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OUR COUNTRY’S BIRDS
AND HOW TO KNOW THEM.
A GUIDE TO ALL THE BIRDS OF GREAT BRITAIN,
BY
W. J. GORDON.
WITH AN ILLUSTRATION IN COLOUR OF EVERY SPECIES
AND MANY ORIGINAL DIAGRAMS BY
G. WILLIS anp R. E. HOLDING.
NINETEENTH THOUSAND.
LONDON:
SIMPKIN, MARSHALL, HAMILTON, KENT & Co., Liwitep,
ult NY Le tale
UNEVERS LLY
Lie Rey
Our Country’s Series.
By W. J. Gorpon.
Each with 33 coloured plates and other
illustrations. Crown 8vo, 6/= each.
Also in a leather binding.
Our Country’s Flowers and How to
Know Them. A complete Guide to the
Flowers and Ferns of Great Britain.
Our Country’s Birds and How to Know
Them. A Guide to all the Birds of
Great Britain.
Our Country’s Butterflies and_Moths
and How to Know Them. A Guide to
the Lepidoptera of Great Britain.
Our Country’s Shells and How to
Know Them. A Guide to the British
Mollusca.
Our Country’s Fishes and How to Know
“Them. A Guide to all the Fishes of
Great Britain.
Our Country’s Animals and How to
Know Them. (Mammals, Reptiles,
Amphibians.)
Eggs of British Birds. Being a supple-
ment to ‘Our Country’s Birds.” With
16 full-page coloured plates. 3/6
INTRODUCTION.
HE object of this book is to enable anyone to recognise and
ake readily distinguish the birds on the British list; and this it
does by a system of elimination somewhat similar to that adopted in
“Our Country’s Flowers.”
To the beginner it is assuredly of the first importance that he should
know the name of the thing with Which he is dealing. Until he
knows that, he is unable to ascertain what is already known about it,
for the existing books invariably assume that he possesses this
preliminary knowledge. And when he knows more of his subject a
handy method of separating family from family, genus from genus,
and species from species, by a few prominent characteristics, must
have its advantages, if only in the saving of labour and time.
Although our book necessarily touches on the genera! subject, its
examples are strictly limited to our country’s avifauna, concerning
which an awkward question presents itself, which may fitly be
answered in this introduction,
What is a British bird? Strictly speaking, there is but one British
bird, and that is the one the state of whose health is invariably
chronicled in the newspapers on or about the 12th of August. The
Red Grouse is the only bird peculiar to this island, and found native
nowhere else. The rest of the birds we see around us are mostly
characteristic of the whole Palzearctic region, stretching right away
to Japan, while some go as far south as the Victoria Nyanza, and
A 2
lv INTRODUCTION,
further to the Transvaal, and others even breed as far to the north
as Grinnell Land, within eight degrees of the Pole.
Of this miscellaneous troop of residents and visitors, regular and
irregular, there are nearly four hundred; but among the visitors are a
large sprinkling of “casuals,” included on very doubtful pretences.
Englishmen are often accused of a desire to paint the world red; the
average British ornithologist would apparently like to paint all the
birds red, provided his name appeared on the label. Really one
shudders at the audacity with which the Flamingo, for instance, is
claimed as British, although there is an excuse for so claiming him;
but when we find Bulwer’s Petrel duly naturalised on the strength of
a solitary specimen found floating dead in a Yorkshire river, we feel
that we are quite near enough to the unreasonable.
There are at least a hundred and fifty species gathered under the
home flag, owing to their having been killed in this country in much
the same way as if we were to shoot the Chinese Ambassador and
claim him as British because he died on British ground. But would
he have come in a “wild” state? Perhaps not ; but neither did all
the birds that figure in the British list.
It is very difficult to draw the line; though, at first sight, the
only true ground of admission would seem to be a birth qualification.
If a bird can be shown to breed kere, out of captivity, some at least
of his kind can be assumed to be of British nationality. If, however,
we were to adopt this qualification, we should only have the birds
whose names appear in the outer margin in our third chapter, and
many of our familiar friends would be lost to us. But we need
hardly trouble ourselves further in this matter, although we could not
well pass it unnoticed. This is a book of identification, not of classi-
fication; and it is obvious that our only course is to adopt the full
authorised list, and show how the species can be distinguished from
each other; and when we have done that, we can remark on the
fewness of appearances which has enabled so many of the rarer birds
to lengthen and complicate our task.
In our first chapter are the names, both popular and technical,
which have been used throughout; in the second is a long list of the
common and rarer local names, with references to the numbers under
which the birds are described, although, to save mere repetition, these
names may not again be mentioned. In the next chapter is the
systematic list, so that with the first part of the book, and the plates, a
bird whose name is known can be at once identified. The plates
contain a figure in colour of a male in full plumage of every species in
the three lists, and in a few instances the female is also given. Inthe
fourth chapter the families are sorted out so as to leave the Passerine
birds for special treatment; and in the fifth the key to this sorting is
given in the table to which the specimen it is desired to name should
be referred. The sixth and seventh chapters are on a similar
principle: in the one the Passerines are sorted out, and examples
given of identification, and in the other the key to this arrangement
is given in tabular form. In the eighth chapter the families are
grouped into the orders, old and new, although the orders are not
necessary in our plan of identification. In the ninth chapter the
families are arranged alphabetically, and with this index the specimen
should be compared to confirm the diagnosis obtained from the
previous keys. When the family is known, reference should be made
to the next chapter in which is the analysis into genera; and when
the genus is known, the index of species should be cunsulted in which
the genera are in turn analysed, and brief notes given as to plumage,
flight, song, and nest. In the twelfth chapter the dimensions of each
bird are worked out so as to help in its identification by measurement ;
and in the last chapter is a tabular arrangement for the identification
of the eggs. In short, we have endeavoured to get at the bird’s iden-
tification in many ways, and have relied on combination for success.
W. ji G
CON Ds
Co
PAGE
1. THE NAMES OF THE BIRDS. , ‘ . . . 1
11. LOCAL AND POPULAR NAMES ‘ ' ' ‘ ¢ 7
lll. THE COLOURED PLATES . . . ‘ ‘ . S)
Plate i, figures Ito Jf.
Plate fly 3) 12- 26.
Plate iil, ,, 27 - 44.
Plate 1V.5. 49 45 - 59.
Plate Veg a 60 - 72.
Plate vi, 4 73 - 86.
Plate vii, 4, 87 - 101.
Plate villi, ,, 102 — 116.
Plate ix, 4, IQ — 13.
Plate xy 5, 132 — 143.
Plate xi, 5 144 - 152.
Plate xii, 4, 153 — 160.
Plate xili, 4, 161 — 170,
Plate xiv, , 171 — 178.
Plate xv. 5, 179 — 187.
Plate xvi, 4, 188 — 198.
Plate xwi., ,, 199 — 207.
Plate xviii, ,, 208 — 216,
Plate xix, , 217 — 226.
Plate xx, jy 227 — 234.
Plate xxi, ., 235 - 248.
Plate xxii, ,, 249 -— 262.
Flate xxiii, figures 263 to 2722,
Plate xxiv. 4, 273 — 284.
Plate xxv., 4 285 - 291.
Plate xxvi, ,, 292 — 303.
Plate xxvii, ,, 304 - 316.
Plate xxviii, 4, 317 - 328.
Plate xxix, 4, 329 - 340.
Plate xxx, ,, 34% — 353.
Plate xxxi, 5 354 - 368.
Plate xxxii., 4 369 - 383.
Plate xxxiii., , 384 - 398.
Iv. SORTATION z r % a a a ‘ ‘ a 29
v. THE FAMILIES . s F = 5 5 : - . 40
vil. EXAMPLES OF IDENTIFICATION . . . . . 43
vit. THE PASSERINE SUB-FAMILIES . . é . ° 55
vill. THE ORDERS . c . . . . ° . . 57
Ix. INDEX TO THE FAMILIES AND SUB-FAMILIES . . 62
x. THE GENERA . ie . . . x - ‘ ‘ 67
XI. THE SPECIES . 2 « & . - » te . 75
Xl. DIMENSIONS . . s . . . ° . » AGT
XIII. EGGS . ° ’ . e a s ® . 140
DIAGRAMS.
Fans
PAGE
FOOT OF FALCON . . . . 3 ‘ 29
Foot oF OWL . - . . ‘ é 30
FOOT OF GUILLEMOT . > % 3 . 31
WING OF ROOK ‘ ‘ 3 : . : 31
FOOT OF STONE CURLEW , 6 e . : 32
FOOT OF GOLDEN PLOVER . ‘3 ‘ i 3 33
DORSAL VIEW OF THRUSH . F ‘ ‘ ‘ 33
VENTRAL VIEW OF THRUSH . 5 ‘ ‘ . 34
FOOT OF CORMORANT ; . » . ‘i 34
Foot oF Ivory GULL : - é é . 35
FOOT OF SWAN ‘ . . Fi . 35
FooT oF AVOCET ; 4 . : s 36
FOOT OF KINGFISHER . . ‘ : : ‘i 36
FooT OF PHEASANT . : ‘ : - ‘ 36
BEAK OF NIGHTJAR . ‘ : : a 36
FooT AND CLAW OF NIGHTJAR , 3 . » 37
FooT oF HERON . : : ; i : 37
Foot OF GREBE . : * : C 38
Foor or CoorT ; . . ‘ ‘ ; 38
Foot oF MOORHEN . . . ‘ ‘ : 38
Foot oF SWIFT . . . . . 39
Foot oF Cuckoo ‘ . e si ° . 39
WING OF LARK : . . : Pi . 44
HEAD OF CORN BUNTING . . 7 i : 44
PALATE OF CORN BUNTING , . > . . 45
HEAD OF SWALLOW , 7 . 5 P . 45
WING OF THRUSH. 7 ' . . : 45
FOOT OF CREEPER , . . . 45
HEAD OF FLYCATCHER . . a . . 46
HEAD OF SHRIKE 7 . ‘ . . . 46
HEAD OF NUTHATCH . . . : 7 A 46
HEAD OF HEDGE SPARROW . ‘ . . : 46
DORSAL FEATHER TRACTS . é é . . 48
VENTRAL FEATHER TRACTS . . . ; . 49
STERNUM OF CARINATE BIRD ‘ . 2 58
SCHIZOGNATHOUS SKULL OF CRANE : . . 59
/EGITHOGNATHOUS SKULL OF RAVEN 7 ‘ . 59
DESMOGNATHOUS SKULL OF GOOSE . . . 60
TyPIcAL EcGs.. . ‘ . . ‘ . 141
CHAPTER I.
THE NAMES OF THE BIRDS,
EREUNDER are the names which our country’s birds bear in
this book.
They have many other names, both popular and
technical, and some of them have even shared several of these names
amongst them ; in fact, the synonymy of ornithology is so peculiarly
rich and bewildering, that the only way cf avoiding confusion would
seem to be this, of beginning with definitions in the manner of Euclid,
that there may be no mistake as to what we are talking about.
The numbers refer to the coloured plates, and are the numbers used
throughout.
Alpine Accentor, 46
Accentor collaris.
Auk, Great, 374
Alca impennis.
Auk, Little, 378
Mergulus alle.
Avocet, 304
Recurvirostra avocetta.
Bee-eater, 154
Merops apiaster.
Bee-eater, Blue-tailed,
as
Merops philippinus.
Bittern, 210
Botaurus stellaris.
Bittern, American, 211.
Botaurus lentiginosus.
Bittern, Little, 208
Ardetta minuta.
Blackbird, 9
Merula vulgaris.
Blackcap, 26
Sylvia atricapilla.
Bluethroat, Red-spotted,
20
Cyanecula suecica.
Bluethroat, White-spot-
ted, 19
Cyanecula wolfi.
Brambling, 96
Fringilla montifringilla.
Bullfinch, ro2
Pyrrhula europza.
Bunting, Black-headed,
Log
Emberiza melanocephala.
Bunting, Cirl, 112
Emberiza cirlus.
Bunting, Corn, 110
Emberiza miliaria.
Bunting, Lapland, 117
Calcarius lapponicus.
Bunting, Little, 115
Emberiza pusilla.
Bunting, Ortolan, 113
Emberiza hortulana.
Bunting, Reed, 116
Emberiza scheeniclus.
Bunting, Rustic, 114
Emberiza rustica.
Bunting, Snow, 118
Plectrophanes nivalis,
Bunting, Yellow, 111
Emberiza citrinella.
Bustard, Great, 287
Otis tarda.
Bustard, Little, 283
Otis tetrax,
Bustard, Macqueen’s, 289
Otis macqueeni.
Buzzard, 176
Buteo vulgaris.
Buzzard, Honey, 188
Pernis apivorus.
Buzzard, Rough-legged,
177
Archibuteo lagopus.
Canary, Wild, 90
Serinus canarius.
Capercaillie, 269
Tetrao urogallus.
Chaffinch, 95
Fringilla calebs.
Chiffchaff, 33
Phylloscopus rufus.
Chough, 122
Pyrrhocorax graculus.
Chough, Alpine, 123
Pyrrhocorax alpinus,
Coot, 284
Fulica atra.
Cormorant, 199
Phalacrocorax carbo.
Courser,Cream-coloured,
292
Cursorius gallicus.
2
Crake, Baillon’s, 281
Crex bailloni.
Crake, Vorn, 278
Crex pratensis.
Crake, Little, 280
Crex parva,
Crake, Spotted, 279
Crex maruetta.
Crane, 285
Grus communis.
Crane, Demoiselle, 256
Grus virgo.
Creeper, Tree, 85
Certhia familiaris.
Creeper, Wall, &&
Tichodroma muraria.
Crossbill, 105
Loxia curvirostra.
Crossbill, Parrot, 106
Loxia pityopsittacus.
Crossbill, Two-barred, 108
Loxia bifasciata.
Crossbill, White-winged,
107
Loxia leucoptera.
Crow, Carrion, 128
Corvus corone.
Crow, Hooded, 129
Corvus cornix.
Cuckoo, 157
Cuculus canorus.
Cuckoo, Black-billed, 160
Coccyzuserythrophthalmus.
Cuckoo, Great Spotted,
158
Coccystes glandarius.
Cuckoo, Yellow-billed, 159
Coccyzus americanus.
Curlew, 338
Numenius arquatus.
Curlew, Eskimo, 340
Numenius borealis.
Curlew, Stone, 290
CEdicnemus scolopax.
Dipper, 47
Cinclus aquaticus.
Dipper, Black-bellied, 48
Cinclus melanogaster.
Diver, Black-throated,
382
Colymbus arcticus.
Diver, Great Northern,
380
Colymbus glacialis.
Diver, Red-throated, 383
Colymbus septentrionalis.
Diver, Yellow-billed, 381
Colymbus adamsi.
Dotterel, 293
Eudromias morinellus.
Dove, Ring, 263
Columba palumbus.
Dove, Rock, 265
Columba livia.
Dove, Stock, 264
Columba cenas.
Dove, Turtle, 266
Turtur communis.
Duck, Buffel-headed, 250
Clangula albeola.
Duck, Harlequin, 252
Cosmonetta histrionica.
Duck, Long-tailed, 251
Harelda glacialis,
Duck, Ruddy Sheld, 234
Tadorna casarca.
Duck, Sheld, 233
‘Yadorna cornuta.
Duck, Tufted, 247
Fuligula cristata.
Duck, White-eyed, 246
Fuligula nyroca.
Dunlin, 316
Tringa alpina.
Eagle, Golden, 179
Aquila chrysaétus.
Eagle, Sea, 180
Haliaétus aibicilla,
Eagle, Spotted, 178
Aquila clanga.
Egret, Little, 205
Ardea garzetta.
Eider Duck, 253
Somateria mollissima.
Eider, King, 254
Somateria spectabilis.
Eider, Steller’s, 255
Somateria stelleri.
Falcon, Greenland, 190
Falco candicans.
Falcon, Gyr, 189
Falco gyrfalco.
Falcon, Iceland, 191
Falco islandus.
Falcon, Peregrine, 192
Falco peregrinus.
Falcon, Red-footed, 195
Falco vespertinus.
Fieldfare, 4
Turdus pilaris.
Flamingo, 216
Phoenicopterus roseus.
Flycatcher, Pied, 79
Muscicapa atricapilla.
THE NAMES OF THE BIRDS.
Flycatcher, Red-
breasted, 80
Muscicapa parva.
Flycatcher, Spotted, 78
Muscicapa grisola.
Fulmar, 38
9
Fulmarus glacialis.
Gadwali, 236
Anas streperus.
Gannet, 201
pula bassana.
Garganey, 241
Querquedula circia.
Godwit, Bar-tailed, 336
Limosa lapponica.
Godwit, Black-tailed, 337
Limosa belgica.
Goldeneye, 249
Clangula glaucion.
Goldfinch, 87
Carduelis elegans,
Goosander, 259
Mergus merganser.
Goose, Barnacle, 224
Bernicla leycopsis.
Goose, Bean, 218
Anser segetum.
Goose, Brent, 223
Bernicla brenta.
Goose, Canada, 225
Bernicla canadensis.
Goose, Grey Lag, 217
Anser cinereus.
Goose, Lesser White-
fronted, 221
Anser erythropus.
Goose, Pink-footed, 21g
Anser brachyrhynchus.
Goose, Red-breasted, 226
Bernicla ruficollis.
Goose, Snow, 222
Anser hyperboreus.
Goose, White-fronted,220
Anser albifrons,
Gos Hawk, 181
Accipiter palumbarius,
Gos Hawk, American, 152
Accipiter atricapillus.
Grebe, Eared, 387
Podiceps nigricollis.
Grebe, Great Crested, 384
Podiceps cristatus.
Grebe, Little, 388
Podiceps fluviatilis.
Grebe, Red-necked, 335
Podiceps griseigena.
Grebe, Sclavonian, 386
Podiceps auritus.
THE NAMES OF THE BIRDS. 3
Greenfinch, or
Ligurinus chloris.
Greenshank, 335
Totanus canescens.
Grosbeak, Pine, 104
Pyrrhula enucleator.
Grosbeak, Scarlet, 103
Pyrrhula erythrina.
Grouse, Black, 270
Tetrao tetrix.
Grouse, Pallas’s Sand, 268
Syrrhaptes paradoxus.
Grouse, Red, 271
Tetrao scoticus,
Guillemot, 375
Uria troile.
Guillemot, Black, 377
Uria grylle.
Guillemot, Briinnich’s,
Uria bruennichi.
Gull, Black-headed, 358
Larus ridibundus.
Gull, Bonaparte’s, 356
Larus philadelphia.
Gull, 361
Larus canus.
Gull, Glaucous, 365
Larus glaucus,
Gull,Great Black-backed,
Larus marinus.
Gull, Great Black-headed,
360
Larus ichthyaétus.
Gull, Herring, 362
Larus argentatus.
Gull, Iceland, 366
Larus leucopterus.
Gull, Ivory, 368
Pagophila eburnea,
Gull, Lesser Black-
backed, 363
Larus fuscus,
Gull, Little, 357
Larus minutus.
Gull, Mediterranean
Black-headed, 359
Larus melanocephalus.
Gull, Sabine’s, 354
Xema sabinii.
Gull, Wedge-tailed, 355
Rhodostethia rosea.
Harrier, Hen, 174
Circus cyaneus.
Harrier, Marsh, 173
Circus zruginosus.
Harrier, Montagu’s, 175
Circus cineraceus.
Hawfinch, 92 ;
Coccothraustes vulgaris.
Hemipode, Andalusian,
277 F
Turnix sylvatica.
Heron, 202
Ardea cinerea.
Heron, Buff-backed, 206
Ardea bubulcus.
Heron, Great White, 204
Ardea alba.
Heron, Night, 209
Nycticorax griseus.
Heron, Purple, 203
Ardea purpurea.
Heron, Squacco, 207
Ardea ralloides,
Hobby, 193
Falco subbuteo,
Hoopoe, 156
Upupa epops,
Ibis, Glossy, 215
Ibis falcinellus.
Jackdaw, 127
Corvus monedula.
Jay, 125
Garrulus glandarius,
Kestrel, 196
Falco tinnunculus.
Kestrel, Lesser, 197
Falco cenchris.
Kingfisher, 151
Alcedo ispida.
Kingfisher, Belted, 152
Ceryle alcyon.
Kite, 184
Milvus ictinus.
Kite, Black, 185
Milvus migrans.
Kite, Black-winged, 187
Elanus ceruleus.
Kite, Swallow-tailed, 186
Elanoides furcatus.
Kittiwake, 367
Rissa tridactyla.
Knot, 322
Tringa canutus,
Lapwing, 301
Vanellus cristatus.
Lark, Crested, 134
Alauda cristata.
Lark, Shore, 137
Otocorys alpestris.
Lark, Short-toed, 135
Alauda brachydactyla.
Lark, Sky, 132
Alauda arvensis.
Lark, White-winged, 136
Alauda sibirica,
Lark, Wood, 133
Alauda arborea.
Linnet, 97
Linota cannabina.
Magpie, 126
Pica rustica.
Mallard, 235
Anas boscas.
Martin, 82
Hirundo urbica.
Martin, Purple, 84
Hirundo purpurea.
Martin, Sand, 83
Hirundo riparia.
Merganser, Hooded, 262
Mergus cucullatus,
Merganser, Red-
breasted, 260
Mergus serrator.
Merlin, 194
Falco zsalon.
Moorhen, 283
Gallinula chloropus.
Nightingale, 22
Daulias luscinia.
Nightjar, 141
Caprimulgus europzcus.
Nightjar, Egyptian, 143
Caprimulgus zgyptius.
Nightjar, Red-necked,142
Caprimulgus ruficollis.
Noddy, 353
Anous stolidus.
Nutcracker, 124
Nucifraga caryocatactes.
Nuthatch, 58
Sitta cesia.
Oriole, Golden, 72
Oriolus galbula.
Osprey, 198
Pandion haliaétus.
Ouzel, Ring, 10
Merula torquatus,
Owl, Barn, 161
Strix flammea.
Owl, Eagle, 169
Bubo ignavus.
Owl, Hawk, 166
Surnia ulula.
4 THE NAMES OF THE BIRDS.
Owl, Little, 170
Athene noctua.
Owl, Long-eared, 162
Asio otus.
Owl, Scops, 168
Scops giu.
Owl, Short-eared, 163
Asio accipitrinus.
Owl, Snowy, 165
Nyctea scandiaca,
Owl, Tawny, 164
Syrnium aluco.
Owl, Tengmalm’s, 167
Nyctala tengmalmi.
Oystercatcher, 303
Hamatopus ostralegus.
Partridge, 275
Perdix cinerea,
Partridge, Red-legged,
274
Perdix rufa.
Petrel, Bulwer’s, 395
Bulweria columbina.
Petrel, Capped, 390
Fulmarus hasitatus.
Petrel, Fork-tailed, 396
Procellaria leucorrhoa,
Petrel, Stormy, 397
Procellaria pelagica,
Petrel, Wilson’s, 398
Oceanites oceanicus.
Phalarope, Grey, 307
Phalaropus fulicarius.
Phalarope, Red-necked,
306
Phalaropus hyperboreus.
Pheasant, 273
Phasianus colchicus.
Pigeon, Passenger, 267
Ectopistes migratorius.
Pintail, 238
Dafila acuta.
Pipit, Meadow, 66
Anthus pratensis.
Pipit, Richard’s, 69
Anthus richardi.
Pipit, Rock, 71
Anthus obscurus.
Pipit, Tawny, 68
Anthus campestris.
Pipit, Tree, 67
Anthus trivialis.
Pipit, Water, 70
Anthus spipoletta.
Plover, Eastern Golden,
295
Charadrius fulvus.
Plover, Golden, 294
Charadrius pluvialis.
Plover, Grey, 296
Squatarola helvetica.
Plover, Kentish, 299
/Egialitis cantianus.
Plover, Killdeer, 300
figialitis vociferus.
Plover, Little Ringed, 298
Egialitis curonicus.
Plover, Ringed, 297
/Egialitis hiaticula,
Pochard, 245
Fuligula ferina.
Pochard, Red-crested, 244
Fuligula rufina.
Pratincole, Collared, 291
Glareola pratincola.
Ptarmigan, 272
Tetrao mutus.
Puffin, 379
Fratercula arctica,
Quail, 276
Coturnix communis.
Rail, Water, 282
Rallus aquaticus.
Raven, 131
Corvus corax,
Razorbill, 373
Alca torda.
Redpoll, Greenland, 100
Linota hornemanni.
Redpoll, Lesser, 99
Linota rufescens,
Redpoll, Mealy, 98
Linota linaria.
Redshank, 332
Totanus calidris.
Redshank, Spotted, 333
Totanus fuscus.
Redstart, 17
Ruticilla pheenicurus.
Redstart, Black, 13
Ruticilla titys.
Redwing, 3
Turdus iliacus,
Robin, 21
Erithacus rubecula,
Robin, American, 5
Trdus migratorius,
Roller, 153
Coracias garrula.
Rook, 130
Corvus frugilegus.
Ruff, 323
Machetes pugnax.
Sanderling, 324
Calidris arenaria.
Sandpiper, Bartram’s,
326 ;
Bartramia longicauda.
Sandpiper, Bonaparte’s,
cL eee
Tringa fuscicollis.
Sandpiper, Broad-billed,
313
Limicola platyrhyncha.
Sandpiper,Buff-breasted,
325,
Tryngites rufescens.
Sandpiper, Common, 327
Totanus hypoleucus.
Sandpiper, Curlew, 320
‘Tringa subarquata.
Sandpiper, Green, 329
Totanus ochropus.
Sandpiper, Pectoral, 314
Tringa maculata.
Sandpiper, Purple, 321
Tringa maritima.
Sandpiper, Solitary, 231
Totanus solitarius.
Sandpiper, Spotted, 328
Totanus macularius.
Sandpiper, Wood, 330
Totanus glareola,
Scaup, 248
Fuligula marila,
Scoter, 256
(Edemia nigra.
Scoter, Surf, 258
CEdemia perspicillata,
Scoter, Velvet, 257
CEdemia fusca,
Serin, 89
Serinus hortulanus.
Shag, 200
Phalacrocorax graculus,
Shearwater, Dusky, 394
Puffinus obscurus,
Shearwater, Great, 391
Puffinus major.
Shearwater, Manx, 393
Puffinus anglorum.
Shearwater, Sooty, 392
Puffinus griseus.
Shoveller, 237
Spatula clypeata.
Shrike, Great Grey, 73
Lanius excubitor.
Shrike, Lesser Grey, 74
Lanius minor.
Shrike, Red-backed, 75
Lanius collurio.
Siskin, 83
Carduelis spinus.
THE NAMES OF THE BIRDS.
Skua, Arctic or Richard-
son’s, 371
Stercorarius crepidatus.
Skua, Great, 369
Stercorarius catarrhactes.
Skua, Long-tailed or
Buffon’s, 372
Stercorarius parasiticus.
Skua, Pomatorhine, 370
Stercorarius pomatorhinus.
Smew, 261
Mergus albellus.
Snipe, 310
Gallinago ccelestis.
Snipe, Great, 309
Gallinago major.
Snipe, Jack, 311
Gallinago gallinula,
Snipe, Red-breasted, 312
Macrorhampus griseus,
Sparrow Hawk, 183
Accipiter nisus.
Sparrow, Hedge, 45
Accentor modularis.
Sparrow, House, 93
Passer domesticus.
Sparrow, Tree, 94
Passer montanus.
Spoonbill, 214
Platalea leucorodia.
Starling, 120
Sturnus vulgaris.
Starling,Red-winged,119
Agelzus pheeniceus.
Starling, Rose-coloured,
12t
Pastor roseus.
Stilt, Black-winged, 305
Himantopus candidus,
Stint, American, 319
Tringa minutilla.
Stint, Little, 317
Tringa minuta.
Stint, Temminck’s, 318
Tringa temmincki.
Stonechat, 16
Pratincola rubicola.
Stork, Black, 213
Ciconia nigra.
Stork, White, 212
Ciconia alba.
Swallow, 81
Hirundo rustica,
Swan, American, 230
Cygnus americanus.
Swan, Bewick’s, 232
Cygnus bewicki.
Swan, Hooper, 229
Cygnus musicus.
Swan, Mute, 227
Cygnus olor.
Swan, Polish, 228
Cygnus immutabilis.
Swan, Trumpeter, 231
Cygnus buccinator,
Swift, 138
Cypselus apus.
Swift, Alpine, 139
Cypselus melba.
Swift, Needle-tailed, 140
Acanthyllis caudacuta.
Teal, 239
Querquedula crecca.
Teal, American Blue-
winged, 240
Querquedula discors.
Tern, Arctic, 349
Sterna macrura,
Tern, Caspian, 345
Sterna caspia.
Tern, 348
Sterna fluviatilis.
Tern, Black, 341
Hydrochelidon nigra.
Tern, Gull-billed, 344
Sterna anglica.
Tern, Lesser Sooty, 352
Sterna anzstheta.
Tern, Little, 350
Sterna minuta.
Tern, Roseate, 347
Sterna dougalli.
Tern, Sandwich, 346
Sterna cantiaca.
Tern, Sooty, 351
Sterna fuliginosa.
Tern, Whiskered, 343
Hydrochelidon hybrida.
Tern, White-winged
Black, 342
Hydrochelidon leucoptera.
Thrush, 2
Turdus musicus.
Thrush, Black-throated,6
Turdus atrigularis,
Thrush, Missel, 1
Turdus viscivorus,
Thrush, Rock, 11
Monticola saxatilis.
Thrush, Siberian, 8
Geocichla sibirica.
Thrush, White’s, 7
Geocichla varia.
Tit, Bearded, 49
Panurus biarmicus.
Tit, Blue, 56
Parus cceruleus.
Tit, British Coal, 54
Parus britannicus.
Tit, British Long-tailed,
Si
Acredula rosea.
Tit, Continental Coal, 53
Parus ater,
Tit, Crested, 57
Parus cristatus.
Tit, Great, 52
Parus major,
Tit, Marsh, 55
Parus palustris.
Tit, White-headed Long-
tailed, so
Acredula caudata.
Turnstone, 302
Strepsilas interpres.
Twite, tor
Linota flavirostris,
Vulture, Griffon, 171
Gyps fulvus.
Vulture, Egyptian, 172
Neophron percnopterus.
Wagtail, Blue-headed
Yellow, 63
Motacilla flava.
Wagtail, Grey, 62
Motacilla melanope.
Wagtail, Grey-headed
Yellow, 64
Motacilla viridis.
Wagtail, Pied, 61
Motacilla lugubris.
Wagtail, White, 60
Motacilla alba,
‘Wagtail, Yellow, 65
Motacilla raii.
Warbler, Aquatic, 41
Acrocephalus aquaticus.
Warbler, Barred, 28
Sylvia nisoria.
Warbler, Dartford, 29
Melizophilus undatus.
Warbler, Garden, 27
Sylvia hortensis.
Warbler, Grasshopper, 43
Locustella navia.
Warbler, Great Reed, 40
Acrocephalus turdoides.
Warbler, Icterine, 36
Hypolais icterina.
Warbler, Marsh, 39
Acrocephalus palustris.
Warbler, Orphean, 25
Sylvia orphea.
Warbler, Reed, 38
Acrocephalus streperus,
6 THE NAMES OF THE BIRDS.
Warbler, Rufous, 37
Aédon galactodes.
Warbler, Savi’s, 44
Locustella luscinioides.
Warbler, Sedge, 42
Acrocephalus phragmitis.
Warbler, Yellow-browed,
32
Phylloscopus superciliosus.
Waxwing, 77
Ampelis garrulus.
Wheatear, 12
Saxicola cenanthe.
Wheatear, Black-
throated, 13
Sax:cola stapazina.
Wheatear, Desert, 14
Saxicola deserti.
Whimbrel, 339
Numenius phzopus.
Whinchat, 15
Pratincola rubetra.
Whitethroat, 23
Sylvia cinerea.
Whitethroat, Lesser, 24
Sylvia curruca.
Wigeon, 242
Mareca penelope.
Wigeon, American, 243
Mareca americana.
Woodchat, 76
Lanius pomeranus.
Woodcock, 308
Scolopax rusticola.
Woodpecker, Downy, 147
Picus pubescens.
Woodpecker, Great
Black, 148
Picus martius.
Woodpecker, Great
Spotted, 144
Picus major.
Woodpecker, Green, 149
Gecinus viridis.
Woodpecker, Hairy, 146
Picus villosus.
Woodpecker, Lesser
Spotted, 145
Picus minor.
Wren, 59
Troglodytes parvulus.
Wren, Fire-crested, 31
Regulus ignicapillus.
Wren, Gold-crested, 30
Regulus cristatus.
Wren, Willow, 34
Phylloscopus trochilus,
Wren, Wood, 35
Phylloscopus sibilatrix.
Wryneck, 150
Tynx torquilla.
Yellowshank, 334
Totanus flavipe:-
CHAPTER II.
LOCAL AND POPULAR NAMES,
—
HE references in this list are not to the pages, but to the figures on
the coloured plates.
It will be seen that many of the names given
in the preceding chapter are unfortunately borne locally by very different
species, and more instances of this might have been included, as well as
more names; but the list as it is seemed to contain all that was note-
worthy, and to be quite lengthy enough.
Aberdevine, 88
Accentor, 46
Ailsa Parrot, 379
Alpine Accentor, 46
Alpine Chough, 123
Alpine Swift, 139
American Bittern, 211
American Blue - winged
Teal, 240
Ammer Goose, 380
American Gos Hawk, 182
American Robin, 5
American Stint, 319
American Swan, 230
American Wigeon, 243
Andalusian Hemipode,
277
Annet, 361, 367
Aquatic Warbler, 41
Arctic Skua, 371
Arctic Tern, 349
Assilag, 397
Auk, 373-378
Avocet, 304
Baillon’s Crake, 281
Bald Duck, 284
Bald Goose, 220
Bald Pate, 242, 243
Bank Swallow, 73
Bardrake, 233, 260
Bar Gander, 233
Bar Goose, 224
Barker, 304
Barley Bird, 22, 361
Barnacle Goose, 224
Barn Owl, 161
Barred Warbler, 28
Barred Willow Warbler,
32
Barred Woodpecker, 145
Bar-tailed Godwit, 337
Bartram’s Sandpiper, 326
Bass Cock, 379
Bass Goose, 201
Bawkie, 373
Bay Duck, 233
Beam Bird, 79
Bean Goose, 218
Bearded Tit, 49
Beardie, 23
Bee-eater, 154
Belted Kingfisher, 152
Bernicle Goose, 224
Bewick’s Swan, 232
Bilcock, 282
Billy Biter, 56
Bittern, 210
Bittour, 210
Black-bellied Dipper, 48
Black-billed Cuckoo, 160
Blackbird, 9
Black Bonnet, 116
Black Cap, 16, 26, 55,
358
Black Cock, 270
Black Curlew, 215
Black Duck, 248, 256
Black Eagle, 179
Black Game, 270
Black Goose, 223
Black Grouse, 270
Black Guillemot, 377
Black - headed Bunting,
Tog
Black-headed Gull, 356
Black-headed Tit, 52
Blackie, 9
Black Kite, 185
Black Oxeye, 54
Black Poker, 247
Black Redstart, 18
Black Sandpiper, 322
Blackstart, 18
Black Stork, 213
Black Tern, 341
Black-throated Diver,382
Black-throated Thrush, 6
Black-throated Wheat-
ear, 13
Black Thrush, 9
Black Wigeon, 247
Black-winged Kite, 187
Black-winged Stilt, 305
Blakeling, rrr
Blethering Tam, 23
Blood Hawk, 196
Blue Back, 4
Blue Bird, 4
8 LOCAL AND POPULAR NAMES,
Blue Breast, 19
Blue Darr, 341
Blue Dickie, 45
Blue Dove, 265
Blue Felt, 4
Blue Gled, 174
Blue Hawk, 174, 183, 192,
194
Blue - headed
Wagtail, 63
Blue Kite, 174
Blue Merlin, 183
Blue Oxeye, 56
Blue Poker, 245
Blue Rock, 264
Blue Tail, 4
Blue - tailed Bee-eater,
155
Blue Throat, 19, 20
Blue Tit, 56
Blue Yaup, 56
Bohemian Chatterer, 77
Bonaparte’s Gull, 356
Bonaparte’s Sandpiper,
315
Bonxie, 369
Bottlenose, 379
Bottle Tit, 51
Brambling, 96
Bran Tail, 17
Brent Goose, 223
British Coal Tit, 54
British Long-tailed Tit,
5I
Broad Bill, 237
Broad-billed Sandpiper,
313
Brook Ouzel, 282
Brown Hen, fem. of 270
Brown Owl, 164
Brown Woodpecker, 85
Briinnich’s Guillemot,
376
Buff-backed Heron, 206
Buff-breasted Sandpiper,
Yellow
325
Buffel-headed Duck, 250
Buffon’s Skua, 372
Bullfinch, 102
Bull Thrush, 1
Bulwer’s Petrel, 395
Bumble, 210
Bundie, 316, 327
Bunting, 110
Burgomaster, 365
Burrow Duck, 233
Bush Chat, 12
Bush Dove, 264
Bush Quail, 277
Bustard, 287
Butcher Bird, 73, 75
Buzzard, 176
Cackareen, 367
Caloo, 251
Canada Goose, 225
Capercaillie, 269
Canary, 90
Capped Buzzard, 188
Capped Petrel, 390
Carrion Crow, 128
Car Swallow, 341
Caspian Tern, 345
Cat Gull, 362
Chaffinch, 95
Chalder, 303
Channel Goose, 201
Chatterpie, 126
Cheeper, 66
Cherry Finch, 92
Cherubim, 161
Chickell, r2
Chiffchaff, 33
Chink, 116
Chip Chop, 33
Chough, 122
Church Owl, 161
Churn Owl, 141
Churr, 23, 316
Cirl Bunting, 112
Claik, 224
Clatter Goose, 223
Cliff Hawk, 192
Clinker, 304
Clod Bird, 110
Coal Goose, 199
Coal Hoodie, 26
Cobbler’s Awl, 303
Coble, 92
Cobweb, 78
Cockandy, 379
Cock of the Wood, 269
Cock o’ the North, 96
Coldie, 251
Cole Finch, 79
Collared Pratincole, 291
Coney Chuck, 12
Continental Coal Tit, 53
Coot, 284
Copper Finch, 95
Corbie, 128, 131
Cormorant, 199
Corn Bunting, 110
Corn Crake, 278
Cornish Crow, 122
Courser, 292
Cow Bird, 65, 159
Cowprise, 263
Crake, 278
Crane, 285
Cream-coloured Courser,
292
Creck, 278
Creeper, 85
Creshawk, 196
Crested Cormorant, 200
Crested Lark, 134
Crested Tit, 57
Cricket Bird, 43
Crocker, 223
Crossbill, 105
Crow, 128
Cuckoo, 157
Cuckoo’s Mate, rso
Culver, 263
Curlew, 338
Curlew Sandpiper, 320
Curre, 249
Cushat, 263, 264
Cushiedoo, 263
Dabber, 388
Dabchick, 283, 388
Daker, 278
Dalmatian Regulus, 32
Dalmatian Wren, 32
Darcall, 251
Darcock, 282
Dartford Warbler, 29
Daw, 127
Demoiselle Crane, 286
Desert Wheatear, 14
LOCAL AND POPULAR NAMES. 9
Diedapper, 388
Dipper, 47, 151
Dishwasher, 61
Diver, 380-383
Diving Pigeon, 377
Doo, 263
Dorbie, 316
Dor Hawk, 141
Dot Plover, 293
Dotterel, 293
Double Snipe, 309
Dove, 263, 264, 265, 266
Downy Woodpecker, 147
Duck, 235
Dun Bird, 245, 248
Dunlin, 316
Dunne, 322
Dunnock, 45
Dusky Duck, 253
Dusky Redshank, 333
Dusky Shearwater, 394
Eagle, 178, 179, 180
Eagle Owl, 169
Eared Grebe, 387
Eastern Golden Plover,
295
Eider Duck, 253
Egret, 204
Egyptian Nightjar, 143
Egyptian Vulture, 172
Elk, 229
Ember Goose, 380
Erne, 180
Eskimo Curlew, 340
Falcon, 192
allow Finch, 12
Fallowsnatch, 12
Fauvette, 27
Feather Poke, 51
Felfer, 4
Felfit, 1
Feltie, 1
Fen Goose, 217
Fen Thrush, 1
Fern Owl, 141
Ferruginous Duck, 246
Fieldfare, 4
Field Sparrow, 45
Fire Crest, 31
Fire-crested Wren, 31
Fire Tail, 17
Fish Hawk, 198
Flamingo, 216
Flesher, 75
Flitterchack, ro
Flycatcher, 78, 79, 80
Fork Tail, 184
Fork-tailed Petrel, 396
Frank, 201
French Magpie, 75
French Partridge, 274
Frosty Back Wigeon, 248
Fulfer, . .
Fulmar, 389
Purze Chat, 15
Gadwall, 236
Game Hawk, 192
Gan, 201
Gannet, 201
Garden Ouzel, 9
Garden Warbler, 27
Garganey, 241
Gaunt, 384
Gaverhale, 311
Gaw Thrush, 1
Glaucous Gull, 365
Glead, 176, 184
Glossy Ibis, 215
Goatsucker, 141
Godwin, 336
Godwit, 336, 337
Gold Crest, 30
Gold-crested Wren, 30
Golden Eagle, 179
Goldeneye, 249
Golden Oriole, 72
Golden Plover, 294
Goldfinch, 87
Goldie, 11
Goosander, 259
Goose, 217
Gorcock, 271
Gor Crow, 128
Gorse Chat, 15
Gorse Hopper, 15
Gorse Linnet, 97
Gos Hawk, 181
Gowdy Duck, 249
B
Gowk, 157
Grasshopper Lark, 43
Grasshopper Warbler, 43
Great Auk, 374
Great Black-backed Gull,
364
Great BlackWoodpecker,
148
Great Bustard, 287
Greater Pettychaps, 27
Greater Plover, 335
Great Crested Grebe, 384
Great Grey Shrike, 73
Great Northern Diver,
380
Great Plover, 290
Great Reed Warbler, 40
Great Shearwater, 391
Great Skua, 369
Great Snipe, 309
Great Spotted Cuckoo,
158
Great Spotted Wood-
pecker, 144
Great Tit, 52
Great White Egret, 204
Great White Heron, 204
Grebe, 384
Green Cormorant, 200
Greenfinch, 91
Greenland Falcon, 190
Greenland Redpoll, 160
Green Linnet, 91
Green Plover, 301
Green Sandpiper, 329
Greenshank, 335
Green Woodpecker, 149
Green Wren, 35
Grey Crow, 129
Grey Duck, 235, 236
Grey Goose, 217
Grey Gull, 363
Grey-headed
Wagtail, 64
Grey Hen, fem. of 270
Grey Lag Goose, 217
Grey Linnet, 101
Grey Loon, 384
Grey Partridge, 275
Grey Pate, 87
Grey Phalarope, 301
Yellow
to LOCAL AND POPULAR NAMES.
Grey Plover, 294, 296, 322
Grey Ptarmigan, 272
Grey Redstart, 18
Grey Skit, 282
Grey Thrush, 4
Grey Wagtail, 62
Griffon Vulture, 171
Grosbeak, 104
Ground Wren, 34
Grouse, 271
Guillemot, 375
Gull, 361
Gull-billed Tern, 344
Gyp, 120
Gyr Falcon, 189
Hackbolt, 391
Hacket, 367
Hagdown, 391
Hairy Woodpecker, 146
Half Duck, 242
Half Snipe, 311
Harlequin Duck, 252
Harrier, 174
Hawfinch, 92
Hawk Owl, 163, 166
Hay Bird, 34, 35
Hay Tit, 23
Hazel Linnet, 24
Heath Cock, 270
Heath Fowl, 270
Heath Throstle, 10
Heather Bleater, 310
Heather Lintie, 66
Heather Peeper, 327
Heckymal, 52, 56
Hedge Accentor, 45
Hedge Sparrow, 45
Hedge Warbler, 45
Hemipode, 277
Hen Harrier, 174
Herald, 260
Herdsman, 369
Hernshaw, 202
Heron, 202
Herring Gant, zor
Herring Gull, 362
Herring Spink, 30
Hill Chack, 10
Hill Lintie, ro1
Hill Plover, 294
Hill Sparrow, 66
Hobby, 193
Hoddy Craw, 128
Holm Screech, 1
Holm Thrush, 1
Honey Buzzard, 188
Hooded Crow, 129
Hooded Merganser, 262
Hooded Mew, 358
Hoodie, 129
Hooper Swan, 229
Hoopoe, 156
Horned Grebe, 386
Horned Owl, 162
Horse Thrush, +
House Martin, 82
House Sparrow, 93
Hover Hawk, 196
Howster, 322
Ibis, 215
Iceland Falcon, 191
Iceland Gull, 366
Icterine Warbler, 36
Imber, 380
Isle of Wight Parson, 199
Ivory Gull, 368
Jack, 127
Jackdaw, 127
Jacksaw, 259
Jack Snipe, 311, 316
Jack Straw, 23, 26
Jadreka Snipe, 290
Jager, 369
Jay, 125
Jay Pie, 1
Jay Teal, 239
Jedcock, 311
Jenny Wren, 56, 59
Jer Cock, 1
Jer Falcon, 189
Jill Snipe, 310
Judcock, 315
Juddock, 311
Keltie, 367
Kentish Plover, 299
Kestrel, 196
Killdeer Plover, 300
King Eider, 254
Kingfisher, 47, 151
Kinglet, 30
Kite, 184, 196
Kittiwake, 367
Kitty Carew, 393
Knot, 322
Land Rail, 278
Lapland Bunting, 117
Lapwing, 301
Lark, 132
Laughing Goose, 220
Laughing Gull, 358, 362
Laverock, 132
Lesser Black - backed
Gull, 363
Lesser Golden Plover,
295
Lesser Grey Shrike, 74
Lesser Kestrel, 197
Lesser Pettychaps, 33
Lesser Redpoll, 99
Lesser Sooty Tern, 352
Lesser Spotted Woor-
pecker, 145
Lesser White - fronted
Goose, 221
Lesser Whitethroat, 24
Ling Bird, 66
Links Goose, 233
Linnet, 97
Lintie, 97
Little Auk, 378
Little Bittern, 2c8
Little Bunting, 115
Little Bustard, 288
Little Crake, 280
Little Egret, 205
Little Grebe, 388
Little Gull, 357
Little Owl, 170
Little Ringed Plover, 298
Little Stint, 317
Little Tern, 350
Liver, 215
Long-eared Owl, 162
Long Tail, so
Long-tailed Skua, 372
Long-tailed Duck, 251
Long-tailed Pie, 51
LOCAL AND POPULAR NAMES. II
Loon, 380, 381, 382, 383
Lyrie, 393
Macqueen’s Bustard, 289
Magpie, 126
Magpie Diver, 261
Mallard, 235
Man o’ war Bird, 371
Manx Shearwater, 393
Marble Thrush, 1
Market Jew Crow, 122
Marsh Goose, 217
Marsh Harrier, 173
Marsh Hawk, 173
Marsh Hen, 283
Marsh Tit, 55
Marsh Warbler, 39
Martin, 82
Martlet, 82
Marygold Finch, 30
Mavis, <
Meadow Drake, 278
Meadow Lark, 66
Meadow Pipit, 66
Mealy Mouth, 34
Mealy Redpoll, 98
Mediterranean Black-
headed Guill, 359
Merganser, 262
Merle, 9
Merlin, 194
Miller, 174
Miller’s Thumb, 30, 34
Missel Thrush, 1
Mistletoe Thrush, 1
Mizzly Dick, 1
Mock Nightingale, 26
Mollymoke, 391
Montagu’s Harrier, 175
Moor Buzzard, 173
Moorcock, 271
Moor Fowl, 271
Moor Game, 271
Moor Hawk, 173
Moorhen, 271, 283
Moor Titling, 16, 66
Morillon, 249
Moss Cheaper, 66
Moss Duck, 235
Moth Hawk, 141
Mother Carey’s Chicken,
397
Mountain Blackbird, ro
Mountain Finch, 96
Mountain Linnet, 101
Mud Plover, 296
Muff, 23
Muftie, 23
Muir Duck, 235
Mullet Hawk, 198
Murre, 373
Mussel Duck, 248
Mussel Pecker, 303
Mute Swan, 227
Needle-tailed Swift, 140
Nettle Creeper, 23, 26
Nettlemonger, 26
Night Churr, 141
Night Hawk, 141
Night Heron, 209
Nightingale, 22
Nightjar, 141
Noddy, 353
Norfolk Plover, zgo
Norman Thrush, 1
Norway Duck, 248
Norway Nightingale, 3
Nutcracker, 58, 124
Nuthatch, 58
Nutjobber, 58
Orange -legged Hobby,
195
Oriole, 72
Orphean Warbler, 25
Ortolan Bunting, 113
Osprey, 198
Ouzel, 9
Owl, 161
Oxbird, 316
Oxeye, 52
Oystercatcher, 303
Oyster Plover, 303
Pallas’s Sand Grouse, 268
Parrot Crossbill, 106
Parson Gull, 364
Partridge, 275
Passenger Pigeon, 257
Peaseweep, 301
Pectoral Sandpiper, 314
B2
Peewilt, 301
Peggy Chaw, 23
Petrel, 397
Phalarope, 306, 307
Pheasant, 273
Picarini, 304
Pickerel, 316
Pie, 126
Pied Finch, 95
Pied Flycatcher, 79
Pied Wagtail, 61
Pied Wigeon, 241
Piet, 47 126
Piewipe, 301
Pigeon, 263, 264, 265
Pigeon Felt, 4
Pigeon Hawk, 183
Pigmy, 320
Pigmy Curlew, 320
Pine Grosbeak, 104
Pink, 95
Pink-footed Goose, 219
Pintail, 238
Pipit, 66 to 71
Pipit Lark, 67
Pit Martin, 83
Plover, 296
Plover’s Page, 316
Pochard, 245
Poker, 245
Polish Swan, 228
Pomarine Skua, 370
Pomatorhine Skua, 370
Pool Snipe, 332
Popinjay, 149
Pratincole, 291
Ptarmigan, 272
Puckeridge, 141
Puffin, 379
Purple Heron, 203
Purple Martin, 84
Purple Sandpiper, 321
Purre, 316
Puttock, 173, 176
Pye Finch, 95
Quail, 276
Quaketail, 61
Queest, 263
Quink Goose, 223
12 LOCAL AND POPULAR NAMES.
Rafter Bird, 78
Rail, 282
Rain Goose, 383
Rantock, 259
Rat Goose, 223
Rattlewing, 249
Raven, 131
Razorbill, 373
Red-backed Shrike, 75
Redbreast, 21
Red-breastedFlycatcher,
fe)
Red-breasted Goose, 226
Red-breasted Mergan-
ser, 260
Red-breasted Snipe, 312
Red Cap, 87
Red-crested Pochard, 244
Red-footed Falcon, 195
Red Godwit, 337
Red Grouse, 271
Red Hawk, 196
Red Hoop, 192
Red-legged Partridge,
274
Red Legs, 321
Red-necked Grebe, 385
Red-necked Nightjar, 142
Red-necked Phalarope,
306
Red Owl, 163
Redpoll, 98, 100
Red Ptarmigan, 271
Red Sandpiper, 322
Redshank, 4, 332
Red-spotted Bluethroat,
20
Redstart, 17
Red Tail, 17
Red-throated Diver, 383
Red Thrush, 3
Redwing, 3
Red-winged Starling,t19
Reed Bunting, 49, 116
Reed Pheasant, 49
Reed Sparrow, 116
Reed Warbler, 38
Reed Wren, 38
Reeler, 43
Reeve, fem. of 323
Richard’s Pipit, 69
Richardson’s Skua, 371
Ring Dotterel, 297
Ring Dove, 263
Ringed Blackbird, 10
Ringed Dotterel, 297
Ringed Guillemot, 376
Ringed Plover, 297
Ringed Thrush, 10
Ringlestone, 297
Ring Ouzel, 10
Ringtail, 174a
Ring-tailed Eagle, 179
Road Goose, 223
Robin, 21
Rock Dove, 265
Rock Grouse, 272
Rock Hawk, 194
Rock Lark, 71
Rock Lintie, 101
Rock Ouzel, 10
Rock Pigeon, 265
Rock Pipit, 71
Rock Starling, 10
Rock Thrush, 11
Rodge, 236
Roller, 153
Rook, 130
Roseate Tern, 347
Rose-coloured Starling,
I2I
Rose Linnet, 97
Rose Lintie, 99
Rough-legged Buzzard,
177
Royston Crow, 129
Ruddock, 21
Ruddy Sheldrake, 234
Ruddy Sheld Duck, 234
Ruff, 323
Rufous Warbler, 37
Rustic Bunting, 114
Sabine’s Gull, 354
Saddleback, 364
St. Cuthbert’s Duck, 253
St. George’s Duck, 233
Sanderling, 324
Sand Lark, 324, 327
Sand Martin, 83
Sandpiper, 327
Sandwich Tern, 346
Sand Wigeon, 236
Sandyhead, 245
Savi’s Warbler, 44
Sawbill, 259
Sawneb, 260
Scammel, 336
Scarlet Grosbeak, 103
Scart, 199, 200
Scaup, 248
Sclavonian Grebe, 386
Scobby, 95
Scooper, 304
Scops Owl, 168
Scoter, 256
Screamer, 138
Screech Hawk, 141
Screech Owl, 161, 164
Screech Thrush, 1
Scull, 369
Scutty, 59
Sea Crow, 199
Sea Dotterel, 302
Sea Eagle, 180
Sea Kittie, 367
Sea Lark, 297, 316
Sea Lintie, 71
Sea Mew, 361
Sea Parrot, 379
Sea Peck, 316
Sea Pheasant, 238
Sea Pie, 303
Sea Pigeon, 265
Sea Plover, 296
Sea Snipe, 316, 322
Sea Swallow, 348
Sea Woodcock, 336
Sedge Warbler, 42
Sedge Wren, 42
Serin, 89
Serula, 260
Seven Whistler, 339
Shag, 200
Shearwater, 391
Sheldrake 233
Sheld Duck, 233
Shieldrake, 233
Shore Lark, 137
Shore Fipit, 71
Short-eared Owl, 163
Short-toed Lark, 135
LOCAL AND POPULAR NAMES. 13
Shovelard, 237
Shoveller, 237
Shrike, 73-76
Shrite, 1
Shufflewing, 45
Siberian Thrush, 8
Silver Owl, 161
Silver Plover, 322
Silvery Gull, 362
Singing Titlark, 67
Siskin, 88
Skeldrake, 233
Skirlcock, 1
Skirl Crake, 302
Skite, 11
Skitty, 232
Skua, 369-372
Skylark, 132
Sly Goose, 233
Smee Duck, 242, 245, 261
Smew, 261
Snake Bird, t50
Snippack, 310
Snipe, 310
Snorter, 12
Snow Bunting, 118
Snowflake, 118
Snow Goose, 222
Snowy Owl, 165
Solan Goose, 201
Solitary Sandpiper, 331
Solitary Snipe, 309
Song Thrush, 2
Sooty Shearwater, 392
Sooty Tern, 351
Sparrow, 93
Sparrow Hawk, 183
Sparve, 45
Spectacled Goose, 201
Spoonbill, 214, 237
Spotted Crake, 279
Spotted Eagle, 178
Spotted Flycatcher, 78
Spotted Guillemot, 377
Spotted Redshank, 333
Spotted Sandpiper, 328
Sprite, 149
Squacco Heron, 207
Stanepecker, 302, 321
Stank Hen, 283
Stannel Hawk, 196
Starling, 120
Steller’s Eider, 255
Stilt, 305
Stock Annet, 233
Stock Dove, 264
Stock Duck, 235
Stock Hawk, 192
Stock Owl, 169
Stonechat, 12, 16
Stone Curlew, 290
Stone Falcon, 194
Stonehatch, 297
Stone Plover, 290, 297
Stone Runner, 293, 297
Stonesmith, 16
Stone Thrush, 1
Stork, 212
Storm Cock, 1, 4
Storm Petrel, 397
Stormy Petrel, 397
Strawsmear, 27, 34
Stubble Goose, 217
Summer Snipe, 316, 327;
329
Summer Teal, 241
Surf Duck, 256
Surf Scoter, 258
Swallow, 81
Swallow-tailed Kite, 186
Swan, 227
Swift, 138
Tangle Picker, 302
Tarrock, 349
Tatler, 327
Tawny Owl, 164
Tawny Pipit, 68
Teal, 239
Teaser, 369, 370, 371, 372
Temminck’s Stint, 318
Tengmalm’s Owl, 167
Tern, 348
Thicknee, 290
Thistle Finch, 87
Three-toed Sand Grouse,
268
Throstle Cock, 1
Thrush, 2
Tinkershire, 375
Tinnock, 56
Titlark, 66
Titmouse, same as Tit
Titterel, 339
Tom Tit, 56, 59
Tom Noddy, 379
Tor Ouzel, to
Tree Creeper, 85
Tree Goose, 224
Tree Lark, 67
Tree Pipit, 67
Tree Sparrow, 94
Trumpeter Swan, 231
Tufted Duck, 247
Turnstone, 302
Turtle Dove, 266
Twink, 95
Twite, ror
Two-barred Crossbill,108
Tystie, 377
Van-winged Hawk, 193
Velvet Duck, 257
Velvet Scoter, 257
Vulture, 171, 172
Wagtail, 60-65
Wall Bird, 78
Wall Creeper, 86
Warbler, 27
Ware Goose, 223
Water Crake, 47, 279
Water Crow, 47
Water Eagle, 198
Waterhen, 283
Water Ouzel, 47, 48
Water Pipit, 70
Water Rail, 282, 283
Water Sparrow, 38, 116
Water Wagtail, 61
Waxwing, 77
Wedge-tailed Gull, 355
Whaup, 338
Wheatear, 12
Wheeter Why, 23
Whewer, 242
Whey Beard, 23
Whilk, 256
Whim, 242
Whimbrel, 339
14 LOCAL AND POPULAR NAMES.
Whinchat, 15
Whiskered Tern, 343
Whistler, 242, 249
Whistling Plover, 294,
296
Whistling Swan, 229
White-billed Diver, 381
White - breasted Black-
pird, 10
White Cap, 17, 23
White-eyed Duck, 246
White Finch, 95
White-fronted Goose, 220
White Game, 272
White Grouse, 272
White - headed Long -
tailed Tit, 50
White Lintie, 23
White Partridge, 272
White Rump, 12
Whiteside, 249
White - spotted
throat, 19
White Stork, 212
White-tailed Eagle, 180
Whitethroat, 23
White’s Thrush, 7
White’s Ground Thrush,7
White Wagtail, 60
Whitewing, 95
White - winged Black
Tern, 342
White-winged Crossbill,
107
Blue-
White-winged Lark, 136
Whitterick, 338
Whole Snipe, 310
Whooper Swan, 229
Wigeon, 242
Wigeon Leader, 238
Wild Canary, 90
Wild Duck, 235
Wild Goose, 217, 218
Wild Pigeon, 265
Wild Swan, 229
Willow Wren, 34
Willock, 375
Wilson’s Petrel, 398
Wind Fanner, 196
Windhover, 196
Windle, 3
Window Swallow, 82
Wind Thrush, 3
Winnard, 3
Winter Duck, 238
Winter Mew, 361
Winter Wagtail, 62
Woodchat, 76
Woodchuck, 149
Woodcock, 308
Woodcock Owl, 163
Wood Dove, 264
Wood Grouse, 269
Wood Lark, 133
Wood Owl, 164
Woodpecker, 144, 145
Wood Pigeon, 263
Wood Quest, 263
Wood Sandpiper, 330
Wood Thrush, 1
Woodwall, 144
Wood Warbler, 35
Wood Wren, 35
Woosel Cock, 9
Wrannock, s9
Wranny, 59
Wrekin Dove. 266
Wren, 59
Wryneck, 150
Yaffle, 149
Yarwhelp, 336
Yeldrin, rrr
Yellow Ammer, 111
ee Chiff Chaff,
3
Yellow - billed Cuckoo,
159
Yellow-billed Diver, 381
Yellow-browed Warbler,
32
Yellow-browed Wren, 32
Yellow Bunting, 111
Yellowhammer, 111
Yellow Owl, 161
Yellow Plover, 294
Yellowshank, 334
Yellow Wagtail, 62, 65
Yellow Yite, 111
Yelper, 304
NOTE—The following names are occasionally met with :—
Alexandrine Plover, 299
Banjo Bill, 214
Black-toed Gull, 371
Blood Ulf, 102
Boatswain, 370
Bottle Bumper, 210
Cadder, 127
Draw Water, 87
French Linnet, 1oz
Grey Back, 248
Guler, 111
Half Curlew, 339
Kentish Crow, 129
King Harry, 87
Penny Wagtail, 61
Scotch Goose, 223
Scoulton Gull, 358
Snowman, 111
Spink, 95
Sprat Loon, 383
Weasel Duck, 261
CHAPTER III.
THE COLOURED PLATES,
eK
fice following is a complete list of the birds figured in our
coloured plates. The species are arranged in ornithological
order, so as to show the system of grouping adopted as being most
convenient for the purposes of identification. The names of those
birds not yet on record as breeding in this country appear with a
wider margin than the rest. The dimensions of all will be found
given in tabular form in the twelfth chapter; the eggs are tabulated
in the thirteenth chapter.
PASSERIDA.
Turdine,
Plate L 1. TURDUS VISCIVORUS—Missel Thrush, p, 128.
