Shrike-like Tana^^ers ; anu by Lesson amonj;: the IhrMo^ras car(li7i(i/€s. The lat ter writer enumerates only three species belonging to his ^insion. — Ed. SCARLET TANAGER. 127 The male of tliis species, (Fio^. 45,) when arrived at his full size and colors, is six inches and a half in length, and ten and a half broad. The whole plumage is of a most brilliant scarlet, except the wings and tail, which are of a deep black ; the latter, handsomely forked, sometimes minutely tipped with white, and the interior edges of the wing-feathers nearly white ; the bill is strong, considerably inflated, like those of his tribe, the edge of tlie iipper mandible, somewhat irregular, as if toothed, and the whole of a dirty gamboge, or yellow- ish liorn color ; this, however, like that of most other birds, varies according to the season. About the 1st of August he begins to moult ; the young feathers coming out, of a greenish yellow color, until he appears nearly all dappled with spots of scarlet and greenish yellow. In tliis state of plumage he leaves us. How long it is before he re- covers his scarlet dress, or whether he continues of this greenish color all winter, I am unable to say. The iris of the eye is of a cream color ; the legs and feet, light blue. The female. Fig. 46, (now, I be- lieve, for the first time figured,) is green above, and yellow below ; the wings and tail, brownish black, edged with green. The young birds, din-ing their residence here the first season, continue nearly of the same color with the female. In this circumstance we again recognize the wise provision of the Deity, in thus clothing the female and the inexperienced young in a garb so favorable for concealment among the foliage ; as the weakness of the one, and the frequent visits of the other to her nest, would greatly endanger the safety of all. That the young males do not receive their red plumage until the early part of tlie succeedmg spring, I think highly probable, from the circum- stance of frequently finding their red feathers, at that season, inter- mixed with green ones, and the wings also broadly edged witli green. These facts render it also probable that the old males regularly change tlieir color, and have a summer and winter dress; but this further ob- servations must determine. There is in the Brazils a bird of the same genus with this, and very much resembling it, so much so as to have been frequently confounded witli it by European writers. It is the Tanagra Brazilia of Turton ; and, though so like, is yet a very distinct species from the present, as I have myself had tlie opportunity of ascertaining, by examining two very perfect specimens from Brazil, now in the possession of Mr. Peale, and comparing them with this. The principal differences are these : The plumage of the Brazilian is almost black at bottom, very deep scarlet at the surface, and of an orange tint between ; ours is ash colored at bottom, white in the middle, and bright scarlet at top. The tail of ours is forked, that of the other cuneiform, or rounded. The bill of our species is more inflated, and of a greenish yellow color ; the other's is black above, and whitish below, towards the base. The whole plumage of the southern species is of a coarser, stiffer quality, particularly on the head. The wings and tail, in both, are black. In the account which Buffbn gives of the Scarlet Tanager and Cardinal Grosbeak, there appears to be very great confusion, and many mistakes ; to explain which, it is necessary to observe that INIr. Ed- wards, in his figure of the Scarlet Tanager, or Scarlet Sparrow, as he calls it, has given it a hanging crest, owing, no doubt, to tlie loose, dis- ordered state of the plumage of the stuffed or dried skin from which 128 SCARLET TANAGER. he made his drawing. Buffon has afterwards confounded the two together, by applying many stories, originally related of the Cardinal Grosbeak, to the Scarlet Tanager, and the following he gravely gives as his reason for so doing : " We may presume," says he, " that when travellers talk of the warble of the Cardinal, they mean the Scarlet Cardinal, for the other Cardinal is of the genus of tlie Grosbeaks, consequently a silent bird." * This silent bird, however, has been declared by an eminent English naturalist to be almost equal to their own Nightingale ! The count also quotes the following passage from Charlevoix to prove the same point, which, if his translator has done him justice, evidently proves the reverse. "It is scarcely more tlian a hundred leagues," says this traveller, " south of Canada that the Cardinal begins to be seen. Their song is sweet, their plumage beautiful, and their head wears a crest" But the Scarlet Tanager is found even in Canada, as well as a hundred leagues to the south, while the Cardinal Grosbeak is not found in any great numbers north of Maryland. The latter, therefore, it is highly probable, was the bird meant by Charlevoix, and not the Scarlet Tanager. Buifon also quotes an extract of a letter from Cuba, which, if the circumstance it relates be true, is a singular proof of the estimation in which the Spaniards hold the Cardinal Grosbeak. " On Wednesday arrived at the port of Havannah, a bark from Florida, loaded with Cardinal birds, skins, and fruit The Spaniards bought the Cardinal birds at so high a price as ten dollars apiece ; and, notwithstanding the public distress, spent on them the sum of 18,000 dollars ! " * With a few facts more I shall conclude the history of the Scarlet Tanager : When you approach the nest, the male keeps cautiously at a distance, as if fearful of being seen ; while the female hovers around in the greatest agitation and distress. When the young leave the nest, the male parent takes a most active part in feeding and attend- ing them, and is then altogether indifferent of concealment Passing through an orchard one morning, I caught one of these young birds, that had but lately left the nest. I carried it with me about half a mile, to show it to my friend, Mr. William Bartram ; and, having procured a cage, hung it up on one of the large pine-trees in the botanic garden, within a few feet of the nest of an Orchard Oriole, which also contained young ; hopeful that the charity or tenderness of the Orioles would induce them to supply the cravings of the stranger. But charity with them, as with too many of the human race, began and ended at home. The poor orphan was altogether neglected, notwith- standing its plaintive cries ; and, as it refused to be fed by me, I was about to return it back to the place where I found it, when, towards the aflernoon, a Scarlet Tanager, no doubt its own parent, was seen fiuttei- ing round the cage, endeavoring to get in. Finding this impracticable, he flew off, and soon returned with food in his bill, and continued to feed it till afler sunset, taking up his lodgings on the higher branches of tlie same tree. In the morning, almost as soon as day broke, he was again seen most actively engaged in tlie same affectionate man- ner ; and, notwithstanding the insolence of the Orioles, continued his benevolent offices the whole day, roosting at night as before. On the * Buffos, vol. iv. p. 209. f Gmelli Garebi. RICE BUNTING. 129 third or fourth day. he appeared extremely sohcitous for the liberation of his charge, using every expression of distressful anxiety, and every call and invitation that nature had put in his power, for him to come out. This Avas too mucli for the feelings of my venerable friend ; he procured a ladder, and, mounting to the spot where the bird was sus- pended, opened the cage, took out the prisoner, and restored him to liberty and to his parent, who, with notes of great exultation, accom- panied his flight to the woods. The happiness of my good friend was scarcely less complete, and showed itself in his benevolent countenance ; and I could not refrain saying to myself, — If such sweet sensations can be derived from a single circumstance of this kind, how exquisite — how unspeakably rapturous — must the delight of those individuals have been, who have rescued their fellow-beings from death, chains, and imprisonment, and restored them to the arms of their friends and relations ! Surely, in such godlike actions, virtue is its own most abun- dant reward. RICE BUNTING. — EMBERIZA ORYZIVORA. — Figs. 47, 48. Emberiza oryzivora, Linn. Si/sf. p. 311, 16. — Le Ortolan da la Caroline, iim^. Orn. iii. p. 282, 8, pi. 15, fig. 3. PI. enl. 388. fig. 1. — L'Agripenne ou Tortolan de Riz, Buff. Ois. iv. p. 337. — Rice Bird, Catesb. Car. i. pi. U. — Edw. pi. 2. — Lathani^W. p. 188, No. '25. — Peak's Museum, No. 6026. DOLYCHOJ\rYX ORYZIFORUS. — SwjuNsoy. Icterus agripennis, Bonap. Synop. p. 53. — Dolychonyx oryzivorus, Sw. Synop. Birch of Mexico, 435. — North. Zool. ii. p. Tl8. — Aud. pi. 54. Orn. Biog. i. p. 283. This is the Bohlink of the Eastern and Northern States, and the Rice and Reed Bird of Pennsylvania and the Southern States. Though small in size, he is not so in consequence ; his coming is hailed by the sportsman with pleasure ; while the careful planter looks upon him as a devouring scourge, and worse than a plague of locusts. Three good qualities, however, entitle him to our notice, particularly as these three are rarely found in the same individual, — his plumage is beautiful, his song highly musical, and his flesh excellent. I might also add, that the immense range of his migrations, and the havock he commits, are not the least interesting parts of his history.* * To Wilson's interesting account of the habits of this curious bird, Mr. Audubon adds the following particulars : — In Louisiana they pass under the name of Meadow Birds, and they arrive there in small flocks of males and females about the middle of March or beginning' of April. Their song in spring is extremely in- teresting, and, emitted wiih a volubility bordering on the burlesque, is heard from a whole party at the same time, and it becomes amusing to hear thirty or forty of them beginning one after another, as if ordered to follow in quick succession, after the first notes are given by a leader, and producing- such a medley as it is impos- sible to describe, although it is extremely pleasant to near. While you are listening', the whole flock simultaneously ceases, which appears equally extraordinary. This curious exhibition takes place every time the flock has alighted on a tree. Another curious fact mentioned by this gentleman is, that during their spring 130 RICE BUNTING. The winter residence of this species I suppose to be from Mexico to the mouth of the Amazon, from Avhence, in hosts innumerable, they regularly issue every spring ; perhaps to both hemispheres, extending their migrations northerly as far as the banks of the Illinois and the shores of the St Lawrence. Could tlie fact be ascertained, which has been asserted by some writers, that the emigration of these birds was altogether unknown in this part of tlie continent, previous to the intro- duction of rice plantations, it would certainly be interesting. Yet, why should these migrations reach at least a thousand miles beyond tliose places where rice is now planted ; and this, not in occasional excursions, but regularly to breed, and rear their young, where rice never was, and probably never will be, cultivated ? Their so recent arrival on this part of the continent, I believe to be altogetlier imagi- nar}'', because, though there were not a single grain of rice cultivated within the United States, tlie country produces an exuberance of food of which they are no less fond. Insects of various kinds, grubs, May-flies, and caterpillars, the young ears of Indian corn, and tlie seed of tlie wild oats, or, as it is called in Pennsylvania, reeds, (tlie Zizania aquaUca of Linnaeus,) which grows in prodigious abundance along the marshy shores of our large rivers, furnish, not only them, but millions of Rail, with a delicious subsistence for several weeks. I do not doubt, however, that the introduction of rice, but more particularly the progress of agriculture, in this part of America, has greatly increased their numbers, by multiplying their sources of subsistence fifty fold within the same extent of country. In the month of April, or very early in INIay, tlie Rice Bunting, male and female, in the dresses in which they appear in Figs. 47 and 48, arrive within the southern boundaries of the United States, and are seen around the town of Savannah in Georgia, about tlie 4tli of May, sometimes in separate parties of males and females, but more generally promiscuously. They remain tliere but a short time ; and, about the r2th of May, make their appearance in the lower parts of Pennsyl- vania, as they did at Savannah. While here, the males are extremely gay and full of song ; frequenting meadoAvs, newly-ploughed fields, sides of creeks, rivers, and watery places, feeding on May-flies and caterpillars, of which they destroy great quantities. In their passage, however, through Virginia, at this season, they do great damage to tlie early wheat and barley, while in its milky state. About the 20th of May, they disappear, on their way to the north. Nearly at tlie same time, they arrive in the state of New York, spread over tlie whole New England States, as far as the River St Lawrence, from Lake Ontario to the sea ; in all of which places, north of Pennsylvania, they remain during the summer, building, and rearing their young. The nest is fixed in the ground, generally in a field of grass ; the outside is com- posed of dry leaves and coarse grass, tlie inside is lined witli fine stalks of the same, laid in considerable quantity. The female lays five eggs, of a bluish white, marked with numerous, irregular spots of blackish brown. The song of the male, Avhile the female is sitting, is singular, and very agreeable. Mounting and hovering on wing, at a migrations eastward, they fly mostly at night ; whereas, in autimin, when they are retuniiug soutliward, their fliglit is diurnal. — Eu. RICE BUNTING. 131 small height above the field, he chants out such a jingling medley of short, variable notes, uttered Avith such seeming confusion and rapidity, and continued for a considerable time, that it appears as if half a dozen birds of different kinds were all singing together. Some idea may be formed of this song by striking tJie high keys of a piano- forte at random, singly and quickly, making as many sudden contrasts of high and low notes as possible. Many of the tones are, in them- selves, charming ; but they succeed each other so rapidly, that the ear can hardly separate them. Nevertheless, the general effect is good ; and, when ten or twelve are all singing on the same tree, the concert is singularly pleasing. I kept one of these birds for a long time, to observe its change of color. During the Avhole of April, May, and June, it sang almost continually. In the month of June, the color of the male begins to change, gradually assimilating to that of the female, and before the beginning of August it is difficult to distinguish the one from the other, both being then in the dress of Fig. 48. At tliis time, also, the young birds are so much like the female, or rather like both parents, and the males so different in appearance from Avhat tiiey were in spring, that thousands of people in Pennsylvania, to this day, persist in believing them to be a different species altogether ; while otliers allow them, indeed, to be the same, but confidently assert tliat they are all females — none but females, according to them, returning in the fall ; what becomes of the males they are totally at a loss to conceive. Even Mr. Mark Catesby, who resided for years in the coun- try they inhabit, and who, as he himself informs us, examined by dis- section great numbers of them in the fall, and repeated his experi- ment the succeeding year, lest he should have been mistaken, declares that he uniformly found them to be females. These assertions must appear odd to the inhabitants of the Eastern States, to whom the change of plumage in these birds is familiar, as it passes immediately under their eye ; and also to those who, like myself, have kept them in cages, and witnessed their gradual change of color.* That accu- rate observer, Mr. William Bartram, appears, from the following extract, to have taken notice of, or at least suspected, this change of color in these birds, more than forty years ago. " Being in Charles- ton," says he, " in the month of June, I observed a cage full of Rice Birds, that is, of the yellow, or female color, who were very merry and vociferous, having the same variable music Avith the pied, or male bird, which I thought extraordinary, and, observing it to the gentle- man, he assured me that they were all of the male kind, taken the pre- ceding spring, but had changed their color, and would be next spring of the color of the pied, thus changing color with the seasons of the year. If this is really the case, it appears they are both of the same species intermixed, spring and fall." Without, however, implicating the veracity of Catesby, who, I have no doubt, believed as he wTote, a few words will easily explain why he was deceived : The internal * The beautiful plumag-e of the male represented on the plate, is that during- the breeding season, and is lost as soon as the duties incumbent thereon are ( ompleted. In this we have a striking" analogy with some nearly allied African Fniiffilliihv. The genus Dohjconyx has been made by Mr. Swainson to contain this curious zuid interesting form : by that gentleman it is placed in the aberrant families of the Stumidce. — Ed. 132 RICE BUNTING. organization of undomesticated birds, of all kinds, undergoes a re- markable cliange every spring and summer; and those who wish to ascertain this point by dissection will do well to remember, that in this bird those parts that characterize the male are, in autumn, no larger than the smallest pin's head, and in young birds of the first year can scarcely be discovered ; though in spring their magnitude in each is at least one hundred times greater. To an unacquaintance with this extraordinary circumstance, I am persuaded, has been owing the mis- take of Mr. Catesby, that the females only return in the fall ; for the same opinion I long entertained myself, till a more particular examina- tion showed me the source of my mistake. Since that, I have opened and examined many hundreds of these birds, in the months of Sep- tember and October, and, on the whole, have found about as many males as females among them. The latter may be distinguished from the former by being of a rather more shining yellow on the breast and belly: it is the same with the young birds of the first season. During the breeding season, they are dispersed over the country ; but, as soon as the young are able to fly, they collect together in great multitudes, and pour down on the oat-fields of New England like a torrent, depriving the proprietors of a good tithe of their harvest ; but, in return, often supply his table with a very delicious dish. From all parts of the north and western regions, they direct their course towards tiie south ; and, about the middle of August, revisit Pennsylvania, on their route to winter quarters. For several days, they seem to confine themselves to the fields and uplands ; but, as soon as the seeds of the reed are ripe, tliey resort to the shores of the Delaware and Schuylkill in multitudes ; and these places, during the remainder of their stay, appear to be their grand rendezvous. The reeds, or wild oats, furnish them with such abundance of nutritious food, that in a short time they become extremely fat, and are supposed, by some of our epicures, to be equal to the famous Ortolans of Europe. Their note at this season is a single chink, and is heard overhead, v/ith little intermission, from morning to night. These are halcyon days for our gunners of all descriptions, and many a lame and rusty gun-barrel is put in requisi- tion fi)r the sport. The report of musketry along the reedy shores of the Schuylkill and Delaware is almost incessant, resembling a running fire. The markets of Philadelphia, at this season, exhibit proofs of the prodigious havock made among tliese birds ; for almost every stall is ornamented with strings of Reed Birds. This sport, however, is considered inferior to that of Rail shooting, which is carried on at the same season and places, with equal slaughter. Of this, as well as of the Rail itself, we shall give a particular account in its proper place. Whatever apology the people of the Eastern and Southern States may have for the devastation they spread among the Rice and Reed Birds, the Pennsylvanians — at least those living in this part of it — have little to plead in justification but the pleasure of destruction, or tlie savory dish they furnish their tables with ; for the oat harvest is gen- erally secured before the great body of these birds arrive, the Indian corn too ripe and liard, and the reeds seem to engross all their atten- tion. But in the states south of Maryland, tlie harvest of early wheat and barley in sj)ring, and the numerous plantations of rice in fall, suffer severely. Early in October, or as soon as tlie nights begin to RED-EYED FLYCATCHER. 133 set in cold, they disappear from Pennsylvania, directing their course to the south. At this time they swarm among the rice fields ; and appear in the island of Cuba in immense numbers, in search of the same delicious grain. About the middle of October, they visit the island of Jamaica in equal numbers, where they are called Butter Birds. They feed on the seed of the Guinea grass, and are also in high esteem there for the table.* Thus it appears that the regions nortli of the fortieth degree of latitude, are the breeding places of these birds ; that their migrations northerly are performed from March to May, and their return southerly from August to November ; their precise winter quarters, or farthest retreat southerly, are not exactly known. The Rice Bunting is seven inches and a half long, and eleven and a half in extent. His spring dress is as follows : — Upper part of the head, wings, tail, and sides of the neck, and whole lower parts, black ; the feathers frequently skirted with brownish yellow, as he passes into tlie colors of the female ; back of the head, a cream color ; back, black, seamed Avitli brownish yellow ; scapulars, pure Avhite ; rump and tail- coverts the same ; lower part of the back, bluish white ; tail, formed like those of the Woodpecker genus, and often used in the same man- ner, being thrown in to support it while ascending the stalks of the reed ; this habit of throwing in the tail it retains even in the cage ; legs, a brownish flesh color; hind heel, very long; bill, a bluish horn color ; eye, hazel ; see Fig. 47. In the month of June this plumage gradually changes to a brownish yellow, like that of the female, (Fig. 48,) which has the back streaked with brownish black ; whole lower parts, dull yellow ; bill, reddish flesh color ; legs and eyes as in the male. The young birds retain the dress of the female until the early part of the succeeding spring ; the plumage of the female undergoes no material change of color. RED-EYED FLYCATCHER. — MUSCICAPA OLVIACEA. — Fig. 49. Linn. Syst. i. j). 327, 14. — Gobe mouche de la Caroline et de la Jamaique, Buff. iv. p. 539. Edw. t. 253. — Catcsb. t. 54. — Lath. Syn. iii. p. 351, No. 52. — Musci- capa sylvicola, Bartram, p. 290. — Peale's Museum, No. 6675. VIREO OZ,/r-./3C£t7S.— Bonaparte. Vireo olivaceus, Bmiap. Synop. p. 71. — Vireo olivaceus, Red-eyed Greenlet, ■ North. ZooL ii. p. 233. This is a numerous species, though confined chiefly to the woods and forests, and, like all the rest of its tribe that visit Pennsylvania, is a bird of passage. It arrives here late in April ; has a loud, lively, * Rennel's Hist. Jam. 12 134 RED-EYED FLYCATCHER. and energetic song, which it continues, as it hunts among the thick foliage, sometimes for an hour with little intermission. In the months of May, June, and to the middle of July, it is the most distinguishable of all the other warblers of the forest ; and even in August, long after the rest have almost all become mute, the notes of the Red-eyed Fly- catcher are frequently lieard with unabated spirit. These notes are in short, emphatical bars, of two, three, or four syllables. In Jamaica, where this bird Avinters, and is probably also resident, it is called, as Sloan e informs us, Whip-tom-kelly, from an imagined resemblance of its notes to these words. And, indeed, on attentively listening for some time to this bird in his full ardor of song, it requires but little of imagination to fancy that you hear it pronounce these words, " Tom- kelly, v\'hip-tom-kelly ! " very distinctly. It inliabits from Georgia to the River St. Lawrence, leaving Pennsylvania about the middle of September. This bird builds, in the month of May, a small, neat, pensile nest, generally suspended between two twigs of a young dog-wood or other small sapling. It is hung by the two upper edges, seldom at a greater height than four or five feet from the ground. It is formed of pieces of hornets' nests, some flax, fragments of withered leaves, slips of vine bark, bits of paper, all glued together with the saliva of the bird, and the silk of caterpillars, so as to be very compact ; the inside is liiicd with fine slips of gi-ape-vine bark, fibrous grass, and sometimes h lir. These nests are so durable, that I have often known them to resist ■ o action of the weather for a year; and, in one instance, I have fou vl the nest of the Yellow-Bird built in the cavity of one of those of the preceding year. The mice very often take possession of them after they are abandoned by the owners. The eggs are four, sometimes five, pure white, except near the great end, where they are marked with a few small dots of dark brown or reddish. They generally raise two broods in the season. The Red-eyed Flycatcher is one of the adopted nurses of the Cow Bird, and a very favorite one, showing all the symptoms of affection for the foundling, and as much solicitude for its safety, as if it were its own. The figure of that singular bird, accompanied by a particular account of its history, is given in Fig. 83. Before I take leave of this bird, it may not be amiss to observe that there is another, and a rather less species of Flycatcher, somewhat resembling the Red-eyed, which is frequently found in its company. Its eyes are hazel ; its back more cinereous than the otlier, and it has a single light streak over the eye. The notes of this bird are low, somewhat plaintive, but warbled out with great sweetness, and form a striking contrast with those of the Red-eyed Flycatcher. I think it probable that Dr. Barton had reference to this bird when he made the following remarks, (see his lYafcmcnts oftheJVntural Histonj of Penn- s}ilvanhi, page li) :) — ^'' Miiscicnpa olivacea. — I do not think with Mr. Pennant that this is the same bird as the Whip-tom-kelly of the West Indies. Our bird has no such note, but a great variety of soft, tender, and agreeable notes. It inhabits forests, and does not, like tlie West India bird, build a pendulous nest." Had the learned professor, liowever, examined into this matter with his usual accuracy, he would have found tliat tlie Muscicapa olivacea, and the soft and tender song- MARSH WREN. 135 ster he mentions, are two very distinct species ; and that both the one and the other actually build very curious, pendulous nests. This species is five inches and a half long, and seven inches in ex- tent ; crown, ash, slightly tinged with olive, bordered on each side with a line of black, beloAv which is a line of white passing from the nostril over and a little beyond the eye ; the bill is longer than usual with birds of its tribe, the upper mandible overhanging the lower consid- erably, and notched, dusky above, and light blue below ; all the rest of the plumage above is of a yellow olive, relieved on the tail, and at the tips of the wings, with brown ; chin, throat, breast, and belly, pure white ; inside of tlie wings and vent-feathers, greenish yellow ; the tail is very slightly forked ; legs and feet, light blue ; iris of the eye, red. The female is marked nearly in the same manner, and is distin- guishable only by the greater obscurity of tlie colors. MARSH WREN. — CERTHIA PALUSTRIS. — Fig. 50. Lath. Syn. Sui)pl. p. 244. — Motacilla palustris, (regnlus minor,) Bartram, p. 291. — Peak's Museum, No. 7282. TROGLODYTES PALUSTRIS. — Bonaparte. Troglodytes palustris, 5onap. Synop. p. 93. — The Marsh Wren, Aud. pi. 100. Or7i. Biog. i. p. 500. — iVorf/i. Zool. ii. p. 319. This obscure but spirited little species has been almost overlooked by the naturalists of Europe, as well as by those of its own country. The singular attitude in which it is represented will be recognized, by those acquainted with its manners, as one of its most common and favorite ones, while skipping through among the reeds and rushes. The Marsh Wren arrives in Pennsylvania about the middle of May, or ds soon as the reeds and a species of nymphea, usually called splatter- docks, which grow in great luxuriance along the tide water of our rivers, are sufficiently high to shelter it. To such places it almost wholly limits its excursions, seldom venturing far from the river. Its food consists of flying insects, and their larvae, and a species of green grasshoppers that inhabit the reeds. As to its notes, it would be mere burlesque to call them by the name of song. Standing on the reedy borders of the Schuylkill or Delaware, in the month of June, you hear a low, crackling sound, something similar to that produced by air bub- bles forcing their way through mud or boggy ground when trod upon ; this is the song of the Marsh Wren. But as, among the human race, it is not given to one man to excel in every thing, and yet each, per- haps, has something peculiarly his own, so, among birds, we find a like distribution of talents and peculiarities. The fittle bird now be- fore us, if deficient and contemptible in singing, excels in the art of design, and constructs a nest, which, in durability, warmth, and conve- 136 MARSH WREN. nience, is scarcely inferior to one, and far superior to many, of its more musical brethren. This is formed outwardly of wet rushes mixed with mud, well intertwisted, and fashioned into the form of a cocoa nut. A small hole is left two thirds up, for entrance, the upper edge of which projects like a pent-house over the lower, to prevent the admission of rain. The inside is lined with fine, soft grass, and sometimes feathers ; and the outside, when hardened by the sun, resists every kind of weath- er. This nest is generally suspended among the reeds, above the reach of the highest tides, and is tied so fast in every part to the sur- rounding reeds, as to bid defiance to the winds and the waves. The eggs are usually six, of a dark fawn color, and very small. The young leave the nest about the 20th of June, and tliey generally have a sec- ond brood in the same season. The size, general color, and habit of this bird of erecting its tail, give it, to a superficial observer, something of the appearance of the Conmion House Wren, represented in Fig. 31 ; and still more that of the Winter Wren, Fig. 34 ; but with the former of these it never asso- ciates ; and the latter" has left us some time before the Marsh Wren makes his appearance. About the middle of August, they begin to go off; and, on the 1st of September, very few of them are to be seen. How far north the migrations of this species extend, I am unable to say ; none of them, to my knowledge, winter in Georgia, or any of the Southern States. The JMarsh Wren is five inches long, and six in extent ; the whole upper parts are dark brown, except the upper part of the head, back of the neck, and middle of the back, which are black, the two last streaked with Avhite ; the tail is short, rounded, and barred with black ; wings, slightly barred ; a broad strip of white passes over the eye half way doAvnthe neck; the sides of the neck are also mottled with touch- es of a light clay color on a whitish ground ; whole under parts, pure silvery white, except the vent, which is tinged Avith brown; the legs are light brown; the hind claw, large, semicircular, and very sharp; bill, slender, slightly bent ; nostrils, prominent ; tongue, narrow, very tapering, sharp pointed, and horny at the extremity ; eye, hazel. The female almost exactly resembles the male in plumage. From the above description, and a view of Fig. 50, the naturalist will perceive that this species is truly a Certhia, or Creeper ; and in- deed its habits confirm this, as it is continually climbing along the stalks of reeds, and other aquatic plants, in search of insects. GREAT CAROLINA WREN. 137 GREAT CAROLINA WREN. — CERTHIA CAROLINIANA.— Fig. 51. Le Roitelet de la Louisiana, PL enl. 730, fig. L — Latli. Syn. vii. p. 507, var. b. — Le Troglodytes de la Louisiana, J5?{^. Ois. v. p. 361. — Motacilla Caroliuiana, (regulus magnus,) Bartram, p. 29L — Peace's Museum, No. 7248. TROGLODYTES LUDOVICMJ^US. — Bonaparte. Troglodytes Ludovicianus, Bonap. Synop. p. 93. — The Great Carolina Wren, Aud. pi. 78, male and female. Oni. Biog. i. p. 399. This is another of those equivocal species that so often occur to puzzle the naturalist. The general appearance of this bird is such, that the most illiterate would at first sight call it a Wren ; but the Common Wren of Europe, and the Winter Wren of the United States, are both Warblers, judging them according to the simple principle of Linnaeus. The present species, however, and the preceding, ( the Marsh Wren, ) tliough possessing great family likeness to those above mentioned, are decisively Creepers, if the bill, the tongue, nostrils, and claws, are to be the criteria by which we are to class them. The color of the plumage of birds is but an uncertain and inconstant guide ; and though in some cases it serves to furnish a trivial or specific appellation, yet can never lead us to the generic one. I have, there- fore, notwithstanding the general appearance of these birds, and the practice of former ornithologists, removed them to the genus Certhia, from that of Motacilla, where they have hitherto been placed.* This bird is frequently seen, early in May, along the shores of the Delaware, and other streams that fall into it on both sides, thirty or forty miles below Philadelphia ; but is rather rare in Pennsylvania. This circumstance is ajittle extraordinary; since, from its size and stout make, it would seem more capable of braving the rigors of a northern climate than any of the others. It can, however, scarcely be called migratory. In the depth of winter I found it numerous in Vir- ginia, along the shores and banks of the James River, and its tributary streams, and thence as far south as Savannah. I also observed it on * Of this bird, and some others, Vieillot formed his genus Tryothorus, containing the larger Wrens, with long, and somewhat curved bills, and possessing, if possi- ble, more of the habits of the Creepers. This has, with almost universal consent, been laid aside even as a sub-genus, and they are all included in Troglodytes. Read the descriptions of our author, or of Audubon, and the habits of the Wren will be at once perceived. ''Its tail," says the latter ornithologist, " is almost con- stantly erect 5 and before it starts to make the least flight, it uses a quick motion, which brings its body almost in contact with the object on which it stands. The quickness of the motions of this little bird is fully equal to that of a mouse : it ap- pears, and is out of sight in a moment ; peeps into a crevice, passes rapidly through it, and shows itself at a different place the next instant. These Wrens often sing from the roof of an abandoned flat-boat. When the song is finished, thcv creep from one board to another, thrust themselves through an auger hole, entering the boat's side at one place, and peeping out at another." In them we have exactly portrayed the manners of our British Wren, when engaged about a heap of rubbish, old stones, or barrels in a farm vard. — Ed. 12* 138 GREAT CAROLINA WREN. the banks of the Ogechee. It seemed to be particularly attached to the borders of cypress swamps, deep hollows, among' piles of old, de- caying timber, and by rivers and small creeks. It has all the restless, jerking" manners of the Wrens, skipping about with great nimbleness, hopping into caves, and disappearing into holes and crevices, like a rat, for several minutes, and then reappearing in another quarter. It occasionally utters a loud, strong, and singular twitter, resembling the word chirr-rup, dwelling long and strongly on the first syllable ; and so loud, that I at first mistook it for the Red-Bird, {L. cardinalis.) It has also another chant, rather more musical, like " Siveet William Sweet fVilliam,''^ much softer than the former. Though I cannot positively say, from my own observations, that it builds in Pennsylvania, and have never yet been so fortunate as to find its nest, yet, from the cir- cumstance of having several times observed it within a quarter of a mile of the Schuylkill, in the month of August, I have no doubt that some few breed here, and think it highly probable that Pennsylvania and New York may be the northern boundaries of their visits, having sought for it in vain among the states of New England. Its food ap- pears to consist of those insects, and their larvse, that frequent low, damp caves, piles of dead timber, old roots, projecting banks of creeks, &c. It certainly possesses the faculty of seeing in the dark better than day birds usually do ; for I have observed it exploring the re- cesses of caves, where a good acute eye must have been necessary to enable it to distinguish its prey. In the Southern States, as well as in Louisiana, this species is gen- erally resident ; though in summer they are more numerous, and are found rather farther north tlian in winter. In this last season their chirrupping is frequently heard in gardens soon after daybreak, and along the borders of the great rivers of the Southern States, not far from the sea-coast. The Great Wren of Carolina is five inches and a quarter long, and seven broad ; the whole upper parts are reddish bro"\vn, the wings and tail being barred with black ; a streak of yellowish white runs from the nostril over the eye, down the side of the neck, nearly to the back ; below that, a streak of reddish brown extends from the pos- terior part of the eye to the shoulder ; the chin is yellowish Avhite ; the breast, sides, and belly, a light rust color, or reddish buff; vent- feathers, white, neatly barred with black ; in the female, plain ; wing- coverts, minutely tipped with white ; legs and feet, flesh-colored, and very strong; bill, three quarters of an inch long, strong, a little bent, grooved, and pointed ; the upper mandible, bluish black ; lower, light blue ; nostrils, oval, partly covered with a prominent, convex mem- brane ; tongue, pointed and slender ; eyes, hazel ; tail, cuneiform, the two exterior feathers on each side three quarters of an inch shorter, whitish on their exterior edges, and touched with deeper black ; the same may be said of the three outer primaries. The female wants the white on the wing-coverts, but differs little in color from the male. In this species I have observed a circumstance common to the House and Winter Wren, but which is not found in the Marsh Wren — the feathers of tlie lower part of the back, wjien parted by the hand, or breath, appear spotted with white, being at bottom deep ash, reddish YELLOW-THROAT WARBLER. 139 brown at the surface, and each feather with a spot of white between these two colors. This, however, cannot be perceived without parting the feathers. YELLOW-THROAT WARBLER. — SYLVIA FLAVICOLLIS.— Fig. 52. Yellow-throat Warbler,* Arct. Zool. p. 400. No. 286. — Catesb. i. 62. — Lath. ii. 437. — La Mesange grise a gorge jauiie, Buff. v. 454. — La gorge jaune de Si. Domingue, PL erd. 686, fig. 1. SYLVICOLA FI^FICOLLIS. — Sw AiKsoN. Sylvia pensiliS; Bonap. Synop. p. 79. — S. pensilis, Lath. The habits of this beautiful species, like those of the preceding-, are not consistent with the shape and construction of its bill; the for- mer would rank it with the Titmouse, or with the Creepers; the latter is decisively that of the Warbler. The first opportunity I had of examining a living specimen of this bird, was in the southern parts of Georgia, in the month of February. Its notes, which were pretty * As with many others, there has been some confusion in the synon3"mcs of this species, and it has been described under ditierent names by the same authors. That oijlavicollis, adopted by our author, is characteristic of the markings ; whereas pensilis, of Latham and Vieillot, is applicable to the whole group ; and perhaps re- storing Wilson's name will create less confusion than taking one less known. The genus Sijlcicolu, with the sub-genus Vermivora, have been used by Mr. Swainson to designate almost all those birds in North America, which will represent the Eu- ropean Sij/viance, or Warblers. They are generally of a stronger malce ; the bill, though slender, is more conical, and the wings have the first and second quills of nearly equal length. The general dress is chaste and unobtrusive 5 but, at the same time, we have exceptions, showing great brilliancy and beauty of coloring. Their habits are precisely the same with our Warblers. They frequent woods and thick- ets. They are in constant motion, creeping and clinging about the branches, and inspecting the crevices in the bark, or under sides of tlie leaves, in search of insects. When their duties of incubation are over, they become less retired, and, with their broods, assemble in the gardens and cultivated grounds, where they find sustenance in the various fruits and berries. The notes of all are sprightly and pleasant 3 and a few possess a melody hardly inferior to the best songsters of Europe. Mr. Audubon has figured the following birds, which appear to rank under this ffenus, as hitherto undescribed : — Sylvia Ratlibonia, Aud., male and female, plate XV. He met with this species only once ; it is entirely of a bright yellow color, about four and a half inches in length. The bill appears more bent than in the typical species. Sylvia Roscoe, Aud. plate xxiv. male 5 looking more like a Trichas, shot on the Mississippi, the only one seen. The colors of the upper parts are dark olive, a slender white streak over each eye, and a broad black band from the eye downwards ; the under parts, yellow. Sylvia Childrenii, Aud. plate xxxv. ; killed in the state of Louisiana ; only two specimens were met with. General color of the plumage, yellowish green ; length, about four inches and three quarters. We cannot but regret the want of specimens of these interesting and rare species. Their authority will rest upon Mr. Audubon's plates. It is impossible, from them alone, to say, with precision, diat they belong to this genus ; and they are placed in it provisionally, with the view of making the list as complete as possible, and to point them out to others who may have the opportunity of examining them. — Ed. 140 TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. loud and spirited, very much resembled those of the Indigo Bird. It continued a considerable time on tlie same pine-tree, creeping around the branches, and among tlie twigs, in the manner of the Titmouse, uttering its song every three or four minutes. On flying to another tree, it frequently alighted on the body, and ran nimbly up or down, spirally and perpendicularly, in search of insects. I had afterwards many opportunities of seeing others of the same species, and found them all to correspond in these particulars. This was about the 24th of February, and tlie first of their appearance there that spring, for they leave the United States about three months during winter, and, consequently, go to no great distance. I had been previously informed that they also pass the summer in Virginia, and in the southern parts of Maryland ; but they very rarely proceed as far north as Pennsyl- vania. This species is five inches and a half in length, and eight and a half broad ; the whole back, hind head, and rump, are a fine light slate color ; the tail is somewhat forked, black, and edged with light slate ; tlie wangs are also black, the three shortest secondaries, broadly edged wdth light blue ; all the wing-quills are slightly edged ^rith the same ; tlie first row of Aving-coverts is tipped and edged Avith white, the second, wholly white, or nearly so ; the frontlet, ear-featliers, lores, and above the temple, are black; the line betAveen the eye and nostril, Avhole throat, and middle of the breast, brilliant golden yelloAv ; the lower eyelid, line over the eye, and spot behind the ear-feathers, as Avell as the Avhole loAver parts, are pure white ; the yelloAv on the throat is bordered Avith touches of black, Avliich also extend along the sides, under the Avings ; the bill is black, and faithfully represented in the figure; the legs and feet, yelloAvish broAAn; the claAvs, extremely fine pointed ; the tongue, rather cartilaginous, and lacerated at the end. The female has the Avings of a dingy broAvn, and the whole colors, particularly the yelloAv^ on tlie tliroat, much duller ; tlie young birds of the first season are Avithout the velloAv. TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. — MUSCICAPA TYRANNUS.* — Fig. 53. Lanius tyrannus, Lin. Syst. 136.— Lath. Syn. i. 18(). — Catesb. i. 55. — Le Tvrau de la Caroline, Buf. iv. 577. PL eid. '&!&. — Arct. Zool. p. 384. No. 2G3.— Fettle's Museum, No. 578. TYRAJ^-J^US JJ^TREPIDUS, Vieillot. Muscicapa tvrannus, Bonap. Synop. p. 66. — T\Tannus intrepidus, Vieill. Gal. des Ois. pi. 133. — iVt)r//j. Zool. ii. 137. — The' Tyrant Flycatcher, Aud. pi. 79, male and female. Orn. Biog. i. 403. This is the Field Martin of Maryland and some of the Southern States, and the King Bird of Pennsylvania and several of the * Among the family of the Lanaidcn, Nortii America possesses only two of the sub-families 3 the typical one, Latiiancc, represented by Lanius, and an aberrant > 5 I ??^l ■* s 11 TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KLNG BIRD. 141 northern districts. The epithet Tijrant, ^vliich is generally applied to iiim by naturalists, I am not altogether so well satisfied with ; some, however, may think tiie two terms pretty nearly synonymous. form, Tyrannince, represented by Tyrannus. Of the former, we have already seen an example cit page 4'J. 'JMiese are comparatively few 5 the great bulk of that form being coiilined to Africa and the warmer parts of Asia and India ; and, with the latter, we ejiter into the great mass ol" American Flycatchers, ranging over both the continents, particularly the southern. •' Tropical America," Mr. Swainson remarks, " swarms with the TtjrarmmcB, so much so, that several individuals, of three or four species, may be seen in the sur- rounding trees at the same moment, watching for passing insects ; each, however, looks oiit for its own particular prey, and does not interfere with such as appear destined by Nature for its stronger and less feeble associates. It is only towards the termination of the rainy season, when myriads of the Tennites and FormiccB emerge from the earth in their winged state, that the whole family of Tyrants, of all sizes and species, commence a regular and simultaneous attack upon the thou- sands which then spring from the ground." From their long-accepted name we have some idea of their manners. They possess extensive powers of locomotion, to enable them to secure a prey at once active and vigilant 5 and their long and sharp wings are beautifully formed for quick and rapid flight.* The tail, next in importance as a locomotive organ, is also generally of a form Joining the greatest advantages, — that of a forked shape; in some with the exterior feathers extending to a considerable length, while, in others, certainly only slightly divaricating, or" nearly square; but never, as among tiie ThamnophilincB, or Bush Shrikes, of a graduated or rounded form, where the individuals seek their prey by stealth and prowling, and require no great extent of flight ; on the other hand, those organs of less utility for securing the means of sus- tenance, are of much inferior strength and power. The accessory members for seizing their insect prey are, in like manner, adapted to their other powers ; the bill, though of considerable strength, is flattened; the rictus being atnple, and fur- nished with bristles. The genus Tyrannus, however, does not entirely^ feed on insects when on wing, like the smaller Tyranmdcc, but, as shown by Mr. Swainson, will also feed on small fish and aquatic insects ; and, if this fact be united with the weak formation of the tarsi, and, in several species, having the toes united at the base, there will be an evident connection between this group and the Fissirostres. That gentleman, in the second volume of the Northern Zoology, relates a fact from his journal when resident in Brazil, most beautifully illustrative of this affinity, and shows the value of attending to all circumstances relative to the habits of in- dividuals, which, though, like the present, of no importance alone, \vill, when taken in connection with other views, be of the very utmost consequence. " April 7, 1817. Sitting in the house this morning, I suddenly heard a splash in the lake close to the window ; on looking out, I saw a common Gray-breasted Tyrant {Tyrannus cru- delis) perched upon a dead branch hanging over the water, plunging and drying itself Intent upon watching this bird, f saw it, within a quarter of an hour, dive into the lake two successive times, after some small fish or aquatic insects, precisely like a Kingfisher; this action was done with amazing celerity, and it then took its former station to plume and dry its feathers." Here we have exactly the habits of the Kingfisher ; and I believe "a contrariety of manner, equally worthy of remark, is observed among some of the Dacelones, frequenting woods, and darting by sur- prise on the larger insects. Both tribes have another similarity in their economy, and delight to sit motionless, either watching their prey, or pluming and resting on the extremity or top of some dead branch, pale, or peaked rock. With regard to the Tyrant's being not only carnivorous, but preying also on the weaker reptiles, we have the authority of Azara, who mentions the common Tyranmis sulphnratus, or Bentivo of Brazil, as " S'approchent des animaux morts pour Temporter des debris et des petits morceaux de chair que laissent les Cara9aras." And Mr. Swainson (North. Zool. ii. 133) has himself taken from the stomach of this species * In many species the quills become suddenly emarsinated at the tips. This also occura in the sub-genera Milvulus and JVegeta, both niuch allied, and possessing great powers of flisht. 142 TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. The trivial name King, as well as Tyrant, has been bestowed on this bird for its extraordinary behavior, and the authority it assumes over all others during the time of breeding. At that season his ex- treme affection for his mate, and for his nest and young, makes him suspicious of every bird that happens to pass near his residence, so that he attacks, without discrimination, every intruder. In the months of May, June, and part of July, his life is one continued scene of broils and battles ; in which, however, he generally comes off con- queror. Hawks and Crows, the Bald Eagle, and the Great Black Eagle, all equally dread a rencounter with this dauntless little cham- pion, who, as soon as he perceives one of these last approaching, launches into the air to meet him, mounts to a considerable height above him, and darts down on his back, sometimes fixing there to the great annoyance of his sovereign, who, if no convenient retreat or resting-place be near, endeavors by various evolutions to rid liimself of his merciless adversary. But the King Bird is not so easily dis- mounted. He teases the Eagle incessantly, sweeps upon him from right to left, remounts, that he may descend on his back with the greater violence ; all the while keeping up a shrill and rapid twitter- ing; and continuing the attack sometimes for more than a mile, till he is relieved by some other of his tribe equally eager for the contest. There is one bird, however, whicli, by its superior rapidity of flight, is sometimes more than a match for him ; and I have several times witnessed his precipitate retreat before this active antagonist. This is the Purple Martin, one whose food and disposition are pretty similar to his own, but who has greatly the advantage of him on wing, in eluding all his attacks, and teasing him as he pleases. I have also seen the Red-headed Woodpecker, while clinging on a rail of the fence, amuse himself with the violence of the King Bird, and play bo-peep with him round the rail, while the latter, highly iiTitated, made every attempt, as he swept from side to side, to strike him — but in vain. All this turbulence, however, vanishes as soon as his young are able to lizards, in an entire state, sufficiently larg-e to excite surprise how they possibly could have been swallowed by the bird 3 it is also here that we have the habits, and, in some respects, the form of the Lamancp, serving at the other extremity as a connecting link. The North American species, coming imdcr the detinition which we would wish to adopt for this group, are comparatively few. A new and more northern species is added by the authors of the Northern Zoolo-rrj* — the Ttjranmis horealis, Sw. Only one specimen of this species, which Mr. Swainson considers uudcscribcd, was procured. It was shot on the banks of the Saskatchewan River. Like the King liird, it is found in the Fur countries only in summer. It is considerably smaller than the Tyrairnus intrepidus, and may at once be distinguishctl from it by the forked tail not tipped with white, and much shorter tarsi, as' well as by very evident differences in the colors of the plumage. Its bill is rather more depVessed at the base, and its lower mandible is dissimilar to the upper one ; the relative length of the tail-feathers in the two species are also different ; the first of T. bo- realis, shorter than the third, the fourth being farther apart from the latter than in T. intrepidtis. • — Ed. * They are also baccivorous, ns shown bv our author in tho description of this species and T. crinitus. TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. 143 shift for themselves ; and he is then as mild and peaceable as any other bird. But lie has a worse habit than all these, — one much more obnoxious to the husbandman, and often fatal to himself. He loves, not the honey, but the bees ; and, it must be confessed, is frequently on the look-out for these little industrious insects. He plants himself on a post of the fence, or on a small tree in the garden, not far from the hives, and from thence sallies on them as they pass and repass, making great havock among their numbers. His shrill twitter, so near to tlie house, gives intimation to the farmer of what is going on, and the gun soon closes his career forever. Man arrogates to himself, in this case, the exclusive privilege of murder ; and, after putting thousands of these same little insects to death, seizes on the fruits of their labor. The King Birds arrive in Pennsylvania about the 20th of April, sometimes in small bodies of five and six together, and are at first very silent, until they begin to pair, and build their nest. This gener- ally takes place about the first week in May. The nest is very often built in the orchard, on the horizontal branch of an apple-tree; fre- quently also, at Catesby observes, on a sassafras-tree, at no great height from the ground. The outside consists of small slender twigs, tops of withered flowers of the plant yarrow, and others, well wove together with tow and wool ; and is made large, and remarkably firm and compact. It is usually lined with fine, dry, fibrous grass, and horse hair. The eggs are five, of a very pale cream color, or dull white, marked with a few, large spots of deep purple, and other smaller ones of light brown, chiefly, though not altogether, towards the great end. They generally build tv/ice in the season. The King Bird is altogether destitute of song, having only the shrill twitter above mentioned. His usual mode of flight is singular. The vibrations of his broad wings, as he moves slowly over the fields, resemble those of a Hawk hovering and settling in the air to recon- noitre the ground below ; and the object of the King Bird is no doubt something similar, viz., to look out for passing insects, either in the air, or among the flowers and blossoms below him. In fields of pasture he often takes his stand on the tops of the mullein, and other rardi weeds, near the cattle, and makes occasional sweeps after passing insects, particularly the large, black gadfly, so terrifying to horses and cattle. His eye moves restlessly around him, traces the flight of an insect for a moment or two, then that of a second, and even a third, until he perceives one to his liking, when, with a shrill sweep, he pursues, seizes it, and returns to the same spot again, to look out for more. This habit is so conspicuous when he is watching the bee-liive, that several intelligent farmers of my acquaintance are of opinion that he picks out only the drones, and never injures the working bees. Be this as it may, he certainly gives a preference to one bee, and one species of insect, over another. He hovers over the river, sometimes for a considerable time, darting after insects that frequent such places, snatching them from the surface of the water, and diving about in the air like a Swallow ; for he possesses at will great powers of wing. Numbers of them are frequently seen thus engaged, for hours together, over the Rivers Delaware and Schuylkill, in a calm day, particularly towards evening. He bathes himself by diving repeatedly into the 144 TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. water from the overhanging branches of some tree, where he sits to dry and dress his plumage. Whatever antipathy may prevail against him for depredations on tlie drones, or, if you v.ill, on the bees, I can assure the cultivator tliat this bird is greatly his friend, in destroying multitudes of insects, whose laiTse prey on tlie hanests of his tields, particularly his com, fruit-trees, cucumbers, and pumpkins. These noxious insects are the daily food of this bird ; and he destroys, upon a very moderate average, some hundreds of them daily. The death of eveiy King Bird is tlierefore an actual loss to the farmer, by multiplying tlie numbers of destructive insects, and encouraging the depredations of Crows, Hawks, and Eagles, who avoid as much as possible his inrnie- diate vicinity. For myself, I must say that the King Bird possesses no common share of my regard. I honor this little bird for his extreme affection for his young ; for his contempt of danger, and unexampled intrepidity ; for his meekness of behavior when there are no calls on his courage, a quality which, even in the human race, is justly consid- ered so noble : In peace there's nothing so becomes a man As modest stillness and humility; But when the blast of war, &c. j but, above all, I honor and esteem this bird for the millions of ruin- ous vermin which he rids us of; whose depredations, in one season, but for the services of this and other friendly birds, would far over- balance all the produce of the bee-hives in fifty. As a friend to this persecuted bird, and an enemy to prejudices of every description, will the reader alloAv me to set this matter in a somewhat clearer and stronger light, by presenting him with a short poetical epitome of the King Bird's history ? Far in the south, where vast Jlaragnon flows, And boundless forests unknown wilds enclose ; Vine-tangled shores, and sufibcating- woods. Parched up with heat or drowned with pouring floods ; Where each extreme alternately prevails. And Nature sad their ravages bewails ; Lo ! high m air, above those trackless wastes, With spring's return the King Bird hither hastes; Coasts the famed Gulf,* and, from his height, explores Its thousand streams, its long-indented shores, Its plains immense, wide opening on the day. Its lakes and isles, where feathered millions play : All tempt not him; till, gazine;- from on high, ColT-'mbia's regions wide below him lie; There end his wanderings and his wish to roam, There lie his native woods, his fields, his home ; Down, circling, he descends, from azure heights, And on a full-blown sassafras alights. Fatigued and silent, for a while he views His old frequented haunts, and shades recluse ; Sees brothers, comrades, every hour arrive — Hears, humming round, the tenants of the hive: Love fires his breast ; he wooes, and soon is blest; And in the blooming orchard builds his nest. * Of Mexico. TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. 145 Come now, ye cowards ! ye whom Heaven disdains, Who boast the happiest home — llie richest plains } On whom, perchance, a wife, an infant's eye Hang as tlieir hope, and on your arm rely 5 Yet, when tiie iioiir of danger and dismay Comes on your country, sneak in iioles away, Shrink from the perils ye were bound to face. And leave those babes and country to disgrace ; Come here, (if such we have,) ye dastard herd ! And kneel in dust before this noble bird. When the specked eggs within his nest appear, Then glows affection, ardent and sincere ; No discord sours him when his mate he meets ; But each warm heart with mutual kindness beats. For her repast he bears along the lea The bloated gadfly, and the balmy bee ; For her repose scours o'er th' adjacent farm, Whence Hawks might dart, or lurking foes alarm j For now abroad a band of ruffians prey. The Crow, the Cuckoo, and th' insidious Jayj These, in the owner's absence, all destroy. And murder every hope and every joy. Soft sits his brooding mate, her guardian he. Perched on the top of some tall, neighboring tree j Thence, from the thicket to the concave skies, His watchful eye around unceasing flies. Wrens, Thrushes, Warblers, startled at his note, FI3' in aftright the consecrated spot. He drives the plundering Jay, with honest scorn, Back to his woods ; the Mocker, to his thorn ; Sweeps round the Cuckoo, as the thief retreats ; Attacks the Crow ; the diving Hawk defeats 5 Darts on the Eagle downwards from afar. And, 'midst the clouds, prolongs the whirling war. All danger o'er, he hastens back elate. To guard his post, and feed his faithful mate. Behold him now, his little family flown. Meek, unassuming, silent, and alone ; Lured by the well-known hum of favorite bees, As slow he hovers o'er the garden trees ; (For all have failings, passions, whims that lead, Some favorite wish, some appetite to feed ;) Straight he alights, and, from the pear-tree, spies The circling stream of humming insects rise 5 Selects his prey ; darts on the busy brood, And shrilly twitters o'er his savory food. Ah! ill-timed triumph ! direful note to thee. That guides thy murderer to the fatal tree ; See where he skulks ! and takes his gloomy stand, The deep-charged musket hanging in his hand 3 And, gaunt for blood, he leans it on a rest. Prepared, and pointed at thy snow-white breast. Ah, friend ! good friend ! forbear that barbarous deed j Against it valor, goodness, pity, plead) If e'er a family's griefs, a widow's woe. Have reached ihy soul, in mercy let him go ! Yet, should the tear of pity nought avail. Let interest speak, \ei gratitude prevail 5 Kill not thy friend, who thy whole harvest shields, And sweeps ten thousand vermin from thy fields 5 Think how this dauntless bird, thy poultry's guard, Drove every Hawk and Eagle from thy yard 5 13 146 TYRANT FLYCATCHER, OR KING BIRD. Watched round thy cattle as they fed, and slew The hungry, blackening swarms that round them flew j Some small return — some little right resign, And spare his life whose services are thijie ! I plead in vain ! Amid the bursting roar, The poor, lost King Bird welters in his gore ! Tliis species is eight inches long, and fourteen in extent ; the gen- eral color above is a dark slaty ash ; the head and tail are nearly black ; the latter even at the end, and tipped with white ; the wings are more of a brownish cast; the quills and wing-coverts are also edged with dull white ; the upper part of the breast is tinged with ash ; the throat, and all the rest of the lower parts, are pure white ; the plumage on the crown, though not forming a crest, is frequently erected, as represented in the plate, and discovers a rich bed of bril- liant orange, or flame color, called by the country people his crown : when the feathers lie close, this is altogether concealed. The bill is very broad at the base, overhanging at the point, and notched, of a glossy black color, and furnished with bristles at the base ; the legs and feet are black, seamed with gray ; the eye, hazel. The female differs in being more brownish on the upper parts, has a smaller streak of paler orange on the crown, and a narrower border of duller white on the tail. The young birds do not receive the orange on the head during their residence here the first season. This bird is very generally known from the Lakes to Florida. Be- sides insects, they feed, like every other species of their tribe with which I am acquainted, on various sorts of berries, particularly black- berries, of which they are extremely fond. Early in September they leave Pennsylvania, on their way to the south. A few days ago, I shot one of these birds, the whole plumage of which was nearly white, or a little inclining to a cream color ; it was a bird of the present year, and could not be more than a month old. This appeared also to have been its original color, as it issued from the egg. The skin was yellowish white ; tlie eye, much lighter than usual ; the legs and bill, blue. It was plump, and seemingly in good order. I presented it to Mr. Peale. Whatever may be the cause of this loss of color, if I may so call it, in birds, it is by no means uncom- mon among the various tribes that inhabit the United States. The Sparrow Hawk, Sparrow, Robin, Red- winged Blackbird, and many others, are occasionally found in Avhite plumage ; and I believe that such birds do not become so by climate, age, or disease, but that they are universally hatched so. The same phenomena are observable not only among various sorts of animals, but even among tlie human race ; and a white negro is no less common, in proportion to their numbers, than a white Blackbird ; Uiough the precise cause of this in either is but little understood. GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER. 147 GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER. — MUSCICAPA CRINITA. — FiG.54. Linn. Sijst. 5'25. — Lath. ii. Sol. — Arct. Zool. p. 386, No. 2G7. — Le Mouche- rolle dc Virginie a huppe vcrte, Biiff. iv. 565. PL enl. 569. — Peak's Museum, No. 6645. TYRjiJVJVUS CRIJVITUS. — Swai nson. Tyrannus crinitus, Swain. Monog. Journ. of Science, vol. xx. p. 27L — Muscicapa crinita, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 67. By glancing at the physiognomy of this bird, and the rest of the figures of the same genus, it will readily be observed that they all be- long to one particular family of the same genus. They possess strong traits of their particular caste, smd are all remarkably dexterous at their profession of tiy-catching. The one now before us is less generally known than the preceding, being chiefly confined to the woods. There his liarsh squeak — for he has no song — is occasionally heard above most others. He also visits the orchard; is equally fond of bees, but wants the courage and magnanimity of the King Bird. He arrives in Pennsylvania early in May, and builds his nest in a hollow tree, deserted by the Blue-Bird or Woodpecker. The materials of which this is formed are scanty, and rather novel. One of these nests, now before me, is formed of a little loose hay, feathers of the Guinea fowl, hogs' bristles, pieces of cast snake skins, and dogs' hair. Snake skins with this bird appear to be an indispensable article, for I have never yet found one of his nests Avithout this material forming a part of it.* Whether he surrounds his nest with this by way of tenorem, to prevent other birds or animals from entering, or whether it be that he finds its silky softness suitable for his young, is uncertain ; the fact, however, is notorious. The female lays four eggs, of a dull cream color, thickly scratched with purple lines of various tints as if done with a pen. This species is eight inches and a half long, and thirteen inches in extent ; the upper parts are of a dull greenish olive ; the feathers on the head are pointed, centred with dark brown, ragged at the sides, and form a kind of blowzy crest ; the throat, and upper parts of the breast, delicate ash ; rest of the lower parts, a sulphiu- yellow ; the wing-coverts are pale drab, crossed with two bars of dull white ; the primaries are of a bright ferruginous, or sorrel color; the tail is slightly forked, its interior vanes of the same bright ferruginous as the primaries ; the bill is blackish, very much like that of the King Bird, furnished also with bristles ; the eye is hazel ; legs and feet, bluish black. The female can scarcely be distinguished, by its colors, from the male. * As I have mentioned at pag'e 94, this forms the lining to the nests of other birds also ; and, as the number of snakes is considerable in those uncultivated and woody countries, their castings may form a more frequent substitute than is gener- ally supposed. — Ed. 148 S3] ALL GREEA'-CRESTED FLYCATCHER. This bird also feeds on hemes towards the end of summer, particu- larly on huckle-berries, which, during the time they last, seem to form the chief sustenance of the young birds. I have observed this species here as late as the 10th of September; rarely later. They do not, to my knowledge, ^vinter in any of the Southern States. SMALL GREEN-CRESTED FLYCATCHER.* — MUSCICAPA QUERULA. — Fig. 55. Muscicapa subviridis, Bartram, p. 289. — Arct. Zool. p. 386, No. 268. — Peak's Museum, No. 6825. TYRAjYJ\''ULA ^CJiDICj9. — S^.y AiKsoT^. Muscicapa acadica, Bonap. Synop. p. 68. This bird is but little known. It inhabits the deepest, thick-shaded, solitary parts of the woods, sits generally on tlie lower branches, utters, every half minute or so, a sudden, sharp squeak, which is heard * This species, with the two followuig of our author, have been separated from the Tyrants, and placed in a sub-genus, Tijranmda. They are, however, in realit}', little Tyrants, and agree in their habits, as far as their smaller size and weaker powers enable them. Their food is nearly the same, more conlined, how- ever, to insects, safficient power being wanting to overcome any stronger prey. Tijrannula will contain a great many species most closely allied to each other iu form, size, and color ; so much so, that it is nearly impossible to distinguish them, without a comparison of many together. When they are carefully analyzed, they seem distinct, and, the characters being constant, are also of sufficient specific im- portance. They are natives of both North and South America, and the adjacent islands 5 the North American known species are, — those described by our author, which will be found in another part of this volume, one or two figured by Bona- parte, with two new species discovered in the course of the last over-land arctic expedition, and described by Mr. Swainson in the second volume of the Northern Zooloc^y. South America, however, possesses the great host of species, where we may yet e.xpect many novelties. The extent and the closely-allied features of the group render them most difficult of distinction.* Both this form and the Tyrants are confined to the New World, juid the latter may be said to represent the great mass of our Flycatchers. The new species described by Mr. Swainson are, Tyranmda jnisilla, Sw., very closely allied to Muscicapa qnerula of Wilson, but satisfactorily proved distinct; the wings are nmch sliorlcr, somewhat rounded, and the comparative proportion of the quills differ 5 the colors, however, nearlv a^ree : the species brought home by the expedition was killed at (^arlton House in 33° N. lat., and it extends southward to Mexico. — T. Rirliardsonii, closely resembling T./usca; it differs in the form of the bill, and size of the feet ; the crest is thick and lengthened ; the upper plumage is more olive, while the under lias an olive whitish lint; the tail is more forked : it was found in the neigliborhood of Cumberland House, frequenting moist, shady woods by the banks oi rivers and lakes. Mr. Audubon also figures a species as new, and dedicates it to Dr. Trail, of Liverpool ; but, as I have remarked before, it is impossible to decide from a plate, * [t may lie here rcmnrkcd tluit tho Prince of Musignnno, in Iiis Sijn(rpsis, evidently recognizes this form as a sub-genus, tliough ho has not clmructerized it. — Ed. PEWIT FLYCATCHER. 149 a considerable way through the woods ; and, as it flies from one tree to another, has a low, querulous note, something like the twitterings of Chickens nestling under the wings of the Hen. On alighting, this sound ceases, and it utters its note as before. It arrives from the south about the middle of May ; builds on the upper side of a limb, in a low, swampy part of the woods, and lays five white eggs. It leaves us about the beginning of September. It is a rare and very solitary bird, always haunting the most gloomy, moist, and unfre- quented parts of the forest. It feeds on flying insects, devours bees, and, in the season of huckle-berries, they form the chief part of its food. Its northern migrations extend as far as Newfoundland. The length of this species is five inches and a half; breadth, nine inches ; the upper parts are of a green olive color, the loAver, pale greenish yellow, darkest on the breast ; the wings are deep brown, crossed with two bars of yellowish white, and a ring of the same surrounds the eye, which is hazel. The tail is rounded at the end ; the bill is remarkably flat and broad, dark brown above, and flesh color below ; legs and feet, pale ash. The female diflfers little from tlie male in color. PEWIT FLYCATCHER. — MUSCICAPA NUNCIOLA. - Fig. 56. Bartram, p. 289. —Blackcap Flycatcher, Lath. Syn.u. 353. — Phoebe Flycatcher, Id. Sup. p. 173. — Le Gobe-mouche noiratre de la Caroline, BuJF. iv. dil. — Arct. Zool. p. 387, No. 2G9. — Pea/e'* Museum, No. 6618. TYRAJ^J^ULA F?7SC./3.— Jardine. Muscicapa fusca, Bonap. Synop. p. 68. This well-known bird is one of our earliest spring visitants, arriving in Pennsylvania about the first week in March, and continuing with us until October. I have seen them here as late as the 12th of No- vember. In the month of February, I overtook these birds lingering in the low, swampy woods of North and South Carolina. They were feeding on smilax berries, and chanting, occasionally, their simple notes. The favorite resort of this bird is by streams of water, under or near bridges, in caves, &c. Near such places he sits on a project- ing twig, calling out, pe-w^e, pe-ivittitee pe-w^e, for a whole morning ; darting after insects, and returning to the same twig ; frequently flirt- ing his tail, like the Wagtail, though not so rapidly. He begins to build about the 20th or 25th of March, on some projecting part under a bridge, in a cave, in an open well, five or six feet down among the interstices of the side walls, often under a shed, in the low eaves of a however accurate. Tyrannula Trailii will come nearest to the Wood Pewee, but differs ds well in some parts of the plumage as in the habits. It is found in the woods which skirt the prairie lands of the Arkansas River. — Ed. 13* 15:) PEWIT FLYCATCHER. cottage, and such like places.* The outside is composed of mud, mixed with moss, is generally large and solid, and lined with flax and horse hair. The eggs are five, pure white, with two or three dots of red near the great end. I have known them rear three broods in one season. In a particular part of Mr. Bartram's woods, with which I am ac- quainted, by the side of a small stream, in a cave, five or six feet high, formed by the undermining of the water below, and the projection of two large rocks above, — There down smooth, ghstening rocks the ri\'ulet pours, Till in a pool its silent waters sleep, * A dark-browed clifi', o'ertopped with fern and flowers. Hangs, grimly lowering, o"er the glassy deep 5 Above through every chink the woodbines creep, And smooth-barked beeches spread their arms around, Whose roots cling twisted round the rocky steep 3 A more sequestered scene is no where found, For contemplation deep, mid silent thought profound 5 — in this cave I knew the Pewit to build for several years. The place was solitar}', and he Avas seldom disturbed. In tlie month of April, one fatal Saturday, a party of boys from the city, armed with guns, dealing indiscriminate destruction among the feathered tribes around them, directed their murderous course this way, and, within my hearing, destroyed both parents of this old and peaceful settlement For two successive years, and, I believe, to this day, there has been no PoAvee seen about this place. This circumstance almost con- vinces me that birds, in many instances, return to the same spots to breed : and Avho knoAvs, but, like the savage nations of Indians, they may usurp a kind of exclusive right of tenure to particular districts, where they themselves have been reared ? The notes of the PeAvee, like those of the Blue-Bird, are pleasing, not for any melody they contain, but from the ideas of spring and re- turning verdure, Avith all the sAveets of this lovely season, Avhich are associated Avith his simple but lively ditty. Towards the middle of June, he becomes nearly silent ; and late in the fall gives us a fcAv fareAvell and melancholy repetitions, that recall past imagery, and make the decayed and Avithered face of nature appear still more mel- ancholy. The PeAvit is six inches and a half in length, and nine and a half broad : the upper parts are of a dark dusky olive ; the plumage of the * The general manners of this species, and indeed of the greater part of the smaller Tyrannulcr, bear a considerable resemblance to those of the Common Spotted Flycatcher of this country, which the dilatation at the base of the bill and the color of the plumage render siill greater. The peculiar droop of the tail, and occasional rise and depression of the feathers on the crown, which are somewhat dongaled — the motionless perch on some bare branch — the impatient call — the motion of the tail — and the sudden dart after some insect, and return to the same spot — are all close resemblances to the manners delineated by our author ; and the resort by streams, bridges, or ca\es, with the manner and place of building — even the color of the eggs — are not to l)e mistaken. In one instance our Fly- catcher and the Tyrannulce disagree ; the former possess no pleasing notes ; fts only cries are a single, rather harsh smd monotonous click and a shrill peep. The song of the Tijrannulcv is " simple," but " lively." — Eu. WOOD PEWEE FLYCATCHER. 151 head, like that of the two precedinfr, is loose, subcrested, and of a deep brownish black ; wings and tail, deep dusky ; the former edged, on every feather, with yellowish white, the latter forked, and widening remarkably towards the end ; bill, formed exactly like that of the King Bird ; whole lower parts, a pale, delicate yellow ; legs and bill, wholly black ; iris, hazel. The female is almost exactly like the male, except in having the crest somewhat more brown. This species inhabits from Canada to Florida ; great numbers of them usually wintering in the two Carolinas and Georgia. In New York they are called the Phoeby Bird, and are accused of destroying bees. With many people in the country, the arrival of the Pewee serves as a sort of almanac, reminding them that noAv it is time such and such work should be done. " Whenever the Pewit appears," says Mr. Bartram, " we may plant peas and beans in the open grounds, French beans, sow radishes, onions, and almost every kind of esculent garden seeds, without fear or danger from frosts ; for, although we have sometimes frosts after their first appearance for a night or two, yet not so severe as to injure the young plants." * WOOD PEWEE FLYCATCHER.— MUSCICAPA RAPAX.— Fig. 57. Muscicapa virens, Linn. Syst. 327. — Lath. Sijn li. 350. Id. Sup. p. 174, No. 82.—^Catesb. i. 54, fig-. 1. — Le Gobe-mouche brun de la Caroline, Buff. iv. 543. — Muscicapa acadica, Gmel. Syst. i. p. 947. — Arct. Zool. 387, No. 270. —Peak's Museum, No. 6660. TYRAJ^J^ULA VIREJVS. — J ard i n e . Muscicapa virens, Linn. Syst.—Bonap. Synop. p. 68. I HAVE given the name Wood Pew^e to this species, to discrim- inate it from the preceding, which it resembles so much in form and plumage as scarcely to be distinguished from it, but by an accurate examination of both. Yet in manners, mode of building, period of migration, and notes, the two species differ greatly. The Pewee is among the first birds that visit us in spring, frequenting creeks, build- ing in caves, and under arches of bridges ; the Wood Pewee, the subject of our present account, is among the latest of our summer birds, seldom arriving before the 12th or loth of May ; frequenting the shadiest high-timbered woods, where there is little underwood, and abundance of dead twigs and branches shooting across the gloom ; generally in low situations ; builds its nest on the upper side of a limb or branch, forming it outwardly of moss, but using no mud, and lining it with various soft materials. The female lays five white eggs ; and the first brood leave the nest about the middle of June. This species is an exceeding expert fly-catcher. It loves to sit on * Travels, p. 288. 152 FERRUGINOUS THRUSH. the high dead branches, amid the gloom of the woods, calling out in a feeble, plaintive tone, peto ivdy, peto way, pee way; occasionally darting after insects ; sometimes making a circular sweep of thirty or forty yards, snapping up numbers in its way with great adroitness ; and returning to its position and chant as before. In the latter part of August, its notes are almost the only ones to be heard in the woods ; about which time, also, it even approaches the city, where I have frequently observed it busily engaged under trees, in solitary courts, gardens, &c., feeding and training its young to their profession. About the middle of September, it retires to the south, a full month before the other. Length, six inches ; breadth, ten ; back, dusky olive, inclining to greenish ; head, subcrested, and brownish black ; tail, forked, and widening towards the tips ; lower parts, pale yellowish white. The only discriminating marks between this and the preceding are, the size and the color of the lower mandible, which in this is yellow, in the Pewee black. The female is difficult to be distinguished from the male. This species is far more numerous than the preceding, and, probably, winters much farther south. The Pewee was numerous in North and South Carolina in February ; but the Wood Pewee had not made its appearance in the lower parts of Georgia, even so late as the 16th of March. FERRUGINOUS THRUSH.* — TURDUS RUFUS. — Fig. 58. Fox-colored Thrush, Catesb, i. 28. — Turdus rufus, Linn. Syst. 293. — Lath. iii. 39. — La Grive de la Caroline, Briss. ii. 223. — Le Moquer Fran9ois, De Buff. iii. 323. PL enl. 6i5.—ArcL Zool. p. 335, No. \95. — Peale's Museum, No. 5285. ORPHEUS RUFUS. —SyiKi^soK. Turdus rufus, Bonap. Syriop. p. 75. — Orphaeus rufus. Fox-colored Mock Bird, North. Zool. ii. p. 190. This is the Brown Thrush, or Thrasher, of the Middle and Eastern States, and the French Mocking Bird of Maryland, Virginia, and the * This species, with O. ■pohjo[lottos, is tlie typical form of Mr. Swainson's genus Orphmus, differing from Tiirdtis in its longer form, chiefly apparent from the greater length of its tail, its rounded and shorter wings, its long and bending, and 111 proportion more slender bill. The form is confined to the New World, and will be represented in Africa by Crateropus and Donocohins. Swain. ; and in Asia and Australia by Poniatorhimix, Horsf They appear to live nearer the ground than the true Tlirushcs. frequenting the lower brushwood ; and it is only during the spring and breeding season that they mount aloft, to serenade their mates. The cries or notes are generally loud ; some possess considerable meUnly, which, how- ever, is only exercised as above menlioned ; but many of the aberrant species pos- sess only harsh aiul grating notes, incessanUy kept up ; in which respect they resemble the more typical African form and many of the aquatic Warblers. In the account given by our author of the manners of O. ri/f'iis, we perceive a very close resemblance to our Common Blackbird. The Blackbird is seldom seen FERRUGINOUS THRUSH. 153 Carolinas. * It is the largest of all our Thrushes, and is a well-known and very distinguished songster. About the middle or 20th of April, or generally about the time the cherry-trees begin to blossom, he arrives in Pennsylvania, and, from the tops of our hedge-rows, sassa- fras, apple or cherry-trees, he salutes the opening morning with his charming song, which is loud, emphatical, and full of variety. At that serene hour, you may plainly distinguish his voice fully half a mile off. These notes are not imitative, as his name would import, and as some people believe, but seem solely his own ; and have considerable resemblance to the notes of the Song Thrush [Turdus musicus) of Britain. Early in May he builds his nest, choosing a thorn bush, low cedar, thicket of briers, dogwood sapling, or cluster of vines, for its situation, generally within a few feet of the ground. Outwardly, it is constructed of small sticks ; then layers of dry leaves, and, lastly, lined with fine, fibrous roots, but without any plaster. The eggs are five, thickly sprinkled with ferruginous grains, on a very pale bluish ground. They generally have two broods in a season. Like all birds that build near the ground, he shows great anxiety for the safety of his nest and young, and often attacks the black snake in their defence ; generally, too, with success, his strength being greater, and his bill stronger and more powerful, than any other of his tribe within the United States. His food consists of worms, which he scratches from the ground, caterpillars, and many kinds of berries. Beetles, and the whole race of coleopterous insects, wherever he can meet with them, are sure to suffer. He is accused, by some people, of scratching up the hills of Indian corn, in planting time ; this may be partly true ; but, for every grain of maize he pilfers, I am persuaded he destroys five hundred insects ; particularly a large dirty-colored grub, with a black head, which is more pernicious to the corn, and other grain and vegetables, than nine tenths of the whole feathered race. He is an active, vigorous bird, flies generally low, from one thicket to another, with his long, broad tail spread like a fan ; is often seen about brier and bramble bushes, along fences ; and has a single note or chuck, when you approach his nest. In Pennsylvania, they are numerous, but never fly in flocks. About the middle of September, or as soon as they have well recovered from moulting, in which they suffer severely, they disappear for the season. In passing through the southern parts of Virginia, and south as far as Georgia, in the depth of winter, I found them lingering in sheltered situations, par- ticularly on the border of swamps and rivers. On the first of March, on lofty trees, except during' the season of incubation, or occasionally in search of a roosting' place ; its true habitat is brushwood or shrubbery, and, unless at one season, its only note is that of alarm, shrill and rapid, or a kind of chuck. The manner of flight, •when raised from cover, along' a hedge, or among bushes, with the tail expanded, is also similar; we have thus two types of very nearly allied genera varying decidedly in form, but agreeing almost entirely in habit. The gregarious Thrushes, a»'ain, possess much more activity, enjoy lofty forests, or the open country, and protect themselves by vigilance, not by stealth and concealment. This species was met by Dr. Richardson at Carlton House. It extends from Pennsylvania to the Saskatchewan ; but Dr. Richardson thijiks it probable that it does not extend its range beyond the 54th parallel of latitude. It quits the Fur countries, with the other migratory birds, early in September. — Ed. * See p. 113, foY the supposed origin of this name. 154 FERRUGINOUS THRUSH. they were in full song round the commons at Savannah, as if straining to outstrip the Mocking Bird, that prince of feathered musicians. The Thrasher is a welcome visitant in spring, to every lover of ru- ral scenery and rural song. In the months of April and May, when our woods, hedge-rows, orchards, and cherry-trees, are one profusion of blossoms, when every object around conveys the sweet sensations of joy, and Heaven's abundance is, as it were, showering aroui.^ us, tlie grateful heart beats in unison with the varying, elevated strains of this excellent bird ; we listen to its notes with a kind of devotional ecstasy, as a morning hymn to the great and most adorable Creator of all. The human being Avho, amidst such scenes, and in such seasons of rural serenity and delight, can pass them with cold indifference, and even contempt, I sincerely pity ; for abject must that heart be, and callous those feelings, and depraved that taste, which neither the charms of nature, nor the melody of innocence, nor the voice of grat- itude or devotion, can reach. This bird inhabits North America, from Canada to the point of Flor- ida. They are easily reared, and become very famihar when kept in cages ; and though this is rarely done, yet I have knoAvn a few in- stances where they sang in confinement with as much energy as in their native woods. They ought frequently to have earth and gravel thrown in to them, and have plenty of water to bathe in. The Ferruginous Thrush is eleven inches and a half long, and thir- teen in extent; the w^hole upper parts are of a bright reddish brown; wings, crossed with two bars of white, relieved with black ; tips and inner vanes of the wings, dusky; tail, very long, rounded at tlie end, broad, and of the same reddish brown as the back ; whole loAver parts, yellowish white ; the breast, and sides under the wings, beautifully marked with long, pointed spots of black, running in chains ; chin, white ; bill, very long and stout, not notched, the upper mandible over- hanging the lower a little, and beset wdth strong bristles at the base, black above, and whitish below, near the base ; legs, remarkably strong, and of a dusky clay color ; iris of the eye, brilliant yellow. The fe- male may be distinguished from the male by the white on the wing being much narrower, and the spots on the breast less. In other respects, their plumage is nearly alike. Concerning the sagacity and reasoning faculty of this bird, my ven- erable friend Mr. Bartram writes me as follows : — "I remember to have reared one of these birds from the nest, which, when full grown, became very tame and docile. I frequently let liim out of his cage to give him a taste of liberty. After fluttering and dusting himself in dry sand and earth, and bathing, washing, and dressing himself, he would proceed to hunt insects, such as beetles, crickets, and other shelly tribes ; but, being very fond of wasps, after catching them, and knock- ing them about to break their wings, he would lay them down, then examine if they had a sting, and, with his bill, squeeze the abdomen to clear it of the reservoir of poison before he would swallow his prey. When in his cage, being very fond of dry crusts of bread, if, upon trial, the corners of the crumbs were too hard and sharp for his throat, he would throw them up, carry, and put tlicm in his water dish to soften ; then take them out and swallow them. Many otlier re- markable circumstances migiit be mentioned that would fully demon- GOLDEN-CROWNED THRUSH. 155 strate faculties of mind; not only innate, but acquired ideas, (derived from necessity in a state of domestication,) which we call understanding and knowledge. We see that this bird could associate those ideas, arrange and apply them in a rational manner, according to circum- stances. For instance, if he knew that it was the hard, sharp corners of the crumb of bread that hurt his gullet, and prevented him from swallowing it, and that water would soften and render it easy to be swallowed, this knowledge must be acquired by observation and expe- rience ; or some other bird taught him. Here the bird perceived, by the effect, the cause, and then took the quickest, the most effectual, and agreeable method to remove that cause. What could the wisest man have done better? Call it reason, or instinct, it is the same that a sensible man would have done in this case. " After the same manner this bird reasoned with respect to the wasps. He found, by experience and observation, that the first he attempted to swallow hurt his throat, and gave him extreme pain ; and, upon examination, observed that the extremity of the abdomen was armed with a poisonous sting ; and, after this discovery, never attempt- ed to swallow a wasp until he first pinched his abdomen to the ex- tremity, forcing out the sting, with the receptacle of poison." It is certainly a circumstance highly honorable to the character of birds, and corroborative of the foregoing sentiments, that those who have paid the most minute attention to their manners, are uniformly tlieir advocates and admirers. " He must," said a gentleman to me the other day, when speaking of another person, " he must be a good man ; for those Avho have long known him, and are most intimate with him, respect him greatly, and always speak well of him." GOLDEN-CROWNED THRUSH.* — TURDUS AUROCAPILLUS. — Fig. 59. Edw. 252. — Lath. iii.21. — La Figuier a tete d'or, Briss. iii. 504. — La GriveleUe de St. Domingue, Biiff. iii. 317. Fl. enl. 398. — ^rc^ Zool. p. 339, No. 203.— Turdus minimus, vertice aureo, The Least Golden-crowu Thrush, Bartram, p. 290. — Peales Museum, No. 7122. SEIURUS JIUROCJIPILLUS. — Svf AiTisojf. Sylvia aurocapilla, Bonap. Synop. p. 77. ■ — Seittrus aurocapillus, North. Zool. ii. 227. Though the epithet Golden-croivned is not very suitable for this bird, that part of the head being rather of a brownish orange, yet, to avoid confusion, I have retained it. * This curious species, with the (S. aquaticus, No. 109, and some others, dif- fers materially in economy from the Thrushes, notwithstanding their general form and colors 5 and, to judge from the account of the manners of our present species given by Wilson, it will approach very closely to Anthus, and our A. arbo- reus, and in form and structure to some of the Warblers. The manners of >S. aquaticus, ag-ain, resemble more those of the Wagtails 5 but it has somewhat of 156 GOLDEN-CROWNED THRUSH. This is also a migratory species, arriving in Pennsylvania late in April, and leaving us again late in September. It is altogether an inhabitant of the woods, runs along the ground like a lark, and even along the horizontal branches, frequently moving its tail in the man- ner of the Wagtails. It has no song, but a shrill, energetic twitter, formed by the rapid reiteration of two notes, peche^ peche, peche, for a quarter of a minute at a time. It builds a snug, somewhat singular nest, on the ground, in the woods, generally on a declivity facing the south. This is formed of leaves and dry grass, and lined with hair. Though sunk below the surface, it is arched over, and only a small hole left for entrance : the eggs are four, sometimes five, white, irregularly spotted Avith reddish brown, chiefly near the great end. When alarmed, it escapes from the nest with great silence and rapidity, running along the ground like a mouse, as if afraid to tread too heavily on the leaves ; if you stop to examine its nest, it also stops, droops its wings, flutters, and tumbles along, as if hardly able to crawl, looking back now and then to see whether you are taking notice of it. If you slowly follow, it leads you fifty or sixty yards off, in a direct line from its nest, seeming at every advance to be gaining fresh strength ; and when it thinks it has decoyed you to a sufficient distance, it suddenly w^heels off and disappears. This kind of decep- tion is practised by many other species of birds that build on the ground ; and is sometimes so adroitly performed, as actually to have the desired effect of securing the safety of its nest and young. This is one of those birds frequently selected by the Cow-Pen Bunting to be the foster parent of its young. Into the nest of this bird the Cow Bird deposits its egg, and leaves the result to the mercy and management of the Thrush, who generally performs the part of a faithful and affectionate nurse to the foundling. The Golden-crowned Thrush is six inches long, and nine in extent ; the whole upper parts, except the crown and hind head, are a rich yellow olive ; the tips of the wings, and inner vanes of the quills, are dusky brown ; from the nostrils, a black strip passes to the hind head on each side, between which lies a bed of brownish orange ; the sides of the neck are whitish ; the whole lower parts, white, except the breast, which is handsomely marked with pointed spots of black, or deep brown, as in tlie figure ; round the eye is a narrow ring of yel- lowish white ; legs, pale flesh color ; bill, dusky above, whitish below. The female has the orange on the crown considerably paler. This bird might with propriety be ranged witli the \Vagtails, its notes, manners, and habit of building on the ground being similar to these. It usually hatches twice in the season ; feeds on small bugs and the larvae of insects, which it chiefly gathers from the ground. It is very generally diffused over the United States, and winters in Jamaica, Hispaniola, and other islands of the West Indies. the true Thrush in perching high, and in possessing a sweet and pensive song. We have, therefore, in shape, color, and some of tlie habits, an alliance to the Thrushes, while the colors and their distribution agree both with Mrrula and An- ihus, and in their principal economy a combination of the t^tjlviavcr ami Motacil- lanac, — altogether a most interesting form; while, in the structure of their nest, and the color of the eggs, ihev agree with the Wrens. Mr. Swainson has made from it his genus Seiflrus. — YLv). CAT BIRD. 157 CAT BIRD.* — TURDUS LIVIDUS. — Fig. 60. Muscicapa Carolinensis. Linn. Sijst. 328. — Le Gohe-mouchc hrun de Virg^nie, Briss. ii. 365. — (^at Bird, Catesb. i. ()(]. — Latham, ii. 353. — Le Moucherolle de Viro'mie, Buff. iv. 562. — Lucar lividus, apice nigra, The Cat Brrd, or Chicken Bird, Bartram','^Y>. 290. — PeaWs Museum, No. 6770. ORPHEUS JFEL/rOX — SwAiNsoN. Turdus felivox, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 75. We have here before us a very common and very numerous species, in this part of the United States ; and one as well known to all classes of people, as his favorite briers, or blackberry bushes. In spring- or summer, on approaching thickets of brambles, the first salutation you receive is from the Cat Bird ; and a stranger, unac- quainted with its note, would instantly conclude tliat some vagrant, orphan kitten had got bewildered among the briers, and wanted assistance ; so exactly does the call of the bird resemble the voice of that animal. Unsuspicious, and extremely familiar, he seems less apprehensive of man than almost any other of our summer visitants ; for whether in the woods, or in the garden, where he frequently builds his nest, he seldom allows you to pass without approaching to pay his respects, in his usual way. This humble familiarity and deference, from a stranger, too, who comes to rear his young, and spend the summer with us, ought to entitle him to a full share of our hospitality. Sorry I am, however, to say, that this, in too many instances, is cruelly the reverse. Of this I will speak more particularly in the sequel. About the 28th of February, the Cat Bird first arrives in the lower parts of Georgia from the south, consequently winters not far distant, probably in Florida. On the second week in April, he usually reaches this part of Pennsylvania, and, about the beginning of May, has already succeeded in building his nest. The place chosen for this purpose is generally a thicket of briers or brambles, a thorn bush, thick vine, or the fork of a small sapling ; no great solicitude is shown for concealment, though few birds appear more interested for the safety of their nest and young. The materials are dry leaves and weeds, small twigs, and fine, dry grass ; the inside is lined with the fine, black, fibrous roots of some plant. The female lays four, some- times five eggs, of a uniform greenish blue color, without any spots. They generally raise two, and sometimes three broods in a season. In passing through the woods in summer, I have sometimes amused * At first sight, this species, singular both in habits and structure, appears to range with Braclujpus ; but a more minute inspection shows that it will rather stand as an aberrant form with Orphceus. The structure of the bill, feet, and tail, are all of the latter 5 while the colors, and their distribution, agree with /?raf7i//;;?/A% par- ticularly the rufous vent; that part is a nearly constant mark among the Brachipi, being of a different and brighter color, and very generally red or yellow. The true Brachipi do not seem to extend to North America ; they are chiefly confined to Africa, and the warmer countries of India. 14 158 CAT BIRD. myself with imitating the violent chirping or squeaking of young birds, in order to observe what different species were around me ; for such sounds, at such a season, in the woods, are no less alarming to the feathered tenants of the bushes, than the cry of fire or murder in the streets is to the inhabitants of a large and populous city. On such occasions of alarm and consternation, the Cat Bird is the first to make his appearance, not singly, but sometimes half a dozen at a time, flying from different quarters to the spot. At this time, those who are disposed to play with his feelings may almost throw him into fits, his emotion and agitation are so great, at the distressful cries of what he supposes to be his suffering young. Other birds are variously aflfected ; but none show symptoms of such extreme suffering. He hurries backwards and forwards, with hanging wings and open mouth, calling out louder and faster, and actually screaming with distress, till he appears hoarse with his exertions. He attempts no offensive means ; but he bewails — he implores — in the most pathetic terms with Avhich nature has supplied him, and Avith an agony of feeling which is truly affecting. Every feathered neighbor within hearing hastens to the place, to learn the cause of the alarm, peeping about with looks of consternation and sympathy. But their own powerful parental duties and domestic concerns soon oblige each to withdraw. At any other season, the most perfect imitations have no effect whatever on him. The Cat Bird will not easily desert its nest. I took two eggs from one which was sitting, and in their place put two of the Brown Thrush, or Thrasher, and took my stand at a convenient distance, to see how she would behave. In a minute or two, the male made his approaches, stooped down, and looked earnestly at the strange eggs, then flew off" to his mate, who was not far distant, Avith whom he seemed to have some conversation, and instantly returning, with the greatest gentleness took out both the Thrasher's eggs, first one and then the other, carried them singly about thirty yards, and dropped them among the bushes. I then returned the two eggs I had taken, and, soon after, the female resumed her place on the nest as before. From the nest of another Cat Bird I took two half-fledged young, and placed them in that of another, which Avas sitting on five eggs. She soon turned them botli out. The place Avhere the nest Avas not being far from the ground, they Avere little injured, and the male, observing their helpless situation, began to feed them Avith great assi- duity and tenderness. I removed the nest of a Cat Bird, Avhich contained four eggs, nearly hatched, from a fox grape vine, and fixed it firmly and carefully in a thicket of briers close by, without injuring its contents. In less than half an hour I returned, and found it again occupied by the female. The Cat Bird is one of our earliest morning songsters, beginning generally before break of day, and hovering from bush to bush, Avith great sprightliness, Avhen there is scarce light sufficient to distinguish him. His notes are more remarkable for singularity than for melody. They consist of short imitations of other birds, and other sounds ; but, his pipe being rather deficient in clearness and strength of tone, his imitations fail Avhcrc tliesc arc requisite. Yet he is not easily dis- couraged, but seems to study certain passages Avith great persever- ance ; uttering them at first Ioav, and, as he succeeds, higher and more CAT BIRD. 159 free, nowise embarrassed by the presence of a spectator even within a few yards of him. On attentively listening for some time to him, one can perceive considerable variety in his performance, in which he seems to introduce all the odd sounds and quaint passages he has been able to collect. Upon the whole, though we cannot arrange him with the grand leaders of our vernal choristers, he well merits a place among the most agreeable general performers. This bird, as has been before observed, is very numerous, in sum- mer, in the Middle States. Scarcely a thicket in the country is with- out its Cat Birds ; and were they to fly in flocks, like many other birds, they would darken the air with their numbers. But their migra- tions are seldom observed, owing to their gradual progress and reces- sion, in spring and autumn, to and from their breeding places. They enter Georgia late in February, and reach New England about the beginning of May. In their migrations, they keep pace with the progress of agriculture ; and the first settlers in many parts of the Gennesee country, have told me, that it was several years after they removed there, before the Cat Bird made his appearance among them. With all these amiable qualities to recommend him, few people in the country respect the Cat Bird ; on the contrary, it is generally the object of dislike ; and the boys of the United States entertain the same prejudice and contempt for this bird, its nest and young, as those of Britain do for the Yellow Hammer, and its nest, eggs, and young. I am at a loss to account for this cruel ^prejudice. Even those by whom it is entertained, can scarcely tell you why ; only they "hate Cat Birds ;" as some persons tell you they hate Frenchmen, they hate Dutchmen, ifcc, — expressions that bespeak their own nar- rowness of understanding, and want of liberality. Yet, after rumi- nating over in my own mind all the probable causes, I think I have at last hit on some of them ; the principal of which seems to me to be a certain similarity of taste, and clashing of interest, between the Cat Bird and the farmer. The Cat Bird is fond of large, ripe garden strawberries ; so is the farmer, for the good price they bring in market : the Cat Bird loves the best and richest early cherries ; so does the farmer, for they are sometimes the most profitable of his early fruit : the Cat Bird has a particular partiality for the finest, ripe, mellow pears ; and these are also particular favorites with the farmer. But the Cat Bird has frequently the advantage of the farmer, by snatching off" the first fruits of these delicious productions ; and the farmer takes revenge, by shooting him down with his gun, as he finds old hats, windmills, and scarecrows, are no impediments in his way to these forbidden fruits ; and nothing but this resource — the ultimatum of farmers as well as kings — can restrain his visits. The boys are now set to watch the cherry-trees with the gun : and thus commences a train of prejudices and antipathies, that commonly continue through life. Perhaps, too, the common note of the Cat Bird, so like the. mewing of the animal whose name it bears, and who itself sustains no small share of prejudice, the homeliness of his plumage, and even his familiarity, so proverbially known to beget contempt, may also con- tribute to this mean, illiberal, and persecuting prejudice ; but, with the generous and the g^od, the lovers of nature and of rural charms, the confidence which this familiar bird places in man by building in 160 CAT BIRD. his garden, under his eye, the music of his song, and the interesting playfulness of his manners, Avill always be more than a recompense for all the little stolen morsels he snatches. The Cat Bird measures nine inches in lengtli ; at a small distance he appears nearly black ; but, on a closer examination, is of a deep slate color above, lightest on the edges of the primaries, and of a considerably lighter slate color below, except the under tail-coverts, which are very dark red ; the tail, which is rounded, and upper part of the head, as well as the legs and bill, are black. The female differs little in color from the male. Latham takes notice of a bird, exactly resembling this, being found at Kamtschatka, only it wanted the red under the tail. Probably it might have been a young bird, in which tiie red is scarcely observable. This bird has been very improperly classed among the Flycatchers. As he never seizes his prey on wing, has none of their manners, feeds principally on fruit, and seems to diifer so little from the Thrushes, I think he more properly belongs to the latter tribe, than to any other genus we have. His bill, legs, and feet, place and mode of building, the color of the eggs, his imitative notes, food, and general manners, all justify me in removing him to this genus. The Cat Bird is one of those unfortunate victims, and indeed the principal, against which credulity and ignorance have so often directed the fascinating quality of the black snake. A multitude of marvellous stories have been told me by people Avho have themselves seen the poor Cat Birds drawn, or sucked, as they sometimes express it, from the tops of the trees, (which, by the by, the Cat Bird rarely visits,) one by one into the yawning mouth of the immovable snake. It has so happened with me that, in all the adventures of this kind that I have personally witnessed, the Cat Bird was actually the assailant, and always the successful one. These rencounters never take place but during the breeding time of birds ; for whose eggs and young the snake has a particular partiality. It is no wonder that those species, whose nests are usually built near the ground, should be the greatest sufferers, and the most solicitous for their safety : hence the cause why the Cat Bird makes such a distinguished figure in most of these marvellous narrations. That a poisonous snake will strike a bird or mouse, and allow it to remain till nearly expiring before he begins to devour it, our observations on tiie living rattle- snake, at present [1811] kept by Mr. Peale, satisfy us is a fact; but that the same snake, with eyes, breath, or any other known quality he possesses, should be capable of drawing a bird, reluctantly, from the tree tops to its mouth, is an absurdity too great for me to swallow. I am led to these observations by a note wiiich I received this morning from my worthy friend Mr. Bartram : " Yesterday," says this gentleman, " I observed a conflict, or contest, between a Cat Bird and a snake. It took place in a gravel walk in the garden, near a dry wall of stone. I was within a few yards of tlie combatants. The bird pounced or darted upon the snake, snapping his bill ; the snake would then draw himself quickly into a coil, ready for a blow ; but the bird would cautiously circumvent iiim at a little distance, now and then running up to, and snapping at him ; but keeping at a sufficient distance to avoid a blow. After some minutes, it became a running BAY-BREASTED WARBLER. 16t fi^ht, the snake retreating ; and, at last, he took shelter in the wall. The Cat Bird had young ones in the bushes near the field of battle. "Tins may show the possibility of poisonous snakes biting birds; the operation of the poison causing them to become, as it were, fascinated." BAY-BREASTED WARBLER. — SYLVIA CASTANEA. — Fig. 6L Parus pcregrinus, The LiUle Chocolate-breasted Titmouse, Bartram, p. 292. — Peak's Museum, No. 7311. SYLVICOLA C^STVJJVJE./?. — SwAiNsoN. Sylvia castanea, Bonap. Synop. p. 81. * This very rare species passes through Pennsylvania about the begin- ning of May, and soon disappears. It has many of the habits of the Titmouse, and all its activity ; hanging among the extremities of the twigs, and darting about from place to place, with restless diligence, in search of various kinds of the larvae of insects. It is never seen here in summer, and very rarely on its return, owing, no doubt, to. the greater abundance of foliage at that time, and to the silence and real scarcity of the species. Of its nest and eggs we are altogether un- informed. The length of this bird is five inches, breadth eleven ; throat, breast, and sides under the wings, pale chestnut, or bay ; forehead, cheeks, line over and strip through the eye, black ; crown, deep chestnut; lower parts, dull yellowish white ; hind head and back, streaked with black, on a grayish buff" ground ; wings, brownish black, crossed with two bars of white ; tail, forked, brownish black, edged with ash, the three exterior feathers marked with a spot of white on the inner edges ; behind the eye is a broad, oblong spot of yellowish white. The female has much less of the bay color on the breast ; the black on the fore- head is also less, and of a brownish tint. The legs and feet, in both, are dark ash, the claws extremely sharp for climbing and hanging ; the bill is black ; irides, hazel. The ornithologists of Europe take no notice of this species, and have probably never met with it. Indeed, it is so seldom seen in thia part of Pennsylvania, that few even of our own writers iiave men- tioned it. I lately received a very neat drawing of this bird, done by a young lady in Middletown, Connecticut, where it seems also to be a rare species. * According to Bonaparte, discovered and first described bv Wilson. — Ed. 14* 162 CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER. CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER. — SYLVIA PENNSYLVANICA. — Fig. 62. Linn. Syst. 333. — Red-throated Flycatcher, JSc^jc. 301. — Bloody-side Warbler, Turton, Syst. i. p. 596. — Le figuier a poitrine rouge, Buff. v. 308 — Briss. Add. 105. — Lath. ii. 489. — Arct. Zool. p. 405, No. 298. — Peale's Museum, No. 7006. SYLVICOLA ICTEROCEPHALA. — Swaikso?*. Sylvia icterocephala. Bonap. Synop. p. 80. — The Chestnut-sided Warbler, Avd. pi. 59. Om. Biog. p. 306. Or this bird I can give but little account. It is one of those tran- sient visitors that pass through Pennsylvania, in April and May, on their way farther north to breed. During its stay here, which seldom exceeds a week or ten days, it appears actively engaged among the opening buds and young leaves, in search of insects ; has no song but a feeble chirp, or twitter , and is not numerous. As it leaves us early in May, it probably breeds in Canada, or, perhaps, some parts of New England ; though I have no certain knowledge of the fact In a Avhole day's excursion, it is rare to meet with more than one or two of these birds ; though a thousand individuals of some species may be seen in the same time. Perhaps they may be more numerous on some other part of the continent The length of this species is five inches ; the extent, seven and three quarters. The front, line over the eye, and ear-feathers, are pure white ; upper part of the head, brilliant yellow ; the lores and space immediately below are marked with a triangular patch of black ; the back and hind head are streaked with gray, dusky black, and dull yel- low ; Avings, black ; primaries, edged with pale blue, the first and sec- ond row of coverts, broadly tipped wdth pale yellow ; secondaries, broadly edged with the same ; tail, black, handsomely forked, exteriorly edged with ash ; the inner webs of the three exterior feathers with each a spot of white ; from the extremity of the black at the lower mandible, on each side, a streak of deep reddish chestnut descends along the sides of the neck, and under the wangs, to the root of the tail ; the rest of the lower parts are pure white ; legs and feet, ash ; bill, black ; irides, hazel. The female has the hind head much lighter, and the chestnut on the sides is considerably narrower, and not of so deep a tint Turton, and some other writers, have bestowed on this little bird the singular epithet of " bloody-sided," for which I was at a loss to know the reason, the color of that part being a plain chestnut ; till, on examining Mr. Edwards's colored figure of this bird in the public libra- ry of Philadelphia, I found its side tinged with a brilliant blood color. Hence, I suppose, originated the name ! MOURNING WARBLER. 163 MOURNING WARBLER —SYLVIA PHILADELPHIA. — Fig. 63. TRICHAS 7 PJHLADELPHM. — Jardine. Sylvia Philadelphia, Bona-p. Sijnop. p. 85. I HAVE now the honor of introducing to the notice of naturalists and others a very modest and neat little species, which has hitherto eluded their research. I must also add, with regret, that it is the only- one of its kind I have yet met with. The bird from which the figure in the plate was taken, was shot in the early part of June, on the bor- der of a marsh, Avithin a few miles of Philadelphia. It was flitting from one low bush to another, very busy in search of insects ; and had a sprightly and pleasant warbling song, the novelty of which first at- tracted my attention. I have traversed the same and many such places, every spring and summer since, in expectation of again meeting with some individual of the species, but without success. I have, however, the satisfaction to say, that the drawing was done with the greatest attention to peculiarity of form, markings, and tint of plumage ; and the figure on the plate is a good resemblance of the original. I have yet hopes of meeting, in some of my excursions, with the female, and, should I be so fortunate, shall represent her in some future volume of the present work, with such further remarks on their manners, &c., as I ma}^ then be enabled to make. There are two species mentioned by Turton, to which the present has some resemblance, viz., Motadlla mitrata, or Mitred Warbler, and M. cucullata, or Hooded Warbler ; both birds of the United States, or, more properly, a single bird ; for they are the same species twice described, namely, the Hooded Warbler. The difference, however, between that and the present is so striking, as to determine this at once to be a very distinct species. The singular appearance of the head, neck, and breast, suggested the name. The Mourning Warbler is five inches long, and seven in extent ; the whole back, wings, and tail, are of a deep greenish olive, the tips of the wings, and the centre of the tail-feathers, excepted, which are brownish ; the whole head is of a dull slate color ; the breast is orna- mented with a singular crescent of alternate, transverse lines of pure glossy white, and very deep black ; all the rest of the lower parts are of a brilliant yellow ; the tail is rounded at the end ; legs and feet, a pale flesh color ; bill, deep brownish black above, hghter below ; eye, hazel.* ** Wilson saw this bird only once, and I have met with no one who has since seen it. From the general appearance of the representation, it seems to approach nearest to the generic appellation we have given, but which must rest yet undecided. Bonaparte observes, " The excessive rarity might lead us to suppose it an acci- dental variety of some other, — perhaps S. Irichas." — Ed. 164 RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER. RED-COCKADED WOODPECKER. — PICUS QUERULUS.— Fig. 64. Peak's Museum, No. 2027. DEJ^DROCOPUS QUERULUS.— Koch. Picus querulus, Bonap. Synop. p. 46. This new species 1 first discovered in the pine woods of North Carolina. The singularity of its voice, which greatly resembles the chirping of young nestlings, and the red streak on the side of its head, suggested the specific name I have given it. It also extends through South Carolina and Georgia, at least as far as the Altamaha River. Observing the first specimen I found to be so slightly marked with red, I suspected it to be a young bird, or imperfect in its plumage ; but the great numbers I afterwards shot, satisfied me that this is a peculiarity of the species. It appeared exceedingly restless, active, and clamorous ; and every where I found its manners the same. This bird seems to be an intermediate link between the Red-bellied and the Hairy Woodpecker, represented in Nos. 26 and 37. It has the back of the former, and the white belly and spotted neck of the latter; but wants the breadth of red in both, and is less than either. A preserved specimen has been deposited in the Museum of Phila- delphia. This Woodpecker is seven inches and a half long, and thirteen ■broad ; the upper part of the head is black ; the back barred with twelve white transversely semicircular lines, and as many of black, alternately ; the cheeks and sides of the neck are white ; whole lower parts, the same ; from the lower mandible, a list of black passes towards tJie shoulder of the wing, where it is lost in small black spots on each side of the breast ; the wings are black, spotted with white ; the four middle tail-feathers, black; the rest white, spotted with black; rump, black, variegated with white; the vent, white, spotted \^^th black ; the hairs that cover the nostrils are of a pale cream color ; the bill, deep slate. But what forms the most distinguishing peculiarity of this bird, is a fine line of vermilion on each side of the head, sel- dom occupying more than the edge of a single feather. The female is destitute of this ornament ; but, in the rest of her plumage, differs m nothing from the male. The iris of the eye, in both, was hazel. The stomachs of all those I opened were filled with small black insects and fragments of large beetles. The posterior extremities of the tongue reached nearly to the base of the upper mandible. BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH. 166 BROWN-HEADED NUTHATCH. — SITTA PUSILLA. — Fig. 65. Small Nuthatch, Catesbrj, Car. i. 22, upper figxire. — La petite sitelle a tete brune, Buff. V. ^1-i. — Peak's Museum, No. mU). — Briss. iii. 958. — La^A. i. 651, C. SITTjI PUSILL^. — L.jltham. Sitta pusilla, Bonap. Synop. p. 97. This bird is chiefly an inhabitant of Virginia and the Southern States, and seems particularly fond of pine-trees. I have never yet discovered it either in Pennsylvania or any of the regions north of this. Its manners are very similar to those of the Red-bellied Nut- hatch, represented in No. 7 ; but its notes are more shrill and chirp- ing. In the countries it inhabits it is a constant resident; and in wmter associates with parties, of eight or ten, of its own species, Avho hunt busily from tree to tree, keeping up a perpetual screeping. It is a frequent companion of the Woodpecker figured beside it ; and you rarely find the one in the woods without observing or hearing the other not far off. It climbs equally in every direction, on the smaller branches as well as on the body of the tree, in search of its favorite food, small insects and their larvae. It also feeds on the seeds of the pine-tree. I have never met with its nest. This species is four inches and a quarter long, and eight broad ; the whole upper part of the head and neck, from the bill to the back, and as far down as the eyes, is light brown, or pale ferruginous, shaded witli darker touches, with the exception of a spot of white near the back ; from the nostril through the eyes, the brown is deepest, making a very observable line there ; the chin, and sides of the neck under the eyes, are white ; the wings, dusky ; the coverts and three seconda- ries next the body, a slate or lead color, which is also the color of the rest of the upper parts ; the tail is nearly even at the end, the two middle feathers slate color, the others black, tipped with slate, and crossed diagonally with a streak of white; legs and feet, dull blue ; upper mandible, black ; lower, blue at the base ; iris, hazel. Tho female differs in having the brown on the head rather darker, and the line through the eye less conspicuous. This diminutive bird is little noticed in history, and what little has been said of it by Europeans is not much to its credit. It is charac- terized as " a very stupid bird," which may easily be knocked down, from the sides of the tree, with one's cane. I confess I found it a very dexterous climber, and so rapid and restless in its motions as to be shot with difficulty. Almost all very small birds seem less suspicious of man than large ones ; but that activity and restless diligence should constitute stupidity, is rather a new doctrine. Upon the whole, I am of opinion, that a person who should undertake the destruction of these birds, at even a dollar a head for all he knocked down with his cane, would run a fair chance of starving by his profession.* * In our note at page 24, we mentioned that the American Nuthatches and that of Europe were the only species known. M. Vigors has since described, in the IGC PIGEON HAWK. PIGEON HAWK. — FALCO COLUMBARIUS. — Fig. 66. — Male. Linn. Syst. p. 128, No. 21. — Lath. Syn. i. p. 101, No. 86. — L'Epervier de la . Caroline, Briss. Orn. i. p. 'HZ^. — Catesb. i. p. 3, t. ^. — Bartram, p. 290.— | TuHon, Syst. i. p. 162. — PeaWs Museum, No. 352. \ FJiLCO C0LUJyiBJ3RIUS. — L.iK^xvs. Pigeon Hawk, Penn. Arct. Zool. ii. 222. — Falco Columbarius, 5onap. Synop. \ p. 28. — North. Zool. ii. p. 35. 1 This small Hawk possesses great spirit and rapidity of flight. He is generally migratory in the Middle and Northern States, arriving in Pennsylvania early in spring, and extending his migrations as far north as Hudson's Bay. After building, and rearing his young, he retires to the south early in November. Small birds and mice are his principal food. When the Reed Birds, Grakles, and Red-winged Blackbirds congregate in large flights, he is often observed hovering in their rear, or on their flanks, picking up the weak, the wounded, or stragglers, and frequently making a sudden and fatal sweep into the very midst of their multitudes. The flocks of Robins and Pigeons are honored with the same attentions from this marauder, whose daily excursions are entirely regulated by the movements of the great body on whose unfortunate members he fattens. The individual from which the drawing on the plate was taken, was shot in the meadows below Phil- adelphia in the month of August. He was carrying off" a Blackbird ( Oriolus phaniceus) from the flock, and, though mortally wounded and dying, held his prey fast till his last expiring breath, having struck his claws into its very heart. This was found to be a male. Sometimes when shot at, and not hurt, he will fly in circles over the sportsman's head, shrieking out with great violence, as if highly irritated. He fre- quently flies low, skimming a little above the field. I have never seen his nest.* The Pigeon Hawk is eleven inches long, and twenty-three broad ; the whole upper parts are of a deep dark brown, except the tail, which is crossed with bars of white ; the inner vanes of the quill-feathers are marked with round spots of reddish brown ; the bill is short, strongly toothed, of a light blue color, and tipped with black ; the skin surround- ing the eye, greenish ; cere, the same ; temples and line over the eye, proccedinp^s of the Committee of Science of the Zoolog-ical Society, one under the name of Sitta castaneovevtris, from India, which, if true to the type, may prove an addition. In the same place, that gentleman also describes a second species of Certhia, [C. spilomtta,) hut adds, " the tail of this bird is soft and flexible." We have noticed, in a former note, the C. familiaris as the only known species, and we doubt if that now mentioned can ranlv witii it. — En. * Mr. Hiitchins, in his notes on the Hudson's Hay birds, informs us that this spe- cies makes its nest in hollow rocks and trees, of sticks and grass, lined with feathers, laying from two to four while eggs, thiiily marked with red spots. This species has the form of the Falcons, widi the bill strongly toothed, but somewhat of the plumage of the Sparrow Hawks. The color of the eggs is also that of the latter. — En. BLUE-WINGED YELLOW WARBLER. 167 lighter brown; the lower parts, brownish white, streaked laterally with dark brown ; legs, yellow ; daws, black. The female is an inch and a half longer, of a still deeper color, though marked nearly in the same manner, with the exception of some white on the hind head The femoral, or thigh feathers, in both are of a remarkable length, reaching nearly to the feet, and are also streaked longitudinally with dark brown. The irides of the eyes of this bird have been hitherto described as being of a brilliant yellow ; but every specimen I have yet met with had the iris of a deep hazel. I must Uierefore follow nature, in opposition to very numerous and respectable authorities. I cannot, in imitation of European naturalists, embellish the history of this species with anecdotes of its exploits in falconry. This science, if it may be so called, is among the few that have never yet travelled across the Atlantic ; neither does it appear that the idea of training our Hawks or Eagles to the chase, ever suggested itself to any of the Indian nations of North America. The Tartars, however, from whom, according to certain writers, many of these nations originated, have long excelled in the practice of this sport, which is indeed better suited to an open country than to one covered with forest. Though once so honorable and so universal, it is now much disused in Europe, and in Britain is nearly extinct. Yot I cannot but consider it as a much more noble and princely amusement than horse-racing and cock-fighting, cultivated in certain states with so much care ; or even than pugilism, which is still so highly patronized is some of those enlightened countries. BLUE-WINGED YELLOW WARBLER.— SYLVIA SOLITARIA. — Fig. 67. Parus aureus alls coeruleis, Bartram, p. 292. — Edic. pi. 277, upper figure. — Pine Warbler, ArcL ZooL p. 412, No. 318. — Feale's Museum, No. 7307. VERMIVORA SOLIT^RM. — Sw Aiysoy. Sylvia solitaria, Bonap. Synop. p. 87. — The Blue-winged Yellow Warbler, Aud. pi. 20, Orn. Biog. i. 102. This bird has been mistaken for the Pine Creeper of Catesby. It is a very different species. It comes to us early in May from the south ; haunts thickets and shrubberies, searching the branches for insects ; is fond of visiting gardens, orchards, and willow-trees, of gleaning among blossoms and currant bushes ; and is frequently found in very sequestered woods, where it generally builds its nest. This is fixed in a thick bunch or tussock of long grass, sometimes sheltered by a brier bush. It is built in the form of an inverted cone, or funnel, the bottom thickly bedded with dry beech leaves, the sides formed of the dry bark of strong weeds, lined within with fine, dry grass. These 168 BLUE-WLNGED YELLOW WARBLER. materials are not placed in the usual manner, circularly, but shelving downwards on all sides from the top ; the mouth being wide, the bot- tom very narrow, filled with leaves, and the eggs or young occupying the middle. The female lays five eggs, pure white, with a few very faint dots of reddish near the great end ; the young appear the first week in June. I am not certain whether they raise a second brood in the same season. I have met with several of these nests, always in a retired, though open, part of the woods, and very similar to each other. The first specimen of this bird taken notice of by European writers was transmitted, with many others, by Mr. William Bartram to Mr. Edwards, by whom it was drawn and etched in the 277th plate of his Ornithology. In his remarks on this bird, he seems at a loss to deter- mine whether it is not the Pine Creeper of Catesby ; * a difficulty occasioned by the very imperfect coloring and figure of Catesby's bird. The Pine Creeper, however, is a much larger bird ; is of a dark yellow olive above, and orange yellow beloAv ; has all the habits of a Creeper, alighting on the trunks of the pine-trees, running nimbly round them, and, according to Mr. Abbol^ builds a pensile nest. I observed thousands of them in the pine woods of Carolina and Georgia, where they are resident, but have never met witli them in any part of Pennsylvania. This species is five inches and a half long, and seven and a half broad ; hind head, and whole back, a rich green olive ; croAvn and front, orange yellow ; whole lower parts, yellow, except the vent- feathers, which are white ; bill, black above, lighter below ; lores, black ; the form of the bill approximates a little to that of the Finch ; wings and tail, deep brown, broadly edged with pale slate, which makes them appear wholly of that tint, except at the tips ; first and second row of coverts, tipped with white slightly stained with yellow ; the three exterior tail-feathers have their inner vanes nearly all white ; legs, pale bluish ; feet, dirty yellow ; the two middle tail-feathers are pale slate. The female differs very little in color from the male. This species very much resembles the Prothonotary Warbler of Pennant and Buffbn ; the only difference I can perceive, on comparing specimens of each, is, tliat the yellow of the Prothonotary is more of an orange tint, and the bird somewhat larger. * Catesby, Car. vol. i. pi. 6L BLUE-EYED YELLOW WARBLER. BLUE-EYED YELLOW WARBLER.— SYLVIA CITRINELLA. — Fig. 68. Yellow-Poll Warbler^ Lalh. Syn. vol. ii. No. U^. — Arct. Zool. p. 402, No. 292.— Le Figuier lachete, Buff. Ois. v. p. 285. — Motacilla sestiva, Turton's Syst. p. 613. — Parus luteus, Summer Yellow-Bird, Bartram, p. 292. — Peak's Mu- seum, No. 7266. SYLVICOLA ^Srjr./J. — SwAiNsoN. Sylvia asstiva, Bonap. Synop. p. 83. — Sylvicola sestiva, North. Zool. ii. p. 212. This is a very common summer species, and appears almost always actively employed among' the leaves and blossoms of the willows, snow-ball shrub, and poplars, searching after small green caterpillars, which are its principal food. It has a few shrill notes, uttered with emphasis, but not deserving the name of song. It arrives in Penn- sylvania about the beginning of May, and departs again for the south about the middle of September. According to Latham, it is numerous in Guiana, and is also found in Canada. It is a very sprightly, unsuspi- cious, and familiar little bird ; is often seen in and about gardens, among the blossoms of fruit-trees and shrubberies ; and, on account of its color, is very noticeable. Its nest is built with great neatness, generally in the triangular fork of a small shrub, near or among brier bushes. Outwardly it is composed of flax or tow, in thick, circular layers, strongly twisted round the twigs that rise through its sides, and lined within with hair and the soft downy substance from the stalks of fern. The eggs are four or five, of a dull white, thickly sprinkled near the great end with specks of pale brown. They raise two broods in the season. This little bird, like many others, will feign lameness to draw you away from its nest, stretching out his neck, spreading and bending down his tail, until it trails along the branch, and fluttering feebly along, to draw you after him ; sometimes looking back, to see if you are following him, and returning back to repeat the same manoeuvres, in order to attract your attention. The male is most remarkable for this practice. The Blue-eyed Warbler is five inches long, and seven broad ; hind head and back, greenish yellow ; crown, front, and whole lower parts, rich golden yellow ; breast and sides, streaked laterally with dark red ; wings and tail, deep brown, except the edges of the former, and the inner vanes of the latter, which are yellow ; the tail is also slightly forked; legs, a pale clay color; bill and eyelids, light blue. The fe- male is of a less brilliant yellow, and the streaks of red on the breast are fewer and more obscure. BufFon is mistaken in supposing No. 1. of PI. enl. plate Iviii. to be the female of this species. 15 170 GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER. GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER. — SYLVIA CHRYSOPTERA. — Fig. 69. ^rft«. 299. — Le Figuier aux ailes dorees, Buff. v. SM. — Lath. ii. 4^92. — Arct. Zool. 403, No. 295. lb. No. 296. — Motacifla chrysoptera, Turt. Syst. i. 597.— Mot. flavifrons, Yellow-fronted Warbler, Id. 60L — Parus a) is aureis, Bartram, D. 292. — Peak's Museum, No. 7010. VERMIVORA CHRYSOPTERA. — Sw^insoti. Sylvia chrysoptera, Bonap. Synop. p. 87. This is another spring passenger through the United States to the north. This bird, as well as Fig. 67, from the particular form of its bill, ouglit rather to be separated from the Warblers ; or, along with several others of the same kind, might be arranged as a sub-genera, or partic- ular family of that tribe, which might with propriety be called Worm- eaters, the Motacilla vermivora of Turton having the bill exactly of this form. The habits of these birds partake a good deal of those of the Titmouse ; and, in their language and action, they very much re- semble them. All that can be said of this species is, that it appears in Pennsylvania for a few days, about the last of April or beginning of May, darting actively among the young leaves and opening buds, and is rather a scarce species. The Golden- winged Warbler is five inches long, and seven broad ; the crown, golden yellow ; the first and second row of wing-coverts, of the same rich yellow ; the rest of the upper parts, a deep ash, or dark slate color ; tail, slightly forked, and, as well as the wings, edged with whitish ; a black band passes through the eye, and is separated from the yellow of the crown, by a fine line of white ; chin and throat, black, between which and that passing through the eye runs a strip of white, as in the figure ; belly and vent, white ; bill, black, gradually tapering to a sharp point ; legs, dark ash ; irides, hazel. Pennant has described this species twice, first, as the Golden- winged Warbler, and, immediately after, as the Yellow-fronted Warbler. See the synonymes at the beginning of this article. BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER.— SYLVIA CANADENSIS. — Fig. 70. Motacilla Canadensis, I-mn. St/sf. 336. — Le Figuier bleu, Buff. v. 304. PI. enl 685, fig. 2. — Lath. Syn. ii. p. 487, No. 113. — Edw. 25^. — Arct. Zool. p. 399, No. 285. —Peak's Museum, No. 7222. SYLVICOLA CAJK'j3DEJ\rSIS. — Syf Aiysov. Sylvia Canadensis, Bonap. Sij7iop. p. 84. 1 KNOW little of this bird. It is one of those transient visitors that, in the month of April, pass through Pennsylvania, on its way to the AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. 171 north, to breed. It has much of the Flycatcher in its manners, though the form of its bill is decisively that of the Warbler. These birds are occasionally seen for about a week or ten days, viz., from the 25th of April to the end of the first week in May. I sought for them in the Southern States in winter, but in vain. It is highly probable that they breed in Canada; but the summer residents among the feathered race on that part of the continent are little known or attended to. The habits of the bear, the deer, and beaver, are much more interesting to those people, and for a good, substantial reason too, because more lu- crative ; and unless there should arrive an order from England for a cargo of skins of Warblers and Flycatchers, sufficient to make them an object worth speculation, we are likely to know as little of them hereafter as at present. This species is five inches long, and seven and a half broad, and is wholly of a fine, light slate color above ; the throat, cheeks, front and upper part of the breast, are black; wings and tail, dusky black, the primaries marked with a spot of white immediately below their coverts ; tail, edged with blue ; belly and vent, white ; legs and feet, dirty yel- low ; bill, black, and beset with bristles at the base. The female is more of a dusky ash on the breast, and, in some specimens, nearly white. They, no doubt, pass this way on their return in autumn, for I have myself shot several in that season ; but as the woods are then still thick with leaves, they are much more difficult to be seen, and make a shorter stay than they do in spring. AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. — FALCO SPARVERIUS — Fig. 71. — Female. Emerillon de St. Domingue, £uf. i. 291. PL enl. 465. — Arct. Zool. 212. — Little Falcon, Lath. Syn. i. p. 110, No. 94. lb. 95. — Peak's Museum, No. 389. FALCO SPARVERIUS. — Untixva. Falco sparverius, Bonap. Synop. p. 27. — Falco sparverius, Little Rusty-crowned • Falcon, North. Zool. ii. p. 31. In no department of ornithology has there been greater confusion, or more mistakes made, than among this class of birds of prey. The great difference of size between the male and female, the progressive variation of plumage to which, for several years, they are subject, and the difficulty of procuring a sufficient number of specimens for exam- ination,— all these causes conspire to lead the naturalist into almost unavoidable mistakes. For these reasons, and m order, if possible, to ascertain each species of this genus distinctly, I have determined, where any doubt or ambiguity prevails, to represent both male and female, as fair and perfect specimens of each may come into my pos- session. According to fashionable etiquette, the honor of precedence, 172 AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. in the present instance, is given to the female of this species ; both because she is the most courageous, the largest and handsomest of the two, best ascertained, and less subject to change of color than the male, who will require some further examination, and more observa- tion, before we can venture to introduce him. This bird is a constant resident in almost every part of the United States, particularly in the states north of Maryland. In the Southern States there is a smaller species found, w^hich is destitute of the black spots on the head ; the legs are long and very slender, and the wings light blue. This has been supposed, by some, to be the male of the present species ; but this is an error. The eye of the present species IS dusky ; that of the smaller species a brilliant orange ; the former nas the tail rounded at the end, the latter slightly /orA-e^/. Such essen- tial differences never take place between two individuals of the same species. It ought, however, to be remarked, that in all the figures and descriptions I have hitherto met with of the bird now before us, the iris is represented of a bright golden color ; but, in all the specimens I have shot, I uniformly found the eye very dark, almost black, resem- bling a globe of black glass. No doubt the golden color of the iris would give the figure of the bird a more striking appearance ; but, in works of natural history, to sacrifice truth to mere picturesque effect is detestable, though, I fear, but too often put in practice. The nest of this species is usually built in a hollow tree ; generally pretty high up, where the top, or a large limb, has been broken off. I have never seen its eggs ; but have been told tliat the female gener- ally lays four or five, which are of a light brownish yellow color, spot- ted with a darker tint ; the young are fed on grasshoppers, mice, and small birds, the usual food of the parents. The habits and manners of this bird are well known. It flies rather irregularly, occasionally suspending itself in the air, hovering over a particular spot for a minute or two, and then shooting off in another direction. It perches on the top of a dead tree or pole, in the middle of a field or meadow, and, as it alights, shuts its long wings so sud- denly, that they seem instantly to disappear ; it sits here in an almost perpendicular position, sometimes for an hour at a time, frequently jerking its tail, and reconnoitring the ground below, in every direc- tion, for mice, lizards, &c. It approaches the farm-house, particularly in the morning, skulking about the barn-yard for mice or young chick- ens. It frequently plunges into a thicket after small birdi, as if by random, but always with a particular, and generally a fatal, aim. One day I observed a bird of this species perched on tJie highest top of a large poplar, on the skirts of the wood, and Avas in the act of raising the gun to my eye, when he swept down, with the rapidity of an ar- row, into a thicket of briers, about thirty yards off, where I siiot him dead, and, on coming up, found the small Field Sparrow (Fig. 72) quiv- ering in his grasp. Both our aims had been taken in the same instant, and, unfortunately for him, both were fatal. It is particularly fond of watching along hedge-rows, and in orchards, where those small birds represented in tlie same plate usually resort. When grasshoppers are plenty, they form a considerable part of its food. Though small snakes, mice, lizards, &c., be favorite morsels with AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. 173 this active bird, yet ■vve are not to suppose it altogether destitute of deJicacy in feeding. It will seldom or never eat of any thing that it lias not itself killed, and even that, if not (as epicures Avould term it) in good eating order, is sometimes rejected. A very respectable friend, through the medium of Mr. Bartram, informs me, that one morning he observed one of these Hawks dart down on the ground, and seize a mouse, which he carried to a fence post, where, after examining it for some time, he left it, and, a little while after, pounced upon another mouse, which he instantly carried off to his nest, in the hollow of a tree hard by. The gentleman, anxious to know why the Hawk had rejected the first mouse, went up to it, and found it to be almost cov- ered with lice, and greatly emaciated ! Here was not only delicacy of taste, but sound and prudent reasoning: — If I carry this to my nsst, thought he, it will fill it with vermin, and hardly be worth eating. The Blue Jays have a particular antipathy to this bird, and frequently insult it by following and imitating its notes so exactly, as to deceive even those well acquainted with both. In return for all this abuse, the Hawk contents himself with, now and then, feasting on the plumpest of his persecutors, who are, therefore, in perpetual dread of him ; and yet, through some strange infatuation, or from fear that, if they lose sight of him, he may attack them unawares, the Sparrow Hawk no sooner appears than the alarm is given, and the whole posse of Jays follow. The female of this species, which is here faithfully represented from a very beautiful living specimen, furnished by a particular friend, is eleven inches long, and tAventy-three from tip to tip of the expanded wings. The cere and legs are yellow ; bill, blue, tipped with black ; space round the eye, greenish blue ; iris, deep dusky ; head, bluish ash ; crown, rufous ; seven spots of black on a white ground surround the head, in the manner represented in the figure ; whole upper parts reddish bay, transversely streaked with black; primary and secondary quills, black, spotted on their inner vanes with brownish white ; whole lower parts, yellowish white, marked with longitudinal streaks of brown, except the chin, vent, and femoral feathers, which are white ; claws, black. The male of this species (which is an inch and a half shorter, has the shoulder of the wings blue, and also the black marks on the head, but is, in other respects, very differently marked from the female) will appear in an early part of the present work, with such other particu- lars as may be thought worthy of communicating.* * See description of male, and note, in a subsequent part of this work. 15* 174 FIELD SPARROW. FIELD SPARROW.* — FRINGILLA PUSILLA.— Fig. 72. Passer agrestis, Bartram, p. 29L — Peak's Museum^ No. 6560. EMBERIZA PJ7S7Z,L./J. — Jardine, Sw. MSS. Fringilla pusilla, Bonap. Synop. p. 110. This is the smallest of all our Sparrows, and, in Pennsylvania, is generally migratory. It arrives early in April, frequents dry fields covered with long grass, builds a small nest on the ground, generally at the foot of a brier ; lines it with horse hair ; lays six eggs, so thickly sprinkled with ferruginous, as to appear altogether of that tint ; and raises two, and often three, broods in a season. It is more frequently found in the middle of fields and orchards than any of the other species, which usually lurk along hedge-rows. It has no song, but a kind of cheruping, not much different from the chirpings of a cricket. Towards fall they assemble in loose flocks, in orchards and corn-fields, in search of the seeds of various rank weeds ; and are then very ntimerous. As the weather becomes severe, with deep snow, they disappear. In the lower parts of North and South Carolina, I found this species in multitudes in the months of January and Febru- ary. When disturbed, they take to the bushes, clustering so close together, that a dozen may easily be shot at a time. I continued to see them equally numerous through the whole lower parts of Georgia ; from whence, according to Mr. Abbot, they all disappear early in the spring. None of our birds have been more imperfectly described than that family of the Finch tribe usually called Sparrows. They have been considered as too insignificant for particular notice, yet they possess distinct characters, and some of them peculiarities well worthy of notice. They are innocent in their habits, subsisting chiefly on the small seeds of wild plants, and seldom injuring the property of the farmer. In the dreary season of winter, some of them enliven the prospect by hopping familiarly about our doors, humble pensioners on the sweepings of the threshold. The present species has never before, to my knowledge, been figured. It is five inches and a quarter long, and eight inches broad ; bill and legs, a reddish cinnamon color ; upper part of the head, deep chestnut, divided by a slight streak of drab, widening as it goes back ; cheeks, line over the eye, breast, and sides under the wings, a brownish clay color, lightest on the chin, and darkest on the ear-feathers ; a * The American Bunting Finches are most puzzling, the forms being constantly intermediate, and never assuming the true type. Mr. Svvainson has also felt lliis, and has been obliged to form a new genus, to contain one portion nearly inadmissi- ble to any of the others. Tlie present species will rank as allied nearest to the Reed Bunting of Europe, E. schcxniculus. Another, mentioned neither by Wilson nor Bonaparte, has been added by the over-land expedition, — Emberiza pallida, Clay-colored Bunting, Sw. and Richard. North. ZooL It approaches nearest to E. socialis, but differs in wanting the bright rufous crown, and having the ear- feathers brown, margined above and below with a dark edge. — Ed. TREE SPARROW. 175 small streak of brown at the lower angle of the bill ; back, streaked with black, drab, and bright bay, the latter being generally centred with the former ; rump, dark drab, or cinereous ; wings, dusky black, the primaries edged with whitish, the secondaries bordered with bright bay ; greater wing-coverts, black, edged and broadly tipped with brownish white ; tail, dusky black, edged with clay color : male and female nearly alike in plumage ; the chestnut on the crown of the male rather brighter. TREE SPARROW. — FRIN GILL A ARBOREA. — Fig. 73. Le Soulciet, Buff. iii. 500. — Moineau de Canada, Briss. iii. 101. PL enl. 223.— Lath.u.'lbl. — Edw.^m. — Arct.Zool. p. 373, No. I^. — Peale's Museum, No. 6575. EMBERIZA CAJ^ADKN'SIS. — S wai nson. Fringilla Canadensis, Bonap. Synop. p. 109. — Emberiza Canadensis, North. Zool. ii. p. 252. This Sparrow is a native of the north, who takes up his winter quarters in Pennsylvania, and most of the Northern States, as well as several of the Southern ones. He arrives here about the beginning of November, and leaves us again early in April ; associates in flocks with the Snow Birds ; frequents sheltered hollows, thickets, and hedge-rows, near springs of water ; and has a low, warbling note, scarcely audible at the distance of twenty or thirty yards. If dis- turbed, he takes to trees, like the White-throated Sparrow, but contrary to the habit of most of the others, who are inclined rather to dive into thickets. Mr. Edwards has erroneously represented this as the female of the Mountain Sparrow ; but that judicious and excellent naturalist, Mr. Pennant, has given a more correct account of it, and informs us that it inhabits the country bordering on Hudson's Bay during sum- mer ; comes to Severn settlement in May ; advances farther north to breed ; and returns in autumn on its way southward. It also visits Newfoundland.* By some of our own naturalists, this species has been confounded with the Chipping Sparrow, (Fig. 75,) which it very much resembles, but is larger and handsomer, and is never found with us in summer. The former departs for the south about the same time that the latter arrives from the north ; and, from this circumstance, and their general resemblance, has arisen the mistake. The Tree Sparrow is six inches and a half long, and nine and a half in extent; the whole upper part of the head is of a bright reddish chestnut, sometimes slightly skirted with gray ; from the nostrils, over the eye, passes a white strip, fading into pale ash, as it extends back ; sides of the neck, chin, and breast, very pale ash ; the centre of the breast marked with an obscure spot of dark brown ; from the lower * Arctic Zoology, vol. ii. p. 373. 176 SONG SPARROW. angle of the bill proceeds a slight streak of chestnut; sides, under the wings, pale brown ; back, handsome)}' streaked with pale drab, bright bay, and black ; lower part of the back and ramp, brownish drab ; lesser wing-coverts, black, edged witli pale ash : wings, black, broadly edged with bright bay; the first and second row of coverts, tipped with pure white ; tail, black, forked, and exteriorly edged with dull white ; belly and vent, brownish white ; bill, black above, yellOw below ; legs, a brownish clay color ; feet, black. The female is about half an inch shorter; the chestnut or bright bay on the wings, back, and crown, is less brilliant ; and the white on the coverts narrower, and not so pure. These are all the differences I can perceive.* SONG SPARROW. — FRINGILLA MELODIA. — Fig. 74. Fasciated Finch ? Arct. Zool. p. 375. No. 2.52. — Peak's Museum, No. 6573. EMBERIZA 1 1 MELODLI. — Jardine. Bonap. Synop. p. 108. — The Song Sparrow, And. pi. 25, Om. Biog. i. p. 126. So nearly do many species of our Sparrows approximate to each other in plumage, and so imperfectly have they been taken notice of, that it is absolutely impossible to say, with certainty, whether the present species has ever been described or not. And yet, of all our SparroAvs, this is the most numerous, the most generally diffused over the United States, and by far the earliest, sweetest, and most lasting songster. It may be said to be partially migratory, many passing to the south in the month of November ; and many of them still remain- ing with us, in low, close, sheltered meadows and swamps, during the whole of Avinter. It is the first singing bird in spring, taking prece- dence even of the Pewee and Blue-Bird. Its song continues occa- sionally during the whole summer and fall, and is sometimes heard even in the depth of winter. The notes, or chant, are short, but very sweet, resembling the beginning of the Canary's song, and frequently repeated, generally from the branches of a bush or small tree, where it sits chanting for an hour together. It is fond of frequenting the borders of rivers, meadows, swamps, and such like watery places ; and, if wounded, and unable to fly, will readily take to the water, and swim with considerable rapidity. In the great cypress swamps of the Southern States, in the depth of winter, I obser\-ed multitudes of these birds mixed with several other species ; for these places appear to be the grand winter rendezvous of almost all our Sparrows. I have found * Peculiar to America, and we should say, ^o'mg more off from llie g'roup than F. socialis, Wils.,as mentioned by Swainson in the Nortliern Zoology. — Ed. + I have been puzzled where to place this bird — in Emheriza, or as a sub-g-cnus of it. There seems much difference in the form of the bill, though it has " a rudi- ment of the knob." I have been unable to obtain a specimen for comparison. Mr. Swainson thinks it connects the American Bunting with his Zonotrichia. — El). CHIPPING SPARROW. 177 this bird in every district of the United States, from Canada to the southern boundaries of Georgia ; but Mr. Abbot informs me that he knows of only one or two species that remain in that part of Georgia during the summer. The Song Sparrow buikls in the ground, under a tufl of grass ; the nest is formed of line, dry grass, and lined with horse hair ; the eggs are four or five, thickly marked with spots of reddish brown, on a white, sometimes bluish wliite, ground ; if not interrupted, raises three broods in the season. I have found his nest witli young as early as the 2(jth of April, and as late as the 12th of August. What is sin- gular, the same bird often fixes his nest in a cedar-tree, five or six feet from the ground. Supposing this to have been a variety, or different species, I have examined the bird, nest, and eggs, with particular care, several times, but found no difference. I have observed the same accidental habit in the Red-winged Blackbird, which sometimes builds among the grass, as well as on alder bushes. This species is six inches and a half long, and eight and a half in extent ; upper part of the head, dark chestnut, divided laterally by a line of pale dirty white ; spot at each nostril, yellow ochre ; line over the eye, inclining to ash ; chin, white ; streak from the lower mandi- ble, slit of the mouth, and posterior angle of the eye, dark chestnut ; breast, and sides under the wings, thickly marked with long-pointed spots of dark chestnut, centred with black, and running in chains ; belly, white ; vent, yellow ochre, streaked Avith brown ; back, streaked with black, bay, and pale ochre ; tail, brown, rounded at the end, the two middle feathers streaked down their centres with black ; legs, flesh colored ; Aving-coverts, black, broadly edged with bay, and tipped with yellowish white ; wings, dark brown. The female is scarcely distinguishable by its plumage from the male; The bill in both, horn colored. CHIPPING SPARROW. — FRINGILLA SOCIALIS. — Fig. 75. Passer domesticus, The Little House Sparrow, or Chipping Bird, Bartram, p. 291. — Peak's 3Iuseum, No. 6511. ^MBERIZA SOC/^i/5. ~Sw*iifsoN. Fringilla socialis, Bonap. Synop. p. 109. This species, though destitute of the musical talents of the former, is, perhaps, more generally known, because more familiar, and even domestic. He inliabits, during summer, the city, in. common with man, building in the branches of the trees with which our streets and gardens are ornamented ; and gleaning up crumbs from our yards, and even our doors, to feed his more advanced young with. I have known one of these birds attend regularly every day, during a whole summer, while the family were at dinner, under a piazza, fronting the garden, 178 SNOW BIRD. and pick up the crumbs that were thrown to him. This sociable habit, which continues chiefly during the summer, is a singular char- acteristic. Towards the end of summer he takes to the fields and hedges, until the weather becomes severe, with snow, when he departs for the south. The Chipping Bird builds his nest most commonly in a cedar bush, and lines it thickly with cow hair. The female lays four or five eggs, of a light blue color, with a few dots of purplish black near the great end. This species may easily be distinguished from the four preceding ones by his black bill and frontlet, and by his familiarity in summer ; yet, in the months of August and September, when they moult their feathers, the black on the front, and partially on tlie bill, disappears. The young are also without the black during the first season. The Chipping Sparrow is five inches and a quarter long, and eight inches in extent ; frontlet, black ; chin, and line over the eye, whitish ; crown, chestnut ; breast and sides of the neck, pale ash ; bill, in win- ter, black ; in summer, the lower mandible flesh colored ; rump, dark ash ; belly and vent, white ; back, variegated with black and bright bay ; wings, black, broadly edged with bright chestnut ; tail, dusky, forked, and slightly edged with pale ochre ; legs and feet, a pale flesh color. The female differs in having less black on the frontlet, and the bay duller. Both lose the black front in moulting. SNOW SIRD. — FRINGILLA HUDSONIA .*— Fig. 76. Fringilla Hudsonia, Tzirton, Syst. i. 568. — Emberiza hjemalis, Id. 531. — Lath. i. G6t — Ca^e.9*. i. 36 — Arct.'Zool. p. 359; No. 223. — Passer nivalis, Bartravi, p. 291. — f ea/e'5 Museum, No. 6532. FRmOILLA HYEJMLIS. — hiNSJEVS. Fringilla hyemalis, Bonap. .Synop. p. 109. — North. Zool. n. p. 259. — The Snow Bird, Atul. pi. 13, Orn. Biog. i. p. 72. This well-known species, small and insignificant as it may appear, is by far the most numerous, as well as the most extensively dissemi- nated, of all the feathered tribes that visit us from the frozen regions of the north, — their migrations extending from the arctic circle, and, probably, beyond it, to the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, spreading over the whole breadtli of the United States, from the Atlantic Ocean to Louisiana ; how much farther westward, I am unable to say. About the 20th of October, they make their first appearance in those parts of Pennsylvania east of tlie Alleghany Mountains. At first they are most generally seen on the borders of woods among the falling and decayed leaves, in loose flocks of thirty or forty together, always taking to tlie trees when disturbed. As tjie weather sets in colder, * Nivalis of first edition. SNOW BIRD. 179 they approach nearer the farm-house and villag^es ; and on the appear- ance of, what is usually called, falling; weather, assemble in larg-er flocks, and seem doubly diligent in searching for food. This increased activity is generally a sure prognostic of a storm. When deep snows cover the ground, they become almost half domesticated. They col- lect about the barn, stables, and other out-houses, spread over the yard, and even round the steps of the door ; not only in the country and villages, but in the heart of our large cities ; crowding around the threshold early in the morning, gleaning up the crumbs ; appearing very lively and familiar. They iiave also recourse, at this severe season, when the face of the earth is shut up from them, to the seeds of many kinds of weeds that still rise above the snow, in corners of fields, and low, sheltered situations, along the borders of creeks and fences, where they associate with several species of Sparrows, particu- larly those represented in Nos. 72, 73, and 74. They are, at this time, easily caught with almost any kind of trap ; are generally fat, and, it is said, are excellent eating. I cannot but consider this bird as the most numerous of its tribe of any within the United States. From the northern parts of the District* of Maine to the Ogeechee River in Georgia, — a distance, by the circuitous route in which I travelled, of more than 1800 miles, — I never passed a day, and scarcely a mile, without seeing numbers of these birds, and frequently large flocks of several thousands. Other travellers with whom I conversed, who had come from Lexington, in Kentucky, through Virginia, also declared that they found these birds numerous along the Avhole road. It should be observed that the road- sides are their favorite haunts, wjiere many rank weeds, that grow along the fences, furnish them with food, and the road with gravel. In the vicinity of places where they were most numerous, I observed the Small Hawk, represented in No. 71, and several others of his tribe, watching their opportunity, or hovering cautiously around, making an occasional sweep among them, and retiring to the bare branches of an old cypress to feed on their victims. In the month of April, when the weather begins to be warm, they are observed to retreat to the woods, and to prefer the shaded sides of hills and thick- ets ; at which time the males warble out a few very low, sv/eet notes, and are almost perpetually pursuing and fighting with each other. About the 20th of April, they take their leave of our humble regions, and retire to the north and to the high ranges of the Alleghany, to build their nests, and rear their young. In some of those ranges, in the interior of Virginia, and northward, about the waters of the west branch of the Susquehanna, they breed in great numbers. The nest is fixed in the ground, or among the grass, sometimes several being within a small distance of each other. According to the observations of the gentlemen residing at Hudson Bay Factory, they arrive there about the beginning of June, stay a week or two, and proceed farther north to breed. They return to that settlement in the autumn, on their way to the south. In some parts of New England, I found the opinion pretty general that the Snow Bird, in summer, is transformed into the Small Chipping * Now State of Maine. 180 PINE FINCH. Sparrow, which we find so common in that season, and which is represented in No. 75. I had convinced a gentleman of New York of his mistake in this matter, by taking him to the house of a Mr. Gautier there, who amuses himself by keeping a great number of na- tive, as well as foreign, birds. This was in the month of July, and the 8now Bird appeared there in the same colored plumage he usually has. Several individuals of the Chipping Sparrow were also in the same apartment. The evidence was, therefore, irresistible ; but, as I had not the same proofs to oifer to the eye in New England, I had not the same success. There must be something in the temperature of the blood or consti- tution of tliis bird, which unfits it for residing, during summer, in the lov/er parts of the United States, as the country here abounds with a great variety of food, of which, during its stay, it appears to be re- markably fond. Or, perhaps, its habit of associating in such numbers to breed, and building its nest with so little precaution, may, to insure its safety, require a solitary region, far from the intruding footsteps of man. The SnoAv Bird is six inches long, and nine in extent ; the head, neck, and upper parts of the breast, body, and wings, are of a deep slate color ; the plumage sometimes skirted with brown, which is the color of the young birds ; the lower parts of the breast, the whole bel'y, and vent, are pure white ; the three secondary quill-feathers next the body are edged with brown, the primaries ^vith white ; the tail is dusky slate, a little forked, the two exterior feathers wholly white, Avhich are fiirted out as it flies, and appear then very prominent ; the bill and legs are of a reddish flesh color ; the eye, bluish black. The female differs from the male in being considerably more brown. In the depth of winter, the slate color of the male becomes more deep, and much purer, the brown disappearing nearly altogether. PINE FINCH. — FRINGILLA PINUS. — Fig. 77. Peale^s Museum, No. 6577. C^RD UELIS PIJ\rUS. — SwAi NsoN. Fringilla pinus, (sub-genus Carduelis,) Bonap. Synop. p. 111. This little northern stranger visits us in the month of November, and seeks the seeds of the black alder on the borders of swamps, creeks, and rivulets. As the weather becomes more severe, and the seeds of the Pimis Caiiadcnsis are fully ripe, these birds collect in larger flocks, and take up their residence almost exclusively among these trees. In the gardens of Bush Hill, in the neighborhood of Phila- delphia, a flock of two or three liundred of these birds have regularly wintered many years ; where a noble avenue of pine-trees, and -walks covered with fine, white gravel, furnish them with abundance through the winter. Early in March, they disap])ear, cither to the north or to PINE FINCH. 181 the pine woods that cover many lesser ranges of the Alleofliany. While here, they are often so tame as to allow you to walk within a few yards of the spot where a wliole Hock of tliem are sitting. TJiey flutter among tlie hranches, frequently lianging by the cones, and uttering a note almost exactly like that of the Goldfinch, (F..) I have not a doubt but this bird appears in a richer dress in summer in those places where he breeds, as he lias so very great a resemblance to the bird above mentioned, with whose changes we are well ac- quainted. The length of this species is four inches ; breadth, eight inches ; upper part of the head, the neck, and back, a dark flaxen color, streaked with black ; wings black, marked with two rows of dull white or cream color ; whole wing-quills, under the coverts, ricli yel- low, appearing even when the wings are shut ; rump and tail-coverts, yellowish, streaked with dark brown ; tail-featliers, rich yelloAv from the roots half way to the tips, except the tAvo middle ones, which are blackish brown, slightly edged with yellow ; sides, under the wings, of a cream color, with long streaks of black ; breast, a light flaxen col- or, with small streaks or pointed spots of black ; legs, purplisli brown ; bill, a dull horn color ; eyes, hazel. The female was scarcely distin- guishable by its plumage from the male. The New York Siskin of Pennant* appears to be only the Yellow-Bird [FringUla trisiis) in his winter dress. This bird has a still greater resemblance to the Siskin of Europe, [F. spinus,) and may, perhaps, be the species described by Turton f as the Black Mexican Siskin, which he says is varied above with black and yellowish, and is white beneath, and which is also said to sing finely. This change from flaxen to yellow is observable in the Gold- finch ; and no other two birds of our country resemble each other more than these do in their winter dresses. Should these surmises be found correct, a figure of this bird, in his summer dress, shall appear in some future part of our work. | * Arctic Zoologtj, p. 372, No. 243. t Turtok, vol. i. p. 560. X This is a true Siskin ; and we have a very accurate description of the general manners of the group in those of the individual now described by Wilson. liittlc seems to be known of their summer haunts 5 and, indeed, the more nortliern species remain in the same obscurity. They g-enerally all migrate, go north to breed, and winter in southern latitudes. The species of Great Britain and Europe performs a like migration, assembling in very large flocks during winter, feeding upon seeds, &c., and retiring north to breed. A few pairs, not performing the migration to its 'itmosl northern extent, breed in the larger pine woods in the Highlands of Scot- land. In 1829, they were met with in June, ni a large fir wood at Killin. evidently breeding ; last year, they were known to breed in an extensive wood at New Ab- uey, in Galloway. In their winter migrations, they are not regular, particular districts being visited by them aluncerlaui periods. In Annandale, Dumtriesshire, Iney were always accounted rare, and the first pair I ever saw there wns shot in '827. Early in October, as the winter advanced, very large ilocks arrived, and fed chiefly upon the rag-weed, and under some large beech-trees, turning over the fallen mast, and eating part of the kernels, as well as any seeds they could find among them. In 1828, they again appeared ; but in 1829, not one was seen ; and ine present winter, (1830.) they are equally wanting. The plate of our author is that of the bird in its winter dress. As he justly observes, the plumage becomes much richer during the season of incubation. The black parts become brighter ind deeper, and the olive of a yellower green. — Ed. 16 182 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK. ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK * — LOXIA ROSEA. — Fig. 78. Loxia Ludoviciana, Turton's Sifst. — Red-breasted Grosbeak, Arct. Zool. p. 350, No. 212. — Red-breasted Finch, Id. 372, No. 245. — Le rose gorge, Buff. iii. 460. — Gros-bec de la Louisiane, PL enl. 153, fig. 2. — Lath. ii. 126. — Feale's Museum, No. 5806, male j 5807, female j 5806, a, male of one year old. OUIKMCjI LUDOFJCMJ\''ji. — Svf Aissoy. Fringilla (sub-genus Coccolhraustes) Ludoviciana, Bonap. Synop. p. 113. — Coc- coiliraustes (Guiraca) Ludoviciana, North. Zool. i. p. 271. This elegant species is rarely found in tlie lower parts of Pennsyl- vania ; in the state of New York, and those of New England, it is more frequently observed, particularly in fall, when the berries of the sour gum are ripe, on the kernels of which it eagerly feeds. Some of its trivial names would import that it is also an inhabitant of Louisiana; but I have not heard of its being seen in any of the Southern States. A gentleman of Middletown, Connecticut, informed me that he kept one of these birds for some considerable time in a cage, and observed that it frequently sang at night, and all night ; that its notes were extremely clear and mellow, and the sweetest of any bird witli which he is acquainted. The bird from which the figure on the plate was taken, was shot, late in April, on the borders of a swamp, a few miles from Philadel- phia. Another male of the same species was killed at the same time, considerably different in its markings ; a proof that they do not ac- quire their full colors until at least the second spring or summer. The Rose-breasted Grosbeak is eight inches and a half long, and thirteen inches in extent; the whole upper parts are black, except the second row of wing-coverts, which are broadly tipped with white ; a spot of the same extends over the primaries, immediately below their coverts; chin, neck, and upper part of the breast, black ; lower part of the breast, middle of the belly, and lining of the wings, a fine light carmine, or rose color; tail, forked, black, tiie tbree exterior feathers, on each side, white on their inner vanes for an inch or more from the tips ; bill, like tiiose of its tribe, very thick and strong, and pure white ; legs and feet, light blue; eyes, hazel. The young male of tlie first spring has the plumage of the back variegated with light brown, white * This species seems to have been described, under various specific names, by various authors. Wilson, in the body of his work, calls it L. rosea ; but ho corrects that name alterwards in the index, and restores that by which it must now stand. The generic appellation has also been various, and the necessity of some decided one cannot be better shown, than in the dilferent opinions expressed by naturalists, who have placed it in three or four of the known genera, without bein";- very well satisfied w ilh iiny of its situations, (iinielin and Latham have even placed the young and old in dillerent genera, Loxia and Frhi^i/la ; by Brissoii, it is a Coccothraus- t>>s ; and by JS.'ibine, a 7^//;//-;7/?^ this beautiful little species we have another instance of the mis- takes occasioned by the change of color to which many of our birds are subject. In the present case this change is both progressive and periodical. The young birds of the first season are of a brown olive above, which continues until the month of February and March; about which time it gradually changes into a fine slate color, as in Fig. 80. About the middle of April this change is completed. I have shot them in all their gradations of change. While in their brown olive dress, the yellow on the sides of the breast and crown is scarcely observable, unless the feathers be parted with the hand ; but that on the rump is still vivid ; the spots of black on the cheek are then also obscured. The difference of appearance, however, is so great, that we need scarcely wonder that foreigners, who have no opportunity of examining the progress of these variations, should have concluded them to be two distinct species, and designated them as in tlie above synonymes. " This bird is also a passenger through Pennsylvania. Early in Oc-^ tober he arrives from the north, in his olive dress, and frequents the cedar-trees, devouring the berries with great avidity. He remains ■with us three or four weeks, and is very numerous wherever there are trees of the red cedar covered with berries. He leaves us for the south, and spends the winter season among the myrtle swamps of Vir- ginia, the Carolinas, and Georgia. The berries of the Myrica cerifera, both the large and dwarf kind, are his particular favorites. On those of the latter I found them feeding, in great numbers, near the sea- shore, in the District of Maine, in October ; and through the whole of the lower parts of the Carolinas, wherever the myrtles grew, these birds were numerous, skipping about, with hanging wings, among the hushes. In those parts of the country, they are generally known by the name of Myrtle Birds. Roimd Savannah, and beyond it as far as the Altamaha, 1 found him equally numerous, as late as the middle of March, when liis ciiange of color had considerably progressed to the slate hue. Mr. Abbot, who is well acquainted with this change, assured me, that they attain this rich slate color fully before tlicir departure * Winter plumage, Fig. 187. CERULEAN WARBLER. 185 from thence, which is about the last of March, and to the 10th of April. About the middle or 20th of the same mouth, they appear in Pennsyl- vania, in full dress, as represented in Fijr. 80 ; and after continuing to be seen, for a week or ten days, skippinrr among the high branches and tops of the trees, after those larvse that feed on the opening buds, they disappear until tlie next October. Whether they retire'^to the north, or to the high ranges of our mountains to breed, like many other of our passengers, is yet uncertain. They are a very numerous species, and always associate togetlier in considerable numbers, both in spring, winter, and fall. This species is five inches and a half long, and eight inches broad; whole back, tail-coverts, and hind head, a fine slate color, streaked with black ; crown, sides of the breast, and rump, rich yellow ; wings and tail, black ; the former crossed with two bars of white, the tliree exterior feathers of the latter, spotted Avith white ; cheeks and front, black ; chin, line over and under the eye, Avhite ; breast, light slate, streaked with black, extending under the wings ; belly and vent, white, the latter spotted with black; bill and legs, black. This is the spring and summer dress of the male; that of the female of t!ie same season differs but little, chiefly in the colors being less vivid, and not so strongly marked with a tincture of brownish on the back. In the month of October the slate color has changed to a brownish olive ; tlie streaks of black are also considerably brown, and the white is stained with the same color; the tail-coverts, however, still retain their slaty hue ; the yelloAv on the crown and sides of the breast be- comes nearly obliterated. Their only note is a kind of chip, occasion- ally repeated; their motions are quick, and one can scarcely ever observe them at rest Though the form of the bill of this bird obliges me to arrange him with the Warblers, yet, in his food and all his motions, he is decidedly a Flycatcher. On again recurring to the descriptions in Pennant of the "Yellow- Rump Warbler,"* "Golden-crowned Warbler," f and "Belted War- bler," | I am persuaded that the whole three have been drawn from the present species. CERULEAN WARBLER. — SYLVIA CGERULEA. — Fig. 8L Peak's Museum, No. 7309. SYLVICOLA CCERULEA. — Swainson. — Male. Sylvia azurea, Bonap. Synop. p. 85. — Sylvia azurea, Azure Warbler, Steph. Sh. Zool. X. n. 653. — Sylvia coerulea, Cerulean Warbler, Steph. Sh. Zool. x. p. 652. — Sylvia bifasciata, Say, Jo urn. to Rocky Mount, i. p. 170. — The Azure Warbler, Sylvia azurea, Aud. pi. 48, male and female, Om. Biog. i. p. 255. This delicate little species is now, for the first time, introduced to public notice. Except my friend, Mr. Peale, I know of no other natu- * Arctic Zoology, p. 400, No. 183. f Ibid. No. 291. \ Ibid. No. 306. 16* 186 SOLITARY FLYCATCHER. ralist who seems to have hitherto known of its existence. At what time it arrives from the south I cannot positively say, as I never met with it in spring, but have several times found it during summer. On the borders of streams and marshes, among the branches of the poplar, it is sometimes to be found. It has many of the habits of the Fly- catcher ; though, like the preceding, from the formation of its bill, we must arrange it with the Warblers. It is one of our scarce birds in Pennsylvania, and its nest has hitlierto eluded my search. I have never observed it after the 20th of August, and therefore suppose it retires early to the south. This bird is four inches and a half long, and seven and a half broad ; the front and upper part of the head is of a fine verditer blue ; the hind head and back, of the same color, but not quite so brilliant ; a few lateral streaks of black mark the upper part of the back ; wings and tail, black, edged with sky blue ; the three secondaries next the body, edged with white, and the first and second row of coverts also tipped with white; tail-coverts, large, black, and broadly tipped with blue; lesser wing-coverts, black, also broadly tipped with blue, so as to appear nearly wholly of that tint ; sides of the breast, spotted or streaked with blue ; belly, chin, and throat, pure white ; the tail is forked, the five lateral feathers on each side with each a spot of white; the two middle more slightly marked with the same ; from the eye backwards extends a line of dusky blue ; before and behind the eye, a line of white ; bill, dusky above, light blue below ; legs and feet, light blue. SOLITARY FLYCATCHER. — MUSCICAPA SOLITARIA.— Fig. 82. VIREO SOZ/703i2/?7S. — ViEiLLOT. Vireo solitarius, Bonap. Synop. p. 70. This rare species I can find nowhere described. I have myself never seen more than three of them, all of whom corresponded in their markings ; and, on dissection, were found to be males. It is a silent, solitary bird. It is also occasionally found m the state of Georgia, where I saw a drawing of it in the possession of Mr. Abbot, who con- sidered it a very scarce species. He could give me no information of the female. The one from which Fig. 82 was taken, was shot in Mr. Bartram's Avoods, near Philadelpliia, among the branches of dogwood, in the month of October. It appears to belong to a particu- lar family, or subdivision of the Muscicapa genus, among wiiich are the WJiite-eycd, the Yellow-throated, and several others already de- scribed in the present work. Why one species should be so rare, while another, much resembling it, is so numerous, at least a tJiousand for one, is a question I am unable to answer, unless by supposing tlie few we meet with here to be accidental stragglers from the great body which may have their residence in some other parts of our ex- tensive continent. cow BUNTING. 187 The Solitary Flycatcher is five inches long, and eight inches in breadth ; cheeks, and upper part of the head and neck, a fine bluish gray ; breast, pale cinereous ; flanks and sides of the breast, yellow ; whole back and tail-coverts, green olive ; Avings, nearly black ; tlie first and second row of coverts, tipped with white ; the three secondaries next the body, edged with pale yelloAvish white ; the rest of the quills, bor- dered with light green ; tail, slightly forked, of the same tint as the wing.^, and edged with light green ; from the nostrils a line of wlnte proceeds to and encircles the eye ; lores, black ; belly and vent, white ; upper mandible, black ; lower, light blue ; legs and feet, liglit blue ; COW BUNTING.* — EMBERIZA PECORIS. — Figs. 83, 84, 85. Le Brimet, Buff. iv. 138. — Le Pinion de Virginie, Briss. iii. 165. — Cow-Pen Bird. Catesbl i. Z^. — Lath. ii. 269.— Jrcf. Zool. p. 371, No. 211.— Sturnus stercorarius, Bartram, p. 291. — Peak's Museum, No. 6378, male} 6379, female. MOLOTHRUS PJSC0/2/S. — Swainson. Fr'mgilla pecoris, Sab. Frank. Journ. p. 676. — Sturnus junceti, Z,ar, the greater coverts and primaries spotted with white ; tail, short, even, and mottled with black, pale brown, and whitish, on a dark brown ground ; its lower side, gray ; horns, (as they are usually called,) very prominent, each composed of ten feathers, increasing in length from tii(^ front backwards, and lightest on the inside ; face, wliitish, marked Avith small touches of dusky, and bounded on each side Avitli a circlet of black ; breast and belly, Avhite, beautifully varie- MEADOW LARK. 203 gated with ragged streaks of black, and small transverse touches of brown ; legs, feathered nearly to the claws, with a kind of hairy down, of a pale brown color ; vent and under tail-coverts v.'hite, tlie latter slightly marked with brown ; iris of tlie eye, a brilliant golden yellow ; bill and claws, bluish horn color. This was a female. The male is considerably less in size ; the general colors darker ; and the white on the wing-coverts not so observable. Hollow trees, either in the woods or orchard, or close evergreens in retired situations, are the usual roosting-places of this and most of our other species. These retreats, however, are frequently discovered by the Nuthatch, Titmouse, or Blue Jay, who instantly raise the alann ; a promiscuous group of feathered neighbors soon collect round the spot, like crowds in the streets of a large city, when a thief or murderer is detected ; and, by their insults and vociferation, oblige the recluse to seek for another lodging elsewhere. This may account for the cir- cmnstance of sometimes finding them abroad during the day, on fences and other exposed situations. MEADOW LARK.— ALAUDA MAGNA. — Fig. 90. Linn. Sijsf. 289 — Crescent Stare, Arct. Zool. 330, No. 192, Lath. iii. 6, var. A.— Le fer-a-cheval, ou Merle a Collier irAmerique, Buff. iii. p. 371. — Catesb. Car. i. pi. 33. — Bartram, p. 290. — Peak's Museum, No. 5212. STURJVELLjI ZJ7X)Or/C/./3JV'./3. — Swainson.* Sturnus Ludovicianus, (sub-genus Sturnella,) Bonap. Bynop. p. 49. — Stuniella collaris, Vieill. Gal. des Ois. pi. 80. — Sturnella Ludoviciaiia, A^o/-«/i. Zoo/, ii. Though this well-known species cannot boast of the powers of song which distinguish tliat "harbinger of day," the Sky Lark of Europe, yet in richness of plumage, as well as in sweetness of voice, * In cliang-ing the specific name of this species, C. L. Bonaparte thinks that Wil- son must liave been misled by some European author, as he was actjuainted with the works wherein it was previously described. It oun'ht to remain under the appellation bestowed on it by Linnaeus, Brisson, «fcc. With regard to the generic term, this curious form has been chosen by Vieillot, as the type of his genus Stiir- itella, containing yet only two species, — that of Wilson, and another from the southern continent. The form is peculiar to the New World, and seems to have been a subject of uncertainty to most ornithologists, as we find it placed in the genera Turdns, Sturnus, Alanda, and Cassicus, to all of which it is somewhat allied, but to none can it rank as a congener. In the bill, heail, and wings, with some modification, we have the forms of the two first antl last; in the colors of the plumage, the elongation of the scapularies and tail-coverts, in the legs, feet, and hinder claw, that of the AlaudcK. The tarsi and feet are decidedly ambulatorial, as is confirmed by the habits of the species, though the tail indicates that of a scansorial bird ; but as far as we yet know, it is the only indication of this power. In the structure of the nest, we have the weaving of the IcteH, the situation of many of the Warblers, and the form of the true Wrens. — Ed. 204 JNIEADOW LARK. (as far as his few notes extend,) he stands eminently its superior. He differs from the -greater part of his tribe in wanting- the long straight hind claw, which is probably the reason why he has been classed, by some late naturalists, with the Starlings. But in tlie particular form of his bill, in his manners, plumage, mode and place of building his nest, Nature has clearly pointed out his proper family. This species has a ver}^ extensive range, liaving myself found them in Upper Canada, and in each of the states, from New Hampshire to New Orleans. Mr. Bartram also informs me, that they are equally abundant in East Florida. Their favorite places of retreat are pasture fields and meadows, particularly the latter, Avhich have conferred on them their specific name ; and no doubt supplies them abundantly with the particular seeds and insects on which tliey feed. They are rarely or never seen in the depth of the vroods ; unless where, instead of underwood, tlie ground is covered with rich grass, as in the Chac- taw and Chickasaw countries, where I met with them in considerable numbers in tlie months of May and June. The extensive and luxu- riant prairies between Vincennes and St Louis also abound with them. It is probable tliat, in the more rigorous regions of the north, they may be birds of passage, as they are partially so here ; tliough I have seen them among the meadows of New Jersey, and those that border the Rivers Delaware and Schuylkill, in all seasons ; even when the ground was deeply covered v/ith snow. There is scarcely a market day in Philadelphia, from September to March, but they may be found exposed to sale. They are generally considered, for size and delicacy, little inferior to the Quail, or wliat is here usually called the Partridge, and valued accordingly. I once met with a few of these birds in the month of February, during a deep snow, among the lieiglits of the Alleghany, between Shippensburgh and Somerset, gleaning on tlie road, in company with the small Snow Birds. In the state of South Carolina and Georgia, at the same season of the year, they sv\-ann among tlie rice plantations, running about the yards and out-houses, accompanied by the Killdeers, with little appearance of fear, as if quite domesticated. These birds, after the building season is over, collect in flocks, but seldom fly in a close, compact body ; their flight is sometliing in tlie manner of the Grouse and Partridge, laborious and steady, sailing, and renewing the rapid action of the wings alternately. When they alight on trees or bushes, it is generally on the tops of the highest branches, whence they send forth a long, clear, and somewliat melan- choly note, that, in sweetness and tenderness of expression, is not surpassed by any of our numerous Warblers. This is sometimes fol- lowed by a kind of low, rapid chattering, the particular call of the female ; and again the clear and plaintive strain is repeated as before. They afford tolerably good amusement to the sportsman, being most easily sliot while on wing ; as they frequently squat among the long grass, and spring witliin gunshot The nest of tiiis species is built generally in, or below, a thick tuft, or tussock, of grass ; it is com- posed of dry grass, and fine bent, liid at the bottom, and womid all around, leaving an arched entrance level with tlic ground : the inside is lined witli fine stalks of the same materials, disposed with great BLACK AND WHITE CREEPER. 205 regularity. The eggs are four, sometimes five, white, marked with specks, and several large blotches of reddish brown, chiefly at tlie thick end. Their food consists of caterpillars, grub worms, beetles, and grass seeds, with a considerable proportion of gravel. Their general name is the Meadow Lark ; among the Virginians, they are usually called the Old Field Lark. The length of this bird is ten inches and a half; extent, sixteen and a half; throat, breast, belly, and line from the eye to the nostrils, rich yellow ; inside lining and edge of the wing, the same ; an oblong crescent of deep velvety black ornaments the lower part of the throat ; lesser wing-coverts, black, broadly bordered Avith pale ash ; rest of the wing-feathers, light brown, handsomely serrated with black ; a line of yellowish white divides tlie crown, bounded on each side by a stripe of black, intermixed with bay, and another line of yellowish white passes over each eye, backwards ; cheeks, bluish white ; back, and rest of the upper parts, beautifully variegated with black, bright bay, and pale ochre ; tail, wedged, the feathers neatly pointed, the four outer ones on each side, nearly all white ; sides, thighs, and vent, pale yellow ochre, streaked with black ; upper mandible, brown ; lower, bluish white ; eyelids, furnished with strong, black hairs ; legs and feet, very large, and of a pale flesh color. The female has the black crescent more skirted Avith gray, and not of so deep a black. In the rest of her markings, the plumage differs little from that of the male. I must here take notice of a mistake committed by Mr. Edwards in his History of Birds, vol. vi. p. 123, where, on the authority of a bird-dealer of London, he describes the Calandre Lark, (a native of Italy and Russia,) as belonging also to North America, and having been brought from Carolina. I can say with confidence, that, in all my excursions through that and the rest of tlie Sout'iern States, I never met such a bird, nor any person who had ever seen it. I have no hesitation in believing, that the Calandre is not a native of the United States. BLACK AND WHITE CREEPER. —CERTHIA MACULATA. — Fig. OL Ecliv. pi. .300.— White Poll Warbler, Arct. ZooL 402, No. 293. — Le figtuer varie. B71J'. v. 305.— Lath. ii. i^QQ.— Turton, i. p. 603. — Peak's Museum, No. 7092. SYLVICOLA VjiRM.— 3 AiwiNE.* Sylvia raria, Bonap. Sijiiop. p. 81. — Le Mniotilla varie, Mniotilla varia, VieiU. Gall, des Ois. pi. 1G9. This nimble and expert little species seldom perches on the small twigs ; but circumambulates the trunk and larger branches, in quest of * This forms the type of Vieillot's Mniotilla, and will, perhaps, sliow Llio scauso- rial form hi Sylvicola. — Ed. 18 206 PINE-CREEPING WARBLER. ants and other msects, with admirable dexterity. It arrives in Penn- sylvania, from the south, about the 20th of April ; the young beg-in to fly early in July ; and the whole tribe abandon the country about the beginning- of October. Sloane describes this bird as an inhabitant of the West India Islands, where it probably winters. It was first figured by Edwards from a dried skin sent him by Mr. AVilliam Bartram, who gave it its present name. Succeeding naturalists have classed it v.-ith the Warblers, — a mistake which I have endeavored to rectify. The genus of Creepers comprehends about thirty different species, many of Avhich are richly adorned with gorgeous plumage ; but, like their congenial tribe, the Woodpeckers, few of them excel in song ; their tongues seem better calculated for extracting noxious insects from the bark of trees, than for trilling out sprightly airs ; as the hardened hands of the husbandman are better suited for clearing the forest, or guiding the plough, than dancing among the keys of a forte- piano. Which of the two is the more honorable and useful employ- ment, is not diHicult to determine. Let the farmer, therefore, respect this little bird for its useful qualities in clearing his fruit and forest- trees from destructive insects, though it cannot serenade him with its song. The length of this species is five inches and a half; extent, seven and a half; crown, white, bordered on each side with a band of black, vt^hich is again bounded by a line of white passing over each eye ; below this is a large spot of black covering the ear-feathers ; chin and throat, black ; wings, the same, crossed transversely by two bars of white ; breast and back, streaked with black and white ; tail, upper, and also under coverts, black, edged, and bordered with white ; belly, Avhite ; legs and feet, dirty yellow ; hind claw the longest, and all very sharp pointed ; bill, a little compressed sidewise, slightly curved, black above, paler below ; tongue, long, fine-pointed, and horny at the extremity. These last circumstances, joined to its manners, charac- terize it, decisively, as a Creeper. The female, and young birds of the first year, want the black on the throat, having that part of a grayish white. PINE-CREEPING WARBLER. — SYLVIA PINUS. — Fig. 92. Pine Creeper, Catesb. i. Gl. — Peale's Museum, No. 7312. SYL VICOLA PIJVUS. — Jakd i n e . Sylvia pinus, Boiiap. Sij7iop. p. 81. Tins species inhabits tlic pine woods of the Southern States, where it is resident, and where I first observed it, running along the bark of tiie pines ; sometimes alighting, and feeding on the ground, and almost always, wlicn disturbed, fiying up, and clinging to the trunks of the trees. As 1 advanced towards tlie south, it became more numerous. LOUISIANA TANAGER. 207 Its note IS a simple, reiterated clierup, continued for four or five seconds. Catesby first figured and described this bird ; but so imperfectly, as to produce among succeeding writers great confusion, and many mistakes as to what particular bird Avas intended. Edwards has sup- posed it to be the Blue-Avinged Yellow Warbler! Latham lias sup- posed another species to be meant ; and the wortliy Mr. Pennant has been led into the same mistakes ; describing the male of one species, and the female of another, as the male and female Pine Creeper. Having shot and examined great numbers of these birds, I am enabled to clear up these difficulties by the following descriptions, which will be found to be correct : The Pine-creeping Warbler is five and a half inches long, and nine inches in extent; the whole upper parts are of a ricli green olive, with a considerable tinge of yellow ; throat, sides, and breast, yellow ; wings and tail, brown, with a slight cast of bluish, the former marked with two bars of white, slightly tinged with yellow ; tail, forked, and edged with ash ; the three exterior feathers, marked near tlie tip with a broad spot of white ; middle of the belly and vent-feathers, white. The female is brown, tinged with olive green on the back ; breast, dirty white, or slightly yellowish. The bill in both is truly that of a Warbler ; and the tongue, slender, as in the Motacilla genus, notwith- standing the habits of the bird. The food of these birds is the seeds of the pitch pine, and various kinds of bugs. The nest, according to Mr. Abbot, is suspended from iJie horizontal fork of a branch, and formed outwardly of slips of grape- vine bark, rotten wood, and caterpillp.rs' webs, with sometimes pieces of hornets' nests interwoven ; and is lined with dry pine leaves, and fine roots of plants. The eggs are four, white, with a few dark brown spots at the great end. These birds, associating in flocks of twenty or thirty individuals, are found in the depth of the pine barrens ; and are easily known by their manner of rising from the ground, and alighting on the body of the tree. They also often glean among the topmost boughs of the pine-tree, hanging, head doAvnwards, like the Titmouse. LOUISIANA TANAGER. — TANAGRA COLUMBIANUS. — FrG.93. Peak's Musenin, No. 6236 PYRAJ^OAl LUDOFICMJV^. — JAKDitiE.* Tanagra Ludoviciana, Bonap. Srjnop. p. 105. — Pyranga erylhropis, Vieill. auct. Bonap, This bird, and the two others that occupy the same plate, were discovered in the remote regions of Louisiana, by an exploring party * It is impossible to decide the g-enerie station of this Mrd. It appears very rare 5 cUid it is probaljle that the Britisii collections do not possess any specimen. — Ed. 203 LOUISIANA TANAGER. under the command of Captain George Merriwether Lewis, and Lieu- tenant, now General, William Clark, in their memorable expedition across the Continent to the Pacilic Ocean. Tliey are entitled to a disting-uished place in the pages of A^ierican Ornithology, both as being, till now, altogether unknown to naturalists, and as natives of what is, or at least will be, and that at no distant period, part of the western territory of the United States. The frail remains of the bird now under consideration, as well as of the other two, have been set up by Mr. Peale, in his museum, with as much neatness as the state of the skins would permit. Of three of these, which were put into my hands for examination, the most perfect was selected for the drawing. Its size and markings were as fol- lows : — Length, six inches and a half; back, tail, and wings, black ; the greater wing-coverts, tipped with yelloAv; the next superior row, wliolly yellow ; neck, rump, tail-coverts, and whole lower parts, greenish yellow ; forepart of the head, to and beyond the eyes, light scarlet; bill, yellowish horn color; edges of the upper mandible, ragged, as in the rest of its tribe ; legs, light blue ; tail, slightly forked, and edged with dull whitish : the whole figure about the size, and much resembling in shape, the Scarlet Tanager, (Figs. 45 and 46;) but evidently a different species, from the black back and yellow coverts. Some of the feathers on the upper part of the back were also skirted with yellow. A skin of what T supposed to be the female, or a young bird, differed in having the wings and back brownish, and in being rather less. The family, or genus, to which this bird belongs, is particularly subject to changes of color, both progressively, during the first and second seasons, and also periodically, afterwards. Some of those that mhabit Pennsylvania, change from an olive green to a greenish yellow, and, lastly, to a brilliant scarlet ; and, I confess, wiien the preserved specimen of the present species Avas first shown me, I sus- pected it to have been passing through a similar change at the time it was taken. But, having examined two more skins of the same species, and finding them all marked very nearly alike, Avhich is seldom the case with those birds that change while moulting, I began to tliink that this might be its most permanent, or, at least, its summer or winter dress. The little information I have been able to procure of the species generally, or at what particular season these were shot, prevents me from being able to determine this matter to my wish. I can only learn that they inhabit the extensive plains or prairies of tlie Missouri, between the Osage and Mandan nations, building their nests in low bushes, and oflen among the grass. Witli us, the Tana- gers usually build on the branches of' a hickory, or white-oak sapling. These birds deliglit in various kinds of berries, with which those rich prairies are said to abound. CLARK'S CROW. 209 CLARK'S CROW. — CORVUS COLUMBIANUS.