Dimensions, Jj; Eggs, Hy.
z, TURDUS MUSICUS—Song Thrush, Pp. 128.
Dimensions, Hi; Eggs, Ge.
3. TURDUS ILIACUS—Redwing, p. 128.
Dimensions, Gq; Eggs, FJ
4. TURDUS PILARIS—Fieldfare, p. 128.
Dimensions, Jc; Eggs, Hn.
5. TURDUS MIGRATORIUS—American Robin, p. 128,
Dimensions, lo.
6. TURDUS ATRIGULARIS—Black-throated Thrush, p. 128,
Dimensions, Jl; Eggs, Gs.
7 GEOCICHLA VARIA—White’s Thrush, /.99.
Dimensions, Kk; Eggs, HB.
8. GEOCICHLA SIBIRICA—Siberian Thrush, p. 99.
Dimensions, Hq.
9: MERULA VULGARIS—Blackbird, #. 108.
Dimensions, Im; Eggs, GL
Io. MERULA TORQUATA—Ring Ouzel, p. 108.
Dimensions, Jk; Eggs, Gr
II. MONTICOLA SAXATILIS—Rock Thrush, p. 108.
Dimensions, Gs; Eggs, Ga
Plate I, iz, GSAXICOLA GNANTHE—Wheatear, #. 120.
Dimensions, Ef; Eggs, Dx
13. SAXICOLA STAPAZINA—Black-throated Wheatear, p. 120.
Dimensions, Cj; Eggs, Du
14. SAXICOLA DESERTI—Desert Wheatear, p. 120,
Dimensions, Dl; Eggs, Br.
15. PRATINCOLA RUBETRA—Whinchat, p. 117.
Dimensions, Bb ; Eggs, Bg.
16, PRATINCOLA RUBICOLA—Stonechat, p. 117.
Dimensions, Bi; Eggs, Cu.
17, RUTICILLA PHONICURUS—Redstart, £. 120,
Dimensions, Cg; Eggs, Bs
1B RUTICILLA TITYS—Black Redstart, p. 120.
Dimensions, Cs; Eggs, D1.
36
COLOURED PLATES.
Piate II,—continued.
19.
20,
Prwet te 3 !$or,
Plate IIL
Plate Iv.
CYANECULA WOLFI—White-spotted Bluethroat, p. 92.
Dimensions, Cd; Eggs, CM.
CYANECULA SUECICA—Red-spotted Bluethroat, p. 92.
Dimensions, Cc; Eggs, Bo.
ERITHACUS RUBECULA—Robin, ?. 95.
Dimensions, Cp; Eggs, De.
a2. DAULIAS LUSCINIA—Nightingale, p. 93
Dimensions, Ea; Eggs, Ec.
23. SYLVIA CINEREA—Whitethroat, p. 124.
Dimensions, Bs; Eggs, Ce.
24. SYLVIA CURRUCA—Lesser Whitethroat, p, 124+
Dimensions, Bh; Eggs, Al.
25. SYLVIA ORPHEA—Orphean Warbler, p. 124,
Dimensions, Dq; Eggs, Dz.
26. SYLVIA ATRICAPILLA—Blackcap, p. 124.
Dimensions, Cq; Eggs, DJ.
27. SYLVIA HORTENSIS—Garden Warbler, p. 124.
Dimensions, Ca; Eggs. Dn.
28. SYLVIA NISORIA—Barred Warbler, p, 124,
Dimensions, Eb; Eggs, Ex
29. MELIZOPHILUS UNDATUS—Dartford Warbler, f. 107.
Dimensions, As; Eggs, Br.
30, REGULUS CRISTATUS—Gold-crested Wren, p. 119.
Dimensions, Aa; Eggs, Aa.
31. REGULUS IGNICAPILLUS—Fire-crested Wren, p, 119.
Dimensions, Ac; Eggs, AB.
32. PHYLLOSCOPUS SUPERCILIOSUS — Yellow -browed
Warbler, p. 115.
Dimensions, Ad; Eggs, Ac.
33. PHYLLOSCOPUS RUFUS—Chiffchaff, p, 115.
Dimensions, Ao; Eggs, AD.
34. PHYLLOSCOPUS TROCHILUS—Willow Wren, p. 115,
Dimensions, At; Eggs, Au.
35. PHYLLOSCOPUS SIBILATRIX—Wood Wren, p. 115.
Dimensions, Bj; Eggs, At.
36. HYPOLAIS ICTERINA~—Icterine Warbler, p. ror.
., Dimensions, Be; Eggs, Cp
37. AEDON GALACTODES—Rufous Warbler, p. 77.
Dimensions, Ep ; Eggs, Er.
38. ACROCEPHALUS STREPERUS—Reed Warbler, p. 76.
Dimensions, Bp ; Eggs, Bp.
39. ACROCEPHALUS PALUSTRIS—Marsh Warbler, p. 76.
Dimensions, Bq; Eggs, Ca.
4o. ACROCEPHALUS TURDOIDES —Great Reed Warbler, p. 76.
Dimensions, Gn; Eggs, Ep.
4. ACROCEPHALUS AQUATICUS—Aquatic Warbler, p. 76.
Dimensions, Ah; Eggs, Ba.
42. ACROCEPHALUS PHRAGMITIS—Sedge Warbler, p. 76.
Dimensions, Ap; Eges, Ba.
43. LOCUSTELLA NAVIA—Grasshopper Warbler, p. 105,
Dimensions, Co; Eggs, Bo.
44. LOCUSTELLA LUSCINIOIDES—Savi's Warbler, p. 105.
Dumensions, Bt.; Eggs, CQ.
Accentorine.
45. ACCENTOR MODULARIS—Hedge Sparrow, #. 75.
Dimensions, Br; Eggs, Da.
46. ACCENTOR COLLARIS—Alpine Accentor, p. 75,
aes Dimensions, El; Eggs, Fe.
Cincling.
47. CINCLUS AQUATICUS—Dipper, . 87.
Dimensions, Fb; Eggs, Fo.
48. CINCLUS MELANOGASTER—Black-bellied Dipper, p. 87,
Dimensions, Fc; Eggs, Fr.
Panurine.
49. PANURUS BIARMICUS—Bearded Tit, p. 112.
Dimensions, De; Eggs, Bu.
COLOURED PLATES.
Pate IV.—continued.
Paring.
Plate V.
Plate VI
50.
ACREDULA CAUDATA--White-headed Long-tailed
p. 76.
Dimensions, Bo; Eggs, Ar.
17
Tit,
51. ACREDULA ROSEA—British Long-tailed Tit, p 76.
Dimensions, Bn; Eggs, Ac.
52. PARUS MAJOR—Great Tit, p. 112.
imensions, Bm; Eggs, BK.
52 PARUS ATER—Continental Coal Tit, p. 112.
Dimensions, Ae; Eggs, Be.
54. PARUS BRITANNICUS—British Coal Tit, p. 112,
Dimensions, Af; Eggs, Ba.
55. PARUS PALUSTRIS—Marsh Tit, p. 112.
Dimensions, Aj; Eggs, Aj.
56. PARUS CERULEUS—Blue Tit, p. 112.
Dimensions, Ai; Eggs, Az.
57, PARUS CRISTATUS- Crested Tit, . 112.
Dimensions, Ag; Eggs, Ag.
Sitting.
58. SITTA C#SiA—Nuthatch, p. r2r,
Dimensions, Ch; Eggs, Co.
Troglodyting
59. TROGLODYTES PARVULUS—Wren, #. 128.
vo Dimensions, Ab; Eggs, B1.
Motacilline.
60. MOTACILLA ALBA—White Wagtail, p. 108.
Dimensions, Fq; Eggs, Du.
61. MOTACILLA LUGUBRIS—Pied Wagtail, p, 108,
Dimensions, Ga; Eggs, Dp.
62. MOTACILLA MELANOPE—Grey Wagtail, p. 108.
Dimensions, Gm; Eggs, Cr.
63. MOTACILLA FLAVA—Blue-headed Yellow Wagtail, p. 108.
Dimensions, Dj; Eggs, Cn.
64. MOTACILLA VIRIDIS—Grey-headed Yellow Wagtail, p. 108,
Dimensions, Dt; Eggs, C1.
65. MOTACILLA RAII—Yellow Wagtail, p. 108.
Dimensions, Ei; Eggs, C1.
66. ANTHUS PRATENSIS—Meadow Pipit, p. 81.
Dimensions, Da; Eggs, DM.
67. ANTHUS TRIVIALIS—Tree Pipit, p. 81.
Dimensions, Dk; Eggs, Es.
68. ANTHUS CAMPESTRIS—Tawny Pipit, p. 81
Dimensions, Ff; Eggs, En.
69. ANTHUS RICHARDI-— Richard’s Pipit, p. 81.
Dimensions, Gc; Eggs, En.
70. ANTHUS SPIPOLETTA—Water Pipit, p. 81.
Dimensions, Ek; Eggs, Ex.
gx. ANTHUS OBSCURUS—Rock Pipit, p. 81.
Dimensions, Ee; Eggs, Er.
Oriolina.
7z, ORIOLUS GALBULA—Golden Oriole, p. 113.
Dimensions, Ib ; Eggs, He.
Laniine.
73+ LANIUS EXCUBITOR—Great Grey Shrike, p. 102,
Dimensions, Ig; Eggs, Gu.
74. LANIUS MINOR—Lesser Grey Shrike, p. 102,
Dimensions, Hh; Eggs, Fm
75. LANIUS COLLURIO—Red-backed Shrike, p. 102,
Dimensions, GB; Eggs, Eo.
76. LANIUS POMERANUS—Woodchat, p. 102.
Dimensions, Fg ; Eggs, Et.
Ampeline.
77. AMPELIS GARRULUS—Waxwing, p. 79.
Dimensions, Gu; Eggs, Fi.
18
COLOURED PLATES.
PLatE VI.-—continued,
Muscicapinea.
Plate VII.
Piate VIII.
7.
MUSCICAPA GRISOLA—Spotted Flycatcher, p. 109.
Dimensions, Bl; Eggs, Br.
79. MUSCICAPA ATRICAPILLA—Pied Flycatcher, p. 109.
80.
Dimensions, Bc; Eggs, Cc.
MUSCICAPA PARVA—Red-breasted Flycatcher, p. 109.
Dimensions, Ar; Eggs, AN.
Hirundinine.
8x.
HIRUNDO RUSTICA—Swallow, p. 100,
Dimensions, Gf; Eggs, Cr.
82. HIRUNDO URBICA—Martin, #. 100,
Dimensions, Cm; Eggs, Bp.”
83. HIRUNDO RIPARIA—Sand Martin, £. 100,
Dimensions, Bg; Eggs, Bu.
84. HIRUNDO PURPUREA—Purple Martin, p. roo.
Dimensions, Es; Eggs, Fr
Certhiine.
85. CERTHIA FAMILIARIS—Tree Creeper, #. 86.
Dimensions, Cb’; Eggs, As.
86. TICHODROMA MURARIA—Wall Creeper, p. 126.
. Dimensions, Em; Eggs, CJ.
Fringilline.
87. CARDUELIS ELEGANS—Goldfinch, #. 85.
Dimensions, Bf; Eggs. AR.
88. CARDUELIS SPINUS—Siskin, p. 85.
Dimensions, An; Eggs, AP.
&s. SERINUS HORTULANUS-—Serin, p. 121.
Dimensions, Am; Eggs, Ao.
go. SERINUS CANARIUS—Wild Canary, f, 121.
Dimensions, Al; Eggs, Cu.
gt) LIGURINUS CHLORIS—Greenfinch, p. 104.
Dimensions, Dm; Eggs, DF.
gz. COCCOTHRAUSTES VULGARIS—Hawfinch, p. 88.
Dimensions, Fe; Eggs, FB.
93» PASSER DOMESTICUS—House Sparrow, p. 113.
Dimensions, Df; Eggs, Ej.
94. PASSER MONTANUS—Tree Sparrow, p. 113.
Dimensions, Ba; Eggs, Ea.
95. FRINGILLA C#LEBS—Chaffinch, p, 96.
Dimensions, Ct; Eggs, Ce.
96. FRINGILLA MONTIFRINGILLA—Brambling, p. 96.
Dimensions, Dp ;.Eggs, Cr.
97. LINOTA CANNABINA—Linnet, p. 105.
Dimensions, Db; Eggs, By.
98. LINOTA LINARIA—Mealy Redpoll, p. 104.
Dimensions, Bd ; Eggs, Ax.
99. LINOTA RUFESCENS—Lesser Redpoll, p. 104.
Dimensions, Ak; Eggs, AL.
Too. LINOTA HORNEMANNI—Greenland Redpoll, p. 105.
Dimensions, Bk; Eggs, AM. :
tor. LINOTA FLAVIROSTRIS—Twite, p. 105.
Dimensions, Ce; Eggs, Br.
102, PYRRHULA EUROPAA—Bullfinch, p. 118,
Dimensions, Di; Eggs, Da.
103. PYRRHULA ERYTHRINA—Soarlet Grosbeak, p. 118.
Dimensions, Ci; Eggs, De.
104. PYRRHULA ENUCLEATOR—Pine Grosbeak, #. 118.
Dimensions, Hg; Eggs, Fa.
105. LOXIA CURVIROSTRA—Crossbill, p. 106,
Dimensions, Eg; Eggs, Em
106, LOXIA_PITYOPSITTACUS—Parrot Crossbill—p. r06.
Dimensions, Fj; Eggs, Eu.
107. LOXIA LEUCOPTERA—White-winged Crossbill, p. 106.
Dimensions, En; Eggs, Cs.
COLOURED PLATES.
Pirate VIII.—continued.
Plate IX.
Plate X.
108, LOXIA BIFASCIATA—Two-barred Crossbill, p, 106.
Gas Dimensions, Do; Eggs, Cr.
Emberizina.
109. EMBERIZA MELANOCEPHALA—Black-headed
Bunting, p. 94.
Dimensions, Eq; Eggs, Et.
110, EMBERIZA MILIARIA—Corn Bunting, p. 94.
Dimensions, Fd; Eggs, Fn.
111. EMBERIZA CITRINELLA—Yellow Bunting, p. 94.
Dimensions, Ej}; Eggs, Eg.
112, EMBERIZA CIRLUS—Cirl Bunting, p. 94.
Dimensions, Dh; Eggs, EG
113. EMBERIZA HORTULANA—Ortolan Bunting, p. 94.
Dimensions, Ec; Eggs, Dr.
114. EMBERIZA RUSTICA~—Rustic Bunting, p. 94.
Dimensions, Cf; Eggs, Ds
115, EMBERIZA PUSILLA—Little Bunting, p. 94.
Dimensions, Aq; Eggs, Bn.
116. EMBERIZA SCH@NICLUS—Reed Bunting, p. 94.
Dimensions, Cr; Eggs, Cp.
117. CALCARIUS LAPPONICUS—Lapland Bunting, p 84.
Dimensions, Ed; Eggs, Dr.
118. PLECTROPHANES NIVALIS—Snow Bunting, p. 116,
Dimensions, Fm; Eggs, Fc
Ictevine.
IIg. AGELAHUS PHG@NICEUS—Red-winged Starling, p. 78.
Dimensions, la; Eggs, Fu.
Sturnine.
120. STURNUS VULGARIS-— Starling, p. 123.
Dimensions, Hb; Eggs, Go.
121. PASTOR ROSEUS—Rose-coloured Starling, p. 113.
Dimensions, Hk; Eggs, Gr.
Gorvine.
122, PYRRHOCORAX GRACULUS—Chough, #, 118.
Dimensions, Ni; Eggs, Ku.
123. PYRRHOCORAX ALPINUS—Alpine Chough, , 118
Dimensions, M1; Eggs, JR.
124. NUCIFRAGA CARYOCATACTES=Nutcracker, p. 110.
Dimensions, La; Eggs, In.
x25, GARRULUS CLANDARLUS— ley f- 9
Dimensions, Lo; Eggs, Hk.
226 PICA RUSTICA—Magpie, p. 116.
Dimensions, Oc; Eggs, Ij.
127, CORVUS MONEDULA~—Jackdaw, p. go.
Dimensions, Mc; Eggs, Jt.
128. CORVUS CORONE—Carrion Crow, p. go.
Dimensions, Om; Eggs, Kr.
129, CORVUS CORNIX-— Hooded Crow, p. go.
Dimensions, Pb; Eggs, Ke.
130, CORVUS FRUGI See 90.
Dimensions, Pi; Eggs, Kx.
131. CORVUS CORAX—Raven, p. 90.
Dimensions, Re; Eggs, Mu.
Alaudine.
132, ALAUDA ARVENSIS—Sky Lark, p. 78,
Dimensions, Ft; Eggs, Es.
133. ALAUDA ARBOREA—Wood ge 78.
Dimensions, Dq; Eggs, Ep.
1346 ALAUDA CRISTATA—Crested Lark, . 78.
Dimensions, Fi; Eggs, Fa.
135. ALAUDA BRACHYDACTYLA-—Short-toed Lark, p. 78.
Dimensions, Cl; Eggs, Dr.
136. ALAUDA SIBIRICA—White-winged Lark; p. 78.
Dimensions, Gj; Eggs, Fp,
1g:
20 COLOURED PLATES.
PLATE X.—continued,
1975 OTOCORYS ALPESTRIS—Shore Lark, p. 112.
Dimensions, Fk; Eggs, Fr.
CYPSELIDZ.
138. CYPSELUS APUS—Swift, p. 93.
Dimensions, Fp; Eggs, Fx.
139. CYPSELUS MELBA—Alpine Swift, p. 93.
Dimensions, He; Eggs, Ho.
140, ACANTHYLLIS CAUDACUTA~—Needle-tailed Swift, p. 75.
Dimensions, Ho.
CAPRIMULGIDA.
141, CAPRIMULGUS EUROPEUS—Nightijar, 6. 85.
Dimensions, It; Eggs, Hr.
142. CAPRIMULGUS RUFICOLLIS—Red-necked Nightjar, p. 85
Dimensions, Kt; Eggs, Hr.
143. CAPRIMULGUS 4XGYPTIUS—Egyptian Nightjar, p. 85.
Dimensions, Jn; Eggs, Ht.
PICIDE.
Plate XI. 144. PICUS MAJOR—Great Spotted Woodpecker, p. 116,
Dimensions, li; Eggs, Fr
145. PICUS MINOR—Lesser Spotted Woodpecker, #. 116.
Dimensions, De; Eggs, CK.
146, PICUS VILLOSUS—Hairy Woodpecker, p. 116.
Dimensions, Hn; Eggs, Fs.
147. PICUS PUBESCENS—Downy Woodpecker, p. 116.
Dimensions, Er ; Eggs, Fr.
148. PICUS MARTIUS—Great Black Woodpecker, p. 116.
Dimensions, Ok; Eggs, lz.
149. GECINUS VIRIDIS—Green Woodpecker, p. 99.
Dimensions, Li; Eggs, Ha.
150, IYNX TORQUILLA—Wryneck, p. 102.
Dimensions, Eh; Eggs, Do.
ALCEDINIDZ.
151, ALCEDO ISPIDA~—Kingfisher, p. 79.
Dimensions, Et; Eggs, Dg.
152. CERYLE ALCYON—Belted Kingfisher, p. 86.
Dimensions, Ld; Eggs, In.
CORACIIDE.
Plate XII. 153. CORACIAS GARRULA—Roller, #. 89.
Dimensions, Ks; Eggs, Jc.
MEROPIDZ.
154. MEROPS APIASTER—Bee-eater, p. 107.
Dimensions, Jq; Eggs, Gc.
155. MEROPS PHILIPPINUS—Blue-tailed Bee-eater, p. 107,
Dimensions, Kg.
UPUPIDZ.
156. UPUPA EPOPS—Hoopoe, 6. 129.
Dimensions, Ke; Eggs, Go.
CUCULIDZ.
157. CUCULUS CANORUS—Cuckoo, #, 91.
Dimensions, Md; Eggs, Fa.
158. COCCYSTES GLANDARIUS—Great Spotted Cuokoo, p. 88.
Dimensions, Nb; Eggs, Ia.
159- COCCYZUS AMERICANUS—Yellow-billed Cuckoo, p. 88,
Dimensions, Kq; Eggs, Hr.
160. COCCYZUS ERYTHROPHTHALMUS—Black-billed
Cuckoo, p. 88.
Dimensions, Kp; Eggs, Gu,
STRIGIDZ.
Plate XIII. 161. STRIX FLAMMEA—Barn Owl, ?. 123.
Dimensions, Le; Eggs, Lp.
COLOURED PLATES. 21
PLATE XIII.—continued.
Plate XIV.
162, ASIO OTUS—Long-eared Owl, p. 83.
Dimensions, Mf; Eggs, Kr.
163. ASIO ACCIPITRINUS—Short-eared Owl, p. 83.
Dimensions, Mq; Eggs, JP.
164. SYRNIUM ALUCO—Tawny Owl, p. 124.
Dimensions, On ; Eggs, ME.
165. NYCTEA ee eer Owl, p. 110.
Dimensions, Rf; Eggs, P’
166, SURNIA ULULA—Hawk iin p. 124,
Dimensions, Lr; Eggs, Ku.
167. NYCTALA TENGMALMI—Tengmalm’s Owl, f. 110.
Dimensions, Id; Eggs, l1.
168, SCOPS GIU—Scops Owl, p. 120.
Dimensions, Gk; Eggs, Hu.
169. BUBO IGNAVUS—Eagle Owl, p. 84.
Dimensions, Rp; Eggs, Qc.
170. ATHENE NOCTUA—Little Owl, p. 83.
Dimensions, Hd; Eggs, JB.
VULTURIDZ.
Ii. GYPS FULVUS-—Griffon Vulture, £. 99.
Dimensions, Tj; Eggs, So.
172. NEOPHRON_ PERCNOPTERUS—Egyptian Vulture, p. 109.
Dimensions, Ri; Eggs, Qy.
FALCONIDA.
173. CIRCUS HZ. RUGINOSUS—Marsh Harrier, p. 87.
Dimensions, Qg; Eggs, Nu
174 & 174a. CIRCUS CYANEUS—Hen Harrier (male and female), p. 87.
Plate XV.
Plate XVI.
175.
176.
177
178.
190.
192.
Dimensions, Oo; Eggs, Lg.
CIRCUS CINERACEUS—Montagu’s Harrier, p. 87.
Dimensions, Oa; Eggs, Km.
BUTEO VULGARIS—Buzzard, p. 84.
Dimensions, Ql; Eggs, OF.
ARCHIBUTEO LAGOPUS—Rough-legged Buzzard, p. 82.
Dimensions, Rr; Ezgs, Os.
AQUILA CLANGA~Spotted Eagle, p. 81.
Dimensions, Rq; Eggs, Qu.
AQUILA CHRYSAETUS—Golden Eagle, p. 81.
Dimensions, Te; Eggs, Rr.
HALIAETUS ALBICILLA—Sea Eagle, 9. 100.
Dimensions, St; Eggs, Rt.
ACCIPITER PALUMBARIUS—Gos Hawk, p. 76.
Dimensions, Qj; Eggs, Pr.
ACCIPITER ATRICAPILLUS—American Gos Hawk, p. 76
Dimensions, Qd; Eggs, Pu.
ACCIPITER NISUS—Sparrow Hawk, #. 76.
Dimensions, Kh’; Eggs, Jt.
MILVUS ICTINUS—Kite, p. 108.
Dimensions, Rs; Eggs, Pr.
MILVUS MIGRANS—Black Kite, p. 108.
Dimensions, Qo; Eggs, On.
ELANOIDES FURCATUS— peatenaer railed Kite, £. 93.
Dimensions, Rj; Eggs, M
ELANUS CERULEUS~ Black-winged Kite, p. 94.
Dimensions, Lf.
PERNIS APIVORUS—Honey Buzzard, . 114.
Dimensions, Re; Eggs, Ny.
FALCO GYRFALCO—Gyr Faloon, p. 95.
Dimensions, Po ; Eggs, Or.
FALCO CANDICANS—Greenland Falcon, p. 95.
Dimensions, Qe; Eggs, OT.
FALCO ISLANDUS~—Iceland Falcon, p. 95.
Dimensions, Qk; Eggs, Or.
FALCO PEREGRINUS—Peregrine Falcon, . 95.
Dimensions, Nt; Eggs, Oz.
22 COLOURED PLATES.
Pirate XVI.—continued,
193. FALCO SUBBUTEO—Hobby, #. 95.
Dimensions, Lg; Eggs, Kg.
194. FALCO ZSALON—Merlin, p. 95.
‘ Dimensions, Ja; Eggs, JN.
195. FALCO VESPERTINUS- Red-footed Falcon, p. 95.
Dimensions, Jr ; Eggs, Js.
196 & 1964. FALCO TINNUNCULUS~—Kestrel (maleand female), p. 95.
Dimensions, Lo; Eggs, Kx.
197. FALCO CENCHRIS—Lesser Kestrel, p. 95.
Dimensions, Ki; Eggs, Jr.
198. PANDION HALIAETUS—Osprey, p. 112.
Dimensions, Qn; Eggs, PR.
PELECANIDA.
Plate XVII. 199. PHALACROCORAX CARBO—Cormorant, p. 114.
Dimensions, St; Eggs, Qs.
200. PHALACROCORAX GRACULUS-—Shag, p. 114.
Dimensions, Rt; Eggs, Ps.
201. SULA BASSANA—Gannet, p. 123.
Dimensions, Sj; Eggs, Rg.
ARDEIDZ. :
202, ARDEA CINEREA—Heron, . 82.
Dimensions, Tb; Eggs, Pr.
203. ARDEA PURPUREA—Purple Heron, f. 82.
Dimensions, Sn; Eggs, ON.
204. ARDEA ALBA—Great White Heron, p. 82.
Dimensions, Th; Eggs, Qpv.
205. ARDEA GARZETTA—Little Egret, p. 82.
Dimensions, Qb; Eggs, Le.
206. ARDEA BUBULCUS—Buff-backed Heron, p. 82.
Dimensions, Pe; Eggs, Lm
207. ARDEA RALLOIDES—Squacco Heron, Pp. 82.
Dimensions, Oh ; Eggs, Jo.
Plate XVIII. 208 ARDETTA MINUTA—Little Bittern, p. 82.
Dimensions, Km; Eggs, Ic.
29. NYCTICORAX GRISEUS—Night Heron, p. 110.
Dimensions, Qr; Eggs, Mc
210, BOTAURUS STELLARIS—Bittern, p. 84.
Dimensions, Sg; Eggs, NE.
ait. BOTAURUS LENTIGINOSUS—American Bittern, p. 8}.
Dimensions, Sa; Eggs, N¥.
CICONIIDA.
212, CICONIA ALBA—White Stork, p, 86.
Dimensions, Ti; Eggs, Rn.
213. CICONIA NIGRA—Black Stork, p. 86,
Dimensions, Tf; Eggs, Qo.
PLATALEIDE.
214. PLATALEA LEUCORODIA—Spoonbill, p. 116.
Dimensions, Sp; Eggs, Qa.
IBIDIDE.
215. IBIS FALCINELLUS—Glossy Ibis, #. 101.
Dimensions, Qa; Eggs, No.
PHENICOPTERIDZ.
216, PHGNICOPTERUS ROSEUS—Flamingo, ¢. 115,
Dimensions, Tn; Eggs, Sv.
ANATIDE.
Plate XIX. 217, ANSER CINEREUS—Grey Lag Goose, p. 80.
Dimensions, Sh; Eggs, St.
218. ANSER SEGETUM—Bean Goose, p. 80,
Dimensions, Sq; Eggs, Sr.
COLOURED PLATES.
Pirate XIX.—conlinued.
Plate XX.
Plate XX.
Plate XXII.
219.
220,
22a.
222.
223.
224.
247.
248,
249.
250.
23
ANSER BRACHYRHYNCHUS-—Pink-foot 2d Goose, p. 80.
Dimensions, Se; Eggs, Sc
ANSER ALBIFRONS—White-fronted Goose, p. 80.
Dimensions, Sc; Eggs, Rx.
ANSER ERYTHROPUS—Lesser White-fronted Goose, p. 80-
Dimensions, Pk; Eggs, Ru
ANSER HYPERBOREUS—Snow Goose, p. 80,
Dimensions, Si; Eggs, Sv.
BERNICLA BRENTA—Brent Goose, #. 83.
Dimensions, Qi; Eggs, Rs.
BERNICLA LEUCOPSIS—Barnacle Goose, p. 83.
Dimensions, Rh ; Eggs, Rv
BERNICLA CANADENSIS—Canada Goose, p. 83.
Dimensions, Tg ; Eggs, Sj.
BERNICLA RUFICOLLIS—Red-breasted Goose, p. 83.
Dimensions, Qf; Eggs, Qt.
CYGNUS OLOR—Mute Swan, #. 92.
Dimensions, Tr; Eggs, Sr.
CYGNUS IMMUTABILIS—Polish Swan, p. 92.
Dimensions, To.
CYGNUS MUSICUS—Hooper Swan, f. 92.
Dimensions, Tq; Eggs, So.
CYGNUS AMERICANUS—American Swan, p. 92.
Dimensions, Tm.
CYGNUS BUCCINATOR—Trumpeter Swan, p. 02.
“Dimensions, Tp.
CYGNUS BEWICKI—Bewick's Swan, p. 92.
Dimensions, T1; Eggs, Sp.
TADORNA CORNUTA—Sheld Duck, p. 125.
Dimensions, Ro; Eggs, QP.
TADORNA CASARCA—Ruddy Sheld Duck, p. 12§.
Dimensions, Rb; Eggs, Qr.
ANAS BOSCAS—Mallard, p. 79.
Dimensions, Qp; Eggs, Pa.
ANAS STREPERUS—Gadwall, p. 79.
Dimensions, Ph: Eggs, Oc,
SPATULA CLYPEATA—Shoveller, p. 121.
Dimensions, Pg ; Eggs, Nu.
DAFILA ACUTA—Pintail, p. 93.
Dimensions, Rn; Eggs, Ns.
QUERQUEDULA CRECCA-—Teal, p. 118.
Dimensions, Ln; Eggs, Lr.
QUERQUEDULA DISCORS—American Blueswinged
Teal, p. 118.
Dimensions, Lm; Eggs, Ko.
QUERQUEDULA CIRCIA—Garganey, #. 118.
Dimensions, Mi; Eggs, Ma.
MARECA PENELOPE—Wigeon, #. 106.
Dimensions, Oj; Eggs, Ne.
MARECA AMERICANA—American Wigeon, p. 106.
Dimensions, Os; Eggs, OL.
FULIGULA RUFINA—Red-crested Pochard, p. 97.
Dimensions, Pn; Eggs, Pc.
FULIGULA FERINA—Pochard, p. 97.
Dimensions, Od; Eggs, Pt.
FULIGULA NYROCA—White-eyed Duck, #. 97.
Dimensions, Na; Eggs, Nc.
FULIGULA CRISTATA—Tufted Duck, p. 97.
Dimensions, Nq; Eggs, Pr.
FULIGULA MARILA—Scaup, p. 97.
Dimensions, Pc; Eggs, Qa.
CLANGULA GLAUCION—Goldeneye, p 87.
Dimensions, Oi; Eggs, Po.
CLANGULA ALBEOLA—Buffel-headed Duck, p. 87.
Dimensions, Mh; Eggs, Mr.
24 COLOURED PI.ATES.
PLATE XXII.—continued.
251%. HARELDA GLACIALIS—Long-tailed Duck, p. 100.
Dimensions, Rl; Eggs, Os.
252. COSMONETTA HISTRIONICA—Harlequin Duck, p. 90,
Dimensions, Np; Eggs, Oo.
253) SOMATERIA MOLLISSIMA—Eider Duck, #. 121.
Dimensions, Rg; Eggs, SB
254. SOMATERIA SPECTABILIS—King Eider, p. 121.
Dimensions, Qt; Eggs, Qr.
255. SOMATERIA STELLERI—Steller's Eider, p. 121.
Dimensions, Pd; Eggs, Pa.
250, CEDEMIA NIGRA—Scoter, g. 111.
Dimensions, P£; Eggs, Qk.
257. CEDEMIA FUSCA—Velvet Scoter, . 111.
Dimensions, Ps; Eggs, Rr
258. CEDEMIA PERSPICILLATA—Surf Scoter, p. 111.
Dimensions, Pm; Eggs, Qc.
259. MERGUS MERGANSER—Goosander, p. 107.
Dimensions, Rk; Eggs, Ra.
260. MERGUS SERRATOR—Red-breasted Merganser, p. 107.
Dimensions, Qq; Eggs, Qo.
261. MERGUS ALBELLUS—Smevw, 9. 107.
Dimensions, No; Eggs, Nt.
262. MERGUS CUCULLATUS—Hooded Merganser, p. 107
Dimensions, Oq ; Eggs, Nx.
COLUMBIDZ. ;
Plate XXIII. 263. COLUMBA PALUMBUS—Ring Dove, p. 88.
Dimensions, Ng; Eggs, Kn.
264, COLUMBA CENAS—Stock Dove, p. 88.
Dimensions, Kr; Eggs, Jc.
265. COLUMBA LIVIA—Rock Doye, p. 88.
Dimensions, Jp; Eggs, Jp.
266. TURTUR COMMUNIS—Turtle Dove, p. 129.
Dimensions, Jt; Eggs, Gr.
267. ECTOPISTES MIGRATORIUS—Passenger Pigeon, p. 93,
Dimensions, Nd; Eggs, J}.
PTEROCLIDZ.
268. SYRRHAPTES PARADOXUS—Pallas’s Sand Grouse, p. 125
Dimensions, Nh; Eggs, La.
PHASIANIDEA.
269 & 269a. TETRAO UROGALLUS—Capercaillie (male and feinale), p. 125.
Dimensions, Ta; Eggs, Oa.
ajo. TETRAO TETRIX—Black Grouse, p. 125.
Dimensions, Pt; Eggs, Mp.
271. TETRAO SCOTICUS—Red Grouse, p. 125.
Dimensions, Nc; Eggs, Lo.
272 & 272a, TETRAO MUTUS—Ptarmigan (summer and winter), p. 125.
Dimensions, Mj; Eggs, Li.
Plate XXIV. 273. PHASIANUS COLCHICUS—Pheasant, p. 115,
Dimensions, So; Eggs, Mp.
274. PERDIX RUFA—Red-legged Partridge, ~. 113,
Dimensions, Lh; Eggs, Ka.
275. PERDIX CINEREA—Partridge, p. 113.
Dimensions, Kj; Eggs, It.
276. COTURNIX COMMUNIS—Quail, p. 91.
Dimensions, El; Eggs, GE.
TURNICIDE.
277. TURNIX SYLVATICA—Andalusian Hemipode, p, 129,
Dimensions, Go; Eggs, Gs.
RALLIDZ,
278. CREX PRATENSIS—Corn Crake, p. 91.
Dimensions, Jh; Eggs, Ja.
279. CREX MARUETTA-—Spotted Crake, p, gt.
Dimensions, Ur; Eggs, Ic.
7-44.
Plate IV. 45-59.
Plate V. 60-72.
Plate VIII. 102-18.
Plate KX. 132-143.
RNAS Med. 144-152,
. i)
Plate XII. 153-160.
x :
161-170,
Plate XIN.
Plate XIV. 171-178.
a)
P Rh *
179-187.
Plate XV.
Plate XVI. 188-198.
7, Jian.
FIV 44 \A\\
Plate XVII. “199-207. f
Plate XVIII. 208-216.
—S
L
=" Plate XIX. 217-226,
y zoe £
eth | S48
¥
y eee
Plate XX. 227-234.
Plate XXI. 235-248.
Plate XXII. 249-262.
Plate XXII 263-272a.
Plate XXIV. 273-284.
bheood
Plate XXV. 285-201.
Plate XXVI. 292-303.
Plate XXVII. 304-316.
Plate AAVili. 317-325.
Plate XXIx. - 329-340.
Plate XXX. 341-353.
Plate XXXL 354-368.
5,
Margy eS Mt
Pil,
ate
XXXIII
+ 384-3
98
E Zs
COLOURED PLATES. 2k
Pirate XXIV.—continued.
280, CREX PARVA—Little Crake, /. 91.
Dimensions, Gp; Eggs, Hm.
281. CREX BAILLONI—Baillon’s Crake, p gI.
Dimensions, Fa; Eggs, GK. ~
282. RALLUS AQUATICUS—Water Rail, p. 119.
Dimensions, Jd; Eggs, Ir.
283. GALLINULA CHLOROPUS—Moorhen, /. 9%
Dimensions, Ko; Eggs, Ly.
284. FULICA ATRA—Coot, p. 97.
Dimensions, Mi; Eggs, Nu.
_ GRUIDZA.
Plate XXV. 285. GRUS COMMUNIS—Crane, . 99.
Dimensions, Tk; Eggs, Sn.
286. ORUS VIRGO —Dauolselie Crane, @. 9).
imensions, ; Ss, SH.
UTIDIDA, Fe ie
287 OTIS TARDA—Great Bustard, p. 112.
Dimensions, Tc.; Eggs, Rs.
288. OTIS TETRAX—Little Bustard, 9. 112,
Dimensions, Ne; Eggs, Oa.
289. OTIS MACQUEENI—Macqueen's Bustard, p. 1:2.
Dimensions, Sf; Eggs, Qu.
(EDICNEMID.
290. GDICNEMUS SCOLOPAX—Stone Curlew, p. 111,
Dimensions, Mn; Eggs, Oa.
GLAREOLIDZ.
2gl. GLAREOLA PRATINCOLA—Pratincole, p. 99.
Dimensions, Ik; Eggs, Hi.
CHARADRIIDZ.
Plate XXVI. 292. CURSORIUS GALLICUS—Cream-coloured Course, /. 92.
Dimensions, Ip ; Eggs, Iu
293. EUDROMIAS MORINELLUS—Dotterel, p. 95.
Dimensions, le; Eggs, Kr.
294. CHARADRIUS PLUVIALIS—Golden Plover, p, 86,
Dimensions, Ir; Eggs, Nr.
B50 CHARADRIUS FULVUS~—Eastern Golden Plover, p. 86.
Dimensions, Ic; Eggs, Mt.
296. SQUATAROLA HELVETICA—Grey Plover, p. 121.
Dimensions, Jm; Eggs, Nb
297. AEGIALITIS HIATICULA—Ringed Plover, p. 77.
Dimensions, Fn; Eggs, Ir.
298. AEGIALITIS CURONICUS—Little Ringed Plover, p. 77.
Dimensions, Ds; Eggs, Hp.
299. AEGIALITIS CANTIANUS—Kentish Plover, p. 77.
Dimensions, Eo; Eggs, He.
300. AEGIALITIS VOCIFERUS~Killdeer Plover, p. 77.
Dimensions, 1q; Eggs, Ig.
jor. VANELLUS CRISTATUS—Lapwing, p. 130.
Dimensions, Lb; Eggs, Ms.
302. STREPSILAS INTERPRES—Turnstone, p. 123.
Dimensions, Ht; Eggs, KB
3033 HAEMATOPUS OSTRALEGUS—Oystercatcher, p. 100.
Dimensions, Nf ; Eggs, Om.
SCOLOPACIDA.
Plate XXVII. 304. RECURVIROSTRA AVOCETTA—Avocet, p. 119.
Dimensions, Oe; Eggs, Na.
305. HIMANTOPUS CANDIDUS—Black-winged Stilt, p. 100.
Dimensions, Lc; Eggs, Ls.
306, PHALAROPUS HYPERBOREUS—Red-necked Phalarope, p. 114.
Dimensions, Fh; Eggs, Go.
307. PHALAROPUS FULICARIUS—Grey Phalarope, p. 114.
Dimensions, Gt; Eggs, Hr.
308. SCOLOPAX RUSTICOLA—Woodcock, f, 120,
Dimensions, Lp; Eggs, Lr.
Cc
26
COLOURED PLATES.
PLaTE XXVII.—continued.
Plate XXVIII.
323 & 3234.
Plate XXIX.
309.
310.
3ir.
312,
313.
314.
315.
316.
4
317.
318.
319.
320.
gil:
322,
324.
’
325.
326,
327.
328.
3296
330.
331.
332.
333+
334+
335-
336.
337.
338.
339-
340.
GALLINAGO MAJOR—Great Snipe, p. 98.
Dimensions, Js; Eggs, Lu.
GALLINAGO CG@LESTIS—Snipe, p. 98.
Dimensions, In; Eggs, Ke.
GALLINAGO GALLINULA~—Jack Snipe, p. 98:
Dimensions, Gd; Eggs, JK.
MACRORHAMPUS GRISEUS—Red-breasted Snipe, p. 106,
Dimensions, Je; Eggs, Ls.
LIMICOLA PLATYRHYNCHA—Broad-billed Sandpiper,
p. 104.
Dimensions, Dr; Eggs, Hr.
TRINGA MACULATA—Pectoral Sandpiper, p. 127.
Dimensions, Hf; Eggs, Ja.
TRINGA FUSICOLLIS—Bonaparte’s Sandpiper, p. 127:
Dimensions, Gi; Eggs, Ix.
TRINGA ALPINA—Dunlin, . 127.
Dimensions, Gg ; Eggs, Iv.
TRINGA MINUTA—Little Stint, p. 127.
Dimensions, Ck; Eggs, GJ.
TRINGA TEMMINCKI—Temminck’s Stint, f. 127.
Dmiensions, Dd; Eggs, Gre.
TRINGA MINUTILLA—American Stint, p. 127.
Dimensions, Dn; Eggs, Gt.
TRINGA SUBARQUATA—Curlew Sandpiper, p. 127.
Dimensions, Er,
TRINGA MARITIMA—Purple Sandpiper, p. 127.
Dimensions, Hj; Eggs, Ja.
TRINGA CANUTUS—Knot, p. 127.
Dimensions, 1j.
MACHETES PUGNAX—Ruff and Reeve, #. 106.
Dimensions, Jl3 Eggs, Lx.
CALIDRIS ARENARIA—Sanderling, p. 85.
Dimensions, Gr; Eggs, Im.
es ea RUFESCENS—Buff-breasted Sandpiper,
p. 128.
Dimensions, Hc ;'Eggs, Ju.
BARTRAMIA LONGICAUDA—Bartram's Sandpiper, /. 83.
Dimensions, Kf; Eggs, Ln.
TOTANUS HYPOLEUCUS—Sandpiper, p. 126.
Dimensions, Fs ; Eggs, \p.
TOTANUS MACULARIUS—Spotted Sandpiper, p. 126.
Dimenstons, Ge; Eggs, Ha.
TOTANUS OCHROPUS-—Green Sandpiper, p. 126,
Dimensions, Hm; Eggs, Ju.
TOTANUS GLAREOLA—Wood Sandpiper, p. 126.
Dimensions, Ha; Eggs, JM.
TOTANUS SOLITARIUS—Solitary Sandpiper, p. 126,
Dimensions, Hs.
TOTANUS CALIDRIS—Redshank, #. 126,
Dimensions, Jf; Eggs, Lr.
TOTANUS FUSCUS—Spotted Redshank, p. 126,
Dimensions, Ke; Eggs, My.
TOTANUS FLAVIPES—Yellowshank, 9. 126.
Dimensions, Ji; Eggs, Ks. ‘.
TOTANUS CANESCENS—Greenshank, p. 126,
Dimensions, Lj ; Eggs, Mo.
LIMOSA LAPPONICA—Bar-tailed Godwit, p, 104.
Dimensions, Mr; Eges, Ox.
LIMOSA BELGICA--Black-tailed Godwit, p. 1c}.
Dimensions, Or; Eggs, Ov.
NUMENIUS ARQUATUS—Curlew, p. 110,
Dimensions, ‘Ra; Eggs, Qo.
NUMENIUS PH/OPUS—Whimbrel, . r1o.
Dimensions, Og ; Eggs, Py.
NUMENIUS BOREALIS—Eskimo Curlew, p. 110,
Dimensions, Lq; Eggs, NQ.
COLOURED PLATES. 27
LARIDA.
Plate XXX. 341.
342.
343-
344.
345
346.
347-
348.
349-
350.
351.
352.
353:
Plate XXXI_ 354.
355+
350.
367.
368.
Plate XXXII. 369.
370.
371.
HYDROCHELIDON NIGRA—Black Tern, p. 101.
Dimensions, Jb; Eggs, Io
HYDROCHELIDON LEUCOPTERA—White-winged Black
Tern, p. ror.
Dimensions, 11; Eggs, Hs.
HYDROCHELIDON HYBRIDA—Whiskered Tern, p. 101.
Dimensions, Ka; Eggs, Kr.
STERNA pce Hes ees Me Tern, p. 122.
Dimensions, Mg; Eggs, M
STERNA CASPIA—Caspian Tet, p. 122
Dimensions, Pl; Eggs, QE.
STERNA CANTIACA—Sandwich Tern, p. 122.
Dimensions, Ms; Eggs, Nn.
STERNA DOUGALLI— Roseate Tern, p. 122.
Dimensions, Nm; Eggs, Le,
STERNA FLUVIATILIS—Tern, . 122.
Dimensions, Ll; Eggs, Lu.
STERNA MACRURA—Arctic Tern, p. 122.
Dimensions, Mo; Eggs, Kp
STERNA MINUTA—Little Tern, #. 122.
Dimensions, lf; Eggs, Hu.
STERNA FULIGINOSA—Sooty Tern, p. 122.
Dimensions, Nj; Eggs, Nv.
STERNA AN/ZESTHETA—Lesser Sooty Tern, p. 122.
Dimensions, Lt; Eggs, Mu.
ANOUS STOLIDUS—Noddy, p. 80.
Dimensions, Mb; Eggs, Np.
XEMA SABINII—Sabine' s a p. 130.
Dimensions, Lk; Eggs, Lr.
RHODOSTETHIA ROSEA—Wedge-tailed Gull, p. 119.
Dimensions, Me.
LARUS PHILADELPHIA—Bonaparte's Gull, p. 103.
Dimensions, Mm; Eggs, Ms.
LARUS MINUTUS-—Little eu, p. 102.
Dimensions, Jq; Eggs
LARUS RIDIBUNDUS—Black- Lace Gull, p. 103.
Dimensions, Nk; Eggs, Mr.
LARUS MELANOCEPHALUS — Mediterranean Black-
headed Gull, 9, 103.
Dimensions, Nr; Eggs, Mx.
LARUS ICHTHYAETUS-—Great Black-headed Gull, p. 103.
Dimensions, Sb; Eggs, Rr.
LARUS CANUS—Gull, p. 103.
Dimensions, Op; Eggs, Or.
LARUS ARGENTATUS—Herring Gull, . 103.
Dimensions, Qm; Eggs, Re.
LARUS FUSCUS—Lesser Black-backed Gull, p. 103.
Dimensions, Pq; Eggs, Qn.
LARUS MARINUS—Great Black-backed Gull, p. 103.
Dimensions, Sd; Eggs, Re
LARUS GLAUCUS—Glaucous Gull, p. 103.
Dimensions, Sl; Eggs, Sa.
LARUS LEUCOPTERUS~—lIceland Gull, p. 103.
Dimenstons, Qh; Eggs, Re
RISSA TRIDACTYLA~—Kittiwake, p. 119.
Dimensions, Mp; Eggs, Op.
PAGOPHILA Ma ee Bees a Gull, p. 112.
Dimensions, Ns ; Eggs, P
STERCORARIUS CATARRHACTES-—Great Skua, p, 122.
Dimensions, Rd; Eggs, Ru
STERCORARIUS POMATORHINUS—Pomatorhine Skua,
p. 122.
Dimensions, Pp; Eggs, Pc.
STERCORARIUS CREPIDATUS—Arctic or Richardson's Skua,
p. 122.
Dimenstons, Pj; Eggs, Pm. .
Ca
28 COLOURED PLATES.
Puate XXXII.—continued.
372. STERCORARIUS PARASITICUS—Long-tailed Skua,
- 122,
? Dimensions, Qc; Eggs, NT.
ALCIDZ,
373. ALCA TORDA—Razorbill, p. 79.
Dimensions, Nn; Eggs, Rv.
374 ALCA IMPENNIS—Great Auk, p. 79.
Dimensions, Sk; Eggs, Ss.
375. URIA TROILE—Guillemot, p. 130.
Dimensions, Ob ; Eggs, SE.
376. URIA BRUENNICHI—Brinnich's Guillemot, p. 136.
Dimensions, Of: Eggs, SE,
377. URIA GRYLLE—Black Guillemot, #. 130.
Dimensions, Kn; Eggs, Pz.
478. MERGULUS ALLE —Little Auk, ~. 107.
Dimensions, Hl; Eggs, Mr.
379. FRATERCULA ARCTICA—Puffin, p. 96.
Dimensions, Kd; Eggs, Pn.
COLYMBIDZ.
380. COLYMBUS GLACIALIS—Great Northern Diver, p. 89.
Dimensions, Sm; Eggs, SM.
381. COLYMBUS ADAMSI—Yellow-billed Diver, p. 89.
Dimensions, Ss; Eggs, Sk
382. COLYMBUS ARCTICUS—Black-throated Diver, p. 89.
Dimensions, Rm; Eggs, Sa
383. COLYMBUS SEPTENTRIONALIS—Red-throated Diver, p. 89.
Dimensions, Qs; Eggs, Ro.
PODICIPEDIDZ. 2
Plate XXXIII, 384. PODICEPS CRISTATUS—Great Crésted Grebe, p. 117.
Dimensions, Pr; Eggs, O1.
385. PODICEPS GRISEIGENA—Red-necked Grebe, p. 117.
Dimensions, Mt; Eggs, Mn.
386. PODICEPS AURITUS—Sclavonian Grebe, p. 117.
Dimensions, Kl; Eges, La.
387. PODICEPS NIGRICOLLIS—Eared Grebe, p. 117,
Dimensions, Kb; Eggs, Ma.
388. PODICEPS FLUVIATILIS—Little Grebe, p. 117.
Dimensions, Hp; Eggs, Is.
PROCELLARIIDA.,
389. FULMARUS GLACIALIS—Fulmar, p. 98.
Dimensions, Ot; Eggs, Ry.
390. FULMARUS HSITATUS—Capped Petrel, p. 98.
Dimensions, Nl.
391. PUFFINUS MAJOR-—Great Shearwater, p. 117.
Dimensions, Pa; Eggs, Re
392- PUFFINUS GRISEUS—Sooty Shearwater, p. 117.
Dimensions, Ol; Eggs, Qu.
393. PUFFINUS ANGLORUM—Manx Shearwater, p. 117.
Dimensions, Ma; Eggs, Po.
394. PUFFINUS OBSCURUS—Dusky Shearwater, p. 119.
Dimensions, Jo; Eggs, Oj.
395+ BULWERIA COLUMBINA—Bulwer’s Petrel, p. 84.
Dimensions, 1s; Eggs, Kj.
396. PROCELLARIA LEUCORRHOA—Fork-tailed Petrel, p. 517,
Dimensions, Fo; Eggs, Is
307, PROCELLARIA PELAGICA—Stormy Petrel, p. 117.
Dimensions, Cn ; Eggs, GN.
398. OCEANITES OCEANICUS— Wilson's Petrel, . 111,
Dimensions, Gl; Eggs, Hg.
CHAPTER IV.
SORTATION,
—+o+—
HAT is the name of the bird we have brought in with us fron.
our walk? Probably it has many names, both local and
technical ; but its local name is useless to us, to begin with, for such
names are net systematic, and give no clue to classification, What
we have to do, then, is to identify the bird, to discover the species
under which it has been described, and in that way arrive at the plain
English name by which it is generally known in our district.
Now, individuals are grouped by naturalists into species, species
into genera, genera into families, families into orders, and orders into
a class or classes. In this case we do not know the species, but we
know the class. Here is unmistakably one of the class Aves, or birds ;
and that is all we can say about it in the present stage of our progress
from the general to the particular.
The Aves consist of certain orders, but these it will be convenient
to leave for a while. These orders are made up of families, and as
there are only 35 families in the scheme we have adopted, we can at
once begin to sort them out by using whatever characteristic is readiest
and handiest for identification, even though it may only hold good for
such of their representatives as are found in our list.
To begin with, there is one well-defined group of birds which are
easily distinguishable. These are the so-
called ‘‘ Birds of Prey,” the Aé/omorphe of
Huxley, the Raffores of the older classifi-
cations. There is no mistaking the long,
strong, cruel claws, and the sharp-curviny
bill of such birds as these; and, for the
purposes of identification, though not for
classification — which is a very different
thing—it will be found as simple a way as
any to work on two main divisions, the first
including the birds of prey, and the second
all the rest. Retaining, then, the old name
of Raptores, which has the advantage of
being familiar, we have :—
1. Raptores.
2. Non-Raptores.
It fortunately happens that the first is represented by only three
families in the British list. These are :—
1. The Owls.
2. The Vultures.
3. The Eagles, Hawks, Falcons, &c., &c.
or, to use the technical names, the Sir7gida, Vulturide, and Falconida
30 SORTATION.
Tn the Owls the head is large, the eyes are in front, and the face is
round, although in some the “facial disk,”
as it is called, is not as complete as in
others. Many of the Owls, too, have
bristles on the feet instead of feathers ;
but surely we are safe in assuming that
anyone likely to take an interest in birds
will know an Owl when he sees one ; and
a lengthy description of the Strigidze would
here be waste of space. The bird we are
seeking to identify is certainly not an Owl.
Then, if it be a bird of prey at all, it
must belong to either the Vulturide or the
Falconida:. The chances are very much
against its being a Vulture, for the very
good reason that only three Vultures have been shot on British
ground within the memory of man. Vultures are but British birds
by courtesy, like a good many others. It is interesting to know that
our country has been visited by representatives of that singularly
uninteresting family; and that is about all that need be said. The
Vultures have bald or downy crowns ; and, consequently, if your bird
of prey has feathers on its crown, you may rest assured that it is not
one of the Vulturide.
We are thus left with the Falconide, comprising the true Falcons
who capture their prey in the air, the Hawks who capture it on or
near the ground, the Harriers, Kites, and Buzzards, who capture it
on the ground, and that bird by itself, the Osprey, which captures it
from the water. Our bird, however, is not a bird of prey at all; its
claws and beak and the absence of the “cere,” or bare skin at the
base of the beak, show that clearly enough. It is not an Owl, it is not
a Vulture, and it is not a Falcon in any sense of the word.
We have got rid of the Raptores by their claws and beak ; in the
identification of the rest it will be found that we can go a very long
way on their feet. The feet will not take us all the way, but we shall
considerably lighten our load by using them as long as they last.
Now, the normal number of a bird’s toes is four—three in front and one
behind—but in a large number of cases the hind toe is small, and in
others it has become obsolete. We can thus start our second group
with two main divisions :—
1. Three toes,
2. Four toes.
Let us take the three-toed birds first. These we can sort at once
into those that are web-footed, and those that are not; but as it will
be found that the web extends farther along the toes in some than in
others, we can further set up four minor divisions :—
1. United as far as the claws.
2. United as far as the second joint.
3. United at base.
4. Divided throughout.
If the bird’s foot be found to consist of three toes only, and these
SORTATION. 31
toes be webbed up to the claws, it will be assignable to one of four
. families, and to three of these in respect
of only one representative, so that in that
case we can tell at once, not only what ig
its family, but what are its genus and
species. If its wings are fin-like and its
tail rudimentary, it will be one of the
Alcide, an Auk, a Guillemot, a Puffin, or
a Razorbill. If its wings are not fin-like
and its tail is of ordinary proportions, it
f may be either a Wilson’s Petrel, Pallas’s
Sand Grouse, or a Kittiwake Gull. The Petrel you will know by its
very long legs ; it is the longest legged Petrel in the British list, and
our only representative of the genus Oceanztes, which is the only genus
of the Procedlarttde having only three toes. It is not a common bird,
but it is unmistakable. Pallas’s Sand Grouse is also a rarity, an
occasional straggler from the depths of Tartary, that caused quite a
sensation amongst sportsmen by its first appearance here some thirty
years ago. It is the only species on our list of the one genus
Syrrhaptes, which is, in its turn, the only representative we have of
the family Pteroclide. It is separable from the rest of this three-toed
group by its long wings and its wedge-shaped tail, which has 16
feathers in it.
As the Petrels have one three-toed representative, so have the
Gulls, that being the Kittiwake. Occasionally we may find a
Kittiwake with the hind toes rudimentary and not obsolete; but in
that case we shall pick him up again among the rest of the Gulls,
from whom he is generally distinguishable in the way we have stated.
If he has only the three toes he is not likely to be mistaken for a
Petrel, a Sand Grouse, or a Guillemot ; he is a true Sea Gull, white
and silver grey ; his tail is not wedge-shaped ; and he has very lony
wings, the flight feathers in which generally number 31.
But, it may be asked, what are the flight feathers of a bird? Let
us strip a wing and study it a little. Here is one, a Rook’s, freely
treated so as to be clear.
32 SORTATION.
It will be seen at once that the wing answers to the man’s arm
from the elbow downwards. Only so much of the humerus—called
the “funnybone,” from the pun on humorous, which has become
classical—is left in the drawing as to show its position. Joined on to it
at the elbow are the radius and ulna, just as in the human arm,
leading on to what represents our wrist and hand. At the joint are
the scaphoid and cuneiform bones; and leading on from them is the
well-developed second metacarpal, with a rudimentary first meta-
carpal on one side of it, and a more easily recognisable third
metacarpal on the other ; to the first metacarpal all that exists of the
first finger is attached ; to the second metacarpal hang the joints of
the second finger; while the third metacarpal has the only repre-
sentative of the three joints of the third finger. On the first finger,
answering to our pollex, or thumb, grows the “bastard wing ;” on
the other fingers and metacarpals, up to the wrist joint, come the
“primary” feathers; and on the ulna come the “secondary ” feathers,
often called the ‘cubitals.”
The most important point to be noticed at this stage is that the
flight feathers, or “remiges” as they are generally called—from the
Latin vemex, an oarsman—are divided into primaries and secondaries
at the carpal joint, just where the cuneiform comes, and that the
secondaries fit into little pits along the ulna, while the primaries are
distributed over the hand and fingers, or, to speak more technically,
over the lower metacarpals and the phalanges of the lower digits.
The secondaries vary a good deal, but the typical number of primaries
is 11; of these six are on the metacarpals ; one, the “addigital,” is on
the third digit; two, the “mid-digitals,” are on the first phalaux of
the second digit ; and two, the “ pre-digitals,” are on the next phalanx
of that digit ; the outer of the pre-digitals being the “remicle,” which
is always rudimentary and sometimes obsolete.
And now, having cleared the ground a little, let us resume. We
have seen that our bird does not belong to the Strzgdde, or Vulturida,
or Falconide, or Alcide, or Pteroclide, and we have thus definitely
identified five families out of thirty-five, and have also discovered that
our specimen belongs to neither of the genera of two other families,
which can be separated out by their having only three toes, and those
united as far as the claws.
Our next group consisted of the three-toed birds with the web
extending only as far as the second joint. There is only one family
fy answering this description, and that is the @dzcne-
mida@, which has in our list but one genus, Zaicnemus,
and that with only one species. We are thus able to
identify the Stone Curlew by its foot alone.
Our third group with three toes has its toes united
at the base, or practically anywhere below the second
joint; and our fourth has the toes entirely free,
without any webs at all. We can make as short
work of the fourth as we did of the second. There is
only one family in the list with three toes unconnected
by a membrane, and that is the Zzsnzczide, repre-
sented by the one genus Zuzn/x, and that by its one
species, known as the Andalusian Bush Quail, or
Hemipode, which is only admitted as a Britisher under protest.
SORTATION. 33
We have only one three-toed group left. To it belong the Bustards,
the Otzdide, which have their toes edged with a membrane; the
Sanderling, which is the one representative of
the genus Ca/zdrs, the only genus of the Scolopa-
cide which has but three toes; and last and
chiefly the whole family of Plovers, or Charadrisde,
with the exception of the Grey Plover, the Turn-
stone, and the Lapwing. From the Plovers the
Sanderling is at once distinguishable by its
3: having its bill as long as its head, and having it
‘ dilated at the point ; while the Plover’s bill is not
dilated at the point, and is always either longer or
shorter than the head. And thus by taking out
the birds of prey and the birds with three toes we
have got rid of eight families out of thirty-five,
and claimed eight genera out of four more.
But before we consider the four-toed class, which comprises the
bulk of the birds, British and otherwise, it would be as well to produce
our example, which it would not have done to have brought forward
before, inasmuch as it is only too plain that he is not a bird of prey,
and that he has more than three toes.
Here he is, mapped out as far as it is necessary for him to be at
present, and it would be as well to identify his “districts.” Here are his
“primaries ”and his
“secondaries,” and,
at the upper angle,
the “alula” or “bas-
tard wing” we have
already spoken of.
On the top of the
“remiges,” or flight
feathers, come the
“wing coverts,”and
over them come the
“lesser coverts.”
Between the wing
and the back come
the shoulder fea-
thers, or “scapu-
lars,” and at the
base of the back
come the “upper
tail coverts,” from
beneath which run
the “rectrices,” or
tail feathers. Above the back is the neck with the “nape,” which
bears the ‘“‘nuchal” feathers, the “occiput,” or poll, the “crown,”
already spoken of as being bare in the Vulturidz, and the “forehead,”
just above the beak and in front of the eyes.
Thre an meermisne,
But let us turn him over. Here we see that the “lore” is between
the eye and the beak, and that the “chin” is just underneath the
34 SORTATION,
beak, leading on to the
f “throat,” which in turn
paanend leads on to the “breast.”