— Fig. 94. Peak's Museum, No. 1371. CORVUS COLUMBlJlJ\rUS. — WiLsoT^. Corvus Columbianus, Bonap. Synop. p. 56. This species resembles, a little, the Jackdaw of Europe, [Corvus vwnedula,) but is remarkable for its fonnidable claws, which approach to those of the Falco genus, and would seem to intimate that its food consists of living animals, for whose destruction these weapons must be necessary. In conversation with different individuals of the party, I understood that this bird inliabits the shores of the Columbia, and the adjacent country, in great numbers, frequenting the rivers and sea- shore, probably feeding on fish ; and that it has all the gregarious and noisy habits of the European species, several of the party supposing it to be the same. Fig. 94 was drawn with particular care, after a mi- nute examination and measurement of the only preserved skin that was saved, and which is now deposited in Mr. Peale's museum. This bird measures thirteen inches in length ; the wings, the two middle tail-feathers, and the interior vanes of the next, (except at the tip,) are black, glossed with steel-blue ; all the secondaries, except the three next the body, are white for an inch at their extremities, forming a large spot of white on that part when the wing is shut ; the tail is rounded, yet the two middle feathers are someAvhat shorter than those adjoining ; all the rest are pure white, except as already described ; the general color of the head, neck, and body, above and below, is a light, silky drab, darkening almost to a dove color on the breast and belly; vent, white ; claws, black, large, and hooked, particularly the middle and hind claw ; legs, also black ; bill, a dark horn color ; iris of the eye, unknown. In the state of Georgia, and several parts of West Florida, L discov^ ered a Crow, not hitherto taken notice of by naturalists, rather larger than the present species, but much resembling it in the form and length of its wings, in its tail, and particularly its claws. This bird is a constant attendant along the borders of streams and stagnating ponds, feeding on small fish and lizards, which I have many times seen him seize as he swept along the surface. A well-preserved specimen of tills bird was presented to Mr. Peale, and is now in his museum. It is highly probable that, with these external resemblanceSy the habits of both may be nearly alike. 18* 210 LEWIS'S WOODPECKER. LEWIS'S WOODPECKER. — PICUS TORQUATUS.— Fig. 95. Peak's Museum, No, 2020. MELAXERPESl TORQUATUS. — 3 xrdise.* Picas torquatus, Bonap. Synop. p. 46. Of this very beautiful and singularly-marked species, I am unable to give any further account than as relates to its external appearance. Several skins of this species were preserved, all of which 1 examined with care, and found little or no difference among them, either in the tints or dispositipn of the colors. The length of this was eleven inches and a half; the back, wings, and tail were black, with a strong gloss of green ; upper part of the head, the same ; front, chin, and cheeks beyond the eyes, a dark, rich red ; round the neck passes a broad collar of white, which spreads over tlie breast, and looks as if the fibres of the feathers had been sil- vered: these feathers are also of a particular structure, the fibres being separate, and of a hair-like texture ; belly, deep vermilion, and of the same strong, hair-like feathers, intermixed witli silvery ones ; vent, black ; legs and feet, dusky, inclining to greenish blue ; bill, dark horn color. For a more particular, and doubtless a more correct account of this and the two preceding species, the reader is referred to General Clark's History of the Expedition. The three birds I have here intro- duced are but a small part of the valuable collection of new subjects in natural history discovered and preserved, amidst a thousand dangers and difficulties, by those two enterprising travellers, Avhose intrepidity was only equalled by their discretion, and by their active and laborious pursuit of whatever might tend to render their journey useful to sci- ence and to their country. It was the request and particular wish of Captain Lewis, made to me m person, that I should make drawings of such of the feathered tribes as had been preserved, and were new. That brave soldier, that amiable and excellent man, over whose soli- tary grave in the wilderness I have since shed tears of affliction, hav- ing been cut off in the prime of his life, I hope I shall be pardoned for consecrating this humble note to his memory, until a more able pen shall do better justice to the subject. * Having no authority from the founder of the genus, and not having seen the bird, I place it with tlie Red-headed Woodpecker provisionally. The length- ened wings, proportion of toes, and distribution of the colors, seem, however, to warrant it. The female is said by Bonaparte, on the authority of Mr. Peale, who shot them breeding on the Rocky Mountains, to resemble the 'male closely, — Ed, CANADA JAY. 211 CANADA JAY.— CORVUS CANADENSIS. — Fig. 9C. Linn. Sijst. 158. — Cinereous Crow, Arct. Zool. p. 248, No. 137, — Lath. i. 389. — Le Gcay brun de Canada, Briss. ii.34. — BuJ. iii.117. G.IRRULUS Cj}J\r.iDEJ\rSIS. — SwAiNsoN. Corvus Canadensis. Bonap. Sijnop. p. 58. — Garrulus Canadensis; North. Znn! v.. p. 295. Were I to adopt the theoretical reasoning of a celebrated Frciicli naturalist, I might pronounce this bird to be a debased descendant from the Common Blue Jay of the United States, degenerated by tlie influence of the bleak and chilling regions of Canada, or perhaps a spurious production between the Blue Jay and the Cat Bird ; or, what would be more congenial to the count's ideas, trace its degradation to the circumstance of migrating, some thousand years ago, from the genial shores of Europe, — where nothing like degeneracy or doLTa- dition ever takes place among any of God's creatures. I shall, luw- ever, on the present occasion, content myself with stating a few partic- ulars better supported by facts, and more consonant to the plain homespun of common sense. This species inhabits the country extending from Hudson's Bay, and probably farther north, to the River St. LaAvrence ; also, in win- ter, the inland parts of the District of Maine and northern tracts of the States of Vermont and New York. When the season is very severe, with deep snow, they sometimes advance farther south, but generally return northward as the weather becomes more mild. The character given of this bird by the people of those parts of the country where it inhabits, is, that it feeds on black moss, worms, and even flesh ; when near habitations or tents, pilfers every thing it can come at ; is bold, and comes even into the tent to eat meat out of the dishes ; watches the hunters while baiting their traps for martens, and devours the bait as soon as their backs are turned; that they breed early in spring, building their nests on pine-trees, forming them of sticks and grass, and lay blue eggs ; that they have two, rarely three, young at a time, which are at first quite black, and continue so for some time ; that they fly in pairs ; lay up hoards of berries in hollow trees ; are seldom seen in January, unless near houses ; are a kind of Mock Bird ; and, when caught, pine away, though their appetite never fails them ; notwithstanding all which ingenuity and good qualities, they are, as we are informed, detested by the natives.* The only individuals of this species that I ever met with in the United States were on the shores of the Mohawk, a short way above the Little Falls. It was about the last of November, when tlie ground was deeply covered witli snow. There were three or four in company, or within a small distance of each other, flitting leisurely along the road- side, keeping up a kind of low chattering with one another^ and * Hearne's Journexjj p. 405. 212 SNOW BUNTING. seemed nowise apprehensive at my approach. I soon secured the whole ; from the best of which the drawing in the plate was carefully made. On dissection, I found their stomachs occupied by a few spi- ders and the aureliae of some insects. I could perceive no difiference between the plumage of the male and female. The Canada Jay is eleven inches long, and fifteen in extent ; back, wings, and tail, a dull, leaden gray, the latter long, cuneiform, and tipped with dirty white ; interior vanes of the wings, brown, and also partly tipped with white ; plumage of the head, loose and prominent ; the forehead, and featliers covering the nostril, as well as the whole lower parts, a dirty brownish white, which also passes round the bot- tom of the neck like a collar ; part of the crown and hind head, black ; bill and legs, also black ; eye, dark hazel. The whole plumage on the back is long, loose, unwebbed, and in great abundance, as if to protect it from the rigors of the regions it inhabits. A gentleman of observation, who resided for many years near the North River, not far from Hudson, in the state of New York, informs me that he has particularly observ^ed this bird to arrive there at the commencement of cold weather. He has often remarked its solitary habits. It seemed to seek the most unfrequented, shaded retreats, keeping almost constantly on the ground, yet would sometimes, tow- ards evening, mount to the top of a small tree, and repeat its notes (which a little resemble those of the Baltimore) for a quarter of an hour together ; and tliis it generally did immediately before snow or fallinof weatlier. SNOW BUNTING. — EMBERIZA NIVALIS. —Fig. 97. Linn. Syst. 30S. — Arct. Zool. p. 355, No. 222. — Tawiiv Bunting, Br. Zool. No. 121. — L'Ortolande Neige, Buff. iv. 329. PL e7tI.'491. — Peale's Museum, No. 5900. PLECTROPHjU^ES JVIFJlLIS. — mETER.* Emheriza nivalis, Flejn. Br. Anim. p. 79. — Snow Bunting, Mont. Om. Diet. i. Bew. Br. Birds, l p. HS.— Selb. III. Om. i. 247. pi. 52. — Tawny Bunting, Mont. Om. Diet. Bev\ Br. Birds, i. 150. — Bruent de neize, Temm. Man. d'Om. i. p. 319. — Emberiza nivalis, Bonap. Syjiop. p. 103. — Emberiza (plec- trophanes) nivalis, North. Zool. ii. p. 246. This being one of those birds common to both continents, its mi- grations extending almost from the very pole to a distance of forty or fifty degrees around ; and its manners and peculiarities having been * This species, from its various changes of plumage, has been multiplied into several •, and in fonn beinj:^ allied to nianv genera, it has been variouslv placed by different ornithologists. Meyer was the first to institute a place for itself, and, with a second, the Frinscilia Lapponiea, it will constitute his genus Plectroplumes, which is generally adopted into our modern systems. The discrepancies of form were also seen by Vieillot, who, without attending to his predecessor, made tlie genus Passerina of the I^pland Finch. They are both natives of America ; tlie latter heuJ been added by th« Prince of Muaignano, and figured in Vol. IJL It b4is SNOW BUNTING. 213 long familiarly known to the naturalists of Europe, I shall in this place avail myself of the most interestino; parts of their accounts, subjoin- ing such particulars as have fallen under my own observation. " These birds," says Mr. Pennant, " inhabit not only Greenland,* but even the dreadful climate of Spitzbergen, where vegetation is nearly extinct, and scarcely any but ayptogamotis plants are found. It tlierefore excites wonder, how birds, which are graminivorous m every other than those frost-bound regions, subsist; yet are there found in great flocks, both on the land and ice of Spitzbergen.f They an- nually pass to this country by way of Norway ; for, in the spring, flocks innumerable appear, especially on the Norwegian isles, continue only three weeks, and then at once disappear.^ As they do not breed in Hudson's Bay, it is certain that many retreat to this last of lands, and totally uninhabited, to perform, in full security, the duties of love, incubation, and nutrition. That they breed in Spitzbergen, is very probable; but we are assured that they do so in Greenland. They arrive there in April, and make their nests in the fissures of the rocks on the mountains, in May ; the outside of their nest is grass, the middle of feathers, and the lining the down of the arctic fox. They lay five eggs, white, spotted with brown: they sing finely near their nest. also been lately discovered to be an occasional visitant in this country, being taken by the bird-catchers about London. The following- very proper observations occur in Mr. Selby's account of the Lapland Finch : — " The appropriate station for this genus, I conceive to be intermediate between Alanda aiict Emberiza, forming, as it were, the medium of connection or passage from one genus to the other. In Alamla, it is met with that section of the genus which, in the increasing thickness and form of the bill, shows a deviation from the more typical species, and a nearer approach to the thick-billed Fringillidce ; to this section Alanda calandra and brachydactyla belong. Its affinity to the Larks is also shown, by the form of the feet, and production ofthe hinder claw ; this, in Lappo- m'ca, is nearly straight, and longer than the toe, resembling, in every respect, that of many of the true Larks. Tlie habits and manners of the two known species also bear a much greater resemblance to those of the Larks than the Buntings. Like the members of the first genus, they live entirely upon the ground, and never perch. Their mode of progression is also the same, being by successive steps, and not the hopping motion used by all the true EmberizcB. A power of flight, superior to that possessed by the true I3untings, is also indicated by the greater length of tJie wings and form of the tail-feathers. In Plectrophanes, the first and second quills are nearly equal in length, and the longest in the wing; in Emberiza, on the contrary, the second and third are equal, and longer than the first. The affinity of our genus to Emberiza, is shown in the form of the bill, which, with the exception of being shorter and more rounded on the back, possesses the characteristic dis- tinctions of that genus.'' During the spruig and breeding season, the plumage assumes a pure white on the under parts, and deep black on all the brown markings of the upper. The feathers are at first edged with brown, which gradually drop off as the summer advances. A third species is figured in the Northern Zoology, {Plectrophanes picta, Sw.) Onl3' one specimen was obtained, associating with the Lapland Buntings, on the banks of the Saskatchewan. The description of the bird in the summer plumage is nearly thus given : — " Head and sides, velvet black ; three distinct spots of pure white on the sides of the head, one bordering the chin, another on the car, a third above the eve, a less distinct spot in the middle of the nape ; the neck above, wood brown, the dorsal plumage and lowest rows of wing-coverts, blackish brown ; the under plumage, entirely of a color intermediate between wood brown and buff orange." — Ed. * CRANT7.,i. 77. t Lord Mulgrave's Voyage, 188; Martin's Voyage, 73. t Leems, 256. 214 SNOW BUNTLXG " They are caught by the boys in autumn, when they collect near the shores in great flocks, in order to migrate ; and are eaten dried.* " In Europe, they inhabit, during summer, the most naked Lapland alps, and descend in rigorous seasons into Sweden, and fill the roads and fields ; on which account the Dalecarlians call them illwarsfogel, or bad-weather birds — the Uplanders, hardivarsfogd, expressive of the same. The Laplanders style them aJaipg. Leemsf remarks, I know not with what fioundation, that they fatten on the flowing of the tides in Finmark, and grow lean on the ebb. The Laplanders take them in gTeat numbers in hair springs, for the tables, then: flesh being very delicate. '- They seem to make the countries within the whole arctic circle their summer residence, from whence they overflow the more southern countries in amazing multitudes, at the setting in of winter in the frigid zone. In the winter of 1778-9, they came in such multitudes into Birsa, one of the Orkney Islands, as to cover the whole barony ; yet of all the numbers, hardly two agreed in colors. "Lapland, and perhaps Iceland, furnishes the north of Britain with the swarms that frequent these parts during winter, as low as the Cheviot Hills, in lat. 52° 32'. Their resting-places, the Feroe Isles, vSIietland, and the Orkneys. The Highlands of Scotland, in particular, abound Avith them. Their flights are immense, and they mingle so closely together in form of a ball, that the fowlers make great havock among them. They arrive lean, soon become very fat, and are delicious food. They either arrive in the Highlands very early, or a few breed there, for I had one shot for me at Invercauld, the 4th of August. But there is a certainty of their migration ; for multitudes of them fall, wearied with their passage, on the vessels that are sailing through the Pentland Firth.J " In their summer dress, they are sometimes seen in the south of England,§ the climate not having severity sufiicient to affect the col- ors ; yet now and then a milk-white one appears, which is usually mis- taken for a white Lark. " Russia and Siberia receive tliem in their severe seasons annually, in amazing flocks, overflowing almost all Russia. They frequent tiie villages, and yield a most luxurious repast. They vary there infinitely in their Avintcr colors, are pure white, speckled, and even quite brown.|| This seems to be the influence of difference of age, more than of season. Germany has also its share of them. In Austria, they are caught and fed with millet, and afford the epicure a treat equal to tliat of the OrtolMn."1[ These birds appear in the northern districts of the United States early in December, or with the first heavy snow, particularly if drifted by liigh winds. They are usually called the ichiie Snow Bird, to dis- tiuL^uish them from the small dark bluisii Snow Bird already described. Their numbers increase with the increasing severity of weather, and depth of snow. Flocks of them sometimes reach as far south as the borders of Maryland ; and the Avhiteness of their plumage is observed to be greatest towards the depth of winter. They sj)read over the * F'lnn. Greevl. 118. t finmark. 235. : I'.isHOP PorocK's Journal, MS. ^ MoKTox's lSorthamp.\i. All. II 13i:ll's Travels, i. 198. K\ Kkamer, Anim. Austr. 372. SNOW BUNTING. 215 Gennesee country, and the interior of the District of Maine, flying in close, compact bodies, driving about most in a hijjch wind ; sometimes alighting near the doors, but seldom sitting long, being a roving, rest- less bird. In these plentiful regions, where more valuable game is abundant, they hold out no temptation to the sportsman or hunter; and, except the few caught by boys in snares, no other attention is paid to them. They are, however, universally considered as the harbingers of severe cold weather. How far westward they extend I am unable to say. One of the most intelligent and expert hunters who accompanied Captains Lewis and Clark on their expedition to the Pacific Ocean, informs me that he has no recollection of seeing these birds in any part of their tour, not even among the bleak and snowy regions of the Stony Mountains ; though the little blue one was in abundance. The Snow Bunting derives a considerable part of its food from the seeds of certain aquatic plants, which may be one reason for its pre- ferring these remote northern countries, so generally intersected with streams, ponds, lakes, and shallow arms of the sea, that probably abound with such plants. In passing down the Seneca River towards Lake Ontario, late in the month of October, I was surprised by the appearance of a large flock of these birds feeding on the surface of the water, supported on the tops of a growth of weeds that rose from the bottom, growing so close together that our boat could with great difficulty make its way through them. They were running about with great activity ; and those T shot and examined, were filled, not only with the seeds of this plant, but with a minute kind of shell fish that adheres to the leaves. In these kind of aquatic excursions they are doubtless greatly assisted by the length of their hind heel and claws. I also observed a few on Table Rock, above the Falls of Niagara, seemingly in search of the same kind of food. According to the statements of those traders who have resided near Hudson's Bay, the Snow Buntings are the earliest of their migratory birds, appearing there about the 11th of April, staying about a month or five weeks, and proceeding farther north to breed. They return again in September, stay till November, when the severe frosts drive thern southward.* The summer dress of the Snow Bunting is a tawny brown, inter- spersed with white, covering the head, neck, and lower parts ; the back is black, each feather being skirted with brown ; wings and tail, also black, marked in the following manner: — The three secondaries next the body are bordered with bay, the next with white, and all the rest of the secondaries, as well as their coverts, and shoulder of the wing, pure white ; the first six primaries are black from their covert:;^ downwards to their extremities ; tail, forked, the three exterior feathers on each side white, marked on the outer edge near the tip with black, the rest nearly all black ; tail-coverts, reddish brown, fading into white ; bill, pale brown ; legs and feet, black ; hind claw, long, like that of the lark, though more curved. In winter, they become white on the head, neck, and whole under-side, as well as great part of the wings and rump ; the back continues black, skirted with brown. Some are even found pure white. Indeed, so much does their plumage vary according to age and season, that no two are found at any time alike. * London Philosophical Transactions, Ixii. 403. 216 RUSTY GRAKLE. RUSTY GRAKLE. — GRACUL A FERRUGINEA. — Fig. 98. Black Oriole, Arct. Zool. p. 259, No. 144. — Rusty Oriole, Ibid. p. 260, No. 146.— New York Thrush, Ibid. p. 339, No. 205. — Hudsonian Thrush, Ibid. No. 23-1-, female. — Labrador Thrush, Ibid. p. 340, No. 206. — Peak's Museum, No. 551-i. SCOLEPHJIQUS FERRUGLVEUS. — SwAirfsox. Quiscalus ferrugineus, Bonap. Sump- p. 55. — Scolephagus ferrugineus, NortJu Zool. ii. p. 286. Here is a single species described by one of the most judicious naturalists of Great Britain no less than five different times ! — The greater part of these descriptions is copied by succeeding naturalists, whose synonymes it is unnecessary to repeat: so great is the uncer- tainty in judging, from a mere examination of their dried or stuffed skins, of the particular tribes of birds, many of which, for several years, are constantly varying in the colors of their plumage, and, at different seasons, or different ages, assuming new and very different appear- ances. Even the size is by no means a safe criterion, the difference in tliis respect between the male and female of the same species (as in the one now before us) being sometimes very considerable. This bird arrives in Pennsylvania, from the north, early in October; associates with the Redwings and Cow-Pen Buntings, frequents corn- fields and places where grasshoppers are plenty ; but Indian corn, at that season, seems to be its principal food. It is a very silent bird, havinor only now and then a single note, or chuch We see them occa- sionally until about the middle of November, when they move off to the south. On the IQth of January, I overtook great numbers of these birds in the woods near Petersburgh, Virginia, and continued to see occasional parties of them almost every day as I advanced southerly, particularly in South Carolina, around the rice plantations, where they were numerous, feeding about the hog pens, and wherever Indian corn was to be procured. They also extend to a considerable distance westward. On the 5th of March, being on the banks of the Ohio, a few miles below the mouth of the Kentucky River, in the midst of a heavy snow storm, a flock of these birds alighted near the door of the cabin where I had taken shelter, several of which I shot, and found their stomachs, as usual, crammed with Indian corn. Early in April they pass hastily through Pennsylvania, on their return to the nortli to breed. From the accounts of persons who have resided near Hudson's Bay, it appears that tliese birds arrive there in the beginning of June, as soon as the ground is thawed sufficiently for tliem to procure their food, which is said to be worms and maggots ; sing with a fine note till the time of incubation, when they have only a chucking noise, till tlie young take their fliglit ; at which time tliey resume tlieir song. They build their nests in trees, about eight feet from the grrund, form- ing them with moss and grass, and lay five eggs of a dark color, spot- ted with black. It is added, they gather in great flocks, and retire soutlierly in September.* * Arctic Zoolo^j, p. 259. PURPLE GRAKLE. 217 The male of this species, when in perfect plumage, is nine inches in length, and fourteen in extent; at a small distance appears wholly black; but, on a near examination, is of a glossy dark green; the irides of the eye are silvery, as in those of the Purple Grakle ; the bill is black, nearly of tlie same form witli that of the last-mentioned spe- cies; the lower mandible a little rounded, with the edges turned inward, and the upper one furnished with a sharp, bony process on the inside, exactly like that of the purple species. The tongue is slender, and lacerated at the tip ; legs and feet, black and strong, the hind claw the largest; the tail is slightly rounded. This is the coior of the male when of full age ; but three fourths of these birds which we meet with, have the whole plumage of the breast, head, neck, and back, tinctured witli broAvn, every featlier being skirted witli fen-ugi- nous ; over the eye is a light line of pale brown, below that one of black passing through the eye. This brownness gradually goes off towards spring, for almost all those I shot in the Southern States were but slightly marked with ferruginous. The female is nearly an inch shorter ; head, neck, and breast, almost wholly brown ; a light line over the eye ; lores, black ; belly and rump, ash ; upper and under tail- coverts, skirted with brown ; wings, black, edged with rust color ; tail, black, glossed with green; legs, feet, and bill, as in the male. These birds might easily be domesticated. Several that I had winged and kept for some time, became, in a few days, quite familiar, seeming to be very easily reconciled to confinement PURPLE GRAKLE. — GRACULA QUISCALA. — Fig. 99. Linn. Syst. 165. — La pie de la iammque, Briss. ii. 4L — Buff. iii. 91, PL enl.. 538. Arct. Zoo/, p. 263, No. 153. — Gracula purpurea, the Lesser Purple Jack- daw, or Crow Blackbird, Bartram, p. 289. — Feale's Museum, No. 1582. Q,UISCALUS VERSICOLOR. — YiEiLLor.* Quiscalus versicolor, Vieill. Gall, des Ois. pi. 108. — Bonap. Synop. p. 54-. — Purple Grakle, or Common Crow Blackbird, Aud. pi. 7 ; Orn. Biog. i. p. 35. — Quis- calus versicolor, Common Purple Boat-Tail, North. Zool. ii. p. 285. This noted depredator is well known to every careful farmer of the Northern and Middle States. About the 20th of March, the Purple Grakles visit Pennsylvania from the south, fly in loose flocks, frequent swamps and meadows, and follow in the furrows after the plough ; their food at this season consisting of worms, grubs, and caterpillars, * Gracida will be given exclusively to a form inhabiting India, of which, though one species only is described, I have every reason to believe that at least two are confounded under it. Quiscalus has been, on this account, taken, by Vieillot, for our present bird, and some others confined to America. There has been consider- able confusion among the species, which has been satisfactorily cleared up by Bonaparte, and will be seen in the sequel of the work. The female is figured Plate V. of the Continuation by tiie Prince of Musignano. — Ed. 19 218 PURPLE GRAKLE. of which they destroy prodigious numbers, as if to recompense the husbandman beforehand for the havock they intend to make among his crops of Indian corn. Towards evening, they retire to the near- est cedars and pine-trees to roost, making a continual chattering as tliey fly along. On the tallest of these trees they generally build their nests in company, about the beginning or middle of April; sometimes ten or fifteen nests being on the same tree. One of these nests, taken from a high pme-tree, is now before me. It measures full five inches in diameter within, and four in depth ; is composed outwardly of mud, mixed with long stalks and roots of a knotty kind of grass, and lined with fine bent and horse hair. The eggs are five, of a bluish olive color, marked with large spots and straggling streaks of black and dark brown, also with others of a fainter tinge. They rarely produce more than one brood in a season.* The trees where these birds build are often at no great distance from the farm-house, and overlook the plantations. From thence they issue, in all directions, and with as much confidence, to make their daily depredations among the surrounding fields, as if the whole were intended for their use alone. Their chief attention, however, is di- rected to the Indian corn in all its progressive stages. As soon as the infant blade of this grain begins to make its appearance above ground, the Grakles hail the welcome signal with screams of peculiar satisfac- tion, and, without waiting for a formal invitation from the proprietor, descend on the fields, and begin to pull up and regale themselves on the seed, scattering the green blades around. While thus eagerly employed, the vengeance of the gun sometimes overtakes them ; but these disasters are soon forgotten, and those who live to get away, Return to steal, another day. About the beginmng of August, when the young ears are in their milky state, they are attacked with redoubled eagerness by the Grakles and Redwings, in formidable and combined bodies. They descend * Audubon's account of their manner of buildin^- is at considerable variance with that given above by our author. " The lofty dead trees left standing in our newlv-cultivated fields, have many holes and cavities, some of which have been borecl by Woodpeckers, and others caused by insects or decay. These are visited and examined in succession, until, a choice being made, and a few dry weeds and feathers collected, the female deposits her eggs, which are from four to six in number, blotched and streaked with brown and black." Such is the manner of building in Louisiana j but, in the Northern States, their nests are differently constructed, and, as mentioned by our author, it is a singular circumstance that a comparatively short distance should so vary this formation. " In the Northern States, their nests are constructed in a more perfect manner. A pine-tree, whenever it occurs in a conve- nient place, is selected l)y preference. There the Grakle forms a nest, which, from the ground, might easily be mistaken for that of our Robin, were it less bulky. Eul it is much larger, and is associated with others, often to the number of a dozen or more, on the horizontal branches of the i)iiic, forming tier above tier, from the lowest to the highest branches. It is composed of grass, slender roots and mud, lined with hair and finer grasses." JVIr. Audubon has also once or twice observed them build in the fissures of rocks. " The fiesh is little belter than that of a Crow, being dry and ill-flavoretl ; notwithstanding it is often used, with the adchtion of one or two Golden-winged \Vo<)d|>erkers, or Redwings, to make what is called pot-pie. The eggs, on the contrary, arc very delicate." — Ed. PURPLE GRAKLE. 219 like a blackening, sweeping tempest on the corn, dig off the external covering of twelve or fifteen coats of leaves, as dexterously as if done by the hand of man, and, having laid bare the ear, leave little behind to the farmer but the cobs, and shrivelled skins, that contained their favorite fare. I have seen fields of corn of many acres, where more than one half was thus ruined. Indeed the farmers, in the immediate vicinity of the Rivers Delaware and Schuylkill, generally allow one fourth of tliis crop to the Blackbirds, among whom our Grakle comes in for his full share. During these depredations, the gun is making great havock among their numbers, which has no other effect on the survivors than to send them to another field, or to another part of the same field. This system of plunder and retaliation continues until November, when, towards the middle of that month, they begin to sheer off towards the south. The lower parts of Virginia, North and South Carohna, and Georgia, are the winter residences of these flocks. Here numerous bodies, collecting together from all quarters of the interior and northern districts, and darkening the air with their numbers, sometimes form one congregated multitude of many hundred thousands. A few miles from the banks of the Roanoke, on the 20th of January, I met with one of those prodigious armies of Grakles. They rose from the surrounding fields with a noise like thunder, and, descending on the length of road before me, covered it and the fences completely with black ; and when they again rose, and, after a few evolutions, descended on the skirts of the high-timbered woods, at that time destitute of leaves, they produced a most singular and striking effect ; the whole trees for a considerable extent, from the top to tlie lowest branches, seemed as if hung in mourning; their notes and screaming the meanwhile resembling the distant sound of a great cataract, but in more musical cadence, swelling and dying away on the ear, according to the fluctuation of the breeze. In Kentucky, and all along the Mis- sissippi, from its juncture with the Ohio to the Balize, I fuund numbers of these birds, so that the Purple Grakle may be considered as a very general inhabitant of the territory of the United States. Every industrious farmer complains of the mischief committed on his corn by the Crow Blackbirds, as they are usually called; though, v/ere the same means used, as with Pigeons, to take them in clap nets, multitudes of them might thus be destroyed, and tlie products of them in market, in some measure, indemnify him for their depredations. But tliey are most numerous and most destructive at a time when the various harvests of the husbandman demand all his attention, and all liis hands, to cut, cure, and take in ; and so tliey escape with a few sweeps made among them by some of the younger boys with the gun, and by the gunners from the neighboring towns and villages ; and return from their winter quarters, somethnes early in March, to renew the like scenes over aorain. As some consolation, however, to the indus- trious cultivator, I can assure him, that were T placed in his situation, 1 should hesitate whether to consider tliese birds most as friends or enemies, as they are particularly destructive to almost all the noxious Avorms, grubs and caterpillars, that infest his fields, which, were they allowed to multiply unmolested, would soon consume nine tenths of all the prof] notion of his labor, and desolate the country with the nnseries of famine ! Is not this another striking proof tiiat the Deity 220 SWA3IP SPARROW. has created nothing in vain ? and that it is the duty of man, the lord of the creation, to avail himself of their usefulness, and guard against their bad effects as securely as possible, without indulging in the barbarous and even impious wish for their utter extermination ? The Purple Grakle is twelve inches long, and eighteen in extent ; on a slight view, seems wholly black, but placed near, in a good light, the whole head, neck, and breast, appear of a rich glossy steel blue, dark violet, and silky green ; the violet prevails most on the head and breast, and the green on the hind part of tlie neck. The back, rump, and whole lower parts, the breast excepted, reflect a strong coppery gloss ; wing-coverts, secondaries, and coverts of the tail, rich light violet, in which the red prevails ; the rest of the wings, and rounded tail, are black, glossed with steel blue. All the above colors are ex- tremely shining, varying as differently exposed to the light ; iris of the eye, silvery ; bill, more than an inch long, strong, and furnished on the inside of the upper mandible with a sharp process, like the stump of the broken blade of a penknife, intended to assist the bird in macerating its food ; tongue, thin, bifid at the end, and lacerated along the sides. The female is rather less, has the upper part of the head, neck, and the back, of a dark sooty brown ; chin, breast, and belly, dull pale brown, lightest on the former ; wings, tail, lower parts of the back and vent, black, with a few reflections of dark green ; legs, feet, bill, and eyes, as in the male. The Purple Grakle is easily tamed, and sings in confinement They have also, in several instances, been taught to articulate some few words pretty distinctly. A singular attachment frequently takes place betAveen this bird and the Fish" Hawk. The nest of this latter is of very large dimensions, often from three to four feet in breadth, and from four to five feet high ; composed, externally, of large sticks, or fagots, among the in- terstices of which sometimes three or four pairs of Crow Blackbirds will construct their nests, while tlie HaAvk is sitting or hatching above. Here each pursues the duties of incubation and of rearing their young ; living in the greatest harmony, and mutually watching and protecting each other's property from depredators. SWAMP SPARROW. — FRINGILLA PALUSTRIS. — Fig. 100. Passer palustris, Bartram, p. 291. — Peales Museum, No. 65G9. ZOJ^OTRICHIA PALUSTRIS — J xRDiyi:.* Fringilla palustris,, Bonap. Synop. p. 111. — The Swamp Sparrow, Aud. pi. G4, male; Orn. Biog. i. p. 331. The history of this obscure and humble species is short and unin- teresting. UnknoAvn or overlooked by tlie naturalists of Europe, it is * The four species figured m Nos. 100, 101, 102, and 103, will poml out the form which Mr. Swainson has designale4 as above. Of tliese, the present and SWAMP SPARROW. 221 now, for the first time, introduced to the notice of the world. It is one of our summer visitants, arriving in Pennsylvania early in April, frequenting low grounds and river courses ; rearing two, and some- times three, broods in a season ; and returning to tlie south as the cold weather commences. The immense cypress swamps and extensive grassy flats of tlie Southern States, that border their numerous rivers, and tlie rich rice plantations, abounding with their favorite seeds and sustenance, appear to be the general winter resort, and grand annual rendezvous, of this and all the other species of Sparrow that remain with us during summer. From the River Trent in North Carolina, to that of Savannah, and still farther south, I found this species very numerous ; not flying in flocks, but skulking among the canes, reeds, and grass, seeming shy and timorous, and more attached to the water than any other of their tribe. In the month of April, numbers pass through Pennsylvania to the northward, which I conjecture from the circumstance of finding them at that season in particular parts of the woods, where, during tlie rest of the year, they are not to be seen. The few that remain frequent the swamps and reedy borders of our creeks and rivers. They form their nest in the ground, sometimes in a tussock of rank grass, surrounded by water, and lay four eggs, of a dirty white, spotted with rufous. So late as the 15th of August, 1 have seen them feeding their young that were scarcely able to fly. Their principal food is grass seeds, wild oats, and insects. They have no song ; are distinguished by a single chip or cheep, uttered in a rather hoarser tone tlian that of the Song Sparrow ; flirt tlie tail as they fly ; seldom or never take to the trees, but skulk from one low bush or swampy tliicket to another. The Swamp Sparrow is five inches and a half long, and seven inches and a half in extent ; the back of the neck and front are black ; crown, bright bay, bordered with black ; a spot of yellowish white between the eye and nostril; sides of the neck and whole breast, dark ash ; chin, white ; a streak of black proceeds from the lower mandi- ble, and another from tlie posterior angle of the eye ; back, black, slightly skirted with bay ; greater coverts also black, edged with bay ; wings and tail, plain brown ; belly and vent, brownish white ; bill, dusky above, bluish below ; eyes, hazle ; legs, brown ; claws, strong and sharp, for climbing the reeds. The female wants the bay on the crown, or has it indistinctly ; over the eye is a line of dull white. the last will recede from the type, the one in the more slender, the other in the stronger bill, and its even, cutting' margins. They in every respect show a strong assimilation with the Bunting, Sparrow, and Lark family, though they cannot f)roperly rank with these. According to the characters now laid down, and I be ieve properly so, they are a most interesting form when taken in comparison with tlieir representatives in other countries. They appear confined to America. —Ed. 19 * 222 WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. — FRINGILLA ALBICOL- LIS. — Fig. 101. Fr!ii"-illa fusca, Bartram. ]>. 291. — Lath, il 212. — Edwards, oOi.— Arct. Zool. ° p. 373, No. 248. — Peak's Museum, No. 6486. ZOXOTRICRJA PEj^.YSYLV.ajYICA. — Swainson. Fringilla Pennsvlvanica, Lath. Ind. Orn. i. p. 44o. — Bonap. Synop. p. 108.-- TKe White-Throated Sparrow, Aud. pi. 8, male and female 3 Orn. Biog. i. p. 42. — North. Zool. ii. p. 256. This is the largest as well as handsomest of all our Sparrows. It winters with the preceding species and several others in most of the states south of New England. From Connecticut to Savannah 1 found these birds numerous, particularly in the neighborhood of the Roanoke River, and among the rice plantations. In summer they re- tire to the higher inland parts of the country, and also farther north, to breed. According to Pennant, they are also found at that season in Newfoundland. During their residence here in winter, tliey col- lect together in flocks, always prefen'ing the borders of swampy tliickets, creeks, and mill-ponds, skirted with alder bushes and long, rank Aveeds, the seeds of which form their principal food. Early in spring-, a little before they leave us, they have a few remarkably sweet and clear notes, genera.lly in the morning a little after sunrise. About the 20th of April they disappear, and we see no more of tliem till the beo-inning or second week of October, when they again return ; part to pass the winter with us, and part on their route farther south. The length of the White-throated SparroAv is six incites and a half, breadth, nine inches ; the upper part of the back and the lesser wing- coverts are beautifully variegated with black, bay, ash, and light brown ; a stripe of white passes from the base of the upper mandible to the hind head ; this is bordered on each side with a stripe of black; below this again is another of white passing over each eye, and deep- ening- into oi°ange yellow between that and the nostril ; this is again bordered by a stripe of black proceeding from the hind part of the eye ; breast, ash ; chin, belly, and vent, white ; tail, somewhat wedged ; legs, flesh colored ; bill, a bluish horn color ; eye, liazel. In the female, the white stripe on the crown is a light drab ; tlie breast not so dark ; the chin less pure ; and the line of yellow before the eye scarcely half as long as in tlie male. All the parts tliat are white'in the male are in tlie female of a light drab color. FOX-COLORED SPARROW. 223 FOX-COLORED SPARROW. — FRINGILLA RUFA.-Fig. 103. Rusty BuntinET, Arct. Zool. p. 3G4, No. 23L Ibid. 233. — Ferruginous Finch, IMd. 315, tio. 2oL — Fringilla rufa, Bartram, p. 2dl. — Peak's Museu7n,]^o. 6092. ZOJVOTRTCHM /Z/./f C^. — Swainson. Fringilla iliaca, Bonap. Si/nop. p. 112. — Fringilla (zonolrichia) iliaca, North. Zool. ii. p. 2o7. This plump and pretty species arrives in Pennsylvania from the north about the 20th of October ; frequents low, sheltered thickets ; associates in little flocks of ten or twelve ; and is almost continually scrapino; the ground, and rustling- among the fallen leaves. I found this bird numerous in November, among the rich, cultivated flats that border the River Connecticut ; and was informed that it leaves those places in spring;. 1 also found it in the northern parts of the state of Vermont Along the borders of the great reed and cypress swamps of Virginia and North and South Carolina, as well as around the rice plantations, I observ^ed this bird very frequently. They also inhabit Newfoundland.* They are rather of a solitary nature, seldom feed- ing in the open fields, but generally under thickets, or among tall, rank weeds on the edges of fields. They sometimes associate with the Snow Bird, but more generally keep by themselves. Their manners very much resemble those of the Red-eyed Bunting ; they are silent, tame, and unsuspicious. They have generally no other note while here than a shep, shep ; yet I suspect they have some song in the places where they breed ; for I once heard a single one, a little before the time tliey leave us, warble out a few very sweet, Ioav notes. The Fox-colored Sparrow is six inches long, and nine and a quarter broad ; the upper part of the head and neck is cinereous, edged with rust color ; back, handsomely mottled with reddish brown, and cin- ereous ; wings and tail, bright ferruginous ; the primaries, dusky within and at the tips, the first and second row of coverts, tipped with white ; breast and belly, white ; the former, as well as the ear- feathers, marked with large blotches of bright bay, or reddish broAvn, and the beginning of the belly with little an-ow-shaped spots of black ; the tail-coverts and tail are a bright fox-color ; tlie legs and feet, a dirty brownish white, or clay color, and very strong ; the bill is strong, dusky above and yellow below ; iris of the eye, hazel. TJie chief difference in the female is, that the wings are not of so bright a bay, inclining more to a drab ; yet this is scarcely observable, unless by a comparison of the two together. They are generally very fat, live on grass seeds, eggs of insects, and gravel. * Pennant. 224 SAVANNAH SPARROW. SAVANNAH SPARROW. — FRINGILLA SAVANNA. — Fig. 102.— Female.* Pecde's Museum, No. 6584. ZOJ^OTRICHTA S.^r./iJVJVV3.— Jardine. FringiUa Savanna, Bonap. Synop. p. 108. This new species is an inhabitant of the low countries on the Atlantic coast, from Savannah, where I first discovered it, to the state of New York, and is generally resident in these places, though rarely found inland, or far from the sea-shore. The drawing of this bird was in the hands of the engraver before I was aware that the male (^a figure of which will appear hereafter) was so much its superior in beauty of markings and in general colors. W^ith a representation of the male will also be given particulars of their nest, eggs, and man- ners, Avhich, from the season, and the few specimens I had tlie oppor- tunity of procuring, I was at that time unable to collect I have since found these birds numerous on the sea-shore, in the state of New Jersey, particularly near Great Egg Harbor. A pair of these I pre- sented to Mr. Peale of tliis city, in whose noble collection they now occupy a place. The female of the Savannah Sparrow is five inches and a half long, and eight and a half in extent ; the plumage of the back is mottled with black, bright bay, and whitish ; chin, white ; breast, marked with pointed spots of black, edged with bay, running in chains from each base of the lower mandible ; sides, touched with long streaks of the same ; temples, marked with a spot of delicate yellow ; ear-feathers, slightly tinged with the same ; belly, white, and a little streaked ; inside of the shoulders, and lining of tlie wing, pale yellowish ; first and second rows of wing-coverts, tipped with whitish ; secondaries next tlie body, pointed and very black, edged also with bay ; tail, slightly forked, and witliout any white feathers ; legs, pale flesh color ; hind claw, pretty long. The very slight distinctions of color which Nature has drawn between many distinct species of this family of Finches, render these minute and tedious descriptions absolutely necessary, tliat the particu- lar species may be precisely discriminated, * The Male is figured, No. 153. LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. 225 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. — LANIUS CAROLINENSIS. — Fig.104. Peak's Museum, No. 557. LjIJVIUS LVDO VICMJ\''US. — Co NAP ARTE. Lanius Ludovicianus, Bonap. Synop. p. 72. — The Loggerhead Slirike, And. pi. 57, male and female ; Orn. Biog. i. p. 300. This species has a considerable resemblance to the Great American Shrike.* It differs, however, from that bird in size, being a full inch shorter ; and in color, being much darker on the upper parts ; and in having the frontlet black. It also inhabits the warmer parts of the United States ; while the Great American Shrike is chiefly confined to tlie northern regions, and seldom extends to the south of Virginia. This species inhabits the rice plantations of Carolina and Georgia, where it is protected for its usefulness in destroying mice. It sits, for hours together, on the fence, beside the stacks of rice, watching like a cat ; and as soon as it perceives a mouse, darts on it like a Hawk. It also feeds on crickets and grasshoppers. Its note, in March, resembled the clear creaking of a sign-board in windy Aveather. It builds its nest, as I was informed, generally in a detached bush, much like that of tlie Mocking Bird ; but, as the spring was not then sufficiently advanced, I had no opportunity of seeing its eggs. It is generally known by the name of the Loggerhead, f * See Fig. 15. t In the remarks on the Tijranninm, I observed that only two of the sub-fam- ilies of the greater division Laniadce existed in North America, — that now alluded to, and the Laniance, of which our present species, with the L. borealis of a former plate, and that of Europe, will form typical examples. Ornithologists have always been at variance with regard to the position of these birds, and have placed them alike with the rapacious Falcons and timid Thrushes. They are, however, the " Falcons of the insect world ; " and among the Insessores will be the representatives of that group. America was seen to be the great country of the Tyrannince ; in like manner may the Shrikes claim Africa for their great birth-place. They there wage incessant war on the numerous insect hosts, the larger species occasionally exercising their greater strength on some of the weaker individuals of the feathered race ; and by some gamekeepers, that of this country is killed as a bird of prey, being found to destroy young birds, and even to drag the weak young pheasants through the bars of the breeding coops. Small animals and reptiles also form a part of their prey. They decrease in numbers as the colder and more temperate countries are approached ; and the vast extent of North America appears only to contain five species. New Holland alone is without any true Lanius, but is supplied by another genus, Falcun- culus, allied in form, and now containing two species, which also unite somewhat of their habits, and feed on insects, though the mode of taking their prey shows some- thing scansorial. Among the Tyrants, the powers of flight are dev^eloped to a great extent, as suitable to the capture of the particular prey upon which they feed. In the Shrikes, the form is considerably modified ; the wings become more rounded, and the tail graduated ; and the general prey is the larger insects of the orders Coleoptera and Hemiptera, to capture which does not require so great an exercise of very quick or active powers, and which are often patiently watched for and pounced upon by surprise, in a similar manner to that described of the North AmericaQ LoggerheaO. They have all the character of being cruel and tyrannous_, arising frora the pecu- 226 LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. This species is nine inches long, and thirteen in extent ; the color above is cinereous, or dark ash; scapulars and line over the eye, liar manner of impaling their prey upon thorns, or fastening it in the clefts of branches, often in a wanton manner, as if for the sake of murder only, thus fixing up all it can seize upon. One species is particularly remarkable for the regular exhibition of this propensity, and has become proverbial for its cruelty, — Lunias coUaris of Southern Africa. Its habits are thus described by Le Vaillant : — " \Vhen it sees a locust, a mantis, or a small bird, it springs upon it, and immedi- ately carries it off, in order to impale it on a thorn, which it does with great dex- terity, always passing the thorn through the head of its victim. Every animal which it seizes is subjected "to the same fate 5 and it thus continues all day long its mur- derous career, apparently instigated rather by the love of mischief than the desire of food. Its throne of tyranny is usually a dry and elevated branch of a tree, from which it pounces on all intruders, driving off the stronger and more troublesome, and impaling the inexperienced alive ; when hungry, it visits its shambles, and helps itself to a savory meal.'' The Hottentots assured Le Vaillant that it does not love fresh food, and therefore leaves its prey on the gibbet till it becomes putrescent; but beneath the scorching sun of Africa, the process of decomposition sometimes does not take place, fiom the rapid exhalation of the animal fluids in a warm and arid atmosphere, and, consequently, whatever spiny shrub may have been chosen by the Butcher Bird as the place of execution, is frequently found covered, not with sweet-smelling and many-colored blossoms, but with the dried carcasses of singing birds, and the bodies of locusts, and other insects of the larger size. The species of Great Britain, also, exercises this propensity ; but, according to Mr. Selby, it invariably kills its prey by strangulation before transfixing it. That gen- tleman mentions once having the gratification of witnessing this operation of the Shrike upon a Hedge Accentor, which it had just killed. " In this instance, after killing the bird, it hovered, with its prey in its bill, for a short time over the hedge, apparently occupied in selecting a thorn fit for its purpose. L^pon disturbing: it, and advancing to the spot, I found the Accentor firmly fixed by the tendons of tlie wing at the selected twig." When in confinement, this peculiarity is also displayed, in placing the food against or between the wires of the cage. They frequent woody countries, with occasional shrubs and hedges, among which they also breed ; the notes, as might be expected, are hoarse and grating, and during the season of incu- bation become verv garrulous, particularly when alarmed ; they are very attentive to their young, cmd continue long to feed and attend them after they are able to shift for themselves. It may be here remarked that the FalconidcB, which our present knowledge leads us to think is represented by this group, always take their prey to some eminence before commencing to devour it — a bare hillock or rock in an open country, the top of some old mound or dike, or, if in a wood, some de- cayed stump ; and I have known one spot of frequent recurrence by the same individuals ; thus showing some analogy to each other. The following seem to be the species which are known to belong to North America : — 1. L. borealis, Vieill. — L. excubitor, Wils. Vol. i. p. 74, L. borecdis, Bonap. S\Tiop. App.* 2. L. hidovicianus , Bonap. — L. Carolinensis, Wils. Vol. iii. p. 57 5 found only in the warmer and more southern states, the Carolinas and Georgia. 3. Lanius excubitroides, Sw. Nov. spec. — American Gray Shrike, North. Zool. Vol. ii. p. 115. Specimens were brought to this country by the last over-land arctic expedition. According to Dr. Richardson, it is a more' northern bird than L. borealis, and does not advance farther north in summer than the 54° of latitude, and it attains that parallel only in the meridian of the warm and sandy plains of the Saskatchewan, which enjoy an earlier spring, and longer summer, than the densely-wooded coun- try betwixt them and Hudson's Bay. Its manners are precisely similar to those of L. borealis, feeding chiefly on grasshoppers, which are exceedingly * When writing the note at page 49, I was not nware that Bonaparte had taken notice of the mistake mentioned there in his Appendix to the Synopsis of North American Birds. — Ed. BELTED KINGSFISIIER. 227 whitish ; wings, black, Avith a small spot of white at the base of the primaries, and tipped with white ; a stripe of black passes along the front, through each eye, half way doAvn the side of the neck ; eye, dark hazel, sunk below the eyebrow ; tail, cuneiform, tlie four middle feathers wholly black ; the four exterior ones, on each side, tipped, more and more with white to the outer one, whicii is nearly all white ; whole lower parts, white ; and in some specimens, both of males and females, marked with transverse lines of very pale brown; bill and legs, black. The female is considerably darker both above and below, but the black does not reach so high on tlie front ; it is also rather less in size. BELTED KINGSFISHER. — ALCEDO ALCYON. — Fig. 105. — Female. Bartram, p. 289.— Turton, p. 278. — Peak's Museum, No. 214.5. ALCEDO J3ZCF0JV. — LiNN.Tius.* Alcedo alcyon, Bonap. Synop. p. 49. — The Belted Kingsfisher, ^mc/. pi. 77 ; Orn. Biog. i. p. 394. This is a general inhabitant of the banks and shores of all our fresh water rivers, from Hudson's Bay to Mexico ; and is the only species of its tribe found within the United States. This last circum- numerous. Its nest was found in a bush of willows, built of twigs of ArtemesicR and dried grass, and lined with feathers ; the eggs, six in number, were very pale yellowish gray, with many irregular and confluent spots of oil green, interspersed with a few of smoke gray. The merit of unravelling this species from several very closely allied to it in its native country, and from that to which it approaches nearest, the L. excubitor of Europe, is due to Mr. Swainson ; the chief distinctive characters given by that naturalist are the small proportions of the bill, the frontal feathers crossed by a narrow band of deep black, the black stripe on the side of the head encircling the upper margin of the eyelid, lateral scales of the tarsus being divided in several pieces, the shorter length of the wing when closed, and in the tail being more graduated 5 the total length is nine inches, six lines. 4. Lanius elegans, Sw. — White-crowned Shrike. Described by Mr. Swainson, from a specimen in the British Museum, to which it was presented from the Fur countries by the Hudson's Bay Company. It may at once be distinguished from the other American Shrikes, by the much greater quantity of white on the wings and tail 5 its narrower tail-feathers, longer tarsi, and less curved claws ; the length is about nine inches. 5. Lanius (?) natka, Penn. — Natka Shrike. This species, the Nootka Shrike of Dr. Latham, from Nootka Sound, on the north-west coast of North America, seems to be of such dubious authority, that little can be said regarding it. — Ed. * The description of Wilson, and that of Audubon, which has been added in a note from the Ornithological Biographij, give a very correct detail of the general manners of the true Kingsfishers, or those resembling that of this country ; there is throughout the family, however, a very considerable difference in form, and, as a matter of course, a corresponding difference in habit 5 this has occasioned a di- 228 BELTED KLNGSFISHER. stance, and its characteristic appearance, make it as universally known here as its elegant little brother, the Common Kingshsher of Europe, is in Britain. Like the lovelorn swains, of whom poets tell us, he delights in murmuring streams and falling waters ; not, however, vision of ihem into various groups, by almost all ornithologists; that to which our present species belongS; and of \vhich it is the largest, contains all those of smaller size with four toes and sharp angular and lengihened bills ; they feed entirely on tish and aquatic insects, and live on the banks of rivers, lakes, and creeks, and occa:?ionally on the sea-shore. They are distributed over the world, but the warmer parts of India, Africa, and South America, possess the greatest share, North America and Europe possessing onl}' one each. 'J'he colors ol the plumage, with a few exceptions, particularly the upper parts, are very bright and shining, the webs of the feathers unconnected and loose ; the under parts generally white, wiih shades of reddish brown and orange; the division nearest to this, containing but a few species of very small size, but similar in form and coloring, has been separated on account of having three toes, and, I believe, is exclusively Indian. Another and a well-marked group is the Halcyon of iMr. Swainson : it differs materially ia the fonn and manners of living, and ranges every where, except in PSorth America and Europe. The birds are all above the middle size, with a stouter and more robust form ; the colors sometimes very gaudy, in others of rich and pleasing shades of brown. The bill, a chief organ of distinction, is large, much dilated at the base, and, in one or two instances, very strong. They inhabit moist woods and shady streams or creeks, where they watch on a motionless perch tor the larger insects, as the common European species does for fish, and they dart upon them Vt'hen passing, or when seen on the ground, and return again to the same branch or rock ; they also chase their prey in the manner of the B'lycatchers. Notwithstand- ing these are their common food, fish, water insects, in a few instances crabs, are resorted to, and in all cases the vicinity of water seems requisite for their healthy support. There is an individual (Alcedo dea) which has been separated from this under the name of Tanysiptera ; the only distinction, now, (for it has four toes,) is the elongation of two tail-feathers, which exceed the length of the body consider- ably ; it was originally discovered in the Isle of Teruate, and, according to Lesson, is abundant in New Guinea, where it is killed by the natives for ornaments, and those coming to this country, being impaled on reeds, are consequently much muti- lated. Another division will comprise the very large New Holland species, under the title of Dacelo ;^ this contains yet only two species, commonly known by the name of'' Laughing Jackasses ;"' by the natives ihev are called Cuck'unda ;"they are nearly as large as a Common Pigeon, and have all the members very powerful ; the bill is much dilated, and bent at the tip ; according to Lesson, their chief food Ls large insects, which they seize on the ground ; that ornithologist extends the genus to several of the larger-billed small species ; we would now restrict it as bearing better marks to those of New Holland only, D. siganiea and Leachii. Another division has been formed among these curious birds, also by M. Lesson, of the Alcedo rnfipes of Cuvier. under the name of ISiima, and, as a specific appel- lation, that of Torotora, by which it is known to the Papons, in its native country, New Guinea. It frequents rivers and the sea-shores, and feeds on fish ; the prin- cipal distinction for which it has been separated is a serrature of the mandibles of the bill. M. Lesson, however, did not perceive any thing different from its con- geners to which this structure could be applied. From the above remarks it will be seen that the old genus Alcedo has been separated into no less than nine di- visions. Four of these will, periiaps, only be necessary, and are as follows: — 1. Alcedo; having the form of Alcedo ispida ; feeding principally on fish; the geo- graphical distribution, the known world, except very northern latitudes ; the num- ber of species and individuals increasing from the extremes. 2. Halnjon ; the form of Sa7icti/s, ciiinmom^i/x. 07nnicolnr. ccc. ; containing Lesson's Todyrampus ; also, perhaps, his Sijma, and the Tanysiptera of \'igors ; the two latter groups, as * M. Lesson proposes a genus {Toihjrampus) for nil the smaller Now Holland species, taking^, sacra as the type, on nccotint, principally, of the more dil.'tcd bill. The same gentleman proposes the titles MfUilura and Choucalajon, to* designate forms among the KiBgsashers which I have not ascertained. • BELTED KLNGSFISHER. 229 merely that they may soothe his ear, but for a gratification somewhat more substantial. Amidst the roar oftlio cataract, or over the foam of a ton-ent, he sits perched upon an overhanging bough, glancing his piercing eye in every direction below for his scaly prey, which, with a sudden, circular plunge, he sweeps from their native element, and swallows in an instant. Plis voice, which is not unlike the twirling of a watchman's rattle, is naturally loud, harsh, and sudden ; but is softened by the sound of the brawling streams and cascades among Avhich he generally rambles. He courses along the windings of the brook or river, at a small height above the surface, sometimes sus- pending himself by the rapid action of his wings, like certain species of Hawks, ready to pounce on the fry below ; now and then settling on an old, dead, overhanging limb to reconnoitre.* Mill-dams are particu- larly visited by this feathered fisher ; and the sound of his pipe is as well known to the miller as the rattling of his own hopper. Rapid streams, with high, perpendicular banks, particularly if they be of a hard clayey or sandy nature, are also favorite places of resort for this bird ; not only because in such places the small fish are more exposed to view, but because those steep and dry banks are the chosen situa- tions for his nest. Into these he digs v.ith bill and claws horizontally, sometimes to the extent of four or five feet, at the distance of a foot or two from the surface. The few materials he takes in are not always placed at the extremity of the hole, that he and his mate may have room to turn with convenience. The eggs are five, pure white, and tlie first brood usually comes out about the beginning of June, and sometimes sooner, according to the part of the country where they reside. On the shores of Kentucky River, near the town of Frankfort, I found the female sitting early in April. They are very tenacious of their haunts, breeding for several successive years in the same hole, and do not readily forsake it, even though it be visited. An intelligent young gentleman informed me, that having found where a Kingsfisher built, he took away its eggs from time to time, leaving always one behind, until he had taken no less than eighteen from the same nest At some of these visits, the female, being within, retired to the ex- tremity of the hole, while he witlidrew the egg, and next day, when he returned, he found she had laid again as usual. The fabulous stories related by the «,ncients of the nest, manner of species, would be at once distinginshed by the peculiarities of form, which are per- haps not sufficient to indicate a genus without more of like characters ; the g'eo- graphical distribution. South America, New Holland, Africa, and India, 3. Da- cpJo ; the form, D. gigantea ; g-eographical distribution, New Holland. And, 4. Ceyx ; containing the Three-toed Kingsfisher, C irtrfart?/Za; geographical distri- bution, India. — Ed. * Mr. Audubon mentions, that this species sometimes also visits the salt water creeks, diving after fish ; when crossing from one lake to another, which it fre- quently does, it passes over forests in a direct line, not unfrequently by a course of twenty or thirty miles, towards the interior of the country. Its motions at this time consist of a series of slops, about five or six in number, followed by a direct glide, without any apparent undulation They dig the holes for their nest with great despatch. As an instance of their working with celerity, the same gentleman mentions, that he hung a small net in front of one of their holes to entrap the bird upon the nest; but, ere morning, it had scratched its way out. On the following evening, he stopped up the hole for upwards of a foot with a stick, but the same thing again took place. — Ed. 230 BELTED KINGSFISHER hatching, «fcc., of the Kingsfisher, are too trifling to be repeated here. Over the winds and the waves the humble Kingsfishers of our days — at least, the species now before us — have no control. Its nest is neither constructed of glue nor fish-bones, but of loose grass and a few feath- ers ; it is not thrown on the surface of the water to float about, with its proprietor, at random, but snugly secured from the winds and the weather in the recesses of the earth. Neither is its head or its feath- ers believed, even by the most illiterate of our clowns or seamen, to be a charm for love, a protection against witchcraft, or a security for fair weather. It is neither venerated, like those of the Society Isles, nor dreaded, like those of some other countries : but is considered merely as a bird that feeds on fish ; is generally fat ; relished by so7ne as good eating ; and is now and then seen exposed for sale in our markets. Though the Kingsfisher generally remains witli us, in Pennsylva- nia, until the commencement of cold weather, it is seldom seen here in winter ; but returns to us early in April. In North and South Carolina, I obser\'ed numbers of these birds in the months of Feb- ruary and March. I also frequently noticed them on the shores of the Ohio, in February, as high up as the mouth of the Muskingum. I suspect this bird to be a native of the Bahama Islands, as well as cf our continent In passing betAveen these isles and the Florida shore, in the month of July, a Kingsfisher flew several times round our ship, and afterwards shot off to the south. The length of this species is twelve inches and a half; extent, t^venty ; back and whole upper parts, a light bluish slate color; round the neck is a collar of pure vWiite, which reaches before to the chin ; head, large, crested; the feathers, long and narrow, black in the cen- tre, and generally erect ; the shafts of all the feathers, except the white plumage, are black ; belly and vent, white ; sides under the wing:^, variegated with blue ; round the upper part of tlie breast passes a band of blue, interspersed with some light brown feathers ; before the eye is a small spot of white, and another immediately below it ; the bill is three inches long from the point to the sht of the mouth, strong, sharp- pointed, and black, except near the base of the lower mandible, and at the tip, Avhere it is of a horn color ; primaries and interior webs of the secondaries, black, spotted with white ; the interior vanes of tlie tail- laathers, elegantly spotted with white on a jet-black ground ; lower side, light colored ; exterior vanes, blue ; wing-coverts and seconda- ries, marked with small specks of white ; legs, extremely short; wlien the bird perches, it generally rests on the lower side of the second joint, vv'hich is thereby thick and callous ; claws, stout and black ; whole leg, of a dirty yellowish color; above the knee, bare of feathers for half an inch ; tlie two exterior toes united together for nearly tlieir whole length. The female is sprinkled all over with specks of white ; tlie band of blue around the upper part of the breast is nearly half reddish brown ; and a little below this passes a band of briglit reddish bay, spreading on each side under tlie wings. The blue and rufous feathers on the breast are strong, like scales. The head is also of a nuich darker blue than the back, and the white feathers on the chin and throat of an ex- quisite fine, glossy texture, like the most beautiful satin. BLACK AND YELLOW WARBLER. 231 BLACK AND YELLOW WARBLER. — SYLVIA MAGNOLIA.— Fig. 106. Peak's Museum, No. 7783. SYLVICOLA MACULOSA. Sy;j.imov. Sylvia maculosa, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 536. — Bonap. Sijnop. p. 78. — Yellow- 'Rump Warbler, Pe?m. Arct. Zool. ii. p. 400. — The Black and Yellow Warbler, (the young is figured only,) Aud. pi. 50 ; Orn. Biog. i. p. 260. — Sylvicola macu- losa. North. Zool. ii. p. 212. This bird I first met with on the banks of the Little Miami, near its junction with the Ohio. I afterwards found it among the magnolias, not far from Fort Adams, on the Mississippi. These two, both of which happened to be males, are all the individuals I have ever shot of this species ; from which I am justified in concluding it to be a very scarce bird in the United States. Mr. Peale, however, has the merit of having been the first to discover this elegant species, which, he in- forms me, he found, several years ago, not many miles from Philadel- phia. No notice has ever been taken of this bird by any European naturalist whose works I have examined. Its notes, or rather chirp- ings, struck me as very peculiar and characteristic, but have no claim to the title of song. It kept constantly among the higher branches, and was very active and restless. Length, five inches; extent, seven inches and a half ; front, ores, and behind the ear, black ; over the eye, a fine line of white, and an- other small touch of the same immediately under ; back, nearly all black ; shoulders, thinly streaked with olive ; rump, yellow ; tail- coverts, jet black; inner vanes of the lateral tail-feathers, white to within half an inch of the tip, where they are black ; two middle ones, wholly black ; whole lower parts, rich yellow, spotted from the throat downwards with black streaks ; vent, white ; tail, slightly forked ; wings, black, crossed with tvro broad, transverse bars of white ; crown, fine ash ; legs, brown ; bill, black. Markings of the female not known. BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER. — SYLVIA BLACKBURNI^. — Fig. 107. Lath. ii. p. 461, No. 61. — Peale's Museum, No. 7060. SYLVICOLA BLACKBURJ\ri^.—JARDiTiz. Sylvia Blackburuiee, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 80. This is another scarce species in Pennsylvania, making its appear- ance here about the beginning of May, and again in September, on its return, but is seldom seen here during the middle of summer. It is an active, silent bird ; inhabits also the state of New York, from whence it was first sent to Eurooe. Mr. Latham has numbered this as a vari- 232 AUTUMNAL WARBLER. ety of the Yellow-fronted Warbler, a very different species. The specimen sent to Europe, and first described by Pennant, appears also to have been a female, as the breast is said to be yellow, instead of tlie brilliant orange with which it is ornamented. Of the nest and habits of this bird I can give no account, as there is not more than one or two of these birds to be found here in a season, even with the most diligent search. The Blackburnian Warbler is four inches and a half long, and sev- en in extent ; crown, black, divided by a line of orange ; the black again bounded on the outside by a stripe of rich orange passing over the eye ; under the eye, a small touch of orange yellow ; whole throat and breast, rich, fiery orange, bounded by spots and streaks of black ; belly, dull yellow, also streaked witli black ; vent, white ; back, black, skirted with ash ; wings, the same, marked Avith a large lateral spot of white ; tail, slightly forked ; the interior vanes of the three exterior feathers, white ; cheeks, black ; bill and legs, brown. The female is yellow where the male is orange ; the black streaks are also more obscure and less numerous. AUTUxMNAL WARBLER. — SYLVIA AUTUMNALIS. — Fig. 108. SYLVICOLAl AUTUMJ^ALIS. — Jardine. Sylvicola auluninalls, Bonap. Synop. p. 84. — The Autumnal Warbler, Aud. plate 88 J Orn. Biog. i. p. 'Wl. This plain, little species regularly visits Pennsylvania from the north, in the month of October, gleaning among the willow leaves ; but, what is singular, is rarely seen in spring. From the 1st to the loth of October, they may be seen in considerable numbers, almost every day, in gardens, particularly among the branches of tlie weeping- willow, and seem exceedingly industrious. They have some resem- blance, in color, to the Pine-creeping Warbler; but do not run along the trunk like that bird, neither do they give a preference to the pines. They are also less. After the first of November, they are no longer to be found, unless tlie season be uncommonly mild. These birds, doubtless, pass through Pennsylvania in spring, on their way to the north ; but either make a very hasty journey, or frequent the tops of the tallest trees ; for I have never yet met with one of them in that seasoD, though in October I have seen more than a hundred in an afternoon's excursion. Length, four inches and three quarters ; breadth, eiglit inches ; whole upper parts, olive green, streaked on tlie back with dusky stripes ; tail-coverts, a^h, tipped with olive ; tail, black, edged with dull Avhite ; the three exterior feathers, marked near the tip with white ; wings, deep dusky, edged witli olive, and crossed Avitli two bars of white ; primaries, also tipped, and three secondaries next the body, edged witli white ; upper mandible, dusky brown ; lower, as well as tlie chin and breast, dull yellow ; belly and vent, white ; legs, dusky brown ; feet and claws, yellow ; a pale, yellow ring surrounds the eye. The males of these birds often warble out some low but very sweet notes, wliile searching among the leaves in autumn. WATER THRUSH 233 WATER THRUSH. — TURDUS AQUATICUS. — Fig. 109. Peale^s Museum, No. 6896. SEIURUS AQ,UATICUS. — Svi xir^so^. New York Warbler, Penn. Arct. Zool. ii. p. 303. — Sylvia Noveboraccnsis, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 77. — Seiurus aquaticus, Aquatic Accentor, North. Zool. ii. p. 229. This bird is remarkable for its partiality to brooks, rivers, shores, ponds, and streams of Avater; wading in the shallows in search of aquatic insects, wagging the tail almost continually, chattering as it flies ; and, in short, possesses many strong traits and habits of the Water Wagtail. It is also exceedingly shy, darting away on the least attempt to approach it, and uttering a sharp chip repeatedly, as if greatly alarmed. Among the mountain streams in the state of Ten- nessee, I found a variety of this bird pretty numerous, with legs of a bright yellow color ; in other respects, it differed not from the rest About the beginning of May, it passes through Pennsylvania to the nort]i ; is seen along the channels of our solitary streams for ten or twelve days ; afterwards disappears until August. It is probable that it breeds in the higher mountainous districts even of this state, as do many other of our spring visitants that regularly pass a week or two with us in the lower parts, and then retire to the mountains and in- land forests to breed. But Pennsylvania is not the favorite resort of this species. The cane brakes, swamps, river shores, and deep, watery solitudes of Louisiana, Tennessee, and the Mississippi Territory, possess them in abundance ; there they are eminently distinguished by the loudness, sweetness, and expressive vivacity of their notes, Avhich begin very high and clear, falling with an almost imperceptible gradation till they are scarcely articulated. At these times the musician is perched on the middle branches of a tree over the brook or river bank, pouring out his charming melody, that may be distinctly heard for nearly half a mile. The voice of this little bird appeared to me so exquisitely sweet and expressive, that I was never tired of listening to it, while traversing the deep-shaded hollows of those cane brakes where it usually resorts. I have never yet met with its nest. The Water Thrush is six inches long, and nine and a half in ex- tent; the whole upper parts are of a uniform and very dark olive, with a line of white extending over the eye, and along the sides of the neck ; the lower parts are white, tinged with yellow ochre ; the whole breast and sides are marked with pointed spots or streaks of black or deep brown ; bill, dusky brown ; legs, flesh colored ; tail, nearly even ; bill, formed almost exactly like the Golden-crowned Thrush, above described, (Fig. 59;) and, except in frequenting the water, much resembling it in manners. Male and female nearly alike. 20* 334 PAINTED BUNTING. PAINTED BUNTING. — EMBERIZA CIRIS. — Fig. 110, Male; Fig. Ill, Female. Linn. Syst. 313. — Painted Finch, Catesb. i. 44. — JEt/u'. 130, \1^. — Arct. Zool. p. 362. No. 226. — Le Verdier de la Louisiane, dit vulgairement le Pape, Briss. iii. 200, ^pp. H. — Buf. iv. 76, PL enl. 159. — Lath. ii. 206. — Linaria ciris, The Painted Finch, or Nonpareil, Bartram, p. 291. — Peak's Museum, No. 6062 and 6063. SPIZA C/-R/S. — Bonaparte.* Fringilla (sub-genus Spiza) ciris, Bonap. Synop. p. 107. — La pesserine nonpareil ou le papa, Passerina ciris, Vieill. Gall, des Ois. pi. 66. — The Painted Finch, Aud. pi. 53, male and female j Om. Biog. i. 279. This is one of the most numerous of the little summer birds of Lower Louisiana, where it is universally known among the French in- habitants, and called by them Le Pape., and by the Americans T'he .Xonpareil. \\s gay dress and docility of manners have procured it many admirers ; for these qualities are strongly attractive, and carry their own recommendations always along with them. The low coun- tries of the Southern States, in the vicinity of the sea, and along the borders of our large rivers, particularly among the rice plantations, are the favorite haunts of this elegant little bird. A few are seen in North Carolina; in South Carolina they are more numerous, and still more so in the lower parts of Georgia. To the westward, I first met them at Natchez, on the Mississippi, where they seemed rather scarce. Below Baton Rouge, along the Levee, or embankment of the river, they appeared in grea^ numbers ; and continued to become more common as I approached New Orleans, where they were warbling from almost every fence, and crossing the road before me every few minutes. Their notes very much resemble those of the Indigo Bird, (Fig. 23,) but want the strength and energy of the latter, being more feeble and more concise. * From the general request of this species as a pet, it is requisite that considerable numbers should be taken, and the method used is thus described by Audubon. 1 may remark, in the takino^ of various birds alive, " call birds," or lame ones, trained for the purpose of decoy, are commonly used in all countries, and in some instances, a stufl'ed specimen, or even a representation made of Paris plaster, is used with success. '' A male bird, in full plumage, is shot, and stuffed in a defensive attitude, and perched among some grass seed, rice, or other food, on the same platform as the traji-rasre. This is taken to the fields, or near the orangeries, and placed in so open a situation, that it would be difficult for a living bird of any species to fly over it without observing it. The trap is set. A male Painted Finch passes, perceives it, and dives towards the stuffed bird, brings down the trap, and is made prisoner. In this manner, thousands of these birds are cauglit every sj)ring; and so pertina- cious are they in their attacks, that, even when the trap has closed upon them, ihey coi'tinue pecking at the feathers of the supposed rival." They feed immediately, and some have been kept in confinement for ten years. They cost about sixpence in New Orleans) but, in London, three guineas are sometimes asked. The various generic nomonrlature to which this bird has been subjected, shows that ornithologists are at variance in opinion. It forms part of the first section of Bonaparte's sub-genus Spha, to which should also be referred the Fringilla Cya- nea, (Fig. 23.) — Ed. PAINTED BUNTING. 235 I found these birds very commonly domesticated in the houses of the French inhabitants of New Orleans, appearing- to be the most common cage bird they have. The neg-roes often bring them to mar- ket, from the neighboring plantations, for sale ; either in cages, taken in traps, or in the nest A wealthy French planter, who lives on the banks of the Mississippi, a few miles below Bayou Fourche, took me into his garden, which is spacious and magnificent, to show me his aviary ; where, among many of our common birds, I observed several Nonpareils, two of which had nests, and were then hatching. Were the same attention bestowed on these birds as on the Canary, I have no doubt but they would breed with equal facility, and become equally numerous and familiar, while the richness of their plumage might compensate for their inferiority of song. Many of them have been transported to Europe ; and I think I have somewhere read, that in Holland attempts have been made to breed them, and with success. When the employments of the people of the United States become more sedentary, like those of Europe, the innocent and agreeable amusement of keeping and rearing birds in this manner, will become more general than it is at present, and their manners better known. And I cannot but think, that an intercourse with these little innocent warblers is favorable to delicacy of feeling arid sentiments of humanity ; for I have observed the rudest and most savage softened into benevo- lence while contemplating the interesting manners of these inofien- sive little creatures. Six of these birds, which I brought with me from New Orleans by sja, soon became reconciled to the cage. In good weather, the males sang with great sprightliness, though they had been caught only a few days before my departure. They were greedily fond of flies, which accompanied us in great numbers during the whole voyage; and many of the passengers amused themselves Avith catching these, and giving them to the Nonpareils ; till, at length, the birds became so v.'ell acquainted with this amusement, that as soon as they perceived any of the people attempting to catch flies, they assembled at the front of the cage, stretching out their heads through the wires with eager expectation, evidently much interested in the issue of their eflfbrts. These birds arrive in Louisiana, from the south, about the middle of April, and begin to build early in May. In Savannah, according to Mr. Abbot, they arrive about the 20th of April. Their nests are usually fixed in orange hedges, or on the lower branches of the orange- t'-ee; I have also found them in a common bramble or blackberry i)ush. They are f)rmed exteriorly of dry grass, intermingled with the silk of caterpillars, lined with hair, and, lastly, with some extremely fine roots of plants. The eggs are four or five, white, or rather pearl colored, marked with purplish brown specks. As some of these nests hivd eggs so late as the 2.5th of June, I think it probable that they sometimes raise two broods in the same season. The young birds of hotli s^xes, during the first season, are of a fine green olive above, and dull yellow below. The females undergo little or no change, but that rf becoming of a more brownish cast. The males, on the contrary, are long and slow in arriving at th trees, While thi'ir liarsh voices undeceived the ear. Ed. CAROLINA PARROT. 247 and, according to some, even twenty-five miles to the north-west of Albany, in the state of New York.*' But sucli accidental visits fur- nish no certain criterion by which to judge of their usual extent of range, — those aerial voyagers, as well as others who navigate the deep, being subject to be cast away, by the violence of the elements, on distant shores and unknown countries. From these circumstances of the northern residence of this species, we might be justified in concluding it to be a very hardy bird, more capable of sustaining cold than nine tenths of its tribe ; and so I be- lieve it is, — having myself seen them, in the month of February, along the banks of the Ohio, in a snow storm, flying about like Pigeons, and in full cry. The preference, however, which this bird gives to the western coun- tries, lying in the same parallel of latitude with those eastward of the Alleghany Mountains, which it rarely or never visits, is worthy of re- mark; and has been adduced, by different writers, as a proof of the superior mildness of climate in the former to that of the latter. But there are other reasons for this partiality equally powerful, though hitherto overlooked ; namely, certain peculiar features of country to which these birds are particularly and strongly attached ; these are, low, rich, alluvial bottoms, along the borders of creeks, covered with a gigantic growth of sycamore-trees, or button wood ; deep, and al- most impenetrable swamps, where the vast and towering cypress lifts its still more majestic head ; and those singular salines, or, as they are usually called, licks, so generally interspersed over that country, and which are regularly and eagerly visited by the Paroquets. A still greater inducement is the superior abundance of their favorite fruits. That food which the Paroquet prefers to all others, is the seeds of the cockle bur, a plant rarely found in the lower parts of Pennsylvania or New York; but Avhich unfortunately grows in too great abundance along the shores of the Ohio and Mississippi ; so much so as to render the wool of those sheep that pasture where it most abounds, scarcely worth the cleaning, covering them with one solid mass of burs, wrought up and embedded into the fleece, to the great annoyance of this valuable animal. The seeds of the cypress-tree and hackberry, as well as beech nuts, are also great favorites with these birds ; the two former of which are not commonly found in Pennsylvania, and the latter by no means so general or so productive. Here, then, are several powerful reasons, more dependent on soil than climate, for the preference given by these birds to the luxuriant regions of the west. Pennsylvania, indeed, and also Maryland, abound with excel- lent apple orchards, on the ripe fruit of which the Paroquets occasion- ally feed. But I have my doubts whether their depredations in the orchard be not as much the result of wanton play and mischief, as re- gard for the seeds of the fruit, which they are supposed to be in pursuit of. I have known a flock of these birds alight on an apple-tree, and have myself seen them twist oflTthe fruit, one by one, strewing it in every direction around the tree, without observing that any of the depreda- tors descended to pick them up. To a Paroquet, which I wounded and kept for some considerable time, I very often offered apples, which * Barton's Fragments, &c. p. 6. lutroduction. 248 CAROLINA PARROT. it uniformly rejected ; but burs or beech nuts, never. To another very beautiful one, which I brought from New Orleans, and which is now sitting in the room beside me, I have frequently offered this fruit, and also the seeds separately, which I never knew it to taste. Their local attachments, also, prove that food, more than climate, determines their choice of country. For even in the states of Ohio, Kentucky, and the Mississippi Territory, unless in the neighborhood of such places as have been described, it is rare to see tliem. The inhabitants of Lex- ington, as many of them assured me, scarcely ever observe them in that quarter. In passing from that place to Nashville, a distance of two hundred miles, I neither heard nor saw any, but at a place called Madison's Lick. In passing on, I next met with them on the banks and rich flats of the Tennessee River: after this, I saw no more till I reached Bayou St. Pierre, a distance of several hundred miles ; from (ill which circumstances, I think we cannot, from the residences of these birds, establish with propriety any correct standard by which to judge of the comparative temperatures of different climates. In descending the River Ohio, by myself, in the month of February, I met with the first flock of Paroquets at the mouth of the Little Scioto. I had been informed, by an old and respectable inhabitant of Marietta, that they were sometimes, though rarely, seen there. I ob- served flocks of tliem, afterwards, at the mouth of the Great and Little Miami, and in the neighborhood of numerous creeks that discharge themselves into the Ohio. At Big Bone Lick, thirty miles above the mouth of Kentucky River, I saw them in great numbers. They came screaming through the woods in the morning, about an hour after sun- rise, to drink the salt water, of which they, as well as the Pigeons, are remarkably fond. When they alighted on the ground, it appeared at a distance as if covered with a carpet of the richest green, orange, and yellow : they afterwards settled, in one body, on a neighboring tr^e, Avhich stood detached from any other, covering almost every twig of it, and the sun, shining strongly on their gay and glossy plumage, produced a very beautiful and splendid appearance. Here I had an opportunity of observing some very particular traits of their charac- ter : Having shot down a number, some of which were only wounded, the whole flock swept repeatedly around their prostrate companions, and again settled on a low tree, within twenty yards of the spot where I stood. At each successive discharge, though showers of them fell, yet the affection of the survivors seemed rather to increase ; for, after a few circuits around the place, they again alighted near me, looking down on their slaughtered companions with such manifest symptoms of sympathy and concern, as entirely disarmed me. I could not but take notice of the remarkable contrast between their elegant manner of flight, and tbeir lame and crawling gait among the branches. They fly very much like the Wild Pigeon, in close, compact bodies, and with great rapidity, making a loud and outrageous screaming, not unlike that of the Red-headed Woodpecker. Their flight is sometimes in a direct line ; but most usually circuitous, making a great variety of el- egant and easy serpentine meanders, as if for pleasure. They are particularly attached to the large sycamores, in the hollow of the trunks and branches of which they generally roost, thirty or forty, and sometimes more, entering at the same hole. Here they cling close to CAROLINA PARROT. 249 the sides of the tree, holding fast by the claws and also by the bills. They appear to be fond of sleep, and often retire to their holes during the day, probably to take their regular siesta. They are extremely sociable, and fond of each otlier, often scratching each other's heads and necks, and always, at night, nestling as close as possible to each other, preferring, at that time, a perpendicular position, supported by their bill and claws. In the fall, when their favorite cockle burs are ripe, they swarm along the coast or high grounds of the Mississippi, above New Orleans, for a great extent. At such times, they are killed and eaten by many of the inhabitants ; though, I confess, I think their flesh very indifferent. I have several times dined on it from neces- sity, in the woods; but found it merely passable, with all the sauce of a keen appetite to recommend it. A very general opinion prevails that the brains and intestines of the Carolina Paroquet are a sure and fatal poison to cats. 1 had de- termined, when at Big Bone, to put this to the test of experiment ; and for that purpose collected the brains and bowels of more than a dozen of tliem. But after close search, Mistress Puss was not to be found, being engaged, perhaps, on more agreeable business. I left the medicine with Mr. Colquhoun's agent, to administer it at the first op- portunity, and write me the result ; but I have never yet heard from him. A respectable lady near tlie town of Natchez, and on whose word I can rely, assured me, that she herself had made the experi- ment, and that, whatever might be the cause, the cat had actually died either on that or the succeeding day. A French planter near Bayou Fourche pretended to account to me for this effect by positively assert- ing that the seeds of the cockle burs, on which the Paroquets so eagerly feed, were deleterious to cats ; and thus their death was pro- duced by eating the intestines of the bird. These matters might easily have been ascertained on the spot, which, however, a combina- tion of trifling circumstances prevented me from doing. I several times carried a dose of the first description in my pocket till it became insufferable, without meeting with a suitable patient on whom, like other professional gentlemen, I might conveniently make a fair experi- ment. I was equally unsuccessful in my endeavors to discover the time of incubation or manner of building among these birds. All agreed that they breed in hollow trees ; and several affirmed to me that they had seen their nests. Some said they carried in no materials ; others, that they did. Some made the eggs white ; others, speckled. One man assured me that he cut down a large beech-tree, which was hol- low, and in which he found the broken fragments of upwards of twenty Paroquets' eggs, which were of a greenish yellow color. Tlie nests, though destroyed in their texture by the falling of the tree, appeared, he said, to be formed of small twigs glued to each other, and to the side of the tree, in the manner of the Chimney Swallow. He added, that if it were the proper season, he could point out to me the weed from which they procured the gluey matter. From all tliese contra- dictory accounts nothing certain can be deduced, except that they build in companies, in hollow trees. That they commence incubation late in summer, or very early in spring, I think highly probable, from the numerous dissections I made in the months of March, April, May, 250 CAROLINA PARROT. and June ; and the great variety which I found in the color of the plumage of the head and neck of both sexes, during the two former of these months, convinces me that the young birds do not receive tlieir full colors until the early part of the succeeding summer.* While Parrots and Paroquets, from foreign countries, abound in almost every street of our large cities, and become such great favor- ites, no attention seems to have been paid to our own, which, in elegance of figure, and beauty of plumage, is certainly superior to many of them. It wants, indeed, that disposition for perpetual screaming and chattering that renders some of the former pests, not only to their keepers, but to the whole neighborhood in which they reside. It is alike docile and sociable ; soon becomes perfectly familiar ; and, until equal pains be taken in its instruction, it is unfair to conclude it incapable of equal improvement in the language of man. As so little has hitherto been known of the disposition and manners of this species, the reader will not, I hope, be displeased at my detail- ing some of these, in the history of a particular favorite, my sole companion in many a lonesome day's march, and of which tlie figure in the plate is a faithful resemblance. Anxious to try the effects of education on one of those which I procured at Big Bone Lick, and which was but slightly wounded in tlie wing, I fixed up a place for it in the stern of my boat, and presented it with some cockle burs, w^hich it freely fed on in less than an hour after being on board. The intermediate time between eating and sleeping was occupied in gnawing the sticks that formed its place of confinement, in order to make a practicable breach ; which it repeatedly effected. When I abandoned the river, and travelled by land, I wrapped it up closely in a silk handkerchief, tying it tightly around, and carried it in my pocket. When I stopped for refreshment, 1 unbound my prisoner, and gave it its allowance, which it generally despatched with great dexterity, unhusking tlie seeds from the bur in a twinkling ; in doing which, it always employed its left foot to hold the bur, as did several others that I kept for some time. I began to think that this might be peculiar to the whole tribe, and that the whole were, if I may use the expression, left-footed ; but, by shooting a number afterwards while engaged in eating mulberries, I found sometimes the left, sometimes the right, foot stained with the fruit, the other always clean ; from which, and the constant practice of those I kept, it appears, that, like the human species in the use of their hands, they do not prefer one or the other indiscriminately, but are either left or right-footed. But to return to my prisoner : In recommitting it * Mr. Audubon's informalion on their manner of breeding is as follows: — " Their nest, or the place in which they deposit their e^^g-s, is simply the bottom of such cavities in trees as those to wliich they usually retire at night. Many females deposit their egffs together. I am of opinion that the number of eggs which each individual lays is two, altiiough I have not been able absolutely to assure myself of this. They are nearly round, of a rich greenish white. The young are at first covered with soft down, such as is seen on young Owls." It may be remarked that most of the Parrots, whose nidification we are acquainted with, build in hollow trees, or holed banks. Few make a nest for themselves, but lay the eggs on the bare wood or earth ; and when the nest is built outward, as by other birds, it is of a slight and loose structure. The eggs are always white. — Ed. CAROLINA PARROT. 251 to " durance vile," we generally liad a quarrel ; during which it fre- quently paid me in kind for tJie wound I liad inflicted, and for depriving it of liberty, by cutting and almost disabling several of my fingers with its sharp and powerful bill. Tlie path tlirough the wilder- ness between Nashville and Natchez is in some places bad beyond description. There are dangerous creeks to swim, miles of morass to struggle through, rendered almost as gloomy as night by a prodigious growtli of timber, and an underwood of canes and other evergreens ; while the descent into these sluggish streams is often ten or fifteen feet perpendicular, into a bed of deep clay. In some of the worst of tliese places, where I had, as it were, to fight my way through, tlie Paroquet frequently escaped from my pocket, obliging me to dis- mount and pursue it through the worst of the morass before I could regain it. On these occasions, I was several times tempted to abandon it ; but 1 persisted in bringing it along. When at night I encamped in the woods, I placed it on the baggage beside me, where it usually sat with great composure, dozing and gazing at the fire till morning. In this manner I carried it upwards of a thousand miles, in my pocket, where it was exposed all day to the jolting of the horse, but regularly liberated at meal times and in the evening, at which it always expressed great satisfaction. In passing through the Chick- asaw and Chactaw nations, the Indians, wherever 1 stopped to feed, collected around me, men, women, and children, laughing, and seeming wonderfully amused with the novelty of my companion. The Chick- asaws called it in their language " Kelinkij ; " but when they heard me call it Poll, they soon repeated the name ; and, Avherever I chanced to stop among these people, we soon became familiar with each other through the medium of Poll. On arriving at Mr. Dunbar's, below Natchez, I procured a cage, and placed it under the piazza, where, by its call, it soon attracted the passing flocks ; such is the attach- ment they have for each other. Numerous parties frequently alighted on the trees immediately above, keeping up a constant conversation with the prisoner. One of these I wounded slightly in the wing, and the pleasure Poll expressed on meeting with this new companion was really amusing. She crept close up to it as it hung on the side of the cage ; chattered to it in a low tone of voice, as if sympathizing in its misfortune ; scratched about its head and neck with her bill ; and both at night nestled as close as possible to each other, sometimes Poll's head being thrust among the plumage of tlie other. On the death of this companion, she appeared restless and inconsolable for several days. On reaching Ncav Orleans, I placed a looking-glass beside the place Avhere she usually sat, and the instant she perceived her image, all her former fondness seemed to return, so that she could scarcely absent herself from it a moment. It was evident that she was completely deceived. Always when evening drew on, and often during the day, she laid her head close to that of the image in the glass, and began to doze with great composure and satisfaction. In tliis short space she had learned to know her name ; to answer, and come when called on; to climb up my clothes, sit on my shoulder, and eat from my mouth. I took her with me to sea, determined to perse- vere in her education ; but, destined to another fate, poor Poll, having one morning, about day break, wrought her way tlirough tlie cage, 2o"2 CAROLINA PARROT. while I was asleep, instantly flew overboard, and perished in the Gulf of Mexico. The Carolina or Illinois Parrot (for it has been described under both these appellations) is thirteen inches long, and twenty-one in extent ; forehead and cheeks, orange red ; beyond this, for an inch and a half, down and round the neck, a rich and pure yellow ; shoulder and bend of the wing, also edged with rich orange red. The general color of the rest of the plumage is a bright yellowish, silky green, witli light blue reflections, lightest and most diluted with yellow below ; greater wing-coverts and roots of the primaries, yellow, slightly tinged with green; interior webs of the primaries, deep dusky purple, almost black ; exterior ones, bluish green ; tail, long, cuneiform, consisting of twelve feathers, the exterior one only half the length, the others increasing to the middle ones, which are streaked along the middle witli light blue ; shafts of all the larger feathers, and of most part of the green plumage, black ; knees and vent, orange yellow ; feet, a pale, whitish flesh color ; claws, black ; bill, white, or slightly tinged with pale cream ; iris of the eye, hazel ; round the eye is a small space without feathers, covered with a whitish skin ; nostrils placed in an elevated membrane at the base of the bill, and covered with feathers ; chin, wholly bare of feathers, but concealed by those descending on each side ; from each side of the palate hangs a lobe or skin of a blackish color; tongue, thick and fleshy; inside of the upper mandible near the point, grooved exactly like a file, that it may hold with more security. The female differs very little in her colors and markings from tlie male. After examining numerous specimens, the following appear to be tlie principal differences: — The yellow on the neck of the female does not descend quite so far ; the interior vanes of the primaries are brownish, instead of black, and the orange red on tlie bend and edges of the wing is considerably narrower ; in other respects, tlie colors and markings are nearly the same. The young birds of the preceding year, of both sexes, are generally destitute of the yellow on the head and neck, until about the begin- ning or middle of March, having those parts wholly green, except the front and cheeks, M'hicli are orange red in them, as in the full-grown birds. Towards tlie middle of March, the yellow begins to appear, in detached feathers, interspersed among the green, varying in different individuals. In some which I killed about the last of tiiat month, only a few green feathers remained among the yellow, and these were fast assuming the yellow tint ; for the color changes without change of plumage. A number of these birds, in all their grades of progressive change from green to yellow, have been deposited in Mr. Peale's museum. What is called by Europeans the Illinois Parrot, [Psittacits pertinax,) is evidently the young bird in its iuiperfect colors. Whether the pres- ent species be found as far south as Brazil, as tliese writers pretend, I am unable to say ; but, from the great extent of country in which I have myself killed and examined these birds, I am satisfied that the present species, now described, is the only one inliabiting Uie United States. Since the foregoing was written, I have had an opportunity, by tlie CANADA FLYCATCHER. 253 death of a tame Carolina Paroquet, to ascertain the fact of the poison- ous effects of their head and intestines on cats. Having shut up a cat and her two kittens, the latter only a few days old, in a room with the head, neck, and whole intestines of the Parocjuet, I found, on the next moriiing, the whole eaten, except a small part of the bill. The cat exhibited no symptom of sickness ; and, at this moment, three days after the experiment has been made, she and her kittens are in their usual health. Still, however, the effect might have been different, had the daily food of the bird been cockle burs, instead of Indian corn. CANADA FLYCATCHER. — MUSCICAPA CANADENSIS.— Fig. 121. Lynn. Syst. 324. — Arct. Znol. p. 338, No. 273. — Lath. ii. 3M,. — Peaie's Museum, No. 6969. SETOPHJlGJi CAJ^ADKNSIS. — Swainson.* Sylvia pardalina, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 79. This is a solitary, and, in the lower parts of Pennsylvania, rather a rare species ; being more numerous in the interior, particularly near the mountains, where the only two I ever met with were shot. They are silent birds, as far as I could observe, and were busily darting among the branches after insects. From the specific name given them, it is probable that they are more plenty in Canada than in the United States ; where it is doubtful whether they be not mere passen- gers in spring and autumn. This species is four inches and a half long, and eight in extent ; front, black ; crown, dappled with small streaks of gray and spots of black ; line from the nostril to and around the eye, yellow ; below the eye, a streak or spot of black, descending along the sides of the throat, which, as well as the breast and belly, is brilliant yellow, the breast * Mr. Swainson, in a note to the Northern Zooloon/, has hinted his suspicion that this bird and Muscicapa Bonapartii of Audubon are the same. As far as we can judge from the two plates, there does not seem ajiy resemblance. Mr. Swainson adds, "As regards the generic name (of Setophaga Bonapartii,) we consider the whole structure of the bird as obviously intermediate between the Sylvicolce and the typical SetophagcB, but more closely allied to the latter than the former." For the present, we shall place the two following species in Setophaga. but suspect that this intermediate form will hereafter rank m the value of a sub-genus.* To this, eilso, may be referred the Muscicapa Selhii of Audubon, which seems to approach nearer Setophaga in the more flattened representation of the bill and stronger bris- tles. Mr. Audubon has only met with it three limes in Louisiana. The upper parts are of a dark olive color ; the whole luider parts, with a streak over each eye, rich yellow. The length is about five inches and a half. It was very active in pursuit of flies, and the snapping of the bill, w^hen seizing them, was distinctly heard at some distajice. — Ed. • Tliev are all furniflbed with rictorial bristlee, but the bill Is not so mnch depresBedi The habits are those of StUrphaga. 254 HOODED FLYCATCHER. being marked with a broad, rounding band of black, composed of large, irregular streaks ; back, wings, and tail, cinereous brown ; vent, white ; upper mandible, dusky ; lower, flesh colored ; legs and feet, tlie same ; eye, hazel. Never having met with the female of this bird, I am unable, at present, to say in what its colors diflfer from those of the male. HOODED FLYCATCHER. — MUSCICAPA CUCULLATA.— Fig. 122. Le gobe-mouche citrin. Buff. [v. 538, PL enl. 666. — Hooded Warbler. Arct. Zool. p. 400, No. 287. — Lath. ii. 462. — Catesb. i. 60. — Mitred Warbler, Turton, i. 60L — Hooded Warbler, ibid. — Peak's Museum, No. 7062. SETOPHAOA MITRJiTA.—Svi ».i^soy. Sylvia mitrata, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 79. Why tliose two judicious naturalists, Pennant and Latham, should have arranged this bird with the Warblers, is to me unaccountable, as few of the MuscicapcB are more distinctly marked than the species now before us. The bill is broad at the base, where it is beset with bris- tles ; the upper mandible, notched, and slightly overhanging at tlie tip ; and the manners of the bird, in every respect, those of a Flycatcher. This species is seldom seen in Pennsylvania and the Northern States, but through the whole extent of country south of Maryland, from the Atlantic to the Mississippi, is very abundant. It is, however, most' partial to low situations, where there is plenty of tliick underwood ; abounds among the canes in the state of Tennessee, and in the Mis- sissippi Territoiy ; and seems perpetually in pursuit of winged insects ; now and then uttering three loud, not unmusical, and very lively notes, resembling tivee, twee, twdchie, while engaged in the chase. Like al- most all its tribe, it is full of spirit, and exceedingly active. It builds a very neat and compact nest, generally in the fork of a small bush ; fornis it outwardly of moss and flax, or broken hemp, and lines it witli hair, and sometimes feathers ; the eggs are five, of a grayish white, with red spots toAvards the great end. In all parts of tjie United States where it inhabits, it is a bird of passage. At Savannah, I met with it about the 20th of March ; so that it probably retires to the West India Islands, and perhaps Mexico, during winter. I also lieard this bird, among the rank reeds and rushes, within a few miles of the mouth of the Mississippi. It has been sometimes seen in the neighborhood of Philadelphia, but rarely ; and, on such occasions, has all the mute timidity of a stranger at a distance from home. This species is five inches and a half long, and eight in extent ; forehead, cheeks, and chin, yellow, surrounded with a hood of black that covers the crown, hind head, and part of the neck, and descends, rounding, over tlie breast ; all tlie rest of the lower parts are rich yel- GREEN BLACK-CAPPED FLYCATCHER. 255 low ; upper pai-ts of the wings, tlie tail, and back, yellow olive ; inte- rior vanes, and tips of the wing and tail, dusky ; bill, black ; legs, flesh colored ; inner webs of the three exterior tail-feathers, white for half their length from the tips; the next, slightly touched with white; the tail, slightly forked, and exteriorly edged with rich, yellow olive. The female has the throat and breast yellow, slightly tinged with blackish ; the black does not reach so far down the upper part of tlie neck, and is not of so deep a tint. In the other parts of her plumage, she exactly resembles the male. I have found some females that had little or no black on the head or neck above, but these I took to be young birds, not yet arrived at their full tints. GREEN BLACK-CAPPED FLYCATCHER.— MUSCICAPA PUSILLA. — Fig. 123. Peak's Museum, No. 7785. SET0PHAOA7 WILSOJ^JL — J ARDiyE* Sylvia Wilsonii, Bonap. Synop. p. 8G. — Nomenclature, No. 127. This neat and active little species I have never met with in the works of any European naturalist. It is an inhabitant of the swamps of the Southern States, and has been several times seen in the lower parts of the states of New Jersey and Delaware. Amidst almost unapproachable thickets of deep morasses it commonly spends its time during summer, and has a sharp, squeaking note, no wise musical. It leaves the Southern States early in October. This species is four inches and a half long, and six and a half in extent ; front line over the eye, and whole loAver parts, yellow, brightest over the eye, and dullest on the cheeks, belly, and vent, where it is tinged with olive ; upper parts, olive green ; wings and tail, dusky brown, the former very short ; legs and bill, flesh colored ; crown, covered with a patch of deep black ; iris of the eye, hazel. The female is without the black crown, having that part of a dull yellow olive, and is frequently mistaken for a distinct species. From her great resemblance, however, in other respects, to the male, now first figured, she cannot hereafter be mistaken. * The Prince of Musignano has never seen this species, but was of opinion that it would prove a Si/lvia ; and (he specific name being- preoccupied, he chose that of its discoverer. 1 have retained his specific name, though the reason of the chang^e will not now be available. The services of Wilson, however, can scarcely be overpaid, and the reputation of no one is here implicated. — Ed. 256 PINNATED GROUSE. PINNATED GROUSE. — TETRAO CUPIDO. — Fig. 124. Linn. Syst. i. p. 274-^. — Lath. ii. p. 740. — Arct. Zool. — La Gelinote huppee d'Amerique, Briss. Orn. i. p. 212, 10. — Urogalus minor, fuscus cervice, plumis alas imitantibus donata, Catesb. Car. App.p\. 1. — Tetrao lagogus, the Mountain Cock, or Grouse, Bartram, p. 290. — Heath-Hen, Prairie Hen, Barren Hen. — Peale^s Museum, No. 4700, male ; 4701, female. TE TILi 0 CUPID 0. — Li nt^^us. Attag-an Americana, Brisson, i. p. 59. — Pinnated Healhcock, Bonasa cupido, Steph. Sh. Cont. xi. p. 299. — Tetrao cupido, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 126. Before I enter on a detail of the observations which I have myself personally made on this singular species, I shall lay before the reader a comprehensive and very circumstantial memoir on the subject, com- municated to me by the writer, Dr. Samuel L. Mitchill, of New York, whose exertions, both in his public and private capacity, in behalf of science, and in elucidating the natural history of his country, are well known, and highly honorable to his distinguished situation and abilities. That peculiar tract, generally known by the name of the Brushy Plains of Long Island, having been, for time immemorial, the resort of the bird now before us, some account of this particular range of country seemed necessarily connected with tlie subject, and has, ac- cordingly, been obligingly attended to by the learned professor. ''Xew York, Sept. 19, 1810. "Dear Sir, — It gives me much pleasure to reply to your letter of the 12th instant, asking of me information concerning the Grouse of Long Island. " The birds which are known there emphatically by the name of Grouse, inhabit chiefly the forest range. Tliis district of the island may be estimated as being between forty and fifty miles in length, extending from Bethphage, in Queen's County, to the neighborhood of the Court-House, in Suffolk. Its breadth is not more than six or seven. For, although the island is bounded by the Sound, separating it from Connecticut on the north, and by the Atlantic Ocean on the south, there is a margin of several miles, on each side, in the actual possession of human beings. " The region in which these birds reside, lies mostly within the towns of Oysterbay, Huntington, Islip, Smithtown, and Brookhaven; tliough it would be incorrect to say that they were not to be met with sometimes in Riverhead and Southampton. Their territory has been defined by some sportsmen, as situated between Hampstead Plain on tlie West, and Shinnecock Plain on the east " The more popular name for them is Heath-Hens. By this they are designated in the act of our Legislature for tlie preservation of them and of other game. I M-ell remember the passing of this law. The bill was introduced by Cornelius J. Bogert, Esq., a member of the Assembly from the city of New York. It was in tlie month of Fetv- PINNATED GROUSE. • ^oi ruary, 1791, the year when, as a representative from my native county of Queens, I sat for the first time in a leo:islature. "The statute declares, among other thing-s, that the poison who shall kill any Heath-Hen within the counties of Suffolk or Queens, between the 1st day of April and the 5th day of Octoher, shall, for every such offence, forfeit and pay the sum of two dollars and a half, to be recovered, with costs of suit, by any person who shall prosecute for the same, before any justice of the peace, in either of tlie said counties ; the one half to be paid to the plaintiff, and the other half to the overseers of the poor ; and if any Heath-Hen, so killed, shall be found in the possession of any person, he shall be deemed guilty of the offence, and suffer the penalty. But it is provided that no defend- ant shall be convicted, unless the action shall be brought within three months after the violation of the law.* "The country selected by these exquisite birds requires a more- particular description. You already understand it to be the midland and interior district of the island. The soil of this island is, generally speaking, a sandy or gravelly loam. In the parts less adapted to tillage, it is more of an unmixed sand. This is so much the case, that the shore of the beaches beaten by the ocean affords a material from which glass has been prepared. Siliceous grains and particles pre- dominate in the region chosen by the Heath-Hens or Grouse. Here there are no rocks, and very few stones of any kind. This sandy tract appears to be a dereliction of the ocean, but is, nevertheless, not doomed to total sterility. Many thousand acres have been reclaimed from the wild state, and rendered very productive to man; and within the towns frequented by these birds, there are numerous inhabitants, and among them, some of our most wealthy farmers. " But within the same limits, there are also tracts of great extent where men have no settlements, and others where the population is spare and scanty. These are, however, by no means naked deserts : they are, on the contrary, covered with trees, shrubs, and smaller plants. The trees are mostly pitch-pines of inferior size, and white oaks of a small growth. They are of a quality very fit for burning. Thousands of cords of both sorts of fire-wood are annually exported from these barrens. Vast quantities are occasionally destroyed by the fires which, through carelessness or accident, spread far and wide through the woods. The city of New York will probably, for ages, derive fuel from the Grouse grounds. The land, after having been cleared, yields to the cultivator poor crops. Unless, therefore, he can help it by manure, the best disposition is to let it grow up to forest again. Ex- perience has proved, that, in a term of forty or fifty years, the new growth of timber will be fit for the axe. Hence it may be perceived, that the reproduction of trees, and the protection they afford to Heath- * The doctor has probably forsrotten a circumstance of rather a ludicrous kind, that occurred at the passing of th^s law, and which was, not long ago, related to me by my friend Mr. Gardiner, of Gardiner's Island, Long Island. The bill was entitled, " An Act for the preservation of Heath-Hen, and other game." The honest Chairman of the Assembly — no sportsman, I suppose — read the title, "An Act for the preservation of Heathen, and other game ! " which seemed to astonish the northern members, who could not see the propriety of preserving Indians, or any other heathen. 22* 258 PINNATED GROUSE. Hens, would be perpetual, or, in other words, not circumscribed by any calculable time, provided the persecutors of the latter would be quiet " Beneath these trees grow more dwarfish oaks, overspreading the surface, sometimes with here and there a shrub, and sometimes a thicket. These latter are from about two to ten feet in heig-ht. Where they are the principal product, they are called, in common conversa- tion, brush, as the flats on which they grow are termed brushy plains. Among this hardy shrubbery may frequently be seen the creeping vegetable named the partridgeberry, covering the sand with its lasting verdure. In many spots, the plant which produces hurtleberries sprouts up among the other natives of the soil. These are the more important ; though I ought to inform you, that the hills reaching from east to west, and forming the spine of the island, support kalmias, hickories, and many other species ; that I have seen azalias and andromedas, as I passed through the wilderness ; and that, where there is water, cranberries, alders, beeches, maples, and other lovers of moisture, take their stations. "This region, situated thus between the more thickly inhabited strips, or belts, on the north and south sides of the island, is much travelled by wagons, and intersected, accordingly, by a great number of paths. " As to the birds themselves, the information I possess scarcely amounts to an entire history. You, who know the difficulty of collecting facts, will be the most ready to excuse my deficiencies. The infor- mation I give you is such as I rely on. For the purpose of gathering the materials, I have repeatedly visited their haunts. I have likewise conversed with several men who were brought up at the precincts of the Grouse ground, who had been witnesses of their habits and man- ners, who were accustomed to shoot them for the market, and who have acted as guides to gentlemen Avho go there for sport. ^^ Bulk. — An adult Grouse, when fat, weighs as much as a barn- door fowl of moderate size, or about three pounds avoirdupois. But the eagerness of the sportsman is so great, that a large proportion of those they kill are but a few months old, and have not attained their complete growth. Notwithstanding the protection of the law, it is very common to disregard it. The retired nature of the situation fa- vors this. It is well understood that an arrangement can be made which will blind and silence informers, and that the gun is fired with impunity for weeks before the time prescribed in the act. To prevent this unfair and unlawful practice, an association was formed a few years ago, under the title of the Brush Club, with the express and avowed intention of enforcing the game law. Little benefit, however, has resulted from its laudable exertions ; and under a conviction that it was impossible to keep the poachers aAvay, tlie society declined. At present, the statute may be considered as operating very little to- wards their preservation. Grouse, especially full-grown ones, are becoming less frequent. Their numbers are gradually diminishing, and, assailed as they are on all sides, almost without cessation, their scarcity may be viewed as foreboding their eventual extermination. ^^ Price. — Twenty years ago, a brace of Grouse could be bought for a dollar. Tliey now cost from three to five dollars. A handsome PINNATED GROUSE. ' 259 pair seldom sells in the New York market now-a-days for less than thirty shillings, [three dollars, seventy-five cents,] nor for more than forty, [five dollars.] These prices indicate, indeed, the depreciation of money and the luxury of eatino-. They prove, at the same time, that Grouse are become rare ; and this fact is admitted by every man who seeks them, whether for pleasure or for profit. '■^Amours. — The season for pairing is in March, and the breeding* time is continued through April and May. Then the male Grouse distinguishes himself by a peculiar sound. When he utters it, the parts about the throat are sensibly inflated and swelled. It may be heard on a still morning for three or more miles ; some say they have perceived it as far as five or six. This noise is a sort of ventriloquism. It does not strike the ear of a bystander with much force, but impresses him with the idea, though produced within a few rods of him, of a voice a mile or two distant. This note is highly characteristic. Though very peculiar, it is termed tooting, from its resemblance to the blowing of a conch or horn from a remote quarter. The female makes her nest on the ground, in recesses very rarely discovered by men. She usually lays from ten to twelve eggs. Their color is of a brownish, much resembling those of a Guinea Hen. When hatched, the brood is protected by her alone. Surrounded by her young, the mother bird exceedingly resembles a domestic Hen and Chickens. She frequently leads them to feed in the roads crossing the woods, on the remains of maize and oats contained in the dung dropped by the travelling horses. In that employment they are often surprised by the passengers. On such occasions the dam utters a cry of alarm. The little ones imme- diately scamper to the brush ; and while they are skulking into places of safety, their anxious parent beguiles the spectator by drooping and fluttering her wings, limping along the path, rolling over in the dirt, and other pretences of inability to walk or fly. " Food. — A favorite article of their diet is the heath-hen plum, or partridgeberry before mentioned. They are fond of hurtleberries and cranberries. Worms and insects of several kinds are occasion- ally found in their crops. But, in the winter, they subsist chiefly on acorns, and the buds of trees which have shed their leaves. In their stomachs have been sometimes observed the leaves of a plant sup- posed to be a winter green; and it is said, when they are much pinched, they betake themselves to the buds of the pine. In convenient places, they have been known to enter cleared fields, and regale them- selves on the leaves of clover ; and old gunners have reported that they have been known to trespass upon patches of buckwheat, and pick up the grains. " Migration. — They are stationary, and never known to quit their abode. There are no facts showing in them any disposition to migra- tion. On frosty mornings, and during snows, they perch on the upper branches of pine-trees. They avoid wet and swampy places, and are remarkably attached to dry ground. The low and open brush is pre- ferred to high shrubbery and thickets. Into these latter places they fly for refuge when closely pressed by the hunters ; and here, under a stiff and impenetrable cover, they escape the pursuit of dogs and men. Water is so seldom met Avith on the true Grouse ground, that it is necessary to carry it along for the pointers to drink. The flights of 2G0 PINNATED GROUSE. Grouse are short, but sudden, rapid, and whirring. I have not heard of any success in taming them. They seem to resist all attempts at domestication. In this, as well as in many other respects, tliey re- semble the Quail of New York, or the Partridge of Pennsylvania. ^''Manners. — During the period of mating, and while the females are occupied in incubation, the males have a practice of assembling, principally by themselves. To some select and central spot, where there is very little underwood, they repair from the adjoining district. From the exercises performed there, tliis is called a scratching-place. The time of meeting is the break of day. As soon as the light ap- pears, the company assembles from every side, sometimes to the num- ber of forty or fifty. When the dawn is past, the ceremony begins by a low tooting from one of the cocks. This is answered by another. They then come forth one by one from the bushes, and strut about with all the pride and ostentation they can display. Their necks are incarvated; the feathers on them are erected into a sort of ruff"; the plumes of their tails are expanded like fans ; they strut about in a style resembling, as nearly as small may be illustrated by great, the pomp of the Turkey cock. They seem to vie with each other in stateliness ; and, as they pass each other, frequently cast looks of insult, and utter notes of defiance. These are the signals for battles. They engage with wonderful spirit and fierceness. During these contests, they leap a foot or two from the ground, and utter a cackling, screaming, and discordant cry, " They have been found in these places of resort even earlier than the appearance of light in the east This fact has led to the belief that a part of them assemble over night. The rest join them in the morning. This leads to the further^ belief that they roost on the ground. And the opinion is confirmed by the discovery of little rings of dung, apparently deposited by a flock which had passed tlie night together. After the appearance of tlie sun they disperse. "These places of exhibition have been often discovered by the hunters ; and a fatal discovery it has been for the poor Grouse. Their destroyers construct for themselves lurking holes made of pine branches, called hough houses, within a few yards of the parade. Hither tliey repair with their fowling-pieces, in tlie latter part of the night, and wait the appearance of the birds. Watching the moment when two are proudly eyeing each other, or engaged in battle, or when a greater number can be seen in a range, they pour on them a de- structive charge of shot This annoyance has been given in so many places, and to such extent, that the Grouse, after having been repeat- edly disturbed, are afraid to assemble. On approaching the spot to which their instinct prompts them, they perch on the neighboring trees, instead of alighting at the scratching-place. And it remains to be observed how far the restless and tonnenting spirit of the marks- men may alter the native habits of the Grouse, and oblige them to betake themselves to new ways of life. " They commonly keep together in coveys, or packs, as the phrase is, until tlie pairing season. A full pack consists, of course, of ten or a dozen. Two packs have been known to associate. I lately heard of one whose number amounted to twenty-two. They are so unapt to be startled, that a hunter, assisted by a dog, has been able to shoot PINNATED GROUSE. 261 almost a whole pack, without making any of them take wing. In like manner, the men lying in concealment near the scratching-places have been known to discharge several guns before either the report of the explosion, or the sight of their wounded and dead fellows, would rouse tliem to flight. It has further been remarked that when a company of sportsmen have surrounded a pack of Grouse, the birds seldom or never rise upon their pinions while they are encircled ; but each runs along until it passes the person that is nearest, and then flutters off" with the utmost expedition. " As you have made no inquiry of me concerning the ornithological character of these birds, I have not mentioned it, presuming that you are already perfectly acquainted with their classification and descrip- tion. In a short memoir written in 1803, and printed in the eiglith volume of the Medical Repository^ I ventured an opinion as to the genus and species. Whether I was correct is a technical matter, M'hich 1 leave you to adjust. I am well aware that European accounts of our productions are often erroneous, and require revision and amend- ment This you must perform. For me it remains to repeat my joy at tiie opportunity your invitation has aftbrded me to contribute some- what to your elegant work, and at the same time to assure you of my earnest hope tliat you may be favored with ample means to complete it. "Samuel L. Mitchill." Duly sensible of tlie honor of the foregoing communication, and grateful for the good wishes with which it is concluded, I shall now, in further elucidation of the subject, subjoin a few particulars properly belonging to my own department. It is somewhat extraordinary that the European naturalists, in their various accounts of our diflerent species of Grouse, should have said lit:le or nothing of the one now before us, which, in its voice, manners, and peculiarity of plumage, is the most singular, and, in its flesh, the most excellent of all those of its tribe that inhabit the territory of the United States. It seems to have escaped Catesby during his residence and different tours through this country, and it was not till more than twenty years after his return to England, viz., in 1743, that he first saw some of these birds, as he informs us, at Cheswick, the seat of the Earl of Wilmington. His lordship said they came from America ; but from what particular part, could not tell.* Buflbn has confounded it with the Rufted Grouse, the Common Partridge of New England, or Pheasant of Pennsylvania, [Tetrao lunbellus ;) Edwards and Pennant have, how- ever, discovered that it is a diflferent species, but have said little of its note, of its flesh, or peculiarities ; for, alas ! there was neither voice, nor action, nor delicacy of flavor in the shrunk and decayed skin from which the former took his figure, and the latter his description ; and to this circumstance must be attributed the barrermess and defects of both. That tlie curious may have an opportunity of examining to more advantage this singular bird, a figure of the male is here given, as large as life, drawn with great care from the most perfect of several elegant specimens shot in the Barrens of Kentucky. He is repre- sented in the act of strutting^ as it is called, while with inflated throat * Catesby, Car. p. 101. App. 262 PINNATED GROUSE. he produces that extraordinary sound so familiar to every one who resides in his vicinity, and which has been described in the foregoing account So very novel and characteristic did the action of these birds appear to me at first sight, that, instead of shooting them down, I sketched their attitude hastily on tlie spot, while concealed among a brush-heap, with seven or eight of them within a short distance. Three of these I afterwards carried home with me. This rare bird, though an inliabitant of different and very distant districts of North America, is extremely particular in selecting his place of residence ; pitching only upon those tracts whose features and productions correspond with his modes of life, and avoiding immense, intermediate regions that he never visits. Open, dry plains, thinly interspersed with trees, or partially overgrown with shrub oak, are his favorite haunts. Accordingly we find these birds on the Grouse plains of New Jersey, in Burlington county, as well as on the brushy plains of Long Island ; among the pines and shrub oaks of Pocano, in North- ampton county, Pennsylvania ; over the whole extent of the Barrens of Kentucky ; on the luxuriant plains and prairies of the Indiana Territory, and Upper Louisiana ; and, according to the information of the late Governor Lewis, on the vast and remote plains of the Colum- bia River; in all these places preserving the same singular habits. Their predilection for such situations will be best accounted for by considering the following facts and circumstances : — First, their mode of flight is generally direct, and laborious, and ill calculated for the labyrinth of a high and thick forest, crowded and intersected with trunks and amis of trees, that require continual angular evolution of wing, or sudden turnings, to which they are by no means accustomed. I have always observed them to avoid the high-timbered groves that occur here and there in the Barrens. Connected with this fact, is a circumstance related to me by a very respectable inhabitant of that country, viz., that one forenoon a cock Grouse struck the stone chimney of his house with such force as instantly to fall dead to the ground. Secondly, their knoAvn dislike of ponds, marshes, or watery places, which they avoid on all occasions, drinking but seldom, and, it is believed, never from such places. Even in confinement this peculiarity lias been taken notice of. While I was in the state of Tennessee, a person living within a feAv miles of Nashville had caught an old hen Grouse in a trap ; and, being obliged to keep her in a large cage, as she struck and abused the rest of the poultry, he remarked that she never drank, and that she even avoided that quarter of tlie cage where the cup containing the water was placed. Happening, one day, to let some water fall on the cage, it trickled down in drops along the bars, which the bird no sooner observed, than she eagerly picked them ofi", drop by drop, Avith a dexterity that showed she had been liabituated to this mode of quenching her thirst ; and, probably, to this mode only, in those dry and barren tracts, where, except the drops of dew and drops of rain, water is very rarely to be met with. For the space of a week he watched lier closely, to discover whether she still refused to drink ; but, though she was constantly fed on Indian Corn, the cup and water still remained untouched and untasted. Yet no sooner did he again sprinkle Avater on the bars of the cage, than she eagerly and rapidly picked them off as before. PINNxVTED GROUSE. 263 The last, and, probably, the strongest inducement to their preferring these plains, is tlie small acorn of the shrub oak, the strawberries, huckleberries, and partridgeberries, with which they abound, and which constitute the principal part of the food of these birds. These brushy thickets also afford them excellent shelter, being almost im- penetrable to dogs or birds of prey. In all these places where they inhabit, they are, in the strictest sense of the word, resident; having their particular haunts and places of rendezvous, (as described in the preceding account,) to which they are strongly attached. Yet they liave been known to abandon an entire tract of such country, when, from whatever cause it might pro- ceed, it became again covered with forest A few miles south of the town of York, in Pennsylvania, commences an extent of country, fonnerly of the character described, now chiefly covered with wood, but still retaining the name of Barrens. In tlie recollection of an old man born in that part of the country, this tract abounded with Grouse. The timber growing up, in progress of years, these birds totally dis- appeared ; and, for a long period of time, he had seen none of them, until, migrating with his family to Kentucky, on entering the Barrens, he, one morning, recognized the well-known music of his old ac- quaintance, the Grouse ; wliich, he assures me, are the very same with those he had known in Pennsylvania. But what appears to me tlie most remarkable circumstance relative to this bird, is, that not one of all those writers who have attempted its history, liave taken the least notice of those two extraordinary bags of yellow skin which mark the neck of the male, and which constitute so striking a peculiarity. These appear to be formed by an expansion of the gullet, as well as of the exterior skin of the neck, which when the bird is at rest, hangs in loose, pendulous, wrinkled folds, along the side of the neck, the supplemental wings, at the same time, as well as when the bird is flying, lying along the neck, in the manner repre- sented in one of the distant figures on the plate. But when these bags are inflated with air, in breeding time, they are equal in size, and very much resemble in color, a middle-sized, fully ripe orange. By means of this curious apparatus, which is very observable several hundred yards oflT, he is enabled to produce the extraordinary sound mentioned above, which, though it may easily be imitated, is yet diffi- cult to describe by words. It consists of three notes, of the same tone, resembling those produced by the Night Hawks in their rapid descent ; each strongly accented, the last being twice as long as the others. When several are thus engaged, the ear is unable to distin- guish the regularity of these triple notes, there being, at such times, one continued bumming, which is disagreeable and perplexing, from the impossibility of ascertaining from what distance, or even quarter, it proceeds. While uttering this, the bird exhibits all the ostentatious gesticulations of a Turkey cock ; erecting and fluttering his neck wings, wheeling and passing before the female, and close before his fellows, as in defiance. Now and then are heard some rapid, cackling notes, not unlike that of a person tickled to excessive laughter ; and, in short, one can scarcely listen to them without feeling disposed to laugh from sympathy. These are uttered by the males while engaged in fight, on which occasion they leap up against each other, exactly in 264 PINNATED GROUSE. the manner of Turkeys, seemingly with more malice than effect This bumming continues from a little before daybreak to eight or nine o'clock in the morning, when the parties separate to seek for food. Fresh ploughed fields, in tlie vicinity of their resorts, are sure to be visited by these birds every morning, and frequently also in the evening. On one of these I counted, at one time, seventeen males, most of whom were in the attitude represented in the plate ; making such a continued sound, as, I am persuaded, might have been heard for more than a mile off. The people of the Barrens informed me, that, when the weather becomes severe, witli snow, they approach the barn and farm-house, are sometimes seen sitting on the fences in dozens, mix with the poultry, and glean up the scattered grains of Indian corn, seeming almost half domesticated. At such times, great numbers are taken in traps. No pains, however, or regular plan, has ever been persisted in, as far as I was informed, to domesticate these delicious birds. A Mr. Reed, who lives between the Pilot Knobs and Bairdstown, told me, that, a few years ago, one of his sons found a Grouse's nest with fifteen eggs, which he brought home, and immedi- ately placed below a Hen then sitting, taking away her own. The nest of the Grouse was on the ground, under a tussock of long grass, formed with very little art, and few materials ; the eggs were brown- ish white, and about the size of a pullet's. In three or four days, the whole were hatched. Instead of following the Hen, they compelled her to run after them, distracting her with the extent and diversity of tlieir wanderings ; and it was a day or two before they seemed to understand her language, or consent to be guided by her. They were let out to the fields, where they paid little regard to their nurse ; and, in a few days, only three of them remained. These became extremely tame and familiar ; were most expert flycatchers ; but, soon after, they also disappeared. The Pinnated Grouse is nineteen inches long, twenty-seven inches in extent, and, when in good order, weighs about three pounds and a half; the neck is furnished with supplemental wings, each composed of eighteen feathers, five of which are black, and about tliree inches long ; the rest shorter, also black, streaked laterally with brown, and of unequal lengths ; the head is slightly crested ; over the eye is an elegant, semicircular comb of rich orange, which the bird has the power of raising or relaxing ; under the neck wings are two loose, pendulous, and wrinkled skins, extending along the side of the neck for two thirds of its length ; each of which, when inflated with air, resembles, in bulk, color, and surface, a middle-sized orange ; chin, cream colored ; under the eye runs a dark streak of brown ; whole upper parts, mottled transversely with black, reddish brown, and white ; tail short, very much rounded, and of a plain brownish soot color ; throat, elegantly marked with touches of reddish brown, white, and black; lower part of the breast and belly, pale brown, marked transversely with white ; legs, covered to the toes with hairy down of a dirty drab color ; feet, dull yellow ; toes, pectinated ; vent, whitish ; bill, brownish honi color ; eye, reddish hazel. The female is con- siderably less ; of a lighter color, destitute of the neck wings, the naked, yellow skin on tlie neck, and the semicircular comb of yellow over the eye. BLUE-GREEN WARBLER. 265 On dissecting these birds, the gizzard was found extremely muscu- lar, having almost the hardness of a stone ; the heart remarkably large ; the crop was filled with brier knots, containing the larvae of some insect, quantities of a species of green lichen, small, hard seeds, and some grains of Indian corn. BLUE-GREEN WARBLER. — SYLVIA RARA. — Fig. 125. Peak's Museum, No. 7788. VERMIVOIWi i2^/L^.— Jardine.* Sylvia rara, Bonap. Synop. p. 82. — Aud. pi. 49, male 5 Oi-n, Biog. i. p. 258. This new species, the only one of its sort I have yet met with, was shot on the banks of Cumberland River, about the beginning of April, and the drawing made with care immediately after. Whether male or female, I am uncertain. It is one of those birds that usually glean among the high branches of the tallest trees, which renders it difficult to be procured. It was darting about with great nimbleness among the leaves, and appeared to have many of the habits of the Flycatcher. After several ineffectual excursions in search of another of the same kind, with which I might compare the present, I am obliged to intro- duce it with this brief account The specimen has been deposited in Mr. Peale's museum. The Blue-green Warbler is four inches and a half long, and seven and a half in extent ; the upper parts are verditer, tinged with pale green, brightest on the front and forehead ; lores, line over the eye, throat, and whole lower parts, very pale cream ; cheeks, slightly tinged with greenish ; bill and legs, bright light blue, except the upper man- dible, which is dusky ; tail, forked, and, as well as the wings, brownish black ; the former marked on the three exterior vanes with white, and edged with greenish ; the latter having the first and second row of coverts tipped with white. Note, a feeble chirp. * This species was discovered by Wilson, and does not seem to have been again met with by any ornithologist except Mr. Audubon, who has figured it, and adcled somewhat to our knowledge of its manners. " It is rare in the middle districts, and is only found in the dark recesses of the pine swamp. On its passage through the states, it appears in Louisiana, in April. They are met with in Kentucky, in Ohio, upon the Missouri, and along Lake Erie." Mr. Audubon has never seen the nest. In spring the song is soft and mellow, and not heard beyond the distance of a few paces 3 it is performed at intervals, between the times at which the bird secures an insect, which it does with great expertness, either on the wing, or among the leaves of the trees and bushes. While catching it on the wing, it produces a slight, clicking sound with its bill, like Vireo. It also, like them, eats small berries, particularly towards autumn, when insects begin to fail. There seems little difference between the sexes. Such is the most important information given by Mr. Audubon. — Ed. 266 NASHVILLE WARBLER. NASHVILLE WARBLER— SYLVIA RUFICAPILLA. — Fig. 126. Peak's Museum, No. 7789. VERMIVORA RUBRICAPILLA. — 'Bvi Kivso-m* Syh-ia rubricapilla, Wils. Catal. — Bonap. Synop.p.Sl. — Svlvicola (Vermivora) mbricapilla, North. Zool. ii. p. 220. — The Nashville Warbler, Aud. pi 89 ; Orn. Biog. i. p. 450. The very uncommon notes of this little bird were familiar to me for several days before I succeeded in obtaining it. These notes very much resembled the breaking of small dry twigs, or the striking of small pebbles of different sizes smartly against each other for six or seven times, and loud enough to be heard at the distance of thirty or forty yards. It was some time before I could ascertain whether the sound proceeded from a bird or an insect. At length I discovered the bird, and was not a little gratified at finding it an entire new and hitherto undescribed species. I was also fortunate enough to meet afterwards Avith two others exactly corresponding with the first, all of them being males. These were shot in the state of Tennessee, not far from Nashville. It had all the agility and active habits of its family, the Worm-eaters. The length of this species is four inches and a half, breadth, seven inches ; the upper parts of the head and neck, light ash, a little in- clining to olive ; crown, spotted with deep chestnut in small touches ; a pale yellowish ring round the eye ; whole lower parts, vivid yellow, except the middle of the belly, which is white ; back, yellow olive, slightly skirted with ash ; rump and tail-coverts, rich yellow olive ; wings, nearly black, broadly edged Avith olive ; tail, slightly forked, and very dark olive ; legs, ash ; feet, dirty yellow ; bill, tapering to a fine point, and dusky ash ; no Avhite on wings or tail ; eye, hazel. * Wilson discovered this species, and afterwards, in his Catalogue of Birds in the United States, changed the specific name as above. Like the last, it seems very rare 5 Wilson saw only three 5 Audubon, three or four; and a single indi- vidual was shot by the over-land arctic expedition. " The latter was killed hopping about the branches of a tree, and emitting a creaking noise something like the whetting of a saw." The nest does not yet seem to be known. — Ed. '---^ 55S is YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. 267 YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO. — CUCULUS CAROLINENSIS.— Fig. 127. Cuculus Amoricanus, Linn. Syst. 170. — Catesb. i. 9. — Lath. i. 537. — Le Coucou dc la Caroline, Briss. iv. 112. — Ajxt. Zool. ^65, No. 155. — Peak's Museum, No. 1778. COCCrZUS AMERICA^US. — BoNAP.iRTE.* Coccyzus Americanus, Bonap. Synop. p. 42. — The Yellow-billed Cuckoo, And. pi. 2; Oi-n. Biog. i. p. 18. A STRANGER wlio visits tliG United States, for the purpose of examininor their natural productions, and passes through our woods in the month of May or June, will sometimes hear, as he traverses the borders of deep, retired, liigh-timbered hollows, an uncouth, guttural sound or note, resembling the syllables kowe^ koive, koive koive kowe, be- ginning slowly, but ending so rapidly, that the notes seem to run into eacli other ; and vice versa : he will hear this frequently, without being able to discover the bird or animal from which it proceeds, as it is both shy and solitary, seeking always the thickest foliage for concealment This is the Yellow-billed Cuckoo, the subject of the present account From tlie imitative sound of its note, it is known in many parts by the ■' Bonaparte has preferred restoring' the specific name of LinncTeus to that g-iveu by Catesby ami Brisson, and b^^ this it should stand in our systems. This form will represent in America the true Cuckoos, which otherwise range over the world ; it was first separated by Vaillant under the French name Conec, and the same division was adopted by Vieillot, under the name of Coccyzus, which is now retained. They differ from the Cuckoos chiefly in habit, — building a reg'u- lar nest, and rearing their young. North America possesses only two species, our present and tlie following, which are both migratory. Some beautiful species are mot with in diflerent parts of the southern continent. Mr. Audubon has added liule to their history further than confirming the accounts of Wilson. In their migrations northward, they move singly ; but when removing- again to a warmer latitude, they appear to be gregarious, flying high in the air, and in loose flocks. They appear to delight more in deep, woody solitudes than the true Cuckoos, or those which approach nearest to the form of the European species. They, again, though often found near woods, and in richly-clothed countries, are fond of open and extensive heaths or commons, studded or fringed with brush and forest : here they may expect an almndant supply of the foster-parent to their young. The gliding and turning motion when flying in a thicket, liowever, is similar to that of the American Coccijzus. Like them, also, they are seldom on the ground ; but, when obliged to be near it, alight on some hillock or twig, where they will continue for a considerable time, swinging round their body in a rather ludicrous manner, with lowered wings and expanded tail, and uttering a rather low, monotonous sound, resembling the koiceof our American bird, — Turning round and round with cutty-coo. When suddenly surprised or disturbed from their roost at night, they utter a short, tremulous whistle, three or four tinips repealed ; it is only on their first arrival, dur- ing the early part of incubation, when in search of a mate, that their well-known and welcome note is heard; by the first of July all is silent. The idea that the Common Cuckoo destroys eggs and young birds, like the American Coccyzus, is also entertained ; I have never seen them do so, but the fact is affirmed by most country persons, and many gamekeepers destroy them on this account. — Er. 268 YELLOW-BILLED CLTKOO. name of the Cow Bird; it is also called in Virginia the Itain Crou\ being observed to be most clamorous immediately before rain. This species arrives in Pennsylvania, from the south, about the twenty-second of April, and spreads over the country, as far at leeist as Lake Ontario ; is numerous in the Chickasaw and Chactaw nations ; and also breeds in the upper parts of Georgia ; preferring, in all these places, the borders of solitary swamps and apple orchards. It leaves us, on its return southward, about the middle of September. The singular — I will not say unnatural — conduct of the European Cuckoo, (Cucwhis ca7iori;5,) which never constructs a nest for itself, but drops its eggs in those of other birds, and abandons them to their mercy and management, is so universally known, and so proverbial, that the whole tribe of Cuckoos have, by some inconsiderate people, been stigmatized as destitute of all parental care and affection. Without attempting to account for this remarkable habit of the Euro- pean species, far less to consider as an error what the wisdom of Heaven has imposed as a duty on the species, I will only remark, that the bird now before us builds its own nest, hatches its own eggs, and rears its own young; and, in conjugal and parental affection, seems nowise behind any of its neighbors of the grove. Early in May, they begin to pair, when obstinate battles take place among the males. About the tenth of that month, they commence building. The nest is usually fixed among the horizontal branches of an apple-tree ; sometimes in a solitary thorn, crab, or cedar, in some retired part of the woods. It is constructed, with little art, and scarcely any concavity, of small sticks and twigs, intermixed with green weeds, and blossoms of the common maple. On this almost flat bed, the eggs, usually three or four in number, are placed ; these are of a uniform greenish blue color, and of a size proportionable to that of the bird. While the female is sitting, the male is generally not far distant, and gives the alarm, by his notes, when any person is approach- ing. The female sits so close, that you may almost reach her with your hand, and then precipitates herself to the ground, feigning lame- ness, to draw you away from the spot, fluttering, trailing her wings, and tumbling over, in the manner of tlie Partridge, Woodcock, and many other species. Both parents unite in providing food for the young. This consists, for the most part, of caterpillars, particularly such as infest apple-trees. The same insects constitute the chief part of their own sustenance. They are accused, and with some justice, of sucking the eggs of other birds, like the Crow, the Blue Jay, and other pillagers. They also occasionally eat various kinds of berries. But, from the circumstance of destroying such numbers of very noxious larvse, they prove themselves the friends of the fanner, and are highly deserving of his protection. The Yellow-billed Cuckoo is thirteen inches long, and sixteen inches in extent ; the whole upper parts are of a dark glossy drab, or what is usually called a Quaker color, with greenish silky reflections ; from this must, however, be excepted the inner vanes of the wings, which are bright reddish cinnamon ; tlie tail is long, composed of ten feathers, the two middle ones being of the same color as the back ; the others, which gradually shorten to the exterior ones, are black, largely tipped with white ; tlie two outer ones are scarcely half the length of BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. 269 the middle ones. The whole lower parts are pure white ; the feathers covering the thig^hs being large, like those of tlie Hawk tribe ; the legs and feet are light blue, the toes placed two before and two behind, as in the rest of tlie genus. The bill is long, a little bent, very broad at tlie base, dusky black above, and yellow below; the eye hazel, featliered close to the eyelid, which is yellow. The female differs little from the male ; the four middle tail-feathers in her are of the same unifonn drab ; and the white, with which the others are tipped, not so pure as in the male. In examining this bird by dissection, the inner membrane of the gizzard, which in many other species is so hard and muscular, in tliis is extremely lax and soft, capable of great distention ; and, what is remarkable, is covered with a growth of fine down, or hair, of a light fawn color. It is difficult to ascertain the particular purpose which nature intends by this excrescence ; perhaps it may serve to shield the tender parts from the irritating effects produced by the hairs of certain caterpillars, some of which are said to be almost equal to the sting of a nettle. BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO. — CUCULUS ERYTHROPTHALMA. — Fig. 128. Peak's Museum, No. 1854. COCCYZUS ERYTHROPTHALMUS. — Bonaparte.* Coccyzus erythropthalmuS; Bonap. Synop. p. 42. — The Black-billed Cuckoo, And. pi. 32, male and female j Orn. Biog. i. p. 170. This Cuckoo is nearly as numerous as the former, but has hitherto escaped the notice of European naturalists; or, from its general resemblance, has been confounded with the preceding. Its par- ticular markings, however, and some of its habits, sufficiently char- acterize it as a distinct species. Its general color above is nearly that of the former, inclining more to a pale ash on the cheeks and front ; it is about an inch less in length ; the tail is of a uniform dark silky drab, except at the tip, where each feather is marked with a spot of white, bordered above with a slight touch of dull black ; the bill is wholly black, and much smaller than that of the preceding; and it wants the bright cinnamon on the wings. But Avhat constitutes its most distinguishing trait is, a bare, Avrinkled skin, of a deep red color, that surrounds the eye. The female differs little in external appearance from the male. The Black-billed Cuckoo is particularly fond of the sides of creeks, * Wilson, I believe, deserves the credit of distinguishing this species. It is closely aUied to, but differs widely, both in its habits and feeding, from its conge- ners and the true Cuckoos. In addition to shells and water insects, Audubon men- tions having fmuid in their stomachs a small black frog, which appears after a summer shower. — Ed. 23* 270 BLUE YELLOW-BACK WARBLER. feeding on small shell-fish, snails, &c. I have also often found broken pieces of oyster shells in its gizzard, which, like that of the other, is covered with fine downy hair. The nest of this bird is most commonly built in a cedar, much in the same manner, and of nearly the same materials, as tliat of the other ; but the eggs are smaller, usually four or five in number, and of a rather deeper greenish blue. This bird is likewise found in the state of Georgia, and has not escaped the notice of Mr. Abbot, who is satisfied of its being a distinct species from the preceding. BLUE YELLOW-BACK WARBLER.— SYLVIA PUSILLA — Fig. 129. Parus Americanus, Linn. Syst. 34L — Finch Creeper, Catesb. i. 64. — Lath. ii. 5.58. — Creeping Titmouse^ Arct. Zonl. 423, No. 326. — Parus varius, Various-colored Little Finch Creeper, Bart. p. '2.92. — Peak's Museum, No. 6910. SYLVICOLji .aMERICAJ^A. — Swainson.* Sylvia Americana, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 520. — Bonap. Sijnop. p. 83. — Sylvicola pusilla, Sw. Synop. Birds of Mex. Ann. of Phil. p. 433. — Zool. Journ. No. 10, p. 169. — The Blue Yellow-backed Warbler, And. pi. 15, male and female 5 Orn. Biog. i. p. 78. Notwithstanding the respectability of the above authorities, 1 must continue to consider this bird as a species of Warbler. Its habits, indeed, partake something of the Titmouse ; but the form of its bill is decidedly that of the Sylvia genus. It is remarkable for frequenting the tops of the tallest trees, where it feeds on the small winged insects and caterpillars that infest the young leaves and blossoms. It has a few, feeble, cheruping notes, scarcely loud enough to be heard at tlie foot of tlie tree. It visits Pennsylvania from the south, early in May ; is very abundant in the Avoods of Kentucky ; and is also found in the northern parts of the state of New York. Its nest I have never yet met with, f This little species is four inches and a half long, and six inches and a half in breadth ; the front, and between the bill and eyes, is black; the upper part of the head and neck, a fine Prussian blue ; upper part of the back, brownish yellow ; lower, and rump, pale blue ; wings and * There is nothing- more annoying than the unravelling of names. That of ^7«e?-2- cona, without doubt, seems to have been the specific appellation lirst applied 3 and if we are to adhere to any given rule in nomenclature, that should be now adopted. The present species has also been made typical of the group which is confined to the New World. — Ed. t According to Audubon, the nest is small, formed of lichens, beautifully arranged ou the outside, and lined with the cotton substances found on the edges of different mosses ; it is placed in the fork of a small twig, near the extremity of the branch. The eggs are pure white, with a few reddish dots at the longer end Mr. Audubon thinks two broods are raised in the year. — Ed. YELLOW RED-POLL WARBLER. 271 tail, black ; the fomier crossed with two bars of white, and edged with blue ; tlie latter marked on the inner webs of the three exterior feath- ers with white, a circumstance common to a great number of the genus ; immediately above and below the eye is a small touch of white ; the upper mandible is black ; the lower, as well as the whole tliroat and breast, rich yellow, deepening about its middle to orange red, and marked on the throat with a small crescent of black ; on the edge of the breast is a slight touch of rufous ; belly and vent, white ; legs, dark brown; feet, dirty yellow. The female wants both the black and orange on the tliroat and breast ; the blue on the upper parts is also of a duller tint. YELLOW RED-POLL WARBLER. — SYLVIA PETECHIA. — Fig. 130. Red-headed Warbler, Turton, i. 605. — Pedes Musemn, No. 7124. SYLVICOLA PETECHM. — SyvAiysoTi. Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 535. — Sylvia petechia; Bonap. Synop. p. 83. — Red-headed Warbler, Perm. Arct. Zool. ii. p. 401. — Sylvicola petechia, North. Zool. ii. p. 215. This delicate little bird arrives in Pennsylvania early in April, while the maples are yet in blossom, among the branches of which it may generally be found at that season, feeding on the stamina of the flowers, and on small winged insects. Low, swampy thickets are its favorite places of resort. It is not numerous, and its notes are unde- serving the name of song. It remains with us all summer, but its nest has hitherto escaped me. It leaves us late in September. Some of them probably winter in Georgia, having myself shot several, late in February, on the borders of the Savannah River. Length of the Yellow Red-Poll, five inches ; extent, eight ; line over tlie eye, and whole lower parts, rich yellow ; breast, streaked with dull red ; upper part of the head, reddish chestnut, which it loses in winter ; back, yellow olive, streaked with dusky ; rump, and tail- coverts, greenish yellow ; wings, deep blackish brown, exteriorly edged with olive ; tail, slightly forked, and of the same color as the wings. The female wants the red cap, and the yellow of the lower part is less brilliant ; the streaks of red on the breast are also fewer and less distinct 272 IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. IVORY-BILLED V^OODPECKER. — PICUS PRINCIPALIS.— Fig. r3L Picus principalis, Lynn. Sijst. i. p. 173, 2. — Gmel. Syst. i. p. 425. — Picus Niger Carolinensis, Briss. iv. p. "26, 9 ; Id. 8vo. ii. p. 49. — Pic uoir a bee blauc, Buff. vii. p. 46. PL enl. 690. — King of the Woodpeckers, Kalm, ii. p. 85. — White- billed Woodpecker, Catesb. Car. i. 6, 16. — Arct. Zool. ii. No. 156. — Lath. Syst. ii. p. 553. — Bartram, p. 289. — Peak's Museum, No. 1884. PICUS PRLVCIP.^LIS. — LiNNius.* Picus principalis, Bonap. Synop. p. 44. — Wagl. Sijst. Av. Picus, No. 1. — The Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Aud. pi. 66, male and female ; Orn. Biog. i. p. 341. This majestic and formidable species, in strength and magnitude, stands at the head of the whole class of Woodpeckers hitherto discov- ered. He may be called tlie king or chief of his tribe ; and Nature * The genus Picus, or Woodpeckers, with the exception of the Parrots, forms the most extensive group among the Scunsores, and perhaps one of the most natu- ral among the numerous divisions now assig'ued to the feathered race. In a former note, we mentioned the difference of form, and corresponding moditication of habit, that nevertheless existed among them. Most ornithologists have divided them into three groups only, taking the common form of Woodpeckers for the type, making another of the Golden-winged, and including in a third the very minute species which form Temminck's genus Picumnus, but which, I believe, will be found to rank in a family somewhat different. Mr. Swainson, again, in following out the \-iews which he holds regarding the affinities of living beings, has formed five groups, — taking our present form as typical, under the title Pictis ; that of the Green Woodpecker, under Chrysoptilus ; that of the Red-headed Woodpecker, as Melanerpes ; the Golden-Wings, as Colaptes ; and Malacolnphus, as the Soft- crested Brazilian and Indian species. Of these forms, the northern parts of Amer- ica will contain only three : two we have had occasion already to remark upon ; and the third forms the subject of our author's present description — the most power- ful of the whole tribe, and showing all the forms aud peculiarities of the true Wood- pecker developed to the utmost. The Pici are very numerous, and are distributed over the whole world. New Holland excepted ; America, however, including both continents, may be termed the land of Woodpeckers. Her vast and solitary forests afford abundance to sat- isfy their various wants, and furnish a secluded retirement from the inroads of culti- vation. Next in number, I believe, India and her islands are best stored ; then, Africa ; and lasth', Europe. The numbers, however, are always greatest between the tropics, and generally diminish as we recede from and approach temperate or cold regions. They are mostly insectivorous; a few species onlvfeed occasionally on different fruits and berries. The various Coleoptera, that form their abodes in dead and decaying timber, and beneath their bark and moss, with their egg^ and large larvae, form an essential part of their subsistence. For securing this prey, digging it out from their burrows in the wood, and the peculiar mode of life incident to such pursuits, they are most admirably adapted. The bill is strong and wedge- shaped ; the neck possesses great muscularity. The tongue. — fitted by the curi- ous construction of its muscles and the os Jtijoides, and lubricated with" a viscous saliva, either gently to secure and draw in the weaker prey, or with great force and rapidity to dart out, and, it is said, to transfix the larger and more nimble in- sects,— joined lo the short leg^s and hooked, scansorial claws, with the stiff, bent tail, are all provisions beautifully arranged for their wants. All the species are solitary ; live in pairs only during the .season of incubation; or are met with in small flocks, the amount of the" year's brood, in the end of autumn, before they have separated. This solitary habit, and their haunts being generally IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. 273 seems to have designed him a distinguished characteristic in the su- perb carmine crest and bill of polished ivory Avith which she has ornamented him. His eye is brilliant and daring ; and his whole frame so admirably adapted for his mode of life and method of procur- ing subsistence, as to impress on the mind of the examiner the most reverential ideas of the Creator. His manners have also a dignity in them superior to the common herd of Woodpeckers. Trees, shrub- bery, orchards, rails, fence-posts, and old, prostrate logs, are alike interesting to those, in their humble and indefatigable search for prey ; but the royal hunter now before us scorns the Immility of such situa- tions, and seeks the most towering trees of the forests ; seeming par- ticularly attached to those prodigious cypress swamps, whose crowded giant sons stretch their bare and blasted or moss-hung arms midway to the skies. In these almost inaccessible recesses, amid ruinous piles of impending timber, his trumpet-like note and loud strokes resound through the solitary, savage wdlds, of which he seems the sole lord and inhabitant. Wherever he frequents, he leaves numerous monuments of his industry behind him. We there see enormous pine-ti'ees, with cartloads of bark lying around their roots, and chips of tlie ti'unk itself, in such quantities as to suggest the idea that half a dozen of axe-men liad been at work there for the whole morning. The body of the tree is also disfigured with such numerous and so large excavations, that one can hardly conceive it possible for the whole to be the work of a Woodpecker. With such strength, and an apparatus so pov/erful, what havock might he not commit, if numerous, on the most useful of our forest-trees ! And yet, with all these appearances, and much of gloomy and retired, has given rise to the opinion, enterlamed by many, that the life of the Woodpecker was hard and laborious, dragged on in the same unvaried tract for one purpose, — the supply of food. It has been painted in vivid and imaginary coloring, and its existence has been described to be painful and burdensomein the extreme ; its cries have been converted into complaints, and its search for food into exertions of no use. We cannot agree to this. The cry of the Woodpecker is wild, and no doubt the incessant hewing of holes, without an adequate object, would be sufficiently miserable. These, however, are the pleasures of the bird. The knowledge to search after food is implanted in it, and organs most admirably formed to prevent exhaustion and insure success, liave been granted to it. Its cries, though melancholy to us, are so from association with the dark forests and the stillness which surrounds their haunts, but perhaps, at the time when we judge, are expressive of the greatest enjoyment. An answer of kindness in reply to a mate, the calling together of the newly-flcdged brood, or exultation over the dis- covery of some favorite hoard of food, are what are set down as painful and discontented. Mr. Audubon's remarks on this splendid species, " the King of the Woodpeck- ers," I have transcribed at some length, as indicating the particular manner of the typical family of this great group : — "The Ivory-billed Woodpecker confines its rambles to a comparatively very small portion of the United .States, it never having been observed in the Middle States within the memory of any person now living there. In fact, in no portion of these districts does the nature of the woods appear suitable to its remarkable habits. " Descending the Ohio, we meet with this splendid bird for the first time near the confluence of that beautiful river and the Mississippi ; after which, following the wind- ings of the latter, either downwards toward the sea, or upwards in the direction of the Missouri, we frequently observe it. On the Atlantic coast. North Carolina may be taken as the limit of its" distribution; although now and then an individual of the spe- 274 IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. vulgar prejudice against him, it may fairly be questioned whether he is at all injurious ; or, at least, whether his exertions do not contribute most powerfully to the protection of our timber. Examine closely the tree where he has been at work, and you will soon perceive that it is neither from motives of mischief nor amusement that he slices off the bark, or digs his way into the trunk; for the sound and healthy tree is the least object of his attention. The diseased, infested witli in- sects, and hastening to putrefaction, are his favorites ; there the deadly, crawling enemy have formed a lodgment between the bark and ten- der wood, to drink up the very vital part of the tree. It is the ravages of these vermin, which the intelligent proprietor of the forest deplores as the sole perpetrators of the destruction of his timber. Would it be believed that the larvss of an insect, or fly, no larger than a grain of rice, should silently, and in one season, destroy some thousand acres of pine-trees, many of them from two to three feet in diameter, and a hundred and fifty feet high ? Yet whoever passes along the high road from Georgetown to Charleston, in South Carolina, about twenty miles from the former place, can have striking and melancholy proofs of this fact. In some places, the whole woods, as far as you can see around you, are dead, stripped of the bark, their wintry-looking arms and bare trunks bleaching in the sun, and tumbling in ruins before every blast, presenting a frightful picture of desolation. And yet ignorance and prejudice stubbornly persist in directing their indignation against the bird now before us, the constant and mortal enemy of these very ver- min ; as if the hand that probed the wound to extract its cause, should be equally detested witli that which inflicted it ; or as if the thief- cies may be accidentally seen in Maryland. To the westward of the Mississippi, it is found in all the dense forests bordering the streams which empty their waters into that majestic river, from the very declivities of the Rocky Mountains. The lower parts of the Carolinas, Georgia, Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, are, however, the most favorite resorts of this bird, and in those states it constantly resides, breeds, and passes a life of peaceful enjoyment, finding a profusion of food in all the deep, dark, and gloomy swamps dispersed throughout them. "The flight of this bird is graceful in the extreme, although seldom prolonged to more than a few hundred yards at a time, unless when it has to cross a large river, which it does in deep undulations, opening its wings at first to their full extent, and nearly closing them to renew the propelling impulse. The transit from one tree to another, even should the distance be as much as a hundred yards, is performed by a single sweep, and the bird appears as if merely swinging itself from the top of the one tree to that of the other, forming an elegantly curved line. At this moment, all the beauty of the plumage is exhibited, and strikes the beholder with pleasure. It never utters any sound whilst on wing, unless during the love season ; but. at all other times, no sooner has this bird alighted than its remarkable voice is heard, at almost every leap which it makes, whilst ascending against the upper parts of the trunk of a tree or its highest branches. Its notes are clear, loud, and yet very plaintive ; they are heard at a considerable distance, perhaps half a mile, and re- semble the false high note of a clarionet. They are usually repeated three times in succession, and may be represented by the monosyllable pait, pait, pait. These are heard so frequently as to induce me to say that the bird spends few minutes of the day without uttering them ; and this circumstance leads to its destruction, which is aimed at, not because (as is supposed by some) this species is a destroyer of trees, but more because it is a beautiful bird, and its rich scalp attached to "the upper mandible forms an ornament for the war-dress of most of our Indians, or for the shot-pouch of our squatters and hunters, by all of whom the bird is shot merely for that purpose." — Ed. IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. 275 catcher should be confounded with the thief. Until some effectual preventive, or more complete mode of destruction, can be devised against these insects and their larvae, I would humbly sugg-est the propriety of protectino", and receiving-, with proper feelings of grati- tude, the services of this and the whole tribe of Woodpeckers, letting the odium of guilt fall upon its proper owners. In looking over tlie accounts given of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker by the naturalists of Europe, I find it asserted that it inhabits from New- Jersey to Mexico. I believe, however, that few of them are ever seen to the north of Virginia, and very few of them even in that state. The first place I observed this bird at, when on my way to the south, was about twelve miles north of Wilmington in North Carolina. There I found the bird from whicli the drawing of Fig. 131 was taken. This bird was only wounded slightly in the wing, and, on be- ing caught, uttered a loudly reiterated and most piteous note, exactly resembling the violent crying of a young child ; which terrified my horse so, as nearly to have cost me my life. It was distressing to hear it. I carried it with me in the chair, under cover, to Wilming- ton. In passing through the streets, its affecting cries surprised every one within hearing, particularly the females, who hurried to the doors and windows with looks of alarm and anxiety. I drove on, and, on arriving at the piazza of the hotel, Avhere I intended to put up, the landlord came forward, and a number of other persons who happened to be there, all equally alarmed at what they heard ; this was greatly increased by my asking, v/hether he could furnish me with accommo- dations for myself and my baby. The man looked blank and foolish, while the others stared with still greater astonishment. Afler diverting myself for a minute or two at their expense, I drew my Woodpecker from under the cover, and a general laugh took place. I took him up stairs, and locked him up in my room, while I went to see my horse taken care of. In less than an hour, I returned, and, on opening the door, he set up the same distressing shout, which now appeared to proceed from grief that he had been discovered in his attempts at escape. He had mounted along the side of the window, nearly as high as the ceiling, a little below which he had begun to break through. The bed Avas covered with large pieces of plaster ; the lath was ex- posed for at least fifleen inches square, and a hole, large enough to admit the fist, opened to the weather-boards; so that, in less than an- other hour, he would certainly have succeeded in making his way through. I now tied a string round his leg, and, fastening it to the ta- ble, again left him. I wished to preserve his life, and had gone off in search of suitable food for him. As I reascended the stairs, I heard him again hard at work, and on entering had the mortification to per- ceive that he had almost entirely ruined the mahogany table to which he was fastened, and on which he had wreaked his whole vengeance. While engaged in taking the drawing, he cut me severely in several places, and, on the whole, displayed such a noble and unconquerable spirit, that I was frequently tempted to restore him to his native woods. He lived with me nearly three days, but refused all sustenance, and I witnessed his death with regret. The head and bill of this bird is in great esteem among the south- ern Indians, who wear them by way of amulet or charm, as well as 276 IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. ornament; and, it is said, dispose of them to the northern tribes at considerable prices. An Indian believes that the head, skin, or even feathers of certain birds, confer on the wearer all the virtues or excel- lences of those birds. Thus I have seen a coat made of the skins, heads, and claws of the Raven ; caps stuck round with heads of Butcher Birds, Hawks, and Eagles ; and as the disposition and courage of the Ivory-billed Woodpecker are well known to the savages, no wonder they should attach great value to it, having both beauty, and, in their estimation, distinguished merit to recommend it. This bird is not migratory, but resident in the countries where it in- habits. In the low countries of the Carolinas, it usually prefers the large-timbered cypress swamps for breeding in. In the trunk of one of these trees, at a considerable height, the male and female alter- nately, and in conjunction, dig out a large and capacious cavity for their eggs and young. Trees thus dug out have frequently been cut down, with sometimes the eggs and young in them. This hole, ac- cording to information, — for I have never seen one myself, — is generally a little winding, the better to keep out the weather, and from two to five feet deep. The eggs are said to be generally four, sometimes five, as large as a Pullet's, pure white, and equally thick at both ends — a description that, except in size, very nearly agrees with all the rest of our Woodpeckers. The young begin to be seen abroad about the middle of June. Whether they breed more than once in the same season is uncertain.* * The description of the nestling. &c., is thus also given by Audubon. Wilson observes that he had no opportunity of ever seeing their holes, and the following will tend to render his account more complete : — ''■ The Ivory-billed Woodpecker nestles earlier in spring than any other species of its tribe. I have observed it boring a hole for that purpose in the beginning of March. The hole is, I believe, always made in the trunk of a live tree, generally an ash or a hagberry, and is at a great height. The birds pay great regard to the particular situation of the tree and the inclination of its trunk 5 first, because they prefer retirement, and again, because they are anxious to secure the aperture against the access of water during beating rains. To prevent such a calamity, the hole is generally dug immediately under the junction of a large branch with the trunk. It IS tirst bored horizontally for a few inches, then directly downwards, and not in a spiral manner, as some people have imagined. According to circumstances, this cavity is more or less deep, being sometimes not more than ten inches, whilst at other times it reaches nearly three feet downwards into the core of the tree. I have been led to think that tliese differences result from the more or less immediate necessity under which the female may be of depositing her eggs, and again have thoughtthat the older the Woodpecker is, the deeper does it niEilie its hole. The av- erage diameter of the different nests which I have examined, was about seven inches within, although the entrance, which is perfectly round, is only just large enough to admit the bird. " Both birds work most assiduously at this excavation, one waiting outside to en- couroge the other, whilst it is engaged in digging, and when the latter is fatigued, taking its place. I have approached trees whilst these Woodpeckers were thus busily employed in forming their nest, and by resting my head against the bark, f.ould easily clistinguish every blow given by the bird. 1 observed that in two in- stances, v/hen the Woodpecker saw me thus at the foot of the tree in which they were digging their nest, they abandoned it forever. For the first brood there are generally six eggs. They are deposited on a few chips at the bottom of the hole, and are of a pure white color. The young are seen creeping out of the hole about a fortnight before they venture to fly to any other tree. The second brood makes its appearance about the 15th of August. IVORY- BILLED WOODPECKER. 277 So little attention do the people of the countries where these birds inhabit pay to the minutia3 of natural history, that, generally speaking, they make no distinction between the Ivory-billed and Pileated Wood- pecker, represented in tlie same plate ; and it was not till I showed them the two birds together, that they knew of any difference. The more intelligent and observing part of the natives, however, distin- guish them by the name of the Large nud hesser Logcocks. They sel- dom examine them but at a distance, gunpowder being considered too precious to be thrown away on Woodpeckers ; nothing less than a Turkey being thought worth the value of a load. " In Kentucky and Indiana, the Ivory-Bills seldom raise more than one brood in the season. The young- are at first of the color of the female, only that they want ihc crest, which, however, grows rapidly, and towards autumn — particularly in birds of the first breed — is nearly equal to that of the mother. The males have then a slight line of red on the head, and do not attain their richness of plumag-e until spring, or their full size until the second year. Indeed, even then, a difference is easily ob- served between them and individuals w Inch are much older. " The food of this species consists principally of beetles, larvae, and large grubs. No sooner, hov.ever, are the grapes of our forests ripe than they are eaten by the Ivory-billed Woodpecker with great avidity. I have seen this bird hang by its claw's to the vines, in the position so often assumed by a Titmouse, and, reaching downwards, help itself to a bunch of grapes with much apparent pleasure. Per- simmons are also sought for by them, as soon as the fruit becomes quite mellow, as are hagberries. "The Ivory-Bill is neverseen attackingthe corn, orthe fruit of the orchard, although it is sometimes observed working upon and chipping off the bark from the belted trees of the newly-cleared plantations. It seldom comes near the ground, but pre- fers at all times the tops of the tallest trees. Should it, however, discover the half- standing broken shaft of a large dead and rotten tree, it attacks it in such a manner as nearly to demolish it in the course of a few days. I have seen the remains of some of' these ancient monarchs of our forests so excavated, and that so sing-ularly, that the tottering frasrments of the trunk appeared to be merely supported by the great pile of chips liv which its base was surrounded. The strength of this Woodpecker is such, that I have seen it detach pieces of bark seven or eight inches in length at a single blow of its powerful bill, and by beginning at the top branch of a dead tree, tear off the bark, to an extent of twenty or thirty feet, in the course of a few hours, leaping downwards, with its body in an upward position, tossing- its head to the riffht and left, or leaning it against the bark to ascertain the precise spot where the grubs were concealed, and immediately after renewing- its blows with fresh vig-or, all the while sounding its loud notes, as if highly delighted. '*■ This species generally moves in pairs, after the young- have left their parents. The female is always the most clamorous and the least shy. Their mutual attach- ment is, I believe, continued through life. Excepting when digging a hole for the reception of their eggs, these birds seldom, if ever, attack living trees, for any other purpose than that of procuring food, in doing which they destroy the insects that would otherwise prove injurious to the trees. " I have frequently observed the male and female retire to rest for the night, into the same hole in which they had long before reared their young. This generally happens a short time after sunset. " When wounded and brought to the ground, the Ivory-Bill immediately makes for the nearest tree, and ascends it with great rapidity and perseverance until it reaches the top branches, when it squats and hides, generally with great effect. Whilst ascending, it moves spirally round the tree, utters its loud pait., pait, pait, at almost every hop, hmt becomes silent the moment it reaches a place where it conceives itself secure. They sometimes cling to the bark with their claws so firmly as to remain cramped to the spot for several hours after death. When taken by ihe hand, which is rather a hazardous undertaking, they strike with great violence, and inffict very severe wounds with their bill as well as claws, which arc extremely sharp and strong. On such occasions, this bird utters a mournful and very piteous cry." — Ed. 24 278 IVORY-BILLED WOODPECKER. The food of this bird consists, 1 believe, entirely of insects and their larvae.* The Pileated Woodpecker is suspected of sometimes tasting the Indian corn ; the Ivory-billed never. His common note, repeated every three or four seconds, very much resembles the tone of a trumpet, or the high note of a clarionet, and can plainly be dis- tinguished at the distance of more than half a mile ; seeming to be immediately at hand, though perhaps more than one hundred yards off. This it utters while mounting along the trunk or digging into it. At these times it has a stately and novel appearance ; and the note in- stantly attracts the notice of a stranger. Along the borders of the Savannah River, between Savannah and Augusta, I found them very frequently ; but my horse no sooner heard their trumpet-like note, than, remembering his former alarm, he became almost ungovernable. The Ivory-billed Woodpecker is twenty inches long, and thirty inches in extent; the general color is black, with a considerable gloss of green when exposed to a good light; iris of the eye, vivid yellow; nostrils, covered ^dth recumbent white hairs; fore part of the head, black ; rest of the crest, of a most splendid red, spotted at the bottom with white, which is only seen when the crest is erected, as represented in Fig. 135; this long red plumage being ash-colored at its base, above that white, and ending in brilliant red ; a stripe of white pro- ceeds from a point, about half an inch below each eye, passes down each side of the neck, and along the back, where they are about an inch apart, nearly to the rump; the first five primaries are wholly black; on the next five the white spreads from the tip, higher and higher, to the secondaries, which are Avholly white from their coverts downward. These markings, when the wings are shut, make the bird appear as if his back were white ; hence he has been called by some of our naturalists the large White-backed Woodpecker. The neck is long ; the beak an inch broad at the base, of the color and consis- tence of ivory, prodigiously strong and elegantly fluted. The tail is black, tapering from the two exterior feathers, which are three inches shorter than the middle ones, and each feather has the singularity of being greatly concave below; the wing is lined with yellowish white; the legs are about an inch and a quarter long, the exterior toe about the same length, the claws exactly semicircular and remarkably pow- erful,— the whole of a light blue or lead color. The female is about half an inch shorter, the bill rather less, and the whole plumage of the head black, glossed with green ; in the other parts of the plumage, she exactly resembles the male. In the stomachs of three which I opened, I found large quantities of a species of worm called borers, two or three inches long, of a dirty cream color, with a black head ; the stomach was an oblong pouch, not muscular, like the gizzards of some * Mr. Audubon says, that though the greater part of their food consists of insects and their larvse, no sooner are the grapes of our forests ripe, than they are eaten with the greatest avidity. I have seen this bird hang by its claws to the vines, in the position so often assumed by the Titmouse, and, reaching down, help itself to a bunch of grapes. Persimmons are also sought by them, as soon as the fruit be- comes quite mellow, and hagberries. — Ed. PILE ATE D WOODPECKER. 279 Others. The tongue was worm-shaped, and for half an inch at the tip as hard as horn, flat, pointed, of the same white color as the bill, and thickly barbed on each side.* FILEATED WOODPECKER. — PICUS PILE ATUS. — Fig. 132. Picas nisrer, crista rubra, Lath. Lid. Orn. u p. 225, 4. — Picus pileatus, Linn. Syst. i. p. 173, 3. — G?nel. Sijst. i. p. 425. — Picus Virginianus pileatus, Briss. iv. p. 29. 10. — LI. 8vo. ii. p. 50. — Pic noir a huppe rouge, B?/ff. vii. p. 48. — Pic noir huppe de la Louisiana, PL enl. 718. — Larger Crested Woodpecker, Catesb. Car. i. 6, 17. — Pileated Woodpecker, Arct. Zool. ii. No. Mil. — Lath. Syn. ii. p. 554, o.—Id. Supp. p. lOo. — Bartram, p. 289. — Peale's Museum, No. 1886. PICUS P/iE^r^/S. — LiNNiEus.T Picus pileatus, Bonap. Synop. p. 44. — Wao^l. Syst. Av. No. 2. — Picus (dryoto- mus) pileatus, North. Zool. ii. p. 304. This American species is the second in size among- his tribe, and may be styled the great northern chief of the Woodpeckers, though, in fact, his range extends over the whole of the United States from the interior of Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. He is very numerous in the Genesee country, and in all the tracts of high-timbered forests, particularly in the neighborhood of our large rivers, where he is noted for making a loud and almost incessant cackling before wet weather, flying at such times in a restless, uneasy manner from tree to tree, making the woods echo to his outcry. In Pennsylvania and the North- ern States, he is called the Black Woodcock ; in the Southern States, the Logcock. Almost every old trunk in the forest where he resides bears the marks of his chisel. Wherever he perceives a tree beginning to decay, he examines it round and round with great skill and dexterity, strips off" the bark in sheets of five or six feet in length, to sret at the hidden cause of the disease, and labors with a gayety and activity really surprising. I have seen him separate the greatest part of the bark from a large, dead pine tree, for twenty or thirty feet, in less than a quarter of an hour. Whether engaged in flying from tree to tree, in digging, climbing, or barking, he seems perpetually in a hurry. He is extremely hard to kill, clinging close to the tree even after he has received his mortal wound ; nor yielding up his hold but with his ex- piring breath. If slightly wounded in the wing, and dropped while * Wilson seems to have been in some uncertainty regarding the nidification of this species, and probably never saw the nest. The account of 3Ir. Audubon will fill up what is here wanting. — Ed. t As we remarked in our last note, Mr. Swainson, according to the views he en- tertains, has divided the large family Picianm into five great divisions, and the difierent forms in these again into groups of lesser value. For the tvpe of one of them, he has chosen the Picus pileatus, under the title of Dniotomus ,'(]\tYcTing from Picus in the exterior outer toe being shorter than the anterior external one, exactly the reverse of the proportions of Picus. — Ed. 280 PILEATED WOODPECKER. flying, he instantly makes for the nearest tree, and strikes with great bitterness at the hand stretched out to seize him ; and can rarely be reconciled to confinement. He is sometimes observed among tlie hills of Indian corn, and it is said by some that he frequently feeds on it. Complaints of this kind are, however, not general ; many farmers doubting the fact, and conceiving that at these times he is in search of insects which lie concealed in the busk. I will not be positive that they never occasionally taste maize ; yet I have opened and examined great numbers of these birds, killed in various parts of the United States, from Lake Ontario to the Alatamaha River, but never found a grain of Indian corn in their stomachs. The Pileated Woodpecker is not migratory, but braves the extremes of both the arctic and torrid regions. Neither is he gregarious, for it is rare to see more than one or two, or at the most three, in company. Formerly they were numerous in the neighborhood of Philadelphia; but gradually, as the old timber fell, and the country became better cleared, they retreated to the forest. At present few of those birds are to be found within ten or fifteen miles of the city. Their nest is built, or rather the eggs are deposited, in the hole of a tree, dug out by themselves, no other materials being used but the soft chips of rotten wood. The female lays six large eggs, of a snowy whiteness ; and, it is said, they generally raise two broods in the same season. This species is eighteen inches long, and twenty-eight in extent ; the general color is a dusky brownish black ; the head is ornamented witli a conical cap of bright scarlet; two scarlet mustaches proceed from the lower mandible ; the chin is white ; the nostrils are covered with brownish white, hair-like feathers, and this stripe of white passes from thence down the side of the neck to the sides, spreading under the v/ings ; the upper half of the wings is white, but concealed by the black coverts ; the lower extremities of the wings are black, so that the white on the wing is not seen but when the bird is flying, at which time it is very prominent ; the tail is tapering, the feathers being very convex above, and strong; the legs are of a leaden gray color, very short, scarcely half an inch ; the toes very long ; claws, strong and semicircular, and of a pale blue; the bill is fluted, sharply ridged, very broad at the base, bluish black above, below and at the point blu- ish white ; the eye is of a bright golden color, the pupil black ; the tongue, like those of its tribe, is worm-shaped, except near the tip, where for one eighth of an inch it is horny, pointed, and beset with barbs. The female has the forehead, and nearly to the crown, of a light brown color, and the mustaches are dusky, instead of red. In both, a fine line of white separates the red crest from the dusky line that passes over the eye. i RED-WINGED STARLING. 281 RED-WINGED STARLING. — STURNUS PREDATORIUS.— Fig. 136, Male; Fig. 137, Female. Bartram, 29L — Oriolus phoeniceus, Linn. Sijst. IGl. — Rcd-wing-ed Oriole, Arct. Zool. 2o5, No. 140. — Le Troupiale a aisles ronse?,, Briss. ii. 97. — Le comman- deur, Buff. iii. 214, PZ. enl. 402. — Lath. i. 428. — Acolchichi, Femanrf. iVor. Hisp. p. 14. — Peak's Museum, No. 1466, 1467. AQL^aiUS PH(EJ\riCEUS. — YiEii.LOT.* Aglaius Phoeniceus, Vieill. Gall, des Ois. — North. Zool. ii. p. 280. — Icterus Thoe- niccus, Bonap. Synop. p. 52. — The Red-winged Starling, or Marsh Blackbird. Aud. pi. 67. male'in difl'erent states, female, and young; Orii. Biog. i. p. 348. This notorious and celebrated corn thief, the long-reputed plunderer and pest of our honest and laborious farmers, now presents himself before us, with his copartner in iniquity, to receive the character due for their very active and distinguished services. In investigating the nature of these, I shall endeavor to render strict historical justice to this noted pair; adhering to the honest injunctions of the poet — Nothing extenuate. Nor set down aught in malice. Let the reader divest himself equally of prejudice, and we shall be at no loss to ascertain accurately their true character. * This bird, I believe, will rank under the Icteri of Brisson, but seems first men- tioned by Daudin under that title. Like the others of this intricate family, it has been described under a multitude of names ; but the above seems the preferable one to be adopted. Wilson also changed the specific name to Predatorius, taken from its plundering habits, whereas, without doubt, he should have retained its ori- ginal designation. North America possesses another beautiful species, figured in the Continuation of the Ornithologij by Bonaparte. Wilson is somewhat puzzled inwhat genus to place this bird, and is only recon- ciled to join it with our Common Starling, which it much resembles in its congrega- ted flights. In this country, we cannot expect to see a flight of such numbers as Wilson mentions ; still they are sometimes very numerous, and one might almost conceive the appearance of the one, from their recollections of the other. In the low meadows of Holland, again, some relative proportion may be found. I have seen an extent of flat surface, as far as the eye could reach around, covered with flocks of Starlings, associated with Lapwings and Golden Plovers ; and the flocks that rose on the approach of night were sometimes immense. In the islands of Sardinia, and those adjacent, and where they may be augmented by the presence of another species, the St. unicolor of Temminck, I am told that the assemblage of birds is innumerable in the lower valleys, and among the lakes and reedy marshes which cover so much of the lower parts of these countries. In their evo- lutions before retiring to rest among reeds or bushes, the two birds also resemble each other. That of Europe is thus described by an observing naturalist : — " There is something singularly curious and mysterious in the conduct of these birds, pre- vious to their nightly retirement, by the variety and intricacy of the evolutions they execute at that lime. They will form themselves, perhaps, into a triangle, then shoot into a long, pear-shaped figure, expand like a sheet, wheel into a ball, as Pliny observes, each individual striving to get into the centre, &c., with a prompti- tude more like parade movements, than the action of birds." I have known them watched for, when coming to roost, and shot in considerable numbers. Their wings afford favorite feather for fishers. — Ed. 24* 282 RED-WINGED STARLING. The Red- winged Starlings, though generally migratory in the states north of Maryland, are found during winter in immense flocks, some- times associated with the Purple Grakles, and often by themselves, along the whole lower parts of Virginia, both Carolinas, Georgia, and Louisiana, particularly near the sea-coast, and in the vicinity of large rice and corn fields. In the months of January and February, while passing through the former of these countries, I was frequently enter- tained with the aerial evolutions of these great bodies of Starlings. Sometimes they appeared driving about like an enormous black cloud carried before the wind, varying its shape every moment ; sometimes suddenly rising from the fields around me with a noise like thunder ; while the glittering of innumerable wings of the brightest vermilion amid the black cloud they formed, produced on these occasions a very striking and splendid effect. Then, descending like a torrent, and covering the branches of some detached grove, or clump of trees, the whole congregated multitude commenced one general concert or chorus, that I have plainly distinguished at the distance of more than two miles, and, when listened to at the intermediate space of about a quarter of a mile, with a slight breeze of wind to swell and soften the flow of its cadences, was to me grand, and even sublime. The whole season of winter, that, with most birds, is passed in struggling to sustain life in silent melancholy, is, with the Red-Wings, one continued carni- val. The profuse gleanings of the old rice, corn, and buckwheat fields, supply them with abundant food, at once ready and nutritious ; and the intennediate time is spent either in aerial manoeuvres, or in grand vocal perfonnances, as if solicitous to supply the absence of all the tuneful summer tribes, and to cheer the dejected face of nature with their whole combined powers of harmony. About the 20th of March, or earlier, if the season be open, they begin to enter Pennsylvania in numerous, though small parties. These migrating flocks are usually observed from daybreak to eight or nine in the morning, passing to the north, chattering to each other as they fly along ; and, in spite of all our antipathy, their well-known notes and appearance, after the long and dreary solitude of winter, inspire cheerful and pleasing ideas of returning spring, warmth, and verdure. Selecting their old haunts, every meadow is soon enlivened by their presence. They continue in small parties to frequent the low borders of creeks, swamps, and ponds, till about the middle of April, when they separate in pairs to breed ; and, about the last week in April, or first in May, begin to construct their nest. The place chosen for tliis is generally within the precincts of a marsh or swamp, meadow, or other like watery situation, — the spot, usually a thicket of alder bushes, at the height of six or seven feet from the ground ; sometimes in a de- tached bush, in a meadow of high grass ; often in a tussock of rushes, or coarse, rank grass ; and not unfrequently on the ground ; in all of which situations I have repeatedly found them. When in a bush, they are generally composed outwardly of wet ruslies, picked from the swamp, and long, tough grass, in large quantity, and well lined with very fine bent. The rushes, forming the exterior, are generally ex- tended to several of the adjoining twigs, round which they are repeat- edly and securely twisted — a precaution absolutely necessary for its preservation, on account of the flexible nature of the bushes in which RED-WINGED STARLING. 283 it is placed. The same caution is observed when a tussock is chosen, by fastening the tops together, and intertwining the materials of which the nest is formed Avith the stalks of rushes around. When placed on the ground, less care and fewer materials being necessary, the nest is much simpler and slighter than before. The female lays five eggs, of a very pale light blue, marked with faint tinges of light purple, and long, straggling lines and dashes of black. It is not uncommon to find several nests in the same thicket, within a few feet of each other. During the time the female is sitting, and still more particularly after the young are liatched, the male, like most other birds that build in low situations, exhibits the most violent symptoms of apprehension and alarm on the approach of any person to its near neighborhood. Like the Lapwing of Europe, he flies to meet the intruder, hovers at a short height overhead, uttering loud notes of distress ; and, while in this situation, displays to great advantage the rich, glowing scarlet of his wings, heightened by the jetty black of his general plumage. As the danger increases, his cries become more shrill and incessant, and his motions rapid and restless ; the whole meadow is alarmed, and a collected crowd of his fellows hover around, and mingle their notes of alarm and agitation with his. When the young are taken away, or destroyed, he continues for several days near the place, restless and dejected, and generally recommences building soon after, in the same meadow. Towards the beginning or middle of August, the young birds begin to fly in flocks, and at that age nearly resemble the female, with the exception of some reddish or orange, that marks the shoulders of the males, and which increases in space and brilliancy as winter approaches. It has been frequently remarked, that, at this time, the young birds chiefly associate by tliemselves, there being sometimes not more than two or three old males obseiTed in a flock of many thousands. These, from the superior blackness and rich red of their plumage, are very conspicuous. Before the beginning of September, these flocks have become nu- merous and formidable : and the young ears of maize, or Indian corn, being then in their soft, succulent, milky state, present a tem.ptation that cannot be resisted. Reenforced by numerous and daily flocks from all parts of the interior, they pour down on the low countries in prodigious multitudes. Here they are seen, like vast clouds, wheeling and driving over the meadows and devoted corn-fields, darkening tlie air with their numbers. Then commences the work of destruction on the corn, the husks of which, though composed of numerous envelop- ments of closely-wrapped leaves, are soon completely or partially torn off"; while from all quarters myriads continue to pour down like a tempest, blackening half an acre at a time ; and, if not disturbed, re- peat their depredations, till little remains but the cob and the shrivelled skins of the grain ; what little is left of the tender ear, being exposed to the rains and v/eather, is generally much injured. All the attacks and havock made at this time among them with the gun, and by the Hawks, — several species of which are their constant attendants, — has little effect on the remainder. When the Hawks make a sweep among them, they suddenly open on all sides, but rarely in time to disappoint them of their victims ; and, though repeatedly fired at, with mortal effect, they only remove from one field to an adjoining one, or 284 RED-WINGED STARLING. to another quarter of the same enclosure. From dawn to nearly sun- set, this open and daring devastation is carried on, under the eye of the proprietor ; and a farmer, who has any considerable extent of corn, would require half-a-dozen men at least, with guns, to guard it ; and even then, all tlieir vigilance and activity would not prevent a good tithe of it from becoming the prey of the Blackbirds. The Indians, who usually plant their corn in one general field, keep the whole young boys of the village all day patrolling round and among it ; and each being furnished with boAv and arrows, with which they are very expert, they generally contrive to destroy great numbers of them. It must, however, be observed, that this scene of pillage is princi- pally carried on in the low countries, not far from the sea-coast, or near the extensive flats that border our large rivers ; and is also chiefly confined to the months of August and September. After this period, the corn having acquired its hard, shelly coat, and the seeds of the reeds or wild oats, with a profusion of other plants, that abound along the river shores, being now ripe, and in great abundance, tliey present a new and more extensive field for these marauding multitudes. The reeds also supply them with convenient roosting places, being often in almost unapproachable morasses ; and thither they repair every evening, from all quarters of the country. In some places, however, when the reeds become dry, advantage is taken of this circumstance, to destroy these birds, by a party secretly approaching the place, under cover of a dark night, setting fire to the reeds in several places at once, which being soon enveloped in one general flame, the uproar among the Blackbirds becomes universal ; and, by the light of the conflagration, they are shot down in vast numbers, while hovering and screaming over the place. Sometimes straw is used for the same purpose, being previously strewed near the reeds and alder bushes, where they are known to roost, which being instantly set on fire, the consternation and havock are prodigious ; and the party return by day to pick up the slaughtered game. About the first of November, they begin to move off" towards tlie south ; though, near the sea-coast, in the states of New Jersey and Delaware, they continue long after that period. Such are the general manners and character of the Red-winged Starling ; but there remain some facts to be mentioned, no less authen- tic, and well desei^ving the consideration of its enemies, more especially of those whose detestation of this species would stop at nothing short of total extirpation. It has been already stated, that they arrive in Pennsylvania late in March. Their general food at this season, as well as during the early part of summer, (for the Crows and Purple Grakles are the principal pests in planting time,) consists of grub-worms, caterpillars, and various other larvse, the silent, but deadly enemies of all vegetation, and whose secret and insidious attacks are more to be dreaded by the husband- man than the combined forces of the whole feathered tribes together. For these vermin, the Starlings search Avith great diligence, in the ground, at the roots of plants, in orchards, and meadows, as well as among buds, leaves, and blossoms ; and, from their known voracity, the multitudes of these insects which they destroy must be immense. Let me illustrate this by a short computation : If we suppose each RED-WINGED STARLING. 285 bird, on an averag-e, to devour fifty of these larvae in a day, (a very moderate allowance,) a single pair, in four months, the usual time such food is sought after, will consume upwards of twelve thousand. It is believed that not less than a million pair of these birds are distributed over the whole extent of the United States in summer, whose food, being nearly tlie same, would SAvell the amount of vermin destroyed to twelve thousand millions. But the number of young birds may be fairly estimated at double that of their parents ; and, as these are constantly fed on larvsB for at least three Aveeks, making only the same allowance for them as for the old ones, their share would amount to four thousand two hundred millions ; making a grand total of sixteen thousand two hundred millions of noxious insects destroyed in the space of four months by tliis single species ! The combined ravages of such a hideous host of vermin would be sufficient to spread famine and desolation over a wide extent of the richest and best-cultivated country on earth. All this, it may be said, is mere supposition. It is, however, supposition founded on known and acknowledged facts. I have never dissected any of these birds in spring without receiving the most striking and satisfactory proofs of those facts ; and though, in a matter of this kind, it is impossible to ascertain precisely the amount of the benefits derived by agriculture from this, and many other species of our birds, yet, in the present case, I cannot resist the belief, that the services of this species, in spring, are far more important and beneficial than the value of all that portion of corn which a careful and active farmer permits himself to lose by it. The great range of country frequented by this bird extends from Mexico, on the south, to Labrador. Our late enterprising travellers across the continent to the Pacific Ocean, observed it numerous in several of the valleys at a great distance up the Missouri. When taken alive, or reared from the nest, it soon becomes familiar, sings frequently, bristling out its feathers, something in the manner of the Cow Bunting. These notes, though not remarkably various, are very peculiar. The most common one resembles the syllables conk-quer- ree ; others, the shrill sounds produced by filing a saw ; some are more guttural ; and others remarkably clear. The usual note of botli male and female is a single chuck. Instances have been produced where they have been taught to articulate several words distinctly ; and, contrary to what is observed of many l)irds, the male loses little of the brilliancy of his plumage by confinement. A very remarkable trait of this bird is, the great difference of size between the male and female ; the former being nearly two inches longer than the latter, and of proportionate magnitude. They are known by various names in the different states of the Union; such as the Swamp Blackbird, Marsh Blackbird, Red-winged Blackbird, Corn or Maize Thief, Starling, &c. Many of them have been carried from this to different parts of Europe ; and Edwards relates, that one of them, which had, no doubt, escaped from a cage, was shot in the neighborhood of London ; and, on being opened, its stomach was found to be filled with grub-worms, caterpillars, and beetles ; which Buftbn seems to wonder^ at, as, "in their oAvn country," he observes, " they feed exclusively on grain and maize." Hitherto this species has been generally classed by naturalists with 286 RED-WINGED STARLING. the Orioles. By a careful comparison, however, of its bill with those of that tribe, the similarity is by no means sufficient to justify this arrangement ; and its manners are altogetlier different. I can find no genus to which it makes so near an approach, both in the structure of the bill, and in food, flight, and manners, as those of the Stare ; with which, following my judicious friend Mr. Bartram, I have accordingly placed it. To the European, the perusal of the foregoing pages Avill be sufficient to satisfy him of their similarity oi manners. For the satisfaction of those who are unacquainted with the Conmion Starling of Europe, I shall select a few sketches of its character, from the latest and most accurate publication I have seen from that quarter.* Speaking of the Stare, or Starling, this writer observes, — " In tlie winter season, these birds fly in vast flocks, and may be known at a great distance by their whirling mode of flight, v^^hich Buffi^n compares to a sort of vortex, in which the collective body perfonns a uniform cir- cular revolution, and, at the same time, continues to make a progTes- sive advance. The evening is the time when the Stares assemble in the greatest numbers, and betake themselves to the fens and marshes, where they roost among the reeds : they chatter much in the evening and morning, both when they assemble and disperse. So attached are they to society, that they not only join those of their own species, but also birds of a different kind ; and are frequently seen in company with Red-Wings, (a species of Thrush,) Fieldfares, and even with Crows, Jackdaws, and Pigeons. Their principal food consists of worms, snails, and caterpillars ; they likewise eat various kinds of grain, seeds, and berries." He adds, that, '^ in a confined state, they are very docile, and may easily be taught to repeat short phrases, or whistle tunes with great exactness." The Red-winged Starling (Fig. 136) is nine inches long, and four- teen inches in extent ; the general color is a glossy black, with the exception of the whole lesser Aving-coverts, the first or lower row of which is of a reddish cream color, the rest a rich and splendid scarlet ; legs and bill, glossy brownish black ; irides, hazel ; bill, cylindrical above, compressed at the sides, straight, running considerably up the forehead, where it is prominent, rounding and flattish towards the tip, though sharp-pointed ; tongue, nearly as long as the bill, tapering, and lacerated at the end ; tail, rounded, the two middle feathers also some- what shorter than those immediately adjoining. The female (Fig. 137) is seven inches and a quarter in length, and twelve inches in extent ; chin, a pale reddish cream ; from the nostril over the eye, and from the lower mandible, run two stripes of the same, speckled with black ; from the posterior angle of the eye back- wards, a streak of brownish black covers the auriculars ; throat, and whole lower parts, tliickly streaked with black and white, the latter inclining to cream on the breast ; whole plumage above, black, each feather bordered witli pale broAvn, white, or bay, giving the bird a very mottled appearance ; lesser coverts, the same ; bill and legs as in the male. The young birds at first greatly resemble the female ; but have the plumage more broadly skirted with brown. The red early shows * Bewick's British Birds, part i. p. 119. Newcastle; 1809. BLACK-POLL WARBLER. 287 itself on the lesser wing-coverts of the males, at first pale, inclining to orange, and partially disposed. The brown continues to skirt the black plumage for a year or two, so that it is rare to find an old male altogether destitute of some remains of it ; but the red is generally complete in breadth and brilliancy by tlie succeeding spring. The females are entirely destitute of that ornament. The flesh of these birds is but little esteemed, being, in general, black, dry, and tough. Strings of them are, however, fre^quently seen exposed for sale in our markets. BLACK-POLL WARBLER. — SYLVIA STRIATA. — Fig. 138. Lath. ii. iGO.—Arct. Zool. 40L — Tarion, 600. — Peale's Museum, No. 7054. SYLFICOLA STRMT^.* — SwAiysoy. Sylvia striata, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 8L — Sylvicola striata, North. Zool. ii. p. 218. This species has considerable affinity to the Flycatchers in its habits. It is chiefly confined to the woods, and even iJiere, to the tops of the tallest trees, where it is descried skipping from branch to branch, in pursuit of winged insects. Its note is a single screep, scarcely audible from below. It arrives in Pennsylvania about the 20th of April, and is first seen on the tops of the highest maples, dart- ing about among the blossoms. As the Avoods thicken with leaves, it may be found pretty generally, being none of the least numerous of our summer birds. It is, however, most partial to woods in the im- mediate neighborhood of creeks, swamps, or morasses, probably from the greater number of its favorite insects frequenting such places. It is also pretty generally diflused over the United States, having my- self met with it in most quarters of the Union ; though its nest has hitherto defied all my researches. This bird may be considered as occupying an intermediate station between the Flycatchers and the Warblers, having the manners of the former, and the bill, partially, of the latter. The nice gradations by which nature passes from one species to another, even in this depart- ment of the great chain of beings, will forever baflle all the artificial rules and systems of man. And this truth every fresh discovery must impress more forcibly on the mind of the observing naturalist These birds leave us early in September. The Black-Poll Warbler is five and a half inches long, and eight and a half in extent ; crown and hind head, black ; cheeks, pure white ; from each lower mandible runs a streak of small black spots, those on the side, larger ; the rest of the lower parts, white ; primaries, black, edged with yellow ; rest of the wing, black, edged with ash ; tlie first and second row of coverts, broadly tipped with white ; back, * This is an aberrant Sijlvicola, approaching Setophaga in the form and bristhng of the bill, and also in the manners of the Flycatchers. — Ed. ^8 LESSER REDPOLL. ash, tinged with yellow ochre, and streaked laterally with black ; tail, black, edged with ash, the three exterior feathers marked on the inner webs with white ; bill, black above, whitish below, furnished with bristles at the base ; iris, hazel ; legs and feet, reddish yellow. The female differs very little in plumage from the male. LESSER REDPOLL. — FRINGILLA LINARIA. — Fig. 139. Lath. ii. 305. — ^rc«. Zool. 379. —Le Sizeren, Buff. iv. 216. PL enl. 151, 2. — Peale's Museum, No. 6579. LIJ\rARIA MTJVOR. — Willoughbt. Fring-illa linaria, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 112. This bird corresponds so exactly in size, figure, and color of plumage, with that of Europe of the same name, as to place their identity beyond a doubt. They inhabit, during summer, the most northern parts of Canada, and still more remote northern countries, from whence they migrate at the commencement of winter. They appear in the Genesee country with the first deep snow, and on that account are usually called by the title of Snow Birds. As the female is destitute of the crimson on the breast and forehead, and the young birds do not receive that ornament till the succeeding spring, such a small proportion of the individuals that form these flocks are marked with red, as to induce a general belief among the inhabitants of those parts that they are two different kinds associated together. Flocks of these birds have been occasionally seen in severe winters in the neighborhood of Philadelphia. They seem particularly fond of the seeds of the common alder, and hang, head downwards, while feeding, in the manner of the Yellow-Bird. They seem extremely unsuspicious at such times, and will allow a very near approach without betraying any symptoms of alarm. The specimen represented in Fig. 139 was shot, with several others of both sexes, in Seneca county, between the Seneca and Cayuga lakes. Some individuals were occasionally heard to chant a few interrupted notes, but no satisfactory account can be given of their powers of song. This species extends throughout the whole northern parts of Europe, is likewise found in the remote wilds of Russia, was seen by Steller in Kamtschatka, and probably inhabits corresponding climates round tlie whole habitable parts of the northern hemisphere. In the Highlands of Scotland they are common, building often on the tops of tlie heath, sometimes in a low furze bush, like the Common Linnet, and sometimes on the ground. The nest is formed of light stalks of dried grass, intermixed with tufts of wool, and warmly lined with feathers. The eggs are usually four, white, sprinkled with specks of reddish.* * I havr; not })oen al)lo to procure American specimens of this bird ; but, com- paring the description of Wilson and of Ord, there seems little doubt of their LESSER REDPOLL. 289 [Mr. Ord has added to the description of Wilson as follows : — " Contrary to the usual practice of Mr. Wilson, he omitted to furnish a particular description of this species. But tliis supplementary no- tice would not have been considered necessary, if our author had not fallen into a mistake respecting^ the markings of the female and the young male ; the former of which he describes as ' destitute of the crimson on the forehead,' and the latter ' not receiving that ornament till the succeeding spring.' When Mr. Wilson procured his speci- mens, it was in ttie autumn, previously to their receiving their perfect winter dress ; and he was never afterwards aAvare of his error, owing idemit}'. Wilson is certaijily confounding- the Mountain Linnet {L. montium,) when he says, " In the Higlilands of Scotland they are common, building often on the tops of "the heath, sometimes in a low furze bush, like the Common Linnet, and sometimes on the ground." This is exactly the habit of the Mountain Linnet, and Mr. Ord is wrong ni saying the young possess the crimson head 5 I have many in my possession without It, and have shot them at all seasons 5 they receive that mark at the commencement of the first breeding season, when the adult birds also receive an addition of plumage and lustre. They seem very fond of the beech, as well as of the birch and alder, and appear to find insects in the husks of the old mast, which they are constantly picking and looking into. I have found their nests also pretty frequently in a young fir plantation : it was in a low situation, but they were invariably lined with the wool of willow catkins. I shall here add Mr. Selby's cor- rect description of the manners of this species, which is in every way confirmed by my own observations. " It is only known in the southern parts of Britain as a winter visitant, and is at that period gregarious, and frequently taken in company with the other species by the bird-catchers, by whom it is called the Stone Redpoll. In the northern counties of England, and in Scodand and its isles, it is resident through the year. It retires, during the summer, to the underwood that covers the bases of many of our mountains and hills, and that often fringes the banks of their pre- cipitous streams, in which sequestered situations it breeds. The nest is built in a bush or low tree, (such as willow, alder, or hazel,) of moss and the stalks of dry f^rass, intermixed with down from the catkin of the willow, which also forms the ining, and renders it a particularly soft and warm receptacle for the eggs and young. From this substance being a constant material of the nest, it follows, that the young are produced late in the season, and are seldom able to fly before the end of June, or the beginning of July. The eggs are four or five in number; their color, pale bluish green, spotted with orange brown, principally towards the larg-er end. In winter, the Lesser Redpoll descends to the lower grounds, in considerable flocks, frequenting woods and plantations, more especially such as abound in birch or alder-trees, the catkins of which yield it a plentiful supply of food. When feed- ing, its motion affords both interest and amusement ; since, in order to reach the catkins, which generally grow near the extremities of the smaller branches, it is obliged, like the Titmouse, to hang with its back downwards, and assume a variety of constrained attitudes 5 and, when thus engaged, it is so intent upon its work, as frequently to allow itself to be taken by a long stick smeared with bird-lime, in which way I have occasionally captured it when in want of specimens for examina- tion. It also eats the buds of trees, and (when in flocks) proves in this way seri- ously injurious to young plantations. Its call note is very freauently repeated when on wing, and by this it may be always distinijuished from the other species. The notes it produces during the pairing season, although few, and not delivered in continuous song, are sweet and pleasing." " This bird is widely diffused through all the northern parts of Europe ; inhabits Northern Asia as far as Siberia and Kamtschatka 3 and is also abundant in North America." The authors of the Northern Zooloo^j describe another bird allied to the Linnets, of which one individual only was obtained in the last northern expedition. It is said to be new, and is described as Linaria (Leocosticte) Teprocotis, Sw. Gray- crowned Linnet. It is an aberrant form of-Linaria, which Mr. Swainson proposes to designate under the above sub-generic title. — Ed. 25 290 LESSER REDPOLL. to the circumstance of these birds seldom appearing in the neighbor- hood of Philadelphia. Considerable flocks of them, however, have visited us this winter, (1813-14 ;) and we have been enabled to pro- cure several fine specimens of both sexes, from the most perfect of which we have taken the following description. We will add, that having had the good fortune to observe a flock, consisting of nearly a hundred, within a few feet of them, as they were busily engaged in picking the seeds of the wild orache,* we can, with confidence, as- sert, that they all had the red patch on the crown ; but there were very few which had the red rump and breast : the young males, it is probable, are not thus marked until the spring, and the females are destitute of that ornament altogether. " The Lesser Redpoll is five inches and a quarter in length, and eight inches and a half in breadth ; the bill is pale yellow, ridged above and below with dark horn color, the upper mandible projecting somewhat over the lower at the tip ; irides, dark hazel ; the nostrils are covered with recumbent, hair-like feathers, of drab color ; a line of brov.^n extends from the eyes, and encircles the base of the bill, fonning, in some specimens, a patch below the chin ; the crown is ornamented with a pretty large spot of deep, shining crimson ; the tliroat, breast, and rump, stained with the same, but of a more delicate red ; the belly is of a very pale ash, or dull white ; the sides are streaked with dusky ; the whole upper parts are brown or dusky ; the plumage, edged with yellowish white and pale ash, the latter most predominant near the rump ; wings and tail, dusky ; the latter is forked, and consists of twelve feathers edged with white ; the prima- ries are very slightly tipped and edged with white, the secondaries more so ; the greater and lesser coverts are also tipped with white, forming the bars across the wings ; thighs, cinereous ; legs and feet, black ; hind claw, considerably hooked, and longer than tlie rest. The female is less bright in her plumage above ; and her under parts in- cline more to an ash color ; the spot on her crown is of a golden crimson, or reddish saffron color. One male specimen was considera- bly larger than the rest ; it measured five inches and three quarters in length, and nine inches and a quarter in extent ; the breast and rump were tawny ; its claws Avere uncommonly long ; the hind one measured nearly three eighths of an inch ; and the spot on the croAvn was of a darker hue than that of the rest. " The call of this bird exactly resembles that of the Frmgilla tristis, or Common Yellow-Bird of Pennsylvania. The Redpolls lin- ger in the neighborhood of Philadelphia until about the middle of April ; but whither they retire for the business of incubation, we can- not determine. In common with almost all our Finches, the Redpolls become very fat, and are then accounted delicious eating. During the last winter, many hundreds of them were exposed to sale in the Philadelphia market, and were readily purchased by those epicures, whose love of variety permits no delicacy to escape them."] * Atriplex hastata, Linn. i ^. AMERICAN CROSSBILL. 291 AMERICAN CROSSBILL. — CURVIROSTRA AMERICANA.— Fig. 140, Male; Fig. 141, Female. Peate's Museum, No. 5G40. LOXM CURVIROSTRA 1 — BoviAV.KRTE.* Loxia curvirostra, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 117. On first glancing at the bill of this extraordinary bird, one is apt to pronounce it deformed and monstrous ; but on attentively observing the use to which it is applied by the owner, and the dexterity with which he detaches the seeds of the pine-tree from the cone, and from * Brisson first limited the Crossbills to a genus, and proposed for them the title Loxia, which has been adopted by most ornitholog-ists. Crucirostra and Curxn- rostra have also been formed for it from the shape of the bill ; but ought to be rejected, from the priority of the former. They are a very limited group, being composed of at most four species, provided that of America be proved distinct, or one differing from those of Europe be found in the former continent. Their distribu- tion appears to extend pretty generally over the north of Europe, decreasing in numbers to the south, and over North America. In form, all the members are similar. They are endowed with considerable power of flight ; are of a thick, stout make, aiid in addition to the curiously-formed bill, possess scansorial habits, using their bills and feet to disengage the seeds from the fir cones, when in confine- ment, holding their food like a Parrot in the latter member, and by the same means climbing about the wires of the cage. Regarding the identity of our author's species with that of this country, I am uncertain, not having a specimen of the bird from America. Wilson thinks it dis- tinct, and I ha\e been told the same thing by Audubon. On the other hand, we have the authority of Bonaparte, who thus writes in his Observations on Wilson's Nomenclature : — " I think Wilson was in error when he considered this bird a new species, and stated that it differs considerably from the European. He probably compared it with the L. pytiopsittacus, and not with the cumrostra, with which latter it is identical. Wilson's new names must therefore be rejected, and the name of Loxia curvirostra must be restored to this bird." Our author was also incor- rect in remarking, that '' the young males, as is usual with most other birds, very much resemble the female." The fact is, that the young of all the Crossbills, as well as that of Pyrrhula enucleator, contrary to the habit of the generality of birds, lose their red color as they advance in age, instead of gaining an additional bril- liancy of plumage. The figure (140) which our author gives as that of an adult male, represents a young bird of about one year, and his supposed female (Fig. 141) is a remarkably fine adult male. The species of this group, then, are, — L. pytiopsittacus, or Parrot-billed Cross- bill of Europe, and which Bonaparte also hints the possibilit}' of finding in America, a circumstcmce I should think very likely, — the L. leucoptera, and the L. curvi- rostra; but I fear we must remain uncertain whether the last constitutes one or two, until the examination of numerous specimens from both countries decide the point. The haunts of our common species in Europe are the immense northern pine forests, where their chief food is the seeds of the fir cones ; from thence, after breeding, they appear to migrate to various parts southward, in comparatively small flocks, at uncertain internals. This is the case with those which visit Britain. They must hatch very early, arriving in this country by the middle of June ; the females at that time bear all the marks of incubation, but have never yet been authentically proved to breed in this country, as supposed by Mr. Knap, from the bsureness of the breast. They descend, at the same season, to the orchards, where ihey do considerable damage, by splitting the apples for the pips, thus leaving the fruit useless, and incapable of further growth ; and, at the same time, giving us a 292 AMERICAN CROSSBILL. the husks that enclose them, we are obliged to confess, on this, as on many other occasions, where we have judged too hastily of the opera- tions of Nature, that no other conformation could have been so excel- lently adapted to the purpose ; and that its deviation from the common form, instead of being a defect or monstrosity, as the celebrated French naturalist insinuates, is a striking proof of the wisdom and kind, superintending care of the great Creator. This species is a regular inhabitant of almost all our pine forests situated north of 40°, from the beginning of September to the middle of April. It is not improbable that some of them remain during sum- mer within the territory of the United States to breed. Their num- bers must, however, be comparatively few, as I have never yet met with any of them in summer ; though lately I took a journey to the Great Pine Swamp beyond Pocano Mountain, in Northampton county, Pennsylvania, in the month of May, expressly for that purpose ; and ransacked, for six or seven days, the gloomy recesses of that exten- sive and desolate morass, without being able to discover a single Crossbill. In fall, however, as well as in winter and spring, this tract appears to be their favorite rendezvous ; particularly about the head waters of the Lehigh, the banks of the Tobyhanna, Tunkhannock, and Bear Creek, where I have myself killed them at these seasons. They then appear in large flocks, feeding on the seeds of the hemlock and white pine, have a loud, sharp, and not unmusical note ; chatter as they fly ; alight, during the prevalence of deep snows, before the door of the hunter, and around the house, picking off the clay with which the logs are plastered, and searching in corners where urine, or any substance of a saline quality, had been throAvn. At such times they are so tame as only to settle on the roof of the cabin when disturbed, and a moment after descend to feed as before. They are then easily caught in traps ; and will frequently permit one to approach so near as to knock them down with a stick. Those killed and opened at such good instance of the power of their bills. Some old writers accuse them of visiting VVorcester and Herefordshire, " in great flocks, for the sake of the seeds of the apple. Repeated persecution on this account perhaps lessened their numbers, and their depredations at the present day are unnoticed or unknown : " their visitations, at least, are less frequent ; for a later writer in Loudon's Matrazine observes, that, in 1821, and the commencement of 1822, (the same season of their great appearance mentioned by Mr. Selby,) a large flock of Crossbills frequented some fir groves at Colhoridge, near Worcester, where they used to visit the same spot pretty regu- larly twice a day, delighting chiefly on the Weymouth pines. When feeding, they seem in this country, as well as with our author, to be remarkably tame, or so much engrossed with their food, as to be unmindful of danger. Montague relates, that a bird-catcher at Bath had taken a hundred pairs in the month of June and July, 1791 ; and so intent were these birds when jjicking out the seeds of a cone, that they would suflier themselves to be caught with a hair noose at the end of a long fishing-rod. In 1821, this coimtry was" visited with large flocks; they ap- peared in June, and gradually moved northward, as they were observed by Mr. Selby in September among the fir tracts of Scotland, after they had disappeared to tJie southward of the River Tweed. In 1828. a pretty large flock visited the vicinit}' of Ambleside, Westmoreland. Their favorite haunt was a plantation of young larches, where they might be seen disponing almost every day, particularly between the hours of eleven and one. I have quoted no synonymes which belong to our British species. The American birds appear to me much smaller ; that is, to judge from our author's plate, and the ■sually correct drawings of Mr. Audubon. — Ed. AMERICAN CROSSBILL. 293 times are generally found to have the stomach filled with a soft, greasy- kind of earth or clay. When kept in a cage, they have many of the habits of the Parrot ; often climbing along tiie wires ; and using their feet to grasp the cones in, while taking out the seeds. This same species is found in Nova Scotia, and as far north as Hudson's Bay, arriving at Severn River about the latter end of May ; and, according to accounts, proceeding farther north to breed. It is added by Pennant, that " they return at the first setting in of frost" Hitherto this bird has, as usual, been considered a mere variety of the European species ; though differing from it in several respects, and being nearly one third less, and although the singular conforma- tion of the bill of these birds, and their peculiarity of manners, are strikingly different from those of the Grosbeaks, yet many, disregard- ing these plain and obvious discriminations, still continue to consider them as belonging to the genus Loxia ; as if the particular structure of the bill should, in all cases but this, be the criterion by which to judge of a species ; or perhaps, conceiving themselves the wiser of the two, they have thought proper to associate together what Nature has, in tlie most pointed manner, placed apart. In separating these birds, therefore, from the Grosbeaks, and class- ing them as a family by themselves, substituting the specific for the generic appellation, I have only followed the steps and dictates of tiiat great Original, wliose arrangements ought never to be disre- garded by any who would faithfully copy her. The Crossbills are subject to considerable changes of color ; the young males of the present species being, during the first season, olive yellow, mixed with ash ; then bright greenish yellow, intermixed with spots of dusky olive, all of which yellow plumage becomes, in the second year, of a light red, having the edges of the tail inclin- ing to yellow. When confined in a cage, they usually lose the red color at the first moulting, that tint changing to a brownish yellow, which remains permanent. The same circumstance happens to the Purple Finch and Pine Grosbeak, both of which, when in confinement, exchange their brilliant crimson for a motley garb of light brownish yellow; as I have had frequent opportunities of observing. The male of this species, Avhen in perfect plumage, is five inches and tliree quarters long, and nine inches in extent ; the bill is a brown horn color, sharp, and single-edged towards the extremity, where the mandibles cross each other; the general color of the plu- mage is a red-lead color, brightest on the rump, generally intermixed on the other parts with touches of olive ; wings and tail, brown black, the latter forked, and edged with yellow ; legs and feet, brown ; claws, large, much curved, and very sharp ; vent, Avhite, streaked with dark ash ; base of the bill, covered with recumbent down, of a pale brown color; eye, hazel. The female is rather less than the male ; the bill of a paler horn color ; rump, tail-coverts, and edges of the tail, golden yellow ; wings and tail, dull brownish black ; the rest of the plumage, olive yellow mixed with ash ; legs and feet, as in the male. The young males, during the first season, as is usual with most other birds, very much resemble the female. In moulting, the males exchange their red for brownish yel- low, which gradually brightens into red. Hence, at different seasons, they differ greatly in color. 25* 294 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. — CURVIROSTRA LEUCOPTERA. — Tig. 142. Turton, Syst. i. p. 515. LOXM LEUCOPTER^. — Ga^LiTi* Loxia leucoptera, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 117. This is a much rarer species than the preceding; though found frequenting the same places, and at the same seasons ; differing, how- ever, from the former in the deep black wings and tail, the large bed of white on the wing, the dark crimson of the plumage ; and a less and more slender conformation of body. The bird represented in Fig. 142 was shot in the neighborhood of the Great Pine Swamp, in the month of September, by my friend Mr. Ainsley, a German naturalist, collector in this country for the emperor of Austria. The individual of this species mentioned by Turton and Latham, had evidently been shot in moulting time. The present specimen was a male in full and perfect plumage. The White-winged Crossbill is five inches and a quarter long, and eight inches and a quarter in extent ; wings and tail, deep black, the former crossed with two broad bars of white ; general color of the plumage, dark crimson, partially spotted with dusky ; lores and frontlet, pale brown ; vent, white, streaked with black ; bill, a brown horn color, tlie mandibles crossing each other as in the preceding species, the lower sometimes bending to the right, sometimes to the left, usually to the left in the male, and to the right in the female, of the American Crossbill. The female of the present species will be introduced as soon as a good specimen can be obtained, with such additional facts relative to their manners as may then be ascertained. * Bonaparte has fulfilled Wilson's promise, and figured the female of this spe- cies, with some valuable remarks regarding its first discovery and habits. From these it appears to be very like its congeners, performing its migrations at uncer- tain periods and in various abundance, enjoying the pine forests, though not further known by any destructive propensities among orchards. It may be looked upon yet as exclusively North American. The only record of its being found in another country is in extracts from the minute-book of the Linnsean Society for 1803. " Mr. Templeton. A. L. S., of Orangegrove, near Belfast, in a leUer to Mr. Dawson Tur- ner, F. L. S., mentions, that the White-winged Crossbill, Loxia falcirostra of Latham, was shot within two miles of Belfast, in the month of January, 1802. It was a female, and perfectly resembled the figure in Dixon's Voyage to the North- west Coast of America." Such is the only record we have of this bird as a British visitor. When Ireland becomes more settled, and her naturalists more devoted to actual observation, we may hear more of L. leucoptera, Ctjpselus melba, &c. Bona- parte, in his description of the female, has entered fully into the reasons for adopting the specific name oi leucoptera. — Ed. WHITE-CROWNED BUNTING. 295 WHITE-CROWNED BUNTING. —EMBERIZA LEUCOPHRYS. — Fig. 143. Turton, Sijst. p. 536. — Pea/e'* Museum, No. 6587. ZOJ^'OTRICHM LEUCOPHRYS. — Swainson. Fringilla leucophrys, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 107. — Fringilla (Zonotrichia) leucophrys, JVorih. Zool. ii. p. 253. This beautifully-marked species is one of the rarest of its tribe in the United States, being chiefly confined to the northern districts, or higher interior parts of the country, except in severe winters, when some few wanderers appear in the lower parts of the state of Pennsyl- vania. Of three specimens of this bird, the only ones I have yet m.et with, the first was caught in a trap near the city of New York, and lived with me several months. It had no song, and, as I afterwards discovered, was a female. Another, a male, was presented to me by Mr. Michael of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. The third, a male, and in complete plumage, was shot in the Great Pine Swamp, in the month of May, and is faithfully represented in Fig. 143. It appeared to me to be unsuspicious, silent, and solitary ; flitting in short flights among the underwood and piles of prostrate trees, torn up by a tornado, that some years ago passed through the swamp. All my endeavors to dis- cover the female or nest were unsuccessful. From the great scarcity of this species, our acquaintance with its manners is but very limited. Those persons who have resided near Hudson's Bay, where it is common, inform us, that it makes its nest in June, at the bottom of willows, and lays four chocolate-colored eggs. Its flight is said to be short and silent ; but, when it perches, it sings very melodiously.* The White-crowned Bunting is seven inches long, and ten inches in extent; the bill, a cinnamon brown; crown, from the front to the hind head, pure white, bounded on each side by a stripe of black proceeding from each nostril ; and these again are bordered by a stripe of pure white passing over each eye to the hind head, where they meet ; below this, another narrow stripe of black passes from the pos- terior angle of the eye, widening as it descends to the hind head ; chin, %vhite ; breast, sides of the neck, and upper parts of the same, very pale ash ; back, streaked laterally Avith dark rusty brown and pale bluish white ; wings, dusky, edged broadly with brown ; the greater and lesser coverts tipped broadly with white, forming two handsome bands across the wing ; tertials, black, edged with brown and white ; rump and tail-coverts, drab, tipped with a lighter tint ; tail, long, rounded, dusky, and edged broadly with drab ; belly, white ; vent, pale yellow ochre ; legs and feet, reddish brown ; eye, reddish hazel ; lower eyelid, white. The female may easily be distinguished from the male, by the white * Arctic Zoology. 296 BAY-WLNGED BUNTING. on the head being less pure, the black also less in extent, and the ash on the breast darker ; she is also smaller in size. There is a considerable resemblance between this species and the White-throated SparroAv, already described in this work. Yet they rarely associate together ; the latter remaining in the lower parts of Pennsylvania in great numbers, until the beginning of May, when they retire to the north and to the high inland regions to breed ; the former inhabiting much more northern countries, and, though said to be common in Canada, rarely visiting this part of the United States. BAY-WINGED BUNTING — EMBEKIZ A GRAMINEA.— Fig. 144. Grass Finch, Arct. Zool. No. 253. — Laih. iii. 273. — Turion, Syst. i. p. 565. ZO^rOTRICHM OIUMIJVEJl.—Swjiiysoy. Fringilla graminea, Bonap. Synop. p. 108. — Frino^illa (Zonotrichia) graminea, North. Zool. ii. p. 254. The manners of this bird bear great affinity to those of the Common Bunting of Britain. It delights in frequenting grass and clover fields, perches on the tops of the fences, singing, from the middle of April to the beginning of July, with a clear and pleasant note, in which par- ticular it far excels its European relation. It is partially a bird of passage here, some leaving us, and others remaining with us during the winter. In the month of March I observed tliem numerous in the lower parts of Georgia, where, according to Mr. Abbot, tliey are only winter visitants. They frequent the middle of fields more tlian hedges or thickets ; run along the ground like a Lark, which they also resemble in the great breadth of their wings. They are timid birds, and rarely approach the fann-house. Their nest is built on the ground, in a grass or clover field, and formed of old withered, leaves and dry grass, and lined with hair. The female lays four or five eggs, of a grayish white. On tlie first week in May, I found one of their nests with four young, from which circumstance I tliink it probable tliat they raise two or more broods in the same season. This bird measures five inches and three quarters in length, and ten inches and a half in extent ; the upper parts are cinereous brown, mot- tled with deep brown or black ; lesser wing-coverts, bright bay ; greater, black, edged with very pale brown ; wings, dusky, edged with brown ; the exterior primary, edged with white ; tail, sub-cuneiform, the outer feather white on the exterior edge, and tipped witli white ; the next, tipped and edged for half an incTi witli the same ; tlie rest, dusky, edged with pale brown ; bill, dark brown above, paler below ; round the eye is a narrow circle of white ; upper part of the breast, yellowish white, thickly streaked with pointed spots of black tliat pass SNOW OWL. 297 along the sides ; belly and vent, white ; legs and feet, flesh colored ; third wing-feather from tlie body, nearly as long as the tip of tlie wing Avhen shut. I can perceive little or no difference between the colors and mark- ings of the male and female. SNOW OWL.— STRIX NYCTEA. — Fig. 145. —Male. Lath. i. 132. No. \1.—Bi,ff. i. 387.— Great White Owl, Edw. Gl. —Snowy Owl, Arct. Zool. 233, No. \1\. — Peak's Museum, No. 458. suRJ\rM jvrcr^.^. — DuMERiL. Snowy Owl, Mont. Orn. Dirt. Supp. — Bewick's Brit. Birds, Supp. — Snowy Owl, Strix nyclea, Selby's Brit. Orn. p. 58, pi. 23. — Strix nyctea, Temrn. Man. i. p. 82. — Fiem. Br. Anim. p. 58. — Bonap. Synop. p. 36. — North. Zool. ii. p. 88. This great northern hunter inhabits the coldest and most dreary regions of the northern hemisphere on both continents. The forlorn mountains of Greenland, covered with eternal ice and snows, where, for nearly half the year, the silence of death and desolation might almost be expected to reign, furnish food and shelter to this hardy adventurer; whence he is only driven by the extreme severity of weather towards the sea-shore. He is found in Lapland, Norway, and the country near Hudson's Bay, during the whole year ; is said to be common in Siberia, and numerous in Kamtschatka. He is often seen in Canada and the northern districts of the United States ; and some- times extends his visits to the borders of Florida. Nature, ever provident, has so effectually secured this bird from the attacks of cold, that not even a point is left exposed. The bill is almost completely hid among a mass of feathers that cover the face ; the legs are clotlied with such an exuberance of long, thick, hair-like plumage, as to appear nearly as large as those of a middle-sized dog, nothing being visible but the claws, which are large, black, much hooked, and extremely sharp. The whole plumage below the surface is of the most exqui- sitely-soft, warm, and elastic kind, and so closely matted together as to make it a difficult matter to penetrate to the skin. The usual food of this species is said to be hares, grouse, rabbits, ducks, mice, and even carrion. Unlike most of his tribe, he hunts by day as well as by twilight, and is particularly fond of frequenting the shores and banks of shallow rivers, over the surface of which he slowly sails, or sits on a rock a little raised above the water, watching for fish. These he seizes with a sudden and instantaneous stroke of the foot, seldom missing his aim. In the more southern and thickly-settled parts, he is seldom seen ; and when he appears, his size, color, and singular aspect, attract general notice.* * The following^ observations by Mr. Bree, of Allesly, taken from Loudon's Mag- azine of Natural History, will show that other Owls also fish for their prey: — 298 SNOW OWL. In the month of October, I met with this bird on Oswego River, INew York state, a little below the Falls, vigilantly watching for fish. At Pittsburg, in the month of February, I saw another, which had been shot in the wing some time before. At a place on the Ohio called Long Reach, I examined another, which was the first ever recollected to have been seen there. In the town of Cincinnati, state of Ohio, two of these birds alighted on the roof of the court-house, and alarmed the whole town. A people more disposed to superstition would have deduced some dire or fortunate prognostication from their selecting such a place ; but the only solicitude was how to get pos- session of them, which, after several volleys, was at length effected. One of these, a female, I afterwards examined, when on my way through that place to New Orleans. Near Bairdstown, in Kentucky, I met with a large and very beautiful one, which appeared to be alto- gether unknown to the inhabitants of that quarter, and excited general surprise. A person living on the eastern shore of Maryland shot one of these birds, a few months ago, a female ; and, having stuffed the skin, brought it to Philadelphia, to Mr. Peale, in expectation, no doubt, of a great reward. I have examined eleven of these birds, within these fifteen months last past, in diflferent and very distant parts of the country, all of which were shot either during winter, late in the fall, or early in spring ; so that it does not appear certain whether any remain during summer within the territory of the United States ; though I think it highly probable that a few do, in some of the more northern inland parts, where they are most numerous during winter. The color of this bird is well suited for concealment, while roaming over the general waste of snows ; and its flight strong and swift, very similar to that of some of our large Hawks. Its hearing must be ex- quisite, if we judge from the largeness of these organs in it; and its voice is so dismal that, as Pennant observes, it adds horror even to the regions of Greenland by its hideous cries, resembling those of a man in deep distress. The male of this species measures twenty-two inches and a half in length, and four feet six inches in breadth ; head and neck, nearly white, with a few small dots of dull brown interspersed ; eyes, deep sunk under projecting eyebrows, the plumage at their internal angles fluted or pressed in, to admit direct vision ; below this, it bristles up, covering nearly the whole bill ; the irides are of the most brilliant golden yellow, and the countenance, from the proportionate smallness of the head, projection of the eyebrow, and concavity of the plumage at the angle of the eye, very different from that of any other of the genus ; general color of the body, white, marked with lunated spots of ^^ Probably it may not be generally known to naturalists that the Common Brown Owl {Strix stridula) is in the habit, occasionally, at least, of feeding- its young with live fish — a fact which I have ascertained beyond doubt. Some years since, sev- eral young Owls were taken from the nest, and placed in a yew-tree, in the rectory garden here. In this situation, the parent birds repeatedly brought them live fish, bull-heads, {Cottus gobbius,) and loach, (Cobitis barbatula,) which had doubtless been procured from a neighboring brook, in which these species abound. Since the above period, I have, upon more than one occasion, found the same fish, either whole or in fragments, lying under the trees on which I have observed the young Owls to perch after they have left the nest, and where the old birds were accus- tomed to feed them." — Ed. SNOW OWL. 299 pale brown above, and with semicircular dashes below ; femoral feath- ers, long, and legs covered, even over the claws, with long, shaggy, hair-like down, of a dirty white ; the claws, when exposed, appear large, much hooked, of a black color, and extremely sharp pointed ; back, white ; tail, rounded at the end, white, slightly dotted with pale brown near the tips ; wings, when closed, reach near the extremity of the tail ; vent-feathers, large, strong-shafted, and extending also to the point of the tail ; upper part of the breast and belly, plain white ; body, very broad and flat. The female, which measures two feet in length, and five feet two inches in extent, is covered more thickly witli spots of a much darker color than those on the male ; tlie chin, throat, face, belly, and vent, are white ; femoral feathers, white, long, and shaggy, marked with a few heart-shaped spots of brown ; legs, also covered to the claws with long, white, hairy doAvn ; rest of the plumage, white, every feather spotted or barred with dark brown, largest on the wing-quills, where they are about two inches apart ; fore part of the crown, thickly marked with roundish, black spots ; tail, crossed with bands of broad, brownish spots ; shafts of all the plumage, white ; bill and claws, as in the male, black ; third and fourth wing-quill, the longest ; span of the foot, four inches. From the various individuals of these birds which I have examined, I have reason to believe that the male alone approaches nearly to white in his plumage, the female rarely or never. The bird from which Fig. 145 was drawn was killed at Egg Harbor, New Jersey, in the month of December. The conformation of the eye of this bird forms a curious and interesting subject to the young anatomist. The globe of the eye is immovably fixed in its socket by a strong, elastic, hard, cartilaginous case, in form of a truncated cone ; this case, being closely covered with a skin, appears, at first, to be of one continued piece ; but, on removing the exterior membrane, it is found to be formed of fifteen pieces, placed like the staves of a cask, overlapping a little at the base, or narrow end, and seem as if capable of being enlarged or contracted, perhaps by the muscular membrane Avith which they are encased. In five other different species of Owls, which I liave since examined, I found nearly the same conformation of this organ, and exactly the same number of staves. The eye being thus fixed, these birds, as they view different objects, are always obliged to turn the head ; and Nature has so excellently adapted their neck to this purpose, that they can, with ease, turn it round, without moving the body, in almost a complete circle.* * In prefixing' the generic appellations to this curious family, 1 must at once confess my inability to do it in a manner satisfactory to myself. They have been yet comparatively unstudied ; and the organs of greatest importance have been seemingly most neglected. Neither my own collection, nor tiiose accessible in Britain, contain sufficient materials to decide upon. I will, therefore, consider any attempt now to divide them, in the words of Mr. Swainson, '' as somewhat specula- tive, and certainly not warranted by any evidence that has yet been brought for- ward on the subject." The names are applied, then, on the authority of ornitholo- gists of high standing. This Owl, and some others, will form the genus Noctua of Savigny and Cuvier, and are closely allied to the Surnia of Dumeril. In fact, the characters of the lat- ter appear to me to agree better than those of Noctua ; and Lesson says, " Les 300 AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. — FALCO SPARVERIUS.— Fig. 146. — Male. Little Hawk, Arct. Zool. 211, No. 110. — Emerillon de Cayenne, Buff. i. 291. PL enl. No. 444. — La«/i. i. WO. — PeaLe's Museum, No. 340. FJlLCO SPARVERIUS. — 'Lij.ysivs. Falco sparverius, Bonap. Synop. p. 27. — Falco sparverius, Little Rusty-crowned Falcon, North. Zool. ii. p. 31. The female of this species has been already figured and described at page 171 of this work. As they differ considerably in the mark- ings of their plumage, the male is introduced here, (Fig. 146.) The male Sparrow Hawk measures about ten inches in length, and twenty-one in extent ; the whole upper parts of the head are of a fine slate blue, the shafts of the plumage being black, the crown excepted, which is marked with a spot of bright rufous ; the slate tapers to a point on each side of the neck ; seven black spots surround the head, as in the female, on a reddish white ground, which also borders each sloping side of the blue ; front, lores, line over and under the eye, chevpches ne se font pas reconnaitre tres nettement des chouettes." The Snowy Owl feeds by day, as well as by night, and is much more active than the night- feeding birds ; it approaches nearer to the Hawk Owls. The head is less ; the tail and wings, elongated ; and the plumage is more compact and rigid. It appears to extend as far north in America as any inhabited country, and is found in the coldest districts of Europe. It is also mentioned by Pennant to reach beyond the Asiatic frontier to the hot latitude of Astracan, {a contrast, if it should turn out the same, species,) and was discovered to breed in Orkney and Shetland by Mr. Bullock, who procured several specimens. Its visits to the mainland of Britain are, again, more rare ; indeed, I believe one of the only instances on record is that of a male and female killed near Rothbury, in Northumberland, in January, 1823, — a winter remarkable for a severe snow-storm. They were killed on an open moor, in a wqld and rocky part of the country, and were generally seen perched upon the snow, or upon some large stone projecting from it. Both now form beautilUl speci- mens in the collection of Mr. Selby. They become very familiar in winter, approaching close to the dwellings of the Indians. In Lapland, they are shot with ball when hunting after moles and lem- mings ; and in that country, like many other Owls, they are looked upon with su- perstition. They utter a sound at night, when perched, like the grunting of pigs, which, by the common and uninformed people, is thought to be some apparition or spectre. By Hearne the Snow Owl is said to be known to watch the Grouse shooters a whole day, for the purpose of sharing in the spoil. On such occasions, it perches on a high tree, and when a bird is shot, skims down, and carries it off before the sportsman can get near it. We have the following remarks by Dr. Richardson, in the Northern Zoolos:y : — '' Frequents most of the arctic lands that have been visited, but retires with the Ptarmigan, on which it preys, to more shel- tered districts in winter ; hunts by day. When I have seen it on the barren grounds, it was generally squatting on the earth; and if put up, it alighted again after a short flight, but was always so wary as to be approached with difficulty. In woody districts, it shows less caution. 1 have seen it pursue the American hare on the wing, making repeated strokes at the animal with its feet. In winter, when this Owl is fat, the Indians and white residents in the Fur Countries esteem it to be good eating. Its flesh is delicately white." By the Cree Indians it is called Wapow-keelhoo, or Wapahoo ; by the Esquimaux. Oookpeeguakj by the Norwegians, Lemensgrtts and Gysfugl ; by the Swedes, Harfang. — Ed. AMERICAN SPARROW HAWK. 801 chin, and throat, white ; femoral and vent-featliers, yellowish white ; the rest of the lower parts, of the same tint, each feather heing streaked down the centre with a long black drop; those on the breast, slender, on the sides, larger; upper part of the back and scapulars, deep reddish bay, marked with ten or twelve transverse waves of black ; whole wing-coverts and ends of the secondaries, bright slate, spotted with black ; primaries and upper half of the secondaries, black, tipped with Avhite, and spotted on their inner vanes with the same ; lower part of the back, the rump, and tail-coverts, plain bright bay ; tail rounded, the two exterior feathers white, their inner vanes beautifully spotted with black ; the next, bright bay, with a broad band of black near its end, and tipped for half an inch with yellowish white ; part of its lower exterior edge, white, spotted with black, and its opposite interior edge, touched with white; the whole of the others are very deep red bay, with a single, broad band of black near the end, and tipped with yellowish white ; cere and legs, yellow ; orbits, the same ; bill, light blue ; iris of the eye, dark, almost black ; claws, blue black. The character of this corresponds with that of the female, given at large in page 171. I have reason, however, to believe, that these birds vary considerably in the color and markings of their plumage during the first and second years ; having met with specimens every way corresponding with the above, except in the breast, which was a plain rufous white, without spots ; the markings on the tail also differing a little in different specimens. Thesa 1 uniformly found, on dissection, to be males ; from the stomach of one of which I took a considerable part of the carcass of a Robin, [Turdus migmtorius,) including the unbroken feet and claws ; though the Robin actually measures within half an inch as long as the Sparrow Hawk.* * Bonaparte has separated the small American Falcons from the larg-er kinds, characterizing the group as having the wings shorter than the tail, tarsi scutellaled; and Mr. Swanison says, that the group seems natural, differing somewhat in their manners from the larger Falcons, and having analogies in iheir habits to tlie Shrikes. With both these we agree. It is long since we thought the general form and habits of our Common Kestrel — analogous to Wilson's bird in Europe — ditifered from those of the true Falcons, as much, certainly, as Astiir does from Accipiter, and both should be only by subordinate divisions. The manner of suspending itself in the air is exactly similar to that of our Windhover ; and I am not aware that this peculiar manner of hunting is made use of by any other of the Falconidce, with the exception of the Kestrels, that is, those of Europe or Africa, F. rupiccla, tirmncu- loides, &LC. The true Falcons survey the ground by extensive sweeps, or a rapid flight, and stoop at once on their prey with the velocity and force of lightning 5 the others quietly watch their quarry when suspenrled or perched on a bare emuience or tree in the manner described, and take it by surprise. Insects, reptiles, and small animals form part of their food ; and to the old falconists they were known by the name of " Ignoble." The whole of the Kestrels are very familiar, easily tamed, and when in confinement become even playful. Their great breeding place is steep rocks, clothed with ivy, and fringed with the various wild plants incident to the different climes ; in the chinks and hearts of these they nestle, often in security' from any clamberer that has not the assistance of a rope ; though the appearance of a stranger immediately calls forth peculiarly shrill and timid notes of alarm. When the young are hatched, and partly advanced, they may be seen stretching out from their hole 3 and, on the appearance of their parent, mutual greetings are heard, and in a tone at once different from those before mentioned. "Our native species, in addition to rocks, delights in ruined buildings as a breeding place 3 and it is re- 26 303 ROUGH-LEGGED FALCON. ROUGH-LEGGED FALCON —FALCO LAGOPUS. — Fig. 147. Arct. Zool. p. 200, No. 92. — Lath. i. 15. — Peak's Museum, No. 116. BUTEO LjiOOPUS. — BECHSTEijfi Rough-le^g-ed Falcon, Mont. Ornith. Diet. Supp. — Beio. Br. Birds, Supp. — Rough-legged Buzzard, Selby's ILlust. Br. Ornith. i. p. 20, pi. 7. — Falco lago- pus, Temm. Man. i. p. 65. — Bonap. Synop. p. 32. — Buteo lagopus, Flem. Br. Anim. p. 34. — North. Zool. ii. p. 52. This handsome species, notwithstanding its formidable size and ap- pearance, spends the chief part of the winter among our low swamps and meadows, watching for mice, frogs, lame ducks, and other inglo- rious game. Twenty or thirty individuals of this family have regularly taken up their winter quarters, for several years past, and probably long anterior to that date, in the meadows below this city, between the Rivers Delaware and Schuylkill, where they spend their time watch- ing along the dry banks like cats ; or sailing low and slowly over the surface of the ditches. Though rendered shy from the many attempts made to shoot them, they seldom fly far, usually from one tree to another at no great distance, making a loud squealing as they arise, something resembling the neighing of a young colt, though in a more shrill and savage tone. The bird represented in Fig. 147 was one of this fraternity ; and several others of the same association have been obtained and exam- ined during the present winter. On comparing these with Pennant's description, referred to above, they correspond so exactly, that no doubts remain of their being the same species. Towards the beginning of markable, that perhaps more Kestrels build and bring to maturity their young in London, than in any space of the same dimensions : the breeding-places there are the belfries of the different churches, where neither the bustle beneath, nor \he jingle of the bells, seems to have any effect upon them. We have the ibllowing characteristic observations on this species in the Northern Zoology : — " In the vicinity of Carlton House, where the plains are beautifully ornamented by numerous small clumps of aspens, that give a rich, picturesque effect to the land- scape, which I have never seen equalled in an English park, this small Falcon was fre- quently discovered, perched upon the most lofty tree in the clump, sitting with his eye apparently closed, but, nevertheless, sufficiently awake to what was going on, as it would occasionally evince, by suddenly pouncing upon any small bird that happened to come within its reach. It is the least shy of any of the American Hawks ; and, when on its perch, will suffer the fowler to advance to the foot of the tree, provided he has the precaution to make a slow and devious approach. He is not, however, unnoticed ; for the bird shows, by the motion of its head, that he is carefully watching his manoeuvres, though, unless he walks directly towards it, it is not readily alarmed. When at rest, the wings are closely applied to the sides, with their tips lying over the tail, about one third from its end ; and the tail itself, being closely shut up, looks long and narrow. If its suspicion be excited, it raises and depresses its head quickly two or three times, and spreads its tail, but does not open its wings until the instant it takes its flight. The individuals shot at Carlton House, had mice and small birds in their stomachs. They were not observed by the expedition beyond the 54th degree of latitude." — Ed. ROUGH-LEGGED FALCON. ^0^ April, these birds abandon this part of the country, and retire to the north to breed. They are common, during winter, in the lower parts of Maryland, and numerous in the extensive meadows below Newark, New Jersey ; are frequent along the Connecticut River ; and, according to Pennant, inhabit England, Norway, and Lapmark. Their flight is slow and heavy. They are often seen coursing over the surface of the mead- ows, long after sunset, many times in pairs. They generally roost on the tall detached trees that rise from these low grounds ; and take tlieir stations at day-break, near a ditch, bank, or hay-stack, for hours together, watching, with patient vigilance, for the first un- lucky frog, mouse, or lizard, to make its appearance. The instant one of these is descried, the Hawk, sliding into the air, and taking a cir- cuitous course along the surface, sweeps over the spot, and in an in- stant has his prey grappled and sprawling in the air. The Rough-legged Hawk measures twenty-two inches in length, and four feet two inches in extent ; cere, sides of the mouth, and feet,- rich yellow; legs, feathered to the toes, with brownish yellow plumage, streaked with brown ; femorals, the same ; toes, comparatively short ; claws and bill, blue black ; iris of the eye, bright amber ; upper part of the head, pale ochre, streaked with brown ; back and wings, choc- olate, each feather edged with bright ferruginous ; first four primaries, nearly black about the tips, edged externally with silvery in some lights ; rest of the quills, dark chocolate ; lower side, and interior vanes, white ; tail-coverts, white ; tail, rounded, white, with a broad band of dark brown near the end, and tipped with white ; body below, and breast, light yellow ochre, blotched and streaked with chocolate. What constitutes a characteristic mark of this bird, is a belt or girdle, of very dark brown, passing round the belly just below the breast, and reaching under the wings to the rump ; head, very broad, and bill un- commonly small, suited to the humility of its prey. The female is much darker, both above and below, particularly in the belt, or girdle, which is nearly black ; the tail-coverts are also spotted with chocolate ; she is also something larger. * * From their different form, Buteo has been now adopted for the Buzzards. They will £ilso rank in two divisions ; those with clothed, and those with bare tarsi. The American species belonging' to the first, will be our present one, Wilson's Falconiger, and Audubon's F. Harlanii;\ to the second, Wilson's B. borealis, hyemalis, and the common European Buzzard, which was met with in the last overland arctic ex- pedition. The Buzzards are sluggish and inactive in their habits 5 their bills, feet, and claws, comparatively weak 5 ihe form heavy, and the plumage more soft and downy, as if a smooth flight was to supply in part their want of activity. Their general flight is in sweeping circles, after mounting from their resting-place. They watch their prey either from the air, or on some tree or eminence, and sometimes pounce upon it when sailing near the ground. When satiated, they ap-ain re- turn to their perch, and if undisturbed, will remain in one situation until hunger again calls them forth. Our present species is one of the more active, and is com- mon also to the European continent. In Britain, it is an occasional visitant. They seem to appear at uncertain intervals, in more abundance ; thus, in 1823, I received two beautiful specimens from East Lothian ; and, in the same year, two or three more were killed on that coast. Mr. Selby mentions, that in the year 1815, North- umberland was visited by them, and several specimens were obtained. He re- t See description of F, J^Tiger. 304 BARRED OWL. BARRED OWL. — STRIX NEBULOSA. — Fig. 148. Turton, Syst. W9. — Arct. Zool. p. 234, No. m.—Lath. 133. — Strix acclamatof, The Whootino; Owl, Bartram, 2S9. — Feale's Museum, No. 464. STRIX JSTEBULOSj}. — FoRsij^R* La chouette du Canada, (Ulula,) Ciw. Regn. Anim. i. p. 328. — Strix nebulosa, (sub-g-en. Ulula, Cuv.) Bonap. Synop. p. 38. — Chouette nebuleuse, Temm. Man. i. p. 86. — Strix nebulosa. North. Zool. ii. p. 81. This is one of our most common Owls. In winter particularly, it is numerous in the lower parts of Pennsylvania, among the woods that border the extensive meadows of Schuylkill and Delaware. It is marks, " Two of these birds, from having- attached themselves to a neighboring marsh, passed under my frequent observation. Their flight was smooth but slow, and not unlike that of the common Buzzard ; and they seldom continued for any length of time on the wing. They preyed upon wild "ducks and other birds, frogs and mice, which they mostly pounced upon on the ground." They appear to pre- fer trees for their breeding-place, whereas rocks, and the sides of deep ravines, are more frequently selected by the common Buzzard. No instance has occurred of their breeding in this country. In plumage, they vary as much as the common species, the color of the upper parts being cf lighter or darker shades ; the breast sometimes largely patched with deep brown, and sometimes entirely of that color ; and the white bar at the base of the tail, though always present, is of various di- mensions. Dr. Richardson says it arrives in the Fur Countries in April and May ; and having reared its young, retires southward early in October. They were so shy, that only one specimen could be got by the expedition. — Ed. * Cuvier places this bird in his genus Ulula. It may be called nocturnal, though it does show a greater facility of conducting itself during the day than the really night-living species, and will approach nearer to the Tawny Owl of this country than any other ; indeed, it almost seems the American representative of that species. The Tawny Owl, though not so abundant, has the very same manners ; and when raised from its dormitory in a spruce or silver fir, or holly, or oak that still carries its leaves, it will flit before one for half a day, moving its station whenever it thinks the aggressor too near. It does not utter any cry during flight. It is common to both continents, visiting, however, only uie more northern parts of the European, and does not extend so generally as many of those which inhabit both. According to Mr. Audubon, this Owl was a most abundant visitor to his various solitary encampments, often a most amusing one ; and, by less accustomed travellers, might easily have been converted into some supposed inhabitant of anotlier world. '' How often," says this distinguished ornithologist, " when snugly settled under the boughs of my temporary encampment, and preparing to roast a venison steak, or the body of a squirrel, on a wooden spit, have I been saluted with the exulting bursts of this nightly disturber of the peace, that, had it not been for him, would have prevailed around me, as well as in my lonely retreat! How often have I seen this nocturnal marauder alight within a few yards of me, exposing his whole body to the glare of my fire, and eye me in such a curious manner, that, had it been reasonable to do so, I would gladly have invited him to walk in and join me in my repast, that I miijht have enjoyed the pleasure of forming a better acquaintance with him. The liveliness of his motions, joined to their oddness, have oflen made me think that his society would be at least as agreeable as that of many of the buf- foons we meet with in the world. But as such opportunities of forming acquain- tance have not existed, be content, kind reader, wth the imperfect information which I can give you of the habits of this Sancho Pan9a of our woods. BARRED OWL. 305 very frequently observed flying during day, and certainly sees more- distinctly at that time than many of its genus. In one spring, at dif- ferent times, I met with more than forty of them, generally flying or " Such persons as conclude, when looking- upon Owls in tlie glare of day, that they are, as they then appear, extremely dull, are greatly mistaken. Were they to state, like Bufibn, that Woodpeckers are miserable beings, they would be talk- ing as incorrectly ; and, to one who might have lived long in the woods, ihey would seem to have lived only in their libraries. " The Barred Owl is found in all those parts of the United Stales which I have visited, and is a constant resident. In Louisiana, it seems to be more abundant than in any other state. It is almost impossible to travel eight or ten miles in any of the retired woods there, without seeing several of them even in broad day ; and, at the approach of night, their cries are heard proceeding from every part of the forest around the plantations. Should the v/eather be lowering, and uidicative of the approach of rain, their cries are so multiplied during the day, and especially in the evetiing, and they respond to each otherin tones so strange, that one might imagine some extraordinary fete about to take place among them. On approach- ing one of them, its gesticulations are seen to be of a very extraordinary nature. The position of the bird, which is generally erect, is immediately changed. It low- ers its head and inclines its body, to watch the motions of the person beneath ; throws forward the lateral feathers of its head, which thus has the appearance of being surrounded by a broad ruff j looks towards him as if half blind, and moves its head to and fro in so extraordinary a manner, as almost to induce a person to fancy that part dislocated from the body. It follows all the motions of the mtruder with its eves ; and should it suspect any treacherous intentions, flies off to a short distance, "alighting with its back to the person, and immediately turning about with a single jump, to recommence its scrutiny. In this manner, the Barred Owl may be followed to a considerable distance, if" not shot at 5 for to halloo after it does not seem to frighten it much. But if shot at and missed, it removes to a considerable distance, af\er which, its whah-ivhah-whah is uttered with considerable pomposity. This Owl will answer the imitation of its own sounds, and is frequently decoyed by this means. " The flight of the Barred Owl is smooth, light, noiseless, and capable of being greatly protracted. I have seen them take their departure from a detached grove m a prairie, and pursue a direct course towards the skirts of the main forest, distant more than two miles, in broad daylight. I have thus followed them with the eye until they were lost in the distance, and have reason to suppose that they continued their flight until they reached the woods. Once, whilst descending the Ohio, not far frorn the well-known Cave-in-rock, about two liours before sunset, in the month of November, I saw a Barred Owl teased by several Crows, and chased from the tree in which it was. On leaving the tree, it gradually rose in the air, in the man- ner of a Hawk, and at length attained so great a height, that our party lost sight of it. It acted, I thought, as if it had lost itself, now and then describing small circles, and flapping its wings quickly, then flying in zigzag lines. This being so uncommon an occurrence, I noted it down at the time. I felt anxious to see the bird return towards the earth, but it did not make its appearance again. So very lightly do they fly, that I have frequently discovered one passing over me, and only a few yards distant, by first seeing its shadow on the ground, during clear moonlight nights, when not the faintest rustling of its wings could be heard. " Their power of sight during the day seems to be rather of an equivocal char- acter, as I once saw one alight on the back of a cow, which it left so suddenly after- wards, when the cow moved, as to prove to me that it had mistaken the object on which it had perched for something else. At other times, I have observed that the approach of the gray squirrel intimidated them, if one of these animals accidentally jumped on a branch close to them, although the Owl destroys a number of therfi during the twilight." Audubon has heard it said, in addition to small animals and birds, and a peculiar sort of frog, common in the woods of Louisiana, that the Barred Owl catches fish. He never saw this performed, though it may be as natural for it as those species which have been ascertained to feed on them. It is often exposed for sale in the New Orleans market, and the Creoles make g7imbo of it, and pronounce it palatable. 26* 306 BARRED OWL. sitting exposed. I also once met with one of their nests, containing three young, in the crotch of a white oak, among thick foliage. The nest was rudely put together, composed outwardly of sticks, intermixed with some dry grass and leaves, and lined with smaller twigs. At another time, in passing through the woods, I perceived something white, on the high shaded branch of a tree, close to the trunk, that, as I thought, looked like a cat asleep. Unable to satisfy myself, I was induced to fire, when, to my surprise and regret, four young Owls, of this same species, nearly full grown, came down headlong, and, flut- tering for a few moments, died at my feet. Their nest was probably not far distant. I have also seen the eggs of this species, which are nearly as large as those of a young Pullet, but much more globular, and per- fectly white. These birds sometimes seize on fowls, partridges, and young rabbits ; ■ mice and small game are, however, their most usual food. The differ- ence in size between the male and female of this Owl is extraordinary, amounting sometimes to nearly eight inches in the length. Both scream during day, like a Hawk. The male Barred Owl measures sixteen inches and a half in length, and thirty- eight inches in extent ; upper parts a pale brown, marked with transverse spots of white ; wings, barred witli alternate bands of pale brown, and darker; head, smooth, very large, mottled with trans-, verse touches of dark brown, pale brown, and white ; eyes, large, deep . blue, tlie pupil not perceivable ; face, or radiated circle of the eyes, gray, surrounded by an outhne of brown and white dots ; bill, yellow, tinged with green ; breast, barred transversely with rows of brown , and white ; belly, streaked longitudinally with long stripes of brown, on a yellowish ground ; vent, plain yellowish white ; thighs and feath- . ered legs, the same, slightly pointed with brown ; toes, nearly covered with plumage ; claws, dark horn color, very sharp ; tail, rounded, and . In this place may be introduced another species, mentioned by Bonaparte as in- habiting- Arctic America, and met with by Dr. Richardson during the last northern • expedition. It is the largest of the American Owls, exceeding even the size of the Virginian Horned Owl, and seems to have been first noticed and described by Dr. Latnam, from Hudson's Bay specimens. Dr. Richardson has more lately given • the following sketch of its manners : — ''It is by no means a rare bird in the Fur Countries, being an inhabitant of all the woody districts lying between Lake Supe- rior and latitudes 67° or 68°, and between Hudson's Bay and the Pacific. It is • common on the borders of Great Bear Lake ; and there and in the higher parallels of latitude it must pursue its prey, during the summer months, by daylight. It keeps, however, within the woods, and does not frequent the barren grounds, like the Soowy Owl, nor is it so often met with in broad daylight as the Hawk Ovvl, but- hunts principally when the sun is low; indeed, it is only at such times, when the- recesses of the woods are deeply shadowed, that the American Hare and the ma- rine animals, on which this Owl chiefly preys, come forth to feed. On the 23d of ■ May, I discovered a nest of this Owl, built, on the top of a lofty balsam poplar, of' sticks, and lined with feathers. It contained three young, which were covered with a whitish down. We could get at the nest only by felling the tree, which was re- markably thick ; and whilst this operation was going on, the two parent birds flew in circles round the objects of their care, keeping, however, so high in the air as to be out of gunshot : they did not appear to be dazzled by the light. The young ones were kept alive for two months, when they made their escape. They had the habit common also to other Owls, of throwing themselves back, and making a loud snapping noise with their bills, when any one entered the room in which they were kept." — Ep. SHORT-EARED OWL. 307 remarkably concave below, barred with six broad bars of brown, and as many narrow ones of white ; the back and shoulders have a cast of chestnut ; at each internal angle of the eye, is a broad spot of black ; the plumage of the radiated circle round the eye ends in long black hairs ; and the bill is encompassed by others of a longer and more bristly kind. These probably serve to guard the eye when any danger approaches it in sweeping hastily through the woods ; and those usually found on flycatchers may have the same intention to fulfil ; for, on the slightest touch of the point of any of these hairs, the nictitant mem- brane was instantly thrown over the eye. The female is twenty-two inches long, and four feet in extent ; the chief difference of color consists in her wings being broadly spotted with white ; the shoulder being a plain chocolate brown ; the tail ex- tends considerably beyond the tips of the wings; the bill is much larger, and of a more golden yellow ; iris of the eye, the same as that of the male. The different character of the feathers of this, and, I believe, of most Owls, is really surprising. Those that surround the bill differ little from bristles ; those that surround the region of the eyes are exceedingly open, and unwebbed ; these are bounded by another set, generally proceeding from the external edge of the ear, of a most pe- culiar small, narrow, velvety kind, whose fibres are so exquisitely fine, as to be invisible to the naked eye ; above, the plumage has one gen- eral character at the surface, calculated to repel rain and moisture ; but, towards the roots, it is of the most soft, loose, and downy substance in nature — so much so, that it may be touched without being felt ; the webs of the wing-quills are also of a delicate softness, covered with an almost imperceptible hair, and edged with a loose silky dov/n, so that the owner passes through the air without interrupting the most profound silence. Who cannot perceive the hand of God in all these things ? SHORT-EARED OWL. — STRIX BRACHYOTOS. — Fig. 149. Turton, Syst. p. I61. — Arct. ZooL p. 229, No. W^. — Lath. i. 124. — La choueUe, ou la grand chevechC; Buff. i. PL ml. 438. — Peale^s Museum, No. 440. OTUS BRACHYOTOS. —Cvv\ER.* Short-eared Owl, Bew. Br. Birds, i. p. 48, 60. — Selby, lllust. Br. Orn. i. p. 64. pi. 2L — Hibou brachyote, Temm. Man. i. p. 99. — La ChoueUe, ou le moyen due, a Huppes courles, Ciiv. Regn. Anim. i. p. 328. — Otus brachyotus, Flem. Br. Anim. p. 66. — Strix brachyotos, So7^ap. Synop. p. 37. — Strix brachyota, North. Zool. p. 75. This is another species common to both continents, being found in Britain as far north as the Orkney Isles, where it also breeds, building This Owl, as Wilson observes, is also common to both continents, but the British history of it is comparatively unknown. The following observations may perhaps advance some parts of it : — 308 SHORT-EARED OWL. its nest upon the ground, amidst the heath ; arrives and disappears in the south parts of England with the Woodcock, that is, in October and April ; consequently does not breed there. It is called at Hudson's Bay, the Mouse Hawk; and is described as not flying, like other Owls, in search of prey, but sitting quiet, on a stump of a tree, watching for mice. It is said to be found in plenty in the woods near Chatteau Bay, on the coast of Labrador. In the United States, it is also a bird of passage, coming to us from the north in November, and departing in April. The bird represented in fig. 149, was shot in New Jersey, a few miles below Philadelphia, in a thicket of pines. It has tlie stem In England it bears the name of Woodcock Owl, from its appearance nearly about the same time with that bird, and its reappearance again in the spring. Very few, if any, remain during the whole season, and they are only met with in their migrations to and from the north, their breeding-places, similar to the appearance, for a few days, of the Ringousels and Dotterels ; in spring, singly or in pairs 5 and in the fall, in small groups, the amount of their broods when again retiring. They do not appear to be otherwise gregarious ; and it is only in this way that we can account for the flock of twenty-eight in a turnip field, quoted by our author, and the instances of five or six of these birds frequently found roosting together, as men- tioned by Mr. Selby. They appear at the same seasons, (according to Temminck,) and are plentiful in Holland. It is only in the north of England, and over Scot- land, that they will rank as summer visitants. Hoy, and the other Hebrides, where they were first discovered to breed, were considered the southern limit of their incubation. It extends, however, much farther ; and may be, perhaps, stated as tlie extensive muirland ranges of Cumberland, Westmoreland, and Northumber- land. Over all the Scottish muirs, it occurs in considerable abundance 3 there are few sportsmen who are unacquainted with it ; many are killed during the Grouse season, and those individuals which Mr. Selby mentions as found on upland moors, I have no doubt bred there. On the extensive moors at the Head of Dryfe, (a small rivulet in Dumfries-shire,) I have, for many years past, met with one or two pairs of these birds, and the accidental discovery of their young first turned my attention to the range of their breeding ; for, previous to this, I also held the opin- ion, that they had commenced their migration southward. The young was discov- ered by one of my dogs pointing it 5 and, on the following year, by searching at the proper season, two nests were found with five eggs. They were' formed upon the ground among the heath ; the bottom of the nest scraped until the fresh earth ap- peared, on which the eggs were placed, without any lining or other accessory covering. When approaching the nest or young, the old birds fly and hover round, uttering a shrill cry, and snapping with their bills. They will then alight at a short distance, survey the aggressor, and again resume their flight and cries. The young are barely able to fly by the 12th of August, and appear to leave the nest some time before they are able to rise from the ground. I have taken them, on that great day to sportsmen, squatted on the heath like young black game, at no great distance from each other, and always attended by the parent birds. Last year (1831) I found them in their old haunts, to which they appear to return very regularly ; and the female, with a young bird, was procured 5 the young could only fly for sixty or seventy yards.* In form, this species will bear the same analogy to those furnished -with horns, which the Snowy Owl bears to the earless birds. The name of Hmi:k Owl implies more activity and boldness, and a different make ; and we find the head small, the body more slender, the wings and tail powerful. They hunt regularly by day, and will sometimes soar to a great height. They feed on small birds, and destroy young game, as well as mice and moles. It seems to have a pretty extensive geographical range. Pennant mentions it 85 inhabiting the Falkland Isles. It extends to Siberia 3 and I have received it from the neighborhood of Canton, in China. — Ed. * A specimen was shot in December, (1831,) on the same pround, and one was seen when drawing a whin covert for a fox, on 31st January, 1832. 1 believe some reside during the whole year. — Ed. LITTLE OWL. 309 aspect of a keen, vigorous, and active bird ; and is reputed to be an excellent mouser. It flies frequently by day, and, particularly in dark cloudy Aveather, takes short flights; and, when sitting and looking sharply around, erects the two slight feathers that constitute its horns, which are at such times very noticeable ; but, otherwise, not perceiva- ble. No person on slightly examining this bird after being shot, would suspect it to be furnished with horns ; nor are they discovered but by careful search, or previous observation on tlie living bird. Bewick, in his History of British Birds, remarks, that this species is sometimes seen in companies, — twenty-eight of them having been once counted in a turnip field in November. Length, fifteen inches ; extent, three feet four inches ; general color above, dark brown, the feathers broadly skirted with pale yellowish brown; bill, large, black ; irides, rich golden yellow, placed in a bed of deep black, which radiates outwards all around, except towards the bill, where the plumage is whitish ; ears, bordered with a semicircular line of black and tawny yellow dots ; tail, rounded, longer than usual with Owls, crossed with five bands of dark brown, and as many of yellow ochre, some of the latter have central spots of dark brown, the whole tipped with Avhite quills also banded with dark brown and yel- low ochre ; breast and belly streaked with dark brown, on a ground of yellowish ; legs, thighs, and vent, plain dull yellow ; tips of the three first quill-feathers, black ; legs, clothed to the claws, which are black, curved to about the quarter of a circle, and exceedingly sharp. The female I have never seen; but she is said to be somewhat larger, and much darker, and the spots on the breast larger, and more numerous.* LITTLE OWL.— STRIX PASSERINA. — Fig. 150. Arct. Zool. 236, No. 126.— Turtcm, Sijst. I12. — Peale's Museum, No. 522. STRIX j3C./?Z>/C./?. — Gmelin.I Chouette chevechette, Temm. Man. I p. 96. — Strix acadica, Bonap. Synop. p. 38. — Monog. sinot strigi inauric. osserv. suUa, 2d edit, del Reg. Anim. Cuv. p. 52. — Strix acadica, American Sparrow Owl, North. Zool. p. 97. This is one of the least of its whole genus ; but, like many other little folks, makes up, in neatness of general form and appearance, for * The female is nearly of the same size with the male ; the colors are all of a browned tinge, the markings more clouded and indistinct 5 the white of the lower parts, and under the wings, is less pure, and the belly and vent are more thickly dashed with black streaks ; the ears are nearly of the same length with the other feathers, but can be easily distinguished. She is always foremost to attack any intruder on her nest or young. — Ed. t There is so much alliance between many of the Small Owls, that it is a matter of surprise more species have not been confounded. Wilson appears to have been mistaken, or to have confounded the name at least of the Little Owl ; and, on the authority of Temminck and Bonaparte, we have given it as above, that oi acadica. It is a native of both Continents, but does not yet appear to have reached the British shores. According to Temminck, it is found in the deep, German forests, 310 LITTLE OWL. deficiency of size, and is, perhaps, the most shapely of all our Owls. Nor are ^e colors and markings of its plumage inferior in simplicity and effect to most others. It also possesses an eye fully equal in spirit and brilliancy to the best of them. This species is a general and constant inhabitant of the middle and northern states ; but is found most numerous in the neighborhood of the sea-shore, and among woods and swamps of pine trees. It rarely rambles much during day ; but, if disturbed, flies a sliort way, and again takes shelter from the light ; at tlie approach of twOight it is all life and activity, being a noted and dexterous mouse-catcher. It is found as far north as Nova Scotia, and even Hudson's Bay ; is frequent in Russia ; builds its nest generally in pines, half way up the tree, and lays two eggs, which, like those of the rest of its genus, are white. The melancholy and gloomy umbrage of those solitary evergreens forms its favorite haunts, where it sits dozing and slumbering all day, lulled by the roar of the neighboring ocean. The Little Owl is seven inches and a half long, and eighteen inches in extent ; the upper parts are a plain brown olive, the scapulars and some of the greater and lesser coverts being spotted Avith white ; the first five primaries are crossed obliquely with five bars of white ; tail, rounded, rather darker than the body, crossed with two rows of white spots, and tipped with white ; whole interior vanes of the wings, spotted with the same ; auriculars, yellowish brown ; crown, upper part of tlie neck, and circle surrounding the ears, beautifully marked with numerous points of white on an olive brown ground ; front, pure white, ending in long blackish hairs ; at tlie internal angle of the eyes, a broad spot of black radiating outwards ; irides, pale yellow ; bill, a blackish horn color ; lower parts, streaked with yellow ochre and reddish bay; thighs, and feathered legs, pale buff; toes, covered to the claws, which are black, large, and sharp-pointed. The bird, from which figure 150 was taken, was shot on the sea- shore, near Great Egg Harbor, in New Jersey, in the month of No- vember, and, on dissection, was found to be a female. Turton describes a species called the White-fronted Owl, [S. albifrons,) which, in every thing except the size, agrees with tliis bird, and has, very probably, though rarely, but is plentiful in Livonia. Bonaparte hints at the probability of the St. passerina being yet discovered in America, which seems very likely, consider- ing the similarity of its European haunts. The last overland arctic expedition met with this and another allied species, St. Tengmalmi, which will rank as an addition to the ornithology of that continent. Dr. Richardson has the following observations regarding the latter : " When it accidentally wanders abroad in the day, it is so much dazzled by the light of the sun as to become stupid, and it may be easily caught by the hand. Its cry in the night is a single melancholy note, repeated at intervals of a minute or two, and it is one of the superstitious practices of the na- tives to whistle when tliey hear it. If the bird is silent when thus challenged, the speedy death of the inquirer is thus augured ; hence its Cree appellation of Death Bird. On the banks of the Sascatchewan it is so common, that its voice is heard cdmost every night by the traveller, wherever he selects his bivouack. Both the latter species extend over the north of Europe, and are found occa- sionally in Britain. The specimens which I have seen in confinement seem to sleep or doze away the morning and forenoon, but are remarkably active when roused, and move about with great agility. Both are often exposed for sale, with other birds, in the Dutch and Belgian markets. — Ed. A i^ tH» 310 LITTLE OWL (cieficiency of size, and is, perhaps, the .rest .-hnpclr of all c^r- O for ar ; Uie colore and markings o<" (.: .."•-■♦ to most oi^'-TS. It alsf. • beiit r.f ^.i.' li and cor of^the middle ; t is all ' It is ' (Hjuent <, are wh vergrC' 11:4^ all day, Miches iH and -iKe; the white; tail. •obabiy, ;,e probability of the kI are found or biranish the Crows from their roost on the Pea Patch, and give security to return the money on failure. •' The sum of five hundred dollars being thus required, the committee beg leave to address the farmers and others of Newcastle county and elsewhere on the subject." CROW. 323 prostrate prisoner, by the same instinctive impulse that urges a drown- ing person to grasp at every thing within iiis reach. Having disen- ga^ged the game from his clutches,^the trap is again ready for another experiment"; and by pinning down each captive, successively, as soon as taken, in a short'time you will probably have a large flock scream- ing above you, in concert Avith the outrageous prisoners below. Many farmers, however, are content with hanging up the skins, or dead carcasses, of Crows in their corn-tields, in terrorem ; others depend altogether on the gun, keeping one of their people supplied with ammunition, and constantly on the look out. In hard winters the Crows suffer severely ; so that they have been observed to fall down in the fields, and on the roads, exhausted with cold and hunger. In one of these winters, and during a long-continued, deep snow, more than six hundred Crows were shot on the carcass of a dead horse, which was placed at a proper distance from the stable, from a hole of wliich the discharges were made. The premiums aw^arded for these, with the price paid for the quills, produced nearly as much as tlie original value of the horse, besides, as the man himself assured me, saving feathers sufficient for filling a bed. The Crow is easily raised and domesticated ; and it is only when thus rendered unsuspicious of, and placed on terms of familiarity with man, that the true traits of his genius and native disposition fully develope themselves. In this state he soon learns to distinguish aJI the members of the family ; flies towards the gate, screaming, at the approach of a stranger ; learns to open the door by alighting on the latch ; attends regularly at the stated hours of dinner and breakfast, wliich he appears punctually to recollect; is extremely noisy and loquacious ; imitates the sounds of various words pretty distinctly ; is a great thief and hoarder of curiosities, hiding in holes, corners, and crevices, every loose article he can carry off", particularly small pieces of metal, corn, bread, and food of all kinds ; is fond of the society of his master, and will know him even after a long absence, of which the following is a remarkable instance, and may be relied on as a fact : — A very worthy gentleman, now [1811] living in the Genesee country, but who, at the time alluded to, resided on the Delaware, a few miles below Easton, had raised a Crow% with w^hose tricks and society he used frequently to amuse himself. This Crow lived long in the family ; but at length disappeared, having, as Avas then supposed, been shot by some vagrant gunner, or destroyed by accident. About eleven months after this, as the gentleman, one morning, in company with several others, was standing on the river shore, a number of Crows happening to pass by, one of them left the flock, and flying directly towards the company, alighted on the gentleman's shoulder, and began to gabble away with great volubility, as one long absent friend naturally enough does on meeting with another. On recover- ing from his surprise, the gentleman instantly recognized his old acquaintance, and endeavored, by several civil but sly manceuvres, to lay hold of him ; but the Crow, not altogether relishing quite so much familiarity, having noAV had a taste of the sweets of liberty, cautiously eluded all his attempts ; and suddenly glancing his eye on his distant companions, mounted in the air after them, soon overtook and mingled with them, and was never afterwards seen to return. 324 CROW. The habits of the Crow in his native state are so generally known as to require little further illustration. His watchfulness, and jealous sagacity in distinguishing a person with a gun, are notorious to every one. In spring, when he makes his appearance among the groves and low thickets, the whole feathered songsters are instantly alanned, well knowing the depredations and murders he commits on their nests, eggs, and young. Few of them, however, have the courage to attack him, except the King Bird, who, on these occasions, teases and pur- sues him from place to place, diving on his back while high in air, and harassing him for a great distance. A single pair of these noble- spirited birds, whose nest was built near, have been known to protect a whole field of corn from the depredations of tlie Crows, not permit- ting one to approach it. The Crow is eighteen inches and a half long, and three feet two inches in extent ; the general color is a shining glossy blue black, with purplish reflections ; the throat and lower parts are less glossy ; the bill and legs, a shining black, the former two inches and a quarter long, very strong, and covered at the base with thick tufts of recum- bent feathers ; the wings, when shut, reach within an inch and a quar- ter of the tip of the tail, which is rounded ; fourth primary, the long- est ; secondaries scolloped at the ends, and minutely pointed, by the prolongation of the shaft ; iris, dark hazel. The above description agrees so nearly with the European species, as to satisfy me that they are the same ; though the voice of ours is said to be less harsh, not unlike the barking of a small spaniel : the pointedness of the ends of the tail-feathers, mentioned by European naturalists, and occasioned by the extension of the shafts, is rarely ob- served in the present species ; though always very observable in the secondaries. The female differs from the male in being more dull colored, and rather deficient in the glossy and purplish tints and reflections. The diflTerence, however, is not great. Besides grain, insects, and carrion, they feed on frogs, tadpoles, small fish, lizards, and shell fish ; with the latter they frequently mount to a great height, dropping them on the rocks below, and de- scending after them to pick up the contents. The same habit is ob- servable in the Gull, the Raven, and Sea-side Crow. Many other aquatic insects, as well as marine plants, furnish them with food ; which accounts for their being so generally found, and so numerous, on the sea shore, and along the banks of our large rivers. WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. 325 WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE.* — FALCO LEUCOCE- PHALUS. — Fig. L57. Linn. Syst. n-i. — Lath. i. 29. — Le pvgaro:ue a tete blanche, Buff. i. 99, PI. enl. 411. — ArcL Zool. 196, INo. 89. — Bald Eagle, Catesbij, i. l.—Feale's Museum, No. 78. HALI^ETUS LEUCOCEPHjiLUS. — S&viG^Y.\ Aigle a tete blanche, Ctiv. Recrn. Anim. i. p. 315. — Temm. Man. i. p. 52. — Falco ieucocephalus, (sub-gen. Halifpctiis,) Bmiap. Syjiop. p. 26. — The White-headed Eagle, Aud. Orn. Biog. i. p. 160, pi. 31, male. — Aquila (Halioeelus) leucoce- phala, North. Zool. ii. p. 15. This distinguished bird, as he is the most beautiful of his tribe in this part of the world, and the adopted emblem of our country, is en- titled to particular notice. He was drawn from one of the largest and most perfect specimens I have yet met with. In the back ground is seen a distant view of the celebrated Cataract of Niagara, a noted place of resort for these birds, as well on account of the fish procured * The epithet bald applied to this species, whose head is thickly covered with feathers, is equally improper aud absurd with the titles Goatsucker, Kingsfisher, &c. bestowed on others ; and seems to have been occasioned by the white appearance of the head, when contrasted with the dark color of the rest of the plumage. The appellation, however, being now almost universal, is retained in the following pages. t This species and the Sea Eagle of Europe, have been thought to be the same by many ornithologists ; some of a latter date appear still to confound them, and to be unable to satisfy themselves regarding the distinction. The subject has even been left in doubt in a work which has been recommended as a text-book to the British student. Tliey are decidedly distinct, the one being the representing form of the other in their respective countries. The common Sea Eagle, Hcdiceetus albicilla, is, I believe, exclusively European ; the H. Ieucocephalus, according to Temminck, is common to the northern hemispheres of both the Old and New World, though much more abundant in the latter. The adult birds may be at once distinguished, and the confusion can only have arisen from the similarity of the young : when closely compared, they will also be found to possess considerable distinctions. In habit, too, there is a difference. I have had both species alive in my posses- sion for several years ; that of America, more active and restless in disposition, is constantly in motion, and incessantly utters its shrill barking cry. Both species are difficult to be tamed, but the stranger will hardly allow his cage to be cleaned out. Though four years old, the head and tail have not attained their pure white- ness, being still marked with some patches of brown ; but I have found this to be invariably the case with birds in confinement, from three to five years being then required to complete their perfect change, | whereas three years is the generally supposed time in a wild state. Fish is preferred to any other food by both, but nothing appears to come amiss to them. Savigny established his genus for this form, or for the large Bare-legged Fishing Eagles. They are not so powerfully formed, or so much adapted for rapid flight as the Falcons and Eagles. The tarsi are weaker — the tail more graduated — the whole form more inelegant ; and when at rest, the secondaries hang in a droop- ing and sluggish manner over their wings ; their habits, unless when in search of prey, or in the breeding season, much less daring and active. Such may be said to be the general characters of the group; our present species, however, seems to have a disposition more akin to the very fiercest : we have seen him to be very \ Mr. Audubon mentions having known it six, and says, in a wild state they breed the second year in full plumage. 28 326 WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. there, as for the numerous carcasses of squirrels, deer, bears, and va- rious other animals, that, in their attempts to cross the river above the Falls, have been dragged into the current, and precipitated down that tremendous gulf, where, among the rocks that bound the Rapids be- low, they furnish a rich repast for the Vulture, the Raven, and the Bald Eagle, the subject of the present account. This bird has been long known to naturalists, being common to both continents, and occa- savage in his cage 5 in his native wilds he seems Httle less so. Fish is the favorite food, though they do not seem able to take them by plunging, but content them- selves with either seizing from the Ospreys what they have caught, or, where the water is so shallow as to allow them, clutch the fish without diving. Audubon says it only now and then procures fish for itself He has seen them several times attempting to take red-fins by wading briskly through the water, and striking at them with their bill. When fish are not to be had, they appear hardly contented with the smaller animals or birds ; pigs and sheep are a common fare, and our author has even mentioned one instance of a child being attacked. The male and female hunt in concert, and it must be when attackmg some large-winged game, or water-fowl, which have had recourse to the lake or river for safety, that their en- ergies will be best observed. Audubon thus describes a Swan hunt : — '• The next moment, however, the wild trumpet-like sound of a yet distant but approaching Swan is heard : a shriek from the female Eagle comes across the stream ; for she is fully as alert as her mate. The snow-M hite bird is now in sight : her long neck is stretched forward ; her e^'e is on the watch, vigilant as that of her enemy; her large wings seem with difficulty to support the weight of her body, although they flap incessantly. So irksome do her exertions seem, that her very legs are spread beneath her tail, to aid her in her flight. She approaches ; the Eagle has marked her for his prey. As the Swan is passing the dreaded pair, starts from his perch, in full preparation for the chase, the male bird, with an awful scream. " Now is the moment to witness a display of the Eagle's powers. He glides through the air like a falling star, and, like a flash of lightning, comes upon the timorous quarry, which now, in agony and despair, seeks, by various manoeuvres, to elude the grasp of his cruel talons. It mounts, doubles, and willingly would plunge into the stream, were it not prevented by the Eagle, which, long possessed of the knowledge that, by such a stratagem, the Swan might escape him, forces it to remain in the air, by attempting to strike it with his talons from beneath. The hope of escape is soon given up by the Swan. It has already become much weak- ened, and its strength fails at the sight of the courage and swiftness of its antago- nist. Its last gasp is about to escape, when the ferocious Eagle strikes with his tal- ons the under side of its wing, and, with unresisted power, forces the bird to fall in a slanting direction upon the nearest shore." And, again, when hunting in concert after some bird which has alighted on the water : — "At other times, when these Eagles, sailing in search of prey, discover a Goose, a Duck, or a Swan, that has alighted on the water, they accomplish its destruction in a manner that is worthy of our attention. Well aware that water-fowl have it in their power to dive at their approach, and thereby elude their attempts upon them, they ascend in the air, in opposite directions, over the lake or river on which the object which they are desirous of possessing has been observed. Both reach a certain height, immediately after which, one of them glides with great swiftness towards the prey; the latter, meantime, aware of the Eagle's hitention, dives the moment before he reaches the spot. The pursuer then rises in the air, and is met by its mate, which glides toward the water-bird, that has just emerged to breathe, and forces it to plunge again beneath the surface, to escape the talons of this second assailant. The first Eagle is now poising itself in the place where its mate former- ly was, and rushes anew, to force the quarr}^ to nidke another plunge. By thus alternately gliding, in rcTjiid and often-repeated rushes, over the ill-fated bird, they soon fatigue it, when it stretches out its neck, swims deeply, and makes for the shore in the hope of concealing itself among the rank weeds. But this is of no avail ; for the Eagles follow it in all its motions ; and the moment it approaches the margin, one of them darts upon it."' WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. 327 sionally met with from a very iiigh northern latitude, to the borders of the torrid zone, but chiefly in the vicinity of the sea, and along the shores and cliffs of our lakes and large rivers. Formed by nature for braving the severest cold ; feeding equally on the produce of the sea and of the land ; possessing powers of flight capable of outstripping even the tempests themselves ; unawed by any thing but man ; and, from the ethereal heights to which he soars, looking abroad, at one The Bald Eagle was met with in the overland arctic expedition, but, towards the north, was only a summer visitant : in the Fur Countries, it is one of the earliest, arriving in the month ot' March, which has thence received the name oi Meekeeshew, %^T Eiipeeshim, or Eagle month. It appears also migratory every where to the north 5 it was not met with to the north of the Great Slave Lake, lat. 62° N., al- though it is common in the summer in the coimtry l3'ing between that and Lake Superior, and its breeding-places in the district are numerous. In the month of October, when the rivers are frozen over, it entirely quits Hudson's Bay lands 5 and it is only on the sea coasts that individuals can be then met with. In this place we must introduce another splendid Fishing Eagle, which, if ulti- mately proved to be an undescribed species, will stand as the Hcsliceetns Wash- ingtonii of Audubon. It has been first beautifully figured and described by that gentleman, and a specimen of it exists in the Academy of Philadelphia. Its im- mense size, and some other differences, seem to keep it distinct from any species we are acquainted with, and it is most probably before this time proved to be new. We strongly suspect, however, that the state in which it is figured is not that of the adult plumage, and that this is yet to be found : we can only wish that its dis- coverer may be successful in his present arduous journey. It must be of very rare occurrence, three or four being all that Ulr. Audubon has ever found of it. We have transcribed the more essential parts of his description. From it there will be seen a difference in their habits from the White-headed bird, building and roost- ing on rocks ; and in their mode of fishing, which is performed like the Osprey. It was in February, 1814, that Mr. Audubon first saw this bird, while on a tra- ding voyage on the Upper JMississippi. He was assured that it was rare ; and, from the accounts he received, being convinced that it was unknown to naturalists, he felt anxious to learn its habits, and to discover in what particulars it differed from the rest of its genus. Mr. Audubon did not again meet with it for some years, and his next meeting was partly accidental :"he was engaged in collecting Crayfish, and perceived, on the steep and rocky banks of the Ohio, the marks of the breeding-place of some bird of prey. His inquiries among the people in the neighborhood led him to suppose that it was an Eagle, ditTerent from any of those known in America. He resolved to watch the nest 3 and the following is the re- sult:— " In high expectation I seated myself about a hundred yards from the foot of the rock. Never did time pass more slowly. I could not help betraying the most impatient curiosity, for my hopes whispered it was a Sea Eagle's nest. Two long hours had elapsed before the old bird made his appearance, which was announced to us by the loud hissings of the two young ones, which crawled to the extremity of the hole to receive a fine fish. I had a perfect view of this noble bird, as he held himself to the edging rock, hanging like the Barn, Bank, or Social Swallow, his tail spread, and his wings partly so. I trembled lest a word should escape my companions. The slightest murmur had been treason from them. They entered into my feelings, and, though little interested, joined with me. In a few minutes the other parent joined her mate. She glanced her quick and piercing eye around, and instantly perceived that her abode had been discovered. She dropped her prey, with a loud shriek, communicated the alarm to the male, and, hovering with him over our heads, kept up a growling cry." It was not till (wo years after that Mr. Audubon had the good fortune to shoot this Eagle j and the following descrip- tion was then taken : — " Bill, bluish black, the edges pale ; the soft margin towards the commissure, and the base of the under mandible, yellow ; cere, yellowish brown ; lore, light greenish blue ; iris, chestnut brown ; feet, deep yellow ; claws, bluish black ; upper part of the head, hind neck, back scapulars, rump, tail-coverts, and posterior tibial feathers, blackish brown, glossed with a coppery tint ; throat, fore neck, breast, and belly, 328 WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. glance, on an immeasurable expanse of forests, fields, lakes, and ocean, deep below Jiim, he appears indifferent to the little localities of change of seasons ; as, in a few minutes, he can pass from summer to winter, from the lower to the higher regions of the atmosphere, the abode of eternal cold, and thence descend, at will, to the torrid, or the arctic regions of the earth. He is, therefore, found, at all seasons, in the countries he inhabits ; but prefers such places as have been men- tioned above, from the great partiality he has for fish. In procuring these, he displays, in a very singular manner, the genius and energy of his character, which is fierce, contemplative, daring, and tyrannical, — attributes not exerted but on particular occa- sions, but, when put forth, overpowering all opposition. Elevated on the high dead limb of some gigantic tree that commands a wide view of the neighboring shore and ocean, he seems calmly to contemplate the motions of the various feathered tribes that pursue their busy avo- cations below, — the snow-white Gulls slowly winnowing the air; the busy Tring(B coursing along the sands ; trains of Ducks stream- ing over the surface ; silent and watchful Cranes, intent and wading ; clamorous Crows ; and all the winged multitudes that subsist by the bounty of this vast liquid magazine of nature. High over all these hovers one, whose action instantly arrests his whole attention. By his wide curvature of wing, and sudden suspension in air, he knows him to be the Fish Hawk, settling over some devoted victim of the deep. His eye kindles at the sight, and, balancing himself, with half opened wings, on the branch, he watches the result. Down, rapid as an arrow from heaven, descends the distant object of his attention, the roar of its v.ings reaching tlie ear as it disappears in the deep, making the surges foam around. At this moment, the eager looks of the Eagle are all ardor; and, levelling his neck for flight, he sees the Fisli Hawk once more emerge, struggling v/ith his prey, and mounting in the air with screams of exultation. These are the signal for our hero, who, launching into the air, instantly gives chase, and soon gains on the Fish Hawk ; each exerts his utmost to mount above the other, displaying in these rencontres the most elegant and sublime aerial evolutions. The unencumbered Eagle rapidly advances, and is just on the point of reaching his opponent, when, with a sudden scream, probably of despair and honest execration, the latter drops his fish ; the Eagle, poising himself for a moment, as if to take a more certain aim, descends like a whirlwind, snatches it in his grasp ere it llj^ht brownish yellow, each feather marked along- the centre with blackish brown j wing-coverts, light grayish brown, those next the body becoming darker, and ap- proaching the color of the back 5 primary quills, dark brown, deeper on their inner webs ; secondaries, lighter, and on their outer webs, of nearly the same light tint ar. their coverts ; tail, uniform dark brown 5 anterior tibial feathers, grayish brown. '^ Length, three feet seven inches ; extent of wings, ten feet two inches ; bill, three and a quarter inches along the back ; along the gap, which commences di- rectly under the eye, to the tip of the lower mandible, three and one-third, and one and three-quarters deep ; length of wing- when folded, thirty-two inches 5 length of tail, fifteen inches; tarsus, four and a half; middle, four and three quarters j hind claw, two and a half. " The two stomachs, large and baggy ; their contents in the individual described were fish, fishes' scales, and entrails of various kinds ; intestines, large, but thin and transparent.' — Ed. WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. 329 reaches tlie water, and bears his ill-gotten booty silently away to the woods. These predatory attacks, and defensive manoBuvres of the Eagle and the Fish Hawk, are matters of daily observation along the whole of our seaboard, from Georgia to New England, and frequently excite great interest in the spectators. Sympathy, however, on this, as on most other occasions, generally sides with the honest and labo- rious sufferer, in opposition to the attacks of power, injustice, and rapacity — qualities for which our hero is so generally notorious, and which, in his superior, nian, are certainly detestable. As for the feelings of the poor fish, they seem altogether out of the question. When driven, as he sometimes is, by the combined courage and perseverance of the Fish Hawks, from their neighborhood, and forced to hunt for himself, he retires more inland, in search of young pigs, of which he destroys great numbers. In the lower parts of Virginia and North Carolina, where the inliabitants raise vast herds of those ani- mals, complaints of this kind are very general against him. He also destroys young lambs in the early part of spring ; and will sometimes attack old sickly sheep, aiming furiously at their eyes. In corroboration of the remarks I have myself made on the manners of the Bald Eagle, many accounts have reached me from various persons of respectability, living on or near our sea coast ; the sub- stance of all these I shall endeavor to incorporate with the present account. Mr. John L. Gardiner, who resides on an island of three thousand acres, about three miles from the eastern point of Long Island, from which it IS separated by Gardiner's Bay, and who has, consequently, many opportunities of observing the habits of these birds, has favored me with a number of interesting particulars on this subject ; for which I beg leave thus publicly to return my grateful acknowledgment. " The Bald Eagles," says this gentleman, " remain on this island during the whole winter. They can be most easily discovered on evenings, by their loud snoring while asleep on high oak trees ; and, when awake, their hearing seems to be nearly as good as their sight. I think I mentioned to you, that I had myself seen one flying with a lamb ten days old, and which it dropped on the ground from about ten or twelve feet high. The struggling of the lamb, more than its weight, prevented its carrying it away. My running, hallooing, and being very near, might prevent its completing its design. It had broke the back in the act of seizing it ; and I was under the necessity of killing it outright to prevent its misery. The lamb's dam seemed astonished to see its innocent offspring borne off into the air by a bird. " I was lately told," continues Mr. Gardiner, " by a man of truth, that he saw an Eagle rob a Hawk of its fish, and the Hawk seemed so enraged as to fly down at the Eagle, while the Eagle very deliber- ately, in the air, threw himself partly over on his back, and, while he grasped with one foot the fish, extended the other to threaten or seize the Hawk. I have known several Hawks unite to attack the Eagle ; but never knew a single one to do it The Eagle seems to regard the Hawks as the Hawks do the King Birds — only as teasing, trouble- some fellows." From the same intelligent and obliging friend, I lately received a 28* 330 WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. well preserved skin of the Bald Eagle, which, from its appearance, and the note that accompanied it, seems to have belonged to a very- formidable individual. " It was shot," says Mr. Gardiner, " last win- ter, on this island, and weighed thirteen pounds ; measured three feet in length, and seven from tip to tip of the expanded wings ; was ex- tremely fierce looking ; though wounded, would turn his back to no one ; fastened his claws into the head of a dog, and was with diffi- culty disengaged. I have ridden on horseback within five or six rods of one, Avho, by his bold demeanor, raising his feathers, &c. seemed willing to dispute the ground with its owner. The crop of the present Was full of mutton, from my part blood Merinos ; and his intestines contained feathers, which he probably devoured with a Duck, or Win- ter Gull, as I observed an entire foot and leg of some water fowl. I had two killed previous to this, which weighed ten pounds avoirdupois each." The intrepidity of character, mentioned above, may be further illustrated by the following fact, which occurred a few years ago, near Great Egg Harbor, New Jersey : — A woman, who happened to be weeding in the garden, had set her child down near, to amuse itself while she was at work ; when a sudden and extraordinary rushing sound, and a scream from her child, alarmed her, and, starting up, she beheld the infant thrown down, and dragged some few feet, and a large Bald Eagle bearing off a fragment of its frock, which being the only part seized, and giving way, providentially saved the life of the infant. The appetite of the Bald Eagle, though habituated to long fasting, is of the most voracious, and often the most indelicate kind. Fish, when he can obtain them, are preferred to all other fare. Young lambs and pigs are dainty morsels, and made free with on all favorable occasions. Ducks, Geese, Gulls, and other sea fowl, are also seized with avidity. The most putrid carrion, when nothing better can be had, is acceptable ; and the collected groups of gormandizing Vul- tures, on the approach of this dignified personage, instantly disperse, and make Avay for their master, waiting his departure in sullen silence, and at a respectful distance, on the adjacent trees. In one of those partial migrations of tree squirrels that sometimes take place in our western forests, many thousands of them were drowned in attempting to cross the Ohio ; and at a certain place, not far from Wheeling, a prodigious number of their dead bodies were floated to the shore by an eddy. Here the Vultures assembled in great force, and had regaled themselves for some time, when a Bald Eagle made his appearance, and took sole possession of the premises, keeping the whole Vultures at their proper distance for several days. He has also been seen navigating the same river on a floating carrion, though scarcely raised above the surface of the water, and tugging at the carcass, regardless of snags, sawyers, planters, or shallows. He sometimes carries his tyranny to great extremes against the Vultures, In hard times, when food happens to be scarce, should he accidentally meet with one of these who has its craw crammed with carrion, he attacks it fiercely in the air ; the cowardly Vulture instantly disgorges, and the delicious contents are snatched up by the Eagle before they reach the ground. WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. 331 The nest of this species is generally fixed on a very large and lofty tree, often in a swamp or morass, and difficult to be ascended. On some noted tree of this description, often a pine or cypress, the Bald Eagle builds, year after year, for a long series of years. When both male and female have been shot from the nest, another pair has soon after taken possession. The nest is large, being added to and repaired every season, until it becomes a black, prominent mass, observable at a considerable distance. It is formed of large sticks, sods, earthy rubbish, liay, moss, &c. Many have stated to me that the female lays first a single egg, and that, after having sat on it for some time, she lays another ; when the first is hatched, the warmth of that, it is pretended, hatches the other. Whether this be correct or not, 1 cannot determine ; but a very respectable gentleman of Virginia assured me, that he saw a large tree cut doAvn, containing the nest of a Bald Eagle, in which were two young, one of which appeared nearly three times as large as the other. As a proof of their attachment to their young, a person near Norfolk informed me, that, in clearing a piece of wood on his place, they met with a large dead pine tree, on which was a Bald Eagle's nest and young. The tree being on fire more than half way up, and the flames rapidly ascending, the parent Eagle darted around and among the flames, until her plumage was so much injured that it was Avith difficulty she could make her escape, and even then, she several times attempted to return to relieve her offspring. No bird provides more abundantly for its young than the Bald Eagle. Fish are daily carried thither in numbers, so that they some- times lie scattered round the tree, and the putrid smell of the nest may be distinguished at the distance of several hundred yards. The young are at first covered with a thick whitish or cream colored cottony down ; they gradually become of a gray color as their plumage de- velopes itself; continue of the brown gray until the third year, when the white begins to make its appearance on the head, neck, tail- coverts, and tail ; these, by the end of the fourth year, are completely white, or very slightly tinged with cream; the eye also is at first hazel, but gradually brightens into a brilliant straw color, with the v.'hite plumage of the head. Such at least was the gradual progress of this change, witnessed by myself, on a very fine specimen brought np by a gentleman, a friend of mine, who, for a considerable time, believed it to be what is usually called the Gray Eagle, and was much surprised at the gradual metamorphosis. This will account for the circumstance, so frequently observed, of the Gray and White-headed Eagle, being seen together, both being, in fact, the same species, in different stages of color, according to their difference of age. The flight of the Bald Eagle, when taken into consideration with the ardor and energy of his character, is noble and interesting. Some- times the human eye can just discern him, like a minute speck, moving in slow curvatures along the face of the heavens, as if recon- noitring the earth at that immense distance. Sometimes he glides along in a direct horizontal line, at a vast height, with expanded and unmoving wings, till he gradually disappears in the distant blue ether. Seen gliding in easy circles over the high shores and mountainous cliffs that tower above the Hudson and Susquehanna, he attracts the 332 WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. eye of the intelligent voyager, and adds great interest to the scenery. At the great Cataract of Niagara, already mentioned, there rises from the gulf into which the Fall of the Horse-Shoe descends, a stupendous column of smoke, or spray, reaching to the heavens, and moving off in large, black clouds, according to the direction of the wind, forming a very striking and majestic appearance. The Eagles are here seen sailing about, sometimes losing themselves in this thick column, and again reappearing in another place, with such ease and elegance of motion, as renders the whole truly sublime. Hig:h o'er the watery uproar, silent seen, Sailing sedate in majesty serene, Now midst the pillared spray sublimely lost. And now. emerging, down the Rapids tossed. Glides the Bald Eagle, gazing, calm and slow, O'er all the horrors of the scene below j Intent alone to sate himself with blood. From the torn victims of the raging flood. The White-headed Fugle is three feet long, and seven feet in extent; the bill is of a rich yellow; cere, the same, slightly tinged Avith green ; mouth, flesh-colored ; tip of the tongue, bluish black ; the head, chief part of the neck, vent, tail-coverts, and tail, are white in tlie perfect, or old birds of both sexes, — in those under three years of age these parts are of a gray brov/n ; the rest of the plumage is deep dark brown, each feather tipped with pale brown, lightest on the shoulder of the wing, and darkest towards its extremities. The con- formation of the wing is admirably adapted for the support of so large a bird ; it measures two feet in breadth on the greater quills, and six- teen inches on the lesser ; the longest primaries are twenty inches in length, and upwards of one inch in circumference where they enter the skin ; the broadest secondaries are three inches in breadth across the vane ; the scapulars are very large and broad, spreading from the back to the wing, to prevent the air from passing through ; another range of broad flat feathers, from three to ten inches in length, also extends from the lower part of the breast to the wing below, for the same purpose ; between these lies a deep triangular cavity ; tlie thig-hs are remarkably thick, strong, and muscular, covered with long feathers pointing backwards, usually called the femoral feathers ; the legs, which are covered halfway below the knee, before, with dark brown downy feathers, are of a rich yellow, the color of ripe Indian corn ; feet, the same ; claws, blue black, very large and strong, particularly the inner one, which is considerably the largest ; soles, very rough and warty ; the eye is sunk under a bony, or cartilaginous projection, of p pale yellow color, and is turned considerably forwards, not standing parallel with the cheeks ; the iris is of a bright straw color, pupil black. The male is generally two or three inches shorter than the female ; the white on the head, neck, and tail being more tinged with yel- lowish, and its whole appearance less formidable ; the brown plumage is also lighter, and the bird itself less daring than the female, — a circumstance common to almost all birds of prey. The bird from which this description, and Fig. 157, were tEiken, was WHITE-HEADED, OR BALD EAGLE. 333 shot near Great Egg Harbor, in the month of January. It was in excellent order, and weighed about eleven pounds. Dr. Samuel B. Smith, of this city, obliged me with a minute and careful dissection of it ; from whose copious and very interesting notes on the subject, I shall extract such remarks as are suited to the general reader. " The Eagle you sent me for dissection was a beautiful female. It had two expansions of. the gullet. The first principally composed of longitudinal bundles of fibre, in which (as the bird is ravenous and without teeth) large portions of unmasticated meats are suffered to dissolve before they pass to the lower or proper stomach, which is membranous. I did not receive tlie bird time enough to ascertain whether any chilification was effected by the juices from the vessels of this enlargement of the oesophagus. I think it probable, that it also has a regurgitating, or vomiting power, as the bird constantly swal- lows large quantities of indigestible substances, sucli as quills, hairs, &:.c. In this sac of the Eagle, I found the quill-feathers of the small White Gull ; and in the true stomach, the tail and some of the breast- feathers of the same bird, and tlie dorsal vertebrae of a large fish. This excited some surprise, until you made me acquainted with the fact of its watching the Fish Hawks, and robbing them of their prey. Thus we see, throughout the whole empire of animal life, power is almost always in a state of hostility to justice ; and of the Deity only can it truly be said, thoX justice is commensurate with poioer ! " The Eagle has the several auxiliaries to digestion and assimilation in common with man. The liver was unusually large in your speci- men. It secretes bile, which stimulates the intestines, prepares the chyle for blood, and by this very secretion of bile, (as it is a deeply respiring animal,) separates or removes some obnoxious principles from the blood. (See Dr. Rush's admirable lecture on this important viscus in the human subject.) The intestines were also large, long, convolute, and supplied v/ith numerous lacteal vessels, which differ little from those of men, except in color, which was transparent. The kidneys were large, and seated on each side the vertebrae, near the anus. They are also destined to secrete some offensive principles from the blood. " The eggs were small and numerous ; and, after a careful examina- tion, I concluded that no sensible increase takes place in them till the particular season. This may account for the unusual excitement which prevails in these birds in the sexual intercourse. Why there are so many eggs, is a mystery. It is, perhaps, consistent with natural law, that every thing should be abundant ; but, from this bird, it is said, no more than two young are hatched in a season, consequently, no more eggs are wanted than a sufficiency to produce that effect Are the eggs numbered originally, and is there no increase of number, but a gradual loss, till all are deposited ? If so, the number may cor- respond to the long life and vigorous health of this noble bird. Why there are but two young in a season, is easily explained. Nature has been studiously parsimonious of her physical strength, from whence the tribes of animals incapable to resist, derive security and confi- dence." The Eagle is said to live to a great age, — sixty, eighty, and, as some assert, one hundred years. This circumstance is remarkable, 334 FISH HAWK, OR OS PREY. when we consider the seeminof intemperate habits of the bird. Some- times fasting, through necessity, for several days, and at other times gorgino- itself with animal food till its craw swells out the plumage of thaf part, formincr a large protuberance on the breast. This, nowever, is its natural food, and for these habits its whole organization is par- ticularly adapted. It has not, like men, invented rich wmes, ardent spirits, and a thousand artificial poisons, in the form of soups, sauces, and sweetmeats. Its food is simple, it indulsres freely, uses great ex- ercise, breathes the purest air, is healthy, vigorous, and long lived. The lords of the creation themselves might derive some useful hints from these facts, w^ere they not already, in general, too wise, or too proud, to learn from their infenors, the fowls of the air and beasts ot the field. FISH HAWK, OR OSPREY. -FALCO HALI.ETUS. -Fig. 158. Carolina Osprev, Lath. Syn. i. p. 45.-26 a.- Falco piscator. ^;z>.. i. p. 361 14. 362. 15 -Faucon Pecheur de la Caroline, Buf. i. p. 142. -Fishing Ha^^k, Cateshy, Car. i. p. 9..— Turt. Sijst. i. U9. — Peales Museum, ^o. 144. PAXDIOJ^'' HAUMETUS. — Savigny.* Le Balbuzard, Cuv. Regn. Anim. i. p. 316. - Aigle Balbuzard, Temm. ^'»^«" J- P- 47. -Balbusardus hafiEelus, Flein. Br. Anim. p. o .-Osprev Faico haliaetu. Selby, must. Br. Ornitk. i. p. 12, pi. 4.-Falco lial.aetns (sub-gen. Pa^ld^on^ Bonap. Synop. p. 26. -The Fish Ha^vk, or Osprev 4»./. ph 81, male, Orn. Biog. i. 415. — Aquila (Pandion) haliseta, ?,orth. Zooi. n. p. -U. This formidable, vigorous-winged, and well-known bird, subsists altoo-ether on the finny tribes that swarm m our bays, creeps, and rivers; procuring his prey by his own active skill andmdustry; and * This is the tvpe of another aquatic group, and a real fisher It does not like the White-Headed Eagle, though fond offish, subsist only "V:^;!^,^.?'""^.^^^ ^j;.^; ers.but labors for itself in the most dexterous manner; ^"^l^^'^^hi^, t^ie beam.^^^^^ adaptation of its form renders every assistance. The body J^f ^y ^^^ ^"?'> -^"'^^^^ but is rather of a narrow and elongated shape 5 the head is less ^^^"jhe^ord mar; proportional dimensions ; and the wings are expansive, powerful and sha p-pointed ^^h^ manner of seizing 'their prey is by soaring above the su|^face of the sea or lake, and, when in sight of a fish, closing the wings, and dartug, as 1 ^^ere b) he wei-ht of the body, which, in the descent, may be perceived to be directed b^ tne Son of the tail. ^For-thi^ purpose, those parts which we have -en -ned are finely framed, and for the remainder of the operation, ^l^^'^.f^^^^ feet are no le.s b^^^^^^^ tifullv modelled. The thi-hs, instead of bemg clothed with finely lengthened plumL, as in most of the other Falcons, and which, when ^^^^^^^^^ P/;^T^^^^f ^^^^ encumbrance are covered with a thick downy plumage ; the tarsi are short and vervTtrongThe toes have the same advantages ; and underneath, at the junction of S S have a lar^^e protuberance, covered, as are the other paHs of the so e Sh a th"ck and stroif? array of hard jagged scales, which are sufficient by the ou^hnes to prevent anv escape of their-slippery prey when it is once ^a-r y ckUched ; the claws are also very stron-, and hooked, and are round as a cylinder, both abo^^e and beneath, which will ensure an ea.y piercing, or quick retraction from anv body at Xh thev mav be struck. The outer toe is also capable o bemg turned either wly la most essential assistance in grasping. J" J^r'^mg their prey they do not appear to dive deep ; indeed, their feet, by which alone it is taken, could r 1- FISH HAWK, OR OSPREY. 335 seeming no farther dependent on the land than as a mere resting-place, or, in the usual season, a spot of deposit for its nest, eggs, and young. The figure (158) is reduced to one third the size of life. The Fish Hawk is migratory, arriving on the coasts of New York and New Jersey about the twenty-first of March, and retiring to the south about the twenty-second of September. Heavy equinoctial storms may vary these periods of arrival and departure a few days; but long observation has ascertained that they are kept with remarka- ble regularity. On the arrival of these birds in the northern parts of the United States, in March, they sometimes find the bays and ponds frozen, and experience a difficulty in procuring fish for many days. Yet there is no instance on record of their attacking birds, or inferior land animals, with intent to feed on them ; though their great strength of flight, as well as of feet and claws, would seem to render this no difficult matter. But they no sooner arrive, than they wage war on tlie Bald Eagles, as against a horde of robbers and banditti; sometimes succeeding, by force of numbers and perseverance, in driving them from their haunts, but seldom or never attacking them in single combat. The first appearance of the Fish Hawk in spring, is welcomed by the fishermen, as the happy signal of the approach of those vast shoals of herring, shad, &c., that regularly arrive on our coasts, and enter not then be brought into action, but they are often concealed in the spray occasion- ed by their rapid descent. The size of a fish they are able to bear away is very great, and sometimes ex- ceeds their own weight. That of the female is little more than five pounds, and Mr. Audubon has figured his specimen witli a loeak fsh more than that weight ; while our author mentions a shad that, when pardy eaten, weighed more than six pounds. These autlienticated accounts lead us almost to credit the more marvellous stories of that amusing sportuig writer, Mr. Loyd, That gentleman relates, that in Sweden the Eagle sometimes strikes so large a pike, that not being able to disengage his talons, he is carried underwater and drown- ed. Dr. Mullenborg vouched for this, by the fact of having himself seen an enor- mous pike, with an Eagle fastened to his back, lying dead on a piece of ground which had been overflowed, but from whence the water had retreated. He mentions also an account of a struggle between an Eagle and a pike, wit- nessed by a gentleman, on the Gotha river, at no great distance from Wenersborg. In this instance, when the Eagle first seized the pike, he was enabled to lift him a short distance into the air, but the weight of Uie fish, together with its struggles, soon carried them back again to the water, under which for a while they both disappear- ed. PresenUy, however, the Eagle again came to the surface, uttering the most piercing cries, and making apparently every endeavor to extricate his talons, but all in vain ; and, after struggling, he was carried under water. Savigny formed his well-marked genus Pcmdion from this species, which we now adopt. The Osprey is common to both continents, and I possess one from New Holland in no way difierent. It is met with in England occasionally, but, according to Montague, is particularly plentiful in Devonshire. In Scotland, a pair or two may be found about most of the Highland lochs, where they fish, and, during the breeding season, build on the ruined towers so common on the edges or insulated rocks of these wild waters. The nest is an immense fabric of rotten sticks — Itself a burden for the tallest tree, and is generally placed, if such exists, on the top of a chimney, and if this be want- ing, on the highest summit of the building. An aged tree may sometimes be cho- sen, but ruins are always preferred, if near. They have the same propensity of returning to an old station with those of America 3 and if one is shot, a male is soon found, and brought to the ancient abode. Loch Lomond, Loch Awe, and Killchurn CasUe, and Loch Menteith, have been long breeding places. — Ed. 336 FISH HAWK, OR OSPREY. our rivers in such prodigious multitudes. Two of a trade, it is said, seldom agree ; the adage, however, will not hold good in the present case, for such is the respect paid the Fish Hawk, not only by this class of men, but, generally, by the whole neighborhood where it re- sides, that a person who should attempt to shoot one of them, would stand a fair chance of being insulted. This prepossession in favor of the Fish Hawk is honorable to their feelings. They associate, with its first appearance, ideas of plenty, and all the gaiety of business ; they see it active and industrious like themselves ; inoffensive to the productions of their farms; building with confidence, and without the least disposition to concealment, in the middle of their fields, and along their fences ; and returning, year after year, regularly to its for- mer abode. The nest of the Fish Hawk is usually built on the top of a dead or decaying tree, sometimes not more than fifteen, often upwards of fifty feet, from the ground. It has been remarked by the people of the sea- coasts, that the most thriving tree will die in a few years after being taken possession of by the Fish Hawk. This is attributed to the fish oil, and to the excrements of the bird; but is more probably occasion- ed by the large heap of wet salt materials of which the nest is usually composed. In my late excursions to the sea shore, I ascended to sev- eral of these nests that had been built in from year to year, and found them constructed as follows : Externally, large sticks, from half an inch to an inch and a half in diameter, and two or three feet in length, piled to the height of four or five feet, and from two to three feet in breadth ; these were intermixed with corn-stalks, sea-weed, pieces of wet turf, in large quantities, mullein-stalks, and lined with dry sea- grass ; the whole forming a mass very observable at half a mile's dis- tance, and large enough to fill a cart, and be no inconsiderable load for a horse. These materials are so well put together, as often to adhere, in large fragments, after being blown down by the wind. My learned and obliging correspondent of New York, Dr. Samuel L. Mitchil], observes, that " A sort of superstition is entertained in regard to the Fish Hawk. It has been considered a fortunate incident to have a nest, and a pair of these birds, on one's farm. They have, therefore, been generally respected ; and neither the axe nor the gun has been lifted against them. Their nest continues from year to year. The same couple, or another, as the case may be, occupies it, season after season. Repairs are duly made, or, when demolished by storms, it is industriously rebuilt. There was one of these nests, formerly, upon the leafless summit of a venerable chestnut-tree on our farm, directly in front of the house, at the distance of less than half a mile. The withered trunk and boughs, surmounted by the coarse wrought and capacious nest, Avas a more picturesque object than an obelisk : and the flights of the Hawks, as they went forth to hunt — returned with their game — exercised themselves in wheeling round and round, and circling about it — were amusing to the beholder, almost from morning to night. The family of these Hawks, old and young, was killed by the Hesgian Jagers. A succeeding pair took possession of the nest ; but, in the course of time, the prongs of the trunk so rotted away, that the nest could no longer be supported. The Hawks have been obliged to seek new quarters. We have lost this part of our FISH HAWK, OR OSPREY. 337 prospect ; and our trees have not afforded a convenient site for one of their habitations since." About the first of May, the female Fish Hawk begins to lay her eggs, which are commonly three in number, sometimes only two, and rarely four. They are somewhat larger than those of the common Hen, and nearly of the same shape. The ground color varies, in different eggs, from a reddish cream, to nearly a white, splashed and daubed all over with dark Spanish brown, as if done by art* During the tune the female is sitting, the male frequently supplies her with fish ; though she occasionally takes a short circuit to sea herself, but quickly returns again. The attention of the male, on such occasions, is regulated by the circumstances of the case. A pair of these birds, on the south side of Great Egg Harbor River, and near its mouth, was noted for several years. The female, having but one leg, was regularly fur- nished, while sitting, with fish in such abundance, that she seldom left the nest, and never to seek for food. This kindness was continued both before and after incubation. Some animals, who claim the name and rationality of man, might blush at the recital of this fact. On the appearance of the young, which is usually about the last of June, the zeal and watchfulness of the parents are extreme. They stand guard, and go off to fish, alternately ; one parent being always within a short distance of the nest. On the near approach of any person, the Hawk utters a plaintive whistling note, which becomes shriller as she takes to wing, and sails around, sometimes making a rapid descent, as if aiming directly for you ; but checking her course, and sweeping past, at a short distance over head, her wings making a loud whizzing in the air. My worthy friend Mr. Gardiner informs me, that they have even been known to fix their claws in a negro's head, who was attempting to climb to their nest; and I had lately a proof of their daring spirit in this way, through the kindness of a friend, resident, for a few weeks, at Great Egg Harbor. I had requested of him the favor to transmit me, if possible, a live Fish Hawk, for the purpose of making a drawing of it, which commission he very faith- fully executed ; and I think I cannot better illustrate this part of the bird's character, than by quoting his letter at large : — " Beasley^s, Great Egg Harbor, SOth June, 1811. " Sir, — Mr. Beasley and I went to reconnoitre a Fish Hawk's nest on Thursday afternoon. When I was at the nest, I was struck with so great violence on the crown of the hat, that I thought a hole was made in it I had ascended fearlessly, and never dreamt of being * Of the palatableness of these eggs I cannot speak from personal experience ; but the following incident will show that the experiment has actually been made : — A country fellow, near Cape May, on his way to a neighboring tavern, passing a tree, on which was a Fish Hawk's nest, immediately mounted, and robbed it of the only egg it contained, which he carried with him to the tavern, and desired the landlord to make it into egg-nogg. The tavern keeper, after a few wry faces, com- plied with his request, and the fellow swallowed the cordial. Whether from its ef- fects on the olfactory nerves, (for he said it smelt abominably.) on the imagination, or on the stomach alone, is uncertain, but it operated as a most outrageous emetic, and cured the man, for that time at least, of his thirst for egg-nogg. What is rather extraordinary, the landlord (Mr. Beasley) assured me, that, to all appearance, the egg was perfectly fresh. 29 338 FISH HAWK, OR OSPREY. attacked. I came down quickly. There were in the nest three young ones, about the size of Pullets, which though full feathered, were unable to fly. On Friday morning, I went again to the nest to get a young one, which I thought I could nurse to a considerable growth, sufficient to answer your purpose, if I should fail to procure an old one, which was represented to me as almost impossilDle, on account of his shy- ness, and the danger from his dreadful claws. On taking a young one, I intended to lay a couple of snares in the nest, for which purpose I had a strong cord in my pocket The old birds were on the tree when Captain H. and I approached it. As a defence, profiting by the experience of yesterday, I took a walking stick with me. When I was about half up the tree, the bird I send you struck at me re- peatedly with violence ; he flew round, in a small circle, darting at me at every circuit, and I striking at him. Observing that he always described a circle in the air, before he came at me, I kept a hcnvk^s eye upon him, and tlie moment he passed me, I availed myself of the opportunity to ascend. When immediately under the nest, I hesitated at the formidable opposition I met, as his rage appeared to increase with my presumption in invading his premises. But I mounted to the nest. At that moment he darted directly at me with all his force, whizzing through the air, his choler apparently redoubled. For- tunately for me, I struck him on the extreme joint of tlie right wing with my stick, which brought him to the ground. During this contest, the female was flying round and round at a respectful distance. Captain H. held him till I tied my handkerchief about his legs : the captain felt the effect of his claws. I brought away a young one to keep the old one in a good humor. I put them in a very large coop ; tlie young one ate some fish, when broken and put into its tliroat ; but the old one would not eat for two days. He continued sullen and obstinate, hardly changing his position. He walks about noAv and is approached without danger. He takes very little notice of the young one. A Joseph Smith, working in the field where this nest is, had the curiosity to go up and look at the eggs : the bird clawed his face in a shocking manner ; his eye had a narrow escape. I am told that it has never been considered dangerous to approach a Hawk's nest. If this be so, this bird's character is peculiar ; his affection for his young, and his valiant opposition to an invasion of his nest, entitle him to conspicuous notice. He is the prince of Fish Hawks ; his character and his portrait seem worthy of being handed to the historic muse. A Hawk more worthy of the honor which awaits him could not have been found. I hope no accident will happen to him, and that he may fully answer your purpose. — Yours, "Tho3Ias Smith." "This morning the female was flying to and fro, making a mournful noise." The young of the Fish Hawk are remarkable for remaining long in the nest before they attempt to fly. Mr. Smith's letter is dated June 30th, at which time, he observes, they Avere as large as Pullets, and full feathered. Seventeen days after, I myself ascended to this same Hawk's nest, where I found the two remaining young ones seemingly full grown. They made no attempts to fly, though they both placed FISH HAWK, OR OSPREY. 339 themselves in a stern posture of defence as 1 examined them at my leisure. The female had procured a second helpmate ; but he did not seem to inherit the spirit of his predecessor, for, like a true step- father, he left the nest at my approacli, and sailed about at a safe dis- tance with his mate, who showed great anxiety and distress during the whole of my visit It is miiversally asserted, by the people of the neighborhood Avhere these birds breed, that the young remain so long before they fly, that the parents are obliged at last to compel them to shift for themselves, beating them with their wings, and driving them from the nest. But that they continue to assist them even after this, 1 know to be a fact, from my own observation, as I have seen the young bird meet its parent in the air, and receive from him the fish he car- ried in his claws. The flight of the Fish Hawk, his manoeuvres while in search of fish, and his manner of seizing his prey, are deserving of particular notice. In leaving tlie nest, he usually flies direct till he comes to the sea, then sails around, in easy curving lines, turning sometimes in the air as on a pivot, apparently without the least exertion, rarely mov- ing the wings, his legs extended in a straight line behind, and his remarkable length, and curvature, or bend of wing, distinguishing him from all other Hawks. The height at which he thus elegantly glides is various, from one hundred to one hundred and fifty, and two hun- dred feet, sometimes much higher, all the while calmly reconnoitering the face of the deep below. Suddenly he is seen to check his course, as if struck by a particular object, which he seems to survey for a few moments with such steadiness, that he appears fixed in air, flapping his wings. This object, however he abandons, or rather the fish he had in his eye has disappeared, and he is again seen sailing around as before. Now his attention is again arrested, and he descends v/ith great rapidity; but ere he reaches the surface, shoots off on another course, as if ashamed that a second victim had escaped him. He now sails at a short height above the surface, and by a zigzag descent, and without seeming to dip his feet in the water, seizes a fish, which, after carrying a short distance, he probably drops, or yields up to the Bald Eagle, and again ascends, by easy spiral circles, to the higher regions of the air, where he glides about in all the ease and majesty of his species. At once, from this sublime aerial height, he descends like a perpendicular torrent, plunging into the sea with a loud rushing sound, and with the certainty of a rifle. In a few moments he emerges, bearing in his claws his struggling prey, which he always carries head foremost, and, having risen a few feet above the surface, shakes himself as a water spaniel would do, and directs his heavy and labo- rious course directly for the land. If the wind blow hard, and his nest lie in the quarter from whence it comes, it is amusing to observe with what judgment and exertion he beats to windward, not in a direct line, that is, in the ivind^s eye, but making several successive tacks to gain his purpose. This Avill appear the more striking, when we consider the size of the fish which he sometimes bears along. A shad was taken from a Fish Hawk near Great Egg Harbor, on which he had begun to regale himself, and had already ate a considerable portion of it ; the remainder weighed six pounds. Another Fish Hawk was passing Mr. Beasley's, at the same place, with a large flounder in his 340 FISH HAAVK, OR OSPREY. grasp, which struggled and shook him so, that he dropped it on the shore. The flounder was picked up, and served the whole family for dinner. It is singular that the Hawk never descends to pick up a fish which he happens to drop, either on the land or on the water. There is a kind of abstemious dignity in this habit of the Hawk, superior to the gluttonous voracity displayed by most other birds of prey, particu- larly by the Bald Eagle, Avhose piratical robberies committed on the present species have been already fully detailed in treating of his history. The Hawk, however, in his fishing pursuits, sometimes mis- takes his mark, or overrates his strength, by striking fish too large and powerful for him to manage, by whom he is suddenly dragged under: and, though he sometimes succeeds in extricating himself, after being taken three or four times down, yet oftener both parties perish. The bodies of sturgeon, and several other large fish, with that of a Fish Hawk fast gi'appled in them, have at different times, been found dead on the shore, cast up by the waves. The Fish Hawk is doubtless the most numerous of all its genus within the United States. It penetrates far into the interior of the country up our large rivers, and their head waters. It may be said to line the sea-coast from Georgia to Canada. In some parts I have counted, at one view, more than twenty of their nests within half a mile. Mr. Gardiner informs me, that on the small island on which he resides, there are at least " three hundred nests of Fish Hawks that have young, which, on an average, consume probably not less than six hundred fish daily." Before they depart in the autumn, they regularly repair their nests, carrying up sticks, sods, &c., fortifying them against the violence of the winter storms, which, from this circumstance, they would seem to foresee and expect. But, notwithstanding all their precautions, they frequently, on their return in spring, find them lying in ruins around the roots of the tree ; and sometimes the tree itself has shared the same fate. When a number of HaAvks, to the amount of twenty or upwards, collect together on one tree, making a loud squealing noise, there is generally a nest built soon after on the same tree. Probably this congressional assembly were settling the right of the new pair to the premises ; or it might be a kind of wedding, or joyous festive meeting on the occasion. They are naturally of a mild and peaceable disposition, living together in great peace and harmony ; for, though with them, as in the best regulated communities, mstances of attack and robbery occur among themselves, yet these instances are extremely rare. Mr. Gardiner observes, that they are sometimes seen high in the air, sailing and cutting strange gambols, with loud vociferations, darting down several hundred feet perpendicu- lar, frequently with part of a fish in one claw, which they seem proud of, and to claim high hook, as the fishermen call him who takes the greatest number. On these occasions, they serve as a barometer to foretell the changes of the atmosphere ; for, when the Fish Hawks are seen thus sailing high in air, in circles, it is universally believed to prognosticate a change of weather, often a thunder storm, in a few hours. On the faith of the certainty of these signs, the experienced coaster wisely prepares for the expected storm, and is rarely mistaken. There is one singular trait in the character of this bird, which is mentioned in treating of the Purple Grakle, and which I have since FISH HAWlv, OR OSPREY. 341 had many opportunities of witnessing. Tlie Grakles, or Crow Black- birds, are permitted by the Fish Hawk to build their nests among the interstices of the sticks of which his own is constructed, — several pairs of Grakles taking up their abode there, like humble vassals around the castle of their chief, laying, hatching their young, and living together in mutual harmony. I have found no less than four of these nests clustered around the sides of the former, and a fifth fixed on the nearest branch of the adjoining tree ; as if the proprie- tor of this last, unable to find an unoccupied corner on the premises, had been avLxious to share, as much as possible, the company and pro- tection of this generous bird. The Fish Hawk is twenty-two inches in length, and five feet three inches in extent ; the bill is deep black, the upper as well as lower cere, (for the base of the lower mandible has a loose moveable skin,) and also the sides of the mouth, from the nostrils backwards, are light blue ; crown and hind head pure white, front streaked witli brown ; through the eye, a bar of dark blackish brown passed to the neck behind, which, as well as the whole upper parts, is deep brown, the edges of the feathers lighter ; shafts of the wing-quills, brownish Avhite ; tail slightly rounded, of rather a paler brown than the body, crossed with eight bars of very dark brown ; the wings, when shut, extend about an inch beyond the tail, and are nearly black towards tiie tips ; the inner vanes of both quill and tail-feathers are whitish, barred with brown ; Avhole lower parts, pure white, except the thighs, which are covered with short plumage, and streaked down the fore part with pale brown ; the legs and feet are a very pale light blue, prodig- iously strong and disproportionably large ; they are covered with flat scales of remarkable strength and thickness, resembling, when dry, the teeth of a large rasp, particularly on the soles, intended, no doubt, to enable the bird to seize with more security his slippery prey ; the tliighs are long, the legs short, feathered a little below the knee, and, as well as the feet and clav/s, large; the latter hooked into semi- circles, black, and very sharp-pointed ; the iris of the eye, a fiery yellow orange. The female is full two inches longer ; the upper part of the head of a less pure white, and the brown streaks on the front spreading more over the crown ; the throat and upper part of the breast are also dashed with large blotches of a pale brown, and the bar passing through the eye, not of so dark a brown. The toes of both are ex- ceedingly strong and warty, and the hind claw a full inch and a quar- ter in diameter. The feathers on the neck and hind head are long and narrow, and generally erected v/lien the bird is irritated, resem- bling those of the Eagle. The eye is destitute of the projecting bone common to most of the Falcon tribe ; the nostril, large, and of a curv- ing, triangular shape. On dissection, the two glands on the rump, which sup])ly the bird with oil for lubricating its feathers to protect them from the wet, were found to be remarkably large, capable, when opened, of admitting the end of the finger, and contained a large quantity of white, greasy matter, and some pure yellow oil ; the gall was in small quantity. The numerous convolutions and length of the intestines surprised me ; when carefully extended, they measured within an inch or two of nine feet, and were no tliicker than tliose of 29* 3'42 FISH HAWK, OR OSPREY. a Robin ! The crop, or craw, was middle sized, and contained a nearly-dissolved fish ; the stomach was a large, oblong pouch, capable of considerable distension, and was also filled with half-digested fish : no appearance of a muscular gizzard. By the descriptions of European naturalists, it would appear that this bird, or one near akin to it, is a native of the eastern continent, in summer, as far north as Siberia ; the Bald Buzzard of Turton almost exactly agreeing with the present species in size, color, and manners, with the exception of its breeding or making its nest among the reeds, instead of on trees. Mr. Bewick, who has figured and described the female of this bird under the appellation of the Osprey, says that " it builds on the ground, among reeds, and lays three or four eggs, of an elliptical form, rather less than those of a Hen." This difference of habit may be owing to particular local circumstances, such devia- tions being usual among ma,ny of our native birds. The Italians are said to compare its descent upon the water to a piece of lead falling upon that element; and distinguish it by the name of Aquila plmnhi- na, or the Leaden Eagle. In the United States, it is every where denominated the Fish Hawk, or Fishing Hawk — a name truly ex- pressive of its habits. The regular arrival of this noted bird at the vernal equinox, when the busy season of fishing commences, adds peculiar interest to its first appearance, and procures it many a benediction from the fisher- man. With the following lines, illustrative of these circmnstances, I shall conclude its history : — Soon as the sun, great ruler of the year, Bends to our northern climes his bright career, And from the caves of Ocean calls from sleep The finny shoals and myriads of the deep; When freezing tempests back to Greenland ride, And day and night the equal hours divide ; True to the season, o'er our sea-beat shore, The sailing Osprey high is seen to soar With broad, unmoving wing; and, circling slow, Marks each loose straggler in the deep below ; Sweeps down like lightning ! plunges with a roar ! And bears his struggling victim to the shore. The long-housed fisherman beholds, with joy. The well-known signals of his rough employ ; And, as he bears his nets and oars along, Thus hails the welcome season with a song : — THE FISHERMAN'S HYMN. The Osprey sails above the sound ; The Geese are gone, the Gulls are flying ; The herring shoals swarm thick around ; The nets are launched, the boats are plying. Yo, ho, my hearts ! let 's seek the aeep, Raise liigh the song, and cheerly wish her, Still as the bending net we sweep, " God bless the Fish Hawk and the fisher 1 FISH CROW. 343 She brings us fish — she brings us spring, Good times, fair weather, warmth, and plenty ; Fine store of shad, trout, herring-, Hng, Sheepshead and drum, and old-wives dainty. Yo, ho, my hearts ! let 's seek the deep, Ply every oar, and cheerly wish her, Still as the bending net we sweep, " God bless the Fish Hawk and the fisher ! " She rears her young on yonder tree ; She leaves her faithful mate to mind 'em ; Like us, for fish, she sails to sea. And, plunging, shows us where to find 'em. Yo, ho, my hearts ! let 's seek the deep, Ply every oar, and cheerly wish her, While the slow-bending net we sweep, '' God bless the Fish Hawk and the fisher ! " FISH CROW.— CORVUS OSSIFRAGUS. — Fig. 159. Peak's Museum, No. 1369. CORVUS OSSIFRSOUS. — WiLso:*.* Corvus ossifragus, Bonap. Synop. p. 57. This is another roving inhabitant of our sea-coasts, ponds, and river-shores, though a much less distinguished one than the preceding ; this being the first time, as far as I can learn, that he has ever been introduced to the notice of the world. 1 first met with this species on the sea-coast of Georgia, and observed that they regularly retired to the interior as evening ap- proached, and came down to the shores of the River Savannah by the first appearance of day. Their voice first attracted my notice, being very different from that of the Common Crow, more hoarse and guttu- ral, uttered as if something stuck in their throat, and varied into sev- eral modulations as they flew along. Their manner of flying was also unlike the others, as they frequently sailed about, without flapping the wings, something in the manner of the Raven ; and I soon perceived that their food, and their mode of procuring it, were also both diifer- * This is a very curious bird, first named and described by our author. It is one of the predacious species, with the nostrils clothed with feathers, and seems to feed nearly alone on fish or reptiles, doing almost no harm to the husbandman. In the latter circumstance, it resembles also our Carrion Crow, which often kills the common frog ; and, last summer, I observed one flying with an adder in his bill. He had caught it on a detached piece of muir, and, on my approach, rose, taking tiie prey along with him, most probably before it was sufficiently despatched, as tlie writhings of the reptile caused him to alight several times, at short distances, before being perfectly at ease. Being on horseback, I could not follow to see the end of the engagement. The species seems peculiar to the coast of North Amer- ica, and does not extend very far northward. — Eu. 344 FISH CROW. ent ; their favorite haunts being about the banks of the river, along which they usually sailed, dexterously snatching up with their claws dead fish, or other garbage, that floated on the surface. At the coun- try seat of Stephen Elliot, Esq., near the Ogechee River, I took notice of these Crows frequently perching on the backs of the cattle, like the Magpie and Jackdaw of Britain ; but never mingling with the Common Crows, and differing from them in this particular, that the latter generally retire to the shore, the reeds, and marshes, to roost, while the Fish CroAv always, a little before sunset, seeks the interior high woods to repose in. "On my journey through the Mississippi Territory, last year, I resided for some time at the seat of my hospitable friend, Dr. Samuel Brown, a few miles from Fort Adams, on the Mississippi. In my various ex- cursions there, among the lofty, fragrance-breathing magnolia woods, and magnificent scenery, that adorn the luxuriant face of nature in those southern regions, this species of Crow frequently made its ap- pearance, distinguished by the same voice and habits it had in Geor- gia. There is, in many of the ponds there, a singular kind of lizard, that swims about, with its head above the surface, making a loud sound, not urdike the harsh jarring of a door. These the Crow now before us would frequently seize with his claws, as he flew along the surface, and retire to the summit of a dead tree to enjoy his repast. Here I also observ^ed him a pretty constant attendant at the pens v>'here the cows were usually milked, and much less shy, less suspi- cious, and more solitary than the Common Crow. In the county of Cape May, New Jersey, I again met with these Crows, particularly along Egg Harbor River ; and, latterly, on the Schuylkill and Dela- ware, near Philadelphia, during the season of shad and herring fishing, viz. from the middle of March till the beginning of June. A small party of these Crows, during this period, regularly passed Mr. Bar- tram's gardens to the high woods to roost, every evening, a little before sunset, and as regularly returned, at or before sunrise, every morning, directing their course towards the river. The fishenuen along these rivers also inform me that they have particularly remarked this Crow, by his croaking voice, and his fondness for fish ; almost always hover- ing about their fishing places to glean up the refuse. Of their man- ner of breeding I can only say, that they separate into pairs, and build in tall trees near the sea or river shore ; one of their nests having been built, this season, in a piece of tall woods near Mr. Beasley's, at Great Egg Harbor. The male of this nest furnished me with Fig. 159. From the circumstance of six or seven being usually seen here to- gether in the month of July, it is probable that they have at least four or five young at a time. I can find no description of this species by any former writer. Mr. Bartram mentions a bird of this tribe, which he calls the Great Sea- side Crow; but the present species is considerably inferior in size to the Common Crow ; and, having myself seen and examined it in so many and remotely-situated parts of the country, and found it in all tliese places alike, I have no hesitation in pronouncing it to be a new, and hitherto undescribed species. The Fish Crow is sixtt en inches long, and tliirty-three in extent ; black all over, with reflec ;cns of steel-blue and purple ; the chin is RINGED PLOVER. 345 bare of feathers around the base of the lower mandible ; upper mandi- ble, notched near the tip, the edges of both turned inwards about the middle ; eye, very small, placed near the corner of the mouth, and of a dark hazel color ; recumbent hairs or bristles, large and long ; ear- feathers, prominent ; first primary, little more than half the length, fourth the longest ; wings, when shut, reach within two inches of the tip of tlie tail ; tail, rounded, and seven inches long from its msertion ; tliighs, very long ; legs, stout ; claws, sharp, long, and hooked, hind one the largest, all jet black. Male and female much alike. I would beg leave to recommend to the watchful farmers of the United States, that, in their honest indignation against the Common Crow, they would spare the present species, and not shoAver destruc- tion indiscriminately on their black friends and enemies ; at least, on tliose who sometimes plunder them, and those who never molest or injure their property. RINGED PLOVER. — CHARADRIUS HIATICULA.— Fig. 160. Lath. Sijn. V. p. 201. S.'—Arct. Zool. ii. No. 401. — Petit pluvier, a Collier, Buff. viii. p. 90. 6. PI. enl. 921. — Pluvialis torquato minor, Briss. v. p. 63. 8. t.5. f. 2. — Turt. Syst. p. 411. ± — Peak's Museum, No. 4150. CHARADRIUS MELODUS. — Ord.* Charadrius melodus, Bouap. Synop. p. 296. — Charadrius Okenii ? Wagl. Syst. Av. No. 24. It was not altogether consistent with my original plan, to introduce any of the Grallse, or Waders, until I had advanced nearer to a close with the Land Birds ; but as the scenery here seemed somewhat ap- propriate, I have taken the liberty of placing in it two birds, (Figs. 160 and 161,) reduced to one-third of their natural size, both being va- rieties of their respective species, each of which will appear in their proper places, in some future part of this work, in full size, and in their complete plumage. The Ringed Plover is very abundant on the low sandy shores of our whole sea-coast during summer. They run, or rather seem to * This little Plover has proved to be one of those very closely allied species so difficult of distinction, without a comparison with its congeners. The present fig- ure (No. 160) is in the adult spring dress. The synonyms of Wilson are, of course, erroneous. Those also of Temminck, quoted in his Manual, and the observations on Wilson's plate and description, must share a similar fate. The observations in the Nomenclature of Wilson, by the Prince of Musignano, will best explain how this species ought to stand. " C. hiaticula was at first given by Wilson as a va- riety, of which he intended to describe the type in a future volume 5 but when he did so in his seventh volume, he clearly and positively pointed out the difference in markings, habits, migration, voice, &c. between the two, which he then considered as distinct species, but without applying a new name ; and we have no doubt that, if he had made out the index himself, he would then have supplied the deficiency, as he had before done in respect to some land birds. Mr, Orel supplied this void, by calling it C. melodu^J' — Ed. 346 RINGED PLOVER. glide, rapidly along the surface of the flat sands, frequently spreading out their wings and tail like a fan, and fluttering along, "to draw or entice one away from their nests. These are formed with little art, being merely shallow concavities dug in the sand, in which the eggs are laid, and, during the day at least, left to the influence of tlie sun to hatch them. The parents, however, always remain near the spot to protect them from injury, and probably, in cold, rainy, or stormy weather, to shelter them with tlieir bodies. The eggs are three, some- times four, large for the bird, of a dun clay color, and marked with numerous small spots of reddish purple. The voice of these little birds, as they move along the sand, is soft and musical, consisting of a single plaintive note occasionally repeat- ed. As you approach near their nests, they seem to court your atten- tion, and, the moment they think you observe them, they spread out their wings and tail, dragging themselves along, and imitating the squeaking of young birds ; if you turn from them, they immediately resume their proper posture, until they have again caught your eye, when they display the same attempts at deception as before. A flat, dry, sandy beach, just beyond the reach of the summer tides, is their favorite place for breeding. This species is subject to great variety of change in its plumage. In the month of July, T found most of those that were breeding on Summers's Beach, at the mouth of Great Egg Harbor, such as I have here figured ; but, about the beginning or middle of October, they had become much darker above, and their plumage otherwise varied. They were then collected in flocks ; their former theatrical and de- ceptive manoeuvres seemed all forgotten. They appeared more active than before, as well as more silent, alighting within a short distance of one, and feeding about without the least appearance of suspicion. At the commencement of winter, they all go off towards the south. This variety of the Ringed Plover is seven inches long, and four- teen in extent ; the bill is reddish yellow for half its length, and black at the extremity ; the front and whole lower parts, pure white, except the side of the breast, which is marked with a curving streak of black, another spot of black bounding the front above ; back and up- per parts, very pale brown, inclining to ashy white, and intermixed with white ; wings, pale brown ; greater coverts, broadly tipped with white ; interior edges of the secondaries, and outer edges of the pri- maries, white, and tipped with brown ; tail, nearly even, the lower half white, brown towards the extremity, the outer feather pure white, the next white, with a single spot of black ; eye, black and full, sur- rounded by a narrow ring of yellow ; legs, reddish yellow ; claws, black ; lower side of the wings, pure white. LITTLE SANDPIPER. 347 LITTLE SANDPIPER. — TRINGA PUSILLA.— Fig. 161. Lath. Syn. v. p. 184. 32. — Arct. Zool. ii. No. 397. — Cinclus dominicensis minor, Binss. V. p. 222. 13. t. 25. f. 2.— 7'urL Sijst. p. 410. — Pea/e's Museum, No. 4138. TRIJVOjI MIJ\rUTILLA ? — Vi e illot.* Tringa pusilla, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 319. This is the least of its tribe in this part of the workl, and in its mode of flight has much more resemblance to the Snipe than to the Sandpiper. It is migratory, departing early in October for the South. It resides chiefly among the sea marshes, and feeds among the mud at low water ; springs with a zigzag irregular flight, and a feeble twit It is not altogether confined to the neighborhood of the sea, for 1 have foimd several of them on the shores of the Schuylkill, in the month of August. In October, iimnediately before they go away, they are usually very fat. Their nests or particular breeding-places I have not been able to discover. This minute species is found in Europe, and also at Nootka Sound, on the western coast of America. Length, five inches and a half; ex- tent, eleven inches ; bill and legs, brownish black ; upper part of the oreast, gray brown, mixed with white ; back and upper parts, black ; tlie whole plumage above, broadly edged with bright bay and yellow ochre, primaries, black; greater coverts, the same, tipped with white ; eye, small, dark hazel ; tail, rounded, the four exterior feathers on each side, dull white, the rest, dark brown ; tertials, as long as the primaries ; head above, dark brown, with paler edges ; over the eye, a streak of whitish ; belly and vent, white ; the bill is thick at the base, and very slender towards the point; the hind toe, small. In some specimens, the legs were of a dirty yellowish color. Sides of the rump, white ; just below the greater coverts, the primaries are crossed with white. Very little difference could be perceived between the plumage of tlie males and females. The bay on the edges of the back and scap- ulars was rather brighter in the male, and the brown deeper. * The Prince of ]Musij2;-nano considers this species peculiar to America ; that it is different from the T. minuta and Temminckii of Europe, and that it is not the Linngean T. pusilla. If the latter opinion be correct, pnsilla cannot be retained, and I have added with a query the name given to it by Vieilliot. — Ed. 348 BARN SWALLOW. BARN SWALLOW. — HIRUNDO AMERICANA. — Fig. 162, Male; Fig. 163, Female. Peak's Museum, No. 7609. EIRUJ\rDO AMERICANA ? — Wilson.* Hirundo rufa, Bonap. Synop. p. 64. — Hirundo Americana, North. Zool. ii. p. 329. There are but few persons in the United States unacquainted with this gay, innocent, and active little bird. Indeed the whole tribe are so distinguished from the rest of small birds by their sweeping rapidity * Wilson at once perceived the difference between the present species, and as it is commonly called the " Chimney Swallow" of Europe, though many of his con- temporaries considered them only as varieties. The Prince of Musignano has, however, considered it as previously described by Latham under the title of H. rufa, and again figured as the same by Vieillot. The authors of the Northern Zoology have again appended the following note to their notice of the bird ; and in the uncertainty, we have chosen to retain Wil- son's original name, mitil the species is really determined from authentic speci- mens. " It appears to us very doubtful whether the Hirondelle a ventre roiix de Cayenne of Buffon, [Ed. Sonn. xix. p. 35,) of which methodists have made their Hirundo ■nifa, is really the same as the H. Americana of Wilson. From the evidence we at present have, we are disposed to consider them distinct. The only authentic account of the Cayenne species is that given by Buffon, which all the compilers have since copied. From this, it appears to be only jive inches and a half long, (French measure ?) ours is fully seven. The front is whitish, (le front blanchdtre,) ours is very deep rufous. But the most remarkable difference between the birds is in the construction of their nests, — the Cayenne bird building one without mud, and so long as sometimes to m.easure a foot and a half, with an opening near the bottom ; the Americana of Wilson, on the contrary, using a good deal of mud ; the length is only seven inches, and the opening at top, with an external rim, for the parents occasionally to sit upon. Until this matter is investigated, we cannot suppose that individuals of the sa7ne species would, in different countries, build their nests in such very dissimilar ways." It appears to be exclusively American, and migrates from north to south, and the reverse. There is a great resemblance between the two species ; but they may be at once distinguished by the pure white, and the rich chestnut which clothes the under parts of each, and they would seem to be another of those representing forms which are so frequent, and run so closely in color and habits through both conti- nents. Wilson, when mentioning the distinctions of this species, includes a difference in habit, from our species building in chimneys, and not in barns, like the American. Chimneys are by no means the common building place of the British Swallow, although those in the neighborhood of towns may use that resort for want of another, in the same way that those in a mining country use the neglected shafts. In the country, barns, shades of thrashing-mills, or any outhouse with an open door or window, under the portico of a front door, are their constant building place; and although houses in the country have chimneys as well as those in town, they are very seldom, if ever, resorted" to. Their nests are also of the same structure and materials, built with clay mingled with straw, and lined with feathers, placed against a rafter, beam, or wall, "and open at top.f The eggs also very similar. Bewick mentions a curious instance of variation, which may be also taken as a t According to Prof, ssor Rennie, it is called, in Sweden, Ladu Sirala, Barn Swallow ; while, in the south of Europe, where chimneys are rare, it builds in gateways, porches, and galleries. BARN SWALLOW. 349 of flight, their peculiar aerial evolutions of wing over our fields and rivers, and through our very streets, from morning to night, that the light of heaven itself, the sky, the trees, or any other common objects strong proof of the annual return of birds to the same !)uiIcUng' places. " At Cameston Hall, near Bath, a pair of Swallows built their nests on tiie upper part of the frame of an old picture over the chimney — coming in through a broken pane in the window of the room. They came three years successively, and, in all probability, would have continued to do so, if the room had not been put into re- pair, which prevented their access to it." Swallows have been divided into various genera, as might be supposed from their being commonly indicated Swallows, Swifts, or Martins. Some form among these are found in almost every country, except as we approach the poles ; and in North America, where the whole Hiriindinidce will be comprised in six individuals, we have two real Swallows, two Martins, the very strongly formed Purple Swallow, and the representative of the Swifts in Chcetura pelasgica. These will come under observation as we proceed. The present, with the Republican, or Cliff Swallow, figured by Bonaparte in his continuation, with that of Europe, are true forms of Hirundo, one which possesses great activity though not so much strength in flight ELS the Swifts, but which will show the more exact relative proportion of power be- tween the members. They are very generally distributed, have the wings long, and the tail forked ; the only form where these members are more extended, is in the genus Macropterix, lately formed by Mr. Swainson from an Lidian group, which ■will perhaps show the farthest developement of the wino;'s and tail, but which bear the same disproportion as in the broad-shaped and sickle-winged Humming Birds. In all their various flights, the motions are conducted with great celerity and ele- gance, and are directed by the rapid motion of the tail. The subject of their migrations, which I believe takes place with all species, and in all countries, has occupied much speculation 5 of the fact, there can now be no doubt, and the collection of vast crowds together before departure, seems more confined to this form than to any of the others; so far, at least, as my own observa- tion has extended The American species congregate ; so do the Republican Swal- lows ; and towards the end of August, our own may be seen daily in flocks, on the house-tops or cornices, on railings, or on a bare tree, where the later broods are .still fed and exercised by the parents, and the southern journey of the whole mass, as it were delayed until all had acquired sufficient strength. At times, these congregations are much greater than at others, or like some great assemblage from the neigliboring country. One of these took place in 1815, near Rotherham, and has been made the subject of an anonymous pamphlet, by a cler- g-yman in that neighborhood. The assemblage and departure is thus described in it:' — ''Early in the month of September, 1815, the Swallows, that beautiful and social tribe of the feathered race, began to assemble in the neighborhood of Roth- erham, at the willow ground, on the banks of the Canal, preparatory to their mi- gration to a warmer climate ; and their numbers w^ere daily augmented, until they became a vast flock, which no man could easily number. Thousands upon thou- sands— tens of thousands — and myriads; so great indeed, that the spectator would almost have concluded, the w'hole swallow race were there collected in one huge host. *' It was their manner, while there, to rise from the willows in the morning, a little before six o'clock, when their thick columns literally darkened the sky. Their divisions were then into four, five, and sometimes into six grand wings, each of these filing and taking a different route, — one east, another west, another south ; as if not only to be equally dispersed throughout the country, to provide food for their numerous troops, but also to collect with them whatever of their fellows, or straggling parties, might still be left behind. "in the evening, about five o'clock, they began to return to their station, and continued coming in from all quarters, until nearly dark. It was here that you might see them go through their various af^rial evolutions, in many a sportive ring and airy gambof, strengthening their pinions in these playful feats, for their long ethereal journey, as they cut the air and frolicked in the last beams of the setting sun. or lightly skimmed the surface of the glassy pool. " The verdant enamel of summer had given jilace to the warm and mellow tints 30 350 BARN SWALLOW. of Nature, are not better known than the Swallows. We welcome their first appearance Avith delight, as the faithful harbingers and com- panions of flowery spring and ruddy summer ; and when, after a long, frost-bound, and boisterous winter, we hear it announced, that " the Swallows are come," w^hat a train of charming ideas are associated with the simple tidings ! The wonderful activity displayed by these birds forms a striking contrast to the slow habits of most other animals. It may be fairly questioned, whether, among the whole feathered tribes which Heaven has formed to adorn this part of creation, there be any that, in the same space of time, pass over an equal extent of surface with the Swallow. Let a person take his stand, on a fine summer evening, by a new-mown field, meadow, or river shore, for a short time, and, among the numer- ous individuals of this tribe that flit before him, fix his eye on a partic- ular one, and follow, for a while, all its circuitous labyrinths — its extensive sweeps — its sudden, rapidly-reiterated zigzag excursions, little inferior to the lightning itself, — and then attempt, by the powers of mathematics, to calculate the length of the various lines it describes. Alas ! even his omnipotent fluxions would avail him little here, and he would soon abandon the task in despair. Yet, that some defi- nite conception may be formed of this extent, let us suppose that this little bird flies, in his usual way, at the rate of one mile in a minute, which, from the many experiments I have made, I believe to be within the truth ; and that he is so engaged for ten hours every day ; and far- ther, that this active life is extended to ten years, (many of our small birds being known to live much longer, even in a state of domestica- tion,) the amount of all these, alloAving three hundred and sixty-five days to a year, would give us two miUion one Jiundred and ninety thousand miles ; upwards of eighty-seven times the circumference of the globe ! Yet this httle winged seraph, if I may so speak, who, in a few days, and at will, can pass from the borders of the arctic regions to the torrid zone, is forced, when winter approaches, to descend to the bottoms of lakes, rivers, and mill-ponds, to bury itself in the mud ' with eels and snapping turtles ; or to creep ingloriously into a cavern, a rat-hole, or a hollow tree, there to doze, with snakes, toads, and other reptiles, until the return of spring ! Is not this true, ye wise men of Europe and America, who have published so many credible narratives on this subject? The Geese, the Ducks, the Cat-Bird, and even the Wren, which creeps about our outhouses in summer like a mouse, are all acknowledged to be migratory, and to pass to soutliern regions at the approach of winter ; the Swallow alone, on whom Heaven has conferred superior powers of wing, must sink in torpidity at the bottom of our rivers, or doze all winter in the caverns of the earth. I am myself something of a traveller, and foreign countries of autumn. The leaves were now fast falling- from their branches, while the naked tops of many of the trees appeared. The g-olden sheaves were safely lodged in the barns, and the reapers had shouted their harvest-home. Frosty and misty mornings succeeded, the certain presages of the approach of winter. They were omens understood l)y the Swallows, as signals for their march ; and on the morning of the 7th of October, their miglity army broke up their encampment, debouched from their retreat, rising, covered the heavens with their legions, and, directed by an unerring guide, took their trackless way." — Ed. BARN SWALLOW. 