Below this is the lower
breast, bordered by the
oa cenone mine comet flanks,” and then comes
the abdomen, ending
with the “under tail
coverts,” from under
which come the tail
feathers, whose upper
side we have already
seen. Again we have
the primaries and se-
condaries, with the con-
spicuous break between
them, leading up to the
carpal joint, the “under
wing coverts” being
along the top; and on
VANE SR mR etS ERS. what answer to our
armpits are the bird’s “axillaries” we shall find so useful in
identification when we have to deal with genera and species. The
legs will be seen to correspond to human legs, much inthe same way
as the wings did to arms. The “femur,” or thigh bone, is short and
is well up; and the knee, with its “patella,” comes above where the
wing crosses in the sketch. Below it is the “tibia,” which has the
fibula as part of it, and then comes what is often called the bird’s
knee, but which you can at once see, from the way it bends inwards,
must be its ankle, and which is really in its upper portion the tibio-
tarsus ; from the knee to the foot runs what is known in the bird
books as the “tarsus,” though it is really the tarso-metatarsus; but the
point is of no practical importance in our present endeavour. Below
the tarsus come the toes; the hallux, answering to our great toe, at -
the back; then the inner toe, coming from between the legs
outwards; then the middle toe; and the fourth or outer toe. The
fifth toe is missing in the birds; when there are but three toes it is
the representative of our great toe which has gone; when there are
but two toes, as with the Ostrich, it is the second and third that
remain. The normal number of phalanges or toe joints is 14, two
being in the hind toe, three in the inner toe, four in the middle toe,
and five in the outer toe. As we go on we shall find that these
numbers vary. But enough of this for a time; we are now strong
enough in terms to begin our attack on the four-toed birds.
And we cannot begin better than by
eliminating the Pelecanide, which have
not only four well developed toes, but
have these toes all webbed together up to
the claws, being “totipalmate,” as it is
called. That one distinction separates
the Cormorant, Shag, and Gannet, the
only representatives we have of the group,
from every other family in the British list.
ly
Ly,
iby,
SORTATION. 35
We can form another group of the birds which have
p webbed on to the tarsus. Under this heading would
come the Colymbide, or Divers; and one repre-
sentative of the Laride, the Ivory Gull, which is our
only species of the genus Pagopfhila. There is no
difficulty in distinguishing the Gull from a Diver, for
he is an entirely white bird, and he has long wings,
while the Divers have shott wings, and he has a
decurved bill, while their bill is compressed or higher
than it is broad.
We have now to deal with the birds that have the
hind toe free. We can divide these into four groups:
1.—Those that have the three toes united as far as the claws,
2.—Those that have the three toes united as far as the second joint.
3.--Those that have the two united as far as the second joint and
two as far as the first.
4.—Those that have the three united near the base.
To the first group there belong—
Pheenicopteridze. Laridee (all that are left.
Ibididae. Procellariidee (all that are left).
Anatidee.
The Phenicopteride have one representative. He is the Flamingo
His webs are cut into a good deal, but still his feet are undoubtedly
webbed to the claws. And really it does not matter. No one is
likely to mistake our sample bird for a Flamingo, and the sooner he
goes the better. In the /déd/de we have another case of “sole
representative in this district.” This is the Ibis, with long, slender,
down-curved bill ; not the Scarlet Ibis, but the “Glossy,” or bronzy
one, a very unlikely bird to meet with in the fenland now, and
recognisable at once as soon as seen. We have
Vay now but three families left, and these are of real
importance. To say nothing of the occasionally
lobed hind toe, and the extra lobe in some cases on
m the front of the foot, the Anatidz, comprising the
Ducks, Geese, and Swans, are separable from the
rest by their bill, which is either toothed, as in
Mergus, or else lamellate. The Gulls have their
bill neither toothed nor lamellate, and in that respect
8) resemble the Petrels; but then the Petrels have a nail
at the end of their bill, which the Gulls have not; and
the nostrils of a Petrel are in a tube, while those of a
Gull have no such arrangement. The three main
families of the “ palmate” division are thus marked off with ease, and
we can resume the main line with our second group, that including
the birds which have three of their four toes webbed as far as the
second joint. There are not many such birds. The Spoonbill is
30 SORTATION,
one. He is the sole representative on our list of the
Plataleide, and with him we bid farewell to another
family. His spatulate bill distinguishes him from every
other bird. The Scolopacide are represented in this
group of ours by one species only, and that also, curiously
enough, is recognisable at once by its bill, which is
long and narrow, and curving upwards. There is no
trouble in identifying either the Spoonbill and the
Avocet, although the latter’s web may, exceptionally,
stretch a little beyond the second joint. To this group
the only other birds that belong are the Parvzme, or
Tits, a sub-family of the Passeridz; but it will be
sufficient for the moment to have mentioned them.
We will leave the Passeridz as the loose ends of our fabric, and pick
them up and deal with them by themselves in due course.
Our next group includes the birds which have two
of their toes united as far as the second joint,
and two united as far as the first. To this group
we can assign but two families—the Kingfishers and
the Bee- eaters, otherwise Alcedinide and Meropide.
There is no difficulty in separating these. The King-
fishers have short tails, the Bee-eaters have long tails ;
the Kingfishers have a ridged beak, the Bee-eaters have
no ridge; and, if it be necessary to go into details,
the Kingfishers have 22 remiges while the Bee-eaters
have 23.
We are left with the last group in which three toes are united,
and in this case the web extends only a little beyond the base. The
most familiar example of this kind of foot is found
among the Phaszanide, which family is mace up of
most of the game birds—the Pheasants, Partridges,
Grouse, Quail, and Ptarmigan. Let our representa-
tive foot be that of a Pheasant, which is recognisable
by its spur. The Phasianidz have short legs and
short bills, and a curious peculiarity of their’s is that
the eleventh remex—that is, flight feather—is always
shorter than any of the others. The short legs and
short bill sufficiently distinguish the Phasianidze from
the Czconzide, another member of this group. The
Ciconiidze consist merely of the two Storks, the
black one and the white one, neither of which is a
Briton by birth or a frequent visitor. With these
come three more families—the Cafrimu/gid@, the
Charadriide in respect of the three genera already
excepted, and the Scolopactde, in respect of the
Black-winged Stilt, the Woodcock, the Red-breasted Snipe, the
Broad-billed Sandpiper, the Buff-breasted Sandpiper, and the Cur-
lews and Whimbrel, all of which we will sort out by-and-bye.
To the Caprimulgidz belong the Nightjars, whose gaping bill at
auhwwm once marks them off from the rest of the group. Another
tire characteristic mark of the Nightjars is the foot, which
has the phalanges of the toes as 2, 3, 4, 3, instead of
2, 3, 4, 5, as usual; in another way they are recognisable
SORTATION,. 37
from the other families with whom we have brought them, by their
having only to tail feathers; and finally their curious comb-like
yw, middle claw will betray them anywhere even if their bill
} did not. There is, therefore, no difficulty in separating
the Ciconiide, the Phasianidee, and the Caprimulgidz ;
nor is there any with regard to the remainder of the
‘Charadriidz in this division. They consist of three
‘genera only, each containing but one species. The
Grey Plover is known at once by his white tail broadly
barred with black and brown, the Lapwing is at once
detected by his long crest, as the Turnstone is by his orange legs.
We have only one group left in which the feet are united by
membranes. To it belong the whole of four families and certain
, representatives of the Scolopacide and Pas-
seridge, the two families in which the feet give
us so much trouble because the foot is no
Y basis of classification. These four are —
Ardeidz (the Herons),
Gruidee (the Cranes).
Glareolide (the Pratincole),
Upupide (the Hoopoe).
Here we can pick out the Hoopoe at once;
his erectile crest distinguishes him. And the
Pratincole need not linger in the list; his
short bill, short legs, forked tail, and long
wings are sufficiently distinctive. With regard to the Cranes and
Herons we can divide them on their middle claw, which is smooth
in the Cranes and pectinate in the Herons ; but the long pendent
secondary feathers of the Cranes at once mark them off from the
Herons, even if their shorter beak did not. The genera of the
Scolopacide are at once recognisable by their long thin bills ; and
when we come to deal with the Scolopacidee as a family by
itself, we shall have no difficulty in sorting out Yotanus, Machetes,
Bartramia, and Zzmosa,; and the few Passerines that come into the
group we can leave as we did before till the final settlement.
It will be remarked that we have completed every family we have
yet mentioned except the Scolopacidz and Passeride, which we
agreed to treat exceptionally; and that we have now dealt with
all the families in which the feet are united, and including the birds
of prey, have eliminated from our thirty-five families :—
Strigide. Pheenicopterida,
Vulturide. Ibididz.
Falconide, Anatida.
Alcide. Plataleida,
Laride. Alcedinida.
Pteroclide. Meropide.
Procellariide. Ciconiidee.
C&dicnemide. Phasianide.
Otidide. Caprimulgide.
Charadriida. Ardeida.
Turnicide. Gruide.
Pelecanida, Glareolida.
Colymbidez. Upupidae.
38 SORTATION.
And we have left in for further treatment certain species of
Scolopacidze and Passeridz. We have not said much of our sample
bird as yet, for it is evident from his portrait that his feet are not
webbed at all, and consequently we have been dealing with groups to
which he could not possibly belong.
Neither can he belong to our next group in
which the feet are webbed to each other in
peculiar lobes. The best example of a lobed foot
is that of a Grebe. It is so unlike anything else
that the Podicipedide are as easy of recognition as
the Pelecanide.
This broad flat foot is the paddle by which the
bird propels itself when under water; for, unlike
the Alcide, the Podicipedide do not use their
wings in their sub-aqueous explorings. There are
no representatives of either of these families that
dive as men dive; the Auks really fly under
water, the Grebes really swim, keeping at any
depth, and working in and out among the sub-
merged plants as expertly as a Duck does among the leaves that rise
above the surface. In both families the legs are placed so far back
that the bird stands upright like a Penguin,
There are only three families in which lobed
feet are found, and it is only in the Podicipedidx
that the peculiarity is common to every species.
Among the Rallide there are two genera, each
with a single species, which have lobed feet.
These are the Coot and the Moorhen, the former
of which has the lobes in broad scallops, a foot so
remarkable that it cannot be mistaken for that of
any other bird on the British list. The Coot has
two marks which make his recognition the easiest
of tasks. If you do not know him by his broadly
lobed foot, you will know him by the white shield
on his forehead, which a facetious naturalist has
described as being as useful as a brass plate.
The other representative of the Rallidz, and the last
of the birds with lobed feet, is the Moorhen. In this
case they are not so well marked as in the others, but
narrow as they may be they are clearly distinguishable,
and not likely to be mistaken for the membranes we
have previously noted. And they are unlike the
narrowly denticulate lobes of Phalavopus, which is the
only genus of the Scolopacide that comes into this
group.
We have now to deal with the four-toed birds
which have their feet entirely divided from the base.
These naturally fall into three groups :-—
“1. Having four toes in front.
2. Having two toes in front and two behind.
3. Having three toes in front.
And to the last—the “three fingers and a thumb” brigade--belong
our most familiar birds, including our example.
A
SORTATION. 39
But first for the others. There is only one family
having its four toes in front. This is the Cypsel¢d@ in
respect of the one genus, Cypselus, of which the only
representatives are the Swifts. There are two Swifts in
the list, one of which, the Alpine one, is never known to
breed here, and is a very infrequent visitor; so that,
practically, we have only one bird with four toes in front.
The Cypselidz have, however, another genus, Acanthyllis.
in which three toes are in front, in the ordinary way ; but
we shall have that exception to deal with presently.
Some birds have two toes in front and two behind. Amongst us,
this “zygodactyle” group is represented by the Wood-
peckers and Cuckoos. The distinction, like most of those
we have been giving, only holds good for the birds on the
British list, for some of the foreign Woodpeckers have only
three toes. The Cuckoos belong to the Cuculide@, and the
Woodpeckers to the Pzcéd@; and, while the Cuculide can
be at once recognised by their long graduated tail, the
Picidze are as readily recognisable by their long wedge-
shaped bill and long extensile and bristly tongue.
We have now reached the last of our divisions as regards the feet.
The families remaining to be dealt with are only half a dozen in
number. They are :—
Cypselidz, in respect of the one genus Acanthyliis.
Coraciidze, which has only one representative, the Roller.
Columbidz, the Pigeons.
Rallidz, in respect of the genera Crex and Rallus.
Scolopacidze, in respect of the genera Zr¢mga and Gallinago.
Passeridze, in respect of all its genera as yet unmentioned.
To one of these groups our bird belongs. It does not belong to
the first, for that consists only of the one genus and one species, the
Needle-tailed Swift, only two specimens of which have ever been
heard of here, and which is known at once by its having its tail
feathers ending in sharp spines. It does not belong to the next, for
that also has only one representative, the Roller, which is a brightly
coloured bird, not unlike a Parrot in Oxford and Cambridge blues,
whereas ours is mere brown and grey. It does not belong to the third,
for it is not a Pigeon ; its bill is not deflected, nor does it thin in the
middle, and swell towards the point ; nor has it its nostrils in a soft
skin at the base of the bill. It is not a Crake, for its beak is neither
short nor stout, nor are its wings rounded, nor its feet large, nor its
legs or tail short. It is not a Snipe, nor a Stint, nor a Sandpiper, for
that is what the only remaining genera of the Scolopacide represent.
And as it is neither assignable to Cypselida, nor Coraciidz, nor
Columbidz, nor Rallidze, nor Scolopacide, the only family that can
claim it is the Passeridze, which is the most important family of birds,
not only in Great Britain, but in the world.
Thus far, then, have we gone with the feet. By leaving the
Passerines for special treatment and eliminating the birds of prey we
have been enabled to sort out all the families in our list. And before
we proceed further it will simplify matters to print the plan we have
worked to in tabular form.
CHAPTER V.
THE FAMILIES,
APTORES, or Birds of Prey; with powerful claws, sharp
curving bill, and a cere at the base of the bill.
STRIGID (Owls)—head large, face round, eyes in front. 161-170.
VULTURID& (Vultures)—crown bald or downy. 171-172.
FALCONID# (Eagles and Hawks)—crown feathered. 173-198.
NON-RAPTORES—
1. With three toes.
2. With four toes.
Three toes—
1. United as far as the claws.
2. United as far as the second joint.
3. United at base.
4. Divided throughout.
United as far as the claws—
AuLcip# (Auks, Guillemots, Puffin, and Razorbill)— wings fin-
like ; tail rudimentary. 373-379.
LARID& (in respect of most specimens of the genus Réssa, the
Kittiwake)—wings long, remiges 31 ; tail not wedge shaped.
367.
PTEROCLID# (Pallas’s Sand Grouse)—wings long ; tail wedge
shaped and of 16 feathers. 268.
PROCELLARIID (in respect of the one genus Oceanttes,
Wilson’s Petrel)—legs long. 398.
United as far as the second joint—
CEDICNEMID& (Stone Curlew)—remiges 29. 290.
United near base—
OTIDID& (Bustards)—toes edged with membrane. 287-289.
CHARADRIID& (Plovers, with the exception of the Grey Plover,
Turnstone, and Lapwing)—bill longer or shorter than head
and not dilated at point. 292-295, 297-300, 303.
SCOLOPACID# (in respect of the one genus Caldris, the
Sanderling)—bill as long as head and dilated at point. 324.
Divided throughout—
TURNICID# (Andalusian Bush Quail). 277.
Four toes— ,
1. Four united.
2. Three united ; one webbed to tarsus.
3. Three united ; hind toe free.
4. Two united.
5. Lobed.
6
. Divided throughout.
THE FAMILIES. 41
Four united—
PELECANID& (Cormorant, Gannet, and Shag)—hbill long; tarsus
compressed ; third claw pectinate. 199-201.
Three united ; one webbed to tarsus.
COLYMBID& (Divers)—wings short ; bill compressed. 380-383.
Laripé (in respect of the one genus Pagophila, the Ivory
Gull)—wings long ; bill decurved. 368.
Three united ; hind toe free—
1. As far as the claws.
2. As far as the second joint.
3. Two as far as the second joint and two as far as the first.
4. Near base.
As far as the claws—
PHNICOPTERIDA (Flamingo)—webs incised ; bill bent half
way. 216.
IBIDID& (Ibis)—bill long, slender, and decurved, point rounded;
27 remiges. 215.
ANATIDA@ (Ducks, Geese, and Swans) —bill broad, and
lamellate, or toothed. 217-262.
LaRID& (Gulls and Terns, except the Kittiwake and Ivory
Gull)—bill neither lamellate nor toothed, and without a nail;
fourth toe rudimentary. 341-366.
PROCELLARUD& (Petrels and Shearwaters)— nostrils in a
tube ; bill unserrate and ending in a nail. 389-398.
As far as the second joint—
PLATALEID& (Spoonbill)—bill spatulate ; 30 remiges. 214.
SCOLOPACIDZ (in respect of the one genus, Recurvzrostra, the
Avocet)—bill boldly curving upwards. 304.
PASSERID& (in respect of the Parin@)—very small birds, for
which see analysis further on.
Two as far as the second joint and two as far as the first—
ALCEDINID (Kingfishers)—upper mandible ridged ; remiges
22; tail short. 151, 152.
MEROPID (Bee-eaters)—upper mandible net ridged; remiges
23; taillong. 154, 155.
Near base—
CICONIID# (Storks)—long bill; over 30 remiges; long legs.
212, 213.
PHASIANID& (Pheasants, Partridges, Grouse, Quail, and Ptarmi-
gan)—short bill; eleventh remex shortest ; short legs. 269-276.
CAPRIMULGIDA (Nightjars)—gaping bill; 1o tail feathers ;
middle toe pectinate ; phalanges 2, 3, 4, 3. I41-143.
CHARADRIID& (in respect of the Grey Plover which has a
white tail broadly barred with black and brown, the Lapwing
which has a crest, and the Turnstone which has orange legs).
296, 301, 302.
SCOLOPACID& (in respect of the Black-winged Stilt, the Wood-
cock, the Red-breasted Snipe, the Broad-billed Sandpiper,
the Buff-breasted Sandpiper, and the Curlews and Whim-
brel. 308, 312, 313, 325, 338-340.
Two united—
ARDEID& (Herons and Bitterns)—bill long and straight ; legs
long and straight ; middle claw pectinate. 202-211.
D
42
THE FAMILIES.
GRUID& (Cranes)—bill moderate; 33 remiges ; secondaries
long and pendent; legs long, middle claw not pectinate.
285, 286.
GLAREOLID& (Pratinco’e)—bill short; wings long ; legs short;
tail forked. 291.
Upupip& (Hoopoe)—erectile crest ; remiges 20. 156. |
SCOLOPACID# (in respect of the Ruff, Bartram’s Sandpiper,
the Godwits, and the genus 7o/anws)—long slender bill. 323,
326-337. 2 : :
PASSERID# (in respect of certain genera as given in the
special analysis of that family).
Lobed— :
PODICIPEDID (Grebes)—lobes pennate and entire; tail ru-
dimentary and downy ;_ tarsus compressed. 384-388.
RALLID& (in respect of the Coot and Moorhen, the former of
which has the lobes broadly scalloped, the latter having them
straight and narrow). 284, 283.
SCOLOPACIDA (in respect of the genus Phalaropus)—lobes
narrowly denticulate. 307.
Divided throughout—
1. Four in front.
2. Two in front, two behind.
3. Three in front.
Four in front—
CYPSELIDA (in respect of the genus Cyfse/us, the Swift.
138, 139. ;
Two in front, two behind—
C1ICIDA (Woodpeckers and Wryneck)—long bill ; long extensile
and bristled tongue. 144-149.
CUCULID& (Cuckoos)—long graduated tail. 157-160.
Three in front—
CYPSELID (in respect of the Needletailed Swift)— tail feathers
with sharp spines. 140.
CORACHD (Roller)—bill compressed; upper mandible de-
curved at tip; 23 remiges; tarsus scutellate in front,
reticulate at back. 153.
COLUMBID (Pigeons) — bill deflected, thinnest in middle,
expanding towards point ; nostrils in soft skin at base of biil:
feathers without aftershafts; no down; second primary
longest. 263-267.
RALLID (Crakes, except the Coot and Moorhen)—short stout
beak ; rounded wings; large feet; short legs; short tail.
278-282.
SCOLOPACIDA (in respect of the genera Gallinago and
Tringa)—long slender bill. 309-311, 314-322.
PASSERIDA. [-147.
CHAPTER VI.
EXAMPLES OF IDENTIFICATION,
oo
i sorting out the British passerine birds we can simplify matters
considerably by beginning with four sub-families which are
represented by only one species each, which species is almost
certain to be recognised immediately.
These are :—
Oriolinz. Panurine.
Icterine. Ampelinz.
Is our sample bird a bright-yellow one, like a large canary with
black wings, and a black tipped tail? Is it in fact a Golden Oriole ?
No; it is not. And as the Golden Oriole is the only species we have
of Ortolus, which is our only repvesentative of its sub-family, we can
at once eliminate Orioline.
Is it a glossy black bird, with bright scarlet wing coverts? No. The
only bird like that in the British list is a rare, and vrobably escaped,
American, known as the Red-winged Starling, w: i:h is a species of
Agelgus, and our only representative of its sub-family ; and conse-
quently we need not further trouble ourselves with Icterine.
Is our bird a little fellow with a rufous tail over three inches long,
and much longer than the rest of his body, and has he in full plumage
a black pointed moustache, which, though obscure at some periods of
the year, is always traceable? No. Our bird is quite two inches
longer, his tail is not as long as his body, and he has no moustache at
all. In short, no one would imagine he was a Bearded Tit; and with
its sole representative we have done with the Panurine.
Has he a bold erectile crest like a Cockatoo, and has he red waxy
tips to his secondary feathers or his tail? No. Then he is nota
Waxwing; and the Waxwing is the only species we have of the
Ampelina.
There is another sub-family we can bracket with these, and that is
the Cincling, which is represented by only one genus Céxclus, which
has two species, one differing from the other only in the greater
blackness of its breast. These Dippers as they are called, are, however,
so distinct from the rest of our birds, that they are at once re-
cognisable. Their plumage is blackish brown, dense and fibrous, and,
as befitting the only passerine water birds, they are provided with a
thick undercoat of down, which some people are inclined to describe
as the only true down in the order. That, however, is open to
discussion. For our purposes it is enough to know that the foregoing
five sub-families are unmistakable, and that our specimen belongs to
neither of them.
D2
44 IDENTIFICATION.
We have 15 sub-families left. These we can sort out on the com-
parative length of the first primary, which is always narrow among
the Passerines. In some of our group this first primary, which must
not be mistaken for the remicle, is absent altogether, in others it is
just apparent, in others it is almost halfas long as the second primary,
in others it is more than half as long as the second primary. We can
thus, for the purposes of identification, separate the birds we have left
into three divisions :—
1. Having the first primary quite half as long as the second.
2. Having the first primary obsolete or minute.
3. Having the first primary less than half as long as the second.
Of the first division we had a capital example in our typical wing
on page 31. ‘here are only two Passerine sub-families which have
wings like that. One is the Corvéne, comprising the Raven, the Crow,
the Jackdaw, Magpie, Jay, and Nutcracker ; and the other is the
Troglodyting, which has as its only representative the well-known
Jenny Wren. Now, no one is likely to mistake the diminutive Wren,
which is one of the smallest birds we have, for one of the Corvine.
If the size were not enough to prevent the mistake, the: long soft
plumage, the erect little tail, and the con-
cave wings, compared to the flat wings of
the larger birds, would at once remove
all difficulty in recognitior.
Our 15 sub-families have thus be-
come 13, and these we can separate into
six of one and seven of the other. Let
us take the six first. Here is the typical
wing of this group. It is that of a Skylark.
See how small the first primary is to what
it was in the wing of the Rook. In some of
the Finches, as we shall see immediately,
this feather is absent altogether ; and in
none of our six is it a quarter as long as
the second. The six are :—
Sturninee (the Starlings).
Fringiltinae (the Finches).
Emberizine (the Buntings). Hirundininz (the Swallows).
Motacillinee (the Wagtails). Alaudinze (the Larks).
Let us consider these in order. Does our bird belong to the
fringilline 2 Is he like a Sparrow, Passer himself—whence the
Passerines etymologically—is he like a Canary; a Goldfinch; a
Bullfinch ; a Greenfinch; a Chaffinch; a Linnect; a Crossbill? Has he
that peculiar beak, hard, short, and conical? No. Then he is not
one of the Fringillinae. We need not have looked at his wing in this
case ; the beak alone would have been enough.
Is hea Bunting? But how can you tell a Bunting from a Finch?
Look at the gape line. Look at the head side-
ways, and see the sharp angle with which the
upper mandible shuts on the lower. In the
Finches, as in all the sub-families that follow,
as you can see by their heads, this line is
straight. But there is another distinction
between the Finches and the Buntings, and
IDENTIFICATION. 45
the one that separates the Buntings out at once. That is, the
knobbed palate, that has been made so prominent in
our sketch. Open the bird’s mouth, and look in the
roof of it. The “Bunting knob” is unmistakable.
Our bird has no knob, and his gape line is straight.
Evidently he is not one of the Emberizinze.
Is he a Wagtail or a Pipit? Has he a narrow,
slender bill, long legs, and a long tail? Certainly not.
He is not built lightly enough or gracefully enough for that group.
He is not one of the Motacillinz.
Is he a Starling? Is his plumage shining and metallic in lustre
and spotted? If not we can pass the Sturnine.
Is he a Swallow? Look at his head from above.
Is his beak as short and wide as this? Is he a
Swallow, a Martin, a Sand Martin? Has he short legs,
long wings, and a forked tail? No. Then he is not
one of the Hirundinine.
Is he a Lark? Look at his legs. Is his tarsus
plated back and front? No. Then he is not a Lark,
and we can clear the track of the Alaudinz, and try
back for our last division.
In this the first primary is about as long as the coverts. Even
should there be a difficulty in separating
between this and the preceding, it will
be found that the characteristics of the
sub-families are so clear that the two
divisions could very well have been treated
as one. At the same time were the
thirteen wings before you, you would
easily sort out the seven that follow :—
Certhiinze (the Creepers).
Muscicapinz (the Flycatchers),
Laniinz (the Shrikes).
Sittinze (the Nuthatch).
Parinze (the Tits).
Accentorin (the Accentors).
Turdinze (the Thrushes and Warblers).
There are only two of the Creepers. One is the Wall Creeper, our
Wy) sole representative of 7%chodroma, and of him only two
Wy specimens are on record in this country. He is a slaty
grey bird, with grey and crimson wings. The other
Creeper is the common one, a little fellow, spotted brown
above and whitish below, with a long curved slender bill,
a rounded tail, with its feathers pointed, and a long curved
hind claw. Evidently our bird is not a Creeper; and we
can pass Certhiinze.
46 IDENTIFICATION.
Is he a Flycatcher? Look at his bill. Is it broad and flat, with
bristles at its base? Is it such a bill, in fact,
as he would catch flies with when he is on
the wing? Are his nostrils partly hidden
under the frontal plumes? Are his toes all
free of each other, and the middle one much
longer than the rest? Has he small feet? . i"
Is his wing long and pointed, and with the second primary a trifle
shorter than the third, fourth, and fifth, which are longer than any of
the others? If not we can pass on from Muscicapine. :
Is he a Shrike? Has he a short bill with a tooth in it, as if he
could be a bird of prey on occasion ; has
he a good deal of soft slaty grey in his
plumage ; are two of his toes united, the
middle toe with the outer? Has he
forward pointing hairs at the base of his
bill? Is his middle toe shorter than his
tarsus? Are his nostrils oval? Is his
third primary longer than the others?
No. Then he cannot be assigned to the Laniinze.
Is he a Nuthatch? Has he a long straight bill like this? Is hea
bluish little fellow, with his two middle tail ;
feathers grey, and pale brown legs with
strong and clumsy feet? No. Then he is «
not one of the Sittine, for the Nuthatch is
our only representative of that sub-family.
Is he a Tit? Are his three front toes
united as far as the second joint, and is his
hind claw long? No. He is too big for a Tit, even for a Great Tit,
and he has no black apron which would distinguish him if he were.
We have only two groups left. One, the Accentorinz, has only two
representatives, the Hedge Sparrow and the
Alpine Accentor, one of which has the throat
bluish grey, while the other has it white, with
black spots. He is too large for either of
these, even if his bill were strong enough and
his wings rounded enough. That he should
be the Alpine bird is unlikely, for only a few
stragglers of that species come over here. That he might be a Hedge
Sparrow is more reasonable, but then everyone knows the Hedge
Sparrow. And as we have thus eliminated twelve of our groups, our
representative specimen can only belong to the thirteenth and last.
He is either a Thrush or a Warbler.
But suppose we have made a mistake? Then we shall soon find
it out, as we should have found it had we allocated him to any of the
other families or sub-families ; for our scheme is so arranged that if
we take the wrong road we shall soon come to “no thoroughfare,”
and have to return and try somewhere else down the line. This time,
however, we have been right in disregarding the junctions, and
following the main line of the plan given in our next chapter.
Our bird, then, is one of the Turdinz, and we have discovered what
he is by separating him from what he is not. Let us pursue that
method. To what genus of the Turdine does he belong?
IDENTIFICATION, 47
Open his wing and look at his armpits. Are his axillary feathers
chequzred? No. Then he is no Gevctchla; he is not a White’s
‘hrush nor a Siberian Thrush, and he would be a rarity if he were.
Are his axillaries black? No. Then he is not a Blackbird or a Ring
Ouzel. Perhaps they are yellow, and he has an unspotted breast ; if
so, his genus is either Phy//oscopus or Hypolais; Phylloscopus if his
legs are brown, Hypolais if his legs are blue. But his axillaries are
not yellow and his breast is not unspotted. Are his axillaries buff?
Has he a buff breast, a reddish brown back, a reddish brown tail ; is
he, in short, a Nightingale? No. He is not a Nightingale ; and he
is thus unclaimed by five genera.
Now let us try him in another way. Is his chin red ; and is his lower
breast white? No. He is not a Robin Redbreast. Is his chin
chestnut and his lower breast chestnut? No. He is not a Dartford
Warbler. Two more genera are eliminated. The next we might
have started with. Has hea bright yellow crest? No. Heisnota
Gold-crest or a Fire-ciest ; and no one would have supposed so from
his size.
Perhaps he is a Rufous Warbler? If so his head and back would
be chestnut, his breast buff; his tail rounded and long, and tipped
with white ; and he would have been the fourth specimen on record.
Evidently he is not Aédon. Has he a white rump, black legs,
unnotched bill? Is he a Savricola, in fact? No. He is not a
Wheatear. Has he a whitish rump, black legs, a notched bill, anda
short square tail ; is he a Pratincola? No. He is neither a Stone-
chat nora Whinchat. Has hea bright blue throat? No. He is not
a Cyanecula, Has he a bluish grey head, a black bill, and a chestnut
breast? No. There was only one bird ever seen like that in this
country. He is not a Monticola; and so far we have tried him in
vain for 13 genera, and we have only five to run him down in.
Has he a black throat anda red tail, with black or brown on its
two middle feathers; is he a Ruticilla? No. He is not one of the
Redstarts. Is his bill without rictal bristles, are his axillaries brown,
and is his tail pointed and shorter than the wing? No. That com-
bination will not suit him. He is not a Locustel/a. Are his axillaries
whitish, is his bill large in proportion to his head, and depressed and
broad at the base, and is his tail short and rather round? No.
That combination will not do. We cannot get rid of him in
Acrocephalus. But we have only two left !
How long is he? Over seven inches—over eight really. Then he
cannot belong to Sy/vza, he must belong to Zurdus. That is one
way out of the difficulty, certainly. But suppose he were an under-
sized specimen ?
Then, if he were assignable to Sylvia, his bill would be faintly
notched, and very short and stout, but not broad at the base, his
breast would be plain or barred, his wings would be moderate in size,
his first primary would be noticeably less than half the length of the
second, and his tail would be ashy or brown and white. And as our
specimen does not meet these requirements, all we can say is that
his genus must be Zurdus. And if we look on pages 73 and 74, we
can try him again through the tabular analysis of the Zurdine.
But to what species of Turdus does he belong? Let us analyse
the species and tabulate them, as we shall have to tabulate all the
48 IDENTIFICATION,
species, and for ready reference arrange them in the alphabetical
order of their genera.
Is our bird black with a red breast? No. He is not migratorius,
and it would have been a wonder if he were. Has hea black throat
and breast? No. He would have been the third of his kind to be
caught in this country if he had. He is not a¢végularis. Turn him_
over and look at his axillaries. Are they red? No. He is nota>
Redwing. Are they white? No. He is not a Ficldfare nor a Missel
Thrush; and if he were a Fieldfare he would have a blue rump.
What colour are his axillaries? Pale yellow. That alone will
distinguish him. He is olive brown above and whitish below,
with a number of triangular brown spots and streaks about him. In
fact, he is 7. musicus, otherwise the common Song Thrush, whom
recent classifiers have promoted to the second place on the British
list.
And now, with a view to advancing beyond the mere knowledge
of the bird’s name, let us take the feathers off our Thrush.
These chiefly consist of
the penne, or contour
feathers, which are so-
called from their giving
the outline of the body.
They are exposed to the
light. The other feathers,
~the down feathers, are
hidden from the light. In
the contour feathers we
have a main stem or axis,
the vexillum, or vane,
divided into the solid four-
sided shaft or rachis, and
the hollow, somewhat
rounded hollow end, we
know as the quill, or cala-
mus, which ends in a small
aperture through which it
receives the vascular pulp.
With the sac in which this
is embedded are connected the muscles which give the feathers motion.
The vane bears the plates, or darés, which are linked together at their
free ends by the dardzzles, which are again generally interlinked by
hooklets. In the Ostrich we have free barbs, and, consequently,
loose plumes, but the case is exceptional. In a good many birds
each quill has two vanes, one being the shaft, the other the aftershaft,
which always springs from the underside; and, occasionally, shaft
Be, aere att are almost equal, and a “double feather” is the
result.
The down feathers, hidden from the light in adults, are the first
feathers of the young bird which are generally replaced by the penne,
and their barbs invariably remain soft and free. In some birds we
have a third kind of feather, one with a long shaft and a sort of brush
of barbs ; this is a “filoplume.” In the Ardeidx, and in some of the
Falconide, there is a fourth kind of feather, the summit of which
IDENTIFICATION. 49
breaks off into fine dust as fast as it is formed. Sometimes these
feathers are scattered all over the body, but in many cases they are
in well defined positions which are known as “ powder down tracts,”
and these tracts are of considerable use in identifying the Herons, for
instance. Just as the powder down is distributed in tracts, so are the
contour feathers, except in the case of the Ostriches and their allies,
and the Penguins and a few more birds.
That the feathers should be arranged in a definite pattern was
to be expected. If the body were feathered evenly it would
hamper the bird in its movements. The coat is in fact made
to fit, and is cut in such a way as to be workable by the
muscles. These “tracts,” with their resulting spaces, which were
worked out by Nitzsch, are of considerable importance in ornithology,
and promise to be of more importance in the future; and
we have, in consequence,
given two sketches of our
thrush ; the first dorsal, the
second ventral, with the
Bay suaniaes seeets chief tracts and spaces
marked out.
power @*"* Most birds have a spinal
s.. or dorsal tract, a humeral or
B shoulder tract, a femoral or
sateen tne 3S lumbar tract, and what is
known as the inferior tract ;
some of them have a neck
tract; and besides these,
are the head tract, the alar
or wing tract, the crural or
leg tract, and the caudal
tract. The spaces are the
laterals of the neck, the
laterals of the trunk, and
the inferior lateral; and
besides these, the more or
less common spaces are the spinal, the upper wing, the lower wing,
the crural, and the head.
The spinal tract is occasionally bordered below with a row of
feathers, as in the Woodpeckers. Sometimes it is weak at the nape,
as with the Kingfisher. Inthe Golden Oriole it is widened on the
back into an ellipse. In the Crows and Larks it has a space within
its boundaries. In the Woodpeckers, including the Wryneck, and in
the Swallows it has twolobes. In the Pheasant, the Partridge, and
the Quail it is well marked and continuous, and narrow on the neck,
but widening from the shoulder blades ; while in the Capercaillie it is
cleft where it broadens by a longitudinal space from the shoulders
upwards. On the other hand, in many birds of prey, it is interrupted
at the ends of the shoulder blades, the anterior part becoming wider,
and the lower part becoming narrower. And a further variation
occurs among the Plovers and Sandpipers, where the hinder part is
cleft throughout.
The humeral tract, in the Passerine birds, runs nearly over the
middle of the humerus, but in the Pigeons it crosses much nearer the
50 IDENTIFICATION.
shoulder blade. In the Swifts, Kingfishers, and Hoopoe the femoral
tract extends from the extreme end of the ischium to the knee ; but in
the Bee-eaters it reaches neither the knee nor the pelvis. The
ventral tract is generally unbroken, but in the Cranes and Curlews it
has along branch. In the Passerines, as shown by our Thrush, it ts
a narrow strip with four branches.
Probably few but cooks and poulterers know to what narrow spaces
a bird’s feathers are confined ; and fewer still are aware that the
pattern of the tracts is an aid in identification, In Nitzsch’s
“ Pterylography” there are a number of maps of feather distribution,
to which those taking an interest in the subject should refer ; and in
the Central Hall of the Natural History Museum, at South
Kensington, will be found our typical Thrush, with a large number of
examples of bird structure and plumage—an admirable arrangement
which every one should visit, as they should also visit the Bird
Museum at Brighton, once Mr. Booth’s and now the Corporation’s, out
on the Dyke Road, a mile from the Jubilee Clock Tower.
But are there no other means of identifying a bird? Yes; by his
flight. But how can you classify flight? It is as difficult as classifying
a man’s gait, which is just as unmistakable once you know it. In our
notes we have endeavoured to give as good an idea of the flight as we
could, but we are conscious of the feebleness of our effort. And so
with the syllabisations of the song. Attempts have been made to
reduce the song to musical form, but those who have tried over such
things even on the flute and piccolo and flageolet, know what a
burlesque is the result. The nearest approach to it is got by a series
of whistles, one for each bird, artificial syringes in fact, for a bird’s
voice dees not come from his larynx but from his syrinx lower down.
Another means of identifying birds is by measurement. That we
have done our best to encourage by a table, which is the result of a
large number of observations and some two thousand calculations,
and which took more time than anything else in our little book. If
this is used in addition to the analyses and keys, there will be few
failures in identification. The eggs we have dealt with ina similar
manner, and we would have added the nests had we been able to
discover a workable system of sorting. There are several well-
defined types of nests. There is the Sand Martin’s nest, for instance,
which is a burrow, such as is used by the Kingfisher and others ; there
is the Duck’s nest made on the ground; there is the floating nest such
as is made by the Grebe; there is the mud nest such as is made by
the Thrush and the House Martin; there is the nest in a tree trunk
bored by the Woodpeckers ; there is the flat nest of the Ring Dove,
and the Stork ; there is the cave nest of the Rock Dove : there are
the woven nests of so many of our small birds, the basket nests of
the Crows, the felted nests of the Dippers, the bottle nest of the
Tits, and the domed nests of so many other birds; and then there
are, of course, the mere scratch nests of the Phasianide, and the no
nests at all of the Terns ; and in addition to these are the adapted
nests of the Hobby and Peregrine, and the peculiar foundling
arrangements of the Cuckoo.
And among these nests we can have another division into those that
are built only for the year, and those that are returned to again and
again, which are generally built by the birds that pair for life, like the
IDENTIFICATION. gt
Swallow, the Raven, the Magpie, the Jackdaw, the Starling, the
House Sparrow, the Robin, the Wren, the Ringdove, the Tits, and the
Falcons ; the nests for the year being by far the most numerous, and
being tenanted by the birds who take a fresh mate annually, such as
the Thrush, the Chaffinch, the Whitethroat, the Skylark, the Willow
Warbler, and the Snipe, who all abandon their nests when the brood
is reared, and in some cases migrate about the country; for there is
an inland migration as well as a foreign one.
A bird always breeds in the coldest climate he visits, and some
birds are migrants in one country and residents in another. The
Robin, for instance, is resident here, but migrant in Germany ; and
the search for food, warmth, and light will take a bird about an
island, just as it will take him across the sea. No bird breeding
south of us comes here, except as a straggler ; but a large number of
birds breeding in the north visit us for about a month, twice a year,
like the Little Stint and Redshank, which linger here on their way to
and from more genial climes; while others, like the Wigeon and
Fieldfare, find we are as far south as they care for, and stay the whole
of the winter with us. These winter visitants only stay to breed here
in rare instances. Those that nest here come in the spring, and some
of these come back to their old nests, though the majority merely
settle in the same neighbourhood. The same thing holds good
regarding the residents that merely migrate about the country ; some
will return, year after year, to the old nest, and some will always build
afresh. But in most cases, when the nest is returned to, it is improved
and enlarged, and we thus have another variety of nest—the one with
additions.
But we must not give way to “migration fever”; let us return to
our proper task, having given up flight and song and nest as useless
for the main subject, though useful as auxiliaries. Let us take a bird
of prey, which, being neither an Owl nor a Vulture, must be one of
the Falconide. The first question to ask is, if its lores are feathered.
The “lore,” as we showed in our diagram of the Thrush, on page 34,
is the space between the eye and the base of the beak. If the bird
has feathered lores, it is a Honey Buzzard, our sole representative of
the genus Perzis, which is the only bird of the Falcon family in this
country that has not its lores bare. If its lores are not feathered, has
it a forked tail? There are only three Falconine genera with forked
tails—Z/anus, of which only one specimen is on record, and that from
Ireland ; and Elanozdes, of which only two specimens have been taken
here. It is therefore antecedently improbable that it will be one of
these. However, you will know Elanoides at once by his white head
and neck, and his long black narrow wings ; and a handsome fellow
he is ; and Elanus will give you as little difficulty with his grey head
and neck, and his black and white wings. As our bird has neither
black nor black and white wings, he must, if he has a forked tail, be a
Milvus, and of Milvus we have two species on the list—one only scen
here once ; the other, zc¢zws, the Kite, which was at one time one of
our commonest birds, and even caught his food in Cheapside.
But our specimen has not a forked tail, and therefore he is no
Kite. Look at his feet. If his tarsus is feathered to the toes, his
genus is Aguzla, if it is only feathered in front, it is Archébuteo ; and
if he belongs to either of these genera his fourth primary will be the
52 IDENTIFICATION.
longest feather in his wing. But as this is not the case, we must
continue our search. Is his tarsus “scutellate,” that is plated, in
front, and “reticulate,” that is netted, at the back; if so, his fifth
primary will be the longest, and he will be Haltaétus albicilla, the
Sea Eagle, always distinguishable at a glance from Aquila by the
featkerless tarsus. But there are no reticulations on the back of the
tarsus, neither are there on the front; and we thus get rid of two
more genera, in each of which the first primary is longer than the
secondaries. One of these is Fa/co, which has breeches, or feathers
looking like such, on the legs, and has also a deeply notched bill ;
while the other, Pamdion, has no breeches, and a very faintly notched
bill ; in addition to which, Pandion has an outer toe that he can turn
backwards or forwards as if he were an Owl, and he is the only
Falcon that can do this ; “ Falconine” had been better said, perhaps,
for it seems rather far-fetched to call an Osprey a Falcon. Looking
again, we find our bird’s tarsus has scutellations both in front and at
the back, and examining the wing we find the first primary is very
short. He must, consequently, belong to one of three genera. If his
fourth primary is the longest, and his first four primaries have a notch
in them, he is a Suzeo; if his third and fourth primaries are the
longest, and he has a ruff round his neck, making him look something
like an Owl, he is a Czrcus, but if he has the fourth and fifth
primaries longest, he is an Accipiter; and you can confirm the
diagnosis by referring to his wings, which are short compared to the
long wings of Circus and Buteo.
But if Accipiter is his genus, what is his species? There are three
Accipiters, one of which is but half the size of the others, so that by
measurement he is unmistakable. But leaving measurement alone,
we can discover him by his colour. If he were ashy brown above,
and whitish below, he would be either afriécapilins or palumbarius ;
the former of which has only three appearances on record, while the
latter is yearly becoming rarer, being no other than the once common
Gos Hawk, which in flight can be recognised at once by the vigorous
use of the tail in steering, and by the croaking sort of scream. Our
bird is greyish blue above, with a white patch on the nape, and he is
buffish in ground colour below, the buff being barred with brown ;
and lastly, he is a foot long, while the Gos Hawk is nearly two.
There is, therefore, every reason to suppose that he is a Sparrow
Hawk; and a Sparrow Hawk, Accipiter nisus, he is.
And now, having taken an example from each end of our table,
from the Raptores we ruled off at the beginning, to the Passerines we
left at the end, on the principle that if a bird did not belong to any of
the other families, he must be placed there ; let us have a third and
last example from the main brigade—that is, the main brigade of our
tabulation, and not in reality, for out of the 10,000 species of birds in
the world, more than half are Passerine ; and if we were to count
heads instead of species, the preponderance of Passerines would be
enormous.
Here is a bird with four toes. Three of them are webbed to the
claws, and the hind toe is free from the tarsus, although it has a sort
of lobe to it. One look at the broad lamellate bill tells us it is a Duck.
The fact is too obvious to be overlooked. Let us turn up at once our
analysis of the Anatidas.
IDENTIFICATION. 53
Now, just as we picked out Perzzs from the Falconide by his naked
lores, so can we pick out Cygmis from the Anatida. No one is likely
to be in doubt as to what is a Swan; but should he be so, let him
look at the lores. Our Duck is nota Swan. Does he belong to the
genus Mergus? Ishea Merganser? Look at his beak. Is it cut
into fine sharp teeth, projecting backwards as if it werea saw? No.
Look at a Swan’s beak; you will see that the under mandible fits
right up into the upper one, and that the sides are apparently
grooved. Look at a Goose’s beak, and you will see that the leaf-
shaped edges look like the edge of a lace collar. Look at a Duck’s
beak, and you will see the plates as fineasacomb. But a Merganser’s
beak? It is undoubtedly a saw, and a saw such as is possessed by
no other British birds than the four of the Mergus genus we know
as the Goosander, the Smew, the Hooded Merganser, and the Red-
breasted Merganser, JZ. serrator.
Our example is not a Merganser. Is he an Eider? Do the feathers
of his forehead come down to form a central tract along his bill? No.
Is his bill spatulate, like a spatula? Is he, in fact, a Shoveller? No.
Now, we know that he has a lobe on his hind toe. If that were not
well developed, or if it were absent, he would belong to one of seven
genera. Let us run him through these.
The group can be divided into those having the feet webs notched,
and those having them entire. The genera with notched webs are
Dafila and Querguedula, the former with a pointed tail, the latter with
a rounded tail. The genera with the unnotched webs can be divided
into groups—one with the tarsus reticulate all round, and one with the
tarsus of any other pattern. Those with the entirely reticulate tarsi
are the Geese, Amserx and Bernicla; Anser with the beak nearly as
long as the head, and Bernzcla with the bill much shorter than the
head—a distinction that may not be very great, but is really as great
as that adopted by such authors as are not content to treat these two
generaasone. There are three genera with the tarsus not completely
reticulate ; these are Mareca, Tadorna, and Anas; the last with a
wedge-shaped tail; the first with a bill much shorter than tHe head ;
and the third with a white wing shoulder, and being, in fact, the
handsome Sheld Ducks, or Sheldrakes, if you so please.
But our bird had a well-developed hind lobe, and consequently does
not belong to this group of seven. It must be one of the five that
are left. Look at its axillaries ; are they white or brown? White.
That is enough. But suppose they were brown. Its genus would
then either be @demia, which are black Ducks with a tumid bill; or
Clangula, which has the nostrils in the middle of the bill and 16
feathers in the tail; or Wave/da, which has a tapering bill, and two
enormously long middle feathers in a tail which has 14 in all; or
Cosmonetta, which is the Harlequin Duck, so gaily striped and spotted
that he can be picked out at a glance from the whole of the British
avifauna. But a Duck witha large lobe on the hind toe and white
axillaries must be of the genus Fudiguda.
But which Fuligula? He has not a black head, and consequently
can be neither cristata or marila. He has not a brown back, and
consequently he is neither zyvoca nor rujina. There is only one species
left and that fits him exactly :—“ head, chestnut ; back, grey ; wing
speculum, grey” ; further, his bill is black, blue and black; and
54 IDENTIFICATION.
finally there is no doubt he is a Pochard. Let us compare his
measurements. His reference letters are Od ; the average length of
the species is given as 18in.; the proportion that his wing should
bear to his length is “47; the proportion his tail should bear is ‘15 ;
the proportion his beak should bear is ‘12 ; the proportion his tarsus
should bear is ‘08. And now for the actual measurements :—length,
17%inches—we cannot quite stretch to the extra eighth—wing 8$ inches;
tail, 22 inches ; beak, 24 inches ; tarsus, 13 inches ; which are surely
near enough for all practical purposes.
A word of caution in conclusion. Do not let it be supposed that
the accepted classification is dependent on the mere external
characters we have chosen as our guides to identify. For the
technical descriptions of the different families, genera and species,
the student must go elsewhere, and he will then have his work cut
out for him in exploring the intricacies of synonymy, and deciding on
the authority he will follow in each particular case. And he will
probably end by being quite ready for the new classification and the
revision of the British list.
CHAPTER VII.
THE PASSERINE SUB-FAMILIES,
+10
HE sub-families of the Passeridz are distinguishable as follows,
the remiges being 18 or 19, except where stated :
ORIOLIN& (Golden Oriole)—bright yellow, with black wings and
tail, remiges often 20. 72.
ICTERIN# (Red-winged Starling)—glossy black with scarlet wing
coverts. 119.
PANURINZ (Bearded Tit)—black pointed moustache, long rufous
tail. 49.
AMPELIN& (Waxwing)—red waxy tips to secondaries ; erectile
crest. 77.
CINCLINA@ (Dippers) — dense fibrous blackish plumage, with
undercoat of down; white throat; concave wings; two toes
united. 47, 48.
These five sub-families are unmistakable, the rest can be divided
into—
1. First primary quite half as long as second.
2. First primary obsolete or minute.
3. First primary less than half as long as second.
First primary quite half as long as second—
TROGLODYTIN@ (Wren)—plumage long and soft; wings
concave ; two toes united. 59.
CORVIN# (Raven, Crows, Jackdaw, Jay, and Magpie)—wings
flat ; remiges 19 to 22; plumage close and glossy. 122-131.
First primary obsolete or minute—
FRINGILLIN& (Finches)— bill short and conical; gape line
straight or arched ; remiges 18. 87-108,
EMBERIZIN& (Buntings)—bill short and conical; gape line
angular ; palate knobbed. 109-118.
MOTACILLIN& (Wagtails and Pipits)—bill narrow and slender;
legs long; tail long. 60-71.
STURNIN& (Starlings)—metallic plumage with spots; bill
straight and slender. 120, 121.
HIRUNDININ# (Swallows)—bill wide; legs short ; wings long;
tail forked. 81-84.
ALAUDIN#@ (Larks)—remiges often 20; secondaries long ;
tarsus scu’ellate back and front. 132-137.
56
THE PASSERINE SUB-FAMILIES.
First primary less than half as long as second—
CERTHIINE (Creepers)—bill long, curved, and slender ; tail
rounded ; hind claw long and curved. 85, 86.
MuscIcaPIN& (Flycatchers)—bill broad, flat and bristled at
base. 78-80.
LANIIN# (Shrikes)—bill short and deeply toothed ; two toes
united. 73, 76.
SITTIN (Nuthatch)—bill long and straight; feet large and
strong ; two toes united. 58.
PARIN (Tits)—three toes united as far as second joint ; hind
claw long. 50-57.
ACCENTORIN (Accentors)—bill strong and straight ; wings
rounded ; tarsus scutellate ; two toes united. 45, 46.
TURDIN& (Thrushes and Warblers)—see analysis of genera.
I-44.
CHAPTER VIII
THE ORDERS.
oe
RRANGED as in the list of coloured plates, our 35 families will
be found to group themselves into the following 18 customary
ornithological orders.
PASSERES—Passeride.
PicaR1l&—Cypselide, Caprimulgide, Picide, Alcedinide,
Coraciidze, Meropidz, Upupide, Cuculidz.
STRIGES—Strigide.
ACCIPITRES—Vulturidz, Falconidz.
STEGANOPODES—Pelecanide.
HERODIONES—Ardeide, Ciconiide, Plataleide, Ibididee.
ODONTOGLOSS/— Pheenicopteridze.
ANSERES—Anatide.
CoLuMB&—Columbide.
PTEROCLETES—Pteroclidz.
GALLIN#—Phasianide.
HEMIPODII—Turnicidze.
FULICARI@&—Rallidze.
ALECTORIDES—Gruidz, Otidida.
LIMICOLA—(CEdicnemidz, Glareolidz, Charadriidz, Scolopacidee,
Gavi#—Laride.
PyGOPODES—Alcidz, Colymbidz, Podicipedide.
TUBINARES—Procellariide.
This, or something on similar lines, is the classification to be found
in most of the modern books on birds, the old arrangement into
Rapaces, Passeres, Scansores, Gallinaces, Gralla, and Palmipedes,
as given in Stanley, for instance, having long since been abandoned.
But it is generally admitted that this classification is merely
temporary, and that a new system is inevitable. What this system is
to be, except that it will be an anatomical one, is not clear; but it
seems probable that it will be based on the arrangement proposed by
Huxley in his paper in the “ Proceedings” of the Zoological Society for
1867, which arrangement, with a few changes, was that adopted by
W. K. Parker in his article on Birds in the Encyclopzedia Britannica.
Professor Huxley’s paper appears in brief in his “ Manual of the
Anatomy of Vertebrated Animals.” He divides the birds into two
great groups:
I, In which the metacarpals are not anchylosed together, and
the tail is longer than the body—by the tail being meant
that member itself and not the quill feathers it supports.
II. In which the metacarpals are anchylosed together, and
the tail is shorter than the body.
To the first group belong the SAURURA represented by the
Archzopteryx, that curious extinct bird found fossil in the Upper
Oolites of Solenhofen, which was about as big as a Rook, which had
a long lizard-like tail of twenty separate vertebra, all distinct from
one another and carrying a pair of feathers, one on each side, and
which had also two free claws to the wing, &c.
E
58 THE ORDERS.
To the second group all the existing birds can, as far as we know
be referred. It can be divided into:
I. Ratita@, having the sternum or breast bone devoid of a
keel.
II. CARINAT&, having the sternum with a keel.
We need not concern ourselves with the subdivisions of the Ratitz,
as no birds without a keel to their breast bone have been recognised
as belonging to our national avifauna, and we doubt if any enthusiast
would be bold enough to add one to the British List on the strength
of having shot it on British ground.
Familiar as the breast bone may be, on the dinner table and else-
where, it is perhaps as well to give a sketch in order that there may
be no mistake. Here is one seen in section
and in three-quarter view, in which the
keel is duly, though somewhat microscopi-
cally, noted. Of the Ratite the most
familiar example is the Ostrich, which has
a breast bone as flat as a raft, raft being
ratts in Latin and thus being responsible
4 for the derivation.
In the Carinatz, then, the sternum possesses a keel, and ossifies
from a median centre in that keel, as well as from lateral paired
centres, The long axes of the adjacent parts of the scapula and
coracoid make an acute or a slightly obtuse angle, and are never, even
approximately, identical or parallel. The scapula always has a ~
distinct acromion and the coracoid a clavicular process. The vomer
is comparatively small, and allows the pterygoids and palatines to
articulate directly with the basisphenoidal rostrum.
The Carinatee, so-called from the Latin carina, a keel, are classified
according to their palatal bones; or, to be more precise—we will
explain the technical terms immediately we have cleared the
way—into :
I. Having the vomer broad behind, and interposing between
the pterygoids, the palatines, and the basisphenoidal
rostrum.
II. Having the vomer narrow behind ; the pterygoids and
palatines articulating largely with the basisphenoidal
rostrum.
To the first of these no British birds belong, the type of the group
being the Tinamous. Of the second there are three divisions ; and
representatives of each of these are to be found in our list. But, to
proceed in proper sequence. The group having the vomer narrow
behind can be divided into:
I. Having the maxillo-palatines free.
IJ. Having the maxillo-palatines united.
Dealing first with those having the free maxillo-palatines we find
them further classified into :
I. Having the vomer pointed in front—Schizognathe.
II. Having the vomer truncated in front.
The Schizognathous birds we will tabulate presently, and to save the
repetition of some very long words, we will here be satisfied with
cea
THE ORDERS. 59
a representative. Hereis a “Schizogna-
thous” skull, that of the Crane, with
the lower half removed so as to show
the arrangement of the bones we want.
Here gzad. is the quadrate bone on
which the lower jaw works; fren. is
the pterygoid ; pal. is the palatine; max.
pal. -is the maxillo-palatine ; premax. is
the premaxillary, and vomer is the vomer,
the bone which is the key to the classifica-
tion, and which varies more than almost
any other bone in the skull of a bird. It is
a small bone, thin as a knife blade and
rarely broader, standing on its edge in the
very centre of the roof of the bird’s mouth,
a bone so delicate that it is one of the
first to vanish when the student in search
of it first prepares a skull. It will be
noticed that in the case of the Crane it
ends in a point towards the beak, and it
so ends in the skulls of Plovers, Gulls,
Fowls, and Pigeons, and others. In this
group, we may as well quote as paraphrase,
“the maxillo-palatines are usually elon-
gated and lamellar; they pass inwards
over the anterior processes of the palatine
bones, with which they become united, and then bending backwards,
along the inner edge of the palatines, leave a broader or a narrower
fissure between themselves and the vomer, and do not unite with it or
with one another.”
But in the skulls of the Passerine birds the vomer is not pointed
in front. Here, for instance, is the skull
of a Raven, one of the Passerines.
It is ‘“ Agithognathous,” with the
maxillo-palatines free, and the vomer
unpointed, or rather cut off at a blunt
angle. The lettering is as before, but
owing to the more open character of
the skull the parts are more clearly
traceable. Again, the quadrates lead on
to the pterygoids which lead on to the
palatines, and in the centre of the
palatal framework we see the thin edge
of the vomer. It will be seen that in
this skull, as in that of the Crane, the
maxillo- palatines are clearly separate.
The vomer in this group is cleft behind,
embracing the rostrum of the sphenoid
between its forks. “The palatines have
postero-external angles. The maxillo-
palatines are slender at their origin, and
extend inwards and backwards obliquely
over the palatines, ending beneath the
E2
60 THE ORDERS.
vomer in expanded extremities, which do not become united by bone
either with one another or with the vomer. The anterior part of the
nasal septum, in front of the vomer, is frequently ossified, and the
interval between it and the pre-maxilla filled up with spongy bone ;
but no union takes place between this ossification and the vomer.”
Dealing next with the group in which the maxillo-palatines are
united, we find that a large number of birds have the vomer “either
abortive or so small that it disappears from the skeleton. When it
exists it is always slender, and tapers to a point anteriorly. The
maxillo-palatines are united across the middle line, either directly or
by the intermediation of ossifications in the nasal septum.” And the
posterior ends of the palatines, and the anterior ends of the pterygoids
articulate directly with the rostrum, as they do in the Schizognathe.
Under such circumstances the skull is “ Desmognathous.”
Of such a skull we have an example in that here given of the
Goose. We need not repeat the
references. The differences in the
structure of the palate, and con-
sequently of the whole skull are
clear enough. This type of skull
is represented in the Birds of
Prey, the Cuckoos, Kingfishers,
Swans and Ducks, Storks and
Cormorants, and others. To this
group has since been given the
name of Saurognathe, and then
it includes the Woodpeckers, the
Picidz, in whom the vomerine
halves are permanently distinct and
the maxillo-palatines arrested.
Wear saa Huxley’s grouping has not,
however, been accepted without
—Parate. modifications, which the student
who takes any interest in the
matter should investigate for
\--Ptexva's himself. On the opposite page
is given one of the most recent
arrangements, that adopted at
Q the Natural History Museum.
It is abbreviated to include only
those families we have been
endeavouring to identify, being
quite British and no more—
in other words, out of the 39 orders of the world’s avifauna
it deals only with 23, which is not a bad proportion consider-
ing the size of these islands. The 16 orders exclusively
foreign, are the 7 of the MRatite (I. Struthioniformes, the
ostriches; II. Rheiformes, the rheas; III. Dinornithiformes,
the moas; IV. pyornithiformes, the Madagascar moas; V.
Casuariiformes, the emus and cassowaries ; VI. Apterygiformes, the
kiwis; and VII. Tinamiformes, the tinamous): the 9 Carinate
orders being VIII. Sphenisciformes, the penguins; XIII. Opistho-
comiformes, the hoatzins; XVIII. Palamedeiformes, the
wom PRamoe
Ss
Sa
SSS z
SN Se
=A. aS
See
Wg
THE ORDERS. 61
screamers; XX. Cathartidiformes, the turkey-vultures; XXI.
Serpentariiformes, the secretary-birds; XXIV. Psittaciformes,
the parrots ; XXVI. Trogoniformes, the trogons ; XXIX. Euryle-
miformes, the broadbills ; and XXX. Menuriformes, the lyre-birds.
AVES.
SUB-cLass—
Tt: SAURUREZ—as Gastornithide, only found fossil.
Ds NEORNITHES—modern birds.
Section A—Ratite, as the Ostrich, none British:
Section B—Carinate—with keeled breastbone.