351 afford many novel sights : should T assert, that in some of my peregrina- tions I had met with a nation of Indians, all of whom, old and young, at the commencement of cold weather, descend to the bottom of their lakes and rivers, and there remain until the breaking up of frost; nay, should I affirm, that thousands of people, in the neighborhood of this city, regularly undergo the same semi-annual submersion — that I myself had fished up a whole family of these from the bottom of the Schuyl- kill, where they had lain torpid all winter, carried them home, and brought them all comfortably to themselves again; should I even pub- lish this in the learned pages of the Transactions of our Philosophical Society, — who would believe me ? Is, then, the organization of a Swallow less delicate than that of a man ? Can a bird, whose vital functions are destroyed by a short privation of pure air and its usual food, sustain, for six months, a situation where the most robust man would perish in a few hours, or minutes ? Away with such absurdi- ties ! they are unworthy of a serious refutation. I should be pleased to meet Avith a man who has been personally more conversant with birds than myself, who has followed them in their wide and devious routes — studied their various manners — mingled with and marked their peculiarities more than I have done ; yet the miracle of a resus- citated Swallow, in the depth of winter, from the bottom of a mill- pond, is, I confess, a phenomenon in ornithology that I have never met with. What better evidence have we that these fleet-winged tribes, instead of following the natural and acknowledged migrations of many other birds, lie torpid all winter in hollow trees, caves, and other subterra- neous recesses ? That the Chimney Swallow, in the early part of summer, may have been found in a hollow tree, and in great numbers too, is not denied ; such being, in some places of the country, (as will be shown in the history of that species,) their actual places of ren- dezvous, on their first arrival, and their common roosting place long after: or, that the Bank Swallows, also, soon after their arrival, in the early part of spring, may be chilled by the cold mornings which we frequently experience at that season, and be found in this state in their holes, I would as little dispute ; but that either the one or the other has ever been found, in the midst of winter, in a state of torpidity, I do not — cannot believe. Millions of trees, of all dimensions, are cut down every fall and winter of this country, where, in their proper season. Swallows swarm around us. Is it, therefore, in the least prob- able that we should, only once or twice in an age, have no other evidence than one or two solitary and very suspicious reports of a Mr. Somebody having made a discovery of this kind ? If caves were their places of winter retreat, perhaps no country on earth could supply them with a greater choice. I have myself explored many of these, in various parts of the United States, both in winter and in spring, particularly in that singular tract of country in Kentucky, called the Barrens, where some of these subterraneous caverns are several miles in length, lofty and capacious, and pass under a large and deep river — have conversed with the saltpetre workers by whom they are ten- anted ; but never heard or met with one instance of a Swallow having been found there in winter. These people treated such reports with ridicule. 352 BARN SWALLOW. It is to be regretted that a greater number of experiments have not been made, by keeping live Swallows through the winter, to convince these believers in the torpidity of birds of their mistake. That class of cold-blooded animals which are known to become torpid during winter, and of which hundreds and thousands are found every season, are subject to the same when kept in a suitable room for experiment How is it with the Swallows in this respect ? Much powerful testimony might be produced on this point: the following experiments, recently made by Mr. James Pearson of London, and communicated by Sir John Trevelyn, Bart., to Mr. Bewick, the celebrated engraver in wood, will be sufficient for our present purpose, and throw great lighten this part of the subject* " Five or six of these birds were taken about the latter end of August, 1784, in a bat fowling-net at night They were put sepa- rately into small cages, and fed with Nightingale's food : in about a week or ten days, they took food of themselves ; they were then put all together into a deep cage, four feet long, with gravel at the bot- tom ; a broad shalloAv pan, with water, was placed in it, in which tliey sometimes washed themselves, and seemed much strengthened by it One day Mr. Pearson observed that they went into the water with unusual eagerness, hurrying in and out again repeatedly with such swiftness as if they had been suddenly seized with a frenzy. Being anxious to see the result, he left them to themselves about half an hour, and, going to the cage again, found them all huddled together in a corner, apparently dead ; the cage was then placed at a proper distance from the fire, when only two of them recovered, and were as healthy as before : the rest died. The two remaining ones were allowed to wash themselves occasionally for a short time only ; but their feet soon after became swelled and inflamed, which Mr. Pearson attributed to their perching, and they died about Christmas. Thus the first year's experiment was in some measure lost Not discouraged by the failure of this, Mr. Pearson determined to make a second trial the succeeding year, from a strong desire of being convinced of the truth of their going into a state of torpidity. Accordingly, the next season, having taken some more birds, he put them into tlie cage, and in every respect pursued the same methods as with the last ; but, to guard their feet from the bad effects of the damp and cold, he covered the perches with flannel, and had the pleasure to observe, that the birds throve extremely well ; they sang their song during the winter, and, soon after Christmas, began to moult, which they got through without any difficulty, and lived three or four years, regularly moult- ing every year at the usual time. On the renewal of their feathers, it appeared that their tails were forked exactly the same as in those birds which return hither in the spring, and in every respect their appear- ance was the same. These birds, says Mr. Pearson, were exhibited to the Society for promoting Natural History, on the 14th day of February, 1786, at the time they were in a deep moult, during a severe frost, when the snow was on the ground. Minutes of this circumstance were entered in the books of the Society. These birds died at last from neglect, during a long illness wliich Mr. Pearson * See Bewick's British Birds, vol. i. p. 254. BARN SWALLOW. 353 had : they died in the summer. Mr. Pearson concludes his very inter- esting account in these words : — 20th January, 1797, — I have now in my house, No. 21, Great Newport Street, Long Acre, four Swal- lows m moult, in as perfect health as any birds ever appeared to be when moulting." The Barn Swallow of the United States has liitherto been con- sidered by many writers as the same with tlie common Chimney Swallow of Europe. They differ, however, considerably in color, as well as in habits ; the European species having the belly and vent white, the American species those parts of a bright chestnut ; the former building in the corners of chimneys, near the top ; the latter never in such places, but usually in barns, sheds, and other out- houses, on beams, braces, rafters, &c. It is difficult to reconcile these constant differences of manners and markings in one and the same bird ; I shall therefore take the liberty of considering the present as a separate and distinct species. The Barn SwalloAV arrives in this part of Pennsylvania from the south on the last week in March, or the first week in April, and passes on to the north, as far, at least, as the river St. Lawrence. On the east side of the great range of the Alleghany, they are dispersed very generally over the country, wherever there are habitations, even to the summit of high mountains ; but, on account of the greater cold- ness of such situations, are usually a week or two later in making their appearance there. On the 16th of May, being on a shooting expedition on the top of Pocano mountain, Northampton, when the ice on that and on several successive mornings was more than a quarter of an inch thick, I observed, with surprise, a pair of these Swallows which had taken up their abode on a miserable cabin there. It was then about sunrise, the ground white with hoar frost, and the male was twittering on the roof by the side of his mate with great spright- liness. The man of the house told me that a single pair came regu- larly there every season, and built their nest on a projecting beam under the eaves, about six or seven feet from the ground. At the bottom of the mountain, in a large barn belonging to the tavern there, I counted upwards of twenty nests, all seemingly occupied. In the woods they are never met with ; but, as you approach a farm, they soon catch the eye, cutting their gambols in the air. Scarcely a barn, to which these birds can find access, is without them ; and, as public feeling is universally in their favor, they are seldom or never dis- turbed. The proprietor of the barn last mentioned, a German, assured me, that if a man permitted the Swallows to be shot, his cows Avould give bloody milk, and also that no barn where Swallows frequented would ever be struck with lightning ; and I nodded assent. When tlie tenets of superstition " lean to the side of humanity," one can readily respect them. On the west side of the Alleghany these birds become more rare. In travelling through the states of Kentucky and Tennessee, from Lexington to the Tennessee River, in the months of April and May, I did not see a single individual of this species ; though the Purple Martin, and, in some places, the Bank Swallow, was numerous. Early in May they begin to build. From the size and structure of the nest, it is nearly a week before it is completely finished. One of 30* 354 BARN SWALLOW. these nests, taken on the 21st of June from the rafter to which it was closely attached, is now lying before me. It is in tlie form of an inverted cone, with a perpendicular section cut off on that side by which it adhered to the wood. At the top it has an extension of the edge, or offset, for the male or female to sit on occasionally, as appeared by the dung ; the upper diameter was about six inches by five, the height externally seven inches. This shell is formed of mud, mixed witli fine hay, as plasterers do their mortar with hair, to make it adhere tlie better ; the mud seems to have been placed in regular strata, or layers, from side to side ; the hollow of this cone (the sliell of which is about an inch in thickness) is filled witli fine hay, Avell stuffed in ; above that is laid a handful of very large downy Geese feathers. The eggs are five, white, specked, and spotted all over with reddish broAvn. Owing to the semi-transparency of the shell, the eggs have a slight tinge of fiesh color. The Avhole weighs about two pounds. They have generally two broods in the season. The first make their appearance about the second week in June ; and the last brood leave the nest about the 10th of August. Though it is not uncommon for twenty, and even thirty, pair to build in the same barn, yet every thing seems to be conducted witli great order and affection ; all seems harmony among them, as if the interest of each were that of all. Several nests are often within a few inches of each other ; yet no appearance of discord or quarrelling takes place in this peaceful and affectionate community. When the young are fit to leave the nest, the old ones entice them out by fluttering backwards and forwards, twittering and calling to tPiem every time they pass ; and the young exercise themselves, for several days, in short essays of this kind within doors, before they first venture abroad. As soon as they leave the barn, they are conducted by their parents to the trees, or bushes, by the pond, creek, or river shore, or other suitable situation, where "their proper food is most abundant, and where they can be fed witli the greatest convenience to both parties. Now and then they take a short excursion them- selves, and are also frequently fed while on wing by an almost instan- taneous motion of both parties, rising perpendicularly in air, and meet- ing each other. About the middle of August they seem to begin to prepare for their departure. They assemble on the roof in great num- bers, dressing and arranging their plumage, and making occasional essays, twittering with great cheerfulness. Their song is a kind of sprightly warble, sometimes continued for a considerable time. From this'period to the 8th of September, they are seen near the Schuylkill and Delaware, every afternoon, for two or three hours before sunset, passing along to the south in great numbers, feeding as they skim along. I have counted several hundreds pass Avithin sight in less than a quarter of an hour, all directing their course towards the south. The reeds are now their regular roosting places ; and, about the middle of September, there is scarcely an individual of them to be seen. How far south tliey continue their route is uncertain ; none of them remain in the United States. Mr. Bartram informs me, that, during his resi- dence in Florida, he often saw vast flocks of this and our other Swal- lows, passing from the peninsula towards the south in September and BARN SWALLOW. 355 October ; and also on their return to the north about the middle of March. It is hifrhly probable, that, were the countries to the south of the Gulf of Mexico, and as far south as the great River Maranon, visited and explored by a competent naturalist, these regions would be found to be the winter rendezvous of the very birds now before us, and most of our other migratory tribes. In a small volume which 1 have lately met with, entitled An Ac- count of the Biitish Settlement of Honduras, by Captain George Hen- derson, of the 5th West India regiment, published in London in 1809, tlie writer, in treating of that part of its natural history which relates to birds, gives the following particulars : — " Myriads of Swallows," says he, " are also the occasional inhabitants of Honduras. The time of their residence is generally confined to the period of the rains, [that is, from October to February,] after which, they totally disappear. There is something remarkably curious and deserving of notice in the ascent of these birds. As soon as the dawn appears, they quit their place of rest, which is usually chosen amid the rushes of some watery savannah, and invariably rise to a certain height, in a compact spiral form, and which at a distance often occasions them to be taken for an immense column of smoke. This attained, they are then seen separ- ately to disperse in search of food, the occupation of their day. To those v/ho may have had the opportunity of observing the phenomenon of a waterspout, the similarity of evolution, in the ascent of these birds, will be thought surprisingly striking. The descent, which regularly takes place at sunset, is conducted much in the same way, but with inconceivable rapidity. And the noise which accompanies this can only be compared to the falling of an immense torrent, or the rushing of a violent gust of wind. Indeed, to an observer, it seems wonderful, that thousands of these birds are not destroyed, in being thus propelled to the earth with such irresistible force." *' How devoutly it is to be wished that the natural history of those regions were more precisely known, so absolutely necessary as it is to the perfect understanding of this department of our own ! The Barn Swallow is seven inches long, and thirteen inches in extent; bill, black ; upper part of the head, neck, back, rump, and tail- coverts, steel blue, which descends rounding on the breast ; front and chin, deep chestnut; belly, vent, and lining of the wing, light chest- nut ; wings and tail, brown black, slightly glossed with reflections of green ; tail, greatly forked, the exterior feather on each side an inch and a half longer than the next, and tapering towards the extremity, each feather, except the two middle ones, marked on its inner vane with an oblong spot of white ; lores, black ; eye, dark hazel ; sides of the mouth, yellow ; legs, dark purple. The female differs from the male in having the belly and vent rufous white, instead of light chestnut : these parts are also slightly clouded with rufous ; and the exterior tail feathers are shorter. These birds are easily tamed, and soon become exceedingly gentle and familiar. I have frequently kept them in my room for several days at a time, where they employed themselves in catching flies, picking them from my clothes, hair, &-c., calling out occasionally, as tliey ob- served some of their old companions passing the windows. * Henderson's Honduras, p. 119. 356 GREEN-BLUE, OR WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. GREEN-BLUE, OR WHITE-BELLIED SWALLOW. HIRUNDO VIRIDIS.— Fig. 164. Peale's Museum, No. 7707. HIRUXDO Bl COLOR. — Vieillot.* Hinmdo viridis, Attd. Ann. Lye. of New York, i. p. 166. — The White-bellied Swallow, Aud. Om. Biog. i. p. 491, pi. 98. — Hiruiido bicolor, Bonap. Synop. p. 65. — North. Zool. ii. p. 328. This is the species hitherto supposed by Europeans to be the same with their common Martin, Hinmdo urhica, a bird no where to be found within the United States. The English Martin is blue black above, the present species greenish blue ; the former has the whole rump Avhite, and the legs and feet are covered with short, white, downy feathers, the latter has nothing of either. That ridiculous propensity in foreign writers, to consider most of our birds as varieties of their own, has led them into many mistakes, which it shall be the business * This beautiful and highly curious little bird has, like the last, been confused with a European species, H. urbica. Gmelin and Latham esteem it orily a variety, while other writers make it identical. From the European Martin it may always at once be disting'uished by wanting' the purely white rump, so conspicuous during the flight of the former. The priority of the name will be in favor of Vieillot, and it should stand as H. hicolor of that naturalist. The 3Iartins possess a g^reater preponderance of power in the wings over the tail than the Swallows ; and their flight, as our author remarks, is consequently more like sailing than flying. All their turns are round and iree, and performed most frequently in large sweeps, without an}' motion of the wings. In their other forms, they hardly difler, though almost any one will sa\' this is a Martin, that a Swallow. I am inclined to keep them as a subordinate group, and there also would be placed the Water Martins, which have already been made into a genus by 15oje. They are all nearly of the same form, are gregarious, and build and feed in large com- panies. The White-bellied Swallow bears more analogy to the Water Martins, than that of Europe, or those w^hich trequent inland districts. According to Audubon, they sit and roost on the sedges and tall water plants, as well as upon the bushes ; and they sometimes, in the beginning of autumn, as mentioned by our author, collect on the shores or sandbanks of rivers, in considerable numbers. About the end of July, in the present year, I had an opportunity of seeing the latter incident take place ■with our Common Sand Martin. {H. riparia,) one very hot evening, when residing on the shores of the Solway Frith, where the beach is unusually flat and sandy. Several hundreds of these were collected upon a space not exceeding two acres; most of them were upon the ground, a few occasionally rising and making a short circuit. At this part, a smalF stream entered the sea, and they seemed partly rest- ing and washing, and partly feeding on a small fly that had apparently come newly to existence, and covered the sands in immense profusion. None of our other species ming-led, though they were abundant in the neighborhood. The American Bird is also remarkable as being a berry eater, an occurrence nearly unknowii among the HiruiuUnidce. Neither is their breeding in holes of trees frequent among them. The only instance of a similar propensUy, is one re- lated of the Common Swift, in Loudon^ s Magazine of Naturai Histonj, which, however, is a species more likely to suit itself to circumstances of the kind, as it appears to have done in this instance, where it formed its breeding place in the deserted holes of Woodpeckers. Audubon has traced their migrations through the year, and has proved that they winter in Louisiana. I believe'they belong exclu- sively to the New World. — Ed. GREEN-BLUE, OR WHITE-CELLIED SWALLOW. 357 of the author of the present work to point out, decisively, wherever he may meet with them. The White-bellied SAvallow arrives in Pennsylvania a few days later than the preceding- species. It often takes possession of an apartment in the boxes appropriated to tlie Purple Martin ; and also frequently builds and hatches in a hollow tree. The nest consists of fine, loose, dry grass, lined with large, downy feathers, rising above its surface, and so placed as to curl inwards, and completely conceal the eggs. These last are usually four or five in number, and pure white. They also have two broods in the season. The voice of tliis species is low and guttural ; they are more dis- posed to quarrel than the Barn Swallows, frequently fighting in the air for a quarter of an hour at a time, particularly in spring, all tlie while keeping up a low, rapid chatter. They also sail more in flying ; but, during the breeding season, frequent the same situations in quest of similar food. They inliabit the northern Atlantic States as far as the District of Maine, where I have myself seen them ; and my friend Mr. Gardiner informs me, that they are found on the coast of Long Island and its neighborhood. About the middle of July, I observed many hundreds of these birds sitting on the flat sandy beach near the en- trance of Great Egg Harbor. They were also very numerous among tlie myrtles of these low islands, completely covering some of the bushes. One man told me, that he saw one hundred and two shot at a single discharge. For some time before their departure, they subsist principally on the myrtle berries, [Myrica cerifera,) and become ex- tremely fat. They leave us early in September. This species appears to have remained hitherto undescribed, owing to the misapprehension before mentioned. It is not, perhaps, quite so numerous as tlie preceding, and rarely associates with it to breed, never using mud of any kind in the construction of its nest. The White-bellied Swallow is five inches and three quarters long, and twelve iui^hes in extent; bill and eye, black; upper parts, a light, glossy, greenish blue ; wings, brown black, with slight reflections of green ; tail, forked, the two exterior feathers being about a quarter of an inch longer than the middle ones, and all of a uniform brown black ; lores, black ; whole lower parts, pure white ; wings, when shut, extend about a quarter of an inch beyond the tail ; legs, naked, short, and strong, and, as well as the feet, of a dark, purplish, flesh color ; claws, stout. The female has much less of the greenish gloss than the male, the colors being less brilliant ; otherwise alike. 358 BANK SWALLOW, OR SAND MARTIN. BANK-SWALLOW, OR SAND MARTIN. —HIRUNDO RIPARIA. — Eic. 165. Lath. Syn. iv. p. 568, 10. — Arct. Zool. ii. No. 332. — L'Hirondelle de rivage, Buf. vi. 632. PL enl. 543, f. 2. — Turt. Syst. 629.— Peak's .Museum, No. 7637. HIRUjYDOI J?/P.^iJ/./3? — Linn^us.* Hirundo riparia, Bonap. Synop. p. 65. — Cotile riparia, Boje. This appears to be the most sociable \\dth its kind, and the least intimate witli man, of all our Swallows ; living together in large com- munities of sometimes three or four hundred. On the high sandy bank of a river, quarry, or gravel-pit, at a foot or two from the surface, they commonly scratch out holes for their nests, running them in a hori- zontal direction to the deptli of two and sometimes three feet Several of these holes are often within a few inches of each other, and extend in various strata along the front of the precipice, sometimes for eighty or one hundred yards. At the extremity of this hole, a little fine, dry grass, with a few large, downy feathers, form the bed on which their eggs, generally five in number, and pure white, are deposited. The young are hatched late in May ; and here I have taken notice of the Common Crow, in parties of four or five, watching at the entrance of these lioles, to seize the first straggling young that should make its appearance. From the clouds of Swallows that usually play round these breeding-places, they remind one at a distance of a swami of bees. The Bank Swallow arrives here earlier than either of the preceding; begins to build in April, and has commonly two broods in the season. Their voice is a low mutter. They are particularly fond of the shores of rivers, and, in several places along the Ohio, they congregate in immense multitudes. We have sometimes several days of cold rain and severe weather after tlieir arrival in spring, from which they take refuge in their holes, clustering together for warmth, and have been frequently found at such times in almost a lifeless state with the cold ; Avhich circumstance has contributed to the belief that they lie torpid * I have been unable to compare specimens of these birds from both countries, but, from the best authorities, I am induced to consider diem identical. A doubt has been expressed by Vieiilot. who considered the American bird as possessing a greater length of tarsus, and having that part also clothed with short plumes. Bonaparte has, again, from actual comparison, said they w^ere entirely similar. As in America, they are the first Swallow which appears in this country, arriving soon after the commencement of March. Their breeding-places are in the same situations, but often pierced into the banks for a much greater length. If the bank is sandy and easily scratched, seven or eight feet will scarcely reach the extremity — a wonderful length, if we consider the powers of the worker. They are abundant over every part of North America, and were met by Dr. Richardson in the 68th parallel. " We observed," says thai naturalist, '•' thousands of these Sand Martins fluttering at the entrance of their burrows, near the mouth of the Mackenzie, in the 68th parallel, on the 4th of .Tuly. They are equally numerous in every district of the Fur Countries, wherein banks suitable for burrowing exist j but it is not likely that they ever rear more than one brood north of tJie Lake Su- perior."— Ed. CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 359 ail winter in these recesses. I have searched hundreds of these holes in the months of December and January, but never found a single Swallow, dead, living, or torpid. I met with this bird in considerable numbers on the shores of the Kentucky river, between Lexington and Danville. They likewise visit the sea-shore, in great numbers, previ- ous to their departure, which continues from the last of September to tlie middle of October. The Bank Swallow is five inches long, and ten inches in extent ; upper parts, mouse colored, lower, white, with a band of dusky brown- ish across the upper part of the breast ; tail, forked, the exterior feather slightly edged with wiiitish ; lores and bill, black ; legs, with a few tufts of doAvny feathers behind ; claws, fine-pointed, and very sharp ; over the eye, a streak of whitish ; loAver side of the shafts, white ; wings and tail, darker than the body. The female differs very little from the male. This bird appears to be in nothing different from the European species ; from which circumstance, and its early arrival here, I would conjecture that it passes to a high northern latitude on both continents. CHIMNEY SWALLOW. — HIRUiNDO PELASGIA. — Fig. 166. Lath. Sijn. V. p. 583, 32. — Catesb. Car. App. t. 8. — Hirondelle de la Caroline, Buff.' \\. p. 700. — Hirando Carolinensis, BHss. ii. p. 501, 9. — Aculeated Swallow, Arct. Zool. ii. No. 335, 18. — Turt. Sijst. p. 630. — Peak's Museum, No. 7663. CH^TUIU P^Z.^SG'/./?. — Stephens,* Chstura pelasgia, Steph. Cont. Sh. Zool. Sup. p. 76. — Cypselus pelasgius, Bonap. Synop. p. 63. This species is peculiarly our own, and strongly distinguished from all the rest of our Swallows by its figure, flight, and manners. Of the first of these, the representation in Fig. 166 will give a correct idea; its other peculiarities shall be detailed as fully as the nature of the subject requires. t This species has been taken as the type oflMr. Stephens's genus Chcctura. In form they resemble the Swifts, and the first observed distinction will be the struc- ture of the tail, where the cjuiJls of the feathers are elong-ated, and run to a sharp or subulated point. The bill is more compressed laterally ; the legs and feet possess very great muscularity ; the toes alone are scaled, and the tarsi are covered with a naked skin, through which the fonn of the muscles is plainly visible; the claws are much hooked. All these provisions are necessary to their mode of life. Without some strong support, they could not cling for a great length of time in the hollows of trees, or in cnimneys ; and their tails are used, in the manner of a Woodpecker, to assist the power of the strong feet. They present, in a beautiful manner, the scansorial form among the Fissirostres ; one species, the Ch. senex, (Cypselus senex, Temm.,) even feeds in the manner of the true Climbers, running up the steep rocks, assisted by its tail, in search of food. The group will contain a considerable number. We have them from India, North and South America, and New Holland 3 but I am not aware that Africa has yet produced any species. — Ed. 360 CHIMNEY SWALLOW. This Swallow, like all the rest of its tribe in the United States, is minatory, arriving in Pennsylvania late in April or early in May, and dispersing- themselves over the Avhole country wherever there are vacant chimneys in summer sufficiently high and convenient for their accommodation. In no other situation with us are they observed at present to build. This circumstance naturally suggests the query, Where did these birds construct their nests before the arrival of Euro- peans in this country, when there were no such places for their accom- modation ? I would answer. Probably in the same situations in which they still continue to build in the remote regions of our western forests, where European improvements of this kind are scarcely to be found, namely, in the hollow of* a tree, which in some cases has the nearest resemblance to their present choice, of any other. One of the first settlers in the state of Kentucky informed me, that he cut down a large, hollow, beech tree, which contained forty or fifty nests of the Chimney Swallow, most of which, by the fall of the tree, or by the weather, were lying at the bottom of the hollow ; but sufficient frag- ments remained, adhering to the sides of the tree, to enable him to number them. They appeared, he said, to be of many years' standing. The present site which they have chosen must, however, hold out many more advantages than the former, since we see that, in the whole thickly settled parts of the United Sta|:es, these birds have uniformly adopted this new convenience, not a single pair being observed to prefer the woods. Security from birds of prey and other animals — from storms that frequently overthrow the timber, and the numerous ready conveniences which these new situations afford, are doubtless some of the advantages. The choice they have made certainly be- speaks something more than mere unreasoning instinct, and does honor to their discernment. The nest of this bird is of a singular construction, being formed of very small twigs, fastened together with a strong, adhesive glue or gum, which is secreted by two glands, one on each side of the hind head, and mixes with the saliva. With this glue, which becomes hard as the twigs themselves, the whole nest is thickly besmeared. The nest itself is small and shallow, and attached by one side or edge to the wall, and is totally destitute of the soft lining with which the oth- ers are so plentifully supplied. The eggs are generally four, and white. This SwalloAv has two broods in the season. The young are fed at intervals during the greater part of the night, — a fact which I have had frequent opportunities of remarking, both here and in the Mississippi Territory. The noise which the old ones make, in passing up and down the funnel, has some resemblance to distant thunder. When hea,vy and long-continued rains occur, the nest, losing its hold, is precipitated to the bottom. This disaster frequently happens. The eggs are destroyed ; but the young, though blind, (which they are for a considerable time,) sometimes scramble up along the vent, to which they cling like squirrels, the muscularity of their feet, and the sharp- ness of their claws, at this tender age, being remarkable. In this situation, they continue to be fed for perhaps a week or more. Nay, it is not uncommon for them voluntarily to leave the nest long before they are able to fly, and to fix themselves on the wall, where they are fed until able to hunt for themselves. CHIMNEY SWALLOW. '361 When these birds first arrive in spring, and for a considerable time after, they associate together every evening in one general rendez- vous ; those of a Avhole district roosting together. Tiiis place of re- pose, in the more unsettled parts of the country, is usually a large, hollow tree, open at top ; trees of that kind, or Swallow trees, as they are usually called, having been noticed in various parts of the coun- try, and generally believed to be the winter-quarters of these birds, where, heaps upon heaps, they dozed away the winter in a state of torpidity. Here they have been seen on their resurrection in spring, and here they have again been remarked descending to their deathlike sleep in autumn. Among the various accounts of these trees that might be quoted, tlie following are selected, as bearing the marks of authenticity : — " Ai Middlebury, in this state," says Mr. Williams, [History of Ver- mont, p. 16,) " there was a large, hollow elm, called by the people in the vicinity the Swallow tree. From a man who, for several years, lived within twenty rods of it, I procured this information. lie al- ways thought the Swallows tarried in the tree through the winter, and avoided cutting it down on that account. x\bout the first of May, the Swallows came out of it in large numbers, about the middle of the day, and soon returned. As the weather grew warmer, they cam.e out in the morning, with a loud noise, or roar, and were soon dispersed. About half an hour before sundown, tliey returned in millions, circu- lating tv/o or three times round the tree, and then descending like a stream into a hole about sixty feet from the ground, tt was customary for persons in the vicinity to visit this tree, to observe tlie motions of these birds : and when any person disturbed their operations, by strik- ing violently against the tree with their axes, the Swallows would rush out in millions, and with a great noise. In November, 1791, the top of this tree was blown down twenty feet below where the Swal- lows entered : there has been no appearance of the Swallows since. Upon cutting down the remainder, an immense quantity of excrements, quills, and feathers, were found, but no appearance or relics of any nests. " Another of these Swallow trees was at Bridport. The man who lived the nearest to it gave this account : The Swallows Avere first ob- served to come out of the tree in the spring, about the time that the leaves first began to appear on the trees ; from that season they came out in the morning about half an hour after sunrise. They rushed out like a stream, as big as the hole in the tree would admit, and ascended in a perpendicular line, until they were above the height of the adja- cent trees ; then assumed a circular motion, performing their evolu- lutions two or tliree times, but always in a larger circle, and then dispersed in every direction. A little before sundown, tliey returned in immense numbers, forming several circular motions, and then de- scended like a stream into tlie hole, from whence they came out in the morning. About the middle of September, they w^ere seen entering the tree for the last time. These birds were all of the species called the House, or Chimney Swallow. The tree was a large, hollow elm ; the hole at which they entered was about forty feet above the ground, and about nine inches in diameter. The Swallows made their first appearance in the spring, and their last appearance in the fall, in the vicinity of this tree ; and the neighboring inhabitants had no doubt 362 CHIMNEY SWALLOW. but tliat the Swallows continued in it during the winter. A few years ago, a hole was cut at the bottom of tlie tree : from that time the Swallows have been gradually forsaking the tree, and have now al- most deserted it." Though Mr. Williams himself, as he informs us, is led to believe, from these and some other particulars which he details, "that the House Swallow, in this part of America, generally resides during the winter in the hollow of trees ; and the Ground Swallows (Bank Swal- lows) find security in the mud at the bottom of lakes, rivers, and ponds ; " yet I cannot, in the cases just cited, see any sufficient cause for such a belief. The birds were seen to pass out on the first of May, or in the spring, when the leaves began to appear on the trees, and, about the middle of September, they were seen entering the tree for the last tmie ; but there is no information here of their being seen at any time during winter, either within or around the tree. This most important part of the matter is taken for granted, without the least examination, and, as will be presently shown, without founda- tion. I shall, I think, also prove that, if these trees had been cut down in the depth of winter, not a single Swallow would have been found, either in a living or torpid state ! And that this was merely a place of rendezvous for active, living birds, is evident from the " immense quan- tity of excrements " found within it, which birds in a state of torpidity are not supposed to produce. The total absence of the relics of nests is a proof that it was not a breeding place, and that the whole was nothing more than one of those places to which this singular bird re- sorts immediately on its arrival in May, in which, also, many of the males continue to roost during the whole summer, and from which they regularly depart about the middle of September. From other circumstances, it appears probable that some of these trees have been for ages the summer rendezvous, or general roosting place of the whole Chimney Swallows of an extensive district. Of this sort I con- ceive the folloAving to be one, which is thus described by a late trav- eller to the westAvard : — Speaking of the curiosities of the state of Ohio, the writer observes — " In connection with this, I may mention a large collection of feath- ers found witliin a hollow tree, which I examined, witli the Rev. Mr. Story, May IStli, 1803. Tt is in the upper part of Waterford, about two miles distant from the Muskingum. A very large sycamore, which, through age, had decayed and fallen down, contained in its hollow trunk, five and a half feet in diameter, and for nearly fifteen feet upwards, a mass of decayed feathers, with a small admixture of brownish dust, and the exuvise of various insects. The feathers were so rotten, that it was impossible to determine to what kinds of birds tliey belonged. They were less than those of the Pigeon ; and the largest of them" were like the pinion and tail-feathers of the Swallow. I examined carefully this astonishing collection, in the hope of finding the bones and bills, but could not distinguish any. The tree, Avith some remains of its ancient companions lying around, Avas of a growth preceding that of the neighboring forest. Near it, and even out of its mouldering ruins, groAv thrifty trees, of a size which indicate tAvo or three hundred years of age." * * Harris's Jmrnal, p. 180. CHIMNEY SWALLOW. 363 Such are the usual roosting- places of the Cliimney Swallow in the more thinly settled parts of the country. In towns, however, tliey are differently situated ; and it is matter of curiosity to observe that they frequently select the court-house chimney for their general place of rendezvous, as being* usually more central, and less liable to interrup- tion during the nio;ht. I might enumerate many places where this is their practice. Being in the town of Reading, Pennsylvania, in the month of August, I took notice of sixty or eighty of these birds, a little before evening, amusing themselves by ascending and descending the chimney of the court-house tliere. I was told that, in the early part of summer, they were far more numerous at that particular spot. On the 20th of May, in returning from an excursion to the Great Pine Svvamp, I spent part of the day in the town of Easton, where I was in- formed by my respected friend, Mordecai Churchman, cashier of the bank there, and one of the people called Quakers, that the Chimney Swallows of Easton had selected the like situation ; and that, from the windows of his house, which stands nearly opposite to the court-house, I might, in an hour or two, witness their whole manoeuvres. I accepted the invitation with pleasure. Accordingly, a short time after sunset, the Chimney Swallows, Avhich were generally dispersed about town, began to collect around the court-house, their numbers every moment increasing, till, like motes in the sunbeams, the air seemed full of them. These, while they mingled amongst each other seemingly in every direction, uttering their peculiar note with great sprightliness, kept a regular, circuitous sweep around the top of the court-house, and about fourteen or fifteen feet above it, revolving with great rapidity for the space of at least ten minutes. There could not be less than four or five hundred of them. They nov/ gradually varied their line of motion, until one part of its circumference passed imme- diately over the chimney, and about five or six feet above it. Some, as they passed, made a slight feint of entering, which was repeated by those immediately after, and by the whole circling multitude in suc- cession : in this feint, they approached nearer and nearer at every revolution, dropping perpendicularly, but still passing over; the circle meantime becoming more and more contracted, and the rapidity of its revolution greater, as the dusk of evening increased, until, at length, one, and then another, dropped in, another and another followed, the circle still revolving until the whole multitude had descended, except one or two. These flew off, as if to collect the stragglers, and, in a few seconds, returned, with six or eight more, Avhich, after one or two rounds, dropped in, one by one, and all was silence for the night It seemed to me hardly possible that the internal surface of the vent could accommodate them all, without clustering on one another, which I am informed they never do ; and I was very desirous of observing their ascension in the morning, but, having to set off before day, I had not that gratification. Mr. Churclnnan, however, to whom I have since transmitted a few queries, has been so obliging as to inform me that, towards the beginning of June, the number of those that regularly re- tired to the court-house to roost was not more than one-fourth of the foraier ; that, on the morning of tlie 23d of June, he particularly ob- served their reascension, wliich took place at a quarter past four, or twenty minutes before sunrise, and that they passed out in less than 364 CHBINEY SWALLOW. three minutes ; that, at my request, the chimney had been examined from above ; but that, as far down, at least, as nine feet, it contained no nests ; though, at a former period, it is certain that their nests were very numerous there, so that the chimney was ahnost choked, and a sweep could with difficulty get up it. But then it was observed that their place of nocturnal retirement was in another quarter of the town. " On the w^hole," continues Mr. Churchman, " I am of opinion that those who continue to roost at the court-house are male birds, or such as are not engaged in the business of incubation, as that opera- tion is going on in almost every unoccupied chimney in town. It is reasonable to suppose, if they made use of that at the court-house for this purpose, at least some of their nests would appear towards the top, as we find such is the case where but few nests are in a place." In a subsequent letter Mr. Churchman writes as follows : — " After the young brood produced in the different chimneys in Easton had taken wing, and a week or ten days previous to their total disappear- ance, they entirely forsook the court-house chinmey, and rendezvoused, in accumulated numbers, in the southernmost chimney of John Ross's mansion, situated perhaps one hundred feet north-eastward of the court-house. In this last retreat I several times counted more than two hundred go in of an evening, when I could not perceive a single bird enter the court-house chimney. I was much diverted one eve- ning on seeing a cat, which came upon tlie roof of the house, and placed herself near the chimney, where she strove to arrest the birds as they entered, without success : she at length ascended to the chim- ney top and took her station, and the birds descended in gyrations without seeming to regard grimalkin, who made frequent attempts to grab them. 1 was pleased to see that they all escaped her fangs. About the first week in the ninth month, [September,] the birds quite disappeared ; since which I have not observed a single individual. Though I was not so fortunate as to be present at their general assem- bly and council, M^hen tliey concluded to take their departure, nor did I see them commence their flight, yet I am fully persuaded that none of them remain in any of our chimneys here. I have had access to Ross's chimney, where they last resorted, and could see the lights out from bottom to top, without the least vestige or appearance of any birds. Mary Ross also informed me, that they have had their chim- neys swept previous to their making fires, and, though late in autumn, no birds have been found there. Chimneys, also, Avhich have not been used, have been ascended by sweeps in the winter without discovering any. Indeed, all of them are swept every fall and winter, and I have never heard of the Swallows being found, in either a dead, living, or torpid state. As to the court-house, it has been occupied as a place of worship two or three times a-week for several weeks past, and at those times there has been fire in the stoves, the pipes of them going into the chimney, which is shut up at bottom by brick work ; and, as the birds had forsaken tliat place, it remains pretty certain that they did not return there ; and, if they did, the smoke, I think, would be deleterious to tlieir existence, especially as I never knew them to resort to kitchen chimneys where fire was kept in the summer. 1 think I have noticed them enter such chimneys for the purpose of exploring ; but I have also noticed that they immediately ascended, and went off, on finding fire and smoke." PURPLE MARTLN. 365 The Chimney S^vallow is easily distinguished in air from the rest of its tribe here, by its long- wings, its short body, the quick and slight vibrations of its wings, and its wide unexpected diving rapidity of flight ; shooting swiftly in various directions without any apparent motion of the wings, and uttering the sounds tsip tsip tsip tsee tsee in a hurried manner. In roosting, the thorny extremities of its tail are thrown in for its support. It is never seen to alight but in hollow trees or chimneys ; is always most gay and active in wet and gloomy weatlier ; and is the earliest abroad in the morning, and latest out in evening, of all our Swallows. About the first or second week in Sep- tember, they move off to the south, being often observed on their route, accompanied by the Purple Martins. When we compare the manners of these birds, while here, with the account given by Captain Henderson of those that winter in such multitudes at Honduras, it is impossible not to be struck with the resemblance, or to suppress our strong suspicions that they may prob- ably be the very same. This species is four inches and a half in length, and twelve inches in extent ; altogether of a deep sooty brown, except the chin and line over the eye, which are of a dull white ; the lores, as in all the rest, are black ; bill extremely short, hard, and black ; nostrils, placed in a slightly elevated membrane ; legs, covered with a loose purplish skin ; thighs, naked and of the same tint ; feet, extremely muscular ; the three fore toes, nearly of a length ; claws, very sharp ; the wing, when closed, extends an inch and a half beyond the tip of the tail, which is rounded, and consists of ten feathers, scarcely longer than their coverts ; their shafts extend beyond the vanes, are sharp-pointed, strong, and very elastic, and of a deep black color ; the shafts of the wing-quills are also remarkably strong ; eye, black, surrounded by a bare blackish skin, or orbit The female can scarcely be distinguished from the male by her plumage. PURPLE MARTIN.— HIRUNDO PURPUREA. — Tig. 167, Male ; Fig. 168, Female. Lath. Syn. iv. p. 574, 21. Ibid. iv. p. 575, 23.—Catesb. Car. i. 51.— Arct. Zool. ii. No. 333. — Hirondelle blue de la Caroline, Buff. vi. p. 674. PI. enl. 722. — Le Martinet couleur de pourpre, Buff. vi. p. 676. — Turl. Syst. 629. — Echv. 120. — Hirundo subis, Lath. iv. p. 575", 24. — Peak's Museum, Nos. 7645, 7646. HTRUJVDO PURPUREjS. — Linn^us.* Hirundo purpurea, Bonap. Synop. p. 64. — North. Zool. ii. p. 3.35. — The Purple Martin, Aiid. Orn. Biog. i. p. 114, pi. 22, male and female. This well-known bird is a general inhabitant of the United States, and a particular favorite wherever he takes up his abode. I never met * This bird, at first sight, almost, presents a diflerent appearance from a Swallow ; but, upon examination, all the members are truly that of Hirundo, developed, par- 31* 366 PURPLE MARTIN. with more than one man who disliked the Martins, and would not per- mit them to settle about his house. This was a penurious, close-fisted German, who hated them, because, as he said, '• they eat his peasP 1 told him he must certainly be mistaken, as I never knew an instance of Martins eating peas; but he replied with coolness, that he had many times seen them himself " blaying near the hife, and going schnip, schnap,^^ by which I understood that it was his bees that had been the sufferers ; and the charge could not be denied. This sociable and half-domesticated bird arrives in the southern frontiers of the United States late in February, or early in IMarch ; reaches Pennsylvania about the 1st of April, and extends his migra- tions as far north as the country round Hudson's Bay, Avhere he is lirst seen in May, and disappears in August ; so, according to the doctrine of torpidity, has, consequently, a pretty long annual nap, in those frozen regions, of eight or nine montlis under the ice ! We, however, choose to consider him as advancing northerly with the gradual approach of spring, and retiring with his young family, on the first decline of summer, to a more congenial climate. The summer residence of this agreeable bird is universally among the habitations of man ; who, having no interest in his destruction, and deriving considerable advantage, as well as amusement, from his com- pany, is generally his friend and protector. Wherever he comes, he linds some hospitable retreat fitted up for his accommodation, and that of his young, either in the projecting wooden cornice, on the top of the roof, or sign-post, in the box appropriated to the Blue Bird ; or, if all these be wanting, in the Dove-house among the Pigeons. In this last case, he sometimes takes possession of one quarter, or tier, of the premises, in which not a Pigeon dare for a moment set its foot. Some people have large conveniences formed for the Martins, with many apartments, which are usually full tenanted, and occupied regularly every spring ; and, in such places, particular individuals have been ticularl}' the bill, to an extraordinary extent. The bill is very nearly that of a Procnias, or Ptiliogonys ; but the economy of the bird presents no affinity to the berry-eaters ; and the only difference in its feeding- seems the preference to larger beetles, wasps, or bees, which its strength enables it to despatch without any dan- g-er to itself This bird exclusively belongs to the New World, and its migrations have a very extensive range. It makes its first appearance at Great Bear Lake on the 17tli May, at which time the snow still partially covers the ground, and the rivers and lakes are fast bound in ice. In the middle of August, it retires again with its youn^ brood from the Fur Countries. In a southern direction, Mr. Swainson observed numbers round Pernambuco, 8| degrees south of the line. They migrate in flocks, and at a very slow rate. The account of Mr. Audubon, who witnessed them, will show the possibility of much less powerful birds performing an immense distance, especially where every mile brings them an additional supply of food, and a more genial climate. I give his own words : — "I have had several opportunities, at the period of their arrival, of seeing prodigious flocks moving over that city (New Or- leans) or its vicinity, at a considerable height, each bird performing circular sweeps as it proceeded, for the purpose of procuring food. These flocks were loose, and moved either westward, or towards the north-west, at a rate not exceeding four miles in the hour, as I walked under one of them, with ease, for upwards of two miles, at that rate, on the 4th of Febniary, 1821, on the bank of the river below the city, constantly looking up at the birds," to the great astonishment of many pas- sengers, who were bent on far difierent pursuits. My Fahrenheit's thermometer stood at 68°, the weather being calm and drizzly. This flock extended about a mile and a half in length, by a quarter of a mile in breadth." — Ed. PURPLE MARTIN. 367 noted to return to the same box for several successive years. Even the solitary Indian seems to have a particular respect for this bird. The Chactaws and Chickasaws cut off all the top branches from a sap- ling near their cabins, leaving the prongs a foot or two in length, on each of wliich they hang a gourd, or calabash, properly hollowed out for their convenience. On the banks of the Mississippi, the negroes stick up long canes, with the same species of apartment fixed to their tops, in which the Martins regularly breed. Wherever I have trav- elled in this country, I have seen with pleasure the hospitality of the inhabitants to this favorite bird. As superseding the necessity of many of my own observations on this species, I beg leave to introduce in this place an extract of a letter from the late learned and venerable John Joseph Henry, Esq. judge of the supreme court of Pennsylvania, a man of most amiable manners, which was written to me but a few months before his death, and with Avhich I am happy to honor my performance : — " The history of the Purple Martin of America," says he, " which is indigenous in Pennsylvania, and countries very far north of our lati- tude, will, under your control, become extremely interesting. We know its manners, habitudes, and useful qualities here ; but we are not generally acquainted with some traits in its character, which, in my mind, rank it in the class of the most remarkable birds of passage. Somewhere ^I cannot now refer to book and page) in Anson's Voyage, or in Dampier, or some other southern voyager, 1 recollect that the Martin is named as an inhabitant of the regions of southern America, particularly of Chili ; and, in consequence, from the knowledge we have of its immense emigration northward in our own country, we may fairly presume that its flight extends to the south as far as Terra del Fuego. If the conjecture be well founded, we may, Avith some certainty, place this useful and delightful companion and friend of the human race as the first in order of birds of passage. Nature has furnished it with a long, strong, and nervous pinion ; its legs are short, too, so as not to impede its passage ; the head and body are flattish ; in short, it has every indication from bodily formation, that Providence intended it as a bird of the longest flight. Belknap speaks of it as a visitant of New Hampshire. I have seen it in great numbers at Quebec. Hearne speaks of it in lat. 60 degrees north. To ascer- tain the times of the coming of the Martin to New Orleans, and its migration to and from Mexico, Quito, and Chili, are desirable data in the history of this bird ; but it is probable that the state of science in those countries renders this wish hopeless. " Relative to the domestic history, if it may be so called, of the Blue Bird (of which you have given so correct and charming a description) and the Martin, permit me to give you an anecdote : — In 1800 I re- moved from Lancaster to a farm a few miles above Harrisburgh. Knowing the benefit derivable to a farmer from the neighborhood of the Martin, in preventing the depredations of the Bald Eagle, the Hawks, and even the Crows, my carpenter was employed to form a large box, with a number of apartments for the Martin. The box was put up in the autumn. Near and around the house were a number of well-grown apple-trees and much shrubbery, — a very fit haunt for the feathered race. About the middle of February, the Blue Birds 368 PURPLE MARTL\. came ; in a short time they Avere very familiar, and took possession of the box ; these consisted of two or three pairs. By the 15th of May, the Blue Birds had eg-g-s, if not young. Now the Martins arrived in numbers, visited the box, and a severe conflict ensued. The Blue Birds, seemingly animated by their right of possession, or for the pro- tection of their young, v/ere victorious. The Martins regularly arrived about the middle of May, for the eight following years, examined the apartments of the box, in the absence of the Blue Birds, but were unifonnly compelled to fly upon the return of the latter. " The trouble caused you by reading this note you will be pleased to charge to the Martin. A box replete with that beautiful traveller, is not very distant from my bed-head. Their notes seem discordant because of their numbers ; yet to me they are pleasing. The indus- trious farmer and mechanic Avould do well to have a box fixed near the apartments of their drowsy laborers. Just as the dawn approaches, the Martin begins its notes, which last half a minute or more ; and then subside until the twilight is fairly broken. An animated and incessant musical chattering now ensues, sufficient to arouse the most sleepy person. Perhaps chanticleer is not tlieir superior in this beneficial qualification ; and he is far beneath the Martin in his pow- ers of annoying birds of prey.'' I shall add a few particulars to this faithful and interesting sketch by my deceased friend : — About the middle, or 20th, of April, the Martins first begin to prepare their nest The last of these which I examined, was fonned of dry leaves of the weeping willoAv, slender straws, hay, and feathers in considerable quantity. The eggs were four, very small for tlie size of the bird, and pure white, without any spots. The first brood appears in May, the second late in July. During tlie period in which the female is laying, and before she com- mences incubation, they are both from home the greater part of the day. When the female is sitting, she is frequently visited by the male, who also occupies her place while she takes a short recreation abroad. He also often passes a quarter of an hour in the apartment beside her, and has become quite domesticated since her confinement. He sits on the outside, dressing and arranging his plumage, occasionally pass- ing to the door of the apartment as if to inquire how she does. His notes, at this time, seemed to have assumed a peculiar softness, and his gratulations are expressive of much tenderness. Conjugal fidelity, even where there is a number together, seems to be faithfully pre- ser\' ed by these birds. On the 25th of May, a male and female Martin took possession of a box in Mr. Bartram's garden. A day or two after, a second female made her appearance, and staid for several days ; but, from the cold reception she met with, being frequently beat off^ by the male, she finally abandoned the place, and set off, no doubt, to seek for a more sociable companion. The Purple Martin, like his half-cousin the King Bird, is the terror of Crows, Hawks, and Eagles. These he attacks whenever they make their appearance, and with such vigor and rapidity, that they instantly have recourse to flight So well known is this to the lesser birds, and to the domestic poultry, that, as soon as they hear the Martin's voice engaged in fight, all is alarm and consternation. To observe with what spirit and audacity tliis bird dives and sAveeps upon and around the PURPLE MARTIN. 369 Hawk or the Eagle, is astonishing-. He also bestows an occasional bastinading on the King Bird when he finds him too near his premises ; though he will, at any time, instantly co-operate with him in attacking the common enemy. The Martin differs from all the rest of our Swallows in the particu- lar prey which he selects. Wasps, bees, large beetles, particularly those called by the boys goldsmiths, seem his favorite game. I have taken four of these large beetles from the stomach of a Purple Martin, each of which seemed entire, and even unbruised. The flight of the Purple Martin unites in it all the swiftness, ease, rapidity of turning, and gracefulness of motion of its tribe. Like the Swift of Europe, he sails much with little action of the wings. He passes through the most crowded parts of our streets, eluding the pas- sengers with the quickness of thought; or plays among the clouds, gliding about at a vast height, like an aerial being. His usual note, peuo, peuo, peuo, is loud and musical ; but is frequently succeeded by others more low and guttural. Soon after the 20th of August, he leaves Pennsylvania for the south. This bird has been described, three or four different times, by Eu- ropean writers, as so many different species, — the Canadian Swallow of Turton, and the Great American Martin of Edwards, being evi- dently the female of the present species. The Violet Swallow of the former author, said to inhabit Louisiana, differs in no respect from the present. Deceived by the appearance of the flight of this bird, and its similarity to that of the Swift of Europe, strangers from that country have also asserted that the Swift is common to North America and the United States. No such bird, however, inhabits any part of this continent that I have as yet visited. The Purple Martin is eight inches in length, and sixteen inches in extent; except the lores, which are black, and the wings and tail, v/hich are of a brownish black, he is of a rich and deep purplish blue, with strong violet reflections ; the bill is strong, the gap very large ; the legs also short, stout, and of a dark, dirty purple ; the tail consists of twelve feathers, is considerably forked, and edged with purple blue ; tlie eye full and dark. The female measures nearly as large as the male ; the upper parts are blackish brown, with blue and violet reflections thinly scattered ; chin and breast, grayish brown ; sides under the wings, darker ; belly and vent, whitish, not pure, with stains of dusky and yellow ochre ; wings and tail, blackish brown. 370 CONNECTICUT WARBLER. CONNECTICUT WARBLER. — SYLVIA AGILIS.— Fig. 169. SYLVICOLA AGILIS. — J ARDiT^E* Sylvia agilis, Bonap. Sijnop. p. Si 5 Nomenclature, p. 163. This is a new species, first discovered in the state of Connecticut, and twice since met with in the neighborhood of Philadelphia. As to its notes or nest, I am altogether unacquainted with them. The differ- ent specimens I have shot corresponded very nearly in their markings ; two of these were males, and the other undetermined, but conjectured also to be a male. It was found in every case among low thickets, but seemed more than commonly active, not remaining for a moment in the same position. In some of my future rambles I may learn more of this solitary species. Length, five inches and three quarters ; extent, eight inches ; whole upper "parts, a rich yellow olive; wings, dusky brown, edged Avith olive ; throat, dirty white, or pale ash ; upper part of the breast, dull greenish yellow ; rest of the lower parts, a pure rich yellow ; legs, long, slender, and of a pale flesh color ; round the eye, a narrow ring of yellowish white; upper mandible, pale brown; lower, whitish ; eye, dark hazel. Since writing the above, I have shot two specimens of a bird, which in every particular agrees with the above, except in having the throat of a dull buff color, instead of pale ash; both of these were females ; and I have little doubt but they are of the same species with the pres- ent, as their peculiar activity seemed exactly similar to the males above described. These birds do not breed in the lower parts of Pennsylvania, though they probably may be found in summer in the Alpine swamps and northern regions, in company with a numerous class of the same tribe that breed in these unfrequented solitudes. * According to Bonaparte, this is a new species discovered by Wilson. Com- paratively little is known regarding it. — Ed. NIGHT HAWK. 371 NIGHT HAWK.— CAPRIMULGUS AMEKICANUS. — Fig. 170, Male; Fig. 171, Fkmale. Long-winged Goatsucker, Arct. Zoo/. No. 331. — Peale's Museum, No. 7723, male ; 7724, female. CAPRIMULGUS AMERTCjIJVUS ? — Wilson.* Caprimulgus Virglnianus, Bonap. Sifnop. p. 62. — Chordeiles Virgimorus, Sw- North. Zool. ii. p. 337. This bird, in Virginia and some of the southern districts, is called a Bat; the name Niglit Hawk is usually given it in the Middle and Northern States, probably on account of its appearance when on wing * North America appears to contain three species of this curious genus, — the present one, with the following, and C Carolinensis, afterwards described. The whole are nearly of like size, and, from the general similarity of marking which runs through the group, will somewhat resemble each other. Wilson may, there- fore, claim the first merit of clearly distinguishing them, although he remained in uncertainty regarding the descriptions and synon3-ms of other authors. Vieillot appears to have described this species under the name of C. popetue ; but, not- withstanding, I cannot help preferring that given by Wilson, particularly as it seems confined to the New World. Bonaparte remarks, that the Night Hawks are among the Swallows what the Owls are among the Falconidce ; and, if we may be allowed the expression, the C. Americanus has more of the hirundine look than the others. The whole plumage is harder, the ends of the quills are more pointed, the tail is forked, and the rictus wants the strong array of bristles which we consider one of the essentials in the most perfect form ofCapi'imulgiis. We may here remark, (although we know that there are exceptions,) that we have generally observed, in those having the tail forked, and, consequenUy, with a greater power of quick flight and rapid turnings, that the plumage is more rigid, and the flight occasionally diurnal. This is borne out, also, in our present species, which play " about in the air, over the breeding- place, even during the day •," and, in their migrations, " may be seen almost every where, from five o'clock until after sunset, passing along the Schuylkill and the ad- jacent shores." The truly night-feeding species have the plumage loose and downy, as in the nocturnal Owls ; the wings more blunted, and the plumules coming to a slender point, and unconnected ; the tail rounded, and the rictus armed, in some instances, with very powerful brisUes. Their organs of sight are also fitted only for a more gloomy light. They appear only at twilight, reposing during the day among furze or brake, or sitting, in their own peculiar manner, on a branch ; but if inactive amidst the clearer light, they are all energy and action when their own day has ar- rived. To these last will belong the Common Night Hawk of Europe ; and a de- tail, in comparison of its manners with those of our author, may assist in giving some idea of the truly nocturnal species, which are similar, so far as variation of country and circumstances will allow. They are thus, in a few lines, accurately described by a poet whom Wilson would have admired : — Hark! from yon quiverinj branch your direst foe, Insects of night, its whirring note prolongs, TiOud as the sound of busy maiden's wheel : Then, with expanded beak, and throat enlarged Even to its utmost stretch, its 'customed food Pursues voracious. It frequents extensive moors and commons, perhaps more abundantly if they are either interspersed or bordered with brush or wood. At the commencement of twi- 3'72 NIGHT HAWK. very much resembling some of our small Hawks, and from its habit of flying chiefly in the evening. Though it is a bird universally known in the United States, and inhabits North America, in summer, from lig^lit, when they are first roused from their daily slumber, they perch on some bare elevation of the ground, an old wall or fence, or heap of stones, in a moss county on a peat stack, and commence their monotonous drum, or whirr, closely resembling the dull somid produced by a spinning-wheel, and possessing the same variation of apparent distance in the sound, a modification of ventriloquism, which is perceived in the croak of the Land Rail, or the cry of the Coot and Water Rail, or croaking of frogs 5 at one time, it is so near as to cause an alarm that you will disturb the ui- terer5 at another, as if the bird had removed to the extreme limit of the listener's organs, while it remained unseen at a distance of perhaps not more than forty or fifty yards. At the commencement, this drumming sound seems to be continued for about ten or fifteen minutes, and occasionally during the night in the intervals of relaxation 5 it is only, liowever, when perched that it is uttered, and never for so great a length of time as at the first. Their flight is never high, and is performed without any reg- ularity; sometimes straight forward and in gliding circles, with a slow, steady clap of the wings, in the middle of which they w ill abruptly start into the air for' thirty or forty feet, resuming their former line by a gradual fall 5 at other times it will be performed in sudden jerks upwards, in the fall keeping the wings steady and closed over the back, skimming in the intervals near the ground, and still retaining the wings like some Gulls or Terns, or a Swallow dipping in the water, until they are agam required to give the stroke upwards 5 all the white the tail is much expanded, and is a conspicuous object in the male, from the white spots on the outer feathers. Wlien in woods, or hawking near trees, the flight is made in glides among the branches, or it flutters close to the summits, and seizes tlie various PhalcencB which play around them. I once observed three or four of these birds hawking in this manner, on the confines of a spruce fir plantation, and after various evolutions, they balanced themselves for a few seconds on the very summit of the leading shoots. This was frequently repeated while I looked on. During the w hole of their flight, a short snap of thebill is heard, and a sort oi click, click, w\i\\ the distinct sound of the monosyllable u-M-p, or, to convey the idea better, the sound of a whip suddenly lashed \\ ithout cracking. The female, when disturbed from her nest, flits or skims along the surface for a short distance ; but I have never seen the 3-oung or eggs re- moved in the manner related of the American species, even after frequent annoyance. When the young are approached at night, before they are perfectly fledged, the old birds fly in circles round, approach very near, utter incessantly their clicking cry, and make frequent dashes at the intruder, like a Lapwing. Among the Night Hawks, taking the form as understood to rank under Capri- mulsciis of Linnaeus, we have a close resemblance of general form and characters, tnough there are one or two modifications which fully entitle the species to separa- tion, and which work beautifull}' in the system of affinities or gradual development of form.* From these circumstances, Mr. Swainson has formed a new genus from our present species. In color, the whole of Capriinulgns is very closely allied ; '' drest, but with na- ture's tenderest pencil touched," in various shades of brown, white, and russet; the delicate blending of the markings produce an eflfect always pleasing— -often moie so than in those which can boast of a more gorgeous apparel. There is another structure in this bird, which has given rise to much conjecture among naturalists, particularly those whose opportunities of observation have been comparatively limited, and has been looked upon as a peculiarity existing in this genus only, — I allude to the serrature of the centre claw. This structure we also * In some the mouth is fnrni'shpd with very strong bristles, and in others it is entirely des- titute of them, as may bn .seen in llie species of North America. Again, the tail is square, round, or forked, sometimes to an extniordinary extent, as in the C. psahirus, of Azara, and in C. aaitus the shafts of ttie feathers project beyond the webs, and remind us of the genus ChcBtura. In some the tarsus is extremely short and weak, and covered with plumes to the very toes, in others long and naked. The wings are rounded or sharp-pointed ; and in the Sierra Goatsucker we hive the sh ift of on" of the secondaries running out to the length of twenty inches, with the web much expanded at the extremity, and presenting, no doubt, during flight, a most unique appearance. — Ed. NIGHT HAWK. 373 Florida to Hudson's Bay, yet its history has been involved in consider- able obscurity by foreign writers, as well as by some of our own coun- try. Of this I shall endeavor to divest it in tiie present account. Three species only, of tlii-^ genus, are found Avithin the United States, — the Ciiuck-will's- widow, the Whip-poor-will, and the Night Hawk. The first of these is confined to those States lying south of Maryland ; the other two are found generally over the Union, but are frequently confounded one with tlie other, and by some supposed to be one and the same bird. A comparison of Figs. 170 and 171 with Figs. 172 and 173, of the Whip-poor-will, will satisfy those who still have their doubts on this subject; and the great difference of manners which distinguishes each will render this still more striking and satis- factory. On the last week in April, the Night Hawk commonly makes its first appearance in this part of Pennsylvania. At what particular pe- riod they enter Georgia, I am unable to say ; but I find, by my notes, that, in passing to New Orleans by land, I first observed this bird in Kentucky on the 21st of April. They soon after disperse generally over the country, from the sea-shore to the mountains, even to the heights of the Alleghany ; and are seen, towards evening, in pairs, playing about, high in air, pursuing their prey, wasps, flies, beetles, and various other vvinged insects of the larger sort. About the mid- dle of May, the female begins to lay. No previous preparation or construction of a nest is made ; though doubtless the particular spot has been reconnoitered and determined on. This is sometimes in an open space in th3 woods, frequently in a ploughed field, or in the corner of a cornfield. The eggs are placed on the bare ground, in all cases on a dry situation, where the color of the leaves, ground, stones, or other circumjacent parts of the surface, may resemble the general tint of the eggs, and thereby render them less easy to be dis- covered. The eggs are most commonly two, rather oblong, equally tliick at both ends, of a dirty bluish white, and marked with innumera- ble touches of dark olive brown. To the immediate neighborhood of this spot the male and female confine themselves, roosting on the hi oh trees adjoining during the greater part of the day, seldom, how- ever, together, and almost always on separate trees. They also sit lengthwise on the branch, fence, or limb, on which they roost, and never across, like most other birds : this seems occasioned by the shortness and slender form of their legs and feet, which are not at all calculated to grasp the branch with sufficient finnness to balance their bodies. find in many other genera, totally different from the present in almost every partic- ular, and where the uses of comhing its bristles or freeing itself from the vermni that persons have been willing to afflict this species with in more than ordinary propor- tions, could not be in any way applied. We find it among the Ardeadm, PLatalea, Ibis, Phalacracorax, and Cursorius. all widely difliering in habit : the only assimi- lating form among them is the generally loose plumage. I have no hesitation in saying that the use of this structure has not yet been ascertained, and that, when found out, it will be diflerent from any that has been yet suggested. The very va- riety of forms among wliich we find it, will bear this out ; and the presence of it in Capnmi/l(!;us will more likely turn out the extreme limit of the structure, than that from which we should draw our conclusions. It is much more prevalent among the Grallatores, and our present form is the only one in any other division where it is at all found. — Ed. 32 374 NIGHT HAWK. As soon as incubation commences, the male keeps a most vigilant watch around. He is then more frequently seen playing about in the air over the place, even during the day, mounting by several quick vibrations of the wings, then a few slower, uttering all the wliile a sharp, harsh squeak, till, having gained the highest point, he suddenly precipitates himself, head foremost, and with great rapidity, down sixty or eighty feet, wheeling up again as suddenly ; at which instant is heard a loud booming sound, very much resembling that produced by blowing strongly into the bunghole of an empty hogshead ; and which is doubtless produced by the sudden expansion of his capacious mouth, while he passes through the air, as exhibited in the figure on the plate. He again mounts by alternate quick and leisurely motions of the wings, playing about as he ascends, uttering his usual hoarse squeak, till, in a few minutes, he again dives with the same impetu- osity and violent sound as before. Some are of opinion that this is done to intimidate man or beast from approaching his nest ; and he is particularly observed to repeat these divings most frequently around tliose who come near the spot, SAveeping down past them, sometimes so near, and so suddenly, as to startle and alarm them. The same in- dividual is, however, often seen performing these manceuvres over the river, the hill, the meadow, and the marsh, in the space of a quarter of an hour, and also towards the fall, when he has no nest. This sin- gular habit belongs peculiarly to the male. The female has, indeed, the common hoarse note, and much the same mode of flight ; but nev- er precipitates herself in the manner of the male. During the time she is sitting, she will suffer you to approach within a foot or two be- fore she attempts to stir, and, when she does, it is in such a fluttering, tumbling manner, and with such appearance of a lame and wounded bird, as nine times in ten to deceive the person, and induce him to pursue her. This " pious fraud," as the poet Thomson calls it, is kept up until the person is sufficiently removed from the nest, when she immediately mounts and disappears. When the young are first hatched, it is difficult to distinguish them from the surface of the ground, their down being of a pale brownish color, and they are altogether destitute of the common shape of birds, sitting so fixed and so squat as to be easily mistaken for a slig^ht prominent mouldiness lying on the ground. I cannot say whether they have two broods in the sea- son ; I rather conjecture that they have generally but one. The Night Hawk is a bird of strong and vigorous flight, and of large volume of wing. It often visits the city, darting and squeaking over the streets at a great height, diving perpendicularly with the same hollow sound as before described. I have also seen them sit- ting on chimney-tops in some of the most busy parts of the city, oc- casionally uttering their common note. When the weather happens to be wet and gloomy, the Night Hawks are seen abroad at all times of the day, generally at a consid- erable height ; their favorite time, however, is from two hours before sunset until dusk. At such times they seem all vivacity, darting about in the air in every direction, making frequent short sudden turnings, as if busily engaged in catching insects. Even in the hot- test, clearest weather, they are occasionally seen abroad, squeaking at short intervals. They are also often found sitting along the fences, NIGHT HAWK. 375 basking- themselves in the sun. Near the sea-shore, in the vicinity of extensive salt marshes, they are likewise very numerous, skimming over the meadows, in the manner of Swallows, until it is so dark that the eye can no longer follow them. When wounded and taken, they attempt to intimidate you by open- ing their mouth to its utmost stretch, throwing the head forward, and uttering a kind of guttural whizzing sound, striking also violently with their wings, which seem to be their only offensive weapons ; for they never attempt to strike with the bill or claws. About the middle of August, they begin to move off towards the south ; at which season they may be seen almost every evening, from five o'clock until after sunset, passing along the Schuylkill and the adjacent shores, in Avidely-scattered multitudes, all steering towards the south. I have counted several hundreds within sight at the same time, dispersed through the air, and darting after insects as they ad- vanced. These occasional processions continue for two or three weeks ; none are seen travelling in the opposite direction. Some- times they are accompanied by at least twice as many Barn Swallows, some Chimney Swallows and Purple Martins. They are also most numerous immediately preceding a northeast storm. At this time also they abound in the extensive meadows on the Schuylkill and Dela- ware, where I have counted fifteen skimming over a single field in an evening. On shooting some of these, on the 14th of August, their stomachs were almost exclusively filled with crickets. From one of them 1 took nearly a common snuff-box full of these insects, all seem- ingly fresh swallowed. By the middle or 20th of September, very few of these birds are to be seen in Pennsylvania : how far south they go, or at what particu- lar time they pass the southern boundaries of the United States, 1 am unable to say. None of them winter in Georgia. The ridiculous name Goatsucker, — which was first bestowed on tlie European species, from a foolish notion that it sucked the teats of the goats, because, probably, it inhabited the solitary heights where they fed, which nickname has been since applied to the whole genus, — I have thought proper to omit. There is something worse than ab- surd in continuing to brand a whole family of birds with a knavish name, after they are universally known to be innocent of the charge. It is not only unjust, but tends to encourage the belief in an idle fa- ble that is totally destitute of all foundation. The Night Hawk is nine inches and a half in length, and twenty- three inches in extent ; the upper parts are of a very deep blackish brown, unmixed on the primaries, but thickly sprinkled or powdered on the back scapulars and head with innumerable minute spots and streaks of a pale cream color, interspersed with specks of reddish ; the scapulars are barred with the same, also the tail-coverts and tail, the inner edges of which are barred with white and deep brownish black for an inch and a half from the tip, where they are crossed broadly with a band of white, the two middle ones excepted, which are plain deep brown, barred and sprinkled with light clay ; a spot of pure white extends over the five first primaries, the outer edge of the exterior feather excepted, and about the middle of the wing; a trian- gular spot of white also marks the throat, bending up on each side of 376 WHIP-POOR-WILL. the neck ; the bill is exceedingly small, scarcely one-eighth of an inch in length, and of a black color ; the nostrils circular, and surrounded with a prominent rim ; eye, large and full, of a deep bluish black ; the legs are short, feathered a little below the knees, and, as well as the toes, of a purplish flesh color, seamed with white ; the middle claw is pectinated on its inner edge, to serve as a comb to clear the bird of vennin ; the whole lower parts of the body are marked with transverse lines of dusky and yellowish. The tail is somewhat short- er than the wings when shut, is handsomely forked, and consists of ten broad feathers ; the mouth is extremely large, and of a reddish flesh color within ; there are no bristles about the bill ; the tongue is very small, and attached to the inner surface of the mouth. The female measures about nine inches in length, and twenty-two in breadth ; differs in having no white band on the tail, but has the spot of white on the wing, wants the triangular spot of white on the throat, instead of which there is a dully-defined mark of a reddish cream color ; the wings are nearly black, all the quills being slightly tipped with white ; the tail is as in the male, and minutely tipped with wliite ; all the scapulars, and whole upper parts, are powdered with a much lighter gray. There is no description of the present species in Turton's transla- tion of Linnaeus. The characters of the genus given in the same work are also in this case incorrect, viz. " mouth furnished with a se- ries of bristles; tail not forked," — the Night Hawk having nothing of the former, and its tail being largely forked. WHIP-POOR-WILL. — CAPRIMULGUS VOCIFERUS. — Fig. 172, Male; Fig. 173, Female. Peak's Museum, No. 7721, male 5 7722^ female. CAPRIMULOUS VOCIFERUS. — WiLsoy. Caprimulgus vocifems, Bonap. Synop. p. 6L — North. Zoo/, ii. p. 336. — Whip- poor-will, And. Orn. Biog. i. p. 422, pi. 32. This is a singular and very celebrated species, universally noted over the greater part of the United States for the loud reiterations of his favorite call in spring ; and yet personally he is but little known, most people being unable to distinguish this from the preceding spe- cies, when both are placed before them ; and some insisting that they are the same. This being the case, it becomes the duty of his histo- rian to give a full and faithful delineation of his character and pecu- liarity of manners, that his existence as a distinct and independent species may no longer be doubted, nor his story mingled confusedly with that of another. I trust that those best acquainted with him will bear witness to the fidelity of the portrait. On or about the 25th of April, if the season be not uncommonly WHIP-POOR-WILL. 377 cold, the Whip-poor-will is first heard in tliis part of Pennsylvania, in the evening, as the dusk of twilight commences, or in the morning as soon as dawn has broke. In the state of Kentucky I first heard this bird on the 14th of April, near the town of Danville. The notes of this solitary bird, from the ideas which are naturally associated with them, seem like the voice of an old friend, and are listened to by almost all with great interest. At first they issue from some retired part of the woods, the glen, or mountain ; in a few evenings, perhaps, we hear them from the adjoining coppice, the garden fence, the road before the door, and even from the roof of the dwelling-house, long after the family have retired to rest. Some of the more ignorant and superstitious consider this near approach as foreboding no good to the family, — nothing less than sickness, misfortune, or death, to some of its members. These visits, however, so often occur without any bad consequences, that this superstitious dread seems on the decline. He is now a regular acquaintance. Every morning and evening his shrill and rapid repetitions are heard from the adjoining woods, and when two or more are calling out at the same time, as is often the case in the pairing season, and at no great distance from each other, the noise, mingling with the echoes from the mountains, is really surprising. Strangers, in parts of the country where these birds are numerous, find it almost impossible for some time to sleep ; while to those long acquainted with them, the sound often serves as a lullaby to assist their repose. These notes seem pretty plainly to articulate the words which have been generally applied to them, ivhip-poor-ivill, the first and last sylla- bles being uttered with great emphasis, and the whole in about a second to each repetition ; but when two or more males meet, their whip-poor-will altercations become much more rapid and incessant, as if each were straining to overpower or silence the other. When near, you often hear an introductory cluck between the notes. At tJiese times, as well as at almost all others, they fly low, not more than a few feet from the surface, skimming about the house and before tlie door, alighting on the wood-pile, or settling on the roof. Towards midnight they generally become silent, unless in clear moonlight, when they are heard with little intermission till morning. If there be a creek near, with high precipitous bushy banks, they are sure to be found in such situations. During the day they sit in the most retired, solitary, and deep-shaded parts of the woods, generally on high ground, where they repose in silence. When disturbed, they rise within a few feet, sail low and slowly through the woods for thirty or forty yards, and generally settle on a low branch or on tlie ground Their sight appears deficient during the day, as, like Owls, they seem then to want that vivacity for which they are distinguished in the morning and evening twilight. They are rarely shot at or molested ; and from being thus transiently seen in the obscurity of dusk, or in the deep umbrage of the woods, no wonder their particular markings of plumage should be so little known, or that they should be con- founded with the Night Hawk, whom in general appearance they so much resemble. The female begins to lay about the second week in May, selecting for this purpose the most unfrequented part of the wood, often where some brush, old logs, heaps of leaves, &c. had been 32* 378 WHIP-POOR-WILL. lying, and always on a dry situation. The eggs are deposited on the ground, or on the leaves, not the slightest appearance of a nest being visible. These are usually two in number, in shape much resembling those of the Night Hawk, but having the ground color much darker, and more thickly marbled with dark olive. The precise period of incubation, I am unable to say. In traversing the woods one day in the early part of June, along the brow of a rocky declivity, a Whip-poor-will rose from my feet, and fluttered along, sometimes prostrating herself, and beating the ground with her wings, as if just expiring. Aware of her purpose, I stood still, and began to examine the space immediately around me for the eggs or young, one or other of which ] was certain must be near. After a long search, to my mortification, I could find neither ; and was just going to abandon the spot, when I perceived somewhat like a slight mouldiness among the withered leaves, and, on stooping down, discovered it to be a young Whip-poor-will, seemingly asleep, as its eyelids were nearly closed ; or perhaps this might only be to protect its tender eyes from the glare of day. I sat down by it on the leaves, and drew it as it then appeared. It was probably not a week old- All the while I was thus engaged, it neither moved its body, nor opened its eyes more than half; and I left it as I found it. After I had Avalked about a quarter of a mile from the spot, recollecting that I had left a pencil behind, I returned and found my pencil, but the young bird was gone. Early in J une, as soon as the young appear, the notes of the male usually cease, or are heard but rarely. Towards the latter part of summer, a short time before these birds leave us, they are again occa- sionally heard ; but their call is then not so loud — much less em- phatical, and more interrupted than in spring. Early in September they move off towards the south. The favorite places of resort for these birds are on high, dry situa- tions ; in low, marshy tracts of country, they are seldom heard. It is probably on this account that they are scarce on the sea-coast and its immediate neighborhood ; while towards the mountains they are very numerous. The Night Hawks, on the contrary, delight in these extensive sea marshes ; and are much more numerous there than in the interior and higher parts of the country. But no where in the United States have I found the Whip-poor-will in such numbers as in tliat tract of country in the state of Kentucky called the Barrens. This appears to be their most congenial climate and place of resi- dence. There, from the middle of April to the 1st of June, as soon as the evening twilight draws on, the shrill and confused clamors of these birds are incessant, and very surprising to a stranger. They soon, however, become extremely agreeable ; the inhabitants lie down at night lulled by their whistlings ; and the first approach of dawn is announced by a general and lively chorus of the same music ; while the full-toned tooting, as it is called, of the Pinnated Grouse, forms a very pleasing bass to the whole. I shall not, in the manner of some, attempt to amuse the reader with a repetition of the unintelligible names given to this bird by the Indi- ans, or the superstitious notions generally entertained of it by the same people. These seem as various as the tribes, or even families, 1 WHIP-POOR-WILL. 379 with which you converse ; scarcely two of them will tell you the same story. It is easy, however, to observe, that this, like the Owl, and other nocturnal birds, is held by them in a kind of suspicious awe, as a bird with which they wish to have as little to do as possible. The superstition of the Indian differs very little from that of an illit- erate German, or Scots Highlander, or the less informed of any other nation. It suggests ten thousand fantastic notions to each, and these, instead of being recorded with all the punctilio of the most important truths, seem only fit to be forgotten. Whatever, among either of these people, is strange and not comprehended, is usually attributed to supernatural agency ; and an unexpected sight, or uncommon inci- dent, is often ominous of good, but more generally of bad, fortune to the parties. Night, to minds of this complexion, brings with it its kindred horrors, its apparitions, strange sounds, and awful sights ; and this solitary and inoffensive bird, being a frequent wanderer in these hours of ghosts and hobgoblins, is considered by the Indians as being, by habit and repute, little better than one of them. All these people, however, are not so credulous : i have conversed with Indians who treated these silly notions with contempt The Whip-poor-will is never seen during the day, unless in cir- cumstances such as have been described. Their food appears to be large moths, grasshoppers, pismires, and such insects as frequent the bark of old rotten and decaying timber. They are also expert in darting after winged insects. They will sometimes skim in the dusk, within a few feet of a person, uttering a kind of low chatter as they pass. In tlieir migrations north, and on their return, they probably stop a day or two at some of their former stages, and do not advance in one continued flight. The Whip-poor-will was first heard this season [1811] on the 2d day of May, in a corner of Mr. Bartram's woods, not far from the house, and for two or three mornings after in the same place, where I also saw it. From this time until the begin- ning of September, there were none of these birds to be found within at least one mile of the place ; though I frequently made search for them. On the 4th of September, the Whip-poor-will was again heard for two evenings, successively, in the same part of the woods. I also heard several of them passing, within the same week, between dusk and nine o'clock at night, it being then clear moonlight. These repeated their notes three or four times, and were heard no more. It is highly probable that they migrate during the evening and night The Whip-poor-will is nine inches and a half long, and nineteen inches in extent ; the bill is blackish, a full quarter of an inch long, much stronger than that of the Night Hawk, and bent a little at the point, the under mandible arched a little upwards, following the curva- ture of the upper ; the nostrils are prominent and tubular, their open- ings directed forward ; the mouth is extravagantly large, of a pale flesh color within, and beset along the sides with a number of long, thick, elastic bristles, the longest of which extends more than half an inch beyond the point of the bill, end in fine hair, and curve inwards ; these seem to serve as feelers, and prevent the escape of Avinged insects ; the eyes are very large, full, and bluish black ; the plumage above is so variegated with black, pale cream, brown, and rust color, sprinkled and powdered in such minute streaks and spots, as to defy WHIP-POOR-WILL. description ; the upper part of the head is of a light broTrnish gray, marked with a longitudinal streak of black, with others radiating from it ; the back is darker, finely streaked with a less deep black ; the scapulars are very light whitish ochre, beautifully variegated with two or three oblique streaks of very deep black ; the tail is rounded, consisting of ten feathers, the exterior one an inch and a quarter shorter than the middle ones, the three outer feathers on each side are blackish brown for half their length, thence pure white to the tips ; tlie exterior one is edged with deep brown nearly to the tip ; the deep brown of these feathers is regularly studded with light brown spots ; the four middle ones are without the white at the ends, but beautifully marked with herring-bone figures of black and light oclire finely powdered ; cheeks and sides of the head, of a brown orange or burnt color ; the wings, when shut, reach scarcely to the middle of the tail, and are elegantly spotted with very light and dark brown, but are entirely without the large spot of white which distinguishes those of the Night Hawk ; chin, black, streaked with brown ; a narrow semi- circle of white passes across the throat ; breast and belly, irregularly mottled and streaked with black and yellow ochre ; the legs and feet are of a light purplish flesh color, seamed witli white ; the former feathered before, nearly to the feet ; the two exterior toes are joined to the middle one, as far as the first joint, by a broad membrane ; the inner edge of the middle claw is pectinated, and, from the circum- stance of its being frequently found with small portions of down adhering to the teeth, is probably employed as a comb to rid the plumage of its head of verniin ; this being the principal and almost only part so infested in all birds. The female is about an inch less in length and in extent ; the bill, mustaches, nostrils, &c., as in the male. She differs in being much lighter on the upper parts, seeming as if powdered with grains of meal ; and, instead of the white on the three lateral tail-feathers, has them tipped for about three quarters of an inch with a cream color ; the bar across the throat is also of a broAvnish ochre ; the cheeks and region of the eyes are brighter brownish orange, which passes also to the neck, and is sprinkled with black and specks of white ; the streak over the eye is also lighter. The young was altogether covered with fine down, of a pale brown color ; the shafts, or rather sheaths, of the quills, bluish ; the point of the bill, just perceptible. Twenty species of this singular genus are now known to naturalists ; of these one only belongs to Europe, one to Africa, one to New Hol- land, two to IndisL, and fifteen to America. The present species, though it approaches nearer in its plumage to that of Europe tlian any other of the tribe, differs from it in being en- tirely without the large spot of white on the wing, and in being considerably less. Its voice, and particular call, are also entirely different. Further to illustrate the history of this bird, tlie following notes are added, made at the time of dissection : — Body, when stripped of the skin, less than that of the Wood Thrush; breast-bone, one inch in lengtli ; second stomach, strongly muscular, filled with fragments of pismires and gi-asshoppers ; skin of the bird, loose, wrinkly, and WHIP-POOR-WILL. 381 scarcely attached to tlie flesh ; flesh, also loose, extremely tender ; bones, thin and slender; sinews and muscles of the wing, feeble; dis- tance between the tips of both mandibles, when expanded, full two inches, length of the opening, one inch and a half; breadth, one inch and a quarter ; tongue, very short, attached to the skin of the mouth, its internal parts, or os h/oides, pass up the hind liead, and reach to the front, like those of the Woodpecker ; whicli enable the bird to revert tlie lower part of the mouth in the act of seizing insects, and in call- ing ; skull, extremely liglit and thin, being semi-transparent, its cavity nearly half occupied by the eyes ; aperture for the brain, very small, the quantity not exceeding that of a Sparrow ; an Owl of the same extent of wing has at least ten times as much. Though this noted bird has been so frequently mentioned by name, and its manners taken notice of by almost every naturalist who has written on our birds, yet personally it has never been described by any writer with whose works I am acquainted. Extraordinary as this may seem, it is nevertheless true ; and in proof I offer the following facts : — Three species only of this genus are found withm the United States — the Chuck- will's-widow, the Night Hawk, and the Whip-poor-will. Catesby, in the eighth plate of his Natural Histon/ of Carolina, has figured the first, and, in the sixteenth of his Appendix, the second ; to this he has added particulars of the Whip-poor-will, believing it to be that bird, and has ornamented his figure of the Night Hawk with a large bearded appendage, of which in nature it is entirely destitute. After him, Mr. Edwards, in his sixty-third plate, has in like manner figured the Night Hawk, also adding the bristles, and call- ing his figure the Whip-poor-will, accompanying it with particulars of the notes, &c., of that bird, chiefly copied from Catesby. The next Avriter of eminence who has spoken of the Whip-poor-will, is Mr. Pennant, justly considered as one of the most judicious and discrim- inating of English naturalists; but, deceived by "the lights he had," he has, in his account of the Short-winged Goatsucker,* [ArcL ZooL, p. 434,) given the size, markings of plumage, &c., of the Chuck-will's- widow ; and, in the succeeding account of his Long-winged Goat- sucker, describes pretty accurately the Night Hawk. Both of these birds he considers to be the Whip-poor-will, and as having the same notes and manners. After such authorities, it was less to be wondered at, that many of our own citizens, and some of our naturalists and writers, should fall into the like mistake ; as copies of the works of those English natu- ralists are to be found in several of our colleges, and in some of our public as well as private libraries. The means which the autlior of American Ornitholoerij took to satisfy his own mind and those of his friends, on this subject, were detailed at large, in a paper published about two years ago, in a periodical Avork of this city,f with which ex- tract I shall close my account of the present species : — " On the question. Is the Whip-poor-will and the Night Hawk one * The figure is, by mistake^ called the Long-winged Goatsucker. See Arctic Zooloscy, vol. ii. pi. 18. t The -Portfolio. 382 WHIP-POOR-WILL. and the same bird, or are tliey really two distinct species ? there has long been an opposition of sentiment, and many fruitless disputes. Numbers of sensible and observing people, whose intelligence and long residence in the countr}" entitle their opinion to respect, positive- ly assert that the Night Hawk and the Whip-poor-will are very differ- ent birds, and do not even associate together. The naturalists of Europe, however, have generally considered the two names as applica- ble to one and the same species ; and this opinion has also been adopted by two of our most distinguished naturalists, Mr. William Bartram, of Kingsessing,* and Professor Barton, of Philadelphia.! The %mter of this, being determined to ascertain the truth by examining for himself, took the following effectual mode of settling this disputed point, the particulars of which he now submits to those interested in the question : — " Thirteen of those birds usually called Night Hawks, which dart about in the air like Swallows, and sometimes descend with rapidity from a great height, making a hollow sounding noise like that pro- duced by blowing into the bunghole of an empty hogshead, were shot at different times and in different places, and accurately examined, both outwardly and by dissection. Nine of these were found to be males, and four females. The former all corresponded in tlie mark- ings and tints of their plumage ; the latter also agreed in their marks, differing slightly from the males, though evidently of the same spe- cies. Two others were shot as they rose from the nests, or rather from the eggs, which, in both cases, were two in number, lying on the open ground. These also agreed in the markings of their plumage with the four preceding ; and, on dissection, were found to be females. The eggs were also secured. A Whip-poor-will was shot in the eve- ning, while in the act of repeating his usual and well-known notes. This bird was found to be a male, differing in many remarkable par- ticulars from all the former. Three others Avere shot at different times during the day, in solitary and dark-shaded parts of the wood. Two of these were found to be females, one of which had been sitting on two eggs. The two females resembled each other almost exactly ; the male also corresponded in its markings with the one first found ; and all four were evidently of one species. The eggs differed from the former, both in color and markings. " The differences between these two birds w^ere as follows : — The sides of the mouth, in both sexes of the Whip-poor-will, were beset with ranges of long and very strong bristles, extending more than half an inch beyond the point of the bill ; both sexes of the Night Hawk were entirely destitute of bristles. The bill of the Whip-poor-will was also more than twice the length of that of the Night Hawk. The long wing-quills, of both sexes of the Night Hawk, were of a deep brownish black, with a large spot of white nearly in their middle, and, when shut, the tips of the wings extended a little beyond the tail. The wing-quills of tlie Whip-poor-will, of both sexes, were beautifully * Caprirmdgus Americanus, Night Hawk, or Whip-poor-will. Travels, p. 292. t Capritnid^s Virginianus, \Vhip-poor-will, or Night Hawk. Fras;ments of the Natural Historij of Pennsylvania, p. 3. See also American Phil. Trans., vol. jv. pp. 208, 209, note. RED OWL. 383 spotted with light brown — had no spot of white on them — and, when shut, the tips of the wings did not reach to the tip of the tail by at least tivo inches. The tail of the Night Hawk was handsomely forked, the exterior feathers being the longest, shortening gradually to the middle ones ; the tail of the Whip-poor-will was rounded, the exterior feathers being the shortest, lengthening gradually to the mid- dle ones. " After a careful examination of these and several other remarkable differences, it was impossible to witlistand the conviction, that these birds belonged to two distinct species of the same genus, differing in size, color, and conformation of parts. " A statement of the principal of these facts having been laid before Mr. Bartram, together with a male and female of each of the above- mentioned species, and also ar male of the Great Virginian Bat, or Chuck-will's-widow, after a particular examination, that venerable naturalist was pleased to declare himself fully satisfied ; adding, that he had now no doubt of the Night Hawk and the Whip-poor-will be- ing two very distinct species of Caprimulgus. " It is not the intention of the writer of this to enter at present into a description of either the plumage, manners, migrations, or economy of these birds, the range of country they inhabit, or the superstitious notions entertained of them; his only object at present is the correc- tion of an error, which, from the respectability of those by whom it was unwarily adopted, has been but too extensively disseminated, and received by too many as a truth." RED OWL.— STRIX ASIO. — Fig. 174. —Female. Little Owl, Catesb. i. 7. — Lath. i. 123. — Linn. Syst. 132. — Arct. Zool. ii. No. 117. — Turton. Syst. i. p. \m. — Peak's Museum, No. 428. STRIX .^S/O. — LiNN^us. — Young.* Strix Asio, Bonap. Synop. p. 36. This is another of our nocturnal wanderers, well known by its common name, the Little Screech Owl ; and noted for its melancholy quivering kind of wailing in the evenings, particularly towards the latter part of summer and autumn, near the farm-house. On clear moonlight nights, they answer each other from various parts of the fields or orchard ; roost during the day in thick evergreens, such as cedar, pine, or juniper trees, and are rarely seen abroad in sunshine. In May, they construct their nest in the hollow of a tree, often in the orchard in an old apple tree ; the nest is composed of some hay and a few feathers ; the eggs are four, pure white, and nearly round. The young are at first covered with a Avhitish down. * See p. 201 for description of the adult of this species, and note. 334 RED OWL. The bird represented in Fig. 1 74 I kept for several weeks in the room beside me. It was caught in a barn, where it had taken up its lodging, probably for the greater convenience of mousing ; and, being unhurt, I had an opportunity of remarking its manners. At first, it struck itself so forcibly against the window as frequently to deprive it, seemingly, of all sensation for several minutes : this was done so re- peatedly that I began to fear that either the glass or the Owl's skull must give way. In a few days, however, it either began to compre- hend something of the matter, or to take disgust at the glass, for it never repeated its attempts ; and soon became quite tame and familiar. Those who have seen this bird only in the day can form but an imper- fect idea of its activity, and even sprightliness, in its proper season of exercise. Throughout the day, it was all stillness and gravity, — its eyelids half shut, its neck contracted, and its head shrunk, seemingly, into its body ; but scarcely was the sun set, and twilight began to ap- proach, when its eyes became full and sparkling, like two living globes of fire ; it crouched on its perch, reconnoitred every object around with looks of eager fierceness ; alighted and fed ; stood on the meat with clenched talons, while it tore it in morsels with its bill ; flew round the room with the silence of thought, and perching, moaned out its melancholy notes, with many lively gesticulations, not at all accordant with the pitiful tone of its ditty, Avhich reminded one of the shivering meanings of a half-frozen puppy. This species is found generally over the United States, and is not migratory. The Red Owl is eight inches and a half long, and twenty- one inch- es in extent; general color of the plumage above, a bright nut brown, or tawny red ; the shafts, black ; exterior edges of the outer row of scapulars, white ; bastard wing, the five first primaries, and three or four of the first greater coverts, also spotted with white; whole wing- quills, spotted Avith dusky on their exterior webs ; tail, rounded, trans- versely barred with dusky and pale brown ; chin, breast, and sides, bright reddish brown, streaked laterally with black, intermixed with white ; belly and vent, white, spotted with bright brown ; legs, covered to the claws with pale brown hairy down ; extremities of the toes and claws, pale bluish, ending in black ; bill, a pale bluish horn color ; eyes, vivid yellow; inner angles of the eyes, eyebrows, and space surrounding the bill, whitish ; rest of the face, nut brown ; head, horn- ed or eared, each horn consisting of nine or ten feathers of a tawny red, shafi;ed with black. WARBLING FLYCATCHER. 385 WARBLING FLYCATCHER. — MUSCICAPA MELODIA.— Fig. 175. VIREO G/LrC7S.— Bonaparte. Muscicapa gilva; Vieill. pi. 34. (auct. Bonap.) — Vireo gilvus, Bonap. Synop. p. 70. Nonien. sp. 123. This sweet little Warbler is for the first time figured and described in Fig. 175. In its general appearance it resembles the Red-eyed Flycatcher ; but, on a close comparison, differs from that bird in many particulars. It arrives in Pennsylvania about the middle of April, and inhabits the thick foliage of orchards and high trees ; its voice is soft, tender, and soothing, and its notes flow in an easy, continued strain, that is extremely pleasing. It is often heard among the weeping wil- lows and Lombardy poplars of this city ; is rarely observed in the woods ; but seems particularly attached to the society of man. It gleans among the leaves, occasionally darting after winged insects, and searching for caterpillars ; and seems by its manners to partake considerably of the nature of the genus Sylvia. It is late in departing, and I have frequently heard its notes among the fading leaves of the poplar in October. This little bird may be distinguished from all the rest of our song- sters by the soft, tender, easy flow of its notes, while hid among the foliage. In these there is nothing harsh, sudden, or emphatical ; they glide along in a kind of meandering strain, that is peculiarly its own. In May and June it may be generally heard in the orchards, the borders of the city, and around the farm-house. This species is five inches and a half long, and eight inches and a half in extent; bill, dull lead color above, and notched near the point, lower, a pale flesh color ; eye, dark hazel ; line over the eye, and whole lower parts, white, the latter tinged with very pale greenish yellow near the breast ; upper parts, a pale green olive ; wings, brown, broadly edged with pale olive green ; tail, slightly forked, edged with olive'; the legs and feet, pale lead ; the head inclines a little to ash ; no white on the wings or tail. Male and female nearly alike. 33 386 PURPLE FINCH. PURPLE FINCH. — FRINGILLA PURPUREA. — Fig. 176. ERYTHROSPIZA PURPUREA— BoyxvARTE* This bird is represented as he appears previous to receiving his crimson plumage, and also when moulting. By recurring to Fig. 28 of this work, which exhibits him in his full dress, the great difference of color will be observed to which this species is annually subject. It is matter of doubt with me whether this species ought not to be classed with the Loxia ; the great thickness of the bill, and similarity that prevails between this and the Pine Grosbeak, almost induced me to adopt it into that class. But respect for other authorities has pre- vented me from making this alteration. When these birds are taken in their crimson dress, and kept in a cage till they moult their feathers, they uniformly change to their pres- ent appearance, and sometimes never after receive their red color. They are also subject, if well fed, to become so fat as literally to die of corpulency, of which I have seen several instances ; being at these times subject to something resembling apoplexy, from which they sometimes recover in a few minutes, but oftener expire in the same space of time. The female is entirely without the red, and differs from the present only in having less yellow about her. These birds regularly arrive from the north, where they breed, in September; and visit us from the south again early in April, feeding on the cherry blossoms as soon as they appear. Of the particulars relative to this species, the reader is referred to the account already mentioned. The individual represented in Fig. 176, measured six inches and a quarter in length, and ten inches in extent ; the bill was horn colored ; upper parts of the plumage, brown olive, strongly tinged with yellow, particularly on the rump, where it was brownish yellow ; from above the eye, backwards, passed a streak of white, and another more irreg- ular one from the lower mandible ; feathers of the crown, narrow, rather long, and generally erected, but not so as to form a crest ; nos- trils, and base of the bill, covered with reflected brownish hairs ; eye, dark hazel ; wings and tail, dark blackish brown, edged with olive ; first and second row of coverts, tipt with pale yellow ; chin, white ; breast pale cream, marked with pointed spots of deep olive brown; belly and vent, white ; legs, brown. This bird, with several others marked nearly in the same manner, was shot 25th April, while engaged in eating the buds from the beech tree. * See description of adult male, Note and SynonjTiis, p. 79. BROWN LARK. 387 BROWN LARK. — ALAUDA RUFA.— Fig. 177. Red Lark, Ediv. 291. — Arct. Zool. No. 219. — Lath. il. 376. — L'Alouetle aux joues brunes de Pennsylvanie, Buff. v. 38. — Feale's Museum, No. 5138. jijVTHUS LUDOVICMJ^US. — Bonaparte.* Synon^'ms of Anthus Ludovicianus, Bonap. {from his Nomenclature,) — " Alauda rubra, Ginel. Lath. — Alauda Liidoviciana, Gmel. Lath. — Alauda Pennsylva- nica, Bliss. — Farlouzanne, Buff. Ois. — Alouette aux joucs brunes de Penn- sylvanie, Buff. Ois. — Lark from Pennsylvania, Ed. Glean, p. 297. — Red Lark, Penn. Brit, and Arct. Zool. Lath. Syn. — Louisiana Lark, Lath. Syn.'^ — An- thus spinoletta, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 90. In what particular district of the northern regions this bird breeds, 1 am unable to say. In Pennsylvania, it first arrives from the north about the middle of October ; flies in loose scattered flocks ; is strongly at- tached to flat, newly-ploughed fields, commons, and such like situations ; has a feeble note, characteristic of its tribe ; runs rapidly along the ground ; and, when the flock takes to wing, they fly high, and generally to a considerable distance before they alight. Many of them continue in the neighborhood of Philadelphia all Avinter, if the season be mode- rate. In the Southern States, particularly in the lower parts of North and South Carolina, I found these Larks in great abundance in the middle of February. Loose flocks of many hundreds were driving about from one corn-field to another ; and, in the low rice grounds, they were in great abundance. On opening numbers of these, they appeared to have been feeding on various small seeds, with a large quantity of gravel. On the 8th of April, I shot several of these birds in the neighborhood of Lexington, Kentucky. In Pennsylvania, they generally disappear, on their way to the north, about the beginning of May, or earlier. At Portland, in the District of Maine, I met with a flock of these birds in October. I do not know that they breed within the United States. Of their song, nest, eggs, &c. we have no account. * Anthus is a ffenus of Bechstein's, formed to contain birds which have been generally called Larks, but which have a nearer resemblance to the Motacilloe, or Wagtails, and the Accentors. They are also allied to the Seiurus of Swainson. The Prince of Musignano made this identical with the European Rock Lark, Anthus aquaticus, Bechst. Alauda spinoletta, Linn. 5 but in his observations on Wil- son's nomenclature, saw reason to change his opinion, and it will now stand as A. Ludovicianus of that gentleman. Audubon has, on the other hand, placed it in his Biography as the European bird, but, I fear, with too slender comparison ; and the same name is mentioned in the Northern Zoology, without comparing- the arctic specimens with those of Britain or Europe. On these accounts, I rather trust to tlie observations of Bonaparte, which have been made from actual comparison. It must also be recollected, that the summer and winter dress of the AntJii differ very considerably in their shades. Audubon has introduced in his Biography another Anthus, which he considers new, under the title of pipiens. It was only met with once, in the extensive prairies of the Northwestern States, where two were killed 5 and though allied to the com- mon Brown Titlark, were distinguished by the difference of their notes. If these specimens were not preserved, the species must rest on the authority of Mr. Audu- bon's plate, and, of course, admitted with doubt. — Ed. 388 CAROLINA PIGEON. The Brown Lark is six inches long, and ten inches and a half m extent ; the upper parts, brown olive, touched with dusky ; greater coverts and next superior row, lighter ; bill, black, slender ; nostril, prominent ; chin and line over the eye, pale rufous ; breast and belly, brownish ochre, the former spotted with black ; tertials, black, the sec- ondaries brown, edged with lighter ; tail, slightly forked, black ; the two exterior feathers, marked largely with white ; legs, dark purplish brown ; hind heel, long, and nearly straight ; eye, dark hazel. Male and female nearly alike. Mr. Pennant says that one of these birds was shot near London. CAROLINA PIGEON, OR TURTLE DOVE. — COLUMBA CAROLINENSIS. — Fig. 178. Linn. Sijst. 286. — Catesb. Car. i. 24. — Buff. ii. 557, PL enl. 175. — La tourterelle de la Caroline, Brisson, i. 110. — Peak's Museum, No. 5088.— Turton, 479.— Arct. Zool ii. No. 188. ECTOPISTES C^iiOL/JV£JVS/S. — SwAiNsoN. Genus Ectopistes, Stvain. N. Groups. Zool.Journ.^o. xi. p. 362. — ColumbaCar- olinensis, Bonap. Synop. p. 119. — The Carolina Turtle-Dove, And. Oni. Biog. I. 91, pi. 17, male and female. This is a favorite bird with all those who love to wander among our woods in spring, and listen to their varied hamiony. They will there hear many a singular and sprightly performer, but none so mournful as this. The hopeless wo of settled sorrow, swelhng the heart of female innocence itself, could not assume tones more sad, more tender and affecting. Its notes are four ; the first is somewhat the highest, and preparatory, seeming to be uttered with an inspiration of the breath, as if the afflicted creature were just recovering its voice from the last convulsive sobs of distress ; tliis is followed by three long, deep, and mournful meanings, that no person of sensibility can listen to without sympathy. A pause of a few minutes ensues, and again the solemn voice of sorrow is renewed as before. This is generally heard in the deepest shaded parts of the woods, frequently about noon and towards the evening. There is, however, nothing of real distress in all this ; quite the reverse. The bird who utters it wantons by the side of his beloved partner, or invites her by his call to some favorite retired and shady retreat. It is the voice of love, of faithful connubial affection, for which the whole family of Doves are so celebrated ; and, among them all, none more deservingly so than the species now before us. The Turtle Dove is a general inhabitant, in summer, of the United States, from Canada to Florida, and from the sea-coast to the Missis- sippi, and far to the westward. They are, however, partially migratory in the northern and middle states ; and collect together in North and South Carolina, and their corresponding parallels, in great numbers, CAROLINA PIGEON. 389 during the winter. On the 2d of Fehruary, in the neighborhood of Newbern, North Carolina, I saw a flock of Turtle Doves of many hundreds ; in other places, as I advanced farther south, particularly near the Savannali River, in Georgia, the woods were swarming- witli tliem, and the Avhistling of their wings was heard in every direction. On their return to the north in March, and early in April, they dis- perse so generally over the country, that there are rarely more than three or four seen together — most frequently only two. Here they commonly fly in pairs, resort constantly to the public roads to dust tliemselves and procure gravel ; are often seen in tlie farmer's yard before the door, the stable, barn, and other outliouses, in search of food, seeming little inferior in familiarity, at such times, to the do- mestic Pigeon. They often mLx with the poultry while they are fed in the morning, visit the yard and adjoining road many times a-day, and the pump, creek, horse trough, and rills for water. Their flight is quick, vigorous, and always accompanied by a pe- culiar whistling of the wings, by which they can easily be distinguished from the Wild Pigeon. They fly with great swiftness, alight on trees, fences, or on the ground indiscriminately ; are exceedingly fond of buckwheat, hempseed, and Indian corn ; feed on the berries of the holly, the dogwood, and poke, huckleberries, partridgeberries, and the small acorns of the live oak and shrub oak. They devour large quan- tities of gravel, and sometimes pay a visit to tlie kitchen garden for peas, for which they have a particular regard. In this part of Pennsylvania, they commence building about the beginning of May. The nest is very rudely constructed, generally in an evergreen, among the thick foliage of the vine, in an orchard, on the horizontal branches of an apple tree, and, in some cases, on the ground. It is composed of a handful of small twigs, laid with little art, on which are scattered dry, fibrous roots of plants ; and in this almost flat bed are deposited two eggs of a snowy whiteness. The male and female unite in feeding Ihe young, and they have rarely more than two broods in the same season. The flesh of this bird is considered much superior to that of the Wild Pigeon ; but its seeming confidence in man, the tenderness of its notes, and the innocency attached to its character, are, with many, its security and protection ; with others, however, the tenderness of its flesh, and the sport of shooting, overcome all other considerations. About the commencement of frost, they begin to move off to the south ; numbers, however, remain in Pennsylvania during the whole winter. The Turtle Dove is twelve inches long, and seventeen inches in extent ; bill, black ; eye, of a glossy blackuess, surrounded with a pale greenish blue skin ; croAvn, upper part of the neck and wings, a fine silky slate blue ; back, scapulars, and lesser wing-coverts, ashy brown ; tertials spotted with black ; primaries, edged and tipped with white ; forehead, sides of the neck, and breast, a pale brown vinous orange ; under the ear-feathers, a spot or drop of deep black; immediately below which the plumage reflects the most vivid tints of green, gold, and crimson ; chin, pale yellow ochre; belly and vent, whitish ; legs and feet, coral red, seamed with white ; the tail is long and cuneiform, consisting of fourteen feathers ; the four exterior ones, on each side, are marked with black, about an inch from the tips, and white thence 3:3* 390 HERMIT THRUSH. to the extremity ; the next has less of the white at the tip ; these grad- ually lengthen to the four middle ones, which are wholly dark slate ; all of them taper towards the points, the two middle ones most so. The female is an inch shorter, and is otherwise only distinguished, by the less brilliancy of her color ; she also wants the rich silky blue on the crown, and much of the splendor of the neck ; the tail is also, somewhat shorter, and the white, with which it is marked, less pure.* HERMIT THRUSH.— TURDUS SOLITARIUS.— Fig. 179. LiUle Thrush, Catesbij, i. ^l. — Edwards, 296. — Brown Thrush, Arct. Zool. 337. No. 199. — Peak's Museum, No. 3542. TURDUS SOLITARIUS. — Wii.so-i.\ Turdus minor, Bonap. Synop. p. 75. — The Hermit Thrush, Aud. Orn. Biog. i. p. 303, pi. 58, male and female. The dark solitary cane and myrtle swamps of the southern states are the favorite native haunts of this silent and recluse species ; and the more deep and gloomy these are, the more certain we are to meet with this bird flitting among them. This is the species mentioned in a former part of this work, while treating of the Wood Thrush, as having been figured and described, more than fifty years ago, by Ed- wards, from a dried specimen sent him by my friend Mr. William Bartram, under the supposition that it was the Wood Thrush, [Turdus melodus.) It is, however, considerably less, very differently marked, and altogether destitute of the clear voice and musical powers of that charming minstrel. It also differs, in remaining in the southern states during the whole year ; whereas the Wood Thrush does not Avinter even in Georgia ; nor arrives within the soutliern boundary of that state until some time in April. The Hermit Thrush is rarely seen in Pennsylvania, unless for a few weeks in spring, and late in the fall, long after the Wood Thrush has left us, and when scarcely a summer bird remains in the woods. In both seasons it is mute, having only, in spring, an occasional squeak, In addition to their history by Wilson, Audubon mentions, that though reg"u- Jarly migrating- in numbers, they are never in such vast extent as the Passenger Pigeon, from two hundred and My to three hundred being considered a large flock. He also mentions them differing in another more important particular — the manner of roosting. They prefer sitting among the long grass of abandoned fields, at the foot of the dry stalks of maize, and only occasionally resort to the dead foliage of trees, or the different species of evergreens. They do not sit near each other, but are dispersed over the field, whereas the Passenger Pigeon roosts in compact masses, on limbs of trees. In every respect, they run more into the Ground Doves, or Bronze-winged Pigeons, which similarity some parts of the plumage will strengthen. — Ed. t Bonaparte has wished to restore Gmelin's old name of minor to this bird, which Wilson had thought in some manner erroneous, on account of solitarius being pre- occupied by another species. That, however, will rank in the genus Petrocincla ; and Mr. Swainson has since described a small species under the name of minor. — Ed. * HERMIT THRUSH. 391 like that of a young, stray chicken. Along the Atlantic coast, in New Jersey, they remain longer and later, as I have observed them there late in November. In the cane swamps of the Chactaw nation, they were frequent in the month of May, on the 12th of which I examined one of their nests on a horizontal branch, immediately over the path. The female was sitting, and left it with great reluctance, so that I had nearly laid my hand on her before she flew. The nest was fixed on the upper part of the body of the branch, and constructed with great neatness ; but without mud or plaster, contrary to the custom of the Wood Thrush. The outside was composed of a considerable quantity of coarse, rooty grass, intermixed with horse-hair, and lined with a fine, green colored, thread-like grass, perfectly dry, laid circularly, witii particular neatness. The eggs were four, of a pale, greenish blue, marked witli specks and blotches of olive, particularly at the great end. I also observed this bird on the banks of the Cumberland River, in April. Its food consists chiefly of berries, of which these low swamps furnish a perpetual abundance, such as those of the holly, myrtle, gall bush, (a species of vacdnium,) yapon shrub, and many others. A superficial observer would instantly pronounce this to be only a variety of the Wood Thrush ; but, taking into consideration its differ- ence of size, color, manners, want of song, secluded habits, differently- formed nest, and spotted eggs, all unlike those of the former, with which it never associates, it is impossible not to conclude it to be a distinct and separate species, however near it may approach to that of the former. Its food, and the country it inhabits, for half the year, being the same, neither could have produced those differences ; and we must believe it to be now, what it ever has been, and ever will be, a distinct connecting link in the great chain of this part of animated nature ; all the sublime reasoning of certain theoretical closet philoso- phers to the contrary notwithstanding. Length of the Hermit Thrush, seven inches ; extent, ten inches and a half; upper parts, plain deep olive brown ; lower, dull white ; upper part of the breast and throat, dull cream color, deepest where the plumage falls over the shoulders of the wing, and marked v/ith large dark brown pointed spots ; ear-feathers, and line over the eye, cream, the former mottled with olive ; edges of the wings, lighter ; tips, dusky ; tail-coverts and tail, inclining to a reddish fox color. In ^e Wood Thrush, these parts incline to greenish ohve. Tail, slightly forked ; legs, dusky ; bill, black above and at the tip, whitish below ; iris, black, and very full ; chin, whitish. The female diflTers very little, — chiefly in being generally darker in the tints, and having the spots on the breast larger and more dusky. 392 TAWNY THRUSH. TAWNY THRUSH. — TURDUS MUSTELINUS. — Fig. 180. Peak's Museum, No. 5570. TURDUS JfYZSOJV//. — Bonaparte.* Turdus Wilsonii, Bonap. Synop. p. 76. — Merula Wilsonii, North. Zool. ii. p. 183. This species makes its appearance in Pennsylvania from the south regularly about the beginning of May, stays with us a week or two, and passes on to the north and to the high mountainous districts to breed. It has no song, but a sharp chuck. About the 20th of May I met with numbers of them in the Great Pine Swamp, near Pocano ; and on the 25th of September, in the same year, I shot several of them in the neighborhood of Mr. Bartram's place. I have examined many of these birds in spring, and also on their return in fall, and found very little difference among them between the male and female. In some specimens the wing-coverts were brownish yellow ; these appeared to be young birds. I have no doubt but tliey breed in the northern high districts of the United States ; but I have not yet been able to discover their nests. The Tawny Thrash is ten inches long, and twelve inches in extent ; the whole upper parts are a uniform tawny brown ; the lower parts, white ; sides of the breast, and under the wings, slightly tinged with ash ; chin, white ; throat, and upper parts of the breast, cream colored, and marked with pointed spots of brown ; lores, pale ash, or bluish white ; cheeks, dusky brown ; tail, nearly even at the end, the shafts of all, as well as those of the wing-quills, continued a little beyond their webs ; bill, black above and at the point, below at the base, flesh colored ; corners of the mouth, yellow ; eye, large and dark, sur- rounded with a white ring ; legs, long, slender, and pale brown. Though I have given this bird the same name that Mr. Pennant has applied to one of our Thrushes, it must not be considered as the same ; the bird which he has denominated the Tawny Thrush being evidently, from its size, markings, &c. the Wood Thrush, already described. No description of this bird has, to my knowledge, appeared in any former pubhcation. * The Wood Thrush, the Hermit Thrush, and our present species, have so much similarity to each other, that they have been confused together, and their synonyms often misquoted by different authors. From these circumstances, the name of mustelinus, given by Wilson to this species, is incorrect ; and Bonaparte has de- servedly dedicated it to its first describer, a name which ought now to be used in our systems. Another bird has been also lost sidit of, in the a41iance which exists among those, and which will now rank as an addition to the Northern Fauna, the Turdus parvus of Edwards, and confounded by Bonaparte with the T. solitaria. From the observations of Dr. Richardson and J\Ir. Swanison, in the second volume of the Northern Zoology, there can be little doubt of its being distinct from any of the others just mentioned, and will be distinguished by the more rufous tinge of the upper parts. It was met by the Overland Expedition on the banks of the Sas- katchewan, where it is migratory in summer, and appears as nearly allied to the others in its habits, as it is in its external appearance. It spreads, no doubt, over the other parts of North America, getting more abundant, perhaps, towards the south. Mr. Swainson has received it from Georgia, and remarks that the rufous tinge of the plumage is much clearer and more intense in the southern specimens. — Ed. PINE-SWAMP WARBLER. 393 PINE-SWAMP WARBLER. — SYLVIA PUSILLA. — Fig. 181. FIREO SP/MGJVO&/?. — Jardine.* Sylvia sphagnosa, Bonap. Synop. p. 85. This little bird is, for tlie first time, figured or described. Its fa- vorite haunts are in the deepest and gloomiest pine and hemlock swamps of our mountainous regions, where every tree, trunk, and fallen log, is covered with a luxuriant coat of moss, that even mantles over the surface of the ground, and prevents the sportsman from avoiding a thousand holes, springs, and swamps, into which he is insensibly plunged. Of the nest of this bird I am unable to speak. I found it associated with the Blackburnian Warbler, the Golden-crested Wren, Ruby-crowned Wren, Yellow-Rump, and others of that description, in such places as I have described, about the middle of May. It seemed as active in flycatching as in searching for other insects, darting nimbly about among the branches, and flirting its wings ; but I could not perceive that it had either note or song. I shot three, one male and two females. I have no doubt that they breed in those solitary swamps, as well as many other of their associates. The Pine-Swamp Warbler is four inches and a quarter long,and seven inches and a quarter in extent ; bill, black, not notched, but furnished with bristles ; upper parts, a deep green olive, with slight bluish reflections, particularly on the edges of the tail and on the head ; wings, dusky, but so broadly edged with olive green as to appear wholly of that tint ; immediately below the primary coverts, there is a single trian- gular spot of yellowish white ; no other part of the. wings is white ; the three exterior tail-feathers, with a spot of white on their inner vanes ; the tail is slightly forked ; from the nostrils over the eye, extends a fine line of white, and the lower eyelid is touched with the same tint ; lores, blackish ; sides of the neck and auriculars, green olive ; whole lower parts, pale yellow ochre, with a tinge of greenish ; duskiest on the throat ; legs, long and flesh colored. The plumage of the female differs in nothing from that of the male. * This species seems evidently a Vireo. Bonaparte thus observes, in his No- menclature, and we have used his name : — ''A new species, called by a preoccu- pied name, but altered in the Index to that of leucoptera, which is used for one of Vieillot's species, and was, therefore, changed to that of palustris, by Stephens j but as this also is preoccupied, I propose for it the name of S. sphagnosa." — Ed. 394 PASSENGER PIGEON. PASSENGER PIGEON. — COLUMBA MIGRATORIA. — Fig. 182. Catesby, i. 23. — Linn. Syst. 285. — Turton, 479. — Arct. Zool. p. 322, No. 187. — Briss. i. 100. — Buff. ii. 327. — Peak's Museum, No. 5084. ECTOPISTES JillORjiTORM. — SwAiysoy.* Ectopisles, Swain. N. Groups, Zool. Journ. No. xi. p. 362. — Columba migratoria Bonap. Synop. p. 120. — The Passenger Pigeon, Aud. Orn. Biog. i. p. 319, male and female. — Columba (Ectopistes) migratoria. North. Zool. ii. p. 363. This remarkable bird merits a distinguished place in the annals of our feathered tribes, — a claim to which I shall endeavor to do justice ; and, though it would be impossible, in the bounds allotted to this * In all the large natural groups which have already come under our notice, we have seen a great variation of form, though the essential parts of it were always beautifully kept up. In the present immense family, 31r. Swainson has charac- terized the Passenger Pigeons under the name of Ectopistes, at once distinguished by their graceful and lengthened make, and well represented by the common Co- lumba migratoria and the Carolina Pigeon of our author. The nicer distinctions will be found in the slender bill, and the relative proportions of the feet and wings. As far as our knowledge extends, the group is confined to both the continents of America. A single individual of this species was shot, while perched on a wall, in the neighborhood of a pigeon-house at Westhall, in the parish of Monymeal,Fifeshire, in December, 1825. It came into the possession of Dr. Fleming, of Flisk, who has recorded its occurrence in his British Zoology. He remarks, that the feathers were quite fresh and entire, like a wild bird ; but we can only rank it as a very rare straggler. ]Mr. Audubon mentions having brought over 350 of these birds, when he last vis- ^ited this country, and distributed them among different country gentlemen. Lord Stanley received fifty of them, which he intended to turn out in his park, in the neighborhood of Liverpool. We have the following additional account from Audubon, of their flights, roost- ing, and destruction, in every thing corroborating the history of Wilson, but too interesting to pass by : — " Their great power of flight enables them to survey and pass over an astonish- ing extent of country in a very short time. Thus, Pigeons have been killed in tlie neVhborhood of New York, with their crops full of rice, which they must have collected in the fields of Georgia and Carolina, these districts being the nearest in which they could possibly have procured a supply of food. As their power of di- gestion is so great, that they will decompose food entirely in twelve hours, they must, in this case, have travelled between three and four hundred miles in six hours, which shows their speed to be, at an average, about one mile in a minute. A ve- locity such as this, would enable one of these birds, were it so inclined, to visit the European continent in less than three days. " In the autumn of 1813, I left my house at Henderson, on the banks of the Ohio, on my way to Louisville. In passing over the Barrens, a few miles beyond Hardensburgh, I observed the Pigeons flying from northeast to southwest, in greater numbers than I thought I had ever seen them before. I travelled on, and still met more, the farther I proceeded. The air was literally filled with Pigeons. The light of the noon clay was obscured as by an eclipse. The dung fell in spots not unlike melting flakes of snow 5 and the continued buzz of wings had a tendency to lull my senses to repose. " Pefore sunset I reached Louisville, distant from Hardensburgh fifty-five miles. The Pigeons were still passing in undiminished numbers, and continued to do so for tliree days in succession. The people were all iu arms. The .banks of the Ohio were crowded with men and boys, incessantly shooting at the pilgrims, which there J PASSENGER PIGEON. 395 account, to relate all I have seen and heard of this species, yet no circumstance shall be omitted with which I am acquainted, (however extraordinary some of these may appear,) that may tend to illustrate its history. flew lower as they passed the river. Multitudes were thus destroyed. For a week or more, tlie population led on no other flesh than that of Pigeons. The atmos- phere; during this time, was strongly impregnated with the peculiar odor which emanates I'rom the species." In estimating the number of these mighty flocks, and the food consumed by them daily, he adds, — " Let us take a column of one mile in breadth, which is iar below the average size, and suppose it passing over us, at the rate of one mile per minute. This will give us a parallelogram ol 180 miles by 1, covering 180 square miles 5 and, allowing two Pigeons to the square yard, we have one billion one hundred and fifteen millions one hundred and thirty-six thou- sand Pigeons in one flock 5 and, as every Pigeon consumes fully half a pint per day, the quantity required to feed such a flock, must be eight millions seven hun- dred and twelve thousand bushels per day." The accounts of their roosting places are as remarkable : — '' Let us now, kind reader, inspect their place of nightly rendezvous : — It was, as is always the case, in a portion of the forest where the trees were of great mag- nitude, and where there was little underwood. I rode through it upwards of forty miles, and, crosshi^it at different parts, found its average breadth to be rather more than three miles. Few Pi^-eons were to be seen before sunset; but a great number of persons, with horses and wagons, guns and ammunition, had already established encampments on the borders. Two farmers from the vicinity of Russelsville, dis- tant more than a hundred miles, had driven upwards of three hundred hogs, to be fattened on the Pigeons which were to be slaughtered. Here and there, the people employed in plucking and salting what had already been procured, were seen sitting in the midst of large piles of these birds. The dung lay several inches deep, cov- ering the whole extent of the roosting place, like a bed of snow. Many trees, two feet in diameter, I observed, were broken off at no great distance from the ground; and the branches of many of the largest and tallest had given way, as if the forest had been swept by a tornado. Every thing proved to me, that the number of birds resorting to this part of the forest, must be immense beyond conception. As the period of their arrival approached, their foes anxiously prepared to seize them. Some were furnished with iron pots, containing sulphur, others with torches of pine-knots, many with poles, and the rest with guns. The sun was lost to our view; yet not a Pigeon had arrived. Every thing was ready, and all eyes were gazing on the clear sky, which appeared in glimpses amidst the tall trees. Sud- denly, there burst forth a general cry of ' Here they come'.'' The noise which they made, though yet distant, reminded me of a hard gale at sea, passing through the rigging of a close-reefed vessel. As the birds arrived, and passed over me, I felt a current of air that surprised me. Thousands were soon knocked dow n by polemen. The current of birds, however, still kept increasing. The fires were lighted, and a most magnificent, as well as a wonderful and terrifying sight, presented itself. The Pigeons, coming in by thousands, alighted everywhere, one above another, until solid masses, as large as hogsheads, were formed on every tree, in all directions. Here and there the perches gave way under the weight with a crash, and, falling to the ground, destroyed hundreds of the birds beneath, forcing down the dense groups with which every slick was loaded. It was a scene of uproar and confusion. I found it quite useless to speak, or even to shout, to those persons who were nearest me. The reports, even, of the nearest guns, were seldom heard ; and I knew of the firing, only by seeing the shooters reloading. No one dared venture within the line of devastation ; the hogs had been penned up in due time, the picking up of the dead and wounded being left for the next morning's employment. The Pigeons were constantl}' coming ; and it was past midnight before I perceived a decrease in the number of those that arrived. The uproar continued, however, the whole night ; and. as I was anxious to know to what distance the sound reached, I sent off a man, accustomed to perambulate the forest, who, returning two hours afterwards, informed me he had heard it distinctly when three miles from the spot. Towards the approach of day, the noise rather subsided ; but, long ere objects were at all distinguishable, the Pigeons began to move off, in a direction quite 396 PASSENGER PIGEOxN. The Wild Picreon of the United States inhabits a wide and exten- sive region of North America, on this side of the great Stony Moun- tains, beyond which, to the westward, I have not heard of their being seen. According to Mr. Hutchins, they abound in the country round Hudson's Bay, where they usually remain as late as December, feeding, when the ground is covered with snow, on the buds of juniper. They spread over the whole of Canada ; were seen by Captain Lewis and his party near the Great Falls of the Missouri, upwards of 2500 miles from its mouth, reckoning the meanderings of the river; were also met with in the interior of Louisiana by Colonel Pike ; and extend their range as far south as the Gulf of Mexico ; occasionally visiting or breeding in almost every quarter of the United States. But the most remarkable characteristic of these birds is their as- sociating together, both in their migrations, and also during the period of incubation, in such prodigious numbers, as almost to surpass be- lief; and which has no parallel among any other of the feathered tribes on the face of the earth, with which naturalists are acquainted. These migrations appear to be undertaken ratlier in quest of food, than merely to avoid the cold of the climate ; since we find them lin- gering in the northern regions, around Hudson's Bay, so late as De- cember ; and, since their appearance is so casual and irregular, some- times not visiting certain districts for several years in any considerable numbers, while at other times they are innumerable. I have witnessed these migrations in the Genesee country, often in Pennsylvania, and also in various parts of Virginia, with amazement ; but all that I had then seen of them were mere straggling parties, when compared with the congregated millions which I have since beheld in our western forests, in the states of Ohio, Kentucky, and the Indiana territory. These fertile and extensive regions abound with the nutritious beech nut, which constitutes the chief food of the Wild Pigeon. In seasons when these nuts are abundant, corresponding multitudes of Pigeons may be confidently expected. It sometimes happens that, having con- sumed the whole produce of the beech trees, in an extensive district, they discover another, at the distance perhaps of sixty or eighty miles, to which they regularly repair every morning, and return as regularly in the course of the day, or in the evening, to their place of general rendezvous, or, as it is usually called, the roosting place. These roosting places are always in the woods, and sometimes occupy a large extent of forest. When they have frequented one of these places for some time, the appearance it exhibits is surprising. The ground is covered to tlie depth of several inches with their dung ; all the tender grass and underwood destroyed ; the surface strewed with large limbs of trees, broken down by the weight of the birds clustering one above different from that in which they had arrived the evening before ; and, at sunrise, all that were able to fly had disappeared. The iiovvlings of the wolves now reached our ears; and the foxes, lynxes, cougars, bears, raccoons, opossums, and pole-cats, were seen sneaking otT from the spot, wliilst Eagles and Hawks, of different species, accompanied by a crowd of V'ultures, came \o su])plant them, and enjoy their share of the spoil. It was then that the authors of all this devastation began their entry amongst the dead, the dying, and the mangled. The Pigeons were picked up and piled in heaps, until each had as many as he could possibly dispose of, when ihe hogs were let loose to feed on llie remainder." — Ed. PASSENGER PIGEON. 397 another ; and the trees themselves, for thousands of acres, killed as completely as if girdled with an axe. The marks of this desolation remain for many years on the spot; and numerous places could be pointed out, where, for several years after, scarcely a single vegetable made its appearance. When these roosts are first discovered, the inhabitants, from consid- erable distances, visit them in the night, with guns, clubs, long poles, pots of sulphur, and various other engines of destruction. In a few hours, they fill many sacks, and load their horses with them. By the Indians, a Pigeon roost, or breeding place, is considered an important source of national profit and dependence for that season; and all their active ingenuity is exercised on the occasion. The breeding place differs from the former in its greater extent. In the western countries above mentioned, these are generally in beech woods, and often" extend, in nearly a straight line, across the country for a great way. Not far from Shelbyville, in the state of Kentucky, about five years ago, there was one of these breeding places, which stretched through the woods in nearly a north and south direction ; was several miles in breadth, and was said to be upwards of forty miles in extent ! In this tract, almost every tree was furnished with nests, wherever the branches could accommodate them. The Pigeons made their first appearance there about the 10th of April, and left it altogether, with their young, before the 25th of May. x\s soon as the young were fully grown, and before they left the nests, numerous parties of the inhabitants, from all parts of the adjacent country, came with wagons, axes, beds, cooking utensils, many of them accompanied by the greater part of their families, and encamped for several days at this immense nursery. Several of them informed me, that the noise in the woods was so great as to terrify their horses, and that it was difficult for one person to hear another speak, without bawling in his ear. The groimd was strewed with broken limbs of trees, eggs, and young Squab Pigeons, which had been precipitated from above, and on which herds of hogs were fattening. Hawks, Buzzards, and Eagles, were sailing about in great numbers, and seizing the Squabs from their nests at pleasure ; while, from twenty feet upwards to the tops of the trees, the view through the woods presented a perpetual tumult of crowding and flutter- ing multitudes of Pigeons, their wings roaring like thunder, mingled with the frequent crash of falling timber ; for now the axe-men were at work, cutting down those trees that seemed to be most crowded with nests, and contrived to fell them in such a manner, that, in their descent, they might bring down several others ; by which means the falling of one large tree sometimes produced two hundred Squabs, little inferior in size to the old ones, and almost one mass of fat On some single trees, upwards of one hundred nests were found, each containing one young only ; a circumstance, in the history of this bird, not generally known to naturalists. It was dangerous to walk under these flying and fluttering millions, from the frequent fall of large branches, broken down by the weight of the multitudes above, and which, in their descent, often destroyed numbers of the birds them- selves ; while the clothes of those engaged in traversing the woods were completely covered with the excrements of the Pigeons. 34 i398 PASSENGER PIGEON. These circumstances were related to me by many of the most respectable part of the community in that quarter, and were confirmed, in part, by what I myself witnessed. I passed for several miles through this same breeding- place, where every tree was spotted with nests, the remains of those above described. In many instances, I counted upwards of ninety nests on a single tree; but the Pigeons had abandoned this place for another, sixty or eighty miles off, towards Green River, where they were said at that time to be equally numerous. From the great numbers that were constantly passing over head to or from that quarter, I had no doubt of the truth of this statement. The mast had been chiefly consumed in Kentucky, and the Pigeons, every morning, a little before sunrise, set out for the Indiana territory, tlie nearest part of which was about sixty miles distant Many of these returned before ten o'clock, and the great body generally appeared, on their return, a little after noon. I had left the public road to visit the remains of the breeding place near Shelbyville, and was traversing the woods with my gun, on my way to Frankfort, when, about one o'clock, the Pigeons, which I had observed flying the greater part of the morning northerly, began to return, in such immense numbers as I never before had witnessed. Coming to an opening, by the side of a creek called the Benson, where I had a more uninterrupted view, I was astonished at their appearance. They were flying, with great steadiness and rapidity, at a height beyond gunshot, in several strata deep, and so close together, that, could shot have reached them, one discharge could not have failed of bringing down several individuals. From right to left, far as the eye could reach, the breadth of this vast procession extended, seeming every where equally crowded. Curious to determine how long this appearance would continue, I took out my vt^atch to note the time, and sat down to observe them. It Avas then half past one. I sat for more than an hour, but instead of a diminution of this prodigious proces- sion, it seemed rather to increase both in numbers and rapidity ; and, anx- ious to reach Frankfort before night, I rose and went on. About four o'clock in the afternoon I crossed the Kentucky River, at the town of Frankfort, at which time the living torrent above my head seemed as numerous and as extensive as ever. Long after this I observed them, in large bodies, that continued to pass for six or eight minutes, and these again were followed by other detached bodies, all moving in the same south-east direction, till after six in the evening. The great breadth of front which this mighty multitude preserved would seem to intimate a corresponding breadth of tlieir breeding place, which, by several gen- tlemen, who "had lately passed through part of it, was stated to me at several miles. It was said to be in Green county, and tliat the young began to fly about the middle of March. On the 17th of April, forty- nine miles beyond Danville, and not far from Green River, I crossed this same breeding place, where the nests, for more than three miles, spotted every tree : the leaves not being yet out, I had a fair prospect of them, and was really astonished attheir numbers. A few bodies of Pigeons lingered yet in different pai-ts of the woods, the roaring of whose wings was heard in various quarters around me. All accounts agree in stating, that each nest contains only one young Squab. These are so extremely fat, that the Indians, and many PASSENGER PIGEON. 399 of the whites, are accustomed to melt down the fat for domestic pur- poses, as a substitute for butter and lard. At the time they leave the nest, they are nearly as heavy as the old ones ; but become much leaner after they are turned out to shift for themselves. It is universally asserted, in the western countries, that the Pigeons, though they have only one young at a time, breed thrice, and some- times four times, in the same season : the circumstances already men- tioned render this highly probable. It is also worthy of observation, that this takes place during that period when acorns, beech nuts, &c. are scattered about in the greatest abundance, and mellowed by the frost But they are not confined to these alone, — buckwheat, hemp- seed, Indian corn, hollyberries, hackberries, huckleberries, and many otliers, furnish them with abundance at almost all seasons. The acorns of the live oak are also eagerly sought after by these birds, and rice has been frequently found in individuals killed many hundred miles to the northward of the nearest rice plantation. The vast quan- tity of mast which these multitudes consume is a serious loss to the bears, pigs, squirrels, and other dependents on the fruits of the forest I have taken, from the crop of a single Wild Pigeon, a good handful of the kernels of beech nuts, intermixed with acorns and chestnuts. To form a rough estimate of the daily consumption of one of these immense flocks, let us first attempt to calculate the numbers of that above mentioned, as seen in passing between Frankfort and the In- diana territory : If we suppose this column to have been one mile in breadth, (and I believe it to have been much more,) and that it moved at the rate of one mile in a minute, four hours, the time it continued passing, would make its whole length two hundred and forty miles. Again, supposing that each square yard of this moving body compre- hended three Pigeons, the square yards in the whole space, multiplied by three, Avould give two thousand two hundred and thirty millions, two hundred and seventy-two thousand Pigeons ! — an almost incon- ceivable multitude, and yet probably far below the actual amount Computing each of these to consume half a pint of mast daily, the whole quantity at this rate would equal seventeen millions, four hun- dred and twenty-four thousand bushels per day ! Heaven has wisely and graciously given to these birds rapidity of flight and a disposition to range over vast uncultivated tracts of the earth, otherwise they must have perished in the districts where they resided, or devoured up the whole productions of agriculture, as well as those of the forests. A few observations on the mode of flight of these birds must not be omitted : the appearance of large detached bodies of them in the air, and the various evolutions they display, are strikingly picturesque and interesting. In descending the Ohio by myself, in the month of Feb- ruary, I often rested on my oars to contemplate their aerial manoeu- vres. A column, eight or ten miles in length, would appear from Ken- tucky, high in air, steering across to Indiana. The leaders of this great body would sometimes gradually vary their course, until it formed a large bend, of more than a mile in diameter, those behind tracing the exact route of their predecessors. This would continue sometimes long after both extremities were beyond the reach of sight; 60 that the whole, with its glittery undulations, marked a space on the face of the heavens resembling the windings of a vast and majestic 400 PASSEx\GER PIGEON. river. When this bend became very great, the birds, as if sensible of the unnecessary circuitous course they were taking, suddenly changed their direction, so that what was in column before became an immense front, straightening all its indentures, until it swept the heav- ens in one vast and infinitely extended line. Other lesser bodies also united with each other as they happened to approach, with such ease and elegance of evolution, forming new figures, and varying these as they united or separated, that I never was tired of contemplating them. Sometimes a Hawk would make a sweep on a particular part of the column, from a great height, when, almost as quick as light- ning, that part shot downwards out of the common track ; but, soon rising again, continued advancing at the same height as before. This inflection was continued by those behind, who, on arriving at this point, dived down, almost perpendicularly, to a great depth, and rising, followed the exact path of those that went before. As these vast bodies passed over the river near me, the surface of the water, which was before smooth as glass, appeared marked with innumerable dim- ples, occasioned by the dropping of their dung, resembling the com- mencement of a shower of large drops of rain or hail. Happening to go ashore, one charming afternoon, to purchase some milk at a house that stood near the river, and while talking with the people within doors, I was suddenly struck with astonishment at a loud rushing roar, succeeded by instant darkness, which, on the first moment, I took for a tornado, about to overwhelm the house and every thing around in destruction. The people, observing my surprise, cool- ly said, " It is only the Pigeons ;" and, on running out, I beheld a flock, thirty or forty yards in width, sweeping along very low, between the house and the mountain, or height, that formed the second bank of the river. These continued passing for more than a quarter of an hour, and at length varied their bearing so as to pass over the mountain, behind which they disappeared before the rear came up. In the Atlantic States, tliough they never appear in such unpar- alleled multitudes, they are sometimes very numerous ; and great havoc is then made amongst them with the gun, the clap net, and va- rious other implements of destruction. As soon as it is ascertained in a town that the Pigeons are flying numerously in the neighborhood, the gunners rise en masse ; the clap nets are spread out on suitable situations, commonly on an open height in an old buckwheat field ; four or five live Pigeons, with their eyelids sewed up, are fastened on a moveable stick — a small hut of branches is fitted up for the fowler, at the distance of forty or fifty yards — by the pulling of a string, the stick on which the Pigeons rest, is alternately elevated and depressed, which produces a fluttering of their wings similar to that of birds just alighting ; this being perceived by the passing flocks, they descend with great rapidity, and, finding corn, buckwheat, &c., strewed about, begin to feed, and are instantly, by the pulling of a cord, covered by the net. In this manner, ten, twenty, and even thirty dozen, have been caught at one sweep. Meantime, the air is darkened with large bodies of them, moving in various directions ; the woods also swarm with them in search of acorns ; and the thundering of musketry is perpetual on all sides, from morning to night Wagon loads of them are poured into market, where tliey sell from fitly to twenty-five, and PASSENGER PIGEOiN. 401 even twelve cents, per dozen ; and Pigeons become the order of the day at dinner, breakfast, and supper, until the very name becomes sickening. When they have been kept alive, and fed for some time on corn and buckwheat, their flesh acquires great superiority ; but, in their common state, they are dry and blackish, and far inferior to the full grown young ones, or Squabs. The nest of the Wild Pigeon is formed of a few dry slender twigs, carelessly put together, and with so little concavity, that the young one, when half grown, can easily be seen from below. The eggs are pure white. Great numbers of Hawks, and sometimes the Bald Eagle himself, hover about those breeding places, and seize the old or the young from the nest, amidst the rising multitudes, and with the most daring effrontery. The young, when beginning to fly, confine them- selves to the under part of the tall woods, where there is no brush, and where nuts and acorns are abundant, searching among the leaves for mast, and appear like a prodigious torrent rolling along through the woods, every one striving to be in the front. Vast numbers of them are shot while in this situation. A person told me, that he once rode furiously into one of these rolling multitudes, and picked up thirteen Pigeons, which had been trampled to death by his horse's feet In a few minutes they will beat the whole nuts from a tree with their wings, ■while all is a scramble, both above and below, for the same. They have the same cooing notes common to domestic Pigeons, but much less of their gesticulations. In some flocks you wdll find nothing but yoimg ones, which are easily distinguishable by their motley dress.. In others, they will be mostly females ; and again, great multitudes of males, with few or no females. I cannot account for this in any other way than that, during the time of incubation, the males are ex- clusively engaged in procuring food, both for themselves and their mates ; and the young, being unable yet to undertake these extensive excm'sions, associate together accordingly. But, even in winter, I know of several species of birds who separate in this manner, particu- larly the Red-winged Starling, among whom thousands of old males may be found, with few or no young or females along with them. Stragglers from these immense armies settle in almost every part of the country, particularly among the beech woods, and in the pine and hemlock woods of the eastern and northern parts of the conti- nent. Mr. Pennant informs us, that they breed near Moose Fort, at Hudson's Bay, in N. lat. 51°, and I myself have seen the remains of a large breeding place as far south as the country of the Chactaws, in lat. 3*2°. In the former of these places they are said to remain until De- cember ; from which circumstance, it is evident that they are not reg- ular in their migrations, like many other species, but rove about, as scarcity of food urges them. Every spring, however, as well as fall, more or less of them are seen in the neighborhood of Philadelphia : but it is only once in several years that they appear in such formida- ble bodies ; and this commonly when the snows are heavy to the north, the winter here more than usually mild, and acorns, &lc., abun- dant. The Passenger Pigeon is sixteen inches long, and twenty-four inches in extent ; bill, black ; nostril, covered by a high rounding protu- berance ; eye, brilliant fiery orange ; orbit or space surrounding it, 34* 402 BLUE MOUNTAIN WARBLER. purplish flesh colored skin ; head, upper part of the neck, and chin, a fine slate blue, lightest on the chin ; throat, breast, and sides, as far as the thighs, a reddish hazel ; lower part of the neck, and sides of the same, resplendent changeable gold, green, and purplish crimson, the latter most predominant ; the ground color, slate ; the plumage of this part is of a peculiar structure, ragged at the ends ; belly and vent, white ; lower part of the breast, fading into a pale vinaceous red ; thighs, the same ; legs and feet, lake, seamed with white ; back, rump, and tail-coverts, dark slate, spotted on the shoulders with a few scattered marks of black ; the scapulars tinged with brown ; greater coverts, light slate ; primaries and secondaries, dull black, the former tipped and edged with brownish white ; tail, long, and greatly cunei- form, all the feathers tapering towards the point, the two middle ones plain deep black, the other five, on each side, hoary white, lightest near the tips, deepening into bluish near the bases, where each is crossed on the inner vane with a broad spot of black, and nearer the root with another of ferruginous ; primaries, edged with white ; bas- tard wing, black. The female is about half an inch shorter, and an inch less in ex- tent ; breast, cinereous brown ; upper part of the neck, inclining to ash ; the spot of changeable gold, green, and carmine, much less, and not so brilliant ; tail-coverts, brownish slate ; naked orbits, slate col- ored ; in all other respects like the male in color, but less vivid, and more tinged with brown ; the eye not so brilliant an orange. In both, the tail has only twelve feathers. BLUE MOUNTAIN WARBLER. — SYLVIA MONTANA.— Fig. 183. SYLVICOLA M0JVTj1J\''^.— J ARDisE* Sylvia tigrina, Bojtap. Synop. p. 82. This new species was first discovered near that celebrated ridge, or range of mountains, with Avhose name I have honored it. Several of these solitary Warblers remain yet to be gleaned up from the airy heights of our alpine scenery, as well as from the recesses of our swamps and morasses, whither it is my design to pursue them by ev- ery opportunity. Some of these, I believe, rarely or never visit the lower cultivated parts of the country ; but seem only at home among the glooms and silence of those dreary solitudes. The present spe- cies seems of that family, or subdivision, of the Warblers, that ap- proach the Flycatcher, darting after flies wherever they see them, and also searching with great activity among the leaves. Its song was a feeble screep, three or four times repeated. * Bonaparte is inclined to think tlial this is the Sylxna tigrina of Latham. He acknowledtjes, however, not having seen the bird, and, as we have no means at present of deciding the queslion, have retained Wilson's name. Both this and the following will range in Sijlvicola. — 'ED. HEMLOCK WARBLER. 403 This species is four inches and three quarters in length ; the upper parts, a rich, yellow olive ; front, cheeks, and chin, yellow, also the sides of the neck ; breast and belly, pale yellow, streaked with black or dusky ; vent, plain pale yellow ; wings, black ; first and second row of coverts, broadly tipped with pale yellowish white ; tertials, the same ; the rest of the quills, edged with whitish ; tail, black, hand- somely rounded, edged with pale olive ; the two exterior feathers, on each side, white on the inner vanes from the middle to the tips, and edged on the outer side with white ; bill, dark brown ; legs and feet, purple brown ; soles, yellow ; eye, dark hazel. This was a male. The female I have never seen. HEMLOCK WARBLER. — SYLVIA PARUS. — Fig. 184. SYLVICOLA PjSRUS. — Jahdij^il. Sylvia parus, Bonap. Synop. p. 82. This is another nondescript, first met with in the Great Pine Swamp, Pennsylvania. From observing it almost always among the branches of the hemlock trees, I have designated it by that appella- tion, the markings of its plumage not aflTording m.e a peculiarity suffi- cient for a specific name. It is a most lively and active little bird, climbing among the twigs, and hanging like a Titmouse on the branches ; but possessing all the external characters of the Warblers. It has a few low and very sweet notes, at which times it stops and re- peats them for a short time, then darts about as before. It shoots after flies to a considerable distance ; often begins at the lower branches, and hunts with great regularity and admirable dexterity, upwards to the top, then flies off to the next tree, at the lower branches of which it commences hunting upwards as before. This species is five inches and a half long, and eight inches in ex- tent; bill, black above, pale below; upper parts of the plumage, black, thinly streaked with yellow olive ; head above, yellow, dotted with black ; line from the nostril over the eye, sides of the neck, and whole breast, rich yellow ; belly, paler, streaked with dusky ; round the breast, some small streaks of blackish ; wing, black, the greater coverts, and next superior row, broadly tipped with white, forming two broad bars across the wing ; primaries, edged with olive, tertials, with white ; tail-coverts, black, tipped with olive ; tail, slightly forked, black, and edged with olive ; the three exterior feathers altogether white on their inner vanes ; legs and feet, dirty yellow ; eye, dark hazel ; a few bristles at the mouth ; bill, not notched. Fig. 184 was a male. Of the female I can at present give no ac- count 404 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. SHARP-SHINNED HAWK. — FALCO VELOX.— Fig. 185. ACCIPITER P£JVJVSFZrj3JV7Ci7S. — SwAiNso>-. — YOUNG female. Autour a bee sineuse, Temm. PL Col. 67. This is a bold and daring species, hitherto unknown to naturalists. The only Hawk we have which approaches near it in color is the Pigeon Hawk, already figured in this work. But there are such Strik- ing differences in the present, not only in color, but in other respects, as to point out decisively its claims to rank as a distinct species. Its long and slender legs and toes — its red fiery eye, feathered to the eyelids — its triangular grooved nostril, and length of tail, — are all different from the Pigeon Hawk, whose legs are short, its eyes dark hazel, surrounded with a broad bare yellow skin, and its nostrils small and circular, centered with a slender point that rises in it like the pis- til of a flower. There is no Hawk mentioned by Mr. Pennant, either as inhabiting Europe or America, agreeing with this. I may, there- fore, with confidence, pronounce it a nondescript ; and have chosen a very singular peculiarity which it possesses for its specific appella- tion. This Hawk was shot on the banlvs of the Schuylkill, near Mr. Bar- tram's. Its singularity of flight surprised me long before I succeeded in procuring it. It seemed to throw itself from one quarter of the heavens to the other, with prodigious velocity, inclining to the earth, swept suddenly down into a thicket, and instantly reappeared witli a small bird in its talons. This feat I saw it tv.'ice perfonn, so that it was not merely an accidental manoeuvre. The rapidity and seeming violence of these zigzag excursions were really remarkable, and ap- peared to me to be for the purpose of seizing his prey by sudden sur- prise and main force of flight. I kept this Hawk alive for several days, and was hopeful I might be able to cure him ; but he died of his wound. On the loth of September, two young men whom I had despatched on a shooting expedition, met with this species on one of the ranges of the Alleghany. It was driving around in the same furious headlong manner, and had made a sweep at a red squirrel, which eluded its grasp, and itself became the victim. These are the only individuals of this bird I have been able to procure, and fortunately they were male and female. The female of this species (represented in Fig. 185) is thirteen inches long, and twenty-five inches in extent ; the bill is black towards the point on both mandibles, but light blue at its base ; cere, a fine pea green ; sides of tbe mouth, the same ; lores, pale whitish blue, beset with hairs ; crown and whole upper parts, very dark brown, every feather narrowly skirted with a bright rust color; over the eye a stripe of yellowish white, streaked with deep brown ; primaries, spotted oji their inner vanes with black ; secondaries, crossed on both vanes with three bars of dusky, below the coverts ; inner vanes of both primaries a.nd secondaries, brownish white ; all the scapulars marked with large REDSTART. 405 round spots of white, not seen unless the plumage be parted witli the hand ; tail long, nearly even, crossed with four bars of black and as many of brown ash, and tipt with white ; throat and whole lower parts, pale yellowish white ; the former marked with fine long-pointed spots of dark brown, the latter with large oblong spots of reddish brown ; femorals, thickly marked with spade-formed spots on a pale rufous ground ; legs, long, and feathered a little below the knee, of a greenish yellow color, most yellow at the joints ; edges of the inside of the shins, below the knee, projecting like the edge of a knife, hard and sharp, as if intended to enable the bird to hold its prey with more security be- tween them; eye, brilliant yellow, sunk below a projecting cartilage. The male was nearly two inches shorter ; the upper parts, dark brown ; the feathers, skirted with pale reddish, the front streaked with the same ; cere, greenish yellow ; lores, bluish ; bill, black, as in tiie female ; streak over the eye, lighter than in the former ; chin, white ; breast the same, streaked with brown ; bars on the tail, rather narrower, but in tint and number the same ; belly and vent, white ; feet and shins, exactly as in the female ; the toes have the same pendulous lobes which mark those of the female, and of which the representation in the plate will give a correct idea ; the wings barred with black, very noticeable on the lower side. Since writing the above, I have shot another specimen of this Hawk, corresponding in almost every particular with the male last mentioned ; and which, on dissection, also proves to be a male. This last had within the grasp of his sharp talons a small lizard, just killed, on which he was about to feed. How he contrived to get possession of it appeared to me matter of surprise, as lightning itself seems scarcely more fleet than this little reptile. So rapid are its motions, that, in passing from one place to another, it vanishes, and actually eludes the eye in running a distance of twelve or fifteen feet. It is frequently seen on fences that are covered with gray moss and lichen, which in color it very much resembles ; it seeks shelter in hollow trees, and also in the ground about their decayed roots. They are most numerous in hilly parts of the country, particularly on the declivities of the Blue Moun- tain, among the crevices of rocks and stones. When they are disposed to run, it is almost impossible to shoot them, as they disappear at the first touch of the trigger. For the satisfaction of the curious, 1 have introduced a full-sized figure of this lizard, which is known in many parts of the country by the name of the Swift. REDSTART. — MUSCICAP A RUTICILLA. — Fig. 166. Edw. 257. — Yellow Tail, Arct. Zool. ii. p. 4«G, No. 301. SETOPHAOA RUTICILLA. — Swainson. By recurring to Fig. 24, the male of this species may be seen in his perfect dress. Fig. 186 represents the young bird as he appears for 406 YELLOW-RUMP WARBLER. the first two seasons ; the female differs very little from this, chiefly in the green olive being more inclined to ash. This is one of our summer birds, and, from the circumstance of being found off Hispaniola in November, is supposed to winter in the islands. They leave Pennsylvania about the 20th of September ; are dexterous flycatchers, though ranked by European naturalists among the Warblers, having the bill notched and beset with long bristles. In its present dress the Redstart makes its appearance in Pennsyl- vania about the middle or 20th of April ; and, from being heard chanting' its few sprightly notes, has been supposed by some of our own natural- ists to be a different species. I have, however, found both parents of the same nest in the same dress nearly ; the female, eggs and nest, as well as the notes of the male, agreeing exactly with those of the Red- start, — evidence sufficiently satisfactory to me. Head above, dull slate ; throat, pale buff; sides of the breast and four exterior tail feathers, fine yellow, tipt with dark brown ; wings and back, greenish olive ; tail-coverts, blackish, tipt with ash ; belly, dull white ; no white or yellow on the wings ; legs, dirty purplish brown ; bill, black. The Redstart extends very generally over the United States, having myself seen it on the borders of Canada, and also on the Mississippi territory. This species has the constant habit of flirting its expanded tail from side to side, as it runs along the branches, with its head levelled almost in a line with its body ; occasionally shooting off after winged insects, in a downward zigzag direction, and, with admirable dexterity, snapping its bill as it descends. Its notes are few and feeble, repeated at short intervals, as it darts among the foliage ; having at some times a re- semblance to the sounds, sic, sic, saic ; at others, iveesy, weesy, iveesy ; which last seems to be its call for the female, while the former appears to be its most common note. YELLOW-RUMP WARBLER. — SYLVIA CORONATA. — Fig. 187. Edw. 255. — Arct. Zool. ii. p. 400, No. 288. SYLVICOLA COiiOJW37\/3.—SwAIIt30N.— WINTER PLUMAGE. Sylvia coronata, Bonap. Sijnop.p.lS. — Sylvicola coronata, North. Zool. ii. p. 210. I MUST again refer the reader to Fig. 80 for this bird in his perfect colors; Fig. 187 exhibits him in his winter dress, as he arrives to us, from the north, early in September ; the former shows him in his spring and summer dress, as he visits us, from the south, about the 20th of March. These birds remain with us, in Pennsylvania, from September, until the season becomes severely cold, feeding on the berries of the red cedar ; and, as December's snows come on, they retreat to the lower countries of the Southern States, where, in February, I found them in great numbers, among the myrtles, feeding on the berries of SLATE-COLORED HAWK. 407 that shrub ; from which circumstance, they are usually called, in that quarter. Myrtle Birds. Their breeding place I suspect to be in our northern districts, among the swamps and evergreens so abundant there, having myself shot them in the Great Pine Swamp about the middle of May. They range along our whole Atlantic coast in winter, seeming par- ticularly fond of the red cedar and the myrtle ; and I have found them numerous, in October, on the low islands along the coast of New Jersey, in the same pursuit. They also dart after flies, wherever they can see them, generally skipping about with the wings loose. Length, five inches and a quarter ; extent, eight inches; upper parts and sides of the neck, a dark mouse brown, obscurely streaked on the back with dusky black ; lower parts, pale dull yellowish white ; breast, marked with faint streaks of brown ; chin and vent, white ; rump, vivid yellow ; at each side of the breast, and also on the crown, a spot of fainter yellow ; this last not observable, without separating the plumage ; bill, legs, and wings, black ; lesser coverts, tipt with brownish white ; tail-coverts, slate ; the three exterior tail-feathers marked on their inner vanes with white ; a touch of the same on the upper and lower eyelid. Male and female at this season nearly alike. They begin to change about the middle of February ; and, in four or five weeks, are in their slate-colored dress, as represented in the figure referred to. SLATE-COLORED HAWK. — FALCO PENNSYLVANICUS.— Fig. 188. ACCIPITER PKYJ^SYLVJlJ^ICUS. — Svr AimoTf.* Falco velox, Bonap. Synop. p. 29. — Autour a bee sineuse, Temm. PL Col. 67. (young.) — Accipiter Pennsylvanicus, North. Zool. ii. p. 44. This elegant and spirited little Hawk is a native of Pennsylvania, and of the Atlantic states generally ; and is now for the first time in- troduced to the notice of the public. It frequents the more settled parts of the country, chiefly in winter; is at all times a scarce species ; flies wide, very irregular, and swiftly ; preys on lizards, mice, and small birds, and is an active and daring little hunter. It is drawn of full size, from a very beautiful specimen shot in the neighborhood of Philadel- phia. The bird within his grasp is the Tanagra rubra, or Black- winged * It is now satisfactorily ascertained that this, and the Falco velox oi¥\g. 185 are the same species, the latter representing the plumage of the young female. The changes and differences are the same with those of the common European Sparrow Hawk, Accipiter nisus. This bird most probably extends to the intertropical parts of South America. Its occurrence far to the northward is not so common. It was not met with by Dr. Richardson ; and the authority of its existence in the Fur Countries rests on a speci- men in the Hudson's Bay Company Museum, killed at Moose Factory. It very nearly resembles two small species from Mexico, the A. fringilloides of Mr. Vigors, and one newly characterized by Mr. Swainson as A. Mexicanus. — Ed. 408 SLATE-COLORED HAWK. Red-Bird, in its green or first year's dress. In the spring of the suc- ceeding year the green and yellow plumage of this bird becomes of a most splendid scarlet, and the wings and tail deepen into a glossy black. For a particular account of this Tanager, see page 125 of the present work. The great difficulty of accurately discriminating between different species of the Hawk tribe, on account of the various appearances they assume at different periods of their long lives, at first excited a suspi- cion that this might be one of those with which I was already ac- quainted, in a different dress, namely, the Sharp-shinned Hawk, just de- scribed ; for such are the changes of color to which many individuals of this genus are subject, that, unless the naturalist has recourse to those parts that are subject to little or no alteration in the full-grown bird, viz. the particular conformation of the legs, nostril, tail, and the relative length of the latter to that of the wings, also the peculiar character of the countenance, he will frequently be deceived. By comparing these, the same species may often be detected under a very different garb. Were all these changes accurately known, there is no doubt but the number of species of this tribe, at present enumerated, would be greatly diminished, the same bird having been described by certain writers, three, four, and even five different times, as so many distinct species. Testing, however, the present Hawk by the rules above mentioned, I have no hesitation in considering it as a species different from any hitherto described ; and I have classed it accordingly. The Slate-colored Hawk is eleven inches long, and twenty-one inches in extent ; bill, blue black ; cere and sides of the mouth, dull green ; eyelid, yellow ; eye, deep sunk under the projecting eyebrow, and of a fiery orange color ; upper parts of a fine slate ; primaries, brown black, and, as well as the secondaries, barred with dusky; scap- ulars, spotted with white and brown, which is not seen, unless the plumage be separated by the hand ; all the feathers above are shafled M'ith black ; tail, very slightly forked, of an ash color, faintly tinged with brown, crossed with four broad bands of black, and tipt with white ; tail, three inches longer than the wings : over the eye extends a streak of dull white ; chin, white, mixed with fine black hairs ; breast and belly, beautifully variegated with ferruginous and transverse spots of white ; femorals, the same ; vent, pure white ; legs, long, very slender, and of a rich orange yellow ; claws, black, large, and remarkably sharp ; lining of the wing, thickly marked with heart-shaped spots of black. This bird, on dissection, was found to be a male. In the month of February, I shot another individual of this species, near Hampton, in Virginia, which agreed almost exactly with the present GROUND DOVE. 409 GROUND DOVE. — COLUMBA PASSERINA.— Fig. 189, Male ; Fig. 190, Female. Lynn. Syst. 285. — Sloan. Jam. ii. 305. — Le Cocotzin, Fernandez, 24. — Buff. ii. 559. PL enl. 243. — Turt. Syst. 478. — Columba minuta, Ibid. p. 479. — Arct. Zool. p. 328, No. 191.-- Catesb. i.26. — La petite tourterelle d'Amerique, Briss. i. 113. CHJEMEPELM PASSERIJ^T.^. — Swai nso n. Chaemepelia, Swain. N. Groups. Zool. Journ. No. XI. p. 361. — Columba passeri- na, (sub-genus Goura,) Bonap. Synop. p. 120. This is one of the least of the Pigeon tribe, whose timid and inno- cent appearance forms a very striking contrast to the ferocity of the preceding bird. Such as they are in nature, such I have endeavored faithfully to represent them. I have been the more particular with this minute species, as no correct figure of it exists' in any former work with which I am acquainted. The Ground Dove is a native of North and South Carolina, Georgia,, the new state of Louisiana, Florida, and the islands of the West In- dies. In the latter, it is frequently kept in cages ; is esteemed excel- lent for the table, and honored by the French planters with the name of Ortolan. They are numerous in the sea islands on the coast of Carolina and Georgia ; fly in flocks, or coveys, of fifteen or twenty ; seldom visit the woods, preferring open fields and plantations; are almost constantly on the ground, and, when disturbed, fly to a short distance, and again alight. They have a frequent jetting motion with the tail ; feed on rice, various seeds and berries, particularly those of the toothach tree,* under or near which, in the proper season, they are almost sure to be found. Of their nest, or manner of breeding, I am unable at present to give any account These birds seem to be confined to the districts lying south of Vir- ginia. They are plenty on the upper parts of Cape Fear River, and in tiie interior of Carolina and Georgia; but I never have met with them either in Maryland, Delaware, or Pennsylvania. They never congre- gate in such multitudes as the Common Wild Pigeon ; or even as the Carolina Pigeon, or Turtle Dove ; but, like the Partridge, or Quail, frequent the open fields in small coveys. They are easily tamed ; have a low, tender, cooing note, accompanied with the usual gesticu- tions of their tribe. The Ground Dove is a bird of passage, retiring to the islands, and to the more southerly parts of the continent, on the approach of win- ter, and returning to its former haunts early in April. It is of a more slender and delicate form, and less liable to bear the rigors of cold, than either of the other two species common in the United States, both of which are found in the northern regions of Canada, as well as in the genial climate of Florida. * Xanthoxylum Clava Herculis. 35 410 GROUND DOVE. The Dove, generally speaking, has long been considered as the fa- vorite emblem of peace and innocence, probably from the respectful manner in which its name is mentioned in various parts of Scripture ; its being selected from among all the birds, by Noah, to ascertain the state of the deluge, and returning to the ark, bearing the olive leaf, as a messenger of peace and good tidings ; the Holy Ghost, it is also said, was seen to descend like a Dove from heaven, &c. In addition to these, there is in the Dove an appearance of meekness and innocency very interesting, and well calculated to secure our partiality in its favor. These remarks are applicable to the whole genus ; but are more particularly so to the species now before us, as being among the least, the most delicate, and inoffensive of the whole. The Ground Dove is six inches and a quarter long ; bill, yellow, black at the point ; nostril, covered with a prominent membrane, as is usual with the genus ; iris of the eye, orange red ; front, throat, breast, and sides of the neck, pale vinaceous purple ; the feathers, strongly defined by semicircular outlines, those on the throat, centered with dusky blue ; crown and hind head, a fine pale blue, intermixed with purple, the plumage, like that on the throat, strongly defined ; back, cinereous brown, the scapulars deeply tinged with pale purple, and marked with detached drops of glossy blue, reflecting tints of pur- ple ; belly, pale vinaceous brown, becoming dark cinereous towards the vent, where the feathers are bordered with white ; wing-quills, dusky outwardly, and at the tips ; lower sides, and Avhole interior vanes, a fine red chestnut, which shows itself a little below their cov- erts ; tail, rounded, consisting of twelve feathers, the two middle ones cinereous brown, the rest black, tipped and edged with white ; legs and feet, yellow. The female has the back and tail-coverts of a mouse color, with lit- tle or none of the vinaceous tint on the breast and throat, nor any of the light blue on the hind head ; the throat is speckled with dull white, pale clay color, and dusky ; sides of the neck, the same, the plumage strongly defined ; breast, cinereous brown, slightly tinctured with purple ; scapulars, marked with large drops of a dark purplish blood color, reflecting tints of blue ; rest of the plumage, nearly the same as that of the male. SNIPE. 411 SNIPE. — SCOLOPAX GALLINAGO ? — Fig. 191. La Beccassine, Briss. v. 298, pi. 26, fig. 1. — Lath. Syn. iii. 134. SCOLOPAX JVJLSOJK-JL — TEMMifiCK.* Scolopax Wilsonii, Temm. PI. Col. Note to description of S. Gigantca. — Bonap. Synop. p. 330. — Monog. del Gen. Scolopax Osserv. Sulla, 2d edit. Del. Reg, Anini. p. 120. — Scolopax Brehmii, Bonap. Observ. on Nomencl. This bird is well known to our sportsmen ; and, if not the same, has a very near resemblance to the Common Snipe of Europe. It is usu- ally known by the name of the English Snipe, to distinguish it from the Woodcock, and from several others of the same genus. It arrives * Five or six species of Snipes are so much allied in the colors and general marking of the plumage, that a very narrow examination is often necessary for their determination 5 from this reason, the birds from America, Asia, and the Indian continent, were considered as identical, and a much wider geographical range allot- ted to the European Snipe than it was generally entitled to. Wilson had some doubts of this bird being the same with the European Snipe, as he marks his name with a query, and observed the difference in the number of tail-feathers. Bona- parte observed the difference as soon as his attention was turned to the ornithology of America ; and, about the same time, a new Snipe was described by Mr. Kaup, in the Isis, as found occasionally, in cold winters, in the north of Germany. The Prince of Musignano, on comparing this description with the American species, from their very close alliance, judged them identical ; while, in the mean time, Temminck, comparing both together, perceived distinctions, and dedicated that of America to her own ornithologist — an opinion which Bonaparte afterwards con- firmed, and adopted in his monograph of that genus. Mr. Swainson has introduced a Snipe, which he thinks is distinct, killed on the Rocky Mountains, and named by him S. Drummondii ; and another, killed on the Columbia, which he calls S. Douglasii. The first " is common in the Fur Coun- tries up to lat. 65°, and is also found in the recesses of the Rocky Mountains. It is intermediate in size between the S. major and gallinago ; it has a much longer bill than the latter, and two more tail-featiiers. Its head is divided by a pale central stripe, as in S. gallinula and Jiiajor ; its dorsal plumage more distinctly striped than that of the latter ; and the outer tail-feather is a quarter of an inch shorter than that of ;S. Douglasii." The latter, in Mr. Swainson's collection, has the tail of six- teen feathers, not narrowed, all banded with ferruginous, except the outer pair, which are paler ; total length, eleven and a half inches. Most of the Snipes partially migrate in their native countries, and some perform a regular distant migration. Such is the case with the S. gaUintda of Europe. The American species is a winter visitant in the Northern States, and will most probably breed farther to the south, without leaving the country. In India, the Snipes move according to the supply of water in the tanks, and, at the season when ihey are comparatively dry, leave that district entirely. In this country, although many breed in the mosses, we have a large accession of numbers about the middle of September, both from the wilder high grounds, and from the continent of Europe ; and these, according to the weather, change their stations during the whole winter. Their movements are commenced generally about twilight, when they fly high, sur- veying the country as they pass, and, one day, may be found in abundance on the highest moorland ranges, while, the next, they have removed to some low and shel- tered glade or marsh. In this we have a curious instance of that instinctive knowledge which causes so simultaneous a change of station in a single night. By close observation, during the winter months, it may be regularly perceived, some- times even daily, and some change certainly takes place before and after any sud- den variation of weather. — Ed . 412 SNIPE. in Pennsylvania about the 10th of March, and remains in the low grounds for several weeks ; the greater part then move off to the north, and to the higher inland districts, to breed. A few are occa- sionally found, and consequently breed, in our low marshes, during the summer. When they first arrive, they are usually lean; but, when in good order, are accounted excellent eating. They are per- haps the most difficult to shoot of all our birds, as they fly in sudden zigzag lines, and very rapidly. Great numbers of these birds winter on the rice grounds of the Southern States, where, in the month of February, they appeared to be much tamer than they are usually here, as I frequently observed them running about among the springs and watery thickets. I was told by the inhabitants that they generally dis- appeared early in the spring. On the 20th of March, I found these birds extremely numerous on the borders of the ponds near Louisville, Kentucky, and also in the neighborhood of Lexington, in the same state, as late as the 10th of April. I was told by several people that they are abimdant in the Illinois country, up as far as Lake Michigan. They are but seldom seen in Pennsylvania during the summer, but are occasionally met with in considerable numbers on their return in au- tumn, along the whole eastern side of the Alleghany, from the sea to the mountains. They have the same soaring, irregular flight in the air, in gloomy weather, as the Snipe of Europe ; the same bleating note and occasional rapid descent ; spring from the marshes with the like feeble squeak ; and in every respect resemble the Common Snipe of Britain, except in being about an inch less, and in having sixteen feathers in the tail, instead of fourteen, — the number said by Bewick to be in that of Europe. From these circumstances, we must eitlier conclude this to be a different species, or partially changed by differ- ence of climate ; the former appears to me the most probable opinion of the two. These birds abound in the meadows and low grounds along our large rivers, particularly those that border the Schuylkill and Dela- ware, from the 10th of March to the middle of April, and sometimes later, and are eagerly sought after by many of our gunners. The na- ture of the grounds, however, which these birds frequent, the coldness of the season, and peculiar shyness and agility of the game, render this amusement attractive only to the most dexterous, active, and eager of our sportsmen. The Snipe is eleven inches long, and seventeen inches in extent ; the bill is more than two inches and a half long, fluted lengthwise, of a brown color, and black towards the tip, where it is very smooth while the bird is alive, but, soon after it is killed, becomes dimpled, like the end of a thimble ; crown, black, divided by an irregular line of pale brown; another broader one of the same tint passes over each eye ; from the bill to the eye, there is a narrow, dusky line ; neck and upper part of the breast, pale brown, variegated with touches of white and dusky ; chin, pale ; back and scapulars, deep velvety black, the latter elegantly marbled with waving lines of ferruginous, and broadly edged exteriorly with white ; wings, plain dusky, all the feathers, as well as those of the coverts, tipped with white ; shoulder of the wing, deep dusky brown, exterior quill, edged with white ; tail-coverts long, reaching within three quarters of an inch of tlie tip, and of a pale rust QUAIL, OR PARTRIDGE. 413 color, spotted Avith black ; tail, rounded, deep black, ending in a bar of bright ferrug-inoiis, crossed with a narrow, waving line of black, and tipped with whitish ; belly, pure white ; sides, barred with dusky ; legs and feet, a very pale ashy green ; sometimes the whole thighs and sides of the vent are barred with dusky and white. The female differs in being more obscure in her colors ; the white on the back being less pure, and the black not so deep. QUAIL, OR PARTRIDGE. — PERDIX VIRGINIANUS. — Fig. 192. 4rct. Zool. 318, No. \^b. — Catesh. App. p. 12. — Viro-inian Quail, Turl. Syst. p. 460. — Maryland Quail, Ibid. — La perdrix d'Anienque, Briss. i. 231. — Buff". li. 447. OR TYX VI R OIJVMJ^US. — Bonaparte.* Perdix Virginiana, Lath. Ind. Orn. ii. p. 650. — Colin CoIg;nicui, Temm. Pier, ei Gall. iii. p. 436. — Perdix Borcalis, Temm. Pig. et Gall. Ind. p. 735.— Qrtyx Borealis, Steph. Cont. Shaui's Zool. xi. p. 377. — Perdix (Ortyx) Virginiana, Bonap. Synop. p. 124. — The Virginian Partridge, A^cd. i. p. 388, pi. 76. This well-known bird is a general inhabitant of North America, from the northern parts of Canada and Nova Scotia, in which latter place it is said to be migratory, to the extremity of the peninsula of Florida ; and was seen in the neighborhood of tlie Great Osage Vil- lage, in the interior of Louisiana. They are numerous in Kentucky * The genus Ortyx was formed by Mr. Stephens, the confinuator of Shaw's Zoology, for the reception of the thick and strong-billed Partridges, peculiar to both continents of the New World, and holding the place there with the Partridges, Francolins, and Quails of other countries. They live on the borders of woods, among brushwood, or on the thick grassy plains", and, since the cultivation of the country, frequent cultivated fields. During the night, they roost on trees, and oc- casionally perch during the day 5 when alarmed, or chased by dogs, they fly to the middle branches ; and Mr. Audubon remarks, " they walk with ease on the branches." In all these habits, they show their alliance to the perching Gallince, and a variation from the true Partridge. The same naturalist also remarks, that they occasionally perform partial migrations, from northwest to southeast, in the beginning of October, and that, for a few weeks, the northwestern shores of the Ohio are covered with Partridges. Their general form is robust ; the bill very strong, and apparently fitted for a mode of feeding requiring considerable exertion, such as the digging up of bulbous and tuberous roots. The head is crested in all the known species, the feathers some- times of a peculiar structure, the shafts bare, and the extremity of the webs folding on each other. The tail also exhibits different forms 5 in the more typical species short, as in the Partridges, and in others becoming broad and long, as seen in the Indian genus Crax, or the more extensively distributed genus Penelope. Consid- erable additions to the number of species have been lately made. Those belonging to the northern continent, and consequently coming under our notice, are two, dis- covered by Mr. Douglas, — Ortyx picta, described ui the last volume of the JAimcEan Transactiom, and O. Doitglasii, so named by Mr. Vigors, in honor of its discover- er, and also described with the former. To these may be added the lovely O. Cal- if omica, which, previous to this expedition and the voyage of Captain Beechy to the coast of California, was held in the light of a dubious species. I have added 35* 414 QUAIL, OR PARTRIDGE. and Ohio. Mr. Pennant remarks, that they have been lately introduced into tlie island of Jamaica, where they appear to thrive greatly, breeding in that warm climate twice in the year. Captain Henderson mentions them as being plenty near the Balize, at the Bay of Honduras. They the descriptions of these new species from Mr. Douglas's account in the Transac- tions of the Linncean Society : — Ortijz picta, — Douglas. 3Jale. — Bill, small, black 5 crown of the head, and breast, lead color 5 crest, three linear black feathers, two ijiches long ; irides, bright hazel red 5 throat, purple red, bounded by a narrow, white line, forming a gorget above the breast, and ex- tending round the eye and root of the beak ; back, scapulars, and outer coverts of the wings, fuscous brown 5 belly, bright tawny, or rusty color, waved with black ; the points of the feathers, white ; quills, thirteen feathers, the fourth the longest ; under coverts, light brown, mixed with a rust}' color 5 tail, twelve feathers, of une- qual length, rounded, lead color, but less bright than the breast or crown of the head ; tarsi, one inch and a quarter long, reddish 5 toes, webbed nearly to the first joint. Female. — Head and breast, light fuscous brown; the middle of the feathers, black ; crest, half an inch long ; throat, whitish, or light gray ; belly, light gray, waved with black, less bright than the male; under coverts of the tail,T6xy red; length, ten inches ; girth, sixteen inches ; weight, about twelve ounces ; flesh, brown, well-flavored. From October until March, these birds congregate in vast flocks, and seem to live in a state of almost perpetual warfare ; dreadful conflicts ensue between the males, which not unfrequently end in the destruction of one or both combatants, if we may judge from the immber of dead birds daily seen plucked, mutilated, and covered with blood. When feeding, they move in compact bodies, each individual endeavoring to outdo his neighbor in obtaining the prize. The voice is qnick-quick- qtdck, pronounced slowly, with a gentle suspension between each syllable. At such times, or when surprised, the crest is usually thrown forward over the backj and the reverse when retreating, being brought backwards, and laid quite close. Their favorite haunts are dry upland, or undulating, gravelly, or sandy soils, in open woods, or coppice thickets of the interior; but, during the severity of winter, when the ground is covered with snow, they migrate, in large flocks, to the more temperate places in the immediate vicinity of the ocean. Seeds oi Bromus altissi- nms. Madia sativa, and a tribe of plants allied to Wade/ia, catkins of Conjliis, leaves of Fragaria, and various insects, are their common food. Nest on the ground, in thickets of Pteris, Aspidiitm, Kuhns, Rhamnns, and Ceanothus ; neatly built with grass and dry leaves ; secreted with so much caution, that, without the help of a dog, they can hardly be found. Eggs, eleven to fifteen, yellowish white, with minute brown spots ; lar^^e in proportion to the bird. Pair in March. Com- mon in the interior of California ; and, during the summer months, extending' as far northward as 45° north latitude, that is, within a few miles of the Columbian Valley. Ortyx Douglasii. — Vigors. Male. — Bill, brown ; crest, linear, black, one inch long ; irides, hazel red ; body, fuscous brown, with a mixture of lead color, and rusty or yellow streaks ; throat, whitish, with brown spots ; bcllv, foxy rod or tawny, white spotted ; scapulars and outer coverts, bright brown ; under coverts, light reddish brown; tail, twelve une- qual, rounded feathers ; legs, reddish ; length, nine inches ; girth, twelve inches j weight, ten ounces; flesh, pleasant, dark colored. Female. — Crest, scarcely perceptible, dark. This species appears to be an inhabitant of a more temperate climate than the preceding one, as it is never seen higher than 42° north latitude, and even that very sparingly in comparison to O. picta and Califomica. The species do not asso- ciate together. In manner they are similar, at least as far as the opportunity I had of observing them went. I have never seen them but in winter dress, and know nothing of tneir nesting. — Ed. QUAIL, OR PARTRIDGE. 415 rarely frequent the forest, and are most numerous in the vicinity of well-cultivated plantations, where grain is in plenty. They, however, occasionally seek shelter in the Avoods, perching on the branches, or secreting themselves among the brushwood ; but are found most usu- ally in open fields, or along fences sheltered by thickets of briers. Where they are not too much persecuted by the sportsmen, they be- come almost half domesticated ; approach the barn, particularly in winter, and sometimes, in that severe season, mix with the poultry to glean up a subsistence. They remain with us the whole year, and often suffer extremely by long, hard winters and deep snows. At such times, the arts of man combine with the inclemency of the season for their destruction. To the ravages of the gun are added others of a more insidious kind ; traps are placed on almost every plantation, in such places as they are known to frequent These are formed of lath, or thinly-split sticks, somewhat in the shape of an obtuse cone, laced together with cord, having a small hole at top, with a sliding lid, to take out the game by. This is supported by the common figure 4 trigger ; and grain is scattered below and leading to the place. By this con- trivance, ten or fifteen have sometimes been taken at a time.* These are sometimes brought alive to market, and occasionally bought up by sportsmen, who, if the season be very severe, sometimes preserve and feed them till spring, when they are humanely turned out to their na- tive fields again, to be put to death at some future time secundem ar- tem. Between the months of August and March, great numbers of these birds are brought to the market of Philadelphia, where they are sold at from twelve to eighteen cents a piece. The Quail begins to build early in May. The nest is made on the ground, usually at the bottom of a thick tuft of grass, that shelters and conceals it. The materials are leaves and fine dry grass in con- siderable quantity. It is well covered above, and an opening left on * In addition to the common traps now described, Mr. Audubon mentions that they are also netted, or driven, as it is called. He thus describes the method of driving : — " A number of persons on horseback, provided with a net, set out in search of Par- tridges, riding along the fences or brier thickets which the birds are known to frequent. One or two of the party whistle in imitation of the call note, and, as Partridges are plentiful, the call is soon answered by a covey, when the sportsmen immediately proceed to ascertain their position and number, seldom considering it worth while to set the net when there are only a few birds. They approach in a careless man- ner, talking and laughing as if merely passing by. When the birds are discovered, one of the party gallops off in a circuitous manner, gets in advance of the rest by a hundred yards or more, according to the situation of the birds and their disposition to run, while the rest of the sportsmen move about on their horses, talking to each other, but at the same time watching every motion of the Partridges. The {>erson in advance, being provided with the net, dismounts, and at once mils to placing it, so that his companions can easily drive the Partridges into it. No sooner is the machine ready, than the net-bearer remounts, and rejoins the party. The sports- men separate to a short distance, and follow the Partridges, talking, whistling, clapping their hands, or knocking the fence-rails. The birds move with great gen- tleness, following each other, and are kept in the right direction by the sportsmen. The leading bird approaches and enters the mouth of the net ; the others follow in succession, when the net-bearer leaps from his horse, runs up and secures the en- trance, and soon despatches tiie birds. In this manner, fifteen or twenty Partridges are caught at one driving, and sometimes many hundreds in the course of the day." — Ed. 416 QUAIL, OR PARTRIDGE. one side for entrance. The female lays from fifteen to twenty-four eggs, of a pure white, without any spots. The time of incubation has been stated to me, by various persons, at four weeks, when the eggs were placed under the domestic Hen. The young leave the nest as soon as they are freed from the shell, and are conducted about in search of food by the female ; are guided by her voice, which at that time resembles the twittering of young Chickens, and sheltered by her wings, in the same manner as those of the domestic fowl ; but with all that secrecy and precaution for their safety, which their helpless- ness and greater danger require. In this situation, should the little timid family be unexpectedly surprised, the utmost alarm and conster- nation instantly prevail. The mother throws herself in the path, fluttering along, and beating the ground with her wings, as if sorely wounded ; using every artifice she is master of to entice the pas- senger in pursuit of herself, uttering at the same time certain peculiar notes of alarm, well understood by the young, who dive separately amongst the grass, and secrete themselves till the danger is over ; and the parent, having decoyed the pursuer to a safe distance, returns, by a circuitous route, to collect and lead them off". This Avell-known manoeuvre, which nine times in ten is successful, is honorable to the feelings and judgment of the bird, but a severe satire on man. The affectionate mother, as if sensible of the avaricious cruelty of his nature, tempts him with a larger prize, to save her more helpless oflTspring ; and pays him, as avarice and cruelty ought always to be paid, with mortification and disappointment. Tlie eggs of the Quail have been frequently placed under the domestic Hen, and hatched and reared with equal success as her own ; though, generally speaking, the young Partridges, being more restless and vagrant, often lose themselves, and disappear. The Hen ought to be a particular good nurse, not at all disposed to ramble, in which case tiiey are very easily raised. Those that survive, acquire all the familiarity of common Chickens ; and there is little doubt that, if proper measures were taken, and persevered in for a few years, they might be completely domesticated. They have been often kept during the first season, and through the whole of the winter, but have uniformly deserted in the spring. Two young Partridges that were brought up by a Hen, when abandoned by her, associated with ths cows, which they regularly followed to the fields, returned with them when they came home in the evening, stood by them while thoy were milked, and again accompanied them to the pasture. These remained during the winter, lodging in the stable, but, as soon as spring came, they disappeared. Of this fact, I was informed by a very respectable lady, by whom they were particularly observed. It has been frequently asserted to mo, that the Quails lay occasion- ally in each otiier's nests. Though I have never myself seen a case of this kind, I do not think it altogether improbable, from the fact, that they have often been known to drop their eggs in the nost of the common Hen, when that happened to be in the fields, or at a small distance from the house. The two Partridges above mentioned were raised in this manner ; and it Avas particularly remarked by the lady who gave me the information, that the Hen sat for several days after her own eggs were hatched, until the young Quails made their ap- pearance. QUAIL, OR PARTRIDGE. 417 The Partridge, on her part, has sometimes been employed to hatch the eggs of the common domestic Hen. A friend of mine, who him- self made the experiment, informs me, that, of several Hen's eggs which he substituted in place of those of the Partridge, she brought out the Avhole ; and that, for several weeks, he occasionally surprised her in various parts of the plantation, with her brood of Chickens ; on which occasions she exhibited all that distressful alarm, and practised her usual manoeuvres for their preservation. Even after they were considerably grown, and larger than the Partridge herself, she con- tinued to lead them about ; but, though their notes or call were those of common Chickens, their manners had all the shyness, timidity, and alarm of young Partridges ; running with great rapidity, and squatting in the grass exactly in the manner of the Partridge. Soon after this, they disappeared, having probably been destroyed by dogs, by the gun, or by birds of prey. Whether the domestic f^vl might not by this method be very soon brought back to its original savage state, and thereby supply another additional subject for the amusement of the sportsman, will scarcely admit of a doubt. But the experiment, in order to secure its success, would require to be made in a quarter of the country less exposed than ours to the ravages of guns, traps, dogs, and the deep snows of winter, that the new tribe might have full time to become completely naturalized, and well fixed in all their native habits. About the beginning of September, the Quails being now nearly full groAvn, and associated in flocks, or coveys, of from four or five to thirty, afford considerable sport to the gunner. At this time the notes of the male are most frequent, clear, and loud. His common call consists of two notes, with sometimes an introductory one, and is similar to the sound produced by pronouncing the words " Bob White." This call may be easily imitated by whistling, so as to deceive the bird itself, and bring it near. While uttering this, he is usually perched on a rail of the fence, or on a low limb of an apple tree, where he will sometimes sit, repeating, at short intervals, " Bob White," for half an hour at a time. When a covey are assembled in a thicket, or corner of a field, and about to take wing, they make a low twittering sound, not unlike that of young Chickens ; and, when the covey is dispersed, they are called together again by a loud and frequently-repeated note, peculiarly expressive of tenderness and anxiety. Tlie food of the Partridge consists of grain, seeds, insects, and berries of various kinds. Buckwheat and Indian corn are particular favorites. In September and October the buckwheat fields afford them an abundant supply, as well as a secure shelter. They usually roost at night in the middle of a field on high ground ; and from the circumstance of their dung being often found in such places in one round h.^ap, it is generally conjectured that they roost in a circle, with their heads outwards, each individual in this position forming a kind of guard to prevent surprise. They also continue to lodge for several nights in the same spot. The Partridge, like all the rest of the gallinaceous order, flies with a loud whirring sound, occasioned by the shortness, concavity, and rapid motion of its wings, and the comparative weight of its body. 418 RAIL. The steadiness of its horizontal flight, however, renders it no difficult mark to the sportsman, particularly when assisted by his sagacious pointer. The flesh of this bird is peculiarly white, tender, and delicate, unequalled, in these qualities, by that of any other of its genus in the United States. The Quail, as it is called in New England, or the Partridge, as in Pennsylvania, is nine inches long, and fourteen inches in extent ; the bill is black ; line over the eye, down the neck, and whole chin, pure white, bounded by a band of black, which descends and spreads - broadly over the throat ; the eye is dark hazel ; crown, neck, and upper part of the breast, red brown ; sides of the neck, spotted with white and black on a reddish brown ground ; back, scapulars, and lesser coverts, red brown, intermixed with ash, and sprinkled with black ; tertials, edged with yellowish white ; wings, plain dusky; lower part of the breast and belly, pale yellowish white, beautifully marked with numerous curving spots, or arrowheads of black ; tail, ash, sprinkled with reddish brown ; legs, very pale ash. The female differs in having the chin and sides of the head yel- lowish brown, in which dress it has been described as a different kind. There is, hoAvever, only one species of Quail at present known with- in the United States. RAIL.— RALLUS CAROLINUS. — Fig. 193. Soree, Catesb. i. 70. — Arct. Zool. p. 491, No. 409. —Little American Water-heu. Edw. 144. — Le Rale de Virginie; Buff. \\n. 1C5. CREX CAR OLIA'-US. — Bonaparte.* Rallus (Crex) Carolinus, Bonap. Synop. 335. Of all our land or water fowl, perhaps none afford the sportsmen more agreeable amusement, or a more delicious repast, than the little bird now before us. This amusement is indeed temporary, lasting only two or three hours in the day, for four or five weeks in each * Almost every ornithologist has been at variance with regard to the propriety and limitation of the genera Rallus, Crex, and Gallinula. They appear to he sufficiently distinct, and not to run more into each other than many other groups, and, in the present state of ornithology, their separation is indispensable. Crex may be characterized by the bill shorter than the head ; strong at the base, and tapering J the forehead feathered 5 the Common Land Rail, or Corncrake of Europe, and our present species, may be taken as very good typical examples. In Galliuula, the forehead is defended with a flat cartilaginous shield, and the habits are more open. In Rallus, the bill is longer than the head, and compara- tively slender. In habit they nearly agree ; timid, and fond of concealment during the day, they frequent low meadows or marshy grounds, and run swiftly : the Common Land Rail will beat a good runner for a short way. as I have sometimes experienced. They run with the body near the ground, arid make their turns with astonishing celerity. When raised or surprised during the day, they lly clumsily ; but in the evening, and when that faculty is exerted with their will, it "is much more actively RAIL. 419 year; but, as it occurs in the most agreeable a!id temperate of our seasons, is attended Avith little or no fatiofue to the gunner, and is frequently successful, it attracts numerous followers, and is pursued, in such places as the birds frequent, with great eagerness and enthu- siasm. The natural history of the Rail, or, as it is called in Virginia, the Sora, and in South Carolina, the Coot, is, to the most of our sports- men, involved in profound and inexplicable mystery. It conies, ihey know not whence ; and goes, they know not where. No one can detect their first moment of arrival ; yet all at once the reedy shores and grassy marshes of our large rivers swarm with them, thousands being sometimes found within the space of a few acres. Tlicse, when they do venture on wing, seem to fly so feebly, and in such short flut- tering flights among the reeds, as to render it highly improbable to most people that they could possibly make their way over an extensive tract of country. Yet, on the first smart frost that occurs, the whole suddenly disappear, as if they had never been. To account for these extraordinary phenomena, it has been supposed by some that they bury themselves in the mud ; but as this is every year dug into by ditchers, and people employed in repairing the banks, without any of those sleepers being found, where but a few weeks before these birds were innumerable, this theory has been generally abandoned. And here their researches into this mysterious matter generally end in the common exclamation of " What can become of them ! " Some profound inquirers, however, not discouraged with tliese difficulties, have prosecuted their researches with more success ; and one of those, living a few years ago near the mouth of James River, in Virginia, where the Rail, or Sora, are extremely numerous, has (as I was informed on the spot) lately discovered that they change into frogs ! having himself found in his meadows an animal of an ex- traordinary kind, that appeared to be neither a Sora nor a frog, but, as he expressed it, " something between the two." He carried it to his negroes, and afterwards took it home, where it lived three days ; performed ; their time for exertion is evening and morning-, often during tlie night j then they feed, and, during breeding season, utter the incessant and unharmonious cry which ahiiost all possess. The cry is remarkable in all that I have heard, ap- pearing to be uttered sometimes within a few yards, and, in a second or two, as if at an opposite part of the ground. The Land Rail possesses this ventriloquism to a great extent, and, knowing their swift running powers, I at first thought that the bird was actually traversing the field ; and it was not until I had observed one perched upon a stone utter its cry for some time, and give full evidence of its pow- ers, that I became convinced of the contrary. The Corncrake, and, indeed, I rather think most of the others, and also the Rails, seem to remain stalionarj' when uttering the cry. A stone, clod of earth, or old sod wall, is the common calling place of our own bird ; and they may be easily watched, in the beginning of sum- mer, if approached with caution, before the herbage begins to thicken. They seem to feed on larger prey than what are assigned to them : large water insects, and the smaller reptiles, may assist in sustaining the aquatic species ; while slugs and larger snails will furnish subsistence to the others. I have found the common short-tailed field mouse in the stomach of our Land Rail. Their flesh is generally delicate, some as much esteemed as the American bird, and the young, before commencing their migrations, become extremely fat. Crex Carolinm is the only species of the genus yet discovered in North America, and is peculiar to that continent. — Ed. 420 RAIL. and, in his own and his negroes' opinion, it looked like nothing m this world but a real Sora changing into a frog ! What farther confirms this grand discovery is the well-known circumstance of the frogs ceasing to hollow as soon as the Sora comes in the fall. This sagacious discoverer, however, like many others renowned in history, has found but few supporters, and, except his own negroes, has not, as far as I can learn, made a single convert to his opinion. Matters being so circumstanced, and some explanation necessary, I shall endeavor to throw a little more light on the subject by a simple detail of facts, leaving the reader to form his own theory as he pleases. The Rail, or Sora, belongs to a genus of birds of which about thirty different species are enumerated by naturalists ; and those are dis- tributed over almost every region of the habitable parts of the earth. The general character of these is every where the same. They run swiftly, fly slowly, and usually with the legs hanging dov/n ; become extremely fat ; are fond of concealment ; and, wherever it is practica- ble, prefer running to flying. Most of them are migratory, and abound, during the summer, in certain countries, the inhabitants of Avhich have very rarely an opportunity of seeing them. Of this last the Land Rail of Britain is a striking example. This bird, which during the summer months may be heard in almost every grass and clover field in tlie kingdom, uttering its common note crek, crek, from sunset to a late hour in the night, is yet unknoAvn by sight to more than nine-tenths of the inhabitants. " Its well-known cry," says Bewick, " is first heard as soon as the grass becomes long enough to shelter it, and continues till the grass is cut; but the bird is seldom seen, for it constantly skulks among the thickest part of the herbage, and runs so nimbly through it, winding and doubling in every direction, that it is difficult to come near it ; when hard pushed by the dog, it sometimes stops short, and squats down, by which means its too eager pursuer over- shoots the spot, and loses the trace. It seldom springs but when driven to extremity, and generally flies with its legs hanging down, but never to a great distance ; as soon as it aliglxts, it runs off, and, before the fowler has reached the spot, the bird is at a considerable distance."* The Water Crake, or Spotted Rail, of the same country, which in its plumage approaches nearer to our Rail, is another notable example of the same general habit of the genus. " Its common abode," says the same writer, " is in low, swampy grounds, in which are pools or streamlets overgrown with willows, reeds, and rushes, where it lurks and hides itself with great circumspection ; it is wild, solitary, and shy, and will swim, dive, or skulk under any cover, and sometimes suffer itself to be knocked on the head, rather than rise before the sportsman and his dog." The Water Rail of the same country is equally noted for the like habits. In short, tlie whole genus possess tliis strong family character in a very remarkable degree. These three species are well known to migrate into Britain early in spring, and to leave it for the more southern parts of Europe in autumn. Yet they arc rarely or never seen on their passage to or from the countries where they are regularly found at different seasons of tlie year ; and this for the very same reasons that they are so rarely seen even in the places where they inliabit * Bewick's British Birds, vol. i. p. 308, RAIL. 421 It is not, therefore, at all surprising, that the regular migrations of the x\merican Rail, or Sora, should in like manner have escaped notice in a country like this, whose population bears so small a proportion to its extent, and where the study of natural history is so little attended to. But that these migrations do actually take place, from north to south, and vice versa, may be fairly inferred from the common practice of thousands of other species of birds less solicitous of concealment, and also from the following facts : On the 22d day of February, T killed two of these birds in the neighborhood of Savannah, in Georgia, where they have never been observed during the summer. On the 2d of the May following, I shot another in a watery thicket below Philadelphia, between the rivers Schuylkill and Delaware, in what is usually called the Neck. This last was a male, in full plumage. We are also informed, that they arrive at Hudson's Bay early in June, and again leave that settlement for the south early in autumn. That many of them also remain here to breed is proven by the testimony of persons of credit and intelligence with whom I have conversed, both here and on James River, in Vir- ginia, who have seen their nests, eggs, and young. In the extensive meadows that border the Schuylkill and Delaware, it was formerly common, before the country was so thickly settled there, to find young Rail, in the first mowing time, among the grass. Mr. James Bartram, brother to the botanist, a venerable and still active man of eighty-three, and well acquainted with this bird, says, that he has often seen and caught young Rail in his own meadows in the month of June ; he has also seen their nest, which he says is usually in a tussock of grass, is formed of a little dry grass, and has four or five eggs, of a dirty whitish color, with brown or blackish spots ; the young run oflTas soon as they break the shell, are then quite black, and run about among the grass lilve mice. The old ones he has very rarely observed at that time, but tlie young often. Almost every old settler along these meadows, with whom I have conversed, has occasionally seen young Rail in mowing time ; and all agree in describing them as covered with blackish down. There can, therefore, be no reasonable doubt as to the residence of many of these birds, both here and to the northward, during the sum- mer. That there can be as little doubt relative to their winter retreat, will appear more particularly towards the sequel of the present account During their residence here, in summer, their manners exactly corre- spond with those of the Water Crake of Britain, already quoted, so that, though actually a different species, their particular habits, com- mon places of resort, and eagerness for concealment, are as nearly the same as the nature of the climates will admit. Early in August, when the reeds along the shores of the Delaware have attained their full growth, the Rail resort to them in great num- bers, to feed on the seeds of this plant, of which they, as well as the Rice Birds, and several others, are immoderately fond. These reeds, which appear to be the Zizania panicula effusa of Linnaeus, and the Zizania clavulosa of Willdenow, grow up from the soft muddy shores of the tide water, which are alternately dry, and covered with four or five feet of water. They rise with an erect, tapering stem, to the height of eight or ten feet, being nearly as thick below as a man's wrist, and cover tracts along the river of many acres. The cattle feed 36 422 RAIL. on their long green leaves with avidity, and wade in after them as far as they dare safely venture. They grow up so close together, that, except at or near high water, a boat can with difficulty make its way through among them. The seeds are produced at the top of tlie plant, the blossoms, or male parts, occupying the lower branches of the pani- cle, and the seeds tlie higher. These seeds are nearly as long as a common-sized pin, somewhat more slender, white, sweet to the taste, and very nutritive, as appears by tlieir effects on the various birds that at this season feed on them. When the reeds are in this state, and even while in blossom, the Rail are found to have taken possession of them in great numbers. These are generally numerous in proportion to the full and promising crop of the former. As you Avalk along the embankment of the river at this season, you hear them squeaking in everj' direction like young puppies. If a stone be thrown among the reeds, there is a general outcry, and a reiterated kuk,kuk,ku]{, something like that of a Guinea- fowl. Any sudden noise, or the discharge of a gun, produces the same eifect. In the mean time none are to be seen, unless it be at or near high water ; for, when the tide is low, tliey universally secrete them- selves among the interstices of the reeds, and you may walk past, and even over them, where there are hundreds, without seeing a single individual. On their first arrival, they are generally lean, and unfit for the table ; but, as the reeds ripen, they rapidly fatten, and, from the 20th of September to the middle of October, are excellent, and eagerly sought after. The usual method of shooting tliem, in this quarter of the country, is as follows : — The sportsman furnishes him- self with a light batteau, and a stout, experienced boatman, with a pole of twelve 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 sports- man standing in the bow ready for action, the boatman, on the stem 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 tlie 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 eitlier side without being observed by the sportsman, and to note tlie 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 boatman is pushing and picking up. The sport continues till an hour or two after high water, when tlie shallowness of the water, and the strength and weight of the floating reeds, as also the back- wardness of the game to spring as the tide decreases, oblige tliem to return. Several boats are sometimes witliin a short distance of each otlier, and a perpetual cracking of musketry prevails along the Avliole 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. RAIL. 423 The flight of these birds among the reeds is usually low ; and, shelter being abundant, is rarely extended to more than fifty or one hundred yards. When winged, and uninjured in their legs, they swim and dive with great rapidity, and are seldom seen to rise again. I have several times, on such occasions, discovered them clinging with tlieir feet to the reeds under the water, and at other times skulking under the floating reeds, with their bill just above the surface. Some- times, when wounded, they dive, and, rising under the gunwale of the boat, secrete themselves there, moving round as tlie boat moves, until tliey have an opportunity of escaping unnoticed. They are feeble and delicate in every thing but the legs, which seem to possess great vigor and energy ; and their bodies being so remarkably thin, or compressed, as to be less than an inch and a quarter through transversely, they are enabled to pass between the reeds like rats. When seen, they are almost constantly jetting up the tail. Yet, though their flight among the reeds seems feeble and fluttering, every sportsman who is ac- quainted with them here must have seen them occasionally rising to a considerable height, stretching out their legs behind them, and flying rapidly across the river where it is more than a mile in width. Such is the mode of Rail shooting in the neigliborhood of Philadel- phia. In Virginia, particularly along the shores of James River, within the tide water, where the Rail, or Sora, are in prodigious num- bers, they are also shot on the wing, but more usually taken at night in the following 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 he broken and floating on the surface. The whole space, for a considerable way round the canoe, is com- pletely enlightened ; the birds stare with astonishment, and, as they appear, are knocked on the head with a 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 ! At the same season, or a little earlier, they are very numerous in the lagoons near Detroit, on our northern frontiers, where another species of reed (of which they are equally fond) grows in shallows in great abundance. Gentlemen who have shot tliem there, and on whose judgment I can rely, assure me, that they differ in nothing from those they have usually killed on the shores of the Delaware and Schuylkill: they are equally fat, and exquisite eating. On the sea- coast of New Jersey, where these reeds are not to be found, this bird is altogether unknown ; though along the marshes of Maurice River, and other tributary streams of the Delaware, and wherever the reeds abound, the Rail are sure to be found also. Most of them leave Penn- sylvania before the end of October, and the southern states early in November, though numbers linger in the warm southern marshes the whole winter. A very worthy gentleman, Mr. Harrison, who lives in Kittiwan, near a creek of that name, on the borders of James River, informed me, that, in burning his meadows early in March, they gen- erally raise and destroy several of these birds. That the great body of these Rail winter in countries beyond the United States, is ren- 424 RAIL. dered highly probable from their being so frequently met with at sea, between our shores and the West India islands. A Captain Douglas informed me, that, on his voyage from St. Domingo to Phila- delphia, and more than a hundred miles from the capes of the Dela- ware, one night the man at the helm was alarmed by a sudden crash on deck, that broke the glass m the binnacle, and put out the light On examining into the cause, three Rail were found on deck, two of which were killed on the spot, and the other died soon after. The late Bishop Madison, president of William and Mary College, Vir- ginia, assured me, that a Mr. Skipwith, for some time our consul in Europe, on his return to the United States, when upwards of three hundred miles from the capes of the Chesapeake, several Rail, or Soras, I think five or six, came on board, and were caught by the people. Mr. Skipwith, being well acquainted with the bird, assured him that they were the very same with those usually killed on James River. I have received like assurances from several other gentlemen and captains of vessels who have met with these birds between the mainland and the islands, so as to leave no doubt on my mind of the fact. For why should it be considered incredible that a bird which can both swim and dive well, and at pleasure fly with great rapidity, as 1 have myself frequently witnessed, should be incapable of migrating, like so many others, over extensive tracts of land or sea.^ Inhabiting as they do, the remote regions of Hudson's Bay, where it is impossible they could subsist during the rigors of their winter, they must either emigrate from thence or perish ; and as the same places in Pennsyl- vania which abound with them in October, are often laid under ice and snow during the winter, it is as impossible that they could exist here in that inclement season : Heaven has, therefore, given them, in common with many others, certain prescience of these circumstances, and judgment, as well as strength of flight, sufficient to seek more genial climates abounding with their suitable food. The Rail is nine inches long, and fourteen inches in extent ; bill, yellow, blackish towards the point; lores, front, crown, chin, and stripe down the throat, black ; line over the eye, cheeks, and breast, fine light ash ; sides of the crown, neck, and upper parts generally, olive brown, streaked with black, and also with long lines of pure white, the feathers being centred with Jjlack on a brown olive ground, and edged with white ; these touches of white are shorter near the shoulder of the wing, lengthening as they descend ; wing, plain olive brown ; tertials, streaked with black, and long lines of white ; tail, pointed, dusky olive brown, centred with black; the four middle feathers bordered for half their length with lines of white; lower part of the breast marked with semicircular lines of white, on a light ash ground ; belly, white ; sides under the wings, deep olive, barred with black, white, and reddish buff"; vent, brownish buff"; legs, feet, and naked part of the thighs, yellowish green ; exterior edge of the wing, white ; eyes, reddish hazel. The females, and young of the first season, have the throat white, the breast pale brown, and little or no black on the head. The males may always be distinguished by their ashy blue breasts and black throats. During the greater part of the months of September and October, K RAIL. 425 the market of Philadelphia is abundantly supplied with Rail, which are sold from half a dollar to a dollar a dozen. Soon after the 20th of October, at which time our first smart frosts generally take place, these birds move off to the south. In Virginia, they usually remain until the first week in November. Since the above was -written, I have received from Mr, George Ord, of Philadelphia, some curious particulars relative to this bird, which, as they are new, and come from a gentleman of respectability, are worthy of being recorded, and merit further investigation. " My personal experience," says Mr. Ord, "has made me acquainted with a fact in the history of the Rail, which perhaps is not generally known, and I shall, as briefly as possible, communicate it to you. Some time in tlie autumn of the year 1809, as I was walking in a yard, after a severe shower of rain, I perceived the feet of a bird projecting from a spout. I pulled it out, and discovered it to be a Rail, very vigorous, and in perfect health. The bird was placed in a small room, on a gin- case, and I was amusing myself with it, when, in the act of pointing my finger at it, it suddenly sprang forward, apparently much irritated, fell to the floor, and, stretching out its feet, and bending its neck until the head nearly touched the back, became to all appearance lifeless. Thinking the fall had killed the bird, I took it up, and began to lament my rashness in provoking it In a few minutes it again breathed, and it was some time before it perfectly recovered from the. fit, into which, it now appeared evident, it had fallen. I placed the Rail in a room, wherein Canary Birds were confined, and resolved that, on the succeeding day, I would endeavor to discover whether or not the passion of anger had produced the fit. I entered the room at the appointed time, and approached the bird, which had retired, on beholding me, in a sullen humor, to a corner. On pointing my finger at it, its feathers were immediately ruffled, and in an instant it sprang forward, as in the first instance, and fell into a similar fit The fol- lowing day, the experiment was repeated with the like effect. In the fall of 1811, as I was shooting amongst the reeds, I perceived a Rail rise but a few feet before my batteau. The bird had risen about a yard when it became entangled in the tops of a small bunch of reeds, and immediately fell. Its feet and neck were extended, as in the instances above mentioned, and, before it had time to recover, I killed it Some few days afterwards, as a friend and I were shooting in the same place, he killed a Rail, and, as we approached the spot to pick it s^up, another was perceived, not a foot off", in a fit. I took up the latter, and placed it in the crown of my hat In a few moments it revived, and was as vigorous as ever. These facts go to prove, that the Rail is subject to gusts of passion, which operate to so violent a degree as to produce a disease, similar in its effects to epilepsy. I leave the explication of the phenomenon to those pathologists who are compe- tent and willing to investigate it. It may be worthy of remark, that the birds affected as described, were all females of the Gallinula Carolina, or Common Rail. " The Rail, though generally reputed a simple bird, will sometimes manifest symptoms of considerable intelligence. To those acquainted with Rail shooting, it is hardly necessary to mention, that the tide, in 36* 426 WOODCOCK. its flux, is considered an almost indispensable auxiliary ; for, when the water is off the marsh, the lubricity of the mud, the height and com- pactness of the reed, and the swiftness of foot of the game, tend to weary the sportsman and to frustrate his endeavors. Even should he succeed in a tolerable degree, the reward is not commensurate to the labor. I have entered the marsh in a batteau at a common tide, and in a well-known haunt have beheld but few birds. The next better tide, on resorting to the same spot, I have perceived abundance of game. The fact is, the Rail dive and conceal themselves beneath the fallen reed, merely projecting their heads above the surface of the water for air, and remain in that situation until the sportsman has passed them ; and it is well known, that it is a common practice with wounded Rail to dive to the bottom, and, holding upon some vegeta- ble substance, support themselves in that situation until exhausted. During such times, the bird, in escaping from one enemy, has often to encounter anotlier not less formidable. Eels and cat-fish swarm in every direction prowling for prey, and it is ten to one if a wounded Rail escapes them. I myself have beheld a large eel make off with a bird that I had shot, before I had time to pick it up ; and one of my boys, in bobbing for eels, caught one with a whole Rail in its belly. " I have heard it observed, that on the increase of the moon the Rail improves in fatness, and decreases in a considerable degree with that planet. Sometimes I have conceited that the remark was just. If it be a fact, I think it may be explained on the supposition tliat the bird is enabled to feed at night, as well as by day, while it has the benefit of the moon, and with less interruption tJian at other periods." I have had my doubts as to the propriety of classing this bird under the genus Rallus. Both Latham and Pennant call it a Gallinule ; and when one considers the length and formation of its bill, the propriety of their nomenclature is obvious. As the article was com- menced by our printers before I could make up my mind on the sub- ject, the reader is requested to consider this species tlie Gdlinula Carolina of Dr. Latham. • WOODCOCK. — SCOLOPAX MINOR. — Fig. 194. Arct. Zool. p. 463, No. Z&b. — TuH. Syst. Z%. — Lath. Syn. iii. 131. RUSTICOLA J\IIJ\rOR. — Vieillot.* Rusticola minor, Vieill. Gal. des Ow. 24-2. — Great Red Woodcock, Scolopax Americana rufa, Bar-L Trav. 292. — Scolopax Rusticola minor, Bonup. Sijyiop. p. 331. — Monog. del Geji. Scolopax Osser. sulla, 2d ed. del Reg. Anim. Cuv. This bird, like the preceding, is universally known to our sports- men. It arrives in Pennsylvania early in March, sometimes sooner ; and I doubt not but in mild winters some few remain with us the whole of tliat season. During the day, they keep to the woods and * Amon^ many natural groups, such as Scolopax of Linnapus, there are f];-rada- tions of form which have not been thought of sutiicient importance to constitute a WOODCOCK. 427 thickets, and, at the approach of evening-, seek the springs and open watery places to feed in. They soon disperse themselves over the country to breed. About the beginning of July, particularly in long- continued hot weather, they descend to the marshy shores of our large rivers, their favorite springs and watery recesses inland being chiefly dried up. To tiie former of these retreats they are pursued by tlie merciless sportsman, flushed by dogs, and shot down in great numbers. This species of amusement, when eagerly followed, is still more labo- rious and fatiguing than that of Snipe shooting ; and from the nature of the ground, or cripple, as it is usually called, viz., deep mire inter- sected with old logs, which are covered and hid from sight by high reeds, weeds, and alder bushes, the best dogs are soon tired out ; and it is customary with sportsmen who regularly pursue this diversion, to have two sets of dogs, to relieve each other alternately. The Woodcock usually begins to lay in April. The nest is placed on the ground, in a retired part of the woods, frequently at the root of an old stump. It is formed of a few withered leaves and stalks of grass laid with very little art. The female lays four, sometimes five eggs, about an inch and a half long, and an inch or rather more in diameter, tapering suddenly to the small end. These are of a dun clay color, thickly marked with spots of brown, particularly at the great end, and interspersed with others of a very pale purple. The nest of the Woodcock has, in several instances that have come to my knowledge, been found with eggs in February ; but its usual time of beginning to lay is early in April. In July, August, and September, they are considered in good order for shooting. The Woodcock is properly a nocturnal bird, feeding chiefly at night, and seldom stirring about till after sunset. At such times, as well as in the early part of the morning, particularly in spring, he rises, by a kind of spiral course, to a considerable height in the air, uttering at genus, but have been mentioned as divisions only. Such is the case with the present, which i-s generally classed under those with the tibiae feathered and the tibia? bare. Vieillot, following this division, proposed Rusticola for the Wood- cocks, or those with plumed tibiae ; and, as far as artificial systems are concerned, and facility of reference, we should prefer keeping them as a sub-genus. The Woodcocks, in addition to the plumed tibiae, differ in other respects ; and an individual, technically unacquainted with ornithology, would at once pick them out from the Snipes, from a something in their tourneur, as Mr. Audubon would call it. The tarsi are much shorter, and show that the bird is not intended to wade, or to frequent very marshy situations, like the Snipes. They are all inhabitants of woods, and it is only during severe storms that the}' are constantly found near a rill or streamlet. Their food is as much found by searching under the fallen leaves and decayed grasses, as in wet places ; and, in this country, where Woodcocks are abundant, they may be traced through a wood by the newly scratched up leaves. There is a marked difference, also, in the plumage 3 it is invariably of a more sombre shade -, sometimes the under parts are closely barred with a darker color, while, in the Snipes, the latter part is oftener pure white. We have a beau- tiful connection between the divisions in the Scolopax Sabma of Vigors,* which, though of the lesser size of the Snipes, has the entire plumage of the Woodcock, and also the thighs feathered to a greater length downwards. The species are few in number, amounting only to three or four. America, Europe, and India, seem as yet their only countries. The habits of most agree, and all partially migrate from north to south to breed. — Ed. * Is this the Scolopaz Sakhalina of Vieillot, JVouv. Diet. I — Ed. 428 WOODCOCK. times a sudden quack, till, having gained his utmost height, he hovers around in a wild, irregular manner, making a sort of murmuring sound ; then descends with rapidity as he rose. When uttering his common note on the ground, he seems to do it with difficulty, throw- ing his head towards the earth, and frequently jetting up his tail. These notes and manoeuvres are most usual in spring, and are the call of the male to his favorite female. Their food consists of various larvae, and other aquatic worms, for which, during the evening, they are almost continually turning over the leaves with their bill, or searching in the bogs. Their flesh is reckoned delicious, and prized highly. They remain with us till late in autumn, and, on the falling of the first snows, descend from the ranges of the Alleghany to the lower parts of the country in great numbers ; soon after which, viz., in November, they move off to the south. This bird, in its general figure and manners, greatly resembles the Woodcock of Europe, but is considerably less, and very differently marked below, being an entirely distinct species. A few traits will clearly point out their differences. The lower parts of the European Woodcock are thickly barred with dusky waved lines, on a yellowish white ground. The present species has those parts of a bright ferru- ginous. The male of the American species weighs from five to six ounces, the female, eight ; the European, twelve. The European Woodcock makes its first appearance in Britain in October and No- vember, that country being in fact only its winter quarters ; for, early in March, they move off to the northern parts of the Continent to breed. The American species, on the contrary, winters in countries south of the United States, arrives here early in March, extends its migrations as far, at least, as the River St Lawrence, breeds in all tlie intermediate places, and retires again to the south on the approach of winter. The one migrates from the torrid to the temperate regions, the other, from the temperate to the arctic. The two birds, therefore, notwithstanding their names are the same, differ not only in size and markings, but also in native climate. Hence the absurdity of those who would persuade us, that the Woodcock of America crosses the Atlantic to Europe, and vice versa. These observations have been thought necessary, from the respectability of some of our own writers, who seem to have adopted this opinion. How far to the north our Woodcock is found, I am unable to say. It is not mentioned as a bird of Hudson's Bay, and, being altogether unknown in the northern parts of Europe, it is very probable that its migrations do not extend to a very high latitude ; for it may be laid down as a general rule, that those birds which migrate to the arctic regions, in either continent, are very often common to both. The head of the Woodcock is of singular conformation, large, somewhat triangular, and the eye fixed at a remarkable distance from the bill, and high in the head. This construction was necessary to give a greater range of vision, and to secure the eye from injury, while tlie owner is searching in the mire. The flight of the Woodcock is slow. When flushed at any time in the woods, he rises to the height of the bushes or underwood, and almost instantly drops behind them again at a short distance, generally running off for several yards as soon as he touches the ground. The notion that there are two species of WOODCOCK. 429 Woodcock in this country, probably originated from the great differ- ence of size between the male and female, the latter being considera- bly the larger. The m-ile Woodcock is ten inches and a half long, and sixteen inches in extent ; bill, a brownish llesh color, black towards the tip, the upper mandible ending in a slight knob, that projects about one tenth of an inch beyond the lower,* each grooved, and, in length, somewhat more than two inches and a half; forehead, line over the eye, and whole lower parts, reddish tawny ; sides of the neck, inclin- ing to ash ; between the eye and bill, a slight streak of dark brown ; crown, from the forepart of the eye backwards, black, crossed by three narrow bands of brownish white ; cheeks, marked with a bar of black, variegated with light brown; edges of the back, and of the scapulars, pale bluish white ; back and scapulars, deep black, each feather tipped or marbled with light brown and bright ferruginous, with numer- ous fine zigzag lines of black crossing the lighter parts ; quills, plain dusky brown ; tail, black, each feather marked along the outer edge with small spots of pale brown, and ending in narrow tips, of a pale drab color above, and silvery white below ; lining of the wing, bright rust; legs and feet, a pale reddish iiesh color; eye, very full and black, seated high and very far back in the head ; weight, five ounces and a half, sometimes six. The female is twelve inches long, and eighteen in extent; weighs eight ounces ; and difters also in having the bill very near three inches in length : the black on the back is not quite so intense ; and the sides under the wings are slightly barred with dusky. The young Woodcocks of a week or ten days old are covered with down of a brownish white color, and are marked from the bill along the crown to the hind head, with a broad stripe of deep brown ; another line of the same passes through the eyes to the hind head, curving under the eye ; from the back to the rudiments of the tail, runs another of the same tint, and also on the sides under the wings ; the throat and breast are considerably tinged with rufous ; and the quills at this age are just bursting from their light blue sheaths, and appear mar- bled, as in the old birds ; the legs and bill are of a pale purplish ash color, the latter about an inch long. When taken, they utter a long, clear, but feeble peep, not louder than that of a mouse. They are far inferior to young Partridges in running and skulking ; and, should the female unfortunately be killed, may easily be taken on the spot. * Mr. Pennant, {Arctic Zoolo^ij, p. 463,) in describing' the American Wood- cock, says, that the lower mandible is much shorter than the upper. From the ap- pearance of his figure, it is evident that the specimen from which that and his de- scription were taken, had lost nearly half an inch from the lower mandible, proba- bly broken off by accident. Turton and others have repeated the mistake. 430 RUFFED GROUSE. RUFFED GROUSE. — TETRAO UMBELLUS. — Fig. 195. Arct. Zool. p. 301, No. 179. — Ruffed Healhcock, or Grouse. Edw. 248. —La ge- linote huppee de Pennsvlvanie, Briss.\.1\^. PL enl. 104. — ^?/^". ii. 281. — Phil. Trans. 62, 393. — 'Turt. Stjst. 4o4. — Peale's Museum, No. 471)2 BGXASIA UMBELLUS. — BovAFAiiTi:* Tetrao umbellus, Temm. Pig. et Gall. Ind. p. 704. — Tetrao hurpecal, Temm. Pig. el Gall. iii. p. 161. — Bonasia umbellus, Stpph. Cortt. Sh. Zool. xi. p. 300. — Bo- nasia umbellus, Bonap. Si/nop. p. 126. — The Ruffed Grouse, Aud. Orn. Biog. i. p. 211, pi. 41, male and female. This is the Partridge of the Eastern States, and the Pheasant of Pennsylvania and the southern districts. It is represented in Fig. 195, of its full size, and was faithfully copied from a perfect and very beautiful specimen. This elegant species is well known in almost every quarter of the United States, and appears to inhabit a very extensive rangfe of coun- try. It is common at Moose Fort, on Hudson's Bay, in lat. 51° ; is frequent in the upper parts of Georgia ; very abundant in Kentucky and the Indiana Territory ; and Avas found by Capt. Lewis and Clark in crossing the grea.t range of mountains that divide the waters of the Columbia and Missouri, more than three thousand miles, by their measurement, from the mouth of the latter. Its favorite places of re- sort are high mountains, covered with the balsam pine, hemlock, and such like evergreens. Unlike the Pinnated Grouse, it always prefers the woods ; is seldom or never found in open plains ; but loves the pine-sheltered declivities of mountains near streams of water. This great difference of disposition in two species, whose food seems to be nearly the same, is very extraordinary. In those open plains called tlie Barrens of Kentucky, the Pinnated Grouse was seen in great numbers, but none of the Ruffed; while, in the high groves with which that singular tract of country is interspersed, the latter, or Pheasant, was frequently met with ; but not a single individual of the former. The native haunts of the Pheasant being a cold, high, moimtainous, and woody country, it is natural to expect that, as we descend from thence to the sea-shores, and the low, flat, and warm climate of the Southern States, these birds should become more rare ; and such in- deed is the case. In the lower parts of Carolina, Georgia, and Flori- da, they are very seldom observ^ed ; but, as we advance inland to the mountains, they again make their appearance. In the lower parts of New Jersey, we indeed occasionally meet with them ; but this is owing to the more northerly situation of the country ; for even here thev are far less numerous tiian among the mountains. l3r. Turton, and several other English wTiters, have spoken of a Long-tailed Grouse, said to inliabit the back parts of Virginia, which can be no other than the present species, there being, as far as I am * Bonasia is a sub-penus, formed by the Prince of Musi^nano, for the reception of this bird. The distinctions are. the unplumed tarsi aud toes, contrasted with Tetrao, where the former are thickly clothed. — Ed. ._J RUFFED GROUSE. 431 acquainted, only these two, the Ruffed and Pinnated Grouse, found native within the United States. The manners of the Pheasant are solitary ; they are seldom found in coveys of more than four or five together, and more usually in pairs, or singly. They leave their sequestered haunts in the woods early in the morning, and seek the path or road, to pick up gravel, and glean among the droppings of the horses. In travelling among the mountains that bound the Susquehanna, I was always able to furnish myself with an abundant supply of these birds every morning without leaving the path. If the weather be foggy, or lowering, they are sure to be seen in such situations. They generally move along with great stateli- ness, their broad, fan-like tail spread out in the manner exhibited in the drawing. The drumming, as it is usually called, of the Pheasant, is another singularity of this species. This is performed by the male alone. In walking through solitary woods, frequented by these birds, a stranger is surprised by suddenly hearing a kind of thumping, very similar to that produced by striking two full-blown ox-bladders to- gether, but much louder ; the strokes at first are slow and distinct ; but gradually increase in rapidity, till they run into each other, resem- bling the rumbling sound of very distant thunder, dying away grad- ually on the ear. After a few minutes' pause, this is again repeated, and, in a calm day, may be heard nearly half a mile off. This drum- ming is most common in spring, and is the call of the cock to his favorite female. It is produced in the following manner : The bird, standing on an old, prostrate log, generally in a retired and sheltered situation, lowers his wings, erects his expanded tail, contracts his throat, elevates the two tufts of feathers on the neck, and inflates his whole body, something in the manner of the Turkey Cock, strutting and wheeling about with great stateliness. After a few manoeuvres of this kind, he begins to strike with his stiffened wings in short and quick strokes, which become more and m.ore rapid until they run into each other, as has been already described. This is most common in the morning and evening, though I have heard them drumming at all hours of the day. By means of this, the gunner is led to the place of his retreat ; though, to those unacquainted with the sound, there is great deception in the supposed distance, it generally appearing to be much nearer than it really is.* The Pheasant begins to pair in April, and builds its nest early in May. This is placed on the ground, at the root of a bush, old log, or * Mr. Audubon confirms the correctness of Wilson's comparison of the drum- ming noise produced by this bird. He mentions having- often called them within shot by imitating the sound, which he accomplished " by beating a large, inflated bullock's bladder with a stick, keeping up as much as possible the same time as that in which the bird beats. At the sound produced by the bladder and the stick, the male Grouse, inflamed with jealousy, has flown directly towards me, when, be- ing prepared, I have easily shot it. An equally successful stratagem is employed to decoy the males of our Little Partridge, by imitating the call-note of the female during spring and summer ; but in no instance, after repeated trials, have I been able to entice the Pinnated Grouse to come towards me, whilst imitating the boom- ing sounds of that bird." Most game are very easily called by those expert at imitating sounds. Grouse are often called by poachers, and Partridges may be brought near by a quill and horse-hair. IMany of the Tringce and Totani are easily whistled. — Ed, 432 RUFFED GROUSE. other sheltered and solitary situation, well surrounded with withered leaves. Unlike that of the Quail, it is open above, and is usually composed of dry leaves and grass. The eggs are from nine to fifteen m number, of a brownish white, without any spots, and nearly as large as those of a Pullet. The young- leave the nest as soon as hatched, and are directed by the cluck of the mother, very much in the man- ner of the Common Hen. On being surprised, she exhibits all the dis- tress and affectionate mancEuvres of the Quail, and of most other birds, to lead you away from the spot. 1 once started a hen Pheasant with a single young one, seemingly only a few days old : there might have been more, but I observed only this one. The mother fluttered before me for a moment ; but, suddenly darting towards the young one, seized it in her bill, and flew off along the surface through the woods, with great steadiness and rapidity, till she was beyond my sight, leaving me in great surprise at the incident. I made a very close and active search around the spot for the rest, but without success. Here was a striking instance of something more than what is termed blind in- stinct, in this remarkable deviation from her usual manoemTes when she has a numerous brood. It would have been impossible for me to have injured this affectionate mother, who had exhibited such an ex- ample of presence of mind, reason, and sound judgment, as must have convinced the most bigoted advocates of mere instinct To car- ry off a \vliole brood in this manner at once Avould have been impos- sible, and to attempt to save one at the expense of the rest vrould be unnatural. She therefore usually takes the only possible mode of saving them in that case, by decoying the person in pursuit of herself, by such a natural imitation of lameness as to impose on most people. But here, in the case of a single solitary young one, she instantly al- tered her plan, and adopted the most simple and effectual means for its preservation. The Pheasant generally springs within a few yards, with a loud, whirring noise,* and flies with great vigor through the woods, beyond * Mr. Audubon has the following' observations on the flight and whirring noise pro- duced during it: — " When this bird rises from the ground at a time when pursued by an enemy, or tracked by a dog-, it produces a loud, whirring sound, resembling that of the "whole tribe, excepting the Black Cock of Europe, which has less of it than any other species. This whirring sound is never heard when the Grouse rises of its own accord, for the purpose oi' removing from one place to another 5 nor, iu similar circumstances, is it commonly produced liy our Little Partridge. In fact, I do not believe that it is emitted by any species of Grouse, unless when surprised and forced to rise. I have often been lying on the ground in the woods or the fields for hours at a time, for the express purpose of observing the movements and habits of different birds, and have frequently seen a Partridge or a Grouse rise on wing from within a few yards of the spot in which I lay, unobserved by them, as gently and softly as any other bird, and w ithout producing: any whirring sound. Nor even when this Grouse ascends to the top of a tree, does it make any greater noise than other birds of the same size would do." The structure of the wings among: ^11 the Tefraonidce and PJiasiajiiii'r is such as to preclude the possibility of an entirely noiseless flight, when the members are actively' used ; but I have no doubt that it can be, and is sometimes, increased. When any kind of game is suddenly sprung, or alanned, the wings are made use of with more violence than when the flight is fairly commenced, or a rise to the branch of a tree is only contemplated. I have heard it produced by all our British game to a certain extent, when flying over me. perfectly unalarmed. The noise is certainly produced by the rapid action of the wings, and I believe the birds cannot RUFFED GROUSE. 433. reach of view, before it alights. With a g-ood dog, however, they are easily found ; and at some times exhibit a singular degree of infatua- tion, by looking down from the branches where they sit, on the dog be- low, who, the more noise he keeps up, seems the more to confuse and stupefy them, so that they may be shot down, one by one, till the whole are killed, without attempting to fly off. In such cases, those on the lower limbs must be taken first ; for, should the upper ones be first killed, in their fall tliey alarm those below, who immediately fly off. In deep snows they are usually taken in traps, commonly dead traps, sup- ported by a figure 4 trigger. At this season, when suddenly alarmed, they frequently dive into the snow, particularly when it has newly fallen, and, coming out at a considerable distance, again take wing. They are pretty hard to kill, and will often carry off a large load to the distance of two hundred yards, and drop down dead. Sometimes, in the depth of winter, they approach the farm-house, and lurk near the barn, or about the garden. They have also been often taken young, and tamed, so as to associate with the fowls ; and their eggs have fre- quently been hatched under the Common Hen ; but these rarely survive until fall grown. They are exceedingly fond of the seeds of grapes; occasionally eat ants, chestnuts, blackberries, and various vegetables. Formerly they were numerous in the immediate vicinity of Philadel- phia ; but, as the woods were cleared and population increased, they retreated to the interior. At present there are very few to be found within several miles of the city, and those only singly, in the most sol- itary and retired woody recesses. The Pheasant is in best order for the table in September and Octo- ber. At this season they feed chiefly on whortleberries, and the little, red, aromatic partridgeberries ; the last of which give their flesh a pe- culiar, delicate flavor. With the former our mountains are literally covered from August to November ; and these constitute, at that season, the greater part of their food. During the deep snows of winter, they exert that with a totally noiseless flight. Sounds at variance from that occasioned by ordinary flight, are produced by many birds ; particularly during the breeding season, when diflerent motions are employed, and it appears to me to be rather a consequence depending on the peculiar flight, than the flight employed to produce the sound as a love or other call. Such is the booming noise produced by Snipes in spring, always accompanied by the almost impercept^ible motion of the wings in the very rapid descent of the bird. A somewhat similar sound is produced by the Lapwing, when flying near her nest or young, and is always heard during a rapid flight performed diagonally downwards. The cock Pheasant produces a loud whir by a violent motion of his wings after calling. A very peculiar rustling is heard when the Peacock raises his train, and the cause, a rapid, trembling motion of the feathers, is easily perceived ; and the strut of the Turkey Cock is produced appa- rently by the rapid exertion of the muscles acting on the roots of the quills. Under this species may be mentioned the 7'. Sabinii of Douglas. It is so very closely allied, that Dr. Richardson remarks, "After a careful comparison of Mr. Douglas's T. Sahivii, deposited in the Edinburgh Museum, they appeared to me to differ in no respect from the young of T. umhellus." The characters of T. Sahinii, given by Mr. Douglas, are, — Rufus, nigro nola- lus ; dorso maculis cordiformibus, nucha alisque lineis ferrugineo-flovis j abdoniine albo brunneo fasciato ; rectricibus fasoiatis, fascia .subapicali lata nigra. Mr. Douglas thinks that there is some difference between the specimens of T. umbelhis, killed on the Rocky Mountains, and more northern parts, from tliose in the states of New York and Pennsylvania, and proposes, if they should be here- after found distinct, that it should stand as T. umbelloides. — Ed. 37 434 RUFFED GROUSE. have recourse to the buds of alder, and the tender buds of the laureL I have frequently found their crops distended with a large handful of these latter alone ; and it has been confidently asserted, that, after having fed for some time on the laurel buds, their flesh becomes highly dangerous to eat of, partaking of the poisonous qualities of the plant. The same has been asserted of tlie flesh of the deer, when, in severe weather and deep snows, they subsist on the leaves and bark of the laurel. Though I have myself ate freely of the flesh of the Pheasant, after emptying it of large quantities of laurel buds, without experi- encing any bad consequences, yet, from the respectability of those, some of them eminent physicians, who have particularized cases in which it has proved deleterious, and even fatal, I am inclined to believe, that, in certain cases, where tliis kind of food has been long continued, and the birds allowed to remain undrawn for several days, until the contents of the crop and stomach have had time to diffuse themselves through the flesh, as is too often the case, it may be unwholesome, and even dangerous. Great numbers of these birds are brought to our markets, at all times, during fall and winter ; some of which are brought from a distance of more than a hundred miles, and have been probably dead a week or two, unpicked and undrawn, before they are purchased for the table. Regulations, prohibiting them from being brought to market, unless picked and drawn, would, very probably, be a sufficient security from all danger. At these inclement seasons, however, they are generally lean and dry ; and, indeed, at all times their flesh is far it ferior to that of the Pinnated Grouse. They are usually sold, in Philadelphia market, at from three quarters of a dollar to a dollar and a quarter a pair, and sometimes higher. The Pheasant, or Partridge, of New England, is eighteen inches long, and twenty-three inches in extent ; bill, a horn color, paler be- low ; eye, reddish hazel, immediately above which is a small spot of bare skin, of a scarlet color ; crested ; head and neck, variegated with hliick, red brown, white, and pale brown; sides of the neck, furnished with a tuft of large black feathers, twenty-nine or thirty in number, wliich it occasionally raises ; this tuft covers a large space of the neck destitute of feathers ; body above, a bright rust color, marked with oval spots of yellowish white, and sprinkled with black ; wings, plain olive brown, exteriorly edged with white, spotted with olive ; the tail is rounding, extends five inches beyond the tips of the wings, is of a bright reddish brown, beautifully marked with numerous, waving, trans- verse bars of black, is also crossed by a broad band of black, within half an inch of the tip, which is bluish white, thickly sprinkled and specked with black ; body below, white, marked with large blotches of Dale brown ; the legs are covered half way to the feet with hairy down )f a brownish white color ; legs and feet, pale ash ; toes, pectinated ilong the sides ; the two exterior ones joined at the base, as far as the irst joint, by a membrane ; vent, yellowish rust color. The female, and young birds, differ in having the ruff" or tufts of feathers on the neck of a dark brown color ; as well as the bar of black on the tail inclining much to the same tint. GREAT HORNED OWL. 435 GREAT HORNED OWL.— STRIX VIRGINIANA. — Fig. 196. Arct. Zool. p. 228, No. 114. — Edio. GO. — Lath. i. 119. — Turt. Sijst. p. 1G6. — Peak's Museum, No. 410. BUBO F//2G/JV/jSJVV3. — CuviER.* Le grand Hibou d'Amerique, Cuv.Reg.Anim. \. p. 329. — Strix Virginiana, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 37. — The Great Horned Owl, And. Orn. Biog. i. p. 313, pi. 61, male and female. — Strix (Bubo) Virginiana, North. Zool. ii. p. 82. This noted and formidable Owl is found in almost every quarter of the United States. His favorite residence, however, is in the dark * Cuvier uses the title Bubo to distinguish those species, which, as in the genus Otits, have the tarsi feathered, and are furnished with egrets, but have the disk sur- rounding the face less distinctly marked, and have a small external conch. He as- sumes, as the type, the Eagle Owl of Europe, but places the Virginian species, in his genus Otus, with the small Long-eared Owl of Britain ; the latter has tlie disk very distinct, and the ears large, the characters of Otus ; but the American bird is in every way a true Bubo, as defined by the great French naturalist. It is a genus of very extensive geographical distribution ; individuals exist in almost every lati- tude, and in the four quarters of the world. Their abodes are the deep and intermi- nable forests, their habits nocturnal, though they are not so much annoyed or stupefied if disturbed in the day, and much more difficult to approach, earnestly watching their pursuer. An Eagle Owl, in my possession, remains quiet during the day, unless he is shown some prey, when he becomes eager to possess it, and, when it is put within his reach, at once clutches it, and retires to a corner to devour at leisure. During night he is extremely active, and sometimes keeps up an incessant bark. It is so similar to that of a cur, or terrier, as to annoy a large Labrador house dog, who expressed his dis- satisfaction by replying to him, and disturbing the inmates nightly. I at first mis- took the cry also for that of a dog, and, without any recollection of the Owl, sallied forth to destroy this disturber of our repose 3 and it was not until tracing the sound to the cage, that I became satisfied of the author of the annoyance. I have re- marked, that he barks more incessantly during a clear winter night than at any other time, and the thin air at that season makes the cry very distinctly heard to a consid- erable distance. This bird also shows a great antipathy to dogs, and will perceive one at a considerable distance, nor is it possible to distract his attention so long as the animal remains in sight. When first perceived, the feathers are raised, and the wings lowered, as when feeding, and the head moved round, following the object while in sight ; if food is thrown, it will be struck with the foot, and held, but no further attention paid to it. The Virginian Owl seems to be very extensively distributed over America, is tolerably common over every part of the continent, and Mr. Swainson has seen specimens from the table-land of Mexico. The southern specimens present only a brighter coloring in the rufous parts of the plumage. According to all authorities. Owls have been regarded as objects of superstition 5 and this has sometimes been taken advantage of by the well informed, for purposes far from what ought to be the duty of a better education to inculcate. None are more accessible to such superstitions than the primitive natives of Ireland, and the north of Scotland. Dr. Richardson thus relates an instance, which came to his own knowledge, of the consequences arising from a visit of this nocturnal wanderer. " A party of Scottish Highlanders, in the service of the Hudson's Bay Company, happened, in a winter journey, to encamp after nightfall in a dense clump of trees, whose dark tops and lofty stems, the growth of more than one century, gave a solemnity to the scene that strongly tended to excite the superstitious feelings of the Highlanders. The effect was heightened by the discovery of a tomb, which, with a natural taste often exhibited by the Indians, had been placed in this secluded spot. 426 GREAT HORNED OWL. solitudes of deep swamps, covered with a ^owth of gigantic timber ; and here, as soon as evening draws on, and mankind retire to rest, he sends forth such sounds as seem scarcely to belong to this world, startling the solitary pilgrim as he slumbers by his forest fire, Making night hideous. Along the mountainous shores of the Ohio, and amidst the deep forests of Indiana, alone, and reposing in the woods, this ghostly watch- man has frequently warned me of the approach of morning, and Our travellers, having finished their supper, were trimming their fire preparatory to retiring to rest, when the slow and dismal notes of the Horned Owl fell on the ear with a startling nearness. None of them being acquainted with the sound, they at once concluded, that so unearthly a voice must be the moaning of the spirit of the departed, whose repose they supposed they had disturbed, by madvertenlly making a fire of some of the wood of which his tomb had been constructed. They passed a tedious night of fear, and, with the first dawn of day, hastily quitted the ill-omened spot." In India there is a large Om'1, knowii by the native name of Googoo, or Ooloo, which, according to some interesting notices, accompanying a large box of birds sent to Mr. Selby from the vicinity of Hydrabad, is held as an object of both fear and veneration. " If an Ooloo should alight on the house of a Hindoo, he would leave it immediately, take the thatch off, and put fresh on. The eyes and brain are considered an infallible cure for fits in cliildren, and both are often given to women in labor. The flesh, bones, &c., boiled down to a jelly, are used to cure spasms or rheumatism. Some of the fat, given to a child newly born, averts misfortune from him for life." Independent of these, says our correspondent, " there are innu- merable superstitions regarding this bird, and a native will always kill one when he has an opportunity." We must mention here a very beautiful species, which is c eTlam\y Jirst accurately described in the second volume of the Northern Zoology, though Wilson appears to have had some information regarding a large while Owl ;. and Dr. Richardson is of opinion, that the Strix Scaiidiaca of Linnaeus, if not actually the species, at least resembles it. It is characterized and figured by the northern travellers under the name of Bubo arctica, Arctic, or White-homed Owl 3 and we add the greater part of their description. " This very beautiful Owl appears to be rare, only one specimen having been seen by the members of the expedition. It was observed flying at mid-day, in the immediate vicinity of Carlton House, and m as brought down with an arrow by au Indian boy. I obtained no information respecting its habits. ''The facial disk is very imperfect; the ears, small, and without an operculum, as in Strix Vir^niana ; the ear-feathers, ample ; but the disk even smaller than in the last-mentioned bird, and the tarsi somewhat longer. The toes are similarly connected. The tail is of moderate length, and considerably rounded. The bill is strong and rather short. "Description. — Color of the bill and claws, bluish black. Irid.^s, yellow. The face is white, bounded posteriorly by blackish brown, succeeded by while, which two latter colors are continued in a mixed band across the throat. Egrets, colored at the base, hke the adjoining plumage ; the longer feathers tipped with blackish brown, their inner webs, white, varied with wood brown. The w hole dor- sal aspect is marked with undulated lines, ©r fine bars, of umber brown, alternating with white ; the markings bearing some resemblance to those of the Virginian Owl, but being much more lively and handsome. On the greater wing-covtris, on the imier half of the scapularies, and also partially on the neck and lesser win^-coverts, the white is tinged, or replaced by pale wood brown. The primaries and second- aries are wood brown, with a considerable portion of white along the margins of their inner webs. They are crossed by from five to six distant umber brown bars on both webs, the intervening spaces being finelv speckled with the same. Near the tips of the primaries, the fine sprinkling of the dark color nearly obscures the wood brown. On the tertiarics. the wood brown is mostly replaced by while. The tail- fcatliers are white, deeply tinged on their inner webs by wood brown, and crossed GREAT HORNED OWL. 43t amused me Avith his singular exclamations, sometimes sweeping down and around my fire, uttering a loud and sudden ffaugh O ! Waugh O ! sufficient to have alarmed a whole garrison. He has oUier nocturnal solos, no less melodious, one of which very strikingly resem- bles the half-suppressed screams of a person suffocating, or throttled, and cannot fail of being exceedingly entertaining to a lonely, benighted traveller, in the midst of an Indian wilderness ! This species inhabits the country round Hudson's Bay ; and accord- ing to Pennant, who considers it a mere variety of the Eagle Owl [Strix bubo) of Europe, is found in Kamtschatka; extends even to the by six bars of umber brown, about half as broad as the intervening spaces ; their tips are white. •' Under surface. — Chin, white. Throat, crossed by the band above mentioned, behind vvliich there is a large space of pure snow white, that is bounded on the breast by blotches of liver brown, situated on the tips of the feathers. The belly and long plumage of the flanks are white, crossed by narrow, regular bars of dark brown. The vent-feathers, under tail-coverts, thighs, and feet, are pure white. The linings of the wings are also white, with the exception of a brown spot on the tips of the greater interior coverts." Audubon has the following remarks on their incubation, which are somewhat at variance with Wilson. It would also appear that this bird makes love during the day. " Early in February, the Great Horned Qwls are seen to pair. The curious evolutions of the male in the air, or his motions when he has alighted near his be- loved, it is impossible to describe. His bowings, and the snappings of his bill, are extremely ludicrous ; and no sooner is the female assured that the attentions paid her by the beau are the result of a sincere afi'ection, than she joins in the motions of her future mate. " The nest, which is very bulky, is usually fixed on a large, horizontal branch, not far from the trunk of the tree. It is composed externally of crooked sticks, and is lined with coarse grasses and some feathers. The whole measures nearly three feet in diameter. The eggs, which are from three to six, are almost globular in form, and of a dull white color. The male assists the female in sitting on the eggs. Only one brood is raised in the season. The young remain in the nest until fully fledged, and afterwards follow the parents for a considerable time, uttering a mourn- ful sound, to induce them to supply them with food. They acquire the full plumage of the old birds in the first spring, and until then are considerably lighter, with more dull buff in their tints. I have found nests belonging to this species in large hollows of decayed trees, and twice in the fissures of rocks. In all these cases, little prep- aration had been made previous to the laying of the eggs, as I found only a few grasses and feathers placed under them. " The Great Horned Owl lives retired, and it is seldom that more than one is found in the neighborhood of a farm, after the breeding season •, but as almost every detached farm is visited by one of these dangerous and powerful marauders, it may be said to be abundant. The havock which it commits is very great. I have known a plantation almost stripped of the whole of the poultry raised upon it during spring, by one of these daring foes of the feathered race, in the course of the ensuing winter. " This species is very powerful, and equally spirited. It attacks wild Turke^-^s when half grown, and often masters them. Mallards, Guinea-Fowls, and common barn-fowls, prove an easy prey ; and on seizing them, it carries them off in its lalons from the farm-yards to the interior of the woods. When wounded it exhibits a revengeful tenacity of spirit, scarcely surpassed by any of the noblest of the Eagle tribe, disdaining to scramble away like the Barred Owl, but facing its enemy with undaunted courage, protruding its powerful talons, and snapping its bill, as long as he continues in its presence. On these occasions, its large goggle eyes are seen to open and close in quick succession, and the feathers of its body, being raised, swell out its apparent bulk to nearly double the natural size." — Ed. 37* 438 GREAT HORNED OWL. Arctic Regions, where it is often found white ; and occurs as low as Astrakan. It has also been seen white in the United States ; but this has doubtless been owing to disease or natural defect, and not to climate. It preys on young rabbits, squirrels, rats, mice, partridges, and small birds of various kinds. It has been often known to prowl about the farm-house, and carry off Chickens from roost. A very large one, wing-broken while on a foraging excursion of this kind, was kept about the house for several days, and at length disappeared, no one knew how. Almost every day after this, Hens and Chickens also dis- appeared, one by one, in an unaccountable manner, till, in eight or ten days, very few were left remaining. The fox, the minx, and weasel, were alternately the reputed authors of this mischief, until one morn- ing, the old lady herself, rising before day to bake, in passing towards the oven, surprised her late prisoner, the Owl, regaling himself on the body of a newly-killed Hen ! The thief instantly made for his hole under the house, from whence the enraged matron soon dislodged him with the brush handle, and without mercy despatched him. In this snug retreat were found the greater part of the feathers, and many large fragments, of her whole family of Chickens. There is something in the character of the Owl so recluse, solitary, and mysterious, something so discordant in the tones of its voice, heard only amid the silence and gloom of night, and in the most lonely and sequestered situations, as to have strongly impressed the minds of mankind in general with sensations of awe and abhorrence of the whole tribe. The poets have indulged freely in this general prejudice ; and in tlieir descriptions and delineations of midnight storms, and gloomy scenes of nature, the Owl is generally introduced to heighten the horror of the picture. Ignorance and superstition, in all ages, and in all countries, listen to the voice of the Owl, and even contemplate its physiognomy with feelings of disgust, and a kind of fearful awe. The priests, or conjurers, among some of our Indian nations, have taken advantage of the reverential horror for this bird, and have adopted the Great Homed Owl, the subject of the present account, as the symbol or emblem of their office. " Among the Creeks," says Mr. Bartrani, in his Travels, p. 504, " the junior priests, or students, con- stantly wear a Avhite mantle, and have a Great Owl skin cased and stuffed very ingeniously, so well executed as almost to appear like the living bird, having large, sparkling, glass beads, or buttons, fixed in the head for eyes. This insignia of Avisdom and divination they wear sometimes as a crest on the top of the head ; at other times the image sits on the arm, or is borne on the hand. These bachelors are also distinguished from the other people by tlieir taciturnity, grave and solemn countenance, dignified step, and singing to themselves songs or hymns in a low, sweet voice, as they stroll about the town." Nothing IS a more effectual cure for superstition than a knowledge of the general laws and productions of nature ; nor more forcibly leads our reflections to the first, great, self-existent Cause of all, to whom our reverential awe is then humbly devoted, and not to any of his dependent creatures. With all the gloomy habits and ungracious tones of the Owl, there is nothing in this bird supernatural or mys- terious, or more than that of a simple bird of prey, formed for feeding J GREAT HORNED OWL. 439 by night, like many other animals, and of reposing by day. The harshness of its voice, occasioned by the width and capacity of its throat, may be intended by Heaven as an alann and warning to the birds and animals on which it preys, to secure themselves from danger. The voices of all carnivorous birds and animals are also observed to be harsh and hideous, probably for this very purpose. The Great Horned Owl is not migratory, but remains with us the whole year. During the day he slumbers in the thick evergreens of deep swamps, or seeks shelter in large hollow trees. He is very rarely seen abroad by day, and never but when disturbed. In the month of May they usually begin to build. The nest is generally placed in the fork of a tall tree, and is constructed of sticks piled in considerable quantities, lined with dry leaves and a few feathers. Sometimes they choose a hollow tree ; and, in that case, carry in but few materials. The female lays four eggs, nearly as large as those of a Hen, almost globular, and of a pure white. In one of these nests, after the young had flown, were found the heads and bones of two Chickens, the legs and head of the Golden-winged Woodpecker, and part of the wings and feathers of several other birds. It is generally conjectured that they hatch but once in the season. The length of the male of this species is twenty inches ; the bill is large, black, and strong, covered at the base with a cere ; the eyes, golden yellow ; the horns are three inches in length, and very broad, consisting of twelve or fourteen feathers, their webs black, broadly edged with bright tawny ; face, rusty, bounded on each side by a band of black ; space between the eyes and bill, whitish ; whole lower parts elegantly marked with numerous transverse bars of dusky on a bright tawny ground, thinly interspersed with white ; vent, pale yellow ochre, barred with narrow lines of brown ; legs and feet large, and covered with feathers or hairy down of a pale brown color ; claws, very large blue black ; tail, rounded, extending about an inch beyond the tips of the wings, crossed with six or seven narrow bars of brown, and variegated or marbled with brown and tawny ; whole upper parts finely pencilled with dusky, on a tawny and whitish ground ; chin, pure white, under that a band of brown, succeeded by another narrow one of white ; eyes, very large. The female is full two feet in length, and has not the white on the throat so pure. She has also less of the bright ferruginous or tawny tint below ; but is principally distinguished by her superior mag- nitude. 440 WHITE, OR BARN O^VL. WHITE, OR BARN OWL. — STRIX FLAMMEA.— Fig. 197. Lath. I 138. — Arct. Zool. p. 235, No. 124. — P/nY. Trans, iii. 138. — L'Effraie, ou la Fresaie, Buff. i. 366, pi. 26, PL ml. 440. — Bewick's Brit. Birds, i. p. 89. — Common Owl, Turt. Syst. p. IIQ. — Peak's Museum, No. 486. ULULA FLAMMEA. — Cuvier.* Strix flammea, Bonap. Synop. p. 38. This Owl, though so common in Europe, is much rarer in this part of the United States than the preceding, and is only found here during very severe winters. This may possibly be owing to the want of those favorite recesses in this part of the world, which it so much affects in the eastern continent. The multitudes of old, ruined castles, towers, monasteries, and cathedrals, that every where rise to view in those countries, are the chosen haunts of this well-known species. Its sav- age cries at night give, with vulgar minds, a cast of supernatural horror to those venerable, mouldering piles of antiquity. This species, being common to both continents, doubtless extends to the Arctic Regions. It also inhabits Tartary, where, according to Pennant, " the Monguls and natives almost pay it divine honors, because they attribute to this species the preservation of the founder of their empire, Ginghis Khan. That prince, with his small army, happened to be surprised and put to flight by his enemies, and forced to conceal himself in a little coppice ; an owl settled on the bush under which he was hid, and induced his pursuers not to search there, as they thought it impossible that any man could be concealed in a place where that * From the authority of most writers, this Owl is common to both continents. Temminck says those from America are exactly the same. I have not personally had an opportunity of comparing them. In all true night-feeding birds, or those that require to steal upon their prey unobserved, the general plumage is formed for a light, smooth, and noiseless flight j but the members are not adapted for great swiftness, or for seizing their prey by quick and sudden evolutions. The form is comparatively light, as far as the necessary requisites for sufficient strength can be combined with it ; and the plumage, being ample and loose, assists by its buoyancy, and does not ofl^er the same resistance to the air as one of a stiff and rigid texture. The wings, the great organs of locomotion, and which, in flight, produce the most noise, are rounded, having the webs of the feathers very broad, calculated for a powerful and sustain- ing flight ; and the mechanism of the feathers at once bespeaks an intention to de- stroy the sound produced by motion. In all those birds which perform very swift and rapid flights — the Falcons, for instance. Swifts, or Swallows, many of the sea fowl, the Fregate Bird — the wings are very pointed, (a contrariety of form to the Strigidce,) with the plumules very closely united, and locked together, so as to form almost a tliin or solid slip. These produce more resistance, and act as a strong propelling medium, when vigorously used. In the Owls the wings present a larger surface, but are not so capable of swift motion ; and, to prevent the noise which would necessarily be produced by the violent percussion of so great an expanse, the webs are entirely detached at the tips, and the plumules of the inner ones being drawn to a fine point, thus offer a free passage to the air, and a gradual diminution of resistance. Asa further proof that this structure is so intended, we find it to a much less extent in those species that feed occasionally during the day, and we have also the narrowing and acumination of the wings, denotmg superior flight 5 while, in some, there is a still greater digression in the elongated tail. — Ed. I WHITE, OR BARN OWL. 441 bird would perch. From thenceforth they held it to be sacred, and every one wore a plume of the feathers of this species on his head. To tJiis day the Kalmucs continue the custom on all great festivals ; and some tribes have an idol in form of an owl, to Avhich they fasten the real legs of one." * This species is rarely found in Pennsylvania in summer. Of its place and manner of building, I am unable, from my own observation, to speak. The bird itself has been several times found in the hollow of a tree, and was once caught in a barn in my neighborhood. Euro- pean writers inform us that it makes no nest, but deposits its eggs in the holes of walls, and lays five or six, of a whitish color ; it is said to feed on mice and small birds, which, like the most of its tribe, it swallows whole, and afterwards emits the bones, feathers, and other indigestible parts, at its mouth, in the form of small round cakes, which are often found in the empty buildings it frequents. During its repose it is said to make a blowing noise resembling the snoring of a man.f It is distinguished in England by various names, the Barn Owl, the Church Owl, Gillihowlet, and Screech Owl. In the lowlands of Scotland it is universally called the Hoolet. The White or Barn Owl is fourteen inches long, and upwards of tliree feet six inches in extent ; bill, a whitish horn color, longer than is usual among its tribe ; space surrounding each eye, remarkably concave, the radiating feathers meeting in a high, projecting ridge, arching from the bill upwards ; between these lies a tliick tuft of bright tawny feathers, that are scarcely seen, unless the ridges be separated ; face, white, surrounded by a border of narrow, thickset, velvety feathers, of a reddish cream color at the tip, pure silvery white below, and finely shafted with black ; whole upper parts, a bright tawny yellow, thickly sprinkled with whitish and pale purple, and beautifully interspersed with larger drops of white, each feather of the back and wing-coverts ending in an oblong spot of white, bounded by black ; head, large, tumid ; sides of the neck, pale yellow ochre, thinly sprinkled with small touches of dusky ; primaries and seconda- ries, the same, thinly barred, and thickly sprinkled with dull purplish brown ; tail, two inches shorter than the tips of the wings, even, or very slightly forked, pale yellowish, crossed with five bars of brown, and thickly dotted with the same ; whole lower parts, pure white, thinly interspersed with small round spots of blackish ; thighs, the same ; legs, long, thinly covered with short white down nearly to the feet, which are of a dirty white, and thickly warted ; toes, thinly clad with white hairs ; legs and feet, large and clumsy ; the ridge, or shoulder of the wing, is tinged with bright orange brown. The aged bird is more white ; in some, the spots of black on the breast are wanting, and the color below, a pale yellow; in others, a pure white. The female measures fifteen inches and a half in length, and three feet eight inches in extent ; is much darker above ; the lower parts tinged 'vvith tawny, and marked also with round spots of black. One of these was lately sent me, which was shot on the border of tlie * Arctic Zoology, p. 235. t Bewick, i. p. 90. 442 WHITE, OR BARN OWL. meadows below Philadelphia. Its stomach contained the mangled carcasses of four large meadow mice, hair, bones, and all. The com- mon practice of most OavIs is, after breaking the bones, to swallow the mouse entire ; the bones, hair, and other indigestible parts, are after- wards discharged from the mouth in large, roundish, dry balls, that are frequently met with in such places as these birds usually haunt. As the meadow mouse is so eagerly sought after by those birds, and also by great numbers of Hawks, which regularly, at the com- mencement of winter, resort to the meadows below Philadelphia, and to the marshes along the sea-shore, for the purpose of feeding on these little animals, some account of them may not be improper in this place. Fig. 198 represents the meadow mouse, reduced to one half its natural dimensions. This species appears not to have been taken notice of by Turton in the latest edition of his translation of Linnaeus. From the nose to the insertion of the tail, it measures four inches ; the tail is between three quarters and an inch long, hairy, and usually curves upwards ; the fore feet are short, five-toed, the inner toe very short, but furnished with a claw ; hind feet also five-toed ; tlie ears are shorter than the fur, through which, though large, tliey are scarcely noticeable ; the nose is blunt ; the color of the back is dark brown, that of the belly, hoary ; the fur is long, and extremely fine ; the hind feet are placed very far back, and are also short; the eyes exceeding small. This mischievous creature is a great pest to the meadows, burrowing in them in every direction ; but is particularly injurious to the embankments raised along the river, perforating them in numerous directions, and admitting the water, which afterwards eifects danger- ous breaches, inundating large extents of these low grounds, — and thus they become the instruments of their own destruction. In their general figure they bear great resemblance to the common musk rat, and like them swim and dive well. They feed on the bulbous roots of plants, and also on garlic, of which they are remarkably fond. Another favorite prey of most of our Owls is the Bat, one species of which is represented Fig. 199, as it hung during the day in the woods where I found it This also appears to be a nondescript. The length of this Bat, from the nose to the tip of the tail, is four inches ; the tail itself is as long as the body, but generally curls up iuAvards ; the general color is a bright iron gray, the fur being of a reddish cream at bottom, then strongly tinged with lake, and minutely tipped with white ; the ears are scarcely half an inch long, with two slight valves ; the nostrils are somewhat tubular ; fore teeth, in the upper jaw none, in the lower four, not reckoning the tusks ; the eyes are very small black points ; tlie chin, upper part of the breast, and head, are of a pale reddish cream color ; the wings have a single hook or claw each, and are so constructed, that tlie animal may hang either with its head or tail downward. I have several times found two hanging fast locked together behind a leaf, the hook of one fixed in the mouth of the other; the hind feet are furnished with five toes, sharp clawed ; the membrane of the wings is dusky ; shafts, light brown ; extent, twelve inches. In a cave, not far from Carlisle, in Pennsylvania, t found a number of these Bats in the depth of winter, in very severe weather: they were lying on the projecting shelves of the rocks, and when the brand of fire was held near them, wrinkled up SMALL-HEADED FLYCATCHER. 443 their mouths, showing their teeth ; when held in the hand for a short time, they became active, and, after being carried into a stove room, flew about as lively as ever. SMALL-HEADED FLYCATCHER. — MUSCICAPA MINUTA. — Fig. 200. SYLVICOLAI MIJ\rUT^. — J ARDi^in. Sylvia minuta, Bonap. Synop. p. 86. This very rare bird, represented in Fig. 200, is the only one I have met with. It was shot on the 24th of April, in an orchard, and was remarkably active, running, climbing, and darting about among the opening buds and blossoms with extraordinary agility. From what quarter of the United States or of North America it is a wanderer, I am unable to determine, having never before met with an individual of the species. Its notes and manner of breeding are also alike un- known to me. This was a male : it measured five inches long, and eight and a quarter in extent ; the upper parts were dull yellow olive; the Avings, dusky brown, edged witli lighter ; the greater and lesser coverts, tipped with white ; the lower parts, dirty white, stained with dull yellow, particularly on the upper parts of the breast ; the tail, dusky brown, the two exterior feathers marked, like those of many others, with a spot of white on the inner vanes ; head, remarkably small ; bill, broad at the base, furnished with bristles, and notched near the tip ; legs, dark brown ; feet, yellowish ; eye, dark hazel. Since writing the above, I have shot several individuals of this species in various quarters of New Jersey, particularly in swamps. They all appear to be nearly alike in plumage. Having found them there in June, there is no doubt of their breeding in that state, and, probably, in such situations far to the southward ; for many of the southern summer birds that rarely visit Pennsylvania, are yet common to the swamps and pine woods of New Jersey. Similarity of soil and situation, of plants and trees, and, consequently, of fruits, seeds, and insects, &c., are, doubtless, their inducements. The Summer Red- Bird, Great Carolina Wren, Pine-creeping Warbler, and many others, are rarely seen in Pennsylvania, or to the northward, though they are common in many parts of West J ersey. i444 HAWK OWL. HAWK OWL.— STRIX HUUSOI^lA. — Fig. 201. Little Hawk Owl, Edio. 62. — Lath. i. 142, No. 29. — Phil. Trans. 61, 385. — Le Chal-huant de Canada, Briss. i. 518. — Buff. i. 391. — Chouetle a lon^ue queue de Siberie, PL eid. 463. — Arct. Zool. p. 234, No. 123. — Peak's Museum, No. 500. SUKN'M FUJVERK^. — Dumeril.* Strix (sub-gen. Sumia) funerea, Bonap. Synop. p. 35. — Strix funerea, Temm. Man. i. p. 86. — North. Zool. ii. p. 92. This is another inhabitant of both continents, a kind of equivocal species, or rather a connecting link between the Hawk and Owl tribes, resembling the latter in the feet, and in the radiating feathers round the eye and bill ; but approaching nearer to the former in the smallness of its head, narrowness of its face, and in its length of tail. In short, it seems just such a figure as one would expect to see generated between a Hawk and an Owl of the same size, were it possible for them to produce ; and yet is as distinct, independent, and original a species as any other. It has also another strong trait of the Hawk tribe, — in flying and preying by day, contrary to the general habit of Owls. It is characterized as a bold and active species, fol- lowing the fowler, and carrying off his game as soon as it is shot. It is said to prey on Partridges and other birds ; and is very common at Hudson's Bay, where it is called by the Indians Coparacoch.j We are also informed that this same species inhabits Denmark and Swe- den, is frequent in all Siberia, and on the west side of the Uralian chain as far as Casan and the Volga ; but not in Russia.^ It was also seen by the navigators near Sandwich Sound, in lat. 61 degrees north. This species is very rare in Pennsylvania, and the more southern parts of the United States. Its favorite range seems to be along the borders of the Arctic Regions, making occasional excursions south- wardly when compelled by severity of weather, and consequent scarcity of food. I some time ago received a drawing of this bird, from the district of Maine, where it was considered rare : tliat, and the specimen from which the drawing in Fig. 201 was taken, w^hich was shot in the neighborhood of Philadelphia, are the only two that have come under my notice. These having luckily happened to be male and female, have enabled me to give a description of both. Of their nest, or manner of breeding, we have no account. The male of this species is fifteen inches long ; the bill, orange * In this we have the true form of a diurnal Owl. The head is comparatively small ; facial disk, imperfect ; the ears hardly larger than in birds of prey, and not operculated 5 the wings and tail more Hawk like, the former, as Wilson observes, with the webs scarcely divided at the tips. Flics by day, and, according to Dr. Richardson, preys during winter on Ptarmigan, which it constantly attends in their spring migrations northward, and is even so bold, on a bird being killed by the hunters, as to pounce down upon it, though it mav be unable, from its size, to carry it off. — Ed. t Edwards. t Pennant. MARSH HAWK. 445 yellow, and almost hid among tlie feathers ; plumage of the chin, curving up over the under mandible ; eyes, bright orange ; head, small ; face, narrow, and with very little concavity ; cheeks, white ; crown and hind head, dusky black, thickly marked with round spots of white ; sides of the neck, marked with a large, curving streak of brown black, with another, a little behind it, of a triangular form ; back, scapulars, rump, and tail-coverts, brown olive, thickly speckled with broad spots of white ; the tail extends three inches beyond the tips of the wings, is of a brown olive color, and crossed with six or seven narrow bars of white, rounded at the end, and also tipped with white ; the breast and chin are marked with a large spot of brown olive ; upper part of the breast, light ; lower, and all the parts below, elegantly barred with dark brown and white ; legs and feet, cov- ered to and beyond the claws with long, Avhitish plumage, slightly yellow, and barred with fine lines of ohve ; claws, horn color. The weight of this bird was twelve ounces. The female is much darker above ; the quills are nearly black ; and the upper part of the breast is blotched with deep blackish brown. It is worthy of remark, that, in all Owls that fly by night, the exte- rior edges and sides of the wing-quills are slightly recurved, and end in fine hairs or points ; by which means the bird is enabled to pass through the air with the greatest silence — a provision necessary for enabling it the better to surprise its prey. In thy Hawk Owl now before us, which flies by day, and to whom this contrivance would be of no consequence, it is accordingly omitted, or at least is scarcely observable. So judicious, so wise, and perfectly applicable, are all the dispositions of the Creator ! MARSH HAWK.— FALCO ULIGINOSUS.— Fig. 203. Edw. iv. 201. — Lath. i. 90. — Arct. Zool. p. 208, No. 103. ^Bartram, p. 290.— Peak's Museum, No. 318. CIRCUS CK/3JVi:C7S.— Bechstein. Falco (sub-gen. Circus,) Bonap. Stjnop. p. S3. — Buteo (Circus) cyaneus ? var. AmericanuS; North, Zool. ii. p. 55. A DRAWING of this HaAvk was transmitted to Mr. Edwards, more than fifty years ago, by Mr. William Bartram, and engraved in Plate 291 o^ Edwards's Ornithology. At that time, and I believe till now, it has been considered as a species peculiar to this country. I have examined various individuals of this Hawk, both in summer and in the depth of winter, and find them to correspond so nearly with tlie Ring-tail of Europe, that I have no doubt of their being the same species. This Hawk is most numerous where there are extensive meadows and salt marshes, over which it sails very low, making frequent cir- cuitous sweeps over the same ground, in search of a species of mouse, and very abundant in such situations. It occasionally flaps the wings, but is most commonly seen sailing about within a few feet of the £8 446 MARSH HAWK. surface. They are usually known by the name of the Mouse Hawk along the sea-coast of New Jersey, where they are very common. Several were also brought me last winter from the meadows below Philadelphia. Having never seen its nest, I am unable to describe it from my own observation. It is said, by European writers, to build on the ground, or on low limbs of trees. Mr. Pennant observes, that it sometimes changes to a rust colored variety, except on the rump and tail. It is found, as was to be expected, at Hudson's Bay, being native in both this latitude and that of Britain. We are also informed that it is common in the open and temperate parts of Russia and Siberia ; and extends as far as Lake Baikal, though it is said not to be found in the north of Europe.* The Marsh Hawk is twenty-one inches long, and three feet eleven inches in extent ; cere and legs, yellow, the former tinged Avith green, the latter long and slender ; nostril, large, triangular ; this and the base of the bill, thickly covered Avith strong, curving hairs, that rise from the space between the eye and bill, arching over the base of the bill and cere ; this is a particular characteristic ; bill, blue, black at the end ; eye, dark hazel ; cartilage overhanging the eye, and also the eyelid, bluish green ; spot under the eye, and line from the front over it, brownish white ; head above and back, dark glossy chocolate brown, the former slightly seamed with bright ferruginous ; scapulars, spotted with the same under the surface ; lesser coverts and band of the wing, here and there edged with the same ; greater coverts and primaries, tipped with whitish ; quills, deep brown at the extreme half, some of the outer ones hoary on the exterior edge ; all the primaries, yellowish white on the inner vanes and upper half, also barred on the inner vanes with black ; tail, long, extending three inches beyond the wings, rounded at the end, and of a pale sorel color, crossed by four broad bars of very dark brown, the two middle feathers excepted, which are barred with deep and lighter shades of chocolate brown ; chin, pale ferruginous ; round the neck, a collar of bright rust color; breast, belly, and vent, pale rust, shafted with brown ; femorals, long, tapering, and of the same pale rust tint; legs, feathered near an inch below the knee. This was a female. The male differs chiefly in being rather lighter, and somewhat less. This Hawk is particularly serviceable to the rice-fields of the Southern States, by the havock it makes among the clouds of Rice Buntings that spread such devastation among that grain, in its early staae. As it sails low and swiftly over the surface of the field, it keeps the flocks in perpetual fluctuation, and greatly interrupts their depreda- tions. The planters consider one Marsh Hawk to be equal to several negroes for alarming the Rice Birds. Formerly the Marsh Hawk used to be numerous along the Schuylkill and Delaware, during the time the reeds were ripening, and the Reed Birds abundant ; but tliey have of late years become less numerous here. Mr. Pennant considers the "5/ro7i/r, thick, and short les^s" of this species, as specific distinctions from the Ring-tailed Hawk ; the legs, however, are long and slender ; and a Marsh Hawk such as he has described, with strong, thick, and short legs, is nowhere to be found in the United States. * Pallas, as quoted by Pennant. SWALLOW-TAILED HAWK. 447 SWALLOW-TAILED HAWK.— FALCO FURCATUS.— Fig. 204. Linn. Syst. 129. — Lath. i. 60. — Hiruiulo maxima Peruviana avis prsedatoris cal- caribus inslructa, FeuUlee, Voy. Peru, tom. ii. 33. — Catesb. i. 4. — Le Milan de la Caroline, Bnss. i. U^. — Butf. i. ~lt\. — Turt. Sijst. 149. — Arct. Zool. p. 210, No. 103. — Feale's Museum, No. 14-2. EI^JVUS FURCATUS. — Savigmy.* Le Milan de Caroline, Cuv. Kegn. Ain'ni. i. p. 322. — Elanus furcatus, Bonap. Sy- nop. p. 31. — Nauclerus furcatus, V%. Zool. Jouni. No. VIL p. 387. — Less. Man. d'OniifJi. i. p. 101. — The Swallow-tailed Ha.wk, And. pi. 72; Oni. Biog. i. p. 3G8. This very elegant species inhabits the southern districts of the United States in summer ; is seldom seen as far north as Pennsylva- nia, but is very abundant in South Carolina and Georgia, and still more so in West Florida, and the extensive prairies of Ohio and the Indiana Territory. I met with these birds, in the early part of May, at a place called Duck Creek, in Tennessee ; and found them sailing * The characters of the birds composing- this genus are, — general form, of less strength than most of the Falconidcn ; bill, rather weak 5 tooth, little seen ; the tarsi, short, thick, reticulated, and partly feathered in front; wings, greatly elongated j timorous, and, like the Kites, excel in flight, circling in the air. Mr. Vigors has formed a genus, Nauclerus, of this and a small African species, dividing them from Elanus, where they were placed by most prior ornithologists. In these two birds, the tail is forked to a great extent ; while, in the others, it only commences to as- sume that form, and, in one, is altogether square. The claws also are not circular underneath, as in the others, to which Mr. Vigors would restrict Elanus. The wings of the two birds, however, show considerable difference ; the quills, in the American, being abruptly emarginated, the third longest ; in the African, the sec- ond is longest, and only a slight cmargination on the two first. Altogether, we are not quite satisfied with the distinctions. I have for the present retained Elanus, notwithstanding- the differences that do exist between some of its members. According to Audubon, they feed chiefly on the wing ; and having pounced on any prey upon the ground, rise with it, and devour it while flying. " In calm and warm weather," he remarks, " they soar to an immense height, pursuing the large insects called Musquito Hawks, and performing- the most smgular evolutions that can be conceived, using their tail with an elegance peculiar to themselves." They thus show a manner of feeding entirely different from most birds of prey, which gen- erally retire to some distance, and devour in quiet on the ground. There are some partly insectivorous Hawks, — Penis, [or instance, — which seize and devour the nisect during flight ; but larger prey is treated at leisure. I am aware of none that feed so decidedly on the wing- as that now described ; in every thing, it will appear more like a large Swallow than an accipitrine bird. Mr. Audubon remarks another curious circumstance, at variance with the wary manners of the Falconidm. " When one is killed, and falls to the ground, the w^hole flock comes over the dead bird, as if intent upon carrying it off". I have killed several of these Hawks in this manner, firing as fast as I could load my gun." This bird occurred to the late Dr. Walker, at Ballachulish, in Argyleshire, in 1792. Another specimen was taken near Howes, in Wensleydale, Yorkshire, by W. Fotheringill, Esq., and communicated to the London Society, November, 1823. -Ed. ^' y 4siSt SWALLOW-TAILED HAWK. about in great numbers near Bayou Manchac, on the Mississippi, twen- ty or thirty being within view at the same time. At that season, a spe- cies of cicada, or locust, swarmed among the woods, making a deafen- ing noise, and I could perceive these HaAvks frequently snatching them from the trees. A species of lizard, which is very numerous in that quarter of the country, and has the faculty of changing its color at will, also furnishes the Swallow-tailed Hawk with a favorite morsel. These lizards are sometimes of the most brilliant light gTcen; in a few min- utes change to a dirty clay color ; and again become nearly black. The Swallow-tailed Hawk, and Mississippi Kite, feed eagerly on this lizard ; and, it is said, on a small, green snake also, which is the mor- tal enemy of the lizard, and frequently pursues it to the very extremity of the branches, where both become the prey of the Hawk.* The Swallow-tailed Hawk retires to the south in October, at which season, Mr. Bartram informs me, they are seen in Florida, at a vast height in the air, sailing about with great steadiness ; and continue to be seen thus, passing to their winter quarters, for several days. They usually feed from their claws as they fly along. Their flight is easy and graceful, with sometimes occasional sweeps among the trees, the long feathers of their tail spread out, and each extremity of it used alternately to lower, elevate, or otherwise direct their course. 1 have never yet met with their nests. These birds are particularly attached to the extensive prairies of the >vestern countries, where their favorite snakes, lizards, grasshoppers, and locusts, are in abundance. They are sometimes, though rarely, seen in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and that only in warm and very long summers. A specimen, now in the Museum of Philadelphia, was shot within a few miles of that city. We are informed that one was taken in the Soutli Sea, off the coast which lies between Ylo and Arica, in about lat. 23 deg. south, on the 11th of September, by the Rev- erend the Father Louis Feuillee.f They are also common in Mexico, and extend their migrations as far as Peru. The Swallow-tailed Hawk measures full two feet in length, and up- wards of four feet six inches in extent ; the bill is black ; cere, yel- low, covered at the base Avith bristles ; iris of the eye, silvery cream, surrounded with a blood-red ring ; whole head and neck, pure white, the shafts, fine black hairs ; the whole lower parts, also pure white ; the throat and breast, shafted in the same manner ; upper parts, or back, black, glossed with green and purple ; whole lesser coverts, very dark purple ; wings, long, reaching within two inches of the tip of the tail, and black; tail, also very long, and remarkably forked, consisting of twelve feathers, all black, glossed with green and purph? ; several of the tertials, Avhite, or edged with white, but generally covered by the scapulars ; inner vanes of the secondaries, white on their upper half, black towards their points ; lining of the Avings, Avhite ; legs, yellow, short, and thick, and feathered before half Avay below the knee ; claws, much curved, Avhitish ; outer claAv, very small. Tlie greater * This animal, if I mistake not, is the Lacerta bnUaris, or Bladder Lizard, of Turlon, vol. i. p. (iGG. The facility with wiiich it changes color is surprising', aiid not generally known to naturalists. t Jour, des Obs. torn. ii. 33. LONG-EARED OWL. 449 part of the plumage is white at the base ; and, when the scapulars are a little displaced, they appear spotted with white. Fig. 204 was a male in perfect plumage. The color and markings of the male and female are nearly alike. LONG-EARED OWL.— STRIX OTUS. — Fig. 202. Turt. Syst. p. IGl. — Bewick, i. p. 84-. —Peak's Museum, No. 434. OTUS VULGARIS. —Yi^^iu^G* Strix otus, Bonap. Synop. p. 37. — North. Zool. ii. p. 72. This Owl is common to both continents, and is much more numer- ous in Pennsylvania than the White, or Barn Owl : six or seven were found in a single tree, about fifteen miles from Philadelphia. There is little doubt but this species is found inhabiting America to a high latitude ; though we have no certain accounts of the fact Except in size, this species has more resemblance to the Great Horned Owl than any other of its tribe. It resembles it also in breeding among the branches of tall trees ; lays four eggs, of nearly a round form, and pure white.f The young are grayish white until nearly full grown, and roost during the day close together on a limb, among the thickest of the foliage. This Owl is frequently seen abroad during the day, but is not remarkable for its voice or habits. The Long-eared Owl is fourteen inches and a half long, and three feet two inches in extent ; ears, large, composed of six feathers, grad- ually lengthening from the front one backwards, black, edged with rusty yellow ; irides, vivid yellow ; inside of the circle of the face, white, outside or cheeks, rusty ; at the internal angle of the eye, a streak of black; bill, blackish horn color; forehead and crown, deep brown, speckled with minute points of white and pale rusty ; outside * Upon the authority of the Prince of Musigna.no, and the examinations of the various writers who have mentioned this bird, it appears very near indeed, if not identical with, the O. vulgaris of Europe ; and I have ventured to retain it as such, until I can decide from personal observation. The opinions of Vieillot, &;.c., have been confused by the existence of a second species in the United States, which will appear in the fifth volume of the elegant Continuation of Wilson, now in progress by Bonaparte, under the title of Otus Mexicunus. In the second volurne of the Northern Zoology, we have the Long-eared Owl re- ferred to this species, and no mention is made of any difference arising even from climate. The habits described by Wilson and Dr. Richardson are precisely simi- lar to those exhibited by our European bird. Otus has been formed by Cuvier for the reception of those species with aigrettes, where the facial disk is conspicuous, and the head proportionally small, as in Bubo ; and where the ear-conch is large, extending, as in this species, from the posterior part of the orbit to behind the limb of the lower jaw. Tlie plumage is loose and downy, the habits nocturnal. — Ed. t Buflfon remarks that it rarely constructs a nest of its own ; but not unfrequently occupies that of others, particularly the Magpie. 38* 450 RED-TAILED HAWK. circle of tlie face, black, finely marked with small, curving spots of white ; back and wings, dark brown, sprinkled and spotted with white, pale ferruginous, and dusky ; primaries, barred with brownish yellow and dusky, darkening towards the tips ; secondaries, more finely barred and powdered with white and dusky ; tail, rounded at the end, of the same length with the wings, beautifully barred and marbled with dull white and pale rusty, on a dark brown ground ; throat and breast, clouded with rusty, cream, black and white ; belly, beautifully streaked with large arrow-heads of black ; legs and thighs, plain pale rusty, feathered to the claws, which are blue black, large, and sharp ; inside of the wing, brownish yellow, with a large spot of black at the root of the primaries. Fig. 202 was a female. Of the male I cannot speak precisely ; though, from the number of these birds which I have exam- ined in the fall, when it is difficult to ascertain their sex, I conjecture tliat they differ very little in color. About six or seven miles below Philadelphia, and not far from the Delaware, is a low swamp, thickly covered with trees, and inundated during great part of the year. This place is the resort of great num- bers of the Q,ua-Bird, or Night Raven, [Ardea nydicorax,) where they build in large companies. On the 25th of April, while wading among the dark recesses of this place, observing the habits of these birds, I discovered a Long-eared Owl, which had taken possession of one of tlieir nests, and was sitting. On mounting to the nest, I found it con- tained four eggs ; and, breaking one of these, the young appeared al- most ready to leave the shell. There were numbers of the Q,ua-Birds' nests on the adjoining trees all around, and one of them actually on the same tree. Thus we see how unvarying are the manners of this species, however remote and different the countries may be where it has taken up its residence. RED-TAILED HAWK. — FALCO BOREALIS. — Fig. 205. Arct. Zool. p. 203, No. 100. — American Buzzard, Lath. i. 50. — Turt. Syst.p. 151. j — F. aquilinus cauda ferruga, Great Eagle Hawk, Bar-tram, p. 290. — Peale^s \ Museum, No. 182. BUTEO BOREjlLIS. — SwjLiTisoy.* Falco (sub-genus Buteo) borealis, Bonap. Synop. p. 32. — The Red-tailed Hawk, Atid. pi. 51, male and female ; Orn.Biog. i. p. 2G5. — Buteo borealis, North. Zool. ii. p. 50. The figure of this bird, (No. 205,) and those of Nos. 206 and 207, are offered to the public with a confidence in their fidelity ; but ihese^ I am sorry to say, are almost all 1 have to give towards elucidating * The Red-tailed Buzzard is a species peculiar to America, and, in its adult state, seems perfectly known to ornithologists. The figure on the same plate, and next described by our autlior, has been subject to more discussion, and has been ^ RED-TAILED HAWK. 451 their history. Birds, naturally thinly dispersed over a vast extent of country ; retiring^ during summer to the depth of the forests to breed ; approaching the habitations of man, like other thieves and plunder- ers, with shy and cautious jealousy; seldom permitting- a near ad- vance ; subject to great changes of plumage ; and, since the decline of falconry, seldom or never domesticated, — offer to those who wish eagerly to investigate their history, and to delineate their particular character and manners, great and insurmountable difficulties. Little more can be done in such cases than to identify the species, and trace it through the various quarters of the Avorld where it has been certain- ly met with. The Red-tailed Hawk is most frequently seen in the lower parts of Pennsylvania during the severity of winter. Among the extensive meadows tliat border the Schuylkill and Delaware, below Philadel- phia, where flocks of Larks, [Mauda ma^na,) and Avhere mice and moles are in great abundance, many individuals of this Hawk spend the greater part of the winter. Others prowl around the plantations, looking out for vagrant Chickens ; their method of seizing which is, by sweeping swiftly over the spot, and, grappling them with their talons, bear them away to the woods. The bird from which Fig. 205 was drawn, was surprised in the act of feeding on a Hen he had just killed, and which he was compelled to abandon. The remains of the Chicken Avere immediately baited to a steel trap, and early the next morning the unfortunate Red-Tail was found a prisoner, securely fas- tened by the leg. The same Hen which the day before he had massa- cred, was, the very next, made the means of decoying him to his de- struction,— in tlie eye of the farmer, a system of fair and just retri- bution. This species inhabits the whole United States, and, I believe, is not migratory, as I found it, in the month of May, as far south as Fort Adams, in the Mississippi Territory. The young were, at that time, nearly as large as their parents, and were very clamorous, making an incessant squealing noise. One, which T shot, contained in his stom- ach mingled fragments of frogs and lizards. The Red-tailed Hawk is twenty inches long, and three feet nine inches in extent ; bill, blue black ; cere, and sides of the mouth, yel- low, tinged with green ; lores, and spot on the under eyelid, white, the former marked with fine, radiating hairs ; eyebrow, or cartilage, a dull eel-skin color, prominent, projetting over the eye ; a broad streak of dark brown extends from the sides of the mouth backwards ; crown and hind head, dark brown, seamed with white, and ferruginous ; sides of the neck, dull ferruginous, streaked with brown ; eye, large ; iris, pale amber ; back and shoulders, deep brown ; wings, dusky, barred with blackish ; ends of the five first primaries, nearly black ; scapu- lars, barred broadly with white and brown ; sides of the tail-coverts, white, barred with ferruginous, middle ones dark, edged with rust ; variously named. From the testimonies of Bonaparte and Audubon, is may, how- ever, be certainly considered as the young or immature bird — an idea which Wil- son himself entertained, and showed by his mark of interrogation to the young, and the quotation of its synonymes. The figtire at Fig. 2 is the young in immature plu- mage, where the red tail has not yet appeared, and which is known to authors un- der the name of F. Leverianus. — Ed. 452 AMERICAN BUZZARD, OR V.HITE-BREASTED HAWK. tail, rounded, extending tw'o inches beyond the -wings, and of a bright red brown, with a single band of black near the end, and tipped with brownish white ; on some of the lateral feathers are slight indica- tions of the remains of other narrow bars ; lower parts, brownish white ; the breast, ferruginous, streaked with dark brown ; across the belly, a band of interrupted spots of brown : chin, white ; femorals and vent, pale brownish white, the former marked with a few minute heart-shaped spots of brown ; legs, yellow, feathered half way below the knees. This was a male. Another specimen, shot within a few days after, agreed, in almost every particular of its color and markings, with the present ; and, on dissection, was found to be a female. AMERICAN BUZZARD, OR WHITE-BREASTED HAWK.— FALCO LEVERIANUS? — Fig. 206. Lath. Sijn. Sup. p. 31.— Lul. Orn. i. p. 18, No. 31.— Peak's Museum, No. 400. BUTEO BOREALIS. — Yov^G of the year. — Bonaparte. Falco (sub-g-enus Buteo) borealis, Bonap. Synop. p. 32. It is with some doubt and hesitation that I introduce tlie present as a distinct species from the preceding. In their size and general as- pect they resemble each other considerably ; yet I have found both males and females among each ; and in the present species I have sometimes found the ground color of the tail strongly tinged with fer- ruginous, and the bars of dusky but slight ; while in the preceding the tail is sometimes wholly red brown, the single bar of black near the tip excepted; in other specimens evident remains of numerous other bars are visible. In the mean time, botli are figured, and future observations may throw more light on the matter. This bird is more numerous than the last ; but frequents the same situations in winter. One, which was shot on the wing, lived with me several weeks ; but refused to eat. It amused itself by frequently hopping from one end of the room to the other ; and sitting for hours at the window, looking down on the passengers below. At first, when approached by any person, he generally put himself in the position in wliich he is represented ; but after some time he became quite fa- miliar, permitting himself to be handled, and shutting his eyes, as if quite passive. Though he lived so long without food, he was found on dissection to be exceedingly fat his stomach being enveloped in a mass of solid fat of nearly an inch in thickness. The White-breasted Hawk is tM'enty-two inches long, and four feet in extent ; cere, pale green ; bill, pale blue, black at the point ; eye, bright straw color ; eyebrow, projecting greatly ; head, broad, flat, and large ; upper part of the head, sides of the neck and back, brown, streaked and seamed with white and some pale rust ; scapulars and ASH-COLORED, OR BLACK-CAP PIAWK. 453 wing-coverts, spotted with Avliite ; winf^-quills, much resembling' the precedina: species ; tail-coverts, white, lumdsomely barred with brown; tail, slig-htly rounded, of a pale brown color, varying in some to a sorrel, crossed by nine or ten bars of black, and tipped for half an inch with Avhite ; wing-s, brown, barred with dusky ; inner vanes nearly all white ; chin, throat, and breast, pure white, with the exception of some slight touches of brown that enclose the chin ; femorals, yellow- ish white, thinly marked with minute touches of rust ; legs, bright yellow, feathered half way down ; belly, broadly spotted with black or very deep brown ; the tips of the wings reach to the middle of tlie tail. My reason for inclining to consider this a distinct species from the last, is the circumstance of having uniformly found the present two or three inches larger than the former, though this may possibly be owing to tlieir greater age. ASH-COLORED, OR BLACK-CAP HAWK. — FALCO ATRICA- PILLUS.— FiG.207. Ash-colored Buzzard ? Lath. Syn. i. p. 55, No. 35.— Peak's Museum, No. 406. ^STUR .aTRICjQPILLUS. — BoTiAPARTE.* Falco palumharius, Bonap. Synop. p. 28. — Autour royal, Falco regalis, Temm. PL Cnl. tab. 495. — Accipiter (Asfur) atricapillus, North. Zool. ii. p. 39. — Astur atricapillus, Jard. arid Se/b. lliust Orn. pi. 12L Of this beautiful species 1 can find no precise description. The Ash-colored Buzzard of Edwards differs so much from this, particu- larly in wanting the fine zigzag lines below, and the black cap, that I * The Falco atricapilhis of Wilson has been confoiuided by all writers, except the Prince of Musipi'nano, in iiis review of (^uvier, and the authors of the Northern Zooloo^il, with the Goshawk of Europe. Wilson expresses his doubt, from beiui^ unable to compare it with actual specimens. Sabine makes out the Arctic speci- mens to be identical. Audubon is of opinion, also, that they were identical ; but from what I recollect of that gentleman's drawing, it must have been made from this bird. While Temminck makes a new species altogether in his Autour royal, without noticing Wilson. The greatestdifference between the two birds is the marking of the breast and under parts, and it is so distinct as to be at once perceived. Li the American spe- cies, the under parts are of a uniform pale grayish white, having the tail and centre of each feather black, forming a dark streak. This extends to those in the centre of the belly, after which it is hardly visible; every feather m addition is clouded transversely with irregular bars of gray. In the European bird, the markings are in the shape of two decided transverse bars on each feather, with the shaft dark, but not exceeding its own breadth, — each, as a whole, having a very ditVcrent ap- pearance. The upper parts of the American bird are also of a blue shade, and the markings of the head and auriculars are darker and more decided. Wilson's figure is a most correct representation. The genus Astur, of Bechstein, has now been used for this form, and is gener- ally synonymous with Le5 a?/to?'ith whitish ; the plumage of that part of the neck which falls over the back, is long, sometliing like that of a cock, and streaked with yellowish brown ; wing quills, barred with black and bright rust ; tail, rounded, extending about an inch beyond the tips of the M-ings ; it consists of ten feathers : the four middle ones are povrdered with various tints of ferruginous, and elegantly marked with fine zigzag lines, and large herring-bone figures of black ; exterior edges of the three outer feathers, barred like the wings ; their interior vanes, for two thirds of their length, are pure snowy white, marbled with black, and ferruginous at the base ; this Avhite spreads over the greater part of the three outer feathers near their tips ; across the throat is a slight band or mark of whitish ; breast, black, powdered with rust ; belly and vent, lighter; legs, feathered before nearly to the feet, which are of a dirty purplish flesh color ; inner side of the middle claw, deeply pectinated. The female differs chiefly in w^anting the pure white on the three exterior tail-feathers, these beingr more of a broM-nish cast. CAPE MAY WARBLER. 465 CAPE MAY WARBLER —SYLVIA MARITIMA. — Fig. 215. SYL VICOL^ JSIARITUM. — Jardi ne.* Sylvia maritima, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 79. — The Carbonated Warbler? Aud. pi. 60, male ; Orn. Biog. i. p. 308. This new and beautiful little species was discovered in a maple swamp, in Cape May county, not far from the coast, by Mr. George Ord of Philadelphia, who accompanied me on a shooting excursion to that quarter in the month of May last, [1811.] Through the zeal and activity of this gentleman, I succeeded in procuring many rare and elegant birds among the sea islands and extensive salt marshes that border tliat part of the Atlantic ; and much interesting information relative to their nests, eggs, and particular habits. I have also at various times been favored with specimens of other birds from the same friend, for all which I return my grateful acknowledgments. The same swamp that furnished us with this elegant little stranger, (Fig. 215,) and indeed several miles around it, Avere ransacked by us- both for another specimen of the same ; but without success. Fortu- nately it proved to be a male, and being in excellent plumage, enabled me to preserve a faithful portrait of the original. Whether this be a summer resident in the lower parts of New Jer- sey, or merely a transient passenger to a more northern climate, I cannot with certainty determine. The spring had been remarkably cold, Avith long and violent north-east storms, and many winter birds, as well as passengers from the south, still lingered in the woods as J ate as the 20th of May, gleaning, in small companies, among tlie opening buds and infant leaves, and skipping nimbly from twig to twig, which was the case with the bird now before us when it was first observed. Of its notes, or particular history, I am equally unin- formed. The length of this species is five inches and a half, extent, eight and a half; bill and legs, black; whole upper part of the head, deep black ; line from the nostril over the eye, chin, and sides of the neck, rich yelfow ; ear-feathers, orange, which also tints the back part of the yellow line over the eye ; at the anterior and posterior angle of the eye is a small touch of black; hind head and whole back, rump, and tail-coverts, yellow olive, thickly streaked with black ; the upper exterior edges of several of the greater wing-coverts are pure white, forming a broad bar on the wing, the next superior row being also broadly tipped with white ; rest of the wing, dusky, finely edged with dark olive yellow ; throat and whole breast, rich yellow, spi-eading also along the sides under the wings, handsomely marked with spots of black running in chains ; belly and vent, yellowish white ; tail, forked, dusky black, edged with yellow olive, the three exterior feathers on * The Prince of Musignano first directed my attention to the identity of this bird of Wilson and Audubon's Carbonated Warbler. I cannot perceive any essential difference, that is, judging- from the two plates and descriptions. Mr. Audubon Drocured his species in the state of Kentucky. —Ed. 466 FEMALE BLACK-POLL WARBLER. each side marked on their inner vanes with a spot of white. The yel- low on the throat and sides of the neck reaches nearly round it, and is very bright FEMALE BLACK-POLL WARBLER. — SYLVIA STRIATA.— Fig. 216. Amer. Orn. vol. iv. p. 40. SYLVICOLA STRMTji. — Syv Ai^soji. This bird was shot in the same excursion with the preceding, and is introduced here for the purpose of preventing future collectors, into whose hands specimens of it may chance to fall, from considering it as another and a distinct species. Its history, as far as was then known, has been detailed in a preceding part of this work. Of its nest and eggs I am still ignorant. It doubtless breeds both here and in New Jersey, having myself found it in both places during the sum- mer. From its habit of keeping on the highest branches of trees, it probably builds in such situations, and its nest may long remain unknown to us. Pennant, who describes this species, says that it inhabits, during summer, Newfoundland and New York, and is called in the last Sailor. This name, for which, however, no reason is given, must be very local, as the bird itself is one of those silent, shy, and solitary individuals, that seek the deep retreats of the forest^ and are known to fe^v or none but the naturalist. Length of the female Black-Cap, five inches and a quarter, extent, eight and a quarter ; bill, brownish black ; crown, yellow olive, streaked with black ; back, the same, mixed with some pale slate ; wings, dusky brown, edged with olive ; first and second wing-coverts, tipped with white ; tertials, edged with yellowish white ; tail-coverts, pale gray ; tail, dusky, forked, the two exterior feathers marked on their inner vanes with a spot of white ; round the eye is a whitish ring ; cheeks and sides of the breast, tinged with yellow, and slightly spotted with black ; chin, white, as are also the belly and vent ; legs and feet, dirty orange. The young bird of the first season, and the female, as is usually the case, are very much alike in plumage. On their arrival early in April, the black feathers on the crown are frequently seen coming out, inter- mixed with the former ash-colored ones. This species has all the agility and many of the habits of the Fly- catcher. [Parts VII. and VIII. of Wilson's work, commencing with the next description, (Ring-tailed Eagle,) seem to have been finished more hur- RING-TAILED EAGLE. 467 riedly, and contain greater mistakes in the nomenclature than any of the preceding ones ; the descriptions, liowever, are alike vivid and well drawn. In 1arly alike in one respect, both differ- ing- greatly in color, even at the same season, probably owing to difference of age ; some being of a much brighter red than others, and the plumage dotted with white. In the month of September many are found destitute of the black crescent on the belly ; these have been conjectured to be young birds. SEMI-PALMATED SNIPE. — SCOLOPAX SEMIPALMATA.— Fig. 221. Arct. Zool. p. 469; No. 380. — Peah's Museum, No. 3942. TO TJIJVUS SEMTP^LMA TUS. — Temmi nck.* Chevalier semi-palme, Totanus semipalmatus, Temm. Man. d'Orn. ii. p. G37. — Totanus crassirostris, Vieill. winter plumage, auct. Bonap. — Bonap. Cat. p. 26. This is one of the most noisy and noted birds that inhabit our salt marshes in summer. Its common name is the Willet, by which appellation it is universally known along the shores of New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland, — in all of Avhich places it breeds in great numbers. The Willet is peculiar to America. It arrives from the south on the shores of the Middle States about the 20th of April, or beginning of May ; and from that time to the last of July, its loud and shrill reiterations of pill-ivill-iviUet^ pill-ivill-ivillet, resound, almost inces- santly, along the marshes, and may be distinctly heard at the distance of more than half a mile. About the 20th of May, the Willets gener- ally begin to lay.f Their nests are built on the ground, among the grass of the salt marshes, pretty well towards the land, or cultivated fields, and are composed of wet rushes and coarse grass, forming a slight hollow or cavity in a tussock. This nest is gradually increased, during the period of laying and sitting, to the height of five or six inches. The eggs are usually four in number, very thick at the great end, and tapering to a narrower point at the other than those of the common Hen ; they measure two inches and one eighth in length, by one and a half in their greatest breadth, and are of a dark dingy olive, largely blotched with blackish brown, particularly at the great end. In some, the ground color has a tinge of green ; in others, of bluish. They * Wilson has figured the winter dress of this curious species, and the Prince of Musignano has signified his intention of representing its other slates. It is admitted as an accidental straggler among the species of Europe by Temminck. — Ed. t From some unknown cause, the height of laying of these birds is said to be full two weeks later than it was twenty years ago. 478 SEMI-PALMATED SNIPE. are excellent eating, as T have oflen experienced when obliged to dine on them in my hunting excursions through the salt marshes. The young are covered with a gray-colored down ; run off soon after they leave the shell ; and are led and assisted in their search of food by the mother, while the male keeps a continual watch around for their safety. The anxiety and affection manifested by these birds for their eggs and young, are truly interesting. A person no sooner enters the marshes, than he is beset by the Willets, flying around and skimming over his head, vociferating with great violence their common cry of pill-ivill-ivillet ; and uttering at times a loud, clicking note, as he ap- proaches nearer to their nest. As they occasionally alight, and slowly shut their long white wings speckled with black, they have a mournful note, expressive of great tenderness. During the term of incubation, the female often resorts to the sea-shore, where, standing up to the belly in water, she washes and dresses her plumage, seem- ing to enjoy great satisfaction from these frequent immersions. She is also at other times seen to wade more in the water than most of her tribe ; and, when wounded in the wing, Avill take to the water without liesitation, and swims tolerably well. The eggs of the Willet, in every instance which lias come under my observation, are placed, during incubation, in an almost up- right position, with the large end uppermost; and this appears to be the constant practice of several other species of birds that breed in these marshes. During the laying season, the Crows are seen roam- ing over the marshes in search of eggs, and, wherever they come, spread consternation and alarm among the Willets, who, in united numbers, attack and pursue them with loud clamors. It is worthy of remark, that, among the various birds that breed in these marshes, a mutual respect is paid to each other's eggs ; and it is only from intru- ders from the land side, such as crows, jays, weasels, foxes, minx, and man himself, that these affectionate tribes have most to dread. The Willet subsists chiefly on small shell-fish, marine worms, and other aquatic insects ; in search of which it regularly resorts to the muddy shores and flats at low water, its general rendezvous being the marshes. This bird has a summer and also a winter dress, its colors differing so much in these seasons as scarcely to appear to be the same species. Fig. 221 exhibits it in its spring and summer plumage, which in a good specimen is as follows : — Length, fifteen inches ; extent, thirty inches ; upper parts, dark olive brown ; the feathers, streaked down the centre, and crossed with waving lines of black ; wing coverts, light olive ash, and the whole upper parts sprinkled with touches of dull yelloAvish white ; primaries, black, white at the root half; secondaries, white, bordered with brown ; rump, dark brown ; tail, rounded, twelve feathers, pale olive, waved ■with bars of black ; tail-coverts, white, barred with olive ; bill, pale lead color, becoming black towards the tip ; eye, very black ; chin, white ; breast, beautifully mottled with transverse spots of olive on a cream ground ; belly and vent, white, the last barred with olive ; legs and feet, pale lead color ; toes, half webbed. Towards the fall, when these birds associate in large flocks, they GREAT MARBLED GODWIT. 479 become of a pale dun color above, the plumage being shafted with dark brown, and the tail white, or nearly so. At this season they are extremely fat, and esteemed excellent eating. Experienced gunners always select the lightest colored ones from a flock, as being uniform- ly the fattest. The female of this species is generally larger than the male. In the months of October and November, they gradually disappear. GREAT MARBLED GODWIT. — SCOLOPAX FEDOA. — Fig. 222. — Female. Arct. Zool. p. 465, No. 37L — La barge rousse de Bale d'Hudson, Buff. vii. 507. — Peale's Museum, No. 4019. LIMOSA FEDOA. — YiEiLLOT. Limosa fedoa, 0)-d's edit, of Wils. — Bonap. Synop. p. 328. This is another transient visitant of our sea-coasts in spring and autumn, to and from its breeding place in the north. Our gunners call it the Straight-hilled Curlew, and sometimes the Red Curlew. It is a shy, cautious, and watchful bird ; yet so strongly are they at- tached to each other, that, on wounding one in a flock, the rest are immediately arrested in their flight, making so many circuits over the spot where it lies fluttering and screaming, that the sportsman often makes great destruction among them. Like the Curlew, they may also be enticed within shot, by imitating their call, or whistle ; but can seldom be approached without some such manoeuvre. They are much less numerous than the Short-billed Curlews, with whom, however, they not unfrequently associate. They are found among the salt marshes in May, and for some time in June, and also on their return in October and November ; at which last season they are usually fat, and in high esteem for the table. The female of this bird having been described by several writers as a distinct species from the male, it has been thought proper to repre- sent the former, (Fig. 222 ;) the chief difference consists in the undu- lating bars of black with which the breast of the male is marked, and which are wanting in the female. The male of the Great Marbled Godwit is nineteen inches long, and thirty-four inches in extent ; the bill is nearly six inches in length, a little turned up towards the extremity, where it is black, the base is of a pale purplish flesh color ; chin and upper part of the throat, whitish ; head and neck, mottled with dusky brown and black on a ferruginous ground ; breast, barred with wavy lines of black ; back and scapulars, black, marbled with pale brown ; rump and tail-coverts, of a very light brown, barred with dark brown ; tail, even, except the two middle feathers, which are a little the longest ; wings, pale ferruginous, elegantly marbled with dark brown, tiie four first primaries black on the outer edge ; whole lining and lower parts of the 480 TURNSTONE. wings, bright ferruginous ; belly and vent, light rust color, with a tingo of lake. The female differs in wanting the bars of black on the breast. The bill does not acquire its full length before the third year. About fifty different species of the Scolopax genus are enumerated by naturalists. These are again by some separated into three classes or sub-genera ; viz., the straight-billed, or Snipes ; those with bills bent downwards, or the Curlews ; and those whose bills are slightly turned upwards, or Godwits. The whole are a shy, timid, and solitary tribe, frequenting those vast marshes, swamps, and morasses, that frequently prevail in the vicinity of tlie ocean, and on the borders of large rivers. They are also generally migratory, on account of the periodical freezing of those places in the northern regions where they procure their food. The Godwits are particularly fond of salt marshes, and are rarely found in countries remote from tlie sea. TURNSTONE. — TRINGA INTERPRES. — Fig. 223. Hebridal Sandpiper, Arct. Zool. p. 472, No 382. — Le Tourne-pierre, Buff. vii. - 130. PL enl. 130. — Beivick, ii. p. 119, 121.— Catesbij, i. T2.—Peale's Museum, No. 4044. STREP STLjIS IJVTERPRES. — Illiger.* Tourne-pierre a collier, (Strepsilas collaris.) Temm. 31an. d'Orn. ii. p. 553. — Strepsilas inlerpres, Flem. Br. Zool. p. 110. — Nortk. Zool. ii. p. 371. — Strep- silas collaris, Bonap. Synop. This beautifully-variegated species is common to both Europe and America; consequently extends its migrations far to the nortli. It arrives from the south on the shores of New Jersey in April ; leaves them early in June ; is seen on its return to the south in Octo- ber ; and continues to be occasionally seen until the commencement of cold weather, when it disappears for the season. It is rather a scarce species in this part of the world, and of a solitary disposition, seldom mingling among the large flocks of other Sandpipers, but either coursing the sands alone, or in company with two or three of its own species. On the coast of Cape May and Egg Harbor, this bird is well known by the name of the Horse-Foot Snipe, from its living, during the months of May and June, almost wholly on the eggs, or '^ This is the only species of Turnstone known, and it is apparently distributed over the whole world. Its breeding places, according: to the Northeim Zoolocry, are the shores of Hudson's Bay and the Arctic Sea, probably in the most nordiern districts. On the Scotch and English coasts they arrive in small flocks about the beginning of August, and, as the season advances, congregate into larger assem- blies ; the greater proportion of these are still in their young dress, and it is not until the ensuing spring that this is completely changed ; "in this state tliey have been frequently described as a second species. Early in spring, a few straggling birds, ' in perfect breeding plumage, may be observed on most of our shores, which have either been left at the general migration, or remain during the year in a state of barrenness. It is then that the finest specimens for stuffing are obtained. — Ed. TURNSTONE. 481 spawn, of the great king crab, called here by the common people tlie horse-foot. Tiiis animal is the Mo7ioculm polyphemus of entomologists. Its usual size is from twelve to hfteen inches in breadth, by two feet in length ; though sometimes it is found much larger. The head, or forepart, is semicircular, and convex above, covered Avith a thin, elastic, shelly case. The lower side is concave, where it is furnished with feet and claws resembling those of a crab. The posterior extremity consists of a long, hard, pointed, dagger-like tail, by means of which, when overset by the waves, the animal turns itself on its belly again. The male may be distinguished from the female by his tw^o large claws having only a single hook each, instead of the forceps of the female. In the Bay of Delaware, below Egg Island, and in what is usually called Maurice River Cove, these creatures seem to have formed one of their principal settlements. The bottom of this cove is generally a soft mud, extremely Avell suited to their accommodation. Here they are resident, burying themselves in the mud during the winter ; but, early in the month of May, they approach the shore in multitudes to obey the great law of nature, in depositing their eggs within the influence of the sun, and are then very troublesome to the fishermen, who can scarcely draw a seine for them, they are so nume- rous. Being of slow motion, and easily overset by the surf, their dead bodies cover the shore in heaps, and in such numbers, that for ten: miles one might walk on them without touching the ground. The hogs from the neighboring country are regularly driven down, every spring, to feed on them, which they do with great avidity ; though by this kind of food their flesh acquires a strong, disagreeable, fishy taste. Even the small turtles, or terrapins, so eagerly sought after by our epicures, contract so rank a taste by feeding on the spawn of the king crab, as to be at such times altogether unpalatable. This spaAvn may sometimes be seen lying in hollows and eddies, in bushels, while the Snipes and Sandpipers, particularly the Turnstone, are hovering about, feasting on the delicious fare. The dead bodies of the animals themselves are hauled up in wagons for manure, and Avhen placed at the hills of corn, in planting time, are said to enrich the soil, and add greatly to the increase of the crop. The Turnstone derives its name from another singularity it pos- sesses, of turning over with its bill small stones and pebbles, in search of various marine worms and insects. At this sort of Avork it is ex- ceedingly dexterous ; and, even Avhen taken and domesticated, is said to retain the same habit* Its bill seems particularly Avell constructed for this purpose, differing from all the rest of its tribe, and very much resembling in shape that of the Common Nuthatch. We learn from Mr. Pennant that these birds inhabit Hudson's Bay, Greenland, and the arctic flats of Siberia, where they breed, Avandering southerly in autumn. It is said to build on the ground, and to lay four eggs, of an. olive color, spotted Avith black, and to inhabit the isles of the Baltic during summer. The Turnstone flies with a loud, tAvittering note, and runs Avith its wings lowered ; but not Avith the rapidity of others of its tribe. It examines more completely the same spot of ground, and, like some of * Catesby. 41 482 ASH-COLORED SANDPIPER. the Woodpeckers, will remain searching- in the same place, tossing the stones and pebbles from side to side for a considerable time. These birds vary greatly in color ; scarcely two individuals are to be found alike in marking's. These varieties are most numerous in autumn, when the young birds are about, and are less frequently met with in spring. The most perfect specimens I have examined are as follows : — Length, eight inches and a half; extent, seventeen inches; bill, blackish horn ; frontlet, space passing through the eyes, and thence dropping down and joining the under mandible, black, enclosing a spot of white. Crown, white, streaked with black ; breast, black, from whence it turns up half across the neck; behind the eye, a spot of black ; upper part of the neck, white, running down and skirting the black breast as far as the shoulder ; upper part of the back, black, di- vided by a strip of bright ferruginous ; scapulars, black, glossed with greenish, and interspersed with rusty red ; whole back below this, pure white, but hid by the scapulars ; rump, black ; tail-coverts, white ; tail, rounded, white at the base half, thence black to the extremity ; belly and vent, white ; wings, dark dusky, crossed by two bands of white ; lower half of the lesser coverts, feiTuginous ; legs and feet, a bright vermilion, or red lead ; hind toe standing inwards, and all of tliem edged with a thick, warty membrane. The male and female are alike variable ; and, when in perfect plumage, nearly resemble each other. Bewick, in his History of British Birds, has figured and described what he considers to be two species of Turnstone ; one of which, he says, is chiefly confined to the southern, and the other to the northern parts of Great Britain. The difference, however, between these two appears to be no greater than commonly occurs among individuals of the same flock, and evidently of the same species, in this country. As several years probably elapse before these birds arrive at their com- plete state of plumage, many varieties must necessarily appear, ac- cording to the diflferent ages of the individuals. ASH-COLORED SANDPIPER. — TRINGA CINEREA. — Fig. 224. Arct. Zool. p. 474, No. 3S6. — Beivick, ii. p. 102. — Peale's Museum, No. 4060. TRTJVOjI CjIJ^UTUS. —'Liyys.vs. — flvma^ge of the young.* Syaonymes of young ; Tring-a calidris, Ltnn. i. 252. — Tringa nsevia. Lath. Ind.Om. ii. 732. — Maubeche tachete, 5m/. — Freckled Sandpiper, ArcL Zool. ii.p. 480. The regularly-disposed concentric semicircles of white and dark brown that mark the upper parts of the plumage of tliis species, dis- *_ This beautiful Sandpiper has also, from its changes, been described under various names, and our author has well represented the states of the yoiuig and summer plumage, in his Ash-colored and Red-breasted Sandpipers. In the winter plumage of the adult, the upper parts are of a uniform gray, and want the black and light edges, represented in Fig. 225. America and Europe seem the only countries of the Knot. I have never seen it ASH-COLORED SANDPIPER. 483 tinguish it from all others, and give it a very neat appearance. In ac- tivity it is superior to tlie preceding' ; and traces the flowing and re- cession of the waves along the sandy beach with great nimblcness, wading and searching among the loosened particles for its lavorite food, which is a small, thin, oval, bivalve shell-fish, of a white or pearl color, and not larger than the seed of an apple. These usually lie at a short depth below the surface ; but in some places are seen at low water in heaps, like masses of wet grain, in quantities of more than a bushel together. During the latter part of summer and autumn, these minute shell-fish constitute the food of almost all those busy flocks that run with such activity along the sands, among the flowing and retreating waves. They are universally swallowed whole ; but the action of the bird's stomach, assisted by the shells themselves, soon reduces them to a pulp. If we may judge from their eftects, they must be extremely nutritious, for almost all those tribes that feed on them are at this season mere lumps of fat Digging for these in the hard sand would be a work of considerable labor, whereas, when the particles are loosened by the flowing of the sea, the birds collect them with great ease and dexterity. It is amusing to observe with »vhat adroitness they follow and elude the tumbling surf, while at the same time they seem Avholly intent on collecting their food. The Ash-colored Sandpiper, the subject of our present account, in- habits both Europe and America. It has been seen in great numbers on the Seal Islands, near Chatteaux Bay; is said to continue the Avhole summer in Hudson's Bay, and breeds there. Mr. Pennant sus- pects that it also breeds in Denmark ; and says, that they appear in vast flocks on the Flintshire shore during the winter season.* With us they are also migratory, being only seen in spring and autumn. They are plump birds ; and, by those accustomed to the sedgy taste of this tribe, are esteemed excellent eating. The length of this species is ten inches, extent twenty ; bill, black, from India, but have a sin":le specimen of a Knot from New Holland, very similar, and which I considered identical, until a closer examination has led me to have doubts on the subject. Like the other migratory species, they only appear on our coasts in autumn, on their return with their broods, or more sparingly in spring, when on their way north. The young possess a good deal of the rufous color on the under parts, which leaves them as the winter approaches. I once met a large flock on the east side of Holy Island, in the month of September, which Mere so tame as to allow me to kill as many as I wanted with stones from the beach : it may have been on their first arrival, when they were fatigued. I have a specimen, in full plumage, killed by a boy on Portobello sands by the same means. In gen- eral they are rather shy, and it is only in their wheeling round that a good shot can be obtained. Before the severity of tlie winter sets in, they are fat, and are sought after by persons who knoni them, for the table. There is a peculiarity in the gregarious Tnngce, and most of the Charadriadao , which is very nearly confined to these tribes, — the simultaneous flight, and the acting as it were by concert in their wheels and evolutions. Among none is it more conspicuous than in this species ; and every one who has been on the shore during winter, on a day gleaming and cloudy, may have seen the masses of these birds at a distance, when the whole were only visible, appear like a dark and swiftly moving cloud, suddenly vanish, but in a second appear at some distance, glowing with a silvery light almost too intense to gaze upon, the consequences of the slmul- t;\neous motions of the flock, at once cnanging their position, and showing ihe dark gray of their backs, or the pure white of their under parts. — Eo. * Arctic Zoology, p. 474. 484 THE PURRE. straight, fluted to nearly its tip, and about an inch and a half long ; upper parts, brownish ash, each feather marked near the tip with a narrow semicircle of dark brown, bounded by another of white ; tail- coverts, white, marbled with olive ; wing-quills, dusky, shafts, white ; greater coverts, black, tipped with white ; some of the primaries edged also with white ; tail, plain pale ash, finely edged and tipped with white ; crown and hind head, streaked with black, ash, and white ; stripe over the eye, cheeks, and chin, white, the former marked with pale streaks of dusky, the latter pure ; breast, white, thinly specked with blackish ; belly and vent, pure white ; legs, a dirty yellowish clay color ; toes, bordered with a narrow, thick, warty membrane ; hind toe, directed inwards, as in the Turnstone ; claws and eye, black. These birds vary a little in color, some being considerably darker above, others entirely white below ; but, in all, the concentric semicir- cles on the back, scapulars, and wing-coverts, are conspicuous. I think it probable that these birds become much lighter colored during the summer, from the circumstance of having c'hot one late in the month of June, at Cape May, which was of a pale drab or dun color. It was very thin and emaciated ; and on examination appeared to have been formerly wounded, which no doubt occasioned its re- maining behind its companions. Early in December I examined the same coast every day for near- ly two weeks, without meeting with more than one solitary individual of this species, although in October they were abundant. How far to the southward they extend their migrations, we have no facts that will enable us to ascertain, though it is probable that the shores of the West India islands afford them shelter and resources during our winter. THE PURRE. —TRINGA CINCLUS. — Fig. 225. Lynn. Syst. 2o\. — ArcL ZooL p. 475, No. 390. — Bewick, ii. p. 115. — L'AloueUe de mer, Buff. vii. 548. — Peale's Museum, No. 4126. TRIJ^OA ALPIJ^A. — Pennant. This is one of the most numerous of our strand birds, as they are usually called, that frequent the sandy beach on the frontiers of the ocean. In its habits it differs so little from the preceding, that except in being still more active and expert in running and searching among the sand, on the reflux of the waves, as it nimbly darts about for food, what has been said of the former will apply equally to both, they be- ing pretty constant associates on these occasions. The Purre continues longer with us, both in spring and autumn, than either of the two preceding ; many of them remain during the very severest of the winter, though the gi-eater part retire to the more genial regions of the south, where I have seen them at such seasons, particularly on the sea-coasts of both Carolinas, during the month of February, in great numbers. THE rURRE. 485 These birds, in conjunction with several others, sometimes collect together in such flocks, as to seem, at a distance, a large cloud of thick smoke, varying in form and appearance every instant, while it performs its evolutions in air. As this cloud descends and courses along the shores of the ocean, with great rapidity, in a kind of waving, serpentine flight, alternately throwing its dark and white plumage to tlie eye, it forms a very grand and interesting appearance. At such times the gunners make prodigious slaughter among them ; while, as the showers of their companions fall, tlie whole body often alight, or descend to the surface with them, till the sportsman is completely satiated with destruction. On some of those occasions, while crowds of these victims are fluttering along the sand, the Small Pigeon Hawk, constrained by necessity, ventures to make a sweep among the dead in presence of the proprietor, but as suddenly pays jfor his temerity with his life. Such a tyrant is man, when vested with power, and unre- strained by the dread of responsibility ! The Purre is eight inches in length, and fifteen inches in extent ; the bill is black, straight, or slightly bent downwards, about an inch and a half long, very thick at the base, and tapering to a slender, blunt point at the extremity ; eye, very small ; iris, dark hazel ; cheeks, gray ; line over the eye, belly, and vent, white ; back and scapulars, of an ashy brown, marked here and there with spots of black, bordered with bright ferruginous ; sides of the rump, white ; tail-coverts, olive, cen- tred with black ; chin, white ; neck below, gray ; breast and sides, tliinly marked with pale spots of dusky, in some pure white ; wings, black, edged and tipped with white ; two middle tail-feathers, dusky, the rest, brown ash, edged with white ; legs and feet, black ; toes, bordered with a very narrow scalloped membrane. The usual broad band of white crossing the wing, forms a distinguishing characteristic of almost the whole genus. On examining more than a hundred of these birds, they varied con- siderably in the black and ferruginous spots on the back and scapulars ; some were altogether plain, while others were thickly marked, partic- ularly on the scapulars, with a red rust color, centred with black. The females were uniformly more plain than the males ; but many of the latter, probably young birds, were destitute of the ferruginous spots. On the 24th of May, the eggs in the females were about the size of partridge shot. In what particular regions of the north these birds breed is altogether unknown. 41* 486 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER. — CHARADRIUS APRICARIUS Fig. 226. Alwagrim Plover, Arct. Zool. p. 483, No. 398. — Le pluvier dore a gorge noire Buff. viii. 85. —Peo/e's Museum, No. 4196. SQiUATAROLA C/JV£fl£./3. — Fleming.* Pluvialis cinerea, Will. Orn. 229. — Gray Squatarol, Squatarola grisea, Steph. Cord. Sli. Zool. vol. xi. p. 505. — Le vanneau gris, Cuv. Reg. Aniiii. vol. i. p. 467. — Squatarola cinerea, Flem. Br. Zool. p. 3. — Vanellus melanogaster, North. Zool. ii. p. 370. This bird is known in some parts of the country by the name of the Large Whistling Field Plover. It generally makes its first appearance in Pennsylvania late in April; frequents the countries towards the mountains ; seems particularly attached to newly-ploughed fields, where it forms its nest of a few slight materials, as slightly put to- gether. The female lays four eggs, large for the size of the bird, of a light olive color, dashed with black; and has frequently two broods in the same season. It is an extremely shy and watchful bird, though clamorous during breeding time. The young are without the black color on the breast and belly until the second year, and the colors of the plumage above are likewise imperfect till then. They feed on worms, grubs, winged insects, and various kinds of berries, particularly those usually called dew-berries, and are at such times considered exquisite eating. About the beginning of September, they descend with their young to the sea-coast, and associate with the numerous multitudes then returning from their breeding-places in the north. At this season they abound on the plains of Long Island. They have a loud, whistling note ; often fly at a great height ; and are called by many gunners along the coast the Black-bellied Kildeer. The young * This species, with some others, forms the division Vanneau pluviers, the genus Squatarola of Cuvier, and, according to modern ornithologists, has been separated from the Ckaradrii, on account of the presence of a hinder toe. In the arrangement of this group, as in many others, I fear the characteristic marks have been taken in a manner too arbitrary. Those birds known by the name of Plovers form a small but apparently distinct group ; they contain the C. pluvialis, Virginianus, &c.. and, but for the rudimentary toe, the Gray Plover would also enter it ; they agree in their manners, their incubation, and changes of plumage. We, again, have another well-defined group, which is called the Dot' terels, agreeing in similar common habitudes ; but, m one species, bearing accord- ing to arrangement the name of Squatarola, we have all the marks and form of plumage, but the hinder toe much developed. It therefore becomes a question, whether the presence or want of this appendage should be brought into the generic character, (as it alwa3's has been,) or should be looked upon as one of the connec- tions of forms. In the latter way the Plovers should form the genus Squatarola, the Dotterels Charadrius, and the two birds in question be placed opposite in their respective circles. Vanellus, or the Lapivings, again, form another group, as w-ell marked in their different habits, and intimately connected with Pluvianus ; neither of these, how- ever, have any representative in North America. Many Gray Plovers breed in the English fens, and, like the migratory Sandpipers, flocks appear on the shores, at the commencement of winter, where they mingle with the other species. The plate is that of the summer or breeding plumage. — Ed. RED-BREASTED SANDPIPER. 487 of the first year have considerable resemblance to those of the Golden Plover ; but may be easily distinguished from tliis last by the largeness of their head and bill, and in being at least two inches more in length. The greater number of those which I have examined have the rudi- ments of a hind toe ; but the character and manners of the Plover are so conspicuous in the bird, as to determine, at tlie first glance, the tribe it belongs to. They continue about the sea-coast until early in No- vember, when they move off to the south. This same bird, Mr. Pennant informs us, inhabits all the north of Europe, Iceland, Greenland, and Hudson's Bay, and all the arctic part of Siberia. It is said, that at Hudson's Bay it is called the Hawk's- Eye, on account of its brilliancy. It appears, says the same author, in Greenland, in the spring, about the southern lakes, and feeds on worms and berries of the heath. This species is twelve inches long, and twenty-four inches in ex- tent ; the bill is thick, deeply grooved on the upper mandible, an inch and a quarter in length, and of a black color ; the head and globe of the eye are both remarkably large, the latter deep bluish black ; fore- head, white ; crown and hind head, black, spotted with golden yellow ; back and scapulars, dusky, sprinkled with the same golden or orange colored spots, mixed with others of white ; breast, belly, and vent, black; sides of the breast, whitish; wing-quills, black; middle of the shafts, white ; greater coverts, black, tipped with white ; lining of the wing, black ; tail, regularly barred with blackish and pure Avhite ; tail- coverts, pure white ; legs and feet, a dusky lead color ; the exterior toe joined to the middle by a broad membrane ; hind toe, very small. From the lengtli of time which these birds take to acquire their full colors, they are found in very various stages of plumage. The breast and belly are at first white, gradually appear mottled with black, and finally become totally black. The spots of orange, or golden, on the crown, hind head, and back, are at first white, and sometimes even the breast itself is marked with these spots, mingled among the black. In every stage, the seemingly disproportionate size of the head, and thickness of the bill, will distinguish this species. RED-BREASTED SANDPIPER. —TRINGA RUFA. — Fig. 227. Peak's Museum, No. 4050. TRIJVQA CA^rUTUS. —Lin n^us. Tringa Islandica, Linn, and Lath. — Red Sandpiper, Mont. Orn. Diet. Supp. — Aberdeen Sandpiper, Penn. Brit. Zool. ii. No. 203. Of this prettily marked species I can find no description. The Tringa Icelaiidica, or Aberdeen Sandpiper of Pennant and others, is the only species that has any resemblance to it ; the descriptions of that bird, however, will not apply to the present The common name of this species on our sea-coast is the Gray- Back, and among the gunners it is a particular favorite, being gener- 4S8 RED-BREASTED SNIPE. ally a plump, tender, and excellent bird for the table ; and, conse- quently, brings a good price in market. The Gray-Backs do not breed on the shores of the Middle States. Their first appearance is early in May. They remain a few weeks, and again disappear until October. They usually keep in small flocks, alight in a close body together on the sand flats, where they search for the small bivalve shells already described. On the approach of the sportsman, they frequently stand fixed and silent for some time ; do not appear to be easily alarmed, neither do they run about in the water as much as some others, or with the same rapidity, but appear more tranquil and deliberate. In the month of November, they retire to the south. This species is ten inches long, and twenty in extent ; the bill is black, and about an inch and a half long ; the chin, eyebrows, and whole breast, are a pale brownish orange color ; crown, hind head from the upper mandible backwards, and neck, dull white, streaked with black ; back, a pale slaty olive, the feathers tipped with white, barred and spotted with black and pale ferruginous ; tail-coverts, white, ele- gantly barred with black ; wings, plain dusky, black towards the ex- tremity ; the greater coverts, tipped with white ; shafts of the prima- ries, white ; tail, pale ashy olive, finely edged with white, the two middle feathers somewhat the longest ; belly and vent, white, the latter marked with small arrow-heads of black ; legs and feet, black ; toes, bordered with a narrow membrane ; eye, small and black. In some specimens, both of males and females, the red on the breast was much paler ; in others it descended as far as the thighs. Both sexes seemed nearly alike. RED-BREASTED SNIPE. — SCOLOPAX NOVEBORACENSIS. — Fig. 228. Arct. Zool. p. 464, No. 36S.^ Peak's Museum, No. 3932. MACRORHAMPUS GRISEUS.—L.each* Macrorhampus griseus, Steph. Cont. Shaw's Zool. vol. xii. p. 61. — Scolopcix grisea, Flem. Br. Zool. p. 106. — Bonap. Cat. p. 27. — Le becassine grise, Scolopax leucophoea, Vieill. Gal. des Ois. pi. 241. — Limosa scolopacea, Say\i Exped. to Rocky Mount, i. p. 170, 171, note. — Brown Snipe, Mont. Orn. Diet. — Becassine ponctuee, Temm. Man. ii. p. 679. — Brown Snipe, Selby's lllust. Br. Orn. pi. 24, fig. 2. This bird has a considerable resemblance to the Common Snipe, not only in its general form, size, and colors, but likeAvise in the excel- lence of its flesh, which is in high estimation. It differs, however, * This bird will stand in the rank of a sub-genus. It was first indicated by Leach, in the Catalogue to the British Mnsettm, under the above title. It is one of those beautifully connecting forms, which it is impossible to place without giving a situa- tion to themselves, and intimately connects the Snipes with Totanus and Limosa. The bill is truly that of Scolopax, while the plumage and changes ally it to the RED-BREASTED SNIPE. 489 greatly from the Common Snipe in its manners, and in many other peculiarities, a few of which, as far as T have myself observed, may be sketched as follows : — The Red-breasted Snipe arrives on the sea-coast of New Jersey early in April ; is seldom or never seen inland : early in May, it pro- ceeds to the north to breed, and returns by the latter part of July, or beginning of August. During its stay here, it flies in flocks, some- times very high, and has then a loud and shrill whistle, making many evolutions over the marshes ; forming, dividing, and re-uniting. They sometimes settle in such numbers, and so close together, that eighty- five have been shot at one discharge of a musket. They spring from the marshes with a loud, twirling whistle, generally rising high, and making several circuitous manoeuvres in air before they descend. They frequent the sand bars and mud flats at low water, in search of food ; and, being less suspicious of a boat than of a person on shore, are easily approached by this medimn, and shot down in great num- bers. They usually keep by themselves, being very numerous ; are in excellent order for the table in September ; and, on the approach of winter, retire to the south. 1 have frequently amused myself with the various action of these birds. They fly very rapidly, sometimes wheeling, coursing, and doubling along the surface of the marshes ; then shooting high in air, there separating and forming in various bodies, uttering a kind of quivering whistle. Among many which I opened in May, were several females that had very little rufous below, and the backs were also much lighter, and less marbled with ferruginous. The eggs con- tained in their ovaries were some of them as large as garden peas. Their stomachs contained masses of those small snail shells that lie in millions on the salt marshes; the wrinkles at the base of the bill, and the red breast, are strong characters of this species, as also the mem- brane which unites the outer and middle toes together. other genera 5 from these blending characters it had been termed Limosa scolopa- cea, by Say, who gave the characters of the form without applying the name. He has the following observations in the work above quoted : — '•' Several specimens were shot in a pond near the Bowyer Creek. Corresponds with the genus Scolopax, Cuvier, in having the dorsal grooves at the tip of the upper mandible, and in having this part dilated and rugose ; but the eye is not large, nor is it placed far back upon the head 5 which two latter characters, com- bined with its more elevated and slender figure, and the circumstance of the thighs being denudated of feathers high above the knee, and the exterior toe being united to the middle toe by a membrane which extends as far as the first joint, and the toes being also margined, combine to distinguish this species from those of the genus to which the form and characters of its bill would refer it, and approach it more closely to Limosa. In one specimen, the two exterior primaries on each wing were light brown, but the quills were white. It may, perhaps, with propriety, be consid- ered as the type of a new genus ; and, under the following characters, be placed between the genera Scolopax and Limosa. Bill, longer than the head, dilated, and rugose at tip, slightly curved downwards, and with a dorsal groove ; nasal groove, elongated ; feet, long, an extensive naked space above the knee ; toes, slightly margined, a membrane connecting the joints of the exterior toes; first of the pri- maries, rather longest." It is of rare occurrence in Europe, a few specimens only being mentioned, and a solitary instance of its appearance on the coast of Britain is recorded by Montagu. — JEn. 490 LONG-LEGGED AVOSET. The Red-breasted Snipe is ten inches and a half long, and eighteen inches in extent ; the bill is about two inches and a quarter in length, straight, grooved, black towards the point, and of a dirty eel-skin color at the base, where it is tumid and Avrinkled ; lores, dusky ; cheeks and eyebrows, pale yellowish white, mottled with specks of black ; throat and breast, a reddish buff color ; sides, white, barred with black ; belly and vent, white, the latter barred with dusky ; crown, neck above, back, scapulars, and tertials, black, edged, mottled, and marbled with yellowish white, pale and bright ferruginous, much in the same manner as the Common Snipe ; wings, plain olive, the secondaries, centred and bordered with white ; shaft of the first quill, very white ; rump, tail-coverts, and tail, (which consists of twelve feathers,) white, thickly spotted with black ; legs and feet, dull yellowish green ; outer toe united to the middle one by a small membrane ; eye, very dark. The female, which is paler on the back, and less ruddy on the breast, has been described by Mr. Pennant as a separate species.* These birds, doubtless, breed not far to the northward of the United States, if we may judge from tlie lateness of the season when they leave us in spring, the largeness of tlie eggs in the ovaries of the females before they depart, and the short period of time they are absent Of all our sea-side Snipes, it is the most numerous, and the most delicious for the table. From these circumstances, and the crowded manner in which it flies and settles, it is the most eagerly sought after by our gunners, who send them to market in great num- bers. LONG-LEGGED AVOSET. — RECURVIROSTRA HIMANTO- PUS.— Fig. 229. Long-legged Plover, Arct. Zool. p. 487, No. 405. — Turton, p. 416. — Bewick, ii. 21. — L'Echasse, Buff. viii. 114, PL erd. 81S.— Peak's Museum, No. 4210. HIM^JVTOPUS JVIORICOLLIS. — Vieillot. f Himantopus Mexicanus, Ord's Edit, of Wils. — Himantopus nigricollis, Bonap. Synop. p. 322. Naturalists have most unaccountably classed this bird with the genus Charadrius, or Plover, and yet affect to make the particular con- formation of the bill, legs, and feet, the rule of their arrangement. In the present subject, however, excepting the trivial circumstance of the want of a hind toe, there is no resemblance whatever of those parts to * See his Brown Snipe, Arct. Zool. No. 369. f Wilson confounded this species with the Long-legged Plover of Europe, and ranged it with the Avosets. Mr. Ord, in his reprint, placed it in the genus Himan- topus, properly established for these birds, but under the name Mexicanus. The Prince of Musignano is of opinion, that it cannot range under this, being much smaller, and refers it to the H. nio^ricoUis of Vieillot. The genus contains only a few species, all so closely allied, that near examination is necessary to distinguish them. They are all remarkable for the great disproportion of their legs. — Ed. LONG-LEGGED AVOSET. 491 the bill, legs, or feet, of the Plover ; on the contrary, they are so entirely different, as to create no small surprise at the adoption and gen- eral acceptation of a classification, evidently so absurd and unnatural. This appears the more reprehensible, when we consider the striking affinity there is between this bird and the Common Avoset, not only in tlie particular form of the bill, nostrils, tongue, legs, feet, wings, and tail, but extending to the voice, manners, food, place of breeding, form of the nest, and even the very color of the eggs of both, all of which are strikingly alike, and point out, at once, to the actual observer of Nature, the true relationship of these remarkable birds. Strongly impressed with these facts, from an intimate acquaintance with the living subjects, in their native wilds, I have presumed to remove the present species to the true and proper place assigned it by Nature, and shall now proceed to detail some particulars of its history. This species arrives on the sea-coast of New Jersey aboiit the 25th of April, in small, detached flocks, of twenty or thirty together. These sometimes again subdivide into lesser parties ; but it rarely happens that a pair is found solitary, as, during the breeding season, they usually associate in small companies. On their first arrival, and, indeed, during the whole of their residence, they inhabit those particu- lar parts of the salt marshes pretty high up towards the land, that are broken into numerous shallow pools, but are not usually overflowed by the tides during the summer. These pools, or ponds, are generally so shallow, that, with their long legs, the Avosets can easily wade them in every direction ; and, as they abound with minute shell-fit?h, and multitudes of aquatic insects and their larvae, besides the eggs and spawn of others deposited in the soft mud below, these birds find here an abundant supply of food, and are almost continually seen wading about in such places, often up to the breast in water. In the vicinity of these bald places, as they are called by the coun- try people, and at the distance of forty or fifty yards off", among the thick tufts of grass, one of these small associations, consisting per- haps of six or eight pair, takes up its residence during the breeding season. About the first week in May they begin to construct their nests, which are at first slightly formed of a small quantity of old grass, scarcely sufficient to keep the eggs from the wet marsh. As they lay and sit, however, either dreading the rise of the tides, or for some other purpose, the nest is increased in height, with dry twigs of a shrub very common in the marshes, roots of the salt grass, sea-weed, and various other substances, the Avhole weighing between two and tliree pounds. This habit of adding materials to the nest after the female begins sitting, is common to almost all other birds that breed in the marshes. The eggs are four in number, of a dark yellowish clay color, thickly marked with large blotches of black. These nests are often placed within fifteen or twenty yards of each other ; but the greatest harmony seems to prevail among the proprietors. While the females are sitting, Ihe males are either wading through the ponds, or roaming over the adjoining marshes ; but should a per- son make his appearance, the whole collect together in the air, flying with their long legs extended behind them, keeping up a continual yelping note of click, click, click. Their flight is steady, and not in short, sudden jerks, like that of the Plover. As they frequently alight 492 LONG-LEGGED AVOSET. on the bare marsh, they drop their wings, stand with their legs half bent, and trembling, as if unable to sustain the burden of their bodies. In this ridiculous posture they will sometimes stand for several minutes, uttering a curring sound, while, from the corresponding quiverings of their wings and long legs, they seem, to balance themselves with great difficulty. This singular manoeuvre is, no doubt, intended to induce a belief that they may be easily caught, and so turn the attention of the person, from the pursuit of their nests and young, to themselves. The Red-necked Avoset, whom we have introduced in the present volume, practises the very same deception, in the same ludicrous manner, and both alight indiscriminately on the ground or in the water. Both will also occasionally swim for a few feet, when they chance, in wading, to lose their depth, as I have had several times an opportunity of obser\'ing. The name by which this bird is known on the sea-coast is the Stilt, or Tilt, or Long-Shanks, They are but sparingly dispersed over the marshes, having, as has been already observed, their particular favorite spots, while in large, intermediate tracts tliere are few or none to be found. They occasionally visit the shore, wading about in the water and in the mud, in search of food, which they scoop up very dexter- ously with their delicately-formed bills. On being wounded while in the water, they attempt to escape by diving, at which they are by no means expert. In autumn, their flesh is tender and well tasted. They seldom raise more than one brood in the season, and depart for the south early in September. As they are well known in Jamaica, it is probable some of thern may winter in that and other of the West India islands. Mr. Pennant observes, that this bird is not a native of northern Eu- rope ; and there have been but few instances where it has been seen in Great Britain. It is common, says Latham, in Egypt, being found there in the marshes in October. It is likewise plentiful about the salt lakes, and is often seen on the shores of the Caspian Sea, as well as by the rivers which empty themselves into it, and in the southern deserts of Independent Tartary. The same author adds, on the author- ity of Ray, that it is known at Madras, in the East Indies. All the figures and descriptions which I have seen of this curious bird, represent the bill as straight, and of almost an equal thickness throughout, but I have never found it so in any of the numerous specimens I have myself shot and examined. Many of these accounts, as well as figures, have been taken from dried and stuffed skins, which give but an imperfect and often erroneous idea of the true outlines of nature. The dimensions, colors, and markings, of a very beautiful specimen, newly shot, were as follows : — Length, from the point of the bill to the end of the tail, fourteen inches, to the tips of the wings, sixteen ; extent, twenty-eight inches; bill, three inches long, slightly curved upwards, tapering to a fine point, the upper mandible rounded above, the whole of a deep black color ; nostrils, an oblong slit, pervious ; tongue, short, pointed ; forehead, spot behind the eye, lower eyelid, sides of the neck, and whole lower parts, pure white ; back, rump, and tail-coverts, also white, but so concealed by the scapulars as to appear black ; tail, even, or very slightly forked, and of a dingy white ; the vent-feathers reach to the tip of the tail SOLITARY SANDPIPER. 493 below ; line before the eye, aiiriculars, back part of the neck, scapu- lars, and whole wings, deep black, richly glossed with green; legs and naked thighs, a fine pale carmine ; the latter measures three, the former four inches and a half in length, exceedingly tliin, arid so flex- ible that they may be bent considerably without danger of breaking. This thinness of the leg enables the bird to wade with expedition, and without fatigue. Feet, three-toed, the outer toe connected to the middle one by a broad membrane ; wings, long, extending two inches beyond the tail, and sharp pointed ; irides, a bright, rich scarlet; pupil, black. In some, the white from the breast extends quite round the neck, separating the black of the hind neck from that of the body; claws, blackish horn. The female is about half an inch shorter, and differs in having the plumage of the upper back and scapulars, and also the tertials, of a deep brown color. The stomach, or gizzard, was extremely muscular, and contained fragments of small snail shells, winged bugs, and a slimy matter, supposed to be the remains of some aquatic worms. In one of these females I counted upwards of one hundred and fifty eggs, some of them as large as buck-shot. The singular form of the legs and feet, with the exception of the hind toe and one membrane of tlie foot, is exactly like those of the Avoset. The upper curvature of the bill, though not quite so great, is also the same as in the other, being rounded above, and tapering to a delicate point in the same manner. In short, a slight comparison of the two is sufficient to satisfy the most scrupulous observer that Nature has classed these two birds together ; and so believing, we shall not separate them. SOLITARY SANDPIPER. — TRINGA SOLITARIA. — Fig. 230. Peak's Museum, No. 7763. TOTjlJ\rUS CHLOROPIOIUS. — YiEiLLOT* Totanus g-lareolus, Orel's reprint, p. 51. — Totanus chloropig-jus, Vieill. — Bonap. Cat. p. 26. — Sijnop. p. 325. This new species inhabits the watery solitudes of our highest mountains during the summer, from Kentucky to New York; but is no where numerous, seldom more than one or two being seen together. It takes short, low flights ; runs nimbly about among the * In the second edition of the seventh part, under the inspection of Mr. Ord, this bird is described as new, by the name of T. glareolus. Ord thoug-ht it identical •with the T. glareolus of Europe, and nanied it as such ; his synonvmes are, there- fore, all wron^. The Prince of Musignano thus points out the differences : " T. chlornpigius differs from T. glareola, not on!}' as regards the characters of the tail- feathers, but also in being more minutely speckled, the white spots being- smaller ; by its longer tarsus; by" the lineation of all the tail-feathers, but especially the lateral ones, the bands being broader, purer, and much more regular, whilst the lat- ter tail-feathers of the European species are almost pure white on the inner webs; 42 494 YELLOW-SHANKS SNIPE. mossy margins of the mountain spring's, brooks, and pools, occasion- ally stopping, looking at you, and perpetually nodding the head. It is so unsuspicious, or so little acquainted with man, as to pennit one to approach within a few yards of it, without appearing to take any notice, or to be the least alarmed. At the approach of cold weather, it descends to the muddy shores of our large rivers, where it is occa- sionally met with, singly, on its way to the south. I have made many long and close searches for the nest of this bird without success. They regularly breed on Pocano Mountain, between Easton and Wilkesbarre, in Pennsylvania, arriving there early in May, and depart- ing in September. It is usually silent, unless when suddenly flushed, when it utters a sharp whistle. This species has considerable resemblance, both in manners and markings, to the Green Sandpiper of Europe [Tringa ochropiis ;) but differs from that bird in being nearly one tliird less, and in wanting the Avhite rump and tail-coverts of that species ; it is also destitute of its silky, olive green plumage. How far north its migrations extend I am unable to say. The Solitary Sandpiper is eight inches and a half long, and fifteen inches in extent ; the bill is one inch and a quarter in length, and dusky ; nostrils, pervious ; bill, fluted above and below ; line over the eye, chin, belly, and vent, pure white ; breast, white, spotted with pale olive brown ; crown and neck above, dark olive, streaked with white ; back, scapulars, and rump, dark brown olive, each feather marked along the edges with small, round spots of white ; wings, plain, and of a darker tint ; under tail-covert, spotted with black ; tail, slightly rounded, the five exterior feathers on each side, white, broadly barred with black ; the two middle ones, as well as their coverts, plain olive ; legs, long, slender, and of a dusky green- Male and female alike in color. YELLOW-SHANKS SNIPE. — SCOLOPAX FLAVIPES. — Fig. 231. Arct. Zool. p. 463, No. 878. — Turt. Stjst. 395. — Peak's Museum, No. 3938. TOTjiJVUS FL^VJPES. — YiEiLLor* Totanus flavipes, Ord's Edit. p. 59. — Bonap. Cat. p. 26. Of this species I have but little to say. It inhabits our sea-coasts and salt marshes during summer ; frequents the flats at low water, and seems particularly fond of walking among the mud, where it doubtless finds its favorite food in abundance. Having never met with its nest, by having the shaft of the exterior primary black, whilst that of the glareolus Is white." The two specimens which Mr. Ord shot, in which all the tail-feathers were barred, and which corresponded with T. glareola, may have been in fact that species. The Prince of Musignano is of opinion that it is also a native of North America. — Ed. * T.Jlavipes seems exclusively American. — Ed. TELL-TALE GODWIT, OR SNIPE. 495 nor with any person acquainted with its particular place or manner of breedino-, I must reserve these matters for further observation. It is a plentifiii species, and great numbers are brought to market in Boston, New York, and Philadelphia, particularly in autumn. Though these birds do not often penetrate far inland, yet, on the 5th of September, I shot several dozens of them in the meadows of Schuylkill, below Philadelphia. There had been a violent north-east storm a day or two previous, and a large flock of these, accompanied by several species of T^ringa, and vast numbers of the Short-tailed Tern, appeared at once among the meadows. As a bird for the table, the Yellow-Shanks, when fat, is in considerable repute. Its chief residence is in the vicinity of the sea, where there are extensive mud-flats. It has a sharp whistle, of three or four notes, when about to take wing, and when flying. These birds may be shot down with great facility, if the sportsman, after tlie first discharge, will only lie close, and permit the wounded birds to flutter about without picking them up ; the flock will generally make a circuit, and alight repeatedly, until the greater part of them may be shot down. Length of the Yellow- Shanks, ten inches ; extent, twenty ; bill, slender, straight, an inch and a half in length, and black ; line over the eye, chin, belly, and vent, white ; breast and throat, gray ; general color of the plumage above, dusky brown olive, inclining to ash, thickly marked with small triangular spots of dull white ; tail-coverts, white ; tail, also white, handsomely barred with dark olive ; wings, plain dusky, the secondaries edged, and all the coverts edged and tipped with white ; shafts, black ; eye, also black ; legs and naked thighs, long and yellow ; outer toe, united to the middle one by a slight membrane ; claws, a horn color. The female can scarcely be distinguished from the male. TELL-TALE GODWIT, OR SNIPE. — SCOLOPAX VOCIFERUS. — Fig. 232. Stone Snipe, Arct Zool. p. 468, No. 376. — Turt. Sijst. p. 396. — Peale's Museum, No. 3940. TOTjSJ^US MELjIJVOLEUCUS. — ViEiLLOT.