ORDERS OF THE CARINATE REPRESENTED IN BRITAIN—
I. Galliformes— Phasianide and Tetraonide.
2. Pierocletiformes— Pteroclide.
3. Turniciformes— Turnicide.
4. Columbiformes—- Columbide.
5. Ralliformes— Rallide.
6. Podecipediformes—Podicipedide.
Fs Colmybiformes— Colymbide.
9. Proceliaviformes— Procellariide.
10. Alciformes— Alcide.
It. Lariformes— Stercorariide and Laride.
13 Charadritformes— Charadriide, Cursoriide, Glareo-
lide, Gidicnemide, and Otidide.
14, Gruiformes— Gruide.
Is. Ardetformes— Ardeide, Ciconiide, Ibidide, and
Plataleide.
16. Anseriformes— Anatide.
176 Phenicopteriformes—Pheenicopteride.
Ig. Pelecantformes— Phalacrocoracide and Sulide.
22. Accipitriformes— Vulturide, Falconide and Pan-
dionide.
23), Strigiformes— Bubonide and Strigide.
25. Coractifovmes— Coraciide, Meropidw, Upupide,
Caprimulgide, and Cypselide.
27. Cuculiformes— Cuculide.
28. Piciformes— Picide.
31. Passeriformes— Tasseride of the following families
of the Acromyodi :—
2. Hirundinide. 21. Regulide.
3. Muscicapide. 22. Sittide.
7. Troglodytide. 23. Certhiide.
8. Cinclide. 30. Motacillide.
1o. Turdide. 31. Alaudide.
11. Sylviide. 32. Fringillida.
13. Ampelide, 36. Icteride.
17. Laniide. 37. Oriolide.
18. Paride. 41. Sturnide.
19. Panuride. 45. Corvide.
CHAPTER IX.
INDEX TO THE FAMILIES AND SUB-FAMILIES,
—+eo—-
ic is to be understood by the student that the particulars given
hereunder are not necessarily those on which the customary
ornithological classification is based, but simply such as happen to be
most useful for purposes of identification, and that only such points
are mentioned as are necessary for distinguishing the families and
sub-families from each other with regard to their representatives on
the British list.
ACCENTORIN#—sub-family of Passeride (range 5 in. to 7% in.)
—first primary less than half as long as second; bill strong and
straight ; remiges 19 ; tarsus scutellate; two toes united. Genus,
Accentor; the Hedge Sparrow. 45, 46.
ALAUDIN£—sub-family of Passeridz (range 5 in. to 7} in.)—first
primary very small; remiges 19 or 20; tarsus scutellated back
and front. Genera, A/auda and Ofocorys; the Larks. 132-137.
ALCEDINIDZ (range 63 in. to 13 in.)—four toes, two of them united
as far as the second joint, and two as far as the first ; remiges 22 ;
third primary longest. Genera, Alcedo and Cery/e ; the Kingfishers.
151, 152.
ALCID (range 8} in. to 32 in.)—three toes, united as far as the
claws; wings fin-like; tail rudimentary. Genera, Adca, Ura,
Méergulus and Fratercula,; the Razorbill, Auks, Guillemots, and
Puffin. 373-379.
AMPELIN&—sub-family of Passeridz (range 7 in. to 74 in.); red
waxy tips to secondaries ; longerectile crest. Genus, Amfelis; the
Waxwing. 77.
ANATID& (range 13 in. to 60 in.)—four toes, three of them united as
far as the claws; bill broad and lamellate, or toothed. Genera,
Anser, Bernicla, Cygnus, Tadorna, Anas, Spatula, Dafila,
Querquedula, Mareca, Fuligula, Clangula, Harelda, Cosmonetta,
i laa CEdemia, and Mergus,; the Geese, Swans, and Ducks.
217-262.
ARDEID& (range 12 in. to 42 in.)—four toes, two united ; bill long
and straight ; legs long; middle claw pectinate. Genera, Ardec,
Nycticorax, and Bofaurus,; the Herons and Bitterns. 202-211.
CAPRIMULGID (range Io in. to 13 in.)—four toes, three of them
united no further than the first joint; phalanges, 2, 3, 4, 3; bill
gaping. Genus, Caprimulgus, the Nightjars. 141-143.
CERTHIIN/—sub-family of Passeride (range 4} in. to 6 in.) ; first
primary less than half as long as second ; bill long, curved, and
slender; rounded tail and long curved hind claw. Genera,
Certhia and Tichodroma, the Creepers. 85, 86.
INDEX TO THE FAMILXES AND SUB-FAMILIES. 63
CHARADRIID& (range 6 in. to 16 in.).
I.—Three toes, united near base ; bill longer or shorter than head,
and not dilated at point. Genera, Cursorius, Eudromias,
Charadrius, 4-gialitis,and Haematopus,; the Courser, Dotterel,
Plovers (except the Grey Plover), and the Oystercatcher. 292-
295, 297-300, 303.
II.—Four toes, three of them united near the base. Genera,
Squatarola, Strepstlas, and Vanellus ; the Grey Plover, which has
a white tail with broad black and brown bars ; the Turnstone,
which has orange legs; and the Lapwing, which has a crest.
296, 302, 301.
CICONIID (range 39 in. to 44 in.)—four toes, three of them united
no further than the first joint; long legs; long bill; over 30
remiges. Genus, Czconza, the Storks. 212, 213.
CINCLIN®—sub-family of Passeridz (range 6 in. to 64 in.) ; two toes
united; dense, fibrous blackish plumage ; white throat ; concave
wings. The only passerine birds with down. Genus, Czzclus, the
Dippers. 47, 48.
COLUMBID& (range II in. to 17 in.)—four toes, three in front, divided
throughout ; bill deflected, thinnest in middle, expanding towards
point; nostrils in soft skin at base of bill; no down; feathers
without aftershaft ; second primary longest. Genera, Columba,
Turtur, and Ectopistes ; the Doves and Pigeons. 263-267.
COLYMBID& (range 21 in. to 33 in.)—four toes, three of them united
as far as the claws and one webbed to tarsus ; wings short; bill
compressed and pointed ; tail very short and rounded. Genus,
Colymbus,; the Divers. 380-383.
CORACIIDA (range II in. to 12 in.)—four toes, three in front divided
throughout ; bill compressed; upper mandible decurved at tip;
23 remiges ; tarsus scutellate in front, reticulate at back. Genus,
Coracias ; the Roller. 153.
CoRVINA—sub-family of Passeridz (range 14 in. to 24 in.) ; remiges
19 to 22 ; first primary quite half as long as second, fifth and sixth
longest, first four graduated ; plumage close and glossy ; two toes
united. Genera, Pyrrhocorax, Nucifraga, Garrulus, Pica, and
Corvus; the Chough, Nutcracker, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Crow,
Rook, and Raven. 122-131.
CUCULID& (range 12 in. to 17 in.)—four toes, divided throughout,
two in front and two behind; bill short or moderate. Genera,
Cuculus, Coccystes, and Coccyzus,; the Cuckoos. 157-160.
CYPSELID& (range 7 in. to 83 in.).
I.—Four toes, divided throughout, all in front; remiges 18;
phalanges, 2, 3, 3, 3. Genus, Cypselus, the Swifts. 138, 139.
II.—Four toes, divided throughout, three in front; tail feathers
with sharp, protruding spines. Genus, Acanthylis ; the Needle-
tailed Swift. 140.
EMBERIZIN/&—sub-family of Passeridze (range 43 in. to 7 in.)—first
primary obsolete; bill short and conical; gape line angular ;
knob on palate. Genera, Emdberiza, Calcarius, and Plectrophanes ;
the Buntings. 109-118.
FALCONID# (range Io in. to 36 in.)—Birds of Prey; bill strong,
sharp, and curving, and with a cere at base; claws powerful ,
feathers on crown. Genera, Circus, Buteo, Archibuteo, Aquila,
64 INDEX TO THE FAMILIES AND SUB-FAMILIES.
Haliattus, Accipiter, Milvus, Elanoides, Elanus, Pernis, Falco,
and Pandion,; the Harriers, Buzzards, Eagles, Hawks, Kites,
Falcons, and Osprey. 173-1098. .
FRINGILLIN#Z—sub-family of Passeride (range 4} in. to 9 in.) ;
remiges rarely more than 18; first primary obsolete or minute ;
bill short and conical; gape line straight or arched. Genera,
Carduelis, Serinus, Ligurinus, Coccothraustes, Passer, Fringilla,
Linota, Pyrrhula, and Loxia,; the Finches, Sparrows, Linnets,
Grosbeaks, and Crossbills. 87-108. :
GLAREOLID& (range 8} in. to 9 in.)}—four toes, two united; bill
short ; wings long; legs short; tail forked. Genus, G/areola,;
the Pratincole. 291.
GRUID& (range 39 in. to 48 in.)—four toes, two united ; bill long ;
legs long, middle claw smooth. Genus, Grus,; the Cranes. 285, 286.
HIRUNDININ#—sub-family of Passeridee (range 4} in. to 8% in.) ;
nine primaries ; secondaries broad and notched ; wide bill ; short
legs ; long wings; forked tail. Genus, //zrundo,; the Swallows
and Martins. 81-84.
IBIDIDZ (range 21 in. to 22 in.)—four toes, three united as far as the
claws ; bill long, slender and decurved, point rounded ; 27 remiges.
Genus, /ézs,; the Ibis. 215.
ICTERIN#—sub-family of Passeridas (range 84 in. to 9 in.); glossy
black with scarlet wing coverts. Genus, 4ge/eus; the Red-winged
Starling. I19.
LANIIN/—sub-family of Passeridz (range 7} in. to 9 in.); remiges
19; first primary less than half as long as second ; bill short and
deeply toothed ; two toes united. Genus, Zazzazs, the Shrikes and
Woodchat. 73-76.
LARID& (range 84 in. to 33 in.)
I.—Three toes, united as far as the claws; wings long; remiges
31; tail forked or square. Genus, Azssa, the Kittiwake. 367.
II.—Four toes, three united and one webbed to tarsus ; bill short.
Genus, Pagophila; the Ivory Gull. 368.
III.—Four toes, three of them united as far as the claws, the fourth
very short. Genera, Mydrochelidon, Sterna, Anous, Xema,
Rhodostethia, and Larus, the Terns and Gulls. 241-366.
MEROPIDA (range Io in, to II in.)—remiges, 23; second primary
longest ; four toes, three united, two as far as the second joint and two
as far as the first; tail long. Genus, MZevogs; the Bee-eaters. 154,155.
MOTACILLINZ—sub-family of Passeridz (range 53 in. to 8 in.) ; two
toes united ; first primary obsolete or minute ; narrow, slender bill ;
long legs ; longtail. Genera, Afotacclla and Anthus ; the Wagtails
and Pipits. 60-71.
MUSCICAPIN@—sub-family of Passeridz (range 5 in. to 54 in.) ;
remiges 19; first primary less than half as long as second ; bill
broad, flat, and bristled at base. Genus, Muscicapa; the Fly-
catchers. 78-80.
CEDICNEMID (range 16 in. to 17 in.); three toes united as far as
the second joint; remiges 29; Genus, @adzcnemus; the Stone
Curlew. 290.
ORIOLINA—sub-family of Passerida (range 9 in. to 94 1n.); golden
yellow bird with black wings ; remiges often 20; first primary half
as long as second. Genus, Ovzolus, the Golden Oriole. 72.
INDEX TO THE FAMILIES AND SUB-FAMILIES. 65
OTIDID (range 16 in. to 45 in.); three toes united near base
and edged with membranes. Genus, Of¢zs, the Bustards. 287-
289.
PANURIN/#—sub-family of Passeridz (range 6 in. to 64 in.) ; black
pointed moustache; long rufous tail. Genus, Panurus; the
Bearded Tit. 49.
PARIN/—sub-family of Passeride (range 4 in. to 6 in.); first
primary less than half as long as second ; three toes united as far
as the second joint; long hind claw. Genera, Acredula and
Parus,; the Tits. 50-57.
PASSERID& (range 3% in. to 24 in.)—four toes, three united or two
united, or all divided; remiges 18 to 22; indexed under the
different sub-families—Alaudinz, Ampeline, Certhiinz, Cincline,
Corvine, Emberizine, Fringilline, Hirundininz, Icterine, Laniine,
Motacilline, Muscicapine, Oriolinz, Panurinz, Parin, Sittine,
Sturnine, Troglodytine, and Turdine. 1-137.
PELECANID# (range 27 in. to 36 in.)—four toes, all united; bill
long ; tarsus compressed ; third claw pectinate. Genera, Pha/a-
crocorax and Suda, the Cormorant, Shag, and Gannet. 199-201.
PHASIANIDA (range 7 in. to 36 in.)—four toes, three united no further
than first joint ; eleventh wing feather shortest ; short legs ; short
bill. Genera, Zetrao, Phasianus, Perdix, and Coturnix,; the Caper-
as Grouse, Ptarmigan, Pheasant, Partridge, and Quail. 269-
276,
PHENICOPTERIDZ (range 50 in. to 70 in.)—four toes, three united as
far as the claws; web incised; bill bent half way. Genus,
Phenicopterus,; the Flamingo. 216.
PICID# (range 54 in. to 14 in.)—four toes, two in front, two behind ;
bill long; tongue long; 12 tail feathers, two outer ones hidden
under the two next. Genera, Pcus, Gecinus, and Lynx, the
Woodpeckers and Wryneck. 144-150.
PLATALEIDA (range 30 in. to 32 in.)—four toes, three united as far
as the second joint; spatulate bill ; 30 remiges. Genus, Plata/ea ;
the Spoonbill. 214.
PODICIPEDID# (range 8 in. to 24 in.)—four toes, with pennate and
entire lobes; tail a tuft of small downy feathers; tarsus com-
pressed. Genus, Podiceps,; the Grebes. 384-388.
PROCELLARIUD (range 5 in. to 19 in.)—nostrils in a tube; bill
unserrated and ending in a nail.
I.—Three toes, united as far as claws. Oceanztes, 398.
II.—Four toes, three united as far as the claws. Genera, Fudmarus,
Puffinus, Bulweria, and Procellaria; the Petrels and Shear-
waters. 389-397.
PTEROCLID (range 16 in. to 20 in.)—three toes, united as far as the
claws ; tail of 16 feathers, two of considerable length ; wings long ;
tail wedge-shaped. Genus, Syrrhaptes,; Pallas’s Sand Grouse.
268.
RALLIDZ& (range 7 in. to 16 in.).
I.—Feet lobate. Genera, Fulzca and Gallinula,; the Coot and
Moorhen. 283, 284.
Il.—Feet divided; short stout beak; large feet; short legs;
short tail; rounded wings. Genera, Crex and Radllus,; the
Crakes and Water Rail. 278-282.
66 INDEX TO THE FAMILIES AND SUB- FAMILIES.
SCOLOPACID# (range 54 in. to 26 in.).
I.—Three toes, united near base; tail feathers doubly notched
Genus, Calidris; the Sanderling. 324. :
II.—Four toes, three united as far as the second joint ; bill boldly
curving upwards. Genus, Recurvirostra; the Avocet. 304.
III.—Four toes, three united near base. Genera, Himantopus,
Scolopax, Macrorhampus, Limicola, Tryngites, and Numenius,
the Black-winged Stilt, the Woodcock, Red-breasted Snipe,
Broad-billed Sandpiper, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Curlews, and
Whimbrel. 305, 308, 312, 313, 325, 338-340.
IV.—Four toes, three in front, two united. Genera, Machetes,
Bartramia, Limosa, and Totanus, the Ruff, Bartram’s Sandpiper,
the Godwits, the Sandpiper, the Spotted, Green, Wood, and
Solitary Sandpipers, the Redshanks, Greenshank, and Yellow-
shank. 323, 326-337.
V.—Feet lobate ; lobes narrowly denticulate. Genus, Phaluropus ,
the Phalarope. 306. ;
VI.—Feet divided; long slender bill, Genera, Gallinago and
Tringa, the Snipes, Stints, and other Sandpipers. 309-311, 314-
322.
SITTINZ—sub-family of Passeridz (range 5 in. to 6 in.); first
primary less than half as long as the second ; third, fourth, and
fifth longest; long straight bill; large powerful feet ; two toes
united. Genus, Sz¢/a,; the Nuthatch. 58. 7
STRIGIDA (range 7 in. to 27 in.)—Birds of Prey; bill powerful and
with a cere at base; large head; round face ; eyes in front ; claws
well developed. Genera, Strix, Asio, Syrnium, Nyctea, Surnia,
Nyctala, Scops, Bubo, and Athene,; the Owls. 161-170.
STURNINA—sub-family of Passeridz (range 74 in. to 83 in.) ; remiges
19; first primary minute; second primary longest in wing ;
plumage with metallic tints and spotted ; bill straight and slender.
Genera, Sturnus and Pastor; the Starlings. 120, 121.
TROGLODYTINA—sub-family of Passeride (range 3} in. to 4 in.) ;
first primary quite half as long as second ; plumage long and soft ;
tail short ; two toes united. Genus, Zroglodytes; the Wren. 509.
TURDIN&—sub-family of Passeridz (range 34 in. to I2 in.) ; remiges
19; first primary less than half as long as second; bill with or
without tooth; toes united or not (see analysis of Genera).
Genera, Turdus, Geocichla, Merula, Monticola, Saxicola, Pratincola,
Ruticilla, Cyanecula, Erithacus, Daulias, Sylvia, Melizophilus,
Pi nage Phylloscopus, Hypolais, Aédon, Acrocephalus, and Locus-
tella. 1-44.
TURNICID# (range 6 in. to 63 in.)—three toes divided throughout.
Genus, Zurntx; the Andalusian Bush Quail. 277.
UPUPID& (range Io in. to 12 in.)-—four toes, two united; erectile
crest ; remiges 20; first primary small, second equal to seventh
se third, fourth and fifth the longest. Genus, Uguga; the Hoopoe.
156.
VULTURID& (range 25 in. to 40 in.)—Birds of Prey; strong, sharp,
curving bill, with a cere at base ; powerful claws; head bald or
covered with down; wings long and rounded; tail rounded
Genera, Gyfs and Neophron; the Vultures, 171, 172.
CHAPTER X.
THE GENERA,
—— te
i> this list the families and sub-families are arranged alphabeticaily
so as to facilitate reference ; and only such particulars are given
as are needed to distinguish one genus from another as regards its
representatives in the British List. For the separation of the families
reference must be made to the preceding chapters, the separation of
the species being given in the chapter that follows.
ACCENTORIN®. (Plate iv.)
Accentor—45, 46.
ALAUDINE. (Plate x.)
«llauda—third primary longest; breast spotted; tarsus longer
than middle toe. 132-136.
Otocorys—second primary longest; breast black; tarsus not
longer than middle toe. 137.
ALCEDINID&. (Plate xi.)
Alcedo—without a crest ; tail short. 151.
Ceryle—with a crest ; tail long. 152.
ALCIDA. (Plate xxxii.)
1. Bill unfeathered at base.
Fratercula—bill sheathed with orange. 379.
2. Bill feathered at base.
Alca—bill large and compressed ; remiges 30. 373, 374.
Mergulus—bill broader than high ; remiges 26. 378.
Uria—bill strong, straight and pointed. 376, 377.
AMPELIN&. (Plate vi.)
Ampelis—long erectile crest. 77.
ANATIDA, (Plates xix. xx. xxi. xxii.)
Cygnus—lores naked ; neck long ; legs short. 227-332.
Mergus—bill narrow, with sharp teeth. 259-262.
Somateria—bill with a central tract of feathers. 253-255.
Spatula—bill spatulate and long. 237.
1. Lobe of hind toe absent or rudimentary.
2, Lobe of hind toe well developed.
Lobe of hind toe absent or rudimentary.
Feet webs notched.
Dafila—tail pointed. 238.
Querguedula—tail rounded. 239-24T.
Feet webs entire.
Tarsus reticulate all round.
Anser—bill nearly as long as head. 217-222.
68 THE GENERA.
Bernicla—bill much shorter than head. 223-226.
Tarsus otherwise.
Mareca—bill much shorter than head. 242, 243.
Tadorna—wing shoulder white and knobbed. 233, 234.
Anas—tail wedge-shaped. 235, 236.
Lobe of hind toe well developed.
1. Axillaries brown.
2. Axillaries white.
Axillaries brown.
Cdemia—bill tumid ; body colour black or brown, 256-258.
Clangula—nostrils in middle of bill ; 16 feathers in tail. 249, 250.
Hlarelda—bill tapering, lamella exposed; 14 feathers in tail,
two middle ones very long. 251.
Cosmonetta—bill like that of a goose, lamellz hidden ; body gaily
striped and spotted; 14 feathers in tail, which is much
graduated. 252.
Axillaries white.
Fuligula—244-248.
ARDEIDA&. (Plates xvii. xviii.)
1. Bill much longer than head.
Ardea—bill long and straight; six powder down tracts; 12
tail feathers ; tarsus scutellate in front. 202-207.
Ardetta—bill slender and pointed; four powder down tracts; 10
tail feathers. 208.
Botaurus—bill higher than broad ; four powder down tracts; Io
tail feathers. 210, 211.
2. Bill about as long as head.
Nycticorax—i2 tail feathers; six powder down tracts; tarsus
reticulate in front. 209.
CAPRIMULGIDA. (Plate x.)
Caprimulgus—gaping bill with large rictal bristles. 141-143.
CERTHIINE. (Plate vi.)
Certhia—tail feathers pointed and stiff. 85.
Tichodroma—tail feathers rounded and soft. 86.
CHARADRIUDA. (Plate xxvi.)
1, With three toes.
2. With four toes.
Three toes.
Bill longer than head.
Hematopus—remiges 29. 303.
Bill shorter than head.
Second primary longest ; middle toe very long.
Cursorius—tarsus long and slender, and scutellate back and front.
292.
First primary longest.
Inner secondaries much shorter than primaries.
Charadrius—tarsus reticulate ; tail feathers barred. 294, 295.
Inner secondaries as long as primaries.
-£-gtalitis—tarsus reticulate. 297-300.
Eudromias—tarsus scutellate. 293.
Four tees.
Axillaries black.
THE GENERA. 69
Sguatarola—first primary longest ; black legs. 296.
Axillaries white.
Strepstlas—first primary longest; orange legs; toes cleft to
base. 302.
Vanellus—head with a crest ; third and fourth primaries !ongest ;
brown legs ; two toes webbed nearly to first joint. 301.
CiconttD&. (Plate xviii.)
Ciconta—bill and legs deep red. 212, 213.
CINCLIN&. (Plate iv.)
Cinclus—an under coating of down. 47, 4&
COLUMBIDA. (Plate xxiii.)
Columba—tail even ; brown and grey. 263-265.
Lctopistes—tail long and wedge-shaped; two middle feathers black.
207.
Zurtur—black and white patch on neck; tail rounded; two
middle feathers dusky brown, tipped with white. 266.
CoLyMBID&. (Plate xxxii.)
Colymbus—280-283.
CoORACIIDA. (Plate xii.)
Coractas—narrow bill and flat pointed wings. 153.
CorvVIN#. (Plate ix.)
Corvus—bill black ; tail black. 127-131.
Garrulus—crested ; blue, black and white chequer on wing. 125
Nuctfraga—bill black , tail tipped with white. 124.
Pyrrhocorax—bill red or yellow. 122, 123.
Pica—tail very long and iridescent black ; first primary sinuated.
126.
CUCULIDA. (Plate xii.)
Coccystes—head with a crest; taillong. 158.
Coccyzus—tail of 10 feathers, which are black and white. 159, 160.
Cuculus—tail of 12 feathers, which are black and grey. 157.
CYPSELIDA&. (Plate x.)
Cypselus—four toes in front; middle toe three phalanges, outer
toe three phalanges. 138, 139.
Acanthyllis—three toes in front; middle toe four phalanges, outer
toe five phalanges. 140,
EMBERIZIN&. (Plate viii.)
Calcarius—bill yellow, tipped with black. 117.
Emberiza—bill brown, grey, or buff. 109-116.
Plectrophanes—bill black. 118
FALCONIDA. (Plates xiv. xv. xvi.)
Lores feathered.
Pernis—tarsus reticulate back and front. 188.
Lores not feathered.
Tail forked.
Milvus—tarsus scutellate in front, reticulate behind. 184, 185.
Elanotdes —white head andneck ; longblacknarrowwings. 186.
Elanus—grey head and neck ; black and white wings. 187.
Tail even or rounded.
Tarsus feathered ; fourth primary longest.
79 THE GENERA,
Aguila—tarsus feathered to toes ; 27 remiges. 178, 179.
Archibuteo—tarsus featherless at back; 24 remiges. 177.
Tarsus scutellate in front, reticulate at back; fifth primary
longest.
Haliaétus—white tail ; 27 remiges. 180.
Tarsus reticulate back and front; first primary longer
than secondaries.
Falco—legs with breeches; outer toe not reversible ; bill
deeply notched. 189-197.
Pandion—legs without breeches; outer toe reversible ; bill
faintly notched. 198.
Tarsus scutellate back and front ; first primary short.
Buteo—fourth primary longest ; first four primaries notched ;
wings long. 176.
Circus—third and fourth primaries longest; wings long;
head with a ruff. 173-175.
Accipiter—fourth and fifth primaries longest; wings short.
181-183.
FRINGILLIN&. (Plates vii. viii.)
Mandibles crossed.
Loxta—105-108.
Upper mandible overhanging.
Pyrrhula—t102-104.
Upper mandible rather larger than lower.
Passer—tail square. 93, 94.
Serinus — tail forked. 89, 90.
Mandibles nearly equal.
Tail square.
Coccothraustes—primaries hooked at the tip. 92.
Tail forked.
Ligurinus—second, third and fourth primaries equal. 91.
Carduelis—second primary longer than third, and longest in
wing. 87, 88.
Fringilla—second primary shorter eae third, which, or the
fourth, is the longest in the wing. 95, 9
Linota—-second and third primaries Lene ‘equal, and the longest
feathers in the wing. 97-101.
GLAREOLIDA. (Plate xxv.)
Glareola—29\.
GRUID&. (Plate xxv.)
Grus—285, 286.
HIRUNDININA. (Plate vi.)
Hirundo--81-84.
{BIDIDA. (Plate xviii.)
Lbis—215.
ICTERINA. (Plate ix.)
Agelaus—i19.
LANIINA. (Plate vii}
Lanius—7 3-76.
THE GENERA. 7
LARIDA. (Plates xxx. xxxi. xxxii.)
1. Three toes.
Rissa—remiges 31; feet black. 367.
2. Four toes ; three all united and one webbed to tarsus,
Pagophila—plumage pure white. 368.
3. Four toes ; three united.
Larus—tail square. 356-366.
Rhodostethia—breast white and rose ; tail wedge-shaped. 355.
Sterna—bill longer than head ; tail forked. 344-352.
Anous—whole body blackish brown ; tail graduated. 353.
Xema—bill shorter than head ; tail forked; legs long. 354.
Hydrochelidon—bill as long as head ; tail slightly forked ; legs
short ; webs incised. 341-343.
Stercorarius—bill strong, cutting, compressed and with a
cere ; remiges 26 or 28 ; tail rounded. 369-372.
MEROPID. (Plate xii.)
Merops—wings long and pointed; bastard primary very small ;
tail long. 154, 155.
MOTACILLINZ. (Plate v.)
Anthus—tail short and forked. 66-71.
Motacilla—tail long and even. 60-65.
MUSCICAPIN. (Plate vi.)
Musctcapa— 78-80.
GEDICNEMID#,. (Plate xxv.)
GQ:dicnemus—tarsus reticulate before and behind. 290
ORIOLIN. (Plate v.)
Oriolus—72.
OTIDIDA. (Plate xxv.)
O¢zs—tarsus reticulate before and behind. 287-289,
PANURINE. (Plate iv.)
Panurus—49.
PARINA. (Plate iv.)
Acredula—liong tail, much graduated. 50, 54,
Parus—short tail, nearly even. 52-57.
PASSERID&. (Plates i. to x.)
(See under its various sub-families.)
PELECANIDA. (Plate xvii.)
Phalacrocorax—wings moderate; middle toe shorter than outer.
199, 200.
Sula—wings long ; middle toe not shorter than outer. 201.
PHASIANIDA. (Plates xxiii. xxiv.)
Tarsus feathered—
Tetrao—tarsus without spurs. 269-272.
Tarsus unfeathered.
Coturnix—wings long ; tail very short. 276.
Perdix—first primary short ; wings short ; tail short. 274, 275.
Phasianus—wings short ; tail very long. 273.
72 THE GENERA
PHENICOPTERIDA. (Plate xviii.)
Phenicopterus—216.
Picip#. (Plate xi.)
Tail feathers stiff and pointed.
Gecinus—greenish in colour. 149.
Picus—black and white or black and red. 144-148,
Tail feathers soft and rounded.
Jynx—brown and greyish white. 150.
PLATALEIDA. (Plate xviii.)
Platalea—214.
PODICIPEDIDA. (Plate xxxiii.)
Podiceps—38 4-388.
PROCELLARIIDA. (Plate xxxiii.)
Bill as long as head.
Bulweria—unspotted brownish black. 395.
Bill longer than head.
Puffinus—bdill slender. 391-394.
Bill shorter than head.
Fulmarus—bill indented or curved. 389, 390.
Procellaria—bill straight to the nail. 396, 397.
Oceanites—bill small and weak ; tail square ; tarsus plated. 39%.
PYrEROCLID&. (Plate xxiii.)
Syrrhaptes—268.
RALLIDA. (Plate xxiv.)
Forehead feathered ; remiges 26.
Crex—bill shorter than head. 278-281.
Rallus—bvill longer than head. 282.
Forehead with a shield.
fulica—foot lobes denticulate ; remiges 25. 284.
Gallinula—tfoot lobes entire ; remiges 23. 283.
SCOLOPACIDA. (Plates xxvii. xxviii. xxix.)
Three toes.
Calidris—324.
Four toes.
Three united as far as second joint.
Recurvirostra—remiges 30; bill curved upwards, 304.
Three united near base.
flimantopus—remiges 29; black wings ; very long legs. 305.
Limicola—bill long, flat, and wide in the middle. 313.
!Lacrorhampus—remiges 20; bill long and rounded; outer web
of foot larger than inner. 312.
Wumenius—bill more than twice as long as head, and curved
downwards ; 30 remiges. 338-340.
Scolopax—bill long, straight, and compressed ; 26 remiges. 308.
Tryngites—bill shorter than head. 325.
Three in front, two united.
Rartramia—remiges 26; billno longer than head ; wings not
reaching tip of tail. 326.
Timosa—remiges 28; bill nearly twice as long as nead and
curving slightly upwards. 336, 337.
THE GENERA. 73
Machetes—male with a ruff; bill as long as head ; wings reaching
tip of tail. 323.
Totanus—bill rather longer than head; tail barred and short.
327-335.
Feet lobate.
Phalaropus—remiges 25. 306, 307.
Feet all divided.
Gallinaga—bill very straight and long. 309-311.
Tringa—bill rather longer than head ; tail without bars. 314-322.
SITTINA. (Plate iv.)
Sttta—j58.
STRIGIDA. (Plate xiii.)
Bill straight from base, curved only at tip; 24 remiges ; second
primary longest.
Strix—feet rather bristly ; nostrils not in cere. 161,
Bill curved from base.
Tail long.
Syrnium—facial disk complete. 164.
Surntia—facial disk hardly traceable. 166.
Tail short.
Lower mandible sinuate.
Athene—nostrils in cere ; feet bristly. 170.
Lower mandible notched.
Head with plumicorns,
Scops—teet bare ; 22 remiges ; fourth primary longest. 168.
A sto—teet feathered ; wings long ; 24 remiges ; second primary
longest. 162, 163.
Bubo—tfeet feathered; wings short; 29 remiges; third and
fourth primaries longest. 169.
Without plumicorns.
Nyctala—ears with operculum. 167,
Nyctea—ears without operculum, 168.
STURNINA. (Plate ix.)
Pastor—crested. 121.
Sturnus—uncrested. 120.
TROGLODYTINE. (Plate iv.)
Troglodytes—s9.
TURDINA. (Plates i. ii. iii.)
Geoctchla—axillaries chequered. 7, 8.
Merula—axillaries black. 9, Io.
Phylloscopus—axillaries yellow ; breast whitish; legs brown. 42-35.
Hypolats—axillaries yellow ; bill stout ; legs blue. 36.
Daulias-~axillaries buff; breast buff; back reddish brown , tail
reddish brown. 22.
Erithacus—chin red ; lower breast white. 21.
Meltzophitus—chin chestnut ; lower breast chestnut.
Aédon—head and back chestnut; breast buff; tail rounded and
long and tipped with white. 37.
Regulus—bright yellow crest. 30, 31.
Sa.xico/a—rump white ; legs black ; bill unnotched. 12-14.
Fr
74 THE GENERA.
Pratincola—rump whitish ; legs black; bill notched; tail short and
square. 15, 16.
Cyanecula—throat blue ; head brown. 19, 20.
Monticola—head bluish grey ; bill black; breast chestnut. ITI.
Ruticilla—throat black ; tail red, with black or brown on its two
middle feathers. 17, 78.
Locustella—no rictal ite ; axillaries brown ; tail pointed and
shorter than wing. 43, 4.
Acrocephalus—bill large, denieseea and broad at base ; axillaries
whitish ; tail short and rather round. 38-42.
Sylvia—bill obscurely notched, very short and stout, but not broad
at base; breast plain or barred ; wings moderate ; ; first primary
noticeably under half the length of second ; tail ashy or brown and
white. 23-28.
Turdus—bill distinctly notched ; outer and middle toes united:
tail ratherlong. Range over seven inches. 1-6.
TURNICIDA. (Plate xxiv.)
Turnix—277.
Upupip&. (Plate xii.)
Upupa—slender curved bill ; crested head; rounded wings. 156,
VULTURIDA. (Plate xiv.)
Gyps—fourth primary longest; legs bluish. 34,
Neophron—third primary longest ; legs pinkish. 172.
CHAPTER XL
PHE SPECIES,
ibs this Chapter only such particulars are given as are needful to
separate between the species. For the distinctions between the
Genera, &c., reference must be made to the preceding chapters. As
an aid in identification the species are arranged in order of their
average size ; their accepted ornithological order will be found in the
coloured plates. In the notes a few particulars are given as to
flight, song, and nest. Where not otherwise stated, the plumage
of the sexes is alike. The dimensions are fully given in the chapter
devoted to them, and the eggs have also been dealt specially with in
a similar way.
Acanthyllis. Plate x, CYPSELIDA.
140, caudacuta, 8t in, NEEDLE-TAILED SwirT. Head greenish black;
forehead white; back brown ; wings dark green with
a little white on secondaries; throat, breast, and
under tail coverts white ; tail shafts ending in spines.
The Needle-tailed Swift—Dimensions, Ho—is an Asiatic, which has been added to the
British List on the strength of two specimens only, one shot in 1846 and the other in 1879.
Nothing is known of its eggs, but it is said to breed in Tibet and thereabouts. As the two
British victims are the only two ever heard of in Europe, and as the bird is a regular visitor te
Australia, it is not unlikely that our specimens were brought home as examples of the
Colonial avifauna to be promptly shot on escape, and so made into British Birds,
Accentor. Plate iv. ACCENTORIN<G (Passeridz).
45. modularis, 5sin. HEDGE-SPARROW. Throat bluish-grey, shading inte
buff.
46. collaris, 6in. ALPINE ACCENTOR. Throat white, spotted with
black.
The Hedge Sparrow—Dimensions, Br ; Eggs, Da—is with us always, and is distinguishable
from the House Sparrow by its bluish breast and its slenderer beak, as well as by its genera)
bearing and behaviour. Its gait is ashuffling hop, which has given it one of its local names—
the Shufflewing—and its flight is short and direct from point to point without undulation, but
it rarely crosses a field if it can work round it among the hedges. Its note is a cheery sort of
“cheep,” varied by an occasional ‘‘treep.’’ The female is rather smaller than the male, and
more thickly striped about the head and neck. The nest is a fairly neat one, built low down
in a hedge, or among evergreens, and its materials are rootlets, twigs, green moss, dry grass,
and wool, lined generally with hair, feathers being presevt occasionally. The pretty blue
eggs are from four to six in number.
The Alpine Accentor—Dimensions, El; Eggs, Fe—is an occasional straggler from Southern
Europe. _ Its flight is hasty and undulating, and occasionally soaring, somewhat like a lark’s.
Its note is *‘ chich-ich-ich,” with a call of ‘‘tri-tri-tri.’’ There are from five ta six eggs ‘aa
clutch, but the nest has not yet been found in Britain.
F 2
76 THE SPECIES.
Accipiter. Plate xv, FALCONID.
183. misus, i2in. SPARROW HAWK. Greyish blue above, with a
white patch on nape; buffish below, barred with
tufous brown ; tail with light and dark brown bars,
182. atricapillus, 22in, AMERICAN GOs HAwK. Ashy brown above; below
white, irregularly freckled, or marbled with brown,
181, falumbarius,23in. Gos HAwK. Ashy brown above; below white
distinctly barred with brown; tail brown with four
dark brown bars.
The Sparrow Hawk—Dimensions, Kh; Eggs, Jr—is, with the possible exception of the
Kestrel, our commonest falcon. Its flight is swift and gliding, not far from the ground, in
long sweeping undulations; threading the woods in bold easy curves, and occasionally
hanging in the air with quivering wings and tail. Its note is a screaming ‘‘ mew.”” The
female is larger than the male, as is the case with all the Falconide, though the peculiarity
is not confined to birds of prey. She is greyish brown above and much whiter below than
the male, though in old age she assumes the male plumage; and she may, asa rule, be
distinguished by a reddish patch of downy feathers on the flanks. The iris of the male is
yellow; hers is crange. The nest is a large one of sticks, lined with rootlets and occasionally
a little mots, and it is placed among rocks, or in the fork of the main trunk of-a tree, or of one
of the larger boughs. There are from three to six eggs.
The American Gos Hawk—Dimensions, Qd; Eggs, Pu—has made three appearances in
these islands, the first in 1869. Its eggs have not yet been found here.
The Gos Hawk—Dimensions, Qj ;. Eggs, Pp—is now but a rare visitor. Its flight is long
and gliding, somewhat low, rarely circling, with the steering action of its tail very apparent.
Its note is a “ kurk kairk kirk,” with a sharper intonation when alarmed. The female is
about three inches larger than the male. The nest, on some lofty tree near the skirt of a
wood, is of sticks, roots, moss, and lichens; it is known by its hardly ever having any green
leaves in it, and it grows very large by being occupied year after year and added to at each
occupation. The eggs are generally four in number, but sometimes three and sometimes
five have been found. The Gos Hawk obtains its specific name from the pigeon, and its
popular name from the goose. The adult may be known by the narrow white line above the
eye and ear coverts ; the young are buff below, streaked with blackish brown ; the full grown
birds are white below, barred with ashy brown.
Acredula. Plate iv, PARINZ (Passeridze).
50. caudata, 53in. WuHITE-HEADED LONG-TaILeD Tit. Crown all
white.
SI. rosea, sin. BriTIsH LONG-TAILED Tir Crown black, with
a narrow white central patch.
’ The White-Headed Long-Tailed Tit—Dimensions, Bo; Eggs, Ar~has been occasionally
met with in our woods in the winter. The female has a dusky lateral stripe in her crown.
{n every other respect this bird resembles
The British Long-Tailed Tit—Dimensions, Bn; Eggs, Ac—which is a common resident
south of the Clyde. Its flight is short and swift, with a very quick movement of the wings,
flitting jerkily from tree to tree, and around the trees and blackthorn bushes, and then darting
off in a series of dips, followed in single file by the wife and family. The note can be
likened to ‘‘te-te,” or “‘ tse-re-re,’’ or “ zit-zit,” or ‘‘ zee-zee-zee.”” The female is blacker
than the male, and the young have not so much red about them. The nest is the best built
in Britain. It is generally ten feet or more from the ground, in tall hedges or trees ; it is
oval in shape, and the materials are moss, lichens, wool, and cobwebs, all beautifully felted
together with a lining of hair and feathers; it is entered bya hole in the side, which is
generally closed with a feather when the bird is ues The eggs are fromm 5 to 20 in number,
ari
and have fewer spots than those of any other of the ine.
Acrocephalus. Plate iii. TURDINZ (Passeridz),
41. ayuaticus, 4hin. AQUATIC WARBLER. Crown stripes buff anc
brown,
42. phragmitis, 4fin. SEDGE WARBLER, Crown stripes all brown.
38. strepcrus, shin. REED WARBLER. Eyes brown, legs purplish
brown.
39. palustris, skin. MARSH WARBLER. Eyes hazel; legs flesh colour.
40. turdoides, 8 in, GREAT REED WARBLER. Eyes brown; legs horn
colour ; second primary longest in wing,
The Aquatic Warbler--Dimensions, Ah; Eggs, Bo—readily recognisable by the bud
THE SPECIES. 77
streak down the middle of the crown, is one of our very occasional spring and summer
visitors, The female has much the same plumage asthe male. The eggs are either four
or five in number, but the nest has not yet been found in this country.
The Sedge Warbler—Dimensions, Ap; Eggs, Ba—comes amongst us every spring to
breed, and remains with us till September. Its flight is hardly worthy of the name, for it
rarely flies, as it contents itself with skulking amongst the rushes and undergrowth. Indeed,
it is curious how a bird with so poor a flight can cross the English Channel. Its note is a
vehement ‘‘cheep” or a “‘ churr”’—as if it had a brogue in it, The female is much duller
in colour than the male. The nest is never suspended, and it is never found among reeds,
and rarely among sedges, but it is built close to the ground, or even on the ground, among
bushes and osiers. It is composed of moss and coarse grass, lined with horsehair, reed tufts,
and dry grass. The eggs are either five or six in number.
The Reed Warbler—Dimensions, Bp ; Eggs, Bp—is not only longer but slimmer than the
Sedge Warbler. It also comes about April and leaves in September, and has a skulking sort
of flight, now and then just clearing the reed tops and vanishing into them. Its note isa
sort of whistle, a kind of ‘‘choh-choh” in variations, which is heard at its best long after
sunset. The female is of a paler brown than the male. The nest is the deep one, builc over
the water on two or three reed stems, which carry it up with them as they grow. It is
compactly built of reeds and dry grass, moss, wool, feathers, and horsehair ; and sometimes
it is attached to willows or alders, but it nearly always hangs over water, and contains four
or five eggs.
The Marsh Warbler—Dimensions, Bq; Eggs, CA—is a somewhat rare visitor reported
every summer, chiefly from the West of England. Its flight is a trifle bolder than that of
the Reed Warbler, but it is marked with the same eagerness to get out of sight as soon as
possible, Occasionally it can be seen singing un the top of a low willow. It sings by night
as well as by day, and its note, syllabised by an admirer as ‘‘chiddy, chiddy, chiddy, chit,
chit, cha, cha, cha, chit, chit,” is said to be “varied and melodious, like a nightingale’s, but
not so loud.” The female is of a very retiring disposition, The nest is never over water, but
generally, though not always, near it. Asa rule it is found among osier beds, and is built of
Jeaves, round grass, and moss, felted with cobweb and seed down, and lined with horsehair.
It is quite as deep as that of the Reed Warbler, and contains five, six, or seven eggs.
The Great Reed Warbler—Dimensions, Gn; Eggs, Ep—is more often talked about than
‘seen. He is a very rare summer visitor, and his flight is of the timid, skulking kind,
avoiding observation as much as possible, though his occasional captures of insects on the
wing show what he could do if he tried. His note is loud and unmusical; a series of
monotonous variations on ‘‘karry-charry-karry,’”’ with a croak as an alarm. The female is
about half an inch shorter than the male. The nest is suspended from two or three reeds,
but is never over water though often over mud. It is a deep cup made of reeds, leaves,
and flowering scapes, and contains from forr to six eggs; but it is very rarely met with.
Aédon. Plate iii. TURDIN4: (Passeride).
37. galactodes, 6%in. RuFOUS WARBLER. Chestnut above; whitish
below ; white eye stripe ; two central tail feathers
tipped with black, others tipped with white.
The Rufous Warbler—Dimensions, Ep; Eggs, ErR—is a rare accidental straggler which
has been found here some three times since 1854. It is well-known round the Mediterranean,
and gets as far south as Abyssinia. Its flight in this country is not on record, owing,
probably, to its being cut short by the sportsman in his eagerness to make the bird British.
The female is paler than the male,
#gialitis. Plate xxvi. CHARADRHDZ.
298. curonicus, 6 in. LiTrLe RINGED PLOVER. Broad black ring on
white chest; white on first primary of wing;
scapulars same colour as back ; ‘outer tail feathers
a quarter of an inch shorter than middle ones ; legs
yellow.
299. cantianus, 6hin. KENTISH PLOVER. White nape joining white
throat, black ring on chest not meeting in front ;
legs black.
297. hiaticula, 7 in, RINGED PLovEeR. Broad black ring on white
chest; white bar across wing; white below ; legs
orange.
300. vociferus, 10 in, KILLDEER PLOVER. Two narrow black rings on
chest; lowe1 back and rump chestnut buff; legs
grey.
The Little Ringed Plover—Dimensions, Ds; Eggs Hp—has been recorded about half
voome
78 THE SPECIES.
a dozen times as an unexpected straggler from the north. As in many other cases it is only
a British bird by courtesy.
The Kentish Plover—Dimensions, Eo; Eggs, He—has an undoubted claim to be con-
sidered British, inasmuch as it was first described from a specimen taken at Sandwich, and
is found every summer all along the Kent and Sussex coasts. Its flight is rather slow,
notwithstanding the quick beating of its wings, and it starts and alights with a run of a few
yards, with its wings expanded. Its note is a sort of ‘‘pittwee” or ‘‘ptwee.” The female
is recognisable by her being brown where the male is black, the absence of black being
especially noticeable on the fore-crown. The nest is a mere hollow in the shingle; the eggs
are four in number, though occasionally only three have been found. :
The Ringed Plover—Dimensions, Fn; Eggs, Ir—is with us all the year round. Its flight
is low or high, made up of quick flappings and long glides, straight for a time, then wheeling,
and rolling leisurely from side to side so as to show first the back and then the underparts,
The note is a whistle, with 'penny-yet’? as an alarm, The female has a much less
conspicuous collar, The nest is a mere hollow in the sand or shingle. The eggs are four in
number and very pointed in shape. :
The Killdeer Plover—Dimensions, Iq ; Eggs, Iq—is so called from its call of ‘‘ killdeer.”
It is an American species, of which two examples have been shot in these islands, and none
onthe Continent of Europe. The female has much the same plumage as the male.
Ageleus. Plate ix. ICTERINZ (Passeridz).
119. pheniceus, gin. RED-WINGED STARLING. Glossy black; lesser
wing coverts red; legs and bill glossy brownish
black; tail rounded, but with two rather short
middle feathers. ;
The Red-winged Starling—Dimensions, Ia; Eggs, Fu—is another rare visitor from across
the Atlantic, probably shot on escape from confinement. The note, as pronounced with the
American twang, is “ kork-ker-ree.’” The female is unknown in this country. The nest is
of the hanging purse-shape, characteristic of all the Icterinz.
Alauda. Plate x. ALAUDING (Passeridz),
135. brachydactyla, 5s in. SHORT-TOED LARK. Crown fawn; bill flesh
colour ; brown above, unspotted below.
133. arborea, 6 in. Woop Lark. Broad white eye stripe ; throat and
breast more streaked than spotted ; tail short, outer
feathers brown.
134. cristata, 7 in, CRESTED LARK. Crest pointed ; outer tail feathers
half buff.
132, arvensis, 7iin. Sky Lark. Faint yellowish eye stripe; throat
and breast more spotted than streaked ; outer tail
feathers mostly white.
136. stbirica, 74 in. WHITE-WINGED LARK. Secondaries white.
The Short-tailed Lark—Dimensions, Cl; Eggs, Dr—is a rare visitor to the South of
England. Its flight is a jerky, undulating one ; its song is of the feeblest, and like its flight
is generally cut short by some enthusiastic gunner. There is only one record of one of these
birds being taken alive in this country, and that was at Amberley, in Sussex, in 1888. It
has never been known to breed here.
The Wood Lark—Dimensions, Dq; Eggs, Ep—is one of our resident birds, and migrates
about the country. Its flight is not so high as that of the Sky Lark, and it soars in more of a
circle. Sometimes it sings on the ground, sometimes on a tree, and often its melodious
“Ju-lu ” will be heard far into the night. The female is much the same in plumage as the
male, and like him, is of a deeper richer brown in the winter. The nest is rather a compact
one, of coarse grass outside and finer grass within, mixed with moss and lined with hair; and
it is generally placed on the ground under a tuft of grass or low bush. The eggs are either
four or five in number.
The Crested Lark—Dimensions, Fi; Eggs, Fe—is a rare visitor to our south coast. Its
flight is like that of the Wood Lark, and its note is 4 melodious ‘‘ coo-hai.” The female is
not so large as the male and somewhat darker. The nest has not been found in Britain.
The Sky Lark—Dimensions, Ft; Eggs, Es—is resident amongst us though reinforced in the
autumn by visitors from the Continent. Its flight is fluttering and gliding, rising in long
slopes, almost vertical at times, and soaring as the song is trilled forth. Sometimes the
lark will sing from a tree top, sometimes from a telegraph wire. The song has been syllabised
as “cherry do, cherry do, pretty joey, pretty joey, pee joey, white hat, white hat, pretty
joey,” and one ornithologist, of Scottish parentage, has likened it to a bagpipe heard ata
distance—of course a considerable distance. Another Scotsman gives it as, ‘‘ Up in the
lift go we, te-hee, te-hee, te-hee, te-hee! There’s no’ a cobbler on the airth can mak’ a
‘THE SPECIES. 79
shoe tu me, tome! Whyso? Whyso? Whyso? Because my heel is as long as my toe.”
The female resembles the male in plumage. The nest is always on the ground, and is
composed of grass or herbaceous plants with a little moss, lined with dry grass, rootlets, and
hair. The eggs are from three to five in number. It is perhaps worth noting that the
larks, unlike the pipits, never bathe in water, but dust themselves clean.
The White-winged Lark—Dimensions, Gj; Eggs, Fn—made one appearance in this
country and was promptly bagged as British. Curiously enough, this solitary specimen,
coven near Lewes, in 1869, was a female. Its nest has to be sought for in Siberia and
urkestan,
Alca, Plate xxxii. ALCIDE.
373. torda, 17in. RAZORBILL. Black above, white below; thin white
line from bill to eye ; 12 tail feathers.
374. impennis, 32in. GREAT AUK. Black above, white below; broad
white patch between bill and eye; 18 tail feathers.
The Razorbill—Dimensions, Nn; Eggs, Ro—can be found in our estuaries all the year
round, but it comes ashore in its thousands in the beginning of April. Its flight is rapid and
direct, with a considerable roll so as to display its breast and back alternately ; and when the
birds are in any number they always fly in single file. Afloat it can be distinguished from
the Guillemot by its upturned tail. In winter it loses its green gloss, and its chin and throat
become white. Its note is a grunting croak, which some have syllabised as ‘‘ hurray.””
The female lays but one egg, and this in acrevice or on an overhung ledge, without any
attempt at building a nest. In incubation she takes watch and watch with the male, neither
of them couching across the egg, but along it. The Razorbill egg is greenish when held to
the light, while that of the Guillemot is yellowish white.
The Great Auk—Dimensions, Sk; Eggs, Ss—is said to be extinct, and is only included
here by request, in the hope that some day it may, in Miltonic phrase, return from visiting
“the bottom of the monstrous world.’? Like the Razorbill, it built no nest and laid a
solitary egg.
Alcedo. Pilate xi. ALCEDINIDA, ;
a5. zipida, 7in. KINGFISHER. Head black and blue; back blue;
white spot on neck; chin white; breast chestnut ;
legs red.
The Kingfisher—Dimensions, Et; Eggs, Dq—is one of the gayest in plumage of our
resident birds. Its flight is straight and unwavering, like a flash of blue flame, but
occasionally it pauses and hovers in the shade, though it never does so in the sunshine. Its
note is a shrill ‘‘pip, pip, pip.” The female has the beak orange on the lower base, and is
not so bright in colour generally. The nest is in a slimy hole in a bank near water, and is
composed of ejected fish bones. The eggs are from six to nine in number, and are of a deep
pink colour until the yolk is blown out of them. They are nearly round in shape.
Ampelis, Plate vi. AMPELING (Passeride).
77. garrulus, 7s in. Waxwinc. Brown and chestnut above; throat
black ; secondaries tipped with scarlet ; tail tipped
with scarlet or yellow.
The Waxwing—Dimensions, Gh: Eggs, Fir—only finds its way to this country in
exceptionally cold continental winters. Its eggs were first discovered by Wolley, in 1856, in
Russian Lapland. The females have fewer wax tips than the male, particularly as they get
older, when the male often has wax tips to his tail as well as his wings.
Anas. Plate xxi. ANATIDZ.
236. strepera, 2zoin. GADWALL. Wing bar white.
235. doscas, 24in. MALLARD. Wing bar purple; tail of 14 feathers.
The Gadwall—Dimensions, Ph; Eggs, Oc—is resident in the eastern counties of England,
but the numbers are occasionally swollen by winter migrants. The flight is very strong, the
wings whistling as the flap. The note is a shrill “quack”—whence the specific name—
but occasionally a double “quack’’ is given. The female has very little chestnut on the
shoulder of the wing, and is brown in colour, but like the male is distinguishable from the
other ducks by the white wing bar or ‘‘speculum.” In summer the male assumes the
female plumage, but the bill is always black with blue at the base, while the female’s bill is
dusky with dull orange at the sides, The nest is placed on the ground under the shelter of
a bush, and not far from water, but ina dry place. It is formed of dry grass, leaves, and
rushes, and lined with smaller down than that of the Mallard. The eggs are from 8 to 13
in number, and of a greenish hue when fresh,
8&9 THE SPECIES.
The Mallard—Dimensions, Qp; Eggs, Ps—is the common Wild Duck, fiom which our
domesticated ducks are derived. As with them the drake can be distinguished by the curl
of the upper tail coverts. The flight is straight and swift, and the wings work rapidly in
long full strokes, without any intermission. The duck always rises first, the drake follows.
The note of the male is “ quork,” that of the female is ‘‘ quark,” and the female invariably
makes the most noise. The female has a dark grey bill with a black nail; the male’s bill is
greenish yellow. In summer the male assumes the female plumage. The nest is on the
ground, and generally—but not always—near water, and sometimes the Mallard will take
possession of an old crow’s nest. The nest is always lined with down from the female's
breast, neutral grey in colour, with small white tips. When specially built it is composed of
dead grass, reeds, and leaves. The eggs are from 8 to 16 in number, and have smooth
shells. The female is generally smaller than the male, and sometimes she has been found to
assume the male plumage. In fact our No. 235 is a confusing sort of bird from all points of
attack. To avoid calling a drake a duck, its name of Wild Duck was discountenanced in
favour of Mallard, which simply means Drake.
Anous. Plate xxx. LARIDA.
353. stolidus, 14in. Noppy. Crown grey; throat greyish; the rest
dark sooty brown; bill black; fourth tail feather
from outside longest; feet brown with yellowish
webs.
The Noddy—Dimensions, Mb; Eggs, Np—is a tropical species, which in 1830 sent two
representatives to be shot off the coast of Wexford. It had never been seen in Europe
before nor has it been seen since. Its eggs are worth noting as being the only tern's eggs
laid in a nest.
Anser, Plate xix. ANATIDA.
221. erythropus, 20in. LESSER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE, Forehead
white ; bill pink, with horn coloured nail; legs
orange.
220. albifrons, 28 in. . WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE. Forehead white; bill
yellow, with white nail; black bars on lower
breast ; legs yellow.
2ig.drachyrhynchus,29in. PINK-FOOTED Goose. Bill pink with black nail ;
legs pink,
217. cinereus, goin. Grey Lac Goose. Bill pink with white nail;
black bars on lower breast ; legs flesh colour.
222, hyperboreus, 30in. SNOW Goose. White; wings black and white ;
bill and legs red.
218, segetum, 34 in, BEAN GoosE. Bill orange, with black nail; legs
yellow. ‘
The Lesser White-fronted Goose—Dimensions, Pk; Eggs, Rm—is a very rare winter
visitor from Scandinavia. The female is more rufescent in colour and smaller than the male.
The White-fronted Goose—Dimensions, Sc; Eggs, Rk—visits us every winter, but does
not breed here. It has large spots of black on the breast and below. The female is smaller
than the male and has much less black on the breast.
The Pink-footed Goose—Dimensions, Se ; Eggs, Sc—is another winter visitor, but much
rarer.
The Grey Lag Goose—Dimensions, Sh; Eggs, S1—was once resident amongst us in
considerable numbers, but it is now best known as a regular visitor. Its flight is high, heavy,
and sedate; in the breeding season it flies in pairs, the goose being in front; on mfgration
it flies in families in a V formation, and the families often join company so as to. make up a
series of W’s. The note is ‘‘gag, gag,” or ‘“‘kak-kak,” or ‘‘gaggle.” The female is a
seventh shorter than the male, The nest is generally among the heather, or on a crag, or
some lonely moor, and consists of a few sticks with a pile of reeds, grass, and sedge nearly
a yard across, and lined with down as soon as the eggs are laid, ‘The eggs number from six
to fourteen. According to the older etymologists this bird derives its name from the grey
wings which are so conspicuous in its flight.
The Snow Goose—Dimensions, Sl; Eggs, Sp—is a straggler from North America,
first shot in Ireland in 1871.
The Bean Goose—Dimensions, Sq; Eggs, Sr—is one of our usual winter visitors. It has
no black on the breast. It rises heavily, striking the water with its wings to begin with, and
flies in lines either straight, angular, or wavy. Its note is a trumpet-like ‘‘clank.”’ The
_ female is rather smaller than the male.
THE SPECIES. 81
Anthus. Plate V. MOTACILLING (Passeride).
66. pratensis, sin. MEADOW Pipit. Plumage whitish; throat and
chest spotted with blackish brown.
67. trivialis, 6 in. TREE PIpPiT. Plumage yellowish; hind claw
shorter than toe and much curved.
qi. obscurus, 64 in. Rock Prrit. Hind claw same length as toe and
curved ; tail feathers entirely dark brown.
70. spipoletta, 64in. WATER Prpit. Throat and chest unspotted.
68. campestris, 7 in, TAWNyY Pipit. Hind claw same lengti as toe and
curved ; tail feathers edged with light brown.
69. richardi, 7% in. RICHARD’s Pipir. Hind claw not less than an
inch in length.
The Meadow Pipit—Dimensions, Da; Eggs, Dm—is one of cur residents whose numbers
are increased by migration in spring and thinned by departures for the Continent in the
autumn. It is quite as well known as the Titlark—indeed all the Pipits are known as
Titlarks—and like all the rest of the genus, and all the Larks and Wagtails, it runs when on
the ground and does not hop. One of its distinctive marks is its nearly straight hind claw,
which is longer than the hind toe. Like all the Pipits it varies very much in size, but its
Proportions are fairly constant. Its characteristic odour is stronger than that of any other
ground bird. Its flight is at times swift and undulating, but generally wavering, as it sings
on the wing, fluttering up fora short distance, and then slowly descending with expanded
wings and tail. Its note is a feeble warbling ‘‘cheep-teep,”’ with a sharper alarm or call of
whit.””. The female is not so spotted_as the male, and in the winter resembles him in
being greener above and buffer below. The nest is always on the ground and generally on
a bank under a tuft of grass; it is made of moss, dry grass, and seed stalks, lined with fine
grass and hair. The eggs are from four to six in number.
The Tree Pipit—Dimensions, Dk; Eggs, Es—is a summer migrant, arriving early in
April and leaving us in October. Like all its namesakes, it has the bill of a wagtail, and the
long hind claw of a lark. Its flight is of the same character as that of the Meadow Pipit.
It mounts nearly straight up and hovers over a tree, trilling out its canary-like song ; andthen,
with its legs hanging and its wings almost meeting over its back, it drops in a spiral to the
bush from which it rose, and from which, in a few moments, it rises to sing again. Its note
is ‘twee, twee, twee, twee,”—longer than the Meadow Pipit’s—and it has also a call of
“ tick-tick,” and another of “‘ tsee-a, tsee-a, tsee-a.’’ The female is not so large as the male,
and is not so spotted on the breast. The nest is placed on the ground, generally on a bank,
and sometimes in a hole; and it is made of dry grass, rootlets, moss, wool, and horsehair.
The eggs, of which there are from four to six in the nest, are more variable than those of
any other British bird, except, perhaps, the Cuckoo and the Guillemot,
The Rock Pipit—Dimensions, Ee; Eggs, Er—frequents our coasts all the year round, and
breeds annually north of the Humber. It has no white in its tail, its axillaries are smoky
brown, and its hind claw is very much curved, It is the highest flyer among the Pipits,
rising 30 ft. or more in a wavering desultory way, singing as it flutters aloft, and slowly
circles to the ground again. Its note is a shrill ‘‘cheep.”” The female has no rosy tinge on
the breast. The nest is generally near the sea, under a stone or ina hole; it is made of
grass, seaweed, and moss, and lined, as a rule, with horsehair ; and it contains from four to
five eggs.
The Water Pipit—D.mensions, Ek; Eggs, Ee—is a very occasional straggler into the
south of England. Its flight is ‘‘ Pipit-like,”” and the note is reported to be “‘ting-ting-ting ””
on the rise, and ‘‘si, si, si, si’’ on the fall.