* T. melanoleucus, Ord's reprint of Wils. p. 6L — Bonap. Stjnop. p. 324. This species and the preceding are both well known to our Duck gunners along the sea-coast and marshes, by whom they are detested, * Bonaparte, in his Nomenclature, remarks, " This bird is undoubtedly the S. melanoleuca of Gmelin and Latham, first made known by Pennant. Why Wilson, who was aware of this, should have changed the name, we are at a loss to conceive. Mr. Ord was, therefore, rig-ht in restoring it." The species has not been discovered out of North America, and will take the place in that country of the European Greenshank. l^otanxs is a genus of Bechstein, now generally acknowledged as the proper place for the Sandpipers of this form. Many of tliem do not undergo so decided a change during the breeding season, breed more inland, and, during winter, are as frequenUy 496 TELL-TALE GODV/IT, OR SNIPE. and stigmatized with tlie names of the Greater and Lesser Tell-Tale, for their faithful vigilance m alarming the Ducks with tlieir loud and shrill whistle, on the first glimpse of the gunner's approach. Of the two, the present species is by far the most watchful ; and its whistle, which consists of four notes rapidly repeated, is so loud, shrill, and alarming, as instantly to arouse every Duck within its hearing, and thus disappoints the eager expectations of the marksman. Yet the cunning and experience of the latter are frequently more than a match for all of them; and, before the poor Tell-Tale is aware, his warning voice is hushed forever, and his dead body mingled vv'ith those of his associates. This bird arrives on our coast early in April, breeds in the marshes, and continues until November, about the middle of which month it generally moves off to the south. The nest, I have been informed, is built in a tuft of thick grass, generally on the borders of a bog or mo- rass. The female, it is said, lays four eggs, of a dingy white, irregu- larly marked with black. These birds appear to be unknown in Europe. They are simply mentioned by Mr. Pennant as having been observed in autumn, feeding on the sands on the lower part of Chatteaux Bay, continually nodding their heads ; and v/ere called there Stone Curlews.* The Tell-Tale seldom flies in large flocks, at least during summer. It delights in watery bogs, and the muddy margins of creeks and in- lets ; is either seen searching about for food, or standing in a watchful posture, alternately raising and lov/ering the head, and, on the least appearance of danger, utters its shrill whistle, and mounts on wing, generally accompanied by all the feathered tribes that are near. It occasionally penetrates inland along the muddy shores of our la,rge rivers, seldom higher than tide Avater, and then singly and solitary. They sometimes rise to a great height in the air, and can be distmctly heard when beyond the reach of the eye. In the fall, when they are fat, their flesh is highly esteemed, and many of them are brought to our markets. The colors and markings of this bird are so like those of the preceding, that, unless in point of size, and the particular curva- ture of the bill, the description of one might serve for both. The Tell-Tale is fourteen inches and a half long, and twenty-five inches in extent ; the bill is two inches and a quarter long, of a dark horn color, and slightly bent upwards ; the space round the eye, chin, and throat, pure Avhite ; lower part of the neck, pale ashy white, speckled with black ; general color of the upper parts, an ashy brown, tinckly spotted Avith black and dull Avhite, each feather being bordered and spotted on the edge Avith black; Aving-quills, black; some of the primaries, and all of the secondaries, Avith their coverts, spotted round the margins Avith black and Avhite ; head and neck above, streaked with black and Avhite ; belly and vent, pure white ; rump, white, dotted Avith black ; tail, also Avhite, barred Avith broAvn ; the Avings, Avhen closed, reach beyond the tail ; thighs, naked nearly tAvo inches above the knees; legs, tAvo inches and three quarters long; feet, four-toed, the found on the banks of rivers and lakes, or in inland marshes, as upon the shores. They are extremely noisy when first disturbed; a single individual readily gives the iiote of alarm, and, "when their nests are approached, they display more of the habit of the Plovers. — Ed. * Arctic Zoology, p. 468. SPOTTED SANDPIPER. 497 outer joined by a membrane to the middle, the whole of a rich orange yellow. The female differs little in plumage from the male ; some- times the vent is slightly dotted with black, and the upper parts more brown. Nature seems to have intended this bird as a kind of spy, or sentinel, for the safety of the rest ; and so well acquainted are they with the watchful vigilance of this species, that, while it continues silent among them, the Ducks feed in the bogs and marshes without the least suspi- cion. The great object of the gunner is to escape the penetrating glance of this guardian, which it is sometimes extremely difficult to effect On the first whistle of the Tell-Tale, if beyond gunshot, the gunner abandons his design, but not without first bestowing a few left- handed blessings on the author of his disappointment. SPOTTED SANDPIPER. — TRINGA MACULARIA. — Fig. 233. Arct. Zool. p. 473, No. 385. — La ^rive d'eau, Buff. viii. 140. — Edw. Til. — Peak's Museum, No. 4056. TOrJlKUS MACULARIUS. — T^^TAijic^* Orcfs reprint of Wils. part vii. p. 64. — Temm. Man. d'Om. ii. p. 656. — Bonap. Synop. p. 325. — Flem. Br. Zool. p. 102. — Spotted Sandpiper, Mont. Orn. Diet. ii. and Supp. Selbifs ILlust. of Br. Orn. w. B. pi. 17. This very common species arrives in Pennsylvania about the 20th of April, making its first appearance along the shores of our large rivers, and, as the season advances, tracing the courses of our creeks and streams towards the interior. Along the Rivers Schuylkill and Delaware, and their tributary waters, they are in great abundance during the summer. This species is as remarkable for perpetually wagging the tail, as some others are for nodding the head ; for, whether running on the ground, or on the fences, along the rails, or in the water, this motion seems continual ; even the young, as soon as they are freed from the shell, run about, constantly wagging the tail. About the middle of May, they resort to the adjoining corn-fields to breed, where I have frequently found and examined their nests. One of these now before me, and which was built at the root of a hill of Indian corn, on high ground, is composed wholly of short pieces of dry straw. The eggs are four, of a pale clay or cream color, marked with large, irregu- lar spots of black, and more thinly with others of a paler tint. They are large in proportion to the size of the bird, measuring an inch and a quarter in length, very thick at the great end, and tapering suddenly * This is one of the most beautiful and most delicately marked among- the smaller Totani ; closely allied to our Common Sand-Lark, T. kypoleucos, it is at once dis- tinguished by the spotted marking on the under parts, which contrasts finely with their pure white. They frequent the banks of rivers more than the larger sf)ecies, and have all a peculiar motion of the body and tail while running. The Spotted Sandpiper is common to both continents, and has been once or twice killed in Great Britain. — Ed. 42* 498 SPOTTED SANDPIPER. to the other. The young- run about with wonderful speed as soon as they leave the shell, and are then covered with down of a dull drab color, marked with a single streak of black down the middle of the back, and with another behind each ear. They have a weak, plaintive note. On the approach of any person, the parents exhibit symptoms of great distress, counterfeiting lameness, and fluttering along the ground with seeming difficulty. On the appearance of a dog, this agitation is greatly increased : and it is very interesting to observe with what dexterity she will lead him from her young, by throwing herself repeatedly before him, fluttering off, and keeping just without his reach, on a contrary direction from her helpless brood. My venerable friend, Mr. William Bertram, informs me, that he saw one of these birds de- fend her young for a considerable time from the repeated attacks of a ground squirrel. The scene of action was on the river shore. The parent had thrown herself, with her two young behind her, between them and the land ; and at every attempt of the squirrel to seize them by a circuitous sweep, raised both her wings in an almost perpendicu- lar position, assuming the most formidable appearance she was capa- ble of, and rushed forwards on the squirrel, Avho, intimidated by her boldness and manner, instantly retreated ; but presently returning, was met, as before, in front and on flank by the daring and affectionate bird, who, with her wings and whole plumage bristling up, seemed swelled to twice her usual size. The young crowded together behind hor, apparently sensible of their perilous situation, moving backwards and forwards as she advanced or retreated. This interesting scene lasted for at least ten minutes ; the strength of the poor parent began evidently to flag, and the attacks of the squirrel became more daring and frequent, when my good friend, like one of those celestial agents, who, in Homer's time, so often decided the palm of victory, stepped forward from his retreat, drove the assailant back to his hole, and res- cued the innocent from destruction. The flight of this bird is usually low, skimming along the surface of the water, its long wings making a considerable angle downwards from the body, while it utters a rapid cry of iveet, meet, weet, as it flut- ters along, seldom steering in a direct line up or down the river, but making a long, circuitous sweep, stretching a great way out, and gradually bending in again to the shore. These birds are found occasionally along the sea marshes, as well as in the interior ; and also breed in the corn-fields there, frequenting the shore in search of food; but rarely associating with the other Tringa. About the middle of October, they leave us, on their way to the south, and do not, to my knowledge, winter in any of the At- lantic States. Mr. Pennant is of opinion, that this same species is found in Britain ; tj Jt neither his description, nor that of Mr. Bewick, will apply correctly to this. The following particulars, with Fig-. 233, will enable Euro- peans to determine this matter to their satisfaction : — Length of the Spotted Sandpiper, seven inches and a half ; extent, thirteen inches ; bill, an inch long, straight, the tip and upper mandi- ble, dusky, lower, orange ; stripe over the eye, and lower eyelid, pure white; whole upper parts, a glossy olive, with greenish reflections, each feather marked with waving spots of dark brown ; wing-quills, BARTRAM'S SANDPIPER. 499 deep dusky ; bastard wing, bordered and tipped with white ; a spot of white on the middle of the inner vane of each quill-feather except the first ; secondaries, tipped with white ; tail, rounded, the six middle feathers, greenish olive, tlie other three on each side white, barred with black ; Avhole lower parts, white, beautifully marked with round- ish spots of black, small and thick on the throat and breast, larger and thinner as they descend to the tail ; legs, a yellow clay color ; claws, black. The female is as thickly spotted below as the male ; but the young birds of both sexes are pure Avhite beloAv, without any spots ; they also want the orange on the bill. Those circumstances I have verified on numerous individuals. BARTRAM'S SANDPIPER. —TRINGA BARTRAMIA. — Fig.234. Peak's Museum, No. 4040. TOTAJ\rUS BARTRAMIUS. — TEMMiycK.* Totanus Bartramius, Ord's reprint of Wils. vol. vii. p. 67. — Chevalier a longne queue, Temm. Man. d'Orn. ii. p. 650. — Totanus Bartramius, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 325. This bird being, as far as I can discover, a new species, undescribed by any former author, I have honored it with the name of my very worthy friend, near whose botanic gardens, on the banks of the River Schuyl- kill, I first found it. On the same meadows, I have since shot several other individuals of the species, and have thereby had an opportunity of taking an accurate drawing as well as description of it. Unlike most of their tribe, these birds appear to prefer running about among the grass, feeding on beetles and other winged insects. There were three or four in company ; they seemed extremely watch- ful, silent, and shy, so that it was always with extreme difficulty 1 could approach them. These birds are occasionally seen there during the months of Au- gust and September, but whether they breed near I have not been able to discover. Having never met with them on the sea-shore, I am persuaded that their principal residence is in the interior, in meadows and such like places. They run with great rapidity, sometimes spread- ing their tail and dropping their wings, as birds do who wish to decoy you from their nest ; when they alight, they remain fixed, stand very erect, and have two or three sharp, whistling notes, as they mount to fly. * The discovery of this species, I believe, is due to our author, who dedicated it to his venerable friend Bartram. It is admitted by Temminck as an occasional straggler upon the Dutch and German coasts, and is mentioned as having been only once met with by himself Bonaparte asserts, on the authority of Say, that it is very common in some districts of the extensive Missouri prairies ; thus confirming the opinion of Wilson, that its residence is in the interior, and not on the sea-coast, like most of its congeners. The lengthened form, more conspicuous in the wedge shape of the tail, is at variance with the greater part of the Totani, and reminds us of the Kildeer Plover.— Ed. 509 RING PLOVER. They are remarkably plump birds, weighing upwards of three quartei^ of a pound ; their flesh is superior, in point of delicacy, tenderness, and flavor, to any other of the tribe with which I am acquainted. This species is twelve inches long, and twenty-one in extent ; the bill is an inch and a half long, slightly bent downwards, and -s^Tinkled at the base, the upper mandible, black on its ridge, the lower, as well as the edge of the upper, of a fine yellow ; front, stripe over the eye, neck and breast, pale ferruginous, marked with small streaks of black, which, on the lower part of the breast, assume the form of arrow- heads ; crown, black, the plumage slightly skirted with whitish ; chin, orbit of the eye, whole belly and vent, pure white ; hind head and neck above, ferruginous, minutely streaked with black ; back and scapulars, black, the former slightly skirted with ferruginous, the latter with white ; tertials, black, bordered with white ; primaries, plain black ; shaft of the exterior quill, snowy, its inner vane elegantly pectinated with white ; secondaries, pale brown, spotted on their outer vanes with black, and tipped with white; greater coverts, dusky, edged with pale ferruginous, and spotted -with black ; lesser coverts, pale ferruginous, each feather broadly bordered with white, with- in which is a concentric semicircle of black ; rump and tail-cov- erts, deep brown black, slightly bordered with white ; tail, tapering of a pale brown orange color, beautifully spotted with black, the middle feathers centred with dusky; legs, yellow, tinged with green, the outer toe joined to the middle by a membrane ; lining of the wings, elegantly barred with black and white ; iris of the eye, dark or blue black, eye, very large. The male and female are nearly alike. RING PLOVER. — TRINGA HIATICULA. — Fig. 235. Arct. Zool. ii. p. 485, No. 401. — Le petit pluvier a collier, Buff. viii. 90. — Bewick, i. 326. — Pecde's Museum, No. 4150. CHARADRIUS SEMIPALMATUS. — Bonaparte.* Charadrius semipalmatus, Bonap. Synop. p. 296. — American Ring Plover. North. Zool. ii. p. 367. — Charadrius semipalmalus ? Wagl. Syst. Av. No. 23. In a preceding part of this work, (Fig. 160,) a bird by this name has been figured and described, under the supposition that it was the Ring * The smaller Charadriadce of America have been much confused, owing to their close alliance to each other, and to those of Europe, with some of which they were thought to be identical. The Prince of Musignano has clearly pointed out the differences which exist between this and the species figured in No. 160, and which bears a more close resemblance to the little African C. pecuarius than either the present species or the hinticula of Europe, (see also our note on that species ;) and, although he has not been able to point out such distinctive characters between the latter species and that now under discussion, I have no doubt what- ever of their being eventually found quite distinct; and it will be found, by those ?)ersons who are inclined to allow so much for the influence of climate in rendering brm, color, and plumage distinct, that it is comparatively of no importance, ana RING PLOVER. 501 Ploverj then in its summer dress ; but which, notwithstanding its great resemblance to the present, I now 'suspect to be a different species^ Fearful of perpetuating error, and anxious to retract, where tliis may inadvertently have been tlie case, I shall submit to the consideration of the reader the reasons on which my present suspicions are founded. The present species, or true Ring Plover, and also the former, or light colored bird, both arrive on the sea-coast of New Jersey late in April. The present kind continues to be seen in flocks until late in May, when they disappear on their way farther north ; the light colored bird remains during the summer, forms its nest in the sand, and generally produces two broods in the season. Early in September the present species returns in flocks as before ; soon after this, the light colored kind go off to the south, but the other remain a full month later, European writers inform us, that the Ring Plover has a sharp, twitter- ing note ; and this account agrees exactly with that of the present : the light colored species, on the contrary, has a peculiarly soft and musical note, similar to the tone of a German flute, which it utters while running along the sand, with expanded tail and hanging wings, endeavoring to decoy you from its nest. The present species is never seen to breed here ; and, though I have opened great numbers of them as late as the 20th of May, the eggs which the females contained were never larger than small bird-shot ; while, at the same time, the light colored kind had every where begun to lay in the little cavities which they had dug in the sand on the beach. These facts being considered, it seems difficult to reconcile such difference of habit in one and the same bird. The Ring Plover is common in England, and agrees exactly with the one now before us ; but the light colored species, as far as I can learn, is not found in Britain; specimens of it have indeed been taken to that country, where the most judicious of their ornitholo- gists have concluded it to be still the Ring Plover, but to have changed that identical species, running through a great variety of latitude, will in fact differ little or nothing from each other. I iiave transcribed the observations of Bonaparte from his Nomenclature of Wilson, which will show his opinion. He thus observes, — '' The remark made by Mr. Ord, relative to the diflference between the union of the toes in American and European specimens, is no less ex- traordinary than correct ; I have verified it on the specimens in my collection. This character would seem to show, in the most positive manner, that they are distinct but allied species, differing from each other as Tringa semipalmata of Wilson differs from his Tringa pusilla." The synonymes of Mr. Ord, who noticed one of the principal distinctions in the palmation of the fq^t, are consequently wrong, and they should stand as above. I have added a synonyme of Wagler, C. semipa/tnatus , which he takes, without any acknowledgment, from Cont. Isis, 1825, and which seems to be this species. He also refers to the C. hiaticula of Wilson, (No. 160 of this edition,) under the name of C. Okenii. The true C. hiaticula has not yet, I believe, been found in North America. *' I have been endeavoring," again writes Bonaparte, " to discover some other markings on my stuffed specimens, that might enable me to establish the species on a more solid basis ; but though certain small diiferences are discernible, such as the somewhat smaller size, and the black, narrow collar of the American, &i.c., yet we are aware that such trifling differences occur between individuals of the same species ; we shall, therefore, not rely on them until our observations shall have been repeated on numerous recent or living specimens. In the mean time, should the species prove to be distinct, it may be distinguished by the appropriate name of C. semipalmaius." — Ed. 502 RING PLOVER. from the effect of climate. Mr. Pennant, in speaking of the true Ring Plover, makes the following remarks : " Almost all Avhich I have seen from the northern parts of North America, have had the black marks extremely faint, and almost lost. The climate had almost de- stroyed the specific marks ; yet in the bill and habit preserved sufficient to make the kind very easily ascertained." These traits agree exactly with the light colored species, described in our fifth volume.* But this excellent naturalist was perhaps not aware that we have the true Ring Plover here in spring and autumn, agreeing in every respect with that of Britain, and at least in equal numbers ; why, therefore, has not the climate equally affected tlie present and tlie former sort, if both are the same species ? These inconsistencies cannot be rec- onciled but by supposing each to be a distinct species, which, though approaching extremely near to each other in external appearance, have each their peculiar notes, color and places of breeding.f The Ring Plover is seven inches long, and fourteen inches in extent ; bill, short, orange colored, tipped with black ; front and chin, white, encircling the neck ; upper part of the breast, black ; rest of the lower parts, pure white ; fore part of the crown, black ; band from tlie upper mandible covering the auriculars, also black ; back, scapulars, and wing-coverts, of a brownish ash color ; wing-quills, dusky black, marked with an oval spot of white about tlie middle of each ; tail, olive, deep- ening into black, and tipped with white ; legs, dull yellow ; eye, dark hazel ; eyelids yellow. This bird is said to make no nest, but to lay four eggs of a pale ash color, spotted with black, which she deposits on the ground.| The eggs of the light colored species, formerly described, are of a pale cream color, marked with small, round dots of black, as if done with a pen. The Ring Plover, according to Pennant, inhabits America down to Jamaica and the Brazils ; is found in summer in Greenland ; migrates from thence in autumn ; is common in every part of Russia and Sibe- ria ; was found by the navigators as low as Owyhee, one of the Sand- wich Islands, and as light colored as those of the highest latitudes.-^ * Page 345 of this edition. t It is mentioned as abundant in all " arctic America," by the authors of the Northern Zoology, " where it breeds in similar situations to the Golden Plover. Mr. Hutchins reports, that the eggs, generally four, are dark colored, spotted with black. The natives say, that, on the approach of stormy weather, this Plover makes a cheruping noise, and claps its wings." — Ed. X Bewick. § Arct. Zool. p. 485. SANDERLING PLOVER. 503 SANDERLING PLOVER. — CHARADRIUS CALIDRIS.— Fig. 236. Linn. Syst. 255. — Arct. Zool. p. 456. No. 403. — Le Sanderling, Buff. vii. 532. — Bewick, ii. 19. — Peak's Museum, No. 4204. CALIDRIS JlREJfARM. — Illiger.* Charadrius calidris, Wils. 1st edit. vii. p. 68 j and Ch. rubidus, Wils. 1st edit. vii. p. 129. — Calidris, lllig. Prod. Mam. et Av. p. 249. — Ruddy Plover, Penn. Arct. Zool. ii. p. 486 ; summer plumage. — Sanderling variable, (Calidris arena- ria,) Temm. Man. d'Orn. ii. 524. — Tringa (Calidris) arenaria, Bonap. Sijnop. — Calidris arenaria, Fiem. Br. Zool. p. 112. — North. Zool. ii. p. 366. In this well-known bird, we have another proof of the imperfection of systematic arrangement, where no attention is paid to the general habits, but where one single circumstance is sometimes considered sufficient to determine the species. The genus Plover is character- ized by several strong family traits, one of which is that of wanting tlie hind toe. The Sandpipers have also their peculiar external char- acters of bill, genera] form, &c., by which they are easily distinguished from the former. The present species, (Fig. 236,) though possessing the bill, general figure, manners, and voice of the Sandpipers, feeding in the same way, and associating with these in particular, yet wanting the hind toe, has been classed with the Plovers, with whom, this sin- gle circumstance excepted, it has no one characteristic in common. Though we have not, in the present instance, presumed to alter this arrangement, yet it appears both reasonable and natural that, Avhere the specific characters in any bird seem to waver between two species, the figure, voice, and habits of the equivocal one should always be taken into consideration, and be allowed finally to determine the class to which it belongs. Had this rule been followed in the present in- stance, the bird we are now about to describe would have undoubtedly been classed with the Sandpipers. The history of this species has little in it to excite our interest or attention. It makes its appearance on our sea-coasts early in Septem- ber, continues during the greater part of winter, and, on the approach of spring, returns to the northern regions to breed. While here, it seems perpetually busy, running along the wave- worn strand, follow- ing the flux and reflux of the surf, eagerly picking up its food from * Calidris was established for this single species, common over the world, and of form intermediate between the Plovers and Sandpipers. Their make is thicker 5 they are less slender than the Sandpipers ; the bill stronger, but, as in that group, the feet similar to those of the Charadrii ; and with their manner of running and walking, they possess that peculiar crouch of the head upon the back seen m the Common Ring Plover and its allies. In its summer plumage, it more resembles tlie changes exhibited in the Knot and Pygmy Curlew than those of the Dunlins. On the shores of Britain, it is generally met \vith in winter in small Hocks, or in spring and autumn, when going to or reluming from their breeding quarters. By Mr. Hutchins it is said to make its nest rudely of grass in the marshes, and lays four dusky colored eggs, spotted with black. — "Ed. 504 SANDERLING PLOVER. the sand amid the roar of the ocean. It flies in numerous flocks, keeping a low, meandering- course along the ridges of the tumbling surf. On alighting, the whole scatter about after the receding wave, busily picking up those minute bivalves already described. As the succeeding wave returns, it bears the whole of them before it in one crowded line ; then is the moment seized by the experienced gunner to sweep them in flank with his destructive shot The flying survivors, after a few aerial meanders, again alight, and pursue their usual avo- cation as busily and unconcernedly as before. These birds are most numerous on extensive sandy beaches in front of the ocean. Among rocks, marshes, or stones covered with sea-weed, they seldom make their appearance. The Sanderling is eight inches long, and fourteen inches in extent ; the bill is black, an inch and a quarter in length, slender, straight, fluted along the upper mandible, and exactly formed like that of the Sandpiper; the head, neck above, back, scapulars, and tertials, are gray white ; the shafts, blackish, and the webs, tinged with brownish ash ; shoulder of the wing, black ; greater coverts, broadly tipped with whxte ; quills, black, crossed with a transverse band of white ; the tail extends a little beyond the wings, and is of a grayish ash color, edged with white, the two middle feathers being about half an inch longer than the others ; eye, dark hazel ; whole lower parts of the plumage, pure white ; legs and naked part of the thighs, black ; feet, three-toed, each divided to its origin, and bordered with a narrow membrane. Such are the most common markings of this bird, both of males and females, particularly during the winter ; but many others occur among them, early in the autumn, thickly marked or spotted with black on the crown, back, scapulars, and tertials, so as to appear much mottled, having as much black as white on those parts. In many of these, I have observed the plain gray plumage coming out about the middle of October ; so that, perhaps, the gray may be their winter, and the spot- ted their summer dress. I have also met with many specimens of this bird, not onJy thickly speckled with white, and black above, but also on the neck, and strongly tinged on both with ferruginous ; in which dress it has been mistaken by Mr. Pennant, and others, for a new species ; the descrip- tion of his " Ruddy Plover" agreeing exactly with this.* A figure of the Sanderling in this state of plumage will be introduced in some part of the present work. * See Arct. Zool. p. 486, No. 404. GOLDEN PLOVER. 505 GOLDEN PLOVER. — CHARADRTUS PLUVIALIS. — Fig. 237. Arct. Zool. p. 493, No. m9.— Bewick, \. 322. — Le pluvier dor6, PL enl. 904. — Peak's Museum, No. 4198. viii. 8L CHABADRIUS VIRGmMJ^US. — Bonaparte.* Charadrius pluvialis, Bonap. Synop. p. 297. — North. Zool. ii. p. 369. — Chara- drius Virginiaiius, Bonap. Osser. Sulla, 2d edit, del Regn. Anim. Cuv. p. 93. — Charadrius marmoratus, Wagl. Syst. Av. Char. No. 42. This beautiful species visits the sea-coast of New York and New Jersey in spring and autumn; but does not, as far as I can discover, breed in any part of the United States. They are most frequently met * The Prince of Musi^nano, after the pubHcation of his Synopsis of North Ameri- can Birds, and Observations on Wilson's Nomenclature, pointed out the distinction of the North American and European birds. The plate of Wilson also shows every character of the northern birds. The lengthened bill and legs, the more distinct dorsal spotting, and clearer color of the forehead, the dusky hue of the under parts, and the mention by Ord of the brown axillaries, all point out this bird, which can never be mistaken. The following are the principal distinctions which appear be- tween skins of C Virginiamis from India mid New Holland, and specimens of C. pluvialis, shot this forenoon : — C. Pluvialis. 1 . Total length, lOj inches. 2. Length of bill to extremity of gape, 1 inch. 3. Length of wing, from joining of bas- tard pinion to fore arm, and tip of first or longest quill, 8 inches. 4. Length of unfeathered tibia, | inch. 5. Length of tarsus, 1| inch. 6. Throat, lower part of the breast, belly, vent, and crissum, pure white. 7. Pale markings on the upper parts, dull gamboge yellow ; spotting, more m oblong spots ; and, on the wing and tail-coverts, take the form of bars. 8. Light markings on the tail, dull and undecided, with a decided dark barring. 9. Outer tail-feathers, with pale mar- gins, the distinct and frequent bar- ring through the whole length. 10. Under wing-coverts, and axillaries, pure white. 11. Lesser wing-coverts, tipped with white, but otherwise of a uniform color. C. Virgimanus. 1. The skins are about 10 inches in length, but are much stretched ; 9^, or 8, as mentioned by Wagler, nearly the true length. 2. Length of bill to extremity of gape, 1| inch. 3. Length of wing, from joining of bas- tard pinion to fore arm, and tip of first or longest quill, 65 inches. 4. Length of unfeathered tibia, i| inch. 5. Length of tarsus, nearly 1| inch. 6. Throat, and all under parts, dull- yellowish gray, with darker tips to the feathers. 7. Pale markings on the upper parts, larger, and mclining more to clear white ; above, more in spots on the sides of the feathers. 8. Light markings on (he tail, decided, nearly white 3 no dark bar through it. 9. Outer tail-feathers, with white tip and outer margin, which shoot down the rachis. 10. Under wing-coverts, and axillaries, wood brown gray. 11. Lesser wing-coverts, tipped and rather broadly edged with white. C. pluvialis is introduced into the Northern Zoology, hut I strongly suspect theso excellent ornithologists have overlooked the other species. Both may be natives 506 GOLDEN PLOVER. with in the months of September and October ; soon after which they disappear. The young birds of the Great Black-bellied Plover are sometimes mistaken for this species. Hence the reason why Mr. Pen- nant remarks his having seen a variety of the Golden Plover, with black breasts, which he supposed to be the young.* The Golden Plover is common in the northern parts of Europe. It breeds on high and heathy mountains. The female lays four eggs, of a pale olive color, variegated with blackish spots. They usually fly in small flocks, and have a shrill, whistling note. They are very fre- quent in Siberia, where they likewise breed ; extend also to Kamts- chatka, and as far south as the Sandwich Isles. In this latter place, Mr. Pennant remarks, " they are very small." Although these birds are occasionally found along our sea-coast, from Georgia to Maine, yet they are no where numerous ; and I have never met with them in the interior. Our mountains being generally covered with forest, and no species of heath having, as yet, been dis- covered within the boundaries of the United States, these birds are probably induced to seek the more remote arctic regions of the con- tinent, to breed and rear their young in, where the country is more open, and unencumbered with woods. The Golden Plover is ten inch6s and a half long, and twenty-one inches in extent ; bill, short, of a dusky slate color ; eye, very large, blue black ; nostrils, placed in a deep furrow, and half covered with a prominent membrane ; whole upper parts, black, thickly marked with roundish spots of various tints of golden yellow ; wing-coverts, and hind part of the neck, pale brown, the latter streaked with yellowish ; front, broad line over the eye, chin, and sides, of the same, yellowish white, streaked with small, pointed spots of brown olive ; breast, gray, with olive and white ; sides, under the wings, marked thinly with transverse bars of pale olive ; belly and vent, white ; wing-quills, black, the middle of the shafts marked with white ; greater coverts, black, tipped with white ; tail, rounded, black, barred with triangular spots of golden yellow ; legs, dark dusky slate ; feet, three-toed, with generally the slight rudiments of a heel, the outer toe connected, as far as the first joint, with the middle one. The male and female difier very little in color. of North America ; I have never, however, seen or received extra European speci- mens of the Golden Plover. I possess C. Virginianus from India, Arctic America, and New Holland, which seems, in all those countries, very and exclusively abun- dant, and has always been confounded with its ally. In plate 85 of Ornithological Illustrations, this bird has, most unaccountably, been described under the title of C. xanthochielus , Waaler. It is undoubtedly this species, and figured from New Holland specimens. — Ed. * Arctic Zoology, p. 484. KILDEER PLOVER. 507 KILDEER PLOVER. — CHARADRIUS VOCIFERUS.— Fig. 238, Arct. Zool. No. 400. — Catesby, i. 7L — Le Kildir, Buff. viii. 96. — Peak's Museum, No. 4174. CHARADRIUS rOCIFERUS Linnjeus.* Charadrius vociferus, Bonap. Synop. North. Zool. ii. p. 368. This restless and noisy bird is known to almost every inhabitant of the United States, being a common and pretty constant resident. During the severity of winter, when snow covers the ground, it re- treats to the sea-shore, where it is found at all seasons ; but no sooner have the rivers broke up, than its shrill note is again heard, either roaming ahout high in air, tracing the shore of the river, or running amidst the watery flats and meadows. As spring advances, it resorts to the newly-ploughed fields, or level plains bare of grass, interspersed with shallow pools ; or, in the vicinity of the sea, dry, bare, sandy fields. In some such situation it generally chooses to breed, about the beginning of May. The nest is usually slight, a mere hollow, with such materials drawn in around it as happen to be near, such as bits of sticks, straw, pebbles, or earth. In one instance, I found the nest of this bird paved with fi-agments of clam and oyster shells, and very neatly surrounded with a mound, or border of the same, placed in a very close and curious manner. In some cases there is no vestige whatever of a nest. The eggs are usually four, of a bright rich cream or yellowish clay color, thickly marked with blotches of black. They are large for the size of the bird, measuring more than an inch and a half in length, and a full inch in width, tapering to a narrow pomt at the great end. Nothing can exceed the alarm and anxiety of these birds, during the breeding season. Their cries of kildeer, kildeer, as they winnow the air overhead, dive, and course around you, or run along the ground counterfeiting lameness, are shrill and incessant. The moment they see a person approach, they fly or run to attack him with their harass- ing clamor, continuing it over so wide an extent of ground, that they puzzle the pursuer as to the particular spot where the nest or young are concealed ; very much resembling, in this respect, the Lapwing of Europe. During the evening, and long after dusk, particularly in moon- light, their cries are frequently heard with equal violence, both in the spring and fall. From this circumstance, and their flying about both after dusk and before dawn, it appears probable that they see better at such times than most of their tribe. They are known to feed much on worms, and many of these rise to the surface during the night. The prowling of Owls may also alarm their fears for their young at those hours ; but, whatever may be the cause, the facts are so. * An abundant and well-known species, and peculiar to both continents of Amer- ica, with some of the West Indian islands. According to the Northern Zoology, it arrives on the plains of the Saskatchewan about the 20th of April, and. at that season, frequents the gardens and cultivated fields of the trading post with the ut- most familiarity. — Ed. 508 KILDEER PLOVER. The Kildeer is more abundant in the Southern States in winter than in summer. Among the rice-fields, and even around tlie planters' yards, in South Carolina, I observed them very numerous in the months of February and March. There the negro boys frequently practise the barbarous mode of catching them with a line, at the extremity of which is a crooked pin, with a worm on it. Their flight is something like that of the Tern, but more vigorous ; and they sometimes rise to a great height in the air. They are fond of wading in pools of water, and frequently bathe themselves during the summer. They usually stand erect on their legs, and run or walk with the body in a stiff, horizontal position ; they run with great swiftness, and are also strong and vigorous in the wings. Their flesh is eaten by some, but is not in general esteem ; though others say, that, in the fall, when they become very fat, it is excellent. During the extreme droughts of summer, these birds resort to the gravelly channel of brooks and shallow streams, where they can wade about in search of aquatic insects : at the close of summer, they gen- erally descend to the sea-shore, in small flocks, seldom more than ten or twelve being seen togetJier. They are then more serene and silent, as well as diflicult to be approached. The Kildeer is ten inches long, and twenty inches in extent; the bill is black; frontlet, chin, and ring round the neck, white ; fore part of the crown and auriculars, from the bill backwards, blackish olive ; eyelids, bright scarlet ; eye, very large and of a full black ; from the centre of the eye backwards, a strip of white ; round the lower part of the neck is a broad band of black ; below that, a band of white, succeeded by another rounding band or crescent of black ; rest of the lower parts, pure white ; crown and hind head, light olive brown ; back, scapulars, and wing-coverts, olive brown, skirted with brownish yellow; primary quills, black, streaked across the middle with white; bastard wing, tipped with white ; greater coverl.s, broadly tipped with white ; rump and tail-coverts, orange ; tail, tapering, dull orange, crossed near the end with a broad bar of black, and tipped with orange, the two middle feathers near an inch longer than the adjoining ones ; legs and feet, a pale light clay color. The tertials, as usual in this tribe, are very long, reaching nearly to the tips of the primaries ; ex- terior toe, joined bv a membrane to the middle one, as far as the first joint. GREAT TERN. tJ09 GREAT TERN. — STERNA HIRUNDO. — Fig. 239. Arct. Zool. p. 524, No. 448. — Le Pierre garin, ou grande Hirondelle de mer, Buff. viii. 331. PL enl. 981. — Bewick, n. ISl. — Peale's Mtismm, No. 3485. STERJTjI WILSOJfIL — Bonapakte.* Sterna hirundo, Bonap. Synop. p. 334. — St. Wilsonii, Bonap. Osserv. Sulla, 2d edit. Del Regn. Anim. Cuv. p. 135. This bird belongs to a tribe very generally dispersed over the shores of the ocean. Their generic characters are these : — Bill, straight, sharp-pointed, a little compressed, and strong ; nostrils, linear ; tongue, slender, pointed ; legs, short ; feet, webbed ; hind toe and its nail, straight ; wings, long ; tail, generally forked. Turton enumerates twenty-five species of this genus, scattered over various quarters of the world ; six of which, at least, are natives of the United States. From their long, pointed wings, they are generally known to seafaring people, and others residing near the sea-shore, by the name of Sea Swallows ; though some few, from their near resemblance, are con- founded with the Gulls. The present species, or Great Tern, (Fig. 239,) is common to the shores of Europe, Asia, and America. It arrives on the coast of New Jersey about the middle or 20th of April, led, no doubt, by the multi- tudes of fish which at that season visit our shallow bays and inlets. By many it is called the Sheep's Head Gull, from arriving about the same time with the fish of that name. About the middle or 20th of May, this bird commences laying. The preparation of a nest, which costs most other birds so much time and ingenuity, is here altogether dispensed with. The eggs, generally three in number, are placed on the surface of the dry drift grass, on the beach or salt marsh, and covered by the female only during the night, or in wet, raw, or stormy weather. At all other time.^, the hatching of them is left to the heat of the sun. These eggs measure an inch and three quarters in length, by about an inch and two tenths in width, and are of a yellowish dun color, sprinkled with dark brown and pale Indian ink. Notwithstanding they seem thus negligently abandoned during the day, it is very different in reality. One or both of the parents are generally fishing within view of the place, and, on the near approach of any person, instantly make their appearance over- head; uttering a hoarse, jarring kind of cry, and flying about with evi- dent symptoms of great anxiety and consternation. The young are generally produced at intervals of a day or so from each other^ and are regularly and abundantly fed for several weeks, before their wings are sufficiently grown to enable them to fly. At first the parents alight * Mr. Ord, in his reprint, and C. L. Bonaparte, wiien writing his Synopsis and Observations on the Nomenclature of Wilson, considered this bird as identical with the St. hirundo of Europe. Later comparisons by the Prince have induced him to consider it distinct, and peculiar to America, and" he has dedicated it to Wilson. That gentleman mentions, as North American, in addition to the list by Wilson, St. cyanea, Lath, j St. arctica, Temm. ; St. stolida, Linn. — Ed. 43* 510 GREAT TERN. with the fish, which they have brought in their mouth or in their bill, and, tearing it in pieces, distribute it in such portions as their young are able to swallow. Afterwards they frequently feed them without ahghting, as they skim over the spot ; and, as the young become nearly ready to fly, they drop the fish among them, where the strongest and most active has the best chance to gobble it up. In the mean time, the young themselves frequently search about the marshes, generally not far apart, for insects of various kinds ; but so well acquainted are they with the peculiar language of their parents, that warn them of the approach of an enemy, that,. on hearing their cries, they instantly squat, and remain motionless until the danger be over. The flight of the Great Tern, and, indeed, of the whole tribe, is not in the sweeping, shooting manner of the land Swallows, notwithstand- ing their name ; the motions of their long wings are slower, and more in the manner of the Gull. They have, however, great powers of wing, and strength in the muscles of the neck, which enable them to make such sudden and violent plunges, and that from a considerable height too, headlong on their prey, which they never seize but with their bills. In the evening, I have remarked, as they retired from the upper parts of the bays, rivers, and inlets, to the beach for repose, about breeding time, that each generally carried a small fish in his bill. As soon as the young are able to fly, they lead them to the sandy shoals and ripples where fish are abundant; and, while they occa- sionally feed them, teach them by their example to provide for them- selves. They sometimes penetrate a great way inland, along the courses of rivers ; and are occasionally seen about all our numerous ponds, lakes, and rivers, most usually near the close of the summer. This species inhabits Europe as high as Spitzbergen ; is found on the arctic coasts of Siberia and Kamtschatka, and also on our own continent as far north as Hudson's Bay. In New England it is called by some the Mackerel Gull. It retires from all these places, at the approach of winter, to more congenial seas and seasons. The Great Tern is fifteen inches long, and thirty inches in extent ; bill, reddish yellow, sometimes brilhant crimson, slightly angular on the lower mandible, and tipped with black ; whole upper part of the head, black, extending to a point half way down the neck behind, and inclu- ding the eyes ; sides of the neck, and whole lower parts, pure white ; wing-quills, hoary, as if bleached by the weather, long and pointed ; whole back, scapulars, and wing, bluish white, or very pale lead color; rump and tail-coverts, white ; tail, long, and greatly forked, the exterior feathers being three inches longer than the adjoining ones, the rest shortening gradually for an inch and a half to the middle ones, the whole of a pale lead color; the outer edge of the exterior ones, black; legs and webbed feet, brilliant red lead ; membranes of the feet, deep- ly scalloped ; claws, large and black, middle one the largest. The pri- mary quill-feathers are generally dark on their inner edges. The female differs in having the two exterior feathers of the tail consider- ably shorter. The voice of these birds is like the harsh jarring of an opening door, rusted on its hinges. The bone of the skull is remark- ably thick and strong, as also the membrane that surrounds the brain ; in this respect resembling the Woodpecker's. In both, this provision LESSER TERN. 511 is doubtless intended to enable the birds to support, without injury, the violent concussions caused by the plunging of the one, and the chiselling- of the other. LESSER TERN. — STERNA MINUTA. — Fig. 240. Arct. Zool. No. 449. — La petite Hirondelle de mer, Buff. viii. 337. PL enl. 996. — Beioick, ii. 183. — Peak's Museum, No. 3505. STERJTJi Mi:frUTJi. — LiNN^us.* Sterna minuta, Bonap. Stjnop. — Flem. Br. Zool. p. 144. — Temm. Man. d'Om. ii. p. 75. This beautiful little species (Fig. 240) looks like the preceding in miniature, but surpasses it far in the rich, glossy, satin-like, white plu- mage with which its throat, breast, and whole lower parts are covered. Like the former, it is also a bird of passage, but is said not to extend its migrations to so high a northern latitude, being more delicate and susceptible of cold. It arrives on the coast somewhat later than the other, but in equal and perhaps greater numbers ; coasts along the shores, and also over the pools in the salt marshes, in search of prawns, of which it is particularly fond ; hovers, suspended in the air, for a few moments above its prey, exactly in the manner of some of our small Hawks, and dashes headlong down into the water after it, gen- erally seizing it with its bill ; mounts instantly again to the same height, and moves slowly along as before, eagerly examining the sur- face below. About the 25th of May, or beginning of June, the fe- male begins to lay. The eggs are dropped on the dry and warm sand, the heat of which, during the day, is fully sufficient for the purpose of incubation. This heat is sometimes so great, that one can scarcely bear the hand in it for a few moments without inconvenience. The wonder would, therefore, be the greater should the bird sit on her eggs during the day, when her warmth is altogether unnecessary, and perhaps injurious, than that she should cover them only during the damps of night, and in wet and stormy weather ; and furnishes another proof that the actions of birds are not the effect of mere blind im- pulse, but of volition, regulated by reason, depending on various inci- dental circumstances to which their parental cares are ever awake. 1 * This species is common to Europe and the northern continent of America. Bonaparte mentions another closely allied species, which appears to take its place in South America, and has been confounded with it. The breeding places of this Tern are somewhat different from many of those British species with which we are acquainted. Most of the latter breed on rocky coasts and solitary islands, while the Little Tern prefers flat, shing-ly beaches, where the eg-gs are deposited in the manner described by Wilson, — in some little hollow or footstep. They become clamorous on approaching the nest, but seem hardly so familiar or bold as most of the others. The young soon leave the hollow where they were hatched, and move about as far as their limited powers will al- low. — Ed. 512 LESSER TERN. lately visited those parts of the beach on Cape May, where this little bird breeds. The eggs, generally four in number, were placed on the fiat sands, safe beyond the reach of the highest summer tide. They were of a yellowish brown color, blotched with rufous, and measured nearly an inch and three quarters in length. During my whole stay, these birds flew in crowds around me, and often within a few yards of my head, squeaking like so many young pigs, which their voice striking resembles. A Humming Bird, that had accidentally strayed to the place, appeared suddenly among tliis outrageous group, several of whom darted angrily at him ; but he shot like an arrow from them, di- recting his flight straight towards the ocean. I have no doubt but the distressing cries of tlie Terns had drawn this little creature to the scene, Jiaving frequently Avitnessed his anxious curiosity on similar oc- casions in the woods. The Lesser Tern feeds on beetles, crickets, spiders, and other in- sects, which it picks up from the marshes, as well as on small fish, on which it plunges at sea. Like the former, it also makes extensive in- cursions inland along the river courses, and has frequently been shot several hundred miles from the sea. It sometimes sits for hours to- gether on the sands, as if resting after the fatigues of flight to which it is exposed. The Lesser Tern is extremely tame and unsuspicious, often passing you on its flight, and within a few yards, as it traces the windings and indentations of the shore in search of its favorite prawns and skippers. Indeed, at such times it appears altogether heedless of man, or its eagerness for food overcomes its apprehensions for its own safety. We read in ancient authors, that the fishermen used to float a cross of wood, in the middle of which was fastened a small fish for a bait, with limed twigs stuck to the four corners, on which the bird darting, was entangled by the wings. But this must have been for mere sport, or for its feathers, the value of the bird being scarcely worth the trouble, as they are generally lean, and the flesh savoring strongly of fish. The Lesser Tern is met with in the south of Russia, and about the Black and Caspian Sea; also in Siberia about the Irtish.* With the former, it inhabits the shores of England during the summer, where it breeds, and migrates, as it does here, to the south, as the cold of autumn approaches. This species is nine and a half inches long, and twenty inches in extent ; bill, bright reddish yellow ; nostril, pervious ; lower mandible, angular; front, white, reaching in two narroAv points over the eye; crown, band through the eye, and hind head, black, tapering to a point as it descends ; cheeks, sides of the neck, and whole lower parts, of the most rich and glossy white, like the brightest satin ; up- per parts of the back and wings, a pale glossy ash, or light lead color ; the outer edges of the three exterior primaries, black, their inner edges white ; tail, pale ash, but darker than the back, and forked, the two outer feathers an inch longer, tapering to a point ; legs and feet, reddish yellow ; webbed feet, claws, and hind toe exactly formed like those of the preceding. The female nearly resembles the male, with the exception of having the two exterior tail-feathers shorter. * Pennant. SHORT-TAILED TERN. 513 SHORT-TAILED TERN. — STERNA PLUMBEA. — Fig. 241. Peak's Museum, No. 3519. STER^TA JK-IORA. — LiNNMVs* Sterna plumbea, Bonap. Nomencl. No. 244. — Sterna nigra, Bonap. Synop. p. 355^ A SPECIMEN of this bird was first sent me by Mr. Beasley of Cape May ; but being in an imperfect state, 1 could form no correct notion of the species, sometimes supposing it might be a young bird of the preceding Tern. Since that time, however, I have had an opportuni- ty of procuring a considerable number of this same kind, correspond- ing almost exactly with each other. I have ventured to introduce it in this place as a new species ; and have taken pains to render Fig. 241 a correct likeness of the original. On the 6th of September, 1812, after a violent north-east storm, which inundated the meadows of Schuylkill in many places, numer- ous flocks of this Tern all at once made their appearance, flying over those watery spaces, picking up grasshoppers, beetles, spiders, and other insects, that were floating on the surface. Some hundreds of them might be seen at the same time, and all seemingly of one soil. They were busy, silent, and unsuspicious, darting down after their prey without hesitation, though perpetually harassed by gunners, whom the novelty of their appearance had drawn to the place. Sev- eral flocks of the Yellow-Shanks Snipe, and a feAv Purres, appeared also in the meadows at the same time, driven thither doubtless by the violence of the storm. I examined upwards of thirty individuals of this species by dissec- tion, and found both sexes alike in color. Their stomachs contained grasshoppers, crickets, spiders, &c., but no fish. The people on the sea-coast have since infonned me that this bird comes to them only in the fall, or toAvards the end of summer, and is more frequently seen about the mill-ponds and fresh water marshes than in the bays ; and add, that it feeds on grasshoppers and other insects which it finds on the meadoAvs and marshes, picking them from the grass, as well as from the surface of the water. They have never known it to asso- ciate with the Lesser Tern, and consider it altogether a different bird. This opinion seems confirmed by the above circumstances, and by the fact of its greater extent of wing, being full three inches wider than the Lesser Tern ; and also making its appearance after the others have gone off". The Short-Tailed Tern measures eight inches and a half from the point of the bill to the tip of the tail, and twenty-three inches in ex- * C. L. Bonaparte remarks, — "S. plumbea is evidently, even judging- only by Wilson's figure and description, no other than the young of the European S. nis:;ra, of which so many nominal species had already been made. Indeed, so evident did the matter appear to us, even before we compared the species, that we cannot conceive why this hypothesis did not strike every naturalist, particularly as the S. nigra is well known to inhabit these states, though not noticed by Wilson in its adult dress. It is a singular fact, that we hardly observed one adult among twenty young, which were common in the latter oart of summer at Long Beach, New York." — Ed. 514 BLACK SKIMMER, OR SHEERWATER. tent ; the bill is an inch and a quarter in length, sharp-pointed, and of a deep black color; a patch of black covers the crown, auriculars, spot before the eye and hind head ; the forehead, eyelids, sides of the neck, passing' quite round below the hind head, and whole lower parts are pure white ; the back is dark ash, each feather broadly tipped with brown ; the Avings, a dark lead color, extending an inch and a half beyond the tail, which is also of the same tint, and slightly forked ; shoulders of the wing, brownish ash ; legs and webbed ''feet, tawny. It had a sharp, shrill cry when wounded and taken. This is probably the Brown Tern mentioned by Willoughby, of which so many imperfect accounts have already been given. BLACK SKIMMER, OR SHEERWATER. — RHYNCHOPS NI- GRA.—Fig. 242. Arcl. Zool. No. 445. — Catesby, i. 90. — Le bec-en-ciseaux, Buff. viii. 454, Tab 36. — Peale's Museum, No. 3530. RHYJ^CHOPS JV/G/2j3. — LiNNiEus.* Rhynchops nigra, Steph. Cont. Sh. Zool. vol. xiii. p. 136. — Cuv. Reg. Anim. i. 522. — Bonap. Synop. — Less. Man. d'Orn. ii. p. 385. This truly singular fowl is the only species of its tribe hitherto dis- covered. Like many others, it is a bird of passage in the United States ; and makes its first appearance on the shores of New Jersey early in May. It resides there, as well as along the whole i\.tlantic coast during the summer ; and retires early in September. Its favorite * This very curious genus is composed, according- to ornithologists, of two spe- cies,— that of our author and the i?. ^ai7>05/r25, Vieillot; though I suspect that another is involved in the birds which I have seen from the southern ocean. In form and plumage they bear a strong resemblance to the Terns, but are at once distinguished by the bill, which will show the greatest instance of the lateral devel- opment of that member. The manners of these birds, in adaptation to the struc- ture of the bill and mouth, are noted bj' our author ; and it seems generally thought, that their practice of skimming and cutting the water, as it were m search of food, is their only mode of procuring subsistence. The immense flocks of this species, mingled with Gulls and Terns, with their peculiar mode of feeding on some bivalve shells, is thus described by Lesson, and shows that sometimes a more substantial food is required, for the procuring of which the form of their bill is no less beauti- fully adapted, and that the opinion of Wilson is at variance with reality : — ''II formait avec les mouettes et quelque autres oiseaux de mer, des bandes tellement epaisses, qu'il resemblait a des longues echarpes noires et mobiles qui obscurcis- saient le ciel depuis les rives de Penco jusqu'a I'ile de Quiriquine, dans un espace de douze milles. Quoique le bec-en-ciseaux semble defavorise par la forme de son bee, nous aquimes la preuve qu'il savait s'en servir avec avanlage et avec le plus grande adresse. Les plages sablonneuscs de Penco sont en effet remplies de Mactres, coquilles bivalves, que la maree descendente laisse presque a sec dans des petites mares ; Je bec-en-ciseaux tres au fail de ce phenomene, se place aupr^s de ces mollusques, attend que leur valve sent ouvre un peu, et profite aussit6t de ce mouvemeiit en enfor9ant la lame inferieure, et tranchante de son bee entre le valves qui se referment. L'oiseaux enleve alors la coquille, la frappe sur la greve, coupe le ligament du molusque, et pent ensuite avaler celui-ci sans obstacle. Plu- fiieurs fois nous avons ete temoins de cet instinct tres perfectionne." — Ed. BLACK SKIMMER. OR SHEERWATER. 515 haunts are low sand bars, raised above the reach of the saninier tides ; and also dry, flat sands on tlie beach in front of the ocean. On such places it usually breeds along the shores of Cape Mny, in New Jersey. On account of the grcneral coldness of the spring there, the Sheerwater does not begin to lay until early in June, at which time these birds form themselves into small societies, fifteen or twenty pair frequently breeding within a few yards of each other. The nest is a mere hollow, formed in the sand, without any other materials. The femal6 lays three eggs, almost exactly oval, of a clear white, marked Avith large, round spots of brownish black, and intermixed with others of pale Indian ink. These eggs measure one inch and three quarters, by one inch and a quarter, llalf a bushel and more of eggs has sometimes been collected from one sand bar, within the compass of lialf an acre. These eggs have something of a fishy taste, but are eaten by many people on tlie coast. The female sits on them only daring the night, or in wet and stormy weather. The young remain for several Aveeks before they are able to fly ; are fed with great assi- duity by both parents ; and seem to delight in lying with loosened wings, flat on the sand, enjoying its invigorating warmth. They breed but once in the season. The singular conformation of the bill of this bird has excited much surprise ; and some writers, measuring the divine proportions of nature by their own contracted standards of conception, in the plenitude of their vanity have pronounced it to be "a lame and defective weapon." Such ignorant presumption, or rather impiety, ought to hide its head in the dust, on a calm display of the peculiar construction of this sin- gular bird, and the wisdom by which it is so admirably adapted to the purposes or mode of existence for which it was intended. The Sheer- water is formed for skimming, while on the wing, the surface of the sea for its food, which consists of small fish, shrimps, young fry, &c.. whose usual haunts are near the shore, and towards the surface. That the lower mandible, when dipped into and cleaving the water, might not retard the bird's way, it is thinned and sharpened like the blade of a knife ; the upper mandible, being, at such times, elevated above water, is curtailed in its length, as being less necessary, but tapering gradually to a point, that, on shutting, it may offer less opposition. To prevent inconvenience from the rushing of the water, the mouth is confined to the mere opening of the gullet, which, indeed, prevents mastication taking place there ; but the stomach, or gizzard, to which tliis business is solely allotted, is of uncommon hardness, strength, and muscularity, far surpassing, in these respects, any other water-bird with which I am acquainted. To all these is added a vast expansion of wing, to enable the bird to sail with sufficient celerity, while dipping in the water. The general proportion of the length of our swiftest Hawks and Swallows, to their breadth, is as one to two ; but, in the present case, as there is not only the resistance of the air, but also that of the water, to overcome, a still greater volume of wing is given, the Sheerwater measuring nineteen inches in length, and upwards of forty- four in extent. In short, whoever has attentively examined this curi- ous apparatus, and observed the possessor, with his ample wings, long, hendingneck, and lower mandible, occasionally dipped into nnd plough- ing the surface, and the facility with which he procures his food, cannot but consider it a mere playful amusement, when compared with the 516 BLACK SKIMMER, OR SHEERWATEK. dashing- immersions of the Tern, the Gull, or the Fish-Hawk, who, to the superficial observer, appear so superiorly accommodated. The Sheerwater is most frequently seen skimming close along shore about the first of the flood, at which time the young fry, shrimp, &c., are most abundant in such places. There are also numerous inlets among the low islands between the sea-beach and mainland of Cape May, where I have observed the Sheerwaters, eight or ten in company, passing and repassing, at high water, particular estuaries of those creeks that run up into the salt marshes, dipping, with extended neck, their open bills into the water, with as much apparent ease as Swal- lows glean up flies from the surface. On examining the stomachs of several of these, shot at the time, they contained numbers of a small fish, usually called silver-sides, from a broad line of a glossy silver color that runs from the gills to the tail. The mouths of these inlets abound Avith this fry, or fish, probably feeding on the various matters washed down from the marshes. The voice of the Sheerwater is harsh and screaming, resembling that of the Tern, but stronger. It flies with a slowly flapping flight, dipping, occasionally, with steady, expanded wings and bended neck, its lower mandible into the sea, and with open mouth receiving its food as it ploughs along the surface. It is rarely seen swimming on the water; but frequently rests in large parties on the sand bars at low water. One of these birds, which I wounded in the wing, and kept in the room beside me for several days, soon became tame, and even familiar. It generally stood with its legs erect, its body horizontal, and its neck rather extended. It frequently reposed on its belly, and stretching its neck, rested its long bill on the floor. It spent most of its time in this way, or in dressing and arranging its plumage with its long, scissors-like bill, which it seemed to perform with great ease and dexterity. It refused every kind of food offered it, and I am persuaded never feeds but when on the wing. As to the reports of its frequent- ing oyster beds, and feeding on these fish, they are contradicted by all those persons with whom I have conversed, whose long residence on the coast where these birds are common, has given them the best op- portimities of knowing. The Sheerwater is nineteen inches in length, from the point of the bill to the extremity of the tail ; the tips of the wings, when shut, ex- tend full four inches farther ; breadth, three feet eight inches ; length of the lower mandible, four inches and a half; of the upper, three inches and a half; both of a scarlet red, tinged with orange, and end- ing in black; the lower extremely thin; the upper grooved, so as to receive the edge of the lower; the nostril is large and pervious, placed in a hollow near the base and edge of the upper mandible, Avhere it projects greatly over the lower; upper part of the head, neck, back, and scapulars, deep black ; wings, the same, except the secondaries, which are white on the inner vanes, and also tipped with white ; tail, forked, consisting of twelve feathers, the two middle ones about an inch and a half shorter than the exterior ones, all black, broadly edged on both sides with white ; tail-coverts, white on the outer sides, black in the middle ; front, passing down the neck below the eye, throat, breast, and whole lower parts, pure white; legs and webbed feet, bright scarlet, formed almost exactly like those of the Tern. Weight, twelve ounces avoirdupois. The female weighed nine ounces, and measured STORMY PETREL. 517 only sixteen inches in lennfth, and three feet three inches in extent ; the colors and markinofs were the same as those of the male, with the exception of the tail, which was white, shafted, and broadly centred with black. The birds from which these descriptions were taken, were shot on the 25th of May, before they had begun to breed. The female con- tained a great number of eggs, the largest of which were about the size of duck-shot ; the stomach, in both, was an oblong pouch, ending in a remarkably hard gizzard, curiously puckered or plaited, containing the half-dissolved fragments of the small silver-sides, pieces of shrimps, small crabs, and skippers, or sand fleas. On some particular parts of the coast of Virginia, these birds are seen, on low sand bars, in flocks of several hundreds together. There more than twenty nests have been found within the space of a square rod. The young are at first so exactly of a color with the sand on which they sit, as to be with difficulty discovered, unless after a close search. The Sheerwater leaves our shores soon after his young are fit for the journey. He is found on various coasts of Asia, as well as America, residing principally near the tropics ; and migrating into the temperate regions of the globe only for the purpose of rearing his young. He is rarely or never seen far out at sea ; and must not be mistaken for an- other bird of the same name, a species of Petrel,* which is met with on every part of the ocean, skimming, with bended wings, along the summits, declivities, and hollows of the waves. STORMY PETREL. — PROCELLARIA PELAGICA. — Fig. 243. Arct. Zool. No. 4G4. — Le petrel, ou I'oiseaux tempete, PL enl. 993. — Bewick, ii. 223. — Peale's Museum, No. 3034. THALASmR DMA JVILSOJ^II. — Bo n aparte.! ThalasidromaWilsonii, Bormp. Synop. p. 367. — Procellaria Wilsonii, Steph. Cont. Sh. Zool. xiii. p. 224. — Procellaria Wilsonii, Orn's reprint of Wils. p. 94. — Journ. of the Acad, of N. S. of Philad. iii. p. 231, pi. ix. There are few persons who have crossed the Atlantic, or traversed much of the ocean, who have not observed these solitary wanderers of * Procellaria Pujimis, the Sheerwater Petrel. t This species, confounded (and with little wonder, from its near alliance,) by Wilson, with the P. pelasgica, has been named as above by the Prince of Musi^na- no, another tribute to the memory of our American ornithologist, and he has added the following differences and distinctive characters. Bonaparte has also added the T. Bullockii to the American list. The smaller Petrels of other countries are much allied to these; they amount to a considerable number, many of which are yet undetermined, and are confused with each other, in the want of proper distinguishing characters being assigned to each. It is from this that the P. pelas(rica has been assigned a distribution so extensive. Some species are found in most latitudes ; and from their similarity most observers seem to be unaware when they have passed the boundary of one, and entered the opposite limits of another form. They resemble each other in another propensity, — that of following the course of vessels, aUracted by the shelter afforded in the wake, or retained by the small ma- rine insects and seeds which are sucked into it, and the subsistence they may obla'm 44 518 STORMY PETREL. the deep, skimming along the surface of the wild and "wasteful ocean ; flitting past the vessel like Swallows, or following in her wake, glean- ing their scanty pittance of food from the rough and whirling surges. Habited in mourning, and making their appearance generally in greater numbers previous to or during a storm, they have long been fearfully regarded by tlie ignorant and superstitious, not only as the foreboding messengers of tempests and dangers to the hapless mariner, but as wicked agents, connected, some how or other, in creating them. " No- body," say they, "can tell any thing of where they come from, or how they breed, though (as sailors sometimes say) it is supposed that they hatch their eggs under their wings as they sit on the water." This mysterious uncertainty of their origin, and the circumstances above re- cited, have doubtless given rise to the opinion so prevalent among this class of men, that they are in some way or other connected with tliat personage, who has been styled the Prince of the Power of the Air. In every country where they are known, their names have borne some affinity to this belief They have been called Witches,* Stormy Pe- trels, the DeviPs Birds, Mother Carey^s Chickens,] probably from some celebrated ideal hag of that name ; and their unexpected and numer- ous appearance has frequently thrown a momentary damp over tlie mind of the hardiest seaman. It is the business of the naturalist, and the glory of philosophy, to examine into the reality of these things ; to dissipate the clouds of error and superstition, wherever they begin to darken and beAvilder the human understanding, and to illustrate nature with the radiance of truth. With these objects in view, we shall now proceed, as far as the feAv facts we possess will permit, in our examination into tlie his- tory of this celebrated species. from the refuse thrown overboard. Being most commonly seen when all is gloomy above, the view bounded by the horizon alone, or by a thick atmosphere and bois- terous waves, and when they are the only beings visible, running on the " trough of the sea/' As though they were the shadows of themselves. Reflected from a loftier flight through space, it can hardly be wondered at, that associations with the spirits have arisen in the minds of men naturally prone, and sometimes wrought up, to superstition, and that they have begotten for themselves such names as are quoted by our author. These ideas are uni\ersal. Several small species about the Madeiras bear the name of An- higa, — conveying the idea of their affinity to imps. Procellaria Bullockii has been described by Bonaparte, in the Journal of the Academy- of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, as an addition to the birds of Amer- ica. It is stated to be but rare throughout the Atlantic Ocean, and to be found on the banks of Newfoundland. It is also European, and was first discovered by Mr. Bullock, breeding at St. Kilda, and ought now to stand under the name of its dis- co\'erer, Tfialasidroma BnUockii. They also sometimes occur on the mainland of Britain, and it is remarkable, that all those procured there, have been found in a dead or dying state, in some frequented place — often on the public road. It is ex- pressly mentioned by M. Frecynet, in his vo\'age Aiitour du Monde, that the small Petrels cannot rise from aflat surface, — such as the deck of a ship. It is possible that the specimens discovered in this state of exhaustion, may have been unable again to resume their flight, and thus perished. Two specimens occurred in Dum- fries-shire tluring the last year, — both found on the public road, — the one dead, the other nearly so. — Ed". * Arctic Zooloo^y, p. 4G4-. t This name seems to have been originally given them by Captain Carteret's sailors, who met with these birds on the coast of Chili. See Hawkesworth's Voijuges, vol. i. p. 203. STORMY PETREL. 519 The Stormy Petrel, the lecast of the whole twenty-four species of its tribe enumerated by ornithologists, and the smallest of all palmated fowls, is found over the Avhole Atlantic Ocean, from Europe to North America, at all distances from land, and in all weathers, but is partic- ularly numerous near vessels, immediately preceding and during a gale, when flocks of them crowd in her wake, seeming then more than usually active in picking up various matters from the surface of the water. This presentiment of a change of weather is not peculiar to the Petrel alone, but is noted in many others, and common to all, even to those long domesticated. The Woodpeckers, the Snow-Birds, the Swallows, are all observed to be uncommonly busy before a storm, searching for food with great eagerness, as if anxious to provide for the privations of the coming tempest. The Common Ducks and tlie Geese are infallibly noisy and tumultuous before falling weather ; and though, with these, the attention of man renders any extra exertions for food at such times unnecessary, yet they wash, oil, dress and ar- range their plumage with uncommon diligence and activity. The intelligent and observing farmer remarks this bustle, and wisely pre- pares for the issue ; but he is not so ridiculously absurd as to suppose tliat the storm which follows is produced by the agency of these feeble creatures, who are themselves equal sufferers by its effects with man. He looks on them rather as useful monitors, who, from the delicacy of their organs, and a perception superior to his own, point out the change in the atmosphere before it has become sensible to his grosser feelings, and thus, in a certain degree, contribute to his security. And why should not those who navigate the ocean contemplate the appearance of this unoffending little bird in like manner, instead of eyeing it with hatred and execration ? As well might they curse the midnight light- house, that, star-like, guides them on their watery way, or tlie buoy, that warns them of the sunken rocks below, as this harmless wanderer, whose manner informs them of the approach of tlie storm, and thereby enables them to prepare for it. The Stormy Petrels, or Mother Carey's Chickens, breed in great numbers on the rocky shores of the Bahama and the Bermuda Islands, and in some places on the coast of East Florida and Cuba. They breed in communities, like the Bank Swallows, making their nests in the holes and cavities of the rocks above the sea, returning to feed their young only during the night, with the superabundant oily food from their stomachs. At these times they may be heard making a continued cluttering sound, like frogs, during the whole night. In the day they are silent, and wander widely over the ocean. This easily accounts for the vast distance they are sometimes seen from land, even in the breeding season. The rapidity of their flight is at least equal to the fleetness of our Swallows. Calculating this at the rate of one mile per minute, twelve hours would be sufficient to waft them a dis- tance of seven hundred and twenty miles ; but it is probable that the far greater part confine themselves much nearer land during that in- teresting period. In the month of July, while on a voyage from New Orleans to New York, I saw few or none of these birds in the Gulf of Mexico, although our ship was detained there by calms for twenty days, and carried by currents as far south as Cape Antonio, the westernmost extremity of Cuba. On entering the Gulf Stream, and passing along the coasts of Florida and the Carolinas, tliese birds made their appearance in great 520 STORMY PETREL. numbers, and in all weathers, contributing much by their sprightly evolutions of wing to enliven the scene, and affording me every day several hours of amusement. It is indeed an interesting sight to ob- serve these little birds in a gale, coursing over the waves, down the declivities, up the ascents of the foaming surf that threatens to burst over their heads, sweeping along the hollow troughs of the sea as in a sheltered valley, and again mounting with the rising billow, and just above its surface occasionally dropping its feet, which, striking the water, throws it up again with additional force ; sometimes leaping, with both legs parallel, on the surface of the roughest waves for sev- eral yards at a time. Meanwhile it continues coursing from side to side of the ship's wake, making excursions far and wide, to the right and to the left, now a great way ahead, and now shooting astern for several hundred yards, returning again to the ship as if she were all the while stationary, though perhaps running at the rate of ten knots an hour! But the most singular peculiarity of this bird is its faculty of standing, and even running, on the surface of the water, which it performs with apparent facility. When any greasy matter is thrown overboard, these birds instantly collect around it, and facing to Avind- ward, with their long wings expanded, and their webbed feet patting tlie water, the lightness of their bodies and the action of the wind on their wings enable them to do tliis with ease. In calm weather they perform the same manoeuvre, by keeping their wings just so much in action as to prevent their feet from sinking below the surface. Ac- cording to Buffon,* it is from this singular habit that the whole genus have obtained the name Petrel, from the apostle Peter, who, as Scrip- ture informs us, also walked on the water. As these birds often come up immediately under the stem, one can examine their form and plumage with nearly as much accuracy as if they were in the hand. They fly with the wings forming an almost straight, horizontal line with the body, the legs extended behind, and the feet partly seen stretching beyond the tail. Their common note of " iveet, weet" is scarcely louder than that of a young Duck of a week old, and much resembling it. During the whole of a dark, wet, and boisterous night which I spent on deck, they flew about the after rigging, making a singular hoarse chattering, which in sound resem- bled the syllables patret tu cuk cuk tu tu, laying the accent strongly on the second syllable tret Now and then I conjectured that they alighted on the rigging, making then a lower, curring noise. Notwithstanding the superstitious fears of the seamen, who dreaded the vengeance of the survivors, I shot fourteen of these birds one calm day, in lat. 33°, eighty or ninety miles off" the coast of Carolina, and had the boat lowered to pick them up. These I examined with con- siderable attention, and found the most perfect specimens as follow : — Length, six inches and three quarters; extent, thirteen inches and a. half; bill, black ; nostrils, united in a tubular projection, the upper mandible grooved from thence, and overhanging the lower like that of a bird of prey ; head, back, and lower parts, brown sooty black ; greater wing-coverts, pale brown, minutely tipped with white ; sides of the vent, and whole tail-coverts, pure white ; wings and tail, deep black, the latter nearly even at the tip, or very slightly forked ; in some specimens, two or three of the exterior tail-feathers were white for an * BuFFON, tome xxiii. p. 299. STORIVIY PETREL. 521 inch or so at the root ; legs and naked part of the thighs, black ; feet, webbed, with the slight rudiments of a hind toe ; the membrane of the foot is marked with a spot of straw yellow, and finely serrated along the edges ; eyes, black. Male and female differing nothing in color. On opening these, I found the first stomach large, containing nu- merous round, semi-transparent substances of an amber color, which 1 at first suspected to be the spawn of some fish ; but on a more close and careful inspection, they proved to be a vegetable substance, evi- dently the seeds of some marine plant, and about as large as mustard seed. The stomach of one contained a fish, half digested, so large tliat 1 should have su])posed it too bulky for the bird to swallow ; another was filled with the tallow which I had thrown overboard ; and all had quantities of the seeds already mentioned both in their stomachs and gizzards ; in the latter were also numerous minute pieces of barnacle shells. On a comparison of the seeds above mentioned with those of the gulf-iveedy so common and abundant in this part of the ocean, they were found to be the same. Thus it appears that these seeds, floating, perhaps, a little below the surface, and the barnacles with which ships' bottoms usually abound, being both occasionally thrown up to the surface by the action of the vessel through the water in blowing weather, entice these birds to follow in the ship's wake at such times, and not, as some have imagined, merely to seek shelter from the storm, the greatest violence of which they seem to disregard. There is also the greasy dish-washings, and other oily substances, thrown over by the cook, on which they feed with avidity, but with great good nature, their manners being so gentle, that I never observed the slightest appearance of quarrelling or dispute among them. One circumstance is worthy of being noticed, and shows the vast range they take over the ocean. In firing at these birds, a quill-feath- er was broken in each wing of an individual, and hung fluttering in the wind, which rendered it so conspicuous among the rest as to be known to all on board. This bird, notwithstanding its inconvenience, continued with us for nearly a week, during which we sailed a dis- tance of more than four hundred miles to the north. Flocks contin- ued to follow us until near Sandy Hook. The length of time these birds remain on wing is no less surprising. As soon as it was light enough in the morning to perceive them, they were found roaming about as usual ; and I have often sat in the even- ing, in the boat which was suspended at the ship's stern, watching their movements, until it was so dark that the eye could no longer fol- low them, though I could still hear their low note ofiveet, loeet, as they approached near to the vessel below me. These birds are sometimes driven by violent storms to a considera- ble distance inland. One was shot some years ago on the River Schuylkill, near Philadelphia ; and Bewick mentions their being found m various quarters of the interior of England. From the nature of their food, their flesh is rank and disagreeable ; though they some- times become so fat, that, as Mr. Pennant, on the authority of Brun- nich, asserts, " The inhabitants of the Feroe Isles make them serve the purposes of a candle, by drawing a wick through the mouth and rump, which, being lighted, the flame is fed by the fat and oil of the body." * * British Zoology, vol. ii. p. 434. 44* 522 GREEN HERON. GREEN HERON. — ARDEA VIRESCENS. — Fig. 244. Arct. Zool. No. 349, 350.— Catesby, i. p. 80. — Le Crabier vert, Buff. vii. p. 404. — Lath. Syn. iii. p. 68. — Peale's Museum, No. 3797. jSRDEji FlRESCEJVS. — hiTiNxus.* Ardea virescens, Bonap. Synop. p. 307. — Wagl. Syst. Av. No. 36. This common and familiar species owes little to the liberality of public opinion, whose prejudices have stigmatized it with a very vul- gar and indelicate nickname, and treat it on all occasions as worthless and contemptible. Yet few birds are more independent of man than this ; for it fares best, and is always most numerous, where cultivation is least known or attended to ; its favorite residence being the watery solitudes of swamps, pools, and morasses, where millions of frogs and lizards " tune their nocturnal notes " in full chorus, undisturbed by the lords of creation. The Green Bittern makes its first appearance in Pennsylvania early m April, soon after the marshes are completely thawed. There, among the stagnant ditches with which they are intersected, and amidst the bogs and quagmires, he hunts with great cunning and dex- terity. Frogs and small fish are his principal game, whose caution and facility of escape require nice address and rapidity of attack. When on the look-out for small fish, he stands in the water, by the side of the ditch, silent and motionless as a statue ; his neck drawn in over his breast, ready for action. The instant a fry or minnow comes within the range of his bill, by a stroke, quick and sure as that of the rattlesnake, he seizes his prey, and swallows it in an instant. He searches for small crabs, and for the various worms and larvse, par- ticularly those of the dragon-fly, which lurk in the mud, with equal adroitness. But the capturing of frogs requires much nicer manage- ment. These wary reptiles shrink into the mire on the least alarm, and do not raise up their heads again to the surface without the most cautious circumspection. The Bittern, fixing his penetrating eye on the spot where they disappeared, approaches with slow, stealing step, laying his feet so gently and silently on the ground, as not to be * There are two or three beautiful little Herons confounded under this species, in the same manner from their near alliance, as the Little Bittern of Europe has been with A. exilis and p?jsUla. They are all, however, to be distinguished when compared together, or when attention is given to the markings. The nearest ally to A. virescens is the East Indian A. scaptjlaris ; the upper parts of both are nearly similar, but the neck and under parts differ in being of a deep vinous chestnut in the one, and rich ash gray in the other. In Wilson's Plate, the chestnut color is not represented of a deep enough tint, and too much white is shown on the fore part. In a specimen which I have lately received from South Carolina, the color of the neck is very deep and rich, almost approaching to that of port wine ; the lengthened feathers of the back are remarkably long, and show well the white shafts which ought to be so conspicuous in both species. The confusion in the greater part of the synonymes must have arisen by the specimens from both coun- tries being indiscriminately compared and described. — Ed. r' I GREEN HERON. 523 heard or felt ; and, when arrived within reach, stands fixed, and bend- ing forwards, until the first glimpse of the frog's head makes its ap- pearance, wlien, with a stroke instantaneous as lightning, he seizes it in his bill, beats it to death, and feasts on it at his leisure. This mode of life, requiring little fatigue where game is so plenty, as is generally the case in all our marshes, must be particularly pleas- ing to the bird, and also very interesting, from the continual exercise of cunning and ingenuity necessary to circumvent its prey. Some of tlie naturalists of Europe, however, in tlieir superior wisdom, think very differently ; and one can scarcely refrain from smiling at the ab- surdity of those writers, who declare that the lives of this whole class of birds are rendered miserable by toil and hunger ; their very appearance, according to Buffbn, presenting the image of suffering, anxiety, and indigence.* When alarmed, the Green Bittern rises with a hollow, guttural scream ; does not fly far, but usually alights on some old stump, tree, or fence adjoining, and looks about with extended neck ; though, sometimes, this is drawn in so, that his head seems to rest on his breast. As lie walks along the fence, or stands gazing at you with out-stretched neck, he has the frequent habit of jetting the tail. He sometimes flies high, with doubled neck, and legs extended behind, flapping the wings smartly, and travelling with great expedition. He is the least shy of all our Herons ; and, perhaps, the most numerous and generally dispersed, being found far in the interior, as well as along our salt marshes, and every where about the muddy shores of our mill-ponds, creeks, and large rivers. The Green Bittern begins to build about the 20th of April ; some- times in single pairs, in swampy woods ; often in companies ; and not unfrequently in a kind of association with the Qua-Birds, or Night Herons. The nest is fixed among the branches of the trees ; is con- structed wholly of small sticks, lined with finer twigs, and is of con- siderable size, though loosely put together. The female lays foor eggs, of the common oblong form, and of a pale, light blue color. The young do not leave the nest until able to fly ; and, for the first season at least, are destitute of the long-pointed plumage on the back ; the lower parts are also lighter, and the white on the throat broader. During the whole summer, and until late in autumn, these birds are seen in our meadows and marshes, but never remain during winter in any part of the United States. The Green Bittern is eighteen mches long, and twenty-five inches in extent ; bill, black, lighter below, and yellow at the base ; chin, and narrow streak down the throat, yellowish white ; neck, dark vina- ceous red ; back, covered with very long, tapering, pointed feathers, of a hoary green, shafted with white, on a dark green ground ; the hind part of the neck is destitute of plumage, that it may be the more conveniently drawn in over the breast, but is covered with the long feathers of the throat and sides of the neck, that enclose it behind ; wings and tail, dark glossy green, tipped and bordered with yellowish white ; legs and feet, yellow, tinged before with green, the skin of these thick and movable ; belly, ashy brown ; irides, bright orange ; * Histoire Naturellc dcs Oiscaux, tome xxii. p. 343. 524 NIGHT HERON, OR QUA-BIRD. crested head, very dark glossy green. The female, as I have partic- ularly observed, in numerous instances, differs in nothing, as to color, from the male ; neither of them receive the long feathers on the back during the first season. There is one circumstance attending this bird, which, I recollect, at first surprised me. On shooting and wounding one, I carried it some distance by the legs, which were at first yellow ; but on reaching home, I perceived, to my surprise, that they were red. On letting the bird remain some time undisturbed, they again became yellow, and 1 then discovered that the action of the hand had brought a flow of blood into them, and produced the change of color. I have remarked the same in those of the Night Heron. NIGHT HERON, OR QUA-BIRD. — ARDEA NYCTICORAX.— .1 Figs. 245, 246. 1 Arct. Zool. No. 356. — Le Bichoreau, Buff. vii. 435, 439, rol. 22. PL enl. 758, 759, 899. — Lath. Sijn. iii. p. 52, No. 13 ; p. 53, young, called there the female. — Peale's Museum, No. 3728 5 young. No. 3729. JVYCTICORSX OjSRDEJ^IL* Ardea nycticorax, Temtn. 3f an. \i. p. 577. — Gardenian Heron, Mont. Orn. Diet. i. J — Bormp. Synop. p. 306. — Wag/. Syst. Av. Ardea, No. 31. | This species, though common to both continents, and known in Europe for many centuries, has been so erroneously described by all the European naturalists whose works 1 have examined, as to require more than common notice in this place. For this purpose, an accurate figure of the male is given, and also another of what has, till now, been universally considered the female, with a detail of so much of their history as 1 am personally acquainted with. * Nijcticorax, or Night Raven, has been adopted to designate this from among the ardeadcB, from the circumstance of their feeding by night, and remaining in a state of comparative rest and inactivity during the day. New Holland and Africa each possess a species. Europe and North America have one in common to both countries ; in the former abundantly distributed, while in the latter it is of rare oc- currence, even towards the south ; and, in the northern parts of Great Britain, only a few instances have occurred of its capture. In form, they are intermediate between the Bitterns and true Herons ; the bill is short, and stronger in proportion than in either ; the feathers on the sides of the neck are lengthened, and cover the hinder part, which is bare to a certain extent ; and, in all the species, the hind head is adorned with (generally three) narrow feath- ers, in the form of a crest. They feed by twilight, or in clear nights, and take their prey by watching, in the manner of the Herons. They are gregarious ; build on trees ; and, during the season of incubation, are noisy and restless. The colors, in the adults of the true species, are ash-gray, or pale fawn ; the crown and hind head, and the back, or that part called by the French manteau, in the ash-gray species, dark, glossy green ; in the fawn colored, deep chestnut. The young are always of a duskier tinge, and have the centre and tips of each feather white, giving the plumage a spotted appearance. — Ed. NIGHT HERON, OR QUA-BIRD. 5^5 The Night Heron arrives in Pennsylvania early in April, and imme- diately takes possession of his former breeding-place, which is usually the most solitary and deeply-shaded part of a cedar-swamp. Groves of swamp oak, in retired and inundated places, are also sometimes chosen, and tlie males not unfrequently select tall woods, on the banks of the river, to roost in during the day. These last regularly direct their course, about the beginning of evening twilight, towards the marshes, uttering, in a hoarse and hollow tone, the sound qua, which by some has been compared to that produced by the retchings of a person attempting to vomit. At this hour, also, all the nurseries in the swamps are emptied of their inhabitants, who disperse about the marshes, and along the ditches and river-shore, in quest of food. Some of these breeding-places have been occupied, every spring and sum- mer, for time immemorial, by from eighty to one hundred pairs of Q,ua- Birds. In places where the cedars have been cut down for sale, the birds have merely removed to another quarter of the swamp; but, when personally attacked, long teased, and plundered, they have been known to remove from an ancient breeding-place, in a body, no one knew where. Such was the case with one on the Delaware, near Thompson's Point, ten or twelve miles below Philadelphia ; which having been repeatedly attacked and plundered by a body of Crows, after many severe rencounters, the Herons finally abandoned the place. Several of these breeding-places occur among the red cedars on the sea-beach of Cape May, intermixed with those of the Little Egret, Green Bittern, and Blue Heron. The nests are built entirely of sticks, in considerable quantities, with frequently three and four nests on the same tree. The eggs are generally four in number, measuring two inches and a quarter in length, by one and tbree quarters in thickness, and of a very pale, light blue color. The ground or marsh below is bespattered with their excrements, lying all around like whitewash, with feathers, broken egg-shells, old nests, and fre- quently small fish, which they have dropped by accident, and neglected to pick up. On entering the swamp, in the neighborhood of one of these breed- ing-places, the noise of the old and the young would almost induce one to suppose that two or three hundred Indians were choking or throttling each other. The instant an intruder is discovered, the whole rise in the air in silence, and remove to the tops of the trees in another part of the woods, while parties of from eight to ten make oc- casional circuits over the spot, to see what is going on. When the young are able, they climb to the highest part of the trees, but, know- ing their inability, do not attempt to fly. Though it is probable that these nocturnal birds do not see well during the day, yet their faculty of hearing must be exquisite, as it is almost impossible, with all the precautions one can use, to penetrate near their residence without being discovered. Several species of Hawks hover around, making an occasional sweep among the young; and the Bald Eagle himself has been seen reconnoitring near the spot, probably with the same design. Contrary to the generally-received opinion, the males and females of these birds are so alike in color as scarcely to be distinguished from each other ; both have, also, the long, slender plumes that flow from 526 NIGHT HERON, OR QUA-BIRD. the head. These facts I have exhibited, by dissection on several sub- jects, to different literary gentlemen of my acquaintance, particularly to my venerable friend, Mr. William Bartram, to whom I have also often shown the young, (Fig. 246.) One of these last, which was kept for some time in the botanic garden of that gentleman, by its voice instantly betrayed its origin, to the satisfaction of all who examined it. These young certainly receive their full, colored plumage before the succeeding spring, as, on their first arrival, no birds are to be seen in the dress of Fig. 246 ; but, soon after they have bred, these become more numerous than the others. Early in October, they migrate to the south. According to Buffon, these birds also inhabit Cayenne, and are found widely dispersed over Europe, Asia, and America. The European species, however, is certainly much smaller than the Ameri- can, though in other respects corresponding exactly to it. Among a great number which I examined with attention, the following descrip- tion was carefully taken from a common-sized, full-grown male : — Length of the Night Heron, two feet four inches ; extent, four feet; bill, black, four inches and a quarter long from tlie corners of the mouth to the tip ; lores, or space between the eye and bill, a bare, bluish white skin ; eyelids, also large and bare, of a deep purple blue ; eye, three quarters of an inch in diameter ; the iris of a brilliant blood red ; pupil, black ; crested crown, and hind head deep, dark blue, glossed with green; front, and line over the eye, white ; from the hind head proceed three very narrow, white, tapering feathers, between eight and nine inches in length ; the vanes of these are concave be- low, the upper one enclosing the next, and that again the lower ; though separated by the hand, if the plumage be again shook several times, these long, flowing plumes gradually enclose each other, appearing as one ; these the bird has the habit of erecting when angry or alarmed ; the cheeks, neck, and whole loAver paits are white, tinctured with yel- lowish cream, and under the wings with very pale ash ; back and scapulars, of the same deep, dark blue, glossed with green, as that of the crown ; rump and tail-coverts, as well as the whole wings and tail, very pale ash ; legs and feet, a pale yellow cream color ; inside of the middle claAv, serrated. The female differed in nothing, as to plumage, from the male, but in the wings being of rather a deeper ash, having not only the dark, deep green blue crown and back, but also the long, pendent, white plumes from the hind head. Each of the females contained a large cluster of eggs, of various sizes. The young (Fig. 246) was shot soon after it had left the nest, and differed very little from those which had been taken from the trees, except in being somewhat larger. This measured twenty-one inches in length, and three feet in extent ; the general color above, a very deep brown, streaked with reddish white ; the spots of white on the back and wings being triangular from the centre of the feather to the tip ; quills, deep dusky, marked on the tips with a spot of white ; eye, vivid orange; belly, white, streaked with dusky, the feathers being pale dusky, streaked down their centres with white ; legs and feet, light green ; inside of the middle claw, slightly pectinated ; body and wings, exceedingly thin and limber ; the down still stuck, in slight tufts, to the tips of some of the feathers. GREAT WHITE HERON. 527 The birds also breed, in g;reat numbers, in the neighborhood of New- Orleans ; for, being in that city in the month of June, I frequently observed the Indians sitting in market with the dead and living young birds for sale ; also numbers of Gray Owls [strix ntbulosa) and the Wliite Ibis, [tantalus albus,) for Avhich nice dainties I observed they generally found purchasers. The food of the Night Heron, or Q,ua-Bird, is chiefly composed of small fish, which it takes by night. Those that I opened had a large expansion of the gullet, immediately under the bill, that narrowed from thence to the stomach, which is a large, oblong pouch, and was filled wdth fish. The teeth of the pectinated claw were thirty-five or forty in number, and, as they contained particles of the down of the bird, showed evidently, from this circumstance, that they act the part of a comb to rid the bird of vermin in those parts which it cannot reach with its bill. GREAT WHITE HERON.— ARDEA EGRETTA. — Fig. 247. Peak's Museum, No. 3754 5 Young, No. 3755. EGRETTA LEUCE.—Ji.jLDitiE* Ardea leuce, HHg. — Ardea alba, Bonap. Synop. p. 304. — Ardea egretta, Wagl. Si/st. Av. No. 7. — Bonap. monog'. del gruppo Egretta, osserv. sulla, 2cZ edit, del reg. anim. Cuv. This tall and elegant bird, though often seen, during the summer, in our low marshes and inundated meadows, yet, on account of its ex- treme vigilance and watchful timidity, is very difficult to be procured. Its principal residence is in the regions of the south, being found from Guiana, and probably beyond the line, to New York. It enters the territories of the United States late in February: this I conjecture * Among no birds has there occurred so much confusion as among the White Herons, or those more particularly forming the division Egretts. They are dis- tributed over every country of the world 5 arc not very different in size ; the young are chiefly distinguished by the want of the crest, and are, in many instances, of a plumage similar to the full winter dress 5 most of the species, when mature, are clothea in a garb of the purest white. The bird with which our present species is more immediately connected is the Ar- dea alba, Gmel., a European bird, confounded with the young of ^. egretta, and not yet, I believe, found in North America. The chief differences are presence of the crest, and much longer proportion of the legs. A. egretta seems to range exten- sively over the continents of America, and some of the islands; I am not aware of its being found elsewhere ; aufl the African, Asiatic, and New Holland allied species will, I suspect, turn out distinct, and most probably belong to their re- spective countries. To the North American egretta must be added the Ardea Pealii, discovered by Bonaparte. It is distinguished from its allies by the flesh color of the bill ; is mucn smaller than A. alba ; differs from A. garzetta by its large, compound crest, and from A. candissima by the quality and texture of the ornamental feathers. — Ed. 528 GREAT WHITE HERON. from having first met with it in the southern parts of Georgia about that time. Tlie high inland parts of the country it rarely or never visits ; its favorite haunts are vast, inundated swamps, rice-fields, the low, marshy shores of rivers, and such like places, Avhere, from its size and color, it is very conspicuous, even at a great distance. TPie appearance of this bird during the first season, when it is en- tirely destitute of the long, flowing plumes of the back, is so different from the same bird in its perfect plumage, Avhich it obtains in the third year, that naturalists and others very generally consider them as two distinct species. The opportunities which I have fortunately had of observing them with the train, in various stages of its progress, from its first appearance to its full growth, satisfy me that the Great White Heron with, and that without the long plumes, are one and the same species in different periods of age. In the museum of my friend, Mr. Peale, there is a specimen of this bird, in vvhich the train is wanting ; but, on a closer examination, its rudiments are plainly to be perceived, extending several inches beyond the common plumage. The Great White Heron breeds in several of the extensive cedar swamps in the lower parts of New Jersey. Their nests are built on the trees, in societies ; the structure and materials exactly similar to those of the Snowy Heron, but larger. The eggs are usually four, of a pale-blue color. In the months of July and August, the young make their first appearance in the meadows and marshes, in parties of twenty or thirty together. The large ditches with which the extensive meadows below Philadelphia are intersected, are regularly, about that season, visited by flocks of those birds ; these are frequently shot, but the old ones are too sagacious to be easily approached. Their food consists of frogs, lizards, small fish, insects, seeds of the splatterdock, (a species of nymphse,) and small water-snakes. They will also de- vour mice and moles, the remains of such having been at different times found in their stomachs. The long plumes of these birds have at various periods been in great request on the continent of Europe, particularly in France and Italy, for the purpose of ornamenting the female head-dress. When dyed of various colors, and tastefully fashioned, they form a light and elegant duster and musquito brush. The Indians prize them for orna- menting their hair, or top-knot ; and I have occasionally observed these people wandering through the market-place of New Orleans, with bunches of those feathers for sale. The Great White Heron measures five feet from the extremities of the wings, and three feet six inches from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail ; the train extends seven or eight inches farther. This train is composed of a great number of long, thick, tapering shafts, rising from the loAver part of the shoulders, and thinly furnished on each side with fine, flowing, hair-like threads, of several inches in length, covering the lower part of the back-, and falling gracefully over the tail, which it entirely conceals. The whole plumage is of a snowy whiteness, except the train, which is slightly tinged with yellow. The bill is nearly six inches in length, of a rich orange yellow, tipped with black ; irides, a paler orange ; pupil, small, giving the bird a sharp and piercing aspect ; the legs are long, stout, and of a black color, as is the bare space of four inches above the knee ; the VIRGINIAN RAIL. 529 span of the foot measures upwards of six inches ; the inner edge of tlie middle claAv is pectinated ; the exterior and middle toes are united at the base, for about half an inch, by a membrane. The articulations of the vertebra; are remarkably long ; the intes- tines measure upwards of eight feet, and are very narrow. The male and female are alike in plumage ; both, when of full age, having the train equally long. VIRGINIAN RAIL. — RALLUS VIRGINIANUS.— Fig. 248. Arct. Zool. No. 408. — Edw. 279. — Lath. Syn. iii. p. 228, No. 1, var. A.— Peak's Museum, No. 4426. RALLUS VIRQIJ^MJ^US. — Li.vn jeus.* Rallus Virginianus, Bonap. Synop. p. 334. This species very much resembles the European Water Rail, [Ral- lus aquaticus,) but is smaller, and has none of the slate or lead color on the breast, which marks that of the old continent ; its toes are also more than proportionably shorter, which, with a few other peculiarities, distinguish the species. It is far less numerous in this part of the United States than our Common Rail, and, as I apprehend, inhabits more remote northern regions. It is frequently seen along the borders of our salt marshes, which the other rarely visits ; and also breeds there, as well as among the meadows that border our large rivers. It spreads over the interior as far west as the Ohio, having myself shot it in the Barrens of Kentucky early in May. The people there observe * In my note upon the genus Crex, I mentioned the distinctions existing between that genus Gallinula and Rallus. The Virginian Rail, and that following, show good examples of the latter form. In their habits they closely agree with the aquatic species of Crex, are distributed overall countries of the world, and in general perform partial migrations. When pursued or roaded by a dog, they may be raised once, but the second time will be a task of more difficulty ; if the ground is an extensive meadow, they may be followed for an hour without success ; but if there are holes or ditches, they will generally seek for one of these, where they conceal themselves beneath some sod, or brow, or thicket of bushes, and may then be easily taken by the hand. I have frequently taken our Common Water Rail in this manner, and sometimes with the head only concealed. They are easily tamed. The structure of the feathers on the forehead and crown of the rails is peculiar, and may be intended as a defence to that part from the friction of the strong grass and reeds among which they are so constantly running. The rachis of each feather is lengthened, and broadened into a flat and sharp point, having the appearance of lengthened scales ; in one or two species, the feathers consist of the rachis alone, presenting a horny appearance over the whole forehead. The bastard pinion is furnished with a spur, concealed, however, by the plumage. The form of the Crakes and" Gallinules is well adapted for their peculiar manner of life, but in this group is most conspicuous. The legs are placed far behind ; the body is long, much flattened, and remarkably pliable ; and the ease and agility with which they run and thread through the long vegetation of the marshes, is almost inconceivable to a person who has not witnessed it. — Ed. 45 530 VIRGINIAN RAIL. them in wet places, in the groves, only in spring. It feeds less on vegetable, and more on animal, food than the Common Rail. During the months of September and October, when the reeds and wild oats swarm with the latter species, feeding on their nutritious seeds, a few of the present kind are occasionally found ; but not one for five hundred of the others. The food of the present species consists of small snail shells, worms, and the larvse of insects, which it extracts from the mud ; hence the cause of its greater length of bill, to enable it the more readily to reach its food. On this account, also, its flesh is much inferior to that of the other. In most of its habits, its thin, compressed form of body, its aversion to take wing, and the dexterity with which it runs or conceals itself among the grass and sedge, are exactly similar to those of the Common Rail, from which genus, notwithstanding the difference of its bill, it ought not to be sep- arated. This bird is known to some of the inhabitants along the sea-coast of New Jersey, by the name of the Fresh-Water Mud Hen, this last being the common appellation of the Clapper Rail, which the present species resembles in every thing but size. The epithet Fresh- Water IS given it, because of its frequenting those parts of the marsh only where fresh-water springs rise through the bogs into the salt marshes. In these places it usually constructs its nest, one of which, through the active exertions of my friend, Mr. Ord, while traversing with me the salt marshes of Cape May, we had the good fortune to discover. It was built in the bottom of a tuft of grass, in the midst of an almost impenetrable quagmire, and was composed altogether of old, wet grass and rushes. The eggs had been floated out of the nest by the ex- traordinary rise of the tide in a violent north-east storm, and lay scat- tered about among the drift weed. The female, however, still lingered near the spot, to which she was so attached, as to suffer herself to be taken by hand. She doubtless intended to repair her nest, and com- mence laying anew ; as, during tlie few hours that she was in our possession, she laid one egg, corresponding in all respects with the others. On examining those floated out of the nest, they contained young, perfectly formed, but dead. The usual number of eggs is from six to ten. They are shaped like those of the domestic Hen, measuring one inch and two tenths long, by very nearly half an inch in width, and are of a dirty white, or pale cream color, sprinkled with specks of reddish and pale purple, most numerous near tlie great end. They commence laying early in May, and probably raise two brood in the season. I suspect this from the circumstance of Mr. Ord having, late in the month of July, brought me several young ones of only a few days old, which were caught among the grass near the border of the Delaware. The parent Rail showed great solicitude for tlieir safety. They were wholly black, except a white spot on the bill ; were covered with a fine down, and had a soft, piping note. In the month of June of the same year, another pair of these birds began to breed amidst a boggy spring in one of Mr. Bartram's meadows, but were unfortunately destroyed. The Virginian Rail is migratory, never wintering in the Northern or Middle States. It makes its first appearance in Pennsylvania early in May, and leaves the country on the first smart frosts, generally in CLAPPER RAIL. 531 November. I have no doubt but many of them linger m the low woods and marshes of the Southern States during winter. This species is ten inches long-, and fourteen inches in extent ; bill, dusky red ; cheeks and stripe over the eye, ash, over the lores and at the lower eyelid, white ; iris of the eye, red ; crown and whole upper parts, black, streaked with brown, the centre of each feather being black ; wing-coverts, hazel brown, inclining to chestnut ; quills, plain deep dusky ; chin, white ; throat, breast, and belly, orange brown ; sides and vent, black, tipped with white ; legs and feet, dull red brown ; edge of the bend of the wing, white. The female is about half an inch shorter, and differs from the male, in having the breast nmch paler ; not of so bright a reddish brown ; there is also more white on the chin and throat. When seen, which is very rarely, these birds stand or run with the tail erect, which they frequently jerk upwards. They fly w^th the legs hanging, generally but a short distance ; and the moment they alight, run off with gTeat speed. CLAPPER RAIL. — RALLUS CREPITANS. — Fig. 249. Arct. Zool. No. 407. — Turt. Syst. p. 430. — Lath. Syn. iii. p. 229, No. 2. — • Ind. Orn. p. 756, No. 2. — Peak's Museum, No. 4400. RALL US CREPITjIJVS. — Gmeli n. Rallus crepitans, Bonap. Synop. p. 333. This is a very numerous and well-known species, inhabiting our whole Atlantic coast from New England to Florida. It is designated by different names, such as the Mud Hen, Clapper Rail, Meadow Clapper, Big Rail, &c. &c. Though occasionally found along the swampy shores and tide waters of our large rivers, its principal resi- dence is in the salt marshes. It is a bird of passage, arriving on the coast of New Jersey about the 20th of April, and retiring again late in September. I suspect that many of them winter in the marshes of Georgia and Florida, having heard them very numerous at the mouth of Savannah River in the month of February. Coasters and fishermen often hear them while on their migrations, in spring, generally a little before daybreak. The shores of New Jersey, within the beach, con- sisting of an immense extent of flat marsh, covered with a coarse reedy grass, and occasionally overflowed by the sea, by which it is also cut up into innumerable islands by narrow inlets, seem to be the favorite breeding-place for these birds, as they are there acknowledged to be more than double in number to all other marsh fowl. The Clapper Rail, or, as it is generally called, the Mud Hen, soon announces its arrival in the salt marshes, by its loud, harsh, and incessant cackling, which very much resembles that of a Guinea fowl. This noise is most general during the night, and is said to be always greatest before a storm. About the 20th of May, they generally com- 532 CLAPPER RAIL. menc9 laying and building at the same time ; the first egg being usually dropped in a slight cavity, lined with a little dry grass pulled for the purpose, which, as the number of the eggs increase to their usual complement, ten, is gradually added to, until it rises to the height of twelve inches or more, — doubtless to secure it from the rising of the tides. Over this the long salt grass is artfully arched, and knit at top, to conceal it from the view above ; but this very circumstance enables the experienced egg-hunter to distinguish the spot at a distance of tliirty or forty yards, though imperceptible to a common eye. The eggs are of a pale clay color, sprinkled with small spots of dark red, and measure somewhat more than an inch and a half in length, by one inch in breadth, being rather obtuse at the small end. These eggs are exquisite eating, far surpassing those of the domestic Hen. The height of laying is about the 1st of June, when the people of the neighborhood go off to the marshes an egging, as it is called. So abundant are the nests of this species, and so dexterous some persons at finding them, that one hundred dozen of eggs have been collected by one man in a day. At this time, the crows, the minx, and the foxes, come in for their share ; but, not content with the eggs, those last often seize and devour the parents also. The bones, feathers, wings, &c., of the poor Mud Hen lie in heaps near the hole of the minx ; by Avhich circumstance, however, he himself is often detected and destroyed. These birds are also subject to another calamity of a more exten- sive kind : After the greater part of the eggs are laid, there sometimes happen violent north-east tempests, that drive a great sea into the bay, covering the whole marshes ; so that at such times the Rail may be seen in hundreds, floating over the marsh in great distress ; many escape to the main land ; and vast numbers perish. On an occasion of this kind, I have seen, at one view, thousands in a single meadow, walking about exposed and bewildered, while the dead bodies of the females, who had perished on or near their nests, were strewed along the shore. This last circumstance proves how strong the ties of maternal affec- tion are in these birds ; for of the great numbers which I picked up and opened, not one male was to be found among them ; all were females ! Such as had not yet begun to sit probably escaped. These disasters do not prevent the survivors from recommencing the work of laying and building anew ; and instances have occurred where their eggs have been twice destroyed by the sea ; and yet in two weeks the eggs and nests seemed as numerous as ever. The young of the Clapper Rail very much resemble those of the Virginian Rail, except in being larger. On the 10th of August, I examined one of these young Clapper Rails, caught among the reeds in the Delaware, and apparently about three weeks old ; it was covered with black down, with the exception of a spot of white on the auricu- lars, and a streak of the same along the side of the breast, belly, and fore part of the thigh ; the legs were of a blackish slate color ; and the bill was marked with a spot of white near the point, and round the nostril. These run with great facility among the grass and reeds, and are taken with extreme difficulty. The whole defence of this species seems to be in the nervous vigor of its limbs, and thin, compressed form of its body, by which it is CLAPPER RAIL. 533 enabled to pass between the stalks of grass and reeds with great rapidity. Tliere are also every wliere among the salt marshes covered ways, under the flat and matted grass, through which the Rail makes its way like a rat, without a possibility of being seen. There is gen- erally one or more of these from its nest to tlie water edge, by which it may escape unseen; and sometimes, if closely pressed, it will dive to the other side of the pond, gut, or inlet, rising and disappearing again with the silence and celerity of thought. In smooth water it swims tolerably Avell, but not fast ; sitting high in the Avater, with its neck erect, and striking with great rapidity. When on shore, it runs with the neck extended, the tail erect, and frequently flirted up. On fair gi-ound they run nearly as fast as a man ; having myself, with great difficulty, caught some that were wing-broken. They have also the' faculty of remaining under water for several- minutes, clinging close, head downwards, by the roots of the grass. In a long stretch, they fly with great velocity, very much in the manner of a Duck, with extended neck, and generally low ; but such is their aversion to take wing, that you may traverse the marshes where there are hundreds of tliese birds, without seeing one of them ; nor will they flush until they have led the dog through numerous labyrinths, and he is on the very point of seizing them. The food of "the Clapper Rail consists of small shell-fish, particularly those of the snail form, so abundant in the marshes ; they also eat small crabs. Their flesh is dry, tastes sedgy, and will bear no com- parison with that of the Common Rail. Early in October, they move off" to the south ; and though, even in winter, a solitary instance of one may sometimes be seen, yet these are generally such as have been weak or wounded, and unable to perform the journey. The Clapper Rail measures fourteen inches in length, and eighteen in extent ; the bill is two inches and a quarter long, slightly bent, pointed, grooved, and of a reddish brown color ; iris of the eye, dark red ; nostril, oblong, pervious ; crown, neck, and back, black, streaked with dingy brown; chin and line over the eye, brownish white; auriculars, dusky ; neck before, and Avhole breast, of the same red brown as that of the preceding species ; wing-coverts, dark chestnut ; quill-feathers, plain dusky; legs, reddish brown; flanks and vent, black, tipped, or barred with white. The m.ales and females are nearly alike. The young birds of the first year have the upper parts of an olive brown, streaked with pale slate ; wings, pale brown olive ; chin and part of the throat, white; breast, ash color, tinged with brown; legs and feet, a pale horn color. Mr. Pennant, and several other natural- ists, appear to have taken their descriptions from these imperfect specimens, the Clapper Rail being altogether unknown in Europe. I have never met with any of these birds in the interior, at a dis- tance from lakes or rivers. I have also made diligent inquiry for them along the shores of Lakes Champlain and Ontario, but Avithout success. 45* 534 BLUE CRANE. BLUE CRANE. — ARDEAC^RULEA. — Fig. 250. Arct. Zool. No. 35L — Catesby, i. 76. — Le Crabier bleu, Buff. vii. 398. — Sloan, Jam. ii. 313. — Lath. Syn. iii. p. 78. No. 46 ; p. 79. var. A. — A. caerulesceus, Turt. Syst. v. 319. — Planch. Enl. 349. — Fea/e's Museum, No. 6782. EORETTA C^/iiZLE.^. — Jardixe. Ardea caerulea, Linn. Syst. — Bonap. Synop. p. 300. — Ardea caerulescens, Wagl. Syst. Av. No. 15. In mentioning this species in his translation of the Systema JVa- tur(£, Turton has introduced what he calls two varieties, one from New Zealand, the other from Brazil; both of which, if we may judge by their size and color, appear to be entirely different and distinct species ; the first being green, with yellow legs, the last nearly one half less than the present* By this loose mode of discrimination, the precision of science being altogether dispensed with, the whole tribe of Cranes, Herons, and Bitterns, may be styled mere varieties of the genus Ardea. The same writer has still further increased this confusion, by desig- nating as a different species his Bluish Heron, {A. ccerulescens,) which agrees almost exactly with the present. Some of these mistakes may probably have originated from the figure of this bird given by Catesby, which appears to have been drawn and colored, not from nature, but from the glimmering recollections of memory, and is extremely erro- neous. These remarks are due to truth, and necessary to the elucida- tion of the history of this species, which seems to be but imperfectly known in Europe. The Blue Heron is properly a native of the warmer climates of the United States, migrating from thence, at the approach of winter, to the tropical regions, being found in Cayenne, Jamaica, and Mexico. On tlie muddy shores of the Mississippi, from Baton Rouge downwards to New Orleans, these birds are frequently met with. In spring they extend their migrations as far north as New England, chiefly in the vicinity of the sea, becoming more rare as they advance to the north. On the sea-beach of Cape May I found a few of them breeding among the cedars, in company with the Snowy Heron, Night Heron, and Green Bittern. The Fig. 250 and description Avere taken from * 1 have never traced this species in any Australian collection, and have little doubt that the authors of the assertion " that it is found tJiere," will turn out incor- rect. This bird has all the characters o( Egrelta except the color, and will certainly belong to that division, thoug^h it has been generally restricted to those of pure plu- mage. Bonaparte, in his Nomenclature o/iVilson, says, " The young' birds of the year, before their first moult, are altogether pure white, and are therefore apt to be confounded with the young of ^. candidissima." Wagler, in his excellent Systema, confirms this, and mentions that, in their further change, the upper parts are pale cinereous, tinged with purple, beneath white, the quills partly black, partly white, the tail cinereous. It is curious that in a species clothed with such rich and dark plu- mage the young should be pure white, the color of the true Egretia, while in some of those of snowy covering, the young are a dusky grayish brown. If it can be mistaken in any state for Egretta candidissima, it will at "once show where it ought to be placed. — Ed. BLUE CRANE. 535 two of these, shot in the month of May, while in complete plu- mage. Their nests were composed of small sticks, built in the tops of the red cedars, and contained five eggs, of a light blue color, and of somewhat a deeper tint than those of the Night Heron. Little or no difference could be perceived between the colors and markings of the male and female. This remark is applicable to almost the whole genus ; though, from the circumstance of many of tlie yearling birds differing in plumage, they have been mistaken for females. The Blue Heron, though in the Northern States it be found chiefly in the neighborhood of the ocean, probably on account of the greater temperature of the climate, is yet particularly fond of fresh-water bogs, on the edges of the salt marsh. These it often frequents, wading about in search of tadpoles, lizards, various larvae of winged insects, and mud worms. It moves actively about in search of these, sometimes mak- ing a run at its prey ; and is often seen in company with the Snowy Heron, figured in the same plate. Like this last, it is also very silent, intent, and watchful. The genus ^rdea is the most numerous of all the wading tribes, there being no less than ninety-six different species enumerated by late writers. These are again subdivided into particular families, each distinguished by a certain peculiarity — the Cranes, by having the head bald ; the Storks, with the orbits naked ; and the Herons, with the middle claw pectinated. To this last belong the Bitterns. Sev- eral of these are nocturnal birds, feeding only as the evening twilight commences, and reposing either among the long grass and reeds, or on tall trees, in sequestered places, during the day. What is very remarkable, these night wanderers often associate, during the breeding season, with the others, building their nests on the branches of the same tree ; and, though differing so little in external form, feeding on nearly the same food, living and lodging in the same place, yet preserve their race, language, and manners, as perfectly distinct from those of their neighbors, as if each inhabited a separate quarter of the globe. The Blue Heron is twenty-three inches in length, and three feet in extent ; the bill is black, but from the nostril to the eye, in both man- dibles, is of a rich, light purplish blue ; iris of the eye, gray ; pupil, black, surrounded by a narrow silvery ring ; eyelid, light blue ; the whole head, and greater part of the neck, is of a deep purplish brown ; from the crested hind head shoot three narrow-pointed feathers, that reach nearly six inches beyond the eye ; lower part of the neck, breast, belly, and whole body, a deep slate color, with lighter reflec- tions ; the back is covered with long, flat, and narrow feathers, some of M^hich are ten inches long, and extend four inches beyond the tail ; the breast is also ornamented with a number of these long, slender feathers ; legs, blackish green ; inner side of the middle claw, pecti- nated. The breast and sides of the rump, under the plumage, are clothed with amass of yellowish white, unelastic, cottony down, similar to that in most of the tribe, the uses of which are not altogether understood. Male and female alike in color. The young birds of the first year are destitute of the purple plu- mage on the head and neck. 536 SNOWY HERON SNOWY HERON.— ARDEA CANDIDISSIMA. — Fig. 251. Lath. Sup. i. p. 230. — No. 3748. EQRETTA CAJ^TDIDISSIMJl. — Bonaparte.* Ardea candidissima, Bonap. Synop. p. 305. — Monog. del gruppo Egretta. Osserv. Sulla. 2d edit, del Reg. Anim. Cuv. p. 101.— Wagl. Syst. Av. i. No. 11. This elegant species inhabits the sea-coast of North America, from the Isthmus of Darien to the Gulf of St. Lawrence, and is, in the United States, a bird of passage ; arriving from the south early in April, and leaving the Middle States again in October. Its general appearance, resembling so much that of the Little Egret of Europe, has, I doubt not, imposed on some of the naturalists of that country, as I confess it did on me.f From a more careful comparison, howev- er, of both birds, I am satisfied that they are two entirely different and distinct species. These differences consist in the large, flowing crest, yellow feet, and singularly curled plumes of the back of the present ; it is also nearly double the size of the European species. The Snowy Heron seems particularly fond of the salt marshes dur- ing summer, seldom penetrating far inland. Its white plumage ren- ders it a very conspicuous object, either while on wing, or while wading the meadows or marshes. Its food consists of those small crabs usually called fiddlers, mud worms, snails, frogs, and lizards. It also feeds on the seeds of some species of nymphae, and of several other aquatic plants. On the 19th of May I visited an extensive breeding-place of the Snowy Heron, among the red cedars of Summers's Beach, on the coast of Cap^ May. The situation was very sequestered, bounded on the land side by a fresh- water marsh or pond, and sheltered from the At- lantic by ranges of sand hills. The cedars, though not high, were so closely crowded together as to render it difficult to penetrate through among them. Some trees contained three, others four nests, built wholly of sticks. Each had in it three eggs, of a pale greenish blue color, and measuring an inch and three quarters in length, by an inch and a quarter in thickness. Forty or fifty of these eggs were cooked, * This species has, like the others, been also confounded with a near ally ; Wagler has unravelled the confusion in his Sijsterna. and the Prince of Musignano in his Monograph on this group, as quoted above. To make the matter still clear- er, I transcribe the Prince's observations on the Nomenclature of Wilson. " Two closely-allied species of small White-crested Herons have much puzzled naturalists, who seem to have rivalled each other in confounding them, some by considering them as identical, others by makiiig several nominal species, thus rendering their synonymy almost inextricable. The species are the A. garzetta of Europe, and the subject of the present remarks. The latter does not inhabit Europe, but is said to be found in Asia (which we are inclined to doubt) as frequently as on this continent, where it is widely extended. Wilson is free from all the above-mentioned errors, having, as usual, admirably established the species. He was, moreover, judicious in his selection of the English and Latin names 5 and it was, doubdess, after a careful investigation, that he selected the name of candidissima, which Mr. Ord has changed to A. Carolinensis.'" — Ed. + " On the American continent the Little Egret is met with at New York and Long Island." — Latham, vol. iii. p. 90. SNOWY HERON. 537 and found to be well tasted ; the white was of a bluish tint, and al- most transparent, though boiled for a considerable time ; the yolk very small in quantity. The birds rose in vast numbers, but without clam- or, alighting- on the tops of the trees around, and watchino- the result in silent anxiety. Among them were numbers of the Night Heron, and two or three Purple-headed Herons. Great quantities of egg shells lay scattered under the trees, occasioned by the depredations of the Crows, who were continually hovering about the place. On one of the nests I found the dead body of the bird itself, lialf de- voured by the Hawks, Crows, or Gulls. She had probably perished in defence of her eggs. The Snowy Heron is seen at all times during summer among the salt marshes, watching and searching for food, or passing, sometimes in flocks, from one part of the bay to the other. They often make excursions up the rivers and inlets, but return regularly in the evening to the red cedars on the beach to roost. I found these birds on the Mississippi, early in June, as far up as Fort Adams, roaming about among the creeks and inundated woods. The length of this species is two feet one inch ; extent, three feet two inches ; the bill is four inches and a quarter long, and grooved ; the space from the nostril to the eye, orange yellow, the rest of the bil] black ; irides, vivid orange ; the whole plumage is of a snowy whiteness ; the head is largely crested with loose, unwebbed feathers, nearly four inches in length ; another tuft of the same covers the breast ; but the most distinguished ornament of this bird is a bunch of long, silky plumes, proceeding from the shoulders, covering the whole back, and extending beyond the tail ; the shafts of these are six or seven inches long, extremely elastic, tapering to the extremities, and thinly set with long, slender, bending threads or fibres, easily agitated by the slightest motion of the air ; these shafts curl upwards at the ends. When the bird is irritated, and erects those airy plumes, they have a very elegant appearance : the legs and naked part of the thighs are black ; the feet, bright yellow ; claws, black, the middle one pectinated. The female can scarcely be distinguished by her plumage, having not only the crest, but all the ornaments of the male, though not quite so long and flowing. The young birds of the first season are entirely destitute of the long plumes of the breast and back ; but, as all those that have been examined in spring are found crested and ornamented as above, they doubtless receive their full dress on the first moulting. Those shot in October measured twenty-two inches in length, by thirty-four in ex- tent; the crest was beginning to form; the legs, yellowish green, daubed with black ; the feet, greenish yellow ; the lower mandible white at the base ; tlie wings, when shut, nearly of a length with the tail, which is even at the end. The Little Egret, or European species, is said by Latham and Turton to be nearly a foot in length ; Bewick observes, that it rarely exceeds a foot and a half; has a much shorter crest, with two long feathers; the feet are black ; and the long plumage of the back, instead of turning up at the extremity, falls over the rump. The young of both these birds are generally very fat, and esteemed by some people as excellent eating. 538 ROSEATE SPOON-BILL. ROSEATE SPOON-BILL. — PLATALEA AJA JA. — Fig. 252. Arct. Zool. No. 338. — Lath. Syn. iii. p. 16; No. 2. — La Spatule coleur de rose. Briss. Orn. v. p. 3562, pi. 30. — Buff. vii. 456, PI. enl. 116. — Peak's Museum, No. 3353. PLATALE.3 AJAJA.—l^iTiymvs.* Platalea ajaja, Bonap. Synop. p. 346. This stately and elegant bird inhabits the sea-shores of America, from Brazil to Georgia. It also appears to wander up the Mississippi sometimes in summer, the specimen from which Fig. 252 Avas drawn having been sent me from the neighborhood of Natchez, in excellent order ; for which favor I am indebted to the family of my late benevo- lent and scientific friend, William Dunbar, Esq., of that Territory. It is now deposited in Mr. Peale's Museum. This species, however, is rarely seen to the northward of the Alatamaha River ; and even along the Peninsula of Florida is a scarce bird. In Jamaica, several other of the West India Islands, Mexico, and Guiana, it is more common, but confines itself chiefly to the sea-shore and the mouths of rivers. Captain Henderson says, it is frequently seen at Honduras. It wades about in quest of shell fish, marine insects, small crabs, and fish. In pursuit of these, it occasionally swims and dives. There are few facts on record relative to this very singular bird. It is said that the young are of a blackish chestnut the first year ; of the roseate color of the present the second year ; and of a deep scar- let the third.f Having never been so fortunate as to meet with them in their native wilds, I regret my present inability to throw any further light on their history and manners. These, it is probable, may resem- ble, in many respects, those of the European species, the White Spoon- Bill, once so common in Holland.^ To atone for this deficiency, I * This group, remarkable for the curious development of the bill, join a num- ber of characters in common with the Herons and Tantali. They live during the breeding season in communities, and feed in twilight ; the food is fish and aquatic animals, and they are said to search in the mud with their bills in the manner of Ducks, where the soft and closely nervous substance enables them to detect the smaller insects. To look at the bill in a stuffed or preserved state, it is hard and horny, but when living it is remarkably tender, and has rather a fleshy and soft look and feel. The common British species is easily tamed, and, like most of its nearer allies, eats voraciously ; fish will support them, and even porridge, with a little raw meat ; the gape is very wide, and substances are swallowed in immediate succession, taken always crosswise, and then tossed over. The trachea in the male performs a single convolution in the sternum. The genus contains three or four species — that of Europe, found also in India ; a species from Africa very near P. ajafa, peculiar to America ; and the Spatule huppee of Sonnerat, which Mons. Temminck thinks distinct. In all, the young do not attain full plumage till after the first moult. — Ed. t Latham. X The European species breeds on trees by the sea side ; lays three or four white eggs, powdered with a few pale red spots, and about the size of those of a Hen ; are very noisy during breeding-time ; feed on fish, muscles, &c., which, like the Bald Eagle, they frequently take from other birds, frightening them by clatter- ing their bill : they are also said to eat grass, weeds, and roots of reeds : they are AMERICAN AVOSET. 539 have endeavored faitlifully to delineate the figure of this American species, and may, perhaps, resume the subject in some future part of the present work. The Roseate Spoon-Bill, now before us, measured two feet six inches in length, and near four feet in extent ; the bill was six inches and a half long- from the corner of the mouth, seven from its upper base, two inches over at its greatest widtli, and tliree quarters of an inch where narrowest ; of a black color for half its length, and covered with hard, scaly protuberances, like the edges of oyster shells ; these are of a whitish tint, stained with red ; the nostrils are oblong, and placed in the centre of the upper mandible ; from the lower end of each there runs a deep groove along each side of the mandible, and about a quarter of an inch from its edge ; whole crown and chin, bare of plumage, and covered with a greenish skin ; that below the under mandible, dilatable like those of the genus Pelicanus ; space round the eye, orange ; irides, blood red ; cheeks and hind head, a bare, black skin ; neck, long, covered with short, white feathers, some of which, on the upper part of the neck, are tipped with crimson ; breast, white, the sides of which are tinged with a brown, burnt color ; from the upper part of the breast proceeds a long tuft of fine, hair-like plu- mage, of a pale rose color ; back, white, slightly tinged with brown- ish ; wings, a pale wild rose color, the shafts lake ; the shoulders of the wings are covered with long, hairy plumage, of a deep and splen- did carmine ; upper and lower tail-coverts, the same rich red ; belly, rosy ; rump, paler ; tail, equal at the end, consisting of twelve feath- ers of a bright brownish orange, the shafts reddish ; legs and naked part of the thighs, dark dirty red ; feet, half webbed ; toes, very long, particularly the hind one. The upper part of the neck had the plu- mage partly worn away, as if occasioned by resting it on the back, in the manner of the Ibis. The skin on the crown is a little wrinkled; the inside of the wino- a much richer red than the outer. AMERICAN AVOSET. ~ RECURVIROSTRA AMERICANA.— Fig. 253. A?-ct. Zool. No. ^21. — Lath. Syn. iii. p. 295, No. 2. — Peak's Museum, No. 4230. RECURVIROSTRA AMERICA^N'A. — l.i-fvmvs* AvoceUe isabelle, Recurvirostra Americana, Temm. Man. d'Om. ii. p. 594.— Recurvirostra Americana, Bonap. Stjnop. p. 345. This species, from its perpetual clamor and flippancy of tongue, is called, by the inhabitants of Cape May, the Lawyer ; the comparison, however, reaches no farther ; for our Lawyer is simple, timid, and per- fectly inoffensive. migratory; their flesh reported to savor of that of a Goose; the young are reck- oned good food. * This curious genus contains four known species ; perhaps, ere long, another may be made out. They nearly resemble eacli other, and all possess the turned- 540 AMERICAN AVOSET. In describing the Long-legged Avoset, in a former part of this work, the similarity between that and the present was taken notice of. This resemblance extends to every thing but their color. I found both these birds associated together on the salt marshes of New Jersey, on the 20th of May. They were then breeding. Individuals of the present species were feAv in respect to the other. They flew around tlie shallow pools exactly in the manner of the Long-Legs, uttering the like sharp note of clicks click, click, alighting on the marsh or in the water indiscriminately, fluttering their loose wings, and shaking their half-bent legs, as if ready to tumble over, keeping up a continual yelping note. They were, however, rather more shy, and kept at a greater distance. One which I wounded attempted repeatedly to dive ; but the water was too shallow to permit him to do this with facility. The nest was built among the thick tufts of grass, at a small distance from one of these pools. It was composed of small twigs of a sea-side shrub, dry grass, sea weed, &c., raised to the height of several inches. The eggs were four, of a dull olive color, marked with large, irregular blotches of black, and with others of a fainter tint. This species arrives on the coast of Cape May late in April ; rears its young, and departs again to the south early in October. While here, it almost constantly frequents the shallow- pools in the salt marshes ; wading about, often to the belly, in search of food, viz., marine Avorms, snails, and various insects that abound among the soft, muddy bottoms of the pools. The male of this species is eighteen inches and a half long, and two feet and a half in extent ; the bill is black, four inches in length, flat above, the general curvature upwards, except at the extremity, where it bends slightly down, ending in an extremely fine point ; irides, reddish hazel ; whole head, neck, and breast, a light sorel color ; round tlie eye, and on the chin, nearly white ; upper part of the back and wings, black ; scapulars, and almost the whole back, white, though generally concealed by the black of the upper parts ; belly, vent, and thighs, pure white ; tail, equal at the end, Avhite, very slightly tinged with cinereous ; tertials, dusky brown ; greater coverts, tipped Avith white ; secondaries, white on their outer edges, and whole inner vanes ; rest of the wing, deep black ; naked part of the thighs, two and a half inches ; legs, four inches, both of a very pale light blue, exactly formed, thinned, and netted, like those of the Long-Legs ; feet, half webbed; the outer membrane somewhat the broadest; there is a very slight hind toe, which, claw and all, does not exceed a quarter of an inch in length. In these two latter circumstances alone it differs from the Long-Legs, but is in every other strikingly alike. The female was two inches shorter, and three less in extent ; the head and neck a much paler rufous, fading almost to white on the breast, and separated from the black of the back by a broader band of white ; the bill was three inches and a half long ; the leg half an inch shorter ; in every other respect marked as tlie male. She contained a great number of eggs, some of them nearly ready for exclusion. The up bill. In their manners, they assimilate generally with the Totani, feed like them, and are very clamorous when their nest is approached. Like them, also, though possessed of partially webbed feet, they do not swim or take the water freely, ex- cept when wading, or by compulsion. — Ed. RUDDY PLOVER. 541 stomach was filled with small snails, periwinkle shell fish, some kind of mossy, vegetable food, and a number of aquatic insects. The in- testines were infested with tape-worms, and a number of smaller, bot- like worms, some of wliicli wallowed in the cavity of the abdomen. In Mr. Peale's collection, there is one of this same species, said to have been brought from New Holland, diftering little in tiie markings of its plumage from our own. The red brown on the neck does not descend so far, scarcely occupying any of the breast ; it is also some- what less. In every stuffed and dried specimen of these birds which I have examined, the true forai and flexure of the bill is altogetlier deranged, being naturally of a very tender and delicate substance. RUDDY PLOVER. — CHARADRIUS RUBIDUS.- Fig. 254. Arct. Zool. No. 404. — Lath. Syn. iii. p. 195, No. % — Turt. Syst. p. 415. CALIDRIS j3REJV.^RIj1. — Ili.iger. Tringa arenaria, Bonap. Synop. p. 320. This bird is frequently found in company with the Sanderling, which, except in color, it very much resembles. It is generally seen on the sea-coast of New Jersey in May and October, on its way to and from its breeding-place in the north. It runs with great activity along the edge of the flowing or retreating waves on the sands, picking up the small bivalve shell fish, which supplies so many multitudes of the Plover and Sandpiper tribes. I should not be surprised if the present species turn out hereafter to be the Sanderling itself, in a different dress. Of many scores which I examined, scarce two were alike ; in some the plumage of the back was almost plain; in others the black plumage was just shooting out This was in the month of October. Naturalists, however, have con- sidered it as a separate species ; but have given us no further par- ticulars than that, "in Hudson's Bay, it is known by the name of Mistchaychekiskaweshish," * — a piece of information certainly very instructive. The Ruddy Plover is eight inches long, and fifteen in extent ; the bill IS black, an inch long, and straight ; sides of the neck and whole upper parts, speckled largely with white, black, and ferruginous ; the feathers being centred with black, tipped with white, and edged with ferruginous, giving the bird a very motley appearance ; belly and vent, pure white ; wing-quills, black, crossed with a band of white ; lesser coverts, whitish, centred with pale olive, the first two or three rows black ; two middle tail-feathers, black ; the rest, pale cinereous, edged with white ; legs and feet, black ; toes, bordered with a very narrow membrane. On dissection, both males and females varied in their colors and markings. * Latham. 46 542 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. — LOUISIANA HERON. SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER. — TRINGA SEMIPALMATA. — Fig. 255. Peak's Musezim, No. 4023. TRIJfOA SEJ\nPjiIJ\UTJl.—WiL3oy. Tringa sennipalmata, Bonap. Synop. p. 316. This is one of the smallest of its tribe, and seems to have been entirely overlooked, or confounded with another which it much re- sembles, {TVinga pusilla,) and with whom it is often found associated. Its half-webbed feet, however, are sufficient marks of distinction between the two. It arrives and departs with the preceding species ; flies in flocks with the Stints, Purres, and a few others ; and is some- times seen at a considerable distance from the sea, on the sandy shores of our fresh-water lakes. On the 23d of September, 1 met with a small flock of these birds in Burlington Bay, on Lake Champlain. They are numerous along the sea-shores of New Jersey, but retire to the south on the approach of cold weather. This species is six inches long, and twelve in extent ; the bill is black, an inch long, and very slightly bent ; crown and body above, dusky brown, the plumage edged with ferruginous, and tipped with white ; tail and wings, nearly of a length ; sides of the rump, white ; ramp and tail-coverts, black ; wing-quills, dusky black, shafted, and banded with white, much in the manner of the Least Snipe ; over the eye a line of white ; lesser coverts, tipped with white ; legs and feet, blackish ash, the latter half webbed. Males and females alike in color. These birds varied greatly in their size, some being scarcely five inches and a half in length, and the bill not more than three quarters ; others measured nearly seven inches in the whole length, and the bill upwards of an inch. In their general appearance, they greatly re- semble the Stints or Least Snipe ; but unless we allow that the same species may sometimes have the toes half webbed, and sometimes divided to the origin, — and this not in one or two solitary instances, but in whole flocks, which would be extraordinary indeed, — we can- not avoid classing this as a new and distinct species. LOUISIANA HERON. — ARDEA LUDOVICIANA. — Fig. 256. Peale's Museum, No. 3750. ARBEA LUDOVIClJ3J\rjl.—Wihsoy. Ardea leucogaster, Ord's Reprint, Part viii. p. 1. — Ardea Ludoviciana, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 304. This is a rare and delicately-formed species ; occasionally found on the swampy river shores of South Carolina, but more frequently along PIED OYSTER-CATCHER. 543 the borders of the Mississippi, particularly below New Orleans. In each of these places it is migratory ; and in the latter, as I have been informed, builds its nest on trees, amidst the inundated woods. Its manners correspond very much witli those of the Blue Heron. It is quick in all its motions, darting about after its prey with surprising agility. Small fish, frogs, lizards, tadpoles, and various aquatic in- sects, constitute its principal food. There is a bird described by Latham in his General Synopsis, vol. iii. p. 88, called the Demi Egret,* which, from the account there given, seems to approach near to the present species. It is said to inhabit Cayenne. Length of the Louisiana Heron, from the point of the bill to the extremity of the tail, twenty-three inches; the long, hair-like plumage of the rump and lower part of the back extends several inches farther ; the bill is remarkably long, measuring full five inches, of a yellowish green at the base, black towards the point, and very sharp ; irides, yellow ; chin and throat, white, dotted with ferruginous and some blue ; the rest of the neck is of a light, vinous purple, intermixed on the lower part next the breast with dark slate colored plumage ; the whole feathers of tlie neck are long, narrow, and pointed; head, crested, consisting first of a number of long, narrow, purple feathers, and under tliese seven or eight pendent ones, of a pure white, and twice the length of the former ; upper part of the back and wings, light slate ; lower part of the back and rump, white, but concealed by a mass of long, unwebbed, hair-like plumage, that falls over the tail and tips of tlie wings, extending three inches beyond them ; these plumes are of a dirty purplish brown at the base, and lighten towards the extremities to a pale cream color ; the tail is even at the tip, rather longer than tlie wings, and of a fine slate ; the legs and naked thighs, greenish yellow ; middle claw, pectinated ; whole lower parts, pure white. Male and female alike in plumage, both being crested. PIED OYSTER-CATCHER. — H^MATOPUS OSTRALEGUS.— Fig. 257. Arct. Zool. No. 406. — Catesby, i. 85. — Bewick, ii. 23. — Peale's Museum, No. 4258. H^MATOPUS PALLMTUS 7 — TEMMjycK.t Haematopus ostralegns, Bonap. Synop. p. 300. — HoRmatopus palliatus ? Jard. and Selby, llhist. Omith. Vol. iii. Plate 125. This singular species, although nowhere numerous, inhabits almost every sea-shore, both on the new and old continent, but is never found * See also Buffon, vol. vii. p. 378. t The Oyster-Catchers of Europe and America are said, by Temminck and Bona- parte, to be identical. Such also was the opinion of most ornithologists, and my own, until a closer comparison of American specimens with British snowed a dis- 544 PIED OYSTER-CATCHER. inland. It is the only one of its genus hitherto discovered, and, from the conformation of some of its parts, one might almost be led by fancy tinction. There is another, however, with which the American bird may be con- founded, and I cannot decidedly say that it is distinct — the H. pallialus, Temm. 1 have not seen that species 5 but from the description of the upper parts being gray- ish brown, it must eitlier be distinct, or the young state of the North American bird. My specimens of the latter are of the purest black and white. Bonaparte, in his JSomenclature, says, the species is common to both continents 3 and mentions that he has specimens before him, from each country, decidedly alike. From this circumstance, I should be inclined to give two species to North America, as the distinctions between them are so great as it would be impossible to overlook, on an examination such as he was likely to give. The following are the distinctive marks of the species in my possession : — The bill appears generally to be more slender ; the quills want the white band running in a slanting direction across, being in the American specimen entirely black 5 the secondaries in the American, except the first, are pure white 3 in the British speci- men, each, except the three or four last^ have a black mark near the tips, which de- crease in size as they proceed. The whole interior surface of the wing is pure white ; in the other it is black, except where the white secondaries appear. In the British bird, the tail-coverts and rump are pure white, the latter running upon the back, until it is hid by the scapulary and back feathers. In the American, the tail- coverts only are white, forming, as it were, a band of that color, interrupted by the black tip of the tail 5 the whole rump and lower part of the back, black. If that before us prove distinct, this genus will contain five species, distributed over the whole world, and allied so closely, that every member is alike, with a dif- ferent distribution only of black and white to distinguish them. They are, the com- mon European bird, perhaps also American, H. nstralegus; the Black Oyster-Catcher, H. niger, found in Australia and Africa 3 H. paUiatus, Temm., South American, and which may turn out to be the immature state of the species we have mentioned 3 and the Ostrakga leucopus of Lesson, found on the Malowine Isles, and remarka- ble in having white legs and feet. The species in my possession may stand as the fifth, under the name of H. articus.* As they are allied in form, so they are in habit. They frequent low, sandy beaches, feeding on the shell fish during the recess of the tide, and resting while it flows. The Oyster-Catcher of Europe is to be found on all the sandy British coasts in im- mense abundance. All those which I have observed breeding, have chosen low, rocky coasts, and deposit their eggs on some shelve, or ledge, merely baring the surface from any moss or other substance covering the rock. When approached, tlie parents fly round, uttering with great vehemence their clamorous note. I iiave never found them breeding on a sandy beach, though I have observed these birds for the last ten years, in a situation fitted in ev^ery way for that kind of incubation, and have known them retire regularly to a distance of about six or seven miles, (a more populous quarter,) where they had the advantage of a ledge of insulated rocks bounding the coast. A great many, both old and young birds, perhaps among the latter those of a late brood, are always to be found on these coasts, and enliven the monotony of an extensive sand beach, with their clean and lively appearance, and their shrill notes. As the young begin to assemble, the flocks increase 3 by the month of August, they consist of many thousands 5 and at full tide, tliey may be seen like an extensive black line, at the distance of miles. They remain at rest until about half tide, when a general motion is made, and the line may be seen broken, as the different parties advance close to the water edge. After tliis they keep pace with the reflux, until the feeding banks begin to be uncovered, of which they seem to have an instinctive knowledge, when they leave their resting- * When this note was written, I had not seen the elaborate review of Cuvier's Regne Animale by the Prince of Musignano. He is aware that the North American and European species are distinct, and mentions tliat the more northern regions produce an additional one ; I believe the bird figured by Wilson, and the skins in my possession, will prove to be this, and may stand as I have named it above. That ornitliologist also gives as a princi- pal character to H. palliatus, that the upper parts are " di un color fosco invece di nero," at variance with the pure black and white of our specimens. — Ed. PIED OYSTER-CATCHER. 545 to suppose, that it had borrowed tlie eye of the Pheasant, the legs and feet of the Bustard, and the bill of the Woodpecker. The Oyster-Catcher frequents the sandy sea-beach of New Jersey, and other parts of our Atlantic coast, in summer, in small parties of two or three pairs together. They are extremely shy, and, except about the season of breeding, will seldom permit a person to approach within gunshot. They walk along the shore in a watchful, stately manner, at times probing it with their long, wedge- like bills, in search of small shell fish. This appears evident, on examining the hard sands where they usually resort, which are found thickly perfo- rated with oblong holes, two or three inches in depth. The small crabs called fiddlers, that burrow in the mud at the bottom of m- lets, are frequently the prey of the Oyster-Catcher ; as are muscles, spout fish, and a variety of other shell fish and sea insects with which those shores abound. The principal food, however, of this bird, according to European writers, and that from which it derives its name, is the oyster, which it is said to watch for, and snatch suddenly from the shells, whenever it surprises them sufficiently open. In search of these, it is reported that it often frequents the oyster beds, looking out for the sliehtest opening through which it may attack its unwary prey. For this pur- pose the form of its bill seems very fitly calculated. Yet the trutii of these accounts is doubted by the inhabitants of Egg Harbor, and other parts of our coast, who positively assert, that it never haunts such places, but confines itself almost solely to the sands ; and this opinion I am inclined to believe correct, having myself uniformly found these birds on the smooth beach bordering the ocean, and on the higher, dry, and level sands, just beyond the reach of the summer tides. On this last situation, where the dry flats are thickly interspersed with drifted shells, I have repeatedly found their nests, between the middle and 2oth of May. The nest itself is a slight hollow in the. sand, containing three eggs, somewhat less than those of a Hen, and nearly of the same shape, of a bluish cream color, marked with large, roundish spots of black, and others of a fainter tint. In some, the ground cream color is destitute of the bluish tint, the blotches larger, and of a deep brown. The young are hatched about the 25th of May, and sometimes earlier, having myself caught them running along the beach about that period. They are at first covered with down of a grayish color, very much resembling that of the sand, and marked Avith a streak of brownish black on tlie back, rump, and neck, the breast being dusky, where, in the old ones, it is black. The bill is at that age slightly bent downwards at the tip, Avhere, like most other young birds, it has a hard protuberance that assists them in breaking the shell ; but in a few days afterwards this falls off.* These run along the shore with great ease and swiftness. place in small troops, taking day after day the same course. They are difficult to approach, but when one is shot, the flock will hover over it for sometime, without heeding the intruder. During flight they assume the ;:r==~ wedge shape, like Ducks. They feed at night, when the tide is suitable, and are often very noisy. Muscles, and smaller shell fish, crabs. Sec. &c., are their most common food. — Ed. * Latham observes, that the young are said to be hatched in about three weeks: 46* 546 PIED OYSTER-CATCHER. The female sits on her eggs only during the night, or in remarka- bly cold and rainy weather ; at other times the heat of the sun and of the sand, which is sometimes great, renders incubation unnecessary. But although this is the case, she is not deficient m care or affection. She watches the spot with an attachment, anxiety, and perseverance, that are really surprising, till the time arrives when her httle offspring burst their prisons, and follow the guiding voice of their mother. When there is appearance of danger, they squat on the sand, from which they are with difficulty distinguished, while the parents make large circuits around the intruder, alighting sometimes on this hand, sometimes on that, uttering repeated cries, and practising the common affectionate stratagem of counterfeited lameness, to allure him from their young. These birds run and fly with great vigor and velocity. Their note is a loud and shrill whistling ivheep-wheep-ivheo, smartly uttered. A flock will often rise, descend, and wheel in air with remarkable regu- larity, as if drilled to the business, the glittering white of their wings at such times being very conspicuous. They are more remarkable for this on their first arrival in the spring. Some time ago, I received a stuffed specimen of the Oyster-Catcher, from a gentleman of Boston, an experienced sportsman, who, nevertheless, was unacquainted with this bird. He informed me, that two very old men to whom it was shown, called it a Hagdel. He adds, " It was shot from a flock,which was first discovered on the beach near the entrance of Boston Harbor. On the approach of the gunner, they rose, and instantly formed in liuG, like a corps of troops, and advanced in perfect order, keeping well dressed. They made a number of circuits in the air previous to being shot at, but wheeled in line ; and the man who fired into the flock, observed that all their evolutions were like a regularly -organ- ized military company." The Oyster-Catcher will not only take to the water when wounded, but can also swim and dive well. This fact I can assert from my own observation, the exploits of one of them in this way having nearly cost me my life. On the sea-beach of Cape May, not far from a deep and rapid inlet, I broke the wing of one of these birds, and being without a dog, instantly pursued it towards the inlet, which it made for with great rapidity. We both plunged in nearly at the same in- stant ; but the bird eluded my grasp, and I sunk beyond my depth ; it was not until this moment that I recollected having carried in my gun along with me. On rising to the surface, I found the bird had dived, and a strong ebb current was carrying me fast towards the ocean, en- cumbered with a gun and all my shooting apparatus; I was compelled to relinquish my bird, and to make for the shore, with considerable mortification, and the total destruction of the contents of my powder- horn. The wounded bird afterwards rose, and swam with great buoy- ancy out among the breakers. and though they are wild when in flocks, yet are easily brought up tame, if taken young. " I have known them," says he, " to be thus kept for a long time, fre- quenting the ponds and ditches during the day, attending the Ducks and other poultry to shelter of nights, and not unfrequently to come up of themselves as evening approaches." — General Synopsis, vol. iii. p. 220. riED OYSTER-CATCHER. 547 On the same day, I shot and examined three individuals ol" tliis species, two of which measured cacli eig-hteen inches in length, and thirty-five inches in extent ; the other was somewliat less. The bills varied in length, measuring- three inches and three quarters, three and a half, and three and a quarter, thinly compressed at the point, very much like that of the Woodpecker tribe, but remarkably narrowed near the base where the nostrils are placed, probably that it may work with more freedom in the sand. This instrument, for two thirds of its length towards the point, M'-as evidently much worn by digging ; its color, a rich orange scarlet, somewhat yellowish near the tip ; eye, large ; orbits, of the same bright scarlet as the bill ; irides, brilliant yellow ; pupil, small, bluish black ; under the eye is a small spot of white, and a large bed of the same on the wing-coverts ; head, neck, scapulars, rump, wing-quills, and tail, black ; several of the primaries are marked on the outer vanes with a slanting hand of white ; second- aries, white, part of them tipped with black ; the whole lower parts of the body, sides of the rump, tail-coverts, and that portion of the tail which they cover, are pure white ; the wings, when shut, cover the whole white plumage of the back and rump ; legs and naked part of the thighs, pale red; feet, three-toed, the outer joined to the middle by a broad and strong membrane, and each bordered with a rough, warty edge ; the soles of the feet are defended from the hard sand and shells by a remarkably thick and callous, warty skin. On opening these birds, the smallest of the three was found to be a male ; the gullet widened into a kind of crop ; the stomach, or gizzard, contained fragments of shell fish, pieces of crabs, and of the great king-crab, with some dark brown marine insects. The flesh was re- markably firm and muscular ; the skull, thick and strong, intended, no doubt, as in the Woodpecker tribe, for the security of the brain from the violent concussions it might receive while the bird was engaged in digging. The female and young birds have the back and scapulars of a sooty brownish olive. This species is found as far south as Cayenne and Surinam. Dam- pier met with it on the coast of New Holland ; the British circumnavi- gators also saw it on Van Diemen's Land, Terra del Fuego, and New Zealand. 548 WHOOPING CRANE. WHOOPING CRANE. — ARDEA AMERICANA. — Fig 258. — Male. Arct. ZopI. No. 339. — Catesby, i. 75. — Lath. iii. p. 42. — La Grue d'Amerique, PI. enl. 889. — Peale's Musettvi, No. 3704. onus .^MERIC^JVA. — Temminck.* Grus Americana, Bonap. Synop. p. 302. — North. Zool. ii. p. 372. This is the tallest and most stately species of all the feathered tribes of the United States ; the watchful inhabitant of extensive salt marshes, desolate swamps, and open morasses in the neighborhood of the sea. Its migrations are regular, and of the most extensive kind, reaching from the shores and inundated tracts of South America to the arctic circle. In these immense periodical journeys, they pass at such a prodigious height in the air as to be seldom observed. They have, hoAvever, their resting-stages on the route to and from their usual breeding places, the regions of the north. A few sometimes make their appearance in the marshes of Cape May, in December, particu- larly on and near Egg Island, where they are known by the name of * This Crane has also suffered under the too general confusion of names, so that it becomes somewhat difficult to determine with precision that which should by priority be allotted to it. It is an extra European species, and seems to be the Asiatic bird generally known under the name of G. gigcmtea, Pall. Temminck, however, says that Gmelin changed this name from the original one of G. leucoge- ranos, Pall., and has figured and described it as such in the Planches Color^es. It appears to extend over Asia to China, and specimens have been brought from Japan. Are they all one species ? America will also possess another majestic Crane, Griis Canadensis, Temm., inhabiting the northern parts, but not commonly found in the Middle States ; it is met with in summer in all parts of the fur countries, to the shores of the Arctic Sea. The birds of this genus were formerly arranged among the Herons, to which they bear a certain alliance, but were, by Pallas, with propriety separated, and form a very natural division in a great class. They are at once distinguished from Ardea by the bald head, and the broad, waving, and pendulous form of the greater coverts. Some extend over every part of the world, but the group is, notwithstanding, lim- ited to only a few species. They are majestic in appearance, and possess a strong and powerful flight, performing very long migrations, preparatory to which they assemble, and, as it were, exercise themselves before starting-. They are social, and feed and migrate in troops. Major Long, speaking of the migrations of the second American species, G. Canadensis, says, " They afford one of the most beautiful instances of animal motion we can any where meet with. They fly at a great height, and wheeling in circles, appear to rest without effort on the surface of an aerial current, by whose eddies they are borne about in an endless series of rev- olutions ; each individual describes a large circle in the air, independently of his associates, and uttering loud, distinct, and repeated cries. They continue thus to wing their flight upwards, gradually receding from the earth, until they become mere specks upon the sight, and finally altogether disappear, leaving only the dis- cordant music of their concert to fall faintly on the ear, exploring ' Heavens not its own, and worlds unknown before.' " The Gnis Canadensis, or Sand-Hill Crane, will be figured and described by the Prince of JMusi^nano in the remaining volumes of his Continuation, which We hope ereionsT to receive. — Ed. 1 WHOOPING CRANE. 549 Storks. The younner birds aie easily distinguished from the rest by the brownness of their pluina<:e. Some linger in these marshes the whole winter, setting- out north about the time the ice breaks up. Dur- ing their stay, they wander along the marsh and muddy flats of the sea-shore in search of marine worms, sailing occasionally from place to place, with a low and heavy flight, a little above the surface; and have at such times a very formidable appearance. At times they utter a loud, clear, and piercing cry, which may be heard at the distance of two miles. They have also various modulations of this singular note, from the peculiarity of which they derive their name. When wounded, they attack the gunner, or his dog, with great resolution ; and have been known to drive their sharp and formidable bill, at one stroke, through a man's hand. During winter, they are frequently seen in*the low grounds and rice plantations of the Southern States, in search of grain and insects. On the 10th of February, I met with several near the Waccamau River, in South Carolina ; I also saw a flock at the ponds near Louisville, Kentucky, on the 20th of March. They are extremely shy and vigi- lant, so that it is with the greatest difficulty they can be shot. They sometimes rise in the air spirally to a great height, the mingled noiso of their screaming, even when they are almost beyond the reach of sight, resembling that of a pack of hounds in full cry. On these oc- casions, they fly around in large circles, as if reconnoitring the coun- try to a vast extent for a fresh quarter to feed in. Their flesh is said to be well tasted, nowise savoring offish. They swallow mice, moles, rats, &c., with great avidity. They build their nests on the ground, in tussocks of long grass, amidst solitary swamps, raise it to more than a foot in height, and lay two pale blue eggs, spotted with brown. These are much larger, and of a more lengthened form than those of the Common Hen. The Cranes are distinguished from the other families of their genus by the comparative baldness of their heads, the broad flag of plumage projecting over the tail, and in general by their superior size. They also differ in their internal organization from all the rest of the Heron tribe, particularly in the conformation of the windpipe, whicli enters the breast-bone in a cavity fitted to receive it, and after several turns goes out again at the same place, and thence descends to the lungs. Unlike the Herons, they have not the inner side of the middle claw pectinated, and, in this species at least, the hind toe is short, scarcely reaching the ground. The vast marshy flats of Siberia are inhabited by a Crane very much resembling the present, with the exception of the bill and legs being red ; like those of the present, the year-old birds are said also to be tawny. It is highly probable that the species described by naturalists as the Brown Crane [Ardea Canadensis) is nothing more than the young of the Whooping Crane, their descriptions exactly corresponding with the latter. In a flock of six or eight, three or four are usually of tlint tawny or reddish brown tint on the back, scapulars, and wing-coverts; but are evidently yearlings of the Whooping Crafie, and difter in nothing but in that and size from the others. They are generally five or six inches shorter, and tlie primaries are of a brownisii cast. 550 LONG-BILLED CURLEW. The Whooping Crane is four feet six inches in length, from the point of the bill to the end of the tail, and, when standing erect, meas- ures nearly five feet ; the bill is six inches long, and an inch and a half in thickness, straight, extremely sharp, and of a yellowish brown color ; the irides are yellow ; the forehead, whole crown, and cheeks, are covered with a warty skin, thinly interspersed with black hairs ; these become more thickly set towards the base of the bill ; the hind head is of an ash color ; the rest of the plumage, pure white, the pri- maries excepted, which are black ; from the root of each wing rise nu- merous large, flowing feathers, projecting over the tail and tips of the wings : the uppermost of these are broad, drooping, and pointed at the extremities ; some of them are also loosely webbed, their silky fibres curling inwards, like those of the Ostrich. They seem to occupy the place of the tertials. The legs and naked part of the thighs are black, very thick and strong ; the hind toe seems rarely or never to reach the hard ground, though it may probably assist in preventing the bird from sinking too deep in the mire. LONG-BILLED CURLEW. — NUMENIUS LONGIROSTRIS. — Fig. 259. Peak's Museum, No. 3910. JVUMEJ\riUS LOJSTGIROSTRIS. — Wilson.* Numenius longirostris, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 314. — North. Zool. ii. p. 376. This American species has been considered by the naturalists of Eu- rope to be a mere variety of their own, notwithstanding its difference of color, and superior length of bill. These diflferences not being acci- * Wilson had the merit of distinguishing and separating this species from the Common Curlew of Europe, and giving it the appropriate name of langirostris, from the extraordinary length of the bill. It will fill in America the place of the Com- mon Curlew in this country, and appears to have the same manners, frequenting the sea-shores in winter, and the rich, dry prairies during the breeding season. Nu- nienitis arquata, the British prototype of N. langirostris, during the breeding sea- son, is entirely an inhabitant of the upland moors and sheep pastures, and in the soft and dewy mornings of May and June forms an object in their early solitude, which adds to their wildness. At first dawn, when nothing can be seen but rounded hills of rich and green pasture, rising one beyond another, with perhaps an exten- sive meadow between, looking more boundless by the mists and shadows of mom, a long string of sheep marching off at a sleepy pace on their well-beaten track to some more favorite feeding ground, the shrill, tremulous call of the Curlew to his mate has something in it wild and melancholy, yet always pleasing to the associa- tions. In such situations do they build, making almost no nest, and, during the commencement of their amours, run skulkingly among the long grass and rushes, the male rising and sailing round, or descending with the wings closed above his back, and uttering his peculiar, quavering whistle. The approach of an intruder requires more demonstration of his powers, and he approaches near, buffeting and whauping with all his might. When the young are hatched, they remain near the LONG-BILLED CURLEW. 551 dental, or found in a few individuals, but common to all, and none being found in America correspondino- with that of Europe, we do not hesitate to consider the present as a distinct species, peculiar to this country. Like the preceding, this bird is an inhabitant of marshes in tiie vi- cinity of the sea. It is also found in the interior, where, from its long bill, and loud, whistling note, it is generally known. The Curlews appear in the salt marshes of New Jersey about the middle of May, on their way to the north, and in September, on their return from their breeding places. Their food consists chiefly of small crabs, wiiich they are very dexterous at probing for, and pulling out of the holes with their long bills ; they also feed on those small sea-snails so abundant in the marshes, and on various worms and in- sects. They are likewise fond of bramble-berries, frequenting the fields and uplands in search of this fruit, on which they get very fat, and are then tender and good eating, altogether free from the sedgy taste with which their flesh is usually tainted while they feed in the salt marshes. The Curlews fly high, generally in a wadge-like form, somewhat resembling certain Ducks, occasionally uttering their loud, whistling note, by a dexterous imitation of which a whole flock may sometimes be enticed within gun-shot, Avhile the cries of the wounded are sure to detain them until the gunner has made repeated shots and great havock among them. This species is said to breed in Labrador, and in the neighborhood of Hudson's Bay. A few instances have been known of one or two pairs remaining in the salt marshes of Cape May all summer. A per- son of respectability infomied me, that he once started a Curlew from her nest, which Avas composed of a little dry grass, and contained four eggs, very much resembling, in size and color, those of the Mud Hen, or Clapper Rail. This was in the month of July. Cases of this kind are so rare, that the northern regions must be considered as the gen- eral breeding place of this species. spot, and are for a long- lime difficult to raise ; a pointer will stand and road iheni. and at this time they are tender and well flavored. By autumn, they are nearly aJI dispersed to the sea-coasts, and have now lost their clear whistle. They remain here until the next spring, feeding at low tide on the shore, and retiring tor a Jew miles to inland fields at high water; on their return again at the ebb, tliey show a remarkable instance of the instinctive knowledge implanted in, and most conspicuous in the migratory sea and water-fowl. During my occasional residence on the Sol- way, for some years past, in the month of August, these birds, with many others, were the objects of observation. They relirea regularly inland after their favorite feeding places were covered. A long and narrow ledge of rocks runs into the Frith, behind which we used to lie concealed, for the purpose of getting shots at various sea-fowl returning at ebb. None were so regular as the Curlew. The more aquatic were near the sea, and could perceive the gradual reflu.x ; the Curlews were far inland, but as soon as we could perceive the top of a sharp rock standing above water, we were sure to perceive the first flocks leave the land, thus keeping pace regularly with the change of the tides. The}' fly in a direct hne to their feeding grounds, and often in a wedge shape ; on alarm, a simultaneous cry is uttered, and the next coming flock turns from its course, uttering in repetition the same alarm note. In a few days they become so wary, as not to fly over the concealed station. They are one of the most difficult birds to approach, except during spring, but may be enticed by imitating their whistle. — Ed. 552 YELLOW-CROWNED HERON. The Long-billed Curlew is twenty-five inches in length, and three feet three inches in extent ; and, when in good order, weighs about thirty ounces, but individuals differ greatly in this respect ; the bill is eight inches long, nearly straight for half its length, thence curving considerably downwards to its extremity, where it ends in an obtuse knob that overhangs the lower mandible ; the color, black, except towards the base of the lower, where it is of a pale flesh color ; tongue, extremely short, differing in this from the snipe ; eye, dark ; the general color of the plumage above is black, spotted and barred along the edge of each feather with pale brown ; chin, line over the eye and round the same, pale brownish white ; neck, reddish brown, streaked with black ; spots on the breast more sparingly dispersed ; belly, thighs, and vent, pale, plain rufous, without any spots ; prima- ries, black on the outer edges, pale brown on the inner, and barred with black ; shaft of the outer one, snowy ; rest of the wing, pale red- dish brown, elegantly barred with undulating lines of black ; tail, slightly rounded, of an ashy brown, beautifully marked with herring- bones of black ; legs and naked thighs, very pale light blue, or lead color ; the middle toe connected with the two outer ones as far as the first joint by a membrane, and bordered along the sides with a thick, warty edge ; lining of the wing, dark rufous, approaching a chestnut, and thinly spotted with black. The male and female alike in plu- mage. The bill continues to grow in length until the second season, when the bird receives its perfect plumage. The stomach of this spe- cies is lined with an extremely thick skin, feeling to the touch like the rough, hardened palm of a sailor or blacksmith. The intestines are very tender, measuring usually about three feet in length, and as thick as a swan's quill. On the front, under the skin, there are two thick callosities, which border the upper side of the eye, lying close to the skull. These are common, I believe, to most of the tringa and scolopax tribes, and are probably designed to protect the skull from injury while the bird is probing and searching in the sand and mud. YELLOW-CROWNED HERON. —ARDEA VIOLACEA.— Fig. 260. Le Crabier de Bahama, Briss. v. pp. 481, 41. — Crested BiUern, Catesby, i. p. 79. — Le Crabier Oris de fer, Buff, vii: p. 399. — ^rc^ Zool. l^o. 352.— Peak's Museum, No: 3738. J\rYCTICORAX riOUlCEji —Boy jltj^rte.* Ardea violacea, Bonap. Synop. p. 306 This is one of the nocturnal species of the Heron tribe, whose man- ners, place, and mode of building its nest, resemble greatly those of the Common Night Heron, [Ardea nycticorax ;) the form of its bill is * This curious species is an instance of one of those connecting links which inter- vene constantly among what have been defined Jixed groups. The general form YELLOW-CROWNED HERON. 553 also similar. The very imperfect fiourc and description of this spe- cies by Catesby, seem to have led the greater part of European orni- thologists astray, who appear to have copied their accounts from that erroneous source ; otherwise it is difficult to conceive why they should either have given it the name of Yellow-crowned, or have described it as being only fifteen inches in length ; since the crown of the perfect bird is pure white, and the whole length very near two feet. The name, however, erroneous as it is, has been retained in the present ac- count, for the purpose of more particularly pointing out its absurdity, and designating the species. This bird inhabits the lower parts of South Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana, in the summer season ; reposing during the day among low, swampy woods, and feeding only in the night. It builds in societies, making its nest with sticks, among the branches of low trees, and lays four pale blue eggs. This species is not numerous in Carolina, which, with its solitary mode of life, makes this bird but little known tliere. It abounds on the Bahama Islands, where it also breeds ; and great numbers of the young, as we are told, are yearly taken for the table, being accounted in that quarter excellent eating. This bird also extends its migrations into Virginia, and even farther north ; one of them having been shot, a few years ago, on the borders of the Schuylkill, below Philadelphia. The food of this species consists of small fish, crabs, and lizards, particularly the former ; it also appears to have a strong attachment to the neighborhood of the ocean. The Yellow-crowned Heron is twenty-two inches in length, from the point of the bill to the end of the tail ; the long, flowing plumes of the back extend four inches farther ; breadth, from tip to tip of the expanded wings, thirty-four inches ; bill, black, stout, and about four inches in length, the upper mandible grooved exactly like that of the Common Night Heron ; lores, pale green ; irides, fiery red ; head, and part of the neck, black, marked on each cheek with an oblong spot of white ; crested crown and upper part of the head, white, ending in two long, narrow, tapering plumes, of pure white, more than seven inches long ; under these are a few others, of a blackish color ; rest of the neck, and whole lower parts, fine ash, somewhat whitish on that part of the neck where it joins the black ; upper parts, a dark ash, each feather streaked broadly doAvn the centre with black, and bor- dered with white ; wing-quills, deep slate, edged finely with white ; tail, even at the end, and of the same ash color ; wing-coverts, deep slate, broadly edged with pale cream ; from each shoulder proceed a number of long, loosely-webbed, tapering feathers, of an ash color, streaked broadly down the middle with black, and extending four inches or more beyond the tips of the wings ; legs and feet, yellow ; middle claw, pectinated. Male and female, as in the Common Night Heron, alike in plumage. and appearance is decidedly a Nycticorax, and at the extremity of that form we should place it. Its manners, and social manner of breeding', are exactly those of the Qua-Bird, but it possesses the crest and long- dorsal plumes of the Egrets. As far as we at present see, it will form the passage from the last-mentioned form to the Night Herons, which will again reach the Bitterns by those confused under the name of Tiger Bitterns. — Ed. 47 554 GREAT HERON. I strongly suspect that the species called by naturalists the Cay- enne Night Heron [Ardea Cayanensis) is nothing more than the pres- ent, with which, according to their descriptions, it seems to agree almost exactly. GREAT HERON.— ARDEA HERODIAS. — Fig. 261. Le Heron hupe de Virginie, Briss. v. p. 416, 10 j Grand Heron, Buff. vii. p. 355; Id. p. 386. — Largest Crested Heron, Catesby, App. pi. 10, fig. 1. — Lath. Si/n. iii. p. 85, No. 51. — Arct. ZooL No. 341, 342. — PeaZe'* Museum, No. 3629 : Young, 3631. ARDEA HERODIAS. — hiyj^xvs.* Ardea Herodias, Bonap. Synop. p. 304. — North. ZooL ii. p. 373. The history of this large and elegant bird having been long involved in error and obscurity, f I have taken more than common pains to present a faithful portrait of it in this place ; and to add to that every fact and authentic particular relative to its manners, which may be necessary to the elucidation of the subject * This may be called the representative of the European Heron ; it is consider- ably larger, but in the general colors bears a strong resemblance, and is, moreover, the only North American bird that can rank with the genus Ardea in its restricted sense. In manners they are similar, feed in the evenuig, or early in the morning, when their prey is most active in search of its own victims ; but roost at night, except during very clear moonlight. They are extremely shy and watchful, and the height they are able to overlook, with the advantage of their long legs and neck, renders them difficult of approach, unless under extensive cover. When watching their prey, they may be said to resemble a cat, prying anxiously about the sides ot the ditches, lake, or stream ; but as soon as the least motion or indication of a liv- ing creature is seen, they are fixed and ready to make a dart, almost always unerr- ing. Mouse, frog, or fish, even rails, and the young of the larger water fowl, are transfixed, and being carried to the nearest bank or dry ground, are immediately swallowed, always with the head downwards. Their prey appears to be often, if not always, transfixed, — a mode of capture not generally known, but admirably fitted to secure one as vigilant as the aggressor. One or two of the wild and beau- tiful islets on Lock Awe are occupied as breeding places by the Herons, where I have climbed to many of their nests, all well supplied with trout and eels, invariably pierced or stuck through. None of the species breed on the ground, and it is a curious and rather anomalous circumstance, that the Ardeadse, the Ibis, and some allied birds, which are decidedly Waders, and formed for walking, should build and roost on trees, where their motions are all awkward, and where they seem as if constantly placed in a situation contrary to their habits or abilities. A heronry, during the breeding season, is a curious and interesting, as well as picturesque object. — Ed. t Latham says of this species, that " all the upper parts of the body, the belly, tail, and legs, are brown 5 " and this description has been repeated by every subse- quent compiler. Buftbn, with his usual eloquent absurdity, describes the Heron as " exhibiting the picture of wretchedness, anxiety, and indigence ; condemned to struggle perpetually with misery and want; sickened with the restless cravings of a famished appetite ; " a description so ridiculously untrue, that, were it possible for these birds to comprehend it, it would excite the risibility of the whole tribe. GREAT HERON. 555 from New York to Florida; in deep snows and severe weather seek- ing' the open springs of the cedar and cypress swamps, and the muddy inlets occasionally covered by the tides. On the higher inland parts of the country, beyond the mountains, they are less numerous ; and one which was shot in the upper parts of New Hampshire, was described to me as a great curiosity. Many of their breeding places occur in both Carolinas, chiefly in the vicinity of the sea. In the lower parts of New Jersey, they have also their favorite places for building, and rearing their young. These are generally in the gloomy solitudes of the tallest cedar swamps, where, if unmolested, they continue annually to breed for many years. These swamps are from half a mile to a mile in breadth, and sometimes five or six in length, and appear as if they occupied the former channel of some choked up river, stream, lake, or arm of the sea. The appearance they present to a stranger is singular — a front of tall and perfectly straight trunks, rising to the height of fifty or sixty feet, without a limb, and crowded in every direction, their tops so closely woven together as to shut out the day, spreading the gloom of a perpetual twilight below. On a nearer approach, tliey are found to rise out of the water, which, from the impregnation of the fallen leaves and roots of the cedars, is of the color of brandy. Amidst this bottom of congregated springs, the ruins of the former forest lie piled in every state of confusion. The roots, prostrate logs, and, in many places, the water, are covered with green, mantling moss, while an undergrowth of laurel, fifteen or twenty feet high, intersects every opening so completely, as to render a pas- sage through laborious and harassing beyond description ; at every step, you either sink to the knees, clamber over fallen timber, squeeze yourself through between the stubborn laurels, or plunge to the mid- dle in ponds made by the uprooting of large trees, which the green moss concealed from observation. In calm weather, the silence of death reigns in these dreary regions ; a few interrupted rays of light shoot across the gloom ; and unless for the occasional hollow screams of the Herons, and the melancholy chirping of one or two species of small birds, all is silence, solitude, and desolation. When a breeze rises, at first it sighs mournfully through the tops ; but as the gale increases, the tall mast-like cedars wave like fishing-poles, and rub- bing against each other, produce a variety of singular noises, that, with the help of a little imagination, resemble shrieks, groans, growl- ing of bears, wolves, and such like comf jrtable music. On the tops of the tallest of these cedars the Herons construct their nests, ten or fifteen pair sometimes occupying a particular part of the swamp. The nests are large, formed of sticks, and lined with smaller twigs ; each occupies the top of a single tree. The eggs are generally four, of an oblong', pointed form, larger than those of a Hen, and of a light greenish blue, without any spots. The young are produced about the middle of May, and remain on the trees until they are full as heavy as the old ones, being extremely fat, before they are able to fly. They breed but once in the season. If disturbed in their breeding place, the old birds fly occasionally over the spot, sometimes honking like a goose, sometimes uttering a coarse, hollow, grunting noise, like that of a hoo", but much louder. 556 GREAT HERON. The Great Heron is said to be fat at the full moon, and lean at its decrease ; this might be accounted for by the fact of their fishing regularly by moonlight tlirough the greater part of the night, as well as during the day ; but the observation is not universal, for at such times I have found some lean, as well as others fat. The young are said to be excellent for the table, and even the old birds, when in good order, and properly cooked, are esteemed by many. The principal food of the Great Heron is fish, for which he watches with the most unwearied patience, and seizes them with surprising dexterity. At the edge of tlie river, pond, or sea-shore, he stands fixed and motionless, sometimes for hours together. But his stroke is quick as thought, and sure as fate, to the first luckless fish that approaches within his reach; these he sometimes beats to death, and always swallows head foremost, such being their uniform position in the stomach. He is also an excellent mouser, and of great ser\'ice to our meadows, in destroying the short-tailed or meadow mouse, so injurious to the banks. He also feeds eagerly on grasshoppers, various winged insects, particularly dragon flies, which he is very expert at striking, and also eats the seeds of that species of nymphse usually called spat- terdocks, so abundant along our fresh-water ponds and rivers. The Heron has great powers of wing, flying sometimes very high, and to a great distance ; his neck doubled, his head drawn in, and his long legs stretched out in a right line behind him, appearing like a tail, and, probably, serving the same rudder-like ofiice. When he leaves the sea-coast, and traces, on wing, the courses of the creeks or rivers upwards, he is said to prognosticate rain ; when downwards, dry weather. He is most jealously vigilant and watchful of man, so that those who wish to succeed in shooting tlie Heron, must approach him entirely unseen, and by stratagem. The same inducements, however, for his destruction, do not prevail here as in Europe. Our sea-shores and rivers are free to all for the amusement of fishing. Luxury has not yet constructed her thousands of fish ponds, and sun-ounded them with steel traps, spring guns, and Heron snares.* In our vast fens, meadows, and sea-marshes, this stately bird roams at pleasure, feast- ing on the never-failing magazines of frogs, fish, seeds, and insects, with which they abound, and of which he, probably, considers himself * " The Heron," says an English writer, '' is a very great devourer offish, and does more mischief in a pond than an otter. People who have kept Herons, have had the curiosity to number the fish they feed them with into a tub of water, and counting them again afterwards, it has been found that they will eat up fifty moderate dace and roaches in a day. It has been found, that in carp ponds visited by this bird, one Heron will eat up a thousand store carp in a year ; and will hunt them so close, as to let very few escape. The readiest method of destroying this mischievous bird, is by fishing for him in the manner of pike, with a baited hook. When the haunt of the Heron is found out, three or four small roach, or dace, are to be pro- cured, and each of them is be baited on a wire, with a strong hook at the end, en- tering the wire just at the gills, and letting it run just under the skin to the tail ; the fish will live in this manner for five or six days, which is a very essential thing; for if it be dead, the Heron will not touch it. A strong line is then to be prepared of silk and wire twisted together, and is to be about two yards long ; tie this to the wire that holds the hook, and to the other end of it there is to be tied a stone of about a pound weight ; let three or four of these baits be sunk in ditTerent shallow parts of the pond, and, in a night or two's time, the Heron will not fail to be taken with one or other of them." GREAT HERON. 557 the sole lord and proprietor, f have several times seen the Bald Eagle attack and tease the Great Heron ; but whether for sport, or to make him disgorge his fish, I am uncertain. The Common Heron of Europe [.