The Tawny Pipit—Dimensions, Ef; Eggs, Ev—is another rare straggler never known to
breed here,
Richard’s Pipit—Dimensions, Ge; Eggs, Eu—often straggles over here in the autumn
from its home in Turkestan, but it never stays the winter with us.
Aquila. Plate xv. FALCONIDA,
178. clanga, 26in. SPOTTED EAGLE. Wings brown, spotted with
greyish white ; tail brown.
179. chrysaélus, 36in. GOLDEN EAGLE. Wings brown, shaded with
black ; tail mottled.
The Spotted Eagle~-Dimensions, Rq; Eggs, Qu—is a very rare straggler to these islands,
and only about half a dozen specimens are on record, and there is some doubt as to whether
these are of larger or smaller species, If they are of the smaller kind it would seem that
they should be z@via and not clanga.
The Golden Eagle—Dimensions, Te ; Eggs, RT—is undoubtedly a British bird, although
82 THE SPECIES.
it is not shot quite as often as is reported in the newspapers. Most of the Golden Eagles
shot in England by gamekeepers are Sea Eagles, from which the Golden bird is at once
‘distinguishable by its having the tarsus feathered right down to the toes. The Golden
Eagle rarely hovers ; he flies with a few powerful strokes, and then glides along with no
apparent motion of the wings, his neck and feet drawn in so as to make his length seem much
shorter than it really is, in proportion to the wing-spread. The note isa “‘yelp” anda
“squeal.” The female is rather larger than the male, and the young have their tails white
at the base. The nest is a flat mass of sticks, often five feet across, placed on some precipitous
cliff, or in a tree, or even on the ground, and it is roughly lined with moss and heather, or
grass and fern, The eggs are generally two in number, but cases are on record in which
three and four have been found, and sometimes there is only one.
Archibuteo. Plate xiv. FALCONIDA.
177. lagopus, 26in. ROUGH-LEGGED BuzzaRD. Crown and neck white,
with brown patches; plumage generally brown
above, white below ; tail white, barred with brown ;
thighs barred with brown; 24 remiges, fourth
primary longest, first four primaries notched.
The Rough-legged Buzzard—Dimensions, Rr ; Eggs, Os—once a resident, seems to be
aow only a visitor. On the wing it is distinguishable from the ordinary Buzzard by the
white on the tail. It is rarely seen to glide, but leisurely strokes along as if intent on a very
fong journey. Its note is a squealing ‘‘ mew.” The female is larger than the male, and like
him varies considerably in size. The nest is generally placed on a cliff or on a tree, and
Sonsists of a large flat mass of sticks lined with grass; the eggs being from two to five in
number,
Ardea. Plate xvii. ARDEIDE.
207. valloides, 18 in. SQuacco HERON. Head buff; crown black and
white.
206. dbubulcus, 2zoin, BUFF-BACKED HERON. Head buff; crown buft.
205. garzetia, 22in. LirTLe EGret. All white; bill black.
203. purpurea, 33in. PURPLE HERON. Crown black; crest black.
202. cinerea, 36 in. HERON. Crown wliite ; crest black.
204. alba, 4zin, GREAT WHITE HERON. All white; bill yellow.
The Squacco Heron —Dimensions, Oh; Eggs, Jo— is one of our occasional stragglers,
apparently arriving in the spring and summer and, once at least, staying here till November.
The Buff-backed Heron—Dimensions, Pe; Eggs, Lm—appeared in Devonshire in 180s,
and was promptly shot and sent to the British Museum where it now is. Two other
appearances are recorded and that is all. ,
The Little Egret—Dimensions, Qb ; Eggs, LE—occasionally straggles here from the Lower
Danube, and a specimen was shot on the Exe, in 1870.
The Purple Heron—Dimensions, Sn; Eggs, On—is more frequently met with in this
country than the three last species, but it is still very rare.
The Heron—Dimensions, Tb; Eggs, Pr—is the only species of Ardea breeding in this
country. Its flight is a slow, steady flap, with the wings much arched, the legs held out,
the neck doubled back, and the beak out straight like a bowsprit. Its cry is a croaky sort
of ‘‘kronk.” The female is duller in plumage, and has a smaller crest and shorter plumes.
The nest is a flat one, built of twigs, turf, moss, roots, and wool, and is generally placed in
tall trees. ‘The eggs are from three to five in number,
The Great White Heron—Dimensions, Th , Eggs, Qv—has straggled over here about
eight times, probably on a voyage from the Crimea. The bird, which has been found as far
east as Japan and as far south as the Transvaal, has a black bill when in summer plumage.
Ardetta. Plate xvii. ARDEIDA.
208. minuta, 1g3in. Litrce Brirrern. Crown and back black; four
powder-down tracts; primaries and tail brownish
black ; legs greenish yellow.
The Little Bittern—-Dimensions, Km; Eggs, Ic—has put in one or two appearances in
nearly every county in England at all seasons of the year, and is even said to-have bred here.
Its flight is low, but very quick and strong, and its note is a peculiar ‘* wof-wof.” The female
has no green gloss in the crown, which is brownish, and the primaries are dark brown instead
of blag The nest is generally hung to reeds, a little above the water, or built in pollards,
and it is composed of flags and grass, and holds from five to nine eggs. This bird has been
known to breed in a Magpie’s nest.
THE SPECIES, 83
Asio. Plate xiii. STRIGIDA,
162. otus, 14 in. LONG-EARED OWL. Plumicorns nearly upright,
and exceeding an inch.
163. accipitvinus, 15 in. SHORT-EARED OWL, Plumicorns nearly upright,
but not exceeding half an inch.
The Long-eared Owl—Dimensions, Mf; Eggs, Kp—is generally found in fir woods. It is
orange buff in colour, with a good many blackish bars and streaks. Its flight is buoyant and
silent, like that of all the Owls, but very undecided, and the bird is hardly ever seen out in broad
daylight. The note is a mew and a bark, not a hoot, and the bark is often given when on the
wing. The female is rather redder than the male, and she isa little larger. She never builds
her own nest, but adds a few sticks to a crow’s or a wood-pigeon’s, or something of the sort,
and lines the cavity with rabbits’ fur. The eggs are from four to seven in number, and are
without any gloss.
The Short-eared Owl—Dimensions, Mq: Eggs, Jp—is a bird of very different habits.
It haunts the open moor, and comes abroad in the daytime. Its flight is soft and silent, but
not unlike the Gull’s. Its numbers are increased by migrants in the winter, who come with
the Woodcock, and, from being about during the daytime, it is the most frequently
noticed Owl we have, though not, perhaps, the commonest. Its note is a scream. The
female is larger, but much the same as the male ; but the young are darker in plumage, and
very pale in the eye. The nest is a hollow on the ground, among the reeds or heather, and
consists of a few sprigs or broken leaves; the eggs are smooth, and vary from four to
seven innumber. It may be worth noting that the ear opening on the right of this bird is
directed upwards, while that on the left is directed downwards.
Athene. Plate xiii. STRIGIDA
170. noctua, 8in, LITTLE OWL. Greyish brown above; whitish
with brown streaks below ; tail barred with white ;
toes covered with bristles instead of feathers.
The Little Owl—Dimensions, Hd; Eggs, Js—is known to have been frequently imported
and turned loose here, but has never been proved to come here of its own free will, Its first
primary is equal to its sixth, its second to its fifth, and its third is the longest, and, like most
of the Owls, it perches with two toes in front and two behind, It is generally about in the
daytime; its cry is ‘ cuckoo, vah-ee ’’; and its nest is a mere scratching of rubbish low down
near the ground.
Bartramia, Plate xxviii. SCOLOPACID.
326. longicauda, 12in, BARTRAM’S SANDPIPER. Head and breast rufous
with angular spots ; chin white ; lower breast white
and spotted ; under-surface of wings barred black
and white; remiges 26; taillong and wedge-shaped.
Bartram’s Sandpiper—Dimensions, Kf; Eggs, LN—is an American very occasionally met
with on this side of the Atlantic. Its axillaries are white, barred with brown, and its tail
feathers are barred with black. It has a habit of flying in large circles, and its call is a soft
whistle. The female is always bigger than the male.
Bernicla. Plate xix. ANATIDE,
226. ruficollis, 22in. RED-BREASTED Goose, Head black; white patch
in front of eye.
223. brenta, 23in. BRENT GOOsE. Head black; white patch on each
side of neck,
224. leucopsis, 25in. BARNACLE Goose. Head white; crown and
nape black ; black stripe from eye to bill.
225. canadensis, 41 in. CANADA GOOSE. Head black ; white patch under
chin,
Vhe Red-breasted Goose—Dimensions, Qf; Eggs, Qr—has appeared on the east coast
about half a dozen times during the last hundred years. It is a handsome bird with chestnut
throat and breast. Its home is in Siberia, where it is known as the Shakvoy, from its call.
The female is much the same as the male, but rather smaller.
The Brent Goose—Dimensions, Qi; Eggs, Rn—is one of our regular winter visitors, but is
seldom found inland. It never dives. Its call has been variously rendered as ‘“‘rot,”
“cronk,” and “‘torock.’’ It breeds within the Arctic Circle.
The Barnacle Goose—Dimensions, Rh; Eggs, Rr—is another winter visitor, much rarea
on the east coast than on the west. Like the Brent, it breeds somewhere in the far north.
84 THE SPECIES.
The female, as with all the other Geese, is not so large as the male. The note has been
rendered as “‘halm, halm,” or ‘‘a-what.” The popular name is due to the popular notion
that it is bred not from eggs but from barnacles.
The Canada Goose—Dimensions, Tg ; Eggs, Sj—is almost as big asa Swan. It has often
been imported but has never been proved to find its way across the Atlantic on the wing, and
it owes its place in the list to the fact of its having been shot when escaped from confinement.
Botaurus. Plate xvii. ARDEIDA
aii. lentiginosus, 27in. AMERICAN BITTERN. Crown black ; primaries all
brown.
210. stellaris, goin. BITTERN. Crown brown, primaries chestnut
barred with brown.
The American Bittern—Dimensions, Sa; Eggs, Nr—has occasionally straggled here
during the winter, but has not yet got as far as the Continent. It can be distinguished from
the Common Bittern by its primaries having no bars, Its call is ‘‘like the noise made by
driving a stake in boggy soil,” whence its local name of the Post-driver.
The Bittern—Dimensions, Sg; Eggs, Ne—does not often breed here now. Its flight is
low, slow, steady, and silent. Its note is a deep “‘boom,’’ a sort of bellowing ‘‘ proomb,”
with a sharper call of ‘‘ca-wak.” The female is like the male in size and plumage.
The nest is generally placed on the mud in the thick of a reed bed, and it is composed of
dead reeds and flags, with no sign of interlacement or regular arrangement. It contains
three, four, or five eggs.
Bubo. Plate xiii. STRIGIDA.
169. ignavus, 26in. EAGLE OwL. Facial disk obsolete over cyes;
plumicorns large and falling, no operculum;
plumage dark brown above, yellowish below,
mottled and patched; bill black; 29 remiges,
third primary generally longest, but rareiy much
longer than fourth ; claws black.
The Eagle Owl—Dimensions, Rp; Eggs, Qc—is a very doubtful resident in this country,
except in confinement. Its cry is a deep ‘‘oo-hoo,”? wnich is rarely heard except in the
spring. The female is about two inches longer than the male, and never makes a nest.
Bulweria, Plate xxxiii. PROCELLARIIDA,
395. columbina, 10in. BULWER'S PETREL. Plumage black; tail wedge-
shaped.
A Bulwer’s Petrel—Dimensions, Is; Eggs, Ky—was found floating dead on the Ure in
that year of Accession, 1837. Its home is on the Desertas, near Madeira; the species had
never been seen in this country before nor has it been seen here since. The case is worth
noting as showing that is not even necessary for a bird to be seen here alive to secure its
admission to the British list.
Buteo. Plate xiv. FALCONID 42.
176. vulgaris, 23in. BuzzARD. Remiges 25; fourth primary longest,
third almost as long, first as long as the eighth, and
second longer than the sixth, first four notched ;
tail whitish brown with ten or more dark brown
bars ; legs yellow ; claws black.
. The Buzzard—Dimensions, Ql; Eggs, Or—is still resident in this country, but is not
“often met with, The plumage is very variable, being sometimes nearly white, but the size
and tail and short legs are enough to know him by. His flight is low, heavy, and leisurely,
with a spiral rise. His note is like a long-drawn scale of vowels, ‘‘a-e-i-o-u.” ‘The female
is like the male, but larger. The nest is on some tall tree in the thick of a wood; it is about
two feet across, built of large sticks outside, twigs within, and lined with fresh beech leaves.
The eggs are either two, three, or four.
Calcarius. Plate viii. EMBERIZIN 4 (Passeride),
117. lapponicus, 6}in. LAPLAND BUNTING. Black head; white eye
Stripe ; chestnut collar; black and brown spotted
back ; spotted wings ; tail brown and white ; throat
black ; under parts white, joined by thin white line
to eye stripe.
The Lapland Bunting—Dimensions, Ed; Eggs, Dr—is occasionally met with in the
autumn among a flock of larks. It was first found here, in Leadenhall Market, in 1826. The
female has a brown head instead of a black one.
THE SPECIES, 85
Calidris, Plate xxviii. SCOLOPACID.
324. arenaria, 8in. SANDERLING. Under parts white, except the
breast, which, like the head and neck, is of pale
chestnut spotted with dark brown.
The Sanderling— Dimensions, Gr ; Eggs, IM—visits us twice a year, in spring and autumn,
on its way to and from its breeding haunts in the far north. In the spring its upper parts
els rufous and black ; in the autumn they are grey. The young are buffish white above and
elow.
Caprimulgus. Plate x. CAPRIMULGID.
I4l. europeus, ioin, NIGHTJAR. Ashy grey, pencilled and spotted ;
small whitish spots on wings and tail.
143. @gyptius, trin. EGypriAn NIGHTJAR. No whitish spots on upper
surface of wings or tail.
142. ruficollis, r3in. RED-NECKED NIGHTJAR. Rufous collar; large
whitish spots on wings and tail.
The Nightjar—Dimensions, It; Eggs, Hr—arrives here in the middle of May and leaves
us in September ; but being a bird of the night he is more often heard than seen. He is the
latest of our summer migrants, and the only night bird among them. His three first primaries
have a white spot near the end, and his two outer tail feathers have broad white tips. His
palate is faintly transparent; and he has the curious pectinate middle claw, which, according
to some people, he uses to hold on by as he sits sideways on a branch, and according to others
uses as a small-tooth-comb for the special discomfort of the species of Nirmus with which he
is infested. He begins to sing exactly at sundown, the note being a ‘‘churrrrr,”” and an
occasional ‘‘ wh-ip, wh-ip,’” which may, or may not, be due to the rapid movement of his
wings. His flight is soft and gliding, with his tail well out, so as to show off its white spots.
He feeds entirely upon insects ; he does not suck goats; he is not a Hawk ; neither is he an
Owl; but he generally falls a prey to some owl of a gamekeeper. The female has the spots on
the wing and tail pale buff. She makes no nest, but lays her eggs on the ground under a
fern or furze bush. The eggs are two in number, and have both ends equally rounded.
An Egyptian Nightjar—Dimensions, Jn; Eggs, Ht—was shot by the usual gamekeeper,
in 1883, in Nottinghamshire, and so made into a British bird. That is the only appearance
of the species in these islands.
A Red-necked Nightjar—Dimensions, Kt; Eggs, Ht—was shot at Killingworth, of
railway fame, in 1856; the species had never been recognised here before, nor has it been
heard of here since.
Carduelis. Plate vii /R/JNG/LLINZ (Passeridee),
88. spznus, 43 in. Siskin. Blackish forehead; plumage yellowish
green above; chin black; throat and cheeks
yellow ; sides of neck yellowish.
87 elegans, 5 in. GOLDFINCH. Scarlet forehead; plumage ruddy
brown above ; upper throat and cheeks scarlet, the (
scarlet mask with a broad black edging: wings
black, barred with yellow and tipped with white ;
tail black, tipped with white.
The Siskin—Dimensions, An; Eggs, Ap—occasionally breeds here ; it visits us in late and
early winter, on its way to and from its northerly haunts within the limit of the pine forests, »
and it is imported, in cages, in large numbers, from Germany. Its tail is blackish, though all
but the two middle feathers have yellow bases ; its lower breast shades into white, Its flight
is undulating and irregular, and its note is ‘‘tit-tit-tit-tit,” with a sharp call not unlike its
name. ‘The female has a whitish throat, and no black on the head and chin, which are
marked with brown, and she is not so large as the male | The nest is generally in a fir tree,
in a fork, about 20 feet from the ground, and it is made from grass-stalks, heather twigs, and
pine needles, lined with rootlets, moss, and rabbits’ fur—a very similar nest to that of the
greenfinch ; it contains from four to six eggs.
The Goldfinch—Dimensions, Bf; Eggs, AR—is a resident, partially migrating about the
country, and seinforced by migrants from the Continent, but yearly becoming rarer, owing
to the efforts of the bird-catcher. He is the '‘ Thistlefinch,” and is not often found where
thistles are not close handy. His red mask distinguishes him from every other British bird.
His flight is light and buoyant, but somewhat drooping and jerky, with a good deal of
wheeling up and down as he travels. His song is loud, sweet, and canary-like and his call
is a sharp ‘‘ glit.” The female has a slenderer bill, no yellow on the breast, less red on the
86 THE SPECIES.
forehead and upper throat, and is much duller in plumage altogether. The nest is generally
in a garden or orchard, or among evergreens; it is even neater than the Chaffinch’s, and
smaller, and it has no lichens, but consists of rootlets, grass, moss, and wool, woven together
and lined with willow down ; there are either four or five eggs.
Certhia. Plate vi. CERTHIINZ: (Passeridz),
85. familiaris, shin. TREE CREEPER. Spotted brown above, buffish
white below; bill slender and decurved; tail
brown and long, with stiff points.
The Tree Creeper—Dimensions, Cb ; Eggs, As—is well known in nearly all our woodland
districts. His flight is quick and direct, and almost always downwards. He hops up the tree
trunks spirally, but keeps on the further side when observed, pressing his pointed tail against
the trunk to support him, much as if he were a bracket ; when he reaches the top of a tree,
or the extremity of a branch, he dives down to the root of another tree, and works up that to
dive again to another, and soon. The note is a shrill “‘ tree-tree-tree,” with a crisp ‘‘cheep”
asanalarm. The female does not differ from the male in plumage. The nest is in a hole in
the tree, or in a gap between the bark and trunk; tiny twigs are woven to narrow the
entrance, and the nest always has a bit of bark in it, generally birch, besides the usual roots
and feathers and moss. The eggs are from three to nine in number.
Ceryle. Plate xi. ALCEDINIDA.
152. alcyon, 13in, BELTED KINGFISHER. Crested; slaty blue with
a white collar and rufous band on breast; wings
spotted and barred ; tail long.
The Belted Kingfisher—Dimensions, Ld; Eggs, Ix—is a North American bird, of which
two specimens, unfortunately for themselves, and for writers of bird books, strayed into
Ireland, in 1845, to be forthwith shot for the Dublin Museums. This was the first time the
species was ever heard of at large on this side of the Atlantic, and apparently it was also the
last. It is hardly likely to visit us without recognition, for its call is described as a noisy
edition of the twirl of a watchman’s rattle !
Charadrius. Plate xxvi. CHARADRIIDE.
295. fulvus, gin. EASTERN GOLDEN PLOVER. Throat and breast
black ; axillaries grey.
294. pluvialis, roin. GOLDEN PLOVER. Throat and breast black;
axillaries white.
The Eastern Golden Plover—Dimensions, Ic; Eggs, Mr—otherwise the Lesser Golden
Plover, has been found here three or four times, generally in Leadenhall Market. Itisa
remarkable bird, for, according to Morris, it has been seen in the Land o’ the Leal!
The Gulden Plover—Dimensions, Ir; Eggs, Nr—visits us on his migration from the
north in August and September, and calls again on his way home during March, leaving a
few representatives here throughout the year. The flight is very high, powerful and
sustained, flapping fast and steadily, sweeping to the ground and up again, and always
circling before alighting. The note is ‘‘kelleeee” or “kloveeee,’’ with a call of ‘‘klee,””
and an alarm of “ko.’? The female is not so black below as the male, her breast being .
mottled with white. The nest is a little heather and moss scratched together in a hollow of
the ground, or in a clump of cotton grass, and is generally found on the moors and in
mountain districts. The male helps in incubation. ‘The eggs, like most pyriform eggs, are
four in number,
Ciconia. Plate xviii. CICONITD AE.
213. migra, 39in. BLAcK Stork. All iridescent black except from
lower breast to tail, which is white ; remiges 32.
212. alba, 42in. WHITE Stork. All glossy white except primaries,
secondaries, scapulars, and great wing coverts,
which are black ; remiges 34.
The Black Stork—Dimensions, Tf; Eggs, QQ—has appeared in England about a dozen
times. He is not really black, but black and white, an Tike the White Stork, who is not
really white, but white and black, he has a red bill and red legs. Like his relative he
generally stands on one leg, and hangs his legs down as he flies, i
The White Stork—Dimensions, Ti; Eggs, Rn—is another occasional visitor, but has
never been known to breed here. He has a patch of bare skin round his eye, which is black,
while the corresponding patch in the Black Stork is red. It is a very curious thing that a
large bird so common in Holland should so rarely find its way across the Channel.
THE SPECIES, 37
finclus. Plate iv. CINCLIN<Z® (Passeride).
47. aquaticus, 7in. Dipper. Blackish brown head; dark grey back ;
chest white ; breast brown,
48. melanogaster, 7in. BLACK-BELLIED DIPPER. Blackish brown head ;
dark grey back ; chest white ; breast black.
The Dipper—Dimensions, Fb; Eggs, Fo—otherwise the Water Ouzel, is one of the most
iteresting of genuine British birds. Wherever there is a roar of waters, his short cheery
ong is almost sure to be heard. Although he is not web-footed, he is truly aquatic in his
abits, and floats, and swims, and dives, and actually flies under water, as if water were his
‘ue element. He flies like a Kingfisher, but with rather more labour, but he never plunges
irect at a fish, but alights on the shore, and wades in until he is out of his depth. Dippers
enerally go in pairs, the sexes being alike in plumage. The nest is a beautiful felt-work of
reen moss, lined with dry grass and withered leaves, and is always domed when it is not in
hole. There are from four to six eggs.
The Black-bellied Dipper—Dimensions, Fc; Eggs, Fr—only differs in colour from his
slative, and is generally found in East Anglia.
‘ireus. Plate xiv, FALCONID.
175. cineraceus, 17in. MontTacu’s HArRIeR. Greyish above, whitish
below ; outer web of fifth primary without a notch ;
inner web of outer tail feathers barred white and
brown.
174. cyaneus, 18in. HEN HARRIER. Greyish above, whitish below ;
outer web of fifth primary with a notch; head
greyish, streaked with brown; wings brown and
whitish ; throat grey,
173. @ruginosus, 22in, MARSH MHARRIER. — Brownish above, whitish
below ; outer web of fifth primary with a notch;
head buff ; wings brown and grey ; throat buff.
Montagu’s Harrier—Dimensions, Oa ; Eggs, Km—is a rarer resident than formerly. His
shite breast feathers have a narrow central streak of chestnut. He flies lightly and grace-
ally, darting with his wings half closed, sailing in widening circles with them outspread, and
urning with one wing higher than the other, as if to help his tail in steering. Like all the
larriers, he chiefly feeds on reptiles. The female is brown above, not grey, and the tail
zathers are brown, with broad grey and buff bars and pale tips. She is rather larger than
he male. ‘The nest is always on the ground, made of heather twigs, and lined with grass ;
nd the eggs are from four to six in number.
The Hen Harrier—Dimensions, Oo; Eggs, Lq—is larger, but shorter in the wing-spread,
han Montagu’s bird. Like it, it is resident, but rare. Its flight is lower, and the whitish
ump is unmistakable, as the bird flaps leisurely along, somewhat like a heron, hovering with
s tail half spread, swaying from side to side, and now and then giving its tail a twist in the
aanner of the Kite, to steer in a wide circle. The female is rather larger than the male, and
3 brown above, with white streaks on the nape; the ruff being very distinct, and the tail
eing very much like that of Montagu’s Harrier, The nest is always on the ground, and
rhen in a reed bed, or other wet place, it is of considerable size; it is made of sticks and
eather, wool, and dry grass, and contains four, five, or six eggs.
The Marsh Harrier—Dimensions, Qg; Eggs, Ni—has almost disappeared from this
ountry. It varies very much in plumage. ‘The flight is very low and spiritless, the bird
ist skimming the tree-tops in a leisurely laboured way, as if not caring to exert himself more
jan necessary. His note is a sort of ‘‘ pitz-pitz.” His eyes are yellow; those of his mate
re hazel. The female is larger than the male, and has a white edge on the shoulders of th:
‘ings. She is brown below, and has a brown tail, while the male’s tail is ashy grey. Tha
est is sometimes in the lowest branch of a tree overhanging a marsh, but more usually on a
lump of sedge, or in a reed patch on the ground; it is a large structure of reeds and grass
nd dry flags, and contains three or four eggs. As in the other two Harriers, the powder
own tracts extend up to the shoulders in this species. The Harriers, owing to their ruff, are
1e most owlish-looking of the Falconidz.
langula. Plate xxii. ANATIDA.
250. albeola, isin. BUFFEL-HEADED Duck. White patch on nape
forming an erectile crest.
249. glaucion, 18in, GOLDENEYE. White spot at base of bill; wing
speculum white; remiges 26.
The Buffel-headed Duck—Dimensions, Mh; Eggs, Mr—is a North American which very
—
88 THE SPECIES.
sarely indeed straggles over here across the Atlantic. The male's bill is greyish blue, the
female’s blackish grey.
The Goldeneye—Dimensions, Oi; ‘Eggs, Pp—is one of our regular winter visitors. It
makes a great splash as it rises, and a great noise as it flies with its whistling wings. Its
note is a loud **kr-kroak.”” The male’s bill is black, the female’s brown. This duck lays
its eggs in the hole of a tree as if it were a Woodpecker. ‘There is no nest beyond the chips
of wood that may be in the hole. The clutch ranges from 10 to 19.
Coccothraustes. Plate vii. FRINGILLINZ (Passeridz).
g2. vulgaris, z7in. HAWFINCH. Chestnut brown above; nape grey;
wings purplish black; five inner primaries jagged
or hooked at the tips; black patch on chin; bill
bluish or pinkish and very large.
The Hawfinch—Dimensions, Fe; Eggs, Fn—is a resident reinforced in winter by
migrants from the north. It is at once recognisable by its large beak. Its flight is generally
an undulated one, but often it is straight and rapid. Its song is a whistle of four notes in aa
ascending scale, and its call is a ‘‘click.’? The female has much less black on the throat
than the male, and has the secondaries edged with bluish grey. The nest is a large edition
of the bullfinch’s, usually in an old tree from 5 to 25 feet from the ground, built of small
twigs and grey lichens lined with rootlets and hair, but with a very shallow cavity for the
eggs, which are from four to six in number.
Coccystes. Plate xii. CUCULIDA,
158. glandarius, 16in. GREAT SPOTTED Cuckoo. Crest, head, and
nape bluish grey streaked with black; plumage
brown above, white beneath; wings spotted with
white,
A Great Spotted Cuckoo—Dimensions, Nb; Eggs, Ta appedred, off the coast of
Connemara, in 1842, and another was bagged in Northumberland in 1870, These are the
only two instances on record of the species ever visiting these islands,
Coccyzus. Plate xii, CUCULIDA,
Isg. americanus, 13in. YELLOW-BILLED Cuckoo. Dark drab above,
greyish white below ; tail black, tipped with white,
except the centre feathers, which are of the same
colour as the back ; bill yellow.
160, erythrophthalmus, 13 in. BLACK-BILLED Cuckoo. Brown above, white
below ; bill black.
The Yellow-billed Cuckoo—Dimensions, Kq; Eggs, Hr—is the American Rain-bird.
Its cry is ‘‘ cow, cow, cow, cow, cow.” Unlike our Cuckoo it generally builds its own nest
and hatches its own eggs. It has only been recognised in Britain twice, and twice in Ireland.
The Black-billed Cuckoo—Dimensions, Kp; Eggs, GM—is another American of normal
breeding arrangements. Only once, however, has he crossed the Atlantic, and that was to
be shot at Belfast, in 1871. Like the Yellow-bills he probably came by steamboat.
Columba, Plate xxiii. COLUMBIDA,
265. livia, irin. Rock Dove. Bill black; plumage bluish grey;
rump white; two broad black bars on wings,
axillaries white ; legs dark red.
264. @nas, 13in. Stock Dove. Bill red at base, white at tip;
plumage bluish grey; green patch on neck ; one
bar only on wing and that brown and incomplete ;
axillaries grey ; legs coral red.
263. palumbus, 16in, Rinc Dove. Bill red at base, yellow at tip;
plumage brownish grey; white patch on neck;
white on outer wing coverts ; legs bright red.
The Rock Dove—Dimensions, Jp; Eggs, Jo—is to be found all the year round on our
coasts wherever there are high cliffs and deep’caves, It rarely is seen on a tree, as it always
alights on a rock or on the ground. Like all the pigeons it bobs its head as it walks. As it
rises it beats the ground with its wings and produces a peculiar crackle by doing so; its
flight is rapid; and so powerfully are the wings worked that they whistle as they flap. Its
note is ‘‘coo-coo-roo-coo,’? The female is smaller than the male and duller abont the neck.
THE SPECIES, 89
The nest is always in caves, and often dry only at low water ; it is a very slight flat arrange-
ment of seaweed, grass, and sticks, with now and then a sprig of heather. There are two
eggs.
The Stock Dove—Dimensions, Kr ; Eggs, Jc—is most abundant in the Midlands, Its
note is a short ‘‘coo-o0.” Its flight is light and swift, with busy beats and a glide
downwards. The female is not so pink on the chest as the male, ‘Ihe eggs are Jaidina
rabbit-burrow, or in a hole in a tree, and generally no nest is built, but sometimes a few
twigs and roots are,scratched together,
The Ring Dove—Dimensions, Ng; Eggs, Knu—is the well known Wood Pigeon. Its
note is ‘*coo-00-coo, coo-o0-coo,” and it is easily recognisable on the wing by its white
collar and wing bars. Its flight is light, deliberate, and persistent, and its gait is of the
strutting, head-bobbing variety. Its nest is generally in a tree, and so lightly built of sticks
ae the two eggs can be seen in it from below, ‘The female has a fainter collar than the
male.
Colymbus. Plate xxxii. COLYMB/D A:
383. septentrionalis,24in. RED-THROATED DIveR. Throat grey and red
head streaked black and white and patched with
grey; bill black.
382. arcticus, 26in, BLACK-THROATED DIvEeR. Throat black; head
streaked with black and white and patched with
grey; bill black.
380. glacialis, 33 in. GREAT NORTHERN DIver. ‘Throat with two
black rings, and two black and white rings streaked
vertically ; bill black.
381. adams, 36in. YELLOW-BILLED Diver. Throat with black and
black and white rings; bill pale yellow.
The Red-throated Diver—Dimensions, Qo; Eggs, Ro—is the commonest of the family in
this country and breeds in the North of Scotland and the islands off the coast. Its dusky
brown back is streaked with oval spots. Its legs are greenish black, and its feet are
yellowish, In autumn the red on the throat is not always present. In winter the browns
rae greys, and the underparts are pure white. This bird is the Rain Goose, whose call
“ak-ak-kakera-kakera,” is rarely heard except when rain is approaching. The female is
lindtine in plumage to the male. There is no nest as a rule, although now and then the
hollow in which the eggs are laid may be lined with a few leaves, There are two eggs, and
they are generally laid so near the water as to be wet underneath.
The Black-throated Diver—Dimensions, Rm; Eggs, Sc—is rarer, but is also found
breeding in the north country. It may be known from the Red-throat by its having red
eyes instead of brown. In winter it is brown above, with white spots, and pure white below.
There are about a dozen white bars on the scapulars, which are constant all the year round.
The sexes are alike in plumage. ‘The flight is very swift and sois the diving. The note is
a noisy ‘‘deoch! deoch! deoch ! tha’n loch a traoghadh,”” which is the Gaelic rendering of
“ drink | drink! drink! the loch is nearly dry!’’ ‘he nest is of reeds and water plants,
lined with grass, and is generally so near the water as to be half afloat. There are two
eggs.
The Great Northern Diver—Dimensions, Sm; Eggs, Sm—lIoses the throat band in the
winter and becomes brown above, with a great increase of the white spots. Its eyes are red.
It breeds inthe Western Isles, The flight is rapid and straight, and the crya ‘‘who? who?’”
generally heard at night, with an occasional “karok.’”” ‘There are two or three eggs; the
nest is of reeds and water plants, and can be recognised by the bird making a path to it
from the water, The sexes are alike in plumage.
The Yellow-billed Diver—Dimensions, Ss; Eggs, Sk—sometimes called the White-billed
Diver, is an American straggler of which only a few specimens have been identified in this
country, the first having been shot at Lowestoft, in 1852.
Coracias. Plate xii. CORACIIDA
153. garrula, 13in. ROLLER. Head and nape green or blue; mantle
chestnut ; wings black, and light and dark blue;
chin white ; underparts blue or green ; 23 remiges ;
first primary short, second, third, and fourth
longest; tarsus scutellate in front and reticulate
at back,
The Roller—Dimensions, Ks; Eggs, Jc—has been noticed here about a hundred times
since it was first recorded by Religio Medici Browne, in 1644. Its flight is like a Tumbler
eo
90 THE SPECIES.
Pigeon’s, rapid and acrobatic. It would seem to be the total abstainer of the bird-world, for
we are gravely assured that ‘it has never been known to drink.” Not unnaturally, its cry is
a peculiarly dry and thirsty ‘“rakker-rakker-crea.” This handsome but eccentric stragglers
seems to prefer a telegraph wire as a perch.
Corvus. Plate ix. CORVINAZ (Passeridz).
127. monedula, 14in, JACKDAW. Cindery, with grey collar; iris white.
128. corone, 18 in. CARRION Crow. Greenish black ; nostrils always
feathered.
129. cornix, 1gin. HoopEp Crow. Grey and black; hood black,
wings black, tail black, other parts grey.
130. frugilegus, 20in. RooK. Purplish black, with blue reflections ; bal2
over nostrils, lores, and throat.
I3I. corax, 24in. RAVEN. Glossy steel black, with green and purple
reflections; bill black and strong; lanceolate throat
feathers,
The Jackdaw—Dimensions, Mc ; Eggs, J1—is one of our most popular residents, When
on the wing its progress is of the yawing, unsteady variety. Its call isa “‘ kae," which some
have imagined to resemble ‘‘ Jack,” while others will have it that it is ‘“‘ daw,’’"—but, then, a
Jackdaw will say anything, and do anything, to oblige. ‘The female is smaller than the male,
and has the grey collar somewhat obscure. The nest, in which there are from four to six
eggs, is an untidy heap of miscellaneous matter, in some tower, or wall, or chimney, or tree,
or in any hole—even in a rabbit-burrow ; and where there is one there are generally many.
The Carrion Crow—Dimensions, Om; Eggs, Kr—is generally found in woods near the
sea and inland waters. It has whitish bases to its body feathers; it has a stouter bill than
the Rook, and a more laboured flight, besides a quicker walk, and a curious habit of keeping
its bill tothe ground ; and it is generally found alone orin pairs. Its cry isa ‘*croak-uk-uk’"’;
or ‘ There’s a hog dead! Where? where? Upthe burn! upthe burn! Is’t fat? Is’t fat?
It’s acreesh! It’s acreesh!” Its nest is of sticks, with the twigs inside plastered over with
mud, the lining being of wool and feathers ; and it is generally placed in the fork of the main
trunk of a tree, or on arocky ledge. ‘There are from three to six eggs. The female is rather
browner than the male.
The Hooded Crow—Dimensions, Pb; Eggs, KG—is retained in the list, though generally
admitted to be a variety of C. covone, not breeding true to colour. Its eggs are said to be
smaller, and they appear as such in our table ; but the birds themselves, in measured speci-
mens, are certainly larger on the average.
The Rook—Dimensions, Pi; Eggs, Kz—has a feathere:i beak during its first year, but the
young can be distinguished from those of the two preceding Crows by the inside of the mouth
being of dark flesh-colour, turning to purplish, instead of being of a very pale tint. The
bases of its body feathers are grey, with no white. ‘lhe flight 1s straight and assured, easy
and regular, with the primaries extended so that their tips look like short fingers. The Rook
is often very noisy on the wing, with his well-known ‘'caw"—the characteristic call of the
Corvide. Rooks are not often alone; they are generally in straggling flocks ; and they build
incolonies. The nest, in the top of a tall tree, is a large one of sticks and twigs, plastered
with mud, and lined with grass and moss and wool ; the cavity is rather deep, and contains
‘rom three to five eggs.
The Raven—Dimensions, Rc ; Eggs, Mm—is yearly becoming rarer. It has the boldest
flight of all the Corvidz ; with its neck and feet drawn in, it floats high over the mountain-
tops, leisurely, steady, and self-possessed, and then sweeps off, as if to be punctual to an
appointment, Its note is a hoarse ‘‘ cawruk,” or a ‘‘craugh,” with a bark when attacked,
and an occasional ‘‘ gorbel.’’ The nest, now generally found on some rocky cliff, but formerly
‘nore frequent in lofty trees, isan unplastered mass of sticks, lined with twigs and grass and
wool. The eggs are from four to six in number. The female is not so iridescent in plumage
as the male, and she is generally smalle:.
Cosmonetta. Plate xxii, ANATID A:
252. histrionica, 17in. HARLEQUIN. Gaily striped and spotted; wing
speculum purple,
The Harlequin Duck—Dimensions, Np; Eggs, Oo—has a beak like a goose, with a small
lobe at each side, and its tail ie not nearly so long as that of the Long-tailed Duck for which
it is occasionally mistaken. It is an Icelandic species usually visiting us in the winter. {+
has a swift and powerful flight, and is the most daring of swimmers among rapids and
waterfalls. Its note is a loud croak, a sort of ‘‘ eck, eck.”* The female is of smaller size,
and is i in plumage, with a white patch on the forehead, and a brown stripe across the
eye-patc!
THE SPECIES. 9)
dturnix. Plate xxiv, PHASIA NIDA
276. communis, 7in. QuatL. Back light brown, marked with black and
streaked with buff.
The Quail—Dimensions, Fl ; Eggs, Gz—is a resident, reinforced by spring migrants which
some years are very numerous. It is one of those birds who are never seen to perch ; and
s flight is short, quick, whirring, about a yard from the ground. Its note is the flute-like
weet-my-feet,” or ‘‘ clook-look-leek,”’ for which it is occasionally kept as a song bird. ‘Vhe
male is larger than the male, and has a buff throat, while that of the male is black, The
‘st is a mere hollow in the ground, It contains from 5 to 12 eggs.
tex. Plate xxiv. RALLIDA.
281. bailloni, 7 in. BAILLON’s CRAKE. Bill olive ; under tail coverts
black and white ; legs flesh colour.
280. parva, 8in. LITTLE CrAkKe. Bill green; no white on first
primary ; flanks grey ; legs green.
279. maruetta, gin. SPOTTED CRAKE. Bill yellow; axillaries barred
with white ; under tail coverts buff; legs green.
278. pratensis, ioin. CORN CRAKE. Bill flesh colour; axillaries chest-
nut ; legs flesh colour,
Baillon’s Crake—Dimensions, Fa; Eggs Gk—is a rarity said by some to be resident, by
hers to be only a spring visitor. It lurks about pools and marshes, is an excellent
zimmer, diver, walker, and runner, and has a short heavy flight, hanging its legs down as
they were broken. The base of its bill is red ; its eyes are red ; the outer web of its first
‘imary is white; and its flanks are black and white in bars. Its note is a whistle, with a
kik, kik,”’ as an alarm. The female has a white chin. The nest is loosely made of water
ants, and is placed in a swamp ; and there are from five to eight eggs.
The Little Crake—Dimensions, Gp ; Eggs, Hm—has been found here a few times in spring
id autumn. Jt has a low unsteady flight, and runs well over land and over water plants,
id swims well and dives boldly, and, like all the rails, hides itself in the water with only its
2ak above the surface. Its note is a loud whistle, with a “kek, kek’’ alarm. The female
is a pearly grey patch round the eye.
The Spotted Crake—Dimensions, Hr ; Eggs, Ic—is generally said to be a spring visitor,
tough some claim it as a resident. It hangs its legs as it flies, and makes the most of its
‘oad wings, but its flight is low and wavering, and rarely prolonged, as it will always run if
can, taking very long strides, The nest is generally on a tussock surrounded by water, a
ass of leaves and dead reeds, in which the eggs are often quite wet. There are from 8 tu 12
rgs. The female is a smaller and browner bird than the male,
The Corn Crake, otherwise the Land Rail—Dimensions, Jh; Eggs, JA—is one of our
immer migrants. It is a short-tailed bird, with a flight of the brief and fluttering kind,
hich becomes unexpectedly vigorous when in full swing. When pursued, this bird prefers
‘run and to climb, and it never runs straight, but makes as many turnings as a hare. Its
ote is the ‘‘crake-crake,” from which it takes its name. The nest is on the ground, in a
»rnfield or meadow ; it is generally in a hollow and is made of grass and lined with grass,
he eggs are from 7 torzinnumber. The female is smaller and not so grey as the male,’
uculus. Plate xii. CUCULIDA.
157. ¢anorus, 14in. Cuckoo. Slate grey and brown above; wings
slightly spotted with white ; tail tipped with white -
lower parts buffish white, barred with black, similar
to Sparrow Hawk; remiges, 19; first primary short
fourth and fifth longest ; tail feathers, 10; contour
feathers with no aftershaft.
The Cuckoo—Dimensions, Md; Eggs, Fa—is a summer migrant, appearing here in April,
ad generally leaving us early in August, though the young ones linger on till well into
eptember. The male Cuckoos come first, and the males are always in a majority. The
uckoo ranges as far eastward as Japan, and as far south as Abyssinia. The note in April
id May is the familiar “ cuck-oo,’’ but in June this changes to *‘ cuck-cuck-oo,” and in July
»“cuck-o0-00'"; but the bird has another note, a sort of chuckle; and the female has a cry
“her own, a chattering “‘ kwow-ow-wow.” The cuckoo calls on the wing, and also when at
sst. The flight is hurried and straight, with an occasional twist and swoop, the long tail
zing held out horizontally, the white in the plumage being well shown. Sometimes the
‘ey of the plumage is brown, but the brown bird is not necessarily a female, although she
in always be recognised by a rufous tinge on the breast. Instances are on record of the
uckoo’s hatching its own eggs, but the evidence is not generally accepted ; usually there is
> nest, the egg being laid on the ground, and then carried in the mouth, and placed in the
nan
é.
g2 THE SPECIES.
nest of some other bird. Asarule, the nest chosen is that of a Meadow Pipit or a Pied Wag-
tail; but Hedge Sparrows, Warblers, Wrens, Redstarts, Magpies, Jays, Shrikes, Finches,
Buntings, Pigeons, and even Little Grebes, have been made to do duty as foster parents of
the Cuckoo. ‘The eggs are laid at intervals of a week or more. and there are several of them;
they vary much in colour, but not so much as those of the Guillemot. They are often some-
what of the colour of the eggs among which they are placed ; the Cuckoo does not, however,
colour her egg to suit the nest, but wanders about with it until she finds a suitable clutch,
and she would seem to be easily satisfied. for the egg is in nine cases out of ten unmistakable,
and can be instantly distinguished from the rest by its colour, as well as by its shape and size,
Cursorius. Plate xxvi, CHARADRIUDA.
292. gallicus, Ioin. CREAM-COLOURED CouRSER, Sandy buff, spotted
and edged with black; black streak from eye to
nape; primaries black ; outer web of secondaries
buff; axillaries black ; bill black; tail not forked ;
legs grey ; tarsus scutellate,
The Cream-coloured Courser—Dimensions, Ip; Eggs, Iu—is a Mediterranean species now
and then straying here during the last three months of the year.
Cyanecula. Plate ii. TURDIN (Passeridz),
1g. wolf, 53 in. WHITE SPOTTED BLUE-THROAT, Blue throat,
white centre.
20, succica, shin. RED SPOTTED BLUE-THROAT. Blue throat, red
centre.
The Blue-Throats—Dimensions, Cc and Cd; Eggs, BM—only differ from each other in the
colour of the spot. They are not often seen in this country; in fact, there is a doubt as to
whether the white one comes here at all. The flight is a short, dipping one, and the bird
sings as he flies, and as he alights with outspread wings. The song is said to be recognisable
by its always ending with “‘ ting-ting.”’ ”
Cygnus. Plate xx, ANATIDA,
232. bewicki, 50in. BEWICK’s SwAN. Bill, as far as nostrils, yellow;
the rest black,
230. americanus, 55in. AMERICAN SWAN. Orange patches at base of bill.
228. immutabilis, 60in, POLISH SwAN. Bill red, with small black tubercle.
229. musicus, 6o0in. Hooper Swan. Bill, to below nostrils, yellow ;
the rest black ; remiges 34.
231. buccinator, 6oin, ‘TRUMPETER SWAN. Bill black.
227. olor, 60in, MuTE Swan. Bill all reddish yellow, with large
black tubercle ; remiges 31.
Bewick's Swan—Dimensions, Tl; Eggs, Sp—is an occasional visitor to this country from
its breeding haunts in Siberia. Its note is tong,” or ‘‘ a-kloong.””
The American Swan—Dimensions, Tm—owes its place on the list from its having been
found in a poulterer’s shop at Edinburgh.
The Polish Swan—Dimensions, To—is generally considered to be merely a variety of the
Mute Swan. It owes its specific name to the fact of the cygnets being white; although called
Polish it is unknown in Poland, and, in fact, has only been found once outside the British
Islands, and that was in the case of a solitary specimen from Haarlem, in 1840.
The Hooper Swan—Dimensions, Tq ; Eggs, Sq—was at one time one of our residents, but
is now only a winter visitor. It was formerly called the Whistling Swan, from its call of
‘‘hoop,”’ like the base note of a trombone.
The Trumpeter Swan—Dimensions, Tp—is an American, claimed as British on the strength
of four birds shot at Aldeburgh, in 1866.
The Mute Swan—Dimensions, Tr ; Eggs, Sr—is ¢he Swan, the largest and handsomest of
British birds, said by some to have been brought here from Cyprus over seven hundred years
ago. No bird dare attack the swan when on the wing. He flies high and fearlessly, with
his neck out at full stretch, and his wings audibly swishing in a flap somewhat like a heron’s.
Swans journey in files or e eche/on, the birds taking it in turns to lead, and falling to the rear
as they tire. The Swan is only mute by name. He hisses like a goose, gives a low trumpet-
like *‘ maul,”’ and according to some people, even “ sings ”’ at other times than just before his
death. The Swan’s nest is usually on a small island, and it is a large mass of reeds and
other water plants. There are from five to eight eggs. The female has a smaller tubercle
ln Sai male, and swims much lower in the water. The young ase grey, with bluish beaks
and legs.
THE SPECIES. 93
Jypselus. Plate x, GVPSELIDA.
138, apus, zin. Swirt. Plumage black; chin and upper throat
greyish white.
139. melba, 8in. ALPINE Swift. Plumage dark brown; white
below, with a broad brown band on chest.
The Swift—Dimensions, Fp; Eggs, Fk—comes in April, and is occasionally found as late
is November. In flight the narrow wings are almost at a right angle, rapidly beating for a
homent or so, and then held motionless, as the bird glides along, curving and swaying in
‘esponse to the working of the tail. The note is a screaming ‘‘ swee-ree-ee.” The sexes ure
like in plumage, the young having rather more white about them than the adults. ‘The nest
s in a hole in some cliff or building, generally high up ; and it is returned to year after year.
‘tis made of straw and dry grass, and other light materials, stuck foeatiee with saliva
is if with glue, and lined with feathers; it is flat in shape, and contains from two to four
‘ges.
The Alpine Swift—Dimensions, He ; Eggs, Ho—is a rare summer visitor, never known to
oreed here. The note is a louder scream than that of the Swift, and the flight is more power-
ul, with a glide ‘‘ like the shoot of a Kestrel.”
afila. Plate xxi, ANATIDA
238. acuta, 26in. PINTAIL, Wing bar iridescent green; tail of 16
feathers and pointed ; neck long.
The Pintail—Dimensions, Rn; Eggs, Ns—is an uncommon resident, whose numbers are
sreatly reinforced in the winter by migrants from the north, and in spring by migrants
eturning from the south. The male’s beak is black, with pale blue under the nostrils, while
he female’s beak is greyish black above, and reddish brown below. The male has the
ong tail which has given him his name of Sea Pheasant ; the female is a brown bird with a
orownish wing bar, and is not so large as the male. In summer the male is not unlike the
male, and his beak is blue. The Hight is of the ordinary duck character. ‘Lhe note isa
ow ‘“quaark,.”” The nest is on the ground ; it is made of dead grass and sedge, and lined
vith brown down having faint white tips. There are from five to nine eggs.
Jaulias. Plate ii. TURDINZ (Passeridz),
22. luscinia, 64in. NIGHTINGALE. Reddish brown above; buffish
below ; tail reddish brown; first primary longer
than primary coverts.
The Nightingale—Dimensions, Ea; Eggs, Ec—comes in the second week of April, and
eaves us in September, although the song generally ceases in the first week in June. He
‘ings only until the eggs are hatched, and then he croaks ; but if the brocd be destroyed, he
‘ings again, to wind up with a croak again. The best rendering of the famous song is the
french one quoted by Macgillivray: ‘‘ Le bon Dieu m’a donné une femme, que j'ai tant, tant,
ant, tant battue ; que s’il m’en donne une autre, je ne la batterais plus, plus, plus, plus, qu'un
retit, qu’un petit, qu'un petit!” The Nightingale is not the only bird that sings at night;
ind he often sings in the daytime. His flight is buoyant and quick and smooth, and
senerally short, for he skulks in the underwood, among the hazels, and rarely takes to the
ypen. ‘The female is like the male, but the young are spotted like young robins. The nest
s near the ground, sometimes on it, in a hedge-bank, or under a bush; and is generally of
lead oak leaves and grass, lined with rootlets and hair; there are from four to six eggs.
ictopistes. Plate xxiii. COLUMBIDAs.
267. migratorius, 16in. PASSENGER PIGEON. Head slate blue; throat,
breast, and sides reddish hazel; back dark slate ;
wings black, brown, and white.
The Passenger Pigeon— Dimensions, Nd; Eggs, Jy—is an American bird, whose best
laim to be British seems to be based on some specimens brought over here in a basket and
hot when they escaped. According to Seebohm, ‘‘there is no reason why this bird should not
ross the Atlantic if it felt so disposed ; but there is not the slightest evidence that it has
ver done so.”
‘lanoides. Plate xv. FALCONIDA.
186. furcatus, 25in. SWALLOW-TAILED KITE. Bill black; cere blue ;
head and neck white; back black and rump white ;
under parts white; wings greenish black and very
long; tail purplish black, very long, and much
forked.
The Swallow-tailed Kite—Dimensions, Rj; Eggs, Mt—is an American from the Mississippi
nown in no other country of Europe than Britain, and only known here by two specimens,
1e fist of which arrived in 1772 and the other in 1823.
94 THE SPECIES.
Elanus, Plate xv. FALCONID.
187. caeruleus, 13 in. BLACK-WINGED KITE, White forehead; white
eye stripe; grey above; white below; small wing
coverts black.
The Black-winged Kite—Dimensions, Lf—sent a solitary representative from the tropics
to be made into a British bird by an untimely death in County Meath, in 1862.
Emberiza. Pilate viii. EMBERIZINZ (Passeridz).
115. pusilla, 42 in. Lirrte BuNTING. Head chestnut, striped with
black ; throat reddish white ; breast streaked with
black,
Im4. rustica, shin, Rustic BunTING. Head brown, with black crown
and sides ; throat white ; rufous band on chest.
116. scheniclus, 53in. ReED BuNTING. Head black, eye stripe white ;
throat black ; lower breast white.
112, cirlus, 6 in. Crr~t Buntinc. Head olive brown, eye stripe
yellow, lores and ear coverts black ; throat black
and yellow ; breast chestnut and yellow.
113. ortulana, 6}in. ORTOLAN BUNTING. Head greenish grey; throat
yellow ; breast reddish buff; a yellow ring round
eye.
ur. citrinella, 6kin. YELLOW BuNTING. Head yellow ; throat yellow ;
breast yellow—all with chestnut streaks,
109. melanocephala, 62in. BLACK-HEADED BUNTING. Head and ear coverts
black ; throat yellow ; breast yellow.
110. miliaria, 7 in. CORN BUNTING. Head brown, spotted and
streaked ; throat whitish, with angular brown spots
at side.
A Little Bunting—Dimensions, Aq; Eggs, Bn—was found by a boy in Sussex, in 1864;
the first, and apparently the last, to be identified in this country.
The Rustic Bunting—Dimensions, Cf; Eggs, Ds—has been found here three times, the
first record being in 1867.
The Reed Bunting—Dimensions, Cr; Eggs, Ca—is with us all the year reund. It is
known by its monotonous double note repeated several times and ended with a long drawl. Its
flight is a dipping one, ending in a flutter of the wings and a sudden spread of the tail so as
to show the white. The female has no black on the head and throat which are reddish brown.
In winter the black and white of the male are edged with brown. The nest is on the ground,
or near it, always in a swampy place; and it is made of moss, grass, and reeds, lined with
reed flowers and horsehair. The eggs are from three to six in number.
The Cirl Bunting—Dimensions, Dh ; Eggs, Ec—was discovered by Monta u, at Kings.
bridge, in 1800, and isa not uncommon resident south of the Thames. Its note is * tirrilirrilul, oe
and its call “chea-chee.” Its flight is swift and graceful, with a long dip and a rise. Its
nest, in which there are four or five eggs, is generally on the ground, or in a furze bush, and
consists of dried grass, moss, and roots, often, but not always, lined with hair. The female
has black in the crown, and the eye stripe pale yellow, but in winter the plumage of male and
female is much duller than in spring.
The Ortolan Bunting—Dimensions, Ec ; Eggs,-Dr—occasionally comes here in the spring,
but does not breed here. Most of those recorded are probably escapes from the poulterer’s,
The Yellow Bunting—Dimensions, Ej ; Eggs, Egq—is the Yellow Ammer (so called to
distinguish it from the other Ammers grouped under the Latinisation of Emberiza), to which
some cockney humorist prefixed an ‘‘h”’ which seems so difficult to remove that it has been
thought better to give the bird its older name, Its flight is quick and undulating, with a
characteristic wheel in the air, and a Jerk of the tail on alighting. Its note is the often quoted
“little bit of bread and no cheese !’” with an emphasis on the “no * ’ and the ‘ ‘ cheese 5 ”” or
in its Scottish form, *‘ deil, deil, deil, tak’ ye!’’ The call is a “‘ chick, chick, churrr,”” Itis
asserted that this bird invariably sings at three o’clock in the afternoon, and certainly a good
many of them seem to do SO. The streaks in the male’s crown are brown; in the female's
they are black, and there is much less yellow about her, In summer the male’s crown is
often pure yellow, The nest is generally on a hedge bank, and always near, or on, the ground.
It is made of dry grass and moss, with finer grass, and roots, and horsehair ; and contains
four or five eggs,
The Black-headed Bunting—Dimensions, Eq; Eggs Ei—is an Asiatic, occasionally
straying here.
THE SPECIES, 95
The Corn Bunting—Dimensions, Fd; Eggs, Fn—is one of our uncommon, but widely
Stributed and partially migrating residents. It has a whirring, slightly undulating flight,
ith the legs dangling until it gets fairly under way ; and on the ground it both hops and
ins. Its note is a ‘' tees-ees-ees,” with a peculiar skirl described as resembling a jingling
iain, the alarm being ‘‘tzit-kaak.” The sexes are alike in plumage, and in the winter both
‘e darker above and buffer below. The nest is generally on or near the ground, often in the
iddle of a field, among coarse grass or young corn. It is a loose affair of straw and grass,
ith perhaps a little moss, lined with roots and hair, and contains four, five, or six eggs.
rithacus. Plate ii, TURDINZ (Passeridz).
21. rubecula, sfin, Robin. Olive brown above; throat and upper
breast chestnut red; lower breast white.
The Robin—Dimensions, Cp; Eggs, Da—is the most popular of British birds. According
ya French author, ‘‘this beautiful songster is very good with bread crumbs"; but it is not
»oked in this country. The song is a mellow “ yoop ! tirry lil, tirry lil, tirry lirry lirry lil,”
id is heard till very Jate in the evening, the Robin being one of the last birds to go to bed,
3 he is one of the earliest to get up. His flight is rapid and straight from bush to bush.
he sexes are alike in plumage. ‘The nest is rather large, with the cup out of the centre;
is found in many strange positions, but oftenest in a hole or on the ground, under ivy ; itis
ade of dead leaves, grass, and moss, lined with rootlets, hair, feathers, and now and thena
ttle wool. ‘The eggs are from five to seven in number.
udromias. Plate xxvi. CHARADRIIDE.
293. morinellus, gin. DOorrerReL, Black crown; white eye stripe ;
tufous breast; black below; grey axillaries.
The Dotterel—Dimensions, le; Eggs, Kr—has its numbers reinforced in spring and
utumn by migrants to and from the north. _It has a hurried sort of flight, and its call is the
dot, dote,” which gives it its name, ‘he female is larger than the male, and much more
cilliantly marked, especially below. ‘The eggs are laid on the ground on some unfrequented
wor ; there are generally three of them, but occasionally four have been found, as one would
<pect from their shape.
alco. Plate xvi. FALCONID A,
194. @salon, toin, MERLIN. Above slaty blue and black ; below
rufous, with blackish brown streaks ; throat white ;
tail with a broad black band,
195. wespertinus, 11in, RED-FOOTED FALCON. Dark grey above; pale
grey below; tail black ; thighs chestnut ; legs red ;
feet red ; claws yellowish white,
197. cenchris, 1z2in. LESSER KesTREL, Head and tail grey; back un-
spotted chestnut ; claws white.
193. subdbuteo, 13in. Hossy. Above bluish black ; black moustache :
buff below, with black stripes ; thighs reddish ; two
middle tail feathers black,
196. tinnunculus,14in. KESTREL. Head and tail slaty grey ; back chest-
nut, spotted with black ; legs yellow; claws black,
192. peregrinus, %7in, PEREGRINE FALCON. Bluish grey above; black
moustache ; buffish, barred with brown, below ;
: crown black,
189. gyrfalco, 2tin. GYR FAuLcon. Grey above; whitish below; crown
slate-coloured; moustache slate-coloured ; breast
streaked with black ; tail barred with slate,
190. candicans, 22in, GREENLAND FALCON. Bill yellowish white ;
plumage white, with dark brown markings above ;
white below ; tail white.
1gt. zslandus, 23in. ICELAND FALcon. Brownish grey above; whitish
below; head white, but finely streaked ; throat white ;
flanks barred ; breast spotted ; bill blue.
The Merlin—Dimensions, Ja; Eggs, JN—is the smallest of our Falcons. It can be
:cognised on the wing by its tail being longer than the Hobby’s in proportion to its body,
ad by its body being bulkier. Its flight is low and gliding, and rather slow, but persistent,
96 THE SPECIES,
as it flies down its prey. The ‘‘ mew ” is a tremulous scream like the Kestrel’s, The female
is like the young male, and is brown where the adult male is grey, and her tail is barred with
brown and tipped with white; she is larger than the adult male, whose plumage she
opcasionally assumes, The nest is generally a hollow in the moor, lined with a few twigs
of ling, although the deserted nest of some other bird, ina tree, is used. There are four or
ve eggs.
The Red-footed Falcon—Dimensions, Jr; Eggs, Js—is occasionally found here in the
summer, but its visits have been few and far between.
The Lesser Kestrel—Dimensions, Ki; Eggs, Jr—has put in two appearances in this
country during the last quarter of a century, and it was never heard of here before.
The Hobby—Dimensions, Lg; Eggs, Ka—when on the wing looks like a miniature
Peregrine, with its slender form and long, narrow, pointed wings, flying swiftly, swooping,
and hovering, and then swooping again to catch the insects on which it feeds. The ‘‘mew”
isa ‘‘pree, pree.” The female is like the male, but Jarger. The young are buffish on the
head and thighs. The nest is generally the deserted one of a Crow or a Magpie, and is
always in high trees. There are three or four eggs.
The Kestrel—Dimensions, Ls; Eggs, Kk—is our commonest Falcon, and can be recog
nised by its hovering (whence its name of Windhover), head to windward and hanging
down, tail downwards and slightly spread, feet hidden, and wings quivering, the hover
changing into a swift, easy flight, with a few rapid flaps, a glide, and then another hover to
carefully examine the ground. One of the most interesting of experiences is that of standing on
a lofty, precipitous hill, and looking down on toa Kestrel as he hovers over the deep valley
below. The call is a screaming “ keelie-keelie, kee, kee, kee,” and a chatter. The male is
grey above, the female is brown ; his tail is tipped with white, while hers has a broad brown
tip. She is two inches longer than he is, and sometimes assumes his plumage. The eggs,
from four to six in number, are generally laid in the deserted nest of a Crow or Pigeon; but
occasionally a nest is specially made in a hole in a cliff, of a few twigs and heather, with a
lining of grass.