^hdea major) very much resembles the present, Avhich might, as usual, have probably been ranked as the original stock, of which the present was a mere degenerated species, were it not that the American is greatly superior, in size and weight, to the European species ; the former measuring four feet four inches, and weighing upwards of seven pounds ; the latter, throe feet three inches, and rarely weighing more than four pounds. Yet, with the exception of size, and the rust-colored thighs of the present, they are extremely alike. The Common Heron of Europe, however, is not an inhabitant of the United, States. The Great Heron does not receive his full plumage during the first season, nor until the summer of the second. In the first season, the young birds are entirely destitute of the white plumage of the crown, and the long, pointed feathers of the back, shoulders, and breast. In this dress I have frequently shot them in autumn ; but in the third year, both males and females have assumed their complete dress, and, contrary to all the European accounts Avhich I have met with, both are then so nearly alike in color and markings, as scarcely to be dis- tinguished from each other, both having the long, flowing crest, and all the ornamental, white, pointed plumage of the back and breast Indeed, this sameness in the plumage of the males and females, when arrived at their perfect state, is a characteristic of the whole of the genus with which I am acquainted. Whether it be different with those of Europe, or that the young and imperfect birds have been hitherto mis- taken for females, I will not pretend to say, though I think the latter con- jecture highly probable, as the Night Raven [Jlrdea nydicorax) has been knoNvn in Europe for several centuries, and yet, in all their accounts, the sameness of the colors and plumage of the male and female of that bird is nowhere mentioned ; on the contrary, the young, or year- ling bird, has been universally described as the female. On the 18th of May, I examined, both externally and by dissec- tion, five specimens of the Great Heron, all in complete plumage, killed in a cedar swamp near the head of Tuckahoe River, in Cape May county, New Jersey. In this case, the females could not be mistaken, as some of the eggs were nearly ready for exclusion. Length of the Great Heron, four feet four inches from the point of the bill to the end of the tail ; and to the bottom of the feet, five feet four inches ; extent, six feet ; bill, eight inches long, and one inch and a quarter in width, of a yellow color, in some, blackish on the ridge, extremely sharp at the point, the edges also sharp, and slightly ser- rated near the extremity ; space round the eye, from the nostril, a light purplish blue ; irides, orange, brightening into yellow where they join the pupil ; forehead and middle of the crown, white, passing over the eye ; sides of the crown and hind head, deep slate, or bluish black, and elegantly crested, the two long, tapering black feathers being full eight inches in length; chin, cheeks, and sides of the head, white for several inches ; throat, white, thickly streaked with double rows of black ; rest of the neck, brownish ash, from the lower part of which shoot a great number of long, narrow-pointed, white feathers, that 47* 558 AMERICAN BITTERN. spread over the breast, and reach nearly to the thighs ; under these long plumes the breast itself, and middle of the belly, are of a deep blackish slate, the latter streaked with white ; sides, blue ash ; vent, white; thighs, and ridges of the wings, a dark purplish rust color; whole upper part of the wings, tail, and body, a fine light ash, the latter ornamented with a profusion of long, narrow, white, tapering feathers, originating on the shoulders, or upper part of the back, and falhng gracefully over the wings ; primaries, very dark slate, nearly black ; naked thighs, brownish yellow ; legs, brownish black, tinctured with yellow, and netted with seams of whitish ; in some, the legs are nearly black. Little difference could be perceived between the plu- mage of the males and females ; the latter were rather less, and the long, pointed plumes of the back were not quite so abundant. The young birds of the first year have the whole upper part of the head of a dark slate; want the long plumes of the breast and back; and have the body, neck, and lesser coverts of the wings, considerably tinged with ferruginous. On dissection, the gullet was found of great width, from the mouth to the stomach, which has not the two strong muscular coats that form the gizzard of some birds ; it was more loose, of considerable and uni- form thickness throughout, and capable of containing nearly a pint It was entirely filled with fish, among which were some small eels, all placed head downwards ; the intestines measured nine feet in length, were scarcely as thick as a goose-quill, and incapable of being dis- tended ; so that the vulgar story of the Heron swallowing eels, which, passing suddenly through him, are repeatedly swallowed, is absurd and impossible. On the external coat of the stomach of one of these birds, opened soon after being shot, something like a blood-vessel lay in several meandering folds, enveloped in a membrane, and closely ad- hering to the surface. On carefully opening this membrane, it was found to contain a large, round, living worm, eight inches in length ; another, of like length, was found coiled, in the same manner, on an- other part of the external coat It may also be worthy of notice, that the intestines of the young birds of the first season, killed in the month of October, when they were nearly as large as the others, measured only six feet four or five inches ; those of the full-grown ones, from eight to nine feet in length. AMERICAN BITTERN. — ARDEA MINOR. — Fig. 262. Le Butor de la Baye de Hudson, Briss. v. p. 449, 25. — Buff. vii. p. 430. — Edw. 136. — Lath. Syn. iii. p. 5S. — Peak's Museum, No. 3727. BOTAURUS J»f/JV0i2. — Bonaparte. Ardea minor, Bonap. Synop. p. 307. — Ardea Mokoho. — Wagl. Syst. Av. No. 29. This is another noctural species, common to all our sea and river marshes, though nowhere numerous. It rests all day among the reeds and rushes, and, unless disturbed, flies and feeds only during the night AMERICAN BITTERN. 559 In some places it is called the Indian Hen ; on tlie sea-coast of New Jersey it is known by the name of dunkadoo, a word probably imita- tive of its common note. They are also found in the interior, having myself killed one at the inlet of the Seneca Lake, in October. It ut- ters, at times, a hollow, guttural note among the reeds, but has nothing of that loud, booming sound for which the European Bittern is so re- markable. This circumstance, with its great inferiority of size, and difference of marking, sufficiently prove them to be two distinct spe- cies, although, hitherto, the present has been classed as a mere variety of the European Bittern. These birds, we are informed, visit Severn River, at Hudson's Bay, about the beginning of June ; make their nests in swamps, laying four cinereous green eggs among the long grass. The young are said to be, at first, black. These birds, when disturbed, rise with a hollow kwa, and are then easily shot down, as they fly heavily. Like other night birds, their sight is most acute during the evening twilight ; but their hearing is, at all times, exquisite. The American Bittern is twenty-seven inches long, and three feet four inches in extent ; from the point of the bill to the extremity of the toes, it measures three feet ; the bill is four inches long ; the up- per mandible black ; the lower, greenish yellow ; lores and eyehds, yellow; irides, bright yellow; upper part of the head, flat, and re- markably depressed ; the plumage there is of a deep blackish brown, long behind and on the neck, the general color of which is a yellowish brown, shaded with darker ; this long plumage of the neck the bird can throw forward at will, when irritated, so as to give him a more formidable appearance; throat, whitish, streaked with deep brown: from the posterior and lower part of the auriculars, a broad patch of deep black passes diagonally across the neck, a distinguished charac- teristic of this species ; the back is deep brown, barred, and mottled with innumerable specks and streaks of brownish yellow ; quills, black, with a leaden gloss, and tipped with yellowish brown ; legs and feet, yellow, tinged with pale green ; middle claw, pectinated ; belly, light yellowish brown, streaked with darker ; vent, plain ; thighs, sprinkled on the outside with grains of dark brown ; male and female, nearly alike, the latter somewhat less. According to Bewick, the tail of the European Bittern contains only ten feathers ; the American species has, invariably, twelve. The intestines measured five feet six inches in length, and were very little thicker than a common knitting needle; the stomach is usually filled with fish or frogs.* This bird, when fat, is considered by many to be excellent eating. * I have taken an entire Water-Rail from the stomach of the European Bittern. -Ed. 560 LEAST BITTERN. LEAST BITTERN. — ARDEA EXILIS. — Fig. 2G3. — MALE. Lath. Syn. iii. p. 26; No. 28. — Peale's Museum, No. 38145 female, 3815. ARDEOL^a EXILIS. — Bonaparte.* Ardeola exilis, Bonap. Synop. p. 309. — Ardea exilis, Wagl. Syst. Av. No. 43. — ' Le Heron rouge et noir, Azar. Voij. 360. — Descript. opt. auct. Wagl. This is the smallest known species of the whole tribe. It is com- monly found in fresh- water meadows, and rarely visits the salt marshes. One, shot near Great Egg Harbor, was presented to me as a very un- common bird. In the meadows of Schuylkill and Delaware, below Philadelphia, a few of these birds breed every year ; making their nests in the thick tussocks of grass, in swampy places. When alarm- ed, they seldom fly far, but take shelter among the reeds, or long grass. They are scarcely ever seen exposed, but skulk during the day ; and, like the preceding species, feed chiefly in the night. This little creature measures twelve inches in length, and sixteen in extent ; the bill is more than two inches and a quarter long, yellow, ridged with black, and very sharp pointed ; space round the eye, pale yellow ; irides, bright yellow ; whole upper part of the crested head, the back, scapulars, and tail, very deep slate, reflecting slight tints of green; throat, white, here and there tinged with buff"; hind part of the neck, dark chestnut bay ; sides of the neck, cheeks, and line over the eye, brown buff"; lesser Aving-coverts, the same ; greater wing- coverts, chestnut, with a spot of the same at the bend of the wing; the primary coverts are also tipped with the same ; wing-quills, dark slate : breast, white, tinged with ochre, under which lie a number of blackish feathers; belly and vent, white; sides, pale ochre; legs, greenish on the shins, hind part and feet, yellow ; thighs, feathered to within a quarter of an mch of the knees ; middle claw, pectinated ; toes, tinned with pale green ; feet, large, the span of the foot measur- ing two inches and three quarters. Male and female, nearly alike in color. The young birds are brown on the crown and back. The stomach was filled with small fish ; and the intestines, which were ex- tremely slender, measured, in length, about four feet. The Least Bittern is also found in Jamaica, and several of the West India islands. * Bonaparte proposes the title of Ardeola, as a sub-genus for this species and the A. minuta of Britain. The_y differ from the other {A. iiirescens, &c.) Small Herons, in having the space above the knees plumed, and ni the scapularies taking the broad form of those of the Bitterns and Night Herons, instead of beautifully length- ened plumes. Three species will constitute this group, that of America, A. exilis ; A. minuta, of Europe; and A. pusilla, Wagl. of New Holland. They are all very similar} the latter has been confounded hitherto with the others. — Ed. WOOD IBIS. 561 WOOD IBIS. — TANTALUS LOCULATOR. — Fig. 2G4. Gmd. Syst. p. 647. — Le Grand Courly d'Amerique, Briss. v. p. 335, 8. — Couri- caca, Bu^. vii. p. 276. PL enl. 868. — Catesby, i. U.^Arct. Zool. No. 360.— Lath. Syn. iii. p. 104. — Peak's Museum, No. 3832. TAJ^TALUS LOCZTLATOR.—l,iyyiJEVs* Tantalus loculalor, Bonap. Synop. p. 310. — Wagl. Srjst. Av. No. 1. The Wood Ibis inhabits the lower parts of Louisiana, Carolina, and Georgia ; is very common in Florida, and extends as far south as Cayenne, Brazil, and various parts of South America. In the United States it is mig-ratory ; but has never, to my knowledge, been found to the north of Virginia. Its favorite haunts are watery savannas and * This species, I believe peculiar to the New World, is extensively dispersed over it, but migrator}' towards the north. The bird stated by Latham, as identical with this, from New Holland, will most probably turn out the T. lacteus, or leuro- cephalus ; at all events, distinct. T'he genera Tantalus and Ibis run into each other in one of those gradual marches where it is nearly impossible to mark the distinc- tion, yet, taking the extremes, the difference is very great. Tcntalus lorululur is the only American species of the former group, principally distinguished by the base of the bill being equal in breadth with the forehead, which, witli the face, rheeks, and throat, are bare. In their general manner, they are more sluggish than the Ibis, and possess more of the inactivity of the Heron when gorged, or the se- date gait of the Stork and Adjutants. The known species have been limited to about tive in number, natives of America, Africa, and India. The genus Ibis is more extensive ; they are spread over all the world, and among themselves present very considerable modifications of form. Those of North America are three. The two now figured, and the I. Falcinelhis of Europe, first noticed by Mr. Ord as a native of that country, in the Journal of the Academy, under the name of Tantalus Mexicanus, and afterwards recognized by the Prince of Musignano as the bird of Europe. By Wagler, in his Systema Avium, they are put into three divisions, dis- tinguished by the scutellation of the tarsi, and the proportion of the toes. The face is often bare 5 in one or two the crown is developed into a shield, as in /. calva ; in a few the head and neck are unplumed, /. sacra and 7uela.nocephalus ; and in some, as that of Europe, the face and head are nearly wholly clothed, and bear close resemblance to tlie Curlews. They are all partly gregarious, feed in small groups, and breed on trees in most extensive communities. They include birds well known for many curious particulars connected with the history and supersti- tions of nations, and gorgeous from the pureness and decided contrast or dazzling richness of their plumage. To the former will belong the sacred Ibis of antiquity, whose bodies, iji the vjords of a versatile and pleasing writer, — ^' from the perfec- tion of an unknown process, have almost defied the ravages of time 5 and, through its interventions, the self-same individuals exist in a tangible form, which wandered along the banks of the mysterious Nile in the earliest ages of the world, or, ' in dim seclusion veiled,' inhabited the sanctuary of temples, which, though themselves of most magnificent proportions, are now scarcely discernible amid the desert dust of an unpeopled wilderness." To the others will belong the brilliant species next de- scribed, no less remarkable for its unassuming garb in the dress of the first year, and the richly-plumaged, glossy Ibis. The last-mentioned bird is more worthy of notice, holding a prominent part in the mythology of the Egyptians, and occa- sionally honored by embalment ; it is also of extensive geographical distribution, being found in India, Africa, America, Europe, and an occasional stray individual finding a devious course to the shores of Great Britain. A specimen has occurred on the Northumbrian coast within this month. — Ed. 562 WOOD IBIS. inland swamps, where it feeds on fish and reptiles. The French in- habitants of Louisiana esteem it good eating. With the particular manners of this species I am not personally ac- quainted ; but the following characteristic traits are given of it by Mr. William Bartram, who had the best opportunities of noting them : — " This solitary bird," he observes, " does not associate in flocks, but is generally seen alone, commonly near the banks of great rivers, in vast marshes or meadows, especially such as are covered by inunda- tions, and also in the vast, deserted rice plantations ; he stands alone on the topmost limb of tall, dead cypress-trees, his neck contracted or drawn in upon his shoulders, and his beak resting, like a long scythe, upon his breast ; in this pensive posture, and solitary situation, they look extremely grave, sorrowful, and melancholy, as if in the deepest thought They are never seen on the sea-coast, and yet are never found at a great distance from it. They feed on serpents, young alli- gators, frogs, and other reptiles." * The figure of this bird (No. 264) was drawn from a very fine speci- men, sent to me from Georgia by Stephen Elliot, Esq., of Beaufort, South Carolina ; its size and markings were as follow : — Length, three feet two inches ; bill, nearly nine inches long, straight for half its length, thence curving downwards to the extremity, and full two inches thick at the base, where it rises high in the head, the whole of a brownish horn color ; the under mandible fits into the upper in its whole length, and both are very sharp edged; face, and naked head, and part of the neck, dull greenish blue, wrinkled ; eye, large, seated high in the head ; irides, dark red ; under the lower jaw is a loose, corrugated skin, or pouch, capable of containing about half a pint ; whole body, neck, and lower parts, white ; quills, dark glossy green and purple ; tail, about two inches shorter than the wings, even at the end, and of a deep and rich violet ; legs and naked thighs, dusky green ; feet and toes, yellowish, sprinkled with black ; feet, almost semipalmated, and bordered to the claws Avith a narrow membrane ; some of the greater wing-coverts are black at the root, and shafted with black ; plumage on the upper ridge of the neck, generally worn, as in the presented specimen, with rubbing on the back, while in its common position, of resting its bill on its breast, in the manner of the White Ibis. The female has only the head and chin naked; both are subject to considerable changes of color when young, the body being found sometimes blackish above, the belly cinereous, and spots of black on the wing-coverts; all of which, as the birds advance in age, gradually disappear, and leave the plumage of the body, &c., as has been described. * Travels, &c., p. 150. SCARLET IBIS. 563 SCARLET IBIS. — TANTALUS RUBER. — Fig. 265. Le Courly rouge du Bresil, Bi-iss. v. p. 34-1.. pi. 29, fig-. 2. — Red Curlew, Catesbtj, i. 84. — Arct. Zool. No. 3GG, 382. — Feeders Musetim, No. 3864 j female, 3868. IBIS RUBHa. — ViEiLLOT. Ibis rubra, Vieill. — Bonap. Sijnop. p. 311. — Wao^l. Syst. Av.'?^o.4: — Ibis ruber, Wils. 111. of Zool. i. pis. 7 and 36, in the plumage of second and first years. — Ibis rouge. Less. Man. d'Omith. ii. p. 234. This beautiful bird is found in the most southern parts of Carolina, also in Georgia and Florida, chiefly about the sea-shore and its vicin- ity. In mosl; parts of America within the tropics, and in almost all the West India islands, it is said to be common ; also in the Baha- mas. Of its manners, little more has been collected, than that it fre- quents the borders of the sea, and shores of the nein;hborinar rivers, feeding on small fry, shell fish, sea worms, and small crabs. It is said frequently to perch on trees, sometimes in large flocks ; but to lay its eggs on the ground, on a bed of leaves. The eggs are described as being of a greenish color ; the young, when hatched, black ; soon af- ter, gray ; and, before they are able to fly, white ; continuing gradu- ally to assume their red color until the third year, when the scarlet plumage is complete. It is also said that they usually keep in flocks, the young and old birds separately. They have frequently been domesticated. One of them, which lived for some time in the Museum of this city, was dexterous at catching flies, and most usually walked about, on that pursuit, in the position in which it is represented in Fig. 265. The Scarlet Ibis measures twenty-three inches in length, and thirty- seven in extent ; the bill is five inches long, thick, and somewhat of a square form at the base, gradually bent downwards, and sharply ridged, of a black color, except near the base, where it inclines to red ; irides, dark hazel ; the naked face is finely wrinkled, and of a pale red ; chin, also bare, and wrinkled for about an inch ; whole plumage, a rich^ glowing scarlet, except about three inches of the extremities of the four outer quill-feathers, which are of a deep steel blue ; legs, and naked part of the thighs, pale red, the three anterior toes united by a membrane as far as the first joint Whether the female differs, in the color of her plumage, from the male, or what changes both undergo during the first and second years, I am unable to say from personal observation. Being a scarce species with us, and only found on our most remote southern shores, a suffi- cient number of specimens liave not been procured to enable me to Bettle this matter with sufficient certainty. 564 WHITE IBIS. WHITE IBIS. — TANTALUS ALBUS. — Fig. 266. Le Courly blanc du Bresil, Briss. v. p. 339. W. — Btiff. viii. p. 41. — White Cur- lew, Cateshy, i. pi. 82. — Lath. Syn. iii. p. Ill, No. 9. — Arct. Zool. No. 363. IBIS ALBA. — ViEiLLOT. Ibis alba, Wagl. Stjst. Av. No. 5. — Bonap. Synop. p. 312. This species bears, in every respect except that of color, so strong a resemblance to the preceding, that I have been almost induced to Deiieve it the same, in its white or imperfect stage of color. The length and form of the bill ; the size, conformation, as well as color of the legs ; the general length and breadth, and even the steel blue on tlie four outer quill-feathers, are exactly alike in both. These sugges- tions, however, are not made with any certainty of its being the same, but as circumstances which may lead to a more precise examination of the subject hereafter. I found this species pretty numerous on the borders of Lake Pont- chartrain, near New Orleans, in the month of June, and also observed the Indians sitting in market with strings of them for sale. I met with them again on the Ioav keys, or islands, off the Peninsula of Florida. Mr. Bartram observes that " they fly in large flocks, or squadrons, evening and morning, to and from their feeding places or roosts, and are usually called Spanish Curlews. They feed chiefly on cray fish, whose cells they probe, and with their strong, pinching bills, drag them out." The low islands above mentioned abound with tiiese creatures, and small crabs, the ground in some places seeming alive with them, so that the rattling of their shells against one another was incessant. My venera- ble friend, in his observations on these birds, adds, " It is a pleasing sight, at times of high winds, and heavy thunder storms, to observe the numerous squadrons of these Spanish Curlews, driving to and fro, turning and tacking about, high up in the air, when, by their various evolutions in the different and opposite currents of the wind, high in the clouds, their silvery white plumage gleams and sparkles like the brightest crystal, reflecting the sunbeams that dart upon them between the dark clouds." The White Ibis is twenty-three inches long, and thirty-seven inches in extent ; bill, formed exactly like that of the Scarlet species, of a pale red, blackish towards the point ; face, a reddish flesh color, and finely wrinkled ; irides, whitish; whole plumage, pure white, except about four inches of the tips of the four outer quill-feathers, which are of a deep and glossy steel blue ; legs and feet, pale red, webbed to the first joint. These birds I frequently observed standing on the dead limbs of trees, and on the shore, resting on one leg, their body in an almost per- pendicular position, as represented in the figure, the head and bill resting on the breast This appears to be its most common mode of resting, and perhaps sleeping ; as, in all those w^hich I examined, the plumage on the upper ridge of the neck, and upper part of the RED FLAMINGO. 565 back, was evidently Avorn by tliis habit The same is equally observa- ble on the neck and back of the Wood Ibis. The present species rarely extends its visits north of Carolina, and, even in that state, is only seen for a few weeks towards the end of summer. In Florida, they are common, but seldom remove to any- great distance from the sea. RED FLAMINGO. — PHCENICOPTERUS RUBER. — Fig. 267. Le Flamant, Bnss. vi. p. 532, pi. 47, fig. l.—Buf. riii. p. 475, pi. 39. PL enl. 63. — Lath. Syn. iii. p. 299, pi. 93. — Arct. Zool. No. ^22.— Catesby, i. pi. 73, 14: — PeaLes Museum, No. 3545, bird of the first yearj No. 3546, bird of the second year. PHCEJ^ICOPTERUS RUBER. — Linn.eus. Phoenicopterus ruber, Bonap. Synop. p. 348. This very singular species, being occasionally seen on the southern frontiers of the United States, and on the Peninsula of East Florida, where it is more common, has a claim to a niche in our Ornitholoo-ical Museum, although the author regrets that, from personal observation, he can add nothing to the particulars of its history, already fully de- tailed in various European Avorks. From the most respectable of these, the Si/nopsis of Dr. Latham, he has collected such particulars as appear authentic and interesting. " This remarkable bird has the neck and legs in a greater dispro- portion than any other bird ; the length, from the end of the bill to that of the tail, is four feet two or three inches; but to the end of the claws, measures sometimes more than six feet. The bill is four inches knd a quarter long, and of a construction different from that of any other bird ; the upper mandible, very thin and flat, and somewhat movable ; the under, thick ; both of tfiem bending downwards from the middle ; the nostrils are linear, and placed in a blackish mem- brane ; the end of the bill, as far as the bend, is black ; from thence to the base, reddish yellow; round the base, quite to the eye, covered with a flesh colored cere ; the neck is slender, and of a great length ; the tongue, large, fleshy, filling the cavity of the bill, furnished with twelve or more hooked papillae on each side, turning backwards ; the tip, a sharp, cartilaginous substance. The bird, when in full plumage, is wholly of a most deep scarlet, (those of Africa said to be the deep- est,) except the quills, which are black; from the base of the thigh to the claws, measures thirty-two inches, of which the feathered part takes up no more than three inches ; the bare part above the knee, thirteen inches ; and from thence to the claws, sixteen ; the color of the bare parts is red; and the toes are furnished with a web, as in the Duck genus, but is deeply indented. The legs are not straight, but slightly bent, the shin rather projecting. 48 566 RED FLAMINGO. " These birds do not g-ain their full plumage till the third year. In the first, they are of a grayish white for the most part ; the second, of a clearer white, tinged with red, or rather rose color ; but the wings and scapulars are red ; in the third year, a general glowing scarlet manifests itself throughout ; the bill and legs also keep pace with the gradation of color in the plumage, these parts changing to their colors by degrees, as the bird approaches to an adult state. " Flamingoes prefer a warm climate ; in the old continent not often met with beyond forty degrees north or south ; every where seen on the African coast, and adjacent isles, quite to the Cape of Good Hope ; * and now and then on the coasts of Spain,f Italy, and those of France lying in the Mediterranean Sea ; being, at times, met with at Marseilles, and for some way up the Rhone ; in some seasons fre- quents Aleppo,! and parts adjacent ; seen also on the Persian side of tiie Caspian Sea ; and from thence, along the western coast, as far as the Wolga ; though this at uncertain times, and chiefly in consider- able flocks, coming from the north coast mostly in October and No vember ; but so soon as the wind changes, they totally disappear.§ They breed in the Cape Verd Isles, particularly in that of Sal.|| The nest is of a singular construction, made of mud, in shape of a hillock, with a cavity at top ; in this the female lays generally two white eggs,1[ of the size of those of a Goose, but more elongated. The hillock is of such a height as to admit of the bird's sitting on it con- veniently, or rather standing, as the legs are placed one on each side at full length.** The young cannot fly till full grown, but run very fast. " Flamingoes, for the most part, keep together in flocks, and now and then are seen in great numbers together, except in breeding time. Dampier mentions having, with two more in company, killed fourteen at once ; but this was effected by secreting themselves, for they are very shy birds, and will by no means suffer any one to approach, openly, near enough to shoot them.ff Kolben observ^es, that they are very numerous at the Cape, keeping in the day on the borders of the lakes and rivers, and lodging themselves of nights in the long grass on the hills. They are also common to various places in the warmer parts of America, frequenting the same latitudes as in any other quarters of the world; being met with in Peru, Chili, Cayenne,t| and the coast of Brazil, as well as the various islands of the West Indies. Sloane found them in Jamaica, but particularly at the Bahama Islands, and that of Cuba, where they breed. When seen at a distance, they * In Zee Coow River. — Philosophical Transactions. Once plenty in the Isle of France. — Voyage to Mauritius, p. 66. t About Valencia, in the Lake Albufere. — Dillon's Travels, p. 374. X Russel's Aleppo, p. 69. ^ Decouv. RiLss. ii. p. 24. II Dampier's Voy. i. p. 70. IT They never lay more than three, and seldom fewer. — Phil. Trans. ** Sometimes will lay the eggs on a projecting part of a low rock, if it be placed sufficiently convenient, so as to admit of the legs being placed one on each side. — LlNN-=EUS. ■ft Davies talks of the gunner disguising himself in an ox hide, and, by this means, getting within gunshot. — Hist. ofBarhadoes, p. 88. \\. Called there by the name of Tococo. BLACK, OR SURF DUCK. 567 appear as a regiment of soldiers, being arranged alongside of one another, on the borders of the rivers, searching for food, which chiefly consists of small fish,* or the eggs of them, and of water insects, which they search after by plunging in the bill and part of the head ; from time to time trampling with their feet to muddy the water, that their prey may be raised from the bottom. In feeding, are said to twist the neck in such a manner, that the upper part of the bill is applied to the ground ; f during this, one of them is said to stand sen- tinel, and the moment he sounds the alarm, the whole flock take wing. This bird, when at rest, stands on one leg, the other being drawn up close to the body, with tlie head placed under the wing on that side of the body it stands on. " The flesh of these birds is esteemed pretty good meat, and the young thought, by some, equal to that of a partridge ;| but the greatest dainty is the tongue, which was esteemed by the ancients an exquisite morsel.§ Are sometimes caught young, and brought up tame ; but are ever impatient of cold, and in this state will seldom live a great while, gradually losing their color, flesh, and appetite ; and dying for want of that food, which, in a state of nature at large, they were abundantly supplied with." BLACK, OR SURF DUCK. — ANAS PERSPICILLATA.— Fig. 268. — Male. La grande Macreuse de la Baye de Hudson, Briss. vi. 425, 30. — La Macreuse a large bee, Buff. ix. p. 244. PL enl. 995. — Edw. pi. 155. — Lath. Sun. iii. p. 479. — Phil. Trans. Ixii. p. 4n. — Peale's Museum, No. 2788 ; female, 2789. OIDEMIA PERSPICILLA TA. — Stkphe ns. Oidemia perspicillata, Steph. Cont. Sh. Gen. ZooL xii. p. 219. — Oidemia, sub- gen. Fuligula perspicillata, Bonap. Synop. p. 389. — Oidemia perspicillata, North. Zool. ii. p. 449. — Jard. and Selby, lllust. of Ornith. pi. 138. This Duck is peculiar to America,|| and altogether confined to the shores and bays of the sea, particularly where the waves roll over the sandy beach. Their food consists principally of those small bivalve shell fish already described, spout fish, and others that lie in the sand * Small shell-fish. — Gesner. t LiNN^us, Brisson. X Commonly fat, and accounted delicate. — Davies's Hist. o/Barbadoes, p. 88. The inhabitants of Provence always throw away the flesh, as it tastes fishy, and only make use of the feathers as ornaments to other birds at particular entertain- ments. — Dillon's Travels, p. 374. ^ See Plin. ix. cap. 48. II One or two instances of this bird being killed on the shores of Great Britain have occurred; and, as an occasional visitant, it will be figured in the concluding Number of Mr. Selby's Illustrations of British Ornithology. It is also occasion- ally met with on the continent of Europe, but generally in high latitudes, aiid, though unfrequent elsewhere, it is not entirely confined to America. — Ed. 568 BUFFEL-HEADED DUCK. near its surface. For these they dive almost constantly, both in the sandy bays and amidst the tumbling surf. They seldom or never visit the salt marshes. They continue on our shores during the winter, and leave us early in May, for their breeding places in the north. Their skins are remarkably strong, and their flesh coarse, tasting of fish. They are shy birds, not easily approached, and are common in winter along the whole coast, from the River St. Lawrence to Florida. The length of this species is twenty inches; extent, thirty-two inches ; the bill is yellowish red, elevated at the base, and marked on the side of the upper mandible with a large, square patch of black, preceded by another space of a pearl color ; the part of the bill thus marked swells, or projects, considerably from the common surface ; tlie nostrils are large and pervious ; the sides of the bill, broadly ser- rated, or toothed ; both mandibles are furnished with a nail at the extremity ; irides, white, or very pale cream ; whole plumage, a shin- ing black, marked on the crown and hind head with two triangular spaces of pure white ; the plumage on both these spots is shorter and thinner than the rest ; legs and feet, blood red ; membrane ot the webbed feet, black ; the primary quills are of a deep dusky brown. On dissection, the gullet was found to be gradually enlarged to the gizzard, which was altogether filled with broken shell fish. There was a singular hard expansion at the commencement of the windpipe, and another much larger, about three quarters of an inch above where it separates into the two lobes of the lungs ; this last was larger than a Spanish hazel nut, flat on one side, and convex on the other. The protuberance on each side of the bill communicated with the nostril, and was hollow. All these were probably intended to contain sup- plies of air for the bird's support while under water ; the last may also protect the head from the sharp edges of the shells. The female is altogether of a sooty brown, lightest about the neck ; the prominences on the bill are scarcely observable, and its color dusky. This species was also found by Captain Cook, at Nootka Sound, on the north-west coast of America. BUFFEL-HEADED DUCK. — ANAS ALBEOLA. — Fig. 269, Male j Fig. 270, Female. Le Sarselle de Louisiane, Briss. vi. p. 461, pi. 41, fig. 1. — Le petit Canard h. grosse tete, Buff. ix. p. 249. — Edwards, ii. p. 100. — Catesby,]. 95. — Lath. Syn. iii. p. 533. — A. bucephala, id. p. 121, No. 21 5 A. rustica, id. p. 524, No. 24. — Peak's Museum, No. 2730 j female, 2731. CLAJCaULA ALBEOLA. — ^01^. Fuligula albeola, Bonap. Synop. p. 394. — Clangula albeola, North. Zool. ii. p. 458. This pretty little species, usually known by the name of the But- ter-Box, or Butter-Ball, is common to the sea-shores, rivers, and lakes BUFFEL-HEADED DUCK. 569 of the United States, in every quarter of the country, during autumn and winter. About the middle of April, or early in May, they retire to the north to breed. They are dexterous divers, and fly with extra- ordinary velocity. So early as the latter part of February, the males are observed to have violent disputes for the females. At this time they are more commonly seen in flocks, but, during^ the preceding part of winter, they usually fly in pairs. Their note is a short quak. They feed much on shell fish, shrimps, &c. They are sometimes exceedingly fat, though their flesh is inferior to many others for the table. The male exceeds the female in size, and greatly in beauty of plumage. The Buffel-headed Duck, or rather, as it has originally been, the Buffalo-headed Duck, from the disproportionate size of its head, is fourteen inches long, and twenty-three inches in extent ; the bill is short, and of a light blue, or leaden color ; the plumage of the head and half of the neck is thick, long, and velvety, projecting greatly over tlie lower part of the neck ; this plumage on the forehead and nape is rich glossy green, changing into a shining purple on the crown and sides of the neck ; from the eyes backward passes a broad band of pure AVhite ; iris of the eye, dark; back, wings, and part of the scapu- lars, black ; rest of the scapulars, lateral band alr«ng the wing, and Avhole breast, snowy white ; belly, vent, and tail-coverts, dusky white ; tail, pointed, and of a hoary color. The female is considerably less than the male, and entirely desti- tute of the tumid plumage of the head ; the head, neck, and upper parts of the body, and wings, are sooty black, darkest on the crown ; side of the head, marked with a small, oblong spot of white ; bill, dusky ; lower part of the neck, ash, tipped with white ; belly, dull white ; vent, cinereous ; outer edges of six of the secondaries and their incumbent coverts, white, except the tips of the latter, which are black ; legs and feet, a livid blue ; tail, hoary brown ; length of the intestines, three feet six inches ; stomach, filled with small shell fish. This is the Spirit Duck of Pennant, so called from its dexterity in div- ing, [Arctic Zoology^ No. 487 ;) likewise the Little Brown Duck of Catesby, [Natural History of Carolina, pi. 98.) This species is said to come into Hudson's Bay, about Severn Riv- er, in June, and make their nests in trees in the woods near ponds.* The young males, during the first year, are almost exactly like the fe- males in color. * Latham. 48* 570 CANADA GOOSE. CANADA GOOSE.— ANAS CANADENSIS. — Fig. 271. L'Oye savage de Canada, Briss. vi. p. 272, 4. pi. 26. — L'Oie a cravatte, Buff. ix. p. 82. — Erfwj. pi. 151. — Arct. Zool. No. ^ll.— Catesby, i. pi. 92. — Lath. Syn. ill. p. 450. — Feale's Museum, No. 2704. jiJ^SER CjiJf.3DEJ^SIS. — ViEiLLOT.* Beniicla Canadensis, Boie. — Anser Canadensis, Bonap. Synop. p. 377. — North. Zool. ii. p. 468. — L. Outarde, French Canadians. — Bustard, Hudson's Bay Settlers. This is the Common Wild Goose of the United States, universally known over the whole country ; whose regular periodical migfrations are the sure signals of returning spring, or approaching winter. The tracts of their vast migratory journeys are not confined to the sea-coast or its vicinity. In their aerial voyages to and from the north, these winged pilgrims pass over the interior, on botli sides of the mountains, as far west, at least, as the Osage River ; and I have never yet visited any quarter of the country where the inhabitants are not familiarly ac- quainted with the regular passing and repassing of the Wild Geese, The general opinion here is, that they are on their way to the lakes to breed ; but the inhabitants on the confines of the great lakes that sep- arate us from Canada, are equally ignorant with ourselves of the par- ticular breeding places of those birds. There, their journey north is but commencing ; and how far it extends it is impossible for us, at present, to ascertain, from our little acquaintance with these frozen re- gions. They were seen by Hearne, in large flocks, within the arctic circle, and were then pursuing their way still farther north. Captain Phipps speaks of seeing Wild Geese feeding at the water's edge on the dreary coast of Spitzbergen, in lat. 80° 27'. It is highly probable that they extend their migrations under the very pole itself, amid the silent desolation of unknown countries, shut out since creation from the prying eye of man by everlasting and insunerable barriers of ice. * The appellation "Geese" will mark, in a general way, the birds and fomi to which Anser should be generically applied. They are all of large size, possess in part the gait of a gallinaceous bird, are gregarious, except during the breeding sea- sou, mostly migratory, and are formed more for extensive flight than for the life of a truly aquatic feeding and diving bird. Most of them, during winter, at times, leave the sea or lakes, and feed on the pastures, or, when to be had, on the newly- sprung grains, while some feed entirely on aquatic plants and animals. The Cana- da Goose is easily domesticated, and it is probable that most of the specimens killed in Great Britain have escaped from preserves ; it is found, however, on the Continent of Europe, and stragglers may occasionally occur. On the beautiful piece of water at Gosford House, the seat of the Earl of Wemyss, Haddingtonshire, this and many other water birds rear their young freely. I have never seen any artificial piece of water so beautifully adapted for the domestication and introduction of every kind of water fowl which will bear the climate of Great Britain. Of very large extent, it is embossed in beautiful shrubbery, perfectly recluse, and, even in the nearlj' constant observance of a resident family, several exotic species seem to look on it as their own. The Canada and Egyptian Geese both had young when I visited it, and the lovely Atias (Dendronessa) sponsa seemed as healthy as if in her native waters. —Ed. CANADA GOOSE. 571 That such places abound witli their suitable food, we cannot for a mo- ment doubt ; while the absence of their great destroyer, man, and the splendors of a perpetual day, may render such regions the most suita- ble for their purpose. Having fulfilled the great law of nature, the approaching rigors of that dreary climate oblige these vast, congregated flocks to steer for the more genial regions of the south. And no sooner do they arrive at those countries of the earth inhabited by man than carnage and slaughter is commenced on tlieir ranks. The English at Hudson's Bay, says Pennant, depend greatly on Geese, and, in favorable years, kill three or four thousand, and barrel them up for use. They send out their serrants, as well as Indians, to shoot these birds on their pas- sage. It is in vain to pursue them ; they therefore form a row of huts, made of boughs, at musket-shot distance from each other, and place them in a line across the vast marshes of the country. Each stand, or hovel, as it is called, is occupied by only a single person. These attend the flight of the birds, and, on their approach, mimic their cackle so well that the Geese will answer, and wheel, and come nearer the stand. The sportsman keeps motionless, and on his knees, with his gun cocked the whole time, and never fires till he has seen the eyes of the Geese. He fires as they are going from him ; then picks up another gun that lies by him, and discharges that The Geese which he has killed he sets upon sticks, as if alive, to decoy others ; he also makes artificial birds for the same purpose. In a good day, — for they fly in very uncertain and unequal numbers, — a single Indian will kill two hundred. Notwithstanding every species of Goose has a different call, yet the Indians are admirable in their imitations of every one. The autumnal flight lasts from the middle of August to the mid- dle of October ; those which are taken in this season, when tlie frosts begin, are preserved in their feathers, and left to be frozen for the fresh provisions of the winter stock. The feathers constitute an article of commerce, and are sent to England. The vernal flight of the Geese lasts from the middle of April until the middle of May. Their first appearance coincides with the thaw- ing of the swamps, when they are very lean. Their arrival from the south is impatiently attended ; it is the harbinger of the spring, and the month named by the Indians the Goose moon. They appear usu- ally at their settlements about St. George's day, O. S., and fly north- ward, to nestle in security. They prefer islands to the continent, as farther from the haunts of man.* After such prodigious havock as thus appears to be made among tlicse birds, and their running the gantlet, if I may so speak, for many hundreds of miles through such destructive fires, no wonder they should have become more scarce, as well as shy, by the time they reach the shores of the United States. Their first arrival on the coast of New Jersey is early in October, and their first numerous appearance is the sure prognostic of severe weather. Those which continue all winter frequent the shallow bays and marsh islands ; their principal food being the broad, tender, green leaves of a marine plant which grows on stones and shells, and is * Arctic Zoology. 572 CANADA GOOSE. nsually called sea cabbage ; and also the roots of the sedge, which they are frequently observed in the act of tearing up. Every few days, they make an excursion to the inlets on the beach for gravel. They cross, indiscriminately, over land or water, generally taking the nearest course to their object ; differing, in this respect, from the Brant, which will often go a great way round by water, rather than cross over the land. They swim well ; and, if wing-broken, dive, and go a long way under water, causing the sportsman a great deal of fa- tigue before he can kill them. Except in very calm weather, they rarely sleep on the water, but roost all night in the marshes. When the shallow bays are frozen, they seek the mouths of inlets near the sea, occasionally visiting the air-holes in the ice ; but these bays are seldom so completely frozen as to prevent them from feeding on the bars. The flight of the Wild Geese is heavy and laborious, generally in a straight line, or in tAvo lines approximating to a point, thus, :=- ; in both cases, the van is led by an old gander, who, every now and then, pipes his well-known hoiik, as if to ask how they come on, and the honk of " All's well " is generally returned by some of the party. Their course is in a straight line, with the exception of the undulations of their flight When bewildered in foggy weather, they appear some- times to be in great distress, flying about in an irregular manner, and for a considerable time over the same quarter, making a great clamor. On these occasions, should they approach the earth and alight, which they sometimes do, to rest and recollect themselves, the only hospitality they meet with is death and destruction from a whole neighborhood already in arms for their ruin. Wounded Geese have, in numerous instances, been completely do- mesticated, and readily pair with the tame Gray Geese. The off- spring are said to be larger than either ; but the characteristic marks of the Wild Goose still predominate. The gunners on the sea-shore have long been in the practice of taming the wounded of both sexes, and have sometimes succeeded in getting them to pair and produce. The female always seeks out the most solitary place for her nest, not far from the water. On the approach of every spring, however, these birds discover symptoms of great uneasiness, frequently looking up into the air, and attempting to go off. Some, whose wings have been closely cut, have travelled on foot in a northern direction, and have been found at the distance of several miles from home. They hail every flock that passes overhead, and the salute is sure to be returned by the voyagers, who are only prevented from alighting among them by the presence and habitations of man. The gunners take one or two of these domesticated Geese with them to those parts of the marshes over which the wild ones are accustomed to fly ; and, con- cealing themselves within gunshot, wait for a flight, which is no sooner perceived by the decoy Geese, than they begin calling aloud, until the whole flock approaches so near as to give them an opportunity of discharging two, and sometimes tliree, loaded muskets among it, by ^hich great havock is made. The Wild Goose, when in good order, weighs from ten to twelve, and sometimes fourteen pounds. They are sold in the Philadelphia markets at from seventy-five cents to one dollar each ; and are esti- CANADA GOOSE. 573 mated to yield half a pound of feathers apiece, which produces twenty- five or thirty cents more. The Canada Goose is now domesticated in numerous quarters of the country, and is remarked for being extremely watchful, and more sen- sible of approaching changes in the atmosphere than the Common Gray Goose. In England, France, and Germany, tliey have also been long ago domesticated. Buffo n, in his account of this bird, observes, " Within these few years, many hundreds inliabited the great canal at Versailles, where they breed familiarly with the Swans ; they were oftener on the grassy margins tlian in the water ; " and adds, " There is at present a great number of them on the magnificent pools that deco- rate the charming gardens of Chantilly." Thus has America already added to the stock of domestic fowls two species, the Turkey and the Canada Goose, superior to most in size, and inferior to none in useful- ness ; for it is acknowledged by an English naturalist, of good ob- servation, that this last species " is as familiar, breeds as freely, and is in every respect as valuable as the Common Goose." * The strong disposition of the wounded Wild Geese to migrate to the north in spring, has been already taken notice of. Instances have oc- curred where, their wounds having healed, they have actually succeeded in mounting into the higher regions of the air, and joined a passing party to the north ; and, extraordinary as it may appear, I am well as- sured by the testimony of several respectable persons, who have been eye-witnesses to the fact, that they have been also known to return again in the succeeding autumn to their former habitation. These accounts are strongly corroborated by a letter which I some time ago received from an obliging correspondent at New York ; which I shall here give at large, permitting him to tell his story in his own way, and con- clude ray iiistory of this species : — " Mr. Piatt, a respectable fanner on Long Island, being out shooting in one of the bays, which, in that part of tlie country, abound with water-fowl, wounded a Wild Goose. Being Aving-tipped, and unable to fly, he caught it, and brought it home alive. It proved to be a fe- male ; and, turning it into his yard, Avith a flock of tame Geese, it soon became quite tame and familiar, and in a little time its wounded wing entirely healed. In the following spring, when the Wild Geese migrate to the northward, a flock passed over Mr. Piatt's barn- yard ; and, just at that moment, their leader happening to sound his bugle note, our Goose, in whom its new habits and enjoyments had not quite extinguished the love of liberty, and remembering the well-known sound, spread its wings, mounted into the air, joined the travellers, and soon disappeared. In the succeeding autumn, the Wild Geese, as was usual, returned from the northward in great numbers, to pass the winter in our bays and rivers. Mr. Piatt happened to be standing in his yard when a flock passed directly over his barn. At that instant, he observed three Geese detach themselves from the rest, and, after wheeling round several times, alight in the middle of the yard. Imagine his surprise and pleasure, when, by certain well-re- membered signs, he recognized in one of the three his long-lost fugi- tive. It was she indeed ! She had travelled many hundred miles to * Bewick, vol. ii. p. 255. 574 TUFTED DUCK. the lakes ; had there hatched and reared her offspring ; and had now returned with her little family, to share with them the sweets of civilized life. " The truth of the foreg^oing relation can be attested by many respect- able people, to whom Mr. Piatt has related the circumstances as above detailed. The birds were all living, and in his possession, about a year ago, and had shown no disposition whatever to leave him." The length of this species is three feet ; extent, five feet two inches ; the bill is black ; irides, dark hazel ; upper half of the neck, black, marked on the chin and lower part of the head with a large patch of white, its distinguishing character ; lower part of the neck before, white ; back and wing-coverts, brown, each feather tipped with whitish ; rump and tail, black ; tail-coverts and vent, white ; primaries, black, reaching to the extremity of the tail ; sides, pale ashy brown ; legs and feet, blackish ash. The male and female are exactly alike in plumage. TUFTED DUCK. — ANAS FULIGULA. — Fig. 272. — Male. FULIOULA RUFJTOR. Synop. p. 395. — Long-tailed Duck, Mont. Oniitk. Diet. i. and Supp. — Bew. Br.Birds, ii.363. — Long-tailed Hareld, Sel- by's Illitst. Br. Ornith. pi. 61, m. andf. — Harelda glacialis, North. Zool. ii. p. 460. This Duck is very generally known along the shores of the Chesa- peake Bay, by the name of South-Southerly, from the singularity of its cry, something imitative of the sound of those words, and also, that, when very clamorous, they are supposed to betoken a southerly wind ; on the coast of New Jersey, they are usually called Old Wives. They are chiefly salt-water Ducks, and seldom ramble far from the sea. They inhabit our bays and coasts during the winter only ; are rarely found in the marshes, but keep in the channel, diving for small shell fish, which are their principal food. In passing to and from the bays, sometimes in vast flocks, particularly towards evening, their loud and confused noise may be heard, in calm weather, at the distance of several miles. They fly very swiftly, take short excursions, and are lively, restless birds. Their native regions are in the north, where great numbers of them remain during the whole year ; part only of the vast family migrating south, to avoid the severest rigors of that climate. They are common to the whole northern hemisphere. In the Orkneys, they are met with in considerable flocks, from October to April ; fre- quent in Sweden, Lapland, and Russia; are often found about St. Pe- tersburg, and also in Kamtschatka. Are said to breed at Hudson's Bay, making their nest among the grass near the sea, like the Eider Duck, and about the middle of June lay from ten to fourteen bluish white eggs, the size of those of a Pullet. When the young are hatched, the mother carries them to the water in her bill. The nest is lined * This bird forms the type of Dr. Leach's genus Harelda. It is remarkable for the decided change between the plumage of the breeding season and that of the winter, bearing analogy, in many particulars, to the Tringaj and their allies, for the prolongation of the scapulary feathers, and for the narrow, lengthened tail. It is a native of both continents, but in Britain is only met with during winter, in the dress of that season, or in the plumage of the first year. It keeps to the open sea, and seldom ventures inland to rivers or lakes. The following is a description of a specimen killed on the first May, from the Northern Zoology, and which agrees nearly with skins in my possession. " The whole upper plumage, the central pairs of tail-feathers, and the under plumage to the fore part of the belly, brownish black 5 the lesser quills, paler. A triangular patch of feathers, between the shoulders and the scapulars, broadly bordered with orange brown.'' (In the winter plumage, the long scapulars are pure white, and form a beautiful contrast, hanging over the dark quills.) " Sides of head from the bill to the ears, ash gray ; eye stripe, and poste- rior under plumage, pure white ; flanks, sides of the rump, and lateral tail-feathers, white, stained with brown ; axillaries and inner wing-coverts, clove brown ; bill, black, with an orange belt (bright vermilion) before the nostrils." — Ed. FEMALE LONG-TAILED DUCK. 597 with the down of her breast, which is accounted equally vahiable with that of the Eider Duck, were it to be had in the same quantity.* They are hardy birds, and excellent divers. Are not very common in Eng- land, coming there only in very severe winters ; and then but in small, straggling parties ; yet are found on the coast of America, as far south at least as Charleston, in Carolina, during the winter. Their flesh is held in no great estimation, having a fishy taste. The down and plu- mage, particularly on the breast and lower parts of the body, are very abundant, and appear to be of the best quality. The length of this species is twenty-two inches ; extent, thirty inches ; bill, black, crossed near the extremity by a band of orange ; tongue, downy ; iris, dark red ; cheeks and frontlet, dull dusky drab, passing over the eye, and joining a large patch of black on the side of the neck, which ends in dark brown ; throat and rest of the neck, white ; crown, tufted, and of a pale cream color ; lower part of the neck, breast, back, and wings, black ; scapulars and tertials, pale blu- ish white, long, and pointed, and falling gracefully over the wings ; the white of tlie lower part of the neck spreads over the back an inch or two ; the white of the belly spreads over the sides, and nearly meets at the rump ; secondaries, chestnut, forming a bar across the wing ; primaries, rump, and tail-coverts, black ; the tail consists of fourteen feathers, all remarkably pointed, the two middle ones nearly four inches longer than the others ; these, with the two adjoining ones, are black ; the rest, white ; legs and feet, dusky slate. On dissection, the intestines were found to measure five feet six inches. The windpipe Avas very curiously formed ; besides the labyrinth, which is nearly as large as the end of the thumb, it has an expansion, immediately above that, of double its usual diameter, which continues for an inch and a half; this is flattened on the side next the breast, with an oblong, window-like vacancy in it, crossed witii five narrow bars, and covered with a thin, transparent skin, like the panes of a window ; another thin skin of the same kind is spread over the external side of the labyrinth, which is partly of a circular form. This singular conformation is, as usual, peculiar to the male, the fe- male having the windpipe of nearly an imiform thickness throughout. She differs also so much in the colors and markings of her plumage, as to render a figure of her necessary ; for a description of which see the following article FEMALE. LONG-TAILED DUCK. — Fig. 287. Anas hvemalis, Linn. Syst. 202,29. — Lath. Sun. iii. p. 529. — Peale^s Museum, HARELDA OLACIALIS. — Leach. The female is distinguished from the male by wanting the length- ened tertials, and the two long, pointed feathers of the tail, and also by her size, and the rest of her plumage, which is as follows : length, * Latham. 598 SUMMER DUCK. sixteen inches ; extent, twenty-eight inches ; bill, dusky ; middle of the crown, and spot on the side of the neck, blackish ; a narrow dusky line runs along ^e throat for two inches ; rest of the head, and upper half of the neck, white, lower half, pale vinaceous bay, blended with white ; all the rest of the lower parts of the body, pure white; back, scapulars, and lesser wing-coverts, bright ferruginous, centred with black, and interspersed wi3i whitish ; shoulders of the wing, and quills, black ; lower part of the back, the same, tinged with brown ; tail, pale brown ash ; inner vanes of all but the two middle feathers, white ; legs and feet, dusky slate. The legs are placed far behind, which cir- cumstance points out the species to be great divers. In some females, the upper parts are less ferruginous. Some writers suppose the singular voice, or call, of this species, to be occasioned by the remarkable construction of its windpipe ; but the fact, that the females are uniformly the most noisy, and yet are entire- ly destitute of the singularities of this conformation, overthrows the probability of this supposition. SUMMER DUCK, OR WOOD DUCK. — ANAS SPONSA.— Fig. 288. Le Canard d'Ete, Briss. vi. p. 351, 11, pi. 32, fig. 2. — Le beau Canard huppe, Buf ix. p. 245. PL enl. 980, 981. — Summer Duck, Caiesbv, i. pi. 97.— Edw. pi. 101. — Arct. Zool. No. 943. — Lath. Syn. hi. p. 546. — Peak's Museum, No. 2872. JDKWDR0JVESS.3 SPOJVS.^. —Richardson, Swainson.* Aneis sponsa, Bonap. Synop. p. 385. — Dendronessa sponsa, North. Zool. ii. 446. This most beautiful of all our Ducks has probably no superior among its whole tribe for richness and variety of colors. It is called * These lovely Ducks may be said to represent an incessorial form among the anatida; ; they build and perch on trees, and spend as much time on land as upon the waters 5 Dr. Richardson has given this group, containing few members, the title of dendronessa from their arboreal habits. Our present species is the only one be- longing to America, where it ranges rather to the south than north ; the others, I believe, are all confined to India. They are remarkable for the beauty and splen- dor of their plumage, its glossy, silky texture, and for the singular form of the scapulars, which, instead of an extreme development in length, receive it in the contrary proportion of breadth ; and instead of lying flat, in some stand perpen- dicular to the back. They are all adorned with an ample crest, pendulous, and running down the back of the neck. Thev are easily domesticated, but I do not know that they have been yet of much utility in this state, being more kept on ac- count of their beauty, and few have been introduced except to our menageries 5 with a little trouble at first, they might form a much more common ornament about our artificial pieces of water, 'it is the only form of a Tree Duck common to this continent ; in other countries there are, however, two or three others of very great importance in the natural system, whose structure and habits have yet been almost entirely overlooked or lost sight of. These seem to range principally over India, and more sparingly in Africa ; and the Summer Duck is the solitary instance, the United Stales the nearly extreme limit, of its own peculiarities in this division of the world. — Ed. SUMMER DUCK. 599 the Wood Duck, from the circumstance of its breedinof in hollow trees ; and the Summer Duck, from remaininsf with us chiefly during- the summer. It is familiarly known in every quarter of the United States, from Florida to Lake Ontario, in the neijrhborhood of which latter place I have myself met with it in October. It rarely visits the sea- shore, or salt marshes, its favorite haunts beinf^ the solitary, deep, and muddy creeks, ponds, and mill-dams of the interior, making its nest frequently in old, hollow trees that overhang the water. The Summer Duck is equally well known in Mexico and many of the West India islands. During the whole of our winters, they are occasionally seen in the states south of the Potomac. On the 10th of January, I met with two on a creek near Petersburgh, in Virginia. In the more northern districts, however, they are migratory. In Penn- sylvania, the female usually begins to lay late in April or early in May. Instances have been known where the nest was constructed of a few sticks laid in a fork of the branches ; usually, however, the in- side of a hollow tree is selected for this purpose. On the 18th of May I visited a tree containing the nest of a Summer Duck, on the banks of Tuckahoe River, New Jersey. It was an old, grotesque ■white oak, whose top had been torn off by a storm. It stood on the declivity of the bank, about twenty yards from the water. In this hollow and broken top, and about six feet down, on the soft, decayed wood, lay thirteen eggs, snugly covered with down, doubtless taken from the breast of the bird. These eggs were of an exact oval shape, less than those of a Hen, the surface exceedingly fine grained, and of the highest polish, and slightly yellowish, greatly resembling old, polished ivory. The egg measured two inches and an eighth by one inch and a half. On breaking one of them, th" young bird was found to be nearly hatched, but dead, as neither of the parents had been observed about the tree during the three or four days preceding, and were conjectured to have been shot. This tree had been occupied, probably by the same pair, for four successive years, in breeding time ; the person who gave me the in- formation, and whose house was within twenty or thirty yards of the tree, said that he had seen the female, the spring preceding, carry down thirteen young, one by one, in less than ten minutes. She caught them in her bill by the wing or back of tiie neck, and landed them safely at the foot of the tree, whence she afterwards led them to the water. Under this same tree, at the time I visited it, a large sloop lay on the stocks, nearly finished ; the deck was not more than twelve feet distant from the nest, yet notwithstanding the presence and noise of the workmen, the Ducks would not abandon their old breeding place, but continued to pass out and in, as if no person had been near. The male usually perched on an adjoining limb, and kept watch while the female was laying, and also oflen while she was sitting. A tame Goose had chosen a hollow space at the root of the same tree, to lay and hatch her young in. The Summer Duck seldom flies in flocks of more than three or four individuals together, and most commonly in pairs, or singly. The common note of the drake is peet, peet ; but when, standing sentinel, he sees danger, he makes a noise not unlike the crowing of a young cock, oe eek ! oe eek ! Their food consists principally of acorns, seeds 600 SUMMER DUCK. of the wild oats, and insects. Their flesh is inferior to that of the Blue- winged Teal. They are frequent in the markets of Philadelphia. Among other gaudy featliers with which the Indians ornament the calumet or pipe of peace, the skin of the head and neck of the Sum- mer Duck is frequently seen covering the stem. This beautiful bird has often been tamed, and soon becomes so fa- miliar as to permit one to stroke its back with the hand. I have seen individuals so tamed, in various parts of the Union. Captain Boyer, collector of the port of Havre-de-Grace, informs me, that, about forty years ago, a Mr. Nathan Nicols, who lived on the west side of Gun- powder Creek, had a whole yard swarming with Summer Ducks, which he had tamed and completely domesticated, so that they bred and were as familiar as any other tame fowls ; that he (Captain Boyer) himself saw them in that state, but does not know what became of them. Latham says, that they are often kept in European menageries, and will breed there.* The Wood Duck is nineteen inches in length, and two feet four inches in extent ; bill, red, margined with black ; a spot of black lies between the nostrils, reaching nearly to the tip, which is also of the same color, and furnished with a large, hooked nail ; irides, orange red ; front, crown, and pendent crest, rich glossy bronze green, ending in violet, elegantly marked with a line of pure white running from the upper mandible over the eye, and with another band of white pro- ceeding from behind the eye, both mingling their long, pendent plumes with the green and violet ones, producing a rich effect ; cheeks and sides of the upper neck, violet ; chin, throat, and collar round the neck, pure white, curving up in the form of a crescent, nearly to tlie posterior part of the eye ; the white collar is bounded below with black ; breast, dark violet brown, marked on the fore part with minute triangular spots of white, increasing in size until they spread into the white of the belly ; each side of the breast is bounded by a large crescent of white, and that again by a broader one of deep black ; sides, under the wings, thickly and beautifully marked with fine, undu- lating, parallel lines of black, on a ground of yellowish drab ; the flanks are ornamented with broad, alternate, semicircular bands of black and white ; sides of the vent, rich light violet ; tail-coverts, long, of a hair-like texture at the sides, over which they descend, and of a deep black, glossed with green ; back, dusky bronze, reflecting green ; scapulars, black ; tail, tapering, dark glossy green above ; be- low, dusky ; primaries, dusky, silvery hoary without, tipped with violet blue ; secondaries, greenish blue, tipped with white ; wing-coverts, violet blue, tipped with black ; vent, dusky ; legs and feet, yellowish red ; claws, strong and hooked. The above is as accurate a description as I can give of a very per- fect specimen now before me, from which Fig. 288 was faithfully copied. The female has the head slightly crested ; crown, dark purple ; be- hind the eye, a bar of white ; chin and throat, for two inches, "also white ; head and neck, dark drab ; breast, dusky brown, marked with large, triangular spots of white ; back, dark glossy bronze brown, with * General Sijnopsis, iii. 547. GREEN-WINGED TEAL. 601 some gold and greenish reflections ; speculum of the wings, nearly the same as in the male, but the tine pencilling of the sides, and the long, hair-like tail-coverts are wanting ; ttie tail is also shorter. GREEN-WINGED TEAL. — ANAS CRECCA. — Fig.289. Lath. Syn. iii. p. 554. — Bewick^ s Br. Birds, v. ii. p. 338. — Peak's Museum, No. 2832. BOSCHjIS C^/20L/JV£JVS/S. — Jardine.* Anas Carolinensis, Lath. Ind. Ornith. ii. p. 874. — Anas migratoria, Least Green- winged Teal, Bart. Trav. p. 293. — Anas crecca, varielas, Forst. Phil. Tram. Ixii. p. 347. — American Teal, Lath. Gen. Hist. x. p. 37L — Anas crecca, Bonap. Synop. p. 386. — Anas (boschas) crecca, var. North. Zool. ii. p. 443. The naturalists of Europe have designated this little Duck by the name of the American Teal, as being a species different from their own. On an examination, however, of the figure and description of the European Teal by the ingenious and accurate Bewick, and com- paring them with the present, no difference whatever appears in the length, extent, color, or markings of either, but what commonly oc- curs among individuals of any other tribe ; both undoubtedly belong to one and the same species. This, like the preceding, is a fresh-water Duck, common in our markets in autumn and winter, but rarely seen here in summer. It frequents ponds, marshes, and the reedy shores of creeks and rivers ; is very abundant among the rice plantations of the Southern States ; •^ Most writers on the ornithology of America have considered this bird as a va- riety of the European Teal. All, however, agree in their regarding the difi'ercnce in the variety, and of its being constant in the northern specimens. Thus Dr. La- tham mentions the white pectoral band. Forster says, "This is a variety of the Teal, for it wants the two white streaks above and below the eyes ; the lower one indeed is faintly expressed in the male, which has also a lunated'bar of white over each shoulder 5 this is not to be found in the European Teal." Pennant, " that it wants the white line which the European one has above each eye, having only one below 5 has over each shoulder a lunated bar." The authors of the Northern Zoology observe, " The only permanent difference that we have been able to detect, after comparing a number of specimens, is, that the English Teal has a white lon- gitudinal band on the scapulars, which the other wants. All the specimens brought home by the Expedition have a broad, transverse bar on the shoulder, which does not exist in the English one." And our author, in his plate, has most distinctly marked the differences. From the testimony of all its describers marking the va- riety as permanent and similar, I am certainly inclined to consider this bird, though nearly allied, to be distinct; and, as far as we yet know, peculiar to the northern parts of America. I have not been able to procure a specimen for immediate comparison, and only once had an opportunity of slig'htly examining a northern bird : in it the distinctions were at once perceptible. From their great similarity, no observers have yet particularly attended to the manners of the American bird, or to the marking of the females. If the above observations are the means of di- recting further attention to these points, they will have performed their intended end. I by no means consider the point decided. — Ed. 51 602 GREEN-WINGED TEAL. flies in small parties, and feeds at night ; associates often with the Duck and Mallard, feeding on the seeds of various kinds of grasses and water-plants, and also on the tender leaves of vegetables. Its flesh is accounted excellent. The Green- winged Teal is fifteen inches in length, and twenty-four inches in extent ; bill, black ; irides, pale brown ; lower eyelid, whitish ; head, glossy reddish chestnut ; from the eye backwards to the nape runs a broad band of rich silky green, edged above and below by a fine line of brownish white ; the plumage of the nape ends in a kind of pendent crest ; chin, blackish ; below the chestnut, the neck, for three quarters of an inch, is white, beautifully crossed with circular, undu- lating lines of black ; back, scapulars, and sides of the breast, white, thickly crossed in the same manner ; breast, elegantly marked with roundish or heart-shaped spots of black, on a pale vinaceous ground, variegated with lighter tints ; belly, white ; sides, waved with undu- lating lines ; lower part of the vent-feathers, black ; sides of the same, brownish white, or pale reddish cream ; lesser wing-coverts, brown ash ; greater, tipped with reddish cream ; the first five secondaries, deep velvety black, the next five resplendent green, forming the spec- ulum or beauty spot, which is bounded above by pale buff, below by w^hite, and on each side by deep black ; primaries, ashy brown ; tail, pointed, eighteen feathers, dark drab ; legs and feet, flesh colored. In some, a few circular touches of white appear on the breast near the shoulder of the wing. The windpipe has a small, bony labyrinth where it separates into the lungs ; the intestines measure three feet six inches, and are very small and tender. The female wants the chestnut bay on the head, and the band of rich green tlirough the eye, these parts being dusky white, speckled with black ; the breast is gray brown, thickly sprinkled with blackish, or dark brown ; the back, dark brown, waved with broad lines of brownish white ; wing, nearly the same as in the male. This species is said to breed at Hudson's Bay, and to have from five to seven young at a time.* In France, it remains tliroughout the year, and builds in April, among the rushes on the edges of the ponds. It has been lately discovered to breed, also, in England, in the mosses about Carlisle.f It is not known to breed in any part of the United States. The Teal is found in the north of Europe as far as Iceland, and also inhabits the Caspian Sea to the south ; extends likewise to China, having been recognized by Latham among some fine drawings of the birds of that country. * Latham. t Bewick. CANVASS-BACK DUCK. 603 CANVASS-BACK DUCK. — ANAS VALISINERIA. — Fig. 290. Peak's Museum, No. 2816. FULIOULA VALISJ^ERM^TA. — Stephens.* Fuligula valisneriaiia, Bonap. Stjnop. p. 392. — North. Zool. iv. p. 450. — Anas valisneriana, Wilson. This celebrated American species, as far as can be judg^ed from the best figures and descriptions of foreign birds, is altogether un- known in Europe. It approaches nearest to the Pochard of England, [Anas ferina,) but differs from that bird in being superior in size and ■weight, in the greater magnitude of its bill, and the general whiteness of its plumage. A short comparison of the two will elucidate this point : The Canvass-Back measures two feet in length by three feet in extent, and, when in the best order, weighs three pounds and up- wards. The Pochard, according to Latham and Bewick, measures nineteen inches in length, and thirty in extent, and weighs one pound twelve or thirteen ounces. The latter writer says of tlie Pochard, " The plumage, above and below, is wholly covered with prettily- freckled, slender, dusky threads, disposed transversely in close-set, zigzaf^ lines, on a pale ground, more or less shaded off with ash," — a description much more applicable to the bird figured beside it, the Red-Head, and which, very probably, is the species meant. In the figure of the Pochard given by Mr. Bewick, who is generally correct, the bill agrees very well with that of our Red-Head ; but is scarcely half the size and thickness of that of the Canvass-Back ; and the fig- ure in the Planches Enluminees corresponds, in that respect, with Bewick's. In short, either these writers are egregiously erroneous in their figures and descriptions, or the present Duck was altogether un- known to them. Considering the latter supposition the more probable * This species is now well established, and can never be mistaken. I am not aware that any thing can be added to Wilson's accurate description, unless it be his description, in poetry, of his first capture of the Canvass-Back. — Ed. '' Slow round an opening point we softly steal, Where four large Ducks in playful circles wheel. The far-famed Canvass-Backs at once we know, Their broad, flat bodies wrapped in pencilled snowj The burnished chestnut o'er their necks that shone, Spread deep'ning round each breast a sable zone. Wary they gaze — our boat in silence glides ; The slow-moved paddles steal along the sides ; Quick-flashing thunders roar along the flood, And three lie prostrate, vomiting their blood ! The fourth aloft on whistling pinions soared ; One fatal glance the fiery thunders poured ; Prone drops the bird amid the dashing waves. And the clear stream his glossy plumage laves." Foresters, p. 39. 604 CANVASS-BACK DUCK. of the two, I have designated this as a ncAv species, and shall proceed to detail some particulars of its history. The Canvass-Back Duck arrives in the United States from the north about the middle of October ; a few descend to the Hudson and Dela- ware, but the great body of these birds resort to the numerous rivers belonging to and in the neighborhood of the Chesapeake Bay, particu- larly tlie Susquehannah, the Fatapsco, Potomac, and James Rivers, which appear to be their general winter rendezvous. Beyond this, to the south, I can find no certain accounts of them. At the Susquehan- nah, they are called Canvass-Backs ; on the Potomac, White-Backs ; and on James River, Sheldrakes. They are seldom found at a great distance up any of these rivers, or even in the salt-water bay; but in that particular part of tide water where a certain grass-like plant grows, on the roots of which they feed. This plant, which is said to be a species of valisineria, grows on fresh-water shoals of from seven to nine feet, (but never where these are occasionally dry,) in long, nar- row, grass-like blades, of four or five feet in length ; the root is white, and has some resemblance to small celery. This grass is in many places so thick that a boat can with difficulty be rowed through it, it so impedes the oars. The shores are lined with large quantities of it, torn up by tlie Ducks, and drifted up by the winds, lying, like hay, in windrows. Wherever this plant grows in abundance, the Canvass- Backs may be expected, either to pay occasional visits, or to make it their regular residence during the winter. It occurs in some parts of the Hudson ; in the Delaware, near Gloucester, a few miles below Philadelphia ; and in most of the rivers that fall into the Chesapeake, to each of which particular places these Ducks resort; while, in waters unprovided with this nutritive plant, they are altogether un- known. On the first arrival of these birds in the Susquehannah, near Havre- de-Grace, they are generally lean; but such is the abundance of their favorite food that, towards the beginning of November, they are in pretty good order. They are excellent divers, and swim with great speed and agility. They sometimes assemble in such multitudes as to cover several acres of the river, and, when they rise suddenly, pro- duce a noise resembling thunder. They float about these shoals, div- ing, and tearing up the grass by the roots, which is the only part they eat They are extremely shy, and can rarely be approached, unless by stratagem. When wounded in the wing, they dive to such pro- digious distances, and with such rapidity, continuing it so persevering- ly, and with such cunning and active vigor, as almost always to render the pursuit hopeless. From the great demand for these Ducks, and tlie high price they uniformly bring in market, various modes are prac- tised to get within gunshot of them. The most successful way is said to be decoying them to the shore by means of a dog, while the gunner lies closely concealed in a proper situation. The dog, if properly trained, plays backwards and for^^a^ds along the margin of the water ; and the Ducks, observing his manoeuvres, enticed perhaps by curiosity, gradually approach the shore, until they are sometimes within twenty or thirty yards of the spot where the gunner lies con- cealed, and from which he rakes them, first on the water, and then as they rise. This method is called tolling them in. If the Ducks seem CANVASS-BACK DUCK. 605 difficult to decoy, any glaring- object, sucli as a red liandkerchief, is fixed round the dog's middle, or to his tail ; and this rarely fails to attract them. Sometimes, by moonlight, the sportsman directs his skift* towards a flock whose position he had previously ascertained, keeping within the projecting shadow of some wood, bank, or head- land, and paddles along so silently and imperceptibly as often to ap- proach within fifteen or twenty yards of a flock of many thousands, among whom he generally makes great slaughter. Many other stratagems are practised, and, indeed, every plan that tlie ingenuity of the experienced sportsman can suggest, to approach within gunshot of these birds; but, of all the modes pursued, none in- timidate them so much as shooting them by night ; and they soon abandon the place where they have been thus repeatedly shot at During the day, they are dispersed about ; but towards evening, collect in large flocks, and come into the mouths of creeks, where they often ride as at anchor, with their head under their wing, asleep, there being always sentinels awake, ready to raise an alarm on the least appear- ance of danger. Even when feeding and diving in small parties, the whole never go down at one time, but some are still left above on the look-out. When the winter sets in severely, and the river is frozen, the Can- vass-Backs retreat to its confluence Avith the bay, occasionally fre- quenting air-holes in the ice, which are sometimes made for the pur- pose, immediately above their favorite grass, to entice them within gunshot of the hut or bush which is usually fixed at a proper distance, and where the gunner lies concealed, ready to take advantage of their distress. A Mr. Hill, who lives near James River, at a place called Herring Creek, informs me, that, one severe winter, he and another person broke a hole in the ice, about twenty by forty feet, immediately over a shoal of grass, and took their stand on the shore in a hut of brush, each having three guns well loaded with large shot The Ducks, which were flying up and down the river, in great extremity, soon crowded to this place, so that the whole open space was not only covered with them, but vast numbers stood on the ice around it They had three rounds, firing both at once, and picked up eighty-eight Can- vass-Backs, and might have collected more, had they been able to get to the extremity of the ice after the wounded ones. In the severe winter of 1779-80, the grass, on the roots of which tliese birds feed, was almost wholly destroyed in James River. In the month of Janu- aiy, the Avind continued to bloAv from W. N. W. for tAventy-one days, Avhich caused such low tides in the river, that the grass froze to the ice every Avhere ; and, a thaAV coming on suddenly, the Avhole Avas raised by the roots, and carried off by the fresh. The next Avinter, a few of liiese Ducks were seen, but they soon Avent aAvay again ; and, for many years after, they continued to be scarce ; and, even to the present day, in the opinion of my informant, have never been so plenty as before. The Canvass-Back, in the rich, juicy tenderness of its flesh, and its delicacy of flavor, stands unrivalled by the Avhole of its tribe in this or perhaps any other quarter of the Avorld. Those killed in the Avaters of the Chesapeake are generally esteemed superior to all others, doubtless from the great abundance of their favorite food which these 51^ 606 CANNASS-BACK DUCK. rivers produce. At our public dinners, hotels, and particular enter- tainments, the Canvass-Backs are universal favorites. They not only grace but dignify the table, and their very name conveys to the im- agination of the eager epicure the most comfortable and exhilarating ideas. Hence, on such occasions, it has not been uncommon to pay from one to three dollars a pair for these Ducks ; and, indeed, at such times, if they can, they must be had, whatever may be the price. The Canvass-Back will feed readily on grain, especially wheat, and may be decoyed to particular places by baiting them with that grain for several successive days. Some few years since, a vessel loaded with wheat was wrecked near the entrance of Great Egg Harbor, in the autumn, and went to pieces. The wheat floated out in vast quan- tities, and the whole surface of the bay was in a few days covered with Ducks of a kind altogether unknown to the people of that quarter. The gunners of the neighborhood collected in boats, in every direction, shooting them ; and so successful were they, that, as Mr. Beasley informs me, two hundred and forty were killed in one day, and sold among the neighbors, at twelve and a half cents apiece, without the feathers. The wounded ones were generally abandoned, as being too difficult to be come up with. They continued about for three weeks, and during the greater part of that time a continual can- nonading was heard from every quarter. The gunners called them Sea Ducks. They were all Canvass-Backs, at that time on their way from the north, when this floating feast attracted their attention, and for a while arrested them in their course. A pair of these very Ducks I myself bought in Philadelphia market at the time, from an Egg Harbor gunner, and never met with their superior, either in weight or excellence of flesh. When it was known among those people the loss they had sustained in selling for twenty-five cents what would have brought them from a dollar to a dollar and a half per pair, universal surprise and regret were naturally enough excited. The Canvass-Back is two feet long, and three feet in extent, and, when in good order, weighs three pounds ; the bill is large, rising high in the head, three inches in length, and one inch and three eighths thick at the base, of a glossy black ; eye, very small ; irides, dark red ; cheeks and fore part of the head, blackish brown ; rest of the head and greater part of the neck, bright glossy reddish chestnut, ending in a broad space of black that covers the upper part of the breast, and spreads round to the back ; back, scapulars, and tertiais, white, faintly marked with an infinite number of transverse, waving lines or points, as if done with a pencil ; whole lower parts of the breast, also the belly, white, slightly pencilled in the same manner, scarcely perceptible on the breast, pretty thick towards the vent ; wing-coverts, gray, with numerous specks of blackish ; primaries and secondaries, pale slate, two or three of the latter of which nearest the body are finely edged with deep velvety black, the former dusky at the tips ; tail, very short, pointed, consisting of fourteen feathers of a hoary brown ; vent and tail-coverts, black ; lining of the wing, white ; legs and feet, very pale ash, the latter three inches in width — a cir- cumstance which partly accounts for its great powers of swimming. The female is somewhat less than the male, and weighs two pounds and three quarters ; the crown is blackish brown ; cheeks and throat, RED-HEADED DUCK. 607 of a pale drab ; neck, dull brown ; breast, as far as the black extends on the male, dull brown, skirted in places with pale drab ; back, d^isky white, crossed with fine, waving lines ; belly, of tlie same dull white, pencilled like the back ; wings, feet, and bill, as in the male ; tail- coverts, dusky ; vent, white, waved with brown. The windpipe of tlie male has a large, flattish, concave labyrinth, the ridge of which is covered with a thin, transparent membrane ; where tlie trachea enters this, it is very narrow, but immediately above swells to three times that diameter. The intestines are wide, and measure five feet in length. RED-HEADED DUCK. — ANAS FERINA ? — Fig. 291. Peak's Museum, No. 2710. FULIOULA F£«/JV.4. — Stephens.* Steph. Cont. Sh. Zool. p. 193. — Fuligula ferina, Bonaf. Synop. p. S9^. — North. Zool. ii. p. 431. — Nyroca ferina, Flem. Br. Anim. p. 108. — Le Canard miloun, Temm. Man. ii. 868. — Pochard, or Red-headed Widgeon, Mont. Ornith. Diet. ii. and Supp. Bew. Br. Birds, ii. p. 336. — Red-headed Widgeon, Selby's lllust. Br. Ornith. pi. 63, fig. 1. This is a common associate of the Canvass-Back, frequenting the same places, and feeding on the stems of the same grass, the latter eating only the roots ; its flesh is very little inferior, and is often sold in our markets for the Canvass-Back to those unacquainted with the characteristic marks of each. Anxious as I am to determine precisely whether this species be the Red-headed Widgeon, Pochard, or Dun Bird t of England, I have not been able to ascertain the point to my own satisfaction, though I think it very probably the same, the size, extent, and general description of the Pochard, agreeing pretty nearly with this. The Red-Head is twenty inches in length, and two feet six inches in extent ; bill, dark slate, sometimes black, two inches long, and seven eighths of an inch thick at the base, furnished with a large, broad nail at the extremity ; irides, flame colored ; plumage of the head, long, velvety, and inflated, running high above the base of the bill ; head and about two inches of the neck, deep glossy reddish chestnut ; rest of the neck and upper part of the breast, black, spread- ing round to the back ; belly, white, becoming dusky towards the vent by closely-marked, undulating lines of black ; back and scapulars, bluish white, rendered gray by numerous transverse, Avaving lines of black ; lesser wing-coverts, brownish ash ; wing-quills, very pale slate, dusky at the tips ; lower part of the back and sides under the wings, * A well-known Duck, common to both continents, keeping to the sea or large lakes, and only in very severe winters wandering to any extent inland. Some- limes seen in the decoys , but very seldom taken, from their experlness in diving under the tunnel. — Ed. t Local names given to one and the same Duck. It is also called the Poker. 608 THE MALLARD. brownish black, crossed with regular zigzag lines of whitish ; vent, rump, tail, and tail-coverts, black ; legs and feet, dark ash. The female has the upper part of the head dusky brown, rest of the head and part of the neck, a light sooty brown ; upper part of the breast, ashy brown, broadly skirted with whitish ; back, dark ash, with little or no appearance of white pencilling ; wings, bill, and feet, nearly alike in both sexes. This Duck is sometimes met with in the rivers of North and South Carolina, and also in those of Jersey and New York, but always in fresh water, and usually at no great distance from the sea ; is most numerous in the waters of the Chesapeake ; and, with the connoisseurs in good eating, ranks next in excellence to the Canvass-Back. Its usual weight is about a pound and three quarters avoirdupois. The Red-Head leaves the bay and its tributary streams in March, and is not seen till late in October. The male of this species has a large, flat, bony labyrinth on the bottom of the windpipe, very much like that of the Canvass-Back, but smaller ; over one of its concave sides is spread an exceeding thin, transparent skin, or membrane. The intestines are of great width, and measure six feet in length. THE MALLARD. — ANAS BOSCHAS. — Fig. 292. Lath. Sijn. iii. p. 489. — Bewick, ii. p. 29L— Le Canard sauvage, Briss. vi. p. 318, 4. — Buff. ix. p. 415, pi. 7, 8. — Peak's Museum, No. 2864. BOSCHAS .17.^J0ii. — WiLLOUGHBY.* Anas bosc has, Zwrn. 5?/s^ — Gmel.\. p. 538. — Bonap. Synop. p. 3G2. — Flem. Br. Aiiiin. p. 123. — Le canard sauvage, Temm. Man. \>. 2l8b. — Wild Duck, Mont. Orintli. Diet. ii. and Supp. — Common Wild Duck, Selby lllust. Br. Or- nith. pi. 5. Anas (boschas) domestica, North. Zool. ii. p. 442. The Mallard, or Common Wild-Drake, is so universally known as scarcely to require a description. It measures tv/enty-four inches in length, by three feet in extent, and weighs upAvards of two pounds * This well-known species becomes interesting- when considered as the stock whence the most flourishing duckeries of the poultry-yard have sprung j it is most amplv spread over Europe and America, and I have received it from India. Uni- versally known, it is esteemed for the table, and will fetch a higher price in the markets than most of the others in this country, and in America seems only sur- passed by the Canvass-Back. In structure and general economy, it presents a most interesting fonn, combining the peculiarities of the pelagic and more terres- trial. It will live and find a sustenance in the sea and its coasts, by lakes and rivers, and in the midst of extensive moors and fens ; it possesses a powerful frame, and its wings are adapted to strong flight ; it can derive its sustenance either from tlie waters or the more inland pastures and cultivated fields; it is an expert diver when necessity calls it ; and its breeding places are chosen by the sides of lakes and marshes," on the stumps of aged trees, like the Summer Duck, and on pre- cipitous clifis. In the latter situation, I once took the nest of a Wild Duck within ten yards' distance from that of a Peregrine Falcon. It was situated on a project- THE MALLARD. 609 and a half; the bill is greenish yellow ; irides, hazel ; head, and part of the neck, deep glossy changeable green, ending in a narrow collar of white; the rest of the neck and breast are of a dark purplish chest- nut ; lesser wing-coverts, brown ash ; greater, crossed near the ex- tremities with a band of white, and tipped with another of deep velvety black ; below this lies the speculum, or beauty spot, of a rich and splendid light purple, with green and violet reflections, bounded on every side Avith black ; quills, pale brownish ash ; back, brown, skirted with paler ; scapulars, whitish, crossed with fine, undulating lines of black ; rump and tail-coverts, black, glossed with green ; tertials, very broad, and pointed at the ends ; tail, consisting of eighteen feathers, whitish, centred with brown ash, the four middle ones excepted, which are narrow, black, glossed with violet, remarkably concave, and curled upwards to a complete circle ; belly and sides, a fine gray, crossed by an infinite number of fine, waving lines, stronger and more deeply marked as they approach the vent ; legs and feet, orange red. The female has the plumage of the upper parts dark brown, broadly bordered with brownish yellow ; and the lower parts yellow ochre, spotted and streaked with deep brown ; tlie chin and throat, for about two inches, plain yellowish white ; wings, bill, and legs, nearly as in the male. The windpipe of the male has a bony labyrinth, or bladder-like knob, puffing out from the left side. The intestines measure six feet, and are as wide as those of the Canvass-Back. The windpipe is of uniform diameter, until it enters the labyrinth. This is the original stock of the common domesticated Duck, reclaimed, time immemorial, from a state of nature, and now become so sei-viceable to man. In many individuals, the general garb of the tame drake seems to have undergone little or no alteration ; but the stamp of slavery is strongly imprinted in his dull, indifferent eye and grovelling gait, while the lofty look, long, tapering neck, and sprightly action of the former bespeak his native spirit and independence. The Common Wild Duck is found in every fresh-water lake and river of the United States in winter, but seldom frequents the sea- shores or salt marshes. Their summer residence is the north, the great nursery of this numerous genus. Instances have been known of some solitary pairs breeding here in autumn. In England these inst;inces are more common. The nest is usually placed in the most solitary recesses of the marsh, or bog, amidst coarse grass, reeds, and rushes, and generally contains from twelve to sixteen eggs, of a dull greenish wjiite. The young are led about by the mother in tlie same manner as those of the Tame Duck, but with a superior caution, a cunning and watchful vigilance peculiar to her situation. The male attaches himself to one female, as among other birds in their native state, and is the guardian and protector of her and her feeble brood. The Mal- lard is numerous in the rice-fields of the Southern States during winter, many of the fields being covered with a few inches of water ; and, the iug- knoll of heather, JLiUinglronn an ivied cliff, and ihe tenants must ofleii have seen each other In their passage to and from their precious deposits. In this sju'chs we have the type of the genus Boschas. The centre feathers of the tail arc liiigiii«Micd, but assume a different form, in heing- regularly rolled or curled up. Some speci- mens want the white ring round the neck, and in some parts this variety is so com- mon, as to be distinguished by the herds and country people. — El». 610 THE 3IALLARD. scattered ^ains of the former harvest lying in abundance, the Ducks swim about, and feed at pleasure. The flesh of the Common Wild Duck is in general and high estima- tion ; and the ingenuity of man, in every country where it frequents, has been employed in inventing stratagems to overreach these wary birds, and procure a delicacy for the table. To enumerate all these various contrivances would far exceed our limits ; a few, however, of the most simple and effective may be mentioned. In some ponds frequented by these birds, five or six wooden figures, cut and painted so as to represent Ducks, and sunk, by pieces of lead nailed on their bottoms, so as to float at the usual depth on the surface, are anchored in a favorable position for being raked from a conceal- ment of brush, &c., on shore. The appearance of these usually attracts passing flocks, whicli alight, and are shot down. Sometimes eight or ten of these painted wooden Ducks are fixed on a frame in various swimming postures, and secured to the bow of the gunner's skiff*, projecting before it in such a manner that the weight of the frame sinks the figures to their proper depth ; the skiff" is then dressed with sedge or coarse grass in an artful manner, as low as the water's ed^e ; and under cover of this, which appears like a party of Ducks swimming by a small island, the gunner floats down sometimes to the very skirts of a whole congregated multitude, and pours in a destructive and repeated fire of shot among them. In winter, when detached pieces of ice are occasionally floating in the river, some of the gun- ners on the Delaware paint their whole skiff' or canoe white, and, laying themselves flat at the bottom, Avith their hand over tlie side, silently managing a small paddle, direct it imperceptibly into or near a flock, before the Ducks have distinguished it from a floating mass of ice, and generally do great execution among them. A whole flock has sometimes been thus surprised asleep, with their heads under their wings. On land another stratagem is sometimes practised with great success. A large, tight hogshead is sunk in the flat marsh, or mud, near the place where Ducks are accustomed to feed at low water, and where otherwise there is no shelter ; the edges and top are artfully concealed with tufts of long, coarse grass, and reeds or sedge. From within this the gunner, unseen and unsuspected, watches his collect- ing prey, and, when a sufficient number offers, sweeps them down with great effect The mode of catching Wild Ducks, as practised in India,* China, f the Island of Ceylon, and some parts of South Amer- ica, I has been often described, and seems, if reliance may be placed on those accoiuits, only practicable in water of a certain depth. The sportsman, covering his head with a hollow wooden vessel, or calabash, pierced witli holes to see through, wades into the water, keeping his head only above, and, tlms disguised, moves in among the flock, which take the appearance to be a mere floating calabash, while, sud- denly pulling them under by the legs, he fastens them to his girdle, and thus takes as many as he can conveniently stow aAvay, without in the least alarming the rest. They are also taken with snares made of horse hair, or with hooks baited with small pieces of sheep's lights, * Naval Chronicle, vol. ii. p. 473. t Du Halde, History of China, vol. ii. p. 142. X Ulloa's Voyage, i. p. 53. THE MALLARD. Gil which, floating on the surfaco, are swallowed by the Ducks, and with them the hooks. They are also approached under cover of a stalkingr horse, or a figure formed of thin boards, or other proper materials, and painted so as to represent a horse or ox. But all these metliods require much Avatching, toil, and fatigue, and tiieir success is but trifling when compared with tliat of the decoy now used both in France and England,^ which, from its superiority over every other mode, is w^ell deserving the attention of persons of this country residing in the neighborhood of extensive marshes frequented by Wild Ducks, as, by tliis metliod, Mallard and other kinds may be taken by thousands at a time. The following circumstantial account of these decoys, and the manner of taking Wild Ducks in them in England, is extracted from Bewick's History of British Birds, vol. ii. p. 294 : — " In the lakes where they resort," says the correspondent of that ingenious author, "the most favorite haunts of the fowl are observed: then, in the most sequestered part of this haunt, they cut a ditch about four yards across at the entrance, and about fifty or sixty yards in length, decreasing gradually in width from the entrance to the far- tlier end, which is not more than two feet wide. It is of a circuhir form, but not bending much for the first ten yards. The banks of the lake, for about ten yards on each side of this ditch, (or pipe, as it is called,) are kept clear from reeds, coarse herbage, &c., in order that the fowl may get on them to sit and dress themselves. Across this ditch, poles on each side, close to the edge of the ditch, are driven into the ground, and the tops bent to each other and tied fast. These poles at the entrance form an arch, from the top of which to the water is about ten feet. This arch is made to decrease in height, as the ditch decreases in width, till the farther end is not more than eighteen inches in height. The poles are placed about six feet from each other, and connected together by poles laid lengthwise across the arch, and tied together. Over them a net, with meshes sufficiently small to prevent the fowl getting through, is thrown across, and made fast to a reed fence at the entrance, and nine or ten yards up the ditch, and afterwards strongly pegged to the ground. At the farther end of the pipe, a tunnel net, as it is called, is fixed, about four yards in length, of a round form, and kept open by a number of hoops about eighteen inches in diameter, placed at a small distance from each other, to keep it distended. Supposing the circular bend of the pipe to be to the right, when you stand with your back to the lake, on tlie left hand side a number of reed fences are constructed, called shoot- ings, for the purpose of screening from sight the decoy-man, and in such a manner, that the fowl in the decoy may not be alarmed while he is driving those in the pipe : these shootings are about four yards in length, and about six feet high, and are ten in number. They are placed in the following manner : — Particularly in Picardy, in the former country, and Lincolnshire in the latter. 612 THE MALLARD. From the end of the last shooting, a person cannot see the lake, owing to the bend of the pipe : there is then no further occasion for shelter. Were it not for those shootings, the fowl that remain about. the mouth of the pipe would be alarmed, if the person driving the fowl already under the net should be exposed, and would become so shy as to forsake the place entirely. The first thing the decoy-man does when he approaches the pipe, is to take a piece of lighted turf or peat, and hold it near his mouth, to prevent the fowl smelling him. He is at- tended by a dog taught for the purpose of assisting him ; he walks very silently about half-way up the shootings, where a small piece of wood is thrust through the reed fence, which makes an aperture just sufficient to see if any fowl are in ; if not, he walks forward to see if any are about the mouth of the pipe. If there are, he stops and makes a motion to his dog, and gives him a piece of cheese or something to eat ; upon receiving it he goes directly to a hole through the reed fence, (No. 1,) and the foAv] immediately fly off the bank into the water ; the dog returns along the bank, between the reed fences and the pipe, and comes out to his master at the hole, (No. 2.) The man now gives him another reward, and he repeats his round again, till the fowl are attracted by the motions of the dog, and follow him into the mouth of the pipe. This operation is called working them. The man now retreats farther back, working the dog at different holes till the fowl are sufficiently under the net ; he now commands his dog to lie down still behind the fence, and goes forward to the end of the pipe next the lake, Avhere he takes off his hat and gives it a wave between the shooting ; all the fowl under the net can see him, but none that are in the lake can. The fowl that are in sight fly forward ; and tlie man nms forward to the next shooting, and waves his hat, and so on, driv- ing them along till they come to the tunnel net, where they creep in : when they are all in, he gives the net a twist, so as to prevent their getting back; he then takes the net off from the end of the pipe, with what foul he may have caught, and takes them out, one at a time, and dislocates their necks, and hangs the net on again ; and all is ready for workino- asrain. THE MALLARD. 613 REFERENCES TO THE CUT. No. L Dog's liole, where he f>oes to iinbank ihe fowl. 2,. Reed fences on eacli side of the mouth of the pipe. 3. Where the decoy-man shows himself to the fowl lirst, and afterwards at the end of every sliooting. 4. Small reed fence to prevent the fowl seeing the dog when he goes to uu- bank them. 5. The shootings. 6. Dog's holes between the siiootings, used when working. 7. Tmmel net at the end of the pipe. 8. Mouth of the pipe. " In this manner, five or six dozen have been taken at one drill. When the wind blows directly in or out of the pipe, the fowl seldom work well, especially when it blows in. If many pipes are made in a lake, they should be so constructed as to suit ditferent winds. " Duck and Mallard are taken from August to June ; Teal or Wid- g^eon from October to March ; Becks, Smee, Golden Eyes, Ar])s, Cricks, and Pintails or Sea Pheasants, in March and April. " Poker Ducks are seldom taken, on account of their diving and getting back in the pipe. " It may be proper to observe here, that the Ducks feed during the night, and that all is ready prepared for this sport in the evening. The better to entice the Ducks into the pipe, hemp seed is strowed occasionally on the water. The season alloAved, by act of Parliament, for catching these birds in this way, is from the latter end of October till February. " Particular spots, or decoys, in the fen countries, are let to the fowlers at a rent of from five to thirty pounds per annum ; and Pen- nant instances a season in which thirty-one thousand two hundred Ducks, including Teals and Widgeons, were sold in London only, from ten of these decoys near Wainfleet, in Lincolnshire. Formerly, according to Willoughby, the Ducks while in moult, and unable to fly, were driven by men in boats, furnished with long poles, with which they splashed the water between long nets, stretched vertically across the pools, in the shape of two sides of a triangle, into lesser nets placed at the point; and, in this way, he says, four thousand were taken at one driving in Deeping-Fen ; and Latham has quoted an instance of two thousand six hundred and forty-six being taken in two days, near Spalding, in Lincolnshire ; but this manner of catching them, while in moult, is now prohibited." 52 614 THE GADWALL. THE GADWALL. — ANAS STREPERA. — Fig. 293. Le Chipeau, Bnss. vi. p. 339, 8, pi. 33,%. I. — Buff. ix. 187, PL enl. 95S. — Arct. Zool. p. 575. — Lath. Syn. iii. p. 515. — Peak's Museum, No. 2750. CH.aULIODUS STREPERjl. — Sw AiTisoy.* Anas strepera, Linn. Syst. i. p. 200. — Lath. Ind. Ornith. ii. p. 859. — Bonap. Synop. p. 383. — Canard chipeau, ou ridenne, Temm. Man. ii. p. 837. — Gad- wall or Gra}', Mont. Ornith. Diet. i. and Supp. — Bew. Br. Birds, ii. 350. — Gadwall, Selbt/s Illust. Brit. Ornith. pi. 51. — Anas (chauliodus) strepera, North. Zool. ii. p. 440. — Genus Chauliodus, Swain. Journ. Royal Instit. No. iv. p. 19. This beautiful Duck I have met with in the very distant parts of the United States, viz., on the Seneca Lake, in New York, about the 20th of October, and at Louisville, on the Ohio, in February. I also shot it near Big Bone Lick, in Kentucky. With its particular manners or breeding place, I am altogether unacquainted. The length of this species is twenty inches ; extent, thirty-one inches ; bill, two inches long, formed very much like that of the Mallard, and of a brownish black ; crown, dusky brown ; rest of the upper half of the neck, brownish white, both thickly speckled with black ; lower part of the neck and breast, dusky black, elegantly ornamented with large, concentric semicircles of white ; scapulars waved with lines of wliite on a dusky ground, but narrower than that of the breast ; primaries, ash ; greater wing-coverts, black, and several of the lesser coverts, immediately above, chestnut red ; speculum, white, bordered beloAv with black, forming three broad bands on the wing, of chestnut, black, and white ; belly, dull white ; rump and tail-coverts, black, glossed with green ; tail, tapering, pointed, of a pale brown ash, edged with white ; flanks, dull white, elegantly waved ; tertials, long, and of a pale brown ; legs, orange red. The female I have never seen. Latham describes it as folloA^^s : — " Differs in having the colors on the wings duller, though marked the same as the male ; the breast, reddish brown, spotted with black ; the feathers on the neck and back, edged with pale red ; rump, the same, instead of black ; and those elegant semicircular lines on the neck and breast wholly wanting." The flesh of this Duck is excellent, and the windpipe of the male is furnished with a large labyrinth. The Gadwall is very rare in the northern parts of the United States ; is said to inhabit England in winter, and various parts of France and Italy ; migrates to Sweden, and is found throughout Russia and Siberia.! * This beautiful Duck is remarkable in presenting, next to the Shovellers, the greatest development of lateral laminae of the bill ; it is also an expert diver. In Britain they are rare, but appear more common in the lower countries of Eu- rope and towards the north. They seem very abimdant in Holland ; in the months of September and October they were the most common Duck in the market, and were often seen in abundance on the lakes. It will show Mr. Swainson's genus Chau- liodus.— Ed. t Latham. EIDER DUCK. 615 It is a very quick diver, so as to make it difficult to be shot ; flies also with great rapidity, and utters a note not unlike that of the Mal- lard, but louder ; is fond of salines and ponds overgrown witii reeds and rushes ; feeds during the day, as well as in Uie morning and evenmg. EIDER DUCK. — ANAS MOLLISSIMA. — Fig. 294. — Male. L'Oye a duvet, ou I'Eider, Briss. vi. p. 294, pi. 29, S.—Buff. ix. p. 10.3, pi. 6. PI. enl. 209. — Great Black and White Duck, Edw.^A. 'd^. — BewickSx. p. 279. Arct. Zool. No. 480. — -La^/i. Sifii. iii. p. '^10. — Peak's Museum, No. 270G. SOMATERM MOLLISSIMJi. — Leach.* Anas moUissima, Linn. Syst. i. p. 198. — Canard eider, Temm. Man. (TOrnUh. ii. p. 848. — Eider, or Cuthbert's Duck, Moiit. Ornitli. Diet, i.and fSwpp. — Eider, Selbij, lllust. Br. Omith. p. 70. — Fuligiila, (sub-gen. somaleria) mollissima, Bonap. Si/nop. p. 388. — Somateria mollissima, North. Zool. ii. p. ^^148. The Eider Duck has been long celebrated in Europe, for the abun- dance and excellence of its down, which, for softness, warmth, light- ness, and elasticity, surpasses that of all other Ducks. The quantity found in one nest more than filled the crown of a hat, yet wcigiiod no more than three quarters of an ounce ;f and it is asserted, that three pounds of this down may be compressed into a space scarce bigger * Tliis oiher form amono; the Anatidce was proposed by Dr. Leach, and will con- tain only two species, the Eider and King Ducks, both common to Europe and Amer- ica. It is very well marked, and possesses some peculiarities. The birds are truly Sea Ducks, keep entirely to that element, and breed on its shores or islands, and are never, as Dr. Richardson remarks, seen on fresh water. The form is thick, rather flat and heavy ; the plumage of the males possesses decided contrasting colors of black and white ; the females, reddish brown ; the plumage of the head projects far upon the base of the bill, and is of a thick, silky texture, which can be raised or swelled at pleasure, so as to increase the apparent size of tlie head and neck, and in both species exhibits remarkable colors, not often seen among birds, and very diffi- cult for colorists to represent — pistachia green, and a pleasing dull shade of blue verditer. In the scapulars of the Ajiatidce, we have already seen a variable struc- ture ; they are here of considerable breadth, rigid texture, and curve over the quills, eis if curled with an iron. The feet are placed far back, and show great powers for diving. The males undergo a change of plumage, and leave the females as soon as they have commenced sitting, when they may be seen in large flocks by them- selves'; they commence their migrations much sooner than the females. It is to this bird, that we are principally indebted for the valuable Eider down, though many others of the northern aquatic fowl produce one equally fine, which is often mixed with it. Lemmius remarks, that the F'.iders are injmmense profusion on the coasts of Norway and Lapland ; when hatching, the eggs are often the prey of the Crows and of Larus marintis, who drag the female from her nest, and destroy them or the voung. The male, however, if he perceives the assault, makes furious attacks, and sometimes succeeds in beating them off. They are very familiar, building close to the houses of the fishermen ; the female will even allow herself to be lifted from the en-n^s and set down again ; and sometimes a countryman will carry the young in his hat from the nest to the sea. the Duck running by his side, moaning gently with anxiety. — Ed. t Pennant. 616 EIDER DUCK. than a man's fist, yet is afterwards so dilatable as to fill a quilt five feet square.* The native regions of the Eider Duck extend from 45° N. to the highest latitudes yet discovered, both in Europe and America. Soli- tary rocky shores and islands are their favorite haunts. Some wander- ing pairs have been known to breed on the rocky islands beyond Port- land, in the district of Maine, which is perhaps the most southern ex- tent of their breeding place. In England, the Fern Isles, on the coast of Northumberland, are annually visited by a few of these birds, being the only place in South Britain where they are known to breed. They occur again in some of the Western Isles of Scotland. Greenland and Iceland abound with them, and here, in particular places, their nests are crowded so close together, that a person can scarcely walk without treading on them. The natives of these countries know the value of the down, and carry on a regular system of plunder, both of it and also of the eggs. The nest is generally formed outwardly of drift-grass, dry sea- weed, and such like materials ; the inside composed of a large quantity of down, plucked from the breast of the female. In this soft, elastic bed she deposits five eggs, extremely smooth and glossy, of a pale olive color ; they are also warmly covered with the same kind of down. When the whole number is laid, they are taken away by the natives, and also the down with which the nest is lined, together with that which covers the eggs. The female once more -strips her breast of the remaining down, and lays a second time ; even *thi^, with the eggs, is generally taken away ; and it is said that the male> in this extremity, furnishes the third quantity of down from his own breast; but if the cruel robbery be a third time repeated, they abandon the place altogether. One female, during the whole time of laying, generally gives half a pound of down ; and we are told, that, in the year 1750, the Iceland Company sold as much of this article, as amounted to three thousand seven hundred and forty-five banco dol- lars, besides what was directly sent to Gluckstadt.f The down from dead birds is little esteemed, having lost its elasticity. These birds associate together in flocks, generally in deep water, diving for shell fish, which constitute their principal food. They fre- quently retire to the rocky shores to rest, particularly on the appear- ance of an approaching storm. They are numerous on the coast of Labrador, and are occasionally seen in winter as far south as the Capes of Delaware. Their flesh is esteemed by the inhabitants of Green- land, but tastes strongly of fish. The length of this species is two feet three inches ; extent, three feet; weight, between six and seven pounds; the head is large, and the bill of singular structure, being three inches in length, forked in a remarkable manner, running high up in the forehead, between which the plumage descends nearly to the nostril ; the whole of the bill is of a dull yellowish horn color, somewhat dusky in the middle ; upper part of the head, deep velvet black, divided laterally on the hind head by a whitish band ; cheeks, white ; sides of the head, pale pea-green, marked with a narrow line of white, dropped from the ear-feathers ; the * Salern. Ornith. p. 416. t L't ers on Iceland, by Uno Van Troil^ p. 146. FEMALE EIDER DUCK. G17 plumage of this part of tiio lioad, to the throat, is tumid, and looks as if cut off at the end, for immediately below the neck it suddenly nar- rows, somewhat in the manner of tlie Buffel-IIead, enlarging again greatly as it descends, and has a singular hollow between the shoulders behind ; the upper part of the neck, the back, scapulars, lesser wing- coverts, and sides of the rump, are pure white ; lower part of the breast, belly, and vent, black ; tail, primaries, and secondaries, brown- ish black; the tertials curiously curved, falling over the wing ; legs, short, yellow ; webs of the feet, dusky. Latham has given us the following sketch of the gradual progress of the young males to their perfect colors: — " In the first year the back is white, and the usual parts, except the crown, black ; but the rest of the body is variegated with black and white. In the second year, the neck and breast are spotted black and white, and the crown black. In the third, the colors are nearly as when in full plumage, but less vivid, and a few spots of black still remaining on the neck ; the crown, black, and bifid at the back part " The young of both sexes are the same, being covered with a kind of hairy down ; throat, and breast, whitish ; and a cinereous line from the bill through the eyes to the hind head."* FEMALE EIDER DUCK. — Fig. 295. Peak's Museum, No. 2707. SOMATERM MOLLTSSIMji. — hiiACH. The difference of color in these two birds is singularly great. The female is considerably less than the male, and the bill does not rise so high in the forehead ; the general color is a dark reddish drab, mingled with lighter touches, and every where spotted with black; wings, dusky, edged with reddish ; the greater coverts, and some of the sec- ondaries, are tipped with white ; tail, brownish black, lighter than in the male ; the plumage in general is centred wilh bars of black, and broadly bordered with rufous drab ; cheeks, and space over the eye, light drab ; belly, dusky, obscurely mottled with black ; legs, and feet, as in the male. Van Troil, in his Letters on Iceland^ observes, respecting this Duck, that " the young ones quit the nest soon after they are hatched, and follow the female, who leads them to tlie water, where, having taken them on her back, she swims with them a few yards, and then dives, and leaves them floating on the water ! In this situation they soon learn to take care of themselves, and are seldom afterwards seen on the land, but live among the rocks, and feed on insects and sea-weed." Some attempts have been made to domesticate these birds, but hitherto without success. * Synopsis, iii. 471. 52* 618 THE SMEW. THE SMEW OR WHITE NUN. — MERGUS ALBELLUS.— Fig. 296. Le petit harle huppe, ou la piette, Briss. vi. p. 243, 3, pi. 24, fig. 1. — Buff. yiii. p. 275. pi. 24. PL enl. 449. — Bewick, ii. p. 238. — Lath. Syn. iii. p. 428. — Arct. Zool. No. 468. MRRQUS .ALBELLUS. — Uyr'^MVs* Mergus albellus, Linn. Syst. i. p. 209. — Bonap. Synop. t>. 397. — Harle piette, Temm. Man. d^Ornith. ii. p. 887. — Minute Merganser, Jiorai. Ornith. Diet. i. and Sujyp. — Lough Diver, and Red-headed Smew, Penn. for young and female. — Smew, Selby, Illust. Br. Ornith. pi. 69. This is another of those Mergansers commonly known in this country b}'^ the appellation of Fishermen, Fisher Ducks, or Divers. The present species is much more common on the coast of New England than farther to the south. On the shores of New Jersey, it is very seldom met with. It is an admirable diver, and can continue for a long time un- der water. Its food is small fry, shell fish, shrimps, &c. In England, as with us, the Smew is seen only during Avinter; it is also found in France, in some parts of which it is called la Piette., as in parts of England it is named the Magpie Driver. Its breeding place is doubt- less in the Arctic regions, as it frequents Iceland ; and has been ob- served to migrate with other Mergansers, and several kinds of Ducks, up the P^iver Wolga in February .f The Smew, or White Nun, is nineteen inches in length, and two f et three inches in extent ; bill, black, formed very much like that of the Red-breasted Merganser, but not so strongly toothed ; irides, dark ; head, crested ; crown, white ; hind head, black ; round the area of the eye, a large, oval space of black ; whole neck, breast, and belly, wliite, marked on the upper and lower part of the breast Avith a curving line of black ; back, black ; scapulars, white, crossed with several faint dusky bars ; shoulder of the wing, and primaries, black ; secondaries, and greater coverts, black, broadly tipped Avith Avhite ; across the lesser coverts, a large band of white ; sides and flanks, crossed with waving lines ; tail, dark ash; legs and feet, pale bluish slate. The female is considerably less than the male ; the bill, a dark lead color ; crest, of the same peculiar form as that of the male, but less, and of a reddish brown ; marked round the area of the eyes with dusky ; cheeks, fore part of the neck, and belly, white ; round the mid- dle of the neck, a collar of pale brown ; breast and shoulders, dull brown and whitish intermixed ; wings and back, marked, like those of the male, but of a deep brownish ash in those parts which in him are *' The male of this Merganser is one of the cleanest and most delicate looking of tlie genus, the colors being entirely of the purest black and white. The bill presents a shorter and more dilated form than its congeners, approaching almost to some of the more aberrant Ducks. It is very rnrein this country, and appears only in win- ter. The propagation and extent of the breeding migrations are only surmised, and we possess no very authentic authority upon the subject 5 they are said, however, to resemble the others. — Ed. t Dec. Russ. ii. p. 1'15. RUDDY DUCK. 619 black ; legs and feet, pale blue. The young birds, as in the other three species, stronirly resemble the female during the first and part of the second year. As these changes of color, from tlie garb of the fe- male to that of the male, take place in the remote regions of the north, we have not the opportunity of detecting them in their gradual prog- ress to full plumage. Hence, as both males and females have been found in the same dress, some writers have considered them as a sepa- rate species from the Smew, and have given to them the title of the Red-headed Smew. In the ponds of New England, and some of the lakes in the state of New York, where the Smew is frequently observed, those Red-headed kind are often found in company, and more numerous than the other, for very obvious reasons, and bear, in the markings, though not in the colors of their plumage, evident proof of their being the same species, but younger birds, or females. The male, like the Muscovy Drake and many others, when arrived at his full size, is nearly one third heavier than the female ; and this disproportion of weight, and difference of color, in the full-grown males and females, are characteristic of tlie whole arenus. RUDDY DUCK. — ANAS RUBIDUS. — Fig. 297. — Male. Peak's 3Tuseum, No. 2808. FULIOULA i2?7£/£>./3. — Bonaparte.* Faligula (oxyura) rubida, Bonap. Synop. p. 391. — Fuligula rubida, North. Zool. ii. p. 433. — Anas Jamaicensis, Orel's edit. p. 133. This very rare Duck was shot, some years ago, on the River Dela- ware, and appears to be an entire new species. The specimen here figured, with the female that accompanies it, and which was killed in the same river, are the only individuals of their kind I have met with. They are both preserved in the superb museum of my much respected friend, Mr. Peale, of this city. On comparing this Duck with the description given by Latham of the Jamaica Shoveller, I was at first inclined to believe 1 had found out the species ; but a more careful examination of both satisfied me that they cannot be the same, as the present differs considerably in color ; and, besides, has some peculiarities which the eye of that acute ornithologist could not possibly have overlooked, in his examination * Bonaparte has proposed tliis form as the type of a sub-genus, under the name of Oxyura, from the form of the tail. And Mr. Svvainson observes, •' We suspect that this bird, and one or two others of similar form, found by us in tropical Brazil, will constitute a sub-genus." There are many modifications from the FutiguUc in Uiis bird, which would, with additional species, entitle a sub-genus; and, in that case, Oxifura may be adopted. They seem very rare, and Wilson has the merit of first distinguishing them ; the bill becomes much broader at the tip, and the lamellae are more prominent than in Fuligula ; the feet are placed very far back 3 and the hind toe is furnished with a much narrower membrane. — Ed. 620 FEMALE RUDDY DUCK. of the species said to have been received by him from Jamaica. Wherever the general residence of this species maybe, in this part of the world, at least, it is extremely rare, since, among" the many thou- sands of Ducks brought to our markets during winter, I have never lieard of a single individual of the present kind having been found among them. The Ruddy Duck is fifteen inches and a half in length, and twenty- two inches in extent ; the bill is broad at the tip, the under mandible much narrower, and both of a rich, light blue ; nostrils, small, placed in the middle of the bill ; cheeks, and chin, white ; front, crown, and back part of the neck, down nearly to the back, black ; rest of the neck, whole back, scapulars, flanks, and tail-coverts, deep reddish brown, the color of bright mahogany ; wings, plain pale drab, darkest at the points ; tail, black, gi'eatly tapering, containing eighteen narrow- pointed feathers ; the plumage of the breast and upper part of the neck is of a remarkable kind, being dusky olive at bottom, ending in hard, bristly points, of a silvery gray, very much resembling the hair of some kinds of seal-skins ; all these are thickly marked with trans- verse, curving lines of deep brown ; belly and vent, silver gray, thickly crossed with dusky olive ; under tail-coverts, white ; legs and feet, ash colored. ' FEMALE RUDDY DUCK. — Fig. 293. Peak's Museiun, No. 2809. FULIQULA RUBIDA. — Boy APARTE, Youi-rG. This is nearly of the same size as the male ; the front, lores, and crown, deep blackish brown ; bill, as in the male, very broad at the extremity, and largely toothed on the sides, of the same rich blue ; cheeks, a dull cream ; neck, plain dull drab, sprinkled about the au- ric ulars with blackish ; lower part of the neck and breast, variegated with gray, ash, and reddish brown ; the reddish dies off" towards the belly, leaving this last of a dull white, shaded with dusky ash ; wings, as in the male ; tail, brown ; scapulars, dusky brown, thickly sprinkled with whitish, giving them a gray appearance ; legs, ash. A particular character of this species is its tapering, sharp-pointed tail, the feathers of which are very narrow ; the body is short ; the bill, very nearly as broad as some of those called Shovellers ; the lower mandible much narrower than the upper. THE BRANT. 621 THE BRANT. — ANAS BERNICLA. — Fig. 299. Le cravant, Briss. vi. p. 30i, IG, pi. 31. — Buf. ix. p. 87. — Beic. ii. p. 277. — Lath. Sijn. iii. p. 461. — Arct. Zool. No. 478. —Peak's Museum, No. 2701. BEILN-ICLA BREJTTJl. — Stephens.* Bernicla brenta, Steph. Cant. Sli. Zool. xii. p. 46. — Oie cravant, Temrn. Man. ii. p. 824. — Ansa brenta. Flem. Br. Anim. p. 127. — Anser bernicla, North. Zool. ii. p. 469. — Brent, or Boord Goose, Morit. Om. Diet, and Supp. — Bew. Br. Birds, ii. p. 311. — Brent bernicle, Selby, lllust. Br. Orn. pi. 65. The Brant, or, as it is usually written, Brent, is a bird well known on both continents, and celebrated in former times throughout Europe for the sing-ularity of its origin, and tlie strange transforma- tions it was supposed to undergo previous to its complete organiza- tion. Its first appearance was said to be in the form of a barnacle shell adhering to old water-soaked logs, trees, or other pieces of wood taken from the sea. Of this Goose-bearing tree, Gerard, in his Herbal^ published in 1597, has given a formal account ; and seems to have re- served it for the conclusion of his work, as being the most wonderful of all he had to describe. The honest naturalist, however, tliougli his belief was fixed, acknowledges that his own personal information was derived from certain shells which adhered to a rotten tree that he dragged out of the sea between Dover and Romney, in England ; in some of which he found " living things witliout fonne or shape ; in others which were nearer come to ripeness, living things tliat were very naked, in shape like a birde ; in others, the birds covered with soft downe, the shell half open, and the birde readie to fall out, which no doubt were the foules called Barnakles." f Ridiculous and chimer- ical as this notion was, it had many advocates, and was at that time as generally believed, and with about as much reason too, as the present opinion of the annual submersion of Swallows, so tenaciously insisted on by some of our philosophers, and which, like tlie former absurdity, will in its turn disappear before the penetrating radiance and calm in- vestigation of truth. The Brant and Barnacle Goose, though generally reckoned two dif- ferent species, I consider to be the same. Among those large flocks thfit arrive on our coasts about the beginning of October, individuals frequently occur corresponding in their markings with that called the Bernacle of Europe ; that is, in having the upper parts lighter, and the front, cheeks, and chin whitish. These appear evidently a variety of tJie Brant, probably young birds : what strengthens this last opinion is * Stephens first applied this title, as a generic one, to a considerable number of birds, and gives, as their characters, '• distinguished from the Geese by their shorter and slenderer beak, the edges of which are reflected over the lamellae, and obstruct tlie view of them." We shall consider the form to which that title should be re- stricted to be that of the present — the B. e.rythropu.^ , and B. i-ujicollis. Many of tiiose admitted by Stephens show very different characters, and will range else- where. — Ed. t See Gerard's Herbal, Art. Goose-bearing Tree. 622 THE BRANT. tlie fact that none of them are found so marked on their return north- ward in the spring. The Brant is expected at Egg Harbor, on the coast of New Jersey, about the first of October, and has been sometimes seen as early as the 20tli of September. The first flocks generally remain in the bay a few days, and then pass on to the south. On recommencing their journey, they collect in one large body, and, making an extensive spi- ral course, some miles in diameter, rise to a great height in the air, and then steer for tlie sea, over which they uniformly travel ; often making wide circuits to avoid passing over a projecting point of land. In these aerial routes, they have been met with many leagues from shore, travelling the whole night Their line of march very much re- sembles that of the Canada Goose, with this exception, tliat frequently tliree or four are crowded together in the front, as if striving for prece- dency. Flocks continue to an-ive from the north, and many remain in the bay till December, or until the weather becomes very severe, when these also move off" southwardly. During their stay, they feed on the bars at low water, seldom or never in the marshes ; their principal food being a remarkably long and broad-leaved marine plant, of a bright green color, which adheres to stones, and is called by the country peo- ple sea cabbage ; the leaves of this are sometimes eight or ten inches broad, by two or three feet in length : they also eat small shell fish. They never dive, but wade about, feeding at low water. During the time of high water, they float in the bay in long lines, particularly in calm weatlier. Their voice is hoarse and honking, and, when some hundreds are screaming together, reminds one of a pack of hounds in full cry. They often quarrel among themselves, and with the Ducks, driving the latter off" their feeding ground. Though it never dives in search of food, yet, w-hen wing-broken, the Brant will go one hundred yards at a stretch under water ; and is considered, in such circum- stances, one of the most difficult birds to kill. About the 15th or 20th of May, they reappear on their way north ; but seldom stop long, un- less driven in by tempestuous weather. The breeding place of the Brant is supposed to be very far to the north. They are common at Hudson's Bay, very numerous in winter on the coasts of Holland and Ireland ; are called in Shetland Harra Geese, from their frequenting the sand of that name ; they also visit the coast of England. Buffbn relates that, in the severe winters of 1740 and 1765, during the prevalence of a strong north wind, the Brant visited the coast of Picardy, in France, in prodigious multitudes, and committed great depredations on the corn, tearing it up by the roots, trampling, and devouring it; and, notwithstanding tlie exertions of the inhabitants, who were constantly employed in destroying them, they continued in great force until a change of weather carried them off". The Brant generally weighs about four pounds avoirdupois, and measures two feet in length, and three feet six inches in extent ; the bill is about an inch and a half long, and black ; the nostril large, placed neai-ly in its middle ; head, neck, and breast, black, the neck marked with a spot of white, about two inches below the eye; belly, pale ash, edged with white ; from the thighs backwards, white ; back and wing-coverts, dusky brownish black, the plumage lightest at the tips ; rump, and middle of the tail-coverts, black ; the rest of the tail- SCOTER DUCK. 623 coverts, pure white, reaching nearly to the tip of tlie tail, the whole of which is black, but usually concealed by the white coverts ; primaries and secondaries, deep black ; Icrrs, also'black ; iridcs, dark hazel. The only material difference observable between the plumage of tlie male and female, is, that in the latter the white spot on the neck is less, and more mottled with dusky. In young birds it is sometimes wanting, or occurs on the front, cheeks, and chin; and sometimes tJie upper part of the neck only is black ; * but in full-plumaged birds of both sexes, the markings are very much alike. The Brant is often seen in our markets for sale. Its flesh, though esteemed by many, tastes somewhat sedgy, or fishy. SCOTER DUCK.— ANAS NIGRA. —Fig. 300. Le macreuse, Bi-iss. vi. p. 420, pi. 38, fig. 2. — Buff. ix. p. 234, pi. 16. PI. enl. 91S. — B(nvick, ii. p.28S. — Arct. Zool. No. iU. — Lath. Sijn. iii. p. 480.— Peak's Museum, No. 2658. OIDEMM JV/Gii./?. — FLEMiNG.f Oidemia nigra, i^Ze/w.. Br. Aniin. p. 119. — North. Zool. ii. p. 450. — Bonap. Sijtwp. p. 390. — Carnard macreuse, Temyn. Mart. ii. p. 856. — Scoter, or Black Diver, ilfont. Ornith. Dirt. ii. and Supp. — Bew. Br. Birds, ii. p. 325. — Black Scoter, Selbij, lilust. Br. Orn. pi. 68. This Duck is but little known along our sea-coast, being more usually met with in the northern than southern districts, and only during the winter. Its food is shell fish, for which it is almost per- petually diving. That small bivalve so often mentioned, small muscles, spout fish, called on the coast, razor handles, young clams, &c., fur- nish it with abundant fare ; and wherever these are plenty, the Scoter is an occasional visitor. They swim, seemingly at ease, amidst the very roughest of the surf, but fly heavily along the surface, and to no great distance. They rarely penetrate far up our rivers, but seem to prefer the neighborhood of the ocean, differing in this respect from the Cormorant, which often makes extensive visits to the interior. The Scoters are said to appear on the coast of France in great numbers, to which they are attracted by a certain kind of small bivalve shell fish, called vaimeaux, probably differing little from those already mentioned. Over the beds of these shell fish the fishermen spread their nets, supporting them, horizontally, at the height of two or three feet from the bottom. At the flowing of the tide the Scoters approach in great numbers, diving after their favorite food, and soon get en- tangled in the nets. Twenty or thirty dozen have sometimes been taken in a single tide. These are sold to the Roman Catholics, who eat them on those days on which they are forbidden by their religion the use of animal food, fish excepted ; these birds, and a few others of * The figure of this bird, given by Bewick, is in that state. t The plumage on the head and neck of this bird is remarkable for its rigid tex- tUKi, and the narrow, hackled shape of the feathers. — Ed. 624 VELVET DUCK. the same fishy flavor, having been exempted from the interdict, on the supposition of their being cold-blooded, and partaking of the nature of fish.* The Scoter abounds in Lapland, Norway, Sweden, Russia, and Si- beria. It Avas also found by Osbeck between the islands of Java and St. Paul, lat 30 and 34, in the month of June.f This species is twenty-one inches in length, and thirty-four in extent, and is easily distinguished from all other Ducks by the peculiar form of its bill, which has at the base a large, elevated knob, of a red color, divided by a narrow line of yellow, which spreads over the middle of the upper mandible, reaching nearly to its extremity ; the edges and lower mandible are black; the eyelid is yellow; irides, dark hazel; the whole plumage is black, inclining to purple on the head and neck ; legs and feet, reddish. The female has little or nothing of the knob on the bill ; her plu- mage, above, a sooty brown, and below of a grayish white. VELVET DUCK.— ANAS FUSCA. — Fig. 301. Le grande macreuse, Briss. vi. p. 423, 29. — Buff. ix. p. 242. PL enl. 956. — Arct. Zool. No. 482. — ^etoicyt, ii. p. 286. — La^/i. Syn. iii. p. 482. — PeaZe'5 Museum, No. 2658 5 female. OIDEMIA FUSCA. — Fleming.^ Oidemia fusca_, Flem. Br. Anim. p. 119. — Bonap. Synop. p. 390. — North. Zool. ii. p. 450. — Canard doable macreuse, Temm. Man. ii. p. 854. — Velvet Duck, Mont. Ornith.Dict. — Beiv.Br. Birds, il 322. — Velvet Scoter, Seliy, lllust. Br. Ornith. pi. 67. This and the preceding are frequently confounded together as one and the same species, by our gunners on the sea-coast. The former, however, differs in being of greater size ; in having a broad band of white across the wing ; a spot of the same under the eye ; and in the structure of its bill. The habits of both are very much alike ; they visit us only during the winter ; feed entirely on shell fish, which they procure by diving ; and return to the northern regions early in spring to breed. They often associate with the Scoters, and are taken fre- quently in the same nets with them. Owing to the rank, fishy flavor * Bewick. t Voyage, i. p. 120. :j: This, with the preceding', and the O. perspicillata, constitute the American species of Fleming's genus Oidemia. 'They are all visitants also of the European Continent during winter, and, with the exception of the last, are of rather com- mon occurrence. They are truly Sea Ducks, and never almost leave that element except during the season of incubation. They are expert divers, and feed on fish and marine molluscse ; we find, therefore, the foot expanded, the hallux furnished with a broad membrane, and the legs placed far back. The bill is expanded, and generally swollen at the base ; the plumage, thick and compact, and of glossy smoothness ; the wings, short, but firm, and sharp-pointed, capable, apparently, of a strong flight for a short while, but mifitted for any prolonged exertion. — Ed, HARLEQUIN DUCK. 625 of its flesh, it is seldom sought after by our sportsmen, or gunners, and is very little esteemed. The Velvet Duck measures twenty-three inches in length, and two feet nine inches in extent, and weighs about three pounds ; the bill is broad, a little elevated at the base, where it is black, the rest red, ex- cept the lower mandible, which is of a pale yellowish white ; both are edged with black, and deeply toothed ; irides, pale cream ; under the eye is a small spot of white ; general color of the plumage brownish black, the secondaries excepted, which are white, forming a broad band across the wing; there are a few reflections of purple on the upper plumage; the legs are red on the outside, and deep yellow, sprinkled with blackish, on the inner sides ; tail, short and pointed. The female is very little less than the male ; but differs considerably in its markings. The bill is dusky ; forehead and cheeks, white ; under the eye, dull brownish ; behind that, a large oval spot of white ; whole upper parts and neck, dark brownish drab ; tips of the plumage, lighter; secondaries, white; wing-quills, deep brown; belly, brownish white ; tail, hoary brown ; the throat is white, marked with dusky specks ; legs and feet, yellow. Latham informs us, that this species is sometimes seen on the coast of England, but is not common there ; that it inhabits Denmark and Russia, and in some parts of Siberia, is very common. It is also found at Kamtschatka, where it is said to breed, going far inland to lay ; the eggs are eight or ten, and white ; the males depart, and leave the females to remain with the young until they are able to fly. In the River Ochotska they are so numerous that a party of natives, consisting of fifty or more, go off" in boats, and drive these Ducks up the river before them, and, when the tide ebbs, fall on them at once, and knock them on the head with clubs, killing such numbers that each man has twenty or thirty for his share.* HARLEQUIN DUCK.— ANAS HISTRIONICA. — Fig. 302. Le canard a collier de Terre Neuve, Briss. v'l. p. 362, H. — Bnff. ix, p. 250. PL en/. 798. — Arct. Zool. No. 490. — Lath. Syn. iii. p. 484. CLAKQULA HISTRIOJ^lCA. — 'Lj:t.cH.\ Clangula histrionica, Bonap. Synop. p. 394. — North. Zool. ii. p. 459. — Camard a collier, ou histrion, Temm. Man. ii. p. 878. This species is very rare on the coasts of the Middle and Southern States, though not unfreqnently found off" those of New England, where it is known by the dignified title of the Lord, probably from the ele- gant crescents and circles of white which ornament its neck and * History of Kamtschatka, p. IfiO. t Dr. Richardson observes of this Duck — " C . histrionic a haunts eddies un«!er cascades and rapid streams. It takes wing at once, when disturbed, and is very vigilant. We never saw it associating- with any other Duck, and it is a rare bird." — Ed. 53 626 DUSKY DUCK. breast. Though an inhabitant of both continents, little else is known of its particular manners tlian that it swims and dives well ; fliea swift, and to a great height ; and has a whistling note. Is said to fre- quent the small rivulets inland from Hudson's Bay, where it breeds. The female lays ten white eggs on the grass ; the young are prettily speckled. It is found* on the eastern continent as far south as Lake Baikal, and thence to Kamtschatka, particularly up the River Ochotska ; and was also met with at Aoonalashka and Iceland.* At Hudson's Bay, it is called the Painted Duck ; at Newfoundland, and along the coast of New England, the Lord ; it is an active, vigorous diver, and often seen in deep water, considerably out at sea. The Harlequin Duck, so called from the singularity of its markings, is seventeen inches in length, and twenty-eight inches in extent ; the bill is of moderate length, of a lead color, tipped with red ; irides, dark ; upper part of the head, black; between the eye and bill, a broad space of white, extending over the eye, and ending in reddish ; behind the ear, a similar spot; neck, black, ending below in a circle of white; breast, deep' slate ; shoulders, or sides of the breast, marked with a semicircle of white ; belly, black ; sides, chestnut ; body above, black, or deep slate ; some of the scapulars, white ; greater wing-coverts, tipped with the same ; legs and feet, deep ash ; vent and pointed tail, black. The female is described as being less, "the forehead, and between t'-e bill and eye, white, with a spot of the same behind the ear ; head, neck, and back, brown, palest on the fore part of the neck; upper part of the breast, and rump, red brown ; lower breast and belly, barred, pale rufous and white ; behind the thighs, rufous and brown ; scapu- lars and wing-coverts, rufous brown ; outer greater ones, blackish ; quills and tail, dusky, the last inclining to rufous ; legs, dusky." f The few specimens of this Duck which I have met with, were all males; and from the variation in their colors it appears evident that the young birds undergo a considerable change of plumage before they arrive at their full colors. In some, the white spot behind the eye was large, extending irregularly half way down the neck ; in others confined to a roundish spot The flesh of this species is said to be excellent. DUSKY DUCK. — ANAS OBSCURA.— Fig. 303. Arct. Zool. No. 469. — Lath. Stjn. iii. p. 543. — Peale's Museum, No. 2880. B0SCHAS7 OBSCURJI. —J arvit^j:.X Anas obscura; Bonap. Synop. p. 384. This species is generally known along the sea-coast of New Jersey, and the neighboring country, by the name of the Black Duck, being * Latham. t Tbid. X Having now arrived at the conclusion of a group which holds a very promi- nent rank in the ornithology of Northern America^ a few general observations DUSKY DUCK G27 the most common and most numerous of all those of its tribe that frequent the salt marshes. It is only partially mi<^ratory. Numbers reg^arding- their economy, with an cimmorjUion of those species omitted by Wilsion, wliich have been since discovered, may not be deemed improper. The AiuttidiB, or those birds generally known under the denominations of Ducks. Geese, and Swans, taken as a family, will range with groups of great extent and varied form, as the Falcons, the Parrots, or Pigeons, ami will present similar modi- fications. The characters of the greater part of the groups which inhabit the northern and temperate regions of the world, have been already drawn by Dr. Leach and Dr. Fleming, and one sub-family has been more lately analyzed by Mr. Swain- son, as far as our knowledge of them extends, apparently with tolerable accuracy. They, however, want comparison with the tropical forms, which depart .so nmch in their manners irom those we are accustomed to see, and by which our opinions have hitherto been led. The Wood Ducks constituting Mr. Swainson's genus Dendronessa — the Long-legged, Whistling Ducks of India — those birds allied to the little Gambia Goose, and those approaching in their form to the Grallatores, all want our close examination. In distribution the Anatidce extend over the world, from the warmest tropics to the extreme Arctic cold, but exist in greatest abundance near the confmes of tem- perate regions, and in northern latitudes. Their habits may be called truly aquatic, as the presence of water is necessary, even in the most aberrant forms, for their healthy support. Some groups are exclusively aquatic, and never quit the sea or large inland lakes, except during the season when the duties of incubation for a ■\<.hile call them to the shore. These may be termed Pelagic or Sea Ducks, and feed on fish and molluscs ; others delight in lakes and rivers as well as the sea, resort more frequently to the land, seek the same nourishment, and both are expert divers. Some hold a middle way, are as much on land as on water, and, in ad- dition to the food of the truly sea species, live on the spawn of fresh-water fl^:!), insects peculiar to muddy banks and slimy pools, with vegetables, such as the ten- der shoots of the grasses or newly-sown grains, or, while on the shores, upon the Zostera marina ; while one or two forms resemble the grallatorial birds, and are more independent of water and aquatic nourishment. In their breeding places, thev show a like variety, choosing the reedy banks of lakes and rivers, the treach- erous morass, the cliffs and desert sands of the sea-shore, the burrows of various animals, the hollows of decaying trees in the stupendous forests of America, or in India the welcome shade of the sacred bannian. Their uses are various and extensive, either as food, or their skins, feathers, and down, for commerce, and articles of wearing apparel, or household comfort. Many species are also domesticated, and in a way less precarious, lend their aid to the wants and luxuries of their owners. In the northern parts of America, this exten- sive family is most bountifully supplied, and her seay lakes and majestic rivers are suitable nurseries for the innumerable multitudes that annually resort to, and reas- semble to perform the duties of incubation. In the warmer parts, many remain at all seasons ; but it is in what is called Arctic America, and the Fur Countries, that the prodigious concourse annually arrive, and are so much hunted, both for food and a profitable emolument. Several of the spring months have received appella- tions from the birds which are most plentiful during them. The expected visitants arrive with remarkable precision, nearly at the same period of the month. They extend over a large space in breadth, and continue flying, without intermission, for many days. The native tribes are prepared by experience, and the signals of their ■watches, for their appearance ; and the first bird — for there are generally a scattered few before — gives notice that the havock should commence. '^ They are," says Dr. Richardson, '' of great importance in the Fur Countries, as they furnish at certain seasons in the year, in many extensive districts, almost the only article of food that can be procured. The arrival of the water-fowl marks the commencement of spring, and diffuses as much joy among the wandering hunters of the Arctic regions, as the harvest or vintage excites in more genial climes. The period of their migration southwards again, in large flocks, at the close of summer, is a.nother season of plenty, bountifully granted to the natives, and fitting them for encountering the rigors and privations of a northern winter," To the species of Ajiatidcr \\h\rh were known to Wilson as inhabitants of North- ern America, with which his eighth volume has been almost wholly occupied, the 628 DUSKY DUCK. of them remain during* the summer, and breed in sequestered places in the marsh, or on the sea-islands of the beach. The eggs are eight or ten in number, very nearly resembling those of tlie Domestic Duck. Vast numbers, however, regularly migrate farther north on the researches of later ornithologists and travellers have added considerably, and the following enumeration of them will serve to fill up the list to Icist discoveries : — Somateria, Leach. 1. S. spectabilis,\uediC\i. — King, Eider. — Common to both continents, and hcis much of habits of the Common Eider. One or two specimens have been killed on the northern shores of Great Britain. Clangula, Leach. 2. C. Barrovii, Swain, and Richard. — Rocky Mountain Garrot. See note to D. 575 Cygnus, Steph. Wnson, in his list of birds, mentions the " Swan ;" but from three species at least being natives of the Arctic countries, it is impossible to say whether or not he was aware of any distinctions. 3. C m«^icM5, Bechst.. or Wild Swan. — Inhabits the Arctic circle, whence it migrates to both continents. 4. C. buccinator, Richardson. — Trumpeter Swan. — Discovered to be unde- scribed by Dr. Richardson during the last overland expedition ; distin- guished by the bill being entirely black, longer and more depressed than in the Common Wild Swan, the tail containing twenty-four feathers, cind by a difference in the folding of the windpipe. The Doctor remc)rks, it is the most common Swan in the interior of*he Fur Countries. It breeds as far south as 1 at. 61 deg., but principally within the Arctic circle, and in its mi- grations generally preceues the Geese a few days. It is to the Trumpeter the bulk of the Swan skins imported by the Hudson's Bay Company belong. 5. C. Bewicldi, Yarrel. — Bewick's Swan. — This bird has lately been dis- covered as a migratory visitant to Britain. Dr. Richardson met with it during the last expedition, and remarks — "This Swan breeds on the sea- coast, within the Arctic circle, and is seen in the interior of the Fur Coun- tries, in its passage only. It makes its appearance among the latest of the migratory birds m the spring, while the Trumpeter Swans are, with the exception of the Eagles, the earliest." Lewis and Clark, Lawson and Heame, were all aware of the difference among the American Swans, but they have never, till lately, been really distinguished and characterized. Anser, Bechst. 6. A. albifrons, Bechst. — AVhite-fronted Goose. — Is mentioned by Bona- parte, and is introduced in the Northern Zoology. Its breeding places are the woody districts skirting the Mackenzie, to the north of the sixty-seventh parallel, and also the islands of the Arctic Sea. 7. A. segetum, Meyer. — Common Bean Goose. — Inhabiting the more Arctic regions. Bonaparte mentions also four additional species as probably ac- cidental inhabitants of the United States and the Arctic countries — A. cineretbs, Meyer. — A. rufescens, Brehm. — A. mediiis, Temm., and A. ci- neraceus, Brehm. Bemicla, Steph. 8. B. leucopsis, (Anas erythropus, Linn. — A. leucopsis, Temm.) — Inhabit- DUSKY DUCK. G29 approach of spring. Durinir their residence here in wii)ter, tliey frequent the marshes, and the various creeks and inlets with which those extensive flats are intersected. Their principal food consists of those minute snail shells so abundant in the marshes. They occa- sionally visit the sandy beach in search of small bivalves, and, on these occasions, sometimes cover wiiole acres with their numbers. They roost at night in the shallow ponds, in the middle of the salt marsh, particularly on islands, where many are caught by the foxes. They are extremely shy during the day ; and, on the most distant report of a musket, rise from every quarter of the marsh in prodigious numbers, dispersing in every direction. In calm weather they fly high, beyond the reach of shot ; but when the wind blows hard, and the gunner conceals himself among the salt grass, in a place over which they usually fly, they are shot down in great numbers ; their flight being then low. Geese, Brant, and Black Duck, are the common game of all our gunners along this part of the coast during winter ; but there are at least ten Black Ducks for one Goose or Brant, and probably many more. Their voice resembles that of the Duck and Mallard ; but their flesh is greatly inferior, owing to the nature of their food. They are, however, large, heavy-bodied Ducks, and generally esteemed. 1 cannot discover that this species is found in any of the remote northern parts of our continent ; and this is probably the cause why it is altogether unknown in Europe. It is abundant from Florida to New England; but is not enumerated among the birds of Hudson's Bay, or Greenland. Its chief residence is on the sea-coast, though it also makes extensive excursions up the tide waters of our rivers. Like the Mallard, they rarely dive for food, but swim and fly with great velocity. The Dusky or Black Duck is two feet in length, and three feet two inches in extent ; the bill is of a dark greenish ash, formed very much like the Mallard, and nearly of the same length ; irides, dark ; upper part of the head, deep dusky brown, intermixed on the fore part witli some small streaks of drab ; rest of the head and greater part of the neck, pale yellow ochre, thickly marked with small streaks of blackish brown ; lower part of the neck, and whole lower parts, deep dusky, each feather edged with brownish white, and with fine seams of rusty white ; upper parts the same, but rather deeper ; the outer vanes of nine of tlie secondaries, bright violet blue, forming the beauty spot, which is bounded on all sides by black ; wings and tail, sooty brown ; tail-feathers, sharp-pointed ; legs and feet, dusky yellow ; lining of the wings, pure white. The female has more brown on her plumage ; but in other respects differs little from the male, both having the beauty spot on the wing. ing^ the Arctic circle, migrating during winter to more temperate regions, and very rare and accidental in the United States. 9. B. Hutchinsii, {Anser Hutchinsii, Richard. — Hutchin's Bernacle, Nnrth. Zool. ii. p. 470.) — Described by Dr. Richardson as a variety of the Brant, in the Appendix to Captain Parry's second volume, and distinguished from it during the last Arctic expedition. — Ed. 53* 630 MARSH TERN. MARSH TERN. — STERNA ARANEA. — Fig. 304. Peak's Museum, No, 3521. STERJVjI jlRjiJ\rEJi. — WiLsoy.* Sterna aranea, Bonap. Synop. p. 364. This new species I first met with on the shores of Cape May, par- ticularly over the salt marshes, and darting down after a kind of large * The Prince of Musignano writes the following- observations in liis Nomencla- ture : — '' A new species of Wilson, referred by Temniinck to a bird which he calls Ster- na Anglica, thinking- that it is no other than S. Anglica of Montagu. But, as Brehm proves, in his late work, the S. Anglica of Temminck is not the S. Anglica of Montagu. To the latter he gives the name of S. risoria, (which cannot be adopt- ed,) and he calls the former iS. meridionalis . He does not decide to which of the two species the American S. aranea belongs, and expresses the pcvssibility of its being an independent species ; but seems inclined to believe it identical with his S. meridionalis. Whether this bird is the S. Anglica, Mont., the ;S. meridionalis, ^Te\\m, Anglica, Temm.,or a distinct species peculiar to the north and south of this continent, it shall be the object of these observations to determine. The specimen deposited by Wilson in the Philadelphia Museum (a single glance at which would have enabled us to decide the question) being unfortunately destroyed, and Wilson's figure and description being too unessential to justify any conclusion, we should have been obliged to have left the matter unsettled, had it not been for the success- ful zeal of Mr. Titian Peale, whose practical knowledge (the most important) of North American birds is equalled by none. Their favorite haunts, their note, their fligiil, are perfectly familiar to him. He succeeded in procuring a fine specimen at Long Beach, N. J., just as we were in want of one, and thus enabled us to give with more security the following opinion, which we had previously formed : — " S. aranea, Wils., was a nondescript, different from ;S. Anglica, Mont., but the sapie with S. Anglica, Temm., and jS. meridionalis, Brehm, and therefore common to both continents. Wilson's name, having the priority, must be exclusively re- tained, and Brehm's name of meridionalis must be rejected. Thus has our author here also first named and described a European bird. " Mr. Ord was therefore right in not finding himself authorized to change the name. He was right in believing Montagu's bird distinct ; but wrong in thmking Temminck's bird different, though Temminck had positively stated the specimens he had received from the United States and Brazil differed in nothing from his south Europeans. Even as respects the discrepance of ;S. Anglica, Mont., his reasons resting upon the slight difference of an unpublished drawing of Wilson respecting measurements of parts, to which Wilson did not attach great importance, were by no means conclusive. In fact, these measurements are incorrect, with the excep- tion of the tarsus, which corresponds within a trifle of the bird. The bill is two and one eighth inches to the corners of the mouth, and about one and one half inches to the feathers of the forehead ; thus bearing more in favor of Mr, Ord's argument, that it is not the Anglica, Mont., than he himself supposed ; but proving that it is no other than S, Anglica, Temm., {meridionalis, Brehm,) to which, as above stated, Wilson's name oi aranea must be exclusively applied. " The principal character we should assign for a ready distinction between these two closely-related species, (in addition to the shorter, thicker, less compressed, and straigliiter bill, with its edges turned inwards in Anglica,) consists in the tarsus, which in aranea (owing to its shortness, and the extraordinary length of the nail) is of the same length as the middle toe, including the nail, whilst in Anglica it is nearly twice the length, (owing to its superior length, and the shortness of the nail.) The membranes of our bird are also much more scalloped. The habits of the two species are very different. The S. Anglica, confined to the sea-shores, feeds al- MARSH TERN. G31 black spider, plenty in such places. This spider can travel under water, as well as above, and, during summer at least, seems to consti- tute the principal food of the present Tern. In several which I opened, the stomach Avas crammed with a mass of tliese spiders alone ; these they frequently pick up from the pools, as well as from tlie grass, dash- ing down on them in the manner of their tribe. Their voice is sharper and stronger than that of the Common Tern ; the bill is differently formed, being shorter, more rounded above, and thicker ; the tail is also much shorter, and less forked. They do not associate witli others, but keep in small parties by themselves. The Marsh Tern is fourteen inches in length, and thirty-four in extent ; bill, thick, much rounded above, and of a glossy blackness ; whole upper part of the head and hind neck, black ; whole upper part of the body, hoary white ; shafts of the quill and tail-feathers, pure white ; line from the nostril under the eye, and whole lower parts, pure white ; tail, forked, the outer feathers about an inch and three quarters longer tlian tlie middle ones; tlie wings extend upwards of two inches beyond the tail ; legs and feet, black ; hind toe, small, straight, and pointed. The female, as to plumage, differs in nothing from the male. The yearling birds, several of which I met with, have the plumage of the crown white at the surface, but dusky below ; so that the boundaries of the black, as it will be in the perfect bird, are ckarly defined ; through the eye a line of black passes down the neck for about an inch, reaching about a quarter of an inch before it ; the bill is not so black as in the otliers ; the legs and feet, dull orange, snmtted with brown or dusky ; tips and edges of the primaries, blackish ; shafts, white. This species breeds in the salt marshes ; the female drops her eggs, generally three or four in number, on the dry drift grass, without the slightest appearance of a nest ; they are of a greenish olive, spotted with brown. A specimen of tliis Tern has been deposited in the Museum of this city, [Philadelphia.] most exclusively on strand birds,* and tlieir eggs, sometimes on fishes ; whilst the (S. aranea, g-enerally found on marshes, feeds exclusively on insects." Bonaparte, and the authors of the Northern Zoology, have mentioned the follow- ing species as also found iu North America : — 1. S. cyana, Lath. — Inhabiting the tropical seas of America; common on the coasts of the Southern States. 2. S. Arctka, Temm. — {North. Zool. p. 114.) Bonaparte expresses a doubt that this is the true Arctka of Temm. ; and the description in the Northern Zoology points out some discrepancies. 3. S. stolida. Migrates to the North American coasts. Phaceton, Linn. These birds, from general appearance, approach near to the Terns, (S. Caspia ;) but from the want of specimens, I am unable to enter into the proper situation of the form, except from the authority of others. Bonaparte places it between siila and plotus. The only American species is, 1. P. cethereus, Linn., Tropic Bird of Wilson's list. Common during summer on the coasts of the Southern States. — Ed. * Is this correct ? Does thid Tern kill other sea-fowl, and plunder their nests .' — Ed. 632 SOOTY TERN. SOOTY TERN. — STERNA FULIGINOSA. — Fig. 305. La hirondelle de mer a grande enverguer, Buff. viii. p. 345. — Egg-Bird, Forst. Voy. p. 113. — Noddy, Vamp. Voij. iii. p. 142. — ^rc^ Zool. No. 441. — Lath. Syn. iii. p. Sd"!. — Peak's Museum, No. 3459. STEILWJi FULIOIJSrOSji. — 'LAiHAis. S. fuliginosa, Bonap. Synop. p. 355. This bird has been long known to navigators, as its appearance at sea usually indicates the vicinity of land ; instances, however, have occurred, in which they have been met with one hundred leagues from shore.* The species is widely dispersed over the various shores of the ocean. They were seen by Dampier in New Holland ; are in pro- digious numbers in the Island of Ascension and in Christmas Island ; are said to lay, in December, one egg on the ground ; the egg is yel- lowish, with brown and violet spots.f In passing along the northern shores of Cuba, and the coast of Florida and Georgia, in the month of July, I observed this species very numerous and noisy, dashing down headlong after small fish. I shot and dissected several, and found their stomachs uniformly filled with fish. I could perceive little or no difference between the colors of the male and female. Length of the Sooty Tern, seventeen inches ; extent, three feet six inches ; bill, an inch and a half long, sharp-pointed and rounded above, the upper mandible serrated slightly near the point ; nostril, an oblong slit ; color of the bill, glossy black ; irides, dusky ; forehead, as far as the eyes, white ; whole lower parts and sides of the neck, pure white ; rest of the plumage, black ; wings, very long and pointed, extending, when shut, nearly to the extremity of the tail, which is greatly forked, and consists of twelve feathers, the two exterior ones four inches longer than those of the middle, the whole of a deep black, except the two outer feathers, which are white, but towards the extremities a little blackish on the inner vanes ; legs and webbed feet, black ; hind toe, short. The secondary wing feathers are eight inches shorter than the longest primary. This bird frequently settles on the rigging of ships at sea, and, in common with another species, S.stolida, is called by sailors the Noddy. * Cook, Voyage, i. p. 275. t Turton. CINEREOUS COOT. 633 CINEREOUS COOT. — FULICA AMERICANA. —Fig. 30C. Turton, \, 'in. — Lath. Gen. Sun. 3, Tlo. — ld. Sup. 259. — Lui. Orn. ii. 777.— Geri7i. Oi-n. 5, t. 425. — Faun. Suec. 193.— Scop. Ann. 1, No. IW. — Bnin. 190. — Muller, No. 216. — Kratn. EL p. 357, l. — Frisdi. t. 2i)ii.— Georfre Reise, p. 112. — La Foulque, ou Morelle, Briss. Orn. 6, p. 23, I, pi. 2, fig. 2.— Buff. Ois. 15, p. 327. PI. enl. No. 197. — The Coot, Rail Syn. p. 116, A. 1. — Will. Orn. p. 319, pi. 59. — Albin. I, pi. 83. — fir. Zool. No. 2&, pi. 77.— Arct. Zool. No. 41G. — Coot, or Bald Coot, Bemick, 2, 127. — Sloatie, Jam. 2, 320. — Fulica Floridana, Bartram, p. 296. — Peak's Museum, No. 4322. FULICA JlMERICAJ^Jl. — GMJii.iy.* Fulica Americana, Sab. Append, to Capt. Frank. Exp. p. 690. — Bonap. Syyiop. p. 338. — Fulica atra, Wilson's List. This species makes its appearance in Pennsylvania about the first of October. Among the muddy flats and islands of the River Dela- ware, which are periodically overflowed, and which are overgrown with the reed, or wild oats, and rushes, the Coots are found. They are not numerous, and are seldom seen, except their places of resort be covered with water ; in that case they are generally found sitting or. the fallen reed, waiting for the ebbing of the tide, which will enable them to feed. Their food consists of various aquatic plants, seeds, insects, and, it is said, small fish. The Coot has an aversion to take wing, and can seldom be sprung in its retreat at low water ; for, al- though it walks rather awkwardly, yet it contrives to skulk through the grass and reeds with great speed, the compressed form of its body, like that of the Rail genus, being well adapted to the purpose. It swims remarkably well, and, when wounded, will dive like a DucL When closely pursued in the water, it generally takes to the shore, rising with apparent reluctance, like a wounded Duck, and fluttering * This description commences the ninth and supplementary volume of the origi- nal, printed by Mr. Ord, after the decease of Wilson, from his notes. The volume was published in 1814, and a second edition appeared in 1825, correcting several mistakes which had occurred in the first. Our present bird was there described as identical with that of Europe, and a detail of the habits of our native species given as belonging to it ; these Mr. Ord has corrected. The distinctions, I believe, were first pointed out by Mr. Sabine, in the Appendix to Captain Franklin's Narrative, and I now add them in that gentleman's words : — " They are of the same length, though there is a general inferiority in the size of the body, as well as of the legs, head, and bill of the American ; the bill is smaller, less thick aiid strong, and shorter by a quarter of an inch ; the callus, independent of the difference in color in the American bird, extends only half an inch over the head, but in the European, above an inch ; the whole head is smaller ; the plumage, generally, is similar in color and character ; the outer margin of the first primary feathers of the wing, is more conspicuously marked with white, and there are a few white feathers on the upper edge of the wing ; the secondaries in both are tipped with white ; the principal difference in the plumage is, that in the American the feathers at the vent are quite black, and the under tail-coverts white ; in the Euro- pean Coot, these correspond with the rest of the plumage ; the legs arc much more slender in the American bird ; the tarse of the European measures near two inches and a half, that of the American not quite two inches ; the toes are smaller in like proportion ; the middle toe, including the claw, of the European Coot, is three mches and three quarters long ; of the American, three inches and one quarter only." — Ed. 634 CINEREOUS COOT. along the surface, with its feet pattering on the water.* It is known in Pennsylvania by the name of the Mud-Hen. 1 have never yet discovered that this species breeds with us ; though it is highly probable that some few may occupy the marshes of the interior, in the vicinity of the ponds and lakes, for this purpose ; those retired situations being well adapted to the hatching and rearing of their young. In the Southern States, particularly South Carolina, they are well known; but the Floridas appear to be their principal rendezvous for the business of incubation. " The Coot," says William Bartram, " is a native of North America, from Pennsylvania to Florida. They inhabit large rivers, fresh-water inlets or bays, lagoons, &c., where they swim and feed amongst the reeds and grass of the shores ; particularly in the River St. Juan, in East Florida ; where they are found in inmnense flocks. They are loquacious and noisy, talking to one another night and day ; are constantly on the water, the broad, lobated membranes on their toes enabling them to swim and dive like Ducks." f The Coot inhabits the shores of Sweden and Norway ; appears in the spring, and very rarely visits the lakes or moors. Is found in Russia, China, Persia, Greenland, and Siberia. It is common in France, particularly in Lorraine. " This species is met with in Great Britain, at all seasons of the year ; and it is generally believed, that it does not migrate to other countries, but changes its stations, and removes in the autumn from the lesser pools, or loughs, where the young have been reared, to the larger lakes, where flocks assemble in the winter. The female commonly builds her nest in a bunch of rushes, surrounded by the water ; J it is composed of a great quantity of coarse dried weeds, well matted to- gether, and lined within with softer and finer grasses ; she lays from twelve to fifteen eggs at a time, and commonly hatches twice in a season ; her eggs are about the size of those of a Pullet, and are of a pale brownish white color, sprinkled with numerous small, dark spots, which, at the thicker end, seem as if they had run into each other, and formed bigger blotches. " As soon ELS the young quit the shell, they plunge into the water, dive, and swim about with great ease ; but they still gather together about the mother, and take shelter under her wings, and do not entire- ly leave her for some time. They are at first covered with sooty colored down, and are of a shapeless appearance ; while they are in this state, and before they have learned by experience to shun danger, the Kite, Moor Buzzard, and others of the Hawk tribe, make dreadful havock among them."§ * In Carolina, they are called Flusterers, from the noise they make in flymg over the surface of the water. — A Voyage to Carolina, by John Lawson, p. 149. t Letter from Mr. Bartram to the author. I A Bald Coot built her nest in Sir William Middleton's lake, at Belsay, North- umberland, among the rushes, which were afterwards loosened by the wind, and, of course, the nest was driven about, and floated upon the surface of the water, in every direction ; notwithstanding which, the female continued to sit as usual, and brought out her young upon her movable habitation. §1 " The Pike is also the indiscriminate devourer of the young of all these water- birds ; " and this, notwithstanding the numerous brood, may account for the scarcity of the species. II U Bewick's British Birds, vol. ii. p. 129. CINEREOUS COOT. 635 The Cinereous Coot is sixteen inches in length, and twenty-eight in extent; bill, one and a half inch long, white, the upper mandible slightly notclied near the tip, and marked across with a band of chest- nut, the lower mandible marked on each side with a squarish spot of the like color, edged on the lower part with briglit yellow, or gamboge, thence to the tip, pale horn color ; membrane of the forehead, dark chestnut brown ; irides, cornelian red ; beneath the eyes, in most spe- cimens, a whitish spot; the head and neck are of a deep shining black, resembling satin ; back and scapulars, dirty greenish olive ; shoulders, breast, and wing-coverts, slate blue ; the under parts are hoary ; vent, black ; beneath the tail, pure white ; primaries and secondaries, slate, the former tipped with black, the latter with white, which does not ap- pear when the wing is closed; outer edges of the wings, white ; logs and toes, yellowish green, the scalloped membrane of the latter, lead color ; middle toe, including the claw, three inches and three quarters long. The bird, from which tlie foregoing description was taken, (Fig. 30(1,) was shot in the Delaware, below Philadelphia, the 29th of October, 1813. It was an old male, an uncommonly fine specimen, and weighed twenty-three ounces avoirdupois. It is deposited in Peale's Museum. The young birds differ somewhat in their plumage, that of the head and neck being of a brownish black ; that of the breast and shoulders, pale ash ; the throat, gray or mottled ; the bill, bluish white ; and the membrane on the forehead, considerably smaller. The young females very much resemble the young males ; all the difference which I have been enabled to perceive, is as follows : — breast and shoulders, cinereous ; markings on the bill, less ; upper parts of the head, in some specimens, mottled ; and being less in size. The lower parts of these birds are clothed with a thick down, and, particularly between the thighs, covered with close, fine feathers. The thighs are placed far behind, are fleshy, strong, and bare above the knees. Sloane says, that " the trachea arteria of the Coots is branched into two, just under the base of the heart, and is compressed as that of the Ardca ccerulea nigra.''^ The gizzard resembles a Hen's, and is remarkably large and muscu- lar. That of the bird which has been described, was filled with sand, gravel, shells, and the remains of aquatic plants. Buffon describes the mode of shooting Coots in France, particularly in Lorraine, on the great pools of Tiaucourt, and of Indre ; hence we are led to suppose, that they are esteemed as an article of food. But with us, who are enabled, by the abundance and variety of game, to in- dulge in greater luxuries in that season when our Coots visit us, they are considered as of no account, and are seldom eaten. The European ornithologists represent the membrane on the fore- head of the Coot as white, except in the breeding season, when it is said to change its color to pale red. This circumstance would induce one to suppose, that our Coot is a different species from the Pjuropoan, which I have never had the satisfaction to behold ; and, indeed, I am much of that opinion. It is a very rare occurrence, that the Coot is seen in the vicinity of Philadelphia in the spring or summer. The 19th of March, 1814, 1 had the satisfaction of being presented with one, a female, which was shot 636 CINEREOUS COOT. in the Schuylkill, at Gray's Ferry. I could see no difference in its plu- mage and markings, from those of the full grown male, except the head and neck not being of so deep a black. The membrane on the fore- head was not more than half the size of that of the female specimen, described above, and it was of the same color, viz., dark chestnut. All the birds which I have ever seen, had this appendage of the same color. In Lewis and Clark's history of their expedition, mention is made of a bird which is common on the Columbia ; is said to be very noisy, to have a sharp, shrill whistle, and to associate in large flocks ; it is called the Black Duck.* This is doubtless a species of Coot, but whether or not different from ours, cannot be ascertained. How much is it to be regretted, that, in an expedition of discovery, planned and fitted out by an enlightened government, furnished with every means for safety, sub- sistence, and research, not one naturalist, not one draughtsman, should have been sent, to observe and perpetuate the infinite variety of natural productions, many of which are entirely unknown to the community of science, which that extensive tour must have revealed ! The Coot leaves us in November for the southward. The foregoing was prepared for the press, when the author, in one of his shooting excursions on the Delaware, had the good fortune to kill a full-plumaged female Coot. This was on the 20th of April. It was swimming at the edge of a cripple., or thicket of alder bushes, busily engaged in picking something from the surface of the water, and, while thus employed, it turned frequently. The membrane on its fore- head was very small, and edged on the fore part with gamboge. Its eggs were of the size of partridge shot. And, on the 13th of May, another fine female specimen was presented to him, which agreed with the above, with the exception of the membrane on the forehead being nearly as large and prominent as that of the male. From the circum- stance of the eggs of all these birds being very small, it is probable that the Coots do not breed until July. * History of the Expedition, vol. ii. p. 194. Under date of November 30th, 1805, they say, — "■ The hunters brought in a few Black Ducks, of a species common in the United States, living in large flocks and feeding on grass ; they are distinguished bv a sharp white beak, toes separated, and by having no craw." PURPLE GALLINULE. 631 PURPLE GALLINULE. — GALLINULA PORPHYRIO. — Fig. 307. Gallinula porphyrio, Latham. Iml. Orn. p. 1{\[\. Idem. iii. pi. 1. p. 254. Id. Id, Sup. 326. — Gerin, Orn. v. I. 485. — Fulica porpliyrio, Turf. Sifxt. 1, Atii. — Scop. Amer. \, No. 152. — La poule sulUuie, liriss. Orn. v. p. 522, "pi. 42, ng-. \.—BnJf. Ois.xv.p.Sm. Pl.enl. No. 810. — A'au Syn. p. IK), 13, H. — VM/l. Orn. p. 318. — Purple Water Hen, Ediv. 87. — Albia, iii. pi. 11. — Peale's Museum, No. 4294. ' OJlLLTJVUI^ 1 M^R TJJVJCa. — Latham.* Gallinula Marlinica, Bonap. Synop. p. 336. This splendid and celebrated bird is a native of the southern parts of the continent of America ; and is occasionally found witliin the limits of the United States. But we have to regret that it is not in our power to furnish any additional particulars to its history, already detailed in the works of the European naturalists. Travellers in our section of the globe have hitherto been too neglectful of that beauti- ful, interesting, and useful portion of animated nature, the birds. Con- tent witli wandering over an extent of country, noting merely the common-place occurrences of life, the voyager returns to his friends, and unfolds to their attentive ears the history of his adventures. His book is published, read, and thrown aside with the ephemeral sheets, tlie useful, but soon forgotten newspapers. If the natural history of only one single acre were to be accurately recorded by each traveller, mankind would receive more real benefit and satisfaction from such productions, than from cart-loads of itineraries, descriptive of scenes and manners, which, from being long familiar to us, fail to interest, or disgust by the frequency of their repetition. Curiosity is an active principle, and we could sincerely wish every traveller to be possessed of an abundant share of it ; not that impertinent desire to pry into the affairs of families or communities, which distinguishes some indi- viduals ; but that laudable thirst for knowledge, which leads one over mountains and precipices, through forests, valleys, and thickets, intent on exploring the inexhaustible treasures of nature. We have been insensibly led into this train of reflections, in conse- quence of our chagrin in not finding any account of the subject of this article in the pages of the American traveller, historian, or naturalist. To the Europeans, then, we are compelled to resort, happy that, with their assistance, we shall be enabled to throw some light on the history of a stranger, whose native haunts we have never yet had the good fortune to explore. " This bird," says Latham, " is more or less common in all the warmer parts of the globe. On the coasts of Barbary they abound, as well as in some of the islands of the Mediterranean. In Sicily, they are bred in plenty, and kept for their beauty ; but whether indigenuous there, we are not certain. It is frequently met with in various parts of * This species, in form, runs very much into the Porphyria of Brisson ; but with- out specimens, I cannot decide whether it should rank there, or on the confines of Gallinu/a. The characters of the former group are, the much greater strength of the bill, being almost as hig-h as long, the greater proportional len^h of leg^s, and the splendid and metallic lustre of the plumage. In their manners, thev are partly granivorous, and live more upon land than the Water Hciis. — Ed. 54 638 PURPLE GALLINULE. the south of Russia, and western parts of Siberia, among- reedy places ; and in the neighborhood of the Caspian Sea not uncommon ; but in the cultivated rice grounds of Ghilan in Persia, in great plenty, and in high plumage. The female makes her nest among the reeds, in the middle of March ; lays three or four eggs,* and sits from three to four weeks. That it is common in China, the paper-hangings thence will every where testify. It is also met with in the East Indies, the islands of Java, Madagascar, and many others. Our late navigators saw them at Tongataboo f in vast numbers, as well as the islands of Tanna, and other parts. It is also common in the southern parts of America. " In respect to its manners, it is a very docile bird, being easily tamed, and feeding with the poultry, scratching the ground with the foot, as the Cock and Hen. It will feed on many things, such as fruits, roots of plants, and grain; but will eat fish with avidity, dipping them into the water before it swalloAvs them ; will frequently stand on one leg, and lift the food to its mouth with the other, like a Parrot. The flesh is said to be exquisite in taste." " The moderns," says Buffon, " have given the name of Sultana Hen to a bird famous among the ancients, under the name of Por- phyrion. We have frequently had occasion to remark the justness of the denominations bestowed by the Greeks, which generally allude to the distinctive characters, and are therefore superior to the terms hastily adopted in our languages, from superficial or inaccurate views. The present is an instance ; as this bird seemed to bear some re- semblance to the gallinaceous tribe, it got the name of Hen ; but as, at the same time, it differed widely, and excelled by its beauty and port, it received the epithet of Sultana. But the term Porphyrion, indicating the red or purple tint of its bill and feet, was more just and characteristic ; and should we not rebuild the fine ruins of learned antiquity, and restore to nature those brilliant images, and those faith- ful portraits from the delicate pencil of the Greeks, ever awake to her beauties and her animation ? " Both the Greeks and Romans, notwithstanding their voracious luxury, abstained from eating the Porphyrion. They brought it from Lybia,! from Comagene, and from the Balearic Islands,^ to be fedjj and to be placed in their palaces and temples, where it was left at liberty as a guest,11 whose noble aspect, whose gentle disposition, and whose elegant plumage, merited such honors. " Scarcely any bird has more beautiful colors ; the blue of its plumage is soft and glossy, embellished with brilliant reflections ; its long feet, and the plate from the top of its head to the root of its bill, are of a fine red ; and a tuft of white feathers under the tail heightens the lustre of its charming garb. Except that it is rather smaller, the * " Buffon says that the pair, which the Marquis de Nesle introduced into France, laid six round, white eg^s, about the size of a demi-bilhard." + FoRST. Voy. i. 4485 ii. 358. Cook's Last Voyage, i. 239. — Am. Ed. X " Alexander the M^^ndian, in Athenseus, reckons the Porphyrion in the number of Lybian birds, and relates that it was sacred to the gods in that country. Ac- cording to Diodorus Siculus, Porphyrions were brought from the heart of Syria, with other kinds of birds distinguished by their rich colors." % Pliny, lib. x. 46, 49. II Belon. TI ^LiAN, lib. iii. 41. ri'RPLE GALTJXULE. 639 female differs not from the male, uJiicli exceeds the Partridi^e, but is inferior to a domestic Hen. The Marquis de Nesle brouijht a pair from Sicily, where they arc known under the name of Gallofaf^iani ; they are found on the Lake Lentini, above Catana, and are sold for a moderate price in that city, as well as in Syracuse and the adjacent towns. They appear alive in the public places, and plant themselves beside the sellers of vegetables and fruits to pick up tlie refuse ; and this beautiful bird, Avhich the Romans lodged in their temples, now experiences the decline of Italy." The length of the Purple Gallinule is fourteen inches ; its bill is an inch and a quarter long, red, yellow at the tips ; nostril, small, oblong, and near the centre of the bill ; irides, tawny ; the naked front and crown are red ; the head, part of the neck, throat, and breast are of a rich violet purple ; the back and scapulars, brownish green ; rump, tail, and its coverts, of a duller brownish green ; the sides of tiie neck, ultramarine ; wings, the same, tinged with green ; the inner webs of the quill-feathers and tail, dusky brown ; upper lining and side lining of the wings, under the spurious wing, rich light blue ; the belly, tliighs, and for an inch behind, dull purplish black ; the vent pure white ; tail, rounded ; thighs, legs, and feet, red ; span of the foot, five inches ; hind toe and claws, long. It is somewhat remarkable that Turton, in his translation of the Systema Natures, should have perpetuated the error of arrangmg the Gallinules with the Coots, under the generical appellation of Fulica, to which they have but little resemblance in their habits, and none in the conformation of their feet. As he professed to have been assisted by the works of Dr. Latham, one would suppose that the classification of the latter, especially in this instance, would have been adopted. In Mr. Peale's collection there is a Ga,llinu]e which resembles the above in every respect, except its being considerably smaller. The bird, from which our drawing was taken, came from the state of Georgia, and is deposited in Peale's Museum. It is reduced, as well as the rest of the figures in the same plate, to one half the size of life. Since writing the above, I have been mfonned by Mr. Alexander Rider, the painter, who accompanied the late Mr. Enslen in his botanical researches throngh the United States, that they observed the Purple Gallinule in a thick swamp, a short distance from Savannah, Georgia. It was very vigilant and shy, and was shot with much difli- culty. It is very probable that it breeds there, as the nature of the swamp favors concealment, of which this bird appears to be fond. Mr. Abbot, of Georgia, likewise informs me, that this species fre- quents the rice-fields and marshes in the lower parts of the state ; it is rare, he having met with only three specimens ; he has no doubt that it breeds there. He says that when the bird is living, the naked crown is of a bright blue, and the legs yellow ochre. We were neces- sitated to take our description, and to color our figure, from the stuffed specimen in Peale's Museum, and it is possible that we may have been in error with respect to those parts. In Mr. Wilson's drawing, they were colored as we have described them. 640 GRAY PHALAROPE. GRAY PHALAROPE.— FHALAROPUS LOBATA.— Fig. 308. Phalaropus lobata, Lath. Ind. Orn. p. 776. Id. iii. pt. 1, p. 272. — Tringa lobata, Turt. Stjst. i. 406. — AMler, No. 195. — Faun. Suec. 119. — Faun. Groenl. No. 75. — Le Phalarope, Briss. Orn. vi. p. 18, 1. — Le Phalarope afestoiis den- teles, Buff. Ois. XV. p. 349. — Gray Coot-footed Tringa, Edwards, pi. 308. — Bewick, ii. p. 132. — Bartram, p. 294. — Br. Zool. ii. No. 218. — Arct. Zooi. ii. No. 412. LOBIPES WILSOJVII. — J ARDiTiE.* PhalaropuS; (sub-gen. holopodius,) Bonap. Synop. p. 342. — Phalaropus Wilsonii, Sab. App. to Frank. Narrat. p. 691. — Lobipes incanus, Jard. and Selby, lllust. Ornith. pi. 25. — Phalaropus Wilsonii, North. Zool. ii. pi. 69. Or this species, only one specimen was ever seen by Wilson, and that was preserved in Trowbridge's Museum, at Albany, in the state of New York. On referrin^^ to Wilson's Journal, I found an account of the bird, there called a Tringa, written with a lead pencil, but so scrawled and obscured, that parts of the Avriting were not legible. I wrote to Mr. Trowbridge, soliciting a particular description, but no answer Avas returned. From the drawing, which is imperfectly col- ored, and the description, which I have been enabled to decipher, I have concluded that this species is the Gray Phalarope of Turton. It is worthy of remark, that the ornithologists of Europe have differed somewhat in their account of this bird, as well as of that which fol- lows ; and we cannot reconcile our descriptions with theirs. This is owing, Ave presume, to the scarcity of the species, which has operated against their obtaining subjects recently killed, and has compelled them to have recourse to old or imperfect specimens of the museums. In the grand and wonderful chain of animated nature, the Phalaropes constitute one of the links between the Waders and the Webfooted tribes, having the form of the Sandpiper with the habits of some of the Ducks ; the scalloped membranes on their toes enabling them to swim with facility. They do not appear to be fond of the neighborhood of the ocean, and are generally found in the interior, about the lakes, * In the small group known as Phalaropus we have two forms, distinguished by the stouter make, the flat-formed bill, and the development of the webs to the toes in the one, and by the slender bill and greater alliance of the other to the To- tani. The Prince of Musignano has instituted another sub-group from what appears to me to be onl}' the greater development of the latter form. Following the arrangement ofCuvier, I have retained Lobipes for those of slender make, and Phalaropus for that of this country, and only one yet discovered. I have little hesitation in considering the L. incanus of ornithological illustra- tions to be this bird in imperfect plumage. Bonaparte is of opinion that the Ameri- can bird was a new species ; Mr. Ord, that it is some undescribed state oi' P. hi)- perboreus : with the former of these opinions I agree, and have accordingly adopted the specific name which Sabine had previously cliosen for it, but have referred it to the genus Lobipes of Cuvier. This plate of our author is one of the very few ex- ceptions where an imperfect representation of the bird is given, the figure being much loo stout and thick, and not of that more elegant form, one of the charactei~is- tics of the Tofttni. Under this division will also range the Little Red-necked Phalarope, Lobipes hijperboreus of Temminck, and the present type of the genus. According to Bona- parte, this species is exceedingly rare and accidental in the United Slates It will appear in the forthcoming volumes of that gentleman's Illustrations. — Ed. GRAY PHALAROPE. 641 ponds, and streams of fresh water, wliere tliey delio^ht to linjrer, swim- ming near the margin in search of seeds and insects. Tiiey go in pairs, and we cannot learn that they are any where numerous. These circumstances are sufficient to authorize their removal from a tribe to which they have little resemblance, except in their general appear- ance. Edwards was the first naturalist who introduced tlicm to the world; and although he seems to have been convinced that they ought to constitute a genus of themselves, yet he contented himself with arranging them with the TringfF, a classification certainly neither scientific nor natural. Turton has fallen into the same error, which Latham and Pennant have judiciously avoided ; and in their arrangement, so agreeable to our sentiments of the obvious discrimina- tions of nature, we heartily concur. The bill of this species is black, slender, straight, and one inch and three quarters in length ; lores, front, crown, hind head, and thence to the back, very pale ash, nearly white ; from the anterior angle of the eye, a curving stripe of black descends along the neck for an inch or more ; thence to the shoulders, dark reddish brown, which also tinges the white on the side of the neck next it ; under parts, white ; above, dark olive ; Avings and legs, black; the scalloped membranes on the toes finely serrated on their edges; size of tiie Turnstone. The above description, I am convinced, is imperfect ; but as I have not an opportunity of seeing the bird, no better can be obtained. Pennant says that the Gray Phalarope inhabits Scandinavia, Ice- land and Greenland ; in the last, lives on the frozen side, near the great lakes ; quits the country before winter ; is seen on the full seas in April and September, in the course of its migration. It is fre- quent in all Siberia, about the lakes and rivers, especially in autumn — probably in its migration from the Arctic flats ; it was also met v;ith among the ice between Asia and America. The editor has been at considerable pains this spring to procure specimens and infprmation of the two Phalaropes, which are figured and described in this volume ; but he is sorry to declare tliat liis endeavors have been unsuccessful. Though he explored our ponds and shores many times with his gun, and made frequent inquiries of sportsmen, yet he neither saw these birds nor heard of them ; and has reason to believe that they seldom visit this part of the United States.. 54 # 642 RED PHALAROPE. RED PHALAROPE. — PHALAROPUS HYPERBOREA. — Fig. 309. Phalaropus hyperboreus, I-ai/iaz/i, Ind. Orn.p. lib. — /(iem, iii. pt. 1, p. 270.^ Br. Zool. ii. No. 219. — Arct. Zool. No. 413. — Tringa fulicaria, Faun. Sure. No. 179. _ Faun. Groenl. No. 76. — Brunnich, No. 172. — Muller, No. 196. — Trin- ga hyperborea, Turt. Syst. 1, 407. — Le Phalarope rouge, Buf. Ois. xv. p. 348. PL enl. 766. — Le Phalarope cendre, Briss. Orn. vi. p."^15, ± — Raii Syn. p. 132, A. 7. —Small Cloven-footed Gull, Wit. Orn. p. 355. — Coot- footed Tringa, Edw. 142, 143. — Red Coot-footed Tringa, Bartram, 294. ~ Be- wick, ii. l^l. — Peale's Museum, No. 4088. PHALAROPUS FULJCARIUS. — Bonaparte. This species measures nine inches in length, and fifteen in breadth ; the front and crown are black, barred transversely with lines of white ; bill, orang-e, an inch long, broad above, black towards the tip ; throat, sides of the neck, and lower parts, white, thickly and irregularly barred with curving dashes of reddish chocolate : the upper parts are of a deep slate color, streaked with brownish yellow and black ; the back scapulars, broadly edged with brownish yellow ; tail, plain pale olive ; middle of the tail-coverts, black ; sides, bright brownish yellow ; rump, and wings, dark slate ; the primaries are nearly black, and crossed with white, as usual, below their coverts ; greater wing-coverts, broadly tip'ied with white, forming a large band ; vent, white ; those feathers immediately next the tail, reddish chocolate ; legs, black on the outside, yellowish within ; hind toe, small, and partly pinnate. The Red Phalarope is a very rare bird in Pennsylvania ; and, as far as we can learn, is but seldom met with in any part of the Union. It is said that they come into Hudson's Bay the beginning of June, and lay four eggs, about the middle of that month, on a dry spot; the young fly in August, and they depart to the southward in September. Whether or not they breed within the territory of the United States, we cannot detennine ; but it is probable they do, as three were seen on a pond below Philadelphia, in the latter part of May, 1812, one of which was shot, and presented to the editor, who transferred it to Mr. Peale. In consequence of its being in a high state of putridity when received, it was preserved with considerable difficulty, and the sex could not be ascertained. Our figure and description were from this specimen. The person who shot this bird had never seen one of the species before, and was particularly struck with its singular manners. He described it as sitting on the water, dipping in its bill very often, as if feeding, and turning frequently round. Pennant informs us that the Red Phalarope is found in Scandinavia ; is common about the Caspian Sea, and the lakes and rivers adjacent, during spring ; but does not extend to the farther part of Siberia. It visits Greenland in April, and departs in September. WILSON'S PLOVER. 643 WILSON'S PLOVER.— CHARAi>RIUS WILSONIUS. — Fig. 310. Peale^s Museum, No. 4159, male j 4160, female. CIlJiRjiDRIUS WILSOXIUS. — Ord. Charadrius Wilsonius, Bonap. Sijtwp. p. 296. — Aomeuclature, No. 221. Of this neat and prettily-marked species I can find no acconnt, and have conchided that it has hitherto escaped the eye of the natural i.st. The bird from which this description was taken, was shot the JMth of May, 1813, on the shore of Cape Island, New Jersey, by my ever- reg-retted friend ; and I have honored it Avith his name.'* It was a male, and was accompanied by another of the same sex, and a femab, all of which were fortunately obtained. This bird very much resembles the Ring Plover, except in the lenirth and color of the bill, its size, and in wanting the yellow eyelids. The males and females of this species differ in their markings, but the Rina' Plovers nearly agree. We conversed with some sportsmen of Cape May, who asserted that they were acquainted with these bird.-, and that they sometimes made their appearance in flocks of consid- erable numbers; others had no knowledge of them. That the species is rare we were well convinced, as we had diligently explored the shore of a considerable part of Cape May, in the vicinity of Great Egg Harbor, many times at different seasons, and had never seen them before. How long they remain on our coast, and where they winter, we are unable to say. From the circumstance of the oviduct of the female being greatly enlarged, and containing an egg half grown, a)j- parently within a week of being ready for exclusion, we concluded that they breed there. Their favorite places of resort appear to be the dry sand flats on the sea-shore. They utter an agreeable piping note. This species is seven inches and three quarters in length, and fifteen and a half in extent; the bill is black, stout, and an inch long, the upper mandible projecting considerably over the lower ; front, wliite, passing on each side to the middle of the eye above, and bounded by a band of black of equal breadth; lores, black ; eyelids, white; eye, large and dark ; from the middle of the eye backwards, the strij)e of white becomes duller, and extends for half an inch ; the crown, hind head, and auriculars, are drab olive ; the chin, throat, and sides of the neck, for an inch, pure white, passing quite round the neck, and nar- rowing to a point behind ; the upper breast, below, is marked with a broad1)and of jet black ; the rest of the lower parts, pure white ; upper parts, pale olive drab ; along the edges of the auriculas and hind head, the plumage, where it joins the white, is stained with raw terra sienna ; all the plumage is darkest in the centre ; the tertials are fully longer than the primaries, the latter brownish black, the shafts and * Bonaparte thus observes in his Nometwlature, — " A very rare species estab- lished by the Editor, (Mr. Ord.) and dedicated to Wilson. It is the first homa.j^c of the kind paid to the memory of this great and lamented self-tauglil naturalist. The descriptions of several species in the works of former authors come more or less near to it, but after a careful investigation we are satisfied that it is new." — Ed. 644 BLACK-BELLIED DARTER. edges of some of the middle ones, white ; secondaries, and greater coverts, slightly tipped with white ; the legs are of a pale flesh color ; toes bordered with a narrow edge ; claws, and ends of the toes, black; the tail is even, a very little longer than the wings, and of a Dlackish olive color, with the exception of the two exterior feathers, ■which are whitish, but generally the two middle ones only are seen. The female differs in having no black on the forehead, lores, or breast, those parts being pale olive. BLACK-BELLIED DARTER, OR SNAKE-BIRD. — PLOTUS MELANOGASTER. — Fig. SIL — Male. Salerne, Orn. p. 315. — Will. Orn. p. "IdO. — Turt. Syst. 1, 351. — Lath. Gm. Syn. pt. 2, p. 624. — L'Anhing-a, Buff. Ois. xvi. p. 253. — Anhing-a de Cayenne, PL enl. No. 959. — Anhinea melauogaster, Zool. Ind. p. 22, pi. 12. — Colymbus colubrinus. Snake Bird, Bartram, p. 132, 295. — Peales Museum, No. 3188, Male. PLOTUS .