The Peregrine—Dimensions, Nt; Eggs, OE—is the Blue Hawk, with the strong, rapid,
circling flight, who screams ‘‘hek, kek, kek,” and gracefully sweeps out of view. ‘The
female is also blue, but is from three to four inches longer. The eggs, from two to four in
number, are either deposited in a deserted nest of a Crow or Heron, or else laid in a hollow
on a ledge.
The Gyr Falcon—Dimensions, Po; Eggs, Or—is the “gyr”-ating bird etymologically,
but not in any other sense. There is only one record of his having been seen in this country.
His flight is so swift as to make a noise in the air, and he is very seldom seen to glide. His
cry is a loud shrill ‘* mew.”
The Greenland Falcon—Dimensions, Qe ; Eggs, OT—is a rare winter visitor here.
The Iceland Falcon—Dimensions, Ok; Eggs, Or—is another occasional winter visitor
whom some ornithologists consider to be, like the Greenland Falcon, merely a Gyr in a
different state of plumage.
Fratercula. Plate xxxii. ALCIDA,
379. arctica, 12in. Purrin. Head and back black; collar black ;
under parts white; bill sheathed with orange ;
legs orange,
The Puffin—Dimensions, Kd; Eggs, Pn—has no colour on its bill in winter. It visits
our coasts in summer and breeds here. It has a whirring flight when on the wing, and dives
and flies under water for long distances. When wounded its mates swarm around it ane
ush it with their bills to encourage it to fly or dive out of danger. Its call is ‘‘ orr-a-orr."
he female is like the male but has a smaller bill. The egg, for there is only one, is laid in
arabbit burrow or ina crevice in the rock, which is occasionally lined with a little grass or
a few rootlets,
Fringilla. Plate vii. FRINGILLIN& (Passeride).
95. caleds, s2in. CHAFFINCH. Forehead black; head greyish;
back chestnut ; rump green; wings black, white,
and yellow ; tail brown and white ; bill bluish.
96. montifringilla,6in. BRAMBLING. Forehead black ; head black spotted
with brown ; back black; rump white; wing with
a white spot; white below, reddish on throat, and
with black spots on the flank ; bill horn colour.
The Chaffinch—Dimensions, Ct; Eggs, Cc—is one of our commonest birds, Its flight is
a rapid undulating one, with many pauses, and an abrupt sort of alighting, the male
raising his head feathers when in safety. The note is a ringing ‘tol-de-rol, lol, chickweedo,”
ora ‘tol, lol, lol, kiss me dear,” with an occasional ‘‘ wee, wee, wee,” or a snore as of soine
THE SPECIES. 97
drunken man. The female has the head and back ashy brown, the rump yellowish green,
and the breast yellowish grey. The nest is a beautiful, compact, structure of rootlets, moss,
and grass, lined with hair and feathers, and generally with some chips of decayed wood
outside. There are four or five eggs.
The Brambling—Dimensions, Dp; Eggs, Cr—visits us in the winter. It has a rapid
undulating flight. Its note is a flute-like “chip-a-way.” The female has a dark brown
head and shoulders, and has no black and chestnut. The nest is higher in the trees than a
Chaffinch’s, and nearly always has birch bark in it, the other constituents being green moss, é
lichens, cobwebs, and thistle down, forming a rather large accumulation, There are from
five to seven eggs.
Fulica. Plate xxiv, RALLIDA,
284. atra, sin. Coot. Broad white shield on forehead ; plumage
blackish grey, with narrow white wing bar ; remiges
25, third primary longest ; tail feathers, 14.
The Coot—Dimensions, Mk; Eggs, Nm—can swim, dive, walk, and run. It can fly
strongly, but prefers to skim along, touching the water every now and then with its feet.
The call is ‘*kew.’? The sexes are alike in plumage. The nest is a bulky structure of
rushes and flags, often two feet high, built up from the bed of the water to form an island,
and occasionally afloat or moored toa reed. It is lined with dry dead reeds ; and the eggs,
which number from 6 to 12, are of the colour of the reeds among which they are laid.
Fuligula. Plate xxi. ANATIDA.
246, mnyroca, 16in, WuhiTE-EYeD Duck. MHead ferruginous; back
brown ; lower breast white ; eye white ; 18 feathers
in tail.
247. cristata, 17in. TurTeD Duck. Crest and head black; back
black.
245. ferina, 18in, POCHARD. Head chestnut; back grey; wing
speculum grey.
248. marila, 2oin. Scaup. Head, neck, and shoulders black; back
white or speckled.
244. rufina, 21in, RED-CRESTED POCHARD. Crest and head chest-
nut ; back brown ; eye brown ; 16 feathers in tail.
The White-eyed Duck—Dimensions, Na; Eggs, Nc—has not only a white eye but a
white wing bar or speculum. Its bill is dark blue with a black nail. It is almost as well
known as the Ferruginous Duck. It has been occasionally found here, generally in
Leadenhall Market.
The Tufted Duck—Dimensions, Nq; Eggs, Pr—is very common in Nottinghamshire.
Its bill is greyish blue with a black nail. The female is brown where the male is black, and
the white wing patch is smaller. They are capital divers. The flight is a strong, steady
one, close to the water for some distance and then with a considerable rise. The call is
a “‘kr-kr-kurra.’? There are from 8 to 12 eggs. The nest is in a tuft, generally on the
brink of a pond, and it is built of dry reeds and grass, lined with small down, which is
greyish black, with an obscure white centre.
The Pochard—Dimensions, Od; Eggs, Pr—is another of the Diving Ducks now increasing
in this country. Its bill is black, blue and black, the blue being a stripe in the middle.
The sexes are alike in plumage, except that the female has a dull brown head and neck,
and a white chin. Both sexes have a grey wing bar. The flight is straight, rapid, low, and
noisy, and the call is a ‘‘kr, kr, kr,” with a whistle. The nest is always near water, and is
made of dry grass and sedge, lined with brownish grey down, having obscure white centres.
The Scaup—Dimensions, Pc ; Eggs, Qa—is so called from its call. It has a light blue
bill with a black nail, and its tail is not longer than its closed wings. Its wing bar is white.
The female, like the young male, has a white band round the base of the bill. The flight is
noisy and rapid. The cry is given witha poening tossing of the head and opening of the
bill. The nest is usually on a sloping bank, and is made of dry grass and sedge, lined with
broken sedge and dark brown down without white tips, but with pale centres.
The Red-crested Pochard—Dimensions, Pn; Eggs, Pc—has a red bill and red legs.
Its wing bar is white. The female is light grey on the cheeks and throat. It is well known
in Northern India, but is only a rare straggler to this country.
98 THE SPECIES,
Fulmarus. Plate xxxiii. PROCELLARIIDA,
390. hesitatus, 16in, CAPPED PETREL, Head brown; rump white;
white below.
380, glacialis, 1g in. FULMAR. Head white ; rump grey; buff below.
A Capped Petrel—Dimensions, Nl—was once found by a boy in a furze bush near Swaff-
ham; it bit his hand, and he thereupon killed it, and made it into a British bird. It is a
tropical species, and its eggs are unknown,
The Fulmar—Dimensions, Ot ; Eggs, RJ—is well known to sailors as the Mollymoke, and,
on the American seaboard, asthe Noddy. Its flight is like a Gull’s, sweeping along with only
an occasional flap, following the curves of the waves hundreds of miles out over the sea, on
which it sleeps ; but, unlike a Gull, it holds its wings out straight, instead of curving them,
Its first primary is the longest ; it has a short, reticulate tarsus ; and its nasal tubes join on to
the maxillary margin. Its note is a cackle. It is said to breed in Britain, on the strength of
its haunts at St. Kilda, which is rather a long way out in the Atlantic. It makes no nest, and
jays but one egg, which can be recognised by its coarse grain and strong smell.
Gallinago. Plate xxvii. SCOLOPACIDA.
git. gallinula, 7hin. Jack SNIPE. Mantle glossy purple; inside webs
of scapulars glossy green; remiges, 24; axillaries
white; tail feathers, 12.
310. calestis, to in. SNIPE. Axillaries whitish ; tail feathers 14.
309. mujor, itjin. GREAT SNIPE. Remiges 25; tail feathers 16 or
18; four outer ones on each side whitish ; median
wing covers tipped with white.
The Jack Snipe—Dimensions, Gd; Eggs, Jk—comes to us in September, and leaves us,
for his breeding haunts in the north, in April. The flight is straight and rapid, beginning, in
silence, with a few zigzags. This bird used to be considered the male of G. ca@lestis, which
was the “‘ Jill” Snipe.
The Snipe—Dimensions, In ; Eggs, Kc—unlike the Jack Snipe, calls as he rises, the note
being ‘‘chiswick,” given as he zigzags up, preparatory to getting straight away. In the
breeding season the male makes a curious drumming sound as he swoops down in his flight,
with his tail outspread. The sexes are alike in plumage. ‘The nest is in a hollow in the
ground, generally under a tuft of grass, and always in a swampy place; it consists of a few
scraps of sedge or dry grass, and there are four eggs.
The Great Snipe—Dimensions, Js ; Eggs, Lu—rises silently, like the Jack Snipe, but is a
mere straggler to this country. It has a good deal of white in its tail feathers, and keeps its
tail well spread as it flies. Its call is ‘‘ bad, bad 1”
Gallinula, Plate xxiv. RALLID.,
283. chloropus, 13in. MOORHEN. Red or brown shield on forehead ;
plumage blackish grey ; wing with white streak ;
flanks streaked with white; under tail coverts
barred with white; remiges 23, second primary
longest ; legs greenish.
The Moorhen—Dimensions, Ko; Eggs, Lj—is almost as well known under the more
appropriate name of Waterhen. It bobs its head as it swims, and bobs its tail as it walks ; it
dives readily; and its flight is low and slow, with the legs hanging, legs, which it may be as
well to note, are not webbed, although it is a water bird. The call is ‘‘ krek-rerk-rerk.’’
The sexes are alike in plumage, both having the red frontal plate, and the white line on th»
wing feathers. The nest is a mass of reeds, often on the ground, sometimes afloat on a
pond, and now and then up a tree 20 feet or more above the water. It is lined with dry
grass and sedge, and contains from 4 to 10 eggs.
Garrulus. Plate ix. COR VIN ZE (Passeridz).
125. glandarius, 14in, JAY. Crown white, buff, and black; face-with a
black moustache; throat white; upper parts
brown ; wing coverts chequered with blue, white,
and black ; tail barred with blue ; under parts pale
brown shading into white; lower back white
The Jay—Dimensions, Lo; Eggs, Hk—has pale blue eyes and a peculiarly wide swallow,
and is generally found where there are oak trees about. ‘The flight ts a flopping one, with a
closure of the wings preceding the downward shoot. The call is a screeching ‘‘rake, rake,”
but the Jay can imitate anything except the human voice. The sexes are alike in plumage.
The nest is in the lower branches of some good sized tree, generally in the thick of a woud ;
it is a bulky cup-shaped structure of twigs and roots, lined with rootlets and grass, and it
contaius from five to seven eggs,
‘1HE SPECIES, 99
Gecinus, Plate x1. PICIDA,
149. viridis, 134 in. GREEN WOODPECKER. Crown grey and scarlet;
moustache black and red ; back green ; primaries
brown spotted or barred with white.
The Green Woodpecker—Dimensions, Li; Eggs, Ha—has a laughing “hyu, hyu, hyu”’
for a call, and a dipping flight, but is generally detected as it taps the tree trunk up which
it works obliquely, while its peculiarly nicked tail feathers keep it from slipping backwards.
The female has no red in her moustache. The nest is generally in a beech, or ash, or poplar
tree, in a hole about a foot long, made by the bird straight into the heart wood, and then
curving downwards to an enlargement, which contains a few chips of wood and the clutch of
from five to eight white glossy eggs.
Geocichla, Plate i. TURDING (Passeride),
8. sibtrica, 9 in. SIBERIAN THRUSH. Axillaries white and grey;
tail feathers 12; plumage olive brown and slaty
grey, with brown spots ; broad yellowish white eye-
stripe ; wings brown.
7. varia, rz} in, Wuite’s THRUSH. Axillaries white and black;
tail feathers 14; plumage yellowish brown above,
buffish below, with dark brown crescentoid blotches ;
wings brown, edged with buff.
The Siberian Thrush—Dimensions, Hq—has only been heard of once or twice on this side
of the Channel, although it is occasionally seen in France and Belgium.
White’s Thrush—Dimensions, Kk ; Eggs, Hp—or White’s Ground Thrush, as it is better
called, is named after Gilbert White, of Selborne, who died five and thirty years before the
first specimen was heard of in Great Britain, It is unknown in this country except as a rae
winter visitor. Its nest has only been found once, and that was at Ningpo, in North China.
Its flight is like a Woodcock’s, and its note is a plaintive ‘see |’”
Glareola, Plate xxv. GLAREOLIDA.
291. pratincola, gin. PRATINCOLE. Olive brown above; tail coverts
white ; wings blackish ; axillaries chestnut ; throat
buff, with a narrow black edging; remiges 26,
tail much forked ; bill black, red at base.
The Pratincole—Dimensions, Ik ; Eggs, H1—is an African species occasionally visiting us
wn apne or autumn, It has long wings and flies like a Tern, and it calls ‘bedree,
edree !
Grus. Plate xxv. GRUID-E,
286, virgo, 36 in. DEMOISELLE CRANE, Tuft of white feathers
behind the eye; innermost secondaries straight ;
bill green.
285. communis, 48in. CRANE, Crown naked and red; no tuft of white
feathers; innermost secondaries plumed; bill
brown ; remiges 33, first primary as long as fourth,
second and third longest.
A Demoiselle Crane—Dimensions, Td; Eggs, Su—was once shot in the Orkney Islands
and thereby became a British bird.
The Crane—Dimensions, Tk ; Eggs, SN—is said to have bred in the Fens in the days of
Elizabeth. It certainly does not do so now; but it straggles here very occasionally. It
flies with its head and neck out straight, and its legs out straight. Its call is ‘ coorrr !””
Gyps. Plate xiv. VULTURIDA,
171. fulvus, 42in, GRIFFON VULTURE, Head and neck downy;
plumage ashy; ruff white; wings and tail dark
brown ; bill pale brown ; legs bluish.
A Griffon Vulture—Dimensions, Tj ; Eggs, So—in the springtime of 1843, sat on a rock
near Cork Harbour, and is now to be seen, duly stuffed, in Trinity College, Dublin. He was
the first and the last of the Griffons on record in the British Islands ; and in many bird boxks
he proudly heads the British list.
i
100 THE SPECIES.
Hematopus. Plate xxvi. CHARADRIID.
303. ostralegus, 16in. OYSTERCATCHER. Black and white; bill orange;
remiges 29, the 26th at the elbow, and equal in
length to the third primary; legs flesh-colour ;
tarsus reticulate all round.
The Oystercatcher—Dimensions, Nf; Eggs, Om—derives its generic name from its red
foot, and its specific name from its gathering shells with which to line the hollow in the beach
it uses asanest. In the spring there are chestnut markings on the back, which are absent in
the winter plumage. The flight is a strong, skimming one, with rapid wing work. The call
is a shrill ‘* keep, keep.” There are from two to four eggs, in colour resembling the pebbles
with which, and the shells, it lines its nest.
Haliaétus. Plate xv. FALCONID A,
180. albictlla, 34in. SEA Eac Le. Bill yellow; head ashy brown ;
brown above; dark brown below; 27 remiges ;
fifth primary longest, first primary equal to eighth,
and second longer than seventh ; tail wedge-shaped
and white.
The Sea Eagle —Dimensions, Sr; Eggs, Rt—is the bird beloved of sculptors and plasterers,
who will never feather an eagle to the toes if they can help it. In its flight its wings seem to
curve upwards at the points, as it gives a few regular flaps, and then sails along, with feet
and head short in, and wings full out. Its cry is a peculiar ‘‘ yelp.” The sexes are alike in
plumage. The nest is occasionally in a tree, but generally on a lofty ledge in some pre-
cipitous cliff ; and it is built of sticks and twigs, and turf and seaweed, being sometimes six
feet across. There are one, two, or three eggs, and these are much rougher in texture than
those of the Golden Eagle.
Harelda. Plate xxii. ANATIDA. "
251. glacialis, 26in. LOoNG-TAILED Duck. Head white; cheeks brown:
back black ; remiges 26; tail blackish.
The Long-tailed Duck—Dimensions, RI; Eggs, Os—is one of our regular winter visitors,
and is generally recognisable by its peculiar cry, which has been rendered as ‘‘ coal an’ candle
licht !”” The male’s beak is black and orange ; the female’s is bluish grey. The male is
unmistakable in winter, owing to his two long black tail feathers. ‘The female is browner
than the male, with a brown patch on the side of the neck. Both sexes have a swift and
rolling flight.
Himantopus. Plate xxvii, SCOLOPACID/E.
305. candidus, 13in. BLACK-WINGED STILT. Head and neck white;
black and white above; white below; bill black,
pointed, and straight, and twice as long as head ;
remiges 29; legs pink, web extending down the
toes but incised almost to the base.
The Black-winged Stilt—Dimensions, Le ; Eggs, Ls—has come here at long intervals for a
very long time, but has apparently never bred here. Its very long legs render it unmistakable.
Hirundo. Plate vi. HIRUNDININ4 (Passeride).
83. riparia, 5 in. SAND Martin. Brown above; rump brown ;
white below; brown band across chest; legs
brown.
82. urdica, 5s} in. MARTIN. Blue black above ; rump white; white
below ; no band across chest ; toes feathered.
84. purpurea, 6%in. PURPLE MarTIN. Purplish blue body ; brownish
black wings and tail; small white patch under
wings ; legs purple.
81. rustica, 7% in. SWALLOw. Blue black above ; rump blue; white
below ; throat chestnut ; legs black.
The Sand Martin—Dimensions, Bg; Eggs, Bu—arrives here during the last week of
March and leaves us in October. It has a light, skimming, fluttering fight. The song is a
twitter, and the alarma ‘‘share.”’ ‘he feimale’s throat band is narrower than the male's,
THE SPECIES, Io!
but otherwise the sexes are alike, both having a characteristic tuft of feathers just above the
hind toe. The nest is in a hole in a sandbank, the hole sloping upwards and generally
swarming with fleas, the nest a mere bed of grass and feathers. There are four, five, or six
eggs, which are white, smooth, and glossy.
The Martin—Dimensions, Dm ; Eggs, Bp—comes at the end of April and lingers on till
December. He flies in shorter curves than the Swallow, and not so swiftly. His note is
“screeb,”’ often uttered when on the wing. The sexes are alike in plumage. The nest is
built under the eaves of a roof, and on walls and cliffs, and consists of a ball of mud, having
a hole just large enough for a doorway, and lined with dry grass and feathers. ‘There are
four, five, or six eggs.
A Purple Martin—Dimensions, Es; Eggs, Fi—was once shot near Dublin. It is an
American, and beyond the fact of its having once been shot in the British Islands has no
claim to be considered a British bird.
The Swallow—Dimensions, Gf; Eggs, Cp—arrives in the first half of April and leaves us
in November. The female differs from the male in having the tail not so forked, and the
throat bands narrower. The flight is bold and graceful, wavering at times, but usually i in
easy curves and long undulations. The Swallow has a gentle warbling song, and a call of
‘whit, ceep, cheep.”’ The nest is of mud like the Martin's, but it is open at the top, and is
larger and more loosely made. It is lined with dry grass and feathers, and contains from
four to six eggs.
Hydrochelidon. Plate xxx. LARIDA,
342. Jleucoptera, ogkin. WHITE-WINGED BLACK TERN. Black, with
broad white edge to wings; tail white; bill red;
legs red.
341. migra, Io in. BLACK TERN. Black, with slaty wings and tail ;
bill black ; legs brown.
343. Aybrida, .1hin. WHISKERED TERN. Crown and nape black;
cheeks white; grey above; wings whitish below;
tail white; lower breast brownish ; bill red; legs
ted,
The White-winged Black Tern—Dimensions, I]; Eggs, Hs—is occasionally found on the
east coast, generally in May or June. It is a widely distributed species, having been
recorded in Sweden, North China, ssa New Zealand, and the Transvaal.
The Black Tern—Dimensions, Jb; Eggs, Ilo—is better known as a spring and autumn
migrant than asa resident. Like all the Terns it is recognisable by its forked tail ; and it
carries its wings crossed one over the cther as it walks. ‘The sexes are alike in plumage,
though the female is generally lighter in colour below than the male. The note is a shrill
“hear! hear!’? The nest is a mass of decaying vegetable matter on a mud flat, a floating
raft, or a marshy island, and contains three eggs.
The Whiskered Tern—Dimensions, Ka; Eggs, Kr—has been recorded in this country
about half a dozen times. It is the rarest of the Marsh Terns as far as Europe is concerned,
for though it breeds along the Danube, it breeds more freely in the Orange Free State,
forming a curious, but not the only, instance of a bird nesting both north and south of the
Equator.
Hypolais, Plate iii. TURDING (Passeridae),
36. iclerina, Sin. ICTERINE WARBLER. Olive green above; green-
ish yellow below ; greenish yellow eye stripe; legs
blue.
The Icterine Warbler—Dimensions, Be; Eggs, Co—has only been recorded three times
in this country.
Ibis. Plate xviii. /BIDIDZ,
215. falcinellus, 22in. GLossy IBIS. Bronze brown with green and purple
reflections ; bill decurved ; face bare ; 27 remiges ;
Pei dark green.
The Ibis—Dimensions, Qa; Eggs, No—was once made out to be the Liverpool Liver,
and it certainly seems to be ie Black Curlew of East Anglia; but its visits are at very
distant intervals. It gives its name to the magazine under whose auspices the list we are
working to was originally compiled.
x
102 THE SPECIES
Iynx. Plate xi. PICIDA
150 torguzlla, 64 in. WryNecK. Above greyish brown, much spotted ;
throat buff with many narrow blackish bars ;
remiges 21; first primary short, second and third
longest ; tail soft and rounded, greyish, with five or
six rippling dark brown bars; 12 tail feathers, the
two outer ones hidden under the two next.
The Wryneck—Dimensisns, Eh; Eggs, Do—gains its name of Iynx from its shriek, and
its popular name from its habit of twisting its neck round. Its call is ‘t oh, dear, dear, dear,
dear, dear!’’ It is a summer migrant, often known as the Cuckoo's mate from coming at the
same time as the Cuckoo. Its flight is a short and quick one, but it is generally seen at rest.
Tt lays its eggs in a hole in a tree, but, unlike the Woodpecker, it never bores the hole in
which they are laid. The eggs are "from 6 to 10 in number, and are laid among a few chips
af rotten wood.
Lanius. Plate vi. LANIIN 4 (Passeridz).
76. pomeranus, 7 in. WoOODCHAT. Crown and nape chestnut; head
black; back black; rump white; white below ;
wings black, tipped with white; two middle tail
feathers black, the rest black and white.
7s collurio, 7} in. RED-BACKED SHRIKE. Head grey; back chest-
nut; chin white; lower breast buff; wings black,
edged with chestnut; two middle tail feathers
black, with white tips.
74. minor 8hin. Lerss—ER GREY SHRIKE. Grey above; whitish
below; forehead black; wings black, with one
white spot , first primary very short, third primary
longest.
73. excubitor, ogkin. GREAT GREY SHRIKE. Pearl grey above; whitish
below ; forehead whitish ; wide black stripe through
eye ; wings black, with one or two white bars ; two
middle tail feathers black,others edged with white,
The Woodchat—Dimensions, Fg; Eggs, Er—is a rare visitor, recorded as having bred in
the Isle of Wight. The flight is swift and curving, with an occasional, hover. The call is a
**kra, kra,’’ but there is also a somewhat musical song, mostly mimetic of the birds in th:
nei hbourhood. The female has red margins to the wing coverts, but is otherwise much
nin in plumage than the male. The nest is a conspicuous one in the fork of a tree ; it is
made of twigs, and grass, and wool, and generally has a few flowers of Gnaphalium, and
there are four, five, or six eggs.
The Red-backed Shrike—Dimensions, Gb; Eggs, Eo—arrives in May, and is our
commonest representative of the Butchers, ‘for such is the “meaning of Lanius, the
name being derived from the way in which these birds kill their victims and hang them up
on thorns, so as to form a larder near the nest. The flight is a dipping one, with many a
poise and hover ; and in times of danger the bird can be recognised by a characteristic twirl
af its tail. A Shrike never pursues its prey, but it will attack and kill any bird under its own
size. ‘The note is ‘‘ tst-tst-tsook-tsook,” but the male can mimic the song of his neighbours.
The female is brownish red above, with very pale edges to the secondaries. The nest is
about seven inches across and easily found ; it is made of twigs and plant stems, and lined
with hair and wool, and contains from four to six eggs.
The Lesser Grey Shrike—Dimensions, Hh; Eggs, FM—is an accidental straggler to om
shores.
The Great Grey Shrike—Dimensions, Ig; Eggs, Gu—is a regular winter visitor. It
dangles its legs as it flies, works its wings rapidly, dips and swoops, and frequently hovers.
It is called excubitor, or "the sentinel, from sitting on some conspicuous branch. Its alarm
note is a ‘‘shake;”’ its call a “‘trui.”” The female is duller in plumage, and has grey
crescents on the breast. It breeds in Northern Sweden,
Larus. Plate xxxi. LARIDA.
357- minutus, 1rin, LITTLE GULL. Head changing from black to
white ; back grey; primaries tipped with white
without black bars, and being black below; re-
miges 28,
THE SPECIES, 103
356. philadelphia, 15in. BONAPARTE’S GULL. Head changing from greyish
black to white; back grey; inner webs of the two
outer primaries edged with white.
358. ridibundus, 16in. BLACK-HEADED GULL, Head changing from dark
brown to white; back grey; remiges 30; outer
primaries with white centres; inner webs edged
with black.
359. welanocephalus, 17in. MEDITERRANEAN BLACK-HEADED GULL. Head
black ; back grey ; wings white ; first primary with
black line on outer web ; bill red, with a dark band
in front of the angle.
361. canus, z8in. Guru. Head white or spotted with brown ; back
grey ; primaries brown with white spot ; bill tipped
with yellow ; legs greenish yellow ; remiges 31.
363. fuscus, 2tin. Lrss—ER BLACK-BACKED GULL. Head white;
primaries dark brown; back blackish ; legs bright
yellow.
366. leucopterus, 22in. ICELAND GULL. All white; legs and wings very
long.
362. argentatus, 23in. HERRING GULL. Head white or spotted with
grey; back grey; bill yellow; remiges 34; legs
flesh-colour,
360. zchthyaétus, 27in. GREAT BLACK-HEADED GULL. Head black;
white patch round eye; bill yellow with a black
bar ; legs greenish yellow.
364. marinus, 28 in. GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL. Head white;
back blackish ; remiges 34 ; legs flesh-colour.
365. glaucus, 3g2in. GLAucous GULL. All white; legs and wing,
rather short.
The Little Gull—Dimensions, Jq; Eggs, K1—is the smallest of the Gulls, and only visits
our coasts occasionally, The first specimen on our record was shot on the Thames, at
Chelsea.
Bonaparte’s Gull—Dimensions, Mm; Eggs, Ms—is an occasional straggler from across
the Atlantic. It is, perhaps, worth noting that this bird builds its nest in tall trees,
The Black-headed Gull—Dimensions, Nk; Eggs, Mr—is best known by its brown head,
which is only black by courtesy. It flies buoyantly, with much circling and hovering, spreads
its tail, raises its wings, and pats at the water as it drops to its prey. Its call is a varied
“hyuk-kak-kah,” which has the fancied resemblance to a laugh, from which comes the
specific 7diéundus, and the popular ‘‘ Laughing’ Gull. In winter the head is white, with a
grey patch round the eye and on the ear coverts, The sexes are alike in plumage. The
nest is a mere hollow in a swamp, or on an island ; it is lined with a little grass or weed, and
contains two or three eggs.
The Mediterranean Black-headed Gull—Dimensions, Nr ; Eggs, Mk—has been here twice.
The Gull—Dimensions, Op; Eggs, OR—is well known for its beautifully buoyant flight,
now busily flapping, and now sailing and swaying on its long arched wings, which are mottled
with brown below. The first six primaries are grey, brown, and white; the secondaries aie
urey and white ; the coverts are all grey ; the first and second primaries are equal, and the
longest in the wing. In summer the head is white; but in winter the head is streaked with
brown, and the yellow of the legs darkens considerably. The call is a ‘‘ kyah,” and a laughing
“*kree.” The nest is a large one, usually on a low grassy island, but occasionally on a cliff ;
it is made of grass, heather, and seaweed, and shore plants, and contains three eggs.
The Lesser Black-backed Gull—Dimensions, His Eggs, QN—is as common a bird as the
last, and can be distinguished from it by the black back and small feet. In winter the white
head is streaked with brown. ‘The call is an ‘‘ah-ah-ah,” and the alarm is “jock.” The
nest is always on the ground, but at any height above the water; it is a large mass of grass
and dead leaves, with a little seaweed and other plants ; it contains two or three eggs.
_The Iceland Gull—Dimensions, Qh; Eggs, Rc—has occasionally been recorded as a winter
visitor.
The Herring Gull—Dimensions, Qm; Eggs, Re—is known, all the year round, all round
the coast—flying like a heron, following the herring, and stealing the eggs of every sea bird it
meets with. Its outer primaries are mainly black, with a grey wedge down the inner webs,
increasing till the feathers are mainly grey. In winter the head and neck have grey streaks-
104 THE SPECIES,
Its call is a croak and a “‘peewheel.’’ Its nest is generally on a ledge of rock, but sometimes
on level ground, and is a bulky construction of seaweed, lined with straw and shore plants.
There are two or three eggs.
A Great Black-headed Gull—Dimensions, Sb; Eggs, Rr—straggled from the Persian
Gulf into the estuary of the Exe, in 1859, and, after a few foolish “‘ croawks,” fell a victim to
an excited gunner, and thus became a British bird.
The Great Black-backed Gull—Dimensions, Sd; Eggs, Rp—is a not uncommon resident,
a “ murderous thief,” feeding on fish and the eggs and young of other birds, recognisable by
his great size and Eagle-like flight. His cry is a yelping * kyauk.” he nest is on some
crag or islet-—a big untidy mass of grass and seaweed, lined with a few feathers, or wool, and
containing two or three eggs.
The Glaucous Gull—Dimensions, SI; Eggs, Sa—is the Burgomaster of the whalers, and is
distinguished by the enormous spread of its wings. _ It is the largest of our Gulls, but is only
an irregular visitor. It has grey streaks on its head in winter.
Ligurinus. Plate vii. FRINGILLINZ: (Passeride).
gt. chloris, 6in. GREENFINCH. Crown and back olive green ; wings
greyish brown, edged with yellow ; axillaries brigh:
yellow ; outer tail feathers black, yellow at base,
and tipped with greyish brown.
The Greenfinch—Dimensions, Dm; Eggs, Dr—is one of our common residents, yearly
becoming commoner. It has a rapid drooping flight, with occasional glides, It has a twitter-
ing song of its own, but generally imitates that of other birds. Its call is ‘‘ meay,”’ or “ yik,
yik, yik.”” The female is not so green as the male, and has the tail feathers tipped with
yellow on the outer webs only. The nest is generally in a tree which has a good deal of
lichen on it, but frequently it is among evergreens. It has moss outside, with grass and
wool, and it is lined with hair and feathers, and contains four, five, or six eggs.
Limicola. Plate xxvii. SCOLOPACIDA.
313. platyrhyncha,6in, BROAD-BILLED SANDPIPER. Blackish brown
above ; white eye stripe ; brown spot in front of eye ;
bill broad in the middle and longer than head ;
little or no white on secondaries and upper tail
coverts.
The Broad-billed Sandpiper—Dimensions, Dr; Eggs, Hr—occasionally straggles here
from its Swedish home.
Limosa. Plate xxix. SCOLOPACID.
336. Japponica, 15hin. BAR-TAILED GODWIT. Back spotted brown ; rump
whitish ; axillaries white, faintly barred with
black.
337 4elgica, 1g in, BLACK-TAILED GODWIT. Back spotted chestnut ;
rump spotted chestnut ; axillaries white, or brown
and white ; tail feathers black with white bases.
The Bar-tailed Godwit—Dimensions, Mr; Eggs, Ox—visits us in autumn and spring on
its way from and to its breeding grounds. It has a call like the bleat of a goat; and another
hich has been syllabised as ‘‘ Poor Willie.” In summer it isred below; in winter it is white
below. The females are much larger than the males.
The Black-tailed Godwit—Dimensions, Or; Eggs, Op—is also a spring and autumn
visitor. The females are also much larger than the males. In winter its back is ashy brown.
Its cry isa “ yelp.’”’ It has two flights, a leisurely one with the wings fully spread, and a
hurried one with the wings shortened in.
fLinota. Plate vii. FRINGILLIN4ZE (Passeridz),
99. rufescens, 4in. LESSER REDPOLL. Crown red; rump brown;
throat pink; chin black; bill horn colour and
small.
98 linaria, 5 in. MEALY REDPOLL. Crown red; rump white;
throat pink; chin black; bill horn colour and
small.
THE SPECIES. 105
100. hornemanni, 5yin. GREENLAND REDPOLL. Crown red; rump rosy;
throat pink ; chin black ; bill brown and large.
tor. Aavirostris, sin. Twite. Crown brown; rump red; throat brown;
chin buff ; bill yellowish and short.
97. cannabina, sin. LINNET. Crown reddish, streaked with grey and
blackish brown ; rump pale brown ; throat yellowish
grey with red and brown streaks; chin brownish
white ; tail dark brown and white ; bill brownish
or blue,
The Lesser Redpoll—Dimensions, Ak; Eggs, AL—is our smallest Finch. He is darker
than the Mealy Redpoll, and has whitish red bands on his wings. He has a jerky, swimming
sort of flight, generally starting off with a chattering rattle and continuing with a prolonged
trill, His call has been syllabised as ‘‘honree.’’ The female is smaller than the male, and,
unlike him, has no red on the breast and rump. The young birds have no red at all. The
nest is generally low down among willows, or in a hedge or bush; it is neatly made of
slender twigs, grass, and moss, and lined with hair or willow catkins or cotton grass, and
contains four, five, or six eggs.
The Mealy Redpoll—Dimensions, Bd; Eggs, Ax—has a longer tail than the last, and it is
deeply forked, but as he is only an irregular visitor the chances of his being met with are
somewhat remote,
The Greenland Redpoll—Dimensions, Bk ; Eggs, Am- -put in a first appearance among us
at Whitburn, in 1855, and has not been seen here since.
The Twite—Dimensions, Ce; Eggs, Br—is a native found mostly among the northern
moors and hills, whence its other name of Mountain Linnet, ‘ Twite” comes from its call,
which has otherwise been syllabised as “‘twah-it.’’ Its flight is the jerkily buoyant one,
characteristic of the Linnet family, with a little ‘‘chatter’’ to start with, a “‘ twitter ’’ on the
wing, and a circling sweep before alighting. The female has no red on the rump, and is
tawnier above and buffer below than the male ; she has a dusky brown tip to her beak. The
nest is either on the ground or near it, among heather or furze as a rule, beautifully made of
heather and grass, and lined with roots, feathers, wool, hair, and thistledown. It contains
from four to six eggs.
The Linnet—Dimensions, Db; Eggs, Bj—is one of our most popular songsters, with a
sweet and mellow ‘twit, twit,’’ and ‘‘tye wee, tye wee,” of his own, to which he adds
whatever he thinks best of the notes and calls of other birds. He has a rapid, wavy flight,
with alternating flappings and pausings, glidings and wheelings, displaying all the white in
his wings, and in his full spread tail, as he alights. In summer he has a good deal of red in
his plumage, on his crown and breast, and chest, but this disappears in the autumn, The
older he gets the redder he gets. The female has no red in her plumage at any time, and
has little white on her wings, and many more brown stripes below than the male has,
although in the winter he is much more streaked thaninthe summer. The Linnet in confine-
ment loses much of the little bright colour he possesses, and is not unlike a hen sparrow.
The nest is generally in a furze bush, occasionally it is in a thorn hedge, or even ina tree,
and more rarely it is on the ground. It is a well built little affair of twigs, grey moss and
wool, and grass, lined with rootlets, hair, feathers, and thistledown, and it contains from four
to six eggs.
Locustella. Plate iii. TURDING (Passeridze).
44. luscinioides, 5hin, Savi's WARBLER. Back russet biown; throat
white ; under tail coverts pale chestnut.
43. navia, s?in. GRASSHOPPER WARBLER. Back greenish brown;
throat brownish white; under tail coverts buffish
brown.
Savi’s Warbler—Dimensions, Bt ; Eggs, Co—has not been seen in this country since 1856,
but was formerly a regular visitor to the Fen district. Its nest was a deep cup of interwoven
sedge blades.
The Grasshopper Warbler—Dimensions, Co; Eggs, Bo—is one of our spring visitors,
arriving at the end of April, and leaving us in September. It is more often heard than seen.
It skulks about the underwood, running like a Sandpiper, and only occasionally takes to the
wing. Its note is like the sound made by a grasshopper, whence its name, a sort of trilling
*‘tric-tric-tric,’’ shrill and monotonous. The female is like the male, with the brown barred
rounded tail, which is characteristic. The nest is compactly built and deep, and generally
has some Galium in it. It is, as a rule, in a clump of grass, or at the bottom of a furze bush,
and, with the bedstraw, has a good deal of flat grass and moss. It is lined with grass, and
contains five, six, or seven eggs,
H
106 THE SPECIES.
Loxia. Plate viii, FRINGILLINZ (Passeridz).
108. Jdifasciata, 6 in. TWwo-BARRED CROssBILL. Pale scarlet spotted
with brown ; wings black with two white bars.
105. curvirostra, 6}in. CROSSBILL. Dull crimson, brighter on chest and
rump; wings and tail brown; under tail coverts
white with brown centres,
107. éeucoptera, 6hin, WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL. Dull crimson, with
blackish scapulars and wings mostly white; bill
slender,
106. pityopsitiacus,7 in. PARROT CROSSBILL. Similar to curuzrostra but
with bill longer, more arched, and very strong.
The Two-harred Crossbill—Dimensions, Do; Eggs, Cr—has a stouter beak than the
White-winged Crossbill, which it somewhat resembles. Only a few stragglers have been
noticed in this country, and it has never bred here.
The Crossbill—Dimensions, Eg; Eggs, Em—is a winter visitor, occasionally remaining
here to breed among the pine forests. It is generally seen on the wing when fluttering
round the pine cones, on which it feeds. Its note is a ‘‘tsip, tsip,” or ‘‘tsoc, tsoc.” The
female is dull yellow, where the male is red. The nest is always in a fir tree, and pony
at the top. It is built of fir twigs, dry grass, lichens, and wool, and contains four or five eggs.
The White-winged Crossbill—Dimensions, En; Eggs, Cs—is an American classed as
British on the strength of a few escapes.
The Parrot Crossbill—Dimensions, Fj; Eggs, Et—is occasionally met with. It is larger
than the others, and has a stouter bill.
Machetes. Plate xxviii. SCOLOPACIDA,
323. pugnax, trin. RurF. White axillaries.
The Ruff—Dimensions, Jl; Eggs, Lk—is an uncommon and perhaps doubtful resident,
reinforced twice a year by flocks on migration to and from the north. It varies very much
in the colour of its plumage, ringing almost every change on chestnut, black, and white.
In spring the feathers of the face are moulted, to be replaced by hard pimples, and a ruff is
developed which lasts through June. The pimples come in useful as a protection during the
cock-fights which begin daily at sunrise during May and June, whence the bird’s names of
Machetes, a fighter ; and pugnax, fighting—for he fights much, but only with his beak, and
does little damage. His cry is “kick-kick.” The female, known as the Reeve, which is
merely another form of Ruff, is a smaller bird, and has no ruff or occipital tufts, and is
black and brown above. The nest is always in a swamp} it consists of a few leaves of grass
or sedge, and contains four eggs.
Macrorhampus. Plate xxvii. SCOLOPACID 4.
gi2. griseus, to}in. RED-BKEASTED SNIPE. Remiges 20; first primary
white ; axillaries white; tail coverts barred with
black and white.
The Red-breasted Snipe—Dimensions, Je; Eggs, La—is an American, occasionally
straggling across the Atlantic,
Mareca. Plate xxi. ANATIDA
242. penelope, 18 in. WuIGEON. Crown white; cheeks and neck chest-
nut ; 14 feathers in tail.
243. americana, 19in, AMERICAN WIGEON.. Crown buff; a green stripe
passing backward from eye.
The Wigeon—Dimensions, Oj; Eggs, Nc—breeds in the north of Scotland, but arrives
here in thousands in September, and leaves us in March. The flight is a rapid and vigorous
one. The call is the ‘‘ wee-ju,” or “ wigeon,” from which it gets its name. The female has
a bluish bill, tipped with black, like the male, and also the green wing bar, which is rather
greyer; but she is greyer above and buffer below. The nest is in a clump, always near
water, and is made of grass and sedge, lined with down, which is sooty brown with white
tips. It contains from 7 to 12 eggs.
An American Wigeon—Dimensions, Os; Eggs, Ot—was once found in Leadenhall
Market ; but it is doubtful if it was ever seen elsewhere in these islands,
THE SFEC?iES,
Melizophilus, Plate iii, TURDING (Passeride).
29. undatus, Sin. DARTFORD WARBLER. Dark brown at
chestnut brown below; tail dark grey, half as
as the bird, with its outside feathers tipped
edged with white ; legs brown ; eyes orange ye
The Dartford Warbler—Dimensions, As; Eggs, Bz—is an uncommon but undo
British bird. The first specimen on record was discovered near Dartford, in 1773. O
wing it looks like a black Wren. It has a curious way of working up a bush in sear
insects, and then flying off to the base of another bush, and working up that, spreadi
long tail as it settles after each change. The note is ‘‘ pitchoo,”’ with a chiding *‘ cha,
The female has a cinnamon breast. The young have yellow eyes; those of the adu
almost red. The nest is generally in a furze bush, and is so loosely made of bedstraw,
and grass as to be seen through, It is small and deep, and lined with moss and
There are four, five, or six eggs.
Mergulus. Plate xxxii. ALCIDA,
378. alle, 84 in. LitTLE Auk. White spot over eye; edgi
scapulars white; remiges 26; primaries 11 ;
feathers 12; legs brown.
The Little Auk—Dimensions, HI]; Eggs, Mr—is a winter visitor, generally founda
swimming much by the stern, and occasionally calling ‘‘ try, try, try.”
Mergus. Plate xxii. ANATIDA,
261. albellus, 17in. SMew. Rump grey; bill grey; 16 tail feather
262. cucullatus, 19in. HOODEDMERGANSER. Rump white; head w
18 tail feathers.
260. serrator, ' 24in, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER. Rump white ;
black ; 18 tail feathers.
259. merganser, 26in. GOOSANDER. Ruinp grey; bill vermilion ; rf
feathers.
The Smew—Dimensions, No; Eggs, Ni—is a winter straggler from Finland. It is
a white bird, with black, anda few grey, markings, and a crest. It has a rapid, noi
flight, and its call is ‘‘ kr, kr.” The female has a black patch on the lores, She is
grey above; and her beak, like the male’s, is bluish.
The Hooded Merganser—Dimensions, Oq; Eggs Nx—is an American bird founc
occasionally, but unknown elsewhere on this side of the Atlantic,
The Red-breasted Merganser—Dimensions, Qq; Eggs, Qm—is with us all the year r
His flight is powerful and quick, and his wings whistle as he goes. His callisa ‘‘
karr." The female has a white speculum divided by a black bar, while the male ha
bars. The nest is generally near water, and always on the ground, in some dry place.
made of heather and dry grass and leaves, and lined with brownish grey down, havin;
pale tips and centres. It contains from 6 to 12 eggs.
The Goosander—Dimensions, Rk; Eggs, Ra—breeds in Scotland, and is known all
the coast in the winter. When in flight its wings are conspicuously long. Its call is *'
karr,” and it has a cry like a whistle. ‘The male’s head is black, the female’s chestnut :
have crests. The nest is in a hole of some tree, or on the ground, generally in a tree,
is lined with pale grey down, and contains from 8 to 12 eggs.
Merops. Plate xii. MEROPIDA.
154 @piaster, tofin. BEE-EATER. Chestnut, gold, and green at
: gold and black below ; forehead white, lores b
wings green, black and chestnut; tail green ;
q central feathers an inch longer than the others
155. philippinus, 12in. BLUE-TAILED BEE-EATER. Blue tail; che
throat and no black band on breast.
The Bee-eater— Dimensions, Jg ; Eggs, Gc—has been occasionally shot in this cot
but it is very rare.
The Blue-tailed Bee-eater—Dimensions, Kq—is even rarer, for it has only been see:
108 THE SPECIES,
Merula. Plate i. TURDIN<G (Passeridz).
9. vulgaris, toin. BLACKBIRD. Plumage brownish or glossy black ;
bill orange or brown.
10. forguata, Izin. RING OuzEL. Plumage brownish black, with
white crescent on chest ; bill orange or brown, but
black at tip.
The Blackbird—Dimensions, Im; Eggs, GL—might have a better name, for it is not the
only bird that is black ; and the female is brown, and the young are spotted. He has a hasty,
fitful flight, low, but straight across open ground, making a spurt at the finish, and cocking up
his tail as soon as he settles. His note is a deep contralto warble and pipe, with a call of
* pic, pic, pic.” He hasa yellow bill; the female has a brown one until she ages. ‘The
young male has a blackish bill; the young female a brown one; and the male is darker
generally than the female. The nest is among evergreens or in a hedgerow, and is within a
few feet of the ground. It is made of twigs and roots plastered with mud, and lined with
dry grass and moss. There are from four to seven eggs.
The Ring Ouzel—Dimensions, Jk ; Eggs, Gr—is a bird of the wilderness, resident ina few
favoured localities all the year round, but mostly coming in April and leaving his moorland
haunts in December. Like the Blackbird he raises his tail as he settles, and his flight is
strong and straight. The song is flute-like and melodious, but not so musical as a Black-
bird’s ; and the call isa sharp ‘‘tac, tac, tac.” The female is chocolate brown instead of
black, and the gorget (whence the name dorquata, collar wearer) is not clear white. The
nest is on the ground, and generally by the side of a stream. It is made of coarse grass and
heather and twigs, plastered with mad and lined with dry grass, and it contains four or five eggs.
Milvus. Plate xv. FALCONIDAE.
185. migrans, 23 in. BLACK Kire. Bill black; wings brown beneath ;
tail dark brown and moderately forked.
184. zctinus, 26in. Kite. Bill horn colour; wings whitish beneath
with a broad black patch ; tail rufous, barred with
brown, and much forked.
The Black Kite—Dim-_nsions, Qo; Eggs, On—was unknown in this country until 1866,
and it has not been seen here since.
The Kite—Dimensions, Ro; Eggs, Pk—is now a rarity in this country, though at one
time it used to be our commonest bird of prey. It is very reddish in plumage, and has
yellow eyes and cere, and feet and legs. Its gliding flight gave it its old name of Glead. It
seems to swim in the air, steering itself with its forked tail, in long sweeps and shorter curves,
much as does the schoolboy’s toy to which it gave its name. Its cry is a ‘“‘ whew,” with an
occasional ‘‘ keh, keh.’? The female is larger than the male, and is greyer above and redder
below, and shorter in the tail. ‘he nest is in a tall tree; it is built of twigs and many other
things, including rags and paper; it is very large for the size of the bird, and contains two,
three, or four eggs.
Monticola, Plate i. TURDIN< (Passeridze).
11. saxatilis, 8in. Rock THRusH. Axillaries chestnut ; tail chestnut.
with two darker central feathers ; bill black ; legs
black.
A Rock Thrush—Dimensions, Gs; Eggs, Ga—was shot in Hertfordshire, in 1843. There
is no other authenticated record.
Motacilla. Plate v. VUOTACILLINZ: (Passeride).
63. flava, 6 in. BLUE-HEADED YELLOW WAGTAIL. Bluish head,
white eye stripe ; white chin ; white throat ; yellow
breast.
64, viridis, 6$in. GREY-HEADED YELLOW WaAGTAIL, Grey head,
no eye stripe; white chin; yellow throat; yellow
breast,
65. rai, 64 in. YELLOW WacTalL. Yellow head, with brownish
crown,
60. alba, 74 in. Waite WacTAIL. White head; black cap;
black throat ; greyish back.
61. lugubris, 7h in. PiED WAGTAIL, White head; black cap; black
throat ; black back.
62, melanope, 8 in, GREY WAGTAIL. Grey head; narrow white eye
stripe ; black patch on throat ; green rump.
The Blue-headed Yellow Wagtail—Dimensions, Dj ; Eggs, Cn—has occasionally bred in
THE SPECIES. b ole)
Durham, but generally straggles over here on migration. It has a buoyant, airy flight, a
shrill call of *‘chit-up,” and a twittering song. The female is a paler bird than the male,
with the eye stripe less marked.
The Grey-headed Yellow Wagtail—Dimensions, Dt ; Eggs, Cr—once sent two specimens
to Penzance, but they proceeded no further into the country owing to their being made
British in the usual tragic manner. 7. vzridis.has not been seen here since.
The Yellow Wagtail —Dimensions, Ei; Eggs, Ci—arrives here annually shortly after Lady-
day, and leaves just before Michaelmas. It has a fluttering flight with long, bold
undulations, and an occasional soar, and as it drops to settle it spreads its tail so as to show
off its white. As it starts it gives its call of ‘‘ gee-up,”’ in addition to which it has a short and
rather cheery song. The female is browner on the back than the male, and is much paler
below. The nest is usually on the grass, or on a bank, or else at the foot of a wall. 1t is
made of dry grass, moss, and rootlets, and lined with hair, or feathers, or fur. It contains
five or six eggs.
The White Wagtail—Dimensions, Fq; Eggs, Du—is a rare summer visitor, first noticed
in 184z, and probably often mistaken for the common Water Wagtail, which it resembles in
its flight, its song, and its nesting arrangements. ‘The female has less white on her head,
and less black on her throat than the male, and the throat patch is mottled with white.
The Pied Wagtail—Dimensions, Ga; Eggs, Do—is the Water Wagtail so often alluded to
as the “‘smallest bird that walks,’’ which it very nearly is. It stays with us all the year
round. It is generally found near water, running about with much bobbing of the tail to
balance itself, and then taking to flight with a few rapid flaps, to soon ease its wings and
float off in curves ‘‘ like Hogarth’s line.”’ The note, loud and short, is often given when on
the wing; the call is ‘‘ which is it?’’ The female has a shorter tail than the male, and less
black about her. The nest is in a hole in a wall, or bank, or tree, or among a heap of stones;
it is rather a large mass of moss, grasses, and leaves, lined with wool, hair, and feathers,
and it contains four, five, or six eggs.
The Grey Wagtail—Dimensions, Gm; Eggs, Cr—is one of our less commoner residents.
It has the Wagtail walk, with the tail jerking and the head nodding; and its flight has the
long bold curves of its congeners, with a similar spreading of the tail as it comes to the
ground. It is more of a percher than its fellows, and has a ionger tail. Its note is shriller
but just as short, its call being ‘‘ who? be? ’tis he! ’tishe!’’ The female has little or no
black on the throat, and more green in her plumage, and her tail is shorter. The nest is
generally under a ledge in a quarry, or on a bank near running water ; it is made of rootlets,
grass, and moss, and lined with white cowhair ; and it contains five or six eggs. It may be
worth noting that Motacilla is merely wag-tail Latinised.
Muscicana, Plate vi. MUSCICAPINZE (Passeridz).
80. parva, 42 in. RED-BREASTED FLYCATCHER. Olive brown
above ; red throat.
79. atricapilla, § in. PIED FLYCATCHER. Black above ; white throat,
78. grisola, stin. SpoTTED FLYCATCHER. Brown above ; streaked
or spotted throat.
The Red-breasted Flycatcher—Dimensions, Ar; Eggs, AN—was first noticed in this
country in 1863, and since then there have been several records. The female has no grey in
her plumage. The nest is to be found on the shores of Lake Baikal.
The Pied Flycatcher—Dimensions, Bc; Eggs, Cc—arrives annually in April, and leaves
in September. Its flight is not unlike that of the butterfly. It catches insects on the wing,
but, as a rule, picks them off the leaves, or lays in wait for them at the end of a bough and
darts down at them. Its song is short and weak, and rather like the Redstart’s. ‘The female
has no white on the forehead. and has brown where the male has black, and her inner
secondaries have thin white edges. The nest is generally in a hole in a tree—oak, birch, or
poplar for choice—but sometimes it is ina hole in a wall; it is a loose collection of dead
leaves, moss, feathers, wool, and hair, and contains from five to eight eggs.
The Spotted Flycatcher—Dimensions, Bl ; Eggs, Br—is the common one in this country,
and stays here from the end of April to September. Its flight is low, jerky, and hovering, in
order that it may take its food on the wing. It has a feeble twittering song, and a call of
“chick, fee, chack, chack.’* The female has the male’s winter plumage—grey above, and
ashy white below. The small nest is about to feet from the ground, on almost anything that
will hold it, and it is neatly built of moss, dry grass, cobwebs, hair, and feathers ; it contains
from four to six eggs. Just as Motacilla is the Latin for Wagtail so Muscicapa is the
Latin for Flycatcher.
Neophron. Plate xiv. VULTURIDE.
172. percnoplerus,25in, EGYPTIAN VULTURE. Plumage buffish white ;
head and neck yellowish ; wings black and brown ;
legs pinkish ; claws black.
The Egyptian Vulture—Dimensions, Ri; Eggs, Qy—has been shot on two occasions on
British ground—once in Bridgewater Bay, in 1825; and once, 43 years afterwards, near
Burnham-on-the-Croych.
1@ fe) THE SPECIES.
Nucifraga. Plate ix. CORVINZE (Passeridz).
124. caryocatactes, 13in, NUTCRACKER. Plumage brown, spotted with
white ; outer tail feathers tipped with white; a
dark brown crown ; bill black ; tail black.
The Nutcracker—Dimensions, La; Eggs, In—has been noticed south of the Tweed about
twenty times. Its call has a fancied resemblance to “‘crack, crack,” and it has a leisurely,
undulating flight.
Numenius, Plate xxix. SCOLOPACIDZ:.
340. borealis, 14in. Eskimo CurRLEW. Crown dark brown with a paler
stripe ; no white on rump ; axillaries chestnut
barred with brown.
339. phaeopus, 18in, WHIMBREL. Crown dark brown with a whitish
stripe ; axillaries white barred with brown; lower
back and rump unstreaked white.
338. arguatus, 24in, CuRLEW. Crown pale brown; rump white with
black streaks ; axillaries white barred with brown;
tarsus more than three inches long.
The Eskimo Curlew—Dimensions, Lq ; Eggs, Nq—is an American species occasionally
straggling across the Atlantic.
The Whimbrel—Dimensions, Og; Eggs, Pj—breeds inthe northern islands, and gets as
far south as Cornwall, in May, whence its name of May Bird. When on migration it flies
higher than at other times, as is the case with all birds, but as a rule its flight is low and quick,
with its wings held bent and motionless as it alights. Its note is a whistling ‘‘ titterel,”
repeated seven times, from which it receives its names of Titterel and Seven Whistler ; it
owes its more popular name to the ‘‘whimbrel,” which its note is also said to resemble. The
female is larger than themale. The nest is a mere hollow in the ground, generally near the
sea, lined with a few heather twigs and grass blades, and containing four pyriform eggs.
The Curlew—Dimensigns, Ra; Eggs, Qo—is to be found on the coast all the year round.
Its bill is very long but itstongue is rather short. It isa very wary bird, with a stately walk
and a swift flapping flight, ending in a long glide as it settles. Its cry is the wild scream of
“cur-lew.” The female is larger than the male and her bill is longer in proportion ; in winter
she also resembles the male in being nearly white below. The nest is a hollow in the ground
on a heath or moor near the sea. It is lined with a few twigs and leaves, and contains four
eggs which are not pyriform.
Nyctala. Plate xiii. STRIGIDA.
167, tengmalmi, gin. TENGMALM'S OWL. Brown above, lightly spotted
with white ; greyish white below, barred with
brown ; feet with long white feathers.
Tengmalm’s Owl—Dimensions, Id ; Eggs, I1—has its home in the far north, and has now
and then straggled here in a very cold winter, either on its way to the south or on its return
to the north. ‘This owl isremarkable for having one ear larger than the other, not only
externally but internally.
Nyctea, Plate xiii. STRIGIDA.
165. scandiaca, 24in. SNowy OWL. Plumage white, barred with blackish
brown ; disk incomplete ; 29 remiges, third primary
longest, first equal to the fifth, and second equal to
the fourth ; feet feathered.
The Snowy Owl—Dimensions, Rf; Eggs, PL—occasionally appears in this country when
an unusually.severe winter drives it from its home within the Arctic Circle. It flies more
swiftly and less buoyantly than any other owl; and it does not hoot, but cries ‘‘ krau-aw !”
Nycticorax. Plate xvii. ARDEIDA.,
209. griseus, 24in. NiGHT HERON. Crown black; plumes white;
bill black ; six powder down tracts; wings and
tail grey.
The Night Heron—Dimensions, Qr; Eggs, Mc—was first noticed in this country in 1782,
and has been recorded about once every two years since then. It is quite a globe-trotter, and
has been reported from all quarters, except Australia, where it ». represented by a brighter-
coloured species. It has a noiseless flight, and a noisy cry, described as ‘‘a mournful
qua-a,”’ otherwise ‘‘ cow-ow,”
THE SPECIES. Ill
Oceanites. Plate xxxiii. PROCELLARIHDA.
398. oceanicus, 7$in. WHILSON’S PETREL. Black, with a white bar on
upper base of tail, and white spots on the flanks ;
tail square ; legs long.
, Wilson’s Petrel—Dimensions, Gl; Eggs, Hq—has been occasionally noted among our
visitors since 1238. It is recognisable at once by its long legs. In flight it seems invariably
to cross the waves at right angles, leaping from one to the other in the Petrel way, Petrel
being Peterel, or Little Peter, from the Apostle who tried to walk on water. Its eggs have
been found on Kerguelen Island.
Cdemia. Plate xxii. ANATIDA.,
256. nigra, 2zoin. SCOTER. All black ; remiges 26; tail of 16
feathers,
258. gerspicillata, 21 in. SURF SCOTER. All black, except patches of white
on forehead and nape.
257. fusca, 22in. VELVET SCOTER. All black, except a white patch
on wing.
The Scoter—Dimensions, Pf; Eggs, Qk—is our common black Sea Duck, so plentiful in
the winter. Its black and yellow bill, with the knob at the base, at once distinguishes it. It
dives well, and flies rapidly. The note of the male is ‘‘tu, tu, tu”; to which the female
replies with a louder, grating ‘‘kre-kr-kre.” The nest is a mere hollow on the shore, hidden
among the bushes, lined with dead grass and leaves, and much down; the down in colour is
like the Wild Duck’s, but the quantity is far greater. There are from six to nine eggs.
The Surf Scoter—Dimensions, Pm; Eggs, Qc—is a North American, occasionally wander-
ing over here. It is the “ Coot’’ of the American magazines, having received the name from
the white patch on the forehead, which is a very different sort of thing from that of the shield
of Fulica.
The Velvet Scoter—Dimensions, Ps; Eggs, Rr—is one of our doubtful residents. It is
never very numerous, but appears every winter, mostly along the east coast. Its diving
propexsities have led to its being taken, in fishing nets, under water. It is occasionally seen
inland. It flies rapidly, and is the boldest of the Scoters. The nest is a mere hollow, lined
with leaves, and a large quantity of down, browner than that of the Black Scoter, darker ip
the centre, and larger in size. The eggs are from 8 to 10 in number.
Cdicnemus. Plate xxv. CDICNEMID A.
290. scolopax, isin, STONE CURLEW. Greyish brown above ; whitish
below ; eye very large; bill half yellow half black ;
remiges 29; breast boldly streaked; dark band
across wing, with pale narrow band inside it,
between the lesser and greater coverts, the latter of
which are tipped with white; central feathers of
tail more than one inch longer than the outer ones ;
tarsus reticulate.
The Stone Curlew—Dimensions, Mn: Eggs, Oa—is often called the Thicknee, which may
have its advantages as suggestive of the Gthickneemida, but is otherwise misleading, as it
is not the bird’s knee which is thick, but its ankle. It is also known as the Norfolk Plover.
It is a resident, whose numbers are increased by migrants in the summer. The Stone
Curlew always runs for a few yards before taking to flight, and as it flies the markings on its
secondaries are conspicuous. It has a loud plaintive cry. The nest isa mere hollow among
shingle, and the eggs, like all those laid on a beach, are found by looking for two stones
alike,
Oriolus. Plate v. ORIOLIN 4 (Passeridee).
72. galbula, gin, GOLDEN ORIOLE. All yellow except wings, which
are black with a yellow bar, and the central tail
feathers ; black spot between bill and eye; remiges
20; first primary half the length of the second.
The Golden Oriole—Dimensions, Ib; Eggs, Hc—is too conspicuous a bird to be left in
peace, although it still breeds in Cornwall every year, and is frequently reported from the
eastern counties, It does not walk, but is one of our largest birds that hop, and it is noticeable
that its folded wings reach to within an inch of the end of its tail. Its flight is easy and
undulatory. Its call is “ Ah! How d’ye do?”’ and its alarm is a ‘khrr.’”” The female is
greener than the male, and her tail is brown, with a narrow yellow tip. The nest isa
suspended one, hanging from two forking branches, and formed of interwoven bark strips and
sedge leaves lined with grass flowers. There are four or five eggs.
112 THE SPECIES,
Otis. Plate xxv. OTIDID.
288, tetrax, 16in. LitTLE BusTARD. No crest; chest striped with
white and black bands.
289. macgueent, 29in. MACQUEEN’S BUSTARD. Head with a crest;
chest pale grey.
287. tarda, 36 in. GREAT BusTARD. No crest; chest chestnut and
grey.
The Little Bustard—Dimensions, Ne; Eggs, Oo—is an occasional straggler, generally
appearing in the winter months. The female nee black blotches on the back.
A Macqueen’s Bustard—Dimensions, Sf; Eggs, Qi—was shot in Lincolnshire, in 1847, the
first and last appearance of what is really an Indian species.
The Great Bustard—Dimensions, Tc ; Eggs, Rs—was once a resident, but is now one >f
the rarest of stragglers.
Otocorys. Plate x. ALAUDINZ: (Passeride).
137. alpestris, zin. SHore LARK. Erectile black crest on each side of
head ; a black band across upper breast.
The Shore Lark—Dimensions, Fk ; Eggs, Fr—was first recorded in 1830, and occasionally
appears during the winter months on the east coast.
Pagophila. Plate xxxi. LARIDA.
368. eburnea, yin. Ivory GuLu. All white; bill greenish yellow ;
legs black.
The Ivory Gull—Dimensions, Ns ; Eggs, Pa—appears on the north coasts when severe
winters have driven it south from Spitzbergen and thereabouts.
Pandion. Plate xvi. FALCONIDA.
198. Aaliaétus, 23 in. OsprREY. Purplish brown above;" white below;
crown and nape white, streaked with brown ; legs
and feet blue, reticulate, and prickly below.
The O-prey—Dimensions, Qn ; Eggs, Pr—still breeds here, but to nothing like the extent
it used to do, and it is best known as an autumnal visitor. There is only one species in the
world of this bird. Its contour feathers have no aftershaft and are small and short, and
hence its legs have no breeches, It flies with its legs out straight, and its flight is a hovering
and gliding one with little wing work. Its wings look very long as they are stretched out
apparently motionless. The Osprey feeds on fish, and catches it with a sudden swoop,
bearing it away in its claws. The call is “kai, kai, kai; ”* the alarm a scream. The female
is browner on the breast than the male, and larger. The nest is a big one of twigs and turf,
lined with moss, and situate on a tree- top or some lofty ledge. There are from two to four
nee The Osprey i is often placed between the Owls and birds of prey in the sub-orde
andiones.
Panurus. Plate iv. PANURIN< (Passeridz).
49. Starmicus, 6in. BEARDED TiT. Crown grey; long black mous-
tache; back orange tawny; tail fawn coloured
and over three inches long.
The Bearded Tit—Dimensions, De; Eggs, Br—is resident but rare. It has a varied
undulating flight, with many glides: ,and pauses. Its note is “ping, ping,”’ its call is
‘chirrrr,” and its alarm ‘‘ hear, hear.’ The female has no black feathers on her neck or in
her under tail coverts. The male’s beak is orange; the female’s is yellow. The nest is
always near water, but is never hung from reeds. It consists of dry leaves of reed and grass,
and is lined with reed flowers. There are from four to seven eggs.
Parus. Plate iv. PARIN 4 (Passeride).
53. ater, 4} in. CONTINENTAL CoAL Tit. Nape with white patch ;
z back greyish blue ; two white bars on wing.
54. britannicus, 4}in. BriTIsH CoAL Tit. Nape with white patch ; back
olive brown ; two white bars on wing.
57. eristatus, 44 in. CRESTED Tit. Black and white crest.
56. ceruleus, 43 in. Biue Tit. Crown light blue edged with white.
55. palustris, 4}in. MARsH Tir. Nape greyish black without a white
patch ; back greyish brown ; no bars on wings.
52. major, 6 in. Great Tir. Black apron from chin to vent.
THE SPECIES. 113
Ihe Continental Coal Tit--Dimensions, Ae; Eggs, Bc—is said to be born abroad, and
only to come here on migration.
The British Coal Tit—Dimensions, Af; Eg; gs, Be—is resident here and seemingly
increasing. Tt has a short fluttering flight. The note is a shrill ‘‘ ping, ping,” or ‘“ che, chee.”
The female is duller than the male in colour. The nest is in a hole either in a stump, or the
ground, or a wall, and is loosely made of dry grass, feathers, moss, hair, and wool ; the eggs
are from five to nine in number.
The Crested Tit—Dimensions, Ag ; Eggs, Aq—is resident among the Scottish pine forests.
it has the usual fluttering fli ht of the tits. Its note is “ ptur-re-re-ree,”” with a call of
‘si-si-si.” The female has a shorter crest than the male, and is not so black on the throat.
The nest is in a hole, and is a felted mass of grass, moss, wool, fur, and feathers. Sometimes
a deserted Crow's nest is adapted. There are from four to seven eggs.
The Blue Tit—Dimensions, Ai; Eggs, Az—is the commonest of the family. It has not
only a blue crown, but blue wing coverts. ‘he flight i isa fluttering uncertain one, with rapid
flappings and sudden undulations. The note_ is “chee, chee, chicka, chee,” with an
occasional “* chirr-r,” and a call of “ si, si, si.” The female is not so bright in plumage : as the
male. The nest is generally in a hole, but it does not seem to matter where the hole is. It
is rather loosely built of moss, grass, wool, hair, and feathers; and it contains from 5 to
12 eggs.
The Marsh Tit—Dimensions, Aj; ; Eggs, Aj—is resident, but rather uncommon. It has a
short, fluttering flight ; its call is ‘‘ ti, ti, ti,” and its note is “‘sis, sis, sis, would ye, would
ye.” The female is indistinguishable from the male. The nest isina hole, which the bird
has been seen to make in some decayed stump, though rat holes are sometimes adapted to
suit the purpose. ‘lhe nest is a felted mass of moss, wool, fur, and willow down; and
contains from five to eight eggs.
The Great Tit—Dimensions, Bm ; Eggs, Bk—is one of our commoner birds. It is often
called the Oxeye, and its note has, been described as resembling '‘oxeye, oxeye, oxeye,
oxeye, twink, twink ! pe which Same ‘ ‘ oxeye” has also been compared to the sharpening of a
saw. The call is “teeta tee.”? The flight is a short, irregular flutter. The female is not so
bright in plumage as the male. The nest is in holes and elsewhere, and is a felted mass of
grass, moss, hair, feathers, and wool, containing from 5 to 11 eggs.
Passer. Plate vii. FRINGILLING (Passeridz).
94. montanus, Sin. TREE Sparrow. Crown chocolate ; ear. coverts
whitish with a black patch behind them.
93. domesticus, 6in. House SpARRow. Crown grey, bordered with
chestnut ; ear coverts whitish with no black patch.
The Tree Sparrow—Dimensions, Ba ; Eggs, Ea—seems to be on the increase, though still
far less numerous than the House Sparrow. Its flight is easy and swift; its note is
“*see-you-eat,”’ and its call a “‘chirrup.” The female is like the male. The nest is domed
when it is not ina hole or under shelter, and it is often found in quarries and rocks. It is
built of straw, grass, and wool, lined with hair and feathers, and contains from four to six
eggs.
The House Sparrow—Dimensions, Df; Eggs, Ey—is said to be the friend of man, probably
from his making as much use of him as ‘possible. He is never seen to walk beyond one or
two steps, but hops and jumps, as do all the finches; and he is said to cock his tail in wet
weather and droop it in dry. His is a rapid and direct flight as a rule, though he often
undulates and flutters. He has a twittering note; a call of ‘ Philip, Philip, getup!” anda
chirpy alarm. The female wants the grey crown and black on the throat. ‘The nest is domed
when in a tree, but is oftener built under cover on some outside part of a house. It is an
untidy collection of straw, grass, wool, hair, string, rags, paper, and sundries, lined with
feathers, and containing from five to seven eggs.
Pastor. Plate ix. STURNIN4 (Passeridz).
I2l. roseus, 8h in. ROSR-COLOURED STARLING. Crest, head, and
neck violet black ; back and breast rose-coloured ;
wings and tail black ; bill red ; legs brown.
The Rose-coloured Starling—Dimensions, Hk ; Eggs, Gr—was first recognised at Norwood
in 1742, and has since been a somewhat frequent spring visitor.
Perdix. Plate xxiv. PHASIANIDA.
275. cinerea, rz2kin. PARTRIDGE. Tail of 16 feathers ; legs blue.
274. rufa, 134 in. RED-LEGGED PARTRIDGE. Tail of 14 feathers;
legs red.
The Partridge—Dimensions, Kj; Eggs, Ir—is almost as familiar as the barn-door fowl,
which is not however recognised as a British Bird. The male has a horse-shoe mark on the
114 THE SPECIES.
breast, which is absent in the female. The flight begins with a noisy whirr which soon
changes into a glide with the hollow wings spread out, to be whirred again when needful ;
the bird rarely flying far, and always ‘gliding to the ground. The note is a *‘kir-rik, kir-
rik,” The nest is on the ground, and isa mere scratching together of weeds and leaves,
containing from 10 to 20 eggs.
The Red-legged Partridge—Dimensions, Lh ; Eggs, Ka—was acclimatised in this country
in 1770, and is now quite as common in the Eastern Gounties as the Grey Partridge, from
which it differs in its habit of perching in trees which the other never does. The male has
rudimentary spurs on his legs; the female’s legs are smooth. The flight is much like the
other Partridge’s but lighter and not so noisy. The call has been syllabised as “ cock-a-
leekie”’ ; but this would seem to be more appropriate in another of the Phasianide. The
nest is generally on the ground ; but sometimes on a straw stack. It is merely a scratching,
and contains from 10 to 18 eggs.
Pernis. Plate xvi. FALCONIDA.
188. apivorus, 24in. Honey Buzzarp. Head grey; lores feathered ;
upper parts brown; lower parts brown or white,
blotched and barred with brown; tail with three
black bars ; tarsus finely reticulate all round.
The Honey Buzzard—Dimensions, Re; Eggs, Ny—is a doubtful resident and not a very
common summer visitor. The flight is not unlike a buzzard’s, but the bird’s longer tail, more
pointed wings and smaller head make it easily recognisable. Its cry is ‘‘ kee, kee, kee.”
The female has no grey on the head. The nest is like a peregrine’s, but it is lined with
fresh green beech leaves, which are renewed as they dry. ‘There are from two to four
eggs.
Phalacrocorax, Plate xvii. PELECANIDE,
200. graculus, 27in. SHAG. No white in the plumage; 12 feathers in
tail.
199. caréo, 36 in. CORMORANT. White patch on thigh ; 14 feathers
in tail.
The Shag—Dimensions, Rt; Eggs, Ps—is very greenish in plumage, and in spring has a
crest which curls forwards. ‘The flight is very speedy and regular. The Shag swims low in the
water and dives magnificently, swimming under the surface for long distances with both
wings and feet, and so deep does it go that it has been caught in a crabpot one hundred and
twenty feet down. The nest is generally in a cave, and is an odoriferous mass of seaweed,
grass, and heather, containing from three to five eggs.
The Cormorant—Dimensions, St; Eggs, Qs—is almost as good a diver and a better flyer,
gliding straight along after a few short powerful flaps, with his wings at full stretch, his
neck straight out, and his legs close under his tail. In spring he has a few hair-like feathers
on his head, which disappear after the breeding season. These head feathers form a crest,
and the female’s crest is the eer In the winter there is more white in the plumage round the
throat. The cry isacroak. The nest is on the ledge of a cliff, and is a large mass of sticks
and seaweed lined with leaves, which can generally be smelt from afar. It contains from two
to five eggs. It is said that the Cormorant can swim at different draughts, but as a rule he
swims very low, with the water awash across his shoulders,
Phalaropus. Plate xxvii. SCOLOPA CIDE.
‘306. Ayperboreus, 7 in. RED-NECKED PHALAROPE. Bill thin and tapering,
and black throughout.
307. fulicarius, 8 in. GREY PHALAROPE. Bill flat and broad, and
yellow, tipped with black ; middle tail feathers more
than half an inch longer than the outer ones.
‘The Red-Necked Phalarope—Dimensions, Fh; Eggs, Gq—is best known as a migrant
from and to its northern home, but it is resident inthe Western Isles. Its name is in allusion
to its lobate feet, the phalara meaning fringed, and the pous, a foot. It can both fly and
swim. Its note is ‘‘wick.”’ The female is larger than the male and brighter in colour. The
nest is in a tuft in a Svan and is made of cry grass, and contains four eggs. In winter
these birds have white foreheads, and are much whiter below.
The Grey Phalarope—Dimensions, Gt ; Eggs, Hr—occasionally visits us in flocks,
apparently strayed down from the Arctic Circle.
THE SPECIES, 11S
Phasianus. Plate xxiv. PHASIANIDE,
273. colchicus, 34 im. PHEASANT. Remiges 26; tail long and wedge-
shaped, and of 18 feathers.
The Pheasant—Dimensions, So; Eggs, Mp—was acclimatised from the Phasis, whence
also the colchicus, a long time ago, and seems always to have been “‘ preserved” in this
country. This is the kind without a white neck-ring. The one with the white ring,
P. torquatus, was acclimatised from China, alsoa long time ago, but is not yet considered to be
British. The pheasant never flies if it can help it. It runs along with its tail horizontal, and
it flies with its tail spread ; a heavy, rapid, whirring flight taken in short stages as a rule, but
occasionally settled down into and prolonged for miles, The female is smaller than the male
and much duller in plumage, and she has a shorter tail ; but pure bred specimens of the real
P. colchicus are very rare, The nest is a mere scratching, and hardly that, amid grass and
weeds ; and the,eggs are from 8 to 13 in number.
Pheenicopterus, Plate xviii. PHGNICOPTERIDA.
216. roseus, 60 in. FLAMINGO. Plumage rosy-white, with scarlet wing
coverts and black primaries.
The Flamingo—Dimensions, Tn; Eggs, Su—is not quite the sort of bird:one would expect
to see in the British List, but as some one once happened to shoot one on British ground, its
inclusion was inevitable under the prevailing rule. At the same time it is only fair to note
that a few flamingoes are stated to have been seen in this country outside the Zoologica!
Gardens, and that flocks of them yearly come north and visit Southern and Central France.
Phylloscopus. Plate iii. TURDINAZ: (Passeridze).
32. superciliosus, 4in. YELLOW-BROWED WARBLER, Six outer primaries
notched ; plumage ‘yellowish green; distinct eye
stripe; two yellow bars on wing ; legs brown.
"33. rufus, 4g in. CHIFFCHAFF. Six outer primaries notched;
plumage olive green; faint greyish white eye
stripe ; legs nearly black.
34. ¢rochilus, 5 in. WILLOW WReEN. Five outer primaries notched;
first primary over half an inch in length ; plumage
olive green; faint greenish eye stripe ; legs light
brown.
35. sibélatrix, 5tin. Wood WRrReEN. Four outer primaries notched ; first
primary under half an inch in length; plumage
yellowish green; bright yellow eye stripe; legs
brown.
ee Yellow-browed Warbler--Dimensions, Ad; Eggs, Ac—is a rare straggler from
iberia,
The Chiffchaff—Dimensions, Ao; Eggs, Ap—is one of the earliest of our summe>
migrants, and comes in the middle of March. Its wings when closed cover hardly a quartea
of its tail, and its second primary is equal to the seventh and halfway in length between
the sixth and ninth. It has an undulatory flight, with the wings flapping rapidly. The song
from which it derives its name ‘‘ Chiffchaff,” is usually delivered from near the top of some
good sized tree; it has been also syllabised as ‘‘till-tell-true, jink-junk.” The nest is
zenerally within a foot of the ground—a complete oval with the hole near the top—made of
grass, leaves, and moss, and lined with feathers. It contains from five to seven eggs.
The Willow. Wren—Dimensions, At; Eggs, AH—is the commonest of the warblers, and is
with us from Aprilto September. Its wings when closed cover less than half its tail, and its
third and fourth primaries are the longest. It hops like a robin, and has a short, rapid,
dipping flight. Its song isa descending scale of “ twiu, twit, twiu, tiu, tiu, tiu, tiu, twee,
twee, twee, twee, twee, twai, twai,” with an alarm of ‘‘na, na, nayna,” and a call of ‘‘ whit.”
Its nest is on or near the ground, a flattened sphere, with the rim sloped at half a right angle,
of dead grass and moss, dry leaves, roots, horsehair, and feathers, particularly feathers, con-
taining from five to eight eggs.
The Wood Wren—Dimensions, Bj ; Eggs, AT—arrives a little after the Willow Wren. Its
wings when closed cover three-quarters of the tail; the second primary is the same length
as the fourth, and the third and fourth primaries are sloped off. It is generally found in
beech woods, and its flight is swift, dipping, and gliding, with a spiral descent asit settles. The
call is ‘‘ dear, dear, dear,’ and its song is a rippling ‘‘ chit, chit, cherry-tr-tirrereetirreree,”
with a rapid jarring trill and much vibration of the wings and tail. The nest is near the
round, semi-domed like that of its congeners, but it has no feathers in its lining. It contains
rom five to seven eggs.
116 THE SPECIES.
Pica. Plate ix. CORVINA: (Passeridz).
126. rustica, 18 in. Macpre. Head and back greenish black; rump
greyish white; tail greenish and large; scapulars
white ; lower breast white ; first primary sinuated.
The Magpie—Dimensions. Oc ; Eggs, Ij—is distinguishable by its long iridescent green
tail alone, which it invariably raises as it alights. _Its flight is graceful and easy, but some-
what slow. Its cry is a noisy chatter. The female is the smaller bird and is not so iridescent
in the plumage. The nest is nearly a sphere, built generally of blackthorn twigs cemented
with mud, and lined with rootlets and grass, the entrance to which is a circular hole. ‘There
are from six to nine eggs.
Picus. Plate xi. PICIDA.
145. minor, 5gin. LEsseER SPOTTED WOODPECKER. Crown red ;
back white and black ; under tail coverts with no
red in them,
147. pubescens, 6} in. Downy WooppeckeErR. Crown black; nape red ;
back black, with a white central stripe ; legs blue.
146. villosus, 8fin. Hatry WooppEcKER. Crown black ; back black
with a white central stripe ; no red on under tail
coverts ; legs brown.
144. mayor, g} in. GREAT SPOTTED WOODPECKER. Crown black ¢
back black ; under tail coverts red.
148. martius, 18 in, GREAT BLACK WoovPECKER. Crown red ; back
black.
The Lesser Spotted Woodpecker—Dimensions, Dc; Eggs, Ck—is the commonest Wood-
pecker in the Thames Valley. Like all the Woodpeckers it has a peculiar nick in its tail
feathers. It is a restless bird, with a short flicht from tree to tree as it picks and taps up one,
sometimes head downwards, and then flies off to the next. Thenoteis ‘‘keek.” The female
has no red about her head. The nest is in a hole so small that a larger bird cannot enter,
and which is often a foot deep. and contains only a few chips and the eggs, which number
from five to nine.
The Downy Woodpecker—Dimensions, Er ; Eggs, Fr—is astraggler from North America
that once had a representative shot in Dorsetshire.
The Hairy Woodpecker—Dimensions, Hn; Eggs, Fs—has on'y appeared twice in this
country.
The Great Spotted Woodpecker—Dimensions, li; Eggs, Fr—is a resident, whose numbers
are swollen by migration. It works upa tree in spirals, picks and taps at it rapidiy, and
then flies off to begin at another in the same way. Its call is a “‘ chick, chink.’’ The female
has no red on her head, but the young of both sexes are red in the crown foratime. The
nest is ina hole inatree. There are from five to eight eggs.
The Great Black Woodpecker—Dimensions, Ok ; Eggs, Iz—seems to have been inserted
in the List out of respect for tradition.
Platalea. Plate xviii. PLATALEIDA.
214. Jeucorodia, 34in. SPOONBILL. Pale yellow crest; plumage white,
tinted with yellow and pale orange; 30 remiges ;
second primary longest.
The Spoonbill—Dimensions, Sp; Eggs, Qp —wasat one time aresident, but is now only an
occasional summer visitor. Its flight is slow and regular, with the wings spread to their
utmost. Asa call it clicks its bill. Its nest is on a grassy tussock, or in a tree, and consists
of a few sticks and dead leaves, with a lining of grass. It contains four or five eggs.
Plectrophanes. Plate viii. EMBERIZINZ (Passeridz),.
118. xzvalis, z7in. SNow BunTING. Black, brown, and white above ;
whitish below; four central tail feathers black,
two nearly black; the others white tipped with
black.
The Snow Bunting—Dimensions, I'm; Eggs, Fc—is often called the Snowflake. It runs
like a lark and flies like a butterfly, and crows and sings on the wing. ‘Lhe call is *‘ tsee”
The female is brown where the male is black. In winter the black in both sexes is brownish.
The nest has been found in the Scottish Highlands, and it has been found in Grinne!l Land,
in lat. 82° 33 at Midsummer. It is generally placed among stones, and consists of dry
grass, moss, rootlets, and twigs, lined with hair, down, or feathers, and containing from four
to eight eggs:
THE SPECIES, 117
Podiceps, Plate xxxiii. PODICIFEDIDA.
388. Auviatilis, gin. LitTLE GREBE. Bill decurved.
387. migricollis, 12in. EARED GREBE. Bill curved upwards,
386. auritus, 13 in. SCLAVONIAN GREBE. Bill straight.
385. greiseigena, 16in. RED-NECKEDGREBE, No white eye stripe.
384. cristatus, 22in. GREAT CRESTED GREBE. White eye stripe.
The Little Grebe—Dimensions, Hp ; Eggs, [s—otherwise the Dabchick, is our bird with
the smallest tail. It has a black chin'in summer and a white chin in winter. The nest is a
floating one moored toa reed, and made of rotting water plants. It contains from four to
six eggs.
The Eared Grebe—Dimensions, Kb ; Eggs, Mc—has the four inner primaries all white.
It is an occasional winter visitor, not yet proved to breed here.
The Sclavonian Grebe—Dimensions, Kl; Eggs, Lo—is also known as the Horned Grebe.
It is a winter visitor.
The Red-necked Grebe—Dimensions, Mt ; Eggs, MN—is another winter visitor.
The Great Crested Grebe—Dimensions, Pr; Eggs, O1—is a resident. It flies with its
neck oat and its legs out extending beyond the rudimentary tail, and flaps rapidly with its short
wings. Its call is ‘* kewawk.”” ‘The female has a smaller crest and tippet than the male, and
as with him, these almost disappear in the winter. Its nest is usually afloat, and consists of
a wet mass of decaying vegetation, containing three or four eggs.
Pratincola. Plate ii. TURDIN4Z: (Passeridz).
15. vrudetra, 5 in. WHINCHAT. Throat light reddish brown.
16. rudicola, 5tin. StToNecHAT. Throat black.
The Whinchat—Dimensions, Bb; Eggs Bo—is a summer migrant, arriving in April and
departing in October. Its three outer tail feathers have white bases. It roosts on the
ground, but is generally seen on the top of a bush, from which it dips off in a short flight to
another bush. Its note is ‘‘oo-tac, oo-tac, tac, tac, tac,’’ and it sings on the wing. The
female is heavier than the male, paler in plumage, and with a much smaller wing bar. The
nest is on or near the ground, well hidden and approached by a mazy run, and built of straws,
moss, and grass, with a lining of fine grass. It contains from four to six eggs.
The Stonechat—Dimensions, Bi; Eggs Cu—is a resident. The outer web of his tail
feathers has a buff edging, and he has a white stripe round the nape of his neck. He hasa
darting flight from bush to bush. His song is a ‘‘ wheet, chook, chook,”’ and his callis a
sharp “‘chack.’’ ‘Lhe female is a browner and plainer bird, with her upper tail coverts
reddish brown, The nest is generally at the bottom of a bush, and rather large for the size of
the bird, often very neatly built of moss and dry grass, lined with hair and a little wool and
feathers. There are from four to seven eggs.
Procellaria. Plate xxxiii. PROCELLARHUD A,
397- pelagica, Szin, STORMY PeTREL. Black, with a broad white ring
round the base of the tail; retmiges 22, second
primary longest, first equal to fourth ; tail slightly
rounded.
396. leucorrhoa, 7 in. FORK-TAILED PETREL. Black, with a white bar
on upper base of tail ; tail much forked.
The Stormy Petrel—Dimensions, Cn; Eggs GN—is the smallest web-footed bird. In its
flight it follows the curves of the waves and pats them as it feeds. Its call is ‘‘ kekerek-ee.’’
Its nest is in a hole in a cliff or wall, and consists of a few blades of grass or plant stalks. It
contains but one egg.
The Fork-tailed Petrel—Dimensions, Fo; Eggs Is—is a straggler, breeding no nearer
than St. Kilda, Its call is “‘ peer wit.’’ Its nest is in a burrow, and it is made of a few blades
of grass and a scrap of moss, and contains but one egg.
Puffinus, Plate xxxiii. PROCELLARIIDA.
304. obscurus, 11in, Dusky SHEARWATER. All white below; remiges
30; first primary longest.
393. anglorum, 14in. MANX SHEARWATER, Breast white; lower breast
grey.
392. griseus, 18in. Soory SHEARWATER. All brown below.
39L major, igin. GREAT SHEARWATER. White below, but thighs
and lower breast tinged with brown; hind wwe
modified into, or replaced by, a sort of spur.
ho
118 THE SPECIES.
The Dusky Shearwater—Dimensions, Jo; Eggs, Oy—has strayed here twice from -tts
tropical home.
The Manx Shearwater—Dimensions, Ma; Eggs, Po—is the commonest of the foar and is
here all the year round, generally in single files, gliding close to the surface of the waves and
following their curves. The call is ‘kitty-coo-roo,” or the “kitty carew,’’ from which it
gets its Cornish name. The nest is a little grass at the end of a hole or burrow, and it
contains a solitary egg. ‘
The Sooty Shearwater—Dimensions, Ol; Eggs, Qu—has only of late been recognised as
a distinct species, it having been taken to be the young of the Great Shearwater. It is a
South Atlantic species, only occasionally straggling into our latitudes.
The Great Shearwater—Dimensions, Pa ; Eggs, Re—has been occasionally noticed here in
the Autumn. There is a good deal of doubt as to its nesting places, and the eggs usually
ascribed to it are said to really belong to another species. It ‘* shears the water’? as it
alights and dives. In flight it keeps its wings bent and glides along without much flapping,
rolling from side to side and just skimming the waves.
Pyrrhocorax, Plate ix. COR VIN 42 (Passeridz).
123, alpinus, isin. ALPINE CHouGH. Plumage black ; bill yellow,
short, and straight ; legs yellow.
122, graculus, 16in, CHouGH. Plumage black ; bill orange, long, and
curved ; legs orange.
An Alpine Chough—Dimensions, Ml; Eggs, JR—was once shot near Banbury, having
probably escaped from confinement. This is the only record.
The Chough—Dimensions, Ni; Eggs, Ku—is rare, but resident, and is only found ona
rocky coast. In flight it yaws like a Jackdaw, and is very laboured and irregular in its
rogress, Its call is ‘‘ cling,” or the ‘‘ chcugh-chough,”’ from which it is named, or a peculiar
‘khew, khew.’” The female is smaller than the male. The nest is a hole in the rock. It
is built of sticks and lined with grass roots, and a good deal of wool andshair. It contains
from three to six eggs.
Pyrrhula. Pilate viii. FRINGILLINZE (Passeridze).
103. erythrina, skin. SCARLET GROSBEAK. Crown red; rump red; ‘
breast rose pink ; legs reddish brown ; bill yellowish.
102, europed, 6 in. BULLFINCH. Crown black; rump white; breast
brick red ; legs dark brown ; bill black.
104. enucleator, 84in. PINE GROSBEAK. Crown red; rump red; breast
vermilion; legs blackish brown; bill dark brown.
The Scarlet Grosbeak—Dimensions, Ci; Eggs, Dc—has been found twice in this country,
once in 1869 and once in 1870,
The Bullfinch—Dimensions, Di; Eggs, Ds—is a resident. His wings are longer than his
tail, and his nostrils are hidden by the plumelets. He has a jerky dipping flight; and his
native song is not a loud one although he is taught to pipe. Hiscall is “do you? do you?”
with the accent on the ‘‘ you.” ‘The female is brown where the male isred. Thenest isa
flat one of slender twigs with a cup of rootlets and perhaps wool or feathers. It contains
from four to six eggs.
é ‘Ths a Grosbeak—Dimensions, Ha; Eggs, Fg—visits us so rarely that his visits are
oubted,
Querquedula, Plate xxi. ANATIDA,
239. crecca, 1zin. Teal, Wing bar black, purple, and green, with
white at one edge ; tail of 16 feathers,
240. discors, 14in. AMERICAN BLUE-WINGED TEAL. White crescent
in front of eye.
241. circia, Is in. GARGANEY. Wing bar green, with white at both
edges ; tail of 14 feathers,
The Teal—Dimensions, Ln; Eggs, Lr—is our smallest duck. His numbers are much
augmented in the winter by migrants. His flight is lighter than that of most ducks, and
when in company his column of march is angular. His cry is a sharp croak or ** knake.”
The female has only a trace of purple in the wing bar, and her upper feathers are edged
with grey. The nest is generally in a swamp, and is made of dead rushes and reeds, lined
with feathers and brown down, which is small and has no white tips. ‘There are from 8 to
12 eggs.
THE SPECIES. 119
The American Blue-Winged Teal—Dimensions, Lm; Eggs Ko—paid us one visit, as did
also the Green-Winged Teal, of which no further mention is necessary.
The Garganey—Dimensions, Mi; Eggs, Ma—is a spring visitor, resident only where
| alpa a He has a grey bill, while the Teal’s is black, and he has bluish wing coverts.
¢ swims high in the water, and flies high in the air and very rapidly. His call is like the
Teal’s, but the ‘‘crik,’’ which the Teal gives occasionally, is his usual cry, and hence he is
locally known as the Cricket Teal. The female has no gloss on the wing bar. The nest is
always on the ground and often away from water, and it is built of grass and leaves, and lined
with down having long white tips. It contains from 8 to 14 eggs.
Rallus. Plate xxiv. RALLIDZL,
282, aguaticus, 1of in. WATER RAIL. Spotted brown above; greyish
below ; axillaries black barred with white ; flanks
black with narrow white bars; bill reddish;
remiges 26,
The Water Rail—Dimensions, Jd; Eggs, Ir—is a bird of the marshes, never flying if it can
escape by running in and out through the reeds. Its flight is low and laboured, with the
legs hanging. It can swim and it can dive. Its call is “‘ kreek,’’ and in the breeding season
it “‘sharms,’’ The female is not so bright in colour as the male. The nest is always on the
ground, generally amid a clump of rushes or osiers, and it is built of reeds and flags, and
contains from 5 to 11 eggs.
Recurvirostra. Plate xxvii. SCOLOPACIDE.
304. avocetta, 18 in. AvoOcET. White and black above ; white below ; bill
black, long, pointed, and curved upwards ; remiges
30; legs grey.
The Avocet—Dimensions, Oe; Eggs, Na—was formerly one of our regular summer
migrants, but is now merely a straggler. He bobs his head as he swims ; and flies with his
head in, his beak down, his legs out, and his wings arched. His call is *‘ klint.”
Regulus. Plate iii. TURDINZ (Passeridze).
30. cristatus, 34 in. GOLD-CRESTED WREN. One black streak and
that over the eye.
31. ignicapillus, 3%in. FIRE-CRESTED WREN. Three black streaks, the
middle one through the eye, the lowest forming a
moustache.
The Gold-crested Wren—Dimensions, Aa; Eggs, Aa—is the smallest European bird. Its
flight is straight and fluttering when short, but dipping and steady when long. Its call is
“* zit, zit,”’ and its note ‘‘chip chirrrr, if-he, if-he,’’ somewhat weak and distant. The female
has the crest lemon yellow. The nest is hung froma horizontal branch of some coniferous
tree, and is almost a sphere of felted moss, cobweb, wool, and lichen lined with feathers. It
contains from six to ten eggs.
The Fire-crested Wren—Dimensions, Ac; Eggs, Ap—is practically the same size as the
Gold-crest, although our average is higher. It is merely an occasional visitor; the first
recorded specimen was killed by a cat at Cambridge, in 1832.
Rhodostethia. Plate xxxi. LARIDA.
355. rosea, 14in. WEDGE-TAILED GULL. Head and neck white
with a narrow black collar; back grey ; under parts
Tosy ; outer web of first primary black ; bill black ;
legs red.
The Wedge-tailed Gull—Dimensions, Me—once provided a specimen for the Leeds
Museum, but as it is the only specimen claimed as British, we can leave to others the un-
ravelling of the doubt as to whether it was mounted from a relaxed skin or from the flesh,
It is an Arctic species.
Rissa, Plate xxxi. LARIDA.
367. ¢ridactyla, 15in. KITTIWAKE. White and grey above; tail white;
first to fifth primaries tipped with black, sixth barred
with black ; white below ; bill yellow ; remiges 31;
legs brownish black.
The Kittiwake—Dimensions, Mp; Eggs, Op—so called from its call or ‘‘kittiwake,” is a
bird of the rocks found only on the coast. Itis the most graceful of the gulls in flight. Io
120 THE SPECIES
summer its head and neck are spotless white; in winter they are grey. The full grown
birds have yellowish bills, the young ones have black bills, and their tails have a black band,
The nests are in colonies on ledges of rock, aud consist of seaweed, grass, and feathers.
They contain from two to four eggs.
Ruticilla, Plate ii, TURDING: (Passeridz).
17. phenicurus, 54in. REDSTART. Forehead white; back dark grey;
rump chestnut ; throat black; breast chestnut red ;
legs black ; bill black,
18, titys, sin. BLACK REDSTART. Forehead black ; back dark
grey; rump chestnut ; throat black; breast black ;
legs black ; bill black.
The Redstart—Dimensions, Cg; Eggs, Bs—is one of the handsomest of our summer
migrants, and is regularly here from April to September. It is the Red-tail—Start being
Steort, the Old English for tail. Its tail is always on the jerk, for the bird is never still, and
even its flight is jerky and irregular. It sings on the wing and when perching, but the song
is not very elaborate. The call is ‘‘ wheet.”” The female is dull brown above, with a good
deal of white on the chest. The nest is found everywhere, and is built of grass, moss, and
roots, lined with hair, wool, and feathers, and contains from four to seven eggs.
The Black Redstart—Dimensions, Cs ; Eggs, Di—is a winter visitor. It is often called
the Blackstart, which it is not, for its tail isred. It is rather quicker and easier on the wing
than the Redstart. Its second primary is equal to its seventh, while the Redstart’s second
is equal to its sixth.
Saxicola. Plate ii. TURDINZ (Passeride),
13. stapazina, 5%in. BLACK-THROATED WHEATEAR. Throat black;
tail black and white.
iq. deserti, 6 in, DEseRT WHEATEAR, Throat black; tail black.
12. e@nanthe, 64in. WHEATEAR, Throat white; tail black and white.
A Black-throated Wheatear—Dimensions, Cj ; Eggs, D.—was shot here on one occasion
only. This was at Bury, in Lancashire, in 1875. Another Wheatear, S. isabellina, was once
found here at Allonby, in Cumberland, in 1887, but our list is quite long enough without it.
The Desert Wheatear—Dimensions, D1; Eggs, Br—has once or twice straggled here from
the Sahara, or else escaped from captivity.
The Wheatear—Dimensions, Ef; Eggs, Dk—is one of our earliest summer migrants, and
stays with us from March to October. Its bill is black and broad, and bristly at base ; and
its axillaries have a mottled look owing to the white feathers having grey centres. Its
under wing coverts are black and white. The flight is a low and dipping one; it generally
begins from a wall on which the bird will always perch ifit can, and it ends in a characteristic
hopping. The call is ‘‘ chack, chack””; the song, often given on the wing, is a monotonous
twitter. The female differs from the male in being brown above, and Facog a buff eye-
stripe. The nest is on the ground, or in a hole in a low wall, or undera stone ; it is a loose
collection of grass and moss, lined with fur, hair, wool, and feathers, and contains from four
to eight eggs.
Scolopax. Plate xxvii. SCOLOPACID.
308. rusticola, 14 in, Woopbcock. Breast thickly barred with brown;
26 remiges, 9 primaries, with webs obscurely barred ;
first primary longest; tail tipped with grey above
, and silver below.
The Woodcock—Dimensions, Lp; Eggs, Lp—is now claimed as aresident, whose numbers
are enormously augmented by the migrants arriving in October. The woodcock rises with a
whirr, and flies with bent wings, and his beak pointed down. The flight is a straight one
with an occasional yaw, and not particularly fast. The call has been syllabised as ‘‘ vessop.””
In the male the first primary is spotted, in the female it is plain. ‘The nest is a hollow in the
ground, lined with a few dead leaves. There are four eggs, which curiously enuugh are “not
pyriform, although Sco/ofa-x is the type of the Scolopacida.
Scops. Plate xiii, STRIGIDA,
168, giz, 74 in. Scops Ow. Facial disk obsolete above;
plumicorns small; bill black; no operculum,
plumage greyish brown above ; greyish white below;
22 remiges, fourth primary longest ; legs feathered ;
toes bare and brown.
The Scops Owl— Dimensions, Gk; Eggs, Hu—is our smallest owl, but is only an occasiona;
straggler amongst us. The call is the ‘‘giu”’ from which comes its name. The female is
redder than the male, and, of course, larger .
THE SPECIES. W2i
Serinus. Plate vii. FRING/ILLIN A, (Passeridz),
90. canarius, 44in. Witp CANARY. Feathers of back edged with grey,
and marked with olive green; wing coverts tippea
with olive green.
89. hortulanus, 4kin. SERIN. Fcathers of back edged with yellow; wing
coverts tipped with yellow.
The Wild Canary—Dimensions, Al; Eggs, Cu —has occasionally been reported as
appearing in smal] flocks on the Sussex Downs.
_ The Serin—Dimensions, Am ; Eggs, Ao—occasionally appears in the same locality. But
in each case there are doubts as to whether the birds are not ‘‘escapes”’; and, in fact, the
evidence in favour of the Canary is stronger than that in favour of the Serin.
Sitta. Plate iv. SITTIN ZE (Passeridz).
58. cesta, 54in. NuTHATCH. Bluish above, buffish below; black
streak through eye; remiges 19; first primary ‘
short ; third, fourth, and fifth longest; two middle
tail feathers slaty grey, each of the others black,
white, and grey ; legs pale brown.
The Nuthatch—Dimensions, Ch ; Eggs, Co—is a resident. Its peculiar toe enables it to
run down the tree trunks, as well as up them, and thereby it can be distinguished from the
Creepers and Woodpeckers. It sleeps head downwards ; and it perches across the twigs like
a Nightjar. Its call is “ whit, whit.’? The female is not so brightly coloured. The nest is
in a hole of a ro#en tree, which is plastered up all but a small opening just large enough to
poh the bird; it consists of a few dead leaves and chips of bark, and contains from five ta
eight eggs.
Somateria. Plate xxii. ANATIDA.
255. stelleri, 2zoin. STELLER’sS EIDER. Crown white.
254. spectabilis, 24in. KING ErpER. Crown grey, basal tubercle of beak
orange red.
253. mollissima, 25in. E1p—ER Duck. Crown black; central line of
feathers on beak reaching only half way to
nostrils ; remiges 26.
Steller’s Eider—Dimensions, Pd; Eggs, Pa—occasionally wanders here from the Arctic
Regions in the winter, It has a blue wing bar with white edges. ‘The female is ruddy
brown with a duller wing bar.
The King Eider—Dimensions, Qt; Eggs, Qr—is another winter straggler from the far
north, It has a narrow black chevron under the chin.
The Eider Duck—Dimensions, Rg; Eggs, Ss—is a regular winter visitor, and breeds
along the coast north of the Farnes, It hasan easy powerful flight. ‘The call is a rolling “kr,
kr, kr." The female is dark brown with white tips to some of the secondaries and the
greater wing coverts. ‘The nest is sometimes in a hole in the rocks, sometimes on the ground,
and is a mass of sea campion and grass lined with grey down. ‘l'here are from five to eight
eggs.
Spatula. Plate xxi. ANATIDA
237, clypeata, zoin. SHOVELLER Duck. Bill dark slate; wing bar
green ; tail of 14 feathers.
The Shoveller— Dimensions, Pg ; Eggs, No—is always found in pairs. The male has a
lack bill; the female's is greenish brown above. The male’s eyes are yellow, the female’s
are brown. The female has dark brown plumage, and this is assumed by the male in the
summer. The flight is rapid and rather laboured. The call is ‘‘ took, took.” The nest is on
the ground in grass or heather, and is made of dry grass lined with dark grey down, tipped
faintly with white. There are seven, eight, or nine eggs.
Squatarola. Plate xxvi, CHARADRIIDA:
296. helvetica, i1in. GREY PLOVER. White above barred with black and
brown ; black below; axillaries black ; tail coverts
white ; bill black ; tail barred ; legs black.
The Grey Plover—Dimensions, Jm; Eggs, Ns—calls here in July and August on its way
from its northern breeding haunts, and calls again in the spring on its way Back. though a
good many remain here during the winter, In winter the under parts are mostly white. The
female is browner on the back than the male.
122 THE SPECIES.
Btercorarius. Plate xxxii. LARIDZ.
371. crepidatus, 20in. RICHAkDSON’S SKUA. Two central tail feathers
three inches longer than the others.
370. pomatorhinus, 21 in, POMATORHINE SkuA, Two central tail feathers
four inches longer than the others, and twisted
upwards.
372. parasiticus, 22in. LONG-TAILED SkuUA. Two central tail feathers
nine inches longer than the others.
369. ctlarrhactes, 24in. GREAT SKUA. Two central tail feathers less than
an inch longer than the others.
Richardson's Skua—Dimensions, Pj ; Eggs, Pm—is the commonest of the four in this
eountry, He is also known as the Arctic Skua, owing, apparently, to a mistake. He breeds in
Caithness and the Orkneys, and comes south on migration. Like all the “ pirate gulls " he
has a somewhat hawk-like flight, and chases birds on the wing until they drop their food,
which he catches before it reaches the sea. He never dives and rarely settles on the water,
His cry is the ‘‘ skuaw,” from which he getshis name. The nest isa hollow, lined with grass
, and moss, and contains one, two, or three eggs.
The Pomatorhine Skua—Dimensions, Pp; Eggs, Pa—or as itis now more generally called
the Pomarine Skua, is a regular winter visitor.
The Long-tailed Skua—Dimensions, Qc; Eggs, Nr—is often known as Buffon’s, It is
an Arctic species, and its visits are somewhat rare.
The Great Skua—Dimensions, Rd; Eggs, Ru—breeds on the Shetlands. It is very
powerful on the wing, and is distinguishable by the white bases to its remiges, It has a loud
hoarse cry of *‘skuah-h-h” ; and its nest is a hole perhaps a foot in diameter, lined with moss
and heather, containing one ox two eggs.
Sterna. Plate xxx. LARIDA,
350. minuta, gin. LitTLe TERN. Crown black; forehead white;
tail white; bill yellow; legs orange ; remiges 26.
348. fluviatilis, 134 in. TERN. Crown black; head white; tail white and
grey ; bill red, black at tip; legs red; remiges 29.
352. anestheta, 14 in, LESSER SOOTY TERN. Crown black ; nape white;
two of the toes only webbed to the claw.
344. anylica, 144 in. GULL-BILLED TERN. Head black; tail grey ; bill
black ; legs black.
349. macrura, 15 in. ARCTIC TERN. Crown black; head grey; pri-
maries with narrow grey band on inner webs; remiges
29; tail white and grey; bill red; legs red and
short.
346. cantiaca, shin. SANDWICH TERN. Head black; tail white; bill
black with yellow tip ; legs black.
351. fuliginosa, 16 in. Sooty Tern. Crown black; nape black ; all three
toes webbed to the tips.
347. dougalli, 16hin. ROSEATE TERN. Rosy breast; bill black; legs
red.
345. casfia, zoin. CASPIAN TeRN. Head black ; tail white; bill
red ; legs black ; remiges 33.
The Little Tern—Dimensions, If; Eggs, Ht—arrives early in May, and stays till nearly,
the end of the year, when the black on its head becomes very dull. +f has a slow flight, low
over the water, Its call is “kiriree."’ The eggs are laid in a hollow scratched on the
shingly beach ; sometimes there are three of them, sometimes four.
_ The Tern—Dimensions, Ll; Eggs, Lu—is almost as often called the Sea Swallow, and
is one of our regular summer migrants. It has a slow skimming flight with occasional
hoverings. In winter its black crown is sprinkled with white, and its bill and legs are very
pale incolour. The eggs are laid in a hollow of the ground in twos and threes, and there
are usually a number of these ‘‘ nests’’ together.
The Lesser Sooty Tern—Dimensions, Lt; Eggs, Mu—has only been seen here twice
as yet. :
The Gull-billed Tern—Dimensions, Mg; Egg!
0 S Ma—is a rare visitor notwithstanding its
cosmopolitan range. It has a laughing cry of ‘ “e
Sy
ha, ha, ha,
THE SPECIES. 123
‘The Arctic Tern—Dimensions, Mo; Eggs, Ko—breeds on our northern coasts, and is
with us from Mey to October. Its cry is ‘give, give, give.” It lays two or three eggsina
hele among the shingle, which are recognisable by being alike and thereby differing from the
pebbles,
The Sandwich Tern—Dimensions, Ms; Eggs, Nn—was first described from a specimen
found at Sandwich, in Kent. It is a regular summer visitor. Its flight and nesting arrange-
ments are similar to those of the Arctic Tern. Its call is ‘‘correct.’’ Its tail is unusually
deep in the fork.
The Sooty Tern—Dimensions, Nj ; Eggs, No—has strayed over here across the Atlantic
two or three times.
The Roseate Tern —Dimensions, Nm ; Eggs, Lc—used to breed on the Farnes and Scillies,
but is now rare, Its primaries have their inner web white throughout, and the outer feathers
of the tail are six inches longer than the middle ones. Its cry is ‘‘crake,”’ and its eggs are
two or three laid in the usual hollow.
_ The Caspian Terp—Dimensions, Pl; Eggs, Qr—is only occasionally seen here Its ery
is “‘ krake-kra," 1t$ tail is only slightly forked.
Strepsilas. Plate xxvi. CHARADRIIDA,
302. interpres, gin. TurRNSTONE. Black and white; chestnut and
brown on shoulders and wings; bil! short and black;
remiges 25; legs orange ; toes cleft to base.
The Turnstone—Dimensions, Ht ; Eggs, Kb—is a shore bird, visiting us in spring and
autumn on its way to and from the north. In winter it loses the chestnut in its plumage,
and its legs become of a paler yellow, Its note isa shrill whistle, with a ‘‘keet, kitterrr’
when on the wing.
Strix. Plate xiii, STRIGIDA,
161. flammea, 13 in. BARNOwL. Facial disk complcte ; no plumicorns ;
operculum large ; plumage tawny buff above, face
and under parts whitish ; bill yellow; 24 remiges,
second primary longest but only a little longer than
first and third ; feet generally with bristles ; claws
black, middle claw serrated.
The Barn Owl—Dimensions, Le ; Eggs, Lp—is our commonest ow]. It has a leisurely
noiseless flight. Its cry isa screech; and it snores. The female is, as usual, the larger bird.
There is no nest. The eggs are laid in soine hole in a church tower or other building,
there are from two to seven of them, and it is supposed that they are usually laid in pairs.
Sturnus, Plate ix. STURNIN4Z (Passeride).
120, vulgaris, 8in. STARLING. Plumage bronze blue and _ black,
thickly spotted with small triangles of buft ; remiges
with pale brown margins; second primary longest.
The Starling—Dimensions, Hb; Eggs, Go—is gregarious and only rarely found alone. He
has a straight, strong flight, witha rapid flapping and then a glide, with a sudden descent ;
but he can perform the most remarkable evolutions in the air when in chase of insects. The
natural note is a scream and atwitter, but a Starling isa born mimic, In summer his bill is
yellow ; in winter, when he is more spotted, it is horn colour, The eyes of the male are all
lack, those of the female have a brown iris. The female is more spotted than the male.
The nest is in a hole in a house, or in a tree, or anywhere, It is a slovenly mass of grass, or
of sticks, straws, and miscellaneous matter, string, paper, andrags, ‘There are from four to
seven egys.
Sula, Plate xvii PELECANIDA.
201. dassana, grin. GANNET. Plumage white, except head and neck,
which are buff, and primaries, which are black.
The Gannet—Dimensions, Sj ; Eggs, Rq—has a curious black _pencilling round the beak,
which makes the gape line look much longer than it really is. The flight is rapid, but easy,
with a good deal of high soaring without much effort. The call is simply ‘* grog,” given
with every phase of emphasis and expression. The full plumage is not attained till the sixth
year ; young birds are blackish brown with white spots, and the older they get the whiter
they get. ‘The Gannet breeds in colonies on rocky ledges. The nests are of seaweed, straw,
and turf. There is but one egg.
12
124 THE SPECIES.
Surnia. Plate xiii. STRIGID AE.
166. wlula, r4in, HAwk Ow. No disk; no tufts; no opercium ;
plumage dark brown above spotted with white ;
face white ; lower parts finely streaked wit!) brown ;
tail graduated and tipped with white ; legs covered
with greyish feathers.
The Hawk Owl—Dimensions, Lr; Eggs, Kt—is a rare visitor. In flight he resembles a
hawk, and he hunts his prey in daylight.
Sylvia. Plates ii. iii. TURDINAZEZ (Passeride).
24. curruca, stin. JesseR WHITETHROAT. Back grey ; throat white ;
legs bluish.
23 «cinerea, 54in. WHITETHROAT. Back brown ; throat white ; legs
brown.
27. hortensis, skin. GARDEN WARBLER. Pale eye stripe; legs blue.
26. atricapilla, sfin. BLACKCAP. Crown black ; tail brown.
25. orphea, 6 in. ORPHEAN WARBLER. Crown and sides of face
black ; tail brown and white.
28. nisoria, 6fin. BARRED WARBLER. Throat and breast barred
with brown.
The Lesser Whitethroat— Dimensions, Bh; Eggs, At—has been found here from April to
November, but the return generally takes place in September. Itis a slenderer bird than
the Whitethroat, and has yellowish white eyes and black ear coverts. It has a dipping flight
when fairly on the wing, but is generally noticed darting and hopping about the higher
branches of trees. The call is ‘‘chick,” and the song a monotonous “‘sip, sip, sip.” The
female is smaller than the male and has the head browner and the lower plumage tinged with
grey. The nest is low in a hedgerow, and is a shallow structure of grass and rootlets,
bound together with cobwebs, and cocoons, and hair. It contains four or five eggs.
The Whitethroat—Dimensions, Bs; Eggs, Cr—is one of our commonest summer migrants.
It is a busy, inquisitive, brisk sort of bird, almost as fearless as a robin, hofping about
unwearyingly on the hedge tops, fluttering after insects, and occasionally soaring up almost
perpendicularly, singing as it goes. Its callis ‘‘lueet, lueet”; its alarm is ‘‘shuh,” or
** cha, cha, cha”; and it has a sweet little song, to give due emphasis to which when he is at
rest he raises the feathers of his crown. The female has no rosy tinge on her breast. The
nest is in thick herbage near the ground. It is a slight shallow structure of grass, galium,
and hair, and it contains from four to six eggs.
The Garden Warbler—Dimensions, Ca; Eggs, Dn—is another of our summer migrants,
arriving in the beginning of May. It hasa short, rapid flight, but is of rather retired habits
and does not often take to the wing. Its call is * check”’; its song is rather like a Blackbird's,
but more hurried and capricious. The female has buff axillaries like the male, but is rather
paler. The nest is generally among thick brambles, and close to the ground. Jt is a slightly
built firm affair of galium, grass, rootlets, cobwebs, and horsehair, containing four or five
eggs.
The Blackcap—Dimensions, Cq; Eggs, Dj—is one of our residents, but is also, and toa
great extent, a summer migrant. He has a short rapid flight from bush to bush, but dips a
good deal when fully under way. His callis ‘* tactic.” He is our best native songster,
full, deep, and wild, beginning with two or three double notes and working up toa loud,
varied, and continuous trill. ‘* He has caught from the Blackbird his rich mellow tone, from
the Skylark his melody shrill, and the notes of the Woodlark, the Thrush, and his own he
varies and blends at will.” The female hasa brown cap. The nest is near the ground in
bushes and brambles ; it is neatly but slightly built of galium, grass, rootlets, and cocoons,
with a little hair, and contains from four to six eggs.
The Orphean Warbler—Dimensions, Dg; Eggs, De—is occasionally seen and more often
heard of in this country. It was first recorded in 1848.
A Barred Warbler—Dimensions, Eb; Eggs, Ex—was shot near Cambridge forty years
ago, and there have been a few recorded here since. It can always be identified by its
eyes, which are of such a pale yellow as to be taken to be white.
Syrnium. Plate xiii. STRIGIDZ,
164. aluco, 18in. TAwny Owt, Facial disk complete ; no plumi-
corns; operculum large ; plumage reddish brown
above with much white below; 23 remiges, fourth
and fifth primaries longest ; feet feathered to the
claws, which are whitish at base and brownish at tip.
THE SPECIES. 125
The Tawny Owl—Dimensions, On ; Eggs, Me—otherwise the Wood Owl, is our typical
Owl, the one that says ‘Quotha! tu whit; tu whoo! ch-h, h, h!” and flies so softly, and
lives ina tree, and never comes out till after dark. The eggs are often laid in the deserted
nest of a dove, a crow, a magpie, or in a squirrel’s drey; but generally it is ina hole, the
three or four eggs being laid on disgorged food pellets.
Syrrhaptes. Plate xxiii. PTEROCLIDA.
268. paradoxus, 16in. PALLas’s SAND Grouse. Buff barred with dark
brown above ; sandy below ; lower breast blackish ;
tail of 16 feathers, with two of them long and
pointed ; toes feathcred to the claws.
Pallas’s Sand Grouse—Dimensions, Nh; Eggs, La—first appeared here,in 1863, ona wave
of migration from the Tartar Steppes. It is now an occasional visitor. Its flight is rapid,
nigh, ane loud ; and its cry is ‘‘truk, turuk.” The female is spotted with black on the head
and neck,
Tadorna. Plate xx. ANATIDE.
234. casurca, 2zin. Ruppy Sti—ELD Duck. Bill black; tail black ;
legs black.
233. cornuta, 26in. SHELD Duck. Bill orange; tail white; legs
orange.
The Ruddy Skeld Duck—Dimensions, Rb; Eggs, Qx—is generally shot in this country
on its escape from captivity, although there is no reason why it should not come in a wild
state occasionally. It isthe Brahminy Duck of Anglo-Indians. ‘The male's bill 1s bright
red, the female’s is black, and she has no black ring round the neck.
The Sheld Duck—Dimensions, Ro ; Eggs, Qr—is our old friend the Sheldrake renamed.
as a revenge probably for the renaming of the Wild Duck. It is our largest duck, and
a handsome one, with its beautiful green head and neck, and its broad collars of white and
chestnut, its white wing coverts and its green wing bar. ‘The male’s call is a whistle, the
female’s a loud ‘‘kor, kor,” and a ‘‘quark.’? The female is like the male but not so
brilliant, and not so large, and she has no knob at thz base of her bill. The nest is ina
rabbit burrow or in a burrow made specially by the bird, which is almost circular in ground
plan, or among thick furze. The materials are dry grass, and moss, and pale lavender
coloured down. There are frum 7 to 16 eggs.
Tetrao, Plate xxiii. PHASIA NIDA,
272, mulus, 15 in. PraARMIGAN. Primaries white; tail rounded, with
16 feathers.
271. scoticus, 16in. RED GROUSE. Primaries brown ; tail square, with
16 feathers.
270. telrix, 22in. BLack Grouse. Tail forked, with 18 feathers;
25 remiges,
269. urogallus, 36in. CAPERCAILLIE. Tail slightly rounded, with 18
tail feathers ; 29 remiges.
The Ptarmigan—Dimensions, Mj ; Eggs, Li—is a familiar bird owing to its being imported
so largely from Norway for food purposes, but it is resident in several parts of Scotland above
the forest line. In summer the male has red wattles over the eyes, and is black and brown
above, except on the lower back and rump, where he is white. In autumn the blacks and
browns become greys ; and in winter the plumage is almost all white. ‘The flightis whirring
and very rapid, low and straight, and it ends with a long run. The call is a croak like a
frog. The male has black lores; the female has not. ‘lhe nest is a hollow on the ground,
lined with some scraps cf grass and heather, and a few feathers, The eggs are from 8 to 12
in number.
The Red Grouse—Dimensions, Nc; Eggs, Lo—is the only real and original British Bird
who is never seen out of Britain, He is the ‘Saint’? to which the r2th of August is
dedicated. The n.al: has a sort of long moustache and a very large red wattle. The female
is smaller in size, paler in colour, without a moustache, and with a much smaller wattle, or
* comb,” as it is often called. The flight is a low one, with many a glide with outstretched
wings. The call of the male is ‘‘go back, go back, go go back ’’; that of the female isa
croak, The nest is a hollow in the ground, lined with heather, grass, and feathers, and there
are from 7 to 15 eggs.
The Black Grouse—Dimensions, Pt; Eggs, Mp—is the inclusive designation of the Black
Cock and Grev Hen, and is perhaps better known as Black Game. ‘She male has a broad
whice bar on the wing, and he has white axillaries and tail coverts, The female is chestuut in
126 THE SPECIES.
colour, much freckled with black, and much smaller than the male. The call is a crow and @
noise “as of whetting a scythe.” The flight is heavy and low, but rapid and occasionally
prolonged. Unlike the Grouse, Black Game are very partial to perching in trees. The nest
is a hollow, often in damp ground, It is lined with heather or fern, and contains from 6 to 10
eggs.
The Capercaillie—Dimensions, Ta ; Eggs, OG—seems once to have died out in Scotland,
but to have been reintroduced in 1837. It is dark ashy grey in colour with black chin
feathers, forming a sort of heard. The call is ‘‘ peller, peller,” “klickop,’’ and also “' heed.’
The flight is a particularly powerful one, with a terrible whirr to start with. The female is
smaller than the male, and is pale chestnut in colour, much mottled with black, and she has
white tips to her tail feathers. The nest is a hollow among the heather or whortleberry
bushes, lined with a few sprigs, and containing from 5 to 15 eggs.
Tichodroma. Plate vi. CERTHIIN4Z: (Passeridz.)
86. muraria, 64 in. WALL CREEPER. Back slaty grey; wings grey
and crimson; five of the primaries spotted with
white ; dark grey below; tail black, tipped with
grey, and almost square in shape.
The Wall Creeper—Dimensions, Em; Eggs, Cj—has been recorded twice in this country,
once in 1792 and once in 1872, It is a well known native of Central and Southern Europe.
Totanus. Plate xxix. SCOLOPACID.
327. Aypeleucus, 7}in. SANDPIPER. Remiges 24, much patched with
white ; eighth and ninth secondaries nearly white ;
upper tail coverts brown; wings white barred ;
axillaries white ; legs olive. na
325. macularius, 74 in. SPOTTED SANDPIPER. Remiges 27; eighth and
ninth secondaries with a broad brown band across
both webs ; circular greenish black spots on breast
and neck,
330. glrreola, 8 in, Woop SANDPIPER. Remiges 26; upper tail
coverts white; axillaries white, often with brown
bars ; legs pale olive.
329. ochropus, 8h in. GREEN SANDPIPER. Remiges 29; upper tail
coverts white ; axillaries white with brown bars;
legs slaty blue.
331. solitarius, g in. SOLITARY SANDPIPER. Central upper tail coverts
brown ; no bars on primaries ; axillaries brown and
white ; two middle tail feathers olive brown speckled
with white.
332. calidris, tohin. REDSHANK. Lower back white; secondaries
white ; legs red.
334. flavipes, to#in. YELLOWSHANK, Legs bright yellow.
333. fuscus, I2 in. SPOTTED REDSHANK. Head, neck, mantle, and
underparts grey ; secondaries white and grey; legs
reddish brown.
335- canescens, 13}in, GREENSHANK. Lower back white; remiges 27 ;
secondaries grey; legs green; no web between
middle and inner toes.
The Sandpiper—Dimensions, Fs ; Eggs, Ip—is almost as well known as the Summer Snipe;
and is with us from April to September every year. It is a greenish brown bird, barred with
bronze. Its wings are much bent as it flies; it glides with them half open, then flaps them
rapidly and regularly for a time, and finally holds them almost upright as it alights and runs.
Its callis ‘‘ weet, weet, killy leepie”’; and it has a cheery little song which it sings on the
wing. The sexes are alike in plumage, and lose much of the dark brown in the autumn,
The nest is a hollow, near water, lined with a little grass or moss, and it contains four eggs.
The Spotted Sandpiper—Dimensions, Ge; Eggs, Hc—is an American bird of whose
appearances here there are only a few somewhat doubtful records.
THE SPECIFS. 127
The Wood Sandpiper — Dimensions, Ha; Eggs, Jm—has bred in this country but is
chiefly known as an irregular straggler during its autumn and spring migrations. It has a
quick shifty flight, and a call of ‘‘treacle.” The nest is a hollow near a marsh, lined with a
little dry grass, and containing four eggs.