^JVZf/JVG./^.— LiNN^us.* P]olus anh'mga.. Bonap. Synop. p. 411. — Plotus melanogaster, Ord. 1st. edit, of Supp. p. 79. The Black-bellied Darter is three feet three inches in length ; the bill is three inches and three quarters long, rather slender, very sharp * This very curious genus contains only two known species — that of our au- thor, common to both continents of America, and {he Plotus Vaillantii of Tem- minck, a native of India, Africa, and the South Seas. It has been placed among \he PelicaiiidcB by most ornithologists; but how far all the forms, which are at present included in that family, have a right to be there, I am not at present pre- pared to determine : if they are, that of Plotus will hold a very intermediate rank, particularly in habits, which may lead to some discoveries in the relations to each other. The economy is in a considerable measure arboreal, and in their own fam- ily, as now constituted, they show the greatest development of the power of diving, and activity in the water. They show also the extreme structure in the power of darting, and suddenly again withdrawing their head. The Cormorants and Herons possess this power to a great extent, and they all possess a peculiar bend of the neck, observed in certain circumstances of the bird's economy, and into which that part at once puts itself when the bird is dead. This is produced chiefly by the action of two muscles ; the one inserted within the cavity of the breast, and numing up with a long tendon to the vertebrae beneath the bend ; the other inserted in the joint above the bend, and running far down with another slender tendon. The action of these two powers, resisted by the muscles on the back part, produce the peculiar angular bend, and enable the head to be thrown forward with great force. The effect may be easily seen, and produced, by a jointed stick having cords affixed, and acted on in this way. We may here introduce the genera Pelicanvs, Phalacracorax, Ta- chypetes, Sula, and Heliornis, with a short notice of the species of America, as pointed out by the ornithologists who have described the productions of that country. Pelicanus, Linn. 1. P. onocrolalus. — White PeUcan. — According? to Bonaparte, rare and accidental on the coasts of tlie Middle States, and said by Dr. Richardson to be numerous in the interior of the Fur Countries, up to the 61st deg. parallel. 2. P.fuscus, Linnreus. — Brown Pelican. — Common in the Southern States, where it breeds. BLACK-BELLIED DARTER. G45 pointed, and armed with numerous sharp teeth, towards the tip, for the securing of its prey ; it is bhick above, and yellow below ; no external nostrils are visible ; the bare sptice around the eye, and the pouch un- der the chin, are also yellow; the slit of the mouth extends beyoud the eye ; irides, vivid red ; the head, neck, and whole lower parts, are black, glossed M'ith dark green ; the side of the neck, from the eye backwards, for more than half its length, is marked by a strip of brown- ish white, consisting of long, hair-like tufts of plumage, extending an inch beyond the conmion surtlice, resembhng the hair of callow young; there are a few small tufts on the crown; the whole u])per parts are black, marked in a very singular and beautiful manner, with small, oval spots, and long, pointed streaks of a limy white, whieli huH the gloss of silver in some lights ; the middle of the back, primaries, secondaries, rump, and tail-coverts, are plain glossy black ; on the Phalacracorax, Briss. The species of this genus amount to a considerable number, and are distributed over the known world, but there yet exists confusion among them, from- tlie near alliance of many to each other. The Prince of Musignano seems to have taken the authority of Dumont for the species he enumerates. They are as follows . — 1. P. ca/-&o. — Cormorant of Wilson's Hst. — Tail of fourteen featliers j rare atxl mi- gratory in the United States. 2. P. o-rac«/«^-. — Tail, twelve featliers ; not uncommon in spring and autumn in the -Middle States ; very common in Florida, where it breeds ; though very ahunrlanl m the Arctic and Antarctic circles. 3. P. crutatus. — Rather rare, and found during winter only in the United States 4. P. pygmcBus. — Inhabiting the nortli of both continents. 5. P. Jifrlcanus. — Inhabiting Africa and America; not found in Europe. The Prince of Musignano is doubtful whether the two last are entitled to any place in the ornithology of America, the specimens which he has seen ot both h<-;i;g oni}^ reported to have been killed in that country. He mentions also anolner. in- habiting the United States, which he has not exaliiined, but thinks may turn out 1*. Brazilianus. The first four species are common to Europe and America; the three tir>t are also British. In addition to these, Mr. Swainson has described another in the Northern Zoology, under the title dilophus, or Double-crested Cormorant, wlndi i)e cannot reconcile to any of these already described. His characters are, "Tail of twelve feathers 3 bill, three inches and a half long ; a crested tuft of feathers behind each eye." Tachypetes, Vieill. I. T. aquilus, VieiU. — Not uncommon during summer on the coa>ts of the United States, as far south as Carolina. Sula, Briss. 1. Sida Bassana, Briss. — Common during summer over the coasts of tiio United States, especially the Southern. 2. L.fiisca, Briss. — Booby. — Common in summer on the coasts of the Southern Stales. Heliornis, Bonat. 1. H. S2irinamenf)is, Surinam Heliornis. — An accidental visitant in summer in the Middle States, I have introduced Heliornis here, but without at all placing it in litis station from my own opinion of its real place ; the forin of the birds contained in it (aniouiitini,'' yet to only two species.) is very curious, and thouich siiowing the form of liic body, and, according to Bonaparte, ol' the skeleton of Plotus, yel the habits are much mnro that of the Grebes. This agrees with the arrangement by the Prince of Musignano in one range, but I do not so easily see its connection in (he opposite direction with Phceton and Sula, the immediately preceding genera. — Ed. 646 BLACK-BELLIED DARTER. upper part of the back, the white is in very small, oval spots, length- ening as they approach the scapulars and tertials ; on the latter they extend the whole length of the feathers, running down the centre ; these are black shafted ; the wings are long and pointed ; lesser cov- erts marked, on every feather, with an oval, or spade-shaped spot of white ; greater coverts nearly all of a limy white ; the tail is long, rounding, and exceedingly stiff, consisting of twelve broad feathers, the exterior vanes of the four middle ones curiously crimped, the whole black, and broadly tipped with dirty, brownish white ; the thighs are black; legs, scarcely an inch and a half long; feet, webbed, all the four toes united by the membrane, which is of uncommon breadth, and must give the bird great velocity when diving or swimming ; the ex- terior toe, which is the longest, is three inches long ; claws, horn color, strong, and crooked ; inner side of the middle one, pectinated ; legs, and feet, yellow. The whole plumage is of extraordinary stiff- ness and elasticity ; that of the neck and breast, thick, soft, and shi- ning. The position of these birds, when standing, is like that of the Gannets. Of this extraordinary species we can give little more than accurate descriptions, and tolerably good portraits, which were taken from two fine specimens, admirably set up and preserved in the Museum of Mr. Peale. The Snake-Bird is an inhabitant of the Carolinas, Georgia, and the FJoridas ; and is common in Brazil, Cayenne, Senegal, Ceylon, and Java. It seems to have derived its name from the singular form of its head and neck, which, at a distance, very much resemble some species of serpents. In those countries where noxious animals abound, we may readily conceive that the appearance of this bird, extending its long neck through the foliage of a tree, would tend to startle tlie wary traveller, whose imagination had portrayed objects of danger lurking in every thicket. It is said to build its nest on a tree ; but of its habits during the season of incubation, the number and color of its eggs, or tlie rearing of its young, we are ignorant. Formerly the Darter was considered by voyagers as an anomalous production ; a monster, partaking of the nature of the Snake and the Duck ; and in some ancient charts, which we have seen, it is de- lineated in all tlie extravagance of fiction. My excellent friend, Mr. William Bartram, gives the following ac- count of the subject of our history : — » Here is, in this river,* and in the waters all over Florida, a very curious and handsome bird, — the people call them Snake-Birds ; I think I have seen paintings of them on the Chinese screens and other Indian pictures ; they seem to be a species of Colymhus, but far more beautiful and delicately formed than any other that I have ever seen. They delight to sit in little peaceable communities, on the dry limbs of trees, hanging over the still waters, with their wings and tails ex- panded, I suppose to cool and air themselves, when at the same time they behold their images in the watery mirror. At such times, when we approach them, they drop off tlie limbs into the water, as if dead, and for a minute or two are not to be seen ; when on a sudden, at a great distance, their long, slender head and neck appear, like a snake * The River St. Juan, East Florida. FEMALE BLACK-BELLIED DARTER. G47 rising erect out of the water ; and no other part of them is to be seen when swimming, except sometimes the tip end of their tail. In the heat of the day, they are seen in great numbers, sailing very high in the air over lakes and rivers. " I doubt not but if this bird had been an inhabitant of tlie Tiber in Ovid's days, it would have furnished iiim with a subject for some beau- tiful and entertaining metamorphoses. 1 believe they Iced entirely on fish, for their flesh smells and tastes intolerably strong of it: it is scarcely to be eaten, unless one is constrained by insutierable hunger. They inhabit the waters of Cape Fear River, and, soutlierly, East and West Florida."* FEMALE BLACK-BELLIED DARTER, OR SNAKE-BIRD.— Fig. 312. White-bellied Darter? Lath. Gen. Syn. vi. p. 622, l. — lml. Om. p. S95. — Peak's Museum, No. 3189, female. PLOTUS J3JV///A-G./3. — LiNN.iius. The female Darter measures three feet five inches in length, and differs in having the neck before of a roan color, or iron gray ; the breast, the same, but lighter, and tinged with pale chestnut ; the belly, as in the male ; where the iron gray joins the black on the belly there is a narrow band of chestnut; upper head, and back of the neck, dark sooty brown, streaked with blackish ; cheeks and chin, pale yellow ochre ; in every other respect, the same as the male, except in having only a few slight tufts of hair along the side of the neck ; the tail is twelve inches long to its insertion, generally spread out like a fan, and crimped like the other on the outer vanes of the middle feathers only. Naturalists describe a bird of this family, which they call the White- bellied Darter, [P. anhinga.) We know of but one species of Plotus found within the United States, and suspect that the female above de- scribed is the White-bellied Darter of Latham and others. For the purpose of ascertaining the fact, we wrote to an experienced natural- ist residing in Georgia ; but, through some unfortunate cause, no an- swer has been received. It is so many years since our venerable friend, Mr. Bartram, travelled in those regions where the Darters are common, that he has lost all recollection of them, except what relates to their general appearance. We must, therefore, content ourselves with our imperfect knowledge of this singular species, until some fa- vorable occurrence shall enable us to form a correct opinion. Since the above has been written, the editor has had the satisfaction of receiving from Mr. John Abbott, of Georgia, a valuable communica- tion relative to this bird and some others ; for which favor he offers his sincere acknowledgment. * Bartram's Travels, p. 132, — MS. in the possession of ihe author, [Mr Ord.] 648 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. Mr. Abbot agrees with us in opinion that the P. anhinga is the fe- male of this species. He says — " Both the Darters I esteem as but one species. I have now by me a drawing of the male, or Black-bellied, only, but have had specimens of both at the same time. I remember that the upper parts of the fe- male were similar to those of the male, except that the color and mark- ings were not so pure and distinct; length, thirty-six inches ; extent, forty-six. These birds frequent the ponds, rivers, and creeks, during the summer ; build in the trees of the swamps, and those of the islands in the ponds ; they construct their nests of sticks ; eggs, of a sky blue color. I inspected a nest, which was not very large ; it contained two eggs, and six young ones, tlie latter varying much in size ; they will occupy the same tree for a series of years. They commonly sit on a stump, which rises out of the water, in the mornings of the spring, and spread their wings to the sun ; from which circumstance they have obtained the appellation of Sun-Birds. They are difficult to be shot when swimming, in consequence of only their heads being above the water." GREAT NORTHERN DIVER, OR LOON. — COL YMBUS GLACIALIS. — Fig. 313. Pennant, Br. Zool. 231. — Arct. Zool. 439. — Le grand Plongeon lachete, Briss. Orn. vi. 120, tab. 2, fig. 1. — L'Imbrim, ou grand Plongeon de la Mer du Nord, Buff. Ois. XV. p. 461. PL enl. No. 952. — Turt. Sijst. \. 356.— Lath. Gen. Syn. iii. pt. 2, p. 337. — Colymbus maximus caudatus, Raii Syn. p. 125, A. 4. — Greatest Speckled Diver, or Loon, Willoughby, Orn. p. 341. — Great Speckled Diver, Bariram, 295. — Albin, iii.pl. 93. — Bewick's Br. Birds, ii. p. 168. — Peak's Museum, No. 3262, male, and young ; No. 3263, female. COLYMBUS GlJiCIALIS.— -Ln^^s.vi.] Colymbus glacialis, Bonap. Synop. p. 420. — Flem. Brit. Anim. p. 132. — North. Zool. ii. p. 474, This bird in Pennsylvania is migratory. In the autumn, it makes its appearance with the various feathered tribes that frequent our waters ; and, when the streams are obstructed with ice, it departs for + The genus Colymbus, ox the Loons, have been restricted to those large Divers, of which our present species will point out a good example. They are all birds of a large size, truly aquatic 5 are seldom on land except during incubation 5 and, though endowed with a considerable power, seldom fly, unless very much pressed by ne- cessity. The Great Northern Diver is very frequent in the Frith of Forth, and there 1 have never been able either to make up with, or cause one to fly from the sea. I have pursued this bird in a Newhaven fishing-boat, with four sturdy rowers ; and, notwithstanding it was kept almost constantly under water by firing as soon as it appeared, the boat could not succeed in making one 3'ard upon it. They are sometimes caught in the herring-nets, and at set lines, when diving. The Loons and Guillemots approach very near in their characters, except in lesser size, and a particular modification of habit, in the one preferring the sea- shores, or the reedy banks of inland lakes, for breeding places, while the others are GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. 049 the Southern States.* In tlie months of March and April, it is acrain seen, and, after lingering a while, it leaves us for the i)urpose of breed- ing. The Loons are foinid along tiie coast, as well as in the interior ; but in the summer, they retire to'the fresh-water lakes and ponds. We have never heard that they breed in Pennsylvania, but it is said they do in Missibisci Pond, near Boston, Massachusetts. The female lays two large, brownish eggs. They are commonly seen in pairs ; and procure their food, which is tish, in tlie deepest water of our rivers, diving after it, and continuing under for a length of time. Being a wary bird, it is seldom they are killed, eluding tiieir pursuers by their astonishing faculty of divmg. They seem averse from flying, and are but seldom seen on the wing. They are never eaten. The Loon is restless before a storm ; and an experienced master of a coasting-vessel informed me that he always knew when a tempest was approaching by the cry of this bird, which is very shrill, and may be heard at the distance of a mile or more. gregarious, and choose the most precipitous cliffs on the sea, and deposit their eggs, without the least preparation, on the bare rock. The construction of the feel and tarse at once points out in the large birds their great facility of diving, and rapid progression under water ; the proportional expanse of web is mucli greater, and the form of it runs into that of Pludacraco rax and iSWu ; the legs are placed very far back, and the muscles possess very great power 5 the tarsus is flattened laterally, and thus presents a small surface of resistance 5 and the whole plumage of the bird is close and rigid, presenting a smooth and almost solid resistance in passing, through the water. The adults rec^uire at least the first season to attain maturity. Dr. Richardson mentions the follownig method of shooting them during the winter: — " They arrive in that season when the ice of the lakes continues entire, except, perhaps, a small basin of open water where a rivulet happens to flow in. or vvhere the discharge of the lake takes place. When the birds are observed to aii;;lit in these places, the hunter runs to the margin of the ice ; they instantly dive, but are obliged, after a time, to come to the surface to breathe, when he has an opportunity of shooting them. In this way, upwards of twenty were killed at Fort Enterprise, in the spring of 1821, in a piece of water only a few yards square." The present species is the only one described in Wilson's volumes as a native of America. Bonaparte mentions two others, which are also described in the ISortk- ern Zoohs:y, — lhe Black-throated Diver, {Cohjmbus arctirus,) common in Arctic America, but rare, and only found during winter in the Middle States 5 and Cnlym- bus septentrionalis, Red-throated Diver. All are common also to Europe and Great Britain. The vast lakes and rivers of America, and her interminable swamps, would seem proper nurseries for another family, the Grebes 5 and their recluse, yet active aquatic manners, must either have yet prevented the discovery of more species, or this form is comparatively wanting to that division of the world. Two species only are mentioned in Wilson's History, and Bonaparte adds other two. They are as follows, from that gentleman's Synopsis: — Pddiceps. 1. P. cristatus^ Lath, —Crested Grebe of Wilson's List; rare in the Middle States, and only during winter common in the interior and on the Jakes, 2. P. rubricollis, Lath. — Rare, and during winter only in the Middle States; very common in Arctic America. 3. P. cornutus, 1.A.TH. — Common during winter, the young especially, in the Middle States. 4. P. Carolinen.'^is, Lath. — Little Grebe of Wilson's List ; inhabits the whole conti- nent of America, not extending far to the north. Common from Canada to Louis- iana, migrating in the Middle States. — Ed. * The Loon is said to winter in the Chesapeake Bay. 55 650 GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. This species seldom visits the shores of Britain, except in very se- vere winters ; but it is met with in the north of Europe, and spreads along the Arctic coast as far as the mouth of the River Ob, in the do- minions of Russia, It is found about Spitzbergen, Iceland, and Hud- son's Bay. Makes its nest, in the more northern regions, on the little isles of fresh-water lakes : every pair keep a lake to themselves. It sees well, flies very high, and, darting obliquely, falls secure into its nest. Appears in Greenland in April, or the beginning of May, and goes away in September, or October, on the first fall of snow.* It is also found at Nootka Sound,! and Kamtschatka. The Barabinzians — a nation situated between the River Ob and the Irtisch, in the Russian dominions — tan the breasts of this and other water fowl, whose skins they prepare in such a manner as to preserve the down upon them ; and, sewing a number of these togeth- er, they sell them to make pelisses, caps, «fcc. Garments made of these are very warm, never imbibing the least moisture, and are more lasting than could be imagined.}: The natives of Greenland use the skins for clothing, and the Indians about Hudson's Bay adorn their heads with circlets of their feathers.§ Lewis and Clark's party, at the mouth of the Columbia, saw robes made of the skins of Loons,|| and abundance of these birds, during the time that they wintered at Fort Clatsop, on that river.H The Laplanders, according to Regnard, cover their heads with a cap made of the skin of a Loom, (Loon,) which word signifies, in their language, /ame, because the bird cannot walk well. They place it on their head in such a manner that the bird's head falls over their brow, and its wings cover their ears. "Northern Divers," says Hearne, though common in Hudson's Bay, are by no means plentiful ; they are seldom found near the coast, but more frequently in fresh-water lakes, and usually in pairs. They build their nests at the edge of small islands, or the margins of lakes or ponds ; they lay only two eggs ; and it is very common to find only one pair and their young in one sheet of water — a great proof of their aversion to society. They are known in Hudson's Bay by the name of Loons." ** The Great Northern Diver measures two feet ten inches from the tip of the bill to the end of the tail, and four feet six inches in breadth ; the bill is strong, of a glossy black, and four inches and three quarters long to the corner of tJie mouth ; the edges of the bill do not fit ex- actly into each other, and are ragged ; the lower mandible separates into two branches, which are united by a thin, elastic membrane, and are easily movable horizontally, or receding from each other, so as to form a wider gap to facilitate the swallowing of large fish ; tongue, bifid ; irides, dark blood red ; the head, and half of the length of tlie neck, are of a deep black, with a green gloss, and purple reflections ; this is succeeded by a band consisting of interrupted white and black lateral stripes, which encompasses the neck, and tapers to a *■ Pennant. t Cook's Last Voyage, ii. p. 237, Am. ed. t Latham. ^ Arctic Zoology. || Gass's Jowtial. ir History of the Expedition, vol. ii. p. 189. ** Hearne's Journey, p, 429, quarto. GREAT NORTHERN DIVER. G51 point on its fore part, without joiningr, — this band measures about an inch and a half in its widest part, and, to appearance, is not continu- ous on the back part of the neck, beinjr concealed by some thick, overhanging, black feathers, but, on separating tlie latter, the band becomes visible : the feathers which form these narrow stripes, are white, streaked down their centre with black, and, what is a remark- able peculiarity, their webs project above the common surface ; be- low this, a broad band of dark glossy green and violet, which is blended behind with tho plumage of the back ; the lower part of the neck, and the sides of the breast, are ribbed in the same manner as the band above ; below the chin, a few stripes of the same ; the whole of the upper parts are of a deep black, slightly glossed with green, and thickly spotted with white, in regular transverse or semicircular rows, two spots on the end of each feather — those on the upper part of iivi back, shoulders, rump, and tail-coverts, small and roundish, those on the centre of the back, square and larger; those on the scapulars are the largest, and of an oblong square shape ; the wing- feathers and tail are plain brown black, the latter composed of twenty feathers ; the lower parts are pure white, a slight dusky line across the vent ; the scapulars descend over the wing when closed, and tlie belly feathers ascend so as to meet them, by which means every part of the wing is concealed, except towards the tip. This acconmioda- tion is to prevent its retarding the bird in diving. The outside of the legs and feet is black, inside pale blue ; the leg is four inches in length, and the foot measures, along the exterior toe to tlie tip of its claw, four inches and three quarters ; both legs and feet are marked -with five-sided polygons. The female Diver is somewhat less than the male ; the bill is yel- lowish; crown, back part of the neck, and whole upper parts, pale brown; the plumage of part of the back and scapulars is tipped with pale ash ; the throat, lower side of the neck, and whole under parts, are white, but not so pure as that of the male, having a yellowish tinge ; the quill-feathers, dark brown. She has no appearance of bands on her neck, or of spots on her body. The young males do not obtain their perfect plumage until the second or third year. One which we saw, and which was conjectured to be a yearling, had some resemblance to the female, with the excep- tion of its upper parts being of a darker and purer brown, or mouse color, and its under parts of a more delicate white; it had likewise a few spots on the back and scapulars ; but none of those markings on the neck which distinguish the full-grown male. The conformation of the ribs and bones of this species is remarka- ble, and merits particular examination. In the account which some of the European ornithologists give of their Northern Diver, we presume there is an inaccuracy. They say it measures three feet six inches in length, and four feet eight in breadth, and weighs sixteen pounds. If this be a correct statement, it would lead to the surmise that our Diver is a different species ; for, of several specimens which we examined, the best and largest has been de- scribed for this work ; the admeasurement of which bird comes con- siderably short of that of the European mentioned above. The weight we neglected to ascertain. The Common Wild Goose of our country, 652 BLACK-HEADED GULL. {.^, Canadensis,) when in good condition, will seldom weigh more than twelve pounds. In order to determine this point, we personally ex- erted ourselves, and commissioned some of" our friends, to procure a good specimen of the Loon during the past season, but without success. BLACK-HEADED GULL. — LARUS RIDIBUNDUS. — Fig. 314. Linn. Stjst. 225. — La Mouette rieuse, De Buff. xvi. p. 232. PI. enl. 970. — La 3Iouette rieuse a pattos rouges, Briss. — Lath. Gen. Syn. iii. pt. 2, p. 380. — Br. Zool. ii. 252.— Arct. Zool. No. 454, 455. — Laughing Gull, Catesby, 1, 89.— Will. Orn. p. 347, pi. 66. — Pewit, Black-Cap, or Sea-Crow, Raii Syn. p. 128, A. 5. — Bewick, ii. 200. — Peak's Museum, No. 338L LARUS ATRICrLLJi. — Usys.vs.* Larus ridibundus, Ord. 1 edit, of Sup. p. 89. — Larus atricilla, Bonap. Synop. p. 359. Length, seventeen inches ; extent, three feet six inches ; bill, thighs, legs, feet, sides of the mouth, and eyelids, dark blood red ; inside of * This Gull is the only one figured by Wilson, though several are mentioned in his list, and, no doubt, had he survived to complete his great undertaking, many others would have been both added and figured. I have introduced a short de- scription of those which have been since noticed by writers on Arctic and Northern zoology, but any observations will be confined, for the present, to the fonii now be- fore us, perhaps more familiar in the Black-headed Gull of Britain. The Gulls are distributed over the whole world, and present various forms. They are mostly, however, of graceful appearance, and perform their motions with ease and lightness •, their plumage is often of snowy whiteness, or tinged with a pale blush, adding to its delicacy. By the poets they are employed as emblems of purity, when riding buoyantly on the waves, and weaving a sportive dance, or as accessaries to the horrors of a storm, by their shrieks and wild, piercing cries. In their manners they are the vultures of the ocean, feed indiscriminately on fish or on carrion, and frequently attack birds of inferior power. A dead horse, newly cast upon the beach, will present a picture little inferior to that drawn by Audubon of the American Vultures, on the discovery of some putrid carcass. Our present bird will rank under the genus JCema of Boje, which will contain those of swallow-like form, apparently both a natural and well-defined group. They are not so truly pelagic as man}' of the other forms — ascend the course of rivers in search of food, and breed by the inland lochs or marshes — are extremely clamorous and intrepid in defence of their young, hut during winter are one of the most shy and wary. They undergo an annual change of plumage during the breeding season, obtaining the whole or part of the head of a dark and decided color from the rest of the bod}-, generally shades of deep and rich brown, or gray ; in winter this entirely disappears, and is succeeded by pure white, except on the auriculars, which retain a trace of the darker shade. They feed on fish and insects, and some follow the plough in search of what it may turn up. In fishing, they ex- hibit occasionally the same manner of seizing their prey as the Terns, hovering above, and striking it under water with the wings closed. The species which are noticed by the Prince of Musignano, and the authors of ihe Northern Zoology, as inhabiting North America, are — 1. L. Sabinii, {Xrma Sabinii, Leach.) — Di>!covpred by Captain Edward Pabine, breed- infj in company with tho Arctic Tern, on the west coast of Greenland ; they seem confined to high hititudos. 2. Larus minutus, Pall. — Inhabiting the North, but seldom seen in the United States. 3. Larus capistratus, Temm. — Inhabiting the North, and not very rare during autumn BLACK-HEADED GULL. 653 the mouth, vermilion ; bill, nearly two inclies and a half long ; the nostril is placed rather low ; the eyes are black ; above and below on the Delaware and Cliesipoake, and found as far inland as Trenton. Tlipso will all rank in Xema, and Swainson and Rifliardson have described two under the titles of L. Frankliiiii, and L. Boiiui>artiL These gentlemen seem to think tiiat the American L.atncilla is confounded with Tennninck's atr/c/Z/a, and that they embrace two species. I have added the descrijjtions from Dr. Richardson and Mv. Swiiin- son's notes, in their own words. I have no means at present of deciding this point. 4. L. Franklinii, Swain, and Richard. — Franklin's Rosy Gull, with vermilion bill and feet ; mantle, pearl gray ; five exterior quills, broadly barred with bl.ick, the first one tipped with white for an inch ; tarsus, twenty lines long ; hood, black in summer. "This is a very common Gull in the interior of the Fur Countries, where it freijuents the shores of the larger lakes. It is generally seen in flocks, and is very noisy. It breeds in marshy places. Ord's description of his Black-headed Gull (Wilson, vol. ix. p. 89 — present edition, p. 652) corresponds with our specimens, except that the conspicuous white end of the first quill is not noticed : the figure 314 differs in the primaries being entirely black.* The Prince of Musignano gives the totally black primaries, and a tarsus nearly two inches long, as part of the specific character of his L. atrictUa, to which he refers Wilson's bird ; though, in his Obsei-vations, he states, that the adult speci- mens have the primaries, with the exception of the first and second, tipped with white. L. Franklinii cannot be referred either to the L. atrialla or L. mdanvcephahts of M. Tem- niinck : tl'.e first has a lead colored hood, and deep black quill-feathers, untipped by white ; and the black hood of the second does not descend lower on the throat than on the nape ; its quill-feathers are also diff"erently marked, and its tarsus is longer. His L. ridibundas and capistratus have brown heads, and the interior of the wings gray ; the latter has also a much smaller bill than our L. Franklinii.'" — 5. L. Bonapartii, Swain, and Richards. — Bonapartian Gull. — JVorth, Zool. ii. p. 425. — "With a black bill; the mouth and feet, carmine red; wings bordered witli white anteriorly ; posteriorly, together with the back, pearl gray ; six exterior quills, black at the end, slightly tipped with white ; the first quill entirely black exteriorally ; tarsus, scarcely an inch and a half long ; head, grayish black in summer. " This handsome, small Gull is common in all parts of the Fur Countries, where it associates with the Terns, and is distinguished by its peculiar shrill and plaintive cry. The L. capistratus of the Prince of Musignano differs, according to bis de- scription, in the first quill being white exteriorly, pale ash interiorly, in the light brown color of its head, and in its tail being slightly emarginated, while the tail of L. Bonapartii is even inclined to be rounded laterally, than notched in the middle." 6. L. roseus, Macgilliv. — A rare species confined to high latitudes, discovered during Sir Ed. Parry's second voyage, when two specimens were obtained ; the one is now in the Edinburgh Museum ; the other was presented to Mr. Sabine, whose collection has been lately sold to the Andersonian Museum in Glasgow. 7. L. tridactijlus, Linn. — Kittiewake, W^ilson's List. — Inhabiting both continents. 8. L. camts, Linn. — Common Gull, Wilson's List. — Inhabiting both continents ; and numerous during winter in the Middle States of America. 9. L. eburneus, Gmel. — Inhabits the Arctic circle ; migrating occasionally to the temperate regions. A few specimens have been killed in Britain. 10. L.fuscus, Liun. — Very common during winter near Philadelphia and New York. 11. L. ara-entatoides, Brehm. — This h'uA is separated from Lams arffentatus hy Bona- partej" who mentions having shot it on the southern coasts of England. At the same time that he separates it from the Herring Gull, he expresses a doubt of its being the L. ara-entatoides of Brehm. This I cannot at present decide, hut have appended, without any abridgment, the observations and description of a bird referred to this, from the JVurthem Zoology ; it is very closely allied, at all events, to the L. argenta- tus ; and it is of importance that the characters of a species said to be killed on our coasts should be properly investigated. Larus argentatoides. — Arctic Silvery Gull. " Larus argentatus, Richards. Append. Pam/s Second Voy. p. 358, No.22. — Zariw ar- gentatoides, Bonap. Syn. No. 299. — JVo«t/a, Esquimaux." " The Prince of Musignano has distinguished this Gull from Larus argentatus, with • " Four American specimens of L. atricilla are now before me. Tt is a larger and a totally different species. The three outer quills are wholly black ; the fourth tipped for about one inch, and the fifth for half an inch, with bbck ; the extreme white spot at the point of the five first quills is very small in some, r.nd not seen in adult specimens, havino; these f.athers worn." — Sw. 55* 654 BLACK-HEADED GULL. each eye there is a spot of white ; the head and part of the neck are black, remainder of the neck, breast, whole lower parts, tail-coverts, which it had been confounded by most other writers. It is impossible, therefore, to separate its history, or to cite the descriptions of otlier authors correctly. It was found breeding on Melville Peninsula ; and the eggs that were brought home have an oil green color, marked with spots and blotches of blackish brown and subdued purplish gray. It preys mucii on fish, and is noted at Hudson's Bay for robbing the nets set in the fresh-water lakes. I have seen no specimens from Arctic America which I can unequivocally refer to the Laras ar- gentatus, as characterized by the Prince of Musignano." Description of a Male, in the Edin. Museum, killed on Melville Peninsula, June 29, 1822. " Color, mantle, pearl gray. Six outer quills crossed by a brownish black band, which takes in nearly the whole of the first one, but becoming rapidly narrower on the otliers, terminates in a spot near the tip of the sixth. The first quill has a white tip an inch and a half long, marked interiorly with a brown spot; the second has a round white spot on its inner web, and, together with the rest of the quill-feathers, is tipped with white. Head, neck, rump, tail, and all the under plumage pure white. Bill, wine yellow, with an orange colored spot near the tip of the under mandible, Irides, primrose yellow. Legs, flesh colored. Form. — Bill, moderately strong, compressed ; upper mandible, arched from the nostrils ; nostrils, oblong oval ; wings, about an inch longer than the tail ; thighs, naked for three quarters of an inch ; hind toe, articulated rather high. The young have the upper plumage hair-brown, with reddish brown borders ; the head and under plumage, gray, thickly spotted with pale brown j the tail, mostly brown, tipped with white. Dimensions. — Length, total, 23 inches ; of tail, 7 inches, 3 lin. ; of wing, 16 inches, 6 lin. ; of bill above, 2 inches ; of bill to rictus, 3 inches ; from nostrils to tip, 11 lin. ; of nostrils, 4k lin. ; of tarsus, 2 inches, 4i lin. ; of middle toe, 2 inches, 1 lin.; of middle n:iil, 5 lin. ; of Inner toe, 1 inch, 6 lin. ; of Inner nail, 4 lin. ; of hind toe, 3 lin. ; length of hind nail, 2| lines. Six individuals, killed on Melville Peninsula, in June, July, and September, varied in total length from 23 to 25 inches, and in the length of their tarsi, from 27 to 31 lines. Bonaparte thus gives the distinctive characters of the two species : — L. argentntoides. — Back and wings, bluish gray; quills, black at the point, tipped with white, reaching but little beyond the tail; shafts, black ; first primary, broadly white at tip ; second, with a round white spot besides ; tarsus, less than two and a half inches ; nos- trils, oval ; length, twenty inches. L. argentatiis. — Mantle, bluish gray ; quills, black at the point, tipped with white, reach- ing much beyond the tail ; shafts, black ; first primary only, with a white spot besides the narrow tip ;' tarsus, nearly three inches ; nostrils, linear ; length, two feet. They are closely allied, and may at once be distinguished by the size." 12. L. argevtatus^ Brunn. — Herring Gull, Wilson's List. — Common to both continents, and not uncommon near New York and Philadelphia. 13. L. leticopterus, Faber. — Inhabiting the Arctic circle, whence it migrates in winter to the Boreal regions of both continents, advancing farther south in America; not rare in the Northern and Middle States. 14. L. glaumu, Brunn. — Inhabiting the Arctic regions, and exceedingly rare in the United States. 15. L. marinus, Linn. — Black-backed Gull, Wilson's List. — Not uncommon during winter in the Middle States. 16. L. zonorhynchus, Richard. — Ring-billed Mew Gull. Anew species, described in JSTorthern Zoology. — Bill, ringed rather longer than the tarsus, which measures two and a half inches ; mantle, pearl gray ; ends of the quills and their shafts, blackish ; a short white space on the two exterior ones. 17. Z,. 6ac%rA)^m;A?/.s, Richard. —Short-billed Mew Gull. Another species described as new in the JVorthem Zoology. — From the description of the present bird, copied from that work, it will bo seen that the authors themselves are not decided in their opinions as to the absolute distinction of this and the preceding from /.. canus, and I have placed them here for the same reason that they are admitted into that valuable work. It 18 not unlikely that they, or at least the same varieties, may be discov- ered on our own coasts, " Short-hilled Mew Gull, with a short, thickish bill ; a tarsus scarcely two inches long ; quills, not tipped with white ; a short white space on the exterior ones, and blackish Bhafts." "Our specimen of this Gull is a female, killed on the 23d of May, 1826, at Great Bear Lake. Some brown markings on the tertiaries, primary coverts, and' bastard wing, with ao BLACK-HEADED GULL. 655 and tail, pure white ; the scapulars, wing-coverts, and whole upper parts, are of a tine blue ash color ; the first five primaries are black towards their extremities ; the secondaries are tipped largely with white, and almost all the primaries slightly ; the bend of the wing is white, and nearly three inches long ; the tail is almost even ; it consists of twelve feathers, and its coverts reach within an inch and a half of its tip ; the wings extend two inches beyond the tail ; a delicate blush is perceivable on the breast and belly. The head of the female is of a dark dusky slate color ; in other respects, she resembles the male. imperfect sub-terminal bar on the tail, point it out as a young bird, most probably com- mencing its second spring. The rest of its plumage corresponds with that of L. zouorhyn- chus, except that it wants the extreme white tips of the quill feathers, which, on the third and following ones, are very conspicuous in L. lonorliynclius. It differs, however, remark- lily, in its bill being shorter, though considerably stouter, than that of our L. canus ; and, like it, it is wax-yellow, with a bright yellow rictus and point. Its tarsus is nearly one third shorter than that of L. zonorhynchus. Many may be disposed to consider this and the pre- ceding as merely local varieties of L. canus; and it might be urged, in support of this opin- ion, that there are considerable differences in the length and thickness of the bills of indi- viduals of the common and winter Gulls killed on the English coasts, which are usually refer- red to L, canus. VVe have judged it advisable, however, to call the attention of ornithologists to these American birds, by giving them specific names, leaving it to future observation to determine whether they ought to retain the rank of species, or be considered as mere varieties." — Richard. Til this place must be introduced the genus Lestris, or Skua, of which only one spe- cies was enumerated by Wilson in his list — the L. cataractes, Iliiger — the com- mon Skua Gull of British ornithologists. The Prince of Musignano mentions, in addition, the now well-known European and British species, L. parasiticus and pomariiius ; another somewhat allied, but not yet well distinguished, L. Buffonii, Boje ; and a fifth species is described as new in the Northern Zoology, and is ded- icated to Dr. Richardson — L. Richardsonii. It seems closely allied to L. Buffo- nii, but the distinctions yet want clearness and confirmation. It was found breed- ing in considerable numbers in the barren grounds, at a distance from the coast. The following are Bonaparte's characters ofZ. Buffonii, by which it is alone known, " Lestris Buffonii, Boje. Bill, one inch and a quarter from the front, straight, notched ; middle tail feathers, gradually tapering, narrow for several inches, ending in a point ; tar- sus, one inch and a half long, almost smooth. — Adult, brown ; neck, and beneath, white, the former tinged with yellow. — Young, wholly brownish. "Arctic bird, Edw.pl. 148; Buff. P/. ewZ. 762. Lestris crepidata, Brehm." — Bonap. Syn. No. 306. And I add the observations of Mr. Swainson regarding L. Richarsonii : — " Richardson's Jager, whole plumage, brown ; two middle tail-feathers, abruptly acumi- nated ; tarsi, black, twenty-two lines long. "This specimen appears to us to be in full and mature plumage ; we cannot, therefore, view it as the young, or even as the female, of the Lestris Buffonii of Boje, which we only know from the characters assigned to it by the Prince of Musignano. According to this account, the L. Buffonii has the bill an inch and a quarter long from the front ; ours is only an inch : the tarsi are described as almost smooth, whereas in ours they are particularly rough. The adult, as figured in plate 762 of the PI. enl. has the chin, throat, and sides of the neck quite white ; but, in our bird, these parts are of the same pure and decided tint as that of the body, except that the ear-feathers, and a few lower down the neck, have a slight tin»e of ochre.* The tarsi also, in both the plates cited by the Prince, are colored yellow. These ditferences, with the more important one exhibited in the feet, will not permit us to join these birds under one name. Another distinction, which must not be overlooked, is in the color of the feet. Edwards expressly says of his ' Arctic Bird,' (pi. 149, which much more resembles ours than that figured on the plate immediately preceding,) that 'the legs and toes are all yellow ; ' whereas, in our bird, these members are of a deep and sliining black ; while the hinder parts of the tarsi, toes, and connecting membrane, are particularly roush." — Sw. This Jager breeds in considerable numbers in the barren grounds, at a distance from the coast. It ff^eds on shelly moliuscK, which are plentiful in the small lakes of the Fur Coun- tries, and it harasses the Gulls in the same way with others of the genus. — Ed. * The p\ire color or uniform tint of the lower parts will not stand as characters in our nalive species they rary constanlly. — Ed. 656 BLACK-HEADED GULL. We are inclined to the opinion, that the three Gulls of Latham, viz., the Black-headed Gull, the Red-legged Gull, and the Laugh- ing Gull, are one and the same species, the very bird which we have been describing, the difference in their markings arising from their age and sex. We feel imboldened to this declaration from the cir- cumstance of having ourselves shot Gulls Avhich corresponded almost precisely to those of the above author, of the same habits, the same voice, and which were found associating together. In some individuals, the crown is of a dusky gray; the upper part and sides of the neck, of a lead color ; the bill and legs, of a dirty, dark, purplish brown. Others have not the white spots above and below the eyes ; tliese are young birds. The changes of plumage, to which birds of this genus are subject, have tended not a little to confound tlie naturalist ; and a considerable collision of opinion, arising from an imperfect acquaintance with the living subjects, has been the result. To investigate thoroughly their history, it is obviously necessary that the ornithologist should frequently explore their native haunts ; and, to determine the species of period- ical or occasional visitors, an accurate comparative examination of many specimens, either alive or recently killed, is indispensable. Less confusion would arise among authors, if they would occasionally abandon their accustomed walks — their studies and their museums, and seek correct knowledge in the only place where it is to be obtained — in the grand temple of nature. As it respects, in particular, the tribe under review, the zealous inquirer would find himself amply compensated for all his toil, by observing these neat and clean birds coursing along the rivers and coast, enlivening the prospect by their airy movements, now skimming closely over the watery elem.ent, watching the motions of the surges, and now rising into the higher regions, sporting with the winds, — wliile he inhaled the invigorating breezes of the ocean, and listened to the soothing murmurs of its billows. The Black-headed Gull is the most beautiful and most sociable of its genus. They make their appearance on the coast of New Jersey in the latter part of April ; and do not fail to give notice of their arrival by their familiarity and loquacity. The inhabitants treat them with the same indifference that they manifest towards all tliose harm- less birds which do not minister either to toeir appetite or their avarice ; and hence the Black-Heads may be seen in companies around tlie farm- house, coursing along the river shores, gleaning up the refuse of the fishermen, and the animal substances left by the tide ; or scattered over the marshes and newly-plouglied fields, regaling on tlie worms, insects, and their larvae, which, in the vernal season, the bounty of Nature provides for the sustenance of myriads of the feathered race. On the Jersey side of the Delaware Bay, in the neighborhood of Fishing Creek, about the middle of May, the Black-headed Gulls assemble in great multitudes, to feed upon the remains of tlie king crabs which the hogs have left, or upon the spawn which those curious animals deposit in the sand, and which is scattered along the shore by the Avaves. At such times, if any one approach to disturb them, the Gulls will rise up in clouds, every individual squalling so loud, that tJie roar may be heard at the distance of two or tliree miles. It is an interesting spectacle to behold this species when about BLACK-HEADED GULL. C57 recommencing tlieir migrations. If the weather be calm, they will rise up in the air, spirally, chattering all the while to each other in the most sprightly manner, their notes at such times resembling the sing- ing of a Hen, but far louder, changing oflen into a futw, ha, ha, ha, haw! the last syllable lengthened out like tlie excessive laugh of a negro. When mounting and mingling together, like motes in the sun- beams, their black heads and wing-tips, and snow-wjiite plumage, give them a very beautiful appearance. Atler gaining an immense height, they all move off, with one consent, in a direct line towards the point of their destination. This bird breeds in the marshes. The eggs are three in number, of a dun clay color, thinly marked with small, irregular touches of a pale purple, and pale brown ; some are of a deeper dun, with larger marks, and less tapering than others ; the egg measures two inclies and a quarter by one inch and a half. The Black-Heads frequently penetrate into the interior, especially as far as Philadelphia ; but they seem to prefer the neighborhood of the coast for the purpose of breeding. They retire southward early in autumn. This species is found in every part of Russia and Siberia, and even in Kamtschatka.' They are seen throughout the winter at Alej)po, in great numbers, and so tame, that the women are said to call tliein from the terraces of their houses, throwing up pieces of bread, which these birds catch in the air.* The Black-headed Gull is common in Groat Britain. " In former times," says Bewick, "these birds were looked upon as valuable property, by the owners of some of the fens and marshes in this kingdom, who, every autumn, caused the little islets or hafts, in those wastes, to be cleared of the reeds and rushes, in or- der properly to prepare the spots for the reception of the old birds in the spring, to which places at that season they regularly returned in great flocks to breed. The young ones were then highly esteemed, as excellent eating, and on that account were caught in great numbers, before they were able to fly. Six or seven men, equipped f jr this business, waded through the pools, and with long staves drove them to the land, against nets placed upon the shores of these hafts, ■where they were easily caught by the hand, and put into pens ready prepared for their reception. The gentry assembled from all parts to see the sport. Dr. Plot, in his Natural History of Staffordshire, published in 1686, gives the above particulars, and says that in this manner as many have been caught in one morning as, when sold at five shillings per dozen, (the usual price at that time,) produced the sum of twelve pounds ten shillings ; and that in the several drifts on the few succeeding days of this sport, they have been taken in some years in such abundance, that their value, according to the above rate, was from thirty to sixty pounds — a great sum in those days. These were the .See Guiles, of which we read as being so plentifully provided at the great feasts of the ancient nobility and bishops of this realm. Although the flesh of these birds is not now esteemed a dainty, and they are seldom sought after as an article of food, yet in the breeding season, where accommodation and protection are afforded them, they * Vide Dr. Russel's description of Aleppo. 658 LITTLE AUK. Still regularly resort to the same old haunts, which have been occupied by their kind for a long time past. This is the case with the flocks which now breed at Pallinsburne, in Northumberland, where they are accounted of great use in clearing the surrounding lands of noxious insects, worms, slugs, &c." * LITTLE AUK. — ALCA ALLE. — Fig. 315. Lath. Gen. Syn. p. STl. — Br. Zool. ii. No. 233, pi. S2. — Arct. Zool. No. 429. — Turt. Syst. \, 338. — Fawn. iSwec. No. 142. — F«m«. Groenl.'^o. b^. — Brun, Orn. No. 106. — Martinis Spitzb. 85. — Merffulus Melanoleucos rostro acuto brevi, Raii Syn. p. 135. A. 5.— Small Black and White Diver, Will. Orn. p. MS, p]. 59. — Edwards, pi. 91. -- Greenland Dove, or Sea Turtle, Albin, 1, pi. 85. — Le Petit Guillemot, Brisson, Orn. vi. p. 73, 2. — Bnffon, Ois. xviii. p. 21, PL erd. No. 917. — Bewick's British Birds, ii. p. 158. — Peak's Mmeum, No. 2978. MERGULUS MELAJVOLEUCOS. — Rj.Y.I; Merg-ulus melanoleucos, Ray, Synop. p. 125. — Flern. Brit. Anim. p.lSo. — Uria (sub-gen. mergnlus) alle, Bonap. Sijnop. p. 425. — Liule Auk, Mont. Orn. Diet. and Supp. — Selby, lllust. pi. 81. — Uria alle, ISorth. Zool. ii. p. 479. Of the history of this little stranger, but few particulars are known. With us it is a very rare bird, and, when seen, it is generally in * Bewick's British Birds, part ii. p. 201. + I have chosen the name of Ray for this species, as both appropriate, and, as far as my inquiries have led me, entitled to the priority — and the difference in form from the Guillemots fully entitles it to the rank of a sub-genus. It is the only bird allied in any way to the Auks, Puffins, &c., which has been figured by Wilson, though several forms occur in the northern seas, and have been pointed out by him, whic^ may be now mentioned, but which will be hereafter figured from the remain- ing volumes of the Continuation, by the Prince of Musignano, now in the press. I have therefore only added an enumeration from the Sijnopsis of that ornithologist, commencing with the Guillemots, for which the genus Uria has been adopted ; by some the Black Guillemot is separated, on account of straightness of the mandi- bles, whereas in the Common they are both bent at the tip. In our present state of knowledge, I prefer retaining them together. Uria, Briss. 1. U. iroile. Foolish Guillemot. — Common to both continents, and found during win- ter on the coasts of the United States. 2. U. Brunichii. — Sab. — Inhabits both continents, and is common in Davis's Straits, Baffin's Bay, &c. It has been said to have occurred once or twice on the British coasts. 3. U. grylle. — Black Guillemot. — Common to both continents, and found during winter along the coasts of the United States. A few pairs breed annually on the rocky islands on the Frith of Forth. I have repeatedly found them on the Isle of May. 4. U. marmorata, Lath. — Brown, undulated with chestnut; beneath, dusky, spotted with white ; feet, orange ; bill, black, one inch long. Inhabits the north-western coasts of America, and the opposite shore of Asia. These are the characters given by Bonaparte to the last bird. Will it not be the immature state of some other species ? Phaleris, Temm. 1. P. psittaeula, Temm. — Perrequet Auk. — Inhabits the north-western coasts of America, and the opposite ones of Asia. Common in Kamtscliatka. 2. P. christatella, Temm. — Crested Auk. — The Prince of Musignano isonly of opinion that this may be found on the western shores of America j it is known in the Japan LITTLE AUK. (J.VJ the vicinity of the sea. The spi^cinicn doscribod was killed at (Jroat Eg-or Harbor, in tlie month of December, 1811, and was sent to Wil- son as a great curiosity. It measured nine inchrn in Icufrth, and four- teen in extent; the bill, upper jiart of the head, back, wiujrs, and tail, were black ; the upper part of the breast, and hind head, wure jrray, or white, mixed with ash; the sides of the neck, whole lower parts,'nnd tips of secondaries, were pure white ; feet and le waves bringing plenty of crabs and small fish within its reach. It is not a very crafty bird, and may be easily taken. It varies to quite white, and sometimes is found with a reddish breast.f To the anatomist, the internal organization of this species is d(.'serv- ing attention : it is so constructed as to be capable of contracting or dilating itself at pleasure. We know not what Nature intends by this ee s, and the nortli-CJisti-m coast of Afric;i. Ho thinks ulsothat the aica aiitiqita of Latham may prove a third North American species of Pluilcris. Anothf^r bird, (Phaleris cerorhinca,) entering- formerly into this genus, lias been separated by the Prince of Musignano, and placed in a sub-genus, Cerorhinca, to be figured in his fourth volume. Crrorhinca, Bonap. 1. C. occidentalis, Bonap. — Inhabits the western coasts of North America. Mormon, Ulig. 1. M. cirrhatus, Temm. — Tufted Auk, Lath.— Inhabits the sea between North America and Kamtschatka ; often seen on the western coasts of the United States in winter. 2. J»f. ^/aciaZw, Leach. — Puffin of Wilson's List. — Inhabits the Arctic parts of both continents ; not uncommon in winter on the coasts of the United States. This species has of late been looked for on the coasts of Britain, but yet, 1 be- lieve, without success. The chief and easiest detected difference is in the size and form of the bill. Mr. Pennant observed a difference in the bills of several species from diff'erent parts, and Dr. Flemino; puts the question, " Have we two species ? " I think it more than probable that this bird has been overlooked, from its near alli- ance, and that, though comparatively rare, it will be yet found to occur on our own coasts. 3. Mormon arcticiLi. — Puffin of Wilson's List. — The Common Puffin of Europe, and migratory to the temperate shores of the United States. Aica, Linn. 1. Jl. torda. — Razor-Bill of Wilson's List. — Common in winter along tho coaBts of the United States. 2. Jl. impennis. — Great Auk. — Inhabits the Arctic seas of both continents, where it is almost constantly resident. * In Peale's Museum, there is an excellent specimen of this species, which has likewise a smaller spot below each eye t Latham j Pennant. 6G'} TLTJiEY VULTURE. conformation, unless it be to facilitate diving, for wiiich the compressed form is well adapted ; and likewise the body, when expanded, will be rendered more buoyant, and fit for the purpose of swimming upon the surface of the water. TURKEY VULTURE, OR TURKEY BUZZARD. — VULTUR AURA. —Fig. 316. Uruba, aura T. zopilott, Marccrrave, Mexico, 207, 20o. — Hernandez, Mex. 331. — 'Wikur Gallinse, Africaiife iacie, Carrion Crow, Sloave, Jam. ii p. 294, tab. 254'. — Brown, Jam. 471 . — Damp. Voij. ii. pi. 2, p. 67. — Bartram's Travels, p. 289. — Caieshi's Carolina, 1,6. — Corvus sxWeiUcus, Barrere, 129. — Laicsnn's Car- olina, m. — Ba7icroJi, 152. — Dm Pr'aiz. ii. 77.— TV?7/. Orn. 68. Baii Syn. No. 180.— Linn. Syst. 122. — Carrion Vulture, Latli. Gen. Sim. 1, 9, No. 5. Jd. Slip. p. 2. — Penn. Arct. Zool. \, p. 221. — Vautour du Bresil, De Buff. Ois. 1, 246. PL enl. No. 187. — Brisson, \, 468. — Cozcaquaulitli, Clavigero, Hist. Mex. \, 47. — Peak's Museum, No. 11, male; 12, female. CATHARTES jSURA. — Illiger.* Calhartes aura, Mlig, Prod. — Bonap. Synop. p. 33. — North. Zool. ii. p. 4. This species is well known throughout the United States, but is most numerous in the southern section of the Union. In the Northern * The Vultures are comparatively a limited race, and exist is every quarter of the world, New Holland excepted ;t but their range is chiefly in the warm latitudes. Tliose of the New World seem to be contained in two genera, Sarcoramphus of t I have siiid " New Ilolhind excepted," because we have yot no well-authenticated in- stance of any thini? ai)proaching this form from that very interesting country. The New Hol- land Vulture of Latham rests, to a certain extent, on dubious authority, and cannot now be referred to. I have no doubt that some representing group will l)e ultimately discovered, which may perhaps elucidate the principal forms wantinfr to the Raptorrs, and I know that Mr. Swainson possesse.s a New Holland Bird, whose station he has been unable to decide whether it will enter here, or rangn with the gallinaceous birds. I trust that that gentleman yvill, ere long, work out its affinities as fur as possible, and give it to the public. — Ed. TURKEY VULTURE. G61 and Middle States, it is partially minfratory, the irreator part retiring to the south on the approach of coldweather. But numbers reinaiirall Dumeril, and Cathartes of Illij^er; the one containing the Condur and Californiaii Vultures ; the other, the Turkey Buzzards, ^c, of Wilson. They arc, perhaps, generally, the most unseemly and disj^usting of the whole feathered race, of loose and ill-kept plumage, of sluggish habits when not urged on hy hunger, feeding on any animal food wiiich they can easily tear to pieces, but oflen upon the most putrid and loathsome carrion. They have been introduced by the ancients, in their beau- tiful but wild conceptions and imagery, and have been inibodied in the tales of fic- tion, and poems of the modern day, as all that is lurid, disgusting, and horri!>le. They are the largest of the feathered race, if we except the Stnitliionidcp., or that group to which the Ostrich, Cassowary, and Bustards belong, and have long been celebrated on account of their great strength. Many fabulous stories are recorded of the formidable Condur carrying off men, bullocks, and even elephants. They have been called the scavengers of nature; and in warm climates, where all animal matter so soon decays, they are no doulu useful in clearing off what would soon fill the air with noxious miasmata. In many parts of Spain, and southern Europe, the Neophron percjtoptems, or Egyptian Vulture of Savigny, and in Amer- ica, the native species, are allowed to roam unmolested through the towns, and are kept in the market places, as Storks are in Holland, to clear away the refuse and offal ; and a high penalty is attached to the destruction of any of them. In this state they become verv familiar and independent. Mr. Audubon compares them to a garrisoned half-pay soldier; " to move is for them a hardship ; ancl nothing init extreme hunger will'make them fly down from the roof of the kitchen into the yard. At Natchez, the number of these expecting parasites is so great, that all the refuse within their reach is insufficient to maintain them."' They appear also to have been n^ed for a most revolting purpose among barbarous nations, or at least, in coiijunr- tion with wild animals, were depended upon to assist in destroying and cleariii<^ away the dead, which were purposely exposed to their ravages. Some, however, are elr?gant and graceful in their form and plumage, and vie with the Eagles in s»ren2:th aud activity. Such is the Vultur barbatus of Edwards, the Lammergeyer of the European Alps. Ii)dcpondent of the species mentioned by our author, three others have been de- scribed as natives of this continent. Sarcoramplius gryphus and Californianns of Dumeril, and the Cathartes papa of Illig-er ; the former supposed to be the cele- brated Roc of Sinbad, the no less noted Condur of moderns. They are found on the north-west chain of the Andes, frequenting, and not indeed generally met with until, near the limits of eternal snow, where they may be seen perched on the sum- mit of a projecting rock, or sweeping round on the approach of an intruder, in ex- pectation of prey, and looking, when opposed to a clear sky, of double magnitude. " Moving athwart the evening; sky, Seem forms of giant height." The stories of their destructive propensities are, to a certain extent, unfounded. No instance is recorded, by any late travellers, of children beincf carried otT, and all their inquiries proved the reverse. It is a much-followed occupation by the peas- antry at the base of the Andes, to ascend in search of ice for the luxury of the towns, and their children, at a very tender age, carried with them, are frequently left at considerable distances, unprotected ; they always remain in security. The S. Californianus was first known from a specimen in the British Museum, brought from California. Mr. Douglas found it more lately in the woody districts of that country; and I have transcribed his interesting account of its manners, Sic. " These gigantic birds, which represent the Condur in the northern hemisphere, are common along the coast of California, but are never seen beyond the woody parts of the country. I have met with them as far to the north as 49 deg. nortli lat.. in the summer and autumn months, but no where so abinidantiv as in the Colunih'an Valley, between the graud rapids and the sea. They build their nests in the most secret and impenetrable parts of the pine forests, invariably selecting the loftiest trees that overhang precipices on the deepest and least accessible parts of the moiu)- tain valleys. The nest is large, composed of strong, thorny twigs and grass, in every way similar to that of the Eagle tribe, but more slovenly constructed. The same pair resort for several years to the same nest, bestowing little trouble or attention 56 662 TURKEY VULTURE. the Avinter in Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey ; particularly in the vicinity of the large rivers and the ocean, which afford a supply of food at all seasons. In New Jersey,* the Turkey Buzzard hatches in May, the deep recesses of the solitary swamps of that state affording situations well suited to the purpose. The female is at no pains to form a nest with materials ; but, having chosen a suitable place, which is either a trun- cated hollow tree, an excavated stump, or log, she lays on the rotten wood from two to four eggs, of a dull dirty white, or pale cream color, splashed all over with chocolate, mingled with blackish touches, the blotches largest and thickest towards the great end ; the form some- thing like the egg of a goose, but blunter at the small end ; length, two inches and three quarters ; breadth, two inches. The male watches often while the female is sitting ; and, if not disturbed, they will occupy the same breeding place for several years. The young are clothed with a whitish down, similar to that which covers young- goslings. If any person approach the nest, and attempt to handle them, they will immediately vomit such offensive matter, as to compel the intruder to a precipitate retreat. The Turkey Buzzards are gregarious, peaceable, and harmless, never offering any violence to a living animal, or, like the plunderers of the Fcdco tribe, depriving the husbandman of his stock. Hence, though, in consequence of their filthy habits, they are not beloved, yet in repairing it. Eggs, two, nearly spherical, about the size of those of a Goose, jet black. Period of incubation, twenty-nine or thirty-one days. They hatch gen- erally about the first of June. The young are covered with thick, whitish down, and are incapable of leaving the nest until the fifth or sixth week. Their food is carrion, dead fish, or other dead animal substance; in no instance will they attack any living animal, unless it be wounded and unable to walk. Their senses of smelling and seeing are remarkably keen. In searching for prey, they soar to a very great alti- tude, and when they discover a wounded deer, or other animal, they follow its track, and when it sinks, precipitately descend on their object. Although only one is at first seen occupying the carcass, few minutes elapse before the prey is surrounded by great numbers ; and it is then devoured to a skeleton within an hour, even though it be one of the larger animals — Cervus elaphus, for instance — or a horse. Their voracity is almost insatiable, and they are extremely ungenerous, suffering no other animal to approach them while feeding. After eating, they become so sluggish and indolent, as to remain in the same place until urged by hunger to go in quest of an- other repast. At such times they perch on decayed trees, with their heads so much retracted, as to be with difficulty observed through the long, loose, lanceolate feathers of the collar. The wings, at the same time, hang down over the feet. This position they invariably preserv'e in dewy mornings, or after rains." The third species, C. papa, not mentioned by Wilson, is introduced in the The ferocious wife of Macbeth, on beino; advised of the approach of Duncan, Avhose death she had conspired,"thus exclaims : — •' The Raven liimself is hoarse, That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan Under my balllements." * The Moor of Venice says, — " It comes o'er my memory, As doth the Raven o'er the infected house, Boding' to all." f The last quotation alludes to the supposed habit of this bird's flyinjr over those houses Avhich contain the sick, whose dissolution is at hand, and thereby announced. Thus Marlowe, in the Jew ofMaltcu, as cited by Malone : — " The sad presaging Raven tolls The sick man's passport in her hollow beaJi 5 And, in the shadow of the silent night, Doth shake contagion from her sable wing"." But it is the province of philosophy to dispel these illusions, which bewilder the mind, by pointing out the simple truths, which nature has been at no pains to conceal, but which the folly of mankind has shrouded in all the obscurity of mystery. The Raven is a general inhabitant of the United States, but is more common in the interior. On the lakes, and particularly in the neip;h- borhood of the Falls of the Niagara River, they are numerous ; and it is a remarkable fact, that where they so abound, the Common Crow [C. corojic) seldom makes its appearance; being intimidated, it is con- jectured, by the superior size and strength of the former, or by an an- tipathy which the two species manifest towards each other. This I had an opportunity of observing myself, in a journey during the months of August and September, along the lakes Erie and Ontario. The R,a- vens were seen every day, prowling about in search of the dead fish, which the waves are continually casting ashore, and which afford thoni an abundance of a favorite food ; but I did not see or hear a single Crow within several miles of the lakes, and but very few tlirough tlie whole of the Genesee country. The food of this species is dead animal matter of all kinds, not ex- cepting the most putrid carrion, which it devours in common with tlie Vultures ; worms, grubs, reptiles, and shell fish, the last of which, in the manner of the Crow, it drops from a considerable height in the air, on the rocks, in order to break the shells ; it is fond of bird's eggs, and is often observed sneaking around the fann-house in search of the eggs of the domestic poultry, which it sucks Avith eagerness ; it is likewise charged with destroying young Ducks and Cliickens, and lambs which have been yeaned in a sickly state. The Raven, it is said, follows the hunters of deer for the purpose of falling heir to the *" Macbeth, Act i. scene 5. + Othello, Act. iv. scene 1. 676 RAVEN. offal ; * and the huntsmen are obliged to cover their game, when it is left in the woods, with their hunting frocks, to protect it from this thievish connoisseur, who, if he have an opportunity, will attack the region of the kidneys, and mangle the saddle without ceremony. Buffon says, that " the Raven plucks out the eyes of huffaloeSj and then fixing on the back, it tears off the flesh deliberately ; and what ren- ders the ferocity more detestable, it is not incited by the cravings of hunger, but by the appetite for carnage ; for it can subsist on fruits, seeds of all kinds, and indeed may be considered as an omnivorous animal." This is mere fable, and of a piece with many other absurd- ities of the same romancing author. This species is found almost all over the habitable globe. We trace it in the north from Norway to Greenland, and hear of it in Kamts- chatka. It is common every where in Russia and Siberia, except within the Arctic Circle ; f and all through Europe. Kolben enume- rates the Raven among the birds of the Cape of Good Hope ; I De Grandpre represents it as numerous in Bengal, where they are said to be protected for their usefulness ; § and tlie unfortunate La P^rouse saw them at Bale de Castries, on the east coast of Tartary ; likewise at Port des Francois, 58° 37' north latitude, and 139^ 50' west longi- tude ; and at Monterey Bay, North California. || The Enolish circum- navigators met with them at Nootka Sound,1I and at the Sandwich Islands, two being seen in the village of Kakooa ; also at Owhyhee, and supposed to be adored there, as they were called Eatooas.** Our intrepid American travellers, under the command of Lewis and Clark, shortly after they embarked on the Columbia River, saw abundance of Ravens, which were attracted thither by the immense quantity of dead salmon which lined tlie shores.ff They are found, at all seasons, at Hudson's Bay ; |J are frequent in Mexico ; §§ and it is more tlian prob- able tliat they inhabit the whole continent of America. The Raven measures, from the tip of the bill to the end of tlie tail, ty»^enty-six inches, and is four feet in extent ; the bill is large and strong, of a shining black, notched near the tip, and tliree inches long ; the setaceous feathers v.-hich cover the nostrils extend half its length ; the eyes are black ; the general color is a deep glossy black, with steel blue reflections ; the lower parts are less glossy ; tlie tail is rounded, and extends about two inches beyond tlie wings ; the legs are two inches and a half in length, and, with the feet, are strong and black ; the claws are long. This bird is said to attain to a great age ; and its plumage to be sub- ject to change from the influence of years and of climate. It is found in Iceland and Greenland entirely white. The Raven was the constant attendant of Lewis and Clark's party * This is the case in those parts of the United States where the deer are hunted without dog-s 3 where these are employed, they are generally rewarded with the offal. t Latham. | Medley's Kolben,vo\. ii. p. 136. ^ Voyage in the Indian Ocean, p. 148. II Voij. par I. F. G. Dc La Pcrouse, ii. p. 129, 203, 443. II Cook's Last Voy. ii. p. 236. Am. ed. ** Idem, iii. p. 329. +t Gass's Journal, p. 153. tl Chaulevoix. Kalm. IIearne's Journey. % Fernandez. GREAT-FOOTED HAWK. ()77 in tlieir Ions: fn^f^ toil:?on»o journey. Durinj,' the winter, at Fort Man- dan, tliey wore observed in iniKKMisc ininibers, not\vitli.Si,:uidin<»' llie cold was so excessive, that on the 17th December, 1804, the thernioh!- eter stood at 45° below 0. Like tlie Crow, tins species may be easily domesticated, and in that state would aliord amusement by its familiarity, frolics, and sajracity. But such noisy and mischievous pets, in common with parrots and monkeys, are not held in high estimation in this (piarter ol'the globe; and are g-enerally overlooked for those universal favorites, which either gratify the eye by the neatness or brilliancy of their plumage, or glad- den the ear by tlic simplicity or variety of their song. GREAT-FOOTED HAWK. Fig. 3L>2. FALCO PEREGRINUS/- — • Female. Kaii f^ijn.p. 13, No. \.— Turt. Syst. 1, p. 155. — Rclon, Aves, llfi. — Faico pore- grinus niofor. Aldr. Aves, 1, 239. — Sparvicre pellcjrino fcminina. Lormzi. Ares, tab. 24. — Blue-backed Falcon, Charletoni. Exercit. 73. — Perep^riiio Falfoii, Penn. Br. Zool. 1, p. 1.5^, No. 4.'?, pi. 20. — Arct. Zool. 1, p. 23-'s Museum, No. 386. FjiLCO PEREnRfJV-US. — LiNN.v.us.f Falcon pere^nus, Bonap. Sijn/yp. p. 27. — North. Zool. ii. p. 23. — Pcroprine Fal- con, Selby, niust. Br. Orn.v,\. 15, p. 37. — Flem. Br. Anim. p. 49. — Falco pcr- egrinus 7 Aust. birds in Coll, Linn. Soc. by Vig. and Horsf. vol. x\ . p. 183. It is with great pleasure that we are now enabled to give a portrait of this celebrated Hawk, drawn of half the size of life, in the be.st * It is also a European species. t Among the FolcrmkhB this bird will present '.hat form best adapted ii)T seizing 57 * 678 GREAT-FOOTED HAWK. manner of our deceased friend, and engraved by the accurate and in- genious Lawson. This noble bird had excited our curiosity for a long time. Every visit which we made to the coast, was rendered doubly interesting by the wonderful stories which we heard of its exploits in fowling, and of its daring enterprise. There was not a gunner along the shore but knew it well ; and each could relate something of it w^hich bordered on the marvellous. It was described as darting Avith the rapidity of an arrow on the Ducks when on the "vving, and striking them down with the projecting bone of its breast. Even the Wild Geese were said to be in danger from its attacks, it having been known to sacrifice tliem to its rapacity. To behold this hero, the terror of the wild fowl, and the w^onder of the sportsmen, was the chief object of our wishes. Day after day did we traverse the salt marshes, and explore the ponds and estuaries which the web-footed tribes frequent in immense multitudes, in the hope of obtaining the imperial depredator; even all the gunners of the district w^ere summoned to our aid, with the assurance of a great reward if the prey in an open manner by the exercise of their own org-ans. Noble and bear- ing-in their carriag-e^ the Falcons are as much distinguished from the Vultures by their graceful proportions, '' as those of the lion place him in the ranks of crea- tion above the gaunt, ravenous, grisly, yet dastard wolf" Placed, by their strong and powerful frames, far beyond them in all rapacious powers, they feed nearly ex- clusively on living prey, despising" all upon which they have not themselves acted as executioners, and particularly any carrion, which has the least savor of begin- ning putrescence. For these purposes they are possessed with a compactly-formed body, the neck comparativel}- short, and supported by muscles of more than ordi- nary strength ; the feet and thighs remarkably powerful, and the wing's of that true hirundine form and texture which points out the greater development of their power. The prey is generally struck while upon the wing wi;'i a rapid sweep, and is at once liorne oft', unless completely above the weight oi" the a^^-ailer, when it is stiuck to the ground, and despatched at more leisure. The Peregrine Falcon has a considerable geographical range, extending over the whole of temperate Europe, North America, and New Holland. The speci- mens from the latter country, I may remark, are all smaller in size, but hardly any other distinction can be fixed upon. In Britain, it is abundant on all the locky coasts towards the north, breeding, and frequenting the precipitous headlands 3 in many districts inland it is also frequent, but the choice of them is more arbitrary and local. The vale of Moffat, in Dumfries-shire is one of the most favorite stations I am aware of; many pairs breed there, and on the confines of Selkirkshire, choosing their eyries among the precipitous cliffs and streams of that mountainous district ; they return to the same rock, year after year, and often fix upon the same nest for then- breeding place. When either of the birds are killed, a mate is speedily found by the survivor, and returns with him to the old abode, and some of the eyries there have been known, and handed down to recollection, as far as the annals of the dis- trict extend. The Bass Rock, and Isle of IMay, in the Frith ofForth, each possess a pair, long renowned in deeds of falconry, and the Isle of Man can boast of many a noble bird, whose ancestors have Joined'in that now nearly-forgotten sport. I am aware of no instance in this country wliere the Peregrine builds on trees, as men- tioned by Ord, in America ; nor does it seem its true habit there. Dr. Richardson remarks that it is a rare bird in the wooded districts of the Fur Countries, and the g-rrater part of the specimens which have reached this country have been procured upon the coast. To the American Falcons may be added the Merlin F. esalon. which was met with by Dr. Richardson, who thinks it has been there confounded, from its similarity in some states, with the Pigeon Hawk. We may also mention a bird described by Mr. Audubon as new, under the name of F. temeraniis, but vvliich appears nothing more than the adult plumage of F. columbarius. — Ed. GREAT-FOOTED HAWK. 679 they procured him, but without success. At length in the month of December, 1812, to the unspeakable joy of Mr. Wilson, he received from Egg Harbor a fine specimen of tlie far-famed Duck Hawk ; which was discovered, contrary to his expectations, to be of a species which he had never before beheld. If we were to repeat all the anecdotes which have been related to us of the achievements of the Duck Hawk, they would swell our pages at the expense, probably, of our reputation. Naturalists should be always on their guard when they find themselves compelled to resort to the observations of others, and record nothing as fact which has not been submitted to the temperate deliberations of reason. The reverse of this procedure has been a principal cause why errors and absurdi- ties have so frequently deformed the pages of works of science, which, like a plain mirror, ought to reflect only the genuine images of nature. From the best sources of information, we learn that this species is unconnnonly bold and powerful ; that it darts on its prey with astonish- ing velocity ; and that it strikes with its formidable feet, permitting the Duck to fall previously to securing it. The circumstance of the Hawk's never carrying the Duck off on striking it, has given rise to the belief of tliat service being performed by means of the breast, which vulgar opinion has armed with a projecting bone, adapted to the purpose. But this cannot be the fact, as the breast bone of this bird does not differ from that of others of the same tribe, which would not admit of so violent a concussion. When the water-fowl perceive the approach of their enemy, a universal alarm pervades their ranks ; even man himself, with his engine of destruction, is not more terrible. But the effect is different. When the latter is beheld, the whole atmosphere is enlivened v/ith the whistling of wings ; when the former is recognized, not a Duck is to be seen in the air : they all speed to the water, and there remain until the Hawk has passed them, diving the moment he comes near them. It is worthy of remark, that he will seldom, if ever, strike over the water, unless it be frozen ; well knowing that it will be difficult to secure his quarry. This is something more than instinct. When the sportsmen perceive the Hawk knock down a Duck, they frequently disappomt him of it, by being first to secure it. And as one evil turn, according to the maxim of the multitude, deserves another, our hero takes ample revenge on them, at every opportunity, by rob- bing them of their game, the hard-earned fruits of their labor. The Duck Hawk, it is said, often follows the steps of the gunner, knowing that the Ducks will be aroused on the wing, which will afford it an almost certain chance of success. We have been informed, that those Ducks which are struck down, have their backs lacerated from the rump to the neck. If this be the fact, it is a proof that the Hawk employs only its talons, Avhich are long and stout, in the operation. One respectable inhabitant of Cape May told us that he has seen the Hawk strike from below. This species has been long known in Europe ; and in the age of falconry, was greatly valued for those qualifications which rendered it estimable to the lovers and followers of that princely amusement. But we have strong objections to its specific appellation. The epithet peregrine is certainly not applicable to our Hawk, which is not migra- tory, as far as our most diligent inquiries can ascertain ; and, as addi- 680 GREAT-FOOTED HAWK. tional evidence of the fact, we ourselves have seen it prowling near the coast of New Jersey, in the month of May, and heard its screams, which resemble somewhat those of the Bald Eagle, in the swamps wherein it is said to breed. We have therefore taken the liberty of changing its English name for one which will at once express a char- acteristic designation, or which will indicate the species without the labor of investigation.* " This species," says Pennant, " breeds on the rocks of Llandidno, m Caernarvonshire, Wales.f That promontory has been long famed for producing a generous kind, as appears by a letter, extant in Glod- daeth Library, from the Lord Treasurer Burleigh, to an ancestor of Sir Roger Mostyn, in which his lordship thanks him for a present of a fine cast of Hawks, taken on those rocks, which belong to the family. They are also very common in the north of Scotland, and are sometimes trained for falconry, by some few gentlemen who still take delight in this amusement, in that part of Great Britain. Their flight is amazing- ly rapid ; one, that was reclaimed by a gentleman in the shire of An- gus, a county on the east side of Scotland, eloped from its master with two heavy bells attached to each foot, on the 24th September, 1772, and was killed in the morning of the 26th, near Mostyn, Flint- shire." I The same naturalist in another place observes, that " The American species is larger than the European.-^ They are subject to vary. The Black Falcon, and the Spotted Falcon of Edwards, are of this kind ; each preserves a specific mark, in the black stroke which drops from beneath the eyes, down towards the neck. " Inhabits different parts of Nortli America, from Hudson's Bay as low as Carolina ; in Asia, is found on the highest parts of the Uralian and Siberian chain ; wanders in summer to the very Arctic Circle ; is common in Kamtschatka." || In the breeding season, the Duck Hawk retires to the recesses of the gloomy cedar swamps, on the tall trees of which it constructs its nests, and rears its young secure from all molestation. In those wilds, wliich present obstacles almost insiiperable to the foot of man, the screams of this bird, occasionally mingled with the hoarse tones of the Heron, and the hooting of the Great-horned Owl, echoing through the dreary solitude, arouse in the imagination all the frightful imagery of desolation. Mr. Wilson, and the writer of this article, explored two of these swamps, in the month of May, 1813, in pursuit of the Great Heron, and the subject of this chapter; and although they were successful in obtaining the former, yet the latter eluded their research. * " Specific names, to be perfect, ought to express some peculiarity, common to no other of the genus." — Am. Orn. i. p. 65. t We suspect that Pennant is mistaken ; its name denotes that it is not indigenous in Great Britain. Bewick says, ''The peregrine, or passenger Falcon, is rarely met vvilli in Britain, and consequently is but little known with us." — Bintisk Birds, part i. X British Zoology. ^ If we were to adopt the mode of philosophizing of the sapient Count de Buffon, we should infer that the European species is a variety of our more generous race, degenerated by the injluence of food and climate .' II Arctic Zoology. GREAT-FOOTED HAWK. 681 The Great-footed Hawk is twenty inclies in Icnfrth, and three feet eight inches in extent; the bill is inflated, short and strong, of a light blue color, ending in black, the up])or mandible with a tooth-like pro- cess, the lower, with a corresponding notch, and truncate ; nostrils, round, with a central point like the pistil of a flower; the eye is large and dark, suiTounded with a broad, bare, yellowish skin, the cartilage over it yellow and prominent ; frontlet, whitish ; the head above, cheeks running off" like mustaches, and back, are black ; the wings and scapu- lars are brownish black, each feather edged with paler, the former long and pointed, reacliing almost to the end of the tail ; the primaries and secondaries are marked transversely on the inner vanes, with large oblong spots of ferruginous white, the exterior edge of the tip of the secondaries curiously scalloped, as if a piece had been cut out ; the t.ertials incline to ash color; the lining of the wings is beautifully barred with black and white, and tinged with ferruginous ; on a close examination, the scapulars and tertials are found to be barred with faint ash ; all the shafts arc black ; the rump and tail-coverts are light ash, marked with large dusky bars ; the tail is rounding, black, tipped with reddish white, and crossed with eight narrow bars of very faint ash ; the chin and breast, encircling the black mustaches, are of a pale buff" color; breast below and lower parts reddish buff, or pale cin- namon, handsomely marked with roundish or heart-shaped spots of black ; sides, broadly barred with black ; the femorals are elegantly ornamented with herring-bones of black, on a buff ground ; the vent is pale buff, marked as the femorals, though with less numerous spots ; the feet and legs are of corn yellow, the latter short and stout, feathered a little below the knees, the bare part one inch in length ; span of the foot, five inches, with a large protuberant sole ; the claws are large and black, hind claw the largest. Whetlier the cere is yel- low or flesh colored, Ave were uncertain, as the bird had been some time killed when received ; supposed the former. The most striking characters of this species are the broad patch of black dropping below the eye, and the uncommonly large feet. It is stout, heavy, and firmly put together. The bird from which the above description was taken, was shot in a cedar swamp in Cape May county. New Jersey. It was a female, and contained the remains of small birds, among which were dis- covered the legs of the Sanderling Plover. SYNOPSIS OF THE BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA LAND BIKDS. ORDER I. — RAPACES, Temm. — BIRDS OF PREY. FAMILY 1. — \ULTURIN^. — VULTURES. GENUS CATHARTES, /%rer. — TURKEY-VULTURES. 1. Catliartes Califoriiianus, Laih. — Califbrnian Vulture. Head, bare, and yellowish red ; plumage, brownish black ; secondaries, gray, and, together with their coverts, tipped with white. Head of young, dusky, and their plumage edged with light brown; secondary coverts, tipped with brownish white. Nests in tlie loftiest trees. Eggs, two, nearly spherical, jet black. Length of female,.^ 55 inches ; of malc^ 50. Habitat, California. CatLiirtes Californianus, Bonap. Sijn. p. S2. J^^tkiU, i, 39. Jiad. v. 2-iO 3 Sijn. p. 2, plate 42G. 2. Cathartes Aura, Linn. — Turkey-Buzzard, Wilson, p. 6(30. Habitat, from New Jersey, south and west throughout North America. Cathartes auni, Bonap. Sifn. p. 22. R'ch. 4' STuins. F, Bor. Amer. ii. 4. Jv^uttall, i. 43. .dad. plate 151, ii.296 ; v, 339 ; «//«. p. 3. 3. Cathartes atratus. — Black Vulture, Wilson, p. QQ7. C.ithirtfs iuta, Bonap. Si/n. p. 23. JV,/«. i. 46. Jliul. ii. 33 j v. 345 ; plate 106. — Cathartes atratus, Riclt. 4" Sicain. ii. 6. .dud. Sijn. p. 3. FAMILY n. — FALCONID^. GENUS FALCO, Li/m. — HAWKS. SUBGENUS AQUILA, Briss. 4. Falco Chrj'saetos, Linn. — Golden Eagle, Wilson, p. 467. Habitat, from lat. 40° to the north. Falco fulvu-j, Bonap. Si/n.p.'i^. J\rarf,!ll, i. 62. — Falco Chrvsactos, j?(/rf. ii. 464. — Aquila Clirysaetos, Ricli. ^' Swain. F. B. A. ii. 12. .dud. S'yn. p. 9 ; plute 181. BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. G83 SUBGENUS rOLYliORUS, Vieill. 5. Falco Braziliensis, Gmel. — Bruziliuii Caracaru Eagle. Upper part of head and nape, brownish black; throat, yellowish white ; upper parts, barred with brown and dull white ; lower parts, with brown and reddish white. Male, 2'S.^^ 46. Habitat, Texas and Florida. Nests in tall trees ; eggs, two. Polyborus vulgaris, j3ud. ii. 350 j v. 3.')1 ; pliite IGl. — Polyborus Bra/ilicnsis, ^ud. Stjn. p. 4. SUBGENUS IIALL-ETUS, Savigny. G. Falco Washingtoiii, Aud. — Bird of Washington. Bill, bluish black ; cere, yellowish brown ; feet, orange yellow ; general color of plumage, blackish brown, with a coppery tint. Malc^ 43, 122. Nests in inaccessible cliti's. Habitat, throughout the Union. Falco Wasliingtoni, Jltul. i. 58. J\i^utt. i. 1)7. — llaliaDtus Washingtoni, .^ud, Sijn. p. 10 ; plate ]1. 7. Falco leucocephalus, Linn. — White-headed Eagle, Wilson, pp. 325 and 469. Habitat, all North America. Nests in high trees. Eggs, four, dull white. Falco leucocephalus, Bonap. Sxjn. p. 26. J^i'iitt. i. 72. j9i«/. i. 160; ii. 160; v. 354; plates 31 and 126. — Aquila leucocephala, Hwuin. 4' Hick. B. A. ii. \b. — Halia;tU9 leucocephalus, Aud. Syn. p. 10. SUBGENUS PANDION, Savigmj. 8. Falco halioetus. — Fish-Hawk, Wilson, p. 334. Habitat, all North America. Falco halisetus, Bonap. Sijn. p. 26. J^utt. i. 18. And. i. 415; v. 3G2. — Pandion hali- aetus, Aud. Syn. p. 12. SUBGENUS FALCO, Linn. 9. Falco Islandicus, Lath. — Gyr Falcon. Plumage, white, with slate gray sagittate spots ; bill, pale blue ; cere and feet, yellow. Young, brownish gray, with spots and margins of reddish white. Nests on high rocks and cliffs. Habitat, frotn Canada to the Arc- tic regions. Male, 22^, 49. Female, 23^, 51:^. Falco Islandicus, Rich. ^ Swain. F. B. A. ii. 27. J\rutt. i. 51. Aud. ii. 552 ; iv. 476 ; Syn. p. 15 ; plates 196 and 366. 10. Falco Peregrinus, Gmel. — Wandering Falcon, Wilson, p. 677. Falco peregrinus, Bonap. Syn. p. 27. JV««. i. 53. Rich. 4" Swain. F. B. A. ii. 23. Aud. i. 85 ; v. 365 ; plate 16 j Syn. p. 16. *11. Falco colunibarius, Linn. — Pigeon Hawk, Wilson, p. 166. Habitat, through the whole of North America. Nests in low fir-trees, twelve feet from the ground. Eggs, three, dull yellowish brown, with dark, reddish brown blotches. Male, 10^, 27. Female, 14, 30. Falco columharius, Bonap. Syn. p. 38. JK'ntt. i. 60. Strain. ^- Rich. F. B. A. ii. 35. Aud. i. 466: v. 368; Syn. p. 16; plate 9-2. — Falco teinerarius, Aud. i. 381; plate 75.— Falco ^salon, Swain. 4" Rich. F. B. A. ii. 37. * Wilson only described the young: of this bird. The adult (Falco tcmerarius of Audubon's Biography) differs principally in the bluish gray color of its plumage, which tcdies the place of the brownish gray of the young. 684 SYNOPSIS OF 12. Falco sparverius, Linn. — Sparrow Hawk, JVUson, pp. 171 and 300. Habitat, throughout the Union ; rare near Boston. Male and Female, 12. Falco sparverius, Bonap. Syn. p. 27. JV'utt. i. 58. Rich. ^ Swain. F. B. A. ii. 31. J3ud. ii. 246 ; v. 370 ; Syii. p. 17 ; plate 142. SUBGENUS BUTEO, Bechst. 13. Falco vulgaris, JVilloughby. — Common Buzzard. General plumage, chocolate brown ; primaries, black ; inner webs, white, barred with brownish black ; tail, with ten dusky bars on a reddish brown ground, the last dark bar broadest; under parts, yellowish white. Habitat, Fur Countries and B.ocky Mountains. Feiiude, 23. Nests in trees. Eggs, five, greenish white, with dark brown blotches. Buteo vulgaris, .Oiid. Sijn. p. 5. Rich. 4- Swain. F. B. A. ii. 47. — Falco buteo, jlud. iv. 508 ; plate 372. 14. Falco Harrisii, And. — Harris's Buzzard. Plumage, chocolate brown ; wing-coverts, reddish brown ; upper tail- coverts, base, and end of tail, white. Female, 24. Habitat, Mississippi. Falco Harrisii, And. v. 30 ; plate 392. —Buteo Harrisii, j3u(i. Syn. p. 5. 15. Falco Harlani. — Black Warrior. Plumage, chocolate brown, glossed with bluish gray ; tail, lighter than back, narrowly barred with brownish black, and tipped with brownish red ; lower parts, paler, anteriorly streaked, posteriorly barred with brown- ish black. Male, 21, 45. Female, 22. Habitat, Louisiana. Falco Harlani, ./?««/. i. 441; %'. 380 ; plate 86. JV'u«. i. 105. — Buteo Harlani, ^itd'. Syn. p. 7. 16. Falco lineatus, Gmel — Red-shouldered or Winter Hawk, Jf'il- son, pp. 314 and 457. Habitat, Eastern and Middle States. Nests in trees. Eggs, grayish white, blotched with dark brown. Male, 16, 38. Female, 19. Falco lineatus, Aad. i. 296 ; v. 330 ; plates 56 and 71. — Falco hyemalis, Bonap. Syn. p. 33. JV'««. i. 106. And. i. 3J4 ; Sijn. p. 7. 17. Falco Pennsylvanicus, Wilson. — Broad-winged Hawk, Wilson, p. 460. Habitat, Eastern and Middle States. Nests in trees. Eggs, five, gray- ish white, blotched with dark brown. Male, IG, 38. Female, 19. Falco Pennsylvanicus, Bonap. Syn. p. 29. J^utt. i. 105. Jlud. i. 461, and v. 377 ; plate 91. — Buteo Pennsylvanicus, And. Syn. p. 7. 18. Falco lagopus, Wilson. — Rough-legged Hawk, Wilson, pp. 302 and 456. Habitat, northern portion of North America. Nests in low trees. Male, 21i, 51. i Female, 23. Falco nigcr, JViLon. — Falco lafropus, Bonap. Si/n. p. 32. Rich. 4' Swain. F. B. A. ii. 52. Wdson, iv. 59, and v. 216. Aud. ii. 377, and v. 217. — Falco SanctiJohan- nis, Bonap. Syn. p. 32. — Buteo higopus, Jlwl. Syn. p. 8 ; plates 166 and 422. 19. Falco borcalis, Ginel. — Red-tailed Hawk, Wilson, pp. 450 and 452. BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 685 Habitat, the wliole continent. Nests in high trees. Eggs, five, dull white, blotclied with brown. MaU, 20)^. Female, 24. Falco borcalis., Rich. 4; Swain. F. 13. A. ii. M. A««. i. 102. Jiud. i. 2G5, and V. 378. — Falco ieverianus, Wilsun, vi. 78. — IJuloo boreulis, Aud. Syn. p. 6; plate 51. SUBGENUS ELANUS, Sav. 20. Falco dispar, Ttmm. — Black-shouldered Hawk. Ash gray above ; head, tail, and lower parts, white, with a large bluish black patch on the winij above, and a smaller one beneath ; feet, orange yellow. jW«/c, 14, 40. "Female, 1G;|, 41^. Habitat, Southern States and Texas. Falco dispiir, >4»(i. iv. :V.t7 ; pl.iti' ;!,VJ. — Falco luclanoptfriis, Bonap. Am. Orn. ii. ; Syn. p. 31 ; App. p. '\'6b. — El.mus dispiir, Aud. Syn. p. 13. SUBGENUS ICTINIA, Vieillot. 21. Falco plumbca, Gmel. — Mississippi Kite, Wilson, p. 241. Habitat, Southern States. Nests in high trees. Eggs, three, light green, blotched with deep chocolate brown, globular. Falco Mi.«sissippiensis, Wilson, ill. 80. — F;ilco plunibcus, Bunap. Syn. p. 90. Aud. ii. 108, and v. 374 j plate J 17. — Ictiniapluiiibea, Aud. Syn. p. 14. SUBGENUS NAUCLERUS, Vig. 22. Falco furcatus, Linn. — Swallow-tailed Hawk, Wilson, p. 447. Habitat, Texas and the Southern States. Nests in the high trees. Eggs, greenish white, with brown blotches. Falco furcatus, Wilson, vi. 70. Bonap. Syn. p. 31. And. i. 3G8, and v. 371 ; plate 72. — Nauclerus furcatus, Aud. Syn. p. 14. SUBGENUS ASTUR, Cuv. 23. Falco palumbarius, Liyin. — Goshawk, Wilson, p. 4.53. Habitat, northern parts of the continent. Nests in trees. Eggs, three, bluish white and spotted with reddish brown. Falco piiliimbarius, Bminp. Syn. p. 28. Aud.W. 241; plates 141 and 3(3. — Falco atricapillus, Mutt. i. 85. — Accipiter palumbarius, Rich. 4* Swain, ii. 39. — Astur palumbarius, Aud. Syn. p. 18. 24. Falco Cooped, Bonap. — Cooper's Hawk. Plumage, bluish gray; tail, with broad blackish bands, tipped with white. Male, 20, 36. Female, 22, 38. Nests in tops of trees. Eggs, three, globular, dull white. Habitat, southern part of United States ; Columbia River. Fiilco Cooperii, Bonap. Syn. App. p. 433. — Falco Staulcii, ./Jiid ii. 245; i. 18G ; jilates 36 and 141. — Astur Cooperi, Aud. Syn. p. 18. 25. Falco Fuscus, Gmel. — Sharp-shinned Hawk, Wilson, pp. 404, 407. Habitat, the whole continent; migratory. Falco Pcnnsylvanicus, Wilson, v'l. 1^. — Falco velox, Jfj/son, vi. 116. Bonap. Syn. p. 29. JV'i/». i. 87. — Falco fuscus, Bonap. Syn. App. p. 433. Aud. iv. 52-2 ; plato 374. — Accipiter Pennsylvanicus, Rich. &■ Swain, ii. 44. — Astur fuscus, Aud. Syn. p. 18. SUBGENUS CIRCUS, Bechst. 26. Falco cyaneus, Linn — Common Harrier, Wilson, p. 445. 58 686 SYNOPSIS OF Habitat, Columbia River, Texas, and United States. Nests on the ground. Eggs, four, spherical, bluish white. Falco uliginosus, Wilson, vi. 67. — Falco cyaneus, Bonap. Orn. ii. 30. J^'utt. i. 109. ^lid. iv. 396; plate 356. —Buteo cyaneus, Rich. ^- Stcaiii. ii. 55. — Circus cyaneus, ^wd. Syn, p. 19. FAJMILY m. — STRIGINJE, Aud. GENUS STRIX, Linn. — OWLS. SUBGENUS SURNIA, Dumeril. 27. Strix funerea, Gmd. — Hawk Owl, Tfilson, p. 444. Habitat, to the north of lat. 35°. Nests in trees. Eggs, two, white. Strix Hudsonica, Wilson, vi. 6-i. — Strix funerea, Bonap. Sijn. p. 25. JVuM. i. 115. Rich. ^- Swain, ii. 92. .dud. x. 550 ; plate 378. — Surina funerea, Jlud. Syn. p. 21. 28. Strix nyctea, Linn. — SDO^\y Owl, Wilson, p. 297. Habitat, northern part of the continent. Strix nyctea, Bonap. Syn. p. 36. JVwtt. i. 116. Rich. &,- Swain, ii. 88. j3ud. ii. 135 5 V. 382. — Surnia nyctea, Jlud. Syn. p. 21 ; plate 121. 29. Strix passerina, Linn. — Sparrow Owl. General color of upper parts, chocolate brown ; hind neck, with large white spots; feathers on the back with large roundish spots; tail, with four reddish white bands ; lower parts, dull yellowish white. Female, 30^. Habitat, Nova Scotia. Egg, in my possession, spherical, dull white. Strix nyctea, jiud. v. 269. — Surnia passerina. And. Syn. p. 22 5 plate 432. 30. Strix cunicularia, Gmel. — Burrowing Owl. Bill, grayish yellow ; claws, black ; upper parts, light yellowish brown, spotted with white ; quills and tail, with triangular reddish white spots ; throat and ruff, white ; under parts, yellow^ish white, with reddish brown bars. Male, 10, 2i. Female, 11. Habitat, west of the Mississippi. Strix cunicularia, 5o7iap. Om. i. 68. JVutf. i. 118. j3(m/. v. 264 ; plate 432. — Sur- nia cunicularia, Atid. Syn. p. 23. 31 . Strix passerinoides, Temm. — Columbian Day Owl. Upper parts, olivaceous brown ; head, with small yellowish white spots ; quills, tail, and facial disk, spotted with white ; lower parts white. .MalCy 7. Habitat, Columbia River. Strix passerinoides, And. v. 271 ; plate 432. — Surnia passerinoides, Aud. Syn. p. 23. SUBGENUS ULULA. 32. Strix Tcngmalmi, Gmel. — Tengmalni's Owl. Upper parts, grayish brown, tinged with olive; feathers of head and neck, with white spots ; scapulars, quills, and tail, also with white spots ; ruff and lower parts, yellowish white ; throat, white. Male, 11. Female^ 12. Habitat, north of lat. 45°. Nests in trees. Eggs, two, white. Strix Tengmalmi, Rich. ^' Stcain. ii. 94. And. iv. 559} plate 480. — Ulula Teng- malmi, Aud. Syn. p. 24. BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. G87 33. Strix Acadica, Gmel. — Acadian Owl, Jf'ilson, p. 309. Strix p:issorina, ffil.inn. —Mottled Owl, mison, pp. 201 and 383. Old bird, with brownish red plumage ; young, with the upper parts pale brown, spotted with brownish black ; quills, light gray, barred with brownish black ; throat, yellowish gray.* Strix asio, J^utt. i. 120. dud. i. 486 ; v. 39:2. — Bubo asio, .dud. Syn. p. 29. * Mr. Audubon reverses this order, making tlie brown plumage the old birds, and the red, the young-. Mr. Samuel Cabot, Jr. exhibited before the Boston Natural History Society an old red bird, which he shot in the act of feeding- some young brown ones, which he also exhibited. — See Journal of the Boston Society, ii. 126. 688 SYNOPSIS OF ORDER 11. — INSESSORES, Vigors. FAMILY I. — CAPRBIULGlDiE. GENUS CAFRIMULGUS, Linn. 41. Caprimulgiis Carolineiisis, GrneZ. — Chuck-Will's- Widow, JVil- son, p. 462. Caprimulgus Carolinensis, Bonap. S?/7i. p, 61. Aud. i. 273 j v. 401 5 Syn. p. 311; plate 52. 42. Caprimulgus vociferus, Wilson. — Whip-Poor- Will, Wilson, p. 376. Caprimulgus vociferus, Bonap. Syn. p. 62. JVutt. i. 614. Aud. i. 422 ; v. 405 ; plate 82 ; Syn. p. 31. 43. Caprimulgus Virgmianus. — Night Hawk, Wilson, p. 371. Caprimulgus Virginianus, Bonap. Syn. p. 62. Rich. 4' Swain, ii. 62. JVutt. i. 619. Aud. ii. 273. — Chordeiles Virginianus, Aud. Syn. p. 32. FAIVIILY n. — HIRUNDINIDiE, Vigors. GENUS I. — CYPSELUS, Linn. 44. Cypselus pelasgius, Innn. — Chimney Swallow, Wilson, p. 359. Cypselua pelasgius, Bonap. Syn. p. 63. J^att. i. 609. Aud. ii. 329 ; v. 319 ; plate 158. — Chaetura pelasgia, Aud. Syn. p. 33. GENUS II. — HIRUNDO, Linn. 45. Hirundo purpurea, Ldnn. — Purple Martin, Wilson, p. 365. Hirundo purpurea, £o7ia/). Syn. p. 64. JVa«. i. 598. ^iwd. i. 115 3 v. 408 3 Syn. p. 34; platy 23. 46. Hirundo bicolor, Vieill. — White-bellied Swallow, Wilson, p. 356. Hirundo bicolor, Bonap. Syn. p. 65. JV^««. i. 605. Aud. i. 491 ; v. 417 j plate 98 ; Syn. p. 35. 47. Hirundo fulva, Vieill. — Republican or Cliff Swallow. Upper part of head, back, and wing-coverts, black, v/ith bluish green reflections ; forehead, white, tinged with red ; chin, throat, and neck, brownish red ; under parts, grayish white ; tail slightly emarginate, not forked like the following. Habitat, north of 40° and Rocky Mountains. Breeds as near Boston as JafFrey, N. H. Nests under eaves. Eggs, five, white, with reddish brown spots. Ilirunlo fiilva, Bonap. Am. Orn. i. 63; Syn. p. 64. JVu«. i. 603. Aud. i. 353 j V. 415 ; Syn. p. 35 ; plate 78. 48. Hirundo rustica, Linn. — Barn Swallow, Wilson, p. 348. Hirundo rustica, Aud. ii. 413 ; v. 411 ; Syn. p. 35 ; plate 173. — Hirundo Americana, Swain. ^ Rich. ii. 329. — Hirundo rufa, Bonap. Sijn. p. 64. J^utt. i. 601. 49. Hirundo thalassina, Swain. — Violet green Swallow. BIRDvS OF NORTH AMERICA. 689 Upper part of head, deep green, changing gradually into the dark pur- ple of the neck; back, grass green ; rump and upper tail-coverts, carmine purple ; under parts, white. M(tJe, 4 } ^. JNests on bluffs. Eggs, four, clay color, with spots of reddish brown. Habitat, California, Rocky Mountains, and Oregon. Hirundo thalassina, .dud. iv. 597 ; plato 385 ; Syn. p. 30. 50. Hirundo rijiaria, Linn. — Bank Swallow, JVilson, p. 358. Hirundo riparia, Boiiap. Si/n. p. 65. Jiicli. 4- Swain, ii. 333. J\rutt. i. 607. .^ud. iv. 584 ; plate 385 ; Sijn. p. 36. 51. Hirundo serripennis, »^ud. — Rough-winged Swallow. Distinguished from the preceding by projecting filaments along the edge of the wing. Male, 5|, 12^. Habitat, Louisiana and South Caro- lina. Hirundo 8errij>cnnis, JJud. iv. 593 ; plate 375 ; Sijn. p. 37. FAMILY m. — HALCYONro^E, Vigors. GENUS ALCEDO, Linn. 52. Alcedo Alcyon, Linn. — Belted King-Fisher, Wilson, p. 227. Alcedo Alcyon, Bonap. Sipt. p. 48. JVutt. i. 594. Rich. 4* Swain, ii. 339. .^ud. i. 394 ; V. 548 ; plate 77 ; ' Syn. p. 173. FA31ILY IV. — IVIUSCICAPn)^ Vigors. GENUS I. — MUSCICAPA. — FLYCATCHERS. SUBGENUS MILVULUS; Sicain. 53. Muscicapa Savana, Bonap. — Fork-tailed Flycatcher. Tail, twice the length of the body ; head and cheeks, black ; feathers of crown, yellow at base; back, ash gray ; rump, bluish black; lower parts, white. Male, 14^, 14. Habitat, Louisiana. Muscicapa Savana, Bonap. Orn. i. 1 j Sijn. p. 67. J^Tutt. i. 274. JSud. ii. 387. — Miivulus tyrannus, Aud. Syn. p. 39 j plate 168. 54. Muscicapa forficata, Gmel — Swallow-tailed Flycatcher. Head, cheeks, and liind neck, ash gray ; back, brownish gray ; rump, dusky; anterior wing-coverts, scarlet; tail-feathers, black, three outer^ rose colored; under parts, white before, rose colored behind. Male, 11. Habitat, Arkansas. Muscicapa forficata, Bonap. Orn. v. 15; Syn. p. 67. JV*uM. i. 275. j^ud. iv. A26 ; plate 359. — Miivulus forficatus, .dud. Syn. p. 38. SUBGENUS MUSCICAPA. 55. Muscicapa verticalis, Say, — Arkansas Flycatcher. Upper parts, ash gray ; back, tinged with yellow; top of head, bright vermilion ; throat, grayish white ; neck, ash gray ; lower parts, pure yel- 5o 690 SYNOPSIS OF low. Male, 9, 15^. Habitat, Columbia River, Rocky Mountains, Texas, and Louisiana. Muscicapa verticals, Bonap. Orn. i. 18 ; Sijn. p. 67. JVm«. i. 273. ^ud. iv. 422 : plate 359 3 Syn. p. 39. 56. Muscicapa dominicensis, Brisson. — Pipiry Flycatcher. Upper parts, ash gray, shaded with brown, posteriorly ; concealed ver- milion patch on top of head ; lower parts, ash gray in front, yellowish gray behind. Male, 8|, 14|. Habitat, Florida to South Carolina. Muscicapa dominicensis, Aud. ii. 392 j plate 172 ; Syn. p. 39. 57. Muscicapa tyrannus, Linn. — Tyi-ant Flycatcher, Wilson, p. 140. Muscicapa tyrannus, Bonap. Syn. p. 66. JVutt. i. 205. .dud. i. 403; v. 420j plate 79 3 Syn. p. 40. 58. Muscicapa crinita, lAnn. — Crested Flycatcher, Wilson, p. 147. Muscicapa crinita, Bonap. Syn. p. 67. J^att. i. 271. And. ii. 176 3 v. 423. \f 59. Muscicapa Cooperi, iN'utt — Cooper's Flycatcher. Upper parts, grayish olive brown ; secondaries, margined with brownish white ; rump, white ; lower parts, grayish white. Habitat, from Texas to Massachusetts. Male, 7^, VZ%. Nests in trees. Eggs, four, yellowish crea.m white, with reddish brown spots. Muscicapa Cooperi, JVk«. i. 282. And. ii. 422 3 v. 422 3 plate 174 3 Syn.p.Al.— Tyrannus borealis, Rich. Sf Swain. 1. 141. 60. Muscicapa acadica, Gmel. — Green-crested Flycatcher, Wilson, p. 148. Muscicapa acadica, JsTutt. i. 288. Bonap. Syn. p. 68. And. ii. 256 3 v. 427 3 plate 144 3 Syn. p. 42. 61. Muscicapa fusca, Gmel. — Pewit Flycatcher, Wilson, p. 149. Muscicapa fusca, Bonap. Syn. p. 68. JVatt. i. 278. Aud. ii. 122 3 v. 424 3 plate 120 j Syn. p. 43. 62. Muscicapa virens, lAnn. — Wood Pewee, Wilson, p. 151. Muscicapa virens, Mutt. i. 285. Bonap. Syn. p. 68. Jlud. ii. 93 3 v. 425 3 plate 115 , Syn. p. 43. 63. Muscicapa minuta, Wilson. — Small-headed Flycatcher, Wilson, p. 443. Muscicapa minlita, Bonap. Syn. p. 86. JVutt. i. 296. Aud, v. 291 3 plate 434 3 Syn p. 44. 64. Muscicapa Ruticilla, Ldnn. — Redstart, Wilson, pp. 68 and 405. Muscicapa Ruticilla, Bonap. Syn. p. 68. JVa«. i. 291. Jlud. i. 202 5 v. 428 3 plate 40 3 Syn. p. 44. 65. Muscicapa, Saya, Bonap. — Say's Flycatcher. Upper parts, grayish brown ; upper tail-coverts and tail, brownish black ; neck, light grayish brown ; breast and abdomen, sliaded with red- dish. Male, 7. Habitat, Arkansas, Columbia River, and Fur Countries. Muscicapa Saya, Bonap. Orn. i. 20; S)/n. p. 67. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. Ii2. J^utU ii. 277. And. iv. 428 3 plate 359 3 Syn. p. 4J. (^. Muscicapa nigricans, Swain. — Rocky Mountain Flycatcher. BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. G91 Head, neck, and back, sooty brown ; reinaind«>r, except middle of breast, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts, which are white, grayisli brown. Maie^ 7. Habitat, Mexico and California. Muscicapa nigricans, ^ud. v. 30'2 ; pinto 434 ; Syii. \u 4Q. 67. Muscicapa Plioebe, Lath. — Short-legged Pewit. Upper parts, olivaceous brown ; fore part of neck, breast, and sides, light dusky gray, tinged witii olive ; abdomen, pale dull yellow. Malr., 6$. Habitat, Columbia River, Fur Countries, and Labrador. Nests in low bushes. Eggs, seven, liglit blue, spotted with small brown specks. Tyrannula Richardsonii, Sirnin. if- Rich. ii. 146. — Muscicapa Richardsonii, Aud. V. 299 ; plate 434 ; Hyn. p. 42. 68. Muscicapa Traillii, ^3u1. ./Jwd. v. 66 ; plate 398 ; Syn. p. 103. 706 SYNOPSIS OF 196. Emberiza Henslowii, Aud. — Henslow's Bunting. Upper parts, light yellowish brown, streaked with brownish black ; back and scapulars, tinged with red ; lower parts, light brownish yellow } sides, streaked with black. Male, 5. Habitat, from New York south. Emberiza Henslowii, .^ad. i. 360 ; v, 498 ; plate 70 ; Syn. p. 104. SUBGENUS PLECTROPHANES, Meyer. 197. Emberiza Lapponica, Linn. — Lapland Lark Bunting. Head and neck, black ; white band over eye ; brownish red crescent on hind neck; feathers on rest of upper parts, black, margined with yellowish red ; lower parts, white ; sides, streaked with black ; plumage varies some in winter. Habitat, Fur Countries. Nests on the ground. Eggs, seven, ochre yellow, with brown spots. Emberiza Lapponica, Bonap. Om. i. 53. Syn. p. 440. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 248. J\ratt. i. 463. jlud. iv. 472 ; plate 305 ; Syn. p. 98. 198. Emberiza picta, Swain. — Painted Lark Bunting. Head, deep black, with three bands of white on each side ; upper parts, brownish yellow, spotted with black ; band of white on smaller wing- coverts ; lower parts and band across back, buffy orange. Male, 6^. Emberiza picta, Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 250. JVutt. ii. 589. Jiud. v. 91 j plate 400 ; Syn. p. 99. 199. Emberiza ornata, Towns. — Chestnut-collared Lark Bunting. Top of head, streak, and spots behind ear, and breast, black ; band over eye, throat, sides of neck, abdomen, lower tail-coverts, and three lateral tail-feathers, white ; belt of yellowish red on hind neck ; upper parts, gray, spotted with dusky, Male, 5^. Habitat, Rocky Mountains. Emberiza ornata, .dud. v. 44 ; plate 394. — Plectrophanes ornatus, jlud. Syn. p. 99. 200. Emberiza nivalis, lAnn. — Snow Bunting, Wilson, p. 212. Emberiza nivalis, Bonap. Syn. p. 103. Rich. ^ Stoain. ii. 247. JVutf. 1. 458. .dud. ii. 515 ; v. 496 ; Syn. p. 99 ; plate 189. GENUS HI. — SPIZA, Bonap. — TAINTED BUNTING. 201. Spiza Ciris, TVilson. — Blue-headed Bunting, Wilson, p. 234. FringJlla Ciris, Bonap. Syn. p. 107. JVutt. i. 477 Jiud. i.279; v. 517 ; plate 53. — Spiza Ciris, Jiud. Syn. p. 108. 202. Spiza cyanea, Wilson. — Indigo Bird, JVilson, p. 66. Eggs, five, pure white. Fringillii cyanea, Bonap. Syn. p. 107. JSTutt. i. 473. Jiud. i. 377; v. 503; plate 74. — Spiza cyanea, .dud. Syn. p. 108. 203. Spiza amcena, Say. — Lazuli Painted Bunting. Male, upper parts, light greenish blue ; loral space, black ; two white bands on wing ; broad yellowish red band on breast ; lower parts, white. Female, upper parts, liglit yellowish brown ; rump, greenish blue ; fore parts, pale yellowish red, fading into white behind. Male, 5^. Habitat, from Arkansas to Columbia River. Fringilla amoena, Bonap. Orn. i. 61. Syn. p. 106. JVk«. i. 478. Jiud. v. 64 and 230 ; plate 393. — Spiza amoena, .^ud. Syn. p. 109. BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 707 GENUS IV. — CARDUELIS, Cwr. — GOLDFINCH. 204. Cai'duelis tristis. American Goldfinch, Wilson, p. 7. Nests in trees. Eggs, five, pure milli white. Wilson's description is wholly wrong. Fringilla tristis, Bonap. Sijn. p. 111. JVmW. i, rm. ^ud. i. 172; v. 510; plato 33. — Tanluolis Americana, Rich. ^- Sicain. ii. 268. — Curduelis tristis, .^ud. Syn. p. llti. 205. Cardiielis Magellanicus, Fiei*//. — Black-headed Goldfinch. Head and throat, black ; back, rump, and lower parts, yellowish green ; wings, black, with two bands of yellowish green. Male, 4i^. Habitat, Kentucky. Fringilla Mai;cllanica, jJud. v. 46; plate 394. — Carduelis Magellanicus, ./3ud. Stjn. p. 116. 206. Carduelis psaltria, Say. — Arkansas Goldfinch. Head, black ; neck, back, and scapulars, yellowish green, spotted with brown ; pale yellow band on secondary coverts. Female, without black on head. Male, 4h, 8. Habitat, Rocky Mountains. Fringilla psaltria, Bonap. Sijn. p. 111. J\'"««. i. 510. .^ud. v. 85; plate 400. — Carduelis psaltria, Jiud. Sijn. p. 117. 207. Carduelis YaiTellii, And. — Yarrell's Goldfinch. Upper part of head, black ; upper parts, yellowish green and yellow ; two bands on wings ; lower parts, bright yellow. Male, 4. Habitat, Upper California. Fringilla Mexicana, jJurf. v. 282 ; plate 433. — Carduelis Yarrellii, J^ud. Si/n. p. 117. 208. Carduelis Stanleyi, Aud. — Stanley's Goldfinch. Head, black ; upper parts, yellowish green, streaked with dusky ; wings with two bands ; lower parts, greenish yellow, fading into white. Male, 4%. Habitat, Upper California. Not figured. ^ud. Svn. n. 118. GENUS V. — PIPILO, Vieill. — GROUND FINCH. 209. Pipilo arcticus, Swain. — Arctic Ground Finch. Head, neck, breast, and upper parts, black ; sides, and lower tail-cov- erts, orange red; lower parts, white. Female, brown, where male is black. Male, 8^. Female, 8. Habitat, Columbia River and Fur Coun tries. Pyrgita arctica, Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 260. JVu«. ii, 589. — Fringilla arctica, J^ud. ▼. 49 ; plate 394. — Tipilo arcticus, .^ud. Sijn. p. 123. 210. Pipilo erythrophthalmus. — Ground Robin, Wilson, pp. 121 and 459. Fringilla erythrophthalma, Bonap. Sijn. p. 112. JVi/^. i. 515. Aud. i. 151 ; v. 511 ; plate 29. — Pipilo erythrophthalmus, .^ud. Syn. p. 124. 708 SYNOPSIS OF GENUS VI. — CORYTHUS, Cwt;. — PINE FINCH. 211. Cor^'tlius Enucleator. — Pine Grosbeak, Wilson, p. 53. Pyrrhula enucleator, Bonap. Syn. p. 119. Rich. 4- Swain, ii. 262. JVutt. 1. 535. .dud. iv. 4J4 5 plate 358. — Corythus enucleator, j^ud. Syn. p. 127. GENUS VII. — LOXIA, Linn. — CROSSBILL. 212. Loxia curvirostra, Linn. — Common Crossbill, Wilson, p. 291. Loxia curvirostra, Bonap. Syn. p. 117. J\rutt, i. 583. Aud. ii. 559 ; v. 511 ; plate 197 ; Syn. p. 128. 213. Loxia leucoptera, Gmel. — White- winged Crossbill, Wilson, p. 294. Loxia leucoptera, Bonap. Syn. p. 117 ; On. ii. Rich. 4' Swain, ii. 263. J^Tutt. i. 540. .^ud. iv. 467 } plate 364 ; Syn. p. ]29. GENUS VIII. — CORYDALINA, £ud. — LARK FINCH. 214. Corydalina bicolor. Towns. — Praii'ie Lark Finch. Male, black, tinged with gray ; patch on wing, white. Female, smaller; upper parts, grayish brown ; lower parts, white. Male, 7. Habitat, Platte River. Fringilla bicolor, .Mud. v 19 ; plate 390. — Corydalina bicolor, Jlud. Syn. p. 130. * GENUS IX. — COCCOTHRAUSTES, £m5on. — BULLFINCH. SUBGENUS PITYLUS, Cuv. 215. Coccothraustes cardinalis, Linn. — Cardinal Grosbeak, Wilson, p. 123. Fririsilla cardinalis, Bnnap. Syn. p. 113. JVu«, i. 519. Jlud. ii. 336; v. 514 ; plate 159. — Pitylus cardinalis, .dud. Syn, p. 131. SUBGENUS COCCOBORUS, Strain. 21G. Coccothraustes ccerulea. — Blue Grosbeak, Jfilson, p. 240. Frin-illa cffirulea, Bonap. Syn. p. 114. JVutt. i. 529. .dud. ii.liO; v. 508; plate 127. — Coccoborus coeruleus, Aud. Syn. p. 132. 217. Coccothraustes Ludoviciana. — Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Wil- son, p. 182. Tanugra Ludoviciana, Bonap. Si/n. p, 105. JVutt. i. p. 471. Jlud. ii. 385 ; v. 90 ; l-'Iate 354. — Coccoborus Ludovicianus, .dud. Syn. p. 137. 218. Coccothraustes melanocephalus, Swain. — Black-headed Gros- beak. Head, throat, wings, and tail, black ; band on hind neck, fore parts and sides of neck, breast, and sides, dull reddish orange ; middle of breast, axillars, and lower wing-coverts, light yellow ; back, black, streaked with yellowish red; two white bands on wing. Male, 8^. Habitat, Rocky Mountains. Fringilla mpluiocephala, .dud. iv. 519 j plate 373. — Coccoborus melanocephalus, .dad. Syn. p. 133. BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 700 219. Coccothraiistes vcspertiiia, Cooper. — Evening Grosbeak- Head and nock, black ; band over cyos, rump, axillars, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts, yellow; line, niarsrininsr base of bill, black ; cheeks, lower part of hind neck and throat, dark yellowish olive. Female, upper parts, brownish gray; lower parts, pale gray. Male, 8. Female, 7^. Habitat, Columbia River. Fringilla vosportina, Bunap. Om. ii. plate 14. Stjn. p. 113. .9ud. iv. 515 ; v. 235, — Cocrotliruusles vesiierlina, Rich. &■ Swain, ii. 2G9. J^uU. i. 594. Aud. Syn. p. 134. GENUS X. — PYRANGA, Vicill. 2^0. PjTanga sestiva, Gmel. — Summer Red-Bird, fVUson, p. 63. Nests in trees. Eggs, five, light blue. Tannpra jestiva, Bvnap. Sim. p. 105. JV««. i. 469. Aud. i. 232 ; v. 518 ; plate 44. — Pyranga a;stiva, Aud. Hijn. p. 13(5. 221. Pyranga rubra. — Scarlet Red-Bird, Tfllson, p. 125. Pyrnnga rubra, Sonap. Sijit. p. 105. Rich. ^- Swain, ii. 273. JVutt. i. 465. Aud. iv. ' 388 ; plate 354. — Pyranga rubra, Aud. Sijn. p. 136. 222. Pyranga Ludoviciana, Wilson. — Louisiana Tanager, Wilsofi, 'p. 207. Tanagra Ludoviciana, Bonap. St/n. p. 105. X'uU. i. 471, j3u. 151. SUBGENUS PICA, Briss. 239. Coi-vus pica, Linn. — Common Magpie, Wilson, p. 31G. Corvus pica, Bonap. Syn. p. 57. JK'utt. i. 219. Mud. iv. 408; plate 357. — Pica nielanoleuca. Mud. Syn. p. 152. 240. Coitus Nuttallii, Aud. — Yellow-billed Magpie. Similar to the above, except in the green of its head, the brown of its back, and its yellow bill. Male^lS. Habitat, Texas to Rocky Mountains. Pica Nuttallii, Mud. Syn. p. 152. — Corvus Nuttallii, Mud. iv. 450 ; plate 3C2. 241. Conus Bullockii, Wagler. — Columbian Magpie. General color, blue ; cheeks, fore neck, and anterior part of breast, black; lower parts and tips of outer tail-feathers, white. Male, 21, 36. Habitat, North California. Corvus Bullockii, JVu«. i. 220, Mud.i.^3; plate 96. — Pica Bullockii, j3«(Z. Syn. p. 152. GENUS II. — GARRULUS, Briss. — JAY. 242. Garrulus Stelleri, Gmel. — Steller's Jay. Head, neck, and back, brownish black ; forehead, rump, and wings, blue ; wing-coverts, ultramarine, barred with black ; tail, blue, with dusky bars. Male, 13. Habitat, Rocky Mountains and Columbia River. Nests in trees. Eggs, four, pale green, with olive brown specks. Corvus Stelleri, Bonap. Orn. ii. 44 ; Syn. p. 438. J^utt. i. 2:29, Mat!, iv. 453 ; plato 362. — Garrulus Stelleri, Rich. Sf Swain, ii. 294, Mud. Syn. p. 153. 243. Garrulus cristatus, Ldnn. — Blue Jay, Wilson, p. 1. Garrulus cristatus. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 298. Mud. Syn. p, J54, — Corvus cristatus, JVm«, i, 224, Bonap. Syn. p. 58, Mud. ii, 11 ; v. 475 ; plate 102, 244. Garrulus ultrainarinus, Bonap. — Ultramarine Jay. Head, neck, sides, wing, and tail, light blue ; back, light grayish brown ; * It seems unaccountable, that Wilson, familiar as ho may be supposed to have been with the habits of the European species, should have confounded it with our Common Crow, They are quite distinct species. 712 SYNOPSIS OF lower parts, gray, passing into white. JWaZe, 12. Habitat, Columbia Kiver and Upper California. Corvus ultramarinus, And. iv. 456 ; plate 362. — Garrulus ultramarinus, Jiud. Syn. p. 154. 245. Garrulus Floridanus, Bartram. — Florida Jay. Head, sides, and neck, light blue ; back, very light grayish brown ; band over forehead and eyes, bluish white ; fore neck, grayish white, bordered by a light blue band ; lower parts, purplish gray. Male, 11^, 14. Habitat, Florida. Nests in trees. Eggs, four to six, olive, marked with black, Corvus Floridanus, Bonap. p. 58. J^Tutt. i. 230. Aud. i, 444 ; plate 87. — Garrulus Floridanus, Aud. Syn. p. 154, 246. Garrulus Canadensis, lAnn. — Canada Jay, Wilson, p. 211. Garrulus Canadensis, Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 295 and 296. JVm«. i. 232 ; v. 599, And. Syn. p, 155. — Corvus Canadensis, Bonap. Syn. p. 58, Jlud. ii. 53 ; v, 208. GENUS III. — NUCIFRAGA, Brisson. 247. Nucifraga Columbiana. — Columbian Nutcracker, Wilson, p. 209. Nucifraga Columbiana, Aud. iv. 459, Syn. p. 156 ; plate 362, — Corvus Colurabia- nus, Bonap. Syn. p, 57. J^utt. i. 218. FAMILY XV. — SITTING, Aud. GENUS SITTA. — NUTHATCH. 248. Sitta Carolinensis, lAnn. — White-breasted Nuthatch, Wilson^ p. 24. Sitta Carolinensis, Bonap. Syn. p. 96. JVm«, i, 581. Aud. ii. 299; v, 473j plate 153 ; Syn. p. 167, 249. Sitta Canadensis, Xrt'nn. — Red-bellied Nuthatch, Wilson, p. 27. Sitta Canadensis, Bonap. Syn. p, 96, JVutt, i. 583. Aud. ii, 84 ; v, 474 ; plate 125 } Syn. p. 167. 250. Sitta pusilla. Lath, — Brown-headed Nuthatch, Wilson, p. 165. Sitta pusilla, Bonap. Syn. p, 97. JVutt. i. 584, Aud. ii, 151 j plate 125; Syn. p. 168. 251. Sitta pygmaea. Vigors. — Californian Nuthatch. Head and neck, dull grayish brown; back, dull leaden gray ; lower parts, brownish white. Male, 3|^. Habitat, California. Habits and mode of breeding, unknown. Sitta pygmaea, Aud. v. 163 ; plate 415 ; Syn. p, 168. FAMILY XVL — TROCHILID^, Vigors. GENUS TROCHILUS, Linn. — HUMMING BIRD. 252. Trochilus Mango, Linn. — Mango Humming Bird. Head, neck, and back, green, with bronze and golden reflections ; tail, BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 713 of mingled black, green, blue, steel blue, and pjirple ; neck and breast, black, margined with green ; lower parts, dark purple. Male, 4|, 8. Habitat, Florida Keys. Trochilus Mungo, ^itd. ii. 480 ; plutc 18-J ; Syn. p. 170. 253. Trochilus Anna, Linn. — Anna Ilinnminf,' Bird. Head and throat, blood red. changing to gold and blue ; upper parts of golden green ; lower parts, brownish white. Male, 3|. Habitat, Rocky Mountains towards California. Nests in bushes. Eggs, two, pure white. Trochilus Anna, j9ud. v. '238 ; plate 425 ; Sijn. p. 170. 254. Trocliilus colubris, Z/inn. — Common Humming Bird, Wilson, p. 115. Trochilus coluI)ri3, Bonap. Sifn. p. 98. Rich. ^ Swain, p. 323. J^utt. i.588. ^ud. i. 948 ; V. 544 ; plate 47 ; Syn. p. 70. SUBGENUS CELASPHORUS, Swain. 255. Trochilus rufus, Gmel. — Rufous Ruffed Humming Bird. Upper parts, cinnamon orange, glossed with green and purple ; orange red bands above and below eye ; throat fire-red, changing to purple, yel- low, &c. ; reddish white band on fore neck ; lower parts like upper ; ab- domen, whitish. Male, 3yV- Habitat, from California to Nootka Sound. Nests in bushes. Eggs two, white. Trochilus rufus, Rich. ^- Swain, ii. 324. .y3ud. iv. 555 ; plate 379. — Selasphorua rufus, .^ud. Syn. p. 171. FAJVHLY XVH. — PICID^, Vigors. GENUS PICUS, Linri. — WOODPECKER. 256. Pious imperialis, Gould. — Imperial Woodpecker. Pious imperialis, Bonap. Sijn. p. 44. JVu«. i. 564. Jiud. i. 341 ; v. 525; plate 66; Syn. p. 175. 257. Picus principalis, Linn. — Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Wilson, p. 272. Picus principalis, Bonap. Syn. p. 44. J\rutt. i. 504. .^ud. i. 341 ; v. 525 ; plate 66; Syn. p. 175. 258. Picus pileatus, Linn. — Pileatcd Woodpecker, Wilson, p. 279. Picus pikatus, Bonap. Syn. p. 44. Rich. S[ Swain, ii. 304. JVutt. i. SO?. Jlud. ii. 74 ; V. 533 ; Syn. p. lf6 ; plate 13. 259. Picus lineatus, Linn. — Lineated Woodpecker. Head, carmine, dusky line from nostril to eye ; patch over ear, leaden gray ; line down neck, enlarging towards the tail, deep black ; band on side of head; patch on wing, white; crimson patch at base of lower jaw; breast, black ; chin, yellowish white ; lower parts, brownish white, barred with black. Male, 15. Habitat, Columbia River. Picus lineatus, .^ud. v. 315 ; Syn. p. 17(j. Not figured. 260. Picus Canadensis, Gmel. — Canadian Woodpecker. Head and neck, glossy black ; band over eye ; one from mouth, back- 60* 714 SYNOPSIS OF wards, and lower parts, white ; band on occiput, scarlet ; band from bill to eye ; narrow band from base of bill to shoulders ; shoulders and four middle tall-feathers, black; outer one, partially white. Male, 10^, 17^. Habitat, Fur Countries. Picus Canadensis, jlud. y. 188; plate 417 ; Syn. p. 177. — Picus villosus, Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 305. 261. Picus Phillipsii, Aud. — Phillips's Woodpecker. Head, orange yellow ; hind neck, glossy black ; white band over eye ; black band joming another white one from mouth to eye : upper parts, black, tinged with brown: tail, as in preceding species; lower parts, white. Male, ]0^. Habitat, Massachusetts, one specimen only found. Picus Piiillipsii, j9iid. v. 186 ; plate 417 ; Syn. p. 177. 262. Picus Martinae, Aud. — Martin's Woodpecker. Head, scarlet ; forehead and occiput, black ; several black and white bands over eye, and from base of bill toward eye and neck ; upper parts, black, in some places tipped and spotted with white; lower parts, white, tinged with gray and red. Male, 9g-. Habitat, Canada. Picus Martinae, .dud. v. 181 ; plate 417 ; Syn. p. 178. 263. Picus Harrissii, Aud. — Harris's Woodpecker. Head and hind neck, glossy black; bands of scarlet, black and white on occiput, and from bill toward eye and hind neck; upper parts, black; feathers along middle, tipped with white; lower parts, brownish white; has no white spots on wing-coverts. Male, 9. Habitat, Columbia River. Picus Harrissii, jiud. v. 191 ; plate 417 ; Syn. p. 178. 264. Picus villosus, Linn. — Haiiy Woodpecker, Wilson, p. 102. Picus villosus, Bonap. Syn. p. 46. JVutt i. 575. .dud. v. 164 ; plate 416 ; Syn. p. 179. 265. Picus pubescens, Linn. — Downy Woodpecker, Wilson, p. 104. Picus pubescens, Bonap. Syn. p. 46. Rich. 4' Swain, ii. 307. J^/'utt. i. 576. .dud. ii. 61 ; V. 539 ; plate 112 ; Syn. p. 180. 266. Picus Gairdneri, Aud. — Gairdner's Woodpecker. Black above, with scarlet occipital band, brownish white beneath ; spotted with white ; spots smaller than in preceding. Length, 6|. Hab- itat, Columbia River. Picus Gairdneri, .dud. v. 317 ; Syn. p. 180. Not figured, 267. Picus querulus, Wilson. — Red-cockaded Woodpecker, WUson, p. 164. Nests in holes in trees. Eggs, four, white. Picus querulus, fio?jaj). Syn. p. 46. JVu«. i. 577. .dud. v. 12 3 plate 389 3 Syn. p. 180. 268. Picus Auduboni, Trudeau. — Audubon's Woodpecker. Upper parts, black ; lower, white, with a tinge of brown ; the sides very faintly barred with dusky ; tufts covering the nostrils, white; head, yel- lowish ; white band over eye, black one behind it ; back tipped with white. Adult, 7, I'Sh. Habitat, Louisiana. Picus Auduboni, .dud. v. 194 ; plate 417 ; Syn. p. 181. 269. Picus ruber, Gmel. — Red-breasted Woodpecker. Head, neck, and breast, deep carmine ; upper parts, black, variegated BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 715 with white ; lower parts, yellow ; sides, undulated with dusky. Male, 8, 14. Female, 8. Habitat, Upper California. Nests in holes of trees. Eggs, four, pure white. Picus ruber, jiud. v. 179; plate 411J ; Sijn. p. 181. 270. Picus yar'ius, Linn. — Yellow-bellied Woodpecker, Wilson, p. 100. Picus varius, Bonap. Si,n. p. 4'). Rich. S,- Sicain. ii. 309. JVuM. i. 574. j3«d. i. 519 j V. 037 ; plate lyj ; hyn. p. 182. 271. Picus Caroliuus, Z^inn. — Red-bellied Woodpecker, JVUson, p. 75. Picus C;irolinii9, Bonap. Syn. p. 45. JVu«. i. 572. j3«(/. v. 409 ; plate 415 ; Stjn. p. Ib3. 272. Picus ervthroccphalus. — Red-headed Woodpecker, Wilson^ p. 96. ^ Picus ervthroccplin)us, Bovap. Sijn. p. 45. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 310. J^utt. i. 5C9. j^ud. I. 141 ; V. 530 ; Syn. p. 184. 273. Picus torquatus, Wilson. — Lewis's Woodpecker, Wilson, p. 210. Picus torquatus, Bonap. Syn. p. 40. J^utt. i. 577. Jlud. v. 176; plate 410; Syn. p. 184. SUBGENUS APTERNUS, Swaiji. 274. Picus arcticus, Swain. — Arctic Three-toed Woodpecker. Three-toed ; upper parts, glossy bluish black ; lower, white ; sides and wing-coverts, transversely barred with black; crown, saffron yellow; whife line behind eye ; another succeeded by a black one from upper man- dible to ear-coverts. Female, without yellow on head. Male, 10^, 16. Habitat, Massachusetts to Fur Countries. Picus tridactvlus, Bonap. Om. ii. 14. Syn. p. 40. J^ntt. i. 578. Rich. 8^ Swain, ii. 313. Aud. Syn. p. 182. — Picus tridactylus, Aad. ii. 198 ; plate 132, 275. Picus hirsutus, Vieill. — Banded Thi-ee-toed Woodpecker. Three-toed ; upper parts, glossy black ; head, with blue reflections ; back and wings, tinged with brown ; anterior of head, yellow, spotted with white; white band from bill to occiput; back, banded witli white. Male, 9. Habitat, Fur Countries. Picus tridactvlus, Rich. Ss Swain, ii. 311. — Picus hirsutus, Aud. v. 184; plate 417; Syn. p. 183. SUBGENUS COLAPTES, Swain. 276. Picus auratus, lAnn. — Golden- winged Woodpecker, WUsonj p. 29. Picus aurntus, Bonap. Syn. p. 44. JV*tt«. i. 561. Aud. i. 191; v. 550 ; olate 37 ; Syn. p. 184. — Colaptes auratus, Rich. 4" Swain, ii. 314. 277. Picus iMexicanus, ,S«'am. —Red-shafted Woodpecker. Head and neck, grayish brown ; forehead and band over eye, dull red ; carmine patch on each side of throat; bark, reddish brown, spotted with black ; rump, white; tail-coverts, black, b;irr(>d with white ; lower parts, reddish white ; black spots forming a semilunar patch on the forepart of breast. Male, 13^. Female, 13. Habitat, Rocky Mountains to the Saa- katchawan. Picus Mexicanus, Aud. v. 174 ; plate 410. Syn.'j>. 184. — Colaptcs Mcxicarius, Rich. 4- Swain, ii. 315. 7W SYNOPSIS OF FAMILY XVin. — CUCULID^, Vigors. GENUS COCCYZUS, Fiei^J. — AMERICAN CUCKOO. 278. Coccyzus Americanus, Linn. — Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Wilson, p. 267. Coccyzus Americanus, Bonap. Syn. p. 42. JVutt. i. 551. ^ud. i. 18 : v. 5-20 : plate 2 ; Syn. p. 187. 279. Coccyzus erythrophthalmus, Wilson. — Black-billed Cuckoo, Wilsoru p. 269. Coccvzus erythrophthalmus, Bonap. Syn. p. 42. J^''utt. i. 556. .^iud. i. 570 ; v. 523 ; plate 32 ; Syn. p. 187. 280. Coccyzus seniculus. Lath. — Mangrove Cuckoo, Upper parts, greenish brown ; head with a gray tinge ; lower parts, brownish orange ; outer tail-feathers tipped with white. Male, 12, 15. Habitat, Florida Keys. Nests in trees. Eggs, two, light green. Coccyzus seniculus, J\rutt. i. 558. Aud. ii. 390 j plate 169 ; Syn. p. 188. FAMILY XIX. — PSITTACID^. GENUS CENTURUS, Ruhl. — ¥ ARRAKEET. 281. Centurus Carolinensis. — Carolina Parrakeet, Wilson, p. 246. Psittacus Carolinensis, Bonap. Syn. p. 41. JW«. i. 545. jiud. i. 135; plate 26 Centurus Carolinensis, jiud. Syn. p. 189. ORDER IIL — RASORES, Vigors. FAMILY L — COLUMBID.^. GENUS COLUMBA, Lm/i. — DOVE. 282. Columba fasciata, Say. — Band-tailed Pigeon. Head, fore neck, and breast, reddish purple, whitish tow^ards abdomen ; hind neck, greenish brown, with a white ring ; upper parts, grayish blue ; rump and sides, blue ; tail, grayish blue, with a black band. Male, 16. Female, 15^. Habitat, Rocky Mountains to Columbia River. Eggs, two, placed on the ground without any nest, yellowish white with minute spots. Columi)a fasciata, Bunap. Syn. p. 119; Orn. i. 77 JVwtf. i. 624. jJwd. iv. 479; Sijn. p. 191 ; plate 3G7. 283. Columba leucocephala, Linn. — AVliite-headed Pigeon. Upper parts, grayish blue ; lower, paler ; head, white ; hind neck, dark purplish brown; lower parts and sides, green, changing to gold, mixed with black. Male, 14^, -23^. Feviale, 14. Habitat, Florida Keys. Nests in trees. Eggs, two, white. Columba leucoceplmla, Bonap. Stfn. p. 119; Orn. ii. 15. JVuU. i. 625. .^ud. ii. 443; V. 557; plate 177; Syn. p. 191, BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 717 284. Coluniba Zeiiaida, Bonap. — Zenaida Dove. Upper parts, light yellowish brown; middlt^ t;iil-feathcrs, like back; the rest, grayish blue, with broad black band towards the end; extremity, bluish white ; lower parts, light brownish red, paler on the throat, and passing into a grayish blue on the sides ; lower wing-coverts, ligiit blue : deep blue spot behind eye ; another large, below, on neck. Male, \\k, \S\. Female, lOh. Habitat, Florida Keys. Nests on the ground. Eggs, two, pure white. Coliinil)!i Zenaida, 5onap. S//H. p. 119. J\~utt. i. 025. ./Sitrf. ii. 354 ; v. 558 j plate 1&2; S(/H. p. 191. 285. Columba montana, Ia717i. — Key West Pigeon. Upper parts, brownish red ; head and hind neck, with purplish and green reflections; sides of neck, cream color, with lilac, green, blue, and purple tints ; back, purplish red ; broad band beneath eye and throat, white; neck and breast, purple; rest, cream colored. Male, llj, 17^. Habitat, Key West. Nests in trees. Eggs, two, pure white. Columba montana, Jlud. ii. 382 ; plate 167 ; Sijn. p. 192. 286. Columba passerina, Ldnn. — Ground Dove, Wilson, p. 409. Nests in bushes. Eggs, tvvo, white. Columba passerina, Boiuip. Syn. p. 120. Kutt. i. 635. Aud. ii. 471 j v. 558 j plate 182 ; Syn. p. 192. GENUS H. — GEOPHILUS, Sc%.— GROUND PIGEON. 287. Geophilus cyanocephalus, Selhy. — Blue-headed Ground Pigeon. Upper parts, chocolate, tinged with olive ; lower parts, brownish red ; upper part of head, bright blue, encircled by a black band ; band of white under eye ; broad black patch on fore neck, margined with white beneath ; on sides, a patch of light blue. Mule, \2^, Ilk- Habitat, Floiida Keys. Columba cvanocephala, And. ii. 411 j plate 172. — Starnainas cyanocephala, jSarf. Syn. p. 193. GENUS HI. — ECTOPISTES, S'imm.— LONG-TAH.ED PIGEON. 288. Ectopistes raigratoria, Linn. — Passenger Pigeon, Wilson, p. 394. Columba migratoria, Bonap. Syn. p. 120. Rich. 4' Swam. ii. 363. J^iM. i. G29. Aud. i. 319} V. 561 ; plate 62. — Ectopistes migratoria, Aud. Syn. p. 194. 289. Ectopistes Carolinensis, Linn. — Carolina Turtle Dove, Wil- son, p. 388. Columba Carolinensis, Bonap. Sijn. p. 119. J^Tutt. i. 42G. Aud. i. 91 _: v. 5555 pls't® 7. — Ectopistes Carolinensis, Aud. Syn. p. 195. FAMILY n. — PAVONID.E, Vigors. GENUS MELEAGRIS, Linn. — TURKEY. 290. Meleagris gallopavo. — Wild Turkey. Breeds, from Texas to Vermont ; in the interior, to Missouri, and thence to Michigan. Nests on the ground. Eggs, from ten to fifteen, of a yel- lowish cream color, sprinkled with reddish dots. Meleagris gallopuvo, Bonap. Om. i. 79 j Syn. p. 122. J^Tutt. i. 630. Aud, i. 1 and 33 ; V. 559 ; Syn. p. 197. 718 SYNOPSIS OF FAMILY in. — TETRAONID^, Vigors. GENUS I. — ORTYX, Steph. — AMERICA'S PARTRIDGE. 291. Ortyx Virgiiiiana. — Common Quail, Wilson, p. 413. Perdix Virginiana, Bonap. Sijn. p. J24. J\''utt. i. 647. .iud. i. 3885 v. 564; plate 76. — Ortyx Virginiana, Jlud. Syn. p. 199. 292. Ortyx Californica, Lath. — Californian Quail. Head, crested ; forehead, yellow ; crest, black ; head, brown, margined with white ; throat, white, margined with a white semilunar band ; neck, ash gray, marked with black ; breast, grayish blue above, yellowish be- low; centre, chestnut; lower parts, yellowish brown. Male,^}^. Female,d. Habitat, Upper California. Perdix Californica, ./3iirf. v. 152 j plate 413. — Ortyx Californica, Jiud. Syn. p, 199. 293. Ortyx plumifera, Gould. — Plumed Partridge. Head, plumed; head, neck, breast, and back, bluish gray ; bands on neck, white; plume, black; throat, chestnut; rump, reddish brown; breast, chestnut, with black and white band. Male, 1. Female, 10. Ha- bitat, Columbia River and California. Perdix plumifera, And. v. 226 ; plate 422. — Ortyx plumifera, Aud. Syn. p. 200. 294. Ortyx neoxenus, Vigors. — Welcome Partridge. Upper parts, olive brown ; rufous streak behind eye ; lower parts, dark brown, marked with numerous roundish white spots. Length, 7^. Habi- tat, California. Perdix neoxenus, Aud. v. 228 ; plate 423. — Ortyx neoxenus, Aud. Syn. p. 200. GENUS 11.— TETRAO, Lmn. — GROUSE. 295. Tetrao umbellus, Linn. — Conunon Ruffed Grouse, Wilson, p. 430. Tetrao umbellus, Bonap. Syn. p. 126. Rich. ^- Swain, ii. 342. JVutt, i, 657. Aud. i. 211 ; V. 560 ; plate 41 ; Sijn. p. 202. 296. Tetrao cupido, Linn. — Pinnated Grouse, Wilson, p. 256. Tetr;io cupido, Boiiap. Syn. p. 126. JSTutt. i. 662. Aud. ii. 490 j v. 559 ; plate 186 j Sy7i. p. 204 297. Tetrao Canadensis, lAnn. — Canada Grouse. Upper parts, banded with brownish black and light gray ; tail, brownish black, tipped with a band of reddish yellow ; lower parts, black ; throat, with a white spot on end ; band of white spots behind eye. Male, 15|, 21.|. Female, 1^, 2^ . Habitat, from New York to Labrador. Tetrao Canadensis, Bonap. Orn. iii. plate 20; Syn. p. 127. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 346. J\rutt. i. 667. Aud. ii. 437 ; v. 563 ; plate 176 ; Syn. p. 203. 298. Tetrao obscurus, lAnn. — Dusky Grouse. Upper parts, blackish brown ; crest, grayish brown ; hind neck, undu- lated with bluish gray ; rump, yellowish gray ; tail, black ; neck and breast, grayish black ; throat, barred with white ; lower parts, blackish gray. Male, 22. Female, 19^. Tetrao obscurus, Bonap. Orn. iii. plate 18; Syn. p. 127. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 344. JV««. i. 666. Aud. iv. 646 ; plate 361 ; Syn. p. 203. BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 719 299. Tetrao Urophasianus, Bonap. — Cock of the Plains. Upper parts, light yellowish brown, inarkeil with brownish black ; tail, with ten bands of yellowish white ; throat, whitish, witli brown spots ; •white band across throat; sides of neck, white; breast and abdomen, black. Malc^ 30. 36. Female, 22. Habitat, Rocky Mountains, and Co- lumbia River. Nests on the ground. Eggs, seventeen, wood brown, with chocolate blotches. Tetrao Urophasianus, Bonap. iii. 21. Rich. 4" Sicain. ii. 358. J^utt. i. C66. Jiud. iv. 503 5 Plite 371 ; Syn. p. 205. 300. Tetrao Phasianellus, Linn. — Sharp-tailed Grouse. Upper parts, variegated with yellowish red, brownish black, and white ; tail, white, at base, variegated ; yellowish white l)and beneath eye ; throat, reddish white, with dusky spots; breast and sides, with dusky spots ; ab- domen, white. Atale, 17^, 2'^. Habitat, Rocky Mountains. Nests on the ground. Eggs, thirteen, white. Tetrao PhasiancIIus, Bonap. Orn. iii. 57. Si/ii. p. 127. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 3G1. JSTutt. i. 669. Jlud. iv. 469 ; plate 382 ; Sijn. p. 205. 301. Tetrao saliceti, Swain. — Willow Grouse. Plumage in winter, nearly white ; tail, black. In summer, head and neck, bright chestnut ; upper parts, brownish black, barred with yellow ; lower parts, white. M(de,\7,26h. Female, 16, 2i). Habitat, from Maine north. Nests on the ground. Eggs, fourteen, fawn color, spotted with reddish brown. Tetrao saliceti, Rich. ^- Swain, ii. 351. J^utt. i. C74. ./?«. 527. Ardea uli)a, Bonaf. Syn. p. 304, JVuU. ii. 47. — Ardea egretta, And. iv. COO ; pl..te 386 ; Syti. p. 9C.i;. 332. Ardea rufescens, Grnel. — Reddish Egret. Feathers of the head and neck, elongated, very narrow, loose, and with linear-acuminate tips ; those of the back, very long, recurved, and with loose filaments ; bill, pale flesh color, its base, black ;. feet, ultramarine blue ; plumage of head and neck, liglit reddish brown; back and wings, grayisli blue ; long train feathers, yellowish towards extremity ; lower parts, grayish blue, paler than upper; in the young, the plumage is white; feet, dusky green. Male, 31, 46. Habitat, Florida Keys and Texas. Nests in trees, usually mangroves. Eggs, three, pale sea green. Ardea Pealii, Bonap. Orn. iv. 96. JVutt. ii. 49. — Ardea rufescens, Atul. iii. 411 ; v. 624 ; plate 256 ; Syn. p. 266. FAMILY lU. — CHARADRIADiE, Vigors. GENUS I. — CHARADRIUS, Lmn. — PLOVER. 333. Charadrius melodus, Ord. — Piping Plover, Wilson, p. 345. Churadrius melodus, ^((d. iii. 154 ; V. 578. J^utLii. 18. Bonap Syn. p 29C. Aiul. Syn. p. 224 ; plate 322. 334. Cliaradrius Helveticus, Linn. — Black-bellied Plover, Wilson., p. 486. Charadrius Helveticus, Bonap. Syn. 298. JVutt. ii. 26. And. iv. 280 ; plate 334 ; Syn. p. 221. — Vanellus mclanogaster, liich. ^ Swain, ii. 370. *335. Charadrius marmoratus, Wagler. — Golden Plover, Wilson, p. 345. Charadrius, Bonap. Syn. p. 287. Rich. ^- Swain, ii. 623. JVatt. ii. 16. Aud. ii. 023. — Charadrius marmoratus, Jlud. v. 585 ; plate 300 ; Syn. p. 222. 336. Charadrius vociferus, Linn. — Kildeer Plover, Wilson, p. 507. Charadrius vociferus, Bonap. Syn. p. 297. Rich, ^ Swain, ii. 368. J^utt. ii. 22. Jlud. iii. 191 ; v. 577 ; Syn. p. 223 ; plate 350. * The Golden Plover, of America, has been reg^arded by authors as the same as the European binl. Mr. Audui)on has, liowcver, in liis Synopsis, pronounced it a distinct species. He says, " This species, which closely resembles Charadrius pluvialis, is distinguishable by having' the tarsus slightly longer, the toes somewhat shorter, and the axillar feathers always light grav, they being white in that species, which very probably exists in North America, afthough I am not at present in pos- session of specimens and cannot with certainty describe it as belonging to that country." 724 SYNOPSIS OF 337. Charadrius Wilsonius, Ord. — Wilson's Plover, Wilson, p. 643. Charailriiis Wilsonius, Bohap. Sipi. p. 296. J^Tutt. ii. 21. ^.id. iii. 73; v, 577 ; piates 284 and 209 ; Sijn. p. 22J. 338. Charadrius semipalmatus, Bonap. — American Ring Plover, JVUson, p. 500. Charadrius semipahirif us, Bonap. Syn. p. 296. Rich. 4' Stcaln. ii. 367. JVu«. ii. 21. Jiad. iv. 25u ; v. 579 ; plate 330 ; S)/h. p. '^24. 339. Charadrius montanus, Towns. — Rocky Mountain Plover. Bill, black ; feet, dull yellow. Forehead, a band over the eye ; fore part of neck, and lower parts, white; crown of head and nape, dark yel- lowish brown ; sides, hind part of neck, and upper parts, ochre yellow ; central portion of the feathers, grayish brown ; wing coverts, lighter ; primary coverts and quills, dusky ; their shafts and margins, white ; tail, yellowish brown, tipped with yellowish white. Female, 8|. Habitat, Rocky Mountains. Charadrius montanus, Aud. iv. 3C2, plate 350 ; Syn. p. 223. GENUS II. — A?liRlZ A, Aid. — SVRF BIRD. 340. Aphriza Townsendii, Aud. — Tov^nsend's Surf Bird. Bill, dusky, orange at base ; feet, bluish green ; upper parts, blackish gray; quills, grayish black; a broad band of white on wing; ends of secondary coverts, bases, and more or less of the margins and tips of the quills, having a streak of dusky on inner web; shafts of quills, upper tail- coverts, and base of tail, white ; rest of tail, black ; throat, grayish white ; cheeks, neck, and breast, dull gray ; lower parts, white, with gray streaks. Female, 11. Habitat, Columbia River. Aphriza Townsendii, .dud. v. 249 ; plate 423 ; Syn. p. 226. GENUS HI. — STREPSILAS, iZ%er. — TURNSTONE. 341. Strepsilas interpres, Linn. — Turnstone, Tfilson, p. 480. Eggs, four, pale 3'ellowish green, marked with irregular patches and streaks of brownish red, and a few lines of black. Strepsilas interpres, Bonap. Sijn. p. 299. Rich. 4' Swain, ii. 371. J^''utt. ii. 30. .dud. iv. 31 ; plate 301 ; Syn. p. 227. GENUS IV.— H^MATOPUS. * 342. Haematopus palliatus, Temm. — American Oyster-Catcher, Wilson, p. 543. HsBmatopus palliatus, J^Tutt. ii. 15. ^iid. iii. 181 ; v. 580 ; plate 223 ; Syn. p, 228. 343. Haematopus Backmanii, Aud. — Bachman's Oyster-Catcher. Bill, vermilion, fading to yellow towards the end ; feet, white, tinged * The bird described and figured by Wilson as Haemalopus ostralegus was probably H. palliatus. It has never yet been ascertained with certainly that the former was ever seen in this country; we have therefore followed the example of Audubon in omitting it. In his description of the female and young, as well as in his whole history of their habits, Wilson undoubtedly had the latter bird in view, and we have very little doubt that he was wholly mistaken in supposing H. os- tralegus to be a bird of America. BIRDS OF NORTH A.MKRR'A. 725 with flesh color ; plumage, chocolate brown, darker on the head, and tinged with bluish gray ; quills, lighter on the under surface. MalCy 17^. Habitat, North- West Coast and Mouth of Columbia River. Il8Cinato|ius Bachmaiiii, And. v. *2ir), pliitt; 427 ; Sijii. p. "220. 344. Haematopus TowiirJeiidii, Jlud. — Townsend's Oyster-Catcher. Bill, vermilion, j)aler at end ; il-et, blood red ; plumage, chocolate brown ; on the head, neck, and breast, darker, and tingt>d with bluish gray ; shafts of quills, whitish, their under surface, light brownish gray ; wing-coverts, narrowly tipped with brownish white. Female, iiU. Habi- tat, coast of California and along the shores of the Pacific Ocean. Hajniatopus Townsondii, Aud. v. '247 ; plutc 4:27 ; Syn, p. 2-9. FAMILY IV. — SCOLOPACIDiE, Vigors. GENUS I.— TRINGA, Lm«. — SANDPIPER. 345. Tringacinerea, Wilson. — Ash-colored Sandpiper, ^lYsow, p. 482. Trin;j;i Islandica, Bonap. Syn. p. n.50. JV««. ii. 125. Aud. iv. 130 ; plate 315 ; Hyn. p. 231. — Tringa cineroa, Rich. 8^ Swain, ii. 387. 346. Tringa alj'ina, Linn. — Red-backed Sandpiper, Wilson, p. 475. Eggs, four, light greenish yellow, irregularly spotted with deep brown. Tringa nipina, Bunap. Syn. p. 317. Kic/i. ^- Sicain. ii. 383. J^Tutt. ii. 18(i. Aud. iii. 580 ; plate 200 ; Syn. p. 334. 347. Tringa semipalmata, Wilson. — Semipalmated Sandpiper, TVil- son, [). 542. Tringa semipalmata, Bonap. Syn. p. 316. JVutt. ii. 13G. Aud. v. HI ; plate 405 ; Syn. p. 336. 348. Tringa pusilla, Wilson. — Little Sandpiper or Peep, Wilson, p. 347. Nests on the ground in Labrador. Eggs, four, large for the bird, cream yellow, blotched and dotted with dark amber. Tringa pusilla, Bonap. Syn. p. 319. J^Tutt. ii. 120. Aud. iv. 180 ; Syti. p. 237 ; plate 320. 349. Tringa pectoralis, Bonap. — Pectoral Sandpiper. Bill, olive green; feet, yellowish green; upper part of head, reddish brown, the central part of each feather, brownish black ; faint whitish line from bill to beyond the eye ; sides of head, front and sides of neck and breast, light brownish gray, with longitudinal dark brown lines ; chin, breast, and abdomen, white ; feathers of upper parts, brownish black, edged with reddish brown, those on wings, lighter ; outer secondaries tinged with gray and tipped with white; tail, light brownish gray, mar- gined and tijjped with white. Male, d^, lb. Habitat, from Nova Scotia to Maryland. Tringa pectoralis, Bunap. Om. iv, 44 ; Syn. p. 318. J^Tutt. ii. 111. Aud. iii. COl ; V. 582 ; plate 294 ; Syn. p. 232. •350. Tringa niaritinia, Bninnich. — Purple Sandpiper. Bill, deep orange; feet, light orange; head, grayish brown, tinged with purple ; sides and neck, deep purple ; back and wings, brownish black with purple gloss ; middle tail-feathers, brownish black, tinged with 61* 7*26 SYNOPSIS OF purple ; lateral, shaded with ash gray ; breast, sides, and abdomen, white. In winter, lower parts, pale gray ; upper parts with their purple tints much fainter. Male^ 19^, 14|. Habitat, from Hudson's Bay to New York. Eggs, pyriform, yellowish gray, spotted with pale brown. Tringa maritima, Bonap. Syn. p. 318. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 382. Jiud. iii. 558 ; plate 284 ; Syn. p. 233. 351. Tringa rufescens, Vieill. — BufF-breasted Sandpiper. Bill, olive green ; feet, yellowish green ; upper parts, grayish yellow, each feather, blackish brown in the centre ; quills and coverts, grayish brown, greenish black at the end, with the tip, whitish ; inner webs, whitish, and dotted with black in undulating lines; two middle tail- feathers, grayish brown ; at end, dark brown, glossed with green and tipped with white; head, neck, and sides, yellowish red, the throat paler; sides, spotted with brownish black ; lower parts, paler and unspotted. Male, 8, 18. Habitat, from Labrador to Pennsylvania. Tringa rufescens, JSTutt. ii. 113. Jiud. iii. 451 ; plate 265 ; Syn. p. 233. 352. Tringa subarquata, Temm. — Curlew Sandpiper. Bill, dark olive ; feet, light olive green ; head, neck, and breast, light yellowish red ; sides, whitish ; lower tail-coverts, white, with a brownish black spot towards the end ; on upper part of head, central parts of feath- ers, dark brown ; hind neck and sides, streaked with same ; upper parts mottled with brownish black and light red ; rump, pale brownish gray ; upper tail-coverts, white, spotted with brown and red ; tail, brownish gray, glossed with green. Habitat, from Florida along the coast to high lati- tudes. Tringa i?uhnrquata, Bonap. Syn. p. 317. JVu«. ii. 104. Jlud. iii 444 ; plate 263 ; Syn. p. 234. 353. Tringa himantopus, Bonap. — Long-legged Sandpiper. Bill, greenish black ; legs, yellowish green. In summer, upper parts, brownish black, tinged with reddish white ; rump, and upper tail-coverts, white, transversely barred with dusky ; tail, light gray ; primary coverts, brownish black ; secondaries, brownish gray, margined with reddish white ; broad whitish line over eye ; forepart and sides of neck, grayish white, tinged with red and streaked with dusky ; lower parts, pale red- dish, barred with dusky. In winter, the colors have a lighter shade. Male,7^ — 8%15h — 17. FcmaZe, 8^ — 10^,16^ — 18. Habitat, from Texas to Fur Countries. Tringa hiinantopns, Bonap, Sim. p. 316. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 380. JVutt. ii. pp. 138, 14!), 141. ./?«(/. iv. 332 j plato 344; Syn. p. 235. — Tringa Douglasii, iiicA. 4" Swain, ii. 235. 354. Tringa Scliinzii, Brehm. — Schinz's Sandpiper. Bill and feet, dusky green ; upper parts, brownish black, tinged with yellowish gray ; the scapulars, with light red ; wing-coverts, grayish brown, tipped with white ; tail-feathers, white, with a dusky spot, except the central two, which are blackish, with grayish white markings ; sides of head, fore neck, front of breast, grayish white, with small black spots ; rest of lower parts, white. Male, 7^, 14|. Habitat, from Florida to Labrador. Tringa Pcliinzii, Bonap. Syn. p. 249. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 384. JVutt. ii. 109. Jlud. iii. 5->9 ; plute 278 ; Syn. p. 236. 355. Tringa arenaria. — Sanderling Sandpiper, Wilson, p. 503. Cdlidris arenaria, Rich. ^- Swain, ii. 366. J^iitt. ii. 4. — Tringa arenaria, Bojuip. Syn. p. 320. Jiud. iii. 231 ; v. 582 5 plates 230 and 285 ; Syn. p. 237. BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA 727 GENUS II. — TOTANUS, Ihclu^t. — TATLERS. 356. Totaiius Bartramius, IVilson, — Upland Plover, WUsoUy p. 499. Nests on the ground. Eggs, four, yellowish white, spotted with purplish bi^wn. Totamia Bartniniius, Bnnap. Sijn. p. 2(!2. Rich. ^- Swain, ii. 391. JVutt. ii. 1G9. jlud. iv. 24 ; plate 303. — Triiiga Bartrumia, ^ud. St/it. 231. 357. Totanus semipalmatus, Lo^L — Semipalmated Snipe or Wil- ier, Wilson, p. 477. Totiinus seiniphalinatus, Rich. Sc Swain, ii. 388. JVu«. ii. 144. Jiud. iii. 510 > V. 585 ; S^. p. 245 j plate 274. 358. Tetanus macularius, Wilson. — Spotted Tatler, Wilson, p. 497. Totanus macularius, Bonap. Syn. p. 325. J^utt. ii. 162. Jlud. iv. 81 ; plato 310 j Syit. p. 212. 359. Totanus solitaiius, Wilson. — Solitary Tatler, Wilson, p. 493. Nests in the grass or on the bare sand. Eggs, greenish yellow, with spots and patclies of umber. Totanus chloropygiud, Bonap. Syn. p. 325. Rich. 4' Swain, ii. 393. J^iitt. ii. p. 159. .aud. iii. 57ti J v. 583; plate 289. — Totanus solitarius, Jlud. Syn. p. 242. 360. Totanus flavipes. Lath. — Yellow Shanks Tatler, Wilson, p. 494. Totanus flavipes, Banap. Syn. p. 324. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 390. JVult. ii, 152. Jlud. iii. 573 ; V. 586 3 plate 288 ; Syn. p. 243. 361. Totanus vociferus, Wilson. — Telltale Tatler, Wilson, p. 495. Eggs, four, pyriform, two and a quarter inches long, and one and a half broad, pale greenish yellow, blotched with purplish gray. Totanus vociferus, J?i<;A. 4- Sjfa»n. ii. 389. JVi/«. ii. 148. J?ia/. Syn. p. 244. — To- tanus melaiioleucus, Bonap. Syn. p. 324. Jlud. iv. C8 ; i)!ate 308. 362. Totanus glottis. — Green Shank Tatler. Bill, dusky green; legs, grayish green ; lower parts and back, except- ing anterior portion, head and cheeks, pure white ; loral band, with small oblong spots of grayish brown ; sides of lower part of fore neck and a portion of the breast, faintly undulated with gray ; neck, grayisli white, lineated with grayish brown; tail, grayish wliite, undulated with light brown ; spots on four outside feathers. Habitat, Florida. Male, 11. Totanus glottis, JV««. ii. 68. Jlud. iii. 483 ;' plate 269 ; Syn. p. 244. GENUS III.— LIMOSA, Br iss. —GODWIT. 363. Limosa Fedoa, Linn. — Great Marbled Godwit, Wilson, p. 479. Limosa Fedoa, Bunap. Si/n. p. 328. Rich. ^- Sicain ii. 395. J\'"u«. ii. 173. .^ud. iii. 287 ; V. 590 ; plate 238 ; Syn. p. 246. 364. Limosa Hudsonica, Lath. — Hudsonian Godwit. Bill, grayish yellow, blackish at tip ; feet, bluish gray ; head and neck, brownish gray, with darker lines ; a band from the bill over the ey«', and the throat, grayish white ; back, deep gray; scapulars, brownish black, with white markings on edge of feather^ ; tips of primary coverts, bases i 728 SYNOPSIS OF of quills, broad band over rump, v.'hile ; tail-feathers and upper tail- coverts, brownish black, their bases, white ; lower parts, bright yellowish red ; sides, mottled with dark brown ; abdomen and lower tail-coverts, paler and variegated with dusky ; lower wnng-coverts, blackish brown, edged with whitish. Habitat, throughout the Union. Male, 15|, 28. Female, 16|, 29. Limosa Hudsonica, Rich. ^- Swain, ii. 396. J^Tutt ii. 175. J3ud. iii. 4263 v. 592j plate 258 ; Syn. p. 247. GENUS IV. — SCOLOPAX, Linn. — SmFE. 365. Scolopax Wilsoiiii, Temm. — Common Snipe, Wilson, p. 411. Nests in the moss of swamps. Eggs, four, yellowish olive, blotched with umber. Scolopax Wilsonii, Bonap. Syn. p. 330, Rich. 4- Swain, ii. 401. JW«. ii. 185. .and. iii. 332 5 v. 583 ; plate 243 ; Syn. p. 248. 366. Scolopax Drumraondii, Swain. — Drummond's Snipe. Dorsal plumage and wMUgs, mostly brownish black ; head and scapulars reflecting green, and barred with yellowish brown ; stripes of this color from forehead to nape ; middle dorsal plumage, fringed with white ; rump and tail-coverts, greenish black, with ferruginous ends, crossed by a blackish line and tipped with white ; under plumage, wood brown, with spots of umber ; flanks and under tail-coverts, barred with black and white ; belly, w^hite. Length, 11^. Habitat, Fur Countries, Rocky Mountains. ^ Scolopax Drummondii, Rich. 4* Swain, ii. 400. .^ud. v. 319 ; Syn. p. 249 5 not figured. 367. Scolopax Noveboracensis. — Red-breasted Snipe, Wilson, p. 488. Scolopax Noveboracensis, Rich, fy Swain, ii. 398. JVutt. ii. 181. Aud. iv. 285 j plate 335 ; Syn. p. 249. — Scolopax grisea, Bonap. Syji. p. 330. GENUS v. — MICROPTERA. — WOODCOCK. 3G8. Microptera Americana, — American Woodcock, IVilson, p. 426. Scolopax minor, Bonap. Syn. p. 331. Aud. iii. 474. — Eusticola minor, J^utt. ii. 194. — Microptera Americana, .^ud. Syn. p. 250; plate 268. GENUS VI. — RECURVIROSTRA, Litj/i.- AVOSET. 369. Recurvirostra Americana, Ldnn. — American Avoset, Wilson., p. 539. Nests in hiffh grass. Eggs, four, of a dull olive color, marked with irregular blotches of black, and with others of a fainter tint. Rocurvirostra Americana, Bonap. Syn. p. 394. Rich. 4' Sicain. ii. 375. JVitff. ii. 74. Aud. iv. 168 ; plate 318 ; Syn. p. 252 GENUS VII.— HIMANTOPUS, Briss. — STILT. 370. Himantopus nigricollis, Vieill. — Black-necked Stilt, Wilson, p. 490. Nests near margins of ponds. Eggs, four, pyriform, pale yellowish clay BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 729 color, plentifully marked witli large, irregular blotclies and lines of brown- ish black. Himaiitopus nigricollis, Si/Hflj;. Si/n. p. 3->2. JViiU. ii. 8. Jlud. iv. 24.7 ; plate 327 j Syn. p. 253. GENUS VIII. — NUMENIUS, BW^-s. — CURLEW. 371. Numenius borealis, Lath. — Esquimaux Curlew, Wilson, p. 473. Nests on the shore. Eggs, four, pyriforui, green, with spots of umber brown. Numenius borealis, Bonap. Syv. p. 314. Rich. 4' Swain, ii. 378. JVu«. ii. 101. Jiud. iii. 69 } v. 590 ; Syn. p. 255 ; plate 20«. 372. Numenius longirostris, Wilson. — Long-billed Curlew, Wilson, p. 550. Numenius longirostris, Bonap. Syn. p. 314. Rich. 8f Swain, ii. 376. JVu«. ii. 94. J3ud. iii. 240 ; v. 587 ; plate 231 ; Syn. p. 254. 373. Numenius borealis, Lath. — Esquimaux Curlew. Bill, brownish black ; lower mandible, flesh colored at the base ; upper part of head, brownish black, streaked with pale yellowish brown, having an indistinct central, and two lateral, lines of whitish; upper parts, brownish black, spotted with light brownish yellow; wing-coverts and secondaries, of a lighter tint, similarly spotted ; tail, barred with light grayish brown and dark brown ; breast and sides, grayish yellow, with transverse and longitudinal dark markings; head and neck, yellowish gray, striped witli dark brown ; lower wing and tail-coverts, similarly barred ; axillars, of a rufous buffy tint, regularly banded. Male 14i^, 27§. Habitat, from Texas to the Fur Countries. Numeniu3 borealis, Bonap. Syn. p. 314. Rich. 4* Swain, ii. 378. JVu«. ii. 101. jiud. iii. 69 j v. 590 ; plate 208 ; Syn. p. 255. ORDER II. — NATATORES, Temm. FAMILY L — PINNATIPEDES, Temm. — LOBE-FOOTEB SWIMMING BIRDS. GENUS I. — PHALAROPUS, Briss. 374. Phalaropus fulicarius, Bonap. — Red Phalarope, Wilson, p. 642. Breeds very far to the north. Eggs, l\ by I, dull greenish yellow, irregularly blotched and dotted with reddish brown. Phalaropus fuli(;ariu.>^, Bonap. Syn. p. 301. Rich. 4' Swain, ii. 407. Jfutt. ii. 236. j3urf. iii. 404 ; plate 255 ; Syn. p. 239. SUBGENUS LOBIPES, Cuv. 375. Phalaropus hyperboreus, Lath. — Hyperborean Phalarope. Upper parts, grayish black : head, lighter and more tinged with gray ; scapulars and some of the feathers of the back, edged with yellowish red; head and neck of same color ; throat and sides of upper part of the neck, white ; wing-coverts and quills, brownish black, tinged with gray ; shafts 730 SYNOPSIS OF of quills, tips of secondaries, and broad bar on secondary coverts, white ; tail, light gray; the feathers margined with white, the two middle, light brownish gray ; upper tail-coverts, white, barred with dusky ; breast and abdomen, white. Male, 6, 13^. Habitat, from Labrador to New York. Nests on the ground, in the vicinity of small fresh-water lakes. Eggs, four, deep buff, marked with blotches of reddish brown. Phalaropus hyperboreus, Bonap. Syn. p, 342. JV««. ii. 239. Jlud. iii. 118 ; v. 595 ; plate 215. — Lobipes hyperboreus, Aud. Syn. p. 240. 376. Phalaropus Wilsonii, Sabine. — Wilson's Phalarope, Wilson, p. 640. Eggs, three, cream yellow, spotted and blotched with umber brown. Phalaropus Wilsonii, Bonap. Syn. p. 342 j Om. iv. 59. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 405. JVutt. ii. 245. Jlud. iii. 400 ; plate 254. — Lobipes Wilsonii, .dud. Syn. p. 241. FAMILY n. — ANATIDJE, Vigors. GENUS I. — PHCENICOPTERUS, Lmn. — FLAMINGO. 377. Phoenicopterus ruber, Linn. — American Flamingo, Wilson, p. 565. Nests on the ground. Eggs, two, dirty white. Phoenicopterus ruber, Bonap. Syn. p. 348. J^Tutt. ii. 71. Jlud. v. 255 j plate 431 ; Syn. p. 269. GENUS IL — ANSER, Briss. — GOOSE. 378. Anser Canadensis, Linn. — Canada Goose, Wilson, p. 570. Anser Canadensis, Bonap. Syn. p. 377. JYutt. ii. 349. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 468. .dud. iii. 1 ; V. 007 ; plate 201 ; Syn. p. 270. 379. Anser Hutchinsii, Rich. — Hutchins's Goose. Bill, feet, and claws, black ; head and neck, glossy black ; large trian- gular patch of white on each side of head and neck ; upper parts, brownish gray, margined with yellowish gray ; abdomen and lower tail-coverts, white ; hind partof back, brownish black ; primary quills and tail-feathers, deep brown. Adult, 25, 50. Habitat, from Maine to Arctic Regions, and Columbia River. Eggs, four, pure white. Anser Hutchinsii, Rich. 4" Swain, ii. 470. Jlud. iii. 526 j plate 277; Syn. p. 271. 380. Anser leucopsia, Bechst. — Barnacle Goose. Bill, feet, and claws, black; anterior part of head, broad space above eye, sides of head, and throat, white; feathers, margining the bill, and line from bill to eye, brownish black ; neck, bluish black ; rump and tail- feathers, deep black ; upper and lower tail-coverts, and sides of rump, pure white. Male, 27, 56. Female, 23^, 52. Habitat, northern parts, acci- dental. Anser leucopsis, Bonap. Syn. 377. J^utt. ii. 355. Jiud. iii. 609 ; plate 296 ; Syn. ' p. 271. 381. Anser Bernicla, Linn. — Brent Goose, Wilson, p. 621. Anser Bernicla, Bonap. Syn. p. 378. Rich. 4" Strain, ii. 469. JVu«. ii. 358. Aud. V. 24, 610 ; plate 391 } Syn. p. 272. BIRDS OF iNORTH AMERICA. 731 382. Anser albifrons, Btclist. — White-fronted Goose. Bill, carmine red ; feet, orange; claws, white ; head and neck, grayish brown; a white band, margined with blackish brown on the foreliead ; back, gray, tinged in fore part with brown, tlie rest with white ; breast, abdomen, lower tail-coverts, sides of rump, and upper tail-coverts, white ; breast and sides, patched witb brownisii black. Mule, 'I7\, 60. Eggs, dull yellowish green, with indistinct patches of a darker tint, 2^ inches in length by \\. Habitat, Southern States in winter, Arctic Regions in summer. Anser nlliifrons, Bovap. Sxjn. p. 376. Rich. ^- Swain, ii. 456. JVutt. ii. 346. JJud. iii. 5G8 ; plate 286 ; Syn. p. 272, 383. Anser hyperboreus, Gmel. — Snow Goose, Wilson, p. 585, 593. Eggs, yellowish white, three inches by two. Anser hyperboreus, Bonap. Syn. p. 376. J^utt. ii. 344. Rick. S( Swain, ii. 467. Jlud. iv. 562 ; plate 371 ; Syn. p. 273. GENUS III. — CYGNUS, Meyer. — SWA^. 384. Cygnus Buccinator, Rich. — Trumpeter Swan. Bill and feet, black ; plumage, pure white; upper part of head, often brownisii red. In young, bill, flesh color ; feet, yellowish brown ; upper parts of head and cheeks, reddish brown ; throat, nearly white ; other parts, gra3nsh white, tinged wnth yellow. Adult., 08. Young, 52.^, 91. Breeding places unknown. Habitat, North California to Fur Countries, 385. Cygnus Americanus, SharpUss. — American Swan. Bill and feet, black ; orange spot on each side of base of former ; plu- mage, pure white. Young, gray. Male, 53, 84. Cygnus Americanus, Aud. v. 133 ; plate 411 ; Syn. p. 275. GENUS IV. — ANAS, Li/m. — DUCK. 386. Anas Boschas, Linn. — Mallard Duck, Wilson, p. 608. Anas Bosclias, Bonap. Syn. p. 383. Rich. 4- Swain, ii. 442. J^utt. ii. 378, Aud. iii. 164 ; plate 221 ; Syn. p. 276. 387. Anas obscura, Gmel. — Dusky Duck, Wilson, p. 626. Anas ol)scura, Bonap. Syn. p, 384. JVw«. ii. 392. Aud. iv. 15 ; Syn. p. 276 J plate 202. 388. Anas strepera, Linn. — Gadwall Duck, Wilson, p. 614. Anas strepera, Bonap. Syn. p. 383. Rich. ^- Swain, ii. 440. JVutt. ii.383. Aud. iv. 353 ; plate 348 ; Syn. p. 278, 389. Anas Breweri, Avd. — Brewer's Duck. Bill and feet, dull yf How ; head and upper part of neck, deep glossy green ; patch of pale reddish yellow from base of bill, over checks, down the neck ; space over and behind the eye, dull purple ; ring of pale yel- lowish red on middle of neck ; lower parts, dull brownish red, with a trans- verse band of dusky ; upper parts, dull grayish brown, undulated with dusky ; rump and upper tail-coverts, black ; tail-feathers, light brownish gray, edged with whitish ; lower parts, grayish white, edged with yellow. Habitat, Louisiana. Male, 23, 39. Anas Breweri, Aud. iv. 302 ; plate 338 ; Syn. p. 277. 732 SYNOPSIS OF 390. Anas Americana, Gmel. — American Widgeon, Wilson, p. 591. Anas Americana, Bonap. Syn. p. 384. JVutt. ii. 389. ^ud. i\. 337 ; plate 345; Syn. p. 279. — ^larecj. Americana, Ricli. ^- Swain, ii. 445. 391. Anas acuta, Linn. — Pintail Duck, Tfl,lson, p. 582. Anas acuta, Bonap. Syn. p. 383. JVu«. ii. 386. Jlud. iii.214 5 v. 615 j Syn. p. 279; plate 227. — Anas caudacuta. Rich. Sf Swain, ii. 441. 392. Anas sponsa, lAnn. — Wood Duck, Wilson, p. 598. Dendronessa sponsa, Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 446. — Anas sponsa, Bonap. Syn. p 385. J\rutt. ii, 394. Jiad. iii. 52; v. 618; plate 206; Syn. p. 280. 393. Anas Carolinensis, Steph. — American Green-winged Teal, Wilsoii, p. COl. Anas crecca, Bonap. Syn. p. 386. JVutt. ii, 400, jiud. iii, 218 ; v, 616 ; plate 228. Anas Carolinensis, Jlud. Syn. p. 281. 394. Anas discors, Linn. — Blue-winged Teal, Wilson, p. 583. Anas diricors, Bunap. Syn. p. 385. Rich. ^- Sicain. ii. 444, JVmK, ii. 397. Aud. iv. Ill ; plalo 313; Syn. p. 282. 395. Anas clypeata, Linn. — Shoveller Duck, Wilson, p. 577. Anas clvpeata, Bonap. Syn. p. 382, Rich. ^ Swain, ii, 439, JVutt. ii, 383. Jlad. iv, 241 ; plate 327 ; Syn. p. 284. GENUS v. — FULIGULA. — SEA DUCK. 396. Fuligula Valisneria, Wilson. — Canvass-Back Duck, Wilsoiij p. 603. Fulisula Valisneria. Bonap. Syn. p. 392. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 450, Mutt, ii. 430. .^ud. iv. 1 ; plate 301 ; Syn. p. 285. 397. Fuligula ferina, Linn. — Red-headed Duck, Wilson, p. 607. Fuligula ferina, Bonap. Syn. p. 392, Rich. J^ Swain, ii, 452, JVutt. ii. 434. jSurf. iv. 198 ; plate 322 ; Syn. p. 286, 398. Fuligula marilla, Linn. — Scaup Duck, Wilson, p. 590. Fuligula marilla, Bonap. Syn. p. 392. Rich. ^- Swain, ii. 456. J^utt. ii, 437. .^ud. iii. 226 ; v, 614 ; plate 229 ; Syn. p. 286. 399. Fuligula rufitorques, Bonap. — Ring-necked Duck, Wilson, p. 574. Fuligula rufitorques, Bonap. Syn. p. 393. Rich. 4" Swain, ii. 453. J\rutt. ii. 439. jlud. iii. 259 ; plate 234 ; Syn. p. 287. 400. Fuligula rubida, Wilson. — Ruddy Duck, Wilson, pp. 619 and 620. Fuligula rubida, Bonap. Syn. p. 390. Rich. ^- Sicain. ii. 455. JSTutt. ii. 426. Jiud. iv. 321) ; plate 343 ; Syn. p. 288, 401. Fuligula Labradora, Lath. — Pied Duck, Wilson, p. 594. Fuli;jiil;i T.niiradora, Bomip. Syn. p. 391. J^att. ii. 428. Jlitd. iv, 471 ; plate 332} Syn. p. 288. 402. Fuligula fusca, Linn. — Velvet Duck, Wilson, p. 624. Fuliirula fusca, Bonap. Syn. p. 390. Rch. 4" Swain, ii. 449. JVutt. ii. 419. .^ud. iii. 354 ; plate 2 17 ; Syn. p. 269. BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 733 403. Fnligula pers])i('illaTa, Linn. — Surf Duck, Jf'ilson, p. 5G7. Fuligula pcrspioilliitii, Bounp. Si/«. p. Ik-'I). Jiich. ^- Swain. \\. AAi). A'litt. \\. MG. Aud. iv, IGl ; pl.itr 317 ; Sijn.'yi. '2&.). 404. Fuligula Americana, Swain. — American Scoter, ffHson, p. 623. Fuligula Americana, Bonup. Si/n. p. 3'.I0. jV««. ii. A'2-2. Rich. ;i."p. '-"JO. 405. Fuligula moUissinia, Lin7i. — Kider Duck, Jf'ilson, pp. ()15 and 617. Fulifjula mollissima, Bonap. Sirn. p. 389. .Vi/K. ii. 406. And. ui. 'Mi; v. Gil ; plate 240 ; Sijn. p. 291. — t?omatcria inollissiina, Ricti. 4' Swain, ii. 418. 406. Fuligula clangula, Linn. — Golden-Eye Duck, Wilson, p. 575. Fuligula clanpula, Bonap. Syn. p. 393. J^'^iitt. ii. 441. And. iv. 318 ; v. lO."} ; i)latfg 303 and 342 ; Syn. p. 292. — Clangula vulgaris, Rich, i^- Swain, ii. 450. — Clangula Barrovii, Rich. 4' Swain, ii. 453. 407. Fuligula albeola, Linn. — Buffel-headed Duck, Wilson, p. 568. Fuligula albeola, Bonap. Si,n. p. 394. Rich. 4- Swain, ii. 458. JSTutt. ii. 445. Aud. iv. 217 ; Syn. p. 293 ; plate 3J5. 408. Fuligula histrionica, Linn. — Harlequin Duck, Jf'ilson, ]). 625. Fuliirula histrionica, Bonap. Syn. p. 394. Rich. ^- Sicain. ii. 459. A'«U. ii. 448. Aud. iii, 012 ; v. 614 ; plate 297 ; %«. p. 294. 409. Fuligula glacialis, Linn. — Long-tailed Duck, Jf'ilson, pp.596 and 597. Fuligula glacialis, Bonap. Syn. p. 395. Rich, 4' Swain, ii. 400. JVutt. ii. 453. Aud. iv, 103 ; plate 3J2 j Syn. p. 295. 410. Fuligula spectabilis, Linn. — King Duck. Bill, flesh colored ; sides of upper mandible and lobes over bill, bright orange ; band separating lobes, and patch on throat, black ; upper part of head, ash gray ; sides ol head, pale bluish green ; fore neck, cream colored ; sides and hind part of neck, patch on wings and on each side of rump, white ; hind part of back, scapulars, large wing-coverts, and secondary quills and tail, brownish black, latter glossed with green; primary quills, tail, breast, and abdomen, blackish brown ; lower wing-coverts, wliite ; outer, brown. Male, 25. Female, 20. Habitat, from Massachusetts north. Eggs 2| inches by 1|, of a uniform dull greenish color. Fuligula spectabilis, S(W«p. Syn. p. 389. J^ult. ii. 414. ^lirf. iii. 523 ; i>late 276 j Syn. p. 290. — Soinateria spectabilis, Rich. 4' Swain, ii. 447. 411. Fuligula dispar, Gmel. — Western Duck. Bill, grayish blue ; upper part of head and broad band surrounding the neck, white ; throat and feathers round the eye, black ; green patch on nape, margined with black ; broad band on neck, and whole of back, vel- vet black, with green reflections ; smaller wing-coverts, white ; secondary, bluish black, terminating in a white band ; tail, lower tail-coverts, and abdomen, black ; breast and sides, reddish buft', fading into whit(! towards neck and shoulders ; bluish black spot on each side of lower part of neck. Male, 16. Fuligula stellcri, Bonap. Syn. p. 394. — Fuligula diopar, Aud. v. 233; plate 430; Syn. p. 293. 62 734 SYNOPSIS OF GENUS VI. — MERGUS. — MERGANSER. 412. Mergus merganser, Ldnn. — Goosander, Wilson, pp. 579 and 581. Mergus merganser, Bonap. Syn. p. 397. Rich. ^ Sicain. ii. 4G1. JSTiitt. ii. 460. .^ud. iv. 461 ; plate ii3l ; Syn. p. 297. 413. Mergus sermtor, lAnn. — Red-breasted Merganser, JVilson, p. 588. Mergus serrator, Bonap. Si/n. p. 397. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 4C2. J^Tutt. ii. 463. And. V. 92 ; plate 401 ; Syn. "p. 298. 414. Mergus cucullatus, Linn. — Hooded Merganser, Wilson, p. 586. Mergus cucullatu-f, Bonap. Syn. p. 397. Rich. 4' Swain, ii. 463. JVwff. ii. 465. j3«d. iii. 246 ; v. 616 ; platu 233 ; Syn. p. 299. *415. Mergus Albellus, Linn. — Smew, or White Merganser, Wilson, p. 618. Mergus Albellus, Bonap. Syn. p. 398. J^utt. ii. 467. jiud. iv . 250 ; plate 347 j Syn. p. 299. FAMILY m. — PELECANID^, Vigors. GENUS I. — PHALACROCORAX, 5rm. — CORMORANT. 416. Phalacrocorax carbo. — Common Cormorant. Bill, dusky ; lower mandible, whitish at base ; gular sac, yellow ; plu- mage, black, glossed with deep greenish blue ; white patch at base of gular sac and on side over thigh ; wings and part of back, gray, glossed with bronze, their margin, greenish black ; tail, grayish black. In summer, with a small black occipital crest. Male, 37, 62. Habitat, from New York to the north. Nests on precipitous rocks. Eggs, four, 2| inches by 1|, pale bluish green. Phalacrocorax carbo, Bonap. Syn. p. 402. J^utt. ii. 479. .^ad. iii. 458 ; plate 266 ; Syn. p. 302. 417. Phalacrocorax dilophus, Swain. — Double-crested Cormorant. In summer, with an elongated tuft from behind each e3'e ; bare space on head, and gular sac, rich orange ; plumage, greenish black, strongly glossed with green; tail, black, jtfa/e, 33, 51. Habitat, from Maryland to Labrador. Eggs, 2^ inches by 1^ ; four. Pelecanus dilophus. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 473. — Phalacrocorax dilophus, JVutt. ii. 483. Jlud. iii. 420 ; v. 629 ; plate 257 ; Syn. p. 302. * It is with no small degree of hesitation that I venture to retain the Smew among the birds of North America. But one specimen has ever been actually known to have been obtained here. This was by Mr. Audubon, in Louisiana, and, undoubtedly, was but a chance visitor. Wilson was deceived in supposing it " common in New England." It is utterly unknown here, nor has it ever yet been discovered in the Arctic Regions. The conclusion, tiierefore, seems unavoid- able that an individual of this species may very rarely wander from the eastern continent to America, but that it cannot be rightly regarded as one of our birds. BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 735 418. Phalacrocorax Floridanus, ^^ud. — Florida Cormorant. In suinnior, with cloniralod plumage behind each eye ; bare space on liead and gular sac, rich f)ranire ; plumage, greenish black, glossed with green; tail, brownish black. .)/«/c. iil).], 4(5^. Habitat, Florida. Nests in mangrove trees. Eggs, four, 2\ inches by Ig, of a light bluish green color, concealed by a coating of calcareous matter. Phalacrocora.x Floriiianu.^, jiui. iii. 387 ; v. (]32 ; Syn. p. 303 ; plate Sfil. 419. Phalacrocorax Townseiidi, ^'Jurf. — Townseiid's Cormorant. Plumage of neck and sides interspersed with linear white feathers ; gular sac and bare skin on forehead, bright orange ; upper part of head and hind neck, dusky, tinged with green ; hind part of back, greenish black ; rest of upper parts, brownish gray ; feathers, edged with black ; outer primaries and tail-feathers, black ; sides of head, fore part of neck and breast, light yellowish brown ; middle of neck, darker ; sides, abdo- men, and tibial feathers, shaded into brownish black, tinged with green. Male, 35. Habitat, Columbia River. Plialaciocora.\ Townsendi, jJtid. v. 149 ; plate 412 ; Syn. p. 304. 420. Phalacrocorax resplendens, JIud. — Violet-green Cormorant. Gular sac and bare skin on head, bright orange ; plumage, deep green, changing, according to the light, into black and purple ; white piliform feathers, terminated by filaments along the sides of neck and body ; quills and tail-feathers, brownish black and less glossy. Female, 27. Habitat, Columbia River. Phalacrocorax resplendens, ^ud. v. 148 j plate 422 j Syn. p. 304. GENUS II. — PLOTUS, Lmn.— ANHINGA. 421. Plotus Anhmga, Linn. — American Anhinga, Jfilson, pp.644 and 647. Nests in bushes and trees. Eggs, four, 2| inches by 1^, of a uniform whitish color. Plotus Anhinga, Bonap. Syn. p. 411. J\rutt. ii. 507. Aud. iv. 136 ; plate 316 : Syn. p. 306. GENUS III.— TACHYPETES, Fiei/L — FRIGATE PELICAN. 422. Tachypetes Aquilus, Linn. — Frigate Bird. Bill, purplish blue, white in the middle ; gular sac, orange ; bare skin round eye, blue ; feet, carmine above, orange beneath ; plumage, brown- ish black ; head, neck, back, breast, and sides, with green and purple reflections; wings, tinged with green. Adult, 41, 8G. Habitat, through- out the Gulf of Mexico. Nests in trees. Eggs, three, 2J inches by 2, greenish white. GENUS IV. — PELECANUS, Lmn. — PELICAN. 423. Pelecanus Americanus. — American White Pelican. Plumage, white ; elongated feathers on breast, pale yellow ; alula, pri- mary, and outer secondaries, black, with white shafts ; inner ten secon- daries white. Male, 615, 103; bill, 135. Habitat, from Texas to South Carolina. Pelecanus Americanus, jlud, iv. 88 j plate 311 j Syn. p. 309. 736 SYNOPSIS OF 424. Pelecamis fuscus, Iauji. — Brown Pelican. Bill, grayish white, with carmine spots ; bare space between bill and eye, blue ; gular sac, greenish black ; feet, black ; fore part of head, light yellow ; rest of head, white ; white stripe margining sac ; anterior space between back and sides of neck, dark chestnut brown ; back and wings, dusky ; central parts of feathers, grayish white ; primaries, brownish black; tail, light gray ; lower parts, brownish gray; sides of neck and body with narrow, longitudinal white lines. Adult, 52, SO. Habitat, from Texas to North Carolina. Nests in trees. Eggs, three, whitish. Pelecanus fuscus, Bonap. Syn. p. 401. JVu«. ii. 476. ^ud. iii. 376 ; v. 212 5 plates 251 and 4-21 ; Syn. p. 309. GENUS v. — SULA, Briss. — GARNET. 425. Sill a fusca, Linn. — Booby Gannet. Bill and naked parts, at its base, bright yellow ; dusky spot before eye ; feet, yellow ; claws, white ; head, neck, upper parts, and lower surface of wings, dusky brown, tinged v.-ith gray ; breast, abdomen, and lower tail- coverts, pure white. Male, 31, 49^. Habitat, Florida and Gulf of Mexico. Nests in bushes. SuKi iusca, Buiiap. Sijn. p. 408. A\tt. ii. 500. jlud. lii. 63 ; Sijn. p. 311 j plate 207 426. Sula Bassana, Linn. — Common Gannet. Bill, bluish gray, tinged with green at base ; bare space about eye ; lines on bill and gular membrane, blackish blue ; feet, brownish black ; claws, grayish white ; upper part of head and hind neck, buff colored. Mult, 4O2, 75. Habitat, along the whole coast. Nest on rocky cliffs. Egg, single, pure white. Sula Bassana, 5oHa/>. Sj/n. p. 408. J^''u«. ii. 495. jSwrf. iv. 222 ; plate 326 ; Syn. p. 311. GENUS VI. — PHAETON, Lm7i.— TROPIC BIRD. 427. Phaeton fethereus, Liiui. — Common Tropic Bird. Bill, tarsi, and hind toes, yellow; rest of foot, black; plumage, pale pink ; two middle tail-feathers, deeper curved ; spot before eye, and band behind it, black; black band across wing; spot of same color on primary coverts. Male, 29.^, 38. Female, 26, 34. Habitat, Florida. Rare. Phaeton aptliereus, Bonap. Syn. p. 4u9. J\"utt. ii. 503. ./Swd. iii. 442 j plate 262 ; Syn. p. 312. FAMILY IV. — LARID.E, Vigors. GENUS 1. — RHYNCHOPS, L»m. —SKIMMER. 428. Rhynchops nigra. — Black Skimmer, Jf'ilson, p. 514. Rhync-iiops ni^'ra, B,map. Syn. p. 352. J^utt. li. 264. j9«d. iv. 203 ; plate 323 J Syn. p. 314. GENUS II. — STERNA, LmH.— TERN. 429. Sterna Cayana, Lath. — Cayenne Tern. Bill, carmine ; feet, black ; upper part of head and occiput, greenish BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 737 black ; sides of head, fore neck, and lower parts, white ; upper parts, grayish blue; edges of wings, whitish; tail, of paler tint than back ; outer feathers nearly white. Male, 14, 34. Cosnioj)olite. Eggs, two, 2|- inches by IJ, pale yellowish green, spotted with umber and purple. Sterna Cnyana, Bomip. Syn. j). 353. JSTittt. ii. t>08. ^ud. jii..')05; v. C39; plate 273 ; Syn. p. 316. 430. Sterna Anglica, Montague. — Marsh Tern, Wilson, p. 030. Sterna arani-a, Boiuip. Syn. p. 354. — Stoma Anglicu, JV««. ii. 2G'J. .^ud. v. 127 ; pliitf 410 ; Syn. p. 31tj. 431. Sterna Cantiaca, Gynel. — Sandwich Tern. Bill, black; its tip, yellow; feet, black; head and hind neck, bluish black; sides of head, neck, and lower parts, white: sides and breast, tinged with pink ; fore part of back, scapulars, and upper surface of wings, grayish blue; rump and tail, white. Adult, lu^, 33!{. Habitat, from Texas to the Floridas. Eggs, throe, yellowish gray, blotched with umber, pale blue, and reddish. Sterna Cantiaca, ^ud. iii. 531 ; plate 279 ; Syn. p. 317. JSTutt. li. 276. 432. Sterna fuliginosa, Lath. — Sooty Tern, Wilson, p. G32. Sterna fuiiiiinosa, Bonap. Sijn. p. 355. JVutt. ii. 284. J9ud. iii. 263 ; v. 641 ; plate 235 ; Syn. p. 317. 433. Sterna hirundo, Linn. — Common Tern, Wilson, p. 509. Sterna hirundo, Bnnap. Syn. p. 3.54. Rich. ^ Swain, li. 412. JVu«. ii. 271. Jlud. iv. 74 ; platn 309 ; Syn. p. 318. 434. Sterna Havellii, Aud. —Hay eWs Tern. Bill, black ; base, brown ; tip, yellow ; feet, orange ; broad band of black surrounding the eye ; fore part of head, cheeks, and lower parts, pure white ; hind head and nape, dusky gray, mixed with white ; upper parts, light bluish gray ; rump, white. Adult, 15^. Habitat, from Texas to South Carolina. Sterna Havellii. Aud. v. 122 ; plate 409 ; &yn. p. 318. 435. Sterna Trudeaui, Aud. — Trudeau's Tern, Bill, black ; base of lower mandible, tips, and edge of both, yellow ; feet, orange ; claws, brown ; black grayish band surrounding eye, and extend- ing towards nape ; fore part of head, cheeks, and throat, white ; rest of plumage, except axillar feathers, lower wing-coverts, and rump, which are white, grayish blue. Adult, 16. Habitat, Great Egg Harbor and Long Island. Rare. Sterna Trudeaui, .aud. v. 125 ; plate 409 ; Syn. p. 319. 436. Sterna arctica, Temm. — Arctic Tern. Bill and feet, vermilion, tinged with carmine ; upper part of head and occiput, greenish black ; sides of head and chin, white ; upper parts, pale grayish blue ; rump, bluish white ; tail and its coverts, white ; outer web of two lateral fi'alhers, dusky gray ; neck, breast, and sides, pale grayish blue ; abdomen, lower tail-coverts, and lower surfaces of wings and tail, white. Mdlfl, 15.^, 32. Eggs, three, laid on the bare rock, l.i by § of an inch, light umber, blotched with uml)cr. Habitat, along the Atlantic coast, from New Jersey to Labrador. Slerni arctica, Botiap. Syn. p. .T)!. Ricli. 4* Swain, ii. 414. JVult. ii. 275. JIud. iii. 36t3 ; plate 250 ; Syn. p. 319. 437. Sterna Dongallii, Mont. — Roseate Tern. 62* 738 SYNOPSIS OF Bill, brownish black, orange at base; feet, vermilion; upper part of head and occiput, bluish black ; hind neck, white ; rest of upper parts, pale bluish gray ; edges of wings, white ; lower parts, roseate ; under surface of wings and tail, w^hite. JV/aZe, 14|-, 30. Habitat, Florida Keys. Eggs, laid on the bare ground, three, 1| inches by IJ, clay color, spotted with umber and purple. Sterna Dongallii, Jlud. iii. 296 ; plate 240 ; Syn. p. 320. JVutt. ii. 278. 438. Sterna nigra, Linn, — Black Tern. Bill, brownish black ; feet, reddish brown ; head, neck, breast, sides, and abdomen, grayish black ; lower tail-coverts, white ; lower wing- coverts, bluish gray ; upper parts, dark bluish gray. Adult, 9, 24. Habi- tat, Mississippi River and its tributaries. Nests in tussocks of grass. Eggs, four, greenish buff, spotted with umber and black. Sterna nigra, Bonap. Sip), p. 355. Rich. 4- Swain, ii. 415. J\rutt. ii. 282, Jlud. iii. 535 ; V. G42 5 plate 270 3 Syn. p. 321. 439. Sterna minuta, Linn. — Least Tern, iVilson, p. 511. Sterna minuta, Bonap. Stjn. p. 355. J^ull. ii. 280. And. iv. 175 5 plate 319; Syn. p. 321. 440. Sterna stolida, Linn. — Noddy Tern. Plumage, sooty brown ; primaries and tail-feathers, brownish black ; upper part of head, grayish white ; black spot over eye. Male, 16^, 32. Habitat, Gulf of Mexico. Nests in bushes. Eggs, three, 2 by If, reddish yellow, spotted with dull red and faint purple. Sterna stolida, Bonop. Syn. p. 356. J^utt. ii. 285. And. iii. 516 ; v. 642 ; plate 275 ; Syn. p. 322. GENUS ni. — LARUS, Linn. — GULL. 441. Lams Sabini, Sahine. — Fork-tailed Gull. Bill, black; tip, yellow; feet, black; head and upper part of neck, blackish gray, terminated by a collar of pure black; lower neck, lower parts, tail, and tail-coverts, white ; back and wings, bluish gray, except terminal portion of secondaries and tips of primaries, which are white ; primaries, black. Male, 13, 33. Habitat, from Maine to the Arctic Seas. Eggs, two, olive, with brown blotches. Larus Sabini, Rich, i^' Sicain. ii. 428. JVutt. ii. 295. Jiud. iii. 5C1 ; plate 275 ; Sijn. p. 323. 442. Larus Rossii, J2icL — Ross's Gull. Bill, black; feet, vermilion ; head, neck, lower parts, rump, and tail, white ; tinge of pink in lower parts ; narrow collar of black ; back, scapu- lars, and both surfaces of wings, grayish blue ; tips of scapulars and secon- daries, white. Mult, 14. Habitat, Arctic Seas. Larus llossii, Rich. S,- Sicain. ii. 427. And. v. 324 ; Syn. p. 323. 443. Larus Bonapartii, Rich. — Bonaparte's Gull. Bill, black ; feet, orange, tinged with vermilion ; head and upper part of neck, grayish black; a white band divided by a narrow white line margining the eyes behind ; lower part of neck, edge of wing, rump, tail, and lower parts, white ; back, scapulars, and wings, light grayish blue. Mult, 14J, 32,1. Habitat, throughout the Atlantic coast. Larus capistratus, Bonap. Oni. iv ; Syn. 358. — Larus Bonapartii, Rich. ^- Sirain. ii. 425. JVutt. ii. 294. Jlud. iv. 212 ; Syn. p. 321; plate 323. BIRDS OF NORTH A3IERICA. 739 444. Lams atricilla, Linn. — Black-headed Gull, Wilson^ p. G52. Larus atricilla, fioHfly). Si/n. p. 301). Am». ii. 21)1. ./Ji«/. iv. 118 ; pluto 314 ; Syn. p. 324. 445. Lams Franklinii, Rich, — Franklin's Rosy Gull. Bill and feet, vermilion; neck, rump, tail, and under plumage, white; latter, tinged with red ; black hood on nape ; upper parts, bluish gray ; quills, terminated witli white. Male, 17. Habitat, Fur Countries. Larus Franklinii, Rich. 4' Swain, ii. 424. Aud. v. 323 ; Sijn. p. 325. 44G. Lams tridactylus, Linn. — Kittiwake Gull. Bill, greenish yellow ; feet, black ; head, neck, rump, and lower parts, white ; back and upper surface of wings, grayish blue ; tips of first five quills, black ; fifth, with a small white tip ; tips of tlie others, white. Jjdiilt, 18, 36^. Nests on ledges of rocks. Eggs, three, olive green, spotted with brown, 2^ by 1§. Lams tridactylus, Boiiap. Syn. p. 359. Rich. 4* Swain, ii. 423. JVutt. ii. 298. Jlud. iii. 186 ; plate 224 ; Syn. p. 326. 447. Larus eburneus, Gmel. — Ivory Gull. Bill, yellow; feet, black; plumage, white, .^dult, 14, 91. Habitat, accidental on the American coast. Larus eburneus, Bonap. Syn. p. 300. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 419. JVutt. ii. 301. Aud. iii. 571 ; plate 287 ; Syn. p. 326. 448. Larus zonorhynchus, Rich — Common American Gull. Bill, greenish yellow, with broad band of black ; feet, greenish yellow ; plumage, white, excepting wings and back, which are light grayish blue. Mult, 20, 48. Habitat, throughout North America. Eggs, four,"2f by 1^, dark cream color, blotched with different shades of purple, umber, and black. Larus canus, Rich. 8,- Swain, ii. 420. JN'utt. ii. 300. — Larus bradiyrliynclius, Rich. 4- Swain, ii. 422. — Larus zonorhynchus, Rich. ^- Swain, ii. 421. Aud. iii. 98; V. 638 ; plate 212 3 Syn. p. 327. 449. Larus leucoptems, Fahr. — White-winged Silvery Gull. Bill, gamboge yellow, orange spot near end of lower mandible ; feet, flesh color ; plumage, white, except back and wings, which are light grayish blue. Mult, 26, 50. Habitat, from New York to the Arctic Seas. Larus leucoptorus, Bonap. Syn. p. 361. Rich. ^- Swain, ii. 418. ^Tutt. ii. 305. Aud. iii. 553 ; plate 272 ; Syn. p. 327. 450. Larus occidentalis, Aud. — Western Gull. Bill, yellow, with orange red patch on lower mandible ; feet, flesh color ; head, neck, lower parts, rump, and tail, white ; back and wings, grayish blue. Male, 27. Larus occidentalis, Aud. v. 320 ; Syn. p. 328. 451. Larus argentatus, Brunnich. — Herring Gull. Bill, gamboge yellow, with orange red patch on lower mandible ; feet, flesh color ; head, neck, lower parts, rump, and tail, white; back and wings, grayish blue ; tips of quills, white, or with white spots. Male, 23, .53. Habitat, along the whole coast. Nests on trees or on the ground. Eggs, three ; 3 by 2 ; dull yellowish, blotched with umber. Lanis argentatus, Bonap. Syn. p. 360. J^Tult. ii. 304, Aud. iii. 588 ; v. 638 ; plate 291 ; Syn. p. 328. 740 SYNOPSIS OF 452. Larus glaucus, Brunn. — Glaucous Gull. Bill, gamboge yellow, with carmine spot on lower mandible ; feet, flesh color; head, neck, lower parts, rump, and tail, white; back and wings, light grayish blue. Adult, 30. Habitat, Arctic Regions. Larus glaucus, Bonap, Syn. p. 361. Rick. 4' Sicain, ii. 416. JVutt. ii. 306. Aud. v. 59 ; plate 396 3 Hyn. p. 329. 453. Larus marinus, Linn. — Saddle-Back Gull. Differs from preceding principally in having back and wings of a dark slate color. Male, 29j^, 67. Habitat, the whole coast. JNests on the ground. Eggs, three, 2^ by 2J, greenish gray, spotted with umber, pur- ple, and brownish black. Larus mariuus, JTutt. ii. 303. Jlud. iii. 305 ; v. 636; plate.249 ; Syn. p. 329. GENUS IV. — LESTRIS, Illiger. — J AGER. 454. Lestris pomarinus, Temm. — Arctic Jager. Bill, dull green ; upper parts and sides of head, anteriorly, brownish black ; upper part of neck, yellowish white ; rest, white, barred with brownish black ; breast, white ; sides, abdomen, and lower tail-coverts, white, barred with brownish black ; back and wings, brownish black ; lower surface of wings, barred with white and dusky. Female, 20^, 48. Habitat, from Massachusetts northward. Nests near the edges of lakes. Eggs, two, or three, grayish olive, marked with blackish spots. Lostris pomarina, Bonap. Syn. p. 364. Rick. 4' Swain, ii. 429. JVutt. ii. 315. J3ud. iii. 396 ; v. 643 ; plate 253 ; Sijn. p. 332. 455. Lestris Ricliardsonii, Sioain. — Richardson's Jager. Bill, grayish black, tinged with blue above; feet, black; plumage, sooty brown, darker on head, primary quills, and tail; cheeks, and sides of neck, dull yellow; fore part of neck, and breast, white. Male, 18^, 40. Habitat, from Massachusetts to the north. Eggs, 2f by 1|, dull grayish yellow, patched with umber and faint purple. Lestris Ricliardsonii, Rich. 4- Sicain. ii. 433. J\J'att. ii. 319. .^wd. iii. 503 : plate 272; Sj/rt. p. 332. 456. Lestris parasiticus, lAnn. — Ai'ctic Jager. Bill, grayish black, tinged with blue above ; feet, black ; tarsus, yel- low ; neck and lower parts, white ; former, tinged with yellow ; upper and fore part of head, blackish brown; upper parts, blackish gray ; primary quills and tail-feathers, brownish black ; the shafts of the former, white. Male, 23, 45. Habitat, the whole Atlantic coast. Nests on the ground. Eggs, two, dark oil green, with blotches of liver brown, 2} by ]^. Lestris Buffonii, Bonap. Sun. p. 364. Rich. 4" Sicain. ii. 430. JVutt. ii. 317. Jlud. iii. 470 ; Syn. p. 333 ; plate 267. GENUS v. — DIOMEDEA, L»m. — ALBATROSS. 457. Diomedea chlororhynchos, Chnel. — Yellow-nosed Albatross. Bill, black, except ridge, tip of upper mandible, and crura of lower, which are yellow ; feet, yellow ; head and neck, ash gray ; fore part of back, shaded into ash gray ; wings, brownish black ; liind part of back, rump, and upper tail-coverts, white ; tail, deep gray ; anterior lower part of neck, breast, sides, abdomen, lower tail-coverts, some of axillaries, and BIRDS OF NORTH A31ERICA. 741 larger wing-coverts, white ; the others, brownish black. Length, 37. Habitat, mouth of Columbia River and Pacific Ocean. Diomcdea chlororliyiiclius, jIiuI. v. li-^G ; Sijn. p. 311 1 ; not fiijureJ. 458. Diomedea nigripes, And. — Black-footed Albatross. Bill, brownish black ; feet, black; fore part of head, cheeks, and throat, dusky gray ; rest of upper parts, sooty brown, tinged witli gray ; lower parts, dull gray, deeper in front. Length, 3G. Habitat, coast of Cali- fornia. Dioniodeii nigripos, JIiul. v. 327 ; Sijn. p. 331 ; not figured. 459. Diomedea fusea, And.' — Dusky Albatross. Bill, black ; feet, yellow; head and upper part of neck, grayisli bliick, tinged with brown ; rest of neck, all the lower parts, back, and rump, light brownish gray ; wings, brownisli black ; primary quills and tail- feathers, grayish black. Mult, 34. Habitat, coast about the mouth of Columbia River. Diomedea fusca, ^ud. v. IIG ; Syn. p. 335 ; plate 407. GENUS VL — PROCELLARIA, L/nn. — FULMAR PETREL. 460. Procellaria gigantea, Ldnn. — Gigantic Fulmar. Bill and feet, yellow ; plumage, deep brown, tinged with gray, lighter on lower parts, and especially on the lower surface of the wings. Length, 3(3. Habitat, oft' Columbia River. Procellaria gigantea, Mud. v. 330 ; Sijn. p. 330 : not figured. 4GL Procellaria glacialis, Linn. — Common Fulmar. Bill, feet, and claws, yellow ; head, neck, and lower parts, pure white ; back and wings, light grayish blue ; rump, paler ; tail, bluish white ; pri- mary quills and coverts, blackish brown. Male, 8, 18. Habitat, Atlantic coast, from New York north. Nests in holes of rocks. Egg, single, white, 25 by 2. Porrellaria glacialis, Bunap. Syn. p. 3G9. J^Tutt. ii. 330. Jlud. iii. 44G; plate 2G-1; Syn. p. 330. 4G2. Procellaria Pacifica, Aud. — Pacific Fulmar. Bill and feet, yellow ; head, neck, and lower parts, pure white ; back and wings, light grayish blue ; feathers, becoming dark gray towards the end ; primary quills and coverts, blackish brown, tinged with gray. Jldult, 18; bill, 1%. Habitat, North-West coast. Procellaria Pacifica, .^ud. v. 331 ; Syn. p. 330 ; not figured. 463. Procellaria tenuirostris, And. — Slender-billed Fulmar. Bill, yellow, except nasal plate, half of the unguis of upper nia)idible, and tip of the lower, which are black; feet, yellow; claws, brownish black; plumage, grayish blue, paler on lower parts, head, and neck; primary quills and coverts, blackish gray. Length, 18^. Habitat, off Columbia River. Procellaria teiiuirostri.i, .^ud. v. 333 ; Syn. p. 337 ; not figured. 742 SYNOPSIS OF GENUS VIL — PUFFINUS, ^/i^s. — SHEARWATER. 464. Piiffinus cinereiis, Lath. — Wandering Shearwater. Bill, yellowish green ; tip, brownish black ; feet, light greenish gray ; webs and claws, yellowish flesh color ; upper parts, deep brown ; hind neck, paler, tinged with gray ; primary quills and tail, brownish black ; lower parts, grayish white ; lower wing-coverts, white, grayish brown towards the end ; lower tail-coverts, similar. Male, 20, 45. Habitat, the Atlantic coast and ocean. Puffiiius cinereus, Bonap. Syn. p. 370. JVii«. ii. 334. .^ud. iii. 555; plate 283 J Syn. p. 338. 465. PufRnus Anglorura, Ray. — Manks Shearwater. Bill, deep greenish black ; inner and middle of outer side of tibia, dull orange ; rest, greenish black ; upper parts, brownish black ; lower, white. Adult, 15, 32. Habitat, from Maine north. Breeds in burrows. Egg, single, white. Puffinus Anglorum, Bonap. Syn. p. 371. JVutt. ii. 336. .^ud. iii. 604; plate 295 ; Syn. p. 338. 466. PufRnus obscurus, Lath. — Dusky Shearwater. Bill, light blue ; tips, black ; outside of tarsus and toes, indigo black ; inside and webs, pale yellowish flesh color ; upper parts, sooty black ; lower, white. Male, 11, 26. Habitat, along the Atlantic coast and Gulf of Mexico. Puffinus obscurus, Bonap. Syn. p. 371. J\rutt. ii. 337. jiud. iii. 620 ; plate 299 ; Syn. p. 339. GENUS Vm.— THALASIDROMA, Vigors. — TETREL. 467. Thalasidroma Leachii, Temm. — Leach's Petrel. Bill and feet, black ; plumage, dark grayish brown ; quills and tail, brownish black ; smaller wing-coverts and inner secondaries, light grayish brown; rump, sides of abdomen, and outer lower tail-coverts, white; upper tail-coverts also white, but with a black terminal band. Male, 8, 18^. Habitat, from Massachusetts to Newfoundland. Nests in holes in rocks. Egg, single, white. Thalasidroma Leachii, Bonap. Syn. p. 367. JSTutt. ii. 326. Jlud. iii. 434 ; plate 260 ; Syn. p. 340. 468. Thalasidroma Wilsonii, Bonap. — Mother Carey's Chicken, Wilson, p. 517. Thalasidroma Wilsonii, Bonap. Syn. p. 367. JVutt. ii. 322. Jlud. iii. 486 ; v. 645; plate 270 ; Syn. p. 340. 469. Thalasidroma pelagica, Linn. — Least Petrel. Bill and feet, black ; general color of upper parts, grayish black, with a tinge of brown ; lower parts, sooty brown ; secondary coverts, margined externally with dull grayish white; feathers of rump and upper tail-cov- erts, white ; latter, tipped with black. Male, 5|, 13^. Habitat, Banks of Newfoundland. BIRDS OF NORTH AMERICA. 743 FAJMILY v. — ALCLDiE, Vigors. GENUS I. — MORMON, Jlligcr. — VUFFIN. 470. Mormon cirrhatiis, Lath, — Tufted Puffin. Bill, yellowish red ; ridge, bright red ; feet, bright red ; two tufts of loose feathers on sides of head behind the eye ; face, white ; upjuT parts, brownish black, glossed with blue ; lower, sooty brown, tinged willi gray on the abdomen ; part of the sides and under wing-coverts, grayish brown. Male, lo, '2^. Habitat, Arctic Seas. .Mormon cirrliMtus, Bvnap. Syn. p. 429. J\'"h«. ii. 539. Jiud. ii'i. '3(A; plulc249$ Syn. p. 342. 471. Mormon glacialis, Leach. — Large-billed Puffin. Bill and feet, orange yellow ; sides of head and lower parts, white ; upper part of head, light brownish gray, tinged with lilac ; a l)road cf)llar extending to the lower mandible, of a dark grayish brown tint below, gradually passing into brownisli black, glossed willi blue; primary quills and their coverts, brownish black ; part of sides and under wing-coverts, grayish brown. Male, 13, 24^. Habitat, Bay of Fundy. Rare. Mormon glacialis, J5om//>. Syn. p. 430. JVult. ii. 541. .^ud, iii. 599; plate 293 j Syn. p. 343. 472. Mormon arcticus, Linn. — Common Puffin. Basal rim and first ridge of both mandibles, dull yellow ; intervening space, grayish blue ; the rest, bright red ; feet, vermilion ; throat and sides of head, grayish white ; upper parts, grayish black, tinged with blue ; middle of neck and upper parts, deep black, glossed with blue ; under parts white; sides, dusky. Male, 1\\,2'S. Habitat, from Georgia to Labrador. Nests in holes in the ground. Eggs, white, 2.^ by 1|. Mormon arcticus, jBy?(a;>. Syn. p. 430. J\i^uit. ii. 542. .^ud. iii. 105 j plate 213; Syn. p. 342. GENUS IL — ALGA, Lmn. — AUK. 473. Alca impennis, Lnnn. — Great Auk. • Feet and bill, black ; grooves in latter, white ; head, neck, and upper parts, black ; throat and sides of the neck, tinged with chocolate brown, the wings with grayish brown ; head, hind neck, and back, glossed with olive green ; fore part of neck below and all lower parts, white, as are a large oblonor patch before the eye, and the tips of the secondary quills. Midt, 29, 27.f Habitat, Newfoundland. Alca impcmiis, A'utt. ii. 553. .^ud. iv. 31 1- ; plate 341 ; Syn. p. 344. 474. Alca Torda, Linn. — Razor-billed Auk. Bill, black, with a white band across each mandible ; feet, head, neck, and upper parts, black ; head, hind neck, and back, glossed with olive green; throat and sides of neck, tinged witli chocolate; lower parts, white; white line from eye to the bill. Male, 17, 29^. Flabitat, from Maine north. Eggs laid on bare ground, two, 3 J by 2J, white, blotched with reddish brown. AU-.i Torda, Bouap. Syn. p. 431. J^'utt. ii. 517. jJud. iii. 112 j v. 628 ; plate 214 ; Syn. p. 345. 744 SYNOPSIS OF GENUS III. — PHALERIS, Teynm. — THAhERlS. 475. Phaleris cristatella, Gmel. — Curled-crested Phaleris. Bill, scarlet; tips, yellow ; tuft of recurved feathers on anterior of fore- head ; upper parts, brownish gray ; lower, purplish gray ; line of elongate white feathers from eye to side of neck. Aduit, 10. Habitat, North- West coast of America. Phaleris cristatella, Aud. v. 102 ; plate 402 ; Sijn. p. 347. 476. Phaleris nodirostris, Bonap. — Knob-billed Phaleris. Bill, deep red; knob, blue ; feet, dusky gray; upper parts, brownish black ; fore parts and sides of head, streaked with while feathers ; lower parts, white, mottled with dusky. Adult^ 6. Habitat, North- West coast. Phaleris nodirostris, And. v. 101 ; plate 402 ; Syn. p. 346. GENUS IV. — MERGULUS, Ray. — SEA-DO\E. 477. Mergulus Alle, Linn. — Common Sea Dove, Wilson, p. 658. Uria Alle, Bonap. Syn. p. 425. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 479. JVm«. ii. 531. JJud. 304 i plate 339 ; Syn. p. 347. GENUS v. — URIA, La«7t. — GUILLEMOT. 478. Uria antiqua, GtucI. — Black-throated Guillemot. Bill and feet, yellow ; head and upper part of neck, black, excepting a band of elongated feathers beginning over the eye, and extending down the hind part of the neck, and a broad band of white commencing behind the ear, and curving forward to join the white, which is the general color of the lower parts except the flanks, which are black ; back, wings, and tail, grayish black. Adult, 10^. Habitat, North- West coast. Uria antiqua, Aud. v. 100 ; Syn. p. 349 ; plate 402. 479. Uria occidentalis, Bonap. — Horn-billed Guillemot. Bill, orange yellow ; feet, grayish yellow ; upper parts, black ; lower parts, white ; two bands of white feathers on each side of head. Adult^ 15^. Habitat, North- West coast. Cerorhyncha occidentalis, Bonap. Syn. p. 428. Matt. ii. 538. — Ceratorhyncha oc- cidentalis, Aud. V. 104. — Uria occidentalis, Syn. p. 349. 480. Uria Brunswickii, Sabine. — Large-billed Guillemot. Bill, black ; feet, dusky, tinged with red ; plumage, grayish black on upper parts ; sides of head and throat, tinged with brown ; lower fore part of neck, breast, abdomen, edges of w^ings, and tips of secondaries, white ; sides, streaked with grayish black. Male, 18.^, 30. Habitat, from Maine north. Egg, 31 by 2J, bluish green, streaked and spotted with black. Uria Brunswickii, Bonap. Syn. p. 424. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 427. JSTutt. ii. 529. Aud, iii. 33G ; Syn. p. 349 j plate 345. 481. Uria Troile, Linn. — Foolish Guillemot. — Murre. Bill and feet, black ; upper parts, grayish black ; sides of head and throat, tinged with brown ; fore neck, breast, abdomen, edges of wings, and. tips of secondaries, white; sides streaked with grayish black. Male, 17.^, 30. Habitat, from Maine north. Eggs, three, laid on the bare JilRDS OF NOirril AMERICA. 745 ground, with variously colored ground, spotted and streaked witli umber, brown, &c., 3| by 2. Uria Troilo, Bonap. Syn. p. 431. Jiicli. .V Strain, ii 477. A'h«. ii. 5'JG. ^ad. m. 142 ; plalo 218 ; Sijii. p. 350. 482. Uria Grylle, Limu—Bhck Cuillomot. Bill, black ; feet, vermilion ; u\>\>vv parls, black, tinged with green ; lower parts, brown ; patch on each wing, white. IMumagc. white in win- ter. .ddult,l:^l,2\h. Habitat, from New York north. Eggs, three, 2g by 1|, white, blotched with dark purple. Uria Gryllo, Buvtip. Siin. p. 423. J\ruU. ii. 523. Jlud. iii. 118 ; v. C27 ; plalo 21'J} Sijn. p. 350. Rich. 4-" Swain, ii. 478. 483. Uria Towiisendii, Aud. — Slender-billed Guillemot. Bill and claws, black ; feet, yellow ; upper parts, brownish black ; feathers of back margined with light gray ; lower parts, band on nape and lower wing-coverts, grayish brown. Adult, 10. Habitat, coast near Columbia River. FMIILY VI. — COLYMBIDiE, Vigors. GENUS I. — COLYMBUS, Li/i7i. — DIVER, or LOON. 484. Colymbus glacialis, Lynn. — Common Loon, JVilson, p. 648. Colvmhus glacialis, Bonnp. Syn. p. 420. Rich. ^ Swain, ii. 474. JVutt. ii. 513 Jlud. iv. 43 J plate 300 ; Sijn. p. 353. 485. Colymbus arcticus, Ldnn. — Black-throated Diver. Bill, black ; feet, grayish blue ; edge of tarsus, and part of webs, livid flesh color ; fore part and sides of head, throat, and sides of neck, light bluish gray ; fore part and sides of head, darker ; upper parts, glossy bluish black, tinged with green anteriorly, and brown posteriorly ; two longitu- dinal bands of white bar ; scapulars, marked with square white spots ; wing-coverts, with roundish spots of same ; tail, blackish brown ; fore neck; purplish black, ending with a transverse band of linear white spots; beyond the sides of neck, blackish brown, with longitudinal white streaks ; lower part of neck streaked with dusky and white ; lower parts, pure v.hite except a dusky band on sides. Male, 29, 39A. Habitat, interior and along the coast. Eggs, three, 3 by 2, chocolate, tinged with olive aud spotted with dark umber and black. Coivmbus arcticus, Bonap. Siin. p. 420. Rich. 4' Swain, ii. 475. JVutl. ii. 5l7. Jlud. iv. 345 ; plate 346 j Syn. p. 354. 486. Colymbus septentrionalis, i/inn. — Red-throated Diver. Bill, bluish black ; feet, brownish black ; anterior of tarsus and webs, flesh color ; fore part and sides of head, throat, and sides of neck, bluish gray ; fore part of neck, rich brownish red ; iiind part of head and neck, longitudinally streaked with greenish black and pure while; upper parts, brownish black, tinged with green, mottled with white ; lower parts, white, excepting sides, where grayish brown is intermingh'd. Midey 19, 25. Female, 18, 24. Habitat, from Maryland north. Nests near edges of fresh water. Eggs, three, 3 by l.f , deep olive brown, marked with darker dull brown. Colymbus scptentrionalis. Bonap. Si/n. p. 421. Rich. 4' Swain, ii. 170. 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