The Green Sandpiper—Dimensions, Hm; Eggs, Ju—is with us nearly all the year, except
during the summer months, when it goes northward to breed. It has a rapid, hasty flight,
never fully opening its wings, and almost closing them during the final turns it takes before
it alights, Its call is ‘‘ dlee, dlee, dlee.” This sandpiper lays its eggs in some deserted nest
in a tree.
The Solitary Sandpiner--Dimensions, Hs—is an American, occasionally wandering here.
Its eggs are unknown,
_ The Redshank—Dimensions, Jf; Eggs, Lt—is resident in many of our marshes, and has
its numbers increased in the winter by migrants from the Continent. It has a quick, jerky
sort of flight, its white seccndaries being conspicuous. Its call is a loud “‘ took,’’ or ‘‘ tyook.””
Its nest is on the ground, well hidden among the herbage, a mere hollow trodden by the bird.
There are four eggs.
The Yellowshank—Dimensions, Ji; Eggs, Ks—is an American, found here only two or
three times.
The Spotted Redshank—Dimensions, Ke; Eggs, My-—is occasionally met with in the
eastern counties on spring and autumn migration, It breeds in Finland.
The Greenshank—Dimensions, 1.j ; Eggs, Mo—is a summer migrant, breeding in the north
of Scotland. It has a strong quick flight, and acall of ‘‘tyu tyu."” The nest is a hollow in
the ground, lined with a few heather (wigs and leaves. There are four eggs.
Tringa. Plates xxvii, xxviii. SCOLOPACIDA
317. minuta, shin. Littte Srint. Wing less than four inches; six
outer tail feathers brownish grey ; wings levcl with
tail; legs black.
318. temmincki, sin. TEMMINCK’S STINT. Six outer tail feathers white ;
legs brown.
319. minutilla, 6 in. AMERICAN STINT. Six outer tail feathers grey ;
legs and feet pale brown.
320. subarquata, 7p in, CURLEW SANDPIPER. White ring barred with
black round base of tail ; bill decurved.
316. alpina, 7h in. Dunn. Black and chestnut above ; chin white ;
breast greyish white ; lower breast black ; axillaries
white ; wings not reaching to tail; legs black,
315. fuscicollis, 7kin. BONAPARTE'’S SANDPIPER. Upper tail coverts
white, lightly streaked with brown ; bill short ; legs
and feet brown.
314. maculata, 8}in, PrCTORALSANDPIPER. Upper tail coverts blackish
brown ; wings extending beyond tail.
321. striata, 84 in. PURPLE SANDPIPER. Upper tail coverts blackish ;
white bar on wings.
322. canulus, g} in. Knot. Back black with chestnut spots ; upper tail
coverts white with black bands; axillaries white
with brown bars.
The Little Stint—Dimensions, Ck; Eggs, Gj—comes in spring and autumn on its
migrations to and from the north. The flight is a rapid, unsteady one, with bent wings. The
call is ‘ stint,’’ a sort of grasshopper’s chirp.
Temminck’s Stint—Dimensions, Dd; Eggs, Gr—also visits us twice a year in its
journeyings north and south. Like the Little Stint it is greyish brown above in the winter.
It has a quick, vigorous flight, and a call of ‘‘ tirrr.”
The American Stint—Dimensions, Dn; Eggs, Gi—is very rare, in fact it has only been
shot twice in this country.
The Curlew Sandpiper—Dimensions, Fr—visits us on migration in the spring and autumn
on its way to and from its breeding haunts in the north. Its eggs are unknown. In flight it
is distinguishable by its curved beak and sharply pointed wings.
128 THE SPECIES.
The Dunlin—Dimensions, Gg; Eggs, Ip—is the commonest Sandpiper, and is found on
our coast in all months of the year. The flight is swift, with occasional “ sprints,” and on
alighting the wings are held up during the run, During the breeding season the Dunlin
soars. The call is a ‘“‘twee wee wee.” In the winter the plumage is white below and grey
above, The nest is a slight hollow, lined with rootlets, and containing four eggs.
‘Bonaparte’s Sandpiper—Dimensions, Gi; Eggs, Ik—is an occasional straggler from across
the Atlantic.
The Pectoral Sandpiper—Dimensions, Hf ; Eggs, Jo—is another American species, but a
far commoner one,
The Purple Sandpiper—Dimensions, Hj ; Eggs, JH—appears on our rocky coasts in
September, and stays with us all through the winter. It has a swift, dipping flight, and
swims well. Its call has been syllabised as “‘ ince” and ‘‘ weet, weet.”
The Knot—Dimensions, Ij—is really the Knut, from the king whose courtiers forgot the
double tide in Southampton Water ; the Latinisation of his name gives the specific
Canutus. It is a winter visitor like the Purple Sandpiper ; and in the winter months ‘ is a
greyish bird, with white under parts. Its light is strong and straight, and it always alights
ead to wind.
Troglodytes. Plate iv. TROGLODYTIN4 (Passeridz).
59. parvilus, 3 in. WREN. Brown above, barred with darker brown ;
greyish brown below; wing with two faint while
bars; remiges 18; the secondaries and tertials
equal to primaries ; tail barred with black and held
nearly upright.
The Wren—Dimensions, Ab ; Eggs, Bi—is one of our commonest residents, but is not so
common as it gets credit for. It hasa short, straight, whirring flight, with no dips in it; but
it is generally noticed skulking among the hedgerows. It often sings on the wing, and it
sings all the year round; its call isa clicking as of winding up a clock., The female has
paler legs than the male. Its nest is a large one, built with a dome, and it has the entrance
at the side, generally with woven straws round the doorway. The materials are moss, leaves,
hair, grass, and feathers. There are from four to nine eggs.
Tryngites. Plate xxviii. SCOLOPAC/ID/E.
325. rufescens, 8in. BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER. Bufhsh_ brown,
mottled with black above ; primaries and
secondaries marbled with black on undersides.
The Buff-breasted Sandpiper—Dimensions, He; Eggs, Jk—is an American straggler
recorded here about half-a-dozen times,
Turdus. Plate i. TURDINZE (Passeridze),
3. wliacus, 8 in. REDWING. Spotted olive brown above ; broad
white stripe over eye ; spotted buffish below;
axillaries and flanks red.
2. musicus, 84in. THRUSH. Olive brown above, whitish below ;
crown very flat ; plumage spotted and streaked with
dark brown ; axillaries pale yellow.
6. atrigularis, 94 in. BLACK-THROATED THRUSH. Throat and breast
black.
5. migratorius, 10 in. AMERICAN ROBIN. Plumage black, with reddish
breast.
4. pilaris, rofin. FieLDFare. Greyish brown above ; wings and
tail dark brown ; axillaries white; bluish rump ;
legs dark brown.
I. vétscivorus, 11 in. MIsszEL TuRusH. Brown above, buff below
spotted with dark brown; axillaries white ; rump
brown ; legs pale brown.
The Redwing—Dimensions, Gq; Eggs, Fj—comes from its northern haunts in September
and leaves us in May. It appears in loose flocks, Its flight is rapid and straight, with the
wings motionless in gliding down to settle. Its call is a shrill ‘‘ yelp,”* and its song a rich,
wild, flute-like trill, The female is not so bright in colour as the male.
THE SPECIES. 149
The Thrush—Dimensions, Hi; Eggs, Gc—is a resident, migrating a good deal about the
eountry. It has an undulating flight, with much rapid wing work and occasional clips and
glides. On the ground the wings are frequently drooped and the tail stuck out straight. The
well-known song has been syllabised as “judy, judy, judy ! bopeep, bopeep, bopeep, bopeep,
how d’ye do? how d’ye do?” but Macgillivray’s more elaborate version seems nearer the
truth, “qui, qui, qui; kweeu, quip; tiurru, tiurru, chiprivi; tootee, tootee; chiu, choo ;
chirri, chirri, chooee; quiu, qui, qui.” The female is rather smaller than the male, and is
paler on the breast. The nest is often amongst evergreens ; it has been found on the ground,
but is generally about six feet up a tree; it is built of grass, rootlets, twigs, and moss, and is
plastered with cowdung, mud, and decayed woud, so that its inside resembles that of a cocoa
nut. It contains four, five, or six eggs.
A Black-throated Thrush—Dimensions, Ih ; Eggs, Gs—arrived at Lewes, probably from
Turkestan, in 1868, and another was shot in Scotland, in 1879.
An American Robin—Dimensions, Io—was once heard singing near Dover, ‘* probably
escaped from some ship passing through the narrow seas.”
The Fieldfare—Dimensions, Jc; Eggs, Hx—comes from the north to winter here, and has
been noticed from September to the beginning of June. It flies in loose flocks, starting with
much noise, progressing by flaps and pauses, a pause to about every dozen flaps, and then
sweeping round and settling with head up and tail down, It sings on the wing a soft‘
*fu-igh, fu-igh,” and its call is *‘ yack, yack.”” The female is duller in colour than the male.
It is said to have bred here occasionally, but the statement is not generally accepted. The
nest is not unlike that of the Missel Thrush,
The Missel Thrush— Dimensions, Jj; Eggs, Hj—is with us all the months of the year. It
is greyer on the wing than the other Thrushes, and has a heavier and more jerky flight, with
pauses at regular intervals and no undulations. The song is a rich mellow “ churrr, wheep,
wheep, whirrow, whirrow, wheep,” with often a low scream when on the wing. Itis the
earliest songster of the year, and is called the Storm Cock from its singing its cheeriest in the
roughest weather, The female is paler than the male. The nest is a mass of twigs and
lichens, lined with a deep bowl of mud; but unlike the Song Thrush, the Missel lines the
bowl with fine grass, There are four, five, or six egg».
Turnix. Plate xxiv. TURNICIDA.
277. sylvatica, 8 in, ANDALUSIAN HEMIPODE. Crown black and brown ,
sandy brown above; buff below; sides with black
spots ; bill yellowish ; ‘egs yellowish.
The Andalusian Hemipode— Dimensions, Go; Eggs, Ga—otherwise Bush Quail, has been
shot three times in this country.
Turtur. Plate xxiii, COLUMBIDA,
266. communis, 11kin. TURTLE Dove. Bill brown ; plumage ashy grey ;
white and black chequered patch on neck ; mantle
brown ; lower breast white ; tail tipped with white
at sides ; legs crimson.
The Turtle Dove—Dimensions, Jt; Eggs, GR—is a summer migrant, arriving in April and
leaving sometimes as lateas November. It has a rapid and peculiarly crooked flight. Its
call is ‘‘coor-r-r, coor-r-r.” ‘The female is browner than the male. It builds a slight flat
nest of slender twigs, generally rather near the ground, and so open that the two eggs can
often be seen by looking up through ix.
Upupa. Plate xii. UPUPIDA.
156. pops, 1zin. Hoopoe. Crest buff, tipped with black ; warm buff
above ; spotted below; rump white; remiges 20;
first primary small, second equal to seventh, and
third, fourth, and fifth longest ; tail black with a
broad white bar.
The Hoopoe—Dimensions, Kc, Eggs, Gp—is a somewhat rare visitor, arriving in the spring
and autumn, and occasionally breeding here. It has an easy, dipping flight, and the call of
“* hoopoe”’ or rather “hoop, hoop, ho!” which has given it itsname. The nest is a strongly
smelling one of straws and cowdung, and contains from five to seven eggs.
136 THE SPECIES.
Uria. Plate xxxii. ALCIDA.
377. gryll, 13 in. BLAck GuILLEMOT. Breast black or speckled
remiges 30.
375. ¢trotle, 17} in. GUILLEMOT. Breast white ; bill long and pointed
remiges 26,
376. bruennichi, 18 in. BRUNNICH'S GUILLEMOT. Breast white; bill short
and thick ; remiges 26.
The Black Guillemot—Dimensions, Kn; Eggs, Pe—has a whitish head and white under-
parts in the winter. His flight is low, rapid, and straight, and he dives almost as fast as he
flies, The callisascream. The nest is a mere hole, containing two or three eggs.
The Guillemot—Dimensions, Gb; Eggs, Se—has the throat and cheeks white in the
winter. He flies dartingly like a Kingfisher, and in diving he uses only his wings, while in
swimming he uses only his legs. The call isa murmuring ‘‘gurr”; the cry of the young
being the *‘ willock,’’ fom which the French made ‘‘guillemot.” The female is smaller than
the male. On high cliffs, where many birds breed, the Guillemots occupy the zone below the
Razorbills and above the Kittiwakes. There is no nest, the one egg being laid on the bare
ledge of rock. Guillemot’s eggs vary more in colour than those of any other British bird.
Briinnich's Guillemot—Dimensions, Of ; Eggs, SE—is an Arctic straggler recorded here
once or twice,
Vanellus. Plate xxvi. CHARADRIIDA.
g01. cristatus, 13 in. LApwinG. Crown and crest greenish black ; sides
of throat and lower breast white: upper parts
blackish green ; outer primaries tipped with white ;
secondaries almost wholly black; tail coverts pale
chestnut ; tail white tipped with black, except the
two outer feathers; legs brown ; hind toe small;
two toes cleft to base, two united nearly to first
joint.
The Lapwing—Dimensions, Lb; Eggs, Mp—otherwise the Peewit, is the bird that lays
the Plover’s eggs for the London market. It has long been held in esteem, There is an old
Scottish Act of Parliament, of the time of Edward the First, ordering all its eggs to be
broken when found ‘in order that Peesweeps may not go south and become a delicious
repast to our unnatural enemies, the English!” ‘‘ Peewit,” ** Peesweep,” ‘‘ Weet a weet,”
“pee ween,” “ dix-huit,” all do duty as syllabisations of its plaintive cry. The flight isa
regular lap, lap, lap, of the wings, which are kept open for a little after the birds alight.
The nest is a hollow, lined with grass and moss, and where there is one there are generally
more. The eggs are four or five in number. Another Vanellus, the Sociable Plover,
gregarius, seems to have been shot in Lancashire, in 1860, but our list is already so long that
the mere mention of the fact is enough.
Xema. Plate xxxi. LARID/E.
354. sadiniz, 134 in. Sapine's GuLLt. Head dark grey with narrow
black collar ; beak red at tip ; back and wings grey ;
primaries black ; white below ; tail forked.
Sabine’s Gull—Dimensions, Lk; Eggs, LR—was first found by Sir Edward Sabine in
Greenland, and has been met with as far south as Callao. It has been recorded several times
since it was first shot at Belfast, in 1822, bvt it can only be looked upon as a very occasional
guest,
CHAPTER XIi.
DIMENSIONS,
—+>
N this list the birds are for the first time arranged in the order of
their average size, with their chief dimensions reduced to
decimals of their length. Though birds vary much in stature, they
vary very little in their proportions, and thus their measurement put
in this way is an important aid in their identification.
The double letters have been adopted to avoid any confusion that
might arise from having two series of numbers running through the
book. The length is taken from the tip of the beak to the tip of the
tail. The wing measurement is that of the one wing, not of the wing-
spread, which is a most difficult thing to measure accurately. The tail
is measured from the pygostyle, which is perhaps more generally
known as the “ploughshare bone.” The body is measured from the
base of the beak to the pygostyle. The beak is measured along its
culmen, or upper edge; and the tarsus, which, as we have said,
is really the tarso-metatarsus, is measured from the ankle joint,
popularly and erroneously called the “knee,” to the junction with the
‘ toes, which is, quite as erroneously and popularly, known as the
“ heel.”
It is hardly necessary to point out that the measurement in inches
should be divided by the length in inches to obtain these figures,
and that consequently these decimals have merely to be multiplied by
the length to obtain the actual dimensions. If, for instance, a Lesser
Whitethroat should be found only 5 inches long, the figures in the list
should be multiplied by five, and its wing should be 2°6 in. ; its tail
2°3 in.; its body 2°4 in.; its beak 3 in. ; and its tarsus ‘8 in. ; which
are in the same proportion as if the bird had been of the average size
of 5} inches.
Proportions.
a = §& & a &
Aa 33 ‘61 ‘41 ‘5 «og ‘2 Gold-crested Wren.
Ab. 3% °5 33: 57,9 ‘IE 15) Wren.
Ac. 33 6 ‘41 ‘49 ‘I ‘21 Fire-crested Wren.
Ad. 4 56°46 "45 «09 17 Yellow-browed Warbler.
Ae. 44 °58 ‘47 ‘46 ‘o7 "15 Continental Coal Tit.
132 DIMENSIONS.
Proportions.
S e « 3
a ¢ ad ao} od a
5 2 & 8&8 @ 4&4
Af. 4% ‘58 °47 ‘46 ‘07 ‘15 British Coal Tit.
Ag. 43 5 4300 5 07: 15 Crested Tit.
Ah. 43 ‘53 “43 “48 ‘09 ‘18 Aquatic Warbler.
Ai. 43 °55 ‘47 ‘47 ‘06 ‘14 Blue Tit.
Aj. 43 55 5 430 07-12 Marsh Tit.
Ak. 43 57 “46 ‘47 ‘07 ‘I Lesser Redpoll.
Al. 43 "8 763 “07 “TI Wild Canary.
Am. 44 ‘61 °39 ‘54 ‘07 ‘II Serin.
An. 44 ‘62 ‘42 ‘49 ‘09 ‘II Siskin.
Ao. 42 5 4 54 ‘06 ‘12 Chiffchaff.
Ap. 42 53 ‘4 ‘52 ‘08 “I7 Sedge Warbler.
Aq. 42 ‘56 ‘46 ‘47 ‘07 "I5 Little Bunting.
Ar. 43 6 ‘44 "49 ‘07 ‘14 Red-breasted Flycatcher.
As. 5 4 '54 °39 ‘07 ‘IS Dartford Warbler.
At. 5 54 ‘4 °53 O07 ‘16 Willow Wren.
Ba. 5 5. 733, 6 “07 “13 Tree Sparrow.
Bb. 5 4 52 ‘08 ‘17 Whinchat.
Ba 5 6 ‘44 ‘49 ‘07 ‘14 Pied Flycatcher.
Bd. 5 6 °46 ‘48 ‘o6 ‘I Mealy Redpoll.
Be 5 62 "45 "45 1 16 Icterine Warbler.
Bh 5 64 ‘4 “SI ‘0g ‘12 Goldfinch.
Bg. 5 85 "45 ‘51 ‘04 ‘I Sand Martin.
Bh. 5 52 “46 ‘48 ‘06 ‘16 Lesser Whitethroat.
Bi 5¢)0 53 45 09 17 Stonechat.
Bj. 54 6 ‘4 54 ‘06 "14 Wood Wren.
Bk. 54 ‘62 ‘46 ‘48 ‘06 ‘I Greenland Redpoll.
Bl. st 6°63: 46 «440 Spotted Flycatcher.
Bm. 53 ‘42 ‘43 ‘53 ‘04 ‘I Great Tit.
Bn. 53 ‘42 58 "38 ‘04 ‘I British Long-tailed Tit.
Bo 5 42 58 +°38 ‘04 ‘I White-headed Long-tailed Tit
Bp. 5% ‘45 “36 °53 ‘IL ‘16 Reed Warbler.
Bq. 53 47° «5 39:17 Marsh Warbler.
Rr 53 “5 ‘41 (52 «07 "14 Hedge Sparrow.
Bs. 53 5 44005 06 "14 Whitethroat.
Bt. 5 5°45 ('450«C 16 Savi’s Warbler.
Ca. 53 55 44 06 14 Garden Warbler.
Cb. 53 5S 5I 6°36 «130 «OT Tree Creeper.
Ceo «653 53454 06 119 Red-spotted Bluethroat.
Cd. 53) 53) 4 «54 06 “19 White-spotted Bluethroat.
Ce. 54 54 “44 ‘SI ‘05 ‘12 Twite.
Cf. 53.58 440 5 0614 Rustic Bunting.
Cg. 5 58 "46 ‘46 ‘08 ‘17 Redstart.
Ch. 52 6 +3 58 ‘12 ‘13 Nuthatch.
Ci. 52 6 ‘44 “49 ‘07 ‘13 Scarlet Grosbeak.
Cj. 58 6 ‘45 "44 ‘II ‘16 Black-throated Wheateur,
Ck. 54 ‘62 "25 ‘64 ‘II ‘13 Little Stint.
Cl. 54 63 «'4l (52 «07-14 Short-toed Lark,
Cm. 53 8 47 48 ‘0S oT Martin.
Cn. 53 °$4 ‘4 ‘SIE ‘09 ‘14 Stormy Petrel.
DIMENSIONS. 133
Proportions.
ADAPALAPAPHPAPaE Spoes Length,
AH ae Bp
ord
P19 joo fo Joo bole
CF io} vo oT
eS @ m &
4. 54 “06 "13 Grasshopper Warbler.
‘4 54 ‘06 "16 Robin.
‘41 °§2 ‘07 ‘IS Blackcap.
"46°48 ‘06 ‘12 Reed Buntirg.
‘42°49 «09 «='15 Black Redstart.
“45 ‘47 «*08 «12 Chaffinch.
38 6°53. ‘09 «13 Meadow Pipit.
‘42°52 ‘06 ‘IT Linnet.
4 °§ ‘I ‘0g Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.
"34 °S4 ‘2 ‘13 Temminck’s Stint.
54 ‘41 ‘05 ‘II Bearded Tit.
‘4 "51 ‘og ‘II House Sparrow.
43 «°48 «0g IS Orphean Warbler.
‘47. ‘47: «06°12 Cirl Bunting.
4°55 'O5 IT Bullfinch.
S43. «07-14 Blue-headed Wagtail.
43° «°48 «og «IR Tree Pipit.
39 «SI Ol 16 Desert Wheatear.
"42 ‘49 ‘09 «14 Greenfinch.
“or 59 "1 8 American Stint.
44°45 CII ‘I Two-barred Crossbill.
‘4 ‘51 ‘oO "II Brambling.
‘41 ‘Sr ‘08 "14 Wood Lark.
26°53 «21°13 Broad-billed Sandpiper.
37. 56 «07-15 Little Ringed Plover.
"46°47 °O7 "14 Grey-headed Yellow Wagtail
"41°53. 06 «16 Nightingale.
44 "48 «08 °15 Barred Warbler.
‘46 ‘48 ‘06 ‘12 Ortolan Bunting.
"43. "5 "OF 2 Lapland Bunting.
44. °47 ‘09 IS Rock Pipit.
‘41 °5 «09:16 Wheatear.
43°45 «32 «II Crossbill.
36°58 «06 CIT Wryneck.
46 "46 ‘o8 ‘14 Yellow Wagtail.
46 ‘48 ‘06 ‘II Yellow Bunting.
“45°47: «08 «=I Water Pipit.
‘4 53 07-13 Alpine Accentor.
"34,460 2:14 Wall Creeper.
43° 40 ‘Il oT White-winged Crossbill.
2900 6 IT ‘21 Kentish Plover.
‘44°47. '09 «16 Rufous Warbler.
‘46°47 ‘07: «*12 Black-headed Bunting,
‘42 47 ‘IE OF Downy Woodpecker.
6 °38 ‘05 ‘07 Purple Martin.
‘21°59 «'2~«( 06 Kingfisher.
3° 62 «08 #14 Baillon’s Crake.
31 6 ‘09 ("14 Dipper.
31 6 "09 «14 Black-bellied Dipper.
134
RODE poles CO]! BO] tO] bate bol bo] Role tal Wl A fe
© 00 G9 CO CO COCO HOO HO HCOOH MWOHOOH OW ON NS NIN NINN SISION SI ON SEN SINNED NINN NS NT a Length
Ble ph bE NIH Oh HAE
DIMENSIONS,
Corn Bunting.
Hawfinch.
Tawny Pipit.
Woodchat.
Red-necked Phalarope.
Crested Lark.
Parrot Crossbill.
Shore Lark.
Quail.
Snow Bunting.
Ringed Plover.
Fork-tailed Petrel.
Swift.
White Wagtail.
Curlew Sandpiper.
Common Sandpiper.
Sky Lark.
Pied Wagtail.
Red-backed Shrike.
Richard’s Pipit. ~
Jack Snipe.
Spotted Sandpiper.
Swallow.
Dunlin.
Waxwing.
Bonaparte’s Sandpiper.
White-winged Lark.
Scops Owl.
Wilson’s Petrel.
Grey Wagtail.
Great Reed Warbler.
Andalusian Hemipode.
Little Crake
Redwing.
Sanderling.
Rock Thrush.
Grey Phalarope.
Wood Sandpiper.
Starling.
Buff-breasted Sandpiper
Little Owl,
Alpine Swift.
Pectoral Sandpiper.
Pine Grosbeak,
Lesser Grey Shrike.
Thrush
Purple Sandpiper.
Rose-coloured Starling.
Little Auk.
Ney Nooo) 0 © 00 00
WOODGOGODONDNWWYO BLL Length.
Le sl oon oe oe a on en oe a
COD0DOOO OO OFF vr wr NH NE
DIMENSIONS. 135
Proportions.
o%
w
BRNNSRUNNS RDU
Green Sandpiper.
Hairy Woodpecker.
Needle-tailed Swift.
Little Grebe.
Siberian Thrush.
Spotted Crake.
Solitary Sandpiper.
Turnstone.
Red-winged Starling.
Golden Oriole.
Eastern Golden Plover.
Tengmalm’s Owl.
Dotterel.
Little Tern.
Great Grey Shrike.
Black-throated Thrush.
Great Spotted Woodpecke:
Knot.
Pratincole.
White-winged Black Terr.
Blackbird.
Snipe.
American Robin.
Cream-coloured Courser
Killdeer Plover.
Golden Plover.
Bulwer’s Petrel.
Nightjar.
Merlin.
Black Tern.
Fieldfare.
Water Rail.
Red-breasted Snipe.
Redshank.
Bee-eater.
Corn Crake.
Yellowshank.
Missel Thrush.
Ring Ouzel.
Ruff.
Grey Plover.
Egyptian Nightj1r.
Dusky Shearwater.
Rock Dove.
Little Gull.
Red-footed Falcon.
Great Snipe.
Turtle Dove.
Whiskered Tern.
136
DIMENSIONS.
Proportions.
2 &£ @ & &
‘43° 0 93 «07: «'I5 Eared Grebe.
‘48 4°33 48 ‘19 ‘06 Hoopoe.
5 060 86 14 TIT Puffin.
52 ‘21 «66 619 °18 Spotted Redshank.
56 ‘19 ‘69 ‘12 ‘2 Bartram’s Sandpiper.
6 58 ‘28 ‘14 ‘04 Blue-tailed Bee-eater.
66 °5 «39 «CIE: «17 Sparrow Hawk.
8 5 °45 ‘05 ‘og Lesser Kestrel.
44. 28 «68 «404 «6°13 Partridge.
64 38 4°52) «1 II White’s Thrush.
43° 0 «93: '07-:—« "15 Sclavonian Grebe.
49 «17 66 "17 "14 Little Bittern.
5 7 9 ‘I ‘09 Black Guillemot.
5) 230 67) TTS Moorhen.
5 ‘61 °33 06 ‘08 Black-billed Cuckoo.
*s ‘62 °31 ‘07 ‘08 Yellow-billed Cuckoo.
6 °3 65 ‘05 ‘07 Stock Dove.
6 4 ‘5 ‘1 ‘06 Roller.
6 ‘41°57 ‘02 ‘07 Red-necked Nightjar.
6 "44 °39 17 15 Nutcracker.
7°36 °55 ‘09 ‘14 Lapwing.
29° URS FRR AE ay Black-winged Stilt.
75 25 «SE ‘24 «04 Belted Kingfisher.
8h 37-53. KO Barn Owl.
I'S °43 ‘07 ‘I Black-winged Kite.
I ‘5S ‘44 ‘06 ‘II Hobby.
"46°28 «4°67 ‘05 °13 Red-legged Partridge.
53 350 53, 12~—« 08 Green Woodpecker.
55 °22 62 ‘16 ‘17 Greenshank.
77 °33 S58 “Og «*I7 Sabine’s Gull.
77 ‘4 '5 1 05 Tern.
‘45 ‘IQ ‘71 ‘I ‘07 American Blue-winged Teal
52 ‘19 «#7 ‘II ‘07 Teal.
$2 ‘41 °5 ‘0g (IT Jay.
54 24 58 ‘18 11 Woodcock.
58 2 64 "16 ‘14 Eskimo Curlew.
6 °53 “41 ‘06 ‘06 Hawk Owl.
62005) °45 (05 1K Kestrel.
67°37: 530 OE Lesser Sooty Tern
66 23: 67) 112 Manx Shearwater.
7 °3 59 “II ‘05 Noddy.
7 "42 ‘48 “LE “I2 Jackdaw.
7 °S4 ‘4 ‘06 ‘06 Cuckoo.
72 4 «ST 09 617 Wedge-tailed Gull.
82 ‘41 «4°52 ‘07 ‘08 Long-eared Owl.
87°33 57.1 ‘08 Gull-billed Tern.
‘45 14 ‘79 ‘07 «‘08 Buffel-headed Duck.
2 SE 09 Garganey.
*5 ‘28 ‘67 ‘05 ‘og Ptarmigan.
DIMENSIONS. 137
au Wing.
i oNN.
oonRNN Gu
PONCE er eee, ae RY ae
WW COUN ADU AWN
ies
Proportions.
ee 3
3 uo}
a 22 &
17, 67 "16°15 Coot.
39 «54 «'07:« II Alpine Chough.
3° ‘61 ‘09 18 Bonaparte’s Gull.
“32°58 «0°12 Stone Curlew.
28 «64 «'08 ='03 Arctic Tern:
34°57 09-08 Kittiwake.
38 6°55 «07 «13 Short-eared Owl.
17 ‘64 ‘19 “13 Bar-tailed Godwit.
45° °42 «(°I13 ‘07 Sandwich Tern.
‘oO "QI ‘09 ‘12 Red-necked Grebe.
14°76 ‘I ‘06 White-eyed Duck.
6 "34 ‘06 *08 Great Spotted Cuckoo.
27. 69 «*04 ‘II Red Grouse.
‘43 CEI 04 «05 Passenger Pigeon.
‘28 ‘07 ‘05 ‘14 Little Bustard.
25 °§8 ‘17 ‘IL Oystercatcher.
4°55 ‘05 «(‘08 Ring Dove.
‘S$ 47 +03 «07 Pallas’s Sane Grouse.
34° 0°55 (IL 13 Chough.
‘451 ‘09 ‘I Sooty Tern.
31 64 ‘05 “II Black-headed Gull.
18 "77. ‘05 ‘09 Capped Petrel.
56 340 I 05 Roseate Tern.
‘og «6°83: «08 «07 Razorbill.
‘22 ‘71 ‘07 ‘07 Smew.
"25 ‘69 ‘06 ‘07 Harlequin Duck.
‘I4 ‘77 ‘09 ‘07 Tufted Duck.
3 ‘61 ‘09 ‘II Mediterranean Blk.-heal.Gull
35°57. «08 «08 Ivory Gull.
43. «48 ‘09 ‘14 Peregrine Falcon.
54. 4 06 14 Montagu’s Harrier.
70 09108 Guillemot.
‘7 122 ‘08 ‘12 Magpie.
‘15. ‘73 ‘12 ‘08 Pochard.
16°74 LR. C17 Avocet.
‘o ‘92 ‘08 ‘09 Briinnich’s Guillemot.
13 ‘69 «18 °13 Whimbrel.
‘19 "67 ‘14 ‘12 Squacco Heron.
‘21 67 ‘12 ‘08 Goldeneye.
23. «°F 07. ‘07 Wigeon.
‘4 47: «130-07 Great Black Woodpecker.
‘21. ‘°7E 08 «II Sooty Shearwater.
"44 ‘44 ‘12 ‘13 Carrion Crow.
‘4. °53. 07 «12 Tawny Owl.
5°44 ‘06 "15 Hen Harrier.
31 61 ‘08 ‘II Gull.
‘2°72 «08 «05 Hodded Merganser.
18 ‘62 ‘2 ‘14 Black-tailed Godwit.
22 ‘65 “13 "13 American Wigeon.
138
Proportions.
A.
DIMENSIONS.
a3
a 6
og ‘I Fulmar.
09 «12 Great Shearwater.
"I2 "12 Hooded Crow.
09 (‘07 Scaup.
°08 ‘07 Steller’s Eider.
12 16 Buff-backed Heron.
"1 ‘08 Scoter.
"13, 06 Shoveller.
“09 ‘07 Gadwall.
i: en Rook.
‘07-08 Richardson’s Skua.
‘07 «12 Lesser White-fronted Goose.
‘I4 ‘07 Caspian Tern.
707 «08 Surf Scoter.
‘II ‘07 Red-crested Pochard.
06 ‘1 Gyr Falcon.
07-1 Pomatorhine Skua.
709 «II Lesser Black-backed Gull.
7o9 «OCI Great Crested Grebe.
06 ‘08 Velvet Scoter.
‘o5 «6°08 Black Grouse.
24 «58 Glossy Ibis.
15 2 Little Egret.
05 "07 Long-tailed Skua,
706 ‘12 American Gos Hawk.
07 "12 Greenland Falcon.
‘05 CI Red-breasted Goose.
06°15 Marsh Harrier.
‘IT ‘II Iceland Gull.
‘07 "09 Brent Goose.
06 13 Gos Hawk.
06 Il Iceland Falcon,
06 *13 Buzzard.
‘Ill Herring Gull.
‘07 ‘09 Osprey.
06 ‘07 Black Kite.
"og ‘08 Mallard.
‘I ‘09 Red-breasted Merganser
12 113 Night Heron.
‘og «12 Red-throated Diver.
0S «07 King Eider.
"23° IS Curlew.
707 ‘09 Ruddy Sheld Duck.
ge mm | Raven.
08 «II Great Skua.
706 ‘07 Honey Buzzard.
06 II Snowy Owl.
‘09 ‘07 Eider Duck.
07 13 Barnacle Goose.
DIMENSIONS, 139
Proportions.
on : a H a
76 “4 “48 12 "13
48 °46 ‘06 ‘05
4 "19 °72 “09 07
4 5 44 “06 ‘06
44. ‘05 85 ‘I CII
45 4°31 ‘61 ‘08 ‘06
"5 19 "74°07 «08
63 "44 “5 ‘06 ‘12
‘77 "47 “44 ‘09 “17
8 45 “49 ‘06 ‘T2
8 56°37, 07 ‘09
‘4 ‘21 69 y ‘09
“420 71S °730 12 "17
7 24 63 "13 1
S9 ‘21 "71 ‘08 ‘09
‘67 0) “61 ‘09 *y
6 ‘2 ‘74 *06 ‘09
6 "33 6 07°15
$5 Fg 98. PER AEG
*58 19 73 08 I
% 2-972 “08 FT
63°27: °57 "16 ‘09
2 ‘I ‘78 ‘12 ‘07
6 ‘27 65 ‘08 ‘09
‘41 ‘rt ‘81 ‘09 ‘II
48 3°17 66 «17 15
26 66 "31 ‘03 ‘06
5 16 62 «22 «15
6 ‘18 "75 ‘07 ‘oO
86 °38 *5 ‘I2 “14
‘41 ‘1 ‘81 ‘og ‘II
‘4 2 "7 ‘rT ‘08
4°31 «61 «*08 ‘09
5 19 67 "14 15
‘57 2 ‘7 "05 "14
6 ‘18 ‘75 ‘07 ‘IQ
65 38 «3°54 «08 “II
5 24 «58 ‘18 18
“46 3 64 ‘06 ‘09
4°16 °72 «12 «18
(6 122) 6 18 222
65°36: «57 «07 I
"63. “Id: “72 ‘E ‘22
‘4°14 "79 ‘07 ‘07
44 ‘12 ‘81 ‘07 ‘o9
"36. “16: “7'1, 13. “27
38 ‘tir 83 06 ‘06
‘4 14 ‘8 ‘06 ‘07
“41°15 79 «06°07
"45 «16 ‘78 ‘06 ‘07
Egyptian Vulture.
Swallow-tailed Kite.
Goosander.
Long-tailed Duck.
Black-throated Diver.
Pintail.
Sheld Duck.
Eagle Owl
Spotted Eagle.
Rough-legged Buzzard.
Kite.
Shag.
American Bittern.
Great Black-headed Gull.
White-fronted Goose.
Great Black-backed Gull,
Pink-footed Goose.
Macqueen’s Bustard.
Bittern.
Grey Lag Goose.
Snow Goose.
Gannet.
Great Auk.
Glaucous Gull.
Great Northern Diver.
Purple Heron.
Pheasant.
Spoonbill.
Bean Goose.
Sea Eagle.
Yellow-billed Diver.
Cormorant.
Capercaillie.
Heron.
Great Bustard.
Demoiselle Crane.
Golden Eagle.
Black Stork.
Canada Goose.
Great White Heron.
White Stork.
Griffon Vulture.
Crane.
Bewick’s Swan.
American Swan.
Flamingo.
Polish Swan.
Trumpeter Swan.
Hooper Swan.
Mute Swan.
CHAPTER XIIL
EGGS,
1
HE Eggs are given in this chapter by themselves, owing to their
taking up less space in this way than they would do if sorted
out among the species.
The list may also serve as a rough guide to identification, for
although eggs vary much, even when laid by the same hen, they yet
vary within certain limits, and the system of average is not so very
far out as far as size is concerned. But with regard to colour and
grain the difficulties are greater. At the outset, it is almost impossible
to describe colour accurately, even if the colour of eggs were
invariable, which it is not, and even if it were, we should have the
four stages that puzzle the collector still to deal with: the first, the
colour of the eggs in the nest; the second, the colour after they are
blown; the third, the colour after they have faded in a collection; and
the fourth, their colour as rendered by the chromo-lithographer ;
which are four very different things. And with grain the difficulties
are almost as great. At the same time, though we may not attain
accuracy, we may approach it sufficiently near to enable us to
distinguish one egg from another; and to aid in this the eggs have
‘here been classified into types.
We have thus three clues to guide us, all three of which may be
of little value separately, but which will rarely fail us when used
together. It must be clearly borne in mind that the sizes given are
average sizes; they have not been taken from any one book, but
have been worked out from actual measurement and many authorities,
and dealing as they do with hundredths of an inch, it is unlikely that
the order given will be found to apply to any one collection. But
where the size does not exactly fit in with a specimen, the colour and
type lend their aid towards a correct determination ; where the type
fails us, and it will often be found doubtful as to which type an egg
should be assigned to, the size and colour will help ; when the colour
fails the size and type will save us from error.
And with regard to colour it should be remembered that an cg is
of a plain tint to begin with, and that the pigment spots are applied
afterwards. These are normally circular, and as the egg is extruded
they are rubbed and blotched against the walls of the duct. They
are nearly always more numerous on the larger end of the egg,
which is the first to be extruded and the first to harden. The
EGGS. 141
pigments are of a similar nature to the
colouring matter of the blood and bile,
and are richer in the case of birds in
their prime and in robust health. They
are generally richer in colour on the
first eggs of the clutch ; for instance,
in the cases in which two eggs are
laid, one spotted and one unspotted,
the spotted egg is laid first.
The eggs of all the birds on our
opening list are given, except the
thirteen which it is believed are still
unknown. Some of them have been
described from the only specimen that
exists ; many of them have not been
laid in this country, but that is no
reason why they should not be found
in a collection. By including them
we make our book complete, and it
is in that spirit we have ended it
by giving a last chance to the Great
Auk,
Our six types we give in the margin.
The U type is the usual one; the V
type is the longer variety, with the
sharper point ; the W type is the in-
tensified form of the V, such as we
have in the eggs of the Raven ; the
X type has both axes nearly equal;
the Y is the pyriform type so common
among the Plovers ; and the Z is the
flattened oval, such as we get among
the Grebes. For the purposes of
reference, the letters to the left of the
page have been adopted instead of
figures, in order that only one system
of numbers may run through the book.
The measurements are in inches, the
first giving the length, the next the
greatest breadth.
To take an example, let us say that
we have an egg three quarters of ar
inch long—that is, ‘75 of an ingk~
142
EGGS.
and let it bea little over half an inch wide. Looking down the list
we find that there are several eggs about this measurement, all of
which are of the U type, but only one of which is of the pale
greenish blue colour of our specimen, which is thus discovered to
be the egg of the Redstart.
AA.
AB.
Ac.
AD.
AE.
AF
AG.
Au.
Al.
Aj.
AK.
AL.
AM.
AN.
Ao.
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White, mottled with red. Gold-crested Wren.
Greyish white, dotted reddish brown. Fire-
crested Wren. ;
White, freckled pale pink. British Long-
tailed Tit.
Cream, spotted purplish brown. Chiffchaff.
Greyish, freckied light brown. Blue Tit.
Pearly white, lightly spotted with red. White-
headed Long-tailed Tit.
White, spotted reddish brown. Yellow-browe1
Warbler.
White, marbled light red. Willow Wren.
Brownish white, blotched or streaked slaty
blue. Lesser Whitethroat.
Greyish white, freckled brown. Marsh Tit.
Greenish, spotted light and dark brown. Mealy
Redpoll.
Greenish, spotted light brown. Lesser Redpoll.
Greenish, spotted and streaked with brown.
Greenland Redpoll.
Greenish grey, freckled with brown. Red-
breasted Flycatcher.
Greenish grey, capped and spotted brown.
Serin.
Greenish grey, spotted reddish brown. Siskin.
Greyish white, blotched light brown. Crested
Tat.
Pearl grey, spotted light and dark brown.
Goldfinch.
White, freckled light and dark brown. Tree
Creeper.
Greyish, thickly spotted with browns. Wood
Wren.
Light brown, speckled red. Sedge Warbler.
Greyish, freckled brown. British Coal Tit.
Greyish, freckled brown. Continental Coal Tit.
Greenish, blotched olive and dark brown.
Reed Warbler.
Greenish, marbled brown and olive. Dartford
Warbler.
Greenish blue, streaked and spotted brown.
Twite.
Yellowish white, speckled red. Aquatic
Warbler.
White. Sand Martin.
White, spotted light brown. Wren.
BJ.
BK.
BL.
BM.
BN.
130.
Bp.
Ba.
Br.
Bs.
Br,
CA.
Cr.
Ce.
CD.
CE.
Cr.
Coe.
CH.
Cl.
Cj.
CK.
CL.
CM.
CN.
co.
Cp.
Ca.
Cr.
Cs.
CT.
DA.
Ds.
De.
Ma
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4 aaa qa SKkSa 4 9 axa cod es a aa a 4 aS AGA
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-
EGGS, 143
Greyish, spotted lightly with brown. Linnet.
Yellowish white, blotched light brown. Great
Tit.
Cream, freckled greyish brown. Bearded Tit.
Greenish blue, marbled with brown. Blue-
throat.
Pale grey, with dark curving spots and
blotches. Little Bunting.
White, freckled evenly with pink. Grass-
hopper Warbler.
White. Martin.
Bluish green, spotted light brown. Whinchat.
Greenish, with brownish purple spots. Desert
Wheatear.
Pale greenish blue. Redstart.
Pale olive, spotted yellowish brown. Spotted
Flycatcher.
Whitish grey, marbled purplish brown.
Marsh Warbler.
Cream, streaked and spotted purplish brown
Reed Bunting.
Pale blue. Pied Flycatcher.
Rose pink, blotched purplish brown. Icterine
Warbler.
Greenish white, spotted green and brown.
Whitethroat.
Greyish, marbled yellowish brown. Grey
Wagtail.
Greenish blue, clouded brown. Chaffinch.
Greyish green, freckled brown. Stonechat.
Grey, marbled yellowish brown. Yellow Wag-
tails.
White, freckled brown. Wall Creeper.
White. Lesser Spotted Woodpecker.
Bluish green, speckled reddish brown. Wild
Canary.
Dark green, spotted brown. White-spotted
Bluethroat.
Greyish, marbled yellowish brown. Blue
headed Wagtail.
White, spotted brown. Nuthatch.
White, spotted yellowish brown. Swallow.
Buff, freckled ashy brown. Savi’s Warbler.
Bluish green, spotted ashy brown. Two-barred
Crossbill.
Bluish green, spotted ashy brown. White-
winged Crossbill.
Bluish green, dotted brown. Brambling.
Pale greenish blue. Hedge Sparrow.
Greenish blue, blotched and streaked brown.
Bullfinch.
Greenish blue, spotted dark brown, Scarlet
Grosbeak.
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EGGS.
Greyish white, spotted brown. Pied Wagtail.
Greyish white, blotched brown at large end.
Orphean Warbler.
Greyish white, spotted brown. Greenfinch,
Yellowish white, spotted brown. Robin.
Greyish white, spotted light and dark brown.
White Wagtail.
Greyish white. Black Redstart.
Light brown, spotted brown and blue. Black-
cap.
bate oreauidi blue. Wheatear.
Pale green, spotted brownish red. Black-
throated Wheatear.
Pale purple, mottled brown. Meadow Pipit.
Reddish white, spotted pale brown. Garden
Warbler.
White. Wryneck.
White, spotted browns and greys. Lapland
Bunting.
Pinkish white. Kingfisher.
Pale blue, streaked and blotched brown.
Ortolan.
Cream, streaked and spotted brown. Rustic
Bunting.
White, mottled with grey. Short-toed Lark.
Grey, mottled with greenish brown. Tree
Sparrow.
Greyish purple, mottled with brown. Tree
Pipit.
Olive. Nightingale.
Buff, spotted brown and grey. Wood Lark.
Purplish green, mottled brown. Water Pipit.
Greyish, freckled brown. Rock Pipit.
Greenish white, blotched dark brown. Cirl
Bunting.
Light brown, mottled with browns. Richard’s
Pipit.
Greenish blue, spotted brown, often with
letters on it. Blackheaded Bunting.
Pale blue, blotched brown and lilac. House
Sparrow.
Buff, spotted light grey. Barred Warbler.
Greenish blue, spotted dark brown. Parrot
Crossbill.
Greenish blue, spotted dark brown. Crossbill.
Greenish white, mottled dark brown. Tawny
Pipit.
Cream, spotted light brown. Red-backed
Shrike.
Pale green, blotched greens and browns,
Great Reed Warbler.
White, streaked and spotted purplish brown.
Yellow Bunting.
66; X.
66; Z.
9% U.
713; U.
2 KX.
“62; U.
64; Uz
65; W.
65; Z.
65; Z.
753 U.
75; U.
75; U.
65; W.
73 -U.
“13 U,
ats Us
713 Ui
713 U.
‘71; Vz
753 X.
753 X.
753 X
8; XX.
85; X.
‘9; X.
93 Vs
8; U.
8: UL
8; U.
8; U.
8; Y.
Shee
8; Z.
$85; U.
85; U.
85; X.
EGGS, 145
Pale green, speckled brown and slate. Rufous
Warbler.
White, spotted olive brown. Skylark.
Cream, blotched with browns. Woodchat.
Various colours, spotted and _ unspotted.
Cuckoo.
Greenish blue, streaked olive brown. Hawfinch.
White, spotted and streaked brown. Snow
Bunting.
Pale grey, spotted with greys. White-winged
Lark.
Pale green. Alpine Accentor.
Pale green, spotted grey. Shore Lark.
White, thickly spotted grey. Crested Lark.
Grey, blotched with dark brown. Redwinged
Starling.
White. Purple Martin. ;
Pale green, spotted and streaked reddish
brown. Redwing.
White. Swift.
Pale olive, spotted brown. Waxwing.
Greenish, clouded with brown. Lesser Grey
Shrike.
Pale slate, blotched purplish brown. Corn
Bunting.
White, coarse-grained shell. Dipper.
White. Black-bellied Dipper.
Greenish blue, spotted dark brown. Pine
Grosbeak.
White. Great Spotted Woodpecker.
White. Hairy Woodpecker.
White. Downy Woodpecker.
Pale green. Rock Thrush.
Buff, spotted brown and grey. Andalusian
Hemipode or Bush Quail.
White. Bee-eater.
Bluish green. Hoopoe.
Buff, blotched with browns. Quail.
Pale grey. Rose-coloured Starling.
Greenish blue, spotted dark brown. Song
Thrush.
Greenish grey, blotched with browns. Great
Grey Shrike.
Greenish grey, spotted reddish brown.
American Stint.
Greenish grey, spotted grey and brown. Little
Stint.
Buff, spotted brown. Baillon’s Crake.
Greenish grey, freckled light brown. Black-
bird.
Pale green. Black-billed Cuckoo.
White, with a ring of red specks, Stormy
Petrel.
146
125
nw
t
_
N
wm
UWI WEST
Re
MK <x 4 HM 3 aaa cH
Ma ddx¥ 3 a4 qa Ns 6 KOoN<Nad G4
EGGS.
Rough-grained, greenish blue. Starling.
Greenish, spotted red, brown, and grey.
Temminck’s Stint.
Olive, spotted red and browr Red-necked
Phalarope.
White. Turtle Dove.
Greyish green, freckled light srown. Black-
throated Thrush,
Greenish, blotched reddish brown. Ring Ouzel.
White. Green Woodpecker.
Whitish green, spotted reddish brown.
White’s Thrush.
White, lightly spotted with purplish brown.
Golden Oriole.
Pale brown, speckled brown, red, and grey.
Little Ringed Plover.
Pale olive, spotted and streaked grey and
brown. Kentish Plover.
Pale olive, blotched and marbled with greys
and browns. Grey Phalarope.
Buffish olive, blotched with greys and browns.
Spotted Sandpiper.
White. Scops Owl.
Buff, with purplish brown markings. Pratin-
cole.
Greyish, lightly spotted brown and purple.
Missel Thrush.
Greenish blue, speckled olive. Jay.
Buff, marked brown and grey. Little Tern.
Buffish brown. Little Crake.
Greenish, mottled reddish brown. Fieldfare.
White. Alpine Swift.
Pea green. Yellow-billed Cuckoo.
White. Wilson’s Petrel.
Chocolate brown, with grey and brown
freckles. Broad-billed Sandpiper.
Chocolate brown, with grey and brown
blotches. White-winged Black Tern.
White, marbled and clouded greys and browns.
Nightjars.
Bluish green, spotted with browns. Great
Spotted Cuckoo.
White, ringed with fine red spots. Forktailed
Petrel.
Buff, spotted grey, brown, and lilac. Spotted
Crake.
Greenish buff, marked with browns. Dunlin.
White. Great Black Woodpecker.
Buff, spotted reddish brown and lilac. Water
Rail.
White. Little Bittern.
Pale olive, speckled brown and grey. Cream-
coloured Courser.
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EGGS, 147
White. Tengmalm’s Owl.
Greenish, freckled light brown. Magpie.
Buff, freckled red and grey. Bonaparte’s
Sandpiper.
White. Belted Kingfisher.
Olive, spotted brown and red. Sanderling.
Bluish white, freckled grey and brown.
Nutcracker.
Greyish brown, blotched with browns and
greys. Black Tern.
Buff, spotted with greys and browns. Common
Sandpiper.
Greenish buff, spotted with browns and lilac.
Killdeer Plover.
Olive, clouded with reds, browns, and greys.
Ringed Plover.
Pale green. Little Grebe.
Yellowish brown. Partridge.
Greyish, spotted with browns and lilac. Corn
Crake.
White. Little Owl.
White. Roller.
White. Rock Dove.
Pale olive, spotted brown and grey. Buff-
breasted Sandpiper.
Pale red, with darker spots. Lesser Kestrel.
White. Stock Dove. :
Buff, spotted light and dark brown. Purple
Sandpiper.
Whitish green, with darker green spots
Jackdaw.
White. Passenger Pigeon.
Olive, spotted reddish brown. Jack Snipe.
Buffish green, spotted browns and greys.
Green Sandpiper.
Olive, blotched red and brown. Wood Sand-
piper.
Reddish brown, finely freckled. Merlin.
Greenish blue. Squacco Heron.
White. Short-eared Owl.
Greenish grey, marbled with browns. Pectoral
Sandpiper.
Light brown, spotted brown. Alpine Chough.
Pale red, finely freckled and blotched. Red-
footed Falcon.
Pearl grey, blotched reddish brown. Sparrow
Hawk.
Buffish brown, with light brown spots. Red-
legged Partridge.
Buff, spotted brown and olive. Turnstone.
Greenish grey, spotted reddish brown. Snipe.
Light brown, clouded with darker browns.
Arctic Tern.
1'2;
34 c¢ dd 4 G4 KxKxe<4nxda Gd Kh Gx WS bbb bpd Maca x <<
EGGS. .
Malachite green, with darker spots. Rook.
Greenish grey, mottled with browns.
Whiskered Tern.
Brownish green, clouded brown. Hooded
Crow.
Creamy white, lightly spotted. Chough.
Buff, spotted with browns. Little Gull.
White. Bulwer’s Petrel.
Grey, freckled and spotted reddish brown,
Kestrel.
White. Hawk Owl.
Greenish white. Montagu’s Harrier.
White. Ring Dove.
Cream coloured. American Blue-winged Teal
White. Long-eared Owl.
White, thickly freckled reddish brown. Hobby.
Greenish, spotted with browns. Carrion Crow.
Light brown, spotted reddish brown. Yellow-
shank.
Olive, marbled browns and greys. Dotterel.
Pale olive, spotted with brown. Pallas’s Sand
Grouse.
Buff, lightly speckled brown and grey: Red-
breasted Snipe.
Buff, blotched and clouded brani and grey.
Roseate Tern.
White. Barn Owl.
Greenish blue. Little Egret.
Buff. Teal.
Greenish white. Sclavonian Grebe.
Olive, blotched purplish brown and grey. Tern,
Buff, blotched with chocolate. Ptarmigan.
Light brown, spotted light red. Moorhen.
Olive, spotted red and brown. Ruff.
Olive, blotched and clouded with brown.
Great Snipe.
Green, darker when held up to light. Buff-
backed Heron.
Buff, speckled grey and brown. Bartram’s
Sandpiper.
Buff, spotted purplish brown. Red Grouse.
Buff, potted light red and pale brown. Wood-
coc
Whitish blue, green when held up to light.
Hen Harrier.
Light brown, with grey spots. Sabine’s Gull.
a marked brown and grey. Black-winged
tilt.
Buff, spotted and blotched rich dark brown.
Redshank,
Buff. Garganey.
Olive, thickly blotched dark brown and grey.
Lapwing.
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EGGS, 149
Greenish blue. Night Heron.
Olive green. Pheasant.
White. Tawny Owl.
Greenish blue. Little Auk.
Green. Eared Grebe.
Pale buff, blotched brown and grey. Lesser
Sooty Tern.
Buff, blotched with reddish brown. Lesser
Golden Plover.
Greenish, spotted sepia and lilac. Spotted
Redshank.
Buff, spotted brown and grey. Mediterranean
Black-headed Gull.
Pale blue, spotted reddish brown. Swallow-
tailed Kite.
Greenish, lightly spotted olive brown. Raven.
Pale green. Red-necked Grebe.
Light brown, spotted browns and _ greys.
Greenshank.
Buff, spotted with reddish brown. Black
Grouse.
Buff, marked with reddish and grey. Gull-
billed Tern.
Greenish grey. Buffel-headed Duck.
Light brown, spotted brown, red, and grey.
Bonaparte’s Gull.
Olive green, blotched brown and grey. Black-
headed Gull.
Buff, blotched purplish brown and _ grey.
Avocet.
Greenish grey, spotted purplish brown. Grey
Plover.
Buff. Wigeon.
Cream, spotted with browns. Sooty Tern.
Sandy brown. Bittern.
Pale olive. American Bittern.
Buff. White-eyed Duck.
Greenish buff. Shoveller.
Creamy buff. Smew.
Cream, spotted and capped reddish brown.
Honey Buzzard.
White. Hooded Merganser.
Greenish white. Marsh Harrier.
Buff, spotted dark brown. Coot.
Buffish white, marked with browns. Sandwich
Tern.
Greenish blue. Glossy Ibis.
Cream, spotted lightly with brown. Noddy.
Buff, spotted with browns and grey. Eskimo
Curlew.
Light brown, spotted with purples and greys.
Golden Plover.
Greenish buff. Pintail.
2°13
21s
2°15
2°15;
Pg
Po *
2:23
2:25
22;
2524
2°23
2°2;%
22;
15; U.
1g; V.
15; W.
15; W.
53
553
17;
16;
1655
14;
1'4;
1°45;
15;
15;
53
Co
G ¥NG KS ds daddS gq qd 4+ 4d dao= aca wen G aM a 6
EGGS.
Olive, clouded with browns. Long-tailed
Skua,
Pale buff, spotted and streaked brown and
grey. Stone Curlew.
Pale olive. Long-tailed Duck.
Light brown. Gadwall. :
Olive, spotted brown and grey. Black-tailed
Godwit.
Brownish red, freckled darker red. Peregrine
Falcon.
Grey, clouded with brown, green when held to
light. Buzzard.
Light brown, spotted reddish brown. Caper-
caillie.
Pale buff, freckled and spotted with browns.
Black Kite.
Green. Great Crested Grebe.
White. Dusky Shearwater.
Olive, lightly spotted with brown and grey.
Bar-tailed Godwit.
Pale buff. American Wigeon.
Buff, streaked with purplish brown. Oyster-
catcher.
Greenish blue. Purple Heron.
Buff. Harlequin Duck.
Greenish brown, spotted red, brown, and
black. Kittiwake.
Olive green, mottled and speckled brown and
grey. Little Bustard.
Olive brown, spotted dark brown and grey.
Gull.
Greyish, clouded with brown. Rough legged
Buzzard.
Light red, spotted dark red. Gyr, Iceland and
Greenland Falcons.
Pale grey. Steller’s Eider.
Buff. Mallard.
Brownisb green. Red-crested Pochard.
Pale green. Goldeneye.
Greenish, clouded and spotted brown. Black
Guillemot.
Pale buff. Tufted Duck.
Olive, spotted dark brown. Pomatorhine Skua.
Pale green, with faint red spots. American
Gos Hawk.
Greenish buff. Pochard.
Olive green, spotted reddish brown and grey.
Whimbrel.
Greenish white, blotched with browns. Kite.
White. Snowy Owl.
Olive, spotted brown and grey. Richardson's
Skua,
Buff, spotted grey and brown. Puffin,
a #8ccc < daq 3 depcdeca 4 Sfcqn 4d Meddeacass daca
EGGS. 151
White. Manx Shearwater.
Greenish white. Gos Hawk.
Buff, spotted with browns. Ivory Gull.
White, blotched with browns and_ greys.
Osprey.
White, emerald green when held to light. Shag.
Greenish blue. Heron.
Pale buff. Scaup.
White, spotted reddish brown. Spoonbill.
Buff. Surf Scoter.
Greenish blue. Great White Heron.
Buff, spotted brown and grey. Caspian Tern.
Pale greenish yellow. King Eider.
White. Eagle OwL
Greyish, streaked and spotted reddish brown.
Lesser Spotted Eagle.
Pale buff, spotted browns and greys. Mac-
queen’s Bustard.
Cream and brownish red. Egyptian Vulture.
Sandy buff. Scoter.
White. Sooty Shearwater.
Pale buff. Red-breasted Merganser.
Greenish, blotched brown and grey. Lesser
Black-backed Gull.
Pale olive, blotched light brown and grey.
Curlew.
Pale buff. Sheld Duck.
White, green when held to light. Black Stork.
Pale buff. Ruddy Sheld Duck.
White, green when held to light. Cormorant.
Greenish white. Red-breasted Goose.
White. Goosander.
White. Brent Goose.
Coffee brown, blotched purplish brown
Iceland Gull.
Buff, marbled and spotted purplish brown
Razorbill.
White. Great Shearwater.
Pale buff. Velvet Scoter.
ee green, spotted grey and biown. Herring
ull.
Olive brown, spotted brown and grey. Great
Skua.
White, green when held to light. Sea Eagle.
Chalky white. Fulmar.
Creamy white. White-fronted Goose.
White. Barnacle Goose.
White. Lesser White-fronted Goose.
White, yellow when held to light. White Stork.
Olive, spotted green and brown. Red-throated
Diver.
Buff, spotted light and dark brown, Great
Black-backed Gull.
WR WHA &
wd G2 w
We Ww
EGGS.
3; 2; Z. Pale bluish green. Gannet.
3; 21; U. Buff, streaked purple and brown. Great Black-
headed Gull.
3; 2°3; V. Olive, clouded with light brown. Great Bus-
tard.
3; 2°5; X. White, or white freckled reddish brown, green
when held to light. Golden Eagle.
1; 2; V. Cream, spotted brown and grey. Glaucous
Gull.
1; 2; V. Greenish buff. Eider Duck.
‘13. 21; V. Creamy white. Pink-footed Goose.
I; 21; V. Chalky white. Snow Goose.
‘2; 2; W. Green or buff, plain or blotched with browns.
Guillemot.
2; 21; W. Creamy white. Bean Goose.
3; 23; W. Chocolate, with blackish spots. Black-throated
Diver.
3; 21; W. Buff, mottled with greys and light browns.
Demoiselle Crane.
5; 2'4; W. Chalky white. Grey Lag Goose.
5; 24; W. Pinkish white. Canada Goose.
‘5; 2°5; W. Olive brown, spotted brown. Yellow-billed
Diver.
6; 22; W. White. Flamingo. :
6; 2°3; W. Olive, spotted dark brown. Great Northern
Diver.
7; 2°5; W. Buff, mottled grey and light brown. Crane.
8; 29; U. White, spotted brown at one end. Griffon
Vulture.
4; 26; W. Creamy white. Bewick’s Swan.
*5; 23; W. Creamy white, Hooper Swan.
5; 2°9; W. Pale green. Mute Swan.
‘9; 3; W. White or buff, blotched and clouded brown.
Great